Research and development work: developing teachers as researchers or just teachers?

This article focuses on the theoretical frame of action research and the teacher as researcher, working through a Norwegian Research Council‐funded project in a school that explored learning strategies for pupils’ subject and social development. Action research is here called research and development (R&D) work as the term envisages that research and development are being conducted at the same time. Additionally, the term reflects the fact that the research is conducted within the framework of activity theory and Engeström’s expansive learning circle in which work is termed R&D. The article describes the possibilities and challenges for both teachers and researchers cooperating in R&D projects. Reflection on observed teaching are presented as a central activity in development work, covering the form and content of reflective dialogues; quotations from teachers are provided to show how the teachers experienced observation and reflection. The article discusses whether teachers become researchers, or whether they only develop in their role as teachers. The close cooperation between teachers and researchers in this work is also presented as a model for further education for teachers in‐service and for the training of teacher students.     

Quelle Psychologie Pour Quel Apprentissage des Mathématiques?

The author briefly presents an investigation on the learning of numeration at primary school. This leads him to question certain characteristics of pupil’s cognitive abilities. The way in which pupil’s know-how takes form and become significant according to his personal experience of school work, is a question that needs to be explored in greater detail. The second part of this article proposes some considerations on the psychology of school learning, and tries to place this in its relation to research in psychology and mathematics teaching. The article finally shows what a didactic framework can bring to the development of the psychology of school learning.     

Creating expansive learning opportunities in schools: the role of school leaders in initial teacher education partnerships

This article analyses the learning opportunities afforded pre-service teachers when participating in a primary school placement in London, England as part of their university teacher education course. Cultural historical activity theory is used as a theoretical framework to address how pre-service teacher learning opportunities are constructed. Building on a previous year-long ethnographic study which explored how and why pre-service teacher learning opportunities differed in school settings, this paper introduces a small scale pilot study. The study integrates developmental work research into an initial teacher education school/university partnership, and considers the role of the school leader in this. Possibilities for pre-service teachers, teachers and teacher educators to work together in a research process that is integral to an initial teacher education partnership are forwarded, with the aim of ensuring that critical enquiry and learning are kept at the forefront of the activity.     

Five Essential Practices for Communication: The Work of Instructional Coaches

The work of instructional coaches, both general and discipline-specific, has become increasingly important as more schools rely on their leadership for improvements in teaching and learning. Much of their work hinges upon their effective communication with teachers and school administrators. This article outlines five practices for instructional coaches to use in order to achieve and maintain effective communication; these five practices draw upon the author's prior work as an instructional coach and upon her own research. The practices are presented by sharing the voices of three mathematics instructional coaches, their teacher colleagues, and their school administrators.     

Realising Our Potential: Understanding and Developing Capacity for Lasting Improvement

In an increasingly complex world, continuous and broad-based learning is essential to keep up with the rapid pace of change. Drawing on research and development work in school effectiveness and school improvement, it is argued in this article that internal capacity is vital in developing and sustaining the teacher and organisational learning necessary to promote and enhance student learning. Influences on internal capacity at the individual teacher, school context and external context levels are discussed, and principles offered for building capacity from within and outside schools. Differences between schools in their internal capacity are highlighted and questions posed for further research and development work to understand better how the influences interact in different types of schools.     

Education in the New Millennium: The Case for Design‐Based Learning

This article focuses on current examples of project or design‐based learning at the secondary school level in the context of the increasing importance of creativity and innovative thinking in the twenty‐first century. The authors argue that students today learn more effectively in pedagogical practices that emphasise holistic thinking, active learning, visual media and problem‐solving. Design‐based learning presents new ways for realising long‐term goals and learning outcomes. The purpose of this article is to investigate best practices of design education in the community and to propose instructional resource examples on design to K‐12 school teachers. This article points out the importance of systemised process for the work of design‐based teachers and learners, addresses the study of design as a subject of investigation and a mode of inquiry that engages a variety of student learning styles and makes direct connections between subjects and problem‐solving in daily life. Our belief is that the case studies explored in this article represent the seeds of a new model of education based on creative and applied learning. The exemplar communities chosen for onsite research are the education department of the Cooper‐Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, USA.     

In support of teachers’ learning: specifying and contextualising teacher inquiry as professional practice

Drawing upon research into a case study of teacher inquiry in one school in Queensland, Australia, recent theorising into professional practice, and relevant literature on teachers’ learning, this article reveals the complexity and particularity of teacher inquiry processes in support of teachers’ learning. Specifically, the research reveals how particular actions, dialogue, and relationships collectively constitute a practice of teacher inquiry which seeks to promote substantive teacher-led learning. The research draws upon a group of Year 5 teachers engaged in collective inquiry into their work in what was described as an “Inquiry Cycle” approach in a school in northern Queensland, during a period of support for substantial curriculum reform. The research reveals the Inquiry Cycle approach as characterised by specific actions, dialogue, and relationships – “doings,” “sayings,” and “relatings” – productive of the development of a learning culture focused on significant curriculum reform; overt support for whole-school “explicit” approaches to teachers’ pedagogies; and active/robust critique of data-focused assessment processes. The research reveals necessary texture and detail in support of teachers’ learning, and the specific circumstances and contextual “arrangements” that help constitute this learning.     

