A Vygotskian-based theory of teacher cognition: Toward the acquisition of mental reflection and self-regulation

The intent of this work is to propose a Vygotskian theoretical perspective for the development of higher psychological processes in teachers. Five tenets of the Soviet theory are linked to goals in teacher education. A teacher education program based on such a theory of teacher self-regulation aimed at higher order thinking and affective states may hold promise for preparing teachers who are consciously aware and monitor their own teacher introspection, who use this awareness to exercise proactive control over teaching situations, who base this self-monitoring and metacognition on the (1) quality of their teacher preparation, (2) unique internalization of this knowledge and skills via reconstruction, and (3) specific teacher student interactions. A teacher education model based on this theoretical basis is outlined and contains six components. Benefits of the model have included improved lesson planning, classroom performance, creative problem-solving abilities, more internal locus of control orientations, and less anxiety.     

Teacher as Conceptual Artist

Teachers in arts education frequently struggle with their professional identity. When asked, arts teachers often answer that they believe that their main responsibility is education at the expense of understanding themselves as artists. The Mexican‐American artist and teacher Jorge Lucero questions whether an occupation as teacher necessarily impedes a creative practice. The finding that both progressive pedagogy and conceptual art share certain characteristics forms the basis for his concept of ‘teacher as conceptual artist’. In short, Lucero proposes that a teacher’s practice, in and beyond the classroom, simultaneously can be his or her creative practice. This qualitative intervention study explored whether or not the concept of teacher as conceptual artist holds the possibility to narrow down the gap between teacher and artist identities. The intervention consisted of a three‐day project led by Lucero in which nine arts teacher students were familiarised with modes of operation as a conceptual artist. In the three following months, these students implemented lessons in primary and secondary education based on those modes. Prior to the project, ‘elicitation‐interviews’ were used to explore how students perceived their professional identity and at the end of project semi‐structured interviews were conducted. The findings suggest that through the modes of operation as a conceptual artist, students who mainly identified as an artist were able to integrate a teacher identity in their artist identity, but the modes of operation also gave students who withheld their artist identity from the classroom an opportunity to live their artist identity in the classroom.     

Teacher self‐efficacy and successful intelligence among Chinese secondary school teachers in Hong Kong

This study assessed perceptions of self‐efficacy and successful intelligence among 220 Chinese prospective and in‐service secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. Teacher self‐efficacy in six domains – teaching highly able learners, classroom management, guidance and counselling, student engagement, teaching to accommodate diversity, and teaching for enriched learning – was related to the three triarchic dimensions (analytical, creative, and practical) of successful intelligence. Each of the three triarchic abilities was found to contribute independently and in combination to the prediction of the six domains of teacher self‐efficacy. Practical abilities were the most significant predictor of self‐efficacy beliefs in five domains. Teaching teachers for successful intelligence, in strategies to enhance teacher self‐efficacy, is discussed.     

The Uses and Misuses of Evaluation

Current research indicates that creativity in teaching can and should be enhanced in order to promote student learning. This article begins by stressing the importance of creativity in education and the ways in which creative teaching benefits students. Next, it addresses key points for better understanding classroom creativity by identifying common barriers that counteract or hinder teacher creativity. After identifying the characteristics of teachers who are considered creative educators, this article concludes with general recommendations, as well as specific strategies, for increasing the level of creative teaching in today's classrooms.     

高中物理创新课堂教学模式的构想

高中物理创新课堂教学是以学生为中心，以学生的自主创新学习为基础，以学生创新精神和素质全面发展为目标的教学过程。在这一过程中，教师还应为学生创造较多的讨论、分析机会。引导学生在知识上互相补充，在学习方法上互相借鉴，培养学生善于合作集智取长。     

解读语文教学过程中的审美体现

语文教学必须使学生在教学过程中感受美、欣赏美．获得美的熏陶和感染,达到陶冶思想．丰富感情,获取知识,提高审美能力和创造性思维能力的目的。本文着重论述了语文教学过程中体现出来的教师教态美、教学语言美、教师板书美、教材价值美、课堂节奏美等等。     

