EFL teachers’ conceptions of speaking competence in English

The present article lies at the intersection of research on teacher cognition and speaking competence in a second language. It is a qualitative analysis of teacher accounts of speaking in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Iran. More specifically, the study is an exploration of three EFL teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching the speaking skill in English. The teachers represented varying levels of experience and education and were classified as experts and novices. Through juxtaposing teachers’ views of how students should learn to speak and how the teachers themselves learned to speak English, the research study uncovers the interwoven nature of learning experience with teaching conceptions. It also unveils the images underpinning their conceptions of how to learn and teach speaking in an EFL context. The results also portray teachers as having unique ways of thinking of speaking while at the same time sharing certain patterns.     

‘I'd rather be seen as a practitioner,come in to teach my subject’: Identity Work in Part‐Time Art and Design Tutors

This article explores issues of identity as part‐time tutors engage in teaching in further and higher education. It is based on a phenomenographic research approach that examines variation in experience. Based on interviews with 16 creative practitioners who also teach, it draws on the narratives of identity resulting from the interview process. The five possible ways that the relationship between practice and teaching can be experienced can also be associated with five different experiences of identity. The research also draws on case studies more aligned with one category of experience than another, enabling aspects of identity work to be related to the worlds of practice and teaching and to individual histories of participation in these worlds. Factors that help to contribute to particular forms of identity are therefore discussed, as well as the impact that tutor identity can have on the students' learning experience.     

Elementary teachers’ science subject matter knowledge across the teacher career cycle

Although widely touted as important, there is little evidence regarding the influence of teaching experience on elementary teachers' science subject matter knowledge (SMK). To better understand this phenomenon, we administered an assessment of science topics taught in the fifth and sixth grades to 169 preservice teachers, 231 fifth-grade teachers, and 208 sixth-grade teachers. We then compared the mean scores of teachers at different stages in the career cycle using one-way and two-way ANOVA and explored the relationship between SMK scores and years of teaching experience using regression analysis. Findings indicate that (i) being assigned to a specific grade level had an impact on teachers' SMK for topics included in the grade level, (ii) teachers' SMK scores were lower later in their careers for both science topics they had never taught and for science topics they were responsible for teaching, and (iii) results differed for fifth and sixth grades. This study adds to the existing literature through the examination of a large sample of elementary teachers, with teachers of varying years of experience, while focusing on the science topics these teachers are responsible for teaching. The results of this study provide strong evidence that (i) years of experience teaching specific science topics is associated with the development of teachers' knowledge of these topics, and (ii) teaching experience, what teachers do in the context of their everyday practice, can be an effective means of self-directed learning for teachers. There is also evidence that this influence is not uniform across years of teaching experience or science topics taught. These findings raise important implications about future research into the mechanism of SMK development through teaching experience and teacher grade-level assignments.     

Experiences of the Relation between Teaching and Research: What do academics value?

Many attempts have been made to account for the relation between teaching and research. In general, studies have assumed the nature of this relation and characterised it as one that exists between externally defined indicators such as teaching effectiveness and research productivity . Most frequently used indicators are quantitative measures such as students' evaluations of teaching and publication counts. In contrast, few studies have explored how academics experience teaching and research and their inter-relation. The results of this small, qualitative study, consisting of interviews with a sample of academic staff who expressed strong views of the teaching/research relationship, show that there is substantial variation in academics' experiences of the meaning of this relation. The results suggest that such variation requires further exploration using methods that differ from those that have been associated with past research in this area.     

从合法性走向合理性——中小学教师教学研究的定位问题

随着基础教育课程改革的深入,校本课程的开发和校本教学研究开始引起人们的广泛关注,这在客观上要求中小学教师必须在课堂中开展教学研究。但在现实中,当前的教师教学研究却表现出研究方法的机械化、研究成果的形式化、价值取向的功利化等“不合理”的特征。教师教学研究既不同于教育理论者的研究,又不同于经验总结和工作报告,它具有实践性、价值性和科学性的特征。为此,教师应通过反思性教学、提升自己的教育理论水平、与专家或其他教师开展合作等方式来进行教学研究。     

线面分析法的教学探索

本文通过对《机械制图》线面分析法内容的教学探索,结合一年来的教学实践经验,主要从教学方法、教学手段等方面进行了创新,将基本体求截交线具体方法引入到切割类组合体的识读绘制中,使学生更易理解与掌握,相信对同行业具有一定的借鉴意义。     

The Influence of Online Teaching on Faculty Productivity

Ten faculty members with experience teaching online were interviewed about their motivation for teaching online and the effect of teaching online on their teaching and research productivity. They represented nine different states and 13 different fields, and all were tenured or tenure-track at master’s or doctoral institutions. All ten mentioned personal motivations for teaching online; eight mentioned professional motivations. Based on analysis of the interviews, several professors felt their teaching productivity had increased as a result of design choices and an increase in workload. Several had freed up time which was spent on service or research although this was modified by the stage of the faculty member’s career.     

