Pre-service Teacher Training Programs Research Articles

Influential factors on preservice teachers' intentions to use ICT in future lessons

This study aims (a) to make a comprehensive examination of factors influential on preservice teachers' intentions to use ICT in their future lessons and (b) to determine differences in those factors resulting from gender, university, and department. The data were obtained from 2904 preservice teachers from 16 universities through a survey. Comparative design was employed, and the data were analyzed through descriptive analysis, content analysis, and a MANOVA. Gender and university were not found to have any influence on perceived usefulness, perceived ease-of-use and efficacy, social influence, facilitating conditions, anxiety, or intention. The variable of department, on the other hand, had an influence on all factors except for social influence. While preservice teachers studying primary mathematics and Turkish had the lowest intentions of using ICT in comparison to their peers, preservice teachers studying English and science had the highest. All in all, as differences were found between departments in terms of intentions to use ICT, preservice teacher training programs should be subject-specific.

Hayat Bilgisi Dersinin Fen ve Teknoloji Dersindeki Öğrenme Düzeyini Yordama Gücü

Arastirmada ortaogretime ogretmen yetistiren 3,5+1,5 programlarindaki ogrenciler ile ilkogretime ogretmen yetistiren lisans programlarinda okuyan ogrencilerin ogretmenlik meslegine yonelik tutumlarinin program, sinif ve cinsiyet degiskenleri acisindan karsilastirmali olarak incelenmesi amaclanmistir. Arastirma tarama modelindedir. Calisma grubunu BAU-Necatibey Egitim Fakultesi 1. ogretim lisans ogrencileri ile 3,5+1,5 tezsiz yuksek lisans programlarina devam eden ogrenciler olusturmaktadir. Arastirmada Ustuner’in (2006) gelistirdigi “Ogretmenlik Meslegi Tutum Olcegi” kullanilmistir. Olcek, 645 ogrenciye uygulanmis eksik doldurulanlar ayiklandiktan sonra 511’i cozumlenme asamasinda kullanilabilmistir. Arastirmanin bulgularina gore; genel olarak ogrencilerin meslege yonelik tutumlari “katiliyorum” duzeyi ve ustundedir. Sonuclar, kiz ogrencilerin erkek ogrencilerden, sosyal ve dil bilim alanlarinda okuyan ogrencilerin ise fen ve matematik alanlarinda okuyan ogrencilere gore tutum puanlarinin daha yuksek oldugunu gostermektedir. Program ve sinif degiskenleri acisindan ogrenci tutumlarinda anlamli bir farklilik gozlenmemistir.

Owning your emotions or sentimental navel-gazing: Digital storytelling with South African pre-service student educators

Abstract Literature argues that for post-conflict pedagogies to facilitate student engagement across difference it requires emotional engagement with the subject. However, how to achieve such emotional engagement, without falling into the trap of sentimentality, is an area that is under-researched. This paper reflects on conversations with South African students in a final year pre-service teacher-training programme, who developed digital stories as a vehicle for student engagement across difference. Applying ‘critical emotional reflexivity’ (Zembylas 2011) as an analytical framework, we found that students described the digital storytelling process as opening up different ways of being with/for the ‘Other’ and allowing them to start questioning cherished beliefs and assumptions about the ‘Other’. However, they had difficulties in placing themselves in a bigger historical and sociocultural context. Furthermore, the specific set-up of the project made it difficult to track lasting social change within students, the fourth element of Zembylas’ theoretical framework. Findings also confirmed the potential of digital stories to lead to sentimentality and ‘passive empathy’ (Boler 1999), characterised by pity from the part of the privileged observer and resentment from the subjugated storyteller. We recommend adding a historical-political analysis of previous students’ stories to the digital storytelling process in order to help students deconstruct positions premised on the existence of clearly differentiated identities and to consciously create spaces where a reflection on the emotions students encountered while sharing and listening to their stories can be facilitated.

