ICT in the classroom: Primary education student teachers’ perceptions of the interactive whiteboard during the teaching practicum

A literature review on perceptions of the interactive whiteboard during the teaching practicum shows that there has been insufficient analysis of student teachers’ perceptions of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). However, these perceptions are highly useful to create a full picture of the effectiveness – and indeed the drawbacks – of using ICT in the classroom. In this study, we examine and analyse evidence from teaching practica to assess the success of ICT – specifically the interactive whiteboard – as a teaching tool, using a qualitative method. The accounts are first-hand, scientific reflections made by student teachers from La Serena, Chile, during their teaching practicum in primary schools; for this reason they are extremely useful in analysing this teaching tool’s effectiveness in the classroom. Among the main results for students’ perceptions of incorporating technology as part of their training, we found a set of variables for good practice when using the interactive whiteboard, including: incorporating technology as an engaging didactic resource; making the most of technology for improving learning; determining when best to use the whiteboard; and identifying any limiting factors together with students’ suggestions for improvement.     

Primary teachers’ perceptions of multi-grade classroom grouping practices to support inclusive education

ABSTRACT

Previous research has focused on inclusive classroom practices in mainstream primary schools but little is documented regarding practices in multi-grade classrooms. The purpose of this paper was to report mainstream primary teachers’ perceptions of multi-grade classroom grouping practices to support inclusive education specifically for students with special educational needs (SEN). The findings indicated that despite the difficulty of covering the curricula of the various grades, multi-grade teachers reported the implementation of flexible grouping practices (ability, mixed ability, social) for academic or social reasons. However, the tension between meeting the needs of the grade groups and the individual student with SEN were apparent, with some practices documented not necessarily inclusive. The importance of using appropriate grouping practices to enable teachers to include all students, thereby avoiding potentially negative effects of treating some students differently was emphasised.     

Transitioning to the classroom: reflections of second‐career teachers during the induction year

In recent years teacher educators have witnessed an increase in the number of alternative pathways to university‐based teacher education for prospective teachers. One option is for second‐career teachers to enter post‐baccalaureate programs in education; however, the experiences of second‐career teachers are largely unexplored in the international literature. The purpose of this study was to investigate the teaching beliefs that post‐baccalaureate students brought into a graduate level teacher certification program, and the extent to which those beliefs persevered or changed during their first year of teaching. Written philosophy statements and semi‐structured interviews from the three participants were analyzed to identify emerging themes. Outcomes, presented in the form of vignettes, suggested that second‐career teachers experienced many of the same contextual pressures as baccalaureate teachers and struggled adapting to the teaching profession and implementing their stated teaching beliefs. Implications include continued research on second‐career teachers as they represent a distinct population entering the teaching profession.     

‘Control must be maintained’: exploring teachers’ pedagogical practice outside the classroom

Drawing on qualitative data, this article presents an analysis of six secondary science teachers’ expectations and practices related to teaching outdoors during a professional development programme. Using Foucault’s and Bernstein’s theories of ‘space’, routines and set practices, I argue that participant teachers’ fear of losing control of their students when in contexts outside the classroom was constructed as place specific in terms of boundaries (or lack of), familiarity and disturbance. Teachers’ ‘fearful’ expectations when outside triggered the initial use of regulatory technologies that were frequently more assertive and controlling than their usual classroom practice, resulting in increased authoritative teaching approaches. However, once technologies of power were developed for use outside, teachers were able to translate and apply their normal dialogic teaching approaches from the classroom. The article concludes with a discussion of student self-regulation through collaborative group work as a step towards resolving the tensions between dialogic pedagogy and teaching in new contexts.     

Beginning early childhood education teachers’ classroom management concerns

This paper reports an analysis of the classroom management concerns of pre-service early childhood education (ECE) teachers prior to beginning their career and further examines the difficulties they experienced in classroom management in their first year of teaching and their coping strategies. Sixteen pre-service ECE teachers enrolled in the same teacher education programme were interviewed immediately before graduation, and were again interviewed at the end of the first and second semesters after they started to work in public schools. Phenomenological analysis was utilized for the data analysis. The findings revealed that all of the participants had a fear of being unable to manage their classes before starting their careers because they felt unprepared. However, they experienced fewer problems than expected after they started to teach. The teachers first tried to build trusting and close relationships with the children to create a peaceful classroom climate, while also attempting to empower the children by involving them in decision-making processes. In this way, the children became aware of the class rules and felt free in their actions within the limits of the rules.     

