Sandra Figaro-Henry - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Uploads
Papers by Sandra Figaro-Henry
Journal of Early Childhood Research, Oct 3, 2023
School Leadership & Management, Aug 30, 2017
ABSTRACT The current research explores how using collaborative twenty-first century digital tools... more ABSTRACT The current research explores how using collaborative twenty-first century digital tools developed the collective leadership capacity among participants in an educational leadership course. A qualitative interpretive approach was used. The data show how learning within the digital collaborative spaces was multidirectional and enhanced the possibilities of each student’s learning and practice. Communicating, curating and sharing knowledge, led to the development of new insights and support of mutual practice. The authors argue that the group’s collaborative endeavours produced substantive collective knowledge that elevated practice, and in so doing created collective leadership capacity within educational institutions and organisations in Trinidad and Tobago.
Caribbean Curriculum, May 12, 2016
EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology, Jun 22, 2015
Smart Learning Environments, Dec 17, 2021
Early Child Development and Care, 2018
Formative assessment and effective use of data to support student learning are key components of ... more Formative assessment and effective use of data to support student learning are key components of practice in early childhood (EC) centres. Although Trinidad and Tobago has developed an impressive EC care system, to decrease the achievement gap which international studies have shown to be significant in core subjects, educational planners must ensure that teachers make better use of data. This study explored data use practice in eight geographically diverse EC centres. Using maximum variation sampling, data were collected from focus group teacher interviews, observation and document analysis. Thematic analysis and constant comparison were used to identify differences across sites and to generate theory on practice. The theory identifies data use practice in an emerging Caribbean society lacking a robust data culture and with limited professional development opportunities. Implications for policy, professional sdevelopment and system reform of the EC sector in Trinidad and Tobago are ...
Smart Learning Environments
Popularly used in marketing and business, gamification has been gaining interest in educational c... more Popularly used in marketing and business, gamification has been gaining interest in educational contexts for its potential to invigorate otherwise mundane or difficult processes. A gamified environment transfers motivational elements of games to learning activities thereby engaging learners in the learning task thus transforming dull classroom environments to smart ones. This paper presents the design process of a gamification intervention in geometry at elementary level, based upon Huang and Soman (Gamification of education. Research report series: behavioural economics in action, 29. Rothman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, 2013) model. We describe how insights from various sources helped us to refine an intervention previously used in one school. The design focuses on gamifying the tangram, an unplugged resource, through incorporating game-based elements of leader boards, points/stars and challenge levels to motivate young learners individually and in teams. ...
Caribbean Curriculum, 2019
Though games have had popular use in primary schools over time, there is increased interest in us... more Though games have had popular use in primary schools over time, there is increased interest in using elements of gaming in the classroom to promote motivation and thinking skills. This paper reports on a mixed methods intervention pilot study in one primary school in Trinidad that explored the effects of a gamified classroom on reinforcing geometric concepts and skills. Familiar learning tools, like tangrams and origami, were used. A non-equivalent control group mixed method design was used with both groups taking the pre- and post-tests. Only the experimental group used the gamified activities. Qualitative data were obtained from the experimental group teacher’s interview and observational notes, and analysed to reveal three interpretive themes about students’ perspectives: favourable, unfavourable and change. Overall, students reported that games made mathematics easier to remember. The teacher reported high student engagement, collaborative problem solving, and respectful compet...
Technology use for transforming the teaching-learning environment has been well researched and fo... more Technology use for transforming the teaching-learning environment has been well researched and forms a critical component in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Schools and teachers therein need to be well positioned to embrace curricula change and employ Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for teaching and learning. However, as in-service teachers may not have been exposed to STEM education in their teacher preparation programmes, continuous professional development (PD) is the avenue through which change can be effected. This paper describes the gains in competence and confidence of teachers in four selected Web 2.0 tools (Skype videoconferencing tool, emails, blogs, and wikis) while participating in a STEM ICT PD initiative. A phased approach to ICT PD was used in which an online phase bridged two face-to-face workshop series. Participants were 86 teachers from 25 purposefully selected early childhood, primary and secondary schools in Tri...
