Navigating Challenges in Gifted Education: A Teacher's Perspective on Overcoming Barriers

The aim of this study is to determine the competencies and technological roles of teachers who are able to employ technology in education and keep themselves up-to-date with the requirements of the era of information and communication technology. Moreover, it aims to identify the presented image of the teacher and his/her roles as reflected by the teacher education programs courses (namely, Child Education and Classroom Teacher Education Programs) from the viewpoints of faculty members; as well as to determine the image of the teacher and his/her roles from the viewpoint of students enrolled in the Child Education and Classroom Teacher Education Programs. Additionally, the study aims to explore and identify the perceptions of students majoring in Classroom Teacher Education and Child Education and their future roles as teachers. The researcher based her work on theoretical papers, published research, and different literature in a collection of relevant data to extract facts and conclusions, as well as following the descriptive analytical method which relies on the quantities method to determine the roles of teacher preparation programs to grade students enrolled in Classroom Teacher and Child Education programs through a questionnaire which included (78) items. In order to determine the roles of the teacher through the student's views, the researcher employed another questionnaire consisting of (63) items. The same approach was also used in determining the students' perceptions of their future roles as teachers through a third questionnaire that consisted of (42) items. The scales have been applied to all students enrolled in Classroom Teacher and Child Education programs at Petra Private University. The study concluded that most of undergraduate courses for Classroom Teacher and Child Education programs have failed to reflect the competencies of the teachers and technological competencies of the preparation and design of teaching from the perspective of teachers. The study also showed that students have a blurry image of their future roles as teachers, and the roles of guidance and counseling and skills related to ethical and professional technology employing the most mysterious of these roles.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which social justice principles are integrated into Thailand’s teacher education programs and assess the preparedness of future educators to address inequality, diversity, and inclusion in their classrooms. The research seeks to identify gaps between policy and practice, understand the challenges faced by teacher educators and candidates, and propose actionable recommendations for enhancing social justice-oriented teacher training. By focusing on marginalized populations, including ethnic minorities and LGBTQ + students, this study aims to contribute to a more equitable and inclusive education system in Thailand and beyond.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a qualitative case study approach to explore how social justice principles are integrated into Thailand’s teacher education programs. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 teacher educators and 25 teacher candidates from public and private institutions across urban and rural areas, focus group discussions, and document analysis of curricula and policy frameworks. Thematic analysis was used to identify key barriers, practices, and opportunities for fostering equity and inclusion. A content analysis of syllabi and policy documents provided further insight into the alignment between policy directives and pedagogical practices in teacher education.FindingsThe findings reveal a significant gap between policy directives on social justice and their practical implementation in teacher education. While curricula include theoretical discussions on equity and inclusion, there is limited emphasis on actionable strategies for addressing classroom inequalities. Teacher educators report inadequate training and institutional support for teaching social justice principles. Inconsistent understandings of social justice and insufficient focus on marginalized groups, such as ethnic minorities and LGBTQ + students, further hinder effective integration. However, experiential learning opportunities, such as community engagement projects, demonstrate potential for bridging theory and practice, offering practical ways to enhance teacher training for equity and inclusion.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited to a small number of teacher education institutions, which may not fully represent the diversity of teacher training programs in Thailand. Additionally, the focus on qualitative data limits the generalizability of findings but provides in-depth insights into participant experiences and institutional contexts. Future research could explore broader geographic and institutional contexts and incorporate quantitative methods to validate findings. The study’s implications emphasize the need for a unified national framework for social justice education and expanded professional development for teacher educators to address gaps in preparing future teachers to foster equity and inclusion.Practical implicationsThe study highlights actionable strategies to improve social justice integration in teacher education. Recommendations include revising curricula to embed equity and inclusion as core components, enhancing professional development opportunities for teacher educators, and expanding experiential learning initiatives such as community engagement projects. Teacher training institutions are encouraged to focus on marginalized populations by incorporating modules on culturally responsive teaching and inclusive classroom practices. These practical reforms aim to better equip future educators to address inequalities, support diverse learners, and create inclusive educational environments aligned with Thailand’s national education reform goals and international standards.Social implicationsBy addressing systemic gaps in social justice education, this study contributes to fostering a more equitable and inclusive educational system in Thailand. Strengthening teacher training to prepare educators for supporting marginalized populations, including ethnic minorities and LGBTQ + students, can help reduce discrimination and promote social cohesion. Educators equipped with social justice principles can act as agents of change, challenging structural inequalities and creating inclusive learning environments. The study’s focus on aligning teacher education with broader social justice goals supports Thailand’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in achieving inclusive and equitable quality education for all.Originality/valueThis study offers a unique contribution by examining the integration of social justice principles in the context of Thailand’s teacher education programs, an area that has received limited scholarly attention. By bridging theory and practice, the research identifies critical gaps and opportunities for fostering equity and inclusion in teacher training. The study’s focus on marginalized groups, including ethnic minorities and LGBTQ + students, adds depth and relevance to global conversations on social justice in education. The findings provide actionable recommendations for policymakers, institutions, and educators, highlighting innovative practices such as experiential learning to enhance the preparation of socially just educators.

