Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions on Implementation & Associated issues of Teaching Licensing Policy, 2023 Sindh

Owing to the anytime-anywhere-anyhow nature of mobile learning, together with the ubiquity of affordably priced mobile phones, learning has become a mobigital practice, as termed by Şad and Göktaş (2014). Consequently, language teaching/learning is gradually shifting from computer-assisted language learning to mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). In response, the current study examined the impact of MALL training on preservice and in-service EFL teachers’ perceptions and use of mobile technology (MT). For this purpose, two groups of preservice (N = 33) and in-service (N = 31) EFL teachers were randomly selected and exposed to MALL training. The pretest-posttest experimental mixed-methods design was used as a framework for collecting and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data (using closed- and open-ended-question surveys). Quantitative results revealed that both preservice and in-service teachers had similar perceptions of MT before and after training. The only exception is that, after training, in-service teachers were more interested in MT than preservice teachers. However, both groups demonstrated an overall (and subfactor) improvement in their perceptions after MT training, except for their perceived ease of use. In-service teachers’ use also improved after training and, due to the yielded positive correlation, their perceptions were a significant predictor of use. Qualitative findings showed that in-service teachers used MT more in listening and speaking (for synchronous communication) than in reading and writing, selecting social media and translation apps as the least useful ones. Moreover, they regarded technical and digital literacy problems as the ones most challenging to the use of MT.

The goal of this study is to compare in-service and pre-service teachers’ computational thinking skills and to take in-service teachers’ opinions about the contribution of professional life to differentiation in this skill. The study was conducted in Turkey. The type of the study is mixed method. Quantitative data were obtained from 870 pre-service teachers enrolled to Van Yuzuncu Yil University and from 143 in-service teachers working in Van province. Qualitative data were obtained from 10 in-service teachers. Quantitative data were collected with Computational Thinking Scales (CTS). Qualitative data were obtained through conducting focus group interview. Results revealed that in-service teachers significantly differentiate from pre-service teachers according to the common effect of the sub dimensions of CTS. On the other hand, according to the results of the comparison conducted based on the main effect of the total score and sub dimensions of the scale; there is no difference according to the sub dimension of problem solving. There is a differentiation on behalf of in-service teachers according to all measurements outside of that. Qualitative data also support these results. In addition, qualitative data present details concerning the reasons of the change in CT within the context of professional life.

A profile of sports science research (1983–2003)

Technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK) has been considered as a promising theoretical framework to guide teacher educators in designing and developing in-service K12 teacher education programs. However, it seems unclear whether in-service teachers have different TPACK perceptions when entering the education programs. This study surveyed the TPACK perceptions of 2,728 Chinese in-service K12 teachers. A questionnaire adapted from Koh, Chai, and Tsai’s survey was validated by reliability and validity tests. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that Chinese in-service K12 teacher’s TPACK perceptions could be grouped into five scales. Analyses of means and standard deviation of all the variables of the TPACK construct to examine Chinese in-service K12 teachers’ TPACK perceptions showed that teachers had rated themselves as slightly above five points for all the variables. Independent sample t tests to examine the relationships between in-service K12 teachers’ gender and the TPACK variables indicated that male teachers rated themselves higher than female teachers for the variable content knowledge (CK) and lower for the variable pedagogical content knowledge. F tests to examine the relationships between in-service K12 teachers’ years of service and the TPACK variables revealed that young in-service K12 teachers tended to perceive better in the capacities of applying technology and worse in the capacities of teaching method and subject matter. Hierarchical regression analysis to explore which variables (technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, CK, pedagogical content knowledge, technological content knowledge, and technological pedagogical knowledge) could predict the variable of TPACK showed that in-service K12 teachers’ perceptions of pedagogical knowledge, technological knowledge, and CK had the largest positive effect on the TPACK variable.

Schools are accountable for educating students in specific positive knowledge, skills and values relevant to that specific society. However, it is unclear how disability is perceived and treated by teachers, and how students acquire awareness and positive perceptions towards disability through the teaching-learning process. The concept of critical constructivist teaching in physical education (PE) is that PE teachers organise in order to integrate students with disabilities into classes with students without disabilities, and this could therefore be a critical paradigm shift for challenging existing negative perceptions among students without disabilities towards students with disabilities. The qualitative data that informs this article aimed to provide a comprehensive interpretation of how the methods used by current Sri Lankan PE teachers evolved to include students with disabilities in their regular PE classes. A sample of 90 in-service PE teachers, 10 representing within each of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka were recruited to this study. Data were collected according to the descriptive phenomenological method through focus group interviews and analysed by thematic analysis according to Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological data analysis method. The degree of knowledge regarding disability, preparedness and inclusion practice of PE teachers were determined. Results revealed that Sri Lankan PE teachers were generally less confident about the inclusion of students with disabilities in their regular PE classes. However, a lack of support from authorities and working under varied policies had become the main challenges of inclusion of students with disabilities in regular PE classes. It was also revealed that even though major revisions had been advocated in the education and training of PE teachers, disability-focused training was still segregated from many in-service teacher training programmes due to negligible attention by senior educators. Recommendations to re-invent and re-plan training of in-service PE teachers may facilitate successful integration of students with disabilities into the regular PE classes.

