Education Commons^™

‘We Were All Green And Brand New’: Mentoring In Theories Of Child Development For Australian Early Career Preschool Teachers, Emma Ellis, Andrea Reupert, Marie Hammer

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Three Australian Government commissioned reports from 2011-2017 convey a longstanding child development theory-practice gap in early childhood education. This study explores what informs mentors’ discussions of theories of child development with early career preschool teachers. Grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, themes relate to the wide role of the early childhood teacher, variation in initial teacher education, developing teacher identity, emotional connections, and consolidation and extension of university learning of child development theories. Critical discussion of themes from a Freirean perspective illustrates how mentors conveyed experiences of oppression, marginalisation, and liberation. We offer that though the child development theory-practice gap is …

How Is Trauma-Informed Education Implemented Within Classrooms? A Synthesis Of Trauma-Informed Education Programs, Jacolyn Norrish, Tom Brunzell

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The purpose of this study was to synthesise the content of trauma-informed education programs with a focus on classroom strategies. Programs (N = 20) were identified that focused on primary and secondary schools and were suitable for application in the classroom by teachers. Program materials available in the public domain were collated and the qualitative research method of reflexive thematic analysis was used to explore commonalities and themes in classroom strategies across different approaches. Classroom strategies were aimed at meeting students’ somatic (i.e., ‘bottom-up’) capacities of safety needs, self-regulatory needs, sensory needs, and relational and attachment needs. Classroom strategies also …

Gender And Stress Levels Among Pre-Service Teachers, Gretchen Geng, Leigh Disney, Richard Midford, Jenny Buckworth

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study used gender-sensitive research to investigate stress levels and stressors among pre-service teachers. The differences and similarities in stress levels between male and female pre-service teachers were studied. There were five significant findings: 1) both male and female pre-service teachers had high-stress levels; 2) male pre-service teachers had higher stress levels than females; 3) male pre-service teachers' stress has a strong relationship with their ages, while it was not for female pre-service teachers; 4) male pre-service teachers preferred to undertake their placement and commence their teaching career in middle or higher year level sectors, while female students preferred to …

Emotional Freedom Techniques (Tapping) To Improve Wellbeing And Reduce Anxiety In Primary School Classrooms, Margaret T. Lambert, Sue E. Smith, Simon Moss, Marilynne N. Kirshbaum

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The use of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) as a class exercise was investigated to ascertain its effectiveness for student wellbeing. Although EFT has been validated in clinical settings, studies have not yet established whether this approach could be applied in classrooms to curb anxiety and improve wellbeing. A pragmatic, mixed methods study was conducted with 138 students in northern Australian primary schools. Student anxiety dissipated over two stages of intervention. Aside from class tapping sessions, students sometimes tapped surreptitiously, and teachers applied tapping for themselves on occasions. Students generally preferred a quieter, individual approach during class tapping sessions. Broader themes …

Sleep In Adolescents Attending Australian Boarding Schools: A Review And Interim Recommendations, Madeline Sprajcer, David Mander, Gabrielle Rigney, Tessa Benveniste

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Boarding schools, by definition, house students in residence either on campus or close by in residential facilities - where the sleep environment is likely to differ from their home environment. For boarders, being in the boarding environment occurs alongside a convergence of psychosocial and physiological factors likely to impact adolescent sleep. This paper comprises a review of the literature on sleep and boarding students in the Australian context. We also propose recommendations aligned with the scientific evidence base that can be used to promote healthy sleep in Australian boarding school students, focusing on staff training and sleep knowledge, daily routines, …

A Decade Of Positive Education And Implications For Initial Teacher Education: A Narrative Review, Mathew A. White

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This narrative review addresses a notable gap in initial teacher education research by exploring the impact of positive education—a growing international change initiative—in schools. Launched in 2009, positive education is defined as education for both traditional skills and happiness. This narrative review examines how positive education has contributed to a change in schools and related curriculum issues. It draws on various studies from the past decade to evaluate positive education definitions, examine two periods in positive education research from 2009–2014 and 2015–2020. The review argues that positive education concepts may enrich initial teacher education discourse and enhance teacher professional practice; …

