State Teachers Research Articles

Teacher education in Israel: a fifty-year journey (1974–2024)

ABSTRACT This study explores the evolution of teacher education in Israel from 1974 to 2024, analysing key policy actions, reforms, and initiatives that have shaped the field over the past five decades. During these years, extensive efforts were undertaken at the state level by the Ministry of Education and the Council for Higher Education to elevate the status of the teaching profession by advocating for the professionalisation and professionalism of teaching and teachers. These efforts include the academisation process of all teacher education colleges, the establishment of task forces and standing committees to address challenges, continuous upgrades and adjustments to the initial teacher education curriculum, support mechanisms for newly qualified teachers, ongoing professional development for practicing teachers, including master’s degree programmes, salary adjustments, and the decision to move the colleges of education to the sole auspices of the Council for Higher Education and the Planning and Budgeting Committee. Despite these numerous attempts, the status of teachers has continued to decline, and the profession has struggled with low public perception and prestige, leading to both quantitative and qualitative teacher shortages. The repeated policy shifts and inconsistent implementation strategies have often exacerbated rather than resolved these issues. By providing a comprehensive historical analysis, the study offers insights into the successes and significant shortcomings of past initiatives, aiming to inform future policy-making and strategic planning to enhance the effectiveness and appeal of the teaching profession in Israel.

A Study on the Reliability and Validity of the Social Media Leadership Scale in Education Organizations Sample

Purpose: In this study, it is aimed to develop a Likert-type scale that can measure the status of managers and employees working in organizations in the context of social media leadership in a sample of educational organizations. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted on teachers working in schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education during the 2022–2023 academic year. Expert opinions were sought to ensure the construct validity of the scale. The content validity rates of the items were determined, and the content validity index of the scale was calculated as 0.88. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted to test the validity of the scale. KMO and Bartlett tests were used to determine the suitability of the obtained data for factor analysis. The EFA revealed that the scale had a 5-factor structure, which was then confirmed by the CFA. The CFA results were supported by acceptable and excellent fit values. The conformity and validity of the scale and the correlation between the factors were calculated. The internal consistency reliability coefficient was used to determine the reliability of the scale. After the aforementioned procedures, the Social Media Leadership Scale (SMLLS) was developed. The SMLLS consists of 24 items with 5 factors: guidance, innovation, ethical principles, sensitivity, and awareness. The lowest score on the scale is 24, and the highest score is 120. Findings: The SMLS is a measurement tool developed to determine the leadership levels of social media users. The findings regarding the validity and reliability of the scale indicate that it has sufficient psychometric properties to determine the leadership levels of social media users. Highlights: This scale can be used to assess the current status of teachers and administrators working at various levels within educational institutions in the context of social media leadership.

Inclusive education in Sweden

Background and aim: Teachers’ positive attitudes towards inclusive education are taken to be critical to providing education that better meets pupils’ learning. Studies have therefore tried to clarify interaction between teachers’ attitudes and inclusive education. The present study reports data on teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy and collaboration towards inclusive education in Sweden. Nation-wide data were collected from teachers before they joined a national professional development programme aimed at strengthening schools' competence in adapting teaching to the conditions and needs of pupils. Methods: Participants were 2,348 (51,6%) out of 4,553 targeted teachers that answered an online survey. The survey included three instruments: the Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale (OSTES), the Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education – Revised (SACIE-R), and bespoke questions about teachers’ attitudes towards collegial learning (TACL). Mean values and correlations were assessed. Responses to an open question about teachers’ expectations ahead of starting their training programme were analyzed in NVivo, using word frequency analysis. Results: Three-quarters of respondents show overall positive responses towards adapting their teaching to the conditions and needs of pupils. However, almost two-thirds of teachers do also report significant concerns about their ability to do inclusive education well. Scores remained largely unaffected by public or private school ownership, nor did the affluence of school catchment areas affect teacher scores. Conclusions: The self-reported attitudes, self-efficacy and collaboration among teachers in Sweden towards adapting their teaching to the conditions and needs of pupils support positive research conclusions: although they do have concerns likely to be founded on professional considerations, teachers are by and large positive about meeting pupils’ learning needs.

Preschool Teachers' Attitudes about Inclusive Education and Its Influencing Factors in China.

