scholarly journals Faculty Use of the Active Learning Classroom: Barriers and Facilitators

10.28945/4142 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 485-504
Author(s):  
Orit Avidov Ungar ◽  
Becky Leshem ◽  
Adva Margaliot ◽  
Etty Grobgeld

Aim/Purpose: The study aimed to examine teacher educators’ perceptions regarding their ability to implement innovative pedagogies following a year during which they used a newly equipped Active Learning Classroom (ALC), designed for teacher training Background: To this end, we asked how participants perceived the effective use of the ALC and how they were able to leverage the use of the ALC to implement innovative pedagogies. Methodology: Using the grounded theory method, we conducted qualitative analysis of data collected from semi-structured in-depth personal interviews. The sample included 22 randomly-selected teacher educators in a single teacher-education college, who had used the ALC over the last year. Average teaching tenure was 22 years. Contribution: As part of the transition to using innovative pedagogies in an ICT (Information Communication Technology) enhanced teaching environment, our proposed model can be used to map teachers’ perceptions and proficiencies, so as to address the specific needs of each group. Findings: Analysis revealed four pedagogic teaching patterns. Based on the TPACK (Technology, Pedagogy, and Content, Knowledge) model as a theoretical framework, we were able to relate these patterns to participants’ strengths and weaknesses in technological and pedagogic knowledge and the ways in which they used the ALC. These patterns testify that there are different levels of use and integration of technology and pedagogy by teacher educators. Recommendations for Practitioners: Enhancing teachers’ knowledge, promoting innovative concepts and removing barriers for ICT usage require integrated technological-pedagogic guidance, which should be provided to the teachers by instructors with integrated TPK (Technology Pedagogy Knowledge). Recommendation for Researchers: The ability to map technological and pedagogic strengths in accord with teaching patterns and styles provides an advantageous and applicable foundation that can be used by any future studies that wish to pursue this line of investigation. Impact on Society: Formulating new strategies in teacher education would effectively make teacher educators the leading force driving the desired transformation, whereby teachers have the skills and knowledge to prepare students to become productive members of society in the 21st century. Future Research: Future studies are encouraged to use our proposed model (which maps technological and pedagogic strengths in accord with teaching patterns) to examine additional questions, for example, what is the relationship between teaching style and teaching effectiveness and can it provide the impetus to attempt to shift teachers’ attitudes and styles?

Author(s):  
Rukiye Didem Taylan

Teacher educators have a responsibility to help prospective teachers in their professional growth. It is important that teacher educators not only teach prospective teachers about benefits of active learning in student learning, but that they also prepare future teachers in using pedagogical methods aligned with active learning principles. This manuscript provides examples of how mathematics teacher educators can promote prospective teachers' active learning and professional growth by bringing together the Flipped Classroom method with video content on teaching and learning as well as workplace learning opportunities in a pedagogy course. The professional learning of prospective teachers is framed according to the components of the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Park & Olive, 2008; Shulman, 1986). Implications for future trends in teacher education are provided.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-155
Author(s):  
Bedrettin Yazan

Using the concepts of identity and agency, this Perspectives article discusses my recent efforts of self-development when designing an identity-oriented Teaching English as a second language (TESL) teacher education course around teacher candidates’ semester-long autoethnography writing assignment called “critical autoethnographic narrative” (CAN). It specifically unpacks the ways I negotiated and enacted my identities of teacher educator and researcher of teacher education while I was incorporating identity as the main goal in teacher candidates’ learning. In closing, this article offers recommendations for TESL teacher educators who consider designing identity-oriented courses and suggests some future research directions. À l’aide des concepts de l’identité et de l’agentivité (ou capacité d’agir), cet article de Perspectives illustre mes récents efforts d’autoperfectionnement alors que je concevais un cours de formation d’enseignantes et enseignants d’anglais langue seconde axé sur l’identité, et ce, autour de l’imposition d’un projet d’écriture autoethnographique d’un semestre appelé « exposé autoethnographique critique » à des candidates et candidats à l’enseignement. L’article révèle spécifiquement la façon dont je suis parvenu à négocier et faire valoir mes identités de formateur d’enseignants et de chercheur en éducation d’enseignants alors que je faisais de l’identité le principal objectif de l’apprentissage des candidats et candidates à l’ enseignement. En terminant, cet article offre des recommandations à l’intention des formateurs d’enseignantes et enseignants d’anglais langue seconde qui songent à concevoir des cours axés sur l’identité, et ce, en plus de proposer des orientations futures en matière de recherche.


