Teacher Training Institutions Research Articles

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOB SATISFACTION AND PRODUCTIVITY AMONG LECTURERS OF SEYYED JAMALUDDIN TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE

Job satisfaction and productivity are the main focus of most organizations. Therefore, the present research was conducted to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and productivity of lecturers in “Seyed Jamaluddin Afghan teacher training institute. It was a cross-sectional study. Descriptive and correlational methods were used to analyze the data. The population of the study was 200 lecturers of Seyed Jamaluddin Afghan teacher training institute out of which 131 were selected as a sample by a simple random method. To collect the data two standardized questionnaires, Smith, Kendall & Hulin’s (1969) job satisfaction questionnaire and the AGIO model 1980 manpower productivity questionnaire were used. The findings show that there was a meaningful relationship between the components of productivity and job satisfaction. There was no significant difference between male and female lecturers’ perceptions in terms of productivity. Furthermore, findings showed that lecturers with bachelor's degrees were more satisfied than lecturers with doctorate degrees.

수학교육과 기하 및 해석 교과목의 거꾸로 수업 적용 사례에 대한 탐색적 고찰

Objectives This study is the result of observing and studying the changes of students and instructors in the case of applying Flipped Lessons method to mathematics lessons of the College of Education. Methods The mathematics classes of K-University located in Gyeongsang-do was operated by flipped learning method for seven years. Through this, student’s academic achievement and lecture evaluation results were investigated, and changes in class activities and evaluation were observed. Results The results of lecture evaluation and academic achievement of students who took mathematics classes in the Department of Mathematics Education were analyzed. Changes in the evaluation method for classes and changes in class activities over the past 7 years were also investigated. As a result, student’s academic achievement improved and there were significant changes in the lecture evaluation results. Flipped class also changed the instructor from a knowledge communicator to a learning assistant. Conclusions The role of the College of Education as a teacher training institution is to train preparatory teachers who can teach ‘good classes’. In particular, in order to nurture teachers who can teach ‘good math classes’, it is important to experience ‘good math classes’ through flipped classes at the college.

Preservice Teachers’ Perceived Philosophies of Education in the Context of Outcome-Based Teacher Education Curriculum (OBTEC)

Educational philosophy is one of the most critical arms of the teacher in the classroom. Thus, this research aims to determine OBTEC preservice teachers' perceived philosophies of education. To gather information on their philosophies, the researcher adapted the questionnaire of Sadker and Zittleman administered to 214 preservice teachers. Results show that the majority of the preservice teachers were reconstructionists. However, male preservice teachers were more of a progressivists, while the females were social reconstructionists. Considering their areas of specialization, preservice teachers were reconstructionist. BECED, on the other hand, were existentialists. Preservice teachers wanted to educate the learners with social problems and issues that influence society. They also wanted schools to be student-centered and activity-based. Thus, this study suggests that OBTEC preservice teachers need to acquire in-depth knowledge of the different philosophies of education. Teacher Training Institutions are also encouraged to strengthen preservice teachers' orientation of the different philosophies of education.

The Views of Teacher Candidates about Unemployment and Employment

This study aims to reveal the opinions of teacher candidates on unemployment, which has been observed more seriously among the young in the society recently, the provision of employment to the individuals in the society, and the links between unemployment and the Turkish education system. In this study, which was designed as qualitative research, it was tried to put forward the anxiety, opinions and solution suggestions of the candidate teachers who are fourth-year students in Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University and Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Education Faculties about unemployment. In the study, in the approaches of teacher candidates to the concept of unemployment, they perceived unemployment as not being able to find a job or being sentenced to a job that was not suitable for its quality; the candidate teachers were observed to explain unemployment through definitions such as disrepute, seeing no respect in society, living in need of others, being left behind in the struggle for survival. It is seen that participants find the vocational guidance in the education system insufficient and unplanned, and they focus on solutions to increase the quality of education, not to increase the duration of education and the number of educational institutions as a suggestion to create employment. It has been stated that the Turkish education system should be saved from its competitive and rote structure that does not respond to the subjective needs of individuals, that teacher training institutions should be removed from their theoretical, multiple-choice examination-oriented structure, and a qualified teacher training system that gives more space to practise should be established.

