Lesson study as transformative learning for international graduate teaching assistants: “It's like we have a second life”

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-15
Author(s):  
Vicki Stewart Collet ◽  
Jennifer Peñaflorida

PurposeThis study aims to consider how lesson study (LS) supports international graduate assistants (IGAs) teaching in settings that are culturally different from their own prior experiences as learners.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a single-case design to understand LS, including two IGAs and a domestic GA teaching at a US university. Data sources include audio recordings and field notes from LS sessions and lesson observations, data collected from online interactions, and individual interviews.FindingsQualitative analysis indicates IGAs felt their instruction improved as a result of participation, and they incorporated instructional practices aligned with norms in their new context. Through practical work with a narrow focus, IGAs collaborated with one another and with a more-experienced other. This created a context that reduced IGAs' cognitive dissonance, resulting in transformative teacher learning.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest LS might provide supports for transformative learning for IGAs and other teachers, especially when they experience cognitive dissonance, such as that caused by culturally different classroom expectations.Originality/valueThis paper speaks to the identified need for supporting IGAs' understanding of values and norms undergirding pedagogy in their new contexts.

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Chandler ◽  
Charlotte Swift ◽  
Wendy Goodman

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the use of cognitive behavioural approaches to treat a gentleman with a learning disability who had been reported to the police for allegedly making contact with children using social media in an attempt to initiate a romantic relationship using a single case design. Design/methodology/approach An 11 session cognitive behavioural intervention was employed, comprising of index offence analysis, challenging distorted cognitions related to the offence, developing an internal focus for responsibility and psychoeducation with regards to “staying safe” online. Findings Follow up data demonstrated no improvements in victim empathy, nor in agreement ratings in terms of key cognitions associated with responsibility for offending behaviour. Research limitations/implications Whilst treatment efficacy was not established, this case study raises important questions that go beyond the single case design. Whilst the gentleman reported becoming “safer” in terms of initiating contact with unknown people via social media, this could not be substantiated, and is indicative of the cardinal difficulty of monitoring online recidivism. Generalisability of findings to the wider learning disability population is limited by a single case design. Originality/value This is the first published case study to the authors knowledge to evaluate cognitive behavioural approaches to reduce antisocial internet related behaviour in a forensic learning disability setting. Findings of considered within the context of the concept of minimisation of offending behaviour, the concept of “counterfeit deviance”, and also how best to measure therapeutic change within this population.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mun Ling Lo

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest ways that we can widen our vision since our views are limited by our theoretical lens. Design/methodology/approach – The paper first draws on articles in the current issue to illustrate how limitations imposed by our theoretical lens can be partly overcome. It then draws on the insights from two recent papers by Svensson (2016) and Lo and Chik (2016) to discuss some ways forward. Svensson’s paper argues for integrating research on teaching and learning using case-based studies and the contextual analysis approach. Lo and Chik’s paper is about how our learning can go beyond the single case through attending to fusion in the external horizon. The conceptual lens from these two papers which are from the phenomenography, variation theory and learning study tradition is applied to look at some of the papers in this issue which are from the lesson study tradition. Findings – Although there is an inherent limitation to what we can see as a consequence of the theoretical lens that we take, we can widen our vision by learning to see from others’ perspectives and gain insights that would be useful to us. Originality/value – The conceptual lenses from the phenomenography, variation theory and learning study tradition is applied to look at some of the papers which are from the lesson study tradition to reveal alternative ways of seeing.


Author(s):  
Susan Kirk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the interplay between identity and global mobility in the careers of senior, female talent, uniquely taking into account the perceptions of both female and male participants. In addition, the role organisations can play in enabling women to overcome these identity constraints is identified. Design/methodology/approach This interpretivist study draws on data from 38 in-depth interviews with senior managers in a large, multinational organisation to elicit a rich picture of how such careers are enacted. Findings Findings reveal how identity conflicts function as a glass border for globally mobile, senior female talent. Ways in which talent can access positive identity narratives to inform global mobility choices are identified. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this study include the relatively small sample size and the single case design of this research. The findings, however, offer insights into the identity work of globally mobile, female talent across different contexts. Practical implications Organisations can facilitate access to identity narratives through mentoring, face-to-face forums and via the internet to enable globally mobile, female talent to make more informed global mobility choices. Originality/value Drawing on identity theory, this paper examines how identity work for globally mobile, female talent has more fluid interpersonal boundaries than for men, creating on-going identity struggles. In highlighting how identity narratives can act as a means of breaching the glass border and facilitating global mobility for female talent, a contribution is made to existing debates in the fields of identity, gender studies and global talent management.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Parry ◽  
Mike Lloyd

