Mieke Brekelmans

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.

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHER INTERPERSONAL STYLE: THE FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM AS THE TEACHER’S STAGE

Abstract In previous research, associations were shown between students’ perceptions of teacher interpersonal style and variables such as student outcomes and problems with order in the classroom. In the study described in this paper, associations are investigated between these students’ perceptions and judges’ ratings of the interpersonal aspect of videotaped teacher behaviour. Judges only saw one minute of videotaped teacher behaviour during either whole class teaching or individual seatwork. Strong correlations were established between students’ perceptions and judges’ ratings of teacher behaviour during whole class teaching. No significant correlations were found between students’ perceptions and judges’ ratings of teacher behaviour during individual seatwork. It is argued that students’ perceptions of teacher interpersonal style are primarily formed when the teacher is in front of the classroom. At those moments a working climate is created that lasts for the whole lesson and beyond.

Master's thesis supervision: relations between perceptions of the supervisor–student relationship, final grade, perceived supervisor contribution to learning and student satisfaction

Masters thesis supervision is a complex task given the two-fold goal of the thesis (learning and assessment). An important aspect of supervision is the supervisor–student relationship. This quantitative study (N = 401) investigates how perceptions of the supervisor–student relationship are related to three dependent variables: final grade, perceived supervisor contribution to learning, and student satisfaction. The supervisor–student relationship was conceptualised by means of two interpersonal dimensions: control and affiliation. The results indicated that a greater degree of affiliation was related to higher outcome measures. Control was positively related to perceived supervisor contribution to learning and satisfaction, but, for satisfaction, a ceiling effect occurred. The relation between control and the final grade was U-shaped, indicating that the average level of perceived control is related to the lowest grades. The results imply that it is important for supervisors to be perceived as highly affiliated and that control should be carefully balanced.

Supporting teachers in guiding collaborating students

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of teacher supporting tools that present summaries, visualizations, and analyses of student participation and discussion on the way teachers guide collaborating groups of students in a digital learning environment. An experimental set-up was used in which authentic student data was converted to simulation vignettes that participants could interact with, enabling them to act as the teacher. The vignettes contained groups that had a problem concerning participation or discussion. When presented with the supporting tools, teachers and student teachers were better able to spot the problems regarding participation, intervened more often in problematic groups as time progressed, and displayed more specific explanations of their actions. Effects of two learning analytics (LA) tools on teacher behavior are investigated.A unique combination of an experimental set-up with authentic vignettes is used.Teachers show better ability to diagnose problems concerning participation of students.Teachers display more specific explanations of their actions.

Benchmarks for Teacher Education Programs in the Pedagogical Use of ICT

This chapter presents nine benchmarks for teacher education programs on the pedagogical use of information and communication technology for both pre-service and in-service teacher education and training based upon a review of the literature on effective teacher education and an analysis of international exemplary teacher education programs. Four benchmarks relate to the competence of the teacher at the individual level and include personal ICT competencies, the use of ICT as mind tools in professional practice, knowledge of and experience with social aspects of ICT use in education and the use of ICT in teaching. The other relate to program design and teacher-education pedagogy. Effective programs should involve institutional and workplace learning, foster development of communities of practice, and use learning environments that are rich in ICT, open and flexible. Effective teacher-education pedagogy integrates ICT in structured, experiential learning, embedded in different content domains in the teacher education program rather than as a separate component.

Master’s thesis projects: student perceptions of supervisor feedback

A growing body of research has investigated student perceptions of written feedback in higher education coursework, but few studies have considered feedback perceptions in one-on-one and face-to-face contexts such as master’s thesis projects. In this article, student perceptions of feedback are explored in the context of the supervision of master’s thesis projects, using review studies with respect to effective feedback in coursework situations. Online questionnaires were administered to collect data from three cohorts of master’s students who were either working on their thesis or had recently finished it (N = 1016). The results of the study indicate that students perceive the focus of feedback in terms of a focus on task and self-regulation; they perceive the goal-relatedness of feedback in terms of feed up (goal-setting) and feed back-forward (how am I going and where to next?); and elaboration of feedback is perceived in terms of positive and negative feedback. Furthermore, students that perceive the feedback to be positive, and to provide information on how they are going and what next steps to take, are the most satisfied with their supervision and perceive they are learning most from their supervisor. The findings are discussed in relation to findings in coursework settings, and are explained using goal orientation theories.

