Practices and Innovations in Australian Science Teacher Education Programs

This paper reports part of a larger study which was designed to investigate current practices in initial teacher education programs in Australia. The main data collection was by telephone interviews, which were carried out with science education specialists and program coordinators at all institutions which offer primary teacher education or secondary science teacher education. The interviews focused on practices in relation to program structures, science content studies, science methods studies and links to science-related school projects or to science business/industry. A large number of innovative practices were described. In addition, several case studies were carried out, which focused on particular innovations. The study identified several aspects of science teacher education which were of concern.     

Science and creationism: a response to Kenneth Tobin

In his December editorial on Michael Reiss, Kenneth Tobin (Cult Stud Sci Educ 3:793–798, 2008), raises some very important questions for science and science teachers regarding science education and the teaching of creationism in the classroom. I agree with him that students’ creationist ideologies should be treated not as misconceptions but as worldviews. Because of creationism’s peculiarly strong political links though, I argue that such discussion must address three critical and interconnected issues, including the uncertain state of teaching evolution in public schools nationally, the political convergence of the creationist political beliefs with bigoted worldviews, and creationism’s inherent contrariness to science and human progress. I suggest that we as science educators therefore not consider all sides to be equally right and to instead take side against the politics of creationism. I also argue that we need much more serious discussion on how to better teach science to students who hold creationist worldviews, and that science educators such as Reiss need to be part of that.

The Role of Heads of Department in the Professional Development of Educators: A Distributed Leadership Perspective

The qualitative study reported on was, undertaken from a distributed leadership perspective, and was an attempt to provide understanding of how heads of department (HoDs) develop educators within the organisational context of different schools and subject departments. The findings are related to the current policy framework for professional development in South African schools. Two fee-paying and two non-fee-paying schools were selected and interviews were conducted with HoDs from single subject (unitary) and multi-subject (federal or confederate) departments in each school. The data was transcribed, coded, analysed and related to the research question. The findings confirmed that HoDs are a key link between principals and the educators in their classrooms. This supports the view that HoDs have formal responsibilities and accountabilities and they wield a horizontal and a vertical influence. Recommendations are made to improve professional development practice by HoDs in particular and in the education system in general.     

A review of Computer Science resources for learning and teaching with K-12 computing curricula: an Australian case study

To support teachers to implement Computer Science curricula into classrooms from the very first year of school, teachers, schools and organisations seek quality curriculum resources to support implementation and teacher professional development. Until now, many Computer Science resources and outreach initiatives have targeted K-12 school-age children, with the intention to engage children and increase interest, rather than to formally teach concepts and skills. What is the educational quality of existing Computer Science resources and to what extent are they suitable for classroom learning and teaching? In this paper, an assessment framework is presented to evaluate the quality of online Computer Science resources. Further, a semi-systematic review of available online Computer Science resources was conducted to evaluate resources available for classroom learning and teaching and to identify gaps in resource availability, using the Australian curriculum as a case study analysis. The findings reveal a predominance of quality resources, however, a number of critical gaps were identified. This paper provides recommendations and guidance for the development of new and supplementary resources and future research.     

在通识教育中发展大学生领导力——以美国大学生领导教育为例

发展学生领导力是美国大学通识教育的应有之义.本文结合当代领导理论,评析在通识教育中发展大学生领导力的学理基础,概要介绍美国大学生领导教育在课程设置与实施、组织与管理方面的做法,并在此基础上简析美国大学生领导教育对我国的启示.     

中国内地教师领导的障碍与条件

研究证明,教师领导对教师专业发展和提高学生的学术成就有一定的好处。然而,教师领导不会自动实现,它需要人为的努力,并为其扫清障碍。在中国内地,教师领导面临着三大障碍:(1)行政权力对教师自主与选择的压抑;(2)应试教育对教师领导多方面的破坏;(3)行政对骨干教师各方面的支持不足。与此相应,发展教师领导需要三个基本条件:一是权力下放和市场介入,二是重建教师发展的专业价值,三是学校领导给予领袖教师更多的支持。     

佐治亚大学本科层次中学科学教师培养方案评析

美国佐治亚大学中等教师教育专业在全美排名中名列第五,该专业在中学科学教师的培养上有四个方案,包括：学士学位、硕士学位、专家型学位和博士学位四个层次。本文将在对各层次的培养方案作简单的总括介绍后,着重介绍本科层次的中学科学教师教育培养方案。本科层次主要培养佐治亚7-12年级的科学课程的教师,这个学位还提供佐治亚州T-4教师资格证书。     

