Reconceptualizing Elementary Teacher Preparation: A case for informal science education

The purpose of this case study was to explore the ways in which 3 different informal science experiences in the context of an elementary methods course influenced a group of prospective elementary teachers' ideas about science teaching and learning as well as their understandings about the role of informal science environments to teaching and learning. In order to address this question, data were collected in a period of an academic semester through the following sources: journal entries for each of the 3 experiences, a personal teaching philosophy statement and a 2-hour long semi-structured interview with each of the 12 participants. Open coding techniques were used to analyze the data in order to construct categories and subcategories and eventually to identify emerging themes. The outcomes of the analysis showed that the inclusion of informal science experiences in the context of teacher preparation has the potential to support beginning elementary teachers' development of contemporary ideas about science teaching and learning related to inquiry-based science, the nature of scientific work and the work of scientists, connecting science with everyday life, and making science fun and personally meaningful. These findings are discussed alongside implications for policy, teacher preparation, and research under these themes: (a) addressing reform recommendations; (b) developing positive orientations toward science and science teaching; and (c) constructing understandings about scientists' work.     

泛在学习环境下教师培训机制研究

信息技术正在改变教师培训的方式,泛在学习融入到教师培训中成为教育发展的必然结果。泛在学习环境下的教师培训为一线教师基于个人经验的情境感知学习,同时促进一线教师建构TPACK并改变教师培训的目标,体现教师培训交互的本质。泛在学习环境下的教师培训机制包括了泛在学习资源设计和开发机制、泛在教师培训实施机制、评估教师培训效果机制、管理机制四个维度。未来的教师培训机构不仅要思考如何把握教师培训的自身规律,还要思考如何使最先进的泛在技术与教师培训实现双向融合。     

Electronic Portfolios in Teacher Education: A Case Study of Early Childhood Teacher Candidates

The use of electronic portfolios is increasingly becoming popular in teacher education programs. The electronic portfolio allows learners to express their work and take ownership over their own ability to plan and assess and reflect upon their learning during a specific period of time. While many teacher education programs have adopted electronic portfolios in order to meet accreditation requirements, others use electronic portfolios to develop and improve on students’ technology skills—train students on how to better use technology in instruction and student assessment. Irrespective of the reasons for adoption, there is the need to assess students’ perceptions of electronic portfolios, and especially to explore the benefits and challenges students face in using electronic portfolios in their course work. Using a qualitative research design, the current study explored teacher candidates’ attitudes toward electronic portfolios and the differences that electronic portfolios bring to their profession. Such a study is necessary to help administrators identify students’ needs to ensure that they are gaining the maximum benefits from the use of electronic portfolios in their programs of study.     

Life in the Village: Teacher Community and Autonomy in an Early Childhood Education Center

This article presents findings from a qualitative case study of a public early childhood education center whose motto, the familiar African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child,” reflects the emphasis given to teacher community in the official school discourse. The meanings teachers gave to professional community were investigated. Interviews and observations were conducted at the school over a period of 12 months. Data analysis revealed an inherent tension between community ethos and personal autonomy. These findings suggest that professional teaching community is complex and contradictory, and that explicitly addressing the tension between community and autonomy would enhance teacher education and professional development.     

加强师范教育师范性的对策

当前师范教育改革的关键在于突出“师范性”。为了使师范教育能真正发挥科学的指导基础教育的作用,必须面向培养对象,面向基础教育,而向未来发展,加强对师范生师范技能和师范素质的系统训练和培养。     

信息技术支持的教师专业发展:从应然走向实然

全面认识信息技术在教师专业发展中的作用,对于广大教师学习并且利用信息技术促进自身专业发展具有重要意义。作者基于多年来的研究与实践,论述了信息技术在促进教师专业素养提升、加快教师专业发展进程、推动教师专业发展方式变革、提高教师绩效、引发教育变革和促进教育观念转变等五个方面的作用,并且指出,在教育信息化纵向推进的今天,研究者必须尽快完成四个转变——从应然走向实然,从描述性研究走向关系研究和过程与机制研究,从实证研究走向质性研究,从验证性研究走向设计研究。     

教师培养制度的变革:从师范教育到教师教育

我国高等师范教育正处于从数量满足型向质量提高型转变的重要变革时期,灵活开放的教师教育培养体系适应了知识经济社会对高素质教师的需求,师范教育向教师教育的转型是历史的必然。建立“开放型”、“综合类”、“高层次”、“专业化”的教师教育体制对提高基础教育质量具有十分重要的作用。     

