EVIDENCE & PUBLICATIONS
Reports
Dawes, L. Diezman, C., Loughlin, W., Whitehouse, H., & Adams, P. (2016). Step Up: Transforming the nature and delivery of mathematics and science secondary teacher education in Queensland. Project Report submitted to the Department of Education and Training November 2016.
Dawes. L. (2015). Introducing Step Up: Transforming the nature and delivery of mathematics and science secondary teacher education in Queensland. Discussion paper. September 2015.
Journal Articles
Kelly, N., & Antonio, A. (2016). Teacher peer support in social network sites. Teaching and Teacher Education, 56:138-149.
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This paper describes the types of support that teachers are accessing through the Social Network Site (SNS) ‘Facebook’. It describes six ways in which teachers support one another within online groups. It presents evidence from a study of a large, open group of teachers online over a twelve week period, repeated with multiple groups a year later over a one week period. The findings suggest that large open groups in SNSs can be a useful source of pragmatic advice for teachers but that these groups are rarely a place for reflection on or feedback about teaching practice.
Conference Papers
Diezmann, C. M., & Watters, J. J. (2016, October). Using resource pods to re-envision pre-service teacher education in mathematics and science. Paper presented at the 4th International STEM in Education Conference, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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Abstract: Preservice teacher education in STEM has been under close scrutiny with concerns about the quality of student practicum experiences, graduate teacher quality and the level of pupil engagement in STEM. We propose that preservice teacher education needs to be re-envisioned to capitalise on the affordances of technology and to promote the teacher’s role as a learning designer who facilitates pupil engagement. To achieve this goal, we are creating a Pod Resource Package focussing on the mathematics of Sport, a topic of much interest to the Australian community. The package comprises a Resource Pod, Podchat and a Pedagogy On Demand (POD) approach. The Resource Pod is a collection of electronic resources relevant to mathematics in Sport that can be used to stimulate preservice students’ thinking about teaching and learning. It includes a video of an inspiring classroom teacher using digital resources to engage pupils in mathematics. Podchat refers to interactions about the Resource Pod including the video lesson. The facility for synchronous and asynchronous interaction extends dialogue beyond the teacher educator and the preservice class to other practising teachers, teacher educators and discipline experts. The archiving of Podchats together with the web accessible Resource Pod creates an opportunity for informal learning, that is, POD. POD recognises that preservice students’ motivation for learning about teaching might occur at a time and place apart from formal classes and alone or with others. Here, we share progress on developing the Pod Resource Package with attention to the fidelity of implementation together with our next steps.
Diezmann, C. M., & Watters, J. J (2016). Designing PODs for professional learning. Paper presented at the European Council for Educational Research conference University College Dublin August 23-26.
Diezmann, C. M., & Watters, J. J. (2015, August). Using envisioning the future of science education training: Designing resources for pedagogy on demand. Paper presented at the European Science Educators Research Association conference, Helsinki, Finland, August 30-September 4.
Kelly N., Clara M. and Kickbusch S. (2015). How to develop an online community for pre-service and early career teachers. ASCILITE 2015, Perth
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Abstract: This paper contributes a number of design principles for developing large-scale online communities of pre-service and early career teachers (PS&ECTs). It presents the paradigms of connected learning, networked learning and communities of practice and contrasts them. It describes the potential for online communities to meet the needs of PS&ECTs and it identifies gaps that exist within certain types of existing online communities that currently support PS&ECTs. The paper proposes design principles for a new type of online community for PS&ECTs. These principles are drawn from the literature and from the preliminary outcomes of a pilot study.
Thompson, K., Dawes, L., Doyle, T., Kanasa, H., Nickels, K., & Nutchey, D. (2017). Collaborating with stakeholders in STEM Studios. Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL, 12th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) Volume 2, 621-624.
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Abstract: Studio-based learning provides an environment in which a collaborative, problem-based approach to learning Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is encouraged. In this project, the STEM Studio approach was used with school students in formal and informal learning environments for preservice teacher education. Building on research from orchestration and learning analytics identifying stakeholders, and part of a nationally funded, multi-institutional project, we examine the complexity and diversity of communities in three STEM Studios. Using multiple data sources, the aim of this paper is to identify the stakeholders and the relationships between them in order to visualize the complexity of the networks and to compare (1) changes in networks over time; (2) differences between the learning contexts; and (3) the implications for preservice teacher education.
Watters, J. J., & Diezmann, C. M. (2016, October). A multimedia third space to enhance pre-service teacher evaluation. Paper presented at the 4th International STEM in Education Conference, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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Abstract: Teacher education occurs in two spaces – university courses and school practicum. The connection between university courses that involve establishing core understandings of teaching and learning and skills developed in the practice of teaching or praxis is often problematic. We are currently exploring the development of multimedia resources to create a third space where university teacher educators and practicing teachers collaborate in a dialectical relationship in which theory and practice are critiqued. In this paper, we focus on what pedagogical strategies engage pre-service teachers when observing videotaped lessons. Seventy-one pre-service teachers at different stages of a graduate diploma course at three Australian universities reviewed and discussed interactively in a naturalistic workshop context a middle school mathematics lesson taught by an experienced teacher. Data were collected via observation protocols and through recorded focussed discussions. Preliminary findings indicate first that students who have experienced their full practicum requirements identify and theorise significantly more pedagogical strategies adopted by the teacher than those students who have not experienced practicum. Second, preservice teachers, even at the early phase of their course, are able to articulate theoretical explanations for events occurring in the lessons. All students, irrespective of the progression in the course, lamented the absence of prior opportunities to engage in analysis and discussion of video recorded lessons. The study reinforces the value of dialectical interactions focussed on authentic scenarios. The study will now proceed to incorporate practitioners into the dialogue and extend the preservice experience into a third space.
