Field Of Teacher Education Research Articles

Positioned as pedagogues, finding their teaching personas: critical, project-based clinical experiences in PDS/school-university contexts

PurposePolicy makers, professional associations and scholars continue to advocate for the integration of enhanced clinical experiences for future teachers’ preparation. These recommendations reflect the growing recognition that few events in preservice teachers’ education are more significant than their experiences in the classrooms of veteran peers. Aware of the fact that the field of teacher education needs examples of effective clinical experiences, the authors examined the “critical, project-based” (CPB) model, employing Photovoice activities in a dropout prevention course in a secondary education partner school at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned objective.Design/methodology/approachAware that the field of teacher education needs examples of effective clinical experiences, the authors examined the CPB model, employing Photovoice activities in a dropout prevention course in a secondary education partner school at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article they detail a practitioner research examination that explores the experiences of 12 preservice middle/high school teachers, reporting on these individuals’ considerations of general pedagogies, writing instruction strategies and teaching personas.FindingsResults suggest that preservice teachers might best identify pedagogical practices that are consistent with their nascent teaching identities via experiences that occur in school-university partnerships in which future teachers are positioned as pedagogues.Originality/valueThis manuscript explores the use of the “CPB” clinical experience model, identifying the impacts of this approach for preparing future teachers.

초등학생의 미디어 사용과 사회성 발달의 종단적 관계가 교사교육에 주는 함의

Objectives In this study, the longitudinal relationship between elementary students' media use and social development was analyzed using data from the 8th to 11th years of the Panel Study on Korean Children and the implications of the research results for teacher education were presented.
 Methods Using longitudinal data for four years from the first to fourth grades of 254 elementary students nationwide, the constructs of media use and social development were measured. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed on the extracted factors, and reliability was analyzed. In order to identify these longitudinal relationships, descriptive statistics by variable, correlation analysis, and autoregressive cross- lagged modeling analysis were performed.
 Results As a result, First, there was an overall negative correlation between elementary students' media use and social development. However, it was statistically significant only in some cases. Second, elementary students' media use was stable over time. Third, the social development of elementary students was also stable over time. Fourth, media use at the previous time point had a negative effect on social development at the next time point, but it was not statistically significant. Fifth, social development at the previous time point was found to have a negative effect on media use at the next time point, but it was not statistically significant either.
 Conclusions Thus, when the relationship between media use and social development was analyzed longitudinally, the continuous influence between the same variables could be confirmed, but the longitudinal influence relationship on each other was not significant. Based on this, the following were suggested. First, since the influence of elementary students' media use and social development on subsequent media use and social development is continuously significant, it is necessary to prepare a teaching method to manage them in a positive direction. Also, it is necessary to strengthen media literacy education in the field of teacher education. Second, a follow-up study was suggested to further clarify the relationship between variables by reducing missing data and securing a larger number of study subjects.

Field Experiences in Special Education Teacher Preparation: A Review of the Literature

Field experiences are often considered by researchers, leading organizations, and accrediting bodies as a critical component of special education teacher preparation. Yet, much remains unknown about the types or numbers of field experiences that will best prepare special education teacher candidates. Given the ongoing changes in the field of teacher education to move toward practice-based approaches and increasing calls for more rigorous research, we aim to update the review conducted by Nagro and deBettencourt, which looked at special education field experiences from 2000 to 2014. Specifically, we conducted a systematic literature review of the research on field experiences including special education teacher candidates that have been published from 2013 to 2020 to examine what is known about participants, field experience duration and settings, field experience instructional approaches and content, field experience activities, and methodologies employed. We discuss findings for special education teacher preparation, including future research directions.

Revisiting the origin of, and reflections on the future of, pedagogical content knowledge

More than 35 years have passed since Shulman introduced the term “pedagogical content knowledge” [PCK] to the field of teacher education. As is the case with any new construct in a field, Shulman's advocacy for PCK in the mid-1980s was almost certainly a reaction to the priorities of the field at that time. A primary goal of this paper is to refresh our collective memories of the origins of and development of PCK as a research domain, with a particular focus on what may have prompted scholars such as Shulman to propose the construct of PCK in 1986. With this historical lens as background, I also seek to consider what might be fruitful future directions in the field's thinking about teaching and teacher knowledge.