AN INQUIRY OF EFL TEACHERS’ ASSESSMENT IDENTITY FORMATION THROUGH THE PERSPECTIVES OF CRITICAL INCIDENTS

This study is an exploration of how critical incidents shape teachers’ assessment identity. Through a narrative analysis based on data collected from seven teachers, four assessment-related critical incidents in the career of these teachers were identified. They include the early education experience before the participants joined the teacher training programs, the time spent in formal teacher training programs, in-service teacher training programs, and major promotions in their careers. The study urges teacher training institutions and professional development programs to acknowledge and devote an important part of their curriculum and learning activities to more localized, ongoing and sustained professional development for teachers, accentuating that attention should also be directed to nurturing teacher assessment identity right from pre-service teacher education and during in-service professional development programs. Teachers should also be encouraged to develop the habit of frequently reflecting on their assessment identity formation.

Preparing pre-service teachers for integration of education for sustainable development in school: A systematic review (2013-2022)

Teacher education is accountable for ensuring that all students acquire the knowledge and skills required to promote sustainable development, primarily via education for sustainable development (ESD). However, most of the research on ESD in teacher education focuses on specific education courses and countries. Thus, this review systematically explores global trends in ESD research within teacher education. Based on two databases, Web of Science and Scopus, 27 publications were retrieved from 2013 to 2022 using the SLR methodology and further analysed using the PRISMA method to obtain the main themes. First, the significant findings portrayed that ESD integration does not have any boundaries between fields. Second, the evidence demonstrates that ESD is integrated using various expanding strategies and methods into teacher education across nations and programmes. Third, by understanding the existence of various variables, actions and measurements may be performed before or after the incorporation of ESD into teacher education curricula in connection to the availability of external factors that may impact ESD implementation. These three findings indicated that there are still research gaps concerning ESD in teacher education to be explored. In conclusion, this study is beneficial for practitioners in evaluating which ESD approach is currently being used and in identifying ESD-related research needs in teacher education. In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the enhancement of ESD in teacher training institutions might lead to a new vision of education. Keywords: Education for sustainable development, pre-service teacher, sustainability, sustainable development goals, systematic literature review, teacher education

The language of instruction in mathematics teacher education for the early grades

Background: Teaching mathematics in junior primary classroom requires an understanding of concepts and knowledge to communicate them applicably. The role of language of instruction is thus deemed significant in creating adequate insight into mathematical content. Teacher training institutions are therefore required to produce skilful teachers to utilise the mother tongue (MT) as medium of instructing mathematics.Aim: Lecturers’ perceptions on the use of MT in the teaching of mathematics is viewed crucial in determining the values and emphasis they place on the preparation of student teachers to effectively teach mathematics in MT. The study aims at uncovering the perceptions of mathematics lecturers regarding MT instruction in the University.Setting: The study was conducted at one of the University of Namibia campuses which train teachers.Methods: Purposive sampling was used to select four lecturers. Semistructured individual interviews were used to obtain lecturers’ perspective on the stated issue.Results: Findings indicated that although lecturers were aware of the benefit of teaching mathematics in MT, not all were in agreement with teaching in MT especially at the university. Findings further indicated that there are various impediments for teaching mathematics in MT at the university including students’ background and the lack of resources, including lecturers who speak the MT.Conclusion: A recommendation deriving from the study is that two parallel policies for language in education are implemented, one pertaining to the school environment, under the control of the Ministry of Education, and one pertaining to the tertiary education, under the auspices of the university. For tertiary education it is advocated that courses embrace both the official English language, as well as the Mother Tongue, in equal proportions.

Pedagogue students’ opinions on ideal teacher interaction

Based on Leary’s interpersonal model (Interpersonal Circumplex), Wubbels elaborated the scheme of interpersonal behaviour that was completed by questionnaires (Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI)). Our research involved 336 students of four teacher training institutions of the Carpathian Basin. In our survey, we searched for the answer to the question of what opinions students held about the ideal interpersonal behaviour. The reliability of the Hungarian version of the QTI query proved to be similar to that of the English version. According to the students, the main characteristics of the ideal interpersonal behaviour are decisive, directive, helpful and understanding; it is less characterised by doubt and emotionality. In terms of imposing and compliant manner, opinions are rather divided. It is preschool teachers and teachers of lower primary school classes who prefer cooperation with the children the most, while teachers of upper classes tend to emphasise the importance of directive behaviour.

