scholarly journals Development and Assessment of Reflective Skills among Teacher Trainees in Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (Issue 3) ◽  
pp. 190-197
Author(s):  
Raymond Martin Ndomba
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Training Institution ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teacher Colleges ◽  
Reflective Skills

Reflective skills are a required ability that needs to be developed and assessed in any teacher training institution for quality practice and overall professional effectiveness. This study employed a case study design in exploring how teacher educators viewed the development and assessment of the reflective skills to the pre-service student teachers and the challenges educators faced among two selected teacher training colleges in Kilimanjaro and Ruvuma Regions. Data was collected through structured interviews to a sample of 10 teacher educators from two teacher colleges. The study concludes that there are different approaches used by educators in as far as developing reflective skills is concerned. These include participatory methods, inquiry learning, research strategy, group discussion, question-answer strategy and portfolios. Participatory strategy was more often used as compared to the other strategies because it is very easy and simple to administer. Each strategy had some peculiar advantages. Teacher educators used various approaches in assessing reflective skills among pre-service student teachers. The strategies used include portfolios, single lesson practice, block teaching practices, problem-solving ability and projects. Each strategy used had some specific advantages as compared to the others. The challenges teacher educators faced in developing and assessing the reflective skills of the pre-service student teachers included personal, professional, psychological and institutional. The study recommends that teacher educators should make effective use of cognitive strategies while teaching. They should also furnish their knowledge and understanding of the subject matter for them to be acquainted with current innovations in order to minimize the notable challenges.

Listening to the Experiences and Concerns of Pre-Service Teachers During Teaching Practice Programme

2021 ◽  
pp. 14-27
Author(s):  
Darshana Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Teacher Education Programme ◽  
Practice Teaching

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.

Assessed by Anonymous

2021 ◽  
pp. 132-151
Author(s):  
Thomas Huston
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Teacher Training ◽  
Performance Assessment ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Performance ◽  
Performance Assessments ◽  
Teacher Performance Assessment ◽  
Scholarly Discourse ◽  
Thematic Data

This study sought to contribute to the scholarly discourse of understanding how pre-service student teachers experienced evaluation via teacher performance assessments (TPAs). More specifically, this study sought to explore the experiences that pre-service teachers underwent to complete the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA). Through extensive interviews and thematic data analysis, this research discerned what the informants' experiences were. Although informants experienced many benefits while completing their portfolios, three primary areas of struggle emerged from the data. First, informants struggled with interpreting and navigating the edTPA assessment handbook. Second, informants had problems adapting edTPA requirements to their teaching. Third, informants experienced problems with their concept of audience. As a result, the findings reported in this study have numerous implications that would prove beneficial to teacher educators, institutions of teacher training, policymakers, designers of assessments, and future and current educators.

Teacher educators’ visions of pedagogical training within instrumental higher music education. A case in Finland

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marja-Leena Juntunen
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Vocal Music ◽  
Good Teaching ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Pedagogical Training

The purpose of this study was to examine the visions of teacher educators of instrumental pedagogy (n = 12) in higher music education regarding ‘good’ teaching and instrumental student teacher preparation. The theoretical basis for the study was research on teachers’ visions (Hammerness, 2006): teachers’ own conceptions of ideal teaching practices. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysed by qualitative content analysis. The interviewed teachers’ visions of good teaching of instrumental pedagogy were closely related to their visions of good teaching of instrumental or vocal music, which they attempted to communicate to their student teachers. The process of teacher development was primarily understood as acquiring a package of skills and knowledge that are partly instrument specific, partly generic, and strongly influenced by the labour market. Teaching practice was considered essential, and was perceived as building connections between theory and practical application. The findings support prior research within Nordic teacher education (Hammerness, 2012), in that faculty members’ visions related to teaching are individual and only partly negotiated with their colleagues.

scholarly journals TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF ASSESSMENT RUBRICS IN ASSESSING STUDENTS’ LEARNING AT HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 35-43
Author(s):  
Ghulam Abbas ◽  
◽  
Sadruddin Bahadur Qutoshi ◽  
Dil Angaiz ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Gilgit Baltistan

