PE: it’s just me: physically active and healthy teacher bodies

This paper focuses on the significance of embodied understandings to the emerging subjectivities and pedagogical practices of pre-service teachers undertaking a Physical Education (PE) specialisation through a B.Ed. (primary/middle). Data from a research project conducted at an Australian university with seven pre-service teachers will be presented through three themes: ‘Naturally’ sporty bodies; Healthy bodies; and Embodied pedagogical practices. Our findings suggest that through the configurative function of narrative identity, participants merge lasting dispositions around embodied physicality with acquired dispositions around embodied health, fitness and pedagogical practices. In doing so, they locate themselves in a contemporary narrative of PE which reinforces assumptions that bodies, subjectivities and lives can be shaped so as to protect against risks associated with obesity.     

The Cultivation of Learning Dispositions among First-Generation Disadvantaged Students at a South African University

This article discusses the learning dispositions of first-generation disadvantaged students at a university in South Africa’s Western Cape Province. Based on qualitative data collected over a 2-year period, it focuses on findings from 7 purposively selected students at this university. Utilizing Bourdieu’s concept of habitus and Wacquant’s conceptual elaboration of this concept, the article explores the affective, cognitive, and conative (practices) dimensions of the students’ habitus as interrelated aspects crucial to understanding how they develop their dispositions to learn. The article illustrates how the students’ learning dispositions are produced through the active and strategic exercise of each of these 3 (affective, conative, and cognitive) interrelated embodied dimensions. I argue that understanding these embodied habitus generating practices are crucial for comprehending how they establish effective learning dispositions for successful educational engagement at their university. The significance of this article lies in offering a perspective of first-generation disadvantaged students’ learning dispositions in respect of establishing their educational engagement practices at the university.     

The impact of inquiry-based learning on the critical thinking dispositions of pre-service science teachers

ABSTRACT

In the study, the impact of inquiry-based learning on pre-service teachers’ critical thinking dispositions was investigated. The sample of the study comprised of 56 pre-service teachers in the science education teacher education programme at the public university in the north of Turkey. In the study, quasi-experimental design with an experimental and a control group were applied to find out the impact of inquiry-based learning on the critical thinking dispositions of the pre-service teachers in the teacher education programme. The results showed that the pre-service teachers in the experimental group did not show statistically significant greater progress in terms of critical thinking dispositions than those in the control group. Teacher educators who are responsible for pedagogical courses in the teacher education programme should consider that the inquiry-based learning could not be effective method to improve pre-service teachers’ critical thinking dispositions. The results are discussed in relation to potential impact on science teacher education and implications for future research.     

Understanding the factors that shape dispositions toward students with disabilities: a case study of three general education pre-service teachers

Presently, there is limited research that explores how the nature of pre-service teachers’ prior experience informs their dispositional development, and it has yet to be determined whether the pedagogical needs of these prospective teachers vary based on their level of prior exposure. This qualitative case study examines the dispositions of three pre-service teachers enrolled in a year-long graduate education programme in the United States and considers the role that prior experience plays in their dispositional development. Findings from this study reveal that participants’ dispositions appear to be affected more significantly by coursework and fieldwork than by prior experience, and the culture of the school plays a critical role in a pre-service teachers’ dispositional development. This study addresses gaps in current research by offering insight into the nuanced nature of pre-service teachers’ dispositional development.     

Activist dispositions for social justice in advantaged and disadvantaged contexts of schooling

This article advances current conceptions of teacher activism through an exploration of the social justice dispositions of teachers in advantaged and disadvantaged contexts of schooling. We interrogate the practices of teachers in a government school, with a high proportion of refugee students and students from low socio-economic backgrounds, in a high-fees, multi-campus independent school, and in a disadvantaged Systemic Catholic school to illustrate how Bourdieu’s notion of dispositions (which are constitutive of the habitus) and Fraser’s distinction between affirmative and transformative justice are together productive of four types of teacher activism. Specifically, we show that activist dispositions can be characterised as either affirmative or transformative in stance and as either internally or externally focused in relation to the education field. We argue that the social, cultural and material conditions of schools are linked to teachers’ activist dispositions and conclude with the challenge for redressing educational inequalities by fostering a transformative activism in teachers’ practices.     

‘It is like putting fire in the children’s hands’: a comparative case study of pre-service teachers’ knowledge of and beliefs about education for democracy in an established and emerging post-conflict democracy

This report documents and compares two cases of pre-service elementary teachers’ beliefs about democracy and education for democracy in the USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina along with contextual factors influencing the similarities and differences among these beliefs. Findings suggest that US pre-service elementary teachers have a self-proclaimed lack of knowledge about democracy and primarily view citizenship education as a means to teach children how to get along. Conversely, Bosnian pre-service teachers hold more nuanced views of democracy and education for democracy, formed while their country transitioned from socialism towards democracy following a devastating civil war. Consequently, they focus on teaching children the skills and dispositions necessary for successful democratic citizenship to preserve their country. These divergent understandings of democracy within the two cases may hold potential benefits to teachers in both emergent and established democracies. Implications of these and other findings are discussed, as well as potential future research.     

