The convergence of teachers' and providers' views on inset needs: The case of the non-specialist physics teacher in Swaziland

This study aims to compare the INSET needs of non-specialist teachers as perceived by these teachers, with the views of their INSET providers. The case of the non-specialist physics teacher in Swaziland is used as an example. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to collect perceptions of the problems of teaching various physics topics and skills, and of handling different pieces of physics equipment. The results show that the ranking of INSET needs are broadly similar for both providers and teachers. Important ranking differences relate to INSET support with teaching dynamics and circuit electricity. In addition, providers and teachers express diverging views on the type of INSET needs with using some demonstration equipment and with teaching a number of manipulative skills. The differences are attributed to varying specialist training, professional development, or personal goals for science education. Strategies are recommended to converge the perceptions of the INSET needs.     

The inset strategies model: an effective inset model for unqualified and underqualified primary teachers in Namibia

The problem of significant numbers of unqualified and underqualified primary teachers is critical in some African countries. As INSET (In-service Education and Training) is the only training these teachers receive, effective INSET practice is of concern to INSET planners seeking to address this problem. This article explores effective INSET strategies: the criteria for effectiveness being implementation of the training in the classroom. It presents an effective cyclical INSET model, entitled the INSET Strategies Model, which was used to guide a three-year (1995–1997) INSET programme for 145 unqualified and underqualified primary teachers in Namibia. The programme sought to develop teachers' basic teaching, English Language Teaching (ELT) and learner-centred skills, in order to support their efforts to implement reforms related to ELT introduced in Namibia in the early 1990s. The article discusses the stages of the model, each of which corresponds to an INSET strategy: needs assessment, organisation, determination of content, training process, follow-up and evaluation. The underlying change framework of the model, particularly the extent to which it takes micro-implementation factors into account, is offered as one explanation for its success. These factors are the objective and subjective realities within which teachers work.     

Current research in developing countries: Inset and the impact of examinations on classroom practice

Current research in developing countries on the inservice education and training of teachers (INSET) and on the effects of examinations on classroom practice is reviewed. Major issues on each topic are outlined, research findings are summarized, and selected abstracts of current empirical research in five developing countries are provided, along with brief, annotated reference lists. The main trends apparent with INSET are emphases on the professional development of teachers, and increased attention to school-focused INSET. No firm conclusions from the research evidence can be drawn yet, with some expensive successes contrasting with cheaper alternatives to accepted practice. The conclusion from the literature on examinations is that it is a necessary but not sufficient condition that attempts to change classroom practice should not be incongruent with teachers' and pupils' perceptions of the requirements of any public examination system.     

A Survey of Opinion on Methods of Professional Development for Secondary Heads

This paper describes a school management development programme aimed at developing managerial skills and responsibilities across the whole school staff. The paper describes why there is possibly some antipathy to this topic for in‐service education and training (INSET). The approach chosen was to use teachers’ current managerial tasks as the focus for the development so that in conjunction with extant self‐study materials, teachers could design their own INSET appropriate to their current perceived needs.     

An examination of pre-service teachers' attitudes towards the inclusion of development education into Irish post-primary schools

As part of an undergraduate concurrent initial teacher education programme pre-service teachers participate in an education module consisting of a number of workshops relating to the integration of development education active learning methodologies into their teaching. Following completion of the module, pre-service teachers participate in a 12-week teaching practice placement. This study, based on questionnaires and focus group data, was conducted following their return from teaching practice and examines their attitudes towards development education, the extent to which they included development education issues in their teaching while on teaching practice and their attitudes towards including such issues in the future. Results indicate that while pre-service teachers were positive towards integrating development education into post-primary schools and indicated their hope to include such issues in the future, they face a number of barriers that prevent them from doing so. As they begin their teaching career, the integration of development education is not viewed as a major priority for these pre-service teachers.     

Issues and challenges regarding environmental education policy implementation

Abstract

In this article, the authors have chosen to inquire into a topic that has specific relevance to the status and inclusion of environmental education in the curriculum at a stage when the translation of policy into practice stands at the crossroads: the transition of environment as phase organiser to environment as integral to all learning areas. In education praxis, the translation of policy into practice is in the hands of educators and teachers (using the terminology as suggested in this article). The issues and challenges regarding the implementation of environmental education policy as experienced by educators and teachers are identified through examining this phenomenon as portrayed in two case studies where in-service education and training (INSET) in relation to environmental education occurs. This study is one of the first to provide a researched background that identifies issues and challenges that impact on the implementation of environmental policy in formal education contexts.     

Provision of in-service training of mathematics and science teachers in Botswana: teachers’ perspectives

Teaching is a field that is dynamic, with innovations necessitating upgrading of skills and education of teachers for the successful implementation of reforms. The behaviour and attitudes of teachers towards teaching and learning and their knowledge banks are the result of the impact of in-service training. This study investigated the perceptions of mathematics and science teachers in Botswana towards in-service provision by the Department of Mathematics and Science Education In-service Training unit (DMSE-INSET), whose mandate is to improve the quality of teaching by supporting teachers through training programmes that enable them to take ownership of their professional development. Data were collected from a sample of 42 senior Mathematics and Science secondary school teachers, using structured interviews with open-ended questions, which were analyzed qualitatively. The findings show that teachers’ concerns included the lack of impact of current in-service training programmes on the education system, no regular follow-up activities to support the one-off workshops and insufficient skills acquired to sustain the implementation of the strategies solicited by the workshops.     