A Self-Study Exploration Of Early Career Teacher Burnout And The Adaptive Strategies Of Experienced Teachers, Jarrod P. Hogan, Peta J. White

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Isolation, organisational pressures, and role-related distress, can result in teachers, particularly early career teachers (ECTs), experiencing greater risk of burnout. For many ECTs, a lack of practical strategies for dealing with these conditions contributes to this. Using self-study methodology, this research unpacks why ECTs experience burnout, identifies adaptive strategies that experienced teachers use, and discusses the applicability of these practices for ECTs. Conversations between an ECT and three experienced teachers provided alternate lenses to apply reflective unpacking of adaptive strategies. The findings illustrate how the risk of burnout for ECTs is increased by challenging student behaviour, isolation, a lack of …

Trauma-Informed Teacher Wellbeing: Teacher Reflections Within Trauma-Informed Positive Education, Tom Brunzell, Lea Waters, Helen Stokes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

For the last 15 years, teacher wellbeing has been a priority area of exploration within education and positive psychology literatures. However, increasing teacher wellbeing for those who educate students impacted by trauma has yet to be comprehensively explored despite repeated exposure of teachers to child trauma and their experiences of associated negative effects such as secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatisation, compassion fatigue and burnout. This study follows teachers’ understandings and reflections upon their own wellbeing after learning the literatures supporting trauma-informed positive education. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used as the methodological approach to represent teachers (N = 18) in order …

How Constructivist Theories Of Development Can Be Used To Re-Conceptualise Naplan As An Opportunity To Develop Student Resilience, Robert M. Vanderburg, Paul Trotter

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teachers have come under increased pressure to improve educational outcomes as Australia has sought to meet the challenges of competing on an international level. This intensified pressure has been accompanied by improved levels of funding, a National Curriculum for all Australian states, and territories, along with assessments to measure these key outcomes. However, this increased level of scrutiny has affected the pedagogical choices of teachers. Traditional modes of instruction have been reinforced, with teachers moving away from effective constructivist approaches to learning. This article will propose that a reinterpretation of constructivist theories of development is needed to arrest this decline, …

Educational Policies And Schooling For Arabic Speaking Refugee Children In Australia And Turkey, Nina Maadad, Munube Yilmaz

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper aims to compare refugee settlement and education policies between two geographically and culturally distinct nations, Australia and Turkey. Due to its geographical position in the Middle East, Turkey now hosts millions of refugees especially following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Australia also has a long history of hosting and supporting refugees from many countries and the Arabic-speaking nations are no exception. Conducting a comparative historical analysis, this study aims to fill the gap in our knowledge about the education policies and practices of both countries. Based on the expectations and needs of refugee students, …

Teacher Perceptions Of Student Developmental Needs: It’S All Emotional, Elizabeth Hinchcliff, Melissa A. Newberry

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Previous research has suggested that emotional and social developmental domains configure most prominently for adolescents in the classroom. In this qualitative study, we first aimed to explore teachers’ perspectives of students’ needs, then to explore the ways that teachers came to understand those needs, and how that understanding informed their practice of attending to student needs in the classroom. Findings suggest that teachers, also, are more attuned to the emotional domain, interpreting all needs displayed by students through an emotional lens. Additionally, teachers used emotion as an entry point to connect with students and sought to support student development through …

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 …

How Do Teacher Affective And Cognitive Self-Concepts Predict Their Willingness To Teach Challenging Students?, Ee Ling Low, Pak Tee Ng, Chenri Hui, Li Cai

