Pre-service Primary Teacher Education Research Articles

Development of a Mathematical Experience from a STEM and Sustainable Development Approach for Primary Education Pre-Service Teachers

Advances in education are increasingly important, and it is necessary to look for methodological strategies that enhance the value of mathematics in society and promote integrated training that helps students reason critically and rigorously. In this sense, math trails with a focus on STEM and sustainable development are a good resource to connect mathematics with the environment in a transversal way with other disciplines. A total of 35 postgraduate students in secondary education and 30 undergraduate students in primary education participated in this research and received a training course from experts in mathematics teaching. During the experience, the graduate students designed trails that were tested by the undergraduate students after a prior review by three in-service primary teachers. Likert scale questionnaires and open questions were asked of the students to evaluate the training received and the execution of the experience. Likewise, it was also decided to hold a debate with the participants and a guided interview with in-service teachers to assess the possible application of the resource in primary education courses. The results show a very positive assessment of the experience and allow us to support this approach to promote a change in the teaching–learning of mathematics in the last years of primary education.

Subject matter knowledge in Primary Education teacher training

INTRODUCTION. The article questions a basic problem of didactics: the relevance of subject matter knowledge as a quality requirement in teacher training. Subject matter knowledge is assumed to be necessary to facilitate student learning and education. Specifically, it is understood as a requirement for teachers to be able to carry out didactic designs and developments that facilitate meaningful learning experiences and strengthen the conceptual structure of students. The objective of the research is to know if future Primary Education teachers and preservice Primary Education teachers have an adequate knowledge of subject matter knowledge. METHOD. To answer the objective, the type and organization of their knowledge is examined through concept maps, evaluating the productions with validated structural and semantic rubrics. RESULTS. The results show that, in general, teachers have a very poor organization of subject matter knowledge, with a weak didactic potential. DISCUSSION. Likewise, the data indicate that there are insignificant differences between the concept maps of teachers in training and those made by practicing teachers, which reflects a similar andcyclical knowledge structure. The conclusions point to the low and limited impact of teacher education programs on pre-service teachers’ acquisition of subject matter knowledge, even though it is understood as a general didactic requirement for teacher education and, for the development of quality teaching.

A First Approach to Co-Design a Multimodal Pedagogic Conversational Agent with Pre-Service Teachers to Teach Programming in Primary Education

Pedagogic Conversational Agents (PCAs) are interactive systems that engage the student in a dialogue to teach some domain. They can have the roles of a teacher, student, or companion, and adopt several shapes. In our previous work, a significant increase of students’ performance when learning programming was found when using PCAs in the teacher role. However, it is not common to find PCAs used in classrooms. In this paper, it is explored whether pre-service teachers would accept PCAs to teach programming better if they were co-designed with them. Pre-service teachers are chosen because they are still in training, so they can be taught what PCAs are and how this technology could be helpful. Moreover, pre-service teachers can choose whether they integrate PCAs in the teaching activities that they carry out as part of their degree’s course. An experiment with 35 pre-service primary education teachers was carried out during the 2021/2022 academic year to co-design a robotic PCA to teach programming. The experience validates the idea that involving pre-service teachers in the design of a PCA facilitates their involvement to integrate this technology in their classrooms. In total, 97% of the pre-service teachers that stated in a survey that they believed robot PCA could help children to learn programming, and 80% answered that they would like to use them in their classrooms.

The Impact of Using Collaborative Online International Learning during the Design of Maker Educational Practices by Pre-Service Teachers

The main purpose of this study is to measure the effect of COIL when implementing the maker methodological approach in teacher training in relation to motivation and the technology acceptance level. The sample consisted of 44 primary education pre-service teachers from the University of The Basque Country (UPV/EHU). The motivation level was measured using a post survey that included the Reduced Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (RIMMS) and the perception in relation to the acceptance of the technology using items from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Quantitative data were collected at the end of the training to analyse the differences among the two groups, the EHU control group and the EHU-COIL experimental group. Results show that the EHU-COIL experimental group showed higher levels of motivation and technology acceptance in all of the subscales compared to the EHU control group after completion of the experience of being trained on maker education and designing collaboratively sustainable maker educational teaching and learning plans. The differences were particularly significant in the perceived usefulness subscale. In light of these findings, it seems that participation in COIL in teacher training adds value to maker-based educational practices.

