Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of middle school students

This report shares a study that explored the perceptions pre-service teachers have of middle school students. Participants were asked to complete the Adjective Checklist (ACL) by endorsing the words they considered most characteristic of a typical middle school student. Items most frequently endorsed indicated a predominantly negative perception (e.g. “awkward”, “confused” and “emotional”). Implications for pre-service teacher training are discussed.     

Chinese TEFL teachers’ perceptions about research and influences on their research endeavours

English has always occupied a key position in China’s education. The quality of English education depends largely on the quality of the English teaching force. Improving the overall quality of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teachers entails advancing both their teaching and research competence. This study, with its focus on Chinese TEFL teachers working in a higher education institution, was set up in a context where Chinese higher education colleges are being transformed into universities and research is becoming a crucial aspect of all teachers’ work. This small-scale case study investigated a group of Chinese TEFL teachers’ perceptions about research and their individual and workplace characteristics that influenced their research endeavours. The findings revealed that Chinese TEFL teachers recognised the significance of research for teaching, professional growth and career advancement. However, lack of individual characteristics such as research and disciplinary knowledge, confidence in research and intrinsic motivation impeded their research efforts. Their institution and departments seemed to encourage research; yet, more specific financial and academic support to start and sustain their research endeavours is required. This study’s findings provide implications for both individual teachers and their institutions to engage TEFL teachers more actively in research.     

Chinese elementary school teachers’ perceptions of students’ classroom behaviour problems

This study examined teachers’ perceptions of classroom behaviour problems in five provinces of the People’s Republic of China. Researchers surveyed 527 Chinese teachers from 27 elementary schools. Consistent with previous studies in China, teachers perceived non‐attention to be the most frequent and troublesome behaviour problem. Teachers’ perceptions of which behaviour problems were most difficult to tolerate and most negative in their effects on student development were also investigated. Approximately 45% of the teachers reported spending too much time on behaviour problems. Significant differences were found in the prevalence of teachers’ perceptions of student misbehaviour and of the time spent on classroom management; there were also differences in these perceptions according to students’ gender, type of school, classroom subject taught, and teachers’ level of experience. The implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners are addressed.     

Teacher’s perceptions of their significance towards their students: the effects of cultural background, gender, and school role

The present study investigates in what ways teachers themselves see their significance vis-à-vis their students. Seven hundred fifty-seven teachers (64% females and 36% males) from 59 Israeli schools participated in the study. We found that in general, teachers view “significant teachers” as those that help and assist their students and those that serve as a personal example for them. Some effects of teacher’s cultural background, gender, and school roles on their perceptions are reported. Teacher burnout was negatively correlated with the positive characteristics attributed to significant teachers. Implications for teachers and for educational institutions are discussed.     

Relations between the everyday activities of preschoolers and their teachers’ perceptions of their competence in the first years of school

This paper contributes to a growing literature that suggests that in order to understand the transition to school, one should employ an ecological approach. Such an approach involves simultaneous consideration of individual and contextual factors, studied over time. Much of the current literature on the transition focuses on the transition from the perspective of school, but we were interested in relations between what occurs prior to school and performance in school. We used Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) ecological model to focus primarily on the relations between school-relevant activities of preschool-aged children and teachers’ subsequent perception of the children’s competence once they had entered school. At Time 1 we observed 20 3-year-olds’ engagement in everyday activities (Process) and their initiation of those activities (Person) over a 20-hour period covering the equivalent of an entire waking day. Children were drawn from two social classes (Context). The preschool observations were followed by 2 consecutive years of teacher reports of academic competence following entry into elementary school (Times 2 and 3). Middle-class preschoolers engaged in more school-relevant activities than did working-class children, and preschoolers who initiated and engaged in more conversations were subsequently perceived by their teachers as being more competent.     

