Háskóli Íslands OJS
Not a member yet
1903 research outputs found
Sort by
Framsýni og menntakerfi: Mótun menntastefnu með framtíð að leiðarljósi
No full textThe article discusses the impact of futures studies and forward-looking planning on the Icelandic education system and the formulation of long-term education policy. The point of departure is Jónasson’s (2016) categorisation of types of systemic inertia that impede change in educational systems from a futures perspective. We start with a brief overview of the development of futures studies as an academic discipline and its application to education and educational policy. A study is reported in which the long-term impacts of foresight programmes on educational organisations in Iceland were examined using Engeström’s cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). Finally, we reexamine Jónasson’s categorisation of systemic inertia in the context of the results of the study and key concepts from general systems theory.Two foresight programmes were included in the study described, the Iceland 2020 programme; implemented after Iceland’s financial crisis in 2008, and a follow-up action on the future of education, which was implemented by the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2013. The study was conducted in 2017 and 2018 to explore what longterm impacts the programmes had within Icelandic educational organisations and other organisations involved in educational policymaking, including labour organisations, employer organisations, and various public and private organisations. Participants in the study included individuals who had represented their organisations in the foresight programmes. Data were collected using an online survey and semi-structured interviews. Interview data were thematically analysed while quantitative survey data were primarily used for comparison between emergent themes. Qualitative data were further analysed using Engeström’s CHAT model of activity systems, treating participants’ organisations as primary activity systems and the foresight programmes as neighbouring activity systems. The CHAT analysis provided insights into how participants in the foresight programmes transferred and communicated information and knowledge regarding possible futures in education to their organisational environments, and how that information and knowledge was processed within the organisational activity systems. The study revealed that most foresight programme participants struggled to problematise the future within their organisational environments and that, consequently, issues relating to possible futures were rapidly side-lined by more immediate concerns. The few participants who were more successful in engaging their organisations with possible futures all had prior knowledge and experience of futures studies and foresight, which they used to problematise the future in ways relevant to the organisations’ overall objectives.In the final section of the article, we turn our attention again to Jónasson’s categories of systemic inertia in educational systems. Using fundamental concepts from general systems theory (GST) we re-examine some of the categories of systemic inertia that Jónasson (2016) describes. In particular we focus on system stability, a type of inertia in Jónasson’s categorisation. We argue that system stability is not a type of inertia, rather it is a fundamental concept in GST that describes the inherent tendency of all systems to adapt to change in order to maintain themselves. Thus, we see system stability as a feature of systems that has priority over any categories of inertia, and that categories of inertia are in fact expressions of systems’ attempts to stabilise themselves. Following this reasoningwe suggest that participants in foresight programmes who were able to problematise the future within their organisations used their knowledge and experience to present longterm thinking as an effective means of promoting system stability. Framed this way, future perspectives and long-term thinking became tools for addressing immediate and long-term concerns within the organisation, rather than having to compete with them. We suggest that more research is needed on organisational systems dynamics and how these systems react to issues and concerns that relate to long-term futures. Continuing research should focus on long-term organisational impacts of forward looking endeavours, such as foresight programmes and futures studies. When implemented, such activities need to be evaluated in the short-term, but also with follow-up studies, such as the one described here, to inform planning and implementation.Í greininni er fjallað um áhrif framtíðafræða og framsýnisáætlana á menntakerfi og mótun menntastefnu til lengri tíma. Sagt er frá rannsókn þar sem kannað var hvaða langtímaáhrif þátttaka fulltrúa aðila, sem koma að mótun menntastefnu í framsýnisáætlunum um framtíð menntunar, hefði á aðra í þeirra daglega starfsumhverfi. Rannsóknin náði til tveggja framsýnisáætlana: Ísland 2020 áætlunarinnar og eftirfylgnisaðgerð um framtíð menntunar sem Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneytið stóð fyrir árið 2013. Gögnum var safnað á árunum 2017 og 2018 með rafrænni könnun og hálfopnum viðtölum og var ætlunin að kanna hvaða breytingar höfðu átt sér stað í starfsumhverfi þátttakenda á þeim tíma sem hafði liðið frá þátttöku þeirra í framsýnisáætlununum. Gögnin voru greind út frá menningarsögulegri starfsemiskenningu Engeströms og almennri kerfiskenningu. Rannsóknin leiddi í ljós að langtímaáhrif framsýnisáætlana mótast mjög af viðhorfi þátttakenda til framtíðarinnar og þekkingu þeirra og reynslu af framtíðafræðum og framtíðamiðaðri stefnumótun. Reynslumeiri þátttakendur gátu haft meiri kerfisleg áhrif í sínu starfsumhverfi sem jók líkurnar á að horft væri til framtíðar og langtímamarkmiða í stefnumótun. Niðurstöðurnar sýna mikilvægi þess að framsýnisáætlanir séu vandlega undirbúnar með tilliti til vals á þátttakendum, miðlun upplýsinga um markmið áætlana og fræðslu um tilgang og aðferðir framtíðafræða. Ennfremur þarf að tryggja að framsýnisáætlanir séu skipulagðar með kerfislega hegðun aðila innan menntakerfisins og hvernig þau bregðast á kerfislegan hátt við breytingum og nýjum upplýsingum
Responding to obstacles to educational change: Can online professional learning communities of educators help alleviate inertia?
