Professional Development on the Science of Learning and teachers' Performative Thinking—A Pilot Study

This pilot study investigated how a brief professional development session on the science of learning impacted teachers' attributions of usefulness to both scientific and performative concepts about teaching. Ratings were collected from teachers attending five events across the United Kingdom (N = 585) before and after receiving a 90‐min training session. Initial ratings of scientific concepts were positively correlated with age, while initial ratings of performative concepts were negatively correlated with years of experience. Immediately following professional development, the value teachers attributed to scientific concepts for understanding their practice increased, while their valuing of performative concepts decreased. A follow‐up study with a subsample (N = 153) revealed the impact was reduced but persisted 6–12 weeks later. Results are discussed in terms of the potential for a scientific understanding of learning to empower educators as expert professionals.     

Instructional effectiveness of college teachers as judged by teachers themselves,current and former students,colleagues, administrators,and external (neutral) observers

This review synthesizes the research comparing theoverall ratings of college teachers' effectiveness made by current and former students, colleagues, administrators, external (neutral) observers, and the teachers themselves. Of the 15 possible comparison pairs of rating groups, the five with the most data available show that the strongest cases of relative and absolute similarity in ratings are when current students are compared either with the teachers' colleagues or with administrators. Colleague and administrator ratings tend to be similar in relative assessment but dissimilar in absolute assessment. Teachers' self-ratings and current student ratings are, at best, moderately similar. The least similarity was found between teachers' ratings of themselves and colleague ratings. Degree of profile similarity acrossspecific evaluations was determined for studies comparing teachers' self-ratings with current student ratings, as were the relative and absolute similarity (or dissimilarity) for certain of the specific instructional dimensions. Implications of the various analyses and other considerations were explored in terms of individual and subgroup differences, mutual awareness of similarities or dissimilarities, validity issues, and directions for future research.     

Assessment of attention in school children: teachers' ratings related to tests of attention

The paper provides (1) a teacher-administered rating instrument for inattention without confounding the rating with hyperactivity and conduct disorder, and (2) evidence that the ratings correlate with the scores obtained from cognitive tests of attention. In Study I, the first objective was to investigate the construct validity and the inter-rater reliability of the Attention Checklist (ACL) by factor analysing the teacher ratings of 110 Grade 4 children, obtained by using the ACL. The second objective was to investigate the predictive validity of the ACL by examining the relationship between the scores obtained for the participants from teachers' ratings using the ACL and the scores obtained by participants in the lab-type attention tests. The results of factor analysis showed that a single factor labelled ‘inattention’ underlies the 12 items in the ACL. Examining the differences in performance on attention tests, the ‘low attention’ children as rated by the teachers on the ACL scored lower than the ‘high attention’ children on the objective tests of attention. These findings were replicated in Study II, which was conducted to test further the construct validity and predictive validity of the ACL. This time, only those two tests (Auditory Attention and Visual Attention) that had shown relatively poor discrimination between the high and low attention groups in Study I were, again, administered to another cohort of 97 Grade 4 children, as it was our intention to further challenge the reliability of the ACL. Overall, the results of both studies suggest that comprehensive assessment of attention skills should include both ACL and objective measures of selective attention.     

University teachers' thinking about lecturing: student evaluation of lecturing as an improvement perspective for the lecturer

Student evaluation of instruction (SEI) is a common practice in higher education. Despite a great deal of progress that has been made during the last two decades of SEI-research, some questions remain unanswered. One of the unsolved problems concerns theutility of SEI, i.e., its efficacy for improving instruction. Apparently there is a need for understanding ‘how university teachershandle SEI-feedback.’ In that perspective cognitive and motivational psychology stress the importance of the so-calledsubjective theory of a teacher about his lecturing. This empirical study was focused on teachers' conceptualisation of lecturing, as related to student ratings. For representing a teacher's subjective theory and his interpretation of SEI-feedback, theHiclas-algorithm of De Boeck and Rosenberg (1988) was used, corresponding to theirHierarchical Classes Model. Results indicate that the lecturer's interpretation of student ratings and his/her ‘thinking about lecturing’ are crucial elements for an effective use of SEI as an improvement strategy. It gives one explanation why student evaluation of university teaching does (or does not) change teaching behaviour. The author is indebted to Prof. Piet J. Janssen and Prof. Joost Lowyck for their assistance in this research.     

