55,768 research outputs found
An investigation of first grade elementary teacher candidatesâ perceptions of their teaching profession competencies: A mixed method study
Although teaching profession has lost its prestige over the years, the recent studies demonstrate that teaching still ranks among the top of most respected of professions. Teacher candidatesâ individual characteristics play a crucial role in choosing teachers and designing curriculum for educating teacher candidates. The present study is of vital importance to identify the perceptions of first grade teacher candidates enrolled in Faculty of Education towards teaching profession and whether they have teaching competencies needed or not. In this research, a mixed research, sequential explanatory mixed design was utilized in which both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed together. The quantitative data were collected through using teaching competency scale for teacher candidates and afterwards quantitative data was statistically analyzed. It was thus attempted to draw a general picture of the research problem. According to the results obtained, an in-depth analysis of teacher candidatesâ perceptions of teaching competencies was required. Employing quantitative data, purposive sampling was identified and semi-structured interviews were carried out with the participants in the purposive sampling. The unidimensional scale developed by [1] and adapted into Turkish by [2] was employed for data collection in the quantitative stage of the research. When viewing teacher candidatesâ perceptions on their teaching competencies, first grade teacher candidates stated that they perceive themselves competent in terms of attitude and values and vocation skills. © 2018 by authors, all rights reserved
Fast parallel volume visualization on cuda technology
In the medical diagnosis and treatment planning, radiologists and surgeons rely
heavily on the slices produced by medical imaging scanners. Unfortunately, most of
these scanners can only produce two dimensional images because the machines that
can produce three dimensional are very expensive. The two dimensional images from
these devices are difficult to interpret because they only show cross-sectional views
of the human structure. Consequently, such circumstances require highly qualified
doctors to use their expertise in the interpretation of the possible location, size or
shape of the abnormalities especially for large datasets of enormous amount of slices.
Previously, the concept of reconstructing two dimensional images to three
dimensional was introduced. However, such reconstruction model requires high
performance computation, may either be time-consuming or costly. Furthermore,
detecting the internal features of human anatomical structure, such as the imaging of
the blood vessels, is still an open topic in the computer-aided diagnosis of disorders
and pathologies. This study proposed, designed and implemented a visualization
framework named SurLens with high performance computing using Compute
Unified Device Architecture (CUDA), augmenting the widely proven ray casting
technique in terms of superior qualities of images but with slow speed. Considering
the rapid development of technology in the medical community, our framework is
implemented on Microsoft .NET environment for easy interoperability with other
emerging revolutionary tools. The Visualization System was evaluated with brain
datasets from the department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, United
States, containing 109 datasets of MRA, T1-FLASH, T2-Weighted, DTI and
T1-MPRAGE. Significantly, at a reasonably cheaper cost, SurLens Visualization
System achieves immediate reconstruction and obvious mappings of the internal
features of the human brain, reliable enough for instantaneously locate possible
blockages in the brain blood vessels without any prior segmentation of the datasets
Standards for teaching and supporting learning in further education in England and Wales
"This document presents a set of standards for teaching and supporting learning in further education in England and Wales. These standards have been developed following widespread consultation with further education managers, staff developers and teachers, and a series of
trials in colleges" -- [page 1]
Aspects of competence-based education as footholds to improve the connectivity between learning in school and in the workplace
Recent developments in competence-based education have motivated institutions of vocational education and training (VET) to improve the links or connectivity between learning in school and learning in the workplace, which has been a problem for decades. In previous research, a theoretical framework describing the underlying aspects of competence-based education was developed. In this study, three aspects of this framework were used to analyse connectivity between learning in school and learning in the workplace. These aspects were: i) authenticity, ii) selfresponsibility, and iii) the role of the teacher as expert and coach. Three stakeholder groups (i.e., students, teachers, and workplace training supervisors) involved in secondary VET programs in the field of life sciences in the Netherlands were questioned on these aspects. Based on their interviews, it is concluded that these aspects provide information about the process of connectivity. Because stakeholder groups hold different conceptions of workplace learning and often do not communicate adequately about mutual responsibilities, the implementation of these aspects of competence-based education has not significantly improved the connectivity situation. Nevertheless, these aspects of competence-based education can guide stakeholder groups in making clearer agreements about mutual responsibilities, which may improve connectivity in the futur
Developing the scales on evaluation beliefs of student teachers
The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to investigate the validity and the reliability of a newly developed questionnaire named âTeacher Evaluation Beliefsâ (TEB). The framework for developing items was provided by the two models. The first model focuses on Student-Centered and Teacher-Centered beliefs about evaluation while the other centers on five dimensions (what/ who/ when/ why/ how). The validity and reliability of the new instrument was investigated using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis study (n=446). Overall results indicate that the two-factor structure is more reasonable than the five-factor one. Further research needs additional items about the latent dimensions âwhatâ âwhoâ âwhenâ âwhyâ âhowâ for each existing factor based on Student-centered and Teacher-centered approaches
