Making SENse of teacher agency with Social and Epistemic Network analysis
6th February 2020 at 2pm >>> Room: Research 44 >>> L1 LTB Building >>> Clayton Campus >>> all welcome!
In this presentation we will introduce Social and Epistemic Network (SEN) analysis – an innovative mixed-method methodology that can be used to move between the qualitative and quantitative network data. Social and Epistemic Network have previously been combined to study collaborative learning using data produced in massive on-line courses (Gasevic, et al., 2018). We exemplify how we used this methodology in the study of teacher agency to demonstrate its potential application in studies set in real school contexts. Previous studies of teacher agency – a capacity to respond critically to problematic situations, have often been designed as qualitative case studies to capture the complexity and context-embeddedness of agency in particular locations. Combining Epistemic and Social Network Analysis allowed us to capture a great deal of such embeddedness by analysing situational data reported by teachers in on-line logs, while also enabling us to quantify contextual data and identify patterns in teachers’ relational practice across two school contexts. I will also discuss potential future uses of SEN in education setting and social sciences more broadly.
The exploration of uses of SEN in social sciences was enabled by the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science Advanced Training Fund.
Dr Nataša Pantić is a Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Edinburgh, with expertise in mixed-methods educational research. She has published extensively on teachers’ capacities to act as agents of change, school and policy factors that affect such capacities, and relevant teacher education. Recently, she has explored the uses of social and epistemic network approaches in studies of relational agency in education settings. Previously, she has completed a Chancellor’s Fellowship at the University of Edinburgh, PhD at Utrecht University, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, and worked as a researcher with the Centre for Education Policy in Belgrade.
Project team:
Sarah Galey, University of Edinburgh
Lani Florian, University of Edinburgh
Srećko Joksimović, University of South Australia
Gil Viry, University of Edinburgh
Dragan Gašević, Monash University
Helén Knutes Nyqvist, Stockholm University
Krystallia Kyritsi, Lund International School
