scholarly journals MENTOR TEACHERS’ VOICES ON PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 213
Author(s):  
Paulus Kuswandono

Various studies have demonstrated that the role of mentor teachers in helping pre-service English teachers (PSETs) develop their professional experiences in school-based practicum is undeniably fundamental. Considering that mentor voices are still underrepresented in studies, this study aims to investigate the mentor teachers’ voices and beliefs to help the professional learning of pre-service English teachers (PSETs) in their school-based practicums. This is a qualitative study which involves seven mentor teachers who teach English in senior high schools in Indonesia. Data was gathered through questionnaires and unstructured interviews carried out in the participants’ school setting and analysed using NVIVO 9 (qualitative data analysis software). The findings reveal the mentor teachers’ beliefs in guiding PSETS during the school-based practicum. The mentor teachers viewed that PSETs need to learn and experience more fundamental aspects of teaching, namely interpersonal skills and emotional engagement in teaching, including their leadership. Implications for teacher education to improve the quality of relationship between PSETs and mentor teachers are addressed.

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyria Finardi ◽  
Roberta Leao ◽  
Livia Melina Pinheiro

<p class="Normal1">The paper proposes a reflection on the role of English in the globalized world and its teaching/learning in Brazil. With that aim, the study reviews language policies and internationalization programs in Brazil regarding the role of foreign languages in general and of English in particular. The theoretical framework includes a review of an English language teaching (ELT) approach used mainly in Europe, as a result of globalization and internationalization, the Content and Language Integrated Approach (CLIL). In order to support this reflection, a case study was carried out to examine pre-service English teachers’ beliefs on the use of CLIL in Brazil. The results of study show that pre-service English teachers understand the importance of the CLIL approach though they are aware of the various obstacles to its implementation in that context. The study suggests a review of language policies in Brazil so as to ensure a convergence between them and internationalization policies and approaches, at all levels of education. Regarding the ELT approach analyzed, the study concludes that despite the difficulties associated with the implementation of CLIL in Brazil, it represents a relevant alternative in that context.</p>


Author(s):  
Vera van den Berg ◽  
Eline Vos ◽  
Renate de Groot ◽  
Amika Singh ◽  
Mai Chinapaw

Schools are considered ideal venues to promote physical activity (PA) in children. However, a knowledge gap exists on how to adequately integrate PA into the school day and in particular, on the preferences of children regarding additional PA in school. Therefore, the aim of our qualitative study was to gain comprehensive insight into 10–13-year-old primary schoolchildren’s perspectives on how to increase PA in the school setting. We conducted nine focus groups (32 girls and 20 boys) with children attending the final two grades of primary school in the Netherlands. We used inductive thematic analysis to analyze the data. The results showed that children were enthusiastic about additional PA in school. Children suggested various ways to increase PA, including more time for PA in the existing curriculum, e.g., physical education (PE), recess, and occasional activities, such as field trips or sports days; school playground adaptation; improving the content of PE; and implementing short PA breaks and physically active academic lessons. Children emphasized variation and being given a voice in their PA participation as a prerequisite to keep PA enjoyable and interesting in the long term. Finally, children mentioned the role of the teacher and making efforts to accommodate all children and their different preferences as important. Children have concrete ideas, acknowledging the challenges that accompany integrating additional PA in school. We therefore recommend actively involving children in efforts to increase school-based PA and to make “additional PA in school” a shared project of teachers and students.


2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
David E. Balk ◽  
Donna Zaengle ◽  
Charles A. Corr

This article offers suggestions for strengthening school-based grief support following an adolescent’s death. Such interventions must be considered within the context of: (a) development during adolescence; (b) the role of peers in adolescent development; and (c) the fact that an adolescent peer’s death is a non-normative life crisis in developed countries. Review of those three topics leads to an overview of death during adolescence; an exploration of adolescent bereavement, grief, and mourning; consideration of disenfranchised grief in relation to an adolescent peer’s death; and an integration of this foundational knowledge in supporting bereaved adolescents within a school setting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (29) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharihan Shawkat Azeez

