Is there room for multidimensional learning in a standardized curriculum?

This article presents the results of a study that interpreted views of curriculum and practice of teacher education faculty at a public institution of higher learning in the USA. It offers information about the ongoing challenges of affecting a balanced approach to teacher education at colleges and universities in a standardized learning setting. Participants' responses indicated professors perceive curriculum and standardization differently than instructors. Professors are more likely to describe the curriculum they teach ideologically whereas instructors described course content or paraphrased course titles. Further, professors were more likely to question whether they were meeting the needs of students and the impact of the standardization of curriculum. These findings raise many questions about the intellectual integrity of teacher preparation programs that are increasingly standardized and increasingly reliant on instructors rather than tenured faculty to teach program courses.     

Preparing Our Teachers for Distance Education

Abstract. Much of the focus in the distance education (DE) literature centers around the learner and learning, almost to the exclusion of the teacher and teaching. Consequently, instructors of DE courses have been left suspended in virtual space. This article focuses on the teachers' position in the DE course content, especially with respect to the type of training they receive. An example of an alternate mode of teacher preparation is presented and suggestions for improvement in DE teacher training are discussed.     

Alternative Routes to Teaching in Secondary Education in The Netherlands

In recent years teacher education colleges have started to offer more alternative routes to teaching in secondary education. The development is a response to teacher shortages but also to a change in thinking about teaching as a profession, professional learning and the school as site of learning. Three alternative routes were studied. The characteristics of the new students and the way teacher colleges adapt their programmes to these new students are discussed. The alternative teacher education programmes realise characteristics of 'work-based learning' to a certain extent, but not yet fully. Alternative routes are a promising development in teacher education, opening new opportunities to enter teaching, and marking a change in the role of schools as important environment of teachers' professional learning.     

Using a Wiki in a Scientist-Teacher Professional Learning Community: Impact on Teacher Perception Changes

In this study, a wiki was integrated into a professional development model that systemically addresses early-career teachers?? needs. This study was conducted to examine the impact of wiki-based professional development activities in a scientist-teacher professional learning community and focused on early-career teachers?? perceptions of the role of wiki technology and knowledge of teaching through inquiry. Teachers participated in the Professional Learning Community Model for Entry into Teaching Science (PLC-METS), a professional development program that is based on an integrated teacher education model of knowledge sharing, collaboration, and communication between teachers and scientists, with the goal of supporting early-career teachers?? ability to engage their students in scientific inquiry. The use of a wiki environment to collaborate on activities, deliver resources, and share knowledge is rapidly expanding in professional development communities. The use of the wiki in PLC-METS positively predicted the results of teachers?? knowledge of inquiry-based teaching. Results demonstrate that the wiki can contribute to building a learning community for collaboration between early-career science teachers and scientists. The paper also discusses the educational implications for the design of wiki-based professional learning communities that impact teachers?? professional development.     

Teaching and learning cultures in higher education: a mismatch in conceptions

ABSTRACT

Instructional approaches in higher education that foster learning based on internal values are required with the enrollment of wider and more diverse audiences. The current study explores this challenge with a focus on the relationship between students’ learning cultures and the way instructors’ view them. We interviewed 76 students and six instructors at an established academic institution. Data comprised of 210 students’ and 146 instructors’ utterances that were analyzed using mixed methods. Findings revealed a mismatch of instructors’ conceptions about the learning culture of the typical student, potentially leading to compromises in their teaching practices. We provide evidence that reciprocal relations exist between cultures of teaching and learning, contributing to the wicked challenges of rethinking the role of teachers in reinforcing passive learning cultures in undergraduate education. Adoption of internal-based values teaching approaches can help break this feedback loop.     

Retaining public and political trust: teacher education in Scotland

This paper traces the key periods, players and events which have contributed to the shaping of the current landscape of teacher education in Scotland. Starting with the Wheatley Report and the formation of the General Teaching Council (Scotland) in the 1960s through to the most recent Donaldson Review of Teacher Education, we examine ebb and flow amongst GTCS, government, colleges of education and universities. Following its own trajectory, Scottish Education resisted and rejected policies emanating from an ‘English’ ideology, capitalised on respect for and influence of the GTCS, and successfully moved teacher education’s base from autonomous colleges to high-status universities. At the core of teacher education in Scotland is the continuing desire for partnership-working amongst key stakeholders: local and national government, GTCS, schools, teacher education institutions, teaching unions, parents and pupils. A teaching profession of trained graduates, underpinned by university-led subject study, is now moving steadily towards Masters-level professional learning for all. Although having faced some troubled episodes, this period has also been characterised by remarkable stability and consensus and, although still tackling the improvement agenda suggested by the recent Donaldson review, teacher education in Scotland has retained a high degree of public and political trust.     

