Engaging with theoretical diffraction in teacher education

This article presents a study in which we began with a question ‘how to teach theoretical reflectivity in teacher education’, and ended with a sentence ‘there is theoretical diffraction in teacher education’. The research presented in this paper took place in the context of a university course in which we have been involved for the past two years. During the course we simultaneously aimed to teach theoretical reflection and to analyse what was happening as we taught theoretical reflection. For two years we asked: What are students doing while we are trying to engage them in theoretical reflection? We noted that students are engaged in theory, but not in ways easily readable to the educators, and that the process could be called theoretical diffraction rather than reflection. Theoretical diffraction during the course was patterned by existing discursive practices: (1) disciplining emotions and focusing on control and answers; (2) personalising school as the teacher, and personally defending it; and (3) prioritising practice over theory and seeing both as dogma.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Transnational higher education in Uzbekistan

ABSTRACT

As marketisation, stratification and performance measurement besiege Higher Education, managing change becomes a critical leadership and administrative skill. Managing the student experience and organisational reputation take on renewed significance. Yet whilst much attention is paid to quality assurance and validation processes as Higher Education seeks to develop programmes that address stakeholder demands, little work has been done that looks at course closure. It is suggested that fresh perspectives drawn from change communications scholarship, can provide practical value to university leadership teams. In particular, by recognising course closure as a form of trauma, then universities might be better placed to communicate with and support students on closing courses.     

Learning thoughtful reflection in teacher education

The notion of reflection has become an object of attention in education, but the research on this topic is often reduced to mere reflective practice. A relevant part of educational literature portrays reflection as a wholly beneficial practice for practitioners, but also for researchers. In the nursing field, in particular, reflection is largely practised and deeply examined. Reflection is specifically encouraged in teacher education, where ‘how-to’ manuals are widely used to explain strategies for turning teachers into reflective practitioners. In some cases, a specific kind of reflective approach is proposed, such as critical reflection. From the analysis of this technical literature, I observe that a wide range of approaches for fostering reflection have been applied, but little research evidence shows how effective these approaches are. Taking this problem into account, this article presents a research study on reflection. It first introduces a specific and unusual concept of reflection – that of phenomenological conception – and then goes on to develop an empirical investigation that enacts a phenomenological method of inquiry and is aimed at exploring the potential of the use of journal writing as a tool for enhancing reflection, and documents the data that emerged. The research was developed in a university context where the student teachers were asked to ‘reflect on the life of the mind’, in order to learn how to take a reflective stance. The student teachers wrote entries in a reflective journal in which they were requested to describe the lived experiences of the mind as they came to their reflective attention. The data emerging from the experience were made sense of through a qualitative method of analysis. The findings of the research are useful for designing an effective method for enhancing reflective practice.

     

Engaging young students in scientific investigations: prompting for meaningful reflection

This study examined the verbal prompts a tutor used to promote reflection and young students’ responses to these prompts. Seven children (ages 8–12) participated in 260 min of one-on-one tutoring to learn scientific concepts related to gear movement; the tutor spontaneously provided these students with 763 prompts for reflection. Prompts reliably induced reflection: Students responded verbally 87% of the time. Turn-by-turn discourse analysis revealed seven distinct types of prompts and 11 distinct types of verbal responses. High-level prompts were strongly associated with high-level responses. A log-multiplicative association model with two dimensions (temporality and certainty) represented the relationships between prompt and response types; from this model, odds ratios estimated the strength of association between specific pairs of prompt and response types. Findings are discussed in terms of the effects that reflection may have on students’ developing understanding of scientific concepts.     

基于"反思"的英语教师教育

近年来,源于北美大陆的反思型教师教育理论日益受到我国教师教育界的关注。反思型教师教育是对技术型教师观和经验型教师教育模式的一种否定。它强调教师教育的核心应是培养教师对现有的教育理论与教学实践进行批判性反思的意识与能力,通过反思加实践,教师不断地对教育理论进行解构和自我建构,从而获得自身的专业发展。反思型教师教育模式对英语教育专业学生创新与实践能力培养有着深刻的启示。     

Engaging with issues of emotionality in mathematics teacher education for social justice

This article focuses on the relationship between social justice, emotionality and mathematics teaching in the context of the education of prospective teachers of mathematics. A relational approach to social justice calls for giving attention to enacting socially just relationships in mathematics classrooms. Emotionality and social justice in teaching mathematics variously intersect, interrelate or interweave. An intervention, using creative action methods, with a cohort of prospective teachers addressing these issues is described to illustrate the connection between emotionality and social justice in the context of mathematics teacher education. Creative action methods involve a variety of dramatic, interactive and experiential tools that can promote personal and group engagement and embodied reflection. The intervention aimed to engage the prospective teachers with some key issues for social justice in mathematics education through dialogue about the emotionality of teaching and learning mathematics. Some of the possibilities and limits of using such methods are considered.     

