Education Commons^™

Using Video To Develop Skills In Reflection In Teacher Education Students, Anne M. Coffey

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teacher education students confront the challenging task of acquiring a unique and complex set of skills during their courses. These skills are acquired through the study of education theory together with practical experience in the classroom. Perhaps one of the most important skills that students quickly need to develop is that of reflective practice. It is only through a critical and detailed analysis of their performance that strengths and weaknesses can be ascertained and addressed. Video has been used as a tool in teacher education for many years and provides a means by which a teaching episode can be captured …

Investigating The Literacy, Numeracy And Ict Demands Of Primary Teacher Education, Helen De Silva Joyce, Susan Feez, Eveline Chan, Stephen Tobias

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The pre-service programs delivered in Australian teacher education institutions are expected to graduate students who meet externally determined standards, including standards in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. These programs are also expected to educate future teachers in professional knowledge and practice, as well as prepare them to engage in professional learning continuously throughout their careers. This paper reports on the first phase of a project that investigated the literacy, numeracy and ICT demands of assessment tasks across the four years of the Bachelor of Education (Primary) program at a regional university.

Physical Educators’ Efficacy In Utilising Paraprofessionals In An Inclusive Setting, Scott J. Pedersen, Paul D. Cooley, Clint R. Rottier

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Inclusion of students with disabilities (SwD) in Australian health and physical education (HPE) classes is on the rise. Reasonable adjustment to assist inclusive practice is often accomplished through the use of teaching assistants, or paraprofessionals. While this practice is commonly understood within the classroom, this approach remains obscure in the HPE setting. The purpose of this study was to explore how Australian HPE teachers utilise paraprofessionals when teaching SwD in inclusive environments. HPE teachers (N=14) completed an online questionnaire inquiring how paraprofessionals are being used and the strategies they are using to develop working relationships with paraprofessionals. The …

Evolving Practice: A Relational Framework For Developing Understandings Of University Teaching Practice, Donna Mathewson Mitchell

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

As a teacher educator I am concerned with developing understandings of my teaching as it evolves over time, in relation to the university teaching context and more broadly in terms understandings of teaching practice. In this paper, I outline the development of a framework designed for this purpose. The Relational Framework for Investigating Teaching Practice (RFITP) enables the systematic collection of information about teaching as a formative and cyclic process. Implementation of the framework is explained and data reported on to illustrate the use of this framework in a project involving self study. While this particular example draws on teaching …

Engaging In Deep Cultural Learning Through The Intersection Of Multiple Contexts, Maria Northcote, Peter Kilgour, Daniel Reynaud, Phil Fitzsimmons

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The type of learning that takes place in teacher education courses typically results in pre-service teachers developing a mixture of knowledge, skills and values that enable them to become effective teachers in schools in the future. During their journey to become qualified teachers, pre-service teachers typically engage in coursework and experiential-based learning.

By engaging in coursework experiences, an overseas practicum and an overseas study tour, students experienced a range of reflection-promoting activities and contexts during which they broadened and deepened their understanding of cultures other than their own.

Using a cross-case analysis approach, the data gathered in these three cases …

Teachers' English Communication Skills: Using Ielts To Measure Competence Of Graduates From A Singaporean Teacher Education Program, Ee-Ling Low, Sylvia Chong, Mary Ellis

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Possessing strong communication skills is essential in contributing to effective teaching. English language proficiency has become an important issue in teacher education in Singapore. This paper investigates graduating student teachers’ English language proficiency, as measured by IELTS tests scores, of graduating EL student teachers. The paper considers what teachers need to know about the English language given that English has been the medium of instruction (MoI) for Singapore schools since 1987. Given such a context, English language proficiency is an important consideration in the preparation of pre-service teachers in Singapore. Implications for additional training and preparation in language skills are …

Norms And Varieties Of English And Tesol Teacher Agency, M. Obaidul Hamid, Lingyan Zhu, Richard B. Baldauf Jr.

