Factors affecting the impact of teacher education programmes on teacher preparedness: implications for accreditation policy1

The purpose of this study was to provide guidance to policy‐makers about the standards that might be appropriate for accrediting teacher education programmes. The study was commissioned by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), a statutory body established in 2001 by the Victorian state government with responsibility for the registration (licensing) of teachers and the accreditation of teacher education programmes.

The study investigated the characteristics of effective initial teacher education programmes, as reported by teachers who have just finished their first year of teaching. A survey instrument was distributed in 2004 to all registered teachers who had graduated from their teacher education programme in 2002, taught in 2003 and were now one month into their second year of teaching in 2004. In total, 1147 teachers returned completed questionnaires, from all universities in the state.

Teachers who reported that they were well prepared to meet the demands of their first year of teaching were more likely to have completed courses that gave them deep knowledge of the content they were expected to teach, and how students learned that content, as well as skill in: diagnosing students' existing levels of understanding of the content; planning activities that would promote further development of understanding; and assessing the extent to which development had taken place. The paper concludes with implications for accreditation policy.

On constate, à l'échelle internationale, un intérêt accru pour les procédures d'évaluation et d'accréditation des programmes de formation des maîtres. Le but de cette recherche est d'apporter des repères aux personnes chargées de la réglementation concernant les standards qui pourraient servir à l'accréditation de ces programmes de formation. Cette recherche est menée à la demande du Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), une organisation chargée de l'accréditation des enseignants et des programmes de formation dans l'état de Victoria (Australie).

Cette recherche porte sur les caractéristiques des programmes de formation initiale efficients, tels que les perçoivent les enseignants qui viennent de terminer leur première année d'enseignement. En 2004, un questionnaire a été distribué à tous les enseignants accrédités, sortis diplômés de leur programme de formation en 2002, ayant enseigné en 2003 et qui en étaient au premier mois de leur deuxième année d'enseignement en 2004. En tout, 1147 enseignants diplômés de toutes les universités de l'état ont répondu au questionnaire.

L'analyse des réponses révèle des variations significatives concernant l'efficience des programmes. Les programmes efficients sont ceux qui donnent aux nouveaux enseignants une connaissance approfondie de ce qu'ils sont censés faire pour aider les élèves à apprendre ainsi que de la manière dont les élèves apprennent. Ces programmes donnent aux enseignant la capacité d'évaluer chez les élèves le niveau de leur compréhension du contenu enseigné. Ces programmes aident les enseignants à planifier des activités qui encouragent le développement des élèves et à mesurer l'amplitude de ce développement.

Les auteurs montrent dans cette présentation comment ces résultats peuvent guider le choix des standards utilisés lors de l'accréditation des programmes de formation des maîtres.

Ziel der Studie ist die Bereitstellung von Handlungsempfehlungen für politische Entscheidungsträger im Hinblick auf Standards, die zur Genehmigung von Lehramtsstudiengängen herangezogen werden können. Die Studie wurde vom Victorian Institut of Teaching (VIT) in Auftrag gegeben, welche im Jahr 2001 als eine Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts von der Regierung des Bundesstaats Victoria eingerichtet wurde und verantwortlich für die Zulassung (Lizenzierung) von Lehrern und die Genehmigung von Lehramtsstudiengängen ist.

Die Studie untersuchte die Eigenschaften einer effektiven (Erst‐)Ausbildung, welche von Lehrern berichtet wurden, die gerade ihr erstes Jahr als Lehrer beendet hatten. Für die Erhebung im Jahr 2004 erhielten alle registrierten Lehrer einen Fragebogen, die ihre Ausbildung in 2002 abgeschlossen hatten, in 2003 unterrichtet hatten, und die zu dem Zeitpunkt der Erhebung den ersten Monat im zweiten Jahr als Lehrkraft absolviert hatten. Der Fragebogen wurde von 1147 Lehrern aller Universitäten im Bundesstaat ausgefüllt.

