Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Saudi Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teaching And Learning After A 12-Month Professional Development Programme In Australia, Gosia Klatt, Amy Berry, Anne Suryani, Veronica Volkoff, Hesham Khadawardi

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study investigates the perceptions of teaching and learning of teachers from Saudi Arabia who participated in a 12-month professional development programme based in Australia. Considering the design of the programme and the vast differences between the education systems and cultures of the two countries, this study examines Saudi teachers’ classroom practices and challenges while teaching at schools in their home country, and whether their perceptions of teaching practice changed during and after participating in the professional development programme in Australia. Factors that might have influenced the changes to and nature of their teaching aspirations and plans for their students …

Exploring Zimbabwean Mathematics Teachers’ Integration Of Ethnomathematics Approaches Into The Teaching And Learning Of Geometry., Gladys Sunzuma, Aneshkumar Maharaj Prof

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reports on a study that explored how a group of in-service mathematics teachers integrated ethnomathematics approaches into the teaching and learning of geometry. The study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, which combined both quantitative and qualitative methods, to provide a deeper understanding of how the participants integrate ethnomathematics approaches into the teaching and learning of geometry. The data for the study were gathered from 40 in-service mathematics teachers through the use of questionnaires and focus group discussions. Results showed that the in-service teachers integrate ethnomathematics approaches into the teaching and learning of geometry as learning …

Teacher Perspectives On The Use Of The Australian Professional Standards For Teachers As Part Of Their Evaluation Process, Damien Barry, Donna Pendergast, Katherine Main

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teacher effectiveness has a powerful impact on student performance and a teacher evaluation process that supports professional growth can be a key lever for improving teaching quality. The purpose of this study was to examine teacher perspectives on the use of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, when used as part of their evaluation process, and, to determine what other factors may need to be considered in the design and implementation of such a process. A single case study of a school in Victoria, Australia was conducted, using a pre and post interview approach with six teachers. Responses were analysed …

Learning To Become An English Language Teacher: Navigating The Self Through Peer Practicum, Irem Comoglu, Kenan Dikilitas

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Pre-service English language teachers' school practicum is key to their learning to become a teacher. However, a number of challenges are observed in its implementation. This paper addresses this issue by investigating how engaging in practicum as peers can function as mentoring support and how this process can influence their selves. A cohort of 16 senior pre-service English teachers was invited to participate in the study from a state university in the west of Turkey. We collected qualitative data through dialogic verbal records and post-practicum interviews. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The results show that pre-service teachers provided …

Safe Spaces For Enabling The Creative Process In Classrooms, Monique Fuss, Graham R. Daniel

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Based on interviews with five creative professionals this article looks to investigate the creative experience as a source of data on how educators might create space for enabling the creative process in the classroom. Looking toward professional artists who are also committed educators provides core commentary on how to maximise creative experiences in the classroom. Whilst acknowledging the importance of physical space, the following article looks purposefully toward how to enable space as an internal state of being, with the intent toward establishing transdisciplinary discussions that stimulate and provoke creative pedagogical research across an interdependent continuum. The research concludes that …

Making A Difference To The Student Experience Through Purposeful Course Design, Lucia Zundans-Fraser, Alan Bain

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The study described examines the student experience in a graduate inclusive education course purposefully designed to address areas of need identified. These include the need for theory to underpin course design, the need for collaborative practice, and the need to reduce the theory-to-practice gap. Throughout their enrolment and after course completion, feedback from students is presented and examined in order to determine whether these needs have been met through the design of the course. Findings suggest that the organisation of learning materials, embedded capacity-building skills, and the practical applicability of course content was highly regarded by students and contributed to …

Lessons In Persistence: Investigating The Challenges Faced By Preservice Teachers In Teaching Coding And Computational Thinking In An Unfamiliar Context, Vinesh Chandra, Margaret Lloyd

