Identifying Student Teachers’ Inquiry-Related Questions in Biology Lessons

This study aims to analyse the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the current curriculum of the English teacher education programme (ETEP) at a Faculty of Education in a Yemeni University. PCK and teaching competencies take shape within the initial preparation of ETEP in which student teachers spenda long time receiving knowledge and understanding the teaching context before they practically experience teaching at schools. During their BA study, students are required to study 49 courses which can be categorised into four main components: skills, linguistics, literature and professional. This study analyses the content of the curriculum courses so as tovisualise the way student teachers translate what they have learned into pedagogical practices during their teaching practices. In this study, the curriculum content of ETEP is qualitatively analysed using the inductive approach. Categories emerged from the analysis demonstrate various aspects of student teachers’ PCK. The analysis reveals that the pedagogical skills courses are not enough to enhance and strengthen the student teachers’ PCK needed to be reflected in their teaching practices. The findings show that the curriculum lacks courses necessary to provide student teachers with basic knowledge and pedagogical principles which are of vital significance to demonstrate their understanding before they are practically engaged in the teaching experience.

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Problems of secondary school student teachers

The Teacher Educator ◽

10.1080/08878737709554660 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 30-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Corey R. Lock

Keyword(s):

Secondary School ◽

Student Teachers ◽

Secondary School Student

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PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENT TEACHERS´ CLASSROOM TALK DURING INQUIRY-BASED BIOLOGY LESSONS

Problems of Education in the 21st Century ◽

10.33225/pec/16.69.37 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 69 (1) ◽

pp. 37-56

Author(s):

Matti Hiltunen ◽

Sirpa Kärkkäinen ◽

Tuula Keinonen ◽

Markus Hähkiöniemi ◽

Sami Lehesvuori ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Primary School ◽

Student Teachers ◽

School Teacher ◽

Primary School Teacher ◽

Education Student ◽

Classroom Talk ◽

Teacher Education Student ◽

Primary School Student ◽

Response Feedback

In schools, classroom talk is often dominated by teachers´ lecturing or asking closed questions followed by teachers’ evaluative feedback. When the teacher presents ideas to students or uses the question-response feedback, the talk is considered as authoritative talk. On the other side, during dialogic talk, the teacher reacts to students´ views and responses. The important role of the teachers in promoting dialogic classroom talk has been demonstrated in many previous studies. However, little is known about how student teachers use different talk forms, especially in inquiry-based biology lessons which is the focus of this research. The primary school student teachers’ lessons – a total of 14 lessons of five student teachers – were videotaped and audiotaped. The data were analysed using theory-based content analysis. The results show that the primary school student teachers used more authoritative classroom talk than dialogical classroom talk in their inquiry-based lessons. Mainly, non-interactive authoritative talk form was used by all student teachers, and interactive dialogic talk form was used least. Authoritative talk was used in all stages of the inquiry-based lesson. Dialogic talk was used more during introduction and examination stages. The findings suggest that in teacher education, student teachers need scaffold in talking with pupils when carrying out inquiry-based teaching. Key words: authoritative talk, dialogic talk, inquiry-based lesson, primary school, teacher education.

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Understanding student perceptions and motivation towards academic blogs: An exploratory study

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology ◽

10.14742/ajet.883 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Liping Deng ◽

Allan H. K. Yuen

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Content Analysis ◽

Student Teachers ◽

Student Perceptions ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Critical Role ◽

Mediating Factors ◽

Exploratory Approach ◽

Perceived Values ◽

Practical Implications

The success of academic blogs depends on the participation and engagement of students. Taking an exploratory approach, this study aims to develop a better understanding of the perceptions of student teachers towards academic blogging, and the factors that motivate them to write academic blogs voluntarily. Drawing on data gathered from questionnaires, interviews, and content analysis of blog posts, the study reveals a set of mediating factors in individual, social and academic dimensions, among which students' perceived values of blogs play a critical role. Our findings have methodological and practical implications for researchers and teachers interested in academic blogs, especially for those in the field of teacher education.

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Blivande lärares uppfattningar och förståelse av baskunskap i ekologi i Danmark, Finland och Sverige

Nordic Studies in Science Education ◽

10.5617/nordina.2557 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 197-217 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Irmeli Elisabeth Palmberg ◽

Gunnar Jonsson ◽

Eila Jeronen ◽

Eija Yli-Panula

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Student Teachers ◽

Nordic Countries ◽

Basic Knowledge ◽

Teacher Competencies ◽

Low Level ◽

International Assessments ◽

Core Concepts

Students’ and student teachers’ decreasing interest in and knowledge of science are, according to many national and international assessments, alarming trends in the Nordic countries. This quantitative and qualitative study of student teachers’ knowledge of core concepts and processes in ecology confirms the low level of student teachers’ understanding of these issues, although a majority consider these issues to be basic knowledge for their teacher competencies. Many of the student teachers did not know what biosphere or succession is. They also had difficulties in explaining what a seed contains and what its role is in the plant’s lifecycle. Several student teachers also had difficulties to explain why photosynthesis is important and how it works. The increasing ecological and environmental illiteracy is discussed as one of the implications for teacher education.

