Microteaching and pre-service teachers’ sense of self-efficacy in teaching

This study examined the effect of microteaching on pre-service teachers’ sense of self-efficacy in teaching using a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design. The sample of the study consisted of 70 pre-service teachers on a special education teacher preparation programme. The pre-service teachers in the experimental group were exposed to microteaching training for one semester. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale was administered to all pre-service teachers as a pre-test at the beginning and as a post-test at the end of the semester. The results revealed that the pre-service teachers in the experimental group showed statistically significant greater progress in terms of sense of self-efficacy in teaching than those in the control group. In addition, the results highlighted that microteaching had a positive impact on developing pre-service teachers’ sense of self-efficacy in teaching.     

The tension in pre-service teachers’ explorations of tablet technology for literacy purposes: positive beliefs and practical shortcomings

Abstract

This mixed-method study sought to examine the experiences of a group of 21 pre-service teachers in a collegiate literacy education class which required a semester-long exploration of the potential of tablets to enhance the reading skills of youngsters. The quantitative portions of the study identified the participants’ daily use habits of electronic devices as well as their views on what is known as the new literacies. In the qualitative portions of the study, interviews and journal entries of the pre-service teachers were gathered relative to their experiences in devising literacy learning experiences using tablets. While these prospective teachers were avid users of electronic devises and confident in their abilities to use technology, they found considerable difficulty in preparing literacy-enhancing instruction which used tablet devices, which clearly points to the need for attention in teacher training programs to the use of tablet technology infused throughout teacher education courses.     

Practicum experiences as sources of pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy

This study examines physical education pre-service teachers’ (PTs) self-efficacy and practicum experiences as self-efficacy sources through a mixed-method approach. For the quantitative phase, a self-efficacy questionnaire was applied to 141 PTs. Results showed a stronger self-efficacy in the relationship with students and discipline promotion. Lower self-efficacy was linked to instructional strategies. Concerning the qualitative phase, eight PTs were interviewed. PTs with higher self-efficacy reported professional experiences before practicum as mastery experiences. During the practicum they highlighted as mastery experiences: classes’ characteristics, planning and teaching practice; lesson observation as vicarious experiences; and post-lesson conversations as verbal persuasion. PTs with lower self-efficacy reported classes’ characteristics and teaching practice as failure experiences. Lesson observation was linked to negative vicarious experiences and post-lesson conversations were associated to negative emotions and the absence of verbal persuasion. This study’s results have implications inasmuch as they confirm the role of the practicum in teacher education programmes and the importance of training supervisors in the implementation and management of the training experience, thus contributing to PTs’ self-efficacy development.     

The palimpsest layers of pre-service teachers’ literacy autobiographies

In this article, we examine three literacy autobiographies written by pre-service teachers. Narratives are seen as not just stories relating a set of facts, but rather a means by which individuals interpret their experience. Literacy autobiographies are a reflective and interpretive account of one’s development as a literate being. Using the tools of narrative analysis, we (a) examine these stories to understand the processes of literacy development through the experiences of learners’ storied lives; (b) seek to understand the impact that teachers’ literacy journeys have on their view of literacy and literacy education; and (c) explore what these literacy autobiographies reveal about the contributions of teacher reflection to pre-service teacher education. Our analysis points to the importance of personal relationships in the development of literacy, providing the context within which literacy practices give meaning to the literacy events active in the narrators’ lives. We also note a persistent view of traditional forms of literacy in contrast to pre-service teachers’ involvement in multiliteracies, and argue that this gap needs to be addressed in order to prepare teachers for the twenty-first century classroom. We also consider how reflection can be a more intentional aspect of pre-service teacher education to enhance pedagogy and learning.     

Philosophy,neuroscience and pre-service teachers’ beliefs in neuromyths: A call for remedial action

Hitherto, the contribution of philosophers to Neuroscience and Education has tended to be less than enthusiastic, though there are some notable exceptions. Meanwhile, the pervasive influence of neuromyths on education policy, curriculum design and pedagogy in schools is well documented. Indeed, philosophers have sometimes used the prevalence of neuromyths in education to bolster their opposition to neuroscience in teacher education courses. By contrast, this article views the presence of neuromyths in education as a call for remedial action, including philosophical action. The empirical basis of this article is a survey, conducted over a period of three years, involving a total of 1144 first-year pre-service student teachers, which revealed alarming levels of belief in five common neuromyths related to children and learning. This study also attempted to probe the origins of these mistaken beliefs and why they gain traction. The findings suggest an urgent need in teacher education to address the problem of neuromyths, not simply because they are mistaken, they often misdirect valuable resources and mislabel children. The article calls for a compulsory unit on neuroscience and education in all courses of teacher education. Moreover, teaching neuroscience in education cannot be left to specialist neuroscientists, philosophers must be involved.     