Development and validation of a scale to measure the simulation-based learning outcomes in teacher education

IntroductionSimulation-based learning (SBL) is gradually being integrated into the field of teacher education. However, beyond specific content acquisition, comprehensive knowledge of SBL outcomes is limited. This research aimed to systematically develop a scale to measure SBL outcomes in teacher education.MethodsA mixed-methods sequential exploratory design was implemented, to develop the Simulation-based Learning Outcomes in Teacher Education (SLOTE) scale. Data were collected in two phases: a qualitative (N = 518) phase followed by a quantitative (N = 370) phase.ResultsThe qualitative analysis revealed three overarching themes: communication skills, collaborative-learning-related insights, and emotional self-awareness. The scale items were prepared based on key quotes from the qualitative data. To define, quantify, and validate learning outcomes of SBL in teacher education, EFA and CFA were used to test the relationship among 29 items of the scale.DiscussionThe study provides a theoretical conceptualization of SBL’s multifaceted learning outcomes in teacher education. These findings allow for a better understanding of the observers’ role in SBL, suggesting that enacting the simulation is not inherently more emotionally demanding and, consequently, participants in both roles are apt to benefit equally from the experiential learning afforded by the SBL process. Theoretical and practical implications of using SBL in teacher education are discussed.

Language Teachers’ Autonomy in EFL Classroom: A Narrative Inquiry

The study aims to find out practices undertaken by English language teachers for their autonomous development in EFL classrooms. Autonomy has become one of the most problematic and significant issues to be discussed in the field of teacher education in the recent era. This paper deals with the ways to support teachers in their classroom practices, as well as a way of improving professional practices and career development. It is based on qualitative research in general and narrative inquiry in particular. The information is based on four teachers from the community as well as institutional schools. It mainly discusses the perceptions and practices of teachers towards teacher autonomy. From the obtained information, the study found positive feelings of teachers towards employing initiatives taken regarding autonomy, and they note that other stakeholders must encourage the teachers’ efforts for successful implementation. It reveals that most schools have strong and self-empowered human resources but proper encouragement and application parts seem to be weak.

Exploring Turkish EFL pre-service teachers’ perceptions of critical thinking and reading

The process of critical thinking (CT) plays an important role in enhancing English language proficiency levels of learners, especially the reading and writing proficiency levels. Since there are not many studies focusing on the relationship between CT and critical reading (CR), the current study intended to measure Turkish EFL pre-service teachers’ CT disposition levels and CR self-efficacy levels together. 118 students studying at the department of English Language Teaching at a state university participated in the study. 36 of them participated in the semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative data were analyzed through inductive content analysis. Findings of the study demonstrated that the students’ CT disposition and CR self-efficacy levels were found to be at moderate level. Results of the relationship between CT disposition levels and CR self-efficacy levels revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between them. As for the results of the semi-structured interviews, the students were aware of the concept “critical”; however, their CT and reading skills needed to be developed. Results of the study overall indicated that more importance should be given to CT and reading skills in the field of foreign language teacher education.

Rhizo-Creation of Second-Language Teachers’ Capacity for Technological Integration

This article puts to use the work of Deleuze and Guattari to build new knowledge and understanding associated with the circumstantial nature of becoming a technology-capable language teacher through experimentations with/in the agencements of an ongoing research project associated with the design and delivery of a 12-week online graduate course in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). Methodologically, data collection encompassed participants’ assignments, semi-structured interviews, course materials, and researcher’s journal. Moreover, rhizoanalysis was deployed to map change and potentialities in teachers’ becoming. Scholarly contributions to the fields of technology, learning, and teacher education relate to re-theorizing the role and effect of human, expressive, and material elements in teacher education in CALL, as well as developing new methodologies to research micro-level singularities and emergent potentialities for teaching and learning with/in teacher education.