Active learning not associated with student learning in a random sample of college biology courses

Previous research has suggested that adding active learning to traditional college science lectures substantially improves student learning. However, this research predominantly studied courses taught by science education researchers, who are likely to have exceptional teaching expertise. The present study investigated introductory biology courses randomly selected from a list of prominent colleges and universities to include instructors representing a broader population. We examined the relationship between active learning and student learning in the subject area of natural selection. We found no association between student learning gains and the use of active-learning instruction. Although active learning has the potential to substantially improve student learning, this research suggests that active learning, as used by typical college biology instructors, is not associated with greater learning gains. We contend that most instructors lack the rich and nuanced understanding of teaching and learning that science education researchers have developed. Therefore, active learning as designed and implemented by typical college biology instructors may superficially resemble active learning used by education researchers, but lacks the constructivist elements necessary for improving learning.     

高职院校成人混合教学模式设计:基于SPOC视角

信息技术与成人教育领域的深度融合为成人教育的课程教学改革提供了新的视角。基于SPOC视角的混合教学模式是对现有教学环境、教学内容、教学方法和教学过程的有效创新,可以解决高职院校成人教育面临的教学供需失衡、教学资源低质、师资力量不足和理论与实践脱节的现实困境,保证了成人教学的完整性、个别性、持续性和特殊性。基于此,从教学准备、教学实施、教学评价对成人混合教学模式进行设计,重点对教学实施中教师导学和学生学习任务进行具体分工设计,可以从教学模式角度对高职院校成人教育的发展提供新的思路。     

Teaching Philosophy of Education: The Value of Questions

The teaching of foundations courses, and in particular philosophy of education, is frequently under siege in teacher education programs across Canada, as these programs struggle to meet other demands on student teachers. This article results from a panel discussion addressing the context of a variety of undergraduate philosophy of education courses across the country, and the principles and practices instructors take in teaching their discipline. The result of the discussion is a strong argument in favour of teaching philosophy of education as an important means of achieving many of the other aims Faculties of Education and teacher education programs have for their teacher education students, in an atmosphere of reflective thought about the profession and its challenges.     

教师教育视野下高师院校存在的问题及其对策

随着教师教育改革的逐步深化,我国高师院校原有的固定模式,已逐渐凸显不适应性,集中表现在观念及定位不准确,体系体制的独立封闭,学科结构与专业设置的单一狭窄,培养培训的封闭单一,内部管理不协调,课程单一空乏与学习方法手段传统,诸多方面。为此,我国高师院校应当在确立合理的办学目标、构建“大学加师范”的新型教师教育体系、推进职前职后的一体化、调整人才培养模式、改革课程与教学、突出师范特色和推进综合化发展等方面采取相应措施,以顺利地、全面地稳步推进我国教师教育发展。     

美国《中学数学教与学》教材的特点及其对中国数学教师教育的启示

美国《中学数学教与学》是初中年级数学教师教育"数学教学法"课程的教材,其特点表现为:单元主题以数学教学理论为线索呈现,单元内容以具体数学知识为载体展开并且以参与式活动的形式组织教学活动.该教材对我国的数学教师教育有如下启示:数学教师教育课程应以数学知识为载体学习数学教育理论;数学教师教育教材应突出教学方式的示范性,体现做中学,在数学教学活动中学习数学教学方法;数学教师教育应注重教师学科专业素质的提升.     

Encountering Pedagogy through Relational Art Practices

Two artists involved in ‘socially engaged art’ practice were invited to work with art education teacher candidates and instructors in an effort to rethink notions of teaching, learning and art. We initiated this residency, which we called ‘The Summerhill Residency’, to examine how learning encounters might create environments for meaningful exchanges between the ways in which artists and secondary art education teacher candidates learn to think about pedagogy and the nature of artistic learning. Drawing upon Bourriaud's theory of relational aesthetics, we consider, yet trouble, the relational aspects of the processes and products of the artist residency, and examine the crisis of imagination that permeated teacher candidates' experiences. Throughout the project, a/r/tography offered a rich form of living enquiry that opened up possibilities for learning within a community of enquirers.     

Investigation of chemistry graduate teaching assistants' teacher knowledge and teacher identity

Graduate students play an integral role in undergraduate chemistry education at doctoral granting institutions where they routinely serve as instructors of laboratories and supplementary discussion sessions. Simultaneously, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) balance major research and academic responsibilities. Although GTAs have substantial instructional facetime with large numbers of undergraduate students, little is known about their conceptions of teaching or their identities as teachers. To investigate the knowledge that GTAs have regarding teaching in this unique context, their teaching identities, and how these developed, we conducted 22 interviews with graduate students from several universities at various levels in their graduate school career using a modified Teacher Beliefs Interview. Interviews were analyzed for two overarching teacher learning constructs: teacher knowledge and teacher identity. We characterized chemistry GTAs' teacher knowledge and identity and determined major influencing factors. We found that chemistry GTAs often identified as a tutor or lab manager, which hindered their self-investment in developing as teachers. The results presented herein contribute to an understanding of GTAs' teacher knowledge, teacher identity, and their teaching context, from which training can be designed to best support GTA development.     

