Differences In Pre-service Teachers Research Articles

Examining the relationship between pre-service mathematics teachers’ mathematical thinking level and attitude towards mathematics courses

Abstract: This study is correlational research and aims to investigate the relationship between preservice mathematics teachers' mathematical thinking levels and attitudes for courses in mathematics. We also examined whether gender, reasons for career choice, and academic achievement lead to significant differences in pre-service teachers' attitudes and mathematical thinking levels. Participants are 109 senior pre-service mathematics teachers from three different state universities that have similar conditions. Participants are selected via convenience sampling. Seventy-nine of the participants are female, and 30 are male. "Attitude scale for courses in mathematics" and "Mathematical Thinking Scale" are used to collect data. Data were analyzed by using SPSS package program. Pre-service teachers are found to have moderate attitudes while their mathematical thinking levels are at a high-level in the sub-domains of higher-order thinking tendency, reasoning, and problem-solving and at a moderate level in the subdomain of mathematical thinking skill. Pre-service teachers' attitudes for courses in mathematics have a significant moderate relationship with higher order thinking tendency, and reasoning and have a significant and weak relationship with problem-solving.

ASSESSING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ RECEPTION AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS VIRTUAL LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS IN LIFE SCIENCES

This research reports the assessment of pre-service teachers’ reception and attitudes towards virtual laboratory experiments in Life Sciences with the aim of advancing adaptability to digital learning. Using sequential mixed-methods in a quasi-experimental design, 68 pre-service teachers in the 3rd year of a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) program were surveyed before and after virtual learning interventions. This phase was followed by qualitative data gathering using focus group interviews with all participants. Findings from quantitative data analysis revealed a positive significant difference in pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards virtual laboratory experiments post learning interventions. From qualitative data pre-service teachers found the progression from using only traditional to including virtual experiments was useful in enhancing their conceptual understandings of Life Sciences concepts, convenience, inquiry-based learning, self-directed and autonomous learning. However, pre-service teachers noted that using virtual laboratories did not significantly develop their science process skills and as a result could not replace the experiences in a traditional biology laboratory. The implications of these findings project virtual laboratories as a supporting tool for experimentation in Life Sciences especially within and post the COVID-19 pandemic where issues of social distancing pose a threat to collaborative and inquiry-based science learning. Recommendations from these findings are discussed herein. Keywords: inquiry-based learning, life sciences, pre-service teachers, virtual laboratory experiments

Pre-service teachers’ peer mentoring experience and its influence on technology proficiency

ABSTRACT This mixed methods study investigated the influence of peer mentoring on pre-service teachers’ proficiency with technology use after completion of an educational technology course. To measure proficiency with technology, a convenience sample of 83 pre-service teachers completed the self reported Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment for 21st Century Learning Instrument. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 of the participants to gain perceptions of the peer mentoring experience and its influence on technology proficiency. Results indicated a statistically significant mean difference in pre-service teachers’ proficiency with technology use prior to and following a peer mentoring experience. Additionally, support, motivation, and pairing were major categories that emerged from responses concerning the peer mentoring experience.

Exploring Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions about Professional Ethics in Teaching: Do Gender, Major, and Academic Achievement Matter?

This study aims to explore whether there is a statistically significant difference in pre-service teachers’ perceptions of professional ethics in teaching according to gender, major and academic achievement. The data was collected from 541 conveniently sampled pre-service teachers from seven different majors and four state universities using a 43-item scale developed by the researchers. The data was analyzed using Linear Regression Analysis in R. The results indicated that gender was a significant predictor of pre-service teachers’ perceptions of professional ethics in teaching, and that females held significantly more ethical perceptions about the teaching profession compared to the males. The results also indicated that pre-service teachers’ majors did not seem to have a significant effect on their ethical perceptions about the teaching profession with the sole exception of classroom teaching. The results further revealed that academic achievement was not a significant predictor of pre-service teachers’ perceptions about their profession. However, when gender was used as a covariate, the analysis indicated that teachers’ majors were a significant predictor of pre-service teachers’ perceptions of professional ethics in teaching. The results further indicated that academic achievement was not a significant predictor of pre-service teachers’ perceptions about their profession even when the pre-service teachers’ gender and major were controlled.

