Critical social theory and transformative learning: evidence in pre‐service teachers’ service‐learning reflection logs

This paper reports on the opportunities for transformational learning experienced by a group of pre‐service teachers who were engaged in service‐learning as a pedagogical process with a focus on reflection. Critical social theory informed the design of the reflection process as it enabled a move away from knowledge transmission toward knowledge transformation. The structured reflection log was designed to illustrate the critical social theory expectations of quality learning that teach students to think critically: ideology critique and utopian critique. Butin’s lenses and a reflection framework informed by the work of Bain, Ballantyne, Mills and Lester were used in the design of the service‐learning reflection log. Reported data provide evidence of transformational learning and highlight how the students critique their world and imagine how they could contribute to a better world in their work as a beginning teacher.     

Improving pre‐service teacher learning through peer teaching: process,people and product1

This research investigates the perceptions of first‐year Bachelor of Teaching students (primary and secondary) and Diploma of Education students (secondary) about their peer teaching experience in a postgraduate subject called Curriculum and Assessment. Peer teaching is a learner‐centred approach to teaching and learning that is intended to provide significant benefits for learners' knowledge, skills and metacognition. However, concerns have been raised over the quality of the learning and teaching and the risks associated with such a pedagogy. In the present study, student responses to questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews were analysed, using a mixed methods approach, with respect to three broad and somewhat interconnected categories: process, people and product. These responses suggested a wide range of reactions to peer teaching, but overall students feel they benefited from the experience. The findings of this study should be of interest to lecturers and students in pre‐service teacher education courses, especially. Knowledge about peer teaching, learning and assessment would be especially valuable for both education lecturers and beginning teachers seeking to design and manage learner‐centred pedagogy in their own primary, secondary and tertiary classrooms. However, the results of this research would have far‐reaching appeal for all teaching and learning contexts.     

Pre‐service teachers’ open‐minded thinking dispositions,readiness to learn,and attitudes about learning and behavioural difficulties in students

This self‐report study investigated 274 pre‐service teachers’ attitudes toward students with learning and behavioural difficulties (LBD) and the factors that predict their attitudes. Using four scenarios describing students with LBD, we investigated the degree to which pre‐service teachers’ open‐minded thinking dispositions, readiness to learn about students with LBD, beliefs about the role of regular classroom teachers in providing for these students, and emotions in relation to dealing with these students’ difficulties predict their likelihood of engaging in punitive reactions (e.g., giving a timeout) and planned behaviours (e.g., adapting instruction). Teachers with more open‐minded thinking dispositions and readiness to learn about students with LBD reported a higher likelihood of adapting instruction. Pre‐service teachers’ negative emotions partially mediated the relationship between their beliefs and punitive reactions and fully mediated the relationship between their open‐minded thinking dispositions and punitive reactions.     

Transforming Chinese teachers' thinking,learning and understanding via e‐learning

The Developing E‐learning for Teachers (DEfT) project, a collaborative venture between UK and Chinese universities, has produced e‐learning modules for master's level programmes for in‐service high school teachers in China. E‐learning offers Chinese teachers new and innovative forms of professional development and provides for transformative learning. The paper investigates teachers' online learning experiences and how e‐learning facilitates teacher transformation from three perspectives: the ‘learner‐centred perspective’, the ‘knowledge‐centred perspective’ and the ‘community‐centred perspective’. The paper concludes that e‐learning, while not without some caveats, is a feasible solution for the training needs of serving Chinese teachers.     

Collaborative learning in pre‐service teacher education: an exploratory study on related conceptions,self‐efficacy and implementation

In this study, the actual position of collaborative learning (CL) in teacher education is examined. One hundred and twenty teacher educators and 369 student teachers are surveyed on general educational beliefs, mental models and conceptions related to CL. The self‐efficacy and the implementation of CL are also taken under scrutiny. The results reveal that CL is highly valued as a teaching strategy for primary school children; however, student teachers do not prefer to collaborate themselves during their learning process. Student teachers’ self‐efficacy towards the use of CL is moderate. Collaborative learning is implemented once in a while in teacher education, and student teachers are not intensively trained in the pedagogical use of CL for their future classroom practice.     

