Browsing by Subject "Teacher knowledge"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    The effects of microteaching on pre-service teachers' knowledge and implementation of the concept mastery routine
    (2013-06) Lindell, Mary Ann
    The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a teacher education pedagogy (microteaching) on pre-service general education teachers' knowledge and implementation of the Concept Mastery Routine (CMR), a research-based intervention, and on their teacher efficacy. In addition, this study explored the feasibility of implementing a randomized, control-group study in the context of a teacher preparation class. One hundred pre-service teachers from a teacher education course participated in the study. Participants were assigned randomly to a treatment or control condition. Knowledge of CMR and teacher efficacy were assessed at pre and posttest and fidelity of implementation of CMR was assessed at posttest only. For knowledge and efficacy measures, a repeated measures ANOVA was conducted with time (pretest and posttest) as the within-subjects effect and condition (treatment or control) as the between subjects effect. On the knowledge tests there was a significant effect of time, but the interaction between time and condition and the within subjects effect for condition were not significant. On the efficacy measure the interaction between time and condition, the between subjects effect for condition, and within subjects effect for time were not significant. The implementation measure was analyzed using an independent samples t-test and no significant difference between groups was found. Implications for conducting rigorous within teacher education setting are discussed.
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    Elementary teachers conceptions of graphical representations of categorical data
    (2007-12) Tiefenbruck, Brenda Fay
    This study investigated fourteen Grade 4 teachers' understandings of graphical representations of categorical data. The study examined what the teachers knew about: (a) categorical data and graphical representations of categorical data, (b) their students' knowledge of graphical representations of categorical data, and (c) how to work in class with student errors and misunderstandings. A list of common errors was developed from a review of the literature and used to create written assessments for students and teachers. Teachers completed the Categorical Data Graph Knowledge instrument, Curriculum Implementation Survey , and participated in an interview. Interviews probed the understanding teachers had of student errors and instructional strategies to assist student learning. The group of teachers revealed some basic knowledge of graphical representations of categorical data. These teachers could: (a) name common types of graphs, (b) name components of graphs, (c) identify title and labels on all graphs, (d) understand horizontal and vertical bar graphs, and (e) compare bar graphs and circle graphs. The teachers were also successful in identifying many errors the students made. Issues uncovered that are of primary interest to teachers and teacher educators include: (a) confusion between histograms and bar graphs; (b) interpretation of data within context; (c) putting labels for the frequency in the spaces, not at the end of line; (d) use of a template, or bars in a bar graph touching; (e) keeping a category with a zero value and how to explain a zero category value; and (f) creating the scale. The difficulty revealed in this study regarding the teachers' knowledge was not that the teachers couldn't make a bar graph, but that these teachers did not have a depth of understanding of graphical representations of categorical data, which is needed to assist students.
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    “You Just Have to Teach It Differently”: English Language Teachers’ Practice and Knowledge of Pronunciation Instruction
    (2024-06) McCurdy, Suzanne
    Oral communication skills are vital for adult English language learners, especially in daily activities and when securing employment (Parrish, 2015). Pronunciation instruction has been shown to improve learners' intelligibility and communication abilities (Darcy & Rocca, 2022; Thomson & Derwing, 2015), underscoring the significance of pronunciation in adult EAL curricula (Zielinski & Yates, 2014). Nevertheless, most pronunciation research has concentrated on literate learners at intermediate and advanced proficiency levels in university or adult settings (e.g., Gordon & Darcy, 2022; LaScotte & Tarone, 2022; Zielinski & Pryor, 2020), neglecting adult language learners with low print-literacy levels and interrupted formal education. This oversight mirrors a larger marginalization of these learners and their teachers within second language acquisition research (Young-Scholten, 2015). Consequently, there is an urgent need for research focused on the pronunciation practices utilized by teachers in literacy-level classrooms and their underlying knowledge base. This qualitative comparative multicase study sought to address this gap by investigating the pronunciation practices and personal practical knowledge (Connelly & Clandinin, 1984; Golombek, 1998) of three literacy-level teachers. This research employed an inductive, constant comparative method to analyze data (observations, interviews, teacher reflections, and classroom artifacts) and construct three detailed case portraits. A cross-case analysis was conducted to discern trends and themes across participant portraits, leading to the identification of three overarching themes: pronunciation as a full-body experience, the significance of structure, and confidence in learners’ capabilities. These findings highlight the participants’ use of gesture and body movement in pronunciation instruction, their focus on providing structured instruction to promote pronunciation acquisition, and that the participants position their students as capable learners. The findings show a strong reliance on literacy-level teachers’ knowledge of learners to guide pronunciation instruction. In addition, teacher-controlled activities and techniques were dominant in the teachers’ pronunciation practice as a group. Along with this, the degree to which their pronunciation instruction included teacher-controlled activities align with each participant’s amount of formal training pronunciation instruction. Findings also show a tension between the participants’ beliefs that literacy-level learners are highly capable and the relative lack of instruction beyond teacher-controlled activities. In light of these findings, theoretical and pedagogical implications are discussed.