Developing teacher capacity and vocabulary in using the learning environment
The overall objective of this research program is to improve teachers’ capacity in the use of innovative spaces which can potentially lead to coherence and improved student learning outcomes. Ultimately, the aims are two-fold:
- To develop staff to be confident users of ILEs to enable improved instructional coherence; and
- To ensure that the school’s planning for future learning spaces is going to best facilitate the desired pedagogical practice and encourage individualised/ differentiated learning pathways for students.
Phase one will focus on developing a shared understanding across the school community about how best to leverage the learning environment to promote student wellbeing and learning growth for all. The development of shared teaching and learning routines will be a key focus.
The specific focus of Phase 1 will be to:
- to develop a lexicon of teaching and learning strategies associated with the use of space as a pedagogic tool; and
- gather data on how teachers and students use these teaching and learning strategies to affect student learning.
One of the deliverables for phase 1 is the development of a school-wide document that teachers and students can use in the future. These phase 1 activities will also allow the team to identify and design the Phase 2 (2019-2020) research project.
A primary research question will guide the Phase 1 component of the research program:
- To what extent do teachers and students have a shared language about the use of space to affect student learning?
Two subsidiary research questions will also be used:
- What are teachers’ and students’ understandings of the use of space? And to what extent are these common?
- To what extent do a shared language about the use of space affect student learning?
Meet the P2P Team for Kildare Catholic College:
Dr Marian Mahat
ILETC Research Manager
Melbourne Graduate School of Education
Marian Mahat is the lead Research Fellow of the ILETC project. As the Research Manager, she oversees all research activities and the dissemination of project findings including the management of Research Fellows and graduate researchers. Marian has over twenty years of professional and academic experience, spanning several Australian universities, the Australian Federal and local governments, as well as the private sector. Highly proficient in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, she has worked on collaborative projects, written numerous publications and presented in conferences in education. Her research focus is in student learning and outcomes in different learning and teaching contexts.
Learn more about Dr Mahat’s work visit: Find an Expert profile.
Associate Professor Wes Imms
Head of Visual Art Education
Melbourne Graduate School of Education
Wesley Imms is an Associate Professor in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, is the Head of Visual Art Education, and the Research Higher Degree Coordinator for Curriculum and Teaching. He is the lead Chief Investigator of the ARC Linkage Project Innovative Learning Environments and Teacher Change which will run from 2016-2019, and also leads the Evaluating 21st Century Learning Environments ARC Linkage Project, which is being run from 2013 to 2016. He has been involved in a range of solo and collaborative projects since 2000 involving approximately $11 million of external funding, has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, conference papers and books, numerous reports and invited lectures here and overseas. He is an experienced educator and is involved teaching subjects spanning visual art curriculum and studio practice, innovative learning spaces, and Masters-level learning spaces capstone and teacher/practitioner subjects, in addition to supervising 19 Doctoral, Master of Education/Philosophy and Master of Teaching honours theses.
To learn more about A/Professor Wes Imm’s work visit: Find an Expert profile