Personal Universes: revealing community college students’ competences though their organization of the cosmos

In this article I present a study on learners’ conceptions in cosmology by situating the results in the context of broader historical and sociocultural themes. Participants were community college students in California from non-dominant cultural and linguistic backgrounds finishing their first semester of astronomy. Data were collected through a drawing activity and card sort given during clinical-style interviews. This type of work is typically done from the perspective of conceptual change theory, using drawings to reveal student “misconceptions.” I argue that in analyzing this kind of data, we need to come from the perspective that students are competent, and put their conceptions in context. I begin by presenting traditional frameworks for evaluating and describing learning, all of which rely on an outdated “banking” or “transmission” model of learning that puts an over-emphasis on the performance and attributes of individuals. Not only do these theories provide an incomplete picture of what learning looks like, they create and reify unnecessary divides between “scientific” and “unscientific” that can contribute to student alienation from the world of science. To illustrate this, I present my own results as a window into the logic of learners’ assumptions within a sociocultural context, and suggest ways to support their learning trajectories, rather than figuring out how to unlearn their misconceptions. Through this analysis, I hope to show how taking student conceptions out of sociocultural context can potentially exclude students from non-dominant cultural and linguistic backgrounds from science.     

“My job was to teach”: educators’ memories of teaching in British Columbia during World War II

Substantial historical research indicates that during World War II Canadian schools were considered optimal sites for fostering nationalistic sentiments in teachers and learners. Policymakers directed educators and students to collect scrap metals, purchase war savings certificates, salute the flag, and undertake marching drills. These wide-reaching directives give the impression that schools were considerably reshaped during the war. Nevertheless, since much of the literature has used official information sources, such as curriculum documents and government missives, it is unclear to what extent teachers implemented such directives. No Canadian scholarship has tapped the memories of former teachers to determine their compliance in promoting nationalistic sentiments and activities. Nor have existing histories categorised activities by geographic area (such as rural versus urban; coastal versus inland) or school level (elementary versus secondary). Thus, the “unity of purpose and experience” implied by some of the literature may be overemphasised. This paper challenges the suggestion that throughout Canada all children and teachers in schools fervently engaged in nationalistic behaviour during World War II. To supplement government perspectives found in newspapers, magazines, curricular documents, and other Department of Education sources, I interviewed two dozen teachers who taught in 40 schools throughout British Columbia between 1939 and 1945. Despite policymakers’ intentions, there were many factors influencing schools’ abilities to support the war effort. These included a community’s geographic proximity or access to centres of larger war-related activity, such as munitions factories or collection stations; the values and social circumstances of families and communities; and teachers’ individual preferences, often reflecting their career stage.     

Teacher Identity: Claiming Me

This article speaks to the reality of the lived experiences of student of color in society today: navigating the structures of diversity in a white world. For many, the author’s story resonates with what they feel at their core of belonging and unbelonging. It answers the age old questions, “Who am I?” and “What is my purpose?” The article gives pre-service teachers of color the ability to claim agency about who they are and what their purpose is in life. The author’s story is one of self-authorship. With the hope that White middle class teachers will better understand their students, the author also gives insight into the struggles and realities student of color face on a daily basis.     

Changing the context of teachers’ work and professional development: A European perspective

Recent changes in the regulation of education systems in Europe and beyond have led to greater control over the work of teachers and the performance of schools. The paper draws upon the findings of a programme of funded comparative research, which has examined the impact of national education policy and policy change on teachers’ work and professional development in several European countries, England, France and Denmark. Within the English context, particularly, both primary and secondary teachers expressed common concerns centered on what was perceived as the demand for a ‘delivery of performance’. Many teachers considered that the more affective concerns of teaching – the sense of vocation and investment of self- were being undermined by the pressure for performance, to become “expert technicians” in transmitting externally pre-defined knowledge and skills to their pupils. Such changes have had a profound effect on the way in which teachers’ work and role are defined by government policy directives more widely within the European context. The paper considers the implications of these changed accountability structures for teachers’ professional identity and development.     

