Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Research Articles

Pre-service Science Teachers’ Informal Reasoning Patterns and Risk Perceptions in SSI: Case of Gene Therapy

One crucial characteristic of scientifically literate individuals is making informed decisions in socioscientific issues (SSI). Participants’ reasoning patterns and their risk perceptions shape their decisions. Thus, determining participants’ informal reasoning patterns along with their risk perceptions while making decisions in SSI becomes important. This study fulfills this important point by exploring pre-service science teachers’ informal reasoning patterns and their risk perceptions in an SSI topic, specifically gene therapy. Eleven pre-service science teachers enrolling in two different public universities participated in the study voluntarily. The study was designed as a basic qualitative approach. The data were collected by semi-structured interviews focusing on the use of gene therapy in Huntington’s disease and human intelligence cases. The results revealed that pre-service science teachers made decisions by using one (rationalistic, emotive, or intuitive) or more informal reasoning patterns together. Moreover, their risk perceptions were found to be based on the potential and severity of effects on humanity and society, participants’ morals and values, side effects, and a general concern born out of fear. In addition to their risk perceptions regarding gene therapy, they referred to positive aspects of technology, negative aspects of technology, and a two-edged sword implying positive and negative aspects of technology as a whole while making decisions. These results altogether pin the importance of including multiple forms of informal reasoning and risk perceptions in the pre-service science teacher education programs.

Developing Student Teachers’ Conceptions of the Nature of Science: An Assessment of a Pre-service Science Teacher Programme in Tanzania

The importance of enabling student-teachers to acquire informed conceptions of the Nature of Science (NOS) is widely emphasised. Hence, this study investigated the effectiveness of a science pre-service teacher education programme of one university in Tanzania in enabling student-teachers to acquire informed conceptions of NOS as stages in a Learning Progressions model. We employed a comparative impact study design where NOS conceptions were compared resulting from two interventions—science student-teachers trained in inquiry-based learning (IBL) (N = 154) and those trained in IBL plus a NOS course (N = 86). The first teacher education programme emphasises learning through IBL, thus assuming that students will automatically acquire NOS conceptions through experiencing IBL. The additional NOS course targets explicit instruction of three NOS aspects, i.e. the tentative nature of scientific investigations, the scientific method and scientific theories and laws. Moreover, non-science student-teachers were used as a baseline control group (N = 106). Findings indicated that generally student-teachers had limited conceptions of NOS, implying serious gaps in NOS learning progression. Neither experiencing IBL nor being trained in an additional NOS course had significant impact on student-teachers’ understanding of NOS. Largely, our findings imply that the pre-service science teacher programmes are not sufficiently enabling student-teachers to acquire informed conceptions of NOS, a condition that calls for immediate intervention. We recommend a comprehensive review of the NOS progression. In the meantime, for the pre-service education programme we recommend a stand-alone and compulsory NOS course that explicitly addresses all of the aspects of NOS.

Pre-service Teachers Learning to Teach English as a Foreign Language to Preschool Learners in Macau: A Longitudinal Study

Language teacher beliefs have received increasing research attention for the past few decades. However, little is known about the beliefs of pre-service teachers in the pre-primary English as a foreign language (EFL) education context. This qualitative case study extends this line of inquiry by investigating the trajectory of student teachers' beliefs about teaching English to pre-primary learners in Macau within a teacher education course. The participants included 60 pre-service teachers taking an English Language Activities course in their third year of a 4-year Bachelor of pre-primary education program. The data comprised written reflections collected at three points in time during the 16-week course: at the beginning of the course, mid-way through the course, and at the end of the course. The findings showed five broad themes, constituted from 15 subthemes, regarding (1) learners and learning, (2) teaching, (3) subject, (4) self, and (5) learning to teach. The major themes have been documented in the literature, but several subthemes were identified for the first time in the context of pre-primary EFL teacher education. More importantly, the findings revealed that some of the subthemes were newly shaped and several subthemes were reshaped as a consequence of taking the course. The findings were interpreted in relation to the content of the course, the experiential learning opportunities, the pre-service teachers' prior experiences of language learning and teaching, and the local language teaching and learning context. Implications for pre-service teacher education programs are discussed.

