ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kohnen, Angela M.; Whitacre, Michelle P.
2017-01-01
In this study, the authors sought to uncover the characteristics of professional development (PD) that were identified by teacher-participants as being important to their implementation of project ideas. Using phenomenological interviewing, the authors talked with nine teacher-participants about changes to their teaching practices after they…
Critical Practice in Teacher Education: A Study of Professional Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Heilbronn, Ruth, Ed.; Yandell, John, Ed.
2010-01-01
This timely book uncovers all of the processes that should be considered when high-quality teacher education is designed, delivered and studied around the world. Written by experienced teacher educators, this book shows what critical practice is and how it can be used to facilitate a deeper understanding of practice that draws upon personal…
Uncovering Contents of Mentor Teachers' Interactive Cognitions during Mentoring Dialogues
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hennissen, Paul; Crasborn, Frank; Brouwer, Niels; Korthagen, Fred; Bergen, Theo
2010-01-01
In the context of developing mentor teachers' use of supervisory skills, two consecutive studies were conducted, using stimulated recall. Firstly, with eight participants, an instrument was developed to categorize contents of interactive cognitions. Secondly, with 30 participants, the instrument was applied to uncover contents of mentor teachers'…
Uncovering clinical knowledge and caring practices.
Feldman, M E
1993-06-01
Narrative storytelling is a means by which knowledge embedded in nursing practice is uncovered and examined. Benner uses this method to study and explore skill acquisition and experience-based knowledge in nursing practice. By sharing these stories, knowledge that is unique to the experienced clinician is preserved and extended. The narrative presented here describes the expert coaching, discretionary judgment, and skilled involvement in the care of a patient in the PACU.
Uncovering Pre-Service Teacher Beliefs about Young Children: A Photographic Elicitation Methodology
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stockall, Nancy; Davis, Sara
2011-01-01
This illustrative paper provides an introduction to using mixed qualitative methods of photo-elicitation, face to face interviews and semiotic analysis to uncover pre-service students' beliefs about young children. The researchers share their experience on conducting a study using photo-elicitation and engaging pre-service teachers in a discussion…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Higdon, Robbie L.
The process of teaching, especially inquiry, is complex and requires extended time for developing one's instructional practice (Loucks-Horsley, Stiles, Mundry, Love, & Hewson, 2010). The implementation of a continued cycle of self-reflection can engage teachers in analyzing their prior experiences and understandings about their instructional practice to promote the accommodation of new concepts and transform their practice. However, many teachers have difficulty engaging in the cognitive dissonance needed to identify those problems and promote their own growth without support. As one's professional practice becomes more repetitive and routine, it is difficult for the practitioner to recognize opportunities in which to contemplate one's habitual actions (Schon, 1983). In this multi-case study, two middle school science teachers who were engaged within a sustained professional development initiative participated in a series of one-on-one reflective dialogues regarding the decisions they made about the utilization of inquiry-based instruction. In addition, these teachers were asked to reflect upon the criteria used to determine how and when to implement these inquiry-based practices. These reflective dialogue sessions provided the opportunity to observe teacher conceptions and stimulate teacher cognitive dissonance about instructional practice. Qualitative analysis of data collected from these reflective dialogues along with informal and formal classroom observations of instructional practice uncovered diverse perceptions regarding the implementation of inquiry-based methods into present teaching practice. The use of reflective dialogue within the existing structure of the professional development initiative allowed for the facilitators of the professional development initiative to tailor ongoing support and their effective implementation of inquiry-based instruction. Additional research is needed to investigate the impact of reflective dialogue in achieving
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Poon, Chew-Leng; Lee, Yew-Jin; Tan, Aik-Ling; Lim, Shirley S. L.
2012-04-01
In this paper, we characterize the inquiry practices of four elementary school teachers by means of a pedagogical framework. Our study revealed core components of inquiry found in theoretically-driven models as well as practices that were regarded as integral to the success of day-to-day science teaching in Singapore. This approach towards describing actual science inquiry practices—a surprisingly neglected area—uncovered nuances in teacher instructions that can impact inquiry-based lessons as well as contribute to a practice-oriented perspective of science teaching. In particular, we found that these teachers attached importance to (a) preparing students for investigations, both cognitively and procedurally; (b) iterating pedagogical components where helping students understand and construct concepts did not follow a planned linear path but involved continuous monitoring of learning; and (c) synthesizing concepts in a consolidation phase. Our findings underscore the dialectical relationship between practice-oriented knowledge and theoretical conceptions of teaching/learning thereby helping educators better appreciate how teachers adapt inquiry science for different contexts.
Making things explicit using instructional materials: a case study of a Singapore teacher's practice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Leong, Yew Hoong; Cheng, Lu Pien; Toh, Wei Yeng Karen; Kaur, Berinderjeet; Toh, Tin Lam
2018-04-01
The phrase `make it explicit' is a common advice given to teachers. It is, however, not clear to us what this actually means when translated into classroom practice. Our review found that we are not alone: "explicit" is used in different ways in the education literature. This paper explores, through a case study of a teacher who stated "making things explicit" as an ostensible goal of his instructional practice, how the explicitation is realised in teaching mathematics. In particular, we examine how he used the instructional materials that he crafted to fulfil his goal of explicitation. We were able to uncover three strategies he used: explicit-from, explicit-within, and explicit-to.
Practicing Teachers' Perceptions of Teacher Trainees: Implications for Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kagoda, Alice Merab; Sentongo, John
2015-01-01
Practicing teachers are partners in preparation of teacher trainees. However, little is known about their perceptions of the teacher trainees they receive every year in their schools. Ninety three practicing teachers from twenty schools participated in this study. The objectives were to find out the practicing teachers' perceptions of teacher…
Impact of Professional Development on Teacher Practice: Uncovering Connections
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Buczynski, Sandy; Hansen, C. Bobbi
2010-01-01
An Inquiry Learning Partnership (ILP) for professional development (PD) was formed between a university, science centre, and two urban school districts to offer 4-6th grade teachers specific science content and pedagogical techniques intended to integrate inquiry-based instruction in elementary classrooms. From pre/post content exams, PD surveys,…
Do School Teacher Parents Make a Difference?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McFarlin, Isaac, Jr.
2007-01-01
Two national probability samples are used to uncover whether children benefit from having school teacher parents. The inquiry is motivated by frequent commentaries by teachers that substandard student performance is associated with unhelpful parenting practices. If teachers believe that parents are crucial for determining child outcomes, then we…
Teachers, Arts Practice and Pedagogy
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Franks, Anton; Thomson, Pat; Hall, Chris; Jones, Ken
2014-01-01
What are possible overlaps between arts practice and school pedagogy? How is teacher subjectivity and pedagogy affected when teachers engage with arts practice, in particular, theatre practices? We draw on research conducted into the Learning Performance Network (LPN), a project that involved school teachers working with the Royal Shakespeare…
Mathematics Teachers' Views of Accountability Testing Revealed through Lesson Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yarema, Connie H.
2010-01-01
The practice of lesson study, a professional development model originating in Japan, aligns well with recommendations from research for teacher professional development. Lesson study is also an inductive research method that uncovers student thinking and, in parallel, grants teacher-educators the opportunity to study teachers' thinking about…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Eren, Altay
2014-01-01
Prospective teachers' sense of personal responsibility has not been examined together with their academic optimism, hope, and emotions about teaching in a single study to date. However, to consider hope, academic optimism, and emotions about teaching together with personal responsibility is important to uncover the factors affecting…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Payne, Katherina A.
2018-01-01
Much like preservice teachers, who cite cooperating teachers as influential to the learning-to-teach process, this study and its findings center the work of cooperating teachers as essential to teacher education for democratic education. The mentoring practices of cooperating teachers often reflect their teaching practices with students in their…
Beginning Student Teachers' Teacher Identities Based on Their Practical Theories
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stenberg, Katariina; Karlsson, Liisa; Pitkaniemi, Harri; Maaranen, Katriina
2014-01-01
In this article, we investigate first-year student teachers' teacher identities through their practical theories and ask what these practical theories reveal about their emerging teacher identities? This study approaches teacher identity from a dialogical viewpoint where identity is constructed through various positions. The empirical part of this…
Uncovering the Math Curriculum
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Burns, Marilyn
2014-01-01
Teachers often express to Marulyn Burns their worry about the need to "cover the curriculum." In response, she draws on one of her favorite quotes: "You don't want to cover a subject; you want to uncover it." This quote is from "The Having of Wonderful Ideas and Other Essays on Teaching and Learning" by Eleanor…
Gormally, Cara; Sullivan, Carol Subiño; Szeinbaum, Nadia
2016-05-01
Inquiry-based teaching approaches are increasingly being adopted in biology laboratories. Yet teaching assistants (TAs), often novice teachers, teach the majority of laboratory courses in US research universities. This study analyzed the perspectives of TAs and their students and used classroom observations to uncover challenges faced by TAs during their first year of inquiry-based teaching. Our study revealed three insights about barriers to effective inquiry teaching practices: 1) TAs lack sufficient facilitation skills; 2) TAs struggle to share control over learning with students as they reconcile long-standing teaching beliefs with newly learned approaches, consequently undermining their fledgling ability to use inquiry approaches; and 3) student evaluations reinforce teacher-centered behaviors as TAs receive positive feedback conflicting with inquiry approaches. We make recommendations, including changing instructional feedback to focus on learner-centered teaching practices. We urge TA mentors to engage TAs in discussions to uncover teaching beliefs underlying teaching choices and support TAs through targeted feedback and practice.
Supporting Novice Special Education Teachers through Quality Professional Development
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tate, Mary E.
2013-01-01
The special education teaching environment is a teaching environment with unique duties that often challenge novice special education teachers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain clarity of the work environment of special education teachers to uncover professional development practices that would work to support them. Research…
Gormally, Cara; Sullivan, Carol Subiño; Szeinbaum, Nadia
2016-01-01
Inquiry-based teaching approaches are increasingly being adopted in biology laboratories. Yet teaching assistants (TAs), often novice teachers, teach the majority of laboratory courses in US research universities. This study analyzed the perspectives of TAs and their students and used classroom observations to uncover challenges faced by TAs during their first year of inquiry-based teaching. Our study revealed three insights about barriers to effective inquiry teaching practices: 1) TAs lack sufficient facilitation skills; 2) TAs struggle to share control over learning with students as they reconcile long-standing teaching beliefs with newly learned approaches, consequently undermining their fledgling ability to use inquiry approaches; and 3) student evaluations reinforce teacher-centered behaviors as TAs receive positive feedback conflicting with inquiry approaches. We make recommendations, including changing instructional feedback to focus on learner-centered teaching practices. We urge TA mentors to engage TAs in discussions to uncover teaching beliefs underlying teaching choices and support TAs through targeted feedback and practice. PMID:27158302
Uncovering values-based practice: VBP's implicit commitments to subjectivism and relativism.
Cassidy, Ben
2013-06-01
Despite assertions to the contrary, KWM Fulford's values-based practice is implicitly committed to subjectivism when it comes to reasoning about values. This renders the approach unworkable. The act of merely uncovering underlying values is not enough to effect change and, therefore, resolve problems if we have no way, even in principle, of determining which values are right and which are wrong. Fulford's only departure from subjectivism about value is his commitment to 'framework values', which seems grounded in a version of ethical relativism. I argue that we need to reject both subjectivism and relativism if progress within ethical discussions about practice is to be meaningful and a real possibility. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Exploring into Teacher's Specialized Practicality
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tian, Lian-jin
2010-01-01
Teacher specialization is a subject with very strong practicality as regards its essence. This paper analyzes the main problems of the existing teacher professionalism, poses and argues the 3 hypotheses of teacher professionalism. Around the reality of teacher professionalism, the author brings forward and establishes a new teacher evaluation…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ackerman, Richard; Mackenzie, Sarah V.
2006-01-01
Teacher leaders are the pack mules of effective school improvement because they carry the weight of responsibility for ensuring that reforms take root in the classroom and deepen the learning of all students. They continually think about the gap in schools between the real and the ideal, and the discrepancies that they witness compel them to push…
Deliberate Practice in Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bronkhorst, Larike H.; Meijer, Paulien C.; Koster, Bob; Vermunt, Jan D.
2014-01-01
Deliberate practice is increasingly recognised as necessary for professional development. This paper sets out to explore in what ways student teachers' learning activities in a teacher education programme can be characterised as deliberate practice. Based on an in-depth exploration of 574 learning activities, our results highlight the different…
From Teacher to Teacher Educator: Reframing Knowledge in Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dinkelman, Todd; Margolis, Jason; Sikkenga, Karl
2006-01-01
This paper concludes our report of an investigation of two beginning teacher educators making the transition from classroom teacher to university-based teacher educator. The authors combined case study and self-study of teacher education practices to investigate features of the institutional context they encountered, the knowledge they employed in…
Goal Setting as Teacher Development Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Camp, Heather
2017-01-01
This article explores goal setting as a teacher development practice in higher education. It reports on a study of college teacher goal setting informed by goal setting theory. Analysis of study participants' goal setting practices and their experiences with goal pursuit offers a framework for thinking about the kinds of goals teachers might set…
Relating Teacher PCK and Teacher Practice Using Classroom Observation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Barendsen, Erik; Henze, Ineke
2017-09-01
Science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has been researched in many studies, yet little empirical evidence has been found to determine how this knowledge actually informs teachers' actions in the classroom. To complement previous quantitative studies, there is a need for more qualitative studies to investigate the relationship between teacher knowledge (as formulated by the teacher) and classroom practice, especially in the context of an educational innovation. In this study we explored a possible way to investigate this relationship in an in-depth and systematic fashion. To this end, we conducted a case study with a chemistry teacher in the context of the implementation of a context-based science curriculum in The Netherlands. The teacher's PCK was captured using the Content Representation form by Loughran, Mulhall, and Berry. We used an observation table to monitor classroom interactions in such a way that the observations could be related to specific elements of teachers' PCK. Thus, we were able to give a detailed characterization of the correspondences and differences between the teacher's personal PCK and classroom practice. Such an elaborate description turned out to be a useful basis for discussing mechanisms explaining the relationship between teachers' knowledge and teachers' actions.
Cultures in Dialogue: Perceptions and Experiences of Finnish Teachers of Transnational Dances
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Siljamäki, Mariana Elisabet; Anttila, Eeva; Sääkslahti, Arja
2014-01-01
This article is based on a phenomenographic study that focuses on identifying the pedagogical conceptions of Finnish teachers of transnational dances. The purpose is to uncover and understand teachers' conceptions concerning the implications of the cultural contexts of their specific dance forms for their pedagogical practices. Through a process…
Teacher Reflections and Praxis: A Case Study of Indian Teachers of English as a Foreign Language
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Makarani, Sakilahmed A. R.
2012-01-01
This case study engaged Gujarati English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in video-based reflection with the goal of increasing their reflective abilities and uncovering their understandings about reflective teaching practices in the Indian pedagogical and cultural context. The study aimed to explore, and gain a deeper understanding of how…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ritchie, Stephen M.; Kidman, Gillian; Vaughan, Tanya
2007-01-01
Members of particular communities produce and reproduce cultural practices. This is an important consideration for those teacher educators who need to prepare appropriate learning experiences and programs for scientists, as they attempt to change careers to science teaching. We know little about the transition of career-changing scientists as they encounter different contexts and professional cultures, and how their changing identities might impact on their teaching practices. In this narrative inquiry of the stories told by and shared between career-changing scientists in a teacher-preparation program, we identify cover stories of science and teaching. More importantly, we show how uncovering these stories became opportunities for one of these scientists to learn about what sorts of stories of science she tells or should tell in science classrooms and how these stories might impact on her identities as a scientist-teacher in transition. We highlight self-identified contradictions and treat these as resources for further professional learning. Suggestions for improving the teacher-education experiences of scientist-teachers are made. In particular, teacher educators might consider the merits of creating opportunities for career-changing scientists to share their stories and for these stories to be retold for different audiences.
Beginning literacy: links among teacher knowledge, teacher practice, and student learning.
McCutchen, Deborah; Abbott, Robert D; Green, Laura B; Beretvas, S Natasha; Cox, Susanne; Potter, Nina S; Quiroga, Teresa; Gray, Audra L
2002-01-01
Although the importance of phonological awareness has been discussed widely in the research literature, the concept is not well understood by many classroom teachers. In the study described here, we worked with groups of kindergarten and first-grade teachers (the experimental group) during a 2-week summer institute and throughout the school year. We shared with them research about learning disabilities and effective instruction, stressing the importance of explicit instruction in phonological and orthographic awareness. We followed the experimental group and a control group into their classrooms for a year, assessing teachers' classroom practices and their students' (n = 779) learning. The study yielded three major findings: We can deepen teachers' own knowledge of the role of phonological and orthographic information in literacy instruction; teachers can use that knowledge to change classroom practice; and changes in teacher knowledge and classroom practice can improve student learning.
Role of Clinical Practice in Teacher Preparation: Perceptions of Elementary Teacher Candidates
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Singh, Delar K.
2017-01-01
The Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs (CAEP) has established five standards to measure the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs. Clinical partnerships and practice represent "Standard 2." The CAEP requires that teacher education programs design high quality clinical practice that is central to preparation…
Teacher Education: From Education to Teacher Substance and Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Felicetti, Vera Lucia
2011-01-01
This article aims to reflect the trajectory of the teacher from the perspective of building and rebuilding the knowledge of the professional in education; it shows the teacher constituting the development of his knowledge-substance and knowledge-practice over the course of teacher performance, which makes each professional unique, though they…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hegde, Archana V.; Cassidy, Deborah J.
2009-01-01
The study assessed kindergarten teachers' beliefs, stated practices and actual practices regarding developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) in India. Forty kindergarten teachers from the urban city of Mumbai (India) participated in the study. Overall, the results indicated that teachers' beliefs were more developmentally appropriate than their…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Qasem, Ra'ed F.
2010-01-01
Though there is evidence that postsecondary foreign language (FL) teachers have not maximized computer technology for language teaching and learning, there is a lack of studies that attempt to uncover reasons for this underutilization. Research in other disciplines within general education suggested that teachers' beliefs in student-centeredness…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sezen-Barrie, Asli
2018-03-01
Drawn from the cultural-historical theories of knowing and doing science, this article uses the concept of professional vision to explore what scientists and experienced teachers see and articulate as important aspects of climate science practices. The study takes an abductive reasoning approach to analyze scientists' videotaped lectures to recognize what scientists pay attention to in their explanations of climate science practices. It then analyzes how ideas scientists attended align with experienced teachers' sense-making of scientific practices to teach climate change. The findings show that experienced teachers' and scientists' explanations showed alignment in the focus on scientific practices, but indicated variations in the temporal and spatial reasoning of climate data. Furthermore, the interdisciplinarity of climate science was emphasized in climate scientists' lectures, but was not apparent once scientists and teachers shared the same culture in meetings to provide feedback to preservice teachers. Given the importance of teaching through scientific practices in classrooms, this study provides suggestions to capture the epistemic diversity of scientific disciplines.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Charteris, Jennifer; Thomas, Eryn
2017-01-01
Learner agency is often seen unproblematically as an integral aspect of "twenty-first century lifelong learning". Agency and instrumentalist forms of teacher professional development are problematised through this qualitative case study that explores a teacher's inquiry into assessment for learning practices. This article illustrates how…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lavina, Leanne; Fleet, Alma; Niland, Amanda
2017-01-01
Understanding how teachers come to know and make sense of teaching is a challenging endeavor. Uncovering elusive strands of thinking through arts-informed approaches has the potential to transform personal understandings of teacher selves and professional practice across diverse early childhood contexts (Clandinin, Downey, & Huber, 2009).…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Antink-Meyer, Allison; Meyer, Daniel Z.
2016-01-01
The aim of this exploratory study was to learn about the misconceptions that may arise for elementary and high school science teachers in their reflections on science and engineering practice. Using readings and videos of real science and engineering work, teachers' reflections were used to uncover the underpinnings of their understandings. This…
Preservice Teachers' Teacher Efficacy Beliefs and Constructivist-Based Teaching Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Temiz, Tugba; Topcu, Mustafa Sami
2013-01-01
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between preservice teachers' (PTs) teacher efficacy beliefs and their constructivist-based teaching practices. Data were gathered through the questionnaire (Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale) and the observation protocol (Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol) administered to the…
The Influence Of A Multicultural Teacher Education Program On Teachers' Multicultural Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McNeal, Kezia
2005-01-01
This study examined the multicultural classroom practices of two novice secondary English teachers employed by the same U.S. school district that serves a diverse student population. Findings indicated a high level of consistency between the teachers' intended multicultural practices and their implemented practices. Based on classroom…
Teachers Implementing Entrepreneurship Education: Classroom Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ruskovaara, Elena; Pihkala, Timo
2013-01-01
Purpose: This study aims to highlight the entrepreneurship education practices teachers use in their work. Another target is to analyze how these practices differ based on a number of background factors. Design/methodology/approach: This article presents a quantitative analysis of 521 teachers and other entrepreneurship education actors. The paper…
Practices of Compassionate, Critical, Justice-Oriented Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Conklin, Hilary G.; Hughes, Hilary E.
2016-01-01
In this cross-institutional, qualitative case study, two teacher educators in urban teacher education programs identify and analyze the components of our teacher education practice in relation to a vision of compassionate, critical, justice-oriented teacher education. Using Grossman et al.'s concepts of preparation for professional practice as an…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pitkäniemi, Harri; Karlsson, Liisa; Stenberg, Katariina
2014-01-01
The purpose of this research is two-fold: 1) to describe what kind of practical theories student teachers have in the Finnish class teacher education context and 2) to analyse their differences and similarities at the initial and final phase of teacher education. We further analyse the relationship between the practical theories and their sources.…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tatto, Maria Teresa
2015-01-01
The stated goal of current education reform is the redesign of education systems in pursuit of quality. Systems that consistently "come out on top" have excited much interest in uncovering the features that have contributed to their success; notably among these is the preparation of future teachers. Research on teacher education quality…
From Knowledge to Practice: A Gifted Educator's Journey
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Reinhard, Jessica J.
2016-01-01
This qualitative case study of a third-year teacher of intermediate students in a self-contained gifted education classroom uncovers the relationship between knowledge of pedagogical practices from national gifted education standards and their transfer to classroom practice. Ethnographic methods of interviews, field observations, lesson documents,…
A Study of Science Teachers' Homework Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tas, Yasemin; Sungur-Vural, Semra; Öztekin, Ceren
2014-01-01
This study investigates Turkish middle school science teachers' homework practices, the value teachers attach to homework and teachers' communication with parents about homework. One hundred and sixty-eight teachers completed surveys. Teachers reported to assign homework frequently: 93.4 per cent of the teachers reported that they assign homework…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alemdag, Ecenaz; Simsek, Pinar Özdemir
2017-01-01
This case study investigated practicum experiences of pre-service teachers by focusing on their evaluation of mentor teachers, school experiences, and theory-practice relationships. Interviews were conducted with six teacher candidates, and observations in the participants' practice schools were made. The results revealed that mentor teachers had…
Teachers' Professional Practice Conducting Mathematical Discussions
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
da Ponte, João Pedro; Quaresma, Marisa
2016-01-01
This paper seeks to identify actions that can be regarded as building elements of teachers' classroom practice in mathematical discussion and how these actions may be combined to provide fruitful learning opportunities for students. It stands on a framework that focuses on two key elements of teaching practice: the tasks that teachers propose to…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Akkoç, Hatice; Balkanlioglu, Mehmet Ali; Yesildere-Imre, Sibel
2016-01-01
This research aimed to analyse the induction experiences of preservice mathematics teachers during their school placements through the lens of communities of practice. The main research question was concerned with how preservice mathematics teachers perceive what constitutes the practice of a professional community of mathematics teachers. A…
Supporting practice teachers to identify failing students.
Skingley, Ann; Arnott, J; Greaves, J; Nabb, J
2007-01-01
The subject of identifying and supporting failing students in community nursing education programmes has been largely overlooked in the literature, yet is of great concern to practice teachers. This article discusses the views on the topic of a group of practice teachers in the light of existing, related research and proposes a number of indicators for good practice. It is suggested that of central importance is the need for higher education institutions and practice teachers to work together in identifying students causing concern at an early stage in their studies, based on both objective and subjective observations, and to have in place documented procedures to be followed when such situations arise.
Oerther, Sarah; Oerther, Daniel B
2018-04-01
To discuss how Bourdieu's theory of practice can be used by nurse researchers to better uncover the embodied knowledge of patients living with disability and illness. Bourdieu's theory of practice has been used in social and healthcare researches. This theory emphasizes that an individual's everyday practices are not always explicit and mediated by language, but instead an individual's everyday practices are often are tacit and embodied. Discussion paper. Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL and SCOPUS were searched for concepts from Bourdieu's theory that was used to understand embodied knowledge of patients living with disability and illness. The literature search included articles from 2003 - 2017. Nurse researchers should use Bourdieu's theory of practice to uncover the embodied knowledge of patients living with disability and illness, and nurse researchers should translate these discoveries into policy recommendations and improved evidence-based best practice. The practice of nursing should incorporate an understanding of embodied knowledge to support disabled and ill patients as these patients modify "everyday practices" in the light of their disabilities and illnesses. Bourdieu's theory enriches nursing because the theory allows for consideration of both the objective and the subjective through the conceptualization of capital, habitus and field. Uncovering individuals embodied knowledge is critical to implement best practices that assist patients as they adapt to bodily changes during disability and illness. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mohamed, Ahmed Hassan Hemdan; Al-Qaryouti, Ibrahim Amin
2016-01-01
The purpose of this study was to explore whether preschool teachers' self-reported beliefs could predict their self-reported practices about developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). A related purpose was to examine whether classroom size and teachers' experience are significant predictors of their self-reported beliefs and practices. A total…
School food practices of prospective teachers.
Rossiter, Melissa; Glanville, Theresa; Taylor, Jennifer; Blum, Ilya
2007-12-01
Schoolteachers can affect students' eating habits in several ways: through nutrition knowledge, positive role modeling, and avoidance of unhealthy classroom food practices. In this study, the knowledge, attitudes, and eating behaviors of prospective teachers as determinants of intended classroom food practices and the school environment and its potential impact on classroom food practices were examined and explored. One hundred and three students (response rate 79%) enrolled in the final year of a bachelor of education program with at least 22 weeks of practice teaching completed a self-administered questionnaire adapted from the Teens Eating for Energy and Nutrition at School teaching staff survey. Indexes related to classroom food practices, school food environment, personal health, fat intake, and nutrition knowledge were constructed and explored quantitatively using linear modeling techniques and contingency table analysis. The majority of respondents reported a high fat intake (65%) and had mid-to-low nutrition knowledge (72%). While most respondents (93%) believed that a healthy school food environment was important, two thirds reported unhealthy classroom food practices. Unhealthy classroom food practices were more likely to be used by those intending to teach at the secondary level, those who held a high personal health belief, and those who demonstrated less support for a healthy school environment. These findings suggest that knowledge, attitudes, and food behaviors of prospective teachers may be barriers to promoting healthy food habits to their future students. Further, prospective teachers would benefit from policies and programs that support healthy classroom practices and from compulsory nutrition education in the teacher training curriculum.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Deneroff, Victoria Matzenauer
This is an ethnographic case study of one urban high school science teacher who was attempting to use inquiry-based teaching in her practice. Rather than focusing on pedagogy, the study examines the social networks and communities of practice in which Marie Gonzalez participated. I make the argument that science teaching is a Discourse (Gee, 1990), and that teaching inquiry science means constructing an identity as a participant in what I call the Discourse of Inquiry. I also use discourse analysis to tease out a Discourse of Traditional Science Teaching. I conclude that the Traditional and Inquiry Discourses mediate a teacher's ideas of what it means to teach, and that, while Inquiry teachers are "bilingual", that is, able to participate in both Discourses, Traditional teachers are deaf to the Discourse of Inquiry. Moreover, in my study there is convincing evidence that administrators charged with evaluation were also unfamiliar with the Discourse of Inquiry and were therefore unable to provide support for Marie's inquiry practice. In light of these findings, it is not at all surprising that Marie found it quite difficult to use inquiry-based pedagogy. In order for teachers to adopt discourse-based reforms such as inquiry, the Discourse must be available to teachers in their workplaces.
Confronting Unsuccessful Practices: Repositioning Teacher Identities in English Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vetter, Amy; Hartman, Shana V.; Reynolds, Jeanie M.
2016-01-01
Teacher education programs attempt to prepare preservice teachers for the various challenges faced in the classroom. One particular challenge new teachers face is how to handle unsuccessful practices. This paper argues that confronting ineffective practices require that teachers respond to complex and dynamic challenges, making change difficult…
Veteran teachers' use of recommended practices in deaf education.
Easterbrooks, Susan R; Stephenson, Brenda H; Gale, Elaine
2009-01-01
Deaf education teacher preparation programs face the likelihood that their graduates may not implement evidenced-based practices they were taught once they have graduated. The literature suggests that new teachers follow the school culture where they work rather than methods and strategies taught in their preparation programs. To investigate whether teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) implement recommended practices, 23 teachers from three schools for the deaf were interviewed about their implementation and use of two recommended practices: independent reading and problem solving. The guiding questions were: Do teachers of students who are DHH use independent reading and problem solving after the enculturation process? If so, to what level? If not, can a review improve their level of use? Results demonstrated, at least regarding these two practices, that teachers of students who are DHH do implement evidence-based practices in their classrooms.
Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers: Effective Practices in Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ellerbrock, Cheryl R.; Cruz, Bárbara C.; Vásquez, Anete; Howes, Elaine V.
2016-01-01
Despite the growing diversity in our nation's schools, many teacher educators avoid discussions on diversity issues for myriad reasons. As a result, numerous preservice teachers lack quality learning opportunities to become well versed on issues of diversity in meaningful ways that can translate to P-12 practice. This article elaborates on…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Miller Dyce, Cherrel; Owusu-Ansah, Angela
2016-01-01
Using data from preservice teachers enrolled in a diversity course in a predominantly White teacher education program, researchers uncovered that diversity education was indeed a catalyst for preservice teachers to increase knowledge of diversity and their understanding of the process of critically reflecting on their teaching and learning…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Heshmati, Saeideh; Kersting, Nicole; Sutton, Taliesin
2018-01-01
This study explored the design and implementation of the Cover-up and Un-cover games, two manipulative-based fraction games, in 14 fifth-grade classrooms. We examined how the fraction concepts were integrated into the game design and explored the nature of teacher-student interactions during games using lesson videos. Our examination showed that…
Practices of Effective Writing Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gadd, Murray; Parr, Judy M.
2017-01-01
This study analyses the practices of nine New Zealand teachers of upper primary and middle-school students (N = 210) whose classes had consistently shown gains in writing far greater than normative expectations. Data from observations of three writing lessons and related interviews with each teacher, plus interviews with three focus students after…
Improving Teacher Practice: Teachers' Perspectives on Capacity-Building Initiatives in Literacy
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mattos, Joseph C.
2011-01-01
Educational research over the past 15 years shows that schools and school districts have, on a large scale, failed to translate reform goals into improved teacher practice and student learning. Although classroom teachers are central to successful school reform, research has rarely examined how teachers experience reform initiatives and how that…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Malinen, Olli-Pekka; Savolainen, Hannu; Xu, Jiacheng
2013-01-01
Five hundred fifty mainland Chinese university students were given a questionnaire that contained a Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) scale. The purpose of the study was a) to test the factor structure of teacher self-efficacy for inclusive practices, b) to investigate the relationship between teacher self-efficacy for inclusive…
Preservice Elementary Teachers' Ideas About Scientific Practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ricketts, Amy
2014-10-01
With the goal of producing scientifically literate citizens who are able to make informed decisions and reason critically when science intersects with their everyday lives, the National Research Council (NRC) has produced two recent documents that call for a new approach to K-12 science education that is based on scientific practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. These documents will potentially influence future state standards and K-12 curricula. Teachers will need support in order to teach science using a practices based approach, particularly if they do not have strong science backgrounds, which is often the case with elementary teachers. This study investigates one cohort (n = 19) of preservice elementary teachers' ideas about scientific practices, as developed in a one-semester elementary science teaching methods course. The course focused on eight particular scientific practices, as defined by the National Research Council's A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (2012). Participants' written reflections, lesson plans and annotated teaching videos were analyzed in fine detail to better understand their ideas about what it means to engage in each of the practices. The findings suggest that preservice elementary teachers hold promising ideas about scientific practices (such as an emphasis on argumentation and communication between scientists, critical thinking, and answering and asking questions as the goal of science) as well as problematic ideas (including confusion over the purpose of modeling and the process of analysis, and conflating argumentation and explanation building). These results highlight the strengths and limitations of using the Framework (NRC 2012) as an instructional text and the difficulties of differentiating between preservice teachers' content knowledge about doing the practices and their pedagogical knowledge about teaching the practices.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Johns, Kyoko Maeno
2009-01-01
The research supports the contentions that teachers' beliefs influence classroom practice and student achievement. Although research has been done to examine teachers' beliefs and classroom practice, limited research has investigated how one's culture and community affect teacher identity and mathematics classroom practice. The development over…
Preschool Teachers' Language and Literacy Practices with Dual Language Learners.
