Título investigación

Competencia de modelización en interpretación de gráficas funcionales

Descripción

En este artículo presentamos una investigación en que se aplica el Modelo de Competencia Matemática (MCM) para estudiar la competencia de modelización, que se caracteriza por: tareas matemáticas, procesos y fases de la modelización. Las relaciones entre estos tres componentes determinan los niveles de complejidad cognitiva de una actividad matemática. Los procesos constituyen el componente más destacado y se desarrollan a lo largo de la etapa escolar, a diferencia de las tareas matemáticas, que se trabajan a corto plazo. El MCM se pone a prueba en un estudio de caso de una profesora que implementa una unidad didáctica de interpretación de gráficas funcionales.

competencias matemáticas, modelo de competencia matemática, modelización matemática, procesos matemáticos, interpretación de gráficas funcionales

Título investigación

Competencia de argumentación en la interpretación de gráficas funcionales

Descripción

En este artículo se interpreta la argumentación en la interpretación de gráficas funcionales, como una competencia matemática. Esta competencia se ha caracterizado mediante tareas matemáticas asociadas a la interpretación de dichas gráficas y por determinados procesos. Éstos procesos se repiten y se desarrollan a largo plazo en el currículum de matemáticas mientras que las tareas cambian y su alcance es a corto plazo. Las relaciones entre tareas y procesos permiten identificar el progreso de los estudiantes en la competencia de argumentación, determinando el nivel de complejidad de las actividades matemáticas que realizan.

Asimismo se muestra que la competencia de argumentación tiene una función didáctica pues articula la argumentación en el currículo de matemáticas, al considerarla en la planificación de una secuencia didáctica y en su desarrollo en el aula.

Modelo de Competencia Matemática; argumentación matemática; procesos matemáticos; nivel de complejidad; interpretación de gráficas

Título investigación

We modify each other’s lessons: the role of literacy work circles in developing professional community

Descripción

To address teacher isolation in schools, more reform leaders are finding hope in establishing professional communities as a way to promote continuous school improvement. This case study presents one approach for developing teacher professional community: a teacher work circle. Using the characteristics of professional community created by Kruse, Louis, and Bryk, this case study describes a sixth-grade, middle school, teacher work circle addressing the problem of students reading in the content areas. This case suggests that the work circle approach may productively support professional community among teachers focused on instruction. This paper discusses implications for professional development and further supporting a social infrastructure of teaching colleagues.

teacher learning; teacher collaboration; professional community

Título investigación

Literacy coaching as a component of professional development

Descripción

Current debates concerning effective professional development for teachers of early reading have focused on the potential benefits of a literacy coach in providing sustained support and guidance for teachers’ learning from a professional development program. In this study, we compare the response of first-grade teachers to a model of professional development that did or did not include a literacy coach (i.e., PD Coach or PD No Coach) by examining teachers’ attitudes toward professional development, their instruction, and student outcomes. We also take into account teachers’ views about their school climate, as these might influence their response to professional development activities. Results showed no differences in teachers’ attitudes toward the professional development, the support of their principal, or opportunities for collaboration with other teachers. The PD Coach teachers differed from the PD No Coach teachers in aspects of instruction relevant to the professional development program. Further, students in PD Coach teachers’ classrooms made greater improvements in word decoding from fall to spring. The support of the principal contributed to these outcomes. The results suggest benefits of a model of professional development in reading that included school-based coaching for first-grade teachers. 

Professional development, Reading, Literacy coaching, Teachers’ practices, Student achievement In

Título investigación

The Effect of a Mentoring Model for Elementary Science Professional Development

Descripción

This study describes an elementary science model of professional development through mentoring by university science education professors working with teachers at a private elementary school in a regional city in Queensland, Australia. A cross-cultural collaboration involving professors from the United States and Australia resulted in the socially constructed image of the science education mentor. While there is no generic model for elementary science mentoring, results of data collection reveal that (a) one-to-one mentoring has short-term implications for implementing constructivist science teaching practices; (b) successful mentoring models include facilitating the understanding of science content, exploring elementary science pedagogical content knowledge through modeling, and off-site professional developmentworkshops; and (c) understanding and working fromthe predispositions of the teachers is an essential component of effective professional development.

Título investigación

The Impact of a Mentor-coaching Model on Teacher Professional Development

Descripción

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the mentor–coach initiative model on participating Head Start Programs. The researchers interviewed 44 participants across two mid-western states. The participants provided positive feedback about the initiative and identified specific literacy practices based on this model that were successfully implemented in their classrooms. Evidence from this study suggests the importance of incorporating the mentor-coaching initiative model to enhance teacher pedagogical practices. 

