Technology enhanced teaching and learning methodologies, including Work Integrated Learning

1. Technology enhanced teaching and learning methodologies, including Work Integrated Learning “Mental models” that students possess about Work Integrated Learning with reference to the New Curriculum Framework”

2. Policy relevant for this study • Norms and standards for educators. • Embedded on the constitution • Aimed at transforming educator in professional practice. Implications for policy change for teachers • Generally- relationship between National Political vision and National Curriculum

3. Norms and Standards Policy • Initiative of the Government of National Unity • Requires educators to be competent in curriculum development. • Shift from focusing on teacher input to leaner outcomes • Requires educator to be competent in 7 roles of an educator. • Progressive discourse to pedagogy linked to human rights and Freirean inspired Peoples education.

4. School policy • Formerly called C2005 • Now called National Curriculum Statement • Promote principles of: - Redress -Nation building -Democracy • Inform the new approach to teaching and learning (Outcomes based Education)

5. Old and new approach to teaching and learning

6. Three features of the curriculum • Outcomes based • Leaner centred pedagogy • Integrated knowledge system.

7. Challenges that teachers encounter in new approach to T/L • Features of curriculum created difficulty for teachers( Harley& Wedekind, 2004) • Education Dept. did not provide adequate support and training to teachers. • Lack of continuity in terms of teachers experiences and understanding. Even experienced educators have not coped with the new paradigm. New system was in alignment with private schools.

8. A worrying finding was that teachers from impoverished rural schools benefitted least from improved subject knowledge. (Bertram, 2002) • Teachers’ poor subject knowledge is a major reason for poor quality teaching and learning in many South African classrooms Vinjevold(1999)

9. Implications of new curriculum to student teachers Student teachers in relation to curriculum change • Little or no research done on the implications for students in training. • This paper explores personal journey and experiences as supervisor who mentored students during Work Integrated learning (WIL).

10. Work integrated learning • It is an integral part of students training. • It socialise students to the profession. • Assist in accumulating credits which lead to a qualification. • Institutions differ in planning WIL • In my institution ( B.Ed- FET: 4 years), 9 months is devoted to WIL. • Approximately of the 480 (90cp) is WIL.

11. Work Integrated Learning • Year 1 : Students observe the mentor (four weeks) • Year 2: Students observe as well as team teach with experienced educator. • Year 3: Students teach the whole lessons and are evaluated by the supervisor, mentor and peer. • Year 4: Students assigned to schools for 6 months and are evaluated as above. .

12. Work Integrated Learning • Students are inducted to teaching in the new approach to teaching and learning as well as the design features of the curriculum in preparation for work integrated learning.

13. Observation of the supervisor of WIL • Alignment between students teaching and curriculum policy. • Students experiencing difficulties with the design features of the curriculum (Outcomes, learners centred pedagogy' and integrated knowledge). • Same mistakes occurred consistently from 2002- 2006. • In 2007-2008 decided to do a formal research investigation.

14. Formal Study • To investigate the “mental models” that students possess about WIL. • Mental models are beliefs, ideas, or common understanding of the teachers’ about children's minds and learning which cause them to behave the way they behave. • “Espoused” and “in action” mental models”

15. Mental Models Defined “Deeply ingrained pictures and images that influence the way people understand the world and how they take actions” (Senge, 1990). Mental models are embedded in culture which people acquire in their environment and shapes everyday decisions and actions.

16. Point of departure: Turning the mirror Learning to unearth internal pictures of the world. Bring them to surface and bring them to vigorous scrutiny. Carry meaningful conversation that balance enquiry and advocacy

17. Research on mental models • Mental models have little resemblance with learning they were taught in education. • “Espoused” mental models were inferred from interviews, “in action” were inferred form what teachers were doing in their classrooms settings.

18. knowledge is outside of the mind of children, it is in textbooks, and so forth. Children’s knowledge is incomplete and often incorrect. Result: teachers need to find a way to get knowledge to children's minds

19. Teachers believe they need to move the new material from the place it entered children’s minds to the place it will be stored thus adding to the current store of already learned concepts skills and so on. Strauss argues that this is a mechanistic view that teachers hold about learners.

20. People expose their own thinking and become open to the influence of others. • Research questions are based on the above assertions about mental models. • It is reasonable to expect student educators (novice and inexperienced) not to out perform experienced educators.

21. Approach followed in systematising a study of students teachers • Qualitative/ interpretive study undertaken. • Interview questions designed using semi-structured questions. • Sample of 18 students assigned to supervisor. • Used Flanders Interaction Analysis Category (FIAC) widely used since 1970. • Purpose of FIAC to ascertain teacher talk vs leaner talk.