The Breakout in Final Examination: An Experiment with Preservice Primary Education Teachers

The Breakout in Final Examination: An Experiment with Preservice Primary Education Teachers

Is the Spanish educational system ready for blended learning Analysing pre-service primary education teachers’ perceptions

Is the Spanish educational system ready for blended learning Analysing pre-service primary education teachers’ perceptions

Tunisian EFL Learners’ Perceptions of the Use of Oral Presentations in Assessing Speaking Skills: An Exploratory Practice Study

The aim of this exploratory practice research was to gain a better understanding of how tertiary education English as a foreign language (EFL) learners perceive oral presentations (OPs) in the formative assessment of their speaking skills. Participants were 150 pre-service teachers of primary education from the Higher Institute of Social Sciences and Education of Gafsa (HISSEG), Tunisia. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results revealed that participants showed a positive attitude towards oral presentation (OP) assessment, viewing it as useful in enhancing their speaking abilities and self-reflection and self-assessment skills. They also appreciated teacher feedback. In addition, they demonstrated a relatively high awareness of the purposes of OP assessment. However, participants had moderate awareness of the assessment criteria and low perception of peer feedback. Further interventions are needed to reinforce the strengths and address the inadequacies of OPs as a tool of formative assessment.

The Picture Dictation Activity for EFL in Primary Education: An Experience with Preservice Teachers

Teaching listening in a foreign language requires time, practice, and effort. The Picture Dictation is presented as a creative activity in which a teacher describes an illustration to their students who have to draw it afterwards. This paper aims at exploring the impressions of preservice teachers of Primary Education towards the implementation of a Picture Dictation as an activity for enhancing listening skills in young students. A total sample of 423 undergraduate students from two academic years were invited to participate. Out of this total, 233 participants (G1) implemented the activity in the virtual modality during 2020/2021 academic year, whereas 190 students (G2) applied the activity in the face-to-face mode in 2021/2022. Each participant completed an online survey, which was uploaded onto Moodle platform. The main results showed that G1 would have preferred to apply the activity in a classroom environment, while G2 found some difficulty in the timing of the activity. However, the advantages were focused on promoting creativity and fostering listening comprehension. Even though the implementation of this kind of activity to practise EFL is not new, our findings contribute to gathering the main perceptions and beliefs held by preservice teachers, as well as the future implementation for their professional practice.

The Effect of Video Analysis of Inquiry School Practices on Pre-Service Teachers’ Scientific Skills Knowledge

ABSTRACT This study provides evidence of the effect of video analysis of real classroom situations as a support for promoting the professional vision among primary education pre-service teachers. Specifically, it focuses on the Science Process Skills involved in scientific inquiry when teaching through this method. This quasi-experimental study (n = 90) analyzes a didactic strategy based on the noticing and coding of inquiry teaching practices in school contexts. It aims to encourage pre-service teachers’ knowledge of the Science Process Skills. The quantitative results show a significant improvement in all these skills in the experimental group, mainly with regard to the proficiency of Planning and Experimentation and Interpretation skills. These data are congruent with the results obtained from the qualitative analysis of the codification engaged in by this group. The results of this study contribute to responding to the need for resources in the scientific inquiry education of pre-service teachers in primary education. Video analysis was observed to help mobilize a wide range of concepts involving knowledge of the Science Process Skills that are studied in the initial stages of teacher education.

Pre-service Primary Teachers’ Views about Scientific Inquiry

While scientific inquiry is a critical goal in science education reform, worldwide research indicates that students and educators misunderstand it. The present study investigates the scientific inquiry views of 170 senior-year pre-service primary school teachers using the VASI (Views About Scientific Inquiry) questionnaire. This standardized tool assesses learners’ understanding of scientific inquiry. The analysis of student responses demonstrates that the sampled pre-service primary education teachers hold naïve views on several aspects of scientific inquiry. Findings show that participants seem to have difficulty understanding that scientific inquiry begins with a question and are unclear on whether a single procedure generates the same results or if scientific data is equivalent to scientific evidence. The inability of pre-service teachers to understand scientific inquiry confirms a lack of general consideration of its process, raising doubt over the opportunities for learners to adopt and engage in scientific inquiry. Consequently, the implications of curriculum reform are discussed.

Scaffolding Close Reading of Mathematical Text in Pre-service Primary Teacher Education at the Tertiary Level: Design and Evaluation

Even in the digital age, learning mathematics at an academic level still requires much reading of mathematical text. Research has shown that reading mathematical text requires readers to engage with all the structures of the book and with its pedagogical voice, making connections, and plausible reasoning. Specific practices and strategies that support the close reading of mathematical text have been suggested; however, descriptions and empirical evaluations of materials designed to support these activities are rare. We present the design and first evaluation cycle of materials developed in a design research project that aims to scaffold close reading of mathematical text. The materials were designed and evaluated in a German university course on elementary geometry for first-year teacher education students who study mathematics to become primary teachers. The reading strategies were explained and modeled for students in reading-strategy videos. Additionally, close reading of mathematical text was scaffolded by close-reading tasks and homework tasks and problems that build on the reading strategies and were specifically designed to foster understanding of the mathematical text. Survey data were collected from 296 students to evaluate their use of and attitude toward the different materials. The quantitative results indicate that students used the materials and were generally able to learn the course content by themselves. From all provided materials, they found the close-reading tasks most helpful. A qualitative analysis of answers to open questions revealed issues with different materials, particularly with the script, and requests for additional materials. The issues with the script were categorized inductively. The categories are presented as a qualitative result of the study and discussed.

