ERC Workshops

Making and Connecting: LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and Teacher Education

Organised and presented by:
ML White ( University of Edinburgh, Scotland )

Presented by:
Anna Beck (University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland)
Ainat Guberman (The MOFET Institute, Tel Avivi, The David Yellin Academic College of Education, Jerusalem, Israel)
Susann Hofbauer (Helmut-Schmidt-Universität, Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany)
Itxaso Tellado (University of Vic/Universitat Central de Catalunya, Vic, Spain)

Teacher education is an important field for research, since the quality of teacher education has been regularly questioned by governments across Europe, whilst teacher quality is increasingly seen as crucial to improving educational outcomes and pupil achievement (OECD, 2011; European Commission, 2015). Although it might look ’deceptively simple’ (Grossman et al, 2009), the work of teacher educators is complex and multiple (Boyd and White, 2017), and we are not just teachers of teachers (Lunenberg et al., 2017).

This workshop will begin with a short presentation from each of the convenors outling their current research practcies  before we move on to make connections using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, a facilitated methodology that uses brick-building and metaphoric storytelling as a form of communication and problem-solving.  In Making is Connecting Guantlett (2018) argues that through making things people engage with the world and create connections with each other. The aim of the workshop is to offer an opportunity for those interested in teacher education to engage with the themes of the network and create networking opportunities for doctoral students, emerging and early career researchers and those interested in learning more.   In this workshop you will learn about the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®  method and how it can be used in a wide range of learning, teaching and research contexts as well as explore possibilities for connection and collaboration in teacher education.

Multiliteracies and Language Assessment in Linguistically Diverse Contexts

Organised and presented by:
Irina Usanova (University of Hamburg, Germany)

The workshop will engage emerging researchers into the discussion on the issues of language assessment in linguistically diverse contexts. It aims to focus on both relevant dimensions of language assessment: the dimension of instruments’ development and the dimension of data analysis. The purpose is, therefore, to introduce and critically discuss the challenges of developing new instruments for simultaneous assessment of multiple languages, the reliability of newly developed instruments, and the comparability of tests across different languages. It will also address the relevant aspects of integrating language assessment into the research design.

The growing linguistic diversity in most European regions is reflected in the heterogeneity of students’ language repertoires and language proficiencies (Gogolin & Duarte, 2017). The individual repertoires may embrace a bright spectrum of languages, including but not limited to the majority language, heritage language, and foreign languages learned at school. Language proficiency in the languages from a person’s repertoire may vary between the languages from receptive comprehension skills only to elaborated literacy skills (Schalley et al., 2016). As linguistic diversity affects classrooms across Europe, and as language has been identified as key to educational success, it is imperative that researchers in the field communicate and collaborate.

The workshop will introduce examples of instruments to assess language competencies as applied in studies within the EERA Network on Language and Education (NW31). The first part of the workshop will provide a general overview of the existing language assessment practices within the network from different national contexts. The participants will get insights into the variety of instruments to measure language skills in multiple languages. The second part will focus on the language assessment based on the experience gained in the German panel study “Multilingual Development: A Longitudinal Perspective (MEZ).” At first, a general introduction to the project will be provided to discuss the integration of language assessment into the research design. After that, the selected instruments applied in this project to assess language competencies will be presented. It will be shown which language competencies are assessed in the majority, heritage, and foreign languages and how instruments were adapted to assess language competencies in the heritage languages Russian and Turkish as well in the foreign languages English, French, and Russian. General principles in the adaption of instruments and challenges will be pointed out. The selected instruments include writing prompts developed for the assessment of productive written language skills and a c-test as a measure of general language proficiency.

Organised and presented by
Prof Shosh Leshem,  Ph.D.                                                                                         
Kibbutzim College of Education, Israel and Research Associate, Stellenbosch University,South Africa

Prof Emeritus Vernon Trafford,  Ph.D.
Anglia Ruskin University, UK and Research  Associate, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Evidence suggests that candidates in many countries are unclear of the criteria that examiners use to judge the scholarly merit of their submitted thesis/dissertation.  This affects the way in which they write their thesis/dissertation, prepare to defend it and defend it.

This workshop is informed by research that we have undertaken in this area.  Data from doctoral defences provide insights on the type of questions that examiners ask, the relative importance of those questions and the significance of categories of questions.  These data provide frameworks of questions and issues that candidates can use to guide and shape the planning and drafting of their thesis/dissertation.  In this way, candidates can align their doctoral study, personal scholarship and writing to accord with the summative expectations of their examiners.

The workshop will draw on our extensive research into the nature of doctorateness, numerous publications, international workshops for candidates and doctoral supervisors plus our experience as supervisors and examiners.  In this workshop participants will discuss issues from their own theses and identify critical issues that examiners look for when they assess a doctoral thesis.  Our data provide frameworks of questions and issues that candidates can use to guide and shape the planning and drafting of their thesis/dissertation.  In this way, they can align their doctoral study, personal scholarship and writing to meet the summative expectations of their examiners.

