scholarly journals Challenges for First Time GIS User among Student Teachers

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

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p>

scholarly journals Identifying Student Teachers’ Inquiry-Related Questions in Biology Lessons

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 87
Author(s):  
Matti Hiltunen ◽  
Sirpa Kärkkäinen ◽  
Tuula Keinonen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Secondary School Student ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Factual Knowledge ◽  
Primary School Student ◽  
Video And Audio ◽  
Higher Order Questioning

Prior research has shown that both teacher-led and recitation questions dominate in classrooms; teachers ask closed-ended questions more than open-ended questions. Even though classroom questioning has been studied in many previous studies there has been very limited research addressing the questioning of student teachers during inquiry-based biology lessons focusing on the inquiry stages: introduction, examination, and conclusion. In this study, a total of 21 lessons by 12 student teachers in primary and secondary schools were video- and audio-recorded. The recorded discussions were transcribed and the qualities of the questions were analyzed using content analysis, and the questions of student teachers were categorized into 10 different question categories. The findings revealed that primary school student teachers asked mainly for factual knowledge, concepts, and basic knowledge of species in all inquiry stages. Secondary school student teachers also asked mainly for concepts and basic knowledge of species. They also asked students to generate ideas and explain their answers, especially in the examination and conclusion stages. The present study indicates that student teachers’ questioning needs to be developed more towards higher-order questioning such as analyzing, synthetizing, and evaluating to scaffold students in inquiries and develop future teachers’ questioning skills in teacher education.

iTE

2018 ◽  
pp. 2104-2118
Author(s):  
Brendan Mac Mahon ◽  
Seán Ó Grádaigh ◽  
Sinéad Ní Ghuidhir
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Resource Sharing ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Pedagogical Knowledge ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
Teaching Learning

Research on the use of iPad in initial teacher education is limited. This paper outlines a study to examine how the professional learning and pedagogical knowledge development of student teachers could be supported following 1:1 iPad deployment on a second level initial teacher education programme in Ireland. Findings show that iPad can be utilised both as an effective pedagogical tool and as a medium for the creation of new learning spaces where student teachers' professional and pedagogical knowledge development is supported through feedback, peer-learning, resource sharing and critical reflection. Creating resources with and for iPad as part of a collaborative design process can also support student teachers in developing and integrating technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) within their approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. Implications for initial teacher education providers and the integration of technology within schools are outlined.

scholarly journals Interdisciplinarity in Teacher Education: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Educational Innovation Project

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsa Santaolalla ◽  
Belén Urosa ◽  
Olga Martín ◽  
Ana Verde ◽  
Tamara Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Educational Innovation ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Teaching Skills ◽  
School Students ◽  
Innovation Project

Interdisciplinary projects play an important role in the development of a student profile based on the 21st century skills. Nevertheless, the implementation of an interdisciplinary approach is a challenge for both teachers and teacher educators. The aim of this study is to create an interdisciplinary model for teacher education, and to provide an empirical study which analyses its impact on learning. An educational innovation project was carried out with preservice teachers who experienced and subsequently designed a Problem Based Learning with interdisciplinary activities including Mathematics and Social Sciences, using the National Archaeological Museum as an educational resource. The proposals were implemented amongst children to evaluate the project’s effectiveness, considering two aspects: (a) improved teaching skills for preservice teachers (N = 26) and (b) improved learning for Mathematics and Social Sciences content amongst primary school children (N = 58). In the case of the student teachers, the variance analysis implemented showed sufficient empirical evidence of the improvement between the pre and post treatment, in different dimensions of the teaching skills and competences. On the primary school students, some significantly statistic progresses were found concerning the learning of both subjects, as well as their perception of museums as place for learning.

scholarly journals Student teachers’ conditions for professional learning on and across the learning arenas of teacher education

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 105-116
Author(s):  
Finn Daniel Raaen ◽  
Kirsten Elisabeth Thorsen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Theoretical Line ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap

Teacher education is supposed to be able to offer student teachers professional learning that will enable them to deal with the academic and social needs they may be confronted with in school. This calls for teacher education based on a coherent and meaningful division of labour between the learning activities that take place on campus and in placement schools. This has proved difficult to achieve. Research shows a significant gap in the way teacher education is organised. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the development of a theoretically grounded account of the so-called “theory-practice” gap in teacher education, which can move us beyond the simple dichotomies that currently seem to annoy much research and practitioners’ interest in this field. We argue that achieving such an account will require the expansion of more equal and mutually negotiated professional learning in teacher education, that can contribute to enhancing student teachers’ professional learning, on and across the various learning arenas of teacher education. We seek to achieve this objective by following a theoretical line of inquiry, supported with empirical data. Our theoretical rationale is based on socio-cultural learning theory, where coherence, transboundary translation, and re-contextualisation are important subordinate theoretical-analytical terms.