Teacher professional development, Mentoring Mentor-coaching, Literacy, Head Start

Título investigación

Professional Knowledge, Teacher Education and Self-Study

Descripción

This chapter explores the relationship between professional knowledge and teacher education and the ways self-study research might strengthen that relationship. To do this, using a cartography metaphor, a series of questions are asked and answered with the overarching question of, ‘‘What counts as knowledge in the research on the self-study of teaching practices?’’ Topics in this chapter include: a discussion about the nature of knowledge; a review of the professional knowledge base as it relates to teacher education including political, moral, and ethical issues; and, an examination of how selfstudy can-should influence these considerations. In the last section of the chapter, the third space is explored as a place where alternative perspectives can challenge the traditional framework for approaching research. 

Título investigación

Changing practice: An evaluation of the impact of a nature of science inquiry-based professional development programme on primary teachers

Descripción

This study investigates how a two-year continuing professional development (CPD) programme, with an emphasis on teaching about science through inquiry, impacted the experiences of, approaches to and attitudes towards teaching science of 17 primary teachers in Dublin. Data sources included interview, questionnaire and reflective journal strategies. Data gathering focussed primarily on enabling teachers to reflect on their experiences of teaching about science through inquiry while implementing the Irish primary science curriculum. Teachers were also asked to consider their own changes in teaching science, as change in practice is a key indicator of successful professional intervention. Encouragingly the findings have shown that participation in this CPD programme appears to have been central to empowering these Dublin teachers to break away from rather traditional, didactic, theory-laden views of science teaching and to tackle more child-led, open-ended modes of learning. The data also revealed a number of aspects of the CPD model which the teachers perceived to be beneficial at translating inquiry into their classrooms, in particular: the active, hands-on approaches; the collaboration and the duration of the CPD itself. Based on the findings of this study, implications for professional development are considered.

primary science; inquiry-based science education; nature of science; continuing professional development

Título investigación

Teaching Science Using Guided Inquiry as the Central Theme: A Professional Development Model for High School Science Teachers

Descripción

The author describes a professional development model for high school science teachers based on the framework of inquiry and science standards. The ‘Learn-Teach-Assess Inquiry’ model focuses on guided inquiry labs as the central theme and builds on these labs to reinforce science concepts and abilities to understand and engage in inquiry in accordance with national/state science standards. A professional development model for high school science teachers based on the framework of inquiry and National Science Education Standards has been developed and field tested for three years. This model requires intensive involvement of teachers and project personnel in workshops, material development, and roundthe- year follow-up school visits for a three-year cycle.

The professional development improves the ability of teachers to do and understand inquiry. Consequently, teachers organize more guided inquiry labs and postlab discussion and motivate students to ask more questions in their classrooms.

professional development, guided inquiry labs, inquiry teaching, national science education standards

Título investigación

Peer coaching as part of a professional development program for science teachers in Botswana

Descripción

This paper discusses the findings of a study into the potentials of peer coaching as part of a professional development program, consisting of an in-service course and exemplary curriculum materials, in supporting the implementation of learner-centred teaching in senior secondary science and mathematics education in Botswana. Teachers in the study organised several peer coaching activities and considered them beneficial. They primarily indicated having learned about general teaching issues while comments referring specifically to the implementation of learner-centred teaching were sparse. It is argued that for peer coaching to be an effective support tool teachers should have a thorough conceptualisation of this innovative approach. 

Curriculum; Professional development; Peer coaching

Título investigación

Professional Development + Coaching = Enhanced Teaching: Increasing Usage of Math Mediated Language in Preschool Classrooms

Descripción

In an effort to determine the most efficacious manner to deliver professional development training to early childhood educators, this study investigated the effect of a 2-h workshop followed by side-by-side classroom coaching. Twelve early childhood educators with 4-year degrees teaching in a university child development center participated in the study. The twice weekly classroom observations were analyzed for the use of math mediated language. Results indicate a 56% increase of math mediated language following the professional development; however, the greatest increase (39% increase over professional development condition) occurred during the side-by-side coaching phase of the treatment. These results corroborate previous findings that implementation of teaching strategies presented in professional development trainings can be enhanced by coaching teachers on the use of the strategies.

Professional development, Coaching, Mathematics education, Early childhood education

Título investigación

Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching Practices in the Context of Lesson Study and Open Approach

Descripción

This study aimed to explore teachers’ beliefs about teaching practices in the context of lesson study and Open Approach. Lesson Study and Open Approach have been introduced as innovations in 2 project schools in 2006, 1 project school in 2007, and 18 project schools in 2009. The target group consisted of 132 teachers from 21 project schools that had implemented lesson study and Open Approach to the teaching mathematics in their schools. The data were collected by 5-likert scale and open-ended questionnaire administered in 2011 academic year. The findings showed that there were 3 categories of beliefs about teaching practices related to lesson study and Open Approach which the teachers responded to the questionnaires. Those three categories were beliefs about teaching mathematics, beliefs about learning mathematics, and beliefs about social context, which are different from those of beliefs teachers had before entering the project. Teachers’ long-held beliefs such as the role of a teacher is to give lectures, to explain some examples, laws or formulas as prescribed in the textbooks hoping that would help their students to understand subject content and to memorize the laws or formulas, has been questioned by themselves. This allows teachers a space to provide their students to encounter problem solving and will accumulate new kind of teachers’ beliefs about teaching practices.

