Título investigación

Mejoramiento de la experiencia docente

Descripción

Título investigación

Formación continua del profesorado, investigación educativa e innovación en la enseñanza de las ciencias

Descripción

Este trabajo surge de las actividades en Formación Continua del profesorado que hemos desarrollado durante un período entre los 5 y 10 últimos diez años en el País Vasco y Cantabria a través del Departamento de Educación del País Vasco y del Centro de Profesores y Recursos de Camargo (Cantabria). Las actividades de formación realizadas han sido fundamentadas en el cuerpo teórico de la Didáctica de las Ciencias, de forma que no fueran un conjunto de cursos inconexos y sin relación con la problemática del aula. Una de las conclusiones del análisis de las experiencias realizadas es la importancia de que los profesores participen de forma continuada en grupos de trabajo y reflexión sobre su práctica docente y, que este trabajo sea apoyado por tutores y por la administración educativa.

Formación continua del profesorado, Grupos de trabajo de profesores. 

Título investigación

Exploring teachers’ knowledge and perceptions across mathematics mathematics and science through content-rich learning experiences in a professional development setting

Descripción

This paper examines upper elementary and middle school teachers’ learning of mathematics and science content, how their perceptions of their disciplines and learning of that discipline developed through content-rich learning experiences, and the differences and commonalities of the teachers’ learning experiences relative to content domain. This work was situated within a larger professional development (PD) program that had multiple, long-term components. Participants’ growth occurred in 4 primary areas: knowledge of content, perceptions of the discipline, perceptions about the learning of the discipline, and perceptions regarding how students learn content. Findings suggest that when embedded within an effective professional development context, content can be a critical vehicle through which change can be made in teachers’ understandings and perceptions of mathematics and science. When participants in our study were able to move beyond their internal conflicts and misunderstandings, they could expand their knowledge and perceptions of content and finally bridge to re-conceptualize how to teach that content. These findings further indicate that although teachers involved in both mathematics and science can benefit from similar overall PD structures, there are some unique challenges that need to be addressed for each particular discipline group. This study contributes to what we understand about teacher learning and change, as well as commonalities and differences between teachers’ learning of mathematics and science.

Content knowledge, In-service, Professional development, Teacher beliefs, Teacher development, Teacher knowledge, Teacher learning. 

Título investigación

Examining mathematics mentor teachers’ practices in professional development courses on teaching data analysis: implications for mentor teachers’ programs

Descripción

In this paper, we report on the training practices of 12 mathematics mentor teachers who developed and implemented five short professional development courses after participating in a 5-month continuous professional development course “Competence-oriented teaching and learning of data analysis.” The intention of this course was to deepen their professional knowledge of teaching statistics using digital tools, and to develop their competences and knowledge for developing and implementing their own professional development courses in statistics. Here, we explore how the professional program itself is reflected in the short courses they designed and implemented. Although the sample is very small, the cases allow for interesting insights into their training practices and challenges that seem to have a major impact on the quality of their professional development courses. On this basis we offer suggestions for how continuous professional development courses for mathematics mentor teachers might be designed to support their diverse needs in the professional development system.

Professional knowledge, Digital tools, Mentor teachers. 

Título investigación

Effects of Peer Coaching on Teachers' Collaborative Interactions and Students' Mathematics Achievement

Descripción

The authors examined peer coaching in the context of the Mentored Implementation Program developed in the Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership. The experimental design contained 6 teachers receiving peer coaching with their 202 students and 5 teachers in the control group with their 105 students. Teachers considered peer coaching a positive experience, identifying scheduling and distance as roadblocks. Centering around (a) organization of learning, (b) management of classroom, and (c) mathematical content and pedagogy, collaborative interactions during the post-classroom-observation conferences were brief and showed (a) a lack of analysis, (b) a positive tone and support, (c) a proportional pattern of talk, and (d) a lack of depth in discussion. Peer coaching was not associated with any improvement in mathematics achievement of students.

Collaborative interactions, Mathematics achievement, Peer coaching. 

Título investigación

Developing mathematics teachers' competence through parallel lesson study

Descripción

This study examines co-learning of mathematics practicing teachers and mathematics teaching researchers through parallel lesson study in China. Two cases are illustrated and compared to highlight what practicing teachers and teaching researchers learned. The practicing teachers developed their competence in identifying instructional objectives, improving instructional process, selecting and sequencing mathematical tasks, and developing professional vision. The mathematics teaching researchers developed their professional competence in effectively carrying out teaching research activities, effectively mentoring teachers, and deepening the understanding of teaching.