The purpose of this study is to describe the current status of preschool teachers' attitudes about inclusive education and discuss the factors that influence these attitudes. A total of 449 preschool teachers who have students with disabilities or special educational needs in their classrooms and 638 teachers without students with disabilities or special educational needs in their classrooms volunteered to complete the online survey. The survey included two components: a Basic Information Questionnaire and the Early Childhood Inclusive Education Attitude Questionnaire (ECIEAQ). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA. Scores in the two dimensions of Positivity and Promotion were higher than those in the two dimensions of Resistance and Passivity, indicating an overall positive attitude about inclusive education. Attitudes about inclusive education significantly differed by gender, preschool location, inclusive education training opportunities, and receipt of a special education financial allowance. Inclusive class teachers who are female, aged over 30, teach classes with a child-to-teacher ratio of more than 14, and who work in urban areas show higher levels of Promotion or Resistance than general class teachers. Overall, preschool teachers hold a positive attitude about inclusive education. Training opportunities and a special education financial allowance should be provided to foster positive attitudes. Certain groups of inclusive class teachers may need more support and resources to implement inclusive education.

Enhancing teacher status in Kazakhstan: The role of school leaders and policy support

This article investigates the role of school leaders in enhancing the status of teachers in Kazakhstan using a mixed-methods approach with data from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Findings show a positive attitude towards legislative measures but highlight a gap between policy and practice as school leaders often neglect their legal duties. The study emphasizes the critical role of school leaders in providing support and professional growth opportunities, significantly affecting teachers' perceptions of their status and job satisfaction. It also reveals that the school's built environment and academic rankings influence teachers' social status. The results stress the importance of effective policy implementation, increased administrative support, and a focus on teacher welfare to elevate professional status, offering valuable insights for policymakers, school administrators, and educators.

Current trends in the transformation of the social status of rural teachers (using the example of Krasnoyarsk Krai)

Current trends in the transformation of the social status of rural teachers (using the example of Krasnoyarsk Krai)

Bangladesh's national education policy for English teaching: Policy direction and gaps over the last decade

This study aims to demonstrate the perceived differences between the direction and the gaps in the execution of Bangladesh's National Education Policy (NEP) for English Teachers. It specifically examines the changing requirements of English teachers over the past decade by enhancing their proficiency and teaching methodologies. In this study, we show that communicative language teaching (CLT) approaches significantly modify the existing structure of educational policy in Bangladesh. The present study is grounded in the constructivist research paradigm and utilized a qualitative case study approach from diverse sources. The data was gathered via document analysis, classroom observations, and interviews with six secondary school English teachers from a pool of educators representing four schools in different areas of Bangladesh. The data was analyzed using theme analysis via NVivo 11 software. The findings indicate several areas where the objectives of Bangladesh's NEP could be better aligned with their practical execution. These areas include reforming elementary and secondary schools and restructuring school leadership, teacher education, teacher status, and classroom pedagogy. Furthermore, this study is a valuable contribution toward advancing a more robust and efficient education policy at the national level, which can effectively improve the standard of education for all to provide quality teaching.

An examination of teachers’ views on video games and learning: Establishing the Games and Literacy Education (GALE) scale

Teachers' views impact if and how technologies are integrated into classroom practice, and research demonstrates that digital game-based learning can support student learning across content areas. Yet, quantitative examinations of teachers' views on digital game-based learning in literacy education are limited. This study establishes the Gaming and Literacy Education (GALE) Scale as a reliable and valid measure for examining literacy teachers' perspectives on digital games and learning. The GALE Scale is a 21-item five-factor model created by conducting an exploratory factor analysis with survey data from 516 literacy teachers in the central United States followed by a confirmatory factor analysis with data from another 516 teachers. While participants generally agreed that digital games can support student learning, they reported limited integration of games in their classrooms, and only 12.2% agreed they learned about game-based learning in their teacher preparation program. Given the efficacy of digital game-based learning across disciplines demonstrated in meta-analytic research, literacy teacher education and professional development on effective uses of games in literacy learning are warranted. Further, scholars can utilize the GALE Scale to examine teachers’ views on digital games and literacy learning across time and contexts.

