Practice into Pedagogy into Practice: Collaborative Postcards from Hong Kong

A collaborative postcard project completed by 22 students as part of a drawing course conducted at a university in Hong Kong is introduced. The project entailed inviting students into an art practice in which the author was herself engaged as a practitioner as well as a researcher. After introducing the educational context in which the project took place, the author provides an account – informed by ‘participant‐observer’ feedback from students – of how the project unfolded and was experienced. In the second section of the article the creative and pedagogic efficacy of the project is considered with reference to the experience‐centred and dialogic principles expressed in the educational philosophies of John Dewey, Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt and Paulo Freire. The third section draws on insights from scholars working in a range of disciplines – cultural history, anthropology, sociology and psychology – to argue that a particular set of organisational and collaborative dynamics catalysed students’ levels of engagement, creativity and motivation. The article argues that the collaborative postcard project is an example of an experience‐centred and practice‐based pedagogy that is founded on dialogue, mutual generosity and experimental play, and engenders in students the ‘quality of mental process’ that is, for John Dewey, ‘the measure of educative growth’.     

民主与教育学——论一种新的教师专业发展观

在相当长的历史时期内,与民主相适应的教育学主要是一种专业教育学。这种专业教育学既是适应现代性情境的一套有效的沟通与组织技艺,又与那种与官僚体制结合的群众民主(旁观式民主)相依存。然而值得注意的是,民主情境中的教育学不仅仅是专业教育学,民主本身也并非必然要求教师或教师职业进一步专业化。事实上,杜威的民主教育学就试图重构不同教育学之间的关系,以不可见的民间教育学取代传统上可见的专业教育学。当然,这种取代只有在作为一种全新的制度教育学的参与式民主的基础之上才有可能真正实现。     

教师专业发展:教学法的视角

在新课程改革的背景下,探讨教师专业发展的要义,应该聚焦于教师的专业实践活动层面。在当今教师的专业实践活动中,既有先进、时尚的理念来引领,又有具体、丰富的经验作指导。问题在于,先进理念与实践经验之间常常存在着空白。那么,对教师专业发展而言,在先进理念与实践经验之外,还有什么关键因素?这些因素能否填补这一空白?本文试对此问题作一探讨。     

教师反思性对话的实践模式

教师的专业发展需要加强反思性对话。反思性对话具有问题性、自主性和建构性的特点。反思性对话的过程可以分为描述、澄清、面质和重构四个步骤。以一次反思性对话为例具体阐述了教师反思性对话的操作过程。建议教师教育者要和教师建立平等、信任的对话关系,灵活采用反思性对话模式,深入课堂给予教师直观的指导。     

教师专业发展——一种合作的视角

许多西方学者都认为教师合作是一种非常重要的教师专业发展策略,是一个参与各方在平等基础上相互支持、资源共享、旨在促进问题解决的过程。教师合作的顺利实施,需要了解教师需求,推动教师积极参与,优化教师合作方式,培育专业文化氛围。     

教育意义的理解：公共教育学改革的现实路径

公共教育学是教师专业发展的启蒙性学科,影响着教师的专业发展.但由于课程定位和教学设计的局限,公共教育学并没有发挥预想的作用.本文通过强化公共意识,凸显文化品性,提升实践性知识来改革当下的公共教育学课程.     

服务与协作:地方院校在农村教师专业发展中的实践——以肇庆学院为例

农村教师专业发展存在实然的困境,地方院校作为培养地方基础教育师资的主干力量,在其专业发展中承担着不可推卸的责任。地方院校通过服务地方,输出师资,院校协作,引领教师走向幸福来实现其对责任的担当。     

Can creativity be assessed? Towards an evidence-informed framework for assessing and planning progress in creativity

This article considers the role of constructions of creativity in the classroom and their consequences for learning and, in particular, for the assessment of creativity. Definitions of creativity are examined to identify key implications for supporting the development of children’s creativity within the classroom. The implications of assessing creativity in order to aid its development within and across subjects are explored through the consideration of existing frameworks for assessing and supporting creativity. Enablers for creative teaching and learning are considered in order to propose a model of assessment and development for creativity.     

