15,723 research outputs found

    Curricular noticing: A comprehensive framework to describe teachers’ interactions with curriculum materials

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    Building on the work of Professional Noticing of Children’s Mathematical Thinking, we introduce the Curricular Noticing Framework to describe how teachers recognize opportunities within curriculum materials, understand their affordances and limitations, and use strategies to act on them. This framework builds on Remillard’s (2005) notion of participation with curriculum materials, connects with and broadens existing research on the relationship between teachers and written curriculum, and highlights new are as for research. We argue that once mathematics educators better understand the strategic curricular practices that support ambitious teaching, which we refer to as professional curricular noticing, then this knowledge can lead to recommendations for how to support the curricular work of teachers, particularly novice teachers

    Preservice elementary school teachers' knowledge of fractions: a mirror of students' knowledge?

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    This research analyses preservice teachers' knowledge of fractions. Fractions are notoriously difficult for students to learn and for teachers to teach. Previous studies suggest that student learning of fractions may be limited by teacher understanding of fractions. If so, teacher education has a key role in solving the problem. We first reviewed literature regarding students' knowledge of fractions. We did so because assessments of required content knowledge for teaching require review of the students' understanding to determine the mathematics difficulties encountered by students. The preservice teachers were tested on their conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions, and on their ability in explaining the rationale for a procedure or the conceptual meaning. The results revealed that preservice teachers' knowledge of fractions indeed is limited and that last-year preservice teachers did not perform better than first-year preservice teachers. This research is situated within the broader domain of mathematical knowledge for teaching and suggests ways to improve instruction and student learning

    Scaffolding Critical Reflection in Online Discussions: Helping Prospective Teachers Think Deeply About Field Experiences in Urban Schools

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    A teacher educator uses the methodology of a design experiment to compare patterns and levels of reflection in two semesters of her students’ e-mail discussions about field experiences in urban schools. Analysis of discussion transcripts during the earlier semester revealed that higher levels of reflection were rare. With a number of changes in both the design and level of support for the discussions, students during the second semester were more inclined to write at higher levels of reflection. Important scaffolds for higher levels of reflection seemed to be tailored and general questioning from the instructor and peers, critical readings on problematic issues and inequities in urban schools, and certain online discussion threads where students were jointly analyzing sociopolitical and moral aspects of critical incidents in the field. In light of this study, suggestions are offered for future use of electronic exchanges in teacher education courses and programs

    Understanding Preservice Teachers\u27 Spatial Reasoning and How It Affects Their Work with Elementary Students

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    Spatial reasoning involves those skills that allow one to mentally picture and manipulate objects which plays a unique role in learning and succeeding in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (STEM). Despite the urgent need for strong spatial reasoning skills, our current education system spends little time fostering elementary students’ visual and spatial reasoning skills. This is becoming increasingly problematic as the need to become literate in the STEM fields has never been greater. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the spatial reasoning skills that preservice teachers demonstrated and how their spatial reasoning skills were used in the enactment of the tasks of teaching. Thirty-two preservice teachers completed a spatial reasoning task. Each preservice teacher then teamed with their practicum partner, created an adapted plan using the same spatial reasoning task, and enacted their plan with an elementary student in Grades K-5. Finding from this study indicate that the spatial reasoning skills of preservice teachers are weak, which hinders flexible thinking when observing elementary students engaged in a spatial reasoning task. How learners represent and connect pieces of knowledge is a critical factor in whether they will understand it deeply and can use it in problem solving. Advisor: Lorraine M. Male

    Field Experience as the Centerpiece of an Integrated Model for STEM Teacher Preparation

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    The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive account of one pathway for preparing high-quality STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teachers for work in high-need urban schools. In this account, we discuss the supports that STEM majors need in learning how to think about the content that they know well, through an educational perspective that focuses on teaching and learning. We also describe the approach that we use that integrates content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and three extensive teaching co-op experiences to facilitate the transition from successful STEM undergraduate students to effective teachers of STEM content. We suggest that by using the teaching co-op experiences to both filter and reflect on content and pedagogical content knowledge, the STEM undergraduates develop a particularly strong foundation of knowledge for teaching

