School of Education

Seminars 2009

Assessment and Learning Research Cluster: Seminar 2: Advancing literacy in teacher education in a cross-curricular context.

Friday 13th November 2009 - School of Education, 0G.005, 20 College Green.

Critical literacy and scientific literacy are deemed to be desirable outcomes of education in an information-rich and media-dominated society. There is a growing recognition of the need for formal science education to have a more embedded approach to science in the media and to be proactive in preparing young people to engage with the science they meet beyond the classroom. Concurrent with this are the ongoing efforts to raise literacy standards. At school level, critical literacy aims to encourage young people to question texts and to recognize that words can be loaded and that language conveys a range of meanings.  Furthermore compartmentalisation of subjects is perceived to be undesirable and greater integration across disciplines is now desirable. There is a consequent emphasis on cross-curricular links and on interdisciplinary cooperation.  This seminar will consider research that focuses on the need for trainee teachers to be prepared to address these challenges. It will explore how well they are prepared to do so and how their knowledge and skills could be enhanced.

November 11th 2009 - 11.00 - 16.00 hrs
Cathcart and C2K rooms at 69 University Street.

The focus of this local programme will be on development activities relating to various aspects of being a researcher – including for example, seminar presentations, methods training, research design, writing papers etc.

The underlying model of the programme will be a form of ‘social practices’ approach involving interaction and collaboration, active participation in research activities, knowledge exchange and sharing of experiences. Other participants may, on occasion, include students and early career researchers from across the social sciences in Queen’s and the other Northern Ireland institutions: University of Ulster, St Mary’s and Stranmillis.

The first meeting, which we hope everyone will try to attend, will have the following schedule:

We very much hope you will be able to join us. Please let Stewart McKibbin know on s.mckibbin@qub.ac.uk before November 9^th.

Monday 19^th October 2009 - 12.30pm-2.00pm, Great Hall, Queen’s University Belfast

"The school starting age – too much too soon for four year olds?"

Keynote speakers:

• Sue Palmer - Writer, broadcaster and consultant. Author of Toxic Childhood and 21^st Century Boys
• Professor Peter Tymms - Director, Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, School of Education, Durham University

Contributing speakers

• Mark Langhammer, Director, ATL Northern Ireland
• Dr Liz Fawcett, Parent

Seminar Report:

In Northern Ireland children start school at an earlier age than all other European regions. The seminar on School Staring Age, sponsored by the school of Education and ARK, brought together academics and practitioner representatives to discuss the issue in an open forum. Speaker Sue Palmer, author of ‘Toxic Childhood’, argued that starting formal education too early can be detrimental to a child’s social and academic development. Professor Peter Tymms, Director of the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, School of Education, Durham University, drew on research evidence to argue that there is no optimum starting age in terms of a child’s academic development and achievement, though he posed questions as to the nature of curriculum in early years and the suitability of methods for delivery in the classroom. Mark Langhammer, NI Director of the Education Union ALT, considered the issue from a practitioner perspective and with reference to a survey of Union members, argued that the key issue in Northern Ireland relates less to the age at which children start school than to the nature of provision they receive. According to him, the emphasis on academic testing at primary level, particularly with respect to the transfer procedure, creates a downward pressure that has forced teachers and other practitioners to introduce formal learning and teaching styles too early. The presentations provoked a lively question and answer session amongst invited attendees who were from the policy, practitioner and academic communities.

Northern Ireland is the only country in Europe where children are required to start formal education at primary level at the age of four. In her latest book, 21^st Century Boys, the renowned author and broadcaster, Sue Palmer, argues that four is too young for children to commence formal education. Professor Peter Tymms, on the other hand, headed a recent study on the issue which concluded that there was no evidence of an optimum age for starting school. Our keynote speakers will join two local experts to discuss this highly controversial issue. The debate will then be opened up to a question and answer session with the audience.

Friday 23^rd October 2009 - 1.00pm - 2.00pm -  Room G6 School of Education, 69/71 University Street

School of Education & Stranmillis University College - Lunchtime Research Seminar

“Schools fit for Children? Student voice, rights and social justice”

 Audrey Osler, University of Leeds & Institute of Education Hong Kong

In this presentation, Audrey Osler will report on a large scale study of young people in an English Midlands city, which set out to explore their perceptions of schooling. Audrey will critically examine the current interest among researchers and education professionals in ‘student voice’ and question why some social justice concerns come to the fore, whereas others relating, for example, to freedom of religion and diversity, are neglected, even at a time when they are prominent in political and media discourse. The presentation is designed to provoke debate on children’s rights and on the potential of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to serve as a tool for analysis in education and social justice research.