Teaching Catholic Religion in Croatian Public Schools: Legal Frame and Challenges

This paper explores the Croatian framework of collaboration between the state and the Catholic Church in the educational field, specifically the teaching of Catholic religion in public schools. First, the statute of the subject of religion was analyzed, following what is established in the Agreement with the Holy See and its Development Agreement with the Croatian Conference of Bishops. Some challenges to this peculiar model of cooperation were revised, mainly the ones regarding the enrollment and the co-responsibility of both ecclesiastical and state authorities in the approval and control of programs and contents. Second, the status of religion teachers was also evaluated. The same ecclesiastical and state authorities also have competence over the teaching staff, from their training to the control of their work, and must confront inconvenient situations related to the suitability of these professionals. In the study of each section and its corresponding rules and practices, it was possible to outline singular aspects, in some cases recognized—or rejected—judicially as discriminatory. This approximation to the right to religious education intends to examine the practice observed by the respective authorities in applying such provisions. The obtained findings and proposals about the singular Croatian model provide a useful contribution for comparative purposes.

Research on the level of digital literacy of English language teachers (a case study in China)

Introduction. As the main force in cultivating digital citizens in the new era, teachers’ digital literacy level is directly related to the development of the entire nation’s digital literacy. Therefore, it is necessary to study the current development status of teachers’ digital literacy. This study aims to investigate the development status of digital literacy of English teachers in Changzhi City, China, through empirical research, and to discover the problems faced by teachers in the development of digital literacy. Materials and methods. The respondents of this study were English teachers from urban and nonurban areas of Changzhi City, a total of 100 people, finally 83 valid questionnaires were collected. Methods: comparative method, generalization, literature analysis, questionnaire method, statistics and data analysis (descriptive statistics and ANOVA analysis). The results are obtained using computer programs MS Excel and IBM SPSS 26.0. Results. An assessment tool is developed to examine the current status of teachers' digital literacy development in China. The study finds that the overall digital literacy level of English teachers in Changzhi City is high (arithmetic mean = 3.94); teachers perform well in digital awareness (arithmetic mean = 4.98) and social responsibility (arithmetic mean = 4.05), while they perform poorly in digital technical knowledge and skills (arithmetic mean = 3.61) and digital applications (arithmetic mean = 3.47). There is no significant difference in teachers' digital literacy in terms of teacher gender, education and type of school where teachers work (p>0.05). Teachers in urban areas are significantly better in digital literacy than teachers in non-urban areas. There are significant differences in the aspect of professional development(p=0.0360), digital technical knowledge and skills(p=0.0002), digital applications(p=0.0088). Teachers' digital literacy scores in five aspects differed significantly (p<0.05) at different levels of teachers' age and years of teaching experience. Conclusion. The ability to integrate digital technologies and disciplines, innovative teaching awareness, and abilities of English teachers in Changzhi City should be improved. When improving the digital literacy of teachers, it is necessary to consider the characteristics of balanced development of the city and non-urban areas. The results obtained can be used as methodological recommendations for improving the level of digital literacy of teachers.

Teachers’ challenges encountered in the marketisation of education systems at primary schools in the Mbare-Hatfield district

Different forms of markertisation and privatisation have encircled the teaching profession. Internet sites that offer to produce academic work for a fee make academic work into a commodity that can be bought and sold. Most schools in Zimbabwe, the Southern African Development Community region, Africa, and beyond cannot easily afford internet services. This study explored the teachers’ challenges in understanding the educational systems due to the marketisation of education. This study utilized the mixed methods approach and the case study design because of its strength in discovering more about unexplored problems. Two school head participants and forty teachers were selected from schools in the district. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were used to get data from the research participants. The results unearthed that the education system is one such tool for perpetuating class divisions and social inequality. Contemporary literature has provided evidence in the exploration of teachers’ challenges encountered in the marketisation of education. To the extent that I have reviewed the literature, I found a substantial gap in knowledge about the impact of the challenges encountered in the marketisation of education. The study's objective was to determine the challenges teachers face in giving equal opportunities to poor and minority students due to the marketisation of education. There are some gaps caused by digital divides and government withdrawal from funding for public schools since the early 1990s when ESAP was embraced as an economic blueprint. The marketisation of education has negatively affected teacher integrity, sometimes leading to teacher misconduct. In recent years, the professional status of teachers seems to have been compromised. This is probably due to the changing nature of teacher professional work. Modern-day teaching practices are embroiled in an increasing struggle for private gain. Teachers must learn to cross social boundaries to make learning meaningful and relevant for all students.

