scholarly journals The Relevance among Preservice English Teachers' Preparation Courses, Their Views about Teaching and Their Real Teaching Behaviors (A Case Study)

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 510
Author(s):  
Hosam ElDeen Ahmed El-Sawy
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Teaching Behaviors ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
Traditional Grammar

This study aims at investigating the relevance among three factors: preservice English teachers' preparation courses, their views about teaching and their real teaching behaviors. This is a case study focusing on three preservice teachers of English in Egypt. Data was collected through three tools: an observation sheet, a semi-structured interview and a focus group. Results of the study revealed that there is a gap between what preservice English teachers learn in their preparation courses, their views about effective teaching and their real behaviors in class. The reasons which the participants gave for not applying what they have learned theoretically include: insufficient preservice training, students' low level, insufficient class time, students' resistance of changing the way they are used to learn, insufficiency of equipment in schools, students' preference of using the native language in learning, and in one case the teacher herself preferred the traditional grammar translation method. The study recommends early coordination between teacher preparation institutions and schools. The study recommends the incorporation of senior teachers in teacher preparation programs to try to breach the theory-practice gap. The study also recommends that teacher educators should analyze the given causes of the theory-practice gap and develop the English teachers' preparation courses in accordance.

scholarly journals What Is the Place of the Play Between the Essential Needs of Preschool Children According to Preservice Teachers?

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Hatice Uysal Bayrak
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
State University ◽  
Department Of State ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Group A

This research aims to reveal the perceptions of the preservice teachers on the play which are among the essential needs of the preschool children. In this descriptive study, a case study which is one of the qualitative research designs was used. 79 preservice teachers attending the third grade in the Classroom Teaching Department of state university in Nigde province in Turkey. Convenience sampling method was used in the selection of the study group. A semi-structured interview form was prepared in order to reveal the perceptions of preservice teachers about the play. Content analysis technique was used for data analysis. At the end of the research, it was determined that the preschool teacher candidates expressed the essential needs of preschool children as nutrition, education and love respectively. The play was ranked as the number four among these needs.

Incorporating Social Justice Into Science Teacher Education Courses

2020 ◽  
pp. 208-224
Author(s):  
Seema Rivera ◽  
Amal Ibourk
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Science Teacher ◽  
Instructional Strategies ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Science Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching For Social Justice ◽  
Education Courses

In this chapter, the authors cover the importance and challenges of incorporating teaching for social justice in science teacher education courses. The chapter starts by providing an overview of the literature on social justice, specifically in science education, and define the terms social justice, equity, and diversity. Then, the authors, who are teacher educators from under-represented groups, share their own experiences about what led them to do social justice work. In addition, the authors present examples from their courses with their preservice teachers and instructional strategies they used. The chapter concludes with recommendations of ways in which we might consider implementing social justice practices in teacher preparation courses.

scholarly journals Views of Inclusive Education From the Perspectives of Preservice and Mentor Teachers

Inclusion ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-202
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Kurth ◽  
Anjali Forber-Pratt
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
School Experiences ◽  
Mentor Teachers ◽  
Inclusive Practices ◽  
Barriers To Implementation

Abstract The trend of educating students with disabilities in inclusive general education settings is expanding. Consequently, teacher preparation for inclusive practices is a necessary consideration for teacher educators. An important component of shaping preservice teacher dispositions comes from school experiences and interactions with mentor teachers. It is through this relationship that preservice teachers formulate their own attitudes, beliefs, and skills about inclusive practices. This article reports the findings from a set of surveys containing both closed- and open-ended responses related to inclusive education from both preservice (student) and mentor teachers. Analysis of the open-ended responses revealed definitions of inclusive education focused on student deficits and barriers to implementation of inclusive practices that focused on deficits in the capacity of the environment. Implications for teacher preparation, including challenging deficit-based assumptions, are discussed.

