中小学教师信息技术应用能力现状研究——基于X市中小学的调查分析

中国学生发展核心素养要求重视培养学生的数字化学习能力,因此,教师必需具备一定的信息技术能力.对山西中部X市467名中小学教师信息技术能力现状进行调查发现,教师信息技术应用形式主要是:课前教学准备和辅助课堂教学活动.绝大多数教师对于常用计算机技能已基本掌握,网页制作等技能有待培训加强.教师的信息技术应用能力与教龄、学历、学段有一定关系.从低教龄组到高教龄组,教师信息技术应用能力大致呈现出"强-弱"的表现;不同学历组教师的信息技术能力存在显著差异,研究生学历的教师信息技术能力明显比其他学历的教师强;不同学段组教师的信息技术能力存在显著差异,小学、初中教师信息技术能力明显强于高中教师.     

Influential Factors for Teachers' Creativity: Mutual Impacts of Leadership,Work Engagement,and Knowledge Creation Practices

This research examined the structural relationships among transformational leadership, work engagement, knowledge creation practices, and the level of creativity among the teachers in career and technical education (CTE), and investigated the mediating role of work engagement and knowledge creation practices in explaining the association between transformational leadership and the level of teachers' creativity. A total of 304 responses from CTE school teachers were analyzed. The structural equation modeling (SEM) method was employed. Transformational leadership was found to have positive impacts on work engagement and knowledge creation practices of teachers, but no direct relationship was found between transformational leadership and the level of teachers' creativity. Teachers' work engagement and knowledge creation practices were respectively associated with their perceived creativity levels. Therefore, work engagement and knowledge creation practices of teachers may be considered as mediating factors in the relationship between transformational leadership and teacher's creativity. To promote teachers' creativity, transformational leadership should be complemented by a school climate where teachers' work engagement and knowledge creation are encouraged.     

Spatial thinking in science,technology, engineering,and mathematics: Elementary teachers' beliefs,perceptions, and self-efficacy

Fostering students' spatial thinking skills holds great promise for improving Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Recent efforts have focused on the development of classroom interventions to build students' spatial skills, yet these interventions will be implemented by teachers, and their beliefs and perceptions about spatial thinking influence the effectiveness of such interventions. However, our understanding of elementary school teachers' beliefs and perceptions around spatial thinking and STEM is in its infancy. Thus, we created novel measures to survey elementary teachers' anxiety in solving spatial problems, beliefs in the importance of spatial thinking skills for students' academic success, and self-efficacy in cultivating students' spatial skills during science instruction. All measures exhibited high internal consistency and showed that elementary teachers experience low anxiety when solving spatial problems and feel strongly that their skills can improve with practice. Teachers were able to identify educational problems that rely on spatial problem-solving and believed that spatial skills are more important for older compared to younger students. Despite reporting high efficacy in their general teaching and science teaching, teachers reported significantly lower efficacy in their capacities to cultivate students' spatial skills during science instruction. Results were fairly consistent across teacher characteristics (e.g., years of experience and teaching role as generalist or specialist) with the exception that only years of teaching science was related to teachers' efficacy in cultivating students' spatial thinking skills during science instruction. Results are discussed within the broader context of teacher beliefs, self-efficacy, and implications for professional development research.     

Uncovering contents of mentor teachers' interactive cognitions during mentoring dialogues

In the context of developing mentor teachers' use of supervisory skills, two consecutive studies were conducted, using stimulated recall. Firstly, with eight participants, an instrument was developed to categorize contents of interactive cognitions. Secondly, with 30 participants, the instrument was applied to uncover contents of mentor teachers' interactive cognitions, before and after training in supervisory skills. After training, mentor teachers demonstrate an increased awareness of their use of supervisory skills. This indicates that mentor teachers not only seem to emphasize pupil learning and needs when conducting a mentoring dialogue, but simultaneously focus on their own supervisory behaviour.     

