Teacher Education Development Research Articles

THE REALIZATIONS OF TEACHING PROFESSION: FOUR INDONESIAN NOVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS' NARRATIVES DURING THE PANDEMIC

This study explores teacher professional identity (TPI) of novice English teachers in Indonesia by looking at their narratives related to their experiences before and after they entered the profession. The central question leading this inquiry is “What realizations about the profession shape the participants’ TPI?” The data were collected from four participants through emails and follow-up interviews by phone. The data, then, were co-constructed to create coherent narratives of the four novice teachers. Further analysis was conducted by identifying their new realizations and awareness of being English teachers. These realizations about teaching and the profession were discussed in terms of the TPI elements. The findings indicate that realizations about various aspects of TPI of the novice teachers could lead to a better understanding of their professional identity formation before entering the profession, after entering the profession, and at the time of COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021). The TPI claims in the three stages indicate the complex process of TPI formation and the implications of the process can be the foundation of English teacher education and professional development reform.

Empowering Teachers: Self-Regulated Learning Strategies for Sustainable Professional Development in Initial Teacher Education at Higher Education Institutions

Promoting self-regulated learning (SRL) skills among teachers has emerged as a sustainable professional-learning approach, contributing not only to equip teachers with tools for lifelong learning and professional growth but also to the overall quality of the educational system. Recognising teachers as pivotal agents in this endeavour, this study addresses the under-researched area of promoting SRL skills during initial teacher education at higher education institutions. This study examines factors promoting key SRL strategies among 546 Catalan pre-service teachers. Controlling for students’ sociodemographic information, multiple regression analyses are used to make inferential judgments and test the separate effects of the independent variables. The findings emphasise the importance of maintaining a proactive attitude that does not preclude them from seeking help when needed, as well as equipping pre-service teachers with the ability to identify the required academic resources and to maintain their engagement and motivation for self-directed learning. Through rigorous analysis, this study not only provides valuable insights into the factors shaping SRL skills but also highlights the broader sustainability narrative within education. Moreover, the study advocates equipping pre-service teachers with the skills to identify necessary academic resources, promoting resource efficiency, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.

Queering primary initial teacher education

ABSTRACT This research was designed to raise awareness, access and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual/aromantic and others who sit outside of the heteronormative binary (LGBTIQA+), inclusion for pre-service educators studying in Bachelor of Education (Primary) and Master of Teaching (Primary) ITE courses in one Australian university. The project involved the production of three video resources intended for inclusion in existing teacher education units. Whilst originally conceptualized as ’bite-sized‘ resources intended for use by pre-service educators, initial survey data from academic staff indicated the need to first develop the collective understanding of primary education LGBTIQA+ inclusion for the academic staff themselves. This teaching and learning project built on existing work focused on the mapping of LGBTIQA+ content and resources in the Primary ITE courses and is linked to the wider University agenda on equity and diversity. The project was a preliminary investigation into the viability of micro-credentials for Primary pre-service teachers to develop their knowledge and understanding of LGBTIQA+ inclusion in Primary Education. Findings affirm that whilst culturally responsive pedagogical practices are needed in ITE, further resource development and upskilling of teacher educators is required to better support future teachers and the children they work with in relation to LGBTIQA+ issues, and resources.

Empowering Future Educators: Tailored Interventions and Digital Competency Development in Teacher Education

Diese Studie untersucht die Selbsteinschätzung von Lehramtsstudierenden hinsichtlich ihres Technologisch-Pädagogischen-Fach-Wissens (TPACK) sowie der Auswirkungen maßgeschneiderter Kurse innerhalb ihres Lehramtsstudiums auf diese Einschätzung (pre: n=230, post: n=122). Die Studie zeigt wesentliche Verbesserungen in der Wahrnehmung des TPACK der Studierenden nach der Teilnahme an diesen Kursen auf und betont die praktische Anwendung digitaler Medien im Studium. Die Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit, theoretisches Wissen mit der Anwendung in der realen Welt in Einklang zu bringen, was für effektive Lehrpraktiken in der digitalen Welt entscheidend ist.

