Elementary Teacher Candidates Research Articles

The Analysis of Mathematical Problem-solving Ability of Elementary School Teacher Candidate: Fraction Case

It is important for school students as well as elementary school teacher candidates to master mathematical problem-solving abilities. This study aims to analyze the mathematical problem-solving ability of elementary school teacher candidates on the concept of fractions based on Polya’s steps. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach. The research participants were 12 students of elementary school teacher education program whose problem-solving abilities were assessed based on the topic of fractions for 60 minutes. The results of this study indicated that students were able to understand information related to the questions; (1) determine what had already been known and what was being asked completely. In addition, students were also able to understand the relationship between the information provided. It can therefore be said that students were able to understand the problem. (2) Most students were less able to develop a correct problem-solving plan. (3) Most students completed solutions based on incorrect strategies. (4) Students rarely re-checked the problem-solving. Based on the results of the interviews, they rarely solved the problem-solving questions. Thus, it can be concluded that the level of their mathematical problem-solving ability was still low. Keywords: elementary school teacher candidate, fraction case, mathematical problem solving ability

Getting critical with compelling questions: Shifts in elementary teacher candidates’ curriculum planning from inquiry to critical inquiry

ABSTRACT While recognized as a foundational practice, social studies educators struggle with enacting inquiry-based instruction. With critical inquiries that examine sociopolitical and other injustices, developing aligned compelling questions represents a challenge, particularly for elementary teachers. Informed by four lenses of criticality from social studies scholarship, this design-based mixed methods research follows 28 elementary teacher candidates from two universities and regions as they formulated compelling questions for critical inquiry units together. Data sources included audio transcriptions of group discussions, course assignments, curriculum planning documents, and reflections. Qualitative and quantitative findings show that candidates created more critical questions with the intervention scaffold, suggesting a new criterion for determining open questions: identifying ongoing issues of empirical injustice. Most still struggled with identifying implicated social groups and clarifying relationships of interdependence. Group members’ positional awareness of sociopolitical identities appeared to support more critical collective question design trajectories through understandings of structure, agency, and place relative to the content. Results suggest the importance of scaffolding critical inquiry question development—with special care to support teacher candidates’ sociopolitical consciousness, and consider their and K-12 students’ implicated identities in power systems, situated in specific teaching contexts.

Analyzing Early Feedback: Survey Findings from Elementary Teacher Candidates for AI Comic Development Training Workshop

This research aims to investigateinterest and readiness of prospective elementary school (SD) teachers towards training workshopscomic-based developmentArtificial Intelligence (AI). Through surveysof 104 respondents, data was collected and analyzed to evaluatethe level of interest, obstacles faced, and the urgency of such training.The results show that the majority of respondents (49%) expressed readinessto take part in the workshop, while 48.1% gave the answer "maybewilling". However, 2.9% of respondents showed disagreement withthe workshop. The main obstacle identified was difficulty indrawing characters (76.9%) and writing story scripts (30.8%). Urgency fororganizing such workshops lies in the potential to improveprospective elementary school teachers' skills in using new technology to supportlearning, while creating an innovative and learning environmentrelevant for students in this digital era. Thus, this researchprovides valuable insights for workshop organizers and educatorsin designing training programs that suit the needs and interests of candidateselementary school teachers in developing comics with artificial intelligence technology.

Engaging in Video Clubs: Teacher Candidates’ Visioning of Linguistically Responsive Literacy Instruction

ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and document the complexity of elementary level teacher candidates’ (TC) visions of linguistically responsive literacy instruction while reflecting on and discussing exemplary teachers’ video cases in a semester-long video club. The following questions guided this study: What do TC notice and reflect on while engaging in a language and literacy-focused video club? In what ways does participating in a video club inform TC visions of being linguistically responsive literacy teachers? Findings illustrate that as TC engaged in video clubs with their peers, they noticed and reflected on scaffolded instruction (visual and physical supports), student engagement (providing engaging and socially interactive instruction), the importance of building relationships, and equitable and inclusive resources and classroom organization. The process of individually and collectively observing a video case, writing a reflection on that case then discussing it with others provided numerous and repeated opportunities for TC to identify, consider and reconsider specific literacy practices that support language learners. Each case highlighted ways in which TC revealed the vision they have for themselves as teachers, for students, and for their teaching practice. As TC solicited their past lived experiences and present experiences in response to the video cases, they were subtly shaping their visions of their future teaching.

