Disasters are not natural

Steve, Lee and Ksenia argue for a greater understanding that disasters arising from hazardous events are not natural and that we should therefore avoid using the term ‘natural disaster’

‘You’ll see that everywhere’: institutional isomorphism in secondary school subject departments

This paper asks why spatially separated school departments might exhibit, in different ways, very similar practices. Data from an ethnographic study of three secondary school geography departments in England are discussed through a concept of ‘isomorphism’ (homogenising forces), drawn from neo-institutional theory. Similarities across these departments are analysed in terms of coercive isomorphism, including the strong regulatory role played by examination boards and Ofsted; mimetic isomorphism, in which similar approaches are adopted in response to situations of high uncertainty, based on spreading good practice; and normative isomorphism, including the implications of closely guarded educational routes, the professionalisation of teaching, and wider social trends including the increasing use of Google as a source of knowledge for lessons. It is argued that evidence of homogeneity across spatially separated departments raises interesting questions about teachers’ practice, with implications for departmental and school leadership

Performativity, guilty knowledge, and ethnographic intervention

This paper applies Dennis’ [(2009). “What does it Mean when an Ethnographer Intervenes?” Ethnography and Education 4 (2): 131–146] modes of ethnographic intervention to a fieldwork experience of an observed secondary school lesson in England. Ethnographic research raises numerous ethical dilemmas, in the face of which ‘intervention’ is unavoidable. The observed lesson – in which a teacher was judged as ‘Requiring Improvement’ – left me with ‘guilty knowledge’. The performative nature of observed lessons constructs highly charged events. Drawing particular attention to the power imbalances between observer and observed, ethical deliberation about the event is considered, and subsequent ‘interpersonal’ and ‘administrative’ intervention is presented. As ethnographers, it is impossible to avoid intervening in some sense. I conclude that performativity raises ethical issues which may demand particular responses from ethnographic researchers, whose empathetic intention places them well to explore – and critically engage with – the workings and effects of performativity

Constructing ‘good teaching’ through written lesson observation feedback

This paper explores the ways in which ‘good teaching’ is constructed through mentors’ written lesson observation feedback during Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Written lesson observation feedback has received little research attention, yet represents a potentially powerful activity for teachers’ development. It is also an important aspect of direct university-school-beginning teacher collaboration which is common across diverse programmes and ITE partnerships internationally. Data were collected from written lesson observation feedback given to beginning teachers (n=127) on one ITE programme in England across one year to a total of 508 lessons, and analysed through a typology of competing conceptions of teaching defined by Winch et al.; craft, executive technician, and extended professional. This data suggests that teaching is predominantly constructed through mentors’ written feedback as a craft or technical activity. In response, we argue that there is scope to broaden the evidence considered, in particular, by bringing observed insights about beginning teachers’ practice into dialogue with research evidence in order to construct a more expansive vision of teaching as a professional endeavour. Using this theoretical framework highlights the important contribution written lesson observation feedback might offer to broader attempts seeking to improve teachers’ engagement with research evidence

A critical account of what ‘geography’ means to primary trainee teachers in England

Research on trainee teachers’ conceptions of geography has criticised their views for being limited, and failing to appreciate the breadth or depth of geography. A body of research in this area has developed over the past two decades, producing well-established classifications through which to analyse conceptions of geography. This contribution breaks from these classifications by offering a critical review of the existing literature and then, drawing on critical theory, distinguishing between geography as knowing, understanding, and acting. Findings from a survey of first year undergraduate primary trainee teachers (n = 42) are analysed through this critical framework, and it is argued that there is a distinct Cartesian duality in the way that respondents see the world as an object of study for learners as cognising subjects. This is argued to be problematic and, in response, a moral vision for school geography is outlined that represents geography in terms of a critical praxis

Resilience, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and anger: A linguistic inquiry into the psychological processes associated with resilience in secondary school STEM learning.

