Professional Learning Archives

The ERIKA Project to explore Ukrainian scholars’ digital mastery

by Drs Koblianska & Kostetska | NW 1 Professional Learning and Development, NW 9 Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement, UERA

In the ever-evolving landscape of academia, the intersection of the digital realm with traditional research methodologies underscores the pressing need for scholars to embrace evolving competencies. This blog post navigates the digital horizon, emphasizing the imperative integration of open science principles, data literacy, and research competencies for researchers to thrive in the dynamic academic ecosystem. Focusing on the insights gleaned from the 2022-2023Enhancing Empirical Academic Research in Ukraine (ERIKA) project, this exploration sheds light on a critical digital skills gap among Ukrainian academics.

The need for digital competency among researchers

As society transitions into an era where data shapes an intangible reality, the transformative role of science and innovation becomes evident (Lagoudakis et al., 2022; Tavares et al., 2022). Acknowledging that the very entities driving digital transformations must undergo significant changes (Ayris et al., 2018; European Commission, 2020a, 2020b), the expert community underscores the core competencies of a modern “Digital Scholar,” including Open Science practices, adherence to FAIR principles, and proficiency in data management (Van Petegem et al., 2021; Weller, 2018).

International studies further reveal a global lack of digital competencies among researchers, emphasizing the need for enhanced professional training programs and continuous education to meet the demands of the digital age (Cabero-Almenara et al., 2021; Dias-Trindade & Albuquerque, 2022; EU DGRI, 2017, 2020; Suyo-Vega et al., 2022; EU DGRI & EOSC EB, 2021).

Regrettably, the situation in Ukraine mirrors this global trend. Compared to many other countries, comprehensive studies assessing the digital competencies of researchers in Ukraine are notably limited (Hladchenko et al., 2018; Hladchenko, 2022). The absence of such research poses a significant challenge, as it inhibits our ability to identify specific areas of weakness and design targeted interventions to uplift the digital skills of Ukrainian academics.

The ERIKA project

The ERIKA project, conducted in 2023, provides a noteworthy snapshot of the digital competencies among Ukrainian scholars. This initiative, supported by the Ukrainian Educational Research Association and the European Educational Research Association, aimed to enhance empirical academic research capabilities in Ukraine.

The ERIKA project engaged over 50 participants from 13 Ukrainian regions, representing 29 higher education institutions. The participants, ranging from senior lecturers to professors, covered diverse disciplines and career levels, providing a comprehensive view of the academic landscape.

The training sessions, held in March and October 2023, facilitated in-depth discussions and insights into the digital competencies of Ukrainian academics. The multifaceted and nuanced responses of participants shed light on the challenges and opportunities within the country’s academic community.

The competency gap revealed by the ERIKA survey

It was found that 80% of surveyed respondents demonstrated only superficial awareness of open science principles. A further 40% needed to be made aware of the FAIR guidelines, underlining the urgent need for initiatives that promote open science literacy.

In a world dominated by vast datasets and interconnected information, only 19% of Ukrainian academics exhibited proficiency in working with common data file formats like CSV and JSON. The need for more understanding regarding metadata, reported by 71% of respondents, raises concerns about the effectiveness of data-sharing practices.

A significant gap exists in the awareness of available national open data resources, hindering the potential for impactful research studies that utilise real-world data. This knowledge gap is detrimental to the nation’s academic community, limiting their ability to engage in cutting-edge research.

The survey uncovered deficiencies in basic research skills, such as crafting focused search queries, applying Boolean operators, and locating relevant datasets. These fundamental skills are the building blocks of impactful, evidence-based research.

While most respondents demonstrated awareness of the risks associated with predatory publishing, only 15% could independently assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to enhance the discoverability of their research outputs. This finding is concerning, especially considering the increasing requirement for DOIs in academic publishing after 2022 (due to National regulations).

The survey revealed a need for more utilisation of reference management tools, with 63% of respondents admitting to never using platforms like Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote. Additionally, 71% had minimal legal and ethical understanding regarding use of personal data in research studies.

Encouragingly, despite these challenges, nearly half of the surveyed researchers who had yet to gain prior grant application experience expressed eagerness to build expertise in this area. This enthusiasm bodes well for the future, as acquiring grant-writing skills opens avenues for accessing national and international funding opportunities.

The development of a training program on data skills for academics

The ERIKA project highlights the pressing need for tailored programs to build digital competencies among Ukrainian academics. Bridging the identified gaps in open science, data handling, and research fundamentals is crucial to unlocking the nation’s scientific potential and integrating it into the global and European research ecosystem. In this context, the importance and urgency of creating well-designed professional training programs at educational institutions is evident, and a more centralized approach under the Ministry of Education and Science Leadership could be the best choice.

The “ERIKA” case is a successful example of a professional training program. The final assessment results demonstrated that the topics proposed in the “ERIKA” course (Koblianska & Kostetska, 2023), their content, and the training organization help address the outlined problems and improve researchers’ competencies.

The project entails developing and teaching an integrated educational course with two modules:

1) “Data Collection for Academic Research” (3 ECTS)

2) “Academic Research in EU Countries: Institutional, Organizational and Motivational Dimensions” (3 ECTS)

The first module covers open science principles and its role in modern research; data collection, analysis, and management in academic research, including legal and ethical components; skills for finding scientific information and formulating search queries; and practical data work aspects.

