Lower Secondary School Teachers Research Articles

How many are talking? The role of collectivity in dialogic teaching

This study deals with the impact of a teacher development program focused on the implementation of dialogic teaching practice. The participants were eight Czech teachers in lower secondary schools and their classes. An analysis of video recordings of their lessons made during a one-year action research program revealed that classroom discourse had changed. Students had started to participate in a more productive way, which led to an increase in complex student talk characterized by thought and reasoning. In this study, we pose the question whether there is a relationship between the quality of student talk and the number of students participating in classroom discourse. Our analysis shows that the greater the number of students who participate in communication, the higher the probability that elaborated student talk with thought and reasoning will occur. However, this relationship is not a direct one; it is induced by a mediating variable constituted by the duration of open discussion.

Il focus group: un duplice strumento per la ricerca educativa e la formazione docenti

This paper describes the use of focus group discussion as a supplementary qualitative method for educational research. The study is part of a research project involving lower-secondary school teachers based in Genoa, who used a cloud-based training environment. Focus groups represented one of the various data collection tools adopted, for the purpose of in-depth qualitative analysis of teachers’ self-efficacy constructs and representations. Indications emerging from the study suggest that focus group discussion may serve not only as a research tool, but also as a means for professional development. According to observation and analysis, focus groups proved to be crucial in generating discussion and self-reflection among teachers, thus sustaining peer-learning and professional development within the professional community.

Interest development during the first year at university: do mathematical beliefs predict interest in mathematics?

We examined the development of interest in first-year university students in a lower secondary school teachers’ program as well as connections between learners’ belief systems and interest. Students’ mathematics-related belief systems include their personal understanding of the nature of mathematics as a scientific domain (in the present study: aspects of process, application, schema, and formalism). Data (N = 92) on beliefs and mathematical interest were collected at the beginning of the first (T1) and second terms (T3). In addition, students’ interest was assessed at the ends of both terms (T2 and T4). Results showed that (1) students’ interest in mathematics remained stable during the first academic year, (2) application beliefs showed positive correlations with interest in the first but not the second term, and (3) application beliefs at the beginning of the term predicted students’ interest at the end of term in the second but not the first term; moreover, process, schema, and formalism beliefs did not predict interest in the first or in the second term. We discuss these results with respect to the influence of belief systems on interest but also with respect to possible effects that are based on differences between school mathematics and university mathematics.

The effect of perceived school climate and teacher efficacy in behavior management on job satisfaction and burnout: A longitudinal study

This study investigated how perceived school climate affects teachers' job satisfaction and burnout and how self-efficacy and collective efficacy in behavior management mediate the effect of perceived school climate on job satisfaction and burnout. The questions were answered using longitudinal questionnaire data collected from 642 Finnish lower secondary school teachers. A structural equation model revealed that school climate had a positive effect, partly mediated by self-efficacy, on job satisfaction. Collective efficacy in student discipline did not explain either job satisfaction or burnout. Self-efficacy in managing behavior had a positive effect on job satisfaction and a negative effect on burnout.

Knowledge outside the box – sustainable development education in Swedish schools

Background: Sustainable development, as an area of knowledge, appears in several different places in the curriculum and does not fit neatly within the scope of traditional subject areas. In many countries, including Sweden, it has long been upheld as an important tool for increasing understanding of, and dealing with, environmental problems. It is not clear, however, what role education can actually have in the making of a more sustainable future. Even though there are several potential ways for sustainable development to be involved in education, the concept raises many questions when transferred to the school context.Purpose: This paper investigates how teachers deal with the difficulty of defining and approaching sustainable development as an area of knowledge in Swedish schools.Sample: This article is based on semi-structured interviews with 40 teachers, 13 of whom were lower secondary school teachers (pupil age 12–15) and 27 were upper secondary school teachers (pupil age 15–18). The study involves teachers in all subjects where sustainable development is a goal in the syllabus. The study is also based on participant observation in one upper secondary class. A total of 17 different schools were involved, from a wide range of locations in Sweden.Design and methods: The paper builds on qualitative data and the analysis of transcribed interviews and group interviews with teachers in Swedish lower and upper secondary schools. Group interviews, involving three or more people, were conducted on eight occasions. The pupils at an upper secondary school were also observed while they were working on a course called ‘policy and sustainable development’. Data were transcribed and analysed thematically.Findings: The analysis suggests that, according to the teachers’ experiences, the demands of equivalence and measurability in school have increased and that this affects how sustainable development is approached in teaching and learning. Three main categories of knowledge were identified. The study also presents two representations that model how teachers may approach knowledge about sustainable development – metaphorically termed ‘the Accountant’ and ‘the Adventurer’ – and their different effects on knowledge.Conclusions: There is a tendency for complex knowledge areas such as sustainable development, which do not fit seamlessly into traditional curriculum subjects, to become oversimplified when translated into teaching situations. According to the representations that we described metaphorically, the teacher, as an accountant, is characterised by ‘knowledge instrumentalism’, which means that teachers administer knowledge and the pupils consume it. In this transactional model, the accountant is also very dependent on external governance and control. Alternatively, the teacher, as an adventurer, is characterised by authority, knowledge and self-control. In this model, knowledge sometimes grows in an unpredictable way in the meeting between people who share common experiences. For adventurers, sustainable development is a matter of commitment and awareness, and it involves an explicit stance. The metaphors can be placed on a continuum which describes how teachers manage the demands of the school system in relation to the knowledge area of sustainable development.

