EDITORS: TERI MARCOS, LINDA PURRINGTON, & CLOTILDE LOMELI AGRUEL
This is the Fall 2023 newsletter of one of the Action Research Communities (ARCs) of the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA). Our ARC is Supporting the Teaching of Action Research (STAR-c). A group of professors who teach action research have met between ARNA conferences over the last few years to think about strategies, issues, and resources to support the teaching of action research. We created a website (star-arna-arc.org) as a forum for our Learning Circle discussions (onlinelearningcircles.org) around our own teaching of action research. The website provides resources to help support the teaching of action research including supportive topics, syllabi, examples of how action research fits in different programs, and both teacher and student resources.
While we enjoyed seeing many of you at the ARNA Conference in May/June we want to extend the discussion and invite all of you to join the STAR community. We invite your contributions to the ARNA-STAR Newsletter. Please submit short essays on any issue in the teaching of action research, your feedback on what you would like to see in the newsletter, or books, conferences, or resources you would like us to add. Please send your submissions to the STAR-ARC website at star-arna-arc.org and an editor will be in touch. We have also launched a blog to encourage more discussion around topics. Please join us at: https://actionresearchteaching.home.blog/
STAR-c members meet monthly via a virtual gathering. We extend our ongoing conversations here to our readers in terms of the strategies we are finding most helpful as related to teaching action research in a post-pandemic world, and specifically related to global learning within this issue. This edition features three articles whose authors investigated the current literature that supports meeting the needs of our action researchers from a faculty perspective of global learning. You will find Margaret Riel's article related to iEarn, Carlos Chiu's article shares his experiences with students going to the COP conference, Teri Marcos' article on Global Learning and Action Research, and Geitza Rebolledo Márquez's book review on Lesson Study.
Global Education, Project-Based Learning, and Action Research
By Margaret Riel, PhD
Global education seeks to create an interconnected, peaceful, and just world. This is effectively accomplished when students are learning with their global peers rather than studying about the world from textbooks. To achieve this vision, educators need to help their students engage in peer-based project learning worldwide and take collaborative action in their communities to affect change. This is the first step of action research. While there have been many moving and powerful examples of transformational projects, supporting teachers to learn more by researching their work can be challenging. In this article, I will highlight one group, the International Education and Resource Network (iEARN), that has been engaged in global education from the early days of telecommunication to the present time. I chose to profile this network as I have have worked alongside and with them in many ways over the past three decades, and I currently serve on the board of directors. Part of that work has been to promote a blend of the activism of these extremely talented teachers with the scholarship of action research.
Early Telecommunications and Global Education
In 1988, during the Cold War between the US and the USSR, the International Education and Resource Network (iEARN) made it possible for students from these two countries to engage directly. Both came to the interaction suspicious of the other but soon found that common ground that is the start of better international relationships. Bush, Chung, Holton, & Kokozos (2007) assessed the effect the New York State and Moscow School project had on teachers, students, and administrators during the years 1988-1993. They report a consensus among teachers that the program played a huge role in their professional development and challenged them as teachers to think more creatively about how to engage their students. Many teachers continued involvement in iEARN conferences and projects:
The telecommunications exchanges encouraged students to take an active, participatory role in social issues, and the program brought to students’ consciousness a global awareness of issues, fostering an understanding that there was more to life than their own lives at home. In addition, through empathy for others, students developed a sense of purpose and understanding, thus contributing to a more human society. Students and teachers alike attribute participation in the program to having the added benefit of creating new friendships, experiencing new cultures for the first time, and the beneficial exposure to different educational systems (Bush, Chung, Holton, & Kokozos 2007,p.iii).
From the initial 24 schools in the U.S. and the former Soviet Union in 1988, iEARN has grown into a worldwide network with nearly 5,000 classrooms engaged in meaningful dialogue and project-based, collaborative learning with their peers in 145 countries during the 2022-2023 academic year. This growth demonstrates that education can be enhanced, and local and global communities can benefit when young people have the opportunity to use connective technologies to engage in collaborative problem-solving and community action.
For more than 30 years, iEARN has been developing global leaders and empowering young people to make these changes in their communities and world. iEARN does this by connecting young people around the globe through study abroad programs and classroom-based International virtual exchange programs that engage students in collaborative projects designed to address the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Each year, the US chapter of iEARN, iEARN-USA, trains and supports hundreds of U.S.-based educators to ensure students have a robust and meaningful student exchange experience. The mission of iEARN-USA is to build a global community of students and educators who are
breaking down cultural barriers and making a positive difference in the world. These educators want to enable young people worldwide, to engage in collaboration and respectful dialogue, to make a meaningful contribution to the health and welfare of the planet and its people.
iEARN-USA’s virtual exchange program integrates with U.S. K-12 school curricula, facilitating meaningful, online, global learning experiences for their students (aged 5-18). Through iEARN, educators and youth achieve the following outcomes for global competence:
1. Connect with and become part of a global community.
2. Develop and use communication skills to connect with diverse audiences.
3. Develop openness and respect towards people from other cultures and perspectives.
4. Take collaborative action to make meaningful contributions to local and global communities.
To support this mission, iEARN-USA hosts a safe and secure online Collaboration Centre for student and teacher interaction and provides developmental assistance to iEARN programs worldwide. Their approach to global education includes online collaboration through projects, professional development, global networking opportunities, study abroad programs for high school students, and sponsored programs for educators and students to connect and learn with the world. An iEARN project is a collaborative academic endeavor between groups of students and educators in different parts of the world. iEARN K-12 projects take on many different forms and subjects, but most are rooted in the pedagogy of project-based learning. All projects are initiated and designed by teachers and students and can be adapted to fit different participants, classroom needs, and schedules.
Strategic Partnerships
A constructive way to scale the impact of global education is through strategic partnerships and the dissemination of working models. iEARN-USA partners with various other groups, including educational, youth service, and relief and development organizations, to build a network of opportunities for young people to work together.
iEARN-USA is a founding member of the Virtual Exchange Coalition, a diverse group of practitioners working together to foster a more supportive and generative ecosystem for virtual exchange programming to support global education. iEARN-USA hosts the Teachers Guide to Global Collaboration, a searchable database of global projects, resources, and opportunities from organizations and institutions in the global education field to help educators foster global competence and build connections with their students. iEARN-USA is a founding partner of the US Department of State’s Global Connections and Exchange Program, the Kennedy-‐Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program, the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Program, and the Chris Stevens Youth Network. iEARN was selected by the White House and US Department of Education to lead the Friendship Through Education (FTE) consortium of organizations committed to creating opportunities that facilitate online and offline interactions between the youth of the world, inside and outside of classrooms, first launched in October 2001 to expand links between US schools and those with significant Muslim populations. In 2016, iEARN-USA was one of 10 initial grantees of the Stevens Initiative, connecting U.S. educators and students in virtual exchange with 10 Middle East and North Africa Country Partners through the BRIDGE program.
Research on iEARN Global Education
Since 1990, a number of dissertations, evaluations, and research studies have focused on iEARN-USA as an organization and iEARN as a global network. This research demonstrates clear progress that both iEARN-USA and the overall network are moving towards the fulfillment of iEARN’s mission.
Over a period of five years, Modzelewski (2009) explored to what extent being part of a cluster of student participating in iEARN increase the global education knowledge and skills of the participants. A list of 40 knowledge concepts and 11 skills was developed based on the writings of scholars in this field. The results of the study indicate that the educators and students in the cluster were successful in achieving their goals. Participating teachers increased their recognition of global education knowledge and skills with varying degrees of success. An unintended finding of the study was that the teachers greatly enjoyed the professional development experience and, in turn, shared their excitement and enthusiasm for learning with their students.
Barry Kramer (2008), the coordinator for global learning circles on iEARN, engaged in an action research investigation of the expectations teachers had when approaching global project work. Major findings revealed that most teachers did accomplish their expectations for their students and themselves. The educators’ reflections on challenges and obstacles provided strategies for improving the process and creating better models for future telecollaborative project work in global learning circles.