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The growing recognition of the plurality of English underling the World Englishes (WE) paradigm has problematised the conventional second language acquisition (SLA) views of errors. If English use in emerging English-speaking contexts is to be judged by local norms, as argued by WE scholars, applying exocentric norms in these contexts can be inappropriate. On the other hand, despite the significant growth of WE, varieties of new Englishes have yet to develop widely acceptable endocentric norms. These developments have raised a critical question: How can TESOL teachers distinguish between errors in the SLA sense and varietal features in the WE sense? …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Opinions About The Course On Scientific Research Methods And The Levels Of Knowledge And Skills They Gained In This Course, Cemal Tosun

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the basic knowledge and skills are attained within the scope of the course on Scientific Research Methods. In addition, the impact of the procedure, which is followed while implementing the course, on the students’ anxiety and attitude towards the course is examined. Besides, the study also tried to determine the pre-service teachers’ beliefs regarding their self-sufficiency in terms of doing a scientific research. The study was carried out the action research design as the basis. The sample of the study consisted of 27 pre-service teachers. They were in the third …

The Educational Approaches Of Turkish Pre-Service Elementary Mathematics Teachers In Their First Teaching Practices: Traditional Or Constructivist?, Bekir Kürşat Doruk

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: This research aimed to identify theeducational approaches that pre-service elementary mathematics teachers adopt for their first teaching practice (TP) and the reasons for their choices. It was carried out with thirteen pre-service teachers (PTs). These PTs were observed during their first TP in a real school setting, and interviews were conducted after the TP. Our observations led us to the conclusion that PTs generally tended to utilize traditional teaching approaches. The interviews revealed that PTs’ epistemological beliefs and beliefs about learning and teaching mathematics are largely in line with constructivist theory, and that their tendency for traditional approaches …

Listening To The Voices In Professional Development Schools: Steering Committee As Promoting Partnership, Aviva Klieger, Tili Wagner

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The article discusses the role and importance of the steering committee in professional development schools in advancing the partnership between the teacher education college and schools. Content analysis of the minutes of steering committee meetings held over a period of 10 years was carried out. The findings reveal the potential of the steering committee as a framework for building a relationship of trust among the partners and promoting discourse about different needs. The findings indicate changes that took place in the content discussed - from focusing on procedures to focusing on the needs of the partners and from ad hoc …

Boys And Csa Prevention: Issues Surrounding Gender And Approaches For Prevention, Laura Scholes, Christian Jones, Michael Nagel

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Freda Briggs (2007), a leader in the field of child protection in Australia continues to raise concerns about the vulnerability and victimisation of boys that she believes is substantially under-recognised. She argues that boys have not been well supported by child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention programs with child protection curriculum not yet developed to meet the special needs of boys. Briggs (2007) advocates for school-based child protection programs that address issues relevant for boys. This paper responds to these concerns and explores some of the complexities inherent in issues associated with boys and CSA including boys’ perceptions of abuse, their …

The Evolution Of English Language Teaching During Societal Transition In Finland – A Mutual Relationship Or A Distinctive Process?, Riitta Jaatinen, Toni Saarivirta

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study describes the evolution of English language teaching in Finland and looks into the connections of the societal and educational changes in the country as explanatory factors in the process. The results of the study show that the language teaching methodology and the status of foreign languages in Finland are clearly connected to the changes in society and its education system. Since the first decade of the 20^th century, Finnish society has developed from an inward-looking agrarian country into an economically and technologically advanced and industrialized society joining in various ways to the rest of Europe and global …

Supporting The Transference Of Knowledge About Language Within Teacher Education Programs, Lisl Fenwick, Michele Endicott, Marie Quinn, Sally Humphrey

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teacher education is effective when pre-service teachers are able to transfer knowledge from content areas to practice. This study investigates the extent to which curriculum and assessment designs, along with teaching practices, supported pre-service teachers to transfer knowledge gained about language from a first-year course into a second-year course on planning for effective learning in diverse contexts. Questionnaires and discourse analysis of assessment tasks provided insight into the extent to which the strategies designed to support transference succeeded. The findings indicate that transference of language knowledge occurs when this goal permeates curriculum and assessment design, as well as teaching practices.

Navigating E-Learning And Blended Learning For Pre-Service Teachers: Redesigning For Engagement, Access And Efficiency, Philemon Chigeza, Kelsey Halbert

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Nebulous combinations of face-to-face and online learning are increasingly common across Australian higher education contexts. This paper reports on part of a redesign project of an undergraduate education subject at a regional university. The aim of the redesign was to enhance e-learning and blended learning environments. An approach that maps the evaluation research activities to the design and development cycle of e-learning tools and learning tasks was adopted (Phillips et al., 2012). The research took a participatory format involving ongoing reflective exchange with pre-service teachers with the aim of transforming practice. The article presents the context of e-learning, blended learning …

Popularising History: Re-Igniting Pre-Service Teacher And Student Interest In History Via Historical Fiction, Jennifer Howell

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper seeks to investigate the recent trends in the popularising of history and its impact on teaching and learning. History, as a subject area, has been the object of renewed focus from the media. In recent years there has been a steady increase in the amount of fiction, films, television shows, documentaries and children’s programs situated in or concerned with historical events, eras or historical figures. The use of historical fiction in the history classroom has been well debated and has polarised practitioners of the subject. Regardless of the profession being divided on its use, the number of historical …

Conceptualizing And Describing Teachers’ Learning Of Pedagogical Concepts, Maria Jose Gonzalez, Pedro Gómez

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this paper, we propose a model to explore how teachers learn pedagogical concepts in teacher education programs that expect them to become competent in lesson planning. In this context, we view pedagogical concepts as conceptual and methodological tools that help teachers to design a lesson plan on a topic, implement this lesson plan and assess its results. Concepts such as the notions of learning goals, errors, conceptual structure, representation systems, resources, grouping, interaction or assessment strategies are examples of such pedagogical concepts. We propose a model that involves three types of knowledge of a pedagogical concept—theoretical, technical and practical—for …

Preservice Teachers’ Constructivist Teaching Scores Based On Their Learning Styles, Zeynel Kablan, Sibel Kaya

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examined the relationship between pre-service teachers’ constructivist teaching and their learning styles based on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. The Learning Styles Inventory-3 was administered at the beginning of the semester to determine preferred learning style. The Constructivist Teaching Evaluation Form was filled out by pre-service teachers following the microteaching session. Bivariate correlation and ANOVA anayses were conducted to evaluate the learning style-teaching relationship. Results showed that students’ teaching evaluation scores were positively correlated with their active experimentation (AE) and negatively correlated with their reflective observation (RO) scores. ANOVA results showed that accommodating students had significantly higher self-evaluation scores …

The Literacy Skills Of Secondary Teaching Undergraduates: Results Of Diagnostic Testing And A Discussion Of Findings, Brian Moon

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: The capacity of secondary school teachers to support general literacy and to teach discipline-specific literacy skills depends upon their personal literacy competence. Diagnostic testing of 203 secondary teaching undergraduates at one Australian university revealed deficiencies in personal literacy competence that could affect their future teaching effectiveness. The sample of undergraduates was tested in spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation. Analysis of the results showed high rates of error on general spelling and vocabulary tasks. The degree of error in many cases was severe. For some undergraduates, the prospect of successful remediation so late in their academic career appeared poor. It is …

Pre-Service English As A Foreign Language Teachers’ Belief Development About Grammar Instruction, Seyit Ahmet Çapan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aims to investigate pre-service English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ beliefs about grammar instruction in a foreign language (FL) context through their initial teaching practices. Analyses of semi-structured interviews and classroom observations apart from pre- and post-test results of participants’ responses to a belief questionnaire imply intriguing findings regarding participants’ beliefs about grammar instruction. The study reveals that practicum course has made no changes in pre-service teachers’ beliefs except for the role of conscious knowledge. The results also indicate some other factors affecting the pre-service teachers’ preferences for grammar instruction.

Teacher Education And Experiential Learning: A Visual Ethnography, Maureen F. Legge, Wayne Smith

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: This article reports research that critically examined our teacher education outdoor education pedagogy. The purpose was to use visual ethnography to critique our teaching over twenty years of annual five-day bush-based residential camps. The bush camps were situated in an outdoor education programme contributing to a four-year undergraduate teacher education Bachelor of Physical Education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research method involved photo-elicitation of selected photographs representing students’ experiences and our practices. We each wrote about the photographs using introspection and recall to create a layered narrative analysis reflecting on the educative focus of the images. We responded to …

Teaching Reading: Why The “Fab Five” Should Be The “Big Six”, Deslea Konza

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The Report of the National Reading Panel (NICHD, 2000) identified five key elements that were critical to the development of reading, and these have been widely accepted by educational jurisdictions as providing definitive guidelines for early reading instruction. This paper presents a case for the inclusion of oral language and early literacy experiences as an additional and foundational element. The pervasive influence of a child’s early experiences on future reading achievement must be understood if teachers are to maximise the opportunities of all children to become independent readers.

