A development project in good progress – Makerspaces in three compulsory schools

Abstract

This article presents a study on the views of teachers at the halfway point of a threeyear school development project to implement makerspaces in three compulsory schools in Reykjavík: Ingunnarskóli, Selásskóli, and Vesturbæjarskóli. The main emphasis in the project is on students’ agency, engaging learning environments, collaboration, independence, and creativity; it also includes using ICT and integration of school subjects. In this project the teachers at the schools have taken part in educamps involving workshops on different aspects of makerspace pedagogy and practice. The City of Reykjavík supports the project with grants, and a research team from the School of Education at the University of Iceland has from the onset provided the schools with professional advice and research results on the project’s progress.

The first study on the project that was published in 2021, based on interviews with teachers and teacher focus groups, described the initial steps of the project and showed that various social issues influenced implementation. In this study we aimed to identify the teachers’ views towards the project – including their interest, efficacy, types of support, and hindrances – around the midpoint of the three-year project.

Theoretical background

The theoretical background builds on research and theories about educational change. We discuss the complex and interactive social and tangible elements that influence change, either by facilitating or impeding it. Personal and professional features, such as whether new ways of working align with teachers’ professional working theories, also have an impact.

To understand the intricate developmental progress of the implementation, we use the model of social ecology of change, which describes how changes in education occur in steps, and how social systems that influence innovation need to change accordingly in an interactive way.

Method

Two of the schools serve student grades 1–7 (6–12-year-olds) and one serves grades 1–10 (6–16-year-olds). A survey was sent to all 80 teachers in the three schools in February 2021 when the project was well into the second year of implementation. We asked the teachers about their professional background, knowledge regarding technology and creative work, attitudes towards the project, engagement, and the support and hindrances they identified in working in the spirit of making and makerspaces. Responses were anonymous and the response rate 94%.

Findings

Most of the teachers considered themselves to have a good comprehension (70%) of the project, and many (58%) saw opportunities and importance for student learning and competence enfolded in the project. Four out of five said they had tried some of the approaches presented in educamps, and many indicated increased emphasis on creativity and technology in their teaching. Generally, the teachers felt the project was conducted well. Some teachers were less interested than others, while 78% expressed interest much or very much. Many wanted more advice and protected time to work on the implementation. Many of the teachers indicated that they had changed their emphasis and approach in teaching since the project began (44%), increased creative work (56%), increased use of information technology (56%), and increased emphasis on integrating subjects (53%). Some differences could be seen between the schools and can be explained by different levels of creative work already in place at each school, the available technology, differences in the age spans of students, and requirements for social distancing (which especially influenced older students only found in Ingunnarskóli) mandated in response to Covid-19.

The social ecology of development of makerspace in schools

We identified supportive elements from both the macrosystem in Iceland and international influences. The national curriculum for compulsory schools expects creativity and emphasizes technological literacy, and international trends have infused ideas about makerspaces into school practice. Hindering elements may be seen in increased demands on teachers in general and specifically in relation to Covid-19.

The “exo” system in the social ecology model includes attitudes in society, parents’ views, and local policies. The City of Reykjavík supports creative and progressive endeavours with grants and supplies advisors. According to the school principals and project leaders, the participation of our research team from the University of Iceland has also proved a supportive element.

The “meso” system is about how the main emphasis within each school emerges, how the timetable is organized, the school curriculum, and the general school culture. Overall, the schools had experienced teachers, and all built on established practices such as collaboration, team teaching, and technology use.

The “macro” system included interactions within the schools, interest shown, and the collective efficacy of administrators and other staff. Even though all teachers´ participation is obligatory, the findings showed varying levels of interest and enthusiasm. Pressure from other developmental projects and other duties constrained the time teachers could allocate to the makerspace project. In Iceland research shows that the timeframes for compulsory schoolteachers are not commensurate with the many demands they must meet. Additional demands in the wake of Covid-19 also affected the work of teachers in the schools, as they constantly had to rearrange teaching according to the trajectory of the pandemic.

Conclusions

We hope that this research elucidates some of the many influencing elements in implementing developmental projects such as makerspaces in schools, with the goal of equipping the rising generation to handle the constant changes and demands of modern societies.