Future Teachers Of Primary Education Research Articles

Light and Color: Art and Science Using an Interdisciplinary Approach in Primary Education Teacher Training

Light and color present complex interactions whose understanding is not always intuitive. Over the past forty years, numerous studies have aimed to identify preconceived notions and the various models employed in schools. Numerous teaching and learning strategies, along with didactic analyses, often fail to consider the multidimensional and interdisciplinary nature of these phenomena. This article presents a teaching experience aimed at training future primary education teachers. The theoretical context of this proposal, designed within the domains of physical and chemical didactics and plastic and visual expression, will be discussed. Instruments consistent with qualitative action research were used. Some results from the analysis of students’ narratives, both in laboratory notebooks and in sessions recorded audiovisually, will be presented.

ENHANCING COMPETENCIES OF FUTURE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION TEACHERS IN QUALITY ASSESSMENT THROUGH INTERDISCIPLINARY INTEGRATION

This article emphasises the significance of interdisciplinary integration in enhancing the competencies of future primary education teachers for comprehensive evaluation of education quality, thereby expanding their capabilities. It outlines methods to help teachers better understand the complex factors influencing educational outcomes.

Enhancing STEAM Education with AR: A Primary Education Teacher Training Study

This research delves into the influence of Augmented Reality (AR) on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education within the domain of primary school teacher training at the university level. The core aim is to augment digital literacy within the primary education framework through inquiry-based teaching methods. This investigation was organized among students enrolled in the Faculty of Education, Comenius University in Bratislava. The empirical research is devoted to the contribution of AR technologies to the enhancement of STEAM education and its implications for future primary education teachers. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, the study facilitated small-group project work among students, complemented by focus groups and interviews to garner comprehensive insights into their experiences and perceptions. The findings of this study illuminate the significant role of AR applications for enriching STEAM education, manifesting in motivation of future teachers and the advancement of specific STEAM competencies. The results indicate the advantage of the integration of AR technologies in educational settings as a tool for supporting digital, technical, and artistic skills among students. The research results are possible to use in the innovation of teacher training primary education study program. An interdisciplinary approach towards STEAM education can help future teachers to navigate and to understand a technologically driven world effectively. Furthermore, the study offers actionable recommendations for practicing primary school educators on the implementation of AR-based pedagogical strategies to enrich the learning experience. By doing so, it aims to bridge the gap between traditional educational methodologies and the demands of contemporary digital literacy, ultimately fostering a more engaging and effective learning environment for future generations. The research results will be implemented into the STEAM oriented subjects into the primary school teacher training at the university level and in the lifelong learning of the in-service primary school teachers from educational practise.

A Socio-Constructivist Perspective on Problem-Solving Approaches in Mathematics: Perceptions of Future Primary Education Teachers

This study investigates the perceptions of future primary education teachers regarding the implementation of a problem-solving teaching approach from a socio-constructivist perspective. Although previous research has shown the benefits of problem-solving in mathematics education, few studies have yet focused on preservice teachers in primary education, particularly within a socio-constructivist framework. Therefore, this study addresses this gap by exploring the effectiveness and challenges of the Building Thinking Classrooms approach developed by Peter Liljedahl. The study was conducted through a case study design involving 36 first-year preservice teachers enrolled in a mathematics didactics course at a public university in Chile. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through surveys, field logs, and classroom observations. The data analysis included descriptive statistics and content analysis to understand the students’ perceptions of problem difficulty, engagement, and the overall approach. The findings reveal that the problem-solving approach was positively perceived by the participants, highlighting its role in fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. However, challenges were identified, particularly regarding group work and the autonomy required in solving problems. Furthermore, the study identified areas in which additional support could enhance the effectiveness of problem-solving approaches. This research underlines the importance of integrating problem-solving approaches into teacher education programmes and highlights the need for future research on the long-term impacts and strategies needed to support autonomy and collaborative learning.

