Session Information
02 SES 08 B, Teachers & Trainers IV: Training
Paper Session
Contribution
Dealing with future challenges and the associated demands in social professions also requires a change in educational training and learning scenarios. One of these challenges can be seen in the international discourse concerning education that has focused on the topic of diversity and inclusion during the last years. According to UNESCO this implies the enabling of education, social participation and equal opportunities for every child and adult. These requirements need to be realized by early childhood educators. As a result, the vocational training of early childhood educators needs to undergo adequate adaptations.
Early childhood institutions play an important role when it comes to fulfill the demands of inclusive pedagogy and education. “The inclusion of children with special needs into regular educational settings is a worldwide trend” (Lai Mui Lee et al. 2015). Consequently, it is necessary that early childhood educators have the competences to work professionally with each child. One important aspect when it comes to being proficient in this field is reflecting on situations: children’s actions as well as one’s behavior. Hence it is relevant to prepare them to adapt to new situations and circumstances. In this regard, the task of school-based vocational training is to provide students with specific skills and competences, such as (self-)reflection and (self-)evaluation as well as acting flexible and spontaneous. Inquiry-based learning attempts to support gaining those skills.
The theoretical framework refers to the approach of “reflexive inclusion” (Budde/Hummrich 2015; Dannenbeck/Dorrance 2009). When it comes to self-reflection in terms of inclusion it is important to perceive differences and their inherent social disadvantages. Additionally, this perspective includes the reflection of power relations in terms of institutions, theoretical knowledge and one’s behaviour (Butler 2006). Consequently, in a first step it is relevant, that “teacher education programs must help teachers examine und reflect on their own cultural assumptions, attitudes, paradigms, values, beliefs, practice und prejudices” (Banks 2002 in Berthelsen 2011). The central question is related to the didactic (re)design of vocational training of early childhood educators with regard to inclusive pedagogical practice. It aims at a) the modification of the didactic principle of inquiry-based learning and b) and the investigation of successful learning activities as part of inquiry-based learning for inclusive professional practice.
In line with John Dewey (2011) and Johannes Wildt (2005) the didactic principle of inquiry-based learning is the alignment of the learning phases with the phases of the research process. In this context, inquiry-based learning is implemented at a vocational school where the students deal with the topic of inclusion in cooperation with teachers, early childhood educators and scientists. This design is targeted at teaching students how to work in a (self-) reflective manner, be able to react to changes and to look at each person individually. Thus, research-based learning aims at conveying personal and social skills for the future professional occupation (Tremp 2018).
Inquiry-based learning implies the aspect of withstanding uncertainties and finding questions as well as ways to explore these unknown aspects. Research is based on a specific attitude which includes curiosity as well as the motivation to understand and present meanings in a planned way (Messner 2009). Going through this process, students acquire key competences, e.g. learn to work independently as well as with others, structure learning processes and to reflect on processes, ideas and theories (Fichten 2010). All these aspects support the acquisition of a professional pedagogical attitude and enable students to reflect on different levels. As a result, theoretical, institutional and personal structures can be critically evaluated. Dannenberg and Dorrance (2009) view reflection on these levels as part of the process to establish inclusive pedagogy.
Method
The research, based on the project “Gelingen!”, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), aims at developing the vocational training of early childhood educa-tors with a view to inclusive pedagogical activities. The approach used within the project Gelingen! is design-based research (van den Akker 2006; Cobb et al 2003). Design-based research intends to relate research and practice within a collaborative, iterative as well as systematic process. The research’s methodological approach refers to cycles of design, implementation, analysis and re-design (Reinmann 2005). Squire (2002) summarizes the variations of design-based research as follows: “a series of approaches, with the intent of producing new theories, artefacts, and practices that account for and potentially impact learning and teaching in naturalistic settings”. Even though design-based research can focus on different perspectives, this project focuses on the development of didactical concepts within a realistic setting (vgl. Prediger 2012; Einsiedler 2011). A participatory research style and basic understanding is linked to this with different research strategies and methods (Bergold/Thomas 2012). Hence it is highly relevant to include partners within the research project to link theoretical as well as practical goals. Concerning our project, the collaborative work with vocational training and pedagogical practice (kindergarten) is fundamental. With the goal of modifying, adapting and implementing the didactic concept of inquiry-based learning, interviews as well as group discussions are conducted. Moreover, written questionnaires and observations are taken into consideration to constantly evaluate the process. The interviews are conducted with all participants (early childhood educators, teachers and students) to guarantee a multi perspective view on the process. Thus, modifi-cations depend on all actors of the process. A content analysis of the interviews and group discussions is performed according to Kuckartz (2016).
