Combating Stereotypes of the Scientist Among Pre-service Science Teachers in Nigeria

This paper looks at the effect of instruction on pre-service science teachers' conceptions of the scientist. Twenty-six pre-service science teachers involved in a 14-week course were the subjects. The constructivist teaching approach was adopted. The students' preconceptions were the starting point for the teaching. Seven students were selected for in-depth interview to determine the reasons for their positions (change or no change in view at the end of the period). It was found that instruction enhanced better conceptions of the scientist. The pre-test to post-test change scores differed from zero and the difference was significant at the 0·05 level of significance. However, the interview revealed that the changes in conceptions were mediated by the students' life worldviews. We therefore conclude that whereas remediating strategies enhance understanding (comprehension), worldview of the students has a greater effect on meaningful learning (apprehension).     

Closing the Gap Between Attitudes and Perceptions About ICT-Enhanced Learning Among Pre-service STEM Teachers

The goal of this study was to examine pre-service STEM teachers’ attitudes and perceptions about the effectiveness of various learning methods and, in specific, the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as means for enhancing progressive education. The study was conducted among two cohorts of pre-service STEM teachers (N = 103) in the years 2006 and 2012. The mixed method approach was used to compile data from two research tools: an attitudes questionnaire and reflective drawings. The findings of the first cohort indicated a conflict between the participants’ declared attitudes and their perceptions, suggesting a gap between their inclination to coincide with educational trends, and their actual views about the use of ICTs in the classrooms. The first cohort’s drawings illustrated ICTs as distractive technologies, ineffective tools for teaching and learning, impairing teachers’ authority, and distancing teachers and students from each other. Findings of the second cohort indicated that the gap between attitudes and perceptions was narrowed in such a way that preservice STEM teachers did not see ICTs as threatening, but they perceived them as instrumental for leveraging progressive education.     

Assessment Outcomes of Pre-service Teachers

As a response to the shortage of credentialed teachers in California, a four-year major called Urban Learning (ULRN), combining both the undergraduate and a teaching credential program was developed by professors at the Charter College of Education at California State University, Los Angeles. The assessment results of the program after its first two-year pilot period showed that ULRN students (N=153) exhibited higher motivation to learn and tended to take fuller course loads as compared to other undergraduate students at the university. This was attributed to faculty collaboration and cohort modeling of the program. Compared to students in the regular credential programs, ULRN students were more likely to remain enrolled in their program and more likely to complete the program and graduate sooner. This blended program as a whole including the assessment course appeared to have help pre-service teachers become competent as teachers. This blended program with its structure emphasizing efficiency and effectiveness was comparatively successful.     

Pre-service Teachers Perspectives of Google Expedition

Early Childhood Education Journal - This article explores pre-service teachers' personal experiences as they implemented immersive virtual reality using Google Expedition during a summer STEM...     

Pre-service Teachers’ Experiences with a Science Education Module

This paper describes a module provided to first year elementary participants in a two-year after-degree Bachelor of Education program. The module was specifically designed to address the fact that pre-service teachers can enter the B.Ed. degree with little or no science knowledge. Science experiences were explicitly incorporated into the B.Ed. module described here linking science content knowledge to specific science pedagogic content knowledge. The pre-service teachers were surveyed and interviewed during and after completion of the module. It was found that the inquiry based approach increased the pre-service teachers' level of science knowledge, their confidence with regard to teaching elementary science, and improved their attitude toward science teaching and learning.     

Bringing Democratic Theory into Didactical Practice. Concepts of Education for Democracy Among Norwegian Pre-service Teachers

Democracy is highlighted in the Norwegian school system. This article investigates how pre-service teachers in social studies understand the more theoretical concept of democracy, and in what ways they intend to operationalize it with future pupils. Three ideal types are used to locate perspectives in the data: pure liberalist, majority rule and deliberative models of democracy. The findings indicate that perceptions of democracy in the sample are most commonly associated with core aspects of liberal democracy through a general focus on elections and voting, majority rule and individual civil liberties. A striking finding is the highly apparent internalization of participation as a norm and ideal in itself. However, ideas of contents and didactical implications of participation varies among respondents. As many also display a seemingly restricted interpretation of the political sphere, this might imply a thin understanding of democratic participation. The article further points out that translating concepts from political science into pedagogical notions is not a straightforward endeavor.     

教师职前培养的问题与对策

教师专业发展由职前培养、资格任用和在职培训三个阶段组成。职前培养是教师专业发展的起始阶段,对其今后的专业成长有着至关重要的影响。针对当前我国教师职前培养存在的问题,借鉴国外成功经验,提出相应的对策和建议。     

论大学教师的职前培养体制

根据大学教师职前培养现状以及大学教师职业特性,可以将大学教师的职前培养体制分成三种模式:纯粹的学科专业型、学科专业主导型、学科专业与教学专业并重型。学科专业主导型模式既遵循了大学教师的成长规律,也兼顾了大学教师培养与成长的实际,是当前大学教师职前培养体制的理想选择。     

澳大利亚职前教师教学表现性评价探析

为了确保教师职前培养的质量,澳大利亚近年来在教师教育专业认证中引入教学表现性评价.这种评价观认为,教师职前教育的质量主要体现在毕业生的学习成果上,尤其是教学实践能力发展水平.在实践中,教学表现性评价形成了一套完整的运作机制:在评价主体上,它是由多主体协调来完成的;在评价标准设计上,它具有多维度、相对统一的特点;在评价内容上要求对职前教师的备课、教学、评估和反馈等教学全过程进行评价.澳大利亚教学表现性评价有其突出特点:聚焦职前教师的实践能力发展;在真实教学环境中进行评价;评价主体多元化;评价内容涉及教学全过程;评价方式多样化;评价结果的使用高利害.     

