Conference Papers and Proceedings

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The problem of generating a "genuine" social studies
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Mohammed, Jeniffer; Keller, Carol
The goals of the social studies are about citizenship and developing persons. However, it has low status, tends to be marginalized, and is taught in much the same manner as the other disciplines even though "citizenship" suggests a seamless view of knowledge. This paper sets out the rationale for a research agenda to interrogate the problem of generating a genuine social studies. It does this by analysing the role played by learning theories-behaviourist, cognitivist, and humanist-in structuring the social studies learning environment in different countries and contexts. Theories of situated cognition provide a framework for investigating how teachers, educators, and students learn their environment, how they attempt to overcome it, and whether and how attempts at overcoming can be conceptualized more abstractly, leading to knowledge building in the social studies-more robust theories, concepts, propositions, and learning approaches. This study, then, is charting a way forward in reconceptualizing learning in the social studies so that citizenship and personhood can become more realizable goals
Bridging the science and mathematics divide: Issues, challenges, and promises
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Bell-Hutchinson, Camille
The learning of both science and mathematics represents alienating experiences for many students in the Caribbean. This must be cause for concern, since both these disciplines play pivotal roles in the growth and development of a nation. This paper puts forward the position that teachers should more closely link the two subjects in the classroom in order to bring meaning to both. We argue that since both mathematics and science teaching not only share some common learning goals-the development of a spirit of inquiry, the ability to draw conclusions based on evidence, and the ability to reason and solve problems-but also important concepts such as length, area, volume, mass, and time, that learning can be significantly enhanced through classroom practices that deliberately attempt to connect such knowledge, skills, and principles that have clear relevance to both disciplines. Issues and challenges in attempting to bridge the divide will be discussed with implications for teacher education and the associated challenges
Anti-racist education and research: A vision for Caribbean education in the 21st century
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Kallon, Michael
This is a theoretical paper intended to discuss ideas on how anti-racist education and research can be approached in the Caribbean context. The paper seeks to examine the role of, and challenges, to anti-racist education and research in a contemporary new epoch, one that is remarkably different in its celebration of cultural fragmentation and pluralism as against the universalizing, homogenizing effects of rationality and scientism. I would not attempt to argue that there is a consensus out there on what constitutes anti-racist education and research. I only draw attention to certain basic challenges for those interested in the conduct of anti-racist work in the Caribbean
Enhancing learning through technology innovations: Lessons learned from online and face-to-face learning in postgraduate education at UWI, Mona
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Ezenne, Austin
This paper is a case study of the academic performance of two groups of postgraduate students. Group A was taught by online mode and Group B by face-to-face method, by the same lecturer, in a master's degree programme in educational administration, at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. The course "Theories of Organizations" is a one-semester course usually offered in the first semester every academic session. The performances of the two groups of postgraduate students were compared in the mid-semester, end-of-semester, and the overall assessments. It was found that the online students performed better than face-to-face students in the mid-semester assessment, while face-to-face students performed better than online students in the final assessment. The final overall results for the course indicated a significant difference in the performance of both groups of students, with the face-to-face group having a better overall performance than the online group. This paper also discussed the problems encountered by both groups of students, other problems identified by the course lecturer, and the implications of all the findings for postgraduate education at UWI and in the Caribbean region
The importance of learning foreign languages in Trinidad and Tobago
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Kawecki, Regis; Gea-Monera, Maria Pilar
By learning a foreign language, students are exposed to a new and exciting world and get close to other people and to cultures that possess different systems for explaining and understanding world phenomena. This experience broadens the learners' minds and makes them appreciate other lifestyles that are neither better nor worse, but different. Tolerance and respect for others are highly valued in the world today and we all need to be educated in these values. In this respect, the Centre for Language Learning (CLL) has an important role to play for the university and the larger community of Trinidad and Tobago. These are issues addressed in this paper, which presents and analyses data from questionnaires distributed to CLL students at the beginning of Semester 2, 2006-2007. The purpose of the survey was to have a better picture of our students so that we could design programmes that meet their needs and expectations