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

An ongoing problem for teacher education institutions is bridging the gap between theory and practice and offering authentic experiences to challenge preservice teachers’ pedagogical decision-making. Preservice practicums simulate teaching and can, at best, offer controlled experiences in familiar settings. This restricts the opportunities for preservice teachers to develop confidence in their own pedagogical decision-making and to adapt curriculum to meet unknown or unforeseen conditions. This paper describes, through a small-scale qualitative case study, a teaching experience in an unfamiliar setting, the persistent actions taken to respond to a specific context and the impact this had on preservice teacher knowledge and …

Factors In Agency Development: A Supervisory Teaching Perspective, Paul Crowhurst, Linley Cornish

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Promoting student agency is an emerging priority in education. Supervisory teaching is a potentially useful approach for supporting agency development. This approach includes two characteristics, namely, tutorial learning conversations between the teacher and a group of one to four students, and students learning independently for extended periods of time. Supervisory teaching lessons in three primary-school classrooms were observed over a period of five months and teachers were interviewed as part of the data collection process. Five key factors were found to support students to have more agency in their learning: independence and ownership, scaffolding, students as teachers, joyfulness, and reflection. …

Pre-Service Science And Mathematics Teachers’ Teaching Efficacy Beliefs And Attitudes Toward Teaching: A Partial Correlation Research, Büşra Kartal

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teachers with a high level of self-efficacy and positive attitudes are more likely to use new and constructivist approaches and to create a learning environment in which students may develop 21st-century skills. Examining pre-service teachers’ attitudes and beliefs related to teaching allow teacher preparation programs to evaluate their effectiveness on beliefs and attitudes. This correlational research investigated pre-service elementary science and mathematics teachers’ beliefs and attitudes due to gender, grade level, and department, and revealed the reliable correlation between beliefs and attitudes performing partial correlation. Results show that females feel more efficacious in teaching and have more positive attitudes than …

Reappraising The Aitsl Professional Engagement Domain: Clarifying Social Capacity Building For School Leaders To Enhance Overall Teacher Job Satisfaction And Career Longevity, Geoffrey M. Lowe, Peter F. Prout, Christina C. Gray, Sarah Jefferson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2018) stipulate what teachers should know and do through each career stage. School leaders are complicit in promoting the Standards are met by all staff, including Professional Engagement (Standards Six and Seven). While the Standards emphasise content and pedagogical capacity building, we contend that teaching is a social enterprise. Although social capacity building is implied in the Professional Engagement domain through terms such as ‘collegiality, collaboration and dialogue’, we question the degree to which it is understood by school leaders. We ask this in light of influential studies by Waldinger (2010) and Vaillant …

Primary Science Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Outcome Expectancy: A Case Study, Gillian Ward, Helen Dixon, Helen Withy

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Self-efficacious teachers are critical in the development of students’ positive attitudes towards science and scientific literacy yet to date little attention has been given to studies of experienced teachers of primary science and development of their self-efficacy (SE) beliefs. The aim of this study was to explore how two experienced teachers of primary science built their SE beliefs and outcome expectancy. Bandura’s (1977) SE framework provided the conceptual lens to understand participants’ experiences and beliefs. Findings suggest that teachers’ SE beliefs had developed over time, creating a foundation for a strong expectancy outcome. Each of the sources of influence made …

Anatomy Of A Peace Educator: Her Work And Workplace, Gulistan Gursel-Bilgin, David Flinders

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reports a case study that examined the peace education practice of a 5th and 6th grade teacher at an independent, non-profit school in the Mid-western United States. The study used Paulo Freire’s (1970) conception of dialogue as its conceptual framework. After describing the study’s context and methods, we present data focusing on the teacher’s background and development as a peace educator, her teaching practices, and her relationships with her students, school and local community. We discuss Michelle’s interdisciplinary approach to peace education linked with her personal background and her use of dialogue as dynamic, fluid, and relational. Our …

Reflecting On Emotions During Teaching: Developing Affective-Reflective Skills In Novice Teachers Using A Novel Critical Moment Protocol, James Bleakley, Geoff Woolcott, Tony Yeigh, Robert Whannell

