Post School – Teaching & Learning Research Initiative

Moving beyond the threshold: A TLRI final report 2014–16

Introduction Moving beyond the threshold set out to interrogate what it means to think historically in the digital age (Tredinnick, 2013). How do university students and teachers use digital media to transform learning experiences? Do digital approaches present novel ways to engage with key historical concepts? Answers to these questions continue to be important and urgent; large-scale investment in educational resources and technology is based on the assumption that current and future students are or will become digitally literate, and that they know how to use digital media effectively and efficiently in inquiry-led and autonomous learning. There is little evidence to prove, however, that the so-called ‘net generation’ (Schulmeister, 2015; Tapscott,

Mathematical Reasoning and Knowledge in Initial Teacher Education (MARKITE)

Introduction The New Zealand Government’s goal is to have an education system that equips all learners with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to be successful citizens in the 21st century (New Zealand Government, 2011); government policy recognises that mathematical understanding is fundamental to effective participation in society, and delivers significant social and economic benefits (Tertiary Education Commission, 2012). Unfortunately, studies suggest that a significant proportion of the adult population does not have the level of mathematical thinking needed to function effectively in society (Alkema & Rean, 2014; Department of Education and Skills, 2011; Satherley, Lawes, & Sok, 2008). Mathematical thinking and reasoning skills are embedded in many of the activities

Investigating the Impact of Non-Routine Problem Solving on Creativity, Engagement and Intuition of STEM Tertiary Students

1. Introduction In 2012 the New Zealand Government identified as a priority the need to address the undersupply of students studying STEM subjects for delivering its Business Growth Agenda.[1] Low engagement and retention rates in STEM subjects contribute to the shortage of STEM graduates, producing a negative impact on the New Zealand economy. A significant number of STEM tertiary students drop out during the first year, not because the courses are too difficult but, anecdotally, because they are too dry and boring. There are specific terms to describe this, such as academic disengagement and disinterest (Blondal & Adalbjarnardottir, 2012). In addition to specific subject-based knowledge, many high-tech companies require good generic

Pathways to the Past: Effective Pedagogies for Māori and Pasifika Students in the Historical Disciplines

Summary Current research into, and definitions of, historical literacy do not adequately acknowledge the cultural backgrounds of indigenous learners across the historical disciplines and levels. Nor do they recognise the vital role of historical literacy in empowering indigenous students. In talanoa (conversations) with Māori and Pasifika students and teachers of a range of ethnicities from across the historical disciplines, we asked: How can we inspire indigenous students to feel at home in the historical disciplines, do well in them, and make them their own? The students and teachers saw historical literacy as predominantly textual in nature, and critical historical literacy as often culturally alien to Māori and Pasifika students. They revealed

Using a wellbeing framework to recognise, value and enhance the broad range of outcomes for learners in adult literacy and numeracy programmes

Aotearoa New Zealand’s attention to adult literacy and numeracy (L+N) education arose from the results of the OECD / Statistics Canada International Literacy surveys begun in the mid-1990s, when, as a nation, we achieved unexpectedly low results for L+N proficiency. The Government responded with an adult L+N strategy (Ministry of Education, 2001) that spellt out initiatives in building professional capability for delivery, improving the quality of the system, and ensuring that larger numbers of learners could access L+N learning. Over the next 10 years, further measures were included, such as credentialising tutors, expanded funding for educational provision, a national literacy centre housed in the University of Waikato, a national set of

Capturing learning in undergraduate mathematics: a Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics: The Outcome Spectrum (LUMOS) report

Dedication Judy Paterson sadly passed away during this research project. However, her contribution was a major one, co-leading the design and grant application team, taking responsibility for the Team-Based Learning innovation, conducting interviews, and contributing strongly in several of the learning output observation groups. We dedicate this report to her memory. – Bill Overview of the project The LUMOS Project had two parts: the development of three innovative methods of undergraduate mathematics course delivery, and the identification and observation of a wide range of desired learning outcomes. This project sought to link these aspects. The research questions were: What practical, pedagogical, administrative and curricular barriers need to be overcome to establish

