Mixed‐Ability Science Teaching in England

Summaries

English

In this short paper, the author looks back over the past few years at the experience gained in English schools of mixed‐ability teaching in science, and makes some personal interpretation of the lessons to be learned from that experience. It is hoped that some of these issues will be of relevance to other countries too.     

The use of transparency in the ‘Interactive examination’ for student teachers

If the aim of education is for all students to learn and improve, then the expectations must be transparent to the students. In this study, three aspects of transparency are investigated in relation to an examination methodology for student teachers: self‐assessment criteria, a scoring rubric, and exemplars. The examinations studied were carried out in 2004, 2005, and 2006 respectively, all with a cohort of first year student teachers (n = 170, 154, and 138). There was a large difference in scores between the 2004 and 2005 cohorts (d = 3.21), when changes in the examination were implemented. The comparison between 2005 and 2006, when no changes were made, does not show a corresponding difference (d = .27). These results suggest that, by making the assessment more transparent, students’ performances could be greatly improved.     

The use of case-based learning in the development of student teachers’ levels of moral reasoning

The important role of the teacher in developing morally sensitive individuals is widely acknowledged. This paper examines the integration of context-specific moral development interventions within a four-year undergraduate teacher education programme in Ireland. The intervention strategy employed a case-based pedagogical approach where participants (n = 123) explored and discussed classroom scenarios to prepare them for a six-week school-based placement. Using the Defining Issues Test, results indicate statistically significant increases in levels of moral reasoning post intervention, suggesting that the use of a layered case-based pedagogical strategy provides students with alternative perspectives on their classroom practices and challenges their lay theories.     

The Acquisition of Science‐related Attitudes and its Relationship to Pre‐student Teaching Experience

It is desirable that secondary school science teachers should, in addition to acquiring factual knowledge in the content area of science, also develop favourable science‐related attitudes. The present science teacher education programmes provided in Teachers’ Colleges in Nigeria make provisions for the acquisition of factual knowledge in science. However, it is assumed that positive science‐related attitudes would be incidentally acquired as secondary product of cognitive outcomes.

This paper is a report of a study in which an instructional package‐‐the Introductory Science Teacher Education (ISTE)‐‐was designed to promote in pre‐service science teachers the acquisition of favourable science‐related attitudes.

A trial administration of the ISTE was carried out in the study. Then the effect of the ISTE on students exposed to it was determined in terms of acquisition of science‐related attitudes and competence in lesson preparation.

The results obtained confirmed that the ISTE could produce better science‐related attitudes than the traditional science teacher education programme. The superiority of the effect of the ISTE on lesson preparation competence of pre‐service science teachers was also established in the study. Thus, a case is made for the need for such a package as the ISTE in science teacher education programmes.     

Biography and social structure in the socialization of student teachers: a re‐examination of the pupil control ideologies of student teachers

This study examined the effects of the student teaching experience on the pupil control ideologies of student teachers and attempted to assess the relative contributions of biography and social structure in determining student teacher attitudes toward pupil control. The subjects were forty elementary student teachers from one midwestern university. The results indicated that student teachers did not become more custodial in their views toward pupil control by the end of the experience. Furthermore, cooperating teachers exerted little influence on student teacher pupil control ideologies once the effects of biography were removed. It was concluded that biography does play an important part in the socialization of student teachers and that future research on student teaching should consider the effects of biography and social structure together within an interactive model of socialization. Finally, the limitations of focusing exclusively on student teacher ideologies are discussed and the concept of perspectives is offered as a potentially heuristic tool for overcoming these limitations.     

The Master’s in Teaching and Learning: expanding utilitarianism in the continuing professional development of teachers in England

The article focuses on the policy rhetoric of the Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL). This is a new degree being launched in the summer of 2010 aimed, initially, at teachers who have just joined the profession. The degree presages the aspiration for a Master’s level teaching profession in England. Professional development as conceived in the MTL is continuous rather than continuing and permeating the vision is the language of ‘personalisation’. Teachers will be accompanied on the journey by an ‘in-school coach’. These notions suggest a highly tailored approach to continuing professional development (CPD), with careful attention to the identification of teachers’ needs and close support from a colleague. The article argues that, contrary to this impression, the MTL marks a new and significant step in expanding the utilitarianism of the English education system. The MTL represents a deepening hold on education by the state and a growing scepticism about the value of higher education in the CPD of teachers. It also aspires to a changing culture in schools as the workplace becomes the locus for the CPD of teachers. As other authors have described, the national character of education systems in Europe and in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and Asia reflect an increasing instrumentality. The MTL, then, can be seen as part of a global phenomenon; in this case the policy lever of CPD is employed to support performative and audit policy agendas via a rigid accountability system. The MTL also represents a particular form of neo-liberal governmentality where increasing centralisation is ‘masked’ by a ‘simulacra of care’.     

