Education Commons^™

The Views Of Mathematics Teachers On The Factors Affecting The Integration Of Technology In Mathematics Courses, Gül Kaleli-Yilmaz

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The aim of this study is to determine the views of mathematics teachers on the factors that affect the integration of technology in mathematic courses. It is a qualitative case study. The sample size of the study is 10 teachers who are having postgraduate education in a university in Turkey. Current study was conducted at the three stages. At the first stage, software and learning objects were introduced to the teachers. At the second stage, the activities were performed to the teachers. At the third stage, teachers practiced a technology assisted course in a real classroom environment. After all stages …

International Students’ Experience Of Practicum In Teacher Education: An Exploration Through Internationalisation And Professional Socialisation, Georgina M. Barton, Kay A. Hartwig, Melissa Cain

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper explores the practicum experience of international students studying in a teacher education course. Much research has investigated the experience of international students during their degree experience but there is limited research that has addressed the practicum; a key component of teacher education. The research that does exist tends to view international students as analogous rather than individual students with distinct needs and experiences. The current paper will draw evidence from fourteen (14) international students gathered via interviews. The themes of learning and teaching contexts and relationships; curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; and personal attributes were identified and the conceptual …

What Benefits Can Be Derived From Teaching Knowledge About Language To Preservice Teachers?, Michael D. Carey, Michael Christie, Peter Grainger

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper evaluates the validity of teaching English grammar to preservice teachers in a teacher education course at a regional university. The course was delivered in blended mode using the grammar component of My Writing Lab Global (MWLG) and face-to-face instruction. The aim of this study was to establish if there are benefits to derive from teaching knowledge about language (KAL) to preservice teachers. Our quasi-experimental study found MWLG was well-received by participants who believed it had improved their KAL; this improvement was confirmed by 10% improvement on a pre and post KAL test (p < .001). MWLG scores and the KAL test also reliably predicted other academic competencies: the students’ accumulated GPA and their final written assessment scores for the course (r= .4 to .54; p < 0.01). Collectively, these findings suggest that explicit KAL is valued and valid knowledge and should be included in teacher education programs.

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 …

Epistemological Considerations For Approaching Teaching In An On-Line Environment Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Teacher Education Program: Reconsidering Tpack, Brian Ellis Lewthwaite, Cecily Knight, Max Lenoy

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This research inquiry explores teacher educator knowledge, understandings and beliefs informing their teaching in a web-based Australian teacher education program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Through the use of a phenomenologically aligned interview process, the study investigates instructors’ consideration of practice for teaching in an on-line environment. Using the TPACK framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) as a lens for analysis, what emerges from the data is how lecturers’ knowledge and beliefs about students influences the roles they adopt as educators, and how this influences, in turn, what and how technology is used to support student learning. The …

Arts Immersion: Using The Arts As A Language Across The Primary School Curriculum, Susan N. Chapman

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: Australia’s national arts curriculum has potential to realise the following benefits: cognitive, social, affective and curricular. This curriculum is designed for generalist and special arts teachers, but its delivery may be hindered by the prioritisation of high-stakes-tested disciplines and pedagogies, and reduced government funding to arts education across school and tertiary sectors. This may lead to a lack of opportunities to build teacher capacity in arts education, and diminished support for arts education in terms of time allocation and resourcing. The notion of ‘silos’, where the separation of teaching practices persists between teachers of different disciplines, discourages meaningful interdisciplinary …

Teacher Performance Appraisal: More About Performance Or Development?, Kerry Elliott

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Given that “teacher appraisal can be a key lever for increasing the focus on teaching quality” (OECD, 2013b, p.9) and that many reforms in the past have failed (Kleinhenz & Ingvarson, 2004), an understanding of the various aspects of successful performance appraisal is essential. The literature has begun to refer to a number of factors that support the development of an effective performance and development system. This paper discusses some of the key research connected with teacher performance appraisal, including aspects and outcomes and points to the need for a better understanding of how they are …

From Surveillance To Formation? A Generative Approach To Teacher ‘Performance And Development’ In Australian Schools, Nicole Mockler

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper explores the possibilities and limitations of the AITSL Performance and Development Framework as a vehicle for authentic teacher professional learning. It suggests that the Framework offers a range of implementation possibilities, from surveillance of teaching practice at one end of the spectrum to ongoing and generative formation of teachers at the other, and argues that at its best, the Framework will be interpreted and implemented as a catalyst for school-developed, inquiry-based professional learning that builds collegial professional practice and supports teachers to develop and take an inquiring stance toward their practice.