Sawyer, Brook E; Hammer, Carol Scheffner; Cycyk, Lauren M; López, Lisa; Blair, Clancy; Sandilos, Lia; Komaroff, Eugene
The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the degree to which teachers used linguistically responsive practices to support the language and literacy development of Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners (DLL) and (b) to investigate the associations between these practices and select teacher-level factors. The sample consisted of 72 preschool teachers. Observational data were collected on practices. Teachers self-reported on language and culture beliefs, Spanish speaking ability, and classroom composition. Results indicated that teachers, including those who spoke Spanish, used few linguistically responsive practices to support preschool DLLs. Only Spanish-speaking ability was related to practices. Implications for targeted professional development are discussed.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Egne, Robsan M.
2017-01-01
This study explores the perceptions and practices of multicultural education among Ethiopian secondary teacher education program officials, teacher educators and prospective teachers. To that end, data were collected from secondary teacher education program officials, teacher educators and student teachers using questionnaire and interview. The…
Uncovering the Motivating Factors behind Writing in English in en EFL Context
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Büyükyavuz, Oya; Çakir, Ismail
2014-01-01
Writing in a language, whether the target or native, is regarded as a complex activity operating on multiple cognitive levels. This study aimed to uncover the factors which motivate teacher trainees of English to write in English in an EFL context. The study also investigated the differences in the ways teacher trainees are motivated in terms of…
Democratic Practices in Education: Implications for Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pearl, Art, Ed.; Pryor, Caroline R., Ed.
2005-01-01
This book presents the findings of eleven teacher educators as they examine the meaning of democracy and its application to classroom practice. There is a shared belief among all contributors to this volume: that incorporating democratic practice into teacher education is an essential requirement to introducing democratic practices in K-12…
Teacher Reflective Practice in Jesuit High Schools
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Klug, Joseph H.
2010-01-01
Teachers who engage in reflective practice are more effective and may encourage higher student achievement. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the methods that teachers use in order to engage in reflective practice. Further, it is essential to gain an understanding of how schools, including Jesuit high schools, promote reflective…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ewald, Megan
As a result of recent mandates of the Next Generation Science Standards, assessments are a "system of meaning" amidst a paradigm shift toward three-dimensional assessments. This study is motivated by two research questions: 1) how do high school science teachers describe their processes of decision-making in the development and use of three-dimensional assessments and 2) how do high school science teachers negotiate their identities as assessors in designing three-dimensional assessments. An important factor in teachers' assessment decision making is how they identify themselves as assessors. Therefore, this study investigated the teachers' roles as assessors through the Sociocultural Identity Theory. The most important contribution from this study is the emergent teacher assessment sub-identities: the modifier-recycler , the feeler-finder, and the creator. Using a qualitative phenomenological research design, focus groups, three-series interviews, think-alouds, and document analysis were utilized in this study. These qualitative methods were chosen to elicit rich conversations among teachers, make meaning of the teachers' experiences through in-depth interviews, amplify the thought processes of individual teachers while making assessment decisions, and analyze assessment documents in relation to teachers' perspectives. The findings from this study suggest that--of the 19 participants--only two teachers could consistently be identified as creators and aligned their assessment practices with NGSS. However, assessment sub-identities are not static and teachers may negotiate their identities from one moment to the next within socially constructed realms of interpretation known as figured worlds. Because teachers are positioned in less powerful figured worlds within the dominant discourse of standardization, this study raises awareness as to how the external pressures from more powerful figured worlds socially construct teachers' identities as assessors. For teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hegde, Archana V.; Sugita, Chisato; Crane-Mitchell, Linda; Averett, Paige
2014-01-01
This study explored Japanese day nursery and kindergarten teachers' beliefs and practices regarding developmentally appropriate practices. Data were collected using in-depth interviews. Teacher interviews provided insights into the merger of the childcare and education systems of Japan. Six themes emerged from the analysis of the day nursery and…
Taking the Reins: Preservice Teachers Practicing Leadership
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dunlap, Karen; Hansen-Thomas, Holly
2011-01-01
What makes the difference between a good teacher and a great one? Knowing one's content is important, but having strong leadership skills can tip the scales from mediocrity to excellence. The best time to begin practicing being a teacher leader is during the preservice years. By practicing leadership skills, one can begin to view oneself not only…
The Practical Audio-Visual Handbook for Teachers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Scuorzo, Herbert E.
The use of audio/visual media as an aid to instruction is a common practice in today's classroom. Most teachers, however, have little or no formal training in this field and rarely a knowledgeable coordinator to help them. "The Practical Audio-Visual Handbook for Teachers" discusses the types and mechanics of many of these media forms and proposes…
Beliefs, Practices, and Expectations of Oral Teachers of the Deaf
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brown, P. Margaret; Paatsch, Louise
2010-01-01
This study investigated the beliefs and practices of 28 teachers of the deaf about their practices. The teachers were all working in oral settings either as visiting teachers or teachers in a mainstream school facility supporting groups of students with hearing loss. Teachers who used an Auditory Verbal approach largely adopted a positivist…
Weaving Social Foundations through Dance Pedagogy: A Pedagogy of Uncovering
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Barr, Sherrie; Risner, Doug
2014-01-01
Today's dance educators enter classrooms populated by increasingly diverse students in which teachers' pedagogical knowledge necessitates heightened understandings of race, ethnicity, social class, gender, and sexuality. Uncovering taken-for-granted assumptions, dominant stereotypes, and educational structures that reproduce social…
Sayeski, Kristin L; Earle, Gentry A; Eslinger, R Paige; Whitenton, Jessy N
2017-04-01
Matching phonemes (speech sounds) to graphemes (letters and letter combinations) is an important aspect of decoding (translating print to speech) and encoding (translating speech to print). Yet, many teacher candidates do not receive explicit training in phoneme-grapheme correspondence. Difficulty with accurate phoneme production and/or lack of understanding of sound-symbol correspondence can make it challenging for teachers to (a) identify student errors on common assessments and (b) serve as a model for students when teaching beginning reading or providing remedial reading instruction. For students with dyslexia, lack of teacher proficiency in this area is particularly problematic. This study examined differences between two learning conditions (massed and distributed practice) on teacher candidates' development of phoneme-grapheme correspondence knowledge and skills. An experimental, pretest-posttest-delayed test design was employed with teacher candidates (n = 52) to compare a massed practice condition (one, 60-min session) to a distributed practice condition (four, 15-min sessions distributed over 4 weeks) for learning phonemes associated with letters and letter combinations. Participants in the distributed practice condition significantly outperformed participants in the massed practice condition on their ability to correctly produce phonemes associated with different letters and letter combinations. Implications for teacher preparation are discussed.
Teacher Beliefs and Practices of Kindergarten Teachers in Hong Kong
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Leung, Chi-hung
2012-01-01
A key educational reform proposal made in 2000 is to build a new culture for quality early childhood education through upgrading professional competence. Teachers are an important element of high-quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood programs. The Teacher Beliefs and Practices Survey (TBS) based on 2009 NAEYC Developmentally…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Karimi, Mohammad Nabi; Dehghani, Asieh
2016-01-01
The present study examined EFL teachers' theoretical orientations towards reading, their reading instructional practices and the correspondence between the theoretical orientations/practices. The study participants were 80 male and female Iranian EFL teachers teaching at a number of private English language institutes. Half of the teachers were…
The relationship of science teachers' beliefs and practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Varrella, Gary Frank
1997-10-01
The relationships between constructivist and Science-Technology-Society (STS) teaching practices and teachers beliefs are the focus of this dissertation. This study is founded on the premise that individual teacher's beliefs are strong indicators of their instructional choices and teaching habits. The basic research premise is: the more complete and complex the individuals' belief structure about constructivist and STS teaching, the more expert and consistent the teacher is in the complementary constructivist teaching practices. This triangulation study used quantitative and qualitative methods. Three instruments were used: the Science Classroom Observation Rubric and Teaching Practices Assessment Inventory, from the Expert Science Teacher Educational Evaluation Model (ESTEEM), and the Science Teacher Beliefs About the Learning Environment Rubric (developed by the author). The results yielded significant multiple regression analysis regarding the relationships between beliefs and practices in constructivist/STS science teaching not documented elsewhere. Statistically significant factors contributing to expertise included the value teachers placed on their students as individuals whose ideas and contributions to the class are important, teachers' commitment to work as partners with students in the learning environment, and the importance of context, i.e., instruction which is personally relevant and meaningful. No differences were found related to gender or total years of teaching experience. A cross-case methodology was used to explore data from open-ended interviews and for examination of teachers' written comments regarding their interactions with students in the learning environment. Expertise was also shown to be linked to teachers with a commitment to life-long learning and to years of participation/leadership by teachers in state and national reform movements. Qualitative data corroborated these findings, providing a rich and authentic background to the
Assessment of school mathematics: Teachers' perceptions and practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pfannkuch, Maxine
2001-12-01
This is the first report of a proposed ten-year interval longitudinal study about teacher assessment practice in Auckland, New Zealand. Interviews with teachers of Year 3, 6, 8, 10, and 13 students are analysed. These interviews indicate that primary teachers are using a variety of assessment strategies in a mastery-based system. Their judgement of mathematical performance is dominated by the belief that all students must feel that they are achieving. The secondary teacher interviews indicate common use of alternative assessment strategies in non-examination classes. Judgement of student performance is benchmarked against national examinations. It is conjectured that an education system effect determines teachers' assessment practices.
Teachers' Knowledge Development and Change: Untangling Beliefs and Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Theriot, Shirley; Tice, Kathleen C.
2009-01-01
Through a case-study approach, the authors focus on understanding the complexity of teachers' knowledge development, particularly as it pertains to teachers' beliefs about literacy development and their teaching practices in literacy. Participants of the study are middle-school teachers who shared their beliefs and practices through (1) a…
Do Career Goals Promote Continuous Learning among Practicing Teachers?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ng, Chi-Hung
2010-01-01
Practicing teachers often engage in continuous professional learning with certain career considerations. Based on achievement goal theory, this study explored the effects of career goals on teacher's learning using a sample of practicing teachers in Hong Kong. Two forms of career goals were assessed using a questionnaire. Professional learning…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hardy, Ian
2016-01-01
Drawing upon research into a case study of teacher inquiry in one school in Queensland, Australia, recent theorising into professional practice, and relevant literature on teachers' learning, this article reveals the complexity and particularity of teacher inquiry processes in support of teachers' learning. Specifically, the research reveals how…
A case study investigation of practices and beliefs of teachers at a STEM-focused elementary school
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Martin, Billy J.
Proponents of STEM education have highlighted the need for increasing STEM skills among students. To address this need, there have been recommendations to create new STEM-focused schools, a majority of which are to be STEM-focused elementary and middle schools. However, STEM school research remains focused on outcomes at the secondary and postsecondary level, with little attention being given to knowing more about the role that elementary education plays in STEM outcomes. Case study design was used to investigate teachers at one STEM-focused elementary school to identify the practices and beliefs reported as important in STEM teaching and learning. Using survey and in-depth interviews, it was found that designation as a STEM-focused school promotes the use of more inquiry-oriented teaching practices and facilitates the use of strategies for developing confidence and competence in STEM among staff and students. The information uncovered in this study could provide leaders of any organization desiring to become a STEM-focused institution information about specific beliefs and practices that have the greatest potential to support changes in teaching.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wetzel, Melissa Mosley; Hoffman, James V.; Roach, Audra K.; Russell, Katie
2018-01-01
This longitudinal study explores how one university's practice-based teacher preparation program prepared literacy teachers to develop practical knowledge for teaching and how that knowledge was tested and adapted in the first years of teaching. To understand change, we identified and analyzed points of tension, challenge, or dissonance in the…
Teacher Inquiry: Living the Research in Everyday Practice.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Clarke, Anthony, Ed.; Erickson, Gaalen, Ed.
This book includes 22 papers in three parts. After (1) "Teacher Inquiry: A Defining Feature of Professional Practice" (Anthony Clarke and Gaalen Erickson), Part 1, "Enacting Teacher Research in Practice Settings," includes (2) "Writing Matters: Exploring the Relationship between Writing Instruction and Assessment"…
Translations among Mathematical Representations: Teacher Beliefs and Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bosse, Michael J.; Adu-Gyamfi, Kwaku; Cheetham, Meredith
2011-01-01
Student ability, teacher expectations, respective degrees of difficulty, and curriculum and instructional practices all work together to provide students experiences leading to differing levels of success in respect to mathematical translations. Herein, we discuss teacher beliefs and instructional practices, investigate why some translations seem…
Description and effects of sequential behavior practice in teacher education.
Sharpe, T; Lounsbery, M; Bahls, V
1997-09-01
This study examined the effects of a sequential behavior feedback protocol on the practice-teaching experiences of undergraduate teacher trainees. The performance competencies of teacher trainees were analyzed using an alternative opportunities for appropriate action measure. Data support the added utility of sequential (Sharpe, 1997a, 1997b) behavior analysis information in systematic observation approaches to teacher education. One field-based undergraduate practicum using sequential behavior (i.e., field systems analysis) principles was monitored. Summarized are the key elements of the (a) classroom instruction provided as a precursor to the practice teaching experience, (b) practice teaching experience, and (c) field systems observation tool used for evaluation and feedback, including multiple-baseline data (N = 4) to support this approach to teacher education. Results point to (a) the strong relationship between sequential behavior feedback and the positive change in four preservice teachers' day-to-day teaching practices in challenging situational contexts, and (b) the relationship between changes in teacher practices and positive changes in the behavioral practices of gymnasium pupils. Sequential behavior feedback was also socially validated by the undergraduate participants and Professional Development School teacher supervisors in the study.
New Teachers' Identity Shifts at the Boundary of Teacher Education and Initial Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Beauchamp, Catherine; Thomas, Lynn
2011-01-01
As teachers enter the school communities of their initial practice, they experience identity shifts that reflect their learning. Throughout teacher education they have constructed an identity informed by their previous school experiences, the ideas and approaches promoted by their teacher education programs, and an ideal of the teachers they hope…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wiley, Caroline Rose Hummel
2011-01-01
The majority of the research on grading practices thus far examines teachers' perceived grading practices through Likert-type surveys and vignettes regarding generic students. This study is unique because it proposes a more systematic method of qualitative inquiry to examine how teachers perceive grading on an individual student basis by asking…
Simulation and the Need for Practice in Teacher Preparation
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Girod, Mark; Girod, Gerald R.
2008-01-01
Recognizing the power of high quality practice in teacher preparation, a web-based simulation called Cook School District was designed to allow teacher candidates to practice the skills necessary to connect their teaching to the learning of all children employing the framework of teacher work samples (TWS). Pilot study data comparing simulation…
Practice-Oriented Teachers' Training: Innovative Approach
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shukshina, Tatjana I.; Gorshenina, Svetlana N.; Buyanova, Irina B.; Neyasova, Irina A.
2016-01-01
Modernization of Russian education meets the global trend of professionalization of teachers' training which assumes strengthening the practical orientation of educational programs as a significant factor in increasing the competitiveness of the teacher in the modern educational environment. The purpose of the article is to identify and…
Enhancing Teacher Efficacy and Pedagogical Practices amongst General and Special Education Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Coleman, Michael
2017-01-01
The purpose of this action research project was to collect both qualitative and quantitative data to acquire information in teacher efficacy from the viewpoint of teachers themselves so that pedagogical practices could be enhanced to better serve the special needs student population. In this study, the relationship between teachers' perception of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Olson, Heather
2017-01-01
The purpose of the study was to determine what student teachers perceive as an effective practice used by their cooperating teacher and school district to enhance the success of the year-long student teaching experience. In addition, the study intended to determine the differences in what student teachers perceive as effective practice based on…
Learning to Coach in Practice-Based Teacher Education: A Self-Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Drake, Michael R. A.
2016-01-01
In some forms of practice-based teacher education, one important task for the teacher educator is to undertake in-the-moment coaching during rehearsals of practice. However, being such a coach is a new role for many teacher educators and requires a different skill set to other forms of teacher educator practice. In addition, there is little…
When Teachers Reflect: Journeys toward Effective, Inclusive Practice.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tertell, Elizabeth A., Ed.; Klein, Susan M., Ed.; Jewett, Janet L., Ed.
On the premise that hearing other preschool teachers talk about their challenges in creating inclusive settings is a powerful impetus to reflect about one's own teaching practice, this book contains personal narratives by 18 teachers about their journeys toward inclusive, developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood education. The…
Teachers and the Re-Production of Middle-Class Culture in Australian Schools
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Forsey, Martin
2010-01-01
Based mainly on my own ethnographic research, which is committed to uncovering the constructed or "practiced" nature of social life, I seek to demonstrate the ways in which Australian school teachers, administrators, students and parents are engaged in a re-productive process that simultaneously reinforces and reinvents schools and…
Fostering Teacher Candidates' Reflective Practice through Video Editing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Trent, Margaret; Gurvitch, Rachel
2015-01-01
Recently, interest in using video to promote the reflective practice in preservice teacher education has increased. Video recordings of teaching incidents inspire the reflective practice in preservice teachers by allowing them to analyze instruction and view teaching in an objective light. As an extension of video recording, video editing has…
Teachers' Practices of Inquiry When Teaching Investigations: A Case Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dudu, Washington T.; Vhurumuku, Elaosi
2012-01-01
Teacher practices are essential for supporting learners in scientific inquiry practices of framing research questions, designing and conducting investigations, collecting data, and drawing conclusions. This study examines instructional practices of two Grade 11 Physical Science teachers engaged in teaching practical investigations. Data were…
Reddy, Linda A; Fabiano, Gregory A; Jimerson, Shane R
2013-12-01
Progress monitoring is a type of formative assessment. Most work on progress monitoring in elementary school settings has been focused on students. However, teachers also can benefit from frequent evaluations. Research addressing teacher progress monitoring is critically important given the recent national focus on teacher evaluation and effectiveness. This special topic section of School Psychology Quarterly is the first to showcase the current research on measuring Tier 1 instructional and behavioral management practices used by prekindergarten and elementary school teachers in general education settings. The three studies included in the special section describe the development and validation efforts of several teacher observational and self-report measures of instruction and/or behavioral management. These studies provide evidence for the utility of such assessments for documenting the use of classroom practices, and these assessment results may be leveraged in innovative coaching models to promote best practice. These articles also offer insight and ideas for the next generation of teacher practice assessment for the field. Finally, the special topic is capped by a commentary synthesizing the current work and offers "big ideas" for future measurement development, policy, and professional development initiatives. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.
Making Philosophy of Science Education Practical for Science Teachers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Janssen, F. J. J. M.; van Berkel, B.
2015-04-01
Philosophy of science education can play a vital role in the preparation and professional development of science teachers. In order to fulfill this role a philosophy of science education should be made practical for teachers. First, multiple and inherently incomplete philosophies on the teacher and teaching on what, how and why should be integrated. In this paper we describe our philosophy of science education (ASSET approach) which is composed of bounded rationalism as a guideline for understanding teachers' practical reasoning, liberal education underlying the why of teaching, scientific perspectivism as guideline for the what and educational social constructivism as guiding choices about the how of science education. Integration of multiple philosophies into a coherent philosophy of science education is necessary but not sufficient to make it practical for teachers. Philosophies are still formulated at a too abstract level to guide teachers' practical reasoning. For this purpose, a heuristic model must be developed on an intermediate level of abstraction that will provide teachers with a bridge between these abstract ideas and their specific teaching situation. We have developed and validated such a heuristic model, the CLASS model in order to complement our ASSET approach. We illustrate how science teachers use the ASSET approach and the CLASS model to make choices about the what, the how and the why of science teaching.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Oonk, Wil; Verloop, Nico; Gravemeijer, Koeno P. E.
2015-01-01
This study concentrated on the theory-practice problem in mathematics teacher education. We examined 13 student teachers' use of theory when they reflected on teaching practice in a class specifically designed to optimize the chance for theory use. We developed a Reflection Analysis Instrument with which the student teachers' use of theory could…
Students' Ratings of Teacher Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stevens, T.; Harris, G.; Liu, X.; Aguirre-Munoz, Z.
2013-01-01
In this paper, we explore a novel approach for assessing the impact of a professional development programme on classroom practice of in-service middle school mathematics teachers. The particular focus of this study is the assessment of the impact on teachers' employment of strategies used in the classroom to foster the mathematical habits of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kaymakamoglu, Sibel Ersel
2018-01-01
This study explored the EFL teachers' beliefs, perceived practice and actual classroom practice in relation to Traditional (teacher-centered) and Constructivist (learner-centered) teaching in Cyprus Turkish State Secondary Schools context. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews and structured observations were employed with purposively…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shah, Ashima Mathur
' purposeful use of both pedagogies of investigation (to study teaching) and pedagogies of enactment (to practice enacting teaching) was uncovered. This work provides insights for the design of courses that prepare interns to translate theories about teaching into the interactive work teachers actually do. Also, it contributes to building a common language for talking about the content of practice-oriented courses and for comparing the affordances and limitations of pedagogical approaches across teacher education settings.
Practicing and Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Representations of Matter
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Weller, Jessica Kristine
2012-01-01
This qualitative exploratory study investigated practicing and pre-service elementary teachers' representations of the nature of matter and the ways in which those representations were transformed into teaching representations. Seven practicing elementary teachers from a rural elementary school and five pre-service elementary teachers were…
Pre-Service Physics Teachers' Metacognitive Knowledge about Their Instructional Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yerdelen-Damar, Sevda; Özdemir, Ömer Faruk; Ünal, Cezmi
2015-01-01
This study aims to investigate pre-service physics teachers' metacognitive knowledge about their teaching practices. The participants included six pre-service physics teachers. A taxonomy of metacognition for teaching was developed to analyze the level of pre-service physics teachers' metacognitive knowledge about their teaching practices.…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Willemse, T. M.; Boei, F.
2013-01-01
Research conducted by teacher educators is considered important for their professional development, their actual teaching practice and their body of knowledge. However, for many teacher educators in Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) in the Netherlands, research is a new challenge. A survey was conducted among 508 such teacher educators…
Data and graph interpretation practices among preservice science teachers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bowen, G. Michael; Roth, Wolff-Michael
2005-12-01
The interpretation of data and construction and interpretation of graphs are central practices in science, which, according to recent reform documents, science and mathematics teachers are expected to foster in their classrooms. However, are (preservice) science teachers prepared to teach inquiry with the purpose of transforming and analyzing data, and interpreting graphical representations? That is, are preservice science teachers prepared to teach data analysis and graph interpretation practices that scientists use by default in their everyday work? The present study was designed to answer these and related questions. We investigated the responses of preservice elementary and secondary science teachers to data and graph interpretation tasks. Our investigation shows that, despite considerable preparation, and for many, despite bachelor of science degrees, preservice teachers do not enact the (authentic) practices that scientists routinely do when asked to interpret data or graphs. Detailed analyses are provided of what data and graph interpretation practices actually were enacted. We conclude that traditional schooling emphasizes particular beliefs in the mathematical nature of the universe that make it difficult for many individuals to deal with data possessing the random variation found in measurements of natural phenomena. The results suggest that preservice teachers need more experience in engaging in data and graph interpretation practices originating in activities that provide the degree of variation in and complexity of data present in realistic investigations.
Fostering Meaning-Oriented Learning and Deliberate Practice in Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bronkhorst, Larike H.; Meijer, Paulien C.; Koster, Bob; Vermunt, Jan D.
2011-01-01
Meaning-oriented learning and deliberate practice may be expected to promote student teachers' continuous professional development. We interviewed twelve expert teacher educators to explore their understanding of these concepts, as well as pedagogies to stimulate them in teacher education. The experts understood deliberate practice in two ways: an…
Student Teachers' Management Practices in Elementary Classrooms: A Qualitative Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hildenbrand, Susan M.; Arndt, Katrina
2016-01-01
This qualitative study of four student teachers completing certification in elementary and special education investigated the classroom management practices of the student teachers. This is an important area of study because management practices are essential for an effective classroom, and student teachers often lack confidence and skill in the…
Exploring Teachers' Beliefs and Their Influence on Grading Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jenkins, Kimberly
2017-01-01
Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of middle school teachers that shaped their beliefs as they relate to grading practices. The study offers insight for school leaders when addressing grading practices with teachers and may inform decisions regarding professional development for teachers. Conceptual…
Developing Principles of Physical Education Teacher Education Practice through Self-Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fletcher, Tim
2016-01-01
Background: The articulation of specific principles of teacher education practice allows teacher educators to make explicit the beliefs, values, and actions that shape their practice. Engaging in processes to articulate the principles that guide practice is beneficial not only for teacher educators and their colleagues but also for students. There…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wood, Lynda Charese
The study of teaching and learning during the period of translating ideals of reform into classroom practice enables us to understand student-teacher-researcher symbiotic learning. In line with this assumption, the purpose of this study is threefold:(1) observe effects of the Common Knowledge Construction Model (CKCM), a conceptual change inquiry model of teaching and learning, on African American students' conceptual change and achievement; (2) observe the shift in teacher's practical arguments; and (3) narrate the voice of "the Other" about teacher professional learning. This study uses retrospective data from a mixed-method approach consisting of Phenomenography, practical arguments and story-telling. Data sources include audio-recordings of a chemistry teacher's individual interviews of her students' prior- and post-intervention conceptions of acids and bases; results of Acid-Base Achievement Test (ABA-T); video-recordings of a chemistry teacher's enactment of CKCM acid-base lesson sequence; audio-recordings of teacher-researcher reflective discourse using classroom video-clips; teacher interviews; and teacher and researcher personal reflective journals. Students' conceptual changes reflect change in the number of categories of description; shift in language use from everyday talk to chemical talk; and development of a hierarchy of chemical knowledge. ABA-T results indicated 17 students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores than 22 students in the control group taught by traditional teaching methods. The teacher-researcher reflective discourse about enactment of the CKCM acid-base lesson sequence reveals three major shifts in teacher practical arguments: teacher inadequate preparedness to adequate preparedness; lack of confidence to gain in confidence; and surface learning to deep learning. The developing story uncovers several aspects about teaching and learning of African American students: teacher caring for the uncared; cultivating
Primary school teachers' assessment profiles in mathematics education.
Veldhuis, Michiel; van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Marja
2014-01-01
The aim of this study was to contribute to knowledge about classroom assessment by identifying profiles of teachers' assessment of their students' understanding of mathematics. For carrying out this study we used data of a nationwide teacher survey (N = 960) in the Netherlands. The data were collected by an online questionnaire. Through exploratory factor analyses the underlying structure of what is measured by this questionnaire was uncovered as consisting of five factors: Goal centeredness of assessment, Authentic nature of assessment, Perceived usefulness of assessment, Diversity of assessment problem format, and Allocated importance of assessing skills and knowledge. By using a latent class analysis four different assessment profiles of teachers were identified: Enthusiastic assessors, Mainstream assessors, Non-enthusiastic assessors, and Alternative assessors. The findings suggest that teachers with particular assessment profiles have qualitatively different assessment practices. The paper concludes with discussing theoretical implications of these assessment profiles and indications these profiles can offer both for designing material for professional development in classroom assessment and for evaluating changes in teachers' classroom assessment practice.
Looking at Teacher Practices through the Lens of Parenting Style
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Walker, Joan M. T.
2008-01-01
In this article, the author used a parenting style framework to explain mixed evidence about the influence of teacher practices on student outcomes. Participants included 3 fifth-grade math teachers and 45 of their students. The author assessed teacher practices, teaching style (i.e., demandingness and responsiveness), student engagement,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sawyer, Richard D.; Neel, Michael; Coulter, Matthew
2016-01-01
This paper examines the endemic separation between K-12 schools and colleges of education in teacher preparation. Specifically, we examine a new approach related to the promise of clinical practice--a clinical practice program that overlaps a public high school, a graduate-level teacher preparation program, and a professional practice doctoral…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Steele, Annfrid R.
2017-01-01
There is an increased focus in teacher education on research-based teaching as a means to develop a more research-based professional knowledge. However, research from several Western countries shows that neither school-based nor university-based teachers are familiar with how to integrate research-based knowledge in professional teacher practice.…
School Food Practices of Prospective Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rossiter, Melissa; Glanville, Theresa; Taylor, Jennifer; Blum, Ilya
2007-01-01
Background: Schoolteachers can affect students' eating habits in several ways: through nutrition knowledge, positive role modeling, and avoidance of unhealthy classroom food practices. In this study, the knowledge, attitudes, and eating behaviors of prospective teachers as determinants of intended classroom food practices and the school…
Making It Real: A Practice-Based Early Childhood Teacher Education Program
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vartuli, Sue; Snider, Karrie; Holley, Maggie
2016-01-01
In early childhood teacher education programs, the reality of educational systems must be understood and teacher candidates must be ready to deal with the current challenges schools face. The rationale and application of the principles of practice based teacher education are presented in this article. Practice-based teacher education programs…
Teacher's experiences in PBL: implications for practice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Alves, Anabela C.; Sousa, Rui M.; Fernandes, Sandra; Cardoso, Elisabete; Carvalho, Maria Alice; Figueiredo, Jorge; Pereira, Rui M. S.
2016-03-01
Project-Based Learning (PBL) has been implemented in the first year of the Industrial Engineering and Management programme at the University of Minho, Portugal, since 2004/2005. The purpose of this paper is to analyse and discuss teachers' experiences in PBL in this programme and to explore its implications for student learning and for teaching practices in higher education. For data collection, the research method used was written narratives to these teachers, at the end of the PBL semester. Findings suggest that teachers express a positive view of PBL as a learning approach. They identify student motivation and engagement, along with a better understanding of the application of concepts in real-life situations, as important outcomes of the project for students. Besides this, teachers also highlight the importance of the development of transversal skills by students throughout the project. Recommendations for future work and implications for practice will also be discussed.
An Exploration of Self-Efficacy in a Teacher-Educator's Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tobery-Nystrom, Jamelyn C.
2011-01-01
Designed in response to an expressed need for assessment measures of teacher preparation programs, this exploratory study presents one method to assess and improve teacher-educator practices (Crowe, 2010; Gardiner, 2007). Teacher-educators have discovered that conducting a personal assessment or a self-study of one's practice is a way to improve…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Uzum, Baburhan
2017-01-01
This qualitative case study explored how a novice language teacher negotiated her pedagogical beliefs and practices during her socialization into a foreign cultural and educational context. The focal participant was an Uzbek language teacher at a university in the USA. Using a language socialization theoretical framework, data were drawn from…
Video Use in Teacher Education: A Survey of Teacher-Educators' Practices across Disciplines
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Arya, Poonam; Christ, Tanya; Chiu, Ming Ming
2016-01-01
Video methods utilize tenets of high quality teacher education and support education students' learning and application of learning to teaching practices. However, how frequently video is used in teacher education, and in what ways is unknown. Therefore, this study used survey data to identify the extent to which 94 teacher-educators used video in…
A narrative inquiry into novice science mentor teachers' mentoring practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Naseem, Samina
Many teacher education programs hire new mentors every year to work with their student teacher population. The literature about teacher mentoring suggests the importance of relevant and ongoing professional development (PD) for teacher mentors at all levels. However, it is much more commonly the case that most teacher mentors volunteer and do not have access to PD. Past research about mentoring provides a descriptive sense of the practices of experienced mentors, especially within a PD context, but little is known about how novice mentors, who are mentoring for the first or the second time, with no prior PD related to mentoring articulate their work as mentors. Using the telling form of narrative inquiry, my study documented how four novice science mentors (NSMs) who had no prior mentoring-related PD articulated the work of mentoring through the stories they told about their past experiences as learners and teachers. The term learner included experiences that the NSMs had before school through K-12 and in their teacher education programs. The experiences as a teacher referred to NSMs' in-service experiences -- teaching, coaching, and mentoring (if any). Each NSM was interviewed once a month for a period of five months. The interviews captured experiences of the NSMs since their childhood to present day experiences as teachers to summarize the experiences that informed their current mentoring practices; to document salient mentoring practices they employed; to identify sources and factors that shaped those practices, and to understand mentoring from mentor teachers' perspectives. Clandinin and Connelly's (2000) three commonplaces (temporality- sociality- place ) framework was used for structuring interview questions and analyzing data. The NSMs employed number of practices discussed in the literature. The study found that the most influential life experiences were upbringing, student teaching, teaching, prior mentoring, and coaching. By taking temporality into
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Banas, Jennifer R.