Researching the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: An Analysis of Current Curriculum Practices

The purpose of this study was to analyze how instructors designed courses for scholarship of teaching and learning initiatives. The case studies and qualitative analyses of the data revealed that some instructors are approaching teaching as an investigative process. Informed by multiple assessment methods, the participating instructors explored how changes in course designs can improve student learning and development. The results of this study illustrate that these instructors reflected on their course designs and emphasized the quality of student learning and its improvement, which helps to address the public's expectations of higher education institutions as centers of academic excellence.     

以“顶岗实习”为契机,深化教师教育实践教学体系改革

教育实习是高等师范院校教师教育专业教学计划的重要组成部分,是中小学教师培养不可或缺的重要环节。文章旨在探讨在我国基础教育新课程改革的大背景下,如何以落实教育部大力提倡的师范生"顶岗实习支教,置换教师培训"为契机,推动我国教师教育实践教学体系的深化改革。     

行动导向理论的教学论解读

行动导向教学是在德国职教界很流行的一种教学理论,它以行动知识的知识观,倡导基于工作过程的行动学习.注重学习的实践性、操作性,培养学生的专业能力、方法能力和社会能力,发挥教师在教学中设计者、组织者、咨询者、指导者的作用.     

现代远程高等教育教学体系的构建及其管理的研究

“现代远程高等教育教学体系的构建及其管理研究”着眼于远程高等教育研究的理论前沿,坚持实践研究和行动研究,比较系统地构建了以远程自主学习为核心,以教育者、教学资源、学习者为基本关系,以学习论、课程论、教学模式论、教学资源论、教学技术论、教学过程论、素质教育论、学习支持服务论、教学评价论、教学管理论为主要内容的现代远程高等教育教学及其管理体系的基本框架。这一研究成果填补了我国现代远程高等教育教学体系研究的空白。     

Teacher Beliefs: The Impact of the Design of Constructivist Learning Environments on Instructor Epistemologies

Promoting student epistemological development is seen as a goal of higher education. Further, the epistemological beliefs of instructors have been shown to affect their teaching beliefs and behaviors. Some argue that only when instructors are epistemologically advanced will they be able to engage in pedagogical activities that encourage student epistemological development. This study examines the impact of the design of constructivist learning environments on university instructors’ epistemological belief systems. Constructivist learning environments are technology-based environments that present learners with authentic problems, that are supported by cases similar to the problem being posed, and learning-support strategies such as modeling, coaching, and scaffolding. Instructors’ epistemologies might be impacted by engaging in constructivist learning environment design because the process requires instructors to think about their discipline in non-traditional ways. Results of this qualitative inquiry suggests that instructors who are in a zone of ‘readiness’ for intellectual growth could experience epistemological growth from this experience.     

Learning to teach science: Personal epistemologies,teaching goals,and practices of teaching

The purpose of this study was to understand what personal epistemologies and science teaching goals preservice secondary science teachers of a teacher education program in the USA bring with them to their learning to teach and how they translate such beliefs into actions. A set of essay questions, developed through a pilot study, was used to identify preservice teachers’ personal epistemologies and teaching goals at the beginning of science methods instruction. Classroom observation reports, video recorded teaching episodes, lesson plans and self-video reflections were collected to identify connections between their epistemologies, teaching goals, and practice of teaching. Relational and ontological dimensions of epistemological beliefs were found to be useful for understanding preservice teachers’ personal epistemologies and teaching practices. The data suggests that the participants’ espoused teaching goals were relevant to their personal epistemologies when differentiating naïve personal epistemologies from the sophisticated, and their emerging teaching practices demonstrated shifts in personal epistemologies and potential for further development in teaching practices. Findings indicate sources of how teaching practices are shaped. Implications for teacher education include needs for addressing ways to deal with teaching constraints for constructivist teaching approaches, collaboration with content course instructors, critical reflection on field experience, and developing induction programs that support continuing development of emerging teaching practices.     

The potential of teaching schools in enabling student teacher learning for the teaching profession

In 2011 the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa was promulgated. This framework proposes the establishment of teaching schools to strengthen pre-service teacher education. This study arises from this initiative. A generic qualitative study was undertaken to explore the views of research participants from selected teacher education institutions and schools in South Africa on the potential of teaching schools to enable student teacher learning for the teaching profession. The key findings are that teaching schools can potentially make a distinctive contribution towards enabling student teacher learning for the teaching profession through student teachers experiencing good teaching in a model environment and through coordinating experiences in coursework and at the school. The discussion of the findings points to the distinctive potentialities of teaching schools for strengthening teacher education. The notion of hybridity and third space is invoked as a heuristic to shed light on the developing of a true collaborative relationship between the teacher education institution and the teaching school for enabling student teacher learning for the teaching profession.