Education Commons^™

Technology And Teacher Preparation In Exemplary Institutions: 1994 To 2003, Mark J. Hofer

Mark Hofer

In a 1994 study commissioned by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, Mergendoller, Johnston, Rockman, & Willis (1994) examined four exemplary institutions to identify their approaches to integrating technology into teacher education. A decade later, the field would benefit from a comparison of current approaches of infusing technology into teacher education to the 1994 findings. This study examines the approaches of the first seven teacher education programs to receive the ISTE NETS Distinguished Achievement Award. Current approaches to the process are outlined, including the identification of the key factors impacting their implementation. A comparison of the 1994 and the present …

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Tpack) In Action: A Descriptive Study Of Secondary Teachers' Curriculum-Based, Technology-Related Instructional Planning, Judith B. Harris, Mark J. Hofer

Judith Harris

How does teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) inform their instructional planning? How can this knowledge be enhanced? In an interpretivist study of experienced secondary social studies teachers' planning, we sought to discover clues to the nature and development of these teachers' TPACK-in-action as it was expressed in their planning processes. Comparisons of interview data and planning products before and after engaging in professional development that addressed content-focused, TPACK-based learning activity types (Harris & Hofer, 2009) revealed three primary findings, each supported by participating teachers' oral and written reflections upon their learning. The participating teachers' (a) selection and use of …

School Culture For Students With Significant Support Needs: Belonging Is Not Enough, Diane Carroll, Connie Fulmer, Donna Sobel, Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Lorenso Aragon, Lisa Coval

Connie L. Fulmer

This qualitative study examined the influence of school culture on services for students with significant support needs. Students with significant support needs are defined as those who typically have cognitive impairments, often paired with sensory and physical challenges, and who require substantial supports to receive benefit from education. Using Schein's (1988) definition of culture, ethnographic methods, including observations, interviews and artifacts, were used to collect data related to artifacts, values, and assumptions. Results of this study indicate a strong sense of family, community and belonging. However, belonging did not include critical components of instruction as described as best practice in …

School Culture For Students With Significant Support Needs: Belonging Is Not Enough, Diane Carroll, Connie Fulmer, Donna Sobel, Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Lorenso Aragon, Lisa Coval

Dorothy Garrison-Wade

This qualitative study examined the influence of school culture on services for students with significant support needs. Students with significant support needs are defined as those who typically have cognitive impairments, often paired with sensory and physical challenges, and who require substantial supports to receive benefit from education. Using Schein's (1988) definition of culture, ethnographic methods, including observations, interviews and artifacts, were used to collect data related to artifacts, values, and assumptions. Results of this study indicate a strong sense of family, community and belonging. However, belonging did not include critical components of instruction as described as best practice in …

Identifying Gifted And Talented English Language Learners: A Case Study, Bryn Harris, Jonathan Plucker, Kelly Rapp, Rebecca Martinez

Bryn Harris

With the sharp rise in students who are English language learners (ELL), research on identifying and serving the needs of gifted and talented (GT) ELL students offers fertile ground for best practice guidelines. The current study describes GT/ELL identification practices based on an in-depth case study of one diverse school district in the Midwest. School personnel, parents, and students participated in separate semistructured group interviews about their experiences regarding GT/ELL identification. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed for thematic content. Additionally, district and state policy documents about GT and ELL identification practices were reviewed. Results highlight the theoretical and practical …

Visionaries, Architects And Pioneers: Conceptualising Smu, Pin Pin Yeo, Patricia Meyer

YEO Pin Pin

The Singapore Management University (SMU) Library was tasked with documenting the early history of SMU by the chairman of its board of trustees. An oral history project to interview the pioneers involved in the formation of the university began in 2011. The project team included the Library, the Information Technology department, and a researcher/interviewer who was familiar with SMU. It was a steep learning curve for the team. As they conducted and processed the interviews, they learned about and made decisions on interviewing, recording, transcribing, storage, website design, discoverability, usability, and sustainability. The resulting oral history website presents the interviews …

Metalurjiye Adanmis Bir Hayat: Fathi Habashi, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

Interview of a Turkish mining magazine

Metalurjiye Adanmış Bir Hayat, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

Interview

Evaluating The Written Work Of Others: One Way Economics Students Can Learn To Write, Harlan M. Smith Ii, Amy Broughton, Jaime Copley

