Peter Sorensen

The Use of the Internet in Science Teaching: A longitudinal study of developments in use by student‐teachers in England

This paper reports on a longitudinal study of developments in use of the Internet by science student‐teachers on Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) courses in five higher education institution–school partnerships in England. These are 1‐year, full‐time, teacher training courses for graduate scientists. The aim of the research was to examine changes in attitudes to, and use of, the Internet to support science teaching and the perceived challenges and barriers to practice in schools, against a background of high national expectations reflected in the qualification standards of the teacher education courses. The research has involved nearly 600 student‐teachers, representing between 7% and 8% of those training on PGCE science courses in England, and has employed mixed methods, with questionnaires serving as the main basis for analysing trends, and focus groups and case studies used to gain deeper insight to the particular issues identified. The process has been an iterative one, with the outcomes of each year’s research being used to inform further research and course developments in the institutions involved. The findings indicate that attitudes and confidence in use of the Internet have improved over the period, with evidence of increased application directly in the classroom. However, in addition to some of the generic technological issues that may hinder developments in the use of Information and Communication Technology in schools, there are continuing concerns relating to limited pedagogical guidance and availability of good role models. The implications of this for developments in science teacher education programmes are discussed.

Issues, challenges and needs of student science teachers in using the Internet as a tool for teaching

In recent years there has been a strong emphasis on the value of various applications of information and communication technology as tools to support teaching and learning. One tool that has been given prominence is the Internet and in order to attain Qualified Teacher Status in England, student teachers are required to demonstrate an ability to use remote databases, such as those provided through the Internet, to support their teaching. However, the experience of the collaborating researchers, working with student teachers in five different higher education institutions, suggests that use of the Internet remains limited. This research project sought to examine current attitudes and practice amongst student secondary science teachers. In particular, factors promoting or hindering the use of the Internet in the classroom were investigated, alongside views concerning what might constitute good pedagogy. The results indicate that most student teachers are making at least some use of the Internet and see its value in promoting learning. However, many issues arose in addition to those which were simply related to lack of resources or technical difficulties. Thus the disparate nature of the material on the Internet and a perception of limited information about effective pedagogy, coupled with a shortage of role models to demonstrate successful use, were also identified as important barriers to their development of effective use of the Internet. The implications of this for initial teacher education programmes are discussed and suggestions for development and further research outlined.

Using the Internet in Science Teaching? Issues and Challenges for Initial Teacher Education

This article reports on a research study that looked at the issues and challenges of training new science teachers to use the Internet in their planning and teaching. It was conducted within three university departments in England and focused on an exploration of the issues and challenges facing trainee teachers in using the Internet in their science teaching and whether using the Internet in science teaching demands a new pedagogy. The research explored this area through investigating the use of a set of teacher education materials developed by the authors to enhance their trainee teachers’ use of the Internet. The findings reveal that there are many similarities in the use of the Internet with other ICT or science activities, including pedagogical issues around how to organise group work, the role of the teacher and even the geography of the teaching environment. However, there were some key differences which the article highlights, particularly using the Internet as a resource for research activities in science which raised issues for teachers and pupils in selecting appropriate websites from such a wealth of information. The article ends with a consideration of the implications of these findings for initial teacher education in science.

‘Bringing theory to life’: findings from an evaluation of the use of interactive video within an initial teacher preparation programme

The development of interactive video technology offers teacher educators new possibilities for working with student teachers. This article draws on an evaluation of a project in England that used the internet to link a university teacher education faculty with local partner schools in which remotely operated Internet Protocol cameras and microphones were mounted in classrooms. During sessions at the university, tutors were able to make use of contemporaneous examples of classroom activity to illustrate their teaching, providing demonstrations that contextualised the theoretical and decontextualised the practical, assisting student teachers in developing an understanding of the relationship between theory and practice at an early stage of their initial teacher preparation course. Such systems have the potential to link university‐based teacher educators and school‐based practitioners in a number of ways and could play a part in the development of closer and perhaps more decentralised partnerships between schools and higher education institutions.

