University Schools Of Education Research Articles

Becoming the falconer: productive feedback for the redrafting of creative writing

ABSTRACT Within a wider neoliberal education system, time and space for redrafting creative writing are marginalised, with focus on the written product rather than the writing process. This precludes the development of young writers. As academics and creative writers working in university Schools of Education, we use inductive autoethnography to explore our memories of feedback on creative writing throughout our writing lives. The affective dimension of feedback, with readers having power over their writers, is emphasised. We identify how feedback can be unproductive and unempathetic, harming the writer. We also identify how feedback can be productive, nurturing the writer through the process towards an internal dialogue with their inner ideal reader – their ‘superaddressee.’ It is the internal dialogue with the superaddressee, who perfectly understands what the writer is communicating, that develops the writer over time, giving them control over the writing process and facilitating redrafting. We recommend the professional development of teachers to become self-reflexive readers, who plan focused writing assessments, and provide productive feedback as well as mentorship programmes in publishing to develop new writers. Future research should explore the psychoanalytic nature of the writer–reader relationship and what the facilitation of redrafting looks like in educational settings.

Professional Growth Opportunities and Its Influence on Job Performance of Deputy Principals of Public Secondary Schools in Lugari Sub-County, Kenya

This study sought to explore the influence of professional growth opportunities on the job performance of deputy principals of public secondary schools in Lugari Sub-County, Kenya. Adopting the descriptive research design, the study utilised mixed methods approach engaging both questionnaires and interview guide. The focus population for the study included 28 principals, 28 deputy principals and 420 teachers of public secondary schools within Lugari Sub- County. All the 28 principals and 28 deputy principals were purposively sampled for study whereas, 200 teachers were identified for study by simple random sampling technique. A pilot test-retest study was conducted in three public secondary schools from nearby Uasin Gishu County and a reliable Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.79 and 0.81 was obtained for the deputy principal response questionnaire and teacher response questionnaire, respectively. Supervisors and researchers from Mount Kenya University School of education were engaged to ascertain the validity of the research instruments and necessary adjustments effected on the tools before use. The questionnaires gathered quantitative data from teachers and deputy principals whilst the interview guide assembled qualitative data from the principals. The statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23.0 was used for the analysis of quantitative data yielding frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Qualitative data were analysed thematically based on the objectives and presented along with the quantitative data. The findings established that schools in Lugari Sub County hardly support deputy principals for in-service training, the majority of deputy principals perceived unfairness in promotion procedures and that the position of deputy principal did not adequately prepare deputy principals for principal-ship. The study recommends that deputy principals need to be supported by the school management to collaborate and improve their requisite skills to discharge their duties effectively.

Pre-service teachers’ sentiments, attitudes and concerns about inclusive education in Turkey

ABSTRACT This investigation focused on pre-service teachers’ sentiments, attitudes, and concerns regarding inclusive practices in Turkey. A total of 406 students from different departments of a university school of education participated in this study. The Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised (SACIE-R) scale was used as a data collection tool to measure pre-service teachers’ engagement with and perceptions of inclusion and assess the rationales underlying their beliefs about and support for the practice. The findings indicated that there is a significant difference in terms of pre-service teachers’ attitudes, concerns, and sentiments regarding inclusion among departments and according to respondents’ levels of confidence in teaching students with disabilities. The pre-school education teacher candidates had more positive attitudes towards inclusion. The findings revealed that pre-service teachers need more opportunities to interact with and teach students with special needs during their school practicums. They also revealed that pre-service teachers need to have experience and confidence as well as knowledge about legislation and policies related to inclusion.

The Effect of Selected Demographic Parameters on Intimacy, HIV risk perception and Self-efficacy among Ugandan and Tanzanian University Pre-Service Teachers.

The study was conducted among university pre-service teachers pursuing Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science with Education degree programmes, with the major aim of analysing the effect selected demographic attributes or parameters of gender, age and religion on intimacy, HIV risk perception and self-efficacy. A total of 557 respondents selected using systematic random sampling from both Makerere University School of Education (Uganda) and Dar es Salaam University College of Education (Tanzania) were studied and findings revealed that the variation intimacy among the two genders was not significant while the variation in HIV risk perception between the male and female pre-service teachers was significant. It was also observed that the variation in self-efficacy between the two genders was not significant. On the other hand, the, the variation in intimacy between the age cohorts under study was significant while that in HIV risk perception and self-efficacy for the different age groups was not significant. The variations in intimacy, HIV risk perception and self-efficacy between the several religions was found to be non-significant across all religions. The findings therefore point to the need for effective university policies that should incorporate life skills education, HIV workshops, behaviour change programmes, peer education and exemplary leadership.
  