Examining the immigrant experience: helping teachers develop as critical educators

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine ways that a multicultural perspective using critical literacy practices engaged practicing teachers to rethink and re-vision oppressive hegemonic structures and attitudes regarding immigrant students and their families and helped them to develop as critical educators. In the context of a professional development master’s program, 57 teachers experienced a curriculum strand focused on immigration issues and provided extensive feedback responding to the curriculum. The data were analyzed to assess in what ways using current and controversial issues helped teachers to develop their capacities to understand and critique the world in more complex ways and what impact these experiences had on their teaching practice. Evidence suggests that the majority of teachers were receptive to the curriculum although some teachers exhibited resistance. Resistance appeared to be minimized and teachers’ development supported using curricular experiences that “put a face to the issue,” that put learners “in others’ shoes,” that engaged teachers’ emotions, and that made clear how policies, practices, and attitudes directly and indirectly impact the lives of children and their families.     

Trends in teachers' recommendations for changing elementary and junior-high school science programs

Since 1978 many studies have called for changes in the practices of science teaching. These changes in instruction will occur only when the teachers decide to change their practices. This study uses surveys to consider the question of what were the trends in the teachers' recommendations for changes in elementary and junior-high school science programs between the years of 1978 and 1982. Large samples of teachers in British Columbia, Canada, responded anonymously to questionnaires in these years: 3040 teachers in 1978 and 1631 in 1982, with return rates ranging from 77.5% to 85%. These teachers described themselves as shifting their classroom practices toward ones that emphasize passive learning and memorization. The British Columbia Science Assessments recommend more inservice programs to stop this trend. There were very few differences in the teachers' recommendations for changes in the schools. The elementary-school teachers had major changes in their rankings of only two activities: they increased their ranking of “activity-centered learning” and reduced their ranking of “outdoor education.”     

Heroes,villains, or something in between? How “Right to Work” policies affect teachers,students, and education policymaking

Although the Janus v. AFCSME (2018) decision fundamentally changed the institutional context for U.S. teachers’ unions by placing all public school teachers in a “Right to Work” (RTW) framework, little research exists to conceptualize the effects of such policies that hinder unionization. To fill this gap, I exploit the different timing across states in the passage of RTW policies in a differences-in-differences framework to identify how exposure to a RTW policy affects students, teachers, and education policymaking. I find that RTW policies lead to declines in teachers’ union power, but contrary to what many union critics have argued, I find that efforts to weaken unions did not result in political opportunities for education reforms nor did they improve student achievement outcomes.     

Recognising and responding to radicalisation at the ‘frontline’: Assessing the capability of school teachers to recognise and respond to radicalisation

Governments across the west have put teachers at the forefront of efforts to tackle radicalisation of young people based on their proximity to potentially vulnerable students. This has proven controversial, as critics claim that this securitises teachers’ work and that they cannot be expected to accurately identify and respond to extremism. Despite investment in P/CVE teacher training, research to assess teachers’ competence to identify signs of radicalisation and to respond in an appropriate manner is scarce. This article presents findings from a survey experiment with 2,173 teachers in Great Britain and Denmark. It shows that British and Danish teachers largely recognise radicalisation cues and respond to student radicalisation in similar ways. However, our data shows that British teachers are more likely than Danish teachers to react formally (e.g. report to authorities), and that British teachers feel more confident in reacting to signs of radicalisation. The results enhance our understanding of the effects of radicalisation prevention in schools. Furthermore, they challenge arguments within the extant literature by suggesting that what leads to concerns of radicalisation is not entirely subjective or completely context dependent.     

“Kindergarten, can I have your eyes and ears?” politeness and teacher directive choices in inquiry-based science classrooms

This study explores elementary teachers’ social understandings and employment of directives and politeness while facilitating inquiry science lessons prior and subsequent to their participation in a summer institute in which they were introduced to the scholarly literature on regulative discourse (directives used by teachers to regulate student behavior). A grounded theory analysis of the institute professional development activities revealed that teachers developed an increased awareness of the authoritative functions served by impolite or direct directives (i.e., pragmatic awareness). Furthermore, a comparative microethnographic analysis of participants’ inquiry-based classroom practices revealed that after the institute teachers demonstrated an increased ability to share authority with students by strategically making directive choices that were more polite, indirect, inclusive, involvement-focused and creative. Such ability led to a reduced emphasis on teacher regulation of student compliance with classroom behavioral norms and an increased focus on the discursive organization of the inquiry-based science learning/teaching process. Despite teachers’ increased pragmatic awareness, teacher–student linguistic relationships did not become entirely symmetrical subsequent to their participation in the summer institute (i.e., teacher authority was not completely relinquished or lost). Based on such findings, it is argued that teachers need to develop higher levels of pragmatic awareness to become effectively prepared to engage in language-mediated teacher–student interaction in the context of inquiry-based science classroom discourse.     

