Search results for "Teacher"

Pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy in implementing inclusive practices and resilience in Finland

2021

Abstract This study aims to explore Finnish pre-service teachers' self-efficacy in implementing inclusive education and their resilience. Survey data were collected from 105 pre-service teachers studying in a teacher education programme in one university in Finland. The relationships between pre-service teachers' self-efficacy in implementing inclusive practices, their perceived resilience, and background variables were examined using structural equation modelling. The results confirmed a three-factor structure for self-efficacy in implementing inclusive practices among the pre-service teachers. In addition, pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy was the strongest variable that related to thei…

Struggling for inclusive education in Japan and Finland: teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education

2019

The aim of this study was to analyse and compare teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education in two culturally different countries: Finland and Japan. A sample of 362 Finnish and 1518 Japanese teachers participated in this survey. The teachers’ attitudes varied and were rather critical. The Finnish teachers were more worried about teachers’ efficacy when implementing inclusion, particularly when teaching students with intellectual disabilities or emotional and behavioural problems. The Japanese teachers had a more positive view on the benefits of inclusion for disabled or non-disabled students. Because Finnish schools emphasise the effectiveness of special education, the Finnish teacher…

Pre-service Teachers’ Views on inclusive Education in Ghana

2013

Pre-service teacher training has been identified as one of the key factors in the promotion of inclusive education. In this study, 200 final-year pre-service teachers from three colleges of education in Ghana were surveyed about their views and knowledge on inclusive education and special educational needs (SEN). The results showed that almost all of the participants had been introduced to the concept of inclusion during their studies. However, only one-third felt highly, or somewhat, prepared to teach children with SEN. The level of knowledge and feelings of self-efficacy were highest among those pre-service teachers who had personal experience of supporting children with SEN during their …

2014

Biological evolution still lacks representation in school, especially below high school level. In order to find new implications that could help achieve significant improvement in teaching evolution, twelve expert interviews with both renowned researchers and experienced science teachers were conducted. Results of the comparison between the mindsets of scientists and teachers yield the five recommendations that could significantly improve the teaching practices of biological evolution: (1) Evolution should be taught as early as possible and should be exposed as the central concept of biology. (2) Despite the large theoretical framing of biological evolution, many occasions occur for hands-o…

Overcoming acculturation: physical education recruits' experiences of an alternative pedagogical approach to games teaching

2015

Background: Physical education teacher education (PETE) programmes have been identified as a critical platform to encourage the exploration of alternative teaching approaches by pre-service teachers. However, the socio-cultural constraint of acculturation or past physical education and sporting experiences results in the maintenance of the status quo of a teacher-driven, reproductive paradigm. Previous studies have reported successfully overcoming the powerful influence of acculturation, resulting in a change in PETE students' custodial teaching beliefs and receptiveness to alternative teaching approaches. However, to date, limited information has been reported about how PETE students' accu…

Inter-generational learning of teachers: what and how do teachers learn from older and younger colleagues?

2018

Abstract: This paper examines how and what teachers learn from their older and younger colleagues. Data were gathered from interviews and written reports from 27 Belgian and Finnish teachers. Thematic qualitative analysis was used. The results revealed differences in what teachers learn from older and younger colleagues. Teachers reported learning innovative teaching methods and ICT skills from younger colleagues, whereas practical information, classroom management skills, self-regulation and community building were learned mainly from older colleagues. Attitudes regarding teaching and different ways of being a teacher were learned from both younger and older colleagues alike. Similarities …

DIGITAL COMPETENCIES FOR DIGITAL IN-SERVICE TEACHERS

2016

The broad diversification of media products, the increasing digitization and globalization of the media with the value-and ethical issues that it raises, proposes and confirms the reasons why media education is to be considered as an indispensable task for anyone involved in education. The media competence enhances teachers’ ability to creatively modify learning spaces and to design a variety of stimulating activities in order to promote their pupils’ independent and aware work. Teachers play a decisive role in the uptake and use of technology in classrooms, and experience from teacher education programs is a crucial factor influencing new teachers’ use of technology (Drent & Meelissen,…

Online or offline – Does it matter?: A study of in-service teachers' perceptions of learning outcomes in Norway

2020

Policymakers and scholars are scaling up online professional development programmes for teachers. We studied how in-service teachers in Norway perceived their learning outcomes for professional development programmes conducted either as campus-based or online courses. Based on survey data, we found teachers studying online and in campus-based settings have relatively similar perceptions of the learning outcomes. This changes when indicators of collaboration and support from teachers are controlled for, suggesting that these factors are more strongly related to learning outcomes for those in campus-based studies than those in online studies. Our findings contribute new insights on how percei…

Teachers as learners – a qualitative exploration of pre-service and in-service teachers’ continuous learning community OpenDigi

2021

This study explores pre-service and in-service teachers’ experiences in working as a learning community. Pre-service teachers (N = 60) and teacher educators (N = 9) from a Finnish university and in...

Professional agency and its features in supporting teachers’ learning during an in-service education programme

2020

Research has shown that professional agency is pivotal for understanding teachers’ professional learning in different contexts. However, we lack an elaborated understanding of teachers’ professiona...