Assessing Online Discussions Working ‘Along the Grain’ of Current Technology and Educational Culture

The paper reports a case study assessing asynchronous text-based online discussion amongst trainee teachers in Britain. It describes the project as working along the grain of current technology and educational culture since it aims to exploit the capabilities of the ICT used (e.blackboard¹) in ways which could be enacted in schools today whilst at the same time giving due attention to modify the constraints of time, place and hierarchy that the ICT revolution threatens in schools. Quantitative and qualitative results are discussed. The relationship between ICT and the wider social, political and cultural context is also discussed. The paper concludes with areas for further research and points to the need to review current assessment cultures in schools.     

The MSU Educational Technology Certificate Courses and Their Impact on Teachers’ Growth as Technology Integrators

The Educational Technology Certificate (ETC.) courses at Michigan State University are a set of three courses that can be taken as a standalone qualification or as the first three courses in the Master’s of Educational Technology degree. Together, the courses emphasize the development of technology skills and advanced mindsets for technology integration in the classroom. In this article, we provide examples of our approach to the teaching of technology skills and mindsets in ways that are adaptable across four distinct modes of instruction (online, hybrid, overseas and faceto-face). We also present student feedback and survey data that inform a critical evaluation of the program’s effectiveness. Findings suggest that the certificate courses help students to gain technological skills, to become more confident users of technology and more likely to help colleagues with tech-related questions. Interestingly, respondents also reported feeling like better teachers, in general, after taking these courses.     

Reflections on Women’s Fate in Lawrence’s Works

In most of Lawrence’s works, many heroines are wrapped up in misfortunate clothes, either they have bad marriages or sufferthe loss of their husbands or commit suicide. It seems that Lawrence intends to appeal to the public to attach more emphasis on women’smiserable situations by depicting these women characters, and meanwhile, he shows his own sympathy for their suffering and he also tries toawaken them to struggle for their happiness and their freedom as well.     

Reflections on ELT in China

大多数第二语言教学或外语教学的理论均来自欧洲或是美国，这些理论对中国的外语教学产生了巨大的影响，有时甚至引导着中国的外语教学的发展，但是我们知道外语教学理论的形成都有自己特殊的历史和文化背景．中国的外语教学全盘的接受这些理论是不利于我国外语事业的发展的．本文在分析主要外语教学理论利弊的基础上，提出要发展符合中国特定条件的外语教学理论。     

The Flipped Classroom: Primary and Secondary Teachers’ Views on an Educational Movement in Schools in Sweden Today

The aim of this study is to contribute to an increased understanding of the flipped classroom movement. A total of 7 teachers working in school years 4–9 and who both actively flipped their classrooms and had been early adopters in this movement were interviewed. Two research questions were posed: “What characterizes flipped classroom instruction according to the teachers?” and “What objectives do the flipped classroom meet according to the teachers?” Regarding the first research question, a characteristic of a flipped classroom was “the flip,” a task to be accomplished outside the classroom before class. In relation to the second research question we found three objectives: Student activity in class; Educational change; Being part of a digital learning community.     

‘Structure’ in Educational Theory

This essay explores the contingency of music's value, and the significant ways that contingency qualifies (or should qualify) our understandings of the utility of instructional method. More specifically, it raises the possibility that the altruistic pursuit of methodological purity may serve ends dramatically different than those espoused by practitioners. Music making, music study, and music learning may be liberating, empowering, and educational; but they may also serve precisely opposite ends. More simply put, neither music nor its study is unconditionally or inherently good. The essay explores various ways nihilism may be manifest in musical/instructional practices, and advances alternatives grounded in agency, action, and the acceptance of resistance and responsibility.     

Some Reflections on and Criticisms of China＇s Educational Management Studies

In spite of having undergone one Century＇s vicissitude, China＇s educational management studies are still lagging behind those abroad. Two research lines, one being induction and generalization, another being deduction and transplantation, have been roughly evolved over these studies. Both of them have reached the level of empirical science. Since 1980s, they have developed in an unprecedented way. However, there are still some problems existing in this field. The first one is tha（a clan of multi-echeloned and multi-typed educational management studies has been multiplied in the way of trying to jump over certain developing phases and to obtain instant success and quick profits. The second one is the concept of what is educational management studies is still unclear, thus leading to ambiguous ideas or even confusions on this issue. The third one is that the study on educational management and the study on educational economy are forced to be tied together and become one by human forces, thus hampering the development of either field. Therefore, it is necessary to make reflections on and criticisms on these confused phenomena so as to preserve standardization and identity of this discipline and promote its healthy development.     

