Teachers' Views (teacher + views)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Drawing in Perspective: Scottish Art and Design Teachers Discuss Drawing

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ART & DESIGN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2005
Glen Coutts
What are the main purposes of drawing in the secondary art and design curriculum? What are Scottish art teachers' views on the role and function of drawing? How is drawing taught in Scottish schools? These three broad questions formed the basis of the research reported in this article. The small-scale study, carried out between June 2002 and June 2004 will, the authors hope, be of interest to art educators seeking to explore the teaching of drawing as a key component of art and design education. In this article, we report on the background to the study, the place of drawing in Scottish art education, the methodology used, discuss some of the respondents' comments and conclude with some reflections and thoughts for future study. [source]


Teachers' expectations about students' use of reading strategies, knowledge and behaviour in Grades 3, 5 and 7

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN READING, Issue 2 2001
Fatemeh Arabsolghar
Although extensive basic research has been carried out on children's metacognition, little is known about teachers' views of their students' cognitive and metacognitive skills in reading. The ways in which teachers expected their children to use, or to know how to use, certain reading skills are examined in this study. A questionnaire on reading components (strategies, knowledge and behaviour) was completed by 45 teachers in Grades 3, 5 and 7. In this questionnaire teachers were asked to make judgements about whether or not students of high, average and low ability levels in their classes would be likely to show these skills. An analysis of variance (gradeŚabilityŚcomponent) revealed a significant interaction between ability and component. There was much greater variability in the three components for the low and average levels of ability. The main effect for ability was significant. The highest expectations of teachers were for high-ability students in all the three groups of items, followed by average and low-ability students. The main effect for component was also significant for knowledge. There was no significant difference between the grades. However, teachers hold equivalent performance expectations for high-ability students in each of the three components, but for average and low-ability groups, expectations were higher for knowledge than strategy and behaviour. [source]


Fostering a community of practice through a professional development program to improve elementary teachers' views of nature of science and teaching practice

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 10 2009
Valarie L. Akerson
Abstract This study explored the development of a community of learners through a professional development program to improve teachers' views of nature of science (NOS) and teaching practice. The Views of Nature of Science questionnaire and interviews were used to assess teachers' conceptions of NOS three times over the course of the study. Notes and videotapes taken during workshops and classroom observations were used to track influence of the community of learners on classroom practice. The community of practice (CoP) was fostered through an intensive summer workshop, monthly school site workshops, and classroom support to aid teachers in incorporating new techniques and reflecting upon their learning and practice. We found that teachers became aware of their changes in views about NOS once they struggled with the concepts in their own teaching and discussed their struggles within the professional development community. The CoP on its own was not sufficient to change teacher's practice or knowledge, but it created a well-supported environment that facilitated teacher change when paired with NOS modeling and explicit reflection. Cases of three teachers are used to illustrate changes in views and teaching practice common to the teachers in this study. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 46: 1090,1113, 2009 [source]


Preservice elementary teachers' views of their students' prior knowledge of science

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 4 2008
Valerie K. Otero
Abstract Pre-service teachers face many challenges as they learn to teach in ways that are different from their own educational experiences. Pre-service teachers often enter teacher education courses with pre-conceptions about teaching and learning that may or may not be consistent with contemporary learning theory. To build on preservice teachers' prior knowledge, we need to identify the types of views they have when entering teacher education courses and the views they develop throughout these courses. The study reported here focuses specifically on preservice teachers' views of their own students' prior knowledge and the implications these views have on their understanding of the formative assessment process. Sixty-one preservice teachers were studied from three sections of a science methods course. Results indicate that preservice teachers exhibited a limited number of views about students' prior knowledge. These views tended to privilege either academic or experience-based concepts for different aspects of formative assessment, in contrast to contemporary perspectives on teaching for understanding. Rather than considering these views as misconceptions, it is argued that it is more useful to consider them as resources for further development of a more flexible concept of formative assessment. Four common views are discussed in detail and applied to science teacher education. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 497,523, 2008 [source]