The second module examines organizing academic research in EU countries, particularly the scientific personnel training system, graduate and doctoral program structures, establishing academic communication, publishing research results, review procedures, and motivational factors affecting researcher productivity. The “ERIKA” experience could be scalable.

Conclusion

As we navigate the increasingly digital and data-intensive academic world, sustained monitoring and responsive training programs are pivotal for ensuring researchers’ success in Ukraine. The collaboration between the Ukrainian Educational Research Association and the European Educational Research Association exemplifies the importance of such initiatives in enhancing research capabilities and quality. By addressing the digital skills gap, Ukraine can position itself as a formidable force in the global academic arena, contributing substantively to advancing knowledge and innovation. Bridging the digital divide is not just a necessity; it is a pathway to unlocking the full potential of Ukrainian scholarship on the world stage.

The post image was generated via Dream Studio AI

Key Messages

Digital Competency Urgency. In the evolving landscape of academia, there is a pressing need for scholars to embrace evolving digital competencies, emphasizing the integral role of skills like open science principles and data literacy.
Global Digital Competency Trends. International studies reveal a pervasive lack of digital competencies among researchers globally, sparking discussions on the necessity of enhanced professional training programs and continuous education.
Ukraine’s Digital Skills Gap. We shed light on the concerning trend in Ukraine, mirroring the global situation, where comprehensive studies assessing the digital competencies of researchers are notably limited, posing a significant challenge.
ERIKA Project Results. The ERIKA project in 2023 provides a snapshot of digital competencies among Ukrainian scholars, engaging participants from diverse disciplines and career levels, offering insights into challenges and opportunities within the academic community.
Survey Insights and Concerns. Surprising survey findings indicate gaps in open science principles awareness, proficiency in working with data file formats, and deficiencies in basic research skills, emphasizing the need for tailored programs.
Call to Action. The need for tailored programs to bridge identified gaps in open science, data handling, and research fundamentals, is urgent, positioning Ukraine as a formidable force in the global academic arena.

Dr Inna Koblianska

Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration of Sumy State University

Dr Koblianska is an Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration of Sumy State University. Her scientific interests include sustainable development, regional development, spatial economy, and logistics management. She is the laureate of the award of the President of Ukraine for young scientists (2019).

She is ERIKA Project Executor, responsible for the development and teaching of the Data Collection for Academic Research module.

Internship: Sustainable Farming Assessment (2017, Bern University of Applied Sciences); School of Agricultural Economics (IAMO, Halle (Saale), 2019); Educational training session on data collection (Statistics Germany and University of Applied Sciences Weinstein-Triesdorf, 2019); DAAD projects (University of Applied Sciences Weienstefan-Triesdorf, 2018-2022); Applied econometric analysis using R (German-Ukrainian Agricultural Policy Dialogue and IAMO, 2021).

She is the author of numerous scientific works.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7844-9786 https://econ.biem.sumdu.edu.ua/en/inna-koblianska

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Dr Iryna Kostetska

Senior Lecturer, Department of Economic Theory, Management and Marketing, National University of Ostroh Academy

Dr Kostetska is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economic Theory, Management and Marketing, National University of Ostroh Academy. Her scientific interests include business planning in agricultural enterprises and strategic planning of the development of rural areas.

She is ERIKA’s project manager, responsible for the development and teaching of the educational module Academic research in EU: institutional, organizational and motivational dimensions.

Internship under the programs of the French Agricultural Institute (SevrEurope de Bressuire, l’IREO de Bressuire, France 2009, 2010), the Polish-American Freedom Foundation (Lane Kirkland Program, Poland 2018-2019), the Polish UNESCO Committee (Poland 2019), the Visegrad Foundation (2021-2022). She worked on economic and regional development projects with the support of USAID, the British Council in Ukraine, and the Czech Republic.

She is the author of numerous scientific works.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5340-0145

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References and Further Reading

Ayris, P., Lopez de San Roman, A., Maes, K., & Labastida, I. (2018). Open Science and its role in universities: A roadmap for cultural change. LERU. https://www.leru.org/publications/open-science-and-its-role-in-universities-a-roadmap-for-cultural-change (access date: 10.09.2023)

Cabero-Almenara, J., Guillén-Gámez, F. D., Ruiz-Palmero, J., & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2021). Digital competence of higher education professor according to DigCompEdu. Statistical research methods with ANOVA between fields of knowledge in different age ranges. Education and Information Technologies, 26(4), 4691–4708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10476-5

Dias-Trindade, S., & Albuquerque, C. (2022). University Teachers’ Digital Competence: A Case Study from Portugal. Social Sciences, 11(10), 481. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11100481

EU DGRI & EOSC EB. (2021). Digital skills for FAIR and Open Science: Report from the EOSC Executive Board Skills and Training Working Group. European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. EOSC Executive Board. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/59065

EU DGRI. (2020). Country sheets analysis: Report from the EOSC Executive Board Working Group (WG) Landscape. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission). Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/568900

EU DGRI. (2017). Providing researchers with the skills and competencies they need to practise Open Science.European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/121253

