Pre-service Primary School Teachers Research Articles

English

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between pre-service primary school teachers' mathematics teaching anxiety and their self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematics teaching through path analysis. There were a total of 250 pre-service primary school teachers involved in this study. Of the total, 202 were female and 48 were male pre-service primary school teachers. To collect the data, the researcher employed two types of instruments: the mathematics teaching anxiety scale and self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematics teaching scale. For data analysis, Linear Structural Relationship (LISREL) program was used. In the analysis of the data, the researcher used path analyze technique in order to explain the relations. The study revealed that the content knowledge dimension of mathematics teaching anxiety had a negative effect on the efficacy in teaching, motivation and taking on responsibility and effective teaching dimensions of self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematic teaching. Similarly, self-confidence dimension of mathematics teaching anxiety affected the efficacy in teaching and effective teaching dimensions of self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematic teaching negatively. And also, the teaching knowledge dimension of mathematics teaching anxiety had a negative effect on the effective teaching dimension of self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematics teaching. Key words: Mathematics, teaching anxiety, self-efficacy belief, mathematics teaching.

Use of Mathematical Tasks of Teaching and the Corresponding LMT Meaures in the Malawi Context

We discuss the adaptation and piloting of the previously developed U.S.-specific measures of mathematical knowledge for teaching to the Malawi context. The purpose is to produce measures that can be used to evaluate changes in mathematical knowledge for teaching gained through primary teacher education, thus informing teacher educators on the most effective evidence-based practices. By interviewing 14 teachers, we first examine whether the 16 recurrent mathematical tasks of teaching tasks identified in the U.S. are applicable to the Malawi context. This is followed by the discussion of the adaptability of the U.S. developed number concept and operations LMT measures. Next, we report on the item psychometric properties estimated from a pilot study in which 351 preservice primary school teachers participated at the end of their coursework. Our findings suggest that all the 16 tasks of teaching mathematics are applicable to the Malawi context, albeit to varying degrees, and should be complemented by additional tasks suggested by the Malawi teachers. For the LMT measures, we found that the majority of the LMT items psychometrically function well in the Malawi context and that item difficulty estimated in Malawi was strongly correlated with that reported in the U.S. We thus argue that there is some generality to the mathematics teaching tasks across the two contexts, as well as some specificity to Malawi, and that the adapted LMT measures can be used in a Malawi context.

Pre-Service Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Understanding of an Enquiry Based Approach to Teaching Primary School Science and Its Influence on Their Field Teaching Experiences

<p><em>This study seeks to explore pre-service primary school teachers’ perceptions of their understanding of an enquiry based approach to teaching primary school Science. The study also seeks to identify how pre-service primary school teachers perceive the effectiveness of</em><em> </em><em>their</em><em> </em><em>University Science courses</em><em> </em><em>in preparing them to teach science using an enquiry approach. Participants were pre-service teachers enrolled in the B.Ed programme at The University of Trinidad and Tobago. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The data revealed that the teachers understood the concept of guided enquiry and knew how to develop lesson plans that incorporate that approach.</em><em> </em><em>Although the teachers</em><em> </em><em>believed that their courses prepared them adequately to teach primary school Science using enquiry,</em><em> </em><em>they encountered problems because of the lack of adequate resources.</em></p>

Analysis of an Asynchronous Online Discussion as a Supportive Model for Peer Collaboration and Reflection in Teacher Education

Professional development of future teachers is based on connecting theory and practice with the aim of supporting and developing critical, independent, responsible decision-making and active teaching. With this aim we designed a blended learning environment with an asynchronous online discussion, enabling collaboration and reflection even when face-to-face communication was not possible. This paper discusses the constructs of social and cognitive components, reflection and collaborative learning in blended learning environments. It presents the results of a study that was conducted on a sample of pre-service primary school teachers studying at the largest faculty of education in Slovenia. The purpose of the study was to determine the intensity, level and content of students’ posts in the online discussion, how students assess its usefulness, and whether there are differences in the assessment of goals achieved in teaching practice between the students who were included in the online discussion and those who were not. We found that in the sub-groups where communication between students participating in the online discussion did not develop at the level of interpersonal relations, it also failed to develop at the level of learning. We also found that the online discussion helped the participating students to plan their lessons. In assessing the achieved practical teaching goals, it became obvious that the online discussion had a positive impact on students’ perception about adapting their lessons, as well as on their critical assessment in analysing their teaching.