工学结合下高职教师专业发展的内涵解析

针对在工学结合人才培养模式下高职院校专业师资队伍的建设问题,从分析教师劳动的特点入手,探讨了高职教师需具备的知识、技能和素质,得出了20项基本要素;建立了4个层次的高职教师专业结构模型。该模型为高职院校专业教师个体的专业发展指明了方向;也为高职院校的师资队伍管理者提供了专业师资的选拔条件或评价标尺,有利于实现师资队伍建设和管理的科学化。     

我国大学教师职业认同现状的调查与分析

本研究对441名大学教师职业认同状况进行了问卷调查,结果显示:(1)我国大学教师职业认同总体水平一般;(2)大学教师的职业认同中,职业价值认同明显低于职业能力、职业情感、职业地位认同;(3)教授、助教、副教授的职业情感认同高于讲师;(4)教师的职业能力认同存在显著的学历差异,学历越高,其职业能力认同水平越高;(5)职业价值认同存在显著的教龄和职称的交互效应;(6)不同职称教师在能力认同上存在显著的教龄差异。     

Introducing technology education: Using teachers' questions as a platform for professional development

This paper explores the issues and concems identified by a small group of teachers implementing technology ideas using the national document,A Statement on Technology for Australian Schools (Curriculum Corporation, 1994a), represented in four key questions they posed as a result of reflection upon their existing ideas and practices, early in the study. These same issues and concerns framed their later experiences as the study progressed. The case study of one of the teachers is used, to illustrate how the teachers implemented technology education working from their own perspectives and tackling issues and concerns that made sense to them. By reviewing the teachers' own questions about technology implementation, it is becoming, clear that what may be important for professional development in technology education is related to the questions that the teachers themselves are asking about their own, beliefs and practices.     

Inclusive education: teachers' intentions and behaviour analysed from the viewpoint of the theory of planned behaviour

The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) claims that behaviour can be predicted by behavioural intention and perceived behavioural control, while behavioural intention is a function of attitude towards the behaviour, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control. This study aims at providing explanation and prediction of teachers' inclusive education intentions and behaviour under TPB. The main components of TPB were implemented in a survey of 841 teachers from Hong Kong schools in the context of inclusive education. The structural equation modelling results show that TPB fitted the data well (χ²/df?=?2.84; RMSEA?=?0.054; GFI?=?0.92; CFI?=?0.92; and TLI?=?0.91). Identified attributes, including teachers' attitude towards inclusive education, feeling social pressure from important others to carry out inclusive education, and confidence on professional training for involved staff, were found to exert significant predictive power on teachers' intention to implement inclusive education. This intention, together with the confidence on professional training for involved staff, predicts their actual inclusive practice. Teachers' perception of social pressure and adequacy of professional training greatly contribute to predict their intention and behaviour towards inclusive education, respectively. TPB appears to be a sound theoretical framework for understanding teachers' inclusive practice. The results have strong implications for teacher empowerment and professional training in inclusive education.     

Getting the story, understanding the lives: From career stories to teachers' professional development

To understand teachers' professional development, the career stories of 10 experienced Flemish (Belgian) Primary School teachers were collected. The analysis of these narrative data culminated in the reconstruction of a professional self and a subjective educational theory, both conceived of as indicators for the professional development. These general concepts were differentiated to develop a conceptual framework for understanding teachers' professional development from their career stories. The comparative analysis of the stories revealed two important recurring themes, the strive for job stability and the feelings of vulnerability for the teacher. In this paper the “biographical perspective” is depicted as a general theoretical approach, and as a concrete research procedure for data collection and analysis. The author concludes that a narrative-biographical approach constitutes a viable perspective for understanding professional development from the subjective viewpoint of the teachers.     

Parents' and teachers' views of the child's academic potential

Parents (N = 97) and their child's class‐teachers were instructed to rate the child's potential for improvement in mathematics and Finnish. The results showed that there was a moderate correlation between the parents' and teachers' ratings. The parents rated their child's potential more optimistically than the teachers did. Views of malleability may be seen as a potentially important factor in defining the child's educability.     

