Teacher Training Courses Research Articles

Systematic Review of CLIL in Computer Science: Past, Present, and Future — with a Special Focus on Using ICT

Computer science is regarded one of the subjects best suited for teaching with ICT-supported CLIL, as the English language is the lingua franca of computing, and the computer science classroom is an ideal place to apply digital technologies. This paper aims to explore the role of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in the teaching and learning of computer science in English – focusing especially on using information and communication technology (ICT). For this purpose, a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA protocol was carried out. A total of 31 documents published in the period 2011–2021 on CLIL in computer science and ICT in the CLIL environment were analysed. In this article, first, the advantages of using CLIL in computer science will be discussed, followed by illustrating the benefits and challenges of applying ICT in CLIL lessons. Finally, trends in research on technology enhanced CLIL will be presented, outlining existing findings as well as identifying research gaps in the field. The most important shortcomings and difficulties outlined in the related literature are the limited research on both CLIL and ICT supported CLIL in the subject of computer science, the inconsistent terminology for using ICT in CLIL, and the need in CLIL teacher training courses for the effective use of digital technologies. Therefore, the findings of this paper identify a variety of future research agendas in order to increase the effective, ICT-supported CLIL in the subject of computer science.

Differential Analysis of Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Abilities According to Teaching Stages and Educational Levels

The development of educational informatization imposes new requirements on the cultivation of teachers’ digital competence, which appeals to teachers who aim to optimize their teaching by integrating appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The requirement of digital competence corresponds to the meaning of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Therefore, the development of teachers’ TPACK abilities can also positively influence the cultivation of their digital competence. The study was to examine the level of teachers’ TPACK abilities, and whether any difference in such abilities would be found according to the different teaching stages and teachers’ educational levels. An online questionnaire was distributed to the target teachers. Data of 1342 participants were analyzed. SPSS was used to conduct the descriptive statistics, and the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test with the post-hoc pairwise comparisons was used to determine teachers’ TPACK ability levels and explore the differences in teachers’ TPACK according to their different teaching stages and educational levels. The results indicated that teachers’ TPACK abilities were at a generally high level. Moreover, significant differences in teachers’ TPACK abilities were found in the teaching stages and educational levels. Teachers with different teaching stages have significant differences in Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). However, no difference was found between Technological Knowledge (TK) and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). In addition, the results suggested that the seven sub-dimensions of TPACK differed significantly according to teachers’ educational levels, where the higher the educational level, the better the teachers’ TPACK abilities. Therefore, teachers should effectively integrate technology and apply appropriate pedagogies according to the teaching content in different teaching stages. A planned and targeted series of ICT application training courses for teachers with lower educational levels would be helpful to improve their self-confidence in using technology to promote their teaching effectiveness.

Problems Facing Public School Teachers in the Directorate of Education of the Southern Shouneh District from the Teachers’ Point of View

This study aimed to identify the problems facing public school teachers in the Southern Shouneh District Education Directorate and to identify the significance of the differences in the level of problems facing public school teachers according to the variable of gender or experience. The study sample consisted of (265) male and female teachers in government schools affiliated to the Southern Shouneh Directorate of Education, and the study tool was represented by a questionnaire consisting of (23) items that represent the problems that teachers may face in public schools. The education of the Southern Shouneh district is high from the point of view of the study members. The results also showed that there were no significant differences due to the variable of gender or experience in determining the difficulties faced by the teachers of public schools affiliated with the Southern District. The study came out with a set of recommendations to reduce student overcrowding in classrooms, and to provide training courses for teachers. Keywords: Teachers' problems, public schools, Southern Shouneh District. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-19-04 Publication date: June 30 th 2022

Use of socio-psychological training as a method of professional development of teachers

Socio-psychological training is a type of group psychological work aimed at revealing the poten- tial of a personality, forming its integrity based on internal self-realization and self-knowledge. The article considers the issues of the effectiveness of socio-psychological training in group psychocorrec- tive work at the teacher training course. According to the training fund, the head of the educational organization solves the tasks of determining the ways of further development of the teaching staff, tak- ing into account internal resources for themselves and self-education, as well as the goals of increasing knowledge. The socio-psychological training was conducted from 3 to 30 hours on the basis of the organization of education by a group of teachers in 5 groups for 89 people. The training technology was related not only to the trainer, but also to two observers who recorded their observations in spe- cially prepared tables used in the analytical reference. The main component of the diagnostic system is psychological and pedagogical diagnostic training aimed at a clear assessment of the professional, social and life tasks of the teacher, motivated by the significance of their activities and its significance. This type of socio-psychological training allows us to give a general description of the organization and individual teachers according to the criteria of professional identification, efficiency, motivation, creativity. Key words: socio-psychological training, teacher, knowledge enhancement, personal growth, self- awareness, self-esteem, cognitive, emotional and long-term components.