Elementary Teacher Candidates’ Experiences with and Ideas About Digital Science Notebooks

Elementary Teacher Candidates’ Experiences with and Ideas About Digital Science Notebooks

Affect, bodies, and embodiment of care: Elementary teacher candidates’ affective encounters with care through body maps

This study uses affective perspectives on bodies to explore how elementary teacher candidates (TCs) learn about, practice, and embody care toward justice-oriented goals through their engagement in body-mapping activities. Data sources included the TCs’ body maps and their associated narratives in the context of COVID-19 in online asynchronous courses in the Southeastern U.S. The findings highlight how the TCs’ embodied knowledge informed their understanding and practice of care within and across relational, material, and socio-political contexts. The findings also highlight how body maps helped carve out reflexive, embodied, individual, and collaborative spaces for the TCs. The body maps helped the TCs to make sense of how teachers’ caring work is nested within material and discursive power structures and how such work affects, and is affected, by their bodies. These findings underscore the importance of preparing TCs to understand, negotiate, and resist ever-so-normative affect and bodies involved in care within the classroom and beyond.

An examination of an inquiry-based hybrid online/in-person science methods course

ABSTRACT This study explored elementary teacher candidates’ perceptions of a hybrid (in-person/asynchronous online) science methods course and aimed to uncover how this blended approach could maximise the benefits of each modality. Grounded in the foundations of Dewey’s experiential learning theory with a focus on an inclusive approach to course design, this study employed a qualitative methodology to investigate the experiences of teacher candidates. Data sources from two elementary science methods course sections included focus groups, pre-and post-surveys, and weekly reflections. Emergent themes were analysed to delve deeply into teacher candidates’ perceptions of the course. Affordances of the online and in-person modalities included flexibility (online), hands-on learning, and peer interactions (in-person). Self-discipline and pacing were key challenges of online learning, and in-person challenges were minimal. Teacher candidates shared the value of the hybrid model, highlighting the benefit of blended online and in-person modalities and the various strategies employed to support the hybrid approach for engaging in inquiry-based science. These included consistent and organised formatting, digital science notebooks, taking student and teacher perspectives, and connecting online and in-person course sessions. Recommendations are offered for an accessible hybrid science methods course through the lens of experiential instruction.

Local Wisdom Integration in Islamic Education: Empowering Professionalism of Future Elementary School Educators

This study aims to analyze the religious character and independence of elementary school teacher candidates through Project Based Learning (PjBL) and the effect of the PjBL model on religious character and independence. This research is a combination research (Mixed Methods). The combined method design model used in this research is a sequential exploratory design. The subjects in this study totaled 120 elementary school teacher candidates in semester 6 who were joined in three classes. The first stage is to use a qualitative approach using data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation through project-based learning. Test the validity of the data using triangulation techniques. The data analysis technique for the Miles, Huberman, and Saldana model consists of three stages: data condensation, data display, and conclusions. The next stage is a quantitative study using a quasi-experimental type with a nonequivalent control group design. The sampling technique used was simple random sampling, so two classes were selected as the experimental class and one class as the control class. Data collection techniques using a questionnaire. The data analysis technique uses a statistical test, the Mann Withney-U test. The results of the analysis show that: 1) the project-based learning model can be used to strengthen the religious character and independence of prospective elementary school teachers as an effort to foster professionalism; 2) Project-based learning has a significant effect on the religious character and independence of prospective elementary school teachers with respective significance values of 0.002 and 0.003 meaning less than 0.05; 3) Religious character in terms of gender shows that women have a higher religious character than men; 4) Independence in terms of gender shows that men have higher independence than women

Reflections of COVID-19 on Teacher Education: A Metaphor Study for Distance Education

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, distance education replaced face-to-face education in the 2019-2020 academic year in Turkey. This basic qualitative study was conducted to show the metaphorical perceptions of teacher candidates about synchronous distance university education. In this study, 178 teacher candidates, including 79 secondary mathematics, 49 science, and 50 elementary teacher candidates studying in a public university in the Central Anatolia Region in the 2019-2020 academic year, were selected with the convenience sampling method. The data were collected online due to the pandemic with an online form which includes the phrase “Distance university education is like… because…”. The teacher candidates provided 173 well-structured metaphors about distance education. The content analysis method was used for data analysis. The findings obtained in this study showed that comfort, YouTube, home, incomplete, comfort, holiday, and emptiness metaphors were particularly used. Metaphors used by teacher candidates were collected under 17 different categories as "hardware", "satisfaction", "interaction", "future", "need", "complex", "comfort", "obligation", "motivation", "spiritual", "virtual", "systemic", "responsibility", “accessibility”, “suitability”, “efficiency” and “time”. The content analysis results revealed thatmetaphors differed according to the needs and nature of the departments. It is recommended to create solutions specific to the departments and prefer distance education methods suitable for the lessons.

