Preservice Elementary Teachers Research Articles

Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Experiences at the Intersection of Culturally Sustaining and Historically Responsive Pedagogy, Early Literacy, and the Science of Reading

This phenomenological study reports findings related to preservice teachers’ experiences mentoring early elementary readers. Preservice teachers in this study were enrolled in a literacy methods course designed to develop their understanding of early literacy, including knowledge of the written code and culturally sustaining and historically responsive pedagogy, and prepare them for the Texas’ Science of Teaching Reading exam. Within this context, we explored how preservice teachers worked to bridge multiple approaches to literacy instruction. Thematic results illustrate how preservice teachers sustained the lifeways of children through literacy as a social practice, created space for code-based and meaning-making skills, and learned to teach responsively. These results provide implications for a comprehensive approach to preparing teachers of elementary literacy: one that fosters knowledge of the written code while contextualizing knowledge in children's cultures, communities, and experiences.

Educational Robotics and Preservice Teachers: STEM Problem-Solving Skills and Self-Efficacy to Teach

Integrating STEM education within the elementary school science curriculum in Ontario, Canada, elevated the expectation for elementary preservice teachers to teach STEM skills such as problem-solving through coding. Research shows that educational robotics can promote STEM knowledge and skills. This mixed methods study investigates the effect of an educational robotics intervention on preservice teachers’ STEM problem-solving skills and their self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data sources included a pre- and post­questionnaire on problem-solving, a pre- and post- self-efficacy teaching questionnaire, a problem-solving worksheet, and transcripts of group interactions. Quantitative findings were statistically significant for preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics (large effect size) and for problem-solving competencies (small effect size). Using a STEM problem-solving framework, two preservice teacher group interactions were analysed. Qualitative findings indicated that preservice teachers exhibited similar problem-solving processes as STEM experts, but preservice teachers’ prior STEM knowledge limited the types of decisions considered at the problem-solving stages. The study provides an example of how preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics was developed within a science education course and lends unique insights into the problem-solving processes these preservice teacher groups engaged in.

구글 크롬 뮤직랩을 활용한 초등학교 예비 교원의 AI · 디지털 매체 역량 강화 방안 연구

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data to prospective elementary school teachers to strengthen their teaching and digital media utilization capabilities in the field of music creation using AI · digital media, and to help them research on improving the curriculum of pre-service elementary school teachers. Based on this, the 2022 revised music curriculum, and current music textbooks were analyzed and 4 sessions for pre-service elementary school teachers using Google Chrome Music Lab were developed. The significance of this study is that it presented a curriculum plan for pre-service elementary school teachers that focused on Google Chrome Music Lab among various AI · digital media for music education. It is also significant that the 2022 revised music curriculum, current textbooks, and achievement-based music creation were analyzed to consider the connection between digital media and the educational field. To make suggestions through this study, first, it is necessary to discover various cases of music teaching methods using AI · digital media. Second, music creation training using digital media should be actively conducted not only for pre-service teachers but also for teachers. Finally, it is necessary to create an educational environment with digital literacy in accordance with the changing times by sufficiently establishing AI · digital-related equipment in the educational field. It is hoped that this study will help improve elementary school music creation classes and pre-service teacher curriculum using AI · digital media.

예비교사의 디지털 역량에 대한 요구분석

The recent digital transformation in school education, including advancements in g enerative AI and digital technologies, highlights the need for digital competence a mong teachers. This study investigates the digital competence needs of pre-service elementary school teachers using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), Borich's Needs Assessment Model, and The Locus for Focus Model. The study participants were 98 first-year pre-service teachers from University A. The results showed th at pre-service teachers perceived all four sub-competencies of digital competence a s highly important. Among these, the sub-competency with the highest priority wa s the capability to utilize digital technology in education, specifically in areas such as digital-based curriculum reconstruction, design of personalized learning using di gital technology, evaluation, selection, and development of digital technologies, data, services, and content, and design of practical learning experiences based on digital technology. The findings suggest that teacher education curriculum should be impr oved to reflect the high-priority competencies identified by pre-service teachers. B ased on the results, discussions and implications for research are proposed.

Investigation of the Concept Images of Mathematics Educators and Preservice Mathematics Teachers Regarding Slope, Rate of Change, and Derivative

The aim of this study is to examine the concept images of mathematics educators and pre-service elementary mathematics teachers regarding the relationships between the concepts of slope, rate of change and derivative. Four mathematics educators working in different state universities and responsible for Analysis courses, three pre-service elementary mathematics teachers who successfully completed the Calculus 1 course at a state university, and four pre-service elementary mathematics teachers who successfully completed the Calculus 1 and Calculus 2 courses participated in the study. In order to determine the concept images of the participants about the concepts of slope, rate of change and derivative, the participants were asked semi-structured interview questions prepared by the researcher and application questions including the second stage questions. The audio recordings obtained from the interviews were transcribed and then the second stage questions were applied to the participants. The second stage questions were received in writing from the participants and analysed by the researcher through descriptive content analysis. As a result of this study, mathematics educators were able to use the concept images they had in the first stage questions in the second stage questions. On the other hand, pre-service elementary mathematics teachers were able to use the concept images they had in the first stage questions in the second stage questions.