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The emerging understandings and practices of task-based language teaching (TBLT) by Thai EFL student teachers

10.26686/wgtn.17142497 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Paweena Jaruteerapan

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Secondary School ◽

Student Teachers ◽

Language Teaching ◽

Lesson Planning ◽

Observation Data ◽

Teaching Practicum ◽

Group Interviews ◽

One Year ◽

Three Phases

Despite substantive empirical evidence for the efficacy of task-based language teaching and learning (TBLT), research shows that the classroom implementation of TBLT has often met with mixed success, especially in Asian EFL contexts (Adams & Newton, 2009; Butler, 2011, 2017; Thomas & Reinders, 2015). One of the reasons is teachers’ lack of understanding of TBLT (e.g., Carless, 2009) and it is this factor that the research focused on. Although TBLT is not widely known or practised in Thailand, its potential has been noted (McDonough & Chaikitmongkol, 2007), and so this is an important topic to address in this context. The research consisted of a two-phase, exploratory, qualitative study into the introduction of a new module on task-based language teaching (TBLT) in the methodology course in the final year of a pre-service EFL teacher education programme in a Thai university. Data was collected from a class of 31 EFL student teachers (STs) in their final (fourth) year of study in the programme and three STs in a one-year teaching practicum at a secondary school. Phase one investigated evidence of learning in the stated understandings of the STs and in their ability to design a task-based lesson at the conclusion of the TBLT module. Data consisted of pre-and post-course questionnaires, lesson plans designed by the STs, and focus-group interviews. The findings showed that after the 5-week TBLT module, two third of the class had developed a favourable disposition towards TBLT. At the conclusion of the module all the STs were able to plan a task-based lesson that broadly reflected principles of TBLT although there was evidence of limited understanding of task features and of difficulties with the task design process. Phase two involved case studies of three of the STs as they undertook a one-year teaching practicum at a secondary school. During the practicum, lesson planning and classroom observation data (video/audio-recordings and observation notes) was collected in three phases: (1) prior to being given any additional lesson planning guidance; (2) during the process of collaborative lesson planning with the researcher; and (3) in subsequent independently planned and taught lessons. In addition, data collection included stimulated recall interviews, semi-structured interviews and group interviews with the teachers and with students from their classes. The data shows how the STs’ understandings and teaching practices developed across these three phases as well as the affordances and constraints that shaped their adoption of TBLT. Learners in the STs’ classes actively engaged in the task-based lessons and reported positive attitudes towards the lessons. In conclusion, the study contributes to the field of TBLT research by providing insights into the processes by which TBLT can be introduced into pre-service teacher education in a context where it has previously not been widely disseminated or understood. Evidence presented in the study shows that the TBLT innovation was broadly successful in terms of its impact on the understandings and teaching practice by STs, at least as measured over the period of the STs main practicum experience.

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Science for whom? Case studies of two male primary school student teachers’ constructions of themselves as teachers of science

Nordic Studies in Science Education ◽

10.5617/nordina.766 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 145-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anna T. Danielsson

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Primary School ◽

Student Teachers ◽

Case Studies ◽

Situated Learning ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

School Science ◽

Primary Teacher ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Primary School Student

This paper investigates intersections of gender and the teaching and learning of science in case studies of two male primary school student teachers, exploring how these student teachers negotiate identities as teachers of science. The project works from dual theoretical starting points. Firstly, the project is founded in a feminist post-structural understanding of gender as performative, something ‘done’ in a social context rather than an inherent characteristic of a person. Secondly, learning is, following situated learning theory, conceptualised as involving the constitution of an identity. Empirically, the paper draws on semi-structured interviews with two primary school student teachers specialising in science. The paper explores the two student teachers’ classed and gendered interpretations of school science, in particular how they use these interpretations as a means for them as male teachers to fit into the primary teacher role with its feminine connotations. Finally, some implications for teacher education are discussed.

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Secondary School Student Teachers' Perceptions toward Inclusion

The Journal of Special Children Education ◽

10.21075/kacsn.2012.14.2.381 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 381-395 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Park Changun ◽

Soonyoung Hwang ◽

SHIN-IL HAN

Keyword(s):

Secondary School ◽

Student Teachers ◽

Secondary School Student ◽

Teachers Perceptions

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Challenges for First Time GIS User among Student Teachers

