Visualisations as a means for exploring academics’ teacher identities

Abstract

Academics' teacher identities is a relatively little explored area. This paper explores this through an analysis of drawings by academics. The data consist of 90 drawings. The participants are academics who have attended basic courses in university pedagogy. The drawings were content analysed. In the drawings, the academics expressed themselves as teachers through the teaching context and the actors, artefacts and activities of teaching and learning. By drawing attention to these elements, academics can be encouraged to reflect on their beliefs about teaching and teacher role.

Pictures of Research and Teaching in Psychology: A Comparison of Early-Career Academics' and Students' Perspectives

“…When it comes to the topic of research and teaching, visualizations have been used mainly to study (self-)images of teachers and researchers. These approaches include academics drawing themselves as a teacher (Nevgi & Lo¨fstro¨m, 2014) or researcher (e.g., Bryans & Mavin, 2006), academics taking photographs to symbolize their work as a teacher (Karm & Remmik, 2013), and the so-called draw-a-scientist test as a method specifically used to study students' understanding of researchers (Finson, 2002).…”

“…Inspiration for possible pictures was threefold: Besides ideas from the higher education literature and their own everyday experiences of research and teaching at a university, two doctoral students in psychology who were active in research and teaching wrote down their associations with the two activities. In order to provide a diverse range of pictures, we gathered ideas for settings, activities, metaphors, and artefacts (items) connected with research and teaching (see Nevgi & Lo¨fstro¨m, 2014 for these categories). From this input, lists with 15 different topics for research and teaching each were generated; for example, data analysis or correction of exams.…”

“…The more metaphorical pictures were not chosen; these showed, for example, a person with binoculars symbolizing ''searching for something new'' (research) or hands that protect the growth of small plants symbolizing ''fostering knowledge and development in students'' (teaching; cf. Nevgi & Lo¨fstro¨m, 2014). Nevertheless, it remains striking that the most typical picture for psychology research unanimously is the prototypical researcher in a lab wearing a coat, although other pictures showing researchers as conducting an electroencephalogram (EEG), taking part in conferences, or Albert Einstein as one famous representative also have been available.…”

A Review of Graphic Facilitation in Organizational and Educational Contexts

“…From this perspective, it would be relevant to look for other examples in which visualizations have been used, with professionals reflecting on their own practice (Nevgi and Löfström, 2014;Espiner and Harnett, 2016). A case study by Nevgi and Løfström (2012) investigated how academics at university use drawings to reflect on their roles as teachers.…”

Algajate õppejõudude õpetamisarusaamad fotointervjuude põhjal

“…Fotointervjuud ajendas kasutama asjaolu, et visuaalsed uurimismeetodid, sh fotointervjuud, on andnud häid tulemusi õpetamisarusaamade uuri misel (Nevgi & Löfström, 2013;Taylor, 2002;Weber & Mitchell, 1996;Woodley-Baker, 2009). Põhjusena tuuakse välja, et ideaale, arusaamu ja uskumusi on raske uurida, sest inimesed pole sageli selgelt teadvustanud, millistel arusaamadel nende õpetamispraktika põhineb (Taylor, 2002).…”