Book quotes text: A Social Constructivist approach
Thoughts: book is related mainly to teacher education, but this research relates to teaching a new curriculum subject so this is about both learners and teachers developing knowledge and practice.
P.2 At the school level, social constructivism implies a for of learning in which students are fully engaged, find the process meaningful, and relate ideas to the real world to a considerable extent. Only in this way can they participate in constructing their knowledge and acquire habits that make them lifelong learners.
143 Many contemporary writers are saying that a progressive or social constructivist approach to education- child-centred, inquiry oriented, interactive, collaborative, communal, inclusive- is the only way for schools to go. Without such an approach, today’s school children will not be engaged, will not learn, and will not become lifelong learners.
140 Self study often has to be done with minimal funding, cost is an important consideration. Surveys are not necessarily expensive, but they can be in terms of technical support if one makes them more comprehensive or machine readable and seeks to analyse results in detail.
In the case of interviews conducted by oneself, the main cost item is transcription if done by specialists or time consuming for a non specialist. Time is better spent analysing results rather than producing them.
We would stress the importance of collaboration in research on one’s own program. Different researchers can complement each other’s talents and interests and so work more effectively. Joint research can also be more enjoyable and can deepen the sense of community within the faculty team. Furthermore, such research provides students in the program with important modelling of teacher collaboration.
P.110 With respect to equity and inclusion, appropriate experiences during a program can expose student teachers to types of diversity, prejudice, and disadvantage not encountered before. They can also give them the opportunity to build on their prior experiences and modify their existing ideas in this area.
109 While adhering to a developmental, constructive pedagogy, however preservice faculty should feel free to state explicitly their own views about equity and inclusion. Indeed this is essential for stimulating the development of student teachers ideas.
P.108 Efforts should be directed toward ensuring that inclusion becomes something that appeals to students, interests them, and makes sense to them, something they commit themselves to and implement under their own steam. Otherwise they may quickly abandon it when exposed to the rigours of the practicum and their first years of teaching.
In Schoonmaker’s (2002) view, knowledge about teaching ‘must be co-constructed if it is to have any lasting meaning.
P.104 If inclusion is only discussed separately from the rest of the program, it tends to be viewed as tokenism or an ‘add on’ by student teachers and not taken seriously; and as Villegas and Lucas (2002) say, it’s theoretical significance and implications for practice may not be understood.
P.103 Student teachers also need to be exposed to relatively factual information about diverse groups, matters on which widespread ignorance and misunderstanding exists.
P.101 A group need to see the appropriateness of an inclusive approach, Darling-Hammond (2002b) Comments ‘the journey toward these understandings (of equity pedagogy) is intensely personal, and yet it is necessarily social- it has to be conducted in the company of others who teach us about their own experiences and who learn with us about how to build a common understanding that is greater than the sum of its parts (p.202).
P.101 Darling-Hammond (2002b) refers to Dewey’s statement that in order to have ‘values in common’ members of a group must have ‘a large variety of shared undertakings and experiences’ (Dewey, 1916;1966, p.84).
P.100 Another reason why community is essential is because it provides a safe environment for discussion of issues of equity and inclusion.
If you’re going to talk about issues of social justice, equity and excellence…then you have to have a safe place…So…the first thing you have to do is establish a community in your classroom.
P.98 In focusing on diversity and inclusion, however, we should we wary of stereotyping, which can result in our doing more harm than good.
P.98 It is often noted that student teachers sometimes react negatively, at least initially, to discussion of issues of difference and inclusion (Irvine, 2003; Vavrus, 2002).
Inclusion cannot be effectively taught in a transmission manner: students must be actively engaged in constructing an inclusive approach to teaching and learning, taking ownership of it as a concern.
P.97 We believe that building community is the single most important means of fostering inclusive attitudes and practices among student teachers.
The emphasis in social constructivism on community, social learning, critical inquiry, recognition of ‘the other,’ personal construction of knowledge, and holism all point in the direction of inclusion.
More page quotes…coming.
ME: Teachers are actively encouraged to be reflective practitioners (Brandenburg et al, 2017; Sellars, 2017; Malthouse and Roffey-Barentsen, 2013; McGregor and Cartwright, 2011; Petty, 2004) and in pre-service are encouraged to take on self study research of their own teaching context to develop sound theory knowledge in the sociocultural domain (Carr, 1995; Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2001; Noffke, 1997). Beck and Kosnik (2006) further explain its main goal is for the improvement of practice and to explore in depth what is happening in a given program or institution, how this can be enhanced, and as far as possible do research at other levels and stress the importance of working in collaboration with others. They also quote Zeichner (1998), who refers to asking students about their experience of learning as a valuable dimension to help to expose the gaps between what is being taught and what the students experience.
Beck and Kosnik (2006) further add that self-study research is practice based and such inquiry is both a form of action research (Carr & Kemmis, 1986; Elliott, 1991;1997; Noffke, 1997) and a type of grounded theory research (Punch, 1998; Strauss and Corbin, 1988). As such it involves cycles of observation, idea formation, program modification and then further observation, assessment, re conceptualisation, and so on (P.138).
Action research as a tool for self study - negative is it’s just the teacher perspective.
Similarly another iterative approach for cycles of action and improvement in curriculum development is lesson study. Lesson study involves multiple stakeholders to evaluate and refine practice…
Comments
Post a Comment