scholarly journals The needs for successful chemistry teaching in diverse classes: teachers' beliefs and practices

Author(s):  
Päivi Kousa ◽  
Maija Aksela

The aim of this case-study was to understand how chemistry teachers experience their work in diverse classes where the needs of differentiated teaching practices are constantly growing. The deeper intention was to perceive new information in order to develop supportive methods that could better correspond to teachers' reality. Eight voluntary Finnish secondary school chemistry teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Four categorial distinctions for successful chemistry teaching were found according to their beliefs: 1) to have more support and resources, 2) to be able to recognize students' problems, 3) to use supportive materials and methods, and 4) to connect theory and practice with inspiring and meaningful activities. This study presents new insights about teachers' beliefs of diversity and what is needed for successful chemistry teaching. Directions for further research and practices are also suggested.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Maria Auxiliadora Cerrato Corrales

<p>The main purpose of this comparative study was to explore how teachers of four to five year old children in New Zealand and Honduras translate their beliefs regarding children’s leadership into practice. This study has the potential to increase our understanding of beliefs and practices that will assist teachers in supporting children’s leadership. The study used a comparative case-study design in order to look at similarities and differences between the two cases, focusing on two early childhood centres from low socio-economic areas in the capital cities of each country. Two teachers from each centre were asked to be participants in the study. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and documentation. The findings suggest that both New Zealand and Honduran teachers translate their beliefs regarding children’s leadership into practice. However, the findings showed significant differences between New Zealand teachers’ child-directed and Honduran teachers’ teacher-directed beliefs and practices. The teachers in the New Zealand settings encourage leadership by empowering the children to deliberately take a leadership role, while the teachers in the Honduran settings encourage leadership by allocating opportunities for the children to take a leadership role. In addition, the teachers in New Zealand highlighted their belief and practice concerning children sharing leadership, while the concept of sharing leadership was not emphasized by the Honduran teachers. This study suggests the importance of teachers reflecting on their beliefs regarding children’s leadership and how these guide their teaching practice in order to support children’s leadership.</p>


Author(s):  
Adin Fauzi ◽  
Desy Damayanti ◽  
Takdir Ilahi

This study investigates the teacher’s beliefs on video technology integration in ELT. A case study was employed as the research design to produce an in-depth description of video technology integration that is rich and holistic. An English teacher was purposefully selected as the research subject of the study. The results of the study indicate that the teacher’s beliefs about English, teaching and learning, and video technology are strongly connected with teaching practices. Moreover, the findings show that there is no any discrepancy between beliefs and practices. This study attempts to contribute to the literature on the study of the teachers’ beliefs that underlie teaching practices. Teachers should understand their own beliefs to promote effective teaching practices.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 451-490
Author(s):  
Ahmet Çopur

The aim of the study is to demonstrate the reflections of social studies teachers' beliefs regarding inclusion and their students in in-class practices. The survey, conducted by the case study method, was performed with three Social Studies teachers. Observation and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection techniques. Data obtained from observations and interviews were analysed by content analysis. In the study, it has been found that teachers have the belief that academic objectives should be pursued during inclusive practice, in accordance with the modern philosophy of inclusion. In addition, teachers have the perception that the inclusion students can learn every subject up to a certain level. It was identified that teachers cannot turn these beliefs into practice, and inclusion students are "neglected". It was concluded that this gap between belief and practice is caused by factors such as inadequate pedagogical content knowledge, inability to comprehend the philosophy of inclusion, the gap between the theoretical education and practice, and inadequate education resources at school. Depending on the obtained results, suggestions were made towards increasing teachers' self-efficacy on inclusive practice, establishing a direct connection between education faculties and schools, and ensuring coordination between the stakeholders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yezdan Boz ◽  
Betul Ekiz-Kiran ◽  
Elif Selcan Kutucu

In this study, we examined the effect of School Experience (SE) and Practice Teaching (PT) courses on pre-service chemistry teachers’ beliefs towards chemistry teaching over a one-year period. To reach this purpose, participants’ beliefs and experiences towards chemistry teaching were monitored closely throughout the varied phases of the two practicum courses. Two pre-service chemistry teachers participated in the study. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, observation notes, CoRes and reflection papers. Semi-structured interviews focusing on the pre-service teachers’ beliefs regarding chemistry teaching were conducted three times while participating in the SE and PT courses. During the PT course before their teaching experiences the participants prepared CoRes, and after their experiences they critiqued their own performances. Moreover, the participants were observed during their student-teaching experiences to identify how they transfer their beliefs into their teaching. Data were analyzed via inductive analyses. Results indicated that both pre-service teachers had stable core beliefs derived from their own experiences as students that remained constant during these courses and guided their practical instruction. Although both participants attended the same courses during the teacher education program, their attitudes while taking the educational courses were different. Factors that shaped pre-service teachers’ beliefs towards teaching were presented as the practicum courses enriched with CoRes and reflection papers, observing their mentors, experiences gained from microteaching sessions, and pedagogical and methods courses taken during the pre-service teacher education program. Implications for the formation of pre-service teachers’ beliefs towards teaching throughout pre-service teacher education programs were provided.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Maria Auxiliadora Cerrato Corrales