Measuring ocean literacy in pre-service teachers: psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Survey of Ocean Literacy and Experience (SOLE)

The aim of the present study was to respond to the increasing demand for comprehensive tools for the measurement of ocean literacy, by investigating the psychometric characteristics of a Greek version of the Survey of Ocean Literacy and Experience (SOLE), an instrument that assesses conceptual understanding of general ocean sciences content, focusing on the knowledge component. Four hundred twenty-one pre-service primary school teachers participated in a cross-sectional study. The dichotomous Rasch model was used to examine the measurement properties of the SOLE, namely, person-item targeting and separation, reliability, dimensionality and differential item functioning (DIF). Steps were taken to improve the instrument, where any of these attributes were outside acceptable ranges. Results suggested that a modified SOLE showed an adequate fit to the Rasch model, is unidimensional, free of DIF, and is particularly well-suited to the population under study. Our findings suggest that the SOLE constitutes a valuable tool which can be applied to a different cultural context and population. The proposed use of the instrument could contribute to the assessment of the quality of marine education in school-based and non-formal education contexts and to the cross-cultural comparison of ocean literacy, which are prerequisites for the improvement of ocean literacy.

The Effects of Dynamic Geometry Software and Physical Manipulatives on Pre-Service Primary Teachers’ Van Hiele Levels and Spatial Abilities

The purpose of the study was to compare the influence of dynamic geometry software activities and influence of the physical manipulatives and drawing activities on the spatial ability and van Hiele levels of pre-service primary school teachers in a geometry course. A quasi-experimental statistical design was used in the study. The participants were 61 pre-service primary teachers in the second year of their undergraduate program in the Department of Elementary Education at Afyon Kocatepe University. A total of 32 pre-service teachers (computer group) were trained in the dynamic geometry based activities and 29 pre-service teachers (physical-drawing group) were trained in the physical manipulative and drawing based activities. In order to determine the two groups of the pre-service teachers’ geometric thinking levels, the van Hiele Geometry Test and in order to determine the two groups of the pre-service teachers’ spatial ability, The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test was used as the pre-test and post-test. The results of the study showed that there was no difference on the post-test of the two groups related to the van Hiele levels and spatial abilities. Moreover, both groups have significantly higher achievement on the post-test compared to the pre-test.

Consensual Assessment of Creativity in Teaching Design by Supportive Peers—Its Validity, Practicality, and Benefit

AbstractCreativity in teaching is a significant and complex construct. However, in the local educational context, creativity in teaching has received little attention. This study aimed to investigate the validity, practicality, and benefits of applying a modified consensual assessment technique (CAT) to assess creativity in teaching design. Four hundred and eighty‐five written teaching designs were collected from 167 in‐service and pre‐service primary school teachers in Hong Kong. Instead of expert teachers, “supportive” peers, who had shown support, interest, and initiative in creative teaching were recruited as judges. A warm‐up exercise, with no definition of creativity, was given to the judges before beginning their assessments. The results indicated overall consistency in the judges' assessments of creativity, and that creativity factor could be distinguished from pedagogical skills and other technical factors. Most of the peer judges reported personal gains in creative teaching by engaging in the assessment process. On average, each judge spent approximately only 2 minutes rating each written teaching design. The findings confirm that the modified CAT is a valid and economical assessment method with learning benefits for the judges. The special values and implications of using supportive peer judges in consensual assessment are further discussed.

Opinions of the Primary School Teacher Candidates Toward Mind Mapping

The pre-service primary school teachers’ views on mind mapping technique were tried to be determined. An interviewing method within the framework of qualitative research was used, which was based o...

Creativity in EFL Teacher Training and Its Transfer to Language Teaching

There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the importance of creativity. This paper considers the necessity and implications of developing creativity in groups of pre-service teachers. Data for this study were collected using the content analysis - English as foreign language handouts created for the young learners at the elementary school created by two groups of students (primary school pre-service teachers (K1-4) and EFL pre-service English language teachers K5-13). It is my experience of working with those two groups for years that has driven this research that has confirmed our expectations about the ability to create interesting materials for their students with activities that are not ‘traditional’.

Environmental Education in Pre-Service Teacher Training: A Literature Review of Existing Evidence

Abstract The importance of pre-service teacher training regarding environmental education (EE) has been vastly demonstrated. This systematic review examined the existing evidence from studies evaluating and analysing the relationship between EE, including environmental competences and pre-service primary school teacher training. The literature review performed included 24 documents (22 peer reviewed journal articles and two doctoral theses). The strategy followed consisted in locating documents by a reliable search strategy; establishing the criteria for the selection of documents to analyse from the documents located and rigorously analysing the documents selected based on clear and precise criteria and dimensions. In general terms, the literature review analysis has emphasised the lack of environmental competences amongst pre-service teacher students and the gaps in the teacher training curriculums regarding EE. The overall scarcity of research in this area, jointly with certain gaps and methodological limitations, affirms the need for strengthening the evidence base.

