Brief Report: Teachers' Awareness of the Relationship Between Prior Knowledge and New Learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Hohensee

In this study, I examined the degree to which experienced teachers were aware of the relationship between prior knowledge and new learning. Interviews with teachers revealed that they were explicitly aware of when students made connections between prior knowledge and new learning, when they applied their prior knowledge to new contexts, and when they developed their prior knowledge as a result of applying that knowledge to new contexts. However, teachers were not explicitly aware of backwardtransfer effects. Results from this study have implications for future research on backward transfer, as well as for teacher professional development.

Author(s):  
Tania Heap ◽  
Ruthanne Thompson ◽  
Adam Fein

AbstractFrom a design perspective, this paper offers a response to the impact, value, and application of a manuscript published by Philipsen et al. (Improving teacher professional development for online and blended learning: A systematic meta-aggregative review. Educational Technology and Research Development, 67, 1145–1174. 10.1007/s11423-019-09645-8, 2019). Philipsen et al. (2019) reviewed what constitutes an effective teacher professional development program (TPD) for online and blended learning (OBL), with our response focusing on its value and application in light of an emergency shift to digital to address a global pandemic. This paper also proceeds to examine limitations in previous research into the subject and future research opportunities to investigate important components that inform the design of a resilient and scalable TPD for OBL.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Ilona-Elefteryja Lasica ◽  
Maria Meletiou-Mavrotheris ◽  
Konstantinos Katzis

The current article provides an overview of a Teacher Professional Development (TPD) program that has been designed, pilot tested, and implemented to investigate the impact of augmented reality (AR) on: (a) Teachers’ level of technology (AR) acceptance, adoption of inquiry-based instructional approaches, and confidence towards teaching twentieth-first century skills in STEM-related courses; and (b) students’ potential enhancement of specific twentieth-first century skills and motivation and interest during a STEM- (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)-related course supported with AR. This article focuses on the teachers’ points of view concerning the impact of their STEM-related interventions on their students’ motivation and learning, as well as the factors that influence the teachers’ technology acceptance. The TPD program has been implemented in Cyprus and Greece with twenty-five lower secondary school teachers (20 in Cyprus and 5 in Greece). The research methodology applied is Educational Design Research (EDR), including an initial phase of the TPD program and a second (improved) phase. The data collection tools consisted of questionnaires, interviews, and observation of classroom interventions. Initial findings and their implications for teaching and future research are discussed, indicating the potential benefits and challenges surrounding the integration of AR within the educational process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (21) ◽  
pp. 89-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ximena Paola Buendia ◽  
Diego Fernando Macías

This article offers a review of 25 empirical studies to identify the areas and findings of professional development initiatives for in-service English teachers in Colombia. The reviewed studies suggest that language teacher professional development has focused on six major areas: language proficiency, research skills and reflective practice, teachers’ beliefs and identities, an integrated approach to teacher professional development, pedagogical skills and teaching approaches, and emerging technologies. Results suggest that there is a need to move from traditional master-apprentice, content-oriented, teacher-centered models of professional development towards initiatives that allow teachers to critically analyze their particular context and needs, and devise their own local alternatives so that they can become more active agents of their own process of change. Issues that constitute possible alternatives for future research in the professional development of English language teachers are discussed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tonya Gau Bartell

This article describes teachers' collective work aimed at learning to teach mathematics for social justice. A situated, sociocultural perspective of learning guides this examination of teachers' negotiation of mathematical goals and social justice goals as they developed, implemented, and revised lessons for social justice. Teacher interviews, discussions, lessons, and written reflections were analyzed using grounded theory methodology, and teachers' conversations were examined concerning the relationship between mathematical goals and social justice goals. Analysis revealed that early tensions arose around balancing these goals, that teachers focused more attention on the social justice component, and that the instantiation of these goals in practice proved difficult. Variables that afford or constrain teachers' roles as social justice educators are discussed, and implications for teacher professional development are suggested.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Jane Muchiri

Supervision means overall duties performed by a head teacher which ensures teachers perform their expected roles in the transmission of knowledge and enhance academic performances. Academic performance in examinations has consistently declined in primary schools in Kenya and the world over. The objective of the study was to; assess the relationship between the head teacher’s supervision of professional development and academic performance in Embu and Muranga counties, Kenya. The study adopted the Role theory championed by Biddle. A descriptive survey research design was used. The Target Population was 14786 and comprised of head teachers and teachers. The researchers purposefully sampled 378 public and private primary schools. Simple random sampling was used to select 256 respondents. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and observation. Reliability was ascertained by a pilot study which generated a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.93. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, precisely, correlation computations. The findings of the study informed that the highest percentage of supervision 87.4percentwas the head teachers’ permission for teachers to attend seminars, workshops, and conferences. The least facilitated activity was the training of teachers by subject panels 60.3 percent. There was a negative correlation between head teachers' supervision and teacher professional development in public and private primary schools, at r=-.069<0 and P=0.602>0.05. The relationship was not statistically significant. The Supervision of teacher’s professional development was not strongly linked to academic performance. There should be a balance between the supervision of teacher professional development. Governments should allocate more funds towards professional development. The findings of the study will inform policy decision making in the education sector in Kenya and worldwide.


2022 ◽  
pp. 510-525
Author(s):  
Mete Akcaoglu ◽  
Charles B. Hodges ◽  
Lucas John Jensen

Social media has become an important tool for informal teacher professional development. Although there is a growing body of research investigating issues across the US, there is a lack of research on teacher professional development taking place on Twitter in Georgia, USA. In this research, the authors applied digital methods to analyze 5,425 entries from educators participating in a state-level, weekly, synchronous chat about educational technology (#TECHTalkGA) on the social media platform Twitter. Findings include that participants utilized the chat for organization, planning, and classroom technologies, with a predilection toward specific hardware and software topics. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document