Emirati pre-service teachers’ experiences of teaching science during college internships

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 216-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanadi Kadbey ◽  
Martina Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Classroom Teacher ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internship Experience ◽  
Teacher Training Colleges

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the effect of internship experience on final-year pre-service teachers (PSTs) studying for a Bachelor of Education in Abu Dhabi. The UAE is undergoing a period of rapid education reform with a strong emphasis on use of student-centered learning strategies in the classroom. Teacher-training colleges, such as the one in which this research took place, have had to customize their programs to prepare and train teachers who can effectively implement this new approach. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten PSTs to explore the usefulness of the college science courses during their internship experience, and the challenges they faced during their internship. We also looked at how these experiences have influenced their confidence levels and the type of science teachers they want to be in the future. Findings – Results have shown that PSTs have variable opinions on the usefulness of the college courses. A perceived lack of emphasis placed by mentor teachers upon science may have long-term effects on the PSTs’ eventual use of teaching strategies. It was also shown that some of the PSTs still lacked confidence in science teaching. Practical implications – This research may provide national guidelines for teacher-training colleges in the UAE or in countries undergoing educational reform and moving towards student-centered approaches to learning. Originality/value – Research studies on the effect of internship on PSTs have been conducted in different countries but such studies have great novelty in the UAE.

Integrating lesson study in Myanmar teacher training

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-47
Author(s):  
Alison Victoria Shepherd
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper documents a case study implementing Lesson Study (LS) study into a two-year teacher training project in an education university training secondary school teachers in Lower Myanmar. The purpose of this paper is to stimulate interest and discussion about whether Lesson Study is a useful tool in continuing professional development (CPD), particularly within the unique context of developing country educational development. Design/methodology/approach Two LS cycles were evaluated by participants using a quantitative-qualitative questionnaire and the case study analysed by the author. Findings LS was a useful tool to encourage structured collaboration between university-level teacher educators, however, continued supported practice is needed to expand the benefits and ensure sustainability. Research limitations/implications A limitation of the case study is that the respondents were small in number compared to the number of participants. Furthermore, the questionnaire was not in respondents’ native language which will have affected how well they could communicate. Finally, it was difficult to separate the impact of other project activities from the perceived effects of LS. Practical implications This paper has practical implications not only for educators within Myanmar as the country continues its journey of education reform, but also for others implementing LS as a form of CPD, particularly in contexts where it is being introduced for the first time. Originality/value Until recently, little was known about Myanmar’s education system internationally. The paper documents the country’s first collaboration with outsiders since the start of the dictatorship to improve educational standards and the effects of introducing LS into this context.

To Disappear The Escuelas Normales Rurales: Political Anxieties, the Secretaría de Educación Pública, and Education Reform in Mexico in 1969

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-468
Author(s):  
Carla Irina Villanueva
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
Teacher Training ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Teacher Training Colleges ◽  
Cold War Era ◽  
Rural Teacher ◽  
Student Politics ◽  
Internal Student ◽  
The Cold War

ABSTRACTThis article analyzes a 1969 education reform in Mexico that resulted in the closure of 14 of the then 29 escuelas normales rurales (rural teacher-training colleges) and the annihilation of their internal student organizing structures. I argue that the reform was politically motivated and impelled by the anxieties produced by student politics in the Cold War era. I show also how the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) participated in the authoritarian surveillance of students during the presidency of Díaz Ordaz and in a long campaign to delegitimize the Federación de Estudiantes Campesinos Socialistas de México (FECSM), the federation that united the students from these schools.

Comparative study on teacher training for school disaster management in Armenia and Japan

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koichi Shiwaku
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Effective School ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Directors ◽  
Teacher Training Program ◽  
School Disaster

Purpose – Teacher training is significant for effective school disaster management. The purposes of this paper are: first, to set items for analysis of teacher training program of Armenia through identification of teacher training program of Emergency And Rescue Team by school staff in Hyogo (EARTH) to understand the characteristics of teacher training program of Armenia; second, to identify common points and different points of school disaster management and teacher training between EARTH and Armenia to understand the characteristics of one of training program of Japan; and third, to propose improvement of teacher training of Armenia through identification of problems to give suggestions to improve teacher training program of Armenia. Design/methodology/approach – One of teacher training program for school disaster management in Japan can be considered as a good practice. The objectives are achieved through the comparison of teacher training program between Armenia and Japan. Findings – In Armenia, there are three training targets. Training contents should be developed after the clear concept development of training for each target. This paper proposed the concept based on EARTH training program. Normalization of school including psychological care is the main contents for school directors and deputy directors. Disaster management system and disaster management drill are the contents for military science teachers. Disaster education is the main contents for general teachers. Originality/value – This paper considered mainstreaming school disaster management from the aspect of teacher training and application of training program to other countries.

