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    Librarian and Lecturer in Partnership: A Caribbean Experience
    (2007) Pierre-Robertson, Petronetta
    This chapter addresses the issue of collaboration between lecturer and librarian in an academic setting in the Caribbean. Drawing on research and experiences provided in the library literature, the writer alludes to the benefits of collaboration, the reasons why collaborative partnerships should be pursued, the challenges to be faced, as well as factors that would facilitate collaboration between librarians and lecturers. Feedback from students and lecturers is also provided. Recommendations are also provided on how partnerships can be formed in academic environments.
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    When Bad is Cool: Violence and crime as rites of passage to manhood.
    (CARIBBEAN REVIEW OF GENDER STUDIES, 2010-01) Plummer, David; Geofroy, Stephen
    Modern society has brought greater opportunities for peer groups to play relatively greater and increasingly unsupervised roles in the lives of young men as they grow up. At the same time social and economic circumstances have created pressures for adults, who previously played a central role in guiding and mentoring young people, to become less important in their lives. The increased influence of peer groups has a strong impact upon the codes of masculinity that many boys aspire to and plays a central role in policing which masculinities are considered acceptable. A potent combination of obligations for boys to act like real men and of pressures to eschew roles that have become discredited as soft, gay or feminine seems to be driving young men towards dangerous, risk-taking hyper-masculinities. The net outcome of these processes is for violence and crime to be increasingly seen as premiere ways of proving one’s manhood in front of those who matter most to boys: their peers.
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    Dogs
    (Moko Online, 2013) Pierre - Robertson, Petra
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    Use of Facebook for Enchancing Student Engagement in a Higher Education Blended
    (2015) Ferdinand-James, Debra; Foogooa, Ravi
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    Did they learn anything? Experiences of Social Sciences teachers on an initial in-service post-graduate teacher education programme, 2013/14, at The School of Education, UWI, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago
    (Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, 2015) Ali, Barras, Bitu, Geofroy, Lochan
    In the annual revision of the programme, six Social Sciences teacher educators explored the experiences of their teacher-participants to ascertain whether such experiences were aligned with the objectives of the Social Sciences curriculum sessions. Through the interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), the researchers collaboratively explored the views on how 14 teacher-participants, who volunteered to take part in the research, experienced the programme. Using a semi-structured interview protocol, two focus group interviews were conducted simultaneously at the end of the programme. Interviews were transcribed by the teacher educators who also met as a team to undertake the coding exercise done inductively through the application of the constant comparison method of Glaser and Strauss (1967) to arrive at the themes. The findings show that teachers' experiences were aligned with the session objectives especially with respect to learnings on the nature of their discipline, developing skills for teaching diverse learners, becoming responsible for self-development as teachers. Such learnings seem to indicate a positive change in praxis and professional identity. The recommendations made would lead to a review of the session objectives for the Teaching of Social Sciences in the Dip. Ed. programme for future cohorts
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    Caribbean Teachers' Perspectives on One-to-One ICT Programme for Enchancing Teaching and Learning: A Case Study of a Boys' High School
    (2016) Onuoha, C.A.; Onuoha, P.C.; Ferdinand, D.
    The purpose of this study was to document the perspectives of teachers who form an important stakeholder to the newly established eConnect and Learn (eCAL) programme in a Caribbean Island state.
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    Social Sciences teachers' perceptions of transformatory learnings and the transfer of transformatory learnings from an initial in-service professional development programme at The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, 2013-2014
    (CERIS, 2016) Barras, D., Bitu, B., Geofroy, S., Lochan, S., McLeod L., & Ali, S
    This paper investigates how Social Sciences teachers, upon completion, perceive their capability to transfer transformatory learnings gained on an initial in-service Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme (2013-2014) at the School of Education, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Using a phenomenological approach, experiences of 14 teachers from various disciplines within the social sciences were investigated through semi-structured interviews in two concurrent focus group sessions. The research questions investigated what learnings on the programme they perceived as transformatory and what were their perceptions on transferring transformatory learnings in their schools. Findings revealed that the main transformatory learnings on the programme occurred through an expansion of pedagogical content knowledge, becoming a reflective practitioner, sharing a community of practice, and sharpening their professional identity. In the transfer of transformatory learnings, participants declared an enhanced pedagogical practice, a piquing of interest, a feeling of empowerment and other factors that facilitated the learnings. They mentioned certain barriers to implementation such as the emphasis their schools placed on teaching to the test and the challenge of access to educational technology.
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    Creating collective leadership capacity using 21st Century digital tools: A view from the Caribbean
    (2016-05) Figaro-Henry, Sandra; Wickham, Lisa; James, Freddy
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    The impact of three years of professional development on knowledge and implementation
    (Taylor & Francis, 2016-07) Wolbers, Kimberly; Dostal, Hannah; Skerrit, Paulson; Stephenson, Brenda
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    Teachers’ views of the learning potential
    (Caribbean Educational Research Information Service, 2017) Bitu, Barras, Geofroy, Ali, Lochan, McLeod, Stephens-James & Valentine-Lewis
    One key determinant of inclusion regarding children from low-income households is belief in their learning potential. Teacher educators of the in-service post-graduate Diploma in Education programme are charged with helping teacher-participants interrogate and modify negative views they may hold of students from such backgrounds. Some views may constitute an approach inimical to the empowerment of children. While views of teacher-participants on the learning potential of children from low-income households are discussed early in the programme, there is need for systematic analysis of such views. In so doing, insights gained can guide the approach of teacher educators in their quest for sensitizing teacher-participants as to appropriate responses in educating children from low-income households. Using a qualitative case-study approach, the views of nine teacher-participants were obtained through semistructured focus group interviews that were analysed thematically using the grounded theory approach. Findings revealed that although teacher-participants expressed views acknowledging the challenging life contexts of students from low-income households, they were also keenly aware of the empowering potential of positive relationships in the educational endeavour. Practical asset-based strategies for teachers and administrators were advanced in response to issues confronting students from low-income households. Recommendations suggested ways in which teacher education could be enhanced.
