Quality of Promoting of New Generation Learning at School: Challenge for Teacher Education?
Dr.habil.paed. Maslo, Irina;
Dr.paed. Fernate, Andra;
Dra. Kalnina, Daiga;
Dra. Daniela, Linda
University of Latvia
Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, University of Goteborg, 10-12 September 2008
Abstract
The paper summarizes and analyzes the results of the research project “Methodology of promoting of new generation learning quality” started in spring of 2007 at the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology (PPF) at the University of Latvia (LU). The project deals with the understanding of students’ learning achievements. The research part of quantitative-qualitative explorative study whose results are offered for the present discussion was conducted in order to solve the research question – which pedagogical activities carried out by the school, teachers and students themselves promote the success of students’ learning at elementary school and which ones prevent it. The society was introduced with the results of the study during a panel discussion-seminar “What did the school teach?” organized by the Consultancy Board in Minority Issues of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia on December 14, 2007, as well as during the plenary session of the 66th conference of the University of Latvia on February 8, 2008.
Key words: curricular activities, teacher activities, student activities, school environment, teacher-student relationship, students’ participation and responsibility, experience exchange, collaborative learning, cooperative learning
Introduction
Several comprehensive comparative education studies (OECD, CivEd and CivEd Old, PIRLS, etc.) have been conducted in Latvia in the field of adolescents’ learning success (Geske, 2000; Geske, Grīnfelds, Kangro, 2001; Geske, Grīnfelds, Kangro et.al., 2004; Geske, Ozola, 2007; Johansone, 2003) that are oriented towards assessment of adolescents’ learning success. Significant information about the results of the quality of education has been obtained but at present there are no studies in Latvia if this is exactly teacher’s pedagogical activity at school that promotes students’ learning success. The quality of pedagogical process at classroom and at school has not been studied. Thus there is a topical need to conduct in-depth study of the quality of pedagogical process.
The results of the study conducted in the year 2007 are offered for scientific discussion. The goal of the study was to determine correlations between the new generation adolescents’ learning and the quality of pedagogical process. The research question is as follows: which pedagogical activities carried out by the school, teachers and students themselves promote the success of students’ learning at elementary school and which ones prevent it.
1. Theoretical framework
Theoretical basis of the study is formed by the conception of constructive learning (Holzkampf, 1983, 1995; Hofmeister, 1998), which stresses an individual’s active role in information processing and knowledge development (Sālbergs, 2003a, 2003b). Constructive learning always is situative learning (Lamberigts, Dīpenbroks, 2004). Students learn taking into account their own interests broadening their possibilities for activity (Vygotsky, 1978; Wells, 1993, 1994, 1999) and thus improving their life quality (Helds, 2004; Tiļļa, 2003, 2005).
The dimensions of the study are justified by the argument that teaching-learning process is a permanent multi-level process, which is the process of promoting learning from the perspective of interaction between the teacher, the subject and the student (Arnold, 1995; Gento, 2002), but from the perspective of interaction among the subjects it is a social process (ibid. Maslo, 1995, 15). The dimensions of the study: individual – points of view expressed by the students, parents, teachers, and administrative staff about the factors that promote and prevent students’ learning in the 9th form; micro-system – individuals’ interaction in the context of classroom learning activities; mezo-system – the activities of the school and macro-system as a social and cultural context (Bronfenbrenners, 1979, 1998; Burdjē, 2004), which has a direct or indirect impact on the micro-system in which an individual is involved. The dimensions of the study are united by the research question – which factors promote and which ones prevent the learning of the students of the 9th form.
2. Research methodology
In order to solve the research question sequential explorative research (Tashakkori, Teddlie, 2003) was conducted in Latvian regions in minority schools and schools, in which the language of instruction is the official (Latvian) language. Qualitative-quantitative research was conducted (Tashakkori, Teddlie, 2003; Mayring, Huber, Gurtler, 2007) that included the following stages: 1) a structured interview for qualitative data collection (statements); 2) primary and secondary qualitative and quantitative data processing; 3) data analysis and interpretation.
