The militarisation of English schools: Troops to Teaching and the implications for Initial Teacher Education and race equality

This article considers the implications of the Troops to Teaching (TtT) programme, to be introduced in England in autumn 2013, for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and race equality. TtT will fast-track ex-armed service members to teach in schools, without necessarily the requirement of a university degree. Employing theories of white supremacy, and Althusser’s (1971) concept of Ideological and Repressive State Apparatus, I argue that this initiative both stems from, and contributes to, a system of social privilege and oppression in education. Despite appearing to be aimed at all young people, the planned TtT initiative is actually aimed at poor and racially subordinated youth. This is likely to further entrench polarisation in a system which already provides two tier educational provision: TtT will be a programme for the inner-city disadvantaged, whilst wealthier, whiter schools will mostly continue to get highly qualified teachers. Moreover, TtT contributes to a wider devaluing of current ITE; ITE itself is rendered virtually irrelevant, as it seems TtT teachers will not be subject specialists, rather will be expected to provide military-style discipline, the skills for which they will be expected to bring with them. More sinister, I argue that TtT is part of the wider militarisation of education. This military-industrial-education complex seeks to contain and police young people who are marginalised along lines of race and class, and contributes to a wider move to increase ideological support for foreign wars - both aims ultimately in the service of neoliberal objectives which will feed social inequalities.

Conversations with remarkable teachers an exploration of teaching as healing

Through analysis and interpretation of transcribed taped conversations with two remarkable University teachers, Joel Shack and Harry Whittier, an articulation of perception and metaphor that exists in effective teaching, emerges as life giving or transformational. Creative insight and interpretation connect teaching to life. This work demonstrates how insightful conversations about teaching relate to poetic essence (Joel), energy (Harry), and healing (Ray), all aspects of a similar perceptual, creative and transformative process. Teachers shape education and excellent teaching inspires insofar as it is inspirited. Effective teaching is highly conscious and intentional. So much depends on how aware the teacher is, how the teacher sees what s/he is doing and how this doing/teaching is received. The effective teacher, attentive to how this energy works, can provoke positive change in consciousness both in the student, in education and in society. My study draws attention to the healing power of the teacher as he/she teaches and to the process of dialogue as teachers talk about what they do and don't do. For inherent in conversation and dialogue is the desire to affirm whole perceptions of existence. Dialogue and conversation is necessary to creating the kind of consciousness that will aid the reflective and conscientious teacher. The effective teacher attempts to effect change, to make things better. I call this transforming process, healing. And what creates this healing is the life, the attitude and approach of the teacher. The teacher's energy and consciousness, the teacher's perception of meaning, is the active but implicit ingredient in this transformative and healing process. These conversations are creative, theoretical, illuminating and even practical. It is my hope that the contents of these conversations will inspire potential teachers who can consider the vocation of teaching as a healing process that promises to generate positive growth in mind, body and spirit.

Teaching Information Literacy with the Lerninformationssystem

A German university has developed a learning information system to improve information literacy among German students. An online tutorial based on this Lerninformationssystem has been developed. The structure of this learning information system is described, an online tutorial based on it is illustrated, and the different learning styles that it supports are indicated.

Higher education, professionalism and skills in the built environment: the impact of the new urban agenda on teaching and learning

In the mid-to-late 1990s, the New Urban Agenda initiated a rethinking of urban development strategies placing a greater focus on regeneration of central urban spaces. The skills and competencies required by urban planners and built environment professionals to successfully implement regeneration schemes tend to differ from those required for greenfield development. The working paper summarises skills and competencies required by urban regeneration practitioners and how they are delivered through public and/or private sector providers at present. The role of the newly established regional Centres of Excellence and the professional bodies of the Built Environment professions in defining skills and educational requirements and providing training are explored. An analysis of supply and demand of skills training reveals that there is a mismatch rather than a lack of provision. The report draws on a conference where research findings were presented and discussed. It concludes with suggestions for improving the skills provision at the local government as well as community level. Skills audits were found useful tools in defining training needs. A set of sample workshop programmes outline flexible, tailor-made approaches guaranteed to address specific and identified needs.

Implementing self-regulated strategy development for teaching argumentative writing : a multidimensional approach

Tese de doutoramento, Psicologia (Psicologia da Educação), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Coimbra, Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, 2015

Identity, Well-being and Effectiveness: the Emotional Contexts of Teaching

This paper draws on findings from a four‐year longitudinal research project, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), which investigated Variations in Teachers’ Work, Lives and Effectiveness (VITAE). Drawing on data gathered from 300 teachers working in 100 primary and secondary schools in England, the research identified associations between commitment and effectiveness (perceived and in terms of pupil attainment) and found that there were more, and less, effective teachers in each of six professional life phases. It found that teachers in each of these phases experienced a number of different scenarios that challenged their abilities to sustain their commitment (i.e. remain resilient). This paper discusses how these impact, positively and negatively, on teachers’ capacities for sustaining their initial commitment and associations between identity, well‐being and effectiveness. It finds that teacher identities are neither intrinsically stable nor intrinsically fragmented, but that they can be more, or less, stable and more or less fragmented at different times and in different ways according to the influence of the interaction of a number of personal, professional and situated factors. The extent to which teachers are able to and are supported in managing the scenarios they experience will determine their sense of effectiveness.

English as a lingua Franca : bridging the gap between theory and practice in english language teaching

Tese de doutoramento, Linguística (Linguística Aplicada), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras, 2015

Linking Research and Teaching: an Applied Soft Systems Methodology Case Study

This paper links research and teaching through an applied Soft Systems Methodology case study. The case study focuses on the redevelopment of a Research and Professional Skills module to provide support for international postgraduate students through the use of formative feedback with the aim of increasing academic research skills and confidence. The stages of the Soft Systems Methodology were used as a structure for the redevelopment of module content and assessment. It proved to be a valuable tool for identifying complex issues, a basis for discussion and debate from which an enhanced understanding was gained and a successful solution implemented together with a case study that could be utilised for teaching Soft Systems Methodology concepts. Changes to the module were very successful and resulted in significantly higher grades and a higher pass rate.

Teaching Toward Utopia: Promise, Provocation, and Pain in Pedagogies of Radical Imagination

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2014

Taking nanomedicine teaching into practice with atomic force microscopy and force spectroscopy

© 2015 The American Physiological Society