scholarly journals Data in practice: A participatory approach to understanding pre-service teachers’ perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 107-119
Author(s):  
Rita Prestigiacomo ◽  
Jane Hunter ◽  
Simon Knight ◽  
Roberto Martinez-Maldonado ◽  
Lori Lockyer

Data about learning can support teachers in their decision-making processes as they design tasks aimed at improving student educational outcomes. However, to achieve systemic impact, a deeper understanding of teachers’ perspectives on, and expectations for, data as evidence is required. It is critical to understand how teachers’ actions align with emerging learning analytics technologies, including the practices of pre-service teachers who are developing their perspectives on data use in classroom in their initial teacher education programme. This may lead to an integration gap in which technology and data literacy align poorly with expectations of the role of data and enabling technologies. This paper describes two participatory workshops that provide examples of the value of human-centred approaches to understand teachers’ perspectives on, and expectations for, data as evidence. These workshops focus on the design of pre-service teachers enrolled in teacher education programmes (N = 21) at two Australian universities. The approach points to the significance of (a) pre-service teachers’ intentions to track their students’ dispositions to learning and their ability to learn effectively, (b) the materiality of learning analytics as an enabling technology and (c) the alignment of learning analytics with learning design, including the human-centred, ethical and inclusive use of educational data in the teaching practice.   Implications for practice or policy: Pre-service teachers ought to be given opportunities to engage and understand more about learning design, learning analytics and the use of data in classrooms. Professional experience placements for pre-service teachers should include participatory data sessions or learning design workshops. Teacher education academics in universities must be provided with ongoing professional development to support their preparation work of pre-service teachers’ data literacy, learning analytics and the increasing presence of data.

Author(s):  
Anni Loukomies ◽  
Nadine Petersen ◽  
Jari Lavonen

In this study, we examined student teachers’ learning during their teaching placement period in Finland and South Africa. The setting of the inquiry in both countries was a ‘teaching’ school, affiliated to a university teacher education programme. The teaching school is also referred to as an educational innovation that was transferred from the Finnish context to the South African context. Data were collected through an interview protocol. The findings show that the students, like many of their counterparts in different parts of the world, focused on teaching tools and methods as well as classroom management as a gateway to their teaching career. The extended teaching placement period at both the university teaching schools was expected to yield some findings about the intersection of teaching practice and its supporting theories because of the close collaboration of the schools and the universities. Some of the findings satisfied this expectation while other parts did not, confirming that initial teacher education may be regarded as a platform for learning to be teachers, but it has its own limits even in a pedagogical ‘laboratory’. The transfer of the educational innovation was regarded as successful.


2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Assunção Flores ◽  
Patrícia Santos ◽  
Sandra Fernandes ◽  
Diana Pereira

Abstract This paper draws upon data from a broader piece of research aimed at examining pre-service teachers' views of their initial teacher education within the context of a master’s degree programme in teaching. The data were collected through questionnaires and written narratives at the beginning and at the end of the programme. In this paper, the data arising from 47 narratives at the end of the programme are presented. Five categories emerged from the qualitative data: curriculum content, teaching practice, the role of teacher educators, teaching and learning methods, the organisational aspects and structure of the programme. Although the participants identified positive aspects of the initial teacher education programme, they also stress that there is room for improvement, especially with regard to a greater coherence of the curriculum and a better articulation of its different components. Implications of the findings for enhancing the quality of initial teacher education and the role of teachers’ educators are discussed.


Author(s):  
Darshana Sharma

Teaching Practice is widely recognised as the sine-qua-non of any teacher education programme. It is a component in the teacher preparation programme where prospective teachers are provided with an opportunity to put their theoretical studies into practice, get feedback, reflect on practice and consequently further improve their teaching skills. As teaching practice is an important component of a teacher education programme, considerable attention must be given to make it more effective and fruitful. This paper is based on a research study conducted to know pre-service teachers' experiences of the quality of teaching practice and the common concerns they have during teaching practice. On the basis of focussed group discussion a total of five themes were identified, these are (1) usefulness of teaching practice (2) experiences/concerns with pupils' behaviour (3) experiences/concerns with own behaviour (4) experiences/concerns with supervisors' behaviour (5) experiences/concerns with institutional and personal adjustments. The outcome of the focussed group discussion was used to prepare a structured questionnaire. Among other things, the study recommended rigorous practical training in lesson planning, demonstration lessons by teacher educators, simulated teaching before the commencement of practice teaching, school orientation programmes, a separate internship of two weeks and writing a journal by student teachers during teaching practice.


Author(s):  
Sue Garton

The last 20-25 years have seen a significant shift in the views about what teachers need to know to be able to teach. This shift has led to new developments in the theory of second language teacher education (SLTE) and a growth in research in this area. One area of research concerns the attitudes and expectations of those learning to become teachers. While most studies in this area focus on teacher education programmes in BANA countries, this article looks at data from student teachers studying in Russia and Uzbekistan. The study employed a quantitative and qualitative research design, using a researcher-designed on-line questionnaire. Through snowball sampling, data from 161 students and recent graduates in the two countries were collected, analysed, and compared to investigate the content of SLTE programmes. The study identified what the novice teachers felt were the strengths and weaknesses of their programme, and what changes they would like to see. Results showed that while the respondents were mainly satisfied with their methodology, and theoretical linguistics courses, they felt the need for more practice, both teaching and language practice. The data also revealed that, in Uzbekistan in particular, the idea of global English struggles to take hold as native-speaker models remain the norm. The implications of the study underline the need for SLTE to explicitly link theory to practice and to promote the idea of varieties of English, rather than focus on native-speaker norms.