Examining the Relations Between Spatial Skills,Spatial Anxiety,and K‐12 Teacher Practice

Spatial skills are important for student success in STEM disciplines at the K‐12 educational level. Teachers' spatial skills and feelings about completing spatial tasks influence their teaching as well as their students' spatial learning. However, the relation between teachers' spatial skills and their spatial anxiety is not well understood. Here we investigated if teachers' spatial skills influence two kinds of small‐scale spatial anxiety: (a) anxiety for tasks involving visual imagery and (b) anxiety for tasks involving mental manipulations. In addition, we investigated if teachers' spatial skills in conjunction with their small‐scale spatial anxiety influence the integration of spatial practices, such as gestures and diagrams, into their teaching. Eighty‐two K‐12 teachers completed two subscales of small‐scale spatial anxiety, a measure of spatial skills, and a teaching activities questionnaire. Results indicate that teachers' spatial skills are negatively associated with their spatial anxiety for mental manipulation tasks, and positively associated with their use of spatial practices. These findings highlight the need to account for teachers' spatial skills when considering how to improve students' spatial learning.     

Teacher intention to transfer ICT training when integrating digital technologies in education: The teacher transfer of ICT training model (TeTra-ICT)

The aim of this study is to propose a new structural model for how teachers transfer their ICT training (TeTra-ICT), shedding light on the factors that tend to affect their intention to integrate digital technologies in educational practices as well as train their colleagues. The proposed model exploits training programme design characteristics and ICT-related individual factors. A total of 117 new ICT instructors for primary and secondary education teachers in Greece were evaluated. The instructors participated in a national Teacher Training Programme on applying ICT in education. Results indicate significant effects of individual (ICT-related self-efficacy in teaching) and programme design characteristics (platform's ease of use, support, content, and resources) on the teachers' final motivation and intention to transfer their ICT knowledge and skills. The model also reveals significant correlations between individual and training characteristics, the teachers' post-training self-efficacy for transferring skills and their perception of the usefulness of the training programme. The examined constructs explain 86% of the variance in teacher intentions to transfer their ICT knowledge and skills, and 72% of their perception of the usefulness of the training programme. Interestingly, while there were no gender differences in individual ICT-related characteristics, women expressed significantly higher values than men in their perception of the usefulness of training, self-efficacy, motivation, and intention to transfer.     

Curriculum innovation in Turkish primary education

This paper describes how Turkish teachers of English in state primary education approach the implementation of a Communicative‐Oriented Curriculum innovation and factors that impact on teachers' classroom practices. Using multidimensional research procedures, including a questionnaire, observations and teacher interviews, a picture has been developed of teachers' instructional practices and factors influencing their classroom practices. The findings revealed a gap between curriculum objectives and teachers' implementation of the innovation. Factors that were identified as having a significant impact on teachers' classroom application of the communicative teaching include teachers' understanding of the curriculum innovation, their previous training, insufficient instructional support, limited instructional time, large class size and lack of resources. It is suggested that a greater level of support in the form of in‐service training and resource provision be given to teachers to ensure more effective implementation of the curriculum initiative.     

Teachers' assessment of students' research skills

Today, teachers are expected to develop complex skills, such as research skills, in their students while implementing new views on learning and teaching and using authentic assessment strategies. About these new assessment strategies there is much debate and teachers are vulnerable in using them. We studied upper secondary education natural and social science teachers' practices using two surveys and two rounds of expert panel judgement on teacher‐submitted assessment‐related material and information. Our study shows that there are grounds for concern regarding the clarity of teachers' assessment criteria, the consistency between teachers' goals, assignments, and criteria, and the validity and acceptability of teachers' assessment practices. The extent to which it is justifiable to judge teachers' assessment practice by professional quality criteria is discussed, and suggestions are given as to the main quality criteria for formative and summative assessment and as to ways in which teachers could improve their assessment practices.     

Who Is at Risk and Why? Teachers' Reasons for Concern and Their Understanding and Assessment of Early Literacy

This study focuses on an issue of recent policy significance—the need to aid teachers in successfully identifying why children struggle to acquire literacy. This study (a) asked K–1 teachers to nominate students that they believed to be at risk for literacy difficulties and to provide reasons for their concern, (b) examined how these reasons relate to teachers' broader conceptions of literacy, and (c) investigated whether teachers' initial reasons and checklist-guided ratings align with concurrently administered standardized assessments. Results revealed that teachers have a wide array of initial concerns for students. There was some discordance between teachers's specific reasons for concern and their broader conceptions of early literacy. Comparison of student performance on standardized measures with teacher rationale also revealed discordance. Specific guidelines to teachers on use of a literacy checklist increased concordance between subsequent teacher ratings and standardized measures in some reading-related skills but not others. Implications for the use of multiple sources of evidence for student performance, as well as professional development, are discussed.     

