教育研究dissertation-藝術與教師專業化發展-Research Article: The Artistic and Profess
Research Article: The Artistic and Professional Development of Teachers研究文章:藝術和教師專業化發展
研究討論的問題是致力于藝術和教師專業化發展。自從最初的研究作者試圖確定的主要目的是研究說明主要的目標是理解有效的教師專業發展課程教師的觀點。然而,它值得提到的目的,清清明明說,似乎有點文摘,至少這一定義基本上意味著定性分析和研究,定量分析實際矛盾,進一步充分使用在書房里。
很明顯,這個問題進行Narry Oreck非常重要,尤其是在當前形勢下,藝術的作用是經常被低估,他們的潛力是沒有完全供教師使用他們的專業發展,無論是工作還是在他們的專業教育的目的。這個特殊的研究不僅是非常有用的,但從理論的角度也從實用性,因為作者提供了幾個具體的建議,為教師專業化發展。
至于介紹,從根本上來說,壓力是很好的組織和結構。作者試圖微量的背景研究和探討的問題突顯出其意義。與此同時,巴里Oreck指先前的研究人員并闡述了本研究的基本目標。
然而,它值得提到的文學評論中包含信息不是很up-to0date。把它更精確,作者用文學來源很疏遠時間從目前的天。因此,隨著相對近年的研究可以追溯到1990年代晚期,例如,1998年葛,作者也指研究支持兩個或兩個礦日幾十年前。值得一提的是,他甚至是指杜威的經驗(1934),可能相當,但仍使用有關今天更近期的研究將使重要的研究現狀和研究現狀更為重要。
然而,這是很重要的,強調的是作者指的是主要來源充足,而不是其他物品的事實表明巴里Oreck真的試圖開展一項研究獨立于其他當代研究和缺乏最近的參考支持這個預設間接。與此同時,這樣的集中于主要來源使得有可能說的是作者的意圖的證據來支持他的研究和相關的主要來源,而不是僅僅使用其他物品,使研究不真實的、原始的、獨一無二的。
在做一個回顧,作者似乎不會傾向于一個深刻的批判性分析相關文獻的分析,進行了討論。相反,他試圖表明,而問題的研究都集中在是很重要的,同時回顧總結主要代表的主要成果和實踐成果的時刻Oreck直到巴里建立了自己的研究。無論如何,即使根據作者的觀點,他更關心的不是在評估而是在對這一問題的理解他研究他的書房。
一般來說,復習的正常組織由于作者試圖以微量的演化研究的問題,特別是使用藝術在教師專業化發展,雖然以最新的數據顯然是省略了故意自提出自己的研究這個問題采用最新收集到的數據。
The study discussed is dedicated to the problem of the artistic and professional development of teachers. Since the beginning of the study the author attempts to define the main objective of the study stating that the main objective is to understand the effectiveness of professional development programs of teachers from teachers’ point of view. However, it is worthy of mention that the purpose, being clearly stated, seems to be a bit abstract, at least such a definition implies basically qualitative analysis and research that actually contradicts to the quantitative analysis that was amply used further in the study.#p#分頁標題#e#
Obviously, the problem researched by Narry Oreck is very important, especially in the current situation, when the role of arts is often underestimated and their potential is not fully used by teachers either for their professional development or in their professional work in educative purposes. This particular study will be quite useful not only from theoretical point of view but also from practical one since the author provides several specific recommendations for teachers’ professional development.
As for the introduction, basically, it is well organized and structure. The author attempts to trace the background of the problem discussed in the research and underlines its significance. At the same time, Barry Oreck refers to previous researchers and states the basic goal of the current study.
However, it is worthy of mention that the literature review contains information that is not very up-to0date. To put it more precisely, the author uses literature sources which are quite distanced in time from the present days. As a result, along with relatively recent researches dating back to late 1990s, for instance, Wiggins 1998, the author also refers to the studies which date backs two or ore decades ago. Remarkably, he even refers to the experience of Dewey (1934) that may be quite relevant today but still the use of more recent researches would make the importance of the current research and its actuality more significant.
Nonetheless, it is important to underline that the author amply refers to the primary sources rather than to other articles that indicates to the fact that Barry Oreck really attempts to conduct a study independent from other contemporary researches and the lack of more recent references indirectly supports this presupposition. At the same time, such a focus on primary sources makes it possible to speak about the intention of the author to support his research with evidences related to the primary sources and not just use other articles that would make research less authentic, original and unique.
