Untrained Teachers Research Articles

Assessment of the role of private schools in the development of education in Ghana. A study of the Kumasi Metropolis

Increased demand by the people and the limited resources available to the government have made it difficult for the government alone to finance education provision in the country. It has therefore become increasingly necessary for the private sector to get involved in the provision of educational facilities in the country. This study sought to capture the contribution that the private sector is making to supplement the efforts of the government to improve the basic education system in the country. It established that private schools are contributing greatly to the development of education in the Kumasi Metropolis and by implication, the country. These include the fact that, private schools outnumber public schools from the Primary to the Senior Secondary level, they enroll more pupils and students, they also employ more teachers, most significantly more untrained female teachers, and they perform better in examinations than the public schools. The above not withstanding, private schools, like public schools, have their own problems which include inadequate funds, poor infrastructure and high number of untrained teachers. Among the recommendations are that the government should make it possible for the private schools to benefit from the GETFund to enable them to address their financial problems; that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies should establish more public basic schools to help expand their coverage; and that the Ministry of Education should put in place mechanisms for the effective supervision of public basic schools to help improve their academic performance and thus make them more attractive. Journal of Science and Technology Vol.24(2) 2004: 54-76

The Impact Of Training Of University Teachers on their Teaching Skills, their Approach to Teaching and the Approach to Learning of their Students

This article reports a study on the effectiveness of university teachers’ training involving 22 universities in 8 countries. A training group of teachers and their students were studied at the start of their training and one year later. A control group of new teachers received no training and both they and their students were studied in the same way. Evidence is reported of changes over time relating to three measures: (i) student ratings of their teachers using six scales from the Student Evaluation of Educational Quality questionnaire (SEEQ) and the ‘Good Teaching’ scale of the Module Experience Questionnaire (MEQ); (ii) the extent to which teachers described themselves as teacher-focused and student-focused in their approach to teaching, using two scales from the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI); and (iii) the extent to which these teachers’ students take a surface approach and a deep approach to learning, using two scales from the MEQ. The article reports evidence of a range of positive changes in teachers in the training group, and in their students, and a contrasting lack of change, or negative changes, in untrained teachers from the control group.

Sensitizing Teachers to English Language Learner Evaluation Procedures for Students with Learning Disabilities

Identifying appropriate evaluation strategies for students who are English Language Learners (ELL) and have a learning disability is of critical importance in today's schools. A lack of sensitivity to the differences in ELL characteristics and Those of learning disabilities has often resulted in over-identification for special education services. This study examines the effect of training on teachers' sensitivity to the complex issues surrounding the evaluation process of second language acquisition and its similarities to learning disabilities. A group of teachers were trained using a CD-ROM instructional program and then surveyed to ascertain their sensitivity to components of evaluations for English language learners and students with learning disabilities. Responses from a control group of untrained teachers were compared with the trained responses. Significant differences were noted between the two groups indicating the efficacy of training teachers to be sensitive to the conventional second language acquisition process and its subtle differences from learning disabilities.

Research and Rhetoric on Teacher Certification

In October, 2001, the Baltimore-based Abell Foundation issued a report purporting to prove that there is "no credible research that supports the use of teacher certification as a regulatory barrier to teaching" and urging the discontinuation of certification in Maryland. The report argued that large inequities in access to certified teachers for poor and minority students are not a problem because research linking teacher education to student achievement is flawed. In July, 2002, the U.S. Secretary of Education cited the Abell Foundation paper in his Annual Report on Teacher Quality as the sole source for concluding that teacher education does not contribute to teacher effectiveness. The Secretary's report then recommended that requirements for education coursework be eliminated from certification standards, and attendance at schools of education and student teaching be made optional. This article documents the many inaccuracies in the Abell Foundation paper and describes the actual findings of many of the studies it purports to review, as well as the findings of other studies it ignores. It details misrepresentations of a number of studies, including inaccurate statements about their methods and findings, false claims about their authors' views, and distortions of their data and conclusions. The article addresses methodological issues regarding the validity and interpretation of research. Finally, the article presents data challenging the Abell Foundation's unfounded claims that uncertified teachers are as effective as certified teachers, that teacher education makes no difference to teacher effectiveness, that verbal ability is the most important determinant of teaching effectiveness, that private schools staffed by uncertified teachers are more effective than public schools, and that untrained teachers are more qualified than prepared teachers. It concludes with a discussion of the policy issues that need to be addressed if all students are to be provided with highly qualified teachers.

