THE USE OF OBJECTIVE KNOWLEDGE GROWTH FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING PER-SERVICE TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
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THE USE OF
OBJECTIVE KNOWLEDGE GROWTH FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the project is to brief
"the use of objective knowledge growth framework (OKGF). This research
work evaluates the overview of classroom management through the use of OKGF as
a complex decision-making process rather than a simple implementation of
procedures. The framework is used in order to guide the growth of professional
knowledge among a group of pre-service teachers. The research work makes use of
the undergraduate students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU). Three
hypotheses were tested. A self designed questionnaire was used to elicit
information from educated respondents. A sample total of 50 respondents were
used for the study. The data were statistically analyzed by using chi-square at
0.05 level of significant.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In today’s
competitive world education is necessity for man after food, clothing and
shelter. Education is the solution to every problem; it is the only thing which
promotes good habits, values and awareness towards anything like terrorism,
corruption and much more. Education is the strength to a person and a need to a
person. It is the only fundamental way by which a desired change and
upliftments in society can be taken into effect. Education is the Backbone of
every ones life. Education is a rope that can carry us to greatness. It is one
of the most important things in life because without education one cannot
contribute to the world or earn money and lack of knowledge. Knowledge is
power, so where you know what you can do, you can go that mile further. The
following are required in education:
1. Research its benefits or how it will
brighten up your life.
2. Find your role models.
3. Work hard.
4. Be social.
5. Learn about the environment.
6. With knowledge you can do experience to
test flight or other things, not only it is fun and beneficial but you are
learning.
7. Find motivation.
According to
Brembeck (1966), Education can heal or kill, bind up or tear apart, lift or
deprave. Broadly defined, it is the aggregate of all the process by means of
which a person develops abilities, skills and other forces of behaviour of
positive value in the society in which he lives (Fafunwa,1982). Education is
seen as a tool used for the integration of the individual into the society so
that he/she can achieve self-realization, develop national consciousness,
promote unity and strive for social, economic, political, scientific, cultural
and technological progress (Afe, 1995). Without a good education, they will be
less likely to get a job and look after their families in the future. With
fewer people in work and more people in need of support, they will struggle to
prosper, holding their own countries back and ultimately the global economy.
High quality
education can change this, helping to transform countries for the benefit of us
all. Quality education helps citizen work together to create strong, one
institution and societies. An extra year of good schooling lifts countries
richer and in the long run, less in need of foreign aid and more able to trade.
The main priorities of education are:
i. Improving learning.
ii. Reaching more children – especially those in
fragile states.
iii. Keeping girls particularly the most
marginalized.
There is
more concentration on the primary and lower secondary education, but also,
higher education skills and early childhood education are examined. In its
general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, value,
beliefs and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to
the next. Education may include informal transmission of such information from
one human being to another. Education frequently takes place under the guidance
of others, but learners may also educate themselves (autodidactic learning).
Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or
acts may be considered educational. Education is commonly and formally divided
into stages such as pre-school, primary school, secondary school and then
college, university or apprenticeship. The science and art of how best to teach
is called pedagogy. A right education has been recognized by some governments.
At the global level, Article 13 of the United Nations 1966 international
covenant on economic, social and cultural Rights recognizes the right of
everyone to an education. Although education is compulsory in most places up to
a certain age, attendance at school often isn’t compulsory and minority of
parents chooses home schooling, sometimes with the assistance of modern
electronic educational technology (also called e-learning). Education is often
understood as means of overcoming handicaps, achieving greater equality and
acquiring wealth and status for all (sergeant, 1999). Education is also often
perceived as a place where children can develop according to their unique needs
and potentials, with the purpose of developing every individual to their full
potential.
Learning
modalities
There has been much interest in
learning modalities and styles over the last two decades. The most commonly
employed learning modalities are:
Visual:
learning based on observation and seeing what is being learned.
Auditory:
learning based on listening to instructions/information.
Kinesthetic:
learning-based on movement, e.g hands-on work and engaging in activities.
Other, commonly employed modalities include musical, interpersonal, verbal
logical and intrapersonal.
Education
plays a very vital and important role in individual’s life. For one to live a
luxurious life or for living a better life; there is a need for education.
Education transforms a person to live a better life and even in a social well
being. It does something constructive in our near feature. Education helps a
person to show their best by their mind and spirit and gives a lot of knowledge
in whatever aspects. The more you have knowledge the more you grow. According to UNESCO, More than 57 million
children around the world do not go to primary school. At least 250 million
children cannot read or count, even if they have spent four (4) years in
school. Every child has the chance to go to school but it’s not just about
getting them into the classroom. It’s also about making sure they are well
taught and that what they learn actually improves their opportunities in
life.
