Those Who Can Do Self-Study,Do Self-Study: But Can They Teach It?

This article describes the challenges encountered by a teacher educator and self-study practitioner as he attempted to facilitate a group of colleagues in learning about and engaging in self-study over a two year period. While competent in conducting self-study for himself, the author had never before tried to teach it to others. This led to teaching experiences in which the author grappled with his decision-making across three critical facets of his pedagogy. The findings of this self-study indicate that it is possible to broadly categorize these dilemmas in decision-making as instructional challenges, relational challenges, and methodological challenges. Uncovering and discussing these challenges gives those involved in the self-study of teacher education practices community an opportunity to consider how such dilemmas might be navigated beneficially to advance understanding and use of self-study methodology by others.     

Developing a Pedagogy of “Making” through Collaborative Self-Study

We believe that the ideas associated with the Maker Movement have profound implications for teacher education. We have isolated the pedagogical principles of hack, adapt, design, and create as central to exploring how they work with teacher candidate participants in a maker pedagogy lab. We frame these ideas as Maker Pedagogy, which is the enactment of the principles inspired by the maker movement in the classroom to foster learners who operate as innovators, creators, sharers and givers of knowledge, tools and technologies. The purpose of our self-study research is to describe, interpret and analyze how our pedagogies of teacher education and our critical friendship have changed and developed as a result of providing experiences for teacher candidates in our maker pedagogy lab. In this project we use self-study methodology to investigate our teaching and practices, and we dialogue about our tacit and personal knowledge as it contributes to the knowledge and understanding of our teaching through Maker Pedagogy. In particular, the emphasis is on critical collaborative inquiry through critical friends and on dialogue as a valued component of our research. Of particular interest were data in the video recordings of each lab that indicated that one or both of us had reframed our understanding of maker pedagogy. The findings are framed as three themes that document what we are learning about Maker Pedagogy through teaching teacher candidates. These are (1) the value of self-study methodology, (2) Maker Pedagogy as distinct and (3) deepening our pedagogies of teacher education.     

Improving the Quality of Practicum Learning: Self-Study of a Faculty Member’s Role in Practicum Supervision

Abstract

This self-study of activities as a practicum supervisor in several secondary schools focuses on the supervisor’s contribution to the quality of a teacher candidate’s professional learning in the context of a familiar tension between on-campus courses and in-school practicum experiences. Data from both formal and informal supervisory experiences are taken from notes recorded in classes with those supervised formally, records of notes taken in practicum observations, and email messages exchanged with teacher candidates about their supervision experiences. Analysis of formal supervision experiences generated a series of insights into candidates’ experiences of the practicum, a modest innovation in supervisory practice, and important reminders arising from a significant error in personal practice as a supervisor. Informal supervision experiences involved visits arising from invitations to observe extended by candidates in the author’s physics methods course. These experiences generated opportunities to test an alternative supervisory strategy focused on candidates’ perceptions of their learning from experience. Related literature includes the topics of learning from experience, reflective practice, and the potential significance of an epistemology of practice. In closing, attention is given to trustworthiness, the personal significance of the study and connections to the teacher education literature.     

Self-Study of a Teacher’s Practices of and Experience with Emotion Regulation: Being and Becoming through Reflection and Engagement

ABSTRACT

Research on teacher emotion regulation is typically conducted by outsiders and focuses on how emotion is regulated. This self-study was conducted by a practicing teacher to explore the lived experience of teacher emotion regulation and the many influences that inspire the need for such regulation. Throughout a 14-week semester, daily “in-the-moment” recordings of emotion were collected as they arose, and analyzed weekly. With a critical friend, further analysis was conducted to explore the genesis of the emotion as well as the response and possible alternatives. We believe that understanding the experience of the emotion is possibly more important than how it is regulated. Through reflection, this teacher began to resolve deeper issues that had evoked negative emotions, which shifted her approach to difficult situations and reduced the amount of negative emotions experienced. We conclude that the research on emotion regulation should focus on understanding the underlying issue triggering the emotion than on controlling the emotions displayed.     

