The Use of Emotions in Social Work Education

The role of emotions, although central to social work practice, has been relatively neglected in the process of teaching and learning social work. This article explores how social work educators can incorporate an understanding of the role of emotions in both the teaching and practice of social work. Attention is drawn toward evolutionary and developmental perspectives, emotional regulation, and the current treatment of emotions in the educational context. Further, the article explores the role of optimal emotional arousal in the learning and retention of social work curriculum and its concurrent relational implications for practice.     

Significant networks and meaningful conversations observed in the first-round applicants for the Teachers’ Academy at a research-intensive university

The University of Helsinki established a Teachers’ Academy to reward excellence in teaching. This study focuses on teachers’ significant networks and their meaningful conversations about teaching and learning before the establishment of the Teachers’ Academy. The research data consisted of answers to open-ended questions, and were examined using social network analysis. The teachers’ network consisted of significant relations with (1) colleagues and other teachers, (2) peers in pedagogical courses and pedagogical experts, (3) students, and (4) family members and friends. The conversations with different parties varied in nature, content and the level of confidentiality.     

Exploring the use of learner-focused teaching approaches in different academic disciplines

Teaching practitioners in all education sectors commonly face expectations to engage in ‘learner-focused’ teaching, although the term is defined and interpreted in a myriad of ways. In higher education, some studies have examined links between learner-focused teaching and academic disciplines. This article reports on a study which investigates the ways in which practitioners in different discipline areas conceive of, and report, different approaches to teaching. For 344 lecturers in a polytechnic in Singapore, data from the Approaches to Teaching Inventory indicated that these lecturers, as a group, reported paying more attention to teacher-focused approaches to teaching. Further, lecturers teaching a subject in a ‘hard’ discipline were more likely to report a teacher-focused approach to teaching for that subject. Conversely, those lecturers teaching a subject in a ‘soft’ discipline were more likely to report a learner-focused approach. The implications of this for staff development will be discussed.     

大学生学业情绪与学习适应关系研究

研究采用专业的测评工具对山西省两所高水平大学学生的学业情绪与学习适应及其关系进行实证研究.结果发现:大学生积极学业情绪高于消极学业情绪,结果定向情绪高于同一愉悦度下活动定向情绪;学生在学习中能够体验到较多的自主感与成就感,但羞愧、焦虑等情绪正困扰着相当部分学生.大学生学习适应的总体状态较为良好,近三成学生表现出适应状态...     

A Program of Action

Abstract

Through qualitative analyses of narratives of what students and faculty wanted in their relationships, the authors identified three themes. The Teaching/Learning Environment theme illustrated needs for nurturing, open, nonthreatening, and respectful attitudes in student-faculty relationships. Exchange of Information students reported a desire to learn and interact with each other, but not with the instructor. With regard to Mentor/Peer Association theme, students wanted to develop networks of friends to help with course work, whereas teachers wanted to find principles of effective teaching to help students learn. Applications of this data for improving student-faculty interactions and instructional processes are discussed.     

Do academic developers’ conceptions support an integrated academic practice? A comparative case study from Hong Kong and Singapore

ABSTRACT

Academic development (AD) is increasingly being oriented towards an integrated approach to academic practice (AP), given arguments for the importance of integrating research, learning, and teaching. Given the complex and evolving character of AD as a profession, it is important to understand the conceptions of AD held by academic developers, who can play a key role in supporting conditions for such integration. This comparative case study explores conceptions of AD and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) held by academic developers at two universities in Hong Kong and Singapore, and examines the extent to which these conceptions support an integrated AP. The findings show that not all conceptions recognise the importance of integration; moreover, though in both cases aspects of integration come to the fore, there are gaps that militate against a fuller understanding of integrating teaching and research. The study has implications for future AD practice and raises questions about using SoTL as a means of fostering teaching and research integration.     

大学生学业情绪发展特点实证研究——以市场营销专业为例

考察不同年级、性别与生源地大学生学业情绪发展特点之间的差异,并进行相关分析。因子分析发现,积极学业情绪与消极学业情绪均由4个维度组成。单因素方差分析表明,积极与消极学业情绪存在显著的年级差异,但不存在显著的生源地差异,并且消极学业情绪还存在显著的性别差异。