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Affective-reflective skills are an integral component of classroom pedagogy, providing teachers with emotional understandings and confidence that can improve overall classroom performance. This article presents a case study of early career primary school teachers, showing how such affective-reflective skills can be developed through iterations of a purpose-designed collaborative protocol. Use of this novel protocol allowed teachers to examine their classroom practices via critical moment analysis of affective responses observed from lesson videos. Findings demonstrate how teachers’ use of this non-judgmental and self-evaluative protocol contributed to an emerging understanding of the relationship between their affective-reflective skills and teaching confidence. Findings support …

Investigating The Different Dimensions Of Preservice Mathematics Teachers’ Understanding – The Case Of Factorisation, Olivia Fitzmaurice, Jacqueline Hayes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on a study designed to investigate preservice teachers’ understanding of factorisation, a topic not explicitly taught within their teacher education programme, but one they will be required to teach when they graduate. We query if the knowledge they bring from secondary school, prepares them sufficiently to teach their future students for understanding. 83 preservice secondary school mathematics teachers’ procedural and conceptual understanding of quadratic factorisation were assessed using Usiskin’s Framework for understanding mathematics (2012) which identifies several dimensions of understanding. The study provides evidence that the preservice mathematics teachers have a strong procedural understanding, and while some …

Prevalence, Predictors And Sources Of Information Regarding Neuromyths In An Australian Cohort Of Preservice Teachers, Mark Carter, Penny Van Bergen, Jennifer Stephenson, Carol Newall, Naomi Sweller

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The term neuromyths refers to misconceptions about learning and the brain. Educator neuromyths may result in inappropriate instruction, labelling of learners, and wasted resources. To date, little research has considered the sources of these beliefs. We surveyed 1359 Australian preservice educators (M = 22.7, SD = 5.7 years) about their sources of information for 15 neuromyth and 17 general brain knowledge statements. Consistent with previous studies, neuromyth beliefs were prevalent. Predictors of neuromyth accuracy included general brain knowledge and completion of university classes addressing neuromyths, although effects were modest. Depending on the belief, participants relied on general knowledge, academic staff, …

Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices Of Cooperative Group Work Assessment: Selected Secondary School Teachers In Focus, Abate Demissie Gedamu, Getu Lemma Shewangezaw

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aimed to investigate the beliefs and practices of group work assessment of secondary school teachers. For this reason, 213 teachers were selected randomly for a questionnaire survey. In addition, two teachers and five students were selected for interviews and focus group discussions at each site, respectively. A one-sample t-test was applied to analyze the data acquired through the questionnaire while the Pearson product-moment correlation was used to examine the relationship between the beliefs and practices of group work assessment. The data obtained through interviews and focus group discussion (FGD), were analyzed through thematic verbal descriptions. The findings showed …

Preservice Teachers’ Sense Of Belonging During Practicum Placements, Yvonne Dewhurst, Michelle Ronksley-Pavia, Donna Pendergast

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Practicum placements in schools are keystone features of preservice teacher education, yet inconsistencies in their nature and quality are pervasive. This phenomenon was explored in two cultural contexts, with a focus on ‘belonging’, which the literature reveals may impact practicums and commitment to the profession. Interviews were conducted with six primary school preservice teachers in Australia and Scotland, about their lived experience of belonging/non-belonging during practicum. Hermeneutic phenomenological analysis revealed four themes in both cultural contexts: 1. Being welcomed; 2. Settings and procedures; 3. Interpersonal interactions; and, 4. Strategic behaviours. This study indicates belonging as crucial to preservice teachers’ cognition, …

Curriculum Alignment After Reforms: A Systematic Review With Considerations For Queensland Pre- And In-Service Teachers, Claudia Elisabeth Johnson, Helen J. Boon, Maree Dinan Thompson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This systematic review synthesises research on curriculum alignment to suggest considerations for the implementation of the Senior secondary curriculum reform in Queensland, Australia. It focuses on the coherence of cognitive skills in the prescribed and enacted curriculum as these are typically the least aligned curriculum components. Search methods, which followed the PRISMA model, resulted in 108 relevant articles for qualitative synthesis. Results show that alignment after curriculum reforms is typically low. The use of educational taxonomies can support curriculum alignment. Marzano and Kendall’s (2007) New Taxonomy of Educational Objectives underpins the new Queensland Senior secondary syllabi which, in line with …

