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Leon Benade Being a Teacher in the 21st Century A Critical New Zealand Research Study BeingaTeacherinthe21stCentury LeonBenade BeingaTeacherinthe21st LeonBenade SchoolofEducation
AucklandUniversityofTechnology
Auckland NewZealand
ISBN978-981-10-3781-8ISBN978-981-10-3782-5(eBook) DOI10.1007/978-981-10-3782-5
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017930800
© SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2017
Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeorpart ofthematerialisconcerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseofillustrations, recitation,broadcasting,reproductiononmicrofilmsorinanyotherphysicalway,andtransmission orinformationstorageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilar methodologynowknownorhereafterdeveloped.
Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,servicemarks,etc.inthis publicationdoesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfrom therelevantprotectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse.
Thepublisher,theauthorsandtheeditorsaresafetoassumethattheadviceandinformationinthis bookarebelievedtobetrueandaccurateatthedateofpublication.Neitherthepublishernorthe authorsortheeditorsgiveawarranty,expressorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinor foranyerrorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade.Thepublisherremainsneutralwithregardto jurisdictionalclaimsinpublishedmapsandinstitutionalaffiliations.
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ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbySpringerNature TheregisteredcompanyisSpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd. Theregisteredcompanyaddressis:152BeachRoad,#21-01/04GatewayEast,Singapore189721,Singapore
Acknowledgements Theresearchworkonwhichthisbookisbasedwasmadelargelypossiblebythe generousfundingoftheFacultyofCultureandSocietyandtheSchoolofEducation oftheAucklandUniversityofTechnology.Thissupportwasinvaluableinhelping tobringthevariouselementsoftheresearchtofruition.
Inastudyofthisnature,thereisnoresearchwithoutparticipants,andalarge numberofparticipantswhogavegenerouslyoftheirtimeoverthepastthreeyears aregratefullyacknowledged.IhopeIhaveaccordedtheirvoicesandwordsthe respectanddignitytheydeserve.They,likesomanyotherteachersandschool leaders,deservepraisefortheirunstintingefforts.Ifocusmyworkonresistingthe movementofteachers’ workintotheshadow-landsofeducation.
Mythankstomypublisher,NickMelchiorofSpringer,andhiscolleagues,who havesupportedthepublicationofthisimportantwork.Specialthankstomycolleague,AndrewGibbons,oftheSchoolofEducationattheAucklandUniversityof Technology,whoparticipatedincertainaspectsofthisresearch,bothintheinitial ‘21st-CenturyLearning’ (2013/2014)andinthelater ‘BeingaTeacher ’ (2015) studies.Specialthankstooareextendedtothetwoanonymousreviewers,whose helpfulinsightsandsomeincisivecommentaryhavehelpedsharpeningthisbook.
Lastbutnotleast,Iacknowledgemywifeandprofessionalfriend,Gina,whoisa constantcompanionintheseendeavours,andhashadtoputupwithmydistracted attentionandseeminglyendless4amstarts.
Chapter1 Introduction Onceagain,thereisnosuchthingasteachingwithoutresearchandresearchwithout teaching.Oneinhabitsthebodyoftheother.AsIteach,Icontinuetosearchandre-search. IteachbecauseIsearch,becauseIquestion,andbecauseIsubmitmyselftoquestioning. IresearchbecauseInoticethings,takecognizanceofthem.Andinsodoing,Iintervene. Andintervening,Ieducateandeducatemyself.IdoresearchsoastoknowwhatIdonot yetknowandtocommunicateandproclaimwhatIdiscover(Freire 1998,p.35).
Context Thepast fivetotenyearshavewitnessedtheincreasinguseofthesomewhat nebulousterm, ‘21st-centurylearning’.Thisimplieslearningandteachingthat preparesstudentstoengagewiththe21stcenturyworld,andwhileanimperfect term,itisonemanypolicy-makershavelatchedonto,althoughtermslike ‘modern learning’ , ‘innovativelearning’ and ‘modernteachingandlearning’ arealsoheard amongstpractitioners.Internationally,schoolingsystemshavebeenmotivatedfor sometimetoensurethatteachersareabletoprovideschool-leaverswithappropriatelife-longand21stcenturyskills.
Thereisvalueinunderstandinghowteachersandleadersaremakingtheshift fromtransmissionmodelsofteachingtomodernandinnovativeapproachesthat developsuchskillsascriticalthinkingandproblemsolving;collaborationand leadership;agilityandadaptability;initiativeandentrepreneurialism;effectiveoral andwrittencommunication;accessingandanalysinginformation;andcuriosityand imagination(Wagner2008,citedinSaavedraandOpfer 2012,p.8).
BeingaTeacherinthe21stCentury traversesthespacebetweenbeinga researchreportandbeingaconventionalbook.Itisnotexclusivelyaboutchanges tothespacesinwhichteacherswork,thedigitaltoolstheyuseorthepedagogies theydevelopinresponsetothesechanges.Itisrathermoreaboutwhatallthese changesdototeachers’ heads(toputitbluntly),andthustoteachers’ conceptions oftheirwork.
© SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2017
L.Benade, BeingaTeacherinthe21stCentury, DOI10.1007/978-981-10-3782-5_1
Thebookisnotintendedtobeapractitionerbookof ‘howto’,orpractical suggestionsforwhattodoin flexiblespaceorwithdigitaltechnology.Whatitdoes doisdrawonthe fi ndingsofaqualitativestudyofteachersandleadersinseveral NewZealandschoolsoverthreeyearstotakestockofsomeofthecentralmanifestationsof21st-centurylearning.Inparticular,thesearethecollaborativepracticesassociatedwithteachingandlearningin flexiblelearningenvironments,and digitalpedagogies.Thisbookreflectsonthementalshiftsandsometimes-painful transitionsteachersandleadersaremakingandexperiencing,astheymovethrough unchartedwaters,fromtraditionalclassroompracticestoonesemphasisingcollaboration,teamworkandtheradicalde-centringoftheirpersonalroles.It demonstrateshowtheynavigatethesechanges,describingandexplainingthe natureofpedagogicalshiftsapparentindigitalclassroomsandmodernlearning environments,which,accordingtointernationalschools’ architect,Nair(2011), maketheclassroomobsolete.
Thepurposeofthisbookistoprovidescholars,teachereducators,andreflective schoolleadersandteachersavaluableinsighttowhatitistobeateacherinthe21st century.Thebookachievesthisaimbypresentingoriginalresearchbasedonmy studyofseveralNewZealandschoolsbetween2013and2015,andinparticular, myfocussedstudyoffourofthoseschoolsin2015.
Thisbookhasparticularbenefits:
1.Forteachereducatorswhomayhavelongsincelefttheclassroom,thenotionsof digitaltechnologyandpedagogy, flexiblelearningspaces,ergonomicfurniture anddevelopingcriticallyreflectivepracticemaynotbefamiliarterritory.This textwillsupporttheireffortstopreparetheirstudentteachersforarapidly changingschoolenvironment.