2010-01-01
To best design technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) related instruction for preservice teachers or for practicing teachers, community college librarians must have an accurate assessment of their audience's attitudes towards technology. A summary, analysis, and excerpts from 225 student responses to a course reflection regarding…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chien, Chin-Wen
2018-01-01
Language teachers can uncover new understanding of the teaching and learning process through reflecting on critical incidents [Richard, J.C., and T.S.C. Farrell. 2005. "Professional Development for Language Teachers." New York, NY: Cambridge University Press]. Based on the data analysis of workshop handouts, observation notes, and…
Pedagogy and Practice for Online English Language Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pawan, Faridah; Wiechart, Kelly A.; Warren, Amber N.; Park, Jaehan
2016-01-01
Pedagogy--not technology--drives effective online instruction. The authors of "Pedagogy and Practice for Online English Language Teacher Education" discuss foundational theories of pedagogy and link those theories with their own practices in online courses for language teacher education and language teaching. This book discusses and…
Preschool Teachers' Endorsement of Instructional Practices: An Interprofessional Exploration
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Koutsoftas, Anthony D.; Dubasik, Virginia L.; Moss DiDonato, Alicia
2017-01-01
Background: Preschool teacher's instructional practices are one component of high-quality early education classrooms that have the potential to directly influence young children's school readiness and success; therefore, the type and quality of instructional practices used by preschool teachers should be explored. Purpose: The purpose of this…
Desirable Attributes and Practices for Mentees: Mentor Teachers' Expectations
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hudson, Peter
2013-01-01
Research indicates attributes and practices for mentor teachers that can be used for effective mentoring. Universities provide guidelines for preservice teacher (mentee) engagement in schools generally from anecdotal evidence, however, what are desirable attributes and practices for mentees? This qualitative study gathers data from 25 mentor…
Assessment of School Mathematics: Teachers' Perceptions and Practices.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pfannkuch, Maxine
2001-01-01
Reports on part of a 10-year interval longitudinal study on teacher assessment practices in Auckland, New Zealand. Indicates that primary teachers are using a variety of assessment strategies in a mastery-based system and secondary teachers commonly use alternative assessment strategies in non-examination classes. Suggests that an education system…
Best Ideas for Teaching with Technology: A Practical Guide for Teachers, by Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Reich, Justin; Daccord, Thomas
2008-01-01
This practical, how-to guide makes it easy for teachers to incorporate the latest technology in their classes. Employing an informal workshop approach, the book avoids technical jargon and pays special attention to the needs of teachers who are expanding the use of computers in their classroom. The authors focus on what teachers do and how they…
Guy, Jacqui; Taylor, Christine; Roden, Janet; Blundell, Jennifer; Tolhurst, Gerda
2011-04-01
The Australian nurse teacher competencies were introduced in 1996; however, the researchers perceived that changes to the health care system and a nursing workforce shortage may have affected nurse teacher roles over the past decade. This study aimed to explore perceptions of nurse teachers on the applicability of the current Australian nurse teacher competencies to practice, and modify the nurse teacher competencies to better reflect current practice. Methodology utilized mixed methods, and data collection was via focus groups, telephone interviews, and survey data. Results revealed that participants were mostly positive about the original competency statements, although there were some variations between items. Themes that emerged from the qualitative data were: changing trends in health care; preparation for teaching; understanding of the competencies, contextual influences on education role; nurse teachers as change agents, and resource management. Conclusions were that the Australian nurse teacher competencies (1996) were reflective of the current generic roles of nurse teachers however some of the competencies needed reframing to meet the current needs of nurse teachers. However, changes needed to be made in areas such as reducing complex language, inclusion of technology, and cultural competencies. Nurse teachers were supportive of the research because they valued the teacher competencies for reflection on their practice and the development of portfolios, job descriptions and performance appraisals. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Middle School Science Teachers' Confidence and Pedagogical Practice of New Literacies
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hsu, Hui-Yin; Wang, Shiang-Kwei; Runco, Lisa
2013-06-01
Due to the rapid advancements of information and communication technologies (ICTs), educational researchers argue that multimodal and new literacies should become common practices in schools. As new ICTs emerge and evolve, students need the new literacies skills and practices to successfully participate fully in the civic life of a global community. Are teachers prepared to integrate ICTs in the classroom to develop students' new literacies skills? The purpose of this study is to suggest a new literacies framework that guides ICTs integration and supports scientific inquiry, as well as investigate middle school teachers' confidence to practice new literacies in science classrooms. The study adopted mixed-methodology design, surveyed 32 middle school science teachers' ICTs and new literacies skills, and randomly observed 15 teachers' new literacies practices in the classrooms. The results revealed that even though teachers have high confidence in using ICTs, the meaningful technology integration and new literacies practices were scarcely observed in their classroom practices.
Implementing Computer Technologies: Teachers' Perceptions and Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wozney, Lori; Venkatesh, Vivek; Abrami, Philip
2006-01-01
This study investigates personal and setting characteristics, teacher attitudes, and current computer technology practices among 764 elementary and secondary teachers from both private and public school sectors in Quebec. Using expectancy-value theory, the Technology Implementation Questionnaire (TIQ) was developed; it consists of 33 belief items…
Teacher Beliefs, Knowledge, and Practice of Self-Regulated Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Spruce, Robin; Bol, Linda
2015-01-01
This study examined teacher beliefs, knowledge, and classroom practice of self-regulated learning for ten elementary and middle school teachers. Using Zimmerman's SRL model to frame our method and results, we administered questionnaires, observed classrooms and conducted interviews with these teachers. Teachers had positive beliefs about the role…
Teachers' Professional Learning: The Role of Knowledge Management Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Niehoff, Karissa
2010-01-01
This qualitative study explored the degree to which knowledge management strategies addressed teacher professional learning at the high school level. In the setting of a Connecticut public high school, interviews were conducted which explored teacher perceptions of knowledge sharing practices in the school and how those practices influenced their…
Teacher Supervision Practices and Principals' Characteristics
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
April, Daniel; Bouchamma, Yamina
2015-01-01
A questionnaire was used to determine the individual and collective teacher supervision practices of school principals and vice-principals in Québec (n = 39) who participated in a research-action study on pedagogical supervision. These practices were then analyzed in terms of the principals' sociodemographic and socioprofessional characteristics…
A Practice Turn for Teacher Education?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Reid, Jo-Anne
2011-01-01
Within the Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE) at Charles Sturt University, teacher education researchers have been quick to respond to the opportunities created by what is known as "the practice turn" that characterises contemporary theory around the globe and across disciplines. We are working,…
Value Related Practices Used by Teacher Educators at a Public University, Islamabad
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mahmood, Munazza; Rizvi, Syed Asad Abbas; Perveen, Uzma
2017-01-01
Values play a vital role in any teacher-training program. The value practices, used by teacher educators affect students' understanding and practicing of values. This study aimed to explore the value related practices of teacher educators and to rank the value practices of education programs at a public sector university. Survey method was used…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Antink-Meyer, Allison; Meyer, Daniel Z.
2016-10-01
The aim of this exploratory study was to learn about the misconceptions that may arise for elementary and high school science teachers in their reflections on science and engineering practice. Using readings and videos of real science and engineering work, teachers' reflections were used to uncover the underpinnings of their understandings. This knowledge ultimately provides information about supporting professional development (PD) for science teachers' knowledge of engineering. Six science teachers (two elementary and four high school teachers) participated in the study as part of an online PD experience. Cunningham and Carlsen's (Journal of Science Teacher Education 25:197-210, 2014) relative emphases of science and engineering practices were used to frame the design of PD activities and the analyses of teachers' views. Analyses suggest misconceptions within the eight practices of science and engineering from the US Next Generation Science Standards in four areas. These are that: (1) the nature of the practices in both science and engineering research is determined by the long-term implications of the research regardless of the nature of the immediate work, (2) engineering and science are hierarchical, (3) creativity is inappropriate, and (4) research outcomes cannot be processes. We discuss the nature of these understandings among participants and the implications for engineering education PD for science teachers.
Differentiating Science Instruction: Secondary science teachers' practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Maeng, Jennifer L.; Bell, Randy L.
2015-09-01
This descriptive study investigated the implementation practices of secondary science teachers who differentiate instruction. Participants included seven high school science teachers purposefully selected from four different schools located in a mid-Atlantic state. Purposeful selection ensured participants included differentiated instruction (DI) in their lesson implementation. Data included semi-structured interviews and field notes from a minimum of four classroom observations, selected to capture the variety of differentiation strategies employed. These data were analyzed using a constant-comparative approach. Each classroom observation was scored using the validated Differentiated Instruction Implementation Matrix-Modified, which captured both the extent to which critical indicators of DI were present in teachers' instruction and the performance levels at which they engaged in these components of DI. Results indicated participants implemented a variety of differentiation strategies in their classrooms with varying proficiency. Evidence suggested all participants used instructional modifications that required little advance preparation to accommodate differences in students' interests and learning profile. Four of the seven participants implemented more complex instructional strategies that required substantial advance preparation by the teacher. Most significantly, this study provides practical strategies for in-service science teachers beginning to differentiate instruction and recommendations for professional development and preservice science teacher education.
Teachers' Sources of Knowledge for Field Trip Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rebar, Bryan M.
2012-01-01
Teachers draw from many personal and professional experiences when organising and leading field trips. In order to identify the influences on teachers' field trip practices, I used surveys, interviews, artifacts and observations gathered from teachers who led trips to an aquarium. Findings clarified the types of influence and the impact that these…
Teacher Education for Inclusive Practice--Responding to Policy
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alexiadou, Nafsika; Essex, Jane
2016-01-01
This article draws on research in one teacher education course in England and examines the ways in which the programme prepares student-teachers for inclusive practice in science teaching. We frame our analysis by drawing on aspects of institutional mediation of official policy in teacher education, as well as theories around inclusion and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Al Duwairi, Ahmed
2013-01-01
This study aimed at investigating the extent to which secondary schools mathematics teachers practice to assessment models in their mathematics teaching and learning. Definitely, the study aimed at answering the following questions: (1) To what extent do secondary schools mathematics teachers practice each of the assessment models in their…
Second Language Teacher Development through CALL Practice: The Emergence of Teachers' Agency
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kitade, Keiko
2015-01-01
A growing number of studies examining second language (L2) teacher education from the perspective of sociocultural theory, in particular the activity theory framework (Engeström, 1999), show that transformations in teachers' cognition and practice can be fostered through negotiation of sociocultural and cognitive dissonance in their teaching…
Developing Practice: Teaching Teachers Today for Tomorrow
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mays, Tony John
2011-01-01
This paper argues that the development of classroom practice is central to the purpose of the IPET (initial professional education and training) of teachers. Notwithstanding the growing use of ICTs (information and communication technologies), both in teacher development and school classrooms, the normative modeling of appropriate contact-based…
Transfer of Online Professional Learning to Teachers' Classroom Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Herrington, Anthony; Herrington, Jan; Hoban, Garry; Reid, Doug
2009-01-01
Professional learning is an important process in enabling teachers to update their pedagogical knowledge and practices. The use of online technologies to support professional learning has a number of benefits in terms of flexibility and scalability. However, it is not clear how well the approach impacts on teachers' classroom practices. This…
The teacher's role in promoting collaborative dialogue in the classroom.
Webb, Noreen M
2009-03-01
Research on student-led small-group learning in schools going back nearly four decades has documented many types of student participation that promote learning. Less is known about how the teacher can foster effective groupwork behaviours. This paper reviews research that explores the role of the teacher in promoting learning in small groups. The focus is on how students can learn from their peers during small-group work, how teachers can prepare students for collaborative group work, and the role of teacher discourse and classroom norms in small-group dialogue. Studies selected for review focused on student-led small-group contexts for learning in which students were expected to collaborate, reported data from systematic observations of group work, and linked observational data to teacher practices and student learning outcomes. This review uncovered multiple dimensions of the teacher's role in fostering beneficial group dialogue, including preparing students for collaborative work, forming groups, structuring the group-work task, and influencing student interaction through teachers' discourse with small groups and with the class. Common threads through the research are the importance of students explaining their thinking, and teacher strategies and practices that may promote student elaboration of ideas.
Female Teachers' Professional Development through Action Research Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hassen, Rukya
2016-01-01
This is a study on teachers' professional development through action research practice. The participants of the study were 23 English Language Teachers (ELT) who teach in high schools, preparatory schools and colleges in Debre Markos, in Dessie and around in 2014. The methods of data collection were teacher reflection, and in-depth interview. The…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shakespear, Eileen; Beardsley, Linda; Newton, Anne
The Urban Teacher Training Collaborative (UTTC) is a school-university, school-based, Master of Arts in Teaching Program developed by Tufts University and three small Boston Public Schools. The program reflects partners' understanding of the needs of urban students and teachers. It presents an innovative model for teacher training similar to the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McKool, Sharon S.; Gespass, Suzanne
2009-01-01
This article investigates the relationship between teachers' personal reading habits and their instructional practices. Teachers responded to a questionnaire that revealed their attitudes toward reading, the amount of time they spent reading per day and the kind of literacy practices that they used in their classrooms. Results indicate: (1) while…
Science Teachers' Understanding and Practice of Inquiry-Based Instruction in Uganda
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ssempala, Fredrick
High school students in Uganda perform poorly in science subjects despite the Ugandan government's efforts to train science teachers and build modern science laboratories in many public high schools. The poor performance of students in science subjects has been largely blamed on the inability by many science teachers to teach science through Inquiry-Based Instruction (IBI) to motivate the students to learn science. However, there have been no empirical studies done to establish the factors that influence science teachers' understanding and practice of IBI in Uganda. Most of the published research on IBI has been conducted in developed countries, where the prevailing contexts are very different from the contexts in developing countries such as Uganda. Additionally, few studies have explored how professional development (PD) training workshops on inquiry and nature of science (NOS) affect chemistry teachers' understanding and practice of IBI. My purpose in this multi-case exploratory qualitative study was to explore the effect of a PD workshop on inquiry and NOS on chemistry teachers' understanding and practice of IBI in Kampala city public schools in Uganda. I also explored the relationship between chemistry teachers' NOS understanding and the nature of IBI implemented in their classrooms and the internal and external factors that influence teachers' understanding and practice of IBI. I used a purposive sampling procedure to identify two schools of similar standards from which I selected eight willing chemistry teachers (four from each school) to participate in the study. Half of the teachers (those from School A) attended the PD workshop on inquiry and NOS for six days, while the control group (those from School B) did not. I collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews, classroom observation, and document analysis. I analyzed these data by structural, conceptual and theoretical coding approach. I established that all the participating chemistry
The Opinions of Pre-Service Science Teachers on School Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kubat, Ulas
2017-01-01
The aim of this research is to identify the problems faced by the pre-service science teachers in the process of school practice, and to determine possible solutions. School practice is very important in establishing theory-practice relationships for the candidate teachers. A qualitative design was employed for this research study. The…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thoonen, Erik E. J.; Sleegers, Peter J. C.; Oort, Frans J.; Peetsma, Thea T. D.; Geijsel, Femke P.
2011-01-01
Purpose: Although it is expected that building schoolwide capacity for teacher learning will improve teaching practices, there is little systematic evidence to support this claim. This study aimed to examine the relative impact of transformational leadership practices, school organizational conditions, teacher motivational factors, and teacher…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ficarra, Laura; Quinn, Kevin
2014-01-01
In the present investigation, teachers' self-reported knowledge and competency ratings for the evidence-based classroom management practices were analysed. Teachers also reflected on how they learned evidence-based classroom management practices. Results suggest that teachers working in schools that implement Positive Behavioural Interventions and…
Assessing the Quality of Teachers' Teaching Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chen, Weiyun; Mason, Stephen; Staniszewski, Christina; Upton, Ashley; Valley, Megan
2012-01-01
This study assessed the extent to which nine elementary physical education teachers implemented the quality of teaching practices. Thirty physical education lessons taught by the nine teachers to their students in grades K-5 were videotaped. Four investigators coded the taped lessons using the Assessing Quality Teaching Rubric (AQTR) designed and…
Focusing the Gaze: Teacher Interrogation of Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nayler, Jennifer M.; Keddie, Amanda
2007-01-01
Within an Australian context of diminishing opportunities for equitable educational outcomes, this paper calls for teacher engagement in a "politics of resistance" through their focused gaze in relation to the ways in which they are positioned in their everyday practice. Our belief is that the resultant knowledge might equip teachers to…
Lessons for Teacher Education from Corporate Practice.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Houston, W. Robert
1987-01-01
Teacher education suffers from parochialism and is essentially the same today as it was 50 years ago. Corporate education programs are large and well developed, and adoption of their promising ideas could improve teacher education. Eight conclusions about corporate educational practices are presented from a study of corporate training programs…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hess, Frederick M.
2015-01-01
"The Cage-Busting Teacher" adopts the logic of "Cage-Busting Leadership" and applies it to the unique challenges and opportunities of classroom teachers. Detailed, accessible, and thoroughly engaging, it uncovers the many ways in which teachers can break out of familiar constraints in order to influence school and classroom…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Maelan, Ellen Nesset; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Baklien, Børge; Samdal, Oddrun; Thurston, Miranda
2018-01-01
This study aimed to explore teachers' and head teachers' understandings of how they work to support pupils' mental health through their everyday practices. A qualitative study, including individual interviews with head teachers and focus groups with teachers, was conducted in lower secondary schools in Norway. Rich descriptions of teachers' and…
Hughes, Jan N.; Wu, Wei; West, Stephen G.
2010-01-01
We investigated growth trajectories for classroom performance goal practices and for student behavioral engagement across grades 2 to 5 for 497 academically at-risk elementary students. This study is the first longitudinal investigation of performance goal practices in the early elementary years. On average, teacher use of performance goal practices increased and students’ behavioral engagement declined across the four years. Using autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) models, we examined the synchronous relations between teacher-reported performance goal practices and teacher-reported student behavioral engagement. As expected, as students move into classrooms with a new teacher with less emphasis on performance goal practices, they become more behaviorally engaged in school. Gender did not moderate these results. Implications for teacher professional development are discussed. PMID:21215834
Hughes, Jan N; Wu, Wei; West, Stephen G
2011-02-01
We investigated growth trajectories for classroom performance goal practices and for student behavioral engagement across grades 2 to 5 for 497 academically at-risk elementary students. This study is the first longitudinal investigation of performance goal practices in the early elementary years. On average, teacher use of performance goal practices increased and students' behavioral engagement declined across the four years. Using autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) models, we examined the synchronous relations between teacher-reported performance goal practices and teacher-reported student behavioral engagement. As expected, as students move into classrooms with a new teacher with less emphasis on performance goal practices, they become more behaviorally engaged in school. Gender did not moderate these results. Implications for teacher professional development are discussed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Teacher Hiring Practices and Educational Efficiency
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Naper, Linn Renee
2010-01-01
This paper analyses the relationship between teacher hiring practices and educational efficiency in Norwegian school districts. The hiring decision is made at the school level by the principal or at the school district level. According to the data, efficiency is the highest in districts where hiring is decentralized. Hiring practices are decided…
Pedagogical Reasoning and Action: Affordances of Practice-Based Teacher Professional Development
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pella, Shannon
2015-01-01
A common theme has been consistently woven through the literature on teacher professional development: that practice-based designs and collaboration are two components of effective teacher learning models. In addition to collaboration and practice-based designs, inquiry cycles have been long recognized as catalysts for teacher professional…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Flynn, Naomi
2015-01-01
This article explores the use of Bourdieusian analysis for examining how policy and practice interact in the teaching of English and therefore in the development of children's language and literacy, in particular how. Bourdieusian analysis uncovers the ways in which teachers' practice has been influenced unconsciously by centralised shaping of the…
Assessing Pre-Service Teachers' Quality Teaching Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chen, Weiyun; Hendricks, Kristin; Archibald, Kelsi
2011-01-01
The purpose of this study was to design and validate the Assessing Quality Teaching Rubrics (AQTR) that assesses the pre-service teachers' quality teaching practices in a live lesson or a videotaped lesson. Twenty-one lessons taught by 13 Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) students were videotaped. The videotaped lessons were evaluated…
Secondary Teachers' Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Penner, Karen P.; Kolasa, Kathryn M.
The nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practices of secondary teachers of health and physical education, home economics, science, and social studies were assessed. Of the 518 teachers who completed the survey instruments, 43 percent had never taken a food or nutrition course, and 63 percent had no inservice training in nutrition or food…
Negotiating multiple roles: link teachers in clinical nursing practice.
Ramage, Charlotte
2004-02-01
The background to this study was a concern about the teacher's role in clinical practice. Experience suggested that teachers believed that their role in practice was important but that there were significant forces which impeded their ability to move with ease between education and practice. A discrepancy between previous research findings and theoretical discussions, and the reality experienced by teachers, led to the adoption of grounded theory as a way of exploring uncertainties in the situation. Data were gathered over a period of 7 years and involved 28 in-depth interviews with nurses with a range of educational roles, employed in educational institutions and practice settings in inner city and provincial areas in the South of England. The data revealed four categories, 'gaining access', 'negotiating credibility', 'being effective' and the core category 'negotiating multiple roles'. The core category is addressed in this article. Experiences of moving from a position of clinical practitioner to link teacher involved: 'disassembling the self' through leaving behind old identities; 'reconstructing the self' through clarifying new ways of being; and, finally, 'realizing the self' through reciprocal interpersonal activity with students, educational and nursing colleagues. It is inevitable that an individual with a remit for change entering an established social group will experience difficulties in establishing their role. It is also clear that an individual who changes their role within a group to reflect behaviours not congruent with the primary activity in that setting will experience dimensions of social exclusion. Further work needs to address how educational roles can make a significant impact on the everyday lives of students and nurses working in practice. The findings of this study are as relevant for the new roles of practice educator, clinical facilitator and practice placement co-ordinator as they are for link teachers and lecturer practitioners
2014 Teacher Prep Review: A Review of the Nation's Teacher Preparation Programs
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Greenberg, Julie; Walsh, Kate; McKee, Arthur
2014-01-01
"Teacher Prep Review 2014" is the second edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) annual assessment of the nation's 2,400 teacher prep programs. The "Review" uncovers early evidence that teacher prep programs are beginning to make changes. It arrives at a time of heightened, unprecedented…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kim, Mijung; Tan, Aik-Ling
2011-03-01
To alleviate teachers' reluctance toward practical work, there has been much discussion on teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, teaching materials, and failsafe strategies for practical work. Despite these efforts, practical work is still regarded as a challenging task for many elementary science teachers. To understand the complexity of teachers' conflicts in practical work, this study examines teachers' ideas about teaching and learning that influence teachers' decision-making and action on teaching practical work. More important than knowing technical-rational aspects of practical work is to understand the internal contradictions that teachers have to resolve within themselves regarding their capabilities and beliefs about science teaching and practical work. Using stories and experiences of 38 third-year university students in a science method course in Korea, we seek to understand the conflicts and negotiations that they experience as they make decisions regarding practical work throughout their course. Reflective writings and group discussions on their lived experiences and concerns were used to probe participants' ideas on teaching using practical work. From written and verbal data, themes were saturated in terms of the aspects which could (dis)encourage their practice. Results suggest that there are multifactorial challenges in pre-service teachers' understandings and concerns in practical work. Besides time, materials, and curriculum, pedagogical assumptions and values also compositely challenge the minds of teachers. As the pre-service elementary teachers negotiated within themselves the importance of science in classroom and social levels, the question is raised about their identities as pre-service elementary teachers to appreciate the balance between science teaching and practical work.
Practical microbiology in schools: a survey of UK teachers.
Redfern, James; Burdass, Dariel; Verran, Joanna
2013-11-01
A survey of secondary school teachers investigated practical microbiology in the classroom. The results were heartening (practical microbiology was common), but concerns were expressed regarding equipment, time, cost, and expertise. Microbiologists should engage more with school education to support teachers and maintain the health of microbiology for future generations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Question Asking in the Science Classroom: Teacher Attitudes and Practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Eshach, Haim; Dor-Ziderman, Yair; Yefroimsky, Yana
2014-02-01
Despite the wide agreement among educators that classroom learning and teaching processes can gain much from student and teacher questions, their potential is not fully utilized. Adopting the view that reporting both teachers' (of varying age groups) views and actual classroom practices is necessary for obtaining a more complete view of the phenomena at hand, the present study closely examines both cognitive and affective domains of: (a) teachers' views (via interviews) concerning: (1) importance and roles of teacher and student questions, (2) teacher responses, and (3) planning and teacher training; and (b) teachers' actual practices (via classroom observations) concerning: (1) number and (2) level of teacher and student questions, as well as (3) teachers' responses to questions. The data were collected from 3 elementary, 3 middle, and 3 high school science teachers and their respective classroom students. The findings lay out a wide view of classroom questioning and teachers' responses, and relate what actually occurs in classes to teachers' stated views. Some of the study's main conclusions are that a gap exists between how science researchers and teachers view the role of teacher questions: the former highlight the cognitive domain, while the latter emphasize the affective domain.
Uncovering History for Future History Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fischer, Fritz
2010-01-01
The art of history teaching is at a crossroads. Recent scholarship focuses on the need to change the teaching of history so students can better learn history, and insists that history teachers must move beyond traditional structures and methods of teaching in order to improve their students' abilities to think with history. This article presents…
Not Just for Novices: The Programmatic Impact of Practice-Based Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Francis, Anthony Tuf; Olson, Mark; Weinberg, Paul J.; Stearns-Pfeiffer, Amanda
2018-01-01
This article describes how a secondary teacher education program at a midsized university made the turn toward a practice-based program in teacher education. The authors argue that efforts to recenter the program around practices have not only improved opportunities for novice teachers, but also have provided teacher educators a programmatic…
Uncovering and Informing Preservice Teachers' Prior Knowledge about Poverty
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mundy, Charlotte Anne; Leko, Melinda Marie
2015-01-01
This study explored 30 preservice teachers' knowledge on issues related to poverty. In an open-ended questionnaire, preservice teachers' perceptions of poverty and how teachers should respond to students from poverty were explored. Results indicated that preservice teachers' knowledge was nonspecific and lacked focus on the relationship among…
Slow Transformation: Teacher Research and Shifting Teacher Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Patterson, Thomas H.; Crumpler, Thomas P.
2009-01-01
As a teacher with more than 30 years experience at the middle school, secondary, and college level, primarily in English studies, Patterson (the first author) decided a few years ago to reexamine his practices and instructional methods. He wondered what would be the effects on him and his students when he would begin to utilize ideas emanating…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Abrahams, Ian; Reiss, Michael J.; Sharpe, Rachael
2014-09-01
Background:Despite the widespread use of practical work in school it has been recognised that more needs to be done to improve its effectiveness in developing conceptual understanding. The 'Getting Practical' CPD (Continuing Professional Development) programme was designed to contribute towards an improvement in the effectiveness of practical work through initiating changes in teachers' predominantly 'hands-on' approach to practical work to one which manifests a more equitable balance between 'hands-on' and 'minds-on'. Purpose:To evaluate the impact of the Getting Practical: Improving Practical Work in Science CPD programme on teachers' ideas and practice in science practical work in primary and secondary schools in England. Programme description:The CPD programme was designed to improve the effectiveness of science practical work in developing conceptual understanding in primary and secondary schools in England. Sample:Ten teachers of primary science and 20 secondary science teachers. Design and methods:The study employed a condensed fieldwork strategy with data collected using interviews, observational field notes and pre- and post-CPD training observations in practical lessons within 30 schools. Results:Whilst the CPD programme was effective in getting teachers to reflect on the ideas associated with the Getting Practical programme, it was much less effective in bringing about changes in actual teaching practice.
The Role of Action Research in Empowering Teachers to Change Their Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bradley-Levine, Jill; Smith, Joshua; Carr, Kari
2009-01-01
Universities need to work with teachers to dispel the belief that research is disconnected from practice and teachers must be open to the benefits of action inquiry. This study examined the process and impact of conducting action research on teachers' perceptions of practice and professionalism. Twelve teachers enrolled in a master's level course…
Teachers' Perceptions and Practices of STEAM Education in South Korea
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Park, HyunJu; Byun, Soo-yong; Sim, Jaeho; Han, Hyesook; Baek, Yoon Su
2016-01-01
This study examined teachers' perceptions and practices of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education in South Korea, drawing on a survey of teachers in STEAM model schools. Results showed that the majority of Korean teachers, especially experienced teachers and male teachers, had a positive view on the role of STEAM…
Teachers' Beliefs and Practices: A Dynamic and Complex Relationship
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zheng, Hongying
2013-01-01
Research on teachers' beliefs has provided useful insights into understanding processes of teaching. However, no research has explored teachers' beliefs as a system nor have researchers investigated the substance of interactions between teachers' beliefs, practices and context. Therefore, the author adopts complexity theory to explore the features…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brenner, Aimee M.; Brill, Jennifer M.
2016-01-01
The purpose of this study was to identify instructional technology integration strategies and practices in preservice teacher education that contribute to the transfer of technology integration knowledge and skills to the instructional practices of early career teachers. This study used a two-phase, sequential explanatory strategy. Data were…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Aronson, Brittany; Anderson, Ashlee
2013-01-01
With this article, we challenge the successful implementation of critical perspectives in an increasingly neoliberal and neoconservative educational climate. Although many teacher education programs challenge teachers to be critical and to empower students, current top-down accountability practices and policy mandates do not allow teachers the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Farrell, Thomas S. C.
2006-01-01
Preservice teachers come to any teacher education course with prior experiences, knowledge and beliefs about learning and teaching. Additionally, the belief systems of preservice teachers often serve as a lens through which they view the content of the teacher education program. Consequently, it is essential that teacher educators take these prior…
Preparing Every Teacher to Reach English Learners: A Practical Guide for Teacher Educators
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nutta, Joyce W., Ed.; Mokhtari, Kouider, Ed.; Strebel, Carine, Ed.
2012-01-01
"Preparing Every Teacher to Reach English Learners" presents a practical, flexible model for infusing English learner (EL) instruction into teacher education courses. The editors outline the key steps involved in this approach--winning faculty support, assessing needs, and developing capacity--and share strategies for avoiding pitfalls. The…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Youens, Bernadette; Gordon, Jules; Newton, Len
2014-01-01
Practical work has a long history in science education in the UK. This article explores how the influences of curriculum and assessment policy have shaped practical work over recent years. We argue that, together with changes in teacher training programmes, these influences have weakened science teachers' capacity to meet the challenge of calls…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Helgoe, Catherine A.
Recently, educators in public K-12 schools have added testing of science knowledge to the measures of Adequate Yearly Progress required by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. Research of the impact of NCLB policy on general teaching practices had credited the policy with improving instruction; however, negative impacts noted included the concern that teachers "teach to the test," narrowing the curriculum. Testing as an assessment strategy was not advocated by the professional educators and scientists responsible for the National Science Education Standards (NSES). Results from previous studies pointed to a potential conflict between the NCLB reforms and the National Science Education Standards science standards, in which teachers might reduce or eliminate hands-on activities and other constructivist practices in order to focus class time on other topics and tasks. Most research on NCLB policy, however, had not evaluated instructional practices regarding science education. This study examined the relationship among teacher beliefs, specifically the strength of their constructivist versus traditional beliefs, teachers' responses to NCLB policy, and teachers' use of constructivist practices in the form of manipulatives. This study showed that national policy did have an impact on teachers; however, that impact was not specific to the hands-on practices in science education. Teachers who responded to this survey had found many benefits in student learning using manipulatives and those positive impacts on their students justified the increased use of manipulatives in the classroom. The strength of teachers' constructivist beliefs showed a weak positive correlation to choices related to curriculum priorities, learning goals and advantages in using manipulatives. However, a relationship to beliefs was not found in the changes teachers made to various instructional practices, or in how they viewed certain manipulative materials, or in how they viewed
Practices and representations of health education among primary school teachers.
Jourdan, Didier; Pommier, Jeanine; Quidu, Frédérique
2010-02-01
School is one of the key settings for health education (HE). The objectives of this study are to assess primary school teachers' self-reported teaching practices in HE and to describe their representation concerning their role in HE. A quantitative study was conducted on a sample of primary school teachers (n = 626) in two French regions in order to analyze their practices and representations in HE. A hierarchical clustering dendogram was performed on questions exploring representations of HE. Multiple linear regression analysis helped explain the motivation and self-perceived competency score. Three quarters of the teachers declare they work in HE. Only one third of them declare they work in a comprehensive HE perspective. The HE approach is often considered in terms of specific unique curriculum intervention. Two thirds of the teachers say they work alone in HE, the other third associate other partners and choose mainly school health services. Parents are rarely (12%) involved in HE initiatives. It is essentially the practice of HE, teacher training and teachers' representation of HE that condition their motivation to develop HE. Teachers can take different approaches to HE. Teachers' representation of HE plays an important role in the development of HE activities: some teachers consider that HE is the mission of the health professionals and the parents. Our expectations of teacher involvement should be realistic, should take into account the representations of their role, the difficulties they encounter, and should be sustained by specific training.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Croasdaile, Susanne
2007-01-01
Although the value of teacher research to both the teachers and to the education community has been extensively reported in recent literature, it is only practiced by small pockets of teachers across the country. Viewing the problem through a social organizational lens suggests that the lack of widespread involvement in teacher research may be due…
An Analysis of Alterity in Teachers' Inclusive Pedagogical Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sagner-Tapia, Johanna
2018-01-01
This investigation contributes to understanding how teachers reflect on the other with a disability and on their own practices. Literature suggests that inclusion takes place when barriers are removed, allowing participation. However, scholars agree that teachers still struggle with pedagogical practices in inclusive classrooms. Hansen (Hansen,…
Considering the Impact of Preservice Teacher Beliefs on Future Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thomas, Cathy Newman
2014-01-01
Preservice teacher beliefs merit additional attention from special education teacher-educators. Given current policy and reforms aimed at improving outcomes for students with disabilities and increasing the adoption of evidence-based practices, teacher-educators should recognize the barrier that preservice teacher beliefs can pose and consider…
Exploring Teacher Beliefs and Classroom Practices through Reflective Practice: A Case Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Farrell, Thomas S. C.; Ives, Jessica
2015-01-01
This article presents a case study that explored and reflected on the relationship between the stated beliefs and observed classroom practices of one second language reading teacher. The findings of this study revealed that this particular teacher holds complex beliefs about teaching reading that were evident to some extent in many of his…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wei, Bing; Li, Xiaoxiao
2017-09-01
It is commonly recognised that practical work has a distinctive and central role in science teaching and learning. Although a large number of studies have addressed the definitions, typologies, and purposes of practical work, few have consulted practicing science teachers. This study explored science teachers' perceptions of experimentation for the purpose of restructuring school practical work in view of science practice. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 87 science teachers at the secondary school level. In the interviews, science teachers were asked to make a comparison between students' experiments and scientific experiments. Eight dimensions of experimentation were generated from the qualitative data analysis, and the distributions of these eight dimensions between the two types of experiments were compared and analysed. An ideal model of practical work was suggested for restructuring practical work at the secondary school level, and some issues related to the effective enactment of practical work were discussed.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Strom, Kathryn Jill
2014-01-01
While research suggests that new teachers work to put into practice the pedagogy learned from their preservice preparation programs during their first year of teaching, they often resort to traditional, teacher-centered pedagogies even when prepared to use innovative practices, particularly in urban schools. Relatively little is known, however,…
Predicting Elementary Classroom Teaching Practices from Teachers' Educational Beliefs.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bauch, Patricia A.
