Cross-cultural experience in preservice teacher education

The study investigated the effect of international student teaching experience on the professional and personal development of preservice teachers. Within the framework of their internship program, 26 graduate students in a private university in Turkey had a two-month internship in a mid western state in the United States, the main component of which was a six-week student teaching experience in high schools. Student teachers worked with mentors in pairs or triads in six high schools in different subject areas. They got involved in teaching practices, technology seminars, and diverse cultural activities during their internship. The student teachers and mentor teachers were surveyed through e-mail and three student teachers were interviewed to evaluate the outcomes of the program. The findings of the current research suggest that the international student teaching experience and the overall internship program with its cultural components contributed in a positive way to student teachers’ professional and personal development and helped student teachers increase their cultural awareness. The findings also suggest that the presence of international students in US schools and society in general helped American students and people have a better idea of other countries and cultures.     

Cultivating epistemic empathy in preservice teacher education

This study investigates the emergence and cultivation of teachers' “epistemic empathy” in response to analyzing videos of student inquiry. We define epistemic empathy as the act of understanding and appreciating someone's cognitive and emotional experience within an epistemic activity—i.e., activity aimed at the construction, communication, and critique of knowledge. Our goals are (1) to conceptually develop the construct and contrast it to more general notions of caring and (2) to empirically examine epistemic empathy in the context of preservice teacher education. We discuss tensions in teachers' expressions of epistemic empathy, and we end with implications for research and practice.     

Exploring emotional climate in preservice science teacher education

Classroom emotional climates (ECs) are interrelated with students’ engagement with university courses. Despite growing interest in emotions and EC research, little is known about the ways in which social interactions and different subject matter mediate ECs in preservice science teacher education classes. In this study we investigated the EC and associated classroom interactions in a preservice science teacher education class. We were interested in the ways in which salient classroom interactions were related to the EC during lessons centered on debates about science-based issues (e.g., nuclear energy alternatives). Participants used audience response technology to indicate their perceptions of the EC. Analysis of conversation for salient video clips and analysis of non-verbal conduct (acoustic parameters, body movements, and facial expressions) supplemented EC data. One key contribution that this study makes to preservice science teacher education is to identify the micro-processes of successful and unsuccessful class interactions that were associated with positive and neutral EC. The structure of these interactions can inform the practice of other science educators who wish to produce positive ECs in their classes. The study also extends and explicates the construct of intensity of EC.     

Ten suggestions for including gifted education in preservice teacher education

Abstract

New teachers have usually had little or no preparation for teaching the gifted students they will all encounter. Undergraduate education programs are crowded, and courses in special education do not usually focus on students who are academically advanced. The authors present ten suggestions for weaving information on gifted students into a variety of experiences, including other education courses, separate workshops or short courses, and opportunities outside the classroom. These suggestions can help prepare teachers for a type of diversity that is often overlooked.     

Fostering multiliteracies pedagogy through preservice teacher education

Teacher education for literacy teaching is often fairly narrow in focus. New approaches are needed that are sociocultural in orientation and take due account of the diversity of language forms, both traditional and contemporary, formal and informal, literary and non‐literary. We believe this need can be met by largely adopting a ‘multiliteracies’ approach as articulated by the New London Group. This research examined the ideas and practices of 10 literacy faculty in a large school of education and 22 first year literacy teachers from the same institution. It found that despite some important advances in a multiliteracies direction, many shortcomings remained. Part of the difficulty was lack of clarity about the nature and purpose of multiliteracies pedagogy. This paper has two main purposes: first, to attempt to clarify the nature and importance of a multiliteracies approach; and second, to report on the successes achieved and challenges encountered in moving in this direction in one school of education.     

