Education

Progress

Digital Simulations: effects on self-efficacy and learning transfer

This study examines how design features in learning environments based on digital simulation regulate efficacy and learning transfer. The results indicate that high levels of user control, as well as feedback after the performance simulation, resulted in higher estimates of self-efficacy and knowledge transfer.

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Progress

Argumentation in a Science Class and its Teaching

The challenge of promoting argumentation in a science class requires teachers to engage in critical reflection processes. In this research, we show how a participatory process of critical reflection on argumentation and its teaching with teachers changes their epistemic, didactic and conceptual conceptions on this competence as well as the structure and quality of their arguments.

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In depth

Improving schools through more professional management

A doctoral thesis read at the UAB, falls into one of the classic areas of organization: management as a key to the improvement of schools. This work seeks a better understanding of professional development within educational management practice, so as to attract and empower managers who can improve this practice, the organization itself, and the whole educational system.

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Thesis

Teachers training, to examination

This doctoral thesis, based on the reality of the Chilean situation and on the state of private education without government subsidies, is aimed to analyze the faculty ongoing training focused on schools. The main objective is to examine the theoretical basis and the feasibility of training in educational establishments with the interest and aim of improving qualitatively the teachers training courses.

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11/2012 -

Innovation in Geography teaching

"Los profesores de Geografía, la innovación de la Enseñanza y su profesionalización: El lugar de los materiales curriculares", Viviana Zenobi's thesis, read at the Department of Language and Literature education, and Social Sciences education at the UAB, pretends a better understanding of the role of certain teaching materials used in geography in the development of innovative curricula in this area. In addition, this thesis also attempts to help management agencies in the decision making on the production of these materials, improving teacher's training and encouraging this innovation.

References

Doctoral Thesis: "Los profesores de Geografía, la innovación de la enseñanza y su profesionalización: el lugar de los materiales curriculares" Viviana Zenobi, supervised by Joan Pagès Blanch.

In the 90’s decade, in Argentine, there were different changes and educative reforms in all the jurisdictions. These reforms had different characteristics. These curricular changes were supported by the editorials and the policy with educative materials production.

In Autonomous city of Buenos Aires (CABA), the members of the Curricula Direction in Geography team to Middle level created four different materials, which integrate the collection of “Contributions to teaching. Middle level. Geography” between 2005 and 2008. These are: “Environmental problems in different scales”, “Relations between the States: the case of pulp mill in Fray Bentos”, “Old and new concepts in the study of rural spaces” and “Technological innovations in agricultural production”. These materials were produced from a professional development point of view because we wanted: (1) to have a good dialog with and between teachers about which is the meaning of teaching geography nowadays, in our schools and with real students, (2) to promote the collaborative work between the innovations process teachers do in their classes and the ones which have been designed by educational management scope.

This educational research had a interpretative and critical approach and it’s based on the contributions done by the biographical-narrative approach. In this research, we had some questions but also some assumptions we wanted to assess. The main questions we had were:

-    Which are the criteria Geography teachers use in order to select materials to plan and develop their classes?
-    Which kinds of teaching practices do they do guided by these materials?
-    Which are the changes that these educational materials produce in their mentality and their teaching practices?
-    Can we consider that this process –collaborative work to develop educational materials- contribute to teachers education and professional development?

Educational materials by themselves are not enough in order to promote innovative geography teaching practices and so, a device was organized –an internal seminar- which was created as a socialization and reflection space with the purpose of improve professional development.

The research objectives are:

-    Analyse the criteria teachers use when they choose educational materials which has been created outside the school.
-    Know and interpret the kind of teaching practices done by teachers in order to put in practice the materials.
-    Understand and analyse how the materials and the professional development device contribute to the didactic decisions teachers assume.
-    Assess the professional development device and the meetings.
-    Analyse and assess how these new materials and the teacher education device influence geography teachers professional development.

In summary, this research wants to contribute to deepen in the knowledge we have about the relationship between educational materials production and teachers professional development, the mechanisms that educational management organizations should take in order to create and spread educational materials, and the development of device in order to improve professional development.

Viviana Zenobi

Department of Language and Literature Education and Social Science Education

vivianazenobi@uolsinectis.com.ar

2024 Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

B.11870-2012 ISSN: 2014-6388