Using data from the national research project "A Study of Schooling," researchers sought to describe teachers' educational beliefs and to relate those beliefs to the teachers' classroom teaching practices. From 13 elementary schools in the national survey, 182 teachers were selected, based on their scores on two dimensions of belief:…
High School Mathematics Teachers: Grading Practice and Pupil Control Ideology.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cicmanec, Karen Mauck; Johanson, George; Howley, Aimee
Survey data gathered from 230 respondents from a random sample of 500 Ohio public school teachers explores the association between teachers' practice of assigning grades based on nonachievement grading factors and teachers' pupil control orientation (PCI). Responding high school mathematics teachers provided information that relates to the use of…
Teachers' Practices and Mental Models: Transformation through Reflection on Action
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Manrique, María Soledad; Sánchez Abchi, Verónica
2015-01-01
This contribution explores the relationship between teaching practices, teaching discourses and teachers' implicit representations and mental models and the way these dimensions change through teacher education (T.E). In order to study these relationships, and based on the assumptions that representations underlie teaching practices and that T.E…
Using critical race theory to analyze science teachers culturally responsive practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wallace, Tamara; Brand, Brenda R.
2012-06-01
Culturally responsive science teaching is using knowledge about the culture and life experiences of students to structure learning that is conducive to their needs. Understanding what teachers need to prepare them to be culturally responsive is a matter of continuous debate. As the focus of multicultural education ventures farther away from its roots, advocating the civil rights of historically oppressed groups, concerns about the gravity of racial inequity on schooling continues. How will this shift in focus influence teachers' capacity to accommodate students' needs resulting from racial inequities in this society, particularly African American students? What knowledge is essential to their effectiveness? This qualitative study examined the instructional practices of two effective middle school science teachers deemed culturally responsive by their administrator on the basis of classroom observations, students' responses and standardized assessment results. Both teachers' classrooms consisted primarily of African American students. Grounded theory was used to analyze the teachers' beliefs and practices in order to identify existing commonalties. Critical race theory was used to identify whether there was any influence of the students' racial identities on the teachers' beliefs and practices. The analysis reveals that the teachers' beliefs and practices were informed by their critical awareness of social constraints imposed upon their African American students' identities. These findings communicate the significance of sociocultural awareness to informing the teachers' instruction, as well as their strategies for managing the varying dynamics occurring in their classrooms. It can be deduced from the findings that an understanding of racial inequities is crucial to the development of sociocultural awareness, and is the foundation for the culturally responsive dispositions and practices of these middle school science teachers.
English Teachers Classroom Assessment Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Saefurrohman; Balinas, Elvira S.
2016-01-01
The new language assessment policies in the Philippines and in Indonesia have impact on English teachers' assessment practices. Classroom assessment; as mandated in the current curriculum of both countries swifts from sources of information to the inseparable process of teaching and learning. This study describes Filipino and Indonesian high…
Teachers' Integration of Scientific and Engineering Practices in Primary Classrooms
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Merritt, Eileen G.; Chiu, Jennie; Peters-Burton, Erin; Bell, Randy
2017-06-01
The Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS) challenge primary teachers and students to work and think like scientists and engineers as they strive to understand complex concepts. Teachers and teacher educators can leverage what is already known about inquiry teaching as they plan instruction to help students meet the new standards. This cross-case analysis of a multiple case study examined teacher practices in the context of a semester-long professional development course for elementary teachers. We reviewed lessons and teacher reflections, examining how kindergarten and first grade teachers incorporated NGSS scientific and engineering practices during inquiry-based instruction. We found that most of the teachers worked with their students on asking questions; planning and carrying out investigations; analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking; and obtaining, evaluating and communicating information. Teachers faced challenges in supporting students in developing their own questions that could be investigated and using data collection strategies that aligned with students' development of number sense concepts. Also, some teachers overemphasized the scientific method and lacked clarity in how they elicited and responded to student predictions. Discussion focuses on teacher supports that will be needed as states transition to NGSS.
Making Philosophy of Science Education Practical for Science Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Janssen, F. J. J. M.; van Berkel, B.
2015-01-01
Philosophy of science education can play a vital role in the preparation and professional development of science teachers. In order to fulfill this role a philosophy of science education should be made practical for teachers. First, multiple and inherently incomplete philosophies on the teacher and teaching on what, how and why should be…
EFL Teachers' Self-Initiated Professional Development: Perceptions and Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Simegn, Birhanu
2014-01-01
This study assessed perceptions and practices of secondary schools (Grade 9-12) EFL teachers' self-initiated professional development. A questionnaire of likert scale items and open-ended questions was used to gather data from thirty-two teachers. The teachers were asked to fill out the questionnaire at Bahir Dar University during their…
Examining Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perspectives on Teaching Practice Courses
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Basturk, Savas
2016-01-01
The courses "school experience" and "teaching practice" are undoubtedly among the central courses to be received by pre-service teachers who will be future teachers. Through them, pre-service teachers obtain the realistic information about their profession. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine pre-service teachers'…
The pedagogy of argumentation in science education: science teachers' instructional practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Özdem Yilmaz, Yasemin; Cakiroglu, Jale; Ertepinar, Hamide; Erduran, Sibel
2017-07-01
Argumentation has been a prominent concern in science education research and a common goal in science curriculum in many countries over the past decade. With reference to this goal, policy documents burden responsibilities on science teachers, such as involving students in dialogues and being guides in students' spoken or written argumentation. Consequently, teachers' pedagogical practices regarding argumentation gain importance due to their impact on how they incorporate this practice into their classrooms. In this study, therefore, we investigated the instructional strategies adopted by science teachers for their argumentation-based science teaching. Participants were one elementary science teacher, two chemistry teachers, and four graduate students, who have a background in science education. The study took place during a graduate course, which was aimed at developing science teachers' theory and pedagogy of argumentation. Data sources included the participants' video-recorded classroom practices, audio-recorded reflections, post-interviews, and participants' written materials. The findings revealed three typologies of instructional strategies towards argumentation. They are named as Basic Instructional Strategies for Argumentation, Meta-level Instructional Strategies for Argumentation, and Meta-strategic Instructional Strategies for Argumentation. In conclusion, the study provided a detailed coding framework for the exploration of science teachers' instructional practices while they are implementing argumentation-based lessons.
Portfolio as Practice: The Narratives of Emerging Teachers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Darling, L. Farr
2001-01-01
Portfolio construction is a complex social practice with intentions, rules, and standards. This definition is not typically found in teacher education literature and has implications for evaluating students' portfolios. The paper examines teacher education students' recollections of creating portfolios in one Canadian program and argues that…
Teacher Educators' Personal Practical Knowledge of Language
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Swart, Fenna; de Graaff, Rick; Onstenk, Jeroen; Knezic, Dubravka
2018-01-01
This paper describes teacher educators' understanding of language for classroom communication in higher education. We argue that teacher educators who are aware of their personal practical knowledge of language have a better understanding of their students' language use and provide better support for knowledge construction. Personal practical…
Investigating and Critiquing Teacher Educators' Mobile Learning Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Burden, Kevin John; Kearney, Matthew
2017-01-01
Purpose: This study aims to investigate contemporary mobile learning practices in teacher education, exploring the following research question: how are teacher educators exploiting the pedagogical features of mobile learning? Design/methodology/approach: The study uses data from an online survey that elicited information about how 46 teacher…
Gender Stereotypes on Biology Practical Pedagogy: A Student-Teachers' Perspective
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Abimbola, I. O.; Dada, F. E.
2015-01-01
This study examines ideas of pre-service teachers on goals of biology practical in three purposely selected Colleges of Education. To this end, A researcher designed questionnaire which was adapted titled "views of preservice teachers on biology practical" to elicit information, and findings of a survey administered to 405 preservice…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Brown, Sherri Lynne
, 36% of the participants displayed a conceptual style, which has characteristics of both teacher and student-centered domains. Linkages between the interview and observational data were unexpected due to the fact that participants professed a slightly greater teacher-centered style along the inquiry instruction continuum than what they actually practiced. This study reported congruity between what the participants believed and what they practiced. A negligible change regarding inquiry beliefs and instruction was discovered among the three cohorts as years of teaching experience increased.
Beginning Science Teachers' Use of a Digital Video Annotation Tool to Promote Reflective Practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McFadden, Justin; Ellis, Joshua; Anwar, Tasneem; Roehrig, Gillian
2014-06-01
The development of teachers as reflective practitioners is a central concept in national guidelines for teacher preparation and induction (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education 2008). The Teacher Induction Network (TIN) supports the development of reflective practice for beginning secondary science teachers through the creation of online "communities of practice" (Barab et al. in Inf Soc, 237-256, 2003), which have been shown to have positive impacts on teacher collaboration, communication, and reflection. Specifically, TIN integrated the use of asynchronous, video annotation as an affordance to directly facilitate teachers' reflection on their classroom practices (Tripp and Rich in Teach Teach Educ 28(5):728-739, 2013). This study examines the use of video annotation as a tool for developing reflective practices for beginning secondary science teachers. Teachers were enrolled in an online teacher induction course designed to promote reflective practice and inquiry-based instruction. A modified version of the Learning to Notice Framework (Sherin and van Es in J Teach Educ 60(1):20-37, 2009) was used to classify teachers' annotations on video of their teaching. Findings from the study include the tendency of teachers to focus on themselves in their annotations, as well as a preponderance of annotations focused on lower-level reflective practices of description and explanation. Suggestions for utilizing video annotation tools are discussed, as well as design features, which could be improved to further the development of richer annotations and deeper reflective practices.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Whitacre, Michelle Phillips
This qualitative, multiple case study examines five teachers' experiences with a National Science Foundation-funded professional development (PD) program focused on science literacy. Using a three dimensional conceptual framework combining transformative learning theory, communities of practice, and sociocultural conceptions of identity it explores: the ways the "Science Literacy through Science Journalism" (SciJourn) project built professional community and influenced teacher learning; the influence of the project on participating science teachers' professional identities, knowledge, and classroom practices; and the ways teachers were or were not transformed by participation in the project. To this end, data from surveys and phenomenological interviews were analyzed through qualitative textual analysis and narrative analysis. Four of the teachers experienced a change in their stories to live by, aka, an identity shift. Three predominant themes emerged across these cases. These included a changed conceptualization of science literacy, the importance of student engagement and authenticity, and the value of SciJourn's professional development and community. The changed conceptualization of science literacy was particularly salient as it challenged these teachers' assumptions, led them to rethink how they teach science literacy, and also influenced them to re-evaluate their teaching priorities beyond the PD. Consequently, this study concludes that PD efforts should focus as much, or more, on influencing teachers' ideas regarding what and how they teach and less on teaching strategies. A close comparison between two teachers' diverging experiences with the program showed that student engagement played a significant role in teachers' perceptions of the value of project, suggesting that whether or not teachers sustain a new practice is closely tied to their students' feedback. Additionally, this analysis showed that a teacher's individualized needs and sense of efficacy
Opening Our Eyes, Changing Our Practices: Learning through the Transnational Lifeworlds of Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Knight, Michelle G.; Oesterreich, Heather A.
2011-01-01
This article examines the inclusion of a culturally relevant curricular practice of social identity papers within teacher education in the USA that incorporates the transnational lifeworlds of teachers. Using tenets of feminist interdisciplinary frameworks, we highlight how this curricular practice allows teachers and teacher candidates in urban…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Curcio, Rachelle; Schroeder, Stephanie
2017-01-01
Through reflective narrative, we present our experiences in a Community of Practice (CoP) committed to teacher preparation for social justice. First, we discuss the CoP's origination and then reflect upon how our participation informed our practice as novice teacher educators. Specifically, we propose that novice teacher educators' participation…
Reading instruction in science: Teachers' practices, beliefs, & self-efficacy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Morales, Christina M.
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2010) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2013) call on science teachers to play a stronger role in helping students learn from informational science texts. Curriculum implementation efforts aimed at addressing these new standards should build on what teachers are already doing to help students with reading in their classrooms and the pedagogical issues that they feel are important to science learning. However, few current studies have gathered these important insights from science teachers. Aiming to fill this gap in the literature, this study attempted to describe middle school science teachers' current practices, beliefs, and self-efficacy regarding reading and reading instruction in their classrooms. A conceptual model hypothesizing that self-efficacy mediates the relationship between teachers' beliefs about how important reading instruction is to science learning and how often they provide reading instruction in their science classes was also tested. Participants (N = 247) reported that students regularly engaged in reading-related tasks in science class. Somer's D correlation analyses highlighted positive associations between the frequency with which teachers reported that students engaged in various reading-related tasks and the frequency with which they reported providing reading instruction for those tasks, suggesting that students tended to receive explicit instruction or coaching for the reading-related tasks they engaged in most often. Middle school science teachers also expressed positive beliefs about the importance of reading-related tasks and explicit instruction or coaching for reading in science and tended to take on responsibility for helping students become better readers of science texts. Last, a path analysis confirmed that the association between teachers' beliefs and practices was mediated through teachers' self-efficacy (beta = .07, p < .001). This suggests that self-efficacy can influence
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cavedon, Carolina Christmann
With the new goal of K-12 education being to prepare students to be college and career ready at the end of high school, education needs to start changing at the elementary school level. The literature suggests that teachers need reflective professional development (PD) to effectively teach to the new standards and to demonstrate change to their current instructional practices. This mixed-method multiple-case study investigated the impacts of a reflective professional development (PD) in changing elementary school teachers' instructional practices. Teachers Instructional Portfolios (TIPs) were scored with a TIP rubric based on best practices in teaching mathematics problem-solving and science inquiry. The TIPs were also analyzed with a qualitative coding scheme. Case descriptions were written and all the collected data were used to explain the impacts of the reflective PD on changes in teachers' instructional practices. While we found no predictive patterns in relation to teachers changing their classroom practices based on the reflective PD, we claim that teachers' desire to change might contribute to improvements in instruction. We also observed that teachers' self-assessment scores tend to be higher than the actual TIP scores corroborating with the literature on the usage of self-assessment to evaluate teachers' instructional practices.
Preschool Teachers' Language and Literacy Practices with Dual Language Learners
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sawyer, Brook E.; Hammer, Carol Scheffner; Cycyk, Lauren M.; López, Lisa; Blair, Clancy; Sandilos, Lia; Komaroff, Eugene
2016-01-01
The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the degree to which teachers used linguistically responsive practices to support the language and literacy development of Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners (DLL) and (b) to investigate the associations between these practices and select teacher-level factors. The sample consisted of 72 preschool…
Child-Centred Education: Preschool Teachers' Beliefs and Self-Reported Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sak, Ramazan; Erden, Feyza Tantekin; Morrison, George S.
2016-01-01
This study analyses the beliefs and self-reported practices of preschool teachers with regard to the concept of child-centred education, as well as the consistency between these beliefs and practices. Data were collected via interviews with 20 female teachers employed in public preschools in Ankara, Turkey. The results indicated that the…
Preschool Teachers' Use of Pyramid Model Practices in Mainland China
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Luo, Li; Snyder, Patricia; Clark, Cinda L.; Hong, Xiumin
2017-01-01
The social domain is 1 of 5 preschool curricular domains in mainland China. Chinese preschool teachers are expected to use teaching practices that foster young children's social competence. The purpose of this study was to explore a small sample of Chinese preschool teachers' use of teaching and behavior support practices associated with the…
Reforming Professional Development: Focusing on Teachers' Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Leach, Laura M.
2012-01-01
The purpose of this position paper was to study professional development, specifically looking at teachers' practices. After problems with a recent charter renewal for a small charter school and conversations with teachers and administration, professional development arose as an area that needed improvement. A model for professional…
Teacher coaching supported by formative assessment for improving classroom practices.
Fabiano, Gregory A; Reddy, Linda A; Dudek, Christopher M
2018-06-01
The present study is a wait-list controlled, randomized study investigating a teacher coaching approach that emphasizes formative assessment and visual performance feedback to enhance elementary school teachers' classroom practices. The coaching model targeted instructional and behavioral management practices as measured by the Classroom Strategies Assessment System (CSAS) Observer and Teacher Forms. The sample included 89 general education teachers, stratified by grade level, and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 conditions: (a) immediate coaching, or (b) waitlist control. Results indicated that, relative to the waitlist control, teachers in immediate coaching demonstrated significantly greater improvements in observations of behavior management strategy use but not for observations of instructional strategy use. Observer- and teacher-completed ratings of behavioral management strategy use at postassessment were significantly improved by both raters; ratings of instructional strategy use were significantly improved for teacher but not observer ratings. A brief coaching intervention improved teachers' use of observed behavior management strategies and self-reported use of behavior management and instructional strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Old Habits Die Hard: Literacy Practices of Pre-Service Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gupta, Renu
2004-01-01
Reading methodology in pre-service teacher training may not be effective because of the literacy beliefs and practices of the trainees. This paper examines the reading practices of a group of pre-service teachers (n=29) in Singapore. Their personal approach to reading revealed that the majority split reading into two domains: leisure reading and…
School Culture: Teachers' Beliefs, Behaviors, and Instructional Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hongboontri, Chantarath; Keawkhong, Natheeporn
2014-01-01
This mixed-methods research project documents the school culture of Hope University's Language Institute and reveals the reciprocal relationship between the school culture and the instructional practices of the English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in this particular institute. Altogether, 62 EFL teachers agreed to complete a questionnaire.…
The Nature of Feedback in English: Teacher Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dargusch, Joanne
2014-01-01
This paper reports on the findings of a study that investigated formative assessment practices of Senior English teachers in the standards-based Queensland assessment system. This paper focuses in particular on the teachers' provision of feedback on rough draft summative assessment items. It identifies the links between assessment criteria and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yook, Cheongmin; Lee, Yong-hun
2016-01-01
This study employed qualitative data collection and analysis methods to investigate the influence of English as a foreign language teacher education programme on Korean teachers' classroom teaching practices. Six in-service secondary-school teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was applied to the data collected…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Daniels, Lia M.; Radil, Amanda; Wagner, Amanda K.
2016-01-01
During their education, preservice teachers begin to assume professional responsibilities and gain pedagogical knowledge. However, the question remains whether preservice teachers intend to use instructional practices that are effective in meeting their assumed responsibilities. Thus, we examined the concordance between preservice teachers'…
Science Teachers' Beliefs and Practices: Issues, Implications and Research Agenda
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mansour, Nasser
2009-01-01
The study of teachers' beliefs forms part of the process of understanding how teachers conceptualize their work which in turn is important to the understanding of teachers' practices and their decisions in the classroom. A growing body of research argues that teachers' beliefs should be studied within a framework that is aware of the influence of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Davis, Kathleen S.
2003-01-01
Provides a critical analysis of the implementation of an innovative science curriculum at a middle school site. Explores the issues that surround teacher learning of new practices including the structures, policies, and practices that were in place within the reform context that supported or impeded teacher learning. Identifies parallels between…
Teacher Quality and Quality Teaching: Examining the Relationship of a Teacher Assessment to Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hill, Heather C.; Umland, Kristin; Litke, Erica; Kapitula, Laura R.
2012-01-01
Multiple-choice assessments are frequently used for gauging teacher quality. However, research seldom examines whether results from such assessments generalize to practice. To illuminate this issue, we compare teacher performance on a mathematics assessment, during mathematics instruction, and by student performance on a state assessment. Poor…
Teacher Preparation Practices in Kenya and the 21st Century Learning: A Moral Obligation
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kafwa, Nabwire Opata; Gaudience, Obondo; Kisaka, Sella Terrie
2015-01-01
Teacher preparation practices are indices used to measure quality teacher besides other variables. Whereas the current teacher preparation is test scores based inclining to cognitive knowledge, a good teacher preparation practices is a holistic development in nature oriented towards character, skills and knowledge. To embed teacher preparation in…
Exploring Gender Roles' Effects of Turkish Women Teachers on Their Teaching Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sari, Mediha
2012-01-01
The purpose of this study is to investigate how gender roles of women teachers affect their practices in the classrooms. Participants in the study were 75 female teachers working in elementary schools in Adana, Turkey. Findings indicated that gender roles of women teachers have important effects on their educational practices. Women teachers…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ekuri, Emmanuel Etta; Egbai, Julius Michael; Ita, Caroline Iserome
2011-01-01
This study evaluated perceived assessment practices needs among social studies teachers in Cross River State, Nigeria, in relation to some teacher factors (attitude towards social studies, sex, teaching experience and educational qualification). Subjects who participated in this study were 297 social studies teachers (144 males and 153 females)…
Developing Teachers and Teaching Practice: International Research Perspectives.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sugrue, Ciaran, Ed.; Day, Christopher, Ed.
This volume presents a selection of the 200 papers given at the 1999 biennial conference of the International Study Association on Teachers and Teaching. The theme of the conference was "Teachers and Teaching: Revisioning Policy and Practice for the Twenty-First Century." The 15 papers are: (1) "Teaching in a Box: Emotional…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Glover, Todd A.; Nugent, Gwen C.; Chumney, Frances L.; Ihlo, Tanya; Shapiro, Edward S.; Guard, Kirra; Koziol, Natalie; Bovaird, Jim
2016-01-01
Teachers Speak was a national survey study designed to investigate the characteristics of rural elementary school teachers' existing professional development; differences in professional development practices between rural and non-rural settings; and the potential influence of professional development characteristics on rural teachers' knowledge,…
Analyzing beliefs and practices of a Mexican high school biology teacher
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Verjovsky, Janet; Waldegg, Guillermina
2005-04-01
This article explores the beliefs and practices of a high school biology teacher through three interrelated theoretical frameworks: common knowledge, collaborative learning, and communities of practice. The data were obtained from an in-depth case study of Maria, a biology teacher from a Mexican public high school that was participating in a 4-year international science project using collaborative learning and information and communication technology. Her beliefs and practices were explored by means of questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and nonparticipant observation of classes. Through the use of the three-component framework, the degrees of coherence between practice and beliefs that guide the teacher's daily behavior became apparent, as well as the difficulties of incorporating innovations due to institutional constraints.
Science Teacher Leaders: Exploring Practices and Potential
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stinson, John Kevin
It has become standard practice for teachers to step into the role of "teacher leaders" and perform a variety of curriculum, instruction and assessment tasks for schools and school districts. The literature regarding these Ohio K-12 teacher leaders, who may perform these tasks in addition to or in lieu of regular teaching assignments, rarely includes a disciplinary focus. In this exploratory, descriptive study the results of a web-based survey containing both closed and open-ended items were used in an inquiry into teacher leaders working with the discipline of science. Data from Ohio teachers responding to the survey were used first to create a standard profile for science teacher leaders. Descriptive statistics and correlations were then performed on quantitative survey data to explore science teacher leader tasks and factors that influence task performance. Analysis of data included descriptions of sense of purpose for their role held by these science teacher leaders. Results indicate that science teacher leaders appear to embrace their role as advocates for science and have great potential for implementing science education reform as well as other science-related school initiatives. Aligning performance, administrative oversight, impact on student achievement and teacher training concerning tasks science teacher leaders are expected to perform would enhance this potential. However, science teacher leaders face challenges to realizing that potential due to ambiguity of their leadership role, the breadth of tasks they tend to perform and lack of alignment between task and outcomes.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nami, Fatemeh; Marandi, S. Susan; Sotoudehnama, Elaheh
2016-01-01
Despite the abundance of research on the potential of lesson study for promoting teachers' professional growth through practice and collaboration, little is known on how language teachers perceive this strategy for their computer assisted language learning (CALL) professional development. In an attempt to contribute to this research base, this…
Teacher Practices: How They Promote or Hinder Student Engagement in Mathematics
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Skilling, Karen
2014-01-01
With persistent concerns about student engagement, interest and participation in mathematics, this research investigated the range of practices 31 Year 7 mathematics teachers reported using and how they perceived these practices influenced student engagement in mathematics. In-depth interviews revealed similarities in teachers' perceptions of…
From Reflective Practice to Practical Wisdom: Toward a Post-Foundational Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Eryaman, Mustafa Yunus
2007-01-01
The author situates this paper within ongoing debates in related areas such as reflective practice, critical pedagogy, practical wisdom and critical theory. First, the author identifies some of the problems in the present notions of reflective teaching and progressive teacher education. The analyzes and compares the traditional-technical and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nambiar, R. M. K.; Thang, S. M.
2016-01-01
Blogs are commonly used for online interaction because of their ease of use and access, which allow people to gather in a virtual space to share knowledge, experiences and practices. Teachers can also use blogs as an avenue to think, reflect and respond to views and comments regarding pedagogical practices and difficulties, thereby developing…
Research for the Classroom: Teachers Practicing Research
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gorlewski, Julie, Ed.; Roberts, Mike
2009-01-01
How can teachers merge research and daily practice? Where can they find the time, information, and resources? In exploring this issue, it is important to clarify the definition of "research". "Research" might mean (1) using best practices that are already research-based or (2) doing research on one's own students. For purposes of discussion in…
Reflective Teaching Practices in Turkish Primary School Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tok, Sukran; Dolapcioglu, Sevda Dogan
2013-01-01
The objective of the study is to explore the prevalence of reflective teaching practices among Turkish primary school teachers. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used together in the study. The sample was composed of 328 primary school teachers working in 30 primary education institutions in the town of Antakya in the province of…
Conceptions of Assessment: Trainee Teachers' Practice and Values
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Winterbottom, Mark; Brindley, Sue; Taber, Keith S.; Fisher, Linda G.; Finney, John; Riga, Fran
2008-01-01
This study examines the values and practice in relation to assessment of a sample of 220 trainee teachers studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, an initial teacher training and education (ITET) course, at the University of Cambridge, UK. The survey instrument was drawn from James and Pedder (2006), and was composed of questionnaire…
Uncovering Preservice Teachers' Beliefs about Diversity through Reflective Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kyles, Carli R.; Olafson, Lori
2008-01-01
This article reports findings from a mixed-method investigation of a cohort of teacher candidates who were placed in an urban and culturally diverse practicum site at an elementary school. Fifteen preservice teachers completed pre- and posttest measures related to hope, motivation for teaching, and efficacy for teaching. Throughout the semester,…
Teacher practices as predictors of children's classroom social preference.
Mikami, Amori Yee; Griggs, Marissa Swaim; Reuland, Meg M; Gregory, Anne
2012-02-01
Students who do not get along with their peers are at elevated risk for academic disengagement and school failure. Research has predominantly focused on factors within such children that contribute to their peer problems. This study considers whether teacher practices also predict social preference for children in that classroom. Participants were 26 elementary school teachers and 490 students in their classrooms followed for one school year. Results suggested that teachers who favored the most academically talented students in the fall had classrooms where children had lower average social preference in the spring after statistical control of children's fall social preference and externalizing behavior problems. Teachers who demonstrated emotionally supportive relationships with students in the fall had classrooms where children had greater possibility of changing their social preference from fall to spring. Although children with high externalizing behaviors tended to experience declining social preference over the course of the school year, teachers' learner-centered practices attenuated this progression. However, teachers' favoring of the most academically talented accentuated the negative relation between externalizing behaviors and social preference. Implications for school psychology practitioners are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Studying Changes in the Practice of Two Teachers Developing Assessment for Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lee, Clare; Wiliam, Dylan
2005-01-01
This article describes changes in the practice of two teachers, observed over an 18-month period, who were participating in a study intended to support teachers in developing their use of assessment in support of learning. The design of the intervention allowed each teacher to choose for themselves which aspects of their practice to develop.…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Göçer, Ali
2013-01-01
The aim of this study was to determine whether student teachers are sufficiently prepared for teaching practice in primary schools. In this study, student teachers' teaching practice in real classrooms was evaluated by using observation and interview methods. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with seven guidance teachers, and each…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kim, Mijung; Tan, Aik-Ling
2011-01-01
To alleviate teachers' reluctance toward practical work, there has been much discussion on teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, teaching materials, and failsafe strategies for practical work. Despite these efforts, practical work is still regarded as a challenging task for many elementary science teachers. To understand the complexity of…
Justice and Practice: Tensions in the Development of Social Justice (Teacher) Educators
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schiera, Andrew J.
2017-01-01
This dissertation explores how pre-service teachers conceptualize the relationship between justice and practice, and then navigate the tensions of their student teaching context to enact their beliefs in their teaching practice. Starting from the assumption that all teachers must understand how their practice challenges rather than reproduces…
Advocacy as a Practice of Critical Teacher Leadership
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bradley-Levine, Jill
2018-01-01
Teacher advocacy has been examined as a practice of activism external to the school and as a practice of educational leadership. However, researchers have not merged these ideas by framing advocacy as a practice of leadership that takes place within the classroom and across the school. This article illustrates how, through advocacy on behalf of…
Culturally Responsive Practice for Teacher Educators: Eight Recommendations
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baumgartner, Dana; Bay, Mary; Lopez-Reyna, Norma A.; Snowden, Peggy A.; Maiorano, Michael J.
2015-01-01
In this article, we argue for the importance of all teacher educators engaging in a culturally responsive practice in their university classrooms. Whereas the literature is replete with recommendations regarding the use of a culturally responsive practice in P-12 settings, it is virtually silent on the use of such a practice in higher education…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hibbard, Brandon Lee
2016-01-01
The purpose of this study was to determine if a significant relationship existed between principal leadership practices, as perceived by teachers, and teacher's sense of self-efficacy. The target population was rural Appalachian teachers that worked for a principal that had been in administration for at least three consecutive years. This study…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hamilton, Anna Rawlings
2010-01-01
The primary purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between teacher personality traits and teachers' reported attitudes and behaviors towards family-school partnerships. A secondary purpose of this study was to: 1) explore how various teacher demographic impacted attitudes and practices towards partnership, 2) examine if a…
Science Teachers' Perception on Multicultural Education Literacy and Curriculum Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Huang, Hsiu-Ping; Cheng, Ying-Yao; Yang, Cheng-Fu
2017-01-01
This study aimed to explore the current status of teachers' multicultural education literacy and multicultural curriculum practices, with a total of 274 elementary school science teachers from Taitung County as survey participants. The questionnaire used a Likert-type four-point scale which content included the teachers' perception of…
Effects of the learning assistant experience on in-service teachers' practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gray, Kara E.; Webb, David C.; Otero, Valerie K.
2012-02-01
The Colorado Learning Assistant (LA) Program serves as a content-specific supplement to standard teacher preparation programs. In addition to transforming undergraduate STEM courses, it recruits and prepares math and science majors for teaching careers by involving university STEM faculty. The research reported here compares the teaching practices of in-service teachers who participated in the LA experience as undergraduates to a comparison group of teachers who did not participate in the LA program as undergraduates but were certified to teach through the same program. We report on teachers' views of assessments and differences in their teaching practices. This analysis is based on interviews with approximately 30 teachers and observations of their classrooms throughout their induction years of teaching. This work considers how the LA program may help improve current teacher preparation models.
Accardo, Amy L; Finnegan, Elizabeth G
2017-11-01
Students with autism spectrum disorder have been found to experience difficulty with reading comprehension despite intact decoding and word recognition. This identified need for targeted reading comprehension remediation results in a need for teachers to utilize research-based practices and to individualize instruction for students with autism spectrum disorder; however, teachers report a lack of access to such practices. This study utilized survey methodology to gather perceptions and experiences of teachers and to compare teacher preparedness to use effective instructional practices emerging from the extant research to teacher-reported effective practices in the classroom. Study findings, based on 112 participants, reveal a discrepancy between teacher-reported effective practices, and the practices identified as effective through research, indicating a research to practice gap. Implications for practice include professional development recommendations, and the need for increased communication between researchers and teachers.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nelson, Adrienne Fleurette
The purpose of this mixed method research study was to examine the constructivist beliefs and instructional practices of secondary science teachers. The research also explored situations that impacted whether or not student centered instruction occurred. The study revealed science teachers held constructive beliefs pertaining to student questioning of the learning process and student autonomy in interacting with other learners. Teachers held the least constructivist beliefs pertaining to student teacher collaboration on lesson design. Additionally, teacher beliefs and practice were not congruent due to instructional practices being deemed less constructivist than reported. The study found that curricular demands, teacher perceptions about students, inadequate laboratory resources, and the lack of teacher understanding about the components of constructivist instruction inhibited student centered instruction. The results of this study led to six recommendations that can be implemented by school districts in collaboration with science teachers to promote constructivist instruction.
Teacher perceptions and practices regarding school bullying prevention.
Dake, Joseph A; Price, James H; Telljohann, Susan K; Funk, Jeanne B
2003-11-01
This study examined a national random sample of teachers regarding their perceptions and practices concerning school bullying prevention activities. A total of 359 of 700 (52.4%) teachers responded. Most (86.3%) teachers had serious talks with both the bully and victim. Less than one-third set aside classroom time to discuss bullying (31.7%) or involved students in creating classroom rules against bullying (31.2%). Most perceived no barriers to implementing these activities. Teachers perceived post-bullying activities as the most effective means of reducing bullying problems, followed by improved student supervision, and by environmental bullying prevention activities. The findings suggest that preprofessional and continuing education are needed to improve teacher knowledge about effective classroom-based bullying prevention activities.
