No Easy Answers: the dilemmas and challenges of teacher research

ABSTRACT

Our aim in this article is to analyse the research process developed in the ANTEC project (The Application of New Technology in Science Teaching) both by the university research team that promoted the project and the groups of teachers that participated in it. We attempt to provide answers to the following questions. Can we characterise the research carried out as being action research? Or should the process rather be considered as being ‘classroom case‐studies'? And lastly, supposing that teachers really did manage to write something resembling classroom case‐studies, what relation was observed between the action research process and the process in which the classroom case‐studies were produced? In order to answer these and other questions we delve into the history of the events that probably occurred during the 3 years that the project lasted – at least, that is, from our own point of view (the authors were themselves involved in the research team in their respective capacities of project director and research collaborator).     

Promoting perseverance and challenge in physical education: the missing ingredient for improved games teaching

This paper explores critical notions about how improved understandings of students learning experiences within practical learning environments could sensitise teachers to appreciate the complex influences more that affect how levels of challenge and perseverance are constructed by students. The authors, in furthering their critique, build on the model of constructivism developed by Ollis and Sproule. This model attempted in embryonic terms to recognise the specific situational factors that most influenced the minded ways in which students identified and responded to learning challenges. In refining these ideas further the authors specifically consider how teaching games for understanding (TGfU) methodologies could be enhanced by recognising the meta-cognitions of students when constructing rich task led learning episodes. In conclusion, it is posited that comprehending the complexity of learning theory holds considerable promise for the ongoing development of physical education as a valuable and integral part of the school learning experience.     

When it comes round to marking assignments: how to impress and how to ‘distress’ lecturers …

What do lecturers look for when marking essays? What impresses them and what frustrates them? In this paper, we present the results of a survey which asked lecturers to address these questions. Thirty‐two lecturers responded to an email survey in which they listed the problems they found most frustrating when marking essays and the factors which most impressed them. This resulted in 206 comments related to sources of frustration and 139 comments listing factors which impress them. The comments were then coded into themes and ranked in order of importance by 16 lecturers from the original sample. The results highlight a range of issues that may be useful for lecturers when discussing assignments, and instructive for students when writing their assignments.