Education Sciences

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15 pages, 39331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Photographs of Play: Narratives of Teaching

by Susanne Garvis, Anne Keary and Natalie McCallum

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(1), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010100 - 17 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1055

Abstract

Research affirms positive results between children’s play and academic success. While play is heavily featured within the early childhood curriculum, limited studies have explored how play is actually implemented within early years settings. The aim of this study was to enhance children’s play [...] Read more.

Research affirms positive results between children’s play and academic success. While play is heavily featured within the early childhood curriculum, limited studies have explored how play is actually implemented within early years settings. The aim of this study was to enhance children’s play and learning by using photographs to explore play-related pedagogical practices of early childhood teachers in Australia over time. Using visual narrative inquiry, three families participated (mother and child) and shared school photos of the mother in an early childhood context and the current child in an early childhood context. The photos were analysed with a visual analysis approach to understand play and teaching across the two time periods. Key findings revealed what has changed and what has become part of the foundation of play in Australian early childhood education. Findings are important to expand the current understanding of play and the historical perspectives of play. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teacher Narratives and Narratives of Teaching: Inquiry into Lived Experiences)

24 pages, 4265 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Staff–Student Partnership in Curriculum Design

by Fiona Alison Boyle, Fiona M. Buchanan, Dan Ritchie and Kelum A. A. Gamage

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010061 - 04 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1369

Abstract

Collaboration between staff and students for improved curriculum design is presented as highly beneficial in many contexts. In particular, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is seen as facilitating co-design and collaboration. However, students tend not to be actively involved in curriculum change, especially [...] Read more.

Collaboration between staff and students for improved curriculum design is presented as highly beneficial in many contexts. In particular, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is seen as facilitating co-design and collaboration. However, students tend not to be actively involved in curriculum change, especially in whole programme design or review. Furthermore, few studies consider partnership with students in the context of ESD inclusion, which was the focus for this collaboration. The aim of this study was to explore staff and student perceptions of participating in a collaborative approach to the review and development of the undergraduate law curriculum in a university in the UK. A developmental evaluation using mixed methods was used to study the expectations and experiences of students and staff through a process of curriculum review and change to incorporate ESD. Our findings demonstrate the rewards of a collaborative process incorporating diverse perspectives. However, they also highlight barriers for students and staff, including perceptions of risk associated with student involvement in the process, and we offer reflections on navigating these potential risks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teacher Narratives and Narratives of Teaching: Inquiry into Lived Experiences)

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18 pages, 313 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards a ‘Community for Practice’—A Narrative Analysis of the Evolution of Higher Education Scholars

by Jennifer Scott, Josephine Pryce, Nicole B. Reinke, Dongmei Li, Mary-Ann Shuker, Rachelle Singleton, Angela Tsai and Ann L. Parkinson

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1239; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121239 - 14 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 971

Abstract

In higher education (HE), collaborative activities that revolve around a core idea, practice, or knowledge base, such as learning circles, communities of practice or inquiry, peer observation, and peer-assisted teaching, are known to support professional learning. This paper explores the experiences of eight [...] Read more.

In higher education (HE), collaborative activities that revolve around a core idea, practice, or knowledge base, such as learning circles, communities of practice or inquiry, peer observation, and peer-assisted teaching, are known to support professional learning. This paper explores the experiences of eight HE scholars from Australia and New Zealand, across four years, as they recognized a new means of collaborative professional development that transcends known approaches and extends beyond an immediate focal point. The group originally formed to support the development of HE fellowship applications, but evolved to what they now consider a community for practice (CfP), where the purpose of collaboration has changed to meet the unique learning needs of each member. During their four years of collaboration, meeting discussions were recorded, and individual and community narrative reflections about participation in the group were created. A thematic analysis of these collective data sources revealed the group’s evolution, and the authors draw on their experiences to tell their story with an aim to enhance professional learning in HE. The study highlights that individuals’ distinct and varied needs can be developed and supported through scholarly, collegial engagements such as a CfP, which does not necessarily require an immediate point of practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teacher Narratives and Narratives of Teaching: Inquiry into Lived Experiences)

