A journey from the classroom to the world of educational reform: a study of three Korean teachers’ practitioner inquiry

This article explores three Korean teachers’ experiences of carrying out practitioner inquiry as a means of providing meaningful teaching under the test-centred schooling regime in Korea. Practitioner inquiry is a concept that includes multiple genres of educational research such as action research, teacher research, and self-study that aim to change practitioners’ individual practice and, ultimately, the schooling in a society. Based on the analysis of qualitative data, the researcher found that teachers developed their knowledge and expertise in their specific areas of interest and developed strong motivations for transforming the education system. However, their inquiry was limited in practice due to the imposition of test preparation and a prescribed national curriculum. As a result, greater collaboration among practitioners, which not just involves teachers, but wider entities such as administrators, policy makers, and researchers, is required to challenge the current unjust system.     

Understanding teachers’ reluctance to the pedagogical use of ICT in the 1:1 classroom

During the last decade, several one laptop per student-initiatives (1:1) have emerged as a solution to the recurrent disappointments with the pace of transformation of teaching methods in schools. However, an increasing number of research studies indicates, that despite major expenditure, increased access and improved technical equipment, few teachers have integrated ICT in the curriculum in a way that leads to significant changes in classroom practice. This article explores teachers’ reluctance towards the pedagogical use of personal laptops in secondary schools. A case study approach is used in a follow-up study of a 3-year 1:1-implementation initiative, investigating a period of in-service training for teachers in a secondary school. The teachers’ arguments for not using the laptops for teaching are of particular interest. Five different, but overlapping, patterns in the explanations for their reluctance have been discovered: lack of technical competence, not worth the effort, insufficient material, diminishing control and lack of time. The teachers’ arguments exposed technical, pedagogical, and content concerns. This qualitative study of teachers’ reluctance, as studied in situ, adds nuance and additional perspectives to previously presented explanations.     

Collaborative approaches in initial teacher education: lessons from approaches to developing student teachers’ use of the Internet in science teaching

In many countries, governments are keen to persuade teachers at all levels to seek to enhance the learning of their students by incorporating information and communication technologies within their classrooms. This paper reports on the development of collaborative approaches to supporting use of the Internet by Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) science students on initial teacher education (ITE) courses in England, drawing on data from five higher education institution (HEI)–school partnerships across four years. A mixed-method approach was used, involving questionnaires, structured interviews, lesson observations and case studies. The outcomes of the first three years identified barriers to practice and suggested the need to develop more collaborative approaches to development. The focus of this paper is on examining ways in which university faculty tutors and mentors or cooperating teachers can work together with students on PGCE courses in developing practice. The lessons from this focus on the Internet, no longer a new technology, have enabled us to identify implications for HEI partnerships in ITE and suggest a need for further collaborative structures in order to support and develop practices, including those involving the innovative use of new technologies in the post-industrial society.     

Societal culture and teachers’ responses to curriculum reform: experiences from China

Educational change is intrinsically bound to the cultural characteristics of the society. However, the relationship between educational change and societal culture is rarely explored, especially in the context of mainland China. Following a 3-year qualitative research project, the present study explored the influence of societal culture on teachers’ responses to the national curriculum reform of upper secondary education in mainland China. The results generated three themes highly relevant to teachers’ responses to curriculum reform in Chinese culture, namely teachers’ obedience, teachers’ facework and teachers’ collaboration. These teachers’ responses reflected some Confucian ethics rooted in Chinese culture and explained the absence of radical teacher resistance to the national curriculum reform. It was suggested that a culturally sensitive approach to change leadership may have been more fruitful for facilitating the aims of curriculum reform in mainland China.     

Teachers’ approaches to classroom assessment: a large-scale survey

Classroom assessment has become a cornerstone of today’s standards-based system of education. However, recent policy developments, professional standards, and variable assessment education have led to significant variability in teachers’ approaches to assessment. The primary purpose of this research was to use a new instrument predicated on recently published classroom assessment standards – the Approaches to Classroom Assessment Inventory – to measure teachers’ (a) approaches to assessment, (b) perceived skill in current assessment tasks and responsibilities, and (c) professional learning preferences and priorities. Based on 404 teachers from across North America, this study contributes initial evidence of how teachers approach classroom assessment with respect to four dimensions: Assessment Purposes, Assessment Processes, Assessment Fairness and Measurement Theory. Results from this study point to significant differences based on career stage and previous assessment education. The study concludes with four key implications for assessment research and practice.     