Constructing views of science tied to issues of equity and diversity: A study of beginning science teachers

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 1 2003
Julie A. Bianchini
In this study, we examined the discursive and social practices of a teacher educator (the first author) and her eight beginning science teachers in a course on the nature of science and issues of equity and diversity. We focused our investigation on beginning science teachers' views of science and science teaching, as well as the grounds they offered for their views. We organized our discussion of the nature of science, teacher learning, and grounds for views along three dimensions: personal, social, and political. We found that beginning teachers routinely drew from only one of these three dimensions to support their views of the nature of science and ways to represent science to all students. In our implications, we recommend that teacher educators encourage teacher learners to examine personal, social, and political grounds carefully and critically in the process of constructing or revising their views. We argue that attention to these three dimensions of grounds for views will assist beginning teachers in adopting nature of science positions that are broad and complex, that more clearly reflect the goals of equity and excellence, and thus, that hold greater promise for achieving a science education inclusive of all students. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 53,76, 2003 [source]


Student views on the effective teaching of physical examination skills: a qualitative study

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2009
Merel J C Martens
Objectives, The lack of published studies into effective skills teaching in clinical skills centres inspired this study of student views of the teaching behaviours of skills teachers. Methods, We organised focus group discussions with students from Years 1,3 of a 6-year undergraduate medical curriculum. A total of 30 randomly selected students, divided into three groups, took part in two sessions. They discussed what teaching skills helped them to acquire physical examination skills. Results, Students' opinions related to didactic skills, interpersonal and communication skills and preconditions. Students appreciated didactic skills that stimulate deep and active learning. Another significant set of findings referred to teachers' attitudes towards students. Students wanted teachers to be considerate and to take them seriously. This was reflected in student descriptions of positive behaviours, such as: ,responding to students' questions'; ,not exposing students' weaknesses in front of the group', and ,[not] putting students in an embarrassing position in skill demonstrations'. They also appreciated enthusiasm in teachers. Important preconditions included: the integration of skills training with basic science teaching; linking of skills training to clinical practice; the presence of clear goals and well-structured sessions; good time management; consistency of teaching, and the appropriate personal appearance of teachers and students. Conclusions, The teaching skills and behaviours that most facilitate student acquisition of physical examination skills are interpersonal and communication skills, followed by a number of didactic interventions, embedded in several preconditions. Findings related to interpersonal and communication skills are comparable with findings pertaining to the teaching roles of tutors and clinical teachers; however, the didactic skills merit separate attention as teaching skills for use in skills laboratories. The results of this study should be complemented by a study performed in a larger population and a study exploring teachers' views. [source]


Child protection training in sport-related degrees and initial teacher training for physical education: an audit

CHILD ABUSE REVIEW, Issue 2 2009
Claire Rossato
Abstract This article reports on an online survey of child protection training for students on sport-related and Initial Teacher Training Physical Education degrees, and on the views of recently graduated teachers of the usefulness of such training in their everyday work. The results indicate that child protection training is provided in most courses but in varying amounts. Respondents to the survey reported positively, in the main, about the effects of new requirements for teacher training (Every Child Matters: Change for Children, Department for Education and Skills, 2004). Reasons given for not including child protection in courses were: lack of time; the perceived vocational nature of the topic; lack of fit with course aims and objectives; lack of relevance; and the research rather than professional orientation of the course. Recently graduated teachers' views on their pre-service child protection training differed from the claims made about this in the survey. In particular, they raised concerns about their lack of preparation for dealing with potential child protection situations. The article concludes that child protection training within sport-related degrees is deficient in both consistency of delivery and in content, and that, in addition to preparing students to recognise signs and indicators of abuse, curricula should also address undergraduates' confidence and skills for responding to abuse in their everyday professional practice. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]