Schooling, teachers in Jamaica and social responsibility: rethinking teacher preparation

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 816-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmel Roofe
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Standardized Testing ◽  
School Violence ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Content Type

Purpose In a context where standardized testing and achievement scores have become the hallmark of accountability frameworks, the issue of social responsibility is not given much attention in schools in Jamaica. This has led to a continuous decline of the moral and spiritual dimension of schooling in the country. This is evidenced through an increase in school violence and other disparities among students. This paper aims to explore teachers’ perception of how they are prepared for their role as agents of social responsibility. Design/methodology/approach Through interviews of 16 in-service teachers, this research sought to explore teachers’ perception of how they are prepared for their role as agents of social responsibility. Each participant in the study was interviewed using a structured interview schedule comprising six questions. Data collected were transcribed and analyzed by sorting and identifying codes. Pattern codes were established which were then interpreted to form themes. Three themes emerged which are used to present findings. Findings Findings revealed that teachers had a shared understanding of social responsibility; they felt that they were prepared for this role through ad hoc curriculum encounters, were not adequately prepared for their role and social responsibility required a belief in the idea first before it can be taught. Research limitations/implications The findings from the research are used to present arguments in the paper for emphasis on preparing student teachers to be agents of social responsibility and for a rethinking of teacher preparation curriculum in Jamaica. The paper also presents strategies that can be used to guide the re-thinking of teacher preparation programmes. Practical implications Teacher preparation programmes represent the avenue through which teachers can be prepared to develop their social consciousness, so that they can in turn help students. The results of this paper are means of helping teacher educators understand this. Originality/value This paper is one of the first since the early 1990s to discuss social responsibility as a key component of teacher preparation in Jamaica. It also fills the void of scarcity of research in Jamaica on teacher education on a whole and social responsibility in teacher education in particular.

Teacher Education and Inclusivity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Alvarado ◽  
Sarah M. Salinas ◽  
Alfredo J. Artiles
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Learning Differences ◽  
Access To Books ◽  
Formative Experiences

Inclusive teacher education (ITE) defines the professional training of preservice teachers to work in learning spaces encompassing students from all circumstances, regardless of race, linguistic background, gender, socioeconomic status, and special education needs (SEN). This preparation includes the content, pedagogy, and formative experiences required for teachers to work in inclusive schools. To fully understand ITE, it is necessary to examine what is meant by inclusive education (IE). Indeed, it is essential to explore ITE’s definition since scholars and teacher educators have struggled to agree on what is meant by IE. In addition to disagreements about IE’s definition, support for this idea and its implementation may vary due to the cultural, historical, and political differences specific to local contexts. For these reasons, it is necessary to recognize the inclusive policies, practices, and processes that often shape definitions and concepts related to ITE. Notwithstanding the ambitious meanings of ITE across the globe, researchers, professionals, and policymakers tend to emphasize a vision of teacher preparation for working with students with disabilities (SWD) or SEN. Also, there is no consensus about which particular aspects matter in teacher education programs, primarily based on ideological differences about the core goals of IE. These differences in views and beliefs have resulted in limited understandings and applications of ITE. For instance, a student with an SEN may also come from a family living in poverty, with no access to books in the home, or speak multiple languages, including languages that are not a part of their first (formal) educational experiences. In such circumstances, there is no agreement about whether ITE programs should focus on students’ linguistic, socioeconomic, learning differences, or multiple factors. We review the research on ITE in various national contexts. We also discuss how scholars have conceptualized the preparation of future teachers and the implications for greater clarity on how teacher preparation can improve IE in an increasingly diverse society.

scholarly journals Challenges and constraints encountered by Saudi pre-service science teachers: a critical perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-45
Author(s):  
Amani K. Hamdan
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Service Science ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Professional Experiences ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
K 12

Recently, various policies have been implemented in Saudi Arabia to reform science teaching at K-12 levels in order to focus on critical thinking, inquiry-based learning, and problem solving. Research is needed to explore the adequacy of teacher preparation programs to determine whether these programs sufficiently prepare Saudi science teachers to teach according to these new reforms. This study explores the challenges that Saudi pre-service science teachers face in these higher education programs. Results indicated that graduates of the programs studied were satisfied with their experiences; however, various concerns were expressed by some pre-service teachers regarding the theory-practice gap between their university coursework and field experiences, and the supervision structures and functions in place for the professional experiences component. Modifications to the teacher preparation programs are suggested in order to address these concerns and to successfully enact reforms in science education in Saudi Arabia.

