Teachers’ Epistemological World Views and Educational Practices

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Schraw ◽  
Lori Olafson

This article examines the implications of teachers’ beliefs about knowledge. We compare three epistemological world views we refer to as realist, contextualist, and relativist. An epistemological world view is a set of beliefs about knowledge and knowledge acquisition that influences the way teachers think and make important instructional decisions. We assume that different epistemological world views lead to different choices about curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. We describe ongoing research that examines the beliefs held by teachers, instructional practices, and the consistency between beliefs and classroom practices. We summarize findings from our research and discuss their implications for teacher training. We also consider environmental factors such as school culture and mandated standards that affect teachers’ beliefs. We relate our findings to implications for teacher training. We also identify directions for future research.

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsti Klette ◽  
Marte Blikstad-Balas ◽  
Astrid Roe

AbstractEducational research into instructional quality would benefit from macro- and meso-level instructional data – such as achievement data or large-scale student surveys – in relation to data from the micro level – such as detailed analyses of classroom practices. Several scholars have specifically asked for studies that correlate achievement data with records of learning processes and teaching strategies, and ongoing projects attempting to do so have shown promising results. Linking different data sources on instructional quality is quite demanding because it requires a concerted effort by researchers from different fields of expertise and different traditions. A main ambition of our ongoing research project is precisely to advance such integration. As the title of the project reveals, we are dedicated to Linking Instruction and Student Achievement (LISA). In this article, we start by providing a theoretical background and status of knowledge related to instructional quality. We go on to argue that video data has shown particular promise in studies aiming to obtain systematic data from a range of classrooms in order to compare classroom practices. We then present the three components of the LISA project’s design – student perception surveys, systematic classroom observation, and achievement gains in national tests – and the value of combining these three data sources. Finally, we will outline some of our findings thus far and point to future research possibilities.Key words: instructional quality; classroom practices; video studies; mathematics; language arts Å koble undervisning med elevprestasjoner - Forskningsdesign for en ny generasjon klasseromsstudierSammendragFor å studere undervisningskvalitet vil det være en fordel å kombinere data fra et makro og meso- nivå  med detaljerte studier av hva som skjer i klasserommet. Flere har etterlyst studier som ser på sammenhenger mellom målbar faglig fremgang og lærerens undervisning. Å få til slike studier er krevende, da det forutsetter et tett samarbeid mellom forskere fra ulike felt med ulik ekspertise innenfor nokså ulike forskningstradisjoner. En hovedambisjon i vårt pågående forskningsprosjekt er nettopp å få til en slik integrasjon. Som tittelen avslører, er vi dedikert til «Linking Instruction and Student Achievement (LISA)». I denne artikkelen presenterer vi det teoretiske og empiriske grunnlaget knyttet til undervisningskvalitet. Videre argumenterer vi for verdien av videodata i studier som sammenligner undervisningspraksiser fra ulike klasserom på en systematisk måte. Deretter presenterer vi de tre datakildene i LISA-prosjektets forskningsdesign – spørreskjemaer til elever om deres oppfatninger om lærerens undervisning, systematiske klasseromsobservasjoner, og målt fremgang på nasjonale prøver i lesing og regning. Verdien av å kombinere nettopp disse tre datakildene vil også bli diskutert. Avslutningsvis deler vi noen av våre tidlige forskningsfunn.Nøkkelord: undervisningskvalitet; klasseromspraksis; video studier; matematikk; norskfaget


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Schumacher ◽  
Melanie Basten ◽  
Jörg Großschedl ◽  
Moritz Klatthaar ◽  
Matthias Wilde

