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The CORE breakfast seminars are taking off in Dunedin—great food, great company and definitely great speakers!

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Jane Nicholls

Cathy Wylie Breakfast Seminar

Competent Learners research project: How important it is to know the learner

Today I had the privilege to listen to Cathy Wylie, Chief researcher at NZCER, talk about the Competent Learners research project. My key take-away from the session was how important it is to know the learner. And, for me, this was not just the individual learner in the classroom, but the entire facet of learners that we meet.

The competent learners project allows you see the issues involved for learners from the age of 5 right up to the age of 20.

So what does this mean for us as educators?

The research shows: quality early childhood education has an effect beyond socio-economic environment

This longitudinal study started in 1993. The initial research asked what impact early childhood education had for children, what were the aspects that mattered, and was there more impact for some children than others.

Cathy told us that they found quality early childhood education was still having an impact on learners at the age of 16, and that it had more of an impact than the education level of the child’s mother, or their financial situation.

What mattered was the interaction between the teacher and the child, how much the teacher knew the child and designed activities that engaged their interests. It was also found that print-rich environments were a key, and that language was crucial to learning.

The effect of early competency levels in later education

Now that the research has continued until the participants were age 20, further questions were explored looking at the pathways to NCEA. They wanted to find out how determinative are early competency levels, and what role do school and out-of-school experiences play in this pathway.

They found that students who left school with less than NCEA level 2 or equivalent qualifications were vulnerable.

Low early performance can be improved

Cathy reassured us that low early performance can be improved, and listed the following factors as being ones that make a difference:

  • Enjoyment of reading
  • Having leisure interests
  • No bullying/victim experience
  • Family income moderate or more
  • No adverse events
  • Positive family relationships
  • Friends in adolescence who are not engaging in risky activities

Factors that make a difference in shifting early low performance

She shared factors making a difference in shifting early low performance:

  • Shifts upwards start between ages 8-10
  • Attitudinal competencies higher than cognitive competencies at age 8
  • Good engagement in learning
  • Positive about their class learning opportunities
  • Satisfaction with school subject mix
  • Staying at school past age 16

Key risk age is around 10–14 years

Cathy told us that the key risk age was around 10—14 years, which when students are at particular risk for disengagement, and is a time when ‘high’ performers are also vulnerable. What really stood out for me was the role of the key competencies. “Attitudinal competencies higher than cognitive competencies at age 8”: the key competencies play a vital role in shifting early low performance.

The teacher’s role is critical

So the critical statement from all of this is that teachers play a key role. Teachers can make a difference by knowing their learners and focusing on the quality of learning opportunities.

The summary and reports from the Competent Learners project will be available soon on http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz

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Another ‘age of discovery’ in primary school science (Jolly good fellows – Part two)

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Michael Winter

Discovering science

Is there a downward trend in primary student attitudes towards science?

There used to be.

In 2008 a report by the National Education Monitoring Programme drew attention to the downward trend in attitudes of primary school students towards science.

In response to this, a new model was developed for the Primary Science Teacher Fellowships with the aim of developing a community of confident science educators. They would facilitate better science experiences and science learning outcomes for primary age students.

This is the second in a two part series on Fellowship programmes CORE Education is involved with. The first considered the CORE Education eFellows programme. This will consider…

The Primary Science Teacher Fellowship Programme

The programme is run by the Royal Society of New Zealand, and funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. The Royal Society has for many years run a teacher Fellowship program during which teachers were seconded to science-based host organisations for periods of up to one year. The objective? To get a taste of what "real" science is like. And of course, this gets passed on to their students.

Nature of Science appreciation, curriculum development and leadership: goals of the course

The six-month programme involves three elements:

  • Work experience involving placements in a science-based organisation, working alongside people who use science in their everyday work. The goal is for teachers to gain an appreciation of the Nature of Science, and relate this understanding to the New Zealand curriculum.
  • Attendance at curriculum development days where teachers develop on their own schemes of work, using science facilitators to give guidance on how the science content could be improved.
  • Participation in a leadership program that has been tailor-made to help these teachers return to school and take on a leadership role in science.

