The challenges of universal primary education in Uganda through distance education programmes

Abstract

This article reports on teacher education in Uganda, with specific reference to the role that distance education has played in upgrading the quality of education in general and in supplying more qualified teachers to meet a growing demand, specifically for teachers involved in primary education. The investigation paves the way for the establishment of the Open University of Uganda and illustrates how the Primary Education Policy of Uganda has increased access to 7 million primary school learners to schools in 2002. The article also explains how the qualifications of 10 000 in-service teachers have been upgraded between 1995 and 2000. The successes of two major in-service teacher education programmes are discussed. The article also explains how the Mubende Integrated Teacher Education Project (MITEP) not only contributed to the training of teachers, but also focused the attention of educators on the possibiliities of distance education for Uganda. Furthermore, it also argues that the Northern Integrated Teacher Education Project (NITEP) has on the other hand achieved successes in the field of inservice teacher education. The programmes assisted in the training of academic support staff who work in distance education. The article concludes by addressing the further needs of distance education in Uganda and highlights the challenges facing distance education programmes in Uganda.     

The pre-service training of students in the Bachelor’s in Primary Education on how to teach immigrant students and different educational intervention measures / La formación del alumnado del Grado de Educación Primaria para enseñar a alumnos inmigrantes y las medidas de intervención educativa

Abstract

This research emerged from the idea of studying the opinion of students in the Bachelor’s in Primary Education at the University of Granada on their training to teach immigrant students. We want to know if the students feel prepared to face this kind of teaching, if they feel they receive enough training for this challenge and if they know about the educational intervention measures that exist and should be applied when teaching immigrants. The results indicate that we should introduce changes in the teaching-learning process to improve the efficiency of pre-service teacher training, as the multilingual and multicultural nature of Spanish society today is constantly growing and increasingly requires teachers who are prepared to meet this demand. We also believe that in our job as educators we should aim for a kind of training that reflects the current job demands and adjusts to all of its specific characteristics.     

Writing Apprehension,Computer Anxiety and Telecomputing: a pilot study

ABSTRACT

The current state of the teaching of information technology competency within postgraduate teacher training is summarised from existing literature and weaknesses are identified. Development work in the Loughborough University Primary Postgraduate Certificate of Education course over three successive years is examined and discussed, focusing on the apparent gap between student achievement in the institution and application in classrooms while on school placements. It is argued from qualitative and quantitative evidence that a major factor is the failure of some school placement teachers to provide encouragement to their teaching practice students, and that this is a feature not of schools but of individuals. The conclusion attempts to analyse further that gap and suggests some ways forward.     

EATE and the Education of Primary School Teachers: problems and solutions seen from the perspective of a centre for primary teacher education

Abstract

The need for enterprise awareness is acknowledged: however, analysis of ‘enterprise’ reveals an ambiguity between enterprise as a personal quality, and enterprise as the activity of the entrepreneur. This creates conflict for those engaged in the education of primary school teachers. It is argued that both concepts of enterprise have something of value to offer Primary Education, and that both are concerned with the practical achievements of the educator. A model for implementation of the EATE initiative is proposed which resolves a conflict between the ideal and the instrumental in Primary Education. This provides a synthesis which allows for a productive partnership between EATE and institutions concerned with the education of primary school teachers.     

Initial teacher training: The professional route to technician status

Summary

Trends in the status of teacher education can be examined through proposals for alternative models of course structure and delivery and the implications of these for teacher trainers and teachers. This paper implies that there exists a political will to move responsibility for teacher training from Colleges of Education and Universities to ‘training’ schools. It indicates that, while the introduction of a market led education service suggests greater autonomy for teachers and schools, the reality is that through strengthening the role of bureaucracy in education, the Government retains strong central control over the whole service.     

The Place of Philosophy in the Training of Teachers: Peters revisited

Abstract

In 1964, Richard Peters examined the place of philosophy in the training of teachers. He considered three things: Why should philosophy of education be included in the training of teachers; What portion of philosophy of education should be included; How should philosophy be taught to those training to be teachers. This article explores the context of the time when Peters set out his views, describes philosophy of education at the London Institute of Education at one period in Peters’ time there, and then discusses the current state of philosophy of education, using New Zealand as an example of opportunities and challenges. Finally, asking whether Peters was nearly right about the place of philosophy in the training of teachers, it is concluded that he was right about its importance but got it wrong about his conception of philosophy.     

