Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Research Articles

Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Identity Development in Learning to Teach Science: A Multi-site Case Study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate preservice elementary teachers’ science teacher identity development during their participation in the field-based science methods course and a year after. Grounded within the Feiman-Nemser’s thematic framework of learning to teach, this study utilized a case study approach aimed to examine the experiences that contributed to formation of science teacher identities of two participants uniquely positioned in the teacher education programs at the two sites, USA and Canada. Data collected over a year included science autobiographies, reflective journals, interviews, classroom observations, and artifacts. The analysis of the data revealed that experiences and interactions within prior science courses, science methods course and classroom teaching, and the program itself (a year after), accounted for the changes in how and in what the ways the two preservice teachers think, feel, know, and act as a teacher of science. Findings indicate the importance of the framework of learning to teach in shaping preservice science teachers’ identities. The study includes implications for preservice teacher education programs and research.

Pre-Service Secondary Teacher Education Programme: Some Concerns of Sustainability

With the onset of a new academic session, teacher education programmes across the county will be in a new avatar. The revamping of a teacher education programme has been on the cards for several years but stiff resistance from different quarters of the educational community made it impossible to do so. The revised secondary teacher education programme is new in several counts. Firstly, curricular areas have been made more contextual, class, student and community based. Secondly, teaching pedagogy has been made more child centred, experiential and reflective. Thirdly, internship model has been introduced giving more thrust on acquisition of skills and competencies in actual classroom and real settings rather than artificial settings. But, the reform has brought several challenges in its realm which teacher education programmes and institutes have to face. The present paper deals with the new challenges like demand for teacher education programmes, the role of private teacher education institutes and their increasing focus on commercialization, demand for teacher educators and whether the new system is pro-rich or pro-poor student etc.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Evaluation of Teaching and Learning of Core Courses in Regular and Distance Education Programmes in Ghanaian Colleges of Education

Almost all pre-service teachers from Colleges of Education in Ghana, whether from the regular or distance mode, teach in the basic schools. This research employed survey to examine pre-service teachers’ evaluation of teaching (ET) on teaching and learning in the regular and distance modes of teacher education in Ghana. The analytical cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. Four hundred and fifty-five (455) pre-service teachers of Accra College of Education and the College of Distance Education at Papafio Hills, both of University of Cape Coast were used as the sample for the survey. Questionnaire of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α) of 0.81 was used to solicit views regarding students’ evaluation of teaching and learning. Frequency and percentages were used to describe the data. They have the belief that tutors are competent in subject matter knowledge, pedagogy and assessment. Empirically, tutors’ knowledge of subject matter was rated ‘good’ by majority of distance (89.57%) and regular (51.17%) students. Organization of lessons by the college tutors was also judged as good by majority of the distance (73.07%) and regular (61.67%) students. Teacher assessment by college tutors was rated “good” and constructive by majority (66.0%) of the distance students, and a few regular students (36.8%). Similarly, pre-service teachers in the two colleges have positive self-efficacy in learning. Evidence from the study shows that, majority of the male (64.56%) and female (53.25%) students in the distance mode as well as female students in the regular mode (52.25%) did not find it stressful using mathematics and science textbooks to work on homework, except a few male students (48.41%) in the regular mode. Pre-service teachers have the belief that College of Education tutors in Ghana are competent in subject matter knowledge and pedagogy to teach in both regular and distance education programmes. Pre-service teachers in Ghanaian College of Education have self-efficacy in learning core courses in regular and distance education programmes. This study concludes that distance education programmes are equally effective and efficient means of education and training of pre-service teachers in Ghana just as the regular or traditional mode of teacher education and training. It is therefore recommended that, policy makers including the Ministry of Education and the National Council on Tertiary Education in liaison with Ghanaian universities should give similar attention to distance education just as it is done to the regular pre-service teacher education programmes in Ghanaian colleges of education.

Fizik Öğretmen Adaylarının Okul Fizik Laboratuvarlarındaki Öğrenci Başarılarını Değerlendirme Sürecini Öğrenimi

The reported research was conducted within the context of a pre-service teacher education program in a Department of Physics Teaching. This study aimed to investigate pre-service physics teachers’ efforts to learn to assess student performance in the school physics laboratory. The participants developed learning objectives closely related to laboratory skills and designed laboratory activities. They also developed assessment methods and assessment tasks, which they used when teaching experiments in internship schools. As prospective teachers, they were asked to give feedback to actual secondary students’ laboratory reports. Evidence has shown that such a process helped them improve their own laboratory reports. The participants were also interviewed in order to identify and understand the difficulties and challenges they experienced related to the assessment of student performance in the laboratory. Implications for curriculum development and pre-service teacher education are discussed. For example, the issue of how to prepare pre-service teachers to become skillful in assessing student performance in the laboratory should be an important component of teacher education programs so that laboratory work receives more importance in secondary education in Turkey.

