Mediating creativity and performativity policy tensions in dance education-based action research partnerships: insights from a mentor's self-study

This paper will present and critique the mediation of tensions arising as a result of the collision of creativity and performativity policies in English primary education, in the context of the three-way model of creative partnership being used for professional development in certain English schools. The paper will consider these partnerships from my perspective of research mentor to classroom teachers and dance artists engaged in dance-based action research (Creativity Action Research Awards 2). The paper focuses on two tensions arising in these contexts and their relationship to the creativity/performativity policy tensions: firstly process (with inherent potential for risk-taking, and critical appraisal) versus product (with inherent potential clarity) in the context of both the wider school performativity agenda and the performance expectation within dance; secondly, the necessary depth of enquiry to achieve ownership of creative activity by teachers and learners versus a desire for initiatives to demonstrate immediate results articulated in verbal, numeric or written form. The paper draws on my self-study of my role as research mentor within the CARA 2 initiative, to consider the manifestation and mediation of these tensions within actual three-way partnership practice, and the implications for current and future practice and policy.     

Creative teaching of creativity teachers: Polish perspective

The article presents basic information on the strand of psycho-pedagogy of creativity—a unique perspective on creativity teachers’ education in Europe and the world. Psycho-pedagogy of creativity is a major in pedagogy studies, run in Poland, at the Warsaw Academy of Special Education. Our aim is to educate specialists who are open, sensitive and well prepared content-wise in identifying and developing children's and youth's creative potential. We also aim at introducing the studies that function in a wider social context, and presenting the situation of Poland after systemic transformation. It seems that information of this type may prove interesting to researchers and practitioners that deal with education of creativity.     

Development of creativity: The influence of varying levels of implementation of the DISCOVER curriculum model, a non-traditional pedagogical approach

Development of creativity is influenced by multiple factors, including the environment, developmental changes, and measurement tools. In this study, we investigated the relationship between creativity development and implementation of the Discovering Intellectual Strengths and Capabilities while Observing Varied Ethnic Responses (DISCOVER) curriculum model. Using the Test of Creative Thinking–Drawing Production (TCT-DP), 1986 culturally diverse, low-income students, K through 6, in four elementary schools in the U.S. were assessed for three consecutive years. The creativity of all children increased from grades K to 6, but children in classrooms of low implementers demonstrated a dip and some “pauses.” Differences in scores of children in middle/high and low implementers' classrooms were significant. The implication is that creativity development is supported through active learning, student choice, access to varied materials, exploration, self-evaluation, problem finding, and problem solving. Additional analyses need to be conducted to uncover cultural and linguistic influences in these four schools.     

The roles and development needs of teachers to promote creativity: A systematic review of literature

A systematic review of 210 educational research, policy and professional literature between 2005–2011 identified only 17 publications that met the inclusion criteria and contained findings relating to teachers' roles in promoting creativity, and 18 on how teachers can be supported for this. The evidence suggests that teacher skills, attitudes, willingness to act as role model, awareness of learners' need, flexible lesson structure, particular types of classroom interaction are important for teaching for creativity. Review highlighted importance of school culture in supporting or impeding creativity, need to elicit teachers' conceptions of creativity, teachers developing their own creativity;, working co-constructively with a mentor, and the importance of action research and reflection.     

专家型教师的知识结构及其发展模式分析

教师专业发展的核心是教师的知识建构。专家型教师不仅具有丰厚的理论性知识,还具有大量的实践性知识,并能够灵活地进行理论知识和实践知识的转化,在建构知识的过程中能够不断创新知识,其知识结构是多元化的。新手教师要成为专家型教师可按照模仿、借鉴、反思、实践、科研的知识发展模式,实现从理论知识到实践知识的转化,在教学实践中不断将实践知识内化,最后完成由实践知识到理论知识的升华,构建合理的知识结构。     

Teaching for creativity: from sage to guide to meddler

This paper serves three purposes. First, it makes a case for seeing creativity as a key learning outcome in our times, and thus the core business of education. It then goes on to examine the nexus of creativity and pedagogy, showing the conceptual work done to demonstrate creativity as a learnable set of dispositions and capabilities. Finally and most importantly, the paper argues the value of a pedagogical approach the author calls “Meddling-in-the-Middle”, in augmenting and enhancing the repertoires of “Sage-on-the-Stage” and “Guide-on-the-Side” in order to build students' creative capacity. Examples are given of what these meta-approaches might look like in relation to the teaching of Shakespeare. The author concludes by arguing the important connection between Meddling pedagogy and creative capacity building.     

