towards a 'changemaker' pedagogy: understanding teachers' beliefs about social...

Towards a ‘Changemaker’ pedagogy:Understanding teachers’ beliefs about social innovation as a way to enhance learning and teaching

Dr Bethany Alden Rivers

Dr Ming Nie

Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

www.northampton.ac.uk/ilt

The University of Northampton

‘…to become the UK’s number 1 university for social enterprise by 2015.’

(Petford, 2010, p. 4)

Believe in a responsibility to make positive changes in society. Have the power and resources to make a difference (tangible and intangible). Take initiative to bring about innovative change, local and systemic. Work with others to maximise impact, working in groups and networks. Know and live authentically according to one’s values.

Practice empathy by engaging in another person’s world without judgement.

Unifying principles of ‘Everyone a Changemaker’ (adapted from Curtis, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRpDoS1jn4E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRpDoS1jn4Ehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRpDoS1jn4E



How do we embed Changemaker across all of our learning and teaching activities?

EmbedCM Project: Towards a pedagogy for Changemaker

Research questions:

1. How do academic staff conceptualise Changemaker?

2. How do students conceptualise Changemaker?

3. What are the values, skills, attributes and behaviours associated with

Changemaker?

4. What models of social enterprise education (and related) can inform our teaching

practice?

5. What is our pedagogical model for Changemaker?

Teachers’ Conceptions of Changemaker: Why?

Tutors’ approaches to teaching are strongly influenced by their own beliefs. (Kember, 1997)

Tutors’ approaches to teaching can influence learners’ approaches to studying. (Trigwell, Prosser & Waterhouse, 1999)

To understand the different ways in which academic staff conceptualise ‘changemaker’ and to use this model to inform and enhance policy and practice. (EmbedCM)

Teachers’ Conceptions of Changemaker: How?

Phenomenographic interviews help to gain a ‘from the inside’, or second-order perspective. (Marton, 1981, p. 177)

Aim of analysis:

• To identify a small set of ‘qualitatively distinct descriptive categories’, or conceptions. (Booth, 1997, p. 138)

• To understand the relationship between these conceptions within an outcome space (or framework)

Teachers’ Conceptions of Changemaker: Who?

Short face-to-face interviews during March-April 2014 academic staff (n=30).

School Number %

Business 8 27

Social Sciences 7 23

Education 6 20

Health 2 7

Arts 4 13

Science & Technology 3 10

Interview protocol

1. In what ways is the University of Northampton a ‘Changemaker’ campus?

2. To what extent does ‘Changemaker’ apply to the work you do?

3. So, what does ‘Changemaker’ mean to you?

(cf. Säljö, 1979)

Data Analysis

Thematic inductive analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006): 4 phase iterative categorising

CM is about a building a collective identity toward social progressCM is necessary to be fluid and at the forefront of progressCM is making the world a better placeCM is about empathy (walking in someone else’s shoes)CM requires us to believe in others (that we can all be changemakers)CM is changing individuals’ life opportunitiesCM is making a differenceCM is a way of doing thingsCM is social awarenessCM is personal awareness within societyCM is being someone who can impact the lives of othersCM is helping individuals be part of social changeCM is inspiring change in individualsCM is helping individuals meet their full potentialCM is about thinking in different waysCM is about solving problemsCM is about discovering solutions to problemsCM is a world of possibilitiesCM is about not seeing people as limited by circumstances or self worth

[Extract from phase 1]

Personal transformation CM is about taking charge of your professional identity. CM is about decide who you want to be. CM is being in control of your learning CM is about making things happen CM is about being in control of one’s career trajectory CM is changing individuals’ life opportunities CM is inspiring change in individuals CM is helping individuals meet their full potential CM is a world of possibilities CM is about not seeing people as limited by circumstances or self-worth (no ceilings and vast territory to explore) CM is an attitude CM is about empowering students to live better lives Developing capacities to be more employable CM is about employability CM is about making a change in professional practice Critical thinking, perspective shifting and problem solving CM is about empathy (walking in someone else’s shoes) CM is about thinking of new ways of doing things

[Extract from phase 3]

Categories of Description: Initial findings

1. Changemaker as political and strategic.

‘How I understand change is political.’ (Karl, Business)

‘I’m a cynical man and see this as being “flavour of the month”. In five years will it still be there?’ (Daniel, Education)