AN EVALUATION ON PRE-SERVICE TEACHER’S INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCY AND COMPUTATIONAL THINKING SKILLS IN TERMS OF DIFFERENT VARIABLES

Eğitim sisteminin önemli unsurları arasında yer alan ve 21. yy becerileri arasında kabul edilen bilgi ve iletişim teknolojileri (BİT) yeterlikleri ve bilgi işlemsel düşünme (BİD) becerileri, gerek öğretmenlerin gerekse öğrencilerin sahip olması gereken beceriler arasında yerini almıştır. Özellikle eğitim sisteminin temel unsuru olan öğretmenlerin bu becerilere sahip olması verilen eğitimin verimliliği ve etkililiği açısından oldukça önemli görülmektedir. Bu ifadeden yola çıkarak, bu çalışmada geleceği inşa edecek öğretmen adaylarımızın BİT yeterlik düzeyleri ve BİD becerilerinin ne durumda olduğu ve aralarında anlamlı bir ilişki olup olmadığı belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Çalışmada ayrıca öğretmen adaylarının BİT yeterlik düzeyleri ve BİD becerileri üzerinde cinsiyet, öğrenim görülen program, bilgisayar donanım bilgisi ve bilgisayar yazılım bilgisi değişkenleri açısından anlamlı bir farklılık olup olmadığı araştırılmıştır. Araştırma örneklemini Trakya Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi’nde öğrenim gören ve tesadüfi örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenmiş olan 365 öğretmen adayı oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak “Öğretmen Adayları İçin Bilgi ve İletişim Teknolojileri Yeterlikleri Ölçeği” ve “Bilgisayarca Düşünme Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Araştırma bulgularına göre öğretmen adaylarının BİT yeterlikleri “yeterli” düzeyde iken, BİD becerilerinin “orta düzey” seviyesinde olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bununla birlikte öğretmen adaylarının BİT yeterlikleri ile BİD becerileri arasındaki ilişkiye bakıldığında pozitif yönde ve zayıf düzeyde bir ilişki olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Araştırmada ayrıca, öğretmen adaylarının BİT yeterlikleri ile cinsiyet değişkeni arasında anlamlı bir ilişki ortaya çıkmazken, BİT yeterlikleri ile öğrenim görülen program, bilgisayar donanım bilgisi ve bilgisayar yazılım bilgisi değişkenleri arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Çalışmada aynı zamanda BİD becerileri ile cinsiyet, öğrenim görülen program, bilgisayar donanım bilgisi ve bilgisayar yazılım bilgisi değişkenleri arasında anlamlı bir ilişkinin olduğu da görülmüştür.

PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ VIEW OF NATURE OF SCIENCE (NOS)

The purpose of the study was to investigate pre-service teachers’ view of nature of science (NOS). A descriptive survey design was used for the study. A convenience sampling technique was used to get the participants. Participants were made up of 231 level 100 pre-service teachers (119 males and 112 females) from five colleges of education in Ghana. All the colleges of education were under the same mentor university. Participants completed the view of nature of science questionnaire (NOSQ) through online learning platforms. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that in general pre-service have no adequate conceptions about nature of science. However, pre-service teachers have informed views of some aspects of nature of science. The results revealed that 56 (24.2%) of pre-service teachers have naive view of NOS. The results also revealed that 89 (38.5%) of pre-service teachers have transitional view of NOS. The results also revealed that 86 (37.2%) of pre-service teachers have informed view of NOS. There was no significant difference in pre-service teachers view of NOS between males (M = 3.76, SD = .389) and females (M = 3.79, SD = .376), t (229) = -.707, p = .48. Therefore, we fail to reject the null hypothesis. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant difference in pre-service teachers’ view of NOS by programme options, [F (2,228) = .783, p = .458.] Article visualizations:

QASEE: A Potential Learning Model to Improve the Critical Thinking Skills of Pre-service Teachers with Different Academic Abilities

<p style="text-align:justify">Research on critical thinking skills has been frequently carried out, but it has not shown maximum results. This problem is exacerbated by the differences in pre-service teachers’ academic abilities. A new learning model that can improve pre-service teachers’ critical thinking skills and reduce the gap in critical thinking skills among the upper, middle, and lower academic ability pre-service teachers is needed. This research aims at exploring the potential of the QASEE learning model on the critical thinking skills of different academic ability. This quasi-experimental research involved 107 pre-service teachers of Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Fatah, Indonesia. The research classes were divided into three classes, namely the QASEE class (experimental class), the RQA class (positive control class), and the conventional class (negative control class). Each class was further divided into upper, middle, and lower academic categories. The data were collected using an essay test supported by a critical thinking skill rubric. The data were analyzed by using ANCOVA and followed by LSD test. The research results show that the QASEE (Questioning, Answering, Sharing, Extending, and Evaluating) learning model can improve and equalize the critical thinking skills of pre-service teachers with various academic levels. Thus, the QASEE learning model can be used as a new reference to improve pre-service teachers’ critical thinking skills, especially the lower academic ability.</p>

