In-service Teacher Education Programs Research Articles

Implementing tasks in young learners’ language classrooms: A collaborative teacher education initiative through task evaluation

Despite empirical evidence in support of the effectiveness of using tasks in young learners’ classrooms, task implementation has been repeatedly reported as a thorny problem. An essential but under-researched issue is how in-service teacher education programme can be conducted to facilitate teachers’ implementing tasks in their classrooms. This practitioner research article reports on a researcher and teacher educator’s action research study in which she worked with Lucille (pseudonym), a novice English language teacher, to design and implement two repeated task-based language teaching (TBLT) lessons for Grade 2 students at a Chinese primary school. During a six-week teacher education program consisting of two cycles of TBLT lesson planning, implementation, evaluation, and reflection, the teacher educator provided continuous support to guide and scaffold Lucille’s reflective endeavours at crafting TBLT practices in her classrooms. The teacher educator also conducted student-based, response-based, learning-based, and community-based task evaluations to facilitate the teacher’s reflective practices. The study illustrates how an in-service teacher education program, fuelled by on-going professional support and empirical evaluation, facilitated a practitioner’s task implementation in young learners’ foreign language classrooms.

Kindergarten teachers’ knowledge level of developmentally appropriate practice in Jordan

ABSTRACT The researchers conducting this study explored kindergarten teachers’ knowledge level of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) in early years settings in Jordan. Data were collected from 180 kindergarten teachers working in Amman Governorate. A 37-item questionnaire was designed to reflect the concepts of DAP as presented in the National Association for the Education of Young Children guidelines. Results indicated that participating kindergarten teachers reported high knowledge level of DAP. Moreover, the results revealed statistically significant differences among kindergarten teachers based on some study variables; kindergarten teachers with specialisation related to early childhood education and with high academic qualification demonstrated a higher level of DAP than their counterparts without. Implications are also offered: they include developing early childhood teacher education programmes to emphasise DAP in pre-and in-service teacher education programmes.

What mathematics knowledge for teaching is used by a Grade 2 teacher when teaching counting

Background: The study on which this article is based investigated the Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (MKfT) that a well experienced Grade 2 teacher utilized when teaching counting.Aim: In this paper we share excerpts from one of the lessons of this Grade 2 teacher, which we analyzed to illuminate the various domains of MKfT and their interconnectedness in the teaching of counting.Setting: The research was conducted in a former Model C school in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.Method: Using a case study methodology, 15 Grade 2 mathematics lessons were observed, video recorded and transcribed. Two formal interviews based on two selected video-recorded lessons were conducted to understand this teacher’s practice. The data were analysed using Deborah Ball and colleagues’ MKfT framework.Results: The study found that Foundation Phase mathematics teaching requires the knowledge and tactful employment of all six knowledge domains as described in the work of Ball and colleagues. The Knowledge of Content and Teaching (KCT) domain, was found to be essential in teaching counting in Grade 2. The other five domains supported and informed the KCT domain.Conclusion: We suggest from the insights gained here that research examining the MKfT that competent teachers draw on in teaching Foundation Phase mathematics could assist in developing curricula for in-service and pre-service teacher education programs.

‘They are visually impaired, not blind … teach them!’: Grade R in-service teachers’ knowledge of teaching pre-reading skills to visually impaired learners

Background: Teaching reading skills is the cornerstone of all learning; therefore, teachers’ adherence to this mandate is important. However, it becomes complicated and challenging if the teacher has to teach pre-reading skills to Grade R learners with visual impairments. In light of this challenge, researchers have endeavoured to determine the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) that teachers should possess for the effective teaching of reading in classrooms with visually impaired learners.Aim: This article explores a small sample of in-service teachers’ knowledge of using Braille to teach pre-reading skills to Grade R learners with visual impairments.Setting: The study was conducted in a School for the Blind in Maseru, Lesotho, where three Grade R in-service teachers teaching learners with visual impairments were purposively sampled.Methods: This study is underpinned by Koehler and Mishra’s theory of TPACK. An interpretivist, qualitative small-scale case study approach was employed, using semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. Document analysis was also used to corroborate findings.Results: Findings reveal that although some of the participants possess a high level of technological knowledge, they tend to teach Braille as a ‘stand-alone’ skill and fail to integrate it with the teaching of other pre-reading skills to Grade R learners.Conclusion: In-service teachers showed limited knowledge of some of the essential skills for teaching pre-reading skills to Grade R learners who are visually impaired. The study calls for supportive in-service teacher education programmes that equip Grade R teachers of learners with visual impairments with the necessary skills to teach pre-reading skills.

