A Visit to “The Clearing” and “Warrior Falls”: In Search of Brave and Beyond Spaces for Religious Education

Abstract

This article seeks to address the question: “How can religious educators learn from those who have been marginalized and whose voices are not usually heard because of the hegemony of whiteness?” My primary sources are scenes from the work of two U.S. black creatives. Specifically, I examine the “Clearing” scene in Toni Morrison’s 1987 Pulitzer Prize–winning fiction novel Beloved and the “Warrior Falls” scenes in Black Panther, a 2018 film co-written and directed by Ryan Coogler. I draw attention to their common themes and their implications for approaches to religious education that can de-center white normativity.     

Towards a Practice of Critical Teaching about Teachers' Work

Abstract

This paper represents our struggle to interpret the practical intent of critical theory as a resource for teaching in a postgraduate degree in education. In this paper we argue for the increasing need for critical teaching about teacher's work at a time when the possibilities of engaging in a curriculum making practice capable of delivering on commitments to social justice seem less likely. We describe the struggle to develop a practice which opens up opportunities for our students (experienced teachers) to connect the life‐worlds of their classrooms with the relentlessly changing surrounding sociocultural milieu. On this nexus teachers have an opportunity to investigate the possibilities for developing agency as the makers of culture as opposed to the delivers of somebody else's curriculum     

The Claims of Documentary: Expanding the educational significance of documentary film

Abstract

The documentary film is a popular curriculum tool, and the goal of this paper is to expand the educational significance of the documentary genre I argue that current understandings of this genre are limited and limiting, and offer an alternative perspective on the genre. This alternative will be built from Stanley Cavell’s philosophy of education, in particular, his understanding of the role that ‘representativeness’ plays in teaching and learning.     

English as a Medium of Teaching and Learning in a Resource-Poor Country: The Case of Malawi’s New Language Policy

Abstract

This article discusses the resource implications of Malawi’s new language-in-education policy. Whilst previous publications on the English as a medium of teaching and learning policy, which was announced in Malawi in 2014, have sharply criticised and dismissed the new language policy from pedagogical and other educational grounds, the current article is the first to dwell exclusively on the resource implications of the new language policy. The qualitative study reported on, which utilised Barron’s learning ecologies framework, was based on information drawn from one key informant; readers’ comments extracted from a Malawian online newspaper; and some scholarly publications. The article argues that the available resources are too inadequate to lead to a successful implementation of English as a medium of teaching and learning in the non-English-dominant Malawi. The article recommends that Malawi should return to the previous language policy, which was UNESCO compliant, and that adequate and enabling resources be channelled to improving the teaching and learning of English as a subject. Resources should also be injected into the professional development of teachers in order to capacitate them to effectively handle English as a medium of teaching and learning from Grade 5 onwards.     

Rogue Waves,Remakes, and Resurrections: Allegorical Displacement and Screen Memory in Poseidon

Poseidon, the 2006 remake of the Vietnam-era disaster film The Poseidon Adventure, functions rhetorically as a symptomatic response to the historical trauma(s) of 9/11, revising the narrative of its cinematic predecessor and producing a screen memory that marks the changed cultural and historical context that demanded its repetition in the first place. Operating in an allegorical register, Poseidon displaces traumatic memories of 9/11 and thus contributes to the repetition and rewriting of traumatic history in search of mastery over tragic loss.     

Learning from experience ‐ the teachers as well as the students

Abstract

The University of New South Wales has offered an integrated programme of postgraduate study in higher education leading to three qualifications, since 1991. The programme's primary goal is to prepare university academics to be professional university teachers ‐ teaching being most academics’ second profession. This paper describes the programme, its teaching methods and objectives, and some of the challenges and rewards of offering such a degree programme. Among the challenges for both participants and teachers is to continue to learn from experience; to apply a combination of theory based on knowledge of research, and understanding based on informed reflection on practice; and to improve practice throughout a career, despite bureaucratic and resource constraints. In a programme such as this, all of this happens in an atmosphere that is stimulating, challenging, at times threatening, and above all rewarding.     

Effective teaching practices for students with and without learning difficulties: Issues and implications surrounding key findings and recommendations from the national inquiry into the teaching of literacy 1

Abstract

Much of what is commonly claimed as ‘effective teaching practice’ and implemented during the early and middle years in Australian schools, for either mainstream students or for those experiencing learning difficulties, is not grounded in findings from evidence‐based research. Issues surrounding ‘effective teaching practice’ came into particularly sharp focus during the 2004–2005 National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy (NITL). Following a brief outline of the NITL context and controversies surrounding ‘effective teaching practice’, this paper focuses on teaching strategies that are demonstrably effective in maximising the achievement progress of students during the early and middle years of schooling. It is argued that since teachers are the most valuable resource available to schools, an investment in teacher professionalism is vital by ensuring that they are equipped with an evidence‐based repertoire of pedagogical skills that are effective in meeting the developmental and learning needs of all students.     