浅析大学英语教师专家型与新手型教学能力的差异

随着时代发展的需要,大学英语教学改革对教师教学能力的要求日益提高,本文对专家型教师和新手型教师教学能力进行对比,以期找到提高大学英语教师教学能力的方法,从而进一步提高英语教学质量。     

Implementing a disciplinary-literacy curriculum for US history: learning from expert middle school teachers in diverse classrooms

In recent years, educators in the USA have emphasized disciplinary literacy as an essential path forward in cultivating adolescents’ understanding of subject matter in tandem with literacy practices. Yet, this agenda poses challenges to teachers who have been tasked with its implementation. Here, we examine two expert US history teachers’ efforts to implement curriculum that integrates reading, writing and thinking in history with academically diverse eighth graders. We conduct qualitative analyses of teacher observations and interviews as well as student work. This analysis provides insight into several issues that emerge in efforts to teach disciplinary literacy in history classrooms: the nuances of teachers’ use of curriculum materials created by people other than themselves, teachers’ appropriation and adaptation of curriculum materials and teachers’ understanding of curriculum materials and disciplinary literacy goals. We find that teachers’ knowledge of the discipline and attention to students’ ideas allowed them to skillfully adapt the curriculum to better meet students’ needs and push students’ thinking. Orienting teachers toward disciplinary learning, ensuring a foundational understanding of their discipline and providing teachers with tools to teach disciplinary literacy are important steps to help students meet the demands of the disciplinary literacy agenda.     

In search of well‐started beginning science teachers: Insights from two first‐year elementary teachers

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what aspects of two first‐year elementary teachers' practices were most consistent with an inquiry‐based approach, what PCK served as a mechanism for facilitating these practices, and what experiences have mediated the nature and development of these teachers' PCK. For each of the participants data included audio‐recorded interviews, video‐recorded classroom observations, lesson plans, and samples of student work. Data analysis illustrated that both participants engaged their students in question‐driven investigations, the use of observational data, making connections between evidence and claims, and communicating those claims to others. Moreover, there was clear evidence in the findings of the study that a considerable degree of coherence existed between the two participants' knowledge on one hand and their instructional practices on the other hand. The participants perceived specific learning experiences during their programs as being critical to their development. The contribution of this study lies in the fact that it provides examples of well‐started beginning elementary teachers implementing inquiry‐based science in 2nd and 5th grade classrooms. Implications of the study include the need for the design of university‐based courses and interventions by which teacher preparation and professional development programs support teachers in developing PCK for scientific inquiry and enacting instructional practices that are congruent with reform initiatives. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47:661–686, 2010     

Autonomy in teaching practice: Insights from Vietnamese English language teachers trained in Inner-Circle countries

This study investigated the degree to which TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) training in Inner-Circle English-speaking countries impacted on the autonomy in teaching practice of Vietnamese teachers of English. Using an online survey, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and classroom observations, the research explored tension faced by these teachers when attempting to exercise their autonomy after returning to their local institution, and revealed how they managed to operate within constraints. This paper has significant implications for a range of stakeholders involved in the professional development of non-Inner-Circle TESOL teachers trained in Inner Circle contexts.     

Insights into teacher learning about pedagogy from an international group of teachers of students with severe intellectual disabilities

This article examines teacher professional learning about pedagogy for teachers of students with severe intellectual disabilities within broader teacher education and pedagogical frameworks for this group of learners. The article presents and discusses findings from a USA–England research project, involving classroom observations and interviews with nine teachers of students with severe intellectual disabilities from four specialist public school settings, intended to explore teachers’ pedagogical decision-making and learning. The theoretical lens of situated learning and the conceptual lens of evidence-based practice are used to contextualise and examine the teachers’ views about the what, how and when they learn about pedagogical approaches and strategies. Teachers emphasised the situated and interactional nature of their learning, particularly highlighting the personal responses of students and their relationship with these students. They use this knowledge and understanding to adapt evidence-based strategies and programmes and inform their pedagogical decisions. This affords the concepts of ‘situated generalization’ and ‘practice based evidence’ an influential role in how teachers engage in the process of pedagogical decision-making. An implication for teacher educators is the need to support teachers in making connections of new pedagogical understandings and skills with the individual learning profiles and responses of their students with severe intellectual disabilities.     

