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Developing Intuitive modes of action in professional practice

Judith Kennedy, Centre for Applied Linguistics University of Warwick

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Why an interest in intuition?

Conceptions of professionalism:- Evidence based practice e.g.Geoff Petty

‘Evidence based practice’ 2006

- Reflective practice

Current practice: An articulated and conscious explication of our actions: reflecting, reframing, considering and analysing teaching decisions

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Studies of expertise: What they tell us about complex decision making and skilled professionals

So what is this intuition?

1.An old pedigree

2.Hard to define:

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- From the management literature:…. ‘Non conscious, quick pattern recognition andsynthesis of past professional experience and expertise’Sinclair & Ashkanasy 2005

Behling & Eckel 1991 eg suggest managers are using their “gut feelings’ to help in decision making especially in very complex situations where probably to take the logical, conscious, analytical approach would take too long

Korthagen 2005 “ in the case of intuition, it is a question of seeing through things, seeing down to what is implicit, uncovering the layer beneath the surface, the things that cannot be expressed directly in linearlanguage….….

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Definitions

Eraut 1995 who re-examines the concept of ‘reflection-in-action’

Atkinson & Claxton (2000 and 2002) expertise defined as fluent, intricate largely unconscious

performance; Learning can also be implicit judgement sensitivity and awareness (receptiveness to the context) creativity and imagination synthesis

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What conditions encourage the development of intuition? focus on the external world; on the

experience; on the ‘other’ not the ‘I’ Development of confidence Relative freedom to act Freedom from anxiety time

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Rethinking the practicum Current focus on reflection:Why? Mentor encourages mentee to reflect

sustaining power relationshipReflection can be identified, measured, made

visible (ink not think)Reflection focuses primarily on the behaviour of

the student teacher (the ‘you’)Reflection tends to be backward lookingReflective dialogues can slip into justificatory

dialogues

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Summary of 40 mentor feedback sheets Category Comment/

descripton

Suggest-ion

Evaluat-ion

Information

Total

Subject Knowledge - 2 5 - 7

Planning - 1 8 - 9

Objectives - - 3 5 8

Relationships with students 8 1 11 - 17

Class management/student participation

Use of Resources

Total Category

21

5

34

9

3

13

13

2

42

-

1

6

43

11

95

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The pupils were listening to you, copying from acetates/sheets. You had some whole class Q & A but questions were low order; asking them to repeat knowledge. When they didn’t know the answer you told them. Consider how you can develop more higher-order thinking in your questioning and in the way you set up activities

9.12 am Topic sheet given out. Make it clear where you want it put.

9.12 am Reference to Venn diagram building in previous work. Good.

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Excellent manner with pupils. Good rapport – knowing names helps. Assertive yet pleasant with the boys who wanted to sit on the desk. (C1)

Relationships with children and young people C1Have high expectations of children and young

people including a commitment to ensuring that they can achieve their full educational potential and to establishing fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive relationships with them. Read C1 NQT guidance C2Hold positive values and attitudes and adopt high standards of behaviour in their professional role. Read C2 NQT guidance

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Strengths: Your planning was good (see 3.1.1)

Plan for progression across the age and ability range they teach, designing effective learning sequences within lessons and across series of lessons informed by secure subject/curriculum knowledge. Read C26 NQT guidance

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How they felt

Awkward Embarrassed Frustrated Fearful Excitement when something went well Regretful

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Feedback So, …. what seems to you the best way to deal with

the issue …the fact.. the issue that they’ve all got to listen to the other… and you said earlier that sometimes this was tedious for them.. did they get bored… and then they chatted

Me1:Yeah yeah but I.. M1: And it is always a problem… what could we do.. Me1: Erm… I thought of that …. That’s why I said about gave them

some rules… I’m trying to get them to listen to others .. they are curious you know

M1:I can see that … yeah… you’ve 24? Me1: Yes, 24 M1: .so that’s 8 groups roughly Me1 It doesn’t work like that you see because one group was only 2

and M1: So was it simply the number of groups in total? Me1: No, no, they can’t write fantastic web sites, tho theyre pretty

good; but they can understand, you know appreciate a good or a bad one so..

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Feedforward

Me4:That’s the text and I have broken it up here …that’s into 4 bits and I M5: OK so you split it up by paragraphs? Me4: yeah no well I leave out the first you see M5: OK So as an introduction? Me4 Yeah then each group has one paragraph and …they get to read it first M5. .Right, OK, so each have a copy? Me4 Yeah. M5 And… Me4 And. .. my thing is they get to read it and have to think what is what’s

missing and then M5 …………

…… But Me4 Write down … M5 but how do they know the order….I mean what are…. The.clues?

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H: I actually like my classroom,my environment, because I feel that’s between me and the pupils, we are learning together. Whereas if someone in there, it creates a false situation

Moore and Ash 2002

S: I mean I find it helpful when the supervisor talks to us as a group about things we ourselves bring up as important to us, rather than just that lesson

Kennedy 2004

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The nicest part was when I was left alone with the class; noone there. In some ways it was easier because I really concentrated more on the kids rather than me; but of course if someone was observing, the kids often were better behaved.

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FOCUSa. On the before teaching stage: ensure

well prepared and rehearsed. Develop reflective dialogue at this point

a. To develop certain routines of action

b. To encourage peers to work together on planning and/or with mentor

c. To encourage observation and reflective dialogue with others; especially peers.

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SPARR

Support planning – materials, activities and routines of practice; Mentor role essential

Act: Activities which encourage other aspects of intuition such as awareness raising e.g. a close and focused observation by them of learners and their reactions to tasks

Recall: Pupil focus – building up a library of experiences.

Review: Trainees meet together to ‘review’ particular aspects of teaching (mimicking staffrooms and equality of relationships)