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Teachers Talking about Effective Practice: Understanding the Knowledge and Practice of Teachers
Abstract
The idea of active learning was first introduced to kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong in 1981 when they received their in-service teacher education. In a two-year, school-based project, 60 teachers in five schools were asked to create collaborative videos about models of good practices after sharing “effective” teaching episodes with peer teachers who were experimenting with “desirable” learning activities in their classrooms. This study reports on the planning, implementation, classroom ethos and adult support displayed in the project deliverables (videos) so as to portray the kinds of emergent innovations that were being adopted. The findings of the study suggest that there was some significance to the use of collaborative reflection to activate teachers' creativity and sensitivity in giving children's learning first priority in their pedagogy. As well, it points toward using collaborative reflection as an element of teacher education.
... Rancangan pengajaran ini boleh dirancang mengikut harian, bulanan atau tahunan. Menurut kajian oleh Yuen Ling Li (2007) di Hong Kong, perancangan dan pelaksanaan pengajaran dan pembelajaran perlu dilakukan dengan memberi keutamaan pada pembelajaran kanakkanak dalam proses pengajaran guru dan menunjukkan bahawa guru perlu mengamalkan refleksi kerjasama sebagai elemen pendidikan guru. ...
... Video-based pedagogy can take several forms: One is producing videos by student teachers and teachers of their classroom practices. Studies suggest that such a pedagogy promotes teachers' engagement in real analysis of what constitutes quality teaching, as they learned to critically select practices for specific situations (Li, 2007) as well as identifying what they would do differently while viewing the selected parts (Welsch & Devlin, 2007). Moreover, engaging student teachers in video production as a group created a special kind of creative social practice which encouraged collaborative meaning making (Potter, 2006). ...
This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of video as observing experience. Since the early 1990s, video as a methodology has gained a central place in teacher education pedagogy as a medium for in-depth observation of experience. To date, it is recognized as a powerful reflective tool for encouraging thinking aloud processes, as an integral component of reflective action-research models in teacher education and as central to stimulated recall techniques of analysis and interpretation. Video is a powerful genre for mediating learning ‘on action’, encouraging self and group examination and a focus on teaching-learning ‘live events’ from the perspective of both the teacher and the learner. The chapter discusses the theoretical groundings of video, with a focus on studies conducted in teacher education on the uses, processes and outcomes of video as a pedagogy for mediating teacher learning. The second part presents concrete examples of mediation tasks through cases in teacher education. The last part presents a synthesis of the major themes identified in the literature on the use of video in teacher education. The synthesis is organized around purposes, processes, outcomes and target audience studied. Like previous chapters, this synthesis is followed by a comprehensive checklist of selected articles, books and handbooks on cases organized by decades (from 1990 onwards).
... This is evident in a local study of teachers that showed they often used didactic methods in teaching and critical reflection was seldom used to enhance teaching practices (Cheng, 2001). In response, there has been a call for the adoption of collective reflection in teacher education through which learning experiences can be explored in greater depth than in the individual process (Li, 2007). This is in line with Collin and Karsenti's argument (2011) supporting verbal interaction in a collective approach to reflective practice in PLCs, as mentioned earlier. ...
This study explores the relationship between school-level teacher qualifications and school-based professional learning community (PLC) practices in Early Childhood Education in Hong Kong. A territory-wide survey examined how preschool teachers perceived shared responsibility, reflective dialogues, deprivatized practices and organizational learning. The findings suggest a significant relationship between school-level teacher qualifications and teachers' perceptions of school-based PLC practices. As the percentage of bachelor degree holders in preschools increases, teachers are more positive about PLC practices in their perceptions. This study establishes a platform for future studies focusing on structural relationships between teacher qualifications and school-based PLC practices.
This chapter consolidates the entire book. It discusses an integrative perspective to methodologies for the mediation of professional learning in teacher education, while also focusing both on differences and commonalities surfaced through the shared paradigmatic ground of ontological and epistemological positions that they exhibit. The chapter also surfaces “weak links” across methodologies for the mediation of professional learning in regard to audience, outcomes, processes and purposes. This is followed by a discussion of the need to strengthen links across methodologies by creating methodological and conceptual connections between the fragmented and discrete pieces, towards a more integrative, conceptually grounded research agenda across contexts and settings. The chapter ends with a view into the future of methodologies of mediation on the twenty-first century and the insights gained from the journey of exploration into methodologies of mediation.
