{"title":"Designing an English language and literacies knowledge and skills test for Initial Teacher Education students in South Africa","authors":"Nicky Roberts, Thelma Mort","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i90a02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i90a02","url":null,"abstract":"Since 2016 the Primary Teacher Education (PrimTEd) project has assessed first and fourth year student teachers' English language and literacies knowledge and skills with a view to optimising what is offered in teacher education courses. In 2021, after a critical review of these English language assessments, a process of test redesigning that also provides professional development opportunities for language teacher educators, was initiated. In this paper, we report on this process of modifying an existing test and discuss a new design that is still a work in progress, in order to make it more responsive to the English language needs of the student teachers. We argue that the emerging test has the potential to contribute to improved English language teacher education at universities and to improved teaching and learning of languages and literacies in South African primary schools.","PeriodicalId":15568,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77856185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Student teacher learning in rural contexts: Challenges and opportunities","authors":"J. Pennefather","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i90a05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i90a05","url":null,"abstract":"In this article, I explore particular aspects of the learning of Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) student teachers in the context of a collaborative partnership between a university and rural schools in the Wild Coast Rural Schools' Partnership Project (WCRSPP). This focus is especially important given the neglect of rural education in South Africa, and of student teacher preparation for placement in rural schools in particular. In considering how student teachers might be prepared to teach effectively in deeply rural circumstances, with its challenges and opportunities, my objectives are to understand the complexity of the process of what student teachers learned and how they learned in this context. Using case study methodology within an interpretive paradigm, I draw on the lived experiences of selected student teachers and their university tutors, as revealed in interviews and reflective journals. I frame the learning of the student teachers in the potentially generative nature of rural contexts and seek to illuminate the transformative potential of these in challenging their understanding of teaching and their motivation and performance as teachers. Therefore, I highlight the situated nature of the student teacher learning as well as the multidimensional and expansive nature of the learning that emerges through significant moments of mediation. By highlighting the potential for deep learning that can emerge in unexpected ways, I challenge the notion of student teacher learning as being clearly defined and stable.","PeriodicalId":15568,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81185953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The dilemmas inherent in curriculum design: Unpacking the lived experiences of Australian teacher educators","authors":"A. Fitzgerald, Wendy Goff, S. White","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i90a06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i90a06","url":null,"abstract":"Teacher educators often find themselves struggling to enact a continually shifting teacher education reform policy agenda in relation to increasing standardisation and more strident accountability measures. This has to be balanced with best trying to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population in different community settings and to be well prepared for current and future challenges. We are three teacher educators who use narrative inquiry to interrogate these dilemmas and the ways in which they play out in teacher education curriculum design work. We analyse the stories and identify the three themes of contexts, currency, and connection. We offer a number of pro-active strategies to help teacher educators to make an agentive response to the task of curriculum planning. We suggest a variety of ways in which teacher educators can use their knowledge of place, policy, and working in partnerships to navigate through this highly regulated space.","PeriodicalId":15568,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82628645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hybrid problem-based learning in Technology teacher preparation: Giving students a voice in their learning process","authors":"M. Mulaudzi, Adri du Toit, A. Golightly","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i90a07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i90a07","url":null,"abstract":"Technology education instils technological literacy in South African learners, preparing them for life and employment. Yet, few high school-level Technology1 teachers are being trained and ensuring that Technology student teachers are optimally prepared, is vital. Learning strategies such as problem-based learning need to be implemented to provide students with opportunities to have their voices heard as well as being actively involved in their education. Hybrid problem-based learning has been successfully implemented in geography and life sciences teacher education, but its use in Technology teacher preparation has not been reported. Therefore, we conducted a concurrent triangulation research study at a South African university offering Technology teacher preparation. In the study, we explored how teacher students experienced and perceived hPBL as a teaching-learning strategy and how this gave them a voice in their teacher training. The study, therefore, substantiated hPBL as a beneficial teaching-learning strategy that can give Technology student teachers a voice and actively involve them in their construction of learning.","PeriodicalId":15568,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90475511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Towards an integrative philosophy of education: The contemplative case of economic education","authors":"S. Maistry","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i90a03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i90a03","url":null,"abstract":"Acquiring a basic knowledge of philosophy is usually a deprioritised choice for students in undergraduate programmes. Even a basic philosophy course is seldom mandatory in the hard sciences, although it may be an option in the social sciences. While many undergraduate teacher education programmes have stand-alone courses in the philosophy of education in general educational studies courses, philosophical inspiration is largely drawn from continental philosophy. The extent to which preservice teachers see the wider relevance and application of philosophy of education to the school subjects they teach is uncertain. Also, contemporary philosophy of education courses in the (South) African context may still be paying homage to Western, Eurocentric philosophical canons, despite calls by