Technology integration is increasingly an important element of education strategies worldwide. These policies are, however, often unsupported by research evidence, in particular evidence for the effectiveness of specific technologies. This is unsurprising given the pace of technological innovation. It is simply not feasible to evaluate every new technology and every possible application thereof. Teachers’ practical pedagogical knowledge, the practices and beliefs teachers develop through their experiences in their own teaching contexts, is an important alternative source of evidence of what works that takes into account the complexity of different educational settings. This project will therefore explore teachers’ practical pedagogical knowledge for technology integration in different educational contexts through national surveys and follow-up interviews with a view to understanding:
current levels of technology use,
gaps in teachers knowledge bases,
how teachers make decisions about technology use, and
how teachers develop their practical pedagogical knowledge about technology.
The first in this series of studies will focus on secondary school teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Kuwait.
Collaborators: Dr Maha Alghasab, College of Basic Education in Kuwait.
The iSpeak re-examines the value of social networks for successful international study in the new digital “always connected” globalised UK higher educational context and asks:
How do students build (digital) social networks in first and second languages?
What are students’ academic and linguistic attainment?
Are there associations between students' (digital) social networking patterns, academic and linguistic attainment?
Collaborators: Dr Clare Wright, The University of Leeds, UK.
This project explores University English language teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and practices in relation to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, focusing on but not limited to generative AI, to support language learning and teaching. Drawing on a large-scale survey and follow-up interviews, it asks:
What do EAP tutors know about (generative) AI?
What are EAP tutors' reported perceptions of (generative) AI?
How, if at all, do EAP tutors report using (generative) AI to support language learning and teaching? Why?
What do EAP tutors report influence their use of (generative) AI?
This Advance HE funded project aims to understand how developments in technology, and in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI), might change the role of university educators. The project employs a range of foresight methods, including horizon scanning, visioning, and backcasting, to explore potential pedagogical shifts, and hence changes to the role of the educator. The focus of the project is the development and evaluation of a toolkit designed to help educators regain a sense of agency over their future roles and support their decision-making in relation to the effective deployment of technology.
Collaborators: Dr Helen Benton, Anglia Ruskin University