A change of perspective – Exploring Mexican primary and secondary school students’ perceptions of their teachers differentiated instructional practice

With the increasing student diversity, the establishment of inclusive classrooms has become a top concern of policy-makers worldwide urging teachers to differentiate their instruction according to students’ individual learning needs. As the implementation of differentiated instruction (DI) relies mainly on teachers, previous research has mostly focused on examining teachers’ perspectives on their use of differentiation. In contrast, far less attention has been paid to explore students’ perspectives about their experiences in inclusive classrooms. Therefore, this study aims at examining students’ experiences of their teachers’ actual DI practice. Moreover, this study sets the spotlight on Mexico, a country that has faced changes with a recent proposed educational model. Results from a mixed analysis of variance revealed that students do in fact perceive that their teachers implement DI practices. It appears that both primary and secondary school teachers implement more frequent variants of mastery learning as well as tutoring systems as a means to differentiate their instruction. Implications of the results, as well as further lines of research, are discussed.     

Students’ experiences with contrasting learning environments: The added value of students’ perceptions

This study investigated the effects of two contrasting learning environments on students’ course experiences: a lecture-based setting to a student-activating teaching environment. In addition, the evaluative treatment involved five research conditions that went together with one of four assessment modes, namely, portfolio, case-based, peer assessment, and multiple-choice testing. Data (N = 608) were collected using the Course Experience Questionnaire. Results showed that the instructional intervention (i.e. lectures versus student-activating treatment) influenced students’ course experiences, but in the opposite direction to that expected. In declining order, the following scales (5 out of 7) revealed statistically significant differences: Clear Goals and Standards; the General scale; Appropriate Workload; Good Teaching; and Independence. Moreover, when the assessment mode was considered, also the Appropriate Assessment scale demonstrated significant differences between the five research conditions. Moreover, the same teaching/learning environments led to diverse students’ perceptions. While the perceptions of lecture-taught students were focused and concordantly positive, students’ course experiences with student-activating methods were widely varied and both extremely positive and negative opinions were present. Students’ arguments in favour of the activating setting were the variety of teaching methods, the challenging and active nature of the assignments and the joys of collaborative work in teams, whereas students expressed dissatisfaction with the perceived lack of learning gains, the associated time pressure and workloads, and the (exclusive) use of collaborative assignments and related group difficulties.     

Teachers'' Perceptions of High School Environments

The purpose of this study was to investigate high school teachers' perceptions of school environments and to determine whether gender was a differentiating factor. A total of 275 teachers from eight high schools responded to the Teacher's School Environment Survey. The results revealed that most of these teachers had favourable perceptions. They rated job satisfaction and principal leadership highly but ethnic equity relatively low. Female teachers scored higher than male teachers on job satisfaction, collegiality, teacher-student relations, ethnic equity, teacher influence, and student discipline. No significant difference was found in teachers' perceptions of principal leadership. Implications of the findings are discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

New Learning Environments and Constructivism: The Students’ Perspective

Research into students’ perceptions of their learning environments reveals the impact of these perceptions on the way students cope with these learning environments. Consequently, students’ perceptions affect the results of their learning. This study aims to investigate whether students in a new learning environment (NLE) perceive it to be more constructivist when compared with the perceptions students have of a conventional lecture-based environment. Using a questionnaire consisting of seven key factors of constructivist learning environments, the results show that students in the NLE perceive it to be more constructivist when compared to the perceptions of students in a conventional lecture-based environment. The difference was statistically significant for four of the seven factors. According to the effect size, as measured by the d-index, the difference in perception between the two groups was greatest for the factor ‘conceptual conflicts and dilemmas’. in final form: 31 May 2005     