No full textThe complexity and uncertainty that our societies face today invites us to rethink our notions of learning, schooling, and the broader question of the purpose of education. This paper discusses Jónasson’s (2016) article “Educational change, inertia and potential futures: Why is it difficult to change the content of education?”, in which he argues that these disruptions demand changes in education, namely in its aims, and in its content. Thus, today we may need ‘new knowledge’ that perhaps resides outside of the usual disciplines. Changes will need to involve teachers as ‘the professionals that operate the System’ (2016, p. 1). The aim of this paper is to provide a discussion around two of the nine categories of inertia that are seen to stifle change, and that Jónasson highlights in his article, teacher education (TE) and lack of space and motivation for initiative. It argues that specific conditions of TE may open up venues to address these constraints and support change and challenge current teacher education approaches that reflect these inertial constraints. The paper focuses on an online professional learning community (OPLC) gathering teachers from 50 European countries on an online platform developed under the umbrella of the Council of Europe’s Pestalozzi Programme for teacher development. The data was analysed through an ensemble of tools considered well fitted to find patterns in a conversation formed by teacher-dialogues, first by observing and counting, then by qualitative inquiry (thematic analysis). The results show how the OPLC, by opening a space for educators to critically reflect on their practice with peers and facilitators, presents a model that may start addressing the two selected inertial constraints cited by Jónasson.Samfélagið stendur frammi fyrir margvíslegri flækju og óvissu sem hvetur okkur til að endurskoða hugmyndir um nám, skólagöngu og tilgang menntunar. Í greininni er fjallað um skrif Jóns Torfa Jónassonar (2016) um menntabreytingar, tregðu til breytinga og hugsanlega framtíð. Hann heldur því fram að breyta þurfi markmiðum menntunar og inntaki náms. Þess vegna leitar hann svara við því hvers vegna erfitt sé að breyta inntaki náms. Þetta sé mikilvægt að skilja vegna þess að það kunni að vera skynsamlegt að innleiða „nýja þekkingu“ sem gæti átt heima utan hinna hefðbundnu námsgreina. Hann bendir á að kennarar verði að vera með í breytingaferlinu því þeir eru fagfólkið sem sér um útfærsluna á vettvangi (2016, bls. 1). Markmiðið með greininni er að skapa umræðu um tvo af níu flokkum Jóns Torfa um tregðu til breytinga. Þeir eru annars vegar kennaramenntun og hins vegar skortur á rými og hvata til frumkvæðis. Hér er rökstutt að skapa megi sérstakar aðstæður kennaramenntunar með því að móta vettvang til að takast á við umræddar hindranir og ýta undir breytingar. Þetta er mikilvægt þar sem kröfur um fjölþætta hæfni kennara aukast hratt (Jón Torfi Jónasson, 2013). Greinin fjallar um faglegt lærdómssamfélag á netinu (OPLC – online professional learning community) á vegum Evrópuráðsins. Þar koma saman kennarar frá ólíkum löndum og mismunandi skólastigum sem virka sem sjálfstæðir fagmenn, eftir því sem kostur er, og takast á við fyrrgreindar áskoranir. Umræðan hér byggist á rannsóknargögnum úr samtalsþráðum innan netsamfélagsins sem greindu mynstur í samræðum kennara. Fyrst með því að telja ákveðin einkenni samtalsins og síðan með því að þemagreina inntakið. Skoðuð viðhorf þátttakenda um framtíðina og umræður þeirra um kjöraðstæður sem þeir töldu styðja æskilega þróun. Netsamfélög eins og þessi geta verið mikilvægur hluti af faglegu námi kennara og starfsþróun þeirra og líta má á sem vistfræðilegt námsumhverfi vegna þeirra fjölmörgu ólíku þátta sem fléttast inn í þetta umhverfi og skipta máli. Innan slíkra samfélaga á sér stað þekkingarsköpun og fagmenntun kennara mótast á löngum tíma. Samfélagið styrkir gildi og viðhorf kennara sem rista oft djúpt og styðja við lýðræðislega menningu í skólastarfi en einnig ánægju og skuldbindingu kennara sem smám saman styrkir svo sjálfsmynd þeirra sem fagfólks. Niðurstöðurnar sýna hvernig netsamfélagið opnar rými fyrir kennara til að ígrunda starf sitt á gagnrýninn hátt með jafningjum og leiðbeinendum. Þannig samfélag getur orðið fyrirmynd sem tekur mið af ofangreindum tveimur af níu atriðum sem Jón Torfi nefnir um tregðu til breytinga. Þetta krefst ákveðinnar stefnubreytingar í starfsaðstæðum kennara sem felst í að gefa þeim tíma til að ígrunda starf sitt í samfélagi starfssystkina. Netsamfélagið gerir ráð fyrir samskiptum sem teygja sig yfir langan tíma, í anda starfsþróunar tengda starfi. Þátttakendur þessa netsamfélags byggðu upp þrautseigju með stuðningi jafningja og í öruggu rými. Þeir gátu talað opinskátt og tókst að halda við eigin seiglu, sem reynist gagnleg til að takast á við þá tregðu til breytinga, sem iðulega finnst. Kennarar hafa meiri áhrif í slíku samtali ef spurningar þeirra eru sýnilegar, þar á meðal þær sem lúta að gildum þeirra og tilfinningum. Jafnframt eiga kennarar í ólíkum námsgreinum samstarf í netsamfélaginu um þverfagleg málefni og byggja með þeim hætti brýr á milli faggreina og skólastiga. Þar er rætt efni sem birtist í stefnum, rannsóknum og af vettvangi. Þátttakendur í samfélaginu kynnast hugmyndum um ný verkefni í skólastarfi og því sem vitað er um breytingastarf sem aftur fléttast saman við þeirra eigið þróunarstarf. Breyting á verkefnum og þekkingu á breytingaferli er þannig miðlað á milli þátttakenda og er samtímis í stöðugri mótun og gefur fyrir bragðið betri og dýpri umfjöllun og yfirsýn á flókin málefni. Kennarar úr ólíkum áttum öðlast trú á sameiginlegt umboð sitt til að koma á félagslegum umbreytingum. Þannig styrkja lærdómssamfélög á netinu þrautseigju kennara og gera þá að frumkvöðlum breytinga með því að ræða um störf sín og komast að sameiginlegri niðurstöðu þvert á ríkjandi hefðir og kerfislegar mótsagnir. Þeir fá stuðning og hugmyndir til að skapa sitt eigið rými og stilla saman starfshætti sína og gildi. Frá sjónarhóli stefnumótunaraðila veita fagleg netsamfélög eins og þessi aðgang að mikilvægum „lifandi“ gögnum sem gefa dýrmæta innsýn í það sem er að gerast í kennslustofunni, í hugum kennara og hjá nemendum. Þetta getur verið góður efniviður fyrir rannsóknir og til stefnumótunar því þarna eru raddir fagfólksins á vettvangi. Efniviður sem speglar því mikilvægan raunveruleika, m.a. fyrir stefnumótun. Þannig rökstyður höfundur að hægt sé að koma til móts við áhyggjur Jóns Torfa af tregðu til breytinga. Lærdómssamfélög á netinu verða sífellt algengari og hluti af rannsóknarflórunni, stefnumótun og starfi vettvangs. Netsamfélög leysa ekki allan vanda en eru þess virði að rækta. Hér er a.m.k. eitt svar við spurningunni um hvernig virk þátttaka í lærdómssamfélögum á netinu getur unnið gegn hindrunum og veitt kennurum þá hvatningu sem þeir þurfa til að takast á við flókin vandamál og vinna gegn tregðu til breytinga
„Þetta getur opnað dyr“: Reynsla háskólakennara sem rannsakenda eigin kennslu.
