The Role of Self-Improving Tutoring Systems in Fostering Pre-Service Teacher Self-Regulated Learning

Computer-based learning environments serve as a valuable asset to help strengthen teacher preparation and preservice teacher self-regulated learning. One of the most important advantages is the opportunity to collect ambient data unobtrusively as observable indicators of cognitive, affective, metacognitive, and motivational processes that mediate learning and performance. Ambient data refers to teacher interactions with the user interface that include but are not limited to timestamped clickstream data, keystroke and navigation events, as well as document views. We review the claim that computers designed as metacognitive tools can leverage the data to serve not only teachers in attaining the aims of instruction, but also researchers in gaining insights into teacher professional development. In our presentation of this claim, we review the current state of research and development of a network-based tutoring system called nBrowser, designed to support teacher instructional planning and technology integration. Network-based tutors are self-improving systems that continually adjust instructional decision-making based on the collective behaviors of communities of learners. A large part of the artificial intelligence resides in semantic web mining, natural language processing, and network algorithms. We discuss the implications of our findings to advance research into preservice teacher self-regulated learning.

Clemson University's Teacher Learning Progression Program

This chapter provides an overview of Clemson University's Teacher Learning Progression program, which offers participating middle school science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) teachers with personalized advanced credentials. In contrast to typical professional development (PD) approaches, this program identifies individualized pathways for PD based on teachers' unique interests and needs and offers PD options through the use of a “recommender system”—a system providing context-specific recommendations to guide teachers toward the identification of preferred PD pathways and content. In this chapter, the authors introduce the program and highlight (1) the data collection and instrumentation needed to make personalized PD recommendations, (2) the recommender system, and (3) the personalized advanced credential options. The authors also discuss lessons learned through initial stages of project implementation and consider future directions for the use of recommender systems to support teacher PD, considering both research and applied implications and settings.

Challenging Scripted Curricula With Adaptive Teaching

Although adaptive teaching is considered a cornerstone of effective instruction, there remains a lack of focus on teacher adaptability in policy, professional practice, and teacher education in the United States. High-profile educational reform efforts have pressured districts and states across the nation to rely on prescriptive curricula that fail to meet the linguistic, cultural, and instructional needs of the nation’s diverse student population. In this article, we describe the development of the Adaptive Teaching Inventory and present validity evidence from our administration in the United States. These findings provide insight into the potential for widespread implementation of adaptability and its focus to support teacher professionalism and decision-making. The discussion centers on moving adaptability to the forefront of policy and practice efforts to counter the prevailing emphasis on restrictive curricula that has stymied teachers in their efforts to support students for far too long. Implications for administrators, policymakers, and researchers are discussed.

ROLA I ZNACZENIE NAUCZYCIELA WSPOMAGAJĄCEGO W PROCESIE TERAPII UCZNIÓW ZE SPECJALNYMI POTRZEBAMI EDUKACYJNYMI

The purpose of the research in this paper was to establish the role and importance of a support teacher in the therapy process of students with special educational needs. The role and tasks of the teacher were taken into account on the legal basis. An interview was used as a research technique in the work. Thanks to the precise questions, the interview questionnaire was compiled as a research tool. Problems corresponding to specific hypotheses were discussed. The study used the method of individual cases. The characteristics of the support teacher and the leading teacher in the integrated class were carefully compared and special attention was also paid to the relationship between teachers and parents. Based on the research, the characteristics of working with students with special educational needs were established. Conclusions were drawn for the effective development of the activities of the support teacher who works with students with judgment.

A Prática do Professor de Apoio na Escola Inclusiva: Sugestões para Aprimoramento

ResumoA partir do movimento da inclusão escolar, os alunos com necessidades educacionais especiais (NEE) passam a frequentar o ensino regular nas classes comuns, paralelamente amplia-se a presença do professor de apoio à inclusão para atendê-los. Este artigo tem o objetivo de apresentar as sugestões relatadas por professores de apoio visando aprimorar o seu trabalho junto aos alunos com NEE para favorecer o processo de inclusão. O aporte teórico deste texto está sustentado pelos pressupostos da educação inclusiva, aliado com a análises de diversos estudos sobre o papel do professor de apoio no contexto da escola inclusiva. Participaram da pesquisa 67 professores desenvolvendo a função de apoio à inclusão. A coleta dos dados ocorreu por meio da aplicação de um questionário. Entre os resultados se destaca a necessidade de maior investimento na formação continuada para os professores de apoio à inclusão, juntamente com os professores regentes sobre o processo de inclusão dos alunos com NEE, bem como de se estabelecer um trabalho entre eles na perspectiva colaborativa, aliado aos demais profissionais internos e externos à escola e familiares. Palavras-chave: Educação Inclusiva. Serviço de Apoio. Trabalho Colaborativo. AbstractFrom the school inclusion movement, students with special educational needs (SEN) start to attend regular education in common classes, in parallel the presence of the inclusion support teacher is expanded to serve them. This article aims to present the suggestions reported by support teachers in order to improve their work with SEN students to favor the inclusion process. The theoretical contribution of this text is supported by the assumptions of inclusive education, combined with the analysis of several studies on the role of the support teacher in the inclusive school context. 67 teachers engaged the research, developing the role of supporting inclusion. Data collection occurred through the application of a questionnaire. Among the results, the need is highlighted for greater investment in continuing education for teachers to support inclusion together with the governing teachers on the inclusion process of SEN students, as well as establishing a work between them in a collaborative perspective, allied to other internal and external professionals at the school and family. Keywords: Inclusive Education. Support Service. Collaborative Work