Attitudes of Prospective EFL Teachers toward Teaching Profession

This study aimed to investigate Saudi Pre-service EFL teachers' attitudes toward the teaching profession. Viewpoints of Forty-two student teachers enrolled in the "Practicum" course offered by Najran University were investigated. Results of gathered data analysis showed that the attitudes of participating subjects were positive due to many factors. Among these factors is their belief that the EFL teaching profession is one of the most popular professions in Saudi Arabia. They seemed sure that EFL teaching as a noble, prestigious, and interesting profession would make them proud of themselves as teachers of English. In addition, their hope to be able to try applying their gained pedagogical and academic knowledge from teacher training courses at university significantly affected their positive attitudes. Therefore, the majority of them believed that with some kind of professional commitment, they would be successful EFL teachers.

Farmer Perceptions Related to Potato Production and Late Blight Management in Two Communities in the Peruvian Andes

Potato late blight (LB), caused by the oomycete, Phytophthora infestans, continues to be a major constraint of potato in the Andean region and worldwide. Farmers perception regarding potato production with particular emphasis on management practices for LB was surveyed in two communities in the Peruvian highlands using a questionnaire with 25 questions, many with multiple choice questions. In the village of Paucartambo, 84 women and 485 men of different ages participated in the survey, while in the village of Ulcumayo, there were 146 women and 396 men, also of different ages. Overall, responses were similar between the two locations, with some small but significant differences. In general, there was a very clear association between age and education, with only young men and women having secondary education. Respondents in both locations overwhelmingly chose LB as the main constraint to production and cited either personal experience or agrochemical vendors as the primary sources of information about disease management. Many cultivars (25+) are grown in both locations, with the two most important cultivars, Yungay and Huayro, being common in both locations while others differed. There was evidence of confusion around the concept of host plant resistance, as certain cultivars were cited as both relatively resistant and susceptible. Many trade names of fungicides were recalled by respondents, but most were relatively old products. Correspondence analysis indicated gender effects on LB management practices and information sources in both locations that could be taken into consideration to refine future interventions for research and capacity building, such as offering refresher training courses for extension educators, including female extension workers, to help farmers understand basic concepts to manage host resistance and fungicides properly, and improve access to resistant varieties and effective fungicides.

NANO-MOOCs to train university professors in digital competences

Rapid changes in technology force Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to generate policies and permanent digital adaptations in their exercise of forming professionals through university professors. HEIs -in their permanent desire to qualify teaching faculty and graduate high-level professionals-develop continuous training events to strengthen and update techno-pedagogical skills that allow giving concrete responses to the needs of a globalized society during a human-educational crisis that arises from the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims at analyzing whether nano-MOOCs improve digital teaching competences in university professors since in the scientific literature, this topic does not show with certainty the effectiveness of these types of courses in teacher training. By conducting a quantitative descriptive-inferential, comparative quasi-experimental research (pre-test and post-test) and with a sample made up of 297 faculty members from Universidad Técnica del Norte (UTN, Ibarra-Ecuador) belonging to the five academic units that compose it, it was identified that the teaching staff has limitations in two of the areas of competence that are articulated by INTEF Common Framework: creation of digital content and security; nevertheless, they did show optimal skills in the areas of information and information literacy, communication and collaboration, and problem solving. The findings also determined that online training based on a nano-MOOC format becomes a successful alternative for university faculty training, 83.84% of the participants under study improved their level of digital competence. These results show that an efficient customizable training can be achieved in less time and adjusted to the needs and characteristics of the professors. The criteria of various authors in this field are ratified with this research, it is, therefore, relevant to evaluate the level of digital competence of teachers and, based on that, be able to plan a personalized training program.

Teachers’ Knowledge of Learning Strategies

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore how pre- and in-service teachers (N = 346) evaluate different learning strategies for six scenarios, and how they justify their answers. Results showed that teachers mostly evaluate strategies found to be effective in previous empirical studies as more effective and they can provide proper scientific justifications, though some justifications included misconceptions. Teachers were most confused when comparing interleaving versus blocking and retrieval versus concept mapping. Configural frequency analysis showed that justifications were generally, but not always, consistent with evaluations. These findings refer to the importance of examining teacher knowledge both with evaluations and with open-end questions. Misconceptions identified by justifications comprise useful information for planning teacher-training courses.

