scholarly journals Teaching and Learning in Two iPad-Infused Classrooms: A Descriptive Case Study of a Dual Classroom, School-Based Pilot Project

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Maich ◽  
Carmen L Hall ◽  
Tricia Marie Van Rhijn ◽  
Megan Henning
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Instructional Time ◽  
Descriptive Case Study ◽  
Attitudes And Practices

This multi-methods, descriptive case study examines attitudes and practices of classroom-based iPad use. The site is one inner-city, urban, publicly funded school, focused on two iPad-infused classrooms (Grade 2/3 and Grade 4/5). Data were collected from 5 educators and 35 students to investigate two research questions: How are iPads being utilized in student instruction? How do educators and students perceive the value of using iPads in the classroom? For this study, we analyzed the transcript of a focus group with five educators, data from 10 days of structured student observations, and the results from 35 student questionnaires. Five themes emerged from the focus group; the strongest related to pedagogical practices. Data related to student perceptions indicated a positive attitude toward iPads. They enjoyed iPad use, were concerned about equity issues, had high self-ratings about related skills, felt they used it most often in Mathematics, and indicated various preferred applications. Overall, iPads were used in 31.7% of observed instructional time, 94.7% of which was facilitated by classroom teachers. Of this iPad- based instructional time, 72.5% was for individualized teaching, typically in language and/or mathematics instruction. Our analysis culminates in recommendations for school leadership such as teaching prerequisite skills and providing ongoing technological supports.

Humanizing practices in online learning communities during pandemics in the USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 205-212
Author(s):  
Nimo M. Abdi ◽  
Elizabeth Gil ◽  
Stefanie LuVenia Marshall ◽  
Muhammad Khalifa
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Women Of Color ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Leadership Education ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Learning School ◽  
Reflective Essay

PurposeIn this reflective essay, the authors, four educators of color, explore the relevance of humanizing practices of community in teaching and learning, school leadership and the potential challenges for equity work in education, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThis reflective essay draws on lessons learned from the pedagogical practices of women of color, literature on teachers of color, as well as our experiences as educators of teachers and school leaders, as the authors think about new possibilities and challenges for anti-racist practice and living during the pandemic.FindingsThis essay describes community-oriented practice of women of color educators to be important in orienting teaching and learning toward more humanizing practice. The reflections highlight both possibilities and challenges that can be helpful reimagining the practice in teacher and leadership education, as the authors prepare educators for an uncertain future.Originality/valueThis essay offers valuable lessons from women of color educator practice that can offer humanizing approaches to teaching and learning as well as school leadership education.

The roles of school leaders in developing future-ready learners: the case of Singapore

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 249-269
Author(s):  
Choun Pei Wong ◽  
David Ng
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Leadership Preparation ◽  
Traditional Teaching ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Society

PurposeAn education system can only be successful if it can develop future-ready learners who can continue to learn after graduation, take on their future lifework and thrive in the future society and environment. This article examines the economic, social and environmental trajectories of Singapore and proposes that it is important for future-ready learners to develop habits of practices that will support the skills, knowledge and values that are pertinent to these trajectories.Design/methodology/approachSchool leaders are responsible for creating environments and implementing practices that are conducive for fostering habits of practices that are crucial for future-ready outcomes. The authors discuss the inadequacies of traditional teaching and learning practices in supporting these habits and elucidate how newer paradigms such as constructivism, connectivism, coagency and communities of practice might be more useful in achieving this. The authors also present a case study of a school leadership preparation programme that aims to develop future-ready learners.FindingsThis paper provides insights into how newer paradigms of teaching and learning can be supportive for developing desirable habits of practices for future readiness.Originality/valueThis discussion piece introduces a fresh concept – habits of practices – that is relevant in preparing future-ready learners in Singapore.

scholarly journals Learning to design effective professional development: The influence of integrating a coaching tool with an elementary mathematics specialist course assignment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney K. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Elementary Mathematics ◽  
Descriptive Case Study ◽  
Coaching Education ◽  
School Based ◽  
Professional Development For Teachers ◽  
Education Tool ◽  
And Mathematics

