In-service Secondary Teachers Research Articles

Game-based Pedagogy in Teacher Training: Results of a Pilot Course

Game-based learning (GBL) and gamification can improve the learning experience of students by making learning more fun, interesting, and motivating. However, integrating games in practice is challenging for many teachers as it requires competences that not necessarily are part of their teaching repertoire. Game-based pedagogy (GBP) refers to the teaching methods and learning processes involved in learning with games. Research stresses the need for adequate professional development and teacher education on GBP. However, there is a lack of empirical knowledge on effective methods to prepare pre-service and in-service teachers for using game-based learning. The aim of our research is to gain insight into the design of effective GBP learning experiences for teachers. The guiding research question was: What design elements of a course on GBL impacted in-service teachers' GBP competences and teaching practice? We investigated this question in the context of a teacher education program in the Fall 2023. We conducted an empirical study in which a course on GBL was designed, implemented, and evaluated in practice. The participants were 16 in-service secondary teachers from different disciplines in secondary education, from which 13 agreed to participate in this study, and three course leaders. We investigated participants’ and course leaders’ experiences, participants’ competences in GBP, the impact on participants’ teaching practice and the way design elements contributed to it. The data consisted of participant reflections, transcripts from participants and course leaders’ interviews and answers to a questionnaire. The data was collected and analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods between January and April 2024. Results reveal that in-service teachers’ improved their competences on GBP and increased their use of GBL in practice. Qualitative data analysis provides insight into the course's design elements and on participants’ learning process. This study contributes to GBP-education by offering a possible design solution and framework for developing effective teacher education.

Examining S-T-E-M Teachers’ Design of Integrated STEM Lesson Plans

AbstractReform efforts in different parts of the world call for the adoption of integrated approaches to STEM education. However, little is known about how teachers work, as members of learning communities, to design STEM teaching material such as lesson plans. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the design of STEM lesson plans by in-service secondary teachers (n = 26) from all S-T-E-M disciplinary backgrounds who participated as members of a learning community in the context of a 7-month professional development program comprised of 13 small-group sessions. STEM lesson plans were analysed based on the key characteristics of a conceptual framework of integrated STEM, and the teachers’ identified interdisciplinary elements were analysed through the boundary objects framework. The qualitative content analysis produced four main findings: (a) divergencies take place at the disciplinary level when teachers design STEM lesson plans; (b) teachers coming from different disciplines have different positioning regarding specific integrated STEM key characteristics; (c) the type and sequence of instructional activities served as a boundary-design practice; (d) the nature of the boundary objects that teachers identify in order to teach integrated STEM differs according to the discipline. The findings of the study shed light on teachers’ understanding and needs at the disciplinary level and call for specially designed STEM professional development programmes that provide explicit opportunities for disciplinary boundary crossings.

Effects of a professional development programme on teachers’ classroom practices in Colombia

ABSTRACT The professional development for teachers is an important component of the quality of education. However, few systems for monitoring and analysing the quality and impact of teacher professional development programmes have been created. In this article, we present the effects on classroom practices of a Colombian professional development programme for in-service secondary mathematics teachers. We compare the teachers’ classroom practices of planning, implementation, and assessment, before and after participating in the programme. We found that the professional development programme shows a statistically significant and positive effect on planning, implementing and assessment practices. These results serve as evidence of teacher training policy in terms of changes in classroom practices.

The impact of online lesson study on students’ achievement in mathematics in China

ABSTRACT Chinese education has been striving to enhance student achievement in mathematics, and one approach that has shown promise is the improvement of teacher preparation. However, the implementation of formalized Lesson Study (LS) in China necessitates the establishment of new and effective structures to facilitate its practice. Additionally, due to the 2019 coronavirus pandemic, distance education has become increasingly prevalent. To investigate the potential benefits of combining LS with online education, the authors conducted an action research study of classroom practices. This mixed-method study aimed to determine whether the use of O-LS (Online Lesson Study) among in-service secondary mathematics teachers would improve student performance in mathematics and to explore the factors that influenced teachers’ pedagogical practice. For the quantitative research component of the study, a sample size of 68 was selected from two intact mixed-ability classes in a secondary school population, with 34 participants in each of the experimental and control groups. This action research study highlights the significance of O-LS in the context of Chinese society and demonstrates the successful integration of online education with LS to improve student achievement in mathematics.

