Perceptions Of Student Teachers Research Articles

Exploring student and teacher perceptions of the ideal teacher in Russia

ABSTRACT To improve current teacher education and teacher evaluation practices it is important to collect and critically examine different perspectives on who the ideal teachers are. The present study explores and compares how the ideal teacher is conceptualised by students and their teachers. Data were collected from 53 high school students and 16 of their teachers in urban and rural schools in Russia using an exploratory mixed-method study. The results indicate that students saw teachers’ ability to recognise students’ individual differences but treat everyone equally as the two most important teacher qualities. Teachers, however, attributed the most value to professionalism and ability to follow ethical principles. In addition, rural teachers self-assessed their own teaching quality more favourably than urban teachers while both rural and urban students gave similar ratings to the quality of teaching provided by their teachers.

It counts in every single lesson: Between- and within-person associations of teaching quality and student self-regulation

BackgroundThe significant influence that classroom interactions have on the development of students' self-regulation has been acknowledged for a long time. Nonetheless, past research has emphasised their impact on differences in self-regulation amongst students, without considering intra-individual variations. AimsWe examined whether there is a link between average and lesson-level student-perceived teaching quality, which includes student support, classroom management and cognitive activation, and student self-regulation in individual lessons. Moreover, we investigated whether the magnitude of the associations depended on students' dispositional self-regulation. SampleWe analysed data collected from 61 students (recruited sample N = 64 students; Mage = 11.71, SDage = 0.93). MethodsParticipants completed a baseline questionnaire (demographics, dispositional self-regulation) as well as 15 daily diaries in which they reported on their own self-regulation and the perceived quality of teaching in the last lesson of the day. ResultsThe findings revealed positive associations between student support and classroom management, both at the average and lesson level, and student self-regulation in individual lessons. No associations were found between the average and lesson level cognitive activation and students' self-regulation in individual lessons. The aforementioned associations were not moderated by students' dispositional self-regulation. ConclusionsThe findings emphasise the importance of student-perceived teaching quality at both the average and lesson-level for student self-regulation in individual lessons.

Implementation of an early alert system in quizzes of a high complexity subject in higher education: Improvement of student performance and teacher perception

AbstractEarly Alert Systems (EAS) play a fundamental role in education by supporting the learning process and evaluating student performance. In this study, an innovative EAS designed to specifically identify weaknesses in Cognitive Skills (CS) in first-year higher education students is presented, focusing on a challenging course at a South American university. Through big data technology, approval rates linked to various cognitive skills were evaluated using quizzes. Subsequently, teachers, after analysis and dialogue, applied adapted strategies to strengthen these skills in their classes, which were evaluated in subsequent exams. The sample under study included 1,691 students from various health majors enrolled in a complex subject. The experimental group (994 students) that participated in the EAS was compared with a control group (697 students). Evaluations validated by the academic team were used, applying three quizzes throughout the 2022-20 academic period, and the results were analysed with the Power BI computer tool, generating online reports that highlighted CS by section. The EAS, based on teacher surveys, is innovative and it also positively impacts student achievement, evidenced in overall approval rates, by teacher and section. In addition to promoting collaboration among professors, it also improves the teaching quality and suggests a positive impact on the learning of complex subjects in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This comprehensive approach to early monitoring of student performance shows promise for the ongoing improvement of educational quality.

Kurdish EFL Student Teachers’ Perceptions Towards Their School-Based Teaching Practice Course

ABSTRACT: Teaching practice holds paramount significance within the domain of teacher education and training, providing student teachers with a tangible opportunity to acquire practical knowledge and firsthand experience in the dynamics of schooling and classroom pedagogy. This study set out to investigate the perceptions of EFL student teachers regarding the school-based teaching practice course in four colleges of education and basic education in Duhok province of the Kurdistan Region-Iraq. A combined qualitative and quantitative methodological approach was used to gather the research data. A paper and online questionnaire provided quantitative data from 132 participants, complemented by conducting semi-structured interviews with 16 student teachers. The results showed that the teaching practice experience was deemed ineffective and inadequate in preparing to become qualified EFL teachers. The results further revealed that the majority of the elements involved in the topic being studied were deemed unsatisfactory and there were multiple areas for improvement in the phenomenon. The implications of these findings extend our understanding of the process and procedures of the teaching practice course in this specific context. The findings presented add to our understanding of the various aspects of the subject. The research has the potential to inform policy decisions and practical interventions, thereby positively influencing the field and leading to tangible improvements. This study holds significant importance as it addresses a critical gap in existing research, shedding light on an area that has thus far been underexplored.  A significant limitation of the current study is its exclusive focus on student teachers as the primary data collection subjects. Therefore, future research should consider investigating the perspectives of other stakeholders involved in the teaching practice, including university supervisors, school principals, representatives of English departments, the course developers, and focal persons.