Metaphors As Two-Way Mirrors: Illuminating Pre-Service To In-Service Teacher Identity Development, John Buchanan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The transition from pre-service to in-service can be difficult for teachers. One means of looking into the minds and hearts of such teachers is to elicit the metaphors they adopt for themselves. Previous studies have indicated that during this transition much of the confidence, idealism and optimism of teacher metaphors is displaced by bleak and defeatist visions. These changes are usually explained by ‘praxis shock’ – a result of unrealistic prior views of teaching and equally unrealistic workloads and challenges. This research project asks if metaphors might reveal more about pre-service teachers’ views and vulnerabilities, and help avert or mitigate …

Student Teachers’ Cognition About L2 Pronunciation Instruction: A Case Study, Michael Burri

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

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 …

In Defence Of The Lecture, R. Scott Webster

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In response to the lecture format coming under ‘attack’ and being replaced by online materials and smaller tutorials, this paper attempts to offer not only a defence but also to assert that the potential value of the lecture is difficult to replicate through other learning formats. In this paper some of the criticisms against lectures will be challenged, in particular that they are monological and promote a banking concept to learning. To make this argument I shall be drawing upon Freire’s ‘banking concept’ and Vygotsky’s notion of ‘inner speech’ and shall claim that listening is a virtue to be encouraged …

"Inclusive And Different?” Discourse, Conflict, And The Identity Construction Experiences Of Preservice Teachers Of English Language Learners In Australia, John Trent

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reports the results of a discourse-theoretic study that considered the perspectives of one group of preservice mainstream teachers in Australia concerning their preparedness to teach English language learners (ELLs). Framed by a theory of teacher identity and using in-depth interviews, the paper explores the perceptions and experiences of six preservice teachers, revealing the presence of two dominant discourses of ELLs: a discourse of equity and inclusiveness and a discourse of difference. The results suggested that these discourses interacted in ways unanticipated by policy makers and that an unintended consequence of this discursive interplay was that participants experienced conflict …

Examining The Effects Of Reflective Journals On Pre-Service Science Teachers' General Chemistry Laboratory Achievement, Canan Cengiz, Faik Özgür Karataş

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The general chemistry laboratory is an appropriate place for learning chemistry well. It is also effective for stimulating higher-order thinking skills, including reflective thinking, a skill that is crucial for science teaching as well as learning. This study aims to examine the effects of feedback-supported reflective journal-keeping activities on first-year pre-service science teachers’ achievement. The pre-service science teachers were observed for eight weeks by collecting their journals. At the beginning and end of this process, an achievement test was administered. At the end of the study, the participants were also interviewed. It was found that feedback-supported reflective journal-keeping activities improved …

Scrutinising The Final Judging Role In Assessment Of Practicum In Early Childhood Initial Teacher Education In New Zealand, Qilong Zhang, Paula Cown, Joanne Hayes, Sue Werry, Ruth Barnes, Lois France, Rawhia Tehau-Grant

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Practicum is the cornerstone of teacher education. Triadic assessment of practicum is an established model in early childhood initial teacher education in New Zealand. Based on a phenomenographic study on assessment of practicum, this paper presents a new perspective on triadic assessment. Interview data are collected from 35 participants (20 associate teachers, 5 visiting lecturers, 10 student teachers) to obtain a specimen of collective conceptions of key stakeholders about triadic assessment. The analysis reveals three sets of logically related categories of conceptions (outcome spaces) that denote the tensions around the final judging role in assessment of practicum, in particular, visiting …

The Curious Schools Project: Capturing Nomad Creativity In Teacher Work, Mary Ann Hunter, Sherridan Emery

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The Curious Schools project is a teacher professional learning initiative that aims to provide an insight into – and resource for – creativity in Tasmanian schools. It offers an alternative to conventional models of teacher professional learning by engaging teachers in multi-modal methods of documenting and reflecting on their work as the basis for an online community of practice and public showcase for creativity in education that takes place ‘behind the scenes’. The authors, as coordinators of the project, describe the rationale behind the project and the ways it embraced discourses and practices of curiosity as a means of making …

Creating And Sustaining Professional Learning Partnerships: Activity Theory As An Analytic Tool., Dianne Bloomfield, Hoa Thi Mai Nguyen

