What makes good and bad days for beginning teachers? A diary study on daily uplifts and hassles

Beginning teachers’ first years in school have been described as demanding and stressful. In explaining beginning teachers’ stress, previous research mainly focused on either trait-like personality characteristics or general work-related stressors. In contrast, the present study focused on the day-to-day experience. The aim of the current study was (a) to identify the task-related daily uplifts and hassles of beginning teachers, (b) to examine the association of daily uplifts and hassles with teachers’ socio-demographic and personality characteristics, and (c) to investigate the effect of daily uplifts and hassles on teachers’ emotional exhaustion. The sample consisted of 141 beginning teachers up to four years in the profession who completed an online diary for 14 consecutive days. Results showed that most daily uplifts and hassles were related to teaching in class and interacting with colleagues. Both hassles and uplifts showed only a few unsystematic correlations with teachers’ characteristics. However, daily uplifts and hassles significantly explained beginning teachers’ daily emotional exhaustion.     

The relationship between beginning teachers’ stress causes,stress responses,teaching behaviour and attrition

In this study, the relationships between beginning teachers’ perceived stress causes, stress responses, observed teaching behaviour and attrition is investigated employing structural equation modelling (SEM). A total of 143 BTs were surveyed using the Questionnaire on the Experience and Evaluation of Work-BTs (QEEW-BT). Teaching behaviour was observed using the ICALT observation instrument. Results show that BTs’ perceived negative pupil aspects relate positively to the stress responses perceived tension, discontent and negative emotions. Negative emotions, in turn, are negatively associated with observed teaching behaviour. This study also shows that discontent positively relates to attrition. Additionally, this study provides important cues to improve professional support programmes for BTs.     

Does homework behavior mediate the relation between personality and academic performance?

Past research has consistently shown that there is a relation between personality and academic performance, but much less work has focused on explaining this relation. The present study examined whether three aspects of homework behavior, namely homework time, procrastination, and learning strategies, mediate the relation between personality and academic performance, controlling for cognitive ability, track level, gender, and ethnicity. We investigated this in a nationally representative sample of about 9000 secondary school students in The Netherlands (average age 13 years). Results indicated that all personality traits were related to homework behavior, and that both personality and homework behavior were related to end-of-year grades in math and Dutch language. Nevertheless, homework behavior only partially mediated the relation between personality and grades.     

Does parental homework involvement mediate the relationship between family background and educational outcomes?

This research examines whether parental homework involvement mediates the relationship between family background and educational outcomes such as academic achievement and academic self-concept. Data from two studies in which grade 8 students (N = 1274 and N = 1911) described their parents’ involvement in the homework process were reanalyzed via structural equation modeling. Perceived parental homework interference and perceived homework-related conflict were negatively related to students’ academic development, whereas perceived parental support and perceived parental competence to help with homework were positively related to academic outcomes. Although there were small associations between some aspects of parental homework involvement and family background variables, parental homework involvement did not mediate the relationship between family background and educational outcomes. Findings highlight the need for differentiated conceptualizations of parental homework involvement as well as detailed analyses of the processes underlying the association between family background and educational outcomes.     

The relationships between teachers’ emotional labor and their burnout and satisfaction: A meta-analytic review

Teaching is an emotional endeavor. Unlike mass service employees, teachers enjoy considerable autonomy in their teaching and maintain relatively stable relationships with students, parents, and colleagues. This study is a meta-analytic review of the associations between teachers' emotional labor strategies (i.e., surface acting, deep acting, and the expression of naturally felt emotions) and other relevant constructs. The meta-analysis is based on 85 empirical articles and 86 independent samples, with the experiences of 33,248 teachers represented in the articles reviewed. The meta-correlations are generally in the expected direction. Surface acting is positively related to the individual and interpersonal components of burnout and negatively related to teaching satisfaction. Deep acting is not significantly related to the individual or interpersonal components of burnout, but positively related to teaching satisfaction and the efficacy component of burnout. The expression of naturally felt emotions is negatively related to teachers’ burnout and reduced teaching satisfaction. The moderation analysis of relevant correlates also provides some insights about the research development.     

