Navigating New Paths
Featured "We Make the Road by Walking": A Freirean Analysis of Primary School Teachers Views and Experiences of Personal Education Plans for Children in Care in Northern Ireland View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Patricia Nicholl
There is overwhelming evidence of the poor educational outcomes of children in care in comparison to their peers and concern regarding the effectiveness of the Personal Education Plan (PEP) policy in promoting their educational attainment. This study explores the views and experiences of primary school teachers in respect of Personal Education Plans; on multi-professional collaboration in this context; their understanding and experience of children’s educational rights and explores alternative models to support children in care achieve their potential in education. This qualitative study utilises a multi-disciplinary Research Advisory Group (RAG) of experienced professionals in the education of children in care. Data was collected through online semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of twenty primary school teachers in Northern Ireland. Data was thematically analysed and emerging themes were further explored in a focus group. The findings illuminated three key areas; the PEP as a dynamic working document and process; The PEP as a collaborative process and the PEP as a rights- based approach to the education of children in care. These findings were analysed through Freire’s lens of critical Pedagogy and theory with the aim of promoting a more child rights attuned Personal Education Plan Framework to help enhance educational outcomes for children in care. Conclusions and recommendations for policy and practice reform are outlined incorporating the alignment of extant education policies and procedures; the development of flexible child participation approaches in the Personal Education Planning process and the creation of communities of learning in a post COVID-19 world.
Cameras Are On - Exploring the Challenges of COVID-19 Post Remote Learning in Urban Middle School Classrooms: What Are Grade 7 Middle School Teachers’ Perspectives of Students’ Interpersonal Relationships? View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kathleen O’farrell
The intent of this qualitative pilot study is to gain insight into the perceptions of middle school teachers’ on students' interpersonal relationships in school post-COVID 19, remote learning. The study focuses on whether their students' interpersonal relationship skills were strengthened or weakened upon returning from remote learning at home to the classroom. Three types of data collected were semi-structured interviews, one focus group, and.anonymous written artifacts from the seventh grade students. The outcomes and discoveries of this study reveal that teachers’ perceptions and implementation of support strategies could play an important role for strengthening students’ interpersonal relationships within the classroom learning environment.
English Teacher Education and Post-method: A Transnational Perspective to Classroom Practices View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Iara Maria Bruz, Gustavo Moura
Teacher education is constituted by a range of different elements. From basic education to the work environment, learners are building their own stories with each teacher and passing through interactions and spaces with their individualities. As there are so many details to be considered in teacher education, it is unlikely to observe them all at once. However, being an educator is an ongoing construction, both for pre-service and in-service teachers, which requires theories that can further investigate the intertwined components of what makes a critical, responsive, and globally aware educator. To corroborate the notion of post-method teaching – an approach that considers teaching and learning as complex activities which include different interrelated aspects (e.g., content, classroom contexts, and student-teacher relationships) – this paper presentation uses Kumaravadivelu’s (2003, 2012) three-parameter theoretical framework to investigate how English teachers from Canadian and Brazilian teacher education programs develop pragmatic teaching skills in Cuba. Based on the Particularity, Practicality, and Possibility triad, the authors expand notions of English as an International language (JORDÃO, 2014; PENNYCOOK, 2007) teaching in transnational contexts (BRUZ et.al, 2021), and broaden teacher identity construction in times where equity, diversity, and inclusion are in the spotlight of language teaching practices. Moreover, the authors connect the parameters above with possible post-pandemic English classroom practices.
Digital Craft: The Evolution of How and What We Make View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rana Abudayyeh
This research addresses the assimilation of digital practices into the conventions of design thinking and learning. The implications inherent in this integration influence not only the formal language of design but also the process of making from its conceptualization to generation. As the field of design changes in response to emerging digital technologies and pressing user needs, the pedagogy of design similarly evolves, equipping students with the tools and skills necessary to respond to the complexities, constraints, and demands of our present era while working towards a responsible future. Technology has become an integral component of design education and has extensively altered the structure of design instruction. Digital craft has established a culture that encourages students to develop ideas and take risks in design while providing them with the tools and freedoms for creative production. In this context, the paper explores the potential inherent in the proliferation of digital technologies in design education. Innovations in digital tools and fabrication have contributed to a change in the way designers imagine space and the manner people experience the built environment. The digitalization of workflows and production methods ushered in change in our shared understanding of space. This collective position has the promise to aid in the creation of new spatial models that are more equitable and inclusive in education and practice. By encoding design processes using computer language, designers are able to provide more intuitive, efficient, and empathetic ways to engage with contextual parameters and envision and test innovative design solutions.
