Sample records for teachers held positive

  1. Views about Physics Held by Physics Teachers with Differing Approaches to Teaching Physics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mulhall, Pamela; Gunstone, Richard

    2008-01-01

    Physics teachers' approaches to teaching physics are generally considered to be linked to their views about physics. In this qualitative study, the views about physics held by a group of physics teachers whose teaching practice was traditional were explored and compared with the views held by physics teachers who used conceptual change approaches.…

  2. A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

    PubMed

    Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

    2017-01-01

    A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions.

  3. A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

    PubMed Central

    Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

    2017-01-01

    A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions. PMID:28469587

  4. Conceptions of Teaching Science Held by Novice Teachers in an Alternative Certification Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koballa, Thomas R.; Glynn, Shawn M.; Upson, Leslie

    2005-01-01

    Case studies to investigate the conceptions of teaching science held by three novice teachers participating in an alternative secondary science teacher certification program were conducted, along with the relationships between their conceptions of science teaching and their science teaching practice. Data used to build the cases included the…

  5. Mental Models Held by School Principals Regarding a New System of Evaluating Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gleissner, Kirsten E.

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, interest has grown among legislators and educators regarding the use of teacher evaluation as a leverage point for increasing the effectiveness of instruction in schools. Though there is an existing body of knowledge around the attitudes and beliefs held by teachers about their own evaluation experiences, very little information…

  6. Conceptual Representations of Flu and Microbial Illness Held by Students, Teachers, and Medical Professionals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, M. Gail; Rua, Melissa J.

    2008-01-01

    This study describes 5th, 8th, and 11th-grade students', teachers', and medical professionals' conceptions of flu and microbial illness. Participants constructed a concept map on "flu" and participated in a semi-structured interview. The results showed that these groups of students, teachers and medical professionals held and structured their…

  7. So the Kids Are Busy, What Now? Teacher Perceptions of the Use of Hand-Held Game Consoles in West Australian Primary Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Rourke, John; Main, Susan; Ellis, Michelle

    2013-01-01

    Games technology in the form of hand-held game consoles (HGCs) when focussed on specific academic skill development has the capacity to engage students in learning and in turn produce positive academic results. This current research explores teacher perceptions of the implementation of HGCs to enhance the development of mental maths skills (namely…

  8. Teachers' Knowledge and Confidence for Promoting Positive Mental Health in Primary School Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Askell-Williams, Helen; Lawson, Michael J.

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports an investigation into Australian primary school teachers' knowledge and confidence for mental health promotion. Questionnaires were delivered to 1397 teachers. In-depth interviews were held with 37 teachers. Quantitative results showed that half to two thirds of teachers felt efficacious and knowledgeable about selected…

  9. If Science Teachers Are Positively Inclined Toward Inclusive Education, Why Is It So Difficult?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spektor-Levy, Ornit; Yifrach, Merav

    2017-08-01

    This paper describes the unique challenges that students with learning disabilities (LD) experience in science studies and addresses the question of the extent to which science teachers are willing and prepared to teach in inclusive classrooms. We employed the theory of planned behavior (TPB), according to which behavioral intentions are a function of individuals' attitudes toward the behavior, their subjective norms, and their perceived control—i.e., their perception of the simplicity and benefits of performing the behavior. The study comprised 215 junior high school science teachers, who answered a TPB-based quantitative questionnaire. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to support and enrich the findings and conclusions. We found that teachers held positive attitudes and were willing to adapt their teaching methods (perceived control), which correlated and contributed to their behavioral intention. In terms of subjective norms, however, they felt a lack of support and ongoing guidance in providing the appropriate pedagogy to meet the needs of students with LD. We therefore recommend that educational policy makers and school management devote attention and resources to providing professional training and appropriate instructional materials and to establishing frameworks for meaningful cooperation between the science teachers and special education staff. This could ensure the efficient cooperation and coordination of all the involved parties and send a positive message of support to the science teachers who are the actual implementers of change.

  10. Preservice Teachers' Beliefs about Inclusive Education: What Should Teacher Educators Know?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garriott, Pamela Pruitt; Snyder, Lynne; Miller, Maurice

    2003-01-01

    Examined preservice teachers' beliefs about inclusive education for students with mild disabilities. Surveys of 239 undergraduate and graduate students indicated that while many preservice teachers held positive attitudes toward inclusive education, nearly half considered the special education classroom to be the optimum placement for students…

  11. Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops held in Conjunction with Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) EGU Conferences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laj, Carlo; Cifelli, Francesca

    2015-04-01

    The Alexander von Humboldt Conference Series of the European Geosciences Union are a series of meetings held outside of Europe, in particular in South America, Africa or Asia, on selected topics of geosciences with a socio-economic impact for regions on these continents, jointly organised with the scientists and their institutes and the institutions of these regions. Given the increasing success of the GIFT workshops held in conjunction with the General Assemblies, since 2010 EGU has also developed a series of GIFT workshops held in conjunction with AvH conferences. Associated GIFT workshops were held in Merida, Yucatan, on the theme of Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Societies (March 2010), then in Penang, Malaysia (June 2011) on the theme of Ocean Acidification, in November 2012 in Cusco (Peru) on the theme of Natural Disasters, Global Change and the Preservation of World Heritage Sites, finally in Istanbul (March 2014) on "High Impact Natural Hazards Related to the Euro-Mediterranean Region. The next GIFT workshop is already planned for October 2015 in Adis Ababa (Ethiopia) on the theme "Water". In each case, the GIFT workshop was held on the last two days of the AvH conference and reunited 40-45 teachers from the nation where the AvH was held. Keynote speakers from AvH were speakers to the GIFT workshops which also included hands-on activities animated by sciences educators. These GIFT workshops represented the first workshops specifically aimed at teachers held in the country, and therefore represents a significant Earth Sciences contribution to secondary education in non European countries.

  12. Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops held in Conjunction with Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) EGU Conferences.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laj, C. E.; Cifelli, F.

    2014-12-01

    Given the increasing success of the GIFT workshops held in conjunction with the General Assemblies, since 2010 EGU has also developed a series of GIFT workshops held in conjunction with AvH conferences. The Alexander von Humboldt Conference Series of the European Geosciences Union are a series of meetings held outside of Europe, in particular in South America, Africa or Asia, on selected topics of geosciences with a socio-economic impact for regions on these continents, jointly organised with the scientists and their institutes and the institutions of these regions. Associated GIFT workshops were held in Merida, Yucatan, on the theme of Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Societies (March 2010), then in Penang, Malaysia (June 2011) on the theme of Ocean Acidification, in November 2012 in Cusco (Peru) on the theme of Natural Disasters, Global Change and the Preservation of World Heritage Sites, finally in Istanbul (March 2014) on "High Impact Natural Hazards Related to the Euro-Mediterranean Region. The next GIFT workshop is already planned for October 2015 in Adis Ababa (Ethiopia) on the theme "Water". In each case, the GIFT workshop was held on the last two days of the AvH conference and reunited 40-45 teachers from the nation where the AvH was held. Keynote speakers from AvH were speakers to the GIFT workshops which also included hands-on activities animated by sciences educators. In 3 cases of the 4 cases, these GIFT workshops represented the first workshop specifically aimed at teachers held in the country, and therefore represents a significant Earth Sciences contribution to secondary education in non European countries.

  13. Exploring the positional identities of high school science teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blackwell, Edith Lavonne

    The identity of the teacher has been determined to influence classroom practices. Positional identity is defined as one's perception of self relative to others. This qualitative research study investigates the positional identity of five high school science teachers of different ethnicities and how their positional identities influence their classroom practices. Positional identity is thought to be determined by one's perception of how one's race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion and socioeconomic status position one relative to others. The methods of data collection included classroom observations, structured and semi-structured interviews, book club meetings, teacher journals, and researcher journals, demographic and online questionnaires. The teachers that overcame stereotypes based on race/ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status felt empowered in their positional identities and were able to empower their students. The data also identified those teachers that struggle the most with finding their power within their positional identities were the immigrants that were not able to merge their personal identities within the pre-determined social positions they encountered in this society. The empowerment or powerlessness of the science teachers' positional identities impacted instruction and practices within the science classroom.

  14. Do Inquiring Minds Have Positive Attitudes? The Science Education of Preservice Elementary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riegle-Crumb, Catherine; Morton, Karisma; Moore, Chelsea; Chimonidou, Antonia; LaBrake, Cynthis; Kopp, Sacha

    2015-01-01

    Owing to their potential impact on students' cognitive and noncognitive outcomes, the negative attitudes toward science held by many elementary teachers are a critical issue that needs to be addressed. This study focuses on the science education of preservice elementary teachers with the goal of improving their attitudes "before" they…

  15. Do Inquiring Minds Have Positive Attitudes? The Science Education of Preservice Elementary Teachers

    PubMed Central

    Riegle-Crumb, Catherine; Morton, Karisma; Moore, Chelsea; Chimonidou, Antonia; Labrake, Cynthia; Kopp, Sacha

    2016-01-01

    Due to their potential impact on students' cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes, the negative attitudes towards science held by many elementary teachers are a critical issue that needs to be addressed. This study focuses on the science education of pre-service elementary teachers with the goal of improving their attitudes before they begin their professional lives as classroom teachers. Specifically, this study builds on a small body of research to examine whether exposure to inquiry-based science content courses that actively involve students in the collaborative process of learning and discovery can promote a positive change in attitudes towards science across several different dimensions. To examine this issue, surveys and administrative data were collected from over 200 students enrolled in the Hands on Science (HoS) program for pre-service teachers at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as more than 200 students in a comparison group enrolled in traditional lecture-style classes. Quantitative analyses reveal that after participating in HoS courses, pre-service teachers significantly increased their scores on scales measuring confidence, enjoyment, anxiety, and perceptions of relevance, while those in the comparison group experienced a decline in favorable attitudes to science. These patterns offer empirical support for the attitudinal benefits of inquiry-based instruction and have implications for the future learning opportunities available to students at all education levels. PMID:27667862

  16. Teacher talk about science: An examination of the constructed understanding of science held by four elementary school teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Price, Robert John

    The elementary school teacher's personal understanding of science has not been a primary focus of consideration in educational reform discussions. This study examines how four elementary school teachers have constructed their personal understanding of science. The purpose of this study is to explore core understandings about science held by these teachers, and to examine the origins of these ideas. This study assumes that a teacher's understanding of science is unique and constructed on personal experiences affected by influences. This study further explores the relationship of the teachers understanding to the school's stated curriculum. The theoretical framework of this research recognizes three guiding assumptions: science exists as a set of ideas that have developed over time through competing discourses; the teacher plays an important role in the implementation of the science curriculum; and the guiding influences of a teacher's understanding of science are associated with power that emerges from discourse. The methodology in this qualitative study is closely associated with narrative inquiry. Data collection methods include a questionnaire, focus group sessions, and individual interviews. Teachers' stories were collected through collaborative interview opportunities between the researcher and the participants. The findings are presented through the narratives of the four teachers, and are organized through the guiding influences, and talk related to the stated science curriculum. The teachers' talk can be categorized by three broad guiding influences: family, education, and an image of science. The talk related to the stated curriculum illustrates both conflicts, and a relationship between the teachers' understanding of science and the curriculum. The finding of this study provides evidence that each teacher's understanding of science is unique and developed over time. Additionally, this understanding plays a role in how the stated curriculum is discussed and

  17. Empowerment Amongst Teachers Holding Leadership Positions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avidov-Ungar, Orit; Friedman, Izhak; Olshtain, Elite

    2014-01-01

    This study used semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore empowerment patterns among teachers who hold leadership positions in school. Our qualitative analysis presents a hierarchical ladder with three types of empowerment amongst these teachers, ranging from limited empowerment through rewarding empowerment to change-enhancing empowerment.…

  18. Influencing Technology Education Teachers to Accept Teaching Positions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steinke, Luke Joseph; Putnam, Alvin Robert

    2008-01-01

    Technology education is facing a significant teacher shortage. The purpose of this study was to address the technology education teacher shortage by examining the factors that influence technology education teachers to accept teaching positions. The population for the study consisted of technology education teachers and administrators. A survey…

  19. Job-sharing a clinical teacher's position: an evaluation.

    PubMed

    Williams, S; Murphy, L

    1994-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on staff of having two teachers share one clinical teaching position in their intensive care unit (ICU). Three, six and 12 months after the job-sharing arrangement was initiated, an 11 item questionnaire was distributed to 26 students in post-registration critical care courses, 41 clinical staff in ICU and 9 RN-managers with responsibilities for the unit. The overall response rate to the three questionnaires was 58%. All groups agreed that job-sharing was a viable alternative to full-time work. Three months after the shared position was initiated, there was uncertainty about the consistency of the teachers' performance and the adequacy of communication between them. Nine months later, there was a high level of positive responses to all areas of the teachers' performance. Most respondents felt they could approach either teacher and that more diverse ideas were generated by having two people in the teaching position.

  20. Exploring the Positional Identities of High School Science Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blackwell, Edith Lavonne

    2012-01-01

    The identity of the teacher has been determined to influence classroom practices. Positional identity is defined as one's perception of self relative to others. This qualitative research study investigates the positional identity of five high school science teachers of different ethnicities and how their positional identities influence their…

  1. 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)

  2. Bridging the Gap Between Preservice Early Childhood Teachers' Cultural Values, Perceptions of Values Held by Scientists, and the Relationships of These Values to Conceptions of Nature of Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akerson, Valarie L.; Buzzelli, Cary A.; Eastwood, Jennifer L.

    2012-02-01

    This study explored preservice teachers' views of their own cultural values, the cultural values they believed scientists hold, and the relationships of these views to their conceptions of nature of science (NOS). Parallel assignments in a foundations of early childhood education and a science methods course required preservice teachers to explore their own cultural backgrounds and their perceptions of the cultural backgrounds of scientists. The Schwartz Values Inventory was used to measure preservice teachers' personal cultural values and those they perceived of scientists. The Views of Nature of Science version B questionnaire and interviews assessed teachers' conceptions of NOS. Copies of student work were collected and sought for themes indicating how preservice teachers perceived scientists' cultural values and how those perceptions changed over time. We found that from the beginning to the end of the semester, preservice teachers perceived fewer differences between their own cultural values and those they perceived scientists held, though they did not change their own cultural values. We found that preservice teachers' NOS conceptions improved, and that they were related to both their cultural values and those they perceived scientists held. Preservice teachers who indicated the fewest differences between their own cultural values and those they perceived scientists held the most informed conceptions of NOS.

  3. Conceptions of the Nature of Science Held by Undergraduate Pre-Service Biology Teachers in South-West Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adedoyin, A. O.; Bello, G.

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated the conceptions of the nature of science held by pre-service undergraduate biology teachers in South-West, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the influence of their gender on their conceptions of the nature of science. The study was a descriptive research of the survey method. The population for the study comprised…

  4. How a GNSS Receiver Is Held May Affect Static Horizontal Position Accuracy

    PubMed Central

    Weaver, Steven A.; Ucar, Zennure; Bettinger, Pete; Merry, Krista

    2015-01-01

    The static horizontal position accuracy of a mapping-grade GNSS receiver was tested in two forest types over two seasons, and subsequently was tested in one forest type against open sky conditions in the winter season. The main objective was to determine whether the holding position during data collection would result in significantly different static horizontal position accuracy. Additionally, we wanted to determine whether the time of year (season), forest type, or environmental variables had an influence on accuracy. In general, the F4Devices Flint GNSS receiver was found to have mean static horizontal position accuracy levels within the ranges typically expected for this general type of receiver (3 to 5 m) when differential correction was not employed. When used under forest cover, in some cases the GNSS receiver provided a higher level of static horizontal position accuracy when held vertically, as opposed to held at an angle or horizontally (the more natural positions), perhaps due to the orientation of the antenna within the receiver, or in part due to multipath or the inability to use certain satellite signals. Therefore, due to the fact that numerous variables may affect static horizontal position accuracy, we only conclude that there is weak to moderate evidence that the results of holding position are significant. Statistical test results also suggest that the season of data collection had no significant effect on static horizontal position accuracy, and results suggest that atmospheric variables had weak correlation with horizontal position accuracy. Forest type was found to have a significant effect on static horizontal position accuracy in one aspect of one test, yet otherwise there was little evidence that forest type affected horizontal position accuracy. Since the holding position was found in some cases to be significant with regard to the static horizontal position accuracy of positions collected in forests, it may be beneficial to have an

  5. How a GNSS Receiver Is Held May Affect Static Horizontal Position Accuracy.

    PubMed

    Weaver, Steven A; Ucar, Zennure; Bettinger, Pete; Merry, Krista

    2015-01-01

    The static horizontal position accuracy of a mapping-grade GNSS receiver was tested in two forest types over two seasons, and subsequently was tested in one forest type against open sky conditions in the winter season. The main objective was to determine whether the holding position during data collection would result in significantly different static horizontal position accuracy. Additionally, we wanted to determine whether the time of year (season), forest type, or environmental variables had an influence on accuracy. In general, the F4Devices Flint GNSS receiver was found to have mean static horizontal position accuracy levels within the ranges typically expected for this general type of receiver (3 to 5 m) when differential correction was not employed. When used under forest cover, in some cases the GNSS receiver provided a higher level of static horizontal position accuracy when held vertically, as opposed to held at an angle or horizontally (the more natural positions), perhaps due to the orientation of the antenna within the receiver, or in part due to multipath or the inability to use certain satellite signals. Therefore, due to the fact that numerous variables may affect static horizontal position accuracy, we only conclude that there is weak to moderate evidence that the results of holding position are significant. Statistical test results also suggest that the season of data collection had no significant effect on static horizontal position accuracy, and results suggest that atmospheric variables had weak correlation with horizontal position accuracy. Forest type was found to have a significant effect on static horizontal position accuracy in one aspect of one test, yet otherwise there was little evidence that forest type affected horizontal position accuracy. Since the holding position was found in some cases to be significant with regard to the static horizontal position accuracy of positions collected in forests, it may be beneficial to have an

  6. Positive Experiences as Input for Reflection by Student Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Janssen, Fred; de Hullu, Els; Tigelaar, Dineke

    2008-01-01

    In many teacher training courses, reflection upon practice plays a very important role in learning to teach. A number of strategies have been developed to help student teachers learn to reflect. Current reflection strategies often focus on problematic instead of on positive experiences. Ideas from positive psychology and solution-based therapy…

  7. Entering the Field: Beginning Teachers' Positioning Experiences of the Staffroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christensen, Erin; Rossi, Tony; lisahunter; Tinning, Richard

    2018-01-01

    Little is known about beginning teachers' political positioning experiences of the staffroom. This paper employs Bourdieu's conceptual tools of field, habitus and capital to explore beginning health and physical education teachers' positioning experiences and learning in staffrooms, the place in which teachers spend the majority of their…

  8. Early Career Teachers' Resilience and Positive Adaptive Change Capabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowles, Terry; Arnup, Jessica L.

    2016-01-01

    This research is an investigation of the link between adaptive functioning and resilience in early career teachers (ECT). Resilience is considered an important capability of teachers and research has shown that teachers who are resourceful, demonstrate agency and develop positive management strategies overcome adversity. In this research, we aim…

  9. Positive teacher and peer relations combine to predict primary school students' academic skill development.

    PubMed

    Kiuru, Noona; Aunola, Kaisa; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Pakarinen, Eija; Poskiparta, Elisa; Ahonen, Timo; Poikkeus, Anna-Maija; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

    2015-04-01

    This study examined cross-lagged associations between positive teacher and peer relations and academic skill development. Reading and math skills were tested among 625 students in kindergarten and Grade 4. Teacher reports of positive affect toward each student and classmate reports of peer acceptance were gathered in Grades 1-3. The results showed, first, that positive teacher affect toward the student and peer acceptance were reciprocally associated: Positive teacher affect predicted higher peer acceptance, and higher peer acceptance predicted a higher level of positive teacher affect. Second, the effect of positive teacher affect on academic skill development was partly mediated via peer acceptance, while the effect of early academic skills on peer acceptance was partly mediated via positive teacher affect. The results suggest that a warm and supportive teacher can increase a student's peer acceptance, which, in turn, is positively associated with learning outcomes. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Creating a Positive Image of Being a Technology Education Teacher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daiber, Robert A.; Valesey, Brigitte G.

    1997-01-01

    Suggests ways in which technology education teachers can communicate knowledge of and enthusiasm for the field, provide leadership, and demonstrate professionalism. An action plan for teacher educators, administrators, and teachers provides guidelines for developing a positive image. (SK)

  11. Teacher Motivation, Work Satisfaction, and Positive Psychological Capital: A Literature Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Viseu, João; Neves de Jesus, Saul; Rus, Claudia; Canavarro, José M.

    2016-01-01

    Teacher motivation is vital for the educational system. For teachers to be motivated their work satisfaction and positive psychological capital are crucial. The state-of-the-art on teacher motivation requires a literature review regarding the studies that relate teacher motivation and the above mentioned constructs. In this paper, through…

  12. Modeling Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports for Preservice Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Doris Adams; Flores, Margaret M.

    2014-01-01

    The authors modeled programwide positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) principles to 26 preservice teachers during consolidated yearly extended school year (ESY) services delivered to elementary students from four school districts. While PBIS were in place for preservice teachers to implement with students, a similar system was…

  13. Building Teacher Teams: Evidence of Positive Spillovers from More Effective Colleagues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Min; Loeb, Susanna; Grissom, Jason A.

    2017-01-01

    Student peer effects are well documented; however, we know far less about peer effects among teachers. We hypothesize that a relatively effective teacher can positively affect the performance of his or her peers, whereas a relatively ineffective teacher may negatively affect the performance of other teachers with whom he or she works closely.…

  14. Energy Project Professional Development: Promoting Positive Attitudes about Science among K-12 Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robertson, Amy D.; Daane, Abigail R.

    2017-01-01

    Promoting positive attitudes about science among teachers has important implications for teachers' classroom practice and for their relationship to science as a discipline. In this paper, we report positive shifts in teachers' attitudes about science, as measured by the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science (CLASS) survey, over the course of…

  15. Effects of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support on Teacher Self-Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelm, Joanna L.; McIntosh, Kent

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the relationships between implementation of a school-wide approach to behavior, School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS), and teacher self-efficacy. Twenty-two teachers from schools implementing SWPBS and 40 teachers from schools not implementing SWPBS completed a questionnaire measuring aspects of self-efficacy.…

  16. Rural K-8 Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of Their Positional Status as Special Education Teachers Who Co-Teach with Regular Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LaPorte, Kristy L.

    2010-01-01

    This exploratory qualitative case study investigated rural K-8 special education teacher perceptions of their positional status as special education teachers who co-teach with their regular education peers. Four special education teachers participated in journal prompts, one-on-one interviews, and a focus group interview. The conceptual lens for…

  17. Positive Teacher-Student Relationships Go beyond the Classroom, Problematic Ones Stay Inside

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Claessens, Luce C. A.; van Tartwijk, Jan; van der Want, Anna C.; Pennings, Helena J. M.; Verloop, Nico; den Brok, Perry J.; Wubbels, Theo

    2017-01-01

    The authors voice teachers' perceptions of their interpersonal experiences with students in both positive and problematic relationships. Interview data from 28 teachers were examined by coding utterances on teacher and student interactions. Results indicate that teachers defined the quality of the relationship mostly by the level of communion…

  18. "The Teacher Education Conversation": A Network of Cooperating Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nielsen, Wendy S.; Triggs, Valerie; Clarke, Anthony; Collins, John

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated a professional learning community of cooperating teachers and university-based teacher educators. To examine our roles and perspectives as colleagues in teacher education, we drew on frameworks in teacher learning and complexity science. Monthly group meetings of this inquiry community were held over two school years in a…

  19. Energy Project professional development: Promoting positive attitudes about science among K-12 teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robertson, Amy D.; Daane, Abigail R.

    2017-12-01

    Promoting positive attitudes about science among teachers has important implications for teachers' classroom practice and for their relationship to science as a discipline. In this paper, we report positive shifts in teachers' attitudes about science, as measured by the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science (CLASS) survey, over the course of their participation in a professional development course that emphasized the flexible use of energy representations to understand real world scenarios. Our work contributes to the larger effort to make the case that professional development matters for teacher learning and attitudes.

  20. Exploring positioning as an analytical tool for understanding becoming mathematics teachers' identities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Skog, Kicki; Andersson, Annica

    2015-03-01

    The aim of this article is to explore how a sociopolitical analysis can contribute to a deeper understanding of critical aspects for becoming primary mathematics teachers' identities during teacher education. The question we ask is the following: How may power relations in university settings affect becoming mathematics teachers' subject positioning? We elaborate on the elusive and interrelated concepts of identity, positioning and power, seen as dynamic and changeable. As these concepts represent three interconnected parts of research analysis in an on-going larger project data from different sources will be used in this illustration. In this paper, we clarify the theoretical stance, ground the concepts historically and strive to connect them to research analysis. In this way, we show that power relations and subject positioning in social settings are critical aspects and need to be taken seriously into account if we aim at understanding becoming teachers' identities.

  1. Positive Teacher Leadership: Building Mindsets and Capacities to Grow Wellbeing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cherkowski, Sabre

    2018-01-01

    Linking theory and research on positive psychology and positive organisational scholarship, with a focus on positive leadership, this article provides a conceptualisation of teacher leadership as an intentional reflective process of learning to grow wellbeing for self and others. Aligned with increasing international research on the importance of…

  2. Empowerment among Teachers in Leadership Positions Involving ICT Implementation in Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avidov-Ungar, Orit

    2018-01-01

    The study identifies motivational characteristics of empowerment among teachers in leadership positions involving information and communications technology (ICT) implementation in schools. The participants were 24 teachers who were candidates for an Information and Communications Technology Leadership Award. Analysis of the in-depth interviews…

  3. [Role adaptation process of elementary school health teachers: establishing their own positions].

    PubMed

    Lee, Jeong Hee; Lee, Byoung Sook

    2014-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore and identify patterns from the phenomenon of the role adaptation process in elementary school health teachers and finally, suggest a model to describe the process. Grounded theory methodology and focus group interviews were used. Data were collected from 24 participants of four focus groups. The questions used were about their experience of role adaptation including situational contexts and interactional coping strategies. Transcribed data and field notes were analyzed with continuous comparative analysis. The core category was 'establishing their own positions', an interactional coping strategy. The phenomenon identified by participants was confusion and wandering in their role performance. Influencing contexts were unclear beliefs for their role as health teachers and non-supportive job environments. The result of the adaptation process was consolidation of their positions. Pride as health teachers and social recognition and supports intervened to produce that result. The process had three stages; entry, growth, and maturity. The role adaptation process of elementary school health teachers can be explained as establishing, strengthening and consolidating their own positions. Results of this study can be used as fundamental information for developing programs to support the role adaptation of health teachers.

  4. An Investigation on Teacher Candidates' Perspectives about Behaviors Positively Affecting Classroom Atmosphere

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bulut Ozsezer, M. Spencer; Iflazoglu Saban, Ayten

    2016-01-01

    Problem Statement: A revision of literature shows that there are studies focusing on student and teacher perceptions of classroom atmosphere; however, no research has been found to be related to teacher candidates' perspectives on their behaviors in terms of positive classroom atmosphere. As teacher candidates are the main subject and the future…

  5. Children's Representations of Attachment and Positive Teacher-Child Relationships.

    PubMed

    Veríssimo, Manuela; Torres, Nuno; Silva, Filipa; Fernandes, Carla; Vaughn, Brian E; Santos, António J

    2017-01-01

    This study was designed to explore whether children's representations of attachment contribute to the co-construction of positive teacher-child relationships. An assessment of verbal intelligence was included as a predictor on the assumption that teachers might perceive themselves as having better relationships with more verbally competent children. Participants were 52 children from two pre-schools, in the district of Lisbon. The Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT) was used to assess children's attachment security. The PCV-P (a scale developed in portuguese language) was used to describe teacher-child relationships through teachers' ratings of child secure base behavior and emotion regulation and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-R) was used to access verbal skills. Bivariate correlations showed that the teachers' rating of child secure base behavior was significantly associated with both child attachment security and verbal IQ. In a multiple regression analysis, the overall model R 2 was significant, as was the interaction term showing a moderating effect of attachment security on the relation between verbal IQ and teachers' ratings of secure base. The results suggest that co-construction of a close attachment-relevant relationship with teachers in early childhood is, in part, a function of the security in the context of parent-child attachment, but also of child verbal development.

  6. Accentuate the Positive: The Relationship between Positive Explanatory Style and Academic Achievement of Prospective Elementary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boyer, Wanda

    2006-01-01

    This research examines 480 current event-explanation units using the CAVE technique (Schulman, Castellon, & Seligman, 1989) to note the relationship between positive and negative explanatory style and achievement of prospective early childhood and upper elementary female teachers. This study found a significant positive relationship between…

  7. Students' Positioning in the Classroom: a Study of Teacher-Student Interactions in a Socioscientific Issue Context

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bossér, Ulrika; Lindahl, Mats

    2017-07-01

    The integration of socioscientific issues (SSI) in science education calls for emphasizing dialogic classroom practices that include students' views together with multiple sources of knowledge and diverse perspectives on the issues. Such classroom practices aim to empower students to participate in decision-making on SSI. This can be accomplished by enhancing their independence as learners and positioning them as legitimate participants in societal discussions. However, this is a complex task for science teachers. In this study, we introduce positioning theory as a lens to analyse classroom discourse on SSI in order to enhance our knowledge of the manners by which teachers' interactions with students make available or promote different positions for the students, that is, different parts for the students to play as participants, when dealing with SSI in the classroom. Transcripts of interactions between one teacher and six student groups, recorded during two lessons, were analysed with respect to the positioning of the students as participants in the classroom, and in relation to the SSI under consideration. The results show that the teacher-student interactions made available contrasting student positions. The students were positioned by the teacher or positioned themselves as independent learners or as dependent on the teacher. Furthermore, the students were positioned as affected by the issue but as spectators to public negotiations of the issue. Knowledge about the manner in which teacher-student interactions can function to position students seems important for dialogic classroom practices and the promotion of student positions that sustain the pursuit of intended educational outcomes.

  8. Teachers' Perceptions of Implementing a Positive Behavior Intervention Support Plan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ayers, Milton A., Jr.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess teacher perceptions in implementing a Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) plan in an elementary school. The study was mainly quantitative, using surveys, personal interviews, and observations to measure teacher perceptions. The study focused on the common areas. The rules, procedures, and…

  9. Practical and Theoretical Knowledge in Contrast: Teacher Educators' Discursive Positions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zimmerman Nilsson, Marie-Helene

    2017-01-01

    Higher education in general and teacher education in particular have been subjected to significant changes. As there are few studies examining how actors rhetorically position themselves within this context, the ambition of the paper is to study conversations between teacher educators related to norms and values in education. The aim of the paper…

  10. The Crumbling Pedestal: Changing Images of Japanese Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gordon, June A.

    2005-01-01

    Teachers in Japan are no longer held in high esteem simply because of their position in the Confucian hierarchy of status and authority. Gone is the time when the word of the sensei would bring silence and order to a classroom. Ironically, the fruits of a postwar first-world nation--increased parental education, material affluence, and a…

  11. Issues of Motivation and Identity Positioning: Two Teachers' Motivational Practices for Engaging Immigrant Children in Learning Heritage Languages

    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…

  12. Teacher-Provided Positive Attending to Improve Student Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perle, Jonathan G.

    2016-01-01

    A teacher serves many important roles within a classroom, including an educator and a manager of child behavior. Inattention, overactivity, and noncompliance have long been cited as some of the most common areas of reported difficulty for schools (Axelrod & Zank, 2012; Goldstein, 1995). The evidence-based practice of positive attending (i.e.,…

  13. Analyzing the Relationship between Positive Psychological Capital and Organizational Commitment of the Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yalcin, Sinan

    2016-01-01

    In this study it was aimed to determine the relationship between teachers' positive psychological capital levels and organisational commitment. The study was conducted as a correlational survey which is one of the quantitative methods. The sample group consists of 244 teachers selected by using random sampling method among 1270 teachers working in…

  14. Positive Teacher and Peer Relations Combine to Predict Primary School Students' Academic Skill Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiuru, Noona; Aunola, Kaisa; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Pakarinen, Eija; Poskiparta, Elisa; Ahonen, Timo; Poikkeus, Anna-Maija; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

    2015-01-01

    This study examined cross-lagged associations between positive teacher and peer relations and academic skill development. Reading and math skills were tested among 625 students in kindergarten and Grade 4. Teacher reports of positive affect toward each student and classmate reports of peer acceptance were gathered in Grades 1-3. The results…

  15. The Effect of a Teacher's Sex on Career Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reich, Carol

    A survey was conducted of a sample of 1,163 male and female teachers, consultants, and administrators of a large, urban school system. Data was collected about their formal qualifications, job performance, the extent to which they had been encouraged to apply for promotion, the number of applications they had made, and the positions they had held.…

  16. Toward a Positive and Effective Teacher and Paraprofessional Relationship.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palma, Gloria M.

    1994-01-01

    Discusses importance of paraprofessionals in rural special education. Suggests that positive teacher-paraprofessional relationships are obtained through valuing each other's respective roles; giving credit where due; involving paraprofessionals in planning and decision making; showing paraprofessionals the why as well as the how of lessons;…

  17. The effectiveness of CPI model to improve positive attitude toward science (PATS) for pre-service physics teacher

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sunarti, T.; Wasis; Madlazim; Suyidno; Prahani, B. K.

    2018-03-01

    In the previous research, learning material based Construction, Production, and Implementation (CPI) model has been developed to improve scientific literacy and positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher. CPI model has 4 phases, included: 1) Motivation; 2) Construction (Cycle I); 3) Production (Cycle II); and 4) Evaluation. This research is aimed to analyze the effectiveness of CPI model towards the improvement Positive Attitude toward Science (PATS) for pre-service physics teacher. This research used one group pre-test and post-test design on 160 pre-service physics teacher divided into 4 groups at Lambung Mangkurat University and Surabaya State University (Indonesia), academic year 2016/2017. Data collection was conducted through questioner, observation, and interview. Positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher measurement were conducted through Positive Attitude toward Science Evaluation Sheet (PATSES). The data analysis technique was done by using Wilcoxon test and n-gain. The results showed that there was a significant increase in positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher at α = 5%, with n-gain average of high category. Thus, the CPI model is effective for improving positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher.

