Facilitating change to a problem-based model

This paper discusses barriers which arise during the change process from a traditional educational system to a problem-based educational model. The characteristics of a problem-based learning model are presented in order to provide a framework for discussion of the scope of these issues. Then the findings of a research study, which examined an actual transition from a traditional model to a problem-based learning model, are introduced and discussed. In spite of an extensive staff development programme to introduce teachers to the new model, some unforseen issues arose. Some of these were to do with the nature of teaching in the new model, for example, the requirements of project supervision as the new form of teaching, which was quickly brought into focus by teachers involved in the transition. Other issues were to do with the retention, in this particular example of problem-based learning, of forms of teaching which appeared similar to traditional teaching, namely lectures. The findings suggested that it was very important to 'rethink' known teaching methods such as traditional lecturing, because teachers have to reselect the content of courses if the number of lectures is substantially reduced. Furthermore, the results of the study indicate that the importance of the change processes at the educational model level focus on the individual, culture and the organization. For faculty and academic developers this means that they have to facilitate all three levels which is a comprehensive challenge and requires a high level of competency.     

Affect: a tool to support pedagogical change

In the early childhood education field, the way children are conceptualised has substantially shifted in recent times. Child development theory has been unsettled as the single canon of early childhood practice. This has in turn challenged constructions of educators as keepers of a universal knowledge base, and as apolitical, non-interventionist facilitators of the natural unfolding development of individuals. While reconceptualising the early childhood knowledge base has oriented theorists and activists towards equity, unsettling educator subjectivities requires careful consideration in a feminised profession such as early childhood education. There is a need for greater discussion about how educators experience the uncertainties that accompany profound changes in teaching practice and identities and how educators can harness these uncertainties in ways that strengthen the profession. In this paper, I offer excerpts from teacher research that show how theories of affect support practitioners to engage productively the reflexivity needed to reconceptualise their roles as educators. I use affect theory to consider how the intra- and inter-personal dimensions of critically reflective practice can bolster the democratic and collectivist orientations in the teaching profession.     

Understanding teachers' attitudes to change in a Logomathematics environment

We describe the views and attitudes of a group of Portuguese primary teachers as they unfolded during a course aimed at introducing a Logo-mathematical culture. We identify what was at stake for them in interacting with such a culture by focusing on sketches of two participants. The study had threefold aims: to describe and analyse attitudes towards mathematics and mathematics teaching; to examine the interactions between participants' attitudes and their activities on the course; and to investigate what kinds of influences the course had on their attitudes.     

Linking student evaluations to institutional goals: a change story

For the past 30?years, beginning with the seminal work of Herbert Marsh in Australia and New Zealand, institutions of higher education have developed internal practices and procedures to collect and analyse student evaluations of teaching and learning. However, the question remains: has this development resulted in the achievement of institutional goals that maximise learning across all teaching contexts? As is the case in many other countries, a recent review of Australian national student evaluation data failed to conclude that student evaluations have improved overall teaching. However, these data have made student perceptions of teaching and learning more salient in the minds of tertiary educators. Certainly, teaching staff are aware of the impacts of student evaluations on informed decision-making, such as the continuation or discontinuation of courses, and on their promotion processes. This paper will review student evaluation practices according to criteria used in change theories, such as the transtheoretical change model (TTM). TTM construes organisational change as a process involving progress through a series of five stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. This paper will focus on organisational and behavioural outcomes that can be linked to the use of student data. It will recommend strategies for better aligning evaluation results to the stages of change.     

Understanding behavior to understand behavior change: a literature review

One view of environmental education suggests that its goal is to ‘develop a world population that … has the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivations and commitment to work individually and collectively towards solutions of current problems and the prevention of new ones’ (UNESCO‐UNEP 1976 UNESCO‐UNEP. 1976. The Belgrade charter. Connect: UNESCO‐UNEP Environmental Education Newsletter, 1(1): 1–2.  [Google Scholar]). Embedded within this charge is the teaching of skills and motivations to implement skills, where a skill refers to performance of an act acquired through extended practice and training (Ericsson and Oliver 1995 Ericsson, K.A. and Oliver, W.L. 1995. “Cognitive skills”. In Learning and Skill, Edited by: Mackintosh, N.J. and Colman, A.M. 37–55. London: Longman.  [Google Scholar]). However, it is often difficult to articulate clearly what skills we teach in conservation education and environmental education focusing on behavior change or influence. It can be equally challenging to describe the behaviors we are ultimately seeking, identified in the Tbilisi Declaration as ‘new patterns of behavior’ (UNESCO 1978 UNESCO. 1978. Final report: Intergovernmental conference on environmental education, Paris: UNESCO ED/MD/49. Organized by UNESCO in Cooperation with UNEP, Tbilisi, USSR, 14–26 October, 1977 [Google Scholar]). At a basic level, it is important to explore the grounding for teaching toward behavior – often referred to as behavior change – that supports the work of the field. This literature review attempts to provide a foundation for behavior‐related discussions in environmental and conservation education. A number of the behavior theories, concepts and models discussed in this review have been explored extensively elsewhere; therefore, this review is not exhaustive, but rather is intended to be broadly representative of the literature.     