Teacher Rotation (Compulsory Relocation) Scale Development

The purpose of this study is to develop a scale that can be used to determine the attitude of teachers towards rotation (compulsory relocation). Literature was reviewed, and scale items were prepared through the interviews with teachers and specialists in the field in order to fulfill this purpose. Data were collected from 514 primary and lower secondary school teachers in Izmir, Adana, Mardin and Gaziantep sample. Construct validity of measurement estimation was examined by applying exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis on the data collected. It was found that the 20 item-scale had two dimensions, the first dimension including 11 items (constructive) and the second dimension including 9 items (obstructive). The construct validity scores of the scale were as followings: RMSEA = .077; SRMR = .047; RMR = .073; CFI = .95; NFI = .91 and GFI = .85, and re-test score was .73. Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient of Reliability was calculated as .97. It can be asserted that these findings present sufficient proof for the validity and reliability of the scale.

Teacher professional development as a means of transforming student classroom talk

This study deals with the impact of a teacher development programme focused on the implementation of dialogic teaching practice. Four indicators of dialogic teaching were measured: student talk with reasoning, teachers' open questions of high cognitive demand, teacher uptake, and open discussion. An analysis of video recordings made before and after the programme showed a change in classroom discourse and an increase in the amount of student talk with reasoning, attributed to changes in teacher communication behaviour. The participants were eight Czech teachers in lower secondary schools who took part in a one-year action research teacher development programme.

Teaching one thing at a time or several things together? – teachers changing their way of handling the object of learning by being engaged in a theory-based professional learning community in mathematics and science

Twelve lower secondary schoolteachers in mathematics and science were asked to teach a topic of their choice during a lesson that was video-recorded. We were able to analyse 10 of the cases and we found that all of them were similar in one respect: concepts and principles were introduced one at a time, each one followed by examples of the concept or principle in question, apparently to highlight its essential meaning. All the teachers participated in three modified lesson studies with three cycles in four different groups during three semesters. The modified lesson studies were built on a theoretical idea supported by a large number of recent studies. The theory states that new meanings (of concepts and principles, for instance) are learned through engaging with instances of contrasting concepts and principles. The core idea is that new meanings derive from differences, not from sameness. After the three modified lesson studies, the teachers were asked to once again teach the same topic as in the recorded lessons before the lesson studies. The new lessons were also recorded and the analysis showed that there was one thing in common in all cases: all of the 10 teachers dealt with the relevant concepts and principles in relation to each other (i.e. simultaneously) and not one at a time. By thus bringing out the differences between them, their meaning was made possible to grasp for the students. The study lends support to the conjecture that the modified lesson study is a powerful tool for enabling teachers to structure the content of their teaching in accordance with a principle that is more powerful in making learning possible, even if this contradicts their taken-for-granted practice.

