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Background: A specialty training program is crucial for shaping future specialist doctors, imparting clinical knowledge and skills, and fostering a robust professional identity. This study investigates how anesthesiologists develop their professional identity while navigating unique challenges specific to their specialty. The formation of professional identity in anesthesiology significantly influences doctors' well-being, teamwork, and ultimately patient care, making it a crucial aspect of anesthesiology education. Utilizing a phenomenographic approach, the research explores the learners' personal experiences and perspectives of professional identity formation in their specialty training programs, providing valuable insights for enhancing future anesthetic educational programs. Method: The data for this phenomenographic study were collected through semi-structured interviews with anesthesiology trainees and specialists, guided by open-ended questions. The interviews were conducted at a Swedish university hospital, and participant selection used purposive sampling, providing rich and diverse data for analysis after 15 interviews. Iterative analysis followed the seven-step phenomenographic approach. The research team, comprising qualitative research and anesthesiology education experts, ensured result validity through regular review, discussion, and reflective practices. Results: The study reveals three fundamental dimensions: 'Knowledge of Subject Matter,' 'Knowledge of Human Relations,' and 'Knowledge of Affect.' These dimensions offer insights into how anesthesiologists comprehend anesthesiology as a profession, navigate interactions with colleagues and patients, and interpret emotional experiences in anesthesiology practice – all crucial elements in the formation of professional identity. The findings could be synthesized and further described by three conceptions: The Outcome-Driven Learner, the Emerging Collaborator, and the Self-Directed Caregiver. Conclusion: The study uncovers differing learner understandings in the development of anesthesiologists' professional identity. Varying priorities, values, and role interpretations highlight the shortcomings of a generic, one-size-fits-all educational strategy. By acknowledging and integrating these nuanced learner perspectives, as elucidated in detail in this study, the future of anesthesia education can be improved. This will necessitate a holistic approach, intertwining both natural sciences and humanities studies, focus on tacit knowledge, and flexible teaching strategies, to guarantee thorough professional development, lifelong learning, and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Competency in infection control is crucial for implementing nursing best practices to ensure patient safety. However, research is lacking on the infection control education received by nursing students prior to entering clinical settings as nurses. This study aimed to explore how nursing students conceptualize infection control care in undergraduate nursing programs. Methods This study employed a qualitative research method using phenomenography. Universities providing undergraduate nursing programs in Korea. Thirty nursing students: 10 students each from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years of five undergraduate programs. Data were collected from May 2019 to February 2020 through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a phenomenographic analysis procedure. Results Six descriptive categories were derived inductively for nursing students’ frames of reference regarding infection control care and six descriptive categories of how nursing students learned about infection control care. The structural framework of the identified categories, about how nursing students learn about infection control care, was presented as an outcome space. Conclusions Given that nursing students demonstrate diverse conceptualizations of infection control and are at varying levels of learning, professors and clinical mentors need to develop theoretical education and clinical practice opportunities that consider these differences.

Background: Competency in infection control is crucial for implementing nursing best practices to ensure patient safety. However, research is lacking on the infection control education received by nursing students prior to entering clinical settings as nurses. This study aimed to explore how nursing students conceptualize infection control care in undergraduate nursing programs. Methods: This study employed a qualitative research method using phenomenography. Universities providing undergraduate nursing programs in Korea. Thirty nursing students: 10 students each from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years of five undergraduate programs. Data were collected from May 2019 to February 2020 through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a phenomenographic analysis procedure. Results: Six descriptive categories were derived inductively for nursing students' frames of reference regarding infection control care and six descriptive categories of how nursing students learned about infection control care. The structural framework of the identified categories, about how nursing students learn about infection control care, was presented as an outcome space. Conclusions: Given that nursing students demonstrate diverse conceptualizations of infection control and are at varying levels of learning, professors and clinical mentors need to develop theoretical education and clinical practice opportunities that consider these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of teachers' conceptions of online assessment during a global pandemic has received relatively scarce attention in the current literature. Situated in an emergency remote teaching, this phenomenographic study aims at identifying and describing EFL secondary school teachers' qualitative different ways of understanding online assessment. A cohort of fifteen EFL teachers from different Indonesian secondary schools were recruited purposively using a set of criteria. They were invited to involve in online semi-structured interviews to explore their online assessment conceptions. Then, the interview data were analyzed qualitatively in an iterative process to discern categories of description and an outcome space. The findings point out five categories of teachers' conceptions. The participants view online assessment in emergency remote teaching (ERT) as a means of (1) measuring knowledge, (2) checking learning targets, (3) enhancing online interaction, (4) facilitating authentic tasks, and (5) reflecting the teaching and learning process. Furthermore, an analysis of relationships among those categories is reported hierarchically, ranging from accountability to enhancement assessment purposes. Some implications promote our understanding to consider several mediating factors affecting teachers' conceptions. Although emergency remote teaching situation is provisional, the findings bring out the possibility of implementing assessment for learning, as an alternative to assessment of learning, in the context of online assessment after the pandemic.