Expansive learning, Lesson study, Parallel lesson study, Teacher professional competence. 

Título investigación

Distance Training of Mathematics Teachers: The EarlyStatistics Experience

Descripción

The affordances offered by modern Internet technologies provide new opportunities for the pre-service and in-service training of mathematics teachers, making it possible to overcome the restrictions of shrinking resources and geographical locations, and to offer, in a cost-effective and non-disruptive way, high-quality learning experiences to geographically dispersed teachers. This article focuses on how information and communication tools made available online could be exploited effectively to help improve the quality and efficiency of teacher training in statistics education. First, it describes the main pedagogical issues and challenges underlying distance education in general, and online teacher training in particular. Then, it provides an overview of EarlyStatistics, an online professional development course in statistics education targeting European elementary and middle school teachers, and the main lessons learned from the pilot delivery of it. The article concludes with some instructional implications.

Statistics education, E-learning, Blended learning, Teacher training. 

Título investigación

Developing mathematical knowledge for teaching in a methods course: the case of function

Descripción

This study describes teacher learning in a teaching experiment consisting of a content-focused methods course involving the mathematical knowledge for teaching function. Prospective and practicing teachers in the course showed growth in their ability to define function, to provide examples of functions and link them to the definition, in the connections they could make between function representations, and to consider the role of definition in mathematics and the K-12 classroom. Written assessments, interview data, and class discourse analyses illustrate how the course supported the development of mathematical knowledge that built on individual teachers’ prior knowledge as well as the development of a stronger collective understanding of function.

Teacher knowledge, Teacher preparation, Professional development, Mathematical knowledge for teaching, Functions. 

Título investigación

Desarrollo profesional del docente de matemáticas a través de sus tareas para el aula propuestas en un Curso de Formación

Descripción

Parte de un trabajo doctoral, enmarcado dentro de la línea de formación de profesores, es analizar las tareas de enseñanza propuestas por docentes en un curso de formación realizado en Chile, en el año 2012, en donde sus participantes tienen que identificar un problema profesional referido a la enseñanza del álgebra y profundizar sobre el mismo diseñando, implementando y analizando tareas matemáticas para una clase. Luego de presentar algunos descriptores de las tareas, con una metodología cualitativa empleamos el análisis de contenido para describir la evolución de las tareas de enseñanza propuestas por dos profesoras participantes de este curso formativo. El análisis de los datos ponen de manifiesto cómo las docentes afrontan un problema de su práctica, incorporando nuevos elementos de actuación respecto al diseño de tareas, incrementando en sus conocimientos, en específico, en relación con la noción de modelación, avanzando en este proceso en su desarrollo profesional.

Formación de Profesores,Tareas Matemáticas, Problemas del Álgebra. 

Título investigación

Demonstrating a situated learning approach for in-service teacher education in rural India: The Quality Education Programme in Rajasthan

Descripción

Recent educational policy in India has repositioned elementary school teachers as active, reflective practitioners, not just ‘deliverers’ of syllabus material. This article examines innovations in teacher support in Rajasthan's government schools through the ‘Quality Education Program.’ Drawing on qualitative research of collaborative learning processes, the paper discusses two support strategies used by the program: professional dialogic interactions and modeling of pedagogic strategies, which paralleled introductory or developmental phases within a ‘collaborative apprenticeship model’ of teacher professional development. In doing so, the paper outlines the potential of situated, collaborative approaches for Indian in-service teacher education and education development reform, more broadly.

In-service teacher education, Situated learning, Teacher support, Rural government schools, Education reform, India. 

Título investigación

Connecting changes in secondary mathematics teachers’ knowledge to their experiences in a professional development workshop

Descripción

This investigation describes secondary mathematics teachers’ learning and instructional change following their participation in a professional development workshop, the Enhancing Secondary Mathematics Teacher Preparation Project (ESP) (2004–2005), specifically focused on the selection and implementation of cognitively challenging mathematical tasks. Data consist of a pre/post-assessment of teachers’ knowledge of the cognitive demands of mathematical tasks and videotaped discussions and written artifacts from the professional development sessions. A mixed methods approach was used to identify connections between teachers’ learning and their experiences in the ESP workshop. Results indicate that ESP teachers developed new ideas about the influence of mathematical tasks on students’ learning. Increases in teachers’ knowledge of the cognitive demands of mathematical tasks were closely linked to ideas represented in frameworks and discussions from the ESP workshop and to teachers’ experiences in solving challenging mathematical tasks as learners.

Professional development, Cognitive demands, Mathematical tasks, Teachers’ learning, Instructional change. 

Título investigación

Cases of Mathematics Professional Development in East Asian Countries

Descripción

This theoretical paper discusses the concept of models for mathematics professional development. After examining the related literature, we propose a definition of this concept that includes four elements: goals, theories, contexts, and structure. We present aspects of professional development that comprise each element.

Mathematics teacher education, Professional development, Theoretical models. 

Título investigación

Blogging to enhance in-service teachers’ professional learning and development during collaborative inquiry

Descripción

Blogging has been recommended as a suitable tool for teacher professional learning due to its associated utility in collaborative learning, reflection, communication, and social support. In this study, blogging was incorporated into a collaborative inquiry project involving elementary and secondary teachers. In examining the frequency and nature of blog usage as well as perceptions of blogging among the participants, a mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative and qualitative data sources included individual semi-structured teacher interviews, blog entries, and a blog statistics tracking tool. Results revealed that there are both benefits and challenges of using blogs to facilitate teacher collaborative inquiry. The participants in this study viewed the blog as a tool for facilitating the sharing of knowledge, teaching strategies, and assessment practices, as well as networking among colleagues. The blogs were more likely to benefit teachers who were shy, introverted, and reflective. Blogging also posed challenges for the teacher participants, including: low levels of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use; lack or insufficient amount of in-service teacher training on using the blog; time limitations; technical problems; lack of immediacy and synchronous interactivity.

Teacher professional development, Blog, Collaborative inquiry, Reflective practice. 

Título investigación

Applying a Cognitive-Affective Model of Conceptual Change to Professional Development

Descripción

This study evaluated Gregoire’s (2003) Cognitive–Affective Conceptual Change model (CAMCC) for predicting and assessing conceptual change in science teachers engaged in a long-term professional development project set in a large school district in the southwestern United States. A multiple case study method with data from three teacher participants was used to understand the process of integrating and applying a reform message of inquiry based science teaching. Data sources included: responses to example teaching scenarios, reflective essays, lesson plans, classroom observations, and action research projects. Findings show that the CAMCC functioned well in predicting how these teachers made decisions that impacted how they processed the reform message. When the reform message was communicated in such a way as to initiate stress appraisal, conceptual change occurred, producing changes in classroom practice. If the reform message did not initiate stress appraisal, teachers rejected the professional development message and developed heuristic responses. In order to further research and improve practice, propositions for assessments related to the CAMCC are provided.

Conceptual change, Professional development. 

Título investigación

An In-Service Teacher Education Program's Effect on Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes

Descripción

Changes in teacher efficacy and attitudes toward teaching were examined throughout a teacher education program as teachers worked to integrate new skills into their science curriculum. Correlation coefficients were calculated for the changes. Positive correlation was observed between changes in attitude and self-efficacy. Negative correlation was observed between changes in self-efficacy at the beginning of the school year and changes in self-efficacy at the end of the program.

Teacher Effectiveness, Teacher Education Programs, Self Efficacy, Science Curriculum, Inservice Teacher Education, Teaching Skills, Science Instruction, Teacher Attitudes, Attitude Change, Program Effectiveness, Science Teachers. 

Título investigación

An action-research programme with secondary education teachers on teaching and learning photosynthesis

Descripción

We describe part of an action-research programme in Spain which was based on metacognitive reflection. The participants were four science teachers in a secondary school during the 2004–05 and 2005–06 academic years. During the study, they each analysed their own pupils’ alternative ideas on photosynthesis and their teaching methods as recorded in videos of their classes, and followed this by planning new teaching units. The present communication focuses on the case of one experienced teacher. The results showed that the teacher’s reflection on his pupils’ commonest alternative ideas and his own classroom teaching led him to plan new teaching units for the second year of the study which took those alternative ideas into account, and included new strategies, resources and activities. The programme has contributed to the teacher’s professional development, impacting significantly on the elements that form part of his teaching, and positively affecting the learning and conceptual change of his pupils.

