M.L.L. Volman

Gender equity and information technology in education. The second decade

This article presents a review on gender differences and information and communication technology (ICT) in primary and secondary education. First the rapid development of the use of ICT in education is outlined. Then the topics of access to computers, computer-related learning processes, and educational outcomes are discussed. The review also provides insight into the background of gender differences in participation in computer activities and performance in relation to ICT. The research reviewed focused on the role of teachers and fellow classmates, on the different approaches of girls and boys to ICT, and on the preferences of girls regarding the structure and design of software. The research also analyzed the complex meaning of computer attitudes as both a cause and a consequence of differences in the participation and performance of girls and boys. The extent and nature of these differences vary from application to application.

The Web as an Information Resource in K–12 Education: Strategies for Supporting Students in Searching and Processing Information:

The use of the Web in K–12 education has increased substantially in recent years. The Web, however, does not support the learning processes of students as a matter of course. In this review, the authors analyze what research says about the demands that the use of the Web as an information resource in education makes on the support and supervision of students’ learning processes. They discuss empirical research focusing on the limitations of the actual search strategies of children, as well as theoretical literature that analyzes specific characteristics of the Web and their implications for the organization of education. The authors conclude that students need support in searching on the Web as well as in developing “information literacy.” Future research should focus on how the use of the Web in education can contribute to the development of deep and meaningful knowledge.

The influence of learner characteristics on degree and type of participation in a CSCL environment

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is often presented as a promising learning method. However, it is also facing some new challenges. Apart from answering the question of whether or not working with CSCL generates satisfying learning outcomes, it is important to determine whether or not all participants profit from collaboration, with the computer as a means of communication. This paper describes the implementation and effects of an experimental program in 5 classes with a total of 120 students in elementary education who, in groups of four, engaged in Knowledge Forum discussion tasks on the subject of healthy eating. The study explores whether or not differences occur in the participation of students who differ in gender, socioculturalbackgroundandability,andwhetherornotcomputerskills,computer attitudes, comprehensive reading scores and popularity with classmates are related to student participation. Students’ participation in this CSCL environment appears to be dependent on a number of learner characteristics. Girls contributemorewordstothediscussionsthanboysdoandaremoredependent on their computer skills in this production. Students who are good at comprehensive reading also contribute more words. Popularity among classmates appears to influence the degree of participation further. We also found indications that students with immigrant parents write fewer contributions than those whose parents are not immigrants.

Teacher educators: their identities, sub-identities and implications for professional development

In this article we address the question: ‘What sub‐identities of teacher educators emerge from the research literature about teacher educators and what are the implications of the sub‐identities for the professional development of teacher educators?’ Like other professional identities, the identity of teacher educators is a construction of various aspects or facets, which we prefer to call sub‐identities. We are interested to learn what sub‐identities might constitute the main identity of what we generically refer to as ‘teacher educators’ and, to achieve this, we set out to analyse the research literature relating to teacher educators to search for ways in which such sub‐identities might be explicitly or implicitly described. Based on the research literature we found four sub‐identities that are available for teacher educators: schoolteacher, teacher in Higher Education, teacher of teachers (or second order teacher) and researcher. We also found a view on teacher educators as teachers in a more generic way. There seems to be a broad understanding that teacher educators have to transform their identity as teachers to become ‘teachers of teachers in Higher Education’ and (increasingly) to become researchers of teaching and teacher education. The development of these sub‐identities depends on the context of teacher education in various national and institutional contexts and the development of teacher educators over time.

Gender-related differences in computer-mediated communication and computer-supported collaborative learning

A question associated with the introduction of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is whether all participants profit equally from working in CSCL environments. This article reports on a review study into gender-related differences in participation in CSCL. As many of the processes in CSCL are similar to those in computer-mediated communication (CMC), studies into CMC are also included in the review. Male dominance is found to play a roleinmanyCMCsettings.Alearningculturewithanexplicitfocusonparticipationbyallstudents seems to be related to a more gender-balanced participation in CMC, however. A tendency for boys to be more active participants than girls is also present in CSCL environments, but it is less pronounced than in CMC. This may be explained by the fact that participation is explicitly promoted in most CSCL environments. Gender differences in the character of students’ contributions are found in both CMC and CSCL. It is concluded that in order to avoid gender-stereotyped participation and communication patterns, it is necessary to explicitly address inclusiveness as an aspect of a collaborative classroom culture. A plea is made for further research into differential participation by students in CSCL, and the effects thereof on cognitive and affective learning outcomes. Research should also focus on the question how classroom cultures can be promoted that support active participation of all students aimed at collaborative knowledge construction.