Becoming a teacher: the thoughts of undergraduates training to work in Primary Education and ideas for their university education

ABSTRACT

What makes a good teacher and what motivates a person to want to teach are timeless questions that concern us all. This study focuses on those who are currently training to become teachers, more specifically undergraduates studying a degree in Primary Education in the universities of Catalonia. It adopts a quantitative methodology based on a self-administered questionnaire conducted with a representative sample. Participants’ open-ended responses are recorded and codified. Three main categories are constructed: personal, authentic teacher; the teacher as story teller; and, the teacher as motivator of learning. Results highlight important differences between these categories, extolling above all the authentic, personal teacher, who leaves a mark thanks to their character and way of being. This, together with other findings, raises various considerations for the university training of future teachers.     

Adult Basic Education Teacher Competencies: Implications for Community Colleges

Abstract

This study examines previous studies concerned with Adult Basic Education (ABE) teacher competencies to corroborate their findings and to discuss the competencies in relation to their implications for ABE teacher training where the community college is the agency responsible for the administration of ABE programs.

Adult Basic Education teachers and administrators in five New England states were asked to rate 17 areas of teacher competency as derived from Mocker (1974). Five exploratory hypotheses of no difference between the two groups were postulated and analyzed using t tests. A sixth hypothesis of no difference in ranking of the competencies was also postulated and analyzed via the Spearman Rho.

No significant differences were revealed in analysis, thus supporting Mocker's findings. Implications of the findings for training community college teachers of ABE are then discussed in the context of relating training objectives to validated competencies.     

The impact of teachers’ individualized practices on gifted students in rural,heterogeneous classrooms

Several factors have increased teachers’ frustrations in the regular classroom as they try to meet the needs of students with varying levels of ability. Limited educational funding, the attitude that gifted students can do without special services, and a push for increased heterogeneous grouping have all contributed to the teacher's problem. The Mustard Seed Project was developed and supported by a grant from the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education program to train teachers to differentiate for student needs by curricular adaptations. The training for teachers modeled the process of individualization for each learner's level, pace and style. A follow‐up support system of human and material resources was implemented to sustain the teachers through the difficult transition required of change. The sites participating in this study were all rural, ethnically diverse, and economically disadvantaged. Profiles of six gifted fifth‐graders were developed using interviews and classroom observations. The research questions sought to determine the extent of the gifted child's intellectual challenge, exploration of in‐depth selected topics of interest, and social and emotional satisfaction in adapted classrooms.     

The state steers by remote control: Standardising teacher education

This article questions whether the teacher training standards, (Department for Education and Employment Circular 4/98) have made it more difficult for teacher educators to help student teachers to become critically reflective teachers. It is suggested that, following the introduction of the discourse of the three 'e's', efficiency, economy and effectiveness and the teacher training standards, teacher 'education' has been transformed into teacher 'training' within an ideology of technical rationality. Four classroom-based episodes are introduced to form the contexts through which the teacher education standards are interrogated. It is argued that these standards ignore important issues to do with equality in the classroom and the relationship between education and the state. Ideas are suggested for teaching sessions using the episodes to encourage the development of a critically reflective perspective amongst student teachers.     

Educating Teachers for the Information Era

Abstract

This paper seeks to summarize efforts made by the Faculty of Education of the University of Macau to inculcate computer literacy in teachers in Macau in preparation for the information era. Based on one programme of study proposed by the National Research Center for Computers in Education in Primary and Secondary Schools, the paper summarizes the course objectives, as well as the concepts and skills required to ensure sustainable development of information technology in China. To educate teachers throughinformation technology, it is envisaged that two kinds of activities are required: (1) construction of web‐based learning environments, (2) multimedia courseware authoring.     

Mentoring in Action on a Primary PGCE Course

Abstract

School‐based mentors are taking increased responsibility for the initial training of student teachers as a result of government policy to lengthen the proportion of time students spend in school during their training. The role of the mentor is critical in the development of a partnership model of initial teacher education (ITE), involving close collaboration between higher education institutions (HEIs) and schools. This article draws on our research into the practice of mentoring on the one‐year Primary Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the Chichester Institute. Through observations of mentoring sessions at school we analyse the process of mentoring in action. Drawing on mentor observations and interviews with mentors, students and college (link) tutors we examine the diverse nature of mentoring and identify some of the common qualities of good mentoring practice.     

Improving Mathematics Instruction and Learning in the Junior High School: An Israeli Example

Abstract

A 4‐year project is described which was designed to improve mathematics instruction and achievements in two Israeli junior high schools. Project activities focused on the individual teachers, the mathematics staff, and the organization of instruction at the school level, under the assumption that more efficient teaching would lead to greater pupil learning.