Content teachers’ beliefs and attitudes toward working with multilingual learners through integrative approaches

IntroductionThe fast-growing population of multilingual learners (MLs) in U.S. schools calls for ML-focused instructional support from content classroom teachers to acquire content knowledge and language proficiency simultaneously. However, teachers in general lack competency in content-language integrative pedagogy that builds on MLs’ transliterate capabilities, placing MLs at a greater disadvantage in the content classroom. Given that teachers’ classroom practices are shaped by their underlying language ideologies, it is important to examine what ideological beliefs and attitudes teachers are operating with for their day-to-day work with MLs. Framed by scholarship on content-language integrated instruction, language ideologies, and transliteracies approaches, this study examined the relations between content teachers’ ideological beliefs and attitudes toward teaching MLs in the content classroom and several teacher-related variables.MethodsThis study employed a sequential mixed-methods design for a more comprehensive understanding of teachers’ ideologies about working with MLs. Quantitative data analysis was conducted by confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regressions using survey responses of in-service content teachers (N=100) followed by focus group interviews (N=24).ResultsResults of a confirmatory factor analysis using a survey suggested that teachers who were more likely to endorse English-only monolingual pedagogy did not necessarily view themselves as having lesser sensitivity to MLs’ backgrounds in their classroom. Results of regression analyses showed that teachers using pull-out or push-in instruction were more inclined to support language-integrated content teaching and considered themselves more sensitive to MLs’ backgrounds than teachers who instruct specialized content. Interestingly, the specialized content teachers having a greater percentage of MLs in their classroom were more supportive of the language-integrated content teaching pedagogy than other teachers using the teaching role. Analysis of focus groups provided contextualized rationales for teachers’ chosen stances toward the English-only monolingual, separatist pedagogy or the transliterate, integrative pedagogy for MLs.DiscussionThe findings demonstrated that teachers’ ideologies were not merely individual beliefs but also intertwined with the hegemonic language ideologies of the larger education system. The complexity of the shifting ideologies points to the pressing need for integrating ML-specific attention into teacher education and ongoing professional development programs.

Exploring the role of research in teacher education and teachers’ professional development

This paper explores and discusses the role of research in teacher education and teachers’ professional development. It does so by presenting some perspectives on research-based teacher education and conceptual frameworks for teacher professionalism. The relationship between theoretical and practical knowledge is discussed together with central dimensions of teacher professionalism. Three metaphors and figures of thought for the theory–practice relationship are introduced and discussed: research as a mirror, as a compass, and as a stone in the shoe. Against this backdrop, a couple of examples of models for teachers’ professional development through critical engagement and enquiry are presented. Special attention is given to a critical dialogical model for teacher education and professional development that promotes reflective learning through sharing experiences and engaging with theoretical frameworks. This model integrates reflective-analogical, critical-analytical, and interactive self-building processes, enabling teachers and students to transform their knowledge and practices based on new insights. 

Science Teachers’ Initial Use of NGSS Science Practices in Diverse Classrooms

ABSTRACT In the landscape of U.S. education, the widespread adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offers a unique vantage point for researchers to better understand teacher-, school- and classroom-level factors that advance reform initiatives in science classrooms. Addressing a gap in current knowledge, our study probes how secondary science teachers implement one dimension of NGSS-the science practices (SPs). Our data collection encompasses teacher interviews and meticulous observations of science lessons, coded for NGSS science practices (SPs) and inquiry-based teaching. Embracing a methodologically rich approach, our study employs both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Quantitatively, we analyzed 801 weeks of lessons taught by 56 secondary science teachers and found patterns in SP use. Selected high-quality science lessons were then spotlighted, providing examples of the quantitative findings, showcasing teachers use of SPs and inquiry-based teaching strategies. Through our analysis, we found that physical science subjects and participants from the Master of Arts in Science Teaching program demonstrated a higher average use of SPs compared to their life science and undergraduate program counterparts. When analyzing the use of specific SPs, we found that analyzing and interpreting data (SP4) and mathematical and computational thinking (SP5) emerged as noteworthy. This study’s findings carry implications for science teacher education and professional development programs, urging efforts to augment both the quantity of rigor of SP use in the secondary science classroom. Our research contributes insights that can inform strategies for the enhancement of science education alignment with the objectives set forth by NGSS

Internationalization of higher education in times of crisis: from globalist tendencies to the search for national priorities