Training preservice teachers to use evidence-based practices: Effects of coaching with performance feedback on teacher and child outcomes

Three-term contingency trials (TCTs) involve planned/naturally occurring antecedents, child's demonstration of target behaviors, and planned/naturally occurring consequences. Positive relationships between teachers' frequent use of TCTs and children's learning were noted in literature. This study aimed to investigate impact of an intervention package including training and coaching with performance feedback on experienced and novice special education preservice teachers' use of TCTs and relationship between teachers' implementation and child outcomes through two single-case experiments using multiple baseline across participants design. Three special education preservice teachers and three children with disabilities participated in each study. Results indicated intervention package was effective in increasing preservice teachers' use of TCTs. Preservice teachers generalized their use and sustained it during maintenance sessions conducted after intervention ended. Furthermore, as frequency and accuracy of preservice teachers' implementation increased, percentage of children's correct responses in relation to target skills improved. Implications for future practice and research are discussed.     

Teachers' judgments of students' early literacy skills measured by the Early Literacy Skills Assessment: Comparisons of teachers with and without assessment administration experience

Teacher judgments about students' academic abilities are important for several reasons, including their day‐to‐day instructional decision making. Not surprisingly, previous studies have investigated the accuracy of teachers' judgments about their students' reading abilities. Previous research, however, has not investigated teachers' judgments about students' early literacy skills, nor has previous research systematically examined how teachers' training and use of an objective assessment instrument impact their judgments of students' performance on that instrument. This exploratory study offers the first investigation of teachers' judgment accuracy of pre‐kindergarten students' early literacy skills, and compares the judgment accuracy of teachers with and without opportunities to administer the Early Literacy Skills Assessment (ELSA). Findings suggest that teachers with opportunities to administer the ELSA had a significantly higher percentage of accurate judgments across half of the ELSA subtests, but their judgment accuracy was still no better than 50%–60% on all but one ELSA subtest. Implications for school psychologist practitioners and researchers are presented. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The mediating effects of metacognition and creative thinking on the relationship between teachers' autonomy support and teachers' self-efficacy

A bulk of research has shown strong relationships between metacognition, creative thinking, autonomy support, and self-efficacy among teachers. However, we could not find research with a large sample of teachers exploring the mediating effects of creative thinking and metacognition on the relationship between autonomy support and self-efficacy. A need for a novel structural equation model (Covariance-based) underlying psychological rationality of said relationships was deemed actual. To that end, firstly the effects of teachers' autonomy support (opportunity and decision-making) on teachers' creative thinking, metacognition, and self-efficacy were tested. Then, the mediating effects of metacognition and creative thinking on the relationship between teachers' autonomy support and teachers' self-efficacy were explored. A simple random-sampling method was utilized to gather 787 teachers' data. The results revealed that decision-making and autonomy opportunity predicted creative thinking, metacognition, and self-efficacy positively and meaningfully. Subsequently, creative thinking as well as metacognition had mediating effects on the effects of autonomy opportunity and decision-making on self-efficacy. In closing, for boosting teachers' skills in autonomy support and self-efficacy, attention should be given to fostering their creative thinking as well as metacognition. The study provides implications and suggestions for research on school psychology and improvement.     

Preparing preservice teachers for self-regulated learning in the context of technological pedagogical content knowledge

The present study investigated effects of two hypermedia environments on 95 preservice university teachers' self-regulated learning (SRL) in the context of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK): hypermedia with metacognitive instruction (HYP + META) and without (HYP). The study combined online reflections with self-report measures to assess SRL processes. Results showed that exposure to metacognitive support using the IMPROVE self-questioning method may enhance preservice teachers' ability to reflect on and regulate their learning processes. This, in turn, can develop their TPCK, both as learners (comprehension skills) and as teachers (design skills). Further analysis indicated high correlations within SRL measures (self-reports, online reflections) and between SRL and TPCK tasks. Implications are discussed for teacher training in SRL-integrated TPCK contexts.     

