Identification of discipline violations and its role in planning corrective and preventive discipline in school

Many surveys confirm a substantial number of discipline problems in schools, but not many surveys are aimed at their identification. Identification of discipline violations is indispensable for prudent planning of their interventions in and prevention of their occurrence. Earlier studies focused mostly on the teachers’ perceptions of discipline problems and they were not interested in how discipline problems are perceived by students. In this study, teachers and students identified the most frequent and disturbing discipline violations. Given the results of the survey, it would be necessary to pay more attention to preventing disruption of lessons and improper attitude, which are, in the views of teachers and students alike, the most frequent and disturbing violations.     

交际教学法与戏剧表演在口语课堂中的应用

如何提高英语学习者的口语表达能力和英语交际能力,一直是英语教师深切关注的问题。文章针对英语专业口语课的教学方法改革进行了初步的探索,教师尝试把交际教学法和戏剧表演相结合,并应用于英语口语教学当中,把培养交际能力的教学目标通过戏剧表演的课堂教学模式来实现。文中阐述了交际能力的概念,教学法的特点以及戏剧表演在口语课堂教学的具体实施情况,肯定了戏剧表演和交际教学法相结合对学生英语口语提高的促进作用,同时作者也指出教师在具体应用过程中需要注意的问题。     

高三讲评课中对学生思维能力的培养

试卷讲评是高三生物教学中必不可少的一个环节,也是使学生提升能力、收获成果的重要环节.但多数的试卷讲评课,教师们还是使用传统的教学方式,大大地削弱了学生利用自己所学的知识解决问题的能力,同时也使学生善于独立思考、发现问题的优势无法得到体现,从而大大影响了复习的效率.以2012福建省质检试卷讲评课为例谈谈在讲评课中培养学生思维能力的几点做法.     

The Analysis on the Problems and Possible Reasons in English Writing of English Major Students in Tongren University

The English learners and teachers both have some difficulties in English writing learning and teaching despite continuous efforts are put by teachers and students to develop their competence in L2 writing,most students still score much lower in writing part than listening and reading parts in various English level tests.Three main sections are included in the paper: The first section surveys the students' main problems in English writing learning with my analysis of its possible factors from the respects of students and teachers,such as students' motivation,teacher's education and approaches to teaching writing in L2 classes.The second section presents a review of how the relevant literature suggests on the students' problems in writing.Accordingly,I put forward several possible solutions as the attempts to change the problematic situation in L2 writing.     

Teachers' pedagogical beliefs and their planning and conduct of computer-mediated classroom lessons

In this study, we observed and interviewed six teachers from two Singapore primary school classrooms. The schools were reportedly achieving high levels of computer integration as reflected in a nationwide questionnaire survey. Out of the 18 lessons that we observed, 14 lessons have incorporated some elements of constructivist teaching. However, closer examination revealed that the underlying orientation of the lessons was inclined towards information acquisition and regurgitation. Five out of the six teachers we interviewed were reportedly inclined towards constructivist notion of teaching. The teachers accounted for the inconsistency between their espoused beliefs and the teacher-centric teaching practice as due to contextual constraints. The teachers expressed that the need to complete the syllabi according to stipulated schedules so as to get the students ready for examination was the main barriers that prevented them from engaging in more constructivist teaching. This case study therefore highlights that although it is necessary for teachers to hold pedagogical beliefs that are compatible with the constructivist notion of teaching and learning, this is an insufficient condition to shift traditional teaching practice. Changes in assessment systems and substantial professional development are further conditions that have to be addressed.     

从体育转型看高校体育教学的现状与改革

体育转型标志着体育从认识、观念到实质的根本变化。转型的高校体育教学 ,应在人本思想的指导下 ,培养学生的体育行为方法、文化素养和综合能力。然而 ,一些高校现行的体育教学 ,仍然对学生主体性、运动教学项目性质、教学考评的目的、教学学后需要等问题认识不足 ,在课程结构与内容安排上循旧、守成 ,因而急需真正突破传统教学思想和模式的束缚 ,并在课程结构、理论教学、运动教学和教学管理与评价等方面加以改革     

微生物学实验课操作技能的量化考核与评价

培养和提高学生的实验操作技能是微生物实验教学的教学目标之一。通过实验操作技能量化考核标准的制定和实施，结果表明：实验课平均成绩可达84.40分，促进学生重视操作技能的训练，较好地掌握实验技能，提高了实验教学的质量。通过对技能操作考核的整体和分项评价，教师能客观地了解教学效果，发现教学中存在的问题和薄弱环节，有利于教学总结，进一步提高教学水平和质量．实验操作技能的量化考核与评价不失为一种可操作的实验课考核方案．     

The Structure and Substance of Teachers’ Opportunities to Learn about Teacher Evaluation Reform: Promise or Pitfall for Equity?