Curriculum development workshops

CORE Education is involved in developing and delivering the curriculum development workshops, and facilitating an online community to support the programme. Our team is made up of Dayle Anderson of Victoria University, Wellington; Michael Fenton of the Open Polytechnic, and from CORE Education Brigitte Glasson and me.

The curriculum development workshops focus on teaching science through the lens of the overarching Nature of Science curriculum strand. This curriculum strand has four sub-strands:

  • Understanding about Science
  • Investigating in Science
  • Communicating in Science
  • Participating and Contributing.

Hands-on science activities suited to teachers, students, and schools

Primary Science Teacher Fellows engaging in science activity

The workshops involve plenty of hands-on activities, and consideration of the nature of scientific investigations, which is far wider in scope than just "fair testing". We also include at least one visit to an off-site organisation which can offer students a valuable out-of-the-classroom experience. In the past we have visited organisations such as Ferrymead Historic Park in Christchurch, and Kelly Tarlton's aquarium in Auckland.

Practical sessions during the workshops focus on simple activities that can be run at minimal cost to schools, and which are designed to encourage questioning and wondering about "why?" and "what if?" There is always a buzz of excited activity during these practical sessions—teachers excited about science!

It was a very full and stimulating couple of days. Thanks everyone.

2010 Primary Science Teacher Fellow after a Curriculum Development workshop.

We believe that it is important for teacher Fellows to be able to relate their experiences in their host organisations to the science curriculum, and to exploring science with their students when they return to the classroom. To this end, we encourage them to relate their experiences in their host organisations to the nature of science strand of the curriculum. We have noticed teacher fellows actively reflecting on this relationship in their posts to the Fellowship's online community, which currently takes the form of a Facebook group.

The end of the programme is only the beginning

At the end of the six months Fellowship, the teachers are expected to return to their schools and to play a leadership role in the development and nurturing of science within their schools.

CORE Education provides ongoing support for the 12 months following the Fellowship. This consists of two in-school visits by members of the CORE Primary Science Teacher Fellowship team, and two cluster meetings. We do this in order to provide support to the individual teachers, and to help them retain a feeling of being part of the greater science teaching community.

Is the programme successful? We'll find out soon.

Primary Science Teacher Fellows January 2011

We are currently working with the fourth group of teacher fellows. The total number of teachers who have been through this programme is approximately 60, with a further 12 to 13 in the second half of 2011.

It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of such a program, which is designed to have positive outcomes both for schools and for students. We intend to carry out an evaluation of the impact of the programme during 2011 to 2012.

I count myself very fortunate to be working with both the core E-Fellows and the Royal Society Primary Teacher Fellows. Both groups are made up of highly motivated and innovative teachers, who are stimulating company and a great pleasure to work with.

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Jolly good Fellows…(Part one)

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Michael Winter

This year’s CORE Foundation eFellowship award winners have been announced!

Announcement of eFellows 2011

May the following winners take a bow:

  • Hanna Faletaupule, Tots’ Corner Early Learning Centre, Auckalnd
  • Jo Fothergill, Raumati Beach School, Kapiti Coast
  • Bronwyn Glass, Botany Downs Kindergarten, Auckland
  • Linda Lehrke, Somerville Intermediate School, Auckland
  • Sonya Van Schaijik, Newmarket School, Auckland
  • David Winter, Southwell School, Hamilton

And what’s all this about?

Fellowship

Education Fellowships that reward New Zealand educators and contribute to education in New Zealand

Since its beginning CORE Education has been involved in fellowship programmes designed to recognise and reward contributions to teaching and learning.

The Ministry of Education eLearning Fellowships were inaugurated in 2004, and ran until 2009 when its programme was terminated by the Ministry. Since that time CORE has been running its own eFellowship Award program as one of its Foundation’s charitable scholarship activities.

CORE Education is also involved in the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Primary Science Teacher Fellowship Programme. This programme, funded by the Ministry of Research and Innovation (formerly the Ministry of Research Science and Technology), is designed to improve science teaching and learning outcomes in primary education.

