Personality source traits of intermediate elementary students selected as emotionally handicapped and their nonhandicapped peers

Ninety-eight students in grades four through six in a rural Maine school were administered the Children's Personality Questionnaire (CPQ). Following a brief review of Bower's (1961) characteristics of emotionally handicapped children, the teachers of these students were asked to list the students in their classroom who they felt might be emotionally handicapped. Analysis of variance on the 14 CPQ factor scores between selected and nonselected groups indicate five significant differences: Factor A (Reserved vs. Warmhearted), C (Affected by Feelings vs. Emotionally Stable), G (Expedient vs. Conscientious), Q₃ (Undisciplined Self-Conflict vs. Highly Controlled) and Q₄ (Relaxed vs. Tense). Implications of this study were for preservice and in-service teacher training and future research on comparisons of teacher, student, peer, and parent perceptions of emotional handicaps to learning.     

Socio-cultural factors of teachers’ conceptions of knowledge: epistemic beliefs of Arab teachers

This research investigates aspects of epistemic beliefs of pre-service and in-service teachers in the United Arab Emirates, and how these beliefs might be related to factors such as teachers’ gender, location (where they live), and the subject they teach (humanities vs. science). A standardized Arabic version of the Epistemic Belief Inventory was administered to a group of 35 pre-service teachers and 52 in-service teachers. The results indicated that in-service teachers had more sophisticated beliefs than pre-service teachers on Certainty of Knowledge, Omniscient Authority, and Innate Ability dimensions. Also, male teachers were found to be less sophisticated than female teachers and teachers from rural areas tended to think in a simpler way than teachers from urban areas. Although there was no main effect of subject, it significantly modified the effects of gender and location. The data showed the multidimensional nature of epistemic beliefs, and were discussed in the context of Arab/Emirati culture.     

A study of changes in middle school teachers' understanding of selected ideas in science as a function of an in-service program focusing on student preconceptions

This article examines the impact of a specially designed in-service model on teacher understanding of selected science concepts. The underlying idea of the model is to get teachers to restructure their own understanding of a selected science topic by having them study the structure and evolution of their students' ideas on the same topic. Concepts on topics from the life, earth, and physical sciences served as the content focus and middle school Grades 4–9 served as the context for this study. The in-service experience constituting the main treatment in the study occurred in three distinct phases. In the initial phase, participating teachers interviewed several of their own students to find out what kinds of preconceptions students had about a particular topic. The teachers used concept mapping strategies learned in the in-service to facilitate the interviews. Next the teachers teamed with other teachers with similar topic interests and a science expert to evaluate and explore the scientific merit of the student conceptual frameworks and to develop instructional units, including a summative assessment during a summer workshop. Finally, the student ideas were further evaluated and explored as the teachers taught the topics in their classrooms during the fall term. Concept maps were used to study changes in teacher understanding across the phases of the in-service in a repeated-measures design. Analysis of the maps showed significant growth in the number of valid propositions expressed by teachers between the initial and final mappings in all topic groups. But in half of the groups, this long-term growth was interrupted by a noticeable decline in the number of valid propositions expressed. In addition, analysis of individual teacher maps showed distinctive patterns of initial invalid conceptions being replaced by new invalid conceptions in later mappings. The combination of net growth of valid propositions and the patterns of evolving invalid conceptions is discussed in constructivist terms.     

Teacher efficacy: A comparative study of Hong Kong and Shanghai Primary in-service teachers

Teachers beliefs about their ability to affect students’ performance is an important part of professionalism. This study compared 725 Hong Kong and 575 Shanghai primary in-service teachers on their teacher efficacy. Two Chinese versions of the 12-item Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale were used in this study since some wordings of the Hong Kong version of the Scale (HK-TSE) were different from the Shanghai version (STSE) as a result of cultural differences. Basically, the Shanghai teachers reported significantly higher efficacy than did the Hong Kong teachers. After reviewing these quantitative results, 86 follow-up questionnaires from Shanghai in-service teachers who also participated in the first part of this study were collected. Results of this qualitative part showed that the three most commonly cited factors for the contribution of teacher efficacy were: respect and confidence placed in them by students and parents, the training they received from universities and the experience they gained from daily teaching practice. Though Hong Kong in-service teachers had lower efficacy scores than the Shanghai counterparts.     

