scholarly journals Data in Schools: (Changing) Practices and Blind Spots at a Glance

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Krein ◽  
Mandy Schiefner-Rohs

This review aims to provide a concise overview of the role of (digital) data and new data practices in schools. By focusing on the impact of data on pedagogical practices, it aims to shed light on how the everyday tasks of teachers and other pedagogical staff in schools are changing, particularly as a result of the generation and use of digital data. For this purpose, existing studies and previous theoretical debates on this topic are examined for their perspectives on data and data practices in schools. The pedagogical data practices of (improving) teaching and learning, assessment and counseling, (data-driven) decision-making, and cooperation and collaboration by “doing data” will be elaborated and discussed. Likewise, data practices that are missing from the studies are identified. We conclude with an overview of blind spots and further research needs.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman I. Alzaanin

This multiple case study explores some intricate connections between the cognition and the pedagogical practices of eight English as a foreign language (EFL) writing instructors over one academic year in two Palestinian universities. The study also examines how their cognition and pedagogical practices interplayed with the ecological contexts in the setting in which they taught. Integral to the study was the use of semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, stimulated-recall interviews, and course document review. Constructivist grounded theory informed the data analysis. Results revealed that the instructors’ cognition about second language (L2) writing, about teaching and learning L2 writing, and about their professional roles influences their teaching approach, curriculum design, and classroom assessment methods. The findings also stressed the role of the ecological contexts as a mediating force influencing the interaction between cognition and practices. The classroom context was identified as the most significant barrier to teaching writing; however, gaining access to L2 writing scholarship was viewed as the most significant facilitator for implementing effective practices in the L2 writing classroom. The findings showed that the instructors’ cognition about themselves as professionals could mitigate the impact of the ecological constraints hindering L2 writing instruction. This finding of the role of cognition may explain why teachers working in the same context under the same conditions teach differently. The implications of these findings include the importance of encouraging EFL writing instructors to reflect upon their cognition, pedagogical practices, and working contexts and the need for introducing recommended models of L2 writing instruction in tertiary institutions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anisah Dickson ◽  
Laura B. Perry ◽  
Susan Ledger

International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes are growing rapidly worldwide, driven in part by their global reputation and concept-driven, inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. This thematic review of a range of literature sources examines the impact of IB programmes on teaching and learning, highlighting trends, challenges, and benefits. Findings of the review revealed that most of the studies, both qualitative and quantitative, examined stakeholders’ perspectives or self-reported experiences of IB programmes; a very small number used research designs that control for confounding factors or allow causal inferences to be drawn. A wide range of stakeholders report that IB programmes develop research and critical thinking skills, intercultural appreciation and global awareness, as well as cultivate collaborative working cultures and creative pedagogical practices among teachers. Challenges include extra demands on teachers for lesson planning and assessment, additional stress for teachers and students, and competing demands and expectations with national requirements. Recommendations are provided which may guide future research endeavours.


Author(s):  
Andris Bērziņš

<p>The publication reflects the qualitative development of construction students' ecological attitude in learning and teaching process in a vocational school. By facilitating the teaching and learning process, developing the content of education, introducing in teaching ecologically-oriented forms of work, methods, approaches and instruments; using the environment as a pedagogical tool and highlighting the important role of teacher as an ecological person in the accentuation of teaching content as students understand it. The author emphasizes the impact of the components of ecological education in the promotion of the reflection on the most essential attitude criteria – knowledge, skills and behaviour. Applying quantitative and qualitative research, the author sums up the experimantally obtained results showing that by the introduction of the components of ecological education, it is possible to foster the development of an ecological person.</p>


Author(s):  
Deanna Grant-Smith ◽  
Ryan Payne

There is a strong link between student engagement and successful educational outcomes which is driven by the actions of and interactions with educators. In the context of pandemic pedagogies, many educators have taken on additional responsibility for the wellbeing and engagement of their students. The performance of this emotion work is strongly connected to an educator's professional and philosophical stance about the role of caring in teaching and learning. Building on the principles of care ethics with autoethnographic reflection of emergency remote teaching, this chapter presents a model of student engagement which reflects the additional needs and demands of care-based education on both educators and students. This model outlines for the enactment of deliberate, sustainable, and care-ful engagement based on an assessment of learner needs as well as educator investment and contributes insights for shaping (post pandemic) pedagogical practices.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 40-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn Stockwell ◽  
Hayo Reinders