This study aims to explore teachers’ perceptions and practices of the use of rubrics in assessing students’ learning in the context of higher education institutions in Gilgit-Baltistan. A case study method of inquiry within a qualitative paradigm was adopted to collect the relevant data through semi-structured interviews from three purposefully selected teacher-educators (instructors) and six student-teachers (prospective teachers) of semester III and IV from one of the colleges of education. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis and following themes were emerged: (1) the importance of assessment rubrics in teaching and learning processes, (2) effectiveness of rubrics in assessing teaching and learning, (3) coconstruction of assessment rubrics by student-teachers and teacher-educators, and (4) the challenges for student-teachers and teacher-educators in developing and using of assessment rubrics. From the discussion on the emerging themes, it is concluded that (a) use of assessment rubrics makes assessment process more meaningful to both teacher-educators and students-teachers; and (b) use of rubrics makes student-teachers and teacher-educators more focused on their purpose of teaching and learning outcomes. It is recommended that teacher-educators in teacher training institutions should use rubrics to assess prospective-teachers so that they, after completing their degree programs, would use similar techniques in their respective schools to assess their students’ learning outcomes effectively. Keywords: Assessment, Assessment Rubrics, Rubric Design, Teaching and Learning.

scholarly journals Comparing the school-university partnership practices in Education College and University: Student teachers' perspectives 

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khin Khin Thant Sin
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
University Partnerships ◽  
College And University ◽  
Education College ◽  
University Partnership ◽  
Main Components ◽  
Support Teacher ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

Collaboration and networking between universities and schools are the main components to support teacher education in this 21st century. This article investigated into the current practices of the school-university partnership (SUP) in two teacher training institutes in Myanmar. The aim of the article is to understand current collaboration practices between university, college, and schools. A qualitative method was conducted in this study through focus group, formal and informal interviews. The teacher educators’ demonstrations of teaching are observed. The interview results showed that there is a lack of a strong partnership between partners, focusing more on administrative purposes, rather than the training of student teachers. Observation showed that school-university partnerships would be more effective in teacher training if the school teachers and teacher educators collaborate in the demonstrative teaching for student teachers.

scholarly journals Institutional conditions for preparing critically reflective TEFL teachers in the PGDT Program of three Ethiopian universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 321-343
Author(s):  
Roba Danbi ◽  
Dereje Tadesse
Keyword(s):  
Student Teachers ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Institutional Conditions ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Research ◽  
Teacher Education Institution ◽  
The Government

This paper assesses the role played by the institutional context in the preparation of critically reflective TEFL teachers in the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (PGDT) program of Dilla, Haramaya, and Hawasa Universities, Ethiopia. It examines the extent to which structured opportunities for reflection are used in the three institutions. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies was employed for collecting information regarding reflective practice in the PGDT program of the three universities. Multilevel mixed-method sampling techniques were utilized to select participants. Data were collected using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and observation, and interpreted using simple statistical analysis and descriptive narrative approach. The study shows that most of the participants lack sufficient theoretical and practical knowledge of reflective practice. It shows that structured opportunities for reflection were not created for student teachers to practice reflection. The researchers, therefore, recommend that the government, curriculum designers, teacher education institution, and teacher educators create a common understanding about the goal of the program, and deliberately setup some structured opportunities to promote reflection in the institutions.

scholarly journals Do Trainee Mindfulness Teachers Practice What They Teach? Motivation, Challenges, and Learning Gaps

Mindfulness ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Bowden ◽  
Katie Norton ◽  
Gemma Maria Griffith
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Community Settings ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Trainee Teachers ◽  
Teacher Competency ◽  
Reflective Skills ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis

Abstract Objectives Research concerned with mindfulness-based program (MBP) teacher training has focused on the importance of developing teacher competency and integrity, with little emphasis on the experience of trainees themselves. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of trainee MBPs teachers as they delivered their first MBPs, with a focus on how they utilized their personal mindfulness practice to support themselves during this time. Methods We explored the experiences of university-based trainee teachers of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) when starting to teach, the ways they negotiated any challenges, and the extent to which they felt supported by their mindfulness practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with new MBSR teachers currently on a training course (N = 8). The interview data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results The key findings of the study were that trainee teachers were deeply motivated to teach MBPs with great integrity; did not anticipate the amount of time and effort needed to deliver their first MBSR courses; had concerns about the viability of the 8-week format of MBSR; needed more development in the area of self-reflection; and do indeed practice what they teach, and used their personal mindfulness practice to work with challenges. Conclusions These findings show that trainee mindfulness teachers are actively engaged with developing their teaching skills, and offer directions for how the pedagogy of MBP teacher training may be further developed. Trainees might benefit from additional pedagogical input on the practicalities of delivering MBSR in community settings, and on the development of reflective skills.