Global Education and Youth and Educator Action Research
Both educators and students have engaged in action research. The action research of educators and participatory youth action research of students can be found on the iEARN action research website (iearnactionresearch.org). I want to highlight the work of Katherine Korte, who began her journal towards educational change by flipping the classroom to find more flexible time for project-based learning (Korte 2016 ). This put her on a trajectory toward explorations of different forms of collaboration in her classroom (Korte 2017). Her path of learning provides inspiration for how to move from a feeling of being trapped by testing programs to being able to create the type of learning that aligns with her values.
Barry Kramer, the coordinator for the global learning circles on iEARN has also continued his action research since his dissertation and he has published his many cycles of learning and innovation focused on the learning circles process. (Kramer 2016, 2020)
The examples of youth action research highlight the work of a member of our STAR-Community, Carlos Chiu. His goal was to help his students in Peru become responsible citizens of the world. The work with his students in Peru is to preserve their heritage, both past (cave painting )Chiu 2016 and present (river) Chiu, 2017 indicates how valuable students can be to their community while learning more about their own power to contribute to the community. The clean drinking water challenge Chiu-2018 and current work on climate change Chiu, 2020-23 embeds science and math into projects that will help the community. Two of his students will be presenting at the United Nations COP conference this month about their plan for green roofs. (see his article in this newsletter).
Summary
While all iEARN teachers engage their students in active engagement in community and global issues, this can be time-consuming, especially in today's climate of education focused so intently on raising student test scores. Unfortunately, teachers are not rewarded for publishing their research so often; the powerful lessons that are learned in these classrooms are not widely shared. In a recent opinion piece, Sisile Wessels (2023) gives advice on how teachers can stay current with educational trends and issues. Action research is one of her many suggestions for engaging in a professional teaching career. However, it is hollow to suggest these actions without dealing with the complexity of the teaching. The work of teaching needs to be restructured with the help of teaching aids and technology to free master teachers from the classroom so they can attend conferences, design learning projects, evaluate learning and reflect on what they and their students are learning. And they need to write about that learning not only in global education but in all areas. If we are serious about teacher recruitment, retention, and learning, more time and resources need to be provided to support teacher career development scholarship. Action research is a way to develop and maintain a strong community of teachers.
References
Bush, A., Chung, S., Holton, W., & Kokozos, M. , (2007). The New York State – Moscow Schools Telecommunications Project The Founding Project of iEARN A Comparative Program Analysis of New York Schools and their Interactions with their Russian and Chinese Counterparts. Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University. Accessed online Nov 5, 2023: https://iearn.org/assets/general/iEARN_NY-Moscow_Evaluation.pdf
Chiu, C. (2016, 2017, 2018). Project 1: Quillarumi, Project 2: Preserving our River, Project 3: Clean Water Challenge, Project 4: Climate Change. Accessed online on Nov 5, 2023: https://iearnactionresearch.org/youth-action-research
Kramer, B.S. (2009). Investigating teachers' expectations for using telecollaborative project work. Ph.D. thesis, Lehigh University. Retrieved November 5, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/117960/
Kramer, B. S. Action Research 1: Supporting Global Learning Circles 2016-2017 & Action Research 2: New Strategies for Joining Learning Circles - Hello World 2019-2020 Accessed online Nov 5, 2023 https://iearnactionresearch.org/kramer
Korte, K. (2016 )Project 1: Making Time for Global Project-Based Learning (2017) Project 2: Fostering Collaboration in 21st Century Classrooms. Accessed online at: https://iearnactionresearch.org/korte1
iEARN Action Research Website - https://iearnactionresearch.org/
iEARN (global) website - https://iearn.org/
iEARN USA Website- https://us.iearn.org/
Modzelewski, W. R., (2009) Impact on Teachers as Global Educators after a Professional Development Cluster ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Wilmington University (Delaware) ISBN: ISBN-978-1-1096-5480-6
Wessels, S. (2023). How do you stay current with educational trends and issues? In Citizenside.com (November 3, 2023): Accessed online from: https://citizenside.com/technology/how-do-you-stay-current-with-educational-trends-and-issues
Youth under 18 yrs. taking part in the Conference of the Parties (COP)
By Carlos Chiu
The context of Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP)
The Climate change issue has been recognized a long time ago, it was so important the United Nations established a secretariat in 1992 when countries adopted the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and was signed by 154 countries. By 2022, the UNFCCC had 198 parties. Its supreme decision-making body, the Conference of the Parties (COP), meets annually to assess progress in dealing with climate change.
The UNFCCC treaty called for ongoing scientific research and regular meetings, negotiations, and future policy agreements designed to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change and enable economic development to be carried out in a sustainable manner. The first Conference of the Parties (COP1) decided that the aim of stabilizing their emissions at 1990 levels by 2000 were "not adequate", and further discussions at later conferences led to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. In 2010 The an agreement stating was reach that future global warming should be limited to below 2 °C (3.6 °F) relative to the pre-industrial level.[
In order to share responsibilities and climate information, it was agreed that countries should produce reports, in which they state the measures taken to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions as well as a description of its vulnerabilities and impacts from climate change. Countries were given freedom and flexibility to ensure that these climate change mitigation and adaptation plans were nationally appropriate, as well as the actions to be undertaken, according to the particular context of each country.These reports were the basis for the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) which were a kind of commitment , that each country made in the Paris Agreement of 2015, and it is a kind of a climate action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts (Ministerio del Ambiente 2021). The Paris Agreement is an internationally binding United Nations treaty under the UNFCCC. The article 2 a) of the Agreement states : “Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change”.(UNFCCC ,2015)
Each country that signed the Agreement has binding commitments by all Parties to prepare, communicate and maintain a nationally determined contribution (NDC) and to pursue domestic measures to achieve them. Each year there is a Conference of Parties that reviews the national communications and emission inventories submitted by Parties and assesses the effects of the measures taken by each country and the progress made in achieving the ultimate objective of limiting the Greenhouse emissions according to the commitment proposed in the NDC. Even more, each COP besides addressing the SDG 13 (taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts), it dedicates to a special topic, for instance this year there are four paradigm shifts (COP28 Letter to Parties,2023), one of them is related to the SDG 7 , “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”. The paradigm shift stated is : “ Fast-tracking the energy transition and slashing emissions before 2030”.
The ideas behind the #decarbonize project
The #decarbonize project was created by Terry Godwaldt , founder and director of the Centre for Global Education in Alberta, Canada.The goal for the project #decarbonize is to engage the 21st Century Student with authentic global learning experiences solving a global problem such as climate change, facilitated through the effective integration of technology, curriculum and innovative pedagogy. (Centre for Global Education Decarbonize Webpage).
Climate studies as such are studied by meteorology , but behind it , there is knowledge from physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, geology, ocean science, etc. Therefore climate education is dominated by scientific approaches, but the project emphasized the need to address climate change holistically – including economic, structural, and cultural components. Just seeing the climate as a scientific problem, is a very complex task, and when it is seen as a holistic problem the complexity increases several orders of magnitude.
Climate change is a global problem, as such , it means that it should be globally solved with the participation of people from all the corners of the globe.The goal is to help the students to find more sophisticated means of engaging the issue through thought and action. Action is very important because action will solve the problem, but action alone is not enough, thought, reflection and new ideas are also important, because to solve a new problem, new innovative ideas are needed.
The project motivates to the students to start with what they know, that is their city, their country, and then work with students from other countries, taking time to focus on developing relationships and sharing knowledge and experiences.They have a lot to learn from each other’s’ perspectives, and different points of view represent opportunities to increase their understanding of the world.
Understanding their own climate or environmental problems forces the students to look at their land, people, history, and their political institutions, so they will also learn who is supposed to take care of the climate issues and its solution.
The most powerful idea behind the project initiators is to bring the voices and experiences of the Youth under 18 yrs. aged 5-18 about climate change into the Conference of Parties where the world decision makers meet. The first difficulty was that for the United Nations, “Youth” are defined as people aged between 18 and 35 years old. They said that minors were not allowed to take part in the COP, but they accepted after the arguments that they were minors today but in 2030 they will be adults and will be suffering the effects due to the measures that have been taken or not today. That is the reason for the use of the term “Youth under 18 yrs.”.