Teachers’ views on the effectiveness of in‐service courses on the new curriculum in Turkey

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of in‐service courses conducted by the Ministry of National Education in order to inform teachers about the changes introduced by the new primary and secondary school curricula. The study also aims to reveal whether these changes have entered the classrooms based on the teachers’ views of the INSET courses they attended. For this purpose, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with both primary and secondary school teachers during the 2007–2008 academic year. Data were analysed based on the effective INSET criteria identified from the literature. According to the findings, the INSET courses were found to be ineffective, mainly in terms of the quality of the instructors, teaching methods employed, duration of the courses and support after training. Suggestions to conduct effective INSET courses, especially when change is afoot, are included at the end of this paper.     

体育教育专业实习问题的研究与探索

通过对师范学院近几年体育教育专业的实习生、实习所在学校的指导教师、学院指定的实习辅导教师,以及学生就业上岗情况与就业后的工作感受等几方面的反馈进行了综合性的比较分析研究,提出了有针对性的切实可行的建议,对师范院校完善教育实习制度和提高教育教学质量具有一定的借鉴作用。     

An analysis of the effects of in‐service teacher training on Turkish preschool teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion

Any implementation of an inclusive policy is largely dependent on educators’ attitudes. In Turkey, many teachers who educate preschool children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), and who have not received in‐service teacher training (INSET) are observed to have negative attitudes towards their SEN students. The aim of this article is to examine differences between the attitudes of preschool teachers before and after an INSET course. Sixty‐six preschool teachers were selected for this study which had a single group pre–post‐test design. The teachers’ opinions and attitudes relating to mainstreaming SEN students in regular educational environments were assessed using the ‘Opinions Relative to Mainstreaming’ scale. The data indicate that these teachers were affected by the INSET programme in such a way that their attitudes towards the inclusion of SEN students became more positive.     

You Must Be Present to Win

Data show that 46% of all teachers in public schools will leave the profession within their first 5 years of teaching (Ingersoll, 2003). These data refer to teachers from all disciplines including physical education. To address these problems school districts have developed teacher induction programs that show promising results. Our literature search revealed a range of teacher induction studies based on the general population of teachers, but limited information exists specific to physical education teacher induction programs. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to examine major issues surrounding teacher shortages and retention, to illustrate how school districts have addressed these problems through teacher induction programs, and to determine implications for the field of physical education. In addition, recommendations are provided for bridging physical education teaching licensure programs with teacher induction.     

A comparison of elementary teacher attitudes and skills in teaching science in Australia and the United States

A study, originally don in Australia in 1983, was replicated in an urban-suburb in the Unitd States. The Australian project vivolved matched pairs of year-fiv teachers in one of two workshops. One workshop taught the skills of teaching electricity, while the other one discussed issues in gender equity in science education (active participation of both girls and boys, comparble student-teacher interactions, and research findings concerning equity). The U.S. study provided three types of workshops (skills, equity and skills, and equity) for comparable groups of fourth and fifth grade teachers. All teachers and their students were subsequently obseved during lessons involving an electricity unit, queried both students and teachers concerning the appropriateness of different fields of science for boys and girls and their interest and aptitudes in doing various types of science. Results from both studies suggest that gender differences in student attitudes toward science may be amellorated by specific types of teacher workshop. Specializations: Gender research, science teacher education, science education national policy. Specializations: Elementary and middle school science education, classroom research. Specializations: Secondary science education, data analysis.     

Reflection and theory: conceptualising the gap between teaching experience and teacher expertise

Arising from an inductive reflection on the teaching of an INSET course for rural teachers, this article develops a largely conceptual argument about the role of theoretical knowledge in teacher development. Teachers' experiences – and practical knowledge derived from it – are not sufficient to develop teacher expertise. Theoretical reflection in turn produces qualitatively different insights about teaching and learning, which can provide teachers with conceptual tools to establish new links between what they know and what they do. However, there is very little research evidence about the way experienced yet poorly qualified teachers use theoretical knowledge to reflect about their work     

The impact of inservice training on teacher behaviour

Nowadays, a considerable amount of time, money, and energy is invested in inservice education or training (INSET). Yet, our knowledge of design features and implementation conditions in schools that make INSET effective, is still limited. To examine the outcomes of inservice activities the impact ratings of a sample of teachers and principals who participated in individual-based and school-focused INSET were regressed on school characteristics, features of inservice programs, implementation characteristics, and types of inservice activity. Findings from this study suggest that some school characteristics, features of inservice programs, and implementation characteristics contribute to the impact of inservice training. Variables like external support, hours spent on INSET activities, degree of participation,. teacher educators' competence, implementation conditions, and the use of principal's steering functions are subject to alteration to increase inservice training effectiveness.     

