Promoting Student Engagement Through Evidence-Based Action Research With Teachers

We present findings from a group-randomized teacher action research intervention to promote academic engagement and achievement among elementary school students. Eighteen teachers from 3 elementary schools were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Intervention teachers studied evidence-based instructional practices that cultivate academic engagement and conducted an action research project to implement selected practices in their classrooms. Control teachers participated in a self-study group and read about evidence-based practices to promote student engagement. Teachers in the action research group reported using more group-based instruction than self-study teachers. Students with initial low engagement and low reading grades demonstrated greater gains in these outcomes in action research classrooms than self-study classrooms. Implications for teacher development and the promotion of student academic outcomes are discussed.     

The Working Situation of Elementary School Teachers Explored Through Diaries

Elklit, A. & Friis, T. 1979. The Working Situation of Elementary School Teachers Explored through Diaries. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 23, 65‐77. In this pilot study the daily work flows of Danish elementary school teachers were examined through regularly made self‐registrations with diaries. Although rarely used, this method seems to be very reliable in giving exact information concerning work conditions and priorities. The workload of the teachers was found to be considerable, and the working situation was characterized by many adjustments to qualitatively new conditions. Regular teaching and planning alone were the most extensive activities, while activities central in the new curriculum ‐ social‐emotional development, counselling, planning with pupils ‐ had a modest position. The co‐operation with other resource persons connected with the schools was sporadic. A remarkable difference in total worktime between teachers from different schools suggests the importance of local organizational conditions.     

Neuromyths Among Teachers and Student Teachers

Many so‐called brain‐based educational approaches have been strongly criticized for their lack of empirical support and occasionally for their use of pseudoscientific concepts. As a result, several use the term neuromyths to refer to false beliefs or misinterpretations regarding neuroscientific facts. We surveyed both teachers and student teachers concerning their agreement toward hemispheric dominance, modality dominance, and the Brain Gym© method. Results suggest that teachers as well as student teachers believe in the reality of hemispheric and modality dominance but only a few were aware of the Brain Gym© method. Correlation analyses show moderate relationships across different beliefs and/or their perceived benefits in education. Teachers believed more than student teachers in hemispheric dominance and its pedagogical relevance. Together with other studies, the results suggest that teachers and student teachers could benefit from appropriate training in this new field of research.     

Promoting Acceleration of Comprehension and Content Through Text in High School Social Studies Classes

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Promoting Acceleration of Comprehension and Content Through Text intervention implemented with 11th-grade students enrolled in U.S. History classes. Using a within-teacher randomized design, the study was conducted in 41 classes (23 treatment classes) with 14 teachers providing the treatment. Students in the treatment condition performed significantly better than students in the typical instruction comparison condition on a measure of content acquisition at posttest (ES = 0.36), as well as 4 (ES =.22) and 12 (ES =.24) weeks following treatment. There were no differences between treatment and comparison groups on measures of social studies reading comprehension or more general reading comprehension.     

教师专业化视野中的小学教师培养

通过教师的专业化提升教师的素质是保证新课程实施成功的关键之一。教师专业化是教师职业能力动态发展的过程,教师教育是教师专业化的起点。教师专业化要突破狭窄的学科专业性,超越教育技术理性主义,从动态性、全面性和人文性来把握。小学教师的专业化应当与中学教师的专业化有别,适合九年义务教育阶段的教师培养可依生源的不同采取多种模式。     

Dimensions of Elementary School Student Teacher Concerns

The present study used a factor analytic procedure for identifying basic dimensions of elementary school student teacher concerns. A hierarchical factor analysis was applied to the intercorrelations among 122 situationspecific items rated by students completing their teaching practicum in Columbus, Ohio elementary schools. Results indicated the presence of a major factor, which accounted for over one-quarter of the variance. This factor, termed “Concern with Being an Effective Teacher,” reflects the teacher’s concern with generating a classroom environment conducive to effective learning and social growth. Seven other factors, together accounting for an additional 20 percent of the variance, were also identified and characterized. It is suggested that further studies investigate the utility of employing scores on such factors to identify successful teachers.     

说课对小学教师专业化发展的影响

说课从宏观来看是一种科研活动,从中观来界定是一种教研活动,从微观来说则是一种高级的备课活动。小学教师专业化是指小学教师个体和小学教师职业的专业水平不断提高的过程。说课对小学教师专业化发展过程中的服务宗旨、专业成长、专业自主权和专业地位等具有重要的影响。     

小学数学教师的素质与培养

自身修养、语言表达、课堂组织、实践创新、专业知识以及现代信息技术应用能力,是小学数学教师应有的基本素质;重视现代教育理念的培养、形成正确的数学观、培养数学思想和数学方法、增强运用数学的能力、全面提升管理能力、有效提高信息素养,是数学教师素质培养的良好途径和有效措施.     

