Abstracts - Earli

F 2029 August 2007 17:00 - 18:20Room: 0.100CPaper SessionTeacher educationChair:Denise M. Whitelock, Open University, United KingdomThe Mindful Teacher. How differences can be a resource for learning.Emily Eijkelenboom-Teunissen, Maastricht University, NetherlandsPiet Van den Bossche, Maastricht University, NetherlandsWim Gijselaers, Maastricht University, NetherlandsIn most studies on collaborative learning, student groups are more or less assumed to behomogeneous in their cultural and educational background. Diversity (cultural, expertise, gender,etc.) is seldom considered as a factor of explicit research interest. However, with the ongoinginternationalization in education and the resulting increase of diversity in the student populationthere is an urge for attention to diversity (management) in learning settings. A major challenge isto manage the potentials and dangers of diversity in groups in order to make differences a resourcefor learning. In this study the influence of student diversity on group learning is investigated.Furthermore the role mindfulness of the teacher is researched. A mindful teacher is described astaking care for individual group members, and stimulating the group to respect and assess eachothers unique differences and contributions. Mindfulness of the teacher is considered to beimportant for the enhancement of group learning behaviors and performance. The results show theinfluence of informational diversity on group learning. Nationality diversity shows no significanteffect on learning. The results of this research indicate the importance of mindful management bythe teacher for group learning. Group learning behaviors fully mediate the influence ofinformational diversity and teacher’s mindfulness on performance. There is no interaction effectbetween diversity and tutor mindfulness, which implies that mindful teacher behavior is notmoderating the influence of these types of diversity on learning in specific. In the discussion theneed to uncover and focus on the important underlying processes of diversity in groups is madeexplicit. The results show the stimulating role of teacher’s mindfulness to foster such an importantprocess as group learning. The care for individual group members, and stimulation to respect andassess each others individual differences and contributions, enhances learning.Integrating play and playfulness into curriculum-based education: the Tutoring-Playing-Learning(TPL) modelPirkko Hyvonen, University of Lapland, FinlandHeli Ruokamo, University of Lapland, FinlandThe aim of this study was to develop a pedagogical model that provides a theoretical frameworkfor playing and learning as well as definitions of playfulness. The model offers tools for educatorsthrough the integration of playing and games into curriculum-based formal education and theintroduction of playful learning environments (PLE). A PLE is an outdoor playgroundenvironment situated in a schoolyard that facilitates playing, games and other physical activities.These opportunities are further enhanced through information and communication technologies(ICTs) embedded in the environment. The pilot PLEs described in the study are located in Finland;future PLEs will be located both in Finland and abroad. The focal research question in the study -– 357 –