Secondary School Art Teachers' Concepts of Teaching in Hong Kong

Recently, there has been considerable concern among art educators and cultural policy makers to promote art education in Hong Kong. The launch of the new curriculum of a discipline-based character in 1996 generated debate in the art education circle of Hong Kong. There were diverse opinions on the rationale for teaching art. Concern was expressed about the present constraints of art teaching related to teachers' ability and school administration poses another important issue that seems to inhibit further developments. This paper reports part of the findings of a study on art teachers' concepts of teaching. It explores the concepts of about 20 secondary art teachers in Hong Kong. Several categories of teaching are derived from interviews: aesthetic development, moral development, intellectual development, expression and therapy, and intellectual and aesthetic development. A scheme is developed which can be used to analyze teachers' concepts as education in or through art on a continuum from subject to learner centred.     

Education for ethically sensitive teaching in critical incidents at school

The purpose of the present study was to identify and investigate critical incidents at school that require ethically sensitive teaching. This kind of knowledge is needed in teacher education to prepare future teachers for their profession. The data included narrative interviews with 12 teachers from four urban schools in Finland. Critical incidents were defined as issues or situations in teachers' work that produce ethical reflection and moral emotions. The critical incidents experienced by urban schoolteachers were analysed and compared with earlier studies on ethical dilemmas in teaching. Concrete examples of these incidents were reported which contain teachers' emotional expressions. Four main categories of critical incidents were identified. These were related to the principal, students and families, teachers, and the school community. Teachers reported commitment, caring, co‐operation and respect as the most dominant emotional expressions in these situations. These emotional expressions reflected ethical sensitivity skills, especially in reading and expressing emotions. Based on our study we suggest recommendations for teacher educators on how education for ethically sensitive teaching can be promoted.     

Teaching and learning about solid waste: aspects of content knowledge

This paper investigates aspects of content knowledge related to teaching and learning about solid waste, focusing on the processes of learning and teaching by Elementary School teachers in Brazil, in two modalities of continuing education: courses and school‐based meetings. We analyse elements of teachers' reflections whilst referring to three dimensions of environmental education: knowledge, values (ethic and aesthetic), and political participation. We identify which dimensions are predominant, or absent, and the aspects included and developed in projects elaborated by teachers. The results raise issues we consider important to support teacher education and curriculum programmes and help teachers develop more substantial, critical and effective projects about the subject.     

The ethical claim of partiality: practical reasoning,the discipline,and teacher education

Practical reasoning refers to a teacher's capacity to discern particulars and make wise judgements about how to act in pedagogical situations. But how do teachers know what is right? How are teachers' preferences to be grounded and their choices justified? I explore the disciplines as one source of moral perception. Assuming that narrative unities underscore the coherence and continuity of an individual's experience, I generated data in the context of a 2‐year teacher education programme. The case study of an aspiring teacher of secondary school language arts illustrates how the intellectual virtues of a discipline can influence a student teacher's practical reasoning. I conclude that teacher educators must attend to the complex ways in which a prospective teacher's prior discipline may influence aspiring teachers' orientations to experience, their consideration of educational ends, and, finally, their characters.     

Hope as Work--Student Teachers Constructing Their Narrative Identities

This article examines how student teachers construct their teacher identities by using (auto)biographical stories. Teacher identity is seen as a narrative process and teaching as a certain kind of practice, in which hope is a significant part. The inquiry is based on 35 essays written by students. The analysis includes five different stages of reading. The students are aware of the moral roots of teachers' work, its joys and predicaments, and struggle to make sense of the different narratives they hear about teachers' work. Although student teachers consider hope as an important part of teaching, they at the same time 'apologise' for having such an 'unrealistic view'. The results prove that (auto)biographical stories are a powerful tool for making the moral dimensions of teachers' identities visible. The results also challenge teacher educators and administrators of education to support student teachers to keep up their prospects of hope.     

