The impact of inservice teacher education on mathematics teachers' subject-matter confidence, and competency

Two inservice courses designed to strengthen teachers' subject-matter competencies while introducing them to mathematics curricula for Grades 7 and 8 were investigated. In a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design, participants were given a confidence measure and knowledge test. After the inservice training, teachers manifested greater self-confidence in knowledge of curricular material, a corresponding increase in mathematics skills, and high levels of confidence in ability to teach the curriculum. Results suggest that when knowledge tests are not feasible, measurement of confidence in solving problems may be sufficient to evaluate the cognitive impact of an inservice program.     

Toward a constructivist perspective: The impact of a mathematics teacher inservice program on students

A constructivist-oriented inservice program provided teachers of mathematics (K-12) with intensive two-week summer institutes and weekly classroom follow-up. Pre- and post-program data on student outcomes indicate that, along with transformations in the nature and quality of mathematics activity in the classroom, students' beliefs about learning mathematics changed and elementary students' attitudes toward mathematics improved. Although the instruction they now received focused more on conceptual understanding and less on computational skill, students' scores on standardized tests assessing routine knowledge were maintained.An earlier version of this paper appeared in R. Underhill (ed.),Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education 1, 43–49, Backsburg, VI.     

The impact of an inservice to promote cooperative learning on the stability of teacher efficacy

Teacher efficacy, the extent to which teachers believe they will be able to perform the actions that promote learning, is a key variable predicting teacher practice and student outcomes. Few studies of the stability of professional efficacy have been conducted. This inquiry measured teacher efficacy on three occasions during an 8 month inservice. The study found that it was use of inservice knowledge, not exposure to it, that contributed to changes in teacher efficacy and that it was general, not personal teaching efficacy that changed. Interactions among participants persuaded teachers that it was possible for cooperative learning techniques to reach students disadvantaged by home conditions (general teaching efficacy). Any increment in personal confidence (personal teaching efficacy) that might have arisen due to increased teaching skill in the program was offset by increased standards arising from social comparisons among teachers. Teacher changes were related to student outcomes, although not in the expected direction.     

An evaluation of the effect of two different lengths of inservice training on teacher attitudes

This investigation compares the effectiveness of two types of inservice training offered through the Arizona Portal School Program. Both methods were designed to provide teachers with positive attitudes toward activity-centered energy education. The methods differed in length and energy-related content with one course running for 5 sessions and the other for 15 sessions. The longer course placed more emphasis on content knowledge. Three types of attitudes were assessed: attitudes toward curricular change, opinions on energy concepts, and beliefs about science education. Although the longer course had a more positive effect on the participants' views of and willingness to participate in curricular change and the shorter course had a more positive effect on the participants' views of teaching activity-oriented science, both courses produced the same type of change in the participants' views of energy issues.     

The effects of teacher training on new instructional behaviour in reading comprehension

This study concerns the effects of teacher training in instructional behaviour based on new insights in the field of learning and instruction. In an experiment, eight teachers were trained to apply a cognitive apprenticeship model and five teachers were trained to apply a direct instruction model in reading comprehension lessons in primary schools. The teachers in both experimental conditions received teaching guides, which were an adaptation of the curriculum for reading comprehension that they already used. The control group of seven teachers used the same curriculum, but received neither teaching guides nor training. In both experimental conditions teachers successfully changed their behaviour, but they did not succeed in implementing all characteristics of the instructional model aimed at in their training.     

Integrating quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods to compare two teacher inservice training programs

Qualitative and quantitative evaluation procedures were used to compare two physical-science teacher inservice training programs. The two programs followed the master teacher training model espoused by NSF but used different types of master teachers and types of activities. The two evaluation procedures produced different results and together they provided a much clearer picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the two programs. Using only one approach or the other would have substantially altered the conclusions.     

Use of webquest design for inservice teacher professional development

This study investigated whether a teacher professional development module built around designing WebQuests could improve teachers’ technological and pedagogical skills. The technological skills examined included Web searching and Web evaluating skills. The pedagogical skills targeted were developing a working definition for higher-order thinking skills, and designing WebQuest tasks to improve such skills. This case study was carried out with six inservice teachers. After the training, all the teachers showed improvement in their Web searching and evaluating skills. Furthermore, teachers adopted a working definition for higher-order thinking skills, and, using Web resources, they designed activities that promote students’ higher-order thinking. This study provides evidence supporting the use of design-based activities in learning technological and pedagogical skills and suggests an effective inservice teacher professional development module.     

