EXPLORING IN-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT GOALS OR PURPOSES OF SCIENCE TEACHING

Research indicates that teachers’ beliefs about goals or purposes of science teaching, as one dimension of science teaching orientations, influence what happens in the classroom. The purpose of this research was to explore the self-reported and enacted goals or purposes of science teaching of four in-service Malawian science teachers using the curriculum emphases concept as a theoretical lens. This research used qualitative case study research design. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations were used to explore teachers’ self-reported and enacted goals or purpose of science teaching, respectively. A deductive analysis approach was used to analyze interview and classroom observation transcripts, to understand the teacher’s goals or purposes. Results reveal that while teachers have multiple self-reported goals or purpose of science teaching, most of these are not enacted during teaching in the classrooms. This suggests the topic-specific nature of the goals or purposes. Results also show that all the teachers were not aware of the self-as-explainer goal or purpose of science teaching both during interviews and instruction. These findings are discussed, and implications are proposed for science in-service teacher professional development and pre-service teachers’ training programs. Keywords: science teachers’ beliefs, curriculum emphasis, goals or purposes, science teaching orientations, teacher professional knowledge

Development of pre-service teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge through a PCK-based school experience course

The purpose of this study was to improve the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of pre-service chemistry teachers using a school experience course enriched with PCK development tools such as CoRe as a lesson planning form, observations of mentor teachers’ teaching by using an observation form prepared based on PCK components, discussion sessions on these observations, and reflections on their teaching. Some valuable results of the study indicated that pre-service teachers' science teaching orientations did not change during the study. However, all participants' knowledge of learners and knowledge of instructional strategies improved by the end of the study. Knowledge of curriculum and knowledge of assessment are the components of PCK in which some pre-service teachers showed no improvement.

From the centre to periphery: The Middle Eastern impacts on Islamic education in Indonesia

This paper traces Middle Eastern elements in Islamic education in Indonesia by looking at their institutions, curricula, method of teaching, orientations, and Islamic ideological transmission. The information on values and impacts of Indonesian and Middle Eastern Islam takes a one-way traffic pattern in general terms. The dynamics of Islam in Middle Eastern regions will fundamentally affect the practice and dynamic of Islam in Indonesia. This paper maps out Middle Eastern components' influence on the course of education run by these two largest Islamic organizations in Indonesia, Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama'. However, following the New Order's fall, many Islamic groups emerged; education offered by these new groups and orientations is also worthy of evaluation. In the modernist group, the idea and practice of Islamic reform, which constitutes one of its significant agendas, mostly echoed the similar and earlier movements in the Middle East. Similarly, traditionalist groups are often described as the revivers of more locally-rooted Islamic practice, and therefore, they tend to blend local and Middle Eastern elements within their religious way.

Interactions between the science teaching orientations and components of pedagogical content knowledge of in-service chemistry teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions between in-service chemistry teachers’ science teaching orientations and other components of their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Two experienced chemistry teachers participated in this study. Data were collected through interviews, classroom observations, and field notes as the participants taught the mixtures unit. The results indicated that the participants held solid foundation purposes, in which students use science to be successful in their exams or next classes, along with everyday coping and correct explanations purposes. When participants’ correct explanations and solid foundation purposes interacted together with the same PCK component, solid foundation appeared to be the reason for their correct explanations purpose. The teaching strategies that teachers preferred to use interacted with their solid foundation and correct explanations purposes, and the participants altered curricula only if they believed it would lead students to achieve better scores on examinations. Participants’ beliefs about science teaching and learning indicated aspects of teacher-focused beliefs that prevent teachers from focusing on students’ prerequisite knowledge, learning difficulties, and misconceptions. These beliefs interacted with all the sub-components of knowledge of instructional strategies. In addition, there was an interaction between knowledge of curricula and beliefs about science teaching and learning for participants that were more knowledgeable about the curriculum. Moreover, what the teachers assessed was related to their correct explanations and everyday coping beliefs, while the way they assessed was related to their solid foundation beliefs. Last, none of the participants emphasised the aspects of the nature of science during their instruction.

Teaching Using Digital Technologies: Transmission or Participation?

Digital technologies are becoming seamlessly incorporated in all we do, no less in teaching and learning. As technological developments and interdependent social change steer us deeper into a postdigital existence, higher education institutions are observed increasing the availability of learning technologies and related academic development initiatives. Alongside these developments, models of teaching as transmission are popularly criticized and set in contrast to models of teaching as participation, which are commended and avowed as more suited for the present day digital university. This paper presents the research findings of a qualitative study, which was specifically taken up in response to observed developments. The findings derive from phenomenographic analysis mapping variation in the accounts of 27 academics describing their experiences using digital technologies for teaching. These results represent a wide-ranging description confirming previous research findings and add new detail. They reaffirm teaching orientations of transmission and participation as important and significant facets of teaching moreover existing claims based on logical argumentation. These research results potentially serve professional development constructively supporting academics seeking to incorporate contemporary digital technologies in their teaching practices.

Influence of Occupational Socialization on the Perspectives and Practices of Internationally Born Sport Pedagogy Faculty Members Working in American Universities

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the influences of occupational socialization on 11 sport pedagogy internationally born faculty members’ (IFMs) perspectives and practices regarding physical education teaching and physical education teacher education (PETE). Method: Data sources were formal and informal interviews and documents illustrating the IFMs’ practices. They were analyzed using constant comparison and analytic induction. Findings and Conclusions: All of the IFMs’ possessed progressive teaching orientations and were committed to carrying out high-level PETE. There were few differences between the current perspectives and practices of IFMs who originated from different regions of the world. The acculturation, professional socialization, and organizational socialization of a significant proportion of IFMs had been positive and led to them possessing strong traditional teaching orientations early in their careers. IFMs’ secondary professional socialization generally played a crucial role in their development of progressive ideas about physical education and PETE. IFMs’ secondary organizational socialization was also largely supportive of these progressive beliefs.

C2-continuous orientation trajectory planning for robot based on spline quaternion curve

Purpose To realize the smooth interpolation of orientation on robot end-effector, this paper aims to propose a novel algorithm based on the unit quaternion spline curve. Design/methodology/approach This algorithm combines the spherical linear quaternion interpolation and the cubic B-spline quaternion curve. With this method, a C2-continuous smooth trajectory of multiple teaching orientations is obtained. To achieve the visualization of quaternion curves on a unit sphere, a mapping algorithm between a unit quaternion and a point on the spherical surface is given based on the physical meaning of the unit quaternion. Findings Finally, the curvature analysis of a practical case shows that the orientation trajectory (OT) constructed by this algorithm satisfied the C2-continuity. Originality/value This OT satisfies the requirement of smooth interpolation among multiple orientations on robots in industrial applications.