Kuwaiti Science Teachers’ Beliefs and Intentions Regarding the Use of Inquiry-Based Instruction

To improve the quality of education, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education has encouraged schools to implement inquiry-based instruction. This study identifies psychosocial factors that predict teachers’ intention to use inquiry-based instruction in their science classrooms. An adapted model of Ajzen’s (1985) theory of planned behaviour—the Science Adoption Model—was used to study Kuwaiti science teachers’ beliefs. Four hundred and ninety-six teachers from all the government primary schools in Kuwait completed a questionnaire. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to statistically examine the relationships among the constructs of the model. It was found that teachers’ attitudes towards using inquiry-based instruction significantly predicted their capacity to create and deliver inquiry-based lessons. Although Kuwaiti science teachers held positive beliefs about the implementation of inquiry-based instruction, many factors limited their use of this approach in their science classroom. One clear implication from this study is that educators need to overtly consider teachers’ beliefs as inquiry-based instruction reform is implemented.     

K-12 Science and Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs About and Use of Inquiry in the Classroom

A survey instrument was developed and administered to 1,222 K-12 mathematics and science teachers to measure their beliefs about and use of inquiry in the classroom. Four variables (grade level taught, content area taught, level of support received, and self-efficacy for teaching inquiry) were significantly correlated to two dependent variables, percentage of time that students are engaged in inquiry during a typical lesson and the perceived ideal percentage of instructional time that should be devoted to inquiry. Specifically, elementary school teachers reported using inquiry-based practices more than either middle-school or high-school teachers; similarly, elementary-school teachers believed such practices should be used more often. All groups, however, reported believing in an ideal percentage of time devoted to inquiry instruction that was significantly greater than their reported percentage of time actually spent on inquiry instruction. A disordinal effect was found between grade level taught and content area taught; at the elementary level, science teachers reported both an ideal and actual percentage of time on inquiry higher than those reported by the math teachers, while at the high school level math teachers reported both an ideal and actual percentage of time on inquiry higher than those reported by the science teachers. No correlations were found between typical and ideal percentage of time devoted to inquiry and subject matter content knowledge training, gender, years of teaching experience, or maximum degree earned.     

A Survey Study of Early Childhood Teachers’ Beliefs and Confidence about Teaching Early Math

This study reports on results from the Early Mathematics Beliefs and Confidence Survey, administered to 346 preschool teachers in a large public school system in the Midwest. Survey results depict a much more positive view of teachers’ beliefs and confidence in early math teaching than previously reported. Results also suggest that teacher confidence varies with specific types of math knowledge and teaching abilities, and assessing math learning is a specific area where teachers lack confidence. Examining confidence in their math abilities and in teaching early math, results indicate that teachers are more confident teaching math and remain confident in teaching even when confidence in their abilities is low. Implications of results for early math professional development are discussed.     

The Impact of a Practice-Teaching Professional Development Model on Teachers’ Inquiry Instruction and Inquiry Efficacy Beliefs

This study examined changes in middle school teachers’ beliefs about inquiry, implementation of inquiry practices, and self-efficacy to teach science through inquiry after participating in a year-long professional development program. The professional development model design was based on Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory of learning and literature on effective professional development. Using the Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol (EQUIP) before and after the program (Marshall, Smart & Horton, 2010), teachers’ quality of inquiry instruction significantly increased across all 4 EQUIP factors. To assess teachers’ inquiry teaching efficacy, the Teaching Science as Inquiry (TSI; Dira-Smolleck, 2004) instrument was administered 3 times to the teacher participants. Changes between time points of TSI administration were examined for personal self-efficacy and outcome expectancy across 5 essential features of classroom inquiry. Findings for the personal self-efficacy scale showed statistically significant gains from pre-Institute to 1-year follow-up for all 5 inquiry features. Teachers’ outcome expectancy beliefs significantly increased across the program for 3 of the 5 essential features of inquiry. The results indicate the effectiveness of the professional development model at increasing the participants’ inquiry efficacy as well as the quality of their inquiry instruction. Our study provides evidence to support the need to include collaborative practice-teaching and reflection opportunities within professional development models that aim to increase teachers’ use of inquiry-based instructional strategies.     