A rubric to track the development of secondary pre-service and novice teachers’ summative assessment literacy

Abstract

Teachers require specialised assessment knowledge and skills in order to effectively assess student learning. These knowledge and skills develop over time through ongoing teacher learning and experiences. The first part of this paper presents a Summative Assessment Literacy Rubric (SALRubric) constructed to track the development of secondary science teachers’ summative assessment literacy. The analytic rubric consists of 10 dimensions spread across three categories drawn from the literature and context-specific empirical evidence: knowledge of assessment, understanding the context for assessment, and recognising the impact of assessment. The second part of this paper applies the SALRubric in a case study to explore the development of summative assessment literacy of New Zealand secondary science pre-service and novice teachers. An increasing sophistication in these teachers’ summative assessment literacy was evident over 20 months albeit in a nuanced manner for individual teachers. The rubric was a very useful tool for evaluating and documenting shifts in teachers’ summative assessment literacy over time. Implications of the use of SALRubric are discussed in terms of summative assessment literacy practice and development.     

The effect of student teaching experience and teacher beliefs on pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy and intention to use technology in teaching

The student teaching experience has been considered important in establishing pre-service teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards their teaching. However, few studies have investigated the effect of student teaching experiences as an educational intervention for increasing technology integration – especially pre-service teachers’ pedagogical beliefs as an internal barrier to technology integration. Thus, this study examined how technology-centred student teaching experiences differently affect pre-service teachers with different teaching beliefs with regard to self-efficacy and intention to use technology. Participants were 55 pre-service teachers in a student teaching practicum. The findings revealed that technology-centred student teaching experiences increased pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy regardless of their teacher beliefs. Additionally, pre-service teachers with traditional teacher beliefs had a low level of intention at the outset but significantly increased their intention after experiencing technology-centred student teaching; however, those with constructivist teacher beliefs showed no meaningful differences in their intention levels. Implications for teacher education and the limitations of this study are discussed.     

Inquiry of pre-service teachers’ concern about integrating Web 2.0 into instruction

To promote technology integration, it is essential to address pre-service teacher (PST) concerns about facilitating technology-enhanced learning environments. This study adopted the Concerns-Based Adoption Model to investigate PST concern on Web 2.0 integration. Four hundred and eighty-nine PSTs in a teacher education university in north Taiwan participated in this study, achieving a response rate of almost 50%. Participants completed online surveys at their convenience over a two-week period. Significant relationships between the concern and a few personal characteristics were found. The PST concern was most intense in the self-concern stage and then fluctuated from task-concern to impact-concern within a small range. Findings of the study provide valuable insights for personalising teacher education as to how levels of concern, self-efficacy for teaching, teacher knowledge and demographics influence the change process required for Web 2.0 integration in instruction.     

Understanding teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy in inclusive education: implications for pre-service and in-service teacher education

Although there are clear differences in national policies regarding inclusive education, the international debate has not fully considered their impact on implementation within different countries, for example on teacher education. This paper reports on results from a comparative study of in-service teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy in implementing inclusive practices in South Africa and Finland and its implications for teacher education in these countries. A sample of 319 South African and 822 Finnish primary and secondary education teachers completed a questionnaire containing a scale measuring sentiments, attitudes and concerns on inclusive education as well as a scale measuring teachers’ self-efficacy in implementing inclusive practices. A comparative analysis indicated that whereas the overall sentiments towards disabilities were positive in both countries, teachers had many concerns about the consequences of including children with disabilities in their classrooms. While the most positive aspect of self-efficacy among the South African teachers was their self-efficacy in managing behaviour, the Finnish teachers saw this as their weakest point. Self-efficacy, in particular efficacy in collaboration, was clearly related to overall attitudes towards inclusion. The implications of these findings for pre-service and in-service teacher education are discussed.     