Challenging Teachers' Pedagogic Practice and Assumptions about Social Media
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cartner, Helen C.; Hallas, Julia L.
2017-01-01
This article describes an innovative approach to professional development designed to challenge teachers' pedagogic practice and assumptions about educational technologies such as social media. Developing effective technology-related professional development for teachers can be a challenge for institutions and facilitators who provide this…
Uncovering the Professional Lives of Suburban Teachers of Color
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lee, Vera J.
2012-01-01
When the author began the present study, she was discouraged to learn that little research exists that captures the professional experiences of teachers of color, particularly in suburban schools. Yet studies about teachers of color in these settings are critical in light of the fact that they comprise only 16.9% of the total teaching force in the…
Promotion of scientific literacy: Bangladeshi teachers' perspectives and practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sarkar, Mahbub; Corrigan, Deborah
2014-05-01
Background: In Bangladesh, a common science curriculum caters for all students at the junior secondary level. Since this curriculum is for all students, its aims are both to build a strong foundation in science while still providing students with the opportunities to use science in everyday life - an aim consistent with the notion of scientific literacy. Purpose: This paper reports Bangladeshi science teachers' perspectives and practices in regard to the promotion of scientific literacy. Sample: Six science teachers representing a range of geographical locations, school types with different class sizes, lengths of teaching experience and educational qualifications. Design and method: This study employed a case study approach. The six teachers and their associated science classes (including students) were considered as six cases. Data were gathered through observing the teachers' science lessons, interviewing them twice - once before and once after the lesson observation, and interviewing their students in focus groups. Results: This study reveals that participating teachers held a range of perspectives on scientific literacy, including some naïve perspectives. In addition, their perspectives were often not seen to be realised in the classroom as for teachers the emphasis of learning science was more traditional in nature. Many of their teaching practices promoted a culture of academic science that resulted in students' difficulty in finding connections between the science they study in school and their everyday lives. This research also identified the tension which teachers encountered between their religious values and science values while they were teaching science in a culture with a religious tradition. Conclusions: The professional development practice for science teachers in Bangladesh with its emphasis on developing science content knowledge may limit the scope for promoting the concepts of scientific literacy. Opportunities for developing pedagogic
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Clayton, Kathleen; Smith, Heidi; Dyment, Janet
2014-01-01
Understanding theory-practice relationships in pre-service teacher education is an enduring concern for many teacher educators. Drawing on data from an investigation into the theory-practice nexus in an outdoor education teacher education programme, this article examines pedagogical approaches to exploring theory and practice with pre-service…
What Is "Good" Teaching? Teacher Beliefs and Practices about Their Teaching
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Devine, Dympna; Fahie, Declan; McGillicuddy, Deirdre
2013-01-01
There has been increasing attention on teacher "quality" and effectiveness internationally. There is, however, little research documenting experienced teachers' classroom practices and their beliefs on why they teach the way they do. Drawing on a mixed methodological study of practices and beliefs across 12 primary and secondary schools,…
Bridging Theory and Practice in Norwegian Teacher Education through Action Research
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Husebo, Dag
2012-01-01
Handling the relationship between theory and practice is seemingly an endless challenge in Norwegian teacher education, and bridging theory and practice is highlighted whenever discussions about improvement of teacher education are raised. This article contributes to this discussion by shedding new light on the relationship through an analysis of…
Theory to Practice through Teacher Inquiry Courses in a Graduate Program: Two Teachers' Perspectives
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Keat, Jane Blakely
2005-01-01
Our graduate degree program includes a component of six one-credit courses, in which teachers find ways to bring into their own classroom practices theory learned in related three-credit courses. Prior research indicates that taking course work alone may not bring about changes in teachers' decision-making. Prior research also encourages higher…
The Teacher Technology Integration Experience: Practice and Reflection in the Classroom
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ruggiero, Dana; Mong, Christopher J.
2015-01-01
Previous studies indicated that the technology integration practices of teachers in the classroom often did not match their teaching styles. Researchers concluded that this was due, at least partially, to external barriers that prevented teachers from using technology in ways that matched their practiced teaching style. Many of these barriers,…
Linking Theory and Practice: Teacher Research in History and Geography Classrooms
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Admiraal, Wilfried; Buijs, Maartje; Claessens, Wout; Honing, Terence; Karkdijk, Jan
2017-01-01
The impact of scholarly research in education on the educational practice in secondary school is low. Academics examine problems that teachers in school perceive as irrelevant, want to publish in peer-reviewed journals instead of disseminate their work, and aim at generalizing insights rather than improving school practice. Teacher research might…
Implementation of Evidence-Based Adolescent Literacy Practices by Select Secondary Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mergele, Catherine E.
2013-01-01
The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to investigate how evidence-based adolescent literacy practices are implemented by secondary teachers in the classroom or what the reasons might be for these practices not being implemented. Three secondary English teachers of three different types of classes, comprising Intensive, Project-based…
Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers' Noticing Skills and Scaffolding Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kilic, Hulya
2018-01-01
A 14-week course program was designed to investigate pre-service teachers' noticing skills and scaffolding practices. Six pre-service teachers were matched with a pair of sixth grade students to observe and scaffold students' mathematical understanding while they were working on the given tasks. Data was collected through pre-service teachers' own…
Student Teachers' Attitudes and Beliefs about Inclusion and Inclusive Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Beacham, Nigel; Rouse, Martyn
2012-01-01
The beliefs and attitudes of teachers are an important element in the development of inclusive education and its associated practices. Teacher education is seen as crucial in helping to develop positive attitudes and beliefs that are thought to promote inclusion, although attempts to reform teacher education in order to address issues of inclusion…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wilcox, Jesse Lee
This year-long study explored how ten teachers--five first year, five second year--acclimated to their new school environment after leaving a master's level university science teacher preparation program known for being highly effective. Furthermore, this study sought to explore if a relationship existed between teachers' understanding and implementation of research-based science teaching practices, the barriers to enacting these practices--known as institutional constraints, and the constructive-developmental theory which explores meaning-making systems known as orders of consciousness. As a naturalistic inquiry mixed methods study, data were collected using both qualitative (e.g., semi-structured interviews, field notes) as well as quantitative methods (e.g., observation protocols, subject/object protocol). These data sources were used to construct participant summaries and a cross-case analysis. The findings from provide evidence that teachers' orders of consciousness might help to explain why understanding research-based science teaching practices are maintained by some new teachers and not others. Additionally, this study found the orders of consciousness of teachers relates to the perceptions of institutional constraints as well as how a teacher chooses to navigate those constraints. Finally, the extent to which teachers implement research-based science teaching practices is related to orders of consciousness. While many studies have focused on what meaning teachers make, this study highlights the importance of considering how teachers make meaning.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ho, Kai Fai; Tan, Preston
2013-01-01
The term "professional vision" points to the many nuanced ways professionals see. This paper traces the development of a professional vision of a researcher and a teacher looking at classroom practices. The researcher's interest was to capture and study notable aspects of the teacher's practice. Through a coding scheme, disparate…
Beginning Teacher Induction in Secondary Schools: A Best Practice Case Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kearney, Sean
2017-01-01
Beginning teacher induction is becoming an increasingly popular process in acculturating teachers to their new careers. The problems that teachers face early in their careers are well known, and effective and ongoing induction is one of the foremost practices for alleviating the pressures that teachers face early in their careers. While induction…
Examining Mathematics Teacher Educators' Emerging Practices in Online Environments
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kastberg, Signe; Lynch-Davis, Kathleen; D'Ambrosio, Beatriz
2014-01-01
Teacher professional development and course work using asynchronous online environments seems promising, yet little is known about how mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) develop practices for such spaces. Research has shown that views of learning impact design of online learning spaces, enabling and constraining particular student action. More…
Preschool Teachers' Language and Literacy Practices with Dual Language Learners
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sawyer, Brook E.; Hammer, Carol Scheffner; Cycyk, Lauren M.; Lopez, Lisa; Blair, Clancy; Sandilos, Lia; Komaroff, Eugene
2016-01-01
The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the degree to which teachers used linguistically responsive practices to support the language and literacy development of Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners (DLL) and (b) to investigate the associations between these practices and select teacher-level factors. The sample consisted of 72 preschool…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Anderson, Dayle
2015-01-01
Students' negative experiences of science in the primary sector have commonly been blamed on poor teacher content knowledge. Yet, teacher beliefs have long been identified as strong influences on classroom practice. Understanding the nature of teacher beliefs and their influence on primary science teaching practice could usefully inform teacher…
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of School Teachers toward Oral Health in Davangere, India.
Maganur, Prabhadevi C; Satish, V; Marwah, Nikhil; Vishwas, T D; Dayanand, M C
2017-01-01
The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of school teachers toward oral health. Descriptive study. School teachers (n = 150) of Davangere city were recruited into this study. The subjects completed a questionnaire that aimed to evaluate teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices on oral health. The results were statistically analyzed and percentage was calculated. The participants' oral hygiene habits were found to be regular. The majority of teachers showed good knowledge on oral health. Most of the teachers in this study recognized the importance of oral health. The majority of teachers did incorporate the importance of oral health in teaching and educating children in the school. But, not all teachers are involved effectively. So, the teachers should be trained comprehensively regarding importance of oral health and creating awareness on oral health promotion for their students in combination with health care personnel. Maganur PC, Satish V, Marwah N, Vishwas TD, Dayanand MC. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of School Teachers toward Oral Health in Davangere, India. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017;10(1):89-95.
Addressing the Research/Practice Divide in Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Flessner, Ryan
2012-01-01
Educational scholars often describe a research/practice divide. Similarly, students in teacher education programs often struggle to navigate the differences between university coursework and expectations they face in field-based placements. This self-study analyzes one researcher's attempt to address the research/practice divide from the position…
Becoming Warm Demanders: Perspectives and Practices of First Year Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bondy, Elizabeth; Ross, Dorene D.; Hambacher, Elyse; Acosta, Melanie
2013-01-01
In the literature on culturally responsive pedagogy "warm demanders" are teachers who embrace values and enact practices that are central to their students' success. Few scholars have examined the experience of novice teachers who attempt to enact this stance. In this study of two first-year, female, European American teachers who attempted to be…
Ideas of and Attitudes towards Projects and Changing Practices: Voices of Four Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shome, Saurav; Natarajan, Chitra
2013-01-01
The paper reports a study of the project practices of four Indian middle school teachers, elicited through semi-structured interviews of individual teachers. The teachers also responded to a proposal to modify four aspects of existing project practices, viz. subject integration, assessment, group work, and management of resources. The aspects were…
The Problems of Practice: Bricolage as a Metaphor for Teachers' Work and Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Scribner, Jay Paredes
2005-01-01
In this article the author uses Levi-Strauss' (1966) metaphor of Bricolage to examine how teachers, not policymakers, make sense of their "problems of practice" in three United States high schools. The article also examines how teachers address these problems of practice. It concludes by underscoring the disconnect between teachers' and…
Master teachers' responses to twenty literacy and science/mathematics practices in deaf education.
Easterbrooks, Susan R; Stephenson, Brenda; Mertens, Donna
2006-01-01
Under a grant to improve outcomes for students who are deaf or hard of hearing awarded to the Association of College Educators--Deaf/Hard of Hearing, a team identified content that all teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing must understand and be able to teach. Also identified were 20 practices associated with content standards (10 each, literacy and science/mathematics). Thirty-seven master teachers identified by grant agents rated the practices on a Likert-type scale indicating the maximum benefit of each practice and maximum likelihood that they would use the practice, yielding a likelihood-impact analysis. The teachers showed strong agreement on the benefits and likelihood of use of the rated practices. Concerns about implementation of many of the practices related to time constraints and mixed-ability classrooms were themes of the reviews. Actions for teacher preparation programs were recommended.
Preservice Teachers in Secondary Social Studies: Examining Conceptions and Practices.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wilson, Elizabeth K.; And Others
1994-01-01
Reports on a study of 11 preservice teachers' beliefs and practices about secondary social studies education. Finds that the preservice teachers held positive conceptions about social studies, stressing active learning techniques and knowledge construction. (ACM)
The Relationship between Principal Leadership Practices and Teacher Morale
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Williams, Fabre K.
2013-01-01
This research explores the relationship of principal leadership practices and teacher morale. Six schools in a West Tennessee school system participated in the study. The participants in the study were executive principals and classroom teachers. The study was a descriptive, causal-comparative research design chosen to examine the possible…
Principals' and Teachers' Practices about Parent Involvement in Schooling
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Erdener, Mehmet Akif
2016-01-01
Parent involvement has an influence on children's educational engagement for all school levels. The objective of this study was to examine public school principals' and teachers' practices for improving parent involvement in schooling. This study used a mixed method to identify the school administrators' and teachers' perceptions about parent…
Understanding Changes in Teachers' ICT Practices: A Longitudinal Perspective
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Orlando, Joanne
2009-01-01
With the introduction of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into schools came the expectation that teachers would adopt ICT and change their practices in particular ways. Research indicates that teachers have not changed in the ways expected. Suggested in this paper is that limitations in current research methodologies documenting…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Allen, Jeanne M.
2009-01-01
This paper is about the experiences of beginning teachers in turning theory learned in universities into practice in the workplace. The research is situated in the context of a pre-service teacher education programme that explicitly and deliberately seeks to bridge the theory-practice gap in teacher education. The paper argues that, despite…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Waring, Hansun Zhang
2013-01-01
Despite the push for fostering reflective practices in teacher education in the last 20 years, true reflection remains rare (Farr, 2011). Based on a detailed analysis of four mentor-teacher meetings in a graduate TESOL program, I show how specific mentor practices generate teacher reflection without explicit solicitations. Findings of this study…
Theoretical, Practical and Personal Domains in the Curriculum of Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ingram, James B.
1974-01-01
This survey of teacher trainers in Rhodesia considers their intentions in teaching with respect to three domains of teacher education -- theoretical, practical, and personal. The study assumes that the effectiveness of a curriculum is ultimately dependent on the intentions of its teachers. (JH)
Uncovering the "Hidden Dimension": Proxemic Research Techniques Applied to Teacher Preparation.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Levis-Pilz, Gladys
1982-01-01
Classroom observation assignments for preservice teachers allow them to observe detailed relationships among classroom space and teacher student interaction. Through structured observation, preservice teachers become aware of classroom interactions in a vivid and instructive manner. (CJ)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Willemse, T. Martijn; Boei, Fer; Pillen, Marieke
2016-01-01
Practice-based research and supervising students' research has become an important task for higher vocational institutes, including the teacher education departments. However, conducting practice-based research is not always common practice for a great number of teacher educators. Therefore, professional development activities are undertaken to…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ogunkola, Babalola J.; Archer-Bradshaw, Ramona E.
2013-02-01
This study investigated the self-reported instructional assessment practices of a selected sample of secondary school science teachers in Barbados. The study sought to determine if there were statistically significant differences in the instructional assessment practices of teachers based on their sex and teacher quality (teaching experience, professional qualification and teacher academic qualification). It also sought to determine the extent to which each of these four selected variables individually and jointly affected the teachers' report of their instructional assessment practices. A sample of 55 science teachers from nine secondary schools in Barbados was randomly selected to participate in this study. Data was collected by means of a survey and was analyzed using the means and standard deviations of the instructional assessment practices scores and linear, multiple and binary logistic regression. The results of the study were such that the majority of the sample reported good overall instructional assessment practices while only a few participants reported moderate assessment practices. The instructional assessment practices in the area of student knowledge were mostly moderate as indicated by the sample. There were no statistically significant differences between or among the mean scores of the teachers' reported instructional assessment practices based on sex ( t = 0.10; df = 53; p = 0.992), teaching experience ( F[4,50] = 1.766; p = 0.150), the level of professional qualification (F[3,45] = 0.2117; p = 0.111) or the level of academic qualification (F[2,52] = 0.504; p = 0.607). The independent variables (teacher sex, teaching experience, teacher professional qualification or teacher academic qualification) were not significant predictors of the instructional assessment practices scores. However, teacher sex was a significant predictor of the teachers' report of good instructional assessment practices. The study also found that the joint effect of the
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chen, Xiangming; Wei, Ge; Jiang, Shuling
2017-01-01
Previous research concerning teacher practical knowledge has revealed its epistemological foundations, content structure and research methodology, but little research examines its ethical dimension. Based on a four-year project in China, this study probes the ethical dimension of an experienced teacher's practical knowledge, explicated in a…
Towards Building Science Teachers' Understandings of Contemporary Science Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lancaster, Greg; Corrigan, Deborah; Fazio, Lisa; Burke, Joanne; Overton, David
2017-01-01
Faculties of Education and Science at Monash University have designed a Masters unit to assist pre-service and in-service science teachers in exploring the practices of contemporary science and examine how varied understandings can influence science communication. Teachers are encouraged to explore their current understandings of the Nature of…
Teacher Education and Inclusionary Practices: Sharing Delhi University Experiences
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Raina, Jyoti
2016-01-01
Teacher agency is a dynamic catalyst in the process of inclusion, emancipation and social change through school education. This article highlights three key curricular practices in the structure, content and method of a process-based elementary teacher education curriculum aimed at enabling the emergence of this agency that characterise the…
Teachers Are Designers: Addressing Problems of Practice in Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Henriksen, Danah; Richardson, Carmen
2017-01-01
Teachers may be confused or put off by buzzwords like "design thinking," but the concept is a useful one: To solve stubborn, everyday problems of practice in schools, they should approach those problems strategically and systematically. Specifically, explain the authors, teachers gain new insights into challenges they face when they take…
Assessing Preschool Teachers' Practices to Promote Self-Regulated Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Adagideli, Fahretdin Hasan; Saraç, Seda; Ader, Engin
2015-01-01
Recent research reveals that in preschool years, through pedagogical interventions, preschool teachers can and should promote self-regulated learning. The main aim of this study is to develop a self-report instrument to assess preschool teachers' practices to promote self-regulated learning. A pool of 50 items was recruited through literature…
O'Flynn-Magee, Kathy; Clauson, Marion
2013-09-01
Fair and consistent assessment, specifically grading, is crucial to teaching and learning scholarship and is a professional responsibility of nurse educators. Yet, many would agree that assessment is one of the most challenging aspects of their role. Despite differing beliefs, values, and meanings attributed to grading and grades, teachers' grading practices should be guided by principles and supported by policies. Inconsistent grading practices among educators, students' unrealistic expectations of grades, and a trend toward grade inflation may be contributing to both educators' and students' concerns. A teaching scholarship project that led to a research study explored nurse educators' beliefs, values, and practices related to the grading of written academic work. The purpose of this article is to share the findings and the resulting grading guidelines that were developed to support nurse educators' endeavors to enact equitable grading practices. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.
Teacher Educators Struggling to Make Complex Practice Explicit: Distancing Teaching through Video
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Klein, Emily J.; Taylor, Monica
2017-01-01
This self-study examines our use of video with a cohort of preservice teachers as a means to address the challenges we face as teacher educators who are working with candidates in extensive clinical practice. We came to video as a nuanced way to discuss and make meaning of complex practice and as a means of bridging theory and practice. We found…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Strong-Wilson, Teresa, Ed.
2012-01-01
How do classroom teachers envision new technologies within their practice? In the conversation on incorporating new technologies into classrooms, teachers are often sidelined. "Envisioning New Technologies in Teacher Practice" looks at the complex ways in which teachers move forward to embrace change as well as how they circle back, continually…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
2013-09-01
Conference: The Big Bangor Day Meeting Lecture: Charterhouse plays host to a physics day Festival: Science on Stage festival 2013 arrives in Poland Event: Scottish Physics Teachers' Summer School Meeting: Researchers and educators meet at Lund University Conference: Exeter marks the spot Recognition: European Physical Society uncovers an historic site Education: Initial teacher education undergoes big changes Forthcoming events
Practices of Cooperating Teachers Contributing to a High Quality Field Experience
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lafferty, Karen Elizabeth
2015-01-01
This mixed methods study framed in cognitive apprenticeship theory involved cooperating and preservice teachers from 10 university-based credentialing programs in California. It examined the connection between cooperating teacher practices and preservice teachers' perceptions of a high quality field experience. Survey responses from 146…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Reddy, Linda A.; Dudek, Christopher M.
2014-01-01
In the era of teacher evaluation and effectiveness, assessment tools that identify and monitor educators' instruction and behavioral management practices are in high demand. The Classroom Strategies Scale (CSS) Observer Form is a multidimensional teacher progress monitoring tool designed to assess teachers' usage of instructional and behavioral…
Digital Learning in Schools: Conceptualizing the Challenges and Influences on Teacher Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Blundell, Christopher; Lee, Kar-Tin; Nykvist, Shaun
2016-01-01
Digital technologies are an important requirement for curriculum expectations, including general ICT capability and STEM education. These technologies are also positioned as mechanisms for educational reform via transformation of teacher practice. It seems, however, that wide-scale transformation of teacher practice and digital learning remain…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Borhan, Noziati; Zakaria, Effandi
2017-05-01
This quantitative study was conducted to investigate the perception level of novice teachers about mathematics belief, teachers' attitude towards mathematics and teaching practices of mathematics in the classroom. In addition, it also aims to identify whether there is a correspondence model with the data obtained and to identify the relationship between the variables of beliefs, attitudes and practices among novice teachers in Malaysia. A total of 263 primary novice teachers throughout the country were involved in this study were selected randomly. Respondents are required to provide a response to the questionnaire of 66 items related to mathematics beliefs, attitudes and practices of the teaching mathematics. There are ten sub-factors which have been established in this instrument for three major constructs using a Likert scale rating of five points. The items of the constructs undergo the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) procedure involve of unidimensionality test, convergent validity, construct validity and discriminant validity. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the frequency, percentage, the mean and standard deviation for completing some research questions that have been expressed. As for inferential statistical analysis, the researchers used structural equation modeling (SEM) to answer the question of correspondents model and the relationship between these three variables. The results of the study were found that there exist a correspondence measurement and structural model with the data obtained. While the relationship between variable found that mathematics beliefs have a significant influence on teachers' attitudes towards mathematics as well as the relationship between the attitudes with teaching practices. Meanwhile, mathematics belief had no significant relationship with mathematics teaching practices among novice teachers in Malaysia.
Teachers' Beliefs and Practices Regarding the Role of Executive Functions in Reading and Arithmetic.
Rapoport, Shirley; Rubinsten, Orly; Katzir, Tami
2016-01-01
The current study investigated early elementary school teachers' beliefs and practices regarding the role of Executive Functions (EFs) in reading and arithmetic. A new research questionnaire was developed and judged by professionals in the academia and the field. Reponses were obtained from 144 teachers from Israel. Factor analysis divided the questionnaire into three valid and reliable subscales, reflecting (1) beliefs regarding the contribution of EFs to reading and arithmetic, (2) pedagogical practices, and (3) a connection between the cognitive mechanisms of reading and arithmetic. Findings indicate that teachers believe EFs affect students' performance in reading and arithmetic. These beliefs were also correlated with pedagogical practices. Additionally, special education teachers' scored higher on the different subscales compared to general education teachers. These findings shed light on the way teachers perceive the cognitive foundations of reading and arithmetic and indicate to which extent these perceptions guide their teaching practices.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yoon, Hye-Gyoung; Kim, Mijung; Kim, Byoung Sug; Joung, Yong Jae; Park, Young-Shin
2013-01-01
This study attempted to explore 15 Korean elementary pre-service teachers' views of inquiry teaching. During a science teaching methods course, pre-service teachers implemented a peer teaching lesson, had a group discussion to reflect on five teacher educators' comments on their first peer teaching practice, and revised and re-taught the lesson as…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McNeill, Katherine L.; Krajcik, Joseph
2008-01-01
Teacher practices are essential for supporting students in scientific inquiry practices, such as the construction of scientific explanations. In this study, we examine what instructional practices teachers engage in when they introduce scientific explanation and whether these practices influence students' ability to construct scientific…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wei, Bing; Li, Xiaoxiao
2017-01-01
It is commonly recognised that practical work has a distinctive and central role in science teaching and learning. Although a large number of studies have addressed the definitions, typologies, and purposes of practical work, few have consulted practicing science teachers. This study explored science teachers' perceptions of experimentation for…
The Moral Vacuum in Teacher Education Research and Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sanger, Matthew; Osguthorpe, Richard
2013-01-01
This chapter examines the gap between the widespread acknowledgment that teaching is a moral endeavor, on the one hand, and the lack of explicit, systematic teacher education research and practice to support preparing teachers for the moral aspects of teaching. After providing an initial description of the aforementioned gap, the chapter surveys…
Current Practice of Extensive Reading in Asia: Teachers' Perceptions
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chang, Anna C.-S.; Renandya, Willy A.
2017-01-01
This study investigated teachers' perceptions of the practice of extensive reading (ER) in the Asian context. One hundred and nineteen L2 teachers in Asia responded to an online questionnaire that probed into their reasons for implementing ER, the difficulties they encountered, and their perception about the effectiveness of different ways of…
Mothers' Trust toward Teachers in Relation to Teaching Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Kikas, Eve; Pakarinen, Eija; Poikonen, Pirjo-Liisa; Nurmi, Jari-Erik
2013-01-01
This study examined the extent to which mothers' trust toward the classroom teacher of their child in first grade is related to observed teaching practices in Finland and Estonia. Sixty-six teachers (32 in Finland, 34 in Estonia) were observed using the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM; Stipek & Byler, 2004). Mothers in…
Teacher Beliefs and Technology Integration Practices: A Critical Relationship
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ertmer, Peggy A.; Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Anne T.; Sadik, Olgun; Sendurur, Emine; Sendurur, Polat
2012-01-01
Early studies indicated that teachers' enacted beliefs, particularly in terms of classroom technology practices, often did not align with their espoused beliefs. Researchers concluded this was due, at least in part, to a variety of external barriers that prevented teachers from using technology in ways that aligned more closely with their beliefs.…
Improving Teacher Practices Using Microteaching: Planful Video Recording and Constructive Feedback
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ostrosky, Michaelene M.; Mouzourou, Chryso; Danner, Natalie; Zaghlawan, Hasan Y.
2013-01-01
When teacher preparation is disconnected from classroom practice, preservice teachers are left to try to make this connection without the guidance and support of skilled mentors. Practicum or field experiences are essential for effective personnel preparation. Practicum experiences can provide situated learning for preservice teachers to…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kademian, Sylvie M.
Current reform efforts prioritize science instruction that provides opportunities for students to engage in productive talk about scientific phenomena. Given the challenges teachers face enacting instruction that integrates science practices and science content, beginning teachers need support to develop the knowledge and teaching practices required to teach reform-oriented science lessons. Practice-based teacher education shows potential for supporting beginning teachers while they are learning to teach in this way. However, little is known about how beginning elementary teachers draw upon the types of support and tools associated with practice-based teacher education to learn to successfully enact this type of instruction. This dissertation addresses this gap by investigating how a practice-based science methods course using a suite of teacher educator-provided tools can support beginning teachers' planning and enactment of investigation-based science lessons. Using qualitative case study methodologies, this study drew on video-records, lesson plans, class assignments, and surveys from one cohort of 22 pre-service teachers (called interns in this study) enrolled in a year-long elementary education master of the arts and teaching certification program. Six focal interns were also interviewed at multiple time-points during the methods course. Similarities existed across the types of tools and teaching practices interns used most frequently to plan and enact investigation-based discussions. For the focal interns, use of four synergistic teaching practices throughout the lesson enactments (including consideration of students' initial ideas; use of open-ended questions to elicit, extend, and challenge ideas; connecting across students' ideas and the disciplinary core ideas; and use of a representation to organize and highlight students' ideas) appeared to lead to increased opportunities for students to share their ideas and engage in data analysis, argumentation and
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sezen-Barrie, Asli; Moore, Joel; Roig, Cara E.
2015-08-01
Drawn from the norms and rules of their fields, scientists use variety of practices, such as asking questions and arguing based on evidence, to engage in research that will contribute to our understanding of Earth and beyond. In this study, we explore how preservice teachers' learn to teach scientific practices while teaching plate tectonic theory. In particular, our aim is to observe which scientific practices preservice teachers use while teaching an earth science unit, how do they integrate these practices into their lessons, and what challenges do they face during their first time teaching of an earth science content area integrated with scientific practices. The study is designed as a qualitative, exploratory case study of seven preservice teachers while they were learning to teach plate tectonic theory to a group of middle school students. The data were driven from the video records and artifacts of the preservice teachers' learning and teaching processes as well as written reflections on the teaching. Intertextual discourse analysis was used to understand what scientific practices preservice teachers choose to integrate into their teaching experience. Our results showed that preservice teachers chose to focus on four aspects of scientific practices: (1) employing historical understanding of how the theory emerged, (2) encouraging the use of evidence to build up a theory, (3) observation and interpretation of data maps, and (4) collaborative practices in making up the theory. For each of these practices, we also looked at the common challenges faced by preservice teachers by using constant comparative analysis. We observed the practices that preservice teachers decided to use and the challenges they faced, which were determined by what might have come as in their personal history as learners. Therefore, in order to strengthen preservice teachers' background, college courses should be arranged to teach important scientific ideas through scientific practices
"Control Must Be Maintained": Exploring Teachers' Pedagogical Practice outside the Classroom
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Glackin, Melissa
2018-01-01
Drawing on qualitative data, this article presents an analysis of six secondary science teachers' expectations and practices related to teaching outdoors during a professional development programme. Using Foucault's and Bernstein's theories of "space", routines and set practices, I argue that participant teachers' fear of losing control…
Pre-Kindergarten Teachers' Use of Transition Practices and Children's Adjustment to Kindergarten
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
LoCasale-Crouch, Jennifer; Mashburn, Andrew J.; Downer, Jason T.; Pianta, Robert C.
2008-01-01
This study describes pre-kindergarten teachers' use of kindergarten transition practices and examined the extent to which these practices were associated with kindergarten teachers' judgments of children's social, self-regulatory, and academic skills upon their entry into kindergarten. Participants were 722 children from 214 pre-kindergarten…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mannathoko, Magdeline C.
2013-01-01
Teacher Education involves the policies and procedures designed to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills they require to teach effectively. Teaching practice (TP) is an integral part in teacher education because it allows student-teachers to apply the theories into practice. Effective preparation of student-teachers in practical subjects…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Towndrow, Phillip A.; Tan, Aik-Ling; Yung, Benny H. W.; Cohen, Libby
2010-01-01
This paper considers the circumstances under which science teachers can respond positively and productively to educational policy reforms in the area of science practical assessment. To understand what might be involved in linking science teachers' assessment capacities and their professional development, we present illustrative data from recent…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Caleon, Imelda S.; Tan, Yuen Sze Michelle; Cho, Young Hoan
2018-02-01
This study utilized multiple data sources to examine the beliefs about learning and teaching physics and the instructional practices of five beginning teachers and seven experienced teachers from Singapore. Our study was implemented in the unique context of teachers teaching the topic of electricity to students grouped according to academic abilities. The topic of electricity is one of the most difficult physics topics for students to understand and for teachers to teach. It was found that the experienced teachers, compared to the beginning teachers, tended to have beliefs about teaching and learning physics that are closer to constructivist views. The majority of the teachers, particularly the beginning teachers, espoused beliefs about learning physics that were incongruent with their beliefs about teaching physics. Although transmission-oriented and teacher-directed practices dominated the classroom lessons of both groups of teachers, more elements of constructivist instruction were found in the classroom lessons of the experienced teachers. It was also found that the classroom practices of the teachers, especially those in their inductive years of teaching, were more aligned with their beliefs about learning physics than their beliefs about teaching physics.
Measuring Student Teachers' Practices and Beliefs about Teaching Mathematics Using the Rasch Model
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kaspersen, Eivind; Pepin, Birgit; Sikko, Svein Arne
2017-01-01
Several attempts have been made to measure and categorize beliefs and practices of mathematics teachers [Swan, M. 2006. "Designing and Using Research Instruments to Describe the Beliefs and Practices of Mathematics Teachers." "Research in Education" 75 (1): 58-70]. One of the reasons for measuring both beliefs and practices is…
Perspectives and Practices of Graduates of an Urban Teacher Residency Program
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tricarico, Katie M.
2012-01-01
Many traditional university-based and alternative route teacher preparation programs have been developed to prepare new teachers to work in urban, high minority, and high-poverty classrooms. There is little literature that documents the outcomes of these programs designed specifically for urban environments or the practices of teachers who…
Pedagogical Practices of NetNZ Teachers for Supporting Online Distance Learners
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lai, Kwok-Wing
2017-01-01
A supportive online learning environment entails teachers using effective pedagogical practices to meet the needs of their students and developing a positive teacher-student relationship to foster learner motivation and engagement. This paper reports a study investigating how 32 secondary teachers in New Zealand taught their online distance…
Determinants of Differing Teacher Attitudes towards Inclusive Education Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gyimah, Emmanuel K.; Ackah, Francis R., Jr.; Yarquah, John A.
