Education Commons^™

Reflective Blogging As Part Of Ict Professional Development To Support Pedagogical Change, Sarah J. Prestridge

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Reflection is considered an inherent part of teacher practice. However, when used within professional development activity, it is fraught with issues associated with teacher confidence and skill in reflective action. Coupled with anxiety generally associated with technological competency and understanding the nature of blogging, constructive reflection is difficult for teachers. This paper focuses on the reflective quality of teachers’ blogs. It describes teachers’ perceptions and engagement in reflective activity as part of an ICT professional development program. Reflective entries are drawn from a series of blogs that are analysed qualitatively using Hatton’s and Smith’s (1995) three levels of reflection-on-action. The …

Exploring Teachers' Perceptions Of Wikis For Learning Classroom Cases, Choon Lang Quek, Qiyun Wang

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper explores three potential affordances (social, technical and pedagogical) of wikis in the context of designing 32 teachers’ learning of classroom management cases. With the requirement of teachers’ case-based learning and the potential affordances of wikis considered, two learning environments for teachers’ case-based learning process were designed. Two groups of these teacher-participants posted their own written and audio cases, identified problems, discussed and proposed solutions with the input of their peers, in the respective wikis hosted in Google Sites and LAMS. These teachers’ perceptions of the wikis’ affordances to support their case-based learning were surveyed quantitatively. The …

Re-Visiting The Theory And Practice Gap Through The Lens Of Student Teacher Dilemmas, Nese Cabaroglu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study concerns the dilemmas student teachers met during their field experiences: what they were and what coping strategies they used. Its purpose is to help staff and students better understand the challenges student teachers face as they move from university-based to school-based learning. Data reveal three main categories of dilemmas: teaching, professional identity and future career plans. When coping with dilemmas, participants turned to various people around them. They felt some of the dilemmas were beyond their control, thus, could not be resolved due to problems in the Turkish education system. Findings are discussed as related to professional learning.

Chemical Literacy Levels Of Science And Mathematics Teacher Candidates, Suat Celik

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The goal of this study was to investigate Turkish science and mathematics teacher candidates’ levels of attainment in chemical literacy. These candidates had all studied the new Turkish chemistry curriculum in high school. The sample of the study consisted of 112 students, who were first-year students in the Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education. The participants’ levels of nominal, functional, conceptual, and multi-dimensional literacy were tested. The data were collected by a questionnaire previously developed and used in the literature. The participants’ levels of nominal and conceptual chemical literacy were found to be satisfactory in terms of the expectations …

The Approaches To Teaching Inventory: A Preliminary Validation Of The Malaysian Translation, Pauline Swee Choo Goh, Kung Teck Wong, Mohd Sahandri Gani Hamzah

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a Malaysian translation of the 22-item Approaches to Teaching Inventory for application in higher education. The Approaches to Teaching Inventory was a quantitative measure used by teachers of higher education to gauge their own teaching approaches that had been psychometrically assessed and widely used in western universities. Data in the present study came from 172 teachers in two institutions of higher learning. Principal factor analyses with varimax rotation and confirmatory factor analyses support a model with 17 items categorized into five sub-factors that were subsumed within two main factors. The alpha values …

Professional Dialogue, Reflective Practice And Teacher Research: Engaging Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers In Collegial Dialogue About Curriculum Innovation, Kym M. Simoncini, Michelle Lasen, Sharn Rocco

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

While embedded in teacher professional standards and assumed aspects of teacher professionalism, willingness and ability to engage in professional dialogue about practice and curriculum initiatives are rarely examined or explicitly taught in teacher education programs. With this in mind, the authors designed an assessment task for pre-service teachers that required them to interview their supervising teachers about the implementation of sustainability as cross-curriculum priority in the Australian national curriculum, and to write a reflective account of the process. Forty-seven early childhood pre-service teachers and their supervising teachers consented to the interview transcripts and reflective accounts being used as research data. …

A Tool That Can Be Effective In The Self-Regulated Learning Of Pre-Service Teachers: The Mind Map, Isil Tanriseven

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The aim of this study is to analyse the effect of task planning with mind maps on the self-regulation strategies and motivational beliefs of pre-service teachers. A quasi-experimental design, with a pre-test and post-test control group, was applied in the research. The research group comprised of 60 pre-service teachers taking “Teaching Principle and Methods”, in the second year at the Faculty of Education Elementary School Department at Mersin University, Turkey. Students in the experimental group planned their tasks individually by means of a mind map, whereas students in the control group directly realized their task. Before and after the experiment, …

A Guide For Educators To Move Beyond Conventional School Playgrounds: The Re-Aim Evaluation Of The Lunchtime Enjoyment Activity And Play (Leap) Intervention, Brendon P. Hyndman, Amanda C. Benson, Amanda Telford

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Despite an increase in the provision of effective school-based interventions in recent times, there is an absence of literature for teachers focusing on the translation of promising interventions into real-world practice. The aim of this research was to provide a social-ecological guide for teachers of the external validity of implementing the Lunchtime Enjoyment Activity and Play (LEAP) school playground intervention. This research presents the process evaluation of a school playground intervention using RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) as the theoretical evaluation framework. Data collection consisted of a mixed methods approach for two and a half years including a teacher …

Problematising The Role Of Personal And Professional Relationships In Early Career Teacher Resilience, Lisa H. Papatraianou, Rosie Le Cornu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Formal processes such as ongoing induction, mentoring and professional development are commonly recorded as factors that can enhance early career teacher resilience. Yet, informal processes, including the support provided by personal and professional networks are not often acknowledged nor made explicit. Drawing on two qualitative studies, we examine teachers’ informal significant relationships as these appeared to play a particularly key role for their resilience. We argue that it is problematic to represent early career teachers’ support providers in two distinct categories – personal and professional, as has often been perpetuated in the literature. The article explores the various types of …

The Long Journey: Developing A Model Of Pld For The Future, Hazel Owen, Merryn Dunmill

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper presents the longitudinal learning journey of two educators who participated in the Virtual Professional Learning and Development programme (VPLD) between 2010 and 2013. Each participant’s story of change describes the process and outcomes of their involvement in a future-focused environment of virtual mentorship supported by a tailored online community of practice.

The paper discusses and conceptualises (via an inclusive framework for professional development) key findings. Evidence is shown of shifts in the educators’ beliefs about learning and teaching, corresponding changes in professional practice, and the impact on student learning experiences.

The three interconnecting dimensions of the Inclusive Framework …

Reconciling Dilemmas Of Social Justice In Literacy Lessons: A Case Study Of Preservice Primary Teachers, Beryl Exley, Annette Woods, Joanne Lunn, Sue Walker, Chrystal M. Whiteford Ms

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Literacy is promoted as one factor in overcoming disadvantage. In this paper, we employ Fraser’s (1997 & 2008) framing of social justice in order to analyse the disparate agendas of literacy education for improved outcomes in national policy. We do this to better understand the dilemmas confronting preservice teachers as they prepare to become teachers in complex education contexts. We then examine what 20 preservice primary teachers say about social justice in interview responses to a scripted scenario. Our findings demonstrate that most preservice teachers are trying to demonstrate that they have a well-placed commitment to teaching for social justice, …

Cultural Identity Through Art(S)Making: Pre-Service Teachers Sharing Ideas And Experiences., Jennifer Munday, Atia Sajid, Brandi Reader

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In their Bachelor degree, Early Childhood Pre-service teachers undertake art(s)making and online journaling (blogging) to chronicle the process and thinking through the problem of them’selves’ in relation to their world. They express and challenge their own thoughts and ideas regarding their daily lives and those of the children in their future classrooms.

The article is presented as a Case Study with the outcomes of the process of the assessment task and the resulting artwork through two student experiences from different cultural backgrounds who produced artworks using different processes and deep reflections about their lives.

The sharing of the reflections through …

Are They Genuinely Novice Teachers? - Motivations And Self-Efficacy Of Those Who Choose Teaching As A Second Career, Tili Wagner, Dalia Imanuel-Noy

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The research is based on the trend of broadening unique teacher training programs. It is a mixed-method research aiming to explore the motives of three groups of Graduate-Retraining-Program (GRP) who opted for teaching as a second career and their self-efficacy

The research population comprises 82 participants from three specialized teacher's education programs. Tools include a closed self-efficacy and a semi-structured motivation questionnaires and interviews.

Findings: motives relate mostly to psycho-ideological aspects; three efficacy dimensions relating to Teaching Tasks (TT), Teacher-Student Relations (TSR), and Influence in the Organization (IO); The TT dimension is the highest, while the IO dimension is the …

Mindfulness And The Beginning Teacher, Ross S. Bernay

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reviews a hermeneutic phenomenological study of five beginning teachers who were introduced to mindfulness during their initial teacher education programme. The participants kept fortnightly journals and engaged in three interviews with the researcher to assess the benefits of using mindfulness during the first year of teaching. The participants in this study discovered through their lived experiences of using mindfulness in their first year of teaching that their personal wellbeing was enhanced, stress was reduced, and they could focus greater attention on their lesson planning and their students. They responded rather than reacted emotionally to student needs. The results …

Planting The Seed Of Teacher Identity: Nurturing Early Growth Through A Collaborative Learning Community, Ann Harlow, Donella J. Cobb

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: This paper reports on the findings of a reconceptualised Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme where a collaborative relationship between the university and partner schools saw the shared responsibility for the first year ITE programme. Findings from this study suggests that ongoing, authentic teaching experiences in collaboration with school-based university tutorials provided a strong foundation for the early development of teacher identity. Wenger’s (1998) social theory of learning provides a theoretical framework for understanding why this community of practice has been particularly effective in planting the seed of teacher identity at such an early stage of the ITE programme.

Title: How Do Preservice Teacher Education Students Move From Novice To Expert Assessors?, Peter R. Grainger, Lenore Adie

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Despite the acknowledged importance of assessment in education, there has been minimal research into the preparation of preservice teachers for the important role of involving preservice teachers in marking, grading, moderating and providing feedback on student work. This article reports on a pilot project in which preservice teachers participated in an ongoing peer assessment and social moderation process in a dedicated course on assessment. The purpose of the project was to investigate specific ways in which key assessment processes can be effectively taught to preservice teachers. The research involved 96 preservice teachers who completed a Likert scale survey and free …

Standards In Literacy And Numeracy: Contributing Factors, Linda Meeks, Coral Kemp, Jennifer Stephenson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The establishment of international testing regimes such as the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has provided one way for individual countries to monitor the effectiveness of their educational systems. Not only do such programs allow for overall student achievement to be compared across member, and partner, countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and to those countries choosing to participate in PIRLS and TIMSS, but comparisons can also be made in relation to the percentage of students achieving …

“Initially, We Were Just Names On A Computer Screen”: Designing Engagement In Online Teacher Education, Sharon M. Pittaway, Timothy Moss

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper describes a research project that investigated the process of redesigning a fully-online unit, in order to enhance undergraduate Education students’ engagement in their learning. This redesign was guided by the development of an Engagement Framework, which presents five elements of engagement that are distinct yet interrelated. The results of this redesigned unit indicate that this Engagement Framework has the potential to offer unit developers and instructors a strong pedagogical and theoretical foundation for enhancing engagement in online learning. This paper provides a description of the Engagement Framework, the processes undertaken in redesigning a fully-online unit, the findings, and …

The First Year At University: Giving Social Capital A Sporting Chance, Fiona Budgen, Susan Main, Deborah Callcott, Brenda Hamlett