“Still Finding the Ground:” A Self-Study of a First-Year Physical Education Teacher Educator

While decades of research have documented the socialization of inservice physical education teachers, the socialization of physical education faculty members has only recently become a research focus. Self-study of teacher education practices is becoming increasingly popular when exploring the lived experiences of physical education faculty. We used self-study of teacher education practices to understand the experiences of Kevin, a beginning physical education teacher educator in a visiting assistant professor position at Northern Illinois University. Kevin’s experiences differ from those of many other teacher educators as he had not taught in school settings before moving into higher education. He did, however, have a strong background in higher education pedagogy through work in a center for teaching and learning. Data were collected through journaling, documents and artifacts, and exit slips, feedback forms, and focus group interviews completed by Kevin’s students. Qualitative data analyses resulted in the construction of three first-order themes: (1) developing appropriate pedagogy, (2) developing and maintaining relationships with students, and (3) managing an identity as a teacher educator. Kevin’s journey was non-linear and marked by both successes and challenges, but at the end of the year he felt that he had grown as a teacher educator. Further, while Kevin’s youth and lack of teaching experience influenced his teacher education practice, it was not always negative and he found ways to compensate for what he lacked in direct teaching experience. Results are discussed with reference to Kevin’s socialization and future directions for research are provided.     

“Struck by the Way Our Bodies Conveyed So Much:” A Collaborative Self-Study of our Developing Understanding of Embodied Pedagogies

Embodied pedagogies offer methodological and pedagogical possibilities for exploring and understanding the emotional and embodied dimensions of teaching and learning to teach. In this paper we present a collaborative self-study that examines what we have learned about the nature, value and facilitation of embodied pedagogies through our experiences as both facilitators and participants. Through engaging in this self-study we have deepened our understanding of three aspects of embodied pedagogies: the nature of embodiment as a process of learning and coming to know, the challenges associated with engaging learners in embodied pedagogies, and some of the factors that contribute to skilful facilitation of embodied pedagogies. Articulating these understandings offers insight for ourselves and for other teacher educators looking to engage preservice teachers in embodied explorations and understandings of teaching and learning.     

Straddling Teacher Candidates’ Two Worlds to Link Practice and Theory: A Self-Study of Successful and Unsuccessful Efforts

Abstract

This self-study examines a teacher educator’s quest to provide an integrated practice-and-theory approach to learning to teach that places the experiences of the teacher candidates at the centre of the curriculum by focussing on their developing questions, challenges and issues through socio-constructivist discussions of their emerging practices. Constraints of university structures with regards to offering such an approach are discussed, including the impact that offering seminars on the university campus rather than in schools has on teacher candidates’ ability to integrate theories and practices of learning to teach. The research questions guiding this study include: How can I understand what process candidates actually undergo during practicum in the development of their ability as teachers vis-à-vis my course?, and How can I re-structure and re-organize my course to enhance the development of candidates’ practice as teachers? Data include interviews with volunteer student participants before and after observations made during classroom visits as well as discussions with groups of students. Analysis is based on reading and rereading the data as well as discussing it with the larger research team. The findings include the realization of how little of my course is integrated into my teacher candidates’ teaching, how much greater the influence of their mentor teacher is, and the extent to which teacher candidates need explicit help and guidance to transform or reframe their teaching. The article concludes with specific suggestions for adjusting a seminar associated with the practicum to enhance the development of a practice-and-theory approach to teaching.     

Making the Move to Online Teaching: One Reluctant Professor’s Informal Self-Study

In my search for my identity as an online teacher, I did an informal self-study to determine if my online classes are equivalent to my face-toface classes. I compared student work and student evaluations from 14 courses: seven online and seven face-to-face. When I compared the quality of student work from both formats, I found it indistinguishable. When I compared the type of comments on student evaluations, they were indistinguishable as well. There seemed to be no discernible difference between me as a face-toface teacher and me as an online teacher. Based on the students’ perceptions and coursework, their learning and enjoyment of learning did not seem to be tied to whether I was in the room with them or not.     

