Teacher Beliefs Research Articles

Human Resources for Quality Management in School Education : Managerial Leadership Towards Development of Leaders

Effective human resource management is an integral part educational leadership and educational leadership has always played an instrumental role in assuring and developing the quality of schools and standard of an Institution. In the 21st century the evolving nature of school environment has placed new demands on educational leaders where competency development and knowledge of school management, finance, legal issues and state mandates are primary focus for preparation of school leaders. There prevails a widespread belief that raising standards of leadership and management practices can enhance the quality of the Institution. In this context this article has focused on managerial leadership in the development of effective leaders. It is essential to develop knowledge, attributes, and skills required to lead effectively and adapt to the changing demands of the role. In this context the author has highlighted on the importance of training and developmental procedure for an effective leader based on educational beliefs and integrating the values of a democratic society and has focused on managerial leadership towards the development of leaders.

Preservice Music Teachers’ Classroom Management Beliefs

The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs of preservice music educators regarding classroom management. Our sample consisted of 210 preservice music educators that were identified through National Association of Schools of Music–affiliated institutions. Participants completed a modified version of the Classroom Management Beliefs Survey developed by Kwok. Participants attributed the highest importance to creating a safe environment for all students and building a classroom community of care and respect for others, whereas they considered rearranging seating for desired student interactions and integrating a system of rewards and consequences as least important. There were statistically significant differences between certain categorical variables and participants’ indicated level of importance for aspects of classroom management. The implications of these findings for music teacher educators are also discussed.

STEM Faculty Instructional Beliefs Regarding Assessment, Grading, and Diversity are Linked to Racial Equity Grade Gaps

STEM Faculty Instructional Beliefs Regarding Assessment, Grading, and Diversity are Linked to Racial Equity Grade Gaps

Preschool Teachers’ Role and Beliefs about Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review has examined the various functions assumed by preschool educators in promoting developmentally appropriate practice, the differing beliefs held by preschool teachers concerning it, and the factors that influence the beliefs and perceptions of preschool teachers about it. To carry out this review, a comprehensive search strategy was employed across different databases to identify relevant studies published between 2010 and 2023. The inclusion criteria comprised studies that focused on the role and beliefs of preschool teachers in promoting developmentally appropriate practice. The review includes a total of 14 studies. The results indicate that preschool teachers play different roles in promoting developmentally appropriate practice, such as creating a safe and supportive learning environment, providing diverse learning experiences customised to the specific needs and interests of each child, working in collaboration with families to ensure that children receive the necessary support at home, and advocating for the needs of young children and their families. The beliefs of preschool teachers regarding developmentally appropriate practice are attributed to various factors, including their personal experiences as learners, their training and professional development, the culture of the preschool or school where they work, and the availability of resources and support to implement developmentally appropriate practice. The findings highlight the importance of preschool teachers having a strong comprehension of developmentally appropriate practice and being able to implement it effectively in their classrooms. Moreover, it is crucial to provide preschool teachers with professional development opportunities that can enhance their beliefs about developmentally appropriate practice and help them learn how to implement it effectively.

Preschool Teachers’ Issues and Beliefs in English Language Teaching: A Systematic Review (2012-2022)

<p style="text-align:justify">The introduction of English language teaching (ELT) at the preschool level has been widely discussed by researchers. While most agree with ELT at preschool level, considerable issues are faced in learning a second, third, or foreign language. Therefore, this systematic review discusses the issues preschool teachers face in implementing ELT and their beliefs on how ELT should be applied to young children. Using three renowned databases, namely Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC), 34 articles were extracted out of 85 articles, from 2012 to 2022, with exclusion and inclusion criteria taken into consideration. The findings of this study showcased eight main issues faced by preschool teachers in implementing ELT: English language proficiency, pedagogical skills, teacher perception, curriculum, teaching resources, training, socio-cultural, and classroom environment. In terms of preschool teachers' beliefs about ELT, there are four main issues: Bilingual education, children's characteristics, curriculum alteration, and teachers’ experience. Generally, these findings will guide teachers, responsible authorities, and researchers to acquire an overview of the actual issues that occur in the implementation of ELT in preschools as well as the appropriate measures to overcome them, starting from the preschool teachers' beliefs.</p>

Teaching Statistics for Sustainability across Contexts: Exploring the Knowledge and Beliefs of Teachers

We explore the effect of the design of intentional teaching sequences from the concrete to the abstract in order to promote the teaching of statistics in connection with sustainability. To this end, the pre-validated questionnaires “MTSK-Stochastic Statistics” and “ESD in Statistics Activities” are administered to in-service primary education teachers. Both tools contain the same statistics teaching itinerary, based on the mathematics teaching itineraries approach, that includes five tasks: a real situation, a manipulative, a game, a technological resource, and a graphic resource. Each task includes an overview, objectives, content, required materials, development, and development questions; in addition, the second questionnaire includes connections to sustainability. The results show that tasks with real contexts, manipulative resources, and technological resources are the ones with the lowest scores. These initial findings lead us to conclude that teachers mobilize their knowledge to teach statistics as it relates to sustainability in different ways, depending on the type of task.