Exploring the Multicultural Efficacy of Korean Pre-Service Secondary School Teachers and their Experience toward Multiculturalism and Multicultural Education

This study aims to investigate Korean pre-service secondary school teachers (hereafter ‘KPSSTs’), who constitute the future leaders of multicultural education, and their level of awareness and experience toward multiculturalism and multicultural education, and to find ways to facilitate multicultural education in secondary schools as well as designing and running a pre-service secondary school teacher training program on multicultural education in colleges of education in Korea. 166 KPSSTs from 3 different universities in Seoul participated in the survey which examines their experience with multiculturalism and multicultural education and their level of awareness on these issues. The results were as follows: First of all, most KPSSTs had not experienced multiculturalism directly, but only indirectly through media. A slight majority of them had never had classes on multiculturalism, most of them had never taught students from multicultural families. Second, multicultural efficacy, which is the confidence in a teacher’s competence to teach students from culturally diverse backgrounds in a multicultural classroom environment, was average. Generally, KPSSTs were highly confident in guiding students to reduce prejudice and encourage them to foster mutual respect. However, they had low confidence in expert knowledge on multicultural education such as its contents, methods, and providing detailed descriptions related to multicultural education. Third, KPSSTs tended to approach multiculturalism by focusing primarily on race and ethnic group, which showed a lack of understanding on the broad scope of cultural diversity.

Inclusion of New Instructional Strategies in Pre-Service Teacher Training (B.Ed.) Program in Pakistan

Pakistan has continuously been under criticism as it does not appropriately fulfill the needs and demands of the school context and society. Its pre-service teacher training (B.Ed.) program does not efficiently prepare B.Ed. graduates to impart quality education to the secondary classes. It does not prepare them to work with others to expand their content knowledge, sharpen their instructional skills and build up their capacity to use data for meaningful decision making while its design and practice is based on strong and solid courses (i.e., general education, specialist subjects, education foundation studies, professional studies/content pedagogy as well as satisfactory practicum component). Perhaps these flaws are found in B.Ed graduates due to pay no attention to new instructional strategies during their pre-service teacher training program. This paper examines effectiveness of new instructional strategies and their impact on future teachers.

Four Language Skills Performance, Academic Achievement, and Learning Strategy Use in Preservice Teacher Training Programs

This article examines the differences in language learning strategies (LLS) use between preservice teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) and Arabic as a second language (ASL). It also examines the relationship between LLS use and language performance (academic achievement and four language skills) among ASL students. The study made use of survey research, questionnaires, achievement and proficiency test scores, and multiple regression analysis. Results show EFL and ASL students share similar use of six LLS (memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, affective, and social). The six categories predict academic achievement and four skills performance in different ways. Memory and cognitive strategies predict neither academic achievement nor four skills performance. Compensation strategies predict listening performance, whereas metacognitive strategies predict academic achievement and writing performance. Productive and receptive skills share similar information processing operations in terms of strategy use. Affective strategies predict reading and listening performance, whereas social strategies predict writing and speaking performance. The study made recommendations for curriculum and instruction.

Initial Implementation of Constructivist Physics Teaching in Thailand: A Case of Bass Pre-service Teacher

The purpose of this study is to investigate a pre-service teacher’s initial implementation of constructivist physics teaching. A case study was used to explore the underlying constructivist-based physics teaching implemented by a non-experienced male pre-service physics teacher, Bass. A mixed-methods research design was used to monitor the development of constructivist classroom environment at different phases. To collect quantitative data, the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) consisting of 5 elements: Personal Relevance (PR), Student Negotiation (SN), Shared Control (SC), Critical Voice (CV), and Uncertainty (UN) was primarily applied to reflect students’ perception toward the pre-service’s classroom learning environment after applying constructivist teaching scheme. The supplementary qualitative data were also obtained from classroom observations and interviews between Bass and the author as a teaching coach. The result showed that the pre-service teacher could reflect certain elements of constructivist physics teaching, especially PR, SN and SC. It was indicated that his physics lessons significantly became more personally relevant to students’ daily life. His students were likely to be more active in class discussion and allowed to question or criticize given class activities. The study contributes to several important implications for future research, particularly in the context of constructivist teaching in developing countries where knowledge concerning science and technology needs to be improved and for the pre-service teacher training program development for the Faculty of Education (Science Teaching) on behalf of Khon Kaen University. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2p506

Factors Affecting Implementation of induction Programmes in Kenya’s Public Secondary Schools:A Survey of Secondary Schools in Kamukunji District, Nairobi County

