Content -area teachers' perceptions of the effect of the meta -training on their instructional practices

The purpose of this study was to explore the content-area teachers' perceptions of the effect that compliance with the teacher training for content-area teachers of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students mandated by the Consent Decree had on their instructional practices within the content-area classroom. In order to provide an overview of the factors which had an effect on the content-area teachers' mandated training, various areas were reviewed: history of legislative actions that led up to the Consent Decree; stipulations set forth in the Consent Decree; Miami-Dade County Public Schools District LEP Plan including stipulations for teacher training; research on teacher training for teachers of language minority students; and the process of change. This descriptive study specifically addresses teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the mandated teacher training as it relates to language minority students. ^ Content-area teachers who had completed the mandated teacher training were surveyed using self-administered anonymous questionnaires mailed to their school sites. Questions focused on the teachers' perceptions of: students' need of second language instructional strategies within the content-area classroom; teacher training requirements mandated by the Consent Decree; and changes in their instructional practices as a result of the training. ^ Based on the responses of the subjects, the results of this study indicate the overall success of the training implemented to comply with the stipulations set forth in the Consent Decree. In general, the results indicate that the teachers perceive that they are ultimately in agreement with the mandated training. The results also indicate that the teachers perceive a need for second language strategies when working with language minority students. These results can serve as starting point for further research not only into teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of training for teachers of language minority students but also into the outcomes of this teacher training as it is reflected within the classroom. ^

Mentoring in an on -the -job training context

This study examined mentoring within an on-the-job training (OJT) context, with a focus on how mentors' perceptions of protégé competence affected both the short and long terin benefits of mentoring. The participants in this survey research were education majors at Florida International University engaged in a semester of student teaching. Their cooperating teachers, who were employed by Dade County, also participated. It was hypothesized and found that mentors who perceived their protégés as more competent provided higher quality mentoring and greater autonomy when performing training tasks. Protégés' self-efficacy was not affected by the amount of autonomy received during training. Additionally, protégés' final performance was not affected by their self-efficacy at the end of the training experience. Two mediated relationships were tested, although support for them was not found. Autonomy was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between mentors' perceptions of protégé competence and protégé self-efficacy. Protégé self-efficacy was expected to mediate the relationship between protégé autonomy and the final performance score. This study has shown the importance of considering mentors' perceptions of their protégés' competence when creating mentoring dyads during OJT. ^

Characteristics of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or National Athletic Trainers' Association -accredited athletic training programs associated with first -attempt passing rates on the NATABOC examination

Athletic training is an allied health profession recognized by the American Medical Association requiring certification by examination. There are two routes towards certification as an athletic trainer: attending a university with an accredited athletic training program or with an internship program By 2004, the only route towards certification will be by attending a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) accredited athletic training program. CAAHEP looks at passing rates on the NATA Board of Certification (NATABOC) examination when granting accreditation. This study examined characteristics of programs associated with first time passing rates. ^ Directors from 39 CAAHEP or NATA accredited athletic training programs completed a descriptive 17-question survey regarding academic characteristics, faculty characteristics, and program characteristics. Analysis used Spearman's rho correlation coefficient, with significance of p = <.05. Four program directors were interviewed to gather additional insight. ^ There were three program characteristics that showed a significant positive association with first attempt passing rates: the number of full-time and part-time approved clinical instructors (ACIs), and the number of students in the program. Further investigation found a statistically significant association between a low ratio of ACIs to athletic training students and first time passing rates. ACIs are certified athletic trainers (ATCs) who have received special training in order to supervise athletic training students. CAAHEP mandates a 1:8 ratio of ATCs to athletic training student. This study showed that a smaller ratio of ATC to student in combination with ACI training was significantly associated with higher first time passing rates. The number of courses above the required 13 delineated by the Education Council showed a significant negative association with first attempt passing rates. ^ Universities seeking or maintaining accreditation should incorporate characteristics associated with a higher passing rate on the NATABOC examination. Characteristics include utilizing a large number of full-time and part-time ACIs, admitting a large number of students into the program while maintaining a low ACI to athletic training student ratio, and offering curricula that focuses on the 13 courses that have been deemed relevant to the athletic training curriculum by the Education Council. ^