Multicultural Competence of Elementary Teacher Education Students

Multicultural competence is essential for a country that has diversity, such as Indonesia. At the individual level, multicultural competence helps students appear successful in modern society and achieve personal development to a complete or collective level. People with high multicultural competence can work together to reduce intercultural conflict and build prosperity for all humanity. As elementary teacher candidates, elementary teacher education students are expected to have high multicultural competence. This study aimed to measure the multicultural competence of primary teacher education students. The research method used was a survey by a questionnaire distributed to teacher education students. The data analysis technique used is descriptive statistics. The survey results show that 85 students have very high multicultural competence, 34 students have high multicultural competence, one has medium multicultural competence, and one is very low. Cultural Awareness Competence is 24.57%; understanding of own and others' cultures indicator is 22.52%; Cultural Competence indicator is 24.89%. The Cultural Encounter indicator is 28.02%. It was concluded that elementary teacher education students already have high multicultural competence.

Analysis of Critical Thinking Ability and Understanding of Basic Science Concepts in Primary School Teacher Education Students

Students are not encouraged to develop their thinking skills, and learning in class is only directed at memorizing information. In addition, it is important for Primary School Teacher Education (PGSD) students who will become elementary school teacher candidates to have good critical thinking skills and a good understanding of basic science concepts. This study describes the ability to think critically and understand basic science concepts in PGSD students at PGRI Yogyakarta University. This research is a quantitative descriptive study using survey methods. The population of this study was second- semester PGSD students at PGRI Yogyakarta University. The research sample consisted of 77 second-semester PGSD students. The data analysis technique used in this study was descriptive analysis by measuring and describing the results of critical thinking skills and understanding basic science concepts. The results of this study indicate that the highest percentage of achievement is on the indicator of critical thinking skills, namely providing simple explanations, with a percentage of 75.45% with high criteria, and the indicator of understanding concepts with the highest percentage, namely the indicator of remembering with a percentage of 87.98% with very high criteria.

Measuring Science-Teaching Affect: First Results on the Science Teaching Emotions Scales (Sci-TES)

ABSTRACT Research and national surveys show that deficiencies in elementary science teaching preparation are frustratingly persistent. Understanding positive and negative emotions as they relate to planning and teaching science is relevant for both the well-being of teachers and the quality of their teaching. There needs to be more empirical evidence on how teachers feel about teaching science and how these feelings impact their teaching, partially because research on scales for assessing science-specific emotions has lagged the efforts in other fields. This article presents a pilot study in developing the Science Teaching Emotions Scales (Sci-TES) to address this issue. Sci-TES is based on the Teacher Emotions Scales (TES) and consists of four-item scales for three emotions considered most relevant in teaching: enjoyment, anger, and anxiety. Using data collected from 185 elementary teacher candidates, we tested the Sci-TES for internal validity. The scales proved generally reliable, and confirmatory factor analysis supported internal validity by showing that the three-factor model (enjoyment, anger, and anxiety) was superior to single-factor and two-factor models. As such, the Sci-TES shows promise as a tool to be used in science content or methods courses for teacher candidates.

An exploratory mixed methods study about teacher candidates’ descriptions of children’s confusion, productive struggle, and mistakes in an elementary mathematics methods course

Recognizing and describing children's mathematical thinking in humanizing ways, especially when students engage in confusion, productive struggle, and mistakes, is a complex and challenging process. This paper describes an exploratory, mixed-methods study about how elementary teacher candidates (TCs) describe children's thinking as a right to exercise and to value their humanity when learning mathematics. The study analyzed transcripts from 64 TCs' summative assessments, which consisted of mock parent-teacher conferences (MPTC). Findings suggest that TCs described children's confusion, productive struggle, and mistakes (RotL 1 and 2) as: a teacher's observation, an opportunity for students to correct or clarify their thinking, an opportunity for teachers to adjust instruction or provide support, and as a normal part of the learning process. More importantly, some TCs reassured children that learners have fundamental rights when learning mathematics, especially when feeling confused and claiming a mistake. Implications for research and teacher education are discussed. Keywords: Elementary, teacher education, mathematics, mixed methods, rehumanizing, Torres’ rights of the learner

