Search results for: Pilot projects

This paper describes an assignment piloted in an early childhood literacy class as an embedded signature assessment. The article has three goals: to explain the context that led to the development of the assignment, to describe how the assignment was created and piloted, and to describe the methodology and results of an action research project intended to collect data on candidates’ perceptions of the challenges and value of the assignment.

In this pilot study, the authors examined the perspective of pre-service teachers on a classroom simulation program called “simSchool.” The article highlighted the potential of simSchool as well as some current limitations of this approach in the context of Australian teacher education courses.

This article reports on an interprofessional pilot project. This pilot study engaged 2nd-year, preservice, graduate early childhood education and social work students in an interprofessional training and collaborative activity as part of their graduate coursework. This study suggests that graduate early childhood education and social work students recognize the benefits of preservice interprofessional education, but the experience of working across disciplines can be very challenging. The challenges include a lack of clarity around professional roles and responsibilities, differences in understandings of children’s behavior, and a perception that there will be little opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration in early childhood settings. Despite these challenges, participants expressed how important it was for them to experience firsthand some of the potential benefits and challenges to interdisciplinary collaboration as preservice students.

In this article, the authors illustrate how the piloting process has influenced two widely different studies within the educational sciences. In the first case study described, our solidarity lies with the disadvantaged school children of South Africa. In the second case study, our solidarity lies with a group of teachers who through an action research project wanted to question a school policy that they do not feel benefits all school children in the Norwegian lower secondary school. The two cases are presented separately and explore the change in conceptual and methodological emphasis in the research procedure.