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    Reviewing Science Education in Trinidad and Tobago through the Lens of the COVID-19 Pandemic
    (Journal of Education and Development in the Caribbean, 2021) Nazir, Joanne
    This paper explores how the COVID-19 pandemic can act as a lens for educators and scholars to more clearly define some of the issues hampering effective science education in one Caribbean territory. The pandemic clearly revealed certain phenomena in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) including: the poor state of public scientific literacy; limited public understanding of the nature of science; an antagonistic dynamic with respect to public trust in science; and the lack of comprehensive remote/online pedagogical options for science. These issues have implications for the teaching and learning of science in T&T. In particular, science educators are encouraged to consider: a border crossing approach to teaching science; explicitly teaching the nature of science; adopting a science in context approach to science education; and working on developing digital pedagogies for teaching science that honour inquiry and concrete hands-on experience with phenomena. While the article is primarily about Trinidad and Tobago, it may be relevant to those interested in the development of small island states, including other Caribbean territories.
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    Knowledge is not enough: Reimagining environmental and sustainability education in the Caribbean as environmental consciousness raising
    (2021) Nazir, Joanne
    This is a theoretical-position paper that seeks to advance thinking on environmental and sustainability education (ESE) for a Caribbean context. A critical review of literature and situational analysis of the Caribbean context are used to argue for the adoption of an environmental consciousness raising model to ESE, as negative events become more and more visible in the region. The islands of the Caribbean are small land masses with small carrying capacities and unique ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation. At the same time, they are also striving for economic development. Two models of ESE are presented: technical rational ESE and ESE as environmental consciousness raising. The author advocates for the relevance of the latter for the region by building on existing work in the area both regionally and internationally and drawing upon salient sociopolitical and cultural features inherent to the Caribbean context.
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    Literature as an Agent of Change
    (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021) Pierre-Robertson, Petronetta
    A contextualization of the lived experiences of women is necessary for the prevention of domestic violence, a subcategory of violence against women. Unequal power relations, embedded in social relationships and institutions, have served to contribute to the perpetuation of violence against women. This chapter focuses on two areas in treating with the issue: positive media representation and literature. It presents a gendered analysis of select media accounts of the tragic outcome of domestic violence. Additionally, the chapter explores the role of literature as an agent of change in the prevention of violence against women. Through a creative work set in Trinidad, gendered assumptions and practices surrounding abuse, especially as it relates to toxic masculinity, are examined. Bystander intervention, which seeks to end the partnership of gender inequality and gender-based violence embedded as it were in social and cultural norms is highlighted.
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    #SuperLibrarian - The Evolving Role of Librarians in Technology Spaces
    (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2023-07-09) Petronetta Pierre - Robertson
    The purpose of this paper is to discuss changes in the roles of librarians against the backdrop of emerging technologies. Through reflection on practice drawn from the author’s thirty years in librarianship, this paper explores the evolving role of librarians in the constantly developing technological environment and demonstrates how librarians can combine information resources, technology and research assistance in these constantly changing spaces. It also explores how technology enhances the role of the librarian with specific reference to ChatGPT The author stressed the need for library courses for credit to allow for feedback, assessment, and critical thinking. The need for continuing professional development (CPD) for Librarians was highlighted. Additionally, areas such as Scholarly Publishing, Metrics and Analytics, Academic Integrity, and Intellectual Property were identified as areas of focus for the 21st century Librarian. This study is limited to changes in roles as a result of emerging technologies which impact librarians. It is set in the Caribbean. This paper is relevant for librarians, regardless of their geographical location, who are also required to be fluid, keep on the cutting edge, adapt and adopt to deliver service in the face of constantly advancing technology. This paper is a reflection on an original experience from a Caribbean territory. it also explores recent developments in technology, more specifically ChatGPT and its impact on the roles of librarians. It provides contributions to the ongoing discourse on the evolving role of the librarian, from a different perspective.
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    Librarian as Creator
    (2023-12) Pierre-Robertson, Petronetta
    Through a reflective case study, the author explores how her creation and telling of stories served to provide information, convey messages, and raise awareness, about the issue of violence against women and girls. Her role as a librarian nurtured her creativity. She disseminated information from her creative works via roundtables, read-aloud activities, and presentations of the themes raised in her creative works, both face-to-face and online to students and the community. The author drew upon the literature in her discussion of how librarians may utilise creativity in the dissemination of information. She utilised Rolfe’s reflective model in her evaluation of the process. She concurs that the role and function of librarians can nurture creativity. As an interdisciplinary, third-space professional, she believes that writing creatively is not separate from her role as a librarian. She cited challenges encountered in writing and highlighted the significance of disseminating the works created and packaged by Librarians.