Induction is a vital step in the professional growth and development of a teacher because it acts as a bridge between pre-service training and the actual teaching job. Schools face different challenges and have unique opportunities for which no pre-service teacher training programme, however updated, would be adequate. This study sought to find out the factors affecting implementation of induction programmes in public secondary schools in Kamukunji district in Nairobi County. The point of departure was that induction is an important factor that is essential to the success of every beginner teacher. It helps Newly Appointed Teachers (NATs) to quickly adjust to the academic, social, and sometimes political environment in the new job with the guidance of the more experienced mentors. It is the responsibility of the school management to provide comprehensive induction programmes that will support beginner teachers and retain them in the teaching profession. However, most of the novice teachers coming into the teaching profession are receiving little or no assistance. Nevertheless, they are expected to perform the full teaching responsibilities despite their inexperience. They are expected to formulate their own coping strategies and to grapple with the challenges they encounter during their first year of teaching on their own. This study adopted a descriptive research design to investigate on the problem and stratified random sampling technique to select respondents. The design allowed the researcher to gather information, summarize, present and interpret for the purpose of clarification. Data was collected using self-administered, semi-structured questionnaires. Data collected was analysed using SPSS computer software and presented through percentages, means, standard deviations and frequencies. The information was displayed using tables, graphs and charts and in prose-form. The findings established that financial resources, inductors’ and inductees’ workload, transformational leadership style and induction methods affected implementation induction programmes in public schools to a great extent.

A Survey on Knowledge, Dispositions, and Performances of Pre-service EFL Teacher Training Programs in Iran

This study was taken under the form of survey research that yielded descriptive information about English teachers’ knowledge, dispositions, and performances. Three questionnaires of 34, 37, and 52 items consisting of INTASC model standards were administered to 147 teachers in a five- level Likert scale in three successive sessions, each lasting an hour. The means of English teachers’ knowledge, disposition, and performance scores were 3.27, 3.68, and 3.73 out of 5. So, pre-service English teacher training programs in Iran train knowledgeable and disposed teachers practically. Strong and weak points and the related INTASC principles were analyzed at the end.

Environmental Concerns in the Geography Curriculum: Perceptions of South African High School Teachers

As the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2005 to 2014) ends, a lot of progress has been made at policy level in re-orienting geography education at Further Education and Training (FET) (Gr 10–12) level in South Africa, towards the teaching of environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD). However, there is limited research on conceptual issues facing geography teachers, regarding the meaning of EE and ESD. This paper, based on my PhD research, seeks to address this gap. The PhD project focused on how geography teachers from diverse contexts in Western Cape secondary schools are implementing EE and ESD through the geography curriculum at FET level. In this paper, I use the qualitative data generated from my PhD study to show how three of the geography teachers grapple with the meaning of environmental education, sustainable development and education for sustainable development. The data reveals that the three teachers have conceptual difficulties regarding these terms. I argue that unless these conceptual difficulties are addressed through pre-service teacher training and in-service professional development programmes, the implementation of EE and ESD through the geography curriculum is not likely to be effective.

The socio-emotional dilemmas of primary school teaching in Anglophone post-colonial Africa: Policy implications for developing countries

This study investigated the underlying reasons for pre-service university student teachers’ negative responses toward an innovative faculty-based primary teacher education programme. The purpose of the study was to understand and explain post-Sixth form trainee teachers’ resistance to teach in primary schools. The data to address the problem was collected by means of the descriptive survey comprised of a questionnaire and structured interview. The participants in the study consisted of 54 post-sixth form student teachers intake class 2004 who were the first group to pioneer a university based pre-service primary teacher training programme, 8 teacher educators and 12 school based mentors participating in the implementation of the programme. The results of the study indicate that post-Sixth form student teachers undertaking primary pre-service teacher education programme are at a socio- moral and emotional crossroads. Socially and morally, primary school teaching is perceived by trainees as being inferior and less rewarding than secondary school teaching. Economically, university based primary teacher education programs are felt to be financially stressful to the prospective student. Emotionally, students feel isolated and unsupported by their tutors. In light of the above, this study proposes a major overhaul in the conceptualisation, design and delivery of university based pre-service primary teacher education programmes for post sixth form student teachers. First, at policy level, funding policies for primary teaching should be coherent across colleges and universities. Second, at implementation level, university lecturers should regard primary school teaching as problematic emotionally, morally and financially. In view of this the concerns of university students should be incorporated in both the design and delivery of primary teacher education programmes. Key words: Primary school teaching; emotional dilemmas; resistance, post-Sixth form student teachers, Zimbabwe.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF BRAZILIAN PROJECT PIBID TO PRE-SERVICE CHEMISTRY TEACHERS’ EDUCATION IN LOCO