Transition to Science Teacher Educator: Tensions Experienced while Learning to Teach Lesson Sequencing

This self-study investigated the tensions that I (Heidi) encountered when teaching elementary preservice teachers how to develop a coherent sequence of five science lessons. Four lesson planning components guided me in developing a series of lessons to support the preservice teachers with this exercise. Employing self-study methodology, data sources included preservice teachers' artifacts, an audio-recording of the preservice teachers discussing the planning of their lesson sequence, and two reflection journals, one kept personally and one kept collaboratively with my co-author and critical friend (Meredith). Findings indicate that a tension of telling and growth developed gradually during the three weeks of teaching. The collaborative journal revealed that this tension was promoted by two other tensions: confidence and uncertainty, and planning and being responsive. Implications regarding the need for explicit teacher educator coursework and reflective practice opportunities are discussed as potential avenues for Ph.D. programs to consider to lessen the tensions that doctoral students may experience during their transition into the role of teacher educator.     

Integrating Curriculum,Instruction, and Assessment in Project-Based Instruction: A Case Study of an Experienced Teacher

This case study of a teacher who engaged his students in inquiry within a technologically rich classroom was conducted over 5 weeks, including 15 regularly scheduled classes. Data include extensive teacher interviews, e-mail, and artifacts such as class notes, curriculum guides, and handouts. A retrospective analysis methodology was utilized to address what Barron et al. (1998), called the major hurdles in implementing project-based curricula: the simultaneous changes in curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices. In addition, a framework developed by the National Research Councils How People Learn was employed to provide detail on the nature of knowledge, learner, assessment, and community centeredness of the project-based unit. Finally, the classroom environment created during a unit of astronomy was analyzed and five principles emerged: the sense of a project, the development of independent individuals, creation of a global community of learners, a cyclic nature of instruction emphasizing conceptual and procedural understanding, and the utilization of distributedexpertise.     

信息化环境下高校教师教育技术能力培养

当前高校教师的教育技术能力相对不足,不但影响了教师专业化的发展,同时也影响了教育现代化的进程。如何快速提升高校教师的教育技术能力,是目前急待解决的问题。文章阐述了高校教师教育技术能力培养的内涵、方法与措施,结合暨南大学教师教育技术培训实践,从培训目标和内容的重新设置、培训的模式与评价方式的改革、培训的组织等方面进行探讨,并提出建设性的意见和建议。     

Solving Physics Problems: The Conceptions and Practice of an Experienced Teacher and an Inexperienced Teacher

The results are described of two case studies on the conceptions and classroom practice of two Portuguese physics and chemistry teachers on the role of problem solving in the teaching/learning of science. One of these teachers was a novice and the other had about 20 years of teaching experience. The data were obtained from a questionnaire, a semi-structured interview, classroom observation, personal documents, and stimulated recall. The analysis was carried out with instruments organised into categories and specific indicators. The results showed there to be major differences between the intention behind the new curricula, the teachers' conceptions, and their practice. Some suggestions are put forward on the basis of these results for the initial and ongoing education of secondary education teachers of physics and chemistry in Portugal.     

成人学习理论下教师教育与教师专业发展再思考

研究目的在于应用成人学习理论指导教师教育的实践,促进教师专业发展。首先,通过诺尔斯的成人教育学理论分析了成人学习理论对教师教育的适用性,探究各个成人学习论对教师教育的指导作用和对教师发展的促进作用,构建了较为完整的指导框架。然后,分别阐述了自我导向学习理论指导下教师教育生成内生动力,促进教师知识发展;转化学习理论对于教师教育提供新途径,促进教师伦理发展;熟练理论指导教师教育产生外部动力,帮助提升教师专业能力;情境学习理论指导下创设多元的教师教育环境,丰富教师实践经验。最后,成人学习理论于教师教育领域具有很强的适用性,应充分尊重教师成人身份和主体地位。     

基于师资指数（TRI）的我国中小学师资现状分析

通过分析全国教育大数据,综合考虑了2013年到2018年间全国各省市从小学到高中各学段的教师数量与学历水平,并将各省市与全国平均水平进行对比,提出了师资指数(TRI),并在此基础上构建了基于各学段的各省市师资综合指数(TRCI)。基于这两项统计指标,研究发现我国东西部师资的人员配置差异较大,两极分化现象短期内仍处于固化状态;北京、上海、江苏和天津地区对高中阶段师资力量的重视高于其余省市,吉林和黑龙江两省在小学阶段师资力量较强,而广西、河南、江西、贵州和四川等地区的师资水平在各学段都处于全国落后水平。     