2.ForNewZealandscholarsandreflectiveschoolpractitioners,thisbookcontributesbyaddressingthepaucityofrelevant,critical,NewZealandeducation literatureinrelationtotheconceptof flexible(orinnovative,modernornew generation)learningenvironments.Itdoessothroughitscarefullyanalyticaland criticalconsiderationof21st-centurylearning,modernpedagogy,teacher reflectivepractice,andthestrategicactionsofschoolleadersinrespondingto thesediscreteelements.
3.WhiledrawingonexamplesthathaveaNewZealandfocus,andreflectingon fieldworkinsomeNewZealandschools,thisbookhasinternationalrelevance. Scholars,teachereducatorsandreflectiveschoolpractitionerswillrecognisethe experiencesoftheirNewZealandcounterpartsdescribedandinterpretedinthese pages.
ConceptualFramework HereIwillengageindiscussionconcerningtheconceptualunderpinningsofthis book,whichisframedbyanontologythatemphasisesthelivedexperienceof individualsworkinginanevolvingandemergingeducationalenvironment.These individualsseektomakesenseofthisexperience,andthisbookisanattemptto conveyandinterpretthissense-making.Theanalysesinthisbookareframedbya criticalandrationalistepistemologythatemphasisestheimportanceofuncovering underlyingpatternsofthoughtandpracticeindiscourses,foundindailywork practicesandtextssuchaspolicies.Ofparticularinterestistouncoverdiscourses thatoppress,disadvantageormarginalisewhilstsimultaneouslyshapingidentities andmanufacturingconsent.Theontologicaldiscoveriesand fi ndingsarecontextualisedandembeddedinthecriticalanalyses,whichinturnareinformedbysocial democraticpoliticalinfluences.
Thehumanexperience,whileboundtospeci ficcontexts,offersvaluablelessons acrosscontexts.Whyresearchersapproachtheirstudyofhumanexperiencetheway theydoisshapedbymultiplehistoricalandculturalinfluences,givingrisetoand derivingfromparticularwaysofseeingtheworld.Thesewaysofseeingtheworld influence how researchersconducttheirinvestigations,and,inparticular,whatthey dowiththeresultsoftheirefforts.
ABricolageofCriticalTheory,CriticalHermeneutics andPost-IntentionalPhenomenology DenzinandLincoln(2005)andSteinbergandKincheloe(2010)wroteof bricolage, thatis,abringingtogetherofelementsfromdifferentandvariedsources.Denzin andLincoln(2005)calledthequalitativeresearchera bricoleur,showingtheterm tohavewideuseamongmanyresearchers.The bricoleur rangesfreely,butcarefullyandintentionally,acrossawiderangeofapproachestoresearch,deploying practicesthatarepertinenttotheparticularresearchtaskathand.Thesepractices maynotnecessarilybeworkedoutbeforehand,butemergefromthecomplexities ofthetask,astheyunfold(2005).
SteinbergandKincheloe,inkeepingwiththenotionofthe bricoleur,soughtto combineseveralstreamsofcriticaltheorisingbesidesthecriticaltheoryofthe FrankfurtSchool,includingFoucault’sgenealogy,poststructuralistpracticesof deconstruction,andcriticalculturalstudiesandcriticalpedagogy(2012). Hermeneutics,theyargued,providedthisbridge.
Hermeneutics Hermeneuticsisamethodologyofinterpretation(Mantzavinos 2016).Itisthe processthatallowshumanbeingstointerpretwhatisperceivedandtomakesense oftheirperceptions(RambergandGjesdal 2009).Althoughhermeneuticshasa longhistory,asamethodofscepticalcritiqueofBiblicalScripture,ithasbeen associatedinmoderntimesparticularlywithHans-GeorgGadamer.Hisapproachto hermeneutics,withitsemphasislinkinginterpretationtohumaninterestsmakesit anontologicalproject.
Hermeneuticpractitioners(suchasGadamer)regardedinterpretationascontextualandcloselyrelatedtotheonewhointerprets.Researchersandtheirparticipantsareproductsofhistoryandtradition,andthisislikelytoinfluence researcherinterpretations.Textsthen,areviewedfromwithineachindividual perspective,andinterpretationsarethereforepartial(Kinsella 2006).Notonlyisit theresearcherwhoishistoricallylocated,butthetextsthemselves,andthelanguage inwhichtheyareexpressed(2006).Therefore,languageisfundamentaltointerpretation.Infact,Gadamerclaimedcreditforplacingthelinguisticatthecentreof hermeneutics.Humanlanguageisessentialnotonlytotheirhumanness,buttotheir abilitytolearnfromeachother.Gadamernoted,inhisinterviewwithCarstenDutt: “Wedonotneedjusttohearoneanotherbutto listento oneanother.Onlywhen thishappensisthereunderstanding” (Gadameretal. 2001,p.39.Emphasisinthe original).
Gadamer ’spointsuggestsconversation,afurtherdimensionofhishermeneutics, isaninvaluableconceptinunderstandingtheinterpretationofresearch. Conversationisnotamonologue,butadialoguewithanother.Theprocessof researchentailsusinglanguagetobetterunderstand,eventranslate,themessagethe researcherreceives.Todoso,requiresresearcherstostepovertheirboundariesand personallimits(2001).Inhermeneuticconversation,theresearcherbecomesa translatoroftextsinsearchofacommon(lyunderstood)language.Kinsella(2006) calledforaBakhtiniannotionofpolyphonicvoicestounderpinaresearcher ’s understandingofthissearchformeaning.Certaintyisthusreplacedwithambiguity, whichisconsistent,accordingtoKinsella,withGadamer ’sownunderstandingof howtoapproachtexts.Multipleconversationsreplaceasingle,universalintent, thusreducingtheprospectofanauthoritativereadingoftext(2006).
CriticalTheory CriticaltheoryoriginatedfromtheworkoftheFrankfurtSchool,whichincluded TheoAdorno,WalterBenjamin,MaxHorkheimerandHerbertMarcuse.Jurgen Habermasisaninfluential ‘secondgeneration’ memberoftheFrankfurtSchool (Farganis 2011).TheInstituteforSocialResearchwasestablishedattheUniversity ofFrankfurtinGermanyin1923,thoughitsfoundingmemberswereforcedto migratetotheUnitedStatesafter1933whenHitler ’sNazigovernmentoutlawed theInstitute.
TheoriginalmembersoftheFrankfurtSchooldevelopedasocialreconstructive perspectiveandacommitmenttosocialjustice(Bohman 2005).Criticaltheory drawsonseveraldisciplines(Bohman 2005;Farganis 2011)inthehumanand socialsciences.Thisalloweditsfoundingthinkerstobringtogether “empiricaland interpretivesocialsciences [with]normativeclaimsoftruth,moralityandjustice” (Bohman 2005,p.5).Criticaltheoryisthereforepractical,inamoral,notinstrumentalsense,andnormative.Itsnormativeorientationismainlypointedtowards “thetransformationofcapitalismintoa ‘realdemocracy’” (Bohman 2005,p.3), deployingtheknowledgeitgeneratestoachievingjustsocialoutcomes(Farganis 2011).Criticaltheoryisanepistemologicalprojectthatproposesrationalinterests, anditspracticaleffectistobringaboutenlightenmentandemancipation(Geuss 1981).
