Show me, help me, let me : supporting teachers' changing conceptions of reading assessment and reading instruction

This qualitative inquiry used case study methodology to explore the change processes of 3 primary-grade teachers throughout their participation in 7 -month professional learning initiative focused on reading assessment and instruction. Participants took part in semimonthly inquiry-based professional learning community sessions, as well as concurrent individualized classroom-based literacy coaching. Each participant's experiences were first analyzed as a single case study, followed by cross-case analyses. While their patterns of professional growth differed, findings documented how all participants altered their understandings of the roles and relevancy of individual components of reading instruction (e.g., comprehension, decoding) and instructional approaches to scaffold students' growth (e.g., levelled text, strategy instruction), and experienced some form of conceptual change. Factors identified as affecting their change processes included; motivation, professional knowledge, professional beliefs (self-efficacy and theoretical orientation), resources (e.g., time, support), differentiated professional learning with associated goal-setting, and uncontrollable influences, with the affect of each factor compounded by interaction with the others. Comparison of participants' experiences to the Cognitive-Affective Model of Conceptual Change (CAMCC) and the Interconnected Model of Teacher Professional Growth (IMTPG) demonstrated the applicability of using both conceptual models, with the IMTPG providing macrolevel insights over time and the CAMCC microlevel insights at each change intervaL Recommendations include the provision of differentiated teacher professional learning opportunities, as well as research documenting the effects of teacher mentorship programs and the professional growth of teacher educators. ii

Mobile Books: Effect of Engagement on Students’ Motivation and Cognitive Strategy Use

This mixed methods research explores the role of reading engagement in 30 grade 1 students’ motivation to read mobile electronic storybooks (eBooks) and cognitive strategies used during eBook reading. Data collection comprised motivation and parent questionnaires, behavioural observation checklists, cognitive strategies rubric, and teacher interviews. Students’ emotional engagement with and enjoyment of mobile eBooks corresponded to 4 motivational aspects of intrinsic motivation: curiosity, control, choice, and challenge. Post-intervention results indicated that most student participants enjoyed answering eBook comprehension questions and preferred eBooks to print books; by the end of the study, all had access to a mobile device at home. A majority of participants were actively engaged during mobile eBook reading sessions and persisted in answering embedded eBook comprehension questions, which together reflected students’ behavioural engagement and time-on-task during mobile reading. Students’ off-task behaviours related to iPads’ accessibility features and inherent reader-friendliness. All participants successfully answered evaluative questions requiring them to activate prior knowledge, and experienced higher levels of difficulty with making personal connections. The study highlights the importance of making school-based literacy practices relevant to students’ outside worlds, and discusses implications for teacher educators, administrators, curriculum developers, and eBook and other digital developers concerning the need for greater collaboration in order to more closely align technology resources with national curriculum expectations.

Usages et compétence TIC en formation initiale à l'ENS d'Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire : le cas des formateurs et des futurs enseignants

Les Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication (TIC) sont de plus en plus présentes dans toutes les sphères de la société y compris dans l’éducation. Pour favoriser des usages effectifs de ces technologies par des enseignants dans les salles de classe, il devient pertinent de s’intéresser aux usages qu’en font certains formateurs et futurs enseignants dans le cadre de la formation initiale. Ainsi, dans le contexte de la formation initiale des enseignants en Côte d’Ivoire à l’ENS d’Abidjan, l’objectif général de la présente thèse est de documenter les usages et la compétence TIC. Pour répondre à ces préoccupations, une étude qualitative exploratoire a été réalisée à l’Ecole normale supérieure (ENS) d’Abidjan en Côte d’Ivoire. Les entrevues individuelles semi-dirigées avec des formateurs (n = 9) et des futurs enseignants (n = 15) ont été analysées, en adoptant une approche méthodologique basée essentiellement sur l’analyse du contenu. Les résultats sont présentés sous forme d’articles scientifiques. La thèse tente ainsi de décrire des usages des TIC par des futurs enseignants, de dresser un profil des formateurs usagers des TIC dans le cadre de la formation initiale à l’ENS d’Abidjan. Elle veut aussi examiner les usages des TIC par des futurs enseignants, en formation initiale, pour certaines des composantes de la compétence TIC. Les résultats obtenus permettent de dresser une typologie des usages des TIC par des futurs enseignants dans le cadre de leurs activités d’apprentissage. Pour ce qui est des formateurs, trois profils d’usagers ont été dressés : 1. Les usagers de bas niveau qui font usage des TIC uniquement pour la recherche et la production de documents ; 2. Les usagers de niveau moyen qui, en plus de la recherche et la production de documents, utilisent les outils électroniques de communication dans leurs pratiques professionnelles, et font souvent usage des TIC dans leur classe ; 3. Les usagers de bon niveau qui, en plus de faire usage des outils de communication dans leurs pratiques professionnelles et d’intégrer les TIC dans leurs pratiques en classe, disposent de pages Web à but éducatif. Par ailleurs, l’analyse des discours des futurs enseignants sur les usages des TIC laisse percevoir que la compétence TIC se révèle de façon inégale à travers quatre de ses composantes. En effet, même s’ils n’ont pas une posture critique face aux TIC, ces futurs enseignants ont une conscience de leurs avantages dans le cadre de leur formation. Ainsi, ils utilisent les TIC pour communiquer, rechercher les informations, les interpréter afin de résoudre un problème, se constituer un réseau d’échanges et de formation continue. Même si l’intégration des TIC dans la formation initiale des enseignants en Côte d’Ivoire n’est pas encore effective, des formateurs et des futurs enseignants en font usage dans le cadre de la formation.