A comparison of the teacher efficacy and performance of traditionally and alternatively certified first -year teachers

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and performance evaluations of alternatively certified first-year teachers to traditionally certified first-year teachers. The participants were 25 first-year teachers in the Broward County Public School District (FL) who completed the Transition to Teaching alternative certification program and a comparison group of 32 first-year teachers in the same school district who completed a traditional university teacher preparation program. ^ The study was a mixed methods design (Creswell, 2003; Tashakkori & Teddlie, 1998). The quantitative data were collected during the 2002–2003 school year using the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001) and the Florida Performance Measurement System formative and summative instruments. The qualitative data consisted of focus group interviews that were conducted at the end of the 2002–2003 school year. ^ Data were analyzed using independent samples t tests to compare the means of the two populations on their efficacy scores and performance evaluations. Paired samples t tests and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to compare the efficacy scores for each certification type at the beginning of the school year to the efficacy scores at the end of the school year. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the change in the efficacy scores of the teachers from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year. Focus group interviews were conducted and transcribed, and the content was analyzed and categorized based on the four sources of self-efficacy described by Bandura (1986, 1997). ^ The results of this study revealed that no statistically significant differences existed between the two groups of teachers in their teacher efficacy or performance evaluations and that they reported similar sources of their efficacy. These findings add to the research base that supports alternative certification as a viable and effective pathway into teaching. ^

Investigating the Effects of Cognitive Apprenticeship-Based Instructional Coaching on Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs

The overall purpose of this collected papers dissertation was to examine the utility of a cognitive apprenticeship-based instructional coaching (CAIC) model for improving the science teaching efficacy beliefs (STEB) of preservice and inservice elementary teachers. Many of these teachers perceive science as a difficult subject and feel inadequately prepared to teach it. However, teacher efficacy beliefs have been noted as the strongest indicator of teacher quality, the variable most highly correlated with student achievement outcomes. The literature is scarce on strong, evidence-based theoretical models for improving STEB. This dissertation is comprised of two studies. STUDY #1 was a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study investigating the impact of a reformed CAIC elementary science methods course on the STEB of 26 preservice teachers. Data were collected using the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) and from six post-course interviews. A statistically significant increase in STEB was observed in the quantitative strand. The qualitative data suggested that the preservice teachers perceived all of the CAIC methods as influential, but the significance of each method depended on their unique needs and abilities. STUDY #2 was a participatory action research case study exploring the utility of a CAIC professional development program for improving the STEB of five Bahamian inservice teachers and their competency in implementing an inquiry-based curriculum. Data were collected from pre- and post-interviews and two focus group interviews. Overall, the inservice teachers perceived the intervention as highly effective. The scaffolding and coaching were the CAIC methods portrayed as most influential in developing their STEB, highlighting the importance of interpersonal relationship aspects in successful instructional coaching programs. The teachers also described the CAIC approach as integral in supporting their learning to implement the new inquiry-based curriculum. The overall findings hold important implications for science education reform, including its potential to influence how preservice teacher training and inservice teacher professional development in science are perceived and implemented. Additionally, given the noteworthy results obtained over the relatively short durations, CAIC interventions may also provide an effective means of achieving improvements in preservice and inservice teachers’ STEB more expeditiously than traditional approaches.

The relationship between the teacher's experience, the teacher's college major, and the teacher's level of education in predicting classroom attitudes in high school science students

