Critical Reflection on Professional Practitioner Inquiry

Looking back at Module 2 there has been a lot of reflecting on my current   to day practice. I have been observing classes I already teach and inquiring how to make them better aswell as asking myself questions as to why I do certain things.

I started by thinking that I wanted my inquiry to be about the relevance of Drama in our education but looking closer and more specifically at my work, and what I do, I have decided to investigate the topic of ‘boundaries’. Boundaries are a universal topic and apply to many practices not just drama teaching.

We started by developing lines for our professional enquiry, looking at practitioners around us, asking them questions and creating S.I.G groups. We then developed our questions and decided on an award title, these exercises taught me that your opinion and own experience only tell you so much on a topic. It is surprising to see how views change depending on circumstance. Gaining as many views as possible gives you a much clearer insight and therefore encourages you to research further using literature, the press and the internet.

I have learnt that it’s hard to be unbiased as we are passionate about our chosen subjects, and in pursuing research I have to word my questions carefully in order to not ask leading questions.

We then moved on to looking at ethics, focusing on ethics in the workplace and what the codes of practice are. After reading the task reader I looked at my own professionalism and tried to see what improvements I could make. I also had to ensure that I was ethical when conducting the enquiry by not making people feel they had to take part and always respecting their view. Reading about Ethics taught me a lot about how ‘teachers’ are perceived and we have a job that holds a lot of responsibility. We must respect that and keep the students trust. A safe learning environment is of the upmost importance. I also saw ethics change from school to school and compared ethics in a Saturday school to a secondary school. I observed how rules differ and priorities change, as does my role as a teacher.

I then moved on to looking at the tools we could use for our professional enquiry. They were; Survey, interview, focus group and observation. I conducted pilots of each and then decided which tool was best for my line of inquiry. I reflected on which was the most truthful and less biased method, who’s voice was heard and which technique used less time to gain the most information and opinions. I decided as a teacher researching teaching techniques to run a focus group with other teachers, hand out a survey to parents and observe students in class. My pilot observations taught me lots about my inquiry and I could improve certain techniques used in teaching, which I will carry forward to Module 3. 

In summary during this module I spent a lot of time gaining information from others. I looked at different methods of inquiry and tried to perfect the art of writing questions in an ethical, unbiased way. In reflection I feel the research I conducted generated a broad but very honest view on boundaries and why they are set in schools.

Inquiry Proposal Module 2

Proposed titles:

·      Should the type of syllabus effect boundaries set in class?

·      Are boundaries in place for students or teachers needs?

·      Times are constantly changing-should school syllabus’ reflect this?

·      Should school syllabus change depending on environment, and likewise boundaries?

Context of inquiry:

Important , education is the future.

Benefits, students, teachers, parents, society.

Inquiry questions/objectives:

·      Gain better understanding into productive classes/sessions.

·      Improve learning/productivity in class

·      Ensure all students get a fair chance

·      Treat all students the same and ensure they are being heard.

·      Create a new way of learning

·      Develop new skills in students and teachers.

6D

My delicious link:

https://delicious.com/nina_standen

6C.

www.nasponline.org/.../Effective_School_Discipline

This so far has been my most favored piece of writing on my inqury, it discusses both development and the safety of the students in class, it challenges current habits of teachers and practices that have gone stale. 

"too often, schools fail to understand that maintaining safety, including the correction of misbehavior, is a prerequisite for developing self-discipline, but it is not sufficient." This quote from the website sums up what I am researching.

Beyond the Boundaries
Douglas Kaufman
Published 2003

" Perhaps the notion of educational reform that we propose in this book is best characterised by shifting the emphasis away from teaching and toward learning. The benefits of this shift are readily apparent to the teacher in terms of both increased student motivation and relevance."

This book although at times hard to digest with its style of writing has some inspirational ideas and revolutionary views on teaching that have inspired me in my daily practice.

www.telegraph.co.uk › Education

"David Cameron wants better discipline in schools"

I am very happy that the subject of my inquiry in in the press, it shows that i am not the only person doubting the techniques and styles that our schools are run. David Cameron is opposed too "half-arsed discipline, sloppy standards and babyishly easy subjects” as quoted in the telegraph. I have to say I agree, not because I think teachers are lazy and not doing a good job but because things need updating and more respect needs to be given to teachers.

