04. Inclusive Education
Paper
Enhancing Assessment and Engagement by Sense of Belonging in Open Higher Education
Tiina Lämsä, Pessi Lyyra, Minna Maunumäki, Tomi Waselius, Maarit Koskinen
University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Presenting Author: Lämsä, Tiina;
Lyyra, Pessi
This ongoing research project aims to generate knowledge that facilitates effective and inclusive open university teaching, contributing to the development of a well-being community and successful learning pathway. The study focuses on investigating the perspectives and experiences of open university students and part-time teachers regarding engagement, assessment, and inclusion within the university community.
Universities employ many part-time teachers who are experts in their field but often lack the pedagogical training considered crucial for teaching and assessment. Assessment feedback quality is intrinsically linked to student learning (e.g., Carless & Boud 2018). However, providing quality feedback to students is currently challenging in a context in which universities are increasingly relying on casualized and inexperienced academic staff to assess undergraduate work (Richards et al., 2017). A key factor that affects teachers' assessment conceptions is the prevailing assessment culture (Segers & Tillema, 2011), meaning the beliefs and values that underlie assessment practices and tasks and that guide assessment practices across a community (Deneen & Bound, 2014; Fuller & Skidmore, 2014.) This project seeks to explore and improve open university teaching by examining engagement, assessment, and inclusion within the open university community.
The data was gathered in two separate sub-studies.
- Part-time teachers’ (N=50) assessment conceptions & and organizational sense of belonging
- Students’ course completion risk factors (N = 295)
Engagement in community-based activities, such as pedagogical design as a team, strengthens teachers' assessment skills (Xu & Brown, 2016). Moreover, it is widely recognized that experiences of participation / sense of belonging is linked with job satisfaction & well-being at work (Lindberg & Vingård, 2017). Furthermore, university teachers' well-being at work is known to be related to their job performance, teaching quality, and student satisfaction (Gulati et al., 2018). Given this, we're studying the link between part-time teachers' experiences of organizational belonging and their assessment views. Despite their growing role in higher education (e.g., Ott & Dippold, 2018), research on part-time teachers is lacking.
Research questions and focus areas:
Question 1: Is teachers' sense of organizational belonging connected to their views on assessment?
Question 2: Can fostering a sense of belonging among open university students strengthen their study engagement?
Question 3: How a sense of belonging, on a broader scale, can be nurtured in open higher education? (Upcoming data collection in 2024).
A sense of belonging to the organization emerges as a key factor in promoting well-being within teaching. Quality teaching outcomes have both individual and societal significance, reinforcing the vitality of the open university as an organization. Identifying these key factors supports the enhancement of teaching practices and overall organizational effectiveness. Our research findings hold the potential to inform the creation of pedagogical practices and support services that promote collaboration, communication, and an open and transparent approach. These efforts aim to strengthen motivation, commitment, and alignment with the community's goals and values.
The findings will inform the development of pedagogical practices, support services, and a strong sense of community, ultimately enhancing the well-being and learning outcomes for all stakeholders involved. Open university students and part-time teachers play crucial roles in university operations, yet often function as separate entities, resulting in a lack of community and unity. Therefore, it is essential for the university community to have a clear vision of integrating open university students and part-time teachers into the broader university community. Organizational actors have a crucial responsibility to ensure that sufficient support and resources are available to meet the needs of open university students and part-time teachers. Support for open university students and part-time teachers may include academic assistance, mentoring, counseling, and flexible learning options. Availability of resources like technology, learning materials, databases, and library resources is crucial.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThrough a comprehensive approach, the research incorporates literature reviews of relevant previous studies and quantitative research based on collected data. Central to the research objectives is the exploration of practices that enable well-being, community, and inclusion, fostering a respectful and socially sustainable organizational culture, pedagogical encounters, and ethically sustainable actions.
Part-time teachers’ (N=50) assessment conceptions were measured via web-based questionnaire with 19 items that included statements created specifically for the present study, and statements used in previous assessment studies (Brown, 2004; Kyttälä et al., 2022). Teachers’ assessment conceptions were measured with 19 items, 6 from the questionnaire of Kyttälä et al. (2022), 2 from the Teachers’ Conceptions of Assessment (COA) III (Brown (2004), and 11 formulated by the research team. Most of these 11 items were modified from the instruments of Kyttälä et al. (2022) and Brown (2004) with these authors’ permission. Statistical analyses were made using SPSS version 28.0, and p values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The Mann-Whitney U test showed that pedagogical studies explained about 35% of the variation in conceptions of assessment of teaching and learning. Teachers who had completed teachers’ pedagogical studies (60 credits) reported conceptions of Assessment of teaching and learning, which refers to formative assessment, more often than those who had not.
Stagely study engagement risk factors for completing open higher education distance learning courses were examined using an online questionnaire administered to students (N=295) enrolled in the basic studies of Psychology in an open university. Effectively counteracting the study engagement risk factors requires their identification at each stage of study completion. We categorized previously identified risk factors to non-study related (life situation, time availability, motivation), supervision (instructions and feedback before, during and after task completion), and study resources (completion method, course difficulty level, course material and its availability, study environment and course schedule) (e.g., Maunula et al. 2021; Yukselturk & Inan, 2006: Yukselturk et al., 2014). We sent an email questionnaire probing these risk factors and course completion to 1000+ open university students in basic studies of psychology. 295 students, 70 of whom did not complete all courses responded to the questionnaire. Using logistic regression, we modeled the effect of these risk factors on course completion for four stages of distance learning course completion: 1. course completion, 2. failure, 3. abandoning before completion, 4. not initiated.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsOur findigs indicate, that cultivating sense of organizational belonging facilitates perceiving assessment as formative. Formative assessment includes self-assessment, peer evaluation, and teacher-conducted evaluation (Keeley, 2008; Black & Wiliam, 2009). Students reflect their own learning, evaluate their competence levels, and adjusting their attitudes and approaches accordingly. In parallel, teachers employ a variety of assessment methods to measure students' progress and utilize these insights to refine their teaching. While the importance of formative assessment in learning is generally recognized, its application in higher education remains less understood. Success isn't solely tied to the choice of assessment; students' learning skills also play a vital role. Within this research, a successful learning pathway is broadly understood as a cycle of positive influence: student participation is facilitated through the personnel's own experiences of participation and a community-based organizational culture, leading to sustainable learning and education. This holistic approach seeks to promote well-being and equip individuals with the skills and abilities necessary to navigate complex and ever-changing conditions responsibly.
We found that students’ abandoning the task before initiating was explained by low motivation, inappropriate completion methods, and insufficient time for studies. Failed submissions were associated with poor study skills and poor availability of the learning material. Course completion was the most effectively supported by high motivation level and available time. In open higher education distance learning, the same countermeasures can be used to foster motivation and motivational regulation, design appropriate completion methods, and improve study skills. According to the psychological self-determination theory, study motivation requires fulfilment of the basic needs of competence, autonomy, and communality (Ryan & Deci 2018, 2020). Sense of belonging (and its closely related concept, participation) can be supported through systematic pedagogical choices (e.g. group work, peer assessment, discussion forums).
ReferencesRyan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2018). Self-Determination Theory. Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. Guilford Press.
Johansen, M. O., Eliassen, S., & Jeno, L. M. (2023). The bright and dark side of autonomy: How autonomy support and thwarting relate to student motivation and academic functioning. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1153647. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2023.1153647
Kettunen, P. (2021). Mistä puhutaan, kun puhutaan osallisuudesta? (What do we talk about when we talk about participation?) In P. Kettunen (Ed.), Työntekijän osallisuus – Mitä se on ja mitä sillä tavoitellaan (Employee participation - What is it and what is it for?) (p. 21–64). Gaudeamus.
Kyttälä, M., & Björn, P. M. (2023). Opettajaksi opiskelevien erilaisia käsityksiä arviointitavoista. Kasvatus, 54(1), 34-50. https://doi.org/10.33348/kvt.127185
Lindberg, P., Karlsson, T., Nordlöf, H., Engström, V., & Vingård, E. (2017). Factors at work promoting mental health and wellbeing - a systematic litterature review. Paper presented at the 12th International Conference on Occupational Stress and Health: 7–10 June 2017.
Merriman, C. L. (2010). Adjunct faculty organizational sense of belonging and affective organizational commitment. Old Dominion University.
Xu, Y. & Brown, Y. (2016). Teacher assessment literacy in practice: A reconceptualization. Teaching and Teacher Education 58, 149–162.
Keeley, P. (2008). Science Formative Assessment: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2009). Developing the theory of formative assessment. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 5-31.
Yukselturk, E., & Inan, F.A. (2006). Examining the Factors Affecting Student Dropout in an Online Certificate Program. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE, 7(3),, 76–88.
Yukselturk, E., Ozekes, S. & Türel, Y.(2014). Predicting Dropout Student: An Application of Data Mining Methods in an Online Education Program. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 17(1), 118–133. https://doi.org/10.2478/eurodl-2014-0008
04. Inclusive Education
Paper
Collaboration between Higher Education and the Practice Field - The Competence Boost for Special Education and Inclusion
Anne Lene Toppe, Heidi Gudmundset
NLA Høgskolen, Norway
Presenting Author: Toppe, Anne Lene;
Gudmundset, Heidi
In recent years, several Norwegian reports have concluded that many children and youth with special educational needs do not receive the necessary pedagogical adjustments they require (Barneombudet, 2017; Nordahl, 2018). Based on this, Stortingsmelding 6. (2019 – 2020) Tett på – tidlig innsats og inkluderende fellesskap i barnehage, skole og SFO announced a competence boost within the field of special education. "The Competence Boost for Special Education and Inclusive Practices" is intended to be a permanent arrangement in the Norwegian education system, with the goal of providing all children and youth, from kindergarten to upper secondary school, with tailored and inclusive educational opportunities. This entails considering the general pedagogical and special educational offerings in conjunction, at the municipal and individual school and kindergarten level (Meld. St. 6 (2019-2020)).
This initiative aims to increase special educational competence among teachers and other professionals in the team supporting the student, particularly involving the Educational and Psychological Counselling Service (EPS). It is emphasized that the actors within the team must develop collaboration skills to work systematically in further developing the quality of education. This applies to both regular school practices, as well as improving the quality of special education (Haug, 2021).
Many previous competence initiatives in the Norwegian education sector have been largely characterized by top-down management. Stortingsmelding 21 (2016-2017) emphasizes that the most significant competence development in schools must occur at the local level. Within this context, there is also an acknowledgement that previous national initiatives have allowed for insufficient local adaptations. Therefore, the Competence Boost should be understood as a new strategy for competence development within the education sector in Norway, where competence is developed locally within each municipality (Mjøs et al., 2023).
In this endeavor, universities and colleges are to be regarded as equal partners to municipalities. The idea is that the various parties should complement each other and place emphasis on mutual learning. When competence is developed through partnerships between primary schools, support systems, and universities/colleges, and is based on local needs, it opens up many possibilities. However, it is also challenging as it is left to the actors to determine what the local needs are. The different actors may bring different understandings of the problems into the partnership and therefore have different needs. Often, in such partnerships, actors may also have unrealistic expectations of each other due to insufficient insight and understanding of each other's guidelines and mandates (Øen & Mjøs, 2023). In these situations, a "blame game" (Hood, 2002) can easily arise, where the different parties primarily believe that it is others who need to increase their competence and change their practices, rather than themselves.
This project reports on the first phase of the Competence boost in a Norwegian municipality. In this initial phase, the work primarily takes place at the steering committee level. The steering committee consists of representatives from the school ownership, representatives from the leadership of the municipal support system for education, and representatives from universities and colleges. In collaboration, the participants contribute to identifying competence needs and based on this, develop a plan for further competence development. Such a plan for competence development largely involves changes at the system level and therefore bears the mark of innovation (Florian, 2015). However, in order to harness the innovative potential of the work, it is crucial that the plans are anchored in the respective organizations and that they reach a consensus and acknowledge the current state (Øen & Gilje, 2020).
The research question for this project is:
What characterizes the process of implementing the Competence Enhancement Project in the municipality and what does this mean for further work?
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe research approach in this project supports what Ainscow et al. (2004) describe as "collaborative action research." As researchers, we have been participants in the work of the steering committee, and our role has therefore been to be critical discussion partners while also researching the processes in which we have taken part (Øen & Mjøs, 2023). This role thus entails a kind of intermediary position where we alternate between being a listening and neutral observer, an active conversation/discussion partner, and finally, analytical and explorative (Ainscow et al., 2004).
The data material on which this paper is based consists of audio recordings from a total of ten collaborative meetings over a period of 18 months. In addition, meeting minutes and meeting invitations are also included as part of the data material.
The research question for this paper has an exploratory approach. Therefore, we have chosen to rely on an inductive thematic analysis based on Braun & Clarke (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Braun et al., 2022). The analytical approach described in this article emphasizes the recognition that meaning, patterns, and themes are created through the interaction between the researcher and the data material. This is particularly essential when the researcher is investigating processes in which they are involved. Although the analytical process can be described as a series of steps, Creswell (2014) points out that these steps are not always followed in order. It is therefore an iterative process where one often jumps back and forth between different steps (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). As of now, we are in the middle of the analytical phase where we have chosen to use an open coding (Corbin & Strauss, 2008) based on the phases within thematic analysis described by Braun & Clarke (Braun et al., 2022). This approach involves the following steps: 1. Familiarize oneself with the data material. 2. Start the coding work. 3. Generate preliminary themes. 4. Develop and evaluate themes. 5. Refine, define, and name the themes. 6. Write down the analysis. Since this work is ongoing, it is not possible to present crystallized themes in this paper.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsSince the analysis is still in an early stage, it is too early to draw conclusions regarding the findings in the research material. However, preliminary tendencies in the material show that inclusion as a concept is central and that there is a clear focus on how schools and kindergartens can work more closely with the PPT (Pedagogical Psychological Service). At the same time, it becomes apparent that different perceptions of reality among the various actors also make the process challenging at times. Although the municipalities initially felt that they had a good overview of their own competence needs, the findings also reveal that the innovative processes uncover new "blind spots" regarding competence. This is particularly true for the competence related to action, where theoretical knowledge is translated into inclusive practices.
ReferencesAinscow, M. E. L., Booth, T., & Dyson, A. (2004). Understanding and developing inclusive practices in schools: a collaborative action research network. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 8(2), 125-139. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360311032000158015
Barneombudet. (2017). Uten mål og mening? Barneombudet.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Braun, V., Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2022). Thematic analysis : a practical guide. SAGE.
Corbin, J. M., & Strauss, A. L. (2008). Basics of qualitative research : techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (3rd ed. ed.). Sage.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Educational research : planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed. ed.). Pearson.
Florian, L. (2015). Inclusive Pedagogy: A transformative approach to individual differences but can it help reduce educational inequalities? Scottish Educational Review, 47(1), 5-14.
Haug, P. (2021). Spesialundervisning : ei innføring. Det norske samlaget.
Hood, C. (2002). The Risk Game and the Blame Game. Gov. & oppos, 37(1), 15-37. https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-7053.00085
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research : a guide to design and implementation (4th ed. ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Mjøs, M., Moen, V., & Øen, K. (2023). Kommunal styring og ledelse av en forskningsstøttet innovasjon for utvikling av inkluderende praksis. In M. Mjøs, S. Hillesøy, V. Moen, & S. E. Ohna (Eds.), Kompetanse for inkluderende praksis. Et innovasjonsprosjekt om samarbeid mellom barnehage/skole og PP-tjeneste (pp. 47-69). Cappelen Damm Akademisk. https://doi.org/10.23865/noasp.186.ch2
Nordahl, T. (2018). Inkluderende fellesskap for barn og unge. Fagbokforl.
Øen, K., & Gilje, J. (2020). Desentralisert kompetanseutvikling. Bedre skole(2), 32-38.
Øen, K., & Mjøs, M. (2023). Partnerskap mellom forskere og praktikere som innovasjonsstrategi – et utfordrende mulighetsrom. In M. Mjøs, S. Hillesøy, V. Moen, & S. E. Ohna (Eds.), Kompetanse for inkluderende praksis. Et innovasjonsprosjekt om samarbeid mellom barnehage/skole og PP-tjeneste (pp. 47-69). Cappelen Damm Akademisk. https://doi.org/10.23865/noasp.186.ch2
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