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Significant attention has been paid to the forms and practices of effective school-university partnerships in recent times as they are commonly seen as a key element to improve the quality of teacher education programs and thus graduate teachers. However, analysis of the effectiveness of such partnerships has not been so evident. This article critically reviews the notion of partnership and its practice in Australia, then presents a conceptual lens via activity theory through which to analyse opportunities and challenges, particularly with respect to school-university partnerships, within the current climate. A Professional Learning Partners Program in a specific context in Australia …

Teacher Attrition And Retention Research In Australia: Towards A New Theoretical Framework, Shannon Mason, Cristina Poyatos Matas

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

During the last decades, the search to try to understand why Australian teachers prematurely leave their jobs has become an increasing focus of research interest. This article yields significant insights into the history and potential future of the teacher attrition research field. Using a thematic content analysis methodology, a study of the Australian literature reveals that the field in this country is still in its infancy, and is dominated by small-scale, qualitative exploratory studies. Furthermore, it shows the lack of consistency amongst studies discussing teacher attrition, as well as the need for a theoretically informed framework that acknowledges the complex …

Teacher-Based Scaffolding As A Teacher Professional Development Program In Indonesia, Bujang Rahman, Abdurrahman Abdurrahman, Budi Kadaryanto, Nurlaksana Eko Rusminto

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Improvement of teachers’ content knowledge has long been regarded as a priority in Indonesian school systems, and has been the goal for many teacher professional development programs. In this paper we report the evaluation of a professional development program to improve content knowledge for 147 Indonesian teachers. The teachers were divided into three experimental groups, and each group was treated to one of the three professional development models frequently used in developing countries. The results showed that all three models led to improvement in the teachers’ content knowledge; however, the teacher-based scaffolding model proved to be the most effective. In …

Promoting Online Students’ Engagement And Learning In Science And Sustainability Preservice Teacher Education, Louisa Tomas, Michelle Lasen, Ellen Field, Keith Skamp

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

At James Cook University, a core first-year subject within the Bachelor of Education, Foundations of Sustainability in Education (FSE), sees students investigate the underlying science and complexity of socioecological challenges through inquiry, place-based learning, experimentation and consideration of classroom practice. Given that this subject is delivered across modes, a blended learning approach that encompasses an innovative use of learning technologies and careful consideration of pedagogy provides opportunity for both on-campus and online students to engage in active, learner-centred, collaborative, experiential and praxis-oriented learning experiences (Wals & Jickling, 2002). In this paper, we draw upon Pittaway’s (2012) engagement framework and Herrington, …

I Know How To Add Them, I Didn't Know I Had To Add Them, Jyoti R. Jhagroo

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: Ten non-English speaking immigrant students shared their lived experiences in their secondary school mathematics classrooms in New Zealand. Through the voices of these students some understandings of the challenges they experienced as second language learners are brought to the fore. The students’ perspectives of the language-related challenges that they faced, how they made sense of learning in an environment where the medium of instruction was dissimilar to their first language, and the impact that language-related challenges may have had on their perceptions of their ability in their new environment compared to their home country, form the basis of this …

Learning To Teach: What Do Pre-Service Teachers Report., Dawn A. Naylor, Glenda Campbell-Evans, Carmel Maloney

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: Taking a sociocultural approach to understanding the phenomenon of learning to teach, this study examined the extent to which seven pre-service teachers, in their final year of a Bachelor of Education course in a regional Australian university campus, identified personal, professional and contextual aspects as significant influences on learning to teach. By listening to the voices of the pre-service teachers, this study found three orientations towards learning to teach. While these orientations were specific to the pre-service teachers enrolled in one regional teacher education program, they do offer teacher educators some insight and advice into the phenomenon of learning …

A Healthy Dose Of Race? White Students’ And Teachers’ Unintentional Brushes With Whiteness, Samantha Schulz, Jennifer Fane

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on efforts by three Australian academics to develop students’ sociocultural awareness (in particular, their racial literacy) during a time of mounting pressure on teacher educators to narrow and standardise their approaches. The field of health education provides a vehicle for research; however, it is not the paper’s central foci. Of key concern is the development of a critical disposition in students – a disposition geared toward teaching for social equity. Learning of this nature transcends topic domains, and therefore allows for collaboration between academics in different parts of teacher education. Specifically, the paper focuses upon ‘whiteness’ and …