Inclusiveness and ICT in education: a focus on gender, ethnicity and social class

This paper presents the results of a literature review on gender, ethnic and socioeconomic status differences related to ICT in primary and secondary education. The review was conducted in order to develop an index for analysing the inclusiveness of educational ICT applications. The research question was: ‘How and to what extent do the characteristics of educational ICT tools enhance or inhibit learning for different groups of students?’ A discussion of both research- and practice-oriented literature results in a proposal for such an index. The paper concludes with a discussion of various dilemmas associated with the idea of the index, and of the ways in which it may be used in research and educational practice.

Effects on participation of an experimental CSCL-programme to support elaboration: Do all students benefit?

Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is aimed at enhancing and supporting the active participation of all students in knowledge sharing and knowledge co-construction. In this study, an experimental programme was designed to support students in elaborating and justifying their positions in CSCL discussions. The effects of this experimental programme on the participation of students as compared to their counterparts in a control programme were determined. It was hypothesised that special attention to elaboration improves the degree and quality of students participation. The subjects in the study were 190 students from nine different primary school classes. The results both show a main effect on the degree of participation of students in the experimental programme and the expected effects of the programme in terms of better quality participation. Although the programme aimed at enhancing the degree and quality of the participation of all students, participation appeared to depend on certain learner characteristics. Students from minority backgrounds benefited less than majority students from the programme in terms of degree of participation. Boys benefited less than girls from the programme in terms of the quality of their participation.

The Activities of a School-Based Teacher Educator: A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration.

Teacher education all over Europe is increasingly becoming school‐based oriented. This implies new roles for those who support student teachers learning in school. This article describes the way four school‐based teacher educators fulfill their role as educators of student teachers who learn how to teach while participating in the workplace. Based on theoretical notions derived from the literature on teacher education and workplace learning, the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model was specified and used in a case study as a framework to describe the activity of these school‐based teacher educators. They use tools (e.g., apprenticeship assignments) developed within the teacher education institute and rely on their professional knowledge as experienced schoolteachers. This results in student teachers being provided with useful tricks which, however, hardly helps them to interpret and elaborate their experiences from a more conceptual or theoretical perspective. Also the possibilities of the social context of the school as a learning environment are not systematically used.

Active learning: views and actions of students and teachers in basic education

Abstract This article discusses how teachers and adult, female, immigrant students in basic education deal with active learning. The study orientations, mental models of learning and images of ideal students of the two groups are compared both with each other and with actual educational practice, in order to obtain insight into the impediments to active learning experienced by teachers in basic education. We suggest, on the basis of four case studies, that the students’ ‘passive attitude’, which teachers experience as culturally determined and problematic, might unintentionally be exacerbated by the teaching strategies used. Teachers tend to take too much responsibility for relating students’ experiences to the subject matter and give little attention to teaching them study strategies.

Developing a teacher identity in the university context: a systematic review of the literature

ABSTRACT This literature review summarises the growing body of literature discussing teacher identities of university teachers. The aim was to understand what strengthens or constrains the development of a teacher identity. A qualitative synthesis of 59 studies was carried out. The review showed that several factors contribute to the development of teacher identity. While contact with students and staff development programmes were experienced as strengthening teacher identity, the wider context of higher education was experienced as having a constraining effect. Furthermore, the impact of the direct work environment was experienced as either strengthening or constraining, depending on whether or not teaching is valued in the department. Five psychological processes were found to be involved in the development of a teacher identity: a sense of appreciation, a sense of connectedness, a sense of competence, a sense of commitment, and imagining a future career trajectory. The findings suggest that developing a teacher identity in the higher education context is not a smooth process. In order to empower university teachers, it is important to reward teaching excellence and build community. Staff development activities can play a role in helping teachers to develop strategies for gaining confidence and taking active control of their work situation, both individually and collectively. The authors argue that more attention should be paid to the implicit messages that departments convey to their teaching faculty.