Criticaltheorycanthusbedistinguishedfromatraditional(scienti fic)theoryby anexplicitagendaforachangeofsociety.Amajorchallengefacingthesetheorists wasthegrowinginfluenceofamaterialist,capitalisteconomicethosofinstrumentalityandtechnologicaldevelopment,whichnegatedsocialchange(notunlike theinfluenceofneoliberalismtoday).Horkheimer,in EclipseofReason (2004), arguedthatinstrumentalreason,drivenbytechnologicalprogress,wassupplanting independentthoughtandaction.Moralreasoning,whichseekstruthandmeaning, byfocusingonmoralends,hadbeenreplacedbyirrationalitythatfocussedon meanswherebydesiredpracticalends(ratherthandesirableones)couldbeattained.
Writingin1941,Marcusespokeof “anew[technological]rationalityandnew standardsofindividuality[that]havespreadoversociety” (1998,p.42).Marcuse arguedthattechnologicalrationalitywascharacterisedbycomplianceandautomaticbehaviour: “Rationalityisbeingtransformedfromacriticalforceintooneof adjustmentandcompliance…Reasonhasfounditsrestingplaceinthesystemof standardizedcontrol,productionandconsumption” (p.49).
Therefore,whatboththinkerswerearguingisthathumanswerelosingtheir abilitytothinkandactcritically,dueinsigni ficantmeasuretotheeconomicand technologicaldevelopmentofcapitalism,butalsobecauseoftheriseofFascist ideologies.Thiscompliantattitudeexistsinironicrelationtoso-calledopenand democraticsocieties,whichoughttobeopentocritique,butareactuallyclosedto anydissentingopinion(Farganis 2011).
CriticalResearchandEducation SteinbergandKincheloe(2012)suggested fiverequirementsofcriticalresearch:
• arejectionofpositivisticrationality;
• makingandkeepingexplicitthevalueposition(socialjusticeanddemocracy)of theresearcherorpractitionerinrelationtothe fieldofpractice;
• makingexplicitthetacitculturalandprofessionalunderstandingsthatshapethe thinkingofresearchersandpractitioners;
• exposingpowerstructuresthataredominantinsociety;and
• maintainingaconsciouslinktopractice,withaviewtoimprovingitssocial justiceanddemocraticpotential.
Positivisticrationalitycanberejectedbyrecognisingtheconstraintsinplace overteachersandeducationresearchers.Asignifi cantconstraintisthesingular focusonstudentachievement.Thisfocusisanexampleofthe ‘instrumental rationality’ referredtoearlier,whereteachinganditsassociatedareasofinterestare reducedtomeretechnicalities.Similarly,thismentalityisevidentinthe ‘evidence-led’ dogmathatunderpinssomucheducationalpolicyandpractice(see, inthisregard,Biesta 2007).
Itishelpfulforresearcherstohaveaself-conscioussenseoftheirresearch identity,andtobeabletodefinetheirpositionality.Beingacriticalresearcherand practitionerrequires “theattempttofreeoneselffromthetacitcontrolsofracial, class-based,andgendereddiscoursesandlivedpractices” (p.1489).Cultureinall itsformsisdeeplycontestedterrainineducation,andparticularlyincriticaleducationstudies.Cultureis “adomainofstruggle” (SteinbergandKincheloe 2010, p.144),andisakeydeterminantinshapingperspective.Therefore,thecritical educatorandresearchermustbeabletoacknowledgetheroletheirowncultural positioningplaysinshapingtheirattitudes.Thismeansrecognisingtherolesclass, gender,raceandreligionplayinshapingattitudes,nottomentiontheroleplayedby thepopularcultureofcinemaandmusic,forexample.
Developingresearchstrategiestocounteractthetechnicaldeterminisminherent ina ‘whatworks’ , ‘evidence-led’ policyandpracticeframework,andtodothe workofemancipationcouldincludeempiricalwork.Whatcriticalresearchersdo withthatempiricaldataiswhatwillsetthemapartfrompositivisticresearchers,by goingbeyonddescriptionand ‘objective’ reporting,tosearchingforcontradictions andpatternsthatexplainpowerrelationships,forexample.Thecriticalresearcher eschewsthenotionofafact–valuedivideinempiricalwork: “Theknowledgethat theworldyieldshastobeinterpretedbymenandwomenwhoareapartofthat world.Whatwecallinformationalwaysinvolvesanactofhumanjudgment” (SteinbergandKincheloe 2012,p.1493).
Powerdoesnothitusintheface,asitwere.Itissomewhatsubtler,yetthe criticalresearchermustseekitoutandexposeitforwhatitis oftensophisticated policyannouncementsandpositionsdesignedtoencourageatechnologicaldeterminism,forexample.Givingeducationpractitionersthelanguagetoidentifyand ‘name’ instancesofpowerhasanemancipatoryeffect.Sotoocanbetheexposure ofthewaysinwhich “citizensareregulatedbytheforcesofpoweroperatingina generalclimateofdeceit” (SteinbergandKincheloe 2010,p.140).Thisrequires someunderstandingofthesymboliclanguageofsociety,whichoftenactsasa vehicletoconveyimagesofpower(suchasextollingmaterialaffluenceinpopular media).Uncoveringthewinnersandlosersinsocietyisanotherexampleof revealingpowerandhowitworks.Yetotherexampleswouldincludeinstancesof genderedpower,orissuesofsexualityinschools.
Toavoidthedeterminisminherentin ‘whatworks’ andeffect-sizeresearchdoes notautomaticallyimplythatcriticaltheoreticresearchersarenotinterestedin
bringingaboutimprovedpractice,thoughtheir firstconcernwouldbetobring aboutimprovedsituationsandcontexts.Givingteachersframeworksonwhichto constructcoherentvaluepositionsoftheirownwillbeanimportant firststepto supportingtheirpractice.Itisnotonlythepracticeofteachersthatshouldbeof concernhere,butthepracticeofresearcherstoo.Throughself-reflexiveactivity, theyareabletoconfrontchallengesintheirownresearchpractice,especiallyin suchareasaspersonalculturalcontextorunintendeddisplaysofpower.
DevelopingaCriticalHermeneutics Althoughcriticaltheoryandhermeneuticsdonotappeartositwelltogether, SteinbergandKincheloe(2010)arguedthattheirreadingofGadamerledthemto theviewthatinterpretationisanactofmoralreasoningandaction(andtherefore alliedtotheaimsofcriticaltheory).Thetimeisright,theysuggested,foradialogue betweencriticaltheoryandthe bricolage ofpostmodernandpoststructuraltheories, suchasfeminism,Foucauldiangenealogy,complexitytheoryanddiscourseanalysis,amongstothers.Drawingtogetherthisamalgamofapproachestoresearchis consistentwiththefuzzinessofthecontemporary21stcenturyworld.Acritical readingofhermeneutics,theysuggested,createsthebridgebetweenthe bricolage oftheoriesthatrejectboundarysettingandCartesianrationalityontheonehand, andcriticaltheoryontheother.