University‐community engagement: exploring service‐learning options within the practicum

Since 1999, pre‐service teachers undertaking the Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) Program at the University of Western Sydney have participated in an alternate practicum called Professional Experience 3 (PE3). This practicum encourages students to engage in broader educational settings within local communities. Increasingly, a number of service‐learning opportunities have been developed, most notably, senior student tutoring programs and the involvement of students in the Plan‐It Youth project in conjunction with the Department of Education and Training (DET) and the South‐western Sydney Institute of TAFE. A focus of these programs has been to address the issues related to students at risk of leaving school early within the local South‐western Sydney community.

In this paper we discuss the benefits of these programs to the university, pre‐service‐teachers, school students and school communities, and the broader local community. Specifically, we examine service learning as a conduit for the development and maintenance of meaningful symbiotic relationships between the university and the educational community, and pre‐service teachers and the local community. Finally, we look towards the future and highlight the challenges and opportunities for service‐learning programs within the practicum.     

Outcomes of a service‐learning program for pre‐service teachers: links to Butin's conceptual model

The outcomes of a pilot Service‐learning Program designed for pre‐service teachers enrolled in a unit about inclusive education in an Australian University will be discussed in this paper. Service‐learning requires university or school students to become involved in their community in order to utilize knowledge learned at university. The program involves reciprocal relationships with organizations in which the service reinforces and strengthens the learning in the academic unit on inclusive education, and the learning reinforces the service for the organization. Pre‐service teachers completed 10 hours working in the community along with completing a service‐learning reflection log. Evaluation of the service‐learning reflection process as a pedagogy will be discussed using the conceptual lenses: technical, cultural, political and post modern. The data demonstrate evidence to suggest that Butin's four lenses can be supported by the reflection process associated with the Service‐learning Program described in this study and be used to construct an improved service‐learning reflection log for future students.     

Comparison of learning and study strategies of traditional and open‐learning‐system students in Turkey

This study compares the learning and study strategies of the students of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences of Cukurova University taking traditional on‐campus courses and those at the Open Learning Faculty of Anadolu University following an open learning programme. The evaluation was based on the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI), developed by Claire E. Weinstein (1987), together with a separate questionnaire to elaborate the findings.

Findings reveal that students of both groups have considerably lower scores, especially in the affective domain, in relation to the other college students answering the same items in previous evaluations. However no important difference has been found between the groups belonging to the traditional and open learning systems evaluated in this study.     

Lifelong learning and the low‐skilled

This article is a combined result of a three years research project on low‐skilled learners’ experiences as participants of various kinds of adult training and education in Denmark, and the findings of a three years research consortium on workplace learning, summing up and generalizing our various findings as to how low‐skilled adults function in relation to participation in training and education activities, how they feel about it, what is important to them, and consequently what works in practice in relation to this very important but often neglected group of adult learners.     

Emotional intelligence,self‐efficacy,and coping among Chinese prospective and in‐service teachers in Hong Kong

Emotional intelligence (intrapersonal and interpersonal) and general teacher self‐efficacy were assessed to represent personal resources facilitating active and passive coping in a sample of 273 Chinese prospective and in‐service teachers in Hong Kong. Intrapersonal emotional intelligence and interpersonal emotional intelligence were found to predict significantly active coping strategy, but teacher self‐efficacy did not contribute independently to the prediction of active coping even though there was some evidence that teacher self‐efficacy might interact with intrapersonal emotional intelligence in the prediction of active coping, especially for male teachers. The implications of the findings for preventive intervention efforts to combat teacher stress through teaching to enhance emotional intelligence are discussed.     

Pre‐service teachers’ preconceptions,misconceptions, and concerns about virtual schooling

Over the last decade, online distance education has become a common mode of study in most states in the USA, where it is known as virtual schooling (VS), but many people have misconceptions about it. Pre‐service teachers’ personal histories as students and their preconceptions, misconceptions, and concerns influence pre‐service teacher training experiences. A qualitative study of an introductory field experience course that included this new mode of schooling for the first time analyzed the personal journals and online discussion responses of 65 pre‐service teachers in the USA. Analysis identified that common misconceptions and concerns included career threat, viability of VS, academic dishonesty, reduced interaction, teacher feedback, and lack of rigor. The curriculum innovations in this innovative teacher preparation program were shown to address these misconceptions and concerns and facilitate understanding and acceptance of VS as an alternative form of education by many of these pre‐service teachers.     