This paper reports on a phenomenographic study investigating former grade 12 STEM students’ conceptions of online learning during COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling was employed in selecting participants who were enrolled in a private school in Laguna, Philippines that formally implemented a fully online learning setup for SY 2020-2021. By using semi-structured interviews, results conveyed an outcome space comprised of nine (9) core categories of description: 1) online learning marred with unfavorable sentiments, 2) online learning plagued by technical barriers, 3) online learning accentuated the use of online tools, 4) online learning provided aberrational learning experiences, 5) online learning hampered by the learning environment, 6) online learning adversely affected students’ well-being, 7) online learning reaffirmed the importance of social interactions, 8) online learning exhibited unsatisfactory perceptions to teaching, and 9) online learning exhibited dissatisfaction towards institutional support. Within each core category, a variety of subcategories fulfilled the anatomy of experience and describing the complexity of the relation between STEM students and online learning during COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of all core categories of description revealed a generally unfavorable and unenthusiastic view of online learning during COVID-19 Pandemic, with ‘online learning provided aberrational learning experiences’ as the most prominent core category of description, emphasizing how the deviation from the normal setup adversely affected their learning experiences. Findings revealed in this study can be beneficial in formulating future policy changes and bases of interventions to improve the conduct of online learning and provide a more effective pandemic response in the educational system.

Entry-level students' conceptualizations of clinical reasoning can provide a starting point for program planning related to clinical reasoning development with a focus on patient-centered care The aim of the study is to explore how physiotherapy students understand clinical reasoning midway through their education. Nine physiotherapy students were interviewed at the end of their third semester Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted, recorded and transcribed verbatim. A phenomenographic approach to qualitative data analysis, seeking to explore variations in students' conceptions was applied The students' ways of understanding clinical reasoning could be described as: 1) the cognitive process of the physiotherapist; and 2) the relational process of the collaborative partnership between the physiotherapist and the patient. A contrastive analysis shows how the cognitive and relational perspectives are developed through the relationships among three dimensions of clinical reasoning: 1) problem-solving; 2) context of working; and 3) own learning By identifying the critical variation in students' conceptions of clinical reasoning, focus can be placed on pedagogical arrangements to facilitate students' progression toward a person-centered approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore and describe the ways specialist ambulance nursing (SAN) students understand the work in the ambulance service. An explorative descriptive design was carried out through individual interviews with 16 SAN students from all parts of Sweden and analysed in accordance with the phenomenographic tradition. Five different ways of understanding the work were described and each was assigned a metaphor; The medical role; The practical role; The patient-oriented role; The commanding role; and The comprehensive role. Several aspects concerning personal, organizational, and situational conditions affecting the understanding and the distribution of these roles in the specific care assignment were identified and presented in a hierarchical model of the outcome space. This study contributes with a new perspective on supporting role clarity for registered nurses (RN) working in the ambulance service (AS). Specialization and experiential learning are needed to support an understanding of all aspects of the work in order to develop a professional competence aligned with the challenges faced in the AS. The development of expertise in the AS needs a contextualized understanding rooted in a theoretical framework that addresses a holistic perspective towards patients' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore and describe the ways specialist ambulance nursing (SAN) students understand the work in the ambulance service. Design, sample, and measurements An explorative descriptive design was carried out through individual interviews with 16 SAN students from all parts of Sweden and analysed in accordance with the phenomenographic tradition. Findings Five different ways of understanding the work were described and each was assigned a metaphor; The medical role; The practical role; The patient-oriented role; The commanding role; and The comprehensive role. Several aspects concerning personal, organizational, and situational conditions affecting the understanding and the distribution of these roles in the specific care assignment were identified and presented in a hierarchical model of the outcome space. Conclusions This study contributes with a new perspective on supporting role clarity for registered nurses (RN) working in the ambulance service (AS). Specialization and experiential learning are needed to support an understanding of all aspects of the work in order to develop a professional competence aligned with the challenges faced in the AS. The development of expertise in the AS needs a contextualized understanding rooted in a theoretical framework that addresses a holistic perspective towards patients’ needs.