European Comission. (2020a). Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027). European Education Area. https://education.ec.europa.eu/node/1518 (access date: 10.09.2023)

European Comission. (2020b). Research and innovation strategy 2020-2024. https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-2020-2024_en (access date: 10.09.2023)

Hladchenko, M. (2022). Implications of Publication Requirements for the Research Output of Ukrainian Academics in Scopus in 1999–2019. Journal of Data and Information Science, 7(3), 71–93. https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2022-0016

Hladchenko, M., Dobbins, M., &Jungblut, J. (2018). Exploring Change and Stability in Ukrainian Higher Education and Research: A Historical Analysis Through Multiple Critical Junctures. Higher Education Policy, 33. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-018-0105-9

Lagoudakis, M. G., Gkizeli, M., Fotiou, A., Fragkedaki, D., &Kollnig, S. (2022). Teaching and Research in the Digital World. BHM Berg- Und HüttenmännischeMonatshefte, 167(10), 489–494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00501-022-01283-7

Koblianska I., Kostetska I. (2023). Enhancing Empirical Academic Research in Ukraine: training materials. Zenodo. 124 p. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7817137

Suyo-Vega, J. A., Meneses-La-Riva, M. E., Fernández-Bedoya, V. H., Ocupa-Cabrera, H. G., Alvarado-Suyo, S. A., da Costa Polonia, A., Miotto, A. I., & Gago-Chávez, J. de J. S. (2022). University teachers’ self-perception of digital research competencies. A qualitative study conducted in Peru. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.1004967 (access date: 10.09.2023)

Tavares, M. C., Azevedo, G., & Marques, R. P. (2022). The Challenges and Opportunities of Era 5.0 for a More Humanistic and Sustainable Society—A Literature Review. Societies, 12(6), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060149

Van Petegem, W., Bosman, J., De Klerk, M., & Strydom, S. (2021). Evolving as a Digital Scholar: Teaching and Researching in a Digital World. Leuven University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv20zbkk0

Weller, M. (2018). The Digital Scholar Revisited: The Digital Scholar: Philosopher’s Lab, 1(2), 52–71. https://doi.org/10.5840/dspl20181218

The importance of diversity training for educators in predominately white places

by Suparna Bagchi | BERA, NW 1 Professional Learning and Development, NW 7 Social Justice and Intercultural Education

The state of future education as a discipline will be possibly influenced by the importance it places on a conceptual, curricular, and pedagogical need to shift the emphasis toward transformative classrooms working for positive change through cultural diversity (Banks, 2020). Awareness of issues around race equality, inclusive growth, and community cohesion has heightened following George Floyd’s killing in the USA in 2020, and the Black Lives Matter Movement. This increasing awareness is particularly pertinent in Britain in areas of historically low ethnic diversity which have lately experienced a rise in ethnic minority populations, and where inclusive growth is a challenge.

The Research

My research explores the understanding and experiences of multiculturalism of students, parents and educators in four mainstream primary schools situated in the predominantly White South-West England. I adopted a qualitative case study methodology framed by a sociocultural theoretical framework (Vygotsky, 1978). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with adult participants, observation of students’ classroom activities, and documentary analysis of classroom and corridor displays.

The interviews had questions around books and topics reflecting multiculturalism. In the height of COVID-19, the classroom and corridor displays were photographed to see whether the school ethos and atmosphere reflect multiculturalism.

Background – Diversity, Curriculum and Education Inspectorate

Although 33.5% of the school population includes ethnically diverse children, out of 6478 children’s books published in Britain in 2019, 10.5% featured characters belonging to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities; of these, only 5% had a main character who belonged to the communities mentioned (Wood, 2019). The education inspectorate, Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills or in short, Ofsted (2019:11,12) is vocal about ensuring “inclusive education and training to all”, and extending the Curriculum beyond the academic and technical domains for students’ broader development, and creation of understanding, and appreciation of cultural diversity. However, race equality and community cohesion, which could help in the students’ broader development, do not constitute Ofsted’s school inspection criteria (Rhamie, 2014).

Findings

My research findings suggest participants’ eagerness for more ethnically diverse content incorporated in teaching and learning. However, schools are considerably dependent on, and somewhat confined by, the knowledge-focused Primary National Curriculum in England for which efforts towards a multicultural reflection are less noticeable. The absence of culturally diverse content in the school Curriculum highlighted by the 1985 Swann Report and the 2007 Ajegbo Report makes England’s primary National Curriculum look like a “Brexit policy three decades before Brexit” (Moncrieffe et al., 2020:20). The situation emphasizes the need to start afresh. The starting point may be to get thinking and acting while doing Curriculum making (Priestley et al., 2021). This is because Curriculum thinking is at the heart of education practice today (Poutney and Yang, 2021).

Implications – Curriculum thinking and teacher training

The educators as Curriculum framers play a significant part in Curriculum thinking and delivery where the task design is crucial, and where the educators can place equal importance on the interwoven elements of “how”, “what” and “why” the task is taught (Moncrieffe et al., 2020:16-17). The educators need to build confidence in encouraging difficult conversations around racism, fear, indifference, and ignorance breaking the stereotypical barriers. This would help equip the students with the necessary creative skills so that they learn, grow and foster as responsible citizens in this changing complex world (Deng, 2022) with an apt cognition of a multicultural Britain. But how can they train students without the required training in the specific area?

