Currently in Queensland, preservice teachers undertake four years of undergraduate study and up to 100 days of practicum before entering the profession. While a variety of subjects and experiences feed into their development as teachers, there are always other topics that could be covered or covered in more depth to increase preservice teachers’ knowledge bases and competence. Adding to this is their development as self-directed, lifelong learners who take responsibility for the path and direction of their learning. To address some of these concerns, Megina Kazil teachers' network was initiated at James Cook University in 2000 as a student network. Its aim was to extending in-class learning by providing students with professional development opportunities and opportunities to network with practicing early childhood teachers and professionals in other fields that support early childhood. It also aimed to get early childhood preservice teachers self-sufficient at running the group, including planning and organising speakers and events, recruiting members and arranging meetings. This research was conducted one year on, to look at the impact of the network on student teachers. Students attending Megina Kazil events were given surveys to complete and participants were chosen as a purposive sample - one where they were selected based on their ability to provide the greatest amount of information about the group. In the first stage of this research, participants were interviewed individually about their views of how Megina Kazil had impacted upon them. Data were collated and areas that emerged included: developing the self, developing relationships and developing the profession.
During my years of tertiary teaching, I have covered many topics of professional development and pedagogy in Early Childhood Education. My lectures have been crowded with issues that I’ve felt needed to be covered to “properly” articulate preservice teachers into the real world of teaching children of diverse backgrounds and abilities and cooperating with other teachers, assistants, administrators, parents and community members. No matter how much I put into lectures and tutorials, I always found areas that could have been explored or further elaborated to give a broader view of the profession.
In retrospect, my thinking was flawed in a number of ways. Firstly, there are always more topics to cover, areas to explore, knowledge to be gained. It is seemingly impossible in one semester or even in several semesters to cover everything, particularly, as “everything” could mean different things to each student and quantity does not ensure quality. As Cochran-Smith (2002) notes, “What teacher preparation has to do with being a well-qualified and competent teacher is a highly contested issue” (p. 100). Secondly, the role of teacher educator as keeper of all knowledge, to be handed out to students in bite-sized portions, positions the teacher educator as dominant and students as passive recipients. Little (1993, in Lieberman, 2000) notes that passive learners of prescriptive programs fail to integrate new knowledge into their classroom practice. Further, changing agendas in teacher education in the twenty-first century have begun to redefine the role of the teacher educator. Von Kadich notes, “ To accommodate students and educators in the new century, new approaches to the educational process must mesh what we know about the educational process with what appear to be the needs of the future” (p. 383). Some suggestions for this change include: helping students to become lifelong learners, to integrate theory and practice through dynamic pedagogy and to integrate academic work with workforce education (Harrison, 2000, in Von Kadich, 2001, p. 383). Ashton (1996) suggests: "We must design extensive programs that enable prospective teachers to develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to meet the complex demands of the classroom and the difficult conditions of schools " (p.22).
The establishment of a teaching network for preservice Early Childhood teachers seemed to be one way to bring teacher education forward into the twenty-first century. According to Lieberman, because of networks’ “loose structure and flexible organisation, [they] are more in tune with the rapid technological and socioeconomic changes of this era, providing the kinds of knowledge and experience that teachers need to be successful with their students” (2000, p. 226). Following much reflection and discussion with colleagues and students, “Megina Kazil Teachers' Network” was set up at James Cook University.
“Megina Kazil” means “little children” in Torres Strait Creole. It’s aims were to extend in-class learning by providing students with professional development opportunities and opportunities to meet and network with practicing early childhood teachers and professionals in other fields that support early childhood. Branch (2000) argues that universities are not fulfilling their role as socialisers of the students into the profession unless they address the issues of professional roles and responsibilities. University educators play an important role in helping students to form their professional identities.
Another aim for the development of Megina Kazil was to get early childhood preservice teachers self-sufficient at running the group, including planning and organising speakers and events, recruiting members and arranging meetings. Meetings have been held fortnightly, with guest speakers attending approximately once a month. Meetings include resource sharing, discussing issues of interest to the early childhood profession, and planning upcoming events and fundraising activities. This is similar to Lieberman’s model, where “networks are organised around the interests and needs of their participants, building agendas sensitive to their individual and collective development as educators” (2000, pp. 221 &endash; 222). The group, which started with a membership of approximately eight, now boasts 40 members. Events are free of charge or at a minimal cost to members, but non-members are also welcome to attend. Membership includes early childhood preservice teachers, primary preservice teachers, practicing teachers and university lecturers. Korthagen and Kessels (1999) define four roles of the teacher educator as: creating a suitable learning environment; promoting awareness and reflection; offering theory; and training students to act in a productive manner. In class I felt I mainly offered theory and promoted awareness and reflection, so Megina Kazil gave me an opportunity to expand my roles. At the onset of the group, my role was very much an organisational one, designing an environment in which the group could function. I booked a room, advertised the meetings, and prepared the agendas. With the help of one or two of the original members, I organised a mailing list, distributed posters and approached other lecturers to encourage their students to attend Megina Kazil meetings.