Exploring the link between experienced teachers’ learning outcomes and individual and professional learning community characteristics

The continuous professional development of teachers is crucial in our current knowledge-based society, yet empirical research on experienced teachers’ learning outcomes is scarce. In this study, we examine perceived changes in classroom practices and in competence as outcomes. By making these outcomes measurable, we can relate them to several individual teacher characteristics and professional learning community characteristics. A questionnaire was administered to 490 experienced teachers from 48 Flemish (Belgian) primary schools. Multilevel analyses show that of the professional learning community characteristics, only reflective dialogue is significant for perceived changes in practices. As for individual characteristics, self-efficacy relates positively to both perceived changes in practices and in competence. The relationship between teaching experience and both learning outcomes, however, is negative.     

Preservice science teachers’ ecological value orientation: A comparative study between Indonesia and Korea

Abstract

The current study aimed to examine differences in ecological values between Indonesian and Korean preservice science teachers. Fifteen items from revised-New Ecological Paradigm based on value orientations were used as the research instrument. Two hundred seventy-three preservice science teachers participated in the study. Rasch analyses of dimensionality, item fit, and differential item functioning were used to explore the validity of the instrument. The independent-sample T-test and Pearson’s correlation test were utilized to compare data from the two countries. Preservice science teachers from the two different countries showed significant differences in only one of the three value orientations, which is egoistic value. Relationships among cultural, educational, and economic factors, as well as environmental values in these countries are discussed to fully explore the findings.     

Does daddy know best? Exploring the relationship between paternal sexual communication and safe sex practices among African-American women

Parental sexual risk communication may influence women's sexual decision-making and safe sexual behaviours. While many studies have focused specifically on the influence of communication from mothers, some authors have argued for the importance of examining father–daughter sexual risk communication as well. However, few studies have empirically examined this relationship among African-American women. The present study sought to expand the literature by examining the relationship between various sexual risk messages received from paternal caregivers and the safe sexual practices of a sample of 171 African-American women from the Midwest USA. Results suggested that receiving messages from paternal caregivers cautioning participants about the intentions of men in romantic relationships was related to an increased likelihood of participants asking intimate partners about their sexual history. However, these messages were inversely related to safer condom practices. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.     

Burnout and life satisfaction: does gratitude intervention make a difference among Chinese school teachers in Hong Kong?

This study investigated the effectiveness of a gratitude intervention programme in promoting life satisfaction and reducing burnout symptoms. Sixty-three Hong Kong Chinese school teachers aged 22–54 participated in an eight-week count-your-blessings study that used a pre-test/post-test design. Increases in life satisfaction and the sense of personal accomplishment and decreases in emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation were observed in the post-intervention assessment. Significant changes were observed on life satisfaction and emotional exhaustion as a result of intervention interacting with the meaningful-life orientation to happiness. These changes favoured teachers who put higher value on the meaningful-life orientation, suggesting that the promotion of a meaningful-life orientation could be an important element in the repertoire of gratitude intervention efforts. Implications of the findings on developing gratitude intervention programmes that focus on human positives and the promotion of gratitude and the meaningful-life orientation in combating teacher burnout are discussed.     

What are the Earth and the heavenly bodies like? A study of objectual conceptions among Norwegian deaf and hearing pupils

This study addresses deaf pupils' conceptions of phenomena, that can be directly observed, of the Earth and sky. In the study deaf pupils aged 7, 9, 11, and 17 years were interviewed. A control group of 9-year-old Norwegian pupils with normal hearing was also interviewed. The results show that the young deaf children have conceptions that are remarkably like the scientifically accepted ones, when their age is taken into account, while this is not the case for the oldest groups. Four out of five deaf 7-year-olds, for example, thought the Earth was spherical, not flat; while only five out of eight deaf 17-year-olds thought the same for shapes of the heavenly bodies. Possible reasons for this are discussed. The results also indicate that the shapes of the signs representing objects may affect deaf people's conceptions of those objects.     

Self-efficacy, job satisfaction, motivation and commitment: exploring the relationships between indicators of teachers’ professional identity

This study investigates how relevant indicators of teachers’ sense of their professional identity (job satisfaction, occupational commitment, self-efficacy and change in level of motivation) are related. A model is proposed, tested with structural equation modelling (SEM) and refined using data from 1,214 Dutch teachers working in secondary education. Classroom self-efficacy and relationship satisfaction play a key influencing role in the relationships between the indicators. Using multiple-group SEM, the parameters of the overall model are similar for the novice, experienced and senior teachers in a constrained model. This aspect of similarity across experience groups is in line with findings of previous research on teachers’ professional identity. The present study contributes to the further development of a solid theory on teachers’ professional identity, which has been lacking.     