A review of the literature reveals few research has attempted to demonstrate if a relationship exists between the type of teacher training a science teacher has received and the perceived attitudes of his/her students. Considering that a great deal of time and energy has been devoted by university colleges, school districts, and educators towards refining the teacher education process, it would be more efficient for all parties involved, if research were available that could discern if certain pathways in achieving that education, would promote the tendency towards certain teacher behaviors occurring in the classroom, while other pathways would lead towards different behaviors. Some of the teacher preparation factors examined in this study include the college major chosen by the science teacher, the highest degree earned, the number of years of teaching experience, the type of science course taught, and the grade level taught by the teacher. This study examined how the various factors mentioned, could influence the behaviors which are characteristic of the teacher, and how these behaviors could be reflective in the classroom environment experienced by the students. The instrument used in the study was the Classroom Environment Scale (CES), Real Form. The measured classroom environment was broken down into three separate dimensions, with three components within each dimension in the CES. Multiple Regression statistical analyses examined how components of the teachers' education influenced the perceived dimensions of the classroom environment from the students. The study occurred in Miami-Dade County Florida, with a predominantly urban high school student population. There were 40 secondary science teachers involved, each with an average of 30 students. The total number of students sampled in the study was 1200. The teachers who participated in the study taught the entire range of secondary science courses offered at this large school district. All teachers were selected by the researcher so that a balance would occur in the sample between teachers who were education major versus science major. Additionally, the researcher selected teachers so that a balance occurred in regards to the different levels of college degrees earned among those involved in the study. Several research questions sought to determine if there was significant difference between the type of the educational background obtained by secondary science teachers and the students' perception of the classroom environment. Other research questions sought to determine if there were significant differences in the students' perceptions of the classroom environment for secondary science teachers who taught biological content, or non-biological content sciences. An additional research question sought to evaluate if the grade level taught would affect the students' perception of the classroom environment. Analysis of the multiple regression were run for each of four scores from the CES, Real Form. For score 1, involvement of students, the results showed that teachers with the highest number of years of experience, with masters or masters plus degrees, who were education majors, and who taught twelfth grade students, had greater amounts of students being attentive and interested in class activities, participating in discussions, and doing additional work on their own, as compared with teachers who had lower experience, a bachelors degree, were science majors, and who taught a grade lower than twelfth. For score 2, task orientation, which emphasized completing the required activities and staying on-task, the results showed that teachers with the highest and intermediate experience, a science major, and with the highest college degree, showed higher scores as compared with the teachers indicating lower experiences, education major and a bachelors degree. For Score 3, competition, which indicated how difficult it was to achieve high grades in the class, the results showed that teachers who taught non-biology content subjects had the greatest effect on the regression. Teachers with a masters degree, low levels of experience, and who taught twelfth grade students were also factored into the regression equation. For Score 4, innovation, which indicated the extent in which the teachers used new and innovative techniques to encourage diverse and creative thinking included teachers with an education major as the first entry into the regression equation. Teachers with the least experience (0 to 3 years), and teachers who taught twelfth and eleventh grade students were also included into the regression equation.

Crenças e experiências de professores no PIBID de Língua Inglesa : interação e ressignificação?

There are diverse studies about beliefs in Applied Linguistics since 1970 or so (BARCELOS, 2004), especially beliefs about teaching and learning Foreign Languages. The research about beliefs and experiences of English language teachers, who take part in a program of teaching incentive (Pibid), and, therefore, are immersed in public schools for elementary education, is relevant, once the (ac)knowledgment of these beliefs related to their teaching and learning experiences allows these teachers to reflect about the aspects that involve their teaching practice and their role as teachers of English language. The present work aims to investigate the interaction of beliefs and experiences related to foreign language teaching and learning of teachers who are participants of Pibid, in the subproject of English Language at the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), in 2013. The objective is to identify the beliefs and experiences about teaching and learning that the pre-service teachers (PI), the coordinator teacher (PF) and the supervisor teachers (PS) of the program show and how their beliefs and experiences influence each other and can or cannot be redefined. This is a qualitative and interpretative master’s research, in which I analized one narrative of each PI, one interview of PF and another of each PS, and, also, two meetings – the first between the PF and the PIs, and the second between all the participants in the subproject. All the data was collected at the end of their participation in Pibid, approximately one year and six months later. Therefore, I raised some beliefs and experiences about English language teaching and learning present in the teachers’ discourse and analized excerpts in their speech that evidenced the interaction with other participants and its influence to the formation, confirmation, demystification and redefinition of their beliefs. The results of this analysis bring elements that may help the constant reflection of university teachers, teachers in practice and pre-service teachers about the aspects that involve the teaching experiences in public schools.

