Pre-service Technology Teachers Research Articles

Exploring pre-service technology teachers’ content and instructional knowledge to determine teaching readiness

Instructional practice plays a significant role in revealing how well teachers understand the subjects they teach. Many studies have been conducted in South Africa on the relationship between teachers’ knowledge of well-established subjects like Science and Mathematics and how well teachers apply their knowledge in the classroom. However, relatively little research has been done on the subject of Technology, which was only included in the national school curriculum after 1994. The aim of this study was to explore pre-service (i.e. in-training) Technology teachers’ content knowledge and instructional knowledge in the context of various theories about teaching. The study followed a case study approach. Five female pre-service Technology teachers, who were in their final year of teacher training at a South African university of technology and were doing their in-school practicum were observed. Video recorder was used to capture the delivering of a lesson to a class of Grade 8 learners. The researcher used the 9E instructional model, which comprises nine phases in the presentation of a lesson, as the basis for her observation work and final analysis. A key finding was that the content and instructional knowledge displayed by most pre-service Technology teachers was inadequate, which weakened their effectiveness in the classroom. As a result, learners were deprived of the opportunity to sharpen their cognitive skills and develop authentic interest in Technology. This study, though limited in scope, has laid an important foundation for more in-depth studies to be conducted on the extent of content and instructional knowledge in the sphere of Technology Education, which should be of value to other universities offering teacher-training programmes.

Analysis of Science and Technology Pre-service Teachers’ Beliefs on the Construction of the Teachers’ Professional Identity during the Initial Training Process

This study focuses on exploring the beliefs regarding the construction and development of Teacher’s Professional Identity (TPI) of Secondary Education Master’s Degree (SEMD) students from the areas of Science and Technology. An ‘S-TPI’ questionnaire, measured using a Likert scale, was used to obtain the opinions of 279 future teachers in the 2014-2018 academic years. After analysing the data, no significant differences were found between the two groups (Science and Technology). However, there were significant differences in the responses obtained for the four dimensions on the scale with regard to the students’ gender. We noticed an important relationship between the global view of professional identity and the development of educational skills linked to socio-educative and methodological aspects. These results may contribute to improving knowledge concerning future teachers’ beliefs and have served as a basis on which to design activities that will enable us to integrate TPI into the initial training process.

Academic Performance and Entrepreneurial Intention of Pre – Service Technology and Livelihood Education Teachers

Several studies revealed that entrepreneurship education affects the development of the intention of a person to become an entrepreneur. Cognizant of the previous findings, this study examined the entrepreneurial intention of the pre-service Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) teachers based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and determined its relationship to academic performance. The descriptive correlation research design was used to come up with an objective description of the relationship of the variables involved. The statistical treatment used was frequency, percentage, Pearson correlation and formulas developed by Icek Ajzen in the TPB. The results showed that students have satisfactory academic performance, very much favorable attitude toward becoming entrepreneurs, moderately favorable perceived subjective norm, and very much easy perceived behavioral control. The variables involved in this study revealed a negligible relationship. In light of these findings, the researcher recommends that important people belong in the university should engage themselves to entrepreneurial capability activities such as seminars, training, workshops, conferences, among others to develop entrepreneurial mindset because they were influencers of the development of entrepreneurial intention among students. Parents and other family members should be involved in entrepreneurial activities to serve as role models. Collaboration between family and the university is highly encouraged to make entrepreneurial programs effective. Moreover, by providing simulations, practicum or authentic entrepreneurial activities, students utilize practical knowledge, skills, values, and attitude; thus, these activities improve their academic performance.

Investigating Perception of the 21st Century Skills among Nigerian Preservice Science, Technology and Mathematics Teachers

Investigating Perception of the 21st Century Skills among Nigerian Preservice Science, Technology and Mathematics Teachers

Apropant la perspectiva STEAM a docents de tecnologia en formació

La presència del terme STEM a la investigació educativa i als documents internacionals sobre educació científica és un fet contrastat. Aquesta realitat és coneguda pels docents de secundària en formació? Es mostra una intervenció didàctica realitzada amb futurs do-cents de tecnologia que evidència el seu desconeixement a priori sobre aquesta perspec-tiva i serveix per a dotar-los d’estratègies que els ajuden a dissenyar propostes didàcti-ques STEAM pròpies.

