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Turning the tide of education research with indigenous knowledge WERA SYMPOSIUM 2011

Turning the tide of education research with indigenous knowledge WERA SYMPOSIUM 2011. Learning in the wild Communities of practice and Teacher Education. Fernand Gervais Ph.D. Overview. Introduction A sociocultural perspective on learning

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Turning the tide of education research with indigenous knowledge WERA SYMPOSIUM 2011

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  1. Turning the tide of educationresearchwithindigenousknowledgeWERA SYMPOSIUM 2011 Learning in the wild Communities of practice and Teacher Education Fernand Gervais Ph.D.

  2. Overview • Introduction • A sociocultural perspective on learning • A few examples of « Learning in the Wild » • Hunters from Mali • Womenmountain guides • Fishermen in France • (Delivery men in Paris) • (Sheperdsfrom Provence) • Learning in the wild - A modern version: CoPs • The shift from an individual to a collective perspective

  3. Our focus This presentationfocuses on how knowledgeisacquired, constructed and transmitted in natural or concretesettings (i.e. fieldexperiences in Teacher Education). Our intention is to illustrate how formalization of training and a shift of focus from an individual to a collective perspective has transformedourviews on the issue and ourways of doingthings

  4. Indigenous knowledge • Local knowledge? • Traditional knowledge? • Collective knowledge? • Practical knowledge?

  5. Sociocultural perspective Not a ”school” or ”particular” tradition, butconsistsof a range ofdifferentperspectives and theories (a inter-disciplinaryfield), butsharesomebasicasumptiononknowledge, learning and development The taskofsocioculturalanalysis is to understand how mental functioning is related to cultural, institutional, and historicalcontext (Wertsch 1998) 5

  6. Individualist & social philosophies & theories of learning (Gerry stahl 2004) Descartes (1633) CognitivistInstructionism Rationalism Empiricism Evidence-Based Instructionism Piaget Constructivism Kant (1787) Wittgenstein Husserl individualtheories social theories Wittgenstein Ethno-methodology Schutz Conversation Analysis Hegel (1807) Heidegger (1927) Situated Cognition Communicative Action Habermas Marx (1867) anthropology Social Practice Vygotsky (1934) Activity Theory 6

  7. Learning is situated Lave & Wenger(1991) B.Rogoff (1990,2003): Learning occurs as a function of the activity, context and culture in which it takes place (i.e., it is situated). Social interaction is a critical component of situated learning -- learners become involved in a "community of practice" which embodies certain beliefs and behaviors to be acquired. 7

  8. Transmission of knowledge Hunters brotherhoodfromMali (Moussa Sidibé (2001) Investigation of the practicalknowledge of Master Hunters • Step by step transmission of knowledge • Probation • Listening!! • Sharing and living with the Master

  9. Socialization to the task Womenmountain guides (Mennesson, 2005) Womengeologists (Amireault, 2006) • Familysocialization • Peer socialization (men) • Tough initiation to the task (startat the age of 34!!) • Probation (physicalcapacity)

  10. Formalization of training FishermenfromFrance (Biget, 2005) • From transmission by « oldtimers » to hybrid training • A theoretical part emerged • A transformation of identityfueled by the adaptation to a new economic and technological world

  11. The formalization of training Except for the Mali hunters all of these occupations have been formalized and most of theminstitutionnalized in a dual form: theoretical and practical. On the practicalsideweseem to have been transitingfrom an oral tradition to a paper and objectives acquisition of knowledge

  12. A modern version: Communities of practice • Learning in concrete settings isnowbeingexaminedfrom a different angle • A basic principle: A group of people sharing an activity • Learning through participation within a group

  13. Communities of Practice(Wenger, 2005) meaning Participation living in the world forms membership acting experience world points of focus interacting documents mutuality monuments instruments projection Reification negotiation 13

  14. CoPs key concepts Negotiation Meaning Identity Participation Reification Mutual engagement Joint enterprise Sharedrepertoire Transparency Trajectory Imagination Alignment 14

  15. Legitimate Peripheral Participation Legitimate Peripheral Participation Initial interaction is with other new entrants The boundary is constantly moving Acknowledged"Master" Progress is beingallowed to take onmore key, or risky, tasks Community of Practice Note : Lave & Wenger explicitly reject this kind of depiction of their model 15

  16. Shift from an individual to a collective perspective Impact on Field experiences in Teacher Training Programs • Dyads (studentspaired) • Collective supervision (a group of teachers) • Distance supervision • Interdisciplinaryapproach

  17. Somesideeffects of thesemeasures • On evaluation… • On accountability… • On organization…

  18. ParallelResearchendeavours • Reconstruction of teacher narratives (problem-solving and supervision) • Remoteschool network project • Virtual communities of practice (ISP project) • Marine pilots training (in progress)

  19. Thank you!! fernand.gervais@fes.ulaval.ca

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