Thinking In Teacher Education Research Articles

‘How are rainbows made?': profiles of early childhood teachers' beliefs and their associations with responses to young children's causal questions

ABSTRACT This study investigates how early childhood teachers in China respond to children’s causal questions and explores the relationship between their belief profiles and response patterns. Grounded in Martin Buber’s dialogic philosophy and complemented by constructivist theories, latent profile analysis revealed three distinct belief profiles: leaders, followers, and polyphonists. Multilevel logistic regression showed that leaders were more inclined to provide explanations, followers tended to encourage exploration and information seeking, and polyphonists used a balanced combination of response types. These findings highlight the complex interplay between beliefs and practices in early childhood education, reflecting the cross-cultural exchange, collision, and integration of global educational ideas. The study underscores the importance of fostering critical and creative thinking in teacher education to help navigate the complexities of education.

Philosophy and Poetic Thinking in Teacher Education

AbstractTeacher education has sought to combine the practice of teaching with the practice of thinking and most popularly through reflective practice. This refers to reflection on and in action that leads to thoughtful practical doing; praxis. In spite of its intention to develop teachers’ practical wisdom, reflective practice has become instrumentalised for the efficient achievement of educational ends without questioning whether the means of achieving them are conducive to living a good, meaningful life. Standardised modes of thinking have all the more estranged teachers from thinking Being and from exploring meanings of who they are as teachers. To address this issue, this paper explores possibilities offered by poetic thinking and metaphorical thinking with reference to the thoughts of Heidegger and Arendt. The analysis of the problem of the abandonment of thinking Being by philosophical traditions as well as Aristotle’s notion of praxis and poesis have been originally addressed by Heidegger. Poesis, the act of making and bringing something forth has also been discussed by Arendt in her thoughts about metaphorical thinking and its potential for becoming something new. I argue that poetic forms of thinking enrich the debate about the relation between philosophy and teaching and are insightful for doing philosophy for teachers. They encourage teachers to make use of language in an original way to bring themselves forth as unique Beings. To practically explore the poetic possibilities in teachers’ quests for meaning, I refer to a student teacher’s writing as an example of how Being teacher can be poetically revealed.

Review on pedagogical practices for computational thinking in teacher education

As computational thinking (CT) enters school curricula, and research on teaching of CT emerges, the time has come to spotlight CT in teacher education (TE). To this end, we conducted a literature review on CT in TE for STEM subjects with particular focus on research into pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) learning of pedagogical practices. We found 31 articles addressing CT in TE for STEM subjects between 2012 and 2023, applying qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, mainly with smaller sample sizes. Almost all describe teaching interventions with research on PSTs’ CT skills or attitudes. Only five articles include research questions explicitly addressing pedagogical practices for learning to teach CT. However, 13 articles explicitly describe such pedagogical practices and another seven implicitly do so. The review shows that the practices for teaching CT is an under-researched area, and the field lacks a common language and systematic research approaches. However, we do find that TE has clear ambitions for teaching PSTs about pedagogical practices as well as CT skills and attitudes.

Beyond zero-sum thinking in teacher education: cognitive science, educational neuroscience, and the history of education

PurposeI take as a starting point the disparaging comments about the place of history and philosophy of education in initial teacher education (ITE) made by the chair of the Teacher Education Expert Panel established by the Australian Government in 2023, which I take to be the most recent attempt at resurrecting the tired debate over “the art versus science of teaching”. I draw on an example from my own ITE classroom to tease possibilities for how historical research and research in the sciences of learning can be in dialogue and collaborate to deepen educational scholarship.Design/methodology/approachThe purpose of this essay is to reflect on the scholarly discussions and debates in the sciences of learning that historical researchers of education have largely been absent or excluded from. I argue that historical researchers have an important role to play as “critical friends” to the burgeoning fields of cognitive science and educational neuroscience.FindingsFrom my cursory and singular account, I highlight two key areas of education where historical research and the sciences of learning can be fruitfully in dialogue and collaboration: Firstly, on the cultural dimension that prefigures learners' approach to learning; and secondly, on the factors that enable or disable effective learning.Originality/valueThis essay sets an agenda for historical researchers in education to exercise “critical friendship” with the cognitive and brain sciences of learning, specifically by adding temporal considerations to the way biology, psychology, and sociality interact to produce different educational outcomes. This will be of “practical” service to ITE – and to students in schools.