Each year the Youth under 18 yrs. co-authored a global manifesto which is a call for action, produced by the involvement and empowerment of all Youth under 18 yrs. who take part in the #Decarbonize project and are addressing climate issues and taking action and trying to solve them.(2)
But below the possibility the Youth under 18 yrs. have to express their voices to the adult world, some other goals are reached, such as:
Bringing nature and Youth under 18 yrs. together. Even though the majority of Youth under 18 yrs. taking part in the project live in cities, the project starts introducing the different footprints that people leave on the earth, not only the carbon footprint but also water, pollution, and a biodiversity footprint. Here comes both aspects of their footprint, the emotional part produced when the objects they use needed so much water to reach them, as well as the numerical data, then they open their eyes to what consumption means.
Learn and use technology. Today Youth under 18 yrs. are savvy users of technology, especially communicating in social media in communications, and they can reach a larger number of young users as they share their interest and language. But technology is not only the virtual world, but also the physical one, and it can be said that they are the people who will have to build and deploy the solutions to the climate crisis.
Seek diversity and share your cultural values. When you put people in one place from more than twenty countries together, they learn the experience of communicating, even in different languages with difficulties that may happen, but also they learn that what is acceptable for them is not valid for others, then they reflect on their own culture and on other cultures.
Empower a new generation of leaders. To write a manifesto and be able to talk about it to decision makers gives them a sense of purpose and a feeling that they are in this world to make good things. I do remember the meeting of the IPCC in Alberta,Canada , when after the Youth under 18 yrs. presentation, a lady stood up and told them that she was in charge of one of the scientific Committee that writes the IPCC report, and as such she has people who consolidates the work of thousands of scientist in every field related to climate change, but the IPCC report is hundreds of pages that almost nobody reads it and understand, so she said that they have the knowledge of what science knows, but they don’t have the ability to explain it in such an easy way as the Youth under 18 yrs. did, and that is a task they should take.
A yearly project cycle is launched during Earth Day on April 22nd. The plan and activities are presented, during the Spring semester (Northern Hemisphere) the students work the activities and the schools are paired (North /South) , so that they will have a binational meeting in which they discuss their environmental problems and solutions with the partner school . After the binational meeting, they start preparing the Manifesto which will be presented at the COP. Each school sends a student to the COP where they will work on the final redaction of the document. An important fact is that in the COP during the writing of the Manifesto, we teachers are not allowed to take part in the discussions and elaboration of the conclusions. That is because the Manifesto should show the Youths opinion and not their teachers opinion.During the winter months, schools are grouped such that three or more schools meet in a continental meeting to discuss the projects that the schools or individual students are developing. These projects should be carried out during the Spring Semester, and their advances will be presented in the next COP.
The yearly project cycle and the AR cycle
The learning process of the #Decarbonize project is a year one, but with special characteristics. It is an international project which covers the 24 time zones as well as the northern and southern hemisphere. The only fixed constraint is the date in which COP takes place usually between October and December. Usually schools from the Northern Hemisphere start classes in September while schools from the Southern Hemisphere start in February-March. As most of the participant schools are in the Northern Hemisphere the project timeline has been chosen to match the Northern Schools calendar, which allows to run the project with a fixed class and a fixed teacher This is shown in the Figure below.
For the schools in the Southern Hemisphere the students usually change classes and sometimes change teachers at the end of the COP and the end of the academic year. That forces a change in the planning of the project.
The following table shows the relation between the steps of a classical AR Project and the steps of the decarbonize project.
How do we prepare our students for the project?
The project requirements are very demanding and in many cases involve introducing very young people to quite complex ideas. Ideas that in many cases are controversial and are very far from the ideas that can be considered truths and that are taught in schools :
1. The age of the participant in the #decarbonize project is to be younger than 18 years old, which is normal for schools that have the international bachelor, in the case of Peru. Youth under 18 yrs. finish secondary school mostly with 16 or 17 years old, and then go to the University, which means we have to start preparing them early. We start to prepare kids when they are 13 or 14 years old.
2. The science of climate change requires knowledge of basic science like physics, chemistry and biology, which are taught in the late years of secondary school, but also knowledge of geology, meteorology, astronomy, oceanography which are not taught in our secondary school system. The traditional analytical way of teaching science does not work well, because it is divided into disciplines and is sequential, which takes too much time to cover the previous knowledge needed, so a different approach is needed, in which less previous knowledge is given and more the issue itself. For instance in order to explain the radiation solar received by the earth surface, electromagnetic theory and atomic theory would be needed, so instead of giving a full course, so a minimum amount of knowledge is given, and then highlight how the surface of the earth is heated, so that theory given is a correct one but not so thorough as wanted. When there is more interest or doubts about the issue, the needed theory would be then a more detailed explanation will follow. This is necessary due to the number of phenomena and processes that intervene in the problem of climate change. That is the reason we have introduced a project in which the students learn climate science.
3. When homo-sapiens appeared on earth, mankind started affecting climate, so that requires knowledge of history, economy, sociology , politics, etc. Outside history the other disciplines are not studied in secondary school. History itself has hardly taken into consideration climate changes as factors that determine its course, until now when they are being taken into consideration, nor has it taken into consideration historical events that produced events that changed the climate or produced anomalous changes in Greenhouse Gases (Ruddiman 2008).The biggest problem that is encountered when trying to solve the climate change issue is political and economical. The need to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses has a larger consensus among scientists, but for underdeveloped countries, it is unknown how to have economic growth without fossil fuels, and many countries see the limitation of emissions as a way that rich countries try to prevent them from developing. This is only one concern, but there are many others. The social, political and economic issues are huge, and also the requirements for the students, who should be learning about these issues. That is the reason we have introduced a project called Political Philosophy which follows the different political philosophical ideas, but related to history, economy, technology and climate.
Our project #decarbonize
Prepare the students to be ready to take part in the elaboration of the student manifesto:
1st year
1). The project that we call Introduction to #decarbonize where the students become aware of their passage through the planet. They use several simulators in order to grasp the different footprints they have , introducing concepts like the number of planets they will need if everybody wants to live like them , the Overshoot day, Water footprint, Carbon footprint. They are also introduced to different units of measurement, so that they get an idea of how much is their personal footprint.
2). They choose a project which was started by a former student, or that is currently carried out by another student, so that the technology transfer happens between them, ensuring continuity of knowledge. Here the learning is by doing.
3). The students are encouraged to find things in which they are interested, related to environmental issues. One project in which they may take part is the Unplastify project in which they should try to avoid using fossil fuel-based plastic, finding an eco-friendly solution. The first time they try they usually don’t find the right plastic to avoid, but they have the opportunity of trying the next year and so on.
4). In case they don’t speak English, they are encouraged to learn it intensively.
2nd year
1), They take part in the activities of the #decarbonize project
2). They take part in one of the projects of Political Philosophy or Climate Science
3). They take part in a project which has a given goal such as Unplastify or decide to try an own project
3rd year
1). They take part in all the activities of the #decarbonize project. One chosen student can attend the COP Conference.
2). They continue to work on their own project or a project with a goal.
3). They can choose to do also another
Lessons learned by the Youth under 18yrs. during the project #decarbonize
Our school has been participating in the project since COP23 which took place in Bonn, Germany in 2017, and in the several conferences we have learned some lessons which make necessary adjustments in the way we carry out the project.
1). The goal of the COP conference is very clear, according to the Paris Agreement this goal is to limit warming to 2°C (and, preferably, 1.5°C) above pre-industrial levels. That meant that success should be measured on how much an increase of temperature is avoided.
2). It wasn’t clear what should be the goal of the Youth under 18 yrs. taking part in the COP. From the beginning the idea was to bring the voice of the Youth under 18 yrs. of the world to the adults who are responsible to solve the warming of the planet. But, what do they have to say? There is no point in trying to show mastery over the science of climate change as they don’t have the studies and experiences of scientists, but they can show that they can understand the developments the scientist did and communicate in simple terms to their pairs. The same was expected to happen with the social issues underlying climate change.