scholarly journals Tutors’ perceptions about science curriculum reforms and challenges for their implementation in Teacher Training Colleges in Rwanda

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-116
Author(s):  
Camille Kanamugire ◽  
Lakhan Lal Yadav ◽  
Agnes Mbonyiryivuze
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Laboratory Equipment ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Teacher Training Colleges ◽  
Curriculum Reforms

This paper reports science tutors’ perceptions about science curriculum reforms occurred in Rwanda from 1996 to 2013 in Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs). It also highlights their perceptions about challenges and factors for effective implementation of Integrated Science Curriculum (ISC). Data for the study were collected from 26 science tutors teaching ISC in 11 TTCs from 4 provinces using questionnaires and structured interviews. Results showed that a slim majority of science tutors were not resistant to curriculum reform. Even if most of the science tutors were confident while teaching most of the topics in ISC, they have experienced some difficulties in teaching physics and cross-cutting domains related topics as well as practical activities. Other identified challenges include lack of qualified tutors to teach ISC in TTCs, insufficient contact hours allocated to ISC topics, tutors’ heavy workload, lack of sufficient science laboratory equipment and materials. In addition to TTC libraries that are not well equipped, lack of textbooks and teacher’s guides, as well as lack of in-service tutors’ training, were stressed to be some of the challenges. Even if it was found that most competencies, skills, knowledge and attitudes gained by student-teachers after completing ISC were highly rated by science tutors, communication skills and problem-solving skills that are claimed to be important skills needed by graduates of science in the workplaces were poorly rated. The recommended strategies to overcome the identified challenges include active involvement of TTCs’ science tutors in designing and development of ISC. Moreover, all TTCs should be provided with qualified science tutors to teach ISC. Training for in-service science tutors, recruitment of qualified tutors, and provision of adequate facilities, libraries and well-equipped science laboratories for all TTCs are also recommended.

scholarly journals Voices from Within: Student Teachers’ Experiences in English Academic Writing Socialization at One Indonesian Teacher Training Program

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amirul Mukminin ◽  
Raden Ali ◽  
Muhammad Ashari
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teacher Training Program ◽  
English Academic Writing

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of Indonesian student teachers in English academic writing socialization at one public university teacher-training program in Jambi, Indonesia. The theoretical framework of cultural capital was used to guide the study. The data were collected through demographic profiles and semi-structured in- depth interviews with student teachers. The constant comparative method guided the data analysis. Five salient themes that emerged in this research were (1) no writing cultural backgrounds, (1) needing long-lasting exposure and internalization, (3) lack of academic writing socialization, (4) lack of institutional supports, and (5) lack of lecturers’ help due to higher power distance. The findings of this study provide evidence for policy makers and teacher educators to understand how teacher education management related to the English academic writing internalization should be improved at the program level. Policy implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals How different reflective learning activities introduced into a postgraduate teacher training programme in England promote reflection and increase the capacity to learn

2018 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-73
Author(s):  
Melissa Jane Hannah Mantle
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Reflective Learning ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Training Institution ◽  
Education Student ◽  
Learning Sets

Student teachers in England are expected to learn from experience in order to become reflective practitioners and to achieve Qualified Teacher Status. This study is a qualitative project studying whether and how different reflective learning activities introduced into a postgraduate teacher training programme promote reflection and increase the capacity to learn. It takes an interpretative approach, generating qualitative data on the reflection of students and the most effective learning methods. The study took place over a one-year period in one teacher training institution. The data arose from Post Graduate Certificate of Education student teacher responses to different reflective learning activities and subsequent interviews followed by an evaluation of the effectiveness of the overall learning strategy. Of the four activities used to promote reflective learning (discussion groups, action learning sets, journals and interviews), the action learning sets had the most impact on the student teachers’ ability to reflect. The implication for initial teacher training programmes is that providers need to recognise the importance of oral reflection within a communal setting.

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