The discourse and nature of creativity and innovation: Ways of relating to the novel

In the discourse of the knowledge-based economy, the link between creativity and innovation is usually taken for granted. However, not only is this link of recent date, it joins together two diametrically opposed concepts: the economic concept of innovation and the humanistic concept of creativity. In research too, there is a lack of enquiry into the nature of the processes of creativity and innovation and into how these processes are similar yet different. Building on the original insights of Henri Poincaré and Joseph Schumpeter, I present the hypothesis that creativity and innovation are similar in nature, not in regard to knowledge or skills, but in that both are ways of relating to the novel. My findings suggest, meanwhile, that creativity and innovation differ in that creativity is about experiencing the novel in the creative process, whereas innovation is about willing the novel as a strategy for the innovative process. Furthermore, my findings suggest that there exists a structural similarity between creativity and innovation and Aristotle’s concepts of practical and philosophical wisdom, in that innovation is a form of practical wisdom in regard to the novel, whereas creativity is a form of philosophical wisdom in regard to the novel.     

具身认知理论视域下开放教育本科法学专业教学优化策略

具身认知是心理学中一个新兴的研究领域,蕴涵着丰富的教育教学意蕴,为观照审视开放教育本科法学专业的教学提供了新的理论与视角。运用具身认知理论优化开放教育本科法学专业教学是有效实现人才培养目标、更好体现因材施教原则、切实解决教学存在问题的需要,应该选择教学环境匹配化、理论教学具身化、实践教学规范化的路径。     

Inquiry-based science teaching competence of primary school teachers: A Delphi study

Earlier, extracted inquiry-based science teaching competency elements and domains from the international literature were compared to the United States' National Science Teaching Standards. The present Delphi study aimed to validate the findings for the Netherlands, where such standards are lacking. Experts (N = 33) were asked about the importance of 23 identified competencies. They confirmed the importance; proposed to add one competency and to differentiate between novice and experienced teachers. They suggested that teachers be provided with opportunities to integrate competence development regarding science knowledge, attitude and teaching skills throughout their career.     

Sophia's funds of knowledge: theoretical and pedagogical insights,possibilities and dilemmas

Children's interests and thinking emanate from their daily lived experiences in their families, communities and cultures. This paper substantiates the view that the construct of ‘funds of knowledge’, understood through the lens of ‘cultural repertoires of practice’, provides an analytical tool for early years teachers to interpret their observations of, and conversations with, young children. The paper reports findings from a qualitative case study in early childhood settings of children's interests and thinking. The methods included participant observation, interviews with teachers and children and gathering of pedagogical documentation. This paper specifically draws on and problematises the funds of knowledge and related gendered thinking that a young Chinese girl revealed through her interests and practices. It argues that although the construct of funds of knowledge provides an authentic conceptual framework to guide and justify teachers' pedagogical decision-making, it should not be accepted uncritically. The concept may raise some issues for teachers' responses to children's thinking and relationships with diverse families. Teachers and researchers have future work to undertake to understand children's complex cultural knowledges and positionings in an increasingly globalised world.     

The teaching of literature in a Singapore secondary school: disciplinarity,curriculum coverage and the opportunity costs involved

Set against the backdrop of reinvigorating the study of literature and concerns about the adequate preparation of students for the world of work, this paper explores how a Singapore teacher presented a literary text in the classroom. Drawing on data from a large-scale representative sample of Singapore schools in instruction and assessment practices, we discuss some of the potential consequences of instructional choice-making from a disciplinary perspective. Our findings suggest, for example, that when teacher-dominated discourse and interpretations dominate, instructional flexibility and responsiveness are correspondingly limited and restricted. These courses of action, we contend, may occur contrary to teachers’ plans and expectations. The paper closes by making a call for further longitudinal research across multiple research sites into the nature of literature pedagogy that has a strong disciplinary focus.     

The preparation of teachers for multigrade teaching

A large proportion of teachers throughout the world teach in multigrade classrooms, or classes with more than one grade level. It is reliably predicted that the number of multigrade classes will increase in the future. This paper addresses the issue of teacher education for multigrade. The main thesis of this paper is that the professional knowledge and skills that are relevant and necessary to teaching effectively in single-grade contexts are also relevant and necessary for effective multigrade teaching. However, many of these skills need to be given a specific multigrade emphasis in the context of the preparation of teachers for multigrade teaching. This does not necessitate separate teacher education programmes for multigrade teachers. The paper makes comparisons between multigrade and single-grade teaching in terms of outcomes and teaching practices and highlights the importance of effective teacher education programmes that cater for the needs of teachers in a broad rather than a narrow sense. The content of programmes aimed at the specific preparation of multigrade teachers are examined, and a categorisation of specific areas of content that need particular emphasis in the context of teacher education for multigrade is provided.