The Pedagogic Beliefs of Indonesian Teachers in Inclusive Schools

This research explores, for the first time, the pedagogical orientations of Indonesian teachers in the context of inclusive education. A mixed-method approach was used for an analysis of questionnaire data from 140 teachers and qualitative interviews from 20 teachers in four inclusive schools. The findings suggest that, in general, the implicit orientation of teachers is social constructivist. This orientation is also reflected in their reported classroom practices. Although less common, more directive pedagogical approaches appear to have an impact upon the flexibility of roles within two teacher inclusive classrooms. Whilst the number of disabled pupils within each class was a significant issue for interviewees, no pupils were deemed unteachable in their classrooms. Furthermore, what is described by the teachers as a “special pedagogy” typically entailed additional teaching time and modified assessments, and consequently could be framed as “good teaching for all”. The questionnaires also contained responses from student and special school teachers and support the view that teachers’ beliefs about inclusive pedagogy are mediated by experience and occupation.     

大学商科小组讨论互动有效性的中英视角对比研究

小组讨论是一种在中英大学商科课堂上常用的教学方法。英国文献中有比较成熟的关于“好的”小组讨论互动行为的描述,这些描述得到了教育学、语言学、商科教学等多方证实为在安格鲁-撒克逊文化下有利于小组合作学习的“有效”互动行为。文献中针对我国教师和学生所认为“好的”讨论互动行为的报道非常少。通过使用文献中能代表主要四种小组讨论互动方式的真实语料来探究并对比英国商科教师、中国商科教师和中国商科学生对小组讨论互动方式的认可程度及其原因,为下一步收集更详尽的我国文化下“好的”讨论互动行为以及论证其是否促进我国学生小组合作学习奠定基础。     

Troubling “understanding mathematics in-depth”: Its role in the identity work of student-teachers in England

In this paper, we focus on an initiative in England devised to prepare non-mathematics graduates to train as secondary mathematics teachers through a 6-month Mathematics Enhancement Course (MEC) to boost their subject knowledge. The course documentation focuses on the need to develop “understanding mathematics in-depth” in students in order for them to become successful mathematics teachers. We take a poststructural approach, so we are not interested in asking what such an understanding is, about the value of this approach or about the effectiveness of the MECs in developing this understanding in their participants. Instead we explore what positions this discourse of “understanding mathematics in-depth” makes available to MEC students. We do this by looking in detail at the “identity work” of two students, analysing how they use and are used by this discourse to position themselves as future mathematics teachers. In doing so, we show how even benign-looking social practices such as “understanding mathematics in-depth” are implicated in practices of inclusion and exclusion. We show this through detailed readings of interviews with two participants, one of whom fits with the dominant discourses in the MEC and the other who, despite passing the MEC, experiences tensions between her national identity work and MEC discourses. We argue that it is vital to explore “identity work” within teacher education contexts to ensure that becoming a successful mathematics teacher is equally available to all.     

英语强势语的语言学透视

强势语的表现形式遍及于语言的各个层次，它主要通过语音、词汇、语法、修辞手段来实现。如果从语言学角度对英语中这种客观存在的语言现象进行分析．并对英语强势语的定义与分类、表现形式和否定式等方面进行考察、研究．那么将有助于准确把握信息中心，突出侧重信息，从而更好地达到交际的目的。     

Eastern/Western conceptions of the “Good Teacher” and the construction of difference in teacher education

This paper examines the recertification process of internationally educated teachers (IETs) in British Columbia (BC). In order to teach in Canada IETs have to go through a recertification process. The recertification process varies between provinces and is a full-time training process, following an assessment of IETs’ foreign credentials. Through interviews with IETs and professionals, I explored the prevalent conceptions of the “good teacher” in one IET recertification program. I argue that while Western-Eastern conceptions of the “good teacher” differ, they could complement and strengthen each other, particularly in the multicultural space of BC. Yet in the recertification process, Eastern conceptions of the “good teacher” were viewed as deficient, and thus, spaces for IETs to bring their experiences and voices to bear on reconstructing their professional identity in Canada were closed down.     