Metaphor acts as a window into comprehending teachers’ experiences through providing insights into complex concepts of teaching and learning. As a result, it plays a crucial role in exploring beliefs about teachers’ roles in the teaching and learning process. To elicit ideas and beliefs which both teachers and students held about the role of English teachers, questionnaires were given to 30 teachers and 85 students in the University of Duhok, English Department. The questionnaire asked the subjects to provide their beliefs about English teachers’ roles by using a sentence completion task “An English teacher is…. because….”. Eight conceptual categories are introduced from the linguistic metaphors and example metaphors for each category are given in the results tables. The eight conceptual categories include: teacher as devotee, teacher as nurturer, teachers as provider / source of knowledge, teacher as cultural transmitter, teacher as authority, teacher as guider, teacher as a friend, and teacher as a nice beautiful soul. All participants expressed the same conceptual categories, but still they use different metaphors to express their views. An interesting feature of these results is that there are some parallel and overlaps of metaphors among different subjects. The findings of this study suggested subtle differences between students’ and teachers’ beliefs. This study will benefit teachers, curriculum designers, and researchers. Researchers may carry out comprehensive studies using metaphor as an investigating tool to better understand both students and teachers’ perceptions of the teachers’ roles. The results will help develop comprehensive and inclusive methods of teaching. Larger samples with variables such as gender, age, different locations, and proficiency of participants should be taken into consideration during future studies.


Author(s):  
Kimberly Rennie ◽  
Madeline Racine ◽  
Van Michelle Ruda

Approximately one in five schoolchildren presents with a special healthcare need. Schools are tasked with providing free and appropriate education to all students, which may include both accommodations and specialized services to children to address challenges associated with their medical conditions. The first chapter of this book provides a brief overview of types of presenting conditions, challenges, and considerations that school-based providers may encounter when working with this population of students. The chapter includes a table of common medical terms, procedures, and treatments. Several case examples with accompanying discussions are described to illustrate common themes, challenges, and considerations that students with chronic medical conditions may encounter in the school setting. Finally, the role of culture in the symptom presentation, treatment, and education of students with chronic health needs is discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 242-255
Author(s):  
Suzanne Molitor ◽  
Lana Parker ◽  
Diane Vetter

Purpose After many years working with mentors for beginning teachers, both through a formal, Ministry-sponsored program, known in Ontario as the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) and through a university-based Faculty of Education practicum, the authors cultivated an understanding of the value of both mentoring and the communities that foster it. The authors observed that pre-service mentors are not offered the same level of support as their induction mentor counterparts. The purpose of this paper is to explore the aforementioned gap by bringing together a small group of pre-service mentor teachers with several highly trained induction mentors from the NTIP program in two full days of professional development: one day of learning and community building among mentors, and the second day of collaboration by pre-service mentors alongside their teacher candidates (TCs). The authors learned that pre-service mentors need and desire professional learning and community mentoring support to develop foundational understandings about the role of mentors and the skills and strategies that support an effective mentoring practice. As a result, the authors advocate for sustainable professional development that leverages existing programs and the clarification of the pre-service mentoring role through continued study and collaboration over time. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study was designed to explore, understand, and interpret pre-service mentor teachers’ experience of professional learning about mentoring and the role of the mentor, including their responses to participating in a like community of learners. This study brought together educators serving as pre-service and induction mentors to engage them in formal professional learning about mentoring, within an environment that created the conditions for collaboration and community in the context of learning about mentoring. Findings This study surfaces the insights related to the types of knowledge and skills that mentors developed in this study in addition to pointing toward the knowledge and skills they perceive to be necessary to their effective participation in their roles as mentors. The study also identifies both the value that pre-service mentors perceived as a result of being invited into a learning space and the dynamics of professional learning and dialogue in collaboration with their induction mentor counterparts and their pre-service mentees. Research limitations/implications This research study explores a research gap in the area of mentoring as it relates to pre-service mentors or cooperating teachers. Its unique feature involves bringing together two previously segmented groups of mentors: pre-service mentors supporting developing TCs and induction mentors supporting novice teachers. It describes the value and impact of mentoring as understood by pre-service mentors, in particular identifying the reciprocal benefits they experienced. The authors also investigate and shed light on the value and impact of pre-service mentor participation in a community that is intentionally created to support their professional learning about their role. It provides recommendations for practice and indicates areas of potential research. Practical implications This study surfaces the potential benefits of professional learning and community for pre-service mentors who play an integral role in supporting TCs in the completion of their education degrees. It makes practical recommendations which point to uniting pre-service and in-service mentors as participants in learning communities that build leadership capacity and advance mentoring knowledge and skills to impact the mentoring relationship. This study advocates for a restructuring existing practice in the area of pre-service mentoring to encourage professional learning and interaction that connects the work of pre-service and in-service mentors, bridging two currently separate mentoring communities. Originality/value This study offers a re-visioning of mentoring as a community endeavor. It advances the notion that, supported by a targeted program of professional development and participation in communities of inquiry, knowledge creation and mobilization, mentors can build their mentoring and leadership capacity and extend their professional impact.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-82
Author(s):  
Anne Wareing