The purpose of this study is to explore the emotional dimension of the student-teachers’ experiences, which is marked by anxiety. This study is based on a combination of a phenomenological informed theoretical framework and a phenomenographic approach. The empirical material refers to in-depth interviews with student-teachers. Through an abductive analysis of the material, anxiety experiences appeared to be a significant matter in the student teachers’ emotional life. Our study showed that anxiety in different variations to a large extent characterized the emotional dimension of the student teachers’ experiences. The variations were expressed through three overarching categories of anxiety. The first category of anxiety is about losing one’s dignity, the second about not being recognized as a person, and the third about doing something very wrong. To operationalize the purpose of this study, we will discuss the importance of considering anxiety experiences as a didactical content component in teacher education.

The following article addresses the topic of phenomenography as an educational research method. The main objective is to develop a methodological proposal to perform phenomenographic research in the field of education, mainly. This work offers a general view of the theoretical aspects of phenomenography. Its interest, however, is focused on offering the methodological guidelines to address educational research from a phenomenographic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Max Weber described the power as “the ability of a person to realize his / her own will despite the resistance.” So, the power phenomenon is important. Purpose of research is, to reveal how many conceptions of a principal can be related to the basis of power (source), to show the effect of different ways of conception on teachers and to examine perceived conceptions in the context of the relevant field. A phenomenographic design was used within the scope of qualitative research methodology. The research covers 20 teachers (The study group was selected by maximum sampling approach.). As a result, it was seen that the power basis of the principals was perceived in nine different ways. This research can provide benefits to principals in developing a healthy perspective on effective power foundations in school management with the findings of how teachers perceive the foundations of power in school management process.

Abstract Background Finding the best way to facilitate student learning in clinical practice can be challenging for clinical supervisors. While high levels of trust might jeopardize patient safety, low trust might hinder student learning; however, carrying out professional activities is necessary for students to develop professional competence. There is a dearth of scholarly literature regarding the concept of trust among clinical supervisors in occupational therapy education. A better understanding of how trust is created between the supervisor and student may thus aid in facilitating student learning. The aim of this study, therefore, was to explore occupational therapy clinical supervisors’ perception of trust and how it is formed. Methods A qualitative method deploying a phenomenographic approach was chosen. Twelve clinical supervisors were interviewed, and the data were analyzed according to the seven-step phenomenographic approach. Results Three qualitatively different ways of thinking about trust were found: (1) that trust is about the student and is rather static; (2) trust as a dynamic process based on student performance; and (3) trust as something mutual and interrelated. The findings indicate that trust can be understood in various ways, such as being something inherent in the student or, alternatively, about the student, the supervisor, the relationship between them, and the surrounding context, including the tasks performed. Furthermore, the study shows that trust can be seen either as something static or as a dynamic process. Conclusions This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the variation of ways in which the concept of trust is understood among clinical supervisors in occupational therapy. The study corroborates the prior research finding that trust can be understood as a multifaceted construct. It contributes novel insights about the role of the supervisor as an influential factor in the trust-building process. A deep understanding of the possible differences in the ways of conceptualizing something can help supervisors support learning by building on this understanding. The results from this study contribute to our knowledge of the drivers behind entrusted decisions in clinical education in various professional contexts. We suggest that the results be used in the continuing professional development of clinical supervisors.

This paper reports findings relating to boundary-crossing experiences from a phenomenographic study which explored collaborative open learning in two cross-institutional academic development courses. Four of the 11 categories of description and their qualitatively different variations emerged through the analysis and provide new insights into how learners experienced boundary crossing, through modes of participation; time, places and space; culture and language; and diverse professional contexts. Implications and opportunities for academic development linked to boundary crossing are highlighted in this paper, which might also be of use, and relevant to, in other professional areas and disciplines in higher education.

