Teacher Education Research Articles

Impact of Teachers’ Critical Thinking Skills on Students’ Academic Performance: Basis for an Upskilling Program

This study investigates the impact of physical education (PE) instructors’ critical thinking skills on students’ learning in a business college in Wuhan, China. The research examined critical thinking across three dimensions: evaluating information, creative thinking, and problem-solving. Utilizing a descriptive design, data were collected through a validated questionnaire distributed to student respondents. The findings revealed that PE instructors demonstrate a high level of critical thinking. Key indicators, such as identifying new information, and applying PE skills to solve real-world problems, highlighted the instructors’ capabilities. However, challenges were noted in distinguishing factual information from inferences and exploring alternative data interpretations. The study emphasizes the need for targeted upskilling program to further enhance the PE instructors’ critical thinking skills, fostering improved educational outcomes and aligning with contemporary pedagogical demands. The results contribute to the broader discourse on integrating critical thinking into educational practices in China.

Exploring Simulated Practice in Teacher Education: Opportunities to Professionalize the Teacher Role

In Norway, as in many other countries worldwide, student teachers often report a lack of coherence between their practice experiences and the teacher training provided on campus. For example, student teachers request more practice-relevant campus training on themes like parent–teacher conferences. Employers worldwide expect universities to prepare graduates to innovate practices. This empirical article addresses these challenges by engaging student teachers in simulation-based practice designs (SPDs), which include a class brief, group sessions with simulated parent–teacher conferences, and a debrief. The students are encouraged to act with agency and approach the simulated situations critically. Overall, this study shows that students are highly engaged and task-oriented across SPDs. The survey data (n = 39) show that students perceive the simulation experiences as relevant preparation for their future practice. Audio recordings (215 min) and field notes indicate that they are triggered to critically reflect on and generate ideas for addressing challenges in the simulated situations. There are instances of linking theory with practice, and even some “thinking outside the box”. SPDs provide valuable opportunities to professionalize the teacher role but could benefit from more support and time to bridge the gap between theory and practice and encourage more innovative thinking.

INCULCATION OF VALUES THROUGH EDUCATION: RELEVANCE IN TODAY’S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM FOR CREATING A BETTER HUMAN SOCIETY

A value stands for ideals men live for. Values are part and parcel of the philosophy of a nation and that of its education system. They are the guiding principles of life which are conducive to all round development. With a well designed system of curriculum, it is possible to make education a forceful tool for the cultivation of desirable ethical, spiritual and social values. Education should foster universal and eternal values. In attempt to inculcate values through education, we need to draw freely upon our own traditions as well as the traditions of the other countries and cultures of the world. Value education should help to eliminate obscurantism, religious fanatics, violence, superstitution and fatalism. Education which inculcates universal and eternal values like compassion, coverage, honesty, tolerance and truthfulness etc., will help in developing balanced, individuals and in creating better human society. The paper discusses the need and importance of values in the present scenario and also suggests suitable measures in reinforcing them in education for creating a better human society to live in. KEY WORDS: Teacher Education, Values, Honesty, Violence.

Examining Mathematics Teachers Noticing the Rationality: Scenario-Based Training with AI Chatbot

Abstract It is essential that students are encouraged to become rational thinkers for building thinking classrooms. Teachers must adopt rational questioning techniques to facilitate the development of rational behaviours in their students. However, the implementation of rational questioning requires the ability to respond to students based on their performance, thereby requiring teacher noticing in the context of rationality. In this study, we adopt teacher noticing in the context of three components of rationality (epistemic, teleological, and communicative) and demonstrate the potential of ChatGPT to monitor teachers’ noticing the rationality. In this context, we conducted scenario-based training with three in-service mathematics teachers using ChatGPT. Participants were presented with a scenario involving a common difficulty related to the concept of slope and were asked to engage in an interactive session with ChatGPT. We then conducted individual interviews to gain insight into their noticing the rationality. Our findings clearly pointed to a tendency among the teachers to focus on the epistemic and teleological aspects of ChatGPT’s response, with no engagement in communicative decision-making. ChatGPT provided the opportunity to determine the cases in which the teacher could not attend and interpret the rationality and decide for rational questioning. Based on these findings, we suggest that ChatGPT could be used as a tool for monitoring teacher noticing the rationality in teacher education.

