Shifting Positionality in Cooperative Education

Shifting Positionality in Cooperative Education

A self-study of enabling buy-in

Jeela Jones, MEd, PhD Candidate

Assistant Director

University of Ottawa

A self-study of enabling buy-in

Jeela Jones, MEd, PhD Candidate

Assistant Director

University of Ottawa

AgendaAgenda

Overview of the project Findings Where are we now? Questions and discussion

Overview of the project Findings Where are we now? Questions and discussion

Is co-op placement or an educational strategy ?

Is co-op placement or an educational strategy ?

What do we mean when we say placement focus vs. educational focus?

In 2006/2007 we asked ourselves if we should have an educational focus and then decided to ask our stakeholders

What did the stakeholders say (employers, students, faculty)?

What did the co-op staff say?

What do we mean when we say placement focus vs. educational focus?

In 2006/2007 we asked ourselves if we should have an educational focus and then decided to ask our stakeholders

What did the stakeholders say (employers, students, faculty)?

What did the co-op staff say?

Giving ‘em what they wantGiving ‘em what they want

The student consumer, so called because of the consumer demands students bring to higher education (Davies & Thomas, 2002; Birnbaum & Eckel, 2005; Slaughter & Rhoades, 2005)

Why would staff be concerned about a shift towards an educational focus when the student consumer (among others) seeks an educational focus?

The student consumer, so called because of the consumer demands students bring to higher education (Davies & Thomas, 2002; Birnbaum & Eckel, 2005; Slaughter & Rhoades, 2005)

Why would staff be concerned about a shift towards an educational focus when the student consumer (among others) seeks an educational focus?

SiteSite

University of Ottawa Co-op Spring 2007 27 staff with 11 Co-op Coordinators

Stakeholders (Students, faculty, staff) Perceived co-op as an educational program This required a shift in our “positionality or stance”

(Lewin, 2006, p. 15) because what is true and right for employers is not necessarily the same as what is true and right for students

University of Ottawa Co-op Spring 2007 27 staff with 11 Co-op Coordinators

Stakeholders (Students, faculty, staff) Perceived co-op as an educational program This required a shift in our “positionality or stance”

(Lewin, 2006, p. 15) because what is true and right for employers is not necessarily the same as what is true and right for students

ParticipantParticipant

Myself A practitioner tasked with bringing about this

shift A researcher interested in how that comes about

Myself A practitioner tasked with bringing about this

shift A researcher interested in how that comes about

Self-study methodologySelf-study methodology Practitioner/Researcher: Self-study is more commonly

used in the teacher-practitioner setting but it is emerging as meaningful to admin practice in education (Loughan, 2004)

Living contradiction: Self-study provides opportunity to reveal discrepancy between values and beliefs, the living contradiction (Austin & Senese, 2005)

Hands-on: Self-study “rejects the idea that problems can be solved at an abstract, theoretical level and then simply applied by practitioners” (Beck, Freese & Kosnick, 2004, p. 1262)

Practitioner/Researcher: Self-study is more commonly used in the teacher-practitioner setting but it is emerging as meaningful to admin practice in education (Loughan, 2004)

Living contradiction: Self-study provides opportunity to reveal discrepancy between values and beliefs, the living contradiction (Austin & Senese, 2005)

Hands-on: Self-study “rejects the idea that problems can be solved at an abstract, theoretical level and then simply applied by practitioners” (Beck, Freese & Kosnick, 2004, p. 1262)

Self-study methodologySelf-study methodology Journaling: Self-study requires the practitioner to

journal “anticipatory, contemporaneous, and retrospective reflection (Beck, Freese & Kosnick, 2004)

Critical friend: To avoid naval gazing a “critical friend acts as a sounding board, asks challenging questions, supports reframing of events, and joins in the professional learning experience” (Shuck & Russell, 2005, p, 107)

Dialogue: A dialogue is created between the practitioner and the critical friend (Farell, 2001)

Journaling: Self-study requires the practitioner to journal “anticipatory, contemporaneous, and retrospective reflection (Beck, Freese & Kosnick, 2004)

Critical friend: To avoid naval gazing a “critical friend acts as a sounding board, asks challenging questions, supports reframing of events, and joins in the professional learning experience” (Shuck & Russell, 2005, p, 107)

Dialogue: A dialogue is created between the practitioner and the critical friend (Farell, 2001)

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

How am I enabling buy-in to the need to shift positionality?

