Comparative research: Team learning in higher education

Team learning is the process of aligning and developing the capacity of a team to create the results its members truly desire‟ (Senge, 1990, p 236). This emphasizes the significance of team learning as the fundamental learning units. Despite its importance, team learning among employees in higher education, especially among academics remains poorly understood. This research aims at shedding a light in the area which has recently been urged by the increasingly demanding requirements of interdisciplinary research and teaching in higher education around the world. Through a thorough literature review, a model of team learning has been built with a set of antecedents, two moderators, and the outcome of mental models. Hypotheses were formed, including team commitment, goal setting, development and training, organizational culture, and leadership are positively associated with team learning (antecedents), team learning is positively associated with knowledge sharing (outcome), and better communication systems, and learning environment provide better outcome of team learning (moderators). Thus, the study tested both mediating and Kaleidoscope Postgraduate Conference, Cambridge 2009 http://www.educatejournal.org/ 92 moderating relationships. The data were collected in a form of self-report questionnaires. The model was tested with the data collected from employees of two universities, one in the UK and the other in Vietnam. The findings revealed interesting information on the differences between two universities/two cultures, which is often the benefits of comparative research. The case in VN had more positive results than the case in the UK. There are not many differences between academic and non-academic employees, or between employees who work in science and non-science areas. The research could not avoid some limitations due to self-report questionnaires, though some actions were conducted to reduce research bias. In addition, it is really difficult to measure team performance in higher education, which should have been another outcome of team learning

Expectations eclipsed in foreign language education: learners and educators on an ongoing journey / edited by Hülya Görür-Atabaş, Sharon Turner.

Between June 2-4, 2011 Sabancı University School of Languages welcomed colleagues from 21 different countries to a collaborative exploration of the challenging and inspiring journey of learners and educators in the field of language education.\ud \ud The conference provided an opportunity for all stakeholders to share their views on language education. Colleagues met with world-renowned experts and authors in the fields of education and psychology, faculty and administrators from various universities and institutions, teachers from secondary educational backgrounds and higher education, as well as learners whose voices are often not directly shared but usually reported.\ud \ud The conference name, Eclipsing Expectations, was inspired by two natural phenomena, a solar eclipse directly before the conference, and a lunar eclipse, immediately after. Learners and educators were hereby invited to join a journey to observe, learn and exchange ideas in orde

Reviewing the Impact of the National Strategies Design and Technology Framework for Key Stage Three: A small-­‐scale evaluation of the Design and Technology Framework in England

Since the beginning of Design and Technology (D&T) in the English secondary school curriculum, the teaching of design has been identified as less effective than that of making. Research Questions: What are the experiences of pupils between the ages of 12 and 14 of design learning? Purpose of Study: In 2004 as part of the National Strategies, the D&T framework was launched, aiming to support the teaching of design skills. This is a small-­‐scale study, which begins to explore the experiences of pupils and teachers in four schools in the Northwest of England. Research Methods: The study used a mixed methods approach, gathering quantitative and qualitative data in a questionnaire with a convenience sample of school pupils. The questionnaire responses are analysed alongside qualitative interviews with D&T teachers from the schools. Findings: The findings indicate that many pupils had a clear understanding of the role of designing. However, some common assumptions of the nature of design activity centering on the act of sketching or drawing were evident. The majority of pupils were unable to accurately identify the names of many of the design activities introduced as part of the framework. Conclusions: Whilst some progress has been made in the teaching of design, through the use of design activities introduced in the D&T Framework, the support experienced by teachers was limited and were not sustained beyond the initial training. There are implications for initial teacher educators in supporting beginning teachers and balancing the tensions trainees experience whilst on placements in school. Key Words: Design, designing, pedagogy, teacher educatio

Drama for foreign language teaching

This thesis shows how drama, when used correctly, can significantly aid second language acquisition (SLA). It was inspired by my own experiences of English teaching, as a student and a teacher, in Japan. Chapter 1 deals with the current situation in Japan. It explains why, despite huge amounts of time and money devoted to English teaching, the majority of students leave school unable to speak the language. Chapter 2 establishes the conditions necessary for SLA to be effective. In chapter 3 the theory of drama in education is reviewed and conditions necessary for drama to be effective are noted. Comparison of these two sets of conditions found many similarities. Chapter 4 reviews existing drama resource books and suggests why they may fail to make the best use of drama with reference to the earlier chapters. Chapter 5 shows how the observations from the previous chapters can be put together to make SLA through drama fully effective. Chapter 6 expands this theme to give example lesson plans for teaching English in a Japanese Junior High School. Possibly the most important finding of this thesis is that there is a great deal of similarity between the conditions necessary for effective SLA and effective drama. In order to encourage language acquisition we have to ensure the high quality of the drama

Mandarin Chinese Teacher Education Issues and solutions

Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world, and in a rapidly globalizing environment, speaking it is an increasingly important skill for young people in the UK. 'Mandarin Chinese Teacher Education' stems from the work of the UCL Institute of Education Confucius Institute, which supports the development of Mandarin Chinese as a language on offer in schools as part of the mainstream curriculum. This edited collection brings together researchers, teachers involved in action research and student-teachers, in an effort to address the current lack of literature specifically aimed at supporting Chinese language teachers. It features: • practical ideas for teachers of Chinese to implement in their own classrooms • evaluation of differing strategies and approaches unique to teaching Chinese • examples of using action research to help teachers reflect on their own practice while informing practice across the discipline. The book will be useful for PGCE Mandarin students, teacher trainers and those involved in the development of Mandarin Chinese in schools across the UK and further afield

Student Response Toward Humor Based Instructional Media (Descriptive Study on Students of Grade II SMAN 1 Bontonompo)

nnovation on supporting the success of learning process is needed to be developed. One of innovation in the classroom is involving instructional media innovation. Humor-based instructional media is one of media that can make the learning process more fun. This study aims to determine student’s response toward humor-based instructional media in the learning process. This research is descriptive study with the entire population of students on grade XII SMAN 1 Bontonompo in school year 2016-2017, while the research sample was grade XII IPA 1 and XII IPA 6 with totally 52 students. The result of this study showed 100% (52 student) feel interested by the use of humor-based instructional media with the level of interst is in strong catagory (74.63%). This research outcome is indicating that humor-based instructional media can support in increasing of student’s interst in learning process

Development Of A Computer Program To Improve Sixth Graders Use Of A Local Area Network

This practicum was developed in response to a concern that a week-long Orientation Program did not eliminate the difficulties experienced by sixth graders signing- on the school’s Local Area Network. Class printouts demonstrated a noticeable discrepancy between the number of skills students were programmed to complete and the actual number completed. To remedy this situation, a computer program was developed to introduce practicum participants to networking; to explain the signing-on process in a clear, concise way; and to demonstrate the proper use of the computer control keys needed to successfully use the networking software. Results showed marked improvement in the use of the LAN by those students who viewed the program complement. This tutorial is now recognized as an integral part in the implementation of the school\u27s networking program. Appendices include a Pre/Post Test, charts to demonstrate progress made, glossary, and computer printout of the program complement