Training in Tough Times (II)
Building Student (and Teacher!) Confidence Through Online Writing Workshops
PGCiE Action Research in Quarantine: Building Student (and Teacher!) Confidence Through Online Writing Workshops
By Anne Leonard (China)
Although my situation is relatively unique—an American, full-time teacher and PGCiE (now MA) student working at a Sino-British collaborative programme at a university in southwest China—I hope that my story resonates with common themes.
When it became clear that we would not be returning to the classroom in March 2020, I admit I was not as worried as I should have been.
In fact, I felt focused and ready.
The February quarantine had freed me from distractions and given me the time I needed to complete my PGCiE Module Two paper. I had even had time to read up on strategies for the teaching intervention I was going to try for my PGCiE action research project, and consider how to adapt it for online delivery.
Working on personal development alongside the responsibilities of a full-time teacher is never a simple task, and COVID restrictions added an extra layer of challenge. Fortunately, our programme devised a system that proved to be incredibly effective: lectures were delivered through narrated PowerPoint presentations, and classes were divided into study groups of four to five students. Homework was submitted on our virtual learning environment in the form of blogs, forum discussions, and assessment uploads. Teachers provided written feedback on these assignments, as well as ran 10-minute calls with each group once a week to answer questions face-to-face.
If that seems like a lot of work, it was!
We were kept busy, but it meant that there was very little time to worry about the state of the world outside our sunny balconies.
My teaching intervention was an adaptation of Nancie Atwell's (1998) writing workshop, designed to help my students gain more control over their writing projects. Of the many factors taken into consideration, one of the most fascinating to see in practice was how my Chinese students took to the idea of peer review.
Nguyen, Terlouw and Pilot (2006) argue that Confucian Heritage Culture learners may excel in group settings given the collectivist orientation of CHC society, but struggle with the constructivist approach where teacher/student hierarchy is ambiguous, such as a student-led workshop. By contrast, Foster and Stapleton (2012) found that Chinese students in at university in Canada enjoyed group work as it allowed them to discuss ideas without being in the spotlight, and were positive about the freedom of in-class discussions.
I found that despite initial resistance, most of my students flourished to be given this measure of independence.
Another challenge to overcome was intervention delivery.
As it turned out, using our VLE allowed for an unforeseen level of uniformity in how my intervention reached the students: my narrated ‘mini-lessons’ (Atwell, 1998) were sent to all five-hundred-plus students in the cohort. The module leader of the course provided many helpful suggestions, especially regarding how to assess learning during the workshops. She suggested that the students begin their 40-50-minute video call on their own, and then have the teacher jump in to observe part of the discussion during the regularly scheduled 10-minute call.
I found these calls to be the most rewarding part of my action research: clear progress and understanding was observed as the weeks went on. I’ll never forget how proud I was of one group in their last peer review workshop: after weeks of emphasizing that they needed to give three-part feedback (what was done well, what to improve, and how to improve), I sat there for ten minutes listening to every single student in the group frame their feedback in this way. I was so moved that, as cheesy as it sounds, I actually had tears prickling my eyes!
The group had developed a comfortable banter, and smiled all the way through the workshop. Their confidence and understanding was palpable, and as their teacher, nothing could have been more rewarding to witness.
In the end, the response rates to my surveys were quite poor (while 29% of the cohort responded to at least one survey, only 2% responded to all three), but the data collected shed light on student perceptions of control. In the final survey, 92% of students indicated that they knew what they needed to do for their writing project, with over 50% of this number indicating they knew how to do it.
I discovered that students mostly attributed this feeling to individual tutorials with a teacher, but concluded that peer review workshops should be used in tandem with teacher-led methods.
Although I was forced by COVID-19 to complete my PGCiE via online teaching, I can honestly say that I have no negative takeaways from the experience.
Stuck in lockdown, I was able to focus on my research, reflect on my teaching practices, and learn. My students may have struggled at first to adapt to the new teaching methods, but by the end of the semester they blossomed into independent learners, confident of their ability to write an academic essay.
More than just a teacher’s impression, this observation was solidified by the data I collected.
I also learned how important it was to accept the help of my own peers: piloting surveys, taking suggestions, and receiving feedback. I would not have achieved the results that I did without the support of my programme. It is likely that around the world, many teachers-in-training were not so lucky.
Access to online learning resources vary greatly around the globe, so I acknowledge that my positive experience rests on my good fortune to be a part of such a well-equipped and adaptable institution.
Regardless, I would like to end on a positive note:
in the face of situations beyond our control, all we can do is try out best to adapt with the resources we are given, and remember that we are not alone.
I could not have completed my qualification without the help and support of my colleagues, my students, and my family, so I would like to encourage any struggling teacher-in-training to seek support wherever and however they can.
By Anne Leonard (China)
Twitter: aleonardwrites
Instagram: aleonardwrites
References
Atwell, N. (1998) In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning. 2nd edn. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers.
Foster, D. K. and Stapleton, D. M. (2012) ‘Understanding Chinese Students’ Learning Needs in Western Business Classrooms’, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 24(3), pp. 301–313.
Nguyen, P., Terlouw, C. and Pilot, A. (2006) ‘Culturally appropriate pedagogy: the case of group learning in a Confucian Heritage Culture context’, Intercultural Education, 17(1), pp. 1–19. doi: 10.1080/14675980500502172.
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