영어 억양에 대한 예비 영어교사들의 인식

The purpose of this paper is to investigate pre-service English teachers’ overall cognition about English intonation and teaching it, and to examine whether there is any significant difference in cognition between the group of pre-service English teachers who took an English phonetics and phonology course and the other group not taking it. The results indicated that a large number of pre-service English teachers have positive thinking, knowledge, and beliefs about English intonation, earning a higher mean score of 15 items (above 3.59) of all 20 questionnaire items. It was also shown that the group of pre-service teachers who took English phonetics and phonology course has much knowledge of English intonation than those who did not take it, showing a higher mean score of 16 items. Statistic differences in pre-service teachers’ cognition in English intonation were especially found in 5 items, depending on their taking a course in English phonetics and phonology.

Comparing Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes toward Inclusive Education in Thailand and Japan

Background: Several studies have shown that classroom teachers can strongly influence the implementation and potential success of inclusive education (IE). Therefore, assessing teachers/pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward IE with an objective scale is a key issue for many academic publications. This study compared differences in pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward IE between Thailand and Japan and discussed these differences mainly from the perspective of differences in their educational systems for children with disabilities. Method: This study’s survey utilized a modified version of the Attitude Toward Inclusion Instrument. The study participants were 109 and 221 pre-service teachers who were enrolled in teacher preparation programs in Thailand and Japan, respectively. Result: The basic concepts and ideologies of IE were similarly and widely accepted in both countries. However, Thai pre-service teachers were more likely to strongly perceive that education in special schools would have a negative impact for students with disabilities and that IE would have a positive impact. On the other hand, Japanese pre- service teachers had a more negative perception of the feasibility of IE compared to Thai teachers. Discussion: We attributed this result to the difference in the popularity and credibility of special education in the two countries. Japanese pre-service teachers held a more positive attitude toward special education compared to their Thai counterparts. However, this attitude may have caused Japanese pre-service teachers to become more concerned about IE, which could be a barrier to expanding IE in Japan.

Exploring Canadian and American pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy and knowledge of literacy instruction

ABSTRACT Based on previous work related to pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy for literacy instruction, this study examined their knowledge of literacy instruction and classroom-level contextual factors (i.e. coursework and fieldwork experiences). Pre-service teachers from two distinct contexts (Canada and USA) were given surveys (TSELI and Literacy Instruction Knowledge Scales) at the beginning and end of an elementary literacy methods course. Results indicated a significant difference in pre-service teachers’ total knowledge, and specifically knowledge of reading comprehension instruction from the beginning to the end of the course. As well, there was a relation between pre-service teachers’ knowledge at the end of their course and their literacy-based volunteer experiences. By examining cross-national teacher preparation programmes, we have shed light on pre-service teachers’ literacy knowledge and efficacy beliefs, which may contribute to changes in programmatic curricula.

Enhancing STEM Pre-Service Teachers’ Knowledge

Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) has emphasized STEM education as one of the main components in Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025. However, although there are many initiative and policies produced by the government, the target of 60:40 still has not been achieved. The issue of declining students enrol in Science stream has become major issues to the nation. MOE has stressed in STEM initiative program to refine teacher skills and abilities in teaching Science and Mathematics. Due to that, the ability of Science and Mathematics teachers especially among pre-service teacher was under the spotlight in recent debates and reforms about improving Science and Mathematics lesson. Thus, this study aim to determine the level of pre-service teacher content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge before and after participates in Guided Intervention for Future STEM Teachers (GIFST) Program. This study also intended to identify is that any significant difference of pre-service knowledge before and after joined the program. A total of 91 Science and Mathematics pre-service teacher participated as sample for this study. Based on the result, it was found that there is a significant difference in pre-service teachers’ knowledge before and after participated in the program. It also proved that this program provides positive benefit to Science and Mathematics pre-service teacher especially in content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.