Co-research in Vietnam for the anthropology classroom

Abstract

In the university system today, co-research may be a decolonising strategy. We evaluate teaching a ‘Modernization and Social Change’ course in Vietnam as an experiment in co-research anthropology training. If for visitors, the idea of ‘Vietnam’ is nurtured by Hollywood action cinema, 1960s–1970s protest movements and documentary television, a process of collective research can rearrange orientations for students and teachers. The essay describes the making of a ‘model’ film as a teaching tool for international faculty, and as an evaluation of general teaching practice. A co-research approach to the classroom, assuming the students as researchers, engaging their own collaborative interests together, invites further discussion on teaching mapping as model for ethics-oriented co-research anthropology training; on teaching Capital in Vietnam using maps and counter-mapping as collaborative practice; and on using participatory methods for foreign faculty in a politically charged field.     

“Springing from a sense of wonder”: classroom film and cultural learning in the 1930s

Abstract

This article makes an “exercise in the archaeology of education” and focuses on the City of Birmingham (UK) in the year 1935 where the Education Committee allowed an experiment on the use of classroom film in senior elementary schools. Arrangements were made to provide projectors, films, operators, and screens for a series of exhibits at 80 schools. The aim of the experiment was to test the value of cinema for class teaching purposes. This article argues that this experiment with sound film could equally be considered an experiment in cultural learning. The first section describes the experiment and the local context in which it took place. The second section broadens the perspective by providing context beyond the local level that puts the experiment in time and place. The third and final section picks up on some of the findings of the first two sections and considers contemporary sources, mainly articles published in the British Film Institute’s film magazine Sight and Sound, as well as recent scholarship on both educational and documentary film in order to discuss the notions of “background” and “excursive” film and to show that the experiment was a genuine adventure in cultural learning.     

Studying School Architecture: some reflections

Abstract

This article reports on the findings of an investigation in which 30 secondary schools rated the priority being given to and the likely impact on teaching and learning of a selection of 23 issues currently on the agenda for school improvement. Results are considered for the whole sample, and according to the role of respondents and school context. Schools are giving high priority to the implementation of national policies and school‐generated initiatives directed at improved classroom practice. However, the perceived impact of externally generated change is less than that of change for which school staff feel a sense of ownership. Policies directed at a consideration of resource issues, professional development and salary changes are accorded low priority and are not considered to have a marked impact on teaching and learning. There is a potential for frustration and loss of morale when policies that are thought to be of limited value within schools require time and sometimes extensive consideration. The article's conclusions for policy‐makers are directed at minimising this risk.     

Older Adult Issues and Experiences Through the Stories and Images of Film

Abstract

This article discusses and describes how to use film as a creative, powerful, and effective technique for teaching social work with older adults at both the undergraduate and graduate levels of education. An analysis of student responses about the effectiveness of this teaching pedagogy is presented. The findings support the idea of using film as a technique to engage students in learning about the process of aging.     

FOREWORD

ABSTRACT

The study reported in this paper examined the types of professional-development activities, support systems, and organizational structures necessary for community college faculty to make transitions from traditional teaching to Web-based teaching. Results indicate that (a) instructional change can by initiated through sustained professional development; (b) change is more meaningful and effective when it occurs in context over a sustained period of time; (c) faculty can embrace innovations when supported by knowledgeable professionals and their peers; and (d) students welcome the use of Web-based components in course work. The implications for practice may be useful to those wishing to increase faculty's online instructional competence.     

Teaching and Learning in World Wide Web-Connected Classrooms

Summary

Use of the Web as an instructional tool is growing rapidly as the nation's classrooms increasingly come online with high capacity bandwidth. To optimize the use of the Web as an instructional tool, the traditional roles of students and teachers must shift to that of an “engaged model” of teaching and learning. This article presents strategies for effectively teaching and learning on the Web and introduces SUR-WEB as an Internet-based multimedia resource for engaged learning.     

Simon S.I.O.

Abstract

How many students with epilepsy need help in basic skills, and if so, how much? This paper looks at communicating with those outside the school who are concerned with the student, those within the school, and with the most underrated resource ‐ the student himself/herself.

However helpful these resources are, the teacher has to cope alone at least some of the time. Most students with epilepsy who are in mainstream classes also cope alone. Regarding academic learning, some students have to cope with the effects of epilepsy and/or medication on alertness, on the processing of information, on attention and memory, and on distractibility.

The resulting teaching strategies are similar to those applying to students without epilepsy, whether of greater or less ability.     

Social Activism Through Theater

ABSTRACT

Social Activism Through Theater” chronicles the author's first full year as a teaching artist in New York City, including the launch of National Queer Theater and its inaugural show, Speechless, as well as his experiences investigating film and storytelling with teenagers at the Refugee Youth Summer Academy.     