高职英语教学中学生创造性思维的培养

创造性思维是人类根本的思维形式,教育的职责是要为人类揭示出这种思维形式的本质。英语学习的自身规律要求人们以创新的思路改革英语的课堂教学,高度重视创造性思维能力的开发。要创造一种有利于激发创新精神的自由思考的环境,调动学生的创造积极性;要把创造性思维能力的开发和提高听说读写活动技能结合起来;形式多样的课堂活动是开发创造性思维的有效途径,课堂活动任务化对开发创造性思维具有特殊的意义。     

TRAINING TEACHERS TO TEACH FOR CREATIVITY

One of the misconceptions about creativity which prevail among teachers is the belief that it is present only in a small proportion of children. This leads to underestimation of the influence of school and society on the creative process. The creativity training program described here was designed with the main purpose of arousing teachers’ awareness of their own creative abilities and introducing basic concepts about creativity and how to nurture it into the school setting. Several studies were conducted to investigate the effects of this program on teachers’ creative thinking abilities and behaviour in the classroom. The results obtained indicated that the program was successful in developing teachers’ creative thinking and in helping them to learn the skills which are related to creative thinking and how to further it in the classroom.     

教育学公共课课堂教学存在的问题及对策研究

为了提高师范类公共课的教育教学质量,提升师范毕业生的教学实践能力,该文对S大学正在学习教育学公共课的477名师范生进行问卷调查。研究发现：学生对教育学公共课认识不足,缺乏学习兴趣;课堂气氛沉闷,缺少师生互动;隐性逃课率高,课堂管理松散且纪律较差;教材使用率低;学生缺乏教学实践机会。因此,未来教育学公共课的发展需要注重＂师范＂意识的培养,加强课堂管理;优化教学方法;鼓励编写校本教材。     

重视素质教育推行"双主"教学模式

为培养适应21世纪需要的创新型的高素质人才,应在英语教学中推行重视素质教育、注重创新能力培养和注重个性发展与因材施教的"双主"教学模式。教师是学习过程的引导者,激励学生继续思考;学生是学习过程的主动建构者,分享学习决策权;师生互动,师生之间形成协作式学习。     

论中学英语教师继续教育的课程开发

在语言学和英语教学理论不断更新的今天,如何对中学英语教师进行继续教育,是当前师资继续教育亟需解决的新课题。中学英语教师均已受过正规的8评议训练,具有独立的分析能力,喜欢课堂交际,对继续教育有明确的个人目标。根据中学英语教师的这些特点,在继续教育的课程开发中,过程模式,任务型教学大纲和内容型教学大纲更加适合中学教师的需求,因为学习者在解决问题和学习各种理论知识的同时锻炼了评议的实际运用能力,提高了教学和科研能力,在教学大纲的实施中,须贯彻八项原则:1.教学现场相结合;2.理论与教学实践相结合;3.解决中学教学中的难点;4.课堂交流与讲解并重,鼓励学员在课堂上进行讲座;5.内容学习和言语学习并重;6.与现代化教学手段接轨;7.注重能力的培养;8.鼓励创造性的学习。     

An eco-behavioral approach to examining the contextual effects of early childhood classrooms

The purpose of the study was to determine what child characteristics (age, gender, language) and classroom characteristics (activity, teacher involvement) typically accompany complex interactions with objects and peers in ethnically diverse early childhood classrooms, and whether global classroom quality contributes additional variance to children’s interactions with objects and peers when child and classroom characteristics are accounted for. Two hundred and twenty-five children (mean age=59.5 months, 50% females) from 61 classrooms in 46 centers in the state of Hawaii participated. An eco-behavioral framework was used to examine ecological factors that “set the stage” for children’s complex interactions with objects and peers. Complex interactions with peers were most likely for girls, especially English-speaking, when there was no teacher involvement, and in creative activities. Complex interactions with objects were most likely for English-speaking children and in creative activities. Child activity moderated the association between teacher involvement and complex interactions with objects. Global classroom quality was not a significant predictor of complex interactions with objects or peers.     