Volunteering Within Initial Teacher Education: Factors That Boost And Block Participation, Daniella J. Forster, Jennifer Archer, Rukhsana T. Tajin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Voluntary professional experience can be a powerful way for initial teacher education (ITE) students to develop an understanding of schools and their communities. Do ITE students make use of these opportunities? There is little Australian research that explores genuine volunteering that does not “require” students to engage with the community. We conducted an on-line survey with 141 ITE students who were eligible to participate in a volunteer program. What factors reduced volunteering and what factors enhanced it? The results showed that, while students value volunteering and can point to benefits that come from it, most are unable or unwilling to …

Enriching Higher Education Training Through Values And Social Engagement, Gustavo Gregorutti

Faculty Publications

The present study starts describing the relevance of university mission statements and how they have been interacting with the social demands throughout the history of higher education. This way, the recent development of a knowledge economy has strongly impacted universities that look for ways to produce and commercialize ideas (second and third missions). The increasing accreditation agencies and regional and international rankings have helped to reinforce these processes. This trend has created a situation where isomorphic mechanisms are pressing universities to align themselves with models that do not always fit a wide spectrum of them. In addition, this chapter underlines …

Effective Teaching In Higher Education For The 21st Century Adult Learner, Denise Murchison Payton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

As college populations are becoming increasingly diverse, institutions must find ways to meet the needs of their nontraditional students. Nontraditional adult learners are self-directed, ready to learn, and are internally motivated to engage in problem-centered learning. The purpose of this study was to expand and refine an active learning seminar in a higher education setting to improve the quality of teaching, student engagement, and retention rates. The site of the study was a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in which adult students over 25 constituted 49% of the population. The faculty members at this site predominantly employed traditional …

Recent Graduates' Perspective On The Efficacy Of Nursing Simulation Laboratory Experiences, Holli Sowerby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It has become progressively difficult to find suitable clinical placement for nursing students. To help meet this need, local schools of nursing are turning to high-fidelity simulation manikins to substitute for clinical experience. There is a lack of research that explores recently graduated nurses' perceptions about the efficacy of simulation experiences. Guided by the constructivist theory, this qualitative case study identified how recent RN graduates viewed simulation experiences and whether associate's-degree RN program graduates and bachelor's-program RN graduates viewed simulation differently. Nine recent graduates participated in individual face-to-face interviews. The data were coded and grouped into 5 major themes in …

Educators' Perceptions Of A 21st Century Digital Literacy Framework, Stephen Spengler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The concept of literacy has expanded to include understanding and effective utilization of information, media, and technology. The Children's Internet Protection Act requires school districts to teach proper online use and behavior. The lack of a technology requirement in a rural, public school district in Northeastern Pennsylvania that meets the needs of 21st century learners and the conditions of the Children's Internet Protection Act was the rationale for the development of this project study. The study's conceptual framework stemmed from theories related to new literacies, multimodality, computer education practices, and millennial learners. The research questions examined educators' perceptions of topics …

Pediatric Nurses' Perceptions Of Continuing Professional Development Opportunities, Suzanne Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the growth in healthcare research and rapid changes in technology, nurses' participation in lifelong learning is a critical factor in providing excellent patient care. However, many nurses encounter difficulties engaging in continuing professional development (CPD) activities. The purpose of this case study was to understand pediatric nurses' perceptions of CPD opportunities at a tertiary, freestanding, children's hospital in Southern California. Social cognitive theory was the framework for the study. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with a purposeful sample of 39 nurses comprised of day- and night-shift nurses plus nurse managers. The data were coded into categories and themes …

How Does Executive Function Skills Instruction Impact Student Executive Function Levels And Academic Achievement On Comcore State Standards Assessments?, Donna Akers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Executive function skills are vitally important to student success in school and later in life. Executive function skills can and are improved with specific skills instruction. The literature reveals a correlation between executive function and academic achievement. So, the theory proposed is that raising executive function levels will raise achievement levels. The role of executive function in student achievement in the ComCore State Standards was studied with a fourth grade class. It was conducted over a nine-week period, and used an experimental and control group. Both groups were given an executive function pretest and academic achievement (ComCore) pretest. During the …

Leadership Orientation Frame Preferences Of School Boards In Mississippi, Patrick Laquincy Washington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The work of schools is becoming more complex and demanding. Administrators, teachers and parents are often at the core of the educational debate about what is needed to improve schools. The demand for better results in America's schools has led to many efforts to improve the quality of teaching and learning that mainly rested on the shoulders of teachers and school leaders. The past decade has led to added accountability measures that also include local school boards. Accountability for the school board calls for an in-depth look at school board capacity. This research looks at the role of the school …