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Papers by Colin Smith

The European …, 2011

This paper describes our experience in working with teachers to think about how to make practice ... more This paper describes our experience in working with teachers to think about how to make practice more inquiry-based: one in which we as the academics were thinking in terms of collaboration while the teachers were expecting delivery of a professional development ...

British Journal of Educational Psychology, 2002

Background. Among the many theories of learning, few have been developed specifically for educati... more Background. Among the many theories of learning, few have been developed specifically for education. Most have explained learning in terms of either the individual activities of the learner or the design of the learning context; yet both are important in education. Each theory applies strictly only to the context for which it was developed, and yet quite general implications for education are often suggested. Aims. 1. To review qualitative research on learning carried out within the classroom and to identify some of the major influences on the quality of learning outcomes. 2. To develop a conceptual framework based on this research which seeks to explain differences in levels and forms of understanding. Method. Model building based on reviews of research on learning in schools and universities. Analysis. A conceptual framework was developed from the review of the literature which emphasises the activities of both teachers and students and the influences on learning outcomes of both the individual and the social context. The framework introduces a distinction between 'target' and 'personal' understanding to draw attention to the differing ways in which curriculum designers, teachers and students define knowledge and conceptualise the teaching-learning process. It also suggests how these conceptualisations influence the level of understanding reached by students. The framework is intended to encourage teachers and curriculum designers to think about the likely effects of the tasks and conditions they are providing for students, and to consider ways of strengthening the emphasis on conceptual understanding. By drawing on research findings from both schools and universities, a way of thinking about teaching and learning is indicated which can, to some extent, be generalised across educational contexts. Educational and psychological researchers have made repeated attempts at providing satisfactory conceptual frameworks to describe classroom learning and improve the www.bps.org.uk

This article is a response to the discussion of this topic published in this open-dialogue issue ... more This article is a response to the discussion of this topic published in this open-dialogue issue of the journal. It suggests that understanding depends on the discipline and the culture, involves a coherent web of interconnecting ideas and evidence, and develops through relationships with people and their ideas. It suggests that metaphors play an important part in understanding and concludes that understanding can be either open-ended or closed, with important educational consequences. It also considers ways of supporting students' academic understanding.

Educational Research eJournal, 2013

A concept of pedagogical process knowledge (PPK) is introduced to partner pedagogical content kno... more A concept of pedagogical process knowledge (PPK) is introduced to partner pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This concept arises from observing the learning of teachers engaged in a course supporting them in introducing more inquiry-based methods into their practice. This course aimed to empower teachers through professional learning. PCK alone did not seem adequately to explain the teachers' learning, which involved them developing new pedagogical processes to support the development of inquiry-based learning processes in their students-hence PPK. Together, PCK and PPK are important constituents of teachers' theories of practice, although PPK may be often less developed.

Teaching and Teacher Education, 2009

Teachers have long participated in collaborative research. However, they have generally had direc... more Teachers have long participated in collaborative research. However, they have generally had direct stakes in the outcomes. Teachers in the Early Professional Learning (EPL) Project used their insider status to gather data not directly related to their own practice. Lessons for integrating a group of teacher-researchers into a major project are discussed. Some of these are practical, but also cover their unexpectedly experienced initial isolation within the project team, that has relevance for both forming and theorising communities of enquiry. An outline for a new concept of teacher-researcher begins to emerge that may influence the direction of educational research.

Books by Colin Smith

Inquiry in Science Education and Science Teacher Education: Research on teaching and learning through inquiry based approaches in science (teacher) education, 2013

Note: This book is edited by Marit Honerod Hoveid and Peter Gray. I am a contributor. An antholo... more Note: This book is edited by Marit Honerod Hoveid and Peter Gray. I am a contributor.
An anthology of articles from an EU-funded S-TEAM Project (Science-Teacher Education Advanced Methods) that suggest new ways of thinking about teaching and learning processes. Although the articles are concerned with science education through inquiry methods, many are concerned also with more general educational issues (student disengagement, tools for reflection, as examples) and so are of interest to a wider range of teachers and teacher educators.