O conceito de motivação em dizeres de professores de língua inglesa

This work aimed at analyzing the speeches constructed about motivation by English teachers who teach at public state schools in the interior of Minas Gerais. We aimed at delineating the concept of subject underlying the subjects’ notion of motivation and identifying the role that the English teacher attributes to himself and to the student when he/she enunciates on motivational issues, problematizing the possible consequences of these issues for some English teachers while working in public schools. In order to do so, our investigation made use of theoretical assumptions from Applied Linguistics and Discourse Analysis. The theoretical fundamentation deriving from Bakhtin Circle as well as from Michel Pecheux’s theoretical basis were also very relevant for this research. The intersection of these studying fields entails a theoretical construction that considers the voices of those who live the social practice (MOITA LOPES, 2006), which allows one to see the subjects through their heterogeneity, fluidity and fragmentation. Moreover, it generates knowledge about language in its political, ideological, social and historical aspects. AREDA (SERRANI, 1998) was used as a theoretical and methodological framework for data collection. In our analysis, we considered the voices and the conditions of production that constitute 5 English teachers and, from some selected speeches extracted from their discursive production, some notions as intra and interdiscourse, discursive resonance, discursive memory, among others, can be seen interwoven. We hypothesize that the production of meaning deriving from these English teachers comes from a cleavage between the interdiscursivity about motivation and their position in relation to the English language. Some of these teachers’ discursive inscriptions were delineated as they follow: i) the silenced motivation, in which the teachers come up with several voices, repeating what that has already been said about motivation through silence by excess; also, through an inscription in a process of anomy, the English teachers silence motivation, as they come up with other sayings, in an anomic order, denying their identification with their mother tongue and culture because of a desire to learn the foreign language and culture; ii) the motivation in/from/ by others that resounds, in the way the teachers speak, a relation of alterity on what, in/from desire of other relations (colleagues, students, teaching materials, media, etc.), other forms and alternatives are established as a guarantee of students’ motivation; the teachers are also inscripted in in-service practice training as a space of educational development, because they imagine that the experience of the in-service practice alone, which excludes the educational instruction from the Languages course in which they graduated/were graduating at, taught them how to motivate the students; iii) the motivation as a will of power/knowledge, which means there seems to be teachers’ inscription in the relationship between power and knowledge (Foucault, 1996), disconsidering the conflicts that constitute the English classroom to say that there is a control of the English teaching and learning process and, as a result, they also sustain that they hold control over how to motivate; furthermore, the presence of a resonant voice, whose effect is given by an inscription on the (illusion of) completeness can be seen, because the English teachers believe that while motivating their students, this motivation will provide them with all the missing elements, which would mean that when they motivate students, they would be able to fulfill all the gaps in their learning process.

Audit of mathematics learning support in Ireland in 2015 – the key findings

In 2015 the Irish Mathematics Learning Support Network (IMLSN) commissioned a comprehensive audit of the extent and nature of mathematics learning support (MLS) provision on the island of Ireland. An online survey was sent to 32 institutions, including universities, institutes of technology, further education and teacher training colleges, and a 97% response rate was achieved. While the headline figure – 84% of institutions that responded to the survey provide MLS – sounds good, deeper analysis reveals that the true state of MLS is not so solid. For example, in 25% of institutions offering MLS, only five hours per week (at most) of physical MLS are available, while in 20% of institutions the service is provided by only one or two staff members. Furthermore, training of tutors is minimal or non-existent in at least half of the institutions offering MLS. The results provide an illuminating picture, however, identifying the true state of MLS in Ireland is beneficial only if it informs developments in the years ahead. This talk will present some of the findings of the survey in more depth along with conclusions and recommendations. Key among these is the need for institutions to recognise MLS as a vital element of mathematics teaching and learning strategy at third level and devote the necessary resources to facilitate the provision of a service which can grow and adapt to meet student requirements.