‘It seems almost mystical, like a secret society.’ (Harold, Business)

‘For me, it’s something positive for the University. You know the first university in the UK with Changemaker status.’ (Annie, Health)

‘To me it’s idealism, a direction that the University wants to move in…an aspiration.’ (Leeann, Business)


2. Changemaker as critical thinking, perspective shifting and problem solving

‘Well, Changemaker means to me trying to look at things in a different way than they’ve been looked at before.’ (Sarina, Social Sciences)

‘Inspiring thinking, not just common knowledge.’ (Xiaolu, Business)

‘Our students should be able to go off after university and think critically, find problems and solutions.’ (Daniel, Education)

‘It’s about finding novel solutions to problems.’ (Stuart, Social Sciences)

I think providing that kind of paradigm [Changemaker] is a useful way to help people think about things differently than how they’ve thought before. (Martin, Arts)


3. Changemaker as employability

‘It’s an introduction to professionalism, actually.’ (Steve, Science & Technology)

‘It links to the idea of employability being very important and I think it is a spin-off from that.’ (Laura, Business)

‘It’s about aligning the University with Industry. How can we reflect professional practice in a way that is effective and would actually allow them [the students] to go out and work…’ (Martin, Arts)


4. Changemaker as coming together to share resources and to help each other with the aim of social betterment.

‘Everybody who is able should give back to society.’ (Ned, Science & Technology)

‘If everyone could through any small responsibility make a difference to one person it wouldn’t take long for everyone to experience that difference.’ (Ed, Business)

‘There’s something to give and something to take from everyone: social capital.’ (Paul, Education)

‘I guess Changemaker is doing something that has a positive influence on others.’ (Saiyada, Arts)


5. Changemaker as personal transformation.

[Helping students say:] “This is what I’m capable of today but watch out for what I can do tomorrow.”’ (Malcolm, Social Sciences)

‘…it’s how…universities can change individual’s life opportunities.’ (Peter, Social Sciences)

‘Inspiring people to embrace challenges and try new ways of doing things.’ (Michael, Social Sciences)

‘It’s forcing people to ask themselves: “who do I want to be?”. Now, that’s the big change!’ (Carla, Education)

Understanding the outcome space…

Employability

Critical thinking, problem solving,

perspective shifting

Political and

StrategicSocial

betterment

Personal transformation

What’s next?

?

Unpacking the skills, attributes, behaviours associated with various conceptions (literature review, staff focus groups)

Developing a skills framework for Changemaker (collaborative modelling activity)

Look at how this framework can be incorporated into programme design (i.e. learning outcomes, assessment)

Continue to share practice across the Institution and Sector (dissemination)

What’s next?

References

Booth, S. (1997). On phenomenography, learning and teaching. Higher Education Research & Development. 16, 2, 135-158.

Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006) ‘Using thematic analysis in psychology’, Qualitative Research in Psychology, vol. 3, pp. 77-101.

Curtis, T. (2013) ‘UoN Changemaker campus presentation’, Available online at: http://www.slideshare.net/curtistim/uon-changemaker-campus-presentation-sept-2013 [accessed on 29 April 2014].

Kember, D. (1997). A reconceptualisation of the research into university academics’ conceptions of teaching. Learning and Instruction. 7, 3, 255-275.

Marton, F. (1981) ‘Phenomenography—describing conceptions of the world around us’, Instructional Science, vol. 10. pp. 177-200.

Petford, N. (2010) Raising the Bar, University of Northampton. Available online at: http://blogs.northampton.ac.uk/institutionalstrategyblog/files/2011/02/Strategic-Plan-2010-15.pdf [accessed on 10 November 2013].

Säljö, R. (1979) ‘Learning in the learner’s perspective’, Reports from The Institute of Education, Gothenburg, University of Gothenburg.

Trigwell, K., Prosser, M. & Waterhouse, F. (1999). Relations between teachers’ approaches to teaching and students’ approaches to learning. Higher Education. 37, 57-70.

http://www.slideshare.net/curtistim/uon-changemaker-campus-presentation-sept-2013

http://blogs.northampton.ac.uk/institutionalstrategyblog/files/2011/02/Strategic-Plan-2010-15.pdf

Bethany Alden Rivers: [email protected]

Ming Nie: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]