Gatekeepers or facilitators: the influence of teacher habitus on students’ applications to elite universities

Low application rates of state school students to elite universities have been identified as a factor in their limited participation in elite universities. This article explores the role of teachers in state schools and colleges in guiding higher education (HE) choice. Drawing on qualitative research with teachers and students in six institutions, we identify differential practices that corroborate explanations of an ‘institutional habitus’ shaping students’ likely pathways to HE. However, we suggest that attention is paid to teacher habitus, demonstrating how teachers’ political and ethical dispositions as well as their social capital are potential factors shaping students’ decision‐making about HE, and elite university applications in particular.     

Pre-service educators’ dispositions toward inclusive practices for students with emotional and behavioural difficulties

ABSTRACT

In response to challenging behaviour from students with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD), teachers around the world often label students as challenging, defining them by their disability. Negative views of students with EBD are a barrier to their inclusion and a major challenge for policy in the United States and elsewhere associated with access to the education system for students with disabilities. Pre-service teacher education has been highlighted as an optimum time to instil in pre-service educators a more equitable disposition toward behaviour management and inclusive practices. Therefore, the purpose of the current mixed-methods study was to assess whether or not an undergraduate course focused on relationship-based approaches to positive behaviour support could impact pre-service educators’ dispositions toward inclusive classroom practices for students with EBD. Survey results from 41 pre-service educators indicated that participants made significant improvements in their knowledge and understanding of compassionate behaviour management, intentional relationship building, and establishment of a welcoming classroom environment. Analysis of participants’ written responses to open-ended questions revealed several themes regarding changes in dispositions toward students with EBD. Implications for pre-service educator preparation and inclusion of students with EBD are discussed.     

Importing control in Initial Teacher Training: theorizing the construction of specific habitus in recent proposals for induction into teaching

This article attempts to provide theoretical perspectives on the recent Conservative-led Coalition Government’s promotion of Teach First and related initiatives in England. In particular, we suggest the emergence of three ‘ideal’ types of teacher in the initial teacher training programmes outlined in the 2010 White Paper and related Conservative discourse: the ‘Elite Graduate’, the ‘High Flyer’ and the ‘Ex-Soldier’. These ‘ideals’, we argue, are dually performative: not only legitimating habitus proximate to Conservative ideological interests, but also awarding them authority over pupils and the educational ‘field’. We begin our discussion with an analysis of the amendments to school disciplinary practice proposed in April 2011 which appear to place new emphasis on teachers’ dispositions. Seen in the light of concomitant criticism of current teachers’ passivity, we suggest, these changes relate to our ‘ideals’ in two ways. Firstly, suggesting the need for a new cohort of teachers up to the challenge of authority. Secondly, enabling the ‘ideals’ to exercise their habitus in judgements over pupils.     

Different habitus: different strategies in teaching physics? Relationships between teachers’ social,economic and cultural capital and strategies in teaching physics in upper secondary school

With environmental awareness in the societies of today, political steering documents emphasize that all education should include sustainable development. But it seems to be others competing ideals for teaching physics, or why do the physics teachers teach as they do? Physics teachers in secondary school in Sweden have generally, been focused on facts and a strong link with scientific theories and concepts. In general, the curriculum sway the teaching, a standard text book in physics is used, the teaching is organized according to the book and the teacher deals with and demonstrates typical tasks on the whiteboard and group work is common for special issues related to tasks from the textbook or elaborating. The aim with this study is to analyze why physics teachers in upper secondary school choose to teach energy as they do. Data emerging from a questionnaire focused on indicators of the teachers’ cultural and economic assets, or capital, according to the work of Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology. Especially his concept on life styles and habitus provide a tool for analysis. We focus on physics teachers’ positions in the social space, dispositions and standpoints towards the ideal way to teach physics in upper secondary school (n = 268). Our response rate is 29 % and due to the low response rate a non response bias analysis was made. In our analysis we primarily sought for groups, with a cluster analysis based on the teaching practice, revealed common features for both what and how they teach and three different teaching types emerged. Then we reconstructed the group habitus of the teachers by analyzing dispositions and standpoints and related those to the specific polarization of sacred values, that is struggles about the natural order (doxa) in the social space of science education, which is a part of and has boundaries to dominating fields like the natural sciences and the political fields (curriculum etc.). Three teacher-groups’ habituses are described and analyzed; (1) The Manager of the Traditional, (2) The Challenger for Technology and (3) The Challenger for Citizenship. By constructing the habitus of the teachers in the different groups we can explain why teachers teach as they do and thereby make a contribution to both science education research and to teaching training, whereas reflective approach which also includes the individual dispositions and representations are paramount. In our paper we elaborate the grounds and implications of these findings further.     