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The first year of university has been identified as an area of interest and concern for several decades because, for many students, their first year at university is also their last. The researchers developed a program based on a Sports Education model to influence the engagement and retention of first year students. The program sought to build social capital by providing opportunities for students to connect with their peers and establish supportive social and collegial networks at university. The data highlighted a number of interesting outcomes for both the first year students and mentors. First year students reported that the …

Exploring Pre-Service Teachers’ Knowledge Of And Ability To Use Text Messaging, Gretchen Geng, Leigh Disney

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aimed to assess the pre-service teachers’ knowledge of and ability to use text messaging, and assist their use of this technology in the classroom teaching context. Data were gathered by means of a questionnaire and text message exercises. Fifty-three pre-service teachers participated in the study. It was found that although different tasks required different contributions of word numbers to complete the text messages, the percentages of text abbreviations were the same in all text messages. It was also found that participants who used more text abbreviations in their text messages had more correct scores in translating text abbreviations …

Relations Between Teachers’ Classroom Goals And Values: A Case Study Of High School Teachers In Far North Queensland, Australia, Claudia E. Pudelko, Helen J. Boon

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

To date, there is an empirical gap in the evidence of the relations between teachers’ classroom goals and values, two key variables linked to students’ achievement motivation. The purpose of this study was to investigate this relationship in an Australian teacher sample. We surveyed 102 high school teachers from seven schools in Cairns, Queensland using items of Wentzel’s Classroom Goals Scales and Schwartz’s Portrait Values Questionnaire. Results showed several positive associations between teachers’ classroom goals and values. Social goals were linked to a wide range of values, while academic goals were linked to specific value dimensions, e.g. mastery approach goals …

The Relationship Between Alienation Levels Of Physical Education Teacher Candidates And Their Attitudes Towards The Teaching Profession, Mustafa Kayihan Erbas

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aimed to determine the alienation levels and attitudes of physical education teacher candidates towards the teaching profession and identify the relationship between their alienation levels and their attitudes towards teaching. The relational research model was used in the study. The study group consisted of 695 teacher candidates (M_age = 21.53, SD = 2.284) of which 276 (40%) were female and 419 (60%) were male, all of whom were studying in physical education and sports teaching departments. In the data analysis, a t-test for independent groups was conducted to determine whether the alienation levels and the attitudes towards …

Are Australian Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers Prepared To Teach Inclusive Physical Education?, Scott J. Pedersen, Paul D. Cooley, Keira Hernandez

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: Australian pre-service physical education (PE) teachers must be prepared for the reality of teaching in inclusive classrooms. Past studies have indicated that the amount of academic preparedness can affect pre-service PE teachers’ intentions to successfully teach in inclusive settings. The current study measured these intentions in a sample of pre-service PE teachers from two different universities. This modified survey required participants to respond to two separate scenarios: one teaching inclusive PE to a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and one to a student with autism. All participants completed an adapted PE unit with an embedded practicum of different …

Preservice Eal Teaching As Emotional Experiences: Practicum Experience In An Australian Secondary School, Minh Hue Nguyen

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Drawing on activity theory, this qualitative case study examines the emotional experiences of Maria, a preservice teacher of English as an additional language (EAL) during the practicum in an Australian secondary school setting and the factors shaping these emotions. Data included interviews with the preservice teacher before and after the practicum, a stimulated recall session, and her reflections after lessons. Furthermore, an interview was also conducted with Maria’s school mentor teacher. The study found that during the practicum, the preservice teacher experienced strong positive and negative emotions as a result of the influence of personal factors and the sociocultural context …

The Impact Of Professional Development And Indigenous Education Officers On Australian Teachers’ Indigenous Teaching And Learning, Rhonda G. Craven, Alexander S. Yeung, Feifei Han

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The study investigated the impact of professional development (PD) in Indigenous teaching on teachers’ psychological and behavioural aspects, and Indigenous students’ learning engagement. Adopting a multiple-indicator-multiple-indicator-cause model, frequency of PD was found to have positive paths to teachers’ self-concept in Indigenous teaching and all the teaching strategies, but had a non-significant path to students’ learning, suggesting the more frequently teachers are involved in PD in Indigenous teaching, the higher self-concept they had in teaching Indigenous children and the more frequently they adopted Indigenous teaching strategies. The availability of Aboriginal Education Officers (AEOs), however, had a significant and negative path on …

Seconding Teachers To The Academy: An Alternative To Traditional Approaches Of Sessional Staff Employment, Jackie Walkington

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

There is a multiplicity of challenges related to employing, supporting and retaining quality sessional (casual) academic staff in higher education. An approach trialled in an Australian education faculty specifically addressed issues of quality and quantity, support and inclusion, motivation and engagement, efficiency and effectiveness. While contextually relevant to an education faculty, the learning gained has potential for other faculties/institutions to provide modifications to traditional models of employing sessional staff. Amongst the significant benefits of a seconded teacher approach were greater engagement in the faculty, enhanced continuity and consistency of commitment compared to traditional models of employing sessional staff. An understanding …

Triad Relationships And Member Satisfaction With Paired Placement Of Student Teachers, Carol Wilkinson, Todd R. Pennington, Erin Whiting, Melissa Newberry, Erika Feinauer, Janet Losser, Liz Haslem, Amber Hall

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: This study determined triad (a mentor teacher and two student teachers) members’ level of satisfaction (LOS) with paired-placement student teaching, focusing on mutuality and homophily to explore how triad relationships were linked to LOS. The constant comparative method was used to code interview transcripts and field notes. Results showed that of the six satisfied triads, five had mutuality, homophily, strong triad cohesion, and collaborative student teachers. Partially satisfied (four) and dissatisfied (two) triads experienced lack of mutuality and homophily, weak triad cohesion, and uncollaborative student teachers. Recommendations include providing formal training about triad relationships, considering mutuality and homophily when …

Pre-Service Visual Art Teachers’ Perceptions Of Assessment In Online Learning, Jeanne M. Allen, Suzie Wright, Maureen Innes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: This paper reports on a study conducted into how one cohort of Master of Teaching pre-service visual art teachers perceived their learning in a fully online learning environment. Located in an Australian urban university, this qualitative study provided insights into a number of areas associated with higher education online learning, including that of assessment, the focus of this paper. Authentic assessment tasks were designed within the University’s learning and teaching framework of constructive alignment and were sequenced across the three semesters of the visual art program. Analysis of data collected through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews revealed that participants …

Teacher Revoicing In A Foreign Language Teaching Context: Social And Academic Functions, Banu Inan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The aim of this study is to investigate the occurrences of teacher revoicing as a discursive move in English Language Teaching (ELT) literature classes, and to identify its social and academic functions. Teacher revoicing refers to the restatement or incorporation of previous student comments into subsequent teacher statements and/or questions to build an extended discourse based on student contribution. The analysis of more than 25 hours of data of recorded classroom conversation in a university level literature class has demonstrated that teacher revoicing is a very common teacher move in the college EFL literature classroom. Eight functions of teacher revoicing …

The Value Of Aesthetic Teacher Learning: Drawing A Parallel Between The Teaching And Writing Process, Joanne Yoo

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Although teacher learning has often been overlooked in discussions surrounding classroom practice, it is believed that learning cultivates the resilience and vitality needed for teachers to thrive. Teachers have often been required to demonstrate a high level of skill and professionalism as they orchestrate tasks that maximise student engagement. Their work has consequently been compared to that of artists, who display their skills of craftsmanship as they construct meaningful learning activities, such as a keen sense of discernment, creativity and presence. The current article illustrates how learning to write reflectively can help teachers acquire the aesthetic skills needed to craft …