No full textIn recent decades, universities have had to adapt to various policy changes and new demands. These demands have been explained by referring to changes in society, globalization, new technology and easier access to higher education studies, resulting in a much more diverse student population. One of these new demands has been to focus more on the quality of teaching, and teaching development within higher education institutions.The research reported and discussed in this article was carried out with university teachers who participated in a higher education diploma programme, organised by the Centre of Teaching and Learning during the years 2014–2016. Data was collected through focus group interviews with two groups, one consisting of five participants who had finished their diploma, and the other a group of five participants, still studying in the module at the time when the interview took place.A diploma in higher education pedagogy is a 30 ECTS line of study, located within the School of Education, at the University of Iceland. The diploma consists of three 10 ECTS modules and is organized for higher education academics. In the final module, participants design and carry out pedagogical research within their own disciplinary field. Based on the ideology of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), the aim of the module is to enhance disciplinary pedagogical research and scholarly practices within higher education teaching.The findings of the research revealed that the participants in the SoTl module experienced both empowerment as teachers in their disciplinary field, and various challenges when entering what they described as a completely new disciplinary landscape. Thus, our interviewees felt empowered, not only in their role as teachers, but also as leaders, both in traditional administrative roles, as well as when taking on a leading role as educational developers within their discipline. On the other hand, the challenges of entering this foreign landscape were of various kinds; mostly they had to do with methodological and ethical issues, but in addition, the interviewees were concerned about their limited theoretical knowledge in the field, and expressed their worries about not being able to provide a solid theoretical background for their SoTL research. Thus, even though all the participants were experienced researchers within their disciplinary fields, educational research was to them both a theoretical and a methodological challenge.From educational researchers’ point of view, the invasion of SoTL newcomers into their disciplinary field is also problematic. Educational experts may doubt both the integrity and the scholarship of these newcomers within the educational field of research. They ask questions, such as whether SoTL research should be welcomed as an important contribution to enhance the quality of learning and teaching in higher education, even bringing different disciplinary expertise and disciplinary lenses to the field of education; or, conversely, whether the invasion of SoTL research should be seen as a threat to the integrity of those doing “real” educational research.The research sheds an important light on the value of SoTL for university teachers through which they become researchers of their own teaching. The findings show that organised pedagogical diploma programmes for university teachers, within which they study their own teaching, can serve as forces of change, not only empowering the individuals participating, but also enhancing curriculum and teaching development within schools and faculties. Therefore, it is of vital importance that administrators and policy-makers provide teachers with opportunities and support for such research, as well as using the results systematically for educational development within their institutions.Í greininni verður fjallað um rannsókn sem höfundar unnu meðal háskólakennara sem stunduðu diplómunám í háskólakennslufræðum á vegum Menntavísindasviðs og Kennslumiðstöðvar HÍ á árunum 2014–2016. Markmið diplómunámsins er meðal annars að efla kennslufræðilegar rannsóknir og fræðilega nálgun í háskólakennslu og byggir námið á hugmyndum um fræðimennsku náms og kennslu (e. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – SoTL). Í náminu glíma þátttakendur við að gera rannsóknir á sviði kennslufræða sem flestum er nýlunda. Tekin voru rýnihópaviðtöl við tvo hópa háskólakennara sem voru eða höfðu verið þátttakendur í háskólakennslufræði og reynsla þeirra af að vera rannsakendur eigin kennslustarfs könnuð. Helstu niðurstöður voru þær að þótt þátttakendurnir væru öll reyndir rannsakendur á sínum fræðasviðum fylgdu því þekkingarfræðilegar, aðferðafræðilegar og siðferðilegar áskoranir að fóta sig innan menntunarfræðanna. Í greininni verður gerð grein fyrir reynslu þátttakenda af náminu og þeim áskorunum sem þau glímdu við í rannsóknum sínum. Jafnframt verða niðurstöður ræddar í ljósi breyttra hugmynda og viðhorfa til formlegrar kennsluhæfni þeirra sem sinna kennslu á háskólastigi
„Sem allra mest af þokkafullum ilmi“ Ljóðið Íþaka eftir Konstantinos P. Kavafis lesið sem hugleiðing um menntamál
No full textDuring his lifetime Constantine P. Cavafy (???????????? ?. ???????) published 154 poems. This corpus forms an integrated whole. Thoughts that are expressed succinctly in one poem are elaborated in another. Many of these thoughts touch on questions about education: Can we humans attain elevation and wisdom, or will the world inevitably make fools of us?In this paper, one of the better-known of Cavafy’s poems, “Ithaca” from 1911, is read and interpreted in light of other works from his corpus. In this work, Cavafy contemplates education as a lifelong journey where the experience along the way counts for more than the destination. The experience illustrated in the poem transforms the senses and the body – it amends and enhances not only what one can do, but what one is.The poem is also connected to the life of Cavafy, who was an outsider in several ways. He was a homosexual, a cosmopolitan in the multicultural society of Alexandria that was coming to an end, and a pioneer of modernist poetry writing in Greek at the edge of the Greek speaking world in the beginning of last century.After presenting an interpretation of the poem, the paper raises questions about the course of education outlined by Cavafy and the relevance of his philosophy of education.