Teachers’ perceptions and concerns about the implementation of the 2005 preschool curriculum in Tanzania

The aim of this study was to examine teachers’ perceptions and concerns about the implementation of the preschool curriculum developed over 10 years (2005–2015). This paper reports findings from an interpretive case study design in four preschool settings in Tanzania with 12 teachers and 8 parent participants. Data were generated using interviews and documentation. The research focus was on how teachers have implemented the 2005 preschool curriculum. The findings indicate that the implementation of the curriculum was problematic due to teachers’ lack of knowledge of a child-centred pedagogy. In addition there were no teachers qualified to work with young children, overcrowded classrooms, poor teaching and learning environments, and insufficient teaching and learning materials and facilities. This study recommends that to improve the current situation and attain quality provision of early education, teachers need to develop their professional knowledge through in-service training. The government policy planners need to provide initial teacher education, professional development, and conducive teaching and learning environments with available resources for effective teaching and learning practices.     

周谷城教育活动纪实

周谷城是我国现当代著名历史学家、教育家。本文系学习研究周谷城教育思想的初步探索，仅以时空为序，着重记述他的教育实践活动，同时介绍其政治活动、科研成果及与毛泽东的交往。     

Learning styles in engineering education: the quest to improve didactic practices

This article discusses a dilemma that engineering educators encounter when attempting to develop pedagogical methods: that of finding efficient and scientifically valid didactic practices. The multitude of methods offered by educational consultants is perplexing. Moreover, the popularity of commercially offered solutions such as learning styles testing makes them appear attractive. The study presents one case of application of learning styles, the consequent problems and evaluation of results. It concludes that the use of learning styles is not supported by current pedagogical theories. Practices to foster interdisciplinary understanding between learning sciences and engineering are proposed in order to improve engineering education, most notably collaborative projects between university departments.     

Explanations of attitudes to change: Colombian mathematics teachers’ conceptions of the crucial determinants of their teaching practices of beginning algebra

This article arises from a study whose overall purpose was to investigate the relationship between Colombian mathematics teachers’ conceptions of beginning algebra and their conceptions of their own teaching practices. The teachers’ understandings of their teaching practices were explored with a view to unravelling their conceptions of change in their teaching. Focusing on the perspectives of teachers afforded opportunities that exposed the powerful role that the teachers’ conceptions of social/institutional factors of teaching played in their conceptions of their practices. The degree to which the teachers attributed these (external) factors as crucial reasons for what they do in their teaching was the basis of a categorisation of their conceptions of the crucial determinants of their teaching practices into three types. The findings are particularly relevant to our understanding of the stability of mathematics teaching approaches in the Colombian context but have likely implications for a range of international education contexts. Specific implications for the development of the research into teachers’ conceptions of mathematics and its teaching, and for teacher education programmes are presented.

大学英语教师修正性反馈信念与课堂教学行为关系研究

教师教学信念影响其教学行为,也是预测教师教学质量和教学效果的最有效指标。文章运用课堂观察、深度访谈和刺激性回忆法,聚焦于三位英语专业精读课教师的教学信念和课堂行为,通过对所得数据进行定量和定性分析发现：由于个体差异,不同教师所持的教学信念互不相同,他们的课堂教学行为也存在巨大差异;同一教师持有内部相矛盾的信念,但这种个人内部矛盾的信念会随着教学经验的丰富和专业知识不断程序化而减弱;由于教学环境和教师所调用的知识的不同,同一教师的教学信念和教学行为之间虽具有一定的联系,但二者之间具有很大的差异。这就要求广大教师要不断反思自己的教学,积极开展行动研究,注意发展和完善自己的教学信念体系,努力促进专业知识的程序化,以应对复杂多变的课堂教学环境。     

国际成功校长项目——中、美、澳三国成功校长比较研究

从跨文化的视角选择中国、美国、澳大利亚这三个参与国际成功校长项目的国家,考察和比较在不同文化背景下三个国家对于成功校长的认识标准以及成功校长领导行为的异同可以发现:中国和美国把对成功校长的评判标准放在了学生的成绩上,而澳大利亚除了关注学生的成绩,还扩展到学生的成就,包括学生参与、学生的社会表现等。另外,学校的特色课程设置、校长的声望以及学校的声望也成为选取的标准。在对成功校长领导行为的研究中,雷斯武德等人的校长领导行为分类在各个国家均得到验证。此外,研究者还发现了一些新的校长领导行为。     

药物制剂技术专业仿真工学结合教学方法改革实践

工学结合教学模式是现代高等职业教育中教学方法改革的方向和目标,是培养高等职业专业人才的有效途径。结合我校药物制剂技术专业的特点,对仿真工学结合的实训教学模式作为工学结合的一种补充,进行了有效的尝试,取得了突破性进展。     

Exploring and evaluating differentiated assessment practices of in-service teachers for components of differentiation

Classroom assessment is central to effective teaching and learning, making assessment literacy a core component for teacher education. The present study explores self-reported, differentiated assessment practices of Malaysian in-service teachers. The practices were evaluated using an analytic framework that was developed based upon the existing literature on components of differentiation. Data were collected from 32 in-service teachers using open-ended survey questionnaires. Twelve of the teachers also participated in in-depth interviews. Documents provided by the teachers were also analyzed. Data from the open-ended survey were analyzed using NVivo11 to develop codes for the analytic framework. The findings offer insights into teachers’ knowledge, application, and interpretation of differentiated assessment practices. The discussion explores teachers’ explanations of their own practices and, further, recommends ways to improve knowledge and application of differentiated assessment. The implications of the findings are discussed for assessment literacy-related professional development for teachers, school management and policies to facilitate implementation of differentiated assessment.     

Ethnographical mapping of thick places – teaching and learning practices in teacher training schools

The aim of this study is to use an ethnographic method in order to map where understandings of teaching and learning practices (TaLP) are being discussed in three schools. The questions posed are: what are the relations between thick places, meaning, affect, and TaLP? This study uses an ethnographic method outside the classroom and in between different activities as a starting point for understanding TaLP and where many students at the same school produce thick places of affect and meaning. The main conclusion from this study is that matters of where, what, and who are shaping TaLP. Another important conclusion from this study is that training schools offer new conditions for teacher students, but also offer new opportunities for ethnographic studies that aim at understanding these school environments with a range of new questions.