Deductive and inductive modes of preservice physics teacher education

The idea that chemical knowledge can be represented in three main ways: macro, submicro, and symbolic (chemistry triplet) has become paradigmatic in chemistry and science education. It has served both as the base of theoretical frameworks that guide research in chemical education and as a central idea in various curriculum projects. However, this triplet relationship has been the subject of different adaptations and reinterpretations that sometimes lead to confusion and misunderstanding, which complicates the analysis of the triplet’s nature and scope. Thus, the central goal of this paper is to describe some of the existing views of the triplet relationship in chemistry and science education and critically analyse their underlying assumptions. We also propose a general structure of our chemistry knowledge intended to better situate the chemistry triplet in relationship with the different types, scales, dimensions, and approaches that seem to characterise such knowledge. Our proposed model may be useful in the analysis, evaluation, and reflection of educational research results and teaching practices centred on the triplet relationship.     

From cohort to community in a preservice teacher education program

It is often suggested that student teachers be placed in cohorts during their preservice program. In this paper we describe how we implemented a cohort model and examine the effects on our student teachers. We found there were many positive effects, such as a high level of participation in whole class and small group activities, greater awareness of the value of collaboration, and greater willingness to take risks in collegial relationships and in the practicum. However, the approach proved to be quite demanding for the faculty; strong institutional support will be needed if the model is to be widely implemented.     

Millennial generation preservice teachers inspiring the design of teacher education

The article presents an interpretive phenomenological approach (IPA) to preservice teachers’ experiences of their current secondary teacher education programme (STEP) in Finland. The focus of the study is the millennial generation cohort in which new teachers comprise a key group to be studied because they will contribute to the future of education. Thirteen preservice teachers participated in the study. Their experiences are interpreted through the lenses of generation theory and contemporary teacher education research. The findings include three phenomenological themes that are core elements of STEP: time balance, reciprocal participation and meaningfulness. These themes are discussed and suggestions made for ways to transform teacher education to make it more relevant.     

Coteaching as a model for preservice secondary science teacher education

This paper focuses on a 3-year, longitudinal study of the implementation of coteaching, as an innovative approach for preparing high school science teachers enrolled in an undergraduate science teacher education programme located in the United States. The coteaching|co-generative dialogue|co-respect|co-responsibility dialectic is introduced as a way to conceptualise coteaching practice and support successful implementation. We also discuss means to introduce coteaching into the preservice programs and report on findings from an evaluative study of the implementation process. Coteaching has the potential to re-conceptualise teacher preparation and professional development models for science teachers.     

Traditions of practice in U.S. preservice teacher education programs

This paper extends work reported previously Liston and Zeichner's (1991) Teacher Education and the Social Conditions of Schooling by discussing how a conceptual framework describing four traditions of practice in U.S. teacher education can be used to understand the approaches to teacher education in individual teacher education programs. It is argued that all preservice teacher education programs in the U.S. represent particular patterns of resonance with all four of the traditions of practice and that no teacher education program can be understood in relation to only one tradition. The conceptions of teaching expertise embedded in the elementary teacher education program at the University of Wisconsin - Madison are discussed to illustrate how the traditions of practice can illuminate the commitments of teacher educators within particular institutions.     

An analysis of scientific understandings of preservice elementary teacher education students

This article reports an investigation of the intuitive scientific ideas and understandings of 321 preservice elementary teacher education students enrolled in the 2nd year of a 3-year program. The sample completed a physical science concept challenge instrument by responding, in writing, to open-ended questions about the concepts of floating/sinking, the nature of matter, air pressure and its effects, and the balance beam. Subjects' responses and explanations were analyzed, and response categories established. The results reveal that the majority of subjects, with the exception of a high proportion of those who had a successful senior high school background in physics and chemistry, have misunderstandings in these basic concept areas. It is argued that teachers should have a sound conceptual knowledge base in order to implement effective problem-solving strategies in the elementary science classroom. The importance of teaching science in elementary schools is widely acknowledged, therefore, teacher educators must identify and implement more effective strategies for science instruction in preservice teacher education courses that will enable all students to construct scientifically accurate concept knowledge.     

