Information Technology in Developing Nations: a study of lecturers’ attitudes and expertise with reference to Turkish teacher education

ABSTRACT

This paper reports a survey of lecturers from six Turkish teacher education institutions. The study specifically aimed to investigate the fundamental issues, concerns, and challenges of implementing information technology (IT) in teacher education. The survey consisted of four sections. The first section of the survey comprised several aspects of IT familiarity, namely the use of twelve common IT applications. The second section investigated benefits of IT to lecturers and teachers seeking to reveal how teacher educators view the role of new instructional technologies for teaching and learning. The third section dealt with the factors which are vital to implementing IT in teacher education, and the final part drew attention to the issues affecting employment and retainment of competent lecturers in teacher education. Most lecturers had a rather positive image and enthusiasm towards the use of IT in teacher training, despite a lack of experience. Recommendations are made for future strategies in Turkey on the basis of this survey and the associated literature.     

The use of a collaborative math tutoring model to improve content knowledge among special education teacher candidates

ABSTRACT

The mathematics achievement gap in special education is a chronic and significant challenge for the field. The need for improved teacher preparation in mathematics is crucial in addressing this gap. This study examines a capstone experience in higher level mathematics tutoring for preservice teachers. Results indicate that the experience was effective at improving preservice teachers’ higher level math content knowledge compared to teachers who did not receive experiential math learning in their teacher preparation. Implications for preservice teacher preparation programs are presented.     

A Study of the Views of Full-time Further Education Lecturers Regarding their College Corporations and Agencies of the Further Education Sector

Full-time lecturers in further education colleges in England form an occupational group which has been subject to many varied and demanding changes, particularly since the incorporation of colleges in 1993. Prior to 1993 lecturers were employees of local education authorities and, as such, were part of an often remote local authority personnel administration framework. Since 1993 full-time lecturers have become employees of college corporations. Most corporations have introduced human resource management practices which have changed the distant employment relationship lecturers had with LEAs. At the same time, the consequence of financial constraints and increasing competition in the further education sector has emphasised the already existing core-periphery organisational model in colleges which has now led to fewer full-time lecturers (core) and more part-time lecturers (periphery). The question of the professional status of lecturers has also been raised by, for example, College Employers Forum rhetoric in the early post-incorporation phase to encourage contractual change; the development of Qualified Teacher Status for primary and secondary teachers only; the debate about further education membership of a General Teaching Council for England, and the expansion of a new vocational curricula which seemed to dilute the educational experience of students. This article considers the views that a sample of full-time lecturers have about their employment experience and is an initial report of a research study which looks at the employment relationship between full-time lecturers and their college corporations. Views and perceptions of 687 full-time lecturers' responses to a postal questionnaire are presented and reviewed. This initial report suggests that, unlike the picture nationally for the UK workforce (as presented in a recent Institute of Personnel and Development report - Guest & Conway, 1998), full-time lecturers in further education colleges may be experiencing a violated psychological contract with the consequences for their employment relationship of loss of trust and a significant, depressing effect on commitment, job satisfaction and work performance.     

Paradoxical tensions in creating a teaching and learning space within a graduate education course on spirituality

Much has been written recently about inclusive learning environments in higher education. Most of this writing has unproblematically assumed a simple link between inclusion and access to institutions. In this paper I suggest that inclusive learning environments need to be reconceptualised as contexts within which a 'democratisation of knowledge' occurs. I draw upon my experience as a tutor on a professional development course for university lecturers to explore this reconceptualisation, looking in particular at issues to do with experiential knowledge, gender and sexuality.     

Computer Programming

Summary

Computers can be powerful aids to mathematics teaching and learning. Changes brought about by the availability of these tools and the demands of an increasingly technological society impact curricular content and pedagogy in mathematics education as well as the very nature of mathematical thinking and understanding. This article presents ways in which technology is changing mathematics education, guidelines for appropriate technology use in the mathematics classroom, the impact of computers on mathematics learning, common uses of computers in mathematics education, and issues and concerns related to technology use in mathematics.     