美国职前教师表现性评价探析：概况、挑战及启示

为了更好地评估职前教师实际教学表现和提高教师教育机构培养质量,美国政府与斯坦福大学联合开发了一套职前教师表现性评价标准体系（edTPA）,在评价目的、评价主体、评价框架上具有明确的要求和规定,突破了传统以量化方式评估职前教师教学质量的方式,但在推广实施过程中也面临着一些挑战,对我国职前教师培养和评估改进具有重要的启示作用。     

教师教育如何在师范院校的变动中加强

开放的教师教育体系,教师教育工作者从理论研究到开发研究上卓有成效的工作,以及完善的教师教育法律保障,是加强教师教育并不断提高其质量的缺一不可的三方面条件.     

Science Professional Learning Communities: Beyond a singular view of teacher professional development

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are frequently being used as a vehicle to transform science education. This study explored elementary teachers' perceptions about the impact of participating in a science PLC on their own professional development. With the use of The Science Professional Learning Communities Survey and a semi-structured interview protocol, elementary teachers' perceptions of the goals of science PLCs, the constraints and benefits of participation in PLCs, and reported differences in the impact of PLC participation on novice and experienced teachers were examined. Sixty-five elementary teachers who participated in a science PLC were surveyed about their experiences, and a subsample of 16 teachers was interviewed. Results showed that most of the teachers reported their science PLC emphasized sharing ideas with other teachers as well as working to improve students' science standardized test scores. Teachers noted that the PLCs had impacted their science assessment practices as well as their lesson planning. However, a majority of the participants reported a differential impact of PLCs depending on a teacher's level of experience. PLCs were reported as being more beneficial to new teachers than experienced teachers. The interview results demonstrated that there were often competing goals and in some cases a loss of autonomy in planning science lessons. A significant concern was the impact of problematic interpersonal relationships and communication styles on the group functioning. The role of the PLC in addressing issues related to obtaining science resources and enhancing science content knowledge for elementary science teachers is discussed.     

Framing the roles and responsibilities of Excellent Teachers: Evidence from Malaysia

This paper is based on a study of the roles and responsibilities of Excellent Teachers, as described by the teachers themselves and their role sets (Merton, 1957). The data collected via semi-structured interviews with the teachers were triangulated with documents which show official expectations of Excellent Teachers. Data were also compared with interviews carried out with other teachers, school administrators and the inspectors, to provide a 360-degree view on the roles and responsibilities of Excellent Teachers. Five themes emerged from the data analysis, respectively focusing on their roles as teacher, content expert, facilitator, mentor, and innovator.     

探寻我国职前教师教育技术能力培养的道路

改革开放以来,我国的教育信息化建设取得了巨大的成就。为了适应时代发展的需求,教师教育技术能力的培养正如火如荼的进行。但是,我国的教师教育技术能力的培养重视在职教师,却忽视了即将走上讲台的教师——职前教师。本文通过探讨分析当前我国职前教师教育技术能力培养中的问题,提出试行的解决方案,期望对我国这一方面的研究献出微薄之力。     

Impact of professional development on teacher practice: Uncovering connections

An Inquiry Learning Partnership (ILP) for professional development (PD) was formed between a university, science centre, and two urban school districts to offer 4–6th grade teachers specific science content and pedagogical techniques intended to integrate inquiry-based instruction in elementary classrooms. From pre/post content exams, PD surveys, focus group, and assessment data, teachers increased their science content knowledge, reported implementing inquiry practices in their classrooms and their students experienced modest gains on 5th grade standardized science achievement exams. While some teachers were transferring knowledge/skills gained in professional development to their classrooms, others encountered barriers to implementing PD. These obstacles included limited resources, time constraints, mandated curriculum pacing, language learning, and classroom management issues. Strategies to mitigate these barriers in order to maximize the impact of professional development need to be a priority in professional development reform.     

将家教实践纳入高师教师教育实践教学体系的思考

目前,大部分高师院校教师教育质量不高,存在诸多问题,亟待转型与变革。而近些年的家教市场十分火爆,并不断走向成熟。充分利用家教实践这一平台,将有助于解决高师实习基地缺乏、实习效果不佳的困境。将家教实践纳入高师教师教育实践教学体系,积极引领家教与教师教育实践教学的全面融合是当前教师教育改革的应有之意,努力践行这一新举措对完善实践教学体系、提升教师教育质量具有重要意义。