Get real: making problematic the pathway into the teaching profession

Learning to be a teacher is a complex and very personal matter that involves transformation from student teacher (pre‐service teacher) to teacher. The pathway to being a teacher is scattered with what appears to be competing tensions in various realities. This paper explores those tensions and realities through the context of two final year integrated field‐ and campus‐based subjects that all pre‐service teachers undertake as they complete their four‐year teacher education journey into the primary (ages 5‐ to 12‐years‐old) teaching profession. We then propose a framework involving a variety of realities that pre‐service teachers face through the recognition and resolution of the tensions these pre‐service teachers experience in the workplace.     

A Prospective Study of the Relationships Between Motivational Orientations and Perceived Competence with Intrinsic Motivation and Achievement in a Teacher Education Course

This study utilised a prospective design in examining determinants of intrinsic motivation in a physical education teacher education course. At the outset of a one‐term Olympic gymnastics module students in the third year of a 4‐year degree course completed questionnaires measuring their perceived autonomy and competence regarding the module. On completion of the module, students replied to questionnaires assessing their intrinsic motivation as well as their intentions to study a gymnastics course in the future. Structural equation modelling analysis showed that both perceived autonomy and competence had effects on intrinsic motivation, although the latter was indirect through performance. Further, intrinsic motivation had a strong effect on intention. This study shows the importance of creating perceptions of autonomy in student teachers when the promotion of intrinsic motivation is desired.     

Studying computer programming externally: Who succeeds?

Learning computer programming is difficult for many students. Distance education students in particular often have problems as the difficulty of the course content is compounded by the problems of isolation from other students and their tutor. This paper reports an investigation of distance education student performance in an introductory computer programming course. The aim of the study was to develop a better understanding of the factors associated with academic success, withdrawal or failure and to attempt to identify students at risk of non‐completion. Some implications for teaching computer programming externally are discussed.     

Teaching teaching skills

Abstract

The paper examines concerns about the teaching profession as expressed by students in their teacher education program. Differences are analyzed between the concerns of entry‐level (second‐year) students and students in their student teaching (fifth) year. Items students chose as interview questions to ask a practicing teacher were used as measures of concerns. Using content analysis techniques, categories of concerns were developed. Findings indicate that entry‐level students were primarily concerned with their career choice and with the impact of the profession on their own lives. Fifth‐year students were more interested in technical classroom skills and in the impact they would have on their future students. Implications of these findings for teacher education programs are discussed.     

The attitudes of male student teachers towards a career in special education

This study considers the reasons why so few male student teachers are entering the special education sector. This comes as recent statistics reveal that the percentage of male teaching staff in special education in Northern Ireland is much lower than in England. The article first critically considers the international literature on male students’ perceptions of entering the teaching profession. The study then examines the opinions of the post‐primary student cohort at one major initial teacher education institution in Northern Ireland and contrasts male and female responses in terms of students’ confidence in their knowledge of special educational needs and their relative willingness to consider specialising in this area. The study reveals significant differences in the cohort between male and female students’ perceptions, and through individual interviews it explores further the reasons why male students are reluctant to specialise in special educational needs.     

Relationship of Student Undergraduate Achievement and Personality Characteristics in a Total Web-Based Environment: An Empirical Study

Web‐based education is a popular format for the delivery of college courses. Research has shown that it may not be the best form of education for all students. Today, many students (and student advisors) face a choice in course delivery format (i.e., Web‐based or more traditional classroom courses). This research study examines the relationship between student personality characteristics and their achievement scores as a means of identifying predictors of academic success in an undergraduate business program using Web‐based education. The results of the study show that four basic personality characteristics are highly correlated to student achievement in Web‐based courses. Use of these personality characteristics as variables in a regression model is shown to be a highly accurate predictive tool to aid students in the decision as to whether to take a particular Web‐based course format or a more traditional classroom course.     

Field independence in higher education and the case of distance learning

It has been postulated that student autonomy in distance education could be operationalized in terms of the cognitive style of field independence. While distance learning students often obtain high scores on field independence, this is also true of campus-based students. Field independence is not positively related to students’ course evaluations, their preference for independent learning, their course completion in distance education, nor their level of autonomy. Consequently, field independence is not useful for understanding experiences or attainment in distance education.     