Transforming Chinese teachers' thinking,learning and understanding via e‐learning

The Developing E‐learning for Teachers (DEfT) project, a collaborative venture between UK and Chinese universities, has produced e‐learning modules for master's level programmes for in‐service high school teachers in China. E‐learning offers Chinese teachers new and innovative forms of professional development and provides for transformative learning. The paper investigates teachers' online learning experiences and how e‐learning facilitates teacher transformation from three perspectives: the ‘learner‐centred perspective’, the ‘knowledge‐centred perspective’ and the ‘community‐centred perspective’. The paper concludes that e‐learning, while not without some caveats, is a feasible solution for the training needs of serving Chinese teachers.     

Teacher deliberation within the context of Singaporean curricular change: pre- and in-service PE teachers’ perceptions of outdoor education

The study featured in this paper investigates pre- and in-service Physical Education (PE) teachers' diverse views of OE (Outdoor Education) against the backdrop of numerous curricular changes underpinning Singaporean education. We highlight the potential challenges Singaporean schools and teachers may face in implementing the newly formalized OE curriculum. Findings revealed the teachers' prioritization of high elements and adventure activities within residential camps. Then, the teachers linked these ‘risky’ and ‘unfamiliar’ activities with transferrable learning outcomes, mostly in line with students' personal and social development. The more experienced teachers in the cohort tended to advocate that OE could be situated within local school and community environs. Yet, this envisioning of OE within a place-based learning model reflected limited understanding of this concept. We conclude by suggesting that curriculum designers and teacher educators should draw upon pre- and in-service PE teachers' perceptions of OE. It is imperative that these teachers' key concerns and beliefs, which currently structure their work in this recently formalized subject area, are used to contextualize the extensive curricular change and professional learning endeavors that are being implemented by the education ministry.     

论高师院校小学教育专业认证的标准建构

高师院校是开办小学教育专业和输送小学教育师资的主阵地, 其专业培养质量事关基础教育的质量,而小学教育专业认证是推动培养质量持续改进的创新举措。针对小学教育专业具有成长性、复杂性和综合性的特点,高师院校要结合国家试行认证标准,形成立标、对标、达标的“三标”建设思路,深入剖析建构小学教育专业认证标准的“四点”基本要素,全面把握建构小学教育专业认证标准的“四类”观测指标,切实规范小学教育专业办学行为,积极探索教师培养质量体系,主动促进小学教师培养适应经济社会改革和发展需要。     

Knowledge about Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A comparison of in‐service and preservice teachers

Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood disorder, yet relatively little research has assessed teachers' knowledge of this disorder or how teacher characteristics affect such knowledge. There also is a dearth of research comparing in‐service and preservice teachers' knowledge about ADHD. The aims of this study were (a) to investigate the relationships between various teacher characteristics and teachers' knowledge about ADHD, and (b) to compare perceived and actual ADHD knowledge across in‐service and preservice primary‐school teachers. Participants included 120 primary‐school teachers and 45 final‐year education undergraduates who were asked to complete a questionnaire. Two of the five hypotheses were supported: (a) that knowledge would be significantly correlated with experience in teaching a child with ADHD and (b) that in‐service teachers would obtain higher scores than preservice teachers on the actual knowledge (about ADHD) questionnaire. Implications stemming from this research include ensuring that teachers receive more training about ADHD and greater exposure to students with ADHD in the classroom. Overall, this study highlighted that deficits in teachers' knowledge about ADHD are common for both in‐service and preservice teachers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 517–526, 2004.     

University to school: challenging assumptions in subject knowledge development

This investigation addresses the complex issue of teachers' subject knowledge. Specifically it focuses on the teaching of secondary school English; however, the principles it suggests apply more widely. Drawing on the experiences of trainee English teachers undertaking full‐time and flexible PGCE courses during both their university‐ and school‐based training, it explores the subject knowledge models of Banks, Leach & Moon and of Grossman, Wilson & Shulman, delineating how these can be used as a foundation on which beginning teachers can build their own personal deliverable models of subject.     

