Examine Teacher Candidates Research Articles

Training 21st Century English Language Teachers in Turkish Context: Development of a Technology-Enhanced Measurement Curriculum

A case study that included 26 English Language teacher candidates was designed for developing an evidence-based measurement curriculum in Turkey, examining teacher candidates’ experiences on the newly developed course and taking remedial actions for updating the syllabus if needed. Data was collected using multiple sources: a pre-course survey, weekly discussion board on Edmodo and a post-course survey. Survey data obtained from rating-scale items was analyzed using descriptive statistics and data visualization packages embedded in R. Open-ended survey data and discussion board data were content-analyzed using MaxQDA software. The results revealed that students had limited awareness regarding assessment for learning concept and digital tools that could be used for assessment for learning purposes at the beginning of the course. Course content, in-class activities and projects helped them develop hands-on skills in developing sound language assessments as well as raised their awareness with respect to the importance of computer-based language assessment.

A self-study of an inter-university partnership to integrate technology into instruction

ABSTRACT This study examines an initial attempt of two literacy and educational technology teacher educators to establish an inter-university partnership among 58 teacher candidates learning to integrate educational technology to support literacy instruction by creating an online professional learning community. This study uses self-study as a form of inquiry to examine teacher candidates’ perceptions about the collaborative model and their use of technology integration. Findings focus on teacher educator experiences and teacher candidates’ integrating technology into instructional planning. Teacher educator themes centre on the importance of synchronising planning and devising strategies to garner participation between members of an inter-university partnership. Teacher candidate themes illustrate how empathy for others’ learning can increase technological self-efficacy and strategies when using an online space to share technology integration experiences. This study provides teacher educators with strategies to establish an inter-university partnership aimed at exploring apps to design instruction.

‘I’ve grown so much more confidence in my actual instruction’: examining teacher candidates’ pedagogical knowledge growth in translanguaging

This study examined a group of English as a New Language teacher candidates’ (TCs’) pedagogical knowledge (PK) of translanguaging in a teacher preparation course. We deep-dived into exploring how their translanguaging stance and design knowledge evolved over a course of a semester. Using a participatory research approach, data were collected through the TCs’ weekly assignments, transcripts of final self-assessment videos, and field notes of all the course artifacts. Findings indicated that the TCs’ translanguaging stance and design knowledge grew significantly. By the end of the semester, their translanguaging design knowledge was supported and guided by their stance. The TCs noted their PK of supporting emergent bilingual students expanded and transformed because of their understanding of translanguaging. The findings also showed that co-constructing knowledge with the prof essor and peers contributed a great deal to the TCs’ PK growth. For these reasons, our study confirms that PK is dynamic and that advancing TCs’ pedagogical practices requires teacher educators’ intentional design of classroom activities and responsiveness to the learning process involving TCs. Widening the literature on translanguaging, we affirm that TCs can gradually expand their entire pedagogical repertoires through deepening their knowledge of translanguaging.

Poverty Simulation With Teacher Candidates to Increase Awareness About Poverty

Background: Research suggests that many educators hold inaccurate or incomplete perceptions of poverty leading to stereotyping of students living in poverty. It is important for future teachers to understand more about the complexities of poverty so they can bridge gaps between misconceptions and understanding for their students, families, and school communities. Purpose: This study examined teacher candidates’ preconceived thoughts and changes in perceptions toward poverty based on participation in an experiential learning activity (i.e., a poverty simulation). Methodology/Approach: The participants ( n = 94) were in their final term of a 2-year teacher education program in Ontario, Canada. This mixed-method study used a Community Action Poverty Simulation combined with the quantitative presurvey Undergraduate Perception of Poverty Tracking Survey and qualitative postgroup discussions. Findings/Conclusions: Results indicated that the poverty simulation was an effective tool for disrupting poverty perceptions and myths among teacher candidates and provided insight into further areas to increase understanding. Implications: Based on the findings, poverty simulations are a promising experiential learning process for teacher education programs as a cost-effective, consciousness-raising exercise that can prompt deeper levels of learning for teacher candidates and better prepare them to teach students living in poverty.