Educating teachers towards global citizenship: A comparative study in four European countries

This article, derived from a larger EU-funded empirical research project, draws on a comparative analysis of pioneering global citizenship education (GCE) in-service primary teacher education programmes, as theorized and practised in four European countries, to explore how higher education institutions (HEIs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and participating teachers shape the development of content-based, competence-based and values-based approaches to teacher education. With reference to the multiple-site case study in Ireland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy, this article argues that, through investment, structural and institutional support and professional teacher education expertise, HEIs are, alongside NGOs and in-service teachers, pivotal actors in the collaborative development of GCE teacher education. The article concludes that successful collaborations can foster teacher agency through transformative, values-based approaches to GCE teacher education.

Use of technical terms in German biology lessons and its effects on students’ conceptual learning

ABSTRACTEducational standards and instructional frameworks aim to foster students’ scientific literacy, especially their conceptual knowledge. Previous research has examined several instructional approaches to foster students’ conceptual learning. Reliable and adequate use of technical terms in science instruction is also essential for fostering students’ conceptual learning. However, current studies of the analyses of the use of technical terms and their effects on fostering students’ conceptual understanding in biology lessons are lacking. In this study, we first conducted a descriptive analysis of the technical terms used in selected videotaped German 9th-grade biology lessons (N = 43) on neurobiology. Then, we conducted multilevel analyses of the effects of using different technical terms in a biology lesson on students’ achievement and situational interest. Our descriptive results showed that on average teachers (N = 43) talked more and used more technical terms compared to their students and that many different technical terms were used in our analysed lessons. Furthermore, our multilevel analyses showed negative effects of using a high number of different technical terms on both student outcome variables. We conclude that a well-considered, but simple, reduction of technical terms in biology lessons could positively affect students’ learning of conceptual knowledge. Therefore, the findings in this study have implications that teachers should use minimally necessary topic-relevant technical terms in biology instruction with the additional use of biological core ideas. We suggest further research in pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes to evaluate teachers’ effective use of technical terms in biology lessons essential for fostering conceptual learning.

“Exploring this whole thing of social justice” narrative as a tool for critical sociocultural knowledge development in teacher education

ABSTRACTMany teacher education programs provide teachers with opportunities to read, write, and discuss critical pedagogy, with the hope that such work will allow them to develop more equitable and just teaching practices. Yet, there often remains a gap between the theoretical discussions of teaching and learning in teacher education classrooms and the pedagogical practice in those teachers’ K-12 classrooms. In this study, we examine how one teacher, Gabriela, used narratives to make connections between her third-grade classroom and the critical concepts she was exploring in a teacher education course. Embedded within an ethnographic case study of an inservice teacher education program, we used a discourse analytic approach to examine both the sociocultural knowledge and the identities Gabriela constructed through narrative as she engaged with issues of language, race, and power within the course. We consider some of the affordances of narrative in this space, including how it allowed Gabriela to integrate her understandings of multiple course topics, to position herself in multiple ways as a teacher, and to disrupt her existing understandings of race and racism in the classroom. This analysis suggests that critically oriented teacher education programs might more intentionally make space for narrative to connect critical theory and pedagogical practice.