Measuring pre-service teachers’ Asia literacy and their preparedness to teach Asia

Asia literacy is a growing concern of the Federal Government in relation to the development of an Asia literate workforce. Despite 30 years of funded initiatives, the thought of teaching about Asia is a daunting one for pre-service teachers. This is due to the lack of Asia foci in university pre-service courses and complicated by the definition of Asia literacy. This study sought to identify the Asia literacy needs of 54 undergraduate pre-service students in a teacher education programme of study at a regional university. Results of this study indicated that few respondents considered themselves to be Asia literate and most did not believe they were ready to teach about Asia. However, the majority of respondents wanted to know more about Asia prior to graduation. The results indicate that much needs to be done to support students and universities in preparing students to teach about Asia.     

Effectiveness of case-based learning instruction on pre-service teachers’ chemistry motivation and attitudes toward chemistry

Background: The development of primary pre-service teachers’ chemistry motivation and attitudes toward chemistry were examined in order to develop their science literacy using case-based learning. Students’ ideas were emphasized, real-life situations were discussed, and students could share their ideas and knowledge with peers; as a result, students were active in the learning process.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of using case-based learning instruction to increase pre-service primary teachers’ chemistry motivation and improve their attitudes toward chemistry as a school subject.

Sample: The subjects of this study consisted of 51 (20 female, 31 male) freshman primary pre-service teachers from an urban university in Turkey. The mean age of the primary pre-service teachers was 21.

Design and methods: One group pre-test and post-test design was used. A chemistry motivation questionnaire and chemistry attitude scale were used for data collection. For the data analysis, two-way repeated measures of ANOVA and repeated measures MANOVA were conducted.

Results: The results indicated that the mean of the attitude score after the treatment was significantly greater than the mean of the attitude before the treatment. The results also demonstrated that there is no significant difference between females and males. According to the results of the study, there is no significant difference between primary pre-service teachers’ chemistry motivation. However, some chemistry motivation constructs mean scores are greater after the treatment.

Conclusions: In sum, it could be stated that case-based learning is helpful for the development of students’ chemistry motivation and attitudes toward chemistry.     

A strategy to improve pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy towards inclusive physical education for students with intellectual disability and autism

This study sought to investigate the effect of adapted physical education (APE) courses and practica on pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy (SE) towards inclusive physical education (PE) for students with intellectual disability (ID) and autism. Three hundred and fifty-six students (male?=?254, female?=?102) enrolled in adapted physical education teacher education (APETE) programmes in Korea participated in a specially developed survey which was analysed using multilevel modeling. The results of a multilevel modeling analysis revealed that APE courses and practica do indeed have a significant effect on the pre-service teachers’ SE towards teaching students with ID and autism in general PE classes. Study participants reported that taking more than 15 APE credits significantly improved their level of SE.     

Teachers’ academic training for literacy instruction

Literacy instruction is a powerful determinant of children’s academic and school outcomes. Teachers’ training for literacy instruction is therefore critical for children’s reading learning. The present study examined the contents of 130 courses related to literacy instruction from a representative national sample of primary teachers’ undergraduate programs (N = 81), to address the following issues: which courses, related to literacy instruction, are included in the curriculum of undergraduate training programs? Which is the weight of the courses in undergraduate programs? What are the contents of the courses? The results show that most critical features of literacy instruction are included in the course contents of most programs (e.g. phonics, theory of literature). Still, some other critical features are underrepresented (reading/writing comprehension skills) or apparently missing (assessment and intervention in reading/writing problems). Moreover, the time allocated to literacy instruction seems to be scarce. Still, wide differences across university programs and courses were found.     

Differentiated instruction: Hong Kong prospective teachers’ teaching efficacy and beliefs

Catering for learner diversity is one of the key areas in the recent educational reform in Hong Kong. Pre-service teacher education acts as a fundamental way to equip pre-service teachers ready for accommodating diverse learning needs and to build up pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy. The purpose of the study is to examine prospective teachers’ teaching beliefs toward differentiated instruction and teaching efficacy. Using a sequential mixed methods design that contains a questionnaire, focus group interviews, and individual interviews, prospective teachers undertaking a 13-session course regarding differentiated instruction as offered by a local university in Hong Kong participated in the study from January to April 2013. Changes in teaching beliefs regarding differentiated instruction as well as teaching efficacy levels were found. More positive attitudes toward differentiated teaching were found; however, there existed different concerns including class management and conflicts with personal teaching beliefs. These concerns may be related to practical experiences and confidence as well as expectations upon students. Implications for future course development and research are discussed at the end of the paper.     