Implicit Theories Of Learning As Reflected In One Upper Elementary Teacher's Talk, Laura May, Diane Truscott, R. D. Fremeau

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Strong empirical evidence exists indicating language can influence students’ beliefs about ability. Professional literature for teachers offers practical advice on how to adjust their classroom-based talk to support student achievement by orienting students toward an incremental theory of ability. Yet, little empirical work has been done to investigate how teacher talk plays out moment-to-moment within the classroom context. This study reports on a qualitative analysis of one upper elementary teacher's talk with regard to implicit theories of learning. Findings suggest teacher talk is dynamic and overlapping, operating along a continuum from entity-oriented talk to incremental-oriented talk across varied classroom situations. …

Differences In Perception Between Students And Teachers Of High School Science: Implications For Evaluations Of Teaching And Classroom Evaluation., Michael T. Fitzgerald, Lena Danaia, David H. Mckinnon, Sophie Bartlett

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The science teacher in the modern high school acts as the designer and driver of the in-class practice. In this role, the teacher must broadly assess the effect of the practice on the student. This would rely on accurate self-knowledge of how they act in class and impact their students. In this study we explore these issues by comparing the difference in responses of 86 teachers and 2512 Year 9 and 10 students to an instrument probing their perceptions of their in-class practice. We report two significant findings. First, not only do teachers constantly positively overrate their in-class practice but …

Development Of Historical Thought In Primary Education: Analysis Of An Intervention In Colombian Schools, Nancy Palacios Mena, Paula Garcia, María Lucia Mosquera, Natalia Alarcón

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The main goal of this study was to analyze the development of historical thinking abilities in two groups of fourth graders in Colombian schools. The study consisted of the design, implementation, and evaluation of a three-month pedagogical intervention. After an initial assessment, nine learning activities were implemented. An Intervention Group (IG) received the intervention, while a Control Group (CG) served as a comparison. The assessment comprised three main areas (Historical Sources, Narratives, and Change and Continuity).

The results of the intervention indicated that the IG performed better than the CG in the assessment. Introducing concepts that favor historical thinking development …

The Efficacy Of A Computer Program For Increasing Phonemic Awareness And Decoding Skills In A Primary School Setting For Children With Reading Difficulties, Tiffany Winn, Julia Miller, Willem Van Steenbrugge

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper addresses a gap in research regarding the efficacy of software programs to help children with reading difficulties. Forty-two children aged 5-13 years identified as poor readers participated in a study over twelve weeks using ReadingDoctor, a software program targeting phonemic awareness, orthographic-phonemic mappings, decoding ability and sight word recognition. Measures were taken using the Sutherland Phonological Awareness Test - Revised (SPAT-R), the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE), and the graphemes and decoding subtests of the Phonological Awareness Test 2 (PAT-2). A quasi-experimental one group study with three multiple baseline measures was used. The dependent variables/measures were assessed …

Indonesian Teachers Beliefs On The Gap Between Educational Research And Practice, Yoppy Wahyu Purnomo, Puri Pramudiani, Tian Abdul Aziz, Amrita Kaur, Siti Noor Ismail, Ishaq Nuriadin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teachers' beliefs towards educational research has become one significant factor in explaining the gap between research and practice. The present study aimed at reviewing the scale to measure teachers' beliefs about the causes and problems related to research-based practices, describing beliefs that teachers appear to hold, and examining its relation to their demographic characteristics. The study involved 466 in-service teachers in Jakarta Province. The study employed the 24-item scale developed by Broekkamp and van Hout-Wolters (2007). The study indicated that 20 out of 24 items of the scale were valid and reliable to measure the teachers’ beliefs. The scale consisted …

A Fish Out Of Water: Developing Intercultural Understanding Of Students In Higher Education, Nicole Leggett

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Experiential learning is a critical, dynamic and powerful element of learning in Higher Education. Often named international and domestic study trips or study tours, this educational strategy has the potential to transform the lives of students through engagement with another community or culture. This qualitative study explored the effects of experiential learning during a two-week study tour to Italy, involving two groups of students from an Australian University during 2017 and 2018. Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood/Primary) degree, who were in their third year of studies, could enrol in the elective course entitled ‘Intercultural Understandings’ which …