PRACTICAL TRAINING OF FUTURE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS AT PEDAGOGICAL COLLEGES FOR INTEGRATED STUDENT LEARNING

The article analyzes the peculiarities of the practical training of future teachers of primary education in pedagogical colleges for the integrated education of students in the context of a systemic approach. The relevance of the research is due to the implementation of a large number of integrated programs in school practice, which requires a fundamentally different level of training from the teacher, which allows him to freely navigate in new conditions, fully use the opportunities of integrated learning, adapt to pedagogical innovations and quickly respond to modern and prospective processes of social and economic development of society. The content of the concept “practical training of primary education teachers in pedagogical colleges for the integrated education of students” is specified as a systematic and purposeful activity of all subjects of the educational process, which involves the formation of future specialists’ ability to design and conduct integrated classes for primary school students.Based on the analysis of the professional and pedagogical training of future teachers in the countries of Western Europe, it was found that in recent decades, the practical focus of education has taken a leading place in the formation of important practical skills and abilities, which are necessary for future successful work with children.It has been demonstrated that during pedagogical practice, theoretical knowledge is applied, reinforced, and expanded, while the practical skills of future teachers are developed and solidified. Additionally, future educators gain a clear understanding of their actual level of preparedness for integrated student education. Reflective analysis of their professional activity facilitates a transition towards self-awareness and personal growth.

DIGITALIZACIA VYUCOVANIA, DIGITALNE UCEBNICE A DIGITALNE UCEBNE MATERIALY V PRAXI

The subject of the contribution is the identification of the possibilities and limits of incorporating work with digital forms of textbooks in the undergraduate training of future primary education teachers. The aim of the research was to determine the impact of incorporating additional digital teaching materials into the teaching of future primary education teachers in the master's degree on the level of digital competencies of the research sample. Through the analysis of the output data, we confirmed that the manipulation and mastering of work with digital textbooks and digital teaching materials for primary education within the undergraduate training of teacher students has the ability to positively influence the level of their information and data literacy.

Assessing the Opportunities Offered by the Implementation of the Teaching Method Through Thematic Project for Future Teachers in Preschool and Primary Education

The approach to the teaching process is continuously evolving. The main directions of reference are based on the integrated, modern perspective, respectively, of a single discipline, classic. Each of these has distinct benefits. The best framework is probably represented by a fusion of the two. Integrating thematic projects in science teaching at an early stage offers opportunities to develop and capitalize on multiple perspectives from different people’s interpretations and diverse disciplinary approaches to a given problem or situation. An integrated approach to learning enables teachers to implement the school’s core values in a natural and applied way, thereby elevating the learning experience to foster social-emotional strengths and character development. The research focused mainly on establishing the benefits of the future teacher who will be active in young education. Considering this context, research was conducted among second and third-year students from the primary and preschool education pedagogy area. The main findings that must be underlined relate to the future educator’s capacity to implement the new concepts. Even if they were not beneficiaries of the current methods, they can use these successfully and see their benefits.

Developing systems thinking to address climate change

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the presence of systems thinking after an educational proposal on climate sustainability based on reflection and video creation. To evaluate this competency, an evaluation rubric was constructed. Design/methodology/approach This research is a case study with a mixed approach. It was carried out with 82 future teachers of Primary Education, making content analysis of the videos made. For the design of the rubric, a specific review of the literature was conducted. Findings The results showed that trainee teachers can identify, relate and understand interconnected processes, but have difficulties in thinking temporally or in understanding the hidden dimensions of the system. The results reveal how the development of systems thinking in the Climate Change framework is a complex learning process. The rubric created allowed us to systematize the evaluation by making it possible to assess the subskills involved. Originality/value To improve the development of systemic thinking, using real data linked to the consequences of this problem and ICT applications that foster an approximation to future realities is suggested. In addition, conscious and fair decision-making should be promoted on the basis of a transformative education that favors this thinking in interaction with other key competences in sustainability. The innovative rubric allows the evaluation of systemic thinking skills for the study of climate change, conceptualized from the interrelationships of the natural, social and economic dimensions and from its implications for life, on different geographical and temporal levels.

Subject matter knowledge in Primary Education teacher training

INTRODUCTION. The article questions a basic problem of didactics: the relevance of subject matter knowledge as a quality requirement in teacher training. Subject matter knowledge is assumed to be necessary to facilitate student learning and education. Specifically, it is understood as a requirement for teachers to be able to carry out didactic designs and developments that facilitate meaningful learning experiences and strengthen the conceptual structure of students. The objective of the research is to know if future Primary Education teachers and preservice Primary Education teachers have an adequate knowledge of subject matter knowledge. METHOD. To answer the objective, the type and organization of their knowledge is examined through concept maps, evaluating the productions with validated structural and semantic rubrics. RESULTS. The results show that, in general, teachers have a very poor organization of subject matter knowledge, with a weak didactic potential. DISCUSSION. Likewise, the data indicate that there are insignificant differences between the concept maps of teachers in training and those made by practicing teachers, which reflects a similar andcyclical knowledge structure. The conclusions point to the low and limited impact of teacher education programs on pre-service teachers’ acquisition of subject matter knowledge, even though it is understood as a general didactic requirement for teacher education and, for the development of quality teaching.