Mathematics teacher educators’ instructional modifications: A cultural-comparative study using a Czech mathematics classroom video

Mathematics teacher educators’ instructional modifications: A cultural-comparative study using a Czech mathematics classroom video

The Potential Merits and Risks of Deploying Artificial Intelligence as a Pedagogical Tool for Teacher Education in Kenya

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed numerous sectors of the global economy including education. In Kenya for instance, its integration in teacher education has enhanced learning experiences thereby improving pedagogical outcomes and fostering innovation. This study examines the potential risks and benefits of incorporating AI into various facets of teacher education in Kenya. By leveraging AI, teacher education programmes can harness advanced technologies to transform teacher training. Personalised learning powered by AI algorithms allows educators to address their strengths and weaknesses and tailor content and methodologies to their needs. Furthermore, immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality enable educators to practice real-world classroom scenarios in a controlled environment. The experience of integrating AI in teacher education in South Korea demonstrates a proven blueprint that Kenya can replicate. Despite the merits of deploying AI in teacher education, there are challenges that its use poses such as ethical concerns and inequitable access to technology among others. This study underscores the importance of strategic planning and stakeholder involvement to ensure AI’s responsible deployment in Kenyan Teacher Education ultimately transforming teaching and learning outcomes across the country.

Learning Analytics in Mathematics Teacher Education At The Ceará State University

Objective: This research sought to develop a statistical model that helps to predict students at risk of not being successful in the subjects of the Undergraduate Mathematics Teacher Education Program, in distance education modality, at the Open University System of Brazil / Ceará State University (UAB/UECE). Theoretical Framework: Teacher education in Brazil faces several problems highlighted by studies. Low graduation rates require urgent measures to change this situation with quality. Learning analytics emerges as an option to improve student learning, reducing the risk of academic failure. Method: A statistical method was used for this research. It was decided to use data from the students who entered the University in 2009, in poles of two cities. The students’ access and interaction data in the Moodle environment and final performance grades in the subjects were collected. In data analysis, binary logistic regression was used. Results and Discussion: The regression model created has a high accuracy, with statistically significant predictor variables and high success percentages to predict failure and non-failure. Research Implications: This research serves as a basis for the creation of tools for real-time application of learning analysis, favoring the observation of the performance of the predictive model for the program studied. Originality/Value: Learning analytics is a new, but very promising field of research. This research is one of the pioneers on this topic in Brazil, carried out by researchers in the education area.

Teaching to whom and with whom: the role of context in developing preservice teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching engineering and coding via robotics

Abstract Due to mandates for the inclusion of engineering and computer science standards for K-6 schools nationwide, there is a need to understand how teacher educators can help develop preservice teachers’ (PSTs’) teaching self-efficacy in these areas. To provide experience teaching and learning engineering and coding, PSTs in an instructional technology course were partnered with undergraduate engineering students in an electromechanical systems course to teach robotics lessons to fifth graders (10–11 year olds) over Zoom. A multi-case study approach explored teaching self-efficacy development for three preservice teachers during their robotics project experiences using multiple data sources, including surveys, reflections, interviews, and Zoom recordings, which were examined to identify how the project's social and intrapersonal context influenced the development of each PST’s teaching self-efficacy for engineering and coding. The PSTs gained teaching self-efficacy through all four sources of teaching self-efficacy, although not all PSTs benefited from all four types, nor did they benefit equally. These sources also influenced the PSTs’ intention to integrate engineering and coding into their future classrooms. This study demonstrates the potential of providing PSTs with the opportunity to teach robotics to children during their teacher preparation programs to support the development of their teaching self-efficacy for engineering and coding. When conducted in the context of a college course, such opportunities can be thoughtfully structured to leverage positive interactions with peers and elementary students and to take advantage of low-stakes environments, like afterschool clubs, offering PSTs settings rich in sources of self-efficacy information.