Teachers’ Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge in the Junior High School Social Studies Curriculum

Knowledge of the content alone is no guarantee for effective teaching and learning, there is the need for teachers to demonstrate high level of technological and pedagogical power. The study examined the technological pedagogical content knowledge of Social Studies teachers’ in Junior High Schools in Aowin municipality in the Western North Region of Ghana. The descriptive survey design was used for the study. The population for the study included all Social Studies teachers in the public Junior High Schools in the Aowin Municipality. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the Seventy-four (74) Junior High Schools and Seventy-four (74) the Social Studies teachers for the study. The main instrument for data collection was questionnaire. The study revealed that, teachers have adequate content knowledge to teach Social Studies but there are doubts as to whether their knowledge is current. The study also concluded that, teachers were not confident about their technological, pedagogical and content knowledge in Social Studies and this resulted in their negative attitude towards the integration of technology in classroom activities. It is recommended that, the Ghana Education Service should organize In-Service Training and refresher courses for teachers to keep them current and up-to-date their content knowledge in Social Studies. It is also recommended that, teachers should adopt positive attitudes towards learning and using technology in their day-to-day activities.

Enhancing student teachers’ motivation and well-being: A teacher educator’s journey into online course intervention

ABSTRACT Given the difficult and unforeseen circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to transition from face-to-face instruction to digital instruction. This paper provides a teacher educator’s autoethnographic account of implementing the pedagogical intervention of digital learning and student teachers’ reactions to its effects on their motivation and well-being. More precisely, it attempts to explore (1) student teachers’ perceptions of the effect of digital learning on their motivation and well-being in teacher education, (2) their understanding of active learning, (3) their preferred format of teacher training courses both in normal and emergent circumstances, and (4) the instructor’s perceived efficacy of digital learning on teacher education courses. The participants were one instructor (the author) and nine third-year university students taking an English Language Teaching Methodology course, which is a requirement for obtaining a license to teach English at secondary schools in Japan. I conducted a closed and open-ended questionnaire as well as a follow-up questionnaire survey and the instructor’s observation. The findings confirmed the benefits of online lessons on student teachers’ motivation and their sense of well-being (physical and psychological), suggesting the necessity of carefully selecting the instruction format that meets course objectives.

Beyond curriculum knowledge: preparing Australian pre-service teachers’ ‘response-ability’ to 21st century student diversity and working in partnership with families

ABSTRACT In Australia, pre-service teachers are those enrolled in an accredited teaching training course (four years undergraduate and two years postgraduate) to become a qualified teacher. The term ‘classroom ready’ is a common description when discussing pre-service teachers’ capabilities upon completion of their course. In the Australian context, classroom ready means being equipped with curriculum content, pedagogical knowledge and skills, as well as catering for students with highly diverse needs and cultural backgrounds, and working in partnership with their families. This paper critiques recent policy developments, including the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching. These reforms will be outlined, together with key literature and current research on why developing family–school partnerships is a critical skill for pre-service teachers. We suggest that some of these reforms have led to the privileging of curriculum knowledge over the ability of pre-service teachers to work effectively with students and families in front-line contexts. Pre-service teachers need quality practical opportunities to exercise family–school partnership skills and become professionally competent to work with students and families from diverse backgrounds. With adequate attention to family–school partnerships in education policies and training courses, pre-service teachers can be better prepared to impact students’ learning and contribute to quality teaching classrooms.

Museum education for pre‐service teachers in an online environment: Challenges and potentials

AbstractIt was widely expected that the academic year 2020‐2021 would be a different experience for all involved in educational processes. Everybody had to readjust and reimagine their practice in order to respond to the new reality of teaching university courses online due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. This article focuses on the challenges and opportunities that were created because of the pandemic for experiential and collaborative learning during a museum education course addressed to student teachers in the context of initial teacher training. It focuses on a series of activities and reflective practices that took place in order to promote student engagement and active learning in the online environment within which the course was materialized, such as object‐based learning and museum visits. It discusses opportunities for an embodied living inquiry as a space for learning and researching. These experiences have implications for museum education through online training and contributes to the digital transformation of teacher training courses in Higher Educational Institutions.