History education and changing epistemic beliefs about history: An intervention in initial teacher training

Epistemic beliefs can have an important effect on teaching practices determining how teachers approach a discipline in the classroom in different contexts. The research reported on here focused on initial teacher education, assessing the pre-service social studies teachers’ epistemic beliefs about history, and their ideas regarding history education. We examined the way in which the beliefs of 59 Spanish participants had evolved after an intervention focused the fostering of historical thinking and understanding. A pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design was applied, using the Beliefs about History Questionnaire (BHQ), which was supplemented by a qualitative approach. Results indicate progression, although it was more noticeable in pre-service primary education teachers who adhered to a more nuanced vision about historical knowledge and both objectivity and subjectivity. The way that participants with different conceptions about history thought about educational aspects were also examined and discussed. Findings suggest the effectiveness of educational interventions in initial teacher training to allow pre-service teachers to understand the specificity of this discipline.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Plurilingual Pedagogies

Summary In light of the growing diversity in European and Slovenian schools, equity-centered plurilingual pedagogies have gained prominence across the political, educational, and scientific spectrum. This gives particular weight to this study, which aims to contribute to the understanding of the complexity of factors that promote the mainstreaming of plurilingual pedagogies. The concept of Linguistically Sensitive Teaching (LST) was used as a lens to study pre-service teachers’ perceptions of plurilingual pedagogies in their educational context. More specifically, the study aims to examine pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the relevance of plurilingual pedagogies for their future profession and their understanding of the teachers’ competence in regard to the implementation of plurilingual pedagogies in Slovenian schools. Data from 27 pre-service primary education teachers from the University of Ljubljana of the Faculty of Education were examined. Reflection prompts were used to stimulate and guide the critical engagement of participants within the context of LST: a video, a document, and a SWOT analysis template. The findings illustrate pre-service teachers’ awareness of the relevance and the benefits of plurilingual pedagogies for their profession and their understanding of the complexity of factors, specifically in relation to teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills that promote the mainstreaming of plurilingual pedagogies. The study highlights how the reflections of pre-service primary education teachers can support the development of future pre-service teacher training within initial teacher education. As such, it has positive implications for developing teacher education to better respond to the needs of linguistically and culturally diverse classes in today’s schools.

A Correlational Predictive Study of Teacher Well-Being and Professional Success in Foreign Language Student Teachers

The teaching profession has an important emotional burden that, together with the erosion of different elements that compose it from continuous educational reform to the bad behavior and demotivation of students has led to many teachers experiencing physical and psychological illness or leaving the profession. Nevertheless, studies and interventions in this regard are still insufficient in the Spanish context. This situation also exponentially affects pre-service teachers, which according to numerous studies is the stage during which the diminishing of teacher well-being begins and consolidates. Within this panorama, with this study the authors pursue to determine which dimensions of teacher well-being are capable of predicting the professional success of 88 pre-service primary education teachers who specialize in a foreign language so that they can be addressed in the training process. To this end, an ex post facto study was carried out correlating the following instruments: the Teacher Distress Questionnaire, the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey with an adaptation of the Rueda de la vida escolar sobre el éxito y la satisfacción laboral del docente (Wheel of school life on teacher success and job satisfaction). Multiple linear regression revealed that of all the variables studied for teacher well-being (intrinsic motivation, expectations about good professional performance, professional distress, professional exhaustion, irrational beliefs, emotional intelligence and burnout) only emotional intelligence and intrinsic motivation have the ability to predict the success of teachers in training in their future professional performance. This result is of paramount importance for reconsidering the training that teachers receive during their university stage, which currently and substantially prioritizes the cognitive component over psychosocial and emotional components.

