D Douwe Beijaard

Exploring language teachers’ practical knowledge about teaching reading comprehension

Abstract The focus of this study was language teachers’ practical knowledge with respect to the teaching of reading comprehension to 16 to 18-year-old students. Based on the assumption that teachers are professionals, an attempt was made to define their shared knowledge. However, the results revealed such a wide diversity in teachers’ practical knowledge that, instead of defining the shared knowledge, a typology of practical knowledge had to be developed. Three types of practical knowledge (with respect to the teaching of reading comprehension) were found that focus on (a) subject matter knowledge, (b) student knowledge, and (c) knowledge of student learning and understanding. In this article these types are described and illustrated. Suggestions are made about the extent to which practical knowledge needs to be shared by teachers and about how it can contribute to the better preparation of beginning teachers.

Experienced teachers' informal learning from classroom teaching

The purpose of this paper is to explore how experienced teachers learn informally, and more specifically, how they learn through the activities they undertake when teaching classes. Regarding these activities we studied four aspects: behaviour, cognition, motivation and emotion. During one year, data were collected through observations of and interviews with four experienced teachers. For the analysis we used Eraut’s distinction into three types of learning which differ in the degree of consciousness that is involved. We found several activities that represented each of these types of learning. The findings demonstrate how cognitive, affective, motivational and behavioural aspects are interrelated in classroom teaching and that learning from classroom teaching occurs at several levels of awareness. Hence, we argue that a theory of teacher learning should account for activities involved in the alignment of behaviour to plan and for the role of motivation and emotion. The findings suggest that fruitful development of the quality of teaching requires more attention for the relation between teachers’ cognition, emotion, motivation and behaviour, and for promoting teachers’ awareness of their implicit beliefs and behavioural tendencies.

The Role of the Cooperating Teacher: Bridging the Gap between the Expectations of Cooperating Teachers and Student Teachers.

This study focuses on similarities and differences in expectations of cooperating teachers and student teachers in the initial stage of the mentor relationship in the context of an Israeli practicum program for pre‐service student teachers. These expectations, particularly when they conflict, can serve as major obstacles to the formation of contexts for learning. A focus group technique was used to bring the expectations of the participants concerning the role of the cooperating teacher to awareness and articulation. The theoretical framework of Calderhead and Shorrock (1987) was used to analyze the participants’ expectations into categories of educational orientations. Expectations of a practical and technical nature were found to be prevalent among members of both groups, whereas the student teacher group held more expectations for a personal relationship than the cooperating teacher group. Suggestions are given for bridging the gap in expectations between cooperating teachers and student teachers in the initial stage of the practicum program.

Requirements for an Assessment Procedure for Beginning Teachers: Implications from Recent Theories on Teaching and Assessment

The purpose of this study was to determine the best approach to the development of procedures to assess beginning teachers. First, studies on teacher thinking, teacher development, teacher learning and teacher knowledge were reviewed to obtain information on the most current views on the nature of teaching. Second, studies on new approaches to teacher assessment and on issues of validity and reliability were examined. An analysis of these topics yielded a set of implications that could be used as a basis for an adequate evaluation procedure. We propose a framework that consists of 15 implications for the development of beginning teacher assessments. We illustrate how the framework was applied in the development of an assessment procedure for beginning teachers. As in other industrialized countries, policy makers in the Netherlands are continually involved in efforts to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools. These efforts rest on the general conviction that the teacher is at the center of any attempt to attain this goal. School restructuring and innovations in the curriculum ultimately rely on the professional development of teachers ~Calderhead, 1996!. Reform initiatives include the formulation of standards for both experienced and beginning teachers. As a result, beginning teachers will—in the future—be awarded their teaching certificate after demonstrating that they meet teaching standards and not because they have successfully completed teacher education programs ~Darling-Hammond, 1999!. At the same time, a shortage of teachers in the Netherlands makes it necessary to attract more people to the teaching profession and to provide shortcuts to certification. Formulating standards for beginning teachers opens the door to alternative routes to certification and to different ways to prepare for it. Standards for teaching, however, rely heavily on the possibilities of developing evaluation procedures that

Professional identity tensions of beginning teachers

This study reports on interviews with 24 beginning teachers about tensions they experienced regarding their professional identity. The interviewees reported a total of 59 tensions of tension that fell into three themes: (1) the change in role from student to teacher; (2) conflicts between desired and actual support given to students; and (3) conflicting conceptions of learning to teach. Most of the tensions experienced conform with those found in the literature. Tensions were often accompanied by feelings of helplessness, frustration or anger, and the teachers had a strong desire to learn to cope with them. Because of their negative impact on beginning teachers’ professional development, it is important that teacher educators and mentors in schools pay serious attention to tensions like these that relate to beginning teachers’ professional identity.