Greek Pre-Service Primary Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs in Science and Mathematics Teaching: Initial Adaptation of the STEBI-B and MTEBI Instruments

<p style="text-align:justify">Contemporary educational reforms, both in the fields of science and mathematics, highlight the importance of pre-service teachers’ preparation with regard to several meaningful standards. However, teachers’ own self-confidence in science and mathematics teaching are likely to influence their efforts. Framed within a growing body of research focusing on pre-service teachers’ efficacy beliefs in science and mathematics teaching, the present study attempts to investigate Greek pre-service primary teachers’ efficacy beliefs in science and mathematics teaching; and further examine whether there is a relationship between the two. Participants comprised 171 pre-service primary teachers, who were in their second (n = 55), third (n = 64) or fourth year (n = 52) of study and the majority were female (n = 148). Pre-service teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument - Form B (STEBI-B) and the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI). Principal component analyses and reliability analyses were performed for both instruments to examine their adaptation into Greek. According to the results, preservice teachers had medium to high scores in the personal efficacy and outcome expectancy scales, for both science and mathematics teaching. Minor differences in pre-service teachers’ scores were detected according to their year of study. Furthermore, pre-service teachers’ efficacy beliefs in science were strongly correlated with their efficacy beliefs in mathematics. In general, although pre-service teachers appeared to be confident and well-prepared to teach science and mathematics in classrooms, more effort is required to put the international education reform standards into practice.</p>

A comparative examination of Canadian and American pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs for literacy instruction

This study explored Canadian and American pre-service elementary teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs for literacy instruction, as well as the contextual factors (i.e., course and field experiences) that contribute to these self-efficacy beliefs. Survey data were collected over a two-year period at the beginning and end of a required elementary literacy methods course that assessed pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy for literacy instruction. A content analysis of the American and Canadian literacy methods course syllabi was also conducted. Paired t test results showed no significant difference in pre-service teachers’ literacy teaching self-efficacy scores from pre-test to post-test; however, there was a significant difference in the pre-service teachers’ literacy efficacy beliefs related to oral reading from the beginning to the end of the course. A weak negative correlation was found between the Canadian pre-service teachers’ total Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy for Literacy Instruction (TSELI; Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2011) scores and their teaching experience specific to literacy instruction, r = − .1, p = .04. There was a positive correlation between Canadian pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy scores related to engagement and differentiated instruction and their volunteer and work experiences. A positive correlation existed between Canadian and American pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy for reading/writing connections and university coursework related to literacy instruction. Implications for literacy teacher educators and recommendations for literacy instruction are discussed.

Teaching What We Know: The Influence of Pre-service EFL Teachers’ Background on L2 Reading Attitudes

Some aspects of Korean English teachers’ background such as the experience as second language readers may have shaped their attitudes toward English reading in less than favorable ways. Therefore, the primary aim of this research was to investigate how Korean EFL teachers’ background variables which include their L2 reading proficiency, access to English books for pleasure reading and their teaching experience relate to affective aspects of their L2 reading attitudes. To address these aims, a two-part L2 reading attitude survey was administered to 29 pre-service Korean EFL teachers. Results were that those with higher L2 reading proficiency are more comfortable reading in English, but there was no difference in comprehension ability and anxiety regarding L2 reading. Thus, it appears some aspects of attitude are more affected by L2 reading proficiency than others. Amount of teaching experience was found not to affect the participants’ levels of comfort or anxiety when reading in English. In accordance with other studies, those who reported having access to English books available to read for pleasure were more comfortable and less anxious about reading in English than those who indicated that they did not. This finding demonstrates that simply having L2 books available can make a difference in pre-service teachers’ L2 reading attitudes.

Attitude profiles explain differences in pre-service teachers' reading behavior and competence beliefs

Teachers' reading attitude is important for affecting their students' reading, yet the prevalence of aliteracy is high among teachers. The present study aims to examine whether there are individual differences in pre-service teachers' reading attitudes (n=253) at the time of enrollment in teacher education in Belgium, and whether these differences explain differences in reading behavior and perceived reading competence. Using Cluster Analysis three attitude profiles were identified. Personally-oriented readers (26.9%) appeared to be the more solitary readers, whereas socially-oriented readers (33.6%) were most willing to interact with others about reading. Both profiles were comparable in reading frequency and self-competence beliefs in reading. The profile low-affect readers (39.5%) seemed the most reluctant and aliterate readers. Overall, this study stresses the importance of acknowledging individual differences in reading attitude when designing teacher education courses that provide teachers with the tools and willingness to foster their fellow teachers' and students' reading enthusiasm.