TEACHERS’ REPORTED BELIEFS ABOUT TEACHING, KNOWLEDGE, AND STUDENT’S ABILITY: CASE STUDIES OF FOUR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS IN PALEMBANG, SOUTH-SUMATERA, INDONESIA

This study aimed to explore teachers’ beliefs about teaching, knowledge (epistemic beliefs), and student’s ability. This was the first part of the study investigated the role of teachers’ beliefs in the implementation of curriculum reform in the Indonesian education system context. This study looked specifically into three kinds of teachers' beliefs which were essential in the preparation of teaching in the context of policy reform. The investigation was approached through multiple case study methodology by selecting four senior high school teachers from different public schools. Data were gathered from interviews. The result revealed that four participating teachers shared similar views about the nature of knowledge and students’ abilities. Nevertheless, beliefs about teaching were varied among individual participants. Two of the four teacher participants believed in student-centered instructional models, which were categorized into teaching beliefs that supported curriculum reform. Nevertheless, the other two participating teachers’ self-reported beliefs about teaching were situated between student-centered instructional learning and teacher-centered instructional learning models. They seemed to value both instructional learning models. Their teaching beliefs about teaching could not be categorized into beliefs that supported or inhibited the reform.

Students’ socioeconomic status and teacher beliefs about learning as predictors of students’ mathematical competence

The learning context, consisting of the school children’s families, teachers, and peers, has effect on their mathematics learning. The concern of students’ socioeconomic status (SES) affecting negatively their learning outcomes is increasing worldwide. This study investigates whether Finnish elementary school students’ SES affects their mathematical competence and success expectancy on individual and class levels. Additionally, the role of teachers’ beliefs on mathematics learning and class composition on the mathematics competence and success expectancy on the class level is explored. To analyze the nested data from student questionnaires and mathematics tests, and their teachers’ questionnaires, we used multilevel structural equation modelling with two levels (1, individual; 2, class). The results indicate that on the individual level, the gender and SES affect students’ mathematical competence and success expectancy in mathematics. On the class level, the teacher’s evaluations of academic class composition predicted students’ mathematical competence, and the teachers’ constructivist beliefs of mathematics learning and class composition regarding students’ special needs predicted students’ success expectancy. We conclude that students with disadvantaged SES need support on success expectancy to flourish in mathematics. On the class level, this support can be conveyed through teachers’ constructivist pedagogical beliefs.

Soft expulsion: A solution when there are no other options?

In the United States, children in early childhood education settings are expelled at high rates. Teacher beliefs about expulsion have been found to be significant predictors of this practice; however, little is known about how teachers react when expulsion is not an option due to non-expulsion policies. Soft expulsion is the process of implicitly pushing children out of schools despite policies that prevent them from being expelled. This study used an anonymous online self-report measure to examine early childhood teacher and administrator beliefs, sense of support, and practices when faced with children with severely challenging behaviors in non-expulsion settings. Results showed that most teachers and less than half of administrators believed that there are children with challenging behavior who cannot be supported in their classrooms, yet the majority of both groups have had a child with unmanageable behavior in their setting. Regarding soft expulsion practices, approximately one-third of administrators and slightly less teachers have suggested to a family that their school was not a good match for a child without forcing them to leave, while both teachers and administrators reported a belief that sending a child home for challenging behaviors is sometimes needed to convince parents that the behavior is a concern. Most teachers and nearly half of administrators were unaware of their non-expulsion policies. The associations between availability of support and knowledge of non-expulsion policies on soft expulsion practices is also reported. Implications of these beliefs and practices are discussed.

