scholarly journals Perceptions of Prospective Teachers about Peer Assessment as a Tool for Reflective Practices

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-380
Author(s):  
Uzma Shahzadi ◽  
Bashir Hussain

Peer assessment is a collaborative learning method that assists students to have a control of their learning and involve them in reflective process. This study focuses on exploring the perceptions of prospective teachers about use of peer assessment as a reflective tool in classrooms of teacher education programs. This study was quantitative in nature and used descriptive research design. All prospective teachers enrolled in the bachelor programs of teacher education programs (i.e., BS and B.Ed. Hon. Elementary) of public sector universities of Pakistan served as population of the study. Using multistage purposive sampling technique, a sample of 1374 prospective teachers was selected. For seeking prospective teachers’ opinion, a questionnaire comprising 17 items on a five-point Likert scale, was developed. Questionnaire was validated by experts. Reliability of questionnaire was ensured with Cronbach alpha value of 0.79. For data analysis, both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. From analysis of data, it was found that prospective teachers perceive that they are sometimes equipped with necessary skills for involving in peer assessment and occasionally their teachers provide them necessary tools to carry out peer assessment for the reflective learning. It was also found that majority of students agree that peer assessment helps them in identifying their weaknesses and strengths more effectively. While prospective teachers reported that peer assessment is an activity that takes a lot of time and it carries biasness with its procedure. It is, however, recommended that peer assessment might be an important component of classroom teaching and learning practices. It is further recommended that promotion of peer assessment in classrooms may be used as a tool for creation of reflective teaching and learning environment.

Author(s):  
Lorraine Gilpin ◽  
Yasar Bodur ◽  
Kathleen Crawford

Peer assessment holds tremendous potential to positively impact the development of preservice teachers. The purpose of this chapter is to describe our findings on the impact of different forms of peer observation and feedback on preservice teachers’ skills in analyzing classroom teaching and their perceptions of their experience with peer assessment. In addition to reporting our findings, we draw from the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning literature to present peer assessment as a medium to overcome structured isolation that is present in the practice of teaching. According to our study, peer observation and feedback is beneficial to preservice teachers’ learning. However, to maximize its effectiveness, a culture of peer assessment should be established in teacher education programs.


Author(s):  
James N. Oigara

This chapter discusses technology integration in teacher education programs. Although opportunities for technology training have become more available to prospective teachers, it is evident that successful technology integration needs a paradigm shift in pedagogical approaches and reform in teacher education programs to better support teachers’ integration of technology into instruction. This chapter offers valuable theoretical grounding to help guide researchers and leaders in the field of Educational Technology. Data indicate that basic technology skills alone cannot lead to higher levels of technology use in the classroom. Suggestions are provided on best ways to integrate educational technology into pre-service teacher education programs and in-service teacher professional development programs to enhance effectively teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms.


2013 ◽  
pp. 1488-1503
Author(s):  
James N. Oigara

This chapter discusses technology integration in teacher education programs. Although opportunities for technology training have become more available to prospective teachers, it is evident that successful technology integration needs a paradigm shift in pedagogical approaches and reform in teacher education programs to better support teachers’ integration of technology into instruction. This chapter offers valuable theoretical grounding to help guide researchers and leaders in the field of Educational Technology. Data indicate that basic technology skills alone cannot lead to higher levels of technology use in the classroom. Suggestions are provided on best ways to integrate educational technology into pre-service teacher education programs and in-service teacher professional development programs to enhance effectively teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Heather Smith-Sherwood

This qualitative multi-case study investigated thre exemplary pre-service teacher education programs in Jamaica and Michigan in order to provide an account of how they are structured in different contexts of tertiary institutions and, to identify how they ensure that their graduates are prepared to function effectively in today’s schools. Five categories of stakeholders across the three institutions were interviewed regarding their perception and expectations of pre-service teacher education in general as well as in the context of their program. The responses from these persons were described in narrative form, then analyzed and compared based on the similarities and differences that existed among them. The analysis led to the emergence of various themes across the three institutions, and these were used to draw conclusions relative to the structure of pre-service teacher education. The findings revealed eight distinguishing features of exemplary/effective pre-service teacher education programs whether university or college-based. (a) coherent program vision (b) cultural competence (c) collaborative partnership (d) contextualization (e) quality standards (f) well-planned and implemented field experiences (g) continuous assessment (h) experienced committed faculty and (i) a harmonious blend of theory and practice. To be effective, pre-service teacher education programs must prepare prospective teachers to adequately meet the challenges of teaching in today’s classrooms. To effect change, quality teachers are needed, and to produce quality teachers, quality preparation is a necessity. 


