Antonia Aelterman

Principals in schools with a positive school culture

This study focuses on the profile of principals who seem to be able to shape the school culture to best encourage teaching and learning. Data from a representative sample of primary schools (N = 46) were collected through questionnaires for principals and for teachers (N = 700) and semi‐structured interviews with the principals. Functioning, well‐being and personal characteristics of the principal, structural and cultural characteristics of school, and organisational context are examined. Compared to their opposites, principals in schools with cultures stimulating professional development, combine (1) type A, achievement‐oriented behaviour, (2) transformational leadership, (3) a preference for tasks related to education matters and people management and (4) effective time management allowing them to devote most of their time to their preferred role and task component.

An assessment of well‐being of principals in Flemish primary schools

Purpose – The goal of this inquiry is to indicate which individual, organisational and external environment factors contribute to a better understanding of the well‐being of Flemish primary school principals.Design/methodology/approach – Data from a representative sample of primary schools in Flanders (n = 46) were gathered through questionnaires (principals and teachers) and semi‐structured interviews (principals).Findings – The quantitative and qualitative outcomes suggest that well‐being is a complex psychological phenomenon affected by a myriad of factors. The analyses indicate that general self‐efficacy and achievement orientedness are significantly correlated with several aspects of positive (i.e. job satisfaction and job enthusiasm) and negative well‐being (i.e. cynicism and personal accomplishment). With respect to school culture and structural characteristics, very weak almost negligible effects are noted. In addition, the analysis demonstrates the significant role school boards fulfill in explai...

The Well-Being of Teachers in Flanders: The Importance of a Supportive School Culture.

Research on the well‐being of teachers was conducted at the request of the Department of Education in Flanders, Belgium. The goals were: (1) to construct an instrument for the Education Inspectorate; and (2) to conduct a survey in order to identify school‐related conditions relevant for teachers’ professional well‐being. Based on literature and panel discussions with teachers and principals, a questionnaire was constructed, tested and subdivided in subscales following a factor analysis. The questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of elementary (covering both nursery and primary schools, children aged 3–12) and secondary school teachers. A multilevel analysis reveals how differences in scores can be explained at school level.

Gender in teaching: a literature review

Internationally, both in popular and scientific media, debates occasionally emerge concerning the possible (negative) consequences of feminisation tendencies in the teaching staff. In these discussions, various assumptions about the ‘nature’ of male and female teachers and masculinity and femininity are expressed. Male and female teachers are often presumed to differ in teaching styles, capacities and effects on both the teaching profession and the pupils. The arguments used in these debates only seldom refer to particular theoretical grounds or to empirical evidence. Moreover, apart from Sandra Acker’s essay ‘Gender and teachers’ work’ in 1995, educational research lacks an up‐to‐date review of teacher gender. Therefore, this article aims to provide insight into contemporary theoretical gender perspectives. It also intends to connect these with empirical research that takes teacher gender into account. Most of the research studies referred to in this article do not explicitly state their underlying theoretical principles. Yet, since these studies have distinct research foci, research questions, methodologies and conclusions, they appear to depart from a variety of gender conceptualisations. Therefore, in this article the differences between these conceptualisations will be examined and the divergent theoretical assumptions underlying these studies will be revealed. The two most widespread and disparate perspectives in gender theory are the essentialist perspectives on the one hand and the constructionist perspectives on the other. The differences between them are made up by the degree to which explanations are deterministic and focused on the individual rather than on the social and cultural level. Drawing upon this theoretical contrast, we divided the body of research on teacher gender into two divergent research traditions: sex differences research and gender dynamics research. The research questions, underlying theoretical principles and methodologies of these two traditions are examined.

Collaborative learning in pre‐service teacher education: an exploratory study on related conceptions, self‐efficacy and implementation

In this study, the actual position of collaborative learning (CL) in teacher education is examined. One hundred and twenty teacher educators and 369 student teachers are surveyed on general educational beliefs, mental models and conceptions related to CL. The self‐efficacy and the implementation of CL are also taken under scrutiny. The results reveal that CL is highly valued as a teaching strategy for primary school children; however, student teachers do not prefer to collaborate themselves during their learning process. Student teachers’ self‐efficacy towards the use of CL is moderate. Collaborative learning is implemented once in a while in teacher education, and student teachers are not intensively trained in the pedagogical use of CL for their future classroom practice.

Examining pre-service teacher competence in lesson planning pertaining to collaborative learning

Taking into account the merits of anticipatory reflection, instructional planning is perceived as an important process in the professionalization of teachers. When implementing a complex instructional strategy such as collaborative learning (CL), a thorough preparation becomes even more important. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the quality of lesson plans focusing on CL implementation. Based on the literature, a scoring rubric with 17 criteria in three domains (instruction, organization and evaluation) was developed and applied to analyse 323 lesson plans of second-year pre-service teachers. The results reveal both strengths (e.g. designing appropriate learning tasks, developing adequate learning materials) and weaknesses (e.g. including social objectives, rules and agreements for collaborative work) in the lesson plans. The rubric proves to be a useful instrument both for research and practice-oriented reflection. The findings provide significant insights for teacher training with regard to CL implementation.