Design And Implementation Of Autonomous Quadcopter Using Sitl Simulator, Hasan M., Dr. Bassim A. Jumaa, Dr. Ayman D. Salman

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

In recent years Quadcopter has been used in many applications such as military, security & surveillance, service delivery, disaster rescue and much more due to its flexibility of flying. In this paper, Quadcopter will be used for mail delivery between many locations that is received from the end user. The Quadcopter will execute an autonomous flight using the concept of companion PC. Raspberry PI 3 (RPI3) will control the Quadcopter by command the controller of the drone (Pixhawk) by using DroneKit-Python API to send MAVLink messages to the Ardupilot. This concept is useful to perform an additional task to the …

Enhanced Mqtt Protocol By Smart Gateway, Hawraa R., Hamid M.

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

The MQTT protocol is one of the Internet of Things (loT) application protocols. It is based on publishing/subscribing messaging patterns. This protocol uses a broker to manage the communication between the subscribers and the publishers over the internet. There were two problems associated with the implementation of this protocol. The first one, there are many sensors generating huge data using the very simple IoT architecture. These big data may lead to congestion on the internet and thus will cause several disadvantages such as decreasing throughput, packet loss, and delay, which in turn may affect the performance of the MQTT broker, …

Applying Quantitative Reasoning To Clarify Arc Measurements, David Glassmeyer, Daniel Barton

Georgia Educational Researcher

The importance of reasoning quantitatively is reflected in both mathematics education research and mathematical standards for K-12 students. In this article, we detail how a quantitative reasoning framework can be used to help differentiate two quantities we have found students often struggle with: arc length and the measure of a central angle. We argue that taking the time to define all four components of a quantity can support students’ understanding of theorems involving these quantities.

Georgia’S Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver Program: Current Status, Web Presence, And Web Content, Donald L. Ariail, W. Ken Harmon, David Nwokocha

Georgia Educational Researcher

Senior citizens are becoming a larger and more significant part of the workforce as they desire to work longer. Companies have found these individuals bring valuable skills to the workplace; however, they frequently need to update those skills or pursue new degrees. Since 1976, Georgia has had a law granting senior citizens tuition waivers in the state’s public higher education institutions, thus allowing them the ability to take courses to update their skills. This study assessed the current status of the tuition waiver program by reviewing web sites of the 26 institutions in the University System of Georgia to determine …

Making Sense Of Georgia School Leader Evaluation: Climate, Engagement And The District Office, Bipul Singh, Matt Townsley

Georgia Educational Researcher

Assessment of principal effectiveness is a complex process due to the multidimensional nature of their job. Historically, a disproportionate significance has been placed on standardized assessment scores when evaluating school leaders, therefore states are beginning to emphasize other factors such as school climate in order to increase employee retention. This study investigated any correlation between leadership effectiveness, the staff perception of school climate, and employee engagement in a suburban Georgia school district’s 139 schools. An improved understanding of these constructs may assist principals and assistant principals modify their leadership practices to better meet the needs of their teachers. Results suggest …

Do Advanced Degrees Matter? A Multiphase Mixed-Methods Study To Examine Teachers’ Obtainment Of Advanced Degrees And The Impact On Student And School Growth, Mei-Lin Chang Dr., Ivan M. Jorrín Abellán, Jim Wright, Jihye Kim, Rachel E. Gaines

Georgia Educational Researcher

Teacher quality has been found to offset the adverse effect of racial and socioeconomic differences in academic achievement; and teacher quality is often thought to be the product of a quality education. However, existing literature has produced mixed results regarding the relationship between student achievement and teachers’ possession of advanced degrees (ADs). Despite these mixed results, ADs are often the most efficient (if not the only) way for teachers to earn certification and salary upgrades. A longitudinal, multiphase mixed-methods explanatory study aimed to bridge shortcomings of existing research on the effects of teachers obtaining ADs. Associations between teacher credentials and …