With the election of the first executive, responsibility for the functioning of Megina Kazil began to shift more towards the students as I decreased my scaffolding or, as Korthagen and Kessels (1999) suggest, exercised my role of training students to act in a productive manner. Two members designed and organised group t-shirts, another organised speakers, and a number of members joined me to do face painting at a school fete to raise money for the group. The group treasurer approached the university students association for club registration and a grant for face paints and a speaker.
One year on, with the election of the second executive, my scaffolding has withdrawn still further. Members now do all the organisation of speakers, run the mailing list and do much of the advertising and recruitment. My role is more one of facilitator, where I offer suggestions and direction where needed, but am less of a driving force than at the onset. My interest in Megina Kazil is still strong, and its functioning and impact have become a major research interest.
Teachers’ networks are reported in schools, school clusters or special interest groups of practicing teachers (Gratch, 1998; Halford, 1998; Kortagen & Kessels, 1999). Support for first year teachers often comes through these networks. However, there seems to be a gap in the literature regarding networks at the preservice teacher level. Megina Kazil was established as a network for preservice teachers to provide a grounding for networking and other skills that are a part of the teaching profession.
The objective of this study was to determine the impact of the Megina Kazil student network on its members. It is informed through the perspectives of the preservice teachers selected as participants in this study. The questions guiding this research were:
This research is qualitative in nature, attempting to describe a situation through accounts that people give of their experiences (Kumar, 1996). Regarding the number of contacts with the study population, this study is cross-sectional in that it focuses on one individual and one group interview at a moment in time (Kumar, 1996). However, prior to the individual and group interviews, participants were surveyed up to three times about their growing professionalism and the impacts upon it.
It takes an Appreciative Inquiry focus in that it is an inquiry about what works. Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry are that in every group, something works and that while there are multiple created realities, what we focus on and the language that we use about it becomes our reality. It looks to identify things that worked in the past to empower people to carry them into the future (Hall & Hammond, 2001).
Participants were selected through purposive sampling. In this method, the researcher judges who can provide the greatest amount of information to achieve the objectives of the study (Kumar, 1996). This was important because as a preliminary study, there were constraints of time and resources. Therefore targeting key informants was important to the data collection process. Participants were chosen based on length of time they were involved in the group and the degree to which they had been involved. There were six participants in this study, who will be known in this research as: Melissa, Fiona, Suzanne, Leanne, Kimberly and Gwen.
Data were collected in two stages. The first stage involved individual, open-ended interviews, based on information from previous written surveys and interest areas of the research. Rather than set questions, the interviewer was given guidelines from which to questions participants, including: describing Megina Kazil to the researcher, talking about their invovlement, and the impact they feel their membership in Megina Kazil has had on them. The interviewer was also given a summary of participants' responses to previous surveys, as possible starting points for discussion. The findings presented in this paper are based on this first stage of the research. The second stage, the group interview, consisted of activities based on themes reported by participants in the individual interviews, asking them to accept, reject and prioritise these themes.
Research assistants were employed to conduct the interviews, as my role in the formation and implementation of the network may have restricted participants from speaking candidly to me. Also, the professional language used by members of this network is familiar to me, so points could have been overlooked (Spradley, 1979).
Triangulation occurred through the employment of two research assistants, two stages of interviews, audiotaping and transcribing the data and checking it with key informants. It is also noted that a purposive sample may be biased in that students who have the greatest knowledge and experience of Megina Kazil may do so because they have very positive feelings about the group, and so may be less inclined to describe negative impacts. However, in Appreciative Inquiry the researcher looks for positive aspects of groups as a way of determining how to act in the future (Hall & Hammond, 2001).
Data were coded in grounded theory fashion, where themes emerged from a “line-by-line reading of the text while looking for processes, action, assumptions and consequences” (Ryan & Bernard in Denzin & Lincoln, 2000, p. 780). Once identified, themes were refined to the point where they could be applied to the entire text. Themes and concepts identified were then linked to existing theory or used to form the basis of new theory. (Ryan & Bernard in Denzin & Lincoln, 2000). The result of this approach includes verbatim text as exemplars of concepts and theories. Through the words of participants and the researcher’s analysis, a glimpse of the impact of the Megina Kazil network is hopefully put forward.