Issues of Methods and Theory in the Study of Mathematics Teachers’ Professed and Attributed Beliefs

In research on teachers’ beliefs, a distinction is often made between what teachers state (“professed beliefs”) and what is reflected in teachers’ practices (“attributed beliefs”). Researchers claim to have found both consistencies and inconsistencies between professed and attributed beliefs. In this paper, methods and research designs typically used in studies of teachers’ beliefs are examined. It is asserted that, in some cases, the perceived discrepancy between professed and attributed beliefs may actually be an artifact of the methods used to collect and analyze relevant data and the particular conceptualizations of beliefs implicit in the research designs. In particular, the apparent dichotomy can be the result of a lack of shared understanding between teachers and researchers of the meaning of terms used to describe beliefs and practices. In addition, it is asserted that it is inappropriate to classify any belief as entirely professed since researchers make various attributions to teachers through choices about data collection, theory, analysis of data, and presentation of findings. Moreover, the emphasis on classifying beliefs in this manner may be inhibiting researchers from developing a more comprehensive understanding of teachers’ beliefs. Traditional and alternative methods are described, a data example is provided to illustrate the claims, and implications for future research are discussed.     

Early Childhood Educators’ Self-Efficacy in Science,Math, and Literacy Instruction and Science Practice in the Classroom

Research Findings: Quality early science education is important for addressing the low science achievement, compared to international peers, of elementary students in the United States. Teachers’ beliefs about their skills in a content area, that is, their content self-efficacy is important because it has implications for teaching practice and child outcomes. However, little is known about how teachers’ self-efficacy for literacy, math and science compare and how domain-specific self-efficacy relates to teachers’ practice in the area of science. Analysis of survey and observation data from 67 Head Start classrooms across eight programs indicated that domain-specific self-efficacy was highest for literacy, significantly lower for science, and lowest for math. Classrooms varied, but in general, engaged in literacy far more than science, contained a modest amount of science materials, and their instructional support of science was low. Importantly, self-efficacy for science, but not literacy or math, related to teachers frequency of engaging children in science instruction. Teachers’ education and experience did not predict self-efficacy for science. Practice or Policy: To enhance the science opportunities provided in early childhood classrooms, pre-service and in-service education programs should provide teachers with content and practices for science rather than focusing exclusively on literacy.     

Pre-service Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge of History of Mathematics and Their Attitudes and Beliefs Towards Using History of Mathematics in Mathematics Education

This study examined pre-service mathematics teachers’ knowledge of history of mathematics and their attitudes and beliefs towards using history of mathematics in mathematics education based on year level in teacher education program and gender. The sample included 1,593 freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior pre-service middle school (grades 4–8) mathematics teachers from nine universities in Turkey. Data were collected through Knowledge of History of Mathematics Test and Attitudes and Beliefs towards the Use of History of Mathematics in Mathematics Education Questionnaire. Results indicate that pre-service teachers have moderate knowledge of history of mathematics and positive attitudes and beliefs towards using history of mathematics. Their knowledge scores increase as the year level in teacher education program advanced. Males’ knowledge scores are significantly higher than females’ scores in the first 2 years. This situation reverses in the last 2 years, but it is not statistically significant. Pre-service teachers have more positive attitudes and availing beliefs towards using history of mathematics as they progress in their teacher education program. Females have greater attitudes and beliefs mean scores than males in each of the years. The results indicate that the teacher education program may have enhanced the pre-service teachers’ knowledge of history of mathematics by related courses. However, the moderate knowledge scores indicate that there is a need for revision of these courses. The pre-service teachers’ positive attitudes and beliefs towards using history of mathematics stress the importance of teacher education program in order to prepare them for implementing this alternative strategy in the future.     