From Digital Divide to Technostress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review

Abstract Background and purpose: This paper relates challenges faced by older adult employees during the COVID-19 crisis in order to describe strategies to reduce the digital divide and technostress, thereby supporting inclusion and retention in the marketplace. Older adults are particularly at risk of Internet-related social exclusion, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main research question of the current scoping review were: What kind of strategies can reduce the digital divide and technostress of older adult employees and contribute to their inclusion and retention in the working market during the COVID-19 pandemic? Methodology: This review is based on the Arksey and O’Malley framework for scoping reviews. The six-stage framework includes: identifying research questions, identifying relevant studies, study selection, charting the data, summarizing and reporting the results, and a consultation exercise. A scoping review was conducted using five humanistic and social electronic databases - CINAHL with full text, EBSCO, Medline, SocIndex, Web of Science - and additionally hand-searches performed on Google Scholar. The search was limited to studies published from January 2020 to March 2021. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles were included. Results: This review shows that the most important strategies are: 1) ICT educational training courses; 2) social dialog; 3) building inclusive workplaces; 4) implementation of successful ‘aging in public’ policies. Our results are beneficial for individuals, organizations, industries and different societies by showing how concrete strategies can be implemented at multiple levels. Conclusion: The study has found that one of the most effective strategies to reduce the digital divide faced by older adult employees during the COVID-19 crisis and technostress is social dialog between employers and employees, which can be a source of innovative and creative solutions (e.g. partnership programs or tailored support). Social dialog should include active cooperation with older adult workers - asking what they need and want - to enable skills development through training.

The influence of social network prestige on in-service teachers’ learning outcomes in online peer assessment

• Social network prestige is used to measure the participation gap, a detailed description and impact analysis was conducted. • Prestige has a significant effect on learning performance, social network structure and learning behavior. • Differences in social network structure and learning behavior were important reasons for the differences in learning performance. • Effective suggestions for reducing the participation gap are proposed. Online peer assessment has been widely applied in online teacher training. However, not all learners participate equally, detailed characterization and impact analysis of peer assessment is required. This study draws on a sociological term, social network prestige, to evaluate the participation gap of learners in online peer assessment. A teacher training course was offered to in-service primary and secondary school teachers, and 457 participants were ranked according to their prestige. Then, the top 30% of learners were considered the high-prestige group (142 participants) and the bottom 30% as the low-prestige group (128 participants). Social network analysis and behavioral sequence analysis were used to explore the differences in the learning outcomes of these two groups. The results showed significant differences in learning performance, social network structure and learning behaviors among learners with different prestige. High-prestige learners have better learning performance and are affected by their prior knowledge. Learners with different levels of prestige differ in social network structure and learning behavior. Based on these findings, this study suggests improvements to reduce the participation gap.

La Práctica de la Pronunciación en Cursos de Formación de Profesores de ELE

In this study, we propose the elaboration of activities for the development of the pronunciation of Spanish as a foreign language for Brazilian students in Spanish teacher training courses. The proposal is based on the communicative teaching of pronunciation (CELCE-MURCIA et al ., 2010) and some difficulties concerning pronunciation evidenced in the classroom in a Language Course (BRISOLARA, 2011; BRISOLARA; SEMINO, 2016; BRISOLARA; MACHRY DA SILVA, 2020). The activities follow the five pedagogical steps by Celce-Murcia et al. (2010), that is, description and analysis, listening discrimination, controlled practice, guided practice, and communicative practice. In addition, for the selection of consonant segments worked in the activities, we considered the similarities and differences between Brazilian Portuguese – the learners’ mother tongue – and Spanish – a foreign language.

Level of Supervisory Competencies among Female Academic Supervisors and Female Part-Time Science Teachers from Female Student-Teachers’ Perspectives

This study investigated the level of supervisory competencies among female academic supervisors and female part-time science teachers from the perspective of female student-teachers in Najran University, Saudi Arabia. To achieve the study objective, the comparative descriptive method was used and a questionnaire was designed to collect data from the study sample which consisted of (72) female student-teachers in the practicum course from the departments of Chemistry and Physics. The study results revealed that the level of supervisory competencies of the academic supervisor was high, while the degree of supervisory competencies of part-time science teachers was average. The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences at the level (0.05) for the supervisory competencies of the academic supervisors and the part-time science teachers that could be attributed to the variables of discipline (chemistry-physics) and the type of supervision (face to face- online). The study concluded with some recommendations, including conducting awareness-raising training courses for female part-time science teachers on the roles assigned to them in order to facilitate the practicum period for the student-teachers.