Is mathematics anxiety a factor?: First-year university students provide answers

Abstract

South Africa finds itself with skills shortages in scientifically oriented professions. A major contributor to this has been students’ failure in mathematics. This study set out to identify students who self-reported mathematics anxiety and determine if this was a factor in their studies. Participants were 204 mathematics first-year students registered for degrees in Engineering, Information Technology, and Natural Science. Included in this group were Foundation Year students. Results indicated that the majority of students admitted to higher levels of anxiety. With respect to the different degree programmes, chemistry students reported higher anxiety. Specifically, a negative association was established between performance and mathematics evaluation anxiety. It is concluded that lecturers through investigations such as this can identify and isolate highly anxious mathematics students. Such students may receive remedial psychological help or at least, lecturers may revise their presentation methods to suit these particular students. The study also concluded that there are underlying problems within the teaching and learning of mathematics among the study sample. As is typical of this type of investigation, a number of questions remain unanswered such as what the sources of students’ mathematics anxiety are and how these relate to the variables investigated here. A follow-up study will focus more closely on these issues.     

How can simulation help with learning project work skills? Experiences from higher education in Finland

ABSTRACT

Background: Effective project management and project work skills are important requirements in higher education and many other work place settings. Simulation-based learning, with its use of simulated scenarios and environments, may be a helpful way of supporting skill development. However, much more needs to be understood about the possibilities and challenges that can be involved in the application of this method of learning and teaching, from the perspectives of the learners.

Purpose: This exploratory qualitative study sought to describe university lecturers’ experiences and views of simulation as a method of learning and teaching project skills. The simulation method was tested in Finland, in the context of the national Research and Development Expert Coaching Programme, which was developed for the staff of the Universities of Applied Sciences.

Research methods: Data were collected via a questionnaire with two open questions, to which total of 12 multi-professional participants, all lecturers from Universities of Applied Sciences, were asked to respond in essay form. The data was analysed using inductive content analysis.

Results: Overall, our analysis suggests that participants felt that simulation-based learning was suitable for learning project work. According to the participants, the method helped them learn concrete project work skills, identify and manage challenging situations and promote dialogical sharing between professionals.

Conclusion: The results indicate that simulation can be used to promote project work competence of both new and more experienced project workers in various fields. It is suggested that the method is suitable for both initial and continuing education.     

Writing Development for Lecturers Moving from Further to Higher Education: A case study

The move from further education (FE) to higher education (HE) presents FE lecturers with challenges and opportunities. One of the most testing is the expectation that, while carrying a heavy teaching load, perhaps participating in a course on teaching and learning in HE and possibly studying for a higher degree, FE lecturers will begin to do research and write for scholarly journals. It seems logical and sensible that they should receive development and support for this key professional role, particularly in writing for publication, since, for some, this is a new task. Development and support in scholarly writing are offered in some institutions. One example combined formal and informal development for FE lecturers over the short and long term. An Academic Writing course provided practical and theoretical development, while a writers' group gave support over the long term. Tracking one FE lecturer who participated in both the course and the group revealed 'highlights and lowlights' of the FE-HE transition. Analysis of 40 e-mails, written during one year, reveals the impact of this support and development on the lecturer: understanding of the HE sector, resolutions of teaching/research tensions and development as a writer. This paper describes the forms of development and support for scholarly writing, and represents a lecturer's experience of them. The lecturer's reflections on his documented experience are included: the e-mails understate the difficulties faced. Analysis of the e-mails reveals a development process: a framework is derived for enabling FE staff to become HE writers.     

The visual representation,by electrical methods,of the elementary principles of sound

Abstract

This paper describes an institutionally based research project examining the problems encountered in introducing curriculum change to an engineering programme in a further education college. The project required tutors to integrate assessment of core skills with their engineering assessment. Evaluation of the impact of these changes was made using both interviews and questionnaires. Tutors experienced some problems in taking on this new responsibility. Students, particularly adult students, welcomed a move to more active learning, but required more guidance from lecturers on what was required of them. The project explored the practical problems experienced by lecturers and students when change was introduced. The findings of this study highlight the extent of change in attitude and in teaching style that may be required by many lecturers implementing General National Vocational Qualifications programmes.     