Teacher education and LEA perspectives on disruptive behaviour: initial teacher training

From an examination of documents obtained from forty‐nine local education authorities (LEAs), a research suggested as useful by a project on disruptive behaviour (Lawrence, Steed & Young, 1978), an account was obtained of the expectations of LEAs as to how initial teacher training, programmes should introduce teachers to the skills required for coping with disruptive behaviour. This paper reports the findings derived from these LEA documents and examines their implications for initial teacher training.

LEAs are asking colleges to provide factual information about facilities, discussion of major related concepts and training in observational skills, and in a problem solving approach. These requirements are modest and feasible, but require staff who are up‐to‐date vis‐a‐vis disruptive behaviour.     

The impact of training on pre-service teacher attitudes,concerns, and efficacy towards inclusion

Thirty pre-service teachers took part in a nine-week university course focussed on the benefits of inclusive education and the techniques needed to successfully implement it. The Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Inclusion Scale (TATIS), Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale (CIES), and Teacher’s Efficacy in Implementing Inclusive Practices (TEIP) were administered prior to and following the university course. Paired sample t-tests revealed that participants’ attitudes and efficacy increased significantly following the course while their concerns decreased significantly. Mixed design ANOVAs revealed that pre-service teachers without past experience of teaching students with disabilities had the largest improvement in attitudes. Pre-service teachers who were not acquainted with a person with a disability had significantly larger decreases in concern level and increases in efficacy level than those who were acquainted with a person with a disability. These results are discussed and implications for future research outlined.     

浅析成人英语培训机构中教师培训

随着教育产业的迅速发展,私立、民办培训机构对教师的需求越来越大。一些发展较早、具备一定规模或是发展较成熟的机构都开始重视培养专职教师,组织和鼓励教师进行教学活动研讨和交流,个别机构甚至研发出一套把新手教师培养成熟手教师的培训方案和系统。本文分析了当前成人英语培训学校的现状和影响其专任教师专业发展的因素,提出了利用反思性理论促进成人英语培训机构教师专业发展的模式和实现途径。     

The impact of teacher immediacy and perceived caring on teacher competence and trustworthiness

This research investigated the impact of teacher caring and teacher immediacy on student perceptions of teachers' credibility. While the results of the two studies conducted indicated the presence of strong main effects for teacher caring and immediacy and strong negative effects for teacher non‐caring and nonimmediacy on the various dimensions of teacher credibility (as hypothesized), significant interaction effects were observed between caring and nonimmediacy on both dimensions of credibility studied (competence and trustworthiness). In most cases, when teacher caring was low, whether the teacher was in the immediate or nonimmediate condition made no significant difference—both produced negative perceptions of teacher credibility. In contrast, when teacher caring was high, teacher nonimmediacy significantly lowered perceived credibility. Probing of the interaction results suggested that high verbal caring tends to soften the negative impact of teacher nonimmediacy. The results of these studies demonstrate that teachers should maintain high verbal caring to preserve their credibility in the classroom. Implications for teacher training and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Preservice and inservice teachers’ perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure

This study investigated preservice and inservice teachers' perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure. A sample of 180 preservice teachers and 135 preK-12 teachers participated in the study. Results showed statistically significant differences between the groups of teachers in their perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure in the three dimensions: Uncommon Topics, Uncommon Purposes, and Consideration of Students. No significant differences were found in the two dimensions: Common Topics and Common Purposes. This study makes an excellent contribution to the theoretical framework of the study of teacher self-disclosure and also provides implications for teaching and teacher education.     

The use of multimedia for teacher training

Books and mimeographed papers will perhaps continue to be the fundamental learning aids in teacher training. Student teachers will even in the years to come meet teachers in, for instance, pedagogics who from time to time use books to explain difficult parts in the printed material, to give additional information, and to instruct the students how their study can be planned and performed.