Despite growing momentum to overhaul teacher evaluation policies and practices, scant research examines how educators at the street level of such reform—principals and teachers—make sense of them, and almost no research examines the implications of current evaluation reforms for equity. This article provides findings based on a study of 14 districts implementing a new teacher evaluation policy in Connecticut. It focuses on how principals shaped teachers’ opportunities to learn about the new policy. We find that the majority of teachers’ opportunities to learn were formal and in whole group or one-on-one formats. We find important differences in the quantity and quality of learning opportunities at the district level, with districts serving greater shares of low-income students, students of color, and English language learners generally offering teachers fewer and lower quality opportunities to learn about the new reform than their counterparts. As such, this article builds on prior research illustrating the potential of new evaluation systems to exacerbate inequities and raises important cautions regarding the extent to which the unprecedented teacher evaluation reforms (currently underway) may exacerbate inequities among school districts.     

Looking Through Different Lenses: How Preservice Science Teachers Use Practice-Oriented Reflections to Negotiate More Reform-Minded Identities

This study used identity as a framework to understand how preservice science teachers develop the reform-minded ideas inherent in science-specific reforms. Six participants systematically reflected about their reform-based and field lessons taught during a methods course and field lessons taught during student teaching. Patterns in their reflections revealed five different lenses they used to propose changing their practices and negotiate the dissonances those proposals created with their core conceptions about teaching. The extent to which participants expressed reform-minded thinking and enacted science-specific reforms in the field was associated with how they used the lenses to resolve dissonances. The findings suggest why preservice teachers need explicit opportunities to engage in work to cultivate the reform-minded identities required to enact science-specific reforms.     

How schools train principals to use new teacher evaluation systems: A comparative case study of charter school and traditional public school principals

Over the past decade U.S. policymakers, practitioners, and researchers have sought to examine if changing teacher evaluation policies and systems have resulted in changes in identifying quality teachers and/or increased student achievement. This research generally shows most states have experienced little change in how teachers are rated. Researchers are now exploring why, in many cases, teacher evaluation reforms have failed to produce the desired systematic changes of better identifying quality teachers and better distinguishing teacher performance. Embedded within this line of inquiry is how principals (and other evaluators) are trained to use new teacher evaluation systems. This comparative case study observed six principals (three charter school principals and three traditional public school principals) in the U.S. state of Michigan as they learned and enacted a new teacher evaluation system. Additionally, all principals were interviewed three times throughout the school year, in an effort to examine how their initial teacher evaluation training impacted their evaluation of teachers. The research questions that guided this work were: (1) how are principals initially trained when their school adopts a new teacher evaluation system?; (2) in what ways does the training received by charter school principals compare to that of traditional public school principals?; and (3) how does initial training impact how principals evaluate teachers? Results indicate principals are trained to navigate the logistics of new teacher evaluation systems, but are not trained to evaluate teacher performance. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.     

The impact of Geospatial Inquiry lessons on student interest in science and technology careers

Advances in online geospatial technologies (GST) have expanded access to K-12 classrooms which has implications for the support teachers require to effectively integrate GSTs to promote learning. Previous studies have shown the impact of GST-integrated lessons on student engagement, spatial thinking skills, and/or content knowledge; however, most of these studies have been small in scope and scale and frequently focus on the affordances of the technology, without addressing the context of the implementation and student characteristics for whom GST is most impactful. We attempt to address some of these gaps. Our program scaled an effective GST-focused professional learning and development program to a national audience through a facilitator development model. This paper explores the student characteristics and lesson factors that resulted in student interest in science and technology and careers in those fields. After teaching a Geospatial Inquiry lesson created during a teacher workshop, teachers (n = 82) submitted the lessons and surveys on the implementation of Geospatial Inquiry lessons. The implementation surveys and lessons were scored for alignment to the principles of high-quality Geospatial Inquiry. Students (n = 1924) completed a post-lesson retrospective survey and indicated the extent to which their perceptions and attitudes toward science and technology changed because of the lesson. Results indicate that teacher GST performance is associated with increases in student outcomes. Students with previous exposure to science activities were more likely to have increased interest and excitement in science and careers in science but decreased interest in technology careers. Students who had previous exposure to technology activities had increased interest and excitement in technology and careers in technology but decreased interest in science careers. Geospatial Inquiry lessons also had a significant impact on students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. After participating in the lessons, students who identify as female reported higher engagement and interest in science and higher interest in science careers. Students who identified as Black or Hispanic also reported higher interest and excitement in science and technology, and students who identified as Black reported marginally higher interest in science careers.     

