Teachers' Work and Schooling in Bali

This study addresses educational reform in Indonesia with reference to one of the most important potential agents of change in any national system of schooling - its teachers. The empirical data on secondary teachers and trainee teachers used here are taken from a larger case study of the attitudes and opinions of stakeholders in the education system of North Bali. Secondary teachers in Bali, as elsewhere in Indonesia, are seriously underpaid, but not necessarily undervalued in the community. They take on other jobs to support themselves and their families, yet they do not lack commitment to the professional task of teaching. It is argued that financial pressure on teachers to find other sources of remuneration militates against their capacity to act as agents of change in the rapidly reforming Indonesian state. Furthermore, teaching is not often seen as a financially rewarding profession by a new generation of secondary-school graduates. The author recommends that teachers' salaries be raised and infrastructure support for schools increased.     

ICT use in the teaching of mathematics: Implications for professional development of pre-service teachers in Ghana

Included in the contemporary mathematics curricula in Ghana is the expectation that mathematics teachers will integrate technology in their teaching. However, importance has not been placed on preparing teachers to use ICT in their instruction. This paper reports on a study conducted to explore the feasibility of ICT use in mathematics teaching at senior high school levels in Ghana. Interviews and survey data were used for data collection. Preliminary results showed that mathematics teachers in Ghana do not integrate ICT in their mathematics instruction. Among the major perceived barriers identified were: Lack of knowledge about ways to integrate ICT in lesson and Lack of training opportunities for ICT integration knowledge acquisition. To overcome some of these barriers, opportunities of a professional development arrangement for pre-service mathematics teachers were explored. Findings from the study revealed specific features of a professional development scenario that matters for ICT integration in mathematics teaching in the context of Ghana.     

Issues Arising from an Examination of the Junior Secondary School Reform of 1987 in Ghana

During the early 1980s the secondary education system in Ghana was reorganised. This study concerns one part of this: the attempt to introduce a more vocationally-orientated curriculum into the Junior Secondary Schools in Ghana. These findings are drawn from interviews at several levels, documentary analysis and school case studies. There were major gaps and inadequacies in the system in the setting of goals, in the implementation management, in the organisational structures and in the classroom implementation. The study analyses how the planned changes were not clearly conceptualised and how there was a very serious lack of communication between many different parts of the system. The classroom observation showed that the ideas set out in the National Education Policy, such as integrated approaches to subject matter, student involvement and problem-orientated teaching methods, were not being put into practice by teachers. Neither training nor resources had been directed towards helping the teachers to change.     

高校思政课研究性教学方法刍议——以“马克思主义基本原理概论”课为例

要提升思政课教学效果,改变学生对课程的态度至关重要,教师可以运用研究性教学方法,一方面将学生当作知识建构的主体,寓教学于研究之中,师生共同提出研究问题、建构知识体系;另一方面,教师可以借助研究性教学方法调整与学生的关系,师生之间不是一方塑造另一方,而是相互平等、以学生为主体的教学相长关系。     

Teaching students with Down syndrome in regular classrooms in Ghana: views of secondary school mathematics teachers

ABSTRACT

The recent development of making secondary school education free in Ghana has raised concerns about the level of preparedness of teachers to teach students with diverse needs in one classroom. Significantly, mathematics is one of the core areas that the Ghanaian government has prioritised, and it has institutionalised mechanisms to encourage participation by many students. Accordingly, this qualitative study aimed to document the level of preparedness of mathematics teachers to support the teaching of students with Down syndrome in secondary school classrooms. Twenty-seven mathematics teachers from 14 schools, made up of 18 males and nine females, took part in the study. We found that participants were in favour of implementation of inclusive education. However, regarding the prospect of teaching students with Down syndrome, most of the participants thought that the regular secondary school classroom is not a suitable environment for these students to access education, especially due to a number of challenges. The need for the government to support schools with appropriate teaching materials and facilities is discussed extensively.     

Teaching strategies associated with conceptual change learning in Science

The use of teaching strategies associated with a conceptual change model of science teaching was examined in a study of thirteen 7th-grade life science teachers. Teachers taught units on photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and matter cycling in ecosystems in their regular classes under conditions varying as to whether or not conceptual change-oriented instructional materials and training sessions were provided. Greater use of conceptual change teaching strategies was associated with use of the special instructional materials, but not with the training. Students in classes where teachers were provided with the materials tended to perform better on posttests than those where such materials were not provided. The use of the conceptual change strategies by teachers was also associated with higher student performance on tests designed to assess conceptual change learning. The results support claims for the usefulness of conceptual change teaching strategies, but few of the teachers in this study could successfully implement these strategies without the support of appropriately designed curriculum materials.     

The 1987 Junior secondary-school Reform in Ghana: Vocational or Pre-vocational in nature?