The Importance of Using Subject-Specific Technology Uses to Teach TPACK

2012 ◽  
pp. 152-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne T. Ottenbreit-Leftwich
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Educational Technology ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Pedagogical Knowledge ◽  
Classroom Teachers ◽  
Technology Knowledge ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
Specific Technology

The objective of this chapter is to describe a case study of an educational technology course that uses subject-specific contexts to address preservice teachers’ development of TPACK. Many have indicated that in order for technology knowledge to be transferred to the classroom, teachers need to find the knowledge being taught relevant to their future classrooms. This course uses various workouts and cases to develop preservice teachers’ technology abilities within the context of their future classrooms. Through these activities, preservice teachers showed improvement in technology knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). Recommendations are made to other teacher educators on how to apply such principles within their own educational technology courses.

Beyond Damage-Centered Teacher Education: Humanizing Pedagogy for Teacher Educators and Preservice Teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Dorinda J. Carter Andrews ◽  
Tashal Brown ◽  
Bernadette M. Castillo ◽  
Davena Jackson ◽  
Vivek Vellanki
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Critical Consciousness ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Humanizing Pedagogy

Background/Context In our best efforts to increase preservice teachers’ critical consciousness regarding the historical and contemporary inequities in the P–12 educational system and equip them to embody pedagogies and practices that counter those inequities, teacher educators often provide curricular and field experiences that reinforce the deficit mindsets that students bring to the teacher education classroom. For many social justice-oriented teacher educators, our best intentions to create humanizing experiences for future teachers can have harmful results that negatively impact preservice teachers’ ability to successfully teach culturally diverse students in a multitude of learning contexts. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study In this article, we propose a humanizing pedagogy for teacher education that is informed by our experiences as K–12 teachers and teacher educators in a university-based teacher preparation program. We focus on the general questions, How can university-based teacher preparation programs embody and enact a humanizing pedagogy? and What role can curriculum play in advancing a humanizing pedagogy in university-based teacher preparation programs? Research Design In this conceptual article, we theorize a humanizing pedagogy for teacher education and propose a process of becoming asset-, equity-, and social justice-oriented teachers. This humanizing pedagogy represents a strengths-based approach to teaching and learning in the teacher preparation classroom. Conclusions/Recommendations We propose core tenets of a humanizing pedagogy for teacher education that represent an individual and collective effort toward critical consciousness for preservice teachers and also for teacher educators. If university-based teacher education programs are committed to cultivating the development of asset-, equity-, and social justice-oriented preservice teachers, the commitments to critical self-reflection, resisting binaries, and enacting ontological and epistemological plurality need to be foundational to program structure, curricula alignment, and instructional practice.

scholarly journals Teacher Educators as Disruptors Redesigning Courses in Teacher Preparation Programs to Prepare white Preservice Teachers

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-88
Author(s):  
Shamaine Kyann Bertrand ◽  
Kisha Porcher
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
White Institutions ◽  
Inclusive Approach

Many institutions of higher education, and their teacher preparation programs, have mission or core value statements that include terms such as diversity, equity, or social justice. The terms are meant to suggest an inclusive approach but it’s often difficult to see how those terms are operationalized. As two Black pre-tenure faculty members working in predominantly white institutions (PWIs), we have pushed our teacher preparation programs to go beyond putting keywords in mission statements and provide ways to follow through so future teachers can enact the concepts in their classrooms. We use Self-Study in Teacher Education Practices (S-STEP) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) to make meaning of our own narratives, the systems that negatively impact people of color, and signaling words within our teacher preparation programs. We use the data from our personal narratives to discuss ways junior faculty can act as disruptors to ensure white preservice teachers are better prepared for the field.  

scholarly journals Preservice Teachers’ Comfort Levels with Technology in an Online Standalone Educational Technology Course

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-86
Author(s):  
Kevin J. Graziano
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Educational Technology ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
Teacher Preparation Program ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Comfort Levels ◽  
Technology Course

While some researchers and teacher educators recommend the integration of technology throughout a teacher preparation program, it may not be realistic for all teacher preparation programs to comply with this recommendation. A lack of training, a lack of interest from faculty, limited faculty or facilities, and/or a lack of vision from educational leaders may prevent some teacher preparation programs from successfully integrating technology throughout the curriculum. For various reasons, colleges and schools of education may rely on standalone educational technology courses. The purpose of this study was to examine technology comfort levels of preservice teachers who completed an online standalone educational technology course with pedagogy and content integrated into the course curriculum. Findings reveal there were no statistically significant mean differences between students’ comfort levels using technology for personal communication and to teach academic content. The findings have implications for teacher preparation programs and teacher educators.

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