In our meeting this week we heard from three PhD  students in our group. The first speaker, Yousif Alanezi, explains more below:

On 26th March the VIP group met to hear about the research being carried out by three PhD students. In addition to myself, the presenters were Maureen and Ismail.

It was an interesting experience for me since there were significant comments on the project. The goal of my study is to provide recommendations for ways the educational technology discipline might inspire student progress and prepare students for their lives after graduation, as they embark on their career paths. I will investigate perceived challenges in the following facets of current teaching methods: (1) lecturing styles, (2) topics, (3) assessment approaches, and (4) technology usage. The study methods include interviewing academics and students to discover their perceptions about the challenges associated with these facets of teaching. The syllabi of core courses and college policy will also be examined.

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The second speaker was Maureen Kanchebele.  Although Maureen is in an initial stage, she has a well-developed line of thought. Her project aims to explore mathematics teachers’ perceptions of the value of CPD in Zambia. The project will be based on a case study and will include interview and survey. The area of CPD is something I find very interesting!

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My other colleague presenting was Ismail Karaoz from Turkey, Ismail plans to explore the strengths and weaknesses of an initiative in his country which is called the ‘FATIH’ project. One of the interesting points was that the government is giving i-pads to several thousand teachers and students. Ismail explained that the success of the project is likely to depend on the attitudes of those receiving the i-pads and their internet access. It is very interesting!

I was really interested in the presentations and the experience has added to my knowledge, At first I was nervous about speaking but eventually I enjoyed it.

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Yousif Alanezi: Educational Technology in Kuwait: Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Further Development in Higher Education

Maureen Kanchebele: A study of mathematics teachers’ perceptions of how their current CPD practices/programmes meet their CPD needs in Zambia

Ismail Karaoz: An Investigation of teachers’ perceptions of continuous professional development via a Community of Practice formed using online collaboration tools