13 pages, 285 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Teacher Morale and Mental Health at the Conclusion of the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Tim Pressley, David T. Marshall, Savanna M. Love and Natalie M. Neugebauer

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121222 - 08 Dec 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1436

Abstract

As teachers entered the 2021–2022 school year, schools tasked teachers with the challenge of closing the learning loss gap, maintaining the same standards as a typical school year, implementing COVID-19 safety protocols and teaching to grade-level standards. The current study used the theoretical [...] Read more.

As teachers entered the 2021–2022 school year, schools tasked teachers with the challenge of closing the learning loss gap, maintaining the same standards as a typical school year, implementing COVID-19 safety protocols and teaching to grade-level standards. The current study used the theoretical framework of teacher demoralization to explore teachers’ experiences of morale and mental health at the end of the 2021–2022 school year. The participants included 830 PK-12 individual teachers from across the United States who completed an online survey. The data were analysed using Pearson’s correlation and the hierarchical multiple regression model to determine the predictor variables. The results showed significant predictors for both teacher morale and mental health. The implications focus on steps that school leaders can take to support teachers’ morale and mental health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teacher Narratives and Narratives of Teaching: Inquiry into Lived Experiences)

14 pages, 268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Narrative Exploration of One Teacher’s Storied Experiences of Online Learning during COVID-19

by Joanna Mei Lin Lim

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1211; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121211 - 05 Dec 2023

Viewed by 949

Abstract

The hubbub of teaching lives is enriched by the relationships between students, colleagues, parents and the larger schooling community. When these relationships are disharmonious, attending to the dissonance within these relationships may offer insight into teachers’ relational work. This autoethnographic article focuses on [...] Read more.

The hubbub of teaching lives is enriched by the relationships between students, colleagues, parents and the larger schooling community. When these relationships are disharmonious, attending to the dissonance within these relationships may offer insight into teachers’ relational work. This autoethnographic article focuses on one international elementary school teacher’s experience of teaching online in West Africa during COVID-19. Teaching online in a developing country with political and physical instabilities compounded the chaotic experience of living and working during the pandemic. Guided by this research question, “How did online learning impact my relationship with students?”, the author utilized writing as an inquiry approach to make sense of the challenging aspects of her online teaching experiences. By delving into narrated moments, the author engaged in reflexive analysis of storied experiences. This process illuminated the meaning-making steps that she took to appreciate the nuances contained within specific moments that she had with a student and his father. Through storying and re-storying these moments, the author wondered and metaphorically wandered to unearth potential emotions, assumptions and motivations that permeated her experiences. Such an explorative focus on teachers’ subjective meaning-making process augments the wider body of work on online education and, in particular, this study’s inquiry into the complexity of educational relationships through a narrative lens offers insights into the inner workings of teacher emotions and feelings. This paper reveals how teachers may benefit from adopting a reflective and reflexive sense-making approach towards understanding their emotions, feelings, responsibilities and relationships with students and parents, especially during a time of crisis. This article contributes to the ongoing discussions about the complexities of teachers’ relational work and it enriches the extant literature on online education by shedding light on the individualistic ways that teachers cope with the uncertainties of teaching during a time of crisis. Deeping our collective understanding of how teachers cope can help us to provide better support for teachers and students during crises such as COVID-19. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teacher Narratives and Narratives of Teaching: Inquiry into Lived Experiences)

19 pages, 861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Finding a Way: What Crisis Reveals about Teachers’ Emotional Wellbeing and Its Importance for Education

by Jean Hopman and Tom Clark

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 1141; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111141 - 14 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1053

Abstract

In crisis, teachers are often positioned as frontline workers serving the community’s needs. The emotional work of teaching is widely recognised, an acknowledgement that teachers mediate emotionally loaded relational dynamics. A fast-growing body of research investigates strategies and interventions to emotionally support children [...] Read more.