Enrichment, empowerment, and emancipation: Chinese and Latinx immigrant parental investment in U.S. bilingual education

ABSTRACT Immigrant parents have varied yet comparable language ideologies, perspectives, and experiences. In this qualitative case study, 67 immigrant parents were interviewed, 37 Chinese and 30 Latinx, whose children were enrolled in Mandarin–English and Spanish–English bilingual after-school programs at two urban public elementary schools in the U.S. Northeast megalopolis. Critical discourse analysis of the interview transcripts revealed parents’ encompassing beliefs in bilingual education as a sociocultural investment in learning Chinese and Spanish. The study identifies three types of sociocultural investment: enrichment, empowerment, and emancipation. Enrichment is premised on the immigrant parents’ expectations of additive bilingual development in their child’s education. Empowerment is rooted in the immigrant parents’ agentic motivations to instrumentalize their child’s non-English language and provide cultural capital for immediate and transnational contexts. Emancipation emerges from immigrant parents’ experiences of liberation from subtractive bilingualism, limited educational experiences, and negative associations of ethnolinguistic identity institutionalized by the dominant (White) English-speaking society. These findings indicate that the cultures and languages transmitted through immigrant parents’ sociocultural investment in bilingualism are equally transmissible through investment in bilingual education. (176 words)

Q methodology as an integrative approach: bridging quantitative and qualitative insights in a mixed methods study on mathematics teachers' beliefs.

This study explores the beliefs of pre-service mathematics teachers regarding the teaching and learning of mathematics. We employed a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative Likert-scale surveys and Q methodology, an integrative quantitative and qualitative approach. A sample of 33 pre-service teachers participated in the study. Initially, Likert-scale surveys were used to ascertain general trends in belief orientations. Subsequently, the same participants engaged in a Q sort exercise, which allowed for a nuanced exploration of individual belief systems by prioritizing the same survey statements within a forced-choice grid. Qualitative interviews further enriched these findings. Q methodology analysis identified distinct belief profiles, characterized by their prioritization of specific educational practices and the contextual and subjective interpretations that underpin these preferences. The qualitative interviews provided deeper insight into the reasoning behind participants' choices in the Q sort, illustrating the complex, sometimes contradictory nature of personally held beliefs that traditional Likert-scale approaches may obscure. Our results underscore the utility of combining Q methodology with conventional teacher belief survey techniques to achieve a more holistic understanding of pre-service teachers' beliefs. This approach reveals the complexity within individual belief systems and highlights the potential for mixed methods research to refine the measurement and interpretation of psychological constructs in educational settings.

Teacher perspectives on the socio-ecological barriers and enablers to food and nutrition education in primary schools: a scoping review.

Schools are identified as a setting for food and nutrition education (FNE) in childhood. FNE is a key strategy to optimise child growth and development and impart life-long food skills. There is limited synthesis of the literature to understand the socio-ecological determinants of teachers and schools engaging in FNE. For this scoping review, five databases (APA PsycInfo, ERIC, Medline, CINAHL and Scopus) were searched using the terms (and synonyms for) primary school teacher, self-efficacy and food and nutrition. A quality assessment using relevant Johanna Briggs tools was carried out for the included papers. Data were extracted using a modified socio-ecological model, and narrative themes were identified. Primary (elementary) schools in high-income countries. Primary-school teachers. Forty-one papers were included in this review from ten countries (predominantly the USA). The narrative synthesis identified five themes that interact with teacher delivery of FNE. These were (i) perceived food and nutrition responsibilities of teachers, (ii) teacher beliefs and self-efficacy, (iii) opportunities to build teacher nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy, (iv) interpersonal contributors and (v) broader environmental, structural and policy contributors. Multiple strategies are needed to build the capacity of teachers to undertake FNE within primary school settings. These strategies include a focus on learner-centred education that will build teacher agency, school leadership, ensuring the health and well-being of teachers and providing initial teacher education as well as innovative professional development for cross-curriculum integration. Strategies drawing from each level of the socio-ecological framework will increase opportunities for capacity building.

A Qualitative Study on the Impact of Teaching Practicum on Teacher Belief among English Majors in Application-oriented University

A Qualitative Study on the Impact of Teaching Practicum on Teacher Belief among English Majors in Application-oriented University

Australian grades 4 to 6 teachers’ beliefs and practices about teaching writing to low SES students

The current study examined writing beliefs and practices of 187 grades 4 to 6 teachers who taught writing in schools serving predominantly low SES students in Queensland, Australia. These participants completed a mailed survey that assessed their perceptions of preparation to teach writing to low SES students, time spent on writing instruction, frequency of writing instruction, students’ time spent on writing, efficacy beliefs for teaching writing, beliefs about these students’ cognitive attributes for successful writing, beliefs about the suitability of basic writing instruction for low SES students, frequency of teaching basic writing skills and frequency of teaching advanced writing skills. As predicted, these teachers did not feel that they were prepared adequately to teach writing to low SES students. Neither did they consider in-service support sufficient. These teachers spent limited time on teaching writing, with a majority (81 %) spending 1 or 2 h or less teaching writing each week. Most teachers held deficit beliefs about low SES students, considering them lacking cognitive and motivational attributes for successful writing. Most also considered basic writing instruction appropriate for low SES students. As expected, most teachers taught basic writing skills more often than advanced writing skills. The results of multiple regression analyses showed that teachers’ efficacy beliefs predicted frequency of teaching basic and advanced skills and moderated the effects of other teacher beliefs on how often basic writing skills were taught to low SES students.

