Laura Colucci-Gray

Evidence‐based practice and teacher action‐research: a reflection on the nature and direction of ‘change’

This study was conceived as an opportunity to reflect on the place of action-research in the contested landscape of educational change in the UK where increasing emphasis has been put on the use of evidence to drive reform. In the context of a government-sponsored project in Scotland, this study looked at the impact of a scholarship initiative supporting classroom teachers to undertake action-research projects on a topic of their own choice with the assistance of a mentor. Data collected from interviews with teachers and analysis of teacher action-research reports pointed to a multi-faceted concept of practice unfolding from individual inquiry and dialogical conversations with colleagues and university mentors. The study argues for further analysis of the use of action-research as a means to develop teachers’ knowledge and to recover the value of collective and creative engagements in education to guide reform.

Challenges to ITE research in conditions of complexity

Research into initial teacher education has come to prominence in recent years, with governments and international organisations advocating reforms in teacher education to serve the needs of a ‘knowledge economy’. In this context, educational research plays a central, albeit controversial, role. On the one hand governmental focus on increasing global economic competitiveness frames the discourse of teacher education within agendas of scientific rationality and the search for ‘what works’ in education; on the other hand, teachers working on the ground are confronted with a plethora of multiple, and sometimes contrasting, interests and needs. Drawing on the experience of an ongoing Scottish Government funded project in initial teacher education in Scotland, this paper examines the tripartite tensions created by differing perspectives and rationales with respect to teacher education: policy, research and practice. Juxtaposed against recent thinking with regard to complexity theories the paper goes on to reflect on what we see as the changing attributes of practice‐relevant and ethically grounded research for education.

Contested Aspects of Becoming a Teacher: Teacher Learning and the Role of Subject Knowledge

Teaching is acknowledged to be complex, multifaceted and dynamic. Curriculum revisions in Scotland, and elsewhere, call for teachers who are adaptable and capable of change. Yet the skills and attributes traditionally valued and acquired by teachers during their education do not necessarily equip them to cope with the shifting landscape of educational change. This article draws on a collaborative review of literature relating to teacher education, undertaken for the Scottish Teachers for a New Era project. It examines the nature of knowledge for teaching generally and in relation to science education in particular to discuss contested aspects and to develop a conceptual framework for future research and development in this area. The main argument for this study is that a reformulation of teacher education is required. This involves changing the way teachers are educated within an accompanying shift in epistemology and a move to interdisciplinarity. It calls for a more egalitarian way of learning as a means to facilitate change within schools for the creation of a more equal and just society.

From Knowledge to Action? Re-embedding Science Learning Within the Planet’s Web

Global environmental problems are on the rise. If on the one hand a great deal of knowledge is available about the natural systems and their physiological processes; on the other hand, our actions are accompanied by an increasing disorder of the global, ecological patterns regulating the existence of life on the Earth. To deal with such issues, a change of both culture and epistemology is required. The framework of sustainability science calls for a dialogical approach to knowledge production. It values epistemic and reflexive knowledge that is produced in the course of exchanges between disciplines, people and groups, across different sets of experiences, values and methodological frameworks. It is argued that this approach to knowledge production is ethically relevant – bringing forth the values of co-existence and legitimization of the other- and sits at the core of peaceful and sustainable relationships between humanity and the Earth. Hence dealing with complex socio-environmental problems – such as climate change – in education is not simply and solely a matter of content but it involves the redefinition of the process of ‘knowing’, which is both and at the same time cognitive and relational, emotional and ethical. In this view, learning in science will involve a multiplicity of knowledge competences – linguistic, social, logical, practical and creative – to value reflexivity and collective engagements in a global context.

Looking back and moving sideways : following the Gandhian approach as the underlying thread for a sustainable science and education

In his ‘Constructive Program’, Gandhi proposed a re-thinking of structures, systems, processes, and resources to promote self-sufficiency and unity in a community, for the ‘Sarvodaya’ (benefit for all). In this contribution, we draw upon the encounters we had with some of the people who embraced the ideals of Gandhi to re-view aims and pedagogical practice in science education. The key dimensions of community learning, dialogue, multiplicity of perspectives and creativity in practical work set the basis for an education which sustains the cognitive as well as the social, emotional and spiritual development of all students. Examples of activities conducted in a variety of teaching contexts are described with a view to extending Gandhis insights to current discussions about science education for sustainability and socio-environmental justice.

