scholarly journals Linguistic norms in preschool education: A critical perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Wedin ◽  
Jenny Rosén
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Ideologies ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Preschool Teacher ◽  
Language Diversity ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Teacher Students

The aim of this article is to generate knowledge about language ideologies in teacher education in Sweden from a critical perspective. In order to achieve an equal education, we argue that it is important that teachers are able to develop an approach and pedagogy that can support all pupils despite their linguistic background to achieve the goals in school. The focus of this article is on language ideologies in teacher education for preschool teachers and how ideological and implementational spaces for language diversity is constructed and negotiated in the education. The empirical material was produced during four years through observations, individual interviews and focus group interviews with educators in the teacher education and a group of ten students in the preschool teacher program, who were admitted to the program based on their migration background. The analysis shows that there is a monolingual standardized norm for Swedish both prevailing in the teacher education and pointing towards their future jobs as preschool teachers. In order to become legitimate members in the group of preschool teacher students and a future community of practice of preschool teachers, the students adjusted to this norm. We identified ideological spaces for multilingualism in the education but the possibilities to implement them were few. Thus, there was a tension between pluralism and diversity on the one side and a strong demand for adjustment to a monolingual standardized language norm for minority students on the other side. As teacher educators we realize the value and necessity of a common language norm, and we are as scholars reproducing such norms of academic language through the writing of this article. At the same time, we argue that it is important to include a multilingual pedagogy in the teacher education that can i) include and support the linguistic repertoires of students in the program and ii) prepare students for their future work in language heterogenous preschools and schools

scholarly journals Situating ICT in early childhood teacher education

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davoud Masoumi
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher ◽  
Preschool Teacher ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Childhood Education

AbstractPreparing the next generation of preschool teachers who can integrate and make use of ICT to capitalise on and develop young children’s digital competences remains a challenging goal for teacher education programmes (TEP). Given the current gaps in the literature, this study aims to expand and deepen our understanding of the extent to which early childhood pre-service teachers encounter ICT during their training and how they are prepared to use digital technologies in their future practices. The empirical data was generated through a focus group study with pre-service teachers and interview with their teacher educators at an institution of higher education in Sweden. The findings of the study suggest that pre-service teachers feel they have not been adequately prepared to integrate ICT into their future educational practices in preschool. Teacher educators, however, demonstrated a completely different perspective, highlighting a variety of initiatives that they were implementing to prepare the next generation of preschool teachers to use digital technologies. It will discuss why pre-service teachers, unlike teacher educators, feel they are not being adequately prepared to use digital technologies in early childhood education. The study also provides a detailed account of the varied procedures involved in preparing pre-service teachers’ digital competences and makes recommendations to teacher educators on how to enhance future preschool teachers’ TPACK.

scholarly journals How Students of Preschool Education Perceive Their Play Competences – An Analysis of Their Involvement in Children’s Play

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-130
Author(s):  
Sanja Tatalović Vorkapić ◽  
Vesna Katić
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Educational Work ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Children’S Play

Preschool teachers play a very important but highly sensitive role in preschool children’s play. It is therefore very important to build their play competences in a quality way. As this is not easily achieved, the main objective of the present study was to analyse the roles of students of preschool education in children’s play. The study included 36 students enrolled at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka, Croatia. Through a qualitative analysis of the students’ preparations for their practice, it was determined that the majority of students use didactic play and play with rules with children. Although the students demonstrated the expected role in children’s play, which positively influenced the educational work and the overall well-being of the children, some of the students were not decisive. Thus, the question arises as to how to improve the acquisition of play competences in students of preschool education.

Organization of Practice-Oriented Assessment of Educational Results of Future Preschool Teachers by WorldSkills Standards

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 94-101
Author(s):  
Ulsutueva Oyuna D. ◽  
◽  
Lysikova Tatjyana S. ◽  
Tayurskaya Olga Yu. ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Preschool Teacher ◽  
State University ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Integrated Practice ◽  
The University ◽  
Operational Component