Student perceptions of support services and the influence of targeted interventions on retention in distance education

To improve student retention in distance education, Simpson suggested in 2003 that institutions analyse their own retention characteristics and ‘spot the leaks.’ In 2008 the Centre for Distance Learning at Laidlaw College, New Zealand, employed two part‐time academic support coordinators in an effort to improve student retention and success. This study compares the retention statistics for first‐time student outcomes across two semesters, one without and one with specific course retention interventions. Results are benchmarked across national data. Interviews with students who were retained revealed that students frequently attribute their success to their own efforts. Student support services in distance education might therefore be perceived by its beneficiaries as a ‘hygiene’ factor (Herzberg, 1968, 2008) in that their presence is not generally appreciated by students. However, their absence is noticed. The similarity of this finding with Shin’s institutional transactional presence (2002, 2003) is also explored.     

Who is the ideal teacher? Am I? Similarity and difference in perception of students of education regarding the qualities of a good teacher and of their own qualities as teachers

This research examines two images of teachers as seen by students of education: the ideal teacher and their own self‐image as teachers. The research compares the students’ perceptions of these two images using two sub‐groups of students of education: students at an academic teachers’ college who will be referred to as student teachers and beginning teachers, who, while teaching, are completing their academic degrees at teachers’ colleges or regional academic colleges. Data were collected from 89 students at the two colleges by means of a questionnaire that included open‐ended questions which were analyzed qualitatively. The findings of the research indicate that there are two major categories that comprise perceptions of the ideal teacher: first, personal qualities; and second, knowledge of the subject taught as well as didactic knowledge. Both groups of students similarly attributed great importance to the personal qualities of the ideal teacher, but there is a difference in their perception of the importance of knowledge: the beginning teachers attributed great importance to knowledge and perceived it as a quality similar in importance to personal characteristics, while the student teachers, who had not begun their teaching careers, attributed less importance to knowledge as a characteristic of the ideal teacher. A quality which was less prominent when profiling the ideal teacher is general education and wide perspectives. The teacher as a socializing agent, a person who promotes social goals, was not mentioned at all. Students maintained that, during their studies, they had improved their qualities as ‘empathetic and attentive’ teachers, ‘knowledgeable in teaching methods’, and in ‘leadership’. But they had hardly improved their knowledge of the subject they taught or their level of general knowledge. The discussion of knowledge and the desirable personal qualities of a teacher is relevant to the current debate regarding the relative merits of disciplinary education in contrast to pedagogical education in preparation for teaching as a profession. The clear preference for disciplinary education by policy makers in Israel and elsewhere in the field of teacher education is contradictory to the emphasis placed on the personal development of future teachers and their pedagogical education by the students of education who participated in this research.     

Educational Vouchers under Test

The context of this research is one in which teachers are now expected to equip their pupils with the disposition and skills for life‐long learning. It is vital, therefore, that teachers themselves are learners, not only in developing their practice but also in modelling for pupils the process of continual learning. This paper is based on a series of post‐lesson interviews, conducted with 25 student teachers following a one‐year postgraduate course within two well‐established school‐based partnerships of initial teacher training. Its focus is on the approaches that the student teachers take to their own learning. Four interviews, conducted with each student teacher over the course of the year, explored their thinking in relation to planning, conducting and evaluating an observed lesson, and their reflections on the learning that informed, or resulted from, that lesson. The findings suggest that while the student teachers all learn from experience, the nature and extent of that learning varies considerably within a number of different dimensions. We argue that understanding the range of approaches that student teachers take to professional learning will leave teacher educators better equipped to help ensure that new entrants to the profession are both competent teachers and competent professional learners.     

Advancing knowledge of the teaching profession through web‐based assignments

Abstract

An Introduction to Teaching course was strategically developed to allow university students of many backgrounds to access, synthesize, and evaluate the teaching profession as a possible career. The authors planned a multi‐layered course that included Web‐based assignments, required and suggested readings, targeted writing assignments, and field experiences. In this study, student perceptions of the usefulness and effectiveness of the Web‐based assignments were investigated.