Professional development, Action-research, Secondary teachers, Teaching, Learning photosynthesis. 

Título investigación

Adapting Japanese Lesson Study to enhance the teaching and learning of geometry and spatial reasoning in early years classrooms

Descripción

Increased efforts are needed to meet the demand for high quality mathematics in early years classrooms. Despite the foundational role of geometry and spatial reasoning for later mathematics success, the strand receives inadequate instructional time and is limited to concepts of static geometry. Moreover, early years teachers typically lack both content knowledge and confidence in teaching geometry and spatial reasoning. We describe our attempt to deal with these issues through a research initiative known as the Math for Young Children project. The project integrates effective features of both design research and Japanese Lesson Study and is designed to support teachers in developing content knowledge and new approaches for teaching geometry and spatial reasoning. Central to our Professional Development model is the integration of four adaptations to the Japanese Lesson Study model: (1) teachers engaging in the mathematics, (2) teachers designing and conducting task-based clinical interviews, (3) teachers and researchers co-designing and carrying out exploratory lessons and activities, and (4) the creation of resources for other educators. We present our methods and the results of our adaptations through a case study of one Professional Learning Team. Our results suggest that the adaptations were effective in: (1) supporting teachers’ content knowledge of and comfort level with geometry and spatial reasoning, (2) increasing teachers’ perceptions of young children’s mathematical competencies, (3) increasing teachers’ awareness and commitment for the inclusion of high quality geometry and spatial reasoning as a critical component of early years mathematics, and (4) the creation of innovative resources for other educators. We conclude with theoretical considerations and implications of our results.

Teacher professional development, Geometry, Spatial reasoning, Early years mathematics, Lesson study. 

Título investigación

A Web-based model for developing assessment literacy of secondary in-service teachers

Descripción

This research investigates the effect of a web-based model, named ‘Practicing, Reflecting, and Revising with Web-based Assessment and Test Analysis system (P2R-WATA) Assessment Literacy Development Model,’ on enhancing assessment knowledge and perspectives of secondary in-service teachers, and adopts a single group experimental research design. The WATA system provides teachers with personalized learning resources and situated environment to practice assembling, administering tests on-line, and appraising test-related statistical information to reflect and revise test items. The sample consisted of forty-seven secondary in-service mathematics and science teachers in a summer program for 36 h within six weeks. This research collects and analyzes quantitative data, including the pre-test and post-test of teachers’ knowledge and perspectives on assessment. The major results generally confirm the effectiveness of P2R-WATA model. Firstly, the assessment knowledge of the participants has improved after training, especially for teachers with low-level prior knowledge. Secondly, the findings also reveal that there is a significant improvement on teachers’ assessment perspectives.

Assessment knowledge, Assessment Literacy Development Model, Math Teacher, Science Teacher.

Título investigación

A teacher professional development model for teaching socioscientific issues

Descripción

This paper describes the development and implementation of a three-pillared model for teaching socioscientific issues: teacher professional development; curriculum resources; and classroom support. A professional development program and curriculum resource based on the socioscientific issue of climate change was trialled with 75 Western Australian secondary science teachers. Teachers responded positively to the workshops and curriculum resource and indicated a willingness to use some or all of the activities in their classes. Two of these teachers have subsequently trialled the curriculum resource. These classes have been observed and feedback provided. This support aims to develop and maintain teachers' confidence in teaching socioscientific issues such as climate change.

Professional development program, Socioscientific Issues, Science, Workshop.

Título investigación

A qualitative study of in-service teacher evaluation beliefs

Descripción

Evaluation is traditionally seen as judgment to help teachers assess the educational outcomes. However, evaluation also plays an important role in the development of teaching and learning process as a key driving element. As evaluation is often used as a tool, it offers little opportunity for these attributes (learning environment, behaviour, competence and attitude) to develop. Thirty-one Chinese in-service teachers were interviewed to ascertain their evaluation beliefs In the classroom. The result shows that in-service teachers define their evaluation in terms of who, why, what, how and when to evaluate. Implications of this research suggest in-service teachers should have an integral role in designing a curriculum and systems relevant to the evaluation context if educational researchers are all concerned with their beliefs.

Beliefs, Evaluation, Evaluation beliefs, In-service Teachers.