Understanding the Gaps Between Turkish Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices for Dealing With Preschoolers’ Peer Relationship Problems

Research Findings: This study explores the beliefs, self-reported practices, and observed practices of Turkish preschool teachers toward children’s peer relationship problems as well as the gap between their beliefs and practices. Five female teachers of 5-year-old children were selected as participants for this multiple case study. Approximately 79 hr of observation was conducted on the children’s daily routines and activities in a natural classroom environment, which specifically included the teachers’ problem-solving strategies while confronting peer relationship problems. The participants were also interviewed regarding their beliefs and strategies for solving peer relationship problems. The findings of this qualitative investigation indicated that the teachers’ beliefs and self-reported practices included both teacher- and child-related factors. However, the observed practices included several teacher-initiated strategies; child-initiated strategies appeared, albeit less than teacher-initiated ones. This affirms the teachers’ stress on children’s role in managing peer problems. Although some of the teacher practices and beliefs were consistent, certain inconsistencies may indicate the presence of external constraints. Practice or Policy: The results of this study highlight the importance of teacher education programs providing preservice and in-service teachers with the knowledge and skills required to understand children’s peer relationships, guide their interactions, and apply appropriate intervention strategies for various peer relationship problems.     

The Nature,Extent and Causes of Abuse of Children with Disabilities in Schools in Botswana

Studies show that the exact number of children with disabilities in Botswana is unknown. A study on child abuse sought to determine: the forms of child abuse perpetrated on children with disabilities; the extent of child abuse; and the causes of child abuse of children with disabilities. A questionnaire on child abuse was adapted and used to collect data in this study. Participants comprised a sample of 31 pupils with disabilities (15 children with vision impairment and 16 children with hearing impairment) selected from special schools in Botswana. The study found that the majority of participants were involved in doing domestic chores. They were also sexually, physically and emotionally abused by their teachers. This study showed that children with disabilities were vulnerable to child abuse in their schools.     

An analysis of behavioral differences of emotionally disturbed children assessed high on creativity

One hundred and seventy-two emotionally disturbed children ages 7 to 12 in self-contained classrooms were nominated by their teachers as potentially highly creativein either verbal or performance creativity. Eighty-three of the 172 were found to be highly creative as assessed by the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. The discussion focuses on the behavioral differences among groups of highly emotionally disturbed children as revealed through factor analysis.     

Effects of the learning cycle upon student and classroom teacher performance

A great deal of research has been done regarding science in-service education and the conclusion can be drawn that positive results were generally achieved in workshop-participant attitude and implementation of instructional approaches into the classroom. One of the most important effects of an in-service workshop is upon the students of the teachers participating in an in-service program, but rarely, if ever, is this parameter assessed in the in-service evaluation design. This study investigated the relationships among (1) teacher's attitudes and implementation of in-service workshop developed science materials (learning cycles) and (2) elementary school student's conservation reasoning and language used to describe properties of objects. Data were gathered from over 100 students from grades K-5 and 16 teachers who had participated in an in-service program. A representative comparison group of students and teachers was selected which generally matched the teachers participating in the in-service workshop except for one variable–-the comparison group taught science traditionally, that is, by exposition. Data from the research indicated that the teachers involved in the science in-service workshop implemented the workshop-developed learning cycles into their science classes. Significantly greater gains in conservation reasoning and language usage occurred with the students of the teachers participating in the science in-service workshop as compared to students in the exposition classrooms.     

