University of Cumbria Open Access Journals
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Investigating the Implications of Hattie’s (2012) Synthesis of Meta-Analyses for Teaching Higher Education in Further Education
Get PDFThis paper investigates the implications of John Hattie’s synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses for lesson design and delivery within the context of a teacher training programme. A case study approach is used to structure a two-stage investigative strategy (Yin, 1981). Stage one involves an interpretive cycle that allows Hattie’s attributes of effective practice to become meaningful through a consideration of the context in which they are applied. Stage two builds on the findings of this review to translate ‘ways of thinking about teaching’ into ‘ways of teaching’ that accommodate different goals and abilities in order to impact a range of student outcomes. This paper documents progress from the first stage of the analysis. Through the investigation, effective teaching is represented as a process of evidence-informed inquiry and problem solving in which a cycle of reading, deliberation, and dialogue continues until a shared understanding emerges of the practices that enhance learning for individual students (Smythe et al., 2008). These practices include but are not limited to: providing feedback that takes students forward in their learning, using data on student learning to inform collaborative evaluations of teacher impact, and modifying teaching based on an informed consideration of the strategies that facilitate learning. Results suggest that practitioners need to develop a shared commitment to thinking that is willing to engage with evidence and use this as the basis for questioning mindsets, critiquing existing practices, and exploring new ideas; and a commitment to action that is open to managing a complex process of change. Key words Hattie; visible learning; effect size; effective teaching; teacher education; PGCE/PCE
Show AND tell: using peer assessment and exemplars to help students understand quality
Get PDFThe importance of formative assessment has been widely evidenced; but it has also been shown to be under threat in a higher education world of shrinking finances, increasing student numbers and decreasing student/staff ratios. How is all this formative assessment to be carried out and marked? And at the same time, how is the concept of ‘quality’ to be conveyed to the students? D. Royce Sadler has written widely about the value of using exemplars as a means of showing what quality is; this article explores the use of exemplars alongside peer assessment as part of a mixed approach to formative assessment, and provides evaluation and feedback from the first-year students involved. It reinforces Sadler’s own conclusion that exemplars can convey messages in a way that nothing else can, and suggests that a mixed approach to formative assessment - involving peer as well as tutor marking, together with the use of exemplars - could provide both an effective and efficient way forward
Evaluating a formative feedback intervention for international students
Get PDFAssessment is too often concerned with measurement, rather than learning, however, there is a growing interest in research into formative assessment, which appears justified by studies into its effects on learning. Changes in Higher Education which have led to increased numbers of students, many of whom are from non-traditional backgrounds, have highlighted the need for transparency and student involvement in assessment, though the corresponding pressures on staff and on resources mean that many desirable innovations are not easy to implement. The overall aim of this intervention was to provide timely and helpful feedback to international students who are final year-direct entrants in a large Business School; so timeliness of feedback, as well as the development of academic literacy were key concerns. The study concludes that although the FFI intervention did not have a significant impact on module grades, the intervention was successful in getting to engage in academic writing at an early stage. The majority of students perceived the feedback to be helpful; the feedback messages were clearly received and internalised, but whether appropriate actions were taken to close the gap requires further investigation
The assessment, marking and feedback inventory (AMFI): a tool for exploring the practitioner perspective in the subject disciplines
No full textThis study is part of a larger research project originally funded by the Write Now CETL looking at assessment, marking and feedback from the lecturers’ perspective. Earlier findings have suggested that with new lecturers at least, there are some discipline differences in how able they feel they can put into practice what they have learned about assessment pedagogy on their PGCert courses. To explore these differences further with experienced lecturers, we have designed a more general tool called the Assessment, Marking and Feedback Inventory (AMFI). This was completed by 45 lecturers from a single UK university. Findings suggest that lecturers feel that one of the barriers to good assessment and feedback practice is time and workload. There were also some indications of discipline differences with lecturers from hard applied disciplines feeling this more strongly than those from the soft disciplines
Which qualities did aspiring teachers value in their ‘best’ mathematics teachers?
No full textWhen aspiring mathematics teachers were asked to describe one of their own mathematics teachers who had made an impact on them it was found that personal attributes such as empathy, caring and commitment to their students were mentioned most often. This study uses Gossman’s categories of ‘teacher as teacher’ and ‘teacher as person’ to analyse the descriptions of best teachers given by people who were being interviewed for the Post Graduate Certificate in Education in Secondary Mathematics at our Institution. The aim of this study is to add to the growing body of literature which indicates the value of teachers’ personal attributes and how important these can be for student motivation and confidence in mathematics. These attributes are hardly mentioned in lists of teacher competencies compiled as part of Government standards for teachers. We expected that aspiring mathematics teachers, since they are most likely to have been successful at mathematics themselves, would feel positively about mathematics and their mathematics teachers. However a surprising finding from the data was that even successful students occasionally experienced disaffection. Keywords Word; qualities, personal attributes, mathematics, student teachers, motivation, competencie
Making the link – analysing the effectiveness of a module on the role of ICT in developing pupil creativity
Get PDFThis study of first year undergraduate student teachers seeks to evaluate the impact of an ICT specialist theme module on student perceptions of creativity and how they utilise ICT to support creative learning whilst on placement in schools. The module allows students to develop their understanding of what creativity is and how it might be developed through the use of digital technologies. Module feedback, interviews with students on placement and tutor reflections were combined to provide data to evaluate the impact of the module on student performance on placement. This research found that many students valued their learning on the module and used it as the catalyst to implement the use of ICT in their teaching. It also found that the students consider themselves to be creative practitioners; however, not all of their decisions to use ICT in their teaching are underpinned by a strong creative rationale. It also found that students demonstrated a developing critical understanding of how to develop creativity in the classroom and the role of ICT in achieving this. Finally, it emerged that there were a number of barriers that students encountered which limited the extent to which they could implement ICT in support of developing creativity. Keywords: ICT; creativity; placement; school; teaching; learning