Primary school teachers’ experiences of external providers in Ireland: learning lessons from physical education

There is an increasing trend towards the use of external providers in primary schools. The added value of external providers in enhancing aspects of children’s learning is supported in the physical education literature. Less is known, however, about the experiences of classroom teachers working with these external providers. To address this gap and guided by the question ‘What are primary school teachers experiences of external providers?’ we conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with primary school classroom teachers who had used external physical education providers (n?=?10). A thematic analysis of the data involved systematic coding from which themes were constructed. Findings alert to the limited partnership between classroom teachers and external providers currently. Teachers’ perceptions of external providers as having greater expertise resulted in classroom teachers engaging minimally in communicating with external providers and taking little part in lessons taught by the external provider. Overall findings indicate communication and involvement in pedagogical decision making as areas to address in reconceptualising the relationship between classroom teachers and external providers.     

Teachers’ experiences with co-teaching as a model for inclusive education

Co-teaching is an instructional strategy that can be implemented by educators in several different ways. This paper considers how frequently co-teachers implement different approaches to co-teaching and what factors are associated with the implementation of these approaches. This study found that teachers most frequently reported implementing an approach to co-teaching in which one teacher designs and delivers a lesson and the other teacher provides individualised support to specific students with disabilities. The approach to co-teaching in which educators co-plan and co-instruct different components of the curricular content occurred the least frequently. The results of logistic regression analyses indicated that structural aspects of co-teaching (multiple years with co-teacher, time spent daily with co-teacher, number of current co-teachers), teacher attitudes, and professional development opportunities (pre-service and in-service) were associated with the use of different approaches to co-teaching.     

Secondary teachers’ experiences with students with disabilities: examining the global landscape

This study contributes to the international conversation about the education for students with disabilities at the secondary level by providing some international data about secondary teachers’ training and experiences with inclusive practices. Teacher leaders from 20 different countries participated in this exploratory survey research about the context in which they work, their experiences and their training as related to their efficacy to educate individuals with disabilities. We acknowledge that efficacy and teacher training for inclusion are predominated by a discourse defined through Western best practice. We learned that despite variations in the countries’ concept of disability and their implementation of inclusive educational systems, the teachers had moderately high self-efficacy for inclusive practices yet had limited training and experience with students with special needs. Results are discussed in relation to the preparation of secondary teachers for educating students with special needs.     

Environmental education in a ‘green classroom’

The ‘Green Classroom’ in the Botanical Garden of Ulm is an experiential learning forum outside school. Its educational concept is based on experimental learning and is geared towards expanding biological knowledge and developing positive attitudes towards small animals such as invertebrates and insects. The attitudes of 68 school students towards small animals, before and after they visited the ‘Green Classroom’, were assessed and the answers they gave in their questionnaires were compared with those of 60 students froma control group that was not yet exposed to this learning environment. Although the students spent only one morning in the ‘Green Classroom’, some of their attitudes towards small animals improved after their visit. These studies underscore the necessity for direct observation and familiarization of the environment including small animals such as invertebrates and insects for appreciating issues related to biodiversity and conservation.     

Educators’ experiences in special education institutions during the COVID-19 outbreak

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a profound impact on education worldwide. As a result of the educational institutions closures, it is likely that the impact on special education would be more detrimental since special education population becomes more vulnerable in the aftermath of an outbreak. In the scope of this study, a researcher created survey was used to examine educators’ teaching experiences and their perceptions about the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on special education students. The sample included 215 educators working in the Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers (SERCs) in Turkey. Results indicated that a large majority of the SERCs were not able to continue their education during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, there was a difference in educators’ experiences by their educational practices (normal weekly schedule, reduced schedule, most of the educational activities are suspended, and all of the educational activities are suspended). Perceived level of COVID-19 outbreak impact on special education students were found to be significantly higher for autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, visual impairments, hearing impairments, specific learning disabilities and gifted students, respectively. The conclusion highlights the need of global collaboration, disaster preparation and management for students with special needs.     

Special education and general education preservice teachers’ co-teaching experiences: a comparative synthesis of qualitative research

Co-teaching is commonly used to support students with disabilities in inclusive educational settings. However, there is often a gap between the potential effectiveness of co-teaching and actual classroom practice. This study examined preservice teachers’ co-teaching experiences to better understand this gap to identify potential practices for improving teacher training and service delivery. A review of 11 studies revealed that both special education and general education preservice teachers believed that co-teaching practices provided them opportunities to communicate and work collaboratively. Both groups agreed on the significant impact of personality in co-teaching as well as challenges in implementing co-teaching. Furthermore, special education preservice teachers noted that they lacked content knowledge, whereas general education preservice teachers thought they needed more training in the provision of accommodations and modifications. Study limitations, areas for future research, and implications for preservice teacher preparation are discussed.     

‘Do you need a kayak to learn outside?’: a literature review into learning outside the classroom

This paper presents a review of research focusing on ‘Learning Outside the Classroom’ (LOtC). We provide a distillation of international research in this field that identifies how future investigations could be focused and move the discipline forward. As a consequence of the breadth of our study, we feel our findings will have applications in educational settings across the globe. What we discover is a significant bias towards types of learning that largely cannot be measured, and that only a minority of published research in our review pays the level of attention to theoretical and philosophical foundations found in most other educational research.     