Elements constituting and influencing in-service secondary chemistry teachers’ pedagogical scientific language knowledge

Chemish – the scientific language of chemistry – is crucial for learning chemistry. To help students acquire the competencies to understand and use Chemish, chemistry teachers need to have a sound knowledge of teaching and learning Chemish: Pedagogical Scientific Language Knowledge (PSLK). But still, despite the importance of this knowledge, the question remains what exactly it is. Based on a model for science teachers’ PSLK developed through a systematic review, this study seeks to validate the developed model by interviewing experienced chemistry teachers, filling the model with more detail, and examining further and systematising chemistry teachers’ PSLK. Therefore, semi-structured interviews with 19 German secondary chemistry teachers are conducted. The interviews are analyzed both deductively using the results of the systematic review and inductively following the approach of Grounded Theory. Finally, the elements of PSLK resulting from the systematic review, as they are knowledge of (i) scientific language role models, (ii) the development of the concept before the development of the scientific language, (iii) making scientific terms and language explicit, (iv) providing a discursive classroom, (v) providing multiple resources and representations, (vi) providing scaffolds for scientific language development, (vii) communicating expectations clearly, and (viii) specific methods and tools for teaching and learning the scientific language, could be validated and described in more detail, and even new elements, as they are the knowledge of (ix) the motivation when learning scientific language as well as (x) the knowledge of lesson preparation and follow-up, could be identified and described through the interviews. Furthermore, elements influencing the development of and PSLK itself are characterized. Implications to foster Pedagogical Scientific Language Knowledge during teacher preparation will be given.

Secondary teachers’ geometrical figure apprehension: their ability to construct geometrical proof and to predict students’ difficulties

The present study investigates in-service secondary teachers’ geometrical figure apprehension in relation to their ability to construct geometrical proofs and to predict didactically their students’ difficulties and mistakes. The theoretical framework of analysis is based on Duval’s geometrical figure apprehension which was taught to the teachers as part of an in-service training course in didactics of mathematics, offered by one of the researchers. As part of the course final assessment, a written test consisting of various geometrical tasks was constructed and administered to the sample. Participants’ answers in both solving and interpreting difficulties related to the tasks were analyzed. The results of the study indicate that theories and concepts of didactics of geometry can shed light to various facets of teaching and learning of geometry. A teacher who presents a correct solution at a task does not necessarily identify or understand the possible difficulties faced by students. Discussion concentrates on teaching implications about geometry and geometrical proof.

SECONDARY EDUCATION TEACHERS' VIEWS ON ISSUES RELATED TO WASTEWATER AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

This research investigated the views of secondary education teachers in Greece regarding waste management. A questionnaire was administered to 332 in-service secondary education teachers from various specialties to collect data on their views related to their ability and willingness to implement waste management topics, knowledge of waste management terms, and prioritization of waste management actions. The findings revealed that secondary education teachers expressed a moderate to low level of ability to implement educational activities related to waste management, with a wide distribution of views. They express that they felt more confident in implementing Environmental Education Programs (EEP) related to solid waste management than wastewater management. Teachers showed interest in participating in and organizing environmental programs, particularly for solid waste management. While teachers demonstrated a moderate level of basic knowledge of waste management, their understanding varied across different topics. Some terms were well-known, while others were less familiar. Teachers had a limited understanding of waste management principles and struggled to correctly prioritize waste management actions, with a significant percentage prioritizing recycling over waste minimization. These findings highlight the need for further education and training for secondary education teachers in Greece regarding waste management and environmental education. Improvements are necessary to bridge the gap between teachers' knowledge and understanding of waste management principles. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating waste management topics into teacher education programs and providing ongoing professional development opportunities. This research contributes to the literature by identifying areas for improvement in environmental education practices among secondary education teachers in Greece. The findings provide insights for curriculum development and teacher training programs. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of environmental education initiatives aimed at enhancing teachers' knowledge and understanding of waste management principles.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0015/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

