Presentation at International Symposium of New Issues in Teacher Education, on August 31st 2016 in University of Eastern Finland, Savonlinna.

1. DEVELOPING THE CRAFT STUDENT TEACHERS’
COMPETENCES IN ELDERLY CARE
Mari Salovaara, Doctoral Student
Sirpa Kokko, University Lecturer
Craft Teacher Education
University of Helsinki

2. THE STUDY
How does the professional vision
of the craft student teachers
develop during teaching practice
in elderly care?

3. THE BIG PICTURE
International Erasmus+ -project
Handmade Wellbeing
Developing an educational model
to coach arts & crafts professionals to
design and carry out craft activities in
elderly care
3 perspectives, 3 substudies
The elderly
The student teachers
The educators

4. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Professional vision

5. PROFESSIONAL VISION
Professional’s distinctive way of looking at and interpreting phenomena of their
interest (Goodwin, 1994)
Professional vision for teacher means (van Es & Sherin, 2002)
 Noticing classroom events that are significant and relevant to learning
 Being able to connect single events and broader principles of teaching and learning
 Interpreting these events to inform future pedagogical decisions
What should teachers know to be able to notice? (Darling-Hammond & Bransford,
2005, Feiman-Nemser, 2003)
 The learners, their learning and human development in different ages and stages of life
 Subject matter and educational goals
 Knowledge of teaching subject matter and different learners, classroom management

6. THE STUDY
Setting & participants
The data
Analysis

7. THE SETTING & PARTICIPANTS
Craft student teachers (5) designed and conducted craft workshops in elderly care
centre
 Day activity centre for elderly with memory disorders, living at home (3 students, 5-6
participants)
 Residential psychogeriatric department (2 students, 4 participants)
All female!
Part of applied (4)/ advanced (1) teaching practice
 Master-level
 All courses in education completed
Age: 4 students under 30, 1 student over 35
1 student had previous experience of teaching adults
0 had previous experience of working with elderly

8. THE DATA
Audio recorded group discussions, 30-60 minutes (3)
 In the beginning of the practice, before visiting the care home and meeting the elderly (2)
 In the end of the practice, shortly after delivering all the workshops (1)
Written learning diaries, 3-13 pages (5)
 Loose instructions to write anything that occurs during the practice
Teaching practice portfolios, 8-14 pages (5)
 Portfolio guidelines as usual in teaching practice
 Including e.g. reflections before and after the lessons, setting personal goals, lesson plans

9. ANALYSIS (IN PROGRESS)
Audio recorded discussions were transcribed and analysed as a whole
Learning diaries were analysed as a whole
Portfolios: only sections concerning teaching elderly were analysed
Atlas ti.
 Marking interesting segments
 Rough coding
Codes
 Phase (before / during / after teaching practice)
 Content: pre-set codes (learners, subject matter & educational goals, teaching) & emergent codes
(communication & interaction)

10. PRELIMINARY RESULTS
Vision of learners
Vision of goals and subject
matter
Vision of teaching
Communication & interaction

11. VISION OF LEARNERS
At start
Physical constraints, functional
decline…
Variation between individuals
= What are the elderly able to
do?
” You can’t use too thin yarns, or…
because of poor sight. So basically we
were wondering about the challenges
and constraints. On the other hand, my
granma is 85, living alone and knitting
socks…”

12. VISION OF LEARNERS
During teaching practice
Mind & mental issues; memory
disorders
Lack of initiative & motivation,
carefulness
BUT confidence grows & making
crafts stimulates the elderly
”They asked constantly, if they are doing
it right or if it’s good enough”
” It seemed like they didn’t remember
anything from last week when they came
in. But when they took their work, they
remembered the making! Also, they were
more confident in choosing colours.”

13. VISION OF SUBJECT MATTER & EDUCATIONAL
GOALS
At start
No need to learn certain skills
Activation, enhancing functional
ability, empowerment & joy
Independent initiative
No exact vision of suitable techniques
 Suitable level of difficulty
 Something new vs. something familiar
Sociability & collaboration between
the elderly, making connection
”Teaching crafts outside school context
feels very different; there is no
curriculum and participation is voluntary.”
”I hope our workshops cheer up their
everyday life and activate in a positive
way.”

14. VISION OF SUBJECT MATTER & EDUCATIONAL
GOALS
During teaching practice
Empowerment despite needing help
Making crafts really activates
Chosen techniques and work were
suitable
 Something new
 Repeating, not too many different phases
 Small pieces  finishing something
”Making small pieces was wise because
it was possible to actually get something
finished during one workshop. I think it
was rewarding to them.”

15. TECHNIQUES
CD Weaving Felting

16. VISION OF TEACHING
At start
Teaching methods are little reflected
Practical things: environment, materials,
time management, ability of learners
Difficulties in finding suitable teacher
role
 Authority ??
 Respect ??
 Age & experience
During teaching practice
Motivation, encouragement is important
Individual instruction
 1-2 participants / teacher
How much hands-on help is ok?
Role: facilitator or instructor, not teacher

17. COMMUNICATION & INTERACTION
At start
Students emphasize their wish to connect
with elderly
Equality & reciprocity
Respect towards elderly
”I wish to create a spirit of community,
and that we (student teachers) would be
equal with the elderly and they would
feel comfortable to ask for advice
whenever they need.”
During the practice
Students experience communication
challenging
Memory & mental disorders
 Unexpected, ”strange” situations
 Lack of initiative in communication
How to act, react, communicate, be with
elderly
 Teacher role
 Respect vs treating elderly like children

18. CONCLUSIONS
Students are able to design a workshop
with relevant goals for elderly in care
Their professional vision develops during
teaching practice
’Comprehensive school professional
vision’ not entirely applicable
Communication & finding a suitable
teacher role is challenging
Need for education about e.g. memory
disorders and how to communicate

19. WHAT’S NEXT?
2nd cycle of data collection: fall
2016
4 students, advanced practice
Preparing students for teaching
practice is developed based on
previous results & experiences

20. REFERENCES
Darling-Hammond, L., & Bransford, J. (2005). Preparing teachers for a changing
world : what teachers should learn and be able to do. The Jossey-Bass Education Series.
http://doi.org/10.5860/CHOICE.43-1083
Feiman-Nemser, S. (2003). What New Teachers Need to Learn. Educational
Leadership, 60(8), 25–29.
Goodwin, C. (1994). Professional Vision. American Anthropologist, 96(3), 606–633.
van Es, E. a., & Sherin, M. G. (2002). Learning to notice: Scaffolding new teachers’
interpretations of classroom interactions. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education,
10(4), 571–596.