Complexity Theory and Teacher Education

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan D. Martin ◽  
Vicki McQuitty ◽  
Denise N. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Analysis And Design ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Second Category

Complexity theory offers possibilities for thinking about the challenges and opportunities inherent in teaching, teacher learning, and many other networked systems in teacher education. Complexity theory is a theory of learning systems that provides a framework for those interested in examining how systems develop and change. It is transdisciplinary in nature, drawing on insights from diverse fields across both the hard and social sciences, and when applied to education may provide a complex rather than simplistic view of teaching and learning. Further, complexity theory has the potential to offer a powerful alternative to linear and reductionist conceptualizations, with implications for methodology of teacher education research as well as its analysis and design. This small but growing body of work has influenced teacher education in two ways. First, scholars have argued for complexity theory’s usefulness as a framework to understand and describe how teacher education functions as a complex system. The second category of work, smaller than the first, uses complexity theory to frame and analyze empirical studies. Much of the emerging body of research conducted from a complexity theory perspective is descriptive and largely confirms what has been theorized. Empirical work has confirmed that a variety of systems, at different levels, influence teacher learning and pedagogical decisions. Gaps in our knowledge still exist, however, as theorists and researchers continue to struggle with how complexity theory can best serve teacher education for the benefit of teachers and students.

The Adoption of Instructional Technologies in Teacher Education

2018 ◽  
pp. 2183-2197
Author(s):  
Steve Nwokeocha
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Instructional Technologies ◽  
Positive Side ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Multiplier Effect ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Practical Experiences

This chapter advocates for a turn to the positive side of the situation and the need to create a multiplier effect with available technologies and capabilities which at the long run could enable Nigeria to leapfrog and catch up with the advanced countries in terms of quality of teaching and learning. The chapter consequently discusses some of the new ideas and concepts that may well be exploited to improve teacher education through technology. It calls for more research, sensitization and capacity building of teachers and students about such new ideas and concepts for the benefit of the Nigerian education system. The chapter is written primarily based on the practical experiences of the author as a teacher educator and active participant in world conferences that, over the years, have devoted attention to best practical cases that have worked in various developing parts of the world.

scholarly journals What do we mean by “transferable skills”? A literature review of how the concept is conceptualized in undergraduate health sciences education

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristoffer Brix Olesen ◽  
Mette Krogh Christensen ◽  
Lotte Dyhrberg O'Neill
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Health Sciences Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
Teachers And Students

PurposeDue to rapid changes in the future labor market, transferable skills are recognized as a vital learning outcome for students in undergraduate higher education. However, ambiguities surrounding the concept and content of transferable skills hamper the actual teaching and learning of transferable skills. Consequently, there is a great need for an overview of the literature on transferable skills to qualify and develop the approaches to transferrable skills in higher education. This study aims to outline a typology of how transferable skills are conceptualized in health sciences education, that is, medicine, nursing and related health professionals’ education.Design/methodology/approachThe study was a mixed studies literature review, which included quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods studies. A seven-stage sequential exploratory synthesis of the included studies was conducted.FindingsThis review showed that transferable skills reflected three main conceptualizations: Program Requirements, Employability and Holistic Development. Overall, the global methodological quality of the empirical studies of interventions to further transferable skills development in health science education was weak.Research limitations/implicationsThis study aids clear conceptualization in future empirical studies.Practical implicationsBy distinguishing between three main conceptualizations of transferable skills, this study's typology supports alignment in transferable skills curricula because conceptually sound learning objectives provide teachers and students in health sciences education with a clear purpose and direct educators' choice of relevant teaching and assessment strategies.Originality/valueThis review – the first of its kind – contributes to conceptualization of transferable skills as the basis for curriculum development and research.

