Life Experiences Of Students Research Articles

¿Quién responde por la formación de los docentes como sujetos de derechos en las facultades de educación?

This reflection article, derived from a research process about social representations of Human Rights in a group of students, explores the process of knowledge and experience that undergraduate students from Universidad Distrital have during their training process to become teachers. It shows how the field of social representation originates in the daily life experiences of students (both in the university and beyond) where they become aware of Human Rights violation experiences. They begin to question the meaning, significance, usefulness and pur pose of rights in the contexts of societies like Colombia and particularly, in a Faculty dedicated to the teacher training. Likewise, the lack of a political will to make Human Rights Education (HRE) more visible and tangible in the curricula for future teachers is questioned, as well as the educational projects in Faculties of Education. Finally, the paper suggests some key ideas to enhance future teachers’ training from a HRE perspective.

Communication, Networking and Personal Development Skills Trained during the Educational Process

Both from the lessons I observed and from my personal teaching experience I have found that the impact of Internet over the development of pupils’ skills is a positive one, beneficial to the development of their personality and to their social integration and adaptation. Apart from the development of active and conscious participation, of communication within virtual space or networking, of teamwork, in pairs, individually or frontally pupils develop functional skills like: organizational skills, self-management skills, time management, critical thinking, decision making, processing and contextual use of information and the capacity to identify and solve problems. Using the Internet in teaching provides opportunities for harnessing the life experience of students in a more flexible and open framework, diversifying everyday learning environments. The impact of Internet in the educational area has visible consequences in pupil's development and training but also in teacher's activity by motivating them to work towards a partnership (integrated teaching, team teaching) and educational innovation.

Phenomenography for researching aspects of networked learning

Networked learning as a pedagogical approach aims to advance technology mediated learning through relations with resources, tutors and students. Phenomenography is a qualitative research approach concerned with revealing patterns of variation in the relations between human beings and aspects of the world around them. Phenomenography and networked learning attend to different functions in different fields of operation - the former on doing research about learning and the latter on begetting students' learning, but both advance a relational view of learning. This short paper is the outcome of a reflective enquiry when personally engaged doing phenomenographic research exploring variation in the student's lived experience of networked learning. With it I seek to draw attention to a perceived set of values and beliefs shared by, and underpinning both approaches. I claim to underline the advantage of a foundational ground shared by phenomenography and networked learning, also suggesting philosophical coherence and continuity when the human actor operating in the networked learning field shifts to the phenomenographic field. However, the advantage of phenomenography to research the networked learning field is perceived to go beyond shared philosophical ground and related methodological accord. In its capacity to explicitly reveal open patterns of variation in person-world relationships phenomenography is envisaged to potentially be an empowering means of learning and for learning. Perhaps, an in-depth study looking into the points of convergence and divergence when using phenomenography to investigate aspects of networked learning may help clarify conjectures at the abstract level and beyond this, on a more practical note, it may help to better highlight capabilities, limitations, facilitations and pitfalls, thus illuminating prospects for those who contemplate phenomenography to understand and promote networked learning. Structurally, the paper is subdivided into three sections. The first section highlights networked learning as a relational approach distinct from other similar technology-mediated learning strategies such as connectivism and computer supported collaborative learning. The second section briefly outlines the main paradigmatic features of phenomenography characterised by the person-phenomenon relationship advancing learning as expanding consciousness. The third section calls attention to three issues whereupon the phenomenographic stance appears to match the networked learning approach, these being that, both steer clear of dualisms, contemplate learning at the nexus of relations, and emphasise the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively.

Comportement et activités extra-scolaires : une étude en vie quotidienne de l’échec et de la réussite scolaire