Professional teaching competence is significantly influenced by beliefs about learning. Prospective teachers start their teacher training at university with quite persistent beliefs about learning processes. Beliefs about learning can be differentiated into two perspectives: beliefs about student learning and beliefs about one’s own learning. Theoretical considerations suggest that the latter influence beliefs about student learning and both perspectives are influenced by the way in which prospective teachers experienced their own lessons as pupils at school. We investigated how prospective biology teachers remembered their own biology lessons and how these experiences influenced their beliefs about learning regarding both perspectives. The sample consisted of 164 prospective biology teachers (Mage = 21.58 years, SDage = 2.5, 66.02% female) in Germany. Results of a simple mediation model indicate that previous experiences in biology lessons had an impact on both perspectives. Moreover, we found that the influence that previous lessons had on the beliefs about student learning was fully mediated by one’s beliefs about own learning processes. This suggests that experiences from one’s own schooling have an impact on how teachers view learning of their students. As implications for teacher training and future research, our findings suggest that both perspectives of beliefs need to be further taken into account and that an explicit focus on beliefs about teachers’ own learning is needed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wang Chaochang

AbstractCurrent SLA theories have delivered important language-learning notions. This paper will report the results of a study into 64 high school English teachers’ beliefs about language learning and their instructional practices, with a focus on two of them. A questionnaire was developed on the basis of major tenets of second language learning and administered to the 64 participants. In addition, classroom observations and interviews were employed to explore the two focal teachers’ beliefs and their actual classroom instruction practices. Results show both consistencies and inconsistencies between the participants’ beliefs and major SLA notions and between the two focal participants’ beliefs and their classroom practices.


2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colby Tofel-Grehl ◽  
Carolyn M. Callahan

Teachers’ beliefs about students influence many of the decisions they make in the classroom. While much work has been done exploring teachers’ beliefs as they relate to the nomination of students for gifted programs, little work has yet explored the ways in which teachers’ beliefs about student giftedness possibly affect instructional decisions. In this article, within the context of specialized STEM schools, the beliefs of teachers as related to their students’ giftedness and ability are explored. Findings indicated that teachers believe their students to be gifted regardless of designation. Teachers articulated beliefs around the type of learning opportunities gifted students need as well as the amount of work required to stimulate these students. Specifically, teachers stated that gifted students flourish under heavy workloads with intense amounts of independent and inquiry-based learning. Students were also queried to determine their own perceptions of these instructional practices on their learning and daily lives.


2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 692-705 ◽  
Author(s):  
D B Tindall

In recent years there has been considerable emphasis placed upon the importance of understanding "forest values." This article has two interrelated objectives: 1) to provide a discussion of some of the methodological issues to be considered in conducting social survey research on forest values, opinions, and attitudes; 2) to provide an analysis that illustrates how values underlie opinions and attitudes about clearcutting and visual quality. In the first part of this paper a critical overview of using social science to investigate forest values is undertaken. For illustrative purposes, aesthetic values, clearcutting, and visual aspects of forest management are focussed upon. The concept of "values" is critically examined. The importance of understanding the connection between values and opinions/attitudes is discussed. Some problems with defining "the public" are described, and the need to explore intergroup differences with regard to environmental issues is stressed. In part two of the paper an analysis of empirical data is provided to demonstrate: 1) the relationship between abstract forest values (e.g., aesthetic values) and opinions about more specific forest practices (e.g., clearcutting, the creation of visual corridors); 2) the ways in which abstract forest values are associated with world views that structure opinions and attitudes about forest management (e.g., ecological, outdoor recreation experiences, and aesthetic values are part of a non-material forest values world view, while economic values are part of an economic values and community sustainability world view). It does this by providing a series of bivariate and multivariate analyses looking at the effects of abstract forest values, and world views upon opinions/attitudes about visual forest management (while controlling for other factors—such as socio-economic and demographic variables). Implications of these results for future research, and for forest managers, planners, and policy makers is also briefly discussed. Key words: values, attitudes, opinions, world views, sociology, survey methods


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-269
Author(s):  
Juliana Othman ◽  
Rohaida Mohd Saat ◽  
Durriyyah Sharifah Hasan Adli ◽  
Fatiha Senom