Formação continuada de professores e mudança na prática pedagógica na sala de aula

O presente estudo trata da formação continuada com foco na prática pedagógica do professor na sala de aula, tendo como objetivo maior analisar se a formação continuada ofertada pela rede municipal de ensino de Itupiranga, estado do Pará, tem contribuído para a mudança da prática do professor na sala de aula. No referencial teórico autores como Nóvoa (2007, 2009), Tardif (2002), Romanowski (2010), Alarcão (2001, 2007), Lüdke (2004) contribuem com suas pesquisas no sentido do entendimento sobre a prática do professor e do processo de formação continuada docente. A pesquisa incorreu sobre um grupo de docentes e de formadores de professores atuantes em cursos, programas e/ou projetos de formação continuada ofertados pela rede municipal de ensino, sendo alvo apenas os envolvidos entre o período de 2005 a 2012. A metodologia de abordagem qualitativa aliados a dados quantitativos desta pesquisa foi realizada a partir de estudos de Bignardi (2009), Oliveira (2007), Bogdan e Bicklen (1994). Optou-se pela aplicação de questionário e entrevista; seguido para uma análise de conteúdo profunda dos dados coletados que apontam que a formação continuada de professores realizada em âmbito municipal contribui de forma significativa para que haja mudança na prática pedagógica dos docentes, os respondentes destacaram três aspectos considerados como alteração de suas práticas, o primeiro está relacionado ao entendimento sobre o reconhecimento e identificação dos níveis de desenvolvimento da leitura e escrita dos educandos; o segundo refere –se ao não uso de cartilhas e de sílabas soltas no processo de alfabetização, as quais foram substituídas por textos, por acreditarem que estes viabilizam tanto o processo de decodificação, identificação de palavras quanto o letramento propriamente dito, o terceiro aspecto demonstra que a mudança ocorreu quando começaram a planejar, de forma coletiva, vários projetos didáticos e sequências didáticas envolvendo os vários gêneros textuais levando em consideração aquilo que o educando já sabe para aprender o que ainda não sabe. Parte significativa dos docentes concordam que a formação continuada por eles frequentada alterou sua forma de atuação em sala de aula, entretanto, surgem outros questionamentos que apontam para a continuidade de pesquisa desta temática.

Bringing poetry alive: a guide to classroom practice

This edited collection provides ideas and support for ways of 'bringing poetry alive' in the classroom at Key Stages 1,2 and 3, drawing on what is known to work and also exploring fresh thinking. It is designed to help both new and experienced teachers approach poetry teaching with greater imagination and confidence. The book is edited and introduced by Michael Lockwood and features chapters by experts who have taught poetry in different settings for many years, including contributions from poets Michael Rosen and James Carter. Professor Morag Styles of Cambridge University has provided a Preface. All the contributors have a connection with the University of Reading as lecturers, external examiners, current or former graduate students. The book includes the following sections: Introduction: Developments in Poetry Teaching 1: Reflections on Being Children’s Laureate – Michael Rosen 2: Teaching Poetry in the Early Years - Margaret Perkins 3: Actual Poems, Possible Responses - Prue Goodwin 4: Making Poetry - Catriona Nicholson 5: The role of the poet in primary schools -James Carter 6: Cross-Curricular Poetry Writing - Eileen Hyder 7: Teaching Poetry to Teenagers - Lionel Warner 8: Watching the Words: Drama and Poems - Andy Kempe 9: Literary Reading - Andy Goodwyn The book is intended for teacher educators,teachers and trainee teachers working with children aged 5 to 14 years.

