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ÕPAH ResearchApproaches and Theory

• Erika Löfström
• 13.-14.11.2006 Saku

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Structure of presentation

• Approaches to research on scholarship of teaching
  and reflective practice
• Theoretical perspective on ÕPAH research
• Discussion

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Approaches to research on reflective practice

• Critical thinking
• DATA method
• Experiential learning
• Action research
• Critical incident
• Concept map
• Storytelling / narrative

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Critical thinking (Brookfield, 1987)

• A trigger event is analysed against how well it
  manages to explain the problem or issue at hand
• Exploration of alternative ways of handling the
  situation
• Analysis of new insights
• Synthesis based on knowledge learned, attitudes,
  feelings
• New theory

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DATA method (Peters, 1991)

• Describe what you did / what happened
• Analyse why, not how
• Theorise the thinking behind your decisions and
  analyse whether it fully describes the course of
  action
• Act revise theoretical assumptions
• Goal to integrate scientific and practical
  theory (or application of theory), one must
  reflect on ones practical theory

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Experiential learning (Kolb,1984)

• Planning tool for learning events and reflective
  tool
• Concrete experience ( teaching) -gtReflective
  observation -gt Abstract conceptualisation -gt
  Active experimentation Cycle can be entered at
  any stage (?) but must be followed through
• Event is chosen, reflected upon, record kept,
  event analysed based on what happened, why, what
  was expected, what does it mean
• No need to identify theoretical assumptions
  underlying action -gt Meaning is abstracted, which
  may result in personal working theory or
  personal learning record -gt try out what is
  learned repeat cycle

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Action research (Kemmis McTaggert, 1988 Carr
Kemmis 1986 Hopkins,1993)

• Study of social situations carried out by
  practitioners with aim to improve quality of
  action
• Identifying problem
• Formulating hypothesis about situation
• Identifying the practical theory in use
• Planning action to be taken
• Act, observe and collect data
• Reflection what does experience mean, what can
  be learned from it, does theory need revision,
  how to change teaching the next time
• Plan, act, observe, reflect -gt repeated until the
  theory accurately describes the practice (Is
  this, by the way, ever possible?!)

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Critical incident (Brookfield, 1990)

• A significant learning event because of success
  or failure
• Description to colleagues what made the incident
  significant
• Identification of teachers assumptions of
  student learning prior to significant event, and
  post-event analysis
• Group discussion with colleagues and
  identification of new assumptions -gt these are
  tested in new teaching situation
• Method repeated until assumptions match reality
  theory and practice are integrated in one
  explanatory model

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Concept map (Deshler,1990 Novak Gowin, 1984)

• A visual representation of meaningful
  relationships between concepts of propositions
  -gt two or more topics linked by defining verb
• A chosen topic/concept is chosen, related
  concepts are written down and linked together
  with verbs that describe cause and effect

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Reflection
identifies
analyses
Theoretical assumptions
Experience
Concept Map
predicts
compare
Outcomes
Revised theory
compare
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Analysing the concept map

• Are the most general topics on top?
• Do relationships appear correct or do they need
  altering?
• Are concepts missing?
• Are relationships missing?
• Are there contradictions within the map?
• Does map fit with ones current knowledge or
  beliefs?
• What does the shape of the map tell?
• Do links accurately imply cause and effect?
• -gt Redraw map!

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Storytelling / narrative (Mattingly, 1991)

• Method developed with teachers
• Informal or formal everyday stories
• Constructing a narrative explaining what
  happened, why, what was expected to happen, what
  it meant to the narrator, and how it could have
  influenced future teaching
• Helps to make sense of an experience and
  facilitates reflection

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Possible methods of data collection

• Structured observation (tally sheets)
• Structured questionnaires
• Interview individual or group
• Reflection tasks
• Other written materials
• Web discussions (e.g. weblog)
• Student feedback

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Sustained mutual relationships Ways of doing
together Rapid information flow Distributed
knowledge Mutually defining identities Styles of
displaying membership Tools and representations
Community of Practice Framework for Learning
Sharing, extending Immersion Interaction Negotiati
on Membership
Learning as belonging
Community
Learning
Learning as doing
Practice
Identity
Learning as becoming
Meaning
Boundary objects Brokers
Negotiating experience Community
membership(s) Learning trajectory Local ways of
belonging to broader context
Learning as experience
Community
Identity
Learning
Practice
Meaning
Participation Reification Negotiation
Wenger, 1998
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Sustained mutual relationships Ways of doing
together Rapid information flow Distributed
knowledge Mutually defining identities Styles of
displaying membership Tools and representations
Community of Practice Framework for Learning
How does environment support community building
professional development? How do community
indicators reinforce or disrupt shared learning?
Learning as belonging
Community
What are the resources, ways of thinking and
perspectives that enable sharing, negotiation and
interaction? What are the pedagogical
technological characteristics that enable
practice?
How do different interpretations of teacher
professionalism shape identity ( vice
versa)? What are the critical incidents that have
shaped our personal learning trajectories?
Learning in ÕPAH
Learning as doing
Practice
Identity
Learning as becoming
Meaning
Learning as experience
Teachers professional growth What meanings do
teachers give their experiences? How are meanings
negotiated? What elements in the teaching context
reifies our interpretations?
Based on Wenger, 1998
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References

• Brookfield, S. D. (1987). Developing Critical
  Thinkers Challenging adults to explore
  alternative ways of thinking and acting. Milton
  Keynes Open University Press.
• Brookfield, S. D. (1990). Using critical
  incidents to explore learners assumptions. In J.
  Mezirow al. (Eds.) Fostering Critical
  Reflection in Adulthood A guide to
  transformative and emancipatory learning. San
  Francisco Jossey-Bass.
• Carr, W. Kemmis, S. (1986). Becoming Critical.
  London Falmer.
• Deshler, D. (1990). Conceptual mapping Drawing
  charts of the mind. In J. Mezirow al. (Eds.)
  Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood A
  guide to transformative and emancipatory
  learning. San Francisco Jossey-Bass.
• Hopkins, D. (1993). A Teachers Guide to
  Classroom Research (2nd ed.) Milton Keynes Open
  University Press.
• Kemmis, S. McTaggert, R. (1988). The Action
  Research Planner (3rd ed.) Geelong, Australia
  Deakin University Press.
• Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning
  Experience as the Source of Learning and
  Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice Hall.
• Kuit, J. A., Reay, G. Freeman, R. (2001).
  Experiences of reflective teaching. Active
  Learning in Higher Education, 2(2), 128-142.
• Mattingly, C. (1991). Narrative reflections on
  practical actions Two learning experiments in
  reflective storytelling. In D. A. Schön (Ed.) The
  Reflective Turn. San Francisco Jossey-Bass.
• Novak, J. D. Gowin, D. B. (1984). Learning How
  to Learn. Cambridge Cambridge University Press.
• Peters, J. (1991). Strategies for reflective
  practice. In R. Brockett (Ed.) Professional
  Development for Educators of Adult and Continuing
  Education. San Francisco Jossey-Bass.
• Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice.
  Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge
  Cambridge University Press.

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Knowledge Structure
Food for Thought....
Knowing
Comprehending
Applying
Hailikari Nevgi, 2005 Hailikari, Nevgi
Lindblom-Ylänne, 2006