Comparing Pre-Service Teachers’ PCK Through 9E Instructional Practice: A Case of Mathematics and Technology Pre-Service Teachers

Instructional practice plays a significant role in understanding teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The aim of the study reported on was to compare mathematics and technology pre-service teachers’ knowledge of PCK. The study used a case study approach of five mathematics and five technology pre-service teachers with a total of ten. Data was collected in seven public schools around Gauteng province in South Africa. The observation technique was employed in order to understand students’ classroom practice, using a video camera to capture the setting. One lesson of 45 minutes presented by each pre-service teacher, rendering a total of ten lessons, was observed. The study adapted the theoretical framework of PCK (Shulman 1987). The study scrutinised the data based on the qualitative content analysis method and found that most pre-service teachers in both mathematics and technology possess a limited knowledge of PCK. In both subjects, most of the pre-service teachers’ classroom practice did not exhibit comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter or knowledge of the learners. However, the difference is that only mathematics pre-service teachers have some knowledge of assessment. The data also indicate that “9E” instructional practice can be a valuable tool to enhance field-specific PCK within the field of mathematics and technology education subjects. Therefore, the study proposes further investigation of the “9E” instructional model that could be used as field-specific PCK within the fields of mathematics, science and technology.

Conceptual and exploratory labs for secondary teacher education in two different countries. The case of dc circuits

We analyse the effectiveness of our Formative Intervention Module (FIM), where our was to support a groups of 46 pre-service technology secondary teachers at the University in Udine and a group of 32 pre-service technology teachers at the University of the Basque Country. The topic of the formative intervention was DC circuits because it is a topic that is mentioned in the technology curriculum of any country. The research problem considers how we succeeded in promoting formative modules by promoting new learning materials and by organizing pre-service training. In particular we evaluate the pre-service teachers achievement both in understanding the concepts and in the acquisition of pedagogical content knowledge. A qualitative pre/post-test was designed to get data and analyse the impact of the formative intervention module. We find a generalized improvement in the macro-physical description of a simple DC (Direct Current) circuits. In addition, around two third of future teachers recognized learning difficulties for understanding concepts and the alternative conceptions of students.

How Signaling Principle Affects Learning: An Eye Tracking Study

Studies examining the effects of signaling principle on learning mostly used data sources such as interviews, achievement tests and think aloud protocols. There is, however, limited research on the use of quantitative measures to promote findings from interviews and think aloud procedures. This study aimed to investigate the effects of signaling principle on learning by supporting the results with the eye movement data. Participants included 34 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) pre-service teachers divided into experimental and control groups randomly. Participants were presented with two types of MS Power Point presentations with and without highlighted clues as multimedia material. Participants’ pre-test, post-test, and retention test scores were measured. Participants’ gaze behavior (fixation duration, fixation counts and time to first fixation) during the presentation of instructional material was also recorded. The results revealed that while the experimental group had higher scores than control group in the post- and retention tests, there was no significant difference between the two groups. The analysis of eye movement data showed that signaling directed the attention of the students on relevant information and decreased students’ cognitive effort. Results revealed that both eye movement data and achievement scores were consistent with each other.

Development and Effects of the Biotechnology Educational Program for Pre-service Technology Teachers

Development and Effects of the Biotechnology Educational Program for Pre-service Technology Teachers

Pre-service teachers’ experiences within modelling scenarios enriched by digital technologies

This paper presents issues related to the use of technology by secondary school pre-service mathematics teachers engaged in open mathematical modelling projects. Pre-service teachers developed these projects within a regular mathematics education course during the teacher education program at the university concerned. This environment, called a modelling scenario, is the context for our study, which is based on the analysis of projects produced by seven consecutive cohorts of pre-service teachers beginning in 2010. The research questions guiding our study seek to determine which technologies pre-service teachers chose, for which modelling purposes they chose them, and in which phases of the modelling process they were significantly used. During the modelling process, pre-service teachers used the Internet, spreadsheets, mathematical software and programming languages. The Internet, the most utilized technology, was used to find information or data, to select variables, or to formulate problems. The other three technologies significantly influenced the processes of mathematical solution and validation. The in-depth analysis of a single project shows an original use of visual affordances of technologies and a dialectical relationship between problem posing and technology use. The study enables us to conclude the necessity for coordinated action between mathematics educators and mathematicians to generate a deeper understanding of modelling as a pedagogical proposal and mathematical activity.