Dr Audrey Osler is Visiting Professor at the University of Leeds and at the Institute of Education, Hong Kong. She is founding director of the Centre for Citizenship and Human Rights Education at Leeds and before that was Chair in Education at the University of Leicester and lecturer at the University of Birmingham. She has published 20 books, including Changing Citizenship; democracy and inclusion in education (Open University Press, 2005 with Hugh Starkey) which has been translated in Japanese and Chinese and the TES award winning Girls and Exclusion (RoutledgeFalmer, 2003 with Kerry Vincent). Her latest book Students’ Perspectives on Schooling will be published Open University Press in 2010.  

A.H.Osler@leeds.ac.uk  http://leeds.academia.edu/AudreyOsler

Please feel free to circulate this notice to anyone you think might be interested in attending.

Thursday 1 October 2009

Centre for Effective Education 2009/10

Professor Gary Ritter, University of Arkansas

Seminar: “Do Volunteer Tutoring Programs Enhance Academic Performance for Tutees? A Systematic Review”

Time and Venue: 13:00 - 14:00 (sandwich lunch at 12:30), Thursday 1 October 2009, G13 (Cathcart Room), School of Education

This meta-analysis assesses the effectiveness of volunteer tutoring programs for improving the ?academic skills of students enrolled in public schools Grades K-8 in the United States and ?further investigates for whom and under what conditions tutoring can be effective.  The authors ?found 21 studies (with 28 different study cohorts in those studies) reporting on randomized field ?trials to guide them in assessing the effectiveness of volunteer tutoring programs.  Overall, the ?authors found volunteer tutoring has a positive effect on student achievement.  With respect to ?particular subskills, students who work with volunteer tutors are likely to earn higher scores on ?assessments related to letters and words, oral fluency, and writing as compared to their peers ?who are not tutored. ?

Wednesday 30 September 2009

Centre for Effective Education 2009/10

Professor Gary Ritter, University of Arkansas

Methods Workshop: “Doing Randomized Controlled Trials without the Control: Conducting Random Assignment Studies in a Social Context"

Time and Venue: 11:00 - 15:30, Wednesday 30 September2009, G13 (Cathcart Room), School of Education

In this workshop, we will discuss the challenges, possibilities, and ultimately the importance of conducting random assignment in social (and particularly educational) contexts.  The workshop will be organized roughly around the following questions:

• What exactly is a Randomized Field Trial (RFT) and how is it different from an RCT?
• What types of questions can RFTs help us address?
• In the absence of RFTs, what are policymakers and others using as evidence?
• How can such evidence lead them/us astray?
• What are the common arguments against doing RFTs?
• Why should we continue to do RFTs anyway?
• What are the logistical issues than can undermine RFTs?
• What are some lessons from the field in successfully conducting RFTs

The workshop will conclude with a presentation of the results of an actual RFT conducted in 2006-08 with more than 4,000 school children in the US on the impact of technology in the classroom.

Friday 2nd October 2009

Assessment and Learning Cluster: Seminar 1 2009/10

Professor Jannette Elwood, School of Education, Queen’s University Belfast

"Ethical issues in large-scale assessment: implications for equality and practice"

Venue: Room G6, 69/71 University Street. Seminar begins at 1.00pm

This seminar will provide an opportunity to spend some time discussing and exploring the notion of ethics in assessment practice.  The seminar will consider (i) ideas around ethical practice in assessment and ethical assessment and testing practice as well as (ii) the social impact of policy changes to assessment and testing systems and whether the changes advocated place learners at risk and commit national and/or local assessment systems to unstable arrangements where change does not attain the benefit first envisaged.  The seminar will consider present local arrangements in relation to transfer at 11 as a case study in which to review the ethical dimensions of assessment practice, how these fit within considerations of valid assessment and notions of equity and whether the aims of the proposed assessment practices continue to neglect ethical responsibility (or not!).

Friday 26^th June 2009

Dr Laura Gilliam, Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark

"Muslim children in Danish schools: integration, discrimination and opposition between children in a peaceful society. A case for comparison with Northern Ireland?"

