The use of learner-generated drawings in the development of music students’ teacher identities

Identity development is a continuous process framed within changing social contexts, and is particularly problematic for musicians and other artists whose work contradicts the mythologized image of the artist. The purpose of this article is to examine the professional growth of music students in relation to developing teacher identities. The article reports on the use of learner-generated drawings and journal reflections produced by music performance and education majors; in particular, the article probes students’ perceptions of teaching within a traditional career hierarchy that favours performance and artistic creation above all else. Whilst initial student drawings illustrated traditional images of the teacher as knowledge giver, these gave way to student-centred images in which students appeared to identify with teaching in new ways. The combination of textual and non-textual data provided insights that would not otherwise have been evident, and the consideration of ‘possible selves’ became a useful tool in the explorations of identity and career

Conceptual learning : the priority for higher education

The common sense notion of learning as the all-pervasive acquisition of new behaviour and knowledge, made vivid by experience, is an incomplete characterisation, because it assumes that the learning of behaviour and the learning of knowledge are indistinguishable, and that acquisition constitutes learning without reference to transfer. A psychological level of analysis is used to argue that conceptual learning should have priority in higher education

Classifying the Nature of Reflective Writing During Periods of Professional Experience

Many authors have highlighted the importance of reflection in helping students to learn from their experiences, particularly in the field of professional development. Nevertheless many students struggle, at least initially, to fully engage with high levels of what might be described as critical reflection that might lead to a transformation in an individual’s perspective and individual differences amongst students suggest that some are more inclined towards reflective practice, than others. Previous research has suggested that students’ propensity to reflect may impact upon the level and focus of their reflection. This study aims to classify the different approaches to writing in students’ portfolios, particularly in terms of how they focus their reflection – whether in terms of what the student is achieving, or the process that they are undertaking. The research focuses on the portfolios submitted by a cohort of architectural students undertaking their first experience of architectural practice however it is anticipated that the findings may apply to a range of professions. The study has led to the generation of a framework, by which student work can be assessed. This will enable future research to determine the extent to which an individual’s propensity to reflect might impact on the nature of what students write

Reflectors, Converts and the Disengaged: A study of Undergraduate Architecture Students’ Perceptions of Undertaking Learning Journals

The benefits of encouraging students to reflect on their learning are widely extolled, since reflection aids learners in understanding new information and forming new conceptions. Learning journals are used in a number of schools of architecture as a means to promote awareness of the design process, through encouraging students to reflect on their learning experiences. This paper outlines the findings of a small scale research project, looking at students’ perceptions of the use of learning journals within a school of architecture and sets out to identify the subsequent learning approaches and attitudes that they adopt. The research identified three possible attitudes towards journal keeping held by students: natural; convert and disengaged. Natural types were pre-disposed towards keeping learning journals and found them beneficial. Convert types were initially sceptical about the use of learning journals, but through their use became more convinced. The disengaged students showed misconceptions of the purpose and potential benefit of the learning journal and did not find them to be beneficial. The research highlights the importance of how staff implement learning journal projects and support students in developing the confidence and ability to reflect