Adequacy of pre-service teacher education for teaching physical education curriculum in public primary schools: A study of teachers from six selected educational circuits

Pre-service teacher education programme should aim at adequate preparation of pre-service teachers to equip them with pedagogical and content knowledge relevant for full-time teaching career. However, a major obstacle to quality education is that several teachers are not well prepared to teach the school curriculum competently. Therefore, the study examined: 1) adequacy of pre-service teacher education for teaching the physical education (PE) programme, 2) relationship between adequacy of pre-service teacher education in PE and the frequency at which PE lessons were taught, and 3) relationship between adequacy of pre-service teacher education in PE and teacher-related barriers to teaching PE in public primary schools. The study design was cross-sectional survey. Multistage sampling technique yielded a sample of 172 subjects out of estimated population of 300. Validated and reliable self-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Pre-data analyses were performed to clean data from errors. All data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS for Windows, Version 17). The study found that several teachers received inadequate knowledge in teaching physical education programme in public primary schools. From the study, positive correlation was found between pre-service teacher education in PE and the frequency at which PE lessons were taught. The study also revealed a negative correlation between quality of pre-service teacher education in PE and teacher-related barriers that hindered effective teaching of PE programme in public primary schools of the six selected circuits involved in the study.

Innovative praxis for environmental learning in Canadian faculties of education

AbstractThis article explores innovative praxis in Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) in four preservice teacher education programmes in Canada. ESE is finding its way into teacher education in a variety of innovative and interdisciplinary ways, as both part of mainstream programmes and in their co-curricular margins. Using a case study approach, each case builds on unique connections to Indigenous education, art education, cultural learning or educational gardening, which supports a variety of differing aspects in relation to ESE. These cases share a common theme of building relationships at the heart of ESE teaching and learning in the mainstream and the margins of the academy. Brought together through a Canadian network of faculty, researchers, policy-makers and community educators that was formed in 2016, these cases demonstrate a deep commitment and imaginative capacity for embedding ESE in Canada’s teacher education systems.

Comparing the Didactic-Mathematical Knowledge of Derivative of In-Service and Pre-service Teachers

Background : The knowledge that a mathematics teacher should master has taken an increasing interest in recent years. Very few studies focused on comparing didactic-mathematic knowledge of in-service and pre-service teachers aimed at identifying features of the teachers’ didactic-mathematical knowledge on specific topics that can establish a line between pre-service and in-service teachers’ knowledge for teaching. Objective : The research aims to compare derivative knowledge of pre-service and in-service teachers to identify similarities and differences between teachers’ knowledge. Design : This research is a mixed and interpretative study. Settings and Participants : The participants were 22 pre-service teachers, and 11 in-service teachers enrolled in a pre-service teacher education programme and a master’s programme, respectively. Data collection and participants : Data were collected based on a questionnaire designed purposefully for the study. Results : The results show that pre-service teachers lack both epistemic derivative knowledge, while in-service teachers not only have this knowledge but relates it to its use in teaching. Pre-service teachers may not be making sense of the concept of derivative means, much less related to teaching. Conclusions : The insufficiencies found in pre-service teachers’ knowledge justify the pertinence to design specific formative cycles to develop prospective teachers’ epistemic facet of didactic-mathematical knowledge. It is recommended that both in-service and pre-service teachers discuss activities in which they can identify and reflect on possible mistakes and errors made by students. The development of these formative cycles should consider the complexity of the global meaning of the derivative.

Comparing the self-efficacy of Florida school-based agricultural education teachers delivering online and in-person instruction

The purpose of this study was to examine the self-efficacy of Florida SBAE teachers for in-person and online instruction. The methodology included a descriptive survey approach to determine the self-efficacy of Florida SBAE teachers. A census of SBAE teachers was conducted in the Fall of 2020 and Spring of 2021. The population included a total of 500 SBAE teachers in the Florida. Major findings included a significantly different self-efficacy score for in-person instructors (M =4.22, SD = 0.48) when compared to instructors who taught online (M = 2.98, SD = 0.67). Navigating online platforms for teaching, coupled with the conditions in which teachers had to move to online instruction during COVID-19 could have reduced the self-efficacy of teachers. Recommendations include training for teachers on how to navigate online platforms, as well as professional development to enhance skillsets of teachers in pedagogical practices for engaging online learners. Teachers should look for support from their peers who are proficient in online teaching. Preservice teacher education programs should consider integrating online delivery instructional practices into existing coursework and moving back to in-person instruction when it is safe to do so.

Exploring Awareness for Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPAC) in Pre-Service Teacher Education Programme

The purpose of the present study is to explore the prospective teacher’s awareness about Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework in their ongoing teacher education programme. The sample comprised 80 B.Ed. students from two colleges of Jammu division and 20 M.Ed. students from one prominent university of the Jammu division. The investigator employed a self-constructed semi-structured tool as per the objective of the study. The study employed a descriptive exploratory design. The findings revealed that both at UG and PG level, students have individualised knowledge about technology, pedagogy and content but, the least number of students were familiar with this framework. The study included some concrete suggestions and recommendations for meaningful integration of Technology-mediated pedagogy in the ongoing teacher education programme at the regional and national level. The findings of the study help in strengthening the policy formulation for teacher education in the current perspective.

