title: Teachers’ views about technical education: implications for reforms towards a broad based technology curriculum in Malawi

authors: Chikasanda, Vanwyk Khobidi Mbubzi

subjects: skills development

abstract: Internationally there has been concern about the direction of technical education and how it is positioned in schools. This has also been the case in Malawi where the curriculum has had a strong focus on skills development. However, lately there has been a call for enhancing technological literacy of students, yet little support has been provided for teachers to achieve this goal. This paper reports from a wider study that looked at teachers’ existing views and practices in technical education in Malawi. The article focuses on the findings from interviews that were conducted with six secondary school teachers to find out about their understanding of the meaning and rationale for technical education. It is also discussed how the teachers view technical education as involving skills development for making things and their thoughts on the benefits of such knowledge. It is argued that teachers’ views about technical education were strongly linked to the goals of the curriculum vacationalization policies adopted at the dawn of political independence. Besides skills training they saw the potential to impart thinking skills related to design and problem solving, and the need for essential pedagogical techniques to support learning in technical education. Examination requirements, inadequate opportunities to conduct practical activities and a lack of supportive policy were seen as limiting factors. This article claims that teachers’ views were shaped by their expectations and beliefs about the nature of technical education and what they perceived students may gain from such learning. Their views were also influenced by contextual factors which may have implications on reforms towards broader notions of technology education.

text: Teachers’ views about technical education: implications for reforms towards a broad based technology curriculum in Malawi Internationally there has been concern about the direction of technical education and how it is positioned in schools. This has also been the case in Malawi where the curriculum has had a strong focus on skills development. However, lately there has been a call for enhancing technological literacy of students, yet little support has been provided for teachers to achieve this goal. This paper reports from a wider study that looked at teachers’ existing views and practices in technical education in Malawi. The article focuses on the findings from interviews that were conducted with six secondary school teachers to find out about their understanding of the meaning and rationale for technical education. It is also discussed how the teachers view technical education as involving skills development for making things and their thoughts on the benefits of such knowledge. It is argued that teachers’ views about technical education were strongly linked to the goals of the curriculum vacationalization policies adopted at the dawn of political independence. Besides skills training they saw the potential to impart thinking skills related to design and problem solving, and the need for essential pedagogical techniques to support learning in technical education. Examination requirements, inadequate opportunities to conduct practical activities and a lack of supportive policy were seen as limiting factors. This article claims that teachers’ views were shaped by their expectations and beliefs about the nature of technical education and what they perceived students may gain from such learning. Their views were also influenced by contextual factors which may have implications on reforms towards broader notions of technology education.

year: 2011

title: What gets in the way? A new conceptual model for the trajectory from teacher professional development to impact

authors: McChesney, Katrina

subjects: Social Sciences

abstract: Although school and education system leaders can mandate teachers’ participation in professional development activities, various school-related, teacher-related and student-related factors influence the degree to which professional development opportunities ultimately result in the desired teaching and learning impacts. This study examined teachers’ perceptions of the factors that influenced the impacts of a range of professional development activities in which they had participated. Constructivist grounded theory analysis of qualitative data provided by 131 teachers (reflecting 15 nationalities) led to the development of a new conceptual model for the trajectory from teacher professional development activities to student impacts. The model involved five stages: intended professional development, received professional development, accepted professional development, applied professional development and student impacts. Various barriers influenced whether professional development was able to progress to each successive stage; the current data provided particular insight into the structural barriers that determined whether intended professional development was actually received by teachers and the acceptance barriers that determined whether received professional development was actually accepted by teachers. The new model extends existing frameworks by highlighting the importance of contextual influences on teacher professional development and providing further specificity regarding some of the gatekeeping factors that influence the outcomes of teacher professional development.

text: What gets in the way? A new conceptual model for the trajectory from teacher professional development to impact Although school and education system leaders can mandate teachers’ participation in professional development activities, various school-related, teacher-related and student-related factors influence the degree to which professional development opportunities ultimately result in the desired teaching and learning impacts. This study examined teachers’ perceptions of the factors that influenced the impacts of a range of professional development activities in which they had participated. Constructivist grounded theory analysis of qualitative data provided by 131 teachers (reflecting 15 nationalities) led to the development of a new conceptual model for the trajectory from teacher professional development activities to student impacts. The model involved five stages: intended professional development, received professional development, accepted professional development, applied professional development and student impacts. Various barriers influenced whether professional development was able to progress to each successive stage; the current data provided particular insight into the structural barriers that determined whether intended professional development was actually received by teachers and the acceptance barriers that determined whether received professional development was actually accepted by teachers. The new model extends existing frameworks by highlighting the importance of contextual influences on teacher professional development and providing further specificity regarding some of the gatekeeping factors that influence the outcomes of teacher professional development.

year: 2019

title: Rolling Our Eyes Towards God: An Intervention Arising from Mormon Missionary YouTube Activity and The Cultural (Mis)Appropriation of Haka

authors: Simon, Hemopereki

abstract: This Kaupapa Māori Research writing inquiry explores the (mis)appropriation of haka and the social media video-sharing platform YouTube in that (mis)appropriation. The article examines the specific case of a group of Latter-day Saint missionaries in Wangarratta, Australia, who wrote and performed an English- language haka that the author finds violent and offensive. The article outlines Aileen Moreton-Robertson’s White Possessive doctrine in relation to the Church and white patriarchal salvation. Haka’s cultural background and appropriation are explained. Theoretical explanations of collective and cultural memory and YouTube as a social media platform and cultural archive follow. The author highlights YouTube grey literature sources on haka cultural (mis)appropriation. The 2006 case study “missionary haka” video is critiqued and analysed. Case study issues are discussed. The Church’s history of racial discrimination and violence and its religious aetiology of skin colour make this video ”misappropriated,” according to research. This performance uses haka to promote white and religious supremacy and the idea that you must be white and/or religious to be fully human. This message helps the LDS Church mission of possessing Indigenous souls and remaining the “true religion”.

text: Rolling Our Eyes Towards God: An Intervention Arising from Mormon Missionary YouTube Activity and The Cultural (Mis)Appropriation of Haka This Kaupapa Māori Research writing inquiry explores the (mis)appropriation of haka and the social media video-sharing platform YouTube in that (mis)appropriation. The article examines the specific case of a group of Latter-day Saint missionaries in Wangarratta, Australia, who wrote and performed an English- language haka that the author finds violent and offensive. The article outlines Aileen Moreton-Robertson’s White Possessive doctrine in relation to the Church and white patriarchal salvation. Haka’s cultural background and appropriation are explained. Theoretical explanations of collective and cultural memory and YouTube as a social media platform and cultural archive follow. The author highlights YouTube grey literature sources on haka cultural (mis)appropriation. The 2006 case study “missionary haka” video is critiqued and analysed. Case study issues are discussed. The Church’s history of racial discrimination and violence and its religious aetiology of skin colour make this video ”misappropriated,” according to research. This performance uses haka to promote white and religious supremacy and the idea that you must be white and/or religious to be fully human. This message helps the LDS Church mission of possessing Indigenous souls and remaining the “true religion”.

year: 2023-02-05