Lander’s research (2014) showed that trainee educators in predominantly White areas often run the risk of sharing confined perspectives while educating children. I agree with Lander that no matter the geographical location, school educators can be equipped with the necessary culturally responsive initial training, and continuous professional development, with a focus on race-centric and multiculturally responsive education (ibid). This may aid in the reduction of employees’ unconscious bias for which the CRE (2021) recommended training and routine skills assistance. This becomes distinctly pertinent to avoid horrific cases of racism in the future like the one in Hackney, London where a Black teenager referred to as Child Q was wrongly suspected of cannabis possession, and strip-searched during her period, risking deep serious consequences for the child (FordRojas, 2022 ).

Having competent culturally responsive educators in 21st century classrooms may have important positive effects like boosted self-esteem, improved academic achievement, and greater engagement and well-being of students from ethnically diverse communities, which, in turn, have implications for fostering nurturing inclusive classrooms and school environments.

Key Messages

There is often a misconception that only schools with high ethnic minority populations or those situated in multicultural places need multicultural awareness.
Race equality and cultural awareness are essential topics amidst racist incidents in multicultural schools at the heart of London
These topics are equally important in predominantly White places in Britain, especially in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, the BLM movement, and post-Brexit rises in racist and xenophobic attacks.
School curriculum and atmosphere need to offer race sensitive multicultural reflection in these places.
Practitioners need training and preparedness to equip them with relevant knowledge, skills, and confidence.

Suparna Bagchi

Final year doctoral student in Plymouth Institute of Education, University of Plymouth, UK

Suparna Bagchi is a final-year doctoral student at the Plymouth Institute of Education, University of Plymouth. She worked there as a Doctoral Teaching Assistant from 2019 to 2022. Suparna’s doctoral research explores perceptions of multiculturalism in mainstream primary schools in South West England. With a research interest in race, equity and social justice, Suparna is a member of various race equality associations both inside and outside the University.

Suparna is a dignity and respect ambassador and student representative of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at Plymouth University. In 2022, Suparna received EDI Award from Plymouth University coming among the top three students. Suparna is a trained Compassionate Community Ambassador, mentor of the UNO-recognised Virtues Project, a certified Community Champion and trained Hinduism Faith Speaker. Suparna appears regularly on BBC Radio Devon as a guest speaker. Suparna has made academic presentations nationally and internationally.

Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/suparnabagchi2?lang=en-GB

Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2498-2892

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Suparna-Bagchi

References and Further Reading

Banks, J. A. (2020). Diversity, transformative knowledge, and civic education: Selected essays. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003018360

Deng, Z. (2022). Powerful knowledge, educational potential and knowledge-rich curriculum: pushing the boundaries. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 54(5), 599-617. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2022.2089538

FordRojas, J.P. (2022). Child Q report: Met Police culture ‘under scrutiny again’ after case of schoolgirl strip-searched by officers, says policing minister. Sky News. 13 April. https://news.sky.com/story/child-q-report-met-police-culture-under-scrutiny-again-after-case-of-schoolgirl-strip-searched-by-officers-says-policing-minister-12572253

Lander, V. (2014). Initial teacher education: The practice of whiteness. In R. Race. and V. Lander (Eds.), Advancing race and ethnicity in education, (pp. 93-110). Palgrave Macmillan.http://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9781137274755

Moncrieffe, M., Race, R., Harris, R., Chetty, D., Riaz, N., Ayling, P., Arphattananon, T., Nasilbullov, K., Kopylova, N. and Steinburg, S. (2020). Decolonising the curriculum. Research Intelligence, 142, 9-27. British Educational Research Association. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340870420_Decolonising_the_Curriculum_-_Transnational_Perspectives_Research_Intelligence_Issue_142Spring_2020

Ofsted. (2019). The education inspection framework. Draft for Consultation–January 2019.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-inspection-framework-draft-for-consultation

Plymouth Report. (2019). Plymouth: Plymouth City Council.https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/publichealth/factsandfiguresjointstrategicneedsassessment/plymouthreport

Pountney, R. and Yang, W. (2021). International perspectives on the curriculum Implications for teachers & schools. BERA Research Intelligence, 148, pp. 15 https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/autumn-2021

Priestley, M., Alvunger, D., Philippou, S., and Soini, T. (2021). Curriculum making across European nations. BERA Research Intelligence,148, 16-17. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/33293

Rhamie, J. (2014). Resilience, the black child and the Coalition Government. In .R Race, and V. Lander (Eds.), Advancing Race and Ethnicity in Education (pp. 230-249. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/1057/9781137274762_15

Sewell, T., Aderin-Pocock, M., Chughtai, A., Fraser, K., Khalid, N., Moyo, D., … and Shah, S. (2021). Commission on race and ethnic disparities: The report. Commission on Race, Ethnic Disparities. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974507/20210331_-_CRED_Report_-_FINAL_-_Web_Accessible.pdf

Vygotsky, L. S., and Cole, M. (1978). Mind in society: Development of higher psychological processes. Harvard university press.https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4

Wood, H. (2019). New CLPE report into kids books warns over simplified depictions of BAME characters. The Bookseller. https://www.thebookseller.com/news/clpe-reveals-increase-bame-representation-urges-against-jasmine-default-1085896

Multi-dimensional professional learning: a leadership perspective

by Professor Ken Jones | NW 1 Professional Learning and Development

Life and learning rarely go forward in straight lines. The most stimulating and creative experiences often arise from unexpected and unintended interactions. It’s the same with professional learning. We need to master new knowledge and skills, but education is more than knowing and doing. That way lies repetition, comfort learning and stagnation as the future overtakes us. As professionals, we need to question our own contexts; explore and investigate outside our normal routines; look for opportunities to observe and experience different cultures of learning; then re-assess our own practice with fresh eyes.

