Train the Trainer
The Nature of University Tutors’ and Mentor Teachers’ Feedback to South African Preservice Teachers during Teaching Practice
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Moeniera Moosa
In South Africa, the completion of a mandatory work integrated learning (WIL) experience in a school context is a crucial requirement for prospective teachers. However, the feedback provided during this period is often considered a mere university obligation, which can lack in developmental opportunities for students’ practical teaching skills. Feedback that connects new insights from principles and concepts of teaching with the lesson contexts develops preservice teachers’ practice because it provides a theoretical lens on their practice. This research delves into the feedback offered to preservice teachers by university tutors and mentor teachers during their WIL experiences. The central inquiry guiding this study is: How does the feedback provided by university tutors and mentor teachers during WIL contribute to the development of preservice teachers' practice? This paper is theoretically grounded in Shulman’s (1987) model of pedagogical reasoning and action to understand the feedback process. Utilising qualitative document analysis, this study examines a comprehensive dataset comprising written feedback from both university tutors and mentor teachers, spanning a four-year period and involving 64 preservice teachers. The feedback was categorised by of an emergent thematic analysis. These findings underscore the importance of feedback that is developmental in nature will better prepare preservice teachers for future practice. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on teacher education and offers insights into the role of feedback in enhancing the quality of teacher preparation within the South African context.
The Multivoiced Classroom: Enhancing Pre-service English Teachers’ Self-efficacy through Formative Assessment
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alfonso Lopez-Hernandez
Numerous studies have found that a perceived low level of competence in the foreign language can negatively affect foreign language teachers' self-efficacy and self-concept. This can be a problem in countries where, as in Spain, many pre-service teachers begin their training with an intermediate to low level of English. This case study offers of a course design and implementation that uses formative assessments and multi-directional feedback to foster a “multivoiced” learning environment that can help respond to the needs of a mixed language ability group. Using team lesson planning and microteaching as the main course task, students are exposed to abundant teacher and peer feedback, provide constructive criticism to their peers’ work, and engage in processes of self-assessment and reflective writing. In this exploratory study, we were interested in assessing the effectiveness of these instructional strategies, especially in their ability to support the learning of lower language-level trainees, and even modify their self-concept as prospective English teachers.To do so, qualitative data were collected in the form of anonymous mid-semester and end-of-semester exit tickets, focus group interviews, and reflective essay writing. Initial results suggest that the prominent role of collaboration and feedback in the classroom does provide an effective scaffold for students’ learning, although it is unclear whether an increased sense of foreign language pedagogical competence significantly affects trainees' self-concept as English teachers.
A Diagnosis about Preliminary Considerations about Computational Thinking in Primary and Secondary School Teachers in the Municipality of Pasto, Colombia
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jesus Insuasti, Alexander Baron Salazar, Edwin Giovanni Insuasty Portilla
Computational thinking is increasingly recognized as a foundational skill for the 21st century, akin to reading, writing, and arithmetic, due to its profound impact on problem-solving and analytical skills across various disciplines. In education, embedding computational thinking into the curriculum equips students with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to navigate and innovate in a rapidly evolving digital world, fostering a generation that is adept at using technology and understanding and shaping it. Despite its growing importance on a global scale, the implementation of computational thinking within the educational domains of primary and secondary schools in the municipality of Pasto, Colombia, remains in its nascent stages. This research presents a comprehensive diagnosis of the initial perceptions and understanding of computational thinking among 407 educators in Pasto. Our findings underscore the pressing need for targeted training programs in computational thinking, which align with international educational standards and cater to the unique context of local schools. By highlighting specific areas of interest and potential application in real-world scenarios, this paper paves the way for more effective integration of computational thinking into the local educational curriculum, thereby enriching students' learning experiences in Pasto.
Teachers' Perspectives on the Education Process: Reflecting on the Past and Looking Forward
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Liene Briede
The responsibilities of a teacher are diverse and intricate and In recent times. Societal shifts, political developments, and rapid technological progress have added further layers of complexity to the teacher's daily tasks. The current research endeavors to analyze how teachers, with varying levels of experience and backgrounds, adapt to these changes in education and perceive opportunities for further development. To reach the aim focus group discussion was conducted involving five teachers from diverse backgrounds. Through thematic analysis, the study identified the primary challenges facing the current education process in Latvia, as well as potential avenues for improvement. The analysis sheds light on several issues within education, including the dynamics of teacher-student roles, the quality of educational outcomes, and student attitudes.