Teachers’ learning in school-based development

Background and purpose: Many researchers agree that teachers’ learning processes are social and that teachers need to be brought together to learn from each other. Researchers have also stated that intellectual and pedagogical change requires professional development activities that take place over a period of time in school. The purpose of the study presented in the article was to develop knowledge about the teachers’ learning when taking part in a school-based development project. Main argument: The study shows that it takes some time before the teachers identify with the work in school-based development. Even though the national authorities decided what to focus on during the development work, the participating teachers felt that they had autonomy in the work. The study presented in the article shows that it is important for the teachers’ learning culture that they are listened to and taken into consideration and that the leaders have competence in leading school-based development to support the teachers’ learning. Sources of evidence and method: The article is based on a study connected with school-based development in three lower secondary schools. Qualitative interviews were used as the data-collection strategy to capture the teachers’ and school leaders’ experiences and reflections. Conclusion: The article presents new knowledge connected with teachers’ learning in school-based development. The study presented in the article shows that schools’ learning culture can make a difference for the teachers’ learning and their job satisfaction and wellbeing.     

Secondary agricultural education from a “learning to learn” perspective

Abstract

This article argues the importance of adopting a “learning to learn” perspective in secondary agricultural education: school organisational development should take place in the perspective of active learning by students. Three factors affecting innovation processes are discussed: school policy-making capacity, school in-service training policy, and professional orientations of teachers. Moreover, a program to support schools for secondary agricultural education while implementing a “learning to learn” approach is presented. The implementation process is tuned to the individual teacher and teacher coaching and in-service training are provided. In this respect, the need for school management and school policy reflecting a clear educational perspective is stressed: fostering the quality of students' independent learning should take a central position on all levels in the school. Therefore, the school organisation as a whole should become a “learning organisation”.     

School–University Action Research: Impacts on Teaching Practices and Pupil Learning

The aim of this article is to describe a design and implementation of a school–university action research project about teaching and learning biology and mathematics in primary school. Nine teachers in grades 1 to 6, in collaboration with two researchers, were using content representation (CoRe) in learning study (LS)-inspired cycle as pedagogical tools when planning, implementing, and reflecting on lessons and pupil learning. By using pre- and post-tests, the teachers acquired knowledge about pupil subject-specific knowledge and learning. Some examples are given on how the tools in the project influenced the teaching practices and pupil learning. This research design brought together university and school practitioners to work collaboratively in a professional learning community, which developed teaching and learning in biology and mathematics.     

Citizenship education in civics textbooks in the Japanese junior high school curriculum

This article discusses the types of citizenship education that are included in a sample of Japanese junior high school civics textbooks. Seven civics textbooks that have been authorized by the Ministry of Education for use in junior high school from the 2012 academic year were analysed in the context of fundamental issues in citizenship education and the national curriculum guidelines in Japan. In contrast to some previously published research, it is argued that the textbooks encourage, to a limited extent, active, participatory approaches by students with exercises and practical tasks to help students develop skills and gain the understanding required to live in contemporary society. It is suggested that the textbooks place some limitations on active learning especially in relation to students' political participation and that they reflect the struggle Japan is experiencing in the search for an inclusive national identity. Further work may serve to clarify the nature of potential contributions to citizenship education including that associated with students' involvement in whole school issues.     

Governing teachers’ work and learning through data: Australian insights

This article reveals the multiple ways in which data are constituted as a vehicle for governing teachers’ work and learning. Drawing on the concept of governance, including in relation to the sociology of numbers, and data from one school in Queensland, Australia, the research reveals how teachers’ work and learning were constituted through practices of: establishing specific ‘targets’, including various ‘audacious goals’ for school and national testing; focusing upon ‘aligning’ all forms of school, regional and national data collected within the school; and participating in various ‘data conversations’ about specific students with senior members of staff. While the research reveals how teachers found such practices beneficial for improving their practice with students, it also shows how this learning was always and everywhere framed within a broader discourse of data, and how this data-centric focus came to constitute what was valued about their work and learning, and that of their students.     

Engaging novice teachers in semiotic inquiry: considering the environmental messages of school learning settings

Katherine Fogelberg’s insightful study of the messages of zoo signs describes the complex, sometimes contradictory nature of the messages they communicate. The construction and content of signs are influenced by institutional power. Fogelberg argues that the creation of zoo signage designed to inform the public can, through its messages, silence a perspective of care and compassion for animals. The research presented in the following article extends discussion about the value of critical considerations of cultural and institutional messages created and read in another type of setting designed to educate and inform, the school learning setting. The article reports on a project that engaged novice teachers in explorations of the nature and types of environmental messages found in learning settings. During our inquiry work together, novice teachers suggested areas of particular concern to them, and began to construct ideas about aspects of their work in which they plan to take action or engage in future inquiry. The research also reveals some of the challenges involved when novice educators first begin the process of engaging in semiotic interpretive readings of learning settings.     