팬데믹 및 4차 산업혁명 시대의 지역사회체육과 학교체육 : 인성 함양의 전인적 체육 모색

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find out what the role of physical education teacher need to be , how on-line home schooling and on-field self-learning need to be adapted, and what relationships between school physical education and the local community need to be pursued.<BR> Method: Ethnographic approach was adopted with three in-service physical education teachers, two previous Public Sport Club officials at KOC and two sport-related co llege professors. The participants were recruited based on the Snowballing way with the criteria of ‘10-year or more career’and ‘Willingness of participation in the study.’ School documents, observation of on-line school physical education classes and in-depth interviews were carried out to collect data. For the purpose of trustworthiness of the study, Data triangulation, Member check, Peer debriefing and Key informant were utilized.<BR> Results: The results of this study are as follows. Seven participants claimed together that physical education teacher in the pandemic and/or 4<SUP>th</SUP> industrial revolution era should 1) become a counselor, a facilitator, a guide and an advisor to help students spontaneously perform physical education classes on their own, 2) play a role of an administrator to build up relationships with the local community and government members, organize each student’s local on-field learning with his/her peers and 3) develop expertise for effective counseling and administration. Pre-service and in-service teacher education programs need to be aligned with the results. <BR> Conclusion: In summary, the findings in this study confirm that the physical education teacher education programs need to focus on nurturing counseling and administrative competencies to get prepared for the contemporary 4<SUP>th</SUP> industrial revolution society or another possible pandemic circumstance.

Preservice Teacher Education Programs, Novice Teachers, and Classroom Management Preparation

Classroom management is one of the biggest challenges first-, second, and third-year (referred to as novice) teachers face. Research has shown novice teachers feel unequipped to manage their classrooms due to inadequate preservice training. In this study, 96 novice elementary school teachers from school districts throughout South Carolina completed an online survey that addressed preservice classroom management experiences and teachers’ beliefs about classroom management preparation. It was found that although 80% of participants did receive preservice classroom management training, some of these participants felt unprepared to manage their classrooms. Over 90% of participants agreed that a preservice classroom management course in college is beneficial for future teachers. The results indicate a need for strong preservice courses in classroom management that offer both strategies and classroom experiences, as well as inservice professional development opportunities, to provide educators with the tools necessary to successfully manage their classrooms.

Initial English language teacher education: the effects of a module on teacher research

ABSTRACT Framed in action research, the authors investigated the perceptions and experiences of a cohort of student-teachers as they learned about and explored for the first time teacher research in a self-contained module as part of a four-year pre-service or initial English language teacher education (IELTE) programme in southern Argentina. The module, ‘Research in English Language Teaching’, ran from March–November 2018. It was led by a teacher educator based in Argentina and a UK-based colleague who acted as an external academic advisor. Drawing on qualitative research, data collection strategies included: the tutor’s journal; student-teachers’ journals; assignments; research proposals; report drafts; presentations; group discussions; interactions between the tutors; and end-of-course interviews. The findings show that the module had a positive effect on student-teachers’ identity, their English language proficiency, and the role of reflection in feedback processes. The student-teachers appreciated teacher research as reflective practice and as a source of professional development.

The Relevance of Current Ethiopian Primary School Teacher Education Program for Pre-service Mathematics Teacher’s Knowledge and Teacher Educator’s Awareness about Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching

The major objective of this study was to examine the effect of Ethiopian pre-service primary school teacher education program to mathematics teacher’s knowledge and assess teacher educator’s awareness about Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching. The study employed quantitative and qualitative research approaches. It was also used survey and narration research design. The population of this study were all third-year pre-service teacher classes in generalist, specialist and linear modality classes in three sampled colleges of teacher education such as: Kotebe Metropolitan University, Hawassa College of teacher education and Arba Minch college of teacher education. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The result showed that program type has no effect on the mean scores between specialist and linear students in Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching scale. Significant difference was not observed in mean score of Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching test against gender. The findings also showed that teacher educators have no enough knowledge/awareness about the term Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching and its components. Thus, the study suggested that successive training should be organized to train teacher educators about Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching and mathematics pedagogies and recent mathematics education theories in general.