Students as consumers of higher education: Implications for the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Steele, Linda
As recent as the early 1970s, the word consumerism was associated with goods and services but not used with respect to students. However, with the continuing change in higher education over the last 35 years, students are now being seen as consumers rather than as a body of people in the pursuit of knowledge. It has been argued that because of the commodification of higher education, education is likely to be reconceptualized as a commercial transaction, with the lecturer as the "commodity producer" and the student as the "consumer." Administrators of higher education institutions must therefore respond to the views and needs of students. At the St. Augustine Campus, much improvement has been made with respect to student needs, and the views of students were recently sought with respect to the shaping of the new strategic plan for the campus. However, much more still needs to be done. This paper explores the reasons for student consumerism, and identifies and discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of this type of consumerism. Management implications for higher education institutions, in general, and The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus in particular, are also presented
When choosing might mean losing: The construction of secondary school choice in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) De Lisle, Jerome; Keller, Carol; Jules, Vena; Smith, Peter
Trinidad and Tobago has historically operated a system of open enrolment for all schools. This open access to schools by families is a feature rooted in the historical conflict between Church and State over schooling. Open enrolment is founded on the principle of the right of parents to choose schools for their children, first argued in the 18th century by the Church, and now included as a provision in the Trinidad and Tobago Republican Constitution. Choice of secondary school is embedded in the rules of operation for the placement system at eleven-plus, with parents required to list four or six choices. Depending upon the candidates' score in the examination, they receive one of their choices or are assigned by the Ministry of Education. To study the system of school choice in Trinidad and Tobago, information was collected from the registration database of 11 eleven-plus examinations spanning the period 1995-2005. Student choices were analysed along with the demographic and geographic data. In the mixed method research design, data were also collected from parents and children from four schools across the country. The data indicate that the choice-making process is complex, fluid, and dynamic, with multiple markets and different consumer types. Families made decisions with children also having a say. Choice making involved a dual process of valorization and demonization of schools, with a tendency to more often reject new sector government schools. The value placed on first choice "prestige" schools was related to consumer values of safety and security. Parents valued a school if it could shepherd their beloved offspring through life's rocky courses
“The best thing created since sliced bread…” – Our journey toward blended learning
(Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, 2008) Wood-Jackson, Aisha; Mahabir, Cherisse; John, Lindsay
From 2001 to the fall of 2006, the lecturers and students of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, used WebCT, a commercial web-based learning management system (LMS), to prepare, manage and deliver learning content and resources to students. The low level of adoption and high cost of the license led university administrators to question the benefit-to-cost ratio. A committee was formed to compare open source LMSs (Moodle, Sakai, and Angel) to WebCT and, based on this data, recommend an LMS for the St. Augustine Campus. Based on their review of the pricing, hardware/software requirements, communication tools, productivity tools, opportunities for student involvement, administrative tools, course development, and curriculum design features, the committee chose to adopt Moodle. This paper describes the Moodle implementation strategy and reflects on the issues as well as successes arising over the last two years.
Constructivism and the enabling of mathematical thinking
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Bell-Hutchinson, Camille
The way mathematics is taught in many Caribbean classrooms often hinders the development of mathematical thinking skills and the attainment of mathematical understanding. This paper puts forward the view that the essential task of mathematics teachers is to enable the construction of meaning in order to facilitate their students' mathematical thinking and mathematical understanding. The paper argues the view that mathematics is not something that exists "out there" but, rather, is an activity that is socially constructed and validated. Findings of research conducted in Jamaica in two Grade 8 mathematics classrooms, where two teachers implemented thinking-focused pedagogy grounded in social constructivist ideology, are discussed, in an attempt to demonstrate how they used strategies that were aimed at the construction of meaning through access to mathematical ideas and the attainment of mathematical understanding. The paper argues that the use of such teaching approaches can fundamentally change the face of mathematics education in Caribbean schools
Sense of place and the teaching/learning of lower secondary science
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) George, June M.; Rampersad, Joycelyn; Herbert, Susan M.