Author(s):  
Brendan Mac Mahon ◽  
Seán Ó Grádaigh ◽  
Sinéad Ní Ghuidhir

Research on the use of iPad in initial teacher education is limited. This paper outlines a study to examine how the professional learning and pedagogical knowledge development of student teachers could be supported following 1:1 iPad deployment on a second level initial teacher education programme in Ireland. Findings show that iPad can be utilised both as an effective pedagogical tool and as a medium for the creation of new learning spaces where student teachers' professional and pedagogical knowledge development is supported through feedback, peer-learning, resource sharing and critical reflection. Creating resources with and for iPad as part of a collaborative design process can also support student teachers in developing and integrating technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) within their approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. Implications for initial teacher education providers and the integration of technology within schools are outlined.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huanshu Yuan

This qualitative case study examines how a teacher education institution in China prepares culturally responsive Han teachers for diverse student populations. The purpose of this study was to explore preservice Han teachers’ perspectives of, and academic preparation in, multicultural education in order to enhance institutional quality and effectively prepare culturally responsive Han teachers for multicultural and multiethnic students in China. Four major findings revealed teacher candidates’ ambiguous perceptions of diversity; the inadequate academic preparation in teaching for diversity; disparity between academic training and teaching practice; and lack of institutional commitment to preparing teachers for diversity in China.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-69
Author(s):  
Charmaine Helena Iwu

This study was undertaken with the aim of understanding how newly qualified female teachers perceive teaching practicum in the South African context. Teaching Practicum is a vital component of the initial teacher education (ITE) programme because it enriches future teachers’ knowledge, skills and abilities towards a lifelong career in the teaching profession. Teachers make valuable contributions to the growth of any nation as they help produce future leaders. It is therefore necessary to have a competent teaching workforce to improve pass rates as well as reduce dropout rates among learners. The study took the qualitative deductive premise making use of semi-structured interviews to collect data from more than 30 novice teachers. Key words, which helped in the identification of themes, were distilled from the responses. A core overall finding of the study point to a mix of experiences - benefits and shortcomings - which not only affect the development of prospective teachers but also have profound implications for both policy enhancement and implementation. Regarding policy enhancement and implementation, it is suggested that universities and schools where novice teachers are posted for teaching practice should have good relations for support advancements. In this case, it is advised that the novice teachers should be exposed to critical mentoring opportunities to allow for clearer understanding of the real classroom scope. This study believes that for this to be fruitful, schools should among others be well-equipped. Suggestions for further research are also flagged. .   


Author(s):  
Saif Al-Maamari ◽  

Educational system in Oman is attempting to educate Omani students to be "good" citizens in an increasingly globalized society. However, a few studies that have been conducted until now in Oman revealed a gap between the intentions of the educational policy of teaching citizenship education in the schools and the actual practices of teacher education preparation programs. Therefore, any endeavor to develop citizenship in Oman schools will not achieve its goals without taking teacher education into account both pre-service and in-service. Accordingly, the present study aims to propose a framework for developing citizenship education in the initial teacher education in Oman. This descriptive study highlighted the gap between the policy and practice in social studies teacher education. The international literature reveals that student teachers feel insufficiently prepared to develop citizenship and Omani student teachers are not exceptional. Thus, the present study proposed a framework to incorporate citizenship education in the current teachers' preparation programs. Furthermore, the study reveals the inadequate presence of the topic of citizenship in teacher education. Therefore, teachers' understanding of citizenship becomes shallow, which undoubtedly leads to superficial learning on the part of the students. Therefore, a framework was proposed to develop citizenship in teacher education. This framework consists of the rationale behind the change, the Layout of the ground for change in teacher education, the mechanisms of the change, and the areas of the change.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Sally Hansen ◽  
Alison Sewell ◽  
Sarojinie Fernando ◽  
Abdelhamid Safa

The aim of this study was to explore the changes in student teacher efficacy beliefs for teaching priority learners over the course of a one-year postgraduate initial teacher education programme. The sample comprised 23 participants enrolled in the 2015 cohort in a pilot initial teacher education programme specifically tailored to enhance student teacher expertise to teach priority learners. Participants completed a specially designed and refined self-efficacy scale – Self-Efficacy with Diverse Learners: Student Teacher Scale – that targeted their efficacy beliefs about successfully promoting learning for priority learners at the start and at the end of their programme. Changes in efficacy beliefs were statistically measured and the findings indicated that student teacher efficacy beliefs for teaching priority learners had improved significantly over the course of their teacher education programme. In particular, the findings showed that their reported efficacy beliefs for implementing strategies for teaching English speakers of other languages, students with low socioeconomic status, and Māori learners had nearly doubled. Such findings have significant implications for teacher education reforms that aim to enhance student teacher adaptive expertise and in so doing, assist with the long-term goal of achieving more equitable educational outcomes in New Zealand.  


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document