AIM: To examine resilience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning within an ecological model, identifying the psychological processes associated with resilient, and non-resilient learning to develop a framework for promoting STEM resilience. SAMPLE AND METHOD: From a sample of secondary-school students (n = 4,936), 1,577 students who found their STEM lesson difficult were identified. Students were assessed on three resilience capabilities and asked to write a commentary on how they responded to the lesson. RESULTS: Factor analysis revealed that resilience in STEM learning could be positioned within the ecological systems model, with students' resilience being comprised of three capabilities; the ability to quickly and easily recover (Recovery), remain focussed on goals (Ecological), and naturally adjust (Adaptive capacity). Using a linguistic analysis programme, we identified the prevalence of words within the student commentaries which related to seven psychological processes. Greater ability to recover was negatively related to negative emotional processes. To increase the specificity of this relationship, we identified high and low resilient students and compared their commentaries. Low resilient students used significantly more anger words. Qualitative analysis revealed interpersonal sources of anger (anger at teacher due to lack of support) and intrapersonal sources of anger (including rumination, expression and control, and seeking distraction). CONCLUSIONS: Anger is a key process that distinguishes students who struggle to recover from a difficult STEM lesson. An ecological systems model may prove useful for understanding STEM resilience and developing intervention pathways. Implications for teacher education include the importance of students' perceptions of teacher support

Resilience, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and anger: A linguistic inquiry into the psychological processes associated with resilience in secondary school STEM learning

Aim: To examine resilience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning within an ecological model, identifying the psychological processes associated with resilient, and non-resilient learning to develop a framework for promoting STEM resilience. Sample and method: From a sample of secondary-school students (n = 4,936), 1,577 students who found their STEM lesson difficult were identified. Students were assessed on three resilience capabilities and asked to write a commentary on how they responded to the lesson. Results: Factor analysis revealed that resilience in STEM learning could be positioned within the ecological systems model, with students’ resilience being comprised of three capabilities; the ability to quickly and easily recover (Recovery), remain focussed on goals (Ecological), and naturally adjust (Adaptive capacity). Using a linguistic analysis programme, we identified the prevalence of words within the student commentaries which related to seven psychological processes. Greater ability to recover was negatively related to negative emotional processes. To increase the specificity of this relationship, we identified high and low resilient students and compared their commentaries. Low resilient students used significantly more anger words. Qualitative analysis revealed interpersonal sources of anger (anger at teacher due to lack of support) and intrapersonal sources of anger (including rumination, expression and control, and seeking distraction). Conclusions: Anger is a key process that distinguishes students who struggle to recover from a difficult STEM lesson. An ecological systems model may prove useful for understanding STEM resilience and developing intervention pathways. Implications for teacher education include the importance of students’ perceptions of teacher support

Student teachers’ beliefs about diversity: analysing the impact of a ‘diversity week’ during initial teacher education

This article reports findings from a week of enrichment placements framed around ‘diversity’ within a secondary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme in England. The authors outline the demographics of the county – a largely rural, White county in the East Midlands of England – and describe the challenges this presents for ITE. A mixed-methods approach was used to study student teachers’ (n = 56) beliefs about diversity, generating data through: pre- and post-survey of beliefs and attitudes; student-created reflective videos; journaling; and one pre- and post-diversity week interview. The findings reveal shifts in student teachers’ perceptions about gender, race and sexuality, and these attitudinal shifts were more significant in those attending all week than those attending only the first day. This is particularly interesting because for some topics the only formal input was on the first day, and so the authors argue for the importance of time and space for creative reflection in beginning teachers’ professional development

Resilience, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and anger: A linguistic inquiry into the psychological processes associated with resilience in secondary school STEM learning.

AIM: To examine resilience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning within an ecological model, identifying the psychological processes associated with resilient, and non-resilient learning to develop a framework for promoting STEM resilience. SAMPLE AND METHOD: From a sample of secondary-school students (n = 4,936), 1,577 students who found their STEM lesson difficult were identified. Students were assessed on three resilience capabilities and asked to write a commentary on how they responded to the lesson. RESULTS: Factor analysis revealed that resilience in STEM learning could be positioned within the ecological systems model, with students' resilience being comprised of three capabilities; the ability to quickly and easily recover (Recovery), remain focussed on goals (Ecological), and naturally adjust (Adaptive capacity). Using a linguistic analysis programme, we identified the prevalence of words within the student commentaries which related to seven psychological processes. Greater ability to recover was negatively related to negative emotional processes. To increase the specificity of this relationship, we identified high and low resilient students and compared their commentaries. Low resilient students used significantly more anger words. Qualitative analysis revealed interpersonal sources of anger (anger at teacher due to lack of support) and intrapersonal sources of anger (including rumination, expression and control, and seeking distraction). CONCLUSIONS: Anger is a key process that distinguishes students who struggle to recover from a difficult STEM lesson. An ecological systems model may prove useful for understanding STEM resilience and developing intervention pathways. Implications for teacher education include the importance of students' perceptions of teacher support