AnunderstandingofGadamerianhermeneuticsremindsacriticaltheoristand researcher “thatmeaningmakingcannotbequarantinedfromwhereonestandsoris placedinthewebofsocialreality” (2010,p.148).Tothisviewofmeaning, Roberge(2011)addedthatideologyplaysamajorrole:ideologyis fi lledwith meaning(ratherthanmeaningsomething),thusinquiriesmustseekoutthelinks betweengroupsandtheirbeliefs.Coupledwiththeimpetustomoralaction, researchwillinterpretaccordingtothecontextandthesocialforcesatplayoverthat context,andwillseektopointtoappropriateactioninrelationtothe phenomena-in-context(SteinbergandKincheloe 2010).Roberge(2011)too regardedcriticalhermeneuticsasatheoryofactionrespondingto ‘ideology, dominationandviolence’ (p.13),bydeveloping,forexample,participationand solidarity.
SteinbergwithKincheloenotedthatthe ‘critical ’ additiontohermeneuticsbrings aconcernwithpowerandjustice,anditrequirestheethnographicresearchertoseek toexposethe “concealedmotivesthatmoveeventsandshapeeverydaylife” (2010, p.148).Gadamer ’snotionofhistoricalcontextnowincludesresearcher self-awareness,theplaceandsignificanceofcultureinaresearchcontext,the constructionofresearchdesignandthesignificanceofhumansubjectivityandits construction.Thevoicesofthesubjugatedarebroughtforth,andthehermeneutic circleengagestheresearcherinconversationwiththosevoices,inthepursuitof deeperunderstanding.Notonlyarethevoicesraisedandheard,butalsotheyare locatedintheiruniquehistorical,socio-economic,politicalandculturalcontexts.
Criticalhermeneuticsattemptstomarryboththeontologicalprojectthat Gadamerhadinmind,andtheepistemicprojectofcriticaltheory.Itsignalsparticularwaystogoaboutdesigningandconductingresearch.Itrepresentsa bricolage thatdrawswidelyondisciplinessuchasphilosophy,sociology,psychology, historyandeconomics,andonresearchscholarship.Thisofcourseincludesphenomenology,Gadamerianhermeneutics,criticaltheoryandmanypostmodern influences,suchasgenderstudies,culturalstudies,indigenousresearch,discourse theory,autoethnographyandnarrative.Whilethissoundslikearandomandeclectic mix,criticalhermeneuticsgetsitscoherencefromitsemphasisonanalysis uncoveringpowerandideologicalinfluences,itsfocusonsocialjusticeoutcomes, andthecontextualisedplaceofresearcher,participantsandresearchtextsintheir variedforms.
Post-IntentionalPhenomenology A
finalinfluenceoverthecontentandanalysisinthisbookisattributabletothe recentworkofVagle(2010, 2014).Hehasdevelopedacriticaldimensionto phenomenology(2015),thustakingitbeyonditsdescriptive/interpretivebounds, andhisworkaddsdimensionsnotpresentinGadamer ’shermeneutics.He emphasisespostmodernstrategiessuchasjournaling,andappealstothepostmodernconceptof ‘playing’ withdifferentapproachestodisruptcustomary flows ofthoughtandaction.ItisespeciallyVagle’suseof ‘post-intentionalphenomenology’ thatisworthgrapplingwith,however.Idosoasitprovidessomeof thetoolstoenableadiscussionofthemeaningfulwaysinwhichpractitioners withinandacrossschoolsengagewiththepolicyimperativetoimplementmodern teachingandlearningpractice,characterisedby flexiblelearningenvironmentsand digitaltechnology.
Vagle(2014)describedintentionalityastheinseparableconnectednessbetween subjects(people)andobjectsintheworld(animate,inanimate,ideas).Intentionality signifi esourmeaningfulconnectiontotheworld, not consciousplanningtotake action,ordeliberatechoice.Havinganunderstandingofintentionalityiscentralto engaginginresearchthathasaphenomenologicalimpetus.Thereareintentional relations ‘thatmanifestandappear ’ (p.27),andtheresearcherisattemptingtograsp these,whichappeartotaketheformofwaysinwhichpeopleareconnectedtoother people,theirworkplacesandtheirwork.Themanifestationoftheserelationships maybeevidentintheirfeelings,suchashopefulness,despair,confusion,joyor resistance.ThedevelopmentVagleposited,buildingonearlierphenomenological usesofintentionality,wastoseeintentionalityasameaningfulconnectionpeople maketotheirworld.Inthissense,heprefersthenotionofconsciousness-with, ratherthanconsciousness-of.Thelattersensespeaks,Vagleargued,ofWestern ego-centredrationality(andherewecanseehispostmodernismcomeintoplay). Clearly,Vagle’sintentwastoplace “phenomenologicalphilosophiesindialogue withaspectsofpost-structuralphilosophies” (p.29).
The “dynamicintentionalrelationshipsthattieparticipants,theresearcher,the producedtext,andtheirpositionalitiestogether” (p.30)yieldunderstandinginthe researchprocess.ForVagle, “thispositioningisonlyknownthroughintentionality” (p.30),andhethusgavesignificantemphasistoconstantself-critiqueby researchersoftheirperformanceinthe field,whichheconsideredanethicalact. Vagleclearlyindicatedthattheresearcherisimplicatedinthe findingsofresearch, byvirtueofbeingpositioned.Justasresearchparticipantsareconstantlyprojecting forwardintovariousrelationships,sotheresearcherisprojectingintotheresearch relationship.Research findingsareanythingbut final,beinginstead “de-centeredas multiple,partialandendlesslydeferred” (p.31.Emphasisintheoriginal).
TheconceptofintentionalityisoneInowattempttointegrateintomyresearch, particularlyinregardtomakingsenseofwaysmyparticipantsmakesenseoftheir livedexperienceanddescribetheirmeaningfulconnectiontotheirlifeworld. Vagle’spost-intentionalapproachisliberatinginsofarasitde-emphasisesthe notionofderivinguniversalordefinedessencesofmeaningandunderstanding. Apartfromrecognisingmyownplaceintheresearchprocess,thereisanopportunitytoshareanddevelopmutualunderstandingswithmyparticipants.Vagle furthermoresuggestedconstantself-reflection,fundamentaltowhichisthe awarenessresearchershaveoftheirownposition.
APersonalNote Thereareseveralinfluencesthatintersectwith,andoverlap,theconcerns,themes, ideasandtopicspresentedinthisbook.Theobviousconcernsrelatetoaquestion aboutwhatishappeningtoteachers’ workinthemidstofrapidchanges.Changeis, surely,oneoflife’sconstants,soIwanttobecarefulfromtheoutsetnottocreate theimpressionthatIthinkteachersandschoolleaders findthemselvescaughtupin somekindof ‘revolution’,orthatdecadesofidyllhavebeensuddenlyandrudely interrupted.