Trainee Teachers' Use of the Internet--Opportunities and Challenges for Initial Teacher Education

This paper reports on 12 in‐depth case studies of trainee science teachers’ use of the Internet in their science teaching from teacher training programmes in four UK universities. The findings reveal many opportunities and challenges trainee teachers face in using the Internet and these are examined in the light of the promotion of the use of ICT in general and the Internet in particular, both in the UK and on an international scale. The analysis draws out implications for science teacher education programmes and future practice.

Reclaiming the ground of master’s education for teachers: lessons to be learned from a case study of the East Midlands Masters in Teaching and Learning

Master’s-level accreditation of teachers’ professional development (PD) is a feature of some of the highest achieving education systems internationally. In aspiring to raise its international standing, the New Labour government in England launched a new, fully funded master’s-level degree for in-service teachers, the Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL), in 2010. In this paper we present a case study of the enactment of the East Midlands Masters in Teaching and Learning (EMMTL). The MTL is couched in the language of personalisation and support for teachers but can be viewed as part of an increased centralisation of state control of teachers’ PD, with an instrumental approach and emphasis on training linked to performativity agendas in the UK and internationally. In resistance to the national MTL Framework, the two HEIs involved in this case study sought to develop a regional approach that took personalisation seriously, built on strong HEI-school collaborative partnerships and put research and context-based practitioner enquiry at the forefront of the degree. The case study shows that it has been possible to retain the fundamental characteristics of master’s-level work in the EMMTL and support personalised PD that is valued by participants. Following the current Conservative-led coalition government’s decision to discontinue national funding, we draw from the case study implications for the development of master’s-level, practice-based programmes that have emancipatory potential for teachers in relation to complex political agendas both in the UK and globally.

Collaborative approaches in initial teacher education: lessons from approaches to developing student teachers’ use of the Internet in science teaching

In many countries, governments are keen to persuade teachers at all levels to seek to enhance the learning of their students by incorporating information and communication technologies within their classrooms. This paper reports on the development of collaborative approaches to supporting use of the Internet by Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) science students on initial teacher education (ITE) courses in England, drawing on data from five higher education institution (HEI)–school partnerships across four years. A mixed-method approach was used, involving questionnaires, structured interviews, lesson observations and case studies. The outcomes of the first three years identified barriers to practice and suggested the need to develop more collaborative approaches to development. The focus of this paper is on examining ways in which university faculty tutors and mentors or cooperating teachers can work together with students on PGCE courses in developing practice. The lessons from this focus on the Internet, no longer a new technology, have enabled us to identify implications for HEI partnerships in ITE and suggest a need for further collaborative structures in order to support and develop practices, including those involving the innovative use of new technologies in the post-industrial society.

Developing a science teacher education course that supports student teachers’ thinking and teaching about the nature of science

Background and purpose This paper reports on part of an ongoing research project in England concerning the Nature of Science (NOS). The particular focus is on the initial thinking of the graduate scientists starting a one-year, Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course and the way the course approaches adopted influence their views and understanding of NOS and their teaching. The research is set against a wealth of literature indicating that teachers find it difficult to teach curricula that emphasise NOS. Thus a key impetus for research in this area has been to look for ways that beginning teachers might be better prepared to face such challenges. Sample The paper draws on data from three cohorts of secondary PGCE students in a university–schools partnership, involving a total of 169 students. Design and method The research lies within a design research tradition. It has used mixed methods, involving written tasks, interviews and focus groups, with an iterative approach where the outcomes from one cohort have been used to inform course developments in successive years. Results The results from these cohorts suggest that, while the students starting the course have a less restricted view of NOS than indicated by some other studies, in most cases there is a lack of breadth and depth to their understanding. There is some evidence that the use of specific tasks focusing on NOS in university-based sessions may be helping to develop and deepen understanding. However, the impact of current approaches remains fairly limited and attempts to develop teaching practices often face considerable barriers in the school-based practicum. Conclusions Graduate science students’ understanding of NOS as they embark on the PGCE is not highly developed. Hence, the emphasis on aspects of NOS in the school curriculum presents a considerable challenge. This study suggests that there is a need to both further develop an explicit focus on NOS in university-based sessions and to develop closer relationships between schools and university faculty in seeking to support developments in classroom practice in this difficult area.