EjSBS - The European Journal of Social & Behavioural Sciences

The European Journal of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Online ISSN: 2301-2218
European Publisher

Transformations In Teachers’ Discourse About Their Students During A School-Led Pedagogic Intervention

Table 1: Student engagement categories in the teachers’ discourse

Category Description Example
(1) Students as autonomous and independent choice-makers Refers to an idea of student autonomy as freedom to choose and participate in deciding the contents of learning ‘I’m wondering if we design the project so that the pupils can choose their own topics which of course motivates them more’ (Choice)‘It was an interesting trial in this project to try to let the pupils work really independently’ (Self- regulation)
(2) Students as active doers and participants in school Includes all the talk that positions the student as active participant in school that is embedded in the society and community around ’The project work has to be organised so that it becomes as meaningful and interesting an experience as possible for the students, that they get to do and learn things themselves.’ (Learning by doing)‘We have to organize teaching so that it’s not just some formulas but that our society becomes visible to them’ (Society as a resource for learning and teaching)
(3) Students as whole and embodied beings Involves seeing the students as whole embodied human beings with knowledge, experiences, emotions and lives outside school that are relevant to their being and learning in school as well. ‘The students had designed and made these really fancy pins [they were wearing] and they were walking down the corridor so proudly, they even came to tell me about it – “see I’m a graphic designer!”’‘I started looking how they work and noticed the impact of different skills in the peer group, of course they can’t start asking for help from the teacher when they know some of their peers can already do everything really well.’(Students noticed as a real whole person with knowledge, experience and emotions)
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