This paper explores sense of place as it relates to the learning of science by Form 1 students in a rural, new-sector school in Trinidad. Lim and Calabrese Barton (2006) cite Cobb's (1977) definition of sense of place as an ecological relationship between a person and a place, where place includes physical, biological, social, cultural, and political factors. An ethnographic approach was used to observe several science teaching/learning episodes in this school over a period of one year. The predominantly qualitative data generated were analysed to determine how students and teachers leveraged their sense of place during these episodes and to investigate the consequences of this for the learning of school science
Evaluations of quality teaching for university quality assurance
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Bastick, Tony
Analysis of degree results for The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica, evidences exponential grade inflation since the introduction, publication, and administrative uses of Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) (Bastick, 2004). This paper explains how SETs contribute to grade inflation and why, despite their recognized disastrous effects on education, they continue to be used for quality assurance in English-speaking universities. An alternative method of assessing Quality Teaching is introduced that, by integrating teaching, learning, and assessment, can identify and offer detailed reports to advise at-risk students and suggest detailed modifications to teaching that optimize attainment. The method measures individuals' teaching/learning experiences. It uses a five-minute feedback form to assess the alignment of students' and lecturer's expectations. Results show that these in-course alignments predict enjoyment of teaching and students' academic attainment on course assessments. Hence, mismatched alignment and assessment results identify, for second marking, individual examination and coursework scripts that might have been wrongly marked. Analyses of alignments result in measures of quality teaching provided by lecturers, and experienced by groups of students, which can be rigorously compared between courses, subjects, and departments across the university for inclusion in quality assurance reports. The significance of this paper is that it presents an original, alternative, cost-effective assessment of quality teaching for tertiary institutions that can be demonstrated to improve education
Classroom research: A defining feature of professional practice
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Singh, Vashti
Classroom research, teaching, and professional development are closely linked. Their interrelation and interconnectedness may be described as axiomatic. In addressing the question: Why classroom research by teachers?, a range of issues emerges from topics such as classroom practice, social context, curriculum knowledge, professional learning, and the usefulness of research. This paper urges that teachers who are committed to their own professional practice seek to expand their knowledge and adapt their teaching to educationally sound delivery, arising from authentic classroom research. In the Caribbean, the teacher's claim to professionalism sometimes falters in this regard. A significant issue is that teachers need to be increasingly effective in enabling culturally diverse groups of students to learn increasingly complex subjects. This includes aspects of pedagogical content knowledge that incorporate culture and community contexts for learning. Simultaneously, teachers ought to reflect on their practice to learn from and improve upon it continually. This paper focuses on three themes that explore the concept of classroom research by teachers. The first establishes the link between classroom research and the teacher professional. The second evaluates curriculum and the teaching/learning process as the focus of classroom research, and the third discusses problems in the traditional research paradigm for guiding teachers to improve their teaching. The paper concludes with a reflection on the nature of classroom research itself and its relevance for teachers' professional development within the Caribbean context
Online teacher training and upgrading programmes for science teachers: Issues of assessment
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Rainford, Marcia
With many science teachers from the Caribbean migrating to more developed countries in order to take up more lucrative contracts, the need to increase the training opportunities for teachers has taken on greater urgency. Online learning is considered a convenient option to address this increased demand for in-service training and upgrading of teachers. While this form of course delivery has several strengths, there are several drawbacks that are of particular significance for training and professional development of teachers. This paper highlights some of the challenges with respect to the types of assessment activities and the management of the assessment process of one university online programme involved with the professional development of teachers. It discusses some implications for graduates of this programme moving on to higher educational opportunities, with an emphasis on science education and the assessment of students enrolled in online teacher upgrading programmes
Validating the performance standards in the 2005 and 2006 national primary school achievement tests in Mathematics and Language Arts
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) De Lisle, Jerome
Performance standards are informed expectations of student achievement levels in a population. These expectations are based on knowledge or skills in the curriculum (content standards) or on the content and demands of test items. Arguably, performance standards for national assessments of educational achievement are required to evaluate quality and equity within an education system. In 2005, performance standards were introduced into the reporting system for the Trinidad and Tobago primary school national assessments. The critical question was the meaningfulness and usefulness of these performance standards; an issue that relates to validity. Validation considers the legitimacy and defensibility of procedures. Evidence for the validity of standards may come from three different sources: procedural, internal, and external. This paper analysed these three sources of validity evidence for the performance standards established in the 2005 and 2006 national assessments. Following recent trends, the study makes significant use of qualitative data obtained from the judges in evaluating the cognitive processes and perceptions associated with judging and setting standards in situ. This type of data was obtained from journals and responses to open-ended questions in a questionnaire administered to participants during the standard-setting process. The 2005 data suggest that while some evidence was strongly supportive of procedural validity, problems in logistics and management of the process proved noteworthy limitations. Targets of improvement for future standard-setting exercises should focus on addressing these deficiencies. Additionally, future evaluations of the process should include additional quantitative information necessary to judge the internal and external validity
