Riikka Hofmann

Challenges and opportunities for teacher professional development in interactive use of technology in African schools

This article examines the supporting and constraining factors influencing professional learning about interactive teaching and mobile digital technology use in low-resourced basic schools in sub-Saharan Africa. It draws on a case study of iterative development and refinement of a school-based, peer-facilitated professional learning programme (‘OER4Schools’) that integrated use of mobile technologies, digital open educational resources and interactive pedagogy. The research and development involved teachers in three Zambian primary schools and culminated in an extensive multimedia resource. Using an ecological framework, factors emerging were characterised at three levels: teacher, school, and the wider community and policy context. They include school organisation and leadership, teacher motivation and perceptions of opportunities for professional learning and change, teacher views of pupil capabilities, availability of resources, teacher collaboration, and viewpoints of parents and policymakers.

Principled Improvement in Science: Forces and proportional relations in early secondary-school teaching

In response to continuing concerns about student attainment and participation in science and mathematics, the epiSTEMe project took a novel approach to pedagogy in these two disciplines. Using principles identified as effective in the research literature (and combining these in a fashion not previously attempted), the project developed topic modules for early secondary-school teaching in the UK, arranged for their implementation in classrooms, and evaluated the results. This paper reports the development, implementation, and evaluation of one of the epiSTEMe science modules. Entitled Forces and Proportional Relations, the module covers standard curricular material in the domain of forces, while paying particular attention to the proportional nature of many key constructs. It was developed in collaboration with a small group of teachers; implemented subsequently in 16 classrooms, in all cases involving students from the first year of secondary school; and evaluated through comparison with first-year students in 13 control classrooms who were studying the topic using established methods. Evaluation addressed topic mastery and opinions about the topic and the manner in which it was taught. While further research is required before definite conclusions are warranted, results relating to topic mastery provide grounds for optimism about the epiSTEMe approach. Furthermore, student opinions about the module were positive.

A research-informed dialogic-teaching approach to early secondary school mathematics and science: the pedagogical design and field trial of the epiSTEMe intervention

Abstract The Effecting Principled Improvement in STEM Education [epiSTEMe] project undertook pedagogical research aimed at improving pupil engagement and learning in early secondary school physical science and mathematics. Using principles identified as effective in the research literature and drawing on a range of existing pedagogical resources, the project designed and trialled a classroom intervention, with associated professional development, in a form intended to be suited to implementation at scale. The most distinctive feature of the epiSTEMe pedagogical approach is its inclusion of a component of dialogic teaching. Aimed at the first year of secondary education in English schools (covering ages 11–12), the epiSTEMe intervention consists of a short introductory module designed to prepare classes for this dialogic teaching component, and topic modules which employ the epiSTEMe pedagogical approach to cover two curricular topics in each of science and mathematics. A field trial was conducted over the 2010/2011 school year in 25 volunteer schools, randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Within the intervention group, observation of lessons indicated that the level of dialogic teaching was higher for one of the topic modules than others. Evaluation focused on the effectiveness of the topic modules, each trialled in more than 10 classes containing a total of over 300 pupils, and compared with a group of similar composition. Overall, at this first implementation, learning gains under the epiSTEMe intervention were no greater, although for individual topic modules the effects ranged from small negative to small positive. No difference was found between intervention and control groups either in the opinion of pupils about their classroom experience or in changes in their attitude towards subjects.

The Effect of 3-Dimensional Simulation on Neurosurgical Skill Acquisition and Surgical Performance: A Review of the Literature

OBJECTIVE In recent years, 3-dimensional (3D) simulation of neurosurgical procedures has become increasingly popular as an addition to training programmes. However, there remains little objective evidence of its effectiveness in improving live surgical skill. This review analysed the current literature in 3D neurosurgical simulation, highlighting remaining gaps in the evidence base for improvement in surgical performance and suggests useful future research directions. DESIGN An electronic search of the databases was conducted to identify studies investigating 3D virtual reality (VR) simulation for various types of neurosurgery. Eligible studies were those that used a combination of metrics to measure neurosurgical skill acquisition on a simulation trainer. Studies were excluded if they did not measure skill acquisition against a set of metrics or if they assessed skills that were not used in neurosurgical practice. This was not a systematic review however, the data extracted was tabulated to allow comparison between studies RESULTS: This study revealed that the average overall quality of the included studies was moderate. Only one study assessed outcomes in live surgery, while most other studies assessed outcomes on a simulator using a variety of metrics. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that in its current state, the evidence for 3D simulation suggests it as a useful supplement to training programmes but more evidence is needed of improvement in surgical performance to warrant large-scale investment in this technology.

