Changing teaching practice using a school improvement cycle

This paper discusses the actions, strategies and responses of teachers during their involvement with a short cycle school improvement model in four schools. The school improvement cycles are designed to build the leadership of principals to support teachers at an individual level through a web of decision making and practices. In these cycles, teachers are both more supported and more accountable for implementing changed classroom practices in order to bring about improved student outcomes. T he school improvement model follows a pattern of decision making and negotiation across and between layers of leadership within the network and the school, but for improvement to occur at the level of the student, the teacher’s pedagogical practices need to be r(e)negotiated to ensure that teaching practice meet the needs of the students.
However, evaluating teacher practice is risky business. Teachers can say, and believe, that their practices are providing the best for their students, but this is an area of uncertainty. Using a number of strategies including observation of teacher meetings, teacher interviews and video capture, the research will investigate the issue of how directives for change are translated into classroom practice. The observation of meetings of teachers will provide an indication of the type of change required and the proposed strategies. Video-capture, which is followed by teacher interviews, will provide further information about changing teaching practice.
With teacher permission, students in the research will also view the video snippets to indicate what particular pedagogy was instrumental in their learning, providing substantial feedback to the teacher on what works best for that cohort of students at that time. Teachers will be provided with the opportunity to reflect on and learn from their practice, using video-capture as a self-reflective tool. Teachers can employ video capture as a strategy to assess their management of students, their pedagogical approaches, teaching strategies and student responses and is an emerging area of research of interest to teachers and teacher educators (e.g. Seidel, Sturmer, Blomberg, Kobarg, Schwindt, 2011). The paper will provide examples of changed teacher practice through vignettes of a number of schools, teachers and classrooms and will explore the methodological reflexivity associated with this dual role of the research: to evaluate, and to support improvement.

Pedagogical practices with digital technologies : pre-service and practicing teachers

In this paper the pedagogical practices of practising teachers and pre- service teachers when using digital technologies are described and compared. Data were collected by observation of presentations about using digital technology in mathematics by teachers and pre-service teachers and practising teachers were interviewed. Teachers generally used pedagogical approaches involving student-centred activity whereas pre-service teachers were more likely to use technology to teach concepts by demonstration and were not inclined to use the more student- centred approaches, though many used guided tasks. The study enabled some analysis and reflection upon the promoted action in the learning environments of pre-service teachers.

A professional learning program based on a representation intensive pedagogical approach

A representation-intensive pedagogical approach challenges students to generate and negotiate the representations (text, graphs, models, diagrams) that constitute the discursive practices of science, rather than focusing on the text-based, definitional versions of concepts. Previous research conducted on a small scale with a few topics and teachers successfully demonstrated enhanced outcomes for students, in terms of sustained engagement with ideas, and quality learning, and for teachers’ enhanced pedagogical knowledge, and epistemological understanding. This paper explores the efficacy of embedding a representations-intensive pedagogical approach into a state-wide professional learning program that was delivered to Victorian secondary science teachers in 2010/2011. The professional learning program involved participating teachers undertaking two successive days of professional development, then completing a small classroom-based project in their schools before returning for the third day of professional development. The program was supported by online drupal website. In determining the impact of the professional learning program on the teachers’ practice data was collected in the form of program participant surveys, presentations of the teachers’ classroom-based projects, focus group interviews and phone interviews. Teachers demonstrated the applicability of this pedagogical approach by adapting it to a variety of science topics.

Empowering teachers through a professional learning program that focused on a representation intensive pedagogical approach

A representation-intensive pedagogical approach challenges students to generate and negotiate the representations (text, graphs, models, diagrams) that constitute the discursive practices of science, rather than focusing on the text-based, definitional versions of concepts. It thus represents a more active view of knowledge than traditional structural approaches. Previous research conducted on a small scale with a few topics and teachers, successfully demonstrated enhanced outcomes for students, in terms of sustained engagement with ideas, and quality learning, and for teachers enhanced pedagogical knowledge, and epistemological understanding. This paper explores the efficacy of embedding a representations-intensive pedagogical approach into a state-wide professional learning program that was delivered to secondary science teachers in Victoria, Australian, in 2010/2011. The professional learning program involved participating teachers undertaking two successive days of professional development, then completing a small classroom-based project in their schools before returning for the third day of professional development. The program was supported by on online drupal website. In determining the impact of the professional learning program on the teachers’ practice data was collected in the form of program participant surveys, presentations of the teachers’ classroom-based projects, focus group interviews and phone interviews.

Promoting accomplished science teaching through pedagogical research

In this paper we will examine Shulman’s notion of signature pedagogies for its usefulness extended to school science, to analyse a representation-intensive pedagogy that lays claim to bringing school science closer to the knowledge building practices of science itself. Two case studies of teaching and learning will be presented based on research in primary and secondary schools that involved working closely with teachers to develop and validate the pedagogy. Video images of classrooms, interviews with students and teachers, and documentation of students’ work, were used to construct insights into the teaching and learning process. It is argued that Shulman’s notion of professional practice as involving apprenticeships of knowledge, practice and identity provides a useful lens through which to view this innovation. Shulman’s characterisation of signature pedagogy is used to identify key features of the approach.