Conceptions and expectations of mentoring relationships in a teacher education reform context

Researchers indicate that prior experience and beliefs about learning and teaching held by practicing and pre-service teachers contribute significantly in shaping their mentoring relationships and, more broadly, their career outlook and aspirations. While mentoring is commonly seen as a form of support for pre-service teachers, mentoring can be pivotal in the creation of enabling environments in which collaborative, professional dialogs are undertaken. Yet, there lies a tension between enculturation into the norms of schools and promoting self-belief, participation, and collaboration. Drawing on a qualitative methodology, in this study we focused on the conceptions and expectations of classroom mentoring within the context of a teacher reform initiative in Scotland. Findings indicated that participants in the study held a mixture of beliefs regarding mentoring practices. Implications for partnership arrangements in initial teacher education and teachers’ career development were discussed.

Science Education for a Better World? Reflections on Embodiment, Language and Sensitive Action

The STEPWISE framework (Science & Technology Education Promoting Wellbeing for Individuals, Societies & Environments) takes a radical overhaul of traditional aims of science education, stretching well beyond the learning and application of scientific content. Science education is conceived of as a process of critical and cultural formation, promoting people’s awareness of impacts of knowledge cultures that value economic production and material consumption over social and environmental concerns. Citizens are called upon to ‘take action,’ pushing away from neoliberal demands. In this chapter, I wish to extend the theoretical premises of this type of education by foregrounding ecological awareness and humans’ affiliation with nature. By drawing on insights provided by phenomenology, and the two, interconnected, dimensions of embodiment and language, it is suggested that ‘stepping wisely’—as the framework suggests—may be more than just a metaphor for science education. Direct experiences of nature can afford new ways of being and thus real stepping; ‘walking’ and ‘sensing’ through the body are expression of humans’ inextricable connection with the natural systems. A sustainable approach to life on the Planet, therefore, becomes possible when established beliefs about science knowledge as a body of truths are revisited by asserting the primacy of movement, emotion and bio-physical perception in learning. This chapter argues for a critical science education supporting inventories of potent images for desired, sustainable futures.

Opening Visions for Science Education Futures

ISSN 2384-8677 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.13135/2384-8677/2766 Published online: June 08, 2018 Citation: Colucci-Gray, L., Camino, E., Dodman, M., (2018). Science Education Futures. Visions for Sustainability, 9: 03-09. Copyright: ©2018 Camino, E., Colucci-Gray, L., Dodman, M. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Corresponding Author: Laura Colucci-Gray, United Kingdom.
 E.mail: l.t.gray@abdn.ac.uk

Understanding the nature of mentoring experiences between teachers and student teachers

Purpose Mentoring is widely recognised as an effective strategy for supporting the professional learning of teachers and student teachers across different educational contexts. Yet, its effectiveness in initial teacher education (ITE) may be more widely conceived to take account of mentoring as a cultural practice, contributing to a change of professional learning habits and relationships towards collegiate and collaborative reflexivity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of mentoring experiences between teachers and student teachers, how these are embedded within the established professional learning culture of the school and the opportunities for mentoring to affect professional learning. Design/methodology/approach Set within the context of a teacher education reform project in Scotland, involving student teachers, mentors and university tutors, the study adopted a critical constructivist theory stance to explore mentoring relationships. A sequential mixed methods approach informed the collection and analysis of data. Findings Quantitative data point to a diversity of experiences of mentoring amongst teachers and student teachers. Qualitative data provide a nuanced account of participants’ views of their mentoring experiences, pointing to opportunities for revisiting assumptions about learning in the classroom as well as questioning established professional learning patterns. Practical implications The authors conclude that mentoring relationships cannot be disentangled from a critical interrogation of the modes of relationships and values supporting professional learning in ITE. Practical implications centre upon preparation and resources to develop mentoring as a tool for learning, embedded within the professional culture of the school. Originality/value This study reframes the concept of mentoring as a practice that does not simply reinforce professional expectations but seeks to redefine teacher professional learning, pedagogy and social relationships in school contexts.

Visions for Sustainability N. 4: Beyond analytical perspectives

ISSN 2384-8677 DOI: 10.7401/visions.04.01 Published: December, 21 st , 2015 Citation: Camino, E., Ferrara, E., Colucci-Gray L., Dodman, M., (2015) A third series of visions, perspectives and experiences. Visions for Sustainability 4: 2-4. Copyright: ©2015 Camino, Ferrara, Colucci-Gray, Dodman. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Corresponding Author: Enzo Ferrara, Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, Strada delle Caccie 91, 10135, Torino, Italy. E.mail: e.ferrara@inrim.it