School‐based teacher collaboration in Sweden and Greece: formal cooperation,deprivatized practices and personalized interaction in primary and lower secondary schools

During recent years, educational restructuring efforts have commonly regarded schools as both learning communities and sites for teachers’ professional development. A plethora of attributes influence prerequisites as well as outcomes of the efforts, while teachers’ local cultures constitute a cornerstone. More specifically, enhanced school‐based teacher collaboration is associated with upgraded school effectiveness and enhanced professional growth. However, the comparative study of school‐based teacher collaboration remains a subjective research area. The overall aim of this study is to highlight teacher collaboration in Sweden and Greece utilizing nationwide surveys with physical education teachers in both countries. The final sample consisted of 707 Swedish and 451 Greek professionals. The high response rate combined with restricted internal dropout forms the basis of the generalization of the findings. The presentation of the results is connected with issues of formal cooperation, deprivatized practices and personalized interaction in four teachers groups: primary and lower secondary schools in Sweden and in Greece. According to the data, formal cooperation and deprivatized practices occur more frequently in Sweden than in Greece. However, personalized interaction is rather high in Greek lower secondary schools. Despite differences between the four contexts, a second order model represents obtained information adequately with very good fit indexes. It seems that school‐based teacher collaboration in authentic settings can be connected to complex processes with multifaceted characteristics in different national contexts as well as in educational stages within one country as well. Manipulating distinct aspects of schooling may consequently jeopardize expected outcomes, as development ambitions should be targeting several interdependent dimensions. Swedish schools generally and lower secondary schools specifically constitute original examples of enhanced school‐based teacher collaboration, while an intensification of combined endeavours is needed in Greece. The comparative mapping of interconnected collaboration characteristics might contribute to more holistic restructuring struggles towards schools as learning communities and sites for teachers’ professional development.     

从教师合作看我国校本教研及其对学习共同体发展的启示

实践社群视角下,教师合作是特定社会性结构下教师进行意义协商的过程。本研究从社群形态、沟通规范以及实践定位三个维度诠释校本教研中教师合作过程。研究所见,教师合作处于结构化组织系统及制度下,按照自上而下模式运作。教师建立起相对稳定的等级制角色定位。校本教研定位于示范性教学模式的再生产,教师的自主性和专业判断较为有限。     

‘We don't just do what we're told to do!’ Exploring pedagogical technology development needs

This article investigates the application of technology to pedagogy in early years. The research considers the perceptions of technology that are held by a variety of practitioners in a range of settings. The research explores the factors influencing the participants’ interpretation of the pedagogical value of technology by asking two questions. Do the participants follow policymakers who support the application of technology to pedagogy? Do the participants mirror academic research in this area by considering that ‘e is only best’ when it is applied to pedagogy to develop creative thinking? The study is based in England and draws on the experiences of 16 practitioners who are working in either private or statutory nursery settings. The research is based on an inductive qualitative methodology that has gathered the participants’ views on the benefits of technology for pedagogy in early years. The research reveals that a range of personal, social and professional factors influence the participants’ pedagogy with technology. The article identifies the challenges that exist for the professional development of these early years educators in this area of pedagogy.     

Perceptions of university teachers about teaching and the quality of pedagogy in higher education: a study in Portugal / Percepciones de los profesores universitarios sobre la enseñanza y la calidad de la pedagogía de la educación superior: un estudio realizado en Portugal

This paper draws upon a broader piece of research aiming at investigating the perceptions of university teachers about the quality of pedagogy in higher education and their professional development. Data were collected through questionnaires. In total, 171 faculty members participated in the study. Findings indicate that the participants recognized the importance of quality of pedagogy, and particularly the principles of transparency and intentionality. The most important motives for university teachers to engage in professional development opportunities are emancipatory and pedagogical ones. The participants also stress that in general they feel good as far as their teaching activity is concerned. However, those who revealed greater satisfaction with teaching valued more the quality of pedagogy in general. Also, those who feel good in relation to teaching value more the principles of interaction, democratization and negotiation with the students. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Unrolling Roles in Techno-Pedagogy: Toward New Forms of Collaboration in Traditional College Settings

Taking the rapid development of information technologies as a catalyst for re-examining the roles generally assigned to professors, students, librarians, and technology support staff in traditional college settings, this article explores how these players in higher education can collaborate to redefine their roles. The article begins with a theoretical exploration of our concept of role and then describes a workshop designed to explore how roles are defined and played out in academic settings.