AbstractThe expectations of the impact of technology for language teaching and learning have often exceeded the actual results themselves, where emerging technologies are often believed to be more effective than existing ones simply because they are newer, with little consideration of the differences in associated pedagogies (see Bax, 2003; Levy & Stockwell, 2006). Technology is often believed to be inherently motivating for students and linked to the development of autonomy. The realities of technology and its influence on motivation are proving to be somewhat more complex than perceived for both language teachers and learners (Stockwell, 2013). Technology can provide opportunities for motivated learners but is unlikely to lead to motivation or autonomous behavior in many learners unless appropriate pedagogies are applied that capitalize on the affordances of the technologies and include sufficient training in how to use the technologies for language learning purposes (see Reinders, 2018a). At the same time, the role of teachers in the classroom and their attitudes toward their environment and the pressures that they face (Mercer & Kostoulas, 2018) can also impact technology implementation. This article brings together these three interrelated areas and explores how they link to technology: learner motivation and autonomy, teacher psychology, and pedagogical considerations.


Author(s):  
Ismail Hussein Amzat

Trust is the keystone to creating enduring relationships and interconnectedness among people. Trust also plays a pivotal role in human social and organizational interactions. Trust is needed for any organization to create good networks. It is an impetus for cressating relationships with employees, as well as for building healthy societies. To be trusted in an organization, a leader such as a school principal must possess integrity, truthfulness, and transparency. Therefore, when defining trust, the role of trust in schools and what a school principal must do to be trusted by teachers should be explored. It is worth knowing what a trusting principal does or means to a school and the impact on a school, teaching, and learning.


2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 149-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona King

A prominent feature of education discourse relating to teachers' practice has been the call for increased emphasis on professional development (PD). This paper is part of a wider project which explored the impact of a collaborative PD initiative on teachers' teaching and learning in five urban disadvantaged schools in Ireland. It focused on the impact of PD and critically on sustainability from which emerged important issues of leadership. This article focuses on the specific contribution that leadership made to the sustainability of the practices in the schools. It aims to identify three key features of how principals contribute to sustaining PD practices.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 420-427
Author(s):  
Richard M. Duffy ◽  
Marian Henry

SummaryThe use of PowerPoint has become nearly ubiquitous in medical education and continuing professional development; however, many alternatives are emerging that can be used in its place. These may confer some advantages, but they also have potential drawbacks. It is helpful that educators are aware of these new presentation options and their pros and cons, including any financial implications and issues of data protection. This article considers the role of technology in teaching and learning, identifying underlying assumptions that are often made. It identifies and appraises technology that can be used with or instead of PowerPoint to best facilitate deep learning. The potential pedagogical benefits and practical limitations of these technologies are considered, and strategies are highlighted to maximise the impact of PowerPoint where it is the software of choice.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsti Klette ◽  
Marte Blikstad-Balas

The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of coding and observation manuals in classroom studies. While observation manuals have been a part of the methodological toolkit for measuring various aspects of instruction for decades, the field has also been suffering from ‘paradigm wars’, fragmentation and local production of instruments. Common frameworks for investigating teaching are needed, including observation instruments for teaching that are both generic and subject specific. Such common tools for research developed within an integrated methodological design could help researchers make progress in aggregating knowledge about the impact of different teaching approaches across settings and subjects. This article serves as one such integrative mechanism by summarizing and reviewing existing manuals targeted towards developing knowledge for and in teaching. The analysis provides status, overview and focus of the different observation manuals; additionally, the article discusses how recent developments in instruments and coding procedures might provide increased rigour and a shared vocabulary to talk about teaching. We discuss both pitfalls and possibilities of coding manuals, and argue that if used in a reflexive manner, coding manuals can provide a common language and vocabulary when talking about – and researching – classroom teaching and learning.


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