Introduction. Global socio-political crises of our time, which limit the traditional forms of international cooperation for Russian universities, actualize the problem of searching for the most effective models of internationalization of higher education. At present, the nationally-oriented model corresponds to the goals and conditions of the organization of international activities in higher education to the greatest extent. The aim of the article is to identify the possibilities of implementation of the nationally-oriented model of internationalization of higher education in the assessment of scientific and pedagogical staff. Materials and methods. The study is based on general scientific methods, the principle of additionality of approaches of Russian and foreign researchers. Two-hundred thirty pedagogical profile teachers of Novgorod State University (Russian Federation) took part in the survey. Google Forms service was used to collect statistical information. Data collection was carried out from September 2022 to June 2023. Results of the study. The majority of survey participants who had experience of international cooperation believe that internationalization is important for the development of teacher education. This view is shared by more than half of the respondents who had no international experience. The use of foreign educational practices is considered useful by 32% of respondents. The same number of teachers use educational technologies borrowed from abroad and adapted to the specific realities of the university. The majority of respondents would like to continue international cooperation. Social motives (58%), pragmatic motives (52%), and cognitive motives (75%) dominate among the respondents. A total of 11% of respondents believe that internationalization is harmful to Russian teacher education because it has a pro-Western influence on young people. A significant number of teachers (33%) support the rejection of the Bologna system, as it is, in their opinion, alien to Russian pedagogical traditions. Conclusions. The obtained data suggest that various programs of scientific and educational cooperation with universities of friendly countries are currently in demand and will be able to replace European directions of international activities. The results of the study have shown that at present there is a transition from globalist approaches to internationalization of higher education to models focused on national priorities in Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University, like in other Russian universities.

Challenges in Artificial Intelligence Development in Higher Education in China, India, and Indonesia: International Students’ Perspectives

This research explores the challenges of developing artificial intelligence (AI) at universities in China, India, and Indonesia for teacher education students. A qualitative research method was employed, with data collected through in-depth focus group discussions with 12 doctoral students from the 3 countries in equal proportions. The sample selection was based on the diversity of the participants’ relevant backgrounds, experiences, and understandings. The data collected were analyzed using a thematic approach involving the identification, mapping, and interpretation of themes. The research findings indicate variations in the main challenges in developing AI to improve the quality of teacher education in each country. In Indonesia, infrastructure and Internet access are the main constraints limiting the application of AI technology. Meanwhile, in India, the main concern relates to the lack of human resources skilled in the field of AI, prompting the need for relevant skills development among educators. Conversely, in China, the problem concerns striking a balance between utilizing advanced AI technologies, safeguarding privacy, and developing the capacity to accommodate rapid advances in technology-based education. The findings of this study provide valuable strategic insights, enabling the design of appropriate strategies in each country. The implications of the findings can assist the relevant parties in overcoming specific barriers in the context of each country, supporting innovative developments in technology-based teacher education.

Coherence: Policymakers, Districts and Schools’ Perspectives of Teachers’ Professional Development

Coherence is highly important in teacher education and professional development programs—the extent of shared vision between position holders contributes to the program’s success. Nevertheless, the research on shared vision and coherence has primarily focused on teacher training programs. Hence, in this study, we conducted 29 interviews with teachers, principals, and district and national superintendents of professional development to explore various perspectives among position holders in the education system. Teachers and principals stress the atmosphere in schools and the wholistic experience of a teacher within school, whereas the national and district superintendents focus on building personalized courses for each teacher. There are agreements regarding the significance of teacher motivation, peer learning and study of practice. This study explores the notion of coherence in professional development through a holistic perspective, providing practical implications for improving the way education systems promote teachers’ professional development.

Examination of Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences on Student-Centered Instruction

The teaching approach, in which the student is at the center of learning, is becoming more and more common. The teacher is an important factor in the implementation of this approach. Pre-service education plays an important role in the qualified training of teachers. If teacher candidates learn student-centered teaching through experience at the university, they are expected to apply it more easily when they start working. In this direction, it was aimed to examine the student-centered teaching experiences of pre-service teachers. It is supposed that pre-service teachers' views on this process will contribute to the development of pre-service teacher education. The research was carried out with the phenomenology design, and 67 pre-service teachers were included in the research with the criterion sampling method. The research data collected with an open-ended questionnaire form were analyzed by content analysis. According to the results of the research, pre-service teachers think that student-centered teaching encourages them, makes them effective, and provides them with skills. Because of these features, they consider the approach as an effective learning approach and think that the experiences give them emotional awareness and improve their professional competencies. However, pre-service teachers experience educational problems such as indecision, anxiety, lack of self-confidence and knowledge, and inexperience while performing student-centered teaching.