Beginning teachers’ responses to education reform agendas

National education reform agendas are increasingly prevalent in school systems around the world. Whilst we have a substantial body of research exploring the ways in which schools manage change agendas, there is less discussion of the impacts these agendas may have on beginning teachers and their retention in the profession. Here I report on a study of 14 beginning teachers at a time when two major reforms were being introduced – national standardised literacy teaching and the public reporting of those results. I describe the ways in which these reforms were experienced by the teachers and discuss the implications for school leaders seeking to support beginning teachers in their schools.     

Pre-service teachers’ desire to control bias: Implications for the endorsement of culturally affirming classroom practices

The study integrates social-psychological and educational research to examine the relations between preservice teachers’ race-related perceptions of Black students and the instructional approaches they endorse. Based on survey and race Implicit Association Test data from preservice teachers (N = 258; White = 82%) in the United States, we predicted that the association between motivation to be unprejudiced and motivation to appear unprejudiced would predict endorsement of culturally and motivationally supportive instructional practices via implicit and explicit biases about Black students. Path analyses revealed significant mediated associations among motivation to be unprejudiced and endorsed instructional approaches and practices via explicit bias, contingent on the motivation to appear unprejudiced. Furthermore, it is troubling to note that White preservice teachers, in contrast to their ethnic minority counterparts, displayed significant implicit preference for White over Black students. Implications of these findings for preparing a culturally responsive and motivational supportive teaching task-force are discussed.     

Transitioning to the classroom: reflections of second‐career teachers during the induction year

In recent years teacher educators have witnessed an increase in the number of alternative pathways to university‐based teacher education for prospective teachers. One option is for second‐career teachers to enter post‐baccalaureate programs in education; however, the experiences of second‐career teachers are largely unexplored in the international literature. The purpose of this study was to investigate the teaching beliefs that post‐baccalaureate students brought into a graduate level teacher certification program, and the extent to which those beliefs persevered or changed during their first year of teaching. Written philosophy statements and semi‐structured interviews from the three participants were analyzed to identify emerging themes. Outcomes, presented in the form of vignettes, suggested that second‐career teachers experienced many of the same contextual pressures as baccalaureate teachers and struggled adapting to the teaching profession and implementing their stated teaching beliefs. Implications include continued research on second‐career teachers as they represent a distinct population entering the teaching profession.     

Preservice teachers’ acceptance of ICT integration in the classroom: applying the UTAUT model

In this study, the researchers explore the factors that influence preservice teachers’ acceptance of information and communication technology (ICT) integration in the classroom. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was developed by Venkatesh et al. [MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478] in 2003 and shown to outperform eight preceding models, explaining 70% of the variance in user intentions. The role of the UTAUT variables (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions) are examined and the resulting regression model accounts for 27% of the variance in user intentions with effort expectancy surfacing as the only significant predictor of behavior intention. Results and recommendations for future research in the application of UTAUT are discussed.

Die Akzeptanz von IKT Integration im Unterricht von Lehramtsstudenten: Anwendung des UTAUT Modells

In dieser Studie erkunden die Forscher die Faktoren, die die Akzeptanz der Informations‐ und Kommunikationstechnik‐ (ICT) Integration in den Unterricht der auszubildenden Lehrer beeinflussen. Die vereinheitlichte Theorie von Annahme und Verwendung von Technik (UTAUT) wurde von Venkatesh et al. [MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478] in 2003 entwickelt. und hat acht vorhergehende Modelle übertroffen und dabei 70% des Unterschieds durch Benutzerabsichten erklärt. Die Rolle der UTAUT‐Variablen (Leistungserwartung, Bemühungserwartung, sozialen Einfluss und dem Erleichtern von Bedingungen) sind geprüft und entstehende “Zurückentwicklungs” Modellkonten zu 27% des Unterschieds in Benutzerabsichten bei der Bemühungserwartung erklärt, als die Einzige bedeutsame Vorhersage. Ergebnisse und Empfehlungen für zukünftige Forschung in der Bewerbung von UTAUT werden erörtert.

L'acceptation chez les élèves‐professeurs de l'intégration des TICE dans la classe: une application du modèle TUAUT

Dans la présente étude, les chercheurs examinent les facteurs qui influencent l’acceptation de l’intégration des TICE de la part des enseignants en formation initiale. La Théorie Unifiée de l’Acceptation et de l’Usage de la Technologie (TUAUT) a été mise au point par Venkatesh et al. [MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478] en 2003 et s’est révélée plus performante que huit autres modèles précédents,pouvant expliquer 70% de la variance dans les intentions des utilisateurs. Le rôle des variables TUAUT (performances attendues, effort attendu, influence sociale et conditions facilitantes) est examiné et le modèle régressif explique 27% de la variance dans les intentions des utilisateurs, l’expectative d’effort apparaissant comme le seul indicateur significatif des intentions de comportement. On examine les résultats et les recommandations pour les recherches futures sur l’application de TUAUT.