A Case Study of ‘Smart Farm’ Model Product Manufacturing and Recognition of Model Manufacturing Lesson Based on IoT(Internet of Things) by Pre-service Technology Teachers

A Case Study of ‘Smart Farm’ Model Product Manufacturing and Recognition of Model Manufacturing Lesson Based on IoT(Internet of Things) by Pre-service Technology Teachers

The importance of attitudes toward technology for pre-service teachers' technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge: Comparing structural equation modeling approaches

A large body of literature suggests that attitudes toward technology and its educational use are important determinants of technology acceptance and integration in classrooms. At the same time, teachers' Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) facilitates the meaningful use of technology for educational purposes. Overall, attitudes toward technology and TPACK play a critical role for technology integration and have been in the focus of many empirical studies. Albeit the attention that has been paid to these two concepts, their relation has not been fully understood. The present study contributes to the advancement of this understanding by examining the relations between three core technology attitudes (i.e., general attitudes towards ICT, attitudes towards ICT in education, and ease of use) and TPACK self-efficacy beliefs, based on a sample of N = 688 Flemish pre-service teachers in 18 teacher-training institutions. Using a variety of structural equation modeling approaches, we describe the TPACK-attitudes relations from multiple perspectives and present a substantive-methodological synergism. The analyses revealed that the attitudes toward technology and TPACK self-beliefs were positively related; yet, differences across the attitudes and TPACK dimensions existed, pointing to the delineation of general and educational perspectives on the use of ICT.

Designing for Diverse Learning: Case study of place-based learning in Design and Technologies pre-service teacher education

Place-based learning experiences in Design and Technologies education connect people and place with design processes and products. Drawing on place-based learning, this case study shares the experiences of eight final year pre-service Design and Technologies education students from the University of South Australia as they collaborated with in-service teachers and learners within a secondary special education setting. This study reports on the design and development processes that pre-service teachers adopted to produce a sensory teaching resource to stimulate interaction, coordination and fine motor skills for students with diverse learning needs. Qualitative data, incorporating a survey and group design folio, were collected from pre-service teachers to capture how design-based decisions were influenced through place-based experiences. Findings suggest that place-based learning facilitated opportunities for meaningful educational and social connections between people and communities. Through engagement in an authentic special education context, place-based experiences enabled pre-service teachers to develop an enhanced sense of civic responsibility and valuing of communities and citizens at a local level. Importantly, engagement in place-based learning scaffolded a deeper and richer understanding of the role that education can play in supporting individuals and communities to create preferred futures. This study suggests that higher education place-based learning experiences are valuable in providing opportunities for Design and Technologies pre-service teachers to foster knowledge, awareness and understanding of the relationship between design processes and products and the needs of people and place.

E-MENTORING FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS: A CASE STUDY

This study focused on supporting the professional development of information technologies pre-service teachers with the help of e-mentoring. The e-mentoring program was conducted in four basic phases such as preparation, matching, interaction and finalizing. In the study, the data were collected via researcher journals, semi-structured interviews held with the participants, focus-group interviews and reflection reports written at the end of the program. The data collected were analyzed with the software of Nvivo 8 and divided into themes for presentation. The duration and frequency of interactions and the communication tools preferred differed from one matching to another. In addition, the interactions revealed gains professional development in terms of such areas as sharing knowledge and experience, guidance and goal setting, knowing more about the university and adaptation, easily access to counseling, developing self-confidence, developing communication skills, social and affective support, keeping one’s knowledge updated and reinforcement. It was seen that besides the formal education given to the participants, the e-mentoring application had positive influence on their professional development as well. The e-mentoring program helped students, academicians and graduates share their knowledge and experience with each other and develop their social networks. The participants had the opportunity to view their career as a whole and received guidance regarding the career processes.

Measuring twenty-first century skills: development and validation of a scale for in-service and pre-service teachers

A self-report scale that measures teachers’ confidence in teaching students about twenty-first century skills was developed and validated with pre-service and in-service teachers. First, 16 items were created to measure teaching confidence in six areas: information literacy, collaboration, communication, innovation and creativity, problem solving, and responsible citizenship. Then, the items were tested in two groups of pre-service teachers and two groups of in-service teachers respectively. Exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine the scale’s validity and reliability. The analyses identified a three-construct scale including innovation and problem solving, collaboration, and utility of technology for pre-service teachers and a one-dimension scale, cross-functional skills, for in-service teachers. This study suggests that different scales should be used to measure in-service teachers’ and pre-service teachers’ confidence in teaching twenty-first century skills.