Mixed-Reality Simulation With Preservice Teacher Candidates: A Conceptual Replication

Given the critical importance of discrete instructional practices in special education, teacher candidates must be prepared to implement them upon entering the classroom. In preservice teacher education programs, field placements and clinical experiences rarely provide enough opportunities for preservice teachers to gain the proficiency needed to provide effective instruction. In this study, a randomized control research design was used to investigate the effects of a mixed-reality simulation experience compared with traditional classroom practice in the implementation of a system of least prompts. Results suggest that mixed-reality simulation with additional coaching supports significantly improved preservice teachers’ implementation of the prompting sequence. Social validity data collected offer insights into the use of mixed-reality simulation in practice with preservice teachers. Limitations and suggestions for future work are discussed.

A case study of Turkish pre-service teachers of English in an international exchange program: ELF and WE perspectives

Study/Teach abroad experiences, are shown to impact prospective teachers’ beliefs and values, offering exposure to diverse educational systems and teaching philosophies. This qualitative exploratory case study aimed to investigate the impact of the Comenius language assistantship program on the sociolinguistic perspectives and meaning schemes of Turkish pre-service teachers of English, in different intercultural educational contexts in Europe between 2011 and 2014. It incorporated both English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and World Englishes (WE) perspectives. The theoretical framework in the study is Mezirow’s (1991) transformative learning theory. The data, collected via semi-structured interviews and reflective journals, were analyzed via content analysis. The findings indicated that although their social and educational backgrounds affected their interpretations of international teaching experiences, participants seemed to share an overarching sociolinguistic perspective. Changes emerged in four meaning schemes: inclusive pedagogical practices, teaching and learning English from the ELF- and WE-aware perspectives, creative and critical thinking activities, as well as intercultural awareness. The study underscored the necessity of integrating the following issues into pre-service language teacher education programs: intercultural awareness, competence, and communication, as well as linguistic and cultural diversity. The findings also emphasized the teacher educators’ role as facilitators in terms of enhancing the transformative potential of the international teaching experiences.

Scope of Introducing TPACK of Teacher Education Programme in India

The present study focused on the scope of introducing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of a two-year pre-service and in-service teacher education program in India. This paper describes the TPACK awareness among teacher educators. It also emphasizes teachers educators integrate technology into education in the 21st century. The main objective of the study to find out the scope of implementation of TPACK on Teacher training programs &amp; the relationship between technology and pedagogy content. Also, the researcher measures the curriculum and challenges to introducing TPACK and finally gives meaningful suggestions to gain technological skills. The methodology of the study is qualitative and interview methods are applied. The study is a mixed type involving interpretative, analytical study of documents, interview and study both primary &amp; secondary sources, like books, university news, expert opinion, articles, journals, thesis and websites, etc.

Teaching Classroom Mathematics: Linking Two Pedagogical Models for Promoting Student Engagement and Conceptual Connections

This paper explains how an original conceptual framework model for mathematics pedagogy, the Australian Curriculum Conceptual Rubric (ACCR), has continued to be used successfully by the author in pre-service and in-service teacher education programs over the past ten years or more. Now further enhanced by a deeper reflection upon Peter Sullivan’s Six Principles (2011) for the effective teaching of classroom mathematics, the ACCR is based on four preparatory “big questions” that the teachers may ask of themselves and their students. The model is also a sequenced system of conceptual “rubrics” whose aim is to encourage, in new teachers especially, a beginning sense of hierarchical mathematics concept building and connectedness. Using Sullivan’s Principles for corroboration, the ACCR presents some useful ideas for helping teachers to keep track of the important elements of practical, effective teaching, and to use engaging and meaningful language in their classrooms.

Toward a More Comprehensive Picture of Physical Education Teaching Quality: Combining Generic and Content-Specific Practices

Purpose: This study explores physical education teaching quality and its effects on student psychomotor learning by bringing together generic and content-specific practices. Method: A sample of 51 elementary classroom teachers who taught physical education to third-, fourth-, or fifth-grade students (N = 944) was recruited. Student psychomotor development was measured through a pre- and postperformance test. Teaching quality was captured through classroom observations and a student survey. Results: Findings showed that more teacher-level variance was explained when combining generic and content-specific practices, as compared with that explained when considering either type of practices in isolation. Teaching aspects from both types of practices were found to be important predictors that could discriminate among teachers based on their level of effectiveness. Conclusion: A comprehensive framework of physical education teaching effectiveness could be developed involving both types of practices. This framework could be used for both summative and formative purposes in preservice or in-service teacher education programs.

