Education Commons^™

Examining Changes In Pre-Service Teachers’ Beliefs Of Pedagogy, Lynn Sheridan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Pre-service teachers enter teacher education with beliefs about teaching and ideas on pedagogical approaches. This research focuses on monitoring the pedagogical beliefs of a cohort of pre-service teachers’; pre-existing pedagogical beliefs on important/relevant pedagogy for secondary teaching and how these beliefs changed over the course of their degree. Data were collected from a cohort via a survey at the beginning and end of the year of the study. The cohort comprised pre-service teachers from each year of the four-year degree.

This research found that pedagogical beliefs changed over the duration of the course. This finding indicates that there are …

Preservice Generalist Teachers Enlightened Approach To Teaching Physical Education Through Teacher Biography., John E. Haynes, Judith A. Miller, Valeria Varea

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper describes a new learning experience, which was introduced following an examination of the literature regarding preservice primary school teachers’ (PPST) notions of their past experience in Physical Education (PE) (Elliott 2013). PPSTs were given the opportunity to recognise, reflect, interrogate and reframe a critical incident from their schooling in PE or Sport. This exercise was designed to enlighten students about their own schooling and the potential impact this event may have on pre-conceived ideas and opinions about teaching PE. Students (N=214) enrolled in off and on campus mode, of a preservice teacher education program in a …

Innovation In Course Design, Sally Knipe

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Initial teacher education programs offered at Australian universities tend to qualify graduates to teach in the age-related contexts of early childhood/primary or secondary, a model that has reflected the organisational evolution of schools. Greater flexibility is required in the design of teacher preparation courses in order to produce graduates who meet teacher registration requirements for early childhood/primary and secondary and who have a better understanding of and focus on the academic and developmental needs of a diverse range of young people. With the establishment and growth of schools with Foundation to Year 9/10/12 learning environments a demand has been created …

Enhancing Teacher Education In Primary Mathematics With Mobile Technologies, Sandy Schuck

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract

A challenge of teacher education is to produce graduate primary school teachers who are confident and competent teachers of mathematics. Various approaches to primary school teacher education in mathematics have been investigated, but primary teacher education graduates still tend to be diffident in their teaching of mathematics. In an age where personal use of mobile technologies is becoming ubiquitous, such technologies could provide a conduit into making mathematics teaching and learning more accessible to primary teacher education students. This paper introduces the use of a pedagogical framework which can scaffold mobile learning in mathematics teacher education programs. The paper …

Technology Integration In Elementary Classrooms: Teaching Practices Of Student Teachers, Ping Liu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examines how and why student teachers integrated technology to enhance instruction in elementary classrooms. The participants were 31 student teachers who completed an assignment of eight weeks. Multiple data sets including observation notes of 347 lessons were obtained from three key groups for data triangulation. Results reveal that the primary technological means used to enhance teaching was to provide visuals for attention, engagement and interaction. All participants chose to integrate technology but varied substantially in their teaching practices. They applied technology for a number of reasons: student engagement, time management, motivation and meeting individual students’ needs. Variables such …

Professional Development Of Elementary And Science Teachers In A Summer Science Camp: Changing Nature Of Science Conceptions, Ayhan Karaman

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Many countries all over the world have recently integrated nature of science (NOS) concepts into their science education standards. Providing professional support to teachers about NOS concepts is crucially important for successful implementation of the standards. For this purpose, a summer science camp was offered to elementary and science teachers. The main objective of this research study was to investigate the progress in specific NOS concepts made by the participant teachers. The responses of the teachers regarding the NOS concepts were obtained through VNOS-C questionnaire and scored using a rubric developed by McDonald (2008). The scored teacher responses were analyzed …

Scaffolding The Mathematical “Connections”: A New Approach To Preparing Teachers For The Teaching Of Lower Secondary Algebra., Christine A. Ormond

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper discusses the results of a three-year mixed methods study into the effectiveness of a mathematics education unit. This was written for both pre-service primary education students and re-training in-service teachers, to prepare them for the teaching of pre-algebra and early algebra. The unit was taught rom 2013 to 2015 inclusively in a School of Education setting of a university in an Australian capital city. Focusing on the Number and Algebra strand in the Australian Curriculum, its purpose was to better prepare some novice teachers through modelling a more coherent approach to mathematics teaching. The unit’s genesis lies in …

What Students Say About Homework – Views From A Secondary School Science Classroom In Trinidad And Tobago., Rawatee Maharaj-Sharma, Amrit Sharma

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Students’ experiences with homework started the moment they enter the schooling system, yet very little is known about how students view homework. In this work, science students’ views of homework, and the factors or experiences that have influenced their views of homework are explored. The participants for this work were 34 secondary school science students in their fourth year of secondary schooling. A Likert-type questionnaire was used to gather data on students’ views about homework and a semi-structured interview was used to explore what experiences and/or factors have influenced their views. The results indicate that the majority of students perceived …

Exploring Quality Teaching In The Online Environment Using An Evidence-Based Approach, Elena Prieto-Rodriguez, Jennifer Gore, Kathryn Holmes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Online learning is increasingly ubiquitous in higher education. However, research regarding online teaching often focuses on the affordances of the online environment rather than on the quality of pedagogy. In this paper we consider how online learning could be enhanced using rich pedagogical models that are consistent with a wealth of existing knowledge on pedagogy for face-to-face settings. To do so, we apply an established framework, the Quality Teaching model, to explore pedagogy in the online environment and illustrate its potential benefits using a case study of 60 students in a tertiary mathematics teacher education program. We conclude that the …

Reflective Teaching And Self-Efficacy Beliefs: Exploring Relationships In The Context Of Teaching Efl In Iran, Mehdi Babaei, Arman Abednia

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reports on a study that explored the relationship between reflective teaching and teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. Two questionnaires, the English Language Teaching Reflection Inventory (Akbari, Behzadpoor, & Dadvand, 2010) and Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs System-Self (TEBS-Self) (Dellinger, Bobbett, Olivier, & Ellett, 2008), were distributed among 225 Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers. Pearson product-moment correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between the general factors of teacher reflectiveness and self-efficacy. Standard multiple regression identified Efficacy for Learner Engagement as the only predictor of teacher reflectiveness and Meta-Cognitive Reflection as the only predictor of teacher self-efficacy. Finally, the interconnections …

Designing A Reflective Teacher Education Course And Its Contribution To Elt Teachers’ Reflectivity, Leila Tajik, Kazem Pakzad

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Researchers in the present study planned a reflective teacher education course and documented the contribution of such a course to improving teachers’ reflectivity. Five English teachers took part in the reflective teacher education course designed by the researchers. To record how the course could help improve reflective teaching, researchers asked participants to take part in stimulated recall prior to and after the course and to write reflective journals. Thematic analysis of the stimulated recall interviews and journals showed improvements in teachers’ reflective teaching as a result of attending the reflective course.

Part-Time Post Graduate Certificate In Education Teacher-Students: What Do They Bring To And Expect From A Formal South African Teaching Programme?, Tabitha Grace Mukeredzi, Doras Sibanda

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The purpose of this study was to understand the nature and extent of subject content and curriculum knowledge that part-time Post Graduate Certificate in Education students in one South African university, brought to the classroom, and the kind and level of knowledge that they expected and sought from the programme. The study employed a qualitative design and data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 146 part-time students on this programme. These students were teaching in different contexts: urban, rural and, township high schools. The findings indicated that teachers within the 0-3 years’ professional life phase expected to gain knowledge …

Comparing Stress Levels Of Graduate And Undergraduate Pre-Service Teachers Following Their Teaching Practicums, Gretchen Geng, Richard Midford, Jenny Buckworth

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In comparison to undergraduate pre-service teachers (PSTs), graduate PSTs have previously completed a three-year bachelor degree and are enrolled in initial teacher education (ITE) programs to become a teacher. Following a review of literature on teachers’ sense of stress, reflection and identity development, this study compared the stress levels and concerns of graduate PSTs with those of undergraduate PSTs. One hundred and fifty-one graduate and one hundred and fifty-nine undergraduate PSTs participated in this study. The graduate PSTs had significantly higher stress levels than undergraduate PSTs (p < .01). Contributing stressors from both groups’ own demographic background and teaching practicum perspectives were investigated and compared. These findings provide an empirical basis from which to develop appropriate strategies to support both groups of PSTs to manage their stress, develop their identity and personal beliefs and increase their retention in teacher education programs.

Mentoring Beginning Teachers And Goal Setting, Peter Hudson, Sue Hudson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Australia has delineated a new direction for teacher education by embedding mentoring programs for teachers who support early-careers teachers as a system approach. This case study investigated how mentors after involvement in a mentoring professional learning program focused on goal setting with beginning teachers in their schools. Data were analysed from six mentors’ interviews using semi-structured questions and archival documents associated with the mentoring program. Findings revealed that negotiated goal setting facilitates potentially successful teaching practices that align to career stage standards. Other findings associated with goal setting are reported around: (1) mentor-mentee relationships, (2) roles, skills and responsibilities, (3) …

Preparing Pre-Service Teachers For Professional Engagement Through Place/Community Pedagogies And Partnerships, Monica M. Green

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

There is an expectation that Australian teachers engage professionally in all aspects of teaching and learning, including engagement with teaching networks and broader communities. This paper reports on a partnership between a teacher educator and an environmental educator who set out to expand pre-service teachers’ professional knowledge, engagement and practice in an undergraduate Bachelor of Education (primary) course. The paper reports on a study about teacher education students’ perspectives of fieldwork-based learning and its potential to inform students’ future engagement with the broader school community. Using a conceptual framework of place- and community based education, the study examined data from …

Clinical Supervision Model In Teaching Practice: Does It Make A Difference In Supervisors’ Performance?, Esim Gürsoy, John Edward Kesner, Umut Muharrem Salihoglu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In search for better practices there has been a plethora of research in preservice teacher training. To contribute to the literature, the current study aims at investigating teacher trainees’ and cooperating teachers’ views about the performance and contribution of supervisors during teaching practice after using Clinical Supervision Model. Experimental in design, the study gathered both qualitative and quantitative data from participants in the experimental (n= 108 CT; n= 191 TT) and control (n=32 CT; n=100TT) groups. The findings revealed that there are statistically significant differences in participants’ evaluations of their university supervisor in favor of the experimental group, suggesting the …

Career Motivations, Role Expectations And Curriculum Knowledge Of Prospective Secondary English Teachers In Western Australia, Brian Moon, Barbara Harris

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teacher quality, teaching standards, and entry criteria for teacher education courses are currently subjects of intense national debate and policy development in Australia. As tertiary institutions respond to calls for a review of standards, there is a need for more data on the characteristics of entrants to teacher education and the factors that are likely to influence their performance as teachers. This survey-based study investigated the entry characteristics of four cohorts of secondary English majors at one institution. Prior studies have focussed on graduate-level students in one-year preparation courses, and addressed fewer factors. This study surveyed undergraduate students embarking on …

Video-Mediated Microteaching – A Stimulus For Reflection And Teacher Growth, Stella Kourieos

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Numerous studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of video as an effective means of reflective practice in pre-service Teacher Education. However, only few studies have explored pre-service teachers’ own perceptions in this regard in the field of ELT and none of these was related to primary level. To address this gap, multiple forms of qualitative data were triangulated. Participants were found to consider the use of video combined with guided reflection and peer dialogue to have a great potential in helping them form links between theory and practice and bring a heightened awareness of their teaching practices, especially in …

Becoming A Reflective In-Service Teacher: Role Of Research Attitude, Maria A. Impedovo, Sufiana Khatoon Malik

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this article we consider the importance of the role of reflective practice and research attitude for the professional development of in-service teachers. Nine teachers engaged in an international master course (in a Belgium and French university) are interviewed to obtain self-narratives. The two years full-time master was aimed to acquire skills of science educational research. The interview was conducted at the end of the master to explore their reflective practices and to evaluate the impact of the research attitude developed during the master on their reflective practices.

From the results we can consider how the reflection practice is differently …

Practising Teaching Using Virtual Classroom Role Plays, Barney Dalgarno, Sue Gregory, Vicki Knox, Torsten Reiners

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Practice in the role of the teacher is an essential part of teacher education, however professional experience placements are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Consequently, additional university-based teaching practice, such as classroom role play with student teacher peers is important. Classroom role plays can be effective but there are limits to the realism of the experience and such strategies are not feasible for students studying at a distance. This article reports on a study in which a classroom in the virtual world of Second Life was used to house role plays of student teachers in preparation for their first professional …

Journaling The Art Of Teaching: Multimodal Responding For Narrative Inquiry, Cynthia M. Morawski, Jennifer Rottmann, Elizabeth Afrakomah, Emili Balatti, Meg Christens, Laura Kellar

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Research underscores the integral role that teachers’ recurring narratives play in their everyday teaching agendas. Like the students in their classrooms, teachers comprise a diverse group of individuals representing a myriad of ways to learn and teach, stemming from such factors as pedagogical approaches, prior life experiences, and familial relationships. Applying multimodal learning to response journaling expands teacher candidates’ opportunities to address the role that narratives play in developing their daily repertoires of practice in language arts. Hence, further investigation is needed to expand the range of practices available for fostering teacher narrative inquiry. Methodologically supported by action research in …

Grassroots Teacher Education Initiatives In Malaysia: An Intercultural Self-Study, Brendon Tagg

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article describes and analyses one example of a successful grassroots-based collaborative introduction to teacher education class that was based at a small education program in a private Malaysian university. This class formed the beginning of government-sponsored program in English language primary education; developed and implemented at extremely short notice it led to an accidental but extremely informative ‘shake up’ of ordinary teaching practices. This in fact may offer some promise as an alternative to the heavy central planning typically found in the current Malaysian education system. Because this particular class needed to be developed over the space of a …