Teachers’ Beliefs, Teaching Practices, Lesson Study, Open Approach

Título investigación

Mathematics lesson study in the United States

Descripción

Teachers in the USA have been conducting lesson study for more than ten years since it was introduced from Japan in the late 1990s. Although interest in conducting lesson study in the USA is still strong and greater numbers of teachers have become involved in this professional learning, there are significant obstacles to conducting high quality and effective lesson study that enhances teachers’ content and pedagogical knowledge, as well as improving their instruction and student learning in classrooms. Because of the needs of improvement in lesson study in the USA, so it can be administered effectively and sustained, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the current status of lesson study in the USA, what high quality and effective lesson study is, and what ideas might be help to improve lesson study in the USA. 

Teaching, Learning, Lesson study, Mathematics instruction, Professional development, Professional learning communities

Título investigación

Discussing discussion: a video club in the service of math teachers’ National Board preparation

Descripción

This paper examines a group of secondary mathematics teachers who met 16 times to discuss video excerpts of their teaching. The explicit purpose of the meetings was to assist the teachers in preparing video for submission to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Analysis of meeting transcripts reveals that teachers engaged in intensive discussions about mathematical discourse. Specifically, the teachers investigated three discourse-related themes: techniques for facilitating discourse, contextual factors affecting discourse, and criteria for evaluating discourse. The meetings also supported the development of a professional community among participants as they collaboratively and substantively examined each other's practices. This research adds to our understanding of teacher professional development and provides particular insights about how preparing for National Board Certification can facilitate teacher learning and the development of professional teacher communities. (Contains 3 notes and 3 tables.)

professional development; National Board Certification; video; teacher professional community; mathematics education; mathematics department

Título investigación

In-Service Teacher Training: E-Learning

Descripción

In-service training through e-learning should be seen as a special field of adult education. The lessons learned from adult education must be an inspiration to the design of in-service training approaches that support collaborative learning and promote the development of virtual communities. This points support our conviction that e-learning is a “promising land” to new opportunities of training and professional development activities. After a short introduction, the article will describe three different cases of e-learning initiatives taken place at University of Minho - Portugal. The first case reports to a research project called ttVLC – trainers training to Virtual Learning Communities. The second case describes a course that aims to promote in-service professional development of secondary and high-school teachers, called “EASIC – Ensinar e Aprender na Sociedade da Informação” (in English: Teaching and Learning in the Information Society). The third case describe a course titled “Formação de Eformadores” (in English: Training of E-trainers) which aim helping university teachers to adopt e-learning methodologies. 

In-service training, professional development, e-learning

Título investigación

Cuestionar y problematizar la propia práctica: Investigación Acción Transformadora en los procesos de desarrollo profesional docente

Descripción

El profesorado juega un rol fundamental en la construcción de nuevas alternativas para entender y mejorar los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Las reflexiones que hagan al respecto se tornan fundamentales para afrontar cambios en un sistema educativo altamente segregado, homogeneizador y desigual. En este sentido, el desarrollo profesional docente se abre como una herramienta de cambio en la medida que dichos espacios propicien el análisis y mejora de la propia práctica docente, fomentando en los y las docentes una mirada crítica, reflexiva y transformadora. Este trabajo propone articular los aportes de la Investigación-Acción Transformadora (IAT), entendiendo como base la creencia en el potencial del docente para fomentar procesos sociales de construcción de aprendizajes en un contexto de diversidad y heterogeneidad.

Desarrollo profesional docente, Investigación Acción, profesionalidad docente

Título investigación

A Model for In-service Teacher Learning in the Context of an Innovation

Descripción

When curricula change, teachers have to bring their knowledge and beliefs up to date. Two aspects can be distinguished: what do teachers learn and how is it learned. Two groups of teachers were involved during the preparation of a new chemistry curriculum. One group developed student learning material and subsequently enacted this in class. Another group only class-enacted this. Based on teacher learning, a model to understand teacher growth is presented. As the combination of a development phase with a class enactmentphase proved instrumental, an existing model, the interconnected model of teacher professional growth, was extended. The consequence is that for teacher learning for a renewal a (re)development phase followed by a class enactment phase is essential.

Teacher professional growth, Professional development, Model for professional development, Teacher learning model