This mixed-method study examines the preparedness and perceptions of B.Ed. and M.Ed. students regarding STEM education in Lahore, utilizing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis framework. The research seeks to examine how prospective teachers comprehend and react to the incorporation of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in educational practices, along with their readiness to apply these methodologies in Pakistani classrooms. A sequential explanatory design was utilized, integrating both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The quantitative phase utilized a structured questionnaire distributed to 80 participants, comprising 40 B.Ed. and 40 M.Ed. students from teacher education institutions in Lahore. The qualitative phase comprised semi-structured interviews with a chosen cohort of students to obtain more profound insights into their perceptions and experiences. Descriptive statistics were used to look at quantitative data, and thematic analysis was used to look at qualitative responses. The results showed that both groups had positive views of STEM education and recognized its role in promoting creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. The results also showed that students were only somewhat ready, which was due to not enough exposure to STEM-based teaching methods, not enough support from their schools, and not enough access to technology. The SWOT analysis highlighted significant strengths, including students' motivation and curiosity; notable weaknesses, such as inadequate training; potential opportunities for curriculum innovation; and critical threats, including insufficient infrastructure and gaps in policy implementation. The study suggests that STEM elements be incorporated into teacher education programs and that professional development workshops be held to better prepare teachers for effective STEM integration.

ABSTRACTAction research methodology is commonly used in initial teacher education programmes as a pedagogical strategy to enhance student teacher learning. Action research is most often used in tandem with school-based practicum components in the latter stage of programmes as a means of bridging the theory-practice divide. It is also frequently used as a capstone assessment to assure prospective teacher capability for reflective inquiry. The study reported here focuses on the perspectives of teachers who were recent graduates of two initial English language teacher education programmes in Chile, who had undertaken action research projects as part of their degree programme. It also engaged the university-based supervisors who had overseen this work. These experiences are analysed in the context of the guiding epistemological and political foundations of action research. The outcomes of this research suggest that the use of action research in initial teacher education contexts may be more problematic than it is often assumed; particularly, where student teachers’ work is professionally isolated. From this, it is suggested that action research in initial teacher education needs to be conscious of potential constraints in school-based contexts, as these may act to limit the current and prospective impact of this learning experience.

Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) stands as a comprehensive assessment paradigm, aiming to appraise various facets of student development consistently throughout their academic journey. This research delves into the attitudes and proficiencies of secondary school teachers concerning the adoption and execution of CCE. Employing a mixed-methods approach, data collection extended across a spectrum of secondary school environments, capturing insights from teachers across diverse settings. The study sets out to unravel teachers' perceptions, confrontations, and preparedness regarding CCE integration, thereby unveiling the underlying determinants shaping their attitudes and competencies in this realm. The study seeks to analyze the perspectives of secondary school teachers regarding Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), and secondly, to measure their competencies in implementing CCE. To facilitate data collection, the researcher devised two instruments: the Teacher Attitude Scale and the Teacher Competencies Scale. The present study is conducted in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh State. The total sample comprises 80 teachers employed in both government and private secondary schools. The findings anticipated from this research endeavor hold the potential to captivate the attention of policy framers, school administrative bodies, and stakeholders alike, prompting necessary actions to ensure the seamless operation of CCE within secondary educational institutions. In light of the findings, recommendations are proposed to address the impediments hindering the effective implementation of CCE. These findings underscore the recognition among teachers of the prospective benefits that CCE promises, albeit overshadowed by obstacles such as inadequate training, resource deficiency, and insufficient institutional support. Moreover, discernible disparities in attitudes and competencies among teachers emerge, delineated by factors like tenure, subject specialization, and pedagogical methodologies employed. KEYWORDS: Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), attitudes, competencies, pedagogical methodologies.

Electronic portfolio or e-portfolio is used to assess teachers’ professional development concomitant to rapid growth of technology. The effect of using e-portfolio has changed the assessment method in teacher education system. As an innovative tool, the multiple forms of e-portfolio play various roles in professional and personal development through self-assessment, reflection, formative and summative approaches. The development of identity of a professional teacher with soft skills is essential therefore exposure and awareness of its importance should be emphasized early in teacher training. The aim of this paper is to elaborate preliminary findings on UPSI e-portfolio system on its learning websites, MyGuru and the perception of student teacher on using e-portfolio system to assess soft skills. The respondents of 78 students from teacher education program (5 samples during interviews and 73 samples responded on questionnaires) were selected using convenience sampling. The focused course of the research is Character Development, a compulsory course to all students of teacher education program. Data is obtained by mapping the components of UPSI’s e-portfolio system, survey and students’ teacher focused group interview. Formerly, the e-portfolio system of UPSI has a framework for the assessment however it needs to be upgraded to expand the functions of the assessment. The initial data from the students’ teacher perspective on e-portfolio indicated that they agreed it has potential as an assessment tool to evaluate soft skills. From the survey and interview, the students’ teachers were found to be ready to use e-portfolio system for soft skills assessment. It is suggested that the rubric of the soft skills in the UPSI e-portfolio system should be improved.

Against a backdrop of critical discussion over the fundamental relevance of university teacher educator programs in general, this study surveyed 102 second-language K–12 teachers in New Jersey on their perceptions of the relative priority of conceptual teacher knowledge (i.e., theory/research) and procedural teacher knowledge (i.e., practical instructional techniques) in university Second Language Teacher Education program coursework. Likert-type scale and open-ended response survey data communicate a higher priority for procedural knowledge over conceptual knowledge. As is demonstrated in related studies, in-service teacher perspectives are nuanced on this issue. By reporting on in-service perceptions in a particular geographic and discipline area, this study enriches our general knowledge of in-service teacher perceptions seen more broadly.

In This Issue

Coherence is highly important in teacher education and professional development programs—the extent of shared vision between position holders contributes to the program’s success. Nevertheless, the research on shared vision and coherence has primarily focused on teacher training programs. Hence, in this study, we conducted 29 interviews with teachers, principals, and district and national superintendents of professional development to explore various perspectives among position holders in the education system. Teachers and principals stress the atmosphere in schools and the wholistic experience of a teacher within school, whereas the national and district superintendents focus on building personalized courses for each teacher. There are agreements regarding the significance of teacher motivation, peer learning and study of practice. This study explores the notion of coherence in professional development through a holistic perspective, providing practical implications for improving the way education systems promote teachers’ professional development.