Types of
education
· Formal education
· Informal education
· Non formal education
Formal
education occurs in a structured environment whose explicit purpose is teaching
students. Usually formal education takes place in a school environment with
classroom of multiple students learning together with a trained teacher. Most
school system is designed around a set of values or ideals that govern all
educational choices in the system. Such choices include; curriculum, physical
classroom design, student-teacher interactions, methods and assessment, class
size, educational activities and more.
Informal
education: this is when you are not studying in a school and do not use another
particular learning method. For example, a parent teaches a child how to
prepare a meal. Teacher can also get an informal education by reading many
books from the library.
Non-formal
education includes adult basic education, adult literacy education or school
equivalency preparation. In non-formal education an adult (or a youth who is
not in school) can learn literacy, other basic skills or job skills.
Pre-service
teachers; - pre-service teachers have unique vantage points that are rarely
considered political, pedagogical and discipline-based debates (Welch, 2010).
Research suggests that pre-service teacher education often provides the first
step in professional development of teachers. It exposes pre-service teachers
to new perspectives as well as prepares them in knowledge and skills (Wilke,
2004). It equips them with knowledge of subject matter, and pedagogical content
knowledge, or knowledge of how to teach. Pre-service teachers need to know how
to organize and present the content in a way that makes it accessible for the
students. They must be able to make decision about choosing materials,
instructional approaches, and assessment. In addition, teachers must possess
general competences in the areas of classroom management and discipline. In
addition to equipping pre-services teachers in knowledge and skills, the
teacher as educator must also take into consideration the perception that the
pre-service teachers bring to and develop during their training (Pajares,
2004).
Qualities of
pre-service teachers:- An understanding of the professional and interpersonal
qualities of pre-service teacher view is useful in identifying significant
learning moment for the pre-service teachers. The interpersonal and profession
qualities needed for beginning professional teacher involves detailed
frameworks outlining professional and ethical practices. Understanding what
teacher qualities is, is most important to the pre-service teacher. Pre-service
teachers consider acknowledging the importance of their personal history, what
beliefs they have in them, put into teaching, and the role of socialization
(Clark, 2013). Pre-service teachers are “insiders” they enter preparation with
familiarities, strong images and episodes of teachers practice. Teachers
qualities can be broadly divided into three areas:-
1. Management
2. Instructional techniques.
3. Personal characteristics.
Pre-service
teacher have the qualities of reflective and inquiring practitioner who can
think critically, flexibly and creatively, become significant in the present
information economy.
Teacher
education; refers to the policy and procedures designed to equip prospective
teachers with the knowledge, attitude, behaviours and skills they require to
perform their task effectively in the classroom, school and wider community.
Ideally, it should be conceived of, and organized as a seamless continuum. Teacher
education is often divided into these stages which are below:
1. Initial teacher training/education: - A
pre-service course before entering the classroom as fully responsible teacher.
2. Induction:-The process of providing
training and support during the first few years of teaching or the first year
in a particular school.
Teacher
education and education generally is undergoing rapid development in direct
response to impose national target related to political agendas and students
outcomes. Teacher development or continuing professional development (CPD) and
in-service process for practicing teachers is needed. There is a long standing
and ongoing debate about the most appropriate term to describe these
activities. The term ‘teacher training’ which may give the impression that the
activities involves training staff to undertake relatively routine seems to be
losing ground, at least in the United State, the teacher education ( with its
connotation of preparing staff for a role as a reflective practitioner).
Generally, teacher education curricular can be broken down into four major
areas:
1. Foundation knowledge in education:-
related aspects of philosophy of education
2. Skills:- In assessing students learning,
supporting through the use of technology to improve teaching and learning, and
supporting students with special needs.
3. Content:- Area and method knowledge and
skills often include ways of teaching and assessing a specific subject.
4. Practice: Practice at classroom teaching
or at some other form of educational practice- using are supervised and
supported in some ways, though not always.
Authors
suggest that teacher education should be inclusive and take into account
multiple backgrounds and variables to allow teachers to be responsive to the
requirement of their students.
Objective
Knowledge Growth Framework (OKGF); - provides pre-service teachers with a
framework where they can conjecture a trial theory when faced with the same
problem of teaching practice and improve the trial theory by trying to refute
it, subjecting it to criticism so that they can uncover its errors and
inadequacies and in the process eliminate the errors that criticism has
uncovered. The framework is a powerful tool for carrying an entire suite of
ideas. It enables teachers to ask more penetrating questions and obtain answer
on important educational question to enrich the inquiry process. OKGF shows a
self directed reflective approach, which can contribute to the professional
development of pre-service teachers in dealing with the complexities of
teaching.