The authors of the article note the relevance of introducing into the educational system of the university the possibility of choosing forms of evaluation of educational results of students, which will reveal the skills of professional activities that are important for the labor market. The article reveals the specifics of the organization of a practice-oriented assessment of the educational results of future preschool teachers according to WorldSkills standards in the conditions of quasi-professional activity, Namely, the characteristics of the activities of the teacher of preschool education, provided in various standards, presented the experience of the participation of teachers of the Department of Theory and Methodology of Preschool Education of the Transbaikal State University as compatriots and experts in the competition of professional skills WorldSkills Russia, on the basis of which the criteria for evaluating educational results were developed on the examination of the discipline “Mathematical Development of early and preschool children” teachers of pre-school education, as well as described the possibility of organizing a demonstration exam at the university on the example of one discipline. Consequently, the training of a preschool teacher has a special place in the operational component of professional readiness, and the organization of integrated practice-oriented assessment of the educational results of the graduate becomes important in the higher education system.

scholarly journals Between ideal teaching and ‘what works’: The transmission and transformation of a content area from university to school placements within physical education teacher education

2020 ◽  
pp. 1356336X2094957
Author(s):  
Björn Tolgfors ◽  
Erik Backman ◽  
Gunn Nyberg ◽  
Mikael Quennerstedt
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Content Area ◽  
Physical Education Teacher ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
What Works ◽  
Group Interviews

The purpose of this study is to explore the recontextualisation of Assessment for Learning (AfL) as a particular content area in the transition between a university course and a school placement course within Swedish physical education teacher education (PETE). By combining Basil Bernstein’s pedagogic device and Stephen Ball’s performativity perspective, we alternately ask how AfL is constructed as a pedagogic discourse and what AfL becomes in different contexts within PETE. Nine students attending a Swedish PETE programme participated in the study. The empirical material was collected through one seminar and two group interviews at the university, as well as through nine individual interviews based on lesson observations at different school placements. Our findings highlight five recontextualising rules, which indicate that: (1) the task of integrating assessment into teaching enables the use of AfL; (2) an exclusive focus on summative assessment and grading constrains the use of AfL; (3) a lack of critical engagement with physical education teaching traditions constrains the use of AfL; (4) knowing the pupils is crucial for the use of AfL; and (5) the framing of the school placements determines how AfL can be used. As a consequence of these rules, AfL was transformed into three different fabrications: (1) AfL as ideal teaching; (2) AfL as correction of shortcomings; and (3) AfL as ‘what works’. One conclusion from this study is that increased collaboration between teacher educators and cooperating teachers in schools can help strengthen PETE’s influence on school physical education.

scholarly journals Internationalization of Canadian Teacher Education: Teacher Candidates’ Experiences and Perspectives

2020 ◽  
pp. 209653112094604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Guo ◽  
Shibao Guo
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
Social Imaginary ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Internationalization At Home ◽  
Everyday Realities

Purpose: Informed by social imaginary, Canadian exceptionalism, and social inclusion, this study explores how teacher candidates experience and interpret internationalization at home at one university in Canada. Design/Approach/Methods: Data were collected from three sources: (a) policy analyses of public documents related to internationalization in Canada and at the university; (b) a student survey on the internationalization of higher education; and (c) individual interviews with 12 teacher candidates. Eight interviewees were local, four White and four racialized minorities, and four were international. Findings: Findings indicate that most participants relate internationalization to student mobility. They present the Canadian society and themselves as open, tolerant, and accepting. Such an imaginary of Canadian exceptionalism does not necessarily coincide with everyday realities of international and racialized teacher candidates. They reported that they experienced Eurocentric curricula, different forms of exclusion, and racism. Some participants enacted agency to disrupt the dominance of White perspectives. Originality/Value: This research addresses knowledge gaps related to internationalization policy as teacher candidates’ voices are not often heard in internationalization initiatives. The study suggests that the internationalization of teacher education requires decolonization of curriculum, bridging with anti-racism education, and the internationalization of teacher educators.

scholarly journals Attitudes of Teacher Educators in Aotearoa New Zealand towards Bilingualism and Language Diversity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Hilary Anne Smith
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Studies ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Diversity ◽  
Language Awareness ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Medium Level ◽  
Critical Language Awareness ◽  
Language Issues

