Session Information
01 SES 14 C, Learning Approaches: Problem-based and Project-based
Paper session
Contribution
This study is an exploratory study that looks at teachers’ experiences of using the history resource pack through Project Based Learning. The study was done in the framework of an experimental project carried out with 30 public school history teachers in Armenia. The teachers were all female, with almost equal representation from all regions in Armenia.
In 2021, the Paradigma Educational Foundation started an initiative of developing resources to help teachers teach under-explored sections of Armenian history, including gender-sensitive topics and women’s role in Armenian history, through the lens of active historical thinking (Metzger and Harris, 2018; Seixas 2015). To that end, the foundation developed an innovative history-teaching resource pack called “History #5”. Therefore, this paper reports the finding of the study done to explore the practices of teachers with the resource pack in developing active historical thinking skills and multiperspectivity, as well as discussing gender-sensitive topics. The project was run in collaboration with UNICEF Armenia and the National Center for Education Development and Innovation.
The aim of the study was to explore teachers’ experiences of teaching with the resource pack through PBL and their practices of dealing with gender-sensitive topics. The study also aimed at identifying the affordances and constraints of the resource pack for further improvement.
The “History#5” resource pack is a history-teaching resource based on the theories of active historical thinking and multiperspectivity. Active historical thinking as a theory developed at the end of the 1970s in the UK, USA, Canada, and Germany (Metzger and Harris, 2018) and has been internationally spread through the work of Peter Seixas (Seixas, 2015). Active historical thinking theory holds that history teaching and learning should aim at helping students: Establish historical significance; Use primary source evidence; Identify continuity and change; Analyze cause and consequence; Take historical perspectives; and Understand the ethical dimension of historical interpretations.
Multiperspectivity is based on the constructivist approaches of the Nouvelle Histoire movement. It assumes that “we too have a perspective which has been filtered through our own cultural context, reflects our own standpoint and interpretation of what has happened and why, our own view of what is and is not relevant, and may also reflect other prejudices and biases” (Stradling, 2003, p.14).
In the course of the project teachers used the resource pack through project-based learning, as it helps students develop key knowledge and skills (Larmer et. al, 2015). Moreover, using PBL is required by the new national curriculum. Within history teaching, that means the development of active historical thinking concepts and multiperspectivity, as well as encouraging student-centered experiential learning (Kolb, 2015), and a facilitator role for the teacher through scaffolding (first introduced by Wood, Bruner and Ross, 1976).
Therefore, studying this new resource pack through PBL aims at contributing to the knowledge base of history teaching and provides implications for policymakers, history educators, teachers, and the organizations working in the field. Moreover, it seeks to contribute to an understanding of the teachers’ motivation for using the resource pack, challenges and opportunities associated with the pack, its sensitive topics, and PBL. Thus, to achieve this aim this study employs a qualitative methodology and sets out to answer the following research questions:
What were the experiences of teachers doing project-based learning through the use of the “History#5” resource pack and the project-based learning guide developed to assist project implementation?
What were the experiences of teachers while discussing the gender-sensitive topics of the “History #5” resource pack and questions arising during the project?
Method
This study employed a qualitative methodology to reach desired outcomes which is influenced by research questions (Crotty, 1998). As a research strategy it was broadly interpretivist (Bryman, 2012). It was an exploratory study as the use of the resource pack through PBL and gender sensitive topics was a completely new context for teachers thus firstly there was a need to explore the experiences and perspective of teachers. 30 teachers participated in the project. The teachers were invited by the “Paradigma” Educational Foundation: of the initially invited 60 teachers, who had previously participated in history education projects with the foundation, 30 replied and joined the project. To fully answer the research questions the data was generated from the three surveys that included both qualitative and quantitative questions and semi-structured interviews. The questions were directed toward revealing the teachers’ experiences thus most of them were qualitative in nature. The surveys were sent to all participants and had a response rate of around 70% in average. The first survey was conducted in the beginning of the project asking about teachers' expectations around project-based learning, and their assumptions of how gender-sensitive the topics are. The second survey was done in the middle of the projects and was asking teachers to reflect on their experiences so far, the roles they and their students have within that, and the dynamics of their roles. The third survey was conducted at the of the project and included questions about the usefulness of project-based learning in developing historical thinking concepts and discussion gender-sensitive topics, the main difficulties of the project, and what their perception of their students’ experiences were. The semi-structured interviews were conducted following Kvale’s approach which allowed flexibility depending on participants’ responses (Kvale, 2007, Charmaz, 2014). Interviews were reflective in nature and revealed participating teachers' experiences and perspectives. To choose the interview participants, a question was added in the second survey that asked for voluntary participation in an interview. Of the 14 teachers who consented to go through an interview, 5 were chosen through purposive sampling (Babbie, 2007). For the purpose of gaining detailed reflections the teachers who provided more details and content-rich data in the survey were purposely selected and invited to participate in the semi-structured interview. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed using name tags to ensure anonymity.
Expected Outcomes
Two datasets (surveys and interviews) responses were read and re-read to identify patterns and themes, and to develop a set of codes. The qualitative data from the surveys were analysed thematically. 32 codes were generated which were categorised within 3 broad themes such as i) Positive aspects of the project, ii) Challenges of the project and iii) Opportunities for improvement. The coding of interview data revealed ten focused codes which were categorised within four themes, which are: i) Satisfaction from the resource pack and PBL, ii) the challenges of using the resource pack and the PBL, iii) sensitive topics and stereotypes, and iv) need for continuous learning. The results of this study indicate that the teachers have had positive experiences using resource pack through PBL. Although teachers explicitly mention the challenges they faced during the project, that did not hinder them from having a positively unique learning experience from the project. The data analysis shows that the main difficulties noted by the teachers are based on a lack of experience of working with the methods and topics used in the project: for example, difficulties around finding the required material, language of resources (Western Armenian vs Eastern Armenian), research skills were lacking. They also noted difficulties of working with primary historical resources, grouping of students, planning and facilitating project-based learning effectively. As for the second research question on sensitive topics, the data revealed that teachers avoided engaging and/or guiding the discussions on gender sensitive topics, mostly because of lack of relevant knowledge and skills. The research findings highlight that the participants are willing to work with the resource pack and PBL in general however taking into account the workload it requires they find it difficult and require more opportunities for future learning, development and practice.
References
Babbi, E. (2007). The Basics of Social Research, 4th Edition. Wadsworth Publishing. Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis. SAGE. London. Crotty, M. (1998). The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process. Sage Publications. Kolb, D.A. (2015) Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. 2nd Edition, Pearson Education, Inc. Kvale, S. (2007). Conducting an interview. In Qualitative Research kit: Doing interviews (pp. 52-66). SAGE Publications Ltd doi: 10.4135/9781849208963.n5 Larmer, J., Mergendoller, J.R. and Boss, S. (2015). Setting the standard for Project Based Learning: A proven approach to rigorous classroom instruction. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Metzger, S.A. and Harris, L.M. (2018). Introduction. In The Wiley International Handbook of History Teaching and Learning (eds S.A. Metzger and L.M. Harris). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119100812.ch0 Seixas, P. (2017). A Model of Historical Thinking, Educational Philosophy and Theory, 49:6, 593-605, DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2015.1101363 Stradling, R. (2003). Multiperspectivity in history teaching: a guide for teachers. Council of Europe. Germany. Tompson, K.J. and Beak, J. (2007). The Leadership Book Enhancing the Theory-Practice Connection Through Project-Based Learning. Journal of Management Education 31(2):278-291 Wood, D., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines, 17(2), 89–100.
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