We’ve moved on a long way since the realisation that formal ‘training’ is only a small part of the professional learning process. We now understand the implications of working and learning in complex environments and appreciate that learning is active, not passive. We can’t develop professionals, but as leaders and colleagues, we can support their development. So, the first dimension of professional learning we need to appreciate is the centrality of the individual professional.

Dimension 1: Centrality of the Individual Professional

As a leader, I need to understand that while I have my priorities, and we as collaborative professionals need to work together to achieve them, it is each of you, my colleagues, who will bring the motivation, the experience, the questions, the ideas and the critical challenge to achieve what we want for ourselves and for our students. I need to understand how, as a classroom teacher or teacher leader, you have identified your own priorities.

I need to be aware of how your priorities are shaped by your own career path and whether there are barriers to your professional learning that I can help to remove.

There are five key elements to this first dimension:

Re-positioning: are you ready for a new challenge such as teaching a different part of the curriculum or age range? Or even experiencing teaching in a different school or with aspiring professionals in Initial Teacher Education? Can I open doors for you to do this?
Re-visioning: This involves looking more deeply at things you may be taking for granted. It involves asking critical, challenging questions and seeing day-to-day processes with new eyes. In some cases, professional learning should be ‘edgy’ – challenging our existing values and ways of working. It may involve small-scale research, and it may require you to ask me to justify my own values and actions, so I must not be defensive when responding to your questions.
Extending: in the same way that we support the development of a young person’s knowledge and understanding as they move through school, so we need to encourage stimulation through deep professional learning. Intellectual challenge is important (and a requirement for some professions). How best can I encourage colleagues to engage in further study, wider reading and critical questioning?
Co-creating: active learning is best undertaken when one or more co-learners can ask constructively-critical questions to move thinking and acting forward. This requires trust and an element of professional security so that confidence is not undermined. As a leader with an overview of the professional environment within my organisation and, through networks, beyond it, I can suggest who might form suitable co-learners for my colleagues.
Consolidating: It’s a mistake to think that professional learning must be continuous. That means unbroken. It must, however, be continuing so that we revisit our learning and, at times, cruise a little to enjoy what we do well. Constantly questioning and looking critically at our work may prove psychologically challenging. As a leader, I need to be aware of this in myself and others and be careful not to apply pressure to change when well-being is at risk.

Dimension 2: Engagement

The second dimension of professional learning is engagement. This is the ‘doing’ part. Thankfully, we now understand that attending a professional development event does not necessarily enhance learning in planned and determined ways. The recent pandemic has made us realise that formal teaching has to be supplemented with other approaches to learning. The term ‘blended learning’ is often used to describe a mixture of online learning and face-to-face teaching, but this suggests a two-part approach when our engagement with learning is multi-faceted.

The term ‘professional learning blend’ has been used in Wales (Jones et al., 2019) to indicate that professional learning engagement takes many forms throughout a person’s career. It may involve:

mentoring (as a mentor or mentee)
presenting ideas and experiences to colleagues in one’s institution or at a conference (virtual or in-person)
being part of a professional learning network
studying for a Master’s or Doctoral award
attending a training event
observing others, being observed or simply talking about professional experiences with different colleagues.

Or all of these at different points in a person’s career path.

These different experiences will not be treated as separate events; they will merge in many ways to develop more rounded, informed and aware professionals. As a leader, I should not attempt to create a learning blend for others. The blending will be done by the individual professionals themselves. My role will be to help create the space and opportunity for colleagues to engage in these different professional learning experiences and, where appropriate, to prompt individuals to blend the learning into coherent ways of working.

Dimension 3: Application

The third dimension is Application, sometimes called ‘impact’, or effectiveness, or follow-up (or follow-through). It is the understanding that although the professional learning process should be satisfying, much like reading a good book or being in enjoyable company, our purpose as education professionals is to support the learning of others and we must keep these others in mind when we engage in our own professional learning.

As a leader, this is something I need to be most aware of. I am accountable for the quality of teaching and learning in my institution (staff and students), and more than one type of indicator will be used to judge this. So, I need to ensure that the application of professional learning processes is maximised. At times, this means reverting to a performative approach with defined outcome criteria. Often, it is allowing the creative professional to emerge and giving space for the creation of new approaches inside and outside the formal learning environment.

We seem to know what works best in professional learning. Or do we? Stepping back and looking at well-researched and established models of professional learning (see, for example, Boylan (2018), and Kennedy (2014)) allows us to revisit our professional learning programmes as providers and as participants. Beware of claims that “this course will transform your teaching”. Don’t generalise from the findings of evaluations of funded professional learning programmes which show, usually immediately after the event, that participants were highly motivated to change their practice.