Differentiation in Dutch Secondary EFL Education: Used Strategies and Identified Challenges

ABSTRACTThis article explores secondary English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' differentiation practices in the Netherlands. We used the five‐dimensional (5D) model of differentiation) as an analytical framework in the study. Additionally, we sought to identify the main challenges of differentiation in Dutch EFL teaching. We collected the data through a questionnaire (n = 52) and individual theme interviews (n = 3). We analyzed the quantitative data through descriptive statistics and subjected the qualitative data to content analysis. The results revealed that overall the teachers' differentiation was at a moderate or low rate. The most common dimensions for differentiation were assessment, teaching methods, and support materials. Learning environment and teaching arrangements were the least employed differentiation dimensions. The most significant challenges for differentiation were large class sizes and lack of time and resources. The results of this study give preliminary indications that differentiation should be implemented more in Dutch secondary EFL teaching and addressed in more depth already in pre‐service teacher education. Moreover, based on this study, Dutch EFL teachers would need more resources to differentiate their teaching in a more profound manner. The results of this study have implications for EFL teaching also in other contexts.

Harnessing Social Media for Independent Learning: Insights from Higher Education Students

The utilisation of social media has changed the educational landscape by providing a flexible and innovative platform for students' self-directed learning. This study aims to explore the impact of social media as a source of self-directed learning on undergraduate students at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Pattimura University, Indonesia. Using a quantitative-descriptive approach, data was collected from 166 students through a structured questionnaire. The results showed high usage of social media for learning, with platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp being the most frequently used. Students utilise social media to complete academic tasks, expand their knowledge, and improve their digital competence, reflecting the potential of social media as an adaptive and effective learning tool. This research highlights the role of social media in supporting the principles of andragogy and lifelong learning, and identifies various benefits, including collaboration, creativity and problem-solving. However, it also reveals challenges such as distraction and the validity of online information. The results provide practical recommendations for educational institutions to optimise the use of social media in the learning process, including through digital literacy training and integration into the curriculum. The findings offer important insights for the development of innovative digital education that supports students' learning needs in the modern era

Repositioning English Language Teacher Education for Global Competence and Local Realities: Adopting the Cline of Glocality

ABSTRACTSingapore is an ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse nation‐state that has always practiced deliberate language policy and planning. The bilingual education policy, introduced shortly after the young nation's independence has led to the emergence of English‐knowing bilinguals who are proficient in both English and their ethnically ascribed mother tongues, namely, Mandarin for the Chinese, Malay for the Malays, and Tamil for the Indians. The linguistic landscape of Singapore, documented in the most recent population census of 2020, shows the rise in the use of English as the home language across all three major ethnic groups, leading scholars to adopt the term “English‐dominant bilinguals.” It is of prime importance to document the English used by these English‐dominant bilinguals who have to balance between being globally competent but also having to be accommodating to the local realities of English use in Singapore. This paper extends the findings in Low's presentation of an empirical study of 31 expert users of English who hold Director‐level positions in the Singapore civil service and 6 literary writers to examine the linguistic spaces where Standard Singapore English and Colloquial Singapore English (also known as Singlish) function and the choices and factors influencing the choices are made. Through an online qualitative survey, a new model for looking at variations in the use of English in Singapore is introduced. This three‐dimensional model proposes the cline of glocality which adds to Pakir's original 1991 two‐dimensional model of the expanding triangles of English expression in Singapore which only has the clines of proficiency and formality explaining the variety of English used at the time. Proposing the cline of glocality more accurately reflects the current situation of English in Singapore where users need to balance between achieving global competence while yet adapting to the local realities of its use. Adopting the cline of glocality also necessitates rethinking how language teacher education needs to be repositioned to help young Singaporeans navigate between the global and local uses of English. This paper articulates the key concepts surrounding the theory of change proposed and practical implications for language teacher education policy and practice to effect this change.

The complexity of mathematics teacher educator expertise

Abstract Mathematics teacher education is now a well-established field of research, but it is only in recent years that research attention has turned towards the learning and development of mathematics teacher educators themselves. In this special issue, interest centres on mathematics teacher educator expertise and how this can be represented, developed, and studied. The research studies published in this issue aim to move beyond category-based descriptions of mathematics teacher educator knowledge and explore the broader complexity of expertise as blend of knowing, doing, believing, and being. In doing so they capture the dynamic and interconnected nature of expertise. In this commentary article, I reflect on what we can learn from these studies about the complexity of MTE expertise and use these insights to suggest directions for future research.