A Professional Learning Experience for Pre‐service and In‐service Teachers and One Teacher Educator: reflections and lessons learned

Abstract

In this paper we reflect on our efforts during the 1992–93 academic school year to create a different type of teacher education experience — one based on active learning, and collegiality and mutuality. Drawing on a model for classroom‐based teacher development described by Thiessen (1992), we begin with an overview of how we worked to (a) improve the quality of learning for all participants; (b) create a supportive learning environment for all the stakeholders; (c) leant in the complex and changing situation of classroom life; (d) combine personally meaningful, educationally defensible and socially justifiable evaluation practices; and (e) engage in reflective, interactive and transformative experiences. After this we. describe tension we experienced, which resulted from a lack of shared vision among us and from our efforts to examine our own practice. We also explore how we tried to deal with the tension. We conclude with lessons learned from our experience which have led to new questions about teacher education reform.     

Motivation and self‐regulated science learning in high‐achieving students: differences related to nation,gender, and grade‐level

A total of three hundred and fifteen (n = 315) gifted students from the 10th and 12th grade from the United States (n = 102), China (n = 125) and Germany (n = 88) were surveyed regarding their motivation and self‐regulation in chemistry learning. A 3×2×2 MANOVA revealed “nation” as having the largest major effect on these variables. The American group scored higher in most of the motivational and self‐regulatory characteristics than their Chinese and German counterparts. Although in all samples gifted girls reported a higher effort goal orientation, they used superficial cognitive strategies in learning science more frequently than boys. In addition, students' effort goal orientation was less pronounced in higher grades in all samples.     

Freud,Plato and Irigaray: A morpho‐logic of teaching and learning

This article discusses two well‐known texts that respectively describe learning and teaching, drawn from the work of Freud and Plato. These texts are considered in psychoanalytic terms using a methodology drawn from the philosophy of Luce Irigaray. In particular the article addresses Irigaray's approach to the analysis of speech and utterance as a ‘cohesion between the source of the utterance and the utterance itself’ (Hass, 2000). I apply this approach to ask whether educational tradition has fractured the relationship between pedagogy and the body of the teacher/pupil. Teaching and learning are re‐addressed in ways that challenge the gender‐neutral representation of pedagogy as a systematic technique.     

A framework for developing pre‐service teachers’ competencies in using technologies to enhance teaching and learning

This paper presents a framework for developing pre‐service teachers’ competencies in using technologies to enhance teaching and learning. It focuses on building the capacity of teacher education institutions (TEI) based on six strategic dimensions: (1) vision and philosophy; (2) program; (3) professional learning of deans, teacher educators and support staff; (4) ICT plan, infrastructure, resources and support; (5) communications and partnerships; and (6) research and evaluation. This paper describes each of these six strategic dimensions and synthesizes these in the overall framework for developing pre‐service teachers’ competencies in generating technology‐enhanced teaching and learning.     

Twenty‐first century learning: communities,interaction and ubiquitous computing

Advanced technology makes 21st century learning, communities and interactions unique and leads people to an era of ubiquitous computing. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the discussion of learning in the 21st century. The paper will review literature on learning community, community learning, interaction, 21st century learning and ubiquitous computing. It will also present work conducted by a teacher who used a hand‐held device, one of the 21st century tools, in a sixth grade classroom in the USA. The authors suggest that 21st century learning involves five types of interactions: (a) learner–content, (b) learner–teacher, (c) learner–learner, (d) learner–interface and (e) learner–community. They also recommend that professionals explore the potential of hand‐held devices in education and conduct research on its effectiveness in learning.

L’apprentissage au vingt et unième siècle: les communautés, l’interaction et l’ordinateur passe‐partout

La technologie avancée donne leur caractère unique à l’apprentissage, aux communautés et aux interactions et conduit les gens vers l’ère de l’ordinateur passe partout. Le but de cet article est d’apporter une contribution au débat sur l’apprentissage au 21^e siècle. Cet article va passer en revue les publications sur les communautés d’apprentissage, l’apprentissage communautaire, l’interaction, l’apprentissage au 21^e siècle et l’informatique passe partout. Il présente aussi les travaux menés par un enseignant qui a utilisé un ordinateur de poche, un de ces outils du 21^e siècle, dans une classe de 6^e aux Etats‐Unis. Les auteurs pensent que l’apprentissage du 21^e siècle met en jeu cinq types d’interaction différents: a) apprenant/contenu, b)apprenant/enseignant, c)apprenant/apprenant, d)apprenant/interface, et e)apprenant/communauté. Ils recommandent aussi que les professionnels étudient les possibilités des ordinateurs de poche pour l’éducation et mènent des recherches sur leur efficacité en matière d’apprentissage.