Tensions in beginning teachers’ professional identity development, accompanying feelings and coping strategies

This study examined tensions encountered by 182 beginning teachers during their professional identity development, the feelings that accompanied these tensions and the ways they tried to cope with these. Professional identity tensions stem from an unbalanced personal and professional side of (becoming) a teacher. Tensions that are often mentioned by beginning teachers concerned conflicts between what they desire and what is possible in reality. Female teachers reported more tensions than their male colleagues, while final-year student teachers did not differ from first-year in-practice teachers in the number of tensions they experienced. Tensions were often accompanied by feelings of helplessness, anger or an awareness of shortcomings. Most beginning teachers tried to cope with their tensions by speaking to their significant others or by searching for a solution themselves. Insights into professional identity tensions experienced by beginning teachers are important in order to form a better understanding of the support they need.

Profiling Teachers' Sense of Professional Identity.

This study shows that professional identity should not be viewed as a composed variable with a uniform structure. Based on the literature and previous research, we view teachers’ job satisfaction, self‐efficacy, occupational commitment and change in the level of motivation as indicators of teachers’ professional identity. Using two‐step cluster analysis, three distinct professional identity profiles have empirically been identified, based on data of 1214 teachers working in secondary education in the Netherlands. These profiles differed significantly regarding the indicators of teachers’ professional identity. Teachers belonging to the found profiles did not significantly differ in their amount of experience.

Improving Teacher Feedback During Active Learning Effects of a Professional Development Program

This study focuses on improving teacher feedback during active learning. Changing teachers’ behavior sustainably, however, is very difficult. Several conditions should be taken into account, and programs should build on teachers’ cognitions and practices. Effects of a specifically designed professional development program on 16 elementary schoolteachers’ knowledge, beliefs, perceived problems, and classroom behavior were examined via observations, a beliefs instrument, and a questionnaire prior to and twice after the program was implemented. Results show that several aspects of feedback during active learning were improved, both in the short and in the long term. It is concluded that the professional development of teachers can be effective and sustainable, if certain conditions are met.

Characteristics of teachers as change agents

Teachers play a key role in realizing successful changes in education. Among them are real ‘change agents’ at both classroom and school level. To obtain insights into what characterizes these teachers, an exploratory study has been conducted by interviewing external experts, principals, and teachers (n = 20). An analysis of data resulted in a picture of characteristics attributed to teachers as change agents. These characteristics pertain to lifelong learning (being eager to learn and reflective), mastery (giving guidance, being accessible, positive, committed, trustful, and self-assured), entrepreneurship (being innovative and feeling responsible), and collaboration (being collegial). The category mastery appeared to consist of the most characteristics. Within the category entrepreneurship, ‘being innovative’ was mentioned most. The characteristics mentioned apply to both the classroom and school level, but the importance of demonstrating these characteristics at the school level seems to be weighed less heavily by teachers than by experts and principals.

Career conversations in vocational schools

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine career conversations between teachers and students in competence-based vocational education in the Netherlands. A total of 32 career conversations were observed and analysed with respect to four elements: content, teacher activities, student activities and relationship. Results showed that career conversations often focused on school issues (such as students progress and course curriculum) rather than career issues (such as future ambitions or characteristics of a profession). Furthermore, teachers hardly facilitated students in the development of self-directedness. Students asked few questions and teachers often dominated discussions. The findings revealed implications for the practice of career guidance in schools, for example for teachers to change their role from that of a traditional knowledge transmitter to facilitator, provide students with more opportunities for self-direction, and put career issues more centrally and elaborately on the agenda of discussions.