English

The purpose of this study is to determine epistemological beliefs of pre-service teachers who attend social studies and science and technology teaching programs; and to investigate how these beliefs varies regarding grade level, gender and departments. The sample of the study is composed of 300 social studies, 260 science and technology pre-service teachers who attended Ataturk University KazA±m Karabekir Education Faculty in 2013-2014 academic year. In the study, Epistemological Beliefs Scale that developed by Schommer (1990) and adapted to Turkish by Deryakulu and Ozturk (2005) was used. According to the research findings it is determined that there are significant differences in epistemological beliefs of social studies and science and technology teachers regarding the variables of gender, department and grade level. Significant differences were found regarding gender in favor of females; between first and fourth grades social studies pre-service teachers, in favor of first graders; between first and fourth grades science and technology pre-service teachers, again, in favor of first graders. Regarding department variable it is determined that first grade social studies pre-service teachers have more sophisticated epistemological beliefs than fourt grade social studies pre-service teachers and both first and fourth graders of science and technology teaching department. Key words: Epistemological beliefs, pre-service teacher.

Perspectives on Technology Education in New Zealand: Twenty years of progress?

This paper provides an historical review of the implementation of the technology learning area in New Zealand secondary schools with a view to identifying aspects which may, or may not, have enabled success. The intention here is to build on previous studies and to consider issues which may have been problematic to some teachers and other stakeholders. By reflecting on this process it may be possible to provide further understanding of present and future needs, which can guide the continuing development of both the technology learning area and its ongoing implementation.The paper draws significantly from the author's experience as a professional development facilitator and pre-service technology teacher educator over a twelve year period. Through this work there has been opportunity to gain considerable understanding of issues concerning technology education, implementation, and the facilitation of professional development for teachers of technology.

The Investigation of Attitude and Readiness of Information and Communication Technologies Pre-service Teachers Toward Web Based Learning

The present study aims to investigate attitudes and readiness of Information and Communication Technologies pre-service teachers toward web-based learning. In the study group of the research are 165 pre-service teachers. The study was conducted in the survey model. As data collection tools, ‘Web-based Teaching Attitude Scale’ and ‘Readiness and Expectation Scale for e-Learning Process’ were utilized. In analysis of the collected data, descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA analysis were conducted. As a result of the research, it was found that attitude levels of pre-service teachers were lower than median; and their readiness levels were above the median. Moreover, in terms of gender, there was no significant difference between attitude and readiness scores. While there was no significant difference among attitude scores in terms of number of years in education, there was significant difference in readiness scores.

EXPLORING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ IDEAS ABOUT THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM BY USING THE DRAWING METHOD

In this study, it is aimed to identify science and technology pre-service teachers’ ideas about the digestive system by using the drawing method. The study was conducted with 95 third and fourth grade pre-service teachers studying at science and technology teacher education department. In the study, a drawing test and The Draw -A-Digestive System Test Rubric (DADST-R), which is developed by the researchers for the analysis of drawings, were used. The scores that science and technology pre-service teachers get from DADST-R are examined in terms of sub-dimensions and the dimension they are best at is found to be digestive system organs while the dimension they are having the most trouble with is establishing connections among digestive system organs. Based on these results, some suggestions were given with regards to the role of the digestive system in the education system. Key words: digestive system, drawing method, rubric, science and technology pre-service teacher

SELF-REGULATED LEARNING IN CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH BASED SCIENCE LABORATORY PRACTICES AND OPINIONS ON CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH

With this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of constructivist chemistry laboratory on science and technology pre-service teachers’ opinions about constructivist approach and their self-regulated learning skills.The relationship between pre-service teachers’ opinions about constructivist approach and their self-regulated learning skills was investigated. The one group pre-test-post-test design was used in the study. The sample of the study was 58 pre-service teachers from Hacettepe University, Department of Science Education, who were attending chemistry experiments at Science Teaching Laboratory Applications II Course. Self-regulated Learning Skills Scale developed by Turan and Demirel (2010) and Opinion Scale of Constructivist Approach for Science Teachers developed by Balım, Kesercioğlu, Evrekli ve İnel (2009) were used as data collection tools. At the end of the study, it was determined that constructivist chemistry laboratory applications caused a positive increase in pre-service teachers’ self-regulated learning skills and opinions about constructivist approach. Also, there was a positive relationship between pre-service teachers’ self-regulated learning skills and opinions about constructivist approach that was observed. Key words: constructivist approach, self-regulated learning, chemistry laboratory applications, pre-service teachers.