Beverly J. Klug

Formal Induction vs. Informal Mentoring: Comparative Effects and Outcomes.

Abstract This 2-year longitudinal study investigated the comparative effects and outcomes of two models used for the induction of 27 novice teachers in three rural southeastern Idaho school districts. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in the collection of data relating to the teaching skills of the beginning teachers, benefits of the two models, and changes in attitude toward teaching and the culture of teaching experienced by induction program participants. Findings of the study support the need for structured induction programs for beginning teachers.

‘Situative cognition’: barrier to teaching across cultures

In an unsettled world, the migration of significant numbers of individuals across national and even continental boundaries has changed the demographics of many nations with profound effects on their schools. Frequently, teachers are confronted with classes characterized by ethnic and cultural diversity for which they are either underprepared or totally unprepared. Despite their dedication, teachers have been shaped by their own cultural upbringing, and there may be a disconnect between their cultural values and identities and those of the children in their transformed classrooms. This disconnect has been called ‘situative cognition’. The challenge for teacher educators, particularly in western nations, is to enable prospective teachers to understand the complexity of educational dynamics in diverse classrooms, to examine their own experiences with diverse groups especially regarding culture, race, ethnicity and social class, and to develop strategies for working proactively with students in their own increasingly diverse communities.

CHAPTER 9: A Mind with a View

ABSTRACT The arts are invaluable to the vibrancy of our societies and cultures. As such, they enhance curricula in our schools by providing alternative “languages,” or semiotic systems, in which students may express themselves. Education involves teaching children to think and make connections with their worlds.