The Handmaid’s Tale: Using Literature and Online Journaling to Facilitate a Self-Study of Feminist Identity in an International Research Collective

ABSTRACT

This article explores how five international colleagues from the USA, Canada, China, and Japan use self-study methodologies and online journaling to systematically examine the tensions surrounding the lived experiences of feminist academics in diverse global contexts. It draws from the theoretical foundations of critical qualitative inquiry, self-study, feminist epistemologies, and fiction as research. The main research questions guiding the study are: what is the role of self-study and journaling in an international research collective?, how can contemporary literature inform a self-study about the intersection of gender and career?, and in what ways does journaling with international partners support personal and professional development of multicultural teacher educators?. For 6 months, the authors explored these questions with one another in an interactive online journal. Collaborative analysis of the journal entries produced three major themes: fiction as self-study, scholarship as hope, and scholarship as freedom. The article concludes with the authors’ personal views on the importance of online journaling and self-study among educational researchers who are interested in finding tools and structures for navigating the contemporary women’s movement within academia.     

“Don’t Sell Me the Enemy’s Literature”: A Self-Study of Teaching Literature in Politically Fraught Contexts

This article describes a self-study pursuant to a clash between a lecturer and a student concerning the teaching of literature in a politically fraught context. The learning group is composed of Arab and Jewish teachers at a college in northern Israel. The work read by the group expresses a Palestinian perspective. The incident, discussed with reference to the concepts of ethical reading and in-between space, is explained against the background of the lecturer’s professional views and the complexity of teaching literature in a polarized and conflicted society. Analysis of the incident, accompanied by a look at the professional literature, reveals the lecturer’s blind spots as well as the complexity of the situation in which she was acting. Details of the case and the process of its interpretation may serve to enrich the perspectives of literature teacher educators who believe in ethical reading and in constructing an in-between space in their lessons, providing them with insights regarding teaching in contexts fraught with cultural tensions.     

er, long course of disease,

传统的小学语文课堂教学注重“以本为本”,突出“三个中心”,是教师将自己拥有的知识传授给学生,是教与学两方面的机械叠加。教师的预设使课堂变得死板、机械、沉闷,缺乏活力。新课标提倡“动态生成”,怎样使小学语文课堂动态化,让语文教学更开放、更具生命力呢?我们可从以下三     

Diana,Princess of Wales

戴安娜王妃于97年一场车祸中香消玉陨。这朵英伦玫瑰的凋零引来了世人无限的哀痛和惋惜,而她本人也已成为一则悲剧传奇。她的魅力与爱心,她的痛苦与不幸,她的一切都曾是,也将继续是传媒公众注目的焦点。     

neering,Nanjiang Institute of

0,China)In this paper,the differentiation principle is used to handle planar dimension chains.It simplifies the process of analysis,improves the accuracy and rationality of calculation because of considering the angular deviation that is usually ignored by the engineer.We put forward some relatively simple and efficient formula,and analyze dimension tolerance zone     

Adolescents’ definitions of bullying: the contribution of age,gender, and experience of bullying

The aim of the present research was to examine adolescents’ definitions of bullying in a nationally representative sample of adolescents in Ireland. Definitions of bullying were examined according to age, gender, and bullying experiences. A sample of 4358 adolescents aged 12–19 years (M?=?14.99 years, SD?=?1.63) provided their definitions of bullying as part of the My World Survey-Second Level. The definitions were explored using content analysis. Adolescents differed in terms of their definition of bullying, with younger students frequently describing the nature of bullying as mean, while older students displayed a heightened awareness of the feelings associated with being a victim of bullying. Older females and those who had experienced bullying were more likely to discuss the emotions associated with bullying compared to males and those who had not been bullied. Adolescent definitions of bullying were not in line with widely accepted researcher definitions. Recommendations are made for researchers and those designing anti-bullying interventions and educational programmes.     

“What’s the Middle Ground? Am I Ever Going to be the Perfect Teacher?:” Self-Study of a Doctoral Student’s Acculturation Process

In higher education, doctoral training has been identified as a process of stewardship development whereby individuals learn the knowledge and skills required to advance their respective disciplines. Self-study of teacher education practices is one approach that has gained the interest of doctoral students to help them understand their own development whilst also forging recommendations for others in publications. In this self-study, we worked to understand the experiences of Shrehan, a teacher from England beginning doctoral study in the USA. Shrehan had no experience teaching at the college level prior to moving to the USA, and she saw self-study as an opportunity to understand her development and acculturation into an unfamiliar system of higher education. Data were collected through journaling, critical-friend discussions, and artefacts, as well as student data in the form of surveys, exit slips, and focus-group interviews. Qualitative data analysis of Shrehan’s experiences was guided by the four stages of acculturation theory – honeymoon, culture shock, adjustment, and recovery. Shrehan’s journey emphasizes the importance of getting to know undergraduate students and building rapport as key aspects of teaching at the college level. Self-study provided Shrehan with a heightened personal-identity awareness that increased her cultural sensitivity and broadened her worldview. Results are discussed with reference to acculturation theory and future directions for research are provided.     