Dual Training in Language Didactics of Foreign Language/CLIL Pre-Service Primary Education Teachers in Spain

Background: Classroom-based research in second language acquisition (SLA) has focused in the last decade on the pedagogical implications concerning the mental representation of language but has not considered the didactic training of pre-service teachers. Empirical analyses have been concerned almost exclusively with the linguistic development of foreign language learners, who do not receive specific training to become language teachers. Purpose: Due to the lack of literature regarding simultaneous linguistic and didactic training with pre-service foreign language teachers, this exploratory classroom-based research analyses a case of linguistic and didactic dual training for pre-service primary education teachers of German in Spain, both when being trained to work as foreign language teachers, or as CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) teachers. The objective is to assess the effectiveness of the dual training by measuring the degree of the pre-service teachers’ (N=4) willingness to communicate (WTC) before and after each practice session (N=14). This is a mixed-methods research where data were collected through (i) a questionnaire answered by the pre-service teachers and (ii) the lecturer’s linguistic and didactic excursuses. Results: The results show a high degree of WTC among the pre-service teachers, mainly as result of the Instructed Foreign Language Acquisition (IFLA)-based teaching practice model implemented, including linguistic training in German and didactic training (e.g., excursuses) in Spanish (L1). Factors like grouping increase the pre-service teachers’ WTC, while factors like talking to someone they know little about decrease it. However, personal traits need to be considered when it comes to WTC, even with individuals who share similar language proficiency.Implication: The innovation of this teacher training methodology lies in the coordinated combination of linguistic (i.e., IFLA-based teaching model) and didactic training. IFLA-based teaching practices are evaluated positively by the pre-service teachers in terms of linguistic and didactic training and WTC. Final recommendations are suggested about teaching methodology.

Integration and Management of Technologies Through Practicum Experiences: A Review in Preservice Teacher Education (2010-2020)

The presence and use of technologies in educational settings is constantly increasing. Therefore, initial teacher education needs to prepare future teachers to deal with this technological implementation from both practical and pedagogical perspectives. This paper examines the treatment of technologies that initial teacher education offers to early childhood education and primary education preservice teachers facing their practicum experiences. A bibliometric and thematic review during the 2010-2020 period is conducted in WoS, Scopus, PsycInfo, and ERIC databases. An analysis of co-occurrence of terms and the creation of bibliometric maps are considered. The thematic analysis follows an inductive approach. Three big areas are addressed through this approximation: consideration of technologies before practicum, the use of technologies at the schools, and the study of preservice teacher’s personal variables. Findings show the importance of working with technological preparation of university supervisors and cooperating teachers when teacher candidates do their practicum. In this proposal, to consider the self-efficacy and technological, pedagogical and content knowledge model of preservice teachers is encouraged. Conclusions underline the importance of teaching and strengthening pedagogical and reflective experiences during the practicum. Limitations are considered.

Efficacy of an Emotional and Cognitive Regulation Programme for Mathematics Problems Solving

The purpose of this study was to analyse the efficacy of an emotional and cognitive regulation programme in mathematics problem solving (MPS) in primary education preservice teachers (PEPSTs). The objective was that the PEPSTs learn to solve mathematical problems and become aware of their emotions, self-regulating their learning process. The programme consists of two parts: the first one involves awareness and control of one’s affective responses before the MPS, and the second one involves an integrated model of MPS and emotional control (IMMPS). For the study, we opted for a pre-experimental pretest/posttest design with an experimental group and the complementarity of qualitative and quantitative methods. Some of the results that were obtained were greater emotional control in the PEPSTs, reducing the anxiety and blockages that MPS initially caused them.

Development and effectiveness evaluation of a STEM-based game-design project for preservice primary teacher education

Development and effectiveness evaluation of a STEM-based game-design project for preservice primary teacher education

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.

Analysis of the representations of the concept of number proposed by a group of pre-service Primary Education teachers in Costa Rica

Background : Educational reforms in mathematics imply a series of changes in teacher training. Some of these modifications accentuate the inclusion of new content, the development of mathematical abilities, skills, or competencies, and the implementation of different teaching and assessment strategies, and the use of technology. Primary and secondary education teachers must be able to respond adequately to these curricular standards. In Costa Rica, mathematics education has undergone changes to promote various cognitive processes in students, such as those of number representation. Objectives : The article highlights the diversity of representation systems assigned to the concept of number, proposed by a group of Costa Rican preservice Primary Education teachers, as a promoting agent for the development of processes of representation in students. Design : Theoretically, the research is structured around proposals for the analysis of the meanings of mathematical concepts as associated to teacher training. It is a descriptive study based on an intrinsic case study. Data collection and analysis : The information was collected through a questionnaire. Information analysis highlights the existence of different forms of representation and the justification arguments that the participants apply for their selection; content analysis was used as the analytical technique. Setting and participants : The study was carried out with 23 preservice Primary Education teachers. Results : The results reveal a trend in the use of representation systems of the same form to present the concept of number, particularly iconic and symbolic-numeric representations. Conclusions : A connection is observed between the proposed representations and situations and contexts that seem to be familiar to Primary Education students; this relation deserves further exploration.