Development of Quality Oriented Model for Restructuring of Pre-service Teacher Education Programs

This study was premeditated to develop quality oriented model for restructuring of existing pre-service teacher education programs. Population of the study was comprised of all teacher educators and prospective teachers of teacher education institutions of Punjab and Islamabad, Pakistan. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select sample of 300 teacher educators and 890 prospective teachers from 30 institutions. Two research questionnaires were used for data collection. Results revealed that prospective teachers enrolled in Bachelor of Education (Honors) were dissatisfied with the institutional environment, practical work, assessment techniques and features of teacher education. Whereas prospective teachers enrolled in Bachelor of Education one year program showed dissatisfaction with program duration. that teacher Educators teaching at Bachelor of Education (Honors) expressed dissatisfaction about physical resources, teachers’ competencies, teaching strategies, assessment techniques, professional skills, appreciative features of programs and institutional efforts to raise quality of the programs. Prospective teachers and teacher educators associated with both programs somewhat expressed similar opinions regarding quality of the programs. It is, therefore, recommended that teacher education institutions may improve the quality of both programs keeping in view quality related concerns of the teacher educators and prospective teachers.

Autonomy and Self-government in Indigenous territories in the diverse America

Between 2001 and 2006, Junichiro Koizumi was the Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party. During his tenure, Koizumi introduced several neo-liberalist policies, including market theory principles, as a means of reforming a range of public services, including those of public education. Prior to the introduction of these policies, there was a limit to the number of universities that could provide pre-service programmes for primary school teachers, with programmes provided on a supply and demand service. However, following Koizumi's policies of deregulation, any type of university was able to provide pre-service teacher education programmes for prospective primary school teachers. Of course, there will be those that view this deregulation as a means of achieving healthy competition, but it is also worth considering the ulterior motives for academic institutions that began offering these programmes following the deregulation. For one thing, those who had provided such programmes prior to 2001 had done so for a number of years and generally had the requisite amount of experience and expertise, while the 'new' programme providers had not necessarily demonstrated their capability and suitability for doing so. Indeed, prior to deregulation, there were approximately 100 providers of pre-service programmes for primary school teachers, but now there are over 200. From here, we might ask whether this increased competition has had the undesired effect of diluting the quality of the services provided and, if this is the case, what effect this has had on the quality of teachers that go through the programmes. Professor Yasuyuki Iwata is based within the Research Centre for Education in the Next Generation at Tokyo Gakugei University in Japan, and is investigating how neo-liberalist educational policies have affected the qualities and competencies of prospective teachers in Japan.

National Professional Standards for Teachers: Awareness, Perspective & Implementation in Pakistan

The main objective of the study was to investigate the perceptions of prospective teachers about the awareness of the implementation of national professional standards for teachers. The present study was descriptive followed by a survey method. The study was quantitative and the survey was used as the research design. The questionnaire was used as a research tool. Male and female prospective teachers of the pre-service teacher education program, B.Ed. (Hons.) Secondary of four public sector universities of Azad Kashmir session 2015-19 was the population of the study. The sample size was determined by using a stratified proportionate sampling technique. And the sample size was calculated by the Raosoft sample size determining formula. Thus the sample size was 196. In this study, the questionnaire was used as a research tool. All the statements of the questionnaire were according to the topic and objective of the study. The questionnaire was validated by the experts of the relevant field. According to the opinions and suggestions of the experts, statements were changed. The reliability of the questionnaire was measuring internal consistency by using Chronbach Alpha. Its value was found to 0.85. For data collection, a questionnaire was administered personally by the researcher to the sampled prospective teachers of the pre-service teacher education program B.Ed. (Hons.) Secondary of public sector universities of Azad Kashmir.