Exploring Students’ Experimentation Strategies in Engineering Design Using an Educational CAD Tool

Journal of Science Education and Technology - Experimentation is one of the important strategies used in engineering design to understand the relationship between relevant variables so that they...     

Pre-Service Teachers’ Analysis of Claims About COVID-19 in an Online Course

Along with the COVID-19 outbreak, which has been a global threat for public health, the unconfirmed information about the pandemic in circulation has become another threat. Hence, it has become important to improve public understanding of science with a focus on explaining the nature of uncertainty in science and its impacts. The goal of the present study was to explore pre-service teachers’ analysis of claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout an 8-week online implementation of a pre-service teachers’ analysis task, focus group interviews, and instructor’s feedback to this analysis in a course focusing on critical and analytical thinking. In order to achieve this purpose, the researchers used the claims that contain fallacies, conspiracy theories, and scientific arguments related to the COVID-19 pandemic as an assessment tool. The researchers developed and used a rubric consisting of the high, moderate, and low levels of analysis in three different categories including evaluation of claims, demarcation of fallacies and conspiracy theories from scientific arguments, and judgment of the credibility of sources. The findings indicate that the participants analyzed the claims rarely at a high level before the focus group interviews. However, after the focus group interviews, almost every participant’s analysis scores of evaluation, demarcation, and judgment increased. The results also revealed their commitment to various fallacies and conspiracy theories while arguing the claims. Concluding remarks are made for the further implications of teaching critical evaluation of claims based on evidence.

     

Collaborative Action Research in Education (CARE)— Reflections on an innovative paradigm

The paper reports on an innovative paradigm which evolved from an educational research project in Sierra Leone. It outlines the paucity and current lack of relevance of educational research in Africa and highlights the need for paradigms that would link research better with policy and practice in education. Any such paradigm needs to be firmly rooted in the reality of a particular African educational context. A summary account is provided of the evolution and establishment of CARE in the educational setting of Sierra Leone. The new paradigm is then analysed in terms of its key elements of ‘collaboration’ and ‘action orientation’, drawing on the literature of qualitative educational research. The paradigm is also analysed in terms of the scope and depth of research it facilitates, and its impact and outcomes with reference to educational practice and policy. The main dimensions of this innovative paradigm are then highlighted in terms of epistemological underpinnings, methodological techniques, ethical guidelines and a catchment literature. Some inherent pitfalls in this emerging paradigm are outlined and implications for bilateral and international collaboration in educational research in Africa are discussed.     

Teachers’ Autonomy in Today's Educational Climate: Current Perceptions From an Acceptable Instrument

This research evaluated the psychometric properties of Friedman's (1999) Teacher Work-Autonomy Scale (TWA) to determine whether it was an acceptable instrument to measure U.S. teacher autonomy in the present educational context. A second purpose was to ascertain the current status of teachers’ perceptions of their autonomy from a sample of U.S. teachers. Four hundred seventy-seven teachers from three public schools in Michigan participated in this study for a response rate of 30%. Factor analysis confirmed the multifaceted nature of teacher autonomy; however, somewhat different factor structures were found for the elementary and secondary teachers in this study, in comparison to that of Friedman. The TWA, without major modifications, appeared to be a valid and reliable instrument for use with a U.S. secondary sample but with limitation with an elementary sample. Elementary and secondary teachers perceived autonomy in the different factors in identical order, but with significant differences between their scores. Differences in school structure and conceptions of autonomy may have contributed to grade-level discrepancies. The findings suggest that administrators may be able to enhance teacher autonomy by releasing some of their power to include teachers in school leadership, specifically in the two areas teachers perceived with lowest autonomy: school finances and professional development.     