Supporting STEM graduate students in strengthening their professional identity through an authentic interdisciplinary partnership

PurposeHistorically, graduate education’s goal was to prepare academics; now most science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM) graduate students (GSs) go on to nonacademic careers. STEM GSs must be equipped for success regardless of career aspirations, which can be done by strengthening GSs’ professional identities. This study aims to explore an interdisciplinary partnership designed to strengthen STEM GS professional identity.Design/methodology/approachThe STEM Partnership Project (SPP), asked STEM GSs to serve as disciplinary experts and teach STEM content to elementary teacher candidates (TCs) so the TCs could design and teach an elementary science lesson. GSs also enrolled in a one-credit course to support SPP participation and activities. Over five semesters, the authors collected data from 28 STEM GSs across different disciplines and degree programs in the form of course assignments, surveys and interviews.FindingsThe SPP supported the development of a professional identity by having GSs serve as and feel like experts; increasing GSs’ sense of belonging in their field; increasing GSs’ self-confidence that they could (learn to) teach a wide variety of audiences; and raising GSs’ awareness of their ability to serve others via their field.Originality/valueThe SPP’s outcomes were consistent across STEM disciplines, did not require GSs to take on large amounts of coursework, nor did it cost much beyond materials for the various lessons. Furthermore, the key components that strengthened GSs’ professional identities could be adapted for different contexts and institutions.

Diffractively Thinking about Teacher Identity in Body Mapping as Performance, Intersectional Positionality, and Material-Discursive Enactment

Teacher identity is integral for teachers' professional growth and shapes how they address persistent educational disparities and inequities. Teachers' embodied relationships with self, others, and the world play a vital role in the ways teachers (co-)construct and (re)negotiate their identities as professionals. Still, little is known about how the relations among teachers' bodies, material, and power may affect teacher identity. This study adopted a diffractive methodology to examine how elementary teacher candidates' (TCs) engagement in body maps—that is, arts-informed tools and processes of (re)presenting one's lived experiences and identities—may contribute to their embodied aspects of identity work. A diffractive methodology also enabled the researcher to draw on three theoretical perspectives on teacher identity (i.e., post-structural, critical race, and new material) and use the data to think with theory. Data sources included one TC's presentation of her body mapping, its associated narratives, and two responses from her peers. These data were collected in an online asynchronous course in the Southeastern U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings highlight how one focal TC's embodied experiences, her interactions with two peers, and material practices affected the three TCs' identity work in an online discussion space in performative, intersectional, and material-discursive ways. Diffractive methodological approaches can benefit teachers' continuous professional learning and development and can open new methodological perspectives in analyzing teacher identities at the intersection of discourses, bodies, and materials.

Prospective Teachers Knowledge About the Air Pollutant Standard Index and Fire Disaster Mitigation

The knowledge of prospective elementary school teachers about knowledge of the Air Pollutant Standard Index (ISPU) and forest and land fire disaster mitigation is essential. This study aimed to analyze knowledge of the air pollutant standard index and forest and land fire disaster mitigation of prospective elementary school teachers. The approach in this research is to use quantitative survey research. The population is elementary school teacher candidates, with a total of 3000 and 336 research samples. The variables of this study are the knowledge of elementary school teacher candidates. Research instrument used is a test question instrument made with Google Forms and distributed through social media platforms in the form of What Apps. Analysis of research data using descriptive quantitative. The results showed that the knowledge classification of prospective elementary school teachers regarding the standard index of air pollution and forest fire disaster mitigation based on the geographical location of the origin of the university or college consisted of two categories, namely the excellent category and the moderate category. The conclusions from the study show that knowledge of the standard index of air pollution and disaster mitigation of forest and land fires for elementary school teacher candidates in Riau Province, Indonesia is in the medium category.