Examining shifts in preservice teachers’ beliefs and attitudes toward writing instruction

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of integrating self-reflection, focused instruction, and field practice in a semester-long language arts course in order to shift early childhood preservice teachers’ (PSTs) beliefs and attitudes about writing instruction, as well as their development and planned use of tools for instruction. The findings revealed that a course focused primarily on preparing PSTs to teach writing can influence PSTs’ definitions of writing, the importance they place on writing instruction, their self-efficacy related to teaching writing, and their tools for instruction.     

Predicting pre-service teachers’ preparedness for inclusive education: Bangladeshi pre-service teachers’ attitudes and perceived teaching-efficacy for inclusive education

This study reports on the second phase of a larger study, which investigated the preparedness of pre-service teachers to teach in inclusive classrooms in Bangladesh. Phase 1 employed two standardised scales that were used with 1623 pre-service teachers from 16 teacher education institutions to measure their attitudes and perceived teaching-efficacy for inclusive education. The findings of Phase 1 indicated that the level and length of training, along with gender, influenced both teacher attitudes and teaching-efficacy. In Phase 2, semi-structured interviews with six administrative heads of the pre-service teacher education institutions were conducted in order to better understand these findings. Outcomes of Phase 2 indicated that curriculum, teacher-related and a number of contextual variables may explain the differences in the findings of this study that were in sharp contrast to those from previous international research. Recommendations for policy and curriculum reform for pre-service teacher education are also made.     

A comparative study of Chinese and United States pre-service teachers’ perceptions about ethical issues in classroom assessment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of pre-service teachers in the United States and China about ethics of classroom assessment practices. To investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions, we developed 36 scenarios that described teachers’ actions or thoughts related to ethics and assessment practices. Participants were 173 pre-service teachers in the U.S. and 174 pre-service teachers in China. Overall, the perceptions of Chinese and American respondents were divided within countries on different scenarios. In addition, chi-square analyses contrasting Chinese responses with American responses indicated that the pre-service teachers had statistically significant differences in their opinions on 22 out of 36 scenarios, but only 13 had practical significance (effect size ≥ .3). Chinese and American pre-service teachers had similar perceptions on 14 scenarios. In some instances, respondents’ perceptions of the ethics of assessment practices depicted in the scenarios did not agree with the literature on classroom assessment. The findings offer insights for developing ethical guidelines in classroom assessment in both cultures. In addition, we recommend that cultural issues as related to ethics should be included in assessment courses for pre-service teachers.     

A multi-year study of pre-service teachers’ literacy practices in the content areas: time epistemologies and indicators of stasis and growth

This three-year study focuses on 42 pre-service teachers’ perspectives on integrating literacy into their content area teaching. Pre-service teachers described time as an influential factor shaping their teaching practices, and, we found, that perceptions of time influenced pre-service teachers’ reported ability and willingness to plan for and enact the implementation of literacy strategies as part of content area lessons. While we noted a number of factors related to time, we were particularly drawn to three time-related factors that signified for pre-service teacher participants’ active roles and agency in how they were enacted in the classroom. Identifying temporal concerns about curriculum, learner response to literacy practices, and use of classroom time to scaffold learning allowed us to specify aspects of participants’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) development as well as facets of limited PCK growth. Using time as a theoretical lens to view pre-service teachers’ accounts of literacy practices, we suggest, provides insights into their PCK, specifically indicators of stasis and growth, and understanding about pre-service teacher resistance or acceptance to the infusion of literacy into content area teaching.     

Technological and pedagogical support for pre-service teachers’ lesson planning

Successful use of ICT in the classroom requires thoughtful integration of technology and pedagogical processes during lesson preparation. This study investigated whether the information format of technological and pedagogical support affects pre-service teachers’ technology integration in lesson plans. One group of pre-service teachers (n = 37) received support materials that presented technological, pedagogical and content information separately; another group (n = 36) received a version of these materials in which the technological and pedagogical information was integrated. Pre-service teachers used these support materials to create a technology-infused lesson plan. As expected, the pre-service teachers who received integrated support had relatively more design justifications in which technology and pedagogy were combined than their peers from the separate support group. However, this more advanced reasoning did not materialise in higher-quality lesson plans. Future research should investigate whether pre-training in the use of ICT could improve the effects of integrated support.