Participants reported a number of impacts of Megina Kazil, including: an increased knowledge base, more confidence, gaps in existing studies filled, a support network developed, a community profile established and advocacy skills increased. These items have been clustered into three main themes: Developing the Self, Developing Relationships and Developing the Profession. Under each theme, sub-themes were identified. A summary of findings appears in Table 3.1 below. Each of these themes are discussed in context below.
Developing the Self Confirming existing
beliefs Increased confidence and willingness
to act Increased professional
knowledge insight into schools academic knowledge practical knowledge Skills development management organisation conflict management advocacy Developing
Relationships Networking people (teachers, community
members) organisations (eg. AECA) Mentoring teachers in the field other students Social Relationships with peers with preservice teachers from other
levels with practicing teachers Developing The Profession Advocacy for children for Early Childhood issues Raising the profile of the Early
Childhood Profession Advocating for University program
changes
Self- development was the most frequently reported impact of Megina Kazil. In the area of self- development, participants identified the following sub-themes: confirmation of their existing beliefs, increased confidence and willingness to act, increased professional knowledge and skills development.
Participants reported a confirmation of existing beliefs. These include beliefs about how children learn and best practice in early childhood pedagogy:
[Megina Kazil] allows you to stand firm in your path, as you are going along. It helps you to think that you are not the only one who thinks this way. (Fiona)We have special speakers coming, and just basically to confirm what I learn from other people, as well as throw in my opinion of what I have thought has just occurred, what I have just learnt, and to see if it is correct. (Suzanne)
Being able to discuss things with other people [about] if you are doing the right thing or not. One thing I have learned in doing Education is that you can be told many different ways of doing things, but you have to find out the right way yourself. (Kimberly)
Confirming their beliefs with others seems to strengthen preservice teachers’ ability to develop themselves professionally. Further directions for Megina Kazil, as suggested by Fiona, could include inviting speakers whose ideas and practices support and possibly even challenge existing beliefs.
I would like to see more speakers, perhaps advocating the same kinds of values that we have. Someone who is out there with more authority than what we have, who can vouch for and give substance to what we have learnt at university. (Fiona)
Participants reported increased confidence and willingness to act as a result of their involvement in Megina Kazil. This may come from the security members feel within the group.
The more you know, the more confidence you have. (Leanne)I did feel like I had something to say. (Fiona)
Fiona reported that the confidence she felt within the group had not yet transferred to the workplace, but that her involvement in Megina Kazil had made her more willing to act:
It has helped me to extend and make me more willing to do that little bit extra. I think that in the future, it will help me say, “Okay, I’ll be a part of that committee”.
Participants described a benefit of Megina Kazil as professional growth through increased knowledge and skills. Lieberman (2000) talks about networks “mobilising and motivating teachers to engage in their own learning and, in the best of networks, providing opportunities for teachers that reached far beyond the goals of their initial membership [to] become a significant force for teacher development and school change” (p. 222). Knowledge gained from Megina Kazil included becoming more fluent in teaching discourses, which helps novices to understand and become part of the teaching community. Lave and Wenger (1991) describe how learners acquire a community’s subjective viewpoints through learning to speak its language. Susanne reported that Megina Kazil has helped her to “talk the talk… I feel quite confident talking with other teachers now.”
Professional knowledge was a common theme in participants’ responses:
[The main function of Megina Kazil is] professional development. (Leanne)[Professional knowledge through] addressing issues of inservicing in different things. We are all so interested in… different speakers that came along. They all had excellent ideas. (Melissa)
[Megina Kazil helps by] keeping you up to date with issues. (Gwen)
Knowledge also took the form of insight into classroom practice. Reflecting on a speaker who discussed her literacy teaching practices, Suzanne said, “Megina Kazil helps to link reading with practice.”
Knowledge was also mentioned in relation to university studies, as a way of bridging the gaps and, as Suzanne noted, to “further what we learn at university.” Lieberman sees this as a mark of a successful network: “Keeping a balance between inside knowledge (the experiential knowledge of teachers) and outside knowledge (knowledge created by research and conceptualisation) is a hallmark of successful collaboratives” (2000, p. 223).
Participants spoke of gaps in the university program and how Megina Kazil worked to bridge those gaps.