Creating Digital Storytelling as Digital Materials in Mathematics Education

The digitalization of stories through technology-supported software has created the concept of digital stories. In recent years, researchers have been making efforts to investigate the effects of digital stories that have started to be used as digital materials in education. This study aims to evaluate the digital stories created by preservice mathematics teachers for mathematics courses, their experiences in the process of creating digital stories, and their views on the use of digital storytelling as digital materials in mathematics courses. This qualitatively designed study was conducted with the participation of 49 preservice elementary mathematics teachers and lasted 7 weeks. It was found that the digital stories created by the participating preservice teachers were moderately acceptable. Participants characterized digital storytelling as materials that are interesting, support teaching, and provide visual richness. They also stated that they intended to use digital storytelling when they begin working as teachers. However, due to the time-consuming nature of the process, most participants stated that they would use ready-made digital stories instead of creating them themselves. Additionally, the results of this study provide information about the experiences of preservice teachers regarding the process of creating digital storytelling.

Open mathematical tasks conceived, designed, and reflected upon by preservice elementary teachers

Open mathematical tasks conceived, designed, and reflected upon by preservice elementary teachers

Pre-service Elementary Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge in Lesson Planning and Post-lesson Reflection Discourses on Science Classes Using Virtual and Augmented Reality Content

Pre-service Elementary Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge in Lesson Planning and Post-lesson Reflection Discourses on Science Classes Using Virtual and Augmented Reality Content

Crossing boundaries: developing preservice teachers' professional identity through hybrid school–university partnerships

PurposeSchool–university partnerships are the core of effective teacher preparation programs, and central to this model are the classroom teachers who mentor preservice teachers into the profession. This article describes an innovative collaboration that transcends institutional boundaries, operating in a hybrid space, aimed at supporting preservice teachers' development as educators, expanding their professional networks and fostering their sense of belonging and professional identity within a broader community of teacher leaders.Design/methodology/approachThis article describes a hybrid partnership model that provides preservice teachers with innovative mentoring experiences. Research on hybrid partnership models and boundary-spanning frames the discussion. The article provides a brief overview of two iterations of a collaboration between elementary preservice teachers and a cohort of teacher leaders in a fellowship program. The paper concludes by discussing lessons learned and directions for future research on the topic.FindingsPreservice teachers benefit from opportunities to engage with a variety of mentors throughout their program. While the classroom teacher serving as a mentor is central to teacher preparation, there is a space for hybrid partnership models that provide preservice teachers additional mentors to support their development and connections to a professional learning community of teacher leaders. Through innovative hybrid collaborations, preservice teachers engage with diverse mentors, expanding their professional networks and preparing them to navigate the complexities of the educational landscape with a sense of belonging and identity.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the literature on hybrid partnership models, aimed at empowering preservice teachers by integrating them into a professional community of teacher leaders, fostering their sense of belonging, identity and preparedness to navigate the complexities of the profession.

Supporting elementary preservice teachers' content knowledge for teaching about matter and its interactions

AbstractKnowledge of science content and the ability to translate knowledge into effective teaching is known as teachers' content knowledge for teaching (CKT). Teachers with developed CKT are able to more effectively determine instructional and assessment activities that will deepen K‐12 students' scientific literacy. However, preservice teachers (PSTs) can have limited opportunities to develop CKT, and little is known about how to support PST CKT development in elementary science teacher preparation. In our work, we developed instructional materials (i.e., “CKT Packets”) intended to support teacher educators (TEs) in developing elementary PSTs' CKT for one content area—matter and its interactions. We facilitated a professional learning community for TEs to support their learning how to implement the materials in their courses. We report on results from a mixed‐methods study using a quasi‐experimental cohort control design with a pretest and posttest to understand differences in PSTs' CKT (N = 250) in eight TEs' science classrooms. Nesting PSTs within their TEs' courses, and controlling for PSTs' prior CKT, engagement time on the assessments, prior coursework, and TE time‐invariant effects, we found preliminary evidence that PSTs achieved greater CKT when TEs implemented more CKT Packets. Salient factors that we hypothesize influenced TEs' productive uses of CKT Packets included disruptions to courses/contexts, TEs' sources of motivation for implementing Packets, TEs' entry points for the alignment of curricular materials with existing topics and pedagogical course emphases, TEs' approaches for first‐time use of curricular materials, and TEs' experiences with the instructional routines of the Packets. We bound our interpretation of results within limitations (e.g., small sample size, quasi‐experimental design) and suggest avenues for new research. Throughout this article, we include implications for TEs, PSTs, educative curricula developers, and researchers working to improve science teaching and learning for students.