  18. Elementary Physical Education Teachers' Experiences in Teaching English Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sato, Takahiro; Hodge, Samuel R.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the current study was to describe and explain the views on teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) held by six elementary physical education (PE) teachers in the Midwest region of the United States. Situated in positioning theory, the research approach was descriptive-qualitative. The primary sources of data were face-to-face…

  19. The Views and Opinions of School Principals and Teachers on Positive Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bas, Asli Uz; Firat, Necla Sahin

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to assess the views and opinions of school principals and teachers on positive education. The sample of the study includes 8 school principals and 12 teachers who attend different public schools in Izmir, Turkey. Data is collected through semi-structured interview technique. Findings show that majority of the…

  20. "Everyone Needs an Art Education": Developing Leadership through Positive Attitudes toward Art Methods Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manifold, Marjorie; Zimmerman, Enid

    2011-01-01

    Research about K-6 generalists, elementary, preservice majors in teacher education programs often emphasizes students who are resistant to art methods courses, although Galbraith (1991) and Gibson (2003) found some elementary majors held positive views about art methods courses. In addition, instructors who are frustrated by students who respond…

  1. Do We Need Positive Psychology in Croatian Kindergartens? The Implementation Possibilities Evaluated by Preschool Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tatalovic Vorkapic, Sanja; Vujcic, Lidija

    2013-01-01

    Constant changes in a modern world and scientific knowledge from the growing field of Positive Psychology appear to make a previously unheeded contribution to preschool teacher competences. The aim of this study was to explore preschool teachers' opinions concerning the need for positive psychology knowledge and its implementation. A nine-item…

  2. Language Teacher Cognition: Tracing the Conceptualizations of Second Language Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Childs, Sharon S.

    2011-01-01

    Long before deciding to become second language (L2) teachers, novice teachers have subconsciously developed conceptions of teaching cultivated by their experiences as learners in both general and language education classrooms. This "apprenticeship of observation" (Lortie, 1975) can foster deeply held beliefs about teaching that are carried with…

  3. Investigating Teachers' Professional Life Quality Levels in Terms of the Positive Psychological Capital

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yalçin, Sinan; Isgör, Isa Y.

    2017-01-01

    This study, which investigated the relationship between teachers' professional life qualities and positive psychological capital, was designed in a relational screening pattern in the quantitative research method. Teachers, who worked in primary, secondary and high school in Erzincan city centre of Turkey in 2014-2015 academic year, participated…

  4. Work stress among university teachers: gender and position differences.

    PubMed

    Slišković, Ana; Maslić Seršić, Darja

    2011-12-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate exposure to stress at work in university teachers and see if there were differences between men and women as well as between positions. The study was carried out online and included a representative sample of 1,168 teachers employed at universities in Croatia. This included all teaching positions: assistants (50%), assistant professors (18%), associate professors (17%), and full professors (15%). Fifty-seven percent of the sample were women. The participants answered a questionnaire of our own design that measured six groups of stressors: workload, material and technical conditions at work, relationships with colleagues at work, work with students, work organisation, and social recognition and status. Women reported greater stress than men. Assistant professors, associate professors, and full professors reported greater stress related to material and technical conditions of work and work organisation than assistants, who, in turn, found relationships with colleagues a greater stressor. Full professors, reported lower exposure to stress at work than associate professors, assistant professors, and assistants.

  5. Relationship between Teacher Perception of Positive Behavior Interventions Support and the Implementation Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansen, Janice Marie

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship existed between teacher perception of a school's behavior management program and the implementation process. This study explored perceptions of teachers from three aspects of the Positive Behavior Intervention Support model as they relate to the implementation processes for PBIS.…

  6. Integrating Content and Language in Institutionally Monolingual Settings: Teacher Positioning and Differentiation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turner, Marianne

    2017-01-01

    Translanguaging pedagogy offers a way to differentiate between students' varying linguistic repertoires when embedding an additional language across the curriculum. In this article I draw on positioning theory to show the relevance of teacher positioning to translanguaging pedagogy and differentiation. Differentiation is discussed in relation to…

  7. Investigation of preservice elementary teachers' thinking about science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cobern, William W.; Loving, Cathleen C.

    2002-12-01

    It is not uncommon to find media reports on the failures of science education, nor uncommon to hear prestigious scientists publicly lament the rise of antiscience attitudes. Given the position elementary teachers have in influencing children, antiscience sentiment among them would be a significant concern. Hence, this article reports on an investigation in which preservice elementary teachers responded to the Thinking about Science survey instrument. This newly developed instrument addresses the broadrelationship of science to nine important areas of society and culture and is intended to reveal the extent of views being consistent with or disagreeing with a commonly held worldview of science portrayed in the media and in popular science and science education literature. Results indicate that elementary teachers discriminate with respect to different aspects of culture and science but they are not antiscience.

  8. Multidimensional representations: The knowledge domain of germs held by students, teachers and medical professionals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rua, Melissa Jo

    The present study examined the understandings held by 5th, 8th, and 11th-grade students, their teachers and medical professionals about germs. Specifically, this study describes the content and structure of students' and adults' conceptions in the areas of germ contraction, transmission, and treatment of infectious and non-infectious diseases caused by microorganisms. Naturalistic and empirical research methods were used to investigate participants' conceptions. Between and within group similarities were found using data from concept maps on the topic "flu," drawings of germs, a 20 word card sort related to germs and illness, and a semi-structured interview. Concept maps were coded according to techniques by Novak and Gowan (1984). Drawings of germs were coded into four main categories (bacteria, viruses, animal cell, other) and five subcategories (disease, caricature, insect, protozoa, unclassified). Cluster patterns for the card sorts of each group were found using multidimensional scaling techniques. Six coding categories emerged from the interview transcripts: (a) transmission, (b) treatment, (c) effect of weather on illness, (d) immune response, (e) location of germs, and (f) similarities and differences between bacteria and viruses. The findings showed students, teachers and medical professionals have different understandings about bacteria and viruses and the structures of those understandings vary. Gaps or holes in the participants knowledge were found in areas such as: (a) how germs are transmitted, (b) where germs are found, (c) how the body transports and uses medicine, (d) how the immune system functions, (e) the difference between vaccines and non-prescription medicines, (f) differences that exist between bacteria and viruses, and (g) bacterial resistance to medication. The youngest students relied heavily upon personal experiences with germs rather than formal instruction when explaining their conceptions. As a result, the influence of media was

  9. Relationships among selected physical science misconceptions held by preservice elementary teachers and four variables: Formal reasoning ability, working memory capacity, verbal intelligence, and field dependence/independence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Griffin, Leslie Little

    The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of selected cognitive abilities and physical science misconceptions held by preservice elementary teachers. The cognitive abilities under investigation were: formal reasoning ability as measured by the Lawson Classroom Test of Formal Reasoning (Lawson, 1978); working memory capacity as measured by the Figural Intersection Test (Burtis & Pascual-Leone, 1974); verbal intelligence as measured by the Acorn National Academic Aptitude Test: Verbal Intelligence (Kobal, Wrightstone, & Kunze, 1944); and field dependence/independence as measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test (Witkin, Oltman, & Raskin, 1971). The number of physical science misconceptions held by preservice elementary teachers was measured by the Misconceptions in Science Questionnaire (Franklin, 1992). The data utilized in this investigation were obtained from 36 preservice elementary teachers enrolled in two sections of a science methods course at a small regional university in the southeastern United States. Multiple regression techniques were used to analyze the collected data. The following conclusions were reached following an analysis of the data. The variables of formal reasoning ability and verbal intelligence were identified as having significant relationships, both individually and in combination, to the dependent variable of selected physical science misconceptions. Though the correlations were not high enough to yield strong predictors of physical science misconceptions or strong relationships, they were of sufficient magnitude to warrant further investigation. It is recommended that further investigation be conducted replicating this study with a larger sample size. In addition, experimental research should be implemented to explore the relationships suggested in this study between the cognitive variables of formal reasoning ability and verbal intelligence and the dependent variable of selected physical science misconceptions

  10. Identifying Positive Teacher-Student Interactions in a Safe and Engaged Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeman, Laura Dreuth

    2003-01-01

    Research suggests positive interaction between students and teachers is a hallmark of a safe and effective school. Yet to date there is no literature presenting findings or case examples of what constitutes positive engagement or how to measure its frequency. This paper shares observations of a "model" rural middle school in an attempt…

  11. Service Learning Creates a Positive Relationship between Teachers and Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lubchenko, Sandra

    2016-01-01

    The current pedagogy in creating a positive school climate is building personal relationships with students. Teachers and students work together to create a safe environment where students engage in the academic pursuit of knowledge. Service-learning projects that create this close bond and offer a collective pursuit of helping others give…

  12. Biology Professors' and Teachers' Positions Regarding Biological Evolution and Evolution Education in a Middle Eastern Society

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    BouJaoude, Saouma; Asghar, Anila; Wiles, Jason R.; Jaber, Lama; Sarieddine, Diana; Alters, Brian

    2011-05-01

    This study investigated three questions: (1) What are Lebanese secondary school (Grade 9-12) biology teachers' and university biology professors' positions regarding biological evolution?, (2) How do participants' religious affiliations relate to their positions about evolutionary science?, and (3) What are participants' positions regarding evolution education? Participants were 20 secondary school biology teachers and seven university biology professors. Seventy percent of the teachers and 60% of the professors were Muslim. Data came from semi-structured interviews with participants. Results showed that nine (Christian or Muslim Druze) teachers accepted the theory, five (four Muslim) rejected it because it contradicted religious beliefs, and three (Muslim) reinterpreted it because evolution did not include humans. Teachers who rejected or reinterpreted the evolutionary theory said that it should not be taught (three), evolution and creationism should be given equal time (two), or students should be allowed to take their own stand. Two professors indicated that they taught evolution explicitly and five said that they integrated it in other biology content. One Muslim professor said that she stressed 'the role of God in creation during instruction on evolution'. It seems that years of studying and teaching biology have not had a transformative effect on how a number of teachers and professors think about evolution.

  13. Parents' and teachers' perceptions of adolescent storm and stress: relations with parenting and teaching styles.

    PubMed

    Hines, Allyn R; Paulson, Sharon E

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if parents and teachers differed in their views of adolescent storm and stress, and to examine the relations of these reported perceptions with parenting and teaching behaviors. Subjects were parents and teachers of middle and high school students in three school districts in the Midwest. Storm and stress beliefs were identified as parents' and teachers' perceptions of conflict, moodiness, and risk-taking behavior. Scales assessing classic/conforming and positive adolescent behaviors also were included. Self-report assessments of parenting and teaching were administered as well. Results indicated that whereas both parents and teachers held storm and stress beliefs, teachers maintained stronger perceptions than parents. Teachers also endorsed higher classic/conforming and lower positive behaviors than did parents. The results further indicated that parents' perceptions of storm and stress were related to their degree of parental responsiveness; but teachers' perceptions were not related to their teaching style. These results suggest that stereotypic beliefs of the adolescent period continue to be maintained, and that these may influence how adults interact with adolescents.

  14. Building Teacher Teams: Evidence of Positive Spillovers from More Effective Colleagues. CEPA Working Paper No. 15-20

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Min; Loeb, Susanna; Grissom, Jason

    2015-01-01

    Student peer effects are well documented. We know far less, however, about peer effects among teachers. We hypothesize that a relatively effective teacher may positively affect the performance of their peers, while a relatively ineffective teacher may negatively impact the performance of other teachers with whom they work closely. Utilizing a…

  15. Meet the Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirker, Sara Schmickle

    2008-01-01

    This article describes how to create the life-size teacher portraits that are displayed during an annual "Meet the Teacher" event held to introduce students and families to the facility and staff of the Apple Glen Elementary School in Bentonville, Arkansas. Several months prior to this event, students are asked to closely observe their…

  16. The Effective Teacher. Position Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teacher Education Conference Board, Albany, NY.

    Effective teachers not only remain abreast of new developments in their fields, but strive toward increased mastery of teaching skills by continually extending and refining the specialized knowledge acquired prior to entering the profession. Teachers are expected to lead active intellectual lives and to evince a breadth of erudition that will…

  17. Students' awareness of science teachers' leadership, attitudes toward science, and positive thinking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Ying-Yan; Chen, Hsiang-Ting; Hong, Zuway-R.; Yore, Larry D.

    2016-09-01

    There appears to be a complex network of cognitive and affective factors that influence students' decisions to study science and motivate their choices to engage in science-oriented careers. This study explored 330 Taiwanese senior high school students' awareness of their science teacher's learning leadership and how it relates to the students' attitudes toward science and positive thinking. Initial results revealed that the optimism of positive thinking is highly and positively correlated with the future participation in science and learning science in school attitudes toward science and self-concept in science. Moreover, structural equation modelling (SEM) results indicated that the subscale of teachers' leadership with idealised influence was the most predictive of students' attitudes toward science (β = .37), and the leadership with laissez-faire was predictive of students' positive thinking (β = .21). In addition, the interview results were consistent with the quantitative findings. The correlation and SEM results indicate some of the associations and potential relationships amongst the motivational and affective factors studied and students' attitudes toward and intentions to study science, which will increase their likelihood of future involvement in science careers.

  18. Potential characteristics that relate to teachers mathematics-related beliefs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Purnomo, Y. W.; Aziz, T. A.; Pramudiani, P.; Darwis, S.; Suryadi, D.

    2018-01-01

    A characteristic of the persons was very potential to affect the beliefs they held. This study examines whether there was a significant difference between the beliefs factors with characteristics such as gender, teaching experience, certification status, and grade level assignments. There were 325 primary school teachers in East Jakarta who participated in this research. MANOVA was applied to analyze the data. The findings of this study indicate that only on teaching experience, there was a significant difference between the beliefs held by the teachers, i.e. teachers who have 11-20 years teaching experience were more likely to think absolute than constructivism. Moreover, there was no difference between each belief they held with the other characteristics.

  19. Teachers' Discoursal Strategies in Providing Positive Feedback to Student Responses: A Study of Four English Immersion Teachers in People's Republic of China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pei, Miao

    2012-01-01

    This paper investigates the discoursal strategies of four teachers in providing feedback to student responses in English classrooms in Xi'an, People's Republic of China. The findings indicate that the teachers provide positive feedback for students English learning in various ways, including using the most common strategies such as accepting,…

  20. The Relationship between of Teacher Competence, Emotional Intelligence and Teacher Performance Madrasah Tsanawiyah at District of Serang Banten

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wahyuddin, Wawan

    2016-01-01

    This study wants to examine the relationship between teacher competence and emotional intelligence that held by teachers to increase the teacher performance Madrasah Tsanawiyah at district of Serang Banten. This research was conducted with the quantitative method, through analysis descriptive and inferential. Samples the research were teachers…

  1. Exploring Exemplary Elementary Teachers' Conceptions and Implementation of Inquiry Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrison, Judith A.

    2013-01-01

    This study was an exploration of the conceptions of inquiry science held by exemplary elementary teachers. The origins of these conceptions were explored in order to establish how best to improve elementary teachers' understanding and implementation of inquiry science teaching. Four focus group sessions were held as well as classroom observations.…

  2. Perceived positive teacher-student relationship as a protective factor for Chinese left-behind children's emotional and behavioural adjustment.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yan; Li, Xiaowei; Chen, Li; Qu, Zhiyong

    2015-10-01

    Using cross-sectional data collected in rural communities of two provinces of China, this study examined the protective role of perceived positive teacher-student relationship for Chinese left-behind children. The participants included 1442 children with a mean age of 14.13 classified into two groups: a left-behind group (104 boys and 110 girls) and a comparison group (588 boys and 640 girls). Self-reported questionnaires concerning self-esteem, depression, problem behaviours and the teacher-student relationship were administered. Relative to the comparison group, after controlling for age, gender and family socioeconomic status, the left-behind group was disadvantaged in terms of self-esteem and depression but not in problem behaviours. As hypothesised, the results of regression analyses indicated that teacher-student relationship positively predicted self-esteem and negatively predicted depression and problem behaviours for both groups. Moreover, the association between teacher-student relationship and depression was stronger among the left-behind group, suggesting that left-behind children were more responsive to the positive effect of a desired teacher-student relationship. Taken together, the results of our study support the idea that perceived positive teacher-student relationship may serve as a protective factor for left-behind children. Practical implications and limitations of the present study are discussed. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

  3. Instilling Dreams: The Promise of Teacher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ambler, Marjane

    1999-01-01

    Examines the low expectations of Native American students held by both Indian and non-Indian teachers and asserts that these attitudes of "internalized racism" must change. Reports on teacher education at tribal colleges and advocates preparing teachers to believe in students' dreams of achievement. (VWC)

  4. TPACK in Teacher Education: Are We Preparing Teachers to Use Technology for Early Literacy?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Voogt, Joke; McKenney, Susan

    2017-01-01

    This study examines if and how five teacher education institutes are helping students to develop the technological pedagogical content knowledge needed to effectively use technology for early literacy. Focus group discussions were held with teacher educators in which their responses to expert recommendations were probed. Findings indicate that,…

  5. 1977 Teacher Intern Project. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Resnick, Harold S.

    A need for better understanding between industry and education prompted development of a program to employ eight teachers in industry on a full-time basis during the summer to broaden the teachers' understanding of the nature and scope of the industrial process. Weekly seminars were held in which the teachers shared their experiences with each…

  6. Learning about the Quality of Work That Teachers Expect: Students' Perceptions of Exemplar Marking versus Teacher Explanation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hendry, Graham D.; Jukic, Katherine

    2014-01-01

    Assessment is an important element of university curricula for both teachers and students. It provides evidence that students have learned what their teachers expected them to learn. There is good evidence that teachers' use of exemplars in a dedicated marking class held before an assessment task helps students understand what is expected of them…

  7. Teachers' Positioning towards an Educational Innovation in the Light of Ownership, Sense-Making and Agency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ketelaar, Evelien; Beijaard, Douwe; Boshuizen, Henny P. A.; Den Brok, Perry J.

    2012-01-01

    The positioning of eleven teachers towards an innovation was studied in the light of ownership, sense-making and agency. Semi-structured and video-stimulated interviews were used for data collection. The findings show that these three concepts are useful for describing similarities and differences between teachers in terms of their positioning…

  8. Teaching Teachers to Search Electronically.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Nancy H. G.

    1992-01-01

    Describes an inservice teacher training program developed to teach secondary school teachers how to search CD-ROMs, laser disks, and automated catalogs. Training sessions held during faculty meetings are described, computer activities are explained, a sample worksheet for searching an electronic encyclopedia is included, and sources for CD-ROMs…

  9. Teachers' Personal and Professional Influences Related to School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Broskey, Matthew

    2017-01-01

    This study focused on understanding teachers' personal and professional experiences that influence the fidelity of implementation of a school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) program within their classrooms. Research has focused on the implementation fidelity of school-wide positive support programs, academic impact on students, teacher…

  10. Preservice Teachers' Alternative Conceptions in Elementary Science Concepts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koc, Isil; Yager, Robert E.

    2016-01-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the extent to which preservice teachers held alternative conceptions in elementary science concepts. Eighty-six preservice elementary teachers participated in this study. Twelve preservice elementary teachers participated in follow-up interviews. Data were collected through the use of Alternative Conceptions…

  11. School Readiness: The Views of Pre-Service Preschool Teachers and Pre-Service Primary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sahin Sak, Ikbal Tuba

    2016-01-01

    This study compares the views of the concept of school readiness held by 50 pre-service preschool teachers and 50 pre-service primary teachers. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview protocol, and the word-list and key-words-in-context techniques were used for qualitative data analysis. Findings show that pre-service preschool…

  12. A Comparison of University Lecturers' and Pre-service Teachers' Understanding of a Chemical Reaction at the Particulate Level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Kam-Wah Lucille

    1999-07-01

    This study identified a number of views prevalent among two groups of teachers about a single chemical reaction. Teachers' views were identified on the basis of the diagrammatic representations of particles that they made about the combustion of magnesium in air. Two major differences were identified between the university lecturers' and student teachers' views. According to university lecturers, in general, intermediates form between the reactants of magnesium and oxygen gas, whereas in the view of half of the pre-service teachers, the reactants form free particles before forming magnesium oxide. Many pre-service teachers held a view of loosely packed magnesium oxide, a scientifically invalid position. While training future teachers, more attention should be paid to the "atomic" level of chemical description and its associations with the macro and symbolic levels.

  13. An Inquiry-Based Approach to Teaching the Spherical Earth Model to Preservice Teachers Using the Global Positioning System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Song, Youngjin; Schwenz, Richard

    2013-01-01

    This article describes an inquiry-based lesson to deepen preservice teachers' understanding of the spherical Earth model using the Global Positioning System. The lesson was designed with four learning goals: (1) to increase preservice teachers' conceptual knowledge of the spherical Earth model; (2) to develop preservice teachers'…

  14. A Follow-Up Study of the Participants of the Nine National Science Foundation Academic Year Institutes for Junior High School Teachers of Mathematics Held at San Jose State College, 1962 to 1970.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Merkel, Joseph G.

    This report is based on 144 questionnaires sent to past participants of the nine National Science Foundation Academic Year Institutes (AYI) for Junior High School Teachers of Mathematics held at San Jose State College, 1962-1970. The questionnaires, sent to each participant in May of the year following completion of their institute, lists 25…

  15. A Bargain Half Fulfilled: Teacher Autonomy and Accountability in Traditional Public Schools and Public Charter Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oberfield, Zachary W.

    2016-01-01

    Public charter schools (PCS) are thought to succeed because they have greater autonomy and are held more accountable than traditional public schools (TPS). Though teachers are central to this expectation, there is little evidence about whether teachers in PCS enjoy more autonomy and are held more accountable than teachers in TPS. Also, it is…

  16. Teacher Education and Social Change.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mehrotra, R. N.; Katiyar, S. N., Eds.

    This report reviews the proceedings of the First Asian Conference on Teacher Education held in Bangalore, India, June 1971. The theme of the conference was teacher education and social change. Four aspects of this theme were covered including a) modernization as a process and social ideal, b) socio-economic change and education, c) national goals…

  17. Biology Professors' and Teachers' Positions Regarding Biological Evolution and Evolution Education in a Middle Eastern Society

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    BouJaoude, Saouma; Asghar, Anila; Wiles, Jason R.; Jaber, Lama; Sarieddine, Diana; Alters, Brian

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated three questions: (1) What are Lebanese secondary school (Grade 9-12) biology teachers' and university biology professors' positions regarding biological evolution?, (2) How do participants' religious affiliations relate to their positions about evolutionary science?, and (3) What are participants' positions regarding…

  18. Functional Assessment and Positive Support Strategies for Promoting Resilience: Effects on Teachers and High-Risk Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stoiber, Karen Callan; Gettinger, Maribeth

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to conduct an experimental analysis of teachers' use of functional assessment (FA) and positive behavior support (PBS) for addressing challenging behaviors in young children. A group of 35 experimental teachers participated in professional development designed to provide step-by-step training and guided implementation…

  19. The Emphasis of Student Test Scores in Teacher Appraisal Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, William C.; Kubacka, Katarzyna

    2017-01-01

    Over the past 30 years teachers have been held increasingly accountable for the quality of education in their classroom. During this transition, the line between teacher appraisals, traditionally an instrument for continuous formative teacher feedback, and summative teacher evaluations has blurred. Student test scores, as an "objective"…

  20. 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…

  1. Induction and Mentoring: Levels of Student Teacher Understanding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkins, Elizabeth A.; Okrasinski, Jeanne E.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore perspectives held by student teachers about induction and mentoring programs and how teacher education programs could contribute to a broader continuum of supports that span from preservice to in-service teaching. Using survey research, this mixed-method study sought to understand what student teachers from…

  2. Witnessing (Halted) Deconstruction: White Teachers' "Perfect Stranger" Position within Urban Indigenous Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Higgins, Marc; Madden, Brooke; Korteweg, Lisa

    2015-01-01

    This article extends upon Susan Dion's theory of the "perfect stranger" by exploring how this position is articulated and embodied by white teachers (N?=?67) involved in urban Indigenous education reform. On the lookout for deconstruction, we think with Derrida around the interrelated self/other and familiar/strange binaries that uphold…

  3. Evaluating the Impact of Increasing General Education Teachers' Ratio of Positive-to-Negative Interactions on Students' Classroom Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Clayton R.; Grady, Erin A.; Long, Anna C.; Renshaw, Tyler; Codding, Robin S.; Fiat, Aria; Larson, Madeline

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to isolate and evaluate the impact of increasing teachers' ratios of positive-to-negative interactions with their students. Training teachers on the 5:1 ratio was evaluated using a randomized-block pre-post control design with general education classroom teachers (N = 6) that were characterized by a higher ratio of…

  4. Analyzing prospective teachers' images of scientists using positive, negative and stereotypical images of scientists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Subramaniam, Karthigeyan; Esprívalo Harrell, Pamela; Wojnowski, David

    2013-04-01

    Background and purpose : This study details the use of a conceptual framework to analyze prospective teachers' images of scientists to reveal their context-specific conceptions of scientists. The conceptual framework consists of context-specific conceptions related to positive, stereotypical and negative images of scientists as detailed in the literature on the images, role and work of scientists. Sample, design and method : One hundred and ninety-six drawings of scientists, generated by prospective teachers, were analyzed using the Draw-A-Scientist-Test Checklist (DAST-C), a binary linear regression and the conceptual framework. Results : The results of the binary linear regression analysis revealed a statistically significant difference for two DAST-C elements: ethnicity differences with regard to drawing a scientist who was Caucasian and gender differences for indications of danger. Analysis using the conceptual framework helped to categorize the same drawings into positive, stereotypical, negative and composite images of a scientist. Conclusions : The conceptual framework revealed that drawings were focused on the physical appearance of the scientist, and to a lesser extent on the equipment, location and science-related practices that provided the context of a scientist's role and work. Implications for teacher educators include the need to understand that there is a need to provide tools, like the conceptual framework used in this study, to help prospective teachers to confront and engage with their multidimensional perspectives of scientists in light of the current trends on perceiving and valuing scientists. In addition, teacher educators need to use the conceptual framework, which yields qualitative perspectives about drawings, together with the DAST-C, which yields quantitative measure for drawings, to help prospective teachers to gain a holistic outlook on their drawings of scientists.

  5. Developing Teachers Who Are Reflective Practitioners: A Complex Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ostorga, Alcione N.

    2006-01-01

    Teachers everywhere are being held accountable for their professional actions through the test-driven curricula sweeping the nation. The National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE, 2002) makes it clear that promotion of reflective practice is an important component of teacher education programs. This multiple case study…

  6. Uninvited Guests: The Influence of Teachers' Roles and Pedagogies on the Positioning of English Language Learners in the Regular Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yoon, Bogum

    2008-01-01

    Grounded in positioning theory, this study examined regular classroom teachers' views of their roles with regard to English language learners (ELLs) and the relationship between their teaching approaches and the students' reactions and positioning of themselves in the classroom. Findings suggest that the teachers' views of their roles varied based…

  7. The Functional Effect of Teacher Positive and Neutral Affect on Task Performance of Students with Significant Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Sungho; Singer, George H. S.; Gibson, Mary

    2005-01-01

    The study uses an alternating treatment design to evaluate the functional effect of teacher's affect on students' task performance. Tradition in special education holds that teachers should engage students using positive and enthusiastic affect for task presentations and praise. To test this assumption, we compared two affective conditions. Three…

  8. "If Carmen Can Analyze Shakespeare, Everybody Can": Positions, Conflicts, and Negotiations in the Narratives of Latina Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kayi-Aydar, Hayriye

    2018-01-01

    This study, focusing on the life stories of three pre-service Latina teachers in the United States, explored how they positioned themselves as learners of English and teachers of Spanish in their oral narratives, and how their past experience as minority students shaped their current professional identity negotiations as language teachers.…

  9. Hand-held dynamometer testing of the internal and external rotator musculature based on selected positions to establish normative data and unilateral ratios.

    PubMed

    Riemann, Bryan L; Davies, George J; Ludwig, Lauren; Gardenhour, Helen

    2010-12-01

    Objective documentation is needed of shoulder internal and external rotator strength using hand-held dynamometry in selected positions commonly used in a clinic. We compared strength measures and unilateral ratios between gender, limbs (dominant, nondominant), and 3 testing positions. We hypothesized that men would be stronger than women, the dominant shoulder would be stronger than the nondominant shoulder, and the seated neutral (0° adduction) and seated 30° abduction, 30° scaption, 30° diagonal (30°-30°-30°) positions would be stronger than the prone at 90°-90° position. Three positions (prone at 90°, seated at neutral, and seated at 30°-30°-30°) were evaluated in 181 individuals using hand-held dynamometry. Three separate 3-factor (limb by position by gender) analyses of variance were conducted on internal rotation, external rotation, and unilateral ratios. Although the dominant limb was significantly stronger (P < .001) than the nondominant for internal rotation, there was no difference for external rotation. The external rotators demonstrated significantly greater strength in the prone at 90° position compared with the seated at neutral (P = .001) and seated at 30°-30°-30° (P = .002) positions. The internal rotators demonstrated significantly greater (P = .036) strength in the neutral position than in the prone at 90° position for the women. The unilateral ratio of external rotators/internal rotators ranged from 86% to 99%. For the women, the prone at 90° ratio was significantly greater than seated at neutral (P = .001) and seated at 30°-30°-30° (P = .001) positions. Moderate strength relationships (r = 0.506 to 0.572) were revealed between body mass and all strength measures. The results of this study provide evidence to interpret normative data, bilateral comparisons and unilateral ratios of the internal/external rotators in the 3 selected positions. Because there are no differences between the seated at neutral and 30°-30°-30

  10. Recruitment of Secondary School Physics Teachers--An International Viewpoint.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mayfield, M. R.

    This report of the findings of the working group on "recruitment" of the International Congress on the Education of Secondary School Physics Teachers held in Hungary in September, 1970, includes reasons for the shortage of physics teachers (low salaries, excessive class load, lack of prestige, and inadequate programs of teacher preparation),…

  11. Educating Prospective Teachers of Biology: Introduction and Research Methods.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hewson, Peter W.; Tabachnick, B. Robert; Zeichner, Kenneth M.; Blomker, Kathryn B.; Meyer, Helen; Lemberger, John; Marion, Robin; Park, Hyun-Ju; Toolin, Regina

    1999-01-01

    Introduces an issue that details a complex study of a science-teacher-education program whose goal was to graduate teachers who held conceptual change conceptions of teaching science and were disposed to put them into practice. Presents a conceptual framework for science-teacher education, and describes the context and major questions of the…

  12. Educating Prospective Teachers of Biology: Findings, Limitations, and Recommendations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hewson, Peter W.; Tabachnick, B. Robert; Zeichner, Kenneth M.; Lemberger, John

    1999-01-01

    Summarizes a complex study of a science-teacher-education program whose goal was to graduate teachers who held conceptual change conceptions of teaching science and were disposed to put hem into practice. Concludes that there are influences on prospective teachers from their content coursework that have significant implications for how they view…

  13. South Korean Early Childhood Education Teachers' Perceptions of Program-Wide Positive Behavior Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noh, Jina; Steed, Elizabeth A.; Kim, Kyungmin

    2016-01-01

    The authors conducted a survey of 169 South Korean early childhood education teachers regarding the importance and implementation of strategies associated with the Program-Wide Positive Behavior Support (PWPBS) framework (L. Fox & M. L. Hemmeter, 2009) to support social competence and prevent young children's challenging behavior. Analyses…

  14. Positionings in an Immature Triad in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klemp, Torunn; Nilssen, Vivi

    2017-01-01

    This article presents and discusses experiences from an intervention project in Norwegian teacher education focusing on a triadic collaboration between student teachers, mentors and lecturers. The aim of the project was to establish a written, digital meeting place supporting the student teachers' professional development. The question explored in…

  15. The Contribution of a Particular "Kids in Parks" Programme to the Professional Development of Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferreira, J. G.

    2014-01-01

    This article considers the possible contribution of the "kids in parks" programme offered at Golden Gate Highlands National Park to the professional development of teachers. Focus group interviews were held with teachers who participated in the programme, and an interview with open-ended questions was held with a learning facilitator…

  16. Expelling Stress for Primary School Teachers: Self-Affirmation Increases Positive Emotions in Teaching and Emotion Reappraisal

    PubMed Central

    Morgan, James; Atkin, Lisa

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the present pilot study was to assess the effect of a brief work-related self-affirming implementation intention (WS-AII) on the well-being of primary school teachers. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two conditions: one in which they were asked to create a WS-AII or one in which they were asked to create a control implementation intention (C-II). State anxiety was measured pre- and post-manipulation, self-efficacy at post-manipulation only, and emotions in teaching and emotion regulation at baseline and at a two-week follow-up. There were statistically significant differences between the WS-AII condition and the control. Teachers who created work-related self-affirming implementation intentions reported an immediate reduction in state anxiety. Positive effects extended over the two-week period, with teachers in the WS-AII condition also reporting more positive emotions in teaching and the use of reappraisal emotion regulation strategies rather than emotion suppression. Results suggest that the integration of the WS-AII into existing organisational practice may be of benefit to the well-being of teachers and other highly stressed workers. PMID:27187437

  17. Expelling Stress for Primary School Teachers: Self-Affirmation Increases Positive Emotions in Teaching and Emotion Reappraisal.

    PubMed

    Morgan, James; Atkin, Lisa

    2016-05-13

    The aim of the present pilot study was to assess the effect of a brief work-related self-affirming implementation intention (WS-AII) on the well-being of primary school teachers. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two conditions: one in which they were asked to create a WS-AII or one in which they were asked to create a control implementation intention (C-II). State anxiety was measured pre- and post-manipulation, self-efficacy at post-manipulation only, and emotions in teaching and emotion regulation at baseline and at a two-week follow-up. There were statistically significant differences between the WS-AII condition and the control. Teachers who created work-related self-affirming implementation intentions reported an immediate reduction in state anxiety. Positive effects extended over the two-week period, with teachers in the WS-AII condition also reporting more positive emotions in teaching and the use of reappraisal emotion regulation strategies rather than emotion suppression. Results suggest that the integration of the WS-AII into existing organisational practice may be of benefit to the well-being of teachers and other highly stressed workers.

  18. Constructivist Instructional Practices and Teacher Beliefs Related to Secondary Science Teaching and Learning

    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.

  19. Teacher Support and Math Engagement: Roles of Academic Self-Efficacy and Positive Emotions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Ru-De; Zhen, Rui; Ding, Yi; Liu, Ying; Wang, Jia; Jiang, Ronghuan; Xu, Le

    2018-01-01

    The current study assessed 869 elementary school students in China using self-report questionnaires, to examine the multiple mediating effects of academic self-efficacy and positive academic emotions (enjoyment and relief) in the relations between teacher support and academic engagement (cognitive, behavioural and emotional aspects) within a math…

  20. A Story of Culture and Teaching: The Complexity of Teacher Identity Formation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards, F. C. E.; Edwards, R. J.

