Gent, September 2007
Liliana Voicu
Improving the quality of trainers’ work through self-reflection on values and roles
Why values and roles
Work of trainers and teachers - repetitive and structured in the daily routine
Axiological dimension of this work - deeply embedded in behavioural patterns and cultural background --> more difficult to reveal its effects in subsequent messages - nevertheless
powerful
Values and roles dimension
The teacher is considered to be the learning tutor/consultant. In this quality area for reflection it is presumed that teachers and trainers can improve their training and class quality if they change their self-conception (Values) and their different ways of acting (Roles).
The reflection of Values and Roles yields findings which can be used for answering the key question:
What kind of self-conception and acting supports the What kind of self-conception and acting supports the teaching and training quality?teaching and training quality?
Please state what are the most important reasons that led you choose teaching instead of any other profession.
How did you become a teacher/trainer?
Since you are practicing this job, have you thought of changing profession? If yes, why?
Question - individual
Which of the following values do you consider to be represented by your institution? Equal Opportunity A Just Society Excellence Democracy Participation Professionalism Partnerships
Question - institution
What kind of strategy in the list below does represent your teaching values ? Don't humiliate any student or strive for power for
power's sake. Respect your students for their potential. Treat
every student fairly. Always address their bad actions not their bad
selves. Their actions can change. Get enough sleep. Get -Enough- sleep. Keep in
shape physically.
Question - individual
Learn something new every year so your students don't have to listen to the same stuff.
Don't take yourself too seriously. You can not save everyone in your class... don't be
loaded down with that one. Learn from others, borrow, be teachable, don't
expect to know all things. Be humble. The manner in which a teacher/trainer views the students
and the task of teaching subtly permeates all of a teacher's plans.
Leif Danielson 1999-2005
What are the three most important values What are the three most important values integrated in the curriculum developed in my integrated in the curriculum developed in my institution? institution?
What are the three most important values What are the three most important values integrated in the main handbook/course integrated in the main handbook/course support/teaching material used in day-to-day support/teaching material used in day-to-day classes? What are the three most important values classes? What are the three most important values derived from the behaviour of our students? derived from the behaviour of our students?
Are these values coherent between themselves?Are these values coherent between themselves?
Question - institution
How does the tool work first overall evaluation
in Romania
30 CVT trainers from consultancy companies and internal trainers
5 representatives from the field of educational management
Initial presentation (150 attendees) at training fair
30 recruited at AxA stall 1:1 discussion Participants used the tool at the fair with
informal observation Participants completed evaluation afterwards
1:1 use of tool - no guidance or instruction Follow up interview Qualitative feedback only
Statistics Eff ImpCount: 31 31Mean: 72.68 22.45Mode: 66 x3 0 x6Median: 70.00 23.00IQR: 20.00 30.00STDev: 14.41 16.76
Comments:Overall people thought the tool was quite attractive but that this was fairly irrelevant provided that the tool works.
Statistics Eff ImpCount: 31 31Mean: 49.71 93.39Mode: 43 x2 100 x18Median: 46.00 100.00IQR: 27.00 13.00STDev: 16.49 9.52
Comments:Basic use is straight forward but navigating between dimensions and tiers can be confusing.
Statistics Eff ImpCount: 31 31Mean: 35.29 77.10Mode: 51 x4 100 x5Median: 37.00 83.00IQR: 35.00 35.00STDev: 17.14 17.04
Comments:Many “old school” Romanian teachers and trainers have a fairly low IT competency level and this could be a huge barrier to adoption in the Romanian context especially in the public education system.
Statistics Eff ImpCount: 31 31Mean: 42.16 85.23Mode: 47 x3 100 x7Median: 44.00 86.00IQR: 25.00 24.00STDev: 16.89 12.59
Comments:The amount of desired backup information depends greatly on the specific questions tested. Some participants did not require any but felt it might be important. The phrasing of the questions is sometimes ambiguous or irrelevant (to them personally) and this could be a cause for the perceived requirement.
Statistics Eff ImpCount: 31 31Mean: 56.13 93.29Mode: 73 x3 100 x18Median: 52.00 100.00IQR: 31.00 12.00STDev: 15.86 10.38
Comments:Some of the questions are quite closed (Y/N), and do not actively encourage reflection, and others are more knowledge based and feel like a test.
Statistics Eff ImpCount: 31 31Mean: 6.68 49.03Mode: 0 x16 79 x4Median: 0.00 46.00IQR: 10.00 37.00STDev: 9.01 19.85
Comments:Trainers feel that using the tool will be an individual choice and of benefit only to them personally. They would also resent being forced to use it by their organisation. Time constraints was the most common reason given.
Statistics Eff ImpCount: 31 31Mean: 47.32 49.45Mode: 68 x2 58 x2Median: 46.00 49.00IQR: 37.00 35.00STDev: 18.22 19.04
Comments:Some liked the sharing of ideas and knowledge gained from IT&C usage. Others would prefer to use a non IT solution and a more personal approach.
Statistics Eff ImpCount: 31 31Mean: 74.16 93.84Mode: 73 x2 100 x17Median: 75.00 100.00IQR: 17.00 12.00STDev: 13.74 8.37
Comments:Participants enjoyed the variety of stimuli and question types, although some were more difficult to use than others. There seemed to be something for everyone (from interactive to text based).
Statistics Eff ImpCount: 31 31Mean: 7.29 81.90Mode: 0 x13 100 x7Median: 2.00 83.00IQR: 17.00 27.00STDev: 8.63 13.82
Comments:Participants didn’t understand the purpose of the higher tiers and found the extra level of navigation annoying. They would have preferred to have less options of navigation as long as the text of the question includes the scope.
Statistics Eff ImpCount: 31 31Mean: 45.13 47.45Mode: 55 x4 22 x3Median: 42.00 49.00IQR: 31.00 37.00STDev: 16.59 18.49
Comments:A wide range of results. Many participants found the definitions of the dimensions to be clear and easy to understand. But they were unsure as to the reasoning behind them on first impression.
Some questions should be rephrased or removed The participants were positive on the need for
the tool The only common complaint in terms of user-
friendliness was the tiers Variety in presentation of questions is
appreciated Self evaluation & reflection is seen as an
individual activity Repetition of the questions is not seen as a
barrier