Models of Science Teacher Identity: The Multiple Representations of Pre-Service Elementary Science Educators

ABSTRACT Experiences in pre-service teacher education can have a lasting effect within the professional life histories of classroom teachers. Investigating the ways in which pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs) represent themselves as science teachers before, during, and after methods course experiences can inform best practices of elementary science teacher pre-service and inservice development as well as further highlight the concerns and objectives of PSETs. Therefore, as a pre-service science teacher educator, I seek to understand the ways in which PSETs represent themselves as future science teachers and the experiences within the methods courses that influence those representations. This study relies on quantitative pre- and post-survey data and qualitative course artifact data completed as part of regular undergraduate course assignments. PSETs representations of self within this study tend to shift from a traditional approach to science teaching toward constructivist, student-centered pedagogical practices and show reduced anxiety toward teaching science and increased science teaching self-efficacy.

Exploring Pre-service Elementary Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Developing and Using Virtual Reality Materials Reflecting Spatial Thinking in Astronomy Class

Exploring Pre-service Elementary Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Developing and Using Virtual Reality Materials Reflecting Spatial Thinking in Astronomy Class

‘기둥’과 ‘뿔’에 대한 초등 예비교사의 교과 내용 지식 분석

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary preservice teachers’ subject matter knowledge (SMK) of prisms, pyramids, cylinders, and cones. The analysis of the preservice teachers’ SMK regarding the extension of each solid figure revealed that they had more difficulties with cylinders and cones compared to prisms and pyramids. Some of them classified cylinders and cones as solids of revolution based on the instructional sequence of the curriculum. This study also analyzed their SMK by dividing it into three categories: (a) mathematical definitions, (b) school mathematics, and (c) instructional sequence. The mathematical definitions group demonstrated a high overall level of specialized content knowledge (SCK). The school mathematics group, on the other hand, had mostly common content knowledge (CCK). The instructional sequence group often showed SCK only for cylinders and pyramids. Based on these analysis results, we proposed specific measures for preservice teacher education to develop their SMK and knowledge at the mathematical horizon (KMH).

The Development of Non-Formal Learning Organization Skills in Preservice Math Teachers

Although the effects of out-of-school learning on students' learning have attracted significant attention among education researchers in science and social sciences, little is known about the development of pre-service elementary mathematics teachers' skills in utilizing out-of-school learning in mathematics lessons. The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of activities conducted within the scope of the out-of-school learning environments in mathematics education on pre-service elementary mathematics teachers' skills in organizing non-formal learning. The study utilized a sequential explanatory design, which is a mixed-method approach. The quantitative part of the research employed a "single-group pretest-posttest design without a control group" from experimental designs. This study involved 35 third-year teacher candidates enrolled in the Primary Education in Math Program (PREDMAP) at a state university located near Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. The data collection instrument used in the study was the Out-of-School Learning Regulation Scale (OOSLRS). Additionally, teacher candidates were asked to write reflective essays about their thoughts on the program at the end of the study. The analyses revealed that prior to the program, pre-service math teachers had the highest scores in the knowledge dimension and the lowest scores in the implementation dimension of organizing out-of-school learning. Significant differences were found in the pretest scores of preservice math teachers only in the knowledge dimension based on their previous experiences in organized out-of-school learning environments during their educational lives. Significant improvements favoring the post-test application were observed across all dimensions between pretest and posttest scores. Data from reflective essays written by the preservice math teachers indicated their emphasis on active participation and included suggestions particularly in the implementation dimension.

The Hidden Histories of Social Studies: Collaborating with Elementary Preservice Teachers on a School-Wide Community Event

ABSTRACT In this reflective piece we address the importance of uncovering hidden histories and voices. Traditional history lessons taught in schools have been predominantly taught through a White, Eurocentric narrative. White males are the dominant voices heard, while People of Color (POC) remain largely silenced from the traditional social studies curriculum (Conner, 2021). After learning of the rich history that thrives in our communities and in our role as university professors, we decided to teach about these critical aspects of history. We share the process of organizing a school-wide social studies, living museum event highlighting unknown New Mexico historical figures. We provide a synopsis of the three themes that emerged from our analysis, which are unveiling hidden historical figures, teaching culturally responsive curriculum, and focusing the project through a critical lens. Within the analysis we describe some of the units presented during the living museum event, followed by a discussion of our reflection.