Personalizing and Contextualizing Multimedia Case Methods in University-based Teacher Education: An Important Modification for Promoting Technological Design in School Science

Results of various studies suggest that multimedia ‘case methods’ (activities associated with case documentaries) have many benefits in university-based teacher education contexts. They can, for example, help to ‘bridge the gap’ between perspectives and practices held by academic teacher educators and those held by student-teachers – who may adhere to perspectives and practices commonly supported in schools. On the other hand, some studies, along with theoretical arguments, suggest that there are limits to the effectiveness of multimedia case methods – because, for example, they can never fully represent realities of teaching and learning in schools. Furthermore, often missing from multimedia case methods is the student-teacher in the role of teacher. To address these concerns, we modified an existing multimedia case method by associating it with a special practice teaching situation in a school context. Qualitative data analyzed using constant comparative methods suggest that student-teachers engaged in this modified multimedia case method developed relatively deep commitments to encouraging students to conduct technology design projects – a non-traditional practice in school science. Factors that appeared to influence development of this motivation included student-teachers’ pre-instructional perspectives about science and the personalization and contextualization inherent to the modified multimedia case method.

Metacognitive monitoring: an obstacle and a key to effective teaching and learning

Actions speak louder than words. Teachers may verbally agree with curriculum change but seldom do their statements match up with their classroom practice and, as a result, the intended curriculum is never fully implemented. The study described below reports on how primary and secondary teachers’ statements of belief, otherwise referred to as expressed beliefs, influenced the implementation of a new science curriculum. Through the methodology of educational criticism the results revealed that teachers made use of a set of expressed beliefs to influence the direction of the science curriculum. Teachers’ expressed beliefs were categorized into four subsets: platonic expressed beliefs, organizational beliefs, associated beliefs and transitional beliefs. The outcome of this study provides leaders in educational reform with an understanding of the influence of teachers’ beliefs in the direction of curriculum change.     

中小学校长之有效领导因素及策略分析

有效领导是领导者的特质、领导者的行为和情境三因素相互作用的产物,校长的有效领导是学校工作质量的关键决定因素。我国中小学校长领导有效性影响因素主要有三个方面：管理体制因素、学校组织因素和校长自身素质能力因素。打破制约因素策略为：借鉴校本管理经验,完善校长负责制;打破学术（教学、科研）系统行政管理系统壁垒,实施“兼职教管,全员参与”;加强自身校长职业化的素质和能力修养。     

Academic Mobbing in Relation to Leadership Practices: A New Perspective on an Old Issue

Abstract

Constant pressures emanating from internal and external environments of the academy have resulted in many changes, one of which is the workplace mobbing, an old issue for the broader field of organization science but a relatively new phenomenon in the academic context. This study investigated the relationship between workplace mobbing and academic leadership and the results indicated that the more positive leadership there is in an institution, the less mobbing behaviors are observed.     

Individual and Collective Leadership in School Science Departments

Given that the subject department is recognised by subject specialist teachers as the central and immediate unit of organization in secondary schools it is surprising that so little attention has been paid by researchers to the leadership dynamics within science departments. The leadership dynamics within the science departments of two contrasting school contexts were explored dialectically in this study. The structure ∣ agency and individual∣collective dialectics guided our interpretation of data from lesson observations, interviews and questionnaire responses, especially as they related to teachers' preparation of units of work (i.e., planned curriculum). As well as recognising thin coherence in teachers' responses we identify contradictions in teachers' perceived and enacted leadership roles, and perceptions of influences on curriculum planning and teaming within the two science departments. Throughout the article we disrupt traditional individualistic leadership discourses and suggest possibilities for more widespread application of an individual | collective leadership dialectic in school science departments.     

Effective University Leadership and Management of Learning and Teaching in a Widening Participation Context: Findings from two national Australian studies

Abstract

The paper argues for the need to increase student participation in university governance, especially in relation to high‐level decision‐making concerning the aims and mission of tertiary institutions. The paper examines the arguments in favour of, and against, student participation in university governance. It also provides an overview of the findings of recent empirical studies on the topic. The need for a process of negotiation in the setting of higher education aims is emphasised and several suggestions are offered regarding ways of increasing student involvement in the aims‐setting process.     