2010-01-01
An examination of literature reveals that teacher attitude is fundamental to the practice of inclusive education. In order to verify the extent to which the assertion is applicable in Ghana, 132 teachers were selected from 16 regular schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis using purposive and simple random sampling techniques to respond to a four…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Herman, Joan; Osmundson, Ellen; Dai, Yunyun; Ringstaff, Cathy; Timms, Michael
2015-01-01
This exploratory study of elementary school science examines questions central to policy, practice and research on formative assessment: What is the quality of teachers' content-pedagogical and assessment knowledge? What is the relationship between teacher knowledge and assessment practice? What is the relationship between teacher knowledge,…
Leading by Example: Teacher Educators' Professional Learning through Communities of Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
MacPhail, Ann; Patton, Kevin; Parker, Melissa; Tannehill, Deborah
2014-01-01
There has been a limited interest in examining physical education teacher educators' role and practices in embedding professional responsibility and commitment to continued professional learning for both teacher educators and pre-service teachers in a physical education teacher education (PETE) program (MacPhail, 2011) Directed by a landscape…
Urban Teacher Education and Teaching: Innovative Practices for Diversity and Social Justice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Solomon, R. Patrick, Ed.; Sekayi, Dia, Ed.
2007-01-01
This volume illuminates the most pressing challenges faced by urban schools, teachers, teacher candidates, and teacher training programs and offers a range of insights and possibilities for urban teacher education and teaching. Covering issues spanning the broadly theoretical to the urgently practical, it goes beyond the traditional discourses in…
Teacher feedback during active learning: current practices in primary schools.
van den Bergh, Linda; Ros, Anje; Beijaard, Douwe
2013-06-01
Feedback is one of the most powerful tools, which teachers can use to enhance student learning. It appears difficult for teachers to give qualitatively good feedback, especially during active learning. In this context, teachers should provide facilitative feedback that is focused on the development of meta-cognition and social learning. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to the existing knowledge about feedback and to give directions to improve teacher feedback in the context of active learning. The participants comprised 32 teachers who practiced active learning in the domain of environmental studies in the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade of 13 Dutch primary schools. A total of 1,465 teacher-student interactions were examined. Video observations were made of active learning lessons in the domain of environmental studies. A category system was developed based on the literature and empirical data. Teacher-student interactions were assessed using this system. Results. About half of the teacher-student interactions contained feedback. This feedback was usually focused on the tasks that were being performed by the students and on the ways in which these tasks were processed. Only 5% of the feedback was explicitly related to a learning goal. In their feedback, the teachers were directing (rather than facilitating) the learning processes. During active learning, feedback on meta-cognition and social learning is important. Feedback should be explicitly related to learning goals. In practice, these kinds of feedback appear to be scarce. Therefore, giving feedback during active learning seems to be an important topic for teachers' professional development. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Perrault, Anne Marie
The purpose of this study was to examine biology teachers' perceptions of how their online information seeking practices influence their instructional planning. When teachers engage in activities to locate, evaluate, and use online information and resources, a myriad of inter-related and often inseparable consequences follows. These influences may be any combination of direct/indirect, desirable/undesirable, or anticipated/unanticipated (Rogers, 2003). This exploratory study collected baseline data regarding teachers' online practices and its influence on their practice. There were two phases of data collection in this study. Phase I was an online survey of more than seventy New York State biology teachers. The survey was intended to capture (1) a snapshot of the biology teachers' online information seeking practices during the summer and fall 2004, and (2) their perceptions regarding how their online practices influenced their instructional planning. In Phase II, ten study participants were interviewed in order to explore in greater detail the consequences of their online information seeking practices on their instructional planning. Four themes reflecting the consequences of teachers' information seeking practices emerged from the data analysis: Currency of Information; Sparking of Ideas and Gaining Personal Knowledge; Resource Management and the Role of Time; and Webs of Sharing. Each theme encompassed both the purposeful and the indirect actions by teachers to access knowledge and resources to refine and improve their instructional planning. This study's findings show that teachers are using a greater number and wider range of current and multi-modal resources than pre-Internet and they perceive this as an advantage in creating authentic, inquiry-based learning experiences. A notable discovery was of the under-use by teachers of educational online resources specifically designed to support teaching and learning activities (e.g., digital libraries, online
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Seamster, Christina Lambert
2016-01-01
According to Molnar (2014), full time virtual school education lacks a measurement tool that accurately measures effective virtual teacher practice. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the current study sought to understand the common practices among full time K-8 virtual school teachers, the extent to which teachers believed such…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pareja Roblin, Natalie N.; Ormel, Bart J. B.; McKenney, Susan E.; Voogt, Joke M.; Pieters, Jules M.
2014-01-01
This study characterises the links between research and practice across 12 projects concerned with the collaborative design of lesson plans by teacher communities (TCs). Analyses focused on sources of knowledge used to inform lesson design, participants' roles and knowledge generated by the teacher community. Three patterns emerged pertaining…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jenset, Inga Staal; Klette, Kirsti; Hammerness, Karen
2018-01-01
Worldwide, teacher educators and policy makers have called for teacher preparation that is more deeply linked to practice. Yet we know little about how such linkages are achieved within different international programs. We examine the degree to which programs provide opportunities to learn that are grounded in practice, during university…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Connell, Shelley Sha'ron
2007-12-01
This study was an investigation of the relationship between teacher beliefs and teaching practices. The relationship was explored to address reported inconsistencies among teacher beliefs, teaching practices and reform goals reported over the past 30 years. A self-study methodology was employed to collect data in a fourth-grade (n = 12) and a fifth-grade (n = 7) class at a private elementary school. Data were collected using a reflective journal and the Traditional Versus Inquiry-Based Classroom Behaviors instrument. Self-data were triangulated with critical judgment data from focus groups and interviews with students, parents, and a peer teacher observer. Data were collected and analyzed in four segments: (a) teacher beliefs, (b) teaching practices, (c) congruency between teacher beliefs and teaching practices, and (d) factors that influence congruency. Teacher beliefs were listed at the start of the school year and analyzed in narrative format. Teaching practices were recorded in the journal and analyzed through coding. The relationship between beliefs and practices was explored on two levels, following Haney & McArthur's (2002) modified theory of planned behavior. First, congruency between beliefs and practices was determined, yielding beliefs that were either central (congruent with practices) or peripheral (incongruent with practices) to the author's belief system. Second, congruency between central beliefs and two categories of teaching principles was determined, yielding three subdivisions: constructivist core (congruent with constructivist principles), emerging core (congruent with general principles) and conflict core (incongruent with constructivist principles) beliefs. Data analysis showed 16 central beliefs (those congruent with practice) in operation. The study finding was that teacher beliefs and practices were largely congruent for this one teacher. This contrasted most published reports. Coupling application of the TPB and modified TPB, congruence
Teacher Competency in Classroom Testing, Measurement Preparation, and Classroom Testing Practices.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Newman, Dorothy C.; Stallings, William M.
An assessment instrument and a questionnaire (Appendices A and B) were developed to determine how well teachers understand classroom testing principles and to gain information on the measurement preparation and classroom practices of teachers. Two hundred ninety-four inservice teachers, grades 1 through 12, from three urban school systems in…
Spelling Instruction in the Primary Grades: Teachers' Beliefs, Practices, and Concerns
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Doyle, Antoinette; Zhang, Jing; Mattatall, Chris
2015-01-01
This study examined Canadian teachers' beliefs, practices and concerns about spelling instruction in the primary grades. Data from surveys (n = 56) indicated that most teachers believe that spelling is important and plan for spelling instruction. For most teachers, the spelling words and activities used, and the instructional resources they chose,…
Guided Work-Based Learning: Sharing Practical Teaching Knowledge with Student Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
van Velzen, Corinne; Volman, Monique; Brekelmans, Mieke; White, Simone
2012-01-01
Building quality work-based learning opportunities for student teachers is a challenge for schools in school-university partnerships. This study focused on the guidance of student teachers by means of a mentoring approach aimed at sharing practical knowledge, with student teachers' learning needs as an emphasis. The approach was built on…
Developing the Practice of Teacher Questioning through a K-2 Elementary Mathematics Field Experience
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schwartz, Catherine
2015-01-01
This article presents findings from research on a field experience designed to help elementary preservice teachers learn the practice of teacher questioning during formal and informal interviews to analyze student mathematical thinking in K-2 classrooms. The practice of teacher questioning is framed as choosing a mathematical goal, analyzing…
The Pedagogical Practices of Québec High School Teachers Relative to Sexual Diversity
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Richard, Gabrielle
2015-01-01
This article explores the ways in which teachers describe their pedagogical and intervention practices relative to sexual diversity in Québec (Canada). Three variables closely associated with teachers who report inclusive practices emerge: experiential training (based on the experience of a lesbian, gay, or bisexual [LGB] teacher), contact…
Teacher Compensation: Standard Practices and Changes in Wisconsin. WCER Working Paper No. 2016-5
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kimball, Steven M.; Heneman, Herbert G., III.; Worth, Robin; Arrigoni, Jessica; Marlin, Daniel
2016-01-01
Over many decades, teachers' compensation has been determined through standard practices, commonly represented by the single salary schedule. While these practices served districts well in a number of respects, many argue that new forms of teacher pay could provide powerful levers for changing teacher performance and improving student achievement…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nasri, Najmeh; Vahid Dastjerdy, Hossein; Eslami Rasekh, Abbass; Amirian, Zahra
2017-01-01
Owing to the importance of learner autonomy (LA) and considering the prominent role of teachers in this respect, the present study investigated: (1) Iranian English as a foreign language teachers' practices for promoting high school students' autonomy, (2) possible differences among teachers' practices with different educational degrees, levels of…
The Effect of Teachers' Social Networks on Teaching Practices and Class Composition
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kim, Chong Min
2011-01-01
Central to this dissertation was an examination of the role teachers' social networks play in schools as living organizations through three studies. The first study investigated the impact of teachers' social networks on teaching practices. Recent evidence suggests that teachers' social networks have a significant effect on teachers' norms,…
The Application of Theory to Practice by Preservice Secondary School Biology Teachers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stolworthy, Reed L.
The purpose of this study was to determine preservice secondary biology teachers' (N=18) ability to transmit knowledge of the subject to pupils through methodologies designed to translate theory into practice. The cooperating teachers (N=12) provided data regarding abilities demonstrated by the student teachers. The student teachers utilized the…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cotner, Bridget A.
School reform programs focus on making educational changes; however, research on interventions past the funded implementation phase to determine what was sustained is rarely done (Beery, Senter, Cheadle, Greenwald, Pearson, et al., 2005). This study adds to the research on sustainability by determining what instructional practices, if any, of the Teaching SMARTRTM professional development program that was implemented from 2005--2008 in elementary schools with teachers in grades third through eighth were continued, discontinued, or adapted five years post-implementation (in 2013). Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions: What do teachers who participated in Teaching SMARTRTM and district administrators share about the sustainability of Teaching SMARTRTM practices in 2013? What teaching strategies do teachers who participated in the program (2005--2008) use in their science classrooms five years postimplementation (2013)? What perceptions about the roles of females in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do teachers who participated in the program (2005--2008) have five years later (2013)? And, What classroom management techniques do the teachers who participated in the program (2005--2008) use five years post implementation (2013)? A mixed method approach was used to answer these questions. Quantitative teacher survey data from 23 teachers who participated in 2008 and 2013 were analyzed in SAS v. 9.3. Descriptive statistics were reported and paired t-tests were conducted to determine mean differences by survey factors identified from an exploratory factor analysis, principal axis factoring, and parallel analysis conducted with teacher survey baseline data (2005). Individual teacher change scores (2008 and 2013) for identified factors were computed using the Reliable Change Index statistic. Qualitative data consisted of interviews with two district administrators and three teachers who responded to the survey in both
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hohensee, Jo-Anne
2013-01-01
The quantitative ex post facto study had a two-fold purpose: (1) to determine which of the cultural responsive teaching practices of kindergarten through sixth grade teachers were used most often and (2) to determine to what extent each of the teacher's demographics (i.e., the predictive variables) differ for each CRTI factor (i.e., the criterion…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Moyo, Nathan; Modiba, Maropeng
2014-01-01
This paper reports on the findings of a qualitative interpretive study that was undertaken to determine how in-service teachers at Great Zimbabwe University were able (or not) to translate a theory that they were exposed to into practice during history lessons. Drawing on a range of data, the study explored how the teachers, who were purposively…
From Principles to Practice: Collegial Observation for Teacher Development
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gray, Susan M.
2012-01-01
Teachers constantly question their own practice. Often, their questions remain unexplored. Collegial observation provides one way to see teaching differently and understand the tensions involved in incorporating new theoretical understandings into practice. Gebhard (1999) argues that conversations preceding and following such observations are…
What Teachers Can Learn from the Practice of Artists
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jarvis, Michael
2011-01-01
This article considers how primary teachers can learn from the practice of artists in their own teaching of art. Fundamental to artistic practice is the notion of practising with various materials and tools. In the article I look at some children's images, as well as scrutinising some statements made by the painter Francis Bacon. The practices of…
Theory in Educational Research and Practice in Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Higgs, Leonie G.
2013-01-01
A problem in education, that has long concerned philosophers of education, is the problem of the relationship between theory and practice in educational research and practice. Despite the fact that much has been written on the relationship between theory and practice in education, it would seem that teachers continue to cling to an image of theory…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rose, Hyacinth P.
2010-01-01
This article reports a descriptive case study portraying a teaching-practice program designed to highlight the preparation of student-teachers for teaching practice, using the Joint Board of Teacher Education (JBTE) benchmarks, in a teachers' college in Jamaica. At Church Teachers' College (CTC) 22 informants of mixed gender were selected for the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chen, Chang-Hua
2012-01-01
This study implements a teacher professional development program with an aim toward developing mathematics teachers' discourse-based assessment practice (DAP) and exploring its possible impact on teacher discourse in sessions and in DAP in the classroom. DAP is a type of formative assessment practice which consists of questioning and feedback.…
Modeling Teacher Beliefs and Practices in Context: A Multimethods Approach
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nishino, Takako
2012-01-01
This study investigates the relationship among Japanese high school teachers' beliefs, their practices, and socioeducational factors regarding communicative language teaching (CLT). A multimethods approach was used consisting of a survey, interviews, and class observations. A Teacher Beliefs Questionnaire was sent to 188 randomly selected Japanese…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lewthwaite, Brian
2014-01-01
This study explores teachers' thinking about practical work, especially in regards to the types of practical work they privilege in their teaching of chemistry to support students in their learning. It seeks to investigate the view that practical work, especially the type of practical work selected, is "unthinkingly" and…
Exploring ESL Teacher Beliefs and Classroom Practices of CLT: A Case Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rahman, Mohammad Mosiur; Singh, Manjet Kaur Mehar; Pandian, Ambigapathy
2018-01-01
This paper presents a case study that investigated and compared the stated beliefs and observed classroom practices relating to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) of two ESL teachers. The findings of the study revealed that both the teachers hold similar complex beliefs that mostly contradict the philosophy of CLT. The practices were not in…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Davis, Kathleen S.
2003-01-01
Over the last decade, significant efforts have been made to bring change to science classrooms. Educational researchers (Anderson, R. D., & Helms, J. V. (2001). Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(1), 3-16.) have pointed to the need to examine reform efforts systemically to understand the pathways and impediments to successful reform. This study provides a critical analysis of the implementation of an innovative science curriculum at a middle school site. In particular, the author explores the issues that surround teacher learning of new practices including the structures, policies, and practices that were in place within the reform context that supported or impeded teacher learning. Parallels are drawn between student and teacher learning and the importance of autonomy and decision-making structures for both populations of learners. Findings presented include (1) how staff development with constructivist underpinnings facilitated teacher learning; (2) how regular and frequent opportunities for interactions with colleagues and outside support personnel contributed to teacher learning; (3) how the decline of such interactive forums and the continuation of old decision-making structures restricted the development of teacher knowledge, expertise, and a common vision of the science program; and (4) how the process of field-testing at this site limited the incorporation of teachers' prior knowledge and impacted teacher acquisition of new knowledge and skills.
Food-related practices and beliefs of rural US elementary and middle school teachers.
Findholt, Nancy E; Izumi, Betty T; Shannon, Jackilen; Nguyen, Thuan
2016-01-01
Childhood obesity disproportionately affects rural populations; therefore, promoting healthy eating among rural children is essential. Teachers are important role models for children and can influence children's eating behaviors through their own behaviors and beliefs about food. This study examined the food-related practices and beliefs of rural elementary and middle school teachers. Data were used from the SNACZ study, a school- and community-based trial conducted in rural Oregon. Kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers (n=87), teaching students usually aged 5-14 years, from eight rural school districts completed a baseline survey in November 2012 concerning their classroom food practices, eating behaviors at school, beliefs about the school food environment, and nutrition knowledge. Frequencies of responses to each item were calculated. Nearly all teachers (97.6%) agreed that a healthy school food environment is important, but fewer agreed that teachers' behaviors and the foods available at school influence students' eating behaviors (71.0% and 67.0%, respectively). Nearly 86% of teachers used candy as a reward for students, while 78.2% consumed unhealthy snacks and 42.5% consumed sweetened beverages in the classroom. The results suggest that most rural teachers recognize that having a healthy school food environment is important, but are less aware of factors within the school that influence students' eating behaviors - including their own eating behaviors and classroom food practices - and, perhaps for this reason, many rural teachers engage in classroom practices and behaviors that do not promote healthy eating. Teacher training and expanded school policies that focus on teacher behavior may be needed to ensure a healthier rural school food environment.
Habiba, Ume; Ormsby, Gail M; Butt, Zahid Ahmad; Afghani, Tayyab; Asif, Muhammad
2017-01-01
Teachers' perspectives on eye health can be limited, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to assess teachers' knowledge and practices associated with eye health of primary students in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. This was a cross-sectional survey of primary school teachers. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 443 participants from 34 private and 17 public schools. A self-administered questionnaire was used. Teachers' knowledge ranged from "high" (35.89%), "moderate" (49.89%), and "low" (14.22%). Teachers' practices associated with students' eye health ranged from "high" (10.16%), "moderate" (23.02%), and "low" (66.82%). The teachers' knowledge index scores increased 4.28 points with successive age groups and increased 2.41 points with each successive level of education. For teachers whose close relatives experienced eye disease, their knowledge index score was 4.51 points higher than those teachers whose relatives never had any eye disease. Teachers' age, education level, and their close relatives experiencing eye disease were significant predictors of their knowledge ( R 2 = 0.087, P < 0.001). Female teachers' practices index score was 10.35 points higher than the male teachers and public school teachers had 10.13 points higher than the private school teachers. Teachers' gender and type of school were significant predictors of their practices ( R 2 = 0.06, P < 0.001). There was a significant gap among primary school teachers' knowledge and practices related to students' eye health. Innovative strategies are needed to improve how teachers address students' eye health issues in the classroom.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McNeill, Katherine Lynch
An essential goal of classroom science is to help all students become scientifically literate to encourage greater public understanding in a science infused world. This type of literacy requires that students participate in scientific inquiry practices such as construction of arguments or scientific explanations in which they justify their claims with appropriate evidence and reasoning. Although scientific explanations are an important learning goal, this complex inquiry practice is frequently omitted from k-12 science classrooms and students have difficulty creating them. I investigated how two different curricular scaffolds (context-specific vs. generic), teacher instructional practices, and the interaction between these two types of support influence student learning of scientific explanations. This study focuses on an eight-week middle school chemistry curriculum, How can I make new stuff from old stuff?, which was enacted by six teachers with 578 students during the 2004-2005 school year. Overall, students' written scientific explanations improved during the unit in which they were provided with multiple forms of teacher and curricular support. A growth curve model of student learning showed that there was a significant difference in the effect of the two curricular scaffolds towards the end of the unit and on the posttest. The context-specific scaffolds resulted in greater student learning of how to write scientific explanations, but only for three of the six teachers. The case studies created from the videotapes of classroom enactments revealed that teachers varied in which instructional practices they engaged in and the quality of those practices. Analyses suggested that the curricular scaffolds and teacher instructional practices were synergistic in that the supports interacted and the effect of the written curricular scaffolds depended on the teacher's enactment of the curriculum. The context-specific curricular scaffolds were more successful in
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ilhan, Emine Gül Çelebi; Erbas, Ayhan Kürsat
2016-01-01
As is well known, bridging teacher knowledge or learning with practice is not a straightforward task. This paper aims to explore this discrepancy between a mathematics teacher's knowing and practices and to offer ways of alignment between the two based on the social/interpersonal meanings and their realization through teacher's discourse. In this…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Limbrick, Libby; Buchanan, Pauline; Goodwin, Marineke; Schwarcz, Helen
2010-01-01
In this study we investigated whether teachers' pedagogical and content knowledge of writing would increase as an outcome of teachers taking a research lens to their practice to raise students' writing achievement. Using student achievement data as a baseline, teachers examined and refined their practice using an inquiry process. The study took…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Farrar, Cynthia Hamen
In AP Biology, the course goal, with respect to scientific acts and reasoning, has recently shifted toward a reform goal of science practice, where the goal is for students to have a scientific perspective that views science as a practice of a community rather than a body of knowledge. Given this recent shift, this study is interested in the gaps that may exist between an individual teacher's instructional goal and the goals of the AP Biology course. A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) methodology and perspective is used to analyze four teachers' knowledge, practice, and learning. Teachers have content knowledge for teaching, a form of knowledge that is unique for teaching called specialized content knowledge. This specialized content knowledge (SCK) defines their instructional goals, the student outcomes they ultimately aim to achieve with their students. The study employs a cultural-historical continuum of scientific acts and reasoning, which represents the development of the AP Biology goal over time, to study gaps in their instructional goal. The study also analyzes the contradictions within their teaching practice and how teachers address those contradictions to shift their instructional practice and learn. The findings suggest that teachers have different interpretations of the AP Biology goals of science practice, placing their instructional goal at different points along the continuum. Based on the location of their instructional goal, different micro-communities of teachers exist along the continuum, comprised of teachers with a shared goal, language, and culture of their AP Biology teaching. The in-depth study of one teacher's AP Biology teaching, using a CHAT perspective, provides a means for studying the mechanisms that connect SCK to classroom actions and ultimately to instructional practice. CHAT also reveals the nature and importance of contradictions or cognitive dissonance in teacher learning and the types of support teachers need to
Analyzing "Inconsistencies" in Practice: Teachers' Continued Use of Round Robin Reading
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ash, Gwynne Ellen; Kuhn, Melanie R.; Walpole, Sharon
2009-01-01
This study analyzed in-service teachers' and literacy coaches' perceptions of Round Robin Reading to begin developing an understanding of the persistence of this practice in public schools in the United States. Surveying 80 teachers and 27 literacy coaches using an open-ended instrument, we found that many teachers continued to use Round Robin…
Multilingual Students in Greek Schools: Teachers' Views and Teaching Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mitits, Lydia
2018-01-01
The purpose of the study was to investigate the views held by teachers in Thrace, Greece with respect to their multilingual students and the teaching practices. A questionnaire (De Angelis, 2011) was used to assess teachers' beliefs about the role of prior linguistic knowledge, the teacher, the school and the family in the education of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Manchion, Kyrie L.; Bonsignore, Matt; Haley, Tina L.
2012-01-01
This report describes a project focused on quality teacher evaluation practices. Many scholars described the relationship between quality teaching and student learning. Literature suggests a connection between teaching practices and teacher evaluation practices. In addition, scholars recommend educational leaders conduct a periodic review of…
Improving Kindergarten Teachers' Differentiation Practices to Better Anticipate Student Differences
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dijkstra, Elma M.; Walraven, Amber; Mooij, Ton; Kirschner, Paul A.
2016-01-01
This article presents the findings from a teacher intervention in Dutch kindergartens aimed at improving teachers' differentiation practices (DP) to better anticipate student differences. The intervention was designed to improve the match between student levels and curricular activities, in particular for high-ability students and consists of…
Purpose, Practice and Theory: Teacher Educators' Beliefs about Professional Experience
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Morrison, Chad M.
2016-01-01
The purposes of professional experience within initial teacher education programs are varied (Russell, 2005). However, there is limited literature explaining (a) university-based teacher educators' beliefs about its purposes and (b) how these purposes are reflected in practice. This study investigated these themes. A pragmatic mixed-method…
Defining Tools for Teacher Reflection: The Assessment of Learner-Centered Practices (ALCP).
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McCombs, Barbara L.
This paper focuses on the development and validation of survey tools that help teachers engage in a guided reflection process. The guided reflection process assists teachers at all levels, kindergarten through college, to reflect on (1) their own beliefs and practices; (2) how these practices are perceived by their students; and (3) the impact of…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Erdogan, Ibrahim
The purposes of the study were: (1) to examine the effectiveness of the Iowa Chautauqua Professional Development Program (ICPDP) in moving elementary science teachers toward the use of more constructive teaching practices and (2) to investigate the effectiveness of different levels of teaching practices, especially in terms of a sample of teachers achieving "expert" state at the end of program compared with some attaining only with "competent" level. The variables considered were their perceptions of their own classroom practices, stated philosophy of teaching and learning, and their actual classroom practices and question asking behaviors observed via videotape recording. Structured questionnaires, focus group interviews, teacher reflections, and examination of lesson modules were used to collect data from thirty-three K-5 in-service teachers who were involved in a one-year ICPDP. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of data revealed that: (1) Teacher perceptions regarding their teaching and learning, and their actual teaching practices in classroom in terms of constructivist approaches were significantly changed after participation in the ICPDP. (2) Teacher perceptions of their classroom practices and stated philosophies of teaching and learning have a great affect on their actual practices that can be observed. (3) Teacher stated philosophies of teaching and learning significantly influence the quantity and quality of their use of questions in their classrooms. (4) The "expert" teachers accept students' alternative answers and deliberately ask high cognitive level questions that enable students to think critically and to guide them based on what the students are thinking. Alternatively, the "competent" teachers do not follow student responses and used questions which do not help students to understand their current level of understanding nor encourage students to reflect on their own thinking. (5) The role of "expert" teacher is more geared toward challenging
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lemberger, Nancy; Reyes-Carrasquillo, Angela
2011-01-01
This descriptive exploratory study looked at the certification process, test-taking experiences, and instructional practices of a group of graduate bilingual education (BE) and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers to understand why some had problems passing teacher certification tests after completing their degrees. The study surveyed 63 BE…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chikasanda, Vanwyk Khobidi Mbubzi; Otrel-Cass, Kathrin; Williams, John; Jones, Alister
2013-01-01
This paper reports on a professional development that was designed and implemented in an attempt to broaden teachers' knowledge of the nature of technology and also enhance their technological pedagogical practices. The professional development was organised in four phases with each phase providing themes for reflection and teacher learning in…
Teacher Evaluation in Illinois: School Leaders' Perceptions and Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lavigne, Alyson Leah; Chamberlain, Roger Wade
2017-01-01
The aim of the current study is to assess school leaders' perceptions and practices in the context of a new policy that emphasizes teacher evaluation. The study draws from survey data of 606 K-12 school leaders in the USA in a state implementing a new teacher evaluation model under Race to the Top. Findings illustrate that school leaders spent…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McCabe, Michael; Walsh, Steve; Wideman, Ronald; Winter, Eileen
2009-01-01
The case for critical reflective practice (CRP) among teachers has been advocated for some time. Reflective practice is now at the heart of a number of teacher education programmes and is regarded as an important element in the preparation of new teachers. While it is clear that CRP is highly regarded by teacher educators, less clear is whether…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lenski, Susan; Larson, Mindy; McElhone, Dot; Davis, Dennis S.; Lauritzen, Carol; Villagómez, Amanda; Yeigh, Maika; Landon-Hays, Melanie; LeJeune, Marie; Scales, W. David
2016-01-01
This study reports the results of a survey of a representative sample of 1,206 elementary reading and English Language Arts teachers in Oregon to learn (1) what materials are currently being used, (2) what materials teachers would prefer, and (3) what instructional practices teachers use. Qualitative data included 365 comments and 34 interviews…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Oslund, Joy Ann
2009-01-01
Recent mathematics education reforms (NCTM, 2000) have resulted in increased opportunities for teachers to learn new teaching practices. However, the relationship between teacher professional development and the actual implementation of new practices is unclear. I posit that a teachers' decision to implement newly learned practices is strongly…
Teachers' Beliefs about Neuroscience and Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zambo, Debby; Zambo, Ron
2011-01-01
Information from neuroscience is readily available to educators, yet instructors of educational psychology and related fields have not investigated teachers' beliefs regarding this information. The purpose of this survey study was to uncover the beliefs 62 teachers held about neuroscience and education. Results indicate there were three types of…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Savasci, Funda; Berlin, Donna F.
2012-02-01
Science teacher beliefs and classroom practice related to constructivism and factors that may influence classroom practice were examined in this cross-case study. Data from four science teachers in two schools included interviews, demographic questionnaire, Classroom Learning Environment Survey (preferred/perceived), and classroom observations and documents. Using an inductive analytic approach, results suggested that the teachers embraced constructivism, but classroom observations did not confirm implementation of these beliefs for three of the four teachers. The most preferred constructivist components were personal relevance and student negotiation; the most perceived component was critical voice. Shared control was the least preferred, least perceived, and least observed constructivist component. School type, grade, student behavior/ability, curriculum/standardized testing, and parental involvement may influence classroom practice.
Enhancing Teacher Training Skills by Strengthening the Teaching Practice Component
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Phillips, Heather Nadia; Chetty, Rajendra
2018-01-01
Purpose: The ongoing theory vs practice debate reinforces the problems facing teacher training institutions which need to challenge traditional programmes and work towards a tighter coherence between coursework and practical experience. Working more closely with schools to restructure teaching practice is necessary in order to create better…
Knowledge Base of Mathematics Teacher Educators: A Goals-Knowledge-Practice Approach
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Veselovsky, Aleksandra
2017-01-01
Critical analysis of the literature reveals that many questions about the knowledge and practice of mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) remain in need of further research: how do they know what to teach; how do they learn how to teach teachers; how do they prepare to teach their courses; how does the research on teacher education inform their…
Veteran Teachers and Technology: Change Fatigue and Knowledge Insecurity Influence Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Orlando, Joanne
2014-01-01
In recent years, a significant problem that has manifested in the quest to capitalise on the pedagogical potential of technology in schools is that veteran teachers are unwilling to integrate these resources into their practices. Given that veteran teachers comprise up to 40% of teachers, their lack of use is important. This paper aims to shed…
Reich, Kristian; Leonardi, Craig; Lebwohl, Mark; Kerdel, Francisco; Okubo, Yukari; Romiti, Ricardo; Goldblum, Orin; Dennehy, Ellen B; Kerr, Lisa; Sofen, Howard
2017-06-01
Scalp is a frequently affected and difficult-to-treat area in psoriasis patients. We assessed the efficacy of ixekizumab in the treatment of patients with scalp psoriasis over 60 weeks using the Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index (PSSI). In three Phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in UNCOVER-1 (N = 1296), UNCOVER-2 (N = 1224) and UNCOVER-3 (N = 1346) were randomized to subcutaneous 80 mg ixekizumab every two weeks (Q2W) or every four weeks (Q4W) after a 160 mg starting dose, or placebo through Week 12. Additional UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 cohorts were randomized to 50 mg bi-weekly etanercept through Week 12. Patients entering the open-label long-term extension (LTE) (UNCOVER-3) received ixekizumab Q4W; UNCOVER-1 and UNCOVER-2 included a blinded maintenance period in which static physician global assessment (sPGA) 0/1 responders were re-randomized to placebo, ixekizumab Q4W, or 80 mg ixekizumab every 12 weeks (Q12W) through Week 60. In patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis with baseline scalp involvement, PSSI 90 and 100 were achieved at Week 12 in higher percentages of patients treated with ixekizumab Q2W (81.7% and 74.6%) or ixekizumab Q4W (75.6% and 68.9%) compared with patients treated with placebo (7.6% and 6.7%; p < .001 each ixekizumab arm versus placebo) or etanercept (55.5% and 48.1%; p < .001 each ixekizumab arm versus etanercept). These outcomes were maintained through Week 60 of the maintenance (UNCOVER-1 and UNCOVER-2) and LTE (UNCOVER-3) period in patients who continued on ixekizumab Q4W. Ixekizumab was efficacious in treating scalp psoriasis in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, with most patients achieving complete or near-complete resolution of scalp psoriasis and maintaining this response over 60 weeks.
Making Use of Theories about Literacy and Justice: Teachers Re-Searching Practice.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Comber, Barbara
This paper explores the way teachers make use of and work on theory to disrupt and ultimately improve everyday educational practice. The paper argues that teachers working on and with theory can and do generate new forms of educative practices in the field of literacy education, which are based on explicit standpoints towards social justice in…
Teaching Interactive Practices and Burnout: A Study on Italian Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mameli, Consuelo; Molinari, Luisa
2017-01-01
The purpose of the present study was to analyse the role played by teaching interactive practices (measured through a self-report Likert scale) in predicting teacher burnout, after controlling for school grade (primary vs. secondary school) and teaching experience. Participants were 282 Italian teachers equally distributed between primary and…
Preschool Teachers' Beliefs, Knowledge, and Practices Related to Classroom Management
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Drang, Debra Michal
2011-01-01
This study examined preschool teachers' beliefs, knowledge, and practices related to classroom management. The rationale for researching this topic is based on the role of teachers in the special education referral process, the poor success rate for inclusion for children with disabilities who demonstrate problematic classroom behaviors, and the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Savasci, Funda; Berlin, Donna F.