On making a review, the author does not seem to tend to a profound critical analysis of the literature discussed. Instead, he rather attempts to demonstrate that the problem the study is focused on is really important and the review mainly represents the summary of the main achievements and findings in this filed till the moment when Barry Oreck has launched his own study. Anyway, even according to the author, he is more concerned not on the assessment but rather on the understanding of the problem he researches in his study.
In general, the review is well organized since the author attempts to chronologically trace the evolution of the problem of the research, notably the use of art in the professional development of teachers, though as for the latest data they are obviously omitted intentionally since the author provides his own research of this problem using the latest collected data.
In fact, the author attempts to use the previously conducted researches on the problem as the basis for his present research. At the same time, he uses the previous research in order to represent the problem of the artistic and professional development of teacher as a continuous process so that the current research turns to be a logical continuation of the past experience and is supposed to modify the existing views on the problem and adapt them to the modern conditions.#p#分頁標題#e#教育研究dissertation-藝術與教師專業化發展-Research Article: The Artistic and Professional Development of Teachers研究文章:藝術和教師專業化發展
Obviously, one of the main purposes of the literature review within the discussed research is to underline the importance of the problem and its relevance at the present days. It should be pointed out that the author, on reviewing different works of different epochs, emphasizes that this problem was important in the past and its significance is maintained till the present epoch.
Basically, the problem is clearly stated and precisely defined since the author targets at the gathering data and information concerning teachers’ attitude and practices of art use in their professional development and work. However, the author also makes an assumption that with the help of this research it will be possible to strengthen the link between the professional development of teachers and the use of arts in their practices.
In fact, such a hypothesis is relevant to the literature review since the author repeatedly underline that arts were constantly used in the professional development of teachers though he underlines that its significance may be weaken in recent years and this is actually why he conducts the study that can help better understand the importance and significance of arts in the professional development of modern teachers.
The problem discussed by the author, being very important, mainly communicates the variable sand types of research. However, it is worthy of mention that such a variable as ethnicity, for instance, was not included in the research as the author believed that this variable would make the prediction unstable because the subjects basically represented white ethnic group. As for the types of the research, the current study represents a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, though judging from the goals set by Barry Oreck it was possible to presuppose that qualitative analysis would be prior to quantitative, but in actuality, the research is characterized by the contrary trend.
Nevertheless, the problem raised by the author at the beginning of his study remains unchangeable and he does not reformulate it, insisting that his study is focused on the factors that contribute to the art use and make them essential and in such a way, the researcher attempts to understand what the role of arts in professional development of teachers is from the point of view of teachers.
As for the population, it should be said that the researcher carefully describes it and, what is more, he tends to take into consideration various factors that may influence the results of the research under the impact of population. This is why he depicts the population in details paying attention to different factors such as professional experience, gender, ethnicity, etc.
The same may be said about sampling of subjects, participants and the general information. However, it is worthy of mention that the response rate was quite low and this is why it is possible to speak about certain under-representation of the respondents.
Speaking about the method of selecting of sample is relatively clear and, apparently, the author tends to research the problem at large since he attempts to collect data from teachers working at the same grade level representing different schools, including urban, suburban and rural. However, it is necessary to underline that it is not very clear, for instance, what is the share of each group of teachers in the general amount of teachers involved in the research. In other words, it is not clear whether the representation was proportion or probably urban, suburban or rural teachers were dominating, or unequally represented. Similarly, some ethnic groups are also under-represented, as it has been already mentioned above.#p#分頁標題#e#
Naturally, such method of selection as well as any other would inevitably affect the results of the research. In fact, regardless the fact that some points of selecting samples remain unclear, the method of selection used makes it possible to influence the results of the research. For instance, ethnic under-representation is not practically taken into consideration, while it may be an important factor influencing the result of the research at large. The same may be said about whether urban, suburban and rural school teachers were proportionally represented.
It is also worthy of mention that a part of the subjects of the research seem to be likely to give biased responses since, along with public schools classroom teachers there were also involved specialists working in gifted, arts, and special education. Obviously the latter category, i.e. specialists working in gifted, arts, and special education would be more likely to give biased responses since they are more concerned on the use of arts in their professional development and practice, while for public school teachers this may be a sort of problem they did not get used to work on.
Basically, the evidence for validity and reliability of the research are amply presented, but it should be said that some variables are not adequately represented, in this respect, it is worthy of mention the variable of ethnicity which is treated by the researcher as unpredictable, or else the low overall response rate makes it possible to presuppose that the respondents were not representative.
Furthermore, the author clearly depicts the instrument he used I his research and how it was used. To put it more precisely, he clearly presents what sort of data and the ways of their collection along with the providing information concerning how the validity of the research was tested.