Perceived classroom disruption undermines the positive educational effects of perceived need-supportive teaching in science

Extensive research has demonstrated the benefits of need-supportive teaching, but minimal research has examined social factors that may constrain these benefits. One factor that students experience contemporaneously to need-supportive teaching is classroom disruption. Perceived classroom disruption is a barrier to quality teaching and learning, especially in science, and may be a negative moderator of perceived need-supportive teaching. Using structural equation modelling (N = 14,530 students), this investigation examines the extent to which perceived need-supportive teaching and perceived classroom disruption uniquely predicted students' science self-efficacy, participation, and achievement; as well as the extent to which perceived classroom disruption moderates the associations between perceived need-supportive teaching and these outcomes. Findings revealed that perceived need-supportive teaching was positively associated with all outcomes. Perceived classroom disruption was negatively associated with self-efficacy and achievement and attenuated the positive association between perceived need-support and achievement. These results provide insight about the boundary conditions of need-supportive teaching.     

从合法性走向合理性--中小学教师教学研究的定位问题

随着基础教育课程改革的深入,校本课程的开发和校本教学研究开始引起人们的广泛关注,这在客观上要求中小学教师必须在课堂中开展教学研究。但在现实中,当前的教师教学研究却表现出研究方法的机械化、研究成果的形式化与功利化过程的理性化等“不合理”的特征。教师教学研究既不同于教育理论的研究,又不同于经验总结和工作报告,它具有实践性、价值性和科学性的特征。     

Configuration of the Teacher-State Relationship: The Shanghai Experience

As one of the most prominent cases of high performing education systems in Asia, Shanghai has received widespread attention in recent years. The existing literature has shown that the formation of a high performing education system in Shanghai is closely associated with the high-quality teaching force. The purpose of this paper is to explore the experience of Shanghai in configuring the teacher-state relationship and building the teaching profession against China’s background of centralized education. Our analysis was framed around three key actors that have reshaped the relationship between teachers and State in the post-Mao era, including the establishment of teaching as a profession, schools, and the labor market. Based on policy analysis and empirical evidence from Shanghai, the research findings indicate Shanghai’s own experience in building the teaching profession, teachers’ professional well-being, and other subjective perceptions related to school management and the labor market.     

Effects of teacher professional characteristics on student achievement: an investigation in blended learning environment with standards-based curriculum

Use of different teaching materials and curriculum for the same subjects is always a confounding factor in studies investigating teacher characteristics and student achievement. The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of different teacher qualities on student achievement in high schools with a standards-based curriculum delivered over a blended learning environment. Utilizing quantitative research approach, this study investigates the effects of teacher characteristics and teaching practices in a course offered through Cisco Networking Academy, which has a standards-oriented curriculum delivered online. Participants in the study were 226 teachers and 3299 students from Networking Academies located in the USA. The findings suggest that certain teacher characteristics such as teaching experience, degree, and primary teaching field do not have effects on student achievement.     

“高级英语”研究性教学的探索

"高级英语"研究性教学旨在培养英语专业学生分析解决问题的能力,以利于大学生发展创造性思维、实践精神和学习能力。该文认为它应当在教师指导下以教学内容为基础,从宏观上设置研究主题,从微观上设置问题情境,引导学生以学习小组为单位进行研究性学习,激发学生主动参与知识建构过程,体验研究的过程,品味研究的价值,分享研究的成果,以提高学生自主学习能力,英语语篇分析、理解和鉴赏的能力。     