The effect of student teaching experience and teacher beliefs on pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy and intention to use technology in teaching

The student teaching experience has been considered important in establishing pre-service teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards their teaching. However, few studies have investigated the effect of student teaching experiences as an educational intervention for increasing technology integration – especially pre-service teachers’ pedagogical beliefs as an internal barrier to technology integration. Thus, this study examined how technology-centred student teaching experiences differently affect pre-service teachers with different teaching beliefs with regard to self-efficacy and intention to use technology. Participants were 55 pre-service teachers in a student teaching practicum. The findings revealed that technology-centred student teaching experiences increased pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy regardless of their teacher beliefs. Additionally, pre-service teachers with traditional teacher beliefs had a low level of intention at the outset but significantly increased their intention after experiencing technology-centred student teaching; however, those with constructivist teacher beliefs showed no meaningful differences in their intention levels. Implications for teacher education and the limitations of this study are discussed.     

Beyond rote learning in organic chemistry: the infusion and impact of argumentation in tertiary education

ABSTRACT

There exists bias among students that learning organic chemistry topics requires rote learning. In this paper, we address such bias through an organic chemistry activity designed to promote argumentation. We investigated how pre-service science teachers engage in an argumentation about conformational analysis. Analysis of the outcomes concentrated on (a) pre-service teachers’ understanding of conformations of alkanes (b) the nature of the pre-service teachers’ discourse; (c) the quality of pre-service teachers’ argumentation; and (d) pre-service teachers’ spatial ability. Various measures were used to trace (a) conceptual understanding through the answers in the writing frames, (b) the nature of the pre-service teachers’ discourse using two different codes, (c) the quality of pre-service teachers’ argumentation by counting the number of episodes with higher-level argumentation, and (d) spatial ability by Spatial Ability Test. The results showed that high performing groups had multiple rebuttals in their argumentation and low performing groups had problems in evaluating the credibility of evidence. Furthermore, we observed that spatial abilities play an important role in pre-service teachers’ engagement in argumentation. The findings help understanding of how to further enhance pre-service teachers’ conceptual understanding and engagement in argumentation regarding organic chemistry concepts.     

Learning to become a teacher in Australia: a study of pre-service teachers’ identity development

This study aims to examine how pre-service teachers learn to teach in Australia context during their practicum and how this learning experience constructs their identities as teachers through activity theory framework. Data were drawn from interviews with two pre-service teachers, interviews with their supervising teachers and university mentors, lesson plans, and supervising teacher’s feedback. The findings indicate that the two pre-service teachers’ identity formation is a continuing process and an outcome of the collective activity through their interaction with their coordinating teachers, mentors and students. We argue that teachers’ identity formation is related to their agency to seek and offer support to others. The pre-service teachers could produce and reproduce their identity in the relevant community through their agentive action to interact with others.     

Pre-service teachers in Germany’s pluralistic scholarship system and their motivations for becoming teachers

Germany has a unique scholarship program for highly talented students. The present study identifies differences between supported and non-supported pre-service teachers in this program and focuses on their motivations. A survey of N = 703 pre-service teachers (n = 279 supported) forms the basis of the analysis. Using a non-parametric data preprocessing approach (matching individuals), differences in motivations to become a teacher were modelled in these two balanced groups. The results show significant differences between supported and unsupported pre-service teachers in terms of their motivations for becoming teachers; however, there are no differences after propensity score matching and consideration of confounding variables. The findings indicate that a closer look at the subgroups of pre-service teachers is needed, and the results are therefore relevant to research on teacher education and the support of highly talented pre-service teachers. Future research should account for longitudinal approaches and the scholarship programs’ impact.     

A comparative study of Chinese and United States pre-service teachers’ perceptions about ethical issues in classroom assessment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of pre-service teachers in the United States and China about ethics of classroom assessment practices. To investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions, we developed 36 scenarios that described teachers’ actions or thoughts related to ethics and assessment practices. Participants were 173 pre-service teachers in the U.S. and 174 pre-service teachers in China. Overall, the perceptions of Chinese and American respondents were divided within countries on different scenarios. In addition, chi-square analyses contrasting Chinese responses with American responses indicated that the pre-service teachers had statistically significant differences in their opinions on 22 out of 36 scenarios, but only 13 had practical significance (effect size ≥ .3). Chinese and American pre-service teachers had similar perceptions on 14 scenarios. In some instances, respondents’ perceptions of the ethics of assessment practices depicted in the scenarios did not agree with the literature on classroom assessment. The findings offer insights for developing ethical guidelines in classroom assessment in both cultures. In addition, we recommend that cultural issues as related to ethics should be included in assessment courses for pre-service teachers.     