If we felt we weren’t getting something from the course, that is when we organised certain speakers to come. (Gwen)The group organises people to come in and talk to us about issues that we feel are not being addressed in the class and university, and issues that need to be broadened to help us in the classroom. (Leanne)
I have just done my fourth year prac and there are so many issues I have come across that I feel that I still need to learn about before I get into the classroom. And I do not think that is going to change up here [at university]. So Megina Kazil can address these issues. (Kimberly)
The gaps to which these participants referred, were often described as adding practice to the theory gleaned from university studies. Leanne felt that getting information about practice “enhances our degree, especially on a practical level. The uni course is too heavily theory based…University does this huge, general thing which is not enough.” Cronin (1993) affirms this when he says: "Students' experiences in school should more closely resemble the experiences they encounter in real life" (p. 80). But participants felt that professional knowledge gained through Megina Kazil enhanced theory and furthered university learning, thus bridging the gaps they described.
It has bridged the gap and the more opportunities we have, [the more] it will help close the gap. (Suzanne)[University is] basing it more on theoretical stuff that is good background stuff, but it does not help us with the content we are doing. Through Megina Kazil you can pass on the knowledge to others to bridge the gaps in the uni program. (Kimberly)
Participants lauded the professional knowledge gained through their participation in Megina Kazil.
Those contacts give me so much knowledge. I have become a resource to the school because I know about all these different groups and different people. (Melissa)
Through workshops and things like that I am furthering my professional development and knowledge. (Kimberly)
Participants also looked to increasing their knowledge in the future through Megina Kazil, even when they were practicing teachers. Melissa noted:
I see the role of Megina Kazil as potentially becoming a wonderful resource for both teachers that are in service and teachers that are coming up to working in a school, undergraduates or people that have not begun in the school yet.
3.1.4 Skills
A number of skills were reported as developing through participation in Megina Kazil. These included management and organisation skills, skills in relating to people and in managing conflict:
Management skills have been valuable. [This has occurred through] organising things and finding out how much there is in organising something. (Melissa)[Involvement in Megina Kazil] has helped me with my organisational skills and getting onto a committee. [It has] broadened my mind in that way and my skills. (Kimberly)
It has taught me people skills…learning to resolve those frustrations and then work out solutions to them… In the social skills, having to justify Megina Kazil to other people, I feel I would be able to justify different things and be able to communicate that justification. (Melissa)
[Involvement in Megina Kazil] has helped us to work with our colleagues. (Fiona)
These skills may have developed through participating in the planning and organisation of various workshops, but may also be the result of assuming a position on the executive. For example, Melissa’s former role as president of Megina Kazil may have put her in a position where she had to develop people skills and be ready to justify Megina Kazil to the community.
Other important skills reported as developed through Megina Kazil are advocacy skills.
[Megina Kazil] gives you firm grounding for future advocacy. If you want to become an advocate for something, you know you’ve got some background knowledge to be able to draw on and different human resources as well. (Melissa)It has helped me with advocacy, with advocating for early childhood because you’ve got support and this band of people with like philosophies and values as yourself. (Fiona)
[I now feels that] we are responsible for ourselves and instead of whinging about it, take action on it. (Suzanne)
The development of advocacy skills is particularly important as participants named advocacy as one of the impacts of Megina Kazil. This will be discussed in the section on Developing the Profession.
3.2 Developing Relationships
While developing the self seems to have been given priority in responses from participants, a number of responses have been classified as “developing relationships”. These relationships took the forms of networking, mentoring and social relationships. A 1996 study of sixteen networks by Lieberman and Grolnick (in Lieberman, 2000) found that powerful networks were developed by “emphasising the building of relationships through collaboration in support of work that advanced the goals of the network, enabling members to participate in creating and sustaining a group that advanced their professional identity, interests and learning” (p. 223).
Much of this happened, as Gwen noted, through "organising speakers and getting other groups to come." Fiona added: "We have asked people to come in and talk to us, usually about things that could help us professionally." Lave and Wenger (1991) note that the newcomer must have access to arenas of mature practice and must become part of the community.
3.2.1 Networking
Networking is defined by Ife (1995) as "establishing relationships with a variety of people, and being able to use them to effect change" (p. 218). Networking practices named by participants included introducing students to other early childhood students, to early childhood groups and to professional services.