Likecountlessotherteachersbefore(andmanystilltoday),Ipracticedmywork incellularroomswith fi xed,uniformfurniture.Indeed,someofmyearlyteaching wascarriedoutinclassroomsnotunliketheonesinwhichIspentmyschoolyears, repletewithrowsofthesolidwoodendesk/seatandhingedtopandinkwell!More modernfurnitureallowedalittlemore flexibility,theoverheadprojectorandslide projector(ifyouwereareallyprogressivesort)mayhavebeenreplacedwiththe dataprojectorandinteractivewhiteboard,but,byandlarge,thesingle-cellroom, withtheteacherthefocusofattentionatthefront,hasremainedlargelyunchanged.
Inthepast fiveyearsorso,inNewZealand,andinschoolselsewhereinthe world(inpartsofAustralia,insomeScandinavian,EnglishandAmericancontexts, forexample),thispicturehasbeenundergoingconsiderablechange,however. Contemporaryarchitecturalandfurnituredesignhasbeenimplementedinthe
buildingofnewschoolsandothereducationalinstitutions,andintherenovationof exitingbuildings. ‘Ecofriendly’ and ‘smart’ designprincipleshavebeenutilised, combinedwiththeprovisionoftechnology-richinfrastructure(suchasultrafast broadbandandsophisticatedservers)tocreateplacesoflearningthathavebeen dubbed ‘modern’ , ‘innovative’ , ‘flexible’ , ‘agile’ and ‘newgeneration’ toname someofthemorepopularterms.Inthesespaces,muchlargerthansingle-cell rooms,multipleclassesarecombinedandteachersworkinteams.Nolongeristhe soleteacheratthefrontthefocusofattention(indeed,thereisnolongeradiscernible ‘front’).
Moreover,thefocusineducationhasbeenshiftingsteadilyinthiscenturyfrom ‘knowing’ to ‘learning’.Teachersarebecoming ‘facilitators’ , ‘learningcoaches’ or ‘learningadvisors’,and ‘students’ are ‘learners’.Thesechangesinthephysical spaceoflearning,thechangesinthewaywethinkandspeakaboutteachingand learning,andthetoolsandartefactswhichsupportteachers’ work,areallbringing aboutsigni ficantdemandsonteacherstoreconceptualisetheywaytheythinkand carryouttheirwork.
Asateachereducator,Ihavesomeinterestinconveyingtomystudentsan understandingofwhatunderliesthesechanges.Ialsohaveaninterestinsupporting themtodevelopsomeofthestrategiestheywill fi ndinvaluableoncetheystepinto theclassroom,particularlyifitistobeashared,collaborativespace.Universities canworkwith,andsupportschoolsintheirwork.Researchworkwithschoolsfalls intothiscategory,andasFreiresaid,asaresearcherIhavearesponsibilityto “communicateandproclaimwhatIdiscover” (1998,p.35).Schoolshaveavested interestintheexternalperspectivesresearcherscanprovideonthenatureand processesoftheirwork.
DivisionofContent Inthefollowingchapter,Iwillintroducereaderstothespecifi csoftheresearch processthathasgeneratedthe findingsonwhichthebook’scontentreflects.To challengetheoft-heardcommentthat “thereisnoresearch” tosupporttheshifts towards flexibilityinarchitectureandpedagogyanddigitalstrategies,Chapter 3 willconsiderareviewofrelevantliteratureinformingthe fieldonwhichmy researchinquiriesinto flexible,modernenvironmentsandpedagogyisbased. Chapters 4–8 willpresentanddiscussthe findings,withreferencetoimpactson teachers’ work,reflectivepracticeandresponsestothepolicydrivetoimplement ‘21st-centurylearning’.Thebookconcludeswithachapterof ‘takehomelessons’
References Biesta,G.(2007).Why ‘whatworks’ won’twork:Evidence–basedpracticeandthedemocratic deficitineducationalresearch. EducationalTheory,57(1),1–22.doi:10.1111/j.1741-5446. 2006.00241.x
Bohman,J.(2005).Criticaltheory. StanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy.Retrievedfrom http:// plato.stanford.edu/entries/critical-theory/ Denzin,N.,&Lincoln,Y.(2005).Thedisciplineandpracticeofqualitativeresearch.InN.Denzin& Y.Lincoln(Eds.), TheSAGEhandbookofqualitativeresearch (3rded.,pp.1–32).Thousand Oaks,CA:SAGE.
Farganis,J.(Ed.).(2011). Readingsinsocialtheory:Theclassictraditiontopost-modernism (6th ed.).NewYork,NY:McGrawHill.
Freire,P.(1998). Pedagogyoffreedom:Ethics,democracyandciviccourage.Lanham,MD: RowmanandLittle field.
Gadamer,H.-G.,Dutt,C.,Most,G.W.,Grieder,A.,&vonWesternhagen,D.(2001). Gadamerin conversation:Reflectionsandcommentary (R.E.Palmer,Ed.andTrans.).NewHaven,CT: YaleUniversityPress.
Geuss,R.(1981). Theideaofacriticaltheory:HabermasandtheFrankfurtSchool.Cambridge, UnitedKingdom:CambridgeUniversityPress. Horkheimer,M.(2004). Eclipseofreason (reviseded.).London,UnitedKingdom/NewYork,NY: Continuum.
Kinsella,E.(2006).Hermeneuticsandcriticalhermeneutics:Exploringpossibilitieswithintheart ofinterpretation. ForumQualitativeSozialforschung/Forum:QualitativeSocialResearch, 7 (3),Art.19.RetrievedMarch29,2016from http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/ article/view/145/319
Mantzavinos,C.(2016).Hermeneutics.InE.N.Zalta(Ed.), TheStanfordencyclopaediaof philosophy (Falled.).Retrievedfrom http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2016/entries/ hermeneutics/
Marcuse,H.(1998).Somesocialimplicationsofmoderntechnology.InD.Kellner(Ed.), Technology,warandfascism:CollectedpapersofHerbertMarcuse (Vol.1,pp.39–65). London,UnitedKingdom/NewYork,NY:Routledge(Originalpublishedin1941).
Nair,P.(2011).Theclassroomisobsolete:It’stimeforsomethingnew.Retrievedfrom http:// www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/07/29/37nair.h30.html
Ramberg,B.,&Gjesdal,K.(2009).Hermeneutics.InE.N.Zalta(Ed.), TheStanfordencyclopaedia ofphilosophy (Summered.).Retrievedfrom http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2009/entries/ hermeneutics/ Roberge,J.(2011).Whatiscriticalhermeneutics? ThesisEleven,106(1),5–22.doi:10.1177/ 0725513611411682.
Saavedra,A.R.,&Opfer,V.D.(2012).Learning21st-centuryskillsrequires21st-centuryteaching. ThePhiDeltaKappan, 94(2),8–13.Retrievedfrom http://www.jstor.org/stable/41763587
Steinberg,S.,&Kincheloe,J.(2010).Power,emancipation,andcomplexity:Employingcritical theory. PowerandEducation, 2,140–151.doi:10.2304/power.2010.2.2.140
Steinberg,S.,&Kincheloe,J.(2012).Employingthebricolageascriticalresearchinscience education.InB.J.Fraser,K.Tobin&C.J.McRobbie(Eds.), Secondinternationalhandbookof scienceeducation [Springerinternationalhandbooksofeducation](pp.1485–1500).Dordrecht, TheNetherlands:Springer.Retrievedfrom http://link.springer.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/book/10. 1007/978-1-4020-9041-7/page/1
Vagle,M.D.(2010).Re–framingSchön’scallforaphenomenologyofpractice:apost–intentional approach. ReflectivePractice:InternationalandMultidisciplinaryPerspectives,11(3),393–407. doi:10.1080/14623943.2010.487375.