Teacher perspectives on their alternative fast-track induction

The purpose of this study was to explore the professional challenges and concerns of 30 second career teachers (SCTs) participating in an alternative fast-track induction program during their first year of teaching. Additionally, the study investigated their perspectives of the institutional support provided to them. The main source of data was online case study discussions and reflective journals which were analyzed qualitatively through content analysis. The results suggest that the challenges and concerns of SCTs trained through a fast-track program are essentially not dissimilar from novice teachers trained in traditional programs. Even though SCTs entered the profession with extensive life and work experience, they seemed to perceive the same mismatch experienced by other first-year teachers between what they had expected and what they actually encountered. Their main challenges and concerns centered on: classroom teaching, teacher–student relations, the extensive workload, and their emotional involvement. Nevertheless, these SCTs demonstrated the ability to apply strategies acquired in their previous professions to cope with the professional challenges they had encountered in the school context. Drawing on transition theory proposed by Schlossberg, the process of transition into the teaching profession was explored. Applying Schlossberg’s model, the professional concerns and the types of strategies used by SCTs to cope with the various challenges were identified. This theory also provided the framework for understanding the perceptions of SCTs of the institutional support provided to them and the use they made of it throughout this year. Implications for teacher education programs are discussed.     

Student perceptions of successful learning support for an international high school programme: a comparative case study in Turkey

Abstract

This study used comparative case study methodology to investigate student perceptions of different programmes that prepare them for a challenging high school education programme: the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). Given the benefits and challenges of the programme, educators and stakeholders want to ensure students feel ready to participate. In the literature, studies support that programmes such as the International General Certificate of Secondary Education and the International Baccalaureate Organisation’s Middle Years Programme prepare students for the IBDP; however, there is a need for students’ voices on how they perceive they are prepared through these programmes. This study investigated three different approaches to IBDP preparation by gaining student insights through a scaled-item questionnaire and interviews. Students identified experiences that gave them skills to monitor their learning and resources that motivated them to participate in an advanced upper-high school programme.     

从诗画合流看神韵说——兼谈王渔洋诗歌中的诗情画意

王渔洋吸收了南宗画家含蓄、飘逸、空灵的审美理念,丰富了自己的神韵说理论,并在其诗歌创作中遵循诗画合流的原则,表达了浓厚的诗情画意。     

Students' Perceptions of the Technological Supports for Problem-based Learning

This paper reports students' perceptions of the technological supports that assist problem-based learning (PBL). There are a number of tasks in the PBL processes, which can be supported by technological advances. A Web-based system has been developed to support the problem-based learning strategy. The system provides facilities to both teacher and students to facilitate learning and teaching. These include on-line teaching materials retrieval, a discussion area for problem analysis and brainstorming, a facility for project planning and monitoring, a private group area for the purposes of discussion, a facility for the submission of development work and learning resources, and a posting area to display good work to motivate students. The progress of the students can be monitored and feedback can be given to them. This paper presents a pilot study of student views of and preferences for various technological supports used to enhance learning effectiveness.     

Exploring pupils' perceptions of teacher racism in their context: A case study of Turkish and Belgian vocational education pupils in a Belgian school

This article employs ethnographic data gathered from one Belgian (Flemish) secondary school to explore the meaning Belgian and Turkish‐speaking minority pupils enrolled in technical and vocational education attach to teacher racism and racial discrimination, and to explore variations between pupils in making claims of teacher racism. A symbolic interactionist framework is employed to explore how pupils define teacher racism and how a particular context and interactions between pupils and teachers informs pupils' perceptions of racism. This article builds on a strong research tradition in British sociology of education on racism and discrimination by focusing the analysis on pupils' perceptions of such incidents and by investigating how racism is experienced by a generally neglected group of Turkish minority pupils in a particular Belgian education context.     

Ascertaining teachers’ perceptions of working with adolescents diagnosed with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder

There are few studies that have directly examined teachers’ perceptions of children with ADHD, particularly children in the adolescent age range. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of general‐education ninth through twelfth grade teachers regarding working with adolescent students with ADHD. Sorted responses from a sample of 100 general‐education high school teachers were analysed and then represented visually using a concept‐mapping technique. The final concept map suggests that teachers perceive adolescents with ADHD along two dichotomies of thematic clusters on an orthogonal axis. Clusters at the top area of the concept map suggest perceptions related to high confidence and willingness, while clusters at the bottom suggest perceptions related to uneasiness and frustration. Clusters along the left side of the concept map suggest perceptions related to behaviour issues, while clusters along the right side suggest perceptions related to classroom teaching issues. Central to the vertical and horizontal dichotomies is a solitary central dimension, which highlights training as an important component of teachers’ perceptions of adolescents with ADHD.