How Teachers Conduct Online Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Taiwan

Although online teaching has been encouraged for many years, the COVID-19 pandemic has promoted it on a large scale. During the COVID-19 pandemic, students at all levels (college, secondary school, and elementary school) were unable to attend school. To maintain student learning, most schools have adopted online teaching. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the design of online teaching activities and online teaching processes adopted by teachers at all levels during the pandemic. Online questionnaires were administered to teachers in Taiwan who had conducted online teaching (including during the formal suspension of classes or simulation exercises) due to the pandemic. According to a quantitative analysis and lag sequential analysis, the instructional behaviors most frequently performed by teachers were roll calls, lectures with a presentation screen, in-class task (assignment) allocation, and whole-class synchronous video-/audio-based discussion. Thus, there were six common significant sequential behaviors among teachers at all levels that were categorized into the four instructional stages of identifying the teaching environment, teaching the class, discussing and evaluating learning effectiveness. College teachers reminded students of some matters first and then called the roll after the students went online. Secondary school teachers were more likely to arrange practical or experimental courses and to use synchronous and asynchronous interactive activities. Finally, elementary school teachers were more likely to use homemade videos and share their screens for teaching and to arrange a large variety of teaching interactions. The differences among colleges, secondary schools, and elementary schools were identified, and suggestions were made accordingly.

Effects of a Collaborative Planning and Consultation Framework to Increase Participation of Students with Severe Disabilities in General Education Classes

Although many students with severe disabilities are enrolled in general education classrooms, general educators rarely receive strong training and guidance on supporting the academic and social participation of these students. A multiple probe across participants design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a collaborative planning and consultation framework on the academic engagement of four middle school students with severe disabilities and the instructional behaviors they receive from their general educators. The intervention package increased each focus student’s academic engagement with classwide instruction and changed the types of instructional behaviors some general educators directed toward these students. Recommendations are offered for research and practice aimed at engaging general educators in the design and delivery of inclusive interventions.

SEEQ-DE: Konstruktion und Überprüfung einer deutschsprachigen Adaption des Instruments “Student Evaluation of Educational Quality” (Marsh)

The questionnaire “Student Evaluation of Educational Quality” (SEEQ) from Marsh (1982, 2007) was adapted to German language and tested using assessments from 76,687 students in 3,660 university courses. Internal consistencies and intra-class correlations indicted a high reliability. Two-level CFAs and ESEM analyses confirmed the separability of all original SEEQ dimensions: learning and overall as product factors, and enthusiasm, organization/clarity, group interaction, individual rapport, breadth, examinations/grading, and assignments/readings as factors on the level of instructional behaviors. In this adaption, we additionally propose the quality of student contributions (extent to which contributions of fellow students are considered as helpful and whether they are effectively controlled by the instructor), especially for contexts (such as Germany) where student-directed teaching methods are prevalent. Additionally, we expanded the overall course rating by two items using a grade scale. These two adaptions are optional and the scale worked equally well without them. Measurement invariance across different types of courses was confirmed. Taken together, our findings indicate that the German adaption of the SEEQ measures teaching quality in accordance with established testing standards.

Desenvolvimento, validação e aplicação piloto do sistema de observação da instrução do instrutor de fitness em aulas de grupo de Pilates (SOIIF-PILATES).

Considerando las especificidades y principios del método Pilates,el presente estudio tiene como objetivo desarrollar y validar un sistema de observación que permita observar los comportamientos de instrucción de instructores de Fitness en la actividad Pilates, (SOIIF-PILATES), a partir de la adaptación de un instrumento ya existente. Después de varios procedimientos metodológicos para probar la funcionalidad del instrumento, el SOIIF-PILATES creado demostró presentar validez y fiabilidad siendo constituido por dos criterios/dimensiones (momento y contenido) y 15 categorías. Se realizó también una aplicación piloto del instrumento en una muestra de 15 instructores en la actividad de Pilates que permitió caracterizar su intervención, así como compararla con las fases de la clase (calentamiento, parte fundamental y relajación/estiramiento) y del ejercicio (antes, durante y después del ejercicio). Los resultados del estudio piloto demostraron que la mayoría de las categorías mencionadas por las instructoras se ajusta a los principios de Pilates, lo que puede justificar su elevada utilización. Se encontraron diferencias en el total de la instrucción en las diferentes fases de la clase y entre las diferentes fases de la clase y el ejercicio. Considering the specificities and principles of the Pilates method, the present study aims to develop and validate an observation system that allows us to observe the instructional behaviors of Fitness instructors in the Pilates activity (SOIIF-PILATES), based on the adaptation of an instrument that already exist. After several methodological procedures to test the functionality of the instrument, the SOIIF-PILATES proved to be valid and reliable, consisting of two dimensions (moment and content) and 15 categories. A pilot application of the instrument was also carried out in a sample of 15 Fitness instructors of the Pilates activity, which allowed to characterize their intervention as well as to compare it in different phases of the class (warm-up, main part and relaxation/stretching) and in different parts of the exercise (before, during and after the exercise) The results of the pilot study reveal that most of the categories referred by the instructors are following the principles of Pilates, which may justify their high utilization. Differences were found in the total of instruction of the different phases of the class and between the different phases of the class and the different phases of the exercise. Considerando as especificidades e princípios do método Pilateso presente estudo tem como objetivo desenvolver e validar um sistema de observação que permita observar os comportamentos de instrução dos técnicos de exercício físico na atividade de Pilates, (SOIIF-PILATES), a partir da adaptação de um instrumento já existente. Após diversos procedimentos metodológicos para testar a funcionalidade do instrumento, o SOIIF-PILATES demonstrou apresentar validade e fiabilidade, sendo constituído por 2 dois critérios/dimensões (momento e conteúdo) e 15 categorias. Foi também realizada uma aplicação piloto do instrumento numa amostra de 15 técnicos de exercício físico na atividade de Pilates que permitiu caracterizar a sua intervenção assim como compará-la relativamente às fases da aula (aquecimento, parte fundamental e relaxamento/alongamento) e do exercício (antes, durante e após o exercício). Os resultados do estudo piloto demonstraram que a maioria das categorias referidas pelos técnicos de exercício físico estão de acordo com os princípios da modalidade de Pilates, o que pode justificar a sua elevada utilização. Foram encontradas diferenças no total da instrução nas diferentes fases da aula e entre as diferentes fases da aula e do exercício.