Reflexive Teaching,Reflexive Learning

Abstract

This paper examines the way mismatches occur between what lecturers believe students understand when technical concepts are used and what the students actually make of those concepts. A hard look is given at certain ‘academic myths’ which block educational exchange, among them the notion shared by many that learning entails mainly the verbal regurgitation of what has been taught. How can lecturers achieve the empathy requisite for genuine teaching and how can students adopt attitudes that make genuine learning more possible? The paper answers these questions by sketching a notion of higher education as a willingness to modify what one thinks by an openness before the challenges of other values and beliefs; and by suggesting that an approach more self‐critically aware of the pedagogic process, utilizing methods such as the keeping of reflexive notebooks, can facilitate a more effective mode of learning.     

Lecturers’ perceptions: The value of assessment rubrics for informing teaching practice and curriculum review and development

ABSTRACT

The assessment rubric is increasingly gaining recognition as a valuable tool in teaching and learning in higher education. While many studies have examined the value of rubrics for students, research into the lecturers’ usage of rubrics is limited. This article explores the lecturers’ perceptions of rubrics, in particular, its use and design, the role it can play in informing one's teaching practice and in curriculum review and development. The data shows that many lecturers use the rubric in a very mechanical and unconscious manner and view it mostly as a grading tool with limited instructional value. While acknowledging the rubric as a reflective tool for students, lecturers do not perceive it as having the same benefits for them. The findings, therefore suggest more conversations around the role that rubrics can play in informing one's teaching practice and course design. It also suggests further research into this area.     

‘Come in with an open mind’: changing attitudes towards mathematics in primary teacher education

Background: The relationship between attitudes and behaviour has led to a focus on the role played by attitudes in the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Purpose: This paper reports on an investigation into student teachers’ self-reported attitudes towards mathematics in the context of a mathematics education programme. The programme had been developed by the authors in response to a new, reformed four-year undergraduate initial teacher education (ITE) for primary teachers in Ireland. The authors aimed to use the feedback to evaluate and develop the course further.

Sample: We report on the attitudes of 345 pre-service primary teachers enrolled in a four-year undergraduate ITE programme. 281 of these participants had matched survey data before and after participating in the mathematics education programme.

Method and Design: Four evaluation criteria were used as a conceptual framework for the evaluation of the mathematics education programme. A multi-method approach was taken in investigating the students’ attitudes to mathematics by using a scale as a quantitative measure of attitude alongside open-ended survey items that provided qualitative insights into changes in attitudes.

Results and conclusions: Results from the survey data suggested overall that the participants’ attitudes towards mathematics were more positive after they had experienced the mathematics education programme. Overall, the written responses suggested that according to self-reportage, participants perceived that participation in the mathematics education programme had affected their attitudes towards mathematics positively. Comments indicated that the ‘small group’ tutorial structure was particularly well received and was associated with opportunities to actively engage, explore, interact and reflect. Suggestions offered by the participants will be used to inform planning and development of the mathematics programme.     

'Your Flexible Friends': Sessional lecturers in the UK further education sector,commitment, quality and service delivery

This research examines the utilisation of part-time lecturers in the further education (FE) sector and considers the impact that has on the quality of service delivery. The research has used qualitative and quantitative methods in a longitudinal study of a sample of 42 sessional lecturers drawn from colleges within the East Midlands. The article explores changes within the sector providing a literature review on the changing nature of the FE sector. The article then considers the experience and reality of those employed as sessional lecturers, highlighting the benefits of a flexible workforce to the organisation, but also considering some of the main issues surrounding its utilisation. The article concludes with reflections on the implications for college management of present trends in flexible staffing.     

Reframing Resources in Engineering Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The notion of “resources” is often framed in an economic sense: money, time, equipment and the like. The authors reconceptualise this notion, situating resources as embedded in curricular frameworks, teacher practice and student experience. This leads them to define resources as “the potential to participate in socio-cultural action” which is illustrated in this article through a series of reflections on the part of the authors, all within the context of engineering education. First, they demonstrate that curriculum can be productively thought of as a route marker for the development of resources that students need in order to enact their role as professional engineers. Thereafter, they show that lecturers bring tacit resources of trust, care, creativity and credibility to the teaching and learning space, and that these are necessary to overcome the inertia that often resists the transformation of teaching and learning practice. Finally, they reflect on how students’ prior learning experiences can be harnessed as a resource for teaching and learning. In so doing, they present resources as tied to sociocultural practices and personal and institutional histories, and encourage others to take up these ideas so as to consider how resources, viewed in the authors’ sense, are valued within (engineering) education.     