Teacher Candidates' Attitudes Towards Emergency Remote Education and Their Evaluations of the Education Process

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of teacher candidates towards emergency remote education and their self-evaluation of using these environments. Design/Methodology/Approach: Survey model was adopted in this study that aimed to examine teacher candidates' perceptions of emergency remote education and their reflections on the emergency remote education process. The present study was conducted by following two steps. The Distance Education Attitudes Scale was first adapted into Turkish, and then both the Distance Education Attitudes Scale and the Distance Education Evaluation Scale were administered to the teacher candidates. Findings: Based on gender, the teacher candidates' attitudes showed no significant in the DRDE dimension while there was a statistically significant difference in the EDE dimension. The teacher candidates' evaluation of the distance education process significantly differed in the LP dimension, but did not in the TI dimension. No significant difference was observed in the emergency remote education attitudes of the students who were exposed to emergency remote education in the first and second years of higher education and who are currently studying their third and fourth years. In a similar vein, there was no difference in terms of their study programs. Highlights: In this study, the emergency remote education attitude scale was adapted to Turkish. In this context, this study will contribute to the literature. It is important for teacher candidates to evaluate themselves in the emergency remote education process as well as determining their emergency remote education attitudes. After the distance education attitude scale was adapted to Turkish, data were collected with the distance education evaluation scale and the situation of the teacher candidates was tried to be determined. As a result of the study, it is important that there is no differentiation in terms of gender, class level or department in situations that require technology literacy skills.

Examining Teacher Candidates’ Pedagogical Practices and Stances Towards Translanguaging and Multimodality in Writing

This study examines pre-service teacher candidates’ (TCs) stances and use of translanguaging and multimodality to support K-12 multilingual learners’ writing. Data were drawn from a course on supporting multilingual learners in a teacher education program in Ontario. Data sources were responses to the Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Language- Inclusive Teaching (PeCK–LIT) Test, and TCs’ unit plans and lesson plans. Analytical codes were derived from the literature on translanguaging: monolingual and translanguaging stance, translanguaging as a scaffold and resource, teacher-directed and student-directed, intentional and spontaneous translanguaging, and supporting monomodality and multimodality. Findings demonstrate the use of translanguaging strategies such as multilingual word walls and online translation tools. However, there were constraints to TCs’ stances, such as allowing translanguaging as a temporary scaffold towards English-only instruction and approaching writing as a discrete rather than multimodal skill. The paper recommends ways TCs can be supported in developing a holistic understanding of translanguaging and multimodality.

Exploring the Effect of Collaborative Learning on Teacher Candidates’ Intentions to Use Web 2.0 Technologies

The purpose of this study was to examine teacher candidates’ pre and post intentions to use web 2.0 technologies for teaching before and after a collaborative learning process. An extended TAM was used in the current study. This study was designed as a one-group pretest-posttest design with 56 teacher candidates. In the experiment process, the instructor taught the design principles and how to use and design instructional materials with selected web 2.0 technologies. Then the teacher candidates worked in small groups to design the instructional materials with web 2.0 technologies. The data collection tool was administered before and after the experiment. Data were analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results indicated that 4 of the 7 hypotheses were supported in the pre-acceptance model while all hypotheses were accepted in the post-acceptance model. The proposed model can be used as an appropriate framework for examining factors influencing teacher candidates’ intentions to use web 2.0 technologies for teaching.

Teacher Candidates’ Self-Determined Motivation to Develop and Implement Self-Regulated Learning Practices

Teaching towards self-regulated learning (SRL) is complex and involves the development of skills and sustained motivation. This study examined teacher candidates’ (TCs’) identification of supports and constraints for their self-determined motivation to develop SRL practices. Findings from one case within a qualitative, longitudinal study of four teacher candidates enrolled in a teacher education program (TEP) focused on SRL in Canada are presented. Supports and constraints for this TC’s self-determined motivation in relation to her development and implementation of self-regulated promoting practices are identified and discussed from the perspective of SRL and self-determination theory. The data analyzed included: a questionnaire, interviews, documents, and in-class observations. The finding reveals detailed descriptive codes and categories for SRL and management practices, as well as codes related to TCs’ motivational constraints and affordances for their development of SRL practices.