The first COP we took part in was COP23 in Cologne, Germany. The Manifesto COP23 - A Global Youth White Paper stated that the study framework was based on the assumption that colonization and a system of power were the cause of the destruction of the environment, therefore accelerating and increasing the effects of climate change. (Pg. 4,5). Using this framework of thought , most of the discussions were related to the issue of colonization, some ideas were discussed such as “decolonize is a requirement for decarbonize;” or the relation between climate justice and decolonization; or discussing concepts such as “Climate change is an ethical and political issue, as opposed to a purely environmental one.” Most of the time was used in discussing political issues, and as a conclusion, they could only agree, “In order for decarbonizing to be effective and long-lasting decolonization has to take place at the same time.”(COP23 Page 11) From the point of view of decarbonization the only conclusion they arrived at was to “Eliminate single use water bottles.”
The second COP we took part in was COP24 in Katowice, Poland. This year the global climate change project focused on decarbonizing through the lens of decolonizing. Decolonizing meant to champion the culture and way of life of Indigenous peoples and communities, and to provide legitimacy, space, and position for these voices, knowledge, and ideas.
During the discussions it was found that it is impossible to find one definition for the term Indigenous, and what was important was the need to understand that to make impactful climate actions there was the need to work together - regardless of identity or definition. So Indigenous people, colonizers, colonized and settlers alike - must come together and acknowledge their differences and similarities to support each other in order to run the world together, hand in hand (COP24 Pag 6).
As conclusions for their Manifesto, they suggest:
Inclusion of Diverse Perspectives with special consideration to the Traditional Ecological Knowledge from Indigenous people.
Education can be included by promoting the teaching of climate action practices, from young Youth under 18 yrs. to adults . Practices can include, picking up rubbish, reusing and recycling, walking or riding to school, planting gardens and creating composts to create healthy climate oriented habits, etc. The focus of Education should be encouraging actions rather than simply being complacent. If we all become active members of society, with the persistence to learn and create solutions, then education develops into a successful tool. Scale Up Government Involvement, through the Carbon Tax, which is a fee imposed on the usage of carbon-based fuels including coal, oil, and gas.
The third COP we took part in was COP25 in Madrid , Spain. This year the theme was water, as suggested by UNESCO on the occasion of the approaching UN Decade of Oceans, but the discussion moved more in the direction of reforestation and also to calls to action. They pointed out that deforestation is the second leading cause of the climate crisis and produces around 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions, therefore they were discussing solutions and commitments. (COP25 - Page 5)
Calls To Action
• Create policies geared towards saving national forests and natural habitats
• Fund local afforestation projects
• Develop economical guidelines for financial support for certain communities
• Develop educational tools and resources that will provide students with a solid understanding of deforestation
Youth Commitments
• Introduce vegetarian and vegan option meal days
• Annual fundraising efforts within schools for reforestation
• Carbon neutral schools
The same approach was used when discussing Oceans. (COP25 - Page 7)
Calls to Action
• Creation of a UNFCCC-affiliated Global Ocean Fund similar in nature to the Green Climate Fund
• Reduce taxes for producers of renewable energy products
• Provide aid to countries who are affected by rising sea levels Youth Commitments
• Use social media to remind companies about their significant impact and responsibility on water
• Reduce our individual water consumption
• Learn about the oceans and raise further awareness about climate impact on our waterways Industry (COP25 Pages 10-11)
Calls to Action
• Develop a global organization that labels products with a specific certification that allows consumers to easily recognize products that are manufactured with a standard of sustainable/ “green” supply chain
• Governments to implement an incentive for companies to take climate responsibility, such as a carbon targets that when reached allow for opting- out of a carbon tax.
• Governments create a program to gradually retrain workers in fossil fuel industry so they can have jobs in renewable energy
Youth Commitments
• Active selection of sustainable products over ones that are not environmentally friendly Representation (COP25 Page 14)
Calls to action
• Represent the youth: international level, political events, discussions, and decision making
• Creation of a free and comprehensive database for educational tools and resources pertaining to climate change
• Specific targets for representation of vulnerable groups including, youth , developing nations, women, and Indigenous peoples
Youth commitments
• Increased participation in organizations that strengthen youth voice
• Youth-targeted information campaigns about advocacy regarding the climate crisis
This year's paper was a call that youth are urging you to take immediate climate action. There were very few discussions about themes which were not related to the main goal: Fight climate change!!
Due to the COVID Crisis there was no COP in 2020, so the Fourth COP we participated in was in Glasgow, Scotland. This year the request from the Youth to the adults were more directed to measures to reduce the Greenhouse gasses, so they chose 4 goals to be considered.
GOAL 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 Degrees within reach. Use of solar panels,eliminating subsidies for fossil fuels, regulating animal agriculture,use of sustainable public transportation, investing in public educational systems to inform people about the severity of climate issues. Set the milestones for the NDC of each country. (COP26 Pag. 5-7).
GOAL 2: Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats. The research, investment, and implementation of climate-smart agriculture, reconstruction of vulnerable environments that have been stricken with deforestation, excessive fishing and contamination. Education on green jobs (COP26 Pag. 8-9).
GOAL 3: Mobilize at least $100BN in climate finance per year. They demand that climate financing be subjected to frequent review by independent bodies and also rapid and targeted decrease of subsidies and other forms of financial support to unsustainable industries. (COP26 Pag. 10)
GOAL 4: Work together to deliver. They demand governments to take responsibility, to work alongside youth and people on the frontlines of the climate crisis, to tackle the lack of climate awareness and accountability through the use of mandatory transparency of the emissions.
The fifth COP we participated in was COP27 in Sharm-el Sheikh , Egypt. This year the theme from COP was Food, so issues like Food security, food supply, food quality as well as food Scarcity were addressed in the discussions. Solutions are investing in urban agriculture, vertical farming, home/community agriculture which reduces the environmental cost of transportation. They also demand that students take part in agricultural activities, and increase experiential activities related to sustainability. (COP27). Apart from the writing of the manifesto the focus was also directed towards Action. Actions that the students should take, either as personal projects or school projects, which should be carried out after the COP, and their results would be presented the next COP. Discussing the issues that are part of the COP are important from the intellectual point of view, but Actions make change in the world and model the life of the persons that are carrying them out.
The sixth COP we participated in was COP28 in Dubai. This year the main topics of discussion were Environmental Education. One of the approaches was to have a good curriculum, but on the other hand the Paris Agreement required that countries commit to taking measures to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses, and these measures were specified in the NDCs. There was an urgency for the (NDC) measures to become a reality, which forced the suggestion that Environmental Educations must be included in NDC and that not only Youth under 18 yrs. but everybody must be educated about the NDC.
There was also the request that School Spaces and Infrastructure should be Sustainable , so that they would be examples to follow and also teach in practice about Sustainability. Environmental Education in Schools was often treated as Extracurricular activities , such as Science Clubs and that they should be for Youth under 18 yrs. from different ages, and also receive funding.
Youth Action
Youth engagement to raise climate awareness and hold accountable the governments for addressing climate change, can be made by large scale demonstrations or campaigning through social media. Create Sustainability committees to set sustainability goals in the schools and communities and in the process learn collaboration, critical thinking and communications skills. Social media platforms are vital in disseminating information and coordinating among groups for actions, and that is the domain in which young people excel.
A special emphasis is given to personal engagement because leaders are persons that people follow because they give the example. That is why the organization TakingItGlobal has set a platform https://www.commit2act.org/ in which everybody can inform the action that he or she is taking, with the amount of GHG that they are saving.
Some final reflections about the project
Youth under 18 yrs. who participate in the project are very passionate and knowledgeable about environmental issues, but also eager to learn new ideas, facts, and also focusing on the problem to be solved and ignoring noise from problems that complicate the solution of the main goal. At the beginning the focus of the project was given by their name #decarbonize #decolonize. Beside the decarbonization process it was suggested to use concepts like decolonization, social justice, indigenous people, identity among others, but the result was division and time spent on other issues. We started 6 years ago and now we are 6 years to 2030, so the project has focused on #decarbonize and that is how is called.