Holistic Evaluation and Support of Remote, Adjunct Faculty

Remote, adjunct faculty are becoming a large population for many institutions as online learning continues to grow. Because of the growth in this population of instructors, traditional means of evaluating faculty may not be efficient or scalable. Learning management systems (LMSs) can provide teaching analytics for many instructional behaviors. By building an analytics dashboard that collects instructor and student behaviors in online classrooms, institutions may be able to evaluate and support instructors in a more cost-effective and efficient way. This chapter will discuss the use of teaching analytics and their role in creating a holistic approach to teaching evaluation and faculty support.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Academic Achievement and Its Correlates in Higher Education

Achievement in higher education is gaining importance and attracting attention among educational psychologists who seek for determining its correlates. This study examined longitudinal associations between academic achievement in higher education, university entrance exam performance, the psychosocial climate of the campus, and instructional behavior and socioeconomic status. Data concerning 2,361 students from three universities were collected via surveys and university records at Year 1, Year 2, and Year 4. Socioeconomic status (SES), university exam performance, perceived instructional behavior, and perceived psychosocial climate at Grade 1 were associated positively with academic achievement, perceived instructional behavior, and perceived psychosocial climate at Grade 2 and Grade 4. Indirect effects from SES, university exam performance, perceived instructional behavior, and perceived psychosocial climate at Grade 1 to Grade 4 outcomes were significant, through academic achievement, perceived instructional behavior, and perceived psychosocial climate at Grade 2. These results support that students’ SES, earlier entrance exam performance, and perceptions of their academics’ instructional behaviors and the campus’ psychosocial atmosphere at the first year of university life are associated with their academic achievement at the final year through their relations with the developing levels of academic achievement, perceived instructional behavior, and psychosocial climate of the campus toward the middle of university life.

Ecobehavioral Assessment of Paraeducator Behaviors That Support Engagement of Students With Disabilities

Due to a shortage of special education teachers and an increase in the number of students with disabilities, the use of paraeducators is common. Paraeducators frequently provide instruction, under the direction of a teacher, to support elementary students with disabilities in elementary school classrooms. However, if and how paraeducators implement foundational instructional strategies is largely unknown (e.g., opportunities to respond [OTR], praise). Likewise, how students with disabilities respond to paraeducators’ instructional behaviors is also unknown. With decades of evidence indicating that contextual factors (e.g., group size, activity type) influence interactions between educators and students, we relied on ecobehavioral assessment to measure paraeducators’ use of core instructional strategies and students’ response in the natural context. Our results indicated a correlation between higher rates of paraeducator-delivered OTRs and praise statements and increased student engagement. Of concern, paraeducators infrequently used core, evidence-based instructional approaches, and students often were not engaged. Findings suggest increased student engagement may depend on professional development efforts aimed at improving paraeducators’ implementation of these essential core strategies.

Early Childhood Educators’ Attitudes to Internet Self-Efficacy and Internet-Related Instructional Applications: The Mediating Effects of Internet Enjoyment and Professional Support

To understand early childhood educators’ attitudes toward internet-related instructional applications, this study examined several factors that influence educators’ practical instructional behaviors and analyzed the mediating effects of internet enjoyment and professional support on their attitudes toward internet-related instructional applications. We conducted a survey in Taiwan and analyzed the original data collected from the questionnaire survey through structural equation modeling. The survey evaluated four factors: internet self-efficacy, internet-related instructional applications, internet enjoyment, and the professional support available via the internet. The results showed that early childhood educators’ attitudes toward integrating the internet into their instruction practices can be measured by these latent constructs. Early childhood educators’ enjoyment of the internet and engagement with internet-based professional support performed partially mediating effects on the relationship between their attitudes toward internet self-efficacy and internet-related instructional applications. Furthermore, early childhood educators’ attitudes toward internet-related instructional applications were influenced by their perceptions of the friendliness of interfaces and their enjoyment of the internet. The platform of community interaction provided by the internet and the atmosphere of cooperative support educators found appraisal of the internet’s broader implications for instructional and professional performance in their field.