Abstract Rates of obesity are rising in the general population. People with haemophilia are at high risk for being overweight or obese, and may benefit from physical activity-based interventions. The school setting is an ideal environment to implement physical activity-based interventions as it greatly influences the first two decades of life. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the benefits of exercise for managing haemophilia, as well as possible restriction of physical activity by parents or carers due to a fear of increasing the number of bleeding episodes. Furthermore, schools and teachers may be uncertain of how to integrate physical activity for children with bleeding disorders. This article summarises the Cochrane Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group systematic review on ‘school-based physical activity programs for promoting physical activity and fitness in children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 and considers published literature about the role of physical activity within haemophilia.’


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 986-1005
Author(s):  
Firima Zona Tanjung ◽  
Bachrudin Musthafa ◽  
Yanty Wirza

This study aimed to report the voice of mentor teachers towards pre-service English teachers’ professional development viewed from relational, developmental, and contextual components during school teaching practice programs. The study employed a descriptive case study. Utilizing the purposive sampling technique, four mentor teachers from public and private junior secondary schools participated in this study. The instrument used was an interview protocol, and the data were collected through a one-on-one interview using a voice recorder for gathering a comprehensive perspective towards the pre-service English teachers’ professional learning. The data were analyzed by using a coding system and employing coding cycles. The findings showed that all components—relational, developmental, and contextual—were found. The mentor teachers voiced their perspective and stressed the developmental component because they found that the pre-service English teachers experienced hindrances both externally and internally regarding teaching performance, classroom management, and motivation. These hindrances contribute to their professional development. This present study result implies a policy implementation related to the synchronization between collaborating schools and universities. The synchronization can be in terms of preparing the mentor teachers and providing the pre-service English teachers a supportive mentorship. Furthermore, the collaboration between schools and universities is also required in the exchange of valuable sources concerning educational instruction trends such as evidence-based practices in peripheral contexts, English teaching for students with diverse cultural backgrounds and academic competencies, and dissemination of best practices that have been implemented in schools for the formulation of teaching theories being taught through course subjects at teacher education departments in the universities.


2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Elledge ◽  
Emily Hasselbeck ◽  
Amy Hobek ◽  
Sandra Combs ◽  
Lesley Raisor-Becker ◽  
...  

Abstract Working in the schools today requires more than the skills and knowledge for addressing the communication and swallowing disorders that children exhibit. With changes in the way speech-language pathologists (SLPs) perceive themselves and their purpose within their school setting, there must also be changes in the way graduate programs prepare the next generation of school-based speech-language pathologists. This paper addresses those critical skills that will enable school-based SLPs to work within and help to create a school culture that embodies (a) flexibility in service delivery; (b) constant attention to promoting children's successful performance within the regular education curriculum; (c) collaboration among professionals, children, and parents; (d) advocacy for the highest quality services to children and the expanding role of the SLP in that effort; and (e) using evidence to support clinical practice. We will also address what university graduate programs can do to support the development of those skills.


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