Participating in a virtual learning community
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Worrell, Patricia
Over the course of one semester, 25 students enrolled in a postgraduate course in curriculum were registered as members of a virtual classroom. A discussion board was used to promote the development of a virtual learning community, and to create a safe place and a more flexible time frame in which students enrolled in the course could explore ideas in more depth and could be more reflective about their practice than would normally be possible in the physical classroom. An exploratory case study was conducted in an attempt to understand whether and how participants in the course cultivated and supported a sense of community on the board, and to identify strategies students used on the discussion board to conduct critical exploration of major concepts encountered in the course. Ethnographic methods were used to collect data. Initial findings suggest that although participation on the discussion board helped to foster a sense of community, not all students experienced such a sense of community or benefited from the experience. However, students' interactions on the board revealed improvement in the ability of most to think critically about key concepts and about their own professional experiences
"Learning is hard work and sometimes difficult": What pupils with dyslexia say about the difficulties they experience with learning at secondary school in Barbados
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Blackman, Stacey
Dyslexia has been described as a lifelong burden. The validity of this view is best assessed through an examination of the qualitative judgements pupils make about their experiences of school life. Findings from a multiple case study of 16 pupils with dyslexia at two secondary schools shed light on the challenges they have with learning. The findings suggest that pupils experience difficulties with spelling, sequencing, and remembering information-these "signs" are associated with the nature of dyslexia. This paper also suggests that the teaching/learning environment and teacher pedagogy are important influences on these pupils' learning. In particular, what teachers do in the classroom and the ways they do it present difficulties for pupils with dyslexia. In conclusion, the findings endorse pupil perspective research as a viable way to inform and transform teacher pedagogy, and highlight the importance of teaching skills as a way of addressing teacher practices that act as barriers to the learning of pupils with dyslexia at secondary schools in Barbados
Defining the role of the course coordinator in UWIDEC's blended learning/asynchronous delivery mode
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Kuboni, Olabisi
There is wide consensus that the online teaching/learning environment works best when participants conceive of themselves as belonging to and functioning within a community. This paper holds that community members must be clear about their respective roles and about the interrelationship among those roles. In the 2005-2006 academic year, the UWI Distance Education Centre made the shift from face-to-face to online tutoring as part of a movement to a blended learning/asynchronous delivery mode. In that context, emphasis was placed on articulating procedures for the functioning of three key stakeholders, namely course coordinator, tutors, and students. This paper describes some aspects of the course coordinator's role. It then locates the role within a theoretical framework built, in part, on the conception of the online environment as a community of inquiry, with special emphasis on its teaching presence dimension. The concepts of transactional distance and transactional control are also highlighted. The paper concludes by noting the implications of this new outlook for the overall role of the higher education practitioner
Principal professional preparation at the secondary school sector in Trinidad and Tobago
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Joseph, Arthur
Effective principals administer effective schools. Yet, while considerable time and financial and other resources have traditionally been devoted the development of teachers, professional preparation of principals has not been given similar attention. Using a quantitative research approach, this study investigated principals' perceptions of the appropriateness or relevance, the quality, and the intensity of the contents of the formal preparation programmes they experienced prior to or during their stint as principals. Data for the study came from 11 principals of secondary schools. Descriptive statistical analysis involving means and standard deviations revealed principals' dissatisfaction with pre-service professional preparation programmes. Nevertheless, principals expressed some measure of satisfaction with different types of in-service programmes
Information and communications technology initiatives in secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Phillip, Gerard
The education system of Trinidad and Tobago must keep step with international advancements in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The knowledge-based, technology-driven global environment demands that our education system produce citizens with the ICT skills and competencies to successfully deal with the imperatives of globalization. In order to meet this challenge, teachers and administrative staff must be adequately trained and be disposed to the incorporation of ICT in their delivery of instruction and in the automation of administrative tasks. This paper gives an historical account and a critical analysis of ICT initiatives in the curriculum of secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. The paper discusses the findings of a study that investigated the proclivity of teachers and administrative staff of an urban secondary school to the implementation of computer-based technology solutions. The findings showed that many educators are willing to utilize ICT, but most are not trained to use the technology. As a result, costly equipment supplied to schools is left unused or underutilized
Issues of language and literacy revisited
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Youssef, Valerie; Drayton, Kathy-Ann
This paper reviews the present state of academic and medical knowledge on the problems that children encounter in acquiring both language and literacy, and concludes that we need to face the issues on other fronts than those we are engaging at the present. On the one hand, there are issues of acquiring literacy in the vernacular before transferring those skills to the Standard as the second variety. On the other, there is a source of the problems that we have not begun to engage-the need for full Speech-Language screening of children on school entry so that conditions which are likely to result in potential deficits in both language and literacy can be identified and intervention measures implemented to ensure that these deficits are largely overcome. Now that we are training persons who can support our few Speech-Language pathologists in the screening, process, it is time for us to take on board seriously the 12-20 percent of children we are losing every year through failure that is not of our making

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