The work of academic development – occupational identity,standards of practice,and the virtues of association

Abstract

The paper addresses the questions of identity, ethics and organization for academic developers ('AD’ is used as an umbrella for academic staff development plus a number of other academic‐related professional university roles). It inquires into the degree of role differentiation between this occupational cluster and others that resemble it, outside as well as inside the universities. It argues, following Clark and Boyer, that ‘AD’ is both a scholarly and an academic pursuit, and adds that it is characterized uniquely by its focus on change and development, and that the nature of its ‘discipline’ is somewhat problematic. The paper examines the occupational freedoms of AD people and their special knowledge‐base, and argues for a ‘temptations‐based’ rather than a ‘virtues‐based’ approach to creating an ethical schema. It concludes with observations about how to achieve a firm professional identity for AD and recommends new organizational machinery to both politicize and defend the distinctive AD role in academia.     

Coping at University: an examination of achievement,motivation, self‐regulation,confidence, and method of entry

Undergraduate university students (n = 132) completed a questionnaire containing measures of psychological variables, verbal ability, an evaluation of their course of study, and demographic characteristics. We also had access to their academic results. We examined the relationships among these variables, especially the psychological variables, and compared them with those posited by recent theoretical work that makes connections among motivation, self‐regulation, and self‐efficacy. We then looked at which variables predicted academic achievement. The sample contained two sub‐samples: mature‐age students who had entered university via an enabling program; and younger students who entered university on the basis of high school results. With universities under severe financial pressure, university‐run enabling programs must demonstrate their effectiveness in terms of students’ successful progress in undergraduate degrees if they are to continue. We compared these two groups of students on the measures noted above.     

Structural changes of oviduct of freshwater shrimp, Macrobrachium nipponense （Decapoda, Palaemonidae）, during spawning

The structural change of the oviduct of freshwater shrimp （Macrobrachium nipponense） during spawning was examined by electron microscopy. The oviduct wall structural characteristics seem to be influenced significantly by the spawning process. Before the parturition and ovulation, two types of epithelial cells （types Ⅰ and Ⅱ） are found in the epithelium. The free surfaces of type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ cells have very dense long microvilli. Under the type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ cells, are a relatively thick layer of secreting material and a layer of mostly dead cells. After ovulation, two other types of epithelial cells （types Ⅲ and Ⅳ） are found in the oviduct wall epithelium. The free surface of type Ⅲ cells only has short microvilli scattered on the surface. The thick layer with secreting material and the dead cell layer disappeared at this stage. In some type Ⅲ cells, the leaking out of cytoplasm from broken cell membrane led to the death of these type Ⅲ cells. The transformation of all four types of epithelial cells was in the order： Ⅳ→Ⅰ→Ⅱ→Ⅲ.     

Pre-service teachers’ motivation,sense of teaching efficacy,and expectation of reality shock

The present study investigated how pre-service teachers’ motivation and their sense of teaching efficacy influence their expectation about reality shock during the first year of professional teaching. A total of 533 pre-service teachers at a state university in the US Midwest participated in this study. The results showed that the pre-service teachers’ expectation of reality shock was negatively related to teacher efficacy and intrinsic motivation while it was positively related to introjected and external motivation. The results of a hierarchical regression analysis revealed that pre-service teachers’ sense of efficacy and introjected motivation were strong predictors of their expectation of reality shock, when gender difference was controlled for. There was an interaction effect between intrinsic motivation and teachers’ sense of efficacy in predicting the reality shock expectation. We discussed the educational implications for future research in an endeavour to reduce the reality shock among novice teachers.