MOTIVATION AND CONFIDENCE OF INDONESIAN TEACHERS TO USE ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

This research paper investigates the motivation and confidence of Indonesian teachers of non-English to learn English and to use it as a medium of instruction resulting from their participation in a blended learning course. The purpose of the English learning for this particular group of teachers was to enable them to create English-speaking teaching and learning environment. Such environment is perceived as necessary to enhance English language learning and acquisition in some Indonesian vocational schools. The levels of motivation and confidence have been an issue because they potentially either contribute to or hinder English language learners to learn and use English for interactions. This qualitative research was undertaken using an interpretive research paradigm and a case study approach. Qualitative research data were collected from multiple sources such as indepth interviews, observation notes, online interaction script, and reflective journals of the participants. Quantitative data were collected through surveys to add meaning to the qualitative data. The research revealed varying increase in the levels of motivation and confidence of the participants. Transformation of extrinsic to intrinsic motivations appeared to occur. Contributing factors to the increase of the motivation and confidence are discussed in this paper

Policies and Practices of Professional Development in China: What do Early Childhood Teachers Think?

This paper focuses on early childhood teachers’ professional development in China. It reports a study which aims to elicit twelve in-service early childhood teachers’ perspectives of the values and issues of professional development policies and the learning opportunities they experienced. Two themes arising from the study are addressed, namely the teachers’ positive responses to the government aspirations for enhancing teaching in early childhood education, and the complexities of the organizational and role structures of the early childhood community in ChangChun where the study took place. An important aspect of the teachers’ perspectives of their professional development, which connects up to the early childhood environment in ChangChun, is the view that professional development was oriented to their own employment continuity. Teachers’ learning was perceived as a useful means to offset the insecurity of their careers, but not closely related to children’s learning

PERAN KEPALA SEKOLAH DAN GURU DALAM PENGEMBANGAN DAN PENERAPAN KURIKULUM 2013 PAUD DI TK NEGERI PEMBINA KAB. SUKAMARA

Kurikulum merupakan komponen dalam pendidikan yang dijadikan sebagai pedoman untuk melaksanakan suatu pembelajaran dalam setiap satuan pendidikan. Saat ini kurikulum anak usia dini yang berlaku di TK Negeri Pembina Sukamara adalah kurikulum 2013, dimana pengembangan kurikulum ini adalah untuk penyempurnaan pola pikir, penguatan tata kelola, pendalaman materi, penguatan proses pembelajaran dan penyesuaian beban belajar. Kunci dari keberhasilan sebuah kurikulum tidak terlepas dari peran Kepala Sekolah dan Guru. Kepala Sekolah berperan sebagai pemimpin yang bertanggung jawab untuk semua hal yang berkaitan dengan kelancaran sekolah, begitupun peran guru untuk mampu menyampaikan pembelajaran yang sudah diterapkan dalam kurikulum. Penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian kualitatif studi kasus, dimana peneliti melakukan wawancara mendalam dengan kepala sekolah, dua orang guru dan satu orang perwakilan dari komite sekolah. Berdasarkan data yang ditemukan, TK Negeri Pembina Sukamara ini telah mengembangkan dan menerapkan kurikulum 2013, dari mulai melakukan analisis, penyusunan dokumen, pengesahan dan pelaksanaan kurikulum 2013 PAUD sesuai dengan acuan yang berlaku. Adapun dalam pelaksanaan tersebut terdapat beberapa faktor pendukung seperti kerjasama semua tim yang ada di sekolah dan sarana prasarana yang sudah cukup memadai, selain faktpr pendukung terdapat juga faktor penghambat yaitu sosialisasi kurikulum yang belum merata dan berkelanjutan sehingga mengakibatkan kurangnya kreatifitas guru. Kata kunci : Peran Kepala Sekolah, Guru, Kurikulum 2013 ABSTRACT The curriculum is a component in education that is used as a guideline for implementing a learning in any educational institution. Currently the early childhood curriculum that applies in TK Negeri Pembina Sukamara is the curriculum 2013, where the development of this curriculum is to improve the mindset, strengthening governance, deepening material, strengthening learning processes and adjusting learning load. The key to the success of a curriculum is inseparable from the role of the Principal and Teacher. The Principal acts as the leader who is responsible for all matters relating to the smooth running of the school, as well as the teacher's role to be able to convey learning that has been applied in the curriculum. This research uses qualitative case study research, which is the researcher conducts in-depth interviews with the principal, two teachers and one representative from the school committee. Based on the data found, TK Negeri Pembina Sukamara has developed and implemented the 2013 curriculum, from begining to do the analysis, document preparation, ratification and implementation of the curriculum 2013 Early childhood education in accordance with applicable references. As for the implementation there are several supporting factors such as the cooperation of all the teams in the school and adequate infrastructure, in addition to supporting factors there are also inhibiting factors, namely uneven and sustainable curriculum socialization resulting in a lack of teacher creativity. Keywords: Role principals, teacher, curriclum 201