Realities and perceptions for English teachers of Polish children

This chapter examines the responses of English primary school teachers to Polish children arriving in the south of England since 2006. Schools in England have a changing pupil demographic which reflects changing patterns of trans-European migration since the accession of new member states to the EU in 2004 and 2007. There is evidence that this shift is one experienced not just in inner-city schools most commonly associated with minority ethnic populations, but in a wide range of schools in rural and smaller town settings in a number of counties across the country. In adjusting to new identities and new languages in their classrooms, teachers in areas not previously associated with national or ethnic differences are required to respond pedagogically and pastorally in new ways. Their beliefs are compared with the views of migration held by Polish teachers’ from one Polish town affected by migration. Interview data are analysed in order to explore differences in perception towards Polish migrant families and their children. Discussion centres on English teachers’ very positive responses to Polish children, and of how the teacher-friendly behaviour of Polish families may support the construction of stereotypes that are not necessarily a reflection of reality as experienced by the children.

A linguagem da reflexão de uma professora de Língua Inglesa: um estudo de caso sob a perspectiva do sistema de avaliatividade

Research about teacher education, carried out in the area of Applied Linguistics (AL), reveals the importance of reflective practices in the professional development of teachers. With the aim of contributing to this area, we present this case study conducted at a technical school in Natal, RN. The corpus of the study is formed mainly from the teacher‟s discourse, generated during a stimulated recall session and the instruments used to collect the data: an initial questionnaire, a video recording of a class and the text transcript of the stimulated recall session. The central objective is to understand the way in which the reflection-on-action (SCHÖN, 1983, 1987) can contribute to raise the awareness of an English as a Foreign Language teacher (EFL) about her actions in the classroom. With this proposal, we begin our discussion presenting the origins, the presuppositions and characteristics of the concept of reflection according to Schön (1983, 1987), and supported by other authors (PERRENOUD, 2002; GÓMEZ, 1995; IMBERNÓN, 2009, among others); of critical reflection (LISTON e ZEICHNER, 1993; PIMENTA, 2002; DUTRA e MELLO, 2004, among others); and of the process of critical reflection (SMYTH, 1992). To evidence the reflections that emerge in the teacher‟s discourse, we found support in the theories and methods of Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG), which was initially proposed by Halliday (1985, 1994), Halliday and Hasan (1989), Halliday and Matthiessen (2004) and followers, such as, Eggins (1994), Thompson (1996), among others. We focus mainly on the subsystem of Attitude, an integral component of the system of discourse resources, Appraisal, presented by Martin (2000), Martin and Rose (2003, 2007), Martin and White (2005). The results reveal that the actions of the teacher in the classroom reflect not only her professional experiences, but also her values and concepts about teaching/learning languages. The results also show the teacher‟s awareness of the need for changes in her practices. Faced with these findings, we believe that this study reveals important concepts that can direct teacher educators to rethink new ways of approaching teacher training courses. In addition, it also reveals the importance of discourse analysis based on a systemic functional approach.

Os professores de matemática e as ações educacionais públicas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Uma leitura da prática profissional do professor de matemática

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Rastros da formação matemática na prática profissional do professor de matemática

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A formação inicial do professor de língua inglesa: teoria e prática em questão

Pós-graduação em Estudos Linguísticos - IBILCE

A comunicação em fóruns de um curso a distância de formação de professores para uso de TDICS: análise da presença de ensino

The importance of the inclusion of digital technology in the classroom has already been pointed out by numerous authors in the educational field and some of them herald that it is through this inclusion that we can achieve transformations in school settings. Based on this assumption, this paper aims to present a distance learning course offered to in service and preservice teachers, focused on the use of technology in foreign language classroom primarily focusing on the role of teacher educators in mediating discussions. For this we sought theoretical support in studies which deal with distance courses (KENSKI, 2008), about virtual environments (ARAÚJO and MARQUESI, 2008), online discussion forums and investigation community and teaching presence (GARRISON, ANDERSON and ARCHER, 2000). Based on the previous theories presented, teacher educator’s messages were analyzed during a distance course offered to teachers in continuing and initial training, identifying marks of teaching presence and pointing to appropriate mediations and/or possible gaps. The results indicate that the teacher must be even more aware of the types of feedback that are provided and of the teaching presence mentioned by Garrison and colleagues (2000, 2001).

Estudo do uso da tecnologia da informação e comunicação no trabalho do formador de professores

This paper presents academic-scientific research on the use of Information and Communication Technology in the work of teacher educators. Specifically analysis was performed theoretical and practical approaches deployed in the prescribed work and the work actually performed by teacher educators in the use of educational software, named Sherlock.

Análise da estrutura genérica das instruções na fala do professor de inglês: contribuições para o teste oral do Epple

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)