Evaluation data gathered from classroom observation, questionnaires and tests indicated a general positive impact: many teachers improved their teaching strategies, more curricular material was being covered in class, a school‐wide program for mathematics instruction was established, teamwork among teachers was formalized, and pupil achievements improved.     

Educators' perceptions of continuing professional development for teachers in South Africa: A qualitative study

Abstract

The effectiveness of educational reform initiatives depends on the quality of teachers. Professional development (PD) of teachers has therefore become a major focal point of school improvement initiatives. The National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development (2007) attempts to address the need for suitably qualified teachers in South Africa. The study discussed in this article was qualitative within purposefully selected schools. Its aim was to explain educators' perceptions of continuing professional development in the light of the national policy. The following major findings emerged from the data analysis: (1) overall view of PD in the education system, (2) experience of types of PD programmes, and (3) impact of PD programmes on schools.     

信息技术与课程整合的开拓者--英特尔~未来教育师资培训项目在北京

英特尔未来教育是英特尔ACE项目的更新课程,旨在培训教师如何实施研究型课程和问题导向式学习以提供教师的信息素养和信息化教学设计的实践能力。从2000年项目进入中国以来,不断注重本土化,通过“培训培训者”、“教师教教师”等模式,完成10个模块的培训,给当代中国教师培训带来了多方面的启示。     

Creative Approaches to Raising Achievement of Adult Learners in English Further Education

abstract

The IMPEL2 Project is a JISC‐funded eLib Project based at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle. It has been engaged in a 2‐year (1996‐98) investigation of organisational and cultural change in the increasingly electronic environment in UK Higher Education HE. The selection of Case Study sites was purposive; some had participated in the previous IMPEL1 study. A qualitative methodology, using analysis of documentation, semi‐structured interviews and questionnaires, has been used to examine complex and sometimes sensitive issues.

Through Case Studies at 24 Universities and HE Colleges and over 300 interviews, with a range of academic staff, library and information services staff and computer services staff, the Project team has gained insights into the impacts of electronic information provision on academic and student users, the impacts of resource based learning and training, and considered the implications for the training and development of library staff.

This article gives some of the findings of the IMPEL2 Project on supporting students in resource based learning. It considers why it is beneficial to support students and highlights the recent changes in HE which make academic support of students vital to their success.

The article outlines the evidence of the IMPEL2 Project which suggests that certain kinds of support are needed including the provision of appropriate resources, access to these resources, the teaching of skills to students and the provision of on‐going advice, guidance and support. Finally the implications for academic staff are considered.     

It Says in The JER

Abstract

This study identified the outstanding teachers in 10 randomly chosen elementary schools. Very high concordance was found among the ten methods of identification, some of which were objective while others depended upon subjective opinions of respondents.

Three methods chosen to represent salary determinants (training and experience), formal evaluation (principal judgments), and informal nonadministrative evaluation (selections by peer teachers, non-teaching staff members and school-associated parents), proved to have moderate statistical correlation.

Apparent general inadequacies in the formal evaluation process should be critically analyzed, especially if merit pay programs based on the evaluation process are being considered.     

Book Reviews

Abstract

This paper examines the current status of inservice education for teachers in Nigeria with particular reference to Cross River and Akwa Ibom States. It identifies three main approaches to teacher inservice education in the two states of Nigeria, viz. the central office approach, the long vacation (sandwich) programme and Associateship Certificate in Education‐‐part‐time evening programme distance learning approach. Inservice teacher education is seen as an effective means of augmenting the inadequacies of pre‐service training. It is a process for continuous updating of teachers’ knowledge, skills and interests in their chosen field. The paper discusses the factors which should be considered when planning and implementing inservice education programme. Some suggestions on how to plan and implement inservice teacher education programmes in Nigeria are given.     

Classroom Transactions of Student‐Teachers of Science

Summaries

English

The report describes a study of the teaching behaviour of student‐teachers of science disciplines during the one‐term teaching practice of the English ‘Post‐Graduate Certificate in Education’ course, using the Science Teaching Observation Schedule by Eggleston et al.

The results suggest that in several behavioural dimensions, students and teachers achieve a close match. These dimensions, it is suggested, could represent the ‘stable’ elements in the students’ perception of science teacher behaviour learnt during their time as pupils, or they might represent ‘safe’ transactions which do not involve students extensively in problems of classroom management and control.

For other behaviour categories, it was found that students tended to behave less like experienced teachers as the training practice proceeded, but this was to some extent determined by the subject taught. Physics student‐teachers substantially maintained their similarity to experienced teachers, whilst chemistry and biology students drifted away. The nature of these drifts is discussed.