Critical
thinking
Critical
thinking is clear; it is a reasoned thinking involving critique. Its details,
vary amongst those who define it. According to Beyer (1995), critical thinking
means making clear, reasoned judgments. During the process of critical
thinking, ideas should be reasoned and well thought out/judged. The National
Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking defines critical thinking as the
intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing,
applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from,
observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to
belief and action.
According to
a definition analysis by Kompf & Bond (2001), critical thinking involves
problem solving, decision making, met cognition, rationality, rational
thinking, reasoning, knowledge, intelligence and also a moral component such as
reflective thinking. Critical thinkers therefore need to have reached a level
of maturity in their development, possess a certain attitude as well as a set
of taught skills.
Critical
thinking is significant in the learning process of application, whereby those
ideas, principles, and theories are implemented effectively as they become
relevant in learners' lives. Good teachers cultivate critical thinking (intellectually
engaged thinking) at every stage of learning, including initial learning. The key is that the teacher who fosters
critical thinking fosters effectiveness in students by asking questions that
stimulate thinking essential to the construction of knowledge. Each discipline
adapts its use of critical thinking concepts and principles (principles like in
school). The core concepts are always there, but they are embedded in
subject-specific content. For students to learn content, intellectual engagement
is crucial. All students must do their own thinking and their own construction
of knowledge. Good teachers recognize this and therefore focus on the
questions, readings, activities that stimulate the mind to take ownership of
key concepts and principles underlying the subject. These factors are the
important criterion for quality teacher education, yet psychological approaches
to teaching and teacher training are not being fully considered (Woolfolk,
2000). McBer’s (2000) research into teacher effectiveness and identified three
main factors within the teachers’ control that significantly influence pupil
progress. These factors are;
1. Teaching skills,
2. Professional characteristics and
3. Classroom climate.
Two of the factors, professional
characteristics and teaching skills, are factors that are most significant for
pre- service teachers. These are the factors that the pre-service teacher will
learn and bring to the job. The belief that teaching skills can be learnt was
supported. Recognizing that sustained behaviour will depend upon the
deep-seated nature of professional characteristics. According to McBer (2000),
effective teachers come from a diversity of backgrounds and they make the most
of their professional knowledge by consistently selecting appropriate teaching
strategies and exhibiting characteristics, which makes their teaching
effective.
Theory of
knowledge
It is
believed that knowledge provides the understanding needed for the pre-service
teachers to be able to link theory to practice in the classroom. Research by
Core, Griffiths and Ladwig (2004, 2006) recommended a greater coherence and a
firmer knowledge base for teachers. A framework for enhancing teacher
education, which requires a deep commitment to ensuring that both the teacher
education program itself and the preparation it provides for pre-service
teachers are serious about deep understanding of important concepts. A deep
understanding of important concepts is fundamental for the interactions of
teachers with students through content (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993).
Gage’s (2009) view builds on this, suggesting
that knowledge in teacher education cannot exist in isolation and proposes a
joint consideration of process and content in educational research. The lack of
recent empirical evidence has left educators without clear direction and
understandings of what knowledge and practices teacher utilize in creating and
managing socially complex learning environment (Martin, 2004) Borko and Putnam
(1996) explain that , in their studies on teaching many researchers emphasize
subject matter knowledge and many instructional aspect of teaching rather than
issues relating to classroom management, despite it being considered a
prerequisite for effective instructions, the most fundamental and difficult task for teachers to perform.
Managing a
group of students is not an easy straight forward process for teacher and
uncertainty can interfere with novice teachers capacity to apply the knowledge
and skills they have learned in their teachers education programs (Floden &
Clark,1988) the objective knowledge growth framework can play an important role in that area because it provides
pre-service teachers with a structured process that takes into account the
complexities and challenges of classroom management. The framework promotes
reflection, which can result in higher pedagogical reasoning, a greater sense
of responsibility towards students, and improved self-perception as a
possibility towards students, and improved self-perception as a problem-solver
among pre-service teachers. Practicing teachers are to develop sustainable
professional knowledge perhaps they ought to adopt a framework for pedagogical
reasoning what would allow them to uncover their inadequacies of their current
teaching theories and methods by criticizing them and showing either that the
theories have unacceptable consequences or that they do not solve the problems
that have set out to solve.