The secondary-education system in Ghana was reorganised in the early 1980s. The present study addresses one part of this reform: the attempt to introduce a more vocationally oriented curriculum in junior secondary schools. The findings on which this study is based are drawn from interviews at several levels as well as from documentary analysis and case studies. It is shown how planned changes were not clearly conceptualised and how a serious lack of communication has continued to exist between the various elements of the education system. Classroom observation also reveals that the ideas originally laid out in the National Education Policy – such as integrated approaches to subject matter, student involvement, and problem-oriented teaching methods -- have not been effectively implemented by teachers.     

Integrating ICT to higher education in China: From the perspective of Activity Theory

This paper is based on a study that explored the relationship between the implementation of ICT pedagogy and the factors that influenced seven teachers of English for Business Purposes in Chinese higher education concerning their adoption of ICT into their teaching. Activity Theory was used as an analytical tool to investigate the relationships and to identify contradictions in their teaching systems that could lead to teachers’ implementation of a student-centred ICT pedagogy. The study revealed that the main potential driving force for change lay in the conflict between the deep-rooted teacher-centred pedagogy in the educational system and the student-centred pedagogy that accompanied the introduction of ICT. If teachers, curriculum developers and policy makers understood this conflict, this would enable them to concentrate on such issues as how to change the teacher-centred pedagogy to support both teaching and learning for improved learning achievements. Activity theory proved a powerful tool to analyse and understand the contradictions in an activity system. Changes in ICT related policy are recommended.     

Teacher self-assessment: A mechanism for facilitating professional growth

Self-assessment is a powerful technique for improving achievement. In this article we outline a theory of teacher change that links self-assessment by teachers to their professional growth. This theory provides avenues for peers and change agents to influence teacher practice. We apply the theory to change in mathematics teaching and report an explanatory case study in which use of the self-assessment tool, in combination with other elements, contributed to change in the instructional practice of a grade 8 mathematics teacher. Provision of a self-assessment tool contributed to teacher growth by: (1) influencing the teacher's definition of excellence in teaching and increasing his ability to recognize mastery experiences; (2) helping the teacher select improvement goals by providing him with clear standards of teaching, opportunities to find gaps between desired and actual practices, and a menu of options for action; (3) facilitating communication with the teacher's peer; and (4) increasing the influence of external change agents on teacher practice. The study argues that providing a self-assessment tool is a constructive strategy for improving the effectiveness of in-service provided it is bundled with other professional growth strategies: peer coaching, observation by external change agents, and focused input on teaching strategies     

Supporting and constraining factors in the development of university teaching experienced by teachers

Higher education calls for reform, but deeper knowledge about the prerequisites for teaching development and pedagogical change is missing. In this study, 51 university teachers’ experiences of supportive or constraining factors in teaching development were investigated in the context of Finland’s multidisciplinary network. The findings reveal that the supportive factors in teaching development arise from the nature of the development itself, i.e. from the teachers’ opportunities to act as active agents in an authentic development process. Furthermore, the circumstances of the development also play essential roles (both constraining and supportive) in teaching development. Such support, at its best, will come when teachers and others view teaching development in the university context as being valuable and rewarding, and when teachers are encouraged by management and are supplemented with the necessary equipment, tools, and networks they need to do their job. Increasing interaction between the institutional levels can make educational development successful.     

Career Ladder Policy For Teachers: The Case Of Ghana

In 1984 the Ministry of Education in Ghana introduced a career ladder policy for teachers. While reformers believe that this has improved the condition of the teaching profession, the net gains of the policy remain deceptive. There has even been a reduction in some of the benefits that teachers used to enjoy in the single salary scheme in the past. After critically assessing the major aspects of the policy, along with the voices of Ghanaian teachers, this study argues that the career ladder policy for teachers in Ghana is another prototypical case of a failed experiment in terms of both improving the lives of teachers and maintaining their professional rights.     

Inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools in Ghana: influence of teachers’ and children’s characteristics

The issue of where to teach children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities has been a great concern as countries respond to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Salamanca Statement on inclusion of 1994. In this study, the responses of 500 trained and untrained mainstream primary school teachers selected from three of the ten regions of Ghana were analysed to investigate their attitudes to including children with SEN and disabilities in mainstream schools in Ghana. These attitudes were examined alongside teachers’ characteristics such as gender, age, length and level of teaching experience, and knowledge of SEN, and also the type, nature and degree of children’s SEN. The results showed that teachers in Ghana were positive towards the inclusion of children with SEN and disabilities with a few reservations which are elaborated. On the basis of the findings, conclusions were drawn that the inclusion agenda should be subject to national and local interpretation, aimed at ensuring that policies and regulations on SEN are fashioned to meet local situations and standards.     

Career Ladder Policy For Teachers: The Case Of Ghana

In 1984 the Ministry of Education in Ghana introduced a career ladder policy for teachers. While reformers believe that this has improved the condition of the teaching profession, the net gains of the policy remain deceptive. There has even been a reduction in some of the benefits that teachers used to enjoy in the single salary scheme in the past. After critically assessing the major aspects of the policy, along with the voices of Ghanaian teachers, this study argues that the career ladder policy for teachers in Ghana is another prototypical case of a failed experiment in terms of both improving the lives of teachers and maintaining their professional rights.     

