Exploring behaviour in the online environment: student perceptions of information literacy

The aim of this paper is to show how information literacy can be conceptualised as a key learning process related to discipline and academic maturity, rather than as a generic skill. Results of a small-scale study including questionnaires and observation of student behaviour are reported and analysed in relation to Bruces 'seven faces of information literacy' framework. The findings illustrate that information literacy is a highly situated practice that remains undeveloped through mandatory schooling. Some methodological issues are considered in relation to researching information literacy, including the limits of the Bruce model as a framework for analysis. We also show how decontextualised courses can foreground and privilege certain behaviours that are beneficial but that developing higher-level information literate attitudes is likely to be an iterative and contextualised process

Conceptions of Adult Education Teachers-in-Training Regarding the Media Literacy Education of Older People: A Phenomenographic Study to Inform a Course Design

This phenomenographic study represents part of an ongoing design-based research initiative to inform the design of a new course on older people’s media literacy in the adult-education teacher-education context. The aim was to describe the conceptions of teachers-in-training regarding media literacy education for older people. The data consist of students’ written assignments in which they defined the concept of older people, their societal roles, and of the media literacy education targeting them. The participants included teachers-in-training (N = 22) from a Finnish university’s teacher education program. The data were analyzed qualitatively with the aim of exploring how these students define “older people,” the kinds of roles they perceive older people as having, the pedagogical content and approaches they see as most useful in media literacy education targeting older people, and the kinds of learning aims they set for themselves in the course. The results reveal implications for the design of the abovementioned new course

Understanding self-directed professional development in mathematics for elementary teachers: A phenomenographical study

This qualitative research focused on elementary teachers’ conceptions of self-directed professional development. Self-directed professional development is professional development that is internally motivated and arises from the teacher’s own initiative (Eekelen, Vermunt & Boshuizen, 2006; Mushayikwa & Lubben, 2009). The central question which framed this research is: how do elementary teachers perceive, engage in and understand the role of self-directed professional development in elementary mathematics education? Given that elementary teachers should nurture students’ interests and abilities in mathematics, it is important to understand how they foster their professional growth through self-directed professional development in mathematics education. Teacher’s conceptions of self-directed professional development were analyzed through the lens of phenomenography. The goal of phenomenographic research is to describe various ways in which people experience a phenomenon (Limberg, 2008; Marton, 1981; Marton & Pong, 2005; Trigwell, 2006). Mezirow’s (1991) theory of transformative learning and Knowles’ (1984) theory of andragogy are the theoretical frameworks, on which the nuances of teachers’ experiences of self-directed PD were interpreted. The iterative process of reading and coding data as described by Chamaz (2008) were incorporated in the phenomenographic data analysis. Teachers’ conceptions of self-directed professional development resulted in an outcome space of five categories of description. Findings suggest that elementary teachers are passionate about mathematics teaching and their professional growth through self-directed professional development. Teachers utilized a variety of formal and informal activities to facilitate their own learning in mathematics education. Teachers’ engagement with self-directed PD resulted in transformational thinking and practice in mathematics education. Elementary teachers, whether novice or experienced, engaged in lifelong learning activities aimed at providing meaningful teaching and learning experiences for themselves and their students. Self-directed professional development provided teachers with autonomous, empowering experiences as they made professional judgments regarding the time, context and content of their learning experiences

Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Experiences with Technology Integration in a One-to-One School District During Face-to-Face and Remote Instruction: A Phenomenography

The purpose of this phenomenographic study was to acquire a better understanding of the lived experiences of 12 secondary mathematics teachers who integrated one-to-one technology into their classrooms as part of a district-wide one-to-one technology initiative. Transcripts from semi-structured interviews were analyzed to elicit and describe different ways in which secondary mathematics teachers experienced the phenomenon. Data analysis showed teachers experienced technology integration in classrooms based on their attitude towards using technology. Those who expressed positive attitudes used technology to support modeling mathematics, differentiate learning, problem-solving, expedite grading, and provide instant feedback to students. Those who did not have positive attitudes refrained from using technology unless they had to. The results will be useful for educators, teacher educators, instructional and technology coaches, administrators, and district leaders to understand the phenomenon of one-to-one technology integration through the actual experiences of the secondary mathematics teachers, improve instructional technology practices in the classrooms, identify the need for effective professional development based on the teachers’ experiences specific to the content area they work with, and to develop district-wide policies regarding technology integration in the classrooms. Recommendations for future research suggested including larger sample size across different grade levels and content areas and looking more closely into how the external variables affected the teachers’ acceptance to one-to-one technology

Teacher Experiences with Multiple One-to-One Technology Integration Models: A Phenomenography

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the beliefs and perceptions of teachers who have experience with both the BYOT and school-issued 1:1 technology integration models. The eight informants in this study all had middle and/or high school experience teaching with both models. The data came from semi-structured interviews with each informant and five documents related to 1:1 technology integration from four districts. Analysis results showed a preference for the 1:1 school-issued model due to concerns with technical support, equity, student behavior, technology monitoring, and pedagogical change. COVID reinforced teacher preference. Neither model was conclusively preferred in the areas of student engagement and professional development. Recommendations for future research included a comparative study of the impact of each model on student outcomes and comparative study of the models’ applications in specific content areas

The educational paradigm shift-a phenomenographic study of medical teachers' experiences of practices