Þau 154 ljóð sem Konstantinos P. Kavafis (???????????? ?. ???????) sendi frá sér um ævina mynda heild. Þau gefa hvert öðru merkingu. Hugsanir sem eru orðaðar stuttlega í einu ljóði eru skýrðar nánar í öðrum. Stór hluti þessara hugsana varðar kosti fólks á að menntast – hvort við getum öðlast visku eða hvort veröldin hafi okkur ævinlega að fíflum.Í greininni er eitt af þekktustu verkum Kavafis, ljóðið „Íþaka“ frá árinu 1911, skoðað í ljósi annarra ljóða hans og skýrt hvernig skáldið líkir menntun við ævilangt ferðalag þar sem reynslan á leiðinni skiptir meira máli en áfangastaðurinn. Þessi reynsla, sem lýst er í ljóðinu, mótar skynjunina, setur mark á líkamann og breytir því hver maður er en ekki aðeins því hvað maður getur.Ljóðið er einnig tengt lífi Kavafis sem var framandlegur samtíð sinni á fleiri vegu en einn og fleiri en tvo. Hann var allt í senn samkynhneigður, heimsborgari í fjölmenningarsamfélagi sem var að líða undir lok og frumkvöðull í módernískri ljóðagerð sem orti á grísku en tilheyrði jaðri hins grískumælandi heims.Í framhaldi af skoðun á ljóðinu og tengslum þess við verk og líf skáldsins er spurt um menntunina sem þar er lýst og hvaða máli hún skipti fyrir okkur
Af innleiðingu SMT-skólafærni í einu sveitarfélagi: Áskoranir en vel unnið verk
No full textTo meet the needs of all students it is important that schools implement effective and strategic methods for creating a positive school environment. Training school staff in using evidence-based methods to promote the well-being of all students is vital. One such method, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), has been used in Iceland for over 20 years, with earlier studies documenting its benefits and effectiveness. The aim of this study was to review the status of PBIS implementation in one municipality in Iceland and to examine whether and how the program has been sustained since its initial implementation two decades ago. Notably, PBIS was implemented in this municipality following rigorous implementation of Parent Management TrainingOregon Model (PMTO), an evidence-based intervention for parents and caregivers to support their children’s adjustment. As such, support services for schools on one hand, and families on the other, were carefully aligned in this community. In the current study, PBIS staff training, coaching, and quality control, as well as the adequacy of project support and resources, were investigated using qualitative research methods. Participants, who included five school administrators selected based on their vast experience using purposive sampling methods, shared their views via semi-structured interviews. All participants had substantial PBIS experience as part of their work in one or more schools within the municipality. Interviews were conducted via an online meeting platform (Microsoft Teams) and data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis approach. Four themes were identified and labeled as follows: 1) Strategic practices skillfully guided by steering group; 2) Efforts to sustain school staff knowledge lack municipal support; 3) Quality evaluations and assessment, and then what?; and 4) Diminished support despite hopes and future aspirations. Results revealed that all schools have successfully continued PBIS implementation since its initiation. School staff has gained significant knowledge regarding PBIS and they view it as a good option for meeting all students’ needs. Nonetheless, the present findings also reflect a “cry for help”, in that participants indicated that program support and maintenance, as well as a future vision for PBIS in the municipality are inadequate. Coaching, training, and guidance for staff, administrators, and teams is entirely led and organized by each school. Based on participant responses, the municipality’s only involvement includes organizing the assessment of PBIS implementation fidelity using the SET tool; however, followup regarding assessment data seems to be lacking. The current results underscore the challenge faced by the municipality in preserving PBIS knowledge gained by the school community, and in future development of the program. Should the school community be interested in responding to the findings of this study, several practical suggestions, based on best practices, are made. These include: a) reinstating a centralized PBIS steering group, with staff members from the schools as well as the municipality to allow for greater implementation oversight; b) increasing PBIS funding (e.g., for materials and salaries); c) guaranteeing continuing professional development and training for new school staff regarding PBIS; d) offering rigorous consultation and supervision within each school (e.g., for classroom management) as well as ensuring parents are involved and informed regularly; e) enhancing quality and fidelity assessment practices, using valid and reliable evaluation tools, with consistent follow-up; f) strengthening collaborative efforts, for example by partnering with researchers both nationally and internationally regarding training, as well as the involvement of the larger school community; g) allowing for greater dissemination of PBIS outcomes, both within and outside the municipality, especially within each school and to parents, using various means (e.g., online, in meetings with parents and staff, etc.); h) increasing PBIS visibility to maintain positivity and interest within the community. The schools are commended for their efforts to sustain PBIS despite the many challenges they faceMikilvægt er að skólar búi yfir árangursríkum og skipulögðum aðferðum til þess að mæta þörfum allra nemenda og móta jákvætt andrúmsloft í skólasamfélaginu. Starfsfólk þarf meðal annars að hafa yfir að ráða áhrifaríkum leiðum til að efla jákvæða hegðun nemenda og koma í veg fyrir óæskilega hegðun. SMT-skólafærni er dæmi um slíka heildræna og þrepaskipta aðferð en hún hefur verið notuð hérlendis í yfir 20 ár. Markmið þessarar rannsóknar var að skoða stöðu innleiðingar SMT-skólafærni í einu sveitarfélagi og hvernig henni er viðhaldið 20 árum síðar. Kannað var hvernig þjálfun og fræðslu starfsfólks er háttað, hvernig gæðaeftirlit fer fram og hvort nægar bjargir og stuðningur við verkefnið séu fyrir hendi. Viðtöl voru tekin við fimm skólastjórnendur sem allir hafa mikla