Pedagogical content knowledge of French as a foreign language: differences between pre-service and in-service teachers

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is an important predictor of educational quality. PCK develops from various sources, such as teaching experience. Studies investigating the effects of teaching experience on PCK development mainly focus on the question whether experienced teachers differ from novices in the amount of PCK. In a mixed methods study, we study both quantitative and qualitative differences between pre-service and in-service teachers’ PCK. Total scores on a paper-and-pencil instrument are used as a measure of French PCK. To analyse the participants’ PCK in a qualitative way, answers are coded in four categories and the prevalence of answers in each category is compared between groups. Furthermore, the nature of answers is studied. No differences on our quantitative PCK measure are observed. The qualitative analysis shows that in-service teachers have more difficulties with conceptual knowledge, while showing more practical knowledge of students’ understanding than pre-service teachers.     

Structure and development of pre-service physics teachers’ professional knowledge

ABSTRACT

Teachers’ professional knowledge is considered one of the most important predictors of instructional quality. According to Shulman, such professional knowledge includes content, pedagogical content and pedagogical knowledge. Although recent research shed some light on the structure of the dimensions of professional knowledge, little is known how teacher education impacts pre-service physics teachers’ professional knowledge. In an effort to address this issue, we examined the content, pedagogical content and pedagogical knowledge of N?=?200 pre-service physics teachers enrolled in different years of teacher education at 12 major teacher education universities in Germany. We used structural equation modelling (1) to examine the relations amongst pre-service physics teachers’ content, pedagogical content and pedagogical knowledge, (2) to explore how the three kinds of knowledge and their relations differ across different stages of teacher education and (3) to identify factors affecting the level of each component of professional knowledge. Our findings suggest that content, pedagogical content and pedagogical knowledge represent distinct types of knowledge. Furthermore, our findings show that in the first years of professional education, pedagogical content knowledge is more closely related with general pedagogical knowledge while in later years, it is more closely related with content knowledge, suggesting that it develops from a general knowledge about teaching and learning into knowledge about the teaching and learning of specific content. Finally, beyond school achievement and years of enrolment as predictors, we find in particular the amount of classroom observations to have a positive impact on the professional knowledge of pre-service physics teachers.     

Metaphors used by pre-service teachers of Chinese as an international language

This inquiry explored 68 pre-service perceptions and aspirations of Teaching Chinese as an International Language (TCIL) teachers by analysing the metaphors they used to describe themselves as teachers. The inquiry revealed that the participants used a variety of metaphors to project the images of themselves as pre-service TCIL teachers. The results also confirm that the participants’ use of metaphors, as powerful tools to understand the complexity of teaching, reflects the mediation of cultural, historical and sociopolitical conditions. These findings help teacher educators to support TCIL teachers’ professional development by engaging them in critical dialogues about the metaphors they use to perceive themselves as TCIL teachers. They also help teacher educators to adopt tailor-made pedagogical content to address their development needs.     

Analysis of Malay word structure by pre-service special education teachers: foundation-level knowledge for remedial instruction

Pre-service special educators' Malay word structure knowledge was assessed through their analysis of words. A total of 69 participants analysed a vocabulary list based on a set of criteria formulated from the Malay language word structure. Results indicated that they were able to count syllables and phonemes, and identify types of affixations; however, they were unable to identify syllabic structures and word categories accurately. The morphemic and phonetic structure of words also had a moderating effect on their analysis of syllabic structures. The results implied that pre-service teachers of a transparent language still needed explicit instruction in grapheme–phoneme skills, phonic skills, morphological structure and word categories, but less instruction on phonological structure.     