高中物理毕业考试应如何体现新课标的理念

新课程改革不断深入,高中物理毕业考试的研究却没跟上课改的步伐.单一的笔试方式、生硬的命题内容、一次考试决定物理毕业水平的简单考试评价处理,这些都已成为实现新课标的绊脚石.通过对高中物理新课程标准理念的综合分析,借鉴国外、国内关于基础教育考试评价的成功经验和已有成果,提出从高中物理毕业考试方式、命题内容、考试结果处理等方面改革来体现新课标的理念,进而使高中物理毕业考试能检查学生是否达到培养目标.     

各类高校学生评价教师课堂教学的调查研究

通过对上海地区12所不同类型高校教师和学生的问卷调查得到了四个方面的信息:大多数师生对"生评教"活动的必要性、目的或标准有较好的了解或认识;评教以网络方式为主,纸质问卷为辅;大多数学生认为"生评教"不至于影响师生关系,他们以教师授课水平为依据评教,多数教师认为"生评教"结果较为客观;大多数师生认为"生评教"对改进教学工作具有积极作用,并且教师会依据评价结果自觉改进教学。针对不同类型高校"生评教"的现状,可以得出如下建议:在网络评教的基础上,应建立集中的评教机制,以提高评教结果的客观性和准确性;学校领导应更新观念,确立学生在"生评教"中的主人翁地位;在"生评教"中建立和谐的师生关系,增强"生评教"结果的客观性。     

Fast Kids,Slow Kids,Lazy Kids: Framing the Mismatch Problem in Mathematics Teachers' Conversations

Abstract

This article examines the social nature of teachers' conceptions by showing how teachers frame the “mismatch” of students' perceived abilities and the intended school curriculum through conversational category systems. This study compares the conversations of 2 groups of high school mathematics teachers addressing the Mismatch Problem when implementing equity-geared reforms. Although East High teachers challenged conceptions that were not aligned with a reform, South High teachers reworked a reform mandate to align with their existing conceptions. This research found that the teachers' conversational category systems modeled problems of practice; communicated assumptions about students, subject, and teaching; and were ultimately reflected in the curriculum. Because East High teachers supported greater numbers of students' success in advanced mathematics, this study considers the relation between teachers' understandings of student learning and the success of equity-geared math reforms. In addition, this study contributes to the understanding of how teacher conceptions of students are negotiated and reified in context, specifically through interactions with colleagues and experiences with school reform.     

Computers in Mathematics Education: A revolution in the making?

How do student teachers see computers being used in secondary mathematics lessons, and how do they themselves use them on teaching practice? These questions were prompted by the need to provide appropriate experiences for students on the Postgraduate Certificate of Education course. Information collected over a two year period suggests that although computer use was not widespread, more students used computers, and applications software in particular, than practising teachers. Strategies for course provision are outlined and the examination of assumptions and beliefs is indicated as an important dimension in future work.     

Students' Perceptions of Teaching in Context-based and Traditional Chemistry Classrooms: Comparing content,learning activities,and interpersonal perspectives

Context-based curriculum reforms in chemistry education are thought to bring greater diversity to the ways in which chemistry teachers organize their teaching. First and foremost, students are expected to perceive this diversity. However, empirical research on how students perceive their teacher's teaching in context-based chemistry classrooms, and whether this teaching differs from traditional chemistry lessons, is scarce. This study aims to develop our understanding of what teaching looks like, according to students, in context-based chemistry classrooms compared with traditional chemistry classrooms. As such, it might also provide a better understanding of whether teachers implement and attain the intentions of curriculum developers. To study teacher behaviour we used three theoretical perspectives deemed to be important for student learning: a content perspective, a learning activities perspective, and an interpersonal perspective. Data were collected from 480 students in 24 secondary chemistry classes in the Netherlands. Our findings suggest that, according to the students, the changes in teaching in context-based chemistry classrooms imply a lessening of the emphasis on fundamental chemistry and the use of a teacher-centred approach, compared with traditional chemistry classrooms. However, teachers in context-based chemistry classrooms seem not to display more ‘context-based’ teaching behaviour, such as emphasizing the relation between chemistry, technology, and society and using a student-centred approach. Furthermore, students in context-based chemistry classrooms perceive their teachers as having less interpersonal control and showing less affiliation than teachers in traditional chemistry classrooms. Our findings should be interpreted in the context of former and daily experiences of both teachers and students. As only chemistry is reformed in the schools in which context-based chemistry is implemented, it is challenging for both students and teachers to deal with these reforms.     