Both of these programs aim to foster an ongoing community of practice to recognise contributions to, and improve outcomes in their respective areas.

In this post, we’ll look at the eFellowship Award programme. In our next Research bites post, we’ll look at the Primary Science Teacher Fellowship programme.

The CORE eFellowship Programme

Purpose of the eFellowship programme

eFellowship Award winners
The idea of the original 2004 Ministry of Education eLearning Fellowship was to recognise and support teachers who have an established reputation in ICT in education, or who have good ideas that they wish to research in their classrooms over a one-year period, by offering them a programme of ongoing professional support to carry out classroom-based research.

Professional support for eFellows researchers

This support took the form of:

  • residential workshops in Christchurch to support the Fellows in acquisition of research and presentation skills
  • funding to attend at least one conference to present their research
  • with some intakes, funding to disseminate the results of the Fellows’ research in the year following the Fellowship period.

The first groups of eLearning Fellows spent extended periods of time in Christchurch, and were provided with full-time funding to enable them to spend the whole year out of the classroom to carry out their research projects.

Smaller intakes and move to part-time

As time went by, the numbers of Fellows in each intake trended downwards, so that in the final year funded by the Ministry there were six eLearning Fellows. In addition, the programme progressively moved towards being part-time, in the course of which, teachers combined teaching with enquiry and research activities.

2009 focus on ICT in supporting literacy initiatives in the classroom

In the final year of the Ministry ‘s programme, the focus was on the role of ICT in supporting literacy initiatives in the classroom. Fellows involved in the 2009 eFellows programme carried out classroom-based enquiries into the impact of ICT on literacy acquisition; whilst CORE Education and NZCER researchers evaluated the impact of these enquiries across the six schools involved.

Strong competition for eFellow selection

Participants in the eLearning Fellowship programme were drawn from across the early childhood, primary, and secondary education spectrum. Competition for selection as an eLearning Fellow was fierce—for example, in one year, there were 56 applicants for only six places, and selectors had a difficult job making the decisions.

Extensive variety of subjects researched

During the earlier intakes of the eLearning Fellowship programme, Fellows undertook a wide variety of projects. These included:

  • the use of gaming and virtual environments in teaching science and social studies topics,
  • using ICTs to support music teaching and learning,
  • using content management and other systems to facilitate communication between school and home,
  • and using ICT is and assistive technologies to support the learning of disabled students.

In the 2009 year, in which the focus of the eLearning Fellowship was on literary acquisition, Fellows explored a wide range of uses of ICT, including the use of reading blogs, producing animations and videos, and running a programme for a local radio station.

CORE Education’s eFellowship Awards

In 2010, following the termination of the Ministry of Education’s support for their E-Learning Fellowship programme, CORE Education initiated its own eFellowship programme to build on the previous programme, and to develop an ongoing community of e-learning practice within New Zealand.

The new programme involves a selection of up to six fellows each year. The Fellowship is designed to recognise and acknowledge expertise and leadership in e-learning in the early childhood and compulsory education sector.

CORE eFellows participate in an induction programme, consisting of a number of Master Classes, during which they work together to share ideas and skills, and to develop as a community of e-learning practice. They have the opportunity to present at the annual ULearn conference.

Previous eLearning Fellows still included

The CORE eFellowship includes not only those who have been through the induction process, but also former Ministry of Education E-Learning Fellows; all of the eFellows are welcome to attend an annual gathering and dinner, which is held during the ULearn conference.

eFellows dinner
It's not all serious stuff! eFellows at the Annual Dinner in 2010

The CORE eFellowship is proving increasingly popular. This year, there were 30 applicants.

I was a CORE eFellow in 2010. It was an amazing experience, and I met some wonderful people who have inspired me in my practice.
– a 2010 eFellow

Further information about the eFellowship Award Programme

  • About the CORE Foundation eFellowship Awards
  • eFellows reports (2004–2009)
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Research is only for academics…or is it?