普通民办中学教师专业发展意识的调查与述评

通过对淮安市两所规模较大的民办中学教师的专业发展意识现状的调查,发现了以下几个问题：大多数民办中学教师当教师的动机不纯正;教师工作满意度与所教学科密切;担任班主任的教师比没有担任班主任的专业技能好;民办中学教师参与校外培训进修活动时间少;民办中学教师专业发展自我感觉良好,多数教师选择维持现状。在此基础上提出了可行性建议。     

Who is to retrain the teacher trainers?: A Papua New Guinea case study

The single most important factor to improve the quality of education in a developing country appears to be increased general and professional education of teachers. Initially, it seems that this may be appropriately addressed in the teachers' colleges. However, the teacher educators themselves, often have received their own education either from the universities of developed countries or from “expert” expatriates at home. Often the result has been an adapted western curriculum being offered in the teachers' colleges, which is inappropriate to the student teachers. As a means of obtaining increased insight into a developing country's context, this study sought to gain some understanding of how Papua New Guinea teacher educators and inservice teachers negotiate their western higher education at the University of Papua New Guinea. This may provide assistance to expatriate educators to provide an educational experience that addresses student learning needs with appropriate process and content.     

What Do Teacher Mentors Tell Student Teachers About Pupil Learning in Infant Schools?

Abstract

Recent emphases on experiential classroom learning in the induction into expertise of student teachers may over‐estimate the learning support that class based practitioners offer students. Current understandings of teachers' thinking and planning suggest that expert practitioners may not be best placed to provide student teachers with frameworks for understanding what Shulman (1987) categorises as general pedagogical knowledge. Data from a sample of 11 UK infant school teacher mentors in the form of 5 hours of taped planning and evaluatory conversations with 20 students have been content analysed. Teacher‐talk related to explanations of how pupils learn forms the focus of the paper. Implications for mentor training and school‐university partnerships are drawn from the analysis of the data. Finally the need to confront the language difference that obtains between schools and universities in order to develop the theoretical base of teacher education is asserted.     

A study of practical‐moral knowledge in science teaching: Case studies in physical science classrooms

This study further extends a conceptual framework that explores science teaching as a “practice” not reducible to the application of formal knowledge, but as informed by teachers' practical‐moral knowledge. A hermeneutic model was developed to examine practical‐moral knowledge indirectly by investigating teachers' commitments, interpretations, actions, and dialectic interactions between them. The study also aimed to analyze teachers' actions in terms of their interpretations and commitments as they realize “internal goods” of their practice. Ethnographic case studies of three science teachers were conducted through classroom observation, in‐depth interviews and dialogues, and artifact analysis. A commitment of preparing students for national exams was common to the three teachers but was manifested differently in classroom practices. This commitment originated from interpretations about the duty of “good” teachers not letting students and schools down. Other emergent commitments were commitments: to conceptual understandings, to “challenge” learners, and to social modeling. We present each with associated interpretations and actions. The concepts of practical wisdom (phronesis) and gap closing are used to characterize teachers' practical knowledge and its development respectively. Implications for teacher education are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 929–951, 2010     

Does rational persuasion influence potential consultees?

Success in collaborative school‐based consultation depends on whether teachers implement interventions suggested by consultants. In business literature, Rational Persuasion (RP) has been identified as one potentially effective way to influence consultee perceptions about proposed interventions. RP includes intervention information, why it is important to decide to use the intervention, and potential objections to the intervention with arguments against those objections. The influence of these RP elements on potential school‐based consultees has not been studied. This preliminary analog study investigated whether presenting RP importance and objections for behavioral interventions influenced teachers' ratings of acceptability, effectiveness, and commitment‐to‐implement. Participants included 71 teachers enrolled in graduate education courses. The within‐subject design included three video vignettes of each of three conditions for three different behavioral interventions (total of nine possible videos, three presented to each group). Results suggest that the influence of RP on acceptability, perceived effectiveness, and commitment‐to‐implement ratings was inconsistent. Implications for research and practice are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 627–640, 2003.     