    2017-01-01

    Research in teacher education repeatedly suggests that the background and underlying beliefs held by pre-service teachers about teaching and assessment act to shape their interpretations of ideas, powerfully influencing their praxis and their developing teacher identity. This paper explores how a young New Zealand secondary science teacher, raised…

  1. Sliding Subject Positions: Knowledge and Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Tony; Rowley, Harriet; Smith, Kim

    2016-01-01

    In England, adjustments to policy in teacher education have had implications for how subject knowledge is understood and for how job descriptions are defined. That is, the interface between teacher educator and subject knowledge representation has been changing. This paper reports on a wider study that considers the experience of university…

  2. Multi-Positioning Mathematics Class Size: Teachers' Views

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Handal, Boris; Watson, Kevin; Maher, Marguerite

    2015-01-01

    This paper explores mathematics teachers' perceptions about class size and the impact class size has on teaching and learning in secondary mathematics classrooms. It seeks to understand teachers' views about optimal class sizes and their thoughts about the education variables that influence these views. The paper draws on questionnaire responses…

  3. An explanatory framework of teachers' perceptions of a positive mealtime environment in a preschool setting.

    PubMed

    Mita, Satoko C; Gray, Samuel A; Goodell, L Suzanne

    2015-07-01

    Attending a preschool center may help preschoolers with growth and development that encourage a healthy lifestyle, including sound eating behaviors. Providing a positive mealtime environment (PME) may be one of the keys to fostering a child's healthy eating habits in the classroom. However, a specific definition of a PME, the components of a PME, or directions on how to create one have not been established. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore Head Start teachers' perceptions related to a PME and create a conceptual framework representing these perceptions. To achieve this purpose, researchers conducted 65 in-depth phone interviews with Head Start teachers around the US. Applying principles of grounded theory, researchers developed a conceptual framework depicting teachers' perceptions of PME, consisting of five key components: (1) the people (i.e., teachers, kitchen staff, parent volunteers, and children), (2) positive emotional tone (e.g., relaxed and happy), (3) rules, expectations, and routines (e.g., family-style mealtime), (4) operations of a PME (i.e., eating, socialization, and learning), and (5) both short- and long-term outcomes of a PME. With this PME framework, researchers may be able to enhance the effectiveness of nutrition interventions related to a PME, focusing on the factors in the conceptual framework as well as barriers associated with achieving these factors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Do Disadvantaged Urban Schools Lose Their Best Teachers? Brief 7

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanushek, Eric A.; Rivkin, Steven G.

    2008-01-01

    A growing body of research confirms the long-held belief of parents, school administrators, and policy makers that teachers are the key component to a good education and that there is substantial variation in teacher quality. This research differs fundamentally from prior work on teachers by focusing directly on differences in student learning…

  5. I-LLINI Partnerships for 21st Century Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Read, K.; Wong, K.; Charlevoix, D. J.; Tomkin, J.; Hug, B.; Williams, M.; Pianfetti, E.

    2008-12-01

    I-LLINI Partnerships is two-year State funded program to initiate enhance communication between the faculty at University of Illinois and K-12 teachers in the surrounding communities. The program focuses on math and science with a particular emphasis on the use of technology to teaching math and science to middle-school aged children. The Partnership provides participating teachers with a suite of technology including a computer, digital camera, and software, as well as a small stipend. University partners include representatives from the Departments of Mathematics as well as the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and the Department of Geology. The Atmospheric Sciences and Geology faculty have partnered to provide content using an Earth Systems Science approach to presenting content to the teachers. Additionally, teachers provide feedback to university faculty with relation to how they might better prepare future science teachers. Teacher participants are required to attend a series of workshops during the academic year as well as a summer workshop. The first workshop was held June 2008 on the University of Illinois campus. Our poster will highlight the first workshop providing a discussion and photographs of the activities, an analysis of the benefits and challenges - both to the university representatives as well as the teachers ­ and a summary of future changes planned for the 2009 summer workshop. During the second morning of the workshop, the science teachers participated in an EcoBlitz via a field trip to a collect data from a stream near campus. During the EcoBlitz, math teachers attended tutorial sessions on campus on statistical analysis software. The EcoBliz teachers were provided with instruments and equipment necessary to collect data on the weather conditions and water quality of the stream. Instruments included a temperature probe, turbidity sensor, dissolved oxygen sensor and a hand held weather instrument. Data was recorded with Vernier Lab

  6. Conceptions of Art Education Programs Held by a Rural and Remote Australian Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Page, Tara

    2007-01-01

    This article discusses the results of a one-year study in a physically isolated school community in Queensland, Australia. The decision-making processes in the selection of school subjects became the focus for interviews conducted with the school community (students, parents, and teachers) and the vehicle for identifying the held conceptions of…

  7. Child Development Knowledge and Teacher Preparation: Confronting Assumptions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Lilian G.

    This paper questions the widely held assumption that acquiring knowledge of child development is an essential part of teacher preparation and teaching competence, especially among teachers of young children. After discussing the influence of culture, parenting style, and teaching style on developmental expectations and outcomes, the paper asserts…

  8. Teachers' Stereotypes of Asian, Black, and White Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Doris F.; Demyan, Amy L.

    2007-01-01

    This research uses two different measurement operations to examine contemporary stereotypes of Asians, Blacks, and Whites held by an ethnically diverse sample of teachers. Data were drawn from a sample of 188 teachers representing over 160 schools in Southern California. Consistent with previous research, participants endorsed a "model…

  9. Positive weighing of the other's collective narrative among Jewish and Bedouin-Palestinian teachers in Israel and its correlates.

    PubMed

    Lazar, Alon; Braun-Lewensohn, Orna; Litvak Hirsch, Tal

    2016-06-01

    Teachers play a pivotal role in the educational discourse around collective narratives, and especially the other's narrative. The study assumed that members of groups entangled in a conflict approach the different modules of the other's narrative distinctively. Jewish and Palestinian teachers, Israeli citizens, answered questionnaires dealing with the narrative of the other, readiness for interethnic contact, negative between-group emotions and preferences for resolutions of the Israeli-Palestinian (I-P) conflict. Positive weighing of the other's narrative among Jewish teachers correlated with high levels of readiness for interethnic contact and low levels of negative between-group emotions, across the various modules of the Palestinian narrative. Preferences for a peaceful resolution of the I-P conflict and rejection of a violent one were noted in two of the modules. Among Palestinian teachers, positive weighing of the other's collective narrative was exclusively noted for the Israeli narrative of the Holocaust, and this stance negatively related to negative between-group emotions and preference for a violent solution of the I-P conflict, and positively related to readiness for interethnic contact and preference of a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Practical implications of these findings for peace education are discussed. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

  10. Our Dirty Little Secrets: Myths about Teachers and Administrators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liftig, Robert

    1990-01-01

    Peer coaching and teacher empowerment will realize their true potential only when we expose, examine, and exorcise the collective misconceptions that teachers and administrators have traditionally held about each other. Myths about snoopervisors, terminators, harassers, loafers, and artful dodgers must be dispelled before genuine school…

  11. Pre-Service Secondary Teachers' Attitudes towards Inclusive Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Costello, Shane; Boyle, Christopher

    2013-01-01

    The attitudes held by pre-service teachers have been shown to affect their willingness and ability to implement an inclusive approach to education. A sample consisting of 193 pre-service secondary teachers enrolled in secondary education courses at an Australian university were surveyed to determine their attitudes towards inclusive education,…

  12. Peeling the Onion: Student Teacher's Conceptions of Literary Understanding.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlsson, Maj Asplund; Fulop, Marta; Marton, Ference

    2001-01-01

    Studied the theories student teachers held about literary understanding through interviews with 25 Hungarian and 8 Swedish student teachers. Categories of theories captured a substantial portion of the variation in how literary understanding can be seen. Three central aspects of human understanding, variation, discernment, and simultaneity, could…

  13. Analyzing Prospective Teachers' Images of Scientists Using Positive, Negative and Stereotypical Images of Scientists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Subramaniam, Karthigeyan; Harrell, Pamela Esprivalo; Wojnowski, David

    2013-01-01

    Background and purpose: This study details the use of a conceptual framework to analyze prospective teachers' images of scientists to reveal their context-specific conceptions of scientists. The conceptual framework consists of context-specific conceptions related to positive, stereotypical and negative images of scientists as detailed in the…

  14. Teachers' Perceptions of the Effect of Their Attire on Middle-School Students' Behavior and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sampson, Elizabeth Clemons

    2016-01-01

    Teachers were once held to a professional dress code. This code has become lax, resulting in teachers dressing in more casual attire. A local middle school in rural Georgia was experiencing complaints about teachers' unprofessional attire from other teachers, administrators, and parents. Teachers play an integral role in modeling cultural and…

  15. Interpreting Teachers' Perceptions of Contextual Influences on Sexuality Discourses within the School Curriculum: Lessons from Sex Health Education Teachers in Kampala, Uganda

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tushabomwe, Annette; Nashon, Samson Madera

    2016-01-01

    Analysis of key findings of a study that investigated six Ugandan teachers' perceptions of contextual influences on sexuality discourses revealed that though there is some form of sex education in schools and though teachers are very enthusiastic about its implementation, it is largely constrained by conflicting social stances held by various…

  16. Fear and Efficacy Appeals in the Classroom: The Secondary Teachers' Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Putwain, David W.; Roberts, Christine M.

    2012-01-01

    Previous research has examined the use of classroom fear and efficacy appeals from a student perspective, but little is known about teachers' views towards fear and efficacy appeals. In this preliminary study, we conducted a survey of 234 secondary school teachers. Results showed that teachers held mixed views towards the use of fear appeals and…

  17. Malaysian Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs about the Nature of Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zikre, Nuraini Mohd; Eu, Leong Kwan

    2016-01-01

    Teachers play a vital role in nurturing and shaping learners in school. Extensive researches have been conducted showing that beliefs in the nature of teaching and learning held by the teachers will affect their actual classroom practices. In Malaysia, not many studies have been done on mathematics teacher's beliefs at the national level. The…

  18. Transforming Knowledge in Undergraduate Teacher Education. A Craft Paper 91-1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reid, Gem

    This paper examines the teacher educator's role in assisting prospective teachers to grasp what it means to transform knowledge so that content and pedagogy intersect. Knowledge is not certain nor is its authority held in the text or the teacher's lesson plans. If students perceive knowledge to be open-ended, requiring vital curiosity, they will…

  19. 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…

  20. Mathematical knowledge for teaching: Making the tacit more explicit in mathematics teacher education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdullah, Mohd Faizal Nizam Lee; Vimalanandan, Lena

    2017-05-01

    Teaching practice during school based experiences, afford an opportunity for pre service teachers to put into practice their knowledge for teaching mathematics. Like all knowledge, Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) is held in both tacit and explicit form, making it especially difficult to study and map during instruction. This study investigates the tacit and explicit nature of MKT held by pre service teachers in a Malaysian Teacher Education Program and how it impacts the Mathematical Quality of their instruction (MQI). This study of three mathematics pre-service teachers (PSTs), utilised videos of mathematics lessons, reflective debriefs and interviews. The findings suggest that factors such as reflecting, peer-sharing, conferencing with mentors and observing support in making tacit knowledge more explicit during planning and instruction. Implications for preparation of mathematics teachers capable of high Mathematical Quality of Instruction are also discussed.

  1. Teachers' Motives for Learning in Networks: Costs, Rewards and Community Interest

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van den Beemt, Antoine; Ketelaar, Evelien; Diepstraten, Isabelle; de Laat, Maarten

    2018-01-01

    Background: This paper discusses teachers' perspectives on learning networks and their motives for participating in these networks. Although it is widely held that teachers' learning may be developed through learning networks, not all teachers participate in such networks. Purpose: The theme of reciprocity, central to studies in the area of…

  2. Why won't it Stick? Positive Psychology and Positive Education.

    PubMed

    White, Mathew A

    Following the launch of the positive psychology movement teachers and educators emerged as early adopters of this fledgling science. This approach was called positive education. It describes scientifically validated programs from positive psychology, taught in schools, that have an impact on student well-being. The growing body of evidence about the reach of positive psychology has formed a convincing case to consider well-being an operational goal for educational systems. It is argued that this goal is pivotal and should be pursued in the same way in which we develop strategies to harness academic growth, school retention rates, and student engagement. National education policies can have widespread influence at the grassroots level on school improvement, good quality of classroom teaching and learning, student performance, creating confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens, but not necessarily on the preventative skills for lifelong well-being. In this article I take stock on the positive education movement. Three approaches to positive education are identified and eight hurdles to the field are noted as reasons why positive education won't stick in policy. Then, I reflect on two case studies: a Well-being Summit and Round Table held at Wellington College and No. 10 Downing Street and Dr. Martin Seligman's role as Adelaide's Thinker in Residence as examples of grass-roots initiatives in well-being. Finally, six strategies are suggested for researchers and practitioners to grow the field. Last, I argued that until research centers focus on the development of common definitions of the key terms underpinning positive psychology, positive education and well-being the impact of the movement will be limited to a handful of institutions as models of best practice.

  3. University Teacher Educators' Research Engagement: Perspectives from Saudi Arabia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Borg, Simon; Alshumaimeri, Yousif

    2012-01-01

    This paper examines university teacher educators' engagement with and in educational research. Survey results collected from eighty-two teacher educators at a leading university in Saudi Arabia pointed to modest levels of research activity and also suggested that these individuals held largely technical views of what research is. Their assessments…

  4. Future Directions for EC Teacher Educators: 10 Principles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibbs, Colin

    2010-01-01

    In this two-part series, the author's task is to draw out some themes from the Working Forum for Teacher Educators, held in Auckland, New Zealand on April 30-May 2, 2008. Earlier he identified ten concerns relating to future directions in early childhood teacher education. In this article, he suggests ten principles for early childhood teacher…

  5. Review of Brief School-Based Positive Psychological Interventions: A Taster for Teachers and Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shankland, Rébecca; Rosset, Evelyn

    2017-01-01

    Research studies looking into the effects of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) implemented in classrooms have yielded promising results, not only in terms of student well-being but also in terms of academic outcomes, school climate, and teacher well-being. However, a number of PPIs require relatively high levels of commitment from school…

  6. Teacher Educator Identity Emerging through Positioning Self and Others

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pinnegar, Stefinee; Murphy, M. Shaun

    2011-01-01

    Research exploring the process of becoming a teacher educator always reveals the difficult balancing act that developing an identity as a teacher educator involves and the articles in this issue do just that. The Rice and McNeil studies of teacher educator identity in this issue are very revealing; they were conducted from the perspective of…

  7. Preservice Science Teachers' Science Teaching Orientations and Beliefs about Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kind, Vanessa

    2016-01-01

    This paper offers clarification of science teacher orientations as a potential component of pedagogical content knowledge. Science teaching orientations and beliefs about science held by 237 preservice science teachers were gathered via content-specific vignettes and questionnaire, respectively, prior to participation in a UK-based teacher…

  8. Teacher Beliefs in "Testing" Times: A Lesson from Singapore

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dixon, Mary

    2016-01-01

    International benchmarking and national testing of students at all levels of schooling have provoked teachers to critically reflect on their place in this endeavour. Many of the curriculum and pedagogical approaches associated with this type of assessment and accountability conflict with long-held beliefs about the role of teachers and the work of…

  9. A Comparison of Preservice Teachers' Beliefs on Education and Classroom Management

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tertemiz, Nese; Okut, Levent

    2014-01-01

    The beliefs held by preservice teachers will affect their classroom perceptions and behaviors. Therefore, understanding these beliefs is necessary to better understand preservice teachers, manage educational reforms successfully, and improving their teaching practice. From another perspective, understanding the belief structures of preservice…

  10. Strangers and Professionals: Positioning Discourse in ESL Teachers' Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haneda, Mari; Nespor, Jan

    2013-01-01

    English Language Learners (ELLs) usually spend most of the school day with regular classroom teachers. The ability of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers to help these students, then, depends in part on their ability to influence how the classroom teachers think of ELL students and ESL itself. One way ESL teachers do this is through…

  11. Positive Behavior Supports in Classrooms and Schools: Effective and Practical Strategies for Teachers and Other Service Providers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Storey, Keith; Post, Michal

    2012-01-01

    This unique book will provide teachers and other service providers the knowledge and skills for positive behavior supports in school settings, thereby improving the academic and social skills of their students. The text is generic across age levels K-12, and focuses on the positive behavior supports in school settings. Each chapter begins with Key…

  12. Pre-service High School Teachers' Perceptions of Three Environmental Phenomena.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khalid, Tahsin

    2003-01-01

    Identifies and describes misconceptions held by pre-service high school science teachers regarding three environmental issues: the greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, and acid rain. Indicates that many pre-service high school teachers possess an array of misconceptions about the causes and effects of each. (Contains 24 references.) (Author/YDS)

  13. Defining and Applying Leadership: Perceptions of Teacher Leader Candidates.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitsett, Glee; Riley, Jack

    This study examined shifts in perceptions of the meaning of leadership and necessary leadership skills held by 18 teachers in a graduate program on teacher leadership. Participants were queried twice regarding their definitions of leadership; once at the outset of their degree program and again 1 year later. In between, they took classes in…

  14. Transformational Learning Experiences of Novice Teachers and Their Coaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lefevre Guy, Kara Ann

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to gain insight into transformational learning experiences of novice teachers and their coaches. Novice teachers are held to the same standards as their more experienced peers, but they lack experience to help them overcome challenges. Coaches are becoming more common in schools today. Their purpose is to support…

  15. Assessing teachers' positive psychological functioning at work: Development and validation of the Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire.

    PubMed

    Renshaw, Tyler L; Long, Anna C J; Cook, Clayton R

    2015-06-01

    This study reports on the initial development and validation of the Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (TSWQ) with 2 samples of educators-a general sample of 185 elementary and middle school teachers, and a target sample of 21 elementary school teachers experiencing classroom management challenges. The TSWQ is an 8-item self-report instrument for assessing teachers' subjective wellbeing, which is operationalized via subscales measuring school connectedness and teaching efficacy. The conceptualization and development processes underlying the TSWQ are described, and results from a series of preliminary psychometric and exploratory analyses are reported to establish initial construct validity. Findings indicated that the TSWQ was characterized by 2 conceptually sound latent factors, that both subscales and the composite scale demonstrated strong internal consistency, and that all scales demonstrated convergent validity with self-reported school supports and divergent validity with self-reported stress and emotional burnout. Furthermore, results indicated that TSWQ scores did not differ according to teachers' school level (i.e., elementary vs. middle), but that they did differ according to unique school environment (e.g., 1 middle school vs. another middle school) and teacher stressors (i.e., general teachers vs. teachers experiencing classroom management challenges). Results also indicated that, for teachers experiencing classroom challenges, the TSWQ had strong short-term predictive validity for psychological distress, accounting for approximately half of the variance in teacher stress and emotional burnout. Implications for theory, research, and the practice of school psychology are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  16. Teacher Job Dissatisfaction: Implications for Teacher Sustainability and Social Transformation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okeke, Chinedu I.; Mtyuda, Pamela N.

    2017-01-01

    Teachers play a key role in the social transformation agenda. This agentic position of the teacher implicates an agenda for sustainability programmes that position them for this complex responsibility. A qualitative case study research design was employed to obtain the perspectives of teachers on job dissatisfaction. The researchers followed a…

  17. Professional Learning in Initial Teacher Education: Vision in the Constructivist Conception of Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Sylvia Y. F.; Wong, Angel K. Y.; Cheng, May M. H.

    2012-01-01

    With the constructivist view of learning as a conceptual lens, this paper examines student teachers' professional learning in initial teacher education (ITE). A mixed-method study was conducted with student teachers of a Bachelor of Education Programme in Hong Kong. The quantitative element of the study reveals that student teachers held a…

  18. Exploring South African High School Teachers' Conceptions of the Nature of Scientific Inquiry: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dudu, Washington T.

    2014-01-01

    The paper explores conceptions of the nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI) held by five teachers who were purposively and conveniently sampled. Teachers' conceptions of the NOSI were determined using a Probes questionnaire. To confirm teachers' responses, a semi-structured interview was conducted with each teacher. The Probes questionnaire was…

  19. Inside versus outside the science classroom: examining the positionality of two female science teachers at the boundaries of science education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teo, Tang Wee

    2015-06-01

    The third wave feminist studies in science education take the stance that science teaching is political and that social change is possible through interrogating power inequalities and decentering science to balance out power. For science educators, this means developing an awareness of positionality, which I define here as a stance undertaken by an individual as she or he recognizes and makes sense of the workings of the factors and forces that constitute the politics of her/his context. In this paper, I analyze the positionalities of a female Hispanic American and a female Chinese Singaporean science teacher that influenced the ways in which they interacted with students in the consensual process of science meaning making and relationship building in and outside the classroom. The findings drawn from the analysis of the teachers' transcribed interviews and written reflections show that their personal histories, experiences with social stereotyping and control by authority shaped their positionality. They constructed alternative curriculum spaces empowering themselves and their students to transcend perceived limitations and have voice. However, their positionality did not lead them to question the boundary they saw between the social bias and content of science education. Several implications for teacher education are discussed.

  20. Impact of Texas high school science teacher credentials on student performance in high school science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    George, Anna Ray Bayless

    A study was conducted to determine the relationship between the credentials held by science teachers who taught at a school that administered the Science Texas Assessment on Knowledge and Skills (Science TAKS), the state standardized exam in science, at grade 11 and student performance on a state standardized exam in science administered in grade 11. Years of teaching experience, teacher certification type(s), highest degree level held, teacher and school demographic information, and the percentage of students who met the passing standard on the Science TAKS were obtained through a public records request to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). Analysis was performed through the use of canonical correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis indicate that a larger percentage of students met the passing standard on the Science TAKS state attended schools in which a large portion of the high school science teachers held post baccalaureate degrees, elementary and physical science certifications, and had 11-20 years of teaching experience.

  1. Both preparing to teach and teaching positively impact learning outcomes for peer teachers.

    PubMed

    Gregory, Alexander; Walker, Ian; McLaughlin, Kevin; Peets, Adam D

    2011-01-01

    We sought to evaluate the independent effects of preparing to teach and teaching on peer teacher learning outcomes. To evaluate the independent contributions of both preparing to teach and teaching to the learning of peer teachers in medical education. In total, 17 third-year medical students prepared to teach second-year students Advanced Cardiac Life Support algorithms and electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation. Immediately prior to teaching they were randomly allocated to not teach, to teach algorithms, or to teach ECG. Peer teachers were tested on both topics prior to preparation, immediately after teaching and 60 days later. Compared to baseline, peer teachers' mean examination scores (±SD) demonstrated the greatest gains for content areas they prepared for and then taught (43.0% (13.9) vs. 66.3% (8.8), p < 0.001, d = 2.1), with gains persisting to 60 days (45.1% (13.9) vs. 61.8% (13.9), p < 0.01, d = 1.3). For content they prepared to teach but did not teach, less dramatic gains were evident (43.6% (8.3) vs. 54.7% (9.4), p < 0.001, d = 1.3), but did persist for 60 days (42.6% (8.1) vs. 53.2% (14.5), p < 0.05, d = 1.3). Increase in test scores attributable to the act of teaching were greater than those for preparation (23.3% (10.9) vs. 8% (9.6), p < 0.001, d = 1.6), but the difference was not significant 60 days later (16.7% (14.4) vs. 10.2% (16.9), p = 0.4). Our results suggest preparing to teach and actively teaching may have independent positive effects on peer teacher learning outcomes.

  2. Views about Learning Physics Held by Physics Teachers with Differing Approaches to Teaching Physics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mulhall, Pamela; Gunstone, Richard

    2012-01-01

    Research into teacher thinking offers potential insights into ways of promoting better teaching. A recent qualitative study explored the views about physics, and learning and teaching physics of a group of teachers whose classroom practice was "traditional" and a group who used conceptual change teaching approaches. This paper focuses on the views…

  3. Preservice Teachers' Knowledge of Information Literacy and Their Perceptions of the School Library Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Elizabeth A.; Reed, Brenda; Laverty, Corinne

    2012-01-01

    Graduating preservice teachers were surveyed regarding their knowledge of information literacy concepts, the pedagogy of information literacy, and the role of the teacher librarian and school library programs. The preservice teachers felt poorly prepared to teach information literacy to pupils, had a limited array of information skills, and held a…

  4. Factors Influencing Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs in Reform-Based Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sawyer, Amanda Gantt

    2017-01-01

    I investigated a reform based teachers' beliefs about the nature of mathematics, teaching mathematics, and learning mathematics, and the factors leading to their formation. I interviewed and observed a reform-based elementary mathematics teacher with 13 years' experience teaching first grade. She held a Platonist/problem solver view of…

  5. Towards Understanding EFL Teachers' Conceptions of Research: Findings from Argentina

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Banegas, Darío Luis

    2018-01-01

    This paper investigates the conceptions of research held by English as a foreign language teachers in Argentina. Quantitative data from 622 participants from an online questionnaire were followed by qualitative data from online interviews with 40 of those participants. Results show that the teachers conceptualised research through conventional…

  6. The Level of the Use of Positive Behavioral Support Strategies by Teachers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Amman

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amer, Anas Abdul Fattah

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to assess the level of the use of positive behavioral support strategies (PBS) by teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Amman, the study sample consisted of 100 teachers (male, female) work at centers that provide services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) distributed on the variables (sex, the…

  7. The Effects of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports on Teacher Self-Efficacy and Teaching Anxiety

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    VanParys Couet, Jill M.

    2014-01-01

    Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is a process designed to improve disruptive behavior and increase student's achievement at the primary and secondary level. Although the success of PBIS programs with student achievement is well documented, the impact of PBIS on teachers' teaching anxiety and self-efficacy levels has yet to be…

  8. Teachers' and students' work-culture variables associated with positive school outcome.

    PubMed

    Goldwater, O D; Nutt, R L

    1999-01-01

    Little is known about the relationship between teachers' family-of-origin variables, impacting their work attitudes and interpersonal skills, and students' academic outcome. This study investigated whether goodness of fit between teachers' and students' backgrounds is associated with subjective grading and objective achievement at school. One hundred one seventh graders and twenty of their teachers completed the Self-Report Family Inventory. Similarity between teachers' and students' work-culture variables was associated with the subjective grading practices of teachers. The self-report data also revealed effective teacher and successful student profiles.

  9. Misconceptions of Turkish Pre-Service Teachers about Force and Motion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bayraktar, Sule

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to diagnose the misconceptions held by pre-service physics teachers about force and motion. The secondary aim of the study was to detect whether misconceptions vary according to gender, educational level, and culture. The study was conducted with 79 student-teachers attending to one of the largest faculties of…

  10. TEACHER-ADMINISTRATOR-SCHOOL BOARD RELATIONSHIPS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    HOOKER, CLIFFORD P.; MUELLER, VAN D.

    AT A WORKSHOP ON TEACHER-ADMINISTRATOR-SCHOOL BOARD RELATIONSHIPS HELD OCTOBER 12-15, 1966, AT HUDSON, WISCONSIN, MAJOR PRESENTATIONS CONCERNING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN EDUCATION WERE MADE BY FIFTEEN AUTHORITIES. THESE HAVE BEEN COMBINED INTO 12 CHAPTERS--(1) "THE LAW PERTINENT TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN THE U.S.," (2) "THE LAW…

  11. A Three-Tier Diagnostic Test to Assess Pre-Service Teachers' Misconceptions about Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Layer Depletion, and Acid Rain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ozge Arslan, Harika; Cigdemoglu, Ceyhan; Moseley, Christine

    2012-07-01

    This study describes the development and validation of a three-tier multiple-choice diagnostic test, the atmosphere-related environmental problems diagnostic test (AREPDiT), to reveal common misconceptions of global warming (GW), greenhouse effect (GE), ozone layer depletion (OLD), and acid rain (AR). The development of a two-tier diagnostic test procedure as described by Treagust constitutes the framework for this study. To differentiate a lack of knowledge from a misconception, a certainty response index is added as a third tier to each item. Based on propositional knowledge statements, related literature, and the identified misconceptions gathered initially from 157 pre-service teachers, the AREPDiT was constructed and administered to 256 pre-service teachers. The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of the pre-service teachers' scores was estimated to be 0.74. Content and face validations were established by senior experts. A moderate positive correlation between the participants' both-tiers scores and their certainty scores indicated evidence for construct validity. Therefore, the AREPDiT is a reliable and valid instrument not only to identify pre-service teachers' misconceptions about GW, GE, OLD, and AR but also to differentiate these misconceptions from lack of knowledge. The results also reveal that a majority of the respondents demonstrated limited understandings about atmosphere-related environmental problems and held six common misconceptions. Future studies could test the AREPDiT as a tool for assessing the misconceptions held by pre-service teachers from different programs as well as in-service teachers and high school students.

  12. An Analysis of Prospective Science Teachers' Understanding of the Nature of Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ogunniyi, M. B.

    1982-01-01

    An instrument was developed to measure conceptions of the language of science held by prospective Nigerian science teachers (N=106) relative to conceptions held by seven selected science philosophers (Carnap, Frank, Hempel, Kemeny, Nagel, Nash, and Popper). Subjects did not endorse the language of science associated with a particular philosopher.…

  13. School food practices of prospective teachers.

    PubMed

    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.

  14. From Teacher to Teacher Leader: A Conceptual Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunzicker, Jana

    2017-01-01

    Conceptions of teacher leadership are trending away from formal titles and positions to embrace a more informal, integrated approach. Moreover, there is growing agreement among scholars that teacher leadership is a stance, or way of thinking and being, rather than a set of behaviors. As a result, understanding how teachers progress from teacher to…

  15. An Intervention to Promote Positive Teacher-Student Relationships and Self-Determination among Adolescents with Emotional Disturbance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lind, John; Poppen, Marcus; Murray, Christopher

    2017-01-01

    Positive teacher-student relationships provide adolescents with disabilities the confidence to explore new challenges in and out of the classroom. Goal-setting and self-determination skills have been consistently shown to promote healthy transition adjustment among students with disabilities. Despite the growing awareness of the importance of…

  16. The Role of Technology in EC Teacher Education: Global Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Selena; Donohue, Chip

    2009-01-01

    The first Working Forum for Teacher Educators was held in Auckland, New Zealand, in May 2008. Working Forum hosts Selena Fox, Chip Donohue, and Bonnie and Roger Neugebauer, organized the three-day event and created a format in which conversations on a variety of topics related to teacher education helped to organize and guide the Working Forum.…

  17. Setting Standards and Primary School Teachers' Experiences of the Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scherman, Vanessa; Zimmerman, Lisa; Howie, Sarah J.; Bosker, Roel

    2014-01-01

    In South Africa, very few standard-setting exercises are carried out in education and, if they are, teachers are not involved in their execution. As a result, there is no clear understanding of what the standard is and how it was arrived at. This situation is compounded when teachers are held accountable when learners do not meet the prescribed…

  18. Classroom processes and positive youth development: conceptualizing, measuring, and improving the capacity of interactions between teachers and students.

    PubMed

    Pianta, Robert C; Hamre, Bridget K

    2009-01-01

    The National Research Council's (NRC) statement and description of features of settings that have value for positive youth development have been of great importance in shifting discourse toward creating programs that capitalize on youth motivations toward competence and connections with others. This assets-based approach to promote development is consistent with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) framework for measuring and improving the quality of teacher-student interactions in classroom settings. This chapter highlights the similarities between the CLASS and NRC systems and describes the CLASS as a tool for standardized measurement and improvement of classrooms and their effects on children. It argues that the next important steps to be taken in extending the CLASS and NRC frameworks involve reengineering assessments of teacher and classroom quality and professional development around observations of teachers' performance. This might include using observations in policies regarding teacher quality or a "highly effective teacher" that may emanate from the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and moving away from a course or workshop mode of professional development to one that ties supports directly to teachers' practices in classroom settings.

  19. Service-Learning: International Teachers' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Keefe, jean; Feinberg, Joseph

    2013-01-01

    In this qualitative case study, we explored the knowledge and perceptions of service-learning held by a diverse group of 22 international teachers. Through focus group interviews, we found that the majority of participants desired to implement service-learning in their countries, and they supported the idea of mandatory service-learning. The…

  20. Teachers or Psychologists: Who Should Facilitate Depression Prevention Programs in Schools?

    PubMed Central

    Wahl, Melanie S.; Adelson, Jill L.; Patak, Margarete A.; Pössel, Patrick; Hautzinger, Martin

    2014-01-01

    The current study evaluates a depression prevention program for adolescents led by psychologists vs. teachers in comparison to a control. The universal school-based prevention program has shown its efficacy in several studies when implemented by psychologists. The current study compares the effects of the program as implemented by teachers versus that implemented by psychologists under real-life conditions. A total of 646 vocational track 8th grade students from Germany participated either in a universal prevention program, led by teachers (n = 207) or psychologists (n = 213), or a teaching-as-usual control condition (n = 226). The design includes baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up (at 6 and 12 months post-intervention). The cognitive-behavioral program includes 10 sessions held in a regular school setting in same-gender groups and is based on the social information-processing model of social competence. Positive intervention effects were found on the change in girls’ depressive symptoms up to 12 months after program delivery when the program was implemented by psychologists. No such effects were found on boys or when program was delivered by teachers. The prevention program can successfully be implemented for girls by psychologists. Further research is needed for explanations of these effects. PMID:24837667

  1. Necessary School Readiness Skills for Kindergarten Success According to Jordanian Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abu Taleb, Tagreed Fathi

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the necessity levels of children's school readiness skills held by Jordanian kindergarten teachers. The sample consisted of 347 teachers drawn from the public and private kindergarten education sectors. The school readiness data collection instrument included seven readiness domains with a total of 39…

  2. First Teacher-Training Seminar on Civic Education for Teachers from the Chechen Republic (Pyatigorsk, Russian Federation, November 3-9, 2000). Education for Democratic Citizenship, 2001-2004.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kishenkova, Olga

    A seminar was held in November 2001 for 11 teachers of the Chechen Republic. The objectives of the seminar were: (1) presentation of the textbook "Civic Education" to the teachers and educational staff; (2) introduction in methodology and the matter of civic education; (3) working out of active and interactive methods of work in the…

  3. Relational perceptions in high school physical education: teacher- and peer-related predictors of female students’ motivation, behavioral engagement, and social anxiety

    PubMed Central

    Gairns, Felicity; Whipp, Peter R.; Jackson, Ben

    2015-01-01

    Although researchers have demonstrated the importance of interpersonal processes in school-based physical education (PE), there have been calls for further studies that account for multiple relational perspectives and provide a more holistic understanding of students’ relational perceptions. Guided by principles outlined within self-determination theory and the tripartite efficacy model, our aim was to explore the ways in which students’ perceptions about their teacher and classmates directly and/or indirectly predicted motivation, anxiety, and engagement in PE. A total of 374 female high-school students reported the extent to which their teachers and classmates independently (a) engaged in relatedness-supportive behaviors, (b) satisfied their need for relatedness, and (c) were confident in their ability in PE (i.e., relation-inferred self-efficacy). Students also rated their motivation and anxiety regarding PE, and teachers provided ratings of in-class behavioral engagement for each student. Analyses demonstrated support for the predictive properties of both teacher- and peer-focused perceptions. Students largely reported more positive motivational orientations when they held favorable perceptions regarding their teacher and peers, and autonomous motivation was in turn positively related to behavioral engagement ratings. These findings offer novel insight into the network of interpersonal appraisals that directly and indirectly underpins important in-class outcomes in PE. PMID:26157404

  4. Relational perceptions in high school physical education: teacher- and peer-related predictors of female students' motivation, behavioral engagement, and social anxiety.