Level of Supervisory Competencies among Female Academic Supervisors and Female Part-Time Science Teachers from Female Student-Teachers’ Perspectives

This study investigated the level of supervisory competencies among female academic supervisors and female part-time science teachers from the perspective of female student-teachers in Najran University, Saudi Arabia. To achieve the study objective, the comparative descriptive method was used and a questionnaire was designed to collect data from the study sample which consisted of (72) female student-teachers in the practicum course from the departments of Chemistry and Physics. The study results revealed that the level of supervisory competencies of the academic supervisor was high, while the degree of supervisory competencies of part-time science teachers was average. The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences at the level (0.05) for the supervisory competencies of the academic supervisors and the part-time science teachers that could be attributed to the variables of discipline (chemistry-physics) and the type of supervision (face to face- online). The study concluded with some recommendations, including conducting awareness-raising training courses for female part-time science teachers on the roles assigned to them in order to facilitate the practicum period for the student-teachers.

INTENCIÓN DE ABANDONO UNIVERSITARIA: ANÁLISIS DURANTE LA COVID-19

Dropout intention is critical information for universities to help them avoid the misuse of financial, social, and personal resources. COVID-19 has forced universities to adapt their face-to-face teaching-learning processes to distance education, something neither they nor their students were prepared for. Despite being digital natives, students are not used to the online teaching-learning model that has been imposed. Therefore, knowing the effects of this situation on significant variables for universities and students, such as university experience, motivation, satisfaction, and commitment, can help universities understand why students drop out. This preliminary empirical research with university students has three objectives. First, we ascertain students’ perceptions about the possible causes of dropout intention after the outbreak of COVID-19. Second, we determine other variables affecting intentions to drop out, such as university experience, academic motivation, academic satisfaction, satisfaction with blended and distance education, and student commitment. Third, we examine whether these variables affect dropout intention in an exploratory way. Through an online questionnaire, 191 responses from university students were obtained at a Spanish public university. Empirical analyses identify little practical training, teaching methods that fail to motivate students, the absence of commitment to students on the part of the university, and a lack of information and support from the university as the main reasons students consider dropping out. These results are the same in the general sample and in the sub-sample of those who seriously considered leaving university. For the last group, other causes could be considered, such as students’ emotions, assessment systems, and relationships with teachers. All the mean assessments of the variables used in this study are medium-low. Academic motivation is the best-valued (3.38 out of 5), whereas satisfaction with blended and distance education is the worst (2.31 out of 5). Dropout intention is estimated at 2.56 out of 5. Although this is not a low result, this and the rest of the results may have been affected by the pandemic. Additionally, the study justifies that the better the university experience, academic motivation, general academic satisfaction, and satisfaction with blended and distance education, the lower the dropout intention rate. Surprisingly, student commitment does not influence students’ decisions to leave university. The main contribution of this study is to offer guidelines to reduce dropout intention. Training courses for students and teachers seem to be the best way to reduce dropout rates, but other aspects, such as university experience, motivation, and satisfaction, which help to maintain student expectations even in difficult situations, are also important. Although more research is needed, the proposed model offers the possibility of applying and comparing it with other Spanish and European universities, or even high schools, with students who are about to graduate and enter university.

Covid-19 and analysis of needs of the primary school teachers in online-schooling in Iran

This study is a basic qualitative research design in which 48 primary school teachers voluntarily attended a guided focus-group interview in Google Meet platform in April 2021. To design an effective focus group 4 interviews were made with 12 teachers in each. The whole interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded based on the needs and issues mentioned by the teachers. Five problems were highlighted: 1) unfit teaching materials for online schooling, 2) communication issues with their students from the distance, 3) the need for teacher training courses on various aspects of online assessment methods, 4) the need for teacher training courses on various teaching methods in the e-learning platforms, and 5) long hours of preparation for their online classes. The results point the need of preparation of prospective and practice for teachers on online schooling system, abording various aspects of e-learning instructional strategies, classroom management, and assessment methods.

Causal Model of Various Factors that Influence the Usefulness of Science and Mathematics Learning: Based on a Questionnaire Survey of University Students in Elementary School Teacher Training Courses

Causal Model of Various Factors that Influence the Usefulness of Science and Mathematics Learning: Based on a Questionnaire Survey of University Students in Elementary School Teacher Training Courses