CULTURALLY RESPONSIBLE MENTORING: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH FOR PREPARING STUDENT TEACHERS FOR DIVERSITY

Teacher education is challenged with preparing teachers to work effectively with culturally diverse students. Gaps in the research literature demonstrate that more bridging is needed between teacher education coursework and student teaching experiences, particularly in terms of supervision approaches that consider multicultural issues. This study argues that culturally responsible mentoring is one way to help student teachers put multicultural education into practice. Culturally responsible mentoring helps preservice teachers become critical thinkers about the cultural contexts in which they work. It also assists them in developing equitable and inclusive practices for their particular students. This study defines and describes the practices of culturally responsible mentoring and examines the impact it has on two student teachers in the field.     

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN TEACHER EDUCATION: THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DIAGNOSTIC LANGUAGE TEST FOR TRAINEE TEACHERS OF GERMAN

ABSTRACT:  This article describes the development and validation of a diagnostic test of German and its integration in a programme of formative assessment during a one-year initial teacher-training course. The test focuses on linguistic aspects that cause difficulty for trainee teachers of German as a foreign language and assesses implicit and explicit grammatical knowledge as well as students' confidence in this knowledge. Administration of the test to 57 German speakers in four groups (first-year undergraduates, fourth-year undergraduates, postgraduate trainees, and native speakers) provided evidence of its reliability and validity.     

IDENTIFYING INFLUENTIAL FACILITATORS OF MATHEMATICS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A SURVEY ANALYSIS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

This paper builds on results from a previous phenomenological study examining characteristics of influential facilitators of elementary mathematics professional development. The current study utilized a survey design where results from the qualitative investigation were quantitized to develop an instrument that allowed participants to identify qualities of facilitators that are necessary to motivate teachers to be engaged in professional development sessions related to mathematics at the elementary level. This paper describes the instrument development process and results when implemented to a sample of teachers in the USA (n = 565). Findings from this research indicate that participants share the same perceptions of what it means to be an influential facilitator as participants from the phenomenological investigation of facilitator characteristics.     

PROJECT INSIGHTS: AN EVALUATION OF A COMMUNITY VISION EDUCATION PROJECT FOR OLDER ADULTS

Project InSights is a community vision education and outreach program designed to utilize trained older adult volunteers to educate their peers about age-related vision loss and the benefits of vision rehabilitation for people who are visually impaired. Volunteers conduct programs that motivate attendees to maintain their vision health and provide information about available services and resources in the community. The overall goal is to prevent unnecessary functional disability among older adults with vision impairment. Peer education is based on the assumption that people are more likely to listen to their contemporaries, and Project InSights uses this approach. A nine-month evaluation of Project InSights was conducted to determine program effectiveness, volunteer and attendee satisfaction, and suggestions for program modification. Data were gathered from two perspectives--program attendees and volunteers--via telephone interviews and evaluation forms completed by program attendees. Program attendees (90 % ) stated that they learned something new that could help them or someone they know who has a vision problem. Volunteers (98 % ) would recommend others to become an InSights volunteer because they are providing an important service. Results indicate that Project InSights was viewed as a valuable community resource by all involved.     

THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE: A CATALYST FOR REFLECTIVE TEACHING AND PRACTICE

This paper describes the incorporation of online psychological consultation regarding child behavior in an early childhood teacher education program. The authors discuss psychological consultation in terms of current theory and philosophy in early childhood teacher education in general, and in terms of the professional objectives of this specific program. The experiences and thinking that eventually resulted in the choice of an online vehicle for the delivery of psychological consultation are also discussed. Specific psychological education objectives addressed through this consultation are illustrated in excerpts from actual interchanges between the consulting clinical psychologist and student teachers. The paper concludes with reactions regarding this seminar addition from supervisors and student teachers.     

MEASURING EFFICACY SOURCES: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE SOURCES OF TEACHER EFFICACY QUESTIONNAIRE (STEQ) FOR CHINESE TEACHERS

The aim of the current study is to develop and validate an instrument to measure the four sources of teacher efficacy among Chinese primary school teachers. A 26‐item Sources of Teacher Efficacy Questionnaire (STEQ) was proposed with four subscales: mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and physiological arousal. The results supported the hypothesized four‐factor structure of the STEQ. Scores from all the four factors of the STEQ had strong significant correlations with the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), which showed the criterion‐related validity of the STEQ. Further, scores of all four sources significantly predicted teacher efficacy scores, among which social persuasion was the strongest predictor. This study contributes to the self‐efficacy literature by providing researchers with an instrument for examining the various facets of teacher efficacy. The findings can inform school principals and teacher educators, enabling them to facilitate a school culture and teaching environment that cultivates a greater sense of teacher efficacy and, in turn, better teaching performance.     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPETENCE SCALE FOR LEARNING SCIENCE: INQUIRY AND COMMUNICATION

The objective of this study was to develop an instrument to measure school students’ competence in learning science as part of a large research project in Taiwan. The instrument consisted of 29 self-report, Likert-type items divided into 2 scales: Competence in Scientific Inquiry and Competence in Communication. The Competence in Scientific Inquiry scale contained 4 subscales: presenting questions and hypothesis, planning, experimenting and data gathering, and data analyzing, interpreting, and concluding. The Competence in Communication scale contained 4 subscales: expressing, evaluating, responding, and negotiating. Students were recruited randomly from primary, junior, and senior high schools in different regions of Taiwan to validate the instrument and establish its reliability and validity. The results of the analyses indicate that the instrument, scales, and subscales have reasonable internal consistency; that the theoretical structure was supported by empirical data; and that the subscales are homogeneous. These results indicate that it is an appropriate tool for measuring students’ competence in learning science. Implications and suggestions for further studies are included.     

PSYCHOLOGICAL ACCULTURATION: DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW MEASURE FOR PUERTO RICANS ON THE U.S. MAINLAND

Most instruments designed to measure acculturation have relied on specific cultural behaviors and preferences as primary indicators of acculturation. In contrast, feelings of belonging and emotional attachment to cultural communities have not been widely used. The Psychological Acculturation Scale (PAS) was developed to assess acculturation from a phenomenological perspective, with items pertaining to the individual's sense of psychological attachment to and belonging within the Anglo-American and Latino/Hispanic cultures. Responses from samples of bilingual individuals and Puerto Rican adolescents and adults are used to establish a high degree of measurement equivalence across the Spanish and English versions of the scale along with high levels of internal consistency and construct validity. The usefulness of the PAS and the importance of studying acculturation from a phenomenological perspective are discussed.