From pre-service to in-service teachers: a longitudinal investigation of the professional development of English language teachers in secondary schools

This study reports on a longitudinal inquiry into professional identity construction among six novice cross-border English language teachers from mainland China, who completed their pre-service teacher education in Hong Kong (HK) and began their teaching practice in local HK schools. The findings indicate that the participants navigated obstacles in teaching by deploying their own multiple languages as a cultural and linguistic repertoire. The findings also show that the teachers experienced difficulty legitimising their professional identity in the teaching community, where contextual issues and power interplays mediated the process. Furthermore, it is found that the participants’ commitment to teaching was negatively influenced by their non-legitimate position in the teaching community and the discordance between their teaching beliefs and the norms and values of their workplace. This study suggests that complex inter-relationships between marginal status in and legitimate membership of the community, between historical and cultural background, present practice, and future expectations, between social discourse and personal location, are involved in the process of identity construction. Measures to legitimate these teachers’ position and to transform the linguistic and cultural repertories of these teachers into valuable resources of the local schools are suggested. Implications for future research are outlined.     

专科师范生语文专业知识素养调查

我国的基础教育正面临着一场深刻的改革,推进这场变革的关键在于素质教育的实施。小学教育师范专科学生是未来基础教育的中坚力量,因此,他们的语文专业素养对我国小学教育的发展担负着重要的使命,经调查：他们具备了从事小学语文教学的必备的专业知识,欠缺关于基础教育课程改革的新理念。这源于他们对自我角色定位有深刻关系,应引起这类学校教师和管理者高度重视。     

Development of evidence-based,student-learning-oriented rubrics for pre-service science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge

ABSTRACT

This paper offers pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) rubrics, that is, guides providing criteria for grading that are potentially applicable to a range of science topics and levels of teacher experience. Grading criteria applied in the rubrics are based on qualitative analyses of planned topic-specific professional knowledge (TSPK) and content knowledge (CK). Data were collected via three topic-specific vignettes from 239 pre-service science teachers (PSTs) starting a university-based, full-time, one year teacher education programme in England. The statements were analysed for TSPK and CK. PSTs’ statements proposed instructional strategies comprising demonstrations, explanations, illustrations and analogies, classified as Relevant to the science topics, others Irrelevant. Some Relevant strategies missed an aspect that may, if enacted, help students’ learning, so were judged Incomplete. Statements were also analysed for evidence of relevant and correct CK. CK and TSPK statements are aligned into grids, creating PCK rubrics. These demonstrate the precise nature of knowledge likely to lead to instruction that impacts positively on student learning. The rubrics present the possibility of PCK repertoires that contribute clarity and precision to teaching instruction. Although findings cannot be generalised, the methodology offers a strategy for supporting out-of-field teachers, and those seeking instructional strategies to add to existing repertoires.     

Teacher agency,positioning, and English language learners: Voices of pre-service classroom teachers

This study explores the identity (re)negotiations and agency of three pre-service classroom teachers who received their ESL (English as a Second Language) endorsement at a research university in the United States. An analysis of interview data and teachers' journal entries, from a narrative positioning perspective, indicates that the teachers took on various, and sometimes conflicting, positional identities in relation to their social context (e.g., mentor teachers, ELLs, etc.). The findings further indicate that those positional identities have shaped teachers' agency and self-reported classroom practices. The analysis presented provides implications for teachers of ELLs and teacher educators.     

Fostering online social construction of science knowledge with primary pre-service teachers working in virtual teams

As many primary pre-service teachers enter teacher education courses with little science background, it is essential in teacher education courses to provide opportunities for them to learn more science independently. The purpose of this study is to investigate an online pedagogical activity that fosters the social construction of science knowledge by primary pre-service teachers working in small virtual teams. The study investigated how the pre-service teachers collaborated online in virtual teams to complete set tasks, their attitudes toward and beliefs about the effectiveness of the online learning experience, and the types and quality of the resources developed. The findings indicated that the virtual team-produced science resource materials were generally of high quality, with nearly half the number of teams engaging with Web 2.0 technologies (e.g. wikis and blogs) to construct their product. The findings indicated positive attitudes toward the collaborative learning even though beliefs about online learning were mixed.     