2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Salvador ◽  
Jacqueline Kelly-McHale

Given the shifting demographics in American education, the rising likelihood of students with special needs being taught in inclusive classrooms, and the increasing openness with which students are challenging gender and sex norms, social justice has become a prevalent research topic in music education. This survey sought to investigate the perspectives of music teacher educators with regard to social justice, music education, and music teacher education. Many of the 361 respondents indicated engagement with social justice and shared methods for addressing social justice topics in music teacher education as well as describing limitations that prevented them from doing more. However, about 50% of respondents defined social justice in “difference-blind” terms. A further 10% to 15% of respondents rejected the need to address social justice topics in music teacher education, stated it was not their job, and/or described social justice as a waste of instructional time that should be spent on content. In contrast, 10% to 15% of respondents expressed a desire for assistance understanding more about social justice in school music settings and/or suggestions how to teach about social justice topics in undergraduate music teacher education. This article concludes with a discussion of these findings and suggestions for future research.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Lex McDonald ◽  
Rasela Tufue-Dolgoy

Initial teacher education is a complex multifaceted process with one of the pivotal components being transfer of the training.  In the past, minimal attention has been given to how teacher educators interact with student teachers to facilitate implementation of ideas in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher educators’ knowledge of transfer of training as an approach to assisting student teachers achieve outcomes in the classroom. It was an exploratory qualitative study and 16 teacher educators (10 New Zealanders and 5 Samoan) were interviewed. The findings from the two sets of educators were similar but a few differences were noted. The teacher educators understood transfer as an important concept and practice involving a set of key players. They could not specifically link their practice to transfer theories, strategies or a strategic framework for implementation. Knowledge of transfer effectiveness and the means of evaluating its occurrence were largely unknown as was the literature on transfer barriers. Nevertheless, most could relate their approach to a transfer process and report successes but it was concluded that they were largely uninformed by the transfer of training literature. Implications for practice and the need for future research were outlined.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 112-129
Author(s):  
Patrick Kavenuke ◽  
◽  
Abdulghani Muthanna ◽  

This study investigates teacher educators’ perceptions of and challenges affecting the use of critical pedagogy in higher teacher education in Tanzania. The study employed a qualitative case study design and collected in-depth data through semi-structured interviews and direct classroom observations. The findings showed that critical pedagogy is a significant approach for developing students’ abilities to do critical reflection. However, critical pedagogy demands building a friendly relationship with students and encouraging dialogic interactions; all these lead to critical reflection in return, ensuring better understanding of the subject content. Most importantly, the findings report several challenges related to the presence of crowded classes, the use of lecturing teaching style and the use of English as a language of instruction, the use of unsuitable assessment format that is university guided and lack of teaching resources. These challenges impede the effective use of critical pedagogy in teaching. To overcome such challenges, policy makers and institutional leaders need to rethink of providing teaching resources and encouraging the use of critical pedagogy in teaching and learning at higher teacher education programmes. The study concludes that by practising what teacher educators perceive to be critical pedagogy, classrooms will be transformed into places of liberation. Further, while this qualitative study does not intend to make any generalisation, the findings might be of interest to international teacher educators who are interested in employing the critical pedagogy approach effectively.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105708372110305
Author(s):  
Olivia Gail Tucker ◽  
Sean Robert Powell

Many view music teacher education as a locus for socially just transformation of music education through the development of preservice teacher agency and identity development. However, few have directly examined values in music teacher preparation programs, and values are implicit in agency. The purpose of this exploratory, intrinsic case study was to investigate the visible values in music education courses at one institution to add a new dimension to research and practice. We collected data from four instructor and five undergraduate participants through observations, interviews, and syllabus review. Themes of critical thinking, agency, student centeredness, positive teacher-student relationships, and skills and knowledge for teaching emerged from the data. Findings indicate that values may be relative in practice despite shared language among preservice teachers and music teacher educators. We provide guiding questions for program review and future research through the lens of values.


2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Maxwell ◽  
Audrée-Anne Tremblay-Laprise ◽  
Marianne Filion

This paper reports the results of a survey on ethics education in initial teacher education in Canada. Using an online survey and an academic calendar analysis, data was collected on ethics course requirements, perceptions about ethics content, institutional factors mediating the implementation of ethics courses, and teaching and learning objectives. Unexpectedly, the results showed that a required ethics course is as common in teacher education in Canada as it is in medical education and that an ethics curriculum is regarded highly by Canadian teacher educators as an aspect of teacher education. The paper concludes by suggesting directions for future research and underlining the need for network building in the area of ethics education for teachers in Canada.


