Building Community with Middle Level Preservice Teachers

This case study explores the degree to which mathematical knowledge for teaching can be developed by prospective teachers in a multi-site teacher education context. The majority of the article focuses on a description of the target middle level mathematics endorsement program, including distance-based instructional norms, community building efforts, and tasks and activities intended to support the generation of mathematical knowledge for teaching. All preservice teachers enrolled in the program were invited to participate in the study. Means on Likert-scale survey items were calculated at three points in time over one year to determine changes. Open-ended survey items and focus group interviews were analyzed qualitatively to supplement the quantitative findings. These data support the result that middle level preservice teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching can be positively impacted by a middle level mathematics teacher education program. Two broader implications are provided: 1) teacher education experiences can have positive impact on prospective teachers’ development, and 2) this development is possible in a multi-site teacher education setting. Possible implications on international teacher education efforts are provided.

The design and delivery of programs that prepare social studies teachers to meet the needs of diverse learners should (a) interpret teachers’ understandings of history; (b) clarify and remedy these understandings where necessary; and (c) facilitate their awareness of methods enabling their students’ understandings. This research paper presents the interpretations of five aspects of pre-1877 U.S. history (1492-1877) by early childhood, elementary education, and middle level preservice teachers at three institutions of higher learning. The researchers collected data as part of an online survey instrument that contained 25 multiple choice items and a pool of five open response prompts. The findings raise concerns about the inability of preservice teachers to articulate the content knowledge that they are responsible for teaching to P-8 students.

This article concerns the results of an online survey that interpreted understandings of United States history, up to 1877, among early childhood, elementary, and middle level preservice teachers from three institutions in the United States. In literature, the authors observe associations between teaching methods and teacher conceptions of curricular content and that these relationships hold particular relevance to social studies (history) teaching. They conducted an online survey to interpret respondents' abilities to remember, speak about, and explain content for which they are responsible. The study found that respondents correctly answered less than one half of 25 multiple-choice questions. It also determined a modest percentage of responses to open-response items, with short comments provided.

This article provides an overview of utilizing an online backchannel platform, TodaysMeet, to enhance middle level preservice teachers’ course-embedded classroom observations in early field experiences through the synchronous utilization of 1:1 tablet technology. In reflecting on the use of these applications, it is apparent that it created a safe and structured third space for discourse that helped candidates consider critical moments of instruction, appropriately engage in field experiences, and develop a critical lens through which to view the work of middle level teachers

ABSTRACTThis article describes the beliefs and their transformations of members of a cohort of early-childhood, elementary and middle-level pre-service teachers (PSTs) as they professionally develop. A typological analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data collected between August 2011 and May 2013 was utilized to categorize how 40 PSTs’ beliefs transformed throughout their formal teacher preparation. Five typologies were identified, showing variation in how PST beliefs transform or remain static.Among the findings, strong support related to the development of innovative beliefs during coursework coupled with at least one transformative experience where innovation was observed ‘working’ in the field were sufficient for the transformation to innovative beliefs, despite potential constraints by supervisors, cooperating teachers and/or mandated curricula (Typology 3). Another finding revealed disguised growth toward innovation among those in Typology 5, who reported being innovative and having productive beliefs but described extremely traditional practices. Implications call for improved connections between mathematics methods professors and field supervisors, particularly during clinical internships when PSTs are no longer enrolled in methods courses, to enhance PSTs’ productive struggle in their development of innovative beliefs (T3) and to increase opportunities for disconnects between innovative beliefs and traditional practices to be made explicit and negotiated (T5).

This study analyzed preservice teachers who student taught in a middle school (N = 34). One group of teachers was prepared in a traditional teacher preparation program that focused on either 1–8 or 7–12 education while the second group was prepared in a program designed specifically for middle level preservice teachers. This analysis examines the knowledge base concerning young adolescents and middle level teaching that each preservice teacher possessed, the instructional strategies that preservice teachers included in their lesson plans, a videotaped teaching performance, and the preservice teacher's attitude toward middle level teaching. The specifically prepared middle level teachers were significantly better middle level teachers when teaching was considered as a global construct and when separate components of teaching were considered. The study makes a strong case for separate middle level teaching preparation.

Many members of the mathematics and science education community believe that the integration of mathematics and science enhances students' understanding of both subjects. Despite this belief, attempts to integrate these subjects have frequently been unsuccessful. This study examines the development and implementation of a team‐taught integrated middle level mathematics and science methods course. The data presented in this study were collected from three groups of preservice teachers who were enrolled in a grades 5–8 middle level teacher certification program in Connecticut from 1998–2000. The data analysis indicates that preservice teachers appreciated the emphasis on integration used in the course, but at the same time when concepts did not integrate easily they were frustrated. Despite this frustration, the preservice teachers' understanding of integration was enhanced as a result of the course.