Watters, J. J., & Diezmann, C. M. (2016). Pedagogy On Demand: evaluating a multimedia resource to support preservice teachers understanding of classroom teaching. Paper presented at the European Council for Educational Research conference University College Dublin August 23-26.
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Abstract: A central strategy in preservice teacher education is the practicum. Drawing on principles of situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991) the practicum should blend the strengths of the theoretical orientations of university educational studies with the practical and tacit knowledge of teaching (Cooper, Orrell, & Bowden, 2010). Problems with the practicum have been long recognised in Europe and elsewhere (e.g., Blunden, 2000; Groundwater-Smith, Deer, Sharp, & March, 1996; Rajuan, Beijaard, & Verloop, 2008). Many students express dissatisfaction with poor supervisory teachers and lack of opportunity to observe or engage in a diversity of practices supported by supervising teachers with different approaches. This paper reports part of a design project to develop a virtual classroom which we call Pedagogy on Demand or a POD (Diezmann & Watters, 2015).
Conference Presentations
Campbell, C. (2016). Full STEAM Ahead: Creating informal teaching opportunities for pre-service teachers. In G. Chamblee & L. Langub (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2016 (pp. 3134-3138). Chesapeake, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
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Abstract: This project involves creating informal community spaces for pre-service teachers to have an opportunity to teach either STEM or STEAM workshops with children. By giving pre-service teachers informal teaching experiences in these areas it will assist with the pre-service teachers gaining confidence in teaching in the STEM area. Pre-service teachers reported a gain in confidence by conducting the workshops which they were then able to build on or use in their final practicum. Pre-service teachers also reported greater confidence in teaching STEM or STEAM and the children involved in the workshops evidently had a good time. An unintended outcome was parental involvement in the workshops and the quality parent/child relationship building that was evident among many of the children.
Kanasa, H., & Thompson, K. (2016). Designing and Analysing STEM Studios for pre-service teacher education. Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education Conference (ASCILITE), November 2016
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Abstract: There is a need for approaches to understand the teaching and learning of STEM and STEAM in schools in order to prepare preservice teachers for innovative classroom practice. In this paper we use a combined design approach to examine the activity of school students, preservice teachers and graduate STEAM students in two STEM Studios at a University in Queensland. We present our revised conceptual model based on earlier iterations as part of an OLT funded project. Multimodal learning analytics approaches will be applied in order to understand the integration of knowledge processes, epistemic cognition, collaboration and tool use.
Nutchey, D., & Smith, G. (2016). STEAM into STEM: Linking to the Australian Curriculum. Australian Curriculum Studies Association Conference (ACSA), Sydney October 2016
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Abstract: This session introduced the approach of Everton Park SHS in providing students with integrated STEAM and STEM learning experiences aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Working in collaboration with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the STEAM in to STEM program centred upon the use of an engineering-like process to develop students’ problem solving ability grounded in realistic scenarios. Through this, we have seen the students develop various other 21st century skills. The presentation also delved into the human, financial and physical resourcing obstacles faced when implementing the program, and how these were overcome. Importantly, the discussion examined some familiar yet difficult to resolve pedagogical issues in STEM education, namely: (a) what do we mean by teaching STEM (b) what do we mean by the term integrated STEM and (c) how and why we would choose to teach STEM in an integrated manner.
Kanasa, H., & Thompson, K. The third space: using a STEM studio in pre-service teacher training. Australian Science Education Research Association (ASERA) June 2016
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Abstract: Pre-service teachers are traditionally trained in higher education (the first space) and school-based settings (the second space) so that theory and content can be complemented and reinforced with practical experience. This study reports on the use of a STEM studio (the third space) to raise teacher self-efficacy. Pre-service teachers act as STEM coaches to mentor high school students on an independent, STEM based project or inquiry. The results of a pilot study will be presented that suggests the efficacy of this approach as well as the plans for the follow up study to be conducted later this year.
Kelly, N., Kickbusch, S., & Kinnane, A. (2016). Innovations in initial teacher education through integration for self-determination. Two examples and a model, AARE 2016, Melbourne, Australia.
Kelly, N. & Kickbusch, S. (2016). TeachConnect: A platform to support beginning teachers, CONASTA 2016, Brisbane.
Kelly N. & Kickbusch S., (2016). What are beginning teachers looking for online? The TeachConnect story (and what can be learnt from it), Conference of the Australian Teacher Education Association 2016, Federation University, Ballarat, Australia.
Kelly N. & Fogarty R. (2015). The Potential and Limits of Online Communities for Rural Teachers, AARE 2015, Fremantle.
Talbot, D., Hadley, F., Andrews, R., Kickbusch, S., Kelly, N., O’Brien, M., Wade-Leeuwen, B. (2016). Professional experience, mentoring and transformative spaces in initial teacher education: a praxis perspective, AARE 2016, Melbourne, Australia.
Conference Workshops
Dawes, L., Doyle, T., & Ross, A. (2016). Operationalising STEM using the STEM Studio model. Australian Science Teachers Association Conference (CONASTA), Brisbane, August 2016.
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The STEM Studio is a collaborative space for pre-service teachers to work with an in-service teacher, discipline expert and teacher educator to design and deliver transdisciplinary STEM education is an authentic, supportive and non-assessed environment. This presentation shared the principles of the STEM Studio and stepped participants through an example of the design process used within the STEM Studio.
Kelly N. & Kickbusch S. (2016), TeachConnect: A design-based research project, Teacher Education Research Innovation (TERI) workshop, AARE Teacher Education SIG, Noosa, Australia – by invitation.