Purpose The term dissociation can describe a coping strategy to protect oneself against something unwanted in the moment, a disconnection from sensations and experiences in the here and now. Although the more severe experiences of dissociation have been the subject of intense study over the last two decades, much less has been written about clients commonly seen in mental health services with mild to moderate dissociative conditions. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to attend to therapeutic work with a client who experienced moderate dissociation, which caused disruptions to her autobiographical narrative and sense-of-self. Design/methodology/approach This single case design details the therapeutic journey of a Caucasian woman in her early 40s, who experienced moderate dissociation. The report illustrates how the process of creative artwork formulation helped address unwanted dissociative experiences whilst enhancing other coping strategies. Findings The client’s personal resources combined with a creative and responsive approach to formulation and reformulation facilitated the process of reconnecting with herself and others through developing awareness of her strengths and past means of coping, finally developing a consistent self-narrative. Practical implications The experiences of a creative approach to formulation are discussed in relation to the client’s past traumas and case relevant theory. These preliminary findings suggest creative artwork formulation is an effective tool in terms of developing trust and shared understanding within the therapeutic relationship and meaning making processes throughout therapy. Originality/value This case study presents an account of creative artwork formulation used as a method of formulation and reformulation specifically with a client experiencing moderate dissociative experiences following interpersonal traumas. Further, the report discusses the ways in which creative artwork formulation facilitated memory exploration and integration, as well as containing meaning making and healing.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Khokhotva ◽  
Iciar Elexpuru Albizuri

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report the findings from a case study of an action research project in the context of a secondary school in Kazakhstan where, for the first time in their teaching practice, three English as a Foreign Language teachers introduced student voice (Flutter and Rudduck, 2004) into their practice within the Lesson Study (LS) framework. The research aimed at conceptualizing Student Voice Space in LS as one of the valuable factors capable of triggering situations of disjuncture (disorienting dilemma, disruption) for teachers which could potentially lead to teacher’s transformative learning, educational beliefs change and improved practice. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts the qualitative research design and follows narrative inquiry methodology (Lyons and LaBoskey, 2002) with a series of narrative interviews (Bauer, 1996) as the main method of data collection within a single case study (Bassey, 1999) of an action research project. The data were analyzed as text following a general inductive approach (Thomas, 2003) where emerging themes were identified by means of data reduction. Findings The findings suggest that listening to student voice triggers teachers’ going through certain stages of Mezirow’s transformative learning theory including critical assessment of own assumptions, testing new options for behavior and reflecting critically on the teaching practice. Therefore, the authors suggest that Student Voice Space in LS is one of the important factors capable of triggering the teacher’s transformative learning. Moreover, it has an enormous potential not only to bring about positive changes in teachers’ practice but also challenge the ossified teachers’ educational beliefs, and thus, potentially, pave the way for a gradual change from “inappropriate beliefs” (Mayrhofer, 2019), or subconscious assumptions that lie in the core of teachers’ folk pedagogies (Torff, 1999), or taken-for-granted frames of reference (Mezirow, 2000) into true, justified or informed educational beliefs. Research limitations/implications Further analysis of teachers’ narratives is required to elicit and categorize reported changes (shifts, transformations) concerning specific teachers’ educational beliefs, and draw a more clear line between student voice and its impact on the research lesson planning and its modification in LS. Finally, a supplementary study utilizing classroom observation methods is needed to explore if student voice intervention results in tangible (actual) changes in teachers’ classroom practice and educational beliefs, rather than potential transformations that are mainly reported in this study. Originality/value Carried out in the largely overlooked by the academic literature context of the Reform at Scale (Wilson et al., 2013) in Kazakhstan and building on the original combination of theoretical lenses, the research contributes to the academic literature aiming at illuminating “the black box of teachers’ learning” in Lesson Study (in Widjaja et al., 2017, p.358) since it is one of the rare studies attempting to connect teacher learning, student voice and Lesson Study (Warwick et al., 2019). Additionally, approaching teacher learning in Lesson Study from the transformative learning perspective combined with the literature on teachers’ educational beliefs and student voice, this study contributes to the further development of a shared vocabulary for discussing teacher learning in Lesson Study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth M. Lee ◽  
Jennifer A. Rhodes ◽  
David Gerrard

