Raymond Lynch

Promoting deep learning in a teacher education programme through self- and peer-assessment and feedback

The incorporation of self- and peer-assessment and feedback has significant potential as a pedagogical strategy to promote deep learning in project based coursework. This study examined the impact of a deeper approach to learning on pre-service teachers’ critical thinking and metacognitive skills. It also examined the impact on student learning outcomes within a project based module with a significant design element. Forty-seven students participated in the pilot of an online peer feedback system. Results suggest that the quality of students’ reflections through peer feedback and overall satisfaction with the module remained high despite students’ citing a preference for instructor feedback. The data also indicate that the incorporation of self- and peer-assessment and feedback resulted in higher quality learning outcomes and enhanced critical thinking skills.

Plastic people in pinstripe suits: an exploration of the views of Irish parents on the publication of school league tables

While the publication of school league tables is prohibited by law in Ireland, the publication of data categorising university placements achieved per school has become common practice. A central argument advanced in this endeavour includes the provision of information for parents. The views of parents on this issue have, until now, not been explored in Ireland. The current paper outlines the findings of a national survey of 1915 parents on the publication of school league tables. The findings of this research highlight a widespread rejection of the practice. Concerns surrounding the narrowing of educational experience, the intensification of performance pressures and the rise of elitism in schools were noted. Calls for greater teacher accountability were also noted and deemed to transcend the publication of school league tables.

Learning to earn? The role of performance grades in higher education

Through the reinforcement of shared assessment biographies, the provision of performance grades has been socially constructed as an operating imperative within the assessment practices of universities. The drive towards enhanced accountability through the production of quantifiable outcomes has also played a naturalising role in this practice. In so doing, it has ostensibly removed the need for debate surrounding grading practices in general and diverted focus to issues concerning the reliability and validity of assessment instruments and the resulting grades awarded. This article aims to examine the ubiquitous provision of performance grades from both a pedagogical and ideological perspective. It explores the current espoused function of letter and numeric grades within higher education against contemporary educational research and questions the relationship between performance grades and the broader, liberal educational goals of universities. Finally, the paper highlights alternative models and concludes by raising questions regarding the wider social value of university education.

The Impact of Task Difficulty and Performance Scores on Student Engagement and Progression.

Background: This article considers the impact of differential task difficulty on student engagement and progression within an Irish primary school context. Gaining and maintaining student engagement during learning tasks such as homework is a significant and understandable on-going challenge for teachers. The findings of this study hold the potential to support teachers’ decision-making processes regarding the development of student tasks. Purpose: The research study aimed to explore the impact of task difficulty on student engagement and subsequent progression in the computerised navigation task Pac-Man. The central research questions addressed in this article were; do subtle variances in task difficulty impact on student volition and consequently, will this result in a significant variance in students’ levels of improvement? Sample: Sixty students from a large urban, coeducational primary school in the south of Ireland were identified as a suitable sample cohort. All students were in their final year of primary school within the Irish education system and were between 11 and 12 years of age. Design and methods: The study employed the use of the popular arcade game Pac-Man. In a test–retest approach, 60 primary school students completed the standard computerised navigation task with a seven-day interval. Between testing, participants were randomly subdivided into three cohorts. Each cohort of 20 participants received a different version of the Pac-Man game to practise with for one week. Cohort A received a version of the Pac-Man game of lesser difficulty, Cohort B received the standard Pac-Man game and Cohort C received a version of greater difficulty. A paired-samples t-test (repeated measures) was employed to compare the scores achieved by each of the three cohorts both pre- and post-practice. As an indication of the resulting effect size for each cohort the eta-squared statistic was subsequently calculated. In order to support any future meta-analysis, Cohen’s d statistic is also provided in this paper. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to explore differences between groups with regard to progression scores and number of games played when practising. Results: The results of this small scale study found the cohort who received the easier version of the task presented the greatest overall improvement in performance between the pre- and post-tests. No statistically significant difference was found in the change in scores of the three cohorts – potentially due to the small sample size. However, paying attention to the size of the effect indicated that, over seven days, there was an 80% improvement in performance for Cohort A, 63% improvement for Cohort B and 26% improvement for Cohort C. The results highlight the negative impact of increased task difficulty on students’ volition and consequently, on overall progress in the task. Conclusions: Further research with larger student populations would be needed to assess the generalisability of the results. However, the findings suggest that when designing tasks to promote student learning, particularly self-directed tasks such as homework, it is important that teachers afford ample opportunity for student success.

