Stimulating staff development: impacting on academics’ practice?

Kathy Wright, Higher Education Academy ECER 2015 Budapest

What are your experiences of staff development?

• Usually PowerPoint presentations (usually death by PowerPoint) 31 respondents out of 35

• Usually up front delivery / key note and discussion

• 'Workshops' consisting of some presented information followed by small group discussion/ activities and feedback to the whole group

• Symposia, seminars, workshops• Group table top activities with set

questions, then feedback • Short lectures with interaction• Post-it note activities

Most common in my survey:

• Hands-on computer workshops• World café• ‘Marketplace' activity• Lego Serious Play• Group think sessions to produce posters• Role play• Video recorded activity

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More innovative formats:

A. ‘Immersive’ workshops- Penny pinching pedagogies(https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/penny-pound-low-cost-high-impact-teaching-innovation )

- Sailing the seven seasB. Workshops involving creative activities- Language matters – including poetry writing activity(https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/are-we-lost-translation-internationalised-classroom )

- You talking to me – including a drama activityC. Simulation: Futura University- Small interdisciplinary workshop- Larger disciplinary workshop (https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/blog/2020-learning-teaching )

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Exploration: 6 HEA workshops

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Penny pinching pedagogy

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Sailing the seven seas

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You talking to me

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‘You talking to me’ workshop

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Futura University

Immediate feedback from workshops

The beginnings of this study:

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Arthur Koestler identified the decisive phase of creativity as the capacity to “perceive… a situation or event in two habitually incompatible associative contexts” (The Act of Creation 1964, p.95)“Our species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories” (Bateson, 1994, p.110)“Metaphor has the power to change our reality: words affect concepts and “changes in our conceptual system do change what is real for us and affect how we perceive the world and act upon those perceptions” (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980, p.146). 14

Facilitating creative spaces

Does a short term exposure (of 2-4 hours) to interactive, creatively-oriented workshops impact on academic practice, in terms of their teaching practices and continued professional development?

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Research question

Guskey (2002): changing practice in teaching and learning is a long term process of contact, feedback and follow up which involves professional development and exposure to new practices, teacher changing their practice and this longer term engagement with professional development can lead to changes in their beliefs and attitudes if they see a change in student outcomes as a result of changes in practice. A cycle of questioning, modelling, implementing and reviewing is needed (Tuomi-Gröhn and Engeström 2003:31)It can be challenging for teachers to adapt or even change their teaching practice: “the more precisely the proposed habit change can be understood, the more likely it will happen.” (Claxton, et al; 2012, p.28). 16

The challenge

- Longer term engagement is problematic for HEA colleagues facilitating the workshops, with different attendees at each event. - ‘evidence (of impact/transfer), however, can be notoriously elusive for small-scale researchers to obtain, especially in the realm of academic development, where the practical and temporal distances between an academic developer’s intervention, a lecturer’s actions and a student’s achievement render claims of direct cause-and-effect deeply problematic.’ (Sword 2014)

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Problems

• Small scale• Exploratory – identify some key themes• Inductive piece of research• Problems – locating literature on impact of

creative CPD on academic staff in HE

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The research project

• a mixed method approach (uses both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection)

• questionnaire on Surveymonkey (35 respondents of which 4 incomplete surveys)

• 5 respondents from questionnaire (surveymonkey) were chosen using purposeful sampling based on their positive and negative responses from NVivo in order to be able to analyse a balanced opinion. This was dependent on respondent willingness to be interviewed and availability

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Methodology

Semi-structured questionnaires in an online survey system called Survey-Monkey.

Each question pertains to how creative teachers felt the workshop was, which elements of the workshop they decided to share with their colleagues, how they felt about the workshop overall and how their experiences of the workshop have affected their teaching practice.

Data from Survey Monkey will be analysed using computer software, NVivo in order to create a thematic analysis.

Findings from thematic coding allocated nodes in NVivo and relationships / themes found between codes in survey data.

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Relationship between context, capability and creativity. The shaded area represents situations that have the greatest potential for personal creativity because we have to invent/adapt/improvise in them.

Source: adapted from Stephenson (1998:5) by Jackson (2011)The community, not the individual, is the unit that matters when seeking to foster creativity. (Csikszentmihalyi 1999)

)

Ryde (207) argues that the habitual ‘thinking channels’ used professionally tend to limit capacity to generate meaningful solutions to problems etc. Ryde argues for adopting a wider repertoire of thinking channels.Jackson (2013) ‘you don't have to be an expert to be creative: we all have the potential to be creative in the contexts that form our lives.’