The
successive tentative theories of most of the pre-service teachers in this group
are focused on either getting the entire student to comply, or getting students
to comply fully. Joan’s response testifies the responses of other pre-service
teachers in these categories, in the response that should focus on the
students. These students love to share. They speak out, often forgetting to
raise their hands, chat with the person sitting next to them, and they also have
difficulty keeping their hands to themselves. Joan wanted to work on better
managing the transition time when student came in from outside as her initial
problem (P1). Her tentative theory was to stop and wait until the whole came in
quietly, a tentative theory (TT1) that revolves around a commonly used strategy
for gaining students attention. When she put the theory to test, she discovered
that her method was unsuccessful as it took far too long to be effective in
this situation and a great amount of time was wasted she therefore decides to
eliminate this option. Joan revised her problem (P2) which was to get student
attention without wasting time. She had incorporated the knowledge she gained
from testing her first tentative theory (TT1). The she produce a second
tentative theory (TT2), that of clapping rhythm to control the attention of the
class. Her theory did not fully address the issue of student’s attention in the
class. She decides to revise her problem to focus on student ability to sit
down and not speak out of turn (P3). Her tentative solution (TT3), Joan
introduced one of the talking feather-mimicking what she likely witnessed other
experience teachers using in other context to deal with the problem of speaking
out of turn. She found out that some student continued to waste time during
transition. (P4) she revised her problem to include getting students not talk
or waste time.
She used a
point system as an incentive to get the student to settle down quickly she
discovered that some the student were still having difficulty following the
rules of not talking and therefore discarded the theory’s effectiveness. (P5)
Joan has to create her fifth problem to that of achieving a smooth transition
from the carpet to their sit. She explained her attempt to get her student to
make smooth transition from one activity to another prove a challenge. She
added that, this is a frustrating struggle for a teacher. She was reminded of
singing during transitions. This a strategy her mentor used in the class and it
worked very well, so she was advice to make use of it. Her newly articulated
problem (P6) reviews that she was interested in directing her focus on
maintaining the interest of her student through songs. She even suggested that
she will change the song every two weeks and the strategy for maintaining her
student’s interest during transition period.
Timothy
chose to focus on successively finding ways to help his students, Nick to focus
on the task at hand (P1). He describes Nick as: a challenge to work with because he is a very
intelligent, but he lacks the attention span and the ability to work well
independently. His quality of work is at or above grade level; however he does
not have the concentration to complete most of his work on time. Given the initial
challenge (P1), his first tentative theory was to use the hidden curriculum
(TT1): that of enforcing the explicit and implicit rules of behaviour in the
classroom in order to get Nick to sit and focus on the task at hand. Timothy put his theory to test by placing
Nicks desk next to his thus separating him from the rest of the class (TT1) he
discovered that despite the segregation and tight supervision he continued to
be disruptive in his behaviour. Timothy thus, concluded that his theory was not
working as planned and that he needed to think of another solution.
Timothy new
challenge was to find alternative way of getting Nick to complete his work in
the same manner as the rest of the class.
Timothy’s theory (TT2) of modifying how the rest of the class did their
work in an effort to accommodate Nick appeared to be a good one. However it did
not completely solve Nicks problem, thus Timothy turned his attention to
finding a way of maintaining the progress achieved, that of “getting the room much quieter” while
continuing to demines the distractions. He redefined his problem to reflect a
tentative theory (TT3), many novice used, that of hidden curriculum. Then there
is a pervading but false assumption that attentiveness means that the material
being presented has been grasped by the learner and that learning has taken
place (Beynon, 2001). Timothy addressed Nicks lack of focus and motivation by
seeking the support of teacher assistant as evidence in his (P4) “How to
maintain student motivation, focus and concentration in the teachers presence?”
He framed and reframed the problematic situation in context by basing a
strategy on Nick and not on the entire class. He wanted Nick to get the
individual guidance from the teaching assistance to assist him in his work
completing (TT4). His idea was somewhat successful as Nick was working harder
and being focus. However, Nick depends too much on the assistant attention. (P5
and P6) Timothy next problem was that of attending to Nick’s immediate need in
the classroom (focusing, staying on task, etc) to finding a longer term
solution. Timothy Objective Knowledge Growth Framework includes a seventh
problem (P7) to show where he would focus his attention next. However, he did
not attempt to put his theory to test.
In my opinion,
I recommend the use of objective knowledge framework for pre-service teachers
because I see the Objective Knowledge Growth Framework (OKGF) as a tool which a
teacher can use to carry out an idea, not just an idea but an idea that will
suite a particular problem which will in turn be a method or a theory for
solving particular problem faced by a pre-service teacher. At times, not all
methods are suitable for teaching, so for a pre-service teacher to teach
effectively and efficiently he or she need to derive a new knowledge different
from the usual methods or theory in use. Objective Knowledge Growth Framework
(OKGF) can be more effective, if pre-service teachers take it upon themselves
to bring a change into the teaching profession. They should not just think that
they are into the teaching for that moment or period (especially their teaching
practice). Pre-service teachers should look at it as a lifelong dedication in
as much it is what they will do as a profession now and in the future. In
addition, Objective Knowledge Growth Framework (OKGF) provides a self directed
reflective approach i.e. shows the amount of knowledge, skills and abilities a
pre-service teachers has acquired.