6b.

Gathering Data using different approaches to hear different voices:

Aswell as using the tools of Survey, Focus Group, Interview and Observation I will also look at the press, blogs and books to help with my inquiry.

I will now look at the positives and negatives of the following tools and whose voice is mainly heard.

Survey

Positive: You tend to get a general view, it is anonymous, people are able to participate when they are able to rather than be rushed, and you could get a high quantity of response. You should get precise answers to your questions.

Negative: You need a skill in question making, you could ask the wrong questions there is a danger it could be designed for a desired response.

Interview

Positive: It has depth, is one on one, you can ask open questions, it is an authentic process, you gain the attention of who you are asking questions too, there is less chance of misunderstanding.

Negative: It could be hard to find the time, it s time consuming, it could be bias, relies a lot on the technical skill of the questioner, person being interviewed may just say what you want to hear.

Focus Group

Positive: Could be more comfortable for some than one on one, can lead the discussion very specific, good if you can get a group of people with knowledge on the subject and are interested. Insight may be able to shape the analysis

Negative: You may get off track, could be peer group pressure, manipulated easily, could be practical difficulties getting a group together.

Observation

Positive: Researcher can’t get involved it is more organic, more opportunity to assess, researching an actual situation/live event of practice not secondary information.

Negative: You are a quiet spectator, might not be authentic or reliable according to different times etc.

Voices heard

Focus group: Participants

Interview: Participant hopefully but it is your responsibility to conduct the interview in the right way.

Survey: Participants (set in context of questions)

Observation: Researcher.

Pilot Focus Group and Survey.

Student Focus Group

My Plan is to hold a focus group straight afer a class or session and for the focus group of students to reflect on it. This way memories are fresh and the students should give an insight into what they think could be improved and what went really well. They will also be able to comment if things would have been better if the boundaries of the class were adjusted. They could also suggest ways of improving future lessons.

Pilot Survey

The following are a set of test questions I would like to ask in my survey i have kept them broad so hopefully everyone can join in not just thoses who work in education.

1. Did you have peers at school who disrupted class?
2. Do you wish you were made moe responsible at school to gain independance skills?
3. At 16 did you go into higher education or employment?
4. How would you rate your social skills at 16?
5. Was it a big jump going from education to employment for you?
6. Do yu feel the syllabus you studied at school needs updating? If so which subject?
7. Did you teacher encourage discussion/debates?
8. Were you encouraged to explain your opinions?
9. Were you ever afraid or embarresed to say you opinion?
10. Were you ever afraid to ask for help?

Pilot Interview Questions:

I am going to ask the principal of my Saturday the following questions for my inquiry:

1. Do you encourage silence in your classes
2. Do you see any links between behaviour and skills.
3. Do the childrens mood refect their behaviour.
4. Can your classes change the childrens mood? Do you have an example of this?
5. Does your mood effect the boundaries you set in class?
6. Which style of classs do you prefer settled or unsettled?
7. Does your syllabus effect the boundaries you set? 
8. Would you change the atmosphere to gain the most out of a class?

Pilot observation Ideas

I am planning to observe two classes I teach in both a main stream secondary school and also Saturday school. 

First of all I will compare the two in terms of behaviour and engagement. I will then run two classes in each, one with more boundaries and one with relaxed boundaries and critically reflect the outcomes.

All lessons will have the same lesson plans in order to get a reflection as true as possible, I will look at productivity, behaviour, ideas and motivation

5D How can I be ethical?

The above spider diagrams show who is effected during my enquiries.

How to be Ethical?

Teacher- Appreciete they are busy and being generous with their time and allow them to be anonomous if feeding back using a survey. If feeding back using a focus group make sure you hear their individual voices and acknowledge their experiences. Don't be bias and understand non-engagement in all forms of feedback.

Students- Must ensure the students realise they wont be punished if they don't take part and dont engage. Make all students aware that no opinion is the wrong answer. Surveys may be more responsive if anonomous. Give the students an "other comments" box. Don't judge and welcome all feedback and comments.