Reengineering an engineering course: How flipped classrooms afford transformative teaching, learning, and workplace competency

Introduction Successful engineering graduates need to understand engineering principles and practices and be able to work in teams, to communicate well, and to work in contexts that can be risky and uncertain (Adamson & DarlingHammond, 2012; Meier, Williams, & Humphreys, 2000). Current trends in engineering education call for the development of students’ technical and non-technical skills (Male, 2010). Thus, it is crucial that tertiary educators develop curricula that enable students to develop these capacities and to enhance their employability and contribution to a country’s economic competitiveness and societal wellbeing (Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 2014). This project extends our previous research on the effectiveness of

Work of teacher educators: Teaching and learning in New Zealand university-based initial teacher education

Introduction We have been studying the cultural constructions and material realities of university-based initial teacher education (ITE) and teacher educators’ work in Aotearoa New Zealand. By examining the work of teacher educators, we have been able to consider how ITE and the academic category of teacher educator is constructed, maintained, and practised within the institution of the university. Exploring teacher educators’ work, including teaching and learning activities from perspectives of both student teachers and teacher educators, has provided us with new insights into teaching and learning within university-based ITE. Our research questions have been: How is “teacher educator” constructed and maintained as a category of academic work? What do university-based teacher

Visualising chance: Learning probability through modelling

This report summarises the research activities and findings from the TLRI-funded project entitled Visualising Chance: Learning Probability Through Modelling. This exploratory study was a 2-year collaboration among two researchers, two conceptual software developers/interactive graphics experts, three university lecturers/ practitioners, one master’s student, four teacher observers and one quality assurance advisor. The project team designed innovative software tools and associated tasks which aimed to expose introductory students to a modelling approach to probability. The study sought to discover what conceptual understanding of probability and what probabilistic reasoning could be promoted from such an approach. Key findings The ability to see structure in, and apply structure to, a problem situation is an important

Copy, cut, and paste: How does this shape what we know?

Introduction Copy, cut, and paste are functions naturalised and embedded across different software applications but are poorly understood as tools that shape our engagement with knowledge, culture and society in the 21st century (Livingstone, Wijnen, Papaioannou, Costa, & Grandio, 2014). Most people develop proficiency with ubiquitous software packages, such as those on cell phones, informally through their everyday engagement. Tertiary students as so-called “digital natives” (Prensky, 2001) are assumed to be able to translate this informally developed knowledge and skills into formal settings to successfully accomplish learning tasks. Educators often assume that students already possess the necessary skills and conceptual frameworks to learn with and through generic software packages, and tend

Learning the work of ambitious mathematics teaching

Introduction Seen by policy makers as both the cause of and a solution for education problems, teacher education is frequently criticised for not producing teachers of sufficient quality, while simultaneously being viewed as “an ideal site for increasing teacher quality, providing it is subject to reform” (Ell & Grudnoff, 2012, p. 79). Calls for reform (Education Workforce Report, 2010; NZTC, 2010) relate to newly qualified teachers’ capacity to respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse student body, alongside changing educational outcomes in terms of knowledge and competencies (Andretti & Major, 2010). Such calls are particularly pertinent to mathematics education. In New Zealand, too many students are disaffected with their mathematics

Threshold concepts: Impacts on teaching and learning at tertiary level

Introduction According to threshold concept theory, in each academic discipline there exists concepts that, once grasped, allow new and previously inaccessible ways of perceiving and thinking about the subject to emerge (Meyer & Land, 2003). According to Meyer and Land (2005, 2006) there are points in learning threshold concepts at which students experience difficulty because mastering threshold concepts requires letting go of usual ways of seeing and thinking about subject matter. These learning thresholds create a state of ‘liminality’—a space and/or time of transformation from an earlier understanding to a new, required state which “entails a shift in the learner’s ontology or subjectivity”. Acquiring a threshold concept often resembles a phase

“Bootstrapping” students’ understanding of statistical inference

Introduction This report summarises the research activities and findings from the TLRI-funded project conducted in Year 13, introductory university and workplace classes, entitled “‘Bootstrapping’ Statistical Inferential Reasoning”. The project was a 2-year collaboration among three statisticians, two researchers, 16 Year 13 teachers, seven university lecturers, one workplace practitioner, three teacher professional development facilitators, and one quality assurance advisor. The project team designed innovative computer-based approaches to develop students’ inferential reasoning and sought evidence that these innovations were effective in developing students’ understanding of statistical inference. Key findings The bootstrapping and randomisation methods using dynamic visualisations especially designed to enhance conceptual understanding have the potential to transform the learning of statistical inference.