Conclusively,
Objective Knowledge Growth Framework is useful in the sense that, it makes a
pre-service teacher to see the situation at hand as something to reason at and
not just the use of a method over and over again. It requires a change which
will make teaching profession dynamic and interesting. The framework gives
teachers the initiative to plan and select their own learning goals based on
the assessment of their needs.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Popper
(1963) argues that knowledge progresses throughout the process of conjecture
and refutation. Researchers has also proven that studies carried out have
little practical use to teachers and serve to perpetuate a misleading dichotomy
between theory and practice (Nielsen et al, 2008). The professional development
potential of Objective Knowledge Growth Framework (OKGF) in allowing teachers
the autonomy to identify their own problems not only provides them with
opportunities for critical thinking skill development but also allow them to
question the taken-for-granted assumptions of the world of practice and of the
nature of knowledge in use, the pre-service teachers do not agree and work on
the bodies of the background of knowledge.
To
understand a problem means to understand the difficulties, and to understand
the difficulties means to understand why it is not easily soluble, why the more
obvious solutions do not work .By criticizing the theories or solutions we find
out why they do not work that is, there is a need to re-orient themselves in
terms of rigorous thinking.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The primary objective
of this study is to examine the use of Objective Knowledge Growth Framework for
developing pre-service teachers’ professional skills. This study employs OKGF
to explore pre-service teachers critically think and reason when they are faced
with problematic situations. It seeks to understand how pre-service teachers
critically think and objectively solve their problems of practice using OKGF in
new or uncertain contexts where they have a limited amount of knowledge. Given
the vast amount of background knowledge that per-service teachers hold
regarding any problematic situation, there is no doubt that the number of
possible constraints will be large. This means that pre-service teachers must
find ways of framing the problems-solutions so that much of the background
information does not interfere with their cognitive processing. This is where
the subjectivity-objectivity continuum comes into play. Nagel (1986) defines
the subjectivity and objectivity continuum as follows:
(1)
Pre-service teachers must solve their problems or make them more epistemically
progressive by effectively bracketing the background and focusing on one or two
aspect of the situations.
(2) Need to
agree on the bodies of background knowledge.
(3) The field
of education is beset with conflicting theories and viewpoints all of which are
based on observations or experiences,
(4) The
reasons why certain theories are right contribute little to pre-service
knowledge growth.
(5) Need to
re-orient ourselves to think in terms of rigorous attempt refute our hypotheses
instead of employing confirmation techniques.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following research question that guides the study are:
(1) How do
we ensure pre-service teachers use of Objective Knowledge Growth Framework?
(2) How do
we ensure pre-service teachers use of different classroom teaching methodology?
(3) How do
we ensure pre-service teachers to have objective interactions with the
learners?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following
hypotheses will be tested in the study;
H01: There
is no significant variety of appropriate assessment that can be used to provide
additional evidence learning.
H02: There
is no appropriate criterion-based scoring tool used to evaluate students
products and performance.
H03: There
is no criterion-based for learning activities used, the purposes of
instruction, and the needs and experiences of the students.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
Objective Knowledge Growth Framework (OKGF) allows education to gain a grounded
perspective on the issues at hand by receiving rational criticism. It preserves
what works and eliminates inadequacies. The success of the teachers in learning
about issue at hand will depend on the extent to which they can identify the
relevant explanatory hypotheses. Teachers need to be trained on how to identify
and articulate their theories to ensure that their tentative theories can be
tested adequately against empirical evidence. Since teaching is highly
sensitive to context, the tentative theories that are being tested will
comprise many hypotheses that are potentially relevant to the observed
outcomes. The study shall be relevant by describing popper’s idea that
knowledge progresses through falsification which is the central idea of popper’s
philosophy of science, and not through observations or repetitive tasks.
(1) Findings
from pre-service teachers in a compulsory course in a teacher education program
are used to illustrate how OKGF has promoted teachers critical thinking and how
such an approach has help them successful make decisions in new uncertain
contexts when faced with a limited amount of knowledge.
(2) Attempts
to help-pre-service teachers create successful trajectories for their decisions
in their teaching contexts and hence enhance the advancement of teacher
knowledge.
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