Youth under 18 yrs. find consensus much more easily than adults. During COP24 in Poland, a teacher invited two delegates who were attending the Conference to see the Youth under 18 yrs. Working together. They said they were amazed how young people from different cultures and languages can reach agreements in a short time, while in committees they were working it took two days of discussion to decide whether they should use the word engagement or the word involvement.
References
Centre for Global Education Decarbonize Webpage https://decarbonize.me
Centre for Global Education Decarbonize Manifesto - https://decarbonize.me/#manifesto
COP23 - #Decarbonize #Decolonize A Global Youth White Paper https://issuu.com/takingitglobal/docs/_23decarbonize-_20_23decolonize_20p
COP24 - #Decarbonize #Decolonize https://colegiodeciencias.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/DecarbonizeDecolonize2018_Paper.pdf
COP25 - #Decarbonize Water Global Youth Report 2019 https://colegiodeciencias.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/decarbonize-global-youth-white-paper-2019.pdf
COP26 #DECARBONIZE Global Youth Manifesto 2021 by Youth Leaders under 18 yrs. https://colegiodeciencias.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Global-Youth-Manifesto1.pdf
COP27 #DECARBONIZE Global Child Climate Manifesto 2022 https://colegiodeciencias.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Decarbonize2022-Report.pdf
COP28/ #DECARBONIZE Global Child Climate Manifesto 2023 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TFkSi4iQqK2Ez7KWrzbnQvlOGg7dN45g/view
COP28 - Letter to Parties (July 2023) - https://www.cop28.com/en/letter-to-parties
Margaret Riel - Understanding Action Research (April 2023) https://www.ccarweb.org/what-is-action-research
Ministerio del Ambiente (2021) https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/1936379/RM.%20096-2021MINAM%20con%20anexo%20Plan%20Nacional%20de%20Adaptaci%C3%B3n%20al%20Cambio%20Clim%C3%A1tico%20del%20Per%C3%BA.pdf.pdf?v=1623245610
Ruddiman William F. , Zhengtang Guo , Xin Zhou , Hanbin Wu , Yanyan Yu Early rice farming and anomalous methane trends Quaternary Science Reviews 27 (2008) 1291– 1295
UNFCCC - Paris Agreement (2015) https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/english_paris_agreement.pdf
Action Research for Global Learning
By Teri Marcos, Ed.D.
Global Learning is advancing in the 21st century as many scholars, educators, and students benefit from exchanges of knowledge that occur when peoples from a variety of cultures extend their best thinking around helpful practices that move groups forward, particularly those who may be marginalized. To Google the phrase Global Learning returns 7,650,000,000 options for further exploration. Nearly eight billion returns! The navigation menu compiles an extensively generous helping of university programs, certifications, and degrees offered within formally identified Centers of Global Learning, Global Teaching, Global Citizenship, and Global Innovation.
Action Research for Global Learning
The phrase, Action Research for Global Learning, when Googled, returns 1,590,000,000 options for further exploration. A billion and a half returns! Action Research, while historically having been conducted in a more localized environment, is becoming both more globalized, and partnered, particularly given advancements of telecommunication technologies (such as Zoom, Teams, Hangouts, etc.). These technologies provide opportunities for dialogue through invited gatherings that extend from introductions made during a host of possibilities such as international educational and business conferences, for example. Many times, these are where partnerships are formed and conversations become actionable.
NGOs as Global Learners and Action Researchers
As Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Non-Governmental Development Organizations (NGDOs) become more prominent in their service to others their research arms continue to grow as global communities tackle tough issues together. An example of this occurred this past month just prior to this writing. During October, 2023, global media portrayed and described the humanitarian crisis which continues to unfold in the Middle East while noting the literally hundreds of NGOs who responded.
There are more than 350 NGOs in service to the Middle East (NGO Resource, 2023).The experiences of working globally, particularly while converging locally in the Middle East, enabled NGO stakeholders, and others, to acquire valuable knowledge primary to their understanding of various practices. But more, it taught them how to operationalize their services optimally based on their analyses of processes, or problems to be solved. Service provision extended into reflection, findings elicited cycles of change, and these were recorded to study further.
An example is provided by Boni, Torrejón, & Barahona, (2013). Their study described a collaborative experience between an NGDO and a university in the area of development education. Their experience included a design that followed an action research methodology while describing a system of quality criteria for experiences promoted by the Network of Educators for Global Citizenship. The network comprised a wide range of people from Spain and was supported by the NGDO, Intermón Oxfam.
Kaukko & Fertig (2016) reported the similarities and differences between global education and participatory action research (PAR). The authors present classical definitions of action research and highlight the similarities with the ideas of global education. They note, “Considering the aim of global education is to promote social justice and to improve the social and educational chances of groups at risk of marginalization, participatory methods can help to involve such groups in research in an ethical and effective way” (p. 24). The authors provide two examples in formal and informal education that show how PAR can be used to address the underlying transformative and social action principles of global education. They note that the principles must be adjusted to meet the needs of the participants and the context.
Globally Competent Action Researchers
Ryan, (2018) noted, as referenced in Putnam & Rock (2018), the action researcher who is an educator is confronted with digital realities that can both frustrate and ease efforts to grow, change, and solve problems. A globally competent action researcher is a person who is self-aware and uses AR to achieve global competencies. Self-development is not only critical in action research; it is a feature of the GC model. Possessing global competence requires an ability to take action, perhaps using AR to address what matters because the ability to do so is vital in our culturally and politically interconnected twenty-first century. Outcomes may include increased awareness, an opening of the mind to otherness, and a sense of the larger world both within and without (Putnam & Rock, 2018).
Action Research Fellows Initiate Global Learning Studies
In September 2021, the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG) launched a professionally facilitated fellowship open to educators at GEBG member schools. This year-long fellowship allowed GEBG Action Research Fellows to learn about action research and execute a research project to improve global education practice at their schools, while learning from and with a cohort of peers. GEBG notes the following benefits for Fellows:
– a deeper understanding of the topic through exploring a curated set of research and tools;
– leadership skill development through using action research to explore a complex challenge;
– structures to support designing and implementing a new or pilot program in the topic area;
– the opportunity to present and/or publish insights on the topic
– individual feedback and support from the facilitator and ongoing community from a small cohort of peers.
– More on topics and foci can be found at: https://gebg.org/research-opportunities/
A Global Action Research Network for Global Learning Assists Girls
The International Coalition of Girl’s Schools have designed the Global Action Research Collaborative on Girls’ Education (GARC). They note that “Action research allows teachers to study their own classrooms—for example, their own instructional methods, their own students, and their own assessments—in order to better understand them and to be able to improve their quality or effectiveness.”
GARC is the world’s first action research program that engages girls’ school educators from around the world in informed, collaborative, and disciplined, action research. The program builds both a network of girls’ school educators from around the world and a library of valuable and relevant research on girls’ education. The first three cohorts of GARC Fellows included 60 educators representing 56 schools in eight countries around the world. More information can be found at: https://girlsschools.org/garc-2/
An Action Research Dissertation for Global Learning in Ireland
There are a number of action research projects that have come from the now decades long dialogue related to global learning. A recent PhD dissertation out of the University of Glasgow, titled, Critical global learning: lessons from a self-study action research project within initial teacher education in Ireland, focused on initial teacher education.
Within the dissertation, author and doctoral candidate, Brighid Golden (2022), describes how she followed her journey as a teacher educator while she engaged in a self-study action research project to explore how her practice impacted students’ critical global learning. She defined critical global learning as the intersection between critical thinking and global education (GE). She sought to discover the strengths and areas for improvement within her practice and to come to an enhanced understanding of her students’ interaction with her teaching.
By locating this study within the nexus of critical thinking and GE within the context of initial teacher education (ITE), Golden notes that she responded to the knowledge-gap in relation to the teaching of critical global learning within ITE. In responding to this gap, she developed a conceptual framework, comprised of a Model for Teaching Critical Global Learning, and a Planning Tool strategically designed to implement the model.