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Theme: habitual thinking

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Findings

•Creative interactive workshops

facilitate •rich quality, thought provoking discussion, new interactive ways of thinking

causing •changes in CPD

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Initial results of all survey data found the following correlation

73.3% creativity of workshop prompted new ways of thinking to develop66.7% good opportunities for quality, interactive thought provoking discussion

‘I think there are different levels of creativity, aren’t there? So, I guess when I inherently think of being creative with teaching, I think of something big, something involving change and whereas actually the workshop was quite good at demonstrating very simple and effective creative means, or ways that you might harness creativity in students that aren’t necessarily big changes. They’re just small incentives or small things that you can do to engage them....’

Interview with Sandra, Veterinary Science.Participant at Penny pinching pedagogies 25

Moving beyond habitual thinking

The “mere exposure effect” (Zajonc, 1968) - if people are required to fulfill a task that they are uncomfortable with, their abilities will be facilitated by the presence of others and their performance will be enhanced. Finally if teachers change their practice in collaboration with other teachers it offers social and peer support, inspiring them to make changes.

Workshop feedback:‘The workshop which had me having to act out a scene left me feeling VERY uncomfortable.’ (Delegate from ‘You talking to me’)‘This learning style does not work for me. The metaphor is simply distracting’ (Feedback on the day from Engineering colleague at ‘Sailing the 7 seas)

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Theme: ‘discomfort’

It is our interactions with other people that have most influence on our willingness and ability to be creative. The social environment influences creativity by influencing the individual components. Although, clearly, the environment can have an impact on any of these components, the impact on task motivation appears to be the most immediate and direct (Amabile 1996:8)

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Theme: Social environment and motivation

‘I think when you talk about creativity you’re talking about the fun that you actually bring to learning, and learning should be fun, it shouldn’t just be… you know, you don’t want people falling asleep in your sessions, you want them to be smiling and actually contributing – that’s what creativity lends itself to.’ ‘The concepts worked well. In terms of creativity there were lots of visual prompts there – for example, the giant sort of world and doing the map and things like that, and it was exceptionally visual. And the theme worked, so the Seven Seas theme actually worked.’ ‘It also reaffirms that actually it is fun to do creative learning as opposed to just sitting there being a recipient.’

Interview with Vanessa participant in Sailing the seven seas.

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‘Notwithstanding academic longing for a theory or model for everything, creativity continues to be regarded by many both with in and outside academic circles as so mysterious and serendipitous that it defies definition, and thus also defies any attempt to foster it systematically.’ McWilliam 2007 ‘…there needs to be an appropriate academic evidence base to underpin and inform the topic area’ Survey respondent ‘Sailing the 7 seas’ participant.There was a belief from some respondents that there was a lack of theoretical underpinning to the workshops ….and the theory behind the workshops needs to be made explicit.

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Theme: ‘Theory’

‘I think it was very clear from the outset that it was an interactive workshop, so from the very first activity, the minute you entered the room, was required (sic) getting up and moving around, talking to people. I think the minute you get people into a room and stand up and hit them with a PowerPoint for 20 minutes, you lose your intention later to get them doing things.’

Interview with Sandra, Veterinary Science

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‘Theory’ – but when and how?

Experimental pedagogies (including recent prod-user adaptations) have always existed in university settings, but they have generally been confined to laboratories and studios. There is much less evidence of experiment in faculties that prepare mainstream professionals (e.g, education, law, accounting), although there is some evidence of its uptake in such interdisciplinary domains as human services, construction, biotechnology and business management. (McWilliam 2007)‘creativity is largely unrecognised and undervalued in many (perhaps most?) subjects studied in UK higher education.’ (Jackson & Shaw, 2006) ‘many academics felt that, although they as individuals believe that creativity is important, it was not really valued in their discipline beyond the rhetorical level.’ (Jackson & Shaw 2006)

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Theme: Creativity in the disciplines

Discipline ResponsesArts and Humanities 3Health and Social Care 3Social Sciences 7STEMM 9Academic support/staff development 5Staff development 1Did not specify discipline 7Total number of respondents to this question

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Disciplinary backgrounds

Fryer and Colling’s (1991) research that if teachers deem creativity to be too subjective and lacking in ecological validity, this will undoubtedly effect how they respond to a creative workshop which encourages them to change their teaching practice. Need to take account of disciplinary conventions and beliefs which can act as significant barriers to change (Trowler 2008)

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Theme: Pedagogic stance and discipline?

‘I personally am a scientist and my students are all studying veterinary science or veterinary medicine, so we all have a very science mindset, so there’s a tendency to want to stick with the known, and to want to do things that you know are proven or you know that are likely to be effective, rather than to experiment or be creative, so I certainly think discipline is very important in terms of influencing creativity.’ Sandra interview (Veterinary Science)‘I found it rather "fluffy" and difficult to pin point what best to take back and communicate with my colleagues.’ Participant (Engineering)BUTAs a result of workshop: ‘Included more simulations and evocative images in teaching and learning.’ Participant (Engineering)

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Theme: Pedagogic stance or discipline?