[Networking] would be to invite [other people and groups] along to our meetings and to see what they are discussing and to see what the issues are at the time…If there is a topic I am interested in, it just gives me another avenue to further what I am interested in. (Suzanne)
Particular mention was made of the link between Megina Kazil and the Australian Early Childhood Association:
We have developed a good network with the Australian Early Childhood Association…I have written a journal article for their newsletter. It has been really helpful in that way, learning about different organisations that can help us as teachers. (Kimberly)[Megina Kazil] has introduced me to the Australian Early Childhood Association. (Gwen)
Branch (2000) stresses that to develop a professional identity, preservice teachers need an understanding of the values, skills and situations that occur in the workplace. "The match between a student's expectations of their future work role and the actual reality of professional practice will be a predictor as to whether or not the student is successful in their future practice” (p.2). Through networking with practicing teachers, this understanding becomes deeper and preservice teachers achieve more realistic expectations of their future careers.
Participants saw increased networking in their undergraduate years as a benefit that may not be as accessible once they graduate and take jobs in schools.
We have grown professionally in that we have accessed different avenues … within our profession. (Fiona)Once you're a teacher, how would you network with other groups when you are working full time as a teacher, other than in holidays? People tend to, when they are in the school… become a little cocooned from the world. (Melissa)
Networking was seen as a way to further learning and to gain employment.
Megina Kazil opens up a broader range of learning experiences through all these other committees that we network with… It will help to open up avenues and meet other people in the workforce, so if I do come across them, they are not total strangers (Suzanne)I might not have got a job at the school if I had not networked through Megina Kazil and got to know people through there… I have met different people, so when I go into a staff meeting at school and they say such and such has happened, I say 'You know who you could see about this? You could see this person' (Melissa)
3.2.2 Mentoring
Participants reported that through Megina Kazil's networks, mentoring situations had evolved, where they felt assistance was being offered in their professional development. Mentoring came from teachers in the field and from current and past pre-service teachers.
As a result of networking, you can get yourself in situations where you can observe that quality teaching that I feel is necessary to see. (Leanne)It has opened up [opportunities] for me. Otherwise I would have just been seeing the selected teachers when I go to classes, instead of seeing all the opportunities or the other people. (Suzanne)
These comments support Dewey's concept of a "pedagogy of engagement;" one which engages learners in "reaching outside the walls of the school and into the surrounding community (Ehrlich, 1998, p. 4). Dewey saw learning in the community as a way of supplementing classroom learning (Ehrlich, 1998).
Practicing teachers, including ones who spoke to the group about their practice, were often seen as mentors by the participants. Yet in the literature, mentoring relationships are described as occurring in the first year of teaching (Gratch, 1998; Halford, 1998, Kortagen & Kessels, 1999). Some practicing teachers invited students to visit their classrooms. According to Armour and Booth (1999 in Kiggins, 1999), most schools who worked with final year preservice teachers felt that these students needed more experience in the culture of the school with day to day school operations. Participants regarded mentoring relationships with practicing teachers as a benefit of Megina Kazil:
I have met teachers who are passionate about early childhood and about sharing quality teaching, and as a result of their coming to Megina Kazil, I have been able to go out into their classroom and see effective and kind teaching happening. (Leanne)[Mentoring occurs] even if they are just there to help me talk the talk or walk the walk. (Suzanne)
While participants reported mentoring situations with practicing teachers, they also said that mentoring occurred between preservice teachers, at different levels of the course:
Networking and sharing across student levels (Gwen)It is a mentoring system. It has assisted me with assignments and just general knowledge. If we have a problem, we raise it: “I need extra help on this. Has anyone worked with this system?” If they haven't we actually get someone to come in and inform us professionally… It can be personal development, like if you have got stress, we can help relieve that as well as being a mentor. I have offered before, if students need help they can get it off me. (Kimberly)
These comments indicate that while preservice teachers mentor each other, they are also able to collectively find the help they need beyond the membership of the group. Some of that help comes in the form of former members of Megina Kazil, who have now graduated.
The other members of Megina Kazil go up, year by year, and they are out in the professional environment. They are sharing their knowledge of different people with us and putting us in touch with other people. This is the only place within the university where people across year levels are getting together and discussing their professional degree, and that is very valuable. (Leanne)
"A nice social group of ladies" is how Suzanne described the social benefits of Megina Kazil. (It is noted that there are male members of Megina Kazil as well as female members.) Friendship and support from others were themes mentioned by all participants. These included: friendships with peers, with preservice teachers from different levels of study and with practicing teachers.
Friendship with preservice teachers in the same year or in different years of the degree was seen as a benefit of membership in Megina Kazil.