Job satisfaction as a condition for teachers’ psychological well-being: An empirical study

Introduction. The article examines the problem of the correlations between teachers’ psychological well-being and job satisfaction. The purpose of the study is to identify the components of teachers’ psychological well-being and compare the level of psychological well-being of teachers with different attitudes towards the profession. Materials and Methods. The methodological basis of the study includes research articles by Russian and international scholars in the field of psychological well-being as a general scientific phenomenon and psychological well-being of teachers in particular. In order to collect empirical data, surveys were conducted in three municipalities of the Sverdlovsk region (N=1484 teachers) in 2021-2022 using the five-factor questionnaire TIPI-RU, the Meaning-in-Life Orientations test, the Muddy’s Resilience test, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Scale (E. Diener). Methods of mathematical statistics were used to process the results obtained. Results. The main results of the study consist in identification of several regularities that influence the state of teachers’ psychological well-being in the surveyed municipalities. The authors found that the use of various sets of techniques gives comparable results on the phenomenon under study, and the key component of the psychological well-being of respondents is their attitude towards their work. The identified set of personal qualities is decisive for the analysis of the relationship between attitude towards the profession and the level of satisfaction with it. It is also shown that satisfaction with the teaching profession increases in proportion to the length of teaching experience. Conclusions. The article concludes about the correlation between the status of teachers’ psychological well-being and their job satisfaction. The presented results can be used in the development of measures aimed at professional burnout prevention and increasing meaningful attitudes towards teaching profession at both regional and federal levels.

Urban School Climate (USC): The Study of Teacher Perceptions of Safe and Comfortable School Atmosphere in Elementary School

Building child-friendly schools is teachers' main task so students can learn safely and comfortably. However, there are still teachers who still need to be fully aware of this. This research aims to explore elementary school teachers' perceptions of a safe and comfortable environment as an illustration of the Urban School Climate (USC). This research method is a case study with a qualitative approach. Interviews with elementary school teachers in Bogor carried out data collection. Conversations are carried out directly (face-to-face) and are recorded to ensure that the interview results match the respondent's information. Our research involved 45 teachers with permanent teacher (PT) status in 17 elementary schools in Bogor, Indonesia. The recruitment of teachers who would share their valuable insights was carried out using a purposive sampling technique. Data analysis was carried out using the Miles and Huberman model, including data reduction, display, and verification. The data analysis was assisted with Nvivo 12 software. The research results showed a safe and comfortable environment as an illustration of USC, including 1) a pleasant school atmosphere for students and teachers, adequate facilities and a mutually supportive atmosphere, 2) a safe environment, 3) a comfortable environment, and 4) school policies which lead to restrictions for parents when picking up their children at school, regulations regarding discipline and various binding regulations. The impact of the results of this research is that schools can build a school climate by referring to the characteristics of USC, which are described as a safe and comfortable school atmosphere and environment.

Pengaruh Kompetensi, Motivasi dan Lingkungan Kerja terhadap Kinerja Guru Yayasan Perguruan Islam Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga

This research's background was the declining performance of teachers at the Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Islamic College Foundation from 2019 to 2022. The aims of this research were (1) to see the effect of competence, motivation, and work environment on the teacher's performance of the Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Islamic College Foundation (2) to see the effect of competence on the teacher's performance of the Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Islamic College Foundation (3) to see the effect of motivation on the teacher's performance of the Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Islamic College Foundation (4) to see the effect of the work environment on the teacher's performance of the Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Islamic College Foundation. This research was a causality associative research using a quantitative approach. The population used in this research were MTs, MA, SMPIT, and SMAIT Raudhatul Ulum teachers who had the status of Foundation Permanent Teachers (GTY) at the Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Islamic College Foundation, totaling 122 people. The 94 sample was taken using the Slovin formula in the degree of error; the maximum error rate was 5% (0.05). The analytical model used was multiple linear regression analysis with a confidence level of 95% and a significance level of 5% (0.05). The results of this research indicate that (1) simultaneously, there was an effect of competence, motivation, and work environment on the teacher's performance of the Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Islamic College Foundation, (2) there was an effect of work competence on the teacher's performance of Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Islamic College Foundation (3) partially there was not the effect of motivation on the teachers' performance of the Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Islamic College Foundation (4) partially there was not the effect of the work environment on the teachers performance of the Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Islamic College Foundation

The Impact of the Initial Teacher Education Reaccreditation Process on Teacher Educator Identity