<p>This thesis examines the attitudes of teacher educators in Aotearoa New Zealand towards bilingualism and language diversity. The research used a theoretical framework developed from the social psychology of language to test a model which incorporated a critical language awareness perspective. A postal questionnaire was sent to 831 staff at all 22 institutions providing teacher education for the compulsory (primary and secondary) education sector. The response rate of 63.8% was very high for a postal survey. Questions were based around three scenarios which investigated issues for a bilingual child in the classroom, the value of language diversity in education, and wider curriculum issues concerning bilingualism and language diversity. Ivanic's (1990) outline of critical language awareness underpinned the analytical approach adopted. The questionnaire design allowed for a comparison between attitudes towards Maori, French, Samoan, Korean, Russian and Somali students in the first two scenarios, by varying the language and ethnicity in the scenarios given to each respondent. Significant differences were found for five of the ten questions. Bilingual-supportive responses for a question about English use in the classroom were more likely by respondents who were asked about a French or Maori child, and less likely by those asked about a Samoan or Somali child. Bilingualsupportive responses for a question about English use at home were also more likely by those who were asked about a French child, and less likely by those asked about a Korean child. Diversity-supportive attitudes were more likely to be expressed towards Maori than any of the other languages for questions about a student teacher's accent, incorporating the language into a social studies unit, and children learning the language. A Russian or Samoan student teacher's accent elicited the least supportive responses, while French, Korean or Russian languages were least likely to be supported in a social studies unit. In the third scenario, attitudes towards language issues in the curriculum showed a medium level of critical awareness. A follow-up study to check on the validity of the research investigated materials from a group of 19 questionnaire respondents, and a comparison was made with their questionnaire responses. There was a medium level of critical language awareness evident in the materials, which generally showed a high level of congruence with the questionnaire. The model found that the teacher educators' approach to bilingualism and language diversity was determined by the ethnolinguistic vitality of the language groups (higher in the cases of Maori and sometimes French), and mediated by their levels of language awareness. Personal backgrounds were not found to be significant. This research points to the need for the development of a coherent theory of language in education in Aotearoa New Zealand, and highlights the role linguists can play in promoting knowledge on language issues. Results also identified a need for policy development to include all ethnolinguistic groups in the school curriculum. It is recommended that pre-service teacher education should aim to equip all teachers with the tools to support the bilingualism and language diversity of children in schools.</p>

scholarly journals Attitudes of Teacher Educators in Aotearoa New Zealand towards Bilingualism and Language Diversity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Hilary Anne Smith
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Studies ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Diversity ◽  
Language Awareness ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Medium Level ◽  
Critical Language Awareness ◽  
Language Issues

<p>This thesis examines the attitudes of teacher educators in Aotearoa New Zealand towards bilingualism and language diversity. The research used a theoretical framework developed from the social psychology of language to test a model which incorporated a critical language awareness perspective. A postal questionnaire was sent to 831 staff at all 22 institutions providing teacher education for the compulsory (primary and secondary) education sector. The response rate of 63.8% was very high for a postal survey. Questions were based around three scenarios which investigated issues for a bilingual child in the classroom, the value of language diversity in education, and wider curriculum issues concerning bilingualism and language diversity. Ivanic's (1990) outline of critical language awareness underpinned the analytical approach adopted. The questionnaire design allowed for a comparison between attitudes towards Maori, French, Samoan, Korean, Russian and Somali students in the first two scenarios, by varying the language and ethnicity in the scenarios given to each respondent. Significant differences were found for five of the ten questions. Bilingual-supportive responses for a question about English use in the classroom were more likely by respondents who were asked about a French or Maori child, and less likely by those asked about a Samoan or Somali child. Bilingualsupportive responses for a question about English use at home were also more likely by those who were asked about a French child, and less likely by those asked about a Korean child. Diversity-supportive attitudes were more likely to be expressed towards Maori than any of the other languages for questions about a student teacher's accent, incorporating the language into a social studies unit, and children learning the language. A Russian or Samoan student teacher's accent elicited the least supportive responses, while French, Korean or Russian languages were least likely to be supported in a social studies unit. In the third scenario, attitudes towards language issues in the curriculum showed a medium level of critical awareness. A follow-up study to check on the validity of the research investigated materials from a group of 19 questionnaire respondents, and a comparison was made with their questionnaire responses. There was a medium level of critical language awareness evident in the materials, which generally showed a high level of congruence with the questionnaire. The model found that the teacher educators' approach to bilingualism and language diversity was determined by the ethnolinguistic vitality of the language groups (higher in the cases of Maori and sometimes French), and mediated by their levels of language awareness. Personal backgrounds were not found to be significant. This research points to the need for the development of a coherent theory of language in education in Aotearoa New Zealand, and highlights the role linguists can play in promoting knowledge on language issues. Results also identified a need for policy development to include all ethnolinguistic groups in the school curriculum. It is recommended that pre-service teacher education should aim to equip all teachers with the tools to support the bilingualism and language diversity of children in schools.</p>