The study was carried out in order to determine the university preferences of pre-service teacher and their level of belonging to the university, and to reveal the relationship between them. The “Preferring University Scale” developed by Apaydın and Seçkin-Kapucu (2017) was used to determine the reasons for pre-service teachers’ university preference, and the “Scale of Belonging to the University” developed by Kahraman (2013) to determine the level of belonging to the university.The level of pre-service teachers’ preference for university; While informing about the university, job opportunities, geographical location, financial opportunities, close acquaintances, educational material, students studying at the university are considered within the scope of the effect of high school education; students' university affiliation; were examined within the scope of expectation, motivation, and identification dimensions.Data were obtained from 271 pre-service teachers studying at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Education. The data obtained from the pre-service teachers were analyzed with the SPSS-23 program, t-Test, ANOVA tests and correlation analysis were used in the data analysis. When the results of the research were evaluated, it was determined that the mean scores of pre-service teachers regarding the level of preference and belonging to the university were at a moderate level. It was determined that the levels of pre-service teachers' preference and belonging to the university differed significantly according to the variables of gender, university department, reasons for choosing the university, place of residence, and the type of high school they graduated from. It has been determined that there is a moderate relationship between the reasons why pre-service teachers prefer the university and the level of belonging to the university.

In this study, we examined changes in levels of pre service teachers' reflective writing and tried to identify links between these changes and pre service teachers' success in teaching. Participants were two groups of pre-service special education teachers that taught in two different special education settings: learning difficulties classes and multiple and profound intellectual disabilities classes. Data collection was performed during two consecutive academic semesters, including a monthly structured journal about teaching events during field experience and summative grades, assessing pre service teachers' teaching activities for each semester. Journal analysis referred to three reflective levels of explanations, descriptive, comparative and critical. Results indicated that both groups improved in descriptive levels of explanations, but only one group improved in higher levels of reflective (comparative and critical) explanations. Differences between the two groups were explained in context of different settings in field experience, lack of former knowledge and experience in one group, participants' characteristics and different supervisor's responses to the journals. These differences explain the higher levels of reflective thinking in one group. A positive correlation was found between grades in field experience and descriptive and comparative explanations in the first semester for both groups. In the second semester, field experience grades correlated only with critical explanations, meaning that only those who reached critical level of explanations also improved their teaching acts correspondently. These results point towards a professional developmental relation between reflective writing and teaching during teacher education process.

This study emphasizes the importance of teachers’ understanding and implementation of professional learning (PL). PL requires teachers to continuously learn in order to increase their professional capacity, and such capacity improvement has been correlated with pupils' enhanced learning quality. The present study explores the preservice teachers' level of Professional Learning Values (PLVs) in West Kalimantan. This study adopted a quantitative approach employing a self-evaluation questionnaire for preservice teachers. The data were analysed through factor analysis, descriptive statistics, and correlation. The results showed that two factors underlie West Kalimantan preservice teachers' PLVs: Research and Evaluation Orientation (REO) and Collaborative and Social Capital Development Orientation (CSCD). Additionally, descriptive statistics results found that preservice teachers consider the REO factor highly. However, a contradictory result came from the same data analysis, in which the preservice teachers did not consider PL practices in CSCD to be important. The data analysis found no correlation between preservice teachers' gender, academic competence, semester, and status of their place of origin (developed and underdeveloped) and their PLVs. Further research is needed to find out what variables have influenced preservice teachers’ PLVs. These findings, patterns, and levels of preservice teachers' Professional Learning Values (PLVs) in West Kalimantan can be used as reflection materials and stimuli to enhance the professional learning of preservice teachers and in-service teachers. Moreover, these findings can be the groundwork for developing strategic steps to enhance preservice teachers' professional learning quality in West Kalimantan. The findings of this research describe which practice of PL which is less valued by teachers. In light of such findings, the future research could develop PLV improvement, by prioritising each aspect which teachers less valued.

Knowledge of mathematics, didactics, and technology that must be owned by pre-service and in-service teachers, previously measured by the classical test theory (CTT), but has limitations. Study aims to determine that knowledge with a more accurate prediction method using the item response theory (IRT) from the Rasch model. Study used a survey of mathematical and didactic knowledge, and a survey of technological knowledge with a scale. The subjects were 38 second- year students from an elementary school teacher education institution in Pekanbaru. This study indicates that pre-service teachers have relatively sufficient mathematics and technological knowledge, but they were lack of didactic knowledge. Analysis of pre-service teachers’ knowledge using the Rasch model can provide an overview of the difficulty level of the items given, the level of pre-service teachers’ knowledge, and the interaction between respondents and between questions. Institutions need to develop learning instruction for pre-service teachers that can support the strengthening and development of their mathematical, didactic, and technological knowledge.