Parents- Be patient and understanding. Don't patronise, respect what they are saying even though education may not be their profession. Try to keep emotion and personal experiences seperate and encourage parents to see outside the box and have a more general approach.

5C Do I do what I have learnt?

"Practitioners may have the right to devote their own time and effort into research, but they do not have the right to demand the cooperation of other"- Reader 5

Looking at other Blogs it seems that most of us seem to have used Ethics in our everyday life withoout realising that we were, naturally our human nature tells us whats acceptable and whats not.

After looking at the reader on Ethics I am going to seperate Ethics into 3 subheadings:

Organisational:

I work for Schools so I am lucky in that I always tend to agree with the organisational Ethos. I am querying the reasoning behind boundaries in schools, their relevance and how strict the boundaries should be set. I will delve deeper into this in my professional enquiry.

I would struggle to work for a company if my personal ethics did not match but luckily due to my chosen profession of teaching this lessons the chance.

Professional:

My professonal ethics are somewhere in between the two, I like to bring my own personality, standards, organisational skills and ideas into the workplace, aswell as compassion and empathy. I will always uphold the organisational ethics when im teaching as systems are set in place inschools for a good reason and the childrens health and safety is the most important thing.

Personal:

My personal ethics are combined from many sources, life experiences, parents, siblings, travelling, school, work and life experiences. I always apply my ethics to any situation professional or personal. 

Who better to learn ethics from?...... His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama: Ethics for Our Time

You may want to skip this video to 10.00minuites in to avoid the introductions.

5b Ethics in the Workplace.

Ethics: Ethos=Character

Ethics in the workplace vary from company to company, it is important to acknowledge the ethics especially when working with children. I work in two very different establishments; a Saturday schools which main aim in fun, confidence boosting and performance. I also work as a cover supervisor within schools where boundaries are firmer and there is more emphasis on academics, good behavior and syllabus.

Saturday Schools Ethics:

·      To enable the student the space to explore their inner talent

·      Each student to reach their full potential

·      Make friends and improve social skills and build confidence

·      Have fun!

·      Learn Technical skills in Dance, Drama and Singing

·      Give the students the tools they need if they want to make a career in performing

·      Encourage drive and commitment.

Rules of Schools Ethics:

1.     Be environmentally aware

2.     Get to know schools ethics and respect them

3.     Be aware of how you conduct yourself

4.     Be aware of government policies for education

5.     Keep personal Ethics separate from Professional (in a school especially, hugging children etc)

6.     Conduct health and Safety

 . Integrity

Question….

What do you do if your personal ethos is different from employers? Any comments on this would help, thank you. 

Ethics explanation.

Professional ethics

Professional people and those working in acknowledged professions exercise specialist knowledge and skill. How the use of this knowledge should be governed when providing a service to the public can be considered a moral issue and is termed professional ethics.They must complete their job according to the moral values.

I have copied and pasted the above from Wikipedia, I thought it was a good summary of professional ethics.

Ethical websites...

The following I found of some interest to teachers especially...


www.ethicsineducation.com

www.gradsch.psu.edu/facstaff/tethics.html

www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us/aae-code-of-ethics

5a Professional Ethics.

Professional ethics apply hugely in my workplace, as I’m a teacher. I work in after school clubs, Saturday and secondary schools. Although the feel and structure f these schools are very different the ethics remain the same.

The children’s safety is of the upmost importance and must remain in the forefront of the teachers mind at all times. There are many codes of practice in place to help and guide us in this.

There are certain situations where personnel VS professional ethics steps in. For example if a young child is upset and poorly, we must never pick up or hug the children, this is sometimes a hard battle as personal instincts (maternal) kick in but we must remain professional and use other practices to calm/soothe the distressed child. 

4D Award titles for my proposed inquiry.

Looking back at my questions and reflections during task 4 I now come to the point of choosing my award title.

I want to investigate the opinion that Drama at secondary isn’t for everyone; I believe thus far that Drama at secondary level can implement confidence, language skills and social skills that are relevant in any industry, profession and social situation.

By choosing the correct syllabus and by grading students as schools do in Maths, English etc we can identify the students who need more communication skills. Which students are not spatially aware or understand the signals their body language.

