L. Gaižiūnienė “Peculiarities of university teachers‘ activities for adaptation of innovative study methods” doctoral dissertation defence

Author, Institution: Lina Gaižiūnienė, Kaunas University of Technology

Science area, field of science: Social Sciences, Education S007

Summary of Doctoral Thesis: Summary

Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Brigita Janiūnaitė (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Education, S007)

Dissertation Defence Board of Educational Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Habil. Palmira Jucevičienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Education, S007) – chairperson;
Prof. Dr. Habil. Vytautas Gudonis (Šiauliai University, Social Sciences, Education, S007);
Prof. Dr. Jolita Horbačauskienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Education, S007); Prof. Dr. Liudvika Leišytė (Germany, Dortmund University of Technology, Social Sciences, Education S007);
Prof. Dr. Romualdas Malinauskas (Lithuanian Sports University, Social Sciences, Education, S007).

The doctoral dissertation is available on the internet and at the libraries of Kaunas University of Technology (Donelaičio 20, Kaunas), Šiauliai University (Vytauto 84, Šiauliai) and Lithuanian Sports University (Sporto 6, Kaunas).

Annotation:

With constant changes in the learning process, the teacher must possess the appropriate competences to adapt and modify educational innovations as well as study methods according to their users – students – at the same time not departing from the aim of the study program and the study subject (module) results. The dissertation aims to find answers to the problem questions: What are the peculiarities of teachers’ activities in adapting innovative study methods? How does the adaptation of an innovative study method affect other elements of the pedagogical system of the module? The research is based on the study of multiple cases – the peculiarities of teacher activity from the cases of three innovative study methods (case, problem-based and design thinking methods) are analyzed. The research data has been collected by using the methods of document analysis (ISM descriptions were analyzed together with documents introducing them, Moodle environments and subject (module) description forms) and semi-structured interviews (with teachers adapting ISM). Scientific literature analysis and empirical research allows to highlight the key stages of the ISM adaption process and teacher activities while adapting ISM: the theoretical model of ISMA is expanded with more detailed components that emerged in the course of this research. Depending on the established teacher activities during ISM adaptation, on the grounds of literature review and empirical research, four teacher activity strategies are outlined: complete, fragmented, trial, interrupted adaptation variation.