Analisis Pemahaman Konsep dan Implementasi Keterampilan Dasar Mengajar Mahasiswa PGSD

This study aims to analyze and describe the basic teaching skills of elementary school teacher candidates when carrying out teaching practice activities in microteaching courses. Instruments in this research include; questionnaire, work reports, and documentation. The research subjects were 74 people of 5th-semester PGSD students at Bhayangkara University, Jakarta Raya. The results showed that the conceptual understanding indicator of PGSD students obtained high categori (72.07%). Meanwhile, for each concept of basic teaching skills average was 81.08% sorted into a very high category. Students are split into some groups according to basic skills and implement these skills in microteaching activities. The results of observing the implementation of basic teaching skills analyzed for each skill obtained the skill of opening and closing by 69% of students going well. Explanation skills (75%), variations skills (66%), questioning skills (74%), reinforcement skills (63%), and small group and individual teaching skills 71% sorted into the good category. Meanwhile, the skills of managing a class (50%) and guiding small group discussions (53%) were sorted into the fairly good category. In conclusion, with an average gain of 65.13%, the basic teaching skills can be implemented properly sorted in the good category.

Analysis of Mathematics Teacher Candidates' Metacognitive Regulation Skills in the Context of Problem Posing Activity

This study aims to examine the metacognitive regulation skills of elementary mathematics teacher (EMT) candidates during the problem-posing process. The case study method, a qualitative data approach, was used in the study. The participants were five EMT candidates studying in the 2nd year of a state university's Elementary Mathematics Teaching program. The study data were collected by a semi-structured problem-posing activity called "House Problem" created by Getzels and Jackson (1962) and organized by Leung in 1993. The problems posed by teacher candidates were completed, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. The data obtained were analyzed according to the researchers' theoretical framework for metacognitive regulation skills (prediction, planning, monitoring, and evaluation). Regarding the metacognitive regulation skills exhibited by EMT candidates in problem-posing situations, it has been concluded that their prediction and monitoring skills are higher than their planning and evaluation skills. Many studies in the literature examine metacognitive skills in the problem-solving process, but the studies focusing on metacognitive skills in the problem-posing process are rare. For this reason, it is thought that the studies focusing on the metacognitive skills of students and teachers in the problem-posing process will contribute to the field.

Analysis of Character Education Values on the Learning Achievement of Elementary School Teacher Candidates

An elementary school teacher should have good character first to be able to educate the character of his students. The education curriculum for prospective Indonesian elementary school teachers in Indonesia should include character education in order to produce character-educated graduates. The Association of Lecturers of Education for prospective Indonesian Elementary School Teachers has formulated learning outcomes according to the current curriculum. It is necessary to evaluate the formulation of Learning Outcomes adopted by all prospective Indonesian Elementary School Teacher Education study programs. The purpose of this study is to reveal the content of character values ​​in the formulation of learning outcomes for Indonesian elementary school teacher candidates in Indonesia, their suitability with the cognitive approach in character education, and suitability with the socio-cognitive approach in character education. This research is a content analysis research with a qualitative approach through four stages, namely data acquisition, data reduction, inference, and data analysis. The object of this research is the educational learning achievement formula book for prospective Indonesian elementary school teachers published in 2015. The unit of analysis is the character values contained in the educational learning achievement formula book for prospective Indonesian elementary school teachers. The results showed that there were 11 values ​​out of a total of 16 target values ​​in character building at the tertiary level, namely obedience to worship, responsibility, discipline, work ethic, independence, synergy, justice, critical, creative and innovative, compassion and concern, and nationalism, apart from that the formulation of learning outcomes is also in accordance with the cognitive approach in character education which has been listed on the general skills aspect which corresponds to Level 6 of moral development (Kohlberg's cognitive approach), besides that the formulation of learning achievements is in accordance with the approach socio-cognitive in character education has been listed on the affective aspect.

Developing culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy through engaged, asset-based teacher preparation

ABSTRACT Student teaching offers a potentially rich yet underutilized space for teacher educators to support elementary teacher candidates (TCs) in developing dispositions and practices consistent with culturally responsive teaching (CRT). In this study, we found that a cohort of TCs who engaged in a hands-on anti-bias family/community engagement module during student teaching experienced significant growth in self-efficacy for CRT compared with earlier cohorts who did not complete the module. Differences in growth were associated with teacher preferences such as the SES and racial make-up of the schools in which TCs wanted to teach, rather than identity characteristics such as the TCs’ race, SES, or college GPA. This work has implications for how programs that are considering hands-on anti-bias work in conjunction with student teaching might implement, differentiate, and enhance such curricula. It also has implications for future research to understand TCs’ preferences.