An inquiry on the effectiveness of the teaching internship program based on pre-service teachers’ appraisal

Based on various published scholarly works, teaching internship is an essential component of professional development in the field of teacher education. Additionally, relevant literature have accentuated the importance of students conducting reflective assessments of the internships they participate in so that educational practices can be refined. In this regard, this present study was conducted to examine the implementation of the teaching internship program of the Institute of Education, Arts, and Sciences at City College of Angeles, specifically, students from the Bachelor of Physical Education and Bachelor of Performing Arts programs. Additionally, it assessed the association and direct influence of Institutional (IE) and Company Evaluation (CE) on Program Effectiveness (PE). After obtaining data from 84 pre-service teachers (NMale = 38, NFemale = 46), it was unraveled that the perception of pre-service teachers based on Institutional Evaluation and Company Evaluation are fully implemented. Concerning PE, it was perceived by the pre-service teachers as very effective. Results revealed that the internship program of the Teacher Education department is very effective since it is responsive to the needs of the stakeholders, and at the same time effective in helping students develop the skills needed for their teaching career. Lastly, a significant association and direct influence were observed between IE, CE, and PE. In the following, recommendations and potential next steps for further research related to this topic are discussed.

“Going for Broke”: Working with Teacher Candidates to Bring about Intersectional Socially Just Teaching

Embodying James Baldwin’s call to “go for broke” in the face of the current “dangerous time” and ongoing “determined resistances,” this article argues for an intersectional social justice praxis for preparing and supporting teacher candidates and novice teachers to work with diverse students. We posit a sustained intersectional social justice framework for teaching, coaching, and mentoring that requires reckoning with the foundations of the field of teacher education and working with teachers and teacher candidates.

Practical learning in hybrid environments: Can remote learning be active, authentic, and real?

Online strategies designed to enable practical learning were in use prior to the pandemic. Nevertheless, in response to the rapid shift to online delivery during lockdowns, face-to-face practical learning was often postponed and replaced with traditional transmissive and theory-focused modes. This paper reports undergraduate and postgraduate university students' online learning experiences in New Zealand, where some practical learning approaches were evident particularly in the fields of teacher education, health or medicine, and sciences. Using multiple methods, data stemmed from a national survey followed by individual interviews and focus groups. Findings affirm that practical learning is possible in hybrid contexts, and is no less real than learning on campus. In-home or community-based activities, virtual simulations, online practice, and video-based learning all offer engaging opportunities for practical learning.

РОЗВИТОК ПЕДАГОГІЧНОЇ ОСВІТИ В УКРАЇНІ З СЕРЕДИНИ ХХ СТОЛІТТЯ У ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯХ ВІТЧИЗНЯНИХ НАУКОВЦІВ

The article analyzes the generally accepted periodizations of the development of the historical-pedagogical process of training pedagogical personnel in the period from the middle of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century in the researches of domestic scientists. The dynamics of the development of the theory and practice of education can be traced with the help of a number of periods presented in the history of pedagogy in a large number of variants. As evidenced by the study of scientific sources, in modern historical-pedagogical studies devoted to the development of various pedagogical phenomena, as a rule, certain stages are noted, mostly associated with political and socio-economic reforms in society. The leading criterion for the creation of the first of the generally accepted periodizations of the development of the historical- pedagogical process was the assessment of the development of pedagogy in the USSR through the prism of the peculiarities of the socio- political life of the Ukrainian people and the country. The beginning and end of one or another period in the traditional periodization coincide with the historical dates of turning points for the Ukrainian state. The main drawback of such periodization is the consideration of the historical-pedagogical process not as a specific phenomenon with purely psychological-pedagogical regularities, but as a process directly related to five-year plans, decisions of party congresses and resolutions. Because of that, the periodization of the development of the history of pedagogy as a science built on such foundations cannot be a far-reaching basis for the deployment of this kind of scientific research. In the last twenty years, the interpretation of the process of development of native pedagogy of the 20th century has been significantly revised, clarified and supplemented.Such a result became possible thanks to the serious and productive research work carried out by domestic scientists over the past decades. When substantiating the periodization, they took into account a number of criteria, namely: the dynamics of the development of pedagogical thought; nature of educational reforms; the role and place of teachers in society; the range of activities of the components of education, in particular the study and popularization of promising pedagogical experience, the preparation of teachers for innovations, their implementation in the conditions of educational reforms; use of innovations in education and training. In the process of scientific research, it was established that a number of factors had a decisive influence on the development of the professional status of a teacher in the history of domestic secondary educational institutions: socio-political conditions of life in the country; government policy in the field of secondary school and higher teacher education; measures to increase the prestige of the teaching profession and the teacher's authority in society; peculiarities of scientific and methodical work with teachers in educational institutions; the effectiveness of the teacher's professional training system and the improvement of his qualifications.