Enhancing part-time in-service teacher training programmes to facilitate rural teacher development in China

Despite the frequent criticisms directed toward them, in-service teacher training (INSET) programmes remain one of the most commonly used approaches for enhancing teachers’ professional development. This article reports on a study that examined the effects of a part-time masters of education INSET programme based in Central China. The main source of data was reflective papers written by 38 teacher participants; classroom observations and informal interviews also helped reveal the teachers’ perspectives on the programme. Whilst the programme was very popular, and had a variety of positive impacts on the teachers’ professional development, the programme paradigm involved several drawbacks. The results suggest that part-time INSET programmes for rural teachers should be supplemented by various other forms of teacher development activities to meet the dual goals of developing such programmes and providing professional development for teachers.     

Teachers’ objects of responsibility: something to care about in education for sustainable development?

Answers to questions about good teaching in environmental education can be expressed in different selective traditions. Questions as to what should be included in good teaching tend to be addressed by both teachers and researchers on an ideological basis. This qualitative study uses a pragmatist approach, and aims to make an empirical contribution to the debate. Rather than telling teachers what they should teach, this interview study involved listening to ten upper secondary school teachers in Sweden, and their arguments concerning their long‐term teaching purposes. Why should students learn particular things? The teachers’ answers revealed habits and frequently used the same arguments. These arguments recurrently dealt with what teachers particularly cared about, and five objects of responsibility were identified in the interviews. These objects of responsibility constitute the starting points of teachers’ actions and can be seen as personal anchor points within a selective tradition. These points of departure remind the teachers of their teaching aims and objectives, and at the same time, keep them within a tradition. While they help the teachers in their everyday practice, they could just as easily be seen as tacit obstacles to efforts to change environmental education into Education for Sustainable Development. The results are also relevant for science education in general. Issues identified in the study include how the same scientific knowledge could be used for different purposes in education, and the different personal anchor points for long‐term purposes of teaching based on teachers’ own ideas of good teaching. These results can be important in developing a reflection tool for teachers, which in turn can help them to reflect more deeply about how they might change their teaching practices.     

Involving Students in Natural Resource Decision-Making Groups

Ensuring a qualified teacher in every classroom is a central part of the latest agenda to strengthen public education and maximize student achievement. Effective teaching and delivering quality instruction are lifelong and critical goals of professional development of teachers. High-quality induction programs support qualified teachers for every child. We evaluated perceptions of beginning teachers relative to the effectiveness of induction activities, assistance, and support provided within their school districts. Overall, this group indicated that induction programs were sufficient for them to succeed during the first years of teaching. Implications for improving practice and recommendations for continuing research are discussed in this article.     

The impact of coaching in South African primary science InSET

This article presents evidence from an evaluation conducted by the Primary Science Programme (PSP) in South Africa, concerning the impact of classroom-based coaching on the teaching methods used by primary science teachers. The methods used by teachers provided with both workshops and classroom-based coaching were compared with those used by teachers who received workshops only and a control group who received no InSET at all. The findings showed that teachers who received coaching made substantial changes, whereas most teachers who received workshops-only remained similar to the control group. A social constructivist approach is adopted in interpreting these findings. The implications of this study for designing effective InSET in developing countries are also discussed.     

PROMOTING EFFECTIVE SCIENCE TEACHER EDUCATION AND SCIENCE TEACHING: A FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHER DECISION-MAKING

Learning and effective teaching are both complicated acts. However, many administrators, teachers, parents, and policymakers appear not to recognize those complexities and their significance for practice. Fueling this perception, recommendations from isolated research findings often neglect the complexities in learning and teaching, and when implemented in classrooms often fall well short of the advertised effect. Consequently, education research is generally ignored, and the resulting research-practice gap raises concerns regarding the utility of university-based teacher education, and education research more generally. However, the strength of education research resides in the synergy resulting from its integration into a unifying system that guides, but does not determine, decision-making. Dewey (1929) argued for teacher decision-making guided by education research, but recently several writers have justly criticized education researchers for not providing comprehensible assistance to educators and policymakers (Good, 2007; Shymansky, 2006; Windschitl, 2005). This paper proposes a decision-making framework for teaching to help beginning and experienced teachers make sense of education research, come to understand crucial teacher decisions, and how those decisions interact to affect student learning. The proposed decision-making framework for teaching has significant utility in the design of science methods courses, science teacher education programs, effective student teacher supervision experiences, and professional development workshops.     

教师“不当教学行为”发问

新课改理念下的教育是基于师生生命关照、实现生命关怀的教育,教师的教学行为对这一理念的实现起着关键作用。然而受传统教育观念、教师自身素养等多种因素的影响,现行学校教学实践中仍存在着与新课改教学理念相悖的不当教学行为。从新课改的视角对教师的不当教学行为的表现特征进行描述,试图进行主观上的归因分析,并在此基础上提出一些实践性的建议,以利于在实践中规范教师教学行为,提升教师的教学水平。