AbstractAs content-specific educational coaches, elementary mathematics specialists (EMSs) have emerged as school-based professionals who are needs-driven and work closely with school stakeholders in regard to mathematics teaching and learning. While leading mathematics education organizations have identified the specialized knowledge and skills required for EMS positions, how to best prepare these individuals is knowledge that the field is still exploring. This paper first presents a theoretical model for EMS preparation that aligns an emerging coaching tool, the Decision-Making Protocol for Mathematics Coaching (Baker & Knapp, 2019, [DMPMC]) with the Professional Development Design Framework (Loucks-Horsley et al. in Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics, Corwin Press, 2010). The paper then presents a descriptive case study that examines the application of this model in an EMS preparation course. The findings indicate that assessing the coaching situation fostered administrative partnerships, revisiting goals increased specificity of anticipated outcomes, and applying research-informed practices increased EMS self-efficacy and advanced coaching agendas. Taken together, these findings suggest that integrating the DMPMC into an EMS preparation course led to positive changes in EMS candidate learning of professional development design. Notably, this is one of the first studies that documents the influence of a coaching education tool on EMS candidates’ professional development design.

scholarly journals Innovations in Research with Medically Fragile Populations: Using Bulletin Board Focus Groups

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Cook ◽  
Susan Jack ◽  
Hal Siden ◽  
Lehana Thabane ◽  
Gina Browne
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Bulletin Board ◽  
Medically Fragile ◽  
Descriptive Case Study ◽  
Complex Needs ◽  
Adult Services ◽  
Group A

A new group of medically fragile young adults are graduating from pediatric palliative care programs with limited expectations to live beyond early adulthood, and no comparable adult services to support their complex needs. Accessing this population is difficult because of the complexity of their conditions, the extensive personal and equipment supports that limit feasibility for travel, and divergent communication abilities. Therefore, we undertook a descriptive case study using an asynchronous modification of an online focus group, a bulletin board focus group (BBFG). The greatest strengths of the BBFG are the appeal of this methodology for young adults and the multi day focus group becomes both a community and an intervention. An important limitation of this method was participant follow through on discussion threads. This BBFG provided rich and varied types of data, and very positive participant experiences.

scholarly journals Technology in University Physical Activity Courses: A Mini-Ethnographic Case Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dannon Cox ◽  
Jennifer Krause ◽  
Mark Smith
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Ethnographic Case Study ◽  
Pedagogical Tool ◽  
Campus Environment ◽  
College And University ◽  
Use Of Technology

As younger generations become increasingly reliant on technology, higher educational institutions must continually attempt to stay with or ahead of the curve to foster 21st century teaching and learning. College and university physical activity courses (PACs) are encouraged to incorporate technology for effective pedagogical practices. No qualitative research has specifically examined the culture of PACs instructors’ attitudes and experiences with technology as a pedagogical tool. A mini-ethnographic case study explored the use of technology among seven graduate teaching assistants who shared their pedagogical experiences, teaching practices, and perceptions of technology within PACs. Using an interpretive phenomenological analysis, composite narrative accounts were presented to highlight unique characteristics of PAC instructors and develop meaning from their lived experiences. The findings revealed that PAC instructors use varying forms of technology, but all instructors rely on learning management systems as a pedagogical tool, which can be influenced by campus environment, pedagogical experiences, and social support. This pilot study contributes to the current gap in research related to technology in PACs and addresses the need to properly prepare instructors to teach in the digital age.

Rethinking Education Delivery for the 21st Century

2021 ◽  
pp. 95-119
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Significant Feature ◽  
Learning Centers ◽  
Education Delivery ◽  
21St Century Schools ◽  
Rethinking Education

Designing schools as learning centers is more than just about restructuring the physical space of schools. There are many variables that need to be considered when rethinking education delivery for the 21st century. Schools seem to just keep constructing buildings that merely reinforce an obsolete paradigm that will not prepare students for real-world challenges. The focus of this chapter asks the question: What does re-thinking education mean at the school leadership level? Numerous stakeholders, from policymakers to providers to end users affect the structure, content, and delivery of K-12education systems. A case study exploring the effect of district and school leadership styles on teaching and learning prompted by the question, Were the principals in High Scoring Schools (HSS) engaged in different instructional leadership practices than those in the Low Scoring Schools (LSS)? A significant feature of this study is the sizeable database that incorporated nine states, 43 school districts, and 180 elementary, middle, and secondary schools.