중등 예비교사가 인식하는 학교현장실습에 대한 탐색

The purpose of this study is to explore the actual conditions of school field practicum recognized by secondary school preservice teachers and to suggest effective directions. Therefore, this study collected data from pre-service teachers enrolled in the Department of Education at University A located in the metropolitan area. In addition, this study explored the practice process, practice type, and practice support system in the practice school, and also explored the method of effective secondary school field practicum. Suggestions based on the results of this study are as follows. First, even in an emergency such as COVID-19, the period of secondary school field practicum should not be reduced, but should be maintained. Second, the practice school should establish a systematic practice plan that organically connects 'preparatory education-main practice-post evaluation'. Third, universities, which are secondary teacher education institutions, should reinforce their own pre-training. Considering that school field practicum in front-line practice schools is not systematic and takes place in a short period of time, it is necessary to prepare and operate a practice program on its own. In this study, implications for activating school field practicum in secondary teacher training institutions in a desirable direction were presented.

Influence of school agricultural farms on academic performance in agriculture in secondary schools

Performance in agriculture in secondary schools countrywide has remained dismal since the year 2016 and it is mainly attributed to poor pedagogical skills and a lack of proper teaching materials and infrastructure. This study, therefore, sought to assess the influence of school agricultural farms on academic performance in agriculture in secondary schools in Hamisi Sub-County, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive survey research design involving census sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25.0, with Spearman’s rank-order correlation being employed to check for multicollinearity among study variables. The study established that, to a large extent, school agricultural farms influence academic performance in agriculture. The study recommends that efforts be made by all relevant players to ensure that secondary schools offering agriculture have access to functional farms for effective instruction. For their part, teacher training institutions should improve their ability to provide teachers with relevant knowledge, skills, and strategies for teaching agriculture, and the Ministry of Education should ensure that schools offering the subject have adequate resources for running their demonstration farms.

국내 특수교사 양성 대학의 행동분석 관련 과목 운영 실태: 행동분석전문가 학사학위 과정 자격 기준 마련을 위한 기초 논의

The purpose of this study was to obtain implications for preparing Korean Behavior Analyst Certification by analyzing the subjects related to behavior analysis at special education teacher training that reflects the qualification standards of bachelor's degree program, which has recently been increasing interest in Korea. We analyzed the curriculum posted on the department's website for 46 departments of 31 universities with special education departments among universities that are special education teacher training institution of nationwide. The results of the study are as follows. First, 23 out of 31 colleges (74.2%) have both behavioral analysis principles and clinical practice courses in the department (major) for training teachers in special schools nationwide. Second, 49 subjects related to behavioral analysis principles were opened in the National Special School Teacher Training Department (major), and mainly consisted of 3 credits for elective major, with subject names such as ‘Behavioral modification’, ‘Positive Behavior Support’, and ‘Special child behavior modification’. Third, 123 subjects related to clinical practice were opened in the department (major) for training teachers in special schools nationwide, and mainly consisted of 3 or 2 or less credits for elective major and teaching profession, with subject names such as ‘Educational volunteer activities’, ‘School field practice’, ‘Educational volunteer activities’, and ‘Special education field practice’. According to the results of this study, in order to prepare a bachelor's degree course for behavioral analysis specialists, the necessity of opening additional courses related to behavioral interventions to strengthen the professional competence of preliminary special education teachers was discussed.

OPTIMIZING GOOGLE SITES IN LEARNING: EMERGING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION POST COVID-19 IN MALAYSIA

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the education system, impacting teachers in various ways. Apart from the difficulty in e-Learning modes of instruction and insufficient social support, teachers must keep instructional time and application use at high performance. Due to distancing learning also, Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) has been abolished. In responding to the current school-based assessment and the challenging factor of Malaysians’ educators to stay ahead in the digital post-COVID-19 age, we have invented a new learning environment using HyperDoc with Google Sites (GS). Hence, this study was set out to explore sample views on the pedagogical strategy regarding GS application and to elaborate further on the resulting development of students. A case study was conducted with two participating lecturers, and 22 students from a teacher training institute (IPGKDa) and data analysis was carried out manually using open and thematic coding methods. In particular, we have categorised the participants’ responses into two main themes: teachers’ dissatisfaction and impact on students’ learning. The results suggest that utilising digital technologies in meaningful ways would become the answer to bridge the gap despite the pandemic crisis. The authentic learning environment strategies have provided directions to accelerate a highly competent 21st-century learner. As the teacher trainee institution, we aim to reinvent a better future post-COVID-19 for sustainable education by implementing and curating technology solutions that will meet the needs of current educators, especially primary school teachers. Strategies employed would also be able to guide further research in Malaysia to cope with the educational loss and, simultaneously, prepare the independent students for a future post-COVID-19.