Bloom's taxonomy and critical thinking in teacher education

The article analyzes and compares Bloom's traditional and revised taxonomy, focusing on the cognitive domain and, in particular, on knowledge. A two–dimensional model of Bloom's revised taxonomy is proposed for consideration, since an interesting situation has developed in Kazakhstan education now - the hierarchy of cognitive skills is used from the classical taxonomy, while the concept of active verbs is already used from the revised one. We believe that it is necessary in this case to fully use the revised concept, and the article provides an example of a matrix for formulating educational goals. Particular attention is paid to the cognitive skill of application, which some classify as the lowest level of thinking, while others consider it the highest. The article suggests that this skill is transitional, echoing both levels. In addition, the article explores the relationship between critical thinking and Bloom's taxonomy in the context of teacher training. It is considered how the use of Bloom's taxonomy can contribute to the development of critical thinking in future teachers, and what advantages this may have in educational practice. The article provides a better understanding of the evolution of the taxonomy and descriptions of cognitive skills and abilities presented in Bloom's taxonomy, their role in the formation of competent teachers with the ability to think critically and effectively apply knowledge in the learning environment.

Examination of Studies on Critical Thinking in Teacher Education: a Bibliometric Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to examine the studies conducted on critical thinking in teacher education using bibliometric analysis method. Education Educational Research category of Web of Science was preferred as the database. 2,717 publications published between 1989 and 2022 were analyzed using citation, bibliographical coupling, and co-occurrence techniques. Obtained results reveal that the earliest works on critical thinking in teacher education were published in 1989. It was determined that critical thinking in teacher education was met with increased interest after 2010, and that 2019 was the year when the published papers reached a record high. An examination of the citation years of the studies showed that 2021 saw the highest number of citations. USA was found as the country with highest number of publications on critical thinking in teacher education. Most researchers publish their works on the field in the form of articles, and English is the most preferred publication language. The author with the highest citation figures in the field is found as Hwang, Gwo-Jen, while the most frequently cited work was written by Fang in 1996. Document with the highest number of links was authored by Gomez-Jarabo and Sosa in 2018. The keywords with the highest popularity in the studies of researchers in recent years, which have the highest total number of links, were identified as teacher education, higher education, education, learning, curriculum, professional development, creativity, technology, and pedagogy. In this context, researchers who will perform studies in the field are especially advised to prefer keywords with high citation rates in literature review stage. Similarly, researchers are recommended to examine the documents with high citation and link scores in the field. Finally, in their efforts to regulate teacher education policies and programs, countries are advised to find examples in national settings with high total link scores as regards critical thinking approach.

Critical Thinking in Teacher Education: Course Design and Teaching Practicum

Critical Thinking is considered a key component of Higher Education that supports graduates’ preparation for the labor market. However, in the field of teacher education more research is needed to support student-teachers with regard to the complexity of schools. It is considered that a teaching practicum can set the stage for the cultivation of Critical Thinking skills and dispositions, as student-teachers have to face real problems and be led to decision-making. The paper presented here describes the curriculum transformation of courses offering theoretical lectures and teaching practicum in the Department of Primary Education, University of Western Macedonia. After focus group discussion with in-service teachers, the Critical Thinking skills and dispositions considered necessary for teacher education were thoroughly described and utilized for the course design. The courses were modified to include a variety of teaching strategies following the direct infusion approach for training in Critical Thinking with the aim of promoting reflective practices for fostering student-teachers’ critical reflection. In this way, they can be empowered regarding their professional development.