Lernen des einundzwanzigsten Jahrhunderts: Gemeinschaften, Interaktion und der allgegenwärtige Einsatz von Computern

Fortschrittliche Technologie macht das Lernen, Gemeinschaften und Interaktionen im 21. Jahrhundert einzigartig und führt die Menschen zu einer Ära allgegenwärtiger Computernutzung. Der Zweck dieses Artikels ist, zur Diskussion über das Lernen im 21. Jahrhundert beizutragen. Das Papier überprüft Literatur über Lernumgebungen, Lernen in Gemeinschaften, Interaktionen, Lernen im 21. Jahrhundert und allgegenwärtige Computerbenutzung. Es zeigt auch den von einem Lehrer durchgeführten Versuch, mit einem “handheld”‐ Gerät, einem der technischen Hilfsmittel des 21.Jahrhunderts, in einer “sixth grade class” in den USA zu arbeiten. Die Autoren behaupten, dass das Lernen in diesem 21. Jahrhundert fünf Arten von Interaktionen umfasst: (a) Lerner – Inhalt, (b) Lerner – Lehrer, (c) Lerner ‐ Lerner, (d) Lerner – Schnittstelle und (e) Lerner ‐ Gemeinschaft. Sie empfehlen auch, dass Fachleute das Potential von “handheld”‐ Geräten im Bildungsbereich untersuchen und eine Einschätzung ihrer Wirksamkeit für das Lernen abgeben.     

Action research as a bridge between pre‐service teacher education and in‐service professional development for students and teacher educators

The first part of this paper describes the rationale for and process of engaging student teachers in action research during the fourth and final year of their teacher education, which is also their first year as teachers (induction year). During this year the novice teachers are engaged in an action research project as a compulsory assignment in the course ‘Teacher as researcher’. The objective of the course is to provide novice teachers with reflective tools for systematic examination of their work as teachers. The second part of the paper documents the learning process of the teachers of the course (which can also be viewed as action research), since we jointly planned the course, engaged in reflective dialogues with the students and among ourselves and systematically examined our work by personal diary writing and inviting informal and more formal (questionnaire) feedback from the students. The process of our action research is documented in this paper, whereas the product is hopefully implemented in teaching a better course and in more effective support of our students.

La première partie de cet article explique la logique d'une recherche basée sur l'action menée pendant la quatrième et dernière année de formation éducative, qui par ailleurs est aussi la première année de pratique comme enseignant (année d'essai). Pendant l'année, les novices doivent s'adonner à un projet de recherche pour le cours ‘Enseignant comme chercheur’ dont le but est de leur procurer des outils de réflexion pour pouvoir examiner systématiquement leur travail comme enseignant. La seconde partie de l'article illustre ce que nous, les professeurs du cours, apprenons, ce qui peut être considéré comme recherche basée sur l'action puisque nous avons pensé le cours conjointement, et avons établi des dialogues de réflexion avec les étudiants et entre nous, avons systématiquement examiné notre travail en tenant un journal, avons requis des commentaries critiques formels (sous forme d'un questionnaire) et informels des étudiants. Le processus de notre recherche basée sur l'action est illustré dans cet article et nous espérons que son fruit se fera sentir dans un cours meilleur et un soutien plus efficace des étudiants.

La primera parte de este trabajo describe el racional y el proceso de involucramiento de estudiantes de marcos de formación docente en la investigación en acción, durante el cuarto y último año de su formación, el cual a su vez constituye el primer año como docentes (año de prueba). Durante este año los jóvenes docentes se involucrarán en el proyecto de investigación en acción como una tarea obligatoria en el marco del curso ‘El docente como investigador’. El objetivo del curso es de proveer a los jóvenes docentes de herramientas reflexivas para lograr un análisis sistemático de su labor como docentes. La segunda parte del trabajo documenta el proceso de enseñanza de los docentes del curso, nosotros, que a su vez puede ser visto como una investigación en acción ya que hemos planificado el curso en conjunto, nos sumergimos en diálogos reflexivos con los estudiantes y entre nosotros, y hemos analizado sistemáticamente nuestra tarea a través de la escritura de un diario personal, además de solicitar en forma informal y más formal (cuestionario) una retroalimentación de parte de los estudiantes. El proceso de investigación en acción se documenta en este trabajo, esperamos que el producto del mismo sea implementado en el mejoramiento del curso y un apoyo más eficaz para nuestros estudiantes.