the student collective in South Africa for African contextual relevance. I present an account of a curriculum initiative in a teacher education course that attempts a disruption of traditional western canons that underpin economics and economic education. I argue that disciplines such as economics are fertile spaces for engaging teacher trainees in a philosophical exposé, with a view to contesting the universality of the philosophies of (economic) sciences to explain contemporary societal crises. I present insights into how the philosophy of education might be conceptualised as an across curriculum competence as opposed to an insular, stand-alone offering.","PeriodicalId":15568,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78306354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A systems approach to understanding novice teachers' experiences and professional learning","authors":"C. Bertram","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i90a01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i90a01","url":null,"abstract":"The seeming disconnect between what novice teachers learn at university and what their first year of teaching demands has been described and lamented for decades. Researchers, teachers, and school managers often blame teacher education programmes for not preparing novice teachers for the realities of school. However, blaming student teachers' initial teacher education (ITE) programme is reductionist and ignores that this is only one of the complex systems that shape their practice. I argue that a more productive way to understand novice teachers' experiences is through a systems approach that engages with four nested systems that shape their practice-the system of the teacher (that encompasses their personal and professional identities and their knowledge and competences), the classroom system, the school system and the macro-educational system. In this paper, I present interview data generated from 30 novice teachers after they had been teaching for 18 months. The data shows that many challenges faced cannot be addressed by the ITE curriculum because they are grounded in other sub systems. I engage with what ITE programmes can do and suggest that the main influence of ITE is in developing student teachers' ethical commitment, professional identity, competences, and professional knowledge and in providing practical teaching experiences in different schools. I also highlight what aspects need to be addressed by the macro levels of the schooling system.","PeriodicalId":15568,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84328335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kristian Edosomwan, Jemimah L. Young, B. Butler, J. Young, John A. Williams
{"title":"Tracking the Effects: Examining the Opportunity Stratification Hypothesis in Action","authors":"Kristian Edosomwan, Jemimah L. Young, B. Butler, J. Young, John A. Williams","doi":"10.1177/00220574231168634","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220574231168634","url":null,"abstract":"The relationship between academic tracking and exclusionary discipline actions has only been studied in a limited number of empirical studies. By placing students at the lower strata, schools deprive them of the educational opportunities, widening the educational opportunity gap in a process we define as “opportunity stratification.” Using a quantitative analysis of data from the Educational Longitudinal Study, we found students in low-track, non-college preparatory courses had higher odds of experiencing both in-school and out-of-school suspensions when compared to students in the high-track, college preparatory courses. Our findings support the intersecting role of exclusionary discipline and tracking in opportunity stratification.","PeriodicalId":15568,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78028073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using critical pedagogy in English education: Disjunctures between pre-service teachers' preparation and opportunities for implementation","authors":"N. Nkealah, John Simango","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i90a04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i90a04","url":null,"abstract":"In many universities offering qualifications in education, Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy features prominently in curricula for pre-service teachers of English. Student teachers are prepared with the knowledge and skills that enable them to use approaches from critical pedagogy to teach English effectively in their classrooms upon graduation. Critical pedagogy affords pre-service teachers of English training in teaching critical literacy, a pedagogy of self-empowerment, and tools for teaching critical thinking. However, student teachers may not easily exploit these affordances when they start to teach since many constraints in the school system may impede the effective implementation of critical pedagogy in the English classroom. These constraints include the inflexible Annual Teaching Plan, the practice of teaching for assessment, and contradictions in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). As a result, there is a disparity between the vision of teaching English in critical ways on the one hand and opportunities to realise this vision within the structures of South African policy on the other. In this article, we explore this disparity and its implications for learning to teach English within a critical pedagogy framework.","PeriodicalId":15568,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87519029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biniam Tesfamariam, Carlos Alamo-Pastrana, Elizabeth H. Bradley
{"title":"Four-Year College Completion Rates: What Accounts for the Variation?","authors":"Biniam Tesfamariam, Carlos Alamo-Pastrana, Elizabeth H. Bradley","doi":"10.1177/00220574231168938","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220574231168938","url":null,"abstract":"Higher education has been touted as critical to social mobility, even greater longevity; however, these benefits accrue with degree completion, and many students who begin college never earn a degree. Using the most recent Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), we sought to understand variation in college completion rates and test hypotheses related to a set of institutional factors potentially associated with higher completion rates. Our findings suggest that greater attention to low-resource institutions is paramount if higher education is to fulfill the aspiration of promoting social mobility and equity. Several policy interventions could be used to combat ongoing disparities.","PeriodicalId":15568,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74704098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicole R Morgan, K. R. Aronson, Kimberly J. McCarthy, Brandon A. Balotti, D. Perkins
{"title":"Post-9/11 Veterans’ Pursuit and Completion of Post-secondary Education: Social Connection, Mental Health, and Finances","authors":"Nicole R Morgan, K. R. Aronson, Kimberly J. McCarthy, Brandon A. Balotti, D. Perkins","doi":"10.1177/00220574231168638","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220574231168638","url":null,"abstract":"This study examined how veteran social engