Education Commons^™

Informal Learning About Teaching Among Novice University Professors, Laia Encinar-Prat, Joaquín Gairín Sallán

The Qualitative Report

In this article, we present results of a study on informal learning about teaching among novice university professors at one university in Spain. The study identified teaching competencies developed through informal learning, strategies of informal learning used, and organizational factors that might foster or hinder the acquisition of teaching competencies. We gathered data through 18 individual interviews with novice university faculty, two focus groups with university professors, a document analysis and a focus group of experts. We conducted content analysis of the transcripts of the interviews and focus groups, as well as the documents obtained. The results showed that the …

Teaching Qualitative Research Methods Online: A Scoping Review Of The Literature, Chareen Snelson

The Qualitative Report

Online education has become well established as an avenue for flexible access to educational opportunities. Those who teach qualitative research methods online may find it difficult to locate research or best practice literature to inform practice. A scoping review was conducted to identify and synthesize the literature about teaching qualitative research methods courses online. Eleven peer-reviewed journal articles were identified through a scoping review of the literature. The TPACK framework, which defines teacher knowledge in terms of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge, was used as a conceptual framework. Results from this scoping review indicate that online qualitative research methods educators …

Effecting Epiphanous Change In Teacher Practice: A Teacher’S Autoethnography, Karen D. Barley Ms, Jane Southcott

The Qualitative Report

This study comprises of a series of autoethnographic vignettes stemming from Karen’s life experiences that provide a snapshot of her quest for equality and fairness in her personal life, as well as her professional life as a primary school and special education educator. Karen later became a teacher of teachers, keen to share what she had learned with her peers. It was when she began educating other teachers that she became even more self-reflective with the most poignant question being, what causes one to change their beliefs, attitude, or way of thinking? The included vignettes encapsulate significant stories, starting from …

Challenges Affecting The Implementation Of £50 Million In-Service Training Program For English Teachers In Bangladesh, Abdul Karim, Zohur Ahmed, Faheem Hasan Shahed, Mohammad Mosiur Rahman, Abdul Rashid Mohamed

The Qualitative Report

Numerous donor-sponsored in-service training programs have been operated in Bangladesh for English language teachers. EIA was the last donor-funded project that incorporated school-based training. It claimed to acquaint teachers with technology coupled with a lot of interactive activities to be incorporated in the classroom. The aim of the study was to identify the challenges faced by the secondary-school English language teachers in incorporating the elements learned in EIA training into their classroom practices and to identify the solutions to overcome the challenges. The present study undertook reflective theory developed by Wallace (1991). To conduct this study, semi-structured interview with the …

Curriculum-Making And Development In A Pakistani University, Said Imran, Mark Wyatt

The Qualitative Report

Despite frequent calls for increased teacher engagement in curriculum-making and development, there are still many English language teachers worldwide who are required to work with materials that are either culturally inappropriate or inadequate. A related concern is that such materials may deprive teachers of their creative and professional capabilities to address students’ needs and interests, so that, weighed down by contextual challenges, the teachers then simply deliver the materials, adhering to the textbook closely. Contextual challenges faced by teachers may be more acute in the developing world. However, it is unclear to what extent teachers in under-resourced contexts cope. In …

Ma Tefl Students' Reflection On A Practicum Course: A Qualitative Study, Mohammed Farrah

The Qualitative Report

This study is qualitative in nature and is designed to analyze the experiences and perceptions of a group of MA students regarding an MA TEFL practicum course at Hebron University during the second semester of the academic year 2015/2016 and whether their experience improved their flair to convey educational practices to better serve students. The study was steered by experiential learning theory. The participants learned from their experiences, reflected on practical activities during the practicum course and contributed to a better understanding of the integration process between theory and practice. Three research questions addressed MA students’ experiences during the practicum …

Exploring The Betsy Rymes' Three-Dimensional Approach: A Review Of Classroom Discourse Analysis: A Tool For Critical Reflection, Ufuk Keles

The Qualitative Report

This book review examines the 2nd edition of Betsy Rymes' Classroom Discourse Analysis: A Tool for Critical Reflection. It includes an outline of each chapter's content, discusses the several distinctive features of the book, and its possible contribution to educational research from a practitioner's point of view. The book has nine chapters. The first four chapters first introduce the readers to basic concepts of discourse analysis within a three-dimensional approach, and then provides techniques and strategies for recording, viewing, transcribing and analyzing classroom talk through examples, activities, and questions. From Chapter V to VIII, Rymes focuses on particular resources utilized …

Serving The Less-Commonly-Trained Teacher: Perspectives From Arabic Instructors, Dustin De Felice, Amanda Lanier, Paula Winke

The Qualitative Report

As proficient speakers of less-commonly-taught languages seek to meet the demand for qualified instructors, they face a range of personal and professional challenges. In an effort to understand the perspectives of these instructors and their particular educational experiences and needs, we conducted a phenomenological case study of two aspiring Arabic teachers. Specifically, we sought insights into their lived experiences, their motivations for pursuing a graduate degree, their attempts to connect coursework with pedagogical practices, and their needs in terms of professional development. Our findings illuminate the intersecting objectives these instructors must achieve. They need to position themselves as qualified candidates …

Examining Researcher Identity Development Within The Context Of A Course On Par: A Layered Narrative Approach, Meagan Call-Cummings, Melissa Hauber-Özer, Giovanni Dazzo

The Qualitative Report

In this paper we explore the ways in which a group of doctoral students grapples with the epistemology of participatory action research (PAR) in relation to their own personal and professional identities and research agendas while taking a course on PAR. As a professor of research methodology and two doctoral students, we examine the entangled and often hidden processes of teaching and learning PAR in order to identify experiences or events that seem to prompt or deepen novice scholars’ understanding and foster confidence in their ability to enact the methodology themselves. Through analysis of participants’ course journals as a type …

Building Constructivist Learning Environment At Senior High School In Indonesia, Harjali Harjali

The Qualitative Report

Constructivist learning environment enhances students to be actively participating in the classroom activity. The way is through relating students’ real-life situation with the knowledge that will be learned, thus, students are able to develop their comprehension of constructing a conceptual meaning of knowledge. It is essential to consider the students’ perspectives toward constructivist learning since they are the center of learning. The objective of this study is to investigate the teachers’ perception towards the implementation of constructivist in a language lesson. Six teachers were selected as the participants using purposive sampling technique. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews and …

The Capstone Journey: Exploring Design, Delivery And Evaluation In An Undergraduate Management Discipline Context, Heather Stewart Dr, Luke Houghton, Clare Burns

The Qualitative Report

The focus of this paper is the development of a capstone management course and the application of educational action research through continual learning. In this article, we use the continual learning frame of plan, do, study, and act to underpin an educational action research design on the development of a capstone management course. As part of an Active Learning Trial, the development of the capstone experience has been captured in the embodiment of that experience. Our aim is to guide other academics in developing their own capstone course, particularly, within management with extension into other disciplines. Through continual improvement, we …

Exploring Preparation Of Pre-Service Teachers’ English Proficiency And Pedagogy: Stories From An Efl Teacher Education Program, Abdul Hadi

The Qualitative Report

Many English teachers today are non-native speakers of English graduating from Pre-service English Teacher Education (PETE) programs in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. They undertake their teaching career in a strategic but challenging linguistic and educational situation. This paper reports findings from such a situation based on a qualitative case study of a PETE program at an Indonesian university that aimed to explore the nature of curriculum provision in preparation to develop pre-service teachers’ English proficiency and pedagogy. Data were collected from pre-service teachers, teacher educators, and program administrator using interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations. Results of …

Enhancing Online Or Blended Learning Environments With Active Learning, Ashley R. Salter, Alyssa L. Albrecht

FDLA Journal

Active learning is more than just a trending buzzword. This paper explores engaging strategies that are evidence-based instructional practices. With a little creativity and technology, these strategies can easily be implemented in any online or blended learning environment to engage learners and increase student learning outcomes.

Implementing Narrative-Pedagogical Approaches In A Teacher Education Classroom, Pauline Swee Choo Goh

The Qualitative Report

Preservice teachers can no longer be prepared using conventional teaching approaches as these are inadequate to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills they require to perform the tasks of teaching effectively. Teacher educators need to use new pedagogies, and narrative pedagogy is seen as a teaching method which can better prepare preservice teachers for the challenging classrooms of today. My study explored nine preservice teachers’ experiences after the enactment of a narrative pedagogical approach in one of their courses within their teacher education program. I used Ricoeur’s framework of the prefigured and configured arena of education to analyse …

“Now As A Teacher”: Novice Teachers Reflect On English Language Teacher Education In Iran, Leila Tajik, Seyyed-Abdolhamid Mirhosseini, Ameneh Ramezani

The Qualitative Report

This study relied on the reflections of 12 novice English language teachers and 3 supervisors to explore the status quo of teacher training in 3 private language institutes with headquarters in Tehran and about 420 language schools throughout the country. Extensive data collection was done through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and teacher diaries as well as informal peer interviews and observation of occasional meetings of supervisors and teachers. To analyze data, an inductive analysis procedure was used. Findings revealed that current language teacher training courses in the context of concern may require different types of improvements with regard to …