Seeing disadvantage in schools: exploring student teachers’ perceptions of poverty and disadvantage using visual pedagogy

This paper describes exploratory research into the development of innovative visual pedagogies for investigating how pre-service student teachers articulate their views about the effects of poverty on educational attainment. Social class emerges as the strongest factor in poverty and educational disadvantage in the UK. The resulting issues are often awkward for students to discuss and conventional pedagogies may not have effective ‘reach’ here. Findings from this study showed that the visual methods deployed gave students pedagogically well structured spaces for the expression and exchange of a diversity of views about poverty and social class, engaging them in both heated discussions and prolonged ‘silences’. However, the pedagogies did not challenge the stereotypical deficit models of ‘the poor’ which some students expressed. Nevertheless, we argue that reconfigured versions of these visual pedagogies have considerable potential for innovative social justice work in teacher education.

Music teacher biography and its impact on teaching practice

This paper describes research carried out as part of a wider doctoral study on ‘the biography of music teachers, their understanding of musicality and the implications for secondary music education’. Music teachers will come from a range of diverse backgrounds, though research data would suggest that most seem to have been educated as ‘classical’ music performers which will have an affect on what they perceive to be central competencies in the development of young musicians. In turn, this will determine, to some extent, what is taught and learned in the secondary music classroom. This study explores the impact of the biography of secondary music teachers as they seek to develop the musicianship of their pupils and present the activities in which the young people will be expected to participate. A mixed methods approach has been taken, including surveys, observation and interviews. Surveys amongst a sample of experienced and trainee teachers have produced a range of quantitative data on respondents’ experience of and values related to music education; whilst qualitative data in the form of lesson observation notes and transcription of semi-structured interviews have been the result of working with a small sub-set of participants. The outcomes of study have suggested a clear link between biography and classroom practice but that there are also other potential tensions which arise, such as in the subject knowledge development of practitioners as they move from musician to teacher. Implications for a variety of stakeholders in secondary music education include a consideration of the development of subject knowledge together with potential review of national and local education policy, the nature of undergraduate music study and the ‘shape’ of initial teacher training in England.

Authentizität und Lernen - das Fach in der Fachdidaktik. Gesellschaft für Didaktik der Chemie und Physik Jahrestagung in Berlin 2015

Die 42. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Didaktik der Chemie und Physik (GDCP) wurde im September 2015 an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ausgerichtet. Zum Tagungsthema „Authentizität und Lernen - Das Fach in der Fachdidaktik“ diskutierten neben den Plenarreferentinnen und -referenten eine große Anzahl an Tagungsgästen. Der vorliegende Band umfasst die ausgearbeiteten Beiträge der Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer. (DIPF/Orig.)

Knowledge and awareness of type 1 diabetes among primary school initial teacher trainees

Qualitätssicherung für nachhaltige Strukturen in der ICT-basierten Lehreraus- und -fortbildung

Das Institut für Ökonomische Bildung (IÖB) an der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg ist u.a. mit der wissenschaftlichen Durchführung des Projekts „Ökonomische Bildung online“ befasst, mit dem die Entwicklung eines vollständigen internetbasierten Studiengangs, differenzierter Fort- und Weiterbildungsprofile für Lehrkräfte an allgemein bildenden Schulen und die Vorbereitung des Exports des Studiengangs nach Russland erreicht werden soll. Ein vertraglich fixiertes Hauptaugenmerk bei der Entwicklung dieser Angebote liegt auf der Nachhaltigkeit, d.h. nach Ablauf der Projektförderdauer (7/2001–12/2004) sollen sich die Produkte auf dem wachsenden Bildungsmarkt selbst refinanzieren. Wie versucht werden soll die Nachhaltigkeit zu erreichen, ist Gegenstand dieses Artikels. Im Mittelpunkt stehen dabei Maßnahmen der Qualitätssicherung, die m.E. aber nicht bei der Betrachtung der Produkte an sich, d.h. der Inhalte und Kurse selbst beschränkt bleiben kann, sondern auch die Ausrichtung an der Marktsituation, die Bedürfnisse der Zielgruppen, die Kooperationsbeziehungen, die Finanzierung und die Technik ins Blickfeld nehmen muss. (DIPF/Orig.)