This study investigated pre-service and in-service English teachers’ efficacy beliefs about teaching English at primary schools in Turkey by revealing the teaching aspects that they felt most and least efficacious. The study also attempted to understand pre-service teachers’ views about the effectiveness of pre-service teacher education and explore which major problems in-service teachers encountered while teaching English at primary schools. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 170 pre-service and 129 in-service teachers through a questionnaire. The quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis, respectively. According to the findings, both groups held similar positive or negative efficacy beliefs about most teaching aspects: while they reported feeling most efficacious in ‘using visual materials’, ‘giving simple instructions’, and ‘using gestures, facial expressions and body language effectively’, they reported feeling least efficacious in ‘using mainly kinaesthetic activities’, ‘managing class time effectively’, and ‘knowing how each language skill can be developed’. Pre-service teachers agreed that the ‘teaching practicum’ was the most ineffective aspect of the programme, followed by ‘lack of practice-based courses’, ‘inadequate number of teaching English to young learners courses’, and ‘language courses’. In-service teachers reported having problems because of ‘limited class hours’, ‘poor textbooks’, ‘lack of technological resources’, ‘lack of learner preparedness’, ‘lack of learner motivation’, and ‘large classes’. In the light of these findings, implications were generated to improve the effectiveness of pre-service and in-service teacher education, which could increase the quality of education for English language students at primary schools

The nature of science (NOS) has become a central goal of science education in many countries. This study sought an understanding of the extent to which a nature of science course (NOSC), designed according to the conceptualization of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching nature of science (NOS), affects in-service science teachers’ understanding and learning of NOS, and their orientations towards teaching it. A qualitative research approach was employed as a research methodology, drawing upon pre- and post-instruction NOS questionnaires, field notes, and in-service teachers’ weekly journal entries and assignments. Open-ended NOS questionnaires, used to assess participants’ understandings of NOS, were analysed and categorized as either informed, partially informed and naive. Other qualitative data were analysed through an inductive process to identify ways in-service teachers engaged and learned in the NOSC. The results indicate that at the beginning of the course, a majority of the in-service science teachers held naive understandings of NOS, particularly with respect to the definition of science, scientific inquiry, and differences between laws and theories. They viewed implicit project-based science and science process skills as goals of NOS instruction. By engaging in the course, the in-service science teachers developed an understanding of NOS and orientations to teaching NOS based on various elements, especially reflective and explicit instruction, role modelling, and content- and non-content embedded instruction. The aim of this study is to help science teacher educators, consider how to support and develop science teachers’ understandings of NOS while being mindful of PCK for NOS, and develop methods for teaching NOS frameworks.

Mixed methods research-i.e., research that draws on both qualitative and quantitative methods in varying configurations-is well suited to address the increasing complexity of public health problems and their solutions. This review focuses specifically on innovations in mixed methods evaluations of intervention, program or policy (i.e., practice) effectiveness, and implementation. The article begins with an overview of the structure, function, and process of different mixed methods designs and then provides illustrations of their use in effectiveness studies, implementation studies, and combined effectiveness-implementation hybrid studies. The article then examines four specific innovations: procedures for transforming (or "quantitizing") qualitative data, application of rapid assessment and analysis procedures in the context of mixed methods studies, development of measures to assess implementation outcomes, and strategies for conducting both random and purposive sampling, particularly in implementation-focused evaluation research. The article concludes with an assessment of challenges to integrating qualitative and quantitative data in evaluation research.

Pupils’ Academic Performance is a challenge in public primary schools in Ndorwa County-Kabale District in Uganda. The research sought for views of different stakeholders in primary education parental roles in pupils’ learning. Specifically, how parents’ support to pupils may be a solution to poor performance of pupils from selected primary schools in Ndorwa County-Kabale District in Uganda. The study used cross-sectional survey design as the basis for collecting and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data. A sample size of 322 respondents was derived from a population of 2000 using purposive and simple random sampling. The research data got analyzed in form of frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis, quotations, and thematic analysis. The results revealed that students from highly involved family members significantly outperformed those with family members who were not involved according to scores of PLE, class 7. Furthermore, parental roles had a positive relationship on pupils’ academic performance at school. The low-income levels of some parents and attitudes towards education were the main challenge. In order to reduce pupils’ poor academic performance, the study recommended that, parents’ supportive resourcefulness in conjunction with pupils’ academic performance, government of Uganda should create policies that ensure parental involvement, and community partnership programs to empower parents and support Children’s education. The practice of parents’ supportive resourcefulness in pupils’ studies needs to be in tandem with deliberations from the ministry of education policies, district education officer’s regulations and schools’ administration directives. Parents need to check their contribution to pupils with schools’ advice.