현직 중등 음악교사의 재교육 기관으로서의 교육대학원 음악교육전공에 대한 인식 및 요구 조사

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the perception and demand of in-service secondary music teachers regarding graduate college of education as in-service training institution; and discuss about the curriculum improvement of graduate college of education for in-service training.
 Methods A survey of 139 secondary music teachers nationwide was conducted to find out the awareness and necessity of the current graduate college of education as in-service training institution and its curriculum. In addition, interviews with two music teachers were conducted to find more specific causes and perceptions of the survey results and discuss about the future direction of the institution from the perspective of in-service teachers.
 Results In-service secondary music teachers tended to characterize the functions of the current graduate college of education and music education major as a pre-service teacher training institution rather than for in-servicet teacher training. This indicates that the functions of the graduate college of education are far from the purpose of initial establishment, and suggests the need to further strengthen the functions to enhance the expertise of in-service music teachers. Furthermore, secondary music teachers expected curriculum with high field connectivity, which was mainly related to the development of teaching methods.
 Conclusions First, the music education major of graduate college of education should develop curriculum for in-service training, focusing on the contents that require long-term education. In addition, a completion system that teachers have more autonomous curriculum decision should be provided as well as completion process according to the needs of in-service teachers. Second, curriculum for in-service teacher training should be developed to help teachers understand the rapidly changing needs of society and the latest philosophy and theory. In this way, research on developing high-quality teaching-learning methods and materials should be conducted; so that teachers can be far more accountable for professional development and improving their classrooom.

From Resistance to Resilience: Teachers’ Adaptation Process to Mediating Digital Devices in Pre-COVID-19, during COVID-19, and Post-COVID-19 Classrooms in Nepal

This qualitative study explores the implementation and adoption process of the use of digital devices and tools in teaching and learning before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Using Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory as a framework, the study examines the adoption and adaptation of digital devices by in-service secondary mathematics teachers (n = 62) and the teachers’ perceptions of and preferences for instructional modalities. The findings suggest that, despite the increased reliance on digital devices during the pandemic, there is a lower likelihood of them being used in face-to-face classrooms in developing countries, such as Nepal. The adoption of online learning had not yet reached the adoption stage, even after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, online learning was not widely adopted by teachers in developing countries societies. The study also provides important insights into the challenges of and opportunities provided by using digital devices in post-COVID-19 classrooms, and its implications for policymakers and educators in Nepal.

The Effect of Professional Training on In-service Secondary School Physics 'Teachers' Motivation to Use Problem-Based Learning

Professional training for in-service teachers is at an utmost level to improve their teaching practices. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect of professional training on in-service secondary school physics teachers' motivation to use Problem-Based Learning (PBL). A pre-and posttest quasi-experimental design was used to conduct the study. A two-day professional training on PBL was delivered as an independent variable, while teachers' motivation to use PBL was conceived as the dependent variable. The study involved fifty (50) in-service physics teachers (20 in control and 30 in the experimental group) from 25 secondary schools in four districts of Southwestern Uganda. Data were analyzed with SPSS v.23.0 using descriptive statistics, and paired, and independent samples t-test. The findings indicated a high statistically significant (p<.05) positive change and a greater motivation to use PBL among teachers who received professional training in PBL compared to those who did not receive it. It was recommended that the Government, in conjunction with school administrators, regularly organize similar training and, if possible, for all teachers national wide.

English as a Lingua Franca in the Eyes of Indonesian In-service Teachers: Attitudes and Beliefs

Based on the premise that teachers are at the forefront of global multilingual cultural awareness agencies, the research on their views toward English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) concepts is critical. This study investigated the attitudes and beliefs of 120 in-service secondary teachers toward ELF in Indonesia. It employed a mixed-method design. Research data was collected using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Thematic coding analysis was used to interpret qualitative data. The results indicated teachers' positive changes in attitudes and beliefs in five ELF categories: the presence of multilingual characters and pronunciation model used in the classroom, learning goals, the roles of language and culture, and the language used in the classroom and the assessment. Challenges to welcoming the ELF perspective in classroom practices identified in the study were government policy, parental support, and individual teachers' reflection on the current position of English in the global discourse, primarily since beliefs on the superiority of native English speakers were found to be strong. This study suggests that teachers’ awareness in designing sensitive instructions and materials to welcome lingua cultural varieties would improve the understanding of transpiring changes in the global sociolinguistic landscape. Government intervention is called for to provide cheaper and more accessible materials representing English variations.

Teacher noticing and its growth toward expertise: an expert\u2013novice comparison with pre-service\xa0and in-service secondary mathematics teachers

Although strong references to expertise in different theoretical approaches to teacher noticing have been made in the last decades, empirical knowledge about the development of teacher noticing from novice to expert level is scarce. The present study aims to close this research gap by comparing three different groups of mathematics teachers with different degrees of professional teaching experience—pre-service teachers at the master’s level, early career teachers, and experienced teachers—using data sampled in the frame of the research program from the Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M). Furthermore, the construct of teacher noticing is assessed in a differentiated way by analyzing different noticing facets. Findings confirm that three facets of teacher noticing can be empirically distinguished—perception of important classroom events, their interpretation, and decisions regarding further developments. The results reveal a considerable increase in professional noticing between master’s students and practicing teachers. However, in contrast to other studies, among examples from East Asia, a stagnation or decrease in professional noticing between early career teachers and experienced teachers could be observed. Overall, the study highlights the cultural dependency of expertise development regarding teachers’ noticing.