    PubMed

    Gairns, Felicity; Whipp, Peter R; Jackson, Ben

    2015-01-01

    Although researchers have demonstrated the importance of interpersonal processes in school-based physical education (PE), there have been calls for further studies that account for multiple relational perspectives and provide a more holistic understanding of students' relational perceptions. Guided by principles outlined within self-determination theory and the tripartite efficacy model, our aim was to explore the ways in which students' perceptions about their teacher and classmates directly and/or indirectly predicted motivation, anxiety, and engagement in PE. A total of 374 female high-school students reported the extent to which their teachers and classmates independently (a) engaged in relatedness-supportive behaviors, (b) satisfied their need for relatedness, and (c) were confident in their ability in PE (i.e., relation-inferred self-efficacy). Students also rated their motivation and anxiety regarding PE, and teachers provided ratings of in-class behavioral engagement for each student. Analyses demonstrated support for the predictive properties of both teacher- and peer-focused perceptions. Students largely reported more positive motivational orientations when they held favorable perceptions regarding their teacher and peers, and autonomous motivation was in turn positively related to behavioral engagement ratings. These findings offer novel insight into the network of interpersonal appraisals that directly and indirectly underpins important in-class outcomes in PE.

  5. Examining the pedagogical content knowledge and practice of experienced secondary biology teachers for teaching diffusion and osmosis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lankford, Deanna

    Teachers are the most important factor in student learning (National Research Council, 1996); yet little is known about the specialized knowledge held by experienced teachers. The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to make explicit the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching diffusion and osmosis held by experienced biology teachers and, second, to reveal how topic-specific PCK informs teacher practice. The Magnusson et al. (1999) PCK model served as the theoretical framework for the study. The overarching research question was: When teaching lessons on osmosis and diffusion, how do experienced biology teachers draw upon their topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge? Data sources included observations of two consecutive lessons, three semi-structured interviews, lesson plans, and student handouts. Data analysis indicated five of the six teachers held a constructivist orientation to science teaching and engaged students in explorations of diffusion and osmosis prior to introducing the concepts to students. Explanations for diffusion and osmosis were based upon students' observations and experiences during explorations. All six teachers used representations at the molecular, cellular, and plant organ levels to serve as foci for explorations of diffusion and osmosis. Three potential learning difficulties identified by the teachers included: (a) understanding vocabulary terms, (b) predicting the direction of osmosis, and (c) identifying random molecular motion as the driving force for diffusion and osmosis. Participants used student predictions as formative assessments to reveal misconceptions before instruction and evaluate conceptual understanding during instruction. This study includes implications for teacher preparation, research, and policy.

  6. Comparing the Perceptions of Inclusion between General Education and Special Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruster, Debra Dungan

    2014-01-01

    This causal-comparative, quantitative study compared the perceptions of inclusion of students with disabilities in the mainstream classroom that are held by high school general education teachers and high school special education teachers that teach in inclusive settings. The study determined there is a difference between the perceptions of…

  7. Attitudes about Second-Career Teachers: An Exploratory Q Study of School Administrators and Classroom Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coladonato, Joseph A.

    2013-01-01

    Although considerable attention has been directed at understanding second-career teachers (SCTs), few studies appear in the literature that have reported on opinions and viewpoints about SCTs. This study is an in-depth examination that explores the attitudes held about SCTs. The focus of this study is to apply an innovative methodology in…

  8. Precalculus Teachers' Perspectives on Using Graphing Calculators: An Example from One Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karadeniz, Ilyas; Thompson, Denisse R.

    2018-01-01

    Graphing calculators are hand-held technological tools currently used in mathematics classrooms. Teachers' perspectives on using graphing calculators are important in terms of exploring what teachers think about using such technology in advanced mathematics courses, particularly precalculus courses. A descriptive intrinsic case study was conducted…

  9. A Study of Burnout in International and Country of Origin Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coulter, Mary Ann; Abney, Paul C.

    2009-01-01

    The study examined the extent to which burnout levels of teachers working in international schools differed from the burnout level of teachers working in their country of origin. All participants of the study were Canadian citizens who were educated in Canada, held Ontario College of Teachers certification and were teaching credit courses in high schools offering the Ontario curriculum under the auspice of the Ontario Ministry of Education. All teachers completed the Burnout Test Form 1 - Revised (Jerabeck, Burnout Test Form 1 - Revised, 2001) online. The study found that international teachers had a statistically lower level of burnout than teachers working in their country of origin.

  10. Teachers Explore Earth Science in South America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Passow, Michael; Krusche, Nisia; Carneiro, Celso D. R.

    2010-11-01

    Rain, Rocks, and Climate: A Geophysical Information for Teachers Workshop; Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, 8-9 August 2010; Classroom teachers and university professors from two continents joined to learn about “rocks, rain, and climate” in the Geophysical Information for Teachers (GIFT) workshop at the AGU Meeting of the Americas held in Brazil. This was the first GIFT workshop in South America. GIFT workshops have long been part of AGU Fall Meetings in San Francisco, European Geosciences Union Spring Meetings in Vienna, and other AGU conferences. Two Brazilian geoscience professors, Celso Dal Ré Carneiro of State University of Campinas and Nisia Krusche of Federal University of Rio Grande, organized the program, together with a high-school teacher from the United States, Michael J. Passow of Dwight Morrow High School, Englewood, N. J. Joining the presenters were 15 Brazilian teachers and another teacher from New Jersey.

  11. Pre-Service Physics Teachers' Difficulties in Understanding Special Relativity Topics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ünlü Yavas, Pervin; Kizilcik, Hasan Sahin

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study is to identify the reasons why pre-service physics teachers have difficulties related to special relativity topics. In this study conducted with 25 pre-service physics teachers, the case study method, which is a qualitative research method, was used. Interviews were held with the participants about their reasons for…

  12. Constructing a Critical Professional Identity among Teacher Candidates during Service-Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dvir, Nurit; Avissar, Ilana

    2014-01-01

    This article presents a case study of a service-learning programme designed to develop a critical professional identity among teacher candidates. The programme was held in a teacher education college in Israel over a four-year period, 2005-2008. The development of a critical professional identity is examined in relation to the post-structural…

  13. Induction Programs for the Support and Development of Beginning Teachers of Science. National Science Teachers Association Position Statement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Science Teachers Association (NJ1), 2007

    2007-01-01

    The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) recommends that schools and teacher preparation programs provide new teachers of science with comprehensive induction programs. Research suggests these programs should address specifics for teachers of science, involve trained mentors, provide adequate time to support continual learning of new…

  14. School Experience in Queensland Pre-Service Teacher Education Programs. 2. Conference Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duck, Greg, Ed.; Cunningham, Debra, Ed.

    This report discusses the third major stage of the Queensland Board of Teacher Education's investigation into the nature of school experiences in preservice teacher education programs in Queensland, Australia. An account is presented of the proceedings of a statewide conference held in September 1984 to discuss results of the survey research…

  15. Conceptions and Expectations of Mentoring Relationships in a Teacher Education Reform Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aderibigbe, Semiyu; Colucci-Gray, Laura; Gray, Donald S.

    2016-01-01

    Researchers indicate that prior experience and beliefs about learning and teaching held by practicing and pre-service teachers contribute significantly in shaping their mentoring relationships and, more broadly, their career outlook and aspirations. While mentoring is commonly seen as a form of support for pre-service teachers, mentoring can be…

  16. Parents' and Teachers' Beliefs about Children's School Readiness in a High-Need Community.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piotrkowski, Chaya S.; Botsko, Michael; Matthews, Eunice

    2000-01-01

    Compared the beliefs of preschool teachers, kindergarten teachers, and parents regarding children's school readiness in one mostly Hispanic and Black high-need urban school district. Found that parents held remarkably similar beliefs, regardless of ethnicity or education. Parents rated all classroom-related readiness resources such as…

  17. Constructivist Instructional Practices and Teacher Beliefs Related to Secondary Science Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Adrienne Fleurette

    2017-01-01

    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…

  18. How Elementary Pre-Service Teachers Acquire Pedagogical Language Knowledge for Supporting English Learners' Academic Language Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harmon, Lois

    2017-01-01

    Increasingly large populations of English Learners (ELs) attend public schools within the US and teachers are held accountable for the academic performance of these students. Unfortunately, multiple studies have concluded that teachers graduating from teacher education programs are not equipped with the competencies to clearly identify the…

  19. The Relationship between Teacher Stress and Burnout in Hong Kong: Positive Humour and Gender as Moderators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ho, Sammy K.

    2017-01-01

    In this study, we report on the relationship between positive humour and burnout among 379 secondary school teachers in Hong Kong, and explore whether the relationship varies according to gender. The moderating effects of both affiliative and self-enhancing humour on each burnout component were then examined. High affiliative and self-enhancing…

  20. 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…

  1. Moving toward Positive Mathematics Beliefs and Developing Socio-Mathematical Authority: Urban Preservice Teachers in Mathematics Methods Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saran, Rupam; Gujarati, Joan

    2013-01-01

    This article explores how preservice elementary teachers change their negative beliefs toward mathematics into positive ones after taking a mathematics methods course that follows the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) instructional method. Also explored is the relationship between those beliefs and sociomathematical authority. By administering…

  2. A Psychometric Analysis of Teacher-Made Benchmark Assessments in English Language Arts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milligan, Andrea

    2017-01-01

    The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has placed increased accountability for outcomes on both students and teachers. To address the current youth literacy crisis in the United States, the CCSS call for students to read increasingly complex informational and literary texts. Since teachers are held accountable for students'…

  3. The perceptions of teachers and principals toward providing additional compensation to teachers in high-need subject areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Longing, Jeffrey Lucian

    The purpose of this study was to determine possible differences in the perceptions of teachers teaching in high-need areas (i.e., math, science, special education, etc.) and teachers not teaching in high-need areas, (i.e., business education, physical education, etc.) as defined by the states of Arkansas and Louisiana, regarding higher compensation for high-need teachers. In addition, possible perception differences among principals and teachers were determined. The independent variables consisted of gender, position held, years of certified experience, and certification areas. The dependent variable was the perceptions of the participants on providing higher compensation for high-need teachers in order to attract and retain them. The data for all variables were collected using the Teacher Compensation Survey. The sample for this study was limited to teachers, grades 9 through 12, and principals of public high schools in south Arkansas and north Louisiana. Forty-four school districts in south Arkansas (Arkansas Department of Education, 2008a) and north Louisiana (Louisiana Department of Education, 2008a) met the criteria for this study. Twenty-two superintendents gave permission for their districts to participate in the research. A sample of 849 teachers and 38 principals were identified in these districts. Surveys were returned from 350 teachers, creating a 41% response rate. When the 31 principals that returned surveys were added to the total population, the response rate increased to 43% with 381 of the 887 surveyed responding. However, 42 of the teachers and two of the principals skipped some of the questions on the survey and were not included in the study. The researcher used a One-Way ANOVA and independent t-tests to determine the presence of statistical differences at the .05 level. The data showed that most math and science teachers agreed that high-need teachers should be compensated at a higher rate than teachers not teaching in high-need areas. The data

  4. Assessing Teachers' Positive Psychological Functioning at Work: Development and Validation of the Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Renshaw, Tyler L.; Long, Anna C. J.; Cook, Clayton R.

    2015-01-01

    This study reports on the initial development and validation of the Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (TSWQ) with 2 samples of educators--a general sample of 185 elementary and middle school teachers, and a target sample of 21 elementary school teachers experiencing classroom management challenges. The TSWQ is an 8-item self-report…

  5. Teachers' Conceptions of Mathematical Modeling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gould, Heather

    2013-01-01

    The release of the "Common Core State Standards for Mathematics" in 2010 resulted in a new focus on mathematical modeling in United States curricula. Mathematical modeling represents a way of doing and understanding mathematics new to most teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine the conceptions and misconceptions held by…

  6. Teachers' and Students' Work-Culture Variables Associated with Positive School Outcome.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldwater, Orna D.; Nutt, Roberta L.

    1999-01-01

    Investigates whether goodness of fit between teachers' and students' backgrounds is associated with subjective grading and objective achievement at school. One hundred one seventh graders and twenty of their teachers completed the Self-Report Family Inventory. Similarity between teachers' and students' work-culture variables was associated with…

  7. What Do Secondary Trainee Teachers Say about Teaching as a Profession of Their "Choice" in Malawi?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mtika, Peter; Gates, Peter

    2011-01-01

    This interview-based qualitative study is concerned with the recruitment of secondary teachers in Malawi. This study shows a range of perspectives for pursuing a teacher training course: failure to follow a desired career, springboard to other careers, to upgrade, and teaching out of vocation. It shows that trainee teachers held a range of images…

  8. Do the Values of First Year Education Students and Successful Urban Teachers Differ?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lemlech, Johanna Kasin; Sikula, John P.

    A survey of 18 values held by selected groups of preservice teaching candidates and by successful, urban, secondary-school teachers showed a divergence that can be expected to affect personal characteristics and teacher behaviors, as well as instructional success or failure in a variety of teaching environments. The two groups differed…

  9. Arab school teachers' knowledge, beliefs and reactions regarding stuttering.

    PubMed

    Abdalla, Fauzia A; St Louis, Kenneth O

    2012-03-01

    Stereotypes toward stuttering and people who stutter (PWS) are widespread in the general public irrespective of age, level of education, culture, geographic location and profession. Negative attitudes held by persons of authority like teachers can lead to social, economic and educational obstacles in the lives of PWS. The current study used an Arabic translation of an adapted version of the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) to explore Arab teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward stuttering as well as strategies they adopt to cope with the problem in class. The participants were 262 in-service and 209 pre-service public school teachers in Kuwait. The results are contrasted to those of Arab parents in Kuwait reported earlier. Although many of the teachers knew a person who stutters well and were sensitive in their interactions with PWS, major findings of this study suggest that many were misinformed about the causes of stuttering and held stereotypical views about PWS, comparable to those reported in the literature. Very few differences were noted between opinions of teachers who were still in training and those who were practicing for an average of 11 years. The study underscores the need for awareness campaigns that target not only teachers who are currently working but also those still in training to dispel misconceptions about stuttering and ensure a better educational environment for PWS. At the end of this activity the reader will be able to: (1) describe knowledge of stuttering and attitudes toward students who stutter and classroom strategies perceived to be helpful by pre-service and in-service teachers in Kuwait; (2) identify stereotypes toward stuttering across cultures, professions and geographic locations; and (3) list similarities and differences in attitude and knowledge of stuttering between parents and teachers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes, Concerns and Sentiments about Inclusive Education: An International Comparison of Novice Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharma, Umesh; Forlin, Chris; Loreman, Tim; Earle, Chris

    2006-01-01

    This study investigates the nature of concerns and attitudes held by pre-service teachers regarding inclusive education and their degree of comfort on interaction with people with disabilities. Pre-service training may be the optimal time to address educators' concerns and alter any negative attitudes about inclusive education. This paper reports…

  11. Hearing Voices: Using Narrative Inquiry to Examine How Preservice Teachers Experience Transition from University Student to Student Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrison, Jennifer D.

    2013-01-01

    This study was conducted with three participants, who were undergraduate students in a teacher training program in a western university, as they transitioned from university coursework to their student teaching internships over a five month period. Their internships were held in public elementary schools within the same or neighboring states in…

  12. Profesionalism Level of Teachers in State Junior High Schools in Purwokerto: Students' Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahmad; Sukardi, Tanto

    2016-01-01

    This study was aimed at describing the implementation of an apprenticeship for the second semester students held by the Faculty of Teacher, Training and Education, The University of Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, in two points: 1) the school condition, and 2) the students' understanding about the level of teacher professionalism. This study belonged to…

  13. The Impact of Problem Posing on Elementary Teachers' Beliefs about Mathematics and Mathematics Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barlow, Angela T.; Cates, Janie M.

    2006-01-01

    This study investigated the impact of incorporating problem posing in elementary classrooms on the beliefs held by elementary teachers about mathematics and mathematics teaching. Teachers participated in a year-long staff development project aimed at facilitating the incorporation of problem posing into their classrooms. Beliefs were examined via…

  14. Teacher Turnover, Teacher Quality, and Student Achievement in DCPS

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adnot, Melinda; Dee, Thomas; Katz, Veronica; Wyckoff, James

    2017-01-01

    In practice, teacher turnover appears to have negative effects on school quality as measured by student performance. However, some simulations suggest that turnover can instead have large positive effects under a policy regime in which low-performing teachers can be accurately identified and replaced with more effective teachers. This study…

  15. Texas Science Teacher Characteristics and Conceptual Understanding of Newton's Laws of Motion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Busby, Karin Burk

    Misconceptions of Newtonian mechanics and other physical science concepts are well documented in primary and pre-service teacher populations (Burgoon, Heddle, & Duran, 2009; Allen & Coole, 2012; Kruger, Summers, & Palacio, 1990; Ginns & Watters, 1995; Trumper, 1999; Asikainen & Hirovonen, 2014). These misconceptions match the misconceptions held by students, leaving teachers ill-equipped to rectify these concepts in the classroom (Kind, 2014; Kruger et al., 1990; Cochran & Jones, 1998). Little research has been devoted to misconceptions held by in-service secondary teachers, the population responsible for teaching Newtonian mechanics. This study focuses on Texas in-service science teachers in middle school and high school science, specifically sixth grade science, seventh grade science, eighth grade science, integrated physics and chemistry, and physics teachers. This study utilizes two instruments to gauge conceptual understanding of Newton's laws of motion: the Force Concept Inventory [FCI] (Hestenes, Wells, & Swackhamer, 1992) and a custom instrument developed for the Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (Urquhart, M., e-mail, April 4, 2017). Use of each instrument had its strengths and limitations. In the initial work of this study, the FCI was given to middle and high school teacher volunteers in two urban school districts in the Dallas- Fort Worth area to assess current conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Along with the FCI, each participant was asked to complete a demographic survey. Demographic data collected included participant's sex, years of service in teaching position, current teaching position, degrees, certification type, and current certifications for science education. Correlations between variables and overall average on the FCI were determined by t-tests and ANOVA tests with a post-hoc Holm-Bonferroni correction test. Test questions pertaining to each of Newton's three laws of motion were

  16. Relations of Positive and Negative Expressivity and Effortful Control to Kindergarteners’ Student-Teacher Relationship, Academic Engagement, and Externalizing Problems at School

    PubMed Central

    Diaz, Anjolii; Eisenberg, Nancy; Valiente, Carlos; VanSchyndel, Sarah; Spinrad, Tracy L.; Berger, Rebecca; Hernandez, Maciel M.; Silva, Kassondra M.; Southworth, Jody

    2015-01-01

    The current study examined the role of naturally-occurring negative and positive emotion expressivity in kindergarten and children’s effortful control (EC) on their relationships with teachers, academic engagement, and problems behaviors in school. Further, the potential moderating role of EC on these important school outcomes was assessed. Emotion and engagement were observed at school. EC was assessed by multiple methods. Teachers reported on their student–teacher relationships and student’s externalizing behaviors. Children’s emotion expressivity and EC were related to engagement and relationships with teachers as well as behavioral problems at school. Children low in EC may be particularly vulnerable to the poor outcomes associated with relatively intense emotion expressivity as they struggle to manage their emotions and behaviors in the classroom. PMID:28584388

  17. Student Acquisition of Biological Evolution-Related Misconceptions: The Role of Public High School Introductory Biology Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yates, Tony Brett

    2011-01-01

    In order to eliminate student misconceptions concerning biological evolution, it is important to identify their sources. The purposes of this study were to: (a) identify biological evolution-related misconceptions held by Oklahoma public high school Biology I teachers; (b) identify biological evolution-related misconceptions held by Oklahoma…

  18. Teacher Training Institute for Native American Bilingual/Bicultural Education. Phase I (S.U.N.Y. Brockport, Summer, 1978).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York State Education Dept., Albany. Office of Cultural Education.

    A two week teacher training institute for Native American bilingual/bicultural education was held in the summer of 1978 at Brockport State University of New York. Educational Programs for bilingual and bicultural learning environments for Native American students had been hampered by insufficient teachers and teacher trainers and the use of…

  19. The Role of Positive Emotion towards Work as a Mediator in the Relationship between Organizational Responsiveness towards Teachers and Isolation in Professional Life

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bostanci, Aynur B.

    2013-01-01

    This study was performed for the purpose of determining the mediator role of positive emotion towards work within the relationship between organizational responsiveness towards teachers in schools and social isolation in professional life, based on teacher opinions. The study was designed using a relational survey model. The study group was made…

  20. The iPod Touch in Association with Other Technologies in Support of a Community of Inquiry in Off-Campus Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walta, Caroline; Nicholas, Howard

    2013-01-01

    Hand-held technologies are pervasive and convenient in everyday use, but less commonly associated with the delivery of teacher education programs. This has implications for the way graduate teachers view the challenge of utilising these devices once they become classroom teachers, as pre-service teachers generally associate these devices with…

  1. Guiding Preservice Teachers to Critically Reflect: Towards a Renewed Sense about English Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Markos, Amy Michele

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this practitioner inquiry was to explore the use of Guided Critical Reflection (GCR) in preparing preservice teachers for English learners (ELs). As a teacher researcher, I documented, analyzed, and discussed the ways in which students in my course used the process of GCR to transform their passively held understandings about ELs.…

  2. Fourth-Grade Teachers' Perceptions of Giftedness: Implications for Identifying and Serving Diverse Gifted Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Speirs Neumeister, Kristie L.; Adams, Cheryll M.; Pierce, Rebecca L.; Cassady, Jerrell C.; Dixon, Felicia A.

    2007-01-01

    The present study sought to examine the perceptions of giftedness and identification procedures held by experienced teachers of gifted minority students. Twenty-seven 4th-grade teachers of gifted students in an urban school system with a high representation of minority and economically disadvantaged students were surveyed. Results indicated that…

  3. Informal teacher communities enhancing the professional development of medical teachers: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    van Lankveld, Thea; Schoonenboom, Judith; Kusurkar, Rashmi; Beishuizen, Jos; Croiset, Gerda; Volman, Monique

    2016-04-14

    Informal peer learning is a particularly powerful form of learning for medical teachers, although it does not always occur automatically in the departments of medical schools. In this article, the authors explore the role of teacher communities in enhancing informal peer learning among undergraduate medical teachers. Teacher communities are groups of teachers who voluntarily gather on a regular basis to develop and share knowledge. Outside of medical education, these informal teacher communities have proved to be an effective means of enhancing peer learning of academic teachers. The processes underlying this outcome are, however, not known. This study therefore aims to explore the processes that make informal teacher communities effective in supporting peer learning of teachers. A qualitative study was performed at a Dutch medical school, where a student-centred undergraduate curriculum had recently been introduced. As part of this curriculum, tutors are segregated into separate specialty areas and thus have only limited opportunities for informal learning with other tutors. The authors followed two informal teacher communities aimed at supporting these tutors. They observed the interactions within the teacher communities and held semi-structured interviews with ten of the participants. The observation notes and interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. The informal teacher communities allowed the tutors to engage in a dialogue with colleagues and share questions, solutions, and interpretations. The teacher communities also provided opportunities to explicate tacit expertise, which helped the tutors to develop an idea of their role and form a frame of reference for their own experiences. Furthermore, the communities enhanced the tutors' sense of belonging. The tutors felt more secure in their role and they felt valued by the organisation due to the teacher communities. This study shows that informal teacher communities not only support the professional

  4. The prior conceptions about force and motion held by grade 8 students in educational opportunity expansion schools of Thailand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buaraphan, Khajornsak

    2018-01-01

    According to the constructivist theory, students' prior conceptions play an important role in their process of knowledge construction and teachers must take those prior conceptions into account when designing learning activities. The interpretive study was conducted to explore grade 8 students' conceptions about force and motion. The research participants were 42 students (21 male, 21 female) from seven Educational Opportunity Expansion Schools in Nakhon Pathom province located at the central region of Thailand. In each school, two low, two medium and two high achievers were selected. The Interview-About-Instance (IAI) technique was used to collect data. All interviews were audio recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim. The students' conceptions were interpreted into scientific conception (SC), partial scientific conception (PC) and alternative conception (AC). The frequency of each category was counted and calculated for percentage. The results revealed that the students held a variety of prior conceptions about force and motion ranged from SC, PC to AC. Each students, including the high achievers, held mixed conceptions of force and motion. Interesting, the two dominant ACs held by the students were: a) force-implies-motion or motion-implies-force, and b) force coming only from an active agent. The science teachers need to take these ACs into account when designing the learning activities to cope with them. The implications regarding teaching and learning about force and motion are also discussed.

  5. The Relationship Between Preservice Early Childhood Teachers' Cultural Values and their Perceptions of Scientists' Cultural Values

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akerson, Valarie L.; Buzzelli, Cary A.; Eastwood, Jennifer

    2010-03-01

    This paper describes research that compares preservice early childhood teachers’ cultural values and the values they believe are held by scientists. Using the Schwartz Values Inventory (SVI) (Schwartz (1992) Adv Exp Soc Psychol 25:331-351) preservice early childhood teachers cultural values were assessed, followed by an assessment of the values they believed were held by scientists. Schwartz postulated that cultural values could be aggregated into 11 domains (universalism, benevolence, tradition, self-direction, stimulation, hedonism, achievement, power, conformity, spirituality, and security). Paired T-tests indicated significant differences between preservice early childhood teachers’ cultural values from those they believed scientists held on the domains of power, achievement, stimulation, benevolence, conformity, and security. The discussion explores the meaning of these results and provides implications for early childhood science teacher education.

  6. Developing Teachers: Improving Professional Development for Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coe, Robert; Aloisi, Cesare; Higgins, Steve; Major, Lee Elliot

    2015-01-01

    This document is a summary of the report "What Makes Great Teaching". It argues that improved teacher ­development will positively impact on pupil attainment, particular those from disadvantaged backgrounds. "Developing Teachers" presents five policy recommendations which have been signed by 17 of Britain's leading headteachers…

  7. AGU Position Statements Addressed at Fall Meeting Town Hall

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hankin, Erik

    2013-01-01

    The AGU Outreach Committee and Public Affairs staff held a town hall at the 2012 Fall Meeting to discuss AGU position statements. The town hall, "AGU Position Statements: Announcing New Submission and Review Methods," held on Monday, 3 December, provided background on AGU position statements, recent changes to the review and writing processes, updates on statements under revision, and ways for members to utilize and impact position statements.

  8. Emotional Identification with Teacher Identities in Student Teachers' Narrative Interaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karlsson, Marie

    2013-01-01

    The paper suggests that narrative interaction in student teacher peer groups is an important context for emotional identification with culturally available teacher identities. It addresses issues pointed out as problematic in research on teacher identity formation: focus on the individual and the underestimation of context. A positioning analysis…

  9. Student Teachers' Positionalities as Knowers in School Subject Departments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Puttick, Steven

    2018-01-01

    Student teachers in England, mainly on one-year courses, spend the majority of their time in schools. Secondary schools are primarily organised around subject departments, and these subgroups within schools have been shown to be significant for student outcomes and teachers' experiences. However, research on school subject departments themselves…

  10. The Meaning of Teaching Mathematics: Teacher Positioning's as Embedded in Algebra Teachers' Guides

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suh, Heejoo

    2017-01-01

    Teacher educators have been examining the professional status of teaching, including defining central practices of teaching, comparing teaching to other professions, and understanding teachers' own perspective via interviews, surveys, and observations. The present study intends to contribute to the discussion by examining the meaning of teaching…

  11. Factors Contributing to under Representation of Female Teachers in Headship Positions in Primary Schools in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barmao, Catherine

    2013-01-01

    This paper analyses factors contributing to under representation of female teachers in headship positions in Eldoret Municipality Kenya. The study was guided by socialization theory to hierarchical gender prescriptions which gave three distinct theoretical traditions that help, understand sex and gender. Descriptive survey was adopted for the…

  12. Preservice Science Teacher Beliefs about Teaching and the Science Methods Courses: Exploring Perceptions of Microteaching Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McLaury, Ralph L.

    2011-01-01

    This study investigates beliefs about teaching held by preservice science teachers and their influences on self-perceived microteaching outcomes within interactive secondary science teaching methods courses. Hermeneutic methodology was used in cooperation with seven preservice science teachers (N = 7) to infer participant beliefs about teaching…

  13. Preservice elementary teachers' alternative conceptions of science and their self-efficacy beliefs about science teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koc, Isil

    The present study was conducted to investigate the extent to which preservice elementary teachers held alternative conceptions in fundamental elementary science concepts from earth/space science, life science, and physical science along with their self-efficacy beliefs about science teaching and to determine the relationship between these two issues. Eighty-six preservice elementary education majors enrolled in the four sections of the course titled "07E:162 Methods Elementary School Science" offered in the Science Education Center, College of Education, the University of Iowa during the 2005-2006 academic year participated in this study. Twelve preservice elementary teachers participated in follow-up interviews. Data were collected through the use of Alternative Conceptions in Science Instrument constructed by Schoon and Boone (1998), Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) constructed by Enochs and Riggs (1990), a participant information form, and through utilization of interviews. The results from the alternative conception instrument indicated that the majority of preservice elementary teachers held a number of alternative conceptions with most being in the physical sciences followed by earth/space, and then life science. Various sources of alternative conceptions emerged during the interview sessions. Participants mainly cited science teachers, science textbooks, and previous science experiences as sources of their alternative conceptions. On the other hand, the analysis of the self-efficacy instrument and follow-up interviews revealed generally positive self-efficacy beliefs. Findings from the study also confirmed that science courses completed in high school and college do not seem to have influenced participants' number and types of alternative conceptions regarding earth/space science, life science, and physical science and self-efficacy beliefs about science teaching. The results also indicate that participants with the lowest number of

  14. Teacher Unions, (Neo) Liberalism and the State: The Perth County Conspiracy of 1885

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smaller, Harry

    2004-01-01

    In 1885, following a period of severe economic depression and social unrest in colonial Canada, state teachers in rural Perth County, Ontario met and formed the nucleus of what could clearly be described as a teachers' union. The idea spread quickly, and within six months the founding convention of a province-wide union was held in Toronto.…

  15. Report of Summer, 1980 Workshop. Roosevelt University/Chicago Board of Education Teacher Corps Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ginsberg, Rick; Melnick, Curtis C.

    An overview is presented of the planning, activities and evaluation of a Teacher Corps summer workshop held in Chicago in 1981. Participants in the fifteen-day workshop were faculty and administrators from the Hyde Park Career Academy and Dumas Elementary School, community council members, and Teacher Corps interns. The purposes of the workshop…

  16. Using Metaphors to Know the Conceptions about the Teaching Profession in Initial Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martínez-de-la-Hidalga, Zoe; Villardón-Gallego, Lourdes

    2017-01-01

    The Conceptions about the teaching profession affect professional performance, and metaphors are a tool to identify them. In this qualitative study metaphors are used to gain insight into conceptions held by pre-service teachers, and their development during Initial Teacher Training in the Bachelor's Degree in Primary Education. A total of 247…

  17. Teacher Perceptions of Using Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports as Behavioral Interventions in a Pre-K-5 Elementary School: A Phenomenological Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts-Clawson, Meghann E.

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative study addresses teacher perceptions of using positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) as positive behavioral interventions. This phenomenological study was conducted within a Pre-K-5 elementary school in northwestern North Carolina. In order to collect qualitative data, personal individualized interviews were conducted…

  18. Attentionally splitting the mass distribution of hand-held rods.

    PubMed

    Burton, G; Turvey, M T

    1991-08-01

    Two experiments on the length-perception capabilities of effortful or dynamic touch differed only in terms of what the subject intended to perceive, while experimental conditions and apparatus were held constant. In each trial, a visually occluded rod was held as still as possible by the subject at an intermediate position. For two thirds of the trials, a weight was attached to the rod above or below the hand. In Experiment 1, in which the subject's task was to perceive the distance reachable with the portion of the rod forward of the hand, perceived extent was a function of the first moment of the mass distribution associated with the forward portion of the rod, and indifferent to the first moment of the entire rod. In Experiment 2, in which the task was to perceive the distance reachable with the entire rod if it was held at an end, the pattern of results was reversed. These results indicate the capability of selective sensitivity to different aspects of a hand-held object's mass distribution, without the possibility of differential exploration specific to these two tasks. Results are discussed in relation to possible roles of differential information, intention, and self-organization in the explanations of selective perceptual abilities.

  19. Discursive Positioning of Beginning Teachers' Professional Learning during Induction: A Critical Literature Review from 2004 to 2014

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simmie, Geraldine Mooney; de Paor, Cathal; Liston, Jennifer; O'Shea, John

    2017-01-01

    This study reports on findings from a critical literature review, from 2004 to 2014, in relation to the positioning of beginning teachers' professional learning during induction. The study uses theoretical frameworks drawn from competing discourses: an instrumental standpoint based on performativity and a dialectical standpoint based on a…

  20. Teacher expectations, classroom context, and the achievement gap.

    PubMed

    McKown, Clark; Weinstein, Rhona S

    2008-06-01

    In two independent datasets with 1872 elementary-aged children in 83 classrooms, Studies 1 and 2 examined the role of classroom context in moderating the relationship between child ethnicity and teacher expectations. For Study 1 overall and Study 2 mixed-grade classrooms, in ethnically diverse classrooms where students reported high levels of differential teacher treatment (PDT) towards high and low achieving students, teacher expectations of European American and Asian American students were between .75 and 1.00 standard deviations higher than teacher expectations of African American and Latino students with similar records of achievement. In highly diverse low-PDT classrooms in Study 1 and highly diverse low-PDT mixed-grade classrooms in Study 2, teachers held similar expectations for all students with similar records of achievement. Study 3 estimated the contribution of teacher expectations to the year-end ethnic achievement gap in high- and low-bias classrooms. In high-bias classrooms, teacher expectancy effects accounted for an average of .29 and up to .38 standard deviations of the year-end ethnic achievement gap.

  1. Metaphorical Roots of Beliefs about Teaching and Learning Science and Their Modifications in the Standard-Based Science Teacher Preparation Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buaraphan, Khajornsak

    2011-01-01

    Beliefs are psychological constructs potentially driving a teacher to make pedagogical decisions and act. In this study, the metaphor construction task (MCT) was utilised to uncover beliefs about teaching and learning science held by 110 pre-service science teachers participating in the standard-based teacher preparation programme. Overall, the…

  2. Teachers in Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Galen, Jane

    2008-01-01

    In this article, I argue for a closer read of the daily "class work" of teachers, as posited by Reay, 1998. In developing exploratory class portraits of four teachers who occupy distinctive social positions (two from working-class homes now teaching upper-middle-class children and two from upper-middle-class homes now teaching poor children), I…

  3. Results from pre- and post- tests of professional development astronomy workshops for teachers in Peru

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deustua, Susana; Ros, Rosa

    2015-08-01

    Since 2009, the Network for Astronomy School Education (NASE) has held 55+ workshops in countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, training more than 1200 teachers and potentially reaching one million or more students. Like modern professional development programs, NASE’s emphasis is on interactive, hands-on learning. However, our emphasis is on “low-tech” tools that are readily available, and, inexpensive. Teachers are led through a series of activities that cover a wide range of topics in astronomy, more or less equivalent to that covered in the typical 1st year astronomy course in US colleges.In 2014 we adopted the Astronomy Diagnostic Test as pre- and post- workshop tests to guage the change in teachers’ knowledge as a result of participation in this intervention. In this paper we discuss the first results using the Astronomy Diagnostic Test in astronomy workshops in Peru during March 2014 and February 2015. NASE workskhops were held at the facilities of the Observatorio de Radio de Sicaya of the Instituto Geofisico del Peru, in Chupaca, a farming community approximately 20 km from the Andean city, Huancayo. Sponsors of the Chupaca workshop were the IGP, NASE and the UGEL (regional school district). The second workshop was held at the University of Ica, in the coastal city of Ica, 250 km south of Lima, sponsored by the Instituto Geofisico del Peru and the University, and the 3rd workshop in Lima.We will discuss our results, which for the most part do indeed show a positive change in knowledge, but in a couple of areas the change is either null or negative.