The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale: Confirming the factor structure with beginning pre-service teachers

This study examined the factor structure of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES; Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) using the scores of pre-service teachers at the beginning stage of teacher development to gather internal structure score validity evidence. Two plausible rival models derived from prior research were tested using CFA. Results showed good fit for both models; however, high inter-factor correlations indicate strong support for the unidimensional model. Findings suggest that pre-service teachers who lack pedagogical knowledge and teaching experience do not differentiate between the different aspects of teaching measured by the TSES. Questions for future research are raised.     

Perceptions of technological,pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) among pre-service teachers in Estonia

Most countries stress that preparing quality teachers for twenty-first century students is an essential task for teacher training institutions. Besides the skills for how to teach subjects effectively, teachers should also know how to integrate digital technology into their teaching. Several studies have been done based on the TPACK framework. Some of these studies use this framework for specific subject domains. In this study a generally applicable instrument for measuring TPACK was created. The aim of the paper was to validate the created instrument and to find out how pre-service teachers perceive their technological, pedagogical and content knowledge regarding the TPACK framework in Estonia, in a technologically highly developed country where technology is broadly used in general education. Conducting factor analysis all items with technology merged into one factor meaning that young generation perceives technology already integrated with content and pedagogy. The results indicate that pre-service teachers lack pedagogical knowledge, but they perceive that they are good at integrating technology into their teaching. Differences in perceptions were also found according to gender, age and curricula.     

Analysing the socio-psychological construction of identity among pre-service teachers

A teacher’s representation of self is crucial in how they construct their identity. In this article, it is argued that pre-service teachers’ identities are intricately linked to their perceptions of the teaching profession. This paper explores the social construction of identity among pre-service teachers and the implications for professional identity. It focuses on pre-service teachers in Kenya. The findings presented here are primarily based on semi-structured interviews distributed among students enrolled in a Kenyan university. They highlight pre-service teachers’ difficulty in overcoming the negative perceptions of the profession and building positive identities of self as teacher. They also underscore the need for training programmes that take perceptions and representations of the teaching profession into account when formulating training curricula.     

Exploring the impact of coteaching on pre-service music teachers

This study describes and analyses how coteaching affected undergraduate music education preservice teachers (PSTs). During an 8-week school placement, coteaching was used as a means of creating a reciprocal professional learning arrangement involving PSTs and primary school teachers. The theoretical framework draws on the Russian concept of obuchenie, which is a dialectical process of mutual adaptation between student and teacher. Music education PST participated as subject expert/pedagogy novice, while generalist classroom teacher occupied the role of pedagogy expert/music novice. Findings relate to the acquisition of four aspects of teacher professional agency, subject or content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, curricular knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge. A thematic analysis was undertaken using data from interviews, PST reflective journals, observations, lesson plans, and researcher field-notes. In comparison with the traditional school placement, there was a radical improvement in the development of professional agency amongst the coteaching cohort.     

职前教师口头表达能力的培养策略探究

教师的口头表达能力是教师从业的重要本领,决定着教育劳动的成败.作为教育的起点,职前教师教育影响着教师专业发展的速度和质量.通过多种策略提高职前教师的口头表达能力至关重要.     

Transforming the embodied dispositions of pre-service special education teachers

Teacher education programs seek to foster dispositions that welcome student differences in race, culture, language and ability. However, pre-service teachers’ dispositions are difficult to transform because they tend to be aligned with the field of schooling where differences are punished or excluded. This study examines an activity for transforming pre-service teachers’ communicative habitus that was inspired by Bourdieu’s theory that habitus or dispositions are unconsciously embodied and therefore require a bodily counter-training for change. The activity instructed 17 pre-service Special Education teachers to communicate an experience through sound alone rather than words in order to challenge teachers’ deeply embodied communicative norms and open them up to the possibilities of non-normative communication. Follow up discussions, written reflections and videotaped think-alouds provided opportunities for explicit pedagogy and reflection. In this article, we discuss findings and implications from a recent implementation of this activity.     

From cooperation to collaboration: investigating collaborative group writing and social knowledge construction in pre-service teachers

Educational technology research and development - The rapid development of social media tools has drawn much research interest in teacher education. This development has suggested that a wiki with...