Contrasting Research Perspectives: What the evidence yields

This paper reviews pre-service elementary teachers' beliefs about mathematics and mathematics teaching and, learning from an earlier study of the mathematics methods course of a teacher education program, then overviews the data triangulation, and discusses the inconsistencies and contradictions in the data. Thus, the study offers further insight into the complexities of pre-service teachers' unwavering conceptions and their acquisition of innovative pedagogy. Questions emerged about the inconsistencies between what was said and what was done. For example, why were the pre-service teachers' responses in surveys and interviews inconsistent with their instructional behavior? Explanations to this and other questions are offered to shed some light on two of the most unsettling features of teacher education: changing pre-service teachers' beliefs and their learning of mathematics pedagogy.     

Improving pre‐service teacher learning through peer teaching: process,people and product1

This research investigates the perceptions of first‐year Bachelor of Teaching students (primary and secondary) and Diploma of Education students (secondary) about their peer teaching experience in a postgraduate subject called Curriculum and Assessment. Peer teaching is a learner‐centred approach to teaching and learning that is intended to provide significant benefits for learners' knowledge, skills and metacognition. However, concerns have been raised over the quality of the learning and teaching and the risks associated with such a pedagogy. In the present study, student responses to questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews were analysed, using a mixed methods approach, with respect to three broad and somewhat interconnected categories: process, people and product. These responses suggested a wide range of reactions to peer teaching, but overall students feel they benefited from the experience. The findings of this study should be of interest to lecturers and students in pre‐service teacher education courses, especially. Knowledge about peer teaching, learning and assessment would be especially valuable for both education lecturers and beginning teachers seeking to design and manage learner‐centred pedagogy in their own primary, secondary and tertiary classrooms. However, the results of this research would have far‐reaching appeal for all teaching and learning contexts.     

Let me edutain you! Practices of student engagement employed by new lecturers

ABSTRACT

Over the last few years, student engagement has become a commonly used term in Higher Education across the United Kingdom, American and Australasian higher education systems. This article presents research on an area of student engagement absent from the literature, that of new lecturers’ practices. Following detailed analyses of interview data after one year of teaching, the findings reveal a range of perceptions, pressures and tensions relating to student engagement which influence practice. Most lecturers described engagement as an emotional construct (the need for students to ‘like’ learning) as well as a cognitive construct (what they learn). However, there were tensions between the two and a need to overcome perceived barriers. We argue that lecturers can best be supported by acknowledging the time it takes to gain confidence, experiment and take risks, and appreciating their need to respond to different expectations.     

Is Moodle a Platform to Decolonise the University Curriculum? Lecturers’ Reflections

Abstract

This article presents the results of an interpretive case study of three lecturers teaching a physical science module. The purpose of the study was to explore the lecturers’ reflections on their understanding of the Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle) as a platform to decolonise the university curriculum. Purposive, with convenience, sampling identified the three most accessible lecturers. An emailed reflective activity, one-on-one semi-structured interviews, and Moodle observations were utilised for data production. Inductive and deductive processes were used to ensure guided analysis of the produced data. The article argues that the Moodle learning management platform (LMP) has the potential to decolonise the university curriculum. The study concluded that the lecturers reflected well in all curriculum signals based on their informal, formal and personal LMPs in order to address all the needs. Consequently, the study recommends that lecturers understand the curriculum signals of each Moodle platform, before teaching and learning take place, in order to to decolonise the university curriculum.     

Constructing an Inquiry Orientation from a Learning Theory Perspective: Democratizing Access through Task Design

Abstract

It is widely accepted in the mathematics education community that pedagogies oriented toward inquiry are aligned with a constructivist theory of learning, and that these pedagogies effectively support students’ learning of mathematics. In order to promote such an orientation, we first separate the idea of inquiry from its conception as a collection of methods. Then, by grounding those methods in a generally accepted theory of learning, we construct an inquiry-oriented pedagogy from a constructivist perspective. We then discuss the implications of this pedagogy for the design of mathematical tasks that democratize student access to inquiry. This work has implications for educators who wish to enact an inquiry-oriented pedagogy in their classroom in order to support their students’ problem solving and problem posing.