Efficiency and Productivity in Education Systems

This paper approaches the issue of resource allocation within education systems from the perspective of economic theory. Education is considered as a production process which involves the transformation of inputs (for example, staff and student time, physical capital and environmental factors) into outputs (for example, teaching outputs, research outputs and social services). The economic concepts of “efficiency” and “productivity” are reviewed, and it is suggested that while these concepts do not have direct application in the context of education systems they do serve to focus attention on factors which are influential in determining the extent to which resources that are available are used effectively. Accordingly, it is argued that account should be taken of the underlying economic concepts in establishing or reviewing arrangements for funding both institutions and departments or faculties within institutions, and that incentives that will encourage the pursuit of efficiency and productivity should be built into education systems at all levels.     

Jean Vigo’s Zéro de conduite and the spaces of revolt

In this article we will contribute to the contemporary theoretical debate about film by considering, from a history-of-education perspective, the film Zéro de conduite by Jean Vigo (1905–1934). This film is classified under the umbrella of “poetic realism”: a product of cinéma de gauche and an avant-gardist, surrealist and anarchist-catalogued film by a film-maker described by many as very talented and creative. The paper is divided into five parts. In the first part we sketch Vigo’s own biography and the social biography of the film. The second section documents the response to the film both at the time of its release and subsequently. In the third section we explore anarchist ideas about education both in theory and practice. In the fourth section we use this understanding to analyse the film. The final section returns to the question of film as an underused resource and the possibilities of bringing new elements into historical practice.     

Teacher Professional Standards: Controlling or developing teaching?

The issue of professional teaching standards has generated considerable interest from various quarters in Australia and elsewhere. In this paper, I am concerned with examining some of the claims made by advocates for the establishing of uniform standards for the teaching profession. To this end I identify three major claims derived from the Australian literature regarding the benefits that the application of a standards framework would make to the quality of teaching: the introduction of standards should improve the performance of teachers; the introduction of standards will improve the standing of teachers; and standards contribute to the on-going professional learning of teachers. Specifically, I argue that we need to look critically at the issue of professional standards for teachers and the claims that are made by their advocates. In particular, we need to ask whose interests are served by these standards and what are the effects of the imposition of these standards on teachers individually and collectively. Finally, we need to ask whether the standards judged as appropriate for today's teaching conditions and teachers will be equally appropriate in the future. Standards cannot and should not be frozen in time; they must be flexible to the changing conditions of teaching and learning as they occur inside and outside of schools.     

Women in Nigeria's Teaching Profession: the challenges ahead

Abstract

This paper traces the history of the participation of women in education and the teaching profession to the mid‐nineteenth century when Western education was Introduced in Nigeria. It shows how cultural and religious traditions as well as economic factors prevented the effective involvement of women in teaching. The author then examines the increasing recruitment of women into teaching and the trend in the teachers’ colleges where women's enrolment often outstrips that of men. Research evidence reveals that reasons for this development are due neither to improved teaching service conditions nor to a growing interest in the profession. The main reason is the desire to use certificates from Colleges of Education for easier entry into universities to obtain degrees and Jobs, often outside teaching. The administrative and professional implications of the situation are discussed and recommendations made to meet the challenge.     

What motivates higher education educators to innovate? Exploring competence,autonomy, and relatedness – and connections with wellbeing

ABSTRACT

Background: High quality tertiary teaching is important for maximising the impact of tertiary education for students, employers and society, as well as for institutional reputation and accountability. Varied interpretations exist regarding what counts as ‘innovative’ tertiary teaching.

Purpose: This study sought to explore the deeper drivers of motivations of tertiary educators to initiate and implement teaching innovations.

Method: Drawing from the data from semi-structured interviews from a wider study into innovative teaching in a tertiary education institution in Aotearoa New Zealand, we analysed the rationale of 13 expert tertiary educators for teaching in novel ways. The framework for analysis was based on Self-Determination Theory: data were analysed in relation to three basic psychological needs known to impact on motivation and wellbeing – competence, autonomy and relatedness.

Findings: Our analysis suggests that tertiary educator motivation to innovate in their teaching is related to feelings of all three needs. Findings suggest that innovative pedagogical change was linked to educators’ need for feelings of competence in relation to subject area content, pedagogy and developing student competence. Enhancing autonomy for the educators themselves, or for their students, was also an important factor motivating innovative practice. Developing relatedness between students, between themselves and students, and between students and society were reported as motivations for innovative teaching. Some teaching innovations were motivated by the educator’s desire for greater personal or student wellbeing.

Conclusions Educators’ motivations for being innovative in their tertiary pedagogical practice encompassed content, pedagogical, personal and social dimensions. None reported that their innovation was motivated by institutional policy or expectations. The reported challenges to innovative teaching practice, including institutional structures and processes, lack of access to specific technologies, and the time needed to develop and implement changed practice, indicate that educators must be strongly committed to making change in their practice to sustain the effort required.