Study of the impact federated erubrics on assessing competences in the practicum

Presentation Research of the Practicum and externships has a long history and involves important aspects for analysis. For example, the recent changes taking place in university grades allot more credits to the Practicum course in all grades, and the Company-University collaboration has exposed the need to study in new learning environments. The rise of ICT practices like ePortfolios, which require technological solutions and methods supported by experimentation, study and research, require particular examination due to the dynamic momentum of technological innovation. Tutoring the Practicum and externships requires remote monitoring and communication using ePortfolios, and competence-based assessment and students’ requirement to provide evidence of learning require the best tutoring methods available with ePortfolios. Among the elements of ePortfolios, eRubrics emerge as a tool for design, communication and competence-assessment. This project aims to consolidate a research line on eRubrics, already undertaken by another project -I+D+i [EDU2010-15432]- in order to expand the network of researchers and Centres of Excellence in Spain and other countries: Harvard University in USA, University of Cologne in Germany, University of Colima in Mexico, Federal University of Parana, University of Santa Catarina in Brasil, and Stockholm University in Sweden(1). This new project [EDU2013-41974-P](2) examines the impact of eRubrics on tutoring and on assessing the Practicum course and externships. Through technology, distance tutoring grants an extra dimension to human communication. New forms of teaching with technological mediation are on the rise and are highly valuable, not only for formal education but especially in both public and private sectors of non-formal education, such as occupational training, unemployed education and public servant training. Objectives Obj. 1. To analyse models of technology used in assessing learning in the Practicum of all grades at Spanish Faculties of Education. Obj. 2. To study models of learning assessment measured by eRubrics in the Practicum. Obj. 3. To analyse communication through eRubrics between students and their tutors at university and practice centres, focusing on students’ understanding of competences and evidences to be assessed in the Practicum. Obj. 4. To design assessment services and products, in order to federate companies and practice centres with training institutions. Among many other features, it has the following functions CoRubric(3) 1. The possibility to assess people, products or services by using rubrics. 2. Ipsative assessment. 3. Designing fully flexible rubrics. 4. Drafting reports and exporting results from eRubrics in a project. 5. Students and teachers talk about the evaluation and application of the criteria Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used The project will use techniques to collect and analyse data from two methodological approaches: 1. In order to meet the first objective, we suggest an initial exploratory descriptive study (Buendía Eisman, Colás Bravo & Hernández Pina, 1998), which involves conducting interviews with Practicum coordinators from all educational grades across Spain, as well as analysing the contents of the teaching guides used in all educational grades across Spain. 55 academic managers were interviewed from about 10 faculties of education in public universities in Spain (20%), and course guides 376 universities from 36 public institutions in Spain (72%) are analyzed. 2. In order to satisfy the second objective, 7 universities have been selected to implement the project two instruments aimed at tutors practice centers and tutors of the faculty. All instruments for collecting data were validated by experts using the Delphi method. The selection of experts had three aspects: years of professional experience, number and quality of publications in the field (Practicum, Educational Technology and Teacher Training), and self-rating of their knowledge. The resulting data was calculated using the Coefficient of Competence (Kcomp) (Martínez, Zúñiga, Sala & Meléndez, 2012). Results in all cases showed an average experience of more than 0.09 points. The two instruments of the first objective were validated during the first half of 2014-15 year, data collected during the second half. And the second objective during the first half of 2015-16 year and data collection for the second half. The set of four instruments (two for each objective 1 and 2) have the same dimensions as each of the sources (Coordinators, course guides, tutors of practice centers and faculty) as they were: a. Institution-Organization, b. Nature of internships, c. Relationship between agents, d. Management Practicum, e. Assessment. F. Technological support, g. Training and h. Assessment Ethics. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The first results respond to Objective 1, where we find different conclusions depending on each of the six dimensions. In the case of internal regulations governing the organization and structure of the practicum, we note that most traditional degrees (Elementary and Primary grades) share common internal rules, in particular development methodology and criteria against other grades (Pedagogy and Social Education ). It is also true that the centers of practices in last cases are very different from each other and can be a public institution, a school, a company, a museum, etc. The memory with a 56.34% and 43.67% daily activities are more demands on students in all degrees, Lesson plans 28.18% 19.72% Portfolio 26.7% Didactic units and Others 32,4%. The technical support has been mainly used the platform of the University 47.89% and 57.75% Email, followed by other services and tools 9.86% and rubric platforms 1.41%. The assessment criteria are divided between formal aspects of 12.38%, Written expresión 12.38%, treatment of the subject 14.45%, methodological rigor of work 10.32%, and Level of argument Clarity and relevance of conclusions 10.32%. In general terms, we could say that there is a trend and debate between formative assessment against a accreditation. It has not yet had sufficient time to further study and confront other dimensions and sources of information. We hope to provide more analysis and conclusions in the conference date.