‘Being’ a critical multicultural pedagogue in the art education classroom

Art educators continuously struggle to understand what multiculturalism ‘looks like’ in the art classroom. This has resulted in multicultural art education becoming superficial, in which art teachers guide students through art projects like creating African masks, Native American dream catchers, Aboriginal totems, and sand paintings, all without communicating the context of the art. This type of multiculturalism essentializes cultures, and builds Western, myopic narratives about groups of people, specifically about their ‘Art’. Critical multiculturalism is a power-focused upgrade of multiculturalism that calls for a critique of power and demands recognition that racism and other discriminations are enmeshed in the fabric of our social order. Teaching through a critical multiculturalism framework helps teachers dismantle Western, normalized narratives and produce counter-hegemonic curriculum that contextualizes culture and reveals its fluidity. In this article, the author shares a teacher action research study in which she describes what critical multiculturalism looks like in her art education classroom. The study focuses on ‘being’ a critically multicultural educator versus ‘doing’ critical multiculturalism. Such a position counters the idea that critical multiculturalism is a thing to complete, but instead is an ongoing process that rests on specific ways of thinking and considering the classroom, curriculum, and students.     

Enhancing teachers’ counselling skills: student teachers’ views on a teachers’ education programme

The purpose of this small‐scale study is to investigate the outcomes of a brief teacher education programme by exploring student teachers’ views. The teacher education programme aimed to provide teachers with the opportunity to develop qualities and skills that facilitate communication and to enhance teachers’ competence to apply social and emotional (SEL) programmes’ intervention activities in the classroom. According to student teachers’ estimations, the teacher education programme provided them with new knowledge and experiences in communication and counselling, which they felt they could use in teaching practice. Besides, teachers reported that the programme enabled them to develop their self‐awareness and to adopt a non‐directive attitude during the implementation of SEL programme’s activities.     

Does a year make a difference? The classroom management practices of primary student teachers before and after a one-year teacher education programme

The purpose of this study was to examine primary student teachers' use, confidence and success in various classroom management strategies at the start and at the end of a one-year teaching programme and ascertain any significant differences between the two time periods. One hundred and twenty-four English primary student teachers were surveyed at both time periods. Student teachers indicate that they would employ mostly preventative and lower-level corrective strategies at the start and at the end of the programme. Over the one year there was a significant increase in the use, confidence and success of preventative and relatively more intrusive corrective strategies, while the use and confidence of lower-level corrective strategies remained the same. The study tentatively highlights the cumulative impact of a one-year teaching programme on some but not all classroom management skills.     

Understanding shifts in students’ academic motivation across a school year: the role of teachers’ motivating styles and need-based experiences

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Students’ adaptive motivation to study tends to decrease over time. However, the reasons for this decline are not fully understood. Drawing on...     

University teachers’ learning paths during technological innovation in education

Curriculum development initiatives, especially those involving educational technologies, provide a rich learning space for university teachers. In-depth interviews with teaching staff (n = 11) were qualitatively analysed to gain insight into the variety of individual learning paths and to identify potential relationships between learning paths, motivation, and conceptions of teaching and learning through educational technology. Three distinct learning paths relating to teachers’ learning preferences and activities were identified: learning by performing daily teaching activities; deliberately experimenting with new teaching approaches; and reflecting on teaching experiences. The relationships between learning paths and relevant factors are described and implications for professional development practices are discussed.     

Changes in beginning teachers’ classroom management knowledge and emotional exhaustion during the induction phase

The first years on the job are very challenging for teachers (e.g., Fives, Hamman, & Olivarez, 2007; Goddard, O’Brien, & Goddard, 2006). Two of the main challenges are to learn to regulate the highly complex classroom situations (Jones, 2006) and to regulate their own emotional resources (Chang, 2009). Accordingly, in the present study, we investigated changes in teacher candidates’ classroom management knowledge as well as emotional exhaustion at the beginning of their teaching careers. We applied latent change models to a sample of 746 teacher candidates who were assessed twice during the German induction phase (the Referendariat). We found evidence for a significant increase in teacher candidates’ classroom management knowledge during the induction phase. Emotional exhaustion increased during the first year and decreased during the second year of the induction phase. We also investigated between-person differences in the changes. Classroom management knowledge was predicted by the teacher candidates’ cognitive personal characteristics (e.g., cognitive abilities and willingness to reflect), whereas emotional exhaustion was predicted by noncognitive personal characteristics (e.g., emotional stability) as well as variables related to the induction phase (e.g., perceived mentoring quality and teaching load). Classroom management knowledge and emotional exhaustion were only modestly associated.