Applying the structured interview method (Medina, 2006a, 2006b), there were obtained 6181 statements expressed by the students, their parents, teachers and administrative staff about the activities carried out by the school, teachers, and students, which favoured the students’ success at elementary school and which ones prevented it. The statements were coded according to the structural components of pedagogical process (Maslo, 1995), broadening them taking into account tendencies of the new generation learning. Quantitative data processing was done implementing SPSS 15.0 data processing software. Qualitative data processing – coding of notes, metacoding, and interpretation was done implementing AQUAD 6 software. Primary data analysis was done implementing descriptive statistics (analysis of frequencies, central tendency, variability, crosstabs, skewness and kurtosis indicators). Secondary data processing was done implementing the methods used for test reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha test). Taking into account the exact sample, non-parametric statistical methods were used (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, X² Test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z test), etc.
3. Findings of the research
3.1. Respondents’ opinion about the quality of learning promotion in the 9th form of an elementary school
The findings of the study do not show a significant difference in the respondents’ opinion about the fact if the school promotes the students’ learning success, as well as about the quality of promoting definite components of learning success at school (see Table 1). However, the average range of the minority elementary curriculum students’ answers is higher than that one of the elementary curriculum which proves a greater stress laid on this issue.
The qualitative data analysis shows that in minority schools more stress is laid upon the growth of the knowledge level, personal development, and the improvement in learning activity and interest in it (see Table 2).
Table 1
Respondents’ opinion concerning the factors that promote students’ learning
Elementary curriculum (n=36); the average range at p<0.05 / Minority elementary curriculum (n=14); the average range at p<0.05The school favours the learning success / 21.78 / 35.07
The school favours the curriculum acquisition / 22.54 / 31.14
The school improves students’ learning activity and interest in it / 21.88 / 34.82
The students’ learning success become their motivation / 23.07 / 31.75
Students from minority schools, their parents and teachers regard that learning success motivates students, initiates new tasks and creates a wish to carry them out. In its turn, in the elementary schools, in which the language of instruction is the official language, successful acquisition of a curriculum is stressed.
Table 2
Respondents’ statements concerning the promotion of students’ learning motivation and interesting presentation of the learning content
Statements concerning promotion of students’ learning motivation / Statements concerning interesting presentation of the learning contentStudents: involvement in the learning process, a duty to teach, to provide knowledge to the students.
Teachers: organizing of a lesson, creative approach in the lessons, motivation to learn.
Parents: a wish to work with students, promotion of motivation, interestingly organized lessons, interest in the studies. / Students: an interesting and attractive way of presentation, interesting learning content, art to present content in an interesting way, rousing the interest about the studies, explanation so that the students could understand the material, interesting and exciting information about the theme of the lesson.
Teachers: rousing students’ interest, interesting and exciting presentation of the material, organizing of merry moments.
Parents: can explain the subject, preparation of the lessons, interesting lessons, interest, interestingly presented lessons.
3.2. The positive experience of promotion of learning quality
3.2.1. The activities of the school that favour students’ learning success
The school activities favour the learning success if the school arranges subject competitions and special weeks devoted to a certain subject – this opinion is expressed by the majority of the respondents (rs=0.49, p<0.05). A similar opinion is expressed about extracurricular activities (rs=0.67, p<0.01): it is necessary to integrate different experiences into the learning process, change the habitual learning environment and let the elements of informal education aspects be integrated into the pedagogical process of the school. The respondents consider that learning is stimulated by the following extracurricular activities: excursions, hiking, sports days, sports events, dancing, different hobby groups and mutual co-operation among the schools. The previously mentioned activities are followed by ensuring of environment, promotion of motivation to learn (rs=0.67, p<0.01), physical activities: everything that provides joy about the studies but which the schools still lack. They are specified by the frequently mentioned forms of learning, promotion of interest education, co-operation among the parents. The respondents find that an adequate system of knowledge assessment, the use of different teaching-learning methods, awarding of the most successful students, teamwork, the rating system, the creation of a curriculum according to the students’ interests, connection of computer literacy and theory with the observations and practice promote learning motivation.