scholarly journals STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MUSICAL ACTIVITIES IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-116
Author(s):  
Ligita Stramkale
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Likert Scale ◽  
Preschool Teacher ◽  
Material Base ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Theoretical Part ◽  
The University ◽  
Musical Activities

Aim. The aim of the study is to find out students’ perspectives on the necessity, readiness and disturbing factors of implementing musical activities in preschool. The theoretical part of the paper describes the particularity of preschool teachers’ work, the children’s interest in musical activities, and the benefits of implementing musical activities in preschool.  Method. The empirical study involved 168 students (N=168), of which 132 students (N=132) are already working as preschool teachers in parallel with their study at the university. The study identified three questions: why do preschool teachers use musical activities? What factors prevent a preschool teacher from using musical activities? Is there a relationship between the competence of a preschool teacher in the field of music and the implementation musical activities in preschool? In order to answer the study questions, a questionnaire consisting of twelve statements was created, which had to be assessed on a four-point Likert scale. Results and conclusion. As a result of the analyses of the data obtained in the study, it was ascertained that preschool teachers use musical activities to make children happy and improve their abilities. The use of musical activities is connected with preschool teacher’s willingness to do that. One of the key factors that hinder the implementation of musical activities is an insufficient material base in the preschool. The study also found that there is a correlation between the competence of a preschool teacher in the field of music and the implementation of musical activities.

scholarly journals TEACHER EDUCATION AS A PROMOTER OF HEALTH: TEACHER STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ABOUT MEDICINE EDUCATION

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-98
Author(s):  
Sirpa Kärkkäinen ◽  
Katri Hämeen-Anttila ◽  
Kirsti Vainio ◽  
Tuula Keinonen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
School Teacher ◽  
Primary School Teacher ◽  
Education Data ◽  
Teacher Students ◽  
Search For Information ◽  
Medicine Education

Being a part of health education from primary school to the university level, medicine education is a fairly new opening in the field of education. The purpose of this study was to clarify Finnish primary school teacher students’ (N=21) perceptions about medicine education. Data was collected in several ways: a questionnaire, shared blog writings and group discussions. Teacher students’ perceptions about the content of medicine education were quite limited. Although they were well aware of the importance of the proper use of medicines, they also highlighted the discussion of misuse, which is not in accordance with the aims and methods of medicine education. Teacher students only mentioned a few methods on how to teach the proper use of medicines, having themselves had few experiences of medicine education from their own time at school. In teacher education, medicine education could be developed using teaching methods that particularly concentrate on the critical search for information, also emphasizing the importance of modeling, and co-operation with parents and health experts. This study increases and broadens researchers’ and teacher educators’ knowledge about the challenges of medicine education both in teacher education and in schools. Key words: health education, medicine education, proper use of medicines, teacher education

Performance-Based Assessment Evaluated by Croatian Preschool Teachers and Students

2016 ◽  
pp. 1065-1102
Author(s):  
Sanja Tatalović Vorkapić ◽  
Vesna Katić
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Relevant Study ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Performance Based Assessment ◽  
Study Programs ◽  
Teachers And Students

Performance-based assessment strongly relies on the observation of children's behavior, preschool teachers' objectivity and accuracy, and presents a significant part of documenting children's development. Therefore, the main aim of this chapter is to analyze the PBA-use and its evaluation by Croatian preschool teachers and students from the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Rijeka. 60 undergraduate students and 64 preschool teachers participated in this empirical research by filling out self-rated questionnaires. As it was expected, students and preschool teachers demonstrated positive attitudes toward PBA and its documentation in general and if it is applied (will be applied) in practice. However, the students' positive attitudes, satisfaction and perceived usefulness of PBA are significantly higher than those of preschool teachers. These last findings definitely imply the need for modifications of the policy of the preschool education system, as well as significant changes that should be done in practice and relevant study programs.

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