reynslu af SMT-skólafærni vegna starfa sinna við grunnskóla sveitarfélagsins. Þemagreiningu Braun og Clarke (2013) var beitt við úrvinnslu gagna. Niðurstöður sýndu að grunnskólarnir hafa haldið vel utan um SMT-skólafærni í kjölfar innleiðingar, að mati þátttakenda. Mikil þekking hafi skapast innan skólanna og almennt er litið á SMT-skólafærni sem ákjósanlegan kost til þess að mæta þörfum allra nemenda. Niðurstöður eru hins vegar einnig ákall á aðstoð því skólastjórnendur töldu að stuðningi við aðferð, viðhaldi og framtíðarsýn SMT-skólafærni væri ábótavant í sveitarfélaginu. Þjálfun, fræðsla og handleiðsla starfsfólks og stjórnenda væri nánast alfarið að frumkvæði starfsfólks innan skólanna. Eina aðkoma sveitarfélagsins að SMT-skólafærni væri við fyrirlögn matstækisins School Evaluation Tool (SET), sem metur hversu nákvæmlega starfsfólk framfylgir leiðbeiningum um aðferðina, eða tryggð skólanna við aðferðina. Einnig kom í ljós að eftirfylgni vegna mats á tryggð við aðferð virðist skorta. Niðurstöður eru áskorun fyrir sveitarfélagið um að varðveita þekkingu á SMT-skólafærni innan skólanna og þróa starfið enn freka
Dropinn holar steininn. Upplifun stjórnmála- og fjölmiðlafólks af óvæginni umræðu og áreitni á netinu
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to explore the views and experiences of politicians and journalists in Iceland regarding harsh discourse and harassment online. This type of discourse and harassment is prevalent in contemporary society and seen by many as an increasingly serious problem in the ever-changing landscape of media and politics, which involves changes in people’s interactions, for example on social media. The study sheds a light on the possible impact of such discourse and harassment, not only as regards the lives and work of politicians and journalists, but also on democracy itself. A qualitative study was conducted where individuals from both professions were interviewed, all of whom are prominent figures in Iceland. The interviews were thematically analyzed and methods of grounded theory used for drawing conclusions, which were then contextualized with relevant theories and research into social media and online harassment. The results revealed three main themes: social media as a double-edged sword, normalization of online harassment, and finally, the experiences, effects and consequences of such harassment. The interviewees’ perceptions of social media included both positive and negative attributes. Furthermore, their views and discussion were characterized by the normalization of online harassment, where it was not seen as a serious problem and instead considered a natural consequence of being a public figure. In regards to the experiences, effects and consequences of such harassment, clear signs of gender differences were found, both in its frequency, nature and severity. The impact of online harassment seemed to be more substantial among the participants than first appeared and the participants’ views on the subject became increasingly more serious as the interviews progressed.Markmið rannsóknarinnar er að kanna upplifun og viðhorf stjórnmála- og fjölmiðlafólks hérlendis af óvæginni umræðu og áreitni á netinu. Slík umræða og áreitni hefur verið áberandi að undanförnu og er af mörgum álitin vaxandi vandamál í ört breytilegu fjölmiðla- og stjórnmálaumhverfi, sem einkennist af breyttum samskiptaháttum fólks, meðal annars á samfélagsmiðlum. Rannsóknin varpar ljósi á þau áhrif sem óvægin umræða og áreitni getur haft í för með sér á fjölmiðla- og stjórnmálafólk, bæði á líf þeirra og störf, en ekki síður á lýðræðið. Framkvæmd var eigindleg rannsókn þar sem tekin voru viðtöl við einstaklinga úr hópi fjölmiðla- og stjórnmálafólks, en um var að ræða áberandi persónur í þjóðfélaginu. Viðtölin voru þemagreind og notast var við verklag grundaðrar kenningar til að draga fram helstu niðurstöður. Þær voru síðan settar í sam hengi við fræðilega umfjöllun og rannsóknir um samfélagsmiðla og netáreitni. Niðurstöðurnar fólu í sér þrjú meginþemu og voru þau eftirfarandi: samfélagsmiðlar sem tvíeggja sverð, normalísering á netáreitni og loks upplifun, áhrif og afleiðingar slíkrar áreitni. Hugmyndir viðmælenda um samfélagsmiðla fólu meðal annars í sér að þeir væru búnir bæði jákvæðum og neikvæðum eigin leikum. Þá einkenndist orðræðan að miklu leyti af því að normalísera netáreitni, reynt var að draga úr áhrifum hennar og hún að nokkru leyti álitin eðlilegur fylgifiskur þess að vera opinber persóna. Hvað upplifun, áhrif og afleiðingar varðaði sást meðal annars skýr kynjamunur á persónulegri upplifun viðmælenda af netáreitni, bæði hvað algengi hennar, eðlismun og alvarleika varðaði. Eins mátti greinilega merkja meiri áhrif netáreitni meðal viðmælenda en talið var í fyrstu og alvarleiki hennar ágerðist eftir því sem leið á viðtölin
Læðan
No full textGangurinn var nákvæmlega þrír metrar á lengd; hann virtist lengri vegna gulgrænna og köflóttra veggjanna. Innst á ganginum lá læðan með kettlinga á spena.Gangurinn var nákvæmlega þrír metrar á lengd; hann virtist lengri vegna gulgrænna og köflóttra veggjanna. Innst á ganginum lá læðan með kettlinga á spena
Myndbandasamkeppnin Siljan: Lærdómur af lestrarhvetjandi verkefni
No full textThe video competition Siljan is a creative literacy project developed for 5th–10th grade students by the Centre for Children´s Literature at the University of Akureyri. The project involves students creating a video about a recent book for children or adolescents. The objective is to increase interest in reading among students, promote peer support and focus the attention of school communities on books for children and adolescents. The project was initiated in response to the findings of empirical research on literacy among compulsory school students. Research had shown both declining interest in reading and worse performance in tests of reading skills and comprehension. These findings also revealed a substantial gender difference as girls were generally found to be more interested in reading, to have more positive attitudes towards reading and to perform better on standardised tests of reading and comprehension, while boys were more likely to avoid reading. These findings generated substantial concern among educational experts, policy makers and the general public and resulted in various projects to enhance reading skills and