PRECISION LEARNING PROJECT

Precision Learning Project

Precision Learning Project

Teachers are frequently confronted with new educational programmes packaged as curricular interventions, which they must incorporate in their teaching. These interventions, for example, those on critical and creative thinking, often have a direct impact on teaching performance or require new teaching behaviours. Teachers have prior practical theories and conceptual perspectives that influence their responses to such new demands, as described by Day (1999) and Woods (1995). Teachers learn through a range of means, perhaps primarily active involvement in classroom activities. They also learn from externally provided innovative developments (Warren-Little, 1987; Darling- Hammond, 1990; Feiman-Nemser & Beasley, 1997; Hamilton, 1998).

Teacher learning often takes the form of reflection, experimentation with curriculum materials or pedagogical strategies in the classroom, studying implementation of specific school activities or collaborative participation in innovative curricular programmes (Hargreaves, 1997a). Such learning activities of teachers have been described as prime sources of professional growth (Eraut, 1994; Sparks & Loucks-Horsley, 1990). Because teachers' professional learning is largely bound to the opportunities they encounter in their task environment (Day, 1999), externally provided support for professional development, as is the case in innovative curricular programmes, becomes effective only through its close connection with the task environment of the teacher (Stenhouse, 1975; Woods, 1995).

The teachers' journals and focus group discussions were transcribed and content-analysed to identify dilemmas. Dilemmas were noted when the teacher mentioned a critical remark, a question, an inconsistency or gave advice for change in the programme materials for pupils. These remarks were categorised to identify types of dilemmas. The narrative response data in journals and vignettes, were analysed by a paid Research Assistant, following a research team analysis of a sample of the data in order to set parameters. Having a research assistant do this analysis also helped to ensure objectivity of interpretation. Three limitations in the research design are noted in practice as follows: The control group represented only about half of the teachers; there was no control group able to be done for the Chinese teachers. The teacher training sessions were conducted in one instance by two of the investigators as a team, and by one of the investigators alone in the other setting. Different observers in each country administered the Classroom Observation instrument of teachers. In addition, the fact that some of the children in both countries were being taught in specialist classes for the deaf, adds additional variables that, given the nature and size of the sample, we did not control for in the study.

Results Teacher Beliefs Table I shows the differences found between teachers on the pre- and post-belief test in both countries. A statistically non-significant trend in change of beliefs toward more open, pupil-orientated teaching was found in the English experimental group. In comparison, the English control group show no difference between pre- and post-test. The Chinese experimental group showed no belief change. As Table I indicates, the English control teachers and the Chinese experimental teachers actually decreased in the 'constructivism' of their ...