2012-01-01
Science teacher beliefs and classroom practice related to constructivism and factors that may influence classroom practice were examined in this cross-case study. Data from four science teachers in two schools included interviews, demographic questionnaire, Classroom Learning Environment Survey (preferred/perceived), and classroom observations and…
Inquiry-Based Instruction in Secondary Science Classrooms: A Survey of Teacher Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gejda, Linda M.; LaRocco, Diana J.
2006-01-01
Background: For ten years, the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996) have served as the foundation for Connecticut's teacher certification in science and the expectations of teacher practice secondary science classrooms. Furthermore, beginning science teachers must demonstrate the ability to teach in an…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kuh, Lisa P.
2016-01-01
Reflective practice has potentially positive effects on an organization's capacity to focus on student learning and teaching practices. In an effort to comply with policy and provide teachers with opportunities to reflect on their practice, districts, schools, and teachers have turned to various models that feature collaborative experiences. One…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brady, Kathy
2012-01-01
This study examines the developing beliefs and practices of six beginning primary teachers. Their accounts reveal practices indicative of contemporary approaches to teaching and learning in mathematics. Additionally, a consistency appears to exist between the beliefs and practices of the beginning teachers, and the ideals for mathematics teaching…
Donica, Denise K; Larson, Michelle H; Zinn, Abbey A
2012-01-01
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of elementary school teachers on training in handwriting instruction received during their education, as well as their current classroom practices. The quantity and quality of training in handwriting instruction provided by baccalaureate degree-granting teacher education programs in North Carolina was also examined. An online survey was administered to each population identified to inquire about handwriting instruction practices. Results from 505 teachers and 16 professors indicated that while handwriting instruction content is valued by both teachers and professors, varied levels of training were provided to the teachers. Implications for occupational therapy practice are discussed including strategies for school-based therapists.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
de Kramer, Raquel Magidin; Masters, Jessica; O'Dwyer, Laura M.; Dash, Sheralyn; Russell, Michael
2012-01-01
Online professional development (OPD) has potential to improve teacher quality by improving teachers' knowledge and instructional practices. These changes, in turn, have potential to improve student achievement. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of scientific research on the effects of OPD on teachers and, more importantly, on students. This…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Simoncini, Kym M.; Lasen, Michelle; Rocco, Sharn
2014-01-01
While embedded in teacher professional standards and assumed aspects of teacher professionalism, willingness and ability to engage in professional dialogue about practice and curriculum initiatives are rarely examined or explicitly taught in teacher education programs. With this in mind, the authors designed an assessment task for pre-service…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Benedict-Chambers, Amanda; Kademian, Sylvie M.; Davis, Elizabeth A.; Palincsar, Annemarie Sullivan
2017-10-01
Science education reforms articulate a vision of ambitious science teaching where teachers engage students in sensemaking discussions and emphasise the integration of scientific practices with science content. Learning to teach in this way is complex, and there are few examples of sensemaking discussions in schools where textbook lessons and teacher-directed discussions are the norm. The purpose of this study was to characterise the questioning practices of an experienced teacher who taught a curricular unit enhanced with educative features that emphasised students' engagement in scientific practices integrated with science content. Analyses indicated the teacher asked four types of questions: explication questions, explanation questions, science concept questions, and scientific practice questions, and she used three questioning patterns including: (1) focusing students on scientific practices, which involved a sequence of questions to turn students back to the scientific practice; (2) supporting students in naming observed phenomena, which involved a sequence of questions to help students use scientific language; and (3) guiding students in sensemaking, which involved a sequence of questions to help students learn about scientific practices, describe evidence, and develop explanations. Although many of the discussions in this study were not yet student-centred, they provide an image of a teacher asking specific questions that move students towards reform-oriented instruction. Implications for classroom practice are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rivero Arias, Ana Margarita
Metacognition, identified generally as "thinking about thinking", plays a fundamental role in science education. It enhances the understanding of science as a way to generate new knowledge using scientific concepts and practices. Moreover, metacognition supports the development of students' life-long problem solving, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. When teachers use metacognition with intention, it can promote students' agency and responsibility for their own learning. However, despite all of its benefits, metacognition is rarely seen in secondary science classrooms. Thus, it is important to understand what beginning teachers know and how they use metacognition during their first years in order to find ways to prepare and support them in incorporating metacognitive practices into their science teaching. The purpose of this multimethod study was to describe the metacognitive knowledge and experiences of beginning science teachers. For the quantitative research strand, I surveyed 36 secondary science teachers about their awareness of metacognition and used classroom observations coded from a larger research study to identify how often teachers were using metacognition to teach science. For the qualitative strand, I interviewed 15 participants about their knowledge and experiences of metacognition (including reflective practices) and spent two weeks observing two of the teachers who described exemplary metacognitive teaching practices. I found that participants had a solid awareness of metacognition, but considered the term complicated to enact, difficult for students, and less important to focus on during their first years of teaching than other elements such as content. Additionally, teaching experience seemed to have an effect on teachers' knowledge and experiences of metacognition. However, participants who were using metacognitive practices had recognized their importance since the beginning of their teaching. Reflective practices can help improve
Alignment of Human Resource Practices and Teacher Performance Competency
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Heneman III, Herbert G.; Milanowski, Anthony T.
2004-01-01
In this article, we argue that human resource (HR) management practices are important components of strategies for improving student achievement in an accountability environment. We present a framework illustrating the alignment of educational HR management practices to a teacher performance competency model, which in turn is aligned with student…
Teacher Education: Linking Theory to Practice through Digital Technology
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wursta, Melanie; Brown-DuPaul, Judy; Segatti, Laura
2004-01-01
Teacher education faculty need to bridge college course knowledge to actual practices in early childhood classrooms. Historically, faculty have lectured about best practices and then students have attempted to integrate these concepts into their own teaching with children. This article highlights one community college's use of digital photography…
Preservice and Inservice Teachers' Challenges in the Planning of Practical Work in Physics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nivalainen, Ville; Asikainen, Mervi A.; Sormunen, Kari; Hirvonen, Pekka E.
2010-06-01
Practical work in school science plays many essential roles that have been discussed in the literature. However, less attention has been paid to how teachers learn the different roles of practical work and to the kind of challenges they face in their learning during laboratory courses designed for teachers. In the present study we applied the principles of grounded theory to frame a set of factors that seem to set major challenges concerning both successful work in the school physics laboratory and also in the preparation of lessons that exploit practical work. The subject groups of the study were preservice and inservice physics teachers who participated in a school laboratory course. Our results derived from a detailed analysis of tutoring discussions between the instructor and the participants in the course, which revealed that the challenges in practical or laboratory work consisted of the limitations of the laboratory facilities, an insufficient knowledge of physics, problems in understanding instructional approaches, and the general organization of practical work. Based on these findings, we present our recommendations on the preparation of preservice and inservice teachers for the more effective use of practical work in school science and in school physics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Doecke, Brenton; Green, Bill; Kostogris, Alex; Reid, Jo-Anne; Sawyer, Wayne
2007-01-01
This article problematises representations of professional practice. It investigates assumptions behind received accounts of professional practice, including professional standards that purportedly capture what accomplished English teachers "should know and be able to do", "scientific" studies that construct accounts of classrooms from the…
Reddy, Linda A; Fabiano, Gregory A; Dudek, Christopher M; Hsu, Louis
2013-12-01
This investigation examined 317 general education kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers' use of instructional and behavioral management strategies as measured by the Classroom Strategy Scale (CSS)-Observer Form, a multidimensional tool for assessing classroom practices. The CSS generates frequency of strategy use and discrepancy scores reflecting the difference between recommended and actual frequencies of strategy use. Hierarchical linear models (HLMs) suggested that teachers' grade-level assignment was related to their frequency of using instructional and behavioral management strategies: Lower grade teachers utilized more clear 1 to 2 step commands, praise statements, and behavioral corrective feedback strategies than upper grade teachers, whereas upper grade teachers utilized more academic monitoring and feedback strategies, content/concept summaries, student focused learning and engagement, and student thinking strategies than lower grade teachers. Except for the use of praise statements, teachers' usage of instructional and behavioral management strategies was not found to be related to years of teaching experience or to the interaction of years of teaching experience and grade-level assignment. HLMs suggested that teachers' grade level was related to their discrepancy scores of some instructional and behavioral management strategies: Upper grade teachers had higher discrepancy scores in academic performance feedback, behavioral feedback, and praise than lower grade teachers. Teachers' discrepancy scores of instructional and behavioral management strategies were not found to be related to years of teaching experience or to the interaction of years of teaching experience and grade-level assignment. Implications of results for school psychology practice are outlined. © 2013.
Teachers' Funds of Knowledge: A Challenge to Evidence-Based Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hedges, Helen
2012-01-01
The spontaneous nature of much early childhood teaching makes it vital to understand the range of knowledge that teachers draw on in their curricular and pedagogical decision-making. Hammersley argued that teaching practice cannot be based directly on research evidence because it needs to be filtered through teachers' experiences and…
Teachers' Choice of Using Practical Activities--A Hierarchical Classification Attempt
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Haara, Frode Olav
2015-01-01
From a system theoretically grounded point of view, a hierarchy of primary and secondary impact factors influencing the mathematics teacher's choice to use practical activities in mathematics teaching is suggested initially in the article. A study, based on qualitative responses from mathematics teachers, then gives grounds for suggesting that a…
Classroom-Based Professional Expertise: A Mathematics Teacher's Practice with Technology
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bozkurt, Gulay; Ruthven, Kenneth
2017-01-01
This study examines the classroom practice and craft knowledge underpinning one teacher's integration of the use of GeoGebra software into mathematics teaching. The chosen teacher worked in an English secondary school and was professionally well regarded as an accomplished user of digital technology in mathematics teaching. Designed in accordance…
Experiences of Teacher Reflection: Reggio Inspired Practices in the Studio
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Parnell, Will
2012-01-01
A teacher educator phenomenologically researches with two studio teachers, creating a dynamic of three reflective practitioners making meaning of their time in the studios. They are reflective practitioners as they claim to practice learning and teaching in reflection, action and reflective action. In their team of three, they explore the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chowdhary, Bhawna; Liu, Xiufeng; Yerrick, Randy; Smith, Erica; Grant, Brooke
2014-01-01
The current literature relates to how teachers develop knowledge and practice of science inquiry, but little has been reported on how teachers develop interdisciplinary science inquiry (ISI) knowledge and practice. This study examines the effect of university research experiences, ongoing professional development, and in-school support on…
Science Teachers' Proficiency Levels and Patterns of TPACK in a Practical Context
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yeh, Yi-Fen; Lin, Tzu-Chiang; Hsu, Ying-Shao; Wu, Hisn-Kai; Hwang, Fu-Kwun
2015-01-01
Technological pedagogical content knowledge-practical (TPACK-P) refers to a unified body of knowledge that teachers develop from and for actual teaching practices with information communication technologies (ICT). This study attempted to unveil the longitudinal and multidimensional development of knowledge that teachers possess by interviewing 40…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thijs, Jochem T.; Koomen, Helma M. Y.; Van Der Leij, Aryan
2006-01-01
This study examined teachers' self-reported pedagogical practices toward socially inhibited, hyperactive, and average kindergartners. A self-report instrument was developed and examined in three samples of kindergartners and their teachers. Principal components analyses were conducted in four datasets pertaining to 1 child per teacher. Two…
Teacher Workshops in the US: Goals, Best Practices and Impact
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hörst, S. M.
2011-10-01
The goal of the workshop is to educate the teachers on a few focused topics so that they can transfer the knowledge they gain to their students. We will recruit scientists who are attending the meeting to participate in the workshops and will also pair the teachers with scientists in the field who can serve as a resource for the teacher and their class throughout the school year. The scientists can answer questions the teachers may have, be available to do video lectures or interactive question and answer sessions over skype, and work with the teachers to develop hands-on classroom activities. We will partner closely with EPO professionals in NASA's Science Mission Directorate to ensure that best practices for the workshops are employed, including ensuring that the workshop and workshop materials are designed within the framework of the state standards, surveying participating teachers before the workshops about their needs and goals, assessing the participants pre-workshop knowledge, and engaging participants as learners during the workshop [1]. The impact of the workshop will be increased by providing the teachers and students with a scientist who will serve as a long-term resource. We will maintain contact with the teachers after the workshop to ensure that the scientists are still actively engaged in their classroom and to collect feedback. References [1] Shupla C, et al. (2011) Lessons Learned: Best Practices in Educator Workshops. 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, no. 2828. EPSC Abstracts Vol. 6, EPSC-DPS2011-1775, 2011 EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011 c Author(s) 2011
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wargo, Brian M.
The New Standards Framework (NRC, 2012) explicitly calls for teachers to engage students in science and engineering practices (SEPs) as they develop knowledge of scientific phenomena and canonical disciplinary ideas. This study analyzed six pre-service secondary science teachers' (PSSSTs') incorporation of SEPs into their planning practices before, during, and after an instructional intervention. The intervention, which was nested into an instructional methods course, supported the PSSSTs by representing the practices they were to engage their own students with. The PSSSTs were then able to decompose and approximate those scientific practices in their lesson planning, thereby developing pedagogical design capacity (PDC). The PSSSTs were interviewed to determine what affordances and constraints they felt when planning for incorporating SEPs into their lesson planning. Analysis of the lesson plans showed that 50% of the PSSSTs incorporated SEPs into their lesson plans when only provided a written description of the SEPs and prompted to do so. During the instructional intervention, 83% of the PSSSTs incorporated SEPs into their lesson plans. After the instructional intervention, the PSSSTs were no longer required to incorporate SEPs into their lesson planning nor were they required to hand in lesson plans for a grade. Instead, they wrote lesson plans for their cooperating teachers and for their own use. Surprisingly, the PSSSTs not only continued to incorporate SEPs into their lessons, but did so more completely by incorporating a diversity of sub-SEPs and more of them in their lessons. This is significant because this may indicate that the instructional intervention has longevity. Interview data suggests that PSSSTs experience both internal and external affordances and constrains when attempting to incorporate SEPs into their lesson planning. Three categories of issues (epistemic, logistical, and curricular) emerged in the results and influence how teachers interact
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Truong, Vi; Hodgetts, Sandra
2017-01-01
Many occupational therapists work in school-based practice, where collaborative consultation between teachers and therapists is critical for intervention effectiveness. This scoping review explores teacher perceptions toward occupational therapy (OT). Three themes emerged: (1) teachers' confusion over the OT role and scope of practice; (2)…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Saad, Rayana; BouJaoude, Saouma
2012-01-01
The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between teachers' attitudes toward science, knowledge and beliefs about inquiry, and science classroom teaching practices. Specifically, the study addressed three questions: What are teachers' beliefs and knowledge about inquiry? What are teachers' teaching related classroom practices? Do…
Uncovering Portuguese Teachers' Difficulties in Implementing Sciences Curriculum
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vasconcelos, Clara; Torres, Joana; Moutinho, Sara; Martins, Idalina; Costa, Nilza
2015-01-01
Many countries recognize the positive and effective results of improving science education through the introduction of reforms in the sciences curriculum. However, some important issues are generally neglected like, for example, the involvement of the teachers in the reform process. Taking the sciences curriculum reform under analysis and…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kaya, Ebru
2013-05-01
This study examines the impact of argumentation practices on pre-service teachers' understanding of chemical equilibrium. The sample consisted of 100 pre-service teachers in two classes of a public university. One of these classes was assigned as experimental and the other as control group, randomly. In the experimental group, the subject of chemical equilibrium was taught by using argumentative practices and the participants were encouraged to participate in the lessons actively. However, the instructor taught the same subject by using the lecturing method without engaging argumentative activities in the control group. The Chemical Equilibrium Concept Test and Written Argumentation Survey were administered to all participants to assess their conceptual understanding and the quality of their arguments, respectively. The analysis of covariance results indicate that argumentation practices significantly improved conceptual understanding of the experimental group when compared to the control group. Furthermore, the results show that the pre-service teachers exposed to argumentative practices constructed more quality arguments than those in the control group after the instruction. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the instruction based on argumentative practices is effective in concept teaching in science education. Therefore, argumentation should be explicitly taught in teacher education besides elementary and secondary education.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Charbonneau-Gowdy, Paula
2015-01-01
This paper adds to the emerging dialogue on best practices in teacher education for preparing future teachers to use technology to promote grounded theory-based practices in their classrooms. In it, I report on an evolving model for such training that resulted from a longitudinal case study examining how teacher trainees' identities, learning and…
Challenges in Enacting Core Practices in Language Teacher Education: A Self-Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Peercy, Megan Madigan
2014-01-01
In this study, I explore my practices as a teacher educator in one course both before and after returning to the K-12 classroom to teach secondary language learners for one academic year. By examining the intersection of self-study and practice-based teacher education, I illustrate how I used self-study as a mechanism for innovation and change and…
Enhancing students' moral competence in practice: Challenges experienced by Malawian nurse teachers.
Solum, Eva Merethe; Maluwa, Veronica Mary; Tveit, Bodil; Severinsson, Elisabeth
2016-09-01
Nurses and student nurses in Malawi often encounter challenges in taking a moral course of action. Several studies have demonstrated a need for increased awareness of ethical issues in the nursing education. To explore the challenges experienced by nurse teachers in Malawi in their efforts to enhance students' moral competence in clinical practice. A qualitative hermeneutic approach was employed to interpret the teachers' experiences. Individual interviews (N = 8) and a focus group interview with teachers (N = 9) from different nursing colleges were conducted. Ethical approval was granted and all participants signed their informed consent. Two overall themes emerged: (1) authoritarian learning climate, with three subthemes: (a) fear of making critical comments about clinical practice, (b) fear of disclosing mistakes and lack of knowledge and (c) lack of a culture of critical discussion and reflection that promotes moral competence; and (2) discrepancy between expectations on learning outcome from nursing college and the learning opportunities in practice comprising three subthemes: (a) gap between the theory taught in class and learning opportunities in clinical practice, (b) lack of good role models and (c) lack of resources. Our findings indicated that showing respect was a central objective when the students were assessed in practice. A number of previous studies have enlightened the need for critical reflection in nursing education. Few studies have linked this to challenges experienced by teachers for development of moral competence in practice. This is one of the first such studies done in an African setting. There is a clear relationship between the two themes. A less authoritarian learning climate may enhance critical reflection and discussion between students, teachers and nurses. This can narrow the gap between the theory taught in college and what is demonstrated in clinical practice. Moral competence must be enhanced in order to ensure patients' rights
Johnson, Stacy R; Pas, Elise T; Loh, Deanna; Debnam, Katrina J; Bradshaw, Catherine P
2017-03-01
Although evidence-based practices for students' social, emotional, and behavioral health are readily available, their adoption and quality implementation in schools are of increasing concern. Teachers are vital to implementation; yet, there is limited research on teachers' openness to adopting new practices, which may be essential to successful program adoption and implementation. The current study explored how perceptions of principal support, teacher affiliation, teacher efficacy, and burnout relate to teachers' openness to new practices. Data came from 2,133 teachers across 51 high schools. Structural equation modeling assessed how organizational climate (i.e., principal support and teacher affiliation) related to teachers' openness directly and indirectly via teacher resources (i.e., efficacy and burnout). Teachers with more favorable perceptions of both principal support and teacher affiliation reported greater efficacy, and, in turn, more openness; however, burnout was not significantly associated with openness. Post hoc analyses indicated that among teachers with high levels of burnout, only principal support related to greater efficacy, and in turn, higher openness. Implications for promoting teachers' openness to new program adoption are discussed.
Question Asking in the Science Classroom: Teacher Attitudes and Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Eshach, Haim; Dor-Ziderman, Yair; Yefroimsky, Yana
2014-01-01
Despite the wide agreement among educators that classroom learning and teaching processes can gain much from student and teacher questions, their potential is not fully utilized. Adopting the view that reporting both teachers' (of varying age groups) views and actual classroom practices is necessary for obtaining a more complete view of the…
An Analysis of Teacher Practices with Toddlers during Social Conflicts
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gloeckler, Lissy R.; Cassell, Jennifer M.; Malkus, Amy J.
2014-01-01
Employing a quasi-experimental design, this pilot study on teacher practices with toddlers during social conflicts was conducted in the southeastern USA. Four child-care classrooms, teachers (n?=?8) and children (n?=?51) were assessed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System -- Toddler [CLASS-Toddler; La Paro, K., Hamre, B. K., & Pianta,…
Sustaining a Nonlinear Integrative Learning Context: Middle Level Teachers' Perspectives.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Powell, Richard; And Others
1997-01-01
Explored how middle level integrativist teachers working in a conventional school district sustain their commitment to integrativist learning. Used ethnographic interviewing, which uncovered four themes in these teachers' perspectives: (1) the very different nature of relationships among teachers and with students; (2) struggles with instructional…
Teacher Attitudes toward Subject-Specific Acceleration: Instrument Development and Validation
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rambo, Karen E.; McCoach, D. Betsy
2012-01-01
Despite the research supporting acceleration, some teachers are still hesitant to recommend acceleration for advanced students. The Teacher Attitudes Toward Subject-Specific Acceleration (TATSSA) instrument was designed to uncover the factors that influence teacher decisions to recommend students for subject-specific acceleration. First, we…
A Pilot Study of Problems and Practices in the Induction of Beginning Teachers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bouchard, John B.; Hull, Ronald E.
A pilot study was designed to test the practicality of gathering data through interviews and to provide tentative information on induction problems and practices encountered by beginning teachers in the Cattaraugus-Chautauqua County area of New York. Fifty-three elementary self-contained classroom teachers and secondary academic subject-matter…
Sociological Tools in the Study of Knowledge and Practice in Mathematics Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Parker, Diane; Adler, Jill
2014-01-01
In this paper, we put Basil Bernstein's theory of pedagogic discourse to work together with additional theoretical resources to interrogate knowledge and practice in mathematics teacher education. We illustrate this methodology through analysis of an instance of mathematics teacher education pedagogic practice. While the methodology itself is…
Differentiated Instruction in the Work Sample: A Study of Preservice Teacher Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dee, Amy Lynn
2009-01-01
Successfully implementing the practice of inclusion by differentiating instruction is dependent upon both the skills and attitudes of general education teachers. New general education teachers who are entering the field are particularly vulnerable to the demands and stress of the profession, and exemplary preservice teacher education programs must…
Teacher's Knowledge, Attitudes and Management Practices about Diabetes Care in Riyadh's Schools.
Abdel Gawwad, Ensaf S
2008-01-01
The objective of this study was to assess diabetes-related knowledge, attitudes and management practices among school teachers in order to determine their diabetes training needs and preparedness to provide adequate care for students with diabetes. A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out among 177 school teachers in Boys and Girls primary and intermediate school compounds in Riyadh City. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires during the period February-March 2007. The results showed that most of the school teachers had fair diabetes knowledge (78%), and unfavorable attitudes toward taking responsibility of diabetes education and care in schools. Recognizing normal, low and high blood sugar levels was the least known. The most frequent sources of information were booklets, brochures, mass media and own experience. A negative significant relationship was found between knowledge and attitude scores. Only 18.6% of teachers had got good total score of diabetes management practices for their diabetic students. The most frequent practices mentioned were trying to have competency in using glucometer, and allowing students to use restroom as needed. Developing an emergency action plan, and observing diabetic students all the school day were the least mentioned practices. Good diabetes managers were more knowledgeable and more expressing unfavorable attitudes. This study highlighted the need of diabetes education training courses especially designed to school teachers to promote adequate care and management of diabetes emergencies in schools.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bannister, Nicole A.
2009-01-01
This dissertation seeks to understand how teachers learn through interactions in newly formed workplace communities by examining how mathematics teachers engaged in equity-oriented reforms frame problems of practice. It examines how teachers' framings develop over time, and how teachers' shifting frames connect to their learning in a community of…
Astronomy in the training of teachers and the role of practical rationality in sky observation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bretones, P. S.; Compiani, M.
2006-08-01
This work analyses a program in the training of teachers that departs from the courses based on the technical rationality. An Astronomy course was offered to Science and Geography teachers of the four last years of high school education, comprising 46 hours, and organized in 2002 by the Instituto Superior de Ciências Aplicadas in Limeira, Brazil. Following the course a study group was established and held five meetings. The data was obtained through assessments, interviews, and accounts by the teachers and records from the classes and meetings. The actions and conceptual changes and the role of the Practical Rationality were then investigated. It was verified that for sky observation, the model of Practical Rationality within the reflective teacher theoretical framework and tutorial actions leads to knowledge acquisition, conceptual changes and extracurricular activities. Examples are: suggestions, personal actions of the teachers without their students, accounts of extracurricular activities and development of astronomical contents in class, actions in the pedagogical practices and reflections of the teachers with the teacher/ researcher towards the assessment of such changes are shown. It is important to stress that sky observation has specific features that lead to an equally specific school practice, in which the contents and procedures based on observations and their representation point towards a more practical rationality. Even in a training course for teachers based on technical rationality, the introduction of sky observation deepens the practical rationality and the development of principles that guide the acquisition and the teaching of knowledge about sky observation.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hedrick, Wanda B.; Harmon, Janis M.; Linerode, Philip M.
2004-01-01
This investigation focused on the vocabulary beliefs and instructional practices of social studies teachers in intermediate and middle school grades as well as their use of teachers' manuals. Using a self-reporting survey to measure these beliefs and practices, we found some discrepancy between what teachers believe about vocabulary learning and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Carpenter, Dan
2012-01-01
The purpose of this reputation-based, multiple-site case study was to explore professional learning communities' impact on teacher classroom practice. The goal of this research was to describe the administrator and teachers' perceptions with respect to professional learning communities as it related to teacher practice in their school. Educators…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ihmeideh, Fathi
2010-01-01
This study investigated preschool teachers' beliefs and practices regarding the use of computer technology in teaching reading and writing in Jordan. The researcher developed a questionnaire consisting of two scales--Teachers' Beliefs Scale (TB Scale) and Teachers' Practices Scale (TP Scale)--to examine the role of computer technology in teaching…
Visibly Learning: Teachers' Assessment Practices for Students with High and Very High Needs
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bourke, Roseanna; Mentis, Mandia; Todd, Liz
2011-01-01
This paper examines the assessment practices of teachers working with students with special educational needs in New Zealand primary and secondary regular and special schools. A national survey was used to identify current assessment practices used by teachers working with students designated, through a resourcing policy, as having high and very…
Teaching Practice and the Personal and Socio-Professional Development of Prospective Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schoeman, S.; Mabunda, P. L.
2012-01-01
This study investigates the interplay between individual and contextual variables during teaching practice and its impact on the personal and socio-professional development of prospective teachers. The purpose of the study was to survey how prospective teachers experienced the process of becoming aware of their emerging identities as teachers, and…
Student Teachers' Outlooks upon the Ethics of Their Mentors during Teaching Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Atjonen, Paivi
2012-01-01
The aim of this study is to describe student teachers' experiences of their mentors' ethical decisions during their teaching practice sessions for teacher education. The data was gathered from 201 prospective class and subject teachers who described from an ethical viewpoint both positive and negative mentoring experiences. The data analysis is…
Guiding Educators to Praxis: Moving Teachers beyond Theory to Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Castillo, Melissa J.
2012-01-01
The purpose of this study was to explore and report on the impact of coaching as an embedded part of professional development has on teacher learning and practice in the context of educating English Language Learners (ELLs). A close examination was made of what teachers, coaches and principals believe to be effective professional development and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lin, Su-ching; Cheng, Wen-wen; Wu, Ming-sui
2015-01-01
Most research suggests professional development improves teachers' knowledge and pedagogy and enhances teachers' confidence to facilitate a positive attitude about student learning. This study attempted to investigate the connection between teacher professional development program and students' Learning. This study took Readers' Theater Teaching…
Byrd-Williams, Courtney; Dooley, Erin E; Sharma, Shreela V; Chuang, Ru-Jye; Butte, Nancy; Hoelscher, Deanna M
2017-12-21
Practices and barriers to promoting healthy eating and physical activity at Head Start centers may influence children's energy balance behaviors. We examined differences between directors' and teachers' perspectives on best practices and barriers to promoting healthy eating and physical activity in Head Start centers. We conducted a cross-sectional study of directors (n = 23) and teachers (n = 113) at 23 Head Start centers participating in the baseline assessment of the Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration study. Participants completed surveys about practices and barriers to promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Multilevel regression models examined differences between director and teacher responses. More than half of directors and teachers reported meeting most best practices related to nutrition and physical activity; few directors or teachers (<25%) reported conducting physical activity for more than 60 minutes a day, and less than 40% of teachers helped children attend to satiety cues. Significantly more directors than teachers reported meeting 2 nutrition-related best practices: "Teachers rarely eat less healthy foods (especially sweets, salty snacks, and sugary drinks) in front of children" and "Teachers talk to children about trying/enjoying new foods" (P < .05). No barrier to healthy eating or physical activity was reported by more than 25% of directors or teachers. Significantly more teachers than directors reported barriers to healthy eating, citing lack of food service staff support, limited time, and insufficient funds (P < .05). More barriers to healthy eating were reported than were barriers to physical activity indicating that more support may be needed for healthy eating. Differences between responses of directors and teachers may have implications for future assessments of implementation of best practices and barriers to implementation related to nutrition and physical activity in early care and education centers.
van der Horst, Klazine; Giger, Max; Siegrist, Michael
2011-01-01
Health professionals' attitudes toward shared decision-making (SDM) are an important facilitator of SDM, but information on these attitudes is limited. The purpose of this study is to examine attitudes, education and practices around SDM and risk communication in residents and their teachers. A questionnaire was mailed to residents in Swiss hospitals in postgraduate medical training programs assessing risk communication education and SDM. In an Internet survey, teachers of the medical training programs answered questions on SDM and risk communication practices. Data were analyzed with ANOVAs and paired samples t-tests. Significant differences in residents' and teachers' opinions regarding SDM were found between specialties and number of residents in a residency (1-3, 4-10, ≥11 residents). Teachers showed a high use of verbal risk communication. Neither residents nor teachers expressed a strong feeling that they lacked the time for decision-making. Residents were significantly more negative about the ability of patients to participate in decision-making compared to their teachers. As residents are more negative about SDM compared to teachers and teachers do not always use the preferred and best methods for risk communication, more education for teachers and residents is needed to improve communication practices in the future.
The influences of implementing state-mandated science assessment on teacher practice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Katzmann, Jason Matthew
Four high school Biology teachers, two novice and two experienced, participated in a year and a half case study. By utilizing a naturalistic paradigm, the four individuals were studied in their natural environment, their classrooms. Data sources included: three semi-structured interviews, classroom observation field notes, and classroom artifacts. Through cross-case analysis and a constant comparative methodology, coding nodes where combined and refined resulting in the final themes for discussion. The following research question was investigated: what is the impact of high-stakes testing on high school Biology teacher's instructional planning, instructional practices and classroom assessments? Seven final themes were realized: Assessment, CSAP, Planning, Pressure, Standards, Teaching and Time. Each theme was developed and discussed utilizing each participant's voice. Trustworthiness of this study was established via five avenues: triangulation of data sources, credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. A model of the influences of high-stakes testing on teacher practice was developed to describe the seven themes (Figure 5). This model serves as an illustration of the complex nature of teacher practice and the influences upon it. The four participants in this study were influenced by high-stakes assessment. It influenced their instructional decisions, assessment practices, use of time, planning decisions and decreased the amount of inquiry that occurred in the classroom. Implications of this research and future research directions are described.
Successful Daily Practices of Inclusion Teachers of Children with Down Syndrome.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wolpert, Gloria
This study asked 230 regular education teachers about their educational practices in teaching students with Down syndrome within their mainstream classes. Teachers completed surveys that asked about background experience; preparation for inclusion and the transition process; classroom information (curriculum, class arrangement, therapies, and…
Teachers' Practice a Decade After an Extensive Professional Development Program in Science Education
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Furman Shaharabani, Yael; Tal, Tali
2017-10-01
Science teachers are expected to teach in innovative ways that are different from their long experience as students. Professional development programs are planned to help teachers' development, yet, there is little knowledge of the long-term effects of professional development programs (PDPs), and especially on actual practice. The purpose of this study is to gain a long-term perspective of the ways in which the process and outcomes of a reform-oriented, extended PDP are expressed in science teachers' practice. Data sources included interviews and documents. The study presents four case studies of the practices of junior high school science teachers (grades 7-9) in Israel, with respect to a past PDP in which they took part a decade ago. The cases are presented in pairs of a leader and a follower. Each case details the teacher's work context, sustained implementation, coherence of tools and approaches, and adaptations. All four teachers shared the view that scientific skills are important to their students as learners in a changing world. All four teachers adopted one or two major approaches, which were the PDP's main focus. In addition, the two leaders adopted two more approaches. The teachers were still using many strategies associated with the major foci of the PDP. The level of enactment and modifications of the strategies varied. Usability of innovations is discussed in relation to the teachers' context. We suggest that science teachers' professional development include the ability to adapt the innovation to their teaching context in order to sustain the changes for a long period of time.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chien, Chin-Wen
2015-01-01
Though it is well known that pre-service teachers' field experiences are recognized as key to enhancing teaching practice, Taiwanese pre-service teachers who take "Teaching Methods and Materials" in elementary school's seven areas often complain that they lack field experience. They do not have the opportunity to experience teaching…
Teacher's knowledge and practice of breast self examination.
Drakshyani Devi, K; Venkata Ramaiah, P
1994-12-01
Data collected by interview of 100 teachers of schools and colleges regarding knowledge and practice of self examination of breast is analysed. Results showed that although the fear of breast cancer is common, the knowledge and practice of self examination was deficient and not regularly followed. A plea is made to publicise this in health education programmes and in media as a measure for early detection of breast cancer.
