Responsive Practices in Online Teacher Education

2016 ◽  
pp. 1331-1348
Author(s):  
Thurídur Jóhannsdóttir

The chapter describes research on the development of teaching and learning in a distance teacher education programme in Iceland. The focus is on challenges that school-based student teachers faced in learning to become online students and the way in which their experience of teaching in schools contributed to the development of teaching and learning in the programme. Cultural-historical activity theory was used for analysing the development of individuals and activity systems as a dialectical process. The expansive learning theory directed the contradiction analysis to reveal tensions and challenges in the development of practice within the programme, as well as future developmental possibilities. Data includes interviews with school-based student teachers and observation of face-to-face sessions, as well as transcriptions of online courses. Results indicate that a combination of non-traditional student groups and new online tools called for changed practice in teacher education and that a new model of teaching and learning is emerging. In order to develop this model, schools and the teacher education faculty need to look at the education of student teachers as a shared responsibility and negotiate acceptable arrangements for the institutions involved.

Author(s):  
Thurídur Jóhannsdóttir

The chapter describes research on the development of teaching and learning in a distance teacher education programme in Iceland. The focus is on challenges that school-based student teachers faced in learning to become online students and the way in which their experience of teaching in schools contributed to the development of teaching and learning in the programme. Cultural-historical activity theory was used for analysing the development of individuals and activity systems as a dialectical process. The expansive learning theory directed the contradiction analysis to reveal tensions and challenges in the development of practice within the programme, as well as future developmental possibilities. Data includes interviews with school-based student teachers and observation of face-to-face sessions, as well as transcriptions of online courses. Results indicate that a combination of non-traditional student groups and new online tools called for changed practice in teacher education and that a new model of teaching and learning is emerging. In order to develop this model, schools and the teacher education faculty need to look at the education of student teachers as a shared responsibility and negotiate acceptable arrangements for the institutions involved.


Author(s):  
Thurídur Jóhannsdóttir

The chapter describes research on the development of teaching and learning in a distance teacher education programme in Iceland. The focus is on challenges that school-based student teachers faced in learning to become online students and the way in which their experience of teaching in schools contributed to the development of teaching and learning in the programme. Cultural-historical activity theory was used for analysing the development of individuals and activity systems as a dialectical process. The expansive learning theory directed the contradiction analysis to reveal tensions and challenges in the development of practice within the programme, as well as future developmental possibilities. Data includes interviews with school-based student teachers and observation of face-to-face sessions, as well as transcriptions of online courses. Results indicate that a combination of non-traditional student groups and new online tools called for changed practice in teacher education and that a new model of teaching and learning is emerging. In order to develop this model, schools and the teacher education faculty need to look at the education of student teachers as a shared responsibility and negotiate acceptable arrangements for the institutions involved.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 273-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Costa Ribas ◽  
Cristiane Manzan Perine

AbstractThis paper aims to investigate the beliefs of student teachers on a distance teacher education course about being an English teacher in Brazil. The theoretical framework of this paper is based on studies about beliefs in language teaching and learning (Barcelos and Kalaja 2011. Introduction to beliefs about SLA revisited. System 39(3). 281–289), and distant teacher education (Borg et al. 2014. The impact of teacher education on pre-service primary English language teachers. London: British Council). Data were collected in a supervised teaching practicum course in an English Language and Literature Distance Programme provided by a federal public university in Brazil. The data stem from visual narratives and meta-narratives posted on two online discussion forums. It is expected that the results of this study will contribute to advancing research on the use of visual materials in the investigation of beliefs, and that they will foster the debate on the contributions of visual narratives to teachers’ reflections, particularly in distance teacher education settings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 368-386
Author(s):  
Lexie Grudnoff ◽  
Helen Dixon ◽  
Jill Murray

Abstract The international problem of differential achievement between groups of students has particular significance for New Zealand given its persistent problem of inequitable outcomes for Māori and Pasifika students, and those from poor communities. This qualitative study investigated how engagement in teacher inquiry supported student teachers’ understandings of, and practice for, equity. The 28 participants were in a one-year, equity-oriented Master’s initial teacher education programme. The data set comprised 84 research-related assignments participants completed for their teacher inquiry course. Thematic data analysis showed that the structured inquiry process supported participants to challenge inequity by problematizing student engagement and to address this by using a range of evidence to enhance their teaching. Overall, the study suggests that inquiry as research process and stance, along with the application of the Facets equity framework in authentic teaching and learning contexts, is a powerful source of student teacher equity-focused professional learning and practice.