Investigation of Teacher Candidates' Nature of Science Beliefs In Terms of Gender, Program, and Class Level

This research aims to examine teacher candidates' nature of science beliefs in terms of certain variables (gender, program, and class level). The participants of the research are 364 teacher candidates studying at the faculty of education of a public university in three programs; science education, elementary mathematics education, computer education, and instructional technology. Convenience sampling was applied and a relational screening model from descriptive research design was used. "Nature of Science Beliefs Scale" developed by Özcan and Turgut (2014) was used as a data collection tool. Subsequently, data analysis was conducted through SPSS statistical software by applying independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA analysis. According to the results of the study, teacher candidates' nature of science beliefs was found on the undecided level. Additionally, female teacher candidates have a higher level than male teacher candidates related to the nature of science beliefs dimensions of tentativeness, observation and inference, scientific method/methods, assumptions and boundaries, socio-cultural embeddedness, and theories and laws, and it was found that this difference was statistically significant. In terms of program variables, only a difference was found in the dimension of scientific method/methods in favor of science teacher candidates. Finally, there was a statistically significant difference in the dimensions of tentativeness and theories and laws in terms of a class-level variable. Consequently, new activities and subjects that can be added to the curriculum are recommended

Examining Teacher Candidates’ Backgrounds, Experiences, and Beliefs as Precursors for Developing Dispositions for Democracy

Background/Context: In this article, we draw on Villegas’s explanations of beliefs as precursors to social justice dispositions and Mills et al.’s Australian research about social justice dispositions as either affirmative or transformative. These conceptual positions assist us in understanding the beliefs that are derived from applicants’ schooling and life experiences. Purpose of Study: The article reports on how 46 candidates applying for an Australian equity-oriented initial teacher education (ITE) program described their backgrounds and beliefs around social justice. The purpose of the research is to understand starting point beliefs in order to design a strongly democratic teacher education program for historically hard-to-staff schools. Setting: Expressions of interest were analyzed from applications to an Australian ITE program designed to prepare teachers for hard-to-staff urban and rural secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. Research Design: This research is a qualitative critical discourse analysis. Our initial activity involved grouping statements using the following five codes: their firsthand, personal backgrounds of disadvantage; their secondhand experience with disadvantage, such as seeing racism from afar or volunteering; their belief statements about equity or social justice; their deficit positions or stereotypes; and their overtly activist statements. Findings/Results: Finding that some of these discourses were much more common than others, we were able to examine applicants’ social justice discourses more deeply. We contend that democratic discourses can be seen on a kind of continuum, with weaker (or thinner) and stronger versions. In general, a weaker version of equity includes generic inclusive beliefs about everyone being equal, whereas a stronger version demonstrates a more complex understanding of social inequities and a commitment to changing systems rather than individuals. Within each category, there were glimpses of weaker and stronger activist experiences and beliefs that we consider precursors to strong social justice or democratic teacher dispositions. Conclusions/Recommendations: Rather than determining selection into the program, the candidates’ social justice statements made in their expressions of interest (EOIs) became starting points to design a program that prepares teachers who are knowledgeable agents of social change. Their statements guided us to understand these starting points in relation to how the candidates narrated their backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs, and enabled us to better explore how social justice is interpreted.

Teacher Candidates' Cyberloafing Behaviors in Terms of Different Variables

This is a descriptive study in the survey model conducted to examine teacher candidates' cyberloafing behaviors in terms of different variables. The study population consists of teacher candidates attending different departments of a state university in the academic year 2017-2018. To create the sample, students from all grade levels in randomly chosen fields of study from different departments of Education Faculty. Research data were collected using the “Scale of Cyberloafing Activities” and the “Personal Information Form”. The data collection tools were delivered from a total of 918 teacher candidates who participated in the study voluntarily. Descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U, and the Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied for data analysis. As a result of the study, it was detected that the teacher candidates' level of cyberloafing in the educational setting was "low," and that they usually accessed social networks and news sites. With regard to gender, it was observed that male teacher candidates, and with regard to departments that Science, Social and Turkish Education students, engaged more in cyberloafing. More than half of the participants defined their internet usage skills on an advanced and expert level, and it was detected that the level of cyberloafing increased as expertise increased. It was determined that the level of cyberloafing increased in conjunction with an increasing frequency of teacher candidates' usage of the internet on their mobile phones during the lesson and increasing grade levels.