Background and Purpose: The recently implemented Dual Language Program (DLP) policy in Malaysian schools may require teachers involved in the initiative to make necessary changes in their teaching practices in appropriate directions. It may also challenge the beliefs that these teachers hold with regard to teaching subject matter in English as a medium of instruction. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the beliefs of primary Science teachers with regards to the teaching of Science through the English medium, and the extent to which the beliefs of teachers are consistent with their classroom practices.   Methodology: The study employed a quantitative data collection and analysis approach. Science teachers’ beliefs and stated practices were obtained via a questionnaire using the Likert-scale. The respondents of the study include 44 primary Science teachers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. A Pearson correlation analysis was computed to examine the association between teachers’ beliefs scale and the ratings of classroom practices.   Findings:  The results from the statistical analysis suggest that in teaching Science using the English language, the beliefs of the primary school teachers were not always aligned with their stated practices with regard to DLP. This discrepancy between the beliefs of science teachers and their stated instructional practices could be due to the lack of professional development sessions and contextual constraints.   Contributions: This study extends work on content-based classrooms in the Malaysian context. Its findings contribute to the ongoing work on improving instructional practices in the DLP classrooms.   Keywords: Classroom practices, dual language program, teachers’ beliefs.   Cite as: Othman, J., Mohd Saat, R., Senom, F., & Hasan Adli, D. S. (2020). Dual language programme: Teachers’ beliefs and practices in teaching Science through English.  Journal of Nusantara Studies, 5(1), 255-269. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol5iss1pp255-269


2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-160
Author(s):  
Benjamin Forsyth ◽  
Brice Beck

This study evaluates two sets of epistemological world views, or intellectual styles, called mechanism and organicism. Although Pepper’s (1942) ideas have had a small presence in research across various knowledge domains, they have been overlooked by epistemic beliefs and intellectual styles researchers. This article reintroduces Pepper’s epistemological world views to researchers by empirically demonstrating their purported influence on the basic cognitive process of recall. After measuring their preference for mechanism and organicism, 98 participants read and recalled 1 of 2 texts about the French Revolution written from either a mechanist or organicist perspective. Analyses of these free recall data revealed a significant interaction between participants’ world view preference and the amount of text that they recall. The data are interpreted to support the hypothesis that mechanism and organicism affect how students process information and therefore may play a role in learning and instructional practices.


1985 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas J. DeGregorio ◽  
Nancy Gross Polow

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of teacher training sessions on listener perception of voice disorders. Three ASHA certified speech-language pathologists provided the criteria mean. Thirty randomly selected teachers from a Bergen County school system, randomly placed into two groups, served as subjects. The experimental group received three training sessions on consecutive weeks. Three weeks after the end of training, both groups were given a posttest. Listener perception scores were significantly higher for the experimental group. The implications of these results for in-service workshops, teacher/speech-language pathologist interaction and future research are discussed.


Author(s):  
Md. Abu Sayem

The present paper attempts to expose how the scientific world-view of nature contributes to the present environmental crisis. Alongside this, it relates European Renaissance, humanism, secularism, the scientific and industrial revolutions, modern philosophy, scientism, technology-based modern life, consumerism-based modern society, etc. with current environmental problems. By focusing on Nasr’s traditional understanding of nature, the paper explores how materialistic and mechanistic world-views are deeply connected with the present ecological crisis. It also offers a critical analysis of Nasr’s spiritual and religious world-view of nature and examines its relevance. In doing so, it aims to highlight some demerits of the present world-view, and to call to reform current perceptions of nature by revitalizing traditional wisdom in order to protect the environment from further degradation. Thus, the paper is scholarly addition to the ongoing discourse on the issue of religions and the environment. Keywords: Eco-theology, Environmental Degradation, Materialistic and Mechanistic Views of Nature, Scientism, Spiritual Crisis of Modern humans, Religious and Spiritual World-Views.   Abstrak Kertas kajian ini menerangkan bagaimana pandangan saintifik telah menyumbang kepada krisis alam sekitar semasa. Disamping itu, kertas ini akan menhubungkaitkan Gerakan Revolusi Humanisma di Eropah, sekularisme, revolusi  sains dan perindustrian, falsafah moden, saintisme, kehidupan moden yang berasaskan teknologi, masyarakat moden yang berasaskan consumerisme, etc. dengan krisis alam sekitar yang berlaku dewasa ini.  Dengan memahami pandangan Nasr terhadap alam sekitar, kertas ini akan merungkai bagaimana pandangan materialistik (kebendaan) dan mekanistik mempengaruhi krisis ekologi masa kini. Ia juga akan menganalisa pandangan spiritual dan agama Nasr terhadap alam sekitar secara kritikal dan akan menilai sejauh mana kesesuaiannya. Dengan sedemikian dapat menyedarkan manusia tentang kecacatan pandangan semasa, yang kemudiannya akan membawa kepada pembaharuan persepsi mereka terhadap alam sekitar dengan cara menghidupkan semula nilai-nilai tradisional demi mengelakkan kemerosotan alam sekitar. Kertas ini akan memuatkan idea-idea para cendiakawan dalam membincangkan isu  berkaitan agama dan alam sekitar. Kata Kunci: Eko-Teologi, Kemerosotan Alam Sekitar, Pandangan Materialistik dan Makanistik terhadap Alam, Saintisme, Krisis Spiritual Manusia Moden, Perspektif Spiritual dan Agama.