Vagle,M.D.(2014). Craftingphenomenologicalresearch.WalnutCreek,CA:LeftCoast Press.
Vagle,M.D.(2015).Curriculumaspost-intentionalphenomenologicaltext:Workingalongthe edgesandmarginsofphenomenologyusingpost-structuralistideas. JournalofCurriculum Studies,47(5),594–612.doi:10.1080/00220272.2015.1051118
Chapter2 PresentingtheResearch Goodqualitativepurposestatementscontaininformationaboutthecentralphenomenon exploredinthestudy,theparticipantsinthestudy,andtheresearchsite.[They]alsoconvey anemergingdesignand[use] thelanguageofqualitativeinquiry (Schwandt,2007, citedinCreswell 2014,p.124)
Introduction
Myintentioninwritingthisbookisnotsimplytodescribeteachingandlearningin theseconddecadeofthe21stcentury.Thetwostudiesonwhichitisbased, ‘21st-CenturyLearning’ and ‘BeingaTeacherinthe21stCentury’,providedan opportunitytogaindeeperinsighttotherichtapestryformingthebackdropto teachers’ workasithasbeenevolvinginthis,theseconddecadeofthe21stcentury. Around2011,Ibegantopayattentiontothestridentandzealousclamouraround theconceptof ‘21st-centurylearning’.Iwassomewhatsceptical(mainlybecause missionaryzealtendstocloudandconflatemultipleconceptsandsweepsupadherents inanuncriticalmaelstrom).Ibegandrillingintothisconceptphilosophically,presentingaconferencepaperin2011thatwaseventuallypublishedin2015(Benade 2015a).Thelinksbetween21st-centurylearningand TheNewZealandCurriculum (MinistryofEducation 2007)canbeseeninitsgeneralvisionforschoolingof “young people whowillseizetheopportunitiesofferedbynewknowledgeandtechnologies tosecureasustainablesocial,cultural,economic,andenvironmentalfutureforour country [and] whowillbeconfident,connected,activelyinvolved,andlifelong learners.” (p.8).Further,oneofthevaluestobeencouragedinNewZealandschooling is “innovation,inquiry,andcuriosity,[encouraged]bythinkingcritically,creatively, andreflectively” (p.10).Amongthe ‘keycompetencies’ areincluded ‘thinking’ , ‘understandinglanguage,symbolsandtexts’ and ‘managingself ’.Withinthese,the followingstandout:studentswillbe “problem-solvers[who]activelyseek,useand createknowledge”;whowill “confidentlyuseICT…toaccessandprovideinformationandtocommunicatewithothers”;andwhowillbe “enterprising,resourceful, reliable,andresilient…[ableto]… establishpersonalgoals,makeplans,[and]manage
© SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2017
L.Benade, BeingaTeacherinthe21stCentury, DOI10.1007/978-981-10-3782-5_2
projects” (p.12).Astrikingfeatureofthiscurriculumdocumentisitslimitedreference toteachersandteaching,thoughthereisreferenceto ‘teachingasinquiry’,which “requiresthatteachersinquireintotheimpactoftheirteachingontheirstudents.” (p.35).Insupportofthisaim,athree-stepmodelisprovided,andservesasatoolof reflectivepractice.
Furtheringapersonalinterestin,andacriticalfocuson,teachersandteachers’ work,with financialsupportfromtheFacultyofCultureandSocietyofthe AucklandUniversityofTechnology,Iframedastudyin2013,guidedbythis question: Whatistheinfluenceoftheconceptof ‘21st-centurylearning’ on reflectivepractice,pedagogyandleadershipinaselectionofNewZealand schools? Myfundingproposaldrewattentiontothefeaturesoftheconceptof ‘21st-centurylearning’ inNewZealandschoolsincludingtheuseofdigitaltechnologiesandtheemergingdevelopmentof flexibleteachingandlearningspaces. Therewassomeevidenceinresearchliteratureforaclaimthatnewpedagogiesare requiredtosupportthewideninganddeepeninguseoftechnologies,which,inturn, wouldrequireteacherstotakeupanincreasinglycritical(self-re flective)orientation (Wright 2010).Therewasanassociatedlikelihoodofstudentsbecomingmore motivated,engagedandabletoengageincriticalandcollaborativelearning(2010). Theintentionoftheprojectatthisstage(2013/4)wastocriticallyappraisetheclaim thattheintroductionofdigitaltoolsandworkingin flexiblespacesbringsabout changedpedagogy,and,inparticular,criticalpractitionerreflection.Toachievethis purpose,thelivedprofessionalexperiencesofteachersandschoolleadersinasmall numberofcasestudyschoolswereconsidered(seeBenadeetal. 2014;Benade 2015b, c).Datawasgatheredinthe fi eldbyinterviewing23participantsselected fromsixschools.Inaddition,afocusgroupwasheld,consistingofafurtherfour participantsnotassociatedwiththesixparticipantschools.
In2015,thestudyfocusdeveloped,withthisguidingquestion: Whatisittobea teacherinthetwenty-fi rstcentury? Thisstudy(withfurtheruniversity financial support)continuedtofocusontheworkofteachersandthestrategicactionsof leadersataselectionofNewZealandschools.Asintheearlierstudy,thiswasa qualitativestudy.Itsoughttoexplore,interpretanddevelopgreaterunderstandingof modernteachingandlearningpractices,andthetransitionsteachersandschool leadersmakeastheygrapplewiththechallengeof21st-centurylearning,the developmentof flexiblelearningspacesandtherapidlychangingnatureofknowledgeandlearninginadigitalage.Teachersandleaderswereselectedfromamong theparticipantschoolstotheearlierstudy.Datawasgatheredthroughinterviews, focusgroupsandobservationsofteachersworkingin flexiblespacesand/or implementingBYOD(BringYourOwnDevice)and/ore-Learning.Theintentwas tocontinuetoencouragetheseparticipantstoexploreandreflectontheirlived professionalexperiencesinthecontextof21st-centurylearning,butnowwiththe focusbeingontheirevolvingunderstandingandexperienceofleadingandmanaging theirtransitiontomodernteachingandlearningpractices.Itwasalsoimportantto understandthechallengesandobstaclestheywereencounteringinthistransition process,andhowtheyweresustainingfundamentalpedagogicalchange.