Classroom management is a critical area in the curriculum of teacher education programs. Student teachers’ conceptions of the role of the teacher as a class leader are frequently backed by their intuition and experience as students and socio-cultural context rather than evidence-based. This paper examines the conceptions of classroom management held by a multicultural group of forty-four student teachers attending a teacher education program at a higher education institute in Macao. The study aims at understanding the patterns of variation expressed by student teachers regarding the purpose and relevance of the object of learning. It compares a) the patterns of variation in students’ views of classroom management, and b) the students’ learning progress based on the pre-and post-test. The phenomenographic approach was adopted as the conceptual framework. Participants handwritten transcripts from student teachers at the first and last sessions of the course are the primary type of data collection. The findings show that changes in student teachers’ understanding of the conceptions of classroom management occurred during the course. The initial preferences for disciplinary approaches to classroom leadership have given way to conceptions of promoting the integration of classroom management into learning. The participants expressed increasing adherence to classroom management systems targeting and providing behavioural and academic supports and interventions to children and adolescents with and without special needs.

With the latest upper-secondary school regulations, all students must complete a diploma project. The diploma project in the university preparatory programs has been given a more prominent role than the previous project work and should be seen as a preparation for higher studies. The article presents results from a sub-study within a major collaborative project on the diploma project. The purpose of the sub-study was to increase the knowledge of what is perceived as quality in the diploma project school work within the framework of the social science program through focus group discussions with secondary school teachers. Based on a phenomenographic analysis, four qualitatively different categories were identified: academic quality is perceived as that structure is followed, knowledge is obtained, language is mastered and that research awareness is shown. The results showed that the upper secondary school teachers' perceptions were primarily dominated by a skills discourse.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to inform on results of the study based on the dissertation project – the study of newcoming university students and their information literacy experience. It describes the three categories of information literacy experience as perceived by these students. Design/methodology/approach: The document is based on a qualitative phenomenographic study of 40 first-year undergraduate students of teacher education programs from five faculties of Comenius University in Bratislava. Data were collected from each participant in two stages by three methods: written statements, drawings and interviews. Findings: The phenomenographic analysis results in three categories of information literacy: (1) the conception of digital technologies, (2) the conception of knowledge and (3) the conception of truth. The outcome space presented by two alternative models points to a strong interrelation of all three categories. The resulting conceptions point to the diversity of the concept of information literacy in relation to other types of literacies, especially digital, reading and media literacy, as well as to intersections with other scientific disciplines such as psychology, cognitive science or philosophy. Research limitations/implications: The most important limits of this qualitative research are the low numbers of participants and the high degree of subjectivity in data evaluation. For this reason, a verification study was carried out one-year later. Originality/value: Although phenomenographic studies of information literacy in the educational context are quite common, the third category of this study brings a new contribution to the information literacy theory – the dimension of truth or truthfulness of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will describe a study that aimed to define Finnish primary students’ conceptions of the purpose of school assessments. With the term ‘school assessment’, we refer to assessments that individual teachers employ as part of their pedagogy in order to evaluate students’ learning processes on the basis of curriculum. We applied the phenomenographic method and gathered the data by interviewing 16 students (aged 10–13 years), from two different schools: a municipal primary school and a Steiner school. We analysed the data using a phenomenographic approach and formed vertical description categories. According to our study, students recognise the learning promoting, declaratory and external functions of assessment, which form the three description categories and the main results. They find that assessment promotes their learning, stating that it makes them commit to learning and that it guides and motivates them. Assessment also seems to have a declaratory purpose: the students expressed that it offers information about their knowledge level not only to them but also to their parents and teachers. The third description category is the external function of assessment, which arose when the students stated that assessment is helpful for their future working lives, to inform their future employers and schools about their skills and knowledge

Academic institutions have gradually structured their policies on the basis of their students’ perceptions, satisfaction and needs. This paper explores the use of phenomenography in the Student Learning Perspective, which claims that students’ perceptions of the learning environment, in light of their motivations and expectations, determine how situational factors influence approaches to learning and learning outcomes. Firstly, the article investigates the context of development of this line of research and the studies concerning the effect of environmental, organizational and contextual factors on students’ perceptions and learning; secondly, it describes the phenomenographic research methodology and the theoretical models of learning process developed. Finally, the paper reviews the studies on study approach and contextual variables, and discusses the applicability of SLP models to different academic systems and practical applications concerning teaching quality, assessment tools and students’ perceptions of the quality of the learning environment.