我国反思型教师职前培养的对策

反思型教师的职前培养是新课程改革和发展的要求。我国反思型教师职前培养应采取如下对策：强化职前教师自主发展意识和反思意识;合理设计职前教师教育类课程;加强职前教师实践知识的积累与获得;注重职前教师反思人格的塑造与培养。     

教育实习模式对英语职前教师的影响分析

教育实习是提升师范生教师技能的重要手段,教育实习的模式可以多种多样,顶岗实习、就近实习、培训学习、自主实习都是教育实习的有效模式。师范生应结合自身特点、职业规划,选择能够切实提升自身实践能力的实习方式。     

民族精神寓于高师生历史教育探析

民族精神教育实施原则具有渗透性、渐进性、时代性。在高师历史课中进行民族精神的教育,可结合中国历史教材、乡土历史资源、举办丰富多彩的专题活动进行。高师生的民族精神教育任重道远,加强学生的民族精神教育要把握好时代的脉搏,要有良好的校园环境和社会环境。     

Historiographical Capacity of Pre-service History Teachers in Turkey

The purpose of this study is to determine how well the Turkish pre-service history teachers in a state university＇s teacher certification program for history majors create the historiographical papers. By doing so, the aim is to elicit the present state which can be drawn on by future research. Document analysis method, which is one of the qualitative research methodologies, has been used to analyze the data. Historical texts of seven pre-service history teachers were analyzed according to some historical essays check-list developed by the researchers. At the end of the study, it was concluded that pre-service history teachers do not thoroughly follow the criteria used to write a historiographical paper. Suggestions have been offered to improve writing skills of the pre-service history teachers.     

综合实践活动课程专职教师职前培养：问题与设想

综合实践活动课程在当前实施过程中的关键问题是缺乏合格的师资,但这一问题还没有引起人们足够的重视。作为一门课程,它应该配备能够从总体上把握其内在联系性和系统性的专职教师。高师院校应在通盘考虑本课程要求和毕业生就业出路等实际情况的基础上,设立综合实践活动教育专业,进行培养模式和课程设置的改革与创新,培养出既能胜任该课程专职指导,又能胜任传统分科课程教学工作的复合型教师。     

双语教师职前培养途径探析

双语教学正在我国蓬勃发展,然而缺少优秀的双语教师已经成为了制约我国双语教学的瓶颈。鉴于此,通过比较双语教师培养方式中的职前培养和职后培训,认为职前培养应被给予足够的重视,进而分析了职前培养的三种方式,找出其优势和不足,最终提出双语教师职前培养过程中应遵循的几项原则。     

汉语教师志愿者派出前培训的针对性研究

国家汉语国际推广领导小组办公室派出的汉语教师志愿者在出行前都要接受数周的集中培训,当前培训中存在无差别化、少针对性、重理论而轻基础知识和实践训练等问题。今后应依据受训对象的不同特点,以及赴任国教学对象、工作环境的特点,制订有针对性的、个性化的培训方案。     

中学教师专业发展与英语教师教育职前培养探究

中学教师专业发展有其阶段性存在,而教师教育职前培养和教师在职专业发展,是一个统一完整和持续不断的专业发展过程。当前教师教育职前培养,对英语师范生素质结构,英语教育界已有广泛的认同,但对其素质培养的途径和方法的教学实践,收效却不甚理想。我们认为,英语专业师范生素质培养,在注重专业知识、专业技能和专业素养培养的同时,切不能忽视几种核心能力的培养：1．专业发展规划意识和能力;2．自主学习态度和能力;3．教学技能实践与反思能力;4．教学科研能力。     

职前教师数字音频技能实验室的规划与设计

随着现代教育技术的发展,中小学校对教师信息化教学技能的要求越来越高。掌握录音与音频处理技术对在岗教师来说至关重要,而教师在这方面技能相对薄弱。为促进职前教师数字音频技能的提升,需要创设一个良好的数字音频技能学习环境。论文结合数字音频技能实验室建设的实际情况,从实验室设计原则出发,充分体现实用、经济、理论联系实际等原则,将职前教师数字音频技能学习环境分为音频教学技能实验室及录音实验室。通过基础性实验和提高性实验的实验设计,分层次地培养师范生的数字音频技能,以满足各个学科的不同教学需要。并为课外实践或开放项目提供良好的协作学习平台,促使职前教师录音技能和信息化处理能力的不断提高。     

Strategies of Number Sense in Pre-service Secondary Mathematics Teachers

This paper presents some results of an investigation on the number sense of a group of pre-service secondary teachers from Spain. The objective of this research was to analyze students’ use of strategies associated to number sense and compare them with those obtained in a previous study with pre-service primary teachers in Taiwan, (Yang, Reys & Reys, International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 7, 383–403, 2009). Pre-service secondary teachers showed lower success than pre-service primary teachers in a number sense test. Nevertheless, these last based their reasoning mainly on rules and algorithms, while pre-service secondary teachers used more strategies of number sense. In an attempt to delve into the low success shown by of Spanish pre-service secondary teachers, some students were interviewed. Those interviews showed that a deeper work on number sense in the training of these students is needed.