Currently, there is rigorous effort involved in preschool improvement in HK. A set of performance indicators (www.edb.gov.hk) was developed in 2000 to facilitate the reform process.The present mode of early childhood educational accountability in Hong Kong has been in place since 2000. In these recent educational reforms (www.edb.gov.hk), the focus has been placed on self-assessment and subsequent evaluation by an external body. However, according to the two most recently published reports by the Education Bureau Annual Report, none of the inspected kindergartens met the "excellent" standards set in the Teaching-Learning domain. In 2007, a voucher system (www.edb.gov.hk) was introduced which includes a teacher professional development scheme as an incentive. This investment can potentially be seen as the key to quality assurance in Hong Kong. The focus of this enquiry concerns the activities undertaken by 10 preschools implementing self-assessment and school improvement. The findings are used to present a theoretical framework which identify key characteristics in the implementation process which can enhance school improvement at the preschool sector.Currently, there is rigorous effort involved in preschool improvement in HK. A set of performance indicators (www.edb.gov.hk) was developed in 2000 to facilitate the reform process.The present mode of early childhood educational accountability in Hong Kong has been in place since 2000. In these recent educational reforms (www.edb.gov.hk), the focus has been placed on self-assessment and subsequent evaluation by an external body. However, according to the two most recently published reports by the Education Bureau Annual Report, none of the inspected kindergartens met the "excellent" standards set in the Teaching-Learning domain. In 2007, a voucher system (www.edb.gov.hk) was introduced which includes a teacher professional development scheme as an incentive. This investment can potentially be seen as the key to quality assurance in Hong Kong. The focus of this enquiry concerns the activities undertaken by 10 preschools implementing self-assessment and school improvement. The findings are used to present a theoretical framework which identify key characteristics in the implementation process which can enhance school improvement at the preschool sector.
The purpose of this study was to examine students’ beliefs and practices about developmentally appropriate practice with infants and toddlers. This study examined whether coursework in child development, combined with a lab experience engaging with children of the same age group, was related to developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices of student teachers. In particular, the study examined how coursework and practicum taken concurrently may have differed from taking the coursework alone. The relationships between descriptive data and student teachers’ developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices were also of interest. A total of 390 college students participated in this study. These students were enrolled in an undergraduate Infancy and Early Childhood course and some were also enrolled in an Infant Toddler Lab. The students completed a questionnaire at the beginning of the semester and again at the end, which was designed to measure teachers’ developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices in an early childhood classroom. The results showed that there were no statistically significant relationships between college major, marital status, or number of children and pretest beliefs scores. Individual means on practices scores also showed very little difference. The results demonstrated that beliefs about developmentally appropriate practice increased for all of the participants from the beginning of the semester to the end, with those in the class and lab increasing slightly more. On the practices items some of the developmentally appropriate scores went up and some went down. These findings have implications for infant toddler teacher training. When participants were compared based on group membership, whether they were in the class alone or took the lab concurrently, results showed that while not statistically significant, belief scores were higher for those who were in the class and lab combined. Many specific practices items were statistically significantly different between groups, especially at posttest, where those in the class and lab had higher scores of developmentally appropriate practice. However, some results indicate that idealized postulations of developmentally appropriate practice may not be realistic in actual classrooms. Suggestions of how these findings can be used in the training of early childhood teachers are presented. (103 pages)
Constructivism, a multifaceted philosophical position on the nature of knowledge and educational practice, has recently emerged both in the literature on learning and in school reform efforts, despite no strong supporting research base. At present, four major perspectives on constructivism in classrooms may be identified. They are the perspectives of Piaget and Vygotsky as well as social and holistic constructivism. Because school psychologists may be asked to work in a constructivist framework, one purpose of this article is to describe the essential characteristics and difficult issues associated with implementing this approach for classroom practice. Included are goals, assumptions about learners, essential teacher skills, and research concerns. A second purpose is a discussion of the implications for school psychologists, highlighting currently recommended school psychology practices that may address important concerns within a constructivist approach. Recommendations for consultation and intervention, needs of students with learning difficulties, and assessment issues are addressed.
Bridging scientifically based theoretical approaches to quality instructional methods within classrooms in schools continues to be a challenge. Given the increasing demand for accountability, the implementation and evaluation of scientifically based interventions and strategies are necessary. This article describes the conceptual framework and the specific implementation activities that the state of Florida has used to ensure that quality, scientifically based instructional practices are implemented within classrooms and schools in Florida through a reconceptualized professional development model. The specific model and procedures that are described have been implemented and validated through the collaboration among professionals within the research community, the state department of education, and local staff developers, administrators, and teachers.
Kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong are often criticised for not putting early childhood education theory into practice after their in-service training. It appears that they may be too concerned about academic work and discipline in the classroom and neglect to create a coherent vision of early childhood education. It might be suggested that kindergarten teachers have difficulties in coping with reform that advocates child-centred teaching approaches and active learning as the idealised vision of early childhood education when they have to cope with the Chinese cultural influence and parental demands for an early academic start. This article reviews the current teacher education provision and the cultural context of education in Hong Kong, and tracks the classroom strategies of kindergarten teachers in nine case studies. The findings of the study suggest that there is a general pattern for teaching in kindergartens. The culture of teaching tends to reflect the coping strategies of the teachers to overcome a triangle of potentially conflicting expectations and orientations: the vision of early childhood education, the Chinese culture, and local constraints. Moreover, simply training teachers would not ultimately change their practice unless the environment in which teachers work facilitated this. In view of this, teacher development and change are most possible if there is a change in views and attitudes towards teaching.
Early childhood education in Hong Kong is in a transition time. The Hong Kong government's Education Commission is urging the field of early childhood education to engage in a substantial paradigm shift in order to achieve the goals of educational reform (Education Commission, 1999a). Informed by recent overseas research, government directives have asserted that teachers must ensure that young children are educated for "life-long learning," "self-development," and a "willingness to experiment and explore" (Education Commission, 1999b) the ideas of active learning. However, those precepts may not match Hong Kong teachers' knowledge about how "good" teachers teach and how young children learn efficiently. Experience in other contexts worldwide has shown that rhetoric alone will not help teachers embrace change (Hargreaves, 1992; Wood & Bennett, 2000). Information about teachers' knowledge and practice could guide interventions that align teachers with the government's policies. However, little research has investigated early childhood teachers' knowledge and practice in the Hong Kong context. This article reports the findings of a study that explored the richness and variety of teaching in kindergarten classrooms in Hong Kong. Case studies of nine teachers show that the teachers use similar teaching strategies despite articulating different knowledge of teaching and learning. A paradigm of warmth, control, and structure are at work in the kindergartens. The study suggests that early childhood teachers in Hong Kong may require a great deal of support to embed the government's educational reform policies into classroom practice. (Contains 3 tables.)
In this article, professional development in the context of the current reforms in science education is discussed from the perspective of developing teachers' practical knowledge. It is argued that reform efforts in the past have often been unsuccessful because they failed to take teachers' existing knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes into account. Teachers' practical knowledge is conceptualized as action-oriented and person-bound. As it is constructed by teachers in the context of their work, practical knowledge integrates experiential knowledge, formal knowledge, and personal beliefs. To capture this complex type of knowledge, multimethod designs are necessary. On the basis of a literature review, it is concluded that long-term professional development programs are needed to achieve lasting changes in teachers' practical knowledge. In particular, the following strategies are potentially powerful: (a) learning in networks, (b) peer coaching, (c) collaborative action research, and (d) the use of cases. In any case, it is recommended that teachers' practical knowledge be investigated at the start of a reform project, and that changes in this knowledge be monitored throughout the project. In that way, the reform project may benefit from teachers' expertise. Moreover, this makes it possible to adjust the reform so as to enhance the chances of a successful implementation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 137–158, 2001
This research study focused on pupil-teacher interactions in kindergarten classrooms in Hong Kong. Classroom observations of the morning or afternoon sessions of nine kindergarten teachers from three schools were carried out. Teachers, in general, exhibited considerable warmth towards their pupils. Teaching consisted largely of intensive closed questioning and giving instruction that generally involved assigning activities, monitoring students while on task or providing corrective feedback in response to students' errors. When directing discussion, teachers sought to ensure that students offered the required answers. Emphasis was placed on tasks and basic skill activities rather than on helping children to develop learning strategies. It is argued that, to confront and modify the teachers' personal concerns, cognitive dissonance must be induced as a first step in this process of re-orientation.
This research was an initial study designed to explore differences in the frequency of stress behaviors exhibited by children (n = 37) in developmentally appropriate (n = 20) and developmentally inappropriate (n = 17) kindergarten classrooms. Results indicated that children in the developmentally inappropriate classroom exhibited significantly more stress behaviors than children in the appropriate classroom. In looking at stress within various activity types, higher frequencies of stress behaviors were found during whole group and workbook/worksheet activities for children in the inappropriate classroom, whereas those in the appropriate classroom had higher levels of stress during center and transition activities. Differences were also found between the two classrooms in amount of time spent in various activities. More center, group story, and transition activities were found in the appropriate classroom, whereas there were more whole group and workbook/worksheet activities in the inappropriate classroom. Marginal gender differences were also noted, with males exhibiting more overall stress behaviors than females.