ObjectivesIn light of its high prevalence and important consequences for future opportunities, academic failure is a major preoccupation of the French educational system. Difficulties at school are associated with later social and professional exclusion and may have an important psychological impact on students, notably concerning self-esteem. However, while the majority of research concerning academic difficulties has been conducted at school or within educational contexts, there is a growing literature demonstrating its association with extracurricular activities. The study of daily life activities poses several problems for the researcher in that students may not accurately recall specific behaviors or correctly report their frequency when assessed retrospectively over long time delays. In order to understand the daily life experiences of students outside of school, this investigation therefore used the Experience Sampling Method in order to collect information at several times throughout the day concerning the environments, activities and routines of students. Materials and methodsAll students and their parents provided written informed consent to participate. Students were selected from ten junior high schools in Southwest France, including five traditional schools and five ‘education priority’ schools based on low academic performance in the school district. Within each type of school, 65 students were selected for being in academic difficulty (defined as having scores below 50% on national evaluations of both French and Math) and 66 were selected for being in academic success (defined as having scores above 80% in these same subjects). Following recruitment into these groups, students were trained in how to complete electronic interviews for a 1-week period using a personal digital assistant (PDA). This device was then programmed to provide three signals a day after school between 6pm and 9pm, and five signals a day on the weekend between 10am and 9pm. At each signal, the PDA administered an electronic interview asking the students to describe at that given moment their geographic location, social environment, and specific activities. At the end of the 1-week period, the PDAs were returned and data were analyzed using multilevel modeling using a Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. ResultsStudents in the academic difficulty and success group did not differ by sex, maternal language, country of birth, or by type of school. However, students in the academic success group more often had fathers with higher career or professional status. Concerning daily life experiences, students in academic difficulty were more likely to be spending time in academic or commercial locations, more likely to be with domestic animals or with persons other than family and friends. These students were also more likely to be ‘doing nothing’, and less likely to be performing sustenance or leisure activities. However, students in the academic difficulty group were more likely be doing school work, and several differences were also observed in the structure of these daily life routines across days. ConclusionsUsing an ambulatory monitoring protocol, daily life activities and environments were recorded in real-time and in natural contexts among students experiencing either difficulty or success. The findings demonstrating greater passivity, fewer leisure activities, and fewer moments spent with family for students in academic difficulty may indicate that less structured or unsupervised time schedules should be examined for its potential role in academic difficulty. While students in difficulty were also more often in academic settings and likely to being doing school work, these seemingly paradoxical findings are likely to reflect the academic tutoring or other intentional strategies to cope with such difficulties. Future research should consider extracurricular activities and contexts when investigating risk and protective factors associated with academic performance.

II. Socialinio darbo teorija ir praktika. Socialinio darbo praktikos bendruomenėje organizavimas mokymosi mokytis kompetencijos ugdymo aspektu: Studentų požiūris

Contemporary university teaching/learning paradigm highlights the importance of learning to learn competence. Hence, the article analyses the organization of social work practice in community through the aspect of developing learning to learn competence. Research objectives include: - establish the prerequisites of developing learning to learn competence during social work practice in community; - reveal students’ opinions on the organization of social work practice in community through the aspect of developing learning to learn competence. Quasi-experiment design has been chosen for the research, which focuses on one group evaluation before and after the field experiment. The research sample is 58 fourth-year Bachelor program for social work MRU students, who studied alternative optional study subject – social work practice in community. Questionnaire based survey was applied to carry out the research on the change of learning to learn competence self-assessment. Based on competence portfolio content analysis, the reasons of the change in learning to learn competence self-assessment were revealed. The research showed that the development of learning to learn competence during social work practice in community is promoted by the application of the direct experience social worker preparation model, the main accent of which is student life experience or direct work experience, based on which competences and knowledge necessary for work in community could bedeveloped. Future social workers’ learning to learn competence development is mostly influenced by purposefully selected practice tasks, which are focused on learning through active participation, seeking to take into account the foreseen study results and real community needs. Tasks focused on learning through active participation and community problem solving give the basis for the development of student learn to learn competence. Possibility to constantly reflect personal activity is important in seeking effective organization of social work practice in community and the development of learning to learn competences necessary for this work.

Profile of Alberto Ruz Lhuillier as a Young Man

The attitudes and beliefs that archaeologists bring to their profession can have important impacts upon the manner in which they approach their work; therefore, studying an archaeologist’s life can shed light on archaeological history. An investigation of the early life of the Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier provides fascinating evidence of just how life experiences can have an impact on attitudes and theoretical approaches. Ruz was the archaeologist who, in 1952, discovered the magnificent tomb of the Classic Maya King of Palenque, Mexico, K’inich Janaab’ Pakal I. Research into Ruz’s early life sheds light on why he had negative opinions about the United States (US), and highlights the experiences that caused them, and explains how they changed. When Ruz moved to Cuba in the 1930s, and learned about the impact of American interference in Cuban affairs, he became deeply involved in the socialist revolution to oust Cuba’s US puppet dictators and to free his country from ‘yanqui’ imperialism. In addition, these early student life experiences exposed him to other students who espoused the theories and ideas of Karl Marx. Later Ruz would use some of these theories to explain the development and fall of ancient Maya civilization. <strong>Publisher's Note</strong> In paragraph two, this article mistakenly states that Alberto Ruz Lhuillier discovered the chamber and tomb of K'inich Janaab' Pakal I in 1954. The text should instead read that he discovered it in 1952.