DesignandParticipants The ‘21st-centuryLearning’ studywasdesignedasamultiplecasestudy,duetothe likelihood(aswillbeseenshortly)ofwhatYin(2003)hadidentifiedascomplex andhighlycontextualisedresearchsettings,withmultipleuncontrollablevariables. OfparticularinterestwastheviewofAryetal.(2006),whosawincasestudy designstheopportunitytounderstandhowandwhyindividualsrespondtochanges intheirenvironment.Stake(2006)advisedagainstsingleresearchersworkingon multiplecasestudies,giventheircomplexity.Inthisstudy,Ienlistedthesupportof acolleague(AndrewGibbons),whohelpedwithinterviewsanddataanalysis,and subsequentlycontractedthesupportoftwoothers(MicheleGardenerandChristoph Teschers)whoundertookliteraturereviewwork.
Apurposiveselection(choiceofspeci ficparticipantswhodisplayspeci fic characteristics)wasmadetoensurethereweresixparticipatingschoolsthatrepresentedarangeofdeciles1 (SES)andsectors(primaryandsecondary). Additionally,schoolorientationwastakenintoaccount:theschoolswereeither: (a)overtlyfuture-oriented2;
(b)shiftingfromtraditionalcellularspacesandpedagogiesto flexiblespacesand pedagogiesinfluencedbye-Learningandfuture-focusedconcepts,or (c)retainingtheuseoftraditionalspacesandmoreconventionalpedagogies (whichcouldrangefromteacher-centredtolearner-centred).
Theselectedmixofschoolsinorientation,decilesandsectorswassegmentedas follows:
(a)wasrepresentedbytwohigh–decile(affluentneighbourhoods)stateschools, oneofwhichwasaprimary(elementary)school,oneofwhichasecondary (high)school;
(b)wasrepresentedbytwoschools,onemid–highdecilestate-integratedprimary,3 onelow-decilestateprimary;and
(c)wasrepresentedbytwoschools,onemid–low-decilestateprimaryandone mid-decilestatesecondaryschool.
1The ‘decile’ ratingsystemhasbeenusedinNewZealandasawayofallocatingfundingequitably.Basedonanumberofmeasures,schoolsarerated ‘low’ inareasofgreatestsocio-economic deprivation; ‘high’ inaffluentareas.Percapitafundingisgreatesttolow-decileschools.The systemisbeingreviewedatthepresenttime,andisslatedforimminentreplacement.
2WhiletheNewZealandCurriculumrefersto ‘futurefocussed’ conceptssuchassustainability, citizenship,enterpriseandglobalisation(2007,p.39),thetermusedhereindicatesaschool establishedwithclearfocusontheprinciplesof21st-centurylearninginaninnovativecontext.
3NewZealandschoolsthatwerepreviouslyprivate(notably,butnotsolely,Catholicschools), whichareintegratedintothestatesystem,thusattractingstatesupport(particularlyteachers’ pay, butalsodecilefunding).Theseschoolscontinuetohavetherighttoadvancetheir ‘special character ’
Table2.1 Participantschoolsbysectorandclassification:21st-centurylearningstudy
SchoolSectorClassification
SchoolA1Primary ‘Futuresoriented’,builtbymodernlearningenvironment (MLE)design
SchoolA2PrimaryBlendssingle-cellclassesandMLE
SchoolA3PrimarySingle-cellclasses;limitedICTuseacrosscurriculum
SchoolB1Secondary ‘Futuresoriented’,builtbymodernlearningenvironment (MLE)design
SchoolB2SecondaryOvertBYODapproachacrosscurriculum
SchoolB3SecondarySingle-cellclasses;limitedICTuseacrosscurriculum
Table 2.1 belowcapturesthisinformationinadifferentformat.
Thedesignallowedforthe ‘School2’ casetobeeitheraschoolupgrading single-cellroomsto flexiblelearningspaces,orbeaschoolthathadrecently introducedBYOD.ThiswassoincaseB2.Ineitherkindofschool,significant pedagogicalshiftsbyteacherswouldberequired.
Individualparticipantswerealsopurposivelyselected,specificallytheprincipal ofeachschool,theheadofICTore-Learning,onelong-servingteacherandone recentlyappointedteacher(1–2yearsofservice)fromeachschool.Thereasoning hererelatedtoquestionsofstrategicleadershipandmanagementofchange;the demandsofICTand/ore-Learningonstaff;andgainingtheperspectivesofteachers fromoppositeendsoftheexperiencecontinuum.
Datawasgatheredfromone-hourinterviews,conductedwiththeparticipants. Althoughtheoriginaldesignallowedforfocusgroupstobeformedfrom12invited participantsmadeupoftwoteachersfromeachofthesixschools,thisdidnot materialise.Onreflection,Stake(2006)wascorrectinsuggestingthatamultiple casestudyisnotpracticableforoneperson.Nevertheless,somewhatserendipitously,agroupofindividualsnotlinkedtothesixschools,butwithaninterestin theproject,agreedtoparticipateinafocusgroup.Afurtherparticipantagreedtoan individualinterview(seeTable 2.2).
Theinterviewsandthefocusgroupwereaudio-recordedandtranscribedbya contractedtranscriber.Themesemergedintheprocessofinterviewingandas transcriptswereanalysed.The firststageofthisanalysisutilisedNVivosoftware. Atthisstage,Ididnotseriouslymakeuseof fieldnotes,andwasnotyetkeeping anykindofjournal.
The ‘BeingaTeacherinthe21stCentury’ studyreflectsamethodologicalshift fromfocussingon fi ndingpatternsanddifferencesamonganumberofparticipant schoolstoevaluatingandunderstandinghowindividualparticipantsacrossthe schools findthemselvesinrelationshipwith21st-centurylearning.Thisevaluation takesintoaccount21st-centurylearningasanexemplarofmacro-level,global governance(specificallytheOECD),andasanationaleducationpolicycommitmentatthemesoornationallevel.IntheNewZealandcontext,thismeansconsideringthecommitmentoftheNewZealandMinistryofEducationtointroduce flexiblelearningspaces(or,InnovativeLearningEnvironments[ILE])toallNew
Table2.2 Individualparticipantsnotlinkedtocasestudyschools:21st-centurylearningstudy
RoleComments Ex-principalWasarecentleaderofafuturesorientedsecondaryschool ConsultanttoschoolsEngageswithschoolsone-Learning ConsultanttoschoolsEngageswithschoolsone-Learning PrincipalLeadsatraditionallow-decileregionalprimaryschool
Zealandschoolsby2021(MOE 2011).Inaddition,andinlinewiththepromotion ofICTinTheNewZealandCurriculum,isthestatedintentthatschoolsadopt digitaltechnologyandteachersacquiree-Learningexpertise.Anevaluativefocusat themicro-leveloftheclassroomandschoolallowsfordescriptionandjudgementof actualpractices,includingmakingsomejudgmentsaboutschoolpolicyintentas expressedindocumentaryevidenceandthevoicesofparticipants.Thisevaluation ofpracticewasthereforeconsideredthroughthelensesofpedagogicalprinciples thatcanbeconsideredessentialtothedevelopmentof ‘21stcenturyskills’,such as:personalisation,interdisciplinaryandproject-basedinquiry,studentdirectionor agencyandcollaborativepractices(Nair 2011;Pearlman 2010).
