Politics,Economics, Society,and Overseas Chinese Teaching: A Case Study of Australia

Abstract

The history and current state of Chinese teaching in Australia has largely been determined by two key factors: first, the country’s policy on languages, and in particular its policy regarding foreign language education; and second, its immigrants and overseas students from Chinese-speaking countries and regions. Beginning in the 1980s, Chinese teaching gained powerful support under Australia’s official language policy, and the number of people studying Chinese has continuously grown. At the same time, it is worth noting that the majority of those learning Chinese are students of Chinese descent. The questions of how to design courses, prepare teaching materials, grade examinations, and train qualified teachers in response to this situation merit careful consideration.     

Student views regarding online freshmen physics courses

Background: Nationally, many public universities have started to move into the online course and program market that was previously associated with for-profit institutions of higher education. Public university administrators state that students seek the flexibility of online courses. But do students want to take courses online, especially freshmen-level science courses perceived to be difficult?

Purpose: This study investigated student views related to the potential of a physics course they were currently enrolled in being offered online.

Sample: This study took place at a large, public, mid-western university and involved students enrolled in either the first or second semester of a face-to-face flipped physics course for engineering technology majors.

Design and methods: Discussions with students during the semester about their online course experiences and expectations were used to develop the concourse and subsequently the Q sample to perform a Q methodology study about students’ views regarding taking physics courses online. Additional statements for the concourse and Q sample were taken from communications with administrators at the university. In this way, the statements sorted by the students included those from students and those from administrators. Factor analysis of the Q sorts resulted in three factors, each representing a unique perspective. Interpretations of these perspectives included the analyses of the Q sorts, the researcher’s interactions with students and administrators, and students’ written responses regarding their previous online course experiences and their sorting decisions.

Results: Three unique student views emerged were named: keeping it real and face-to-face, Online could be ok depending upon the course and instructor, and Online not for STEM classes. Consensus among the views is also discussed.

Conclusions: Overall, students’ views are negative concerning having physics courses, including labs, online and those views conflict with statements expressed by administrators regarding students’ desires for online courses at the university.     

Teaching about Islam in Secondary Schools: Curricular and Pedagogical Considerations

Current demographic trends are contributing to a rapid increase in religious, racial, and ethnic diversity in the United States. This article provides a rationale for teaching about religious diversity, particularly Islam, in public schools and the vital role religion has played in American history. The article provides readers with important information regarding pedagogical and curricular issues related to teaching about Islam in social studies courses and information on how teachers can establish positive relationships with Muslim students by understanding the requirements and core beliefs of Islam.     

Ten suggestions for including gifted education in preservice teacher education

Abstract

New teachers have usually had little or no preparation for teaching the gifted students they will all encounter. Undergraduate education programs are crowded, and courses in special education do not usually focus on students who are academically advanced. The authors present ten suggestions for weaving information on gifted students into a variety of experiences, including other education courses, separate workshops or short courses, and opportunities outside the classroom. These suggestions can help prepare teachers for a type of diversity that is often overlooked.     

Teachers and students’ perception of competence-based education in the agricultural higher education system (Case of a student cooperative in Iran)

Purpose: This quantitative study sought to investigate the perceptions of teachers and students regarding competency-based education (CBE) principles at the College of Agriculture at Razi University.

Design: This research is a comparative analysis of two groups. The first group consists of undergraduate and graduate students majoring in agriculture who are members and non-members of student cooperatives (n?=?256). The second group consists of agricultural faculty members (n?=?59).

Findings: The results of this study show that students and teachers have different views with regard to the extent to which CBE principles are practiced in the College of Agriculture. Moreover, students with different learning patterns had different perceptions regarding the extent to which CBE is practiced, whereas teachers with different teaching patterns had the same perception of the application of CBE principles in the College of Agriculture.

Practical implications: This study has practical implications for agricultural higher education in general and colleges of agriculture in particular. Colleges of agriculture across Iran could encourage their students to establish and engage in student cooperatives so that the ‘what’ and ‘how’ aspects of CBE are put into practice.

