scholarly journals Effective Constructivist Teaching Learning in the Classroom

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Rajendra Kumar Shah

Constructivism has been a very powerful model for explaining how knowledge is produced in the world as well as how students learn. Moreover, constructivist teaching practices are becoming more prevalent in teacher education programs, while demonstrating significant success in promoting student learning. In this paper, the author takes a serious look at constructivist teaching practices highlighting both the promises and potential problems of these practices. The author argues that constructivist teaching has often been misinterpreted and misused, resulting in learning practices that neither challenge students nor address their needs. He outlines some of the ways in which constructivism has been misconstrued and analyzes several ways in which constructivist teaching has been misused. The author also presents two examples that illustrate the effective use of constructivist teaching and explains what makes them successful.

Author(s):  
Deborah L. Lowther ◽  
Marshall G. Jones ◽  
Robert T. Plants

The potential impact of the World Wide Web (WWW) on our educational system is limitless. However, if our teachers do not possess the appropriate knowledge and skills to use the Web, the impact could be less than positive. It is evident, then, that our teachers need to be prepared to effectively use these powerful on-line resources to prepare our children to thrive in a digital society. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the impact of Web-based education on teacher education programs by addressing the following questions: • How is the World Wide Web impacting education? • Are teacher education programs meeting the challenge of producing certified teachers who are capable of integrating meaningful use of technology into K-12 classrooms? • What is expected of teacher education programs in regards to technology and Web-based education? • What knowledge and skills do preservice teachers need to effectively use Web-based education? • What instructional approaches should be used to prepare preservice teachers to use Web-based education?


Author(s):  
Therese M. Cumming

The use of real-time technology has caused the world to “shrink,” with society becoming more global and information- and communication-based. The amount of information that people are exposed to continues to increase exponentially, requiring a new definition of literacy that includes digital literacy and other 21st-century skills. However, the implementation of technology in education has not kept up with how it is used in peoples’ lives. The main role of teachers is to prepare students to become literate, globally informed citizens. Generation Z, or the technology generation, are tech savvy and used to instant action and access to information due to their experiences with the Internet. Although students are proficient with and regularly use mobile devices and other information and communication technologies (ICTs), their teachers have difficulty integrating these technologies into their pedagogy beyond basic functional uses. The goals of educational technology are often not readily apparent in classrooms; this is problematic, as technology has the potential to be used for critical thinking, collaboration, and the dissemination of new knowledge. Therefore, teacher education programs have a responsibility to ensure that teachers of the future are globally aware, proficient with current innovative technology tools and information resources, and have the ability to adapt to tools and educational strategies of the future. Supporting preservice teachers in their acquisition of digital literacy can widen their views of the world and strengthen their skills in locating, assessing, organizing, analyzing, and presenting information. Teaching preservice teachers to use the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model and embedding new technologies throughout teacher education programs can support preservice teachers’ global understandings and information literacy, as well as develop their expertise in the use of the technology itself. Instruction in digital literacies can help preservice teachers to hone their teaching skills and minimize the isolation and anxieties that are often experienced during their field experiences.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Sarah A. AL-Ajmi

<p>A weblog is one of the most effective tools among the latest inventions that enhance student teachers’ learning and practice. With technology becoming crucial for both personal and professional developments, this study focused on the effectiveness of using reflective weblogs in teacher education programs. In this regard, the research investigated the level to which weblogs successfully promote self-reflection and yield peer feedback among student teachers. Furthermore, it explored student teachers’ perceptions regarding the use of weblogs as tools for self-reflection and peer feedback.</p><p>A case study of seven EFL student teachers taking a practicum course at Kuwait University was analyzed in this paper. The study was conducted in the English Curricula and Teaching Methods Department in the College of Education during the first semester of the 2013/2014 academic year. During the 4-week application period, participants were requested to reflect on their teaching practices and provide feedback on their peers’ posts. The data were collected through different qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews and content analysis.</p><p>The findings of the study suggest that the use of the practicum blog is considered to be effective in facilitating student teachers’ ability to reflect upon their teaching practices and provide comments on their peers during the practicum course. Most participants agree on the usefulness of using weblogs in teacher education programs. Overall, the study results show that student teachers find the weblog as an effective tool for writing reflections, sharing ideas, providing feedbacks, and increasing proficiency levels. The results of the study provide the rationale for using weblogs in student teacher education programs.</p>


2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110541
Author(s):  
Malba Barahona ◽  
Stephen Darwin