  4. Exploring Teachers' Knowledge of Classroom Management and Control

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ayebo, Abraham; Assuah, Charles

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This paper presents the results of a study that sought to determine teacher conceptions of classroom management and control. The study explored classroom management knowledge of participants, and how the knowledge was gained. It also investigated the extent to which participants held various conceptions, including rule-based, dominance…

  5. The Alternative Certification of Teachers. Teacher Education Monograph No. 14.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawley, Willis D., Ed.

    Criticisms of teacher education, the low economic and political costs of trying to reform schools by reforming teacher education, along with the difficulty of filling some teaching positions with persons certified in traditional ways, have fueled a movement to create alternative routes to teacher certification in the vast majority of states. This…

  6. Literacy Teacher Preparation: Ten Truths Teacher Educators Need to Know

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis Lenski, Susan, Ed.; Grisham, Dana L., Ed.; Wold, Linda S., Ed.

    2005-01-01

    The quality of teacher preparation is frequently under public scrutiny. In this collection, experts in literacy teacher preparation offer ten truths--based on evidence, not ideology-- that support the ongoing positive efforts of teacher educators. In this book, the reader will find: A review of the existing knowledge base; Evidence of the improved…

  7. Ohio Teacher Professional Development in the Physical Sciences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cervenec, Jason; Harper, Kathleen A.

    2006-02-01

    An in-service teacher program held during the summers of 2004 and 2005 is described. This program, sponsored with state funds, drew a varied group of participants to learn Modeling Instruction in physics. The workshop leaders used the state science proficiency standards and physics education research (PER) results to guide many of the workshop's activities. In 2004, the participants experienced the Modeling mechanics curriculum while pretending to be students; in 2005, the teachers worked in small teams to develop Modeling-consistent units in other areas, often utilizing PER-based materials. Indications are that the experience was valuable to the teachers and that the workshop series should be offered for a new cohort.

  8. Children and Foreign Languages. European Teachers' Seminar (Zagreb, Croatia, May 4-7, 1994). Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vilke, Mirjana

    A 4-day inservice teacher workshop, held so that teachers from a number of countries could share ideas and experiences about foreign language teaching at the elementary school level, is described. Speeches and events of each day are summarized briefly, and plenary sessions are chronicled in somewhat more detail. The latter include: a description…

  9. Pre-Service Teachers' Belief Change and Practical Knowledge Development during the Course of Practicum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Debreli, Emre

    2016-01-01

    This study deals with the nature of change processes that pre-service teachers undergo throughout their training in an English Language Teaching programme. It also explores the types of beliefs about learning and teaching that pre-service teachers held before starting the practical phase of the programme and whether and how the practical phase…

  10. Expansion of Biology Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) During a Long-Term Professional Development Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rozenszajn, Ronit; Yarden, Anat

    2014-02-01

    Experienced teachers possess a unique teaching knowledge comprised of an inter-related set of knowledge and beliefs that gives direction and justification to a teacher's actions. This study examined the expansion of two components of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of three in-service teachers in the course of a professional development program aimed at designing new teaching and learning materials suggested by the teachers themselves. The research presents an enlargement of previous PCK representations by focusing on a detailed representation of two main PCK domains: teaching and learning, including ten PCK components that emerged in the course of data analysis. This representation enabled revealing the unique PCK held by each teacher and to characterize the expansion of the two components of the participating teachers' PCK during the long-term professional development program. Retention of major parts of the expanded PCK a year after termination of the program implies that designing and implementing new teaching and learning materials based on the teachers' experiences, needs, and knowledge in a workshop format accompanied by biology and science education courses might provide a powerful means for PCK expansion. We recommend that designers of professional development programs be aware of the unique PCK held by each teacher in order to promote meaningful professional development of each teacher. Moreover, the PCK representations that were identified in the course of this study enabled clarifying the "orientation toward teaching science" category of PCK which appears to be unclear in current literature.

  11. Philippine Classroom Teachers as Researchers: Teachers' Perceptions, Motivations, and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ulla, Mark B.; Barrera, Kenneth Ian B.; Acompanado, Meller M.

    2017-01-01

    This study explores teachers' perceptions and motivations, challenges, and needs of 50 teachers in Agusan del Norte, Philippines with regards to doing research. Methodologies used were survey questionnaire, and group and individual interviews. Findings revealed that teacher-respondents had a positive perceptions towards doing research and its…

  12. Changing the Role of Vocational Teacher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Rupert N., Ed.; Terry, David R., Ed.

    A 4-day institute attended by 21 persons representing vocational education, general education, and state and federal government was held to review the state of the art in vocational teacher education. Discussion activities centered around state of the art papers, and this book contains these chapters based on revisions of the major papers: (1)…

  13. The effects of a STEM professional development intervention on elementary teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dailey, Deborah D.

    To improve and sustain science teaching and learning in the elementary grades, experts recommended school districts afford time in the day for science instruction, secure the necessary resources for an investigative classroom, and provide teachers with increased professional development opportunities that target content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and confidence in teaching science (e.g. Buczynski & Hansen, 2010; Brand & Moore, 2011; NSB, 2010). In particular, researchers recommended teachers receive quality professional development that is sustained over time and embedded in the real world of the classroom (e.g. Buczynski & Hansen, 2010; Cotabish & Robinson, 2012). The purpose of this dissertation was to examine changes in elementary teachers' science teaching perceptions, concerns, and science process skills during and after participation in a STEM-focused professional development intervention involving embedded support using peer coaching. The positive effects of sustained, embedded professional development programs on science instruction have been documented by multiple research studies (e.g. Buczynski & Hansen, 2010; Cotabish, Dailey, Hughes, & Robinson, 2011; Duran & Duran, 2005; Levitt, 2011); however, few studies have investigated the effects after removal of the professional development support (Johnson, Kahle, & Fargo, 2007; Shymansky, Yore, & Anderson, 2004). By examining the changes across three years (including one year after the conclusion of the professional development intervention), the researcher in the present study considered the dosage of intervention needed to bring about and preserve significant changes in the participant teachers. To measure the impact of the intervention on teachers, the researcher used quantitative data supported by qualitative interviews. Results indicated that changes in science teaching perceptions were realized after one year or 60 hours of intervention; however, it took two years or 120 hours of intervention to see

  14. The Effect of Trust on Teacher Empowerment: The Mediation of Teacher Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yin, Hong-biao; Lee, John Chi-Kin; Jin, Yu-le; Zhang, Zhong-hua

    2013-01-01

    This study explores the impact of teachers' perception of trust in colleagues on their sense of empowerment in Mainland China, with a particular focus on the mediating role of teacher efficacy. The results of a survey of 1646 teachers indicate that although teachers scored positively on trust in colleagues, efficacy and empowerment, they had…

  15. Associations of teacher credibility and teacher affinity with learning outcomes in health classrooms

    PubMed Central

    Anderman, Eric M.; O’Connell, Ann A.

    2011-01-01

    In the present study (N = 633), we examine the role of teacher credibility and teacher affinity in classrooms. We explore the relations among these two characteristics and student gains in knowledge and valuing of learning about HIV and pregnancy prevention across high school classrooms. Results marshaled support for the notion that teacher characteristics are associated with classroom-level gains in learning outcomes. Above and beyond student-level predictors, teacher credibility (aggregated to the classroom level) was positively related to increases in knowledge across classrooms, whereas aggregated teacher affinity was positively related to an increased valuing of learning about HIV and pregnancy prevention across classrooms. Future directions and implications for practice are discussed. PMID:24876800

  16. In Search of Good Teachers: Patterns of Teacher Quality in Two Mexican States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luschei, Thomas F.

    2012-01-01

    This study uses longitudinal data from Mexico's Carrera Magisterial teacher incentive program to identify teacher attributes that are positively associated with student test scores and to describe how teachers with these attributes are distributed across schools in two diverse Mexican states, Aguascalientes and Sonora. I find that teachers' scores…

  17. The Effect of Teacher Training on the Knowledge of Positive Behavior Support and the Quality of Behavior Intervention Plans: A Preliminary Study in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Pei-Fang

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate whether through a series of teacher training. The participants could acquire better knowledge on Positive Behavior Support (PBS), and develop high quality behavior intervention plans. Thirty-six teachers from three public schools participated in the study. The competency-based training consisted of 12…

  18. Why Is Dissemination So Difficult?: The Nature of Teacher Knowledge and the Spread of Curriculum Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Craig, Cheryl J.

    2006-01-01

    Anchored in the narrative inquiry tradition, this article examines commonly held beliefs about curriculum dissemination from the perspective of a teacher whose campus participated in a major school reform initiative. Through the presentation of a constellation of fine-grained stories revolving around the teacher's curriculum making as an art…

  19. Can a Successful ESL Teacher Hold Deficit Beliefs of Her Students' Home Languages and Cultures?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hertzog, Lisa

    2011-01-01

    In this article the author explores the seeming contradictions between the successful teaching practices of an English as a Second Language teacher and the deficit beliefs she expressed toward her students' home languages and cultures. This teacher believed her students were smart and capable, and she held herself accountable for her students…

  20. Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Images of Science Teaching in Constructivism Science Education Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Go, Youngmi; Kang, Jinju

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it investigates the self-images of science teaching held by early childhood pre-service teachers who took constructivism early childhood science education courses. Second, it analyzes what aspects of those courses influenced these images. The participants were eight pre-service teachers who took these…

  1. Teachers versus the Public: What Americans Think about Schools and How to Fix Them

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, Paul E.; Henderson, Michael; West, Martin R.

    2014-01-01

    A comprehensive exploration of 21st Century school politics, "Teachers versus the Public" offers the first comparison of the education policy views of both teachers and the public as a whole, and reveals a deep, broad divide between the opinions held by citizens and those who teach in the public schools. Among the findings: (1) Divisions…

  2. Exploring Positioning as an Analytical Tool for Understanding Becoming Mathematics Teachers' Identities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skog, Kicki; Andersson, Annica

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this article is to explore how a sociopolitical analysis can contribute to a deeper understanding of critical aspects for becoming primary mathematics teachers' identities during teacher education. The question we ask is the following: How may power relations in university settings affect becoming mathematics teachers' subject…

  3. How Is Cultural Diversity Positioned in Teacher Professional Standards? An International Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santoro, Ninetta; Kennedy, Aileen

    2016-01-01

    Unprecedented levels of global mobility mean that culturally homogenous classrooms are now increasingly rare. This brings with it challenges for teachers and raises issues about what constitutes quality teaching and teachers. Professional standards are commonly seen as a key policy instrument through which teacher quality can be enhanced. This…

  4. "Less than a Vapor": Positioning Black lesbian women in history teacher education.

    PubMed

    Woodson, Ashley N

    2017-10-02

    In this article, I discuss the possibilities and implications of centering Black lesbian identities and relationships in history teacher education through a case study with one straight Black woman preservice history teacher named Danitra. Danitra's understanding and navigation of historical research on Black lesbians are discussed in relation to core themes of lesbian historiography and emancipatory historiography. Though the literature on this group is limited, I argue that critical considerations of Black lesbians' interests and experiences help educators to conceive of and teach about history, citizenship, justice, and sexuality in more liberatory ways. I conclude by offering recommendations to history teachers and teacher educators who hope to draw on lesbian and emancipatory historiographies to challenge discourses of invisibility in history teacher education classrooms.

  5. Teacher Counternarratives: Transgressing and "Restorying" Disability in Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Broderick, Alicia A.; Hawkins, Greta; Henze, Stefanie; Mirasol-Spath, Corinthia; Pollack-Berkovits, Rachel; Clune, Holly Prozzo; Skovera, Elizabeth; Steel, Christina

    2012-01-01

    This inquiry aims to explore the disconnect between the disability studies in education (DSE) perspectives on inclusive schooling held by a group of dually certified inclusive educators and the everyday, lived experiences of these same teachers who find themselves teaching students with labelled disabilities within the confines of the special…

  6. Teacher Leaders' Work with Peers in a Quasi-Formal Teacher Leadership Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Supovitz, Jonathan A.

    2018-01-01

    Building on evolving conceptions of teacher leadership in the literature, this article argues that an integration of both positional and empowering elements of teacher leadership are the seeds of an evolved approach to teacher leadership for instructional improvement. Using data from a study of quasi-formal teacher leadership, the research…

  7. English Primary Trainee Teachers' Perceptions of Geography

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morley, Emma

    2012-01-01

    This paper summarises the findings of research conducted with one cohort of English undergraduate primary teacher trainees on point of entry to a 4-year course. The research examines the perceptions held of geography as a subject discipline and the purposes of teaching the subject. Two hundred and eleven trainees were asked to define geography and…

  8. 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.

  9. The Learning Assistant Model for Science Teacher Recruitment and Preparation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Otero, Valerie

    2006-04-01

    There is a shortage of high quality physical science teachers in the United States. In 2001, less than 50% of teachers who taught physics held a major or minor in physics or physics education (Neuschatz & McFarling, 2003). Studies point to content knowledge as one of the two factors that is positively correlated with teacher quality. However, those directly responsible for the science content preparation of teachers, specifically science research faculty, are rarely involved in focused efforts to improve teacher quality or to create alternative paths for becoming a teacher. What role should science research faculty play in the recruitment and preparation of science teachers? How might teacher recruitment and preparation be conceived so that science research faculty members' participation in these efforts is not at odds with the traditional scientific research foci of science research departments? To address this issue, we have coupled our teacher recruitment and preparation efforts with our efforts for transforming our large-enrollment, undergraduate science courses. This is achieved through the undergraduate Learning Assistant (LA) program, where talented mathematics and science majors are hired to assist in transforming large enrollment courses to student-centered, collaborative environments. These LAs are the target of our teacher recruitment efforts. Science research faculty, in collaboration with faculty from the school of education have established a community that supports LAs in making decisions to explore K12 teaching as a career option. Fifteen percent of the LAs who have participated in this program have entered teaching credential programs and now plan to become K12 teachers. An added effect of this program is that research faculty have developed skills and knowledge regarding inquiry-based and student-centered pedagogy and theories of student learning. The Learning Assistant program has led to increased subject matter knowledge among learning

  10. Success as a Springboard for Novice Physical Education Teachers in Their Efforts to Develop a Professional Career

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zach, Sima; Stein, Hanan; Nabel-Heller, Noa

    2015-01-01

    This article explored how 45 novice physical education teachers perceived success, and how success affected their motivation to continue teaching. Self-determination theory (SDT) was used to interpret the teachers' written reports, and focus group discussions were held concerning their success. Satisfaction with the competence, relatedness, and…

  11. A Vygotskian analysis of preservice teachers' conceptions of dissolving and density

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaker elJishi, Ziad

    The purpose of this study was to examine the content knowledge of 64 elementary preservice teachers for the concepts of dissolving and density. Vygotsky's (1987) theory of concept development was used as a framework to categorize concepts and misconceptions resulting from evidences of preservice teacher knowledge including pre/post concept maps, writing artifacts, pre/post face-to-face interviews, examination results, and drawings. Statistical significances were found for pre- and post-concept map scores for dissolving (t = -5.773, p < 0.001) and density (t = -2.948, p = 0.005). As measured using Cohen's d values, increases in mean scores showed a medium-large effect size for (dissolving) and a small effect size for density. The triangulated results using all data types revealed that preservice teachers held several robust misconceptions about dissolving including the explanation that dissolving is a breakdown of substances, a formation of mixtures, and/or involves chemical change. Most preservice teachers relied on concrete concepts (such as rate or solubility) to explain dissolving. With regard to density, preservice teachers held two robust misconceptions including confusing density with buoyancy to explain the phenomena of floating and sinking, and confusing density with heaviness, mass, and weight. Most preservice teachers gained one concept for density, the density algorithm. Most preservice teachers who participated in this study demonstrated Vygotsky's notion of complex thinking and were unable to transform their thinking to the scientific conceptual level. That is, they were unable to articulate an understanding of either the process of dissolving or density that included a unified system of knowledge characterized as abstract, generalizable and hierarchical. Results suggest the need to instruct preservice elementary science teachers about the particulate nature of matter, intermolecular forces, and the Archimedes' principle.

  12. Snakes or Ladders? An Examination of the Experiences of Two Teacher Leaders Returning to Classroom Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Munroe, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    Teachers who have held leadership roles at the school, district, or provincial level have the potential to contribute to student and school success when they return to classroom teaching. The contrasting experiences of two teacher leaders who returned voluntarily to classroom teaching are analyzed using Owens's (2004) social constructivist theory…

  13. `Risky fun' or `Authentic science'? How teachers' beliefs influence their practice during a professional development programme on outdoor learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glackin, Melissa

    2016-02-01

    Teaching outdoors has been established as an important pedagogical strategy; however, science classes rarely take place outside. Previous research has identified characteristics of teachers who have integrated out-of-classroom opportunities into their teaching repertoire; yet little is understood as to why teachers make these different pedagogical decisions. This paper explores the relationship between secondary science teachers' beliefs and their pedagogical practice during a two-year professional development programme associated with the 'Thinking Beyond the Classroom' project. Using data from lesson observations, interviews, session questionnaires and field notes, six teacher case studies were developed from participants completing the programme. Data analysis reveals that teachers who successfully taught outside generally held social constructivist beliefs about learning and valued 'authentic' science opportunities. Conversely, teachers who were less successful in teaching outside generally held traditional learning beliefs and simply valued the outdoors for the novelty and potential for fun. All the case study teachers were concerned about managing student learning outside, and for the majority, their concerns influenced their subsequent pedagogical practice. The findings are discussed in detail, as are the implications for pre-service and in-service professional development programmes related to outdoor science learning.

  14. Meditation and Teacher Stress

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Csaszar, Imre Emeric; Buchanan, Teresa

    2015-01-01

    Early childhood teachers can be relaxed and peaceful as they create playful and harmonious classrooms, even if they work in stressful contexts. However, the stressors faced by teachers may lead to negative consequences that can undermine their ability to sustain personal health and positive interactions. In the absence of positive coping…

  15. The Teaching Habits of Mind, Their Relationship to Positive Behavior of Social Studies Teachers in Lower Basic Stage in University District--The Capital (Amman)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Assaf, Jamal Abd Al-Fattah

    2017-01-01

    The study aimed at finding out the relationship between teaching habits of mind and positive behavior among the teachers of social studies in the lower basic stage in the university district in the capital governorate (Amman). The sample of this study was composed of (60) teachers, both males and females, who were chosen by the Stratified Random…

  16. Pedagogy of the Rural as a Lens for Understanding Beginning Teachers' Identity and Positionings in Rural Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker-Gibbs, Bernadette; Ludecke, Michelle; Kline, Jodie

    2018-01-01

    Pedagogy of the Rural is an approach to capture the complexities of rural space and place by challenging simple understandings of what it means to be a teacher in rural settings. Using Harré's positioning theory, Baudrillard's concepts of simulation and simulacra, and Lefebvre's space and economic geographies to form a composite theory through…

  17. A framework for high-school teacher support in Geosciences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bookhagen, B.; Mair, A.; Schaller, G.; Koeberl, C.

    2012-04-01

    To attract future geoscientists in the classroom and share the passion for science, successful geoscience education needs to combine modern educational tools with applied science. Previous outreach efforts suggest that classroom-geoscience teaching tremendously benefits from structured, prepared lesson plans in combination with hands-on material. Building on our past experience, we have developed a classroom-teaching kit that implements interdisciplinary exercises and modern geoscientific application to attract high-school students. This "Mobile Phone Teaching Kit" analyzes the components of mobile phones, emphasizing the mineral compositions and geologic background of raw materials. Also, as geoscience is not an obligatory classroom topic in Austria, and university training for upcoming science teachers barely covers geoscience, teacher training is necessary to enhance understanding of the interdisciplinary geosciences in the classroom. During the past year, we have held teacher workshops to help implementing the topic in the classroom, and to provide professional training for non-geoscientists and demonstrate proper usage of the teaching kit. The material kit is designed for classroom teaching and comes with a lesson plan that covers background knowledge and provides worksheets and can easily be adapted to school curricula. The project was funded by kulturkontakt Austria; expenses covered 540 material kits, and we reached out to approximately 90 schools throughout Austria and held a workshop in each of the nine federal states in Austria. Teachers received the training, a set of the material kit, and the lesson plan free of charge. Feedback from teachers was highly appreciative. The request for further material kits is high and we plan to expand the project. Ultimately, we hope to enlighten teachers and students for the highly interdisciplinary variety of geosciences and a link to everyday life.

  18. The Teacher Labour Market, Teacher Turnover and Disadvantaged Schools: New Evidence for England

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Rebecca; Burgess, Simon; Mayo, Jennifer

    2018-01-01

    We study the market for teachers in England, in particular teacher turnover. We show that there is a positive raw association between the level of school disadvantage and the turnover rate of its teachers. This association diminishes as we control for school, pupil and local teacher labour market characteristics, but is not eliminated. The…

  19. Teacher-Parent Partnerships. ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swick, Kevin J.

    Research provides insight into parent attributes that support partnerships with teachers. These attributes include warmth, sensitivity, nurturance, the ability to listen, consistency, positive self-image, personal competence, and effective interpersonal skills. Researchers have cited positive attitudes, continuous teacher training, involvement in…

  20. On "Japanese Style" Teacher Education Reform: Considering Issues of Quality Development under an "Open System"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iwata, Yasuyuki

    2015-01-01

    A complication of teacher education policy in Japan is rooted in a gap between an image of teachers, which is held by society as a whole, and includes various character traits and the reality of Japanese university education. On the other hand, the expansion of an "open system" and lack of nationwide standard are making individual…

  1. The Role of Teachers' Guided Reflection in Effecting Positive Program Change.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vogt, Lynn Allington; Au, Kathryn H. P.

    1995-01-01

    Examines the evolution of teacher support and development in the Kamehameha Elementary Education Program (KEEP) and Rough Rock Community School collaboration. Ongoing teacher development featured regular classroom observation and feedback with mentors and peers and self-reflection through videotaping and journal writing. (two references) (MDM)

  2. Gender Equity in Mathematics: Beliefs of Students, Parents, and Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leedy, M. Gail; LaLonde, Donna; Runk, Kristen

    2003-01-01

    The attitudes about mathematics held by girls and boys participating in a regional mathematics contest, their parents, teachers, and mathematics coaches were investigated. Quantitative data regarding mathematics as a male domain, perception of importance of mathematics, confidence in learning mathematics, effectance motivation, and usefulness of…

  3. Indonesian Teacher Engagement Index (ITEI): An Emerging Concept of Teacher Engagement in Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sasmoko; Doringin, F.; Indrianti, Y.; Goni, A. M.; Ruliana, P.

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents a new concept of teacher engagement in Indonesia. The various studies in this paper examine various perspectives and even criticize the initial research on teacher engagement, so as to build the concept of different teacher engagement and in accordance with the Indonesian context so that it can be implemented and has direct impact as a guideline on improving the quality of teachers and education personnel in Indonesia. The method used in this paper is the Neuroresearch research method focused on exploratory research. The conclusion of this research is the development of Indonesian Teacher Engagement Index concept (ITEI) as a concept that describes the condition of teachers who experienced various psychological conditions positively, actively participate in building positive education, able to show good performance, have supportive competence, have national character as Characteristic of Indonesia and able to show the nationalism leadership engagement.

  4. Teachers' Implementation of the Coaching Role: Do Teachers' Ownership, Sensemaking, and Agency Make a Difference?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ketelaar, Evelien; Beijaard, Douwe; Brok, Perry J.; Boshuizen, Henny P.

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore whether teachers' positioning towards an innovation is related to their implementation of it. Positioning was reflected in terms of teachers' ownership, sensemaking, and agency. The innovation that was of central focus in this study pertained to the changing role of teachers towards a more coaching…

  5. A Festival of Contemporary Science for Science Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrison, Tim; Berry, Bryan; Shallcross, Dudley

    2010-01-01

    In this article, the authors describe the first Festival of Contemporary Science for Science Teachers which was held in January 2010. Focusing on a number of leading-edge science topics, this new festival was organised by Bristol ChemLabS, in collaboration with the Science Learning Centre South West, and involved academics from several departments…

  6. A Research Agenda for Online Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dede, Chris; Ketelhut, Diane Jass; Whitehouse, Pamela; Breit, Lisa; McCloskey, Erin M.

    2009-01-01

    This article highlights key online teacher professional development (oTPD) areas in need of research based on a review of current oTPD research conducted in conjunction with an oTPD conference held at Harvard University in fall 2005. The literature review of this field documents much work that is anecdotal, describing professional development…

  7. The accuracy of a hand-held navigation system in total knee arthroplasty.

    PubMed

    Loh, Bryan; Chen, Jerry Yongqiang; Yew, Andy Khye Soon; Pang, Hee Nee; Tay, Darren Keng Jin; Chia, Shi-Lu; Lo, Ngai Nung; Yeo, Seng Jin

    2017-03-01

    This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a new hand-held navigation system. The authors of this study hypothesize that this navigation system will improve overall lower limb alignment and implant placement without causing a delay in surgery. Two hundred consecutive patients diagnosed with tricompartmental osteoarthritis and underwent total knee arthroplasty by a senior surgeon were included in this study. One hundred patients underwent TKA using the hand-held navigation system, while the other 100 patients underwent TKA using the conventional technique. The primary outcomes of this study were the overall alignment of the lower limb and the position of the components. This was determined radiologically using the: (1) Hip-Knee-Ankle angle (HKA) for lower limb alignment; (2) Coronal Femoral-Component angle (CFA); and (3) Coronal Tibia-Component angle (CTA) for component position. Normal alignment was taken as 180° ± 3° for the HKA and 90° ± 3° for both the CFA and CTA. For the CFA, the proportion of outliers was 7 and 17% in the hand-held navigation and conventional group, respectively (p = 0.030). For the HKA and CTA, there was no difference in the proportion of outliers between the two groups. The duration of surgery was 73 ± 9 min and 87 ± 15 min in the hand-held navigation and conventional group, respectively (p < 0.001). This hand-held navigation system is an effective intraoperative tool for reducing the proportion of outliers for femoral implant placement as well as the duration of surgery. The authors conclude that it can be considered for use to check femoral implant placement intra-operatively. III.

  8. Through a Gender Lens: A View of Gender and Leadership Positions in a Department of Medicine.

    PubMed

    Monroe, Anne K; Levine, Rachel B; Clark, Jeanne M; Bickel, Janet; MacDonald, Susan M; Resar, Linda M S

    2015-10-01

    Despite increasing numbers in academic medicine, women remain underrepresented in top leadership positions. The objectives of this study were to characterize leadership positions held by department of medicine (DOM) faculty at all ranks at one Academic Health Center and to compare leadership positions held by male and female faculty. This was a cross-sectional survey to collect information on all leadership positions from 16 divisions in the DOM at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in early 2012, including type of position, method used to fill the position, and financial compensation. Chi-square testing was used to compare leadership position characteristics by rank and gender. The study included 474 DOM faculty at the rank of instructor or higher; 38% were women. Of the 258 leadership positions identified, 35% were held by women. More leadership positions among assistant professors were held by women compared with men (56% of positions vs. 44%), with women assistant professors more likely to hold a leadership position than men (p=0.03). Numbers of women faculty declined at higher ranks, with leadership positions remaining proportionate to faculty representation. Most division director positions (88%) were held by men, and most leadership positions were compensated (89%) and appointed by the DOM chair or a division director (80%). Leadership positions held by women and men were proportionate to faculty representation, although the top leadership positions were held almost exclusively by men. While female assistant professors were more likely to hold leadership positions than male assistant professors, these positions appear to be low status positions and it is not clear that they contribute to professional advancement, as few women hold the rank of full professor. Effective interventions are needed to address the gender disparity in top leadership positions.

  9. A Position Paper on Teacher Competencies for Cultural Diversity in Connection with the AACTE Multicultural Education/Competency-Based Teacher Education Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wynn, Cordell

    The objective of teacher education programs should be to assist prospective teachers in developing competencies needed to intervene successfully in the development of youth from diverse cultural backgrounds. This objective has a number of implications for teacher education programs and for school curriculum at all levels. Teacher education…

  10. What Examining Teaching Metaphors Tells Us about Pre-Service Teachers' Developing Beliefs about Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tannehill, Deborah; MacPhail, Ann

    2014-01-01

    Background: Pre-service teachers (PSTs) typically do not change their beliefs about teaching and learning during teacher education unless they are confronted with, and challenged about, their held beliefs through powerful and meaningful experiences that cause them to recognise and value the change process and its consequences for themselves and…

  11. A Study on Identifying the Misconceptions of Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers about Basic Astronomy Concepts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kanli, Uygar

    2014-01-01

    Nowadays, the importance given to astronomy teaching in science and physics education has been gradually increasing. At the same time, teachers play an important role in remediating the misconceptions about astronomy concepts held by students. The present study aims to determine the misconceptions of pre-service physics teachers (n = 117),…

  12. Argentinean Students' and Teachers' Conceptions of Day and Night: An Analysis in Relation to Astronomical Reference Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Galperin, D.; Raviolo, A.

    2015-01-01

    This work analysed the evolution of day/night cycle conceptions held by students of different ages and teachers in the Patagonian region of Argentina. The research was based on drawings, written explanations and semi-structured individual interviews. The results showed that both teachers and students had significant comprehension problems. These…

  13. Is Music an Active Developmental Tool or Simply a Supplement? Early Childhood Preservice Teachers' Beliefs about Music

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Hae Kyoung; Kemple, Kristen M.

    2011-01-01

    This study examines early childhood preservice teachers' beliefs about the importance of music in early childhood and explores factors influencing those beliefs. The study found that preservice teachers in this study held relatively strong beliefs about the importance of music, including aesthetic, quality-of-life, and social-emotional benefits.…

  14. The Teacher's Voice: Vocal Training in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bele, Irene Velsvik

    2008-01-01

    The voice is a basic tool in human communication and an important factor in a positive self-understanding and identity, both for the teacher's sense of profession and for the pupils' ability to express themselves orally; two perspectives of great importance in the Norwegian National Curriculum. Voice disorders are common among teachers world-wide…

  15. Arab School Teachers' Knowledge, Beliefs and Reactions regarding Stuttering

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abdalla, Fauzia A.; St. Louis, Kenneth O.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Stereotypes toward stuttering and people who stutter (PWS) are widespread in the general public irrespective of age, level of education, culture, geographic location and profession. Negative attitudes held by persons of authority like teachers can lead to social, economic and educational obstacles in the lives of PWS. Method: The current…

  16. Teacher Investment in Learner Identity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reeves, Jenelle

    2009-01-01

    From a sociocultural perspective, teacher identity is constructed in relation to others, including other teachers and students. Drawing on positioning theory and the concept of investment, this study analyzed the case of a secondary English teacher who negotiated his teacher identity in relation to English language learners (ELLs). Findings…

  17. Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) 2010 - Engaging Teachers in Space Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boice, D. C.; Reiff, P. H.

    2010-12-01

    During the past 18 years, Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) has been a community partnership between local high schools in San Antonio, Texas (USA), and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The goals of YES are to increase the number of high school students, especially those from underrepresented groups, seeking careers in science and engineering, to enhance their success in entering the college and major of their choice, and to promote teacher development in STEM fields. This is accomplished by allowing students and teachers to interact on a continuing basis with role models at SwRI in real-world research experiences in physical sciences (including space science), information sciences, and a variety of engineering fields. A total of 239 students have completed YES or are currently enrolled. Of these students, 38% are females and 56% are ethnic minorities, reflecting the local ethnic diversity, and 67% represent underserved groups. Presently, there are 21 students and 9 secondary school teachers enrolled in the YES 2010/2011 Program. YES consists of an intensive three-week summer workshop held at SwRI where students and teachers experience the research environment and a collegial mentorship where they complete individual research projects under the guidance of SwRI mentors during the academic year. YES students develop a website (yesserver.space.swri.edu) for topics in space science (this year was ESA's Rosetta Mission) and high school STEM teachers develop space-related lessons for classroom presentation. Teachers participate in an in-service workshop to share their developed classroom materials and spread awareness of space-related research. At the end of the school year, students publicly present and display their work, spreading career awareness to other students and teachers. Partnerships between research institutes, local high schools, and community foundations, like the YES Program, can positively affect students’ preparation for STEM careers via real

  18. ICT Teachers' Assigned Roles and Expectations from Them

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Topu, Fatma Burcu; Goktas, Yuksel

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of ICT teachers' assigned position and to determine school administrators' and other teachers' perceptions towards ICT teachers and these teachers' positions, and to reveal the similar and discrepant aspects of their tertiary education and the roles (work and responsibilities) assigned to…

  19. Teacher Training and Pre-Service Primary Teachers' Self-Efficacy for Science Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Velthuis, Chantal; Fisser, Petra; Pieters, Jules

    2014-01-01

    This study focuses on the improvement of pre-service teachers' self-efficacy for teaching science by including science courses within the teacher training program. Knowing how efficacy beliefs change over time and what factors influence the development by pre-service primary teachers of positive science teaching efficacy beliefs may be useful for…

  20. Family Life Education: Aims, Rights and Responsibilities of Teacher Organisation. WCOTP Pacific Regional Conference (3rd, Suva, Fiji, December 7-13, 1980).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession, Morges (Switzerland).

    This publication contains the proceedings of a Pacific Regional Conference held in Fiji by teachers to discuss family life education and the responsibility of teacher organizations. The purposes of the conference were twofold. First, the conference was intended to make teachers more aware of the need for family life education (FLE); to provide…

  1. Dimensions of autonomy: Primary teachers' decisions about involvement in science professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schibeci, Renato A.; Hickey, Ruth L.

    2004-01-01

    Professional development (PD) for primary science teachers is recognized as an important activity which can support improved science education for students. Analysis of interviews with practicing primary science teachers is used to identify the range of PD experiences of a sample of teachers from Western Australia. Teachers' reasons for attending or avoiding science-related PD are categorized as decision issues which include opportunity, compulsion, convenience, enticement, interest, recommendation, and relevance. Case studies describe the interplay of these issues, which result in teachers' attendance or avoidance of PD. A subset of the sample is used to explore teachers' views of other activities which they recognize as contributing to their science teaching, content knowledge, and pedagogy. These other activities include hobbies, partner's job, and pursuing students' interests. Legitimating teachers' own interests as a source of personally derived PD is supported as an avenue to increase the diversity of topics studied by students and to increase the level of content knowledge held by teachers.

  2. Acoustic positioning and orientation prediction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barmatz, Martin B. (Inventor); Aveni, Glenn (Inventor); Putterman, Seth (Inventor); Rudnick, Joseph (Inventor)

    1990-01-01

    A method is described for use with an acoustic positioner, which enables a determination of the equilibrium position and orientation which an object assumes in a zero gravity environment, as well as restoring forces and torques of an object in an acoustic standing wave field. An acoustic standing wave field is established in the chamber, and the object is held at several different positions near the expected equilibrium position. While the object is held at each position, the center resonant frequency of the chamber is determined, by noting which frequency results in the greatest pressure of the acoustic field. The object position which results in the lowest center resonant frequency is the equilibrium position. The orientation of a nonspherical object is similarly determined, by holding the object in a plurality of different orientations at its equilibrium position, and noting the center resonant frequency for each orientation. The orientation which results in the lowest center resonant frequency is the equilibrium orientation. Where the acoustic frequency is constant, but the chamber length is variable, the equilibrium position or orientation is that which results in the greatest chamber length at the center resonant frequency.

  3. The Mediation Effect of School Satisfaction in the Relationship between Teacher Support, Positive Affect and Life Satisfaction in Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Telef, Bülent Baki; Arslan, Gökmen; Mert, Abdullah; Kalafat, Sezai

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to examine the relationships among teacher support, positive emotions, school satisfaction and life satisfaction in adolescences. The study had the participation of 344 adolescents from different socio-economic levels studying in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades of three public middle schools in the province of…

  4. Student Vocational Teachers: The Significance of Individual Positions in Workplace Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goh, Adeline Yuen Sze; Zukas, Miriam

    2016-01-01

    In most initial teacher preparation (ITP) programmes, learning in teaching placements is considered to be an important component for providing workplace learning experiences to develop the skills of being a teacher. This paper is based on a bigger qualitative study which explored the learning experiences of a group of in-service student vocational…

  5. Relationships with Special Needs Students: Exploring Primary Teachers' Descriptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopez, Chevon; Corcoran, Tim

    2014-01-01

    Positive teacher-student relationships play an established role in the developmental outcomes of students. Ongoing research suggests that positive teacher-student relationships may be particularly beneficial for students with special educational needs [Baker, J. A. 2006. "Contributions of Teacher-Child Relationships to Positive School…

  6. Teachers' Spatial Anxiety Relates to 1st-and 2nd-Graders' Spatial Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gunderson, Elizabeth A.; Ramirez, Gerardo; Beilock, Sian L.; Levine, Susan C.

    2013-01-01

    Teachers' anxiety about an academic domain, such as math, can impact students' learning in that domain. We asked whether this relation held in the domain of spatial skill, given the importance of spatial skill for success in math and science and its malleability at a young age. We measured 1st-and 2nd-grade teachers' spatial anxiety…

  7. Teacher Conceptions of Integrated STEM Education and How They Are Reflected in Integrated STEM Curriculum Writing and Classroom Implementation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ring, Elizabeth A.

    There has been a nation-wide push for an increase in the use of integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States. With this shift in epistemological, pedagogical, and curricular content, there is a need to develop an understanding as to what integrated STEM education is, particularly among practitioners. In this dissertation, inservice science teacher conceptions of integrated STEM education were investigated to help understand what these conceptions are and how these conceptions influence curriculum writing and implementation of integrated STEM curricula in classrooms. Teacher conceptions and their influences were investigated through three separate but interrelated studies. First, K-12 inservice science teachers' conceptions of integrated STEM were investigated through the analysis of their sketched models of integrated STEM education. How these models changed throughout an intensive, three-week professional development was also explored. The goal of this first study was to identify conceptual models of integrated STEM education held by inservice science teachers and to understand how these conceptions might change over the course of a professional development. Second, photo elicitation interviews (PEIs) and curricular analysis were used to provide rich descriptions of the conceptual models of integrated STEM education held by inservice science teachers, determine what components of STEM inservice science teachers found fundamental to integrating STEM in the classroom based on their conceptions, and explore how teachers' conceptions of STEM were used in their development of integrated STEM curricula. The goal of this second study was to better understand inservice science teachers' conceptual models of integrated STEM and explore how these models were realized in the teachers' curriculum writing. Third, a multiple-case study was conducted with three teachers to investigate how the conceptual models held by

  8. Shifts in Teaching Motivation and Sense of Self-as-Teacher in Initial Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Sylvia Y. F.; Cheng, May M. H.; Cheng, Annie Y. N.

    2014-01-01

    This article presents four student teacher cases using an examination of the nature of shifts in student teachers' motivation for choosing teaching as a career in relation to the development of their sense of self-as-teacher. The analysis relates positive and negative shifts in teaching motivation and sense of self-as-teacher to variation in…

  9. What Can the Self-Conscious Emotion of Guilt Tell Us about Primary School Teachers' Moral Purpose and the Relationships They Have with Their Pupils?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farouk, Shaalan

    2012-01-01

    Based on interviews and adopting and phenomenological approach this article explores primary school teachers' experiences of guilt. Teachers described feeling guilty when they held themselves responsible for having let down or upset their pupils and on occasion their colleagues. Some teachers also recalled experiencing guilt when some of their…

  10. Knowledge of the brain-death concept among secondary school teachers.

    PubMed

    Ríos, A; Febrero, B; López-Navas, A; Martínez-Alarcón, L; Sánchez, J; Guzmán, D; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

    2012-01-01

    The concept of brain death (BD) is not very well known in the population, and its unknown nature is one of the main factors that could lead to an attitude against organ donation. The teaching sector has an important influence on the education of adolescents, and for this reason the teacher's knowledge of these concepts is fundamental to spread the correct meaning of the concept to young people. To analyze the concept of BD among teachers of compulsory secondary education (CSE) in southeast Spain and to determine teachers' influence on attitude toward organ donation. Ten CSE level schools were selected and stratified according to geographical location in southeast spain. A random sample was taken of CSE teachers. The knowledge of the concept of BD and attitude toward donation were analyzed using a validated questionnaire, which was self-administered and completed anonymously. Sixty-four percent (n = 180) of respondents knew the BD concept and they considered it to be the death of an individual. Of the rest, 34% (n = 95) did not know this concept, and the remaining 3% (n = 8) believed it did not mean a person's death. Those who understood the concept of BD were more in favor of deceased donation than those who held the wrong concept (82% versus 75%; P < .01). The knowledge of the concept of BD is associated with variables directly and indirectly related with donation and transplantation (P < .05). A third of the CSE teaching staff did not know or understand the BD concept as the death of an individual. The knowledge of BD positively affects attitude toward organ donation. Given that teachers are a source of information, the basic training of CSE teaching staff in basic concepts such as BD would be important. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Changing Pre-Service Teachers' Purposes of Education through Existential Crises

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webster, R. Scott

    2004-01-01

    This article considers changing the purposes of education held by pre-service teachers. It argues that purposes of education are inextricably linked to life meanings and purposes. Employing an existential perspective, mainly through Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre and Morris, the fundamental beliefs that one has regarding the meaning and…

  12. Child-to-teacher ratio and day care teacher sickness absenteeism.

    PubMed

    Gørtz, Mette; Andersson, Elvira

    2014-12-01

    The literature on occupational health points to work pressure as a trigger of sickness absence. However, reliable, objective measures of work pressure are in short supply. This paper uses Danish day care teachers as an ideal case for analysing whether work pressure measured by the child-to-teacher ratio, that is, the number of children per teacher in an institution, affects teacher sickness absenteeism. We control for individual teacher characteristics, workplace characteristics, and family background characteristics of the children in the day care institutions. We perform estimations for two time periods, 2002-2003 and 2005-2006, by using generalized method of moments with lagged levels of the child-to-teacher ratio as instrument. Our estimation results are somewhat mixed. Generally, the results indicate that the child-to-teacher ratio is positively related to short-term sickness absence for nursery care teachers, but not for preschool teachers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Teaching Electric Circuits: Teachers' Perceptions and Learners' Misconceptions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moodley, Kimera; Gaigher, Estelle

    2017-06-01

    An exploratory case study involving six grade 9 science teachers was undertaken to probe how teachers' understanding of learners' misconceptions relate to their perceptions about teaching simple circuits. The participants' understanding of documented misconceptions in electricity were explored by means of a questionnaire, while their perceptions about teaching electric circuits were also explored in the questionnaire, followed by a semi-structured interview. Results were analysed using content analysis and interpreted using pedagogical content knowledge as a theoretical lens. The results indicated that understanding learners' misconceptions did not always correlate with conceptual perceptions about teaching electric circuits. While fair understanding of misconceptions was demonstrated by teachers who studied Physics at undergraduate level, only those who also held qualifications in Education showed conceptual perceptions about teaching electricity. Teachers who did not study Science Education revealed technical perceptions, focused on facts, demonstrations and calculations. From these results, a developmental model for pedagogical content knowledge was proposed. It was recommended that teacher education programs should involve misconceptions and also facilitate the development of conceptual perceptions about teaching.

  14. The enlightenment revolution: A historical study of positive change through science teacher education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rillero, Peter

    1993-03-01

    The impact of Pestalozzian theory as embodied in object teaching was only significantly felt in America when teacher-education institutions began teaching the spirit and techniques of this method. Sheldon and his colleagues helped spread object teaching across America by utilizing inservice teacher education, preservice teacher education, a Practice School, and education of teacher educators. This enlightenment in education shifted the instructional focus to the child, stressing activity and concrete experiences, rather than dull rote memorization. Elementary school science evolved from object teaching, and methods of science instruction were influenced by the object teaching movement. Educational reform may never again occur as swiftly or as dramatically; however, the message is clear: Significant, meaningful change can occur in schools through teacher education.

  15. Key Stage 3 Mathematics Teachers: The Current Situation, Initiatives and Visions. Proceedings of a National Day Conference.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnston-Wilder, Sue

    This book contains edited versions of papers presented at a conference held at The Open University. The papers provide significant evidence of the depth of the problem of supply and retention of teachers of mathematics, and discusses the need for a structural review of the recruitment, selection, and training of teachers of mathematics. The…

  16. Unsatisfactory Performance: How California's K-12 Education System Protects Mediocrity and How Teacher Quality Can Be Improved.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dawson, Thomas C.; Billingsley, K. Lloyd

    This study examines the quality of California's K-12 education, discussing how the system protects mediocrity and how to improve educational quality in the state. It explains that what most ails the teaching force is that excellent teachers are not rewarded for superior work, and failing teachers are rarely held accountable for poor performance.…

  17. Teacher Salaries and Teacher Aptitude: An Analysis Using Quantile Regressions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilpin, Gregory A.

    2012-01-01

    This study investigates the relationship between salaries and scholastic aptitude for full-time public high school humanities and mathematics/sciences teachers. For identification, we rely on variation in salaries between adjacent school districts within the same state. The results indicate that teacher aptitude is positively correlated with…

  18. The perceptions of inquiry held by greater Houston area science supervisors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aoki, Jon Michael

    The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of inquiry held by responding greater Houston area science supervisors. Leading science organizations proposed that students might be better served if students are mentally and physically engaged in the process of finding out about natural phenomena rather than by didactic modes of teaching and learning. During the past fifty years, inquiry-based instruction has become a significant theme of new science programs. Students are more likely to make connections between classroom exercises and their personal lives through the use of inquiry-based instruction. Learning becomes relevant to students. Conversely, traditional science instruction often has little or no connection to students' everyday lives (Papert, 1980). In short, inquiry-based instruction empowers students to become independent thinkers. The utilization of inquiry-based instruction is essential to a successful reform in science education. However, a reform's success is partly determined by the extent to which science supervisors know and understand inquiry and consequently promote its integration in the district's science curricula. Science supervisors have the role of providing curriculum and instructional support to science teachers and for implementing science programs. There is a fundamental need to assess the perceptions of inquiry held by greater Houston area science supervisors. Science supervisor refers to a class of job titles that include department chairperson, science specialist, science consultant, and science coordinator. The target population was greater Houston area science supervisors in Texas. This study suggests that there are three major implications for educational practice. First, there is the implication that responding greater Houston area science supervisors need an inclusive perception of inquiry. Second, responding greater Houston area science supervisors' perception of inquiry may affect the perceptions and understandings

  19. Europe in the Secondary School Curriculum. Report of the First Council of Europe Teacher's Seminar, September 26-28, 1978.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shennan, Margaret, Comp.

    Presented are formal addresses and discussion group reports from a teacher in-service workshop held in Donaueschingen, Western Germany, in September, 1978 to acquaint European secondary school teachers with the Council of Europe's educational program. Specific objectives of the workshop were to discuss approaches to teaching about Europe in…

  20. The influence of teacher feedback on children's perceptions of student-teacher relationships.

    PubMed

    Skipper, Yvonne; Douglas, Karen

    2015-09-01

    Teachers can deliver feedback using person ('you are clever') or process terms ('you worked hard'). Person feedback can lead to negative academic outcomes, but there is little experimental research examining the impact of feedback on children's perceptions of the student-teacher relationship. We examined the effects of person, process, and no feedback on children's perceptions of their relationship with a (fictional) teacher following success and failure. Participants were British children (145 aged 9-11 in experiment 1 and 98 aged 7-11 in experiment 2). In experiment 1, participants read three scenarios where they succeeded and received one of two types of praise (person or process) or no praise. Participants then read two scenarios where they failed. In experiment 2, participants read that they had failed in three tasks and received one of two types of criticism (person or process) or no criticism. Participants then read two scenarios where they succeeded. They rated how much they liked the teacher and how much they felt that the teacher liked them. Children felt more positive about the student-teacher relationship following success than failure. Type of praise did not influence perceptions of the student-teacher relationship following success or failure. However, person criticism led children to view the student-teacher relationship more negatively following failure and maintain this negative view following the first success. Success appears to be important for developing positive student-teacher relationships. In response to failure, teachers could avoid person criticism which may negatively influence the student-teacher relationship. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

  1. Research Experiences in Teacher Preparation: Effectiveness of the Green Bank preservice teacher enhancement program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hemler, Debra A.

    1997-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the preservice teacher component of the Research Experiences in Teacher Preparation (RETP) project aimed at enhancing teacher perceptions of the nature of science, science research, and science teaching. Data was collected for three preservice teacher groups during the three phases of the program: (I) a one week institute held at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia where teachers performed astronomy research using a 40 foot diameter radio telescope; (II) a secondary science methods course; and (III) student teaching placements. Four Likert-type instruments were developed and administered pre and post-institute to assess changes in perceptions of science, attitudes toward research, concerns about implementing research in the classroom, and evaluation of the institute. Instruments were re-administered following the methods course and student teaching. Observations of classroom students conducting research were completed for seven preservice teacher participants in their student teaching placements. Analysis, using t-tests, showed a significant increase in preservice teachers perceptions of their ability to do research. Preservice teachers were not concerned about implementing research in their placements. No significant change was measured in their understanding of the nature of science and science teaching. Concept maps demonstrated a significant increase in radio astronomy content knowledge. Participants responded that the value of institute components, quality of the research elements, and preparation for implementing research in the classroom were "good" to "excellent". Following the methods course (Phase II) no significant change in their understanding of the nature of science or concerns about implementing projects in the classroom were measured. Of the 7 preservice teachers who were observed implementing research projects, 5 projects were consistent with the Green

  2. Reduction in Force: An Exploratory Study of Suburban Teachers and Implications for Teacher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Darr, Alice Dozier; Bond, Cynthia

    A study of 80 teachers who were part of a reduction in force (RIF) effort in a large midwestern city was conducted. The study investigated: (1) characteristics of the RIF'd teachers; (2) reactions to RIF notice; (3) steps taken by teachers to prevent the RIF action; (4) resources used by RIF teachers to seek new positions; and (5) characteristics…

  3. A Bolman and Deal Framework of Science Teachers' Beliefs on Teacher Preparation and Reform Practices for Diverse Learners

    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.

  4. A New Middle East? A Report of FPRI's History Institute for Teachers. Footnotes. Volume 10, Number 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuehner, Trudy J.

    2005-01-01

    Understanding the current conflicts and political changes in the Middle East us important for American educators if American students are to understand the dynamics of the region. To discuss these issues, FPRI held its 12th History Institute for Teachers on October 16-17, 2004. Forty teachers from 15 states attended the weekend program at the…

  5. Characterizing Student Mathematics Teachers' Levels of Understanding in Spherical Geometry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guven, Bulent; Baki, Adnan

    2010-01-01

    This article presents an exploratory study aimed at the identification of students' levels of understanding in spherical geometry as van Hiele did for Euclidean geometry. To do this, we developed and implemented a spherical geometry course for student mathematics teachers. Six structured, "task-based interviews" were held with eight student…

  6. Improving Students' Intrinsic Motivation in Piano Learning: Expert Teacher Voices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, Zijia; Southcott, Jane

    2016-01-01

    Many students learn to play the piano but some lack the motivation to continue learning. Many students learn for extrinsic reasons. This research will explore understandings about student motivation held by expert piano teachers who have developed strategies to improve their students' intrinsic motivation to begin and continue learning. This small…

  7. Student Teachers' Perceptions of Poverty and Educational Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, Ian; McNicholl, Jane; Menter, Ian

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports on a mixed methods study carried out within the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme at the University of Oxford on the ways that the course sought to frame and address the link between poverty and poorer educational outcomes. The study was concerned with the views held by ITE students on the effects of poverty on pupils'…

  8. Greek Primary School Teachers' Understanding of Current Environmental Issues: An Exploration of Their Environmental Knowledge and Images of Nature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Michail, Sirmo; Stamou, Anastasia G.; Stamou, George P.

    2007-01-01

    In this article, the Greek primary school teachers' understanding of three current environmental issues (acid rain, the ozone layer depletion, and the greenhouse effect) as well as the emerging images of nature were examined. The study revealed that teachers held several environmental knowledge gaps and misconceptions about the three phenomena.…

  9. Teacher Behaviours Observed by Teacher Candidates throughout Their Primary and Secondary School Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Güven, Semra

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to determine the positive/negative teacher behaviours which teacher candidates observed during their primary and secondary school years and the effects of these behaviours on themselves. The research was conducted in the spring term of 2012-2013 academic year with 88 teacher candidates (52 females and 36 males), studying…

  10. Observation and Teacher Quality: Critical Analysis of Observational Instruments in Preservice Teacher Performance Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caughlan, Samantha; Jiang, Heng

    2014-01-01

    Teacher preparation programs commonly use observational instruments to assess the progress and the exit performances of teacher candidates. However, while these instruments have been described and several have been studied for effectiveness, the field lacks a close examination of how they position participants: teacher candidates, K-12 pupils, and…

  11. Hand-held medical robots.

    PubMed

    Payne, Christopher J; Yang, Guang-Zhong

    2014-08-01

    Medical robots have evolved from autonomous systems to tele-operated platforms and mechanically-grounded, cooperatively-controlled robots. Whilst these approaches have seen both commercial and clinical success, uptake of these robots remains moderate because of their high cost, large physical footprint and long setup times. More recently, researchers have moved toward developing hand-held robots that are completely ungrounded and manipulated by surgeons in free space, in a similar manner to how conventional instruments are handled. These devices provide specific functions that assist the surgeon in accomplishing tasks that are otherwise challenging with manual manipulation. Hand-held robots have the advantages of being compact and easily integrated into the normal surgical workflow since there is typically little or no setup time. Hand-held devices can also have a significantly reduced cost to healthcare providers as they do not necessitate the complex, multi degree-of-freedom linkages that grounded robots require. However, the development of such devices is faced with many technical challenges, including miniaturization, cost and sterility, control stability, inertial and gravity compensation and robust instrument tracking. This review presents the emerging technical trends in hand-held medical robots and future development opportunities for promoting their wider clinical uptake.

  12. Finding a Teaching Position: Strategies for Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kersten, Thomas A.

    2008-01-01

    Whether nearing the completion of a teacher education program, already teaching and considering changing school districts, or relocating, teachers share a common interest--finding a teaching position. At first, the prospect may appear somewhat overwhelming. They may wonder whether sufficient positions are available or whether certain grade levels…

  13. Preservice Teachers' Observations of Children's Learning during Family Math Night

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kurz, Terri L.; Kokic, Ivana Batarelo

    2011-01-01

    Family math night can easily be implemented into mathematics methodology courses providing an opportunity for field-based learning. Preservice teachers were asked to develop and implement an inquiry-based activity at a family math night event held at a local school with personnel, elementary children and their parents in attendance. This action…

  14. Preparation Model of Student Teacher Candidate in Developing Integrative Science Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiyanto; Widiyatmoko, Arif

    2016-01-01

    According to 2013 Curriculum in Indonesia, science learning process in Junior High School is integrally held between physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science. To successfully implementing the 2013 Curriculum in school, the education institution which generates science teacher should prepare the student, so that they can develop integrative…

  15. Do Teacher Attitudes Impact Literacy Strategy Implementation in Content Area Classrooms?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCoss-Yergian, Tanya; Krepps, Loddie

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify beliefs about content area literacy commonly held by teachers and to evaluate whether or not these collective professional convictions and suppositions affect disciplinary instructors' implementation of content area reading strategies in their classrooms. A mixed methodology was applied to gather both…

  16. At Risk Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hammond, Ormond W.; Onikama, Denise L.

    This paper examines research on risk factors affecting teachers, noting that teachers encounter daily challenges and stresses in working with today's students. Risk is difficult to define. Consequences of risk can include stress and burnout, absenteeism, and attrition. Research shows that everyday events, even positive ones, cause stress, and…

  17. 1997 NASA/MSFC Summer Teacher Enrichment Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    This is a report on the follow-up activities conducted for the 1997 NASA Summer Teacher Enrichment Program (STEP), which was held at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the seventh consecutive year. The program was conducted as a six-week session with 17 sixth through twelfth grade math and science teachers from a six-state region (Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri). The program began on June 8, 1997, and ended on July 25, 1997. The long-term objectives of the program are to: increase the nation's scientific and technical talent pool with a special emphasis on underrepresented groups, improve the quality of pre-college math and science education, improve math and science literacy, and improve NASA's and pre-college education's understandings of each other's operating environments and needs. Short-term measurable objectives for the MSFC STEP are to: improve the teachers' content and pedagogy knowledge in science and/or mathematics, integrate applications from the teachers' STEP laboratory experiences into science and math curricula, increase the teachers' use of instructional technology, enhance the teachers' leadership skills by requiring them to present workshops and/or inservice programs for other teachers, require the support of the participating teacher(s) by the local school administration through a written commitment, and create networks and partnerships within the education community, both pre-college and college. The follow-up activities for the 1997 STEP included the following: academic-year questionnaire, site visits, academic-year workshop, verification of commitment of support, and additional NASA support.

  18. Internationally Educated Female Teachers' Transformative Lifelong Learning Experiences: Rethinking the Immigrant Experience through an Arts-Informed Group Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brigham, Susan

    2011-01-01

    This article is based on two phases of a five year arts-informed study that involved 24 women who immigrated to Maritime Canada as adults and who were all teachers in their countries of origin. In groups of approximately six, research participants gathered together in workshops held in two teacher training institutions in two Maritime Provinces…

  19. Identified Phases in the Building and Maintaining of Positive Teacher-Student Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newberry, Melissa

    2010-01-01

    Teacher-student relationships are accepted as influential but the dynamics of those relationships are not well understood, especially with difficult students. A series of interviews were combined with classroom observations and written reflections to understand in what ways a teacher negotiated her relationship with a behaviorally challenging…

  20. Involving Undergraduates and K-14 Teachers in Research: Measuring and Modeling Crustal Deformation in Southern California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fryxell, J. E.; Hams, J.; Barley, M.; Hobart, K.; Ramirez, J.; McGill, S.; Lyzenga, G.

    2003-12-01

    With funding from the NSF OEDG, we initiated a project to: (1) involve undergraduate students and K-14 teachers to research in geology, and (2) use GPS to monitor deformation across the plate boundary zone in southern California, and to model partitioning on specific faults that account for that deformation in the upper crust. Starting in July 2002, we collected campaign-style GPS data twice a year from 13 sites along a line across the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults near CSUSB. Our field crews have included 43 students and teachers in our three campaigns to date. These include 30 undergraduate and 3 graduate students, 1 middle school and 8 high school teachers, and 1 community college professor. We are also modeling site velocities from the SCEC Crustal Deformation Velocity Map. Our preliminary results are presented in session ED14 at this meeting. Our most recent campaign (June 2003) was expanded to include workshops. As before, the field crews got one day of hands-on training in setup and operation of the geodetic-quality receivers and antennae. In addition, we held a one-day workshop before the campaign on the active tectonics of southern California, elastic rebound theory, and the scientific goals of the project. After the campaign another one-day workshop was held to plot GPS position results from previous campaigns for a station crew members had occupied during the campaign, and to estimate a velocity for that station. Participants also tried modeling SCEC site velocity data from a transect across the San Andreas, San Jacinto and Elsinore faults. Four of the co-authors on this abstract were campaign participants, and have continued to work with faculty on processing our data and on modeling SCEC data. Students (geology and other majors) felt that participation in the campaign stimulated their interest in geology, and that their participation was a worthwhile experience. Most students are interested in participating in upcoming campaigns, and would

  1. Effective Teaching of Able Pupils in the Primary School: The Findings of the Oxfordshire Effective Teachers of Able Pupils Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eyre, Deborah; Coates, David; Fitzpatrick, Mary; Higgins, Chris; McClure, Lynne; Wilson, Helen; Chamberlin, Rosemary

    2002-01-01

    A review of British research on effective teaching of able students leads to a report on the Oxfordshire Effective Teachers of Able Pupils Project. This study found effective teachers shared similar beliefs about learning, had empathy with the needs of able children, created a secure classroom environment, held high expectations, used…

  2. Knowledge and attitude of Jordanian school health teachers with regards to emergency management of dental trauma.

    PubMed

    Al-Jundi, Suhad H; Al-Waeili, Haydar; Khairalah, Khaled

    2005-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess, by means of a self administered structured questionnaire, the level of knowledge of school health teachers in northern Jordan with regards to the immediate emergency management of dental trauma. The questionnaire surveyed teacher's background, Knowledge of management of tooth fracture, avulsion, and loss of consciousness, it also investigated teacher's attitudes, and self assessed knowledge, as well as knowledge of availability of emergency services in Jordan. The sample consisted of all school health teachers in northern Jordan (220) who attended an oral health education course held by the Jordanian dental association. Only 190 were included in the survey. Sixty-three percent were females, 44% were in their twenties, and 43% in their forties. Their school health teaching experience ranged from 1 to 7 years. Only 20% were officially trained in school health. Less than half of the teachers received first aid training only once in their teaching career, not necessarily as part of school health training. Only 10 teachers were trained in dental first aid, and more than half had a previous experience with handling dental trauma in children. Overall the teachers' knowledge with regards to the emergency management of the trauma cases presented in the report was deficient. Chi-square test showed that, the difference in their responses to the knowledge part of the questionnaire was not statistically significant with regards to age, gender, years of teaching experience, first aid training, or number of seen trauma cases. Generally, the attitude was positive, most teachers wanting further education on the topic, however those who were trained in first aid, thought they were able to give proper action when needed in cases of trauma (P = 0.026). Most teachers were unsatisfied with their level of knowledge, and only 30% knew of the availability of after hour emergency services for dental trauma. The present report indicated the gross lack

  3. Female teachers' math anxiety affects girls' math achievement.

    PubMed

    Beilock, Sian L; Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Ramirez, Gerardo; Levine, Susan C

    2010-02-02

    People's fear and anxiety about doing math--over and above actual math ability--can be an impediment to their math achievement. We show that when the math-anxious individuals are female elementary school teachers, their math anxiety carries negative consequences for the math achievement of their female students. Early elementary school teachers in the United States are almost exclusively female (>90%), and we provide evidence that these female teachers' anxieties relate to girls' math achievement via girls' beliefs about who is good at math. First- and second-grade female teachers completed measures of math anxiety. The math achievement of the students in these teachers' classrooms was also assessed. There was no relation between a teacher's math anxiety and her students' math achievement at the beginning of the school year. By the school year's end, however, the more anxious teachers were about math, the more likely girls (but not boys) were to endorse the commonly held stereotype that "boys are good at math, and girls are good at reading" and the lower these girls' math achievement. Indeed, by the end of the school year, girls who endorsed this stereotype had significantly worse math achievement than girls who did not and than boys overall. In early elementary school, where the teachers are almost all female, teachers' math anxiety carries consequences for girls' math achievement by influencing girls' beliefs about who is good at math.

  4. Risk and Resilience in Beginning Special Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belknap, Bridget; Taymans, Juliana

    2015-01-01

    Special education teachers leave the field at a rate that outpaces their general education teacher counterparts, with special education teaching positions unfilled at a rate 5.5 times greater than general education positions (Boe, 2006). This study identified perceptions of risk and resilience in nine first year special education teachers in order…

  5. Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) 2009 - Engaging Students and Teachers in Space Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boice, D. C.; Reiff, P. H.

    2009-12-01

    During the past 17 years, Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) has been a community partnership between local high schools in San Antonio, Texas (USA), and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The goals of YES are to increase the number of high school students, especially those from underrepresented groups, seeking careers in science and engineering, to enhance their success in entering the college and major of their choice, and to promote teacher development in STEM fields. This is accomplished by allowing students and teachers to interact on a continuing basis with role models at SwRI in real-world research experiences in physical sciences (including space science), information sciences, and a variety of engineering fields. A total of 218 students have completed YES or are currently enrolled. Of these students, 37% are females and 56% are ethnic minorities, reflecting the local ethnic diversity, and 67% represent underserved groups. Presently, there are 20 students and 3 teachers enrolled in the YES 2009/2010 Program. YES consists of an intensive three-week summer workshop held at SwRI where students and teachers experience the research environment and a collegial mentorship where they complete individual research projects under the guidance of SwRI mentors during the academic year. At the end of the school year, students publicly present and display their work, spreading career awareness to other students and teachers. Teachers participate in an in-service workshop to share classroom materials and spread awareness of space-related research. YES students develop a website (yesserver.space.swri.edu) for topics in space science (this year was NASA's MMS Mission) and high school science teachers develop space-related lessons for classroom presentation. Partnerships between research institutes, local high schools, and community foundations, like the YES Program, can positively affect students’ preparation for STEM careers via real-world research experiences with

  6. A Comparison of the Academic Achievement of Seventh-Day Adventist Elementary Students by School Type: The Influence of Teacher, Student, Parent, and School Variables

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Denise Sue

    2009-01-01

    Enrollment in Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) schools is declining as is the number of schools and teachers. While there could be many reasons for this, one perception of SDA schools, held by parents, teachers, pastors, and school board members, is that students enrolled in schools with one, two, or three teachers do not achieve at the same rate as…

  7. They need to be recognized as a person in everyday life: Teachers' and helpers' experiences of teacher-student relationships in upper secondary school.

    PubMed

    Krane, Vibeke; Karlsson, Bengt; Ness, Ottar; Binder, Per-Einar

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore how teachers and helpers experience that teacher-student relationship (TSR) is developed and promoted in upper secondary school.We also explored their experiences of qualities of TSR with students with mental health problems or at risk of dropping out. The study used a qualitative and participative approach; key stakeholders were included as co-researchers. Focus group interviews were held with 27 teachers and helpers. A thematic analysis was conducted. The participants' descriptions of important experiential dimensions of TSR were clustered around four themes: (1) to be recognized as a person with strengths and challenges in everyday life, (2) collaborative relationships between students and teachers, (3) flexible boundaries in the relationship between teachers and students and (4) organization of classes and procedures set the stage for TSR. Collaborative, emotional and contextual qualities were found important to the development of TSR in upper secondary school. Experiences of negative qualities of TSR can contribute to push students out of school. Teachers and helpers experience that TSR may have the potential to play a role in promoting mental health in students' everyday life.

  8. Teacher Education Students' Epistemological Beliefs: Developing a Relational Model of Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brownlee, Joanne

    2004-01-01

    A teaching programme based on relational pedagogy (Baxter Magolda, 1993a) was implemented to foster the development of epistemological beliefs in twenty-nine pre-service teacher education students at a large metropolitan university in Australia. Epistemological beliefs are those personally held beliefs about the nature and structure of knowing.…

  9. Guilty in Whose Eyes? Student-Teachers' Perspectives on Cheating on Examinations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amua-Sekyi, Ekua Tekyiwa

    2016-01-01

    The study explored student-teachers' views on cheating during examinations. A mixed method approach which involved a survey and focus group interviews was employed. Nine hundred undergraduate education students from a public university and three colleges of education in Ghana were surveyed. Focus group interviews were held with six students from…

  10. Integrating the teaching role into one's identity: a qualitative study of beginning undergraduate medical teachers.

    PubMed

    van Lankveld, T; Schoonenboom, J; Kusurkar, R A; Volman, M; Beishuizen, J; Croiset, G

    2017-08-01

    Beginning medical teachers often see themselves as doctors or researchers rather than as teachers. Using both figured worlds theory and dialogical self theory, this study explores how beginning teachers in the field of undergraduate medical education integrate the teacher role into their identity. A qualitative study was performed, involving 18 beginning medical teachers at a Dutch medical school. The teachers were interviewed twice and kept a logbook over a period of 7 months. The study shows that the integration of the teacher role into the teachers' identity was hampered by the idea that teaching is perceived by others as a low status occupation. Some teachers experienced significant tension because of this, while others showed resilience in resisting the negative associations that were thought to exist regarding teaching. The teachers used five different identity narratives in order to integrate the teacher role into their identity, in which the positions of teacher and doctor or researcher were found to be combined, adopted or rejected in diverse ways. The five identity narratives were: (1) coalition between the I-position of teacher and other I-positions; (2) no integration of the I-position of teacher: holding on to other I-positions; (3) construction of the I-position of teacher and other I-positions as opposites; (4) coalition between the I-position of teacher and a third position of coordinator; and (5) meta-position: trivialising the importance of status. These identity narratives offer starting points for supporting undergraduate teachers during their early professional years.

