Margareta Maria Thomson

Alternative education programmes: synthesis and psychological perspectives

This paper addresses the problem of high school dropout rates, identifies what risk factors cause students to be more likely to drop out, and examines the types of programmes in existence that serve as alternative educational settings. The traits and characteristics of successful alternative high school programmes are also identified and critiqued using theoretical perspectives from behavioural, social cognitive, cognitive, and motivational psychology, emphasising particular aspects that significantly contribute to developing and implementing successful alternative programmes. Educators can use the information presented in this article to help create a successful educational experience, not only for those at risk of dropping out of school, but for all of the students they serve.

Prospective teachers’ goal orientation: an examination of different teachers’ typologies with respect to motivations and beliefs about teaching

In this qualitative study the authors investigated how prospective teachers’ professional goals were understood by participants. Interviews of 25 prospective teachers from the United States were collected as part of a larger mixed-methods study. Qualitative data from interviews (the focus of this study) examined the profiles of the three identified clusters/typologies of teacher candidates. Most precisely, study findings describe prospective teachers’ goal orientations as related to their teaching motivations, their teaching beliefs, the context that shaped their teaching goals and their strategies to fulfill their professional goal of becoming teachers. Contributions from this study can help teacher educators, policy makers and teacher education programs develop guidelines for teacher recruitment and retention.

Metaphorical images of schooling: beliefs about teaching and learning among prospective teachers from the United States displaying different motivational profiles

This study focused on investigating the types of schooling beliefs (teaching and learning) expressed through metaphorical images by prospective teachers (PTs) from the United States. Participants (N = 215) rated 10 schooling metaphors illustrating the student–school–teacher relationships (i.e. Passenger–Bus–Driver; Student is a passenger, School is a bus and Teacher is a driver). Two main factors, a student-centred and a teacher-centred approach described the key schooling beliefs of PTs. Additionally, differences in PTs’ schooling beliefs across typologies/clusters of PTs were found. Further, qualitative data from interviews illustrated how each cluster specifically expressed their instructional views.

Teaching efficacy: exploring relationships between mathematics and science self-efficacy beliefs, PCK and domain knowledge among preservice teachers from the United States

This mixed-methods study investigated the relationships among preservice teachers’ efficacy beliefs, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and their domain knowledge (DK) as related to mathematics and science teaching. Quantitative results revealed that participants’ PCK was significantly correlated with their mathematics and science efficacy beliefs. Additionally, participants’ mathematics and science DK did not predict their mathematics and science personal efficacy beliefs, however, their PCK score predicted participants’ outcome expectancies. Interview analysis revealed five inter-related key themes, labeled as: Previous academic experiences, Mathematics and science PCK beliefs, Personal efficacy, Outcome expectancies and Emotions. These common themes describe participants’ views of their quality teacher training and thinking about planned instruction. Educational implications are discussed in relationship with study findings.

Teaching Motivations, Characteristics and Professional Growth: Results from the Great Expectations (GE) Programme in the United States.

This present study sought to explore reasons given by K-12 teachers about their motivation to remain in teaching, their motivation for engaging in professional development, and characteristics of their teaching. Participants (N = 151) were public teachers of different grade levels from the USA enrolled in a one-week professional development training. Respondents’ ratings on reasons for continuing teaching revealed that four key-specific factors were the main influences for continuing to teach, namely intrinsic reasons, extrinsic reasons, job perception, and extended reasons. Further analysis indicated that their reasons for teaching were correlated with specific incentives for attending the professional development training, with teachers’ instructional beliefs, and with professional development programme outcomes. Study results are discussed in relationship with teaching motivation and implications for teachers’ professional growth.