<p>The main purpose of this comparative study was to explore how teachers of four to five year old children in New Zealand and Honduras translate their beliefs regarding children’s leadership into practice. This study has the potential to increase our understanding of beliefs and practices that will assist teachers in supporting children’s leadership. The study used a comparative case-study design in order to look at similarities and differences between the two cases, focusing on two early childhood centres from low socio-economic areas in the capital cities of each country. Two teachers from each centre were asked to be participants in the study. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and documentation. The findings suggest that both New Zealand and Honduran teachers translate their beliefs regarding children’s leadership into practice. However, the findings showed significant differences between New Zealand teachers’ child-directed and Honduran teachers’ teacher-directed beliefs and practices. The teachers in the New Zealand settings encourage leadership by empowering the children to deliberately take a leadership role, while the teachers in the Honduran settings encourage leadership by allocating opportunities for the children to take a leadership role. In addition, the teachers in New Zealand highlighted their belief and practice concerning children sharing leadership, while the concept of sharing leadership was not emphasized by the Honduran teachers. This study suggests the importance of teachers reflecting on their beliefs regarding children’s leadership and how these guide their teaching practice in order to support children’s leadership.</p>


2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110576
Author(s):  
Xiaolong Cheng ◽  
Lawrence Jun Zhang ◽  
Qiaozhen Yan

As an important instructional affordance, teacher written feedback is widely used in second language (L2) writing contexts. While copious evidence has shown that such a pedagogical practice can facilitate L2 learners’ writing performance, especially their writing accuracy, little is known about how novice writing teachers conceptualize and enact written feedback in contexts of English as a foreign language (EFL). To fill this gap, we examined four novice writing teachers’ espoused written feedback beliefs and their actual practices in Chinese tertiary EFL writing classrooms. Based on data from semi-structured interviews and students’ writing samples, we found that they adopted a comprehensive approach to feedback provision, and were most concerned with errors in language, particularly grammar when providing feedback. These teachers almost reached a consensus in their beliefs about feedback scope and feedback focus, but they held varying beliefs about feedback strategies. Additionally, this study revealed the complexity of belief-practice relationships, in terms of the coexistence of consistencies and inconsistencies. Specifically, these teachers’ beliefs paralleled their practices in feedback scope, but their beliefs and practices mismatched with regard to feedback focus and feedback strategies. This article concludes with a discussion of the important pedagogical implications.


2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Hristov ◽  
Nikola Naumov ◽  
Petia Petrova

PurposeThis paper aims to provide an exploratory investigation into contemporary interpretation methods used in historic gardens and their fundamental role in enhancing the visitor experience and sense of a place.Design/methodology/approachA series of semi-structured interviews (n= 65) with Wrest Park visitors – who had the opportunity to experience new interpretation methods provided on-site – have been carried out in an attempt to explore their sense of place through interpretation.FindingsThe research suggests that interpretation has a fundamental role to play in “telling the story” of historic gardens, with 92.5 per cent of the sample understanding elements of the place’s history, significance and evolution. The findings further suggest the presence of two distinct visitor typologies – history explorers and leisure seekers.Practical implicationsThe study provides implications for theory and practice and recommendations for historic garden practitioners.Originality/valueThe importance of conceptualising and operationalising interpretation in historic gardens has received relatively little attention across the extant body of heritage interpretation literature. English Heritage’s Wrest Park, which is amongst England’s most prominent historic gardens, is used as a case study.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1-5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahimah Jamaluddin ◽  
Ab. Rahim Bakar ◽  
Siti Sa’adah Sulaiman

This qualitative study aims to explore family values that inculcated by teachers in teaching family education and to examine the importance of teaching family education to the secondary school students. The respondents consisted of three secondary school teachers who teach three subjects which consist of family theme. Qualitative case study using semi-structured interviews, observation and video recording were conducted to collect the data. Interview transcriptions were analyzed using ATLAS.ti software to build themes in this study. The findings of this study clearly indicated that implementation of family values can increase student awareness towards positive values that should be practiced in family life. The findings also shows that inculcation of family values significantly associated with environmental aspects which give positive implications to the student not only can strengthen their family relationships but can improve students personality. Inculcation of family values should be given attention and priority by all parties, especially teachers and parents in determine student outcomes in the future.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document