  11. Teacher's Aide Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coya, Liliam

    The teacher's aide guide focuses on the various aspects of an aide's position in a migrant educational situation. Following the introduction, section 1 describes the aide's relationship with the teacher, duties of the aide, and materials that might be required; a glossary of commonly used school terms is also provided. Psychologically oriented,…

  12. Teacher Empowerment, Horizontal and Vertical Organisational Learning, and Positional Mobility in Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein, Joseph

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To examine the contribution of horizontal and vertical organisational learning and its timing to the effective integration of teachers in classes they have not previously taught. Three hundred and forty-five teachers from 64 schools, with at least 4 years of teaching experience, completed questionnaires about the extent of horizontal (OL)…

  13. Teaching with "Liangxin" (Virtuous Heart) Held in Hands or Not: Untangling Self- and State-Governmentalization of Contemporary Chinese Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhao, Weili

    2014-01-01

    Contemporary Chinese teachers are being transformed into morally divided subjects by institutional teacher-evaluation governance. They claim such institutional governance can "devour" their basic professional ethics of "teaching with 'liangxin'" (??), a reinvoked Confucian ethical notion. Then, how does "liangxin"…

  14. Teacher Turnover, Teacher Quality, and Student Achievement in DCPS. CEPA Working Paper No. 16-03

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adnot, Melinda; Dee, Thomas; Katz, Veronica; Wyckoff, James

    2016-01-01

    In practice, teacher turnover appears to have negative effects on school quality as measured by student performance. However, some simulations suggest that turnover can instead have large, positive effects under a policy regime in which low-performing teachers can be accurately identified and replaced with more effective teachers. This study…

  15. Building Strong Teacher-Student Relationships in Pluralistic Music Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gurgel, Ruth

    2015-01-01

    A positive teacher-student relationship is a critical component of an engaging climate in pluralistic music classrooms. This article defines and gives examples of five strategies for building positive, cross-cultural teacher-student relationships. Teachers who take responsibility for developing these relationships begin by becoming culturally…

  16. Climbing the Steps toward a Successful Cooperating Teacher/Student Teacher Mentoring Relationship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Cameron K.; Kelsey, Kathleen D.; Brown, Nicholas R.

    2014-01-01

    Agricultural education cooperating teachers (mentors) are idealized as seasoned professionals, proficient in their craft, and able to transmit tacit knowledge to pre-service teachers (mentees) through demonstration, conversation, and coaching. When the relationship is successful both parties experience positive outcomes that may last a lifetime.…

  17. The Relationships between Child Temperament, Teacher-Child Relationships, and Teacher-Child Interactions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oren, Meral; Jones, Ithel

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between child temperament, teacher-child relationships, and teacher-child interactions in four preschool classrooms. The preliminary analyses revealed classroom differences for all variables. In all the classrooms except one, the temperament factor Reactivity had positive and high…

  18. Authoritative School Climate, Aggression toward Teachers, and Teacher Distress in Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berg, Juliette K.; Cornell, Dewey

    2016-01-01

    Aggression toward teachers is linked to burnout and disengagement from teaching, but a positive school climate may reduce aggression and associated teacher distress. Using authoritative school climate theory, the study examined whether schools with high disciplinary structure and student support were associated with less aggression and less…

  19. Policy Concerns Relating to Teacher Recruitment and Deployment in Malawi. Education Sector Planning Policy Discussion Papers. Teacher Education Policy Position Papers. Paper # 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sedere, Upali M.

    2005-01-01

    This paper outlines the issues relating to teacher education and teacher supply in Malawi. Malawi has a severe shortage of teachers. Over the years, particularly since EFA the student numbers has gone up yet the teacher supply has not followed the increased student numbers. This paper outlines the broader picture as a basis for further…

  20. Could a Cash Balance Plan Benefit Illinois Public School Teachers?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Richard W.; Southgate, Benjamin G.

    2015-01-01

    The Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois is one of the worst-funded public pensions in the nation. In 2013, it held enough assets to cover only 41 percent of its future obligations (Buck Consultants, 2014). This shortfall has led to several reforms, mostly involving benefit cuts that have undermined retirement income security for…

  1. System design of a hand-held mobile robot for craniotomy.

    PubMed

    Kane, Gavin; Eggers, Georg; Boesecke, Robert; Raczkowsky, Jörg; Wörn, Heinz; Marmulla, Rüdiger; Mühling, Joachim

    2009-01-01

    This contribution reports the development and initial testing of a Mobile Robot System for Surgical Craniotomy, the Craniostar. A kinematic system based on a unicycle robot is analysed to provide local positioning through two spiked wheels gripping directly onto a patients skull. A control system based on a shared control system between both the Surgeon and Robot is employed in a hand-held design that is tested initially on plastic phantom and swine skulls. Results indicate that the system has substantially lower risk than present robotically assisted craniotomies, and despite being a hand-held mobile robot, the Craniostar is still capable of sub-millimetre accuracy in tracking along a trajectory and thus achieving an accurate transfer of pre-surgical plan to the operating room procedure, without the large impact of current medical robots based on modified industrial robots.

  2. "We Do More than Discuss Good Ideas": A Close Look at the Development of Professional Capital in an Elementary Education Liaison Group

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snow, Jennifer L.; Martin, Susan D.; Dismuke, Sherry

    2015-01-01

    In an era when many news media, policy makers, and professionals in the field may consider teacher education "under attack," teacher education programs are being held accountable for increased rigor (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2012). Teacher educators are in a unique position to examine more closely specific practices and…

  3. A Mixed Method Study on the Missouri Beginning Teachers Assistance Program and Teacher Retention in Saint Louis School Districts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ciolek, Raymond

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to investigate whether new teacher and new teacher mentor perceptions of the effectiveness of the Missouri State Beginning Teachers' Assistance Program (BTAP) were positive and whether the new teacher perceptions led to the new teacher remaining in the teaching profession at least five years. At the time of this…

  4. Student Teacher Understanding of the Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Layer Depletion, and Acid Rain.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dove, Jane

    1996-01-01

    Describes the results of a survey designed to ascertain details of student teachers' knowledge and misconceptions about the greenhouse effect, acid rain, and ozone layer depletion. Results indicate familiarity with the issues but little understanding of the concepts involved and many commonly held misconceptions. (JRH)

  5. Designer Babies? Teacher Views on Gene Technology and Human Medicine.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schibeci, Renato

    1999-01-01

    Summarizes the views of a sample of primary and high school teachers on the application of gene technology to human medicine. In general, high school teachers are more positive about these developments than primary teachers, and both groups of teachers are more positive than interested lay publics. Highlights ways in which this topic can be…

  6. Placing the History and the Philosophy of Science on Teacher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cachapuz, Antonio F.; Paixao, Fatima

    Recent research indicated that teachers conceive and orient their teaching depending (among others things) on their conceptions about both the nature of science and the construction of the scientific knowledge. This is an important educational issue because the image generally held by students sees science simply as a rhetoric of conclusions.…

  7. Teachers' instructional efficacy and teachers' efficacy toward integration of information technologies in the classroom.

    PubMed

    Dussault, Marc; Deaudelin, Colette; Brodeur, Monique

    2004-06-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' instructional efficacy and their efficacy toward integration of technologies in the classroom. A sample of 309 French Canadian elementary school teachers volunteered and were administered a French Canadian version of the Teacher Efficacy Scale and Teachers' efficacy scale toward integration of technologies in the classroom. Analysis yielded, as expected, a positive and significant partial correlation between the two types of self-efficacy beliefs (.27 and .36).

  8. E-Mentoring for Professional Development of Pre-Service Teachers: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahraman, Mehmet; Kuzu, Abdullah

    2016-01-01

    This study focused on supporting the professional development of information technologies pre-service teachers with e-mentoring approach. The e-mentoring program was conducted in four basic phases; preparation, matching, interaction and finalizing. In the study, the data were collected via researcher journals, semi-structured interviews held with…

  9. Constructivist-Centered Professional Development in Vocabulary Instruction for Upper Grade Elementary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samson, Beatrice

    2012-01-01

    This research study was designed to investigate the impact of constructivist-centered professional development in vocabulary instruction for 14 upper-grade elementary school teachers. The researcher facilitated 10 training sessions held in small groups, during grade level meetings at an urban public school, to develop individual and collective…

  10. The Study of Pre-Service Teachers' Alternative Conceptions Regarding Three Ecological Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khalid, Tahsin

    The focus of the study was to identify and describe environmental preconceptions held by preservice elementary teachers about three issues: greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion, and acid rain. One hundred and thirteen junior or senior level elementary education majors enrolled in science methods courses at a large Midwestern university…

  11. "Novice Teachers" Views of an Introductory Workshop about Teaching in the Biosciences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gartland, Kevan M. A.; Perkins, Joy; Shearer, Morven C.; Tierney, Anne M.; Wilson, Jackie J.

    2013-01-01

    Seven regional networking events, aimed at supporting and developing "early stage" novice university bioscience teachers were held across the UK. These workshops allowed 230 participants to reflect on teaching styles, learn about Higher Education Academy resources and discuss strategies to deal with a range of teaching situations.…

  12. Polish Teachers' Conceptions of and Approaches to the Teaching of Linear Equations to Grade Six Students: An Exploratory Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marschall, Gosia; Andrews, Paul

    2015-01-01

    In this article we present an exploratory case study of six Polish teachers' perspectives on the teaching of linear equations to grade six students. Data, which derived from semi-structured interviews, were analysed against an extant framework and yielded a number of commonly held beliefs about what teachers aimed to achieve and how they would…

  13. Preservice Teachers Respond to "And Tango Makes Three": Deconstructing Disciplinary Power and the Heteronormative in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phillips, Donna Kalmbach; Larson, Mindy Legard

    2012-01-01

    This study employs Foucualdian concepts to analyse macro and micro contexts of publicly spoken and silent discourses describing "homosexuality," "education" and "teacher" in order to identify teacher subject positions available to preservice teachers. The macro context is analysed by tracing heteronormative discourses…

  14. Investigating Self-Perceptions and Resilience in Looked after Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Honey, Kyla L.; Rees, Paul; Griffey, Simon

    2011-01-01

    The perceptions of Looked After Children (LAC; n = 51), their Designated Teachers (DTs), and a sample of non-LAC (n = 99) were elicited. LAC held more positive self-perceptions than the non-LAC, and similarly positive ratings were given for the LAC by their DTs; but LAC held lower career aspirations than the non-LAC. LAC differed in their levels…

  15. The Prediction of Teachers' Perceptions of School Climate from Their School's Utilization of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quackenbush, Rebecca J.

    2017-01-01

    School climate is an aspect of school life that has been examined closely in recent literature as it related to student interactions, behavior, and student achievement. Problem behaviors can affect students' academic learning as well as teachers' instructional time. Research has emphasized how a healthy school climate can yield positive effects on…

  16. Using Data to Inform Systems: Assessing Teacher Implementation of Key Features of Program-Wide Positive Behavioral Support in Head Start Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stormont, Melissa; Covington, Sandra; Lewis, Timothy J.

    2006-01-01

    To date, data-based research has not been conducted specifically on the use of systems of schoolwide positive behavioral support (SW-PBS) in early childhood settings; however, several articles have described how the process can be implemented to support children in early childhood settings. Research has also documented early childhood teachers'…

  17. Teacher self-efficacy and perceived autonomy: relations with teacher engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion.

    PubMed

    Skaalvik, Einar M; Skaalvik, Sidsel

    2014-02-01

    When studied separately, research shows that both teacher self-efficacy and teacher autonomy are associated with adaptive motivational and emotional outcomes. This study tested whether teacher self-efficacy and teacher autonomy are independently associated with engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. 2,569 Norwegian teachers in elementary school and middle school (719 men, 1,850 women; M age = 45.0 yr., SD = 11.5) were administered the Norwegian Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, the Teacher Autonomy Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The analysis revealed that both teacher autonomy and self-efficacy were independent predictors of engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. This study suggests that autonomy or decision latitude works positively but through different processes for teachers with high and low mastery expectations.

  18. Teacher-Student Relationships and L2 Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henry, Alastair; Thorsen, Cecilia

    2018-01-01

    Positive relationships with teachers are important for students' second language motivation. However, little is known about how interpersonal interactions stimulate motivated behavior. Drawing on studies of teacher-student relationships, theories from positive psychology, and the psychology of unconscious self-regulation, this case study examines…

  19. Understanding Standards and Assessment Policy in Science Education: Relating and Exploring Variations in Policy Implementation by Districts and Teachers in Wisconsin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, Kevin John Boyett

    Current literature shows that many science teachers view policies of standards-based and test-based accountability as conflicting with research-based instruction in science education. With societal goals of improving scientific literacy and using science to spur economic growth, improving science education policy becomes especially important. To understand perceived influences of science education policy, this study looked at three questions: 1) How do teachers perceive state science standards and assessment and their influence on curriculum and instruction? 2) How do these policy perspectives vary by district and teacher level demographic and contextual differences? 3) How do district leaders' interpretations of and efforts within these policy realms relate to teachers' perceptions of the policies? To answer these questions, this study used a stratified sample of 53 districts across Wisconsin, with 343 middle school science teachers responding to an online survey; science instructional leaders from each district were also interviewed. Survey results were analyzed using multiple regression modeling, with models generally predicting 8-14% of variance in teacher perceptions. Open-ended survey and interview responses were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Results suggested that many teachers saw state testing as limiting use of hands-on pedagogy, while standards were seen more positively. Teachers generally held similar views of the degree of influence of standards and testing regardless of their experience, background in science, credentials, or grade level taught. District SES, size and past WKCE scores had some limited correlations to teachers' views of policy, but teachers' perceptions of district policies and leadership consistently had the largest correlation to their views. District leadership views of these state policies correlated with teachers' views. Implications and future research directions are provided. Keywords: science education, policy

  20. The Effect of Tertiary Teachers' Goal Orientations for Teaching on Their Commitment: The Mediating Role of Teacher Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Han, Jiying; Yin, Hongbiao; Wang, Wenlan

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the effect of tertiary teachers' goal orientations for teaching on their commitment, with a particular focus on the mediating role of teacher engagement. The results of a survey of 597 Chinese tertiary teachers indicated that teacher commitment was positively predicted by ability approach, mastery and relational goals, but was…

  1. Teaching Initial Reading in Navajo: Report of a Conference of Educators Held at Kayenta, January 30-31, 1970. Navajo Reading Study, Progress Report No. 6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Penny, Ed.

    This report includes descriptions of ongoing reading programs for Navajo students in Rough Rock, Rock Point, and Navajo Community College, presented by teacher-participants in the conference on reading held in Kayenta, Arizona, January 30-31, 1970. Also included are reports from the Navajo Reading Study staff and a discussion of the problems of…

  2. Personalizing and Contextualizing Multimedia Case Methods in University-based Teacher Education: An Important Modification for Promoting Technological Design in School Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bencze, Larry; Hewitt, Jim; Pedretti, Erminia

    2009-01-01

    Results of various studies suggest that multimedia ‘case methods’ (activities associated with case documentaries) have many benefits in university-based teacher education contexts. They can, for example, help to ‘bridge the gap’ between perspectives and practices held by academic teacher educators and those held by student-teachers - who may adhere to perspectives and practices commonly supported in schools. On the other hand, some studies, along with theoretical arguments, suggest that there are limits to the effectiveness of multimedia case methods - because, for example, they can never fully represent realities of teaching and learning in schools. Furthermore, often missing from multimedia case methods is the student-teacher in the role of teacher. To address these concerns, we modified an existing multimedia case method by associating it with a special practice teaching situation in a school context. Qualitative data analyzed using constant comparative methods suggest that student-teachers engaged in this modified multimedia case method developed relatively deep commitments to encouraging students to conduct technology design projects - a non-traditional practice in school science. Factors that appeared to influence development of this motivation included student-teachers’ pre-instructional perspectives about science and the personalization and contextualization inherent to the modified multimedia case method.

  3. Why Do New Teachers Leave? How Could They Stay?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simos, Elaine

    2013-01-01

    The author of this article posits that some teachers leave the profession because they entered it with unrealistic expectations, and that the reality of multiple preparations, unpaid orientation sessions, and large student loads is overburdening.for new teachers. Many new teachers leave their positions because of the dissonance between their…

  4. Self-knowledge of health teachers: A qualitative exploratory study.

    PubMed

    Canever, Bruna Pedroso; do Prado, Marta Lenise; Gomes, Diana Coelho; Backes, Vânia Marli Schubert; de Jesus, Bruna Helena

    2018-06-01

    Specific pedagogical training for teaching in the area of health emerges with the goal of creating critical and reflective professionals and as a necessary challenge to university teaching, where there is reflection on self-awareness, consciousness, and the incompleteness of being. This study aims to understand how Freire's critical consciousness is expressed in the pedagogical practice of health teachers. This study is a qualitative study that is descriptive, exploratory, and analytical. Twenty-one teachers from a public university in southern Brazil participated. Data were collected using open-ended, in-person interviews held from May to December 2013. Data systematization was based on Minayo's operative proposal. The analysis yielded 2 main categories, including the naïve critical consciousness of health teachers, i.e., education as a practice of oppression, and the epistemological critical consciousness of health teachers, i.e., education as a practice of freedom. The results revealed the teachers' self-knowledge, including the reasoning and motivations that made them become teachers, the characteristics considered necessary to be a teacher, the teachers' feelings in their teaching practice, and the teaching preparation required for being in the classroom from the perspective of naïve and epistemological critical consciousness. The study shows that the self-knowledge that emerged from the teachers' reports encourages new perspectives in the construction of the teacher, raising the challenge of development and transformation from naïve consciousness to epistemological consciousness, and thus contributing to a breakthrough with respect to critical and creative teacher training. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Annual National Teachers Workshop on ’Human Biology’ Held in San Jose, California on 7-13 November 1995.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-11-01

    Conference teacher program were to enable participating teachers to: (1) understand basic human anatomy and physiology content. (2) understand appropriate...teaching methodology for American Indian students. (3) engage in classroom activities that focus on human anatomy and physiology which can be transferred and applied to their own classrooms.

  6. Exploring Linkages among Pre-Service Teachers' Attachment Styles and Professional Dispositions Held by Effective Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mattise, Mary Christina

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore explanatory values provided by tenets of attachment theory for understanding roles that intra- and interpersonal dimensions of preservice teachers' professional dispositions play in shaping conflict styles employed by individuals in managing student behaviors in socioculturally-diverse classrooms.…

  7. Teaching Matters: How State and Local Policymakers Can Improve the Quality of Teachers and Teaching. CPRE Policy Briefs RB-48

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corcoran, Thomas B.

    2007-01-01

    This issue of CPRE Policy Briefs summarizes the findings on issues related to teacher quality in the chapter authored by Thomas B. Corcoran in the book, "The State of Education Policy Research." The report also draws on discussions that took place during a 2006 policy briefing on teacher labor-market issues held in Chicago and sponsored by the…

  8. Why Academic Depth and Rigour in University-Based Coursework Matters for Prospective Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rusznyak, Lee; Balfour, Robert; Van Vollenhoven, Willie; Sosibo, Lungi

    2016-01-01

    This special issue of "Perspectives in Education" arises from a symposium entitled "Academic depth and rigour in initial teacher education" jointly organised by four universities in South Africa. The symposium, held in October 2014, attracted 125 delegates from 18 South African higher education institutions (HEIs).…

  9. The Problem with Reform from the Bottom up: Instructional practises and teacher beliefs of graduate teaching assistants following a reform-minded university teacher certificate programme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Addy, Tracie M.; Blanchard, Margaret R.

    2010-05-01

    Reform-minded practices are widely encouraged during pre-service science teacher education in concert with national reform documents. This contrasts to the nature of instruction within university science laboratories in which pre-service teachers enrol, which are largely confirmatory in nature. Undergraduate science laboratories are taught predominantly by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) with minimal teacher preparation. The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to investigate the instructional practices and teacher beliefs of eight GTAs at a university with very high research activity who completed a reform-minded Teacher Certificate Programme, asking: What are their beliefs about teaching? How are their practices described? Do their beliefs and practices differ from one another? Do their teaching beliefs correspond with their practices? Findings indicate that GTAs held moderately reform-minded "transitional" beliefs of teaching following the programme, yet displayed fairly traditional instruction. Cross-case findings highlight similar patterns across subscales of the RTOP that draw attention to underlying constraints of the laboratory curriculum structure. We suggest that GTA professional development is best undertaken concurrent with laboratory course revision.

  10. Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers as They Relate to Professional Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Emily; Poel, Elissa; Licona, Miguel M.; Arroyos, Elsa C.; Meraz-Rodriguez, Alma

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the beliefs and concerns of pre-service teachers as they relate to professional practice during their practicum experience. This study took place in a minority-serving university in the Southwest. All activities were conducted during one academic semester and held during the weekly on-campus seminars. The…

  11. Parent-Teacher-Student Discrepancies in Academic Ability Beliefs: Influences on Parent Involvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patel, Nimisha; Stevens, Sharon

    2010-01-01

    Most studies examining influences on parent involvement focus on common demographic factors, such as social class or gender, and on elementary grades. In the present study, we investigated a more malleable influence, perceptions of ability, in the context of middle school. We examined how perceptions held by parents, teachers, and students…

  12. Precalculus teachers' perspectives on using graphing calculators: an example from one curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karadeniz, Ilyas; Thompson, Denisse R.

    2018-01-01

    Graphing calculators are hand-held technological tools currently used in mathematics classrooms. Teachers' perspectives on using graphing calculators are important in terms of exploring what teachers think about using such technology in advanced mathematics courses, particularly precalculus courses. A descriptive intrinsic case study was conducted to analyse the perspectives of 11 teachers using graphing calculators with potential Computer Algebra System (CAS) capability while teaching Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry, a precalculus course for 11th-grade students developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project. Data were collected from multiple sources as part of a curriculum evaluation study conducted during the 2007-2008 school year. Although all teachers were using the same curriculum that integrated CAS into the instructional materials, teachers had mixed views about the technology. Graphing calculator features were used much more than CAS features, with many teachers concerned about the use of CAS because of pressures from external assessments. In addition, several teachers found it overwhelming to learn a new technology at the same time they were learning a new curriculum. The results have implications for curriculum developers and others working with teachers to update curriculum and the use of advanced technologies simultaneously.

  13. Hand-Held EMI Sensor Combined with Inertial Positioning for Cued UXO Discrimination - APG Standardized UXO Test Site

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-04-01

    Measurement Tracking System (SAINT) with an advanced hand-held, time-domain electromagnetic sensor (TEM-HH) and document classification performance at...rejecting 77% of the clutter. 15. SUBJECT TERMS EMI, electromagnetic induction, UXO classification, UXO, IMU, inertial measurement unit, 16. SECURITY...U c. THIS PAGE U UU 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (include area code) 919-677-1560 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18

  14. Connecting High School and University Teachers in National and International Contexts: Perspectives from the 2012 Bangalore Workshop of the AAG-CGGE

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Basu, Pratyusha; Pawson, Eric; Akhter, Majed; Palmer, David; Mervine, Valerie M.

    2014-01-01

    This paper focuses on the Center for Global Geography Education teaching workshop held in Bangalore, India, in March 2012 which served as a collaborative forum linking geography teachers in secondary and higher education in the USA and India. It considers the inclusion of the Advanced Placement Human Geography teachers from the USA and the…

  15. What Is the Role of the Arts in a Primary School?: An Investigation of Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers in Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lemon, Narelle; Garvis, Susanne

    2013-01-01

    The arts are an important compulsory subject area in Australian schooling. In 2014, the Australian National Curriculum for the arts is scheduled for implementation. While the arts may be a compulsory subject area and expected to be taught in classrooms by primary school teachers, current perceptions held by teachers may be different to the view…

  16. The Role of Teacher and Faculty Trust in Forming Teachers' Job Satisfaction: Do Years of Experience Make a Difference?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Maele, Dimitri; Van Houtte, Mieke

    2012-01-01

    This study relates trust at the level of both the teacher and the faculty to teachers' job satisfaction. Teaching experience is explored as a moderator of the trust-satisfaction relationship. Multilevel analyses on data of 2091 teachers across 80 secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium) revealed positive associations between teacher trust in…

  17. Emerging Professional Roles for Teacher Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Massanari, Karl; And Others

    Emerging professional roles for teacher educators are examined by three educators from three different viewpoints, and a critique of the positions developed is undertaken by a spokesman for the teacher organization viewpoint of professional development. Karl Massanari examines the changes currently affecting the education of teachers--social,…

  18. Measuring Teacher Effectiveness in Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rink, Judith E.

    2013-01-01

    This article summarizes the research base on teacher effectiveness in physical education from a historical perspective and explores the implications of the recent emphasis on student performance and teacher observation systems to evaluate teachers for physical education. The problems and the potential positive effects of using student performance…

  19. Teacher Directed Behavior Toward Individual Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oien, Fred M.

    A study of five teachers and 316 junior high school physical education students reveals an unequal distribution of positive reinforcement teacher behavior among individual students. Factors influencing the amount of rewarding behavior directed to students include elements such as student gender, teacher perception of student skill level, student…

  20. Group processing in an undergraduate biology course for preservice teachers: Experiences and attitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schellenberger, Lauren Brownback

    Group processing is a key principle of cooperative learning in which small groups discuss their strengths and weaknesses and set group goals or norms. However, group processing has not been well-studied at the post-secondary level or from a qualitative or mixed methods perspective. This mixed methods study uses a phenomenological framework to examine the experience of group processing for students in an undergraduate biology course for preservice teachers. The effect of group processing on students' attitudes toward future group work and group processing is also examined. Additionally, this research investigated preservice teachers' plans for incorporating group processing into future lessons. Students primarily experienced group processing as a time to reflect on past performance. Also, students experienced group processing as a time to increase communication among group members and become motivated for future group assignments. Three factors directly influenced students' experiences with group processing: (1) previous experience with group work, (2) instructor interaction, and (3) gender. Survey data indicated that group processing had a slight positive effect on students' attitudes toward future group work and group processing. Participants who were interviewed felt that group processing was an important part of group work and that it had increased their group's effectiveness as well as their ability to work effectively with other people. Participants held positive views on group work prior to engaging in group processing, and group processing did not alter their atittude toward group work. Preservice teachers who were interviewed planned to use group work and a modified group processing protocol in their future classrooms. They also felt that group processing had prepared them for their future professions by modeling effective collaboration and group skills. Based on this research, a new model for group processing has been created which includes extensive

  1. Exploring Teacher Candidates' Attitudes towards Pedagogical Teacher Training Based on Different Variables

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Toraman, Cetin; Aydin, Hasan; Ulubey, Ozgur

    2016-01-01

    The raising of the life standards of individuals living within a society is only possible through the provision of quality education. Quality education can be realized only through the training of teachers with the necessary skills and positive attitudes towards the training provided at faculties of education and through teacher training programs.…

  2. New Perspectives on the Genesis of the U.S.: A Report of FPRI's History Institute for Teachers. Footnotes. Volume 9, Number 2

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuehner, Trudy J.

    2004-01-01

    The Foreign Policy Research Institute held its 11th History Institute for Teachers on June 5-6, 2004, bringing together forty-five teachers from fifteen states for a weekend of lectures and seminars. Sessions included; (1) Colonial Origins of American Identity (Walter McDougall); (2) Migration and Colonization (Daniel Richter); (3) Liberty and…

  3. The Legacy of Manfred Held with Critique

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-08-01

    President Executive Vice President and Provost The report entitled “The Legacy of Manfred Held with Critique” contains the results of research...xxii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK xxiii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Prof (Dr) Manfred Held...de choc des explosifs solides. Propellants and Explosives, 6, 63-66. [013] Held, M. (1987). Experiments of initiation of covered, but unconfined

  4. Teaching Science for Social Justice: An Examination of Elementary Preservice Teachers' Beliefs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eslinger, James C.

    This qualitative study examines the beliefs and belief changes of eleven elementary preservice teachers about teaching science for social justice. Using constructivist grounded theory, it forwards a new theory of belief change about teaching science for social justice. The theory posits that three teaching and learning conditions may facilitate belief change: preservice teachers need to recognize (1) the relationship between science and society; (2) the relationship between individuals and society; and (3) the importance of taking action on socioscientific issues. This research responds to calls by critical scholars of teacher education who contend that beliefs in relation to equity, diversity, and multiculturalism need to be explored. They have found that many preservice teachers hold beliefs that are antithetical to social justice tenets. Since beliefs are generally considered to be precursors to actions, identifying and promoting change in beliefs are important to teaching science for social justice. Such a move may lead to the advancement of curricular and pedagogical efforts to promote the academic participation and success in elementary science of Aboriginal and racialized minority students. The study was undertaken in a year-long science methods course taught by the researcher. It was centered on the preservice teachers -- their beliefs, their belief changes, and the course pedagogies that they identified as crucial to their changes. However, the course was based on the researcher-instructor's review of the scholarly literature on science education, teacher education, and social justice. It utilized a critical -- cultural theoretical framework, and was aligned to the three dimensions of critical nature of science, critical knowledge and pedagogy, and sociopolitical action. Findings indicate that, at the beginning of the year, preservice teachers held two types of beliefs (liberal and critical) and, by the end of the course, they experienced three kinds of

  5. Sources of Work-Related Support for Rural Special Education Teachers and Their Relationship to Teacher Satisfaction and Commitment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bassett Berry, Ann

    2010-01-01

    The shortage of special education teachers is a critical issue facing rural school districts. Administrators face moderate to extreme difficulties recruiting special educators and some are unable to fill positions at all. The retention of teachers to special education positions in rural schools is part of any comprehensive plan to deal with…

  6. Influences of Supervising Teachers in a Cluster Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mahan, James M.

    1976-01-01

    This study of the influence of critic teachers on the values of student teachers over year-long periods suggests that preservice teachers should be assigned to many different critic teachers with varying philosophical positions on education and schooling during the field experience. (MB)

  7. Science teachers' worldviews: A way to understand beliefs and practices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yalaki, Yalcin

    Understanding science teachers' beliefs is important for science teacher educators, because such understanding is a prerequisite for promoting change within the framework of educational reform. The worldview model developed by Graves (1981) and Beck and Cowan (1996) provides a holistic approach to understanding teachers' beliefs and values and it also provides a framework for understanding how people's worldviews change. In this study, worldviews of four science teachers were investigated within the framework of Beck and Cowan's model. Two of these teachers were high school science teachers, while the other two were middle school science teachers. One of the teachers held National Board of Professional Teaching Certification and she had 18 years of teaching experience. Another teacher was a relatively new teacher with three years of teaching experience. The third teacher had nine years of teaching experience, but when this study was conducted, it was her first year of teaching science. The other teacher had 26 years of experience with certification in all science areas. During this study, interpretative qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were used which included interviews, observations, and the use of a survey developed by Beck and Cowan (2000) called the Values Test. The results show that differing values and experiences among science teachers leads to different strategies for making sense of science teaching. The assertion that the worldview perspective provided by Beck and Cowan is a useful tool in understanding teachers' beliefs and values is made in the conclusions. Teacher educators can utilize this tool in research about teacher beliefs, in promoting change for reform, or in developing curriculum for teacher education programs. Teachers can utilize it in self-reflective practices to better understand their own beliefs, their context, and their students and ultimately improve the teaching and learning process they engage in.

  8. Navigating the Complex Practices of Specialized Literacy Professionals in Formalized Teacher Leadership Positions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yurkewecz, Thea A.

    2017-01-01

    This dissertation reports on how one school community engaged in a professional development grant initiative that incorporated teacher leadership. Teacher leaders may have numerous roles and responsibilities that support the professional learning and instructional practices of school communities. This study examined the experiences of three…

  9. More than Beliefs: Subject Areas and Teachers' Integration of Laptops in Secondary Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howard, Sarah K.; Chan, Amy; Caputi, Peter

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship of subject areas to teachers' technology integration. Educational technology research has often identified "culture clashes" to explain differences in technology use between subject areas. These clashes are frequently attributed to core features, values and beliefs held in the…

  10. The Position of a Teacher as a Factor of Forming Students' Socio-Cultural Identities (On the Example of the Russian Civil Identity)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shakurova, Marina V.

    2015-01-01

    The article presents experience of structuring and description of teachers' position in the process of forming socio-cultural identity of the person, detailed in regard to the process of formation of one of the subtypes of socio-cultural identity--Russian civil identity. We identified and described real subjective, nominally subjective and…

  11. The Mirage: Confronting the Hard Truth about Our Quest for Teacher Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacob, Andy; McGovern, Kate

    2015-01-01

    "The Mirage" describes the widely held perception among education leaders that they already know how to help teachers improve, and that they could achieve their goal of great teaching in far more classrooms if they just applied what they knew more widely. However, research suggests that despite enormous and admirable investments of time…

  12. Saudi Elementary School Science Teachers' Beliefs: Teaching Science in the New Millennium

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alghamdi, Amani K. Hamdan; Al-Salouli, Misfer Saud

    2013-01-01

    This study explored Saudi elementary school science teachers' beliefs about the process of teaching and learning science. This involved the exploration of their views about the new Saudi science curriculum, which emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving. Comprehensive interviews were held in 8 schools with 4 male and 6 female--2 of whom…

  13. Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs towards Parent Involvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alaçam, Nur; Olgan, Refika

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the parent involvement self-efficacy beliefs held by pre-service early childhood teachers and their self-reported skills in implementing parent involvement strategies. Another aim was to examine the impact made on parent involvement self-efficacy beliefs by taking a course on parent involvement and by self-reported…

  14. Emergences and Affordances as Opportunities to Develop Teachers' Mathematical Content Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Julie, Cyril

    2014-01-01

    Teachers' mathematical content knowledge has been under scrutiny for some time. This development is in the wake of learners' unsatisfactory performance in national examinations and international achievement tests. A widely held belief is that one, if not the most important, of the efforts to improve and enhance the performance and…

  15. Teachers' Facility with Evidence-Based Classroom Management Practices: An Investigation of Teachers' Preparation Programmes and In-Service Conditions

    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…

  16. Emotions and Positional Identity in Becoming a Social Justice Science Teacher: Nicole's Story

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rivera Maulucci, Maria S.

    2013-01-01

    Becoming a social justice teacher, for high-poverty urban settings, is fraught with emotional ambivalence related to personal, professional, relational, political, and cultural social justice issues. Prospective teachers must navigate their sense of justice, grapple with issues of educational disparity, engage with theories of critical,…

  17. Reducing the Mismatch of Geometry Concept Definitions and Concept Images Held by Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cunningham, Robert F.; Roberts, Allison

    2010-01-01

    Twenty-three female elementary pre-service teachers were assessed on their ability to answer questions involving geometry concepts. Despite being given the definitions of the altitude of a triangle and the diagonal of a polygon on the pretest, limited understanding of these concepts was evident. A treatment using both graphic organizer and concept…

  18. Transformations in Kenyan Science Teachers' Locus of Control: The Influence of Contextualized Science and Emancipated Student Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, D.; Nashon, S.; Namazzi, E.; Okemwa, P.; Ombogo, P.; Ooko, S.; Beru, F.

    2015-11-01

    This study investigated Kenyan science teachers' pedagogical transformations, which manifested as they enacted and experienced a reformed contextualized science curriculum in which students' learning experiences were critical catalysts of teacher change. Twelve high school teachers voluntarily participated in the study and were interviewed about their pedagogical transformations following their enactment of a reformed contextualized science curriculum. The outcomes demonstrated that students' emancipated behaviours, learning and performance, qualitatively influenced teacher change and pedagogical reform. Specifically, changes in students, as a result of the ways the science curriculum was implemented, resulted in epiphanies and dilemmas for teachers who subsequently resolved to surrender their tightly held pedagogical control (locus of control) for the betterment of the learning environment and their sense of professional satisfaction.