Through initiatives of the Brazilian government, graduate students are taking the opportunity to experience in practice the challenges of being a teacher, as well as helping to improve education in public schools. One such initiative is the program PIBID (Scholarship Program of Initiation to Teaching) which addresses the relationship between school and university favors the exchange of experiences. The PIBID covers various degree courses in various federal and state universities in Brazil. This paper will cover the contributions of chemistry subproject PIBID USP (University of São Paulo) for pre-service chemistry teachers’ students for competent use of visual tools in teaching chemistry. To analysis responses were used questionnaires and interviews with pre-service teachers participating in the PIBID the second half of 2012. With the results can be seen project participants the interest of the program, which shows the importance of learning to teach chemistry so that students can view the content. Furthermore, it was noticeable that the PIBID changed the outlook of the project participating as a teaching career because they were able to experience other forms of action, re-thinking about the traditional method of teaching. According to the interviews, scholars still stress the importance of filling gaps in PIBID of pre-service teacher training programs, facilitating access to schools and preparing them to act professionally with a more concise theoretical baggage. Keywords: PIBID; Teacher Education; Teaching Practice

An Overview of ICT Integration in Nigerian Colleges of Education and the Implications on Social Studies Pre-Service Teacher Training Programme: A Review of the Literature

The influence of digital technology in society has made ICT literacy a basic requirement needed by all to survive the challenge of living in the 21 st . The education industry is now faced with the challenge of helping learners to acquire this literacy. Coping with this challenge requires breeding teachers’ with high level of proficiency in ICT literacy and competence. This study investigates the readiness of Nigerian Colleges of Education toward breeding social studies teachers with ICT literacy and competence. It is an exploratory conceptual study that is literature-based (document-based qualitative study approach). The study therefore explore literature to find out the benefit of ICT integration in social studies teacher education; the preparedness of Nigerian Colleges of Education for ICT integration; and the implications of the current state of technology integration on social studies objectives. Findings from this study indicated that, Colleges of education in Nigeria are not readily prepared for effective technology integration; much is still needed in terms of infrastructure and manpower development.

Implications from Changes Made for Pre-service Teacher Training Program for Teaching English to Children : From the Perspectives of Teacher Cognition

Implications from Changes Made for Pre-service Teacher Training Program for Teaching English to Children : From the Perspectives of Teacher Cognition

The learning needs of beginning teachers in the United Arab Emirates

Beginning teachers have legitimate learning needs that cannot be grasped in advance or outside the school context. These needs are documented in Western literature, but the skills required by beginning teachers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have not been investigated. The present study responds to this research gap. Data were collected through a self-administered survey with multiple-choice and open-ended questions completed by beginning teachers. Then focus group meetings with selected participants were conducted. Classroom management, creating attractive learning environments, motivating pupils to learn and using different teaching strategies are the most critical learning needs of beginning teachers in the UAE. Interestingly, being responsive to the diverse cultural and social backgrounds of pupils, creating extra-curricular activities and teaching in overpopulated classrooms were considered less crucial. These findings are significant for improving pre-service teacher education programmes and in-service teacher training and mentoring programmes in the country.

A visual culture pedagogy: a case study in negotiation

The author offers a case study of his own pedagogic practice with second year undergraduate university students enrolled in a kindergarten to grade 12 (K- 12) pre-service art teacher training program in which he introduces visual culture. Since his students come with preconceived ideas about art that are grounded in modernism, his goals are: to have students understand that images are constitutive of ideas, values and beliefs; that this is as true of popular art as it is of fine art; and that the ideas, values and beliefs of which all images are constituted should be subject to critique and not simply celebrated. A number of exercises are described with some examples. Throughout, students’ complex negotiations of acceptance, resistance and embrace are noted. Keywords: visual culture, pedagogy, case study in ne- gotiation.