Historians, Archivists, and Museum Educators as Teacher Educators: Mentoring Preservice History Teachers at Cultural Institutes

A relatively new phenomenon in teacher education involves preservice history teachers conducting fieldwork in museums, archives, and other cultural institutes. However, researchers have yet to generate understandings supported by empirical observations of the inner workings of such fieldwork experiences. Using interviews, observations, and artifacts, this article analyzes the pedagogies historians, archivists, and museum educators use when adopting the role of teacher educators. Findings offer possibilities for a collaborative and site-based structure of teacher education, running contrary to traditional models. Important to the development of preservice history teachers, mentors at cultural institutes conceptualize their work through an inquiry lens, growing intuitively out of their work as disciplinary experts. In addition, educative mentoring, while typically conceived of as a classroom-based method, was observed in practice at cultural institutes. This article concludes by offering suggestions for applying principles from this model to existing preservice teacher education programs.

Teacher Educators’ Funds of Knowledge for the Preparation of Future Teachers

The aim of this qualitative study is to examine the funds of knowledge that a group of teacher educators drew on as means of professional development and quality provision. The study was carried out with 13 teacher educators working at a pre-service English language teacher education (ELTE) programme in Argentina. Data were collected between 2014 and 2019 by means of interviews and an arts-based form instrument called significant circle. Findings show that the teacher educators deployed a wide range of individual-based as well as community-based funds of knowledge to enhance their knowledge of English language teaching and evidence-based practice. Based on the findings, a taxonomy is proposed to understand teacher educators’ funds of knowledge.

Análise textual discursiva como constituinte de um processo de comunicação

A elucidação de características epistemológicas associadas à Análise Textual Discursiva (ATD) tem se constituído como objeto de estudo. Neste artigo, é retomada a defesa de que a ATD se afasta da tese relativista. Assim sendo, na qualidade de um procedimento analítico, ela também precisa alinhar-se a pressupostos teóricos que igualmente se oponham ao relativismo. Reconhecem-se, no aporte teórico do renomado educador brasileiro Paulo Freire, características que o distanciam do relativismo. Com isso, apresentam-se como objetivos do trabalho: i) analisar, na forma de uma metáfora, a comunicação na ATD com base nas contribuições desse autor em sua obra Extensão ou Comunicação?; ii) caracterizar o potencial pedagógico do exercício da ATD em pesquisas desenvolvidas em parceria no contexto da formação inicial de professores, quando articulada aos pressupostos teóricos de Freire. Nisso está subjacente a compreensão de que pressupostos teóricos assumidos explícita ou implicitamente na pesquisa não obrigatoriamente se restringem a auxiliar nos processos de unitarização, categorização e construção de metatextos, uma vez que podem influenciar, por exemplo, no próprio modo de desenvolvimento da análise. Palavras-chave: Análise de dados; Formação de professores; Paulo Freire.

INVESTIGATING THE ACCEPTANCE OF MOBILE E-PORTFOLIO AS AN E-LEARNING TOOL BY PRE-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM STUDENTS

The aim of the research was to conduct quantitative analysis of mobile e-portfolio acceptance by pre-service teacher education program students. Technology Acceptance Model developed by Davis was used in the study to identify the influence of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude towards the use of e-portfolio on the intention to use it. 136 respondents from three different higher education institutions took part in the survey. The data obtained in the survey was analyzed by applying linear regression analysis. Findings of the research suggest that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and attitude to the use of e-portfolio have a significant impact on students’ intention to use the e-portfolio. Among them, attitude towards the use of e-portfolio was the most significant factor that influences the intention to use mobile e-portfolio.

Role of Feedback for Bridging Theory- Practice Gap in Teaching Practicum

Incorporating theory into practice is not a simple rather dialectical and complex process of observing, scaffolding, reflecting, and coordinating prospective teachers. It has been observed that interaction in the form of academic feedback between CTs and PTs is missing in the teaching practicum. The present study aims to investigate the perceptions and practices of PTs and CTs about Feedback in teaching practicum to bridge the gap between theory and practice in the Pre-service Teacher Education Program. It is an exploratory investigation applying survey method and semi-structured interview to collect data from PTs and CTs to answer the investigation inquiries about the role of Feedback practices in bridging the theory-practice gap. Purposive and Criterion sampling techniques were applied to select the participants of the study. Findings reveal that the CTs are working as mentors without any professional training and recognition in their department and universities for their contributions in teaching practicum. They are lacking to perform their role effectively in providing written and oral Feedback to PTs for their professional development. School Practicum is suggested to be regular, well organized, and structured instead of a command-based component of the Pre-service Teacher Education Program. Keywords: Feedback, Teaching practicum, Cooperative teacher, Prospective Teacher

