Technology's impact: symbiotic or asymbiotic impact on differing cultures?

Over the past three years or more, the authors have been examining the impact of technology interventions on students and teachers – from cultures where English is a second language. It is their hypothesis that students and teachers from non‐English speaking nations suffer severe disadvantages when technological interventions are superimposed on existing traditional pedagogical models. This paper is the latest in a series that examines extent pedagogies, primarily in Asia, and the pressures of having to re‐conceptualize what has been a tradition for centuries. It traces significant educational origins to their cultural roots and examines contemporary initiatives that, if implemented, may well disrupt. It offers possible solutions that, if approached with reconciliation as its focus, might offset catastrophic results and, in fact, achieve pedagogical symbiosis.L'impact de la technologie: symbiotique ou asymbiotique selon des cultures différentes. Durant les 3 dernières années ou plus, des auteurs ont examiné les interventions sur les étudiants et les enseignants appartenant à des cultures où l'anglais est une seconde langue. C'est une hypothèse que les étudiants et enseignants de pays non anglophones souffrent de plusieurs d´esavantages quand les interventions technologiques sont imposées sur les modèles pédagogiques traditionnels. Cet article est le plus récent d'une série qui examine plusieurs pédagogies, particulièrement en Asie, et les pressions de revoir la conceptualisation qui a été la tradition pendant des siècles. Il met les origines éducatives significatives depuis leurs racines culturelles et examine les initiatives contemporaires qui, si elles sont en oeuvre, peuvent aboutir à des ruptures. L'article offre des solutions possibles qui, si elles sont approchées dans un esprit de conciliation comme point de mire, permettent d'éviter des résultats catastrophiques et, en fait, aboutir à une symbiose pédagogique.Die Wirkung der Technik: Symbiotische oder Asymbiotic Wirkung auf unterschiedliche Kulturen? Über die letzten drei Jahre oder mehr haben die Autoren die Wirkung von Technikeingriffen auf Studenten und Lehrer aus Kulturen geprüft, in denen Englisch eine zweite Sprache ist. Es ist ihre Hypothese, daß Studenten und Lehrer aus nicht englisch sprechenden Nationen schwerwiegende Nachteile erleiden, wenn mit technologischen Eingriffen vorhandene traditionelle pädagogische Modelle überlagert werden. Dieses Papier ist das letzte einer Serie, die umfangreiche pädagogische Gebiete untersucht, in erster Linie in Asien, und den Zwang prüft, das wieder konzeptualisieren zu müssen, was Jahrhunderte eine Tradition gewesen ist. Es verfolgt signifikante Bildungsursprünge hin zu ihren kulturellen Wurzeln und prüft zeitgenössische Initiativen, die, wenn durchgeführt, das gut unterbrechen können. Es bietet mögliche Lösungen an, die, mit dem Ziel der Aussöhnung, katastrophale Ergebnisse ausgleichen und in der Tat eine pädagogische Symbiose erreichen könnten.     

Personality characteristics differentiating and predicting the achievement of televised‐course students and traditional‐course students 1

Abstract

A large‐scale field study was conducted to 1) determine if the personality traits of students enrolled in televised college‐level courses differ from the personality traits of students enrolled in traditional college‐level courses and 2) identify the specific personality traits predictive of successful performance in televised classes. Results showed that students enrolled in telecourses do have a unique personality profile and that certain traits predicted success for these students. Implications of these results are discussed.     

Quality curriculum for under‐threes: the impact of structural standards

The purpose of this study conducted in 36 infant–toddler centres (Kinderkrippen) in the city of Munich in Bavaria/Germany was to explore structural characteristics of early child care and education and their effects on child care quality. Stepwise regressions and variance analysis (Manova) examined the relation between quality of care and structural characteristics such as group size, staff competence and preparation time. A multi‐respondent approach was employed, including self‐report questionnaires of educators (Erzieherinnen) as well as data on local working conditions collected from the directors of the centres. The findings of this study suggest that different sets of variables can be used to predict quality of education for under‐threes. The practitioners' reported quality of education was found to relate to higher competence (with regard to centre programme, documentation, teamwork and staff qualification), better orientation towards the children's needs and better working atmosphere. Furthermore there were multivariate effects of the availability of and networking with external specialists, preparation time, and grouping arrangements within the centre such as changing from a home‐group approach to an open‐group setting. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for research and the basic impact of education in early childhood.     

Infusing technology into a mathematics methods course: any impact?

The short report reviews the research on the factors that influence young people's higher education choices. It considers the main messages that have emerged from empirical studies, looking in particular at: the sources of information young people use; the relative importance of factors in their decisions; and their judgements about the 'feasibility' of an application. The paper concludes by suggesting that, although much of the literature is underpinned by an assumption that if young people's access to information improves they will make 'better' decisions about their futures, the picture is rather more complex due to the socially embedded nature of decision-making. Both research and policy need to recognize that young people's access to, and interpretation of, information is often patterned by their gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status.     