Constructivism in Mathematics Classrooms: Listening to Ghanaian Teachers’ and Students’ Views

One of the challenges of implementing a new curriculum is how to bridge the gap between the underlining principles of the curriculum and the cultural and social orientations of the society which includes teachers and students. This article reports on a study that explored how the cultural and social orientations of teachers and students can influence the implementation of a constructivist curriculum in mathematics classrooms. The data for the study came from 250 students and 41 mathematics teachers, using questionnaires, observations, and interviews. The results showed that inasmuch as mathematics teachers and their students acknowledge the importance of student’s active participation and teamwork, these practices have not been fully conceptualised into the Ghanaian mathematics classroom due to some cultural factors. Two main cultural factors were discovered from the analyses of the results. Firstly, the culture of acknowledging only correct answers in class has a negative impact on individual students’ confidence and participation during mathematics lessons. Also, the culture of teamwork is not fully accepted within Ghanaian classrooms as most students find it difficult working in groups and accepting and appreciating each other’s view. It was evident in all lessons that students were ridiculed by their peers when they provide a wrong answer to a question and this affected individual students’ participation in the classroom. Therefore, we suggested that teachers should be pro-active in promoting a classroom environment which is free from fear and intimidation to motivate students to be actively involved in the classroom discourse.     

高职工科实训课教学效果评价指标的重要性分析

研究以369名高职工科学生,44名实训课教师为被试,采用问卷法考察高职教师和学生对工科实训课教学效果评价指标的重要性评价。结果发现：1、所列出的42项评价指标,有37项师生总的都认为比较重要,平均分均在4.47～4.01分之间;排在前十位的内容主要包括学生的学习结果即动手能力和解决实际问题的能力;学校的学习环境和实训条件：教师的专业知识、动手能力和教学方法。2、教师和学生的评价有8项指标存在显著差异;相比之下,教师更侧重从教的角度评价教学效果,学生更侧重从学习结果评价教学效果。3、男女学生的评价在11项指标上存在显著差异,女生的评分均高于男生。4、因素分析结果显示,高职工科实训课教学效果评价指标可分为教师因素、学生因素、师生互动因素、客观因素等四个维度。     

Les élèves et l'histoire dans l'examen français du certificat d'études primaires entre 1918 et 1926

This article presents the method used to study examination papers written by young pupils. This sort of pupils’ work can give information on who are involved in examinations.

‐ The pupils: what they learn in history and how they produce answers;

‐ The teachers: what they teach in their class and how;

‐ The juries: how they assess by means of a grade the minimum knowledge of most of the pupils who are to leave school.

The problem here is to follow the route from laws and decrees to real teachers and real pupils. Therefore, this research relies on source material such as annual primary inspector reports, annual local teachers’ meetings with model lessons, and, above all, examination papers. For this last source, a popular examination in France at that time was used: the Certificat d'Etudes, which was given at the end of the primary curriculum for 13‐year‐old pupils. By chance, the Departmental Archives of the Somme region still has 4058 history test examination papers from 1918 to 1926.     

Integrating the Arts and STEM for Gifted Learners

This study investigates the process of identifying high-quality lessons for gifted learners that integrate the arts with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. These STEAM lessons have the potential to develop deep thinking, as well as develop creativity and visual–spatial skills that are necessary in the STEM disciplines. Lessons were solicited from teachers through their involvement in national organizations, and 61 lessons were analyzed and reviewed by experts in the arts and STEM fields, as well as master teachers. High-quality lessons provided deep content knowledge in both STEM and arts fields, connections across content areas, specific criteria for assessment, and collaborations between teachers and between students. The findings from this study will be used to further define the evaluation process for STEAM lessons designed for gifted learners and to develop professional development opportunities for teachers of the gifted.