University of Cumbria Open Access Journals
Not a member yet
615 research outputs found
Sort by
Promoting social cohesion during blended learning in a Foundation Degree
Get PDFThis paper explores curriculum theory and principles, evaluates the social cohesion of curricula, and synthesises theory and policies related to education for sustainable development, whilst evaluating and enhancing a higher education blended learning module. Blended learning is defined as a ‘pedagogical approach that combines the opportunities of face-to-face learning with the opportunities of the online environment’ (Hew and Cheung, 2014, p. 3). The key challenge is social cohesion, specifically learner collaboration and social learning, which Lockhorst, Admiraal and Pilot (2010) break down into participation, interaction and the nature of the communication. To identify strategies to enhance the module, thereby maximising social cohesion and collaboration, this paper explores the module’s curriculum: the policy context, theoretical principles of curriculum design, social cohesion in the context of the parity of esteem between work-based and academic learning, and education for sustainable development. It concludes by proposing enhancements to the module curriculum to meet the demands of twenty-first century graduates (Ashwin et al., 2015, p. 159) and education for sustainable development.
How do teaching assistants view their role in managing behaviour and cultivate their learning and understanding in relation to managing behaviour?
Get PDFThis paper will consider how teaching assistants’ (TAs’) roles are changing from the historical ‘mum’s army’ (Bach Kessler & Heron, 2006) of paint-pot washers, as some considered it pre-national curriculum, to the developing conception of the TA as a ‘paraprofessional’. Contemporary issues arising from the loosely defined current expectations of TAs’ wider pedagogical role will also be discussed. Consideration will be given to how and why managing behaviour has become an expectation and a necessity for TAs in their current deployment in schools, and why learning about managing behaviour differs for TAs and teachers. Additionally, the paper will reflect on the specific challenges facing TAs in managing behaviour. How TAs learn from each other in communities of practice, as well as from teachers and senior leaders, will be explored. Furthermore, how behaviour policies and policy implementation generally can influence TAs’ opportunities to promote their own learning will be reviewed.
Developing understanding of Student-Teacher Agency: Implications for Programme Development
Get PDFDeveloping student teachers to become confident and effective professionals is a central aim of teacher education programmes. Developing understanding of student-teacher agency - the ways in which student teachers actively participate in their learning - has the potential to inform programme development. Working in the context of a blended learning Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme, the research presented here aimed to develop understanding of student-teacher agency, with the purpose of informing programme development. Deepening our understanding of the student teacher experience enabled critical reflection on the design and delivery of the programme, informing our developments. Taking a narrative stance, data were generated from fifty-three student teachers, during a discussion activity in which they reflected on their experiences during the PGDE year. Analysis utilised Priestley, Biesta and Robinson’ (2015) framework for Teacher Agency. Findings suggested that student teachers’ peripheral positioning, to the community of professional teachers, influences their approach to their own learning during the PGDE year. Findings directly informed the development of programme structures. Deeper understanding of student-teacher agency has informed our practice in a blended learning environment: Understanding these aspects of the student-teacher experience has the potential to inform the development of programmes utilising different methods of delivery. · Teacher-education · Student-teacher Agency · Programme development · Blended Learning · Critical Reflectio
Then and now: Challenging the Reproduction of Values in the Secondary Curriculum: A Critical, Reflective Commentary on Practitioner Dispositions
Get PDFThis article provides a reflective commentary on the modification of the lead author’s professional practice in a secondary academy in England. The modification of practice has been as a result of work conducted on a postgraduate Masters module, which has focused on practitioner development of an exemplar grammar lesson devised for Year Nine collaborative learning. The motivation to publish this work is in light of a heavily structured, prescriptive and time pressured approach to teacher development which disconnects professionals from more meaningful enquiry into the practice they are engaging with. The work initially sets the scene for the situated context detailed above, before moving into a reflective commentary that focuses on the lead author’s structurally influenced dispositions to practitioner development. The paper then moves into key conceptual considerations that have underpinned the development of practice, which subsequently leads to details on the implementation and evaluation of the new learning intervention. With the intervention founded on praxis, it is the critically reflective and reflexive conceptual work completed which is of central interest, and the conclusion that spaces for undertaking a genuine reflective and reflexive approach are diminishing in educational practice. As a result, the authors finish the article with a number of recommendations for practitioners to be given space for authentic reflection focusing on classroom practice, dialectical critical enquiry, theory and reflexivity