Effects of a Creativity-Enhancement Intervention on Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Creativity in Computing Education

AbstractRecently, creativity has been acknowledged for its importance in improving computer science learning and attitudes. However, very little is known about how to integrate creativity in preservice teacher computing education. Toward this end, we developed a creativity-enhancement intervention in an online Creative Computing instructional module to introduce preservice elementary teachers (N = 76) to the ideas of creativity in the context of computing education. Using a pre-/posttest quasi-experimental design, we examined the effects of the creativity-enhancement intervention on participants’ person-, process-, and Scratch product-related creativity compared to the same curriculum that did not include the creativity-enhancement intervention. Preservice elementary teachers who received the creativity-enhancement intervention reported significantly higher person- and process-related creativity and produced more creative Scratch projects than their peers who did not receive the intervention. When looking at the three creativity strands holistically, the study findings provide strong evidence that the intervention had a positive effect on preservice elementary teachers’ creativity in the context of computing education.

Mental computation strategies used by preservice elementary teachers in addition with two-digit natural numbers

Mental computation strategies in addition on two-digit natural numbers used by preservice elementary teachers are assessed and analyzed in order to examine if in the research literature the mental computation strategies used by the students are adequately categorized. A written test is used to gather mental computation strategies used by preservice elementary teachers. The results indicate a few new strategies used by preservice elementary teachers not already covered by the research literature. On the other hand, the results indicate that there is a theoretical need to clarify some of the definitions of mental computation strategies in research literature.

Development and Evaluation of an Internet of Things Project for Preservice Elementary School Teachers

Programming education is gaining more attention in elementary schools, especially through the use of visual programming tools and development boards. However, the elementary school teacher education in Taiwan allows only limited time periods for training in visual programming and the use of development boards. Development boards are ideal for creating internet of things (IoT) projects, and project-based learning (PBL) is an effective teaching strategy in programming education to promote active learning. Therefore, to sustainably cultivate 21st-century teachers, this study developed an IoT PBL activity for preservice elementary school teachers in Taiwan, so as to improve their attitude toward programming and to enhance their content knowledge of programming teaching, including in computational thinking concepts and knowledge concerning the micro:bit and IoT. This project aimed to engage preservice elementary school teachers in using the micro:bit and electronic modules to create cardboard games with IoT features. A preliminary evaluation was conducted within a teacher education course to verify the project’s feasibility. Consequently, the preservice elementary school teachers participating in this project could develop various IoT cardboard games through teamwork. Their scores on the assessments of computational thinking concepts, development board knowledge, and attitude toward programming showed significant improvement after the project activity. They also expressed highly positive feedback on the project. These findings verify that the proposed PBL activity could be feasible for elementary teacher education.

Sustainable Literacy of Climate Change: A Survey Study on Pre-Service Elementary Teachers'

Sustainability literacy is a crucial skill that should be introduced to students as a way to achieve sustainable development. Environmental issues are one of the main goals in sustainable development. The objective of this study is to analyze the sustainability literacy profile of pre-service elementary teachers related to climate change. This research is a survey study. The subjects of this study are 156 pre-service elementary teachers. Data collection techniques used semi-open questionnaires. Data analysis techniques used descriptive techniques. The results of the analysis show that the sustainability literacy of the students falls into the very good category, with an average score of 84.85%. The Sustainable Knowledge (SK) dimension is the highest compared to the other dimensions, with a percentage of 92.96%. Meanwhile, the Sustainable Behaviour (SB) dimension is the lowest, with a percentage of 76.75%.

The effectiveness of science encyclopedia-assisted project-based learning integrated with the STEM approach in enhancing pre-service elementary teachers’ scientific literacy

Scientific literacy plays a crucial role for elementary teachers in developing the strategies of science learning and implementing them in the classroom. Nevertheless, the scientific literacy of college students in elementary education has not been optimal. Science encyclopedia-assisted project-based learning (PjBL) integrated into the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) approach is hypothesized to enhance scientific literacy. The present study describes and examines the effectiveness of science encyclopedia-assisted STEM-PjBL in enhancing pre-service elementary teachers’ scientific literacy. Quasi-experimental research using a pre- and post-tests control group design was applied to this study. 56 pre-service elementary teachers at the University of Halu Oleo were involved in this study whereby they were equally distributed to two groups. A test of scientific literacy was adapted and used to measure scientific literacy. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe and analyse the data of scientific literacy. Results revealed that science encyclopedia-assisted STEM-PjBL had a positive modest effect on the achievement of scientific literacy. The scientific literacy of college students in elementary education who received science encyclopedia-assisted STEM-PjBL had moderate enhancement. Additionally, a science encyclopedia-assisted STEM-PjBL significantly enhanced scientific literacy. Educational practitioners can implement a science encyclopedia-assisted PjBL integrated STEM approach to enhance scientific literacy resulting in high achievement in science education.