Pedagogical, Professional, and Resource Concerns: Understanding Pre-service Teachers' Preparedness for Inclusive Education Implementation

The focus of this study was to explore the underlying factor structure of pre-service teachers’ concerns related to their implementation of inclusive education. In the Pakistani context, limited research exists on pre-service teachers’ concerns regarding preparedness for inclusive education implementation, while education around the world is gaining increasing prominence in inclusive education. A quantitative approach to data collection was adopted from the pre-service teachers (N=635) from five Pakistani universities using a thirty-item questionnaire. The dimensionality of teachers’ concerns was examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with Oblimin rotation. Bartlett’s test (p < .001) and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure (.938) indicated sampling adequacy. The EFA revealed a three-factor structure explaining 52.77% of the total variance: Pedagogical Preparedness concerns (10 items, variance=18.76%), Professional Efficacy concerns (10 items, variance=17.72%), and Resource and Support Concerns (10 items, variance=16.31%). There was strong internal consistency among all factors (Cronbach’s α .898 to .903). Intercorrelations among factors were extremely low (.009-.072), indicating distinct dimensions. The results suggest that pre-service teachers’ concerns with inclusive education occur along the dimensions of pedagogic skills, competency to deliver inclusive education, pre-service teachers’ professional development needs, and the provision of institutional support. The results of this study give good insights into teacher education programs in Pakistan in terms of targeted interventions in these three areas. The empirically validated factor structure of the survey provides a framework for the study of concerns among pre-service teachers with respect to the implementation of inclusive education. The relationship of these factors with actual teaching performance and student outcomes in inclusive settings is important for future research.

Obstacles to in-service Chinese high school mathematics teachers’ implementation of mathematical modelling in classrooms: an empirical investigation of teachers’ perspectives

Abstract This mixed-method study uses interviews and an online questionnaire to investigate the obstacles that hinder teachers’ implementation of mathematical modelling in everyday classrooms in China. Thirty high school mathematics teachers were interviewed, and 200 teachers completed an online questionnaire regarding their perceived obstacles. We identified six critical obstacle groups: missed opportunities to learn mathematical modelling education in professional development and/or teacher education; students’ lack of knowledge and interests; lack of examples in textbooks; lack of suitable teaching materials; non-favourable curricula tradition and school policies; and a strong traditional focus on examination culture. The obstacles identified and their relationship to and role in current in-service teachers’ practices are explored and interpreted from a sociocultural perspective considering, among other factors, the significance of central examinations in China and the historical prevalence of pure, structurally oriented mathematics in school.

Effects of Health-Related Physical Education Teacher Education on PE Student Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge and on Female Pupils` Health-Related Knowledge and Understanding

ABSTRACT The purpose of our study was to investigate a health-related PETE program on two levels: 1) the health-related PCK of PE student teachers participating in the PETE program and 2) the changes in HKU of female pupils participating in the PE lessons developed throughout the PETE program. To study the PCK of the PE student teachers, we conducted a document analysis and examined the PE lesson plans developed during the PETE program. For the investigation of pupils` HKU, a controlled pre-post test was conducted over eight weeks with pupils in an intervention (n = 113) and a control group (n = 61). The results for PCK showed the PE student teachers` ability to select health-related and competence-based learning tasks . A significant intervention effect with a small effect size was found regarding pupils` HKU. In conclusion, PETE can improve PE teachers’ health-related professional competence resulting in higher pupils’ HKU.

Mapping the Evolution of Evidence-Based Teaching in Science Education: A Bibliometric Approach

This study was conducted to present a holistic perspective on the research on evidence-based teaching in science education (EBTiSE) and to provide guidance to the field so that educators and researchers can easily access resources and authors. This study aimed to determine the trend of research on EBTiSE by focusing on evidence-based teaching. For this purpose, the bibliometric analysis method was utilized. Thus, it was aimed to reveal the structure and development of the research topic. The study accessed 218 publications published between 2000 and 2024 from the Web of Science (WoS) database. VOSviewer software was used to analyze these data bibliometrics. As a result of the research, it was determined that publications related to EBTiSE have been published regularly since 2000 and peaked with 21 publications in 2020-2021. The USA ranks first in the countries with the most publications on EBTiSE. It was determined that the highest number of publications on EBTiSE was in the "International Journal of Science Education." The most frequently used keywords in the studies were "science education," "professional development," and "argumentation." In recent studies, key concepts such as science teacher education, undergraduate research, early childhood, scientific literacy, educational technology, etc., are frequently mentioned. According to the citation network analysis, Wu and Tsai (2007), Dawson and Venville (2010), Zembal-Saul et al. (2002), Oliver and Hannafin (2000), and Brown et al. (2010) emerged as the primary sources of the subject area. The article titled “Establishing the Norms of Scientific Argumentation in Classrooms" was found to have the highest number of common citations. The results obtained by utilizing visual maps in this study will contribute to other original studies to be conducted in the field of EBTiSE.

