Kathryn S. Lee

Professional Development for Teacher Educators: Conflicts between Critical Reflection and Instructional-Based Strategies.

This research study used in‐depth interviews to examine a professional development book club of teacher educators exploring their beliefs about language diversity and how to prepare future teachers for culturally and linguistically diverse schools. Findings include the centrality of lived experiences, conflicting ideas of high‐quality pedagogy and tensions with the process. This study has implications for teacher education program development as well as strategies to support professional development related to cultural and linguistic diversity.

Teachers’ concern about integrating Web 2.0 technologies and its relationship with teacher characteristics

Abstract This survey research study examined the patterns of 200 Taiwan middle school teachers’ concern about Web 2.0 technology integration in instruction and identified relationships among teacher characteristics and the types of their concern. During the spring semester of 2013, the stages of concern (SoC) Questionnaire was adopted to assess teachers’ stages of concern. The findings indicated that teachers’ concern was most intense respectively in the informational, personal, and management stages. Regarding the relationship with personal characteristics, types of concern correlated with some types of teacher knowledge. Teacher characteristics such as levels of Web 2.0 usage in instruction, gender, and discipline areas predicted concern within different concern stages. Finally, several implications were indicated for future study and design of teacher professional development programs to ease teacher concern and increase the likelihood of teachers integrating technology into instruction.

The Investigation of Pre-Service Teachers’ Concerns About Web 2.0 Technologies in Education

Even though studies have shown that the use of Web 2.0 technologies in education can increase student engagement and achievement in learning, many pre-service teachers are reluctant to integrate technology into their instruction. The integration of any type of innovation, such as the integration Web 2.0 technologies in teaching and learning, may create concern among teachers due to a number of different variables. Identifying and addressing pre-service teachers’ concern is essential in promoting technology integration into their classrooms. Approximately 350 pre-service teachers participated in this study during the spring semester in a northern university of Taiwan. The Stages of Concerns (SOC) Questionnaire assessed the pre-service teachers’ levels of concerns, and face-to-face interviews with a few of the participants illuminated the findings gleaned from the questionnaire. The findings of this study indicated that the pre-service teachers’ concerns were most intense respectively in the informational, personal, and collaboration stages of concern. Several implications for addressing the pre-service teachers’ concerns in teacher education were indicated and discussed.

An Evaluative Study of a Mobile Application for Middle School Students Struggling with English Vocabulary Learning

Abstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of a mobile application (app) designed within the framework of cognitive apprenticeship, in order to facilitate students struggling with learning English as a foreign language (EFL). The participants were ten seventh-graders, who were performing significantly below grade level in their EFL classroom. The research questions targeted changes in learning outcomes with the aid of the app, attitudes the participants had towards the learning experience, and student perceptions regarding the design of the app. Data were collected by interviews, observation, surveys, and exams. The results indicated use of the app enhanced EFL learning. Not only did the app provide a feasible path for the students moving from individual learning to cooperative learning, it also bolstered their confidence in learning, ultimately promoting positive attitudes toward EFL learning. Finally, the design of the app was confirmed as an effective tool for mobile instruction, yet student perceptions of the interface design indicated a need for modification to be more adaptive. The findings confirm the legitimacy of the apps instructional design and may provide evidence-based learning materials to scaffold EFL learning.

Inquiry of Pre-Service Teachers' Concern about Integrating Web 2.0 into Instruction.

Abstract To promote technology integration, it is essential to address pre-service teacher (PST) concerns about facilitating technology-enhanced learning environments. This study adopted the Concerns-Based Adoption Model to investigate PST concern on Web 2.0 integration. Four hundred and eighty-nine PSTs in a teacher education university in north Taiwan participated in this study, achieving a response rate of almost 50%. Participants completed online surveys at their convenience over a two-week period. Significant relationships between the concern and a few personal characteristics were found. The PST concern was most intense in the self-concern stage and then fluctuated from task-concern to impact-concern within a small range. Findings of the study provide valuable insights for personalising teacher education as to how levels of concern, self-efficacy for teaching, teacher knowledge and demographics influence the change process required for Web 2.0 integration in instruction.