Using critical race theory to analyze science teachers culturally responsive practices

Culturally responsive science teaching is using knowledge about the culture and life experiences of students to structure learning that is conducive to their needs. Understanding what teachers need to prepare them to be culturally responsive is a matter of continuous debate. As the focus of multicultural education ventures farther away from its roots, advocating the civil rights of historically oppressed groups, concerns about the gravity of racial inequity on schooling continues. How will this shift in focus influence teachers’ capacity to accommodate students’ needs resulting from racial inequities in this society, particularly African American students? What knowledge is essential to their effectiveness? This qualitative study examined the instructional practices of two effective middle school science teachers deemed culturally responsive by their administrator on the basis of classroom observations, students’ responses and standardized assessment results. Both teachers’ classrooms consisted primarily of African American students. Grounded theory was used to analyze the teachers’ beliefs and practices in order to identify existing commonalties. Critical race theory was used to identify whether there was any influence of the students’ racial identities on the teachers’ beliefs and practices. The analysis reveals that the teachers’ beliefs and practices were informed by their critical awareness of social constraints imposed upon their African American students’ identities. These findings communicate the significance of sociocultural awareness to informing the teachers’ instruction, as well as their strategies for managing the varying dynamics occurring in their classrooms. It can be deduced from the findings that an understanding of racial inequities is crucial to the development of sociocultural awareness, and is the foundation for the culturally responsive dispositions and practices of these middle school science teachers.

Psicólogos em formação: vivências e demandas em plantão psicológico

Este trabalho buscou compreender e refletir sobre a formação do psicólogo. Utilizando a pesquisa qualitativa, objetivou-se conhecer o impacto dessa realidade nas vivências do aluno, enquanto plantonista, e verificar se essa inserção favoreceria a instalação de uma consciência crítica de nossa realidade social. Utilizou-se a técnica de grupo focal, numa amostra de trinta e oito alunos, cujo material foi analisado em análise temática. O recorte foi um estágio desenvolvido em plantão psicológico, realizado numa clínica-escola de uma universidade particular da zona leste de São Paulo, cujo atendimento se aproxima das necessidades da comunidade. Os resultados mostram que a inserção do graduando no plantão psicológico trouxe desilusões e rupturas das certezas instituídas nos fazeres e saberes do trabalho psicológico, o que contribuiu para uma nova construção na maneira de olhar para antigas questões e legitimar a necessidade de revisão e questionamento de nossas práticas cotidianas, contextualizadas na realidade de nossas populações.

Listening to student voice

Abstract This article explores value of listening to and heeding student voice. By doing so, teachers learn about life experiences of students, and about how these contribute to more formal learning environment of classroom. They also learn importance of explicitly articulating and adopting a relevant learning theory that acknowledges classroom as a learning community, and so enables learning. Introduction The ability to listen to student voice is, I believe, most significant enabling factor for building of caring, empowering relationships in development of a learning community. In this article, I discuss this belief in context of emerging contemporary world view and related understandings of and contextualisation. I also discuss a theory that understands learning holistically. This is enactivism. The theory of enactivism emanates from an ecological world view. This theory is useful, because an ecosystem and a learning situation exhibit similar characteristics. Belief in importance of truly listening to student voice emerged from my research in a Year 7 classroom. Year 7 is first year of secondary school in Victoria, Australia. It usually coincides with a move by student to a school different from that in which he/she completed seven years of primary schooling (the first year of schooling is called Prep: Preparatory Year). After presenting relevant literature, I include stories of students as they communicate them--because they speak so powerfully about experience we call learning in a connected environment (for more detail see Hamilton, 2005). Relevant literature Emerging contemporary world view Until second half of twentieth century, physical world was conceived as a series of contained entities arranged in a hierarchical order (Edwards, 1999; Macy, 1983; Morwood, 1997). The emerging contemporary world view understands everything as being interconnected. This world view does not see physical life as disconnected, separate entities, but as entities that are interrelated. As Macy (1983) puts it: What had appeared before as separate entities dissolve into flows, and are seen to be patterns in these flows--patterns that sustain each other by means of their relationships and exchanges. Atoms, cells, plants, people, societies.... All are dynamic patterns, or open systems within systems. They influence each other so deeply that it is hard to decide where one leaves off and other begins. (p. 119) Macy describes all of these systems as manifesting flexibility and intelligence, as they integrate and differentiate in order to survive. This involves a process that all must embrace in order to develop (Capra, 1996, 2003; Macy, 1983). Part of this interdependent process is to engage and enhance their own and each other's capacities (Macy, 1983, p. 31). The importance of is also emphasised in complexity theory, which states that systems, while consisting of parts, are best studied as wholes, since new properties emerge that cannot be predicted by an analysis of (Capra, 1996, 2003). As whole exhibits properties that are not evident in any of parts, the nature of whole is always different from mere sum of its parts (Capra, 1996, p. 29). Each element is described in terms of its relationship to other elements. All are connected and interdependent, and terms connectedness and interdependence are further developed by psychologists and educationalists. Connectedness and contextualisation Contemporary psychologists have developed term connectedness for expressing an essential ingredient for human living (Bernard, 1997). Discussion and debate continually returns to concept, and understands its enaction as absolutely essential, if schooling is to be effective (Bernard, 1997; Hill & Russell, 1999). …

