Growth mindset responses to COVID-19 challenges : experiential learning practices in reciprocal peer coaching groups
Gura, Therese (2021)
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202105128544
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202105128544
Tiivistelmä
The Czech Republic’s educational sector faced multiple challenges as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. These challenges sparked a conversation about how teachers are supported in dealing with the changes and difficulties resulting from the epidemic. KLC is a private school in the Czech Republic that initiated Reciprocal Peer Coaching (RPC) initiative to improve its professional development. The trajectory of RPC groups, on the other hand, shifted in response to the epidemic’s challenges. Consequently, this research aimed to investigate how experiences in Reciprocal Peer Coaching groups influenced the ability to respond with a growth mindset to challenges in KLC posted by the COVID-19 epidemic. These challenges were identified as limited physical interaction, the spread of disease, and school closure.
The data analysis was based on collecting findings from participative observations and focus group discussions from 10 participants. Using the qualitative research program Atlas.ti, the findings were subjected to thematic and network analyses.
The findings identified ‘experiment with instructional methods in the classroom’ as the most dominant theme the RPC groups experienced. This finding suggests that the most dominant role in participants’ experiences in RPC groups is to investigate new and appropriate teaching methods to apply in their classes through brainstorming, collaborative problem-solving, and dialogue. Findings also suggests that ‘interactive exchange’ is the most dominant action participants undertook to address their challenges. Dialogue, participation in group problem-solving, and ensuring that goals are institutionalized are all examples. All these activities indicate a pattern of collaborative practices, which ultimately led to growth mindset practices. Subsequently, data shows that 83% of actions throughout the COVID-19 experience are growth mindset attributes after themes like ‘engage in self-reflection’ and ‘discuss efforts’ were already established as RPC group experiences. New findings arose, too, such as mutual motivation within a reciprocal social learning environment assisted the smooth transition towards the stages of the Experiential Learning Cycle. Hence, the study suggests that a deeper investigation into Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle be conducted, focusing on how to help individuals move from one stage to the next.
The data analysis was based on collecting findings from participative observations and focus group discussions from 10 participants. Using the qualitative research program Atlas.ti, the findings were subjected to thematic and network analyses.
The findings identified ‘experiment with instructional methods in the classroom’ as the most dominant theme the RPC groups experienced. This finding suggests that the most dominant role in participants’ experiences in RPC groups is to investigate new and appropriate teaching methods to apply in their classes through brainstorming, collaborative problem-solving, and dialogue. Findings also suggests that ‘interactive exchange’ is the most dominant action participants undertook to address their challenges. Dialogue, participation in group problem-solving, and ensuring that goals are institutionalized are all examples. All these activities indicate a pattern of collaborative practices, which ultimately led to growth mindset practices. Subsequently, data shows that 83% of actions throughout the COVID-19 experience are growth mindset attributes after themes like ‘engage in self-reflection’ and ‘discuss efforts’ were already established as RPC group experiences. New findings arose, too, such as mutual motivation within a reciprocal social learning environment assisted the smooth transition towards the stages of the Experiential Learning Cycle. Hence, the study suggests that a deeper investigation into Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle be conducted, focusing on how to help individuals move from one stage to the next.