Agency, Identity, and Social Justice Education: Preservice Teachers’ Thoughts on Becoming Agents of Change in Urban Elementary Science Classrooms

Using multiple theoretical frameworks, reflective writings and interviews, this study explores preservice elementary teachers’ emerging identities as science teachers and how this identity is connected to notions of critical agency and a stance toward social justice. The study addresses two central questions pertaining to preservice teachers’ conceptions as “agents of change” and how their perceptions as change agents frame their science teacher identities and understanding of teaching science in urban elementary classrooms. Their identity in the moment as elementary preservice teachers—not yet teachers—influences how they view themselves as teachers and how much agency or power they feel they have as agents of change in science classrooms. Findings suggest that science teacher education must play a more immediate, fundamental and emancipatory role in preparing preservice teachers in developing science teacher identities and a stance toward social justice.     

The circulation of expertise in teachers’ professional communities

This study qualitatively explores expertise as a critical resource on which quality teaching depends. The study sample is comprised of six South African schools from the poorest poverty quintiles achieving relatively higher and lower academic outcomes. From interview data gathered over three years with teachers and other school staff, findings reveal significant differences between schools in the kinds of expertise that circulate in teacher communities. Remediation strategies that support student learning at specific levels of complexity stand out as a significant form of expertise. In schools performing above demographic expectations, teachers have more opportunities to access knowledge as an instructional resource, enabled by the recognition of differences in expertise. The study offers insight into what kinds of pedagogic strategies might disrupt educational inequalities and support the quality of teaching and learning within a system of scarce resources.     

走出故步自封的“堡垒”:新课程背景下高中英语教学的时代诉求

教育教学具有鲜明的时代性。新课程背景下的高中英语教学目标、教学内容、教学方法、教学评价等都需要与时代要求相一致。然而,我国高中英语教学存在的问题在于:教学目标工具化、教学内容繁难偏旧、教学方法单调古板、教学评价一元化。当前高中英语的关注点应该集中于评价制度、英语课程方案、教师专业发展等方面,主要策略是变革高考评价制度,以监督并保证高中英语新课程的有效实施;修订更适切的课程设计方案,让高中英语课程目标趋于多维,让课程内容具有基础性、选择性、时代性统一的特点;建立教师支持系统、校本教研制度促进教师专业发展,以保证教师从教学信念到教学行为都有利于新课程的实施与推进。     

课堂教学文化重建困境探析

通过对一所小学问题式教学实践的现实考察发现,尽管教师接受了许多新课程培训,但教师内心对传统教学观念的高度认同和坚守使得问题式教学实践缺乏实效性,同时也表明课堂教学文化的重建之路困难重重。课堂教学文化的重建关键在于教师教学观念的重塑,然而要改变教师的教学观念,并不能仅靠对教师的知识培训和技能训练来实现,必须确立一种整体观,改变教师生存于其中的学校场景和生活场景,为教师观念的转变提供外部支持。     

Innovation and Commitment in Physical Education Teaching

Based on a theory of organisational socialisation, this study aimed to investigate physical education teachers’ orientations towards teaching. These orientations were also compared with lesson objectives and the methods by which teachers coped with their school environments. Ten male physical education teachers were selected by a tertiary college teaching practice coordinator. Five were identified as innovators and five as custodial or non‐innovative teachers. Each teacher was interviewed at length by one of the two researchers. The results from this exploratory study indicated some support for the organisational theory in the career patterns of the innovative teachers significantly differed from the custodial physical educators. For examle, the custodial teachers had experienced very stable career histories and had showed little inclination for study leave or other substantive breaks from teaching. The analysis also indicated links between lesson objectives and coping behaviour; while the custodial teachers tended to adjust their ideas to match those of the schools, the innovators were more determined to change decisions or policies with which they disagreed.     

Primary teachers conducting inquiry projects: effects on attitudes towards teaching science and conducting inquiry

ABSTRACT

This study used an experimental, pretest-posttest control group design to investigate whether participation in a large-scale inquiry project would improve primary teachers’ attitudes towards teaching science and towards conducting inquiry. The inquiry project positively affected several elements of teachers’ attitudes. Teachers felt less anxious about teaching science and felt less dependent on contextual factors compared to the control group. With regard to attitude towards conducting inquiry, teachers felt less anxious and more able to conduct an inquiry project. There were no effects on other attitude components, such as self-efficacy beliefs or relevance beliefs, or on self-reported science teaching behaviour. These results indicate that practitioner research may have a partially positive effect on teachers’ attitudes, but that it may not be sufficient to fully change primary teachers’ attitudes and their actual science teaching behaviour. In comparison, a previous study showed that attitude-focused professional development in science education has a more profound impact on primary teachers’ attitudes and science teaching behaviour. In our view, future interventions aiming to stimulate science teaching should combine both approaches, an explicit focus on attitude change together with familiarisation with inquiry, in order to improve primary teachers’ attitudes and classroom practices.