A useful framework for teacher professional development for online and blended learning to use as guidance in times of crisis

Educational technology research and development -     

高职食品专业开展创业教育的探讨

以食品营养与检测专业为例,探讨了高职食品专业开展创业教育的必要性。要做好高职食品专业的创业教育,应采取如下措施：积极争取学校对本专业创业教育的支持;结合学生创业教育,调整专业人才培养方案;增加创业实践机会,提供良好的创业教育实践条件;加强创业教育师资队伍建设,建立创业导师制度等。     

高职院校艺术类专业《计算机应用基础》教学改革探索

分析了计算机应用基础教学现状,提出了计算机应用基础课程与艺术类专业知识相结合的改革新措施;就教学内容、考核的具体方式等方面阐述了改革内容。最终目的就是要让学生结合本专业的应用要求更好地掌握计算机应用技能,以适应社会对大学生计算机水平的新要求。     

Computer science in K-12 school curricula of the 2lst century: Why,what and when?

In this paper we have examined the position and roles of Computer Science in curricula in the light of recent calls for curriculum change and we have proposed principles and issues to consider in curriculum design as well as identifying priority areas for further research. The paper is based on discussions within and beyond the International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP) Education Community since 2012 as well as an analysis of curriculum developments in five different countries. Emerging themes have been discussed with reference to important perspectives from curriculum theory including “powerful knowledge” as a key element of entitlement and management of the growth of expertise. Based on this analysis we have identified areas of consensus as well as constraints, risks and issues that are still subject to controversy. There is an emerging consensus of the importance of Computer Science and the nature of its “powerful knowledge”. Furthermore current understanding of the opportunities and benefits for starting to learn Computer Science early in primary schools has identified this early start as an entitlement and equity issue. There is a strong consensus that teacher professional development in Computer Science Education is critical for supporting curriculum change and is currently a major challenge in many countries. Other key issues include understanding how the growth of expertise affects potential structure and sequencing in the curriculum and the balance of content. Further considerations include how new technological opportunities interact with pedagogical approaches and can provide new potential for the growth of expertise.     

Valuing indigenous knowledge: to call it “science” will not help

In this commentary on Brayboy and Castagno’s paper, published in this volume, we discuss, on the one hand, many points of agreement between their proposal of culturally responsive schooling for indigenous youth and El-Hani and Mortimer’s proposal of culturally-sensitive science education. On the other hand, we focus on a key disagreement, not only with Brayboy and Castagno, but with a whole body of literature on multicultural, postcolonialist, postmodernist education. The main point of disagreement lies in the fact that we are not sure that to broaden the concept of science so as to talk about “native science” or “indigenous science” is indeed the best strategy to attain a goal that we wholeheartedly share with Brayboy and Castagno, to value other ways of knowing for their own sake, validity, and legitimacy.

Influence of structural features on Portuguese toddler child care quality

Whereas child care quality has been extensively studied in the U.S., there is much less information about the quality of child care in other countries. With one of the highest maternal employment rates in Europe, it is important to examine child care in Portugal. Thirty toddler classrooms in child care centers were observed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether structural features account for overall toddler child care quality. Results showed younger and better-paid teachers provided better toddler child care quality. Space available per child was not a statistically significant predictor of toddler child care quality. Overall quality results suggest some issues to be addressed by early education policy makers and indicate the need to promote quality in Portuguese toddler child care programs.     

Effect of phonological training on reading and writing acquisition

The aim of our study was to determine the effect of training of phonological abilities upon the acquisition of reading and writing during the first year of primary school. An experimental design, with five groups of subjects matched by age, sex, IQ, phonological abilities and reading and writing level was used. Every group received twenty training sessions, over a period of six months. Four groups had different training procedures depending upon the type of task used (phoneme versus concept discrimination) and the way that the task was carried out (using or not using manipulative materials). The fifth group served as control. Post training measures were taken in reading, writing, and mathematics, besides the teacher's estimated scores, twice: immediately after the end of training sessions and two months later. Significant effects on both reading and writing measures were obtained for the groups trained on phonological activities using manipulative materials. The effects were reliable for the two tests. The theoretical implications of the results are discussed and their implications for educational practice are indicated.     

Teaching writing to middle school students in Portugal and in Brazil: an exploratory study

Learning how to write is a challenging process, typically developed in schools. Teachers’ practices in teaching writing, however, have been under researched. The aim of this study was to survey a sample of teachers from Portugal (n = 96) and Brazil (n = 99) about their practices for and perceptions about writing instruction. Teachers reported on time devoted to student writing and the teaching of writing, on their practices to promote students’ self-regulated writing, adaptations for less skilled writers, and their perceptions about writing and the teaching of writing. Findings from this survey raised concerns about the quality of writing instruction in both countries. Teachers reported little time devoted for writing and the teaching of writing in their classes. The majority of the teachers rarely used practices to promote students’ self-regulated writing or applied explicit teaching methods for writing instruction. Both Portuguese and Brazilian teachers perceived writing as a shared responsibility. Brazilian teachers, however, agreed with this perception more strongly. Portuguese teachers’ perception of the importance of writing for students’ academic and professional success was higher than the perceptions held by Brazilian teachers. A positive correlation was found between teachers’ preparation to teach writing and their practices to promote students’ self-regulated writing. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Effects of cooperative learning on perceived competence,motivation, social goals,effort and boredom in prospective Primary Education teachers / Efectos del aprendizaje cooperativo sobre la competencia percibida,la motivación,las relaciones sociales,el esfuerzo y el aburrimiento de futuros docentes de Educación Primaria

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to analyze the effects of an intervention programme based on cooperative learning on several motivational variables in prospective teachers. 264 students of Primary Education Teacher Training participated. Prior to the intervention, a theoretical model was designed to explain the relations among the different variables. The intervention programme was applied to the experimental group during a 12-week period, while the control group experienced a traditional instructional approach. A questionnaire was designed using different validated subscales (PMCSQ-2, BPNS, PLOC, SGS-PE, PES) to gather data. The predictive theoretical model was tested using a structural equation analysis with the data obtained, which showed that the predictive model was correct, and significant improvements were seen in the experimental group only in terms of levels of perceived competence, self-determined motivation, effort, responsibility and relationships, and a significant decrease was seen in boredom. With regard to gender, women showed significantly different results in Competence and Boredom. Cooperative Learning has been proven to be a positive instructional model in Teacher Education.     

Authority in the classroom: adolescent autonomy, autonomy support, and teachers’ legitimacy

Younger generations are increasingly questioning the legitimacy of teachers. However, evidence concerning classroom authority and the many factors that shape it tend to disregard the complexity and dynamics of the relationship between the teacher and the student. This paper aims to contribute to further unfold and understand this topic. Specifically, teachers’ legitimacy is examined from the scope of the Relational Model of Authority and the principle of autonomy, from the standpoint of the individual (i.e. adolescent’s autonomy level) and the individual’s perception of the social context (i.e. perceived autonomy support). Participants were 323 adolescents attending two secondary schools in urban areas of Portugal, from 9th to 12th grades. The results indicate that teachers’ legitimacy, as recognised by students, varies according to their perceived autonomy support. In addition, more autonomous adolescents, when in contexts that they perceive as lower in autonomy support, recognise lower levels of legitimacy to their teachers, compared with individuals with lower autonomy levels. Results are discussed from the standpoint of the Relational Model of Authority, the Self-Determination Theory and the Theory of Psychological Reactance.