The EHE‐EMSAT Project: the development of awareness of electronic mail among student teachers

ABSTRACT

This paper reports the results of a one‐year project designed to develop the awareness of 291 student teachers in the area of electronic mail (e‐mail). The project was successful in increasing the active use of e‐mail and the general awareness of students: the number of active users rose from 17 to 33%, and the number of those able to explain e‐mail to a colleague rose from 12 to 45%. Case study material is presented to illustrate the conditions under which the development of e‐mail flourished with one particular group of modern languages student teachers. Conclusions are drawn concerning the utility of the cascade model of curriculum development in extending electronic communication.     

Teaching at the border of despair and hope: supporting the education of non‐traditional working class student teachers

This study focuses on a group of working class adult students' experiences and reactions to their encounters during a foundational series of university courses required of all preprofessional education students. It finds that sharing stressful events and personal information during analytical discussions led to the development of a collegial learning community and added to participants' respect for difference and diversity. The study also finds that these non‐traditional undergraduates viewed their own academic learning experience, as well as their role as college students, through a standpoint of struggle and distress. However, their future professional goal, being a teacher, was defined from an opposite point of view. Education and learning as a profession was viewed as a liberating experience, a way out of poverty and other stressful conditions. The dissonance between these two perspectives is explored from a variety of theoretical perspectives and the discussion ends with a call for more inclusive and flexible university programs that support working class and non‐traditional students' perspectives and needs.     

Pre‐service elementary teachers’ beliefs about use of the Internet in the social studies classroom

The Internet has become one of the most common instructional tools because of recent developments in telecommunications and Internet technology. Accordingly, educators increasingly support the use of the Internet in the social studies classroom. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate pre‐service elementary teachers’ beliefs about the use of the Internet in the social studies classroom. Data were collected through an open‐ended questionnaire from 37 pre‐service elementary teachers in a large Turkish university. An inductive analysis approach was used to analyse the data. Thus, the emergent patterns of the data were used to develop coding categories. The data analysis indicated that the majority of the participants supported the use of the Internet in the social studies classroom, while they acknowledged the disadvantages and negative aspects of the use of the Internet.     

Breaking the didactic circle: a study on some aspects of the promotion of student‐directed learning by teachers and teacher educators

Although there is a fair amount of knowledge on the issue of promoting student‐directed learning, research indicates that teachers are not always able to put that knowledge into practice. Therefore, new educational practices related to student‐directed learning should be introduced in teacher education. This makes it possible to break the didactic circle of traditionally trained teachers, who take the traditional approach to teaching. This article compares the outcomes of 10 + 9 case studies on student‐directed learning, carried out in two different types of secondary education, with the outcomes of 10 case studies on teacher education in respect of four indicators for student‐directed learning. It explores whether teacher educators take the lead with respect to the promotion of student‐directed learning. As the findings show, this is not the case. We found a lack of attention to personal interest‐oriented learning among student teachers, a lack of competence in using various methods of reflection and a lack of competence in discussing pedagogical choices with student teachers. The conclusion is that student‐directed learning should be supported, in both teaching and teacher education, by devoting more attention to the professional development of teacher educators, especially with respect to these three aspects.

Bien que l'on dispose d'une grande somme de connaissances sur la façon de promouvoir l'apprentissage personnalisé, il ressort de l'étude que les enseignants ne sont pas toujours en mesure de mettre concrètement ces informations en ?uvre. C'est pourquoi de nouvelles pratiques d'enseignement liées à l'apprentissage personnalisé devraient être intégrées à la formation des enseignants. Ceci permettrait de briser le cercle didactique des enseignants formés de façon traditionnelle et n'ayant par conséquent qu'une approche traditionnelle de l'enseignement. Dans le présent article sont comparés les résultats de 10 + 9 études de cas sur l'apprentissage personnalisé effectuées dans deux types différents d'enseignement du second cycle à ceux de 10 études de cas sur la formation des enseignants, au regard de quatre indicateurs pour l'apprentissage personnalisé. Il examine si les formateurs d'enseignants parviennent à imposer la promotion de l'apprentissage personnalisé. Il s'avère que non. Nous avons constaté un manque d'attention accordée à l'apprentissage axé sur les centres d'intérêt personnels chez les futurs enseignants, ainsi qu'un déficit de compétences dans l'utilisation de diverses méthodes de réflexion et dans la discussion des choix pédagogiques avec les futurs enseignants. Nous en concluons qu'il faut promouvoir l'apprentissage personnalisé, tant au niveau de l'enseignement que de la formation des enseignants, en accordant une plus grande importance au développement professionnel des formateurs d'enseignants, notamment en ce qui concerne ces trois aspects.