Tecnologias de informação geográfica e promoção do pensamento espacial crítico: estratégias transdisciplinares em educação para o desenvolvimento sustentável no 3º CEB

Perante a fragilidade da atual conjuntura mundial nos contextos económico, social e ambiental, urge a necessidade de educar os novos cidadãos para a sustentabilidade, pelo conhecimento interativo do local onde vivem e do mundo que os integra. “Ensinar a pensar” e a encontrar soluções criativas sustentáveis, torna-se incontornável. Reconhecendo-se que este propósito carece da integração do conhecimento presencial no território, e a importância das competências de saber pensar o espaço e intervir no meio, partilhadas pela Educação Geográfica (EG) e pela Educação para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (EDS), onde a dimensão “Espaço” é crítica e aglutinadora das aprendizagens, no presente trabalho propõe-se dar resposta à questão de como desenvolver o Pensamento Espacial Crítico, com recurso a Tecnologias de Informação Geográfica (TIG), de forma a promover aprendizagens significativas em EDS, ao nível do 3.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico (CEB) e no contexto da Escola Básica de Campia. Tendo como grande finalidade a inovação das práticas educativas, espera-se com esta investigação contribuir para o alargamento de fronteiras do conhecimento em Multimédia em Educação e da EG, assumindo-se a importância desta no domínio da EDS, estimulando o Pensamento Espacial (PE), o Pensamento Crítico (PC) e a forma como os alunos e restante comunidade educativa olham e atuam sobre o meio. Face à finalidade apresentada e dado o caráter inovador da presente investigação, adotou-se a metodologia de investigação-ação (I/A), no contexto do paradigma sóciocrítico, de pendor qualitativo. Este estudo foi desenvolvido por intermédio de uma Oficina de Formação, em dois ciclos de I/A, tendo como objetivo a conceção e implementação de estratégias transdisciplinares de ensino e aprendizagem (E/A) em EDS, visando o desenvolvimento de capacidades de PEC e sendo suportadas por TIG. Foram concebidos diversos instrumentos de recolha de dados, para cada ciclo de I/A, e o corpo de dados foi analisado essencialmente através da técnica de análise de conteúdo e pontualmente através da análise estatística de cariz descritivo. O modelo de análise de dados centrou-se numa análise SWOT para identificação das forças, fraquezas, oportunidades e ameaças, e numa matriz TOWS para identificação das ações a empreender entre os ciclos de I/A. Propõe-se, para o efeito, um referencial teórico didático para o conceito de PEC, através de uma taxonomia de capacidades e competências resultante da implementação dos ciclos de I/A. Os resultados obtidos permitem observar que: i) a EG, pelas competências que preconiza e pelo enfoque da dimensão espacial, é potencialmente aglutinadora das aprendizagens, no currículo do 3.º CEB, e pode favorecer a transdisciplinaridade, essencial na EDS; ii) as estratégias de ensino e aprendizagem assentes na EG e com recurso a TIG são promotoras de aprendizagens significativas em EDS pelo desenvolvimento de capacidades de PEC. Contudo, as limitações evidenciadas na investigação suscitaram, através dos ciclos de I/A, a redefinição do percurso formativo proposto e dos instrumentos de recolha de dados concebidos, bem como a introdução de melhorias à taxonomia de PEC desenvolvida no âmbito da presente tese. Entre outras limitações discutidas (como a resistência à utilização de tecnologia em contexto de E/A), salientamos uma limitação sistémica, inerente aos atuais contextos educativos formais (currículo, distribuição do serviço docente, etc.), que desincentiva uma efetiva implementação de estratégias transdisciplinares e do trabalho colaborativo entre professores. Apesar das limitações elencadas consideramos que este estudo contribui para um aprofundamento do conhecimento sobre a potencialidade das TIG na promoção de competências e capacidades de PEC dos alunos, nomeadamente pelo avanço na clarificação das mesmas, plasmadas no instrumento desenvolvido no âmbito desta tese (taxonomia de PEC). Como disseminação desta investigação, salienta-se que o referido instrumento integrará o referencial teórico de um projeto europeu Erasmus + (ENAbLE), para suporte à conceção dos dispositivos didáticos que acompanharão uma aplicação de TIG que será concebida especificamente para o contexto de E/A.