Internationally, there is increasing interest in the value of incorporating core practices into second language (L2) teacher education programs. This article reports on a research project that investigated how a set core practices are integrated into the Methods courses and practicums in Chilean language teacher education programs for English as a foreign language (EFL). The study was framed by a two-stage, sequential data collection strategy based on a questionnaire ( n = 48) and semi-structured interviews ( n = 21) to university-based, Chilean English teacher educators. The questionnaire identified teaching practices in use, whilst the interviews sought to understand how teacher educators taught these identified teaching practices, as well as the rationale for these choices. Two practices – facilitating target language comprehensibility and building discourse communities – emerged as the most prominent practices. Primarily, these practices were taught through modelling, decomposing, planning and simulations. However, potentially more complex issues around translanguaging, inclusion strategies and cultural practices tended to be framed using more directive and teacher-centred pedagogies. The outcomes of the study highlight several critical issues for L2 teacher education: the relative balance between theoretical and practical domains often compounded by the lack of meaningful opportunities for authentic classroom practice; and the significant challenges faced by teacher educators by engaging in ‘practice’ in a crowded program structure.


2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 60-61
Author(s):  
Joshua P. Starr

Enrollment in teacher education programs has been in decline, and school districts are receiving fewer applications for open teaching positions. PDK CEO Josh Starr considers how to stem this decline by presenting teaching as just one part of a pathway into changing the world through education. Although many students enter teacher preparation programs because they envision themselves making a career in the classroom, others tend to be activists who are looking for a way to serve their community. Teacher preparation programs might be able to draw more of these activist students into the profession by treating the classroom as one step in a larger education profession.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2879
Author(s):  
Sima Zach ◽  
Miki Ophir

Purpose: This study examined the influence of simulation on flexible and reflective thinking in student teachers (STs), and appraised how they evaluate its potential contribution to teacher education programs. Method: Twenty-three Israeli physical education STs participated in a simulation course. They planned teaching-learning conflict scenarios, and served as actors or volunteers in these scenarios, which were filmed and discussed. Discussions were videotaped and transcribed. Content analyses were conducted on the discussions and the written reflections. Results: STs not only increased their flexible and reflective thinking, but they gained an understanding of how to do it independently. As they were learning how to be more open-minded, they were able to feel, think, and behave authentically, and to offer a variety of solutions regarding conflictual situations. Conclusion: STs developed flexible and reflective thinking, and widened their repertoire of behaviors that succeeded in integrating thoughts and feelings into learning-teaching situations.


2022 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Miesera ◽  
Laura Sokal ◽  
Nicole Kimmelmann

This study reports on a cross-national comparison of inclusion-oriented teacher-education programs. Canada and Germany have implemented inclusion in teacher education with the aim of improving inclusion in schools. Previous studies have shown the importance of latent characteristics of prospective teachers for the successful implementation of inclusion in schools and have pointed to the role of inclusion-oriented teacher education in developing these teacher characteristics. To measure potential changes in attitudes, intentions, concerns, and self‑efficacy, 132 student teachers from Germany and Canada were surveyed before and after a course about inclusive education. Internationally validated scales were used: Attitudes towards Inclusion Scale (AIS), Intention to Teach in Inclusive Classroom Scale (ITICS), Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale (CIES), and the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices scale (TEIP). The results of the German and Canadian groups differed: while significant changes in self-efficacy occurred between the first and second measurement points in both countries, the outcome for other factors varied. Significant changes in intentions to use inclusive teaching practices were found in Canada but not in Germany. The results are discussed in the context of the role of teacher-education programs in fostering inclusive teaching practices.


2021 ◽  

This book fills a critical gap in a neglected area in current educational research: international teacher education. The chapters focus on the preparation of teachers of English as an additional language (EAL) in established teacher education programs in 11 countries.


Author(s):  
Cynthia D. White

This chapter seeks to compare and contrast a classroom without student cell phone use in 2000 to the ubiquitous use of cell phones in today's classroom and society. Cell phone use and how to include them in today's classroom is a hot topic in school systems and teacher education programs in America and therefore relevant to establishing instructional guidelines for cell phone inclusion in the classroom. The author will share lived classroom experience in the 20 years from cell phone infancy to usage by more than 90% of students in today's classroom. The author will share effective use of cell phones in the classroom and pitfalls to allowing cell phones in the class without a well-planned instruction basis for cell phone use.


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