A Classwide Peer-Assisted Self-Management Program: Adaptations, Implications, and a Step-by-Step Guide for Rural Educators

Nationwide, teachers and administrators alike note that classroom management is one of their top rated concerns and a key reason for their reluctance to include students with disabilities in their classrooms (Schumm & Vaughn, 1995). In rural states this problem is exacerbated by shortages of trained personnel (Helge, 1992) resulting in students with special needs having little or no access to trained special educators or being served by a succession of untrained teachers and aides (Ludlow, 1998). Teachers legitimately question how they can cover the content necessary to meet state testing standards when faced with frequent disturbances in the classroom by disruptive and off-task behavior, defiance, and non-compliance. This paper describes a practical classwide self-management program that shifts the responsibility for managing behavior back to the student and allows the teacher to focus on instruction. Step-by-step instructions on how to implement the program and tips for troubleshooting are provided.

The Commonwealth of learning: Its second decade and the three year plan 2000‐2003

Most of the peoples of the world with no access to primary education, or only to an inadequate education with poor facilities and poorly or un-trained teachers, live in Commonwealth countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Over a period of 11 years the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has not only brought attention to the opportunities of open and distance learning but trained people, built partnerships, developed models and provided modest capabilities among nations of the Commonwealth in the application of open and distance learning. It is in a position to increase national capabilities to exploit the new technologies, to increase local competitiveness, and to enhance local capacities to create and deliver learning and cultural products to the people by developing the skills needed to use the technologies in the learning environment. But demands for COL's services have been on the increase at the same time that resources have been shrinking. It is this discrepancy that the Heads of Government, Ministers of Education, and its Board must confront in determining the future of COL.

Supporting untrained teachers in Malawi

In the aftermath of the introduction of free primary education in Malawi, 17 000 untrained teachers were recruited to meet the new demand for schooling. This article reports a study carried out to investigate how the new recruits were coping and how far the schools were able to provide informal on-the-job training. It also describes how action research was introduced to help heads and both qualified and unqualified teachers to improve their own practice. Conclusions are drawn about the feasibility of school-based training in Malawi.

Action research in developing African education systems: is the glass half full or half empty?

Action research is being introduced to Africa, where it has to adapt to very different professional contexts and to resource-constrained schools. The study reports how heads, qualified and untrained teachers in six Malawi schools responded to an action research intervention over a 6-month period. It concludes that most teachers found the process useful, but that much support is needed from the facilitators, particularly where basic resources, professional background training and a critical approach are lacking.

Supporting teachers' professional development in a developing country through practice-based inquiry and distance learning: some key issues

This article highlights seven issues the authors encountered when they took on a very difficult task, namely of seeking, through ‘low tech’ print-based distance learning materials, to promote the professional development of experienced but untrained teachers in Namibia. The authors attempt to do this through the advocacy of an action research approach. There has been no tradition of action research in Namibia, indeed those within the country who promote this approach (the Minister of Higher Education) prefer the term Practice-based Inquiry. Moreover, the support systems that can normally be called into service in a developed country to support teachers in a distance learning initiative of this nature are virtually absent ‘on the ground’ in Namibia. The central question is can untrained teachers, themselves with a rudimentary formal education, be encouraged through a distance learning mode, to develop professionally by critically reflecting system strongly advocates ‘social reconstruction’?

Trained and untrained secondary school teachers in Barbados: is there a difference in classroom performance?