Students’ Reflections on Implementation of Group Investigation in Korean Secondary Science Classrooms

Student reflective ideas were examined with respect to Group Investigation (GI), which was employed in 11^th grade Korean earth science classrooms. A modified GI method was implemented during the course of an action research effort consisting of two yearlong projects. Students’ writings, which had been produced twice a year, were analyzed to reveal their reflections concerning the GI method. The students were positive about how GI altered the ways their learning occurred in the classrooms. They also reported several positive learning outcomes resulting from the GI implementation. However, there were some students who considered the GI method inappropriate for them. At times, students had difficulties and experienced problems arising from implementing GI. Implications for use of cooperative inquiry learning methods in science classrooms are elaborated on and discussed.     

A New Two-Step Approach for Hands-On Teaching of Gene Technology: Effects on Students’ Activities During Experimentation in an Outreach Gene Technology Lab

Emphasis on improving higher level biology education continues. A new two-step approach to the experimental phases within an outreach gene technology lab, derived from cognitive load theory, is presented. We compared our approach using a quasi-experimental design with the conventional one-step mode. The difference consisted of additional focused discussions combined with students writing down their ideas (step one) prior to starting any experimental procedure (step two). We monitored students’ activities during the experimental phases by continuously videotaping 20 work groups within each approach (N = 131). Subsequent classification of students’ activities yielded 10 categories (with well-fitting intra- and inter-observer scores with respect to reliability). Based on the students’ individual time budgets, we evaluated students’ roles during experimentation from their prevalent activities (by independently using two cluster analysis methods). Independently of the approach, two common clusters emerged, which we labeled as ‘all-rounders’ and as ‘passive students’, and two clusters specific to each approach: ‘observers’ as well as ‘high-experimenters’ were identified only within the one-step approach whereas under the two-step conditions ‘managers’ and ‘scribes’ were identified. Potential changes in group-leadership style during experimentation are discussed, and conclusions for optimizing science teaching are drawn.     

Black African parents’ experiences of an Educational Psychology Service

The evidence base that explores Black African parents’ experiences of an Educational Psychology Service (EPS) is limited. This article describes an exploratory mixed methods research study undertaken during 2009–2011, that explored Black African parents’ engagement with a UK EPS. Quantitative data were gathered from the EPS preschool database and parents completed the Family Support Scale which explored the social support they accessed outside of the EPS, such as relatives. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore five parents’ experiences of the preschool EPS. The interview data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The findings highlighted key themes pertinent to educational psychology practice and are applicable to all families regardless of ethnic background. Psychological theories and frameworks are discussed alongside the implications for educational psychology practice.     

Enablers and barriers to Educational Psychologists’ use of therapeutic interventions in an Irish context

Recent years have seen a revived interest in therapeutic educational psychology practice. The aim of this research is to identify the range of therapeutic approaches being delivered by Educational Psychologists (EPs) in an Irish context and to elicit the views of practitioners on the facilitators and barriers to therapeutic provision. Twelve participants were recruited from a total of 22 EPs working within one region of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). Individual semi-structured interviews were held, and thematic analysis was used to examine the data gathered. Therapeutic approaches most commonly used by participants were Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). Barriers perceived by EPs as impacting therapeutic practice related to time, government policy, school factors, EP role, and training. Facilitators included service support, intervention outcomes and media interest. Findings suggest that many EPs are applying therapeutic approaches and are keen to provide more within their professional role.     

Teachers’ Reflections on the Perceptions of Oppression and Liberation in Neo-Marxist Critical Pedagogies

Abstract

Critical pedagogy speaks of teachers as liberating and transformative intellectuals.Yet their voice is absent from its discourse.The emancipatory action research, described in this article, created a dialogue between teachers and the ideas concerning oppression and liberation found in Neo-Marxist pedagogies. It strongly suggests that teachers can contribute to the further development of these ideas. It indicates that Critical Theory’s perceptions of the totality of oppression were largely accepted by these teachers after their own inner-reflective processes.Yet, the teachers rejected the dyadic perception of oppressors and oppressed, and that of the ‘victimization’ of the subject, as they perceived such an approach to weaken the subject and exempt him/her from the struggle for liberation. They also highlighted the problematic aspects of positive utopia, which many of the critical pedagogies share, and offered a modest, yet intellectually rich perception of the struggle for liberation. As opposed to the static positive utopia that many of Neo-Marxist pedagogies offer, they suggested a dynamic and subjective perception of liberation; one that is neither restricted by the past nor by locality. This research suggests that teachers could well make a valuable contribution to the formation of a new counter-education. And that the development of a new pedagogical language in education could benefit by being done with them rather than for them.