The Effectiveness of Training in the Evaluation of Classroom Instruction as an Aid to Self-Evaluation in Student Teaching

Abstract

This study hypothesized that participation in a training program in the evaluation of classroom instruction prior to student teaching would improve students' ability to evaluate their own classroom performance during student teaching.

Junior education students, 58 classified as trained or Experimental and 53 untrained or Control, were compared during student teaching on their ability to evaluate the lessons they taught. The five areas to be considered were introduction, organization, procedures and techniques, items relating to children, and items relating to the teacher.

Results indicated that in four of the five categories the differences between the groups were in a direction favorable to the trained students and that in two of those categories the difference was significant at the five percent level. It was concluded that the Experimental Training Program was effective in some areas.     

需求分析在外语课堂教学中的应用

以需求分析理论为依据,对高职高专某个班级学生进行了需求调查。研究结果表明,教师可以通过需求分析从课堂中发现学生的具体需要,采取切合学生实际要求的教学措施来改进教学。     

英语学习词典词类与插图分类倾向性研究初探

释义是词典最基本也是最重要的内容之一。插图作为词典释义手段之一,是对释义形象的展示与辅助。插图有着不同的分类,不同词类所采用的插图分类也有所不同,插图分类直接影响着插图释义的效果。文章以五大英语学习词典中的插图为研究对象,对其中词类与插图分类的倾向性进行研究,研究结果有助于词典编撰和英语词汇教学。     

Experience,education and the inservice needs of mathematics teachers

A 23-item questionnaire was employed to measure the inservice needs of 246 teachers of mathematics in Grades 7, 8, and 9. Five general need areas were identified: curriculum, planning and application of teaching aids, classroom strategies, subject matter, and updated information from the field of mathematics education. Teachers were then sorted into sub-groups on the basis of their prior teaching experience and educational credentials. Analysis of variance and profiles constructed of teacher needs indicated that teacher sub-groups attributed different priorities to the five need categories. The implications for planning teacher inservice activities are briefly discussed.     

Tertiary Students' Perceptions of their Learning Environments: A New Procedure and Some Outcomes

The use of student perceptions in improving teaching and learning is briefly reviewed along with an analysis of potential limitations of procedures commonly used to gather those perceptions. An alternative procedure, the Perceptions of Learning Environments Questionnaire (PLEQ), is suggested in an attempt to overcome the limitations. 1249 students from ten schools in five faculties at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane. Australia were given the opportunity, using the semi‐structured but open‐ended format of the PLEQ, to write about events that they felt helped or hindered their learning ('statements')‐ In each case, they were also asked to indicate why ('reasons'). The data were classified into 55 categories of ‘statements’ and 47 categories of ‘reasons’ where each category had a positive and negative dimension. Analysis of the students' views indicate that, for them, effective teaching is relevant, experiential and interactive while ineffective teaching lacks structure, is inappropriately paced, lacks variety and occurs in a classroom that lacks discipline. The implications of these views are examined in terms of contemporary approaches to teaching and learning.     

A collegial quality development process for identifying and addressing barriers to improving teaching

ABSTRACT

Challenges to ensuring teaching quality in higher education give ongoing impetus to invest in teaching quality improvement. While a significant body of literature has recognised challenges faced by academics seeking to improve teaching practices, processes for developing constructive responses to identified barriers have attracted less attention. A synthesis of literature on barriers to improvement of teaching is presented and used as a framework to assist an identification of barriers. This article reports on a national Australian trial of a collegial quality development process aimed at supporting academics to both identify and surmount barriers to improving teaching quality. Evidence of the nature and extent of barriers to improving teaching was collated from data provided by 28 academics across five Australian universities. Adopting a thematic analysis approach, a broad range of perceived barriers were identified, largely consistent with barrier categories defined in the extant literature internationally. Findings reveal that, with the support of peers, participants were able to implement effective solutions to their identified barriers to improving teaching quality. This article provides a synthesis of current barriers to improve teaching and offers a collegial quality development process as a strategy to overcome these barriers.     

An analysis of teacher questioning behaviour in constructivist primary science education using a modification of a descriptive system designed by Barnes and Todd (1977)

An analytical framework was developed (after Barnes and Todd 1977) to enable both the cognitive and social aspects of teacher questioning in constructivist primary science education to be explored. The data categorized within this framework were collected both before and after a period of questioning INSET in the forms of audio‐taped discussions between teacher and children; audio‐taped, focused interviews between teacher and researcher; and reflective written assignments. The categories used within the framework enabled distinctive individual profiles to be identified for the participating teachers, and the manner in which these profiles changed over time could be charted. The potential for developing the usefulness of this framework for future work is considered in terms of refining some categories and improving the research design. It is suggested that the framework could be a useful diagnostic tool to help teachers develop their use of a child‐centred, constructivist teaching philosophy in primary science education.     