Harlan M. Smith

The authors present a series of writing assignments that teaches students how to evaluate and critique the written economic work of others. The foundation text is McCloskey’s (2000) Economical Writing. The students’ dialogues with McCloskey, with each other, and with the authors of the pieces they evaluate sharpen their understanding of, and ability to use, language as an instrument of economic thought. Interviews with former students identify specific benefits from the student perspective of this approach. The authors show how the assignment series can be modified in several ways and how the general approach, as well as the foundation text, …

Mathematical Thinking Of Preschool Children In Rural And Regional Australia : Research And Practice, Robert Hunting, Janette Bobis, Brian Doig, Judith Mousley, Lyn English, Joanne Mulligan, Marina Papic, Catherine Pearn, Bob Perry, Jill Robbins, Jenny Young-Loveridge

Catherine Pearn

Results of a research project that investigated: early childhood educators' thoughts on young children's mathematical thinking and development; reviewed recent research literature on the mathematical learning and thinking of young children; and made this information accessible to early childhood educators at all levels. Sixty-four early childhood educators from regional and rural New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria were interviewed for the project. Questions focused on: children's mathematics learning; support for mathematics teaching; use of technology; attitudes to mathematics; and assessment and record keeping. [p.1]

Interview, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

Translation of an interview published in a Turkish mining magazine Madancilik Tukiye

Korean Efl Students' Amotivation To Learn English: An Activity Theory Analysis, Tae-Young Kim

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

By using Dörnyei’s (2009) L2 motivational self-system, this qualitative study investigates 39 Korean EFL students’ amotivation of English learning, or the lack of motivation. Theoretically, the study was guided by Leont’ev’s (1978) activity theory, which emphasizes the unique mediation between the individual (as an active agent representing ontogenetic human development) and the social domain. I argue that an AT perspective can coherently explain students’ amotivation by paying attention to the students’ socioeducational contexts. Particularly, hakbul, or degreeocracy widespread among students and parents in Korea, is attributed to be the major reason for student amotivated but sustained English learning.

The research …

Multiple-Choice Questions Compared To Short-Answer Response : Which Assesses Understanding Of Chemistry More Effectively?, Ross Hudson

Dr Ross Hudson

The research inquires into the effectiveness of the two predominant forms of questions that are used on the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Victoria Chemistry examination. These are multiple- choice questions and short-answer questions. This research examines not only the style of chemistry question but also the content type examined (recall and application questions) along with gender differences in students' responses to such questions. The research involved three phases, i) analysis of five years results from the VCE Chemistry examinations, ii) class trial testing students of both genders with structured questions that examined the same material content with each type …

Mathematical Thinking Of Young Children Through The Eyes Of Preschool Practitioners, Robert Hunting, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

This paper reports on interview responses to three questions seeking preschool practitioners' perceptions of mathematical thinking in very young children. Generally, the interviewees were found to have a good sense of mathematical concepts relevant to babies and toddlers, and they cited evidence of young children's mathematical development. It is concluded that this practical knowledge provides a strong foundation for further professional development. [Author abstract]

Preventing Challenging Behaviour Through The Management Of Instructional Antecedents, John J. Wheeler, Stacy L. Carter, Michael R. Mayton, Morgan Chitiyo

John J. Wheeler

Why You Have To Probe To Discover What Year 8 Students Really Think About Fractions, Catherine Pearn, Max Stephens

Catherine Pearn

Many researchers have noted how children's whole number schemes can interfere with their efforts to learn fractions. This paper examines the persistence of whole number schemes among 14 year-old students who appear to have successfully mastered routine algorithms for working with fractions. Uncovering whole number thinking among such students is therefore difficult, and is illustrated through the use of several probing interview tasks, revealing quite different forms of whole number thinking. These forms of thinking can give correct answers also making it difficult for teachers to identify incorrect thinking about fractions. Representations of fractions using number lines can assist in …

Probing Whole Number Dominance With Fractions, Max Stephens, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

Children's whole number schemes can interfere with their efforts to learn fractions. To what extent do these schemes persist for secondary school students? This paper reports on the development and piloting of an interview designed to identify and probe inappropriate whole number strategies for working with fractions among secondary students. The interview showed that these strategies are still prevalent among Year 8 students. Among others who use appropriate multiplicative strategies the interview showed that some of these are still not confident in challenging instances of inappropriate whole number thinking. [Author abstract]