Inclusion illusion: a mixed-methods study of preservice teachers and their preparedness for inclusive schooling in Health and Physical Education

ABSTRACT For preservice teachers, inclusive education practices are daunting, highlighting concerns around confidence, individualisation, and student behaviour. To explore this issue further, this study examined the perceptions of preservice Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers on inclusion using a sequential, explanatory mixed-methods research design. Preservice HPE teachers (n = 44) completed a compulsory course on inclusion and a 10-week school internship. Sentiments, attitudes, and concerns were examined using the Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education-Revised Scale (SACIE-R) and reported a Total Scale Score (TSS) and respective Sub-Scale Scores (SSS) for Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns across three time points. Linear mixed models showed a significant improvement in TSS (p = 0.005) over time from course participation to internship. In addition, the SSS for Concerns was significant over time (p < 0.001) resulting in reduced Concerns about inclusion as time progressed. Qualitatively, six students participated in semi-structured interviews that examined views of inclusive education practices. Findings suggest an improvement in attitudes towards inclusive practices through participation in specific courses that provide direct opportunities for preservice teachers to practice inclusion. Implications for preservice teacher education programmes include the importance of direct experience with and without the pressure of school environments.

Indian pre-service teachers’ conceptualisations and enactment of inquiry-based science education

ABSTRACT Situated in the context of teacher education reform which vehemently emphasises inquiry-based science education, this study examined the conceptualisations and enactment of inquiry-based science education by a group of four pre-service teachers enrolled in a teacher professional development programme in India, using mixed-method research design. This study elucidates the tapestry of PSTs growth as inquiry-oriented science teachers during the field internship period. Several factors that are teacher-related, student-related, and classroom-related were identified in influencing pre-service teachers’ conceptualisation and enactment of scientific inquiry. It is advocated that to translate teacher education reform rhetoric to classroom practices, it is essential to develop a culture of inquiry in schools. Implications for pre-service teacher education programme are drawn.

Exploring the Educational Possibility of Teaching Evaluation System in Pre-service Physical Education Teacher Education Program

Exploring the Educational Possibility of Teaching Evaluation System in Pre-service Physical Education Teacher Education Program

Self-Regulated Learning of Brazilian Students in a Teacher Education Program in Piaui: The Impact of a Self-Regulation Intervention

Research on teacher education has shown that self-regulated learning (SRL) is relevant for improving learning skills of future teachers. Evidence also suggests that teacher education programs would benefit from fostering SRL in their students and teaching them to use SRL as a teaching practice. This dual focus could help students become more successful students and teachers, better prepared to foster SRL in their future classrooms. The objective of the present research was to investigate learning and study strategies and self-efficacy for learning beliefs among undergraduate students enrolled in teacher education programs at a public university in Brazil. Another aim was to design an SRL intervention, in two formats, and examine the effectiveness of each format at strengthening participants’ self-regulatory skills. To achieve these goals, the study was conducted in two phases. In phase 1, 220 participants completed this Learning and Study Strategies Inventory and the Self-efficacy for Learning form. Findings suggested a need for improving future teacher students´ self-regulatory skills and provided a basis for the second phase, whose goal was to examine an intervention program using a quasi-experimental research design with three stages: pretest, intervention, and posttest. Three classes were randomly assigned to three different treatment conditions: Experimental Group I (EGI) received theoretical content about SRL and self-reflective questions (format 1), Experimental Group II (EGII) received theoretical content about SRL only (format 2), and the Control Group (CG) only completed the assessments. Data from the first phase were used as pretest measures for the second phase. The sample for phase 2 of this study was composed of 53 students. EGI had 22 students, EGII 12, and CG 19. Results comparing EG I with EG II showed no statistically significant group x time interactions. However, when compared with CG, EGI showed statistically significant gains over the control group on five outcome measures, whereas EG II showed statistically significant gains over the control group on three of the outcome measures. This suggested benefits to receiving the interventions and that EG I may yield additional benefits over EG II. Theoretical and practical implications for pre-service teachers and teacher education programs are discussed.