Are they ready to teach? Assessing student teachers’ final practicum

Introduction Although the practicum is generally accepted as a core element in teacher preparation programmes, the assessment of student teachers’ competence during practicums appears to be particularly problematic as making judgments about complex performances, such as teaching, is a sophisticated process. As with any form of assessment, judgments are made against some criterion or normative standard, and this judgment must ultimately involve some implicit or explicit understanding of what constitutes good teaching (Porter, Youngs, & Odden, 2001), which in itself is a contested construct. In this 2-year research project, Social Judgment Theory (Hammond, Rohrbaugh, Mumpower, & Adelman, 1977) was used to better understand judgments of “readiness to teach”. Social Judgment Theory

Teaching undergraduate mathematics: Perspectives and interactions

The high demand for mathematics in undergraduate education means that large numbers of students enrol in the subject. Lecturing remains the prime delivery mode for teaching such courses. We addressed undergraduate mathematics’ lecturing through three components: lecturers and their development; student perspectives on mathematics; and interactions in the lecturing environment. We used theoretical frameworks from secondary contexts, developing them for tertiary application. This research aimed to improve the didactics of lecturing, and builds on studies on school/university transitions. Key findings Lecturer professional development based on Schoenfeld’s framework positively influenced lecturing practice in a way acceptable to lecturers. Students believe that learning mathematics involves natural ability; and that it is a subject

Integrating values in the New Zealand Curriculum: Caught or taught?

Introduction Currently, there are gaps in our knowledge about values development in New Zealand schools. we do not know what teachers, curriculum leaders and principals believe and know about values implementation in the new curriculum, nor do we know about the effect on student learning of current implementation strategies for teaching values. This study aims to explore (a) the ability of schools to integrate values into their teaching and learning programmes, and (b) the effect of approaches taken to implement values throughout the school. Key findings The most favoured strategies for teaching values included teacher role modelling, using the “teachable moment” and explicit teaching of values. The most preferred strategies for

Shifting conceptualisations of knowledge and learning in the integration of the New Zealand Curriculum in teacher education: A meta-ethnography

Introduction The Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) project Shifting Conceptualisations of Knowledge and Learning in the Integration of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) in Teacher Education comprises a collection of case studies and a meta-analysis across the contributing case studies. The case studies describe individual teacher educators’ personal journeys as they engaged with ideas relating to epistemological understandings and the NZC and their reports on pedagogical initiatives and associated practitioner research that they undertook in the context of their work in initial teacher education (ITE) and teacher professional learning (TPL). These case studies are reported separately as part of the project research portfolio. The meta-analysis across these case studies is

Exploring eLearning practices across the disciplines in a university environment

This two-year project used case studies to explore information and Communications technology (ICT) and eLearning practices across different tertiary disciplines and with students from diverse backgrounds, instructional levels, and learning experiences. ongoing, team-based critical discussion and sharing of ideas about the role that ICT and eLearning plays within tertiary teaching enhanced professional knowledge building for lecturers. Creative use of ICT also led to increased opportunities for students to bridge from the conceptual world of the tertiary classroom to real-life experiences in their particular subject areas. Key findings ICT and eLearning provide effective means for supporting diverse and changing tertiary cohorts, but these practices need careful curriculum design and monitoring. The use

The transition from secondary to tertiary mathematics education

Introduction In recent years there has been a growing interest in the transition from school to university. Reports identify problems in transition as a significant factor in learning mathematics, with international concerns about decreasing numbers of students opting to study mathematics at university and their decreasing levels of competence (Smith, 2004). In addition, serious concern has been expressed around a lack of essential technical facility, a marked decline in analytical powers, and a changed perception of what mathematics is, especially with regard to the place of precision and proof. Although there have been some studies on possible causes of transition problems, the amount of research in mathematics education at the tertiary

Student Engagement: What Is It and What Influences It?