2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilie Flo Jahreie

The theory-practice gap is a recurring problem in teacher education. This article is concerned with how student teachers learn to teach at the boundaries between university courses and internships. I investigate how participants create meaning around scientific concepts, and how they respond to the institutional context they act in, thereby making it relevant. These questions are addressed by employing the Cultural-Historical Activity theory. The study took place at the Department for Teacher Education and School Research at the University of Oslo. The data are based on extensive observations in various settings at the university and schools offering internships. Interaction analysis is used to analyze participation in different settings. The analysis shows that the students encounter divergent structures and discourses in the course of their learning trajectories. What counts as knowledge differs between universities and schools, and within the university. In teacher-led situations, student teachers are positioned in relation to the teachers and mentors, with few opportunities for knowledge construction. The study also shows instances where the student teachers explore and elaborate upon knowledge in new ways, such as in group collaborations. From the perspective of the student, it seems reasonable to argue that the contradictions within and between the activity systems serve as constraints on learning. However, to create coherent programs, concepts and ideas about teaching and learning have to be shared by Departments of Teacher Education DTEs and partner schools.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Marianne Leikvoll Eide ◽  
May-Britt Revheim Brekke ◽  
Asle Holthe

I denne artikkelen settes søkelyset på praksissamtalen som gjennomføres når lærerstudenter er i praksis. Studentgruppen møter praksislærer på praksisskolen og faglærer fra høgskolen etter en planlagt og gjennomført undervisningsøkt. En av intensjonene i en integrert lærerutdanning er å utvikle lærerprofesjonalitet ved å koble praksis og teori.Gjennom fokusgruppeintervju med to studentgrupper undersøkte vi problemstillingen: Hvordan opplever og forstår lærerstudentene praksissamtalens hensikt, innhold og kontekst? Teoretisk utgangspunkt for analysen var ulike tilnærminger til profesjoners kunnskapsgrunnlag og litteratur om relasjonsaspektet i faglige dialoger.Studentenes sterke vektlegging av relasjonelle og emosjonelle aspekter ved praksissamtalens kontekst og deres manglende forståelse av teoriens plass i samtalen, var iøynefallende i dette datamaterialet. Deres forståelse av praksis og teori som to atskilte verdener bekreftet tidligere undersøkelser. Resultatene viser at utfordringer og støtte må balanseres i den faglige praksissamtalen, slik at det relasjonelle aspektet bidrar til å fremme, ikke hemme, faglige utfordringer i samtalen.Med utgangspunkt i resultatene drøftes studentenes behov for trygghet og trivsel og deres sårbarhet i veiledningssamtaler, opp mot behovet for utvikling av lærerprofesjonalitet gjennom profesjonens allsidige kunnskapsgrunnlag. Artikkelen argumenterer for at det å utfordre kan være en form for støtte, og at ulike kunnskapsformer bør praktiseres i en dialogisk praksissamtale for at studentene skal oppleve helhet og sammenheng i lærerutdanningen.Nøkkelord: praksissamtale, lærerutdanning, lærerprofesjonalitet, teori/praksis, kunnskapsformer, dialogAbstractThis article focuses on the student-supervisor conversations that take place when student teachers are out in practice. Following planned teaching sessions at their practice schools, student groups meet with their practice-training supervisors and subject teachers from the college. This helps to fulfil one of the aims of an integrated teacher education programme, which is to develop teacher pro¬fessionalism by connecting practice and theory.Based on focus-group interviews with two student groups, we investigated the question: How do student teachers experience and perceive the purpose of the student-supervisor conversations in practice – the content and context? The theoretical basis for the analysis was various approaches to the knowledge basis of professions, and literature about issues of relations in professional conversations.A striking feature of the material was the great stress the students placed on the relational and emotional aspects of the student-supervisor conversations, and their lack of understanding of the role of theory in the conversation. Their perception of practice and theory as two distinct worlds confirms earlier research findings. The results reveal that there must be a balance between challenges and support in the professional conversations, so that the relational aspect can help to promote rather than inhibit discussions of professional challenges.Based on the results, the discussion highlights the students’ need for security and well-being, and their vulnerability in the supervision conversations, juxtaposed to the need to develop teacher professionalism founded on the profession’s comprehensive knowledge base. This article argues that challenging may be a kind of support, and that both practical and theoretical forms of knowledge are important if students are to experience the totality and connections within teacher education in a dialogical student-supervisor conversation.Keywords: student-supervisor conversation, teacher education, teacher pro-fessionalism, theory/practice, forms of knowledge, dialogue