Does the social working environment predict beginning teachers’ self-efficacy and feelings of depression?

We investigate how the social working environment predicts beginning teachers’ self-efficacy and feelings of depression. Two quantitative studies are presented. The results show that the goal structure of the school culture (mastery or performance orientation) predicts both outcomes. Frequent collaborative interactions with colleagues are related to higher self-efficacy only when the novices are experiencing few difficulties or work in an environment oriented towards mastery goals. The mere occurrence of mentoring and meetings with the principal is not related to the outcomes, but the quality of these activities predicts them significantly. Conditions increasing the effectiveness of these support activities are discussed.     

Analysing the correlation between secondary mathematics curriculum change and trends in beginning undergraduates’ performance of basic mathematical skills in Ireland

The phenomenon in which students enter university under-prepared for the mathematical demands of their undergraduate courses, regularly referred to as the ‘Maths Problem’, has been widely reported in Ireland, UK, Australia, and the US. This issue has been of particular concern in Ireland recently, with beginning undergraduates’ performance of basic mathematical skills showing signs of significant decline in recent years. New mathematics curricula, commonly referred to as ‘Project Maths’, were gradually introduced into the Irish secondary school education system from 2010 onwards. These new curricula aim to place greater emphasis on student understanding of mathematical concepts, use of contexts, and applications of mathematics. This study analyses, through mathematics diagnostic test data gathered between 2008 and 2014, the change in the basic mathematical skills of beginning undergraduates over the time period in which the new mathematics curricula were introduced to secondary education in Ireland. It was found that students’ basic mathematical skills have declined over the time period during which the new mathematics curricula were introduced. Significant declines in beginning undergraduates’ performance of basic mathematical skills were observed during the period 2008–2014, particularly among students who have achieved Higher Level C grades and Higher Level D grades.     

Links between general and vocational education: Does the one enhance the other?

The answer is YES. The hallmark of successful schooling is the creation of portable skills and efficiency in future learning. This paper examines the linkages between and within levels of schooling, and between education in schools and apprenticeships and other forms of work-associated training. It shows that elementary schooling is of too great a vocational importance to risk feeding children vocationalism. School-work programmes are rarely effective pedagogy, but theory is an important element in apprenticeships. Quality counts heavily whatever the educational content and setting. And the general elements in skill development are critical for both individuals and societies in a world of change.

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Zusammenfassung Die Antwort auf die Frage, ob bei den bestehenden Verbindungen zwischen allgemeiner und berufsbezogener Bildung, die eine die andere verbessert, ist ja. Als Anzeichen für eine erfolgreiche Schulbildung gelten übertragbare Fähigkeiten sowie Effizienz beim späteren Lernen. In diesem Bericht werden die Verknüpfungen zwischen den und innerhalb der verschiedenen Schulebenen, zwischen Erziehung an Schulen und in der Lehre und anderen Formen von berufsbezogener Ausbildung untersucht. Es wird der Beweis erbracht, daß die Elementarschule von zu großer berufsorientierter Wichtigkeit ist, um das Risiko einzugehen, Kinder mit berufsbetonten Programmen zu überfrachten. Schulprogramme zur Berufsbildung sind nur selten pädagogisch wirksam, während die Theorie einen wichtigen Bestandteil der Lehre bildet. Der Qualität wird ein hoher Stellenwert beigemessen, unabhängig von dem erzieherischen Inhalt und dem Umfeld. Darüberhinaus sind allgemeine Elemente in der Entwicklung von Fähigkeiten für den Einzelnen als auch für ganze Gesellschaften in einer Welt, die sich im Wandel befindet, entscheidend.

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Résumé La réponse est oui. Une scolarité efficace est marquée par la transmission de compétences utiles et efficaces pour un apprentissage futur. Cet article examine les liens entre les niveaux de scolarité et au sein de ces niveaux, entre l'éducation dispensée par les écoles et un apprentissage ou d'autres types de formations axées sur le travail. Il montre que l'enseignement élémentaire est d'une importance trop grande pour la formation professionnelle pour risquer de surcharger le programme des enfants d'éléments professionels. Les programmes scolaires à vocation professionnelle sont rarement efficaces pédagogiquement, alors que la théorie constitue un élément capital dans un apprentissage. La qualité compte considérablement quels que soient les structures et les contenus éducatifs. En outre, les éléments généraux du développement technique sont cruciaux pour les individus et les sociétés d'un monde en mutation.