Learn from, but don’t emulate, others. Sherlock Holmes, in a rare mentoring moment, said to Dr Watson: “You know my methods: apply them”. But Watson could no more emulate the deductive brilliance of his companion any more than the fictional Holmes could have related the stories as well as their author. So, it’s a little more complex than copying what works in one instance and transferring it into your own context.

Dimension 4: Space

The final two dimensions are space and time. Leaders with responsibility for equitable resource allocation will be familiar with the challenges these bring. Space relates to where the learning takes place. Opportunities to learn outside one’s classroom, beyond the school and even in different countries and cultures are invaluable. Leaders must think laterally to enable learning mobility (ensuring that students aren’t disadvantaged by substitutions in teaching by enabling continuity of learning) and we must protect the ability to experience locational flexibility so that we do not become prisoners of school-based learning.

Dimension 5: Time

The final dimension is time. We could see this in terms of ‘learning hours’ (a dubious criterion to determine the quality of education provision) but it’s more fundamental: it’s about what we are learning and the ways we learn and whether they are set in the past, present or future. The rapid growth in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the out-of-date approaches we previously used to structure our education. To what extent do we equip our students for the future and are we ahead of them in our own learning? And are we clear about the ethical issues that this will inevitably involve? Harari (p463) refers to this as the Human Enhancement question: “what do we want to become?”

It would be easier if we could simply manage staff development to ensure that all our teachers perform effectively. At least now we have acknowledged that it’s much more complex than this. We are responsible for leading rather than managing, and we engage in professional learning rather than staff development. Leaders should embrace and celebrate this complexity.

The views expressed in this blog post are from Professor Jones and not necessarily representative of Network 1.

Professor Ken Joes

Chair of the Editorial Board, Professional Development in Education

Ken taught in London before returning to Wales to work as Head of the School of Education and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities in Swansea Metropolitan University. He was Senior Consultant for Professional Learning and Development at UWTSD and is now Professor Emeritus.

His international work has included leading symposia on Professional Learning and Leadership in many European countries, in the USA and in India. He is co-convenor of Network 1 (Professional Learning and Development) of the European Education Research Association.

He has been Managing Editor of the journal Professional Development in Education and is now Chair of the Editorial Board. He was one of the founding members of the International Professional Development Association (IPDA) and of IPDA Cymru.

He now works as an independent education consultant.

References

Boylan, M., Coldwell, M., Maxwell, B. and Jordan, J. (2018) Rethinking models of professional learning as tools: a conceptual analysis to inform research and practice Professional Development in Education 44.1 120-139 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317126034_Rethinking_models_of_professional_learning_as_tools_a_conceptual_analysis_to_inform_research_and_practice

Harari, Y.V. (2015) Sapiens. A brief history of humankind. London: Vintage https://www.ynharari.com/book/sapiens-2/

Jones, K., Humphreys, R., Lester, B. and Stacey, B. (2019) National Approach to Professional Learning: Research Report The Professional Learning Blend 2.0 Cardiff: Education Workforce Council https://www.ewc.wales/site/index.php/en/?option=com_fileman&view=file&routed=1&name=Professional%20Learning%20Blend%202.0.pdf&folder=&container=fileman-files

Kennedy, A. (2014) Understanding continuing professional development: the need for theory to impact on policy and practice Professional Development in Education 40.5 688-697 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19415257.2014.955122

The Experiences of Irish Teachers in England

by Craig Skerritt | Emerging Researchers' Group, ESAI

Emigration has become common for many Irish teachers due to the often precarious and casual nature of employment many recently qualified teachers face in Ireland. England, the nearby neighbour, has proved to be a popular destination for many. England has faced a severe teacher recruitment and retention crisis for many years and recruiting teachers from countries such as Ireland, often facilitated by recruitment agencies, has become a common practice.

Current Research into Irish Teachers in England

Ireland is now one of the top providers of teachers to England but, despite the volume of Irish teachers passing through the English education system, very little is known about their experiences in and perceptions of English schools. We often hear unpleasant anecdotes in Ireland or read complaints on social media channels and online platforms about teachers’ working conditions in England. Still, in terms of scholarly literature on Irish teachers’ experiences in and perceptions of English schools, it has until recently been confined to one published report.

My qualitative research adds to this report and offers a voice to an under-researched but common group of teachers in England. It may be of use to practising and pre-service teachers in Ireland considering moving to England, school leaders in England during the teacher recruitment process, and researchers and policymakers in both countries and beyond. The full research paper, where for the first time Irish teachers’ experiences and perceptions of autonomy and accountability in England are documented, is available here.

Teaching in England

To set some context, what it means to be a teacher in Ireland is very different from what it means to be a teacher in England. Internal and external policies, discourses, pressures, and inspections, to name a few, mean that the nature of teachers’ work differs significantly between the two countries.

England’s education system is widely regarded as one of the most high-stakes systems in the world in terms of accountability. It has been described by others as being ‘notoriously driven by accountability measures’, as having ‘one of the strongest accountability systems in the English speaking world’, and being the ‘mother ship of high-stakes, performativity-focussed types of evaluation’.