Discovering inspiring teaching: immersive models of staff development

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Hennessy ◽  
Gill Adams ◽  
Elizabeth Mahon ◽  
Sarah Nixon ◽  
Andrea Pratt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staff Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Descriptive Case Study ◽  
And Training ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Staff Practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline an innovative method of delivering staff development in an higher education (HE) setting. The paper evaluates the processes behind the “Focus on Inspiring Teaching” week and outlines its initial impact on staff. Design/methodology/approach – This is a descriptive case study which highlights how an immersive staff development event can be used to enable HE teaching practitioners to utilise more inspiring approaches to teaching and learning. The paper draws on questionnaire evaluations (n = 43). Findings – The paper highlights how staff development events can be used to foster communities of practice for teaching staff. For this to be successful, staff needs to be committed to reflecting on their own practice and be sufficiently engaged to partake actively of staff development events. By establishing these communities, inspiring practice in teaching can be developed with successful outcomes. The paper outlines a model for staff development which could be established in other HE settings. Practical implications – Immersive staff development events are effective in achieving sustainable impact. To achieve success effective leadership and a team of committed teaching staff are needed. Success was also fostered by not making sessions compulsory whereby the staff could opt in for sessions to fit around teaching schedules. Originality/value – This paper will be of interest to those working in staff development and training and academic managers. It indicates how immersive staff development can have a positive impact on staff practice to bring about improvements to the student experience.

scholarly journals Teaching Religious Character Education in Pre-School in the Era of Pandemic

Nadwa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-34
Author(s):  
Mar'atussholihah Kuswandi ◽  
Arif Rohman ◽  
Disa Hediansah
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Character Education ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Descriptive Case Study ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
The Relationship

This study describes the learning process of religious-based character education at TK ABA Berbah, Sleman, during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study incorporates a qualitative research method with a descriptive case study approach. Findings suggest that the school implemented blended learning activities in which lessons are conducted online and offline. Habituation became a key activity during the offline session. The involvement of parents contributed to the success of learning during the pandemic, set an example, and monitor their kids at home. Blended learning provided an increase in the communication's intensity and the relationship between parents, children, and teachers so that teaching and learning religious-based character education can be conducted appropriately amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Educators’ perceptions of technology integration into the classroom: a descriptive case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 236-249
Author(s):  
Rita J. Hartman ◽  
Mary B. Townsend ◽  
Marlo Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Level ◽  
High School Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Descriptive Case Study ◽  
Level Of Confidence ◽  
Integrating Technology

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to supply an in-depth description of the educators’ values, beliefs and confidence changing from a traditional learning environment to a learning environment integrating technology. Design/methodology/approach The descriptive case study design was employed using descriptive statistical analysis and inductive analysis on the data collected. Findings Themes on a high level of confidence, the importance of professional development and training, self-motivation, and excitement about the way technology can enhance the learning, along with concerns over the lack of infrastructure and support for integrating technology, and about the ability of students to use the technology tools for higher ordered thinking surfaced. Research limitations/implications Additional research may include a more diverse population, including educators at the kindergarten to high school level. Another recommendation would be to repeat the study with a population not as vested in technology. Practical implications A pre-assessment of the existing values, beliefs and confidence of educators involved in the change process will provide invaluable information for stakeholders on techniques and strategies vital to a successful transition. Social implications To effectively meet the learning styles of Generation Z and those students following, educators need be able to adapt to quickly changing technology, be comfortable with students who multitask and be open to technology-rich teaching and learning environments. Originality/value This study filled a gap in the literature where little information on the humanistic challenges educators encounter when integrating technology into their learning environment providing insights into the values, beliefs and level of confidence of educators experiencing change.

scholarly journals Teaching excellence and how it is awarded: A Canadian case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-52
Author(s):  
Janice Miller-Young ◽  
Melina Sinclair ◽  
Sarah Forgie
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teaching Excellence ◽  
Canadian Higher Education ◽  
Teaching Awards ◽  
Insight Into

Quality teaching and how to assess and award it, continue to be an area of scholarship and debate in higher education. While the literature demonstrates that assessment should be multifaceted, operationalizing this is no easy task. To gain insight into how teaching excellence is defined in Canadian higher education, this empirical study collected and analysed the criteria, evidence, and standards for institutional teaching awards from 89 institutions and 204 award programs across Canada. The majority of awards included criteria such as specific characteristics of teaching performance and student-centredness; while activities that had impact outside an individual’s teaching practice were also prevalent, including campus leadership, scholarship of teaching and learning, and contributions to curriculum. Lists of potential sources of evidence were heavily weighted towards student perceptions and artefacts from instructors’ teaching. Recommendations for individuals and institutions wanting to foster excellence in teaching are offered along with suggestions for future research.

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