    Individual and Structural Orientations in Socially Just Teaching: Conceptualization, Implementation, and Collaborative Effort

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    This essay, drawn from theory, research, and the author’s practitioner research as a teacher educator, proposes a framework to inform teacher educators’ conceptualization and implementation of socially just teaching. The framework suggests that building on dispositions of fairness and the belief that all children can learn, a socially just teacher will engage in professional reflection and judgment using both an individual and a structural orientation to analyze the students’ academic difficulties and determine the cause and the solution to those difficulties, realizing that both individual and structural realities affect students’ learning. The essay then suggests how this individual and structural framework can inform the content and teaching strategies teacher educators use to instruct preservice teachers in socially just education. Finally, recommendations for research and dialogue in the teacher education community are suggested

    A qualitative assessment of preservice elementary teachers\u27 formative perceptions regarding engineering and K-12 engineering education

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    Current teacher education programs provide limited instruction for preservice elementary teachers regarding the incorporation or teaching of engineering concepts and skills in their classrooms. Few studies have been conducted that focus specifically on preservice elementary teachers\u27 formative perceptions and receptivity towards engineering education. That is, not enough is known about what preservice teachers know and think about engineering. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate how forty-four preservice elementary teachers\u27 from a large Midwestern university approached engineering design, the perceptions of engineering and K-12 engineering education that they possessed, and their level of receptiveness with regards to K-12 engineering education. Data were collected using a demographic survey, journal entries, observations, and focus group discussions. The written, verbal, and visual data collected in this study were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis, which consisted of inductively developing categories and codes after repeatedly examining the data. The results of the study indicate that the preservice elementary teachers did not utilize any deliberate design process when engaged in a design task. Engineering was perceived as being synonymous with construction and that engineering design consists of trial and error. Participants envisioned their students succeeding in engineering due to their students\u27 prior knowledge, not necessarily the actions of themselves as the teacher. With regards to receptivity, participants expressed apprehension and optimism along with fear and pessimism. Tangential factors also impacted the receptivity of participants

    What Works in Race-Conscious Teacher Education? Reflections from Educators in the Field

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    This paper presents a study about how schools of education impact their students\u27 ability to be successful in urban schools. What experiences--if any--in teacher education programs shape the development of race-conscious White teachers? To address her goal, the author conducted a qualitative study of six teachers currently employed in urban schools. All were considered excellent White teachers of children of color. Through a series of interviews, the author explored the ways race, culture, and diversity were addressed in their teacher education programs and whether the experiences were meaningful. Participants interacted with schools and communities in several different ways during their preparation. Most only participated in fieldwork as student teachers or during their prepracticum requirements. What was common among all of the participants was that their student teaching and/or prepracticum observations took place in an urban district. Each had experiences in diverse schools. All reported having a positive experience with the students they taught. As teacher educators continue to hone their practice and pedagogy, the feedback from these urban educators provides insights as to what is critical in preparing new teachers for urban schools. They provide an oft-forgotten set of voices that can be instrumental in helping teacher educators think through their work

    Promoting Interface and Knowledge Sharing: A Joint Project between General and Special Education Preservice Teachers

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    This article reports the findings of a joint unit plan critique project between two preservice teacher cohorts seeking teacher certification in general education and special education respectively. The paper addressed three questions: 1) What common affordances does this joint project have for the general and special education preservice teachers? 2) What unique affordances does it have for each of the groups? 3) What do the preservice teachers learn about the use of visuals, technology, and UDL principles to create accessible math lessons for all students? The results showed that the project impacted positively on the preservice teachers by allowing them to gain deeper understanding of professional collaboration and use of technology and visual resources to differentiate instruction for all students
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