The University of the West Indies (UWI) has signalled its intention to use ICTs to fuel growth in... more The University of the West Indies (UWI) has signalled its intention to use ICTs to fuel growth in its competitiveness and improvement in the quality and effectiveness of its delivery of higher education services to a wider audience. The university's Strategic Plan 2012-2017 spells out the path to this development and the priorities to achieve its vision. In an effort to be proactive in fulfilling the university's strategic objectives, the UWI School of Education, St. Augustine (UWISOESA) initiated the use of mobile learning technologies via a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative with some of its students in the Bachelor of Education programme. The mobile technologies literature reports many issues that can impede their effective use during teaching and learning. These issues include the degree of readiness for implementation, safety, security, connectivity, and communication. This paper reports on a study done to determine how students involved in the BYOD initiative expe...
School Leadership & Management
The University of the West Indies (UWI) has signalled its intention to use ICTs to fuel growth in... more The University of the West Indies (UWI) has signalled its intention to use ICTs to fuel growth in its competitiveness and improvement in the quality and effectiveness of its delivery of higher education services to a wider audience. The university's Strategic Plan 2012– 2017 spells out the path to this development and the priorities to achieve its vision. In an effort to be proactive in fulfilling the university's strategic objectives, the UWI School of Education, St. Augustine (UWISOESA) initiated the use of mobile learning technologies via a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative with some of its students in the Bachelor of Education programme. The mobile technologies literature reports many issues that can impede their effective use during teaching and learning. These issues include the degree of readiness for implementation, safety, security, connectivity, and communication. This paper reports on a study done to determine how students involved in the BYOD initiative experienced the initiative at the UWISOESA. It reports on students' perceptions of the degree of readiness of UWISOESA for BYOD; their experiences and challenges; and how to improve the initiative. The study has implications for regional policy formulation.
Journal of Early Childhood Research, Oct 3, 2023
School Leadership & Management, Aug 30, 2017
ABSTRACT The current research explores how using collaborative twenty-first century digital tools... more ABSTRACT The current research explores how using collaborative twenty-first century digital tools developed the collective leadership capacity among participants in an educational leadership course. A qualitative interpretive approach was used. The data show how learning within the digital collaborative spaces was multidirectional and enhanced the possibilities of each student’s learning and practice. Communicating, curating and sharing knowledge, led to the development of new insights and support of mutual practice. The authors argue that the group’s collaborative endeavours produced substantive collective knowledge that elevated practice, and in so doing created collective leadership capacity within educational institutions and organisations in Trinidad and Tobago.
Caribbean Curriculum, May 12, 2016
EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology, Jun 22, 2015
Smart Learning Environments, Dec 17, 2021
Early Child Development and Care, 2018
Formative assessment and effective use of data to support student learning are key components of ... more Formative assessment and effective use of data to support student learning are key components of practice in early childhood (EC) centres. Although Trinidad and Tobago has developed an impressive EC care system, to decrease the achievement gap which international studies have shown to be significant in core subjects, educational planners must ensure that teachers make better use of data. This study explored data use practice in eight geographically diverse EC centres. Using maximum variation sampling, data were collected from focus group teacher interviews, observation and document analysis. Thematic analysis and constant comparison were used to identify differences across sites and to generate theory on practice. The theory identifies data use practice in an emerging Caribbean society lacking a robust data culture and with limited professional development opportunities. Implications for policy, professional sdevelopment and system reform of the EC sector in Trinidad and Tobago are ...