Using an Expectancy-Value Model to Understand Teaching Motivation among Nontraditional Preservice Teachers: A Phenomenological Study Approach

ABSTRACT This qualitative study used a phenomenological methodology and an expectancy-value framework to understand nontraditional preservice teachers’ motivations for choosing a teaching career. Nontraditional preservice teachers in the current study are described as teacher candidates for whom teaching was not their first career choice. Ten students enrolled in a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in the United States participated in in-depth, semistructured interviews about their decisions to become teachers. Analyses revealed five thematic concepts that illustrated how participants described their entry to the teacher education program. These themes related to participants’ ability beliefs and expectancies, personal utility values, intrinsic values, social utility values, and the costs associated with choosing a teaching career. Implications for teacher education and mentoring programs are discussed.

The Dual Nature of Emotions: Relationships with Motivations and Instructional Changes

Recently, researchers called for more research to examine the reciprocal nature of emotions, and how emotions influence individuals? motivations and changes in various learning contexts (Darby, 2008; Poon et al., 2012). In the current mixed-methods study, we examined longitudinally teachers? emotions about their involvement in a professional development program, and how emotions impacted their program motivation and instructional changes. To explain the reciprocal nature of emotions, and the interplay between motivations, emotions and changes, we used the theoretical framework of Control Value (CVT, Pekrun, 2006). The CVT states that individuals? emotions and motivations in academic-related behavior will depend upon the extent to which they believe they have some amount of control and the extent to which they value that behavior. A total of 90 teachers participated in a six-week summer Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (Magnet Lab) in Florida, United States over a period of seven years. Teachers were mentored by a scientist, thus allowing them to learn science and valuable research skills. The RET program was funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has been shown to have a positive impact on teachers? thinking, motivation, and science instruction (Dixon & Wilke, 2007; Pop et al., 2010). These 90 RET attendees were contacted after their attendance and were invited to take part in the current study; 67 teachers responded to the study invitation, and thus completed the study survey. A mixed-methods study design was employed in the current study, in a two-phase approach. In the first phase of the study quantitative data was collected via online surveys, and in the second phase of the study, in-depth interviews were collected from selected participants to augment the quantitative results. Overall, study results showed that emotions played an important role in teachers? engagement in the RET program and triggered changes in thinking and science teaching practices. We found differences in emotions before and after teachers? engagement in the RET program, and differences in emotions between teachers from different grade levels. Positive correlations were found among teachers? motivations, emotions and changes to their teaching practices suggesting the powerful nature of emotions. Further, qualitative results showed how particular individuals view their emotions as a catalyst for change in their motivation for learning, and changes to their instructional practices. Contributions from study findings are discussed in relationship with teacher learning and professional training.

The development of elementary teacher identities as teachers of science

ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the contributions of pre-service teachers’ memories of science and science education, combined with their experiences in a STEM-focused teacher preparation programme, to their developing identities as elementary school teachers of science. Data collected over three years include a series of interviews and observations of science teaching during elementary teacher preparation and the first year of teaching. Grounded within a theoretical framework of identity and using a case-study research design, we examined experiences that contributed to the participants’ identity development, focusing on key themes from teacher interviews: memories of science and science instruction, STEM-focused teacher preparation programme, field experiences, first year of teaching, and views of effective science instruction. Findings indicate the importance of exposure to reform strategies during teacher preparation and are summarised in main assertions and discussed along with implications for teacher preparation and research.

Elementary teachers’ values and expectancies: reflections on professional experiences

This study investigated aspects of elementary teachers’ motivations to engage in science professional development and their views of science teaching. Participants (n = 20) attended a professional development program within a major university in the United States, but failed to complete it for various reasons. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data. Overall, study results showed that teachers had different views about the science professional development engagement, they responded in different ways to the structure and format of the program, and they had different teaching goals for their science teaching that matched or did not with the goal of the science professional development program. A good number of teachers found the science professional development experiences less valuable (especially certain elements of them) because of their mismatch between the professional development standards/expectations and teachers’ lack of science content knowledge. Implications for future professional development and science teacher education are discussed with respect to relationships with the current study findings.