literacy. The Siljan project was built around the notion that increasing interest in reading and supporting better reading habits was crucial to enhancing reading comprehension. The video competition was thus developed as a tool to harness the interests and creativity of children and adolescents in projects where they actively engaged with recent children\u27s literature. The competition also generated data that could be used to enhance the reading culture of children and adolescents. The six waves of the competition have generated a database of 230 videos by almost 800 students. In this paper, the Siljan database is used to analyse the students behind the videos with an emphasis on gender and age. Prior research on reading habits among compulsory school students would suggest that girls and younger students would be more likely to participate in such literacy projects. The results confirm these expectations but with a greater slant against older students than expected. Although boys were generally less likely to participate, the incorporation of the competition into teaching resulted in stronger involvement. This underlines the importance of teachers in creating a supportive atmosphere towards reading. The experiences gained from the Siljan project demonstrate the importance of letting children choose and interpret literature as a strategy to support literacy and the teaching of literature. The participants used music, scene cuts, costumes and other strategies to elicit audience response and demonstrated an understanding of literary concepts and abilities to read between the lines that have frequently proven elusive objectives in the classroom. The collection of videos can be seen as a testament to the creative power, ingenuity and technical proficiency among children and a reminder of the importance of reading motivation. The lower rates of participation in Siljan among boys reflect their lower levels of interest in reading and less participation in school work. The videos produced by boys and girls that did participate, however, indicated equivalent levels of immersion, creativity and conceptual richness, suggesting that creative collaborative projects are equally suitable for both boys and girls. Interestingly, the books chosen by students tend to be more akin to best-seller lists where a handful of authors dominate, rather than the children\u27s literature manifested in statistics on school library lending. Book series are prevalent on both best-seller lists and library lending lists, revealing a level of loyalty towards the book characters. The most popular books on both lists tend to be male dominated, especially on the school library list. It is worth mulling over these findings in the context of a pervasive public discourse attributing worse school performance among boys to the feminine slant of schools and classrooms dominated by female teachers and administrators. In this case, the masculine gender bias of children\u27s literature does not seem to generate greater or even equal interest in reading among boys compared to girls.Myndbandasamkeppnin Siljan er skapandi lestrarverkefni fyrir nemendur í 5.–10. bekk, en það er Barnabókasetur sem stendur fyrir keppninni. Nemendur velja nýlega barnaeða ungmennabók og hafa frjálsar hendur við að skapa myndband um hana. Markmiðið er að efla lestraráhuga grunnskólanemenda, stuðla að jafningjahvatningu og beina sjónum skólasamfélagsins að barna- og ungmennabókum. Barnabókasetur nýtir keppnina jafnframt til að safna gögnum sem nýst geta til að bæta lestrarmenningu barna og unglinga. Siljan hefur verið haldin sex sinnum og í gagnasafninu eru 230 myndbönd eftir nærri 800 nemendur. Hér verður gagnasafn Siljunnar krufið, hópurinn að baki myndböndunum verður greindur og litið sérstaklega á framlag stúlkna og drengja sem og miðstigsnemenda og unglinga. Þekking á lestrarvenjum grunnskólanemenda gefur tilefni til að ætla að stúlkur taki frekar þátt í lestrartengdu verkefni en drengir og yngri nemendur frekar en eldri. Hvort tveggja fékkst staðfest en þó hallar enn meira á unglingana en búast hefði mátt við. Þótt almennt halli á drengi mæta þeir sterkir til leiks þar sem kennarar tóku keppnina inn í kennsluna, sem sýnir hversu mikilvægur þáttur kennarans er í að skapa stemningu fyrir lestri. Fjallað verður um bækurnar sem nemendur völdu í samanburði við metsölulista og útlánatölur skólasafnanna, hvað einkennir vinsælustu bækurnar og hvað einkennir myndböndin en slíkar upplýsingar um hvernig börn velja og túlka bókmenntir koma að gagni við eflingu læsis og bókmenntakennslu. Myndbandasafnið ber vott um sköpunarkraft, hugvitssemi og tæknifærni barna og minnir á mikilvægi þess að vinna með áhugahvöt í tengslum við læsi
Menntaumbætur og afdrif þeirra : Fyrstu tíu ár heildstæðrar þjónustu og reksturs grunnskóla hjá Reykjavíkurborg 1996–2005
No full textPolicy-making and reform initiatives by public authorities, the state or municipalities to improve education are links in the development of schools and educational systems worldwide. However, comprehensive contemporary reports on the implementation of educational policy issues and analyses of their fate or impact are rare.In this paper, the focus is on policy-making and initiatives for improvement in the municipality of Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, at a current milestone in the country´s history of education. In 1995 a new law regulating compulsory education (from age 6 to 15) was confirmed, including a switch of responsibility for the operation of schools from the state to the municipalities – in the spirit of decentralization.The aim of this paper is; (a) to portray educational improvement projects within the compulsory system in Reykjavík, undertaken by the city during the first 10 years after the transfer, 1996–2005, including policy-making, policy preparation, and implementation as well as coherence within activities and among participants; and (b) to shed light on the fate of the improvement initiatives at the school sites, based on available research results and other information. Under investigation are five main areas of emphasis in the city’s 10-year scenario for the schools: individualized and cooperative learning, inclusion, support of student self-image and social skills, school–community relations, and finally, school autonomy and equality in their operational context. Many ideas about educational change, especially as regards teaching and learning, are indeed rooted in century-old theories – for example, Dewey’s and Key’s – as well as in traditional Icelandic educational concerns (Dewey, 1916/1966; Key, 1902/1911; Loftur Guttormsson, 2008a, 2008b). Ideas and expectations concerning policy-making were collected every year, at meetings either with teachers and other staff in the 40 schools in the city or with representatives from different groups, including parents. School heads were involved at all stages. Professional and leadership development was part of each main emphasis. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed as a basis for policy-making.Descriptions of the scope and organization of the field and the coverage of the reform initiatives are based on contemporary documents backed by references to the literature and international dialogue on education. As a benchmark for the evaluation of these initiatives, seven guidelines are presented that scholars have identified as characterizing successful educational improvements as summarized by Anna Kristín Sigurðardóttir (2019). These include a focus on teaching and learning; targeted actions based on reliable data; coherence and collaboration among leaders and practitioners characterizing all efforts; a focus on professional learning and leadership at all levels; policy, practice and professional learning informed by evidence; parents as active collaborators; and finally, a clear equity stance taken in policy and practice at all levels.Research results, from the years following the period under investigation, indicate that improvements focusing on the external context of teaching and student learning, such as single-shift schools, changes in the design of school buildings and canteens in every school, have sustained the decisions taken. This also applies to school independence, including student-focused financing, human resource consulting and an increased number of professionals in the schools such as school counsellors, middle managers, and paraprofessionals. Research results revealing the teachers’ call for professional leadership, however, point to less progress than expected. The realization of individualized and cooperative learning and inclusion seemed to be by precept rather than occurring in practice. Despite widespread cooperation and comprehensive support through professional development and consulting, anticipated teaching approaches have not taken root in daily school practices, although the concepts of individualized learning and inclusion are widespread in educational discussion in Iceland. These results support theories on the repetition of initiatives for change and general conservatism in the system (Jón Torfi Jónasson, 2016; Tyack and Cuban, 1995). School–community relations also seemed to be weakly organized. Student self-image and related issues are still in focus in educational policy-making and repeatedly studied, but it is difficult to evaluate their development. The educational policy and improvement initiatives undertaken in the period of discussion in the city of Reykjavík, seem, indeed, to be to some extent characterized by the above-mentioned guidelines which, as scholars have presumed, distinguish successful educational improvements. They include policy and targeted actions informed by evidence, a focus on teaching and learning strategies, professional leadership, equity in the external context of the schools, cooperation between school leaders and district administration, a focus on professional development, parental involvement and coherence among focal issues. However, the results revealed the difficulties in interrelating practitioners at the school sites and the school district administration and there is no evidence available on how the policy was interpreted within the schools.It is to be hoped that this study of a past period will help us to understand more explicitly the process of educational policy-making and implementation today, and how educational policy may evolve in future.Stefnumörkun og umbótaverkefni á vegum opinberra aðila til að efla og bæta skólastarf eru hluti af þróun skóla og skólakerfa um allan heim. Ítarlegar samtímalýsingar á innleiðingu slíkra verkefna liggja aftur á móti ekki alltaf á lausu og lítið er um greiningar eða mat á afdrifum þeirra eða áhrifum.Í þessu riti er sjónum beint að menntaumbótum hjá Reykjavíkurborg og afdrifum þeirra í kjölfar tímamóta í sögu grunnskóla hér á landi þegar þjónusta við þá og rekstur fluttist frá ríki til sveitarfélaga samkvæmt grunnskólalögum frá árinu 1995. Markmiðið er að a) draga upp mynd af umbótamiðuðum aðgerðum sem ráðist var í fyrstu tíu ár heildstæðrar þjónustu og reksturs grunnskóla hjá Reykjavíkurborg árin 1996–2005, með áherslu á stefnumótun, undirbyggingu einstakra stefnumiða og innleiðingu þeirra, en jafnframt innbyrðis samvirkni; b) varpa ljósi á afdrif aðgerðanna á vettvangi skólanna með hliðsjón af niðurstöðum rannsókna og öðrum upplýsingum frá síðustu tveimur áratugum.Til skoðunar voru umbætur á sviði fimm megináhersluþátta í framtíðarsýn borgarinnar en þeir voru: Einstaklingsmiðað nám og samvinna nemenda, skóli án aðgreiningar, sterk sjálfsmynd nemenda og félagsfærni, náin tengsl skóla og grenndarsamfélags, þar með talið foreldrasamstarf, og loks sjálfstæði skóla og jafnræði í umgjörð þeirra, meðal annars skólastjórnun og uppbygging og skipulag skólahúsnæðis. Stuðst er við heimildir frá þessum tíma, og vísað eftir atvikum í fræðilegt og sögulegt samhengi og alþjóðlega umræðu. Þá eru afdrif aðgerðanna skoðuð í ljósi þátta sem fræðimenn hafa talið stuðla að farsælli framkvæmd menntaumbóta yfirvalda.Niðurstöður benda til að áherslur í stefnunni sem snertu ytri umgjörð skólastarfs séu enn við lýði, svo sem einsetnir grunnskólar, breytt hönnun húsnæðis og nemendamötuneyti. Sama á við um sjálfstæði skóla þar sem áhersla var á nemendamiðaðar rammafjárveitingar, mannauðsráðgjöf og fjölgun starfsstétta í skólunum, svo sem námsráðgjafa, skólaliða og millistjórnenda. Kall grunnskólakennara eftir faglegri forystu skólastjórnenda bendir til að áhersla á leiðtogahlutverk stjórnenda hafi ekki náð fullri fótfestu. Aftur á móti voru áhrifin af stefnu um nám og kennslu undir merkjum einstaklingsmiðaðs náms, þar með talinn skóli án aðgreiningar, meiri í orði en á borði. Þrátt fyrir áherslu á víðtækt samstarf og margvíslegan stuðning með símenntun og ráðgjöf náði hún ekki að festa rætur í daglegu skólastarfi þótt hugtakið lifi góðu lífi í opinberri umræðu. Niðurstöður á þessu sviði studdu kenningar um sífellda endurtekningu eldri hugmynda og íhaldssemi í kerfinu. Tengsl skóla og nærsamfélags sýndust laus í reipunum. Sjálfsmynd nemenda og þættir tengdir henni eru enn í brennidepli og stöðugt kannaðir, en erfitt er að meta þróun í þeim efnum. Á heildina litið virðist sú stefnumörkun og umbótaaðgerðir sem ráðist var í á tímabilinu sem hér er til skoðunar engu að síður hafa einkennst af flestum þáttum sem fræðimenn hafa talið farsæla: Áhersla var á nám og kennslu, faglega forystu skólastjórnenda, jöfnuð í umgjörð skólastarfs, víðtækt samstarf, samvirkni áhersluþátta og nýtingu hlutlægra upplýsinga og rannsókna