[I have developed a] friendship with those preservice teachers progressing through the degree. (Gwen)I have managed to get to know people in the same areas, but in different year levels at university. (Kimberly)
Deeper or wider friendships, so that you can just lob up to someone that you probably wouldn't in the library and have a chat to them. You’ve got something more in common and also professionally. (Fiona)
These friendships extend beyond the realm of preservice teachers, to include practicing teachers, community members and university lecturers:
We’ve got a deeper friendship with maybe a wider bank of people than we would normally mix with. It has just brought together like-minded people who are passionate about their teaching and will go that extra step to do what it takes and to improve what they can be. (Fiona)[Megina Kazil is] a wonderful way of getting to know each other and talking about relevant issues… [A benefit is] the social aspect of getting to see people from the university and meeting the different teachers from different schools that attend the meetings. (Melissa)
The support of the group was also noted as a way of accessing professional development. Leanne said that a benefit of Megina Kazil is "professional development opportunities that come through having a group involved."
The third main theme that emerged from this research was the impact Megina Kazil had in developing the early childhood teaching profession. This took the forms of advocating for children and for early childhood issues, raising the profile of the early childhood profession in the community and advocating for change within the university’s early childhood course.
"The very act of advocacy assumes that the advocate is better able to represent the case than the person or people directly affected" (Ife, 1995, p. 216). Gwen said that advocacy is "letting people realise that these people [Early Childhood teachers] are serious about what they are doing and are serious about their profession." Participants reported the importance of advocacy as follows:
I think that anyone interested in early childhood is very interested in advocating for young children. (Leanne)To advocate for early childhood, I would promote the importance of developing a child during their early childhood stage - it's promoting and standing up for the rights of the child to develop in a way that's natural and holistic. (Fiona)
They felt that their increasing advocacy for early childhood issues was developing through their involvement in the Early Childhood course and through Megina Kazil.
[I am] becoming a voice for the school community. Knowing about some of the problems that are there…I see myself as an advocate. If you see me at any staff meeting, I am fighting for everything. (Melissa)
Raising the profile of the early childhood profession within the community was considered a result of involvement in Megina Kazil. Gwen mentioned the need for recognition from other educators by advocating “for the seriousness of the profession.” Participants agreed that the current view of early childhood is less than desirable, and something needs to be done about it:
How it is being seen in the schools is degrading; [that] early childhood people are only useful for colouring in. Whereas we are being taught the whole primary sector, plus we are specialising in early childhood. But we are not being seen as that. [Principals in schools, when considering hiring early childhood graduates] should see that the subjects we do are more than what the primary does. It’s a lot more work than colouring in and cutting out. A lot of people don't see that. I know a lot of people off the street will say, “Oh, that's easy. What do you do that much for? You don't have to do that much work. It's easy - cut and paste.” I can’t get over what I’ve heard - that some principals even take that belief! (Kimberly)We’ve got to change the perception of early childhood teachers, that we’re not just there for face painting. It tends to simplify us a lot if we just keep on doing face painting, because they’ll just think that’s all we’re good for - babysitters who can face paint. I think it would benefit us to get out there and change the perception. (Suzanne)
Megina Kazil was seen as a forum for raising the profile of early childhood teachers, with students advocating within the wider community for the seriousness of the profession:
I can see the group starting now to lead towards it being an advocacy for bringing up the profile of the professional educator. (Kimberly)My willingness to become an advocate has given me some groundwork, resources and information to draw on as an advocate. (Melissa)
Advocacy extended to the Early Childhood Education course and its students as well. Through preservice teachers initiating and conducting professional development opportunities, they saw themselves as more agentic.
Megina Kazil helps to alleviate their perception of us. [Changes happen] through the opportunities. Like just recently we had a speaker come in and we had school professionals as well as the early childhood education students. We could all come to one place and they knew that the early childhood group had organised the presentation and that it was a really worthwhile presentation. (Suzanne)
Another form of advocacy implemented through Megina Kazil was to contact school principals and community members regarding their perception of Early Childhood Education graduates. Leanne describes:
We have approached school principals and different other people in the community, trying to find feedback about why this situation [a devaluing of early childhood education] exists. It’s come about through students giving us feedback of things that both principals and Education Queensland have said about early childhood graduates and that primary students are getting the preference.
Future directions for advocacy were mentioned by participants. Kimberly envisaged the future: “I can see the group starting now to lead towards it being an advocacy for bringing up the profile of the professional educator.”