Alignment of Ethiopian Primary School Pre-Service Teacher Education Program with that Primary School Mathematics Contents/Syllabi

This study is a quantitative research that examine the extent of alignment of Ethiopian teacher education program curricula with primary school mathematics contents. So, to collect the data, the study was used content analysis as instrument. The sources of data were primary school mathematics syllabi and curricula materials of college of teacher education. To do this, the study employed quantitative method to collect data from pre-service mathematics teachers. Coders were very experienced teacher educators from three different colleges of teacher education: Kotebe Metropolitan University, Hawassa college of teacher education and Arba Minch college of teacher education. Teacher educators were selected purposely based on their service year in college of teacher education and their positiveness for coding. To do the content analysis, the main documents (primary school mathematics syllabi) were coded or broken down in to manageable categories on a variety of theme and then examined using appropriate content analysis theoretical model. The result of the study portrayed that the curricula materials of generalist have low level of alignment with the primary school mathematics contents whereas those of specialist and linear curricula were align with the mathematical contents of primary school curricula in moderate level. As it was indicated in the findings of the study, the college curricula materials are not fully aligned with the contents of primary school mathematics. There are school mathematical contents which are not included in curricula of teacher education. Thus, it is recommended that appropriate program should be designed which create an opportunity for preservice mathematics teachers to access school contents either during practicum sessions or should include in the curricula materials of teacher education.

Relationship between perceived self-efficacy and teaching practice performance among pre-service basic science teachers in colleges of education, Delta State, Nigeria

The study examined the relationship between perceived self-efficacy of pre-service basic science teachers and teaching practice performance in colleges of education in Delta State, Nigeria. One hundred and twelve (112) pre-service basic science teachers were selected from two colleges of education in Delta State. Forty-six (46) from College of Education l (COEI) while sixty-six (66) from College of Education II (COEII). The study tested three hypotheses derived from the three research questions. The independent variable was perceived self-efficacy of the pre-service basic science teachers, the dependant variable was teaching practice while the moderating variables were two colleges of education of the pre-service science teachers. The instruments used were “Teaching Practice Assessment Score Instrument (TPASI)” and the “Pre-Service Science Teachers Perceived Self Efficacy (PSTPSE)” with thirty (30) questions. Person correlation was used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that the three null hypotheses were accepted. The hypothesis one is accepted because there was no significant relationship found to exist between the pre-service basic science teachers perceived self-efficacy and their teaching practice assessment scores. Also, no significant difference was found between COEI and COEII pre-service basic science teachers‟ perceived self-efficacy scores and their performance in teaching practice. Finally, for all the pre-service basic science teachers irrespective of their subject combination, there was no relationship between their perceived self-efficacy and the teaching practice assessment. Consequently, it was recommended that there should be a reform in pre-service teacher education programmes in all our teachers training institutions; it can help to develop and improve teacher education programmes and pre-service teaching practice; this reform should aim at strengthening both content and pedagogical knowledge of pre-service teachers.

A Contrastive Analysis of Pre-Service and In-Service EFL Teachers’ Levels of Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge

This study attempted to investigate pre-service and in-service EFL teachers’ levels of knowledge in content, pedagogy, and technology in relation to their gender, Internet access at school, and technology training in Saudi Arabia. The Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework was utilized to (1) examine pre-service and in-service EFL teachers’ levels of TPACK; (2) investigate the differences between pre-service and in-service EFL teachers’ levels of TPACK; (3) scrutinize whether gender, Internet access at school, and technology training had any significant effect on pre-service EFL teachers’ levels of TPACK; and (4) analyze whether gender, Internet access at school, and technology training had any significant effect on in-service EFL teachers’ levels of TPACK. The participants in this study were (111) EFL pre-service teachers and (106) EFL in-service teachers. The descriptive statistical analysis (mean and standard deviation) revealed that the pre-service teachers’ overall level of TPACK was moderate scoring highest in TK, TPK, and TCK and lowest in CK and PK respectively. On the other hand, the in-service teachers’ overall level of TPACK was moderate scoring highest in CK, PK, and PCK and lowest in TK, TPK, and TCK respectively. The inferential statistical analysis (t-test) indicated a statistically significant difference between pre-service and in-service teachers’ levels of TPACK. All the seven sub-domains of TPACK were significant, with pre-service teachers scoring higher in TK, TCK, and TPK while in-service teachers scoring higher in CK, PK, PCK, and TPACK. The inferential analysis also showed that gender, Internet access at school, and technology training had a significant effect on both pre-service and in-service EFL teachers’ levels of TPACK. The study concluded that both pre-service teacher education programs and in-service teacher training courses need to focus on the connections and interactions between content, pedagogy, and technology in order to help EFL teachers integrate technology effectively into their teaching process. The study recommended investigating other factors that might be predictive of teachers’ levels of TPACK.