教师教育课程大课堂教学模式的构想与实践

教师教育课程大课堂是指通过教师在课堂教学过程中有效发挥师生教和学的双主体作用,并通过课堂教学活动和学生的课外学习、相应的实践、体验活动,更加有效地实现目标和教学任务的高校教师教育课堂教学模式。该课程模式在具体的课堂教学实践中需要处理好四个方面的问题：一是把课程理念转化成具有可操作性的课堂教学模式问题;二是不断丰富教师教育课程内容,逐步形成彼此联系的教师教育课程大课堂的课程体系;三是实施过程需要处理好统一要求与创新实践的关系;四是课程资源建设问题是有效实施教师教育课程大课堂的重要保证。     

论教师专业创造力

教师专业创造力是教师在教育生活中酝酿专业创意、生成专业创举、进行专业创造、实现专业自我更新的潜力与实力,它是教师作为专业人员的标识和代码。教师专业创造力由创意生成力、创举形成力、课堂表现力与自我形塑力等要素构成,其基本特性是涌现性、嵌入性和个体性。在教师专业发展中,每一种专业创造力类型各具特点并承担着不同的角色与功能。     

Associations among preservice teachers’ psychological traits and classroom performance ratings

Abstract

Educational theorists and researchers have often overlooked potential links between successful teaching and a teachers personal qualities. This investigation explored associations among three psychological characteristics and classroom performance ratings of prospective teachers. Fifty‐three students enrolled in a teacher education program participated in the study. The students were assessed on personality style, creative thinking, motivation, and classroom performance competency during student teaching. Correlational statistical analysis found significant relationships among three creativity measures and ratings of preservice teachers’ classroom performance. Further, regression analysis revealed originality, one subscale of creativity, was a significant predictor of effective student teaching. Findings indicate that creative constructs may have potential value in assessing teacher education candidates.     

“以赛促学”在动画制作类课程改革中的探索

动画制作类课程对学生的动手操作能力和创新思维能力要求非常高,而传统的教学方法往往只照顾到动手操作能力的培养,而无法兼顾创新思维能力的培养。对现有教学状况进行分析,以学生的创新和动手综合能力培养作为课程目标,将各类动画竞赛引入课堂教学,可以激发学生在创作方面的潜能。     

University Supervisors’ Creative Ability and Their Appraisal of Student Teachers’ Classroom Performance: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Through a content analysis of university supervisors’ written reports of observations of student teachers’ classroom performance, twenty-three categories of statements made by university supervisors about student teachers and their teaching performance were identified. Scores on the Remote Associates Test and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking were correlated with relative frequency of use of the content categories. Correlations supported the hypotheses that more creative supervisors will be aware of a greater number of factors in a student teacher’s performance, will tend to use broad general factors in assessing a student teacher’s performance rather than specific, detailed ones, and will be more sensitive to factors involving teacher-pupil relationships than will their less creative colleagues.     

课堂教学中学生创新能力的培养

教育的创新根本在于教师的创新,教师的创新意识和创新观念是实施创新教育的基础。教师要尊重学生的创造潜能,创设情境,诱导思维,在课堂教学中培养学生的创新能力。     

Mentoring empowers gifted/Learning disabled students to soar!

The Wings Mentor Program, established by the Division of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction of Maryland's Montgomery County Public Schools, was developed to provide additional support to students with gifts who also have learning disabilities (GAD) and highly able students who were not succeeding in the classroom. Students realize their creative and intellectual potential when paired with mentors who nurture them by increasing their knowledge and skills in an area of interest. The mentors, who have a background in education and/or experience working with children, are carefully screened and selected based on their knowledge in a specific field, and their ability to share their skills with young people. Mentors communicate with the classroom teachers so that the successful strategies can be transferred and applied to the classroom setting. The article includes an analysis of the program's components, the mentor/student/teacher partnership, and training practices.     

师生行为互动博弈：角色定位与影响因素分析新视角

随着教育环境的变化,课堂上的师生角色定位需要重新进行审视。学生可在多方面影响教师行为：学生层次和需求愿望;课程内容的可接受性;教学质量评价体系;学校对教学的管理强度;学校的奖惩制度设计;课堂学生规模与专业构成;授课时间安排;教师对课堂的愿望。教师也可通过多方面影响学生行为：教师的仪态仪表;学术影响;承担行政职务;行为举止;与学生交流的愿望;创造性的思维方式;课堂教学的组织能力;与学生的沟通方式。师生之间的行为互动是通过不完全信息博弈机制完成的。