title: Taking video cameras into the classroom.

authors: Otrel-Cass, Kathrin

subjects: classroom research

abstract: Research into the communication and interactions in classrooms need to take the multimodal nature of classrooms into account. Video cameras can capture the dynamics of teaching and learning, but the use of videos for research purposes needs to be well thought through in order to accommodate the challenges this tool holds. This article refers to three research projects where videos were used to generate data. It is argued that videos allow the researcher to hone in on the micro-details and, in contrast to other data generation tools, allows researchers who were not present at the time to view what has been witnessed. A video recording is a data source but not data by itself and the information that is discerned from a video is framed and shaped by the research paradigm and the questions asked.

text: Taking video cameras into the classroom. Research into the communication and interactions in classrooms need to take the multimodal nature of classrooms into account. Video cameras can capture the dynamics of teaching and learning, but the use of videos for research purposes needs to be well thought through in order to accommodate the challenges this tool holds. This article refers to three research projects where videos were used to generate data. It is argued that videos allow the researcher to hone in on the micro-details and, in contrast to other data generation tools, allows researchers who were not present at the time to view what has been witnessed. A video recording is a data source but not data by itself and the information that is discerned from a video is framed and shaped by the research paradigm and the questions asked.

year: 2010

title: Re-defining teacher education of primary teachers of science in Hong Kong

authors: Cheng, May Hung May

abstract: This study arises from my personal interest as a lecturer in the Hong Kong Institute of Education with a responsibility to prepare student-teachers to teach science at the primary level. This study was conducted based on three concerns about science and science teacher education in Hong Kong. Firstly, there are concerns about the quality of science teaching in local schools. Secondly, other local studies concluded that the majority of both primary teachers and student-teachers come from an arts education background in their secondary schooling and that they lack the confidence to teach science topics. Thirdly, teacher educators are concerned about the low impact of teacher education programmes, as the school culture seems to have an important influence over classroom practice. In the present study, the researcher attempted to address these problems by finding out ways to better prepare the student-teachers for teaching primary science, and to understand more about the process of learning to teach, by describing the professional, personal and social development of the novice teachers. Drawing on the findings, science educators can be better informed about how to prepare the student-teachers professionally, and increase their confidence in science teaching. Furthermore, with a picture on teacher development, practices that are conducive to teacher development can be identified and hence better support for the novice teachers can be designed.

In the present study, the constructivist view of learning was applied to inform science teaching in the primary classroom, and the sociocultural view of learning was used to explain the development of novice science teachers in the process of learning to teach. The literature on the sociocultural view of learning, teacher development, teacher socialization and knowledge about teaching provided a framework for the present study. Drawing on the literature about a sociocultural view of learning, learning in the teacher education programme had to be re-contextualised in the primary classroom. The teacher educator was seen to be an agent, with the purpose of mediating between the novice teachers and the teaching culture that is informed by a constructivist view of learning. Drawing on the literature about teacher education, teacher educators need to acknowledge the past learning experience of the learners, to practice what they preach and provide experiences that increase the learners’ confidence in teaching science. They have to be aware of the possible influences of the school context on the teachings of the novice teachers, and to provide continual support during the beginning teaching phase. They have to be knowledgeable about the various aspects of teacher development namely, professional, social and personal development. The novice teachers have an active role to play in the learning process and have to be involved in active discussions with their peers during the learning process. Instead of viewing novice teachers as passively adapting to the school requirements, they can be active agents that may lead to changes in the practice of the school or the experienced teachers.

This was a two-year study that followed the development of the same group of student-teachers during the teacher education programme to the time after their graduation and continued until the end of their first year of teaching. This study included three phases. The first phase involved the implementation of the Curriculum Studies Module in the teacher education programme. The Module introduced a range of science teaching approaches in which there was an emphasis on teaching science based on a constructivist view of learning. The student-teachers were interviewed before and after the Module. These interviews were to find out if there were changes in the views of the student-teachers on science teaching and learning. 

The second phase was the teaching practice phase. During this period, the student-teachers were observed in their lessons and there were interviews to find out whether the Curriculum Studies Module had influenced their teaching and their views of learning.

The third phase is the beginning teaching phase. This phase included interviews with the beginning teachers three months after they started their first teaching assignment. These interviews provide a background on how the support for these beginning teachers in the form of resource packs should be designed. The support included the provision of a resource pack, an introductory workshop and personal support from the researcher. The resource pack included suggested topic sequences, information about children’s preconceptions and suggestions for activities. During the implementation of the resource packs, the beginning teachers were observed in their lessons and were interviewed. These aimed to find out whether the support in the form of the resource packs, the interactions with the researcher, and the interactions with teachers in the school (if any) had an influence on their views of teaching and learning.

The data in the three phases were analysed in order to build a picture about the professional, personal and social development of the student-teachers or the beginning teachers.