Sympathetic Behavior in Young Children

Using three stratified random samples of thirty-two teachers each from grades 2 through 5, a 3-group posttest-only control group research design was employed to determine the effectiveness of an in-service program utilizing simulation techniques on teacher awareness of pupils’ instructional reading levels. Pupils were selected randomly from each teacher’s classroom. Differences between the grade level of pupils’ readers and their performance on McCracken’s Standard Reading Inventory constituted the measure of teacher awareness. The importance of teachers’ grade level assignments and the time of year when this in-service training is conducted were also evaluated.

Findings indicated that this in-service program is effective only when conducted before school begins. There was a significant difference in teacher awareness among grade levels but a contravertible one between primary and intermediate levels.     

Inclusion of primary school children with hearing impairments in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The focus of this study was to explore the opinions, knowledge and requirements of regular primary school teachers who taught in schools where children with hearing impairments were included. A questionnaire which covered the four aspects, was used to collect data on a sample of 104 regular school teachers. Results indicate that teachers who taught these children had more knowledge about hearing impairment than those who did not. The majority of teachers expressed a positive attitude towards inclusion and there was no difference in the opinions of teachers concerning inclusion. On seeking teachers' views on their requirements when helping children with hearing impairments, seminars and short courses, full-time in-service training, sign language and equipment were the four major factors suggested. The implementation of the results was discussed in relation to the INSET requirements of teachers and the education of the children with hearing impairments in included settings.     

Perceptions of future and cur rent teachers on the organization of elementary schools: a dissonance approach to the investigation of job satisfaction

The study compares the satisfaction ratings of future and current elementary school teachers with respect to the main aspects of school organization and administration. Data were collected from 66 in-service teachers and 79 preservice teachers in Cyprus. The application of factor analysis on the data resulted in the identification of the following main dimensions of school organization: headmaster's role, school organization, school climate, teacher incentives/work conditions, inspector's role and teachers' role. The comparison of the satisfaction ratings of future and current teachers on the above factors produced the following findings: first, the ratings of the two groups differed significantly for the first four factors. Secondly, future teachers reported lower satisfaction ratings than their in-service counterparts in the headmaster's role, school organization and school climate factors and higher ratings on the teacher incentives/work conditions factor.These discrepancies are considered to constitute causes of concern for educational policy-makers. The high expectations of future teachers on the teacher incentives/work conditions factor are viewed as a probable subsequent cause of cognitive dissonance and job dissatisfaction. On the other hand, the low expectations of future teachers with respect to three factors (headmaster's role, school organization, school climate) are likely to reduce their initial enthusiasm for their job. The implications of the findings for teacher training programmes are discussed, and suggestions are made on ways of reducing discrepancies between the expectations of future teachers and the realities of the workplace.     

Children’s academic and social-emotional competencies and the quality of classroom interactions in high-needs urban elementary schools

Teachers are often viewed as being primarily responsible for the quality of their classroom environment and teaching practices. Yet, the aggregate skills and competencies of children within classrooms may affect teachers’ ability to engage in emotionally and instructionally supportive interactions and maintain an organized classroom. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify common types of classrooms based on children’s academic and social-emotional competencies, and (2) examine the relation between classroom compositional profiles and the observed quality of classroom interactions across three domains, while accounting for the quality of interactions in teachers’ classrooms assessed during the prior school year. Participants included 117 third-grade teachers and their 1803 children from 53 urban public elementary schools, in the United States, composed of mostly Black and Latinx children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Data were collected as part of a randomized-controlled trial of a social-emotional learning intervention and included assessments of children’s English language arts test scores, social competence, aggressive behaviors, depression, and anxiety, and the observed quality of classroom-level emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. Latent profile analysis revealed three distinct profiles: (1) academically and behaviorally high-risk classrooms (9%), (2) academically and emotionally at-risk classrooms (48%), and (3) academically and behaviorally low-risk classrooms (43%). Classrooms in the high-risk profile had significantly lower levels of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support, while accounting for teachers’ prior year interactional quality and a set of key teacher and classroom demographic and compositional covariates. Implications for teacher accountability and school tracking practices within high-needs urban public schools are discussed.     