The quantitative results of changing teacher practice were measured by the seven dimensions of practice and how teachers had not only initiated the change in their learners but also maintained it six months’ later e.g. 45% teachers were able to change their practice from students being reliant on the teacher to self-managing but six months’ later this number dropped to 37%

(Claxton, et al; 2012, p.28)

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Theme: Transfer

“Creative aspects” were defined by respondents’ answers which include “fun”, “enjoyable”, “creative aspects had a positive impact”, “it is something different and fun” as well as referring to specific techniques including play and simulation.

63.33% of survey respondents indicated they will or are thinking about implementing in practice or that this was an aspect they particularly enjoyed.

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In this study

What is the likelihood that you will use these approaches or ideas in your professional practice?

Very likely or likely to use: 62.5% and 60%Very unlikely or unlikely to use: 25% and 30%Don’t know: 12.5% and 10%Have you used any of the learning strategies or approaches from the workshop in your work?

Used already: 12.5% and 40%Not yet: 87.5% and 60%

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‘Trad’ with creative activities vs immersive

After initial sort of quantitative data shorter intensive staff development waas more cost effective but…‘As the interview data make clear, the cohort-based, iterative nature of the postgraduate certificate generates a quality and intensity of learning that the other two programs (short intensive programme and one to one consultation) cannot match.’ (Sword 2014)

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Comparing short vs longer CPD episodes

33.33% respondents felt that there was insufficient time in the workshop and this was clearly an issue of importance for them‘Fabulous design and activities. Thoroughly enjoyed interacting with colleagues and participating in the activities. I would have liked more time sometimes to continue discussions with colleagues, but also appreciated that lots of short 'testers' of activities were packed into the session, giving inspiration, variety and stimulation throughout’ (a survey respondent).

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Theme: limited time (2 hours)

a) Explicit theoretical underpinning at an appropriate time

b) 2 hour workshop needs lengthening and follow up where possible

c) Build ‘team’ ethos quickly, starting before workshop if possible

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Recommendations

www.heacademy.ac.uk

Thank you for listeningkathy.wright@heacademy.ac.uk

The HEA is the national body for learning and teaching in HE in the UK and works in this field internationally.

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Claxton, Lucas and Spencer (2012) Making It: Studio Teaching and its impact on teachers and learners. Centre for Real World Learning, University of Winchester.

Craft, A., (1996) Nourishing Educator Creativity: an holistic approach to continuing professional development. Journal of In-Service education.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). Implications of a systems perspective for the study of creativity. In R.Sternberg (Ed.) Handbook of creativity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 313-335.

Fanghanel, J. (2012) Being an academic. Routledge, London

Fryer, M., and Collings, J., (1991) Teachers’ Views About Creativity. British Journal of Educational Psychology. Vol. 61, 2 pp207-219

Stephenson, J. (1998), The concept of capability and its importance in Higher Education in Stephenson J. and Yorke, M. Capability and Quality in Higher Education, Kogan Page, London Available from http://www-new1.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/resources/heca/heca_cq_01.pdf

McWilliam, E. (2007, July). Is creativity teachable? Conceptualising the creativity/pedagogy relationship in higher education. Paper presented at the 30th HERDSA annual conference, Adelaide, Australia. Available at http://eprints.qut.edu.au/15508/1/15508.pdf

McWilliam, Erica L. (2009) Teaching for creativity :from sage to guide to meddler. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 29(3). pp. 281-293 Available at http://eprints.qut.edu.au/32389/1/c32389.pdf

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References

McWilliam, E. (2007, July). Is creativity teachable? Conceptualising the creativity/pedagogy relationship in higher education. Paper presented at the 30th HERDSA annual conference, Adelaide, Australia. Available at http://eprints.qut.edu.au/15508/1/15508.pdf

McWilliam, Erica L. (2009) Teaching for creativity :from sage to guide to meddler. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 29(3). pp. 281-293 Available at http://eprints.qut.edu.au/32389/1/c32389.pdf

Ryde, R. (2007) Thought Leadership: Moving Hearts and Minds, Palgrave Macmillan London

Trowler, P. (2008) Culture and Change in Higher Education: bTheories and Practices. Palgrave Macmillan

Sword, H. (2014) Dancing on the bottom line: an unruly cost–benefit analysis of three academic development initiatives, Higher Education Research & Development, 33:4, 783-793,

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References (contd)

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