Supporting collaborative reflection in teacher education: a case study

The aim of this paper is to understand how certain educational supports promote preservice teachers’ learning to reflect in collaborative settings. To address this issue, we present a case study on collaborative reflection among 14 preservice teachers and one teacher educator over the course of five weekly consecutive sessions. The results suggest that collaborative reflection can be supported by organizing the process according to a twofold dynamic: from analysis to synthesis, and from open facilitation to directive facilitation. Six different types of assistance related to this dynamic, and provided by the teacher educator, are identified and qualitatively described: framing, oppositional voice, counterpoising alternatives, asking for the dilemma, problematizing, and modelling.     

Practical inquiry: Collaboration and reflection in teacher education reform

If teachers are to use collaboration and reflection in their own classrooms, it is important for them to experience it in university teacher education courses. To explore implications of recommendations in national reports on teacher education reform, a course was designed using practical inquiry to structure use of craft knowledge, collaboration and reflection. Forty one teachers of varied backgrounds participated. Teachers reported that their perspectives broadened and that they gained confidence in their teaching choices through this experience. I found it challenging to manage disagreements for their maximum learning potential.     

主体性教师：教师教育的反思与变革

确立主体性的教师教育观念，建立一体化的教师教育体制，创建主体性的教师教育过程，实行主体性的教育管理方式，是主体性教师素质的培养要求。本通过主体性教师的概念界说、教师教育的现实反思和改革构想，旨在探寻我国教师教育改革与发展的途径与方法。     

How teacher education students cope with practicum concerns

Abstract

Student teacher stress during practicum experiences has generated interest across teacher education programs. However, there is very little research on the sources of support students draw on to help them cope with practicum stresses. This study sought data directly from the students to represent the student perspective. Students ranked their five most important sources of support for coping, and they noted the strategies they used to cope with practicum stresses. Students consistently reported that seeking support from the teacher was their primary coping strategy. This finding suggests that an effective student‐supervising teacher relationship is critical for student practicum success. Differences emerged between the most and least stressed students in terms of their reported use of coping strategies. Implications of the findings for teacher education programs are addressed.     

Engaging with the views of students to promote inclusion in education

The argument developed in this paper is set within the context of an increasing global concern to promote inclusion in education. Drawing on the authors’ research over many years, it argues that an engagement with the views of students can lead to changes in understandings and practices that help to facilitate the development of more inclusive approaches in schools. At the same time, these experiences show how such processes can lead to ‘interruptions’ in the work of those in schools in ways that may challenge the status quo and sometimes lead to negative reactions. It is argued, however, that, under appropriate organisational conditions, such approaches can lead to dialogue between students and teachers that stimulates actions to promote inclusion in education. The paper concludes by outlining how such conditions can be promoted, focusing in particular on issues related to cultures and leadership.     

College students with disabilities in teacher education: faculty attitudes and practices

The literature on selective mutism provides little information on the child’s own perspective. Six adults who had been selectively mute were interviewed about their childhood and adolescence. Data analysis led to identification of five themes, each of which has potentially important implications for teachers. (1) Origins of selective mutism: all interviewees reported withdrawal from social interaction at an early age. There was evidence from three respondents that onset of selective mutism was associated with events they had found traumatic. (2) Maintenance of selective mutism: all interviewees reported being strong willed, with a conscious determination not to speak. Selective mutism became a clearly understood and well‐defined social role. (3) Determination, social anxiety and loneliness, only two respondents (twins) reported feelings related to social anxiety in childhood, but other symptoms were reported. (4) In the recovery process four respondents reported their own conscious decision to change their current lifestyle as a precursor to starting to speak. (5) Concerning current psychosocial adjustment, four respondents had obtained therapy as adults, though not for selective mutism; five interviewees felt confident in formal, professional settings, but still experienced anxiety in informal, social situations. The data are discussed in light of previous work on selective mutism. In spite of inherent limitations, interviews with adults who have recovered may help teachers to understand both the development of the problem and their own role in helping students to recover from it.     

