Korean EFL teachers’ perceptions of the impact of EFL teacher education upon their classroom teaching practices

This study employed qualitative data collection and analysis methods to investigate the influence of English as a foreign language teacher education programme on Korean teachers’ classroom teaching practices. Six in-service secondary-school teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was applied to the data collected from these interviews. Findings from the analysis included that: a) most of the teachers were dissatisfied with the largely theory-oriented pre-service teacher education programmes that they attended; b) a major source of influence on their teaching was their experience of in-service teacher training programmes with practical curricula; c) observation of other fellow teachers’ teaching had the strongest impact upon the teachers’ teaching practices; and d) the teachers’ low English proficiency and the washback effect of the Korea Scholastic Aptitude Test hindered the maintenance of the changes brought about by in-service teacher education programmes. This study ends with a discussion of the implications of these findings.     

Sustaining and retaining beginning special educators: It takes a village

The need to support and retain beginning teachers has become critical given: (1) the shortage of teachers in certain disciplines, and (2) the current emphasis on teacher qualifications and student achievement. In this study, five first year special education teachers in the southwestern section of the United States provided information on the persons and activities that supplied them with much needed and valued support. The results indicate that having a strong network of support and a variety of resources positively influenced these teachers’ ability to focus on student learning and on their intent to remain in their positions.     

论审判委员会的当前价值

通过剖析立法上对审判委员会任务的规定,揭示出审判委员会本质上是一个特权审判组织,在此基础上进一步对审判委员会的当前价值做出判断.最后,通过论证对审判委员会进行改良已经无法克服立法和司法上存在的逻辑矛盾,进而得出结论：适时废止审判委员会才是理性的必然选择.     

基于XG-B00ST和多数据源的药物重定位预测

新药物研发时间长、成本高,但成功率低,为了提高收益比,药物重定位即旧药新用受到了广泛关注。从临床和实验角度鉴定药物的新用途需要耗费大量人力和物力,从计算角度预测药物新用途成为研究热点;并且,随着药物和疾病相关的大量多层次组学数据积累,通过挖掘药物相关数据鉴定药物新用途成为可能。重点挖掘药物化学结构、药理性质、药物靶蛋白功能、疾病表型等数据得到相应特征,并将这些药物疾病特征进行整合,再将特征输入XG-BOOST模型进行预测。实验结果表明,该方法准确率达87.9%,较逻辑回归、随机森林具有更高的预测精度。     

EFL teachers’ perceptions of English language policy at the elementary level in Taiwan

Due in large part to the trends towards economic globalization, English has become the most widely disseminated and ubiquitous international language. The purpose of the study was to investigate what Taiwan’s EFL teachers at the elementary level believe about the policy of English as a compulsory subject and how they perceive the benefits and obstacles of the policy’s implementation. Ten elementary English teachers in Tainan City and its suburban areas participated in this study. Data were collected through teachers’ interviews, classroom observation and document analysis. Results found that all ten teachers agreed with the policy for English as a compulsory subject at the elementary level. They observed both positive and negative sides of this top‐down policy. Classroom observation and interview data revealed that EFL teachers had to plan their English classes with the constraints on a large class of students with mixed levels of proficiency, limited teaching hours and resources. Parents’ expectations of and attitudes towards English learning also became an obstacle.     

Australian teacher education: inside-out,outside-in,backwards and forwards?

Abstract

Teacher Education in Australia seems to be in a dynamic and constant cycle of review and change. Policy governing teacher education has also been eminently changeable and dynamic. To some extent this stems from three year terms for governments where a short term and expedient political view is taken. There has also been ongoing centre-periphery tension between the Commonwealth government and the State governments regarding regulation and accreditation of teacher education programmes with there now being regulatory bodies at both national (Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership – AITSL) and state levels. Despite all of this, teacher education is still the butt of ongoing criticism and investigation and is now more highly regulated than ever. Since teacher education occurs within a university context, with the exception of that which is offered through some private providers or some Technical and Further Education (TAFE) providers, it is also at the whim of government funding policies impacting universities generally.     

基于合作的教师专业发展模式——美国专业发展学校(PDS)合作模式探究

美国专业发展学校(PDS)是上个世纪80年代兴起的一种基于合作的、新型的教师教育模式,它以其独特的组织形式和良好的效果引起了人们的关注,现已成为美国教师教育改革的主流趋势．本文旨在对PDS的产生背景、基本合作模式及其存在的问题进行分析与探究,以期能为我国的教师专业发展学校以及教师教育改革提供一些启示和参考。     

Regarding uncertainty in teachers and teaching

The literature on teacher uncertainty suggests that it is a significant and perhaps inherent feature of teaching. Yet there is disagreement about the effects of these uncertainties on teachers as well as about the ways that teachers should regard them. Recognition of uncertainties can be viewed alternatively as a liability or an asset to effective teaching. Findings from the literature on uncertainties in teaching are summarized and analyzed, including explanations in the research about what accounts for and contributes to uncertainties. Recommendations for research and professional development are provided.     

教师教学生活研究引论

关注教师教学生活是改善教师生存状况的迫切需要,也是基础教育课程改革的必然要求,还是教师专业发展的内在逻辑。教师教学生活研究有着特定的内容和范畴,在研究过程中应遵循理论研究与实证研究相统一原则、主位研究与客位研究相结合原则、本土化原则、多样化原则。     

Teacher evaluation policy as perceived by school principals: the case of Flanders (Belgium)

In Flanders (Belgium), a new teacher evaluation policy was issued which placed a lot of autonomy with school principals to develop and implement a new teacher evaluation system. In this study, we explore how Flemish principals perceive the new teacher evaluation policy and what influences their perception. Results demonstrate that principals perceive the policy as clear, but they are rather negative about the need, practicality, and complexity of the summative teacher evaluation. This perception is influenced by policy, context, and individual factors as is demonstrated in our qualitative analyses.