A survey was administered to 92 students across three course sections. Most students (85%) were positive about Web‐based research, despite some difficulty with completing the assignments. Reasons for their difficulty included lack of knowledge, incompatible software, and outdated address information. Students reported that the Web‐based assignments were one effective way to learn about the teaching profession but that more contextual projects, such as field work and writing ethnographies, were more powerful learning took. The authors examined the construction of the course for possible reasons for this perception and suggested ways to enliven the Web assignments to make them more interactive.     

Improving the Research Climate in Social Work Curricula

Abstract

Research courses are associated with performance anxiety and educational insecurity for many social work students. This paper makes the case that student anxiety associated with research courses is rooted in the history of the social work profession, and this history sheds light on the present day climate of research in social work education. The authors suggest that improvement to the research climate in social work education requires an “institutional” response. To that end, this paper describes a committee process that resulted in changes to one school's curriculum policy by revamping student learning objectives for a sequence of five research courses that spanned BSW and MSW programs. The committee produced a continuum of student learning expectations based on Bloom's taxonomy, which represents a logical progression of knowledge and skill competencies as students advance through their course work.     

Toward a Predictive Model of Community College Student Success in Blended Classes

This retrospective study evaluates early semester predictors of whether or not community college students will successfully complete blended or hybrid courses. These predictors are available to faculty by the fourth week of the semester. Success is defined as receiving a grade of C- or higher. Failure is defined as a grade below a C- or a withdrawal. Method: Seven variables available to faculty are considered: gender, degree sought, students’ academic level, attendance for the first 4 weeks of face-to-face classes, scores on orientation extra credit assignments, grades on the first quiz, and grades on an early semester reflective essay. Logistic regression is used to evaluate the power of seven variables to predict successful course completion in 15 sections of two business courses: Introduction to Marketing and Marketing Research. Three hundred forty-three students were included in this study. Results show that completion of optional extra credit assignments offered during the first 2 weeks of the semester and performance on the first quiz are significant predictors of successful course completion. These results suggest that students’ self-regulation skill or learning presence in the community of inquiry model is a strong predictor of student success. A faculty-based model like the one presented here can help faculty to enhance their students’ chances of success by highlighting factors that predict successful course completion early in the semester.     

An Analysis of First Experience Students' Financial Awareness and Attitude to Debt in a Post-1992 UK University

While students have always found balancing their finances difficult, the current generation are faced with unprecedented debt burdens during and on completion of their studies. Student debt is now an expected outcome of attending university and, apart from the negative consequences it may have on participation in higher education, it may have a detrimental impact on the academic performance and psychological well‐being of students as they strive to fund their education and reduce their debt through part‐time working patterns. However, student debt can be managed better if students possess adequate personal financial awareness, have a responsible attitude to debt and are able to budget carefully. This study attempts to measure the personal financial awareness, attitude to debt and budgeting capabilities of 149 first‐year business school undergraduates using a specially developed test. The mean test score of 34 per cent on the financial awareness section indicates significant gaps in their personal financial knowledge and it appears that they are entering a critical stage of their lives ill‐equipped to cope with the severe cash restrictions they will encounter. This study is a valuable starting point in understanding the financial challenges faced by students in higher education in the UK and highlights how academic institutions can provide support to increase the financial awareness of students so that they can manage better their personal finances while at university.     

Racism,Masculine Peer‐group Relations and the Schooling of African/ Caribbean Infant Boys

The past decade has witnessed the publication of a growing number of important ethnographic studies investigating the schooling experiences of Black students. Their focus has largely been upon student‐teacher relations during the students’ last few years of compulsory education. What they have highlighted is the complexity of racism and the varied nature of Black students’ experiences of schooling. By drawing upon data from a year‐long ethnographic study of an inner‐city, multi‐ethnic primary school, this paper aims to compliment these studies in two ways. Firstly the paper will broaden the focus to examine how student peer‐group relations play an integral role, within the context of student—teacher relations, in shaping many Black students’ schooling experiences. By focussing on African/ Caribbean infant boys, it will be shown how student—teacher relations on the one hand, and peer‐group relations on the other, form a continuous feed‐back loop; the products of each tending to exacerbate and inflate the other. Secondly, by concentrating on infant children, the paper will assess the extent to which these resultant social processes and practices are also evident for Black pupils at the beginning of their school careers—at the ages of five and six.     