Experiences of diverse students in teacher education

The purpose of this study is to describe the teacher education experiences of a diverse group of early childhood students. A basic premise guiding the study was that diverse students may experience the program differently and that knowing what their experiences are may help to inform teacher education programs. This work is exploratory, intended to give focus to subsequent research.     

Selection and rejection in teacher education: qualities of character crucial in selecting and developing teacher education students

The focus of recent Australian political and media reports on the selection of candidates for initial teacher education programs has focused on the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) score as one of the key indicators of worth. This narrative study conducted in an Australian regional university focuses on the life stories of twelve pre-service teachers (PSTs) who received lower ATAR scores and who may well have been rejected by other universities. The PSTs’ narratives highlight that low achievement levels in the final years of schooling did not prevent them from being able to succeed in teacher education programs. We argue that high stakes tests as gatekeeping devices are simplistic measures that fail to recognise important qualities of character crucial to effective teaching. We suggest that qualities of character such as these are hard to quantify but are central to both selecting entrants to, and developing PSTs during, their teacher education programs.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Prediction of individual learning style in e-learning systems: opportunities and limitations in dental education

Education and Information Technologies - The aim of the article is to study the prediction model of an individual learning style in e-learning systems to enhance the effectiveness of dentistry...     

Engaging students in learning: findings from a study of project-led education

This paper reports on findings from a three-year study of project-based learning implemented in the first year of the Industrial Engineering and Management programme, at the University of Minho, Portugal. This particular model was inspired on project-led education (PLE), following Powell and Weenk's [2003. Project-Led Engineering Education. Utrecht: Lemma] work. It aims to analyse students’ perceptions of PLE as a learning device and its implications for faculty and students’ role in teaching and learning. Data collection took place in two phases through individual surveys and focus groups to students. Findings suggest the importance of PLE as a device to enhance meaningful learning and provide evidence from students that it helps to increase their engagement in learning. Implications of PLE for faculty and students role in teaching and learning will be discussed in the paper.     

Content of curriculum in physical education teacher education: expectations of undergraduate physical education students

This study explored the perceptions of university physical education students of the importance of physical education curriculum content areas and how those perceptions related to the reasons for course choice and motivation. Physical education degree students (n = 188) completed measures of their perceptions of physical education content areas, attractors to physical education, and motivation. Strong reasons for course choice were sport and physical activity-related. Instruction of movement skills, health education, games, motor development, and physical education identity were perceived as more important, whereas sports and socio-critical perspectives were perceived as less important. Perceived importance of all content areas was positively related to the choice of course for confident interpersonal service, sport and physical activity, and role model reasons, as well as to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Physical education programmes should consider what content is delivered and how to effectively integrate practical and theoretical content.     

Computer skills of initial teacher education students

Abstract

A constant challenge for teacher education lies in keeping courses up to date. This article provides a view of the current skills, attitudes, and perceptions regarding computer technology in the classroom from a preservice candidate perspective. The intent of this research is to help foster discussion about how to further develop pre-service educational technology courses that best meet the needs of a continuously evolving and changing student-teacher population in terms of computer technology skills. The primary instrument was a self-assessment survey of the skills, attitudes, and perceptions about utilizing computer technology in the classroom among firsttime students enrolled in introductory education courses at a large midwestern university in the USA in the fall semester of 1999. Surveys were administered to a total of 205 students. Questionnaires were given to preservice teachers during their initial courses rather than mailed to their homes, in an attempt to increase participation rates. Participants were categorized as being either a ‘Beginner’ or ‘Experienced User’ of computer technology, based on their responses to the skill section of the survey. The article includes an overview of the results and segments them as they pertain to three general issues: general attitudes with regards to teaching with computer technology, intended use of computers when beginning to teach, and perceived problems to be expected with computer technology when beginning to teach. Finally, an informal discussion regarding student expectations of future teacher training programs and the corresponding implications for school districts are presented from the free-response section of the questionnaire.