Envisioning the Rural Practicum

Recruitment and retention of teachers in rural areas continue to dominate educational narratives across the country. School districts, state agencies, and university schools of education have instituted strategies including financial incentives, alternative standards and licensure criteria, and grow-your-own programs that target underemployed locals and paraprofessionals for accelerated licensure. While each strategy may enjoy situational success, none is a panacea for all circumstances. However, there is growing interest in the development of university and school district partnerships in creating innovative solutions to rural recruitment and retention issues. This study investigates the efficacy of a partnership between several small rural districts and a state university partnering to create and test a contextualized clinical practice model. The Montana State University rural practicum placed 13 preservice teachers in a week-long, immersive clinical practice in rural, remote schools in Montana, for them to authentically experience the rural context and for researchers to determine if such an experience might positively affect recruitment and retention efforts. The study used a community-based participatory research method to ensure equal participation of both university and rural school partners in co-creating the experience and in collecting and analyzing data. Results suggest that the rural practicum experience positively affected preservice teacher perceptions of rural teaching and rural communities. Rural school leaders and university personnel also agreed that the model held promise for recruiting and retaining teachers in rural areas.

The role of liaison teachers in developing school-university partnerships

In New Zealand, normal schools have played a key role in collaborating with teacher education institutions in the provision of pre-service teacher education. This paper describes the role of liaison teachers in normal schools, and the strategies used to develop an effective partnership between a university School of Education and a normal school staff Attention will be drawn to factors that need to be identified and resolved to enhance the benefits for teacher education students. These factors are related to broader issues of partnership and approaches to effective teacher education delivery.

Development of sustainable schools–university partnerships: lessons learnt from mobile learning collaborations in early years’ education

ABSTRACTmLearning is not widely used in early years’ education, although it has been shown to be beneficial to children’s learning. This paper discusses the initial findings of a three-year longitudinal study into the costs and benefits of implementing mLearning in early childhood education at two case study sites. A partnership model is used between a university school of education and two state primary schools in Western Australia. A qualitative approach (interviews, focus groups and field observations) is adopted to collect data from pre-service and practising teachers, school leaders and parents and carers. Initial findings indicate that pre-service and practising teachers increased personal confidence, technological knowledge and insights into implementing mlearning in the classroom. Six themes are discussed as links in a chain that might support sustainable schools–university partnerships. Schools and universities considering developing partnerships as a mechanism to institute sustainable educational change can consider the model proposed.

Neanderthals between Man and Beast: A Comment on the Comments of Barceló-Coblijn & Benítez-Burraco (2013)

Neanderthals between Man and Beast: A Comment on the Comments of Barceló-Coblijn & Benítez-Burraco (2013) Authors Sverker Johansson Jönköping University Author Biography Sverker Johansson, Jönköping University School of Education & Communication vice Dean PDF Article info Impact Citations Published at 12. September 2013 https://doi.org/10.5964/bioling.8979 Issue: Vol. 7 (2013) Section: Forum Keywords: Neanderthal language fossils archeology DNA Share: Z PlumX Dimensions Views: Total Abstract PDF 8 5 3

Challenges of research(er) development in university schools of education: a Scottish case

From the 1990s the professional preparation of intending teachers in Scotland moved from monotechnic colleges to seven university schools of education. ‘Universitisation’ (Menter et al. 2006) created new opportunities for the creative adaptation of work cultures to value teaching and research. New appointments are expected to demonstrate research potential and to hold higher degrees. The need to build research capacity in and for teacher education is a recognised international priority and is particularly important given the demographic profile of the UK educational research community (Mills et al. 2006). Through a series of 19 semi-structured interviews in two schools of education located in research intensive universities in Scotland during 2009–10, this research explored: (1) the experiences and tactics of emerging researchers with teacher education roles; and (2) institutional strategies to promote research engagement and development. This small-scale exploratory study identifies diversity within the ‘academic tribes’ of teacher education (Bechler and Trowler 2001; Menter 2011) and suggests that research audits, in combination with political and economic influences on teacher education, may increase the bifurcation of research and teaching, inhibiting possibilities for productive interchange. A recalibration of school–university partnerships is suggested as one strategy to advance research-engaged professional education.