Differentiated instruction in teacher education: A case study of congruent teaching

Teachers are supposed to use forms of differentiated instruction to anticipate the differences among their students. However, the adaptation of teaching to the diversity of the group often takes place with difficulty. Teacher education is blamed for not preparing student teachers adequately for differentiated instruction. Several authors suggest that congruent teaching in teacher education might be an adequate solution to this problem. This case study aims to investigate the (congruent) realization of differentiated instruction in teacher education using ethnographic tools. The results indicate that the observed teacher educator demonstrated limited forms of differentiation, largely without providing meta-commentary. Therefore, she is not a role model on the subject of differentiated instruction in the view of student teachers. These results are discussed in depth, and form a basis for further research and suggestions for practice in teacher education.

Teacher education graduates’ entrance into the teaching profession: Development and test of a model

This study aims to advance insight into the relationship between teacher education and graduates’ intended and actual entrance into the teaching profession. Moreover, it indicates how this relationship varies between teacher training for primary education (i.e., programs for class teachers-to-be) and teacher training for secondary education (i.e., programs for subject teachers-to-be). A hypothetical model of graduates’ entrance into the teaching profession comprising empirically grounded variables was developed. Besides teacher education related variables, other factors (e.g., motivation and labour market) were included. Data for this study were collected based on a sample of 301 teacher education graduates. Logistic regression analysis shows that intention to enter teaching is a valid predictor of actual entrance. Path analysis was applied to test the hypothetical pattern of (inter)relationships between the variables. For graduates from teacher training for pre-school and primary education, the path model accounts for 33% of the variance in intention to enter teaching. For teacher training for secondary education the explained amount of variance is 44%. Results are largely consistent across the two types of teacher training showing a small, although statistically significant, contribution of teacher education above other antecedents of graduates’ intention to enter teaching.RésuméCette étude vise à examiner la relation entre la formation des enseignants et le choix des diplômés d’entrer ou non dans la profession enseignante. En outre, elle montre comment cette relation varie selon le type de formation. Un modèle hypothétique de l’entrée dans la profession enseignante a été construit. En dehors des variables sur la formation des enseignants, ce modèle contient d’autres variables (p. ex., motivation et marché du travail). 301 diplômés ont reçu un questionnaire à remplir. La régression logistique indique que l’intention d’entrer dans la profession enseignante est un indicateur valide de l’entrée effective. Pour deux types de formation des enseignants, une méthode d’analyse de piste causale (path analysis) a été effectuée afin d’examiner les interrelations des variables. Pour des diplômés de formation des enseignants du préscolaire et primaire, le modèle explique 33% de la variance de leur intention d’entrer dans la profession. Pour des diplômés du degré secondaire, la quantité de variance expliquée est 44%. En grande partie, les résultats sont consistants à travers les deux types de formation des enseignants. Les résultats indiquent un effet limité, bien que statistiquement significatif, de la formation des enseignants sur l’intention des diplômés d’entrer dans la profession enseignante.

Public perceptions of teachers’ status in Flanders

In recent years, the perception in Flanders has been that teachers enjoy little or no esteem from the average citizen. On the basis of a representative sample of 982 Flemings between the ages of 18 and 71 years old, this article investigates whether or not this feeling is really present and what factors contribute to it. The following questions are dealt with in turn: what esteem does the public have for teachers, and how highly does it place their occupational status? The results of this survey show that the teacher enjoys a positive image among most Flemings and can count on a high degree of esteem. The general public realizes that teaching is a demanding occupation that has changed drastically in recent decades. In comparison with the 1970s, there is no drop in status for teachers, although the profession suffers from status inconsistency. The observation that personal experiences have a clear influence on esteem for teaching places a certain degree of responsibility on the teachers themselves. Indeed, they have this esteem largely in their own hands, and can improve it. Satisfaction with education, the well‐being of the pupils, the assumption of the role of child‐raiser, and the involvement and interest of parents—these are all aspects that the teacher can realize by the way in which he or she deals with pupils and their parents. Armed with the results of this study, they can also contribute to destroying the myth that society has no esteem for teachers.

Teacher Education Graduates' Choice (Not) to Enter the Teaching Profession: Does Teacher Education Matter?.

In an era of recurring teacher shortages, Flanders struggles with a considerable proportion of teacher education graduates who do not enter the teaching profession. This study identifies the predictors of teacher education graduates’ choice on job entry (teaching profession or not). A prospective research design with two data collection phases is adopted. Student teachers (subsequently graduates) (N = 217) of integrated teacher training for secondary education were surveyed shortly before as well as shortly after graduation. Results of chi-squared and t-tests indicate that gender, initial motivation for teaching, mentor support, teacher education preparation, teacher efficacy, learner-oriented beliefs, performance in teacher education, and employment opportunities show differences (at 1% level) between graduates who entered and those who did not enter the teaching profession. Results of the subsequent logistic regression validate the importance of teacher education (i.e. mentor support) – beside initial motivation and labour market factors – to explain graduates’ decision on job entry.