Do boys’ attitudes to reading differ to those of girls? A study into the views of reading within a year three class
Get PDFDifferences in reading attainment between the genders have been widely reported, whilst less research has been carried out on gender differences as regards to interest towards reading. Within a sample of two classes of year three children, information was collected to establish any differences in the attitudes towards reading that may exist between boys and girls. This included looking at areas such as reading frequency and preferred literature, which showed that whilst interest in reading was generally good and reading was seen as non-gender specific, varying text preferences and levels of home reading were revealed. Data of this kind allowed for general conclusions to be drawn and therefore recommendations to aid the prevention of negative factors
Can asking individual readers in Key Stage 2 higher order Bloom’s questions improve their progress in reading when applied by Teaching Assistants?
Get PDFThis action research project explores how Teaching Assistants can use Bloom’s Taxonomy to ask higher order questions to develop higher level thinking amongst Key Stage 2 pupils, and evaluates whether this has any short-term impact on pupil progress
What are students’ opinions of ‘Flipped learning’ in secondary science?
Get PDFFlipped learning has emerged in recent years as an alternative method of teaching. The premise of Flipped learning is that students learn new material at home, and then use lesson time to tackle problems and interact with the subject matter. The rationale behind this is that students get more time with a teacher when they are solving problems or applying knowledge in the classroom, so teachers can help build higher levels of understanding. It also allows the lesson to be more interactive, as less time is spent teaching new material. Whilst many recent studies have concentrated on how Flipped learning is used at university level teaching, I was eager to undertake my enquiry on Flipped learning at secondary school. Having spoken at length to teachers about their opinions on Flipped learning, I was keen to discover what students’ opinions were. This enquiry made use of a questionnaire, and interview with sixth form biology students at an all-girls grammar school who are taught via Flipped learning. Student opinions were largely positive, with students expressing being able to learn at their own pace, more interactive lessons and being better prepared for lesson time among the benefits of Flipped learning
What influences children’s choice of musical instrument?
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to focus on improving instrumental tuition retention by considering what influences children’s musical instrument choices through an action research project which involved surveying, interviewing and providing sound clips for groups of children in Year 2 and Year 6. The project was undertaken in a Primary School in X, United Kingdom. I researched children’s preferred choice of musical instrument and the reason(s) for this choice. The main group of children involved in the study had yet to begin instrumental tuition which was provided free by the local council. Contrasts were made with another group of children who had been given an opportunity to choose from three instruments for free tuition. The findings explore the effects which influence instrument choice and how this information could improve the number of students continuing with instrumental tuition at a post-primary level
To what extent are 5 children in a primary school in Kent with Autism Spectrum Disorder able to accurately recognise and regulate emotions?
Get PDFThroughout educational research, there are many suggestions that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulty with regulating their emotions. However, despite the extensive research, there seems to be little about focussing on the amount that children with ASD emotionally regulate. This paper attempts to discuss what emotional regulation means and the importance of recognising and regulating emotions. The small case study within the paper focusses on 5 children within a primary school in Kent who have ASD. These pupils are a range of ages, with one pupil in Reception, two pupils from a Year 3 class and two pupils from a Year 5 class. The case study took place over 8 days, and involves questionnaires and interviews which consider the emotional responses of the children involved within the study. Through conversational analysis, the paper first looks at the individual’s ability to recognise emotions, followed by looking at the individual’s emotional responses to different images or scenarios