Author(s):  
Chau Hong Phuoc Nguyen ◽  
Aaron Samuel Zimmerman

It is critical for teacher educators and scholars of teacher education to think carefully about the conceptual framework that they use to evaluate teacher education programs. Without a strong conceptual framework, it may be difficult for teacher educators to evaluate whether or not they are operating within a strong program. Thus, we frame this article as an opportunity to present one particular pre-existing framework in the research literature that can be used to conceptualize teacher education quality. We then present some evidence that supports and challenges this framework. In other words, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the conceptual framework for teacher education quality proposed by Hsieh, Law, Shy, Wang, Hsieh, and Tang (2011). In our attempt to create a supplementary evaluation of this conceptual framework, we test a statistical model using a different large international database – Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013 (OECD, 2014). Specifically, we examine the effects of preparedness for content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and field-based practice on teachers’ later performance satisfaction using multiple linear regression analysis. Our findings suggest that teachers who are more prepared for PCK and classroom practice (through field/clinical experience) during their teacher education program tend to be more satisfied with their teaching performance. However, our findings also suggest that becoming prepared in one’s CK during teacher preparation does not, according to the respondents, have a significant impact on their satisfaction with their teaching performance. Findings of this study have implications for practice and future research.


10.28945/4312 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 207-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alona Forkosh Baruch ◽  
Orit Avidov Ungar

Aim/Purpose: The study aims to evaluate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) implementation in academic colleges of education. The article offers a conceptual framework for ICT implementation within teacher education in the information era, which combines an array of frameworks and addresses the needs of teacher education. Background: The study examines the components of ICT implementation within the training as perceived by teacher educators in these colleges, their attitudes towards the contribution of ICT for teaching and learning, and the available conditions and resources in these colleges for ICT implementation in teaching. Methodology: A mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative nature was utilized. A questionnaire was developed including a set of sequential steps. The sample that responded to the questionnaire included 615 faculty members, which were approximately 25% of the population of lecturers in 8 colleges of education. Contribution: The results enabled insights regarding success and challenges in the implementation of the computerization program. It supplies policymakers as well as practitioners with updated data and enables evidence-based decision-making. Findings: Use of ICT by faculty shows two key factors: basic ICT use and advance collaborative use. Use in teacher training was divided into 5 factors: information management, advanced technological methods, project-based learning, display of information, and learning organization. Two factors were related to the students’ use of ICT in their teaching: integrating ICT in classroom activity, and usage for distance learning. Recommendations for Practitioners: Recommendations for practitioners include empowering the efficiency of ICT implementation, thereby transforming teaching and learning; training pre-service teachers to utilize advanced ICT tools that encourage collaboration, problem-based learning; utilization of the tool developed and used in this study for decision-making and assessing ICT implementation in teacher training; and highlighting the role of the teacher educator as a major factor in translating educators’ beliefs and modelling for students. Recommendation for Researchers: Recommendations for researchers include identifying the possibilities of utilizing the proposed tool in their research and development plans within their teacher training institutes, as a means of assessing the nature of ICT implementation in their teacher education programs. Impact on Society: ICT implementation in education has an impact on the future generation of students, as citizens of the knowledge society and lifelong learners. Teacher educators are at the heart of this process; hence, developing and implementing a tool to measure as well as encourage a paradigm shift in teaching and learning is of utmost importance. Future Research: Future research should include examining the utilization of the developed tool in diverse contexts, as well as using it as an indicator for comparing ICT implementation processes and models between institutes, and for examining the implementation process from a longitudinal point of view, from pre-service education throughout the TPD (Teacher Professional Development) as an in-service teacher.


10.31355/33 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 105-120
Author(s):  
Hamed Motaghi ◽  
Saeed Nosratabadi ◽  
Thabit Qasem Atobishi

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED WITH THE INFORMING SCIENCE INSTITUTE. Aim/Purpose................................................................................................................................................................................................. The main objective of the current study is to develop a business model for service providers of cloud computing which is designed based on circular economy principles and can ensure the sustainable consumption. Background Even though the demand for cloud computing technology is increasing day by day in all over the world, the current the linear economy principles are incapable to ensure society development needs. To consider the benefit of the society and the vendors at the same time, the principles of circular economy can address this issue. Methodology................................................................................................................................................................................................. An extensive literature review on consumption, sustainable consumption, circular economic, business model, and cloud computing were conducted. the proposed model of Osterwalder, Pigneur and Tucci (2005) is admitted designing the circular business model. Contribution................................................................................................................................................................................................. The proposed model of the study is the contribution of this study where provides the guidelines for the cloud computing service providers to achieve both their economic profits and the society’ needs. Findings Finding reveals that if the cloud computing service providers design their business model based on the “access” principle of circular economy, they can meet their economic profits and the society’ needs at a same time. Recommendations for Practitioners.............................................................................................................................................................. It is recommended to the startup and the existing businesses to utilize the proposed model of this study to reach a sustainable development. Recommendation for Researchers................................................................................................................................................................ It proposes a new circular business model and its linkages with community building. Impact on Society............................................................................................................................................................................................ The proposed model of the study provides guidelines to the cloud computing service providers to design a business model which is able not only to meet their economic profit, but also to meet the society’s and customers’ benefits. Future Research............................................................................................................................................................................................... Future researches can build on this research model which proposed in this study to examine the limitations of this model by using empirical researches.


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