Theparticipantschoolstothe ‘BeingaTeacher ’ studywereSchoolsA1,A2,B1 andB2(seeTable 2.1),astheseareschoolscommittedtoengagingthepolicy impetusthatschoolsdevelopmodern,technologicallyrich,pedagogies.4 Myfocus, influencedbymyreadingofVagle(2014),wasnottodescribeorexplainteacher (andschool)practicesasmuchastoestablishtheintentionalrelationshipsofthe participantstowardseachother,theirschools,tothepolicyimperatives,todigital technology,to flexiblelearningspacesandeventome,theresearcher.Howdothey findthemselveswheretheyare,andhowdotheymakesenseofwhatthey are orare becoming?Iwantedtoexaminehowtheseparticipantsrespondto,andmakesense of,thecommitmentto21st-centurylearning,totheprocessoftransitionfrommore conventionalandtraditionalapproachestoteachingandlearning,andtothesuggestiontheyre-fashionthemselvesasteachersforthe21stcentury.
Asintheearlierphaseofstudy,SchoolB2wasagainapproachedasitwasinthe earlyphaseofBYODimplementation.Itwaslikelythatitsteacherswereliving throughtheexperienceofimplementingasignificantnewstrategy,which,as suggestedabove,wouldbeplacingdemandsontheirpedagogyandsenseofprofessionalidentity.
Teachersatallfourschoolswereapproached,withthesupportoftheprincipals, toparticipateintheresearch,whichinthissecondphase,involvedseveralobservationsacrossthesecondtermof2015.Inaddition,teacherswereaskedtocommit toinformaldebriefingdiscussions.Theteachersatallfourschoolswereinvitedtoa focusgroupateachschoolaswell.Thesewererunattheconclusionofthe observationphase.Theprincipalsalsoagreedtobeinterviewed.
4Myuseof ‘pedagogy’ referstoteachers thinking abouttheirworkandtheiractual classroomrelatedwork.
Datawasgatheredfrom31observationsacrossthefourschoolsites,ranging from45–100mineach.Inaddition,16debriefinginterviews,of5min–1hwere conductedwitharangeofteachers.Inlaterchapters,thesearedenotedas ‘DB’.All fourprincipalswereinterviewed,andthesearedenotedas ‘IV’ inlaterchapters. Wheredataisusedfromthe2013interviews,thesearedenotedas ‘IV2013’.Four stafffocusgroups(oneateachschool)ofanhourwereheld,andthesearedenoted as ‘FG’.InthecaseofSchoolB2,Iranfocusgroupsessionsofbetween45minand anhourwithagroupofYear9andYear10students,andonewithaselectionof parents.Althoughnotoriginallyplanned,astudentsurveywasrunatSchoolB2. Onceagain,theoveralltaskwasconsiderable,andIthusoncemoreinvitedmy colleague,AndrewGibbons,toassistatoneoftheschoolsiteswithobservations,a principalinterviewandthestafffocusgroup.Someliteraturereviewworkwas contractedtooneofmyPh.D.students,AlastairWells,andIcontractedatranscriber.Table 2.3 belowsummarisesthisdatagathering.
Theinterviews,informaldebriefingdiscussionsandthefocusgroupswere audio-recordedandtranscribedbyacontractedtranscriber.Again,IusedNVivo, andconsciouslytriedtodeveloptheideaofwhole-part-wholeanalysisadvocated byVagle(2014).Oncemore,asinthepreviousstudy,themesemergedinductively, orthroughthemultipleprocessesofobservation,discussion,interviewingandas transcriptswereanalysed.Afurtheradditiontothedesignwasmyintentionto create fieldnotes.Towardstheendofthe ‘21st-CenturyLearning’ study,Ihad beguntoexperimentwithajournalintheformofelectronicnotesthatfollowedthe suggestionofHughes(2006).Ivoicerecordedpersonalreflections fieldnotes afterobservationsanddiscussionsduringthe ‘BeingaTeacher ’ study,andframed theseaccordingtothecategoriessuggestedbyHughes(2006).Inthesereflections,I wasawareofVagle’sperspectiveonself-reflexive ‘bridling’ inwhichthe researcher ’sintentionalityisheldinrein,allowingtheresearchertobeopentothe intentionalrelationshipsthatalwaysalreadyexistinthelivesoftheparticipants. Thesevoicerecordingswerealsotranscribed,andthusbecameevidenceonrecord tobeutilisedintheanalysis.
Theparticipantsincludedsomeofthoseinvolvedinthe firstphaseofthe research.Inanearlieriterationofthisbook,andinpublishedarticleselsewhere,I attemptedtohumaniseandpersonalisetheparticipantsbyassigningthempseudonyms.Inresponsetoreviewsofthisbook,andthepossibilityofparticipants potentiallybeingidenti fiedbyreaderswhocorrectlyguesswhichschoolsparticipated,Ihaveresortedtode-identi ficationoftheteachers.Itisnotpossibleto completelyde-identifyallparticipants,assomeareidentifiedbyvirtueoftheir roles.Allparticipantshave,however,hadtheopportunitytoreviewChaps. 4–8
A finalpointaboutdesign:oneofthefundamentaldifficultiesofthisdesign(and aweakness,somewilldoubtlesspointout)istheinclusionofatraditional single-cellschoolamongtheschoolswith flexiblelearningenvironments.Indeed, whenItoldacolleagueaboutthevariousschools,hethoughtthat,infact,there weretwostudies onethatwasevaluatingBYODatthetraditionalschool,andone thatwasevaluating flexiblelearningspacesattheotherthree.WhileIcanseewhy hewouldthinkalongthoselines,todosomissesthepoint,whichIwillmakehere,
Table2.3 Fielddatasummary:beingateacherstudy
SchoolSectorClassificationDatagathering
School A1
Primary ‘Futuresoriented’,builtbymodernlearning environment(MLE)design
3teacher interviews
2principal interviews
6observations 1stafffocus group
School A2
PrimaryBlendssingle-cellclassesandMLE1teacher interview
2principal interviews 6observations 1stafffocus group
School B1
Secondary ‘Futuresoriented’,builtbymodernlearning environment(MLE)design
2teacher interviews
2principal interviews
8observations 1stafffocus group
School B2
SecondaryOvertBYODapproachacrosscurriculum3teacher interviews 1principal interview 11 observations 1stafffocus group 2studentfocus groups 1parentfocus group
byrepeatingmypurpose:thisstudysoughttoexplore,interpretanddevelopgreater understandingofmodernteachingandlearningpractices,andthetransitions teachersandschoolleadersmakeastheygrapplewiththechallengeof21st-century learning,thedevelopmentof flexiblelearningspacesandtherapidlychanging natureofknowledgeandlearninginadigitalage.TheimplementationofaBYOD policyandthedevelopmentofassociatede-Learningpedagogiesbyteachersisas muchpartofwhatitmeanstobeateachertoday,asIwritein2016,asisthe implementationof flexiblelearningspacesandthedevelopmentofpedagogiesnow associatedwiththosespaces.Iwillnowsaysomethingaboutethics,andthen introducethefoursitesofinvestigation.
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