  19. Student Teachers' and Mentor Teachers' Perceptions and Expectations of a Mentoring Relationship: Do They Match or Clash?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Izadinia, Mahsa

    2016-01-01

    This study examines similarities and differences between mentor teachers' and student teachers' perceptions of the components of a positive mentoring relationship and its impact on the identity formation of student teachers. In addition to the interview data, the participants were asked to use metaphors to describe the mentoring relationship. The…

  20. Ion Thruster Support and Positioning System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haag, Thomas W. (Inventor)

    1998-01-01

    A system for supporting and selectively positioning an ion thruster relative to a surface of a spacecraft includes three angularly spaced thruster support assemblies. Each thruster support assembly includes a frame which has a rotary actuator mounted thereon. The rotary actuator is connected to an actuator member which is rotatably connected to a thruster attachment member connected to a body of the thruster. A stabilizer member is rotatably mounted to the frame and to the thruster attachment member. The thruster is selectively movable in the pitch and yaw directions responsive to movement of the actuator members by the actuators on the thruster support assemblies. A failure of any one actuator on a thruster support assembly will generally still enable limited thruster positioning capability in two directions. In a retracted position the thruster attachment members are held in nested relation in saddles supported on the frames of the thruster support assemblies. The thruster is securely held in the retracted position during periods of high loading such as during launch of the spacecraft.

  1. Ion Thruster Support and Positioning System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haag, Thomas W. (Inventor)

    1996-01-01

    A system for supporting and selectively positioning an ion thruster relative to a surface of a spacecraft includes three angularly spaced thruster support assemblies. Each thruster support assembly includes a frame which has a rotary actuator mounted thereon. The rotary actuator is connected to an actuator member which is rotatably connected to a thruster attachment member connected to a body of the thruster. A stabilizer member is rotatably mounted to the frame and to the thruster attachment member. The thruster is selectively movable in the pitch and yaw directions responsive to movement of the actuator members by the actuators on the thruster support assemblies. A failure of any one actuator on a thruster support assembly will generally still enable limited thruster positioning capability in two directions. In a retracted position the thruster attachment members are held in nested relation in saddles supported on the frames of the thruster support assemblies. The thruster is securely held in the retracted position during periods of high loading such as during launch of the spacecraft.

  2. Conceptual systems and teacher attitudes toward regular classroom placement of mildly mentally retarded students.

    PubMed

    Feldman, D; Altman, R

    1985-01-01

    The effects of a teacher personality construct (abstract vs. concrete conceptual system) and two pupil variables (race, school behavior) on 454 regular classroom teachers' attitudes toward mainstreaming were determined. Following administration of the Conceptual Systems Test, teachers were randomly assigned a profile of a mildly mentally retarded student that held pupil IQ and school achievement constant while varying pupil's race and school behavior. Subjects responded on an integration inventory comprised of three subscales: social-psychological classroom environment, self-actualization, and classroom cohesiveness. Results revealed a significant main effect on the behavior variable and a significant Personality X Race interaction on all inventory dimensions, suggesting that these teachers perceived maladaptive behavior of mainstreamed retarded students as a significant threat to a conducive instructional atmosphere and the capability of nonretarded students to achieve to their potential. These results have implications for inservice training for teachers based on the pupil race and teacher conceptual system findings.

  3. The teachers at Sea program of the Committee on Education of EGU

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laj, Carlo; Kissel, Catherine; Leau, Hélène

    2015-04-01

    "Teachers at sea" is an Educational Program making it possible for high school teachers to participate to oceanographic cruises together with the scientists. With the support of the French Polar Insitute (IPEV) and of EGU, 3 editions of this program have taken place on board the R/V Marion Dufresne during cruises PACHIDERME in 2007 (along the Coast and in the fiords of Southern Chile), AMOCINT in 2008 (in the North Atlantic Ocean), and CIRCEA (in the South China Sea in 2012) Another edition took place in 2014, aboard the oceanographic cruise PREPARED (PREsent and PAst flow REgime on contourite Drifts west of Spitsbergen, onboard the Norwegian Research Vessel G.O Sars from 05 to 15 June 2014. The expedition was part of the EUROFLEETS On board, the teachers participated to all the scientific activities. In order to be fully immersed in the scientific work, the teachers also participated together with the scientists and technicians to two 4-hours shifts per day (8h total per day). During these shifts, they were involved in every step of the process of obtaining the cores, cutting, opening and labelling them, archiving, and measuring some of the physical parameters, and finally sediment description. It was possible to establish almost daily reports of the scientific progress of the cruise and to send regular logs to the participating land-based teachers in different schools mainly in Europe and in the USA, taking advantage of a list of addresses of teachers having participated to the Geosciences Information for teachers (GIFT) workshops of the European Geosciences Union. This should bring authentic science in the classroom, and indeed we received enthusiastic responses from many teachers. Exposure to authentic science, such as that the teachers have experienced during these oceanographic cruises, may be a pivotal experience for them, causing them to change at least in part their teaching methods, possibly creating more future scientists or at least adults with positive

  4. Busting out of the Teacher Cage

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hess, Frederick M.

    2015-01-01

    The author lays out guidelines and suggestions for how teachers can actually become policy leaders, taken from his book, "The Cage-Busting Teacher" (Harvard Education Press, 2015). Teachers serious about leadership can get the ear of policy makers by leveraging their positional and moral authority--though they may need to be persistent…

  5. Growing a New Generation of Music Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burrack, Frederick

    2009-01-01

    In many parts of the United States, there is a growing shortage of music teachers to take the place of the retiring teachers. This is most evident in rural areas. If music teachers are not available to fill openings, music positions are sometimes combined, spreading music teachers too thin and requiring them to possess multiple music…

  6. Creating a Positive School Culture: How Principals and Teachers Can Solve Problems Together

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beaudoin, Marie-Nathalie; Taylor, Maureen E.

    2004-01-01

    Principals and teachers have very different perspectives, pressures, and struggles. As a result, problems of negativity, isolation, or censure often develop among staff members. This may cause principals and teachers to spend a tremendous amount of energy addressing these issues instead of focusing on their primary goal -- improved student…

  7. Parent-Teacher Collaboration: Teacher Perceptions of What Is Needed to Support Students with ASD in the Inclusive Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schultz, Tia R.; Able, Harriet; Sreckovic, Melissa A.; White, Tamira

    2016-01-01

    Positive parent-professional collaboration is critical for the educational success of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, little is known about teacher perceptions of parent-professional collaboration. Thirty-four teachers participated in a qualitative study to gain a better understanding of teachers' perceptions of helpful…

  8. Challenging Teacher Bias: Implementing a Community Learning Fair

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lafferty, Karen Elizabeth; Pang, Valerie Ooka

    2014-01-01

    Required courses in teacher education programs can sometimes prompt less-than-positive responses from pre-service teachers. Multicultural teacher educators, in particular, may face resistance from prospective teachers who, believing that they do not harbor prejudices, question the need to examine their attitudes toward culturally and…

  9. Teachers' Attitude towards English in Batu Anam

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jian, Mah Zhi; Lin, Lee Poh

    2011-01-01

    This research investigates the attitude of 60 primary and secondary school teachers towards English in Batu Anam. A questionnaire was administered to find out whether they have a positive or a negative attitude towards the English language. Results indicate that teachers in Batu Anam generally have a positive attitude towards English. Comparison…

  10. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science (Costa Mesa, California, January 18-21, 2001).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rubba, Peter A., Ed.; Rye, James A., Ed.; DiBiase, Warren J., Ed.; Crawford, Barbara A., Ed.

    This document contains the proceedings of the 2001 Annual International Conference of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science which was held in Costa Mesa, California, January 18-21, 2001. Papers include: (1) "An Elementary Preservice Teacher's Search for Solutions about the Evolution-Divine Creation Question: The Story of Tracy"…

  11. Economics from a Different Point of View--Good Practice in Teacher Training: How to Handle, Use and Judge External Standardized Tests in Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prieß-Buchheit, Julia

    2015-01-01

    The Economic Actions in Education training module (EAE) teaches how to handle, use and judge external standardized tests in schools. The EAE programme was implemented in teacher training at the University of Kiel, because teachers are increasingly under external scrutiny and are being held accountable for student and school achievements. The EAE…

  12. Investigation of Perceptions Regarding Teacher Leadership among Secondary School Teachers in Turkey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gülbahar, Bahadir

    2017-01-01

    Leadership is one of the most important roles expected from teachers today. Teacher leadership is a significant factor in the commitment of schools to their missions to guide societies, to develop a school's positive aspects and to manage education in an effective way. If this is the case, it is necessary to measure and evaluate the perceptions of…

  13. Preparing Teachers of Art.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Day, Michael, Ed.

    This collection of essays contributes to the dialogue about the preparation of art teachers. Each essay addresses one of the essential issues from a position of knowledge and experience. Essays include "Preparing Teachers of Art for the Year 2000 and Beyond" (Michael Day); "Whence Come We? What Are We? Whither Go We? Demographic…

  14. Teachers' Perspectives on Using E-Mail to Communicate with Parents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kilgore, Amanda J.

    2010-01-01

    Research has shown that positive communication between parents and teachers at all grade levels is essential for student success and parent-teacher relationship formation. This positive communication practice is the key component of the parent-teacher relationship that is supported by the uncertainty reduction theory. The purpose of this study was…

  15. Experiencing a Mobile Game and Its Impact on Teachers' Attitudes towards Mobile Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meishar-Tal, Hagit; Ronen, Miky

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes a workshop held as part of preparations for a large scale implementation of a mobile game designed to support learning of the topic "my hometown". The study reveals teachers' attitudes towards the incorporation of smartphones in teaching and learning in school and whether these attitudes changed after experiencing…

  16. Fundamental Features of Fostering Teacher Collective Efficacy: Principals' Attitudes, Behaviors, and Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nordick, Shelley

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes, practices, and behaviors of principals who foster teacher collective efficacy. The research questions were developed based upon Bandura's social cognitive theory to include (a) what are the "attitudes" held by principals that influence TCE; (b) what are the "behaviors"…

  17. Teacher Education Reform and Subaltern Voices: From Politica to Practica in Bolivia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Delany-Barmann, Gloria

    2010-01-01

    In 1994, the National Educational Reform in Bolivia instituted reforms that called for a model of education that held at its center the knowledge and languages of Indigenous people. The types of change called for by the reforms in Bolivia signify major transformations in teacher preparation practices and a concerted emphasis on training in…

  18. Trainee Teachers' Conceptions of Teaching and Learning, Classroom Layout and Exam Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Betoret, Fernando Domenech; Artiga, Amparo Gomez

    2004-01-01

    The objective of this study centres on identifying and classifying the conceptions of teaching and learning held by future secondary school teachers, and on analysing the relationship between these conceptions and the way classroom space is organized and exams are designed. The test instruments used were applied to a sample of 138 graduates, who…

  19. Positive mood broadens visual attention to positive stimuli.

    PubMed

    Wadlinger, Heather A; Isaacowitz, Derek M

    2006-03-01

    In an attempt to investigate the impact of positive emotions on visual attention within the context of Fredrickson's (1998) broaden-and-build model, eye tracking was used in two studies to measure visual attentional preferences of college students (n=58, n=26) to emotional pictures. Half of each sample experienced induced positive mood immediately before viewing slides of three similarly-valenced images, in varying central-peripheral arrays. Attentional breadth was determined by measuring the percentage viewing time to peripheral images as well as by the number of visual saccades participants made per slide. Consistent with Fredrickson's theory, the first study showed that individuals induced into positive mood fixated more on peripheral stimuli than did control participants; however, this only held true for highly-valenced positive stimuli. Participants under induced positive mood also made more frequent saccades for slides of neutral and positive valence. A second study showed that these effects were not simply due to differences in emotional arousal between stimuli. Selective attentional broadening to positive stimuli may act both to facilitate later building of resources as well as to maintain current positive affective states.

  20. CSCL in Teacher Training: What Learning Tasks Lead to Collaboration?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lockhorst, Ditte; Admiraal, Wilfried; Pilot, Albert

    2010-01-01

    Professional teacher communities appear to be positively related to student learning, teacher learning, teacher practice and school culture. Teacher collaboration is a significant element of these communities. In initial teacher training as well as in-service training and other initiatives for teacher learning, collaborative skills should be…

  1. A Description and Evaluation of the 1979 Summer Training Workshop. Roosevelt University and the Chicago Board of Education Teacher Corps Project--Program '78.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asser, Eliot; And Others

    A report is given of a fifteen-day summer workshop sponsored by the Teacher Corps. The workshop was held in Chicago, Illinois and involved faculty from the Hyde Park Career Academy, Dumas Elementary School, representatives from the Community Council, and interns from the Teacher Corps Member Training Institute. The focus of the workshop was on…

  2. Social Studies Teachers' Views of ICT Integration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hong, Jung Eun

    2016-01-01

    The role of teachers is significant for information and communication technology (ICT) integration, because the use of ICT in the classroom depends on teachers' attitudes towards the concept. In other words, for successful ICT integration, teachers are required to have a positive attitude. Providing well-organized ICT teacher training is essential…

  3. Teaching Moral Character: Two Alternatives for Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Narvaez, Darcia; Lapsley, Daniel K.

    2008-01-01

    Debating whether or not teachers should teach values addresses the wrong question. Education already is a values-infused enterprise. The larger question is how to train teachers for positive character formation. Two teacher education strategies are presented in this article. A "minimalist" strategy requires teacher educators to make explicit the…

  4. Empathy in intimate relationships: the role of positive illusions.

    PubMed

    Dijkstra, Pieternel; Barelds, Dick P H; Groothof, Hinke A K; van Bruggen, Marnix

    2014-10-01

    Previous studies have shown empathy to be an important aspect of a high quality intimate relationship. Likewise, positive illusions about a partner's characteristics have been shown to contribute to relationship quality. The present study connects these issues by examining the degree to which individuals hold positive illusions about a partner's level of empathy, and the extent to which these positive illusions are related to relationship quality and adjustment in a sample of 55 couples. Results showed that positive illusions concerning a partner's level of empathy were only held by women. In addition, people's evaluation of relationship quality and adjustment was consistently related to both their own and their partner's positive empathy illusions. Finally, an interaction effect was found between participant sex and the partner effect of positive empathy illusions: the illusions held by the partner (only for men) were related to relationship quality. Results and implications for theory and relationship counseling are discussed. © 2014 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Leadership that promotes teacher empowerment among urban middle school science teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howard-Skipper, Joni

    In this study, the focus was on determining leadership strategies that promote teacher empowerment among urban middle school science teachers. The purpose of the paper was to determine if leadership strategies are related to teacher empowerment. The emphasis was on various forms of leadership and the empowerment of teachers in context in restructuring the democratic structure. An effective leadership in science education entails empowering others, especially science teachers. In this regard, no published studies had examined this perspective on empowering teachers and school leadership. Therefore, this study determined if a relationship exists between leadership strategy actions and teacher empowerment. The significance of the study is to determine a relationship between leadership strategies and teacher empowerment as a positive approach toward developing successful schools. Empowerment is essential for implementing serious improvements. Empowering others in schools must form a major component of an effective principal's agenda. It is becoming clearer in research literature that complex changes in education sometimes require active initiation. For this study, a quantitative methodology was used. Primary data enabled the research questions to be answered. The reliability and validity of the research were ensured. The results of this study showed that 40% of the administrators establish program policies with teachers, and 53% of teachers make decisions about new programs in schools. Furthermore, the findings, their implications, and recommendations are discussed.

  6. Pipelines and Dead Ends: Jobs Held by Minorities and Women in Broadcast News.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stone, Vernon A.

    Because of the problem of lack of progress by minorities and women in the newsrooms of television and radio stations, a survey investigated the types of positions held by minority and non-minority men and women in broadcast news. Subjects, 730 news directors from non-satellite commercial TV stations and commercial radio stations, answered…

  7. Teacher Retention in Tennessee: Are We Keeping Our Best Teachers? Policy Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pratt, Tony; Booker, Laura

    2014-01-01

    While most teachers in Tennessee remain in their positions for many years, it is also the case that some of the most effective teachers depart each year, either to go teach in a different school, a different district, or sometimes to leave the profession entirely. Not all of these moves are avoidable, but finding ways to retain as many high…

  8. Building professional identity as computer science teachers: Supporting high school computer science teachers through reflection and community building

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ni, Lijun

    participation in DCCE supported their identity development as a CS teacher. Overall, I found that these CS teachers held different teacher identities with varied features related to their motivation and commitment in teaching CS. I identified four concrete factors that contributed to these teachers' sense of professional identity as a CS teacher. I addressed some of these issues for CS teachers' identity development (especially the issue of lacking community) through offering professional development opportunities with a major focus on teacher reflection and community building. Results from this work indicate a potential model of supporting CS identity development, mapping the characteristics of the professional development program with particular facets of CS teacher identity. This work offers further understanding of the unique challenges that current CS teachers are facing in their CS teaching, as well as the challenges of preparing and supporting CS teachers. My findings also suggest guidelines for teacher education and professional development program design and implementation for building committed, qualified CS teachers in ways that promote the development of CS teacher identity.

  9. Teachers' Experience with Inclusive Education in Singapore

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeo, Lay See; Chong, Wan Har; Neihart, Maureen F.; Huan, Vivien S.

    2016-01-01

    Teachers' positive attitude is most critically and consistently associated with successful inclusion. However, little is known about teachers' first-hand encounters with inclusive education in Singapore. We present findings from a qualitative study on inclusion based on focus group interviews with 202 teachers from 41 resourced primary schools.…

  10. Exploring the meaning of practicing classroom inquiry from the perspectives of National Board Certified Science Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karaman, Ayhan

    Inquiry has been one of the most prominent terms of the contemporary science education reform movement (Buck, Latta, & Leslie-Pelecky, 2007; Colburn, 2006; Settlage, 2007). Practicing classroom inquiry has maintained its central position in science education for several decades because science education reform documents promote classroom inquiry as the potential savior of science education from its current problems. Likewise, having the capabilities of teaching science through inquiry has been considered by National Board for Professional Teaching Standards [NBPTS] as one of the essential elements of being an accomplished science teacher. Successful completion of National Board Certification [NBC] assessment process involves presenting a clear evidence of enacting inquiry with students. Despite the high-profile of the word inquiry in the reform documents, the same is not true in schools (Crawford, 2007). Most of the science teachers do not embrace this type of approach in their everyday teaching practices of science (Johnson, 2006; Luera, Moyer, & Everett, 2005; Smolleck, Zembal-Saul, & Yoder, 2006; Trumbull, Scarano, & Bonney, 2006). And the specific meanings attributed to inquiry by science teachers do not necessarily match with the original intentions of science education reform documents (Matson & Parsons, 2006; Wheeler, 2000; Windschitl, 2003). Unveiling the various meanings held by science teachers is important in developing better strategies for the future success of science education reform efforts (Jones & Eick, 2007; Keys & Bryan, 2001). Due to the potential influences of National Board Certified Science Teachers [NBCSTs] on inexperienced science teachers as their mentors, examining inquiry conceptions of NBCSTs is called for. How do these accomplished practitioners understand and enact inquiry? The purpose of this dissertation research study was twofold. First, it investigated the role of NBC performance assessment process on the professional development

  11. Student and Teacher Perceptions of Teacher Immediacy Behaviors and the Influence of Teacher Immediacy Behaviors on Student Motivation to Learn Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Littlejohn, Vania

    The National Assessment on Educational Progress signals that American students are not being adequately prepared to compete globally in an ever changing scientific society. As a result, legislation mandated that all students be assessed and show proficiency in scientific literacy beginning in Grade 4 with the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2002 also known as No Child Left Behind. Research indicates a disturbing decline in the number of U.S. students pursuing more rigorous science courses in high school, majoring in scientific areas in college, and choosing future careers in science. With a need to improve science instruction and enhance science literacy for all students, this study focuses on immediate communication behaviors of the classroom teacher as a deciding factor in the opinions of high school students towards science. The purpose of this study was to reveal high school science student perceptions of teacher communication patterns, both verbal and nonverbal, and how they influence their motivation to learn science. The researcher utilized a nonexperimental, quantitative research design to guide this study. Teacher and student data were collected using the Teacher Communication Behavior Questionnaire (TCBQ). The Student Motivation to Learn Instrument (SMLI) across gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status survey was used to evaluate student motivation in science. Participants were encouraged to be honest in reporting and sharing information concerning teacher communication behaviors. The data revealed that teacher immediacy behaviors, both verbal and nonverbal, were perceived differently in terms of student gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class. The results showed that teachers who display positive communication behaviors and use challenging questioning followed with positive responses create pathways to potentially powerful relationships. These relationships between teachers and students can lead to increased student

  12. Teachers' Concepts of Spatial Scale: An international comparison

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, M. Gail; Paechter, Manuela; Yen, Chiung-Fen; Gardner, Grant; Taylor, Amy; Tretter, Thomas

    2013-09-01

    Metric scale is an important concept taught as part of science curricula across different countries. This study explored metric and relative (body-length) scale concepts of inservice (N = 92) and preservice (N = 134) teachers from Austria, and Taiwan, and their concepts were compared with those of teachers from the USA. Participants completed three assessments: the Scale Anchoring Objects (SAO), Scale of Objects Questionnaire (SOQ), and a subsample of participants were interviewed with the Learning Scale Interview. A Rasch analysis was conducted with the SAO and SOQ and results showed that the Rasch model held for these assessments, indicating that there is an underlying common dimension to understanding scale. Further analyses showed that accuracy of knowledge of scale measured by the SAO and SOQ was not related to professional experience. There were significant differences in teachers' accuracy of scale concepts by nationality. This was true for both metric and body-length SAO assessments. Post hoc comparisons showed that the Austrian and Taiwanese participants were significantly more accurate than the US sample on the SAO and SOQ. The Austrian participants scored significantly higher than the US and the Taiwanese participants. The results of the interviews showed that the Taiwanese experienced teacher participants were more likely to report learning size and scale through in-school experiences than the Austrian or the US participants. US teachers reported learning size and scale most often through participating in hobbies and sports, Taiwanese teachers reported learning scale through sports and reading, and Austrian teachers most often noted that they learned about scale through travel.

  13. 30 CFR 57.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 57.7053 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling-Surface and Underground § 57.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held...

  14. 30 CFR 57.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 57.7053 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling-Surface and Underground § 57.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held...

  15. 30 CFR 57.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 57.7053 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling-Surface and Underground § 57.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held...

  16. 30 CFR 57.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 57.7053 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling-Surface and Underground § 57.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held...

  17. 30 CFR 57.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 57.7053 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling-Surface and Underground § 57.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held...

  18. 30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

  19. 30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

  20. 30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

  1. 30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

  2. 30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

  3. Teacher Experience and Level of Training as Predictors of Teacher-Child Interactions in Preschool Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Craft-Reiss, Barbara S.

    2012-01-01

    Researchers have recognized that quality early education programs yield positive long-term benefits, but have failed to examine the relationships between these teacher characteristics and teacher-child interactions. This quantitative study was nonexperimental with data gathered through naturalistic observation. The extent to which years of early…

  4. Sexual Orientation Discrimination: Teachers as Positive Role Models for Tolerance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eisenmenger, Michelle

    2002-01-01

    Discusses Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act in terms of their potential legal remedies for victims of sexual-orientation discrimination. Examines several relevant federal appellate and Supreme Court decisions and the role of homosexual teachers. (PKP)

  5. The Impact of Experiencing a Mobile Game on Teachers' Attitudes towards Mobile Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meishar-Tal, Hagit; Ronen, Miky

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes a workshop held as part of preparations for a large scale implementation of a mobile game designed to support learning of the topic "my hometown." The study reveals teachers' attitudes towards the incorporation of smartphones in teaching and learning in school and whether these attitudes changed after experiencing…

  6. Charter Schools and the Teacher Job Search

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cannata, Marisa

    2011-01-01

    This article examines the position of charter schools in prospective elementary teachers' job search decisions. Using a labor market segmentation framework, it explores teacher applicants' decisions to apply to charter schools. The data come from a mixed-methods longitudinal study of prospective teachers looking for their first job. This article…

  7. Adjudicated Students' Perceptions of Ideal Teacher Characteristics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bodine, Jaynell Cope; Olivarez, Arturo, Jr.; Ponticell, Judith A.

    Certain teacher behaviors have been found to be conducive to learning or reinforcing for learning, while other behaviors have been found detrimental to learning. Humanism in teacher/pupil control orientation has been found to promote more positive attitudes toward teachers, and custodialism has been found to produce more negative attitudes toward…

  8. Living without Freedom: A History Institute for Teachers. Footnotes. Volume 12, Number 14

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuehner, Trudy

    2007-01-01

    On May 5-6, 2007, FPRI's Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education hosted 41 teachers from 17 states across the country for a weekend of discussion on Living Without Freedom. The Institute was held at and co-sponsored by the National Constitution Center and the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia. Individual sessions included; (1) The…

  9. "Better" People, Better Teaching: The Vision of the National Teacher Corps, 1965-1968

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Bethany

    2009-01-01

    This article focuses on the period between 1966 and 1968, when the original vision of the policymakers of the National Teacher Corps (NTC) and the federal staffers who created the NTC initiative held sway. In their vision, the "best and brightest" (according to their criteria) could better solve the problems of educating so-called disadvantaged…

  10. 30 CFR 56.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 56.7053 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held drills are moved from one...

  11. 30 CFR 56.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 56.7053 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held drills are moved from one...

  12. 30 CFR 56.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 56.7053 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held drills are moved from one...

  13. 30 CFR 56.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 56.7053 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held drills are moved from one...

  14. 30 CFR 56.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 56.7053 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held drills are moved from one...

  15. Social-Emotional Competencies among Teachers: An Examination of Interrelationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hen, Meirav; Goroshit, Marina

    2016-01-01

    Teachers' social-emotional competence is crucial for promoting a positive learning environment to the students. However, the research on teachers' social-emotional abilities is very limited. This study examined the relationship between emotional abilities and self-efficacies and empathy among teachers, hypothesizing that teachers' self-efficacy…

  16. Open and Positive Attitudes toward Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, Chia-Fang

    2014-01-01

    This chapter argues that the most important thing for a nonnative English-speaking teacher is to have an open and positive attitude toward students. A teacher's willingness to work out problems with individual students, coupled with openness to students' ideas and criticism, should help improve students' negative attitudes toward…

  17. Teachers' Interpretations of Student Statements about Slope

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nagle, Courtney; Moore-Russo, Deborah; Styers, Jodie L.

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes seven in-service teachers' interpretations of student statements about slope. The teachers interpreted sample student work, conjectured about student contributions, assessed the students' understanding, and positioned the students' statements in the mathematics curriculum. The teachers' responses provide insight into their…

  18. Wisconsin Elementary Teacher Education Project. Volumes I-IV.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kean, John M., Ed.

    This four-volume report includes position papers and specifications for the elementary teacher education program of the University of Wisconsin in the year 1975 and beyond. Volume 1 includes a series of 12 position papers which cover topics ranging from teacher roles and systems approaches to instruction to control and management procedures for…

  19. Descriptive Indicators of Future Teachers' Technology Integration in the PK-12 Classroom: Trends from a Laptop-Infused Teacher Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hughes, Joan E.

    2013-01-01

    This research examined preservice teacher graduates' positioning toward integrating technology in future teaching. Participants included 115 preservice teachers across three cohorts in 2008-2009 who graduated from a laptop-infused teacher education program. The study implemented a case study methodology that included a survey administered upon…

  20. Have a Heart: Challenges for Lead Vocational Teachers in the Changing VET Landscape. Occasional Paper

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davids, Jennifer

    2012-01-01

    This paper investigates the personal and career development needs of TAFE (Technical And Further Education) Queensland's lead vocational teachers through the conceptual framework of Spirituality at Work (SAW), which is a framework for looking at workplace relations. This research was conducted through four focus group meetings held in November…

  1. Effective Administrative Support for Able Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willing, Delight C.

    1979-01-01

    The continuing education administrator should provide support that will enable teachers to perform effectively. By using Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory as a framework, the administrator can develop a positive working environment and seek ways of providing motivation to the teacher. (SK)

  2. Incentives and Barriers for Potential Music Teacher Education Doctoral Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teachout, David J.

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine positive influences and barriers associated with entering a music teacher education doctoral program. Practicing music educators (N = 63), were asked to rate 48 positive-influence items and 54 barrier items. The highest-ranked positive influence was "Training young teachers to provide worthwhile…

  3. 27 CFR 46.207 - Articles held in bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Articles held in bond. 46... Tubes Held for Sale on April 1, 2009 Inventories § 46.207 Articles held in bond. If the dealer is a manufacturer or an export warehouse proprietor and holds articles in TTB bond on April 1, 2009, the floor...

  4. 27 CFR 46.207 - Articles held in bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Articles held in bond. 46... Tubes Held for Sale on April 1, 2009 Inventories § 46.207 Articles held in bond. If the dealer is a manufacturer or an export warehouse proprietor and holds articles in TTB bond on April 1, 2009, the floor...

  5. 27 CFR 46.207 - Articles held in bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Articles held in bond. 46... Tubes Held for Sale on April 1, 2009 Inventories § 46.207 Articles held in bond. If the dealer is a manufacturer or an export warehouse proprietor and holds articles in TTB bond on April 1, 2009, the floor...

  6. 27 CFR 46.207 - Articles held in bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Articles held in bond. 46... Tubes Held for Sale on April 1, 2009 Inventories § 46.207 Articles held in bond. If the dealer is a manufacturer or an export warehouse proprietor and holds articles in TTB bond on April 1, 2009, the floor...

  7. 27 CFR 46.207 - Articles held in bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articles held in bond. 46... Tubes Held for Sale on April 1, 2009 Inventories § 46.207 Articles held in bond. If the dealer is a manufacturer or an export warehouse proprietor and holds articles in TTB bond on April 1, 2009, the floor...

  8. Raices Culturales/Cultural Roots: A Model for Integrating Folklife in the Classroom (Caldwell, Idaho, July 8-14, 2001). Teacher-Generated Projects for the Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Idaho State Historical Society, Boise.

    This booklet is the result of the 2001 summer institute for teachers held at the Albertson College of Idaho (Caldwell). The booklet states that the 6-day institute, attended by 21 Idaho teachers, explored how the history and traditions of different cultures can be found in each person's community. Using Idaho's Latino community as a model,…

  9. Building Positive Supportive Cultures for Student Success in Secondary Mathematics Classrooms: Perspectives of Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Neill, Vincent

    2017-01-01

    The mathematics classroom learning environment is often evaluated using numeric scores collected on standardized assessments. Research examining mathematics classroom environments and teacher practices has focused on ways to improve scores on these assessments. In contrast, this study centered on exploring teacher perspectives on creating…

  10. Impact of Teacher Supports and Workplace Settings on Retaining Teachers in New Jersey Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheasty, Michelle E.

    2011-01-01

    Teacher turnover in New Jersey public schools continues to grow every year. As a result, schools and school districts are continuously seeking ways to ensure that every position available is staffed with highly qualified teachers. In addition, schools seek to provide familiarity and stability to those involved with the schools. In an effort to…

  11. Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Children of Divorced Families and Relations to Teacher Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Atiles, Julia T.; Oliver, Mallory I.; Brosi, Matthew

    2017-01-01

    Teachers are well-positioned to play a critical role in fostering resiliency in children of divorce and to assist in reducing the risk for adjustment problems. The purpose of this study was to determine whether preservice early childhood teachers have the awareness of the stress responses and effects of parental divorce on their students. Early…

  12. Hand-held radiometry: A set of notes developed for use at the Workshop of Hand-held radiometry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jackson, R. D.; Pinter, P. J., Jr.; Reginato, R. J.; Idso, S. B. (Principal Investigator)

    1980-01-01

    A set of notes was developed to aid the beginner in hand-held radiometry. The electromagnetic spectrum is reviewed, and pertinent terms are defined. View areas of multiband radiometers are developed to show the areas of coincidence of adjacent bands. The amounts of plant cover seen by radiometers having different fields of view are described. Vegetation indices are derived and discussed. Response functions of several radiometers are shown and applied to spectrometer data taken over 12 wheat plots, to provide a comparison of instruments and bands within and among instruments. The calculation of solar time is reviewed and applied to the calculation of the local time of LANDSAT satellite overpasses for any particular location in the Northern Hemisphere. The use and misuse of hand-held infrared thermometers are discussed, and a procedure for photographic determination of plant cover is described. Some suggestions are offered concerning procedures to be followed when collecting hand-held spectral and thermal data. A list of references pertinent to hand-held radiometry is included.

  13. 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…

  14. Preservice Elementary Teachers' Knowledge of Observable Moon Phases and Pattern of Change in Phases

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trundle, Kathy Cabe; Atwood, Ronald K.; Christopher, John E.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe selected content knowledge held by 52 preservice elementary teachers about the observable phases of the moon and the monthly pattern of change in observable phases. Data were obtained from participants in a physics course before and after they received inquiry-based instruction designed to promote…

  15. The Beliefs and Perceived Experiences of Preservice and Early Service Teachers Who Use Facebook

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foss, Nathan D.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative research study was to identify commonly held beliefs and perceived experiences of preservice and early service teachers with regard to their use of the social networking site Facebook. This study included recorded and transcribed interviews of 14 participants as well as observations of their Facebook accounts. The…

  16. Teacher Candidates' Perceptions Regarding the Integration of Fictional Literature into Elementary Science Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Everman, Daphne Jane

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs held by teacher candidates (TCs) regarding the integration of fictional literature into elementary science instruction. Data were collected in the forms of a Q sort completed by two sections of TCs as an in-class activity, demographics and background information…

  17. Examining the Need for a Code of Conduct in New Jersey Teacher Union Contracts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guarneri, Cristina M.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this cross-sectional, comparison study attempted to investigate if a code of conduct existed in New Jersey teacher union contracts to nursing/hospital union contracts. Archived data of public school district and nursing/hospital union contracts held with the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Committee (NJ PERC) and Health…

  18. Effective Classroom-Management & Positive Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sieberer-Nagler, Katharina

    2016-01-01

    This article offers practical information for primary teachers to become more knowledgable, skilled and effective in their work. Aspects of positive teaching and learning are explored. Innovative methods for transforming common classroom management struggles into opportunities for positive change and for changing negative behaviors into positive…

  19. Positively Adolescent!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williamson, Sue

    2000-01-01

    Believes that music teachers should reassess their views toward adolescent behavior in the music classroom by learning to see their behavior in a positive light. Describes teaching strategies that build on four adolescent behaviors: (1) desire for peer acceptance; (2) abundant energy; (3) love of fun; and (4) limited time-managing skills. (CMK)

  20. Teachers' Reasons for Using Peer Assessment: Positive Experience Predicts Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Panadero, Ernesto; Brown, Gavin T. L.

    2017-01-01

    Peer assessment (PA) is one of the central principles of formative assessment and assessment for learning (AfL) fields. There is ample empirical evidence as to the benefits for students' learning when AfL principles are implemented. However, teachers play a critical role in mediating the implementation of intended policies. Hence, their…