scholarly journals A new approach to understanding teachers’ classroom practices

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyla Alsalim

Teaching is generally considered a complex practice that involves the constant and dynamic interaction between the teacher, the students and the subject matter. One of the main goals of most education reform initiatives has been to change teachers’ classroom practices. Most recent reform curricula focus on highlighting teacher practices that promote and evoke students’ understanding alongside the changes in content (Tirosh & Graeber, 2003). Changes to a teacher’s role that are included in the education reform movement call for more research in order to understand and theorise teachers’ classroom practices. In this paper, I will present patterns-of-participation (PoP) as a promising framework that aims to understand the role of the teacher for emerging classroom practices. Instead of relying on a traditional approach to understanding classroom practices by analysing teachers’ beliefs, this framework applies a participatory approach to look for patterns in the participation of individual teachers in many social practices at the school and in the classroom. Some of these practices are directly related to the teaching and learning of mathematics while others are not. And some of them relate to communities that are not actually present in the classroom or at the school. PoP views teachers’ social interaction in a certain community as a piece which is influenced by other pieces of social interactions. In every interaction, the ‘pieces’ shape a ‘fluctuating pattern' that shows the shifting impact of different, previous practices and the dynamic relations between them (Skott, 2010; 2011; 2013).

Author(s):  
Alshaima Saleh Alyafei

The current study investigates the beliefs held by science teachers on constructivism and a traditional approach in Qatar government primary schools. More specifically, it aims to investigate the challenges that science teachers experience during inquiry-based learning implementation. A web-based survey was conducted in order to collect data from grades 4 to 6 science teachers. A total of 112 science teachers responded and completed the survey on a voluntary basis. The results indicate that science teachers hold a higher beliefs in constructivism than traditional approach. A T-test and ANOVA analysis have showed that there is no significant differences between the beliefs of science teachers’ and their gender, level of education, and years of teaching experience. In addition, science teachers faced challenges in lesson planning, assessment, and teacher support.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089590482110494
Author(s):  
Melissa Arnold Lyon ◽  
Shani S. Bretas ◽  
Douglas D. Ready

Over the past several decades large philanthropies have adopted aggressive approaches to education reform that scholars have labeled venture philanthropy. These efforts focused on broad changes to schooling and education policy, borrowing techniques from the venture capital world. But many foundations have recently become convinced that market forces and macro-level policymaking alone cannot drive educational improvement, particularly in areas related to classroom teaching and learning. In response, foundations have begun to design their own instructional innovations and identify providers to implement them. This paper interprets these recent efforts as early evidence of a distinct adaptation in the evolving role of philanthropies, which we dub design philanthropy. Although this approach represents an attempt by foundations to simultaneously increase democratic engagement, directly influence the instructional core, and spur educational innovation, it poses new risks for coherence, scalability, and sustainability in education policymaking.


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):  
Norhaida Aman

The relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their instructional practices has attracted educational researchers’ attention. The literature on teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices suggests that a sound understanding of those beliefs is extremely helpful in developing and implementing useful programs and effective in-service training. This study explores the complex relationship between the beliefs and practices of teachers from primary schools in Singapore, specifically looking at how instructional strategies are reflections of teacher beliefs on grammar instruction.Overall, the teachers who participated in this survey unanimously agree that grammar is important and has to be taught in primary school. They believe that grammar consists of rules of sentence formation, and the use of accurate tenses, and that grammar should focus on both form and meaning. Explicit discussion of grammatical rules in the classroom is thought to be extremely important in helping students acquire the English language and develop their writing skills.In terms of their classroom practices, the data suggests a more traditional approach of explicit teaching of grammar where rules and sentence structures are first taught to students and brought to their attention.


2007 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul V. Bredeson ◽  
Brad W. Kose

Education reforms have affected schools and the educators who work in them. Using state-wide survey data from 1993 and 2003, this study examines how the work of school superintendents has been affected over a ten-year period by these reform initiatives, especially increased demands for accountability. The general message from our data is that superintendents are interested in curriculum and instruction and believe these are important tasks, but the daily realities of their work often subvert even the most committed professional. Further, the data indicate that superintendents may be able to use external accountability mechanisms as levers to move the internal accountability systems to support improved teaching and learning.


2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilge Yurekli ◽  
Mary Kay Stein ◽  
Richard Correnti ◽  
Zahid Kisa

A major influence on mathematics teachers’ instruction is their beliefs. However, teachers’ instructional practices do not always neatly align with their beliefs because of factors perceived as constraints. The purpose of this article is to introduce a new approach for examining the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices, an approach that focuses on specific instructional practices that support the development of students’ conceptual understanding and on mismatches that occur between what teachers believe to be important and what they report actually doing in the classroom. We also examine the relationship between teachers’ self-reported constraints and mismatches between teachers’ beliefs and practices.