Students can also learn how to conduct themselves properly and lean vital talking and listening skills as well skills to help them improvise, be spontaneous and calm their nerves.

My suggested award title’s are:

BAHons Drama in Education

BAHons Communication skills through Drama

I’m a little stuck for ideas so will look into this further but any ideas would be much appreciated.

4C Looking over my questions.

"Professional enquiry is a way to learn about what you are doing while you are doing it" Reader Page 4.
Looking back at my questions they were all very aimed at my idea of a proposal which was "Should every student take Drama at secondary level". I now realise that question is quite vague and i need to channel into something more specific like an age group, ability or technique.

Im going back and looking at what I do on a daily basis. "The professional enquiry that you will be doing wil relate more to your workplace" Reader Page 4.

I will still continue to ask my original set of questions at this time as i believe they will lead me towards my next set of questions.

SIG's

Here are some Drama Teacher assosiation websites that I found interesting and helpful, there was a range of experience, ideas and debates.
www.nationaldrama.co.uk

www.dramateachers.co.uk
www.londondrama.org
www.dramaresource.com
www.thevirtualdramastudio.co.uk/vds6.htm
www.natd.eu

4B Calling all Drama Teachers!!

Im looking to create my online SIG!! 

I already have a Special intrest group in my peers and work colleagues but i'd like to broaden my group to people online who have the same ambitions, questions, answers and experiences to share!
email me on ninalou@live.co.uk or comment....

Arts on the move.....

The following was a post on Artsonthemove website i thought it was interesting to my enquiry:

Although drama is still not a discrete subject in many secondary schools, its inclusion within the 'Speaking and Listening' strand of the English National Curriculum has ensured that its profile and placement within the secondary sector is much stronger.

Under 'speaking and listening' it is clearly stated that pupils should be taught 'knowledge, skills and understanding' through drama activities, and that these should include:

• Improvisation and working in role;
• Devising, scripting and performing in plays;
• Discussing and reviewing their own and others' performances.

Elsewhere, there is specific reference in 'reading' to pupils tackling plays, and it is expected that two plays by Shakespeare must be studied (one by the end of Key Stage 3) as well as 'drama by major playwrights' (a recommended list is provided).

Within 'writing' it is expected that pupils will produce play scripts and screenplays and, of course, analysis or review of dramatic productions. However, it is important to bear in mind that drama retains its own pedagogy outside the English curriculum. How pupils are taught to use physical gesture, convey relationships on stage through position, speed of movement, use of lighting, forms of staging, and so on, are all areas that deserve attention and development. (www.teachernet.gov.uk)

My Enquiry... Why?

Speaking to Paula recently she asked me to think of the reasons why I wanted to ask questions on the topic of Drama teaching.

I have taught Drama for period of time and am looking to improve me skills and tis seems the ideal tool to do it. I also know there are mixed opinions about Arts in education.

In Reader 4 Martyn Denscombe suggests reasons for an enquiry:

• Forecast some outcome?
• criticize or evaluate something?
• Describe something?
• Develop good practice?
• Empower a particular group?

I think his points here are particlarly interesting to my topic, and will explore further.

Personal Statement

Here is a more updated personal statement that i have decided to use for my PGCE application.

I have been teaching in after school clubs and Saturday schools since I was 17 and now that I am close to finishing my degree I am ambitious to complete my PGCE to become a secondary Drama teacher.

I have been studying Drama since I was 7, performing in shows and completing my LAMDA qualifications, after gaining an A for GCSE Drama I was awarded a Scholarship at the age of 16 to Study Drama and Musical Theatre in a private college in Covent Garden called The Urdang Academy.

3 years of intense training taught me professionalism, discipline and techniques such as voice, body language, accents, script reading, improvisation, narration, mask, pantomime, classical and modern acting skills, directing and much more. I also studied writers and playwrights such as Chekov and Shakespeare.

Whilst at college I taught Drama to 5-16 year olds at Stagecoach Theatre arts, at the age of 17 this gave me great experience and I realised my love for teaching, I was able to experiment with my own syllabus and learn what the children enjoyed and helped them progress the most. It also helped me in Drama myself as at such a young age I was (and still am) learning myself. Whilst at college I also attended a part time Method Acting course that lasted 3 months.