What do my enabling behaviors reveal about co-op at U of O and the larger co-op community?

How am I enabling buy-in to the need to shift positionality?

What do my enabling behaviors reveal about co-op at U of O and the larger co-op community?

Project FormatProject Format

In May 2007, I made a presentation to all-staff on our need to shift our positionality from a placement to educational focus

I journaled my experience of the seven days leading up to the presentation and the 10 days that followed

I took care to journal my experience of enabling buy-in

In May 2007, I made a presentation to all-staff on our need to shift our positionality from a placement to educational focus

I journaled my experience of the seven days leading up to the presentation and the 10 days that followed

I took care to journal my experience of enabling buy-in

AnalysisAnalysis

Used the journal notes along with the critique provided by the critical friend

Triangulated these with various documents: the presentation I made on May 17, 2007 the stakeholder research I’d conducted in

2006/2007

Used the journal notes along with the critique provided by the critical friend

Triangulated these with various documents: the presentation I made on May 17, 2007 the stakeholder research I’d conducted in

2006/2007

FindingsFindings

Being a change agent Talking often and early on Becoming a leader Utilizing self-study

Being a change agent Talking often and early on Becoming a leader Utilizing self-study

Being a change agentBeing a change agent

Really the discussion was around how there’s reluctance for a change and how putting students at the center of what we do has been pushed back again and again…

Really the discussion was around how there’s reluctance for a change and how putting students at the center of what we do has been pushed back again and again…

Being a change agentBeing a change agent

A colleague starts in talking about how he/she personally, and knows that others were concerned about what I was going to present today and that I was going to come in and make tons of changes and tell people what to do, “Like BANG!” (and he/she makes the motions of a shotgun).

A colleague starts in talking about how he/she personally, and knows that others were concerned about what I was going to present today and that I was going to come in and make tons of changes and tell people what to do, “Like BANG!” (and he/she makes the motions of a shotgun).

Talking often and early onTalking often and early on

It took two hours instead of one hour but, next time we’ll plan more time to meet since the discussion was important

I felt like I should have had this conversation months ago…like nine months ago when we started the fact-finding project.

It took two hours instead of one hour but, next time we’ll plan more time to meet since the discussion was important

I felt like I should have had this conversation months ago…like nine months ago when we started the fact-finding project.

Becoming a leaderBecoming a leader I’m still thinking about this meeting - should I have

been more or less something? I don’t think more firm or more soft would have helped. More firm would have sparked more anger and also I may have lost it…more soft and I would have been walked over.

[My colleague] said, “If there’s one person who could bring about this change, it’s you.” I’m still a little wowed by that. Complimented but also feeling like there’s a weight on my shoulders.

I’m still thinking about this meeting - should I have been more or less something? I don’t think more firm or more soft would have helped. More firm would have sparked more anger and also I may have lost it…more soft and I would have been walked over.

[My colleague] said, “If there’s one person who could bring about this change, it’s you.” I’m still a little wowed by that. Complimented but also feeling like there’s a weight on my shoulders.

Utilizing self-studyUtilizing self-study

I’m thinking about being a “living contradiction”. And there it is. Me saying we need to be student centered and yet, I’ve decided to not involve people in my presentation today. So, I changed my mind…

I’m thinking about being a “living contradiction”. And there it is. Me saying we need to be student centered and yet, I’ve decided to not involve people in my presentation today. So, I changed my mind…

Enabling buy-in?Enabling buy-in? How did I enable buy-in?

Shared information Created cross-functional teams Asked staff to speak in a public setting instead of having me

being a “sage on the stage” What did my behaviors reveal about U of O?

Silos and territories Challenges with info sharing Limited opportunities for staff to speak in public settings

What do my behaviors reveal about the larger co-op community? Shifting positionality is a shift in values

How did I enable buy-in? Shared information Created cross-functional teams Asked staff to speak in a public setting instead of having me

being a “sage on the stage” What did my behaviors reveal about U of O?

Silos and territories Challenges with info sharing Limited opportunities for staff to speak in public settings

What do my behaviors reveal about the larger co-op community? Shifting positionality is a shift in values

Where are we now?Where are we now?

Have we changed? Have the staff shifted positionality from placement to an educational focus?

Have I changed? Do I do my job differently?