Learning‐to‐learn and learning‐to‐teach: the impact of disciplinary subject study on student‐teachers’ professional identity

A coherent view of student‐teachers’ preparation and the learning experiences to which they are exposed are key to sustaining the relevance of university‐based teacher‐education programmes. Arguably, such coherence is lacking and the research base to an understanding of the student‐teacher experience is still a relatively limited one. This paper takes the view that student‐teachers’ epistemological growth is a key component of their professional development, their sense of identity as intending teachers, and their successful entry into a teaching career. In adopting a phenomenographic approach it explores a chain of evidence which demonstrates that immersion in the processes of learning and knowing, within a specific disciplinary context, had a significant impact on students’ emerging professional identities and on their values as teachers which extends beyond the subject matter itself. Arguably, the findings of this case‐study hold important implications for a teacher‐education programme and for effective pedagogic practice.     

ICT in‐service training and school practices: in search for the impact

This study set out to measure the perceptions of pre‐primary and primary school teachers in Cyprus regarding the impact and efficiency of a particular ICT in‐service training initiative. The research was carried out through telephone interviews with two groups of trained teachers. Teachers' responses indicated a significant impact of such training on their personal attitudes and skills. However, the professional practices which developed did not outline significant gains in student learning and achievement. Teachers' views on the efficiency of the training scheme highlighted the need for a more flexible ‘pick and mix’ training structure to tailor individual needs, and for professional development activities to become more relevant, to the context of classroom practices. The study also suggested that for ICT professional development to impact school practices, there is a need for contextual factors such as access to resources, curriculum time and a change‐oriented environment to be taken into account.     

General studies in the pre‐employment course: The Ballymun experience, 1971–1981

Abstract

In this paper we use the lens of an emerging research method in education called “design research” to address questions raised by Sugrue and Uí Thuama (1994) about the lack of strong linkages between research and classroom practice in Irish education. We provide context for this question by contrasting it with similar discussions in the US and UK about research quality in education. Next we elaborate a framework from one member of the design research community in educational research (Bannan‐Ritland, 2003) to show why some varieties of educational research may have little to offer practice at least directly and in the short term. Finally, we offer insight from Lesson Study in Japan (Lewis, 2002) as one possible solution to the problem of research and practice alignment.     

Investigating the impact of TPACK development course on pre-service science teachers’ performances

Asia Pacific Education Review - The aim of this study is to investigate the Technology Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (TPACK) development of pre-service science teachers (PSTs) who participated in...     

Assessing learner‐centredness through course syllabi

One attempt to revitalise undergraduate education has been by shifting the dominant pedagogy to a learner‐centred focus and supporting an emphasis on the scholarship of teaching and learning. The discussion regarding efforts to refocus undergraduate education to be more intentional by moving towards a learner‐centred paradigm is encouraging, yet it is crucial to acknowledge that most of the effort and literature on the learner‐centred paradigm and the scholarship of teaching and learning have necessarily focused on strategies for the classroom. It is equally important for administrators to consider the impact of the paradigm shift on their roles. Assessment and evaluation are the very core of the learner‐centred paradigm. Assessment is both the single‐most important gage of learning that drives the educational process and the most effective means of implementing institutional change. In this article, the authors offer a means of assessing the degree of learner‐centredness in current teaching practices through a systematic review of course syllabi. Using a rubric developed for this purpose the authors have reviewed course syllabi in order to develop a benchmark for the degree of learner‐centredness present in current teaching practices and employed the results as a vehicle for planning professional development.     

The impact of collaborative video analysis by practitioners and researchers upon pedagogical thinking and practice: a follow‐up study

The ‘T‐MEDIA’ project analysed and documented how teachers exploit the use of projection technologies – data projectors and interactive whiteboards (IWBs) – to support learning in secondary‐school subject lessons. The research involved collaboration between university researchers and four pairs of UK teachers (of English, mathematics, science and history) in an intensive process of systematically analysing video recordings of classroom activity and other data in depth. Our goals were to assist teachers in articulating the pedagogical rationale underlying their practice, and uniquely, to engage them in theory building about strategic technology use. This paper reports on a follow‐up study carried out one year after the collaborative analyses in order to assess the subsequent impacts of the process of critical reflection. The eight teachers were questioned using a semi‐structured interview technique that allowed us to elicit structured and personalised accounts of impact on pedagogical thinking and practice and the supporting or constraining factors. The findings suggest that for at least some, the sociocultural theory introduced and reformulated during the analyses provided a powerful analytical lens upon emerging practices, including those not incorporating technology. All of the participants reported lasting effects upon their own thinking and, except where external constraints operated, on teaching practices. The approaches developed during T‐MEDIA had additionally been disseminated to and adapted by other subject colleagues. The study illustrates how collaborative analysis of lesson videos can be used to engage teachers in deep reflection, critique and debate. This approach supports the development of an analytical scrutiny of classroom teaching and offers a significant professional development opportunity. In particular, under conditions of sensitive support, teachers will readily accommodate theoretical constructs into specific areas of professional thinking and practice.     