Place-Based Education and Heritage Education in in-service teacher training: research on teaching practices in secondary schools in Galicia (NW Spain)

This paper analyses what occurs when in-service secondary teachers face a new subject, Landscape and Sustainability. Recently implemented in Galicia (NW Spain), this subject has no strong curricular constrictions. It is opened to diverse contents that can be integrated into Social Sciences. It promotes an environmental, social and critical consciousness. The hypothesis was that teachers may present deficiencies when approaching a subject which, due to its characteristics, requires training extending beyond disciplinary knowledge, thus impeding better performance and a greater degree of learning among pupils. The study was organised in three axes: (a) observation of the teaching and learning process in schools (n = 3); (b) teacher’s conceptions (n = 38) on the subject, its context and their pupils’ learning; and (c) pupils’ reflections (n = 70) derived from their learning process. The objectives were: (1) to elaborate a theoretical substantiation for the subject and, in accordance with it, making a critical analysis of the practices observed; (2) to analyse how teachers conceive the subject; and (3) to analyse the pupils’ reflections regarding the experience and to what extent they acquire social, civic and/or academic skills. The methodology was qualitative, using in the data analysis a quantitative perspective too. The instruments used were the participant observation, interviews, a closed questionnaire and a semi-opened questionnaire. The results are presented in a descriptive-interpretative way, but also quantitative. It can be advanced that teachers designed the subject in line with Place-Based Education and Heritage Education, but the lack of specific training in those theories ends up blurring their holistic approach in the nearby places. Teachers show similar conceptions about the subject and its teaching process. And the majority of students value positively the methodology used in the initiatives and acquire a socio-critical consciousness.

Advancing Public Education in Pakistan Through a Teacher Exchange Program in the United States

This study examined a multi-year teacher exchange program to understand its possible impact on advancing Pakistan’s public education. A major goal of the study was to analyze how educators in the program viewed, interpreted, and could transform the new knowledge and strategies learned in the program into effective practices in their Pakistani educational settings. Data were gathered from open-ended questionnaires and focus groups discussions with 37 in-service secondary teachers who attended a 6-week professional development program in the United States. Participants indicated that low-class size, technological tools, diversity, teacher-student interactions, social and cultural practices, and classroom structures were some of the major differences between the US and Pakistan’s classrooms. Information on differences, similarities, and culturally acceptable adaptations are shared.

Unravelling the holistic nature of ecosystems: biology teachers’ conceptions of ecosystem borders

ABSTRACT Science and environmental educators implicitly presuppose that the ecosystem per se is clearly defined and consider learners’ misunderstandings to be incorrect scientific interpretations of uncontested knowledge content. The present study, however, explores how in-service secondary education Greek biology teachers address the topic of ‘ecosystem delimitation’ under the assumption that the ecosystem is an ill-defined concept. If it is to be considered a scientific (holistic) entity, the ecosystem finds its definitional and accompanying features within the ecological field of systems ecology, which declined after the 1970s under pressures of persisting unsolved puzzles and problems. Our research focuses on the background assumptions fuelling the difficulties that system ecologists encounter in sufficiently determining ecosystem’s borders and anchoring ‘ecosystem’ holism in the empirical world. The results indicate that biology teachers address the topic of ecosystem delimitation from a perspective that apparently differs from the realistic/empirical and instrumental perspectives of system ecologists. Moreover, biology teachers cannot engage with how system ecologists delimit ecosystems and instead resort to their personal experience (e.g. individualist insights) and naïve relational ideas, which along with deficiencies in systems thinking and in Nature of science (NOS) reasoning result in the development of an ‘ecosystem’ version that appears inconsistent with (ecosystem) holism.

In-service Secondary Teachers' Teaching Approaches and Views Towards Integrating Ethnomathematics Approaches into Geometry Teaching

Abstract Geometry teaching and learning ought to mirror and embrace the social diversity found in the geometry learning environment as well as the increasingly connected world. For that reason, ethnomathematics approaches that relate geometry teaching and learning to the learners' cultural experiences and background should be used when teaching geometry. The aim of this study was to find out the teachers' teaching approaches in geometry as well as their views towards the incorporation of ethnomathematics into the geometry teaching. A convergent mixed methods design was used in this study. Focus group discussions and questionnaires were used as data gathering instruments. The sample comprised of 40 in-service mathematics teachers. Findings show that both teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches were used in geometry teaching and learning. The study also revealed that teachers had the opinion that ethnomathematics approaches should be integrated into geometry teaching. The study recommends that teachers should be trained to use ethnomathematics approaches when teaching geometry.