Teacher Education for National Development Using Google Meet: Issues and Prospects

This research examines the role of teacher education in Nigeria’s national development using Google Meet, a virtual learning platform. The study assesses the effectiveness of Google Meet in enhancing educators’ professional development and impacting student learning outcomes. It also investigates the challenges and limitations of implementing virtual teacher training in Nigeria. The findings show that Google Meet can improve education quality and foster professional growth. However, internet connectivity and digital infrastructure challenges hinder widespread adoption, especially in rural areas. The research proposes recommendations for optimizing Google Meet in teacher education, such as providing equitable access to digital resources, investing in robust internet connectivity, and implementing ongoing training for educators. This study offers insights for education policymakers and institutions in Nigeria and other developing countries seeking to leverage technology for teacher education and national development. Aligning teacher training with digital innovations can enhance educational outcomes, foster sustainable development, and prepare citizens for a rapidly evolving global landscape

Professional development and practicums in initial teacher education: the views of future high school teachers

O artigo tem por objetivo apresentar os pontos de vista de futuros professores relativos às contribuições dos estágios supervisionados (formação prática) no desenvolvimento profissional docente. A partir da articulação teórica entre o conceito de desenvolvimento profissional e as competências profissionais prescritas para a formação de professores no Quebec (Canadá), organizou-se um grupo focal com a participação de futuros professores oriundos de um programa de formação inicial docente para ensino secundário. Por intermédio de uma análise de conteúdo, destacou-se como resultados que a formação prática desempenha um papel essencial, pois promove vivências do real do trabalho docente, permite o aprimoramento das competências pretendidas e possibilita a construção da identidade docente. Neste sentido, o aprofundamento das reflexões em torno do desenvolvimento profissional que requer um acompanhamento adequado dos professores, não somente durante a formação inicial, mas também em contexto de inserção profissional e ao longo da carreira, constitui uma pista importante a ser explorada.

Unravelling the wellbeing needs of Australian teachers: a qualitative inquiry

AbstractThe declining wellbeing of Australian teachers is a longstanding problem, with much attention on retention, stress, burnout, and poor resourcing and conditions that impact wellbeing. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has further illuminated these challenges. This qualitative study aimed to explore Australian teachers’ perceptions of their wellbeing needs with a focus on asking the questions that are often not asked—what is working, what are we learning, and how can we move forward to support teacher wellbeing? The voices of teachers revealed findings that support a much-needed shift in teacher wellbeing rhetoric in Australia. We illuminate five key areas that influence teacher and sector perceptions of wellbeing: (1) school leadership, (2) professional development, (3) workload and work-life balance, (4) relationships, and (5) stress, positive emotions, and accomplishment. These findings contribute to the need for a change in how teacher wellbeing is approached and highlight the possible implications of what is working, needs, barriers, and insights for preservice teacher education and professional development of teachers.

Bite-sized language teaching in the digital wild: Relational pedagogy and micro-celebrity English teachers on Instagram

While ‘social media influencers’ have predominantly been studied in marketing and advertising, there has been an increase in language teachers' engagement in content creation on social media platforms. Informed by the principles of relational pedagogy (Kern, 2015, 2018), the present study explores how a group of Turkish teachers of English (n = 10) each with over 100,000 followers on Instagram navigate around the material, social, and individual multimodal semiotic resources to create English language teaching content. The data sources which include reels from teachers' public accounts and netnographic fieldwork notes were analyzed informed by the principles of social semiotics (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2001). The findings revealed that the teachers create digital artefacts relying on creative relationships between words, contexts, and situations and provide opportunities to practice simple conversations, learn vocabulary in context, and distinguish nuances in the pronunciation of challenging words. The multimodal meaning-making practices demonstrate how social, material, and individual affordances shape, reframe, or recontextualize linguistic meanings in various forms. These findings highlight the facilitative power of social media for noticing linguistic forms, interaction, participation, and multimodal communication with important implications for teacher education, identity, and professional development in the evolving landscape of language teaching in the digital wild.

Facing Fears and Finding Fit: A Self-Study of Teacher Education Leadership

ABSTRACT In an era defined by educational reform, teacher education requires strong, informed, and reflective leadership. Although teacher education faculty leadership is essential to reform, identifying and supporting the development of teacher educators who assume administrative leadership positions remains critical. Unfortunately, the transition into academic leadership often lacks training and support, leaving leaders isolated and learning as they lead. In this study, the authors – leaders at different institutions with different leadership roles as dean and program director – used self-study methods to explore questions related to teacher education leadership. Specifically, we found that reform-minded teacher education leaders should find professional fit in the programs and institutions they lead, find ways to maintain their work as teacher educator-scholars, have a willingness to express uncertainties related to their work as leaders, and learn to facilitate and support change in teacher education. Implications include a need for teacher education leadership training and mentoring, as well as providing space for leaders to support one another across institutions and ranks.