Despite the abundance of decades of research into teacher leadership, uncertainty remains due to confusion around the notions of teacher leadership and the unity or at least the authenticity of definitions, and there is a need for a deeper understanding of this leadership process as the teacher works with students in the classroom. The existing definitions and descriptions of teacher leadership do not determine the connection between teacher leadership and student learning, and the subject remains empirically unsubstantiated. The aim of this study was to develop a set of categories of description derived from the teachers’ conceptions of their leadership in the classroom through learning interactions with students. The study was based on the phenomenographic research methodology. Data were collected by conducting semistructured interviews with 37 teachers. A phenomenographic analysis sought a description, analysis, and understanding of experiences with the focus on variation in the conceptions of the phenomenon, as experienced by teachers. Findings revealed that teachers discern their leadership through working with students at school in three stages represented by three categories of description—transferring knowledge, expanding learning capacity, and creating knowledge. All these stages are linked by teacher-student interaction which facilitates successful and meaningful learning for students within the classroom. The connections between the three stages demonstrate the need for teacher–student collaboration, teaching personalization, the professional expertise of the teacher, and learning cocreation. The findings of this study contribute to the expansion of the concept of teacher leadership not only as expert influence through the application of specific teaching methods, but as a coherent process from knowledge transfer to its creation through reciprocal teacher–student learning in the classroom.

The adoption of ICT to transform pedagogical practices is a complex phenomenon. Studies located within countries from the Global South suggest that overcoming socio-economic and technological problems will lead to improved forms of teaching. Based on a phenomenographic study located in a Pakistani university, the authors offer a different view of this body of literature. Firstly, they argue that no matter how well established the technological infrastructure, not all teachers will adopt ICT with the aim of encouraging higher-level learning experiences. Secondly, a closer investigation of variations in teachers' prior exposure to technology, along with their beliefs as to the pedagogical use of teaching material and role of technology, is needed to better understand why teachers within the same higher education institution come to understand and use ICT differently. The authors offer insights that could be useful in designing professional development opportunities to support teachers in developing a complex pedagogical relationship with ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Staff-directed aggression is a concern for service providers in mental healthcare, frequently affecting both the quality of services and staff wellbeing. This also applies to supported housing services for people with mental health problems. Staff themselves consider training to be an important route to improve the prevention and management of staff-directed aggression. The aims of this study are to explore how staff in community mental health supported housing services conceptualize practice in prevention and management of aggression and how these conceptions develop following a local education and training endeavor in disempowerment-sensitive, de-escalating and knowledge-based risk assessment and management. Method: Phenomenography, a qualitative research approach, was adopted to pursue the study aims. The data consisted of 26 semi-structured interviews with 13 participants from five different municipal housing facilities in Oslo, Norway. Participants were interviewed on two occasions, once prior to participation and once subsequent to the finalization of the education and training sessions. Results: The analysis led to the development of six qualitatively different, yet logically interrelated, categories of description regarding practice in encounters with staff-directed aggression: (1) Observation, alertness and awareness, (2) Established understanding and knowledge of service users, (3) Team-based risk management and deliberation, (4) Adaption of own dispositions and behaviors, (5) Reflexivity, sensitivity and care and (6) Involvement and dialogue. These conceptions were found to vary in meaning and focus; they ranged from implementing safeguarding and protective measures, to drawing on what was portrayed in terms of staff's expert knowledge, to increasingly allowing for, and committing to, tenant perspectives in designing practice. The results indicate a moderate, yet beneficial, effect of the course on conceptual change in the participants. Conclusion: This study shows that practice in encounters with staff-directed aggression is conceptualized as complex and multifaceted by staff in mental health supported housing services and that the various conceptions have different implications for the way staff-directed aggression is mitigated individually and collectively. Our findings also suggest that it is beneficial to take conceptual variation regarding practice into consideration when devising education and training aimed at enhancing staff knowledge, skills and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Thesis: This paper identifies the most important theoretical issues and frameworks that may serve as a basis for models of teaching information literacy. Approach/Methods: The paper reviews relevant subject literature published between 1990s and the present to outline the disciplinary context of information literacy in order to identify concepts that might be used to model teaching of information literacy. Results and conclusions: In the light of convergences and overlaps between different literacies, this paper considers various pedagogic approaches - phenomenographic, sociocultural, and discourse analytical, to combine them with the cognitive approach to information literacy. The literature review shows that all these approaches might contribute to a theoretical foundation of information literacy across different age groups and on different levels of education. Originality/Value: Teaching information literacy is examined from a cross-disciplinary perspective with a focus on information science and pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order for adolescents to learn about sex and relationships, the education must be of significance and meet their needs and interests. The study investigated adolescents' conceptions of learning and education about sex and relationships. A phenomenographic approach was used. Six focus group interviews were conducted with adolescents ages 18–19 in Sweden. The results showed that stable ground for learning implies select issues of importance, that is, values and prejudices, up-to-date knowledge, and practical skills. These issues should be dispersed throughout the school years in relation to the students' own maturity. This seemed to enable internalization of different aspects of sex and relationships. Learning about sex and relationships can create meaning for youth and generate progress by fostering autonomy and identity, correcting misconceptions, counteract prejudices, not in isolation rather in society in a defined culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study explores teacher candidates’ experiences of grading in higher education. A phenomenographic approach was adopted and four qualitatively different categories were identified. Grading was experienced as: self-identification, motivation, personal interpretation and academic enculturation. The results indicate that teacher candidates accept existing grading systems but have difficulty interpreting and explaining them, illustrating areas of importance in teacher education and argues that if teacher candidates do not perceive genuine differences in the performance of assessing by grade descriptors, there is a risk that they may develop an insufficient understanding of grading practices.