Lehrer, die berichteten, auf die Anforderungen im ersten Jahr als Lehrer gut vorbereitet zu sein, besuchten Kurse und Seminare, die ihnen ein vertieftes Wissen über die zu unterrichtenden Lehrinhalte und darüber, wie Schüler diese Inhalte lernen, vermittelten. Außerdem wurden in diesen Kursen und Seminaren Fähigkeiten erlernt zur Einschätzung von bereits bei Schülern vorhandenem Verständnis der Lehrinhalte, zur Planung von Aktivitäten für die weitere Entwicklung des Verständnisses und zur Bewertung des Ausmaßes dieser Entwicklung. Die Arbeit schließt mit Implikationen für die Zulassung von Lehramtsstudiengängen.

El propósito de este estudio consistió en proporcionar orientación a las instancias políticas acerca de los estándares que podrían ser apropiados para la acreditación de programas de formación de profesores. El estudio fue encargado por el Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), una institución creada en 2001 por el gobierno del estado de Victoria con la responsabilidad de llevar a cabo el registro (licencia para enseñar) de los profesores y la acreditación de los programas de formación de profesorado.

En el estudio investigamos las características de los programas eficaces de formación inicial docente, desde el punto de vista de los profesores que habían finalizado su primer año de enseñanza. En el año 2004 se distribuyó un cuestionario a todos los profesores acreditados que habían finalizado su graduación como profesores en el año 2002, y que habían enseñando en 2003 y que se encontraban en ese momento en el primer mes de su segundo año como docentes. El cuestionario lo respondieron 1147 profesores de todas las universidades del estado.

Los profesores que afirmaron estar preparados para dar respuesta a las demandas de su primer año de enseñanza habían realizado cursos que les proporcionaron un conocimiento más elaborado de lo que de ellos se esperaba para que pudieran ayudar a los alumnos a aprender, asimismo conocían cómo aprenden los alumnos, así como poseían habilidades para diagnosticar los niveles previos de comprensión del contenido por parte de los alumnos, planificaban actividades que podrían promover un desarrollo de los alumnos y evaluaban en qué medida ese desarrollo tenía lugar. El artículo concluye con implicaciones para la política de acreditación.     

Factors affecting the development of distance education courses

This exploratory case study identifies factors and relationships among factors facilitating and impeding the development of distance education courses at Syracuse University, a large, private traditional university located in Central New York State. During September and October 1990 Syracuse University's Center for Instructional Development used an author/editor course development model (Smith, 1980) to create eight print‐based, undergraduate courses for United States Marines stationed in Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield.

Interviews with course developers and faculty authors produced six factors associated with the success of the course development process: course definition, faculty perception of student abilities, textbook selection, the extent of faculty/developer conflict, faculty flexibility, and faculty/developer working relationships. Course development success was indicated by timeliness, smoothness, and satisfaction with the course product.     

Training teachers for mainstreaming: An inservice model for developing behavior management skills

Abstract

One purpose in this study was to determine the percentage of subjects from a nationally representative sample of high school seniors who reported intentions to major in education and were actually majoring in education during a 2‐year follow‐up analysis. Results showed less than half the subjects were majoring in education. Moreover, subjects with the poorest high school academic proficiency scores were much less likely to be attending college or majoring in education. A second purpose of this study was to describe high school academic proficiency levels in mathematics, reading, and science among students majoring in education as compared to all other college majors. Results showed high school academic proficiency scores of secondary education majors faired better, overall, than the general 4‐year college population. Conversely, 4‐year college students in elementary and early childhood education were more apt to have left high school with some academic deficiencies, especially in the area of science among early childhood majors.     

Experience,education and the inservice needs of mathematics teachers

A 23-item questionnaire was employed to measure the inservice needs of 246 teachers of mathematics in Grades 7, 8, and 9. Five general need areas were identified: curriculum, planning and application of teaching aids, classroom strategies, subject matter, and updated information from the field of mathematics education. Teachers were then sorted into sub-groups on the basis of their prior teaching experience and educational credentials. Analysis of variance and profiles constructed of teacher needs indicated that teacher sub-groups attributed different priorities to the five need categories. The implications for planning teacher inservice activities are briefly discussed.     