The development of a mathematics teacher’s professional identity during her first year teaching

This study is focused on a period that poses several challenges for the development of mathematics teachers’ professional identities and agency: their first year of teaching in schools. During this period, beginning mathematics teachers confront tensions and contradictions among the principles, ideals, and experiences encountered during pre-service education and the demands, and restrictions of their teaching practice in schools. This article approaches this topic by developing an interpretative case study centered on one novice mathematics teacher, Sol. The aim is to describe and understand the development of Sol’s professional identity and agency during her first teaching year. Considering identity development as a diachronic phenomenon, we carry out a narrative analysis of the research data. The findings show that Sol developed her professional identity and agency through a process that gathered together the teaching practices possible inside her school, the positions she could negotiate as a newcomer inside the institution, and the cultural practices and discourses embodied during pre-service education. The results bring to the forefront the profound and tense interactions between the intimate and personal terrain of mathematics teachers and the social and cultural world of the schools where they work. Sol’s case also contributes to understanding the role that a robust pre-service education can play in the development of beginning teachers’ professional identities and in the possibility they could become agents of transformation in their schools.     

Rural dispositions of floating children within the field of Beijing schools: can disadvantaged rural habitus turn into recognised cultural capital?

The rapid pace of urbanisation in China has seen a massive increase in the movement of the rural population to work and live in urban regions. In this large-scale migration context, the educational, health, and psychological problems of floating children are becoming increasingly visible. Different from extant studies, we focus our investigation on the rural dispositions of floating children through interviews with leaders, teachers, and students in four schools in Beijing. Drawing on Bourdieu’s key notions of habitus, capital, and field, our study indicates that the rural habitus of floating children can differentiate these children from their urban peers. This habitus can be marginalised and stigmatised in certain fields but can be recognised and valued as capital in other fields. Our paper offers some implications for research and practice in relation to the schooling of floating children.     

Access,use and perceptions of teachers and students towards mobile phones as a tool for teaching and learning in Tanzania

This study explored the access, use and perceptions of teachers and students towards mobile phones as a tool for facilitating teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls. A total of 29 pre-service teachers and four college instructors from Dar es salaam University College of Education (DUCE) as well as 12 in-service teachers and 40 students from Kibasila secondary school in Tanzania, participated in the study. Data were collected by using pre-service teachers’ questionnaire, students’ questionnaire, and the instructors’, and in-service teachers’ interviews. Findings showed that all in-service teachers, college instructors and pre-service teachers had mobile phones. Also 60 % of school students owned mobile phones, or had access to mobile phones. Students, pre-service teachers and college instructors were in favour of the use of mobile phones for learning, but the majority of in-service teachers were against it. Since mobile phones are the most available technological tools in schools, this study, recommend a professional development programme for in-service teachers to help them develop a positive attitude towards mobile phones use in teaching and learning.     

美国教师教育项目中教师品性评价的实施

为了培养优秀的教师候选人,美国教师教育项目开展了教师品性评价。该评价贯穿于教师候选人的整个学习和实习期间,旨在使教师候选人的品性在不断的反馈中得到充分发展。美国各高校教师教育项目对教师候选人的成功至关重要的品性评价内容进行界定。评价所使用的方法包括行为检核表、评价量表、访谈和品性反思文章。品性评价的实施涉及教师品性评价介绍课程、签订教师品性评价协议、四次主要评价、不定时的评价和评价结果的应用。教师品性的改进采用发挥教授和导师的模范作用、教师品性研讨会、品性改进课程和PDR-PREP方法等途径。     

Values in the mathematics classroom

Abstract

Values, moral values and democratic values are attracting the attention of education researchers in general and mathematics education researchers in particular. Little research has studied pre-service teachers’ perceptions of values in the classroom, their perceptions of the relationship between the different variables of values in the classroom, as well as their relationship with the democratic society. The present research attempts to do so. Twenty-two graduate pre-service teachers who participated in ‘New trends in mathematics education’ course discussed how to cultivated values in the mathematics classroom. Moreover, they answered survey questions related to the cultivation of values in this classroom. We used a combination of deductive and inductive content analysis to characterize the pre-service teachers’ texts. The research results indicate that the pre-service teachers perceived values as encouraging students’ activity in the mathematics classroom. In addition, the pre-service teachers perceived values as encouraging specific categories of values needed as skills for the citizen in a democratic society, as creativity, critical thinking and metacognition.