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Building on and extending earlier research on student self-concepts and studies investigating teachers working with students with social, emotional, or behavioural difficulties, disorders, or disturbance, this longitudinal study examined teacher self-concepts in relation to their willingness to teach challenging students in mainstream classrooms. In the current study, “challenging students” refer to those who may pose a challenge to the teacher, either behaviourally or academically. Statistical measures included analysis of variance, correlation analysis, path analysis, and commonality analysis. Survey data collected from 108 participants at three different time points consistently showed that affective self-concept was a stronger predictor than cognitive …

“Hopefully, I Will Gain Confidence”: Hope In Pre-Service Teachers’ Mathematics And Numeracy Testing, Anat Wilson, Wendy Goff

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The recent introduction of a personal literacy and numeracy test (LANTITE) has been part of tighter accreditation of Initial Teacher Education programs across Australia. This article focuses on pre-service teachers’ experiences, beliefs and feelings about the new high-stakes testing regime. The data are drawn from a six-month project intended to evaluate students’ experience in a first-year university mathematics unit. The focus in the present article is on students’ responses to open-ended questions about their expectations of the unit, their level of confidence in areas of using and teaching mathematics and their thoughts and feelings about their own skill level …

Teachers Teaching Mindfulness With Children: Being A Mindful Role Model, Nicole J. Albrecht

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Mindfulness is taking a preeminent role in today’s education system. In the current study the author explored how experienced MindBody Wellness instructors make sense of teaching children mindfulness. The methodology of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis combined with autoethnography was used to interview eight teachers from the United States and Australia teaching children mindfulness. In this article, the author discusses findings related to the theme of Being a Mindful Role Model. Participants, on the whole, felt that someone looking to teach children mindfulness needs first to connect deeply with the practices. They felt this connection was an elemental foundation in becoming a …

Teenagers Perceptions Of Teachers: A Developmental Argument, J-F J-F, Karen Swabey, Darren Pullen, Seyum Getenet, Tony Dowden

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Using the concept of a developmental lens (Brighton, 2007; Caskey & Anfara, 2014; Davis, 2006; J-F, Pullen, & Carroll, 2013; National Middle School Association, 2010; Peterson, 2010), this article focuses on young teenage students’ perceptions of teachers. School teachers play an important role in the educational development of teenagers but little is known about how teachers cater for teenage students’ social, emotional, physical and cognitive developmental domains. Even less is known about teenage students’ perceptions of their teachers. The current study asked a cohort of Year 9 students in a secondary school in Brisbane, Australia (N=182) to comment on what …

The Effects Of The School-Work Environment On Mathematics Teachers’ Motivation For Teaching: A Self-Determination Theoretical Perspective, Danya M. Corkin, Adem Ekmekci, Richard Parr

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Guided by self-determination theory, this study investigated the extent to which factors of teachers’ school-work environments predict their self-efficacy and intrinsic value for teaching. Participants were 217 mathematics teachers working in Texas public schools. Results indicated that principals’ autonomy support positively predicted teachers’ self-efficacy and intrinsic value for teaching beyond years of teaching experience, mathematics background, and grade level taught. Moreover, the negative effects of school-work environments dominated by high-stakes testing on teachers’ motivation for teaching were moderated by the level of autonomy support provided by the school principal.

Why Do You Work With Struggling Students? Teacher Perceptions Of Meaningful Work In Trauma-Impacted Classrooms, Tom Brunzell, Helen Stokes, Lea Waters

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study contributed new findings to the construct of meaningful work (MW) and negative impacts on MW. In other professional samples, finding meaning in work has been shown to be an effective buffer when facing workplace adversity. However, prior investigation has neither identified nor explored the specific sources and mechanisms of meaningful work that teachers derive from educating trauma-affected students. Within a cross-sectional sample of primary and secondary teachers (N = 18) working in trauma-affected classrooms, two interrelated sources of MW: (1) practice pedagogy and (2) teacher wellbeing were further analysed for discussion via Rosso, Dekas, and Wrzesniewski’s (2010) four …