3.3.3 Advocating for changes to the university program
In the "Developing the Self" section above, participants described gaps they perceived within the university program. They said that Megina Kazil activities could often bridge these gaps. But they also suggested that Megina Kazil could impact on changes to the university program itself. With reported increased advocacy skills and contact with university lecturers, a number of directions for advocacy within the university program were suggested:
Making suggestions up to the Head of Education, or just asking about it and wanting to have some input and get some feedback so we are informed. [The university should be] acting on feedback from graduate students about gaps in the degree. (Leanne)A lot of us are finding that in the schools the teachers and the principals are amazed at the lack of what we know of how to teaching reading and writing. I think it would be nice to maybe incorporate or put a bigger emphasis on that… I could see the opportunity because you’ve got contact with academic staff, of saying to them, “Why can't it be done differently?” or “How could it be done differently?” (Suzanne)
[The university program could] offer more relevant subjects. (Kimberly)
Suggesting that Megina Kazil become a compulsory part of university studies, Leanne questioned the role of Megina Kazil in the process of university teaching and change:
Is Megina Kazil a mediator, part of the process, or a forum for opportunities where people could come and fill in the gaps?"
She further suggested that Megina Kazil become "a compulsory part of uni studies."
While Appreciative Inquiry seeks to identify things that make groups work, networks have their potential problems (Ife, 1995; Lieberman, 2000). While there have been considerable benefits attributed to Megina Kazil, there have also been some areas highlighted that could be changed. These are: time and financial constraints and apathy or lack of information. By identifying the problems, steps can be taken to address them so that the positive aspects of the group can be further developed. Lieberman states that understanding the problems in networks “helps us to see more fully how these settings affect teacher growth and development” (2000, p. 223).
With preservice teachers from a variety of years belonging to Megina Kazil, there was no common time when everyone was free to attend. Therefore times for meetings and speakers had to be negotiated. Leanne noted that it is “hard to organise a time that suits everybody. So they accommodate the executive first and try to hold some meetings after hours.”
Time taken up by involvement in the group may have also limited preservice teachers’ participation.
People are a little reluctant to get involved in something that is going to take away their time, that they are already thinking of as so precious. [I would] back right off when all the assignments were due. (Melissa)I have known a lot of students who have steered away from volunteering for everything and coming along and trying to have the most minimal workload possible to help them get through university. (Kimberly)
As well as identifying the problem of time constraints, some participants offered solutions:
Have things early on in the semester when there is not as much work. (Leanne)For three or four weeks of the semester that become really hectic for everybody, you need to say “no speakers for this time”. (Melissa)
[Participation in Megina Kazil] has got to be a workable load… Knowing beforehand when the meetings are, who is speaking and that the load is spread over the time and not when everything is landing on you at the end of the semester. (Fiona)
[Megina Kazil should] keep things minimal and do them well…given that students are already restricted with their time. (Gwen)
Beyond time taken up completing assignments, many students work part time and barely cover their university expenses. Money, as well as time, was named as a limitation of Megina Kazil:
Money and time…They are our main limitations. With assignments and with work and money…if we want to do some really good workshops and guest speakers that we’d like to come in, they do it as a job and we can’t afford to do certain things because of money. (Kimberly)
Still, free or minimal cost workshops weren’t the most popular Megina Kazil events. Melissa noted, “People don’t seem to value things that are free. We had the greatest attendance for the meeting that cost the students the most.”
Besides the constraints of time and money, participants named apathy and a lack of information as issues to be addressed by Megina Kazil.
If they go to things, they might get roped into something. (Gwen)You have people who are not enthusiastic and think that this may not be relevant to their degree. I feel frustration in the lack of involvement… I don’t know what it is with university students, but it is often hard to get attendance to things that are not compulsory. (Melissa)
It is a pity that more people do not appreciate its value and take advantage of it. (Leanne)
There is a more obvious need for more work from the students and for them to become more accountable for their own education. (Fiona)
While Melissa said that “we still have poor turnouts this year”, Fiona felt that it was mainly the executive who attended and were involved with the group. Perhaps this is because of meetings being scheduled around the executive’s schedules. Kimberly noted the varied attendance at Megina Kazil workshops:
We’ve had minimal numbers and will organise this big workshop, which is a really worthwhile thing, and we’ll have three people turn up. So that’s been really hard. But then we’ve have, somewhere else, a big turn out. We got fourth years, first years, second years. It was really good. So with that one it came across to them that “this is going to benefit you” and they came out to it.