As a result, it is possible to estimate that the author has managed to clearly describe the procedures for collecting information providing opportunity to trace how information concerning each of the three questions posed was collected.
At the same time, it should be said that the validity and reliability of the responses and data collected, being not perfect, seems to be quite sufficient to estimate that the responses were not fake. At any rate, the low response rate indicates to the fact that the respondents, even though they were probably not representative, gave sincere responses. Otherwise, if the rate of response was extremely high, the probability of fake responses would more likely to increase since it would be possible to presuppose that the responses were less sincere.
The interviewers and observers were carefully selected and trained in order to increase the reliability of the research and data collected.
Speaking about the norms used to report results, it should be said that the results were presented into stages. The first stage consisted of 23 attitude items while the second consisted of 8 frequency-of-use items.
In general, the study may be viewed as quite good and the weaknesses of the current study are very few. In this respect, it is worthy of mention that among the most evident weaknesses of the study may be named the fact that there is quite a high risk that the respondents of the study were under-represented and, thus, there may appear certain doubts in the objectivity, validity and reliability of the results. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that there are also certain problems with ethnic variable as well as the representation of teachers from urban, suburban and rural schools is also not very clearly presented in the research that also may affect the results of the study.#p#分頁標題#e#
At the same time, it should be pointed out that the procedures for collecting information are presented in details though it would be probably better if the information concerning the interviewers and observers would be presented more widely so that it would be possible to fully assess their actual level and not just rely on empirical data and statements of the researcher.
Speaking about the researcher himself, in actuality, it is possible to argue about the extent to which he could be objective in his research since he directed arts in education programs in more than 150 New York City public schools. This is why it is possible to presuppose that he may be biased in his research. Being closely related to the use of arts in education, Barry Oreck would, in all probability, be convinced beforehand in the necessity of wide implementation of arts in the professional development of teachers.
The current study looks like predominantly quantitative, while, in order to make it more qualitative, it is possible to recommend using the literature dedicated to the problem discussed which refers not only to the past experience but also to the present situation. At the same time, the wider use of secondary sources could be quite effective, while the use of numerous statistical data and tables would be unnecessary in the qualitative analysis.
In fact, the professional judgment is very important and inevitably affects the contribution of the study. At the same time, it is necessary to make possibly more objective assessment of the study that means that it is necessary to distance from purely professional view on the study and analyze in a socio-cultural context.
As for the literature, it is possible to recommend using more recent researches and studies in order to make it possible to compare the current study and its results to other contemporary ones.
In actuality, the first question seems to imply quite a biased response since it actually focuses teachers’ attention on the necessity and importance of using arts.
Basically, the sampling could limit the study since it does not involve absolutely all categories of potential respondents and, what is more, even those involved in the research are not always adequately represented.
Instead, the wider sampling, including the involvement of larger number of teachers, for instance, with different ethnic background, or teacher who are not related directly to arts education could increase the rate of survey return since they would be more interested in the problem that may be new for them.
The pure calculating of means would not provide the adequate understanding of the necessity of the use of arts in professional development of teachers but rather represented the extent to which arts were widely used.
Basically, recommendations given by the author match the data but, it seems as if they are too focused on the necessity to use arts and seems to be unarguable from the author’s point of view.
The second question should be more focused on the personal experience and motivation of teachers to use arts without direct reference to purely statistical data concerning the frequency of the use of arts.#p#分頁標題#e#l留學生教育研究dissertation-藝術與教師專業化發展-Research Article: The Artistic and Professional Development of Teachers研究文章:藝術和教師專業化發展
Basically, the qualitative findings indicate to the necessity and actual effectiveness of the wide use of arts, while quantitative finding reveal the respondents are under-represented.
At the same time, the more effective use of quantitative data could increase the credibility of qualitative ones, if the overall response rate was high, for instance.
In the case of enlargement of qualitative component, it would be possible to get more opinionated information supported not by quantitative findings but reflection and qualitative arguments.
Bibliography:
1. Oreck, Barry. (2004). THE ARTISTIC AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS A STUDY OF TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD AND USE OF THE ARTS IN TEACHING. Retrieved April 20 from http://www.sagepub.com/eis/Oreck.pdf
2. Oreck, B. (2001). Teaching with the arts survey. Unpublished survey instrument. University of Connecticut at Storrs.
3. Oreck, B. (2000). The arts in teaching: An investigation of factors influencing teachers’ use of the arts in the classroom. Doctoral dissertation, University of Connecticut, Storrs.