The integration of technology in English language teaching has significantly reshaped educational practices at senior high school levels. This study investigates teachers' perspectives on the impact of technology on English learning at SMA Muhammadiyah in Sidoarjo, identifying its benefits and challenges. While technology enhances teaching effectiveness by fostering interactive, engaging, and resource-rich environments, it also poses challenges such as inadequate teacher training and difficulties in managing student focus. This research employs a qualitative methodology, involving semi-structured interviews with three English teachers representing different grade levels. The findings reveal that tools like smartboards and platforms such as Nearpod improve student engagement, lesson flexibility, and administrative efficiency. Teachers also highlighted the role of technology in creative lesson delivery and reducing convensional workloads, enabling a more dynamic and enjoyable learning experience. However, disparities in technology access across classrooms and students' overreliance on gadgets were identified as significant barriers. The study underscores the importance of continuous teacher training and equitable technological infrastructure to maximize its benefits. It also emphasizes the necessity for strategic adaptation in leveraging technology to align with students' needs while addressing classroom management challenges. These insights provide a foundation for advancing the integration of technology into English language teaching, promoting more inclusive and impactful educational practices. Highlights: Interactive Tools: Smartboards and platforms like Nearpod enhance student engagement and lesson flexibility. Teacher Challenges: Inadequate training and managing student focus are key barriers to effective technology use. Equitable Access: Ensuring consistent technological resources across classrooms is vital for inclusivity. Keywords: technology integration; English teaching; teacher perspectives; qualitative research; classroom innovation.

While there has been growing scholarly interest in the role of religious literacy in K-12 teacher education, scholarship on how preservice teachers understand religious literacy as an aim of social justice-oriented education remains limited. This empirical case study of one teacher education program in a Canadian university examines the perspectives of preservice teachers and how they view critical religious literacy (CRL) as a means of addressing the potential harms of religious illiteracy. Using empirical data collected in personal interviews and focus groups, this qualitative case study employed philosophical analysis centered on a theoretical framework that includes the concept of epistemic injustice. The data show that preservice educators feel unprepared to engage with religiously diverse students, to navigate issues related to religious diversity, or to respond to the potential epistemic harms of religious illiteracy, such as exclusion, discrimination, or polarization. As such, this paper contends that to reduce the potential epistemic injustices related to religious illiteracy in their programs and in K-12 classrooms, teacher educators ought to include CRL as an educational aim in preservice teacher education.

Teachers should be empowered to act as deliberate professionals, i.e., guiding their actions in an adaptive way to the affordances of educational situations by carefully choosing purposes and goals, by ethical and cultural considerations, as well as by conceptual and technical knowledge. The core goal of teaching psychology in teacher education and vocational programs is to contribute to the education of such deliberate professionals. With theoretical and empirical insights in areas such as human learning, cognition, and motivation; personality and social development; testing and measurement; individual diversity, group differences, and special needs; research on social and cultural factors in instructional contexts; and classroom management, teachers’ professional development, and school effectiveness, educational psychology provides an important basis for the initial education of teachers. Yet, given the restricted time and space for psychology courses in initial teacher education, the curriculum and syllabus design for these programs poses several challenging issues, in particular how to deal with the trade-off between breadth and depth in covering scientific psychological insights and their various potential applications in teaching contexts.This chapter aims at providing international perspectives and insights into the core goals, as well as evidence-based practices and approaches of teaching psychology in teacher education programs. Starting with an introduction to the rationale for teaching psychology in teacher education programs, the chapter offers a summarizing overview of frameworks of professional teacher standards from all over the world, as well as recommendations for teaching psychology, and especially educational psychology, in teacher education programs. Next, core contents and topics of psychology for (pre-service) teachers are analyzed and presented based on a review of respective textbooks being used in countries around the world. Evidence-based instructional suggestions for implementing teaching, learning, and assessment are also provided. Finally, the relevance of psychology teaching in teacher education programs is emphasized, particularly with regard to transferring psychological knowledge and theories into educational practice and understanding psychological epistemology.KeywordsTeacher educationEducational psychologyTeaching standardsTeacher competencesEducational practiceTransferCompetence