Identifying exemplary science teachers through their students’ perceptions of the assessment process

This paper reports on part of a large‐scale study aimed at examining students’ perceptions of assessment. This paper will report on a study utilising mixed methodology in 150 Australian middle school classrooms. The purpose of the study described in this paper was to use the Students’ Perceptions of Assessment Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (SPAQ) to identify and describe exemplary science teachers. With a sample of over 3000 science students, the reliability of the SPAQ scales ranged from 0.62 to 0.82. The exemplary teachers were identified as those whose students’ perceptions were more than one standard deviation above the mean on three of the five scales of Congruence with planned learning, Transparency, Authenticity, Student consultation, and Diversity. The construct validity of the SPAQ to identify these exemplary teachers was confirmed through interviews with students and these views are reported in the article.     

Mixed emotions: teachers’ perceptions of their interactions with students

This paper describes the conceptual framework, methodology, and some results from a project on the Emotions of Teaching and Educational Change. It introduces the concepts of emotional intelligence, emotional labor, emotional understanding and emotional geographies. Drawing on interviews with 53 teachers in 15 schools, the paper then describes key differences in the emotional geographies of elementary and secondary teaching. Elementary teaching is characterized by physical and professional closeness which creates greater emotional intensity; but in ambivalent conditions of classroom power, where intensity is sometimes negative. Secondary teaching is characterized by greater professional and physical distance leading teachers to treat emotions as intrusions in the classroom. This distance, the paper argues, threatens the basic forms of emotional understanding on which high-quality teaching and learning depend.     

A change of perspective – Exploring Mexican primary and secondary school students’ perceptions of their teachers differentiated instructional practice

With the increasing student diversity, the establishment of inclusive classrooms has become a top concern of policy-makers worldwide urging teachers to differentiate their instruction according to students’ individual learning needs. As the implementation of differentiated instruction (DI) relies mainly on teachers, previous research has mostly focused on examining teachers’ perspectives on their use of differentiation. In contrast, far less attention has been paid to explore students’ perspectives about their experiences in inclusive classrooms. Therefore, this study aims at examining students’ experiences of their teachers’ actual DI practice. Moreover, this study sets the spotlight on Mexico, a country that has faced changes with a recent proposed educational model. Results from a mixed analysis of variance revealed that students do in fact perceive that their teachers implement DI practices. It appears that both primary and secondary school teachers implement more frequent variants of mastery learning as well as tutoring systems as a means to differentiate their instruction. Implications of the results, as well as further lines of research, are discussed.     

Reflecting on their mission increases preservice teachers’ growth mindsets

When teachers believe that students' abilities are fixed, their students' motivation, well-being, and performance tend to suffer. While many interventions have been developed to reduce these so-called fixed mindsets in students and increase the belief that abilities are malleable (i.e., a growth mindset), there are no cost-effective, scalable interventions targeting teachers' mindsets. To address this need, we developed a brief intervention consisting of a reflection task in which teachers thought and wrote about their mission as educators. Two experiments with preservice teachers (total N = 576) revealed that this brief intervention increased their growth mindsets (meta-analytic d = 0.25). This increase did not dissipate over the course of a week (meta-analytic d = 0.26), suggesting the intervention's effects are not ephemeral. Although more work is needed to establish the robustness and generalizability of this intervention's effects, it may ultimately become a useful tool for teacher education programs.     

Secondary school students’ perceptions of, and the factors influencing their decision-making in relation to, VET in schools

This paper addresses the issue of Vocational Education and Training in Schools — an issue that has recently attracted significant political attention particularly in light of current national skills shortage in Australia. Specifically, it investigates secondary school students’ perceptions of VET in Schools [VETiS]. It also explores the factors influencing their decision-making in relation to VETiS — that is, why one might choose, or choose not, to enrol in a VETiS course of study. In view of the findings presented, the paper argues that VET, and more particularly VETiS, is experiencing an “image problem” — one underscored by the need for curriculum design and delivery reform — and suggests that there is much work still to be done on the VET agenda.     

