Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Ua41 University College Connection, Dennis K. George, Dean, Wendi Kelley

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

Taking A Closer Look: Teaching Students To Be Metacognitive, Sarah K. Clark

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Teachers Learning From Professional Development Programme For Primary School Teachers And Translating Their New Learning Into Actions In Primary Schools In The Context Of Chitral Pakistan, Mohammad Khan

Professional Development Centre, Chitral

Professional development programmes are criticized for not meeting the practical needs of teachers and teachers are blamed for going to their comfort zones despite their participations in professional development programmes. This qualitative case study explored effectiveness of the program of primary education certificate course looking into participant teachers’ new knowledge, skills and attitude gained from the programme and the implementation of their new learning into their respective classrooms. One program graduate from each nine participating schools participated in the study. Data was collected through semi-structured and open-ended interviews, classroom observations, documents analysis and conducting focused group discussions with students. The …

Inquiry-Based Teaching In Mathematics Classroom In A Lower Secondary School Of Karachi, Pakistan, Abdul Wali Khan

Professional Development Centre, Chitral

There is greater demand on schools to provide autonomy to the learners in the learning process. Diverse strategies are suggested by academicians to achieve the desired autonomy. One such strategy is inquiry-based teaching which provides students with enhanced autonomy in the learning process. This study explores how inquiry-based teaching could be introduced in mathematics classroom in a lower secondary school of Pakistan through an action research process? Analytic memos, sample of students work, reflections from critical friend, observations, field notes and interviews were the main tools of data generation during the study. The results of the study report that inquiry-based …

Teachers' Sense Of Professional Practices As A Result Of Mentoring, Leadriane L. Roby

Dissertations

Formal mentoring programs focus on the probationary period of new teachers. Providing teachers with mentoring support during the initial years of teaching requires significant commitment and investment from school districts, mentors, and new teachers. Numerous studies argue the merits of mentoring programs, yet the research has been less clear about what happens once mentoring support has ended. The purpose of this study was to explore how mentored teachers, those beyond the formal mentoring experience, created sense and meaning of their teaching roles and developed professional practices after participation in a mentoring program.

There is an assumption that there is a …

The Mathematics Portfolio: An Alternative Tool To Evaluate Students’ Progress, Marla A. Sole

Publications and Research

This article describes the need for more thorough and varied forms of assessment to evaluate students’ level of understanding in mathematics. Portfolios are one type of assessment tool that, when added to a teacher’s repertoire can improve students’ comprehension and retention and enable students to monitor their own progress and to take more responsibility for their own learning. Portfolio assignments can also help students and teachers to detect and remedy weaknesses and misunderstandings and can increase students’ self-confidence in mathematics. This article discusses what a portfolio is, gives an example of a unit portfolio used in an undergraduate Finite Mathematics …

Teach For Australia Pathway : Evaluation Report Phase 2 Of 3, Paul R. Weldon, Phillip Mckenzie, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Kate Reid

Initial Teacher education

The evaluation of the Teach for Australia Pathway was commissioned by DEEWR and commenced in March 2010. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess whether the delivery of the Pathway can be modified to better achieve intended outputs and outcomes, and whether the Pathway is achieving expected outcomes.

This report (Part 2) concerns the second of three phases of the evaluation of the TFA Pathway. The first report (Part 1) was designed to provide a summary of data gathered on the operation of the Pathway in its initial stages. Data for that report were collected via site visits with …

Transitions: Narratives Of Transitional Experiences Of Non-Traditional Female Students Upon Return To The University, Susan A. Turner

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Student And Staff Engagement: Developing An Engagement Framework In A Faculty Of Education, Sharon M. Pittaway

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Student engagement is emerging as a key focus in higher education, as engagement is increasingly understood as a prerequisite for effective learning. This paper reports on the development of an Engagement Framework that provides a practical understanding of student (and staff) engagement which can be applied to any discipline, year level or course. The Engagement Framework proposes five non-hierarchical elements: personal engagement, academic engagement, intellectual engagement, social engagement, and professional engagement. As well as describing these elements, the paper also explores the theoretical foundations of the Engagement Framework, including a recognition of the importance of conation as one of three …

Developing The Vision: Preparing Teachers To Deliver A Digital World-Class Education System, Jenny M. Lane

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In 2008 Australians were promised a ‘Digital Education Revolution’ by the government to dramatically change classroom education and build a ‘world-class education system’. Eight billion dollars have been spent providing computer equipment for upper secondary classrooms, yet there is little evidence that a revolution has occurred in Australian schools. Transformation of an education system takes more than a simplistic hardware solution. Revolutions need leaders and leaders need vision. In this paper, I argue that we must first develop educational leaders by inspiring future teachers with a vision and by designing our teacher-education courses as technology-rich learning-spaces. A multi-layered scenario is …

Elementary Teacher Education In Papua New Guinea: Towards A Culturally Connected Perspective Of Teaching, Casper Hahambu, Joanne M. Brownlee, E. Anne Petriwskyj

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Global and national agendas for quality education have led to reforms in Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) elementary education, but criticism of the learner-centred Western pedagogies has emerged. One key influence on quality teacher education relates to perspectives of teaching. Existing research shows teachers’ beliefs and perceptions of teaching influence their practice, however to date little research has investigated perspectives of teaching for elementary education in PNG. This single exploratory case study investigated the perspectives of teaching for eighteen elementary teacher trainers as they studied for a Bachelor of Early Childhood (Teacher Education). The study, drawing on an interpretivist paradigm, analysed …

