apresentação no ecer 2008

Research and Professional Knowledge Construction in Early Childhood Teachers' Education:

a study of student teachers' thesis within two programmes in Portugal.

Maria Pacheco FigueiredoSchool of Education and Center of Studies in Education, Technologies and Health, Polytechnic Institute of [email protected]

Gabriela PortugalDepartment of Educational Sciences, University of [email protected]

Maria do Céu RoldãoCenter of Child Studies, University of [email protected]

ECER 2008 Göteborg - From Teaching to Learning?Network 1010 – 12 September

Figueiredo, Portugal, & Roldão

Backgroundanalyze professional knowledge production in teacher education and in the teacher profession in Portugal, namely looking at the role of research in the identity and knowledge of early childhood teachers

►Aims:●Analyze the ways in which the research dimension is being conceived

and implemented in early childhood teacher education programmes in Portugal (Figueiredo, & Roldão, 2007; Figueiredo, Portugal, & Roldão, 2008)

●Describe research produced by students in their teacher education programmesBrinberg and McGrath's methodological, conceptual and substantive domains

●Identify student teachers’ and early childhood teachers’ qualitatively different ways of experiencing and understanding research

●Examine the ways in which research is conceived as part of early childhood teachers professional identity


Backgroundemphasis in the role of teachers as knowledge producers

Common European Principles forTeacher Competences and

Qualifications (European Commision. Directorate-General for

Education and Culture, 2005)

Specificity of teachers' professional knowledge

(Montero, 2005; Roldão, 2007; Schon, 1983; Shulman, & Shulman, 2004; ...)

DL 240/2001 + 2/2008Teachers' professional performance

profile(Ministry of Education - Portugal)

Status of teaching as a profession (Fueyo, & Koorland, 1997; Krejsler, 2005; Roldão, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2007; Zeichner, & Noffke, 2001)

Changes in the ways in which knowledge is produced

(Gibbons et al., 1994)

Traditions of “teacher as researcher”, reflective practitioner,

action-research ...(Stenhouse, Schon, Zeichner, Estrela, Elliott,

Cochran-Smith, Carr & Kemmis, Perrenoud ...)


Backgroundteachers as knowledge producers: anticipated advantages

Emmancipation “voice”

Lifelong learning

Teaching and school's quality

Development of specific and relevant educational knowledge

Teachers' scientific autonomy: control over knowledge and theory that guide and sustain their work


Backgroundresearch dimension in teacher education

Reflective and questioning attitude

Development of educational knowledge

As a training strategy/tool

Critical use of research

To base decision making and action

...


BackgroundEarly Childhood initial teacher education in Portugal

Historical overview

XIX century

1920’s

1977

1980’s

1997

2007

2001

Same as primary school + specific

Private schools

“Normal schools” – public

Higher education – Bachelor’s degree

Higher education – Licenciate's degree

Professional performance profile

Bologna – Master’s degree

4 + 2 yrs

2 to 4 yrs

3 yrs

3 yrs

4 yrs

3 + 1 yrs

>

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=/<

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1989 Legal orientations for teacher education <


BackgroundResearch and knowledge production in initial early childhood teacher education in Portugal

changes in the required qualification for being a basic education (EC + primary) teacher – licenciate's degree:

● strengthening of knowledge production by early childhood teachers: research method courses + final thesis/essays

● recognition of the scientific status of specific educational knowledge by the higher education institutions (“universitisation”)

common professional performance profile for all teachers (standards for teacher education)

● professional development sustained in critical reflection of practices, research and collaboration

● participation in research projects (teaching, learning and student development)

DL

n. 1

15/9

7

DL

n. 2

40/0

1


BackgroundInitial early childhood teacher education in Portugal

Programmes 1998-2010• “Licenciatura” degree• 4 years long,

with annual and semesterly courses• Compulsory courses

in pre-determined order + optional courses

• Practicum since 1st or 2nd year • Progressive immersion

in the practicum and responsibility for teaching (supervised)

• Longest practicum: last year


Study - contextThe research dimension in initial EC teacher education in Portugal(Figueiredo, & Roldão, 2007; Figueiredo, Portugal & Roldão, 2008)

- research is present in official orientations and in curricula of EC teacher education in Portugal: different conceptions about it’s role to a EC teacher and in EC teacher education

- five ways of conceiving the research dimension in the programmes:

research work in the final year

research course


Study – methods and participantsCase studies of ways of conceiving the research dimension in EC teacher education programmes that includes research work in the last year

- the research reports from 103 students (2006/07), from two schools that share the same curricula, were read and analysed in terms of the substantive, conceptual and methodological domains (Brinberg & McGrath, 1985)

- reports were accessed in the school libraries after permission was obtained from programme director, teachers of the final seminar courses and students

- informal interviews with the teachers and the students, and curricula (programme and courses) analysis from both programmes

specific research course in the 2nd year of the curricula year long research project to be developed by the students in their final year (individually) supervised by teacher (1/25) seminar work report (oral presentation)


Results – aims and purposesShulman and Shulman (2004)

2. studies focused on knowledge about children (27%)

1. studies focused on knowledge for basing decisions about action and/or action (68%)

3. studies focused on knowledge about ways to accomplish community (5%)

classroom management and organization, content knowledge or curriculum understanding


Results – research questionsStudies focused on knowledge for basing decisions about action and/or action – pedagogical-didactic focus

understanding the impact of teaching strategies on children's learning (44%)

solving concrete problems (48%)

analysing and interpreting practices (8%)

how should the EC teacher take part in children's free choice activities?

what strategies can the EC teacher use to facilitate communication between children in large group arrangements?

how does creating stories with virtual puppets influence children's interest for ICT?

in what way constructivist conflict resolution strategies promote children's social competence, ability to negotiate rules and autonomy in conflict resolution?

implement and analyse different ways of tapping the potential of “greeting and calendar time” and as meaningful contexts for math learning

describe the creation of a travelling agency as an interest area, analysing children's participation in the decision making and planning and their exploration of the proposed materials and situations.