Reconceptualising teacher education for teachers of learners with severe to profound disabilities

ABSTRACT This paper considers teacher education for teachers of learners with severe to profound disabilities (SPD) in South Africa, in both formal and non-formal learning programmes within a disability studies in education framework. Qualitative data were collected from a range of education stakeholders including non-governmental (NGOs) and disabled people organisations (DPOs). Based on a thematic analysis, findings show limited pre-service teacher education programmes focused on teaching learners with SPD. In-service teacher training through education departments and NGOs and DPOs, is usually through basic short courses or workshops and are not complemented by on-going support. We argue for a reconceptualization of teacher education in South Africa to prepare teachers to meet the diverse needs of learners, including those with SPDs within an inclusive education context. Skills in addressing barriers to learning should be infused throughout initial teacher education, in line with the principles of universal design for learning while impairment-specific knowledge can be offered in related modules that focus on reasonable accommodation for children with disabilities. In-service education can occur in formal and informal programmes and should empowers teachers to become lifelong learners.

Investigating Preservice Teachers’ Science Teaching Self-Efficacy: an Analysis of Reflective Practices

The purpose of this mixed methods research was to investigate the development of 55 preservice elementary teachers’ science teaching self-efficacy beliefs through analysis of their reflective practices in a science method course. This year-long study was conducted at two public universities located in the USA and Canada. Within the theoretical frameworks of science teaching self-efficacy and reflective practice, we examined how and in what ways preservice teachers’ reflections on their past science experiences and current science teaching practices contributed to their self-efficacy beliefs. Data were collected from pre- and post-course administrations of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument-B (STEBI-B), written science autobiographies, written reflection papers, classroom observations, and artifacts. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the significance of the differences between the pre- and post-course survey scores. The results indicated statistically significant gains in participants’ science teaching self-efficacy beliefs. The qualitative analysis revealed that preservice teachers’ initial self-efficacy beliefs evolved through years of formal and informal interactions with science. New levels of self-efficacy were reached, as evident from participants’ self-reflection on their field teaching. The findings indicate the importance of field experiences and reflective practices for preservice elementary teachers’ preparation and science teaching self-efficacy. The study offers implications for preservice teacher education programs, science teacher education, and research.

Assessing pre-service teachers\u2019 professional identity construction in a three-phase teacher education program in Iran

The critical role of teachers suggests that assessing teacher identity construction helps teacher educators understand the changes in teachers and design materials in harmony with their needs in teacher education programs. However, only a few studies have focused on assessing pre-service teachers’ identity in the long term in Iran. To address this gap, the contribution of a pre-service teacher education program consisting of three phases, namely engage, study, and activate to the professional identity construction of eight pre-service teachers in an institute in Tehran was assessed. Pre-course and post-course interviews, two reflective essays, ten observation notes, and two teaching performances were gathered over a year and analyzed as guided by grounded theory and discourse analysis. Findings revealed two significant changes in the participants’ identities when they transitioned from engage to study and from study to activate phases that yielded study phase as the peak of the changes. Overall, three major shifts were identified in the participants’ identities: from a commitment to evaluation towards a commitment to modality, from one-dimensional to multi-dimensional perceptions, and from problem analysis to problem-solving skills. Current findings may facilitate teacher identity construction by designing local programs matching the needs of pre-service teachers. It may also assist teacher educators by assessing the quality of teachers’ performance and developing teacher assessment tools.

Exploring the racial achievement gap on US history written-response state assessment items

PurposeMany states are restructuring their US history state assessments to include written-response assessment items that evaluate students' literacy skills in high-stakes environments. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the addition of an extended-response item to a US history state assessment was associated with an increase in the racial achievement gap.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical framework included linguistic complexity of standardized assessment items and academic language demand and utilized a difference-in-difference research design.FindingsThe findings indicate that the achievement gap between students of color and White students increased when an extended-response assessment item was added to an exclusively multiple-choice item exam and that this increase in the achievement gap may be contributed to a literacy gap.Research limitations/implicationsThe continued investigation of how students of color perform on different types of extended-response standardized assessment items. And, the continued investigation of evidenced-based instructional practices that focus on developing students' literacy skills in US history as well as culturally responsive instructional practices.Practical implicationsThe knowledge and implementation of literacy instruction and culturally responsive instruction in US history classrooms as well as in preservice teacher education programs and in-service professional development programs.Originality/valueThe current study is one of the first large-scale investigations into the racial achievement gap on US history written-response standardized assessment items and in identifying a literacy gap between students of color and White students on US history written-response state assessment items.