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.^

Evasão na educação profissional : estudo de caso de estudantes com necessidades específicas no Campus Taguatinga do Instituto Federal de Brasília

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do grau de mestre do Mestrado em Educação Social e Intervenção Comunitária da Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Santarém

El aprendizaje en una comunidad en internet de profesores de español como segunda lengua: estudio etnográfico virtual de la comunidad Todoele

In the digital era the availability of resources for online learning has multiplied along with personal learning environments. Proof of this is the proliferation of phenomena in the internet like Open Educational Resources or the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and the vast diversity of Online Communities of Practice (OCoP). The former is the object of study in the present Thesis. As Juan Freire (2012: 71) wrote: “The education is already happening, specially outside of educational institutions and formal process of education.” The OCoP garnered attention in the research community during the last few years. And, according to published research, online communities are turning into an emerging phenomena not only for “digital natives” (White, 2011) but also for lifelong learning (Wenger et al, 2002; Dubé et al, 2006; Lai et al, 2006) and specially as a tool for teacher training (Garrido, 2003; Murua, 2015). Teachers develop, through these tools, networks of self support, share didactic material, and look for solutions to common problems while undertaking initiatives towards even more collaboration. The present thesis is a study of Comunidad Todoele (CT) one of the most reputable networks for Spanish as a Foreign Language Teachers (ELE, from it’s Spanish acronym). Currently the community has near 11,000 members and it’s main purpose is researching, describing, and theorising the formative processes that happen inside the network from the perspective of those experiencing it. Debate is centred on the questions: What relevant knowledge do the teachers get from the community? In which way are these processes of learning developed? In other words, How, and what, do teachers learn in these environment?..

Evasão na educação profissional : estudo de caso de estudantes com necessidades específicas no Campus Taguatinga do Instituto Federal de Brasília

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do grau de mestre do Mestrado em Educação Social e Intervenção Comunitária da Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Santarém

The teaching of reading English in a foreign language in Libyan universities: methods and models

This study focuses on the learning and teaching of Reading in English as a Foreign Language (REFL), in Libya. The study draws on an action research process in which I sought to look critically at students and teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Libya as they learned and taught REFL in four Libyan research sites. The Libyan EFL educational system is influenced by two main factors: the method of teaching the Holy-Quran and the long-time ban on teaching EFL by the former Libyan regime under Muammar Gaddafi. Both of these factors have affected the learning and teaching of REFL and I outline these contextual factors in the first chapter of the thesis. This investigation, and the exploration of the challenges that Libyan university students encounter in their REFL, is supported by attention to reading models. These models helped to provide an analytical framework and starting point for understanding the many processes involved in reading for meaning and in reading to satisfy teacher instructions. The theoretical framework I adopted was based, mainly and initially, on top-down, bottom-up, interactive and compensatory interactive models. I drew on these models with a view to understanding whether and how the processes of reading described in the models could be applied to the reading of EFL students and whether these models could help me to better understand what was going on in REFL. The diagnosis stage of the study provided initial data collected from four Libyan research sites with research tools including video-recorded classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers before and after lesson observation, and think-aloud protocols (TAPs) with 24 students (six from each university) in which I examined their REFL reading behaviours and strategies. This stage indicated that the majority of students shared behaviours such as reading aloud, reading each word in the text, articulating the phonemes and syllables of words, or skipping words if they could not pronounce them. Overall this first stage indicated that alternative methods of teaching REFL were needed in order to encourage ‘reading for meaning’ that might be based on strategies related to eventual interactive reading models adapted for REFL. The second phase of this research project was an Intervention Phase involving two team-teaching sessions in one of the four stage one universities. In each session, I worked with the teacher of one group to introduce an alternative method of REFL. This method was based on teaching different reading strategies to encourage the students to work towards an eventual interactive way of reading for meaning. A focus group discussion and TAPs followed the lessons with six students in order to discuss the 'new' method. Next were two video-recorded classroom observations which were followed by an audio-recorded discussion with the teacher about these methods. Finally, I conducted a Skype interview with the class teacher at the end of the semester to discuss any changes he had made in his teaching or had observed in his students' reading with respect to reading behaviour strategies, and reactions and performance of the students as he continued to use the 'new' method. The results of the intervention stage indicate that the teacher, perhaps not surprisingly, can play an important role in adding to students’ knowledge and confidence and in improving their REFL strategies. For example, after the intervention stage, students began to think about the title, and to use their own background knowledge to comprehend the text. The students employed, also, linguistic strategies such as decoding and, above all, the students abandoned the behaviour of reading for pronunciation in favour of reading for meaning. Despite the apparent efficacy of the alternative method, there are, inevitably, limitations related to the small-scale nature of the study and the time I had available to conduct the research. There are challenges, too, related to the students’ first language, the idiosyncrasies of the English language, the teacher training and continuing professional development of teachers, and the continuing political instability of Libya. The students’ lack of vocabulary and their difficulties with grammatical functions such as phrasal and prepositional verbs, forms which do not exist in Arabic, mean that REFL will always be challenging. Given such constraints, the ‘new’ methods I trialled and propose for adoption can only go so far in addressing students’ difficulties in REFL. Overall, the study indicates that the Libyan educational system is underdeveloped and under resourced with respect to REFL. My data indicates that the teacher participants have received little to no professional developmental that could help them improve their teaching in REFL and skills in teaching EFL. These circumstances, along with the perennial problem of large but varying class sizes; student, teacher and assessment expectations; and limited and often poor quality resources, affect the way EFL students learn to read in English. Against this background, the thesis concludes by offering tentative conclusions; reflections on the study, including a discussion of its limitations, and possible recommendations designed to improve REFL learning and teaching in Libyan universities.