Intercultural Sensitivity Orientations Prior To Short-Term Study Abroad: A Qualitative Study On Prospective English Language Teachers, Emrullah Yasin Çiftçi, Nurdan Gürbüz

The Qualitative Report

Short-term study abroad programs can contribute to the multidimensional development of prospective language teachers. However, participants’ intercultural sensitivity orientations prior to the mobility period can significantly influence the quality and quantity of the outcomes gained from such programs. Therefore,in this qualitative case study, we explored the intercultural sensitivity orientations of a cohort of prospective language teachers from Turkey who prepared to study at three different universities in Italy. We also explored the participants’ perspectives regarding the potential contributions of short-term study abroad to their ongoing language teacher education processes. Following an interpretive analysis of qualitative data, our findings revealed that …

Improving The Learning Process In The Higher Education Through The Use Of A Predictive Tool (Dashboard), Maria C. Sevillano Edd, Ruben De Jesus Liriano Edd

FDLA Journal

Improving the learning process in the high education through the use of a predictive tool (dashboard). De Jesús Liriano, Rubėn and Sevillano, María C., 2018: A Florida Distance Learning Association Journal (FDLA) Paper to be published in a special section of the US Distance Learning Association Professional Journal Distance Learning.

Interaction/Predictive Tools/Dashboard/Evaluation Learning Process/Automated Process/eLearning Environment/Learning Environment/Learning Management System (LMS)/Cloud Computing/ Learning Performance, and Learning Analytics.

The purpose of this study was the initial step in providing a clear understanding of the use of a predictive tool (dashboard) to improving the learning process in the higher education field. Through further …

Online Educator Entrepreneurship With Facilitator-Created Subject-Specific Targeted Videos, Jamie Anne Marcus

FDLA Journal

Miller (2017) suggests there is a lack of educator persistence and responsibility to assist the influx of adult learners entering programs in universities and colleges over the last ten years and who are not attaining degrees. Teachers College Columbia University (2013) exhaustive research study shows a 50% greater chance of failure for online student versus face-to-face and recommends the creation of effective online environment and an online presence. Vella (2002) explains that adult learners thrive with stimulation of their cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning pathways and that adult learner audiences excel with instructor respect, collaboration, and the recognition that these …

How Online Teaching Made Me A Better Instructor On Campus, Michael Lohle Ph.D.

FDLA Journal

The role of industrial designer and best practices for effective online course delivery are evolving. This article discusses a narrative of the author’s lived experience applying online instructional design techniques in on campus courses. It provides an introduction confirming the state of the research, the narrative, and conclusions and recommendations for additional research.

The Power Of A Self-Paced, Challenging, Process-Based, Online Mathematics Curriculum For Talented Middle School Students, Shari Stupp, Keith Nabb, Danielle Goodwin

FDLA Journal

In the 1960s a talented team of curriculum developers began to create the curriculum that is today known as Elements of Mathematics: Foundations(EMF) (IMACS, 2006). The founders of EMFbegan with the process-based view that doing mathematics involved reasoning, making connections, problem-solving, representation, and communication – the behaviors of a mathematician – and developed a curriculum that was consistent with what NCTM (2000) would later call the “Process Standards for Mathematics” and what the Common Core State Standards (CCSSI, 2010) would later term the “Standards for Mathematical Practice.” Through the Ford Foundation, U.S. Office of Education, and …

Open Educational Resource (Oer) Adoption In Higher Education: Examining Institutional Perspectives, Rebekah E. Wright, Jennifer L. Reeves

FDLA Journal

The costs associated with education, including tuition and learning resources, continue to rise causing affordability issues for learners. It has been reported that the cost of traditional textbooks and materials has risen by as much as 103% over the past decade (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). Due to this increase, many students have opted out of purchasing required textbooks for classes. A study conducted in Florida found that 67% of students did not purchase required textbooks (Florida Virtual Campus, 2016). Institutions of Higher Education are becoming increasingly concerned with textbook affordability and the impact on academic performance, achievement, and …

Lowering The Stakes: Tips To Encourage Student Mastery And Deter Cheating, Trudian Trail-Constant

FDLA Journal

With the increase of online courses, many instructors utilize quizzes as a preferred method of assessment. This is especially true for large courses due to the flexibility and convenience that online quizzes can provide since they are often automatically graded by a learning management system. Consequently, it is important that online quizzes are effective in meeting learning goals and encouraging student mastery. This paper will explore how the use of low-stakes quizzes combined with meaningful feedback can help encourage student mastery and serve as a deterrent to cheating in online courses.