Slowmation: An Innovative Twenty-First Century Teaching And Learning Tool For Science And Mathematics Pre-Service Teachers, Kathryn Paige, Brendan Bentley, Stephen Dobson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Slowmation is a twenty-first century digital literacy educational tool. This teaching and learning tool has been incorporated as an assessment strategy in the curriculum area of science and mathematics with pre-service teachers (PSTs). This paper explores two themes: developing twenty-first century digital literacy skills and modelling best practice assessment tools. In the growing debate about the impact of multi-model representations, researchers such as Hoban and Nielsen, and Brown, Murcia and Hackling emphasise the development of conceptual understandings and semiotics. This paper focuses on PSTs’ experiences of and reflections on Slowmation as an educational tool. Data was collected from a cohort …

A Retrospective Appraisal Of Teacher Induction, Fadia M. Nasser-Abu Alhija, Barbara Fresko

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A Retrospective Appraisal of Teacher Induction

Abstract

Examination of an induction program for new teachers was undertaken from the viewpoint of induction graduates three years after participation. Their retrospective perspectives were investigated as to their satisfaction with assimilation in school in the induction year, their attitudes towards organizational aspects of the program, and the program's contribution to their professional development. Comparisons were made to beginning teachers in the midst of their induction year. Data were collected from 98 induction graduates and 390 induction participants using questionnaires. Compared to induction participants, graduates retrospectively remembered the induction year at school less positively …

Catering For Eal/D Students’ Language Needs In Mainstream Classes: Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives And Practices In One Australian Setting., Toni J. Dobinson, Sylvia Buchori

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article aims to highlight the complexity of English language related experiences and interactions of a small group of teachers in an Australian, Early Childhood (EC), mainstream setting with children four to eight years old. It draws on data collected from a qualitative case study which investigated four teachers’ perspectives and anxieties when it comes to 1) achieving a balance between use of home languages and the use of Standard Australian English in classrooms 2) mainstream teacher knowledge of, and confidence in, using appropriate practices to enhance English language learning experiences for EAL/D students in mainstream classes. Through data collected …

Developing Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Mathematical Content Knowledge During Practicum Teaching, Sharyn L. Livy, Colleen Vale, Sandra Herbert

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

While it is recognised that a teachers’ mathematical content knowledge (MCK) is crucial for teaching, less is known about when different categories of MCK develop during teacher education. This paper reports on two primary pre-service teachers, whose MCK was investigated during their practicum experiences in first, second and fourth years of a four-year Bachelor of Education program. The results identify when and under what conditions pre-service teachers’ developed different categories of their MCK during practicum. Factors that assisted pre-service teachers to develop their MCK included program structure providing breadth and depth of experiences; sustained engagement for learning MCK; and …

A Theory-Driven Approach To Subject Design In Teacher Education, Lucia Zundans-Fraser, Greg Auhl

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The intent of this study was to examine how a theoretically-designed subject in an undergraduate teacher education course impacted on the learning and confidence of pre-service teachers in catering for the needs of students with diverse needs. The subject design utilised theoretical principles of self-organisation that were incorporated with the teaching and application of three evidence-based pedagogies of inclusion: explicit teaching, cooperative learning and collaborative practice. The study examined how the principles were enacted throughout the delivery of the subject and sought pre-service teacher reflections after completion. Initial findings suggest that embedding these principles and incorporating practical application throughout the …

Pre-Service Teachers And Climate Change: A Stalemate?, Helen J. Boon

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Findings from the second phase of a study of pre-service teachers’ attitudes to environmental education and knowledge of climate change are reported in this paper. A sample of 87 pre-service teachers participated in a survey study in the last year of their Bachelor of Education degree to examine developments to their attitudes to environmental education and their knowledge of climate change as a result of training. Results showed their attitudes towards environmental education were consistently favourable, but their climate change science knowledge had not changed as a result of their participation in their degree. Data on preservice teachers’ sources of …

‘Knowing Your Students’ In The Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Classroom, Robyn Moloney, David Saltmarsh

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The population movement of globalization brings greater cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD) to communities and education systems. To address the growing diversity in school classrooms, beginning teachers need an expanded set of skills and attitudes to support effective learning. It is an expectation today that teachers know their students and how the students learn. It follows that lecturers and tutors should also know something of the cultural and linguistic profile of their pre-service teacher education students. This article reports a study in a university which examined its teacher education practice in this light. It assessed the curriculum provision of material …

Why Is Active Learning So Difficult To Implement: The Turkish Case, Fisun Aksit, Hannele Niemi, Anne Nevgi

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article aims to report how teacher education may promote active learning which is demanded by the current educational reform of Turkish teacher education (TE). This article also examines the effectiveness of the recent reforms in Turkey from a student’s perspective, and provides an understanding of the concept of active learning, how it is applied and what the obstacles are to achieving it. The data were collected through open-ended questions on an electronic platform. Student teachers (n = 316) in the Faculty of Education at Erciyes University responded to the questions. The data were analysed qualitatively through content analysis. The …