Perception of M.ed. Student-teachers Towards Internship as a Part of Teacher Training Programme

Teaching is an exciting and rewarding activity but like other professions it is demanding as it requires that its practitioners clearly understand what should be done to bring about the most desirable learning in the pupil and be highly proficient in the skills necessary to carry out these tasks. All the teachers training institutions are not only imparting theoretical but also practical knowledge and skill in teaching different subjects to prospective teachers. There are many parts of teacher training programme like Internship, sessional Work, Project work, micro and macro teaching etc. Internship is an integral part of professional preparation that includes practice – teaching and wide variety of field experience under the guidance of a competent or expert supervisor. Internship in M.Ed. is very essential for today’s teacher because it gives proper training to the student-teachers for better understanding of all the students. It builds confidence among the student-teachers. Therefore, the objective of the study is to know the perception of M.Ed. students-teachers towards the internship programme. In the present study, the researcher has used the descriptive method of research. The total sample includes 100 M.Ed. students-teachers from three M.Ed. colleges of Jammu. A Self-constructed questionnaire was prepared to collect the required data. After collecting the data, the frequencies were calculated to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed positive perception of student-teachers towards internship as a part of professional preparation of teacher. The present study is helpful for educationists, practitioners, students, stakeholders, policy-makers, teachers and parents.

Student teachers’ mentorship experiences during teaching practice: A comparison of mentor-student dynamics in rural and urban schools

All teacher training institutions in South Africa send their student teachers to schools for teaching practice as part of preparation for the teaching profession. Our concern is that while teaching practice programmes have been established across various universities, limited research explores student teachers' perceptions of teaching practice and mentorship in general, especially in rural and urban schools. In this article, we explored student teachers' comparative experiences and perceptions of working with mentors from both rural and urban schools during teaching practice. Within an interpretive paradigm, this study utilised qualitative approach involving 15 third-year Bachelor of Education students. The data were generated through the use of their reflective journals as well as group debriefing discussions. To analyse the data, we employed Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis. The findings reveal that student teachers encountered different mentor teachers in both rural and urban schools, ranging from mentors who were willing to help them learn and develop knowledge about the teaching profession to those who were reluctant to work with them. The student teachers felt unsupported by rural mentors compared to their mentorship experiences with urban mentors, as rural mentors sometimes abandoned classes for them. There is a need for the induction of school-based mentors into university expectations of their roles to ensure that they effectively support student teachers during teaching practice.

Do we teach critical thinking? A mixed methods study of faculty and student perceptions of teaching and learning critical thinking at three professional schools

Introduction Critical thinking (CT) is an essential set of skills and dispositions for professionals. While viewed as an important part of professional education, approaches to teaching and assessing critical thinking have been siloed within disciplines and there are limited data on whether student perceptions of learning align with faculty perceptions of teaching. Materials and methods The authors used a convergent mixed methods approach in required core courses in schools of education, government, and medicine at one university in the Northeast United States. Faculty surveys and student focus groups (FG) addressed definitions, strategies, and barriers to teaching CT. Results and conclusions Sixty-four (51.6%) faculty completed the survey, and 34 students participated in FGs. Among faculty, 54.0% (34/63) reported explicitly teaching CT; but students suggested teaching CT was predominantly implicit. Faculty-reported strategies differed among schools. Faculty defined CT in process terms such as ‘analyzing’; students defined CT in terms of viewpoints and biases. Our results reveal a lack of explicit, shared CT mental models between faculty and students and across professional schools. Explicit teaching of CT may help develop a shared language and lead to better understanding and application of the skills and dispositions necessary to succeed in professional life.

Student-perceived social interactions in university musical ensembles predicted group identification

Group identification is a key process in the development of an individual’s social identity. This study examined whether student-perceived social interactions in university ensembles could shape their group identification. The sample included 517 university students from 7 ensembles of 2 universities in China. Student-perceived teacher–student relationships, peer relationships, cooperation, and equity in university ensembles were measured by the revised College and University Classroom Environment Inventory. Students’ group identification was measured by the questionnaire for identification with art-based groups. Data were collected and further analyzed by structural equation modeling via Amos 23. The results showed that students’ perceptions of teacher–student relationships, peer relationships, and cooperation had positive effects on their identification with the university ensemble, but the teacher’s differential treatment had negative effects on their group identification.