I chose to become a teacher because. Exploring the factors influencing teaching choice amongst pre-service teachers in Ireland

ABSTRACT This study investigated the suitability of the FIT-Choice scale for use within an Irish Initial Teacher Education setting with a cohort of first year pre-service teachers (n = 143), from across five different subject disciplines. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted to examine participants’ motivations for choosing teaching as a career, as well as their perceptions about teaching. The results were found to be consistent with the original FIT-Choice structure thus supporting the validity of the FIT-Choice scale within this Irish Initial Teacher Education context. Prior teaching and learning experiences, as well as perceived ability, were found to be the strongest influential factors in participants’ decision to become a teacher. These findings further highlight the prominence given to subject-based knowledge in Ireland. The relationships between participants’ motivations for becoming a teacher and their satisfaction with career choice were also examined. Choosing teaching as a fallback career was negatively related to satisfaction, whereas a desire to work with children was found to be a significant positive predictor.

Negotiating subject hierarchies: neo-liberal influences on the comprehensive curriculum in Ireland

This article critically examines the relationship between recent educational policy and the advancement of second-level subject hierarchies in Ireland. The paradox of promoting an individual subject by means of the matriculation system, while also calling for a broad and balanced curriculum, is questioned. The apparent retreat from a commitment to comprehensive education is discussed with respect to a neo-liberal agenda in education and a modernist-vocational ideology of curriculum development. The article concludes with a discussion on the place of subject-based curricula and a call for more balanced debate around educational policy, which may result in the promotion of subject boundaries.

Acknowledging Teacher Professionalism in Ireland: The Case for a Chartered Teacher Initiative.

This paper presents an argument for the development of an Irish Chartered Teacher initiative which would acknowledge and accredit the professionalism of experienced and accomplished teachers. It begins by examining the current position of teaching as a profession based on findings from Irish and international research studies. Issues surrounding the accreditation of accomplished teachers are considered through the examination of a range of Chartered Teacher initiatives. Finally, the potential opportunities and challenges of accrediting teacher professionalism in Ireland are discussed with reference to the continuum of teacher education and recent developments introduced by the Teaching Council of Ireland.

Student interests and undergraduate performance: the importance of student–course alignment

There has been a growing interest in the influences on undergraduate performance in recent years as a result of the increasing diversity of students entering third-level education and an ever increasing emphasis on the development of a robust knowledge economy. This paper investigates the influence of students’ dominant interest types and prior academic achievement on undergraduate performance in an Irish university. Hollands Self-Directed Search (SDS) interest inventory was completed by 308 students drawn from three, second year undergraduate programmes in engineering, nursing and teaching. The impact of dominant interest types and prior academic achievement on the performance of these students in their second year was then investigated using correlation and linear regression analyses. When combined, student interests and prior academic achievements were found to account for between 38% and 50% of the variance in undergraduate performance for students in these three undergraduate programmes.

Exploring the relationship between homework task difficulty, student engagement and performance

This article considers the relationship between differential homework task difficulty, student engagement and performance across four Irish post-primary school sites. A total of 236 participants completed all elements of this study. All participants were junior cycle students, aged between 12 and 16 years. The study employed a standardised test–retest approach, with a one week interval between tests. Between testing, participants were randomly subdivided into three cohorts. Each cohort received homework questions of different difficulty levels to complete for one week. The results of this study found that Cohort A, who received the least difficult homework tasks, completed the most non-compulsory questions. Although Cohort A demonstrated higher levels of engagement, no statistically significant difference was found in the change in performance scores of the three cohorts. The results highlight the negative impact of increased task difficulty on student engagement with independent homework tasks. The findings suggest that in order to support student engagement it is important that teachers afford ample opportunity for student success when designing self-directed tasks such as homework.

Straddling the marshy divide: exploring pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards teacher research

Abstract Pervasive tensions exist between the rhetoric of educational policy and the manner in which such policy is enacted in schools. Subject to the often-conflicting mandates of Initial Teacher Education policy and secondary school practices, pre-service teachers experience challenges in evaluating their role as prospective educators, while also attempting to straddle the epistemological divide which continues to fragment the continuum of teacher education. This paper reports the findings of a study exploring pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards the use and conduct of educational research within a context characterised by intensification, performativity and technicism. The research findings identify a notable level of professional dissonance amongst respondents who acknowledge the value of educational research for their professional development but are simultaneously reluctant to engage with this support. The findings of this study hold significance for those aiming to invigorate meaningful encounters with research amongst prospective teacher researchers.