English

In 2007, some curricular changes of teacher training system were initiated in Mozambique with teacher training course model 10+1. The changes included the teaching of English together with other new subjects that required the training of teachers capable of implementing them to meet the needs of primary education curriculum. In order to examine the implementation of the curricular changes in primary teachers’ institutes, an in-depth study was conducted with attention paid to the integration of complementary subjects for English course at Chicuque teacher-training institute, using a qualitative study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis. During the fieldwork, qualitative data were initially analysed through manual methods of coding, clustering and summarizing. At the later phase, electronic methods were used for data processing in Word and Excel software. The personnel’s qualifications, specialization and position were used as the criteria for inclusion of 37 participants involved in curriculum design, Education management and teachers of English in primary schools based on a non-probability and purposive sampling technique. The results indicated that curricular change in study has never been implemented owing to the flaw found in the policy formulation. This article claims that if the curriculum itself is designed with omissions of key guidelines, it will be unlikely to have an effective implementation and suggests a deep evaluation of teacher training policies to review the study plan of the English Course for primary education.   Key words: Teacher training, curricular changes, implementation, policy formulation.&nbsp

Exploring the predictors of teacher retention among beginning teachers in Ethiopia

There is a global challenge to retain qualified beginning teachers across the school system. In the first 10 years of entering the profession, a large number of beginning teachers exit altogether. While high-income countries have been designing policies and discussing effective ways to retain beginning teachers, the African share of such deliberation is scanty. Using Mason and Matas’ (2015) four-capital teacher retention model (structural, social, psychological and human capital) as a conceptual framework, we studied the predictors of retention of beginning teachers in Ethiopia. A questionnaire designed on the basis of the tenets of the conceptual framework was used for the data collection. In total, 204 beginning teachers who had graduated from elite teacher training institutions were recruited for this study. The data were analysed using t-tests, analysis of variance and structural equation modelling to estimate the strengths of the relationships and direct logistical and linear regressions. The results show a positive relationship between the four indicators and the demographic variables, such as gender, pre-service training, access to professional development, level of teaching and living with family in the community, which provided additional insight into teacher retention. We discuss the need for a multifaceted approach to retaining beginning teachers in Ethiopia as well as other implications.

A Fourth Industrial Revolution Paradigm Shift in Teacher Education?

This article explores the plausibility of shifting from the instruction paradigm to the learning paradigm in order to prepare teachers to meet the needs of 21st century learners within the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). While the instruction paradigm is dominated by teacher-centred instructional strategies, a shift to the learning paradigm would require teacher training institutions to prepare teachers who will facilitate the teaching/learning process through interactive strategies, that is, teachers who are ‘meddlers in the middle’, who create puzzling situations and work alongside students to construct knowledge. Key aspects of such a shift include training institutions’ mission and purpose, criteria for the institutional and personal success of teacher trainers and trainees, teaching/learning structures within institutions, learning theory, productivity, funding, and the nature of educational stakeholders’ roles. In line with the dictates of the 4IR, training institutions should cultivate versatility to continuously identify, develop, test, implement, and assess effective learning technologies. In turn, their graduates should value learning as a continuous process for themselves, their learners, and their institutions.
 Key words: Fourth industrial revolution, paradigm shift, teacher training, instruction paradigm, learning paradigm

Elementary teacher trainees’ multiple intelligence in relation to their academic performance

The study aimed at finding out the relationship between multiple intelligence and academic performance of elementary teacher trainees. The study followed the normative survey method. Multiple intelligence scale and academic performance test were administered to 150 elementary teacher trainees from various teacher training institutes in Ramanathapuram district. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive, differential and relational analysis. The study found that there significant relationship between multiple intelligence and academic performance of elementary teacher trainees. Significant difference is also found between male and female teacher trainees in respect their multiple intelligence. The outcome of the study may have valuable implications for the elementary teacher trainees and the society.

Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Perceptions of Secondary School Heads of Departments on Teacher Trainees’ Pedagogical Practices in Three Districts of Zambia