Understanding When Teachers Disagree about Student Disability

The persistent racial and ethnic disparities in special education in the United States raise concerns about the potential misidentification of students. While previous studies have focused on how various student and school factors influence teacher decisions, there is less attention on when teachers disagree about student disability or special education. The current study uses national data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 to examine when teachers disagreed in their perception of student disability for more than 10,000 high school students. A unique feature of the data is each student is observed in two different subject classrooms, providing an opportunity to examine how differences in student achievement, behavior, and teacher characteristics influence when teachers disagreed in their judgment of student disability. The results indicate that teachers were more likely to disagree when student behavior varied across classrooms, while differences in student achievement and teacher characteristics were not related to disagreement. The study also found that teachers disagreed more for students who were Black, male, and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The main findings highlight how disability is often a context-dependent social construct and have implications for how students are identified for special education.     

小学全科教师及其培养探讨

小学全科教师是能全面理解小学阶段国家所开设的课程目标、价值和内容,并能担任语文、数学、科学等多门学科教学的教师。小学全科教师具有内容上的跨学科特点、能力上的综合性特征和层次上的基础性特性。培养小学全科教师有利于学生全面发展、有利于减轻学生过重的学业负担、有利于跟上世界教育潮流。小学全科教师的培养要注意明确培养目标、设计课程计划和标准、注重培养方法以及重视培养评价。     

培养本科学历小学教师的研究与实践

小学教育本科专业是高等教育体系中一个独立的专业,它的发展有其必要性与合理性。其专业结构必须以人才素质结构为基础,包括“通识化教育”、“学科教育”与“教育专业教育”;其人才培养规格应达到大学本科生的一般素养、本科层次的教育专业素养和学科专业素养;其专业课程体系包括大学通识课程、学科基础课程、教育科学课程。     

Mathematics Anxiety In Preservice Elementary School Teachers

Mathematics anxiety is a condition that exists in many children and adults. Studies (Bulmahn & Young, 1982, Kelly & Tomhave, 1985) have indicated that about 10% of all preservice elementary school teachers have mathematics anxiety. The author verified this statistic in a research study conducted by Basta & Unglaub (1994). In fact, with the particular sample used in the 1994 study (79 preservice elementary school teachers) the number of high mathematics anxious rose to 11.4% based on the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (Suinn, 1972).     

阻碍小学教师专业发展的因素研究

阻碍小学教师专业发展的因素更多是来自内在的,包括教师个体没有形成学习的习惯,教师群体没有形成学习型文化;教师凭着经验和惯例教学,缺乏对经验和惯例的深层反思;教师凭着直觉做教学科研,缺乏理论和研究方法的指导;“年轻的老教师”发展动力不足.阻碍小学教师专业发展的外在因素包括教师工作负担重、工作琐碎,校长的科层制领导风格等.建议学校和政府从激励教师内在因素的角度出发来制定政策,鼓励教师发展.     

Developing Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge Through Mentoring Elementary Teachers

Elementary teachers are typically hesitant to teach science. While a limited knowledge of science content is a reason for this, limited science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has emerged as another reason in recent research. This study constitutes two case studies of a professional development program for elementary teachers involving mentoring by a university professor. The mentor took the role of a critical friend in joint planning and teaching of science. The study examines the nature of the mentoring relationship and reports the type of teacher learning that occurred, with a particular focus on the teachers’ development of science PCK.

Beginning Elementary School Teachers and the Effective Teaching of Science

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

Factors Affecting Retirement Attitude among Elementary School Teachers

This study investigated the relationships of teacher efficacy, perceived organizational control, and the teacher-student age gap with teachers’ retirement attitudes. Stratified random sampling was adopted to collect survey responses. A total of 498 valid surveys from 33 elementary schools were collected. Correlational analyses revealed significant positive correlations of efficacy for classroom management (teacher efficacy subdomain), efficacy for student engagement (teacher efficacy subdomain), efficacy for instructional strategies (teacher efficacy subdomain), and the teacher-student age gap with three subdomains of teacher retirement attitude. In addition, there were significant positive correlations of efficacy for instructional strategies and perceived organizational control with the cognitive and behavior subdomains of retirement attitude. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that efficacy for classroom management can positively predict the affective and cognitive subdomains of retirement attitude. Perceived organizational control can positively predict retirement attitude and its cognitive and behavior subdomains. Finally, the teacher-student age gap can predict retirement attitude and all its subdomains. Discussion of the results and recommendations for future research are provided.     

Promoting and Scaffolding Elementary School Students' Attitudes Toward Science and Argumentation Through a Science and Society Intervention

This study investigated the effects of a science and society intervention on elementary school students’ argumentation skills and their attitudes toward science. One hundred and eleven fifth grade students volunteered as an experimental group to join a 12-week intervention; another 107 sixth grade students volunteered to be the comparison group. All participants completed the Student Questionnaire at the beginning and end of this study. Observation and interview results were used to triangulate and consolidate the quantitative findings. The data showed that after the intervention, the quality of the experimental group students’ arguments and their attitudes toward science were significantly higher than their comparison group counterparts. In addition, the experimental group boys made significantly greater progress in the quality of their argumentation from the pretest to posttest than the girls; and low achievers made the most significant progress in their attitudes toward science and quality of argumentation. Interviews and observations indicated that their understandings of explanation and argumentation changed over the intervention. This indicated that a science and society intervention can enhance both the ability of students to develop strong arguments and their attitudes toward science.