La aceptación de la integración de las TICs en aulas por parte de los profesores en formación inicial: una aplicación del modelo TUAUT

En el presente estudio, los investigadores examinan los factores que influyen sobre la aceptación de las TICs por parte de los docentes en formación inicial. La Teoría Unificada de la Aceptación y del uso de la Tecnología (TUAUT)fue desarrollada por Venkatesh et al. in 2003 y salió con mejores resultados que ocho modelos anteriores, siendo capaz de explicar el 70% de las variaciones en las intenciones de los usuarios. Se examina el papel de las variables TUAUT (expectaciones de rendimiento, expectaciones de esfuerzo, la influencia social, y la condiciones facilitantes) y el modelo regresivo explica el 27% de las variaciones en las intenciones de los usuarios, la expectación de esfuerzo apareciendo como el único indicador significativo de las intenciones de comportamiento. Los autores discuten también los resultados y las recomendaciones para futuras investigaciones sobre la aplicación de TUAUT.     

Relations between students’ perceptions of the teaching-learning environment and teachers’ approaches to teaching: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT

In recent decades, a constructivist view of learning has triggered a change in teaching-learning environments (TLEs). Teacher-centred TLEs have been replaced by student-centred ones where the teachers’ approaches to teaching are more learning- than content-focused. Previous research exploring the relationship between student-centred TLEs and the quality of learning has shown contradictory results. Previous studies also indicate that various elements of TLEs may influence students’ learning. This study explored course-level types of elements, enhancing or hindering, related to TLEs, which the course students described. The TLEs of the courses varied because the teachers adopted different types of approaches to teaching. The data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students (N = 33) from three compulsory courses. The interviews were designed so that students could describe their perceptions of the course as well as their learning experiences and processes. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results revealed that when the teacher employed a consonant learning-focused approach to teaching, the students perceived almost all elements of the TLE as enhancing. When the teacher’s approach to teaching was identified as dissonant, the students perceived several elements of the TLE as hindering. This study revealed that inclusion of student-activating teaching-learning activities is important when designing TLEs, but that it is also crucial to design elements which guide and structure students’ learning.

Abbreviation: TLE: teaching-learning environment     

Resistance to classroom observation in the context of teacher evaluation: teachers’ and department heads’ experiences and perspectives

This paper reports the main findings of a study that sought to understand how teachers and department heads perceived and experienced the implementation of a classroom observation system in a teacher evaluation context. The data was collected through a teacher and department head survey and interviews with department heads who were responsible for classroom observation. The findings show that respondents regarded classroom observation as an inadequate teacher evaluation instrument. It was also viewed as one of the features of the teacher evaluation system that least contributed to the teachers’ professional development. Department heads felt torn between their intermediate management role as teacher observers and their professional role as teacher peers. Cultural norms of individual professional autonomy that regulated relations among colleagues prevented department heads from using information, gathered through classroom observation, to nourish in-depth professional discussions about concrete educational practices.     

Understanding teachers’ routines to inform classroom technology design

Secondary school teachers have quite busy and complex routines in their classrooms. However, present classroom technologies usually require focused attention from teachers while being interacted with, which restricts their use in teachers’ daily routines. Peripheral interaction is a human-computer interaction style that aims to enable interaction to take place both in the center and periphery of users’ attention and naturally shift between the two. We believe that classroom technologies employing the principles of peripheral interaction can reduce attentional resources required for teachers to interact with the technologies, and thus make technologies seamlessly blend into teachers’ routines. In order to design such technologies, a thorough understanding of users’ existing routines is crucial. In this paper, we present a qualitative study on everyday routines of seven Dutch secondary school teachers using contextmapping methodology. The results of two qualitative content analyses reveal an overview of teachers’ routine tasks in their classrooms, as well as rich and vivid contextual information about how teachers allocated their attention in their routines and how teachers experience their routines. Based on these findings, we present opportunities and considerations that may inform the design and development of classroom technologies which are to become part of teachers’ routines.     

Error handling in the classroom: an experimental study of teachers’ strategies to foster positive error climate

European Journal of Psychology of Education - The present research investigated the possibility to foster positive classroom climate, achievement emotions, and adaptive beliefs about errors by...     