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

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.

scholarly journals A QUALITATIVE APPROACH TO STUDY THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE OF TEACHER-EDUCATORS AND STUDENT-TEACHERS IN INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasreen Akhtar ◽  
Intazzar Hussain Butt
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Science Teacher Education ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
General View ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Understanding Of Science

There is a general view that the transmission style of teaching is inadequate in helping students develop their learning in science, particularly in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Pakistan. Inquiry-based pedagogy in science is considered key means of improving an understanding of science and helps students cultivate their science literate thinking and develop their confidence to teach science effectively. In light of the key roles of inquiry-based pedagogy in initial science teacher education, this study explores the perceptions of teachers and students at a university in Punjab as how they understand the elements and process of inquiry-based pedagogy. The research is innovative in the context of exploring teacher-educators’ and student-teachers’ perceptions of inquiry-based pedagogy and also in relation to inquiry in the practicalities of their teaching at University in Punjab (Pakistan). Data has been collected using 2 focus groups with student-teachers and 20 interviews with teacher-educators. The result of this study indicates that the teachers and students mostly held positive views about inquiry-based pedagogy. Significantly, the teachers and students showed a limited understanding of the elements of inquiry-based pedagogy in ITE but they appreciated that they could facilitate the learning process using inquiry. When inquiry-based instructional strategies are integrated into a teaching science methods course, the majority of teachers developed a fair understanding of inquiry-based strategies in science. Moreover, the biggest challenges to inquiry are a non-supportive university academia, the current curriculum and assessment methods used. Finally, recommendations about the importance of teachers’ and students’ perceptions on inquiry-based pedagogy, arrangement of resources, preparation for teachers and students are made to the teacher-educators, University administration, and Higher Education Authority.

Teaching Ambition Realized: Paul’s Beginning Music Teacher Identity

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-55
Author(s):  
Tami J. Draves
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Identity ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
School Senior ◽  
Music Teacher Identity ◽  
Beliefs About Teaching

The purpose of this particularistic case study was to explore Paul’s teacher identity in his first year as a music educator. I chose Paul purposively because, while a high school senior, he had participated in previous research about teacher socialization. Using Olsen’s sociocultural view of teacher identity as a lens, I examined Paul’s teacher identity including personal beliefs about teaching, how those interacted with professional learning and teacher education experiences, and how Paul made sense of himself as a teacher. Through data analysis I revealed three themes: Becoming Student Focused, Learning to Be Myself as a Teacher, and Taking Ownership. I recommend making preservice and cooperating music teachers more aware of teacher identity models and suggest activities to promote teacher identity development in music teacher education programs. Music teacher educators would benefit from having more teacher identity scholarship focused on music student teachers and beginning music educators.

scholarly journals Mentoring beginning teachers: professional learning for mentees and mentors

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Shanks
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Beginning Teachers ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Beginning Teacher ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Teacher Mentors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Republic

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce this special issue focussing on the mentoring of beginning teachers which supports the professional learning of not only mentees but also mentors. The paper identifies the varied aims of beginning teacher mentoring programmes, some of the reasons for mentoring and an introduction to the six research papers published in the issue. Design/methodology/approach The papers in this issue examine different perspectives relating to the mentoring of student teachers and newly qualified teachers (NQTs). Different types of mentoring relationships are examined in various international contexts. The research, from Australia, the Republic of Ireland, Malta, Norway, Scotland, the USA and Wales, addresses the challenges that can occur in mentoring relationships, and enables us to better understand the professional learning that takes place in successful mentoring relationships. Findings The authors of the papers delineate how critical reflective practice, inquiry into professional practice, collaboration and professional learning for both mentees and mentors are key aims for many mentoring programmes. The six studies used different methods to investigate external and/or school-based mentoring programmes for student teachers and NQTs. Research limitations/implications A snapshot of current research into professional learning is provided with most studies being small qualitative ones. However, common themes can be identified across countries and contexts. The authors of each paper outline the implications for teacher education for their own contexts, as well as for international contexts. Originality/value Teacher education programmes employ mentoring pairs and triads in order to develop particular traits and reflective practices in teachers. Research shows how mentor programmes provide classroom experience and professional learning for student and NQTs as well as professional learning for teacher mentors. University tutors play a key role in supporting not only the mentees and mentors but also the mentoring relationship.

Professional development lost in translation? ‘Organising themes’ in Danish teacher education and how it influences student-teachers’ stories in professional learning communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-375
Author(s):  
Kari Kragh Blume Dahl
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Professional Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Situated Learning ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Everyday Practices ◽  
Teacher Education Institutions

Retaining the quality of teachers and improving teacher education and professional development through professional learning communities (PLCs) has long been on the policy agenda of, among others, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Framework for 21st Century Skills. This study explores and compares student-teachers’ use of PLCs in Danish teacher education institutions and how PLCs are shaped by institutional, organising themes. An ‘organising theme’ is conceptualised as a fundamental ‘idea’ of how – for instance institutional – everyday practices become organised; exploring how institutional organising themes are translated into educational practice in students’ PLCs makes it possible to understand how local moral worlds in teacher education institutions shape students’ communal work and professional development. Drawing on situated learning, social anthropology of institutions and the literature about PLCs, the professional narratives of three Danish student-teachers are compared. The findings suggest that professional development in PLCs takes place in the intersection between personal stories, situated learning in PLCs and institutional themes.

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

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

<p>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.</p>

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