Digital and Social-Civic Skills in Future Primary Education Teachers: A Study from the Didactics of Social Sciences for the Improvement of Teacher Training in Competences

The use of technology, especially among young people, is providing new possibilities, including in the academic field, and requires teacher training through the development of skills and competences. At this point, Social Science Didactics plays a fundamental role, as it prepares future teachers to teach social knowledge in order to achieve useful and meaningful learning for students and society. Using an online questionnaire, structured with the Likert scale, which had previously been validated and published by Professors Peart, Gutiérrez-Esteban, and Cubo-Delgado, 156 students of the Degree in Primary Education of the subject Didactics of Social Sciences at the University of Granada (Spain) participated (academic year 2023–2024), with the aim of investigating the digital and socio-civic competences of trainee teachers in order to seek ways to improve their training. The results were processed in the IBM SPSS Statistics 25 programme, carrying out a descriptive statistical analysis, considering the mode and the variance ratio. The participating students mainly use digital environments to communicate with acquaintances and, although they know and value a democratic society, they do not exercise their citizenship on the Internet. This makes it even more necessary to train future teachers in digital competences, based on digital and socio-civic skills, as only in this way will they be able to train citizens capable of facing the challenges of the knowledge society.

Самоорганизация будущего педагога начального образования как условие его профессиональной успешности

<p><em>The article proposes to discuss the problem of developing universal competence (in terms of the Federal State Standard of Higher Education), meta–competence, key competence/skill — self-organization among future primary education teachers. Its significance for the teacher’s increasingly complex activity in conditions of constant changes is shown. The insufficiency of conditions for its development in students in the process of vocational education is substantiated. The results of studying the opinions of students — future teachers of primary education on certain aspects of self-organization are presented. It is established that future primary education teachers highly appreciate their level of self-organization development, but the productivity of activity is relatively low. The factors preventing students from being organized are identified — lack of motivation, laziness and doing extra work, as well as conditions conducive to students’ self–organization — training in special self-organization skills and reducing the academic load.</em></p>

Competências digitais dos futuros professores do ensino pré-escolar e do ensino básico: um estudo de comparações múltiplas

Digital competence is an essential element for the initial training of teachers, as it allows them to integrate digital technologies into their teaching practice. Therefore, the purposes of this study were: (1) to know the self-perceived level of future teachers of Primary Education and Early Childhood Education regarding their digital competences; (2) to compare if there are significant differences in the digital competences between the future teachers of both educational stages; and (3) to identify if there are significant differences in the competences of the future teachers between the different academic courses of the educational degree, for each educational degree. To achieve the objectives, a non-experimental ex post facto study was carried out with a sample of 897 students from the Infant and Primary degrees. The results showed that future teachers have a medium-high self-perceived level of digital competence in both educational degrees, finding significant differences between future teachers of Early Childhood Education and Primary Education, being the latter those who obtained higher scores. For future teachers of the Early Childhood Education stage, significant differences were found between the students of the first and fourth year, while for those of Primary Education, differences were found between all the academic courses, except between the third and fourth. These results suggest that initial teacher training should focus on the development of the digital competences of future teachers, with special attention to the first academic courses.