Relatório no âmbito da unidade curricular prática de ensino supervisionada, realizada no Agrupamento de Escolas de Reguengos de Monsaraz

Este relatório surge no âmbito da unidade curricular Prática de Ensino Supervisionada, inserida no Mestrado em Ensino do Português no 3.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e Ensino Secundário e de Espanhol no Ensino Básico e Secundário, orientado pelo Professor Doutor Paulo Lampreia Costa. A nossa Prática de Ensino Supervisionada decorreu durante o ano letivo 2015-2016, no Agrupamento de Escolas de Reguengos de Monsaraz. Neste trabalho destacamos e refletimos sobre documentos e legislação fundamentais para a profissão docente, em Portugal. Relatamos as práticas operacionalizadas na planificação, condução de aulas e avaliação das aprendizagens, incidindo, sobretudo, em duas turmas, o 7.º E e o 11.º A/B, nas disciplinas de Português e Espanhol, respetivamente, e analisando-as criticamente. Descrevemos e comentamos a nossa participação na escola, relativamente à preparação e operacionalização de atividades extraletivas. Finalmente, refletimos sobre o nosso desenvolvimento profissional enquanto futuros professores; Abstract: Report within the scope of Supervised Teaching Practice curricular unit This report appears within the scope of Supervised Teaching Practice curricular unit, included in the Master’s Degree in Portuguese Language Teaching for the 3rd stage of Basic Education and Secondary Education and Spanish Language Teaching for Basic and Secondary Education, under the supervision of PhD Professor Paulo Lampreia Costa. Our Supervised Teaching Practice took place during the 2015-2016 school year, in the group of schools of Reguengos de Monsaraz. In this work we emphasize and reflect over fundamental documents and legislation that regulate the teaching activity in Portugal. We report our teaching activity practices which concerns planning, developing classroom activities, assessing learning, addressing, mainly, two classes, 7.th E and 11.th A/B, in Portuguese and Spanish as a Foreign Language II, respectively, and analyse them. We describe and comment our school participation, which concerns the planning and implementation of extra-curricular activities. Finally, we reflect over our professional development as future teachers.

Formação inicial de pedagogos: a construção dos saberes no âmbito do estágio supervisionado

O espaço da formação docente apresenta-se como um campo de investigação rico de informações frente ao contexto da sociedade contemporânea. Assim, diferentes dimensões do processo formativo vem se destacando no cenário educacional, como é o caso da Formação Inicial de Pedagogo: construção dos saberes no âmbito do Estágio Supervionado, tema desta investigação. Este estudo faz uma abordagem sobre os dois modelos de formação de professores: o racionalismo técnico e o emergente pautado nos princípios do agente social, passando por um breve histórico da pedagogia no Brasil, e avança enfocando as concepções dicotômica e de unidade dos saberes teóricos e práticos, além de analisar a construção e mobilização dos saberes docentes. Destaca-se a relevância do Estágio Supervisionado no processo de formação, o seu papel articulador entre os vários tipos de saberes. Após, contextualiza-se o Curso de Pedagogia da UVA/AP, seus dispositivos legais, enfocando as ementas das disciplinas Estágio Supervisionado I e II contempladas na matriz curricular deste curso. Em seguida faz-se um apanhado da metodologia utilizada nesta investigação, que tem uma natureza descritiva, pautando-se na pesquisa bibliográfica e na pesquisa de campo. Os instrumentos de coleta de dados utilizados foram à entrevista semiestruturada e questionário, com os supervisores de estágios e alunos-estagiários sujeitos desta investigação. Finalizando com o tratamento e análise dos dados, apresentados graficamente das informações dos supervisores de estágios e alunos-estagiários e da análise das compreensões dos alunos-estagiários na entrevista semiestruturada, a qual são interpretadas a luz do referencial teórico utilizado na revisão literária. Os resultados mostraram que a metodologia proposta foi adequada para apreciar sobre a formação inicial do pedagogo e a construção dos saberes no momento do Estágio Supervisionado. ABSTRACT: The sphere of educator training is presented as a rich of information research field in face of the contemporary society context. Thus, different scopes of the training process have been standing out in the educational scenario, as the case of initial educator training: The construction of the knowledge in the scope of the supervised traineeship, topic of this research. This study provides a comprehensive approach about the two models of teacher training: the technical rationalism and the emerging based on the social agent principles, followed by a short historical of the pedagogy in Brazil, right through focusing on dichotomous conceptions and units of the practical and theoretical knowledge, furthermore, analyze the construction and mobilization of the educational knowledge. The relevance of the supervised traineeship stands out in the training process; its role integrates different types of knowledge. After, Put the Pedagogy course: from UVAIAP into context, their legal arrangements, focusing on the subjects "Supervised Traineeship I and II", included in the study programme. Then is made an overview of the methodology used in this research, that is descriptive in nature, also be guided by a bibliographical research and a field research. The data collection resources were semi-structured interview and a questionnaire, with the traineeships supervisor and the trainee-student’s agents of this research. Concluding with the data processing and analysis, graphically presented according to the traineeships supervisor and trainee-students information and also analysis of the trainee-students comprehension in the semi-structured interview, which are interpreted in accordance of the theoretical framework used in the literary review. The results prove that the methodology proposed was appropriated to appreciate about the initial educator training and the construction of knowledge at the moment of the supervised traineeship.