Exploring Chinese teachers' commitment to being a cooperating teacher in a university-government-school initiative for rural practicum placements

Faced with urban schools' reluctance to host student teachers on practicum because “student teachers disturb their teaching order”, Northeast Normal University in Changchun, China, collaborated with four rural provinces to develop a University-Government-School (UGS) initiative for rural practicum placements. To understand the teachers' commitment to this alternative approach to practicum placements, we posed the question: What motivates and challenges teacher participation in the UGS initiative? To provide answers, we drew on the recently developed Mentoring Profile Inventory – a 62-item inventory that captures teachers' motivations and challenges in supervising student teachers on practicum. Further, by comparing the UGS results with those of supervising teachers from three other countries, we were able to discern aspects of the UGS teachers' commitment that were particularly distinctive to the Chinese context. For example, UGS supervisors are significantly more motivated than their international counterparts to participate in the practicum because student teachers: act as a Reminder about Career Development; enable supervisors to have Time-Out to Monitor Pupil Learning; and they Promote Pupil Engagement. These results provide important baseline data for making sense of the UGS teachers' commitment to the practicum, for situating their responses within current educational reform efforts, and for determining their professional development needs.     

Measuring Primary Teachers' Attitudes Toward Teaching Science: Development of the Dimensions of Attitude Toward Science (DAS) Instrument

In this article, we present a valid and reliable instrument which measures the attitude of in-service and pre-service primary teachers toward teaching science, called the Dimensions of Attitude Toward Science (DAS) Instrument. Attention to the attitudes of primary teachers toward teaching science is of fundamental importance to the professionalization of these teachers in the field of primary science education. With the development of this instrument, we sought to fulfill the need for a statistically and theoretically valid and reliable instrument to measure pre-service and in-service teachers' attitudes. The DAS Instrument is based on a comprehensive theoretical framework for attitude toward (teaching) science. After pilot testing, the DAS was revised and subsequently validated using a large group of respondents (pre-service and in-service primary teachers) (N = 556). The theoretical underpinning of the DAS combined with the statistical data indicate that the DAS possesses good construct validity and that it proves to be a promising instrument that can be utilized for research purposes, and also as a teacher training and coaching tool. This instrument can therefore make a valuable contribution to progress within the field of science education.     

Teachers' perceptions regarding school principals' coaching skills

The purpose of this study was to find out teachers' perceptions about school principals' coaching skills. The study was carried out within qualitative research methods. The study group included 76 teachers in Elazig and 73 teachers in Kahramanmara? provinces of Turkey. All the data were processed using Nvivo 9 software. The results indicate that teachers' perceptions about their principals' coaching skills do not differ according to the age, marital status, sex and education status variables. The teachers think that their principals are successful at some coaching skills such as being experienced and knowledgeable, being an effective listener and setting achievable targets. Principals fail to show empathy, communicate effectively, praise, give feedback, motivate and have effective inquiry coaching skills. According to teachers' opinions, being a role model, showing empathy, praising, effectively communicating and motivating are important coaching skills that they would show if they were to sit in the principal chair.     

Teachers' Beliefs and Practices in Relation to their Beliefs about Questioning at Key Stage 2

This study examines the relationship between teachers' beliefs and their practices at Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11) in relation to the use of questioning. Data were collected from interviewing and observing Key Stage 2 teachers at four schools in the West of England. A Straussian approach to grounded theory is followed broadly in order to analyse the data. In contrast to the findings of previous studies, which suggested a mismatch between teachers' beliefs and practices in that teachers, in certain respects, do less than they claim, the research revealed that teachers use a variety of skills during their teaching that they may not always be aware of. It is also argued that teachers do not share researchers' language to express the way they teach.     

Secondary science teachers' attitudes toward and beliefs about science reading and science textbooks

Science textbooks are dominant influences behind most secondary science instruction but little is known about teachers' approach to science reading. The purpose of this naturalistic study was to develop and validate a Science and Reading Questionnaire to assess secondary science teachers' attitudes toward science reading and their beliefs or informed opinions about science reading. A survey of 428 British Columbia secondary science teachers was conducted and 215 science teachers responded. Results on a 12-item Likert attitude scale indicated that teachers place high value on reading as an important strategy to promote learning in science and that they generally accept responsibility for teaching content reading skills to science students. Results on a 13-item Likert belief scale indicated that science teachers generally reject the text-driven model of reading, but they usually do not have well-formulated alternative models to guide their teaching practices. Teachers have intuitive beliefs about science reading that partially agree with many research findings, but their beliefs are fragmented and particularly sketchy in regard to the cognitive and metacognitive skills required by readers to learn from science texts. The findings for attitude, belief, and total scales were substantiated by further questions in the Science and Reading Questionnaire regarding classroom practice and by individual interviews and classroom observations of a 15-teacher subsample of the questionnaire respondents.