TAXONOMY OF VOCATIONAL INTERESTS OF ACADEMIC MAJOR AREAS

This study appraised the degree to which student profiles on the Jackson Vocational Interest Survey (JVIS) for different academic majors could be clustered in a meaningful way. From an initial sample of 10,134 students, a matrix of mean scores for 131 academic majors on each of 34 JVIS basic interest scales was computed. This matrix was subjected to a singular value decomposition with subsequent orthogonal and oblique rotations of 17 reference axes. The 17 clusters so defined reflected distinct sets of academic major fields, with separate clusters for majors in engineering, computer science, performing arts, communicative arts, human services, and others. Male and female groups entered into the definition of every cluster. Based on the salient representations of academic majors on these reference axes, modal cluster profiles were computed and decomposed into five orthogonal higher-order dimensions. The implications of these findings for the psychology of occupational choice, career development, and vocational interest measurement are outlined.     

The Progression of Prospective Primary Teachers’ Conceptions of the Methodology of Teaching

This article describes the evolution of prospective primary teachers’ conceptions of the methodology of teaching. Three categories were analyzed: the concept of activity, the organization of activities, and the concept of teaching resources. The study was conducted with five teams of prospective teachers, who were participating in teacher education courses of a constructivist orientation. The results showed very different itineraries in the processes of change, and the presence of two major obstacles—the belief that teaching is the direct cause of learning, and epistemological absolutism. The study allows us to deduce some implications for initial teacher education.     

Assessing Teachers' Beliefs about Their Science Teaching Context

The primary purpose of this study was to develop and apply a method for assessing teachers' context beliefs about their science teaching environment. Interviews with 130 purposefully selected teachers resulted in 28 categories of environmental factors and/or people who were perceived to influence science teaching. These categories were used to develop items for the Context Beliefs about Teaching Science instrument and provided evidence for content validity. Construct validity was partially confirmed through factor analysis that resulted in 26 items and two subscales on the final instrument. Using Ford's Motivation Systems Theory and Bandura's Theory of Collective Efficacy, additional evidence for construct validity was found in the modest correlation of context beliefs with outcome expectancy beliefs and the low correlation with science teaching self‐efficacy beliefs. The instrument was tested using 262 teachers participating in long‐term science professional development programs. These teachers possessed fairly positive context beliefs and, according to Ford's theory, should be capable of effective functioning in the classroom. It was concluded that the assessment of context beliefs would complement current science teacher self‐efficacy measures, thereby allowing researchers to develop profiles of science teachers' personal agency belief patterns. It could also be used to determine the factors which predict particular personal agency belief patterns, and assess teachers' perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of school science programs, and could be used in planning and monitoring professional development experiences for science teachers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 275–292, 2000.     

The development of a model of culturally responsive science and mathematics teaching

This qualitative theoretical study was conducted in response to the current need for an inclusive and comprehensive model to guide the preparation and assessment of teacher candidates for culturally responsive teaching. The process of developing a model of culturally responsive teaching involved three steps: a comprehensive review of the literature; a synthesis of the literature into thematic categories to capture the dispositions and behaviors of culturally responsive teaching; and the piloting of these thematic categories with teacher candidates to validate the usefulness of the categories and to generate specific exemplars of behavior to represent each category. The model of culturally responsive teaching contains five thematic categories: (1) content integration, (2) facilitating knowledge construction, (3) prejudice reduction, (4) social justice, and (5) academic development. The current model is a promising tool for comprehensively defining culturally responsive teaching in the context of teacher education as well as to guide curriculum and assessment changes aimed to increase candidates’ culturally responsive knowledge and skills in science and mathematics teaching.     

Test Use Among Classroom Teachers and Its Relationship to Teaching Level and Teaching Practices

This study surveyed a representative sample of teachers from a large metropolitan school district to investigate the weight they assign to the results of teacher-prepared tests, nationally standardized tests, and state minimumcompetency tests in making major educational decisions. Teachers reported that all three test types were used to some extent in each of eight decision categories, but in none of these decisions were the three test types judged to play a clearly dominant role. The results also suggested that test use varies, depending on teaching level and, to some extent, on certain teaching practices.     

Graduate students’ conceptions of university teaching and learning: formation for change

The paper introduces a framework concerning conceptions of teaching and learning of advanced graduate students and the trajectory of change in their conceptions following a formal course on course design and teaching. Students were enrolled in six sections of this graduate course, two offered in a 6-week format and 4 in a 13-week format. The courses were taught by three different instructors. Data were obtained from 88 doctoral students before and after the course using four questions pertaining to the meaning of effective teaching, effective learning, role of the teacher, and role of the learner. Using an open coding procedure, four conceptions were identified. These were transmitting knowledge, preparing context/managing instruction, promoting course learning, and promoting life-long learning. The generalized linear model procedure was used to conduct within and between group pre and post course comparisons. Overall, there was a significant change in response frequency ratios in all four categories across all courses, indicating a decrease in the responses in the first two categories and an increase in the frequency of responses in the last two categories. No significant differences were attributed to course type or instructor.     