Obwohl das Wissen über die Förderung des schülerorientierten Lernens beträchtlich ist, weisen Forschungsergebnisse aus, dass Lehrer nicht immer in der Lage sind, dieses Wissen in die Praxis umzusetzen. Aus diesem Grunde sollten neue Praxen in den Bildungsgängen der Lehrerausbildung eingeführt werden, die sich auf schülerorientiertes Lernen beziehen. Das bietet die Möglichkeit, den didaktischen Kreis der herkömmlich ausgebildeten Lehrer zu durchbrechen, die sich der herkömmlichen Unterrichtsmethode verschrieben haben. In diesem Artikel werden die Ergebnisse von 10 + 9 Fallstudien über schülerorientiertes Lernen, die in zwei unterschiedlichen Arten der höheren Schulbildung durchgeführt wurden, mit den Ergebnissen von 10 Fallstudien über Lehrerausbildung in Bezug auf vier Indikatoren für schülerorientiertes Lernen verglichen. Damit wird untersucht, ob Lehrerausbilder die Führung übernehmen, wenn es um die Förderung des schülerorientierten Lernens geht. Wie die Ergebnisse zeigen, ist dies nicht der Fall. Wir stellten mangelnde Beachtung des persönlichen interesseorientierten Lernens der Praktikanten, fehlende Kompetenz in der Nutzung unterschiedlicher Reflexionsmethoden und fehlende Kompetenz in der Erörterung pädagogischer Möglichkeiten mit den Praktikanten fest. Die Schlussfolgerung ist, dass schülerorientiertes Lernen im Lehrberuf und in der Lehrerausbildung unterstützt werden sollte, indem der beruflichen Entwicklung von Lehrerausbildern im Hinblick auf diese drei Aspekte mehr Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet wird.

Aunque abundan los conocimientos acumulados sobre el tema de la promoción del aprendizaje dirigido por los estudiantes, de las investigaciones se desprende que los profesores no siempre son capaces de llevar a la práctica estos conocimientos. Por lo tanto, es imprescindible introducir nuevas prácticas educativas relacionadas con el aprendizaje dirigido por los estudiantes en la formación de profesores. Esto permitiría romper el círculo didáctico de los profesores que recibieron una formación tradicional y que utilizan un método tradicional para enseñar. Este artículo compara los resultados de 10 + 9 estudios de caso sobre el aprendizaje dirigido por los estudiantes, que se llevaron a cabo en dos tipos distintos de enseñanza secundaria, con los resultados de 10 estudios de caso sobre la formación de profesores, en función de cuatro indicadores para el aprendizaje dirigido por los estudiantes. El artículo explora si los formadores de profesores toman la delantera en la promoción del aprendizaje dirigido por los estudiantes. De los resultados se deduce que éste no es el caso. Descubrimos una falta de interés por el aprendizaje orientado hacia los intereses personales entre los estudiantes para profesores, una falta de competencia a la hora de utilizar distintos métodos de reflexión y una falta de competencia a la hora de debatir sobre las opciones pedagógicas con los estudiantes para profesores. De todo ello se concluye que se debe apoyar el aprendizaje dirigido por los estudiantes, tanto en la enseñanza como en la formación de profesores, prestando más atención al desarrollo profesional de los formadores de profesores, especialmente en lo que respecta a estos tres aspectos.     

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.     

The Use of Body Language in English Teaching

With the continual reform of language teaching and learning methods.teachers are in great demand to organize the classes in English and create English-learning circumstances.However,with the limitation of students vocabulary,teachers have to simplify their teaching hnguage with the help of facial expressions and body movements.In this article,the possibility and the effect of using body language in listening,speaking,reading and writing will be further discussed.     

