Narratives of change in developing curriculum in higher education Johanna Annala & Marita Mäkinen University of Tampere, Finland

Transcription

1 Narratives of change in developing in higher education Johanna Annala & Marita Mäkinen University of Tampere, Finland SRHE Wales, UK

2 Context of the study University of Tampere, Finland Multi-faculty university, accentuates research and education on society and health Students , staff master's degrees and 100 doctoral degrees every year Comprehensive educational and reform in The 40 departments were merged into nine schools. The schools took over all the tasks of the former faculties and departments. The number of study programmes reduced towards broad-based candidate programmes The curricula for the degree programmes were to be based on learning outcomes

3 New University Act Creation of nine schools Applications to the programmes Teaching schedules ready Study Study 2 New Creation of strategy of new degree University programmes of Tampere Curricula accepted Semester begins

4 Understanding Curriculum as syllabus, product or process (cf. Barnett & Coate 2005; Coate 2009; Pinar et al. 1995; Tyler 1949) Here we understand as an intentional and dynamic process, revealing the values, beliefs and principles in relation to learning, understanding, knowledge and disciplines, and the cultural and political purposes of education (cf. Mäkinen & Annala 2010). The purpose of the study is to describe the experiences of the academics during a comprehensive reform. We focus on, what kind of narratives the academics tell about development.

5 Data 25 semi-structured interviews concerning practices and processes in development Interviewees from all of the nine schools: professors (12), senior lecturers (7), university teachers (3) and administrative staff (3) The informants were encouraged to tell their narratives of change from the position or perspective they had during the process The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim

6 Narrative inquiry The data set was examined as experience-centered narratives (Bruner 1990; Connelly & Clandinin 2006; Labov & Waletzky 2006) related to the time, position, space and discourses taking place within the transformation processes at the university Narratives were seen as a portal through which the experiences of the world of academics are interpreted and made personally meaningful (cf. Connelly & Clandinin 2006).

7 Analysis The analysis was based on a combination of cyclically progressing abductive content analysis Complicating actions (Labov & Waletzky 2006) were sought in interviewees narratives. Complicating actions refer to turning points, challenges, shifts and their resolutions within design. The complicated actions were reflected to theoretical points of view: Comprehensive framework (Mäkinen & Annala 2010, cf. Barnett & Coate 2005; Bernstein 1996) and The dynamics within communities of practice (Wenger 2003) A new framework illustrating as a process was constructed as a result of the dialogue between data and theory.

8 Comprehensive framework External Interconnected Internal Knowing Reactive Discipline based and societally consious Personified Acting Entrepreneurial Integrative and working life consious Fragmentary Being Commodity based Autobiographical adn career consious Unilateral identity forming (Mäkinen & Annala 2010)

9 The analysis brings to the fore the dynamics and orientation within development To solve these dynamics they Steamroller or get steamrollered Protect themselves Escape into practical, secondary issues Familiarizise themselves with others and their programmes Get frustrated Make compromises Find each other In this study, we found two main orientations: Dialogical orientation Reproductive orientation

10 Orientations of development External Dialogical orientation Reproductive orientation Knowing Reactive Discipline based and societally consious Personified Acting Entrepreneurial Integrative and working life consious Fragmentary Being Commodity based Autobiographical adn career consious Unilateral identity forming (Mäkinen & Annala 2010)

11 Orientations of development Dialogical orientation -- it resulted into something new internally, that we actively built cooperation between and inside the university schools, more than before. It was especially these thematic, interdisciplinary study courses that led us to very constructive talks with disciplines that we hadn t been much in contact with or done anything together before. Contrete things. The students have found connections before, but now we want to make it more regular and readily understandable for the students. (9M) Reproductive orientation It hasn t gone the way I think it was supposed to go, so that it would be more broad-based. It hasn t gone that way. Only, it was written to look it has. We don t want the broad-based, instead we want keep our own profile high. (16M)

12 Dimensions of practice as the property of a community (Wenger 2003) Negotiated enterprise, mutual accountability, interpretations, rhytm, local responses JOINT ENTERPRISE MUTUAL ENGAGEMENT Engaged diversity, doing things together, relationships, social complexity, community maintenance SHARED REPERTOIRE Discourses, concepts, styles, stories, artifacts, tools, actions, historical events

13 Purpose of reform and means of negotiation partly shared, partly unformed; challenges of even/uneven rhythm (individual members/discipline/programme/ school/university/ministry of Education/Bologna Process) Attempt to find a shared and agreeable goal versus attempt to delay or discontinue the process JOINT ENTERPRISE MUTUAL ENGAGEMENT SHARED REPERTOIRE

14 Whose collaboration and responsibility, whose priviledge or duty to participate, master or know? Crossing borders and new openings versus maintaining prevailing positions and traditions JOINT ENTERPRISE MUTUAL ENGAGEMENT SHARED REPERTOIRE

15 MUTUAL ENGAGEMENT JOINT ENTERPRISE SHARED REPERTOIRE The change makes the prevailing cultures, practices and stories rooted in history visible. The change introduces new, unfamiliar discourses, habits of minds, and practices. Curiosity and familiarizing oneself with unfamiliar versus deprecation and rejection

16 Conclusion Understanding as a process requires continuous dialogue and negotiation of meanings The leaders (different levels) and participants (different positions) have both responsibility of the negotiation of meanings Pedagogical leadership! Courage to cross the borders! Critical question: How to support communities of practice - their generation, orientation and dialogue within and between them?

17 Thank you for your attention johanna.annala(at)uta.fi marita.makinen(at)uta.fi University of Tampere, Finland 17

18 References Barnett, R. & Coate, K. (2005). Engaging the in higher education, Berkshire, GBR: McGraw-Hill Education. Bernstein, B. (1996). Pedagogy, symbolic control and identity. Theory, research, critique, London: Taylor & Francis. Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Coate, K. (2009). Curriculum. In M. Tight, K.H. Mok, J. Huisman and C.C. Morphew (eds.) The Routledge International Handbook of Higher Education, New York: Routledge, pp Connelly, F.M. & Clandinin, D.J. (2006). Narrative inquiry. In J. Green, G. Camilli & P.Elmore (eds.) Handbook of complementary methods in educational research, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, pp Labov, W. & Waletzky, J. (2006) Narrative analysis:oral versions of personal experience. In P. Atkinson & S. Delamont (eds.) Narrative methods. Volume I. Narrative Perpectives. London: Sage, pp Mäkinen, M. & Annala, J. (2010). Meanings behind development in higher education. PRIME 4 (2), Pinar, W.F., Reynolds, W.M., Slattery, P. & Taubman, P.M. (1995). Understanding. An introduction to the study of historical and contemporary discourses. New York: Peter Lang. Tyler, R.W. (1949). Basic principles of and instruction. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Wenger, E. (2003). Communities of practice. Learning, meaning and identity. Orig. publ New York: Cambridge University Press.