Venue: Room G6, 69/71 University Street. Sandwiches and coffee served from 12.30pm in Room G6a. Seminar to begin at 1.00pm.

Friday 22^nd May 2009

Professor Sue Jackson, Birkbeck, University of London

“Setting a research agenda - education, community, gender and social class”.

Venue: G6, 69-71 University Street. Sandwiches and coffee served from 12.30pm. Seminar to begin at 1.00pm.

Friday 15^th May 2009

Professor Lynn Froggett, University of Central Lancashire

“Arts-based learning in marginalised groups: insights from research and practice”.

Venue: Postgraduate Research Centre, 18 College Green. Sandwiches and coffee served from 12.30pm. Seminar to begin at 1.00pm.

Friday 6^th March 2009

  Dr Alan McCully, School of Education, University of Ulster

 ‘What role for history teaching in the transition out of conflict?’

  Venue: Room G6, School of Education. Sandwiches and coffee served from 12.30pm in Room G6a. Seminar to begin at 1.00pm.

Friday 27^th February 2009

Professor Vivienne Baumfield, Faculty of Education, University of Glasgow

"Pedagogy as theory in School-University Partnerships: opportunities and challenges"

Venue: Lecture Theatre 5, Main Building, Stranmillis University College . Sandwiches and coffee served from 12.30pm. Seminar to begin at 1.00pm

Friday 20^th February 2009

Professor Moshe Tatar & Dr Zvi Bekerman, Hebrew University, Jerusalem

"Reframing Organizational Views of Diversity” & “Identity vs. Peace: Identity Wins Peace"

Venue: Room 01/037, 6 College Park ( School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work). Sandwiches and coffee served from 12.30pm. Seminar to begin at 1.00pm.

Friday 30^th January 2009

Kathy Maclachlan, Department of Adult and Continuing Education, University of Glasgow

'Leading, Inspiring and Delivering? The Rhetoric and Reality of Adult, Literacy & Numeracy Policy and Practice in Scotland.'

 Venue: Cathcart Room (G13), School of Education. Sandwiches and coffee served from 12.30pm in Room G6a. Seminar to begin at 1.00pm.

Friday 6^th February 2009

Professor Ian Menter, University of Glasgow

'Building research capacity - the experience of Education in the University of Glasgow'

Venue: Lecture Theatre 5, Main Building, Stranmillis University College. Sandwiches and coffee served from 12.30pm. Seminar to begin at 1.00pm.

Monday 14th December 2009 - 1pm – 2pm, Cathcart Room (G13), School of Education, 69/71 University Street.

“Using technology to create a framework for ‘teaching through assessment’ in pre-service teacher education”

Dr Susan Edwards, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

The concept of ‘teaching through assessment’ represents the work I have undertaken when working with pre-service teachers over the last six years. During this time, I have been interested in examining how technology can be used as a framework for creating assessed tasks that allow pre-service teachers to develop an understanding of the dialectical relationship between theory and practice. In this paper the concept of ‘teaching through assessment is theorised using ideas drawn from cultural-historical theory. This includes an examination of the relationship between learning activity and the development of reflection as a central psychological function which supports pre-service teachers to think about the theory/practice relationship. Examples of assessed tasks are presented to illustrate how technology can be used to create a framework which allows the concept of ‘teaching through assessment’ to be realised.

Susan has taught in early childhood settings and in Higher Education in Australia. Her research interests include examining how teachers perceive different dimensions of the early childhood curriculum, including their understandings of development, learning and play from a cultural historical perspective. Susan is interested in examining how these dimensions of curriculum relate to teacher pedagogy and professional learning in early childhood education. Additional areas of research interest include the role of ICTs in early learning and higher education. Susan has won national and university awards for teaching excellence for the development of innovative approaches to teacher education and online learning which inspire and motivate student learning.

Doing your Doctoral Studies in Education: Questions, Challenges and Opportunities will take place in UCD on 8&9 May

The Conference, which is  supported by SCoTENS and ESAI and organised by research students, will include a range of papers from students enrolled in institutions throughout the island of Ireland. The keynote address will be delivered by Professor Peter Mortimore and is entitled:

The challenge of educational research: changing times; changing issues

Programme and List of Abstracts

Please contact doctoralconf09@googlemail.com for further information

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