Tumu College of Education trainee teachers’ perceptions of mentors’ pedagogical knowledge

The study accessed the perceptions of final year students in the Tumu College of Education towards the Pedagogic Knowledge (PK) of their mentors. It also investigated whether statistically significant differences existed in terms of mentees’ gender and programmes of study regarding the pedagogic knowledge of their mentors. The study used a census method to collect data from respondents for the study by distributing a closed-ended five-point Likert scale on Perceptions of Knowledge and Skills in Teaching (PKST) Questionnaires to all 215 students pursuing Early Grade and Primary Programmes, with an 84.2% (181) return rate. However, 175 respondents’ data were used, as six of the questionnaires contained incomplete data. Findings of the study revealed that participants perceived their mentors as having a high measure of PK, with an overall mean value for the student teachers ‘perceptions of their mentors PK of 3.62 (SD =.77). The study also revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of student teachers towards the PK of their mentors in terms of gender or programme of study. However, the study revealed that participants perceived their mentors to be less competent in effectively incorporating information and communication technology (ICT) in the classroom. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service organise capacity building workshops for teachers to improve their competencies in integrating ICT in their classrooms.   

Key stakeholder voices: Investigating student perceptions of teachers’ use of assessment for learning

Key stakeholder voices: Investigating student perceptions of teachers’ use of assessment for learning

Student Perception of Teaching and Learning Based on M-Learning Regarding Student Interest and Motivation in the Sub-Topic of Encryption

This study aims to survey students' perceptions of application-based teaching and learning in the subtopic of Encryption for the DFT 20083 Security Basic and IT Professional course. This study was conducted on 50 Diploma in Information Technology (Digital Technology) students at Seberang Perai Polytechnic. The sampling technique used is the stratified cluster random sampling technique. The instrument used in this study is a questionnaire that uses a Likert scale. The results of the pilot study show that the instrument used has a very high reliability value of 0.952. The study data were analyzed to obtain the mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage. Descriptive analysis of the perception of students' interest and motivation towards teaching and learning based on m-learning in the Basic Security and Professional IT course is at a high level with a mean value of 3.60 for interest and 3.53 for motivation. This finding shows that teaching and learning based on m-learning in the Encryption sub-topic for the DFT 20083 Security Basic and IT Professional course has a positive impact on students. In conclusion, learning based on m-learning revealed to students can create a fun atmosphere in learning DFT 20083 Security Basic and IT Professional courses and can improve learning skills among students.

Study to assess perceptions of the Educational Environment among medical undergraduate students using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM)

Abstract Background: The educational environment can be described as the atmosphere perceived by the students and teachers. It affects the transfer/acquisition of knowledge and skills needed in training medical students. Assessing the Educational environment of medical schools is a current global trend and has even been suggested by the National Medical Commission. The DREEM tool is a widely accepted and globally validated instrument for assessing the educational environment in undergraduate medical institutions and has five subscales including perceptions of learning, perceptions of teachers, academic self-perceptions, perceptions of the environment and social self-perceptions. DREEM is a valid tool in referring to deficient areas in the learning process. Objective: To assess the student’s perception of the educational environment using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire among undergraduate medical students. Methodology: A Cross-sectional study was conducted at Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College, Nanded from January 2022 to December 2022 among 450 first to final-year MBBS students using the DREEM inventory scale. Results: The first-year students perceived the Educational environment most positively, with the highest global DREEM score of 120/200. The global scores of the 4th-year students were the lowest. The highest scores were recorded for the Student's perceptions of learning (SPL) domain (34.19/48, 71.23%), followed by student's academic self-perceptions (SASP) (22.21/32, 69.41%), student's perceptions of atmosphere (SPA) (32.25/48, 67.19%), student's perceptions of teachers (SPT) (30.48/44, 69.27%). Conclusion: The undergraduate medical student's perception of the educational environment is positive and there is scope for improvement and some general measures like improvement of student's accommodation, inclusion of stress relieving measures in the curriculum, encouragement of extra-curricular activities etc.

Breaking the cycle of couscous pedagogy: Are future teachers empowered to teach in multicultural societies?