Expected Outcomes
Research is aware of the uncertainty of future developments. Therefore, this project wants to support vocational education to adapt to future challenges. In our view it is necessary that research about school includes perspectives of all actors to develop a realistic approach. When it comes to education of early childhood educators, not only teachers and students need to be taken into consideration; moreover it is relevant to include professionals from the kindergarten into this research. Within this process, a new didactical concept can be im-plemented, critically reflected and further developed. Dealing with inclusion theoretically, empirically and practically oriented, students will be prepared to act in a constantly developing world where people differ in terms of behaviour, cultural background, religiosity, language, bodily abilities or various more aspects. Inquiry-based learning aims at educating students to think critically and develop new processes.
References
Bergold, Jarg & Thomas, Stefan (2012). Partizipative Forschungsmethoden: Ein methodischer Ansatz in Bewegung [110 Absätze]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 13(1), Art. 30, http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1201302. Berthelsen, Donna/ Karuppiah, Nirmala (2011): Multicultural education: The understandings of preschool teachers in Singapore. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 36(4), 38-42 Budde, Jürgen & Merle Hummrich (2015): Intersektionalität und reflexive Inklusion. In (Hrsg.): Sonderpädagogische Förderung heute. 60/2015. S. 165-175. Butler, Judith (2006): Haß spricht: Zur Politik des Performativen. Frankfurt am Main: Suhr-kamp Cobb, Paul/Confrey, Jere/diSessa, Andrea, Lehrer, Richard/Schauble, Leona (2003): Design Experiments in Educational Research. Educational Researcher, 32(1), S. 9-13. Dannenbeck, Clemens & Carmen Dorrance (2009): Inklusion als Perspektive (sozi-al)pädagogischen Handelns – eine Kritik der Entpolitisierung des Inklusionsgedankens. In (Hrsg.) Zeitschrift für Inklusion. 02/2009. Dewey, J. (1916/2011). Demokratie und Erziehung. Eine Einleitung in die philosophische Ethik. Herausgegeben von Jürgen Oelkers. 5. Auflage. Weinheim und Basel: Beltz. Einsiedler, Wolfang (2010): Didaktische Entwicklungsforschung als Transferförderung ZfE erziehungswiss (2010) 13:59–81 Fichten, Wolfgang (2010): Forschendes Lernen in der Lehrerbildung. In U. Eberhardt (Hrsg.), Neue Impulse in der Hochschuldidaktik. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. (S. 127–182). Kuckartz, Udo (2016): Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Methoden, Praxis, Computerunterstützung. Weinheim, Beltz Juventa. Lai Mui Lee, Frances/Seeshing Yeung, Alexander/Tracy, Danielle/Barker, Katrina (2015): Inclusion with special needs in early education: What Teacher Characteristics Matter. In: Topics in early education special education. 35(2), S. 79-88. Messner, Rudolf (2009): Forschendes Lernen aus pädagogischer Sicht. In (Hrsg.): Messner, Rudolf. Schule forscht. Ansätze und Methoden zum forschenden Lernen. Hamburg, edition Körber-Stiftung. S. 15-30. Prediger, Susanne/Link, Michael/Hinz, Renate/Hußmann, Stephan/Thiele, Jörg/Ralle, Bernd (2012): LehrLernprozesse initiieren und erforschen – Fachdidaktische Entwicklungsforschung im Dortmunder Modell. In: MNU 65(8), 452–457. Reinmann, Gabi (2005). Innovation ohne Forschung? Ein Plädoyer für den Design-Based Re-search-Ansatz in der Lehr-Lernforschung. Unterrichtswissenschaft, 33(1), S. 52-69. Tremp, Peter (2018): Berufsbezug dank forschendem Lernen? Zur Attraktivität einer hoch-schuldidaktischen Losung. In (Hrsg.): Fischer, Martin/H.-Hugo Kremer/Julia Gillen und Ines Langemeyer: Was berufliche und akademische Bildung trennt und verbindet. Entgrenzungen an der Schnittstelle von Berufsschule, Betrieb, Hochschule und Universität. Berufs- und Wirt-schaftspädagogik online. (34) http://www.bwpat.de/ausgabe34/tremp_bwpat34.pdf Van den Akker, Jan/Gravemeijer, Koeno/McKenney, Susan/Nieveen, Nienke (Hrsg., 2006): Educational Design Research. London: Routledge
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