Developing a Microteaching Studio for Student Teachers of Home Economics

St Angela's College of Education for Home Economics is an associate College of the National University of Ireland, with a small annual intake (28 students) for a four‐year B.Ed. degree.

A consequence of the College's association with NUI was the introduction of microteaching as part of the Education component of the degree. In order to meet fully the requirements of such a programme, the College undertook the development of a microteaching studio, specifically focused upon the teaching of Home Economics.

In this brief article, the authors explain the thinking and planning that went into the installation of the studio.     

Using quality enhancement processes to achieve sustainable development and support for sessional staff

Abstract

Consistent with quality enhancement, we report on how we used a continuous improvement cycle to formalise and embed an academic development and support programme for our School’s sessional staff. Key factors in establishing and maintaining the programme included: local change agents supported initially by institutional project funding; School support for key academic and administrative roles; timely access to reports and tools from nationally-funded projects and sessional staff input. Reviewing our approach against national standards highlighted ongoing actions while collaboration with academic developers is critical for advancing our understanding and reviewing our approaches in our continuously changing context.     

Staff development in a climate of economic rationalism: A profile of the academic staff developer

Abstract

This paper emerged from the findings of a study investigating the efficacy of a staff development programme, called TRAC (Teaching, Reflection and Collaboration), offered through Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. Participants in this study indicated an express need for academic staff developers to foster a range of skills when seeking to implement exemplary staff development programmes. One of the most crucial skills stipulated by participants was the ability for staff developers to offer development opportunities which effectively cater to the current hectic, competitive and outcome‐driven climate academics face. Other skills considered by participants to be pivotal for the development and implementation of exemplary staff development programmes included well‐developed human relation and interpersonal skills, facilitative skills and skills in co‐ordinating and networking.

This paper begins by ‘setting the scene’, briefly outlining the TRAC programme and the author's research experience of this programme. Subsequently, it discusses the skills required of the developer instigating such a programme. In doing this, it aims to encourage developers to reflect on the efficacy of their own skills with a view to making appropriate changes. Thus, in attempting to trigger change in developers’ practice, this paper represents a vehicle for ‘development of the developers.’     

Enhancing research through academic staff development

Abstract

In the past few years, research has been an increasingly important focus of academic staff development, but there is little documentation of this new area of development. The purpose of this paper is to describe the evolution over four years of a programme to develop research skills. The experience of planning and implementing this programme illustrates how changes in higher education and university priorities (such as amalgamations of institutions, increased pressures on staff, increased competition between institutions for funding, and universities’ growing corporatization) have interacted with staff development objectives to shape changes in the programme's purpose, format, mode of participation, and planning approach. A collaborative approach to planning is seen to be appropriate in the current climate, maximizing sensitivity to the distinctive needs of the various faculties, departments or schools. Current scholarly discussion is recognized as providing support for a move toward collaboration and context‐sensitivity.     

Breadth and the Core

Abstract

This article describes a staff development process aimed at promoting flexible approaches to ‘A’ levels and places it in the wider context of student achievement and teaching and learning styles. In addition to a number of Barnet College English Literature team INSET activities, staff and curriculum development has also involved a Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) funded collaborative project with Ravenscroft School in Barnet and involvement with the London Six Consortium for the AEB's ‘A’ level English Literature 660 Syllabus.     

Women's Liberation—A New Challenge to Counselors

Abstract

Findings from longitudinal research conducted at a private junior college for women document the claim that the benefits of the women's liberation movement extend beyond those of equalization of employment opportunities. Notably perceptible changes have occurred in the contemporary female, especially the married woman, along a number of key personality traits over the past six years. She is more achievement and politically oriented; her aspiration level today is much higher than a decade ago. She seeks change, is less deterred by failures, and is significantly more self-assertive.

Implications of these changes for a school's counseling and guidance staff are also discussed.     

Orienting Oracy: empowerment or enslavement

Abstract

article concerns the issues raised as a result of my intervention in the oral skills of a student teacher following a BA (Ed) programme at the College of Higher Education in the university sector where I teach. Communication skills are of utmost importance in the HE sector of education and are essential attributes of those about to enter the teaching profession. Moreover, it seems to be generally assumed that students starting Higher Education will already be equipped with whatever degree of communicative ability their course requires. However, it is becoming evident a large proportion of such students are unable to cope with the communicative demands made on them. Accordingly, the case study examined has taken the student's needs as a springboard for the development of innovative and appropriate strategies which should promote the extension of oral skills on an individually tailored basis. Although the individualised oracy programme was devised by myself, it arose and developed as a result of a teaching and learning relationship, with the student's observations and response playing a major role in his own intervention. The implications are that oracy is an extremely important and sensitive issue. Consequently, students classified as having difficulties with communication need to be involved in their own oracy development in order for any support to be relevant to their needs.     

Leading the horse to the water: Teacher training for all teachers in a faculty of Health Sciences

Abstract

This paper describes a project, which aimed to develop a programme for the entire teaching staff of a faculty of health sciences, who had received initial teacher training earlier in their career. The programme was developed according to sound educational principles and was supported by the faculty board. Departments also received financial compensation for participation in the workshops. During the first two years of this programme almost 60% of the tenured teachers participated in at least one workshop. Reasons for participation and non‐participation are discussed.     

Teachers and local sure start programmes — Their numbers,roles and some issues surrounding their appointment

This paper examines the numbers and roles of those teachers employed as teachers in 249 Sure Start local programmes. It looks at their roles and the numbers appointed in relation to: regions of the country; the length of time programmes have been running and the lead agency of the programme. It discusses the perceptions of respondents, through narrative discourse, and throws light on the attitudes of some staff within programmes on the concept of including teachers in integrated centres delivering children's services. This information may be useful for strategic planners and programme managers when discussing the issues surrounding the employment of teachers in Children's Centres.     

Staff Development in Problem-based Learning

It is argued here that for problem-based learning (PBL) to succeed, a sound programme of staff development is required. This paper highlights, from both the literature and from experience, that there is limited research into the process and management of PBL staff development. The current shift towards PBL within higher education suggests that staff development needs to be a key component in any PBL implementation strategy. This paper focuses on the experience of introducing PBL into Nursing and Midwifery curricula at the University of Dundee. It is argued that the staff development described played a key role in the effectiveness of the subsequent implementation of PBL. The key components of such a programme are described with evaluatory evidence to support its efficacy. Recommendations are made for those considering implementing PBL into the curriculum.     

Preparing university teachers in The Netherlands: Issues and trends

Abstract

During the last ten years universities in The Netherlands have become less dependent on national policies regarding salary structures, promotion criteria and reward systems. At the same time the government has put increased pressure on universities to take a serious look at the quality of education in general, and at the teaching qualities of the staff in particular. The effects of these policies on staff development at Dutch universities is described. The main focus is on recent initiatives by two universities, Utrecht and Maastricht, to improve the preparation of university teachers. For Utrecht a closer look is taken at the career system, in which the importance of teaching competence is upgraded; at the teacher training programme; and at the role of portfolios and assessment in the programme. The implications are discussed.     

Development of a Higher Educational Programme in China: The Hong Kong experience

The aim of this paper is to describe the authors' experiences in planning and developing construction-related postgraduate degree programmes for the China Mainland using guided distance learning as the mode of study. The Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management offered by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is presented as a case study. China has a large and expanding market for construction-related postgraduate degree programmes in the next decade because of the projected substantial economic development in the country. It is argued that factors such as cultural contexts, social settings and thresholds of affordability of local Chinese students must be carefully considered before educational programmes of any significance can be launched in the China Mainland. The paper draws upon the authors' experiences in planning and development of the postgraduate programme, to illustrate the major considerations which should be taken into account by the host academic institutions, particularly at the programme planning stage.     

Evidence and benefits of postgraduate international students-staff members partnership in extra-curricular activities: a Malaysian perspective

ABSTRACT

The student engagement concept has been revolutionised so that students play an active role alongside staff members in determining their student learning experiences. Although the development of student–staff partnerships enhances student engagement and experience, empirical research on partnerships in Malaysia is scant. This paper contributes to the growing scholarly literature on such partnerships – in particular, exploring postgraduate international students and staff members’ partnership dimensions in extra-curricular activities at a research university in Malaysia. This qualitative study interviewed 33 postgraduate international students, 10 academic staff and 12 professional staff members. Based on the findings, the student–staff partnership model is well integrated into the extra-curricular activities: international students are invited to co-design and implement adjustment programmes for newly arrived international students. This paper also explores the multi-layered benefits of partnerships for postgraduate international students and for staff members. The implications of such partnerships for the university, international students and staff members are discussed.     

Using Activity Theory to inform sessional teacher development: what lessons can be learned from tutor training models?

Abstract

Sessional teachers in universities are often marginalised by their part-time status, availability for training, and invisibility within the institution’s infrastructure. Nevertheless, tutors as a subset of this group, regularly have access to some training and development. This paper presents a methodological approach for implementing the BLASST framework for sessional staff at a New Zealand university, based on a project to benchmark support for tutors. Using Activity Theory, I discuss tensions associated with developing a training programme for tutors and how such an approach can aid the development of similar models for all sessional teachers.     

