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*Hi Chris/Eric/All,* *I believe there is some value in exploring teachers’ perceptions of the impact of their practice upon students. This is partly because, as you say, they often don't fully understand the student experience and also because it helps create all kinds of opportunites for learning conversations. They may deepen or develop an understanding.* * As an illustration, we ran a ‘generative’ session with staff on reflective practice (something they teach all the time). In that session, the groups discussed the challenges they faced as reflective teachers. We looked at the help they would like and issues to do with the processes.* *We earlier ran an identical session with a group of their students. We asked those students, who were being taught by those same members of staff, about their approaches for developing reflective practice (as reflective students), reflective writing, the challenges faced, help needed etc. * *At the end of the day long intervention, we put the products of the staff session next to the products of the student’s session. The staff were amazed at how similar their views, issues and practices to do with reflection were. It gave the staff a window on the student experience of their teaching practice. It gave all concerned a comparative view of their own context relative to that of the other.* *From this example, it becomes productive and possible to ask the staff to reflect on their personal/collective experience as a base from which to better understand the student experience presented later. So, the fact that teachers don't live inside the body of the 'other' is an opportunity not a disadvantage. Each could then better see the cognitive & emotional journey etc of the other. * *In case you're interested, the staff had very similar issues but perhaps articulated in a more developed vocabulary. Despite that they were very similar in the issues raised (lack of a clear way into it, vague terms, vague models, where to start with reflective writing). Both were struggling to understand and develop their reflective practice in meaningful ways. Both were then also able to better understand the experience of the other.* *Anyone wanting a more social and participative approach to understanding group/visitor experience, just let me know. Co-authored evaluation etc is very much part of our practice and it is also useful for developing empathy within and between groups. I offer this just as a way of thinking about how people might understand the experiences of others.* Best Wishes, Nick -------------------------------------- Dr.Nicholas Bowskill, University of Derby (Education), Kedleston Road, Derby New Book: Student-Generated Induction: A Social Identity Approach <http://amzn.to/1a3rxFF> New Workshop: Nov 27th Student-Generated Induction, Hilton Hotel, York <http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/student-generated-induction-workshop-hilton-hotel-york-tickets-13961869327> Nicholas Bowskill is a former Kelvin-Smith Scholar at University of Glasgow. He is lead tutor for SEDA online workshop on Introduction to Educational Change and an online tutor (Education) at University of Derby. SharedThinking is an independent consultancy. On 19 November 2014 14:19, Jensen, Eric <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi Chris, > > It is not possible to make valid claims about learning impacts on pupils > based on data collected from teachers. > Feedback collected from teachers should focus on topics within the scope > of their direct knowledge, for example, whether a session was helpful for > satisfying curriculum needs, whether they felt it was competently > delivered, whether they felt the content was appropriate (note: they may be > wrong in this judgment), etc. > Teachers *are* in a position to provide an accurate account of externally > visible behaviours and learning that they have directly tested (extremely > unlikely they would happen to have tested a class before and after a > session though). It is particularly problematic to ask them to provide a > single description for an entire class full of individual students (e.g. > ‘the class learned a lot’) given there will of course be individual-level > variation in impacts. > > If teachers are to be asked about whether they feel an experience was > beneficial for their students, the results should be reported as the > teachers’ perceptions (e.g. ‘Teachers viewed the event positively’) not as > evidence of impact on students. > > Technology is not relevant to the basic research principle that you > cannot validly ask someone to report on the mental processes of another > person. Given that teachers do not routinely do individual interviews with > all the pupils in their class before and after informal learning > experiences, there is no plausible case for asking them to report on > pupils’ learning impacts. > > Best, > Eric > > --------------- > > Dr Eric Jensen, Fellow Higher Education Academy > > Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer), Department of Sociology, University > of Warwick > > http://warwick.academia.edu/EricJensen > > > Recent books: > > - *The Therapeutic Cloning Debate: **Global Science and Journalism in the > Public Sphere* (published April 2014) - > http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9781472403803 > > - *Culture & Social Change: Transforming Society through the Power of > Ideas* - http://www.infoagepub.com/products/Culture-and-Social-Change > > > > Upcoming Books: > > - *From Conservation Education to Public Engagement: Research, Principles > and Practice* (Cambridge University Press) > > - *Making the Most of Public Engagement Events: Research, Principles and > Practice* (Cambridge University Press) > > - *Doing Real Research* (SAGE) > > > Current project: > > - Using Social Media to Identify and Leverage Engagement (SMILE) with > Arts and Culture - > http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/academicstaff/jensen/ericjensen/smile > > > *The Department of Sociology at the University of Warwick has been > ranked 3rd in the University Guide 2015 Guardian league table and 23rd in > the QS World University Rankings 2014* > > From: Chris Chadwick <[log in to unmask]> > Reply-To: Chris Chadwick <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Wednesday, 19 November 2014 13:33 > To: "List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK." < > [log in to unmask]> > Subject: Methods of getting feedback from teachers > > Hi all > > > > Does anyone have any top tips about how to get feedback from teachers on > the impact of learning sessions on their pupils? I realise it’s a case of > “not that old chestnut again” but wondered if perhaps times have changed, > given new technology etc. > > > > Very happy to collate any responses I get and to disseminate the results > here. > > > > Chris > > > > Christine Chadwick Consultancy Ltd > > www.christinechadwick.co.uk > > T 0161 929 9079 > > M 07939 123529 > > Company Number 6199131 > > > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner > for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about > joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list > website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list > owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about > joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list > website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +