Conference Agenda

Research focus and objective

Researchers pay particular attention to educational interventions that create and maintain a classroom climate that promotes learning (Charltonetal., 2020; Thapaetal., 2013). In fact, the scientific community will, for instance, explore the way in which rules and procedures are introduced in the classroom (Voight & Nation, 2016), study the ways in which classroom layout is arranged (Yuanetal., 2017) and classroom material is used by teachers (e.g., textbooks, teacher-prepared worksheets, etc.) (Matsumoto, 2019), or analyze the relationships that students develop and cultivate with their peers and their teachers (Nurmi, 2012).

Teachers who use humor when interacting with their students find it easier to create a relaxed atmosphere (Martin & Ford, 2018). The use of humor has a very positive impact on social interactions in the classroom. It is not unrelated to the fact this strategy is one of those that students appreciate most in a teacher (Martin & Ford, 2018). Humor is a concept that has been examined so far in several fields of study such as health, philosophy, or history, to name a few. This study provides a conceptual analysis of this concept in the context of educational sciences. The objective of this study is to identify the defining attributes of the concept of humor in the field of education to better understand it and to foster its use by teachers.

Data sources and methods

Walker and Avant’s (2011) framework for concept analysis was used to analyze the concept. In the present context, it is a question of determining the defining attributes emanating both from the field of educational sciences and, to a lesser extent, from other related fields of research.

Results

Humor can be identified by five attributes: (1) a skill; (2) a way to communicate; (3) an educational strategy; (4) a personal perspective; and (5) a positive emotional and behavioral response.

Significance

This concept analysis clarified some of the ambiguities of humor found within the educational literature and proposed a definition of humor that is unique to classroom management. Our findings nonetheless lead to a more comprehensive understanding of humor in school, thereby constituting the first step in the study of its related concepts.

Connection to the themes of the congress

School staff and administrators are being increasingly encouraged to implement evidence-based strategies, and our study along with others, provide insights into the understanding of teacher humor that spurs a “purposeful dialogue between politicians, policymakers, academic researchers, educators and the wider school community”. Our presentation is thus directly linked to the theme of the conference: Quality Professional Education for Enhanced School Effectiveness and Improvement: International Perspectives and Approaches.

How can teachers and researchers work together to research educational practices and development? This is the starting point for this presentation about an action research project about co-operation between different teacher categories in the early school years in Sweden. The presentation explores how teachers can participate, not only in the development of their own practice, but also in researching the central phenomena, in our case co-operation.

Three schools took part in the project which aimed to develop forms for co-operation between teachers in preschool class, school age educare and primary school. The researchers, together with the teachers at each school, carried out reflection meetings throughout a three-year period. However, at the end of the project, a question arose: “how can the teachers contribute with their developed knowledge of co-operation and not just knowledge of participating in action research?” Since action research emphasizes the active role of the participants (cf. Kemmis, 2010) in the research process as well as an interaction between development and research, this is an important question.

To find ways to allow participants to be involved in interpretation processes and of producing research results can contribute to broader (and different) understandings of the phenomena than if this is done solely by researchers. But how do you produce scientific text in this context? We encountered two obstacles, firstly, the number of participants in the project was large (25 teachers), and secondly, the teachers were not used to writing this kind of texts. To make use of the teachers’ experiences, a writing group was formed during the last six months of the project. Through an analysis and writing process, where the researchers and five of the teachers (1-2 from each school) met recurrently (seven occasions), research results have been developed and processed in a joint process. This was done based on two types of data, firstly a qualitative survey with questions focused on overall experiences of co-operation for all staff at the schools (118 staff received the survey, 67 answered), secondly the accumulated project experience. The way of working can be compared to what Larsson (2005) calls respondent validation. Respondent validation is a way of working with quality in results by returning interpretation to the participants and get their assessment of the reasonableness of the interpretations. The interpretations and conclusions that the participants contribute and their experiences as such are central as the anchoring in the perceived problems and challenges of practice is a central point of departure. Through this work, teachers' work does not just become an object for others to study, but the teachers themselves get tools and the opportunity to study their own work (cf. Rönnerman, 2020).

This presentation contributes with experiences and dialogue about how teachers’ experiences can be utilized in research results (Lago et al., 2022) contributing to multiple perspectives and approaches in research about professional development. Such insights can contribute to leveraging research leading to insight, innovation and professional learning.

This paper presentation builds on experiences from a pilot program in the municipality of Malmö, Sweden, to support practice-based research and development in schools. Through this program groups of teachers and/or educational staff have been able to collaborate and be supported by researchers at the local school authority and nearby universities. The intention has been that the projects carried out within the program (n=6) should contribute to a deepened professional learning and development in schools, as well as a clinical practice-based research and collaboration with researchers and universities (e.g., 2015; Bulterman-Bos, 2008). The aim of this presentation is to highlight some “soft” aspects that stand out as important and have contributed to fruitful processes and project as well as some tensions that can arise when schools, local school authorities and universities collaborate. The empirical basis consists of a) four focus group interviews (approximately 1h each) with participants from four project groups and b) reflections/analyses by researchers at the local school authority who led the pilot program and supported the groups (Ideland, in progress).

The results indicate that the projects have created new niches in the ecological system of schooling and research (Kemmis et al, 2013) in Malmö. Through these collaborations different groups and professions have come together to work, discuss, and learn from each other in new ways. The projects have contributed to new methods and ways to meet their students as well as new knowledge of e.g. teaching and different student groups (McKenney & Reeves, 2014). Mutual respect, involving participants as experts, and the researchers' ability to follow and be sensitive to their group's needs are examples of aspects highlighted as central and important to the process by both participants and researchers. This way of working with practice-based research and development thus has many similarities with aspects highlighted in research on relational aspects of learning (Ljungblad, 2021). However, the sensitivity and flexibility asked for can easily be limited by the project´s relations to other practices and material-economic arrangements in the ecological system (Kemmis et al, 2013). The need for applications for funding and ethical approvement within the “traditional” academic system where research questions, methods, etc. often must be defined in advance has, for example, structured and/or limited the possibilities to collaborate and publish interesting results. The experiences from the pilot program thus indicate that there is a need for researchers, research and development leaders, universities, and local school authorities to find ways to work flexibly and relationally with professionals in schools - to be able to involve them and make room for their knowledge and development in projects and collaborations that contributes to a “real” development and understanding of pupils, teaching, schooling and professions (e.g. Bulterman-Bos, 2008; Kemmis et al, 2013).

Taiwan has been undergoing educational reforms since the 1990s in response to global changes. A significant milestone in this journey was the promulgation and implementation of the comprehensive 12-year curriculum guidelines in 2014 and 2019, respectively. One of the crucial aims of these reforms has been the adoption of competency-based learning.

Joining the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL) global partnership in 2019, Taiwan currently has 33 schools participating in the network. However, integrating this global framework into the local education policy context has posed a challenge for schools.

This study investigates the integration of the NPDL global framework into the local context of competence-based education. The research focuses on a community of principals and professionals actively working to adapt the NPDL framework to fit the Taiwanese education system. Employing a constitutional logic approach, this study analyzes the construction of epistemic objects and explores the key elements and causal factors that contribute to the formation of knowledge.

Qualitative methods are employed to collect data from principals and teachers involved in NPDL implementation. Through interviews and deep dialogues, the study examines the challenges faced by Taiwanese practitioners in adopting NPDL, particularly in relation to deep learning design based on the six core competencies (6Cs): character, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, citizenship, and creativity. The findings reveal that while the NPDL framework provides a comprehensive learning framework, practitioners found it ambiguous and disconnected from the local education context.

The constitutional logic approach recognizes knowledge as socially constructed through interactions, power dynamics, and the contestation of ideas. By investigating the constitutive causes and elements, this approach sheds light on how knowledge is constructed, facts are established, and norms and rules are developed and enforced. It highlights the role of agency and social processes in shaping our understanding of the world.

The research also explores the concept of epistemic objects, referring to knowledge that is contingent upon the deliberations and interpretations of the actors involved. It investigates the deliberations, interpretations, and strategies employed by practitioners and professionals during the co-construction process of the learning progressions. Situational factors, including social, political, and cognitive contexts, are taken into account to gain insights into how knowledge is generated.

Through collaborative efforts, the collective naming of "enabling deep learning" has emerged, indicating the adaptation of the global framework to the local context. A comprehensive professional development program has been designed to enhance teacher capacity in competence-based education, ensuring cultural responsiveness in the integration efforts. The study reveals how different contexts influence the presentation and interpretation of epistemic objects and how these representations shape understanding and interaction within local practices.

This research contributes to the educational importance of understanding the process of integrating global frameworks into local education contexts. It emphasizes the need for theory, practice, and policy alignment, highlighting the transformative potential of NPDL implementation in Taiwan's educational reform journey. By shedding light on the challenges and strategies involved in this integration, the study provides insights that can inform future educational reforms and initiatives both in Taiwan and globally.