Early childhood pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards digital technologies and their relation to digital competence

Abstract This study examines early childhood pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards digital technologies and their relations to their self-perceived digital competence. Attitudes towards digital technologies were divided into core attitudes: general attitudes towards digital technologies; attitudes towards educational use of digital technologies; and perceived ease of digital technology use. Technological knowledge [TK] and technological content knowledge [TCK] dimensions of the TPACK framework were used to assess pre-service teachers’ self-perceived digital competence. Two structural equation models, a correlated-traits model and a second-order factor model, were used to analyse the relations between attitudes and digital competence. Based on the results, the early childhood pre-service teachers held positive attitudes towards digital technologies. Both models fit the data well, but the correlated-traits model explained a larger portion of variance in competence measures. Moreover, this model provided a more fine-grained picture of the associations between attitudes and competence. The general attitudes towards digital technologies and perceived ease of digital technology use were related to both TK and TCK, whereas attitudes towards educational use of digital technologies were not. Therefore, the correlated-traits model was viewed as better at describing the relations between attitudes towards digital technologies and digital competence. The study contributes to the development of teacher education. Instead of considering the current generation of pre-service teachers as a homogeneous group, this study aims to understand how they differ in their attitudes and how they perceive their own competence to use digital technologies.

Supporting the Development of Students’ Scientific Literacy

ABSTRACT Science teachers are increasingly encouraged to critically engage their students with scientific knowledge and expertise, with the expectation that such instructional practices will support the development of scientific literacy (SL). Drawing on Bildung framework, this qualitative study was conducted in Tanzania to explore how science teachers’ classroom practices facilitate the development of students’ SL. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and non-participant classroom observations with science teachers and students from six secondary schools. The study has identified five instructional practices that were used to support students’ development of SL, namely guided reading, code-switching, educational print and visual aids, science experiments, and science projects. While there is evidence that the instructional practices used provided opportunities for students to contribute their thinking, experience and understanding to the science learning, the instructional practices were mostly print-based, paper-based and teacher-led, resulting in little engagement in active scientific thinking and literacy learning. Overall, the knowledge base developed by this study is of practical use to science teachers and educators in making decisions about appropriate instructional practices and what should be the regular focus of pre-service teacher education and professional development programs.

Qualitative examination of Vietnamese EFL teachers’ reflective teaching: insights into in-on-for reflection methods at different stages in their career

ABSTRACT Reflective teaching has been recognized as a critical component of effective English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. However, little research has investigated the reflective practices of Vietnamese EFL teachers. This study aims to address this gap by conducting a qualitative exploration of the types of reflective teaching practiced by these teachers, specifically reflection-in-action, reflection-on-action, and reflection-for-action. The study involved semi-structured interviews with twelve Vietnamese EFL teachers at different stages of their careers: novice, mid-career, and near-end career. The findings reveal that the teachers engaged in all three forms of reflection to varying degrees and for different purposes. Reflection-in-action was more commonly reported among experienced teachers, while reflection-for-action was equally practiced by teachers at all career stages. The study also found that the teachers’ reflective practices aligned with the cultural values prevalent in Vietnamese society. These findings contribute to the understanding of reflective teaching in the context of Vietnamese EFL education and have implications for teacher education and professional development. Future research is recommended to delve deeper into the complexities of reflective teaching and its impact on teaching effectiveness and student outcomes.

A Grounded Theory of Indonesian English Teacher Educators’ Professional and Identity Development in a Blended Professional Development Community

This study aims to explore engagement that shows evidence of the professional development of Indonesian English language teacher educators converging in a blended learning community pseudonymously called the PL community. Further, the study seeks to explore how professional identities, which are also part of the professional development of teachers and teacher educators, are negotiated and claimed. The data was collected through (1) participant observation (participation in Facebook discussions), (2) interviews, and (3) documents (e.g., Facebook interactions/dialogs, workshop materials, or published papers). Grounded theory was used to analyze the data and to theorize emerging themes. Here, three layers of coding (open, axial, and selective) were done. Data analysis suggests that, by actively interacting in the PL community, members experience professional development activities, particularly in teaching, research, and publication. How professional identities were negotiated and claimed was also discussed.