Conceptualising critical thinking and its research in teacher education: A systematic review

ABSTRACT Pre-service teachers play a crucial role in fostering critical thinking among students to enhance their effectiveness in the 21st century. This systematic review examines 43 empirical studies to gain deeper insights into the concept of critical thinking in teacher education. We identified two primary definitions of critical thinking: the logical sense and value sense, both rooted in a discipline-oriented framework. The findings indicate that the logical sense, particularly the philosophical approach, predominantly informs research conducted on pre-service teachers. However, when it comes to critical thinking disposition, research results often fall short in demonstrating significant development, underscoring the contextual nature of critical thinking. Critical thinking is a sociological research method used to logically evaluate a problem by creating awareness of problematic knowledge and social situations. After analysing the influence of the relationship between critical thinking and research on critical thinking development in pre-service teachers, our findings suggest that there are limitations to cultivating critical thinking; further verification is needed regarding pre-service teachers’ ability to transfer critical thinking among various contexts or situations. This review emphasises the significance of embracing the multifaceted and context-bound aspects of critical thinking and good judgment for thinking quality in pre-service teacher education research.

Using COVID-19 as a vehicle for enabling geographical thinking in teacher education

This article describes a curriculum innovation conceptualized in the March/April 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and implemented over a six-month period (April to September 2020). Written from a position of hindsight, the article responds to the question: How can the geography of the COVID-19 pandemic enable teachers’ geographical thinking? More specifically, it addresses the need for practical ‘how to’ examples of responsive geography education curriculum making processes and pedagogical approaches employed in teacher education in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article begins by describing how, despite the many challenges faced across education sectors, COVID-19 was able to be used as a ‘teachable moment’ in the geography module of the Understanding the Social and Physical World course offered in the Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase Teaching) qualification at a South African university. The article describes the curriculum design and conceptual framing, revealing how the constructivist epistemology used was employed to elicit, build on, and expand the students’ knowledge of the pandemic from a geographical perspective. This article critically reflects on how I used COVID-19 content to conceptualize and implement a curriculum that was responsive to the context in which we found ourselves while maintaining disciplinary integrity. In showcasing select examples of how this was achieved, the paper offers insights on the lessons learned which may stimulate curriculum innovation and pedagogical responsiveness in other geography teacher education programmes.

Design thinking in teacher education: Morphing preservice teachers’ mindsets and conceptualizations

Design thinking has received considerable global attention in the education community given its focus on creative problem solving, human-centered design, and empathetic understanding. In response to the need for exemplary practices for teacher educators, we designed and implemented a design thinking module in a college-level learning technologies course offered in the teacher preparation program. Preservice teachers were asked to solve educational design challenges using learning technologies within specific problem spaces. We examined preservice teachers’ (n = 19) perceptions of design thinking mindsets and processes as well as perceived changes in their understanding of “teachers as designers.” A qualitative analysis of weekly student reflections and final reflection reports revealed that design thinking processes contributed to preservice teachers’ understanding of the design thinking role in education, its challenges, and design mindsets. A thematic analysis of their reflections revealed that their conceptualizations of teachers’ capacities for design had shifted. Subsequent to participating in the design thinking module, they perceived teachers as design thinkers, innovators and change agents. The implications of design thinking for preservice teacher education are discussed.