Lack of information about Megina Kazil was also seen as hampering involvement. This may have been the result of insufficient advertising or of people not accessing the advertising. “There were people who did not access their emails and did not know about it or did not see the notices around the university,” said Melissa.
Lieberman (2000) notes that in order to survive, a network must keep participation and commitment active in its members. Participants in this research put forward a number of suggestions to get preservice teachers involved in Megina Kazil. These included further advertising:
Some better form of advertising…advertise to local schools. If there is some way that we can let [potential members] know how important and how useful it’s going to be to them as professionals to have this experience under their belt…If we could somehow emphasise that it’s the most useful experience that you’ll have other than doing your degree and learning. You’ll just find it invaluable as a teacher. (Melissa)
But advertising may not be enough. Commitment by group members was seen as an important feature in further growth.
A lot depends on what the people in the group are prepared to put in. (Leanne)If people want to come, they’ll come, but no matter how much advertising you do, it’s a thing where they’ve got to see a personal gain for themselves to be able to come. (Kimberly)
Commitment includes taking responsibility for one’s learning and professional development. This can take the form of inputting into group plans for meetings and speakers.
I would love for more people to say what they think the group needs… I think it can really improve if people have some suggestions and other things to offer about what could be relevant to the group. (Melissa)[Megina Kazil should work towards getting] more people interested to actually come. It’s really hard to get people interested to learn something for themselves. I think maybe we have to do a bit more networking to find out how to get people more interested, because it’s for their own benefit. They can learn from it. (Suzanne)
Gwen suggested the need to “get more students involved” but she felt, as did Leanne, that the way to do this would be to target first year preservice teachers. “You need some stability,” she said. She also suggested that once preservice teachers graduate, they should continue to network with Megina Kazil, as a way of “giving something back.”
Increased involvement by members was seen to be beneficial to the profile of Megina Kazil in the community at large:
Other peoples’ involvement helps to support and get the word out in the wider community. (Suzanne)[Megina Kazil should develop] a wider network within the professional areas, such as speech pathology - the areas that need to be addressed within teaching. Work up a relationship between them so that they can come out freely and we know that we are learning the right thing. (Kimberly)
Finally, developing Megina Kazil’s profile in the university community was suggested as a way to increase the group’s membership. Kimberly said:
I’d like to change or develop the profile. We’ve done the shirts, which are really good, but we have to be organised and informers. I think our aim should be to get them in there and have an information night where we can include things you’ve got to know before you go into fourth year prac. We can get the first years in by things that can help you with such and such subject. I think we have to try and attack in that direction to get more people in and more people participating.
Lieberman (2000) names some of the problems a network might experience as: negotiating short and long term goals, solving immediate problems, sustainability, maintaining and increasing membership, balancing theory and practice, and keeping up commitment and enthusiasm. While participants in this research reported problems with maintaining and increasing membership, balancing theory and practice and keeping up commitment and enthusiasm, they did not report negotiating goals, solving problems and sustainability as problems they faced. This could be due to the fact that Megina Kazil is still a relatively new organisation that has not yet faced these issues. As the network grows and evolves, these concerns may come into existence.
Participants have indicated a number of positive benefits that they attribute to their involvement in Megina Kazil. These benefits were: personal, interpersonal and advocacy for the profession. Personal benefits included confirming existing beliefs, increased confidence and willingness to take action, increased professional knowledge and skills development. Interpersonal benefits included networking with early childhood professionals, and developing both social and mentoring relationships. Finally, advocating for the early childhood profession included advocacy for young children, raising the profile of the profession in the community at large and advocating for change to the university program.
Clearly, findings show that the experience of networks is a valuable aspect of preservice teacher training. It serves to supplement knowledge generated through lectures, tutorials and professional experience in schools. These findings have implications to the work of teacher educators. As Lieberman (2000) states: “Teacher educators who collaborate with, learn from, and make use of the knowledge created by these networks are helping to recreate the meaning of scholarship itself, not only for teachers, but for themselves as well” (p.221). With changing agendas in the twenty-first century, networks may be one pathway to addressing issues of curriculum and professionalisation in teacher education (Cochran-Smith, 2001).
As this paper is an analysis of the first stage of this research, further analysis will be carried out on the group interview conducted with the same six preservice teachers. Future research could take the form of a comparative study of preservice teachers who are and who are not members of Megina Kazil. Longitudinal research could be done with practicing teachers who were members of Megina Kazil during their preservice training, looking at how they have integrated skills gained by their membership into their teaching practice. As Megina Kazil becomes more established, longitudinal studies could also be conducted about the long term impact of Megina Kazil.
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