Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Focusing On Six First Year Firsts: A Professional Development Framework Supporting Teachers Of First Year Subjects, Kathryn Harden-Thew, Bonnie Amelia Dean
Focusing On Six First Year Firsts: A Professional Development Framework Supporting Teachers Of First Year Subjects, Kathryn Harden-Thew, Bonnie Amelia Dean
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers
The first year of university is a critical period for student engagement. Crucial to smooth transition is how teaching staff support new students in their first year experience (FYE). However, across higher education institutions, staff receive varying levels of professional development, and often, little explanation of how to translate theory into practice. In 2014, at Wollongong University, a new professional development framework was developed to assist teaching staff across the university to translate transition principles into effective curriculum practices. The framework identifies six moments in any first year curriculum where students experience their first contact with different academic elements and …
The Learning Experience: Training Teachers Using Online Synchronous Environments, Stuart Woodcock, Ashley Sisco, Michelle J. Eady
The Learning Experience: Training Teachers Using Online Synchronous Environments, Stuart Woodcock, Ashley Sisco, Michelle J. Eady
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
This study examined the effectiveness of an online synchronous platform used for training preservice teachers. A blended learning approach was implemented. Fifty-three students participated in the course. Qualitative interview data and quantitative survey data were collected about students' experiences using the platform, and analyzed via thematic content analysis and statistical analysis, respectively. The findings show that e-learning synchronous technology is an effective learning tool in enhancing preservice teachers' e-learning competency in subject matter and information communication technology skills. However, preservice teachers' competency to learn and implement e-learning for students is dependent on four hierarchal conditions (a) ease of use, (b) …
'But I'M Not Artistic': How Teachers Shape Kids' Creative Development, Gai M. Lindsay
'But I'M Not Artistic': How Teachers Shape Kids' Creative Development, Gai M. Lindsay
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Many adults believe they are not artistic and feel nervous about visual art. They vividly recall the moment when a teacher or family member discouraged their efforts to creatively express their ideas through drawing or art-making. Such early childhood experiences can affect developing confidence and learning potential throughout a child's education and into adulthood. If preschool educators lack the visual art knowledge and confidence to provide valuable art experiences, children's potential to creatively express their ideas using visual symbols may be restricted. Creative thinking and the ability to make meaning in many ways is the key to success in the …
What Should Be Taught By Teachers, And What By Parents?, Pauline Lysaght
What Should Be Taught By Teachers, And What By Parents?, Pauline Lysaght
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Who taught you to tell the time, to tie your shoelaces or to write your name? I have memories of my parents and teachers taking a hand in helping me to learn these skills as a small child. But what about more challenging tasks - who taught you to analyse a poem or to solve equations? Mr Williamson, my favourite teacher, taught the principles of algebra to our class and patiently went over the information until it started to make some sense to me. I also remember my parents encouraging me to practise what I was learning in class and …
Designing A Digital Teaching Resource To Explain Phases Of The Moon: A Case Study Of Preservice Elementary Teachers Making A Slowmation, Wendy S. Nielsen, Garry F. Hoban
Designing A Digital Teaching Resource To Explain Phases Of The Moon: A Case Study Of Preservice Elementary Teachers Making A Slowmation, Wendy S. Nielsen, Garry F. Hoban
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
This research studied a group of three preservice elementary teachers creating a narrated stop-motion animation (Slowmation) from start to finish in 3 hours to explain the challenging concept of "phases of the moon" to elementary school children. The research questions investigated the preservice teachers' learning before and after the construction as well as how the preservice teachers designed the slowmation as a teaching resource. Data collection involved individual interviews immediately before and after the construction in conjunction with analysis of video and audio data collected during the construction process. Before the animation construction, the participants had little understanding of the …
Teachers: Technology, Change And Resistance, Sarah Katherine Howard, Adrian Mozejko
Teachers: Technology, Change And Resistance, Sarah Katherine Howard, Adrian Mozejko
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
This chapter explores the way in which a culture of educational technology-related policy and curriculum change has arguably resulted in minimal improvement in teaching and learning. Moreover, it is argued that such a culture of change has instead simply increased teacher disengagement and thereby resulted in teachers being erroneously labelled by polichy actors, administrators and technology enthusiasts as 'resistant' to change, 'luddites' and 'risk averse'. Accordingly, this chapter challenges these simplistic labels, and offers a more critical perspective of how and why teachers (dis)engage with technology.