ABSTRACT Despite the increasing racial diversity within British and Spanish societies, teacher education and school curricula continue to be Eurocentric and taught by predominantly White teachers. This quantitative research sought to explore the perceptions of student teachers in relation to their attitudes and preparedness to teach in ethnically diverse school contexts. Data were gathered at two universities, one in Southern Spain and the other in Northwest England. The article employs critical race theory and critical whiteness studies as frames to understand outcomes of an online questionnaire. The majority White student teacher sample across both countries register an acceptance of racial diversity and report the need for better preservice teacher education in this respect. Despite preservice teachers’ positive responses to racial diversity, teacher education in both countries fails to equip them for increasingly diverse classrooms. This failure serves to replicate the enactment of whiteness and, does not develop student teachers’ stated commitment to racial diversity.

Student-perceived teacher and parent homework involvement: Exploring latent profiles and links to homework behavior and achievement

This study investigated student-perceived teacher and parent homework involvement through a person-centered approach involving 739 8th graders. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified three profiles: Low Perceived Autonomy Support, Homework Quality, and Feedback Quality (8.12 %), Moderate Perceived Involvement (63.60 %), and High Perceived Autonomy Support, Homework Quality, and Feedback Quality (28.28 %). Gender was related to profile membership. Profile membership predicted homework behavior and performance after controlling for prior achievement and parent education (d = 0.50 to 1.34). Students with higher perceived autonomy support, and quality of homework and feedback exerted more effort, procrastinated less, completed more homework, and achieved higher. Implications for teacher and parent homework involvement are discussed. Educational relevance statementOur study expands and extends extant literature, by employing a person-centered perspective to simultaneously examine the concurrent influences of various dimensions of parent and teacher homework involvement on homework behavior and performance. While complementing previous findings from studies taking variable-centered and person-centered approaches to either teacher homework involvement or parent homework involvement, our study provides more robust evidence regarding the significant role of perceived teacher autonomy support, parent autonomy support, homework quality, and feedback quality in promoting favorable homework behavior and performance. It further suggests that feedback quantity, help quantity, and content support could produce favorable homework behavior and higher achievement when autonomy support, homework quality, and feedback quality are also perceived as higher. Taken together, simultaneously considering multiple dimensions of teacher and parent homework involvement contributes to a deeper, more holistic understanding of teacher and parent homework involvement, going beyond prior work, for instance, whether homework behavior or performance is positively related to feedback quality or unrelated parent help quantity for the entire sample.

Can teacher quality be profiled? A cluster analysis of teachers' beliefs, practices and students' perceptions of effectiveness

AbstractA critical aim of teacher quality research is to identify and distil its multiple components. While many such components have been identified in the literature, there is a scarcity of research that has attempted to empirically investigate how these elements integrate within a larger profile of teacher quality, including how particular teachers' beliefs, behaviours and outcomes cluster into unique profiles of teachers. In this study, a group of Australian high‐school teachers completed an extensive teacher beliefs questionnaire, undertook the Visible Classroom program to record and document their use of high‐leverage teaching practices and had their students complete a survey based on perceptions of effective teaching. The results were analysed using cluster analysis to determine if distinct groups of teachers could be identified based on similarities in beliefs, behaviours and student perceptions of teaching. The results suggested multiple distinct clusters of teachers with distinguishing types of beliefs, frequency of practices and student perceptions of teaching. Most notably, the results pointed to a unique cluster of teachers who were most distinguishable in their self‐efficacy, intrinsic motivation and personal responsibility beliefs, as well as highly active teaching behaviours in the classroom. This group also possessed the highest levels of student perceptions of teaching. The findings provide new insights into the complex profiles that shape teacher quality and implications for future research.

Do Teacher Perceptions of Students’ Academic and Behavioral Skills Influence Time Spent in Small-Group Reading Instruction?

Do Teacher Perceptions of Students’ Academic and Behavioral Skills Influence Time Spent in Small-Group Reading Instruction?

How do perceived teacher beliefs and classroom goal structures relate to motivations and enrollments in secondary school mathematics and English?

AbstractOur study examined how students’ perceived teacher beliefs and classroom goal structures, gender (of teachers and students) and own perceived talent, controlling for prior achievements, together explained motivational outcomes of students’ achievement goals, intrinsic value and enrollment choices in mathematics and English. Participants were 1086 grades 9–11 students (respective Ns = 380, 369, 337) from 3 coeducational middle-class schools in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed student-perceived teacher beliefs as the most consistent predictor of motivational outcomes in mathematics and English, over and above the effects of other measured influences. Perceived teacher beliefs moderated the effects of classroom goal structures, as well as relationships of gender with motivational outcomes in English. Grade-level effects were more positive among older students which coincided with the grade 11 transition.