A review of research on teachers’ use of student data: from the perspective of school leadership

Despite the increased worldwide acknowledgment of the importance of teachers’ use of formative and/or summative assessment data to improve teaching and learning, empirical research on its impacts on student learning is sparse. Even more so is the lack of studies on the best ways for school leaders to develop teachers’ capacity. Teachers generally have low efficacy in using student data to inform their day-to-day instructions. Teachers lack the basic skills to understand, interpret, and analyze data, develop instructional strategies based on data, and implement research-based instructional strategies in classrooms to address the weaknesses reflected from data analysis results. Any gap in this chain of instructional actions would lead to ineffective teaching and learning in classrooms. This study synthesizes research located from on-line databases on teachers’ data use conducted in the last 14 years and examines the nature, impacts, and shapers of teachers’ use of student formative and/or summative assessment data to improve teaching and learning. This review provides a much-needed guide to school leaders and policy makers in the USA, as well to other jurisdictions that want to make evidence-based decisions in the hopes of improving student learning and teachers’ capacity in data use.     

Examining teachers’ use of computer-based technologies: A case study

This paper presents a case study that illustrates the extent to which technology is used in and out of the classroom in the elementary schools of Turkey. The data were collected through interviews, observations and document analyses. The results show that teachers use technology for administrative purposes, technology education, non-educational purposes, instructional preparation, teacher-directed instructional delivery, student homework and instructional assessment. This study further reveals that teachers’ use of technology is very limited. If teachers use technology for instruction, it is almost always to support their traditional teaching methods.     

The Pedagogical Implication of the Internet in English Teaching and Learning

Over the past few years, the Intemet has emerged as a prominent new technology. As the use of the Intemet is widespread in numerous fields and domains, without a doubt, it also carries great potential for educational use, specifically second and foreign language education. This paper will therefore try to explore the issue of the Intemet as a teaching aid, or as a teaching medium for English teaching and learning in China, through focusing on the following aspects： 1） the current state of CALL in China; 2） pedagogical benefits of the Intemet in English teaching and learning; 3） its implication in English classrocrn in China.     

Elementary Teachers’ Use of Graphical Representations in Science Teaching

The purpose of this study was to obtain data on United States K-5 elementary school teachers’ self-reported instructional practices with graphical representations. Via an electronic survey, 388 elementary teachers, from throughout the US, reported about their teaching of the interpretation and the production of graphics within science. The main findings indicate that: (1) pointing to or referring to graphical representations in books (92% of respondents) was the most frequently used instructional practice across the disciplines and grade levels; (2) five of nine graphical representations (over 90%) were more frequently used in science instruction than in other content areas, and (3) students’ graphical productions involving drawings, labeling, and oral and written explanations were very infrequent. The findings indicate that while teachers may tacitly use graphics within science instruction, they may not be explicitly teaching about this visual form of communication.     

Internet‐based Science Learning: A review of journal publications

Internet‐based science learning has been advocated by many science educators for more than a decade. This review examines relevant research on this topic. Sixty‐five papers are included in the review. The review consists of the following two major categories: (1) the role of demographics and learners' characteristics in Internet‐based science learning, such as demographic background, prior knowledge, and self‐efficacy; and (2) the learning outcomes derived from Internet‐based science learning, such as attitude, motivation, conceptual understanding, and conceptual change. Some important conclusions are drawn from the review. For example, Internet‐based science learning is equally favorable, or in some cases more so, to learning for female students compared to male students. The learner's control is essential for enhancing students' attitudes and motivation toward learning in Internet‐based science learning environments. Nevertheless, appropriate guidance from teachers, moderators, or the Internet‐based learning environment itself is still quite crucial in Internet‐based science learning. Recommendations for future research related to the effects of Internet‐based science learning on students' metacognitive reflections, epistemological development, and worldviews are suggested.     

Beyond the white norm: the use of qualitative methods in the study of black youths’ schooling in England

There is at present in England great confusion concerning the schooling of black youths. Much conventional “race‐relations” research is underpinned by models of social pathology that perceives the youths as a “problem.” While carrying out a study of black students, of Afro‐Caribbean and Asian parentage, qualitative research pointed to the need to re‐conceptualise their experience of schooling within a framework that moves beyond liberal assumptions of a de‐racialised, de‐gendered and de‐politicised school system. Placing students at the centre of the research enables us to see how school for black youths is part of a wider alienating response to them that results in their experience of a “different reality” from the white population. In response to this, the students have creatively developed a number of survival strategies. This article explores the implications of the relative autonomy of methodology from wider theoretical and substantive concerns. In this largely autobiographical account the dialectical nature of ethnography is illustrated, with the theoretical#shconceptual analysis grounded in the data gathering process.