Teacher attitudes and behavior toward the inclusion of children with social,emotional and behavioral difficulties in mainstream schools: An application of the theory of planned behavior

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used to examine relationships between teacher attitudes and behavior toward children with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties (SEBD). One hundred and eleven elementary school teachers completed questionnaires. Teacher perception of their school principals' expectations (subjective norm) predicted teacher behaviors. Teachers who had attended more in-service training (INSET) sessions held more positive feelings, but teachers with more experience were less willing to work with children with SEBD. Findings suggest that school principals have a central role in promoting an inclusive ethos within their schools. INSET could focus more on challenging beliefs.     

Exploring profiles of ideal high school mathematical teaching behaviours: perceptions of in-service and pre-service teachers in Taiwan

This study explored and compared the perspectives of Taiwanese in-service and pre-service high school mathematics teachers regarding ideal teaching behaviours; the perspectives of a nationwide sample of students were taken as the baseline. Fourteen factors contributing to ideal teaching behaviours were identified through exploratory factor analyses. Nine factors, including idea explanation and speedy lecture, were rooted in traditional Chinese culture; five factors, including concrete representation and student activities, were influenced by Western cultures. Three teacher profiles were identified through k-means clustering analysis. The perspectives of in-service teachers were dominated by a painless meaning-emphasised profile; these teachers emphasised meaningful learning for students and avoided the fast pace and demanding requirements that can cause distress in students, whereas pre-service teachers were dominated by an all-round profile, revealing their openness to all factors. Compared with pre-service teachers, in-service teachers’ perspectives were more similar to those of students.     

The development of an alternative in-service programme for Korean science teachers with an emphasis on science-technology-society

This study looks at the effects of a science-technology-society (STS) in-service programme, designed to change teachers' awareness and practice of STS/constructivist approaches, while also focusing on students' understandings and changes of perceptions of the constructivist learning environments. The STS in-service programme was developed to achieve the following features: teacher-oriented, teaching in a social context, emphasis on a 'constructivist' approach, developing STS units and their use in classrooms. A total of 20 middle and high school science teachers participated in the in-service programme in 1998; and three of the middle school teachers were selected to gain information from their implementation of a Reactions of Acids and Bases unit in their respective classrooms. The Science Education Reform Inventory was administered to all the teachers at both the opening and the end of the programme. One hundred twenty-five students of the three teachers experienced about 16 class hours of lessons comprising the new STS unit. At the beginning and the end of the unit, they completed the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey. In order to assess student understanding, teachers administered the creativity test before and after the unit; and the concept acquisition test and the application test after the unit. Students obtained at average 48% of the 35 key concepts and 6.6 additional non-key concepts after the unit was finished. Students made more relevant and creative responses on unfamiliar situations on the post-test than on the pre-test. Through several tasks including a short essay, students showed their abilities to apply various concepts related to acids and bases to daily life situation. It was found that the STS programme improved the teachers' awareness and practices of the science education reforms characterized by STS and constructivism. The middle school science teachers could develop STS units which they implemented in their own classrooms. They could work together in developing units and reflecting on their teachings through video recordings of science classes. They were willing to assess various aspects of learning such as creativity, application and concept acquisition. Students perceived that the classroom environments improved in terms of personal relevance of contents, scientific uncertainty and student participation. The results showed that the STS in-service programme was effective and could be implemented successfully with Korean science teachers.     

Sigrun Gudmundsdottir’s contributions as a signpost to narrative research: a review of www.svt.ntnu.no/ped/sigrun/

Although action-research is a well-known research methodology in the field of education, in the case of Greece there are few actions-researches carried out by early childhood teachers. The absence of action-research in early childhood education settings is related to the way many early childhood teachers shape their professional role as well as the curriculum of their initial education and in-service training. This paper describes the case study of three Greek early childhood teachers who do action-research for the first time. According to the three teachers, fear of educational research, the children’s age, time pressure, parents’ demands, and colleagues’ reactions are among the main obstacles in doing action-research in early childhood education.     