Theoretical implications: This study has theoretical implications for CBE principles. For example, student cooperatives can be utilized by faculty members as one of the main strategies for developing CBE in agricultural colleges.

Originality/value: This study is original in that it moves from theory to practice when considering CBE.     

BRIDGING THE DIFFERENCES TO UNCOVER THE SIMILARITIES: DISCIPLINES WORKING TOGETHER IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION

Abstract

The study examined the integration of science and mathematics methods courses and preservice teachers’ understanding of constructivism. The participants were 50 preservice teachers who were enrolled in early childhood education mathematics and science methods courses, and an early childhood practicum. The two methods courses were integrated and the instructors adopted a collaborative approach, including common syllabi, texts, assignments, and teaching strategies. The preservice teachers completed e‐journal reflection that were subsequently coded and analyzed. The findings suggested that the instructional approach enabled students to develop and refine their understanding of constructivism. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.     

Relations between students’ perceptions of the teaching-learning environment and teachers’ approaches to teaching: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT

In recent decades, a constructivist view of learning has triggered a change in teaching-learning environments (TLEs). Teacher-centred TLEs have been replaced by student-centred ones where the teachers’ approaches to teaching are more learning- than content-focused. Previous research exploring the relationship between student-centred TLEs and the quality of learning has shown contradictory results. Previous studies also indicate that various elements of TLEs may influence students’ learning. This study explored course-level types of elements, enhancing or hindering, related to TLEs, which the course students described. The TLEs of the courses varied because the teachers adopted different types of approaches to teaching. The data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students (N = 33) from three compulsory courses. The interviews were designed so that students could describe their perceptions of the course as well as their learning experiences and processes. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results revealed that when the teacher employed a consonant learning-focused approach to teaching, the students perceived almost all elements of the TLE as enhancing. When the teacher’s approach to teaching was identified as dissonant, the students perceived several elements of the TLE as hindering. This study revealed that inclusion of student-activating teaching-learning activities is important when designing TLEs, but that it is also crucial to design elements which guide and structure students’ learning.

Abbreviation: TLE: teaching-learning environment     

Improving early childhood teacher education: Preservice teachers' beliefs about inclusion

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe early childhood preservice teachers’ beliefs about the inclusion of children with special needs in early childhood settings. Nineteen female undergraduate early childhood education preservice teachers participated in one of five focus groups. Students were divided into three groups based on the courses they were enrolled in or had completed: Beginner (sophomore and junior courses), Intermediate (senior courses), and Advanced (student teaching). Additionally, 6 of the 19 students participated in individual interviews. Data analysis resulted in themes related to students’ beliefs and philosophies of inclusion, as well as their thoughts concerning practice in inclusive programs. This paper describes students’ beliefs within each group and compares responses across the different groups. Implications are discussed in relation to teacher education programs and directions for future research.     

The specific skills required of teachers who deliver K–12 distance education courses by synchronous videoconference: implications for training and professional development

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research is to identify the specific skills required of videoconference teachers who teach K–12 distance education courses. Many schools and educational districts worldwide are using videoconference technology to deliver courses to students as an economic solution when they cannot afford specialised teachers at remote locations. However, teachers are rarely trained to use this instructional technology and must therefore translate their experience in face-to-face and/or online teaching to this alternative medium. The collective case study used observations and interviews of eight teachers across five schools to identify the specific skills required to teach in a way that they perceived as successful in a videoconference class. It was found that teachers are largely under-prepared with strategies to project presence, develop relationships, foster interaction, manage the course and teach content across a distance when the screen is the main tool of connection. The authors offer a path to improvement that involves supporting teacher action research, creating communities of inquiry and developing teaching quality standards specific to videoconference.     