International Teacher Education Network

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
M. Dolores Ramírez-Verdugo
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Educational Technology ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Transmedia Storytelling ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Education Network ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact ◽  
International Teacher

This chapter presents an overview of the design and development of a research project aimed at setting the foundation of an international teacher education network to enhance teacher education from a transversal and interdisciplinary perspective. The network partnership explores the impact of applied educational technology, including digital and transmedia storytelling or augmented reality, to upgrade teacher education. This approach provides tailored training to equip lecturers, teacher trainers, pre- and in-service K-12 teachers, and students with specific competencies, skills, and strategies in instruction and assessment. This training also intends to raise their awareness of educational, social, sustainability, and environmental challenges. Within this framework, educational technology, language, and narrative genres become the articulatory axis of teaching and learning within bilingual and intercultural education contexts. This chapter also serves to define the scope and rationale for the edited volume.

scholarly journals Designing Frameworks for Authentic Equity in Science Teaching and Learning: Informal Learning Environments and Teacher Education for STEM

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Jennifer D. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Science Teaching ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teacher Identity ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Science Teaching And Learning ◽  
Design Learning ◽  
Teachers And Students

Abstract In order to advance authentic equity in science education, it is salient to have frameworks that allow educators and researchers to design learning environments, activities, and research agendas that centers students’ strengths in order for them to achieve full participation in science. As such it is important to consider the social identities of science education stakeholders—teachers and students—in teacher education. However, as identity is complex, it requires research approaches that elucidate not only the nuances of teacher identity but also the complexities of science teaching and learning environments. This article describes a collaborative research project that aimed to unpack the relationship between teacher identity and learning to teach. It outlines the collaborative process of theory building that includes teacher participants and the research team and how the framework for teacher education emerged that considers the various aspects of designing equitable and liberatory science learning.

The Adoption of Instructional Technologies in Teacher Education

2016 ◽  
pp. 1588-1602
Author(s):  
Steve Nwokeocha
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Instructional Technologies ◽  
Positive Side ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Multiplier Effect ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Practical Experiences

This chapter advocates for a turn to the positive side of the situation and the need to create a multiplier effect with available technologies and capabilities which at the long run could enable Nigeria to leapfrog and catch up with the advanced countries in terms of quality of teaching and learning. The chapter consequently discusses some of the new ideas and concepts that may well be exploited to improve teacher education through technology. It calls for more research, sensitization and capacity building of teachers and students about such new ideas and concepts for the benefit of the Nigerian education system. The chapter is written primarily based on the practical experiences of the author as a teacher educator and active participant in world conferences that, over the years, have devoted attention to best practical cases that have worked in various developing parts of the world.

Exploring the meaning of movement capability in physical education teacher education through student voices

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunn Nyberg ◽  
Erik Backman ◽  
Håkan Larsson
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Physical Education Teacher ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education

Scholars argue that movement content knowledge in physical education teacher education (PETE) needs to be revisited and problematised. In this paper we develop the concept of movement capability representing a widened view of movement content knowledge. If teacher educators want to teach movement capability as an intrinsic educational goal in PETE there is an apparent need to consider what to teach, how it is taught and also how movement capability is understood by the learners. The aim of this paper is to analyse how PETE students experience the meaning of movement capability through the teaching in aquatics, dance and ice-skating. This study takes its departure from a number of previous empirical studies investigating the meaning of movement capability. Interviews with seven PETE students, divided into two focus groups, were conducted on three occasions. A phenomenographic analysis shows four qualitatively different ways of experiencing the meaning of movement capability. Major differences that can be seen when comparing the results of a previous study on physical education teachers and students in PETE are the aspect of subjective experiences and the aspect of the observer. In the main, the students do not seem to take into account an observer’s point of view to the same extent as the group of teachers. The results will hopefully contribute to a deeper and more complex understanding of what can be seen as movement capability in PETE and physical education, and thereby enhance development of the teaching and learning of this capability.

Own-language use in language teaching and learning

2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Hall ◽  
Guy Cook
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Language Teaching And Learning

Until recently, the assumption of the language-teaching literature has been that new languages are best taught and learned monolingually, without the use of the students’ own language(s). In recent years, however, this monolingual assumption has been increasingly questioned, and a re-evaluation of teaching that relates the language being taught to the students’ own language has begun. This article surveys the developing English language literature on the role of students’ own language(s) in the language classroom. After clarifying key terms, the paper charts the continuing widespread use of students’ own languages in classrooms around the world and the contemporary academic and societal trends which have led to a revival of support for this. It then explores key arguments which underpin this revival, and reviews a range of empirical studies which examine the extent and functions of own-language use within language classrooms. Next, the article examines the support for own-language use that a range of theoretical frameworks provide, including psycholinguistic and cognitive approaches, general learning theory and sociocultural approaches. Having explored the notion of ‘optimal’ in-class own-language use, the article then reviews research into teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards own-language use. It concludes by examining how a bilingual approach to language teaching and learning might be implemented in practice.

