Learning to be a teacher in the distance learning program at the Iceland University of Education; The individual, the school and the community Þuríður Jóhannsdóttir Leiðbeinandi Jón Torfi Jónasson Meðleiðbeinendur: Allyson Macdonald og Sten R. Ludvigsen

The focus of the study The purpose of the research is to gain understanding of the learning as distance student The aim is to explore how distance teacher education can be explained or understood if we approach learning from a socio-cultural perspective? Distance education for teacher students will be analyzed in historical and social context - exploring the meaning and importance of this form of education –for individuals, –for the schools that have been lacking formally educated teachers and –for the rural communities?

Research question 1 How is the student teacher enculturated into the teaching profession in the distance educational program at the Iceland University of Education? –What kinds of learning activities are likely to be meaningful for the teacher student? –What kinds of learning activities are likely to bring about the skills asked for to meet criteria of professionalism in teaching? –How are the learning tasks of teacher students affected by ICT as a tool in distance learning activities? –How is the teaching as task or activity mediated with ICT affecting the learning of distance teacher students? –How has the distance education changed from 1993 to ?

Research question 2 How have and does the distance learning program affect the compulsory schools (primary lower secondary) in the Westfjords? –How has the distance educational program changed professional activity (of teachers) in the compulsory schools in the West-fjords? Professionalism – criteria (Changing in school-culture? Management, division of labor, use of ICT? Teacher’s self-confidence?)

The theoretical background Socio- cultural approach will be used to analyze and interpret the distance education as an activity system where the actors/subjects are primarily teacher students in the Westfjords. The analytical models developed within the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT ) Situated learning theories

Activity Theory The activity system as a unit of analysis –has been used to research the effectiveness of everyday learning environments –the relationship between the individual participant and the activity system’s purpose Activity as mediated by tools is central

CHAT or AT – triangle The CHAT triangle stresses the importance of the context of the activity of the learner as well as the effect with the tool and effect of the tool used to mediate learning (Salomon) Vygotsky, Leonte´v, Bahtkin, Engeström, Cole, Pea o.fl.

Teaching and learning as activities Break teaching and learning down into tasks – (M. Allyson Macdonald 2003) Identify the tasks as performed on the web in distance learning and teaching Get a better understanding of how ICT-tools used to mediate teaching and learning are affecting the task Identify underlying conceptions of learning in activities performed or planned by the teacher – and mediated through ICT-tools

The Activity Theory model Object Subject Tools Division of labor Rules Community Outcome

David R. Russel [...] Activity theory and distributed learning. Ability to analyse the dynamic human interaction mediated by computers at both the micro (psychological and interpersonal) and macro (socilogical and cultural) levels to understand - and construct – zones of proximal development. Deep contradictions are constantly produced in an activity system Affordances and constraints arising at any node may change other nodes, e.g. New tolls may change division of labor

Learning – teacher education – distance learning The content of the teacher education programme is at the centre of the learning that has to be focused on. What do student teachers have to learn to become teachers? Recent theories on teacher education therefore have to be explored and used to throw a light on and analyze the program within the study. Theoretical assumptions on distance education in teacher education will be especially considered.

The student participants – individual perspective ?? 1.The first group is working as teachers in the primary schools while studying. 2.The second is not, but may have various kinds of jobs or other obligations. 3.Teachers that got their teacher education in the distance program some years ago and are now taking graduate courses at a distance.

Other participants – cultural historical perspective Three principals where student teachers have been in the distance learning program, to get the perspective of the compulsory schools Three participants to get a historical perspective: –The head of the advisory school office for the Westfjords who was an important promoter of the distance program for teacher student in the beginning –two teachers who were enrolled in the first progamme launched 1993, both now principals or vice-principals in compulsory schools in the Westfjords.

Data to be gathered for the study Research question 1: –Interviews with 6-8 student teachers about their learning activities, the personal meaningfulness of their learning and their understanding of the kind of professionalism they have gained in the programme. One of the interviews will take place in front of a computer screen where the student teachers will be asked to show and explain how they use the Internet in their studies. –Observations in the compulsory schools where student teachers teach while studying at a distance and short follow-up interviews. Lessons will be chosen by the student teachers. –Observations in some on-campus sessions. –Small scale survey with all distance students in the primary school teacher education programme in the Westfjords (aprox. 25) on questions that have arisen during the interviews.

Data to be gathered for the study Research question 1: –Content analysis of the teacher education curriculum of the Iceland University of Education, regarding professional skills required to meet the programme’s objectives. –Interview with two students who took their initial teacher training in the distance learning programme and are now taking courses at the graduate level, about the personal and professional meaning of the distance education. –Interview with one principal and one vice principal who were enrolled in the first group 1993, about their experience and the personal and professional meaning of the distance education.

Research question 2: Interviews with 3 principals (or vice principals) in compulsory schools in the West-fjords (two of them were themselves in the first group enrolled in the dist. ed. program) about the meaning of the distance educational programme for the schools and the community in the Westfjords. Interview with Pétur Bjarnason who was the head of the advisory school office for the Westfjords at Ísafjörður when the distance program was first launched in January 1993, about the motivation and social needs that initially lied behind the programme and about technical and professional scaffolding provided for during the first years. Historical data on number of unqualified teachers in the Westfjords 1993 and Grades in national tests in 10th class year 1993 and later.

Data collection plan: Interviews and observations

Outline of the thesis 1.Introduction on purpose, questions, value of the study etc. 2.Theoretical back ground CHAT, Situated learning. 3.Literature review – state of the art in teacher educational research, – distances ed. 4.Research methods – 5.Social and historical context. The development analyzed with CHAT – models/tools 1.Three levels: community, schools as institutions and individuals 2.Development of ICT – effects with the tools, and of the tools. 3.The social, pedagogical and technical support – changes reflecting political decisions and changes in ideology and policy in IUE and/or in higher education generally. Who is responsible for the support needed?

6. Results 6.1 Distance learning as an activity. –Distance students as actors in an activity system – their context where they live and work. –Teacher students working as teachers at the same time as they are studying. –Teacher students not working in schools but having different jobs or obligations. –Teachers that got their teacher education in the distance program some years ago and are now taking graduate

Results 6.1 Distance learning as an activity. The role of ICT as a tool – affordances and constraints –How ICT is a tool for students to become part of a learning community –ICT as tool for performing learning tasks –ICT as mediating tool for teaching tasks

Results 6.1 Distance learning as an activity. The nature of the learning tasks. The goal/outcome, the context, the roles of students (and teachers) and the rules or frames given by the institution – AT-triangle –Analyze underlying learning theories –The role of the teachers –The role of the peer-students

Results 6.1 Distance learning as an activity. The education as an outcome –What kind of learning tasks are likely to bring about learning, personally meaningful and leading to professionalism –What kind of ICT-use? –What learning theories? –What kind of teaching activity in a broad sense?

Results b 6.2 The meaning and importance of the distance learning program mediated and made possible with ICT for the compulsory schools in rural communities. Changes in the teacher core in Westfjords from 1993 when the program was first offered via Internet Changes in professionalism in the schools Changing in school-culture? Management, division of labour, Teachers use of ICT in their work as teachers