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-57
Author(s):  
Eyolf Thovsen Nysæther ◽  
Catharina Christophersen ◽  
Jon Helge Sætre

This study is based on data from a national survey of generalist student teachers specialising in music in the new five-year primary and lower secondary school teacher education programme in Norway. The study aims to map students’ backgrounds, experiences of the educational programme and visions for their future practice as generalist music teachers in schools. The theoretical perspective is cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). The findings suggest that generalist teacher education music programmes reproduce patterns of inequality. These patterns should be addressed in the future development of the programmes; however, the current lack of diversity may inhibit conditions for transformation and change.


Author(s):  
Darshana Sharma

Teaching Practice is widely recognised as the sine-qua-non of any teacher education programme. It is a component in the teacher preparation programme where prospective teachers are provided with an opportunity to put their theoretical studies into practice, get feedback, reflect on practice and consequently further improve their teaching skills. As teaching practice is an important component of a teacher education programme, considerable attention must be given to make it more effective and fruitful. This paper is based on a research study conducted to know pre-service teachers' experiences of the quality of teaching practice and the common concerns they have during teaching practice. On the basis of focussed group discussion a total of five themes were identified, these are (1) usefulness of teaching practice (2) experiences/concerns with pupils' behaviour (3) experiences/concerns with own behaviour (4) experiences/concerns with supervisors' behaviour (5) experiences/concerns with institutional and personal adjustments. The outcome of the focussed group discussion was used to prepare a structured questionnaire. Among other things, the study recommended rigorous practical training in lesson planning, demonstration lessons by teacher educators, simulated teaching before the commencement of practice teaching, school orientation programmes, a separate internship of two weeks and writing a journal by student teachers during teaching practice.


Pythagoras ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wajeeh Daher

This article studies student teachers’ perceptions of the pedagogic and didactic aspects of teaching and learning mathematics in a democratic classroom. It is concerned primarily with issues of democracy in the mathematics classroom, specifically freedom, equality and dialogue. The research was conducted in two mathematics teacher education classes, where students were in their third year of study to major in mathematics. To find these students’ perceptions of democracy in the mathematics classroom the first two stages of the constant comparison method were followed to arrive at categories of democratic and undemocratic acts. The participants in the research emphasised that instructors should refrain from giving some students more time or opportunities to express themselves or act in the mathematics classroom than other students, because this would make them feel unequal and possibly make them unwilling to participate further in the mathematics classroom. The participants also emphasised that instructors should not exert their power to stop the flow of students’ actions in the mathematics classroom, because this would trouble them and make them lose control of their actions. Further, the participants mentioned that instructors would do better to connect to students’ ways of doing mathematics, especially of defining mathematical terms, so that students appreciate the correct ways of doing mathematics and defining its terms.


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