237. Healthcare Workers' Attitudes Toward Adolescent Reproductive Healthcare ∼The Case of Cebu City, The Philippines∼

Despite substantial government investment in in-service teacher training to promote participatory teaching methods in Tanzania, secondary school classrooms often remain dominated by teacher-centred approaches, resulting in low student engagement and suboptimal learning outcomes. This study focused on The Impact of In-service Teachers’ Training on Participatory Teaching methods in Ward Secondary Schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. The study was guided by Constructivist Learning Theory (CLT) and three objectives, which include: to identify the pedagogical approaches used by the trained teachers in implementing participatory teaching methods in the classroom; to examine the extent to which students are engaged in learning during Teaching; and to observe teachers’ competencies and support during teaching. The study used pragmatic philosophy and employed a mixed method approach as a means of data collection and analysis. The study sampled 40 trained teachers and 80 students from 10 schools, selected through probability and non-probability sampling. The research instruments used by the researcher included questionnaires, an interview guide and focus group discussions. The quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS version 24 and presented using means, frequencies and percentages. Thematic analysis and narration were used to analyse qualitative data. The findings revealed that the majority of trained teachers insisted that in-service training programs on participatory teaching methods increase creativity and more interactive way of teaching learners. The study concludes that while in-service training effectively promotes participatory teaching, its sustained impact depends on continuous institutional support and infrastructure improvement. The researcher recommended that the Ministry of Education and Local Education Authorities should strengthen in-service teachers’ training programs in order to update their teaching skills; also, school administrators should motivate teachers who use participatory teaching methods and encourage trained teachers to work in teams in order to share their experiences. Finally, longitudinal research should be conducted by the researchers and education institutions to assess the long-term impacts of in-service teachers’ training on participatory teaching methods for both teachers and students.

This study is an on-going research that aims to explore pre-service and in-service teachers’ conception of ‘a teacher’ at the beginning of their initial teacher training program. This particular study administered an open ended questionnaire that consists of 4 questions to 13 pre-service science teachers and 7 in-service science teachers during the first session of the initial teacher training programme. The open-ended questionnaire explores the teachers’ conception of what makes a teacher, a good teacher, an excellent teacher and a 21st century teacher. A thematic analysis was conducted by two researchers in order to ensure trustworthiness of the emerging themes that emerged found from the data. One of the potential contributions from the findings of this research is the discourse of how pre-service and inservice science teachers’ construct their conceptions on the different dimensions of a teacher i.e. from good to a 21st century teacher.

Teacher supervision plays a pivotal role in the improvement of education system and the way in which teachers and student teachers perceive it. Consequently language teacher supervisors can utilize appropriate supervisory models to keep teachers update and promote them professionally. The present study investigated the role of language teacher supervisors in student teachers and in-service teachers’ professional development in Iran. To have a representative sample, some 210 EFL teachers practicing in the secondary schools and a total of 215EFL student teachers studying English at some Iranian state and Azad universities participated in the study. A 43-item questionnaire regarding EFL teachers’ attitudes about the impact of supervisory practice on their professional development with a format of a 5-point Likert-type was distributed among them. Also, ten percent of the participants were interviewed. Then the frequencies related to each item were calculated and a Chi-Square was used. Subsequently, qualitative data were transcribed. The results indicated that in-service and pre-service teachers have the same perceptions towards the role of their supervisors in their professional development. However, according to the findings it was concluded that the models of language teacher supervision in language teacher education are different from the models practiced in in-service classes where mostly traditional models are common.

The implementation of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in English curriculum has led to the use of CEFR aligned foreign textbooks in Malaysian schools. However, the application of CEFR English textbooks from the United Kingdom has encountered a few oppositions as the advocates of Malaysian-based textbooks believe that English should be written contextually by emphasizing the local cultures and histories. In lieu of this, a group of in-service teachers in a Master's course had developed and evaluated each other's Oral History materials. The research objectives are to find out what are the material evaluation criteria frequently attended to by in-service TESL teachers when evaluating an oral history workbook and to what extent the in-service teachers have gained from evaluating oral history workbook developed by their peers. A mixed methodology research approach using basic frequency count, percentages and qualitative data was employed in this study. Data were gathered from 109 in-service TESL teachers via their Personal Reflective Journal (PRJ), which they had written after evaluating an oral history workbook based on Tomlinson's and Mukundan's evaluation checklists. The findings showed the frequently attended criteria by the in-service teachers and that there are new criteria that can be added to the evaluation checklists. It is anticipated that this study could encourage educators to develop their own classroom materials, for material evaluators to consider the English textbook contextually and for a revision to the material evaluation checklists to reflect current 21st century pedagogy.

Language assessment has been integral to language teaching for decades, and its importance has largely increased in recent years. As a result, research in applied linguistics has focused on developing more effective and efficient language assessment methods. This research aims to explore the relationship between English language teaching and classroom assessment, focusing on how language assessment can be used to improve language teaching and learning outcomes. The study was qualitative in nature; the data was collected through semi-structured interviews with English language university teachers and analysed through thematic analysis. The findings of the analysis showed that no assessment practice was inherently good or bad. The efficacy of any formative assessment technique was directly proportional to where, when, how and with whom to use it. The maximum benefit could be obtained only when the language assessment practices are situation-based and context-specified. 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