Changing places, changing spaces? Towards understanding teacher education through space–time frameworks

This article draws together theoretical ideas from studies of space/spatiality and the history of teacher education. These ideas form a theoretical framework through which to analyse the findings from a small–scale ethnographic study of the geographical relocations made by two university schools of education in England. Data collection instruments included documentary analysis, field notes from dedicated observations, pre- and post-relocation questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, again pre- and post-relocation. The findings indicate the ways in which the spaces of teacher education are integral to the historical and contemporary practices, social relations and professional identities found in the field.

Teacher education in Scotland – riding out the recession?

Background: Teacher education in Scotland has developed its own trajectory for many years and this distinctiveness appears to have increased since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Teachers' pay and conditions were addressed in 2001 by the agreement A teaching profession for the 21st century. This agreement led to a number of innovations in teacher education and development. More recently, there has been a report of the Review of Teacher Education in Scotland by Graham Donaldson and a committee is currently reviewing teachers' pay and conditions. Purpose: This article examines the extent to which the development of teacher education in Scotland has been affected by the global financial crisis and its impact on the provision of public services. Three policy contexts are explored in turn, those of politics and economics, education and teacher education, so that the analysis moves from the wider societal perspective towards the specifics of teacher education. Sources of evidence: The article draws on a close analysis of relevant policy documents, including those produced by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Scottish Government and the General Teaching Council for Scotland. Additionally reference is made where appropriate to a wide range of published research and to reports such as the Review of Teacher Education in Scotland. Main argument: The ways in which teacher education policy in Scotland is developing is a result of the interaction between history, culture and politics played out at a national level under the wider influence of UK, European and global affairs, both economic and political. There are real tensions in the current conjunction of policies and trends, which create major challenges for all those involved. The promotion of career-long professional learning and enhanced school autonomy proceed alongside the review of teachers' professional conditions (McCormac Review), high levels of intermittent employment among new teachers, fluctuations in student numbers and staffing in university Schools of Education, and contracting resource to support school-level curriculum development and continuing professional development. The social partnership achieved between employers and practitioners is under increasing strain; and relations of partnership between universities and schools are subject to increasing critical scrutiny. Teaching in a time of crisis creates new challenges, and the need for innovative approaches to enduring challenges, in the short and longer term. Conclusions: The longstanding commitment to explicit values in Scottish culture and education is all the more important in a context where pressures for accountability and efficiency are greater than ever.

Dialogic practice in primary schools: how primary head teachers plan to embed philosophy for children into the whole school

The Philosophy for Children in Schools Project is an ongoing research project to explore the impact of philosophy for children (P4C) on classroom practice. This paper reports on the responses of head teachers, teachers and local educational authority (LA) officers in South Wales, UK, to the initial training programme in Philosophy for Children carried out by the University School of Education. Achieving change in schools through the embedding of new practices is an important challenge for head teachers. Interviews and qualitative questionnaires were used to explore perceptions of and attitudes towards the dialogic practice of P4C and the related challenges for school leaders. The results provide an insight into how head teachers planned to embed the new practice of P4C in their schools. Results from the interviews and questionnaires have been subject to iterative analysis and categories derived under which to discuss the findings. There are many similarities in the ways in which different head teachers go about planning change n their schools as well as differences. The results provide insight into the role of initial continuing professional development (CPD) in school development and the processes by which individual heads plan to embed change in practice across the whole school.

Sustained classroom observation: what does it reveal about changing teaching practices?

In the context of the tension between classroom observation as a form of empowerment and as an instrument of control, the partnership between three 16–19 colleges and a university School of Education in delivering a programme of sustained observation over eight years is explicated. Drawing on the literature about continuing professional development (CPD) and the use of classroom observation as a developmental and inspection tool, the principles and processes that underpin the programme are explained. Content analysis of 924 reports of classroom observations is undertaken to establish two areas where changes in practice can be relatively easily achieved and two areas that are more resistant.

Teacher educators’ identities and work in England at the beginning of the second decade of the twenty-first century

This article reports on a recent study of teacher educators in England which aimed to explore teacher educators’ constructions of their own identities in the academic communities within two university schools of education. Findings show that teacher educators constructed repertoires of identities for themselves, deploying these to achieve credibility and recognition or to reflect personal change, depending on the particular context and ‘audience’. Many saw their foundational identity as once-a-school teacher, but entry into the university often triggered changes and the (re)construction of identity around practice as a teacher educator and research engagement. Findings also showed a diversity of identity constructions and resistances around the idea of research engagement and having an identity as an academic. These findings are discussed in relation to the rapidly changing and contested field of teacher education at the beginning of the second decade of the twenty-first century.