Have we changed? Have the staff shifted positionality from placement to an educational focus?

Have I changed? Do I do my job differently?

ReferencesReferencesAustin, T., & Senese, J. (2005). Self-Study in school teaching: Teachers’ perspectives. In J.J. Loughran, M.L.

Hamilton, V. LaBoskey & T. Russell (Eds.) International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices (pp. 1231-1258). Dordrecht; Kluwer Academic Publishing.

Beck, C., Freese, A, & Kosnick, C. (2004). The preservice practicum: Learning through self-study in a professional setting. In J.J. Loughran, M.L. Hamilton, V. LaBoskey & T. Russell (Eds.) International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices (pp. 1260-1293). Dordrecht; Kluwer Academic Publishing.

Birnbaum, R., & Eckel, P. D. (2005). The dilemma of presidential leadership. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl, & P. J. Gumport (Eds.) American Higher Education in the Twenty-First century: Social, Political, and Economic Challenges (pp. 340-365). Baltimore; The John Hopkins University Press.

Davies, A., & Thomas, R. (2002). Managerialism and accountability in higher education: The gendered nature of restructuring and the costs of academic service. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 13, 179-193.

Farrell, T. (2001). Critical friendships: Colleagues helping each other develop. ELT Journal, 55(4), 368-374.

Lewin, E. (2006). Introduction. In E. Lewin (Ed.) Feminist anthropology: A reader (pp. 1-38) Malden: Blackwell Publishing.

Loughran, J. J. (2004). A history and context of self study of teaching and teacher education practices. In J.J. Loughran, M.L. Hamilton, V. LaBoskey & T. Russell (Eds.) International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices (pp. 7-39) Dordrecht; Kluwer Academic Publishing.

Schuck, S., & Russell, T. (2005). Self study, critical friendship and the complexities of teacher education. Studying Teacher Education, 1(2), pp. 107-121

Slaughterhouse, S., & Rhoades, G. (2005). Markets in higher education: Students in the seventies, patents in the eighties, copyrights in the nineties. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl, & P. J. Gumport (Eds.) American Higher Education in the Twenty-First century: Social, Political, and Economic Challenges, Baltimore (pp. 486-516).The John Hopkins University Press.

Austin, T., & Senese, J. (2005). Self-Study in school teaching: Teachers’ perspectives. In J.J. Loughran, M.L. Hamilton, V. LaBoskey & T. Russell (Eds.) International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices (pp. 1231-1258). Dordrecht; Kluwer Academic Publishing.

Beck, C., Freese, A, & Kosnick, C. (2004). The preservice practicum: Learning through self-study in a professional setting. In J.J. Loughran, M.L. Hamilton, V. LaBoskey & T. Russell (Eds.) International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices (pp. 1260-1293). Dordrecht; Kluwer Academic Publishing.

Birnbaum, R., & Eckel, P. D. (2005). The dilemma of presidential leadership. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl, & P. J. Gumport (Eds.) American Higher Education in the Twenty-First century: Social, Political, and Economic Challenges (pp. 340-365). Baltimore; The John Hopkins University Press.

Davies, A., & Thomas, R. (2002). Managerialism and accountability in higher education: The gendered nature of restructuring and the costs of academic service. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 13, 179-193.

Farrell, T. (2001). Critical friendships: Colleagues helping each other develop. ELT Journal, 55(4), 368-374.

Lewin, E. (2006). Introduction. In E. Lewin (Ed.) Feminist anthropology: A reader (pp. 1-38) Malden: Blackwell Publishing.

Loughran, J. J. (2004). A history and context of self study of teaching and teacher education practices. In J.J. Loughran, M.L. Hamilton, V. LaBoskey & T. Russell (Eds.) International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices (pp. 7-39) Dordrecht; Kluwer Academic Publishing.

Schuck, S., & Russell, T. (2005). Self study, critical friendship and the complexities of teacher education. Studying Teacher Education, 1(2), pp. 107-121

Slaughterhouse, S., & Rhoades, G. (2005). Markets in higher education: Students in the seventies, patents in the eighties, copyrights in the nineties. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl, & P. J. Gumport (Eds.) American Higher Education in the Twenty-First century: Social, Political, and Economic Challenges, Baltimore (pp. 486-516).The John Hopkins University Press.

DiscussionDiscussion