Http://www.icaseonline.net/journal/index.php/sei/article/view/75

This action research was completed as a module on an in-service teacher education program and addressed form four (year 10, students aged 14–15 years old) students’ demotivation to study chemistry on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. My students often find chemistry challenging, and I suspect that teacher-centered methods probably contribute to their experience. The flipped classroom model was selected based on a review of the literature which identified it as a student-centered method with potential to impact both motivation and academic achievement. The research considered the flipped classroom’s impact on students’ motivation, academic performance, and perceptions of the intervention itself. The study was conducted over 4 weeks, and lessons were delivered asynchronously through the use of various Information Communication Technology resources such as email, websites, powerpoint presentations, and videos. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Within the limitations of this study, academic achievement was not significantly impacted; student motivation was positively and significantly affected; and most students’ perception of the intervention was favorable though some indicated a preference for in-class lectures. Findings suggest further research into the utility of a blended method of synchronous and asynchronous lectures.

The Effects of Early Childhood Teachers' Empathy Ability and Ego-resilience on Early Childhood Problem Behavior Guidance Strategy

본 연구의 목적은 유아교사의 공감능력 자아탄력성 유아 문제행동 지도전략 간의 관계를 살펴보고 유아교사의 공감능력과 자아탄력성이 유아 문제행동 지도전략에 미치는 상대적 영향력을 분석하는데 있다 이를 위해 서울시와 경기도에 소재한 유치원과 어린이집에 근무하는 유아교사 명을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하였다 본 연구의 주요 결과를 살펴보면 다음과 같다 첫째 유아교사의 공감능력 자아탄력성 유아 문제행동 지도전략은 유의미한 상관관계가 있는 것으로 나타났다 둘째 유아 문제행동 지도전략에 대해 유아교사의 공감능력과 자아탄력성이 중요한 영향을 미치는 변인임을 확인하였다 특히 유아교사가 자신감을 갖고 인지 공감을 하면서 화를 억제하고 분노를 조절하였을 때 긍정적 예방전략을 사용하며 인지 공감과 정서 공감을 하고 자신감을 가졌을 때 긍정적 반응 지도전략을 사용하는 것으로 나타났다 또한 교사의 정서 공감 및 대인관계효율성이 낮을 때 부정적 반응 지도전략을 사용하는 것으로 나타났다 본 연구의 결과를 바탕으로 유아교사의 공감능력과 자아탄력성 향상을 위한 교사양성과정과 현직교사교육 프로그램 개발에 대해 논의하였다.This research aims at examining the corelation among early childhood teachers empathy ability, ego-resilience and early childhood problem behavior guidance strategies, and exploring the effects of early of early childhood teachers empathy ability and ego-resilience on early childhood problem behavior guidance strategies. To accomplish these goals, a survey was conducted on 254 early childhood teachers working at the kindergartens and daycare centers located in Seoul and Gyeonggi area. The main results of this study are as follows. First, it has been proven that the early childhood problem behavior guidance strategies, the early childhood teachers empathy ability, and ego- esilience were mutually correlated. Second, teachers empathy ability and ego-resilience have been verified to be the important variables to predict the early childhood problem behavior guidance strategies. In particular, when the teachers not only repressed and controlled their anger but also emphasized cognitively and had self-confidence, they used positive prevention strategies more frequently. When they emphasized cognitively and emotionally empathy ability and had self-confidence, they used positive reaction guidance strategies while they have been found to have used negative reaction guidance strategies when the teachers empathy and personal relationship efficiency were at a lower level. Based on the study results, the development of the early childhood teacher training courses and in-service teacher education programs in order to enhance early childhood teachers empathy ability and ego-resilience was discussed.

Chinese as a second language teachers’ cognition in teaching intercultural communicative competence

The development of intercultural communicative competence has recently emerged as one of the major foci in language education. The rise of Chinese as an international language has increased demand for studies exploring how Chinese language teachers teach intercultural communicative competence. This study investigated: (1) Chinese language teachers' pedagogical cultural knowledge and objectives in teaching intercultural communicative competence; and (2) the contextual factors (i.e., overall university surroundings, computer accessibility, academic atmosphere, and colleagues and superiors) influencing their pedagogical cultural knowledge and objectives in teaching intercultural communicative competence. Based on a survey of 43 university teachers from China, it shows that the participants had different degrees of familiarity with pedagogical cultural knowledge and that contextual factors affected their pedagogical cultural knowledge development. Moreover, the participants’ objectives in teaching intercultural communicative competence were more skill-than knowledge- and attitude-oriented, and had different relationships with different contextual factors. The findings inform the development of in-service and pre-service teacher education programmes to help Chinese language teachers become effective intercultural language teachers.