Mapping the Relationships between Self-Directed Learning and Design Thinking in Pre-Service Science and Technology Teachers

Self-directed learning and design thinking were found to be promising pedagogies for supporting education and thus supporting sustainable development goals. While some researchers have posited that self-directed learning may support design thinking, empirical research examining the relationship between these two essential skills is lacking because their shared conceptual structure has not been articulated in detail, and because they have remained siloed in design practice. This study examines pre-service teachers’ self-regulation in relation to design thinking skills to advance a theoretical understanding of design science and to overcome challenges teachers face in adopting and implementing design thinking. For this study, 158 pre-service teachers were recruited. On the first level, the empirical data collected were subjected to structural equation modelling to find and confirm significant metacognitive perspectives in design thinking, while on the second level, an in-depth analysis was conducted to find moderating effects of pre-service teachers’ metacognitive experiences and teacher education in design thinking. We argue that awareness and interpersonal skills are crucial in creative design activity, and that embracing risk, tolerance to uncertainty, and underdeveloped supervising skills might be critical elements for advancing design thinking behaviour. The findings of this study have implications for effective science and technology teaching and the learning of design thinking in teacher education, and for educators and commercial course designers to adjust the implementation of design thinking.

On creating a framework for teaching children’s literature in ELTE TÓK’s international pre-school programme

This study discusses pre-school teacher training of an exceptional kind in Hungary while additionally providing an overview of the underlying situation. In the light of current thinking in teacher education with a special focus on teaching literature for undergraduate students, a framework for the children’s literature course shall be introduced. The proposed framework takes the course requirements into consideration adapts the course material to the background knowledge and future needs of the English language Pre-School Education Programme students. Such a course had not existed earlier. The operative course documents and requirements had exclusively been written in Hungarian and specifically designed for the Hungarian Pre-School Education Programme students and context.

Proposed Strategy for Incorporating Critical Thinking in Teacher Education to Support Teacher Professionalism

This paper proposes a change strategy for incorporating critical thinking in teacher education programs globally, that includes, problem diagnosis, identification of desired outcomes and impacts, influential factors, and strategies required to attain desired outcomes and impacts. Central to this change strategy are four key strategic priorities: conceptualisation of critical thinking as professional practice; development of a whole of teacher education program approach to intervention; building capacity for effective implementation of intervention; and development of an evidence base to inform continuous improvement. The change strategy addresses a research gap, and more broadly responds to the demand for improving teacher quality, the effectiveness and impact of teacher education programs and the advancement of the teaching profession.

Integrating Design Thinking in Teacher Education: Student Teachers Develop Learning Scenarios for Elementary Schools

This article describes the concept and the implementation of an interdisciplinary seminar that was held at the University of Education in Freiburg, Germany. Student teachers for elementary school subjects were first taught in Design Thinking. Then they used their acquired knowledge to create learning scenarios for the subjects Art/Crafts and General Science and Social Studies. The article highlights the results and offers the opportunity to discuss the potentials of Design Thinking with regard to its transfer to classroom and teacher education against the background of fostering children’s creativity, problem-solving skills, and collaborative work.

Investigating Probability Concepts of Secondary Pre-service Teachers in a Game Context

There is a rich literature on students’ and teachers’ intuitions and misconceptions about probability. However, less attention has been paid to the development of pre-service teachers’ probabilistic thinking in teacher education. Based on this, the second author developed a lesson sequence for teaching probability. In particular, it demonstrates how a game context can be used to explore the relationship between experimental and theoretical probabilities in a collaborative learning setting. The lesson sequence integrates concepts and processes related to probability and is grounded in socio-cultural theory. We trialed the sequence with secondary pre-service teachers. This paper focuses on their understanding of the probability concepts embedded in the sequence. Video and audio data indicates that while teachers used a range of strategies and data displays to explain the ideas integrated in the lessons, some reverted to equiprobability bias. The findings also reveal that pre-service teachers can modify their thinking when engaged in rich teaching and learning tasks.