Taking the lead in science education reform in NSW, 1957-1964

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-252
Author(s):  
Jennifer Clark
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
State Aid ◽  
Science Education Reform ◽  
Education History ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Contributions ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how Harry Messel, Harold Wyndham, L.C. Robson and Robert Menzies were instrumental in bringing about substantial change in science curriculum and infrastructure reform in NSW schools. Design/methodology/approach – The paper relies on substantial archival research including materials never before examined or used by historians of education history. The paper is divided into sections, the first uses teacher surveys and identifies problems with science teaching in 1958, a key year in education history and each section after that looks at the contribution of Wyndham, Messel, Robson and Menzies in driving a new direction for science education. Findings – The research found that Wyndham, Messel, Robson and Menzies each contributed a new dimension to the reform of science education in Australia. Their individual contributions were substantial, inter-related and interlocking but quite different. The paper argues that it is not adequate to look at science education reform purely as a means to introduce State Aid, rather science education reform was advocated as a means to ensure students had a scientific literacy going forward into a technologically driven future. Research limitations/implications – The research strikes a path through a vast primary source record to outline how individuals and science teachers more generally believed in science education reform as a mechanism to ensure students were better placed to enter a post-Sputnik world. As a result, known arguments around State Aid are only part of the story and not the main focus of the research. The aim is to supplement that knowledge by looking more at a broader picture for science reform for its own sake. Originality/value – This paper takes an original approach to the history of curriculum change by providing a broader context for the State Aid debate, that is, by focussing on individual contributions to science education reform for its own sake and because science education was deemed necessary for student literacy in the future. At the same time it uses archival material never before accessed or used to tease out this history. The teachers’ surveys provide a unique insight into conditions for science teachers in the late 1950s. This material has not been accessed before and it provides a context upon which to superimpose the impact of the contributions of Wyndham, Messel, Robson and Menzies.

Perceived value of internship experience: a try before you leap

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 376-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonali Bhattacharya ◽  
Netra Neelam
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Performance Feedback ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Learning Orientation ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internship Experience ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Task Variety

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how internship value is manifested in the context of a business school. The authors have examined the internship experience in terms of experiential learning and employability. Specifically, the authors investigate the factors that determine internship at four phases: design, conduct, evaluation and feedback. Design/methodology/approach The authors have applied a mixed method approach. In all, 110 students of a busines school were first surveyed on their expectation, motivation and level of preparation through a self-administered questionnaire before internship. Based on the survey result, eight of these students were interviewed in details about internship expectations from industry, the selection process for internship, communications or exchanges between intern and companies prior to internship and perceived industry expectation from interns. At the next phase, authors used a qualitative research approach by conducting semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 14 interns and their mentors after internship period. They were interviewed on design, conduct, evaluation and feedback process of the internship. Interviews tried capture what kind of leader-member exchange led to satisfactory internship experience and outcome from view of both inter and mentor. Findings The authors find that at various stages of internship program quality of mentor – intern exchanges (as defined by leadership exchange theory), and task characteristics as indicated by autonomy, task variety, task significance and performance feedback determine intern’s performance. An intern’s performance is antecedent to an intern’s and a mentor’s satisfaction and overall internship value. The authors also found that intrinsic capability of intern such as critical thinking ability and learning orientation result in enhanced value of internship experience. The proposed models, postulate that at designing stage, lower the level of communication from employers, higher the feeling of ambiguity and lower the perceived internship value in terms of experiential learning and perceived employability. Feeling of ambiguity is moderated by existence of prior work experience of interns. At conduction stage, mentor-intern exchange is directly related to flexibility in structure of the program and inversely related to dependency on peer learning. Mentor-intern exchange also related to mentor and intern’s learning value. However, the learning value is moderated by learning orientation of the intern. Originality/value The authors have tried the summer internship experience from the perspective of interns and mentors. This is the uniqueness of the research.

“Most of them are junk food but we did put fruit on there and we have water”

2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Waddingham ◽  
Stella Stevens ◽  
Kate Macintyre ◽  
Kelly Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Dietary Guidelines ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Canteen

Purpose – The Australian Dietary Guidelines support good health and disease prevention. Children with healthy eating habits established early in life have been shown to continue these habits into adulthood compared with those children who have poor eating habits in their younger years. The nutritional intake of many Australian children is not in accordance with the national guidelines. The reasons children make the food choices they do are unclear from the literature. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This study used participatory action research methods to explore why primary school-aged children make the food choices that they do. A non-government primary school requested assistance in encouraging their children to make healthier choices from the school canteen menu. The authors gathered opinions from the children in two different ways; a group discussion during class and a “discovery day” that involved four class grades. The authors identified children’s food preferences and food availability in canteens. The authors explored how the children perceived healthy foods, the importance of a healthy food environment and what criteria children use to decide what foods to buy. Findings – Children’s food preferences were mostly for unhealthy foods, and these were readily available in the canteen. The perception about what foods were healthy was limited. Despite being asked to develop a “healthy” menu, the majority of choices made by the children were not healthy. Children described unhealthy choices as preferable because of taste of the food, if it was sugary, if it was quick to eat, available and cheap, the relationship of food and weather, the connection to health conditions and peer dominance. Practical implications – This study suggests that children make their food choices based on simple concepts. The challenge lies around producing healthy options in collaboration with the school community that match the children’s food choice criteria. Originality/value – This paper provides a modern and inspiring whole school approach based on equity and empowerment of the children. Discovering why children make food choices from the children’s perspective will help to present healthy options that will be more appealing for children. The methodology used to uncover why children make their food choices has also provided valuable insight into a study design that could be used to address other childhood research questions. The methodology offers an educative experience while gathering rich information directly from the children. This information can be used by the school to support children to have more control over their health and to develop behaviours to increase their health for the rest of their lives.