This session will contain three parts:

• Theoretical:  presentation on the predictable ~ types of ~ questions asked by examiners of candidates in doctoral defense / vivas;
• Practical:  small group activity relating examiners’ questions to how theses/dissertations are ‘being drafted’ by participants;

• Putting it together:  a feedback plenary to identify how anticipating likely questions and possible answers can be used to improve the scholarly quality of submitted theses/dissertations.

Organised and presented by
Paolo Landri  , EERJ Editor
CNR-IRPPS (Fisciano), Italy  

Dr Sotiria Grek, EERJ Editor
University of Edinburgh, UK

This session will discuss the purposes of research publications and its audiences, the process of journal selection, manuscript preparation and the issue of (blind) review procedures. The session will also include information about good practice in Open Access policy publishing and advice about the new problem of fake journals and how to avoid them.

Part of the session will be about the European Educational Research Journal (EERJ) as a medium for publishing about the changing landscapes of educational research across Europe and how to 'write' for a European audience.

Organised and presented by
Kate Jones
Vitae, Senior Manager, Learning and Professional Development

Professional Development Planning is ‘A structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development.’

As a researcher you are already committed to enquiry through your research. Professional development extends this process to your own skills, understanding, aptitudes and ambitions. Development as a professional involves more than building your research profile and research skills. Broader professional development is becoming increasingly significant as employers look for researchers who can ‘add value’ to their organisations. Competition for posts and use of short-term contracts mean that researchers, along with other professionals, have to be flexible and adaptable about what they can do.

Focusing on professional development can help researchers to:

• Get the most from their current role or studies
• Understand their strengths and areas for development as researchers
• Create a stronger profile for applications, whether for funding, promotion, or a new post

This 2.5-hour workshop will offer a space for reflection on these topics as well as practical and engaging activities for career and professional development strategies including an introduction to the Vitae Researcher Development Framework .

Aims

• Encourage and equip researchers to critically reflect on their experiences and allocate time to their future career goals.
• Examine concepts around Personal / Professional Development Planning, specifically taking ownership over and influencing positively their career development and looking at specific ways of addressing potential career barriers.
• Understand the skills and attributes of successful researchers, including introduction to the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF).
• Reflect on issues related to early stage career and professional development.

Expected outcomes

• Emerging researchers will deepen their understanding of issues and opportunities linked to professional networking, also reflecting on their own approaches and experiences.
• Engaging with strategic activities, emerging researchers will reinforce their confidence in establishing networks among peers and with established academics across a European and global network.
• The workshop will support emerging researchers who might struggle to network spontaneously offering a ‘safe space’ of collaboration.

Organised and presented by
Victoria Showunmi, Lecturer in Education
UCL IOE (UCL Institute of Education)

Andrea Abbas, Professor of the Sociology of Higher Education
University of Bath, UK

Carol Taylor, Professor of Higher Education and Gender
University of Bath, UK

Background

Over many years feminist and gender researchers have sought to challenge dominant knowledge production processes (Hooks 1989; Abu-Lughud Soziologin 1991; Kandiyoti 2002; Narayan 1993; Skeggs 1997; Smith 2012;). Critical feminist research, in particular, has had a long-standing goal of challenging the essentialism, power hierarchies, and concepts of difference embedded in the research process.  Feminists who take intersectional approaches to their research aim to develop theoretical lenses and methodological approaches that integrate an understanding of the complexities of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, social class and other inequalities into the process of research and knowledge generation.  They also put gender at the heart of their analysis.

The Gender and Education Network invites Early Career Researchers to engage in a two-part workshop. The first part will engage participants in career focused conversations regarding how gender and other aspects of diversity have/have-not impinged on their research career and research foci. This reflexive approach will enable us to explore the biases embedded in research and academic careers. The second part will focus on analysis of some data pertaining to academic careers that will help illustrate a critical feminist and intersectional approach to data analysis.  

This workshop aims to (i) provide an opportunity to share our own intersectional journeys as gender based researchers (ii) utilise critical and methodological perspectives (iii) build peer-networks for mutual learning and future collaboration.

Content and Structure

The session will begin with a brief Introduction to Gender and Education Network as a space to create professional networks, support structures and academic communities. 

The workshop will focus on analysing academic careers using a gendered lens. This will facilitate participation as all that is needed is some experience of studying or working in an academic context.

Pre-session Discussion Questions.

In order for you to get the best from the discussion and workshop it would be helpful if you could do some pre-session thinking about your research journey before attending the discussion and workshop.

Suggested Format

Discussion - We will begin the session by illustrating a reflexive approach to our own careers by having critical conversations have influenced our experiences and engagement with academia.  We will be asking you to identify one or two aspects of your own career that have been shaped by intersecting gender inequalities.  Victoria Showunmi, Andrea Abbas and Carol Taylor will each introduce two or three career defining moments that have been shaped by intersecting inequalities and will show how it has shaped an aspect of their career or their academic work. 

Workshop – Inthe workshop, groups of participants will be given some data relating to academic careers and will be guided through an exercise which support an intersectional analysis.  (Using biographical material on academic careers provided by Andrea, visual data provided by Carol and ethnographic data provided by Victoria.