Investigation of the Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Philosophical Views on the Nature of Mathematics

Teachers’ views on the nature of maths have a crucial effect on their interactions with children, their choice of method and technique to be used while preparing the curriculum, their decision on the type and frequency of activities to be applied, their behaviors in the classroom, children’s attitudes towards maths and their achievement. With this research, it is aimed to examine teacher candidates’ philosophical views on the nature of maths. The research is in relational scanning model. “The Scale of Philosophical Thoughts on the Nature of Mathematics” was implemented to 141 pre-school teacher candidates studying in 2019-2020, which constitute the sample of the study. As a result of the analysis, it has been found that 52.5% of teacher candidates have an absolutist view, the views of female and male teacher candidates support each other and there is a significant difference between the grade level in they study.

Crossing Borders in Initial Teacher Education: Supporting Translations in the Inner-City Practicum

Research examining teacher candidates’ preparation to teach in high-poverty, urban contexts marked by diversities and inequalities, throughout North America and internationally, is predominantly focused on examining and changing problematic attitudes based in white normativity and privilege. While this is extremely important, there has been a noted absence of research that supports translations of critical ideas from coursework into the practicum experience. In this article we share a case-study of eight teacher candidates supported by a practicum team approach designed to support these translations into the inner-city teaching practicum. The study is designed and analyzed through decolonial, settler-colonial, critical, and Indigenous theories and philosophies. The authors found common deficit perspectives in the practicum site, but that a relational focus across university and school contexts supported the translation of critical ideas into practice. This study recommends a more explicit engagement with settler colonialism and white privilege within both the practicum and coursework.

Language teacher candidates’ SFL development: a sociocultural perspective

Few studies in language teacher education programs provide insight on how knowledge of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) is developed by teacher candidates to support their metalinguistic awareness and preparation to teach language. Building upon the contributions of Johnson and Byrnes, we combined Halliday’s language-based theory of learning with a sociocultural view of the development of an SFL knowledge base for language teaching. Specifically, we examined teacher candidates’ development of SFL as analytical tool of their English language usage to inform and improve their eventual teaching of a language. We analyzed the functional language features that seven language teacher candidates referenced and applied in multiple drafts of SFL-driven text analyses. Our analysis focused on the ways they expressed information, negotiated relationships, and organized their messages. Results revealed four phases characterizing teacher candidates’ development of more “scientific” notions of SFL whereby they (a) interpreted the meaning of text, (b) linked the meaning of text with SFL features, (c) connected SFL features to their functions, and (d) combined SFL features to enhance analysis. Implications are suggested for how language teacher educators might structure the SFL learning experiences of their language teacher candidates.

English

The aim of this study is to determine the non-routine problem solving performances of mathematics teacher candidates. A descriptive survey model was used for this work and it was conducted with 50 teacher candidates studying elementary mathematics teaching in a medium-sized university in Turkey. To determine the non-routine problem solving performance of the teacher candidates, open ended non-routine problems were prepared according to an expert’s opinion. Firstly, the data obtained were examined with a holistic rubric to know the problem solving levels of the teacher candidates and secondly the levels of the teacher candidates for each problem solving step of Polya were evaluated with a two point scale. When the problem solving performances of the teacher candidates were examined in a holistic manner, it was concluded that their performance is low when the difficult level of problem is raised. From the results, it was determined that teacher candidates mostly tended to go through a solution by trying to use arithmetic operations to solve non-routine problems. As a result, it was suggested to examine teacher candidates’ problem solving knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge and to re-evaluate the results of the research with different question types. Key words: Non-routine problem, Mathematics teacher candidates, Mathematics education.

Teaching Severe Weather: Examining Teacher Candidates’ Early Field Experience in a Makerspace Environment

This qualitative study examines first-year teacher candidates early field experience designing and implementing maker workshops for an afterschool program. The maker workshops were offered as part of a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) enrichment club at a local elementary school. The participants engaged in 50 hr of guided design, planning, and facilitation of a weather-focused maker workshop. Findings illuminate the role early teaching experiences (e.g., makerspaces) can play in the early professional development of elementary teacher candidates. This study calls for further investigation regarding maker environments as sites for elementary field experiences for teacher candidates.