Características principales, logros y dificultades de la gestión de la investigación en el Nivel Superior y su correlato en las publicaciones

In this article, the main characteristics, achievements and difficulties in research and publishing management in higher education are presented, taking into account the experience of the author in the institutions to which she belongs (Teacher Trainning College and Graduate and Post graduate university levels) in Argentina. The presentation seeks to foster institutional exchange of experiences from sharing strategies that may help develop research activities as a key factor in teacher trainning.

Diagnóstico situacional de la labor docente y de la oferta de formación de educadores rurales en Costa Rica

The article explores the performance of rural teachers in Costa Rica and analyses the curricula taught in public universities. It also examines limitations and advantages of teaching in rural areas and the way teachers face the challenges imposed by this kind of context in terms of cultural, economical and social particularities. Finally, based on the information collected in this investigation, a series of contents are presented in order to enrich the curricula of teacher training universities and to offer to their students, future teachers, the necessary tools to work in the rural area.

Educational Inclusion in the Regular Classroom: an Asperger Syndrome Case

The following paper resulted from the final research project conducted for my Master’s Degree in Teacher Training for Teachers of Primary Education (1st – 6th grade of the Basic General Education). This research project was conducted under the supervision of the Rural Education Division of the Center for Research and Teaching in Education (CIDE-UNA, Spanish acronym), in coordination with the Central America Educational and Cultural Coordination (CECC). The research is qualitative with an interpretative approach. Our main objective was to analyze the process of inclusive education in the regular classroom for a person with Asperger’s Syndrome, defined as a type of social impairment. The case study method was used in this research, as it allows a deeper study. A girl was chosen from a public school in an urban area of San José, Costa Rica. Three techniques were used to obtain information: interviews, questionnaires and documentation (personal file, behavior record, and psychological assessment) related to the girl with Asperger. The triangulation of sources was used as a method of analysis. The conclusion of the project was that regular schools may have children miss-diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, and that our schools are still far from achieving inclusive education, but efforts are being made to achieve it. For a more opportune intervention, some recommendations based on this study were provided to the family and the school of the girl with Asperger.

Strategies to Promote Research and Logical Reasoning in the Teaching of Mathematics in the Schools

The purpose of this paper is to raise a debate on the urgent need for teachers to generate innovative situations in the teaching-learning process, in the field of Mathematics, as a way for students to develop logical reasoning and research skills applicable to everyday situations. It includes some statistical data and possible reasons for the poor performance and dissatisfaction of students towards Mathematics. Since teachers are called to offer meaningful and functional learning experiences to students, in order to promote the pleasure of learning, teacher training should include experiences that can be put into practice by teachers in the education centers. This paper includes a work proposal for Mathematics Teaching to generate discussion, curiosity and logical reasoning in students, together with the Mathematical problem solving study.

Relevant Aspects on Teaching Probability and Statistics in Basic General Education

Probability and Statistics were included in the Basic General Education curricula by the Ministry of Public Education (Costa Rica), since 1995. To analyze the teaching reality in these fields, a research was conducted in two educational regions of the country: Heredia and Pérez Zeledón. The survey included university training and updating processes of teachers teaching Statistics and Probability in the schools. The research demonstrated the limited university training in these fields, the dissatisfaction of teachers about it, and the poor support of training institutions to their professional exercise.