Culturally responsive literacy instruction: How is it reflected in the literature?

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Dukes ◽  
Kavin M. Ming ◽  
Lisa A. Finnegan ◽  
Katie M. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Reading Literacy ◽  
Theoretical Base ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Culturally Responsive Practices

Abstract The theoretical base for culturally responsive practices is well established. This strong foundation can be strengthened through the identification and description of the empirical work demonstrating the utility of these practices when used to promote skill development in children. The purpose of this qualitative review of the literature was to identify empirical studies that implemented a culturally relevant literacy practice. Twelve journals that publish work in reading/literacy were selected for review, between 2006 and 2018. Articles were coded using a system based on the culturally responsive framework identified from the extant literature detailing the theoretical base for culturally responsive pedagogy. Nineteen articles met inclusion criteria for the review. Three themes emerged related to teaching and learning. Teachers often utilized materials that were culturally specific as a part of their instruction. Students tapped into their cultural identities/backgrounds as a framework to build meaning and used their home language in class to ease discussion or reflection on readings. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Factor Analysis of English Language Teacher Learning Scale for Assessing Pharmacy Graduates' Language Competencies

2020 ◽  
Vol V (I) ◽  
pp. 186-198
Author(s):  
Iqbal Ahmad ◽  
M. Anees Ul Husnain Shah ◽  
Muhammad Arslan Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
Language Competencies

The English Language Teacher Learning Scale (ELTLS) has been tested in different academic fields worldwide. However, there is no evidence about its validation in Pakistan. This study reports on validation of ELTLS in Pakistan. The 49 items scale was tested on a sample of 112 teachers from pharmacy departments. The process of validation consisted of two stages. First, the scale was piloted to check reliability Second. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the factor structure of the scale. The four factors are teacher cognition, teacher emotion, teacher motivation, and contextual variables. The Principal Component Analysis was applied with orthogonal Varimox rotation method to test the four-factor scale. The results provided evidence for the reliability and validity of the scale. Hence, the scale may be used for assessing language teaching and learning among teachers and students in the field of pharmacy. It is recommended that ELTLS may be tested in other contexts.

Complexity Theory as a Guide to Qualitative Methodology in Teacher Education

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Ell ◽  
Marilyn Cochran-Smith ◽  
Mary Hill ◽  
Mavis Haigh ◽  
Lexie Grudnoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Complex Systems ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Linear Process ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Multiple Sources

Qualitative teacher education research is concerned with understanding the processes and outcomes of teacher preparation in ways that are useful for practitioners, policymakers, and the teaching profession. Complexity theory has its origin in the biological and physical sciences, where it applies to phenomena that are more than the sum of their parts—where the “higher order” form cannot be created by just putting together the pieces that it is made from. Complexity theory has moved to social science, and to education, because many social phenomena also seem to have this property. These phenomena are termed “complex systems.” Complexity theory is also a theory of learning and change, so it is concerned with how complex systems are learning and changing. This means that methods to investigate complex systems must be able to identify changes in the system, termed “emergence,” and must also account for change over time and the history of the complex system. Longitudinal designs that involve the collection of rich data from multiple sources can support understanding of how a complex system, such as teacher education, is learning and changing. Comparative analysis, narrative analysis, extended case studies, mapping of networks and interactions, and practitioner research studies have all been used to try to bring complexity theory to empirical work in teacher education. Adopting a complexity theory approach to research in teacher education is difficult because it calls into question many taken-for-granted assumptions about the nature of research and what is possible to find. Linear, process-product thinking cannot be sustained in a complexity framework, and ideas like “cause,” “outcome,” “change,” and “intervention” all have to be re-thought. A growing body of work uses complexity thinking to inform research in teacher education.

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