Consent and Dissent: A Study of the Reaction of Chinese School Teachers in Guangzhou City Schools to Government Educational Reforms

This paper presents detailed qualitative evidence from a case study of teachers in five Chinese schools in one city. It explicitly seeks to show how developments in government policy towards education have altered the management of teacher labour inside schools as well as the teacher labour process as expressed by the teachers themselves in interviews and questionnaires. In this paper, we explore supervision, work intensification, and the erosion of professionalism. We conclude that some changes have taken place as predicted by the labour process model, but that the reaction of the teachers to more extensive controls has been variable. In particular senior school managers did have greater control with high levels of supervision, but that was generally welcomed as preferable to the previous system of outside control and neglect. While workload increased overall, the teachers were more likely to have to work outside of normal duties rather than experience any increase in formal contractual obligations

Cross-Cultural Differences in Maternal Sensitivity and Child Behavior Among Chinese Canadian and European Canadian Families

This study assessed differences in observational ratings of maternal sensitivity among European and Chinese Canadian mothers and their children between the ages of 0 and 3. Potential moderating variables (stress, attributions, socioeconomic factors, and acculturation) in the relationship between culture and sensitivity were examined, and the association between maternal sensitivity and child outcome variables (socio-emotional development, behaviour problems, and cognitive functioning) were identified. Both cultural groups were well-matched on several, potentially confounding, demographic variables, including income, employment status, and education. No significant differences in maternal sensitivity were identified across cultures. However, Chinese Canadian dyads displayed significantly lower infant total scores (responsiveness and cueing) than European Canadian mothers. Only culture was identified as a significant predictor of cultural differences in infant scores. In the overall sample, child age was a significant predictor of maternal sensitivity, while culture was not. With respect to child outcome, Chinese Canadian children exhibited lower maternally-rated socio-emotional development scores and lower researcher-rated language development scores. Only culture was identified as a significant predictor of these differences, and no significant interactions were identified. Qualitative analysis of participant descriptions of maternal sensitivity revealed that Chinese Canadian mothers were less likely than European Canadian mothers to emphasize attunement to childrens socioemotional needs, particularly during early stages of infancy. Results suggest that cultural differences in maternal sensitivity may be lessened in immigrant populations where SES is high and well-matched across groups. Findings also highlight the importance of studying infant responsiveness and the dyadic nature of maternal sensitivity when studying cross-cultural differences in caregiving behaviour

Pedagogy, curriculum, teaching practices and teacher education in developing countries

This rigorous literature review focused on pedagogy, curriculum, teaching practices and teacher education in developing countries. It aimed to: 1. review existing evidence on the review topic to inform programme design and policy making undertaken by the DFID, other agencies and researchers 2. identify critical evidence gaps to guide the development of future research programme

Narrative Inquiry of Chinese and American Student Teachers’ Professional Identities in Their Teaching Practicums: A Story Constellations Approach

This dissertation narrates two Chinese and two American student teachers’ professional identity constructions during their practicums using the story constellations approach to voice their narrative authority. Informed by Big “D” Discourse theory, knowledge communities, and micropolitical theory, this dissertation showcases the Chinese and American student teachers’ stories to live by—a narrative approach to understanding their professional identity formation nested within the shifting landscapes. These professional knowledge landscapes included their personal schooling experiences, teacher education programs, and the placement schools where their rudimentary teaching practices unfurled. This dissertation situates the participants’ professional identity formation at the point where their practical knowledge, emotionality of teaching, and professional vulnerability meet. These intertwined elements foster the understanding of the internal dynamics of student teachers’ professional identity development. This dissertation found that the Chinese student teachers experienced eagerness and anxiety at the beginning of their teaching practicums, reality shock amid student teaching, and confidence at the end of the teaching practice. Meanwhile, their American counterparts expressed confidence at the beginning of their student teaching, fragility amid their practicum experiences, and satisfaction at the conclusion of student teaching. This dissertation reveals some convergences regarding the student teachers’ professional identity formation: 1) negotiation between personal and professional identities, 2) reflections linking theory and practice, and 3) the shift from curriculum-implementers to curriculum-makers. This dissertation also uncovered five pairs of divergences in terms of professional identity construction. These include: 1) different purposes for entering the teaching profession, 2) different program learning experiences, 3) different professional identity orientations, 4) different styles of mentorships, and 5) different pedagogical approaches. After synthesizing the narrative accounts, implications for strengthening the west-east dialogue on teacher education in both China and the U.S. are discussed