The Reduction of Stigma in Schools: A New Professional Development Model for Empowering Educators to Support LGBTQ Students

This article describes the rationale and design of The Reduction of Stigma in Schools—an innovative professional development program that aims to empower educators to create supportive learning environments for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) students. Part of a larger evaluation study, the authors illustrate how the core design components are visible in participants’ experiences with the program itself and with working to create supportive environments for their students. Key design elements, such as the educator-to-educator program delivery, research based workshop content, and basing the program in a university school of education, were reported by participants to increase the perceived relevance of LGBTQ issues for their professional practice. The article concludes with reflection on those design elements which are effective, plans for expanding the model, and recommendations for actions educators can take to support LGBTQ youth.

Substituting ICT as a Lever for Inclusion of Children with Reading and Writing Difficulties

This paper presents research findings from a 3-year development and research project named Project IT-folder (PIF) that aimed at the inclusion of young children with potential reading and writing difficulties into normal classes in a suburb of the Danish capital. The project ran from 2007 to June 2010 as collaboration between the Danish University School of Education, the local municipality government, the Pedagogic Development Centre and two primary schools in the municipality. The aim of the project was to produce research-based knowledge that grounds and consolidates a future-oriented and sustainable implementation strategy and practice for all schools in the municipality regarding ICT as a change agent. The project’s methodology was designed as research-based interventions into everyday practice, while data was collected through qualitative and anthropological methods, collection of student work and school assessment measures. PIF has succeeded in producing a series of interventions ranging from everyday practices over competence building for teachers to organisational changes in the single school and at the municipality level. These interventions are at present being implemented in the municipality.

Building a sense of community through online video

Globalisation and web technologies have created unprecedented opportunities for worldwide collaboration. This paper will discuss prospects and challenges for building capacity and sharing resources through virtual communities by examining a case study, namely the US-China Virtual Symposium. Planned by Drexel University School of Education, a leader in distance education in the USA and Wainhouse Research, recognised experts in rich media communications, the goal of the virtual symposium was to create opportunities to collaborate across borders, share best practices, and build professional networks without the costs and constraints of travel. The project team selected different modes of communication including real-time and asynchronous interaction, presentations and panel discussions, as well as community building through forums, blogs, and video posting, but early on decided to use multimedia communications extensively in an effort to enhance community building and assist in cross-cultural communication. This paper discusses the challenges and successes in using video to enhance a global online community in the context of an online symposium.

Applied Learning Activity for Health and Fitness Students to Advocate for School Playground and Gymnasium Safety

Playground accidents are a leading cause of injury to children at school and home. Health and physical education faculty and students from a university school of education and college of nursing collaborated with wellness team members in a public school system to complete a systematic planning process. The aim was to enhance the school health program and reduce risk of injuries. University faculty mentored health and physical education students as they developed professional competencies related to program planning and advocacy. Students identified safety hazards in 52 school/community playgrounds and 45 gymnasiums, and reported maintenance issues to reduce the risk of injuries. Teachers, parents, students and community residents can learn to assess playground and gymnasium safety, identify hazards, and plan improvements to the school health environment.

What is the Role of the Teacher? To Guide the Studies ofOthers

The development of good teaching pedagogy for pre-service students is one of the major goals of university schools of education. The art of teaching is a complex process that leads to many debates and requires a consistent review of current strategies and effective practices. Equally significant is the delicate balance in the relationship between teacher and student. This essay brings to light an essential point for discussion: the role of self-reflection as viewed in the Dewey model. In reflecting on my own teaching career I was reminded that teachers teach students not only methodology and content, but also values. Such issues that are created by real world lessons may lead to deliberations regarding justice, equity, respect, and other virtues that might contribute not only to better students, but to better citizens.

You can't do it on your own: gardening as an analogy for personal learning from a collaborative action research group

This article explores the factors that contributed to personal learning and development as a result of being a member of a collaborative action research project group. The project took place in a university School of Education, and involved five lecturers and the students they were supervising for their dissertations. Data were collected by interviews with lecturers and students, regular meetings and other activities, all of which were facilitated by a research assistant. Gardening is used as an analogy to action research with similarities between the two activities being made. Two interlinked factors are identified as being crucial for the learning that took place – time (in terms of making time for the research and realising that development is not always instant) and support from others (both within the action research group and the wider research community). These factors, together with some lessons drawn from this collaboration (which may be useful for others engaging in this type of activity) have led to the realisation that ‘you can’t do it on your own'.