She adopted a self-study action research approach which took place across three cycles of data collection over three academic years and worked with her students in their second year of their Bachelor of Education degrees. Data collection involved multiple methods, including focus group interviews, surveys, collection of evidence from in-class work, personal reflections, and engagement with critical friends. Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006, 2020a) was employed to analyze the data.
Data collection and analysis were underpinned by her Model for Teaching Critical Global Learning, developed through an ongoing literature review. Additionally, the findings from cycles one and two led to the creation of a Planning Tool, implemented in cycle three, which supported the model's implementation. Findings led to a discussion on the tensions, which reflected where there was a conflict between competing considerations within her practice.
The identified tensions were sub-divided into pedagogical tensions, student specific tensions, and tensions presented by external influences. The outcomes from her research are the result of her navigation of these tensions. The conceptual framework provides a roadmap to approach the teaching of critical global learning in ITE grounded in evidence from Golden’s research project. More information can be retrieved at: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/82932/
Scholars at the Center for Universal Education at Brookings provide us the following resource for Global Education and Learning at: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/global-education-trends-and-research-to-follow-in-2022/
A compilation of other projects was released November 8, 2023 from University of Chicago Press. Edited by Daniel Bourn, (2023), available from: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/R/bo215807395.html
Global Learning as an Action Research Model
The conversation of Global Learning continues to be robust. Beginning at the near turn of the 20th century scholars identified what it means to create a global learning organization. “Creating the Global Learning Organization is an action research model to assist US-based corporations in creating an organizational culture that is globally inclusive in theory and practice at all levels” (Tolbert, McLean, & Myers, p. 463, 2002).
We are learning nearly three decades in that, “Global Learning continues to embrace the principles of organizational development to move corporations into a geocentric corporate worldview in all its business and people practices, policies, procedures, and technologies. The model is envisioned as a viable and ethical approach to the challenges of globalization” (Tolbert, et al., p. 463, 2002).
References
Boni, A.; Torrejón, E.; & Barahona, R. (2013). Approaching quality of global education practices through action research: A non-governmental development organization–university collaborative experience. International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning 5(2) 2013, pp. 31-46. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1173651.pdf
Bourn, D. (2023). Research in Global Learning Methodologies for Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development Education: A diverse collection of global educational research. University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/R/bo215807395.html
Kaukko, M; & Fertig, M. (2016). Linking participatory action research, global education, and social justice: Emerging issues from practice. International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning 7(3), pp. 24-46. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1167811.pdf
NGO Resource (2023). Retrieved from: https://www.ngosource.org/blog/ngos-in-the-middle-east-finding-ngos-to-support-in-the-ngosource-repository
Putnam, M.S., & Rock, T. (2018). Action research: using strategic inquiry to improve teaching and learning. Los Angeles: Sage.
Ryan, T. G. (2018, April). Educational action research as a global competence in a digital world. Canadian Journal for Teacher Research, 1-8.
Tolbert, A., McLean, G., Myers, R. (2002). Creating the global learning organization (GLO). International Journal of Intercultural Relations. Volume 26, Issue 4, August 2002, Pages 463-472
Book Review
Exploring Lesson Study from an Action Research Perspective
By
Geitza Rebolledo Márquez (PhD)
Title: Lesson Study. Lesson Study Learn to Teach to Teach to Learn By Angel Pérez Gómez. Encarnación Soto Gómez (Coords). Prolog. John Elliot Ediciones Morata. S.L. Madrid. Spain. Published 2022/466 pages.
Lesson Study
Lesson study, Ls, is a collaborative approach to learning how to teach. It involves a strategic plan for teaching implemented by teachers working in a team. They discuss main aspects of learning and teaching with the goal of creating a shared lesson - a pragmatic and practical approach – that each of the teachers in the team will implement in their own classrooms. The other teachers form a research team watching how the lesson proceeds in each of the classroom. Teachers develop a culture of working together in a school center. The focus is on the lesson, a shared product and not on the teacher.
The coordinators of the Lesson Study book are from the School of Education and Pedagogical Sciences of the University of Malaga. They started their way towards Lesson Study, LS, by attending an invitation to The University of East Anglia, The Center of Applied Research in Education, CARE, under the direction of Dr. John Elliott in England in the 2013. They took this form of action research back to Spain where they developed this community approach to teaching at Preprimary Teaching Education. The book details the process of developing the pedagogical method of LS to the University of Malaga, during ten years, conforming a community of eighteen teachers that also write some of the chapters of the book . They also helped its development in South America, specifically to the Universidad Nacional de Educacion in Cuenca Ecuador. Understanding how this practical approach to building the collective knowledge of the school community was transported to this culture provides great insights for how it might spread to other locations. This book provides pathways for encouraging others to experiment with lesson study.
Connections of lesson study to action research
In my own experience, I have seen students struggle in action research because they are working in environments that are very competitive and this hinders that development of a learning community which basically work together in action research. In Lesson study ,as pointed out by Soto figure 1,there is an openness because it is not a single teacher working to create change, but rather a whole team working together, working collaboratively, on a shared product, a lesson. So it is more comfortable for the teachers to contribute to the group and to watch each other and for parents to watch because the lesson, not the teacher, is the focus. All of the teachers are involved in seeing that the lesson is successful in all classrooms. The teachers support one another and learn from the struggles that any one teacher might discover in the implementation of LS. So in this form of action research the action taken, the implementation of the lesson, is a shared activity and the research around is collaborative. The group of teachers are studying the change together. In action research it is sometimes challenging to develop the patterns of action learning and action research in the community.
This Lesson Study diagram taken from a paper published at the Journal of Action Research by Dr. Encarnacion Soto Gomez shows very clearly the aspects of Lesson Study mentioned before. Like action research, LS is an iterative process, repeated with adaptations. In the case of the Lesson Study, one difference is that all of the teachers are equally engaged in the action research.
In other models of action research one or more action researchers are working within a community of partners that may or may not be equally engaged. Riel (2023) uses this figure to illustrate how the community may be participants but not engaged in exactly the same way as the action researcher.
Riel (2023) Adaptation of a diagram in Mattias Elg & Per-Erik Ellström (2012)
Overview or the book.
This excellent Book presents very clearly the history and Implementation of Lesson Sudy at the University of Malaga at pre schooling level an some aspects of the incorporation of this approach in the University of Cuenca in Ecuador together with a Case Study done at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom .The Book Coordinators , Pérez Gómez and Soto Gómez, bring together their ten years of work with the LS approach. It is written by themselves and eighteen teachers colleagues from the University of Malaga and one teacher from Ecuador. The Prologue is done by Dr. Jhon Elliott of the University of East Anglia. They focused on the educational context of Spain, Ecuador, and England. The pandemic created a moment of reflection which resulted in time for writing about the whole experience.
The book is divided in four parts. It includes an Introduction by the coordinators. A Prologue by Dr. Jhon Elliott and eighteen Chapters written by the teachers and some also shared by the coordinators.
The three parts of the book are the following :
Part I as theoretical foundations of the work.
Part II describes how to implement lesson study through different case studies
Part III presents itself as an example of research with LS with kindergarten student teachers an professors of the University of Malaga.
Part IV. Refers to other experiences . For example: Collaborative experiences among two different Universities in Spain that choose to improve teaching. Also a study at Malaga University of Students voices ten years after the experience with the Lesson Study.
The Book Introduction
Overall the book centers on the evaluative reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of the Lesson Study Project now and in the future. The introduction to the book starts with a quote from the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca: “There is no favorable wind for the sailor who doesn’t have a destination.” They apply this thought to the field of Education suggesting that we need to decide on a port or endpoint to be able to evaluate the conditions that are favorable or unfavorable to educational progress. The intent of this book is to clarify what has been accomplished and what remains as future goals. They also point to the World Pandemic that accelerated the need of rethinking the sense of theory and practice of Education and the education of teachers. Among these reflections it is pointed at the need to:
• learn to live under uncertainty and manage changes;
• develop creativity, and critical and practical thinking;
• promote a caring, cooperation;
• evolve an ecological conscience.