22. Research by Flanders reveal that only two of the ten categories for coding classroom interaction were pupil talk. • Students randomly assigned to supervisor, located in a geographical area (students home schools) • Combination of all disciplines (science, Technology and Commerce)

23. Context of the schools • All rural schools except for one. • No formal structure which is initiated by Doe. • No electricity except for one in township. • No proper sanitation. • No sound proof between classrooms, could hear the teacher next door. • Schools seem to be managed well, there was discipline in all schools.

24. The study hoped to achieve the following objectives • To reveal “mental models” that students possess during work integrated learning when their lessons were evaluated. • To evaluate the extent to which students adhere to the design features of the curriculum such as learner centred pedagogy and outcomes based. • To reveal the extent of the challenge that students encounter in trying to find a “fit” between “policy” and “practice”

25. Interview questions Common responses that the supervisor received form the students: • Lecturer: Let us reflect on your lesson? Are you happy with what happened in the classroom? • Student’s response: Yes, I am happy, I think everything went well. • Lecturer: Is there anything that you think you could have done better? • Student’s response: No, I think the lesson was a success. • Lecturer: Did you communicate outcome to the learners? • Student’s response: No I did not. • Lecturer: Do you know that you were supposed to communicate outcomes to the students before you address the topic? • Student’s response: (After few seconds) Yes, I think I should have communicated outcomes to students. • Lecturer: Why didn’t you communicate outcomes to students? • Student’s response: I didn’t know it was important to communicate outcomes to learners.

26. Analogies to illustrate “teacher-talk” vs “learner-talk” 1. Teacher driving the car for learners instead of letting the learners drive the car and the teacher become a passenger with learners and only intervene when learners move away from pre-stated outcome. 2. 80% vs 20% principle, of teacher talk. Teacher do 80% of the work outside the classroom, planning, in class teacher do 20% of work and learners do 80% except if the teacher is not introducing a new topic.

27. Findings • In the transcript of a typical students’ lesson.Teacher talk accounted for 59 (76 %) times and learners talked for 19 (24 % ) of the time. The lesson is teacher -centred, the 24% of learner talk is deceptive because learners only responded to the teachers question. There was no initiative on the part of the learners.

28. Transcript of a typical lesson. • T Last time we were talking about gears. • T Can you tell me the types of gears? • L Compound gear, idler gear....... • T Another one? • L Spur gear • T Which gear is most commonly used? • T Idler gear. Learners not given a chance to respond • T The teacher display to learners a gear train. This is a gear train. • T Hand paper to learners. • T Figure 1.1. and 2.3 is a ............. Train • T A and B are gear train • T Idler gear is always in the...........? • L Middle • T Let us look at the diagram • T What direction will gear B be moving? • T Clockwise or anti clockwise direction. • L Anti clockwise direction. • T Is he correct? • T Yes, let us look at the second diagram. What do we have there?(14 “teacher talk” 79% vs 5 “learner talk” 19%)

29. Findings • Learner talk in the transcript misleading because learners respond to teachers questions. No initiative. • Students under pressure to perform to supervisor how much they know the content. • Agree with Flanders Interaction Analysis Category.

30. 80% vs 20% principle of “teacher talk” vs “learner talk” Students do not communicate outcomes to the learners. They say they don’t think it is important. Only say they see the need after the supervisor discuss it with them (using analogy of a car among other things).

31. Students do not allow students to take control of their learning. • One student said she does it deliberately because she thinks that the purpose of supervision is to evaluate how much they know that is why they become “teacher –centred”

32. The need to display to the supervisor how much they know was strong on the students rather than letting learners take responsibility for their learning.

33. Discussion: Students disposition to new curriculum framework • What were the obstacles: The role of mediator of teaching and learning. • Senge(1990) mental models starts with turning the mirror inward and unearthing internal picture of the world. • Ability to carry learning conversation people open to the influence of others.

34. Personal observation, students rely on experience rather than what policy says. • Struggle with linking theory into practice. • Like experienced educators they work more on hunchfeelings rather than what theory says. • Students struggle to show a relationship between the learning outcomes and the topic of the lesson.

35. The issue of design down and deliver –up and expanded opportunity is still problematic to students. • Students struggle with “learner centered pedagogy”.

36. What other studies reveal • The essence of teaching and learning is being lost in mechanical deference to a poorly understood Curriculum 2005 (Mattson & Harley,2003). • Ed policy out of touch with classroom realities. • Implementation of classroom concepts: reveal that teachers showed evidence that they embrace form rather than spirit and content of ideas(Adler& Reed, 2003)

37. Better resourced and historically privileged schools are capable of managing curriculum rather than historically disadvantaged schools particularly the poor, rural and marginalised (Christie,1999). • Exclusion of personal dimension of the community in the implementation of educational policy is inadequate (Waghid,2002).