"The Event of Place": Teacher Candidates' Experiences of a Northern Practicum

Teacher education programs in Canada—by the nature of their geographic locations and composition of their faculty and students—remain largely urban centric in their values and programs. Yet, teacher education programs are responsible for preparing teachers for rural, remote, and northern teaching experiences. In this study, I explore the experiences of teacher candidates who participated in a northern practicum option developed at a Western Canadian teacher education program. The purpose of this research is to examine teacher candidates’ experiences of the northern practicum option in order to inform our northern practicum option, as well as to contribute to the development of other northern practicum offerings in Canadian teacher education programs. Drawing on place-conscious theorizing, I explore the ways in which the northern practicum experiences have the potential to disrupt settler-colonial narratives, to develop understandings of place-based curriculum and pedagogies, and to support democratic and ethical approaches to education. Keywords: Northern Canada; practicum; teacher education; qualitative research; place-consciousness

Proficiency Perceptions and Attitudes of Pre-Service Teachers on İnformation and Communication Technologies

The aim of this study is to examine teacher candidates’ perceptions of their own proficiency in using information and communication technologies and their attitudes towards information and communication technologies in terms of gender, major, internet usage frequency and computer ownership. The study group consists of 336 teacher candidates, 98 male (29%) and 238 female (71%) senior students, in different departments at Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Education during the 2017-2018 academic year. The “Proficiency Perception Scale for Using Information and Communication Technologies” and “The Attitude Scale for Information and Communication Technologies” developed by different researchers were administered to the candidate teachers. As a result of the findings obtained from the research, there was no significant difference between proficiency levels of the teacher candidates regarding the use of information and communication technologies. Besides, there was not significant difference between the means of attitude towards information and communication technologies in terms of majors and the internet usage frequency, and between the mean proficiency perception scores of using information and communication technologies with regard to gender. It was ascertained that there was a slightly meaningful difference between the attitudes scores for information and communication technologies in favor of males in terms of gender, and as to computer ownership, there was a low level of difference between both attitude and perception scores in favor of computer owners. The findings are discussed within the scope of literature.

Educational Technology and Student Voice: Examining Teacher Candidates' Perceptions

Student Voice is a term that honors the participatory roles that students have when they enter learning spaces like classrooms. Student Voice is the recognition of students’ choice, creativity, and freedom. Seminal educationists—like Dewey and Montessori—centered the purposes of education in the flourishing and valuing of Student Voice. This article examines the relationship between the integration of educational technology and Student Voice. In particular, the article describes and reports on a mixed-methods study of teacher candidates’ (n=63) perceptions of and practices with integrating digital technology and Student Voice. The article has two objectives. The first objective is to examine how teacher candidates construct and define the term Student Voice. The second objective is to describe how teacher candidates integrate digital technology and Student Voice into their lesson plan ideas. The study had three findings. First, the teacher candidates most closely defined and connected Student Voice with creative freedom. Second, although the teacher candidates had learner-centered definitions for Student Voice it was difficult for them to translate their definitions into actual lesson plan ideas that included the integration of educational technology in order for students to create so that their voices could be heard. Third, the student questionnaire data also illustrated how teacher candidates had varied perceptions of the relationship between technology and Student Voice; the candidates were more likely to describe elementary students’ primary use of technology as “using apps or software to practice subject-area skills” or “playing educational games” than any other technology-rich activities. The teacher candidates were disconnected in their perceptions about what Student Voice meant and their proposed pedagogies to enhance Student Voice with digital technologies. To address the disconnection, the article discusses strategies that can guide teacher candidates to integrate educational technology into their lesson plans to allow students to create in order for Student Voice to resonate throughout the classroom community. Keywords: educational technology, learner-centered pedagogies, lesson planning, mixed methodology, student voice

Fostering Classroom Communities through Circling With Teacher Candidates

Classroom circles have been recognized as a valuable pedagogical approach to develop students’ social-emotional learning and to establish a sense of community within a classroom. Until recently, there has been little consideration that teachers, themselves, may benefit from circling experiences. To garner a deeper understanding of circling for teachers, this study examined teacher candidates’ experiences with circling in a teacher education course. Focus groups with former teacher candidates procured three themes: circling creates safe and engaging spaces for learning, productive tensions create opportunities for connection, and, teachers create effective circles with authenticity. The results suggest that circling should be similarly used with educators, in addition to use with students, and could be embedded within current teacher-education programming.