Nurturing the independent-thinking practitioner: using threshold concepts to transform undergraduate learning
This article explores the experience of employing the theory of threshold concepts to curricular re-design to transform students' learning experiences. As part of our annual review in 2011, programme team members raised the concern that some graduates from our vocational-type degree programme â BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families â did not appear to develop the links between 'theory' and 'practice' as effectively as other graduates. Reflection on the three-year old degree programme, designed to provide a foundation for those wishing to move into, or study further, in areas such as family support and social work, revealed two areas for further consideration. First, the programme's modular format appeared to encourage students to view aspects of their studies as unconnected. Secondly, its original design had been premised on a series of 'need to know' areas of policy, theory and practice which had been added to over time, with little taken out. In short, the curriculum appeared to have become both 'stuffed' and fragmented and did not appear to provide the ideal platform from which to engage students in the development of the knowledge, skills and understanding for future professional practice. Using the theory of threshold concepts as our starting point, we were able to identify key themes, ideas and activities that we perceived to be central to nurturing and developing independent and employable practitioners. The following article recounts our journey towards curriculum change, detailing how programme threshold concepts were identified and how these were subsequently applied in curriculum re-design
Trialing project-based learning in a new EAP ESP course: A collaborative reflective practice of three college English teachers
Currently in many Chinese universities, the traditional College English course is facing the risk of being âmarginalizedâ, replaced or even removed, and many hours previously allocated to the course are now being taken by EAP or ESP. At X University in northern China, a curriculum reform as such is taking place, as a result of which a new course has been created called âxue keâ English. Despite the fact that âxue keâ means subject literally, the course designer has made it clear that subject content is not the target, nor is the course the same as EAP or ESP. This curriculum initiative, while possibly having been justified with a rationale of some kind (e.g. to meet with changing social and/or academic needs of students and/or institutions), this is posing a great challenge for, as well as considerable pressure on, a number of College English teachers who have taught this single course for almost their entire teaching career. In such a context, three teachers formed a peer support group in Semester One this year, to work collaboratively co-tackling the challenge, and they chose Project-Based Learning (PBL) for the new course. This presentation will report on the implementation of this project, including the overall designing, operational procedure, and the teachersâ reflections.
Based on discussion, pre-agreement was reached on the purpose and manner of collaboration as offering peer support for more effective teaching and learning and fulfilling and pleasant professional development. A WeChat group was set up as the chief platform for messaging, idea-sharing, and resource-exchanging. Physical meetings were supplementary, with sound agenda but flexible time, and venues. Mosoteach cloud class (lan mo yun ban ke) was established as a tool for virtual learning, employed both in and after class. Discussions were held at the beginning of the semester which determined only brief outlines for PBL implementation and allowed space for everyone to autonomously explore in their own way. Constant further discussions followed, which generated a great deal of opportunities for peer learning and lesson plan modifications. A reflective journal, in a greater or lesser detailed manner, was also kept by each teacher to record the journey of the collaboration. At the end of the semester, it was commonly recognized that, although challenges existed, the collaboration was overall a success and they were all willing to continue with it and endeavor to refine it to be a more professional and productive approach
Teachers' and students' conceptions of the professional world
In the original 'Improving Student Learning' project led by Prof Graham Gibbs in 1991, one of the case studies focused on approaches to learning on a BA(Hons) Graphic Information Design course. The case study, led by Allan Davies, had the modest intention of trying to determine whether a particular
curriculum innovation encouraged a deep approach to learning. Our only significant tool then was Bigg's SOLO taxonomy. Eleven years later and the innovators have moved on, the course has disappeared and the research context and methodologies have developed. During this period, research
has suggested that both teachers and students describe their understanding of teaching and learning
according to their perception of the teaching/ learning environment (Ramsden, 1992; Prosser & Trigwell, 1999). Studies have identified variation in the way that teachers experience teaching (Samuelowicz & Bain, 1992; Prosser, Trigwell & Taylor, 1994 for example) and variation in the way teachers experience student learning (Bruce & Gerber, 1995).
More recently, Reid (1997) has widened the context of research by examining the relation between the
experience of work and teaching/learning within the music discipline. In further research (Reid 1999),
relations were found within the music discipline where teachers' and students' experience of one of three defined dimensions was strongly related to the ways in which they understood teaching and learning music. The musicians (and their students) described their experience of the professional world in three hierarchically related ways. This constitution has become known as the 'Music' Entity.
In 1999, following a fortuitous meeting at the ISL conference in York, Davies and Reid conducted a joint
enquiry, using a phenomenographic approach, to determine the 'Design' entity (Davies and Reid, 2001). This research focused on discerning the critical differences, or variation, in the way teachers and students experience and understand their subject and its relation to the professional design world. The outcomes of this research has, consequently, begun to impact on student learning through course design and, in particular, assessment. This paper will be a comparative study of the research already carried out by the authors in a number of disciplines in which the same focus and methodology has been used
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