Principles of Macroeconomics: Toward a Multiparadigmatic Approach

A two-fold, yet parallel, response to the decline in economics majors has emerged between variants of the profession: neoclassical economics (NCE) and original institutional economics (OIE) (Becker 1997; Siegfreid 1999; Knoedler and Underwood 2003). Both sponsor conference sessions focusing on pedagogic innovations; both host workshops to advance teaching careers. The distinction in approach is in point of emphasis. NCE emphasize pedagogy, the adoption of innovations from the scholarship of teaching. While OIE agree pedagogy is important, they believe another reason enrollments have moved from economics to other fields is the content of economics: it has become unnecessarily enamored of mathematical nuances interesting only to professional economists. As a result, the subject matter is not relevant to contemporary undergraduates. Understood from the framework of cognitive psychology, students unable to connect Principles of Economics (Principles) with their lives consider it little more than environmental noise, discarding it from further consideration (Knoedler and Underwood 2003). As most students only consider Principles as one avenue to pursue general education requirements, enrollment is predominantly driven by student expectations of the extent to which Principles will enhance their general education experience.1 Increased enrollment in Principles, gateway to the major, requires it be relevant to the student's life experience. Thus, a pedagogic transformation of Principles will also require a change in content.

Achieving Empathy and Engagement: A practical approach to the design, conduct and reporting of phenomenographic research

Phenomenography is a methodology which has been quietly influential in research on higher education, having been the basis of many studies of approaches to learning and student understandings of a wide range of concepts in a variety of disciplines. There is a need to clarify important aspects of the methodology so that it can be used with increasing effectiveness. This article seeks to contribute to the discussion and clarification of the phenomenographic research approach in two ways. Firstly, it is argued that phenomenography would benefit from a more rigorous consideration of how to engage with the student's lived experience. Secondly, drawing on that discussion, the article sets out a series of guidelines for the conduct of phenomenographic research, and demonstrates how these might be achieved in practice by drawing on the experience of two higher education research studies: one into students' experiences of cheating and the other into lecturers' and students' experiences of the teaching and learning of accounting.

Sustainability, cleaner production and an international learning resource

Sustainable development is a central theme in environmental science education and this implies that the only appropriate dimension for such education programmes is global. We therefore feel that a world-wide sharing of knowledge is a most needed instrument in educating the peoples of the world in how to behave responsibly towards the environment and each other. Of course there will always be some tension between this global dimension and the good educational practice of taking examples from the daily life experience of students, but it would be an attractive idea to create a flexible international learning resource from which people could draw materials for implementation in different learning environments. During the process of adaptation to national/regional use or specific target groups, aspects concerning national legislation and daily life examples can be added to the building blocks obtained from the learning resource. The course on cleaner production strategies developed at the Open University of The Netherlands will be used to illustrate the idea.

Pastoral Education of Hispanic Adults

Hispanic adult education for ministry calls for a sensitivity to language, customs, and ways of learning. Modern pedagogy affirms the need for participative styles of learning that value the life experience of students. Programs offered at the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) are examples of culturally sensitive, participative learning in pastoral education. Recruitment and financial assistance must be part of parish planning in adult education.