Flexible, Distance and Online Learning (FDOL) is an open online course offered as an informal cross-institutional collaboration based on a postgraduate module in the context of teacher education in higher education. The second iteration, FDOL132, was offered in 2013 using a problem-based learning (PBL) design (FISh) to foster collaborative learning. How this was experienced by participants and how it affected learning within facilitated small groups are explored in this paper. Findings show that authentic learning in groups can be applied directly to practice, and greater flexibility and a focus on the process of collaborative learning has the potential to increase engagement and learning.

Abstract: Introduction: Within higher education, there is increasing recognition that understanding the ways students experience the educational environment is critical to developing programmes that can educate our future professionals. There is a small body of literature about how students experience the dental educational environment; however, none that adopts a qualitative phenomenographic approach. This study aims to contribute to our understanding by asking what is the variation in the ways dental students experience their curriculum? Methods: This study uses a phenomenographic methodology. Phenomenography investigates the variation in the way a group of people experience a situation, and how they ascribe meaning to it. Interviews were conducted with 14 senior dental students at the University of Sydney. Transcripts were analysed using a phenomenographic approach. Results: Six increasingly sophisticated, qualitatively distinct categories of description were identified from the collective of transcripts: surviving the education system; following a guide or manual, learning how to treat teeth, learning how to meet patient treatment needs, learning how to relate with patients and understanding the complexities of dental practice. The outcome space consists of ways the categories of description are related; considering interactions with teachers, ways of coping with multiple opinions and integration of disciplinary learning. Conclusion: This study provides new insights into the multifaceted and relational ways that dental students experience their educational environment. It could point curriculum designers towards strategies that assist students develop sophisticated understandings about themselves as practitioners, patients and the complexities of dental practice. Suggestions about the practical implications of the findings of this research are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in the new sociology of childhood and thus valuing the perspectives of young children, this study examined how outdoor, inquiry-based schoolyard pedagogy is experienced by kindergarten students. The study explored two primary research questions: (1) what do students report about their experiences in an outdoor, inquiry-based classroom setting?; and (2) what do teachers report about their observations of children’s experiences in an outdoor, inquiry-based classroom setting? The study employed a phenomenographic methodology consisting of interviews and inductive analysis. Three major themes emerged: 1) student-led experiences in the outdoor classroom, 2) lessons experienced in the outdoor classroom, and 3) boundaries to learning in the outdoor classroom. Subthemes included learning through play, interpersonal learning, connecting with nature, inquiry-based curriculum, and resources. These themes provide insights regarding the structures of learning spaces, the roles of teachers, and the linkages between schoolyard pedagogy and emancipatory knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study describes the results of a phenomenographic analysis of teachers' conceptions of mobile learning. Fifteen senior high school (Grades 10–12) teachers from five schools in northern Taiwan involved in a national mobile learning program participated in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Through data analysis, six qualitatively different conceptions of mobile learning were obtained: 1) meeting students' preferences, 2) conducting classes with efficiency, 3) invigorating and enhancing learning, 4) parting from traditional teaching, 5) focusing on student ownership, and 6) extending learning beyond school. The conception categories form a hierarchy and show a trajectory moving from teacher-/content-oriented to learner-/learning-oriented conceptions. In addition, technology was almost invisible in the more sophisticated conceptions. Finally, juxtaposing the conception categories with the replacement, amplification, and transformation framework revealed that teachers’ central ideas regarding mobile learning fell within the amplification category, suggesting the use of technology mainly to increase efficiency and productivity. It is concluded that for mobile devices to exert transformative power on learning, it might be necessary to cultivate the more sophisticated conceptions of mobile learning among teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]