Tutoring in the metaverse. Study on student-teachers’ and tutors’ perceptions about NPC tutor

IntroductionThe metaverse is defined as a new frontier for anyone’s everyday life and a new challenge for the training and the professional development. The extended reality of the metaverse offers a new learning environment in which additional educational roles intervene to support the teaching and learning processes.MethodsThe work explores some aspects of the metaverse as a support for the initial training of teachers. It presents a study on the perceptions that student-teachers and school tutors of a teaching qualification path have, specifically, of the so-called ‘non-player characters’ (NPC) tutor and peers, in the metaverse. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via mixed questionnaire and analyzed via descriptive statistics and QDA.ResultsThe analysis found some differences in expectations between student-teachers and school tutors with respect to the metaverse, to the new educational roles related and, specifically, to the NPC tutor role. The triangulation of the early data is highlighting a general new look at the possibilities offered by the metaverse – in monitoring the learning program and in decision-making practices – as well as expectation about the teachers training – Artificial Intelligence relationship.DiscussionThe results of study regarding the perceptions of student-teachers and school tutors on the metaverse and on the role of the NPC tutor are offered as insights to be explored, through further investigations, to those responsible for teacher training courses and to the research that today investigates the learning effects of the metaverse as a potential professional training environment.

Exploring the relationship between teacher talk supports and student engagement from the perspective of students’ perceived care

ABSTRACT It is still a challenge for students to engage in classroom dialogue actively and realize effective dialogue-based learning, as classroom dialogue are influenced by a multitude of factors. It is reasonable to believe that by delving into a specific variable (perceived care) to gain insights into its potential impact on dialogue engagement, which deepen the understanding of teacher–student relationships in the classroom. This study investigated dynamic teacher–student dialogues and their association with students’ perceived care by adopting a mixed method. In WSZ-AI System developed by our research group, 71 students and a teacher from Grade Seven were selected in the research firstly. A coding scheme for student discourse engagement was developed and the coding scheme for teacher talk support was employed. Based on these two coding schemes and technology-assisted coding, all teacher–student dialogues are coded in every turn-taking. Finally, lag sequence analysis and state space grid analysis are used to analyze dynamic dialogues and its relationship with student perceived care, and interviews are used to verify the results of quantitative analysis and understand students’ perception of classroom dialogue. In addition, we also analyze the differences between various achievers in high perceived care (HC) group and low perceived care (LC) group. Quantitative results demonstrated that teacher–student dialogue patterns are related to the students’ perceived teacher care. The interaction patterns were more stable in students who perceived high teacher care as well as their discourse engagement status over the semester. The follow-up qualitative results show that the teachers’ talk supports affect students’ perceived care and students with high perceived care are more willing to engage in their dialogue. Concerning the importance of student-perceived teacher care, this study provides a unique perspective for educators to establish a safe and supportive classroom environment which promotes the students’ dialogue engagement and provides scaffolding and support to help students complete knowledge construction.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Movement Opportunities in Toddler Education: Perceptions of Early Childhood Educators and Student Teachers

AbstractEarly childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions are considered contexts wherein physical activity (PA) can be effectively promoted. Some approaches have been used in the early childhood setting to identify how teachers incorporate movement opportunities into the ECEC curriculum. However, studies are still scarce regarding pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of structured and non-structured movement possibilities in toddler education (1–3 years old). Taking into account that working with toddlers requires specific training and sensitivity, the aim of the study was to assess ECEC educators’ and student teachers’ perceptions of what they know, how they transmit it, what kind of curricular practices they execute, and the didactic implications of movement opportunities in toddler education. This was an exploratory qualitative research study, in which open-ended, semi-structured qualitative interviews, plus qualitative content analysis of a written questionnaire, were conducted with 14 educators and 20 student teachers. Our results show that educators and students distinguish PCK in the different curricular practices related to movement, identifying differences between structured PA opportunities and free play opportunities. Educators and student teachers identified different sources of knowledge, barriers, and facilitators of structured movement opportunities in the ECEC toddler context, and they recognized that PA is important to young children’s development; however, little knowledge of PA guidelines to promote it was evident. Our findings contribute to understanding educators’ perceptions regarding movement as a curricular practice for children aged 1 to 3 years. Educators and public administration could find structured PA to be a complement to a harmonious development from a young age.