Summary Sixty‐nine trained and untrained secondary school teachers in Barbados were observed during classroom teaching. Data derived from these observations were subjected to the ANOVA procedure which indicated that there were no significant differences in the total performance scores of trained and untrained teachers irrespective of the subject taught (English or Science). Further investigation into their performance on specific indicators of effective and ineffective teaching revealed small differences between the two groups in their treatment of instructional organization and development, and presentation of subject‐matter. The results have implications for teacher education, as well as for school supervision.

Reflections on Language Learning

Part 1 Project development: towards a theory of participatory evaluation, J.C. Alderson the importance of the affective domain in ELT projects, M. Broughton aspects of awareness raising in reading courses, C.A. Figueiredo influencing research and research design, A. Kleiman managing change in education, V. Sampaio de Oliveira. Part 2 Teacher education: the virtues of untrained teachers, J. Holmes and P. Crossley teacher-researchers at the pivot between tradition and innovation in the FL classroom, L. Paulo da Moita-Lopes classroom interaction and strategic reading development, M.C. Magalaes and R.H.R. Rojo metaphors and language awareness, M. Scott a thesis 20 years on, F.G. de Matos. Part 3 Language processing: description and teaching speech ACT behaviour, A.D. Cohen and E. Tarone metalinguistic reflections on code-switching, M.A. Kato cognitive skills and individual differences in reading, A.P. Pinto introspection in applied linguistics, M.C. Cavalcanti and M.S. Zanotto the value of accessing translation as a process, N. Scott. Part 4 Business interaction analysis: from writer roles to elements of text, F. Davies the place of in-house journals in business interaction, A.F. Deyes the analysis of verbal interaction, M.C. Perez de Souza e Silva laughter and interpersonal management in a business meeting, S. Thompson model profiling in oral presentations, H. Collins.

Generalized effects of enhanced Milieu teaching.

The primary and generalized effects of Enhanced Milieu Teaching were examined with six preschool children with significant language delays. In a multiple baseline design across children, trainers implemented the naturalistic language intervention during play-based interaction sessions in the children's preschool classrooms. Children systematically increased their use of targeted language skills during the intervention sessions, and these changes were maintained when the treatment was discontinued. Generalized changes in children's communication resulting from the intervention were examined with untrained teachers, peers, and parents. Some generalization to untrained partners was observed for all children. Correlational analyses indicated that greater numbers of child utterances and greater diversity in vocabulary were associated with increased talking and mands for verbalization presented by partners.

Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Students With Communication Disorders

This study investigated the impact collaborative training had on teachers’ perceptions of students with communication disorders. Class rankings for 28 students with communication disorders were collected from 16 teachers, half of whom were trained in the collaborative model and half of whom were not. Teacher rankings for students with communication disorders were compared to teacher rankings for students without communication disorders who had the same achievement/ability indices (i.e., Stanford Achievement/Otis Lennon). These data were analyzed to determine the differences with which trained and untrained teachers perceived the overall classroom performance of students with communication disorders. Results indicated that teachers who were trained in a collaborative model of service delivery were more accurate in their perceptions of ability levels for students with communication disorders than teachers who were not trained

Comparison of Trained and Untrained Teachers of Gifted Students

Leaders in the field of gifted education have presented models for both instructional programs for gifted students and correlated teacher training, but research on or evaluation of the effects of these training models is meager. This study showed that teachers trained in gifted education demonstrated greater teaching skills and developed more positive class climates than did teachers who had no training in gifted education. Students of GT trained teachers reported greater emphasis on higher level thinking skills and on discussion, and less emphasis on lecture and grades than did students of untrained teachers.

The effects of a guided training experience on the instructional clarity of preservice teachers

The present study sought to replicate an earlier, successful attempt to foster greater clarity in preservice teachers' instruction. Experimental group subjects participated in The Clarity Training Program incorporated into the regular course activities of a general educational methods course. At the conclusion of the term, trained subjects were found to use behaviors which facilitate clarity more frequently and more proficiently, to be rated by trained observers as generally more clear, and to use a broader repertoire of behaviors than untrained counterparts. Further, trained teachers facilitated significantly greater student learning than untrained teachers, however, no significant differences were found in learner satisfaction with the teaching.