Identifying exemplary science teachers through students’ perceptions of their learning environment

The purpose of this study was to examine students’ psychosocial perceptions of their science classroom learning environment in order to identify exemplary teachers. This mixed-method study used the valid and reliable What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire with over 3,000 middle school students in 150 classrooms in Australia. Exemplary teachers were defined as those whose students’ perceptions were more than one standard deviation above the mean for three of the five scales of Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Involvement, Task Orientation and Equity. The reliability of the WIHIC scales ranged from 0.75 to 0.87. Eta² showed that the WIHIC was able to distinguish between the perceptions of the students in the classroom. The construct validity of the WIHIC for identifying these exemplary teachers was confirmed through interviews with students and these views are reported in the article.     

Teachers’ perceptions of their matched students

The purpose of the study was to investigate FD and FI teachers’ perceptions of their ‘matched’ students. The Group Embedded Figures Test was administered as a measure of cognitive style to four middle school teachers and 144 seventh and eighth grade students. The teachers rated their students on a five-point scale in relation to (1) the degree they liked the student, (2) the information they knew about the student, (3) the concern they had for the student, and (4) their rejection of the student. FI teachers were more positive of their matched students (FI) than were FD teachers.     

‘Taking your mob with you’: giving voice to the experiences of Indigenous Australian postgraduate students

Indigenous Australian postgraduate students experience different barriers from those encountered by non-Indigenous students. In the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study, Indigenous students are more likely to come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, have lower personal incomes and lack family and other networks supportive of engagement with tertiary, and especially postgraduate, study. While there is a growing literature on Indigenous participation in higher education, with the exception of a few notable examples, there is little known about the effectiveness of support mechanisms and issues for Indigenous students undertaking postgraduate study. Drawing on interviews with current and past Indigenous postgraduate students at The University of Queensland, this paper problematises the postgraduate experience for Indigenous Australian students, identifying common themes in their accounts. It also discusses one of the outcomes of the project along with planned future developments that aim to provide better support for Indigenous Australian postgraduate students at The University of Queensland. By knowing and acting upon the kinds of mechanisms that can assist Indigenous postgraduate students, the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous student participation in postgraduate study can begin to be addressed.     

The relationship between teachers’ empathy and perceptions of school culture

This research examined the relationship between teachers’ empathy and perceptions of their school’s culture. Teachers’ ability to change their school’s culture might be limited by their inability to interpret and respond appropriately to student behaviour. As teachers’ empathic abilities increase, it seems likely that they would be better able to understand and respond appropriately to their students. Teachers’ perspective‐taking was positively associated with their positive perceptions of student–peer relations, school norms and educational opportunities. Teachers’ personal distress was negatively related to student–peer relations. Empathy was unrelated to student–teacher relations. It is postulated that it takes more than just empathy to be able to negotiate the complex relationship between student and teacher. With teacher training programmes currently focusing on teacher dispositions, such programmes need to focus more on training future teachers to recognise and exercise their cognitive and emotional empathic capacities.     

Preschool teachers’ perceptions of school learning environment and job satisfaction

We report a survey of 100 preschool teachers from 15 preschools in Singapore using a modified instrument called the Pre-School Level Environment Questionnaire. The aims were to explore differences in actual and preferred perceptions of preschool teachers’ school-level environment and to investigate the relationship among preschool teachers’ profile, preschool learning environments and job satisfaction. Quantitative data using paired samples t tests indicated that there were significant differences in teachers’ actual and preferred perceptions of their preschool learning environments except for the scale of Work Pressure. Logistic regression revealed a positive influence of Resource Adequacy on preschool teachers’ job satisfaction.     