‘I understood the complexity within diversity’: preparation for partnership with families in early childhood settings

‘Partnership between parents and teachers’ is a taken-for-granted feature of the philosophy and practice of early childhood education. Yet, the literature suggests this rhetoric belies a more complex and problematic reality for teachers. Making connections with the families and communities they will serve may help teacher education students confront understandings of the realities of family lives and assist them to prepare for their professional responsibilities. Teacher education literature suggests that supported field experiences may assist student teachers to examine their beliefs and reflect on their practices with families. This paper reports on the experiences of student teachers who undertook a community placement in order to interact with children and families outside their normal range of teaching practice experience. Three themes of changes in student learning are discussed: (1) beliefs about partnerships; (2) notions of complexities within diversity; and (3) developing relationships with diverse families. The paper argues that the change in placement setting prompted student reflection in relation to these themes and shifts in beliefs, towards more authentic and complex understandings of partnership.     

The development of student teachers’ professional identity

This study focuses on student teachers’ perceptions of their professional identity. The respondents are students enrolled in a three‐year course in secondary education teaching at bachelor level. Questionnaires were filled out by first‐year, second‐year and third‐year students from two colleges. The questionnaire included four scales: commitment to teaching, professional orientation, task orientation and self‐efficacy. In the first five months of the first‐year course, a shift in students’ task orientation was observed: students developed a more pupil‐centred view on teaching. Practical experience with classroom teaching again caused a shift: students focused less on the subject matter, on maintaining order in the classroom, on the long‐term educational qualification targets and self‐efficacy decreased. Students with work placement experience developed a more ‘realistic’ view of learning and teaching compared to students without this experience. A final important difference in professional identity is based on students’ gender: while male students tend to attach more importance to discipline in the classroom, their female counterparts focus more on student involvement.     

A media course commitment study in a Canadian university: empirical validation of an exchange model

This paper presents a study on the attraction of students to an open‐university‐type, media course programme, and their commitment to remain in the programme over time. The findings from this study include 1. When considering the impact on media (i.e. distance education) course commitment of course satisfaction, investments, and alternatives to media courses, perceived investment alone was able to account for 5% of the variance in the dependent measure.

2. Following multiple discriminant analysis, the profile outlining the highly committed media course student defined one who was regarded, satisfied, highly invested, low‐perceived cost accrued, with a significant number of years out of school (here, 10) prior to commencement in the media course programme.

3. Following multiple discriminant analysis, the profile defining the student who has completed a considerable number of course credits (versus the neophyte) was described as being highly invested, highly cost aware, and relatively lowly satisfied.

Implications of such findings for distance education marketing are discussed.     

Decisions to enter and continue in the teaching profession: Evidence from a sample of U.S. secondary STEM teacher candidates

Given its prevalence and cost it is imperative to identify predictors of early career teacher turnover intentions and behavior. During their final year as education majors, 311 US, STEM Secondary Education students rated their student teaching experience, the strength of their teacher identity, and their intent to enter the teaching profession. Within 1–3 years after graduating 191 of them reported whether they remained in the teaching profession. One's identity as a teacher, as well as the perceived quality of student teaching experiences, predicted both intent and actual entry into the teaching profession. Furthermore, teacher identity mediated the relationship between student teaching satisfaction and outcomes.     

The Construction and Evaluation of Simulations to Assess Professional Interviewing Skills

Courses preparing students for interviews commonly held in organisations often form part of the curriculum of senior secondary, higher, university, and in‐service education. In these courses, students are prepared for their future work practice. Assessment of student performance after attending such a course requires a different assessment method from the traditional written examination. In this article we describe the construction and evaluation of simulations. The results of an investigation into their quality show that they are reliable in terms of measures of internal consistency and inter‐rater reliability. However, it turned out that a student's score is highly dependent on the content of the interview. We found support for the simulations’ construct and content validity. Although the simulation is not an efficient instrument, its benefits are high: students are stimulated to do their best in practising for the interviews, and weaknesses in students’ performances will be detected so that remedial teaching can be offered.