BackgroundThis paper proposes a novel approach to the development of competence-oriented higher education, a national transformation aimed at harmonising and digitising undergraduate medical and dental education in Finland.MethodsWe apply phenomenography as a viable qualitative method for medical education research. To better understand medical teachers' expectations towards the change in the educational paradigm, we need to study teachers' experiences of the current practices in undergraduate medical and dental education. The phenomenographic approach facilitates solid links between research, educational development, and change.ResultsThe phenomenographic study maps the qualitatively different ways in which medical teachers experience undergraduate medical and dental education practices. The answers reflect the changing educational paradigm in medical schools, suggesting practical implications for further development of medical and dental education and training. Core content analysis is preferred instructional scaffold for both teachers and students to prioritise the extensive medical education objectives. The change towards competence-based orientation is in progress and national co-operation accelerates its impact.ConclusionThere is an obvious need to enrich the content of the current curriculum with national guidelines that aim for congruence in assessment and objectives. Our results suggest an assessment application for the theoretical concepts presented and promote the competence orientation of education throughout the curricula of medical and dental undergraduate education. Moreover, our results contribute to current European discourses on competence-based approaches in higher education. Up-to-date pedagogical faculty development programmes are a key prerequisite for teacher empowerment and future orientation in teaching and learning for healthcare professions.Peer reviewe

A Phenomenographic Analysis of Elementary Student Teachers’ Reflections Using TikTok as a Resource for Classroom Management

This phenomenographic study investigates how student teachers use TikTok to discover, analyze, evaluate, and adopt classroom management information and strategies. Student teachers often struggle with classroom management regarding student behavior, classroom environment, and instruction. To address these concerns, they turn to traditional print, digital, and human resources. Fifteen student teachers during the 2022-2023 school year were interviewed using a semi-structured guide. Transcripts were analyzed following a second order approach whereas the research examines student teachers’ perceptions. Four themes, resource discovery, TikTok analysis, evaluating credibility, and strategy adoption. Findings support the need for teacher preparation programs to incorporate exemplar examples of teaching-related TikToks. Additionally, student teachers need practice analyzing TikTok videos to increase diversity, guided experiences to evaluate video credibility, and have the opportunity to implement online strategies during field placement

Early Childhood Teachers’ Perceptions of Environmental Sustainability: A Phenomenographic Investigation

Early childhood teachers’ environmental perceptions can influence young children’s learning about environmental issues. Yet, to date, there is minimal research focusing on the perceptions of environmental sustainability held by early childhood teachers. This qualitative phenomenographic study collected data via individual semi-structured interviews with five early childhood teachers and one head teacher, in Malta. Preliminary findings revealed that the participants perceived environmental sustainability in terms of environmental concerns; environmental responsibility; and environmental protection. A mismatch between the participants’ environmental concerns and their pro-environmental behaviour emerged. The data also show that any environmental activities at school were done so uncritically. These findings hold importance for the reorientation of in-service and pre-service early childhood teacher education programs towards sustainability to ensure that systems thinking around critical environmental issues are introduced in the early years by addressing gaps in knowledge and supporting educators\u27 development at the earliest stage (i.e., pre-service

Understanding the variation in MBA students’ experience of Learning Technology in Pakistan

The advances in information and communication technology (ICT), particularly in the last few years, have influenced teaching and learning activities across educational institutions. There has also been an increase in research studies that explore how students and teachers interact with diverse types of digital technologies available to them. However, despite this rapid expansion of digital learning across the world, little research has been published on how Pakistani campus-based students interact with technology during their studies. This research study explores the different ways in which MBA students experience learning technology within a less developed and under-explored educational context of Pakistan. Phenomenography has been used as the research approach to highlight the variation in students’ experience of learning technology and the contextual factors within which this experience is situated. In phenomenographic terms, experience represents an internal relationship between the experiencer (i.e., MBA students) and the that which is experienced (i.e., learning technology). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 students in two of the leading business schools of Pakistan. These data sets were analysed using the referential/structural framework of phenomenography, based on Aron Gurwitsch’s theory about Anatomy of Human Awareness. The referential aspect formed the basis of analysing the variation in the meanings these students associated with their experience of learning technology, while the structural aspect facilitated in understanding the ‘figure-ground’ relationship of this experience. The analysis of the student descriptions reveals three distinct ways of experiencing learning technology, i.e., engaged, instrumental, and alienated. Each of these categories of description also highlights the strong interplay of the contextual factors which influence the students’ experience of technology, such as their socio-economic backgrounds, prior exposure to technology, variation in teaching approaches, to name a few. Two of these categories of description link closely to the established phenomenographic concepts of deep and surface level approaches presented by Marton and Säljö (1976, 1984) and further elaborated by Ramsden and Entwistle (1983) and Biggs (1987). The third category (alienated experience) offers a transitional dimension in which the students describe how they transition from an initial phase of isolation and adjust to their learning environment. This study's significance derives from the way it provides insight into the experience of these MBA students based in a majorly instructor-led learning environment, within a less developed country. The findings highlight how students in these regions, when exposed to different types of digital technologies, make an effort to change from mere passive recipients of knowledge to active participants. The students’ descriptions of experience reveal that the use of learning technology enables them to understand that help and support are available to them beyond their classrooms and from people other than their teachers – a phenomenon that has not been very common in Pakistani universities