Middle school teachers’ differing perceptions and use of curriculum materials and the common core

Eight middle school mathematics teachers’ perceptions and uses of curriculum materials and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) were investigated. Adapting a noticing framework and models of dialogic instruction and direct instruction, teachers’ noticing practices with curriculum materials and the CCSSM when planning, enacting, and reflecting on lessons were examined. Teachers who were committed to implementing the CCSSM and who were using one of two substantively different curriculum programs were purposefully selected. Data sources included multiple forms of interviews and classroom observations. The teaching evidenced three distinct noticing patterns. These patterns indicated that teachers’ curriculum materials were associated with how teachers perceived and enacted the CCSSM. Teaching with a curriculum program that was designed as a thinking device prioritized the Standards for Mathematical Practice of CCSSM evidenced noticing that was consistent with dialogic instruction. Teaching with a curriculum program that was designed as a delivery mechanism prioritized the Content Standards of CCSSM and evidenced noticing consistent with direct instruction. Findings indicated that the designated curriculum and contributed to differing interpretations of CCSSM and served as a lens for noticing. However, a dialogic curriculum program was not sufficient to support dialogic approaches in practice. One pattern showed teachers planning dialogic lessons, but the lesson enactments were not consistent with teachers’ plans, with evidence that the teachers were not aware that their practices differed from dialogic approaches. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Special education trainee teachers’ perceptions of their professional world: motives,roles, and expectations from teacher training

To open a window into perceptions entailed in the professional world view of special education teacher trainees, three research questions were developed: (a) What are their motives for joining the profession? (b) How do they perceive the role of the special education teacher? and (c) What are their expectations from teacher training? The research was carried out using a qualitative approach. Ninety-three students about to begin their professional training in special education in an Israeli teacher-training college completed a questionnaire consisting of five open questions. The data were analyzed according to the grounded theory approach. The research findings showed that the trainees chose special education because they wanted to belong to a group of teachers perceived as the most ethical; one that considers its mission to help ‘vulnerable’ individuals, mold their characters, and ‘have an impact on society.’ The role of special education teachers was perceived mainly as caring for students and their parents; the trainees expected that during their training, they would become completely familiar with the range of disabilities and how to deal with them, as well as learn about themselves and strengthen their teaching skills. The world of special education was perceived as ‘mysterious,’ having a high moral standing; as a closed profession, in that relations are limited to teacher, child, and parents; but with a spiritual aspect. The professional world of special education as perceived by the teacher trainees was different than that actually waiting for them, and for which teacher training institutes must prepare them.     

Architecture students’ perceptions of their learning environment and their academic performance

Scholars have agreed that the way in which students perceive their learning environments influences their academic performance. Empirical studies that focus on architecture students, however, have been very scarce. This is the gap that an attempt is filled in this study. A questionnaire survey of 273 students in a school of architecture in Nigeria provided data for this pilot study. The perceptions of the students were best defined by the involvement of the students in their studies, the perceived support, and conduciveness of the learning environment. The students’ perceptions of their learning environment varied with their years of study, age and gender. Their perceptions of inflexibility of schedule, positive assessment, and fairness influenced the overall grades of students. The results suggests which aspects of learning environment that can be manipulated by architectural educators to improve the performance of their students. The study of the learning environment of architecture students still appears to be relatively unexplored. The value of this study therefore lies in its exploration of the perceptions of the learning environment from the point of view of students.     

College students’ perceptions of studying abroad and their readiness

This study aims to determine what college students believe is essential on studying abroad and investigates which programs they prefer for outbound study. The trend of globalization and expansion of higher education have resulted in changes for studying abroad programs in numerous Asian countries. In particular, the overprovided undergraduate and graduate education system in Taiwan raises questions on how college students perceive such outbound study. This paper collected survey data from 219 college students at 2 universities in Taiwan to analyze their opinions and levels of readiness on studying abroad programs. This study applied fuzzy methods to transform the data and interpret the results, and the findings showed that gender and college major influence student perceptions on the importance of studying abroad, as well as their readiness to study abroad. Typically, women exhibit more preparedness for studying abroad than their male counterparts. Following the expansion of higher education in Taiwan, more students are considering studying abroad programs for short-term stay in foreign countries. According to the patterns of perception, this study built fuzzy models to explain the consistency of importance and levels of readiness on studying abroad. The results reveal that fuzzy statistics can be used for proper interpretation of the factors influencing students to study abroad and their readiness.