The Development of Leadership among Chemistry Teachers in Israel

The implementation of new content and pedagogical standards in science education in Israel as well as in other countries necessitates intensive, life-long professional development of science teachers. Here we describe a model for the professional development of chemistry teacher-leaders. In the first part of the paper, we describe a model for the development and change of chemistry teacher-leaders. In the second part of the paper, we present the assessment of teachers' change. It is suggested, that in order to become a leader, the teacher has to undergo several interrelated phases of development and changes, namely personal, professional, and social. In order to attain these changes, a two-year program was designed in which teachers were given opportunities to develop their content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and their leadership abilities and skills. The assessment of teachers' professional development clearly showed that engaging teachers in a long-term professional development program changed their beliefs (personal change) regarding their role as chemistry teachers in general and their confidence to become leaders in particular. In addition, we observed that the teachers changed in their professional abilities as well as in their social behavior. We also report on the involvement of the teacher-leaders in activities in which leadership skills were implemented in attempting to reform chemistry education in Israel.     

Mother and Child Ratings of Child Anxiety: Associations With Behavioral Avoidance and the Role of Family Accommodation

Objective. This study compared mother and child ratings of child anxiety to each other and to an objective measure of the child’s avoidant behavior, using a novel motion-tracking paradigm. The study also examined the moderating role of family accommodation for the link between mother ratings of child anxiety and child behavioral avoidance. Design. Participants were 98 children (7- to 14-years-old) and their mothers. Children met criteria for a primary anxiety disorder. Measures included parent and child versions of the Multi-Dimensional Anxiety Scale for Children and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. Children also completed the Spider Phobia Questionnaire for children and the Family Accommodation Scale for Anxiety—Child Report. The Yale Interactive Kinect Environment Software platform was used to measure children’s behavioral avoidance of spider images. Results. Mother and child ratings of child anxiety were moderately correlated. Only child ratings of child anxiety were associated with child behavioral avoidance. Child-rated family accommodation moderated the association between parent ratings and child avoidance. When accommodation was low parent ratings correlated with child avoidance, but not when accommodation was high. Conclusions. The findings contribute to understanding commonly reported discrepancies between mother and child ratings of child anxiety symptoms.     

Contributions of Children's Temperament to Teachers' Judgments of Social Competence From Kindergarten Through Second Grade

Research Findings: Children's social competence has been linked to successful transition to formal school. The purpose of this study was to examine the contributions of children's temperament to teachers' ratings of their social competence from kindergarten through 2nd grade. Children (N = 1,364) from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network participated in this study. Mothers rated children's shyness, attentional focusing, and inhibitory control with the Children's Behavior Questionnaire at 4½ years, and teachers rated children's social competence with three subscales (cooperation, assertion, and self-control) of the Social Skills Rating System at kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade. Latent growth curve analysis indicated that both shyness and effortful control contributed to children's social competence. Bolder children were likely to have higher assertion ratings, and shyer children with greater attentional focusing were likely to have higher assertion ratings. Shyer children and children with greater inhibitory control and attentional focusing were likely to have higher teacher ratings of self-control and cooperation. Practice or Policy: Findings highlight the importance of considering child temperament characteristics when understanding children's social competence and successful adjustment to kindergarten. Information may help parents, preschool teachers, and early elementary teachers prepare children who may be at particular risk for lower social competence.     

Physics teachers' action-research experience with a teaching module on “Force”

Eight physics teachers from three research schools working in collaboration with the author developed, tried, and evaluated a teaching module on “Force”. The module was designed for students in a non-western society, for whom there is no cultural term that explicitly defines the concept. This paper describes illustrative examples of the trials and evaluation exercise of the module. It concludes with a summary of the effects the teachers' interaction with the module had on their professional development. Specializations: Physics education, science education, education in developing countries.     