It ends concluding the following: “The processes together with the promotion of a more egalitarian and sustainable economic model of society can be a destination to which we can set our sails”.
The Prologue
It is written by Dr. John Elliott, a leading researcher and writer in Action Research and Education recognized worldwide. The name is the following: Lesson Study: Forming within the globalization context. It helps provide a historical and global context for Lesson Study from Japan to England to Spain and most recently to Ecuador.
He starts by referring to Lesson Study in Japan when James W. Stigler and James Hierbert made their assessment of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 1997. They also decided to compare the teaching processes of a number of countries including Japan as their students scored the highest in the world. This developed attention on the innovative practices of Lesson Study as a method of professional development of teachers in Japan. They went on to assert that the problem with American Education was not one of testing or curricula, but rather a teaching gap. In 1999 they published The Teaching Gap which continues to be a valuable educational text.
Stigler and Hierbert (1999) described professional development through lesson Study in this way:
Lesson Study:
1. Promotes a gradual and continuous process of learning incrementation
2. Places the learning goals of the students at the center
3. Focuses on the process of teaching rather than on individual teachers
4. Creates a social and educational context that supports good teaching
5. Improves respect for and conditions of work of teachers
6. Develops a system where teachers could learn from their own and others experiences in teaching
Elliott in agreement with Stigler and Hierbert (1999), highlights the process and culture of teaching as the most important. This is because it is considered to be implicit in the other aspects. Stigler and Hierbert described the Japanese model of Lesson Study as a process of practical reasoning where it is possible to identify explicit Scripts for Teaching. These have been named by different authors like Schon (1987), as Tacit knowledge and by Peña Trapero and Pérez Gómez (2017) as implicit components of the practical knowledge of teachers. Elliott refers that these are charged with emotional components, pointing at the practical thinking as it is included in the thinking in action together with reflexive knowledge. Elliott, relying on the work of Stigler and Hierbert emphasizes the collaborative approach of the Japanese model of LS , as teachers participate in the transformation of the teaching scripts. The focus is on the transformation of lessons rather than teacher competition and the students learning as the center of the Lesson Study communities of practice.
Lesson Study beyond Japan
Tracing the history of teacher and action research, Elliott suggests that lesson study is consistent with the “Teacher as a Researcher “ a philosophy developed by Lawrence Stenhouse (1975) in the U.K. These ideas were developed as a hypothesis for the implementation of the Humanities Project (HCP (1967-72). Similar ideas about the possibility of expressing and developing research lines from the process model were developed in the Ford Project (Elliot2019). These progressive ideas were not considered widely by educational systems and Elliot blames the move to the behavioristic Objectives Curriculum Model. This emphasis on behavioral objectives as ruling the practical reasoning of teachers in the classrooms was made even more dominated by the use of behavioral objectives testing.
In addition, Elliott details some of the challenges of moving LS from Japan to Western Educational Systems. He refers to, Takahasshi and McDougal ( 2016)pp1-15) in relation to the following: Devaluation of the initial planning phase of the lesson. He points to the need for understanding and application of the LS stages (Planning, teaching/observation of the teacher. Post – analysis. Modification of the lesson). Among many different aspects concerning the last, he argues for developing an experimental approach in order to develop learning strategies. In the end he points at the process approach of teaching for understanding. Though he refers that the deep process of understanding could bring in divergent interpretations of critical characteristics. He argues that the teaching object cannot be defined independently of the learning process. Supporting his argument in the Theory of Variation (Defined by Marton and Booth (1997) and developed in Sweden at Gothenburg University as part of teaching and the teacher acting as a learner too). He refers to the typology of Lo y Pong for the LLS (2005,pp2832) of variation theory, among which he emphasized that it is possible to identify: Variation as main principle of the pedagogic design. This means that it is possible to find different pedagogic designs made by teachers with different patterns of variation in order to allow students to think about different critical aspects of the learning object so that they could reason deeply and wider.
After pointing at different aspects of Lesson Study in Hong Kong where Lesson Study,LS, was approached focusing on studying the learning (LLS ), the end paragraph refers to the need to institutionalize the mix LS , based in the school in the context of higher education. Which presents an alternative challenge to the traditional conceptions based on academic erudition in the field of teacher education.
The Book
At the end of this review it is placed a translation of the eighteen chapters titles of the book. Here a short synthesis of part I is presented together with some theoretical aspects of the first chapter of Part II.
Part I
The why ….
The first part of the book explores the theoretical underpinnings of Lesson Study and details how building a learning community can provide for continuous professional development of teachers.
It includes three chapters. Chapter 1 Another Pedagogy for another normality by Dr. Angel Pérez Gómez. Chapter2 From Knowledge to Practical Knowledge . The complex construction of the teachers Professional Subjectivity by Angel Pérez Gómez. Chapter 3 An educational community to learn and teach to become a teacher To build a 3er space by Encarnación Soto Gómez, María Pilar Sepulveda Ruiz y Monsalud Gil.
A synthesis of some important aspects follows.
Chapter 1
Dr Pérez Gómez deeply covers the topic of the educational challenges faced by humanity due to the Covid Pandemic in a time of uncertainty and vulnerability. He argues for the rising of a new Pedagogic Culture. Including a new and a holistically relevant curriculum. This in order to evolve in an active culture and in a cooperative and creative teaching . He gives importance in the curriculum to the following: the exploration, experimentation and play. He also refers to the inclusion of the Aesthetic relevance, to value such communication and cooperation. Also great importance is given to the Ecological approach, together with the emotional component. All these deriving in an active cooperative personalized and creative teaching. This within a democratic, flexible educational contexts among other relevant characteristics. Giving the teachers a special role as education professionals .
Chapter 2
. In this chapter Dr. Pérez Gómez presents a global reflective review of the foundations of the 10 years of the research program under the umbrella of the Lesson Study. Basically looking at the following concepts: education, pedagogy, educational learning, the teacher as a reflexive professional, teaching skills, developing of the practical knowledge. A especial consideration is given to theorize practice and experience theory. The former is presented and discussed in figure2.1 of the chapter.
Phases of practical knowledge
Theorization of the Practice Experimentation of Theory
Experimenting new habits,
Analysis, contrast
And observation attitudes and emotions
Phases of the practical knowledge
He presents the phases and movements in a required spiral and in order to Identify and analyze the peculiarities, lights and shadows of our pre-conscious and intuitive practical knowledge in all its cognitive and socioemotional dimension (intuitive Gestalt), to contrast its logic, its assumptions, and consequences, in light of theoretical knowledge to reconstruct and reformulate it (informed Gestalt ) and experience its implications by consciously building new coherent and shareable habits, attitudes, emotions , and beliefs (Informed Gestalt in use ).
Chapter 3
An educational community to learn and teach to become a teacher: To build a 3er Space. By Encarnación Soto Gómez, María Pilar Sepúlveda Ruíz y Monsalud Gallardo Gil.
In this chapter the authors referred the experience of the University of Malaga since 2013, when they have been incorporating LS processes within the framework of different subjects of the initial teacher training programs of the University . They defined the purpose as promoting the reconstruction of the practical knowledge of teaching students in a complex design process, developing a cooperative study of the lesson in real contexts, linking university and school, under the guidance of the university and professional tutor (Pérez-Gómez, Soto and Servan, 2010; Soto et al., 2016; Peña et al.. 2015; ). There the students and teachers have been currently immersed in a research project (Project 2) that follows up on eight case studies at the Faculty of Education of the University of Malaga and two at the National University of Education of Cuenca (Ecuador). Ten studies focused on the reconstruction of practical knowledge through various Lesson Study processes in the initial training of teachers of Infant, Primary and Pedagogy. Distributed in different subjects and courses and in an interdisciplinary way. They refer several subjects of the same course incorporated groups of LS that are organized between 4 and 6 students and one academic tutor per group. It is requested to design and develop an educational proposal for some children of a classroom and a specific school. So the academic work of the course makes sense and is situated. The conceptual clarification of the work is gradually shared, advice and accompaniment, as well as the systematic process of the LS itself where students alternate the roles of teacher and observer. This helps students and teachers to make visible and initiate the transformation of their personal beliefs, showing the possibilities of this cooperative work (Soto, Serván & Caparrós, 2016; Peña, Serván and Soto, 2016). These experiences were investigated through observations, interviews and the students' personal and group portfolios, collecting evidence of the reconstruction of their practical thinking before, during and after the Lesson Study process. The initial results of the first investigations carried out, within the framework of the Degree in Early Childhood Education (Soto, Serván & Caparrós, 2016; Peña, Serván & Soto, 2016) show that students were able to visualize and begin to transform their personal beliefs, thus showing the possibilities of this work of research and cooperative action.