Self-efficacy beliefs in Spanish pre-service teachers. A microteaching case study using immersive virtual reality

El sentido de autoeficacia del profesorado en formación (PSTs) se estudia cada vez más por su impacto en el desarrollo profesional. Métodos como la microenseñanza han demostrado mejorar la autoeficacia del PSTs. Este estudio examina el impacto de la microenseñanza, grabada con cámaras de realidad virtual inmersiva (iVR), en la autoeficacia del PSTs. Se exploran los niveles de autoeficacia de los PSTs antes y después de la microenseñanza y sus percepciones posteriores. Utilizando un enfoque de método mixto, realizamos un diseño cuasi-experimental de pretest-postest con la Escala de Autoeficacia del Profesor (TSES) y grupos focales. El estudio involucró a 27 PSTs de inglés de un programa de máster en la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. El análisis cuantitativo mostró alta fiabilidad en las tres dimensiones de la TSES: estrategias de instrucción, gestión del aula y compromiso de los estudiantes, con mejoras significativas postest con respecto a las estrategias de enseñanza. El análisis cualitativo destacó la importancia de estas dimensiones junto con el uso innovador de iVR. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que comprender las interacciones que afectan la autoeficacia puede mejorar el diseño de programas de formación docente, promover el crecimiento profesional y la confianza de los futuros educadores.

Educational Beliefs of Special Education Teachers and Principals Working in Short-Term Emergency Shelter On-Site Schools

Educational Beliefs of Special Education Teachers and Principals Working in Short-Term Emergency Shelter On-Site Schools

On Education Issues of Children in Families under the Three-Child Policy

This thesis uses the family systems theory and interviews to analyze the current situation of education in families with three children, focusing on the changes in parenting styles before and after the birth of the third child. It summarizes the issues from the adaptability of family roles, parental educational beliefs, and expectations for children. Finally, it provides suggestions for education in families with three children.

An evidence-based inclusive pedagogical approach in action and its insights for enhancing the professional competence of inclusive education teachers in China

Enhancing professional competence of inclusive education teachers is a crucial measure to promote the development of inclusive education. The Inclusive Pedagogical Approach in Action is an evidence-based framework that has demonstrated effectiveness in various countries, providing comprehensive, practical, and specific advantages for enhancing the professional competence of inclusive education teachers. In this study, the formation backgrounds, theoretical connotations, and practical applications of this framework was systematically analyzed to gain insights into enhancing the professional competence of inclusive education teachers in China. The findings suggested that inclusive education teachers should develop evidence-based thinking, respect students’ diversity, uphold their inclusive education beliefs, foster multi-stakeholder collaboration, and tailor solutions to the local contexts. Implementing these measures is expected to promote the high-quality development of inclusive education in China.

A quasi-experimental evaluation of student academic performances in single sex secondary classrooms

Teacher beliefs and environmental conditions influence student performance outcomes. In this non-equivalent comparison quasi-experimental design study, students enrolled in ten secondary Principles of Agriculture courses assigned to a control or treatment group based upon their sexual identity. Teachers were asked periodically about their expectations of student performances. Over the course of the academic semester, students within the treatment group maintained higher grade point averages and better attendance. Boys from the treatment group maintained a higher percent of non-discipline referrals than boys from the control group. In addition, correlations are made between the teachers’ expectations, and student performance and career aspirations. The researchers recommend that secondary schools consider single-sex classrooms for entry-level agricultural courses and for additional research to be considered to further strengthen the preliminary findings.

테크놀로지융합 체육수업 도입을 위한 교사양성방안 탐구 및 제언

The purpose of this study is to identify the reasons behind the slow adoption of technology in physical education(PE) and to suggest strategies to prepare PE teachers who can integrate technology into PE class. To achieve this, the study utilizes theories from teacher beliefs and decision-making research to analyze these underlying reasons and introduces a new framework called C.O.P.S. The C.O.P.S. framework is developed based on decision-making research and is aimed at facilitating the adoption of technology. In order to effectively promote PE teacher’s technology adoption, an understanding of the fundamental reasons why they may hesitate to embrace technology and the challenges they may face during the adoption process is necessary. The C.O.P.S. framework proposed in this paper can provide crucial guidance and principles for concretely shaping and designing technology adoption plans.