PREPARATION OF FUTURE TEACHERS OF PRIMARY EDUCATION FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF A SAFE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE CONDITIONS OF MARTIAL LAW

Creating a secure educational environment is a crucial factor in shaping a well-rounded individual who feels comfortable, at ease, and engaged in the process of acquiring new knowledge. Providing an appropriate environment for children of primary school age is characterized by supporting their mental and physical health and well-being, responsibility, values, and benevolence. The task of future teachers of primary education is to ensure conditions in the educational environment that prevent manifestations of violence, aggression, bullying, bullying, limitations, etc. Training future primary school teachers to create a safe educational environment under martial law is characterized by the assimilation of knowledge, the formation of skills and abilities to act in emergency situations, respond in time to danger, psychologically adjust children to optimistic motives, inform them about the rules for handling dangerous and suspicious objects, on evacuation and air alert actions. The article highlights the factors affecting the organization of a safe educational environment. It was found that in the conditions of martial law, the future teacher must be aware and ready to act during the «Air alarm» signal, evacuation, staying in a storage or shelter, the use of various types of weapons (chemical, biological), radiation threat, fire, building collapse, detection of explosive objects, and provision of pre-medical and psychological assistance to children. In the author's opinion, the content of professional training of future teachers should include educational disciplines, innovative forms and methods that will help to understand the peculiarities of organizing a safe educational environment, which will allow them to be responsible in their own professional activities in the future. In order to increase the level of readiness to consciously treat the organization of a safe educational environment during the training of future teachers, it is worth holding thematic events, trainings, organizing meetings with emergency services workers, psychologists and medical specialists, etc. The direction of future research is shaped by an examination of the professional preparation of prospective primary education teachers to foster a secure educational environment within the framework of an inclusive educational setting.

A Task-based learning application in Higher Education, for future teachers of primary and preschool education

Task-based learning is a technique often applied in language classes to enhance language acquisition in learners. We show that the same method has several benefits when applied to other subject of learning, having a very formative component by being a student-centered technique. The present study was conducted with high education undergraduate students studying didactics of mathematics, in the program that prepares teachers for primary and kindergarten education. By conducting various tasks, students have perceived the importance of the subject, have constructed applications that can be used in the teaching activity and have discussed which teaching methods are best applied in the topics that are taught in primary and preschool education. The finds show that tasks are enjoyable, well perceived by students, engaged multiple emotions and developed much needed skills for a 21st century teacher. In addition, by working in groups, discussing the best way to conduct tasks, motivation can be boosted and support the learning processes.

A comparison of the effects of different methodologies on the statistics learning profiles of prospective primary education teachers from a gender perspective

Over the last decades, it has been shown that teaching and learning statistics is complex, regardless of the teaching methodology. This research presents the different learning profiles identified in a group of future Primary Education (PE) teachers during the study of the Statistics block depending on the methodology used and gender, where the sample consists of 132 students in the third year of the PE undergraduate degree in the University of the Basque Country (Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, UPV/EHU). To determine the profiles, a cluster analysis technique has been used, where the main variables to determine them are, on the one hand, their statistical competence development and, on the other hand, the evolution of their attitude towards statistics. In order to better understand the nature of the profiles obtained, the type of teaching methodology used to work on the Statistics block has been taken into account. This comparison is based on the fact that the sample is divided into two groups: one has worked with a Project Based Learning (PBL) methodology, while the other has worked with a methodology in which theoretical explanations and typically decontextualized exercises predominate. Among the results obtained, three differentiated profiles are observed, highlighting the proportion of students with an advantageous profile in the group where PBL is included. With regard to gender, the results show that women's attitudes toward statistics evolved more positively than men's after the sessions devoted to statistics in the PBL group.

Problems of Improving the Quality of Training of Future Primary Education Teachers

A key factor in the dynamic development of the economy is the improvement of the staffing process in domestic higher education. In accordance with this, Kazakhstan's higher education faces the task of ensuring the necessary quality and recognition of education at the world level. The article will be devoted to the problem of improving the quality of training of future primary education teachers. The article analyzes the current state of the quality of education in the higher education system based on the study of scientific literature, the experience of the accreditation system for quality assurance in the field of higher education is considered. The main pedagogical factors affecting the quality of students' education are determined. The analysis of the rating of educational programs at the NAAR (independent agency for accreditation and rating) of primary education programs Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University for 2015–2020, 2022 years. The opinions of students of the primary education program related to factors directly affecting the quality of education are analyzed based on the results of the questionnaire. The results of the survey of 3rd-year students of the Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University in the direction of “Primary education programs” clearly showed the attitude of students to the quality of education. It substantiates the need for adequate financial, social and academic support for the teacher and the student, support for students from small groups, provision of consulting services.