Is Hong Kong ready for accounting education reform: an analysis of tri-partite views

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore T.Y. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Accounting Education ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Accounting Practitioners ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Big Four

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to determine whether Hong Kong is ready for accounting education reform. Design/methodology/approach – The approach for this study is using a Likert-scale questionnaire for the academic institutions, the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the big four accounting firms, followed by detailed follow-up interviews with each. Findings – There is general agreement among accounting academics and the profession that the Accounting Education Change Commission initiatives should be adopted in Hong Kong. Hong Kong accounting academics in public institutions do not oppose to a balance between teaching and research, but would oppose to an emphasis of teaching over research. This is important as an overemphasis on research could mean less time for teaching and curriculum development. The big four accounting firms are either happy with the way Hong Kong universities have been educating the accounting graduates or have no complaints against them. This is also important as an urge for accounting education reform usually comes from the practitioners as in the USA. Originality/value – The USA was the first country that saw the need for accounting education reform as accounting practitioners felt that curriculum and pedagogical considerations placed heavy emphasis on the technical aspects of accounting at the expense of a general, broad-based education. Similar needs for change were also found in the UK and Australia. As Hong Kong is one of the world’s major financial centres with a large securities exchange, there is a great deal of emphasis on accounting standards, financial reporting, corporate governance, etc., and hence the importance of accounting education. Is Hong Kong ready for the change?

Creative collaboration: student creative works in the institutional repository

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-31
Author(s):  
Rose Sliger Krause ◽  
Andrea Langhurst Eickholt ◽  
Justin L. Otto
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Institutional Repository ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Music Department ◽  
Eastern Washington ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the music performance collection preserved in Eastern Washington University’s institutional repository (IR). This collection of recordings of student music performances is the result of an ongoing collaboration between the university?s library and music department, which serves to provide discoverability, preservation and access to a collection of student creative works, which had heretofore been a hidden collection. Design/methodology/approach This collection of student creative work was identified as a suitable project for the Eastern Washington University’s IR while it was still in the planning stages because it was identified as an existing need that the new IR could address. Much of the groundwork for the collaboration between the library and music department was completed prior to IR implementation. Thus, the library was ready to begin work on this collection once the IR was operational. Findings The student music performance collection has been a successful project for the IR, which benefits the music department by making student performances discoverable and accessible, and benefits the library by providing the opportunity to demonstrate that the then-new IR could support the university’s student-centered focus on teaching and learning. Originality/value While there is a growing body of literature on IRs emphasizing student work, there is little literature on music or other creative works’ collections in IRs, much less on creative works by students. This paper adds to the limited body of literature on student creative works in the IR by describing the development, implementation and lessons learned from the successful music performances collection.

Learning during developing and implementing new bank offerings

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Stevens ◽  
Sergios Dimitriadis
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Informal Development

PurposeKnowledge of the management issues for developing new bank offerings efficiently is limited. Furthermore, recent research suggests that organisational learning can contribute greatly to the success of innovation projects. The aims of this paper are to provide a detailed description of the development process of a new financial product and to identify learning actions that may contribute to its effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachReports findings from a qualitative, longitudinal case study of a well‐known French bank.FindingsThe results revealed an informal development process consisting of a sequence of issues to solve and decisions to make.Research limitations/implicationsThough observations fit with the theoretical model, the findings cannot be generalized due to the use of a qualitative methodology. Thus, selecting a development project that brings variance to the scope and degree of innovativeness could enrich the observed learning mechanisms. Second, as services are very heterogeneous, further research should be done on the development processes of different new services, for example standardised versus customised. Third, mechanisms of adoption or avoidance of learning procedures remain to be explored extensively. Understanding the reasons of choice and adoption of learning strategies according to the environment and nature of the project could lead to further managerial recommendations.Practical implicationsImplications for banks to encourage learning during innovation are discussed and several opportunities for further research are suggested.Originality/valueAn informal development process is revealed, consisting of a sequence of issues to solve and decisions to make. Multiple learning actions and strategies are identified that enhance process effectiveness and efficiency.

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