School activities further students’ learning success if teacher and students’ exchange projects are carried out, teachers’ qualification improvement is promoted, differentiated and individual programmes are offered and an appropriate technical equipment is provided (rs=0.81, p<0.01), i.e., modern technologies are used. When speaking about the teachers and students’ exchange programmes, the respondents regard that it is necessary to attract visiting lecturers, organize students and teachers’ exchange interest groups.
Thus priorities are visible: open and to co-operation oriented school culture in which co-operation among teachers, students and parents take part, the school in which parents are welcome, interest education and informal activities are naturally integrated into the learning process, favour the students’ joy and motivation to learn and gain success.
3.2.2. Teachers’ activities that favour the students’ learning success
Teachers’ activities favour students’ learning success if they motivate students, initiate new tasks and rouse a wish to participate in them (rs=0.31, p<0.05). The students consider that they get motivated if a teacher involves them in the learning process, if a teacher stimulates the development of their knowledge. The teachers find that the students are motivated by the lessons, implementing a creative approach and motivating for the studies. In its turn, the parents tell that the students are motivated by the teacher’s wish to work with the students, promotion of motivation, if a teacher organizes lessons in an interesting way and if the students find interest in the studies.
An interesting presentation of the learning content (rs=0.58, p<0.05) is one of the most essential teacher’s activities that favours students’ learning. The students associate an interesting learning content with an interesting and attractive way of its presentation, with interesting learning content, the educator’s skill to present it in an interesting way, rousing of interest in the studies, explanations so that the students could understand the content, as well as with interesting and exciting information about the theme of a definite lesson. The teachers regard that an interesting presentation of the learning content is characterized by the teacher’s interest and skill to explain the subject, prepare and organize interesting lessons.
The respondents guess that students’ learning will be favoured if they are not overloaded with home tasks (rs=0.73, p<0.05). The parents think that the teacher has to ask the students do creative home tasks, not overload them.
All the groups of respondents point out that the use of up-to-date information in the learning process is an essential teacher’s activity that stimulates students’ learning (rs=0.97, p<0.05). The students associate the use of up-to-date information in the learning process with movies, technical equipment, e.g., the use of computers in the lessons and providing of the latest information in the subject but the teachers mention the use of the latest pedagogical techniques, methods and implementation of technologies. In its turn, the parents consider that the use of up-to-date information in the learning process means a contact with children through internet, implementation of ITS knowledge in practice, the use of internet and IT technologies in the learning process.
The majority of the respondents have marked the use of different teaching-learning methods that implicitly points to the elements of individualization of pedagogical process, as well as to the extent how important they would be for the students to gain social experience alongside with the knowledge. The stress is laid upon a dialogue among the teacher and the students, which is considered as an important factor by approximately half of the respondents. Teachers’ continuous education is also important (rs=0.60, p<0.05), as well as its result – an exciting learning process in which a teacher tells the learning content in an interesting way, demonstrating his/her personal attitude. It is essential how a teacher promotes students’ motivation when organizing the learning process.
Interaction, dialogue, promotion of students’ interest, and individualization of the learning process are the main conditions that describe the teacher’s activity as a result of which the students gain learning success.
3.2.3. Students’ activities that favour their learning success
The respondents find that the following students’ activities favour their learning success: regular class attendance (rs=0.89, p<0.05), rational use of their leisure time (e.g., to improve their health) (rs=0.76, p<0.05), supporting other students, mutual help (rs=0.65, p<0.01) and the use of ICT in the learning process (the use of computers, etc.) (rs=0.64, p<0.01). The respondents consider that the students’ sense of humour (rs=0.99 p<0.01) furthers the students’ learning success.
The students’ motivation to learn and attend school is influenced by everyday active interaction with the social environment of the school. Versatile open interactive communication provides the necessary information and experience to the students. Compatriots’ positive attitude towards life and other people, mutual help, support and striving for ideals are especially important factors.