Smart Learning Environments
Popularly used in marketing and business, gamification has been gaining interest in educational c... more Popularly used in marketing and business, gamification has been gaining interest in educational contexts for its potential to invigorate otherwise mundane or difficult processes. A gamified environment transfers motivational elements of games to learning activities thereby engaging learners in the learning task thus transforming dull classroom environments to smart ones. This paper presents the design process of a gamification intervention in geometry at elementary level, based upon Huang and Soman (Gamification of education. Research report series: behavioural economics in action, 29. Rothman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, 2013) model. We describe how insights from various sources helped us to refine an intervention previously used in one school. The design focuses on gamifying the tangram, an unplugged resource, through incorporating game-based elements of leader boards, points/stars and challenge levels to motivate young learners individually and in teams. ...
Caribbean Curriculum, 2019
Though games have had popular use in primary schools over time, there is increased interest in us... more Though games have had popular use in primary schools over time, there is increased interest in using elements of gaming in the classroom to promote motivation and thinking skills. This paper reports on a mixed methods intervention pilot study in one primary school in Trinidad that explored the effects of a gamified classroom on reinforcing geometric concepts and skills. Familiar learning tools, like tangrams and origami, were used. A non-equivalent control group mixed method design was used with both groups taking the pre- and post-tests. Only the experimental group used the gamified activities. Qualitative data were obtained from the experimental group teacher’s interview and observational notes, and analysed to reveal three interpretive themes about students’ perspectives: favourable, unfavourable and change. Overall, students reported that games made mathematics easier to remember. The teacher reported high student engagement, collaborative problem solving, and respectful compet...
Technology use for transforming the teaching-learning environment has been well researched and fo... more Technology use for transforming the teaching-learning environment has been well researched and forms a critical component in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Schools and teachers therein need to be well positioned to embrace curricula change and employ Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for teaching and learning. However, as in-service teachers may not have been exposed to STEM education in their teacher preparation programmes, continuous professional development (PD) is the avenue through which change can be effected. This paper describes the gains in competence and confidence of teachers in four selected Web 2.0 tools (Skype videoconferencing tool, emails, blogs, and wikis) while participating in a STEM ICT PD initiative. A phased approach to ICT PD was used in which an online phase bridged two face-to-face workshop series. Participants were 86 teachers from 25 purposefully selected early childhood, primary and secondary schools in Tri...
The University of the West Indies (UWI) has signalled its intention to use ICTs to fuel growth in... more The University of the West Indies (UWI) has signalled its intention to use ICTs to fuel growth in its competitiveness and improvement in the quality and effectiveness of its delivery of higher education services to a wider audience. The university's Strategic Plan 2012-2017 spells out the path to this development and the priorities to achieve its vision. In an effort to be proactive in fulfilling the university's strategic objectives, the UWI School of Education, St. Augustine (UWISOESA) initiated the use of mobile learning technologies via a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative with some of its students in the Bachelor of Education programme. The mobile technologies literature reports many issues that can impede their effective use during teaching and learning. These issues include the degree of readiness for implementation, safety, security, connectivity, and communication. This paper reports on a study done to determine how students involved in the BYOD initiative expe...
School Leadership & Management
The University of the West Indies (UWI) has signalled its intention to use ICTs to fuel growth in... more The University of the West Indies (UWI) has signalled its intention to use ICTs to fuel growth in its competitiveness and improvement in the quality and effectiveness of its delivery of higher education services to a wider audience. The university's Strategic Plan 2012– 2017 spells out the path to this development and the priorities to achieve its vision. In an effort to be proactive in fulfilling the university's strategic objectives, the UWI School of Education, St. Augustine (UWISOESA) initiated the use of mobile learning technologies via a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative with some of its students in the Bachelor of Education programme. The mobile technologies literature reports many issues that can impede their effective use during teaching and learning. These issues include the degree of readiness for implementation, safety, security, connectivity, and communication. This paper reports on a study done to determine how students involved in the BYOD initiative experienced the initiative at the UWISOESA. It reports on students' perceptions of the degree of readiness of UWISOESA for BYOD; their experiences and challenges; and how to improve the initiative. The study has implications for regional policy formulation.