Controversial environmental issues: A case study for the professional development of science teachers

Inclusion of controversial issues, such as global climate change (GCC) within the school science curriculum presents several different challenges to teachers: first, the controversial nature of the topic; second, it does not relate well to the normal sequencing and division of topics within most science courses; and, third, there are important non-scientific aspects to possible solutions to the problem. In this study, small focus groups of teachers considered how they would prefer to integrate the topic into their science courses for 14-16-year-old students. It was clearly stated by the science teachers that they preferred to maintain the integrity of their subject rather than be involved in extensive interdisciplinary teaching. It was agreed that GCC provided an excellent opportunity for the application of higher order abilities in science and using the topic to develop an understanding of the nature of science and its place in society.     

How do university teachers’ values and beliefs affect their teaching?

Abstract

This study investigated university teachers’ characteristics and their influence on teaching practices: Coming from expectancy-value theory, teachers’ personal value of teaching was introduced as a possibly relevant variable and examined along with constructivist and transmissive teaching beliefs as to how they affect various aspects of university teaching. The sample consisted of 79 university teachers, whose data were combined with the teaching assessment of 2552 students enrolled in their courses and of external observers. Multiple regression analyses showed that value of teaching affected observed structuring, student active involvement, and rapport. Transmissive beliefs impacted the observed quality of instruction, and constructivist beliefs were positively related to student-reported clarity of instruction, the stimulation of student involvement, and rapport. Notably, the predictors displayed a data source specific result pattern. As potential reasons for the link between student-reported variables and constructivist beliefs a general factor in the students’ assessment and a survivor bias associated with teachers’ constructivist beliefs are discussed.     

Renewal of Teaching Methods in Physical Chemistry at University Level: the Assessment of a 10‐Year Experiment

Summaries

English

The author has been responsible for first and secondsemester courses in physical chemistry for more than 10 years. In one subject, which is studied by 100 to 250 students per year, he and some of his colleagues have introducedteaching methods which differ considerably from the classical ones.

Students working in small groups, the usage of prepared materials by the teaching staff, the integration of theoretical and directed teaching, the continual examinationof knowledge, the almost complete disappearance of coursestaught in a school‐masterly way have led to consequences which have had a positive influence on the relationship between the students and the teachers and on the quality of teaching.

In this article, the author presents an interim evaluation of the experiences gained in conducting the course.     

Understanding Early Adolescents Through Dialogue Journals

The purpose of this article is to share the results of a study that explored the recommendations of practicing teachers about ways to prepare preservice teachers for including children with disabilities into general education classrooms. A survey was distributed to 71 practicing general elementary education teachers. The survey included the following questions: What should the general education student know about teaching students with special needs? Should this information be included in one course or integrated with other course content? General education teachers reported that teacher education programs should include the following content: behavioral strategies, conflict resolution and social skills, identification of students with special needs, adaptation of curriculum and materials, adaptation of instructional strategies, legal regulations and individual education programs, and co-teaching, teaming, and collaboration. These data suggest that preservice teacher preparation programs would include content courses to address these thematic areas and present a solid knowledge base about teaching children with disabilities.     

Linking personal and professional knowledge of teaching practice through narrative inquiry

Abstract

Preservice teachers enter professional teacher education programs with personally constructed (but often implicit and unexamined) knowledge of what good teaching is and what kind of teachers they wish to become. If they are unable to connect new and/or expanded professional knowledge of teaching with their own unexamined narrative knowledge of teaching, professional knowledge presented in courses remains decontextualized theory; their personal narrative knowledge of teaching remains implicit and unexamined; and they teach as they believe they were taught. Here the use of four versions of narrative inquiry with preservice teachers are examined. Each one—Response to Practicum Experiences, Responses to Readings, Small and Large Group Discussions, and Reflection Papers—is intended to enable students to explore narrative assumptions that contribute to their images of teaching. Each form of narrative inquiry enables students to explore unexamined parts of their personal and professional knowledge of teaching and link these in explicit ways.     