Unravelling the holistic nature of ecosystems: biology teachers’ conceptions of ecosystem balance and self-regulation

ABSTRACTThe present study explores how in-service secondary education Greek biology teachers understand aspects of the concept of ecosystem under the assumption that the ecosystem is an ill-defined concept. If it is to be considered a holistic entity, the ecosystem acquires its definitional features within the ecological field of systems ecology, which was developed during the 1950s and 1960s but declined after the 1970s under the pressures of internal inconsistencies and persisting unsolved puzzles. Because of these problems, the ‘ecosystem’ suffers from serious definitional shortcomings. The present study investigates how in-service secondary education Greek biology teachers address the problem of ecosystem ‘systemness’ and topics that are intrinsically associated with what kind of system the ecosystem is, such as ecosystem balance and self-regulation. Our research compares the background assumptions that lie behind these topics in the field of systems ecology with the analogous assumptions of biology teachers and demonstrates the presence of inconsistencies. Biology teachers do not share with system ecologists the same background assumptions, encounter difficulties in understanding that behind the ecosystem there is something resembling a structure or organisation and hold an individualist/reductionist view of the ecosystem that complies with current (liberal) ideological considerations of wholes.

Using Expectancy Value Theory to Account for Individuals’ Mathematical Justifications

In mathematics education, researchers commonly infer students’ standards of conviction from the justifications that they produce. Specifically, if students justify a mathematical statement with an empirical justification, researchers often infer that example-based justifications provide the students with certainty that a general mathematical statement is true. In this article, we present a theoretical framework for interpreting individuals’ proof-related behavior that challenges the aforementioned interpretations. Adapting constructs from expectancy value theory, we argue that whether an individual will seek a deductive proof or settle for an empirical justification depends on several factors, including the value they place on knowing the veracity of the mathematical statement being considered, the cost in terms of time and effort in searching for a proof, and their perceived likelihood of success of being able to find a proof. We demonstrate that mathematicians consider value, cost, and effort in deciding what statements they will try to prove, so it would not be irrational or unmathematical for students to make the same considerations. We illustrate the explanatory power of our framework by studying the justification behavior of 11 preservice and in-service secondary mathematics teachers in a problem-solving course. Although these individuals frequently justified mathematical statements empirically, these individuals were aware of the limitations of empirical justifications and they usually did not obtain certainty from these justifications. The notions of value, cost, and likelihood of success could explain why they settled for empirical justifications and ceased seeking proofs.

학교 수학과 대학 수학 사이의 연계성에 대한 중등교사의 전문성 분석

The purpose of this study is to analyze perceptions and advanced mathematical knowledge of secondary teachers’ connectivity between secondary and undergraduate algebra. Survey, created based on prior research on teacher perception and advanced knowledge teaching algebra, was administered to 49 in-service secondary mathematics teachers. Analysis of the survey suggests that teachers do not well perceive how contents of undergraduate algebra can be applied to teaching secondary one. Moreover, despite that the participant teachers were experienced in teaching upper secondary mathematics, most of them felt difficulties linking undergraduate algebra to their school curriculums, and their strength was more on procedural calculation than on conceptual understanding of algebra. The study has an implication towards future research that more research is needed to investigate and to enhance secondary teachers’ capacity to connect what they learn in undergraduate with what they teach in school.

Teachers' ICT-related self-efficacy, job resources, and positive emotions: Their structural relations with autonomous motivation and work engagement

Different variables related to information and communication technologies (ICT), such as digital self-efficacy for teaching, perceived institutional support for innovation, ICT positive emotions, and satisfaction with institutional support, are key factors in the teaching-learning process. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the structural relationships of these constructs with teachers' autonomous motivation and work engagement. Data were collected from 350 in-service secondary education teachers through a self-report questionnaire and were analyzed using a two-step Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach. After testing the adequacy of the measurement model, the structural model showed that all ICT-related variables significantly predicted autonomous motivation, with 26% of explained variance. ICT-related variables and autonomous motivation explained 69% of the variance of work engagement. Emotional variables also were predicted by digital self-efficacy and institutional support. Autonomous motivation and emotional variables mediated the effects of digital self-efficacy and support for innovation on work engagement. These results shed light on the critical role of these ICT-related variables for teachers’ work motivation and engagement.