The Power Of A Self-Paced, Challenging, Process-Based, Online Mathematics Curriculum For Talented Middle School Students, Shari Stupp, Keith Nabb, Danielle Goodwin

Transformations

Talented middle school students in most public schools and traditional private schools do not have access to a curriculum that allows them to go at their own pace, adequately challenges them, or presents mathematics in a process-based way so that students can become familiar with behaviors of mathematicians (Gentry, Gable, & Springer, 2000; Rogers, 2007). Many gifted students are subjected to materials written at levels that are inappropriate for them and teachers that are not adequately prepared to teach them (Rogers, 2007).

Winter 2019

Transformations

No abstract provided.

Developing An After-School Program To Increase Stem Interest, Awareness And Knowledge Of Minority Females In A Title I Middle School, Steven R. Terrell Ph.D., Deirdre Krause Ph.D., Bruce G. Campbell Ed.D.

FDLA Journal

Educators, politicians and industry professionals note that the number of opportunities for workers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields grow exponentially over time. Accordingly, emphasis is placed on our schools to produce graduates capable of filling these positions. While these efforts are promising, there is a notable absence of females and minorities in the STEM professions. In an attempt to understand the reasons for this disparity, many educators believe a lack of interest in the STEM field begins at an early age, and disenfranchised students are not afforded the opportunities given to students in more affluent areas …

The Potential Of Socio-Biologically Relevant Mobile Applications To Attract Girls To Stem, Vanaja Nethi, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Stimulating girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) when they are in school, and sustaining that interest, is critical in motivating girls to choose STEM-related disciplines in higher education and enter STEM careers. Research indicates that girls show an interest in STEM until about 11-12 years of age, but this starts to wane by the time they are 15-16 years. Thus, there is a clear need to focus on sustaining the interest of girls in STEM at middle or high school levels. Research has shown that one of the main drivers that impact girls’ interest in STEM is …

A Front-End Analysis Study Of The Perceived Correlation Between Organizational Leadership And Student Success, Kathyleen G. Wyatt

FDLA Journal

Abstract

A Front-End Analysis Study of the Perceived Correlation Between Educational Leadership and Student Success. Kathyleen Wyatt, 2016: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. Keywords: Organizational Leadership, Student Success, Higher Education, International Student Success, Faculty-Student Interaction, Sustainability, Student Retention, Student Engagement.

The problem addressed in this qualitative case study concerned the challenges of student success in the four-year degree program at a multicampus institution of higher learning in northern Florida. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to assist leaders in the institution of higher learning in northern Florida in determining if a leadership …

Instructional Coaching As A Tool For Professional Development: Coaches’ Roles And Considerations, Siaw Hui Kho, Karwan Mustafa Saeed, Abdul Rashid Mohamed

The Qualitative Report

In this study, we primarily aimed to investigate coaches’ roles and their considerations in shifting coaching roles they perform. Employing a qualitative descriptive research, we conducted semi-structured interview sessions with ten instructional coaches to determine their roles and considerations in shifting roles during coaching English teachers in primary schools. Utilizing Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase approach, we employed thematic analysis to analyse the desired data collected in the study. The findings suggested that there were three roles instructional coaches enacted, namely, the role of the implementer, advocate, and educator. The roles were influenced by coaches’ considerations of teacher readiness, coaching …

Imagining A Non-Violent World "The Be The Peace, Make A Change Project": A Rural Community Peacebuilding Initiative To End Gender-Based Violence, Nancy M. Ross

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article will profile the innovative community engagement process initiated by the "Be the Peace, Make a Change" project to end gender-based violence in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, and conclude with lessons learned. These lessons were summarized as "headlines" to imagine a future with new narratives for interpersonal relationships. This project was a three-year grassroots initiative of Second Story Women’s Centre, funded by Status of Women Canada. It engaged the rural communities of Lunenburg County to develop a coordinated response to violence against women and girls. It focused on the engagement of all genders, youth, and adults in exploring and …

Exploring Foreign Language Teachers Recruitment Criteria: A Qualitative Study, Seyyed Ali Ostovar-Namaghi, Seyyedeh Mobina Hosseini

The Qualitative Report

Although qualities of effective language teachers have been well specified and well researched, recruiters may not be aware of these qualities or, in the light of local constraints, they may ignore these qualities and apply their own criteria. To uncover the criteria which are actually applied in recruiting language teachers, this qualitative study purposively sampled 15 supervisors who were in charge of recruiting language teachers in private language schools of Sari, the capital city of Mazandran province and then theoretically sampled their perspectives and analyzed them in line with the principles and procedures of grounded theory. Iterative data collection and …