Towards multidimensional approaches to early childhood science education

In this forum paper, I respond to issues raised by Kristina Andersson and Annica Gullberg in their article titled What is science in preschool and what do teachers have to know to empower children? (2012). I seek to continue the discussion begun with Andersson and Gullberg’s paper, by further exploring the questions they introduce to guide their paper: “What is science in preschool?” and “What do teachers have to know to empower children?” In particular, I elaborate on the value of drawing on multiple perspectives and different epistemological frameworks, and I argue for the need for a reconceptualized notion of science as a school discipline; one that acknowledges the multifaceted ways in which young children engage in science.     

Using critical incident reflections: a self-study as a mathematics teacher educator

In this paper, I report the results of a 4-year study into how my students learn to become mathematics teachers during the combined 15-week methods and field placement course I teach. At the start of most weekly methods class meetings, groups of three or four students reported their critical incidents to each other, and then chose one incident to report to the whole class. Each student then submitted a written report of 10 critical incidents for grading. At the end of each semester, I administered a questionnaire about the usefulness of each of the elements of the course. Using these two main data sources, along with my own personal reflections on the course, this paper answers the question “What are the critical incidents preservice teachers encounter during their field experience, and what do they learn about teaching for understanding through reflecting on those critical incidents?” My analysis of the students’ incident reports found that the issues raised focused on four main areas: teaching and classroom management; student factors such as pre-requisite knowledge, understanding, resistance and motivation; issues concerning relationships with colleagues, students and parents; and school organizational issues such as policies and access to resources. Their learning about teaching for understanding focused on three broad areas: the conditions necessary to teach for understanding; facilitators of teaching for understanding; and barriers to teaching for understanding. The paper concludes with a discussion of the lessons learned about fostering reflection in novice teachers, and suggestions for further research.     

“Virtually mandatory”: A survey of how discipline and institutional commitment shape university lecturers’ perceptions of technology

Although there have been many claims that technology might enhance university teaching, there are wide variations in how technology is actually used by lecturers. This paper presents a survey of 795 university lecturers’ perceptions of the use of technology in their teaching, showing how their responses were patterned by institutional and subject differences. There were positive attitudes towards technology across institutions and subjects but also large variations between different technologies. Two groups of technology were identified—“core” technologies, such as Powerpoint, that were used frequently, even when lecturers felt that they were not having a positive impact on learning, and “marginal” technologies, such as blogs, that were used much less frequently and only where they fitted the pedagogic approach or context. Rather than there being “leading” universities that were the highest users of all technologies, institutions tended to be heavier users of some technologies than others. Similarly, subjects could be associated with particular technologies rather than being consistent users of technology in general. The study suggests that university technology policy should reflect different disciplines and contexts rather than “one size fits all” directives.     

“Losing Touch”: Teachers on teaching and learning

Teachers recruited to a cohort study in 1978 were interviewed to elicit their views on issues surrounding the education system and teaching profession. Qualitative data were derived from a semi‐structured interview and quantitative data included a self‐report measure of temperament and character. The findings highlight a “mismatch” between the characteristics or attributes of teachers and the shifting role of teachers to accommodate administrative and “social work” duties for which they have not been trained. This shift, in turn, takes them away from their core business of teaching. Furthermore, a common attribute of cooperativeness in this teaching cohort is more aligned with the teaching role which may explain teachers' frustration in having to accommodate an independent working style of administrator. Greater use of administrative support staff and counseling services to free teachers to do what they have been trained is more likely to reduce levels of work dissatisfaction. Mentoring of new graduates is more likely to buffer the stress as they make the transition from a learning to a teaching environment. A mentoring matrix is offered which features a bi‐directional exchange of “tried and true ideas” of experienced teachers and “new ideas” of new graduates.