Teacher Interventions in Small Group Work in Secondary Mathematics and Science Lessons.

ABSTRACT Collaborative problem solving, when students work in pairs or small groups on a curriculum-related task, has become an increasingly common feature of classroom education. This paper reports a study of a topic which has received relatively little attention: how teachers can most usefully intervene when students are working in a group, but have encountered some sort of problem. The data used comes from a large-scale interventional study of mathematics and science teaching in secondary schools in south-east England, in which interactions between teachers and students were recorded in their usual classrooms. We identify the typical problem situations which lead to teachers’ interventions, and describe the different ways teachers were observed to intervene. We examine the different types of intervention, and consider how effective they are in helping group work proceed in a productive manner. Finally, we offer some conclusions about the practical implications of these findings.

Rational Number and Proportional Reasoning in Early Secondary School: Towards Principled Improvement in Mathematics.

Reflecting concerns about student attainment and participation in mathematics and science, the Effecting Principled Improvement in STEM Education (epiSTEMe) project attempted to support pedagogical advancement in these two disciplines. Using principles identified as effective in the research literature (and combining these in a novel fashion), the project developed topic modules for early secondary-school teaching in the UK, arranged for their implementation in classrooms, and evaluated the results. This article reports the development, implementation and evaluation of the epiSTEMe mathematics module entitled Fractions, Ratios and Proportions. The module covers aspects of rational number and proportional reasoning relevant to the early secondary curriculum, and was developed in collaboration with teachers, implemented in 11 classrooms, and evaluated through comparison with 16 control classrooms where the topic was addressed using established methods. Students who used the epiSTEMe materials made significantly greater progress than control students as regards topic mastery, while holding positive opinions about their teaching and learning experiences.

A case study of epistemic order in mathematics classroom dialogue

Thanks are due to the Economic and Social Research Council which funded collection of the video data analysed here as part of the epiSTEMe project (grant reference RES-179-25-0003).

Oracy and Literacy in the Making

This chapter focuses on analysing the development of oral and written communication in Mexican elementary students, in the context of the implementation of an innovative educational programme called ‘Learning Together’ (LT). The programme was designed to enhance oral and written communication in the students, including dialogic interactions, as well as reading comprehension and text production strategies through a variety of collaborative learning activities (Rojas-Drummond, Littleton, Hernandez, & Zuniga, 2010).

Leading Professional Change Through Research(ING)

Asking unusual and interesting questions and making original connections that make us (adults) notice new things about our world is typically considered a sign of intelligent thinking in children. As we become encultured into various expert practices and communities, it becomes increasingly difficult to ask such questions and escape our taken-for-granted assumptions and habits. When I ask professional graduate students to think of an example of something that made them gain a genuinely novel perspective on their practice, they often struggle.

Sustaining and Scaling Pedagogic Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Grounded Insights For Teacher Professional Development

Developing sustainable and scalable educational initiatives is a key challenge in low-income countries where donor-funded short-term projects are limited by both contextual factors and programme design. In this concept paper we examine some of the issues related to in-service teacher development in the context of sub-Saharan Africa, grounded predominantly in our experiences of over 5 years of iteratively developing, refining and evaluating an intensive school-based professional learning programme for primary school teachers. “OER4Schools” integrates interactive pedagogy, Open Educational Resources (OER) and use of mobile devices (where available). The focus of this paper is on identifying what the main factors are perceived to be in sustaining and scaling up such a programme, from the perspectives of participating teachers, workshop facilitators and the research team. Synthesising our previous research and drawing on recent work in the field, we identify the key characteristics of effective and sustainable professional learning in low-resourced contexts. Such characteristics include effective peer facilitation, school-based active learning, explicit programme structure, appropriate scheduling and resourcing, and mitigating resource constraints through use of OER. Our conclusions thereby offer insights concerning the importance and impact of wider influences on participation and engagement of stakeholders and lead to recommendations for programme design and implementation, that should be taken on board by future initiatives.