Findings suggest that the student-teachers experienced a gain in their confidence in teaching science after the Curriculum Studies Module, and were able to teach with a constructivist view of learning in their teaching practice which was at the end of phase two. However, as the graduates started on their first teaching assignment in phase three, they were often unable to practice what was taught in the module in their science classes. With the support of the resource pack and the researcher, the science teaching of the beginning teachers was more consistent with a constructivist view of learning and some were even able to influence their colleagues to give more thought to their science lessons. It appears that these interventions had facilitated the novice teachers to teach science with intentions consistent with a constructivist view of learning; to perform the teacher actions that help to engage pupils in thinking in the lessons; to develop better learning outcomes and learning conditions as well as experience gains in their confidence in teaching science.

Drawing on the findings, the study concluded with a dynamic model on teacher development that emphasizes the interactions between the novice teacher with the institutional culture and those with the school culture. From a sociocultural view of learning, teacher development is seen as a contextualised activity and recommendations for teacher educators were made.

text: Re-defining teacher education of primary teachers of science in Hong Kong This study arises from my personal interest as a lecturer in the Hong Kong Institute of Education with a responsibility to prepare student-teachers to teach science at the primary level. This study was conducted based on three concerns about science and science teacher education in Hong Kong. Firstly, there are concerns about the quality of science teaching in local schools. Secondly, other local studies concluded that the majority of both primary teachers and student-teachers come from an arts education background in their secondary schooling and that they lack the confidence to teach science topics. Thirdly, teacher educators are concerned about the low impact of teacher education programmes, as the school culture seems to have an important influence over classroom practice. In the present study, the researcher attempted to address these problems by finding out ways to better prepare the student-teachers for teaching primary science, and to understand more about the process of learning to teach, by describing the professional, personal and social development of the novice teachers. Drawing on the findings, science educators can be better informed about how to prepare the student-teachers professionally, and increase their confidence in science teaching. Furthermore, with a picture on teacher development, practices that are conducive to teacher development can be identified and hence better support for the novice teachers can be designed.

In the present study, the constructivist view of learning was applied to inform science teaching in the primary classroom, and the sociocultural view of learning was used to explain the development of novice science teachers in the process of learning to teach. The literature on the sociocultural view of learning, teacher development, teacher socialization and knowledge about teaching provided a framework for the present study. Drawing on the literature about a sociocultural view of learning, learning in the teacher education programme had to be re-contextualised in the primary classroom. The teacher educator was seen to be an agent, with the purpose of mediating between the novice teachers and the teaching culture that is informed by a constructivist view of learning. Drawing on the literature about teacher education, teacher educators need to acknowledge the past learning experience of the learners, to practice what they preach and provide experiences that increase the learners’ confidence in teaching science. They have to be aware of the possible influences of the school context on the teachings of the novice teachers, and to provide continual support during the beginning teaching phase. They have to be knowledgeable about the various aspects of teacher development namely, professional, social and personal development. The novice teachers have an active role to play in the learning process and have to be involved in active discussions with their peers during the learning process. Instead of viewing novice teachers as passively adapting to the school requirements, they can be active agents that may lead to changes in the practice of the school or the experienced teachers.

This was a two-year study that followed the development of the same group of student-teachers during the teacher education programme to the time after their graduation and continued until the end of their first year of teaching. This study included three phases. The first phase involved the implementation of the Curriculum Studies Module in the teacher education programme. The Module introduced a range of science teaching approaches in which there was an emphasis on teaching science based on a constructivist view of learning. The student-teachers were interviewed before and after the Module. These interviews were to find out if there were changes in the views of the student-teachers on science teaching and learning. 

The second phase was the teaching practice phase. During this period, the student-teachers were observed in their lessons and there were interviews to find out whether the Curriculum Studies Module had influenced their teaching and their views of learning.

The third phase is the beginning teaching phase. This phase included interviews with the beginning teachers three months after they started their first teaching assignment. These interviews provide a background on how the support for these beginning teachers in the form of resource packs should be designed. The support included the provision of a resource pack, an introductory workshop and personal support from the researcher. The resource pack included suggested topic sequences, information about children’s preconceptions and suggestions for activities. During the implementation of the resource packs, the beginning teachers were observed in their lessons and were interviewed. These aimed to find out whether the support in the form of the resource packs, the interactions with the researcher, and the interactions with teachers in the school (if any) had an influence on their views of teaching and learning.

The data in the three phases were analysed in order to build a picture about the professional, personal and social development of the student-teachers or the beginning teachers.