Associations of self-perceived competence,well-being and sense of belonging among pre- and in-service teachers encountering children with diverse needs

ABSTRACT

In this article, we sought to determine the extent to which pre-service and in-service teachers’ self-perceived competence is associated with sense of belonging and well-being during special education teacher studies, as well as determine whether there are differences among these factors between pre-service and in-service teachers. These are areas in which there is currently a shortage of research. Our data were collected using a survey with close-ended questions. The respondents consisted of 58 in-service and 29 pre-service teachers, aged 21–56 years. Data were analysed utilising quantitative methods. The findings revealed that the respondents demonstrated generally high levels of engagement and low to moderate levels of burnout. The results further indicated that the respondents reported themselves to be most competent when dealing with children of drug-related family abuse and less competent in working with children with severe disabilities. Although well-being and self-perceived competence were associated, we could not find any association between these factors and the sense of belonging. Given the theoretical and empirical evidence, a deeper understanding of the factors relating to teachers’ ability to encounter diverse needs is unquestionably needed. The key findings are discussed in detail, and practical implications for teacher education are given.     

The promise of experiential education in teacher education: transforming teacher beliefs and practices

Building from the theories of Dewey and Kolb and Fry, we sought to examine the impact of experiential education in teacher education on teacher beliefs and practices. The teacher education model described in this article sets out to challenge the seduction of the apprenticeship of observation and create an opportunity for in-service teachers to re-imagine their teaching in concrete and transformative ways. Immersed in a weeklong experiential residency in either the mountains or at a local environmental education farm, the teachers in the study were challenged physically, intellectually, socially, and emotionally in and through the experience. The experiential work ultimately led to changes in teacher participants’ beliefs and practices related to teacher and student roles and potentialities. Although challenges exist for this type of practice in K-12 classrooms and in teacher education, experiential education has a significant potential to change the way teachers think about and act in their practice.     

Attitudes towards Innovations in Primary Schools: A Study of In-Service Teachers

This is a study of how a group of primary school teachers in Singapore dealt with the possibility of introducing informal educational innovations in their school settings. “Informal innovations” here refers to the voluntary adoption of new teaching methods, techniques and ideas acquired during an in-service teacher education programme, namely, the Further Professional Certificate in Education (FPCE) programme conducted by the Institute of Education, Singapore. Did these teachers attempt, when back in their schools, to experiment with the new ideas and methods of teaching they had been exposed to during the one year of the FPCE programme? What factors worked for, and against, attempts at innovations in their primary schools? Were there structural constraints and socio-psychological obstacles that they had to negotiate in order to adopt innovations in classroom and educational practices? If innovative ideas had remained dormant, was this because the teachers were unconvinced about the practicality and relevance of these ideas for the classroom and the school? These questions serve as the focal points of a small study involving 66 primary school teachers. Of the 66 teachers, sixteen had resumed work at school for nine months after they completed their in-service attachment at the Institute of Education (IE). The remaining 50 were in the midst of their in-service training when they participated in the study.     

Early education teachers’ conceptualizations and strategies for managing closeness with the class in child care

This study investigated teachers’ experiences of closeness during interactions with the group of children in child care. Structured interviews were conducted with 24 female teachers who were teaching children between the ages of three and five (mean age = 3.9) regarding their perceptions of closeness with the group of children in the class. Qualitative analyses of the interviews revealed a group solidarity domain of teacher–group relationships composed of three dimensions which comprise emotional solidarity, consensual solidarity, and functional solidarity, with emotional solidarity most dominant in the teachers’ perceptions. This group solidarity domain was interpreted as being consistent with qualities found in Grusec and Davidov’s group participation domain. The findings that, teachers’ closeness with the group of children in the class were dominated by the emotional dimension is similar to previous research results which report the predominance of personal and intimate interactions in relational closeness between teachers and individual children. Teachers described intentional strategies for managing close group relationships that made use of interactional histories between the teachers and children in the class. These discoveries provide a new perspective on teacher closeness with groups, an area of research not often investigated. It also provides insights into the importance teachers place on connecting emotionally with children when they are with the collective group in the classroom.