An Examination Of Pre-Service Teachers' Attributions For Students With Specific Learning Difficulties, Stuart Woodcock, Wilma Vialle
An Examination Of Pre-Service Teachers' Attributions For Students With Specific Learning Difficulties, Stuart Woodcock, Wilma Vialle
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
One of the most important factors in the successful inclusion of students with specific learning difficulties in mainstream classrooms is the teacher. Despite strong support for inclusion, mainstream teachers still demonstrate mixed responses to the inclusion of certain students in the classrooms. Further, their attitudes towards inclusion seem to be formed during their initial training. The purpose of this research was to examine the attitudes of pre-service teachers towards students with specific learning difficulties by analyzing their attributional responses to hypothetical students. Participants included 205 pre-service teachers, and the results demonstrated that the pre-service teachers' attributional responses differed according to …
Student Teachers' Cognition About L2 Pronunciation Instruction: A Case Study, Michael Burri
Student Teachers' Cognition About L2 Pronunciation Instruction: A Case Study, Michael Burri
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
In view of the minimal attention pronunciation teacher preparation has received in second language (L2) teacher education, this study examined the cognition (i.e. beliefs, thoughts, attitudes and knowledge) development of 15 student teachers during a postgraduate subject on pronunciation pedagogy offered at an Australian tertiary institution. Findings revealed that, as a result of taking the subject, student teachers' cognition shifted from teaching individual sounds (i.e. segmentals) to favouring a more balanced approach to pronunciation instruction. That is, teaching the melody of the English language (i.e. suprasegmentals) was seen as important as teaching segmentals. Non-native speakers' self-perceived pronunciation improvement, an increase …
"Teachers Are Not Empty Vessels": A Reception Study Of Freeman And Johnson's (1998) Reconceptualization Of The Knowledge Base Of Second Language Teacher Education, Joseph J. Lee, John Murphy, Amanda Ann Baker
"Teachers Are Not Empty Vessels": A Reception Study Of Freeman And Johnson's (1998) Reconceptualization Of The Knowledge Base Of Second Language Teacher Education, Joseph J. Lee, John Murphy, Amanda Ann Baker
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
This study traces the reception history of Freeman and Johnson's (1998) widely cited article dedicated to theory and practices of second language teacher education (SLTE). It illuminates the degree to which that article has impacted SLTE theory, research, and potentially instructional practices. The reception study analysis is based on a data set of 413 journal articles, books, book chapters, master's theses, and doctoral dissertations that cited Freeman and Johnson (F&J) between 1999 and 2014. Using an innovative analytical approach combining both Hyland's (1999, 2004) citation categories and Coffin's (2009) stance framework, we investigate the citation analytics of F&J within this …
Enhancing The Quality Of Pre-Service Teachers Learning Through The Conceptualizing Of Mentoring Strategies During The Practicum, Lynn D. Sheridan, Hoa Nguyen
Enhancing The Quality Of Pre-Service Teachers Learning Through The Conceptualizing Of Mentoring Strategies During The Practicum, Lynn D. Sheridan, Hoa Nguyen
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Professional experience has been described as a cornerstone of teacher preparation that has a "profound impact on student teachers" (Hammerness, Darling-Hammond, & Shulman, 2002, p. 409). There is a wide variation of teacher education programs across the world however, in most countries teacher preparation programs consists of initial university-based course work followed by school-based student teaching practice. Clearly, this program structure has implications for the role of professional experience in creating genuine opportunities for pre-service teachers to develop teaching practice and knowledge about the profession. During the professional experience, mentoring pre-service teachers has been considered critical in ensuring a quality …
Identity Formation Of Lbote Pre-Service Teachers During The Practicum, Hoa Nguyen, Lynn D. Sheridan
Identity Formation Of Lbote Pre-Service Teachers During The Practicum, Hoa Nguyen, Lynn D. Sheridan
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Abstract presented at the AARE 2015 Conference, 30 November-3 December 2015, Fremantle, Australia
Technology Tools To Support Learning Design: Implications Derived From An Investigation Of University Teachers' Design Practices, Sue Bennett, Shirley Agostinho, Lori Lockyer
Technology Tools To Support Learning Design: Implications Derived From An Investigation Of University Teachers' Design Practices, Sue Bennett, Shirley Agostinho, Lori Lockyer
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
The need to improve the quality of higher education has fostered an interest in technology tools to support effective design for teaching and learning. Over the past decade this interest has led to the development of tools to support the creation of online learning experiences, specifications to underpin design systems, and repositories to share examples. Despite this significant activity, there remain unanswered questions about what shapes university teachers' design decisions and how tools can best support their design processes. This paper presents findings from a study of university teachers'; design practices that identified teachers' perceptions of student characteristics, their own …
An Investigation Of Teachers' Awareness And Willingness To Engage With A Self-Directed Professional Development Package On Gifted And Talented Education, Kylie Fraser-Seeto, Steven J. Howard, Stuart Woodcock
An Investigation Of Teachers' Awareness And Willingness To Engage With A Self-Directed Professional Development Package On Gifted And Talented Education, Kylie Fraser-Seeto, Steven J. Howard, Stuart Woodcock
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Despite recognising the importance of educators in meeting the needs of gifted and talented students, research indicates that teachers often lack the essential knowledge, skills and confidence to identify and meet the needs of gifted and talented students. Evidence suggests this lack of preparation may be related to teachers' professional development. This quantitative study of 96 primary school teachers aimed to provide an initial insight into the knowledge and uptake of the 2005 DEST/GERRIC Gifted and Talented Training Package. It further aimed to give some insight into teachers' opinions and behaviours as it pertains to this mode of professional development. …
Science Teachers' Response To The Digital Education Revolution, Wendy S. Nielsen, K. Alex Miller, Garry F. Hoban
Science Teachers' Response To The Digital Education Revolution, Wendy S. Nielsen, K. Alex Miller, Garry F. Hoban
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
We report a case study of two highly qualified science teachers as they implemented laptop computers in their Years 9 and 10 science classes at the beginning of the 'Digital Education Revolution,' Australia's national one-to-one laptop program initiated in 2009. When a large-scale investment is made in a significant educational change, it is important to consider teachers perspectives and responses to such change and we draw from sociocultural perspectives for our analysis. Through interviews and classroom observations, our interpretive analysis identified four key tensions and contradictions. These include the following: (1) barriers to innovative science teaching; (2) maintaining classroom and …