Assisting pre-service teachers in developing readiness for interdisciplinary teaching has been recognized as a crucial direction in teacher education in China. However, there is currently a lack of reliable instrument to measure the readiness. We developed and validated an Interdisciplinary Teaching Readiness Scale (ITRS) for pre-service teachers to fill the gap. We utilized literature review and interdisciplinary teaching competence framework to develop the initial item pool for the ITRS. Data were collected from 234 pre-service teachers at S Normal University (Sample A) for item analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by data collection from 543 pre-service teachers in China (Sample B) for confirmatory factor analysis(CFA), convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability testing. Item analysis on Sample A data using the critical ratio method revealed discriminative items, indicating no need for item deletion. PCA showed that the ITRS has a three-factor structure, explaining 77.282% of the total variance. CFA on Sample B demonstrated a good model fit (GMIN/DF = 4.189, RMSEA = 0.077, GFI = 0.852, AGFI = 0.821, NFI = 0.939, RFI = 0.932, CFI = 0.953, IFI = 0.953). Analysis of the AVE for each dimension indicated good convergent and discriminant validity. Reliability testing revealed a high overall Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.972 for the ITRS, indicating good internal consistency. Ultimately, we confirmed that the ITRS consists of three factors(including interdisciplinary teaching knowledge structure readiness, interdisciplinary teaching skills readiness, interdisciplinary teaching attitudes readiness) and 24 items. In conclusion, the ITRS that has been developed shows great potential for promoting the professional development of pre-service teachers, evaluating the effectiveness of teacher education programs, and supporting the development of educational policy. The extensive utilization of this instrument will help to comprehensively assess the overall level of pre-service teachers' readiness for interdisciplinary teaching and to promote the professional growth of pre-service teachers in China. Furthermore, the ITRS, through the implementation of culturally adaptable modifications, can offers invaluable instrumental support and insightful guidance to pre-service teacher education programs globally.

Creating a metaphor for the concept of energy can contribute to the determination of the mental structuring of the concept of energy. Pre-service teachers' metaphors about the concept of energy were classified according to traditional and scientific fields. The metaphors produced by the mathematics and science teacher candidates for the concept of energy consisted of structural and abstract concepts, approximately 60% of them were the continuity of life and 40% were science categories. While pre-service mathematics teachers mainly produce metaphors for biology, pre-service science teachers produce metaphors mainly for physics. Empathic tendency scores and levels of pre-service teachers were determined. Pre-service teachers have a high level of empathic disposition and predominantly see the other person's problem and emotion as their own. There was no quantitatively significant difference between traditional metaphor types and empathic tendencies. It is understood that the pre-service teachers have high empathic tendencies, and mostly in the sen stage, the concepts related to the continuity of life are primarily used in developing metaphors related to the concept of energy, and they tend to produce structural metaphors. Metaphor and empathy will contribute to the determination of mental models and the establishment of a connection between the fields of science. Keywords: energy metaphor creation, empathic disposition and relationship identification

The study aims to investigate pre-service teachers’ teacher identity in Chinese local normal universities. It employed quantitive research method and utilized the adapted Early Teacher Identity Measure (ETIM) to collected 380 pre-service teachers’ data from local normal university in Shaanxi Province, China. The data was analysed by SPSS v28. Findings reveal a notably high level of teacher identity among these students, though there remains room for further development Moreover, female students exhibit slightly stronger teacher identities compared to their male participants. Freshmen tend to possess higher levels of teacher identity than juniors and seniors, likely influenced by their engagement in educational theory learning, teaching internships, and practical experiences. Furthermore, the teacher identity of students majoring in arts and sports is significantly higher than that of students majoring in humanities and history, and science and engineering. The level of pre-service teachers’ teacher identity will affect their quality of learning, values and perception on teaching and affect the overall development of future education and society. Therefore, developing the teacher identity of pre-service teacher is meaningful for teacher education.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way in which things were done in schools and colleges. This study aims to find out how well pre-service teachers at a private university in Riau, Indonesia, know how to use technology based on their age, gender, and term. After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was time to find out how well pre-service teachers knew how to use technology. In this study, 722 students made up the whole group. This research is a detailed quantitative study that looks into how well teachers-to-be know how to use technology. The tool is a valid and trustworthy Google form with an inquiry. Technology, Mobile/Smartphone, Social Media, Online Safety, and E-learning are the digital literacy factors that are looked into. The results of the studies show that younger pre-service teachers are better at using technology and female students are slightly better at using technology. It fits into the set group for the semester level. Study programmes were used to find out what the average level of digital literacy was. During the COVID-19 outbreak, most pre-service teachers were at an established level of digital literacy. The results of this study show that using technology for online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic makes pre-service teachers better at using technology.