The Conceptions of Pre-service Kindergarten and Elementary school Teachers on Teaching Science and the Nature of Science

The study sought to reveal the conceptions of pre-service kindergarten and elementary school teachers on teaching science to children and understanding the nature of science. More specifically, the study aimed to investigate the conception of pre-service teachers on the roles of teachers, which teaching methods they are willing to use in the future when practicing teaching, which difficulties they may face when becoming teachers, and the methods they are willing to put into use when children face difficulties in understanding some of the scientific concepts, in addition to investigating their understanding of the nature of science. In hopes of fulfilling these aims, the researchers have developed a questionnaire consisting of both closed- and open-ended questions. Pre-service teachers’ perceptions on the roles of teachers were split into three categories: (1) traditional, (2) constructive, and (3) neutral; their conceptions on understanding the nature of science were split into two categories: (1) traditional and (2) constructive . The study sample consisted of 93 prospective teachers at the University of Petra, majoring in Class Teacher and Kindergarten Teacher. Results have indicated that the study sample had a mixture of constructive and traditional conceptions on teaching science, understanding the nature of science, and the role of teachers. There were no significant differences in pre-service teachers’ conceptions on the variables of major and academic year. Furthermore, more than half of the pre-service teachers believed that they were adequately qualified to teach science to children, and that experimentation, cooperative learning, and play were the most appropriate teaching methods when teaching science to children.

Does students’ interest in a mathematical problem depend on the problem’s connection to reality? An analysis of students’ interest and pre-service teachers’ judgments of students’ interest in problems with and without a connection to reality

Students’ interest in mathematics is important for their learning of mathematics, and the ability to accurately judge students’ motivational orientation is important for mathematics teachers. The aim of this study was to answer the following research questions: (1) Is there a difference in students’ interest in solving problems with and without a connection to reality? (2) Is there a difference in pre-service teachers’ judgments of students’ interest in problems with and without a connection to reality? (3) Can pre-service teachers accurately judge students’ interest in solving problems with and without a connection to reality? To answer these research questions, we administered a questionnaire in which we asked 100 ninth graders about their task-specific interest after they solved problems with and without a connection to reality. We additionally asked 163 pre-service teachers to judge fictitious ninth graders’ interest in solving the same problems. Contrary to our expectations, students’ interest in real-world problems was lower than their interest in problems without a connection to reality when task difficulty was controlled for. Further, our findings indicate an important discrepancy between students’ interest and pre-service teachers’ judgments of students’ interest. Pre-service teachers overrated students’ interest in solving real-world problems, and they underrated students’ interest in solving intra-mathematical problems. Moreover, the accuracy of pre-service teachers’ judgments of students’ interest was low and ranged widely across pre-service teachers. Implications for teacher education and classroom practice are discussed.

‘They might know a lot of things that I don’t know’: investigating differences in preservice teachers’ ideas about contextualizing science instruction in multilingual classrooms

ABSTRACTThis paper describes the results from a qualitative study of 72 preservice teachers’ initial ideas about contextualizing science instruction with language minority students. Participants drew primarily on local ecological and multicultural contexts as resources for contextualizing instruction. However, preservice teachers enrolled in the bilingual certification program articulated more asset-oriented and less stereotypical ideas than those not seeking bilingual certification. Results can inform teacher education programs that aim to prepare graduates for teaching science in multilingual classrooms.

An Investigation of Turkish Pre-Service Teachers’ Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge

The purpose of this study is to investigate pre-service teachers’ technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) in Turkey. By using the “Survey of Pre-service Teachers’ Knowledge of Teaching and Technology” developed by Schmidt et al. (2009), the study sought to determine if significant differences could be found in pre-service teachers’ perceptions of TPACK when examined by gender, age, educational program, year of study, kind of instruction (day or night education) and field experience. Regression analysis was also used to examine if technology knowledge (TK), pedagogical knowledge (PK) and content knowledge (CK) significantly contributed to pre-service teachers’ TPACK development. Participants of this study were 491 elementary pre-service teachers who attended the summer semester at Pamukkale University. The analysis of the collected data found a significant difference in pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the TPACK when examined across gender, program, year of study and field experience, but no significant differences were found regarding age and kind of instruction. Finally, our regression model showed that CK and PK contributed significantly to pre-service teachers’ TPACK development, but TK was not a significant predictor.

Technology acceptance among pre-service teachers: Does gender matter?

<p>This study examined possible gender differences in pre-service teachers’ perceived acceptance of technology in their professional work under the framework of the technology acceptance model (TAM). Based on a sample of pre-service teachers, a series of progressively more stringent measurement invariance tests (configural, metric, and scalar invariances, as well as latent mean difference) were conducted. Practically, the findings revealed that, while the gender groups showed no statistical difference on <em>perceived usefulness</em>, <em>attitudes toward technology</em>, <em>intention to use technology</em>, female pre-service teachers had lower scores on <em>perceived ease of use</em>, suggesting that technology use is more challenging for female pre-service teachers than for their male counterparts. Technically, the findings provided support for full configural and metric invariance, and for partial scalar invariance. Discussions about the findings and their practical implications concerning teacher training are provided. Future research directions are also suggested.</p><p> </p>