Introduction This paper seeks to answer two questions: “What is student engagement?” and “How do teachers, external factors and student motivation influence it?” It is an overview paper reporting findings from a project funded by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) entitled “Learning Environments and Student Engagement with Learning in Tertiary Settings”. This two-year project involved nine tertiary institutions: two universities, four institutes of technology or polytechnics, one wānanga, one community organisation and one private training establishment. The project attempted to answer the research question: “How do institutional and non-institutional learning environments influence student engagement with learning in diverse tertiary settings?” There were two approaches to the research. Engagement in

Success for all: Improving Māori and Pasifika student success in degree-level studies

1. Introduction The Success for All project sought to examine the ways in which nonlecture teaching helps or hinders Māori student and Pasifika student success in preparing for or completing degree-level studies. Good practice was to be identified. This report is the final in a series of detailed technical reports from UniServices prepared by the Success for All research team. Purpose The purpose of the Success for All research was four-fold: identify international best practice in nonlecture teaching and learning in university settings deliver high-quality research on the nature of nonlecture teaching and learning practices that help or hinder Māori and Pasifika student success in preparing for or completing degree-level study

An exploration of the pedagogies employed to integrate knowledge in work-integrated learning in New Zealand tertiary educational institutions

Introduction Work-integrated learning or co-operative education is an educational strategy in which students undertake conventional academic learning at a higher educational institution combined with some time spent in a workplace relevant to their programme of study and career aims (Groenewald, 2004). A key aspect of work-integrated learning is the notion that it entails the integration of knowledge and skills gained in the higher education institution and in the workplace. This has two features—the student takes what he or she has learnt on campus into the workplace when going on a work placement, and likewise what they learn in the workplace becomes related to, or incorporated into, the next phase of academic

Unlocking student learning: the impact of Teaching and Learning Enhancement Initiatives on first-year university students

Introduction This is the summary report of a project funded by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) between 2006 and 2008. The project researched evidential links between academic development and student outcomes. It focused on the support provided by academic developers in seven New Zealand universities for teachers of first-year papers and the impact this support had on student learning. Academic developers worked collaboratively with teachers to develop Teaching and Learning Enhancement Initiatives (TLEIs) intended to improve student pass rates. The report uses an orthodox format. It begins by summarising the literature that establishes the research problem and its importance, then summarises the conceptual underpinnings of the project and provides

Teaching and learning in the supervision of Maori doctoral students

He Rautaki mo te Akoranga Kairangi is a series of resources for Māori doctoral students and their supervisors. These resources are derived from the Teaching and Learning in the Supervision of Māori Doctoral Students project, funded by the TLRI (No. 9250) in 2007-2008. The research team comprised Elizabeth McKinley and Barbara Grant (The University of Auckland), Sue Middleton (Waikato University), Kathie Irwin (Te Puni Kokiri) and Les Williams (Nga Pae o te Maramatanga). He Rautaki mo te Akoranga Kairangi 1. The nature of doctoral supervision One bit of advice an experienced colleague gave me which is very valuable: ‘Be friendly but not familiar.’ Even though the Māori version of friendly is

Developing assessment policy: A guide for tertiary institutions

Please also refer to the PDF version of this guide, which includes additional visual elements. The text and key diagrams from the guide are reproduced here Introduction The purpose of this guide is to assist developers in tertiary institutions to build effective assessment policy. The guide is based on a review of the international literature and research of best practice in tertiary assessment, a review of tertiary education institution assessment policy documents in New Zealand and Australia, surveys of academic staff and students at four New Zealand tertiary institutions, and interviews with senior academic managers at seven New Zealand tertiary institutions. The findings[1] from these reviews support a set of considerations