Game-Based Learning in Teacher Education

As educational technology is rapidly changing, greater emphasis has been placed on preparing the next generation of teachers for effective technology integration into the classrooms. In this article, the authors describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of a course on digital game-based learning (DGBL) developed for the preservice teacher training programme in health science education in Flanders, Belgium. The objective was to provide an opportunity for teacher students to explore (i) the possibilities, considerations and constraints related to the use of digital games, and (ii) the practical design and try-out of a game in classroom settings. Results show that the games’ inclusion in the formal curriculum helps students to experience how DGBL can contribute to teaching and learning, improves self-confidence on technological skills, encourages the students to use DGBL in their future teaching activities, and enables them to engage their supervising teachers into using games in their classrooms.

Linking reading literacy assessment and teaching: Rethinking preservice teacher training programmes in the Foundation Phase

Assessment is a common task in education and has many varied purposes. One of these is the use of assessment data to make decisions about teaching and support to struggling learners. Teacher preparation programmes should provide candidates with a rigorous, research-based curriculum and opportunities to practice a range of predefined skills and knowledge, including a focus on linking reading literacy assessment and teaching. According to the International Reading Association (2003) position statement, Investment in Teacher Preparation in the United States, teacher education programmes should ensure that teachers, amongst other crucial aspects, “know how to assess the progress of every learner and change teaching when it is not working; know how to communicate results of assessments to various stakeholders, especially parents”. The purpose of this paper is to determine to what extent the content of a BEd Foundation Phase teacher preparation programme focuses on the assessment of the essential components of early reading instruction, and to what extent the content focuses on linking the aforementioned assessment with instructional decision-making. Keywords: reading; literacy; assessment’ teacher preparation programmes; innovation configurations

Change in Beliefs of Pre-service Teachers about Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language Throughout an Undergraduate Pre-service Teacher Training Program

This paper reports on a study that investigated changes in the beliefs about teaching and learning English as a foreign language of three final-year undergraduate pre-service teachers throughout a nine-month pre-service training program in one of the universities in Northern Cyprus. Although a considerable amount of research has already been conducted about the development/change in pre-service teachers' beliefs, most of these studies were carried out in native contexts and in short teacher training programs and this left us with minimal insights into non-native contexts and long teacher training programs (Borg, 2006). Considering the possible contextual differences that might exist between different contexts where English is used as first or second language (Calderhead & Shorrock, 1997) and the differences between different teacher training programs which vary in length, it is believed that exploring EFL pre-service teachers' beliefs and the development/change in their beliefs' during their teacher training over a longer period of time would contribute to our understanding of what actually happens in EFL teacher training programs. Such exploration is expected to reveal what sort of beliefs about learning and teaching EFL pre-service teachers have when they start teacher training programs and how their beliefs could develop/change throughout their training. Unlike the quantitative approaches adopted in the majority of the studies which investigated the similar phenomenon, qualitative approach was adopted to explore pre-service teachers' belief development/change with the intention of revealing a more holistic picture of their belief structures. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews at three-month intervals and through contemporaneous diary writing activity throughout the training program. Changes in all three pre-service teachers' beliefs were evidenced from the beginning to the end of the training programme. The theoretical and pedagogical implications of the study for the development of future teacher training programs are discussed.

Enhancing Pre-Service Teacher Training: The Construction and Application of a Model for Developing Teacher Reflective Practice Online

Reflective practice is an essential component of pre-service teacher training programs. It facilitates the linking of theory and practice and empowers trainees to seek reasons behind their practices and their beliefs. These help novices to evolve as they witness their own teaching philosophies emerging. This research took place over 18 months and comprised 3 case studies of eight weeks with 3rd year ESOL trainees on their first intensive block practice in Hong Kong state schools. The research suggests that an online environment is an effective one in supporting and developing reflective practice during these periods. This was facilitated by asking trainees to apply an online model to scaffold reflections. These reflections were then posted and discussed by all case study members. They were also explored further using online moderator asynchronous Socratic dialogue to prompt further reflection. Findings demonstrate that a deep level of reflection is attainable in this context, albeit relatively rare, using the online medium.