Gent, September 2007 Liliana Voicu Improving the quality of trainers’ work through self-reflection on values and roles

Why values and roles  Work of trainers and teachers - repetitive and structured in the daily routine  Axiological dimension of this work - deeply embedded in behavioural patterns and cultural background -->  more difficult to reveal  its effects in subsequent messages - nevertheless powerful

Values and roles dimension  The teacher is considered to be the learning tutor/consultant. In this quality area for reflection it is presumed that teachers and trainers can improve their training and class quality if they change their self-conception (Values) and their different ways of acting (Roles).  The reflection of Values and Roles yields findings which can be used for answering the key question:  What kind of self-conception and acting supports the teaching and training quality?

 Please state what are the most important reasons that led you choose teaching instead of any other profession. How did you become a teacher/trainer? Since you are practicing this job, have you thought of changing profession? If yes, why? Question - individual

 Which of the following values do you consider to be represented by your institution?  Equal Opportunity  A Just Society  Excellence  Democracy  Participation  Professionalism  Partnerships Question - institution

 What kind of strategy in the list below does represent your teaching values ?  Don't humiliate any student or strive for power for power's sake.  Respect your students for their potential. Treat every student fairly.  Always address their bad actions not their bad selves. Their actions can change.  Get enough sleep. Get -Enough- sleep. Keep in shape physically. Question - individual

 Learn something new every year so your students don't have to listen to the same stuff.  Don't take yourself too seriously.  You can not save everyone in your class... don't be loaded down with that one.  Learn from others, borrow, be teachable, don't expect to know all things. Be humble. The manner in which a teacher/trainer views the students and the task of teaching subtly permeates all of a teacher's plans. Leif Danielson

 What are the three most important values integrated in the curriculum developed in my institution?  What are the three most important values integrated in the main handbook/course support/teaching material used in day-to-day classes? What are the three most important values derived from the behaviour of our students?  Are these values coherent between themselves? Question - institution

How does the tool work first overall evaluation in Romania

 30 CVT trainers from consultancy companies and internal trainers  5 representatives from the field of educational management

 Initial presentation (150 attendees) at training fair  30 recruited at AxA stall  1:1 discussion  Participants used the tool at the fair with informal observation  Participants completed evaluation afterwards

 1:1 use of tool - no guidance or instruction  Follow up interview  Qualitative feedback only

Statistics EffImp Count: 3131 Mean: Mode: 66 x30 x6 Median: IQR: STDev: Comments: Overall people thought the tool was quite attractive but that this was fairly irrelevant provided that the tool works.

Statistics EffImp Count: 3131 Mean: Mode: 43 x2100 x18 Median: IQR: STDev: Comments: Basic use is straight forward but navigating between dimensions and tiers can be confusing.

Statistics EffImp Count: 3131 Mean: Mode: 51 x4100 x5 Median: IQR: STDev: Comments: Many “old school” Romanian teachers and trainers have a fairly low IT competency level and this could be a huge barrier to adoption in the Romanian context especially in the public education system.

Statistics EffImp Count: 3131 Mean: Mode: 47 x3100 x7 Median: IQR: STDev: Comments: The amount of desired backup information depends greatly on the specific questions tested. Some participants did not require any but felt it might be important. The phrasing of the questions is sometimes ambiguous or irrelevant (to them personally) and this could be a cause for the perceived requirement.

Statistics EffImp Count: 3131 Mean: Mode: 73 x3100 x18 Median: IQR: STDev: Comments: Some of the questions are quite closed (Y/N), and do not actively encourage reflection, and others are more knowledge based and feel like a test.

Statistics EffImp Count: 3131 Mean: Mode: 0 x1679 x4 Median: IQR: STDev: Comments: Trainers feel that using the tool will be an individual choice and of benefit only to them personally. They would also resent being forced to use it by their organisation. Time constraints was the most common reason given.

Statistics EffImp Count: 3131 Mean: Mode: 68 x258 x2 Median: IQR: STDev: Comments: Some liked the sharing of ideas and knowledge gained from IT&C usage. Others would prefer to use a non IT solution and a more personal approach.

Statistics EffImp Count: 3131 Mean: Mode: 73 x2100 x17 Median: IQR: STDev: Comments: Participants enjoyed the variety of stimuli and question types, although some were more difficult to use than others. There seemed to be something for everyone (from interactive to text based).

Statistics EffImp Count: 3131 Mean: Mode: 0 x13100 x7 Median: IQR: STDev: Comments: Participants didn’t understand the purpose of the higher tiers and found the extra level of navigation annoying. They would have preferred to have less options of navigation as long as the text of the question includes the scope.

Statistics EffImp Count: 3131 Mean: Mode: 55 x422 x3 Median: IQR: STDev: Comments: A wide range of results. Many participants found the definitions of the dimensions to be clear and easy to understand. But they were unsure as to the reasoning behind them on first impression.

 Some questions should be rephrased or removed  The participants were positive on the need for the tool  The only common complaint in terms of user- friendliness was the tiers  Variety in presentation of questions is appreciated  Self evaluation & reflection is seen as an individual activity  Repetition of the questions is not seen as a barrier