Maintaining teachers’ face in the context of change: results from a study of Vietnamese college lecturers’ perceptions of face

Gaining and saving face are very important in Vietnam as a mechanism of social control, including the professional behaviour of teachers. Interviews with 15 lecturers (aged 24–37) at a teacher training college in a Central Coast province of Vietnam illustrated the relationship between their concepts of face and their beliefs about good teaching. Most were still strongly influenced by traditional Confucian beliefs about the role and position of teachers, the nature of teachers’ knowledge and the relationship between teachers and students. On the other hand, some teachers also were aware of, and to a limited extent open to, more modern ideas that seemed to be related to broad social changes and reforms in approaches to teaching and learning in recent decades in Vietnam. The findings suggest that some teacher educators are uncertain about the value of traditional professional wisdom in the context of critical changes in society and in education. The research also suggests that the concepts of face and saving face are important for teachers’ sense of agency, and that Vietnamese educational authorities could increase the effectiveness of innovations in teacher education by paying attention to the influence of concepts of face on the teachers’ beliefs and behaviours.     

Characteristics of teachers’ choice of examples in and for the mathematics classroom

The main goal of the study reported in our paper is to characterize teachers’ choice of examples in and for the mathematics classroom. Our data is based on 54 lesson observations of five different teachers. Altogether 15 groups of students were observed, three seventh grade, six eighth grade, and six ninth grade classes. The classes varied according to their level—seven classes of top level students and six classes of mixed—average and low level students. In addition, pre and post lesson interviews with the teachers were conducted, and their lesson plans were examined. Data analysis was done in an iterative way, and the categories we explored emerged accordingly. We distinguish between pre-planned and spontaneous examples, and examine their manifestations, as well as the different kinds of underlying considerations teachers employ in making their choices, and the kinds of knowledge they need to draw on. We conclude with a dynamic framework accounting for teachers’ choices and generation of examples in the course of teaching mathematics.

Using the curriculum emphasis concept to investigate teachers’ curricular beliefs in the context of educational reform

This paper reports a study on teachers’ domain‐specific beliefs about the chemistry curriculum for upper‐secondary education in The Netherlands. Teachers’ beliefs were investigated using a questionnaire focused on the goals of the chemistry curriculum. The design of the questionnaire was based on three curriculum emphases: ‘fundamental chemistry’, ‘chemistry, technology and society’, and ‘knowledge development in chemistry’. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of Dutch chemistry teachers. The results indicate that, on the whole, the curriculum emphasis ‘fundamental chemistry’ received the strongest support. This is in accordance with the content and the tradition of the Dutch chemistry curriculum. When the two types of upper‐secondary education were compared, it appeared that ‘chemistry, technology and society’ was almost equally valued for both types of education. However, the curriculum emphasis, ‘knowledge development in chemistry’, was considered much more important for pre‐university education than for senior general secondary education.     

Characterisation of teachers’ use of computers and Internet inside and outside the classroom: The need to focus on the quality

Teachers’ use of ICT has mainly focused on their use in classroom context and few studies have focused on their use elsewhere. Attempting to fill this gap, this paper presents a case study of 12 secondary teachers characterising their use of ICT in and out-of-the-classroom. Results show that teachers use these tools inside the classroom for presentations and support some instructional strategies and outside the classroom for lesson preparation, administration and communication, and design of students’ assignments with ICT. However, the analysis of the specific characteristics of these activities shows that beyond these apparently good purposes of ICT use, the quality of the characteristics of the activities is heterogeneous, which can have implications in the effectiveness of the use of ICT in teaching and learning. Based on this, we suggest that in order to take full advantage of the teaching and learning opportunities associated to use of digital tools in education, there is a need to develop teachers’ and students’ digital skills, specifically those associated to searching and selecting information available in the Internet, and developing and presenting information products.     

Four approaches to preservice teachers’ involvement in the writing of case stories: a qualitative research project

In this paper, professors’ framings for student-written cases in six elementary teacher education classes are examined. Analysis procedures were qualitative. There were similarities and differences in course syllabi and materials defining case writing, time spent on cases in class, ways of modeling cases, comments to students on drafts, and professors’ reasons for selecting favorite cases. All professors felt that a good case reflected a genuine dilemma which contained details, support, and reflection. Findings showed that writing roles within the research project had an impact upon ways in which case writing was directed, and how the professors thought about cases and reflected upon the experience afterward. Through their experiences with case writing and through engaging in self-inquiry about case writing, the professors came to understand their students in different ways, students came to understand professors and teaching in different ways, and professors developed new insights into their own practices.