Language Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs: A Review Of The Literature (2005-2016), Mark Wyatt

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Research into language teachers’ self-efficacy (LTSE) beliefs, a domain-specific branch of research into teachers’ self-efficacy (TSE) beliefs in general education, has emerged in the past 16 years. To date, though, this emergent domain-specific research field has not been described in depth, with most accounts of it summarised very briefly, even in published research that provides empirical data relating to the specific topic of LTSE beliefs. Guided by a synthetic research ethic, this literature review aims to explore the gap. It highlights the characteristics of this LTSE beliefs research field, discussing the methodology employed by various studies that have elicited LTSE …

A Qualitative Account Of The Nature And Use Of Self-Regulated Learning (Srl) Strategies Employed By University Students, Effat Alvi, Zafar Iqbal, Fatima Masood, Tooba Batool

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Students' conceptions of how they initiate, plan, implement and monitor self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies have practical implications for teaching and learning. This study explores the nature and use of SRL strategies employed by university students as it occurs in naturalistic settings, for example, studying in non-classroom environments. Framed within the social cognitive perspective, it focuses on a group of students from an under-researched population. Focus group interviews were used to elicit information about the nature of SRL strategies and contexts for their use. The findings reveal that students employ a range of SRL strategies, from shallow to cognitively rich and …

Classroom Management And National Professional Standards For Teachers: A Review Of The Literature On Theory And Practice, Helen M. Egeberg, Andrew Mcconney, Anne Price

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reviews the conceptual and empirical research on classroom management to ascertain the extent to which there is consistency between the “advice” found in the research literature and the professional standards for teachers and initial teacher education, in regards to knowledge and perspectives about effective classroom management. Focusing on the evolution of beliefs, knowledge and perspectives about classroom management the article will clarify effective classroom management and place this within the frameworks on effective teaching, in particular the AITSL standards, and consequently consider some implications for best practice.

Cooperative Learning: Review Of Research And Practice, Robyn M. Gillies

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Cooperative learning is widely recognized as a pedagogical practice that promotes socialization and learning among students from pre-school through to tertiary level and across different subject domains. It involves students working together to achieve common goals or complete group tasks – goals and tasks that they would be unable to complete by themselves. The purpose of this paper is to review developments in research and practice on cooperative learning and to examine the factors that help to explain its success. In particular, the review focuses on the key elements that contribute to its success and the role teachers’ play in …

Exploring Efl Learners’ Perceived Self-Efficacy And Beliefs On English Language Learning, Gülten Genç, Emine Kuluşaklı, Savaş Aydın

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract

Learners’ perceived self-efficacy and beliefs on English language learning are important in education. Taking into consideration the important impact of individual variables on language learning, this study seeks to highlight the relationship between Turkish EFL learners’ beliefs about language learning and their sense of self-efficacy. The participants are 210 Turkish EFL undergraduate students whose major is English. The subjects were questioned about their beliefs and self-efficacy as English language learners. The data gathered were analysed quantitatively. The findings demonstrated that EFL students have medium scores in their English self-efficacy and hold the strong belief that motivation factors have a …

Emotional Literacy And Pedagogical Confidence In Pre-Service Science And Mathematics Teachers, Tony Yeigh, Geoff Woolcott, Jim Donnelly, Rob Whannell, Matthew Snow, Amanda Scott

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This report details the findings from initial research seeking to improve the pedagogical confidence of pre-service STEM teachers by encouraging emotional literacy in the form of affect awareness. The report discusses how affect was measured for the study, what the affect outcomes were and how these measures are conceptually related to improving confidence for the pre-service teachers (PSTs). Findings indicate enhanced emotional feedback enabled the PSTs to analyse, understand and make use of affect information to reflect on their teaching confidence overall. Ongoing research will need to address the issue of negative affect awareness in teacher training, and strategies for …