Turning Around Five At‐Risk Elementary Schools

Abstract This article presents a description of an instructional management system called Consistency Management and its implementation in five urban elementary schools in Texas. The five schools were identified in 1986 by the Texas Education Agency as ranking in the lowest 5 percent of all elementary schools taking the state mandated Texas Education Assessment of Minimal Skills (TEAMS). An analysis of the program indicates that the five schools significantly improved their TEAMS test scores from 1985‐86 to the 1987‐1988 school year in mathematics, reading and writing. When compared to a matched set of elementary schools, the Consistency Management schools increased 17 percent in the percent passing the TEAMS while the non‐program schools decreased 2 percent in the percent passing during the 1987‐1988 school year. When the students of teachers trained in the program were compared with students of untrained teachers, based on the Metropolitan Achievement Tests (MAT6) and the TEAMS, the program (experimenta...

The Influence of Supervisory Training for Cooperating Teachers on Preservice Teachers’ Development during Early Field Experiences

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine the influence of supervisory training on the cooperating teacher’s role as an instructional supervisor. Trained teachers were the II cooperating teachers who had completed a 3-hour graduate course on the supervision of preservice teachers; untrained teachers were the 25 who had no previous supervisory training. Data indicated that preservice teachers assigned to trained cooperating teachers were significantly more involved with students and received more feedback from their cooperating teachers than did their counterparts.

La formation des enseignants au Portugal

Summary The author analyses the current situation of teacher education in Portugal. The structure of the education system is described, as is the training of teachers for the compulsory secondary cycle, special education, technical and vocational education and Higher education. The author then goes on to recall the changes which took place during the 70s and the context of discussion and reform of that time. Changes in the school population have brought about an imbalance between pupil numbers and the availability of properly trained teachers. Untrained teachers have been recruited on a massive scale. Special measures have had to be taken in respect of teacher education, particularly for Secondary level. The article focuses on a recent and innovatory change model originally based on an inservice training model. Despite current developments, it is the view of the author that a great deal remains to be done.

The Effects of Enthusiasm Training on Selected Teacher and Student Behaviors in Preservice Physical Education Teachers

Teacher enthusiasm has long been considered an important part of the teaching process. However, empirical verification of enthusiasm as an indicator of teaching effectiveness is somewhat sparse. One problem is with measuring that complex variable, while another problem has been determining what to correlate it with to allow it to surface as such an indicator. Twenty-four preservice teachers participated in this study to determine the differences in teacher and student behavior between the levels of enthusiasm in trained and untrained teachers. The experimental group was given 6 hours of enthusiasm training whereas the control group received no such training. Both groups taught a 30-minute Experimental Teaching Unit (ETU) to a total of 120 middle-school students. The observation instrument in this study was the Physical Education Teaching Assessment Instrument (PETAI), while the Collins Enthusiasm Rating Scale was used to measure the teachers’ enthusiasm. The trained teachers received much higher ratings in enthusiasm during their ETU lessons and were significantly better on three of the PETAI items. The students of the trained teachers also had higher skill achievement gains over their counterparts under the untrained teachers.

Effects of teacher preparation and student age on an alcohol and drug education curriculum.

An alcohol/drug education curriculum was tested in twenty-five Nebraska junior high schools involving 1,800 students in grades seven to nine. Using teacher training and student age as independent variables, gains in knowledge and decision-making ability were assessed. There was an interaction between age level and training, with older students taught by fully trained teachers making significantly greater gains in knowledge and decision-making ability than students who were exposed to the curriculum via untrained teachers and those not exposed to the curriculum at all. Teacher training was shown to be a critical variable in curriculum innovation, especially for older students.