Changing Pre-service Primary-school Teachers’ Attitude Towards Mathematics by Collaborative Problem Solving

Primary school teachers’ attitude towards Mathematics influences their pupils’ attitude. A pupil with a positive attitude is more likely to develop his/her mathematical problem solving skills, thus developing a positive attitude towards Mathematics in case of pre-service primary school teachers is very important. This paper presents the results of a research on de efficiency of collaborative problem solving in changing pre-service primary school teachers attitude towards Mathematics. During the intervention in the experimental group collaborative learning methods was used; in the control group the problem solving was made with more traditional way, using individual and frontal activities. The results show that students from the experimental group had a statistically significant positive change on how much they like Mathematics; their beliefs in the utility of Mathematics improved; and after the intervention they liked more to solve non-routine problems.

Engaging preservice primary and preprimary school teachers in digital storytelling for the teaching and learning of mathematics

AbstractA significant criticism made of preservice teacher education is that it fails to prepare teachers in such a way that they would feel confident in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching, despite the assumed digital literacy of student‐teachers and the children they will eventually teach. New technologies have enabled multimodal design and digital storytelling in meaning‐making and communication and are now often instrumental and influential in shaping students' social practices and identities. The purpose of this study was to explore an integrative approach in applying ICT in learning with specific reference to the formation of mathematics teaching capability in preservice teachers. It takes into consideration student‐teachers' lived experiences when introducing ICT supported learning into their classrooms as well as their exposure to related university courses such as educational technology, special didactics of mathematics and mathematics. This paper describes the instructional design framework and assessment criteria for mathematical problem solving and digital storytelling introduced to an ICT course for student‐teachers. Based on the analysis of pre‐ and posttesting of the subjects' capabilities and reports of their perceptions, it is suggested that preservice teachers can efficiently develop their content knowledge in mathematics problem solving and that an integrative approach such as that described here may facilitate both mathematical problem‐solving competences and pedagogical competences for applying digital storytelling in solving mathematical problems. The cohort of preservice teachers had no prior experiences of digital storytelling or multimodal design and perceived them as new practices. Their conceptions changed during the course from the passive recipients to active producers of media content. They demonstrated reflection relative to learning‐by‐design and representation modelling. They perceived digital storytelling as a strategy and means for empowering the “student‐voice” and the active construction of knowledge. The findings of the study contribute to preservice teacher education indicating that an integrated approach of instruction that deploys digital storytelling and multimodal design can help facilitate preservice teachers' pedagogical competencies and mathematical content knowledge.

Creating a Health and Sustainability Nexus in Food Education: Designing Third Spaces in Teacher Education

AbstractThere is growing pressure from the public health sector, government, environmental, medical and scientific fields to teach young people about food. However, little is known about pre-service teachers’ preparation in this area. This article addresses this gap by providing a case study of one approach to food education, which was purposefully designed to bring together two fields — health education and education for sustainability (EfS) — in teacher education in Victoria, Australia. This article outlines the ways in which this approach has the potential to challenge the conventions of both fields and ‘spaces’ of health (first space) and sustainability (second space), and gave rise to a possible ‘third space’ (Soja, 1996). This article uses data collected from Promoting Health Education, a 10-week course designed for generalist primary school pre-service teachers. It also utilises reflections from pre-service teachers and teacher educators (also the authors) to explore how they navigated first, second and third spaces. In doing so, the authors examine some of the learning potentials and difficulties within third spaces, including: designing third spaces; wrestling with the dominance of first space; complexities of second space; and questioning what might be lost and gained through the design of third spaces.

How Does Pre-Service Teacher Preparedness to Use ICTs for Learning and Teaching Develop Through Their Degree Program?

It is now well accepted that graduating teachers need the capacity to integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in ways which harness their learning affordances and develop students' digital literacies. However, effective ICT integration in the classroom is challenging because it requires complex application of technological, pedagogical and content knowledge. A key challenge for teacher educators is the provision of learning experiences at university and on professional placement that will allow pre-service teachers to develop these capacities. Understanding the learning process of pre-service teachers in relation to ICT integration is essential if this teacher education challenge is to be addressed. This article reports on a study in which a group of 11 pre-service Primary school teachers were interviewed at stages through their program with a focus on their preparedness to use ICTs in their teaching. The study used a model developed by Taylor (2004), which defines three stages of teacher ICT capacity development (uncritical and accepting, beginning to problematise, and reflection and theorisation), as an analytic lens. Using this model, pre-service teachers were positioned against the stages in the model at six points during their four year program, and factors contributing to their movement through the phases were identified.