After finishing my training with a Higher National Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre, I decided I wanted to Perform so auditioned and landed a job performing on a Cruise ship, I extended my contract and ended up performing on board two cruise ships for two years. This enabled me to travel the world and was an invaluable experience to pass on to students who I teach.

When I returned from the cruise ship I felt ready to start teaching again, I taught at a primary school part time and studied acting again at the London Actors Workshop to refresh my techniques and take part in a showcase in Camden London.

I now am the head of Drama at a growing Performing Arts Saturday school in Swanley and again am able to create my own syllabus, creating a mix of the most valuable lessons I have been taught and the experiences I have had teaching and performing. I have seen a huge improvement in my students and their confidence has grown tremendously. The students at the school take part in shows, which I direct and are also preparing for internal exams in the summer.

I now feel I am at the right stage in my career to teach full time, I am enthusiastic about Drama and eager to teach at secondary level. I am driven and keen to progress. Aswell as creating my own briefs I am confident following an agenda or syllabus. I feel my mix of technical training and performing experience aswell as my passion for Drama will motivate and encourage the students.

Teaching Experience Personal Statement

Following on from Paula i have decided to publish a short work experience personal statement as I think this will bring me back to think of what i'm doing already and what quetions I need to be asking. 

My first experience of teaching was at the age of 17 teaching Drama for Stagecoach theatre Arts in Sidcup. I taught here until I graduated in 2009 and whilst there the students took part in a production that I helped to direct.

After graduating I worked on a cruise liner, which traveled around the world on various intinerys for two years. Whilst onboard the ship I was in the production team performing in 8 shows per week. I was promoted to Company Director in my last six months and was responsible for keeping the standards of the production shows high through rehearsals and good communication skills with the cruise director and stage manager. I worked hard on morale within my production team. I enjoyed this contract but was determined to come home and get back into teaching.

When returning home I taught at a Southborough Primary school part time teaching games, this was to cover a sickness vacancy. I am mainly a performing arts teacher but agreed to take on the challenge of teaching games to increase my experience. Whilst at Southborough I taught children of ages 4-11 with a variety of ability’s and educational needs.

Whilst studying for my degree at Middlesex I have been teaching Drama and Dance in after school clubs for Jiggle Arts. Teaching children aged between 4 and 11. We teach in primary schools but at professional dance/drama school standard following a syllabus set by the owner of Jiggle. I also run the Drama department at Hollywood PA, which is a Performing Arts Saturday school. I am in charge of creating the syllabus for this, directing shows and keeping the standards high amongst the drama teachers at the school.

I have also covered sickness for various other performing arts schools throughout my training, putting an emphasis on fun and teaching the students basic techniques.

Starting my inquiry:

“Doing practitioner research will allow you to critically think about what you do so that you can make informed decisions based on evidence.” Reader 4

I have an idea for a question in my head that is close to my heart, so I am going to ask questions to peers, parents, colleagues and students to see if my question develops or alters.

The question that I am going to start my research with is “Should all students be made to study drama at secondary level”

I will ask different questions depending on the group of people.

Teachers

1.     Do you notice a change in class between the students in your classes who study drama and who don’t? Discuss.

2.     Did you study Drama at school?

3.     Do you see the links between Drama and other subjects, for example English?

4.     Do you teach anything in your subject that you think could be helped by Drama training?

5.     Do students with extracurricular activities tend to get behind in class?

6.     Would you feel a lack of confidence hinders some of your students?

7.     Do the more confident members of your classes tend to achieve more?

Students

1.     What main things do you learn in Drama?

2.     Do you wish you had more confidence?

3.     Do you find it easy to have conversations with people of all ages?

4.     Would you be interested in learning about body language and how to appear confident etc

5.     Would you be interested in learning how to behave in an interview situation and be confident?

6.     Are you shy when walking into a room of people you don’t know?

7.     Do you get nervous talking out loud in class? If yes does this hold you back?

8.     Would you like help with diction, speech and talking clearly.

9.     Would you prefer the time you spent in Drama class to be spent on other subjects?

10.  Do you think you will use any of the skills you learn in Drama in your future careers/life or do you use them now?