Teacher Educator Wellbeing, Stress and Burnout: A Scoping Review

Research reveals that due to the intensifying demands of higher education work environments, academic staff are reporting increased levels of burnout and stress and decreasing wellbeing. Teacher educators are academic staff who are involved with teaching and research in the field of Initial Teacher Education (ITE). This scoping review aimed to draw together research about teacher educator wellbeing, stress and burnout, and to identify where there are gaps in evidence-based knowledge. This study revealed that teacher educator wellbeing, stress and burnout is a relatively new and under-researched area, and that there is a dearth of current evidence-based literature in this field. As a result of this finding, it is recommended that extensive qualitative and quantitative research be conducted to better understand teacher educator wellbeing, stress and burnout. It is hoped that this scoping review will drive innovation and reform in ITE by identifying what is known and unknown in the field, thus informing future research to better support teacher educator wellbeing.

Embracing the Collective: Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching and Teacher Education in the Wake of COVID-19

Ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic highlight structural inequities in our educational systems and force educators to ask prominent questions about the role of school as conditions continue to shift. This paper explores challenges and opportunities for moving forward in the fields of teaching and teacher education. Through presenting a framework of education for liberation, sociocultural learning theory, and fostering cultural assets, the value of live, in-person teaching is highlighted. Embracing this moment in history through honoring the lived experiences of students and striving for more collective approaches to teaching and learning are discussed as future possibilities in education.

The impact of changes in the Unified State Exam in Mathematics on the prospects of higher education

The aim of the article is to analyse a number of short answer questions at the unified state examination (higher level) in. The article explores the possibility of solving these tasks by certain categories of pupils who have chosen mathematics examination of higher level. The following research methods were applied – statistical processing of the results of the Unified State Examination (USE), including the so-called ‟unsuccessful” graduates, dynamic analysis of interdependence between test failure rate and various task types. By "unsuccessful" graduates, the authors mean those examinees who, having scored enough to obtain a certificate of secondary general education, nevertheless did not overcome the threshold of set by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation for admission to subordinate higher educational institutions. The obtained data allows to conclude that lowering the above-mentioned score threshold is impractical, since relaxation in the requirements will open the gate to applicants unable to attain any academic achievement. Even in case of successful course completion graduates will not have sufficient competency to work, for example, in important areas of economy, in the field of high technology and, moreover, in the field of education, where any gaps in mathematical training is fraught with negative consequences. At the same time, there is a huge personnel shortage, especially in the periphery, where teachers’ salary is several times lower than in the capital's schools. The current situation leads to increased staff turnover in the field of teacher education and a catastrophic reduction in Mathematics teachers able to teach this discipline in secondary schools at an advanced level. The article also emphasises the need to change the scale of conversion of primary USE scores into test scores based on the actual results of the 2022 exam in order to eliminate the competitive advantage of graduates of the previous two years, since the results of the USE are valid for three years.

Exploring the characteristics of pre-service EFL teachers’ practicum experiences: a complexity theory-based case study in China

With increasing attention being paid to teacher education, various theoretical perspectives have been adopted to study on how pre-service teachers learn to teach. This study employed complexity theory as conceptual framework and examined two pre-service EFL teachers’ practicum experiences by qualitative case study and identified three core characteristics of their learning-to-teach: complexity, dynamism and self-organization. It is found that pre-service EFL teacher learning, as a complex system, interacted between and among a network of socio-contextual factors and thus influenced and being influenced during the learning process in a non-linear and complex way. This study made empirical and theoretical contributions to the research field of teacher education and provided implications for university-school collaboration-based teacher education practice.