Getting inside Rehearsals: Insights From Teacher Educators to Support Work on Complex Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kazemi, Elham; Ghousseini, Hala; Cunard, Adrian; Turrou, Angela Chan
2016-01-01
In recent years, work in practice-based teacher education has focused on identifying and elaborating how teacher educators (TEs) use pedagogies of enactment to learn in and from practice. However, research on these pedagogies is still in its early development. Building on prior analyses, this article elaborates a particular pedagogy of enactment,…
Teachers' Perceptions of Grading Practices: How Pre-Service Training Makes a Difference
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Link, Laura
2018-01-01
This study examines the enduring problem of inconsistent K-12 grading practices by exploring the relationship between teachers' perceptions of various grading practices, such as factoring student behavior in academic grades, as related to grade level, district locale, and training. Survey responses from 2,996 K-12 teachers from one suburban and…
An Investigation of Tensions between EFL Teachers' Beliefs and Practices about Teaching Culture
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baleghizadeh, Sasan; Moghadam, Maryam Saneie
2013-01-01
This study explores tensions between three Iranian EFL teachers' beliefs and practices with respect to teaching culture. The teachers were observed and interviewed over a period of eight weeks. The observations provided insight into how they taught culture in practice, while the interviews tried to elicit their beliefs. Drawing on the distinction…
The Dynamics of an Online Community of Practice Involving Teachers and Researchers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Marques, Margarida Morais; Loureiro, Maria João; Marques, Luís
2016-01-01
In the literature, communities of practice (CoPs) are recognised as having potential to promote teachers' professional development. However, the study of the dynamics of CoPs with teachers and researchers, and their impact on teachers' professional development, is still scarce. Contributing to fill this gap, this paper presents a single case study…
Assessment of Teacher Perceived Skill in Classroom Assessment Practices Using IRT Models
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Koloi-Keaikitse, Setlhomo
2017-01-01
The purpose of this study was to assess teacher perceived skill in classroom assessment practices. Data were collected from a sample of (N = 691) teachers selected from government primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary schools in Botswana. Item response theory models were used to identify teacher response on items that measured their…
Teacher Education around the World: What Can We Learn from International Practice?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Darling-Hammond, Linda
2017-01-01
This article describes teacher education in jurisdictions around the world that have well-developed systems for teacher development. It examines teacher education policies and practices in Australia (with a focus on Victoria and New South Wales), Canada (with a focus on Alberta and Ontario), Finland and Singapore within the context of recruitment,…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gotwals, Amelia Wenk; Birmingham, Daniel
2016-06-01
With the goal of helping teacher candidates become well-started beginners, it is important that methods courses in teacher education programs focus on high-leverage practices. Using responsive teaching practices, specifically eliciting, identifying, interpreting, and responding to students' science ideas (i.e., formative assessment), can be used to support all students in learning science successfully. This study follows seven secondary science teacher candidates in a yearlong practice-based methods course. Course assignments (i.e., plans for and reflections on teaching) as well as teaching videos were analyzed using a recursive qualitative approach. In this paper, we present themes and patterns in teacher candidates' abilities to elicit, identify, interpret, and respond to students' ideas. Specifically, we found that those teacher candidates who grew in the ways in which they elicited students' ideas from fall to spring were also those who were able to adopt a more balanced reflection approach (considering both teacher and student moves). However, we found that even the teacher candidates who grew in these practices did not move toward seeing students' ideas as nuanced; rather, they saw students' ideas in a dichotomous fashion: right or wrong. We discuss implications for teacher preparation, specifically for how to promote productive reflection and tools for better understanding students' ideas.
American Sign Language Teachers: Practices and Perceptions.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Newell, William J.
1995-01-01
Reports on a survey of 359 teachers of American Sign Language (ASL) conducted in 1993-94. Results found that the ability to apply appropriate methods, professional knowledge of ASL teaching practice, and bilingual skills in ASL and English were considered very important. Knowledge of theoretical issues and classroom management skills were viewed…
Teachers' Embodied Presence in Online Teaching Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bolldén, Karin
2016-01-01
This study aims to examine teachers' embodiments online. The analysis is based on online ethnographic data from two online courses in higher education settings using different information and communication technologies. The perspective of practice theory and the concepts of being a body, having a body and the instrumental body were used to analyse…
Language Teachers Making Sense of Exploratory Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hanks, Judith
2015-01-01
This article critically examines the implementation of Exploratory Practice in an English for academic purposes (EAP) context in a British university. The innovation involved challenges as well as opportunities for uniting learning, teaching and research. Particular emphasis is given to two teachers, who are the focus of this article: the story of…
Reading Practices of Pre-Service Teachers in the United States
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Huang, SuHua
2017-01-01
The purpose of this mixed method study was to investigate the reading practices of pre-service teachers in the United States. A total of 395 (38 male and 357 female) pre-service teachers completed a self-reported survey. In addition, 45 (10 males and 35 females) of the 395 voluntarily agreed to participate in interviews and classroom observations.…
Practicing Collaboration in Teacher Preparation: Effects of Learning by Doing Together
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Weiss, Margaret P.; Pellegrino, Anthony; Brigham, Frederick J.
2017-01-01
Collaboration among professionals is a vital component for successful inclusion of students with disabilities. In many cases, teacher preparation programs assume that teacher candidates know how to collaborate without explicit instruction or authentic practice and, therefore, omit coursework on collaboration. Alternatively, some programs may…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hvidsten, Connie J.
Connie J. Hvidsten September 2016 Education Secondary Science Teachers Making Sense of Model-Based Classroom Instruction: Understanding the Learning and Learning Pathways Teachers Describe as Supporting Changes in Teaching Practice This dissertation consists of three papers analyzing writings and interviews of experienced secondary science teachers during and after a two-year professional development (PD) program focused on model-based reasoning (MBR). MBR is an approach to science instruction that provides opportunities for students to use conceptual models to make sense of natural phenomena in ways that are similar to the use of models within the scientific community. The aim of this research is to better understand the learning and learning pathways teachers identified as valuable in supporting changes in their teaching practice. To accomplish this aim, the papers analyze the ways teachers 1) ascribe their learning to various aspects of the program, 2) describe what they learned, and 3) reflect on the impact the PD had on their teaching practice. Twenty-one secondary science teachers completed the Innovations in Science Instruction through Modeling (ISIM) program from 2007 through 2009. Commonalities in the written reflections and interview responses led to a set of generalizable findings related to the impacts and outcomes of the PD. The first of the three papers describes elements of the ISIM program that teachers associated with their own learning. One of the most frequently mentioned PD feature was being in the position of an adult learner. Embedding learning in instructional practice by collaboratively developing and revising lessons, and observing the lessons in one-another's classrooms provided a sense of professional community, accountability, and support teachers reported were necessary to overcome the challenges of implementing new pedagogical practices. Additionally, teachers described that opportunities to reflect on their learning and connect their
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Genc, Evrim
The primary purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to examine science teachers' assessment beliefs and practices in science classrooms. The present study also investigated the relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices in terms of assessment issues in science, their perceptions of the factors that influenced their assessment practices and their feelings towards high-stakes testing. The participants of the study were 408 science teachers teaching at middle and high school levels in the State of Florida. Data were collected through two modes of administration of the instrument as a paper-and-pencil and a web-based form. The response rate for paper-and-pencil administration was estimated as 68% whereas the response for the web administration was found to be 27%. Results from the various dimensions of validity and reliability analyses revealed that the 24 item-four-factor belief and practice measures were psychometrically sound and conceptually anchored measures of science teachers' assessment beliefs and self-reported practices. Reliability estimates for the belief measure ranged from .83 to .91 whereas alpha values for the practice measure ranged from .56 to .90. Results from the multigroup analysis supported that the instrument has the same theoretical structure across both administration groups. Therefore, future researchers may use either a paper-and-pencil or web-based format of the instrument. This study underscored a discrepancy between what teachers believe and how they act in classroom settings. It was emphasized that certain factors were mediating the dynamics between the belief and the practice. The majority of teachers reported that instruction time, class size, professional development activities, availability of school funding, and state testing mandates impact their assessment routines. Teachers reported that both the preparation process and the results of the test created unbelievable tension both on students and
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ragoonaden, Karen
2015-01-01
In order to research and improve her practice, a teacher educator examined her life history and its relation to the ethical and moral discourses of society using autobiography as a self-study methodology. This critical reflection provided the basis for contextualizing praxis-oriented teacher education in an urban school. Based on the…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jetty, Lauren E.
The purpose of this two-phase, sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was to understand and explain the variation seen in secondary science teachers' enactment of reform-based instructional practices. Utilizing teacher socialization theory, this mixed-methods analysis was conducted to determine the relative influence of secondary science teachers' characteristics, backgrounds and experiences across their teacher development to explain the range of teaching practices exhibited by graduates from three reform-oriented teacher preparation programs. Data for this study were obtained from the Investigating the Meaningfulness of Preservice Programs Across the Continuum of Teaching (IMPPACT) Project, a multi-university, longitudinal study funded by NSF. In the first quantitative phase of the study, data for the sample (N=120) were collected from three surveys from the IMPPACT Project database. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to examine the separate as well as the combined influence of factors such as teachers' personal and professional background characteristics, beliefs about reform-based science teaching, feelings of preparedness to teach science, school context, school culture and climate of professional learning, and influences of the policy environment on the teachers' use of reform-based instructional practices. Findings indicate three blocks of variables, professional background, beliefs/efficacy, and local school context added significant contribution to explaining nearly 38% of the variation in secondary science teachers' use of reform-based instructional practices. The five variables that significantly contributed to explaining variation in teachers' use of reform-based instructional practices in the full model were, university of teacher preparation, sense of preparation for teaching science, the quality of professional development, science content focused professional, and the perceived level of professional autonomy. Using the results
Teacher Evaluation: Practices and Procedures. ERS Report.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Educational Research Service, Arlington, VA.
This report presents findings of the 1988 Educational Research Service survey of teacher evaluation practices and procedures in U.S. schools. The survey instrument was mailed to a random sample of 1,730 superintendents of school districts of varying size. The response rate was 52.5 percent. The first section discusses the purposes of teacher…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Murphy, Bróna
2015-01-01
Reflective practice is at the core of teacher education programmes and is highly regarded as an essential component in the education of new and experienced teachers. Given the recent interest in language use and the role of discourse in articulating knowledge of one's practice, this paper focuses on how two groups of early career teachers from…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Whitmyer, Charnita P.
This dissertation uses Bolman and Deal's Four Framework approach to reframing an organization to examine science teachers' beliefs on teacher preparation and reform practices for diverse learners. Despite the national emphasis on "science for all students" in the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 2011), some traditionally underserved groups tend to underperform on standardized measures of science learning (Kober, 2001; Darling-Hammond, 2010; Bracey, 2009; Kozol, 2009, 2007; PCAST, 2012); and teachers struggle to meet the needs of these students (Hira, 2010). The literature is replete with calls for a better understanding of teacher quality as an entry point into increased student achievement in science. In the current study, the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME) was used to gain an understanding of science teacher quality in the United States, and SPSS 22.0 software was used to evaluate descriptive and inferential statistics, including bivariate correlation analysis, simple linear regression, and a multiple regression of the survey responses. The findings indicated that professional development was the most salient predictor of teachers' preparedness to teach diverse learners. Findings further showed that teachers who held favorable perceptions of preparedness to teach diverse learners were more likely to use reform-oriented practices. This study contributes to an emerging area of research on science teacher quality and its influence on instructional reform for diverse learners. The study concludes with a discussion of supports and obstacles that may enable or inhibit the development of these relationships.
Approximations of Practice in the Preparation of Prospective Elementary Science Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nelson, Michele M.
2011-01-01
Elementary teacher education involves learning to teach science. Even in elementary school, teaching science is demanding work--teachers must orchestrate a complex set of teaching practices to support students' science learning. This dissertation examines the application of Grossman and colleagues' (2009) cross-professional learning framework,…
Secondary School Teachers' Conceptions and Their Teaching Practices Using Graphing Calculators
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lee, Jane A.; McDougall, Douglas E.
2010-01-01
This article investigates secondary school teachers' conceptions of mathematics and their teaching practices in the use of graphing calculators in their mathematics classrooms. Case studies on three teacher participants were developed using quantitative and qualitative data that consisted of self-assessments on beliefs in mathematics,…
Laboratory Practices of Beginning Secondary Science Teachers: A Five-Year Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wong, Sissy S.; Firestone, Jonah B.; Luft, Julie A.; Weeks, Charles B.
2013-01-01
During the beginning years of teaching, science teachers develop the knowledge and skills needed to design and implement science laboratories. In this regard, this quantitative study focused on the reported laboratory practices of 61 beginning secondary science teachers who participated in four different induction programs. The results…
Technological pedagogical content knowledge and teaching practice of mathematics trainee teachers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tajudin, Nor'ain Mohd.; Kadir, Noor Zarinawaty Abd.
2014-07-01
This study aims to identify the level of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) of mathematics trainee teachers at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) and explore their teaching practices during practical training at school. The study was conducted in two phases using a mix-method research. In the first phase, a survey method using a questionnaire was carried out on 156 trainee teachers of Bachelor of Mathematics Education (AT14) and Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) with Education (AT48). The instrument used was a questionnaire that measures the level of content knowledge, pedagogy, technology and TPCK of mathematics. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, namely the mean. While in the second phase, the interview method involved four trainee teachers were performed. The instrument used was the semi-structured interview protocol to assess the trainee teacher's TPCK integration in their teaching practice. Data were analyzed using the content analysis. The findings showed that the level of knowledge of TPCK among trainee teachers was moderate with overall mean score of 3.60. This level did not show significant differences between the two programs with mean scores of 3.601 for the AT14 group and 3.603 for the AT48 group. However, there was a difference for gender classification such that the female trainees had mean score of 3.58 and male trainees with mean score of 3.72. Although students' TPCK level was moderate, the level of content knowledge (CK), technological knowledge (TK) and pedagogical knowledge (PK), showed a higher level with overall mean scores of 3.75, 3.87 and 3.84 respectively. The findings also showed that in terms of content knowledge, trainee teacher's learning mathematics background was good, but the knowledge of mathematics was limited in the curriculum, philosophy and application aspect. In terms of pedagogical content knowledge, all respondents tend to use lecture and discussion methods in teaching Trigonometry topic
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Crookes, Graham V.
2015-01-01
Two areas of investigation and professional practice--language teachers' philosophies and language teacher cognition--can be considered as related, perhaps overlapping, insofar as they are both the result of thought. The concept of a philosophy of teaching may hold together sets of language teacher cognitions, or guide specific investigations of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ridley, Janice Rebecca Becky
2012-01-01
The purpose of this dissertation was to assess K-12 teachers' perceptions of knowledge, beliefs, and practices toward brain-based learning strategies, how their knowledge relates to their beliefs and practices, and how their beliefs relate to their classroom practices. This research also investigated relationships between teachers' gender, years…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Laxton, Katherine E.
This dissertation takes a close look at how district-level instructional coaches support teachers in learning to shifting their instructional practice, related to the Next Generation Science Standards. This dissertation aims to address how re-structuring professional development to a job-embedded coaching model supports individual teacher learning of new reform-related instructional practice. Implementing the NGSS is a problem of supporting professional learning in a way that will enable educators to make fundamental changes to their teaching practice. However, there are few examples in the literature that explain how coaches interact with teachers to improve teacher learning of reform-related instructional practice. There are also few examples in the literature that specifically address how supporting teachers with extended professional learning opportunities, aligned with high-leverage practices, tools and curriculum, impacts how teachers make sense of new standards-based educational reforms and what manifests in classroom instruction. This dissertation proposes four conceptual categories of sense-making that influence how instructional coaches interpret the nature of reform, their roles and in instructional improvement and how to work with teachers. It is important to understand how coaches interpret reform because their interpretations may have unintended consequences related to privileging certain views about instruction, or establishing priorities for how to work with teachers. In this dissertation, we found that re-structuring professional development to a job-embedded coaching model supported teachers in learning new reform-related instructional practice. However, individual teacher interpretations of reform emerged and seemed to be linked to how instructional coaches supported teacher learning.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kim, Jung-In
2017-01-01
This study investigates two Korean heritage language teachers' motivational practices in relation to their identity positioning as heritage language (HL) teachers. Constant-comparative analyses of teachers' interviews and classroom practices showed that the two teachers' identity positioning as HL teachers was partially shaped by their earlier…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Araya, Roberto; Plana, Francisco; Dartnell, Pablo; Soto-Andrade, Jorge; Luci, Gina; Salinas, Elena; Araya, Marylen
2012-01-01
Teacher practice is normally assessed by observers who watch classes or videos of classes. Here, we analyse an alternative strategy that uses text transcripts and a support vector machine classifier. For each one of the 710 videos of mathematics classes from the 2005 Chilean National Teacher Assessment Programme, a single 4-minute slice was…
Reflective Practices in Foreign Language Teacher Education: A View through Micro and Macro Windows
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Geyer, Naomi
2008-01-01
As professional development models of teacher education that allow for self-directed, collaborative, inquiry-based learning are increasingly replacing more traditional top-down models, researchers acknowledge the impact of teachers' reflective practices. Although many different types of reflective practices are reported, the differences across…
Preservice and Inservice Teachers' Challenges in the Planning of Practical Work in Physics
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nivalainen, Ville; Asikainen, Mervi A.; Sormunen, Kari; Hirvonen, Pekka E.
2010-01-01
Practical work in school science plays many essential roles that have been discussed in the literature. However, less attention has been paid to how teachers learn the different roles of practical work and to the kind of challenges they face in their learning during laboratory courses designed for teachers. In the present study we applied the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sottile, James M., Jr.; Carter, William; Watson, George
The purpose of this research was to describe how self-efficacy affects the development and science achievement of practicing teachers after their participation in a half day long hands-on science lesson provided by the Science on Wheels project. The 42 practicing K-8 teachers were from eight different counties located in a rural mid-eastern state.…
Supervision Practices and Teachers' Satisfaction in Public Secondary Schools: Malaysia and China
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hamzah, Mohd Izham Mohd; Wei, Yan; Ahmad, Jamil; Hamid, Aida Hanim A.; Mansor, Azlin Norhaini
2013-01-01
The purpose of this study is to explore supervision practices among school management teams and teachers' satisfaction in secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and He Fei, China. The samples consist of 248 managers and 367 teachers in Kuala Lumpur, and 175 managers and 346 teachers in He Fei. The study indicates that the level of supervision…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kang, Nam-Hwa; Wallace, Carolyn S.
2005-01-01
The purpose of this study was to explore how science teachers' epistemological beliefs and teaching goals are related to their use of lab activities. Research questions include (a) What are the teachers' epistemological beliefs pertaining to lab activities? (b) Why do the science teachers use lab activities? (c) How are the teachers' epistemological beliefs and instructional goals related to teaching actions? Two major aspects of epistemologies guided this study: ontological aspect (certainty/diversity of truth) and relational aspect (relationship between the knower and the known). The ontological aspect addresses whether one views knowledge as one certain truth or as tentative multiple truths. The relational aspect addresses whether one views him/herself as a receiver of prescribed knowledge separating self from knowledge construction or as an active meaning maker connecting self to the knowledge construction processes. More sophisticated epistemological beliefs include the acknowledgement of multiple interpretations of the same phenomena and active role of the knower in knowledge construction. Three experienced secondary science teachers were interviewed and observed throughout an academic course. The findings illustrate that a teacher's naïve epistemological beliefs are clearly reflected in the teacher's teaching practices. However, a teacher's sophisticated epistemological beliefs are not always clearly connected to the practice. This seems to be related to the necessary negotiation among their epistemological beliefs, teaching contexts, and instructional goals. Ontological and relational beliefs seem to be connected to different facets of teaching practices. Findings indicate that various syntheses of different aspects of epistemological beliefs and instructional goals are linked to teachers' diverse ways of using lab activities. Implications for research and teacher education are discussed.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mette, Ian M.; Range, Bret G.; Anderson, Jason; Hvidston, David J.; Nieuwenhuizen, Lisa
2015-01-01
This study examined how principals in eight high-functioning elementary schools provide teacher supervision and evaluation to promote high levels of student achievement. Perceptions of teachers were measured to provide an understanding of which specific principal behaviors translated into better instructional practices within the selected schools.…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Guerra, Patricia L.; Wubbena, Zane C.
2017-01-01
In the current study, the authors qualitatively investigate, through the theoretical perspective of cognitive dissonance, the relationship between teacher beliefs and their associated teacher practices at two public elementary schools with diverse student populations. They argue that while teachers may hold theoretical beliefs about culturally…
Jimerson, Shane R; Haddock, Aaron D
2015-12-01
Teacher quality has a vital influence on student success or failure. Thus, further research regarding teacher effectiveness, teacher evaluation, teacher well-being, and teacher contributions is essential to inform school psychologists and allied educational professionals who collaborate and consult with teachers to facilitate student success. In this special topic section of School Psychology Quarterly, a series of 6 articles further elucidate teachers' powerful contributions to student outcomes along with concrete, research-based ways for school psychologists to support and collaborate with teachers. The studies included in the special section describe how teacher support facilitates students' positive academic and social-emotional outcomes and how students' attitudes toward learning moderate the association between the classroom environment and students' academic achievement. Studies also report on the development and validation of self-report measures focused on both teacher subjective well-being and teachers' use of evidence-based practices. Finally, the articles included in the special topic section offer insights and ideas for refining teacher evaluation practices, understanding the factors contributing to program implementation fidelity, and improving prevention, early identification, and intervention efforts aimed at fostering school completion and positive youth development. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kim, Hae Kyoung; Han, Heejeong Sophia
2015-01-01
The current study is an examination of early childhood preservice and in-service teachers' beliefs and self-stated practices about social competence instructional strategies, developmentally appropriate practices (DAP), and the relationship between the two. Teachers in this study generally believed that the social competence instructional…
Native Chinese-Speaking K-12 Language Teachers' Beliefs and Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lü, Chan; Lavadenz, Magaly
2014-01-01
This study investigated the relationships between the beliefs and practices of K-12 native Chinese teachers on Chinese language and literacy instruction. Using a descriptive-exploratory design, this study employed a mixed-methods approach consisting of three steps: (1) a teacher beliefs questionnaire, (2) classroom observations and videotaping,…
Experimental Evaluation of Instructional Consultation Teams on Teacher Beliefs and Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vu, Phuong; Shanahan, Katherine Bruckman; Rosenfield, Sylvia; Gravois, Todd; Koehler, Jessica; Kaiser, Lauren; Berger, Jill; Vaganek, Megan; Gottfredson, Gary D.; Nelson, Deborah
2013-01-01
Instructional Consultation Teams (IC Teams) are an early intervention service intended to support teachers in working with struggling students. This is a large-scale experimental trial investigating the effects of IC Teams on teacher efficacy, instructional practices, collaboration, and job satisfaction. Public elementary schools (N = 34) were…
Using Computers in Early Childhood Classrooms: Teachers' Attitudes, Skills and Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chen, Jie-Qi; Chang, Charles
2006-01-01
To better prepare early childhood teachers for computer use, more information about their current skills and classroom practices is needed. Sampling from a large metropolitan public school system in the USA, the study surveyed 297 state pre-kindergarten teachers, gathering information about their attitudes, skills, and instructional methods…
The Growth of Reflective Practice among Three Beginning Secondary Mathematics Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cavanagh, Michael; Prescott, Anne
2010-01-01
This paper reports a study of three beginning secondary mathematics teachers and how their reflective practice developed during a one-year university teacher education program and concurrent professional fieldwork experience or practicum. The participants were interviewed three times during the practicum and once more in their first year of…
Beginning EFL Teachers' Beliefs about Quality Questions and Their Questioning Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pham, Ly Ngoc Khanh; Hamid, M. Obaidul
2013-01-01
Motivated by the scarcity of research that examines the impact of teacher beliefs on their actual practices in Vietnam, this study investigated the relationship between teachers' beliefs about quality questions and their questioning behaviours in terms of questioning purposes, content focus, students' cognitive level, wording and syntax. Thirteen…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jita, Loyiso Currell
1999-11-01
This study investigated the construction of teaching practices that are aimed at including all students in learning the key ideas of science and helping them to develop a voice for participating in the discourses in and outside of the science classroom. Such practices define what in this study is referred to as transformative practice. The study tells the stories of three Black secondary school teachers in South Africa who have worked to construct a transformative practice in their biology and physical science classrooms. Using a life history perspective, the study explored the relationships between teachers' identities and the changes in their classroom practices. Data were collected mainly through periodic interviews with the teachers and observations of their teaching practices over a period of 18 months. An important finding of the study was that the classroom practices of all three teachers were defined by three similar themes of: (1) "covering the content" and preparing their students to succeed in the national examinations, (2) developing deep conceptual understandings of the subject matter, and (3) including all students in their teaching by constructing what other researchers have called a "culturally-relevant" pedagogy. This finding was consistent despite the observed variations of context and personal histories. A major finding of this study on the question of the relationship between identity and teaching practice was that despite the importance of context, subject matter, material and social resources, another category of resources---the "resources of biography"---proved to be crucial for each of the teachers in crafting a transformative pedagogy. These "resources of biography" included such things as the teachers' own experiences of marginalization, the experiences of growing up or living in a particular culture, and the experiences of participating in certain kinds of social, political, religious or professional activities. The study suggests that it
Relating French Immersion Teacher Practices to Better Student Oral Production
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Haj-Broussard, Michelle; Olson Beal, Heather K.; Boudreaux, Nicole
2017-01-01
This study examined seven Louisiana kindergarten immersion teachers' practices to evaluate students' oral target language production and compare the oral production elicited when different instructional practices were used over a single semester. Three rounds of three 20-minute observations in three different contexts--circle time, direct…
Paradigms of Theory and Practice in Teacher and Theological Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wong, Arch Chee Keen
2016-01-01
The article describes and discusses the theory and practice relationship that has taken place within teacher education and theological education by incorporating insights from various theologians and curriculum theorists. The article argues that both theology and education conceptualize the relationship between theory and practice in very similar…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bourke, Roseanna
2006-01-01
When teachers participate in professional development and learning opportunities it enables them to reconceptualise their assessment and teaching practices with the support of facilitators and researchers. National programmes of professional development and research, such as the three year Enhancing Effective Practice in Special Education (EEPiSE)…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zheng, Hongying
2013-01-01
Over the last 20 years, the study of language teachers' beliefs has attracted much attention. One important strand of this research has been the exploration of the relationship between teachers' beliefs and their practice, generating a recurring research theme of identifying "consistency" and "inconsistency" between teachers'…
Effects of Professional Development on Preschool Teachers' Use of Embedded Instruction Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Snyder, Patricia; Hemmeter, Mary Louise; McLean, Mary; Sandall, Susan; McLaughlin, Tara; Algina, James
2018-01-01
We conducted a randomized controlled potential efficacy trial to examine effects of two variants of the Tools for Teachers (TfT) professional development (PD) intervention on preschool teachers' implementation of embedded instruction practices and children's developmental and learning outcomes. Thirty-six preschool teachers recruited from three…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Demircan, Özlen; Erden, Feyza Tantekin
2015-01-01
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and parental involvement beliefs of preschool teachers and the parents of preschool children. Data were collected from 279 teachers and 589 parents via a demographic information questionnaire, "Teachers' Beliefs Scale"…
The Impact of a Developmental Framework in Number on Primary Teachers' Classroom Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bobis, Janette
2010-01-01
This paper presents the findings of an investigation into the influence primary teachers' knowledge of a researched-based framework describing children's cognitive development in early number has on their teaching practices. Survey and interview data from twenty-eight teachers were collected to determine teachers' perceptions of their…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pedder, David; Opfer, V. Darleen
2013-01-01
Through its positive influence on teachers' classroom practices and their students' learning, effective professional learning of teachers is an important condition for school improvement. However, the Teaching and Learning International Survey reports that teachers' professional development in most countries falls short of meeting the needs of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Beck, Dennis; Maranto, Robert
2014-01-01
Virtual charter schools have the potential to transform teacher personnel management. However, there is currently little evidence that they are doing so. This study examined how 89 teachers at two virtual charter schools perceived school personnel practices and leadership. Survey analysis indicated that teachers perceived personnel practices as…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Turvey, Keith
2012-01-01
This paper captures and characterises the interplay between a group of student teachers' narratives of social network practice and their emergent professional practice with technologies. Teachers on an Initial Teacher Education programme in the UK spent a semester studying a module that synthesised university-based lectures with a professional…
Exploring Learning Progressions of New Science Teachers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Krise, Kelsy Marie
First-, second- and third-year teachers can be considered novice teachers with a solid foundation. The beginning years of teaching are intense times for learning, in which teachers can build upon their foundational knowledge. However, traditional mentoring programs often focus on technical advice and emotional support to help teachers survive the first years. This study set out to understand new science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in order to identify how their learning progresses. Understanding teachers' ideas will allow one to think about the development of educative mentoring practices that promote the advancement of teachers' knowledge. To investigate teachers' learning progressions, the following research questions guided this study: What is the nature of pedagogical content knowledge of first-, second- and third-year science teachers at various points across the school year? To which aspects of pedagogical content knowledge do first-, second- and third-year teachers pay attention at various points across the school year? Which aspects of pedagogical content knowledge are challenging for first-, second- and third-year teachers at various points across the school year? First-, second- and third-year teachers were interviewed, observed, and their teaching artifacts were collected across the school year. Data were examined to uncover learning progressions, when ideas became more sophisticated across first-, second-, and third-year teachers. The findings of this study contribute to an understanding of how teachers' learning progresses and allows for a trajectory of learning to be described. The trajectory can be used to inform the design of university-based mentoring programs for new teachers. The descriptions of the nature of teachers' PCK and the aspects of PCK to which teachers pay attention and find challenging shed light on the support necessary to promote continued teacher learning.
Building Teachers' Research Literacy: Integrating Practice and Research
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Evans, Carol; Waring, Michael; Christodoulou, Andri
2017-01-01
Supporting early career teacher (ECT) research literacy is essential in promoting research-integrated professional practice, however it remains an area in much need of development. This article discusses the importance and process of developing ECTs' research literacy, through establishing strong collaborative links between universities and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Herman, Benjamin C.; Clough, Michael P.; Olson, Joanne K.
2013-01-01
Few, if any, studies have examined the impact of nature of science (NOS) instruction on science teachers' practices 2 or more years after completing a science teacher education program. Extant studies on preservice and first-year teachers' NOS teaching practices have had disappointing results, with few teachers valuing NOS as a cognitive objective…
Writing in elementary school science: Factors that influence teacher beliefs and practices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Glen, Nicole J.
Recent calls for scientifically literate citizens have prompted science educators to examine the roles that literacy holds in students' science learning processes. Although many studies have investigated the cognitive gains students acquire when they write in science, these writing-to-learn studies have typically been conducted with only middle and secondary school students. Few studies have explored how teachers, particularly elementary teachers, understand the use of writing in science and the factors that influence their science and writing lessons. This was a qualitative case study conducted in one suburban school with four elementary teachers. The purpose of this study was to understand: (a) how teachers' uses of and purposes for writing in science compared to that in English language arts; (b) the factors that drove teachers' pedagogical decisions to use writing in certain ways; (c) teachers' beliefs about science teaching and learning and its relation to how they used writing; (d) teachers' perceptions of students' writing abilities and its relation to how they used writing; and (e) teachers' views about how writing is used by scientists. Seven main findings resulted from this research. In summary, teachers' main uses of and purposes for writing were similar in science and English language arts. For much of the writing done in both subjects, teachers' expectations of students' writing were typically based on their general literacy writing skills. The teachers believed that scientific writing is factual, for the purpose of communicating about science, and is not as creative or "fun" as other types of writing. The teachers' pedagogical practices in science included teaching by experiences, reading, and the transmission of information. These practices were related to their understanding of scientific writing. Finally, additional factors drove the decisions teachers made regarding the use of writing in science, including time, knowledge of curriculum
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schultz, Katherine; Coleman-King, Chonika
2012-01-01
This article documents what happened when a teacher in an urban school shifted classroom practice through changing participation structures to incorporate digital technology and multiple modalities into a fifth grade literacy curriculum. This shift in teacher practice provided opportunities for immigrant students to become more visible in the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Amador, Julie; Weston, Tracy; Estapa, Anne; Kosko, Karl; De Araujo, Zandra
2016-01-01
This paper explores the use of animations as an approximation of practice to provide a transformational technology experience for elementary mathematics preservice teachers. Preservice teachers in mathematics methods courses at six universities (n = 126) engaged in a practice of decomposing and approximating components of a fraction lesson. Data…
Analysing Mentoring Dialogues for Developing a Preservice Teacher's Classroom Management Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sempowicz, Tracey; Hudson, Peter
2011-01-01
A key concern for preservice teachers is classroom management, including student behaviour management, which also has been a factor associated with teachers leaving the profession within the first five years. This study investigates the mentoring practices used to guide the mentee's classroom management. Using multiple data sources (e.g., lesson…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mooney Simmie, Geraldine; Lang, Manfred
2018-01-01
This study uses boundary crossing in activity theory as one normative framework for opening a deliberative inquiry in new discursive spaces to elicit "gender awareness" in teachers' practices. We illustrate this framework by drawing from data in one European teacher education project. Seven case studies were conducted and data were…