Abstracts of the ICA ◽

10.5194/ica-abs-1-375-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

Mengieng Ung

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Secondary School ◽

Primary School ◽

Student Teachers ◽

Professional Learning ◽

Prior Experience ◽

Temporal Distribution ◽

Junior College ◽

Thematic Maps ◽

Number Of Classes

Abstract. National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore is a national teacher education institute with a mission to excel in teacher education and educational research. It is where student teachers in Singapore are trained. Its program consists of undergraduate, higher degrees and professional learning. Geography as a discipline is offered under the Humanities and Social Studies Education (HSSE) an academic group at NIE.An Introduction to GIS course has been offered to second-year pre-service undergraduate and the higher degree level in-service Geography student teachers (STs) at HSSE/NIE. There are a total of 14 STs (eight pre-service and six in-service) aged between 19 and 32 years old. Pre-service STs will become a primary school, secondary school or junior college teachers once they graduate from the undergraduate program from NIE. In-service STs are currently teachers at the above-mentioned education institutions. They are returning to NIE for the higher degree program. They all had no prior experience with GIS. Key GIS theories and techniques including data models, map projection and GPS, spatial join, geo-processing, geo-referencing and digitizing were introduced to them throughout the course.Assignments were given to students to work individually as part of the assessment components. Assignments asked them to create thematic maps showing spatial and temporal distribution of the world’s total fertility rates (TFR), issues in Economic Geography and Education related issues by applying GIS theories and techniques learned during the lectures. Upon submitting each assignment, STs were asked to indicate the challenges encountered while completing the assignments and suggestions to solve their problems.The major set challenge for STs was downloading, cleaning, joining table and understanding the attribute tables. STs, especially those who had limited prior experience working with the dataset, found the above-mentioned tasks to be problematic and confusing all together. Those STs had a hard time applying those steps when they need to do the assignment, which required starting the process from scratch.In order to avoid under or over-representation, almost all STs expressed major challenges when it comes to choosing color and number of classes for choropleth maps. STs further emphasized that it required them to know beyond GIS skills in order to make thematic maps meaningfully. For instance, in order to showcase TFR, one needs to understand that TFR of 2.1 is the replacement rate, TFR of 1.5 or below is considered low or in danger in terms of population growth. Therefore, one needs to take those factors into consideration when choosing the cutoff points and the total number of classes.To overcome those challenges, a series of suggestions were provided by STs. For instance, more practices and more exercises of the same nature, pair or group work instead of individual work, allocate more time for each assignment, both instruction manual and video tutorials are needed.This exercise pedagogically provides both STs and me, the instructor, a fresh perspective when it comes to teaching GIS to students. As an instructor, I need to strike the balance between concepts and practices. Furthermore, I need to take student’s profiles and prior knowledge into account when planning my lectures in order to leave no one behind. Understanding both concepts and practices of GIS in crucial for STs because they will be teaching GIS upon completing the course. Integration of GIS into primary school, secondary school and junior college will be part of Singapore’s smart nation initiative.

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The emerging understandings and practices of task-based language teaching (TBLT) by Thai EFL student teachers

10.26686/wgtn.17142497.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Paweena Jaruteerapan

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Secondary School ◽

Student Teachers ◽

Language Teaching ◽

Lesson Planning ◽

Observation Data ◽

Teaching Practicum ◽

Group Interviews ◽

One Year ◽

Three Phases

Despite substantive empirical evidence for the efficacy of task-based language teaching and learning (TBLT), research shows that the classroom implementation of TBLT has often met with mixed success, especially in Asian EFL contexts (Adams & Newton, 2009; Butler, 2011, 2017; Thomas & Reinders, 2015). One of the reasons is teachers’ lack of understanding of TBLT (e.g., Carless, 2009) and it is this factor that the research focused on. Although TBLT is not widely known or practised in Thailand, its potential has been noted (McDonough & Chaikitmongkol, 2007), and so this is an important topic to address in this context. The research consisted of a two-phase, exploratory, qualitative study into the introduction of a new module on task-based language teaching (TBLT) in the methodology course in the final year of a pre-service EFL teacher education programme in a Thai university. Data was collected from a class of 31 EFL student teachers (STs) in their final (fourth) year of study in the programme and three STs in a one-year teaching practicum at a secondary school. Phase one investigated evidence of learning in the stated understandings of the STs and in their ability to design a task-based lesson at the conclusion of the TBLT module. Data consisted of pre-and post-course questionnaires, lesson plans designed by the STs, and focus-group interviews. The findings showed that after the 5-week TBLT module, two third of the class had developed a favourable disposition towards TBLT. At the conclusion of the module all the STs were able to plan a task-based lesson that broadly reflected principles of TBLT although there was evidence of limited understanding of task features and of difficulties with the task design process. Phase two involved case studies of three of the STs as they undertook a one-year teaching practicum at a secondary school. During the practicum, lesson planning and classroom observation data (video/audio-recordings and observation notes) was collected in three phases: (1) prior to being given any additional lesson planning guidance; (2) during the process of collaborative lesson planning with the researcher; and (3) in subsequent independently planned and taught lessons. In addition, data collection included stimulated recall interviews, semi-structured interviews and group interviews with the teachers and with students from their classes. The data shows how the STs’ understandings and teaching practices developed across these three phases as well as the affordances and constraints that shaped their adoption of TBLT. Learners in the STs’ classes actively engaged in the task-based lessons and reported positive attitudes towards the lessons. In conclusion, the study contributes to the field of TBLT research by providing insights into the processes by which TBLT can be introduced into pre-service teacher education in a context where it has previously not been widely disseminated or understood. Evidence presented in the study shows that the TBLT innovation was broadly successful in terms of its impact on the understandings and teaching practice by STs, at least as measured over the period of the STs main practicum experience.

Download Full-text