Variables affecting teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education in Bangladesh

Inclusive education is a worldwide reform strategy intended to include students with different abilities in mainstream regular schools. Evidence from previous research shows that success in implementing effective inclusive teaching practices in the school is contingent on teachers' positive attitudes towards inclusive education. This study was conducted in the context of primary education in Bangladesh aiming to examine variables influencing teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Data for the study was collected from 738 teachers working in 293 government primary schools in Bangladesh. The results indicated that perceived school support for inclusive teaching practices and a range of demographic variables including previous success in teaching students with disabilities and contact with a student with a disability were associated with more positive attitudes of the teachers towards the inclusive education. The results are discussed with possible implications for educators, policy‐makers and international organisations working on the implementation of inclusive education.     

Care and Responsibility in 'The Best Interest of the Child': Relational voices of ethical dilemmas in teaching

This paper discusses ethical dilemmas in early childhood education as identified by kindergarten and elementary school teachers ( n = 26). Ethical dilemmas are investigated in the theoretical framework of virtue epistemology. The moral stances of care and responsibility are identified as basic elements in teachers' professional morality. The empirical findings present conflicts between teachers and parents, collegial conflicts between teachers, and inter-institutional conflicts in the community. The method used in the study is a relational reading of teachers' narratives. Interpretative accounts are created to give room for both care and responsibility voices in teachers' written reports. The analysis of the data reveals that the ethical dilemmas in early childhood education are very relational and deal with competing interpretations of 'the best interest of the child'. Teachers have taken the moral stance of care by identifying the ethical conflict. However, the responsible professional action has been more difficult for them to accomplish. Most of the time, discussions have not produced the desired results. Ethical conflicts in teaching invite teachers to consider the moral relevance of each dilemma by taking the perspectives of the involved parties.     

面对挑战:学校道德教育的调整与革新

转型时期的学校道德教育面临挑战。需要调整与革新。坚守学校道德教育使命的三个命题为:学校教育必须培养完整的人;德育需要打好品德基础;学校教育要为实现人的道德潜能提供支持性环境和条件。学校道德教育应当关注、尊重和鼓励学习者作为主体的道德生活实践;重视培育和发展人的情感;重视双向沟通、对话、论理和代际交往。革新学校道德教育要抓住新一轮基础教育课程改革提供的机遇;激发教师成为有道德教育意识和能力的人;创造育人为本的学校制度和文化精神氛围。     

Developing Teachers' Leadership Knowledge: Pillars for the “New Reform”

This work describes how teacher education programs can inform teachers' knowledge and practice of leadership. We introduce a leadership typology to illustrate how teachers can lead organizational reform for pedagogical excellence and socially just practices. The model provides teacher educators ways to identify and resolve conflicts generated by imparting innovative pedagogies to teachers who in turn use them in antiquated and inequitable school environments. The model can also be used to develop teachers' professional knowledge of the contexts that mitigate or marginalize their leadership potential. Several examples from current teaching practices in teacher education are used to illustrate how teachers develop leadership knowledge.     

Learning to See in Classrooms: What are student teachers learning about teaching and learning while learning to teach in schools?

Using sociocultural understandings of learning, the authors probe a rationale for training programmes which are extensively school based and involved school‐based teacher mentors as supporters of student teachers' learning. They ask what it is that student teachers are learning while in schools and how that learning is supported. Drawing on evidence from a study of 125 student teachers on two training programmes, the authors suggest that student teachers' learning is heavily situated and that students are not acquiring ways of interpreting learners that are easily transferable, but they are learning about curriculum delivery. It also seems that there is a participatory version of training which is not underpinned by an understanding of the implications of learning through participation and which, as a consequence, does not make the most of the strengths of mentors.