     

A sociocultural analysis of the development of pre-service and beginning teachers’ pedagogical identities as users of technology

This paper reports on a study that investigated the pedagogical practices and beliefs of pre-service and beginning teachers in integrating technology into the teaching of secondary school mathematics. A case study documents how one teachers modes of working with technology changed over time and across different school contexts, and identifies relationships between a range of personal and contextual factors that influenced the development of his identity as a teacher. This analysis views teachers learning as increasing participation in sociocultural practices, and uses Valsiners concepts of the Zone of Proximal Development, Zone of Free Movement, and Zone of Promoted Action to offer a dynamic way of theorising teacher learning as identity formation.     

The link between fiction and teenagers’ reading skills: International evidence from the OECD PISA study

It is well known that children who read more tend to achieve higher scores in academic reading tests. Much less is known, however, about the link between reading different types of text and young people's reading performance. We investigate this issue using the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 database, exploring the association between the frequency with which teenagers read five different types of text (magazines, non-fiction, fiction, newspapers and comics) and their PISA reading scores. Analysing data from more than 250,000 teenagers from across 35 industrialised countries, we find evidence of a sizeable ‘fiction effect’; young people who read this type of text frequently have significantly stronger reading skills than their peers who do not. In contrast, the same does not hold true for the four other text types. We therefore conclude that encouraging young people to read fiction may be particularly beneficial for their reading skills. Interventions encouraging fiction reading may be especially important for boys from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, who are less likely to read this text type.     

Professional responsibility,accountability and performativity among teachers: the leavening influence of CPD?

In a climate of accountability and performativity, do teachers experience CPD provision as an externally imposed demand for conformity, compliance, to be accountable, or as a personal and professional rejuvenation that enhances their sense of professional responsibility? Through a qualitative study of secondary schools in England, this paper critically scrutinises the experiences of teachers in five case study schools to create a composite picture of the realities of their lives as they are buffeted and shaped by performativity while also examining the extent to which their CPD experiences may be perceived as enhancing their sense of professional responsibility. Critical analysis of the evidence suggests that the language of accountability is pervasive, and its logic gains currency by being imposed throughout schools where there is limited space to craft an alternative, thus performativity and conformity are more likely than dissent while enhancement of a sense of professional responsibility is rendered more difficult, marginalised if not entirely silenced. The concluding discussion raises critical questions regarding the health of the profession from a policy and practice perspective if the language of professional responsibility continues to be weakened or diluted by being filtered through the closely woven weave of externally prescribed accountability criteria. It concludes that the language and logic of professional responsibility is vitally necessary in provoking alternative discourses on the future of the profession and the quality of teaching, learning and leading in schools within and beyond the confines of the study.     

Does adolescent's exposure to parental intimate partner conflict and violence predict psychological distress and substance use in young adulthood? A longitudinal study

Little is known about the extent to which parental conflict and violence differentially impact on offspring mental health and substance use. Using data from a longitudinal birth cohort study this paper examines: whether offspring exposure to parental intimate partner violence (involving physical violence which may include conflicts and/or disagreements) or parental intimate partner conflict (conflicting interactions and disagreements only) are associated with offspring depression, anxiety and substance use in early adulthood (at age 21); and whether these associations are independent of maternal background, depression and anxiety and substance use. Data (n = 2,126 women and children) were taken from a large-scale Australian birth-cohort study, the Mater University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP). IPC and IPV were measured at the 14-year follow-up. Offspring mental health outcomes – depression, anxiety and substance use were assessed at the 21-year follow-up using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Offspring of women experiencing IPV at the 14-year follow-up were more likely to manifest anxiety, nicotine, alcohol and cannabis disorders by the 21-year follow-up. These associations remained after adjustment for maternal anxiety, depression, and other potential confounders. Unlike males who experience anxiety disorders after exposure to IPV, females experience depressive and alcohol use disorders. IPV predicts offspring increased levels of substance abuse and dependence in young adulthood. Gender differences suggest differential impact.