Nurturing preservice teachers’ metacognitive pedagogies through Lesson Study

ABSTRACT This case study examines how preservice teachers (PSTs) collaboratively develop metacognitive pedagogies through Lesson Study (LS) within a teacher education program. Utilizing pre- and post-questionnaire surveys focused on metacognitive pedagogies, alongside lesson observations and group interviews regarding teacher learning, the study identifies five distinct metacognitive pedagogies through confirmatory factor analysis. The results from t-tests reveal significant improvements in areas such as modeling thinking, provoking reflections, and reviewing thinking between the pre- and post-surveys. These findings emphasize the importance of socializing tacit knowledge in lesson planning, engaging in collective reflections on teaching practices, and documenting shared explicit knowledge to enhance PSTs’ metacognitive skills.

The curriculum of English language teacher education in expanding circles: English teachers with the best teaching skills or the ones who are best English proficient?

Countries classified as expanding circles have endless worries about the qualities of Teacher Education products. This happened because such expanding circles can never give enough room for English learners to have real-life practices since English is not the lingua franca. Similarly, in Indonesia, the issue of highlighting the qualities of the products of Teacher Education has become an endless problem that never leaves a satisfactory solution. This issue might become a blip in a situation where a new curriculum will be implemented soon. Attempts have been made to increase qualified products of teacher education in Indonesia for years, yet the results are not better than expected. Six domains of content (i.e. theories of teaching, teaching skills, communication skills, subject matter knowledge, pedagogical reasoning and decision making, and context knowledge) presumably might have been used by Indonesian teacher education as the core knowledge base of Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE); however, since Indonesia has various geographical areas which implies various contexts of SLTE, these six domains of content might not be differently adopted in all parts of Indonesia. Highlighting how important all six content domains in the development of Indonesian SLTE are presumably led to how much attention should be paid to each domain. Reviewing these six domains of content, specifically, this article intends to analyze how those domains are synchronized in composing the core content of the English Department curriculum in teacher education. Are they all equally important?

Exploring the knowledge structure of coping strategies in teacher education research using bibliometric analysis

ABSTRACT Coping strategies have become more prevalent in teacher education as coping is essential for thriving in this present era of unforeseen changes that increase the demands of the teaching profession. Considering the field’s significance and breadth, bibliometric analysis – a rigorous analysis of large volumes of scientific data – was undertaken with the aim of capturing the field’s entire knowledge structure. The study conducted performance and science mapping analyses on 238 empirical articles from Web of Science (1992–2023). Findings indicate the field’s publication trend, most productive authors, journals, affiliations, and nations, most referenced papers, and most prominent terms. The themes encompassed different emphases: COVID-19, workplace changes, professional context, stress, and related constructs. The topics informed purposes of coping strategies, their relation with different variables, and research methodologies applied in coping strategies studies. The study delineates the scientometric landscape of the field, illuminating potential areas of inquiry and scope for future studies.

‘ … Like white light going through a prism’: a metaphorical exploration of multilingual education from teachers’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Various characteristics of multilingual educational settings have been investigated from diverse sources thus far; however, the metaphorical representation of these unique mini-societies has been overlooked and warrants greater attention. Therefore, grounded in a metaphorical standpoint, this study aimed to explore the underlying factors involved in multilingual education by analyzing teachers’ metaphors about it. To collect data, 67 teachers from a university in Türkiye, chosen through snowball sampling, completed a metaphor about multilingual education. Of these, 12 teachers participated in semi-structured interviews to elaborate on the metaphors they generated. Employing systematic metaphor analysis, the metaphors were categorized into six distinctive themes: travel, residence, edibles, art and entertainment, artifact, and career. Then, the thematic analysis of interview data indicated unique features of multilingual classrooms embedded within the provided metaphors and their underlying dimensions. These findings call for educational reforms in multilingual education for teachers, teacher educators, and policymakers by unveiling the unique features of this specific educational context.