Teachers should be empowered to act as deliberate professionals, i.e., guiding their actions in an adaptive way to the affordances of educational situations by carefully choosing purposes and goals, by ethical and cultural considerations, as well as by conceptual and technical knowledge. The core goal of teaching psychology in teacher education and vocational programs is to contribute to the education of such deliberate professionals. With theoretical and empirical insights in areas such as human learning, cognition, and motivation; personality and social development; testing and measurement; individual diversity, group differences, and special needs; research on social and cultural factors in instructional contexts; and classroom management, teachers’ professional development, and school effectiveness, educational psychology provides an important basis for the initial education of teachers. Yet, given the restricted time and space for psychology courses in initial teacher education, the curriculum and syllabus design for these programs poses several challenging issues, in particular how to deal with the trade-off between breadth and depth in covering scientific psychological insights and their various potential applications in teaching contexts.This chapter aims at providing international perspectives and insights into the core goals, as well as evidence-based practices and approaches of teaching psychology in teacher education programs. Starting with an introduction to the rationale for teaching psychology in teacher education programs, the chapter offers a summarizing overview of frameworks of professional teacher standards from all over the world, as well as recommendations for teaching psychology, and especially educational psychology, in teacher education programs. Next, core contents and topics of psychology for (pre-service) teachers are analyzed and presented based on a review of respective textbooks being used in countries around the world. Evidence-based instructional suggestions for implementing teaching, learning, and assessment are also provided. Finally, the relevance of psychology teaching in teacher education programs is emphasized, particularly with regard to transferring psychological knowledge and theories into educational practice and understanding psychological epistemology.KeywordsTeacher educationEducational psychologyTeaching standardsTeacher competencesEducational practiceTransferCompetence

A better understanding of the relationship between beginning teachers' beliefs and the pedagogies of teacher education (TE) programmes that support their learning across time can enhance TE programme effectiveness. This 6-year longitudinal study examined the development and change of beginning primary classroom teachers' (n = 6) beliefs about learning to teach. Data sources included reflective writings and semi-structured interviews. These data were generated over a 6-year period from the beginning of a 3-year TE programme to 3 years post-graduation. Inductive analyses of the participants' writings illustrate the nature of the change that occurred in their beliefs about their teacher learning and provide insight into the experiences that shaped these changes. The beginning teachers valued practical and applied pedagogies most in supporting their learning to teach. They reflected retrospectively that TE programme pedagogies promoted a prescriptive approach and restricted them in how they directed their learning to teach. Given the rarity of data-set such as that in this study, this paper asserts the importance of incorporating beginning teachers' retrospective beliefs about their learning in TE programmes as a basis for the design of impactful TE programmes and as a guide to support and direct learning in the induction phase.

ost of the urban teacher education programs that existed during the past thirty-five years are now defunct. Even those considered very successful-such as the Urban Teacher Corps, the Cooperative Urban Teacher Education (CUTE) programs of the Mid-Continent Regional Education Lab, Indiana University's Urban Project, and the West Dallas Teacher Education Program at the University of North Texas-no longer exist. Because of the demise of urban teacher training programs, current teacher education programs must serve as a preparation for urban teachers. However, according to the Association of Teacher Educators, generic programs are inadequate as a preparation for urban teachers (Buttery, Haberman, and Houston 1990). Martin Haberman (1987), who has researched and written extensively on the preparation of teachers for urban schools and effective urban teaching, considers them (traditional, campus-based teacher education programs) a waste of time. According to Haberman (1987), the average career of an urban teacher is between three and five years, and in every five-year period approximately one-half of the urban teaching force leaves the profession. As a result, there is a teacher shortage in the nation's 120 largest urban school districts (Haberman 1987). The lack of specific urban teacher education programs and the inadequacy of current teacher education programs as a preparation for urban teachers have contributed to the high rate of urban teacher attrition. Because of an urban teacher shortage, many newly certified teachers, who want to teach immediately after becoming licensed, will begin their careers in large, inner-city schools. Many of those novice teachers, who lack adequate urban teacher preparation, may be overwhelmed by the problems associated with urban teaching. The problems they will face, such as students' antagonism toward school, their lack of respect for themselves and their teachers, poor student discipline, high rates of student absenteeism, stu-