Learning To Lead: A Social Justice Perspective On Understanding Elementary Teacher Leadership In Papua New Guinea, Joanne Brownlee, Laura Scholes, Ann Farrell, Julie Davis, Donna Cook

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Leadership in elementary education is currently recognized as a political imperative in Papua New Guinea (PNG), as the nation develops strategies towards equitable access to schooling. One recent initiative aimed at building educational leadership was an intensive Australian Leadership Award Fellowship (ALAF) program funded by AusAID, involving a group of 10 teacher trainers from PNG. As part their involvement participants completed self-authored journal entries at the beginning and end of the leadership program. Participants were also involved in focus groups after completion of the initiative. Referring to the experiences of these teacher trainers, this paper draws on Nancy Fraser’s (2005, …

“Everybody Is Their Own Island”: Teacher Disconnection In A Virtual School, Abigail Hawkins, Charles R. Graham, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Virtual schooling is a recent phenomenon in K-12 online learning. As such, the roles of the online teachers are emerging and differ from those of the traditional classroom teacher. Using qualitative interviews of eight virtual high school teachers, this study explored teachers’ perceptions of their online teaching role. Teachers expressed a sense of disconnection from their students, the profession, and their peers as a result of limited interactions due to significant institutional barriers. Researchers discuss the implications of this disconnection as well as future avenues for research.

How To Reach All Types Of Learners Through The Use Of Manupulatives In Grades Three, Four, And Five, Cadie Fairchild

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper is an examination of research concerning the use of manipulatives with third, fourth, and fifth grade mathematics instruction. The research discusses the power of child discovery, stages of representation, using manipulatives to support learning, eliminating manipulatives prematurely, and eliminating negative stereotypes linked to manipulative use. A major concern of teaching with manipulatives is the knowledge of the teacher. An educator’s role is to provide the best learning opportunities for students. Research reviewed for this paper indicates frequent hands on activities using manipulatives. They need to be aware of the many learning stages and how to address each individual …

Establishment And Maintenance Of Academic Optimism In Michigan Elementary Schools: Academic Emphasis, Faculty Trust Of Students And Parents, Collective Efficacy, Jill Van Hof

Dissertations

In response to heightened standards and calls for accountability, schools have dramatically intensified their work to meet the growing challenges. Schools require strategies for improvement that will transcend demographic factors such as SES. Research has shown the construct of academic optimism as contributing to student achievement despite a school’s socio-economic status (Goddard, LoGerfo, & Hoy, 2004; Goddard, Sweetland, & Hoy, 2000; Hoy, 2002; Hoy & Miskel, 2005; Hoy & Sabo, 1998; Hoy & Tarter, 1997; Hoy, Tarter, & Kottkamp, 1991; Hoy, Tarter, & Woolfolk, 2006; McGuigan & Hoy, 2006; Smith & Hoy, 2001; Tschannen-Moran, Hoy, & Hoy, 2000).

There exists, …

Teacher Evaluation Systems And Multi-Cultural Commonalities And Challenges: England, Mexico, Portugal, Finland, Ireland, And Turkey, Jacqueline P. Kelleher, Sandra Kase

Education Faculty Publications

Our hope is that policymakers, educators, and concerned citizens will focus on teacher evaluation (in the United States) as a way to ensure high quality teaching and to promote both professional development and reflective self assessment. We advocate for credible tools and appropriate preparation of evaluators conducting the assessment of teachers and school-based staff. Further, we argue for time - time allocation for school leaders to observe and evaluate in meaningful ways, followed by targeted, rich dialogue about practice and professional growth. District level policies will need to be developed and 17 implemented to ensure this exchange can occur right …

Immersed In The Language And Culture Of The World’S Backyard: A Study On Language Maintenance And Loss, Lucilei A. Brigido

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

In this paper, I, as an educator and a language learner, examine the stories of immigrants and their immersion into a second language and a new culture as they maintain and\or create identities, while considering the society in which they are immersed, the United States, which receives people from all corners of the world. The theoretical framework I draw from is life-based narrative research, as well as literature exploring the role of identities and membership in society. Life-based narratives give real faces to the stories, helping school holders and lay people to develop awareness in regard to the complexities and …

Investigating Computer-Based Formative Assessments In A Medical Terminology Course, Jammie T. Wilbanks

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Research has been conducted on the effectiveness of formative assessments and on effectively teaching medical terminology; however, research had not been conducted on the use of formative assessments in a medical terminology course. A quantitative study was performed which captured data from a pretest, self-assessment, four module exams, and a final exam for 48 students to explore the effectiveness of formative assessments in an online medical terminology course. The students enrolled in the course were randomly divided into two groups and assigned a self-assessment for one of two modules of course content. Data indicate that the inclusion of self-assessment opportunities …

Teaching About Global Debt In Social Studies Classrooms, Anand Marri, Timothy Patterson, Scott Wylie

Education Faculty Publications

The article offers guidelines in teaching high school students about global debt in their social studies class in the U.S. It outlines various ways on how to infuse discussions about global debt into social studies classrooms which include connecting the topic of global debt on a student's personal finance, providing of instructional materials, and focusing on public policy dilemmas. The author suggests teaching students about global debt through student-centered pedagogy.

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Ipads In The Classroom, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Today, iPads and other tablet devices have become the next great device to have a purported impact on classroom teaching. The 2010-11 MACUL Grant I was awarded was designed to purchase one iPad and one iPod Touch (along with several accessories for both devices), and supplement that number with a loan of an additional four iPads and accessories from the College of Education at Wayne State University, to develop an iterative professional development for a small group of high school science teachers on using the iPad as a tool for technology integration.