Professional competences to teach English at primary schools in Turkey: a Delphi study

ABSTRACTThis research aimed to uncover the teacher competences that are necessary to provide age-appropriate English language teaching to primary school students in Turkey. The Delphi technique was implemented to propose a list of competences created through consensus among a panel of experts that consisted of 15 teachers and 16 teacher educators. The data were collected by administering three questionnaires in three rounds. Central tendency and consensus were measured through median and inter-quartile range, respectively. The findings led to a list of 29 teacher competences which were categorised into five groups: ‘theoretical and practical knowledge’, ‘knowing the young learner’, ‘planning and organising teaching’, ‘managing teaching’, and ‘competence in English’. Implications were made for improving the effectiveness of English language teaching to young learners: these included the design of pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes to equip teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to teach English to young learners.

The Affordances of Mobile-App Supported Teacher Observations for Peer Feedback

Mobile technologies offer new affordances for teacher observation in teacher education programs, albeit under-examined in contrast to video technologies. The purpose of this article is to investigate the integration of mobile technologies into teacher observation. Using a case study method, the authors compare the traditional narrative paper-pen, mobile app-supported, and video observation methods. Participants included 2 experienced teachers of English as a Foreign Language who were selected as the observers and observees in a higher education institutional context. The data was collected in three different teaching sessions over 4 weeks. Data sources included lesson observation notes and semi structured interviews conducted with teachers after each session. Results suggest recommendations for the integration of mobile and video based observation tools into teacher professional development programs, pre-service and in-service teacher education programs, as well as teacher certificate programs.

Pre-Service Foreign Language Teachers’ Perceptions of Research Skills: A Qualitative Study

While research skills seem significant for effective and successful foreign language teaching and learning, few studies focused on how English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers perceive research skills in the EFL teaching and learning processes. Research also lacks how EFL teachers perceive research skills and to what extent they are aware of the role, teacher as researcher. Thus, this study aims to explore pre-service EFL teachers’ perceptions of research skills for a deeper understanding of how their perceptions of research skills affect or contribute to the teaching and learning processes. The sample group in the study consisted of 44 pre-service EFL teachers studying at a state university. A background questionnaire, diaries, reflections and interviews were the tools to collect qualitative data. Results showed that research activities develop pre-service EFL teachers’ content knowledge, research skills and target language proficiency, while they perceive several problems during the process. The study suggests that research skills should be a must course in pre- and in-service teacher education programs.

Incorporating Cultural Narratives as an Instructional Strategy in EFL Teacher Education

Even though Korean society is rapidly becoming multicultural and multilingual, EFL teacher education tends to teach language skills and pedagogical knowledge without sufficiently addressing multicultural issues. This study explored the potential of incorporating cultural narratives (CNs) as an instructional strategy in EFL teacher education to foster Korean EFL teachers` cultural sensitivity and competency. The primary data came from two surveys with 12 secondary school English teachers and a focus group interview with six of them. The teachers all participated in a six-month in-service English teacher education program and took the researcher`s cultural course. The researcher, who taught English in secondary schools in Korea as well as who had diverse cross-cultural experiences, incorporated not only her own CNs but also various types of multicultural stories in the curriculum. The study revealed that the teachers perceived the CNs presented in class as meaningful and useful in promoting their cultural sensitivity and competency. The researcher concludes that CNs could play an important role as an instructional strategy in EFL teacher education.