Paideusis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-15
Author(s):  
Leon Benadé

This paper takes lessons and directions from Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of Freedom (1998) that both inform the theme of Dialogue and Difference and a particular conception of ethical teacher professionality. Freire’s vision of teachers and teaching challenges managerialist notions of teachers as dispassionate, data-driven objects of bureaucratic policy, aligned to a sanitised list of features that make up ‘the effective teacher’. This representation of teachers is unlikely to motivate or prepare teachers in the future to be critical thinking ethical professionals. An alternative conception of the teaching professional is required, and one is presented here which has strong links to Pedagogy of Freedom in particular, and critical pedagogy more generally. Expressed as ‘ethical teacher professionality’, this account suggests a broader approach to the role of teacher than provided by notions such as ‘satisfactory teacher dimensions’ or ‘characteristics of quality teaching’. The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007) is a policy text whose understanding of teachers is informed by such notions. New Zealand schools engaged in a process of preparation in 2008 and 2009 for full implementation of this revised national curriculum in 2010. The scope of these revisions, expectations of teachers, and the requirement that this implementation be school-based (rather than centrally prescribed) mean that in essence this curriculum goes well beyond a mere revision. Further, as a product of early-21st century education reform which seemingly gives schools, teachers and communities greater flexibility, there are lessons that could be relevant internationally. As a fundamentally new approach to policy, implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum could significantly alter how teachers see and approach their work.


Author(s):  
GUSTAVO GUERREIRO ◽  
Valdano Manuel ◽  
Lucas Figueredo Cardoso

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many specialists doctors found themselves in a situation that they had not faced for a long time: treating patients out of their subarea of expertise. The possibilities of teaching and learning through the modalities of webinars brought to these days the urgent necessity for teamwork and interdisciplinary approach, taking advantage of different areas of expertise to the same patient. With the amount of papers published and the speed at which data are accessed, and analyzed it is impossible to be aware of new findings in all medical areas. The lesson that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to us was the urgent need for the interdisciplinary approach to treating better our patients, and not only each disease they present with. We must review our traditional approach to medical students, residents, colleagues, and patients in which we became stuck to distance and time obstacles. We must use the technology on our behalf to offer the best treatment and follow-up for patients. We live now in the Medicine 4.0 era. As Darwin a long time ago proved: we must evolve!


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan DeJaeghere ◽  
Vu Dao ◽  
Bich-Hang Duong ◽  
Phuong Luong

Global and national education agendas are concerned with improving quality and equality of learning outcomes. This paper provides an analysis of the case of Vietnam, which is regarded as having high learning outcomes and less inequality in learning. But national data and international test outcomes may mask the hidden inequalities that exist between minoritized groups and majority (Kinh) students. Drawing on data from qualitative videos and interviews of secondary teachers across 10 provinces, we examine the role of teachers’ beliefs, curricular design and actions in the classroom (Gale et al., 2017). We show that teachers hold different beliefs and engage in curricular design – or the use of hegemonic curriculum and instructional practices that produce different learning outcomes for minoritized students compared to Kinh students. It suggests that policies need to focus on the social-cultural aspects of teaching in addition to the material and technical aspects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vimala Murti

Background: Learning by doing, also known as experiential learning, is a method when the learners actively participate in the learning process. The role of the teacher is to guide and facilitate the learners by providing a variety of activities and teaching materials that enhance inquiry in the classroom.Research purposes: The purpose of this study was aimed to investigate the impact of learning by doing applications to enhance students‟ inquiry in the classroom.Research methods: The present study involved forty-six (46) teachers across disciplines. Literature review, teachers‟ questionnaires, and open-ended questions through interviews were used for this study.Research results: The finding showed that most of the respondents understood and agreed about the impact of learning by doing application in the classroom and have been applied the method in their teaching and learning process. Some strategies, strengths, and possible challenges were shared during the interview. Hence, the result emphasized that the method enhances active participation that promotes inquiry.Conclusion: Most of teachers are familiar and consistently implement the learning by doing strategies to extend inquiry in the classroom. Some of the learning by doing strategies were shared during the interview. Most of the teachers have occupied with professional development workshops to increase their understanding on how to implement learning by doing that enhance inquiry in the classroom practices. Accordingly, over 90% of teachers agreed on the importance of application learning by doing in the classroom practices. Regarding some feedback, more than half of teachers agreed that learning resources and environment are helpful in the application of learning by doing. Moreover, learning by doing also enhanced inquiry and promote student voice and choice. Despite all the strengths have mentioned above, some challenges also were shared. For example limited resources, time and cost consume and different teachers' abilities in applying learning by doing in the classroom


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document