Preparing a 21st-century classroom teacher has become necessary in teacher training and practice if considerable retains in education could be realized. While some content knowledge awareness efforts have materialized in the teachers’ movement, the pedagogical aspect of training needs much to be desired. This study aimed to establish the secondary school heads of departments’ perceptions of teacher trainees’ pedagogical Practices. The study design used was a quantitative exploratory factor analysis to examine an eight-factor structure of the instrument and analyze the association between variables. The study population constituted of all secondary schools’ heads of departments in three districts of Zambia. A total sample of (n=120) participants comprising heads of departments from 20 secondary schools participated in the study. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling to identify respondents since the study depended on researchers’ sense of judgment in selecting participants from the population. The 20 schools provided all the standard criteria for the choice of participants needed for the study. The instrument used in the study was a survey questionnaire adapted from Barron (2015). A pilot study on (n=43) heads of departments conducted on heads of departments who were not part of the study. The reliability of the instrument was deemed reliable after subjecting it to SPSS and gave reliability of .930. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 26. The study’s significant findings showed evidence of acquisition of content knowledge among trainee teachers, implying the emphasis on training, and showed a severe lack of professional ethics among trainee teachers. However, the findings showed that the various factors extracted are near related; hence, there is a close relationship between teacher training curriculum and the pedagogical skills that trainee teachers use in classrooms. Given the nature of the 21st-century learners that teachers come in contact with, the pedagogical predicament becomes paramount for emphasis in teacher training institutions.

Self-Initiated Professional Development (SI-PD) Elements for Malaysian Vocational Colleges’ TVET Teachers Using Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM)

Self-Initiated Professional Development (SI-PD) has gained much attention lately due to increasing concern on the effectiveness of teachers’ professional development practice. It is also one of Ministry of Education (MOE) agenda in Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2013-2025 to transform Continuous Professional Development (CPD) by increasing Self-Initiated Professional Development (SI-PD) from 16 percent to 60 percent and reducing Ministry-led professional development by the year of 2025. Specifically, the aim of this study was to explore the elements required in Self-Initiated Professional Development (SI-PD) framework for TVET teachers in vocational colleges according to experts’ consensus. Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) was used as a tool in this study to explore the elements and data presented here were a part of a larger study which explored SI-PD among TVET teachers in Vocational Colleges. Nineteen experts were involved consisted of MOE officers, lecturers from universities and teacher training institutions who have at least five years of experience in teachers’ professional development and TVET. Based on the data analysis, the defuzzification values for all elements exceeded the minimum value 33.6 and therefore, the findings conclusively suggested that the experts have consensually agreed that there are ten elements required in Self-Initiated Professional Development (SI-PD). The ranking of the elements based on experts’ consensus was listed as follows, (1) Industrial attachment opportunity, (2) Attitude, (3) Understanding, (4) Collaborative environment, (5) School administrators’ role, (6) Strategy, (7) Readiness, (8) Autonomy, (9) Reward and (10) Professional development system. The findings were used to design Self-Initiated Professional Development (SI-PD) framework for TVET teachers in vocational colleges. This study also promotes the suitability of Fuzzy Delphi Method as a current research tool in the field of research on professional development. The proposed SI-PD elements can underpin TVET teachers’ professional learning and support the cultivation of Self-Directed Learning (SDL) which then enable changes in their teaching and learning practice to be more meaningful and effective.

Strategies Used by the Teachers to Reduce Students' Disruptive Behavior in Classroom

Disruptive behaviour of students in a classroom is a serious hurdle for effective learning and teaching process. This quantitative study was conducted to explore the strategies used by the teachers to reduce disruption in the classroom and data was collected through a survey. The population of this study was all female and male teachers teaching in public sector colleges of District Chakwal. To represent the entire population, through a convenient sampling technique, 13 public sector colleges were selected from District Chakwal and 176 teachers were randomly selected for data collection purposes. A self-developed research questionnaire was used for data collection after validation and reliability assessment. The results showed that most of the teachers practice proactive, reactive, recognition and reward strategies. In the light of findings, it is recommended that teacher training institutions should introduce modern behaviour management strategies in the curriculum of teacher training programs so that, teachers can perform their teaching activities in an excellent manner.

Effect of Teaching Methods on "Higher Order Thinking Skills" of Elementary Level Science Students

The effect of two different teaching methods on “Higher Order Thinking Skills” (HOTS) of elementary-level science learners was analyzed in this research. This is an emerging field in research globally as well as in the Pakistani scenario. The research design used for this project was a "pre-test and post-test control group design”. Two sections comprising 40 students were selected randomly and were taught with two different teaching methods; the "experimental group" engaged by "Problem Based Learning Method" (PBLM) while the “control group” dealt with the "Traditional Method" (TM). The academic performance of the students was evaluated through an Achievement Test of Science (ATS).Post analysis data study showed that the performance of the “experimental group” engaged by the“problem-based learning method” was better on “higher order thinking skills” at elementary level science.The study findings may be helpful for science teachers, teachers training institutions, and other educational stakeholders.