Prospective Early Childhood and Elementary School Mathematics Teachers’ Concept Images and Concept Definitions of Triangles

International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education - This study presents a characterization of prospective early childhood teachers’ (ECEPTs) and prospective elementary school...     

Teachers’ Beliefs Regarding Subtypes of Socially Withdrawn and Aggressive Behaviors on the Playground Across the Early School Years

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ beliefs about and responses to children’s withdrawn behaviors (reticence and solitary-passive behavior) and aggressive behaviors (relational and physical aggression) on the playground across grades (preschool through 2nd grade) and by gender. Participants included 171 female teachers of preschool (n = 46), kindergarten (n = 45), 1st-grade (n = 41), and 2nd-grade (n = 39) classes from a Mountain West community. Overall, reticence was perceived as less appropriate than solitary-passive behavior, and physical aggression was perceived as less appropriate than relational aggression, although both forms of aggression were seen as less appropriate than both forms of withdrawal. Likewise, it was found that teachers do not take as proactive an approach to dealing with all withdrawn behaviors as they do in dealing with aggressive behaviors. Practice or Policy: Important gender differences were found and are discussed.     

Chinese Parents’ Beliefs about the Importance and Feasibility of Quality Early Childhood Inclusion

This study aims to explore Chinese parents’ understanding about the importance and feasibility of quality pre-school inclusion and how these beliefs are affected by their levels of education and the types of disabilities in the Chinese socio-cultural and policy contexts. Findings support parents are highly supportive of the philosophy of inclusion. Both groups of parents of children with and without disabilities have different expectations for what quality inclusion looks like in the six dimensions of inclusion except for professional development and resources. The higher the levels of education, the more likely regular parents agree on all six dimensions of inclusion. Finally, disability categories did not affect parents’ beliefs. Parents of children with multiple disabilities expressed the greatest need for inclusion. Overall, parents’ agreement with the important features of inclusion reflects a greater expectation for quality inclusion and policy-making to make this happen to all young children.     

Confronting Invisibility: Early Childhood Pre-service Teachers’ Beliefs Toward Homeless Children

Children make up half of the homeless population in the US, and of those, almost 50 percent are under age six. Homeless children face many different challenges in school. These children and their families have been invisible in school due to the indifference and stereotypes about them. This article focuses on early childhood pre-service teachers’ beliefs over the course of one semester at a private university in the United States. The pre-service teachers explored their own perceptions about homeless children through urban community-based field experiences. The pre-service teachers regularly worked with children in homeless shelter learning centers throughout the semester. The data revealed that the pre-service teachers had fears about interacting with the unfamiliar setting, as well as deficit perspectives about homeless children. However, while they were engaged in the community-based experiences, they started to re-examine their deficit views about young homeless children and their families, acquire more accurate information on their complex situations, and positively developed their professional perspectives on these children. This study suggests that raising awareness about homeless children and their families should be a part of both professional development in schools and early childhood teacher education programs     

Investigating the Use of Vicarious and Mastery Experiences in Influencing Early Childhood Education Majors’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs

This study investigated the effectiveness of an Early Childhood Education science methods course that focused exclusively on providing various mastery (i.e., enactive, cognitive content, and cognitive pedagogical) and vicarious experiences (i.e., cognitive self-modeling, symbolic modeling, and simulated modeling) in increasing preservice elementary teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. Forty-four preservice elementary teachers participated in the study. Analysis of the quantitative (STEBI-b) and qualitative (informal surveys) data revealed that personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy beliefs increased significantly over the semester. Enactive mastery, cognitive pedagogical mastery, symbolic modeling, and cognitive self-modeling were the major sources of self-efficacy. This list was followed by cognitive content mastery and simulated modeling. This study has implications for science teacher educators.     