Der erste Teil dieses Artikels beschreibt die Leitgedanken und Vorgehensweise eines Aktionsforschungsprojekts mit Lehramtsstudenten im vierten (somit letzten) Jahr ihrer Ausbildung, das zugleich ihr erstes Jahr als Lehrer ist (‘Bewährungsjahr’). Im Laufe dieses Jahrs sind die Neulehrer verpflichtet, an einem Aktionsforschungsprojekt im Rahmen einer Pflichtlehrveranstaltung, ‘Lehrende als Forschende’ teilzunehmen. Ziel dieser Lehrveranstaltung ist es, Neulehrer mit reflektiven Instrumenten für die systematische Untersuchung ihrer eigenen Arbeit als Lehrer auszurüsten. Im zweiten Teil dieses Artikels wird der Lernprozess der Lehrpersonen dokumentiert, die diese Pflichtlehrveranstaltung gemeinsam entwickelten und abhalten. In kritsch‐reflektivem Dialog mit den Studierenden und miteinander, durch Führen eines perseonlichen Tagebuchs und Auseinandersetzung mit formalen und informalen Reaktionen der Studierenden auf die Lehrveranstaltung, fand somit ein Aktionsforschungsprojekt der Lehrerausbilder selbst statt. Der Lernprozess, der sich in diesem Artikel niederschlägt, wird in einer verbesserten Lehrveranstaltung und einer effektiveren Unterstützung der Studierenden beim Übergang in die Berufswirklichkeit umgesetzt.     

Achievements and attitudes of tenth‐grade students learning by individual learning methods

Learning achievements and attitudes towards individualized learning in biology of tenth‐grade students in Israel were studied. For this purpose the subject concerned with the blood system was developed in terms of eleven self‐learning subject modules for individualized learning. Of the 557 students who participated in the study, 340 students used the individualized method whilst 214 students learned the same subject by the standard traditional method. The results indicate better achievement by students learning individually, especially average and fast students, and also girls. In the light of the results it is recommended that the individualized method be used especially in heterogeneous classes where the teacher would be free to help the slow students while average and fast students could learn without teacher assistance.     

Development of decision‐making skills and environmental concern through computer‐based,scaffolded learning activities

This article focuses on the development of decision‐making skills and environmental concern by 11‐ and 12‐year‐old students through computer‐based, scaffolded learning activities. The enacted activities provided necessary scientific information and allowed for the consideration of multiple aspects of the problem, the study of the effects of every possible solution and the formulation and balancing of criteria. The optimization strategy for decision making was adopted, because it allows for the development of compensatory thinking which is more relevant to actual situations of decision making. Twelve students participated in the pilot enactment of the proposed activities. Data collection relied on students’ reports and pre‐ and post‐ tests as well as a closed questionnaire designed to measure students’ environmental concern. The teaching intervention proved quite successful in enhancing the decision‐making skills of the participating children. Moreover, students’ performance on the environmental concern questionnaire correlated in interesting ways with the improvement of decision‐making skills.     

Triple‐X and passivity — barriers to learning

Abstract

Triple‐X Syndrome is a little‐known condition that is found in approximately one‐in‐a‐thousand girls. The effects are not readily observable and are variable, particularly in the area of academic achievement. However, passivity and delayed expressive language skills are generally noted as characteristics of the syndrome and are very likely to have implications for the child's learning. The extremely passive nature of the child may mean that explicit and direct teaching is required if learning is to keep pace with peers. This paper presents a single case study involving a seventeen‐year‐old girl with Triple‐X. It describes and explains a ’later’ intervention program based on sight recognition of common words, use of controlled text, short‐term auditory memory training, and development of semantic skills and working memory. The program proved successful in improving reading, short‐term memory, and spoken language skills.