Big Ideas in Science Education in Teacher Training Program

New curricula from primary school to higher education include performance assessments of achieved skills. The study investigates if it is possible to respond to this by focusing on some core ideas regarding content and design of learning situations. It was made on pre-service primary school teacher students in science and technology. It shows how the achievement of useable knowledge is enhanced by close relations between teachers and students in combination with open and visible processes of the learning.

Conocimiento de futuros profesores sobre espacio muestral

The aim of this paper is to assess some components in the probabilistic knowledge for teaching of pre-service primary school teachers. These teachers were given a task in which they must identify the certain event in a random experiment. Common knowledge of content is assessed through the responses given by 283 spanish pre-service primary school teachers to an open-problem. In addition, two components of didactic knowledge are inferred trough the participants analyses, when working in small groups: (a) specialized knowledge of content is assessed from their analyses of the tasks’ mathematical content; and (b) knowledge of content and students is assessed from their assessment of responses provided by primary school students. Results suggest the need to reinforce the training of pre-service teachers both in the mathematical and the didactic knowledge.

The Examination of the Views of Primary School Teachers and Preservice Primary Teachers on European Union Citizenship from the point of Different Variables: A Qualitative Study

Accepted: 01.10.2014 The aim of this study is to determine the view of primary school teachers and pre-service primary teachers on European Union citizenship. This study is a descriptive and qualitative research. The data of the research was collected from 25 primary school teachers in the city center of Kirsehir and 33 pre-service primary teachers studying in Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Education, Department of Primary Education. As the data collection tool, Interview Form was used. The data collected from teachers and preservice teachers were ranged and compared according to their values of frequency and percent by classifying under themes. At the end of the research, it was understood that primary school teachers and preservice primary teachers saw EU as an interest group and EU citizens as individuals living for their interests. Also they thought that EU citizens live well. On the other hand, according to primary school teachers and preservice primary teachers EU citizens thought that Turkey and Turkish citizens were underdeveloped and threat and carried an opposing culture. Besides, primary school teachers thought that full membership in EU would do more harm than good for Turkey, while preservice primary teachers thought full membership of Turkey in EU would be more positive beside its negativeness.

Primary School Preservice Teachers’ Technolgical Pedagogical Content Knowledge Competency in terms of Gender and ICT Use Phase

The purpose of the present study was to examine primary school preservice teachers’ self-efficacy in technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) in terms of gender and ICT use phases. For this purpose, the TPACK-Deep scale was applied to total of 276 senior preservice teachers from different universities. At the end of the study, it was found out that the preservice teachers had advanced levels of TPACK efficacy and that efficacy was not important except for the proficiency factor of gender. The TPACK changes of the preservice teachers were examined according to these phases. ICT use phases were found to be a direct predictor of TPACK, and ICT use phases were suggested to be taken into consideration while developing TPACK education models.

Pre-service primary school teachers’ self-reflective competencies in their own teaching

Much contemporary educational literature exhorts teachers, at all educational levels, to undertake continuous self-reflection on their teaching practices. However, at pre-service university level, many student teachers do not appear to understand the concept very deeply. Teacher educators and student teachers could benefit from knowing more about the charac- teristics and scope of student teachers' reflective competencies. This paper explores the competencies identified by primary school student teachers in their abilities to self-reflect on their own teaching capacities during practice teaching. Some 166 student teachers each wrote a 1500-word essay focusing on their reflective competencies. These essays were subjected to a NarrativeContentAnalysisusingamodifiedversionofBainetal's.theoreticalframework,with six components containing 19 levels of reflection. The results show that most of these student teachers were able to reflect in terms of reporting, responding, and relating, but were unable to do so in terms of reasoning, reconstructing, and representing reflection. Females generally performed better except in terms of responding, where males were more likely to respond in terms of significant aspects of teaching the incident or issue, to make judgments about the incident or issue, or to pose questions or identify problems. These outcomes have implications for teacher educators and pre-service students in terms of developing higher quality self- reflections about teaching and learning.

Pre-Service Primary School Teacher’s Perceptions towardsTeacher, Teaching and Learning from the Point of Constructivism

The aim of this study is find out pre-service primary school teacher's perceptions which are related teacher, teaching and concepts through metaphors and evaluating these perceptions from the point of constructivism. The participants for this study included 112 pre-service teachers who studied in the Department of Elementary Teaching at education faculty of a university in the Western Anatolia.This is a qualitative case study. The descriptive analysis technique was used analyse and interpret the study data. According the results of the study, the pre-service teachers' perceptions were gathered around the themes 'host and guide' for the concept of teacher, giving directions and to offer alternativesfor the concept of teaching and, 'learning is the goal and learning the tool' for the concept of learning. According the findings, it was reached that pre-service teachers attribute meanings which are much more suitable for behaviourism the teacher, teaching and concepts.