Chinese Novice Teachers’ Perception of Professional Agency : A study through the lens of the perspectives on novice teachers’ perception professional agency in Finland

This study examined the perception of professional agency among Chinese novice teachers via the lens of perspectives in Finland (Eteläpelto et al., 2015) in order to get a global grasp of the issue. The study topics are as follows: (1) How do novice Chinese teachers view their professional agency in work, and what do they regard to be the primary restrictions and resources c? (2) How do Chinese novice teachers view their professional agency in the renegotiation of their identities, and what do they view as the most significant restrictions and resources (Eteläpelto et al., 2015)? The study was conducted in semi-structured interviews and used qualitative research methodology and a model derived from the results of prior research (Eteläpelto et al., 2015). Two Finnish and seven Chinese primary school teachers within five years of experience were interviewed and content analysis was applied to the data. The outcomes of the study indicated that novice Chinese teachers had little agency in the workplace and a strong need to renegotiate their professional identities. In contrast to Finnish teachers, Chinese novice teachers lacked competence in embracing student-centred educational strategies. Both Chinese and Finnish teachers demonstrated a lack of agency in social management of classroom, particularly in terms of student behaviour and social-emotional well-being. Inappropriate parental participation was a highlighted constraint to Chinese novice teachers’ agency. In contrast to Finland, the hierarchical working culture in China hindered teachers’ agency to contribute to the professional community. In addition, Chinese teachers must renegotiate their identify because of the test-based educational system and the complexities of school life, resulting in value conflicts when they entered the classroom. The research recommends communication and collaboration between the two nations in teacher education with the aspects of student-centred pedagogy and inclusive education

An investigation of the perceptions of foreign ESL teachers in China towards teacher accountability: a comparison between Chinese ESL teachers and foreign ESL teachers in China

This study investigated external and internal accountability of foreign ESL teachers in China through a comparison with Chinese local ESL teachers. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Two research questions were developed from a literature review to examine foreign ESL teachers' perceptions toward external accountability and internal accountability. Questionnaires from forty-five ESL teachers and eighty-one Chinese local ESL teachers were collected through an on-line survey. Data of teachers' perceptions towards four constructs: external accountability (outside expectations), external accountability (school management), internal accountability (professional duty), and internal accountability (feelings about work), were analyzed. The findings showed that foreign teachers perceived that they were held externally accountable with regard to outside expectations, and they were not held externally accountable for school management. In terms of internal accountability, foreign teachers perceived that they held themselves highly accountable in both the construct of professional duty and the construct of feelings about work

Mobile Learning Activities for Students’ English Learning Engagement in China

Although mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) activities have the potential to foster student engagement, few studies have investigated the influence of such activities on undergraduate students’ engagement in College English learning in China, particularly in a newly developed, post-pandemic hybrid learning environment. This study adopted a mixed methods design to examine the influence of mobile learning on student engagement and explored students’ lived experiences of using MALL activities for English learning. For the study’s quantitative data collection, 206 students completed an online questionnaire that included questions regarding motivation and active learning strategies. Ten students participated in the photo-production visual method and semi-structured personal interviews. Findings show that MALL activities enabled a unique opportunity to enhance students’ active engagement and knowledge construction by multiple ways of information sharing and language practices. Easy access and effective ways of communicating on learning apps intrinsically motivated students to participate in language learning. Through mobile learning platforms, students were scaffolded by their instructor or more knowledgeable peers in a more instant, visual, specific, and affective manner. Collaboration among students was not exemplified among undergraduate learners and the challenge of self-regulation in using cellphones was uncovered. These findings are significant for educators and decision-makers to lessen the stereotype of cellphones for learning and recognize the benefits of making use of personal devices for catering to individual learners’ needs, fostering connections, elevating engagement, and increasing English skills. A new MALL model is put forward