The procedure followed strengthen the LS as a teacher training strategy: (1) The processes of theorization of the practice and experimentation of theory from the Lesson study have been incorporated as LS processes within the framework of different subjects of the initial teacher training programs of the University of Malaga. The purpose have been promoting the reconstruction of the practical knowledge of teaching students in a complex design process, development and cooperative study of the lesson in real contexts. Results show that students were able to visualize and begin to transform their personal beliefs, thus presenting the possibilities of this work of research and cooperative action. We will dedicate the following section to describe and analyze some of the findings of both lines of research around the aforementioned axes that, in our opinion, strengthen the LS as a teacher training strategy: (1) The processes of theorization of the practice and experimentation of theory .
Here a synthesis:
Living and building an educational experience requires an ongoing, cyclical transition from practical knowledge to practical thinking through two key processes: theorization of practice and experimentation of theory. Being a teacher requires programs and strategies that help to create flexible, open, powerful integration between these two structures, where reflection is understood as informed awareness – It will be key to ensuring that practical knowledge becomes practical thinking (Soto et al. 2015; Pérez Gómez, Soto, and Serván 2010; Pérez Gómez 2017).
Part II A Why and How
Among different and rich aspects of LS experience presented in six chapters ,briefly some comments from Chapter 4.
Chapter 4 Lesson Study Theorizing Practice and Experimenting theory as an infinite loop. By Encarnacion Soto Gomez
In this Chapter the author presents the meaning of LS in relation to the daily teacher practice. Pointing at a space where the practice is understood as in relation to creative and constructive dialogs. Hence LS opens the possibility of a cyclical process of experimentation, research and reflexion about their own practice ,therefore helping to transform the practical knowledge of the teachers.Refering to Murata (2011) from Japan, the author mention how to contribute to develop a a teacher´s culture throw the LS.
In addition the author refers to Lesson Study and the Teachers Initial Teacher Education, looking at the phases of LS together giving great importance to the Tutorials as a foundational aspect of the process of LS. There it is possible to experience the movements of the Phases of LS: To Design, To Teach . To Reflect.
To Design To Teach
To Reflect
According to the author these basic movements help to follow the Phases of LS. These are the following :
1.Fisrt Phase: Study and identification of the Problem. Definition of the ends that orientate the LS. Teachers reflect, describe the situation. Identify axes of improving . Select a subject to connect to the needs of the students. Research . different readings , voices and reflections are incorporated in order to define the ends of the lesson. This becomes the lesson to research.
The author points at the difficulty of working with students with low experiences in education and call attention on Chapter 1 of this book. Therefore, the need to discuss and reflect in order to promote new perspectives about the learning processes.
2.Second Phase To design cooperatively an experimental lesson to study including the design of an observation script .
The author presents this phase as a double process . The Focus is on what the student do. This means to pay attention to the process followed by the students, for example to consider how do they answer to the teacher questions. How is the communication among the students, how could they change their thoughts etc. Special attention is given to the different resources employed during the lesson. Also some questions need to be consider like for example : How the students reacted to the lesson? The activities planned should cover the students development. The author reflect about this part as a cooperative process.
3. To teach and observe the lesson
During this part one member of the team perform the experimental class and the rest of the team observe and register aspects related to the learning process followed by the students according to the Lesson Plan.
The author mentions that this part allow them to find out about their University Students Practical knowledge . This in addition to the to the observation of the children vital participation during the class. That could show aspects that were not consider in the Lesson Plan.
4. .Analysis of Evidences
In this part the group reflect and share their observations of the lesson.
The author points that the first to talk are the students that performed the class. They share their view of the class and its different aspects . In a second turn the rest of the group share their aspects observed during the Lesson. This part is centered in the children learning in relation to the plan. Lastly they evaluate the Lesson Design .
The author points at the importance of the pedagogical evidences in order to enrich the process of analysis and reflection about teaching.
Steps 5 and 6 : New Design and Improved Development of the Lesson.
As a consequence of the debate and observations collected and documented in previous stages new aspects are introduced into the Lesson Plan.
Step 7. To Evaluate, reflex and document the Experience. In this phase there is a a new report of the of the research.This includes : A description and analysis of the different parts of the followed process together with a definition of the values identified.
The author define several questions to help to develop this part . Like for example : What have we learned about the learning of the students ?,. How is it related to proposal planned? What were the strong aspects considered in the plan? What should be changed from the original Plan? What unplanned aspects where observed ? New approaches that evolved from the experience? Etc. In the end the question concerning the implications of this experience.
The author points at the need of the Tutorials as a new aspect to incorporate in LS and finally she reflects deeply on how to understand theoretical representations and practical knowledge involved in our teaching practice. These are implicit dimensions of subjectivity.
Conclusion
This interesting book presents very deeply different aspects of the incorporation of Leson Study on Teacher Education, in Malaga, Spain . However, this experience could be considered in different countries where there is a need to reflect on the way teaching is done and needs improvement. It shows and discuss great ideas on how to put LS into practice. In addition it places the debate on the importance of teachers as main focus of the Educational Process rising aspects of education that needs deeply consideration like teachers values and preparation. Cooperative Action Research is placed at the center of the Educational Process giving thoughts to reflect on a less competitive world.
References
Elliott, J(2000) Educational change from action research. Madrid. Morata Editions
Elliott J. (2007) Reflecting on Where the Action Is: The Selected Works of John Eliott, Chap 2.Abingdom Oxon and New York. RoutledgeEdit
Elliott, J. "What is Lesson Study"? European Journal of Education, Vol 64, no. 2.
Lo and Pong for the LLS (2005 (,pp2832)
Marton and Booth (1997)
Peña Trapero N and Pérez Gómez A.I. (2017) "Pedagogical potentialities of lesson study for the reconstruction of teaching dispositions" International Journal of Lesson and Learning Studies, Vol6, No. 1
Stigler y Herbert (1999)
Lawrence Stenhouse (1975)
Takahasshi y McDougal (2016)pp1-15)
Some of our Students' AR Studies
The importance of cultural intelligence in providing customer service in community colleges.
Professional development for administrators and the impact of reflection, peer coaching, and mentoring on leadership development.
Systems of support for women of color in leadership in the non-profit sector.
Professional learning pathways focused on adult social and emotional learning.
Resources
Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation: Resources for Creating and Supporting Global Learning Experiences https://teaching.cornell.edu/resource/resources-creating-supporting-global-learning-experiences
Resources for Global Development Education Research Centre Douglas Bourn 2014 Research Paper No.11 for the Global Learning Programme https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1492723/1/DERC_ResearchPaper11-TheTheoryAndPracticeOfGlobalLearning[2].pdf
Books to Explore
Upcoming Conferences
- The ARNA 2024 Conference will be held at Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan. The Hybrid Gathering will be held: June 7 & 8, 2024. CARN Study Day: June 6 https://arnawebsite.org/conferences/
- The CARN DACH conference information can be found on the CARN website: https://www.carn.org.uk/events/conferences/
- World Education Summit 2024 https://www.worldedsummit.com/
The STAR-ARC invites the larger ARNA community to join us in expanding the site and discussing ideas, activities, projects and resources. Members have made the site available in Spanish, developing a blog to encourage feedback and working on an idea to offer STAR Conversations on issues related to teaching action research.
Thanks to all that joined us at the ARNA conference in May/June, 2023. If you have ideas or professional needs as a teacher of action research, please come and share your ideas. We will evolve with all of you.