Intergenerational learning among primary and lower secondary schools

<p>The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify on which topics intergenerational learning takes place among primary and lower secondary school teachers of different generations. If intergenerational learning is present among colleagues, the content of this learning will be specified. For this purpose, in 2013-2014 school year, in the district of İzmit in the province of Kocaeli two primary and two lower secondary schools where different generations work together were, therefore, selected and 39 teachers of three different generations in these schools were interviewed. Semi-structured interview technique was used during these face-to- face interviews. Data of the study, which was designed using phenomenological pattern, was analyzed with descriptive analysis method. The results indicated that younger teachers learn about topics such as classroom management and handling problems with parents from the experiences of their older colleagues. On the other hand, older teachers learn about the new teaching methods and techniques, teaching materials and the use of technical equipments from their younger colleagues. It was clearly seen that intergenerational learning proceed more functionally at schools where collaboration and knowledge-sharing are important values; where there aren’t any prejudices against age and where there are individuals who are open for development.</p>

Norske masterutdanninger i naturfag for grunnskolelærere – store variasjoner i omfang på masteroppgaver og fagsammensetning<br>Norwegian master educations in natural science for lower secondary school

English title: Norwegian master educations in natural science for lower secondary school – large differences in courses offered and size of master thesisCurrently, the majority of students in lower secondary school teacher education take a four-year education in Norway. From 2017 this education will be prolonged to a five-year master education. In connection to this, there is an ongoing debate in Norway about the content of the new teacher education programs. In 2010, the Arctic University of Norway (UiT) began the first integrated five-year master education for lower secondary teacher education students in Norway. This program is described in the article, with a focus on the subject natural science in the 5–10 level education. UiT has made progress regarding the difficult link between the student’s school practice and their education at the University. As teacher educators, we experience that the new education also seems to give the students a higher identity and motivation towards teaching natural science. There are four teacher education colleges/universities in Norwegian offering a master degree in natural science/pedagogical content knowledge for teachers in lower secondary school. These master educations are relatively different in structure, and especially the subjects offered and the size of the master thesis is considerably different.

Feedback to support learning: changes in teachers’ practice and beliefs

There are indications that teachers’ feedback practice is related to beliefs they hold about pupils’ learning and the purpose of feedback. This article presents changes in beliefs and practices of three teachers in lower secondary school taking part in an intervention to improve formative classroom feedback. Data includes interviews, observations and workshop dialogues with the teachers, plus interviews with six pupils (two for each teacher) taking place pre- and post-intervention. Results describe different trajectories, tracing changes in underlying beliefs that highlight the complexity of professional learning as well as the importance of tailoring interventions. The discussion addresses theoretical perspectives of change among teachers and elaborates on results in relation to professional workplace learning.

Individual Performance: From Common Source Bias to Institutionalized Assessment

Performance is perhaps the most central concept in public administration research, and this article discusses theoretically and investigates empirically how we can obtain more consistent performance measures. Theoretically, we combine existing arguments in public administration with institutional theory and the sociology of professions. Empirically, we ask whether different measures of individual performance produce different results. The investigated performance measures vary with regard to risk of common data source bias, standardization of assessment criteria, and external verification of the assessment. Our investigated explanatory variables are intrinsic motivation, public service motivation, and job satisfaction. Combining survey and administrative data for 747 lower secondary school teachers (teaching 5,679 students in 85 schools), we analyze 4 different measures of the same performance dimension for the same teachers: the teachers’ self-reported contributions to students’ academic skills, the students’ marks for the year’s work given by the teacher, marks in oral exams with one external examiner and the teacher, and marks in written exams with at least one external examiner. The associations are systematically stronger when the performance measure comes from the same data source as the explanatory variables, but when separate data sources are used and the measurement scale is institutionalized, the level of external verification does not matter much. Based on institutional theory and the sociology of professions, we develop a theoretical argument that can explain this.

Swedish Lower Secondary School Teachers' Perceptions and Experiences Regarding Homework

This study investigates homework in Swedish lower secondary schools: teachers' perceptions and experiences about it and their understanding of its potentials and challenges for students' learning and development. Data collected through an online survey (N = 201) mixed standardized questions and open questions. Descriptive statistics and qualitative interpretive principles fueled data processing and analysis. The main result indicated that most teachers assign homework and believe it will benefit students' learning when it addresses consolidating and reinforcing knowledge already taught and increases skills through repetition. They regard appropriation and variation of homework and feedback as important to homework activities and effects. The teachers experience uneven attitudes to and outcomes of homework among students. Most schools organize homework assistance activities to smooth out this unevenness and to improve homework completion and quality. The findings highlight the educational implications of critical reflections on the design of homework and the quality of homework assignments.