Learning to redesign teacher education: a conceptual framework to support program change

University-based teacher education faces intensifying pressure to prove its effectiveness. This has prompted renewed interest in program redesign. In this article, we argue that enacting meaningful redesign requires university-based teacher educators to learn new ways of thinking and acting not only with teacher candidates but also with their university and K-12 colleagues. Drawing on Engeström’s expansive learning theory and our own efforts to redesign our teacher education program along a practice-based teacher education model, we delineate a conceptual framework and illustrate how it supports the organizational learning necessary to enact change in university-based teacher education. The expansive learning redesign framework specifies conceptual tools and social practices to guide, enact, and sustain university-based teacher education redesign. It acknowledges the multi-organizational nature of university-based teacher education and provides tools for engaging K-12 educators in the redesign of teacher education.     

Forming a change environment to encourage professional development through a teacher study group

This study is grounded in the context of English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teacher education in Taiwan and aims to promote the potential of teacher study groups. The Interconnected Model of Teacher Professional Growth provides a framework to design this teacher study group and to analyze the learning process as experienced by the participating teachers within the collaborative inquiry. The study illustrates the group's learning process by characterizing the major patterns of the teachers' changes in beliefs and practices. The results support the claim that the design of the teacher study groups plays a major role in shaping various sequences of teacher change.     

Formative assessment for all: a whole-school approach to pedagogic change

Scotland's Assessment is for Learning initiative (AifL) seeks to introduce a co-ordinated national system for assessment in schools. Formative assessment is a major plank in this. The initiative has moved beyond its pilot phase and it is intended that it will be adopted by all Scottish schools by 2007. This article draws upon the case-study of a primary school that has adopted a whole-school approach to enacting the formative assessment principles of AifL since 2004. It utilizes Margaret Archer's social theory to analyse and explain the processes of change that have underpinned the development of formative assessment in the school. The article argues that meaningful change in schools can be stimulated by encouraging socio-cultural interaction among practitioners, via the impetus provided by a central initiative combined with the creation of spaces for dialogue and the extension of professional trust and autonomy.     

How person-centred planning can contribute to organisational change in a school

This article reflects on the experience of applying a person-centred approach to promote organisational change in an educational context. A detailed example is drawn from a Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope (PATH) process with a group of school staff. The article considers existing research into person-centred approaches and explores key factors that may help or hinder the effectiveness of these approaches. A number of implications for professional practice are discussed.     

A tool for coaching management decisions to commit to a proposed organizational change initiative

This article provides background on becoming a highly engaged organization. Its main purpose is to demonstrate a decision‐making tool that makes crystal clear the level of committed engagement your client managers can opt for, and what they can expect to get in return, proportionately, from any proposed change initiative put before them.     

Planning responses to demographic change

The United Kingdom faces a decline in the 18-year-old cohort from 900,000 + in the mid-1980s to 600,000 + in the mid-1990s. Will a third of the universities close? More important, will industry and commerce cope with the potential reduction in skilled manpower production? A method is described for forecasting graduate numbers and their quality by discipline, and suggestions are made about ways in which society could react so as to influence unacceptable trends.     

Widening participation in higher education with a view to implementing institutional change

In this research informed perspective, I discuss some of the barriers students face during progression to higher education. A crucial role can be played by higher education institutions (HEIs) and other public bodies. I discuss some of the measures taken and critically evaluate these to show how these can be improved. In the absence of a centralised admission system and autonomy exercised by HEIs, it is not clear yet how these targets will be achieved. HEFCE and OFFA play a vital role, but there is further scope towards addressing equality and diversity. This paper discusses some of the ways forward.     

A course projection and staffing plan used to facilitate a curriculum change

The curriculum change for which these projections were made included eliminating traditional distribution requirements in favor of interdisciplinary programs and increased student electives. The plan allowed study of the staffing needs and anticipated effects upon departmental offerings. The projections provided estimates of the number of students who would take each type of course and indicated that the new curriculum could be staffed by eliminating previously required introductory courses. Updated each year, the plan served as a guide for departmental offerings and for the hiring of new faculty. The projection methods employed would be helpful for schools anticipating curricular changes or as a general guide in planning faculty allocations from year to year.The planning, initial costs, and evaluation of the curriculum were supported in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the George Gund Foundation, and the U.S. Office of Education. Reprints and additional information about the curriculum and these projections can be obtained from the Office of Records and Research, Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio 44234. The authors wish to acknowledge the encouragement and assistance of Hiram President Elmer Jagow, former Dean Wendell Johnson, and current Dean Robert MacDowell. The cooperation of the Hiram faculty and students is also gratefully acknowledged.     

Every change needs a champion

Lamaze International is pleased to launch the newly revised and updated (as of May 2007) six care practice papers that synthesize best practices that promote, support, and protect normal birth, bonding, and breastfeeding for pregnant women and their support teams. The updated six care practice papers are available as resource materials to start and support conversations of change. Childbirth educators are encouraged to be change champions and to incorporate the six care practices into the maternity care that women receive in their communities.     

A collaborative case study of teacher change: From a personal to a professional perspective

This 5-year case study of teacher change documents an elementary classroom teacher's transition from a personal to a professional perspective. In this transition she moves from classroom concerns that feel individually determined to an awareness of the historical and socio-political nature of educational ideas and teaching practices. The teacher and researchers' interpretations of this transition are each included and their process of collaboration to construct them is described.