Labelling and self‐esteem: the impact of using specific vs. generic labels

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between being labelled either as having dyslexia or as having general special educational needs (SEN) and a child's self‐esteem. Seventy‐five children aged between 8 and 15 years categorised as having dyslexia (N = 26), as having general SEN (N = 26) or as having no learning difficulties (N = 23), completed an age‐appropriate version of the Culture‐Free Self‐Esteem Inventory and a standard test of reading ability. When the self‐esteem scores of the groups were compared (with the discrepancy between reading and chronological age being partialled out), it was found that the self‐esteem scores of those in the ‘general SEN’ group had significantly lower self‐esteem scores than those in both the ‘dyslexia’ group and the ‘control’ group. There was no significant difference between the self‐esteem scores of the ‘dyslexia’ and the ‘control’ group. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that being labelled as having a general SEN may negatively affect children's self‐esteem because, unlike the label dyslexia, this label offers very little in the way of an explanation for the child's academic difficulties and because targeted interventions are not as available for those with a less specific label.     

Soft benefits for hard nuts: the impact of community‐building interventions on ‘anti‐social youth’

This paper emerges from an evaluation conducted by the author into the impact of a community‐based intervention scheme designed to reduce perceived levels of ‘anti‐social behaviour’ amongst young people living in deprived communities. Drawing from this evaluation, the paper discusses the difficulties in assessing quantifiable measures of the impact of intervention schemes such as these; given the complex nature of the communities served, limitations in the realistic achievements of diversionary schemes and difficulties in identifying measureable outcomes. The paper also argues that given the highly problematic nature of such schemes, qualitative and ‘soft’ measures of impact, which although more difficult to assess, should be afforded greater status amongst funders and evaluators.     

Scaffolding literacies across the Bachelor of Education program: an argument for a course‐wide approach

Contemporary teacher educators often find themselves teaching large numbers of students from increasingly diverse backgrounds an expanded curriculum in a university environment characterised by cost‐cutting and a climate of “user pays”. Ensuring that students graduate with sufficiently well‐developed literacy skills to equip them to prepare future generations for the complex literacy requirements of contemporary society can be challenging. Informed by data from a longitudinal, qualitative study of 10 students' literacy development across the four years of a Bachelor of Education course, we propose a range of strategies that can be used to develop effective literacy practices. Through careful mapping of the assessment requirements over a four year degree, and by setting tasks which require students to engage with complex reading material and which offer a high degree of challenge coupled with adequate support, staff can assist students to develop the range of literacy practices required for success at university and in their future teaching careers.     

The children of the educational expansion era in Germany: education and further training participation in the life‐course

In this article, we examine the social dimension of inequality in educational participation. We look at the social transmission and gender‐specific channelling of education and further training in the context of employment and family. Based on quantitative survey data and qualitative interview data collected from a multi‐level empirical life‐course study (Hamburg Biographical and Life‐Course Panel: 1980–2006) conducted with a sample of the 1979 cohort of secondary school graduates in Hamburg, Germany, we discuss the education and further training practices in their lives – with special emphasis on social class of origin and gender.     

The effect of communication anxiety upon signing effectiveness among the profoundly hearing‐impaired

Anxiety influences and interferes with the production of messages, yet findings linking trait anxiety with communication gestures and movement have been inconsistent and weak. This may be because most studies observe the communicative movements which complement the message rather than movements which constitute the primary message. This study examined the influence of predisposi‐tional anxiety on gestures when they are the central channel of communication— the signing behavior of deaf students.

Anxiety was significantly related to signing in that more predispositionally anxious students' signs were less dear, slower, smaller, less intense, were more incomplete, and generally less effective compared to less anxious students. However compared to the general population, deaf students were not found to be more fearful of communication overall.     

Evidence‐based practice and evaluation: from insight to impact

With the growing emphasis on accountability and evidence‐based practice, evaluation has become increasingly important in the contexts in which educational psychologists (EPs) practice. This paper describes a Target Monitoring and Evaluation (TME) system, derived from Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) which was developed to evaluate outcomes of a wide range of interventions that were established as a result of an EP and an assistant EP involvement in two local authorities. Pupils made progress on between 94% and 97% of targets, and outcomes were significantly better than the baseline for both groups. Results are considered in terms of the value and usefulness of TME as an evaluation system and key issues relating to its implementation within EP practice are discussed.