PGCert1 draft ideas

Supporting teachers to plan and deliver digital accessibility awareness education in the school classroom

Introduction

Digital accessibility awareness is not yet formally taught or included within the school curriculum, nor is it yet formally taught regularly at other levels of the educational curriculum (Nishchyk and Chen, 2018; Putnam, 2016; Freire et al, 2007; Coverdale, Lewthwaite and Horton, 2022). This has been identified as something that needs to be addressed to ensure that future generations know how to be inclusive in our future digital society (Lewthwaite, Horton and Coverdale 2023; Putnam, Rose and Macdonald 2023; Soares Guedes and Landoni, 2020; Gilbert, 2019; Kulkarni 2018; Freire, 2017; Wang, 2012), as well to meet the demand of the futureaccessible technology skills gap in the workplace (PEAT, 2018, Horton 2020; Teach Access, 2023), and highlighted inthe UK’s National Disability Strategy (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, 2021; p.91). Research in this area is limited, fragmented, and currently offers an immature body of knowledge that mainly made up of small singular reflective accounts of classroom teaching, rather than in-depth studies(Putnam, 2016; Lewthwaite, Horton and Coverdale, 2022).There is very little research conducted from the point of view of the pedagogical support needed for teachers to be able to plan, deliver or include digital accessibility awarenesseducation in their curriculum (Lewthwaite, Horton and Coverdale, 2022; Lewthwaite, Horton and Coverdale, 2023)and no papers have been identified that explore this subject within the school classroom context.

This study therefore intends to adopt an in-depth pedagogical exploration into the journey of teaching digital accessibility awareness, from the planning of lessons to the delivery and execution within the school classroom to answer the overarching proposed research question of:

• How can teachers be supported to plan and deliver the foundations of digital accessibility awareness educationin the school classroom?

Philosophical and theoretical research frameworks

Theoretical position

To plan research Crotty (1998) explains that we typically start with a real-life issue that needs to be addressed and then we can plan our research in terms of that issue, problem, or question (p.13). The selection of the appropriate ontological and epistemological perspective for the research then works todefine the paradigm and methodology to be used (Twining, 2010). There are two contrasting paradigms, which are either quantitative, known as positivist research that believes there is one objective reality, and therefore, there is one true explanation, and this would follow the methods of the natural sciences and seek control and predictability. In contrast there is interpretivism that believes there are multiple realities, which is qualitative or constructivist research which believes that meaning is culturally defined and situated interpretations of the social life world (Twining, 2010; Twining, Heller, Nussbaum and Tsai, 2017; Crotty, 1998). This study sits within the discipline of educational research and more specifically the context of classroom planning and practice. Hammersley (2007, p.25) explains that at one time it was widely assumed that educational research and practice could, and should, be based on scientific theory, with using techniques whose appropriateness had been determined by the results of scientific investigation (O’Connor, 1957; Dunkin and Biddle, 1974). However, education is a profoundly people-centred profession (Hargreaves in Hammersley; 2007; p.4) and sits within a human and social situation rather than an easily controlled scientific environment, and as Blaikie (1993) points out, that in any social situation there may be multiple realities (p.203). This means that means investigating the human experience is characterised as a process of interpretation (Blaikie, 1993; p.96). Interpretivism entails an ontology in which social reality is regarded as the product of processes by which social actors together negotiate the meanings for actions and situations, it is a complex of socially constructed meanings (Blaikie, 1993; p.96). In the case of this research study, it is the negotiation of meaning and theexperience of teachers planning and delivering a new curriculum topic within the classroom context.

With the ontology established, epistemology then presents a view as to what can be regarded as knowledge and the ways in which it is possible to gain knowledge from this reality(Blaikie, 1993; Crotty, 1998). At the most basic level, interpretive research within education is concerned with exploring or describing some social phenomenon that is not well understood, possibly to inform further stages of an investigation (Blaikie, 1993; p.203). Planning for teaching and interpreting teaching contexts can be complex, and the outcomes of teaching at different phases can depend upon so many variables that attempts to formulate testable hypotheses about effective teaching are rarely worthwhile (Bassey in Hammersley, 2007; p.143). Within a teaching paradigm, interpretivism and qualitative work is favoured by many educational researchers in their attempts to advance knowledge and wisdom about classroom practice and management procedure (Bassey in Hammersley, 2007; p.143).

