Teachers and other
professionals as researchers and developers of their own work
The following new research methods textbook is designed Teachers and other professionals as researchers and developers of their own work: Wheeldon, J. & Ahlberg, M. 2011 Visualizing Social Science Research: Maps, Methods, & Meaning. London: SAGE.
(ISBN: 9781412991049). (1) http://www.uk.sagepub.com/books/Book235388
(2) http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Awheeldon%20ahlberg&page=1
I am a supporter of the teacher-as-a-researcher movement.
I think that any academic person could and should make research
on his/her own work and it preconditions, in order to continually
improve it. Research is the only known self-correcting way to learn
as individuals, groups, societies, nations, and as humankind. Research
is a way to monitor quality of all processes and at the same time
a tool to create innovations continually to improve these processes.
I believe in power of design
experiments and integrating
action research in providing knowledge for continual quality
improvement. E.g. Knowledge Forum®
may be flexibly experimentally designed in order to support in the
best possible way collaborative knowledge building. I have started
in 1988 (Åhlberg 1990a and 1990b) an open-ended research project
of helping teachers to make research and develop their own work
(Åhlberg 1996 and 2002, Åhlberg & Ahoranta 2002;
Åhlberg, M. & Robinson, J. 2003; Åhlberg, Turja
& Robinson 2003 ). Several Masters' Theses (e.g. Ahoranta 1999)
and PhD Dissertations (Vienola 1995, Kankkunen 1999, Pitkänen
2001, Wilska-Pekonen 2001 and Äänismaa 2002)
have been published.
I have developed three practical and theoretically
sound new quality tools (Improved
Concept Mapping, Improved
Vee Heuristics and ARRA or Analysis of Reasoning,
Rhetorics and Argumentation ) to help teachers and other professionals
as researchers and developers of their own work.
References:
Äänismaa, P. 2002. Ympäristökasvatusta
kehittämässä kotitalousopettajien koulutuksessa.
[Researching and developing a university course in teacher education
by integrating action research and collaborative learning.] PhD
Dissertation, University of Joensuu, Publications in Education 74.
Åhlberg, M. 1990a. Kasvattajille sopivien tutkimusmenetelmien
ja -instrumenttien teoreettiset perusteet, tutkiminen ja kehittäminen
elinikäisen kasvatuksen ja oppimisen näkökulmasta:
KST-projektin tutkimussuunnitelma. Joensuun yliopisto. Kasvatustieteiden
tiedekunnan tutkimuksia n:o 31.
Åhlberg, M. 1990b . Käsitekarttatekniikka
ja muuta vastaavat graafiset tiedonesittämistekniikat opettajan
ja oppilaiden työvälineinä. [Concept maps and other
graphic knowledge representation methods as tools for teachers and
pupils.] University of Joensuu. Research Reports of the Faculty
of Education N:o 30.
Åhlberg, M. 1996. Tutkiva opettaja oman teoriansa
kehittäjänä ja testaajana. [Inquiring teachers as
developers and testers of their own theories]. In Ojanen, S. (toim.)
Tutkiva opettaja 2. Helsingin yliopiston Lahden tutkimus- ja täydennyskoulutuskeskus,
71-86.
Åhlberg, M. 2002. Translator's postscript:
Twenty years research on theory of integrating education, improved
concept maps and Vee heuristics in Finland [in Finnish]. In Novak,
J. Tiedon oppiminen luominen ja käyttö [Finnish translation
of Joseph D. Novak's (1998) Learning, creating and using knowledge].
Jyväskylä: PS-kustannus, 300 - 315.
Åhlberg, M. & Ahoranta, V. 2002. Two improved
educational theory based tools to monitor and promote quality of
geographical education and learning. International Research in Geographical
and Environmental Education 11(2), 119 - 137.
Åhlberg, M. & Robinson, J. 2003. An exploration
of Education for Sustainability in the field practice schools of
pre-service education students using tools for reflective practice.
Submitted for publication.
Åhlberg, M., Turja, L. & Robinson, J. 2003.Educational
research and development to promote sustainable development in the
city of Helsinki: Helping the accessible Helsinki Programme 2001
- 2011 to achieve its goals. Accepted to be published in International
Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development Vol. 2, N:o 2.
Ahoranta, V. 1999. Laatua parantamassa ja kestävää
kehitystä edistämässä peruskoulussa [Improving
Quality and Promoting Sustainable Development in Primary School
Level]. Master's Thesis. University of Joensuu. Savonlinna Department
of Teacher Education.
Kankkunen, M. 1999. Opittujen käsitteiden merkityksen
ymmärtäminen sekä ajattelun rakenteiden analyysi
käsitekarttamenetelmän avulla. PhD Dissertation. University
of Joensuu. Publications in Education 54.
Pitkänen, R. 2001. Lyhytkestoiset tehtävät
luokan ulkopuolisessa ympäristökasvatuksessa. PhD Dissertation.
University of Joensuu. Publications in Education 68.
Wilska-Pekonen, I. 2001. Opettajien ammatillinen
kehittyminen ympäristökasvattajina kokemuksellisen oppimisen
näkökulmasta. PhD Dissertation. University of Joensuu.
Publications in Education 65.
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