Student Teachers’ Implementation And Understanding Of Repeated Picture-Book Reading In Preschools, Clodie Tal, Ora Segal-Drori

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Research conducted among student teachers during three academic years (2010-2011; 2011-2012 ; 2012-2013) at Israel’s Levinsky College of Education sought to ascertain (a) the extent of implementation of repeated picture-book reading (RPBR) with preschool groups each academic year ; (b) how does the implementation of RPBR progress throughout the years of the study ? (c) students’ understanding of the value of RPBR; and (d) the perceived benefits and difficulties of RPBR by student-teachers. Of approximately 250 students who completed questionnaires each semester, most report that they regularly perform RPBR – implementation in 2013 was 96% for students in the four-year …

How A Teacher Educator In The Field Of The Education Of Hearing-Impaired Children Provides Feedback To A Student Teacher, Hasan Gürgür

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The aim of this article was to investigate how an experienced teacher educator (TE) specialized in the education of hearing-impaired children provides feedback to a student teacher regarding a planned, one-to-one conversation activity. This case study was conducted at Anadolu University, Education and Research Center for Hearing-Impaired Children with the participation of a TE, a student teacher, and a hearing-impaired student. Based on the study results, main themes relating to the TE’s activities before, during, and after the conversation and his feedback were identified. The study findings were discussed in light of the current literature, and various recommendations were proposed.

Creating Space For Pre-Service Teacher Professional Development During Practicum: A Teacher Educator’S Self-Study., Tabitha G. Mukeredzi

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reports on my self-study of leading cohorts of Bachelor of Education student teachers through collaborative reflections applying reflective questions strategy during four weeks of residential practicum in a rural school. I explore the potential for reflective questions approach as an effective tool for reflection and professional learning in teaching and mentoring pre-service teachers. Data consisted of journal entries describing my experiences as classroom teacher and teacher educator and, of teaching and mentoring groups of students during residential practicum. Reading teacher education as text and, the audio recorded collaborative reflection conversations also provided data. Students’ documented personal and collaborative …

“Creative Writing As Freedom, Education As Exploration”: Creative Writing As Literary And Visual Arts Pedagogy In The First Year Teacher-Education Experience, Nicole Anae

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The themed presentation at the Sydney Writers’ Festival on May 25, 2013 entitled “Creative Writing as Freedom, Education as Exploration” brought together three key players in a discussion about imaginative freedom, and the evidence suggesting that the impact of creativity and creative writing on young minds held long lasting, ongoing implications. This is a particularly crucial conversation given the factors stifling creative writing pedagogies in contemporary classrooms. In contributing to the ongoing dialogue about literary creativity, this theorized classroom-based discussion explores the integration of creative writing as literary and visual arts pedagogy among first year preservice-teachers developing an …

A Cognitive Analysis Of Students' Activity: An Example In Mathematics, Jean-Francois Hérold

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this paper, we argue for an engagement of productive connections between research findings and teaching, this since the vocational training of the teachers. We exemplify how analyses of written tests by using a cognitive approach lead to better interpretations and understanding of the learner’s knowledge. We show how a teacher can do it and we discuss the possibility of introducing it to the available scientific knowledge in teacher education, in order to include it in the current practices of teachers’ methods.

Teaching Practice In Cameroon: The Effectiveness Of The University Of Buea Model And Implications For Quality, Margaret Nalova Endeley

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The paper aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the teaching practice model in the University of Buea, which is different from that of other teacher education institutions in Cameroon. Teaching Practice is an important component of a teacher education programme and the quality of supervision and duration are key in achieving effectiveness which is an indicator of the quality of teachers being trained. The study was a descriptive survey that made use of a 22-item closed ended questionnaire with indicators of effectiveness as competencies acquired, supervision and duration of teaching practice, obtained from a review of literature. The questionnaire was …

Science Teacher Education Partnerships With Schools (Steps): Partnerships In Science Teacher Education, John Daniel Kenny, Linda Hobbs, Sandra Herbert, Mellita Jones, Gail Chittleborough, Coral Campbell, Andrew Gilbert, Christine Redman

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on the STEPS project which addressed international concerns about primary teachers’ lack of confidence to teach science, and on-going questions about the effectiveness of teacher education. The five universities involved had each independently established a science education program incorporating school-based partnerships between the university and local schools to enable primary pre-service teachers (PSTs) to teach science.

The diversity of the programs enabled an examination of the relevant literature underpinning the approaches and comparison of data from participants to identify key features and success factors for establishing and maintaining working relationships with schools.

This preliminary analysis of learning …