Implications of Teachers’ Personal Practical Knowledge for Teacher Training Programs: A Case Study of Primary Teachers

This study aims to understand teachers’ Personal Practical Knowledge to provide future teacher educators with essential points for improving teacher training programs. The study was conducted with six teachers in the primary education context, using narrative inquiry as a qualitative approach. The semi-structured interview with teachers indicated that they had a rich knowledge of factors affecting the success of the teaching profession. As such, data analysis of teachers’ transcripts using open, axial, and selective coding resulted in five main themes crucial for future teacher educators to consider for developing effective teacher training programs: (1) Entwined and complicated aspects of teaching, (2) Effective communication is key, (3) Ineffectiveness of theoretical versus practical courses, (4) Being ignored by society, and (5) Losing the dream of being perfect. The paper concludes with implications for the theory and practice in the teacher education field.

“There’s So Much That Young People Need to Learn That Only the Community Can Teach Them”: A Conversation With Dr. Arnetha F. Ball

The current moment in schooling and socio-political contexts has prompted many educators to pause and reflect on what it might take to create a “new normal” for educating young people, particularly in underserved, urban communities. This article centers an interview with Dr. Arnetha F. Ball given her expertise in the field of teacher education, specifically with students in urban schools. We draw connections from the dialogue to existing literature related to urban education, Black students, and community engaged teaching and learning with an emphasis on centering Dr. Ball’s contributions to this literature. Based on our insights, this article proposes action-based recommendations for a community-centered approach to teacher preparation for urban schools that synthesize our hopes for more liberatory and transformative practices therein.

Teacher Education Student Attitudes Toward School-Based Field Placements and Traditional University-Delivered Courses

This survey-centered study explores student preferences related to school-based field placements, prime examples of applied learning in that field, and the impact of those practical experiences on student motivation to succeed in classroom-delivered courses, student perception about whether these applied learning placements made traditional coursework more valuable to them, and perception about whether student teaching and similar field placements inspired them more to become effective classroom teachers. The survey was completed by 47 education students nearing the end of their teacher training program at a midsized Midwestern, open-enrollment state university. While it was expected that survey findings would be positive, the extent to which students embraced these applied learning experiences and perceived them to be valuable for learning outside the field placement was more positive than expected. In summary, students strongly sense that field experiences motivate them to do better in traditional courses, help them understand more the need for the content of those courses, and inspire them to work even harder to become effective teachers. While the numeric data from the survey is instructional, actual student comments more powerfully convey their very positive attitudes toward applied learning experiences in the field of teacher education.

Цифровые дидактические игры как средство дистанционной поддержки школьников

In the context of dynamic digitalization of the educational space, the introduction of inclusive education, the task of remote support for educational activities of both gifted students and schoolchildren with disabilities is of high relevance, since it helps to meet special educational needs and resolve difficulties in educational activities. The article presents an overview of some didactic games available for teachers and students on the platforms and services of the Internet and the relevant methodology, as well as a descriptive algorithm for self-development of such games for teachers. The goals, features and advantages of digital didactic games for the elimination of typical subject-­related and psychological difficulties in the educational activities among students of different ages are shown. The work expands the search base of research in the field of teacher education by analyzing the technology of using digital didactic games in the educational process of general and inclusive secondary education. Methodology and research methods. The study relies on general research methods of systematization and generalization, structural and functional analysis of the targeted use of digital didactic games to prevent and eliminate the difficulties experienced by schoolchildren in educational activities. The methodological basis of the research is a system-­activity approach, taking into account the age characteristics of students, as well as the development trends of the modern digital educational environment. Results and scientific novelty. The analysis determined the goals, functional purposes of digital didactic games used in the process of remote support for elementary school students, as well as for the secondary and high school. The author proposed an algorithm and recommendations for the game development and use of some existing templates for creating digital didactic games available to teachers on digital platforms and services on the Internet and suitable for remote elimination of educational difficulties at schoolchildren. Practical significance. The results obtained can be used by teachers of general secondary and inclusive education to implement remote support for schoolchildren at different levels of education.