The reality for many teachers is that they work in low-trust environments characterised by heightened and oppressive top-down control and micromanagement, frequent and stressful inspections and audits, and intensive and unsustainable requirements and demands. In contrast, however, accountability is less of a feature of Irish schools, and the working conditions are more benign.

It is well documented in the literature that a teacher’s identity (i.e. his/her professional beliefs, values, and principles, and the professional self-image he/she holds) is closely linked with his/her past experiences of education. In my research I proposed that the cultural change for Irish teachers who move to England would be challenging for them and their professional identities given their previous experiences of school in Ireland. Here are some of the challenges that Irish teachers report facing in England:

Challenges for Irish Teachers in England

Profuse accountability

The Irish teachers I interviewed were overwhelmingly negative about their experiences in English schools. They contended that they did not exercise much autonomy, but endured too much accountability, including for aspects that they felt were beyond their control, such as the behaviour of students and the grades they obtained. A common way of holding teachers accountable was through what interviewees referred to as ‘learning walks’ where senior staff members enter their classrooms unannounced to observe their practice and to engage in dialogue with students. A second method was through inspections of their ‘marking’ or corrections of students’ written work.

Negative views

The participants reported working very long hours that went beyond early starts and late finishes and extended into weekends and school holidays. The feeling was that teachers’ work in England is dominated by administrative tasks that distract teachers from their teaching duties. The accountability and accountability-driven workload provoked various negative emotions and, notably, it was felt that school leaders in England were overly critical and unsupportive, which gives rise to fear and anxiety among teachers in English schools. As negative as the Irish teachers were towards the internal accountability regimes they faced, they were more critical of the external inspectorate which they recognised as being the source of their problems due to the pressure placed on schools in England. Irish teachers appear to have very strong views on the motivations of English schools, and they considered these schools to be more concerned with the needs of the organisation than the needs of the students.

Identity clash

Significantly, all participants experienced some form of identity clash or crisis. The typical perception that English schools prioritise looking good over doing good, the discourses of what it means to be a ‘good’ teacher in England, and the feeling of being constantly watched produced many struggles. Some spoke of complying, but the adoption of coping strategies whereby teachers strategically give the impression of conformity was common. Worryingly, this means that students do not receive ample attention – to reduce their workload participants spoke of feigning peer-assessments, assigning oral tasks, and providing feedback on work they had not read. A quote from one participant, a female teacher who had recently left the teaching profession but remained living in England, always stands out for me and exemplifies how many teachers lose sight of their students’ needs due to their fight for survival. This participant acknowledged the students as not being ‘the main concern anymore’, and while resenting what she had become, she justified her behaviour through her vulnerable position in an accountability-driven system:

What I went into teaching for was to be with the kids. I wanted to help them, and at the end, I know this sounds horrendous but the kids actually became an inconvenience – they were getting in the way of everything else I needed to do… At the end of the day, I was being judged as well. So I was marking the kids’ work but my work was being marked by senior leadership so I was still a student.

Indicative of how Irish teachers experience and perceive professional autonomy and accountability in England is how, despite having a clear desire to eventually return to Ireland to teach, the participants would not be willing to work as teachers in Ireland under similar conditions. While there is a need for further research in this area, for now, it appears that Irish teachers have overwhelmingly negative experiences in, and perceptions of, life inside English schools. This is not to say that teachers from England do not struggle in these high-stakes and low-trust accountability-driven environments too – many do. Still, with their previous experiences in Irish schools, teachers from Ireland are perhaps more likely to find these conditions challenging and problematic.

Craig Skerritt

Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland

Previously educated at University College Cork and University College London, Craig Skerritt is a researcher at the Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection in Dublin City University.

Craig is also the Dublin City University School of Policy and Practice Scholar, the Policy and International Programmes Manager at the Royal Irish Academy, and a member of both the British Educational Research Association and the Educational Studies Association of Ireland.

Craig’s research interests include education policy, teacher identity, student voice, and class-based inequalities in education, and he has published articles in journals such as Policy Futures in Education, Research Papers in Education, Irish Educational Studies, Improving Schools, Journal of Educational Administration and History, British Journal of Sociology of Education, International Journal of Leadership in Education, and European Educational Research Journal.

Twitter: @CraigSkerritt

References / Further Reading

Brady, J., & Wilson, E. (2020). Teacher wellbeing in England: teacher responses to school-level initiatives. Cambridge Journal of Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2020.1775789

Page, D. (2017). Conceptualising the surveillance of teachers. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 38(7), 991-1006.

Perryman, J., & Calvert, G. (2020). What motivates people to teach, and why do they leave? Accountability, performativity and teacher retention. British Journal of Educational Studies, 68(1), 3-23.

Ryan, L., & Kurdi, E. (2014). Young, highly qualified migrants: The experiences and expectations of recently arrived Irish teachers in Britain. London: Social Policy Research Centre, Middlesex University.

Skerritt, C. (2019). Discourse and teacher identity in business-like education. Policy Futures in Education, 17(2), 153-171.

Skerritt, C. (2019). Irish migrant teachers’ experiences and perceptions of autonomy and accountability in the English education system. Research Papers in Education, 34(5), 569-596.

