Evaluation workshop

The evaluation workshop was designed to bring all the participants together again to share and evaluate their experiences and learning over the three terms. This workshop was critical to maintaining the participants’ sense of belonging to a professional learning community and to recognising the value of working collaboratively in this way. It also contributed significantly to sustaining their commitment and motivation to the project throughout the school year.

The majority of the workshop was focused on the participants sharing their experiences and learning. A final discussion focused on key knowledge the

participants deemed to be important for effective integration of WBRs in technology education. These ideas were collaboratively categorised using the components of TPACK. In this activity the participants assumed a lead role in the workshop. The workshop therefore provided an opportunity for them to gain a sense of achievement from having their contribution validated and valued and also to learn from the other participants’ experiences.

4.5 Chapter summary

This chapter described the design of the intervention. The key principles that guided the design were explained. The principles included: the formation of a professional learning community and school-based collegial networks, the introduction of new theoretical ideas, the inclusion of situated and authentic activities embedded in classroom practice, flexibility and teacher autonomy, and an extended time frame. Details of the three phase structure and the components within each phase were discussed. The purpose of each component was described, and the various roles of the researcher and the participants within each of these components were explained.

CHAPTER FIVE

TEACHER PARTICIPANTS AND SCHOOLS

5.0 Introduction

The previous chapter provided an overview of the guiding principles underpinning the design of the intervention and discussed details of the components and purpose of each of the three phases. This chapter presents findings from Phase 1 of the research and draws on data from the initial interview (Ii) and the initial group workshop (Wi). This phase of the research sought to better understand the existing situation for each of the participants at the start of the research and addresses the research sub-questions:

 What is the nature and extent of secondary technology teachers’ current perceptions and use of WBRs in classroom?

 What are teachers’ existing perceptions of using WBRs in technology education and what barriers are impacting on integration?

The chapter is divided into four sections – the introduction, and one section for each of the three participating schools. As explained in Section 3.3.1, presenting the findings in this way acknowledges the significant influence that individual school contexts are likely to have. Section 5.1 presents findings from School A and its participants, Alison, Agnes and Ashley; 5.2, School B and its participants, Brenda and Brian; and 5.3, School C and its participants, Carla and Cheryl. The initial letter of participants’ names are matched to the letter allocated to each school to simplify identification for the reader.

Sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 each begin by describing school details, which include key demographic information, how technology education is implemented, technology department and classroom ICT access, and staff professional development in ICT. This is followed by participant details, which include demographic information, how participants were using WBRs at the start of the research and the researcher’s interpretation of their initial TPACK.

All participants were experienced teachers and all were committed to teaching technology education, although they had been teaching the new curriculum for varying lengths of time. They all had limited access to computers and the Internet in their individual classrooms and varying levels of access to computer suites and Computers on Wheels (COWs) in their schools. For ease of reference, Table 5.1 provides an overview of the participants, their access to ICT in their individual schools and classrooms, and their initial use of WBRs. Table 5.2 presents a summary of the participants’ initial TPACK. The TPACK summary excludes the participants’ PK, CK and PCK because they were experienced teachers and hence it was assumed that their knowledge in these components was already developed. It was also not a focus of this research.

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Table ‎5.1. Summary‎of‎participants’‎profiles Teacher School Years

teaching Technologic al area Permanent classroom computers Internet in classroom Data projector in classroom Access to COWs for classroom use Access to computer suites Frequency of WBRs use Alison (HOD) A Rural Sec school

>25 Food 3 Yes Shared 2 sets bookable Bookable

Limited availability

Occasional

Agnes >25 Food 0 Yes Shared Rare

Ashley 7 Textiles 1 Yes No Rare

Brian B

Rural Sec school

11 Structural 0 Yes No No Bookable

Limited availability

Never

Brenda >15 Textiles 1 Yes Yes Occasional

Carla (HOD) C Urban Yr 7-13 sch >25 Food & Textiles

0 Yes Yes No 1 suite for

technology department

Frequent

Cheryl >25 Food &

Textiles

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Table ‎5.2.‎Summary‎of‎participants’‎initial‎TPACK

Initial use of WBRs Technological Knowledge

(TK) Technological Content Knowledge (TCK) Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) TPACK

Alison Occasional use of YouTube videos to show food processing methods. Occasional use for independent student research

Limited experience using ICT and WBRs and subsequent lack of skills, knowledge and confidence to support classroom use

Knowledge of a narrow range of WBRs that could support understanding of specific content in technology education

Teacher-directed,

technocentric approaches using WBRs in class Limited knowledge of how WBRs could enhance teaching approaches and student learning

Undeveloped

Agnes Very occasional use for student research, mostly in small groups which were rotated in order to access one computer at a time in an adjacent classroom.

Very limited experience using ICT and WBRs Impacted by lack of access at home and school Subsequent lack of skills, knowledge and confidence to support classroom use

Limited knowledge of WBRs that could support understanding of specific content in technology education

Development impacted by lack of access and lack of TK

Very limited experience and subsequently limited

knowledge of how WBRs could enhance teaching approaches and student learning

Undeveloped

Ashley Very occasionally might direct individual students to a particular website to support their individual research.

High level of skills, knowledge and confidence for personal ICT use Very limited experience or motivation to use in the classroom

Little attempt to develop knowledge of WBRs that could support understanding of specific content in technology education

Lack of belief in the value of WBRs for learning in technology education inhibiting classroom use and development of knowledge of how WBRs could enhance teaching approaches and student learning

Undeveloped

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WBRs.

His senior students used the Internet extensively for project research and also ‘Sketch-up’ for drawing, but all in own time using personal computers and skills.

and confidence using ICT Very limited experience using ICT in the classroom

that could support understanding of specific content in technology education

WBRs for learning in technology education but very limited access preventing classroom use Lack of experience limiting development of TPK

Brenda Occasional use of short YouTube videos as lesson starters to broaden students’ thinking relating to what they were doing, or to introduce a new idea.

Steadily increasing ICT skill and confidence

Developing knowledge of WBRs that support understanding of specific content in technology education

Developing knowledge of ways WBRs can enhance teaching approaches and student learning

Developing

Carla Extensive classroom use of WBRs for independent student research.

Reasonable level of skill and confidence using ICT and WBRs

Developing knowledge of WBRs that support understanding of specific content in technology education through frequent in-class use

Very dependent on WBRs to support student research. Lack of teaching strategies to scaffold student learning using WBRs

Developing

Cheryl Very occasionally (with technical help) showed an excerpt from a TV documentary, or ‘Click view’ videos which the school subscribed to online.

Very limited experience using ICT and WBRs No personal use of ICT Subsequent lack of skills, knowledge and confidence to support classroom use

Limited knowledge of WBRs that could support understanding of specific content in technology education

Development impacted by lack of access and lack of TK

Very limited experience and confidence using ICT and subsequently limited knowledge of how WBRs could enhance teaching learning