Factors affecting service learning implementation: a comparison of novice and veteran teachers

This qualitative study investigated factors that facilitate and hinder implementation of service learning for novice and veteran teachers. We conducted case studies of three novice teachers and three veteran teachers, using a cross-case analysis within and across groups. Confirming prior research, facilitating factors included teachers’ knowledge of service learning and availability of time for planning and enacting it. Some novel factors contributing to the literature included student characteristics and common core pressures. Findings indicated differing needs of novice and veteran teachers for learning about and implementing service learning. Study implications and limitations are addressed.     

How teaching influences learning: Implications for educational researchers,teachers, teacher educators and policy makers

This article is a tribute to Graham Nuthall's contribution to classroom research from his early experimental studies through to his recent work on theory integration. It also explains the potential of the methodology, findings and theory building in our collaborative work to make a substantial positive difference for diverse students. The article explains the significance of, and need for, research linking learning to teaching processes (a scientific realist approach to putting ‘process’, socio-cultural context and theory building into a new process–product paradigm). Findings of student outcomes contrary to educational goals (for example, teaching designed to enhance appreciation of cultural differences triggering racist abuse) signal the importance of research that explains the impact of teaching on learner outcomes. The article also foreshadows the implications of the work that Graham and I did for teaching, teacher education, research and educational policy. The article concludes with Graham's view that the most important contribution his work would make, would be to initial teacher education.     

The role of motivations and perceptions on the retention of inservice teachers

This article addresses the characteristics, motivations and perceptions of teachers regarding retention. The participants were practicing teachers in Australia. The survey included the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice (FIT-Choice) scale, previously used with preservice teachers. The results show that: i) teacher motivations are related to self-perceptions in teaching children/adolescents in the community, ii) threatened by negative social perceptions, and iii) influenced by characteristics such as gender. It is concluded that retention may be undermined by employment practices and social perceptions that erode a teacher’s self-concept. Outcomes inform policy for improving employment practices for the retention of a diverse teaching workforce.     

教师教育新课程及对师范院校教师的要求

职前教师教育的课程内容,课程比例及课程结构设置的优化和完善,对师范院校所培养教师的质量有着重要而深远的影响。文章分析教育部出台的《关于大力推进教师教育课程改革的意见》中教师教育课程的调整意见。新课程设置在内容上呈现出广域化、模块化、时代化与专业化的特点,在结构上具有必修课程与选修课程的有机结合、学科课程与研究课程的有机结合、理论课程与实践课程的有机结合、显性课程与隐形课程的有机结合等特点。最后,提出师范院校教师要通过转变教师角色、教师职能、教师教学方式和自身观念来适应教师教育新课程的要求。     

Student motivation: an experience of inservice education as a context for professional development of teachers

This article focuses on an inservice education experience conducted in a constructivist perspective. The experience was aimed at fostering elementary, middle and high school teachers’ professional development regarding student motivation. Thirty-six teachers from these school levels reflected on their professional experience and practical knowledge in groups conducted and supervised by university researchers. In group work, the participants analyzed and discussed materials and situations from their professional experience, re-elaborated in the light of a constructivist framework. At the end of the intervention, they showed an increased ability and interest in reflecting with colleagues and researchers on their students’ motivational problems, and collaborative planning of educational interventions. The results of the intervention are presented and the possibility of carrying out similar education experiences in the Italian school system is discussed.     

Managing the Change From On-Site to Online: Transforming ESL courses for teachers

In Canada, all regular K-12 teachers face the challenge of teaching both native and non-native English speaking students. Consequently, working with students who use English as a second language (ESL) has become everybody's business, irrespective of whether they are teaching language or mathematics, at elementary or secondary levels. As a result, it is essential for in-service teachers to gain knowledge and develop skills in working with ESL students. Teaching English as a second language (TESL) courses have been delivered traditionally at the Faculty of Education at Queen's University through on-site training and with opportunities for working with ESL students. These courses, however, are now delivered online to teachers in different locations across the province and even in other parts of the world. This paper addresses the challenges of converting the on-site courses to an online format.