Teachers' content and pedagogical content knowledge on rational numbers: A comparison of prospective elementary and lower secondary school teachers

Rational numbers are amongst the most difficult topics in the elementary and secondary school curriculum and teaching them requires an appropriate knowledge base of teachers to properly deal with students' difficulties. We investigated prospective teachers' content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) on rational numbers, the relationship between CK and PCK, and differences in CK and PCK among prospective elementary teachers (trained as general classroom teachers) and lower secondary teachers (trained as subject-specific classroom teachers). The results revealed gaps in prospective teachers' CK and PCK, a positive correlation between CK and PCK, and a better CK but not PCK for secondary compared to elementary school teachers.

高校入試を利用した中学校理科教員志望学生の理科の学力調査

高校入試を利用した中学校理科教員志望学生の理科の学力調査

O que torna o professor brasileiro satisfeito com sua profissão?

O artigo apresenta uma análise sobre o grau de satisfação no trabalho relatado por professores brasileiros do ensino fundamental. A pesquisa baseou-se nos resultados de um survey comparativo realizado com docentes de 24 países. O estudo identifica alguns fatores ligados ao ambiente escolar que estão associados à satisfação profissional dos professores e tece considerações sobre o impacto das evidências apresentadas para o debate sobre o trabalho docente no Brasil e para as políticas educacionais.

Associations between beliefs about medicines and medicines education: A survey among Finnish comprehensive school teachers

Objective: To describe the association between teachers’ beliefs about medicines and teaching about illnesses and medicines-related topics by Finnish comprehensive school teachers. Design: A nationwide postal survey. Setting: Finnish primary and lower secondary school teachers. Method: Data were collected using a nationwide postal survey from a representative sample ( n = 1700) of Finnish primary and lower secondary school teachers in spring 2010. A response rate of 56% ( n = 928) was achieved, from which 667 teachers had taught health-related topics. Logistic regression multivariate analysis was used to measure key associations. Results: Among primary school teachers, stronger beliefs about the harmfulness of medicines were associated with teaching basic knowledge about what medicines are (odds ratio [OR] 1.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–3.45). Although an association was detected, other explanatory factors, for example, teachers’ experience of medicating a long-term illness in their own child, their teaching experience and a qualification in health education and perceived teaching skills, seemed to predict the teaching more than teachers’ beliefs about medicines. Conclusion: Findings have important implications for teacher training and continuing education. If teachers can become more aware of the beneficial aspects of teaching about the rational use of medicines, this may lead to greater inclusion of medicines-related education in school health education.

Formative assessment in the Grenadian lower secondary school: teachers’ perceptions, attitudes and practices

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions, attitudes and frequency of use of formative assessment strategies of teachers in the Grenadian lower secondary school (Forms 1, 2 and 3). The study, which was quantitative in nature, involved 252 lower secondary school teachers. Overall the participants had positive perceptions and attitudes towards formative assessment. Significant differences in the perceptions of formative assessment held by trained and untrained teachers (p < .001) as well as in the attitudes towards formative assessment (p = .001) were found. Trained and untrained teachers were found to have similar frequencies of practice of formative assessment strategies. About half of the teachers reported not allowing students to provide input into test construction and encouraging students to engage in journal writing. The study raises questions about the hindrances that teachers face in the integration of some formative assessment strategies and provides policy-makers with valuable information to support strengthening of teacher education efforts.

Styles of Textbook Use

The paper presents the results of the research focused on the issue of textbook use. The aim of the research was to identify the styles of textbook use adopted by lower secondary school teachers. The data were gathered through classroom observations (total of 155) and interviews with teachers (58). The research resulted in identification of four different styles of textbook use. It was found out that the styles varied according to the school subject. Relation to the length of teaching experience and the qualification of the teacher for a given subject was not proven.

School improvement plans and student achievement: Preliminary evidence from the Quality and Merit Project in Italy

This study provides preliminary evidence from an Italian in-service training program addressed to lower secondary school teachers which supports school improvement plans (SIPs). It aims at exploring the association between characteristics/contents of SIPs and student improvement in math achievement. Pre-post standardized tests and text analysis of SIPs were performed regarding a sample of 248 schools (13,816 students) participating in the project. Results show differences in planning strategies: better school improvements are associated with the ability to carry out a careful analysis of the context, prioritize elements in the diagnostic phase of the process and detect specific improvement goals.