Step 1: Briefly define your audiences
A local audience for my inquiry is the other teachers at my school. My inquiry focuses around gamification, and how much this improves children's motivation towards and performance in maths. Gamification, and particularly electronic methods of tracking and monitoring it are quite new for a lot of the teachers at my school.
In terms of national/international policies or trends, the paper titled “Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching: A New Zealand perspective”(Bolstad, Gilbert, McDowall, Bull, Boyd & Hipkins, 2012) has given me a lot to think about. In particular, the emerging trend they identify "Changing the script: Rethinking learners' and teachers' roles" seems to fit well with my inquiry. The authors state that modern teaching practices need to "think about how learners and teachers would work together in a “knowledge-building” learning environment. A broad aim of my study was to help children take more responsibility for their own learning, to think about and track what they needed to do to improve.
Step 2: Analyse the audiences’ perspectives
I believe that the local audience for my inquiry (the teachers at my school) are still quite sceptical towards the concept of gamification. While they may use it as a behaviour modification/reward system in class, as a tool for shaping attitudes towards maths a lot of the older members of staff would not consider it. Roger's (1962) seminal work "The Diffusion of Innovations" identified 5 segments that the bell curve of a population adopting a new innovation could be split into. Many of the teachers in my school are definitely at the tail end of this bell curve, the so-called 'late majority' or 'laggards'.
In regards to the national/international trend identified above, this is an area that I do need to work on, in terms of my own practice. By giving children a space to show their strengths, the authors state that "this can open space for both learners and teachers to see what learners are capable of" (Bolstad et al, 2012, p39). In reflecting on my own practice, I can sometimes be guilty of operating under a deficit model particularly with regards to maths. I often find myself trying to fill gaps in their learning, rather than facilitating the children's work so they are able to show me what they can do.
A local audience for my inquiry is the other teachers at my school. My inquiry focuses around gamification, and how much this improves children's motivation towards and performance in maths. Gamification, and particularly electronic methods of tracking and monitoring it are quite new for a lot of the teachers at my school.
In terms of national/international policies or trends, the paper titled “Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching: A New Zealand perspective”(Bolstad, Gilbert, McDowall, Bull, Boyd & Hipkins, 2012) has given me a lot to think about. In particular, the emerging trend they identify "Changing the script: Rethinking learners' and teachers' roles" seems to fit well with my inquiry. The authors state that modern teaching practices need to "think about how learners and teachers would work together in a “knowledge-building” learning environment. A broad aim of my study was to help children take more responsibility for their own learning, to think about and track what they needed to do to improve.
Step 2: Analyse the audiences’ perspectives
I believe that the local audience for my inquiry (the teachers at my school) are still quite sceptical towards the concept of gamification. While they may use it as a behaviour modification/reward system in class, as a tool for shaping attitudes towards maths a lot of the older members of staff would not consider it. Roger's (1962) seminal work "The Diffusion of Innovations" identified 5 segments that the bell curve of a population adopting a new innovation could be split into. Many of the teachers in my school are definitely at the tail end of this bell curve, the so-called 'late majority' or 'laggards'.
In regards to the national/international trend identified above, this is an area that I do need to work on, in terms of my own practice. By giving children a space to show their strengths, the authors state that "this can open space for both learners and teachers to see what learners are capable of" (Bolstad et al, 2012, p39). In reflecting on my own practice, I can sometimes be guilty of operating under a deficit model particularly with regards to maths. I often find myself trying to fill gaps in their learning, rather than facilitating the children's work so they are able to show me what they can do.
This model of collaborative knowledge building is one that we often use as an inquiry model. In terms of broader pedagogical trends, particularly in primary schools, it seems to me that our aim should be to carry this model of co-constructed learning we use as part of our inquiry process into all subject areas. Hopefully, by starting with my maths programme, I can improve my own overall pedagogy.
Step 3: Discuss how you are addressing the context of different audiences (local, national and/or international) and their perspectives while you are taking action.
In terms of my local audience (the other teachers at my school), my highest priority will be to demonstrate for them the utility of what I am doing in terms of gamification and maths outcomes. As Rogers (1962) states, in order to convince the late majority, it is important to loudly state the benefits and work to reduce the cost associated with the innovation. In the case of gamification and maths lessons, I need to show them that it definitely works, and will be simple and hassle-free to run.
In terms of my local audience (the other teachers at my school), my highest priority will be to demonstrate for them the utility of what I am doing in terms of gamification and maths outcomes. As Rogers (1962) states, in order to convince the late majority, it is important to loudly state the benefits and work to reduce the cost associated with the innovation. In the case of gamification and maths lessons, I need to show them that it definitely works, and will be simple and hassle-free to run.
With regards to the international trend of "Rethinking learners' and teachers' roles" (Bolstad et al, 2012), this study has been a very good way to highlight possible deficiencies in my own practice and highlight areas for future development. Daggert (2014) stated that when it comes to improving education, "culture trumps strategy". In other words, deciding to change should come before knowing how to change. Taking action in this way for the course has shown me the necessity of rethinking my own and my learners roles to prepare them for 21st-century workplaces. This study will hopefully be the start of a clasroom environment that supports collaborative knowledge building.
References
References
Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012). Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching — a New Zealand perspective. Report prepared for the Ministry of Education. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306
Daggett, B. (2014). Addressing current and future challenges in education. Retrieved from http://www.leadered.com/pdf/2014MSC_AddressingCurrentandFutureChallenges.pdf
Daggett, B. (2014). Addressing current and future challenges in education. Retrieved from http://www.leadered.com/pdf/2014MSC_AddressingCurrentandFutureChallenges.pdf
Rogers, E. (1962). Diffusion of Innovations . Free Press of Glencoe.
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