In-service teacher education in Turkey: English language teachers’ perspectives

The interpretive survey study reported in this paper aimed to understand in-service English language teachers’ views of in-service teacher education (INSET) programmes offered by the Ministry of National Education in Turkey. Data were collected from 2476 in-service teachers through an online questionnaire that contained closed- and open-ended items. Central tendencies were calculated and content analysis was used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. According to the findings, participants disagreed about the effectiveness of these programmes. They reported that these programmes were effective in terms of promoting their professional development, personal development, and cooperation between colleagues; however, issues emerged regarding the weaknesses of these programmes in six main areas: the limited number of programmes on offer, the lack of qualified trainers, insufficient practical focus, poor lecturing, inconvenient time and place, and the perfunctory nature of the INSET offered. In the light of these findings, implications are generated to contribute to the improvement of the effectiveness of future in-service teacher education programmes.

Exploring the Impact of Professional Development Intervention through Reflection

Rather than being an analytical research inquiry, this article presents assessment of a specific professional development intervention focusing mainly on the impact of a 3-month in-service teacher education program on 10 English language teachers in Turkey. The data comes from various sources, namely, surveys, interviews, classroom observations and reflective journal entries. The training program is described in three phases: pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention. Based on the data collected during three phases, the training program can be claimed to have an obvious impact on not only the participant teachers’ mind-sets about teaching but also on their day-to-day classroom practices.

Curriculum Development of In-service Teacher Education Programs to Enhance Secondary Beginning Teachers’ Core-competencies

Curriculum Development of In-service Teacher Education Programs to Enhance Secondary Beginning Teachers’ Core-competencies

Teachers’ Attitude towards Teaching Following In-service Teacher Education Program in Kenya

This paper assesses the extent to which teachers’ attitude towards chemistry teaching changes following a needs-and participatory-oriented in-service teacher education program in Kenya. Thirty six (36) randomly selected veteran teachers from 36 schools who attended a ten-day in-service program in Kenya. Teachers actively participated in formulation of session objectives and training sessions that involved practical and peer-teaching sessions, and made reflections on each training session. Data were collected using validated questionnaire before start of workshop sessions and at the end of training sessions. Data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, comparison of means using two-sample t-procedures, and effect size based on Cohen’s guidelines. From the study findings, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that teachers appear to have a positive change in attitude towards: teaching objectives; teaching strategies; lesson planning; ability to overcome teaching limitations; conducting practical work; and overall teaching of chemistry following in-service program focusing on teaching enhancement. The findings have implications on curriculum for pre-service teacher preparation and in-service professional development of science teachers. The findings also have implications on teachers’ classroom practices and instructional supervision in schools.

How Early Childhood Learning Influences Beginning Literacy Teachers’ Professional Learning

Research has shown that teachers’ beliefs and personal experiences play a significant role in their professional decision-making and practice, including their experiences as school children. This research study examined how the professional learning of Canadian beginning elementary teachers was influenced by their own early learning experiences in school. Six teachers were observed and interviewed in their classrooms 5 times over the first 3 years of their teaching career. Case studies were developed for each teacher and themes were explored across cases. The findings from this study suggest that pre-service and in-service teacher education programs need to provide teachers with opportunities to critically examine how their early learning experiences influence their professional learning experiences and priorities.

Finnish and Iranian teachers’ views on their competence to teach purpose

This paper examines Finnish (n = 464) and Iranian (n = 556) teachers’ views on their competence to teach purpose. ‘Purpose’ is defined as a stable intention to accomplish something that is both meaningful to the self and of consequence beyond the self over time. The study revealed that all Iranian teachers evaluated their competence for teaching purpose as being high, regardless of the subject taught. In contrast, among Finnish teachers, there were statistically significant relationships between the subject taught and teachers’ self-perceptions: religious education seemed to provide a subject in which Finnish teachers can guide students to consider explicitly their purpose in life and plans for the future, while science and mathematics appeared to offer the most challenging contexts for teaching purpose. Hence, the results challenge Finnish in-service and pre-service teacher education programmes to create new approaches and new cultures for mathematics and science education, which intentionally take into account the moral aspects of teaching. Moreover, regression analysis revealed that teachers’ ethical sensitivity predicted their views on teaching purpose in both countries. Results indicate that improving teachers’ ethical sensitivity skills in teacher education programmes could provide a significant path for supporting teachers’ competence in teaching purpose.