Educating students with mild handicaps in general classrooms: essential teaching practices for general and special educators.

This study was designed to identify and validate essential teaching practices needed by both general and special educators to successfully educate students with mild handicaps in general classrooms. An interdisciplinary panel of 105 experts, evenly divided into university-based and field-based participants from 35 states, identified 96 of 125 practices in six categories as being essential for effective teaching of mainstreamed students with mild handicaps. Based on a two-round Delphi procedure, a substantial majority (82%) of these teaching practices were seen as being essential for both general and special educators across all six rated categories. Panel ratings were significantly higher for special educators than general educators on four of the six categories. No significant differences in ratings were found for university-based versus field-based panelists, or for field-based panelists who were professionals directly involved in elementary or secondary teaching roles versus administrators, supervisors, and consultants. Based on essential teaching practices validated in this study, implications for preservice teacher preparation and staff development programs for general and special educators are discussed.     

A Domain-Referenced Approach to Diagnostic Testing Using Generalizability Theory

This paper describes a four-step approach to constructing diagnostic test profiles that provide precise but practical information on students' instructional needs. The approach is based on the specification and analysis of a domain and uses generalizability theory to determine which skills within the domain need to be assessed to diagnose gaps in students' skills and to estimate score profiles. A 64-item test of pronoun use was constructed to represent 32 categories of usage defined by different combinations of five factors in the domain. Generalizability analyses were conducted to determine the optimal number of categories to be included in students' profiles and the number of items needed for each category, and to produce univariate and multivariate estimates of students' universe scores. Multivariate profiles of universe scores were the most accurate and differed substantially from observed score and univariate universe score profiles.     

Ecological understanding 2: Transformation - a key to ecological understanding

This article (the second of two) describes the structure and general features of the phenomenon ecological understanding. Qualitatively different ways of experiencing cycling of matter and flow of energy in the context of ecosystems are presented. In all, five different categories are identified in each of these issues. It is concluded that the idea of transformation is a key to development of ecological understanding. The structure of ecological understanding was also found to be hierarchical in terms of inclusion of critical aspects in more complex ways of thinking. The identified categories and their critical aspects indicate fruitful paths for learning and crucial dimensions to open up in teaching. Thus, the results concern teachers' professional object, i.e., an emphasis on what to achieve in teaching and learning. The results can also be used as contents of teaching, tools for planning and for diagnostic and assessment purposes.     

The ideal research‐teaching nexus in the eyes of academics: building profiles

Research and teaching are supposed to be closely related in universities. Among academics the belief in a symbiotic relationship is strong. However, it is unclear what form this relationship can take. Several authors have presented categories and dimensions to clarify this relationship and the aim of this project was to contribute to this discussion by understanding what academics’ ideal research‐teaching nexus would look like. The ideal images of 30 academics were investigated using a mental visualisation assignment. Respondents were encouraged to describe in detail what for them the linkage between research and teaching would look like in the ideal situation. Five profiles of the research‐teaching nexus could be distinguished: teach research results; make research known; show what it means to be a researcher; help to conduct research; and provide research experience. These profiles are related to dimensions proposed earlier in the literature on the research‐teaching nexus.     

英语师范生教学技能多元化培养模式

熟练掌握一定的教学技能是师范生应努力具备的业务素养。对于目前英语教学技能培养模式针对性不强而且训练形式单一的现状,本研究试图提出更为合理的培养模式,以适合社会发展的需求。本文将英语教学技能分为:分析学生认知特点、进行策略引导技能;选择教材、课前教学设计的技能;课堂教学技能;课后批判性反思、教学研究技能四大类,并通过英语的工具性和人文性等特点,对英语教学技能的特点进行分析,提出了有针对性的、多元化的英语师范生教学技能培养模式,该模式以理论学习和教学技能实践为主线、多元化的活动为特色,在考虑时间空间等客观因素的基础上,加强技能培养的广度、密度和深度,为英语师范生将来的就业打下了坚实的教学基础。     

Designing Teaching and Assessment Methods for Diverse Student Populations

The American student population is becoming increasingly diverse in terms of race and culture. To address this pluralism, a study of learning style preferences was developed for purposes of designing more relevant teaching and assessment methods. Different theories of learning styles were incorporated into a survey that was administered to 483 students at four major universities. This survey compared learning style preferences according to ethnic and socio‐economic categories. Although it initially focused on students in Art and Design, it was eventually expanded to other disciplines for more inclusive reliability. The statistical analyses of this study are presented with corresponding recommendations for more effective teaching and assessment practices.