Teaching students with Down syndrome in regular classrooms in Ghana: views of secondary school mathematics teachers

ABSTRACT

The recent development of making secondary school education free in Ghana has raised concerns about the level of preparedness of teachers to teach students with diverse needs in one classroom. Significantly, mathematics is one of the core areas that the Ghanaian government has prioritised, and it has institutionalised mechanisms to encourage participation by many students. Accordingly, this qualitative study aimed to document the level of preparedness of mathematics teachers to support the teaching of students with Down syndrome in secondary school classrooms. Twenty-seven mathematics teachers from 14 schools, made up of 18 males and nine females, took part in the study. We found that participants were in favour of implementation of inclusive education. However, regarding the prospect of teaching students with Down syndrome, most of the participants thought that the regular secondary school classroom is not a suitable environment for these students to access education, especially due to a number of challenges. The need for the government to support schools with appropriate teaching materials and facilities is discussed extensively.     

Research and a professional development programme on teaching learning strategies as part of course content

Abstract

There is evidence that many students leave university without effective learning strategies and skills that would facilitate their learning in the future. For example, they can complete their university courses without developing information skills or a love of learning, with only a limited repertoire of learning strategies, and with no intention of engaging in further learning. While these findings indicate a need for universities to review the structure of courses and the way that they are taught and assessed, it is not necessary to wait for this to happen. Within existing course structures, universities can help prepare students for lifelong learning by teaching them learning strategies. This is best done if the strategies are taught by university teachers in the context of their regular coursework. We have confirmed in our research and professional development projects that this can be done. In an experimental study, we investigated the effects of explicidy teaching students learning strategies in the context of their regular coursework. This research indicated that students who were taught learning strategies in the context of their regular coursework used them effectively and achieved better results than students who were taught in the conventional way. In a professional development project, we taught university teachers from a variety of subject areas to teach learning strategies to students in their own courses. These teachers were successful in helping students develop a repertoire of effective learning strategies and display greater commitment to their learning.     

ACTION RESEARCH WITH GRADUATE STUDENTS: A TOOL FOR ACTIVE LEARNING

Abstract

This research explored the needs, expectations, and experiences of early childhood teachers as they worked together in graduate study. The study looked at data collected from graduate students in three courses that were part of a pilot program. In this program, traditional (M.Ed. students) and non‐traditional (uncertified teachers working in low SES urban child care centers) graduate students were enrolled in the same early childhood graduate courses. Following New Jersey Supreme Court mandated universal preschool in 30 low SES districts, non‐traditional students were required to obtain the new (P‐3) teaching certification. Results showed that most students valued their learning experiences. Additionally, combining the two groups of learners created significantly more ethnic diversity in the graduate classes. Challenges included decreasing class size, creating a sense of community for learners from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and maintaining the rigor of course material while meeting the needs of students who do not have a strong theoretical background.     

HOW EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS ARE ADVOCATES: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATORS

The aim of the present study was to examine prospective early childhood educators' attitudes towards teaching multicultural classes using the planned behavior theoretical framework. One hundred and forty-eight undergraduate students voluntarily participated in the study. Participants were divided into two groups. The first group comprised students who attended courses on multicultural education, whereas the second group comprised students who did not attend those courses. A specifically designed questionnaire was administered to assess attitudes toward teaching multicultural classes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and self-assessed knowledge. Results showed that the planned behavior model can be applied to the multicultural domain. Self-assessed knowledge significantly increased the predictability of the prospective students' intentions only for the first group (R ² = .61). It was concluded that prospective early educators' participation in courses regarding cultural diversity facilitated their attitudes towards teaching children from various cultural backgrounds.     

关于培养新型体育教师的研究

体育教师具有特定的社会地位 ,新型体育教师角色行为表现为多种“两重性” ,其主要标准是教书育人、育人为本 ;爱生尊师 ,以生为主 ;终身学习 ,提高素质 ;能力全面 ,创新为主 ;热爱事业 ,同行合作等 .新型体育教师的培养要兼顾培养宗旨、课程教材、教育和教学方法、体育教育专业各种教师培训以及体育教育事业整体改革等问题 .