Investigating the impact of teacher education strategies on preservice teachers' TPACK

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice teachers' perceptions of the support their teacher education programs provide for developing their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The research was conducted with 215 preservice teachers in the last year of teacher education programs and teaching certificate programs in three universities in Turkey. Data sources were the synthesis of qualitative evidence (SQD) scale that was validated in the Turkish context as part of this study and the TPACK-practical scale. The strategies investigated in the SQD-model included: using teacher educators as role models; reflecting on the role of technology in education; learning how to use technology by design; collaboration with peers; scaffolding authentic technology experiences; and providing continuous feedback. The linear regression analysis revealed a positive relation between teacher education strategies and preservice teachers' TPACK. Reflection and teacher educators' as role models were the most frequently used teacher education strategies in teacher education programs included in this study. Results provided recommendations for further research on the connection between the teacher education strategies and the development of preservice teachers' TPACK in teacher education programs.     

Case records as personal teaching texts for study in preservice teacher education

Drawing on insights from the use of journals and portfolios in teacher education and cases in nursing, the author describes an approach using case records as Personal Teaching Texts to facilitate beginning teacher development. Data are drawn from a study of 20 secondary teacher education students enrolled in a year-long certification program. Results indicate that the students valued the approach and that for the majority it enabled development, particularly of reflectivity, and was a means for providing program coherence. Suggestions are made for designing useful texts, weaknesses in the approach are identified, and suggestions made for improvement.     

Classroom-based assessment: Changing knowledge and practice through preservice teacher education

In this paper, the author investigates how the working assessment theories and practices of preservice teachers change in the enactment of those theories and practices in a mentored learning environment. Following 38 secondary English teacher candidates across time, the author tracks preservice teacher growth in knowledge about classroom-based assessment and assessment-driven planning. Teacher candidates reported they were strongly influenced by professional dialogue about planning and assessment in both campus classes and mentored field experiences. Although most teacher candidates grew to accept alternative assessments as valuable evidence sources indicating student learning, they recorded concerns that fell into five overlapping categories: designing goals; rubrics, grading and fairness; grading and motivation; validity of assessments; and time required to plan this way.     

美国教师教育课程变迁与教师专业化

19世纪的教师培训主要限于任教学科的内容 ;2 0世纪早期 ,教师教育课程结构基本形成 ,但强调教育学科是这一时期的特点 ;五六十年代 ,强调学术学科 ,削减教育学科又带来了新问题 ,如何保持两类课程的平衡仍然是课程改革的重点 ;80年代后 ,两类课程内容上的融合改变了过去的对立 ,教师教育课程结构表现出新的特征。     

An examination of knowledge prioritisation in secondary physical education teacher education courses

A number of terms have been used to describe knowledge needed for teaching, one of which is subject knowledge. How knowledge for teaching is conceptualised in teacher education prioritises some knowledge bases over other knowledge bases. Further, knowledge prioritised by student teachers is influenced by socialisation prior to and during an initial teacher education course and priorities for student teachers as they develop as teachers. Previous research in physical education teacher education points to the pre-eminence of content knowledge above other knowledge bases. The purpose of this study was to look at what knowledge is prioritised by student teachers, school-based mentors and university tutors working on three secondary physical education initial teacher education courses in England. Results showed that content knowledge was seen as having greater importance for student teachers and mentors, but university tutors generally conceptualised subject knowledge more broadly, suggesting that it should be seen as covering a number of knowledge bases needed for teaching. These results are discussed in relation to socialisation processes in education and phases of development. Although there is a clear physical education focus to this work, it is possible that student teachers learning to teach other subjects may also focus excessively on subject content knowledge above other knowledge bases.     

Integrating mindfulness and connection practices into preservice teacher education improves classroom practices

Teachers vary in their ability to enact effective teaching practices. We randomly assigned 88 early education preservice teachers to standard teacher education or teacher education plus a 9-week mindfulness-based intervention. Using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) as our primary outcome, we assessed effective teaching practices at baseline and at a 6-month follow-up that occurred during full-time student teaching. Mindfulness, negative affect, and well-being were assessed at baseline, post-test, and follow-up. At follow-up, we observed significant GROUP × time interactions on all major CLASS domains: Instructional supports, Emotional supports, and Classroom organization favoring the intervention group (Cohen's d's 0.53–0.65). Daily mindfulness practice was significantly associated with intervention group improvements on Instructional supports (r = .39) and Classroom organization (r = .38). No group differences were observed on negative affect or well-being. Implications for teacher education are discussed.