The social network virtual design studio : integrated design learning using blended learning environments

Online communications, multimedia, mobile computing and face-to-face learning create blended learning environments to which some Virtual Design Studios (VDS) have reacted to. Social Networks (SN), as instruments for communication, have provided a potentially fruitful operative base for VDS. These technologies transfer communication, leadership, democratic interaction, teamwork, social engagement and responsibility away from the design tutors to the participants. The implementation of Social Network VDS (SNVDS) moved the VDS beyond its conventional realm and enabled students to develop architectural design that is embedded into a community of learners and expertise both online and offline. Problem-based learning (PBL) becomes an iterative and reflexive process facilitating deep learning. The paper discusses details of the SNVDS, its pedagogical implications to PBL, and presents how the SNVDS is successful in enabling architectural students to collaborate and communicate design proposals that integrate a variety of skills, deep learning, knowledge and construction with a rich learning experience.

Teaching and learning history in primary schools : pedagogical shifts, complexities and opportunities

From 2011 the teaching and learning of History will be expanded into all primary schools (Kindergarten – Year 6) throughout Australia under a National Curriculum, including the formal preschool/kindergarten year. History as one of four core subjects will replace current studies of society and environment curriculum taught in primary schools across. The curriculum implementation process will involve a cultural and pedagogical shift as primary teachers make adjustments to the discipline of History. This article begins with an outline of the current curriculum context. An analysis of the New South Wales Human Society and Its Environment and the Australian Curriculum: History Draft Consultation documents follows. The findings indicate that the History Draft Consultation lacks clear guidance for teachers and has a number of shortcomings compared to the NSW HSIE syllabus. There are opportunities, however, for primary teachers because of the broad similarities of content knowledge in both documents and the embedded historical concepts in the NSW syllabus document.

Leadership and culture in Asia : the case of Malaysia

This study advances prior theoretical research by investigating the influence of cultural forces in our understanding of leadership. The research provides new insights by linking transformational and transactional leadership to the Malaysian cultural environment. Using a quantitative approach by administering the multifactor leadership questionnaire MLQ-5x-short, 138 usable responses were analysed. Findings indicate that cultural foundations contribute significantly to transformational leadership behaviours to facilitate the creation of a harmonious leader–subordinate relationship. Furthermore, this study contributes to an understanding of how specific leaders' behaviours are affected by cultural forces, and reveals leadership attributes that are contingent upon dynamic environmental conditions. The study extends beyond the obvious, and reveals subtle yet important culture-specific differences. The Malaysian managers, regardless of gender, show a preference for leading within the transformational leadership framework. This has led us to infer that cultural forces do indeed play an important role in determining leadership styles.

Creating an Indigenous Christian leadership in Papua

In eastern Papua, Christian missionaries found a social structure unparalleled in most areas of religious expansion in the world: it apparently lacked chiefs and any identifiable leadership. Nearly all the Massim societies of eastern Papua were matrilineal, and land was passed through females. Here, women enjoyed a higher status than elsewhere in what is now Papua New Guinea. By drawing on the records of missionary agents, both European and Polynesian, this paper shows how the Methodist, Anglican and Kwato (London Missionary Society) missions in eastern Papua all encountered difficulty in fostering a cadre of male leaders, but — as became evident after World War II — they experienced greater success in fostering women's leadership.

Children and university architecture students working together : a pedagogical model of children’s participation in architectural design

Increasing efforts have been made to engage children in the design of the built environment, and several participatory models have been developed. The aim of this paper is to propose a pedagogical model for children's genuine participation in architectural design, developed in an architectural education context. According to this pedagogical model, children (primary school students) and youth (university architecture students) work in teams to develop the architectural design proposals. This model was developed through a joint educational project between Deakin University and Wales Street Primary School (both institutions are based in Victoria, Australia). In the four-week duration of the project, first year architecture students worked with Grade 3 and 4 primary school children to design a school playground. The final product of the project was a 1:20 scale model of a playground, which was installed and presented at the end of the fourth week. The project received positive feedback from all the participants, including children, architecture students, university lecturers, primary school teachers and architects. In addition, it achieved a high level of children's genuine participation. This model can be refined and applied in new situations, and potentially with other primary schools working with Deakin University.

Leadership themes in higher education restructuring

Leading higher education restructuring is challenging. It involves various degrees of engagement, decision making and strategic alliances to achieve success. Factors such as the fundamental characteristics and practices of higher education, and external factors need to be taken into account. This paper presents the preliminary findings of a case study on organizational restructuring at a higher education institution in Australia. The study focuses on leadership themes appearing during the restructuring. Data for the study were derived from interviews with parties involved - leaders, academic and administrative staff. Analysis of the interviews found three main leadership themes occurring throughout the change process. This study concludes that leadership is a critical factor in organizational change in universities.