In crisis, teachers are often positioned as frontline workers serving the community’s needs. The emotional work of teaching is widely recognised, an acknowledgement that teachers mediate emotionally loaded relational dynamics. A fast-growing body of research investigates strategies and interventions to emotionally support children and young people in times of crisis. Less explored is teachers’ emotional wellbeing during times of crisis. This research aims to better understand teachers’ needs to support their wellbeing in times of crisis. It utilises a narrative approach, threading together thematically analysed Twitter posts from teachers and teacher representative bodies engaged in discussion of their profession across the USA. Our findings show that teachers experienced a range of emotions around the pandemic when their daily work pivoted to accommodate government-mandated responses. Teaching is, of its nature, an emotionally taxing role, and this is heightened in crisis. Our research highlights the importance of teachers finding a way toward self-care that is nested within an institutional culture of collective care. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teacher Narratives and Narratives of Teaching: Inquiry into Lived Experiences)

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17 pages, 295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Relationships in Resilience: Teachers Who Were At-Risk Youth Supporting At-Risk Students

by Laura I. Sigad

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 1118; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111118 - 08 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1023

Abstract

Despite extensive research on resilience, little information exists on the resilience of teachers who faced adversity in childhood and the meanings they attribute to their current work with at-risk students. Thus, this study aimed to address this knowledge gap by examining the narratives [...] Read more.

Despite extensive research on resilience, little information exists on the resilience of teachers who faced adversity in childhood and the meanings they attribute to their current work with at-risk students. Thus, this study aimed to address this knowledge gap by examining the narratives of teachers who were at-risk children. Based on 30 semi-structured life-narrative interviews, the findings revealed the significant meaning that the participants ascribed to positive relationships. Whether such relationships were present or absent in their childhood, these relationships were instrumental in their choice to pursue a career in education. In supporting their students’ resilience and becoming the teachers they wanted as children, they found meaning in their past experiences of risk and coping. The study’s discussion applies the social mirroring theory to analyze how the participants resisted the negative image presented to them by others in their childhood and how a belief of hopeful prospects fortified them and led them to take on transformative justice as their life mission. Supporting at-risk children functioned as a form of healing for the participants, fostering both their students’ and their own resilience. The study findings highlight the importance of accounting for teachers’ childhood experiences as formative narratives that mold their educational work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teacher Narratives and Narratives of Teaching: Inquiry into Lived Experiences)

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11 pages, 223 KiB

Open AccessReview

ZOOMED IN, ZONED OUT: Academic Self-Reports on the Challenges and Benefits of Online Teaching in Higher Education

by Gayathri Rajaraman, Rudi Klein and Puspha Sinnayah

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020133 - 28 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1125

Abstract

Online teaching in higher education has become increasingly prevalent, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. While teaching online offers many benefits, it also presents several challenges. Sharing one’s lived experiences as an educator is essential to improving one’s teaching skills and enhancing [...] Read more.

Online teaching in higher education has become increasingly prevalent, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. While teaching online offers many benefits, it also presents several challenges. Sharing one’s lived experiences as an educator is essential to improving one’s teaching skills and enhancing the learning outcomes for the students. Here, we present our personal and lived experiences as higher education teachers in the VU Block Model^® First Year College at Victoria University. In our allied health science subjects, we have identified the key challenges in online teaching, such as technology and infrastructure, student engagement and interaction, adapting learning styles, assessment integrity, digital literacy, social-isolation-related mental health, and workload. The benefits included flexibility, innovative teaching tools, personalised learning and accessibility, and the continuity of teaching and learning despite the pandemic disruption. Overcoming these challenges requires careful planning, effective pedagogy, and ongoing support for both teachers and students. The benefits of online teaching can be maximised when its limitations are acknowledged and addressed appropriately via sharing teacher’s personal narratives as an effective mode of communication. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teacher Narratives and Narratives of Teaching: Inquiry into Lived Experiences)

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