Author(s):  
Pankaj Musyuni ◽  
Geeta Aggarwal ◽  
Manju Nagpal ◽  
Ramesh K. Goyal

Background: Protecting intellectual property rights are important and particularly pertinent for inventions which are an outcome of rigorous research and development. While the grant of patents is subject to establishing novelty and inventive step, it further indicates the technological development and helpful for researchers working in the same technical domain. The aim of the present research work is to map the existing work through analysis of patent literature, in the field of Coronaviruses (CoV), particularly COVID-19 (2019-nCoV). CoV is a large family of viruses known to cause illness in human and animals, particularly known for causing respiratory infections as evidenced in earlier times such as in MERS i.e. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome; SRS i.e. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. A recently identified novel-coronavirus has known as COVID-19 which has currently caused pandemic situation across the globe. Objective: To expand analysis of patents related to CoV and 2019-nCoV. Evaluation has been conducted by patenting trends of particular strains of identified CoV diseases by present legal status, main concerned countries via earliest priority years and its assignee types and inventors of identified relevant patents. We analyzed the global patent documents to check the scope of claims along with focuses and trends of the published patent documents for the entire CoV family including 2019- nCoV through the present landscape. Methods: To extract the results, Derwent Innovation database is used by a combination of different key-strings. Approximately 3800 patents were obtained and further scrutinized and analyzed. The present write-up also discusses the recent progress of patent applications in a period of the year 2010 to 2020 (present) along with the recent developments in India for the treatment options for CoV and 2019-nCoV. Results: Present analysis showed that key areas of the inventions have been focused on vaccines and diagnostic kits apart from the composition for treatment of CoV. We also observed that no specific vaccine treatments is available for treatment of 2019-nCov, however, developing novel chemical or biological drugs and kits for early diagnosis, prevention and disease management is the primarily governing topic among the patented inventions. The present study also indicates potential research opportunities for the future, particularly to combat 2019-nCoV. Conclusion: The present paper analyzes the existing patents in the field of Coronaviruses and 2019-nCoV and suggests a way forward for the effective contribution in this upcoming research area. From the trend analysis, it was observed an increase in filing of the overall trend of patent families for a period of 2010 to the current year. This multifaceted analysis of identified patent literature provides an understanding of the focuses on present ongoing research and grey area in terms of the trends of technological innovations in disease management in patients with CoV and 2019-nCoV. Further, the findings and outcome of the present study offer insights for the proposed research and innovation opportunities and provide actionable information in order to facilitate policymakers, academia, research driven institutes and also investors to make better decisions regarding programmed steps for research and development for the diagnosis, treatment and taking preventive measures for CoV and 2019-nCoV. The present article also emphasizes on the need for future development and the role of academia and collaboration with industry for speedy research with a rationale.


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