Perception of Future Spanish Primary Education Teachers on Their Multicultural and Multilingual Competencies and the Sustainability of the Educational System

The objectives of this article are, first, to assess the self-awareness that future primary school teachers have on their role in integrating international students into school and society; second, to determine the importance they give to multiculturalism and multilingualism to develop the communicative competence of their international students. This work is an extension of previous research, started in 2019, with the overall objective of analyzing the sustainability of education systems regarding their current cultural and linguistic diversity. The research question is whether future primary teachers know both assessed aspects. The main problem lies in the initial training in the national language. Its initial design contemplated a context where all students were native speakers. However, the percentage of students with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds has continued to increase. Therefore, communicative competence is crucial for their academic and social inclusion. Through quantitative methodology, the future primary education teachers participated in a survey that addressed these issues. The results demonstrated that training in this aspect makes them aware of their role as mediators and social agents for inclusion. According to the findings, revising initial teacher training in didactics of the language is crucial.

Indigenous heritage as an educational resource in primary education

ABSTRACT This paper is the result of an inter-university educational innovation project developed between the University of La Laguna (Spain) and the Autonomous University of Baja California (Mexico). Students from both institutions, studying at the equivalent level to become future primary education teachers, analysed the way in which primary school textbooks approach the topic of heritage in the Canary Islands and in Mexico. Flipped classrooms and project-based learning were the main teaching methodologies, culminating in a final assignment: a written report by students. The results enable us to re-evaluate the knowledge transmitted through textbooks in the light of this history, and their facilitation in teaching and learning processes, with attention to their epistemological biases. Several topics were highlighted as core concerns in the use of textbooks for teaching heritage: the need to question the role of the textbook in the teaching process, and the importance of Indigenous heritage when teaching and holistic concept of heritage. In outlining the inter-university teaching project, the article also shows how the analysis of textbooks in both contexts, and their subsequent comparison, has made possible a reformulation of how students of education in the Canary Islands and Mexico are taught to teach history.

Active learning strategies for an effective mathematics teaching and learning

Learning is an active enterprise, where three dimensions stand out, cognitive, social, and physical, and, in addition, not all students learn in the same way. Grounded on these ideas, this article reports a study that aims to understand and characterize the performance of pre-service teachers when experiencing active learning strategies during their mathematics classes. The participants were 48 future teachers of primary education (3-12 years old) that experienced paper folding, a gallery walk, and a math trail as active learning strategies. We followed a qualitative methodology, collecting data though observations, written productions, and photographic records. The analysis involved a qualitative and inductive approach resorting to content analysis. The results of the study show that the participants valued these experiences, due to their potential in the development of a diversity of mathematical concepts and abilities, and throughout them showed traits of cognitive, social, and physical engagement. Active learning provided collaborative work and mathematical communication enabling the emergence of different strategies to solve the proposed tasks. The participants were able to reflect and be aware of their ideas, mistakes, and difficulties, as well as of others, in a non-threatening environment, where movement was highlighted for not being a popular dimension in mathematics classes. Although more research is needed, the results encourage the use of active learning strategies as a valuable approach to teaching and learning.

DIGITAL SECURITY IN EDUCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS: A STUDY BASED ON FUTURE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS

A key aspect of future teacher training in this highly digitalized period of education requires a specific focus on digital skills, especially in the area of security. This study delves into this issue by means of a quantitative, theoretical and systematic review of future teachers currently in training at the Faculty of Education, Economy and Technology of Ceuta of the University of Granada (Spain). The specific intention is to determine their perception of the instruction they receive on digital matters, concretely on cybersecurity during their phase of pre-service. To carry out the project, the study resorted to a descriptive method by submitting the participants to a specifically designed questionnaire entitled “Digital Security Competence Required for Teachers”. Examinations of the psychometric properties of the questionnaire reveal its relevance and reliability. The intention, after applying descriptive and inferential statistics tests, was to determine whether students in pre-service training really feel competent on digital matters or if they feel need more theoretical-practical training, especially in the area of security. The general findings reveal that future female teachers pursuing a university degree in Early Childhood Education, although competent from the techno-pedagogical viewpoint, indicate that attaining a high level of competence in digital security requires more theoretical and practical training. Future male Primary Education teachers, by contrast, perceive themselves as competent in digital security. This perhaps stems from their training (courses and workshops) in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the theoretical and practical instruction they received at the university during courses or during a practicum. This aspect deserves further research because, as highlighted elsewhere, higher education institutions must prioritize instruction on digital security in their teacher programs.