小组滚动同课异构 提升教师实践智慧——“领雁工程”教学培训的实践与思考

“领雁工程”是浙江省为提升农村教师素质开展的培训活动,参加培训的教师有一定的实践经验,在参加了理论的学习后需要将理论内化并用于指导教学实践,而他们自己所在的学校缺少同伴研讨的氛围和环境,在教学实践培训中需要提高教师的实践智慧。采取小组滚动同课异构的方法,强调以微格分析为手段、以同伴互助为桥梁、以解决问题为目标,帮助学员：准确理解课程标准,个性解读教材的能力;深度理解学生需求,合理设置目标的能力;理性认识自身特征,使教学设计进入“有我之境”,实现教学设计的个性化的能力,为今后的教学实践和教研活动的开展提供基础。     

职业院校“同课异评”模式研究与建构

课堂教学评价是职业教育促进教师专业成长和提高教育教学质量的重要环节。围绕课堂观察维度,采用“同课异评”的方式,让评课者泛中抓点,点中内化,让开课者梳理有效评价,促进专业成长。针对职业教育的课堂属性,梳理形成课堂观察分析点,并对教师从教研组及教龄维度划分归类,进行“同课异评”模式的研究探索。同时,以实际的案例来阐明“同课异评”的系统开发与实际应用,以期对职业院校教师专业化发展、提高教育教学质量提供可借鉴的做法。     

Is Teaching Experience Necessary for Reliable Scoring of Extended English Questions?

Hundreds of thousands of raters are recruited internationally to score examinations, but little research has been conducted on the selection criteria for these raters. Many countries insist upon teaching experience as a selection criterion and this has frequently become embedded in the cultural expectations surrounding the tests. Shortages in raters for some of England's national examinations has led to non-teachers being hired to score a small minority of items and changes in technology have fostered this approach. For a National Curriculum test in English taken at age 14, this study investigated whether teaching experience was a necessary selection criterion for all aspects of the examination. Fifty-seven raters with different backgrounds were trained in the normal manner and scored the same 97 students' work. Accuracy was investigated using a cross-classified multilevel model of absolute score differences with accuracy measures at level 1 and raters crossed with candidates at level 2. By comparing the scoring accuracy of graduates with a degree in English, teacher trainees, experienced teachers and experienced raters, this study found that teaching experience was not a necessary selection criterion. A rudimentary model for allocation of raters to different question types is proposed and further research to investigate the limits of necessary qualifications for scoring is suggested.     

Genetics Literacy: Insights From Science Teachers’ Knowledge,Attitude, and Teaching Perceptions

Teachers have a crucial role to play in raising future generations of citizens who are aware of issues in genetics literacy such as gene therapy, cloning, and stem cell research. Teachers’ teaching practices are influenced by their knowledge in genetics literacy and their attitudes towards different issues. Accordingly, this study explored the relationships among middle school science teachers’ background characteristics (gender, teaching experience, self-perceived interest in and self-perceived knowledge of genetics), their genetics literacy levels, their attitudes towards various issues in genetics literacy, and their perceptions of teaching issues in genetics literacy. Data were collected from 435 Turkish middle school science teachers by completing the Genetics Literacy Assessment Inventory, the scale for attitudes towards issues in genetics literacy and perceptions of teaching issues in genetics literacy. The results of canonical correlation analysis suggested that being female, having a high level of interest in genetics, and perceiving oneself as knowledgeable in genetics were associated with higher levels of knowledge in genetics literacy and holding favorable general attitudes. These teachers believed in the necessity of introducing genetics literacy and held higher self-efficacy teaching beliefs regarding the teaching of issues in genetics literacy in their classes. However, they tended to emphasize more impeding factors as well as hold unfavorable attitudes towards gene therapy and gene therapy applications, implying that their attitudes were context dependent.     

对高校体操教学中学生成绩评价的探讨

体操是我国高等学校体育教学专业学生的必修课程,是各级各类学校体育教育的主要内容.对高等学校体育教学专业学生而言,体操教学成绩评价是体操教学过程的重要环节,它对教学效果的正确评价和学生学习积极性产生直接影响.本文根据自己多年从事体操学习和实践经验,走访了其它体育学院的体操教师,运用文献研究法,以体操动作教学特点为切入点,找出当前体操教学评价中存在的问题,并提出了合理的评价建议,以供同行借鉴,共同提高体操教学质量.     

声乐教学实践的方法研究

通过多年的高师声乐教学,本人在教学中经过不断的研究和教学实践,对本系两个年级的学生(2005—2006级)做了大量的调查和研究,在教学中根据不同学生采用了不同的教学方法,并取得了阶段性的教学效果,为今后的声乐教学实践积累了一定的教学经验。