From hearing voices to engaging in dialogue: problematising student participation in school improvement

This article explores the value of student voice to school improvement, suggesting that it is often assumed to be a good thing. The article describes six trends that have contributed to this unexamined assumption. It is suggested that two dimensions of any claim that student voice can contribute to school improvement need to be analysed: the degree to which students are regarded as being active in participation in school life, and the purposed for which their voice is being used. A distinction is drawn between those that are for community purposes, such as the improvement of learning, and institutional purposes such as improvement in the appearance of the school. The various ways in which student voice can be used to coerce teachers of students into compliance are identified. An analytic matrix is presented. A dialogic model is proposed as the form of participation that will contribute most towards improvement. The article concludes with accounts of three projects in which student participation has been encouraged through dialogue about learning.     

Time to learn: Pacing and the external framing of teachers' work 1

The article reports research in two South African grade 3 classrooms, one located within a disadvantaged school and one in an affluent suburban school. The research examines the pacing rules of different transmission practices: weak pacing (a slower rate of transmission) is associated with pedagogy in the working-class school, and strong pacing (a faster rate of transmission) in the middle-class school. A further dimension to pacing, that of differentiating (between different student learning rates and different learning contexts), is identified. The discussion is developed through an analysis of how time use differs in different socio-economic contexts and points to possible relations between the internal control of the pace of learning in classrooms, and the external control of teachers' pedagogic practices. The article examines the social relations within which the different transmission practices are embedded and points to a possible relationship between teachers' transmission practices and the social relations that constitute teachers' work.     

Going Forth: Equal Employment Opportunity in a Deregulatory Climate

While previous studies indicate that participation in sport has the potential to facilitate positive developmental outcomes, there is a lack of consensus regarding the possible transfer of these outcomes to other environments (i.e., school or work). An important issue within the positive development literature concerns how sport programs should approach the issue of transfer. This article outlines two distinct approaches to the transfer debate: the explicit approach and the implicit approach. Specifically, this article discusses the relative strengths and limitations of these two approaches with regards to their effectiveness, sustainability, and balance of adult- and youth-driven learning. Recommendations for future research directions are also presented.     

浅谈生物多样性和生态系统的稳定性

对于广大的初中生群体来说,生物多样性和生物系统的内容是比较抽象化的,很多初中生在学习的过程中都会出现学习困难的情况,这对于初中生的生物课程学习具有不利影响。除此之外,生物多样性和生态系统的学习在初中生物教学过程中是非常重要的一个组成部分,其能够起到承上启下的作用,是生物学不可分割的一个重要部分,因此在后续的教学过程中需要重视生物多样性和生态系统稳定性的教学工作。故此,本文就将针对“生物多样性和生态系统的稳定性”进行相关的研究和分析,其主要目的是提升初中生物教学质量,对广大初中生的生物学习具有重要意义。     

Integrating School Leadership Knowledge and Practice Using Multimedia Technology: Linking National Standards, Assessment, and Professional Development

This article presents an overview perspective on the potential benefits of applying multimedia technology to redesign and invigorate the career-long performance assessment and professional learning of school leaders. Funded design and development efforts of one multimedia project—the Administrator Case Simulation (ACS) Multimedia Library—focusing on the professional assessment and development of school principals involved in collaborative school leadership are highlighted. Project research teams at the ACS Multimedia Lab have focused in the past seven years on using available multimedia technologies to develop school leadership assessment and organizational learning case simulation resources for school principals and other school leaders. This article provides an overview of the multimedia case simulation concept, describes collaborative R&D project efforts involving regional and state school leaders, highlights multimedia case design features, and discusses implications of technology-integrated case designs for informing personnel assessment and evaluation programs and for enhancing the reflective thinking, decision making, and professional learning of school leaders. Finally, recommendations are offered for engaging in further research and development efforts using the integrated systems professional learning approach presented, and for creatively expanding technology-integrated case simulation designs to develop similar professional assessment and learning resources for all school leaders.     

Learning design for multiple modes of provision: the Zambian community school teacher development programme

Abstract

The use of technology to support learning is becoming ubiquitous in Africa. However, technology is more often used to distribute information rather than as a tool to mediate learning. The work presented here on a programme for Zambian community school teachers (non-traditional students) illustrates how learning design allied to appropriate theoretical concepts make use of technology to mediate learning. The objective of this course was to support Zambian community school teachers, with little formal teacher education, to use interactive methods to support their teaching practices. The research makes use of a constructivist-hermeneutic-interpretivist-qualitative paradigm to critically evaluate the learning design by experts. A social constructivist framework for learning design and technology mediation was used to create and evaluate learning resources. The work illustrates how a distance education paper-based course design is enhanced by the use of contemporary learning theory and digital technology to model good interactive classroom practice.     

The teacher's role and approaches in a knowledge society

This article is about changes in teaching and learning. It is argued that a pluralist approach, stressing differences in qualities and problems is favourable. The paper is based on a research project regarding changing conditions for teachers and professional identity in the Danish upper‐secondary school. Both theoretical and empirical points from the research project concerning teaching and learning in an area of reform are presented. The main purpose is to develop reflections on various approaches to method and learning styles in relationship to teacher and student roles.