Does Training in Alternative Assessment Matter? The Case of Prospective and Practicing Mathematics Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Alternative Assessment and Their Beliefs About the Nature of Mathematics

This study explored the training of prospective and practicing mathematics teachers in alternative assessment and its impact on their attitudes toward alternative assessment methods and their beliefs about the nature of mathematics. Data were collected from 51 prospective teachers and 50 practicing teachers who took a course on alternative assessment in mathematics. Findings indicated a significant change in the correlation between the positivist and constructivist dimensions of their beliefs about the nature of mathematics following the course. No significant differences were found between the prospective and practicing teachers’ beliefs either before or after the course nor in their attitudes toward alternative assessment after the course. Before the course, however, the two groups differed significantly in their attitudes toward alternative assessment. Findings also revealed significant changes in attitudes toward alternative assessment and beliefs about the nature of mathematics following participation in the course. These changes in attitudes and beliefs were accompanied by a shift in the nature of the assessment tasks written by the participants. Participants who demonstrated more positive attitudes and constructivist beliefs tended to write more conceptual problems and less procedural exercises. Implications for mathematics teacher training and professional development in alternative assessment are discussed.     

The Influencing and Effective Model of Early Childhood Teachers＇Job Satisfaction in China

The purpose of this study was to explore the influencing and effective models of Chinese early childhood teachers＇ job satisfaction. Using a questionnaire of 317 teachers from 21 kindergartens in Shanghai, China, the present study established the influencing and effective structure model of teachers＇ job satisfaction. The results demonstrated that organizational climate and teachers＇ involvement in curriculum reform are the direct factors to affect teachers＇ job satisfaction, which is the important intermediate variable to influence on teachers＇ professional commitment, autonomy and burnout. It is also concluded that organizational climate improves teachers＇ professional commitment. What＇s more, involving in curriculum reform not only facilitates teachers＇ autonomy but also declines teachers＇ burnout.     

Prospective and In-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Attention to a Rich Mathematics Task While Planning its Implementation in the Classroom

International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education - This study explores secondary mathematics teachers’ attention to the three components of Jaworski’s (1992) “teaching...     

Early Practicum Experiences: Preservice Early Childhood Students’ Perceptions and Sense of Efficacy

The current study explored early practicum experiences (those occurring before student teaching) in an early childhood birth to kindergarten teacher education program. Undergraduates enrolled in practicum courses completed questionnaires about their overall practicum experience including: socio-emotional components (their perceived fit with their cooperating teacher and intrapersonal feelings while in the classroom), overall practicum satisfaction, and their sense of teacher efficacy. Results revealed that practicum students generally reported feelings of being energized and relaxed, though some practicum students reported feelings of frustration in their practicum classrooms. Feeling energized and relaxed and students’ perception of fit with their cooperating teacher were positively associated with practicum satisfaction and practicum students’ teacher efficacy. Feelings of frustration were negatively associated with students’ fit with their cooperating teacher, practicum satisfaction, and students’ teacher efficacy. Higher levels of practicum satisfaction predicted higher practicum students’ teacher efficacy. Findings highlight the importance of understanding early practicum experiences and what factors of the practicum experience contribute teacher efficacy. Implications for future research and practice for early childhood teacher preparation programs are discussed.     

Teachers’ Literal and Inferential Talk in Early Childhood and Special Education Classrooms

Research Findings: This study examined preschool teachers’ literal talk (LT) and inferential talk (IT) during shared book readings in early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms. We aimed to characterize and compare teachers’ LT and IT in these 2 classroom contexts and determine whether differences in LT and IT are predicted by classroom type, teachers’ educational background, or children’s average language skills. We examined the shared book reading activities of 52 teachers (26 ECE classrooms, 26 ECSE classrooms). Results revealed that ECSE teachers used significantly more LT and showed more variability in their LT and IT than ECE teachers. ECSE classroom type predicted teachers’ use of LT when we controlled for teacher education and children’s language skills, whereas teacher education predicted teachers’ use of IT when we controlled for classroom type and children’s language skills. Practice or Policy: These findings have implications for best practice guidelines and policies, particularly for ECSE environments.