公共治理视野中教育局长领导行为的实证研究

治理理论主张公共教育治理的公共性与效益性,倡导政府实行分权,支持政府与市场和学校之间形成合作的伙伴关系。以此为研究基点,对教育局长领导行为的分析揭示出政府责任的重要性,需要寻求政府职能转变之策。     

Teacher education research and education policy-makers: an Australian perspective

As teacher educators, we want our research to be influential in contributing to educational policy and practice, but there remains little understanding about ways in which teacher educators might more productively engage with each other and policy-makers so as to maximise their research impact. Drawing on an empirical study and policy document analysis, this paper seeks to foster a generative ‘researcher-policy-maker dialogue’ by understanding more about policy-makers’ perspectives of what shapes their decision-making and the current role of research evidence in those decisions. Using a research utilisation theoretical framework and discourse analysis, data revealed various factors that served as barriers or enablers to using research in making education policy decisions. Results indicated that policy-makers largely position research as key to solving their policy problems. As such they sought better communication strategies to utilise research findings in a timely, free and publicly accessible, user-friendly manner. Overall, they called for a greater dialogue and engagement at all stages of the policy process and criticised what they perceived as a ‘fly in-fly out’ research approach. Recommendations suggest new collaborative approaches and genres are needed for the teacher education research community to have a greater impact in influencing policy.     

Collaborative Leadership and Sustained Learner Academic Performance in Secondary Schools: A Blaming Game?

Abstract

This article reports on a study that investigated how collaborative leadership can influence sustained learner academic performance in secondary schools. The key problem resounds about secondary schools that are unable either to sustain or improve learner academic performance when intervention strategies rolled out from the district offices are concluded. The literature pursued in the study covered collaborative leadership from both schools and district education offices and their impact on learner academic performance. Participants were circuit managers, subject advisors, principals and teachers. They completed open- ended questionnaires that sought to explain the relationship between collaborative leadership and sustained learner academic performance. Major findings indicated that participants (at the various levels of leadership) attribute low learner academic performance to all other involved parties except themselves. Thus, collaborative leadership within the school and between schools and district education offices is not enabling sustained learner academic performance.     

中小学校长课程领导研究综述

随着课程改革和课程问题研究的逐步深入,原来隐藏在课程背后的各种深层次问题逐渐浮现出来,对课程领导的研究也从课程管理的研究中分离出来,成为课程理论研究的一个新兴领域。课程领导对中小学校长提出了更高的要求。因此,对校长课程领导进行研究已成为推进课程改革与课程发展得以顺利进行的需要。     

Impact of Adaptive Materials on Teachers and their Students with Visual Impairments in Secondary Science and Mathematics Classes

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, important in today’s world, are underrepresented by students with disabilities. Students with visual impairments, although cognitively similar to sighted peers, face challenges as STEM subjects are often taught using visuals. They need alternative forms of access such as enlarged or audio‐converted text, tactile graphics, and involvement in hands‐on science. This project focused on increasing teacher awareness of and providing funds for the purchase of supplemental adaptive resources, supplies, and equipment. We examined attitude and instructional changes across the year of the programme in 15 science and mathematics teachers educating students with visual impairments. Positive changes were noted from pretest to posttest in student and teacher perspectives, and in teacher attitudes towards students with disabilities in STEM classes. Teachers also provided insights into their challenges and successes through a reflective narrative. Several adolescent students resisted accommodations to avoid appearing conspicuous to peers. Teachers implemented three strategies to address this: providing the adaptations to all students in the class; convincing the student of the need for adaptation; and involving the class in understanding and accepting the student’s impairment. A variety of teacher‐created adaptations for various science and mathematics labs are reported. Another finding was many adaptations provided for the student with visual impairment benefitted the entire class. This study supports the claim that given knowledgeable, supportive teachers, and with appropriate accommodations such as tactile or auditory materials, students with visual impairments can be as successful and engaged as other students in science and mathematics.     

教师领导教育：当代美国教师教育新趋势

美国教师领导教育是在20世纪80年代兴起的美国教师教育改革背景下产生,并在90年代后逐渐发展起来的。教师领导以权力重新分配为基础,把教师放在学生、同事、学校发展的核心地位,对教师领导者提出了诸多要求。教师领导教育体现了大学与学校合作培养、教师合作学习、学习和实践相结合等特点,为美国当代教师教育发展开辟了新的领域。     

素质教育与法学教学方法改革

文章借鉴大陆法，英美法国家的法学教育经验，探索出适应我国高职法学教育的教学法，使学生在积极参与教学过程中增长知识，培养能力，从而内化为学生法律职业素质。