ABSTRACT This article reports initial findings from a research project that focused on the impact of the reaccreditation process and its outcomes on teacher educators in four institutions in England where Qualified Teacher Status accreditation was removed, despite leading successful programmes as detailed in Ofsted inspections and National Student Survey data. Whilst the outcomes of the reaccreditation process were mentioned in the mainstream press, the impact of this policy on teacher educators had only been reported anecdotally. This research fills a research gap to document impact on teacher educator identity and provides an evidence base to inform teacher education policy debates. Data were gathered through focus groups using a triad collaborative enquiry approach, based on the lesson study model, where researchers took on different roles: clarifier, observer, and questioner. This method formed part of a constructed focus group and built on a process of semi-structured and unstructured creative tasks. Initial findings identified the shifting context university educators perceived in relation to policy constraints, including a greater top-down, centralisation that negated the opportunity for teacher educators to provide a contextualised, evidence informed approach to teacher preparation. This contributed to the impact of the reaccreditation process on teacher educators’ professional identity, self-efficacy and agency.

Analysis on the cause and influence of the tense situation of teacher status in middle school

Analysis on the cause and influence of the tense situation of teacher status in middle school

The Status and Inspiration of General School Teachers’ Inclusive Education Literacy from an International Comparative Perspective

Teachers in general schools with inclusive education literacy are one of the conditions for children with special needs to receive high-quality general education, as well as an essential guarantee for providing an excellent education to the people and building a solid education country. This paper uses data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2018), use the hierarchical cluster method to investigate the characteristics of teachers’ preparedness status for inclusive literacy in general schools from an international comparative perspective. The findings revealed that the inclusive literacy preparedness of general school teachers worldwide can be classified into three types: younger-highly inclusive literacy teachers, advanced age-medium inclusive literacy teachers, and highly educated-low inclusive literacy teachers. Younger-highly inclusive literacy teachers are characterized by rejuvenation, a high degree of undergraduate education, an emphasis on pre-service education, and an oversupply of professional development activities. Advanced age-medium inclusive literacy teachers are characterized by aging, incomplete pre-service education training, and the most urgent need for teachers’ professional development in information technology. Highly educated-low inclusive literacy teachers are distinguished by highly educated, low levels of pre-service education, and an abundance of professional development opportunities for teachers. School administrators are advised to prioritize ongoing professional development activities for teachers to speed teacher education integration and increase teacher and educational quality.

Teacher Groups: Another Approach to Protecting Teacher Rights and Interests from the Perspective of Social Law

The dismissal of English teacher Liu Lingli from the Bowen College of Lanzhou Jiaotong University during her cancer period has sparked many thoughts on the rights and interests of teachers in private universities. Private university teachers enjoy a similar legal status as public university teachers in law, but in fact, they are far from it due to differences in legal and ownership systems. To better safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of teachers in private universities, we should start from the perspective of social law and form a social team composed of private and public institutions to maintain the status of teachers.

Leader Member Exchange as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Schools’ Openness to Change and Political Skills of School Principals

In today’s competitive and complex environment, school leaders require social influencing skills to mobilize schools to enable them to adapt to change. The schools’ openness to change (SOC) is affected by the direction and strength of relationships between teachers and principals in the school. In particular, the political skills of school principals can play a prominent role in mobilizing employees for change. This research investigates the impact of school principals’ political skills on schools’ openness to change, with a focus on the mediating role of leader member exchange (LMX) quality. The sample group was obtained by simple random sampling from 613 state teachers working in the Kocaeli province in Turkey in the 2019 to 2020 academic year. This study is based on quantitative data collected through the “Leader-Member Exchange Scale,”“Schools’ Openness to Change Scale,” and “Political Skill Inventory.” The measurement models of the latent variables (political skill, LMX, and SOC) were confirmed via running Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Afterward, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the structural model. The results reveal that the political skills of school principals significantly predict the SOC and the LMX. Political skills of school principals affect schools’ openness to change positively, and leader-member exchange positively effects the relationship between political skills and openness to change. It’s recommended that activities supporting the quality of leader member interactions in schools be carried out.

DEVELOPMENT OF PEDAGOGICAL COMPETENCE OF TEACHERS OF TECHNICAL UNIVERSITIES IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING AND TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES

In the age of modern science and technology, the demand for the specialty "English language teacher" is increasing in society. The new status of the English language teacher set the task of significantly changing the professional training of professors, updating the content and technology of linguistic education, and improving the quality of higher education. In order to effectively carry out his professional activity, an English teacher must not only have a good command of a foreign language, but also have basic professional competence in a certain area of English for specific purposes. The article reveals the problems of developing the pedagogical competencies of teachers of technical higher education institutions in the process of learning and teaching English for special purposes.