The Development of Occupational Sex‐role Stereotypes,Occupational Preferences and Academic Subject Preferences in Children at Ages 8, 12 and 16

This paper reports data from a questionnaire‐based UK study aimed at examining occupational sex‐role stereotypes and occupational preferences of male and female pupils at three ages. Data were collected from 594 children in total (108 8‐year‐olds, 307 12‐year‐olds and 177 16‐year‐olds) who responded to questions that asked for their views on who (males, females or both) should perform certain occupations and how much they would like to have each of the occupations as their career. The children were also asked to indicate their favourite school subject. Analysis indicated that the youngest age group held significantly more stereotyped views regarding who should perform certain jobs than the older children and that, generally, boys sex‐typed appropriateness of occupations to a significantly greater degree than girls, although this difference was not significant in the youngest age group. Furthermore, analysis of the occupational preference ratings revealed significant differences between male and female subjects for many occupations, with higher ratings generally being awarded to stereo‐typically gender‐appropriate careers. Significant differences between the three age groups were also observed in the preference ratings for many occupations, with a tendency for the majority of occupations to be perceived less favourably with increasing age of respondent. Finally, school subject preferences were considered. No consistent or stable pattern of preference emerged for males and females across age‐groups, confirming recent suggestions that gender stereotyping of school subjects is weakening.     

Primary pre-service teachers' pedagogical reasoning skills

This paper discusses a preliminary investigation into primary pre-service teachers' pedagogical reasoning skills. Results from this investigation led to the development of a problem-based learning model which focused on improving primary pre-service teachers' pedagogical reasoning skills. The problem-based learning model uses pedagogical reasoning as the basis for creating problem situations for the pre-service teachers to investigate. The paper reports on pre-service teachers' views on the use of the approach to improve their pedagogical reasoning skills. Specializations: science teacher education, learning in science, chemistry education. Specializations: student learning, conceptual change, technology education, curriculum evaluation.     

In-service and pre-service teachers' perceptions of a web-based,case-based learning environment

Abstract

Understanding teachers' perceptions of a web-based, case-based learning environment provides insight into the effective development and deployment of such conditions for preparing educators. CaseNET–a web-based, case-method teaching environment for professional educators–serves as both a source of information as well as a space for inservice and preservice teachers to interact with one another and to contemplate current educational issues as they relate to real-world teaching. A qualitative analysis of over 400 participants was conducted and results provided. Participants perceived CaseNETas an opportunity to engage in professional development via exploration, reflection, collaboration, and hands-on interactions with authentic teaching tasks. Results suggest that the combination of cases and technology provides a valued opportunity to engage developing teachers in professional behaviors.     

An exploration of teachers' current perceptions of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties

Difficulties exist in identifying and providing services for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). As teacher referral is an essential link in service delivery this study investigated teachers' current perceptions of SEBD by examining characteristics of children nominated by their teachers as having SEBD. While the majority of children were nominated for externalizing behaviours, teachers rated girls as having more severe externalizing difficulties than boys. In contrast, there was no significant difference between teachers' internalizing ratings of boys and girls, despite the fact that girls reported more severe depressive symptomatology. Moreover, teachers rated gender‐contrary behaviours more severely than gender‐consistent behaviours. Consistent with achievement results, teachers rated the majority of children as having moderate to severe academic difficulties. Little agreement was found between characteristics reported by teachers and children. Implications are discussed within the context of the school psychologist's role in working with teachers to increase awareness of the profile of these children.     

Factor structures of Taiwanese teachers' ratings of ADHD: a comparison with U.S. studies

The purpose of this study was to compare factor structures from Taiwanese teachers' ratings with diagnostic definitions of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as described in the DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and ICD-10; to examine how factor structures of Taiwanese teachers' ratings of ADHD symptoms compare with factor structures reported in research using school-based American participants; and to examine gender differences. One hundred and twenty-one homeroom teachers from six public elementary schools in Taipei County, Taiwan, rated two boys and two girls randomly selected from their homerooms using the ADHD checklist. Findings from this study support the concurrent validity of the DSM-IV ADHD factor structures of hyperactivity-impulsivity and inattention. Comparability of these findings with school-based U.S. studies suggests the cross-cultural congruency of behaviors associated with ADHD.     

教师教学理念的现状考察及其转变的思考

在基础教育课程改革新理念的感召下．更新与转变教师教学理念的重要性日益凸显。通过对教师知识观、课程观、学生观、教学观等方面的现状考察与反思,找寻转变教学理念的策略,其主旨是促进教师专业成长与学生发展。