Results – research questions + methodologyStudies focused on knowledge for basing decisions about action and/or action – pedagogical-didactic focus

understanding the impact of teaching strategies on children's learning (44%)

solving concrete problems (48%)

analysing and interpreting practices (8%)

auto/heteroscopy only (70,3%), or in combination with interviews, sociometry or questionnaires (16,2%),

other single method designs: 13,5% used observation or interview or questionnaire or a standardized instrument.

auto/heteroscopy only (73,3%), or in combination (10%),

observation combined with standardized instruments, interviews or questionnaires (16,7%)

three method combinations (10%): ex. analysis of children's drawings, observation and storytelling

all the studies resorted to combined methods, exs:

observation, individual and group interviews with children, document analysis and questionnaires;

observation, analysis of children's drawings, interviews with children and photographic records.


Results – main trends and issuesaction research and research with children

Predominance of action research (the auto/heteroscopy procedures are described as being developed in the context of action research)- suggests proximity to Schön's (1983) perspective on the impossibility of disassociating professional knowledge from the professional practice it corresponds to

An interest in questions regarding the child, informed by a recent emphasis in research with children (Christensen, & James, 2005; Sarmento, 2004) is also proeminent


Results – main trends and issuesmany of the studies* are research done by students' on their own practice in their usual practicum school placements

- might result from 'topics of study should arise from practice' orientation to course

- brings advantages in helping to internalise a research-oriented attitude in their work, about their work

- limits students to their practice, competencies and knowledge in a very early stage of their training

= attempts to diversify methods and situations of data collection as well as informants

*47 studies (45,6%) relied exclusively on the student's analysis of their practice, supported by colleagues and the course's teacher, by means of autoscopy and heteroscopy.


Results – main trends and issuesresearch done by students' on their own practice in their usual practicum school placements – ethical dimension

- students enter the EC centers as students and then become researchers in the same site

- supervision entails analysis of video-recordings of practice by other students and teachers

- in the reports, students address this issue as “facilitated” access to the field (problematic role of the researcher? presentation of the study purposes for an informant consent?)

= collaboration protocol contemplates students' research work

= teachers' who supervise the research projects are also practicum teachers (visit EC Centers on a weekly basis)


Results – main trends and issuesmaking the work public and open to critique

- some (around 8) of the studies were, voluntarily, presented by their authors in the end of the school year activities to other students and some EC teachers

- two studies, from the “analysing and interpreting practices” group, were presented in national and international scientific conferences and will be published in a national EC journal


DiscussionCochran-Smith and Lytle (2007): shared features of practitioner's research

•the practitioner takes the role of researcher

•knowledge needed to improve practice is generated from practice contexts

•inquiry is integral to practice

•systematicity and intentionality are central

•validity and generalizability as criteria

•professional context is taken as the site of inquiry

•opening of the work to a larger community

•students' research is centered in answering research questions closely linked with practice

•simplicity of the most proeminent methodological designs and it's withdrawal from practice

•lack of any reference to validity

•efforts to help students' identify relevant questions in their practicum

•weak strategies devised •studies presented to the sc. community

??

?


Discussion“specificity generator” elements of teachers’ knowledge - Roldão (2007)

•recursive mobilization of components of knowledge to analyse situations •transformative potential of constant documentation and discussion of the processes undertaken

•composite nature

?•analytical capacity

•mobilising and questioning nature•meta-analysis

•communicability and circulation

•efforts to go beyond non-analytical, non-questioning and descriptive approaches, by resorting to documentation and discussion of the processes, allowed the students to assign and identify meaning in educational situations?

•not enough distancing or mastery of knowledge to sustain an intelligent and articulated summoning of different types and/or components of knowledge

•the studies present knowledge that can be shared and is open to discussion•does not represent the needed deconstruction, unhiding and articulation ?


Concluding remarks

Establishing research as an essential component of teachers' action and training:– need and value of enabling teachers with the knowledge and conceptual

instruments and research techniques that allow them:

a) to become effective and rigorous in their analytical reflection of their activity,

b) to critically use the available research and

c) the opportunity to produce systematic research (Roldão, 2007).

the increase in the quality of teacher performance and the consolidation of their professional status, essential for the

improvements in curriculum and social learning that one expects from school, still require a significant qualitative leap in the

relation of the teachers with knowledge and its production (Roldão, 2007, p. 12).

Research and Professional Knowledge Construction in EC Teachers' Education: a study of student teachers' thesis within

two programmes in Portugal.

Maria Pacheco FigueiredoSchool of Education and Center of Studies in Education, Technologies and Health, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu

[email protected]

http://meudoutoramento.blogspot.com

http://www.intervir.net/maria (draft paper available from monday 15th sept.)

Gabriela Portugal, Department of Educational Sciences, University of [email protected]

Maria do Céu Roldão, Center of Child Studies, University of [email protected]

ECER 2008 Göteborg - From Teaching to Learning?Network 1010 – 12 September