Skerritt, C. (2019). ‘I think Irish schools need to keep doing what they’re doing’: Irish teachers’ views on school autonomy after working in English academies. Improving Schools, 22(3), 267-287.

Skinner, B., Leavey, G., & Rothi, D. (2018). Managerialism and teacher professional identity: Impact on well-being among teachers in the UK. Educational Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2018.1556205

5 Tips to Help You Plan an Online Conference

by Dr Enda Donlon | ESAI

In September 2020, the Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) held its 44th annual conference. Unique on this occasion is the fact that this was the association’s first time to host this event online, necessitated of course by the current COVID-19 situation at both national and international levels. The conference ran across three days and consisted of over 120 live papers structured into nine rounds of 43 parallel sessions, with over 235 registered delegates. We asked Dr Enda Donlon of the organising committee to share his reflections on some of the decisions taken around the planning and organisation of this event.

System

The technical considerations around what systems and platforms to use are key in the hosting of any online event. In our case, we opted to use the Zoom web-conferencing service for our virtual conference. We took this decision on the assumption that it would likely be a system with higher levels of familiarity among our delegates, either through professional use within their educational institutions or through personal use for conversing with family and friends during lockdown times.

Zoom offers two main options for online events such as ours: Zoom Meetings and Zoom Webinars. While the Webinar format has proven popular for a number of online conference events, we opted for the Zoom Meeting option for several reasons. Most prominently, our desire to make our conference as social and interactive as possible for all attendees.

The user hierarchy for Zoom Meetings (host, co-host, participant) is ‘flatter’ than that used for Zoom Webinar (host, co-host, panellist, attendee). Zoom Meetings allows all delegates to turn on/off their camera and microphone as they wish and to engage in a group chat with all present. In addition, Zoom Meetings is the ‘personal’ version of Zoom, so we assumed this would be the version that most attendees would know best.

Support

One of our highest priorities during the run-up to this event was that all delegates felt supported and prepared to participate in this first-of-its-kind event for our association and for members. We designed a number of user guides (one for delegates, one for presenters, and one for session chairs) and included links to several ‘how to’ videos and tutorials. These guides were shared with delegates in the weeks running up to the event to give them plenty of time to review them.

We also offered a short ‘Zoom consultation’ to presenters. They could book a timeslot within an allocated timeframe to join a short Zoom meeting (hosted by a member of our conference committee) to test their connection, check their camera and microphone, and share their screen to display slides. This gave them the confidence that they were ready to participate in our online event.

The final decision was around how we would offer technical support to delegates during the conference itself. Our logic was that if delegates were experiencing problems with our main system (Zoom), then the last thing they would want is to have to engage with another system for technical support. We opted for a simple email address that delegates used to contact us with any problems they were experiencing. A small team from the conference committee continuously monitored this email address and responded to all enquiries immediately. The simplicity of this approach worked well during the conference days and we were able to resolve all technical difficulties very quickly.

Security

Moving any face-to-face gathering to an online format brings with it a whole new level of consideration around issues of security. Our chosen platform for this event had its fair share of negative publicity around this since the beginning of the pandemic, with issues of ‘Zoombombing‘ having occurred for other online conference events. Conscious of the need to balance these critical security concerns with ease of movement into and within our conference online locations for all registered delegates, we put in place a number of simple but effective precautions.

First, a special version of the conference timetable (called the Delegate Timetable) was emailed directly to all delegates the day before the conference began and was not made available publicly. This Delegate Timetable contained all of the relevant links to the conference sessions. In contrast, the public version of the timetable that was available on the conference website for several weeks before the event did not.

Second, we applied a single conference password to all Zoom meetings in use for the event, and included this in the email sent to delegates the day before the conference began (again, not publicly available). Finally, we asked for delegates cooperation in not sharing the Zoom links or password any further to maintain the security and integrity of our online event. It is encouraging to note that we did not have any uninvited guests or intrusive incidents during our online conference event.

Structure

Across the three conference days, our event made use of almost 50 individual Zoom meetings. It was crucial that delegates were able to navigate the virtual venue with ease and could locate the various ‘Zoom rooms’ quickly. We solved this issue with the use of a structured timetable which showed the key details at a glance: session title and chair, the constituent papers and their authors, and the relevant Zoom link (see sample above). This timetable allowed delegates to easily move between sessions if they wished to do so and to quickly find the ‘room’ they wanted to go to next.

Simple

My final observation is one that philosophically underpinned the whole organisation of the event: keep it as simple as possible.

The majority of delegates really want to participate in these new online formats for conference events, so make it as easy as possible for them to do so in terms of registration, navigation, participation, and support. At the time of writing it is evident that the global COVID-19 pandemic will necessitate the online hosting of many conference events in the immediate future, with several high-profile and large conferences for 2021 already having committed to this format. I hope that these brief reflections from our event might prove helpful in informing discussions and decisions for those who may be organising their own virtual conference for the first time.

Dr Enda Donlon

School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University

Dr Enda Donlon is a lecturer in the school of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University. He is a former president (2018-2020) and vice-president (2016-2018) of the Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI), and has served on the national executive of the Computers in Education Society of Ireland (CESI) from 2008-2019. Enda is the APF (Area of Professional Focus) leader for Digital Learning on the Doctor of Education Programme at DCU. He tweets at @donenda.