PERMA-spurningalistinn fyrir vinnustaði: Velfarnaður grunnskólakennara
No full textTeaching can be stressful, and great demands are placed on teachers. In Iceland, as in many other countries, there is a teacher shortage. A report from the VIRK vocational rehabilitation center in Iceland points out that teachers are among the largest groups of workers requiring their services. Stress, high demands, and mental strain in this profession frequently lead to teacher burnout, with negative consequences at individual and societal levels. Therefore, it is critical to maintain and increase the wellbeing of teachers in Iceland and to promote positive work experiences for the country’s compulsory school teachers. A quantitative study was conducted to measure teachers’ wellbeing at work, based on the PERMA model, which falls within positive psychology, a field geared towards identifying what makes life worth living.The aim of the present study was twofold. First, to translate the workplace PERMAprofiler from English into Icelandic and to test the scale’s reliability and validity, and secondly, to use the scale to measure the wellbeing of Iceland’s compulsory school teachers.The measuring instrument is based on Seligman’s PERMA theory of wellbeing, which was developed to combine hedonic and eudaimonic approaches to wellbeing. Wellbeing is viewed in terms of five factors: positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishment. The workplace PERMA-profiler includes an overall measure of wellbeing based on the five factors, questions about negative emotions and loneliness, and a question about overall work satisfaction. To measure the profiler’s validity, a question about overall happiness in life was added to the questionnaire. The workplace PERMA-profiler was translated into Icelandic and pre-tested before it was used to collect data from members of the Icelandic Teachers’ Union (N = 4847; response rate 42%). The reliability of the results was acceptable to good in the range of 0.70–0.86 for individual factors and 0.89 for the overall wellbeing scale. The correlations between the PERMA factors and the question measuring general job satisfaction were higher than between those factors and the question measuring overall happiness. This indicates that the instrument provides valid results and measures wellbeing at work rather than wellbeing in general. The average of the wellbeing factors was over 6.5 out of 10, except for those factors that address a negative experience. The factor of meaning had the highest average of the wellbeing factors (M = 8.4), and in addition, the highest proportion of teachers gave that factor a high score (8 or higher), while the lowest proportion awarded the factor of accomplishment a high grade. Generally, wellbeing was higher among those over 60 years of age than among those aged 40 or younger. It was also higher among women than men. The lower wellbeing scores of the youngest group of teachers are a cause for concern both among individuals and in society at large. We all want teachers to feel good about their profession, and we recognize the importance of keeping them in the profession of working with children, using their experience and further developing their expertise as highly educated and trained professionals.The workplace PERMA-profiler can be used to help improve the wellbeing of a workforce because it indicates the areas in which intervention is needed, and, with regular use, reveals whether intervention has the required effect. For the teaching profession in Iceland, this is extremely important because of the continuing shortage of qualified teachers. We recommend further studies of the Icelandic version of the workplace PERMA-profiler, which could be a useful tool for many other professions.Í þessari grein er sjónum beint að velfarnaði grunnskólakennara. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var tvíþætt, annars vegar að þýða og staðfæra mælitæki sem ætlað er að meta velfarnað á vinnustöðum og hins vegar að prófa það meðal starfandi grunnskólakennara og afla upplýsinga um velfarnað þeirra. Mælitækið byggist á PERMA-velfarnaðarkenningu Seligman sem beinir sjónum að kenningum og rannsóknum sem leita svara við hvað gefur lífinu gildi. Velfarnaður er skoðaður út frá fimm þáttum: Jákvæðum tilfinningum, áhuga og innlifun, félagslegum tengslum, tilgangi og árangri. PERMA-spurningalistinn fyrir vinnustaði (e. the workplace PERMA-profiler) var þýddur á íslensku og lagður fyrir félagsmenn í Félagi grunnskólakennara (N = 4847, svarhlutfall 42%). Áreiðanleiki niðurstaðna var viðunandi eða góður, á bilinu 0,70–0,86 fyrir einstaka þætti og 0,89 fyrir heildarkvarðann almennan velfarnað. Fylgni þáttanna og heildarkvarðans við mælingu á hamingju og almenna starfsánægju var sterkari við mælingar á starfsánægju en hamingju. Þetta bendir til þess að mælitækið gefi réttmætar niðurstöður og mæli frekar velfarnað í starfi en velfarnað almennt. Meðaltal velfarnaðarþátta mældist yfir 6,5 af 10 nema á þeim þáttum sem taka á neikvæðri upplifun. Tilgangur fékk hæsta meðaltal velfarnaðarþáttanna (M = 8,4) og algengast var að kennarar gæfu þættinum hátt gildi (8 eða hærra) en fæstir gáfu þættinum árangri svo háa einkunn. Almennur velfarnaður var meiri hjá 61 árs og eldri en þeim sem voru yngri og hann var meiri hjá konum en körlum. PERMA-spurningalistann fyrir vinnustaði má nýta í vinnu að bættum velfarnaði því hann sýnir hvar er þörf á inngripi og með reglubundinni fyrirlögn hans má kanna hvort inngrip hafa tilskilin áhrif