Teachers Learning Mathematics: Professional development research

Introduction The issue of mathematical knowledge of teachers has been documented in New Zealand for 80 years, but no effective long-term solution has been found; indeed, the situation has worsened. For example, the 2004 New Zealand Ministry of Education Teacher Census (Ministry of Education, 2005) showed that 25 percent of secondary school mathematics teachers had no university mathematics qualification—a rise from 21 percent in 1977. This one-year research study, undertaken in 2007, aimed to investigate the development of teachers’ own mathematical knowledge for teaching. Seven secondary teachers used action research methodology to investigate, develop and evaluate some aspect of their mathematical knowledge, completing two cycles over the year. In addition, the

Making a difference: The role of initial teacher education and induction in the preparation of secondary teachers

1. Aims, objectives, and research questions New Zealand, a country of four million people, shares many of the features of other larger countries with respect to the preparation of teachers and the nature of education and schooling. In accord with other countries, the recruitment, preparation (becoming a teacher), and retention of teachers is the focus of increasing interest in New Zealand as agencies responsible for education struggle to address the apparent declining interest in teaching as a lifelong career. Moreover, the fact that the teaching population across all school levels within New Zealand is an ageing one, with a large group of teachers reaching retirement age over the next 10 to

Addressing obstacles to success: Improving student completion, retention, and achievement in science modules in applied health programmes

1. The project and its context Addressing Obstacles to Success[1] was a two-year project that sought to address science achievement rates in applied-health undergraduate degree programmes at Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), with particular attention to Māori. Throughout their teaching careers, staff members at Wintec have heard many anecdotal stories about science being a “problem” for midwifery and nursing students. Research to inform retention strategies for Māori students studying midwifery at Wintec indicated that science was a potential barrier to their overall success (Gibson-van Marrewijk, 2005). Notwithstanding this anecdotal concern, the nature and extent of science as a “problem” for any student had not been systematically researched up to that point.

Who, what, how, and why? Profiles, practices, pedagogies, and self-perception of adult literacy practitioners

1. Introduction This study began in the Spring of 2003, when we—the Canterbury Adult Basic Education Research Network (CABERN), an informal cross-sector network of local adult literacy researchers and practitioners—sent out a questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed potential respondents by asking: “Are you a tutor engaged in any aspect of adult literacy?” and the accompanying information sheet explained the main driver behind the research: We began this particular project because we felt that, while there is a lot of talk currently on what adult literacy tutors should do, there is actually very little material available on what they do do and why they do it; our project is an opportunity for tutors

Understanding and enhancing learning communities in tertiary education in science and engineering

1. Introduction The impetus for this project grew out of our involvement in tertiary teaching in science and engineering courses. Our own experiences in undergraduate and graduate science papers, and preservice science and technology education papers, had led us to debate the learning experiences of our students. We intuitively felt that there was something lacking in those experiences and wondered about the sense of identity that these students developed through their involvement in these papers. Research by one of the project’s team members (Eames & Bell, 2005) indicated that the learning environment in science and engineering in a university setting was quite different to that experienced in a science and engineering

Effective teacher-education practice: The impact of written assessment “feedback” for distance learners

Ko te pae tawhiti whäia kia tata: Ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina Continue seeking to bring distant horizons closer: Consolidate what you have achieved 1. Introduction This study focuses on the “assessing” aspect of tertiary teaching in a distance teacher education programme. It explores the perceptions of the role of written assessment feedback held by a cohort of students enrolled in The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education (a Level 7, distance teacher education programme using mixed delivery methods).[1] Effective teacher education improves educational outcomes for learners in tertiary institutions (student teachers) and for end-user learners (children) in schools and early childhood services. This

Improving tertiary student outcomes in the first year of study

1. Introduction Background Retention, persistence and completion in post-school education have been the focus of much attention in recent years – particularly in the USA, UK, Australia, and now in New Zealand. Governments throughout the Western world increasingly expect improved learner outcomes for money spent on post-school education. Data on early student departure highlight their concerns. For example, in the UK, Yorke (1999) estimated that such departure cost 100 million a year. In New Zealand, a Ministry of Education report (2005, cited in Gerritsen, 2005) showed that, from 1998 to 2003, 33 percent of the equivalent full-time student (EFTS) allocation was taken up by students who dropped out in their first