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) can be used as an alternative to psychotropic medication to improve the quality of life of an individual with a learning disability and behaviour described as challenging. Design/methodology/approach A single case design was utilised. A unique PBS stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both (STOMP) clinic model was developed and PBS was used in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. This included functional behavioural assessment, to support understanding of the reasons behind behaviour described as challenging, and a gradual medication reduction. Findings This case study found that antipsychotic medication used to manage behaviour that challenges could be safely reduced and individual quality of life increased when PBS was used as an alternative. Originality/value STOMP is a project supported by NHS England aimed at reducing the inappropriate prescribing of psychotropic medication to manage behaviour that challenges. NICE guidance recommends that behaviour should be more appropriately understood through PBS. More research is needed to demonstrate how the two work together for safe medication reduction and improved quality of life.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Otten ◽  
Máille Faughnan ◽  
Megan Flattley ◽  
Samantha Fleurinor

Purpose Social innovation education aims to equip students with the skills and mindsets to pursue sustainable and just solutions to complex challenges, yet many programs fail to address the power dynamics underlying unjust social structures. This paper aims to examine a social innovation course that integrates equity, diversity and inclusion principles through critical service-learning. Design/methodology/approach Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews of 25 students and 5 key informants in a qualitative, single case design to understand multiple perspectives on significant factors in transformative learning. Document review and auto-ethnographic insights provide additional case background. Findings Students identified the service experience as unique and high impact. Significant factors included the atypical service structure, the EDI framework, and the partner organization as an exemplar in the field. Students displayed a spectrum of learning, from recall and comprehension to critical evaluation, new worldviews, and behavior change. Research limitations/implications The findings of this qualitative study pertain to one partnership but are generalizable to theories. These findings are plausibly transferable to other experiential social innovation courses embedded in elite, private, predominately white research universities. Originality/value This empirical case examines a unique pedagogical and curricular innovation. By seeking to understand factors and outcomes of experiential learning, this study contributes to the literature on social innovation education and critical service-learning. The analysis produced novel insights for faculty and institutions aiming to integrate equity, diversity, and inclusion goals into social innovation programs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey A. Peters-Sanders ◽  
Elizabeth S. Kelley ◽  
Christa Haring Biel ◽  
Keri Madsen ◽  
Xigrid Soto ◽  
...  

Purpose This study evaluated the effects of an automated, small-group intervention designed to teach preschoolers challenging vocabulary words. Previous studies have provided evidence of efficacy. In this study, we evaluated the effects of the program after doubling the number of words taught from 2 to 4 words per book. Method Seventeen preschool children listened to 1 prerecorded book per week for 9 weeks. Each storybook had embedded, interactive lessons for 4 target vocabulary words. Each lesson provided repeated exposures to words and their definitions, child-friendly contexts, and multiple opportunities for children to respond verbally to instructional prompts. Participants were asked to define the weekly targeted vocabulary before and after intervention. A repeated acquisition single-case design was used to examine the effects of the books and embedded lessons on learning of target vocabulary words. Results Treatment effects were observed for all children across many of the books. Learning of at least 2 points (i.e., 1 word) was replicated for 74.5% of 149 books tested across the 17 participants. On average, children learned to define 47% of the target vocabulary words (17 out of 36). Conclusions Results support including 4 challenging words per book, as children learned substantially more words when 4 words were taught, in comparison to previous studies. Within an iterative development process, results of the current study take us 1 step closer to creating an optimal vocabulary intervention that supports the language development of at-risk children.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 4148-4161
Author(s):  
Christine S.-Y. Ng ◽  
Stephanie F. Stokes ◽  
Mary Alt

Purpose We report on a replicated single-case design study that measured the feasibility of an expressive vocabulary intervention for three Cantonese-speaking toddlers with small expressive lexicons relative to their age. The aim was to assess the cross-cultural and cross-linguistic feasibility of an intervention method developed for English-speaking children. Method A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design was used with four baseline data points and 16 intervention sessions per participant. The intervention design incorporated implicit learning principles, high treatment dosage, and control of the phonological neighborhood density of the stimuli. The children (24–39 months) attended 7–9 weeks of twice weekly input-based treatment in which no explicit verbal production was required from the child. Each target word was provided as input a minimum of 64 times in at least two intervention sessions. Treatment feasibility was measured by comparison of how many of the target and control words the child produced across the intervention period, and parent-reported expressive vocabulary checklists were completed for comparison of pre- and postintervention child spoken vocabulary size. An omnibus effect size for the treatment effect of the number of target and control words produced across time was calculated using Kendall's Tau. Results There was a significant treatment effect for target words learned in intervention relative to baselines, and all children produced significantly more target than control words across the intervention period. The effect of phonological neighborhood density on expressive word production could not be evaluated because two of the three children learned all target words. Conclusion The results provide cross-cultural evidence of the feasibility of a model of intervention that incorporated a high-dosage, cross-situational statistical learning paradigm to teach spoken word production to children with small expressive lexicons.


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