The Development of Justice Conceptions and the Unavoidability of the Normative

This article spells out the way in which normative concerns unavoidably enter into the design and interpretation of empirical research on children's development of justice conceptions, with special emphasis on Damon's well-known stage theory of such development. Normative considerations provide assumptions not only about what counts as a conception of justice in the first place but also what counts as a better or a worse conception. Damon, for one, relies on the questionable normative premise that all distributive choices are choices about justice. An alternative research programme is suggested, based on piecemeal mutual adjustments between the normative and the empirical, a programme which would focus on children's desert-based emotions.     

Enhancing classroom teaching through Interactive Radio in South African primary schools: An evaluation of the OLSET programme

Abstract

This article provides a summative evaluation of the development and implementation of the Open Learning Systems Education Trust's (OLSET's) “English in Action” programme from 1992 to the end of 2009. It describes the programme's development from a uni-modal distance education model focused on enhancing learner involvement and learner gains to a multi-modal model focused on enhancing teacher and learner involvement, teacher and learner gains, school, classroom and teacher support and in-service teacher training. It also describes the expansion of schools, teachers and learners involved in the programme over a 17 year period. Reasons for the wide-spread support of the programme by teachers, principals and educational officials in South Africa are identified, and constraints and limitations highlighted. Conclusions are then drawn on the value of the programme's model relative to the resurgence of international interest in the potential of using radio as a basis for teacher support in developing countries.     

Chapter 2.

Abstract

In 2002, the first in a series of working conferences was held as a collaboration between the counseling service of Bennington College and the Austen Riggs Center's Erikson Institute. The title of the first conference was The Escalating Use of Medications by College Students: What Are They Telling Us, What Are We Telling Them?. It was meant to provide a space to explore the meaning and context of this phenomenon. The primary contexts examined were the student's familial/ cultural context and then the institutional context from which the counseling staff was attempting to respond to the student. This paper describes that initial conference and the emergent themes over the next few years.     

Towards Internationalisation in Teacher Education: An attempt to use English as the working language in a sociology course

This paper describes an action research enquiry conducted at the State College of Education, Vienna. The author's main concern was the implementation of a Sociology course using English as the language of instruction. The paper describes the context in which the project took place, the main ideas of action research, the stages in planning, the adjustments which had to be made and the methods of evaluation. The results show many benefits for the students, the institution and the author. However, the costs of implementation also have to be taken into account. A critical reflection is given which makes it clear that institutional support is absolutely necessary for long-term success.     

Courses for and about women in development: a case study

Abstract

Short training courses are commonly conducted in European countries for international groups of Agriculture and Rural Extension trainees. Recent trends, such as linking training to development projects and the growth of in-country training resources, make it increasingly important to assess the benefits of training in terms of its subsequent uses in post rather than from the participants' immediate reactions given at the end of a course in the training institution. Evaluation, however, is usually restricted by limited funding. This paper describes a low cost method of follow up investigation of the benefits of training, and some results of using the method, for one large scale training programme. A small number of open-ended questions is used to gather data. The analysis depends on considering the actual replies for the patterns they present. Common themes among the topics raised by the respondents are identified and grouped to construct an hierarchical classification. Key words are associated with each proposed theme and the topics analysed according to the classifications which emerge form the responses themselves rather than from any pre-determined analytical model being built in to the survey. The respondents were both Trainees and their Managers. Interesting differences in perspectives were found. Trainees perceived the benefits mainly in terms of improved professional skills. Managers stressed the personal and attitudinal changes in Trainees. The evaluation proved successful in that useful data was collected at a low cost and the method of analysis yielded appropriate insights.     

School self-evaluation for development: The case for and reflections on a training programme

Abstract

This paper explores the case for schools conducting their own self-evaluation to serve the dual purpose of professional development within schools and accountability demands from external sources. The paper is in three parts. The first outlines the argument and benefits for schools conducting their own case study evaluation of their curriculum policies and practices, indicating how this approach is both similar to and different from external case study of schools. The second describes a training programme designed and implemented by the author to support schools in conducting evaluations that are valid, credible and useful. The third presents the participants' and author's reflections on the training and its outcomes and, through an example from one of the schools involved, illustrates what school self-evaluation looks like grounded in the actual experience of undertaking the process. From the evidence presented, the paper concludes that educational professionals, with appropriate support and training, are more than equal to the task of conducting credible and valid case study school self-evaluations.