Using Simulation to Develop Divergent and Reflective Thinking in Teacher Education

Purpose: This study examined the influence of simulation on flexible and reflective thinking in student teachers (STs), and appraised how they evaluate its potential contribution to teacher education programs. Method: Twenty-three Israeli physical education STs participated in a simulation course. They planned teaching-learning conflict scenarios, and served as actors or volunteers in these scenarios, which were filmed and discussed. Discussions were videotaped and transcribed. Content analyses were conducted on the discussions and the written reflections. Results: STs not only increased their flexible and reflective thinking, but they gained an understanding of how to do it independently. As they were learning how to be more open-minded, they were able to feel, think, and behave authentically, and to offer a variety of solutions regarding conflictual situations. Conclusion: STs developed flexible and reflective thinking, and widened their repertoire of behaviors that succeeded in integrating thoughts and feelings into learning-teaching situations.

A cross-institutional investigation of a flipped module on preservice teachers’ interest in teaching computational thinking

Informed by the person–object theory of interest, this study deployed a mixed-method concurrent triangulation design and investigated the impact of major/specialization, gender, and module design on preservice teachers' interest in teaching computational thinking. The study was conducted in a flipped computational thinking module hosted in three sections of educational technology courses at two U.S. institutions. Results from the quantitative analysis showed that preservice teachers who did both Scratch coding and physical computing practices had a higher level of interest than their peers who only did the Scratch coding only. Our qualitative analysis found evidence that preservice teachers' interest differed by their gender and major/specialization statuses. At the end, we provided suggestions for future research and practice for teaching computational thinking in teacher education.

The Use of the Case Method to Promote Reflective Thinking in Teacher Education

This research introduces and reflects on the utilization of case study method in the field of teacher education to explore how case study method impacts students’ reflective thinking towards education issues. Over the duration of study, an action research was conducted in the Education Issue course of teacher education program in a National University. Two case videos and the following discussions were used as tools to enhance students’ reflective thinking towards the assigned issues. The result of this study shows that case study method might not alter students’ viewpoints, but it can surely enhance their degrees of reflective thinking on the assigned education issues.

Teaching critical thinking as a vehicle for personal and social transformation

During the second half of the 20th century, a new pedagogical movement emerged, which centered around the concept of critical thinking. While the movement soon became a significant player in the pedagogical field, its proponents continued to develop the theoretical and practical aspects of critical thinking, aiming to transform it into a full-fledged pedagogical ideal. However, at least two major issues have remained unresolved in critical thinking pedagogy. The first is the desired nature of the relation between the cognitive, moral, and social dimensions of critical thinking. The second involves the grave difficulties, many times accompanied by lack of success, encountered by teachers and educators who wish to promote critical thinking education. Therefore, in this paper, I examine the evolution of the ideal of critical thinking, arguing that from the outset it has contained—even if only in latent form—ethical, moral, and social elements, and thus these elements need to be explicitly integrated into the ideal. I then demonstrate the implementation of this broadened ideal of critical thinking in teacher education and offer a further expansion of the ideal, which strengthens its relationship to the notion of social justice, while, at the same time, suggests a way of improving the implementation of critical thinking education in the overall educational system.

Bildung as an essential disposition in becoming a reflective practitioner: practical application of philosophical hermeneutics to second language teacher education

For a few decades, reflective practice has been employed in second language teacher education (SLTE) as ‘a means by which practitioners can develop a greater level of self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance, an awareness that creates opportunities for professional growth and development’. Dewey, who initiated the concept of reflective thinking in teacher education, emphasized one’s attitudes toward engagement in reflective process. One such disposition is open-mindedness, ‘a willingness to entertain different perspectives… and acknowledgement of the limitations of one’s own perspectives’. Regarding this concept of open-mindedness, Gadamer, who established philosophical hermeneutics, provided profound insights by using the German word Bildung, which is often translated as education, culture, or self-cultivation. Through this concept, Gadamer emphasized not only one’s open and introspective disposition toward new experience but also one’s mode of being. This paper explores this notion of Bildung and examines its possible practical application to SLTE in combination with reflective practice. Referring to Grondin’s notion that education is to raise true questions, I will argue for the importance of nurturing Bildung of preservice second language teachers and of second language teacher educators.