Teacher–Students Relationships in the Classroom

This chapter reviews research on teacher-students relationships and their contribution to a positive social climate in science classes. We adopt a communicative systems approach, focusing on the relational aspect of communication and teacher-students interaction. Data- gathering methods for teacher-students relationships are presented. Research on teacher-students relationships and student outcomes and other variables (such as teacher age and experience, cognitions, other learning environment characteristics, teacher instructional strategies and teacher non-verbal behaviour) is reviewed. Special attention is given to research using the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) in over 40 countries. It is concluded that this instrument is helpful in research on communication in science classrooms and for providing teachers with feedback about their teaching.

Students' Perceptions of Teaching in Context-based and Traditional Chemistry Classrooms: Comparing content, learning activities, and interpersonal perspectives

Context-based curriculum reforms in chemistry education are thought to bring greater diversity to the ways in which chemistry teachers organize their teaching. First and foremost, students are expected to perceive this diversity. However, empirical research on how students perceive their teachers teaching in context-based chemistry classrooms, and whether this teaching differs from traditional chemistry lessons, is scarce. This study aims to develop our understanding of what teaching looks like, according to students, in context-based chemistry classrooms compared with traditional chemistry classrooms. As such, it might also provide a better understanding of whether teachers implement and attain the intentions of curriculum developers. To study teacher behaviour we used three theoretical perspectives deemed to be important for student learning: a content perspective, a learning activities perspective, and an interpersonal perspective. Data were collected from 480 students in 24 secondary chemistry classes in the Netherlands. Our findings suggest that, according to the students, the changes in teaching in context-based chemistry classrooms imply a lessening of the emphasis on fundamental chemistry and the use of a teacher-centred approach, compared with traditional chemistry classrooms. However, teachers in context-based chemistry classrooms seem not to display more ‘context-based’ teaching behaviour, such as emphasizing the relation between chemistry, technology, and society and using a student-centred approach. Furthermore, students in context-based chemistry classrooms perceive their teachers as having less interpersonal control and showing less affiliation than teachers in traditional chemistry classrooms. Our findings should be interpreted in the context of former and daily experiences of both teachers and students. As only chemistry is reformed in the schools in which context-based chemistry is implemented, it is challenging for both students and teachers to deal with these reforms.

Child perceptions of teacher interpersonal behavior and associations with mathematics achievement in Dutch early grade classrooms

This study analyzed childrens generalized perceptions of teacher interpersonal behavior in terms of two dimensions, control and affiliation, referring to the degree of teacher leadership/management and teacher friendliness/cooperation in the classroom, respectively. An adapted version of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction was developed for children ages 6–9. The association between teacher interpersonal behavior and mathematics achievement was investigated by analyzing data from 828 first and second graders in 40 classes across 24 primary schools in the Netherlands. Results revealed the presence of the two interpersonal dimensions with acceptable reliability. Multilevel regression analyses indicated that teacher control and affiliation were positively associated with mathematics achievement, after controlling for mid-year achievement. Control and affiliation each had a partially unique contribution. A differential role of affiliation, but not of control, was found across classes. Our results provided evidence that child perceptions of teachers control and affiliation are important predictors of early academic achievement.

Expertise for Teaching Biology Situated in the Context of Genetic Testing

Contemporary genomics research will impact the daily practice of biology teachers who want to teach up-to-date genetics in secondary education. This article reports on a research project aimed at enhancing biology teachers’ expertise for teaching genetics situated in the context of genetic testing. The increasing body of scientific knowledge concerning genetic testing and the related consequences for decision-making indicate the societal relevance of an educational approach based on situated learning. What expertise do biology teachers need for teaching genetics in the personal health context of genetic testing? This article describes the required expertise by exploring the educational practice. Nine experienced teachers were interviewed about the pedagogical content, moral and interpersonal expertise areas concerning how to teach genetics in the personal health context of genetic testing, and the lessons of five of them were observed. The findings showed that the required teacher expertise encompasses specific pedagogical content expertise, interpersonal expertise and a preference for teacher roles and teaching approaches for the moral aspects of teaching in this context. A need for further development of teaching and learning activities for (reflection on) moral reasoning came to the fore. Suggestions regarding how to apply this expertise into context-based genetics education are discussed.