Harnessing the potential of recently retired physics teachers to mentor new physics teachers

Three new physics teachers graduating from a university provider of initial teacher education in England were paired with a recently retired physics subject specialist teacher in order to provide informal mentoring during their first year of teaching. The aim of this was to explore if a mentoring intervention of this kind could support teacher knowledge growth of the new physics teachers and influence their retention in the teaching profession. Qualitative data from the study suggests that substantive content of the mentoring discussions that took place addressed issues of general pedagogy and pedagogical content knowledge. The retired teacher mentors were enthusiastic and able to act as mentors. Suggestions emerge for ways of facilitating the mentoring.

Secondary Teacher Candidates’ Mathematical Modeling Task Design and Revision

The purpose of this study is to investigate secondary teacher candidates’ experience of mathematical modeling task design. In the study, 54 teacher candidates in a university-based teacher education program created modeling tasks and scoring rubrics. Next, the participants pilot-tested the tasks with students and had the opportunity to revise the original tasks and rubrics based on student responses. The data included participants’ statements, in which they described and reflected on the design and revision process of modeling tasks. The study describes six didactic revision strategies in revising modeling tasks and identifies five emerging pedagogical ideas from revising tasks and rubrics. The study also discusses the way modeling task design activities have the potential to support teacher candidates’ learning through a bottom-up modeling curriculum in teacher education.

Implementing teacher leadership in Malaysian schools: Exploring secondary principals’ perspectives

Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore principals’ perspectives on the concept of teacher leadership, the strategies that they employed to support teacher leadership practice and the challenges and issues that principals faced while implementing teacher leadership. Methodology: This qualitative case study uses interview sessions with 10 purposely selected principals from various types of secondary schools. All schools are public schools that are administered and funded by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia. Findings: The study reveals that principals had a comprehensive understanding of the concept of teacher leadership; in fact, principals were able to list teacher leaders’ characteristics and provide definitions for the concept of teacher leadership. In exploring principals’ strategies to support teacher leadership practice, five themes emerged: developing future leaders, a mentoring programme, involving more teachers as teacher leaders, practising an ‘open door’ policy and providing more opportunities for teachers to offer mutual assistance. In terms of the challenges for teacher leadership practices, principals shared particular issues such as the unwillingness of teachers to become teacher leaders due to their heavy workloads and challenges in eading senior teachers. Significance: This study supplements the literature that explores teacher leadership within the Malaysian schooling context, which has hitherto been understudied. Thus, the concept of teacher leadership needs more in-depth investigation and evaluation to ascertain its suitability within Malaysia's educational system. For the Ministry of Education, this study notes some practical implications for improving teacher leadership in Malaysian schools.

The Framework of Action for Teachers in Integration Classes at Secondary Level on the Example of Reading/Writing Difficulties – A (Re-) Constructionist Educational Research

Background: Reading/writing difficulties are embedded in a broad discourse that is related to dyslexia. Therefore, this discourse serves as the basis for the presented study. Because of the results from the scientific community, one of the questions of this study is of possible interdependencies or differences to the pedagogical discourse of teachers. Teachers in Austria, where the study was conducted, are confronted with those scientific findings. The term reading/writing difficulties in the Austrian context refers to the criticism of the discrepancy criterion and is used there in the pedagogical context. Furthermore, this contribution assumes that teachers construct their framework of action. Linked to this is an epistemological perspective on social constructivism. Aim: The aim of this piece of research is to reconstruct the framework of action for teachers in integration classes at secondary level. In integration classes in Austria can teach up to three teachers. In this context, the question arises as to how these human resources are used by three teachers (teacher for German, the special education needs teacher and the support teacher) regarding reading/writing difficulties. Methodology: Methodologically, the work is based on reconstructive social research according to Bohnsack. Associated with this is theory formation from the data material. The narrative-based interviews (n=8) were evaluated using the documentary method. The reconstructed action framework enables a differentiated presentation of the orientations and options for action of teachers in integration classes at secondary level. Results: In conclusion, different options of action in connection with difficulties in reading/writing are discussed due to the orientation framework. Regarding the question of possible interdependencies or differences to the pedagogical discourse of teachers, the study shows that the statements made by the teachers are only partially compatible with current findings of the scientific discourse.