(ACTION RESEARCH INSIDER/OUTSIDER – lesson study) In the teaching discipline, an interpretivist researcherwould enter the everyday social world to grasp the socially constructed meanings of a group of teachers, and then reconstruct these meanings in social scientific language. At one level, these latter accounts are regarded as redescriptions of everyday accounts, at another level they are developed into theories (Blaikie, 1993; p.96). This study will adopt this approach to describe, and then later analyse the data, to code and establish themes and theories for the types of supportteachers need.

The social construction of knowledge is described as

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Situated learning and communities of practice

Teaching is contextual and situated and in the context of studying multiple viewpoints is as knowledge socially constructed. – social constructionism and social constructivism

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Methodology and frameworks of research inquiry

To organise the study, this research intends to adopt apedagogical framework of enquiry to explore in depth theexperiences of a group of teachers throughout each of the three phases of the pedagogical process, such as teaching as planned and intended, teaching as enacted, and teaching as experienced (Erickson and Shultz, 1992; Alexander et al., 2010; Billet, 2011; 2015; Nind, Curtin and Hall, 2016; Kelly et al, 2016; Clemmons et al, 2022). To uphold the use of this model in this research, Clemmons et al (2021) assert that curricular development and program evaluation experts have argued that a curriculum can only truly be understood after reconceptualizing it from three (or more) perspectives (Gehrke et al., 1992; Ewell and Jones, 1996; Matthews and Mercer-Mapstone, 2018) (p.2). In this case these the three perspectives offer a range of lenses to understanding the types of support needed across the journey for teachers to plan, deliver and experience a curriculum intervention for digital accessibility awareness. Clemmons et al (2021) further addsthat the three-part model of pedagogy has been utilised in various education studies (Aulls, 2004; Cook-Sather, 2006; Dvorakova & Matthews, 2016; Lerch, 2004; Matthews, 2014b; Matthews & Mercer-Mapstone, 2016; Zidon, 1996) (p.2) with each pedagogical phase offering a unique purpose for the teaching and learning context. Alexander et al (2010) describes this pedagogical model in more detail, as ‘what is intended to be taught and learned overall (the intended or planned curriculum) what is taught (the curriculum as enacted from the instructor perspective) and what is learned (the curriculum as experienced by both teachers and learners)’Alexander et al., 2010, p. 250). These three phases will enable the culmination of describing the full pedagogical process as well as the cross examination of several individual studies, which by triangulation of the findings of all three stages will better identify key themes and insights to fully understand thetype of support teachers need throughout.

These sub-questions will inform the specific focus of each phase.

1. What support do teachers need to be able to planlessons that support digital accessibility awarenesseducation in the school classroom? (Pedagogy as planned)

2. What support do teachers need when delivering and enacting basic digital accessibility awareness education in the school classroom? (Pedagogy as enacted)

3. What can be learned from teachers experiences to provide support for future implementation? (Pedagogy as experienced)

Aligned to the phases of the pedagogical approach is lesson study. Lesson study involves teachers coming together collaboratively to develop knowledge of a subject matter and it's teaching and learning (Lewis, 2009). Firstly, they plan lessons together, described by Lewis (2009) as designing a ‘research lesson’ to bring to life shared learning and development goals (p.95), then share ideas for how to best design lessons by drawing on their experiences, observations and knowledge of students, any guidance, textbooks and other resources needed, this is described by Fernandez and Yoshida (2012) as being meticulous and collaborative in nature, this aligns directly to the pedagogy of curriculum as planned or intended and a socially constructed approach.

Teachers then teach their planned lessons involving teachers or others as observers who have the lesson plan in hand using it as a guide to know what learning objectives to look for in the lesson (Fernandez and Yoshida, 2012), pedagogically this is the second phase of teaching as enacted. THIS LEARNING IS SITUATED - COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE. DIFFERENT TEACHERS, DIFFERENT LEARNERS TO GAIN FEEDBACK ANOUT THE LESSON - MULTIPLE CLASSROOM CONTEXTS TO REVIEW.