Preliminary Evaluation Of The Friends For Life Program On Students’ And Teachers’ Emotional States For A School In A Low Socio-Economic Status Area, Cristina A. Iizuka, Paula M. Barrett, Robyn Gillies, Clayton R. Cook, Welber Marinovic

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the FRIENDS for Life program on students’ and teachers’ emotional outcomes in a school serving a high-poverty population. The focus of the intervention was to train/coach teachers with strategies to develop social and emotional skills for students. A single group, pre/post-test design was used to conduct a preliminary investigation of the intervention to improve participants’ social and emotional outcomes. At the end of the intervention, students who were at risk showed significant decrease in their anxiety levels and teacher’s demonstrated significant improvements on their emotional resilience.

Language Teachers’ Conceptions Of Intelligence And Their Roles In Teacher Care And Teacher Feedback, Reza Pishghadam, Elham Naji Meidani, Gholam Hassan Khajavy

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to find the relationships among teachers’ conceptions of intelligence, teacher care, and teacher feedback in the realm of English Language Teaching (ELT). To this aim, three scales were developed to measure the aforementioned constructs. The participants consisted of 81 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and their 426 students who were learning English in private language institutes. The scales were validated by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and the correlations among their subscales were investigated. The findings suggested that modularity, increasibility and applied ELT are associated with the nature and amount of teacher …

Using Qualitative Research Methods To Assess The Degree Of Fit Between Teachers’ Reported Self-Efficacy Beliefs And Their Practical Knowledge During Teacher Education, Mark Wyatt

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: There is a need for qualitative research into teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs so that the relationship between these beliefs and other cognitions possessed by teachers, including their practical knowledge, can be better understood by teacher educators. Teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs may need supporting if they seem too low or challenging if they seem too high. However, clear criteria are needed to facilitate assessment, together with the use of rigorous qualitative methods. This article explores these issues while reporting on research conducted in Oman into the cognitions of two in-service English language teachers. There is a focus on how qualitative case study …

Antecedents Of Teachers’ Educational Beliefs About Mathematics And Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching Among In-Service Teachers In High Poverty Urban Schools, Danya M. Corkin, Adem Ekmekci, Anne Papakonstantinou

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper examines the antecedents of three types of educational beliefs about mathematics among 151 teachers predominantly working in high poverty schools. Studies across various countries have found that teachers in high poverty schools are less likely to enact instructional approaches that align with mathematics reform standards set by national and international organizations. Researchers contend that for instruction to change, educational beliefs about mathematics and teaching must change. Regression analyses indicated that mathematics-teaching experience was associated with teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching mathematics at the onset of professional development and the number of mathematics college courses teachers had taken moderated their …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Motivation In Using Digital Technology, Alexander S. Yeung, Eng Guan Tay, Chenri Hui, Jane Huiling Lin, Ee-Ling Low

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Digital technology (DT) has a significant role to play in modern education. This study examined motivational goals of student teachers in initial teacher education in Singapore and the influences of goals on their use of DT personally and in the classroom. The participants (N=312) responded to a survey about their motivational goals (learning vs. performance) and DT application (personal vs. classroom application). Results showed that personal use of DT, especially for younger teachers, was clearly more than classroom application. Females were found to have higher performance goal. Structural equation modelling found that learning goals were positively related to …

Relations Between Teachers’ Classroom Goals And Values: A Case Study Of High School Teachers In Far North Queensland, Australia, Claudia E. Pudelko, Helen J. Boon

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

To date, there is an empirical gap in the evidence of the relations between teachers’ classroom goals and values, two key variables linked to students’ achievement motivation. The purpose of this study was to investigate this relationship in an Australian teacher sample. We surveyed 102 high school teachers from seven schools in Cairns, Queensland using items of Wentzel’s Classroom Goals Scales and Schwartz’s Portrait Values Questionnaire. Results showed several positive associations between teachers’ classroom goals and values. Social goals were linked to a wide range of values, while academic goals were linked to specific value dimensions, e.g. mastery approach goals …