Development Education, Just Forests and Woodwork Teacher Education

Development Education, Just forests and Woodwork Teacher Education

Tom Roche, Donal Canty, Deirdre Hogan and Tamzin Batteson.

Scoping meeting (12th November 2010):

The aim of the meeting was to discover through dialogue ways in which to create an awareness of sustainable forest management and poverty reduction in the third world amongst BTech (edu) Materials & Architectural Technology students. This followed on from a lecture given by Tom Roche of Just Forests to 1st year student teachers.

Deirdre would like to have a map created that shows where the students meet ideas of development education and education for sustainable development throughout their 4 years of training. She further suggested that she would like to design a workshop in which Trevor Hickey, Kieran O’Dowd, Joe Murray and Niall Seery along with Tom Roche can work with the students. Furthermore, Joe Murray’s waste management procedures for the department came up – there is a conscious effort not to waste materials and to allow the resources available to influence the final product; he lets the size and structure of wood dictate design and not the other way around. Joe was present at the lecture.

Donal stated a wish to integrate the philosophy of Just forests message into the curriculum of the 4 year programme. Tom Roche suggested using the idea of ‘conservation by design’ as a means of engaging the students on this topic. Donal suggested the possibility of running an outside competition in which students could utilise lab space in the department in the evening. However Donal highlighted his concern about integrating development education within a formal assessment. Donal noted ‘if you ask for it in the exam, you’ll get it, but that doesn’t mean it’s something that they value’. All four present at the meeting agreed that they would rather find ways in allowing the students to develop there own values and social consciousness and integrating it into their work without being formally told to do so. That would be a measure of success. It would be of benefit to the network to find out what it is the students value without succumbing to social desirability of the attention of good grades. Deirdre suggested that it may be of value to explore student teachers experiences of addressing dev ed/sustainable wood practices whilst on TP – this might relate to their teaching content but also reflect the environment in which they will be teachers – e.g. in relation to the policies the schools themselves have (do they recycle, do they allow the teachers to order their own material etc).

Donal then suggested that it would be an opportunity to design a questionnaire to assess the attitudes that the students have towards the issues raised in Tom’s lecture. The possibility of running a research project was then discussed. Next semester would be a great opportunity to obtain data for research. The 2nd years are on TP for seven weeks next semester and the 3rd years have a project/report that they have to produce (a chair and the decision processes behind its conception and creation). It would be possible to assess their attitudes to sustainable forest management and its impact on the world prior to receiving a lecture from Tom Roche. They would then either go on TP or Produce their project. Another questionnaire would be designed to give them afterwards to assess whether the interventions have changed their attitudes and values or not. It was felt that subtle primes could be used such as pictures in the labs to remind the students of sustainable forest management rather than it being written on the assessment.

A proposal for funding with the Ubuntu Network will be written for an action research project. The possibility of paying Just Forests for 300 copies of his good wood guide as a resource for students was also discussed.

Research Outline:

Two Attitude Questionnaire’s will be designed by Donal Canty and Tamzin Batteson. The first Questionnaire will be completed by the 2nd and 3rd years on the week of the 24th January. Tom Roche will give his Lectures on the week of the 24th January and then each cohort will complete either TP or Project. Finally a 2nd follow up attitudes Questionnaire will be completed by the 2nd and 3rd years.

Time line:

Semester 2, Week 1 (week of 24th January 2011)  Deliver pre-questionnaire to 2nd year and 3rd year students. The purpose of this questionnaire is to determine if students value responsible use of wood in their practice. This will be assessed indirectly to avoid students simply giving the ‘right answer’. There may be potential to use case study type questions – (see the RCE evaluation tool)  Create and print posters on sustainability.

Semester 2, Week 2 (towards the end of the week beginning 31st January)  Tom delivers his lecture to 2nd year and 3rd year students (similar or identical to that delivered to fist years in November 2010). Allowing time for questions and comments. The value of Tom’s lecture is that it incorporates personal stories and a personal journey of discovery about the impact of unsustainably forestry and consequently poverty.  Provide all students with the good wood guide and access to resources that they may use while on TP or in wood work in general.  Tom meets with other teacher educators on the programme. Mapping exercise is complete. Further opportunities for integrating concepts of sustainability and development discussed.

Semester 2, Week 4 (approximately) 3rd year students are presented with their project (to design and construct a chair). Students will complete a report to explain their design. This report will indicate if students are making the connection between the sourcing of their wood and sustainability and development issues. We would hope that students would use this as a criterion for their design.

Semester 2, Week 6 (approximately) – 2nd year students go on TP. They will be encouraged to reflect on the use of wood in the school.

Semester 2, Week 10 (approximately) – Invite Tom back to give feedback on the chair project and to discuss the findings form the 2nd year research. Semester 2, Week 12 (approximately) – Post questionnaires. The 2nd year questionnaire will seek to identify how easy/difficult it is to teach in a sustainable manner in the schools while on TP…was it something that they were able to address, were they able to raise it with their students, did they use the good wood guide, were there posters or materials there that presented the sustainability message? Were there policies that promoted sustainability or not? Were cooperating teachers supportive?

The 3rd year questionnaire will explore the decision making process that students underwent in the making of the chair. It will be complemented by the review of the reports submitted.

Budget:

 Poster creation, printing and laminating – for the labs: €450  160 copies of the good wood guide for all 2nd and 3rd year students (approx €15 per copy): €2,400  Alternatively an enlarged and laminated copy for each of the labs, and allow the students to purchase the good wood guide at a discount?  Total €2,850