After teaching has happened teachers then regroup to discuss the lesson, described by Lewis (2009, p.95) as a debrief to share what they had observed as well as reflect on and discuss the evidence gathered during the lesson. It is used it to improve the lesson, the unit, and instruction more generally (Lewis, Perry and Murata, 2006). This then leads to revising the lesson and reteaching a new version of the lesson, just like the cyclical process of action research to refine the teaching and learning. The only difference is that another teacher will often deliver the same lesson whilst colleagues again will come to observe (Elliot, 2019; MacFarlane, 2000; Fernandez and Yoshida, 2012).This makes it a slightly different approach to traditional action research approach that involves one teacher’s reflection of their own practice and instead more in line with a collaborative method of a socially constructed approach to develop, plan and deliver lessons. THIS ALSO MEANS THAT THE ENACTMENT IS REPEATED BUT IN DIFFERENT CLASSROOMS TO TEST AND REVIEW IN MORE THAN ONE CONTEXT.

In favour of this approach, Fernandez (2005, p. 278) found that teachers who participated in lesson study research who initially had problems with their lack of content knowledge deepened their understanding of the content in that area, with Lewis, Perryand Murata (2006) adding that it improves teachers’ knowledge of subject matter. Multiple stakeholders sharing and acquiring teaching experiences and the co-production and development of content knowledge are core aspects to this study.

Pedagogy as experienced in the context of this research needs to go further than to just develop and refine lessons, it needs to identify the types of support needed and as one of the primary outputs. Pedagogy as experienced needs to act as a vehicle to interview teachers about their whole experience and cross reference this with the rich descriptive and reflective findings of the first two phases of the study.

#Pedagogy as planned – focus groups

#Pedagogy as enacted – take influence from the lesson study approach – lesson study also combines the development of an initial research lesson.

The growth of action orientated research is simultaneous with the emergence of social constructionist views of knowledge (Gergen and Gergen, 2013; p.160).

Lesson study is also a practice that can help build theory and understanding about practice, and in educational design-based research cycles it can involve cycles of design, enactment, analysis and redesign of a new curriculum (Nind, Curtin and Hall, 2016; p.171).

#Pedagogy as experienced

With separate parts that will contribute to answering the overall research question, this study intends to take the form of an educational design-based research approach.Educational design research, otherwise known as ‘design-based research’ or ‘development research’ is an iterative framework that seeks to discover new knowledge that can inform the work of others facing similar problems (McKenny and Reeves, 2013; 2018), in this case the lack of pedagogicalknowledge and support for the teaching of digital accessibility(Lewthwaite, Horton and Coverdale, 2022; Lewthwaite, Horton and Coverdale, 2023). Educational design research can be conducted in several ways, such as cumulative or iterative cycles, that combine several studies together to identify insights and theories rather than just on isolated variables or build and develop prototypes to explore in depth each key feature that addresses an individual research question (Van den Akker et al, 2006). Like Lesson study and social constructivist views of knowledge, educational design research is committed to the simultaneous development of both theoretical insights and practical solutions and working together with stakeholders in the cyclical development of a solution to the problem being tackled (McKenney and Reeves 2021), it has evolved into an accepted paradigm of educational research (Sandoval, 2014).

Educational design based research

The influence of the lesson study approach – socially constructed – not just one person’s experience

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Focus groups – interviews – observations – inductive –iterative

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Data analysis

By using qualitative and descriptive data offers a rich…

Inductive similar to grounded theory - uncharted territory to test a theory, the data will provide the theories as themes emerge.

Thematic analysis and IPA

Conclusions

Outputs of toolkit and guidance recommendations to support teachers.

As an interpretive and socially constructed study there may not be wholly generalisable outcomes or outputs that offer one true way of seeing things, because as Crotty (1998) explains, human knowledge is not like that, at best outcomes will be suggestive rather than conclusive. The aim, however, is for the outcomes and outputs of this research to be relevant and relatable to those within the teaching profession, and as observers of this research should be able to recogniseoutcomes that are plausible, or perhaps a convincing way of seeing things (p.13). Using the multi-study educational design research approach and using multiple stakeholder perspectives offers the research a more balanced and triangulated view of multiple realities and reduces the bias that a single study approach may bring.