Author(s):  
Marcella Momanyi

This chapter examines the need to enhance teacher quality by infusing quality benchmarks in every aspect of teacher education. These areas include: Teacher education curriculum design and planning; Curriculum implementation; Principles of good teaching and learning; Interactive and effective teaching methodologies; Appropriate scheming and lesson preparation; Assessment and evaluation; and Class management and discipline. Additionally, the author explores emerging issues in teacher education and suggestions for future direction. Finally, this chapter is intended to advance the debate on ways to maintain and sustain quality benchmarks in teacher education programs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Smagorinsky

This article emphasizes the importance of understanding local contexts to provide appropriate education for teachers about literacy instruction. The author reviews general problems that follow from extrapolating from unrepresentative research samples and the errors and deficit conceptions that follow from assuming that all cognition takes place within the human skull, irrespective of the contexts that shape human development and immediate textual exchanges. The author then demonstrates challenges to his own thinking when he used a book he coedited for U.S. educators in the context of a literacy education program at the Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico. This narrative relates how the book was rewritten by the teachers in his seminar to have relevance, with extensive adaptations required. The author emphasizes the contextual facets of literacy development, and the need to think in terms of the settings of teaching and learning in university teacher education programs.


Author(s):  
Ma. Lourdes S. Agustin ◽  
Darryl Roy Montebon

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration   aims to unite the South East Asian countries to promote better opportunities for the member countries in different areas such as economics and education. As a response, Philippine Normal University spearheaded the formation of the Association of Southeast Asian Teacher Education Network to promote collaboration with ASEAN countries and enhance teacher education programs. The formation of AsTEN creates the impetus to explore possibilities for the internationalization of teacher education programs among the ASEAN countries. Thus, the Institute of Teaching and Learning of PNU initiated the Project Teacher Exchange for ASEAN Teachers (TEACH). This paper reports the assessment of the piloting of the Project TEACH as experienced by the Thai participants. Moreover, this research aims to develop a model that can be utilized by other ASEAN communities as they prepare for their own international teacher education programs.<em><strong></strong></em>


Author(s):  
Abdul Nasir Kiazai ◽  
Zarina Waheed ◽  
Saba Rehman

A large number of children in Balochistan attend religious schools (Madrasas) that have been criticized for spreading extremist views in the society. Teacher education institutions play a vital role in bringing cultural and religious harmony by producing prospective teachers who are able to cultivate tolerance, acceptance, patriotism, ethnic, religious respect and counter extremism, sectarian, and discrimination prospective. This qualitative exploratory study explores whether the prospective teachers in Balochistan are trained enough to teach in religious schools. The data were collected through in-depth interviews and focused group discussions. All teacher educators and prospective teachers from the universities that remained part of Pre-STEP or Teacher Education Project (TEP) assisted by USAID constituted the population of the study. Sample was selected through purposive sampling from two universities situated in Quetta. 10 teacher educators (5+5) and 10 prospective teachers (5+5) were selected as sample for interviews while two groups of prospective teachers (5 participants in each) were selected from the both case universities for focus group interviews. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings indicated that the prospective teachers and teacher educators considered the recent teacher education programs in Balochistan not enough to train teachers to teach in religious schools. Keywords: Prospective Teachers; Religious Schools; Teacher Education Programs; Balochistan


2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saima Bibi ◽  
Muhammad Saeed

Quality enhancement of teacher education programs has been a debatable issue all over the world. The present study was aimed to assess the quality of teacher education programs being offered in a public sector university in Pakistan. Three programs were randomly selected and prospective teachers studying in the final semester were selected as sample of the study. Prospective teachers studying in last semester of teacher training programs were the respondents. Questionnaire, containing 55 statements divided into six factors, was used as data collection tool. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics showed that the respondents were more satisfied about the selection criteria, effectiveness of teaching strategies used by teachers, behavior modification practices, appropriateness of courses, timely feedback, and teachers’ content knowledge but they were less satisfied with the statements related to availability of multimedia in the classes, sharing of faculty offices, no distortion of external factors, space to conduct activities, cleanliness and neatness of classrooms, and environment helpful for learning. The results of inferential statistics revealed significant difference in mean score of respondents from different programs on the factors of admission criteria, use of technology, assessment procedure, and quality of paper development and marking. It is recommended in the light of results that the university should allocate special budget to improve the quality of infrastructure. Furthermore, availability of technology and its proper use should be ensured by the university administratio


Author(s):  
Katherine Jane Sanford ◽  
Timothy Frank Hopper ◽  
Lisa Starr

In order that teacher education programs can act as significant scaffolds in supporting new teachers to become informed, creative and innovative members of a highly complex and valuable profession, we need to re-imagine ways in which teacher education programs operate. We need to re-imagine how courses are conceptualized and connected, how learning is shared and how knowledge, not just “professional”, but embedded knowledge in authentic contexts of teaching and learning is understood, shaped and re-applied. Drawing on our study of a locally developed program in secondary teacher education called Transformative University of Victoria (TRUVIC), we offer a relational approach to knowing as an alternative to more mechanistic explanations that limit teacher growth and development. To ground our interpretation, we draw on complexity theory as a theory of change and emergence that supports learning as distributed, relational, adaptive and emerging.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document