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Keryn Davis
  • Is there something you’ve wanted to investigate about teaching and learning but haven’t been sure where to start?
  • Do you think research is only for academics?
  • Have you ever considered the idea that you could be a teacher researcher?

Perhaps the TLRI fund could help you to contribute to understandings of teaching and learning. It’s worth thinking about.

Research collaboration

TLRI…what?

A little before Christmas, there was the low-key announcement of this year’s successful applicants for TLRI funding.

What’s ‘TLRI’, you ask?

We’ll, it’s one of the education community’s best-kept secrets. I say it’s a secret, because not many teachers in early childhood, primary, or secondary that I know have ever heard of it. This is despite it being available for teachers out there keen to research teaching and learning to apply for.

‘TLRI’ stands for the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative. It’s a funding pool that was set up in 2003, and seeks to ‘enhance the links between educational research and teaching practices to improve outcomes for learners’.

Check out the website www.tlri.org.nz
Teaching & Learning Research Initiative

Research not for you?

So, research may not sound like it’s for you – but wait – what’s fantastic about the TLRI approach is that it is designed to bring teachers and experienced researchers together to work in partnership.

You won’t be left on your own…

…it’s a collaborative thing

I’m about to participate in my third TLRI project. In each of these projects I’ve had a slightly different role. But the thing I love most about these projects is that they have come from what teachers in early childhood centres and primary classrooms have been really interested in finding out more about.

Usually, I’ve been approached in some way (along with others), because they know we are interested in this area too, and then we’ve all worked together to design the project. So, from day one, the projects are collaborative and they’re about the everyday things the group are interested in investigating further.

…and you have mentors

Typically, these projects have nominated lead teachers and more experienced researchers (who are used to doing this sort work, and know all the ins and outs) leading the way. Others get involved along the way. The good thing about having experience in the mix is that when it comes to things like ethics, analysis, and writing, those with the experience can guide others new to research through these steps.

A key to the approach we’ve always taken in the past is: the teachers we work with are not being researched; rather, they are being researchers. I think most of the teachers I’ve worked with never saw themselves as researchers in the beginning—but they certainly do now.

My experience as a collaborative researcher

The first project I was part of was about the draft key competencies in action, and the connection between these and the learning dispositions of the early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki. This was a big team effort, with teachers from 3 schools and 2 early childhood centres, professional development facilitators, and academics from two Universities over 3 years. Check out the final research report of the TRLI site

The second one we are just finishing now. It’s a two-year project about children’s working theories in action in five playcentre settings. We’ve published a few articles on this project now, and there are a couple more to come.

A new project has just been announced, and is about learning journeys from early childhood into school. This is a three-year project and will be based in two early childhood settings and two schools that have been keen to explore this topic in more depth for a while now.

Interested?

Expressions of interest for the funding for 2012 open on March 1 2011 and close on May 11 2011, so it’s time to act. If you want to talk to a member of CORE’s research team about the fund, or a possible project, get in touch.

Who knows, maybe you’ll be a teacher researcher before you know it.

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Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices (S-STEP) Conference

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Vince Ham
Herstmonceux Castle
Herstmonceux Castle (Photo by: 6mat1 at en.wikipedia)

It’s hard work, but I guess someone has to do it!

Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex, U.K. was the romantic venue for the recent S-STEP (Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices) International Conference, which I recently attended. The castle is in fact the Queens University (Ontario) Bader Study Centre in the UK.

S-STEP international conference
Attendees at the Self-Study of Teacher Practices (S-STEP) International Conference 2010

S-STEP is one of the largest special interest groups of AERA (the American Education Research Association). Its biennial residential conference is focused on action research and other forms of self-study for teacher educators. It is a small conference of c.150 leading teacher educators, representing something of a ‘who’s who’ of teacher education internationally. Everyone presents and is encouraged to be innovative in their forms of presentation – ‘stand and deliver’ is frowned upon almost as much as in our own ULEARN conference :-).

Most attendees were from the USA or Canada, and others came from Holland, Iceland, Belgium. There were about 10 Australasians present, and even a few local English teacher educators!

Popular education research topics and focus

Some repeating topics covered by papers included:

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