Findings suggest that the student-teachers experienced a gain in their confidence in teaching science after the Curriculum Studies Module, and were able to teach with a constructivist view of learning in their teaching practice which was at the end of phase two. However, as the graduates started on their first teaching assignment in phase three, they were often unable to practice what was taught in the module in their science classes. With the support of the resource pack and the researcher, the science teaching of the beginning teachers was more consistent with a constructivist view of learning and some were even able to influence their colleagues to give more thought to their science lessons. It appears that these interventions had facilitated the novice teachers to teach science with intentions consistent with a constructivist view of learning; to perform the teacher actions that help to engage pupils in thinking in the lessons; to develop better learning outcomes and learning conditions as well as experience gains in their confidence in teaching science.

Drawing on the findings, the study concluded with a dynamic model on teacher development that emphasizes the interactions between the novice teacher with the institutional culture and those with the school culture. From a sociocultural view of learning, teacher development is seen as a contextualised activity and recommendations for teacher educators were made.

year: 2000

title: Reclaiming mystery: A Māori philosophy of Being, in light of Novalis' ontology

authors: Mika, Carl Te Hira

subjects: Germanistik

abstract: In both the German Romantic and the Māori traditions, Sein/Being may be described as both finite and endless, and is not a separate phenomenon from things in the world but instead one that gives rise to them, providing them with Geheimnis/mystery. Forgetting about Being is an issue for the Māori self now as much as for the West, however, and it is moreover implicit in various modes of colonisation that things in the world should be approached as if they are geheimnislos/lacking mystery. To acknowledge Being in all its mystery is to bring to the fore, once again, the notion that the activity of Being is not separate from the consciousness of the self, or from other things in the world.
The frühromantische/early German Romantic poet and philosopher, Friedrich von Hardenberg (Novalis), had written in the late 18th century on the threat that Geheimnislosigkeit/the lack of mystery posed for the integrity of things in the world. His works are central to this thesis: I approach them with an ontological focus and use them as Stoßsätze/sentences that challenge and push, to examine how Māori, individually and collectively, are encouraged to forget Being and mystery in their everyday interactions with the philosophies of Western institutions. I then engage with the dominant usages of the terms ‘whakapapa’, ‘ako’, ‘whenua’, and ‘mātauranga’, to show that they are characterised by an overriding lack of mystery. Finally I use some of Novalis’ fragments to romanticise/revitalise those terms and the things to which they refer, in conjunction with some other Māori terms, thereby reclaiming aspects of their mystery in modern philosophical discourses. I also offer some romanticised early German Romantic terms from their positioning alongside Māori ones.
This thesis is innovative methodically and substantively, highlighting two main themes: the collaborative approach of referring to a seemingly disparate philosophical source to explain colonising influences on Māori metaphysics, ontology and epistemology, and the possibility for some substantive critique and resolution to those influences. The form of Symphilosophie/[unified philosophy] that is referred to here is both collaborative and productive. Novalis’ theories and fragments assist method and substance. My thesis brings to the fore the value of his sources when they are brought into dialogue with Māori philosophy to illuminate the issue of Geheimnis to things in the world.

text: Reclaiming mystery: A Māori philosophy of Being, in light of Novalis' ontology In both the German Romantic and the Māori traditions, Sein/Being may be described as both finite and endless, and is not a separate phenomenon from things in the world but instead one that gives rise to them, providing them with Geheimnis/mystery. Forgetting about Being is an issue for the Māori self now as much as for the West, however, and it is moreover implicit in various modes of colonisation that things in the world should be approached as if they are geheimnislos/lacking mystery. To acknowledge Being in all its mystery is to bring to the fore, once again, the notion that the activity of Being is not separate from the consciousness of the self, or from other things in the world.
The frühromantische/early German Romantic poet and philosopher, Friedrich von Hardenberg (Novalis), had written in the late 18th century on the threat that Geheimnislosigkeit/the lack of mystery posed for the integrity of things in the world. His works are central to this thesis: I approach them with an ontological focus and use them as Stoßsätze/sentences that challenge and push, to examine how Māori, individually and collectively, are encouraged to forget Being and mystery in their everyday interactions with the philosophies of Western institutions. I then engage with the dominant usages of the terms ‘whakapapa’, ‘ako’, ‘whenua’, and ‘mātauranga’, to show that they are characterised by an overriding lack of mystery. Finally I use some of Novalis’ fragments to romanticise/revitalise those terms and the things to which they refer, in conjunction with some other Māori terms, thereby reclaiming aspects of their mystery in modern philosophical discourses. I also offer some romanticised early German Romantic terms from their positioning alongside Māori ones.
This thesis is innovative methodically and substantively, highlighting two main themes: the collaborative approach of referring to a seemingly disparate philosophical source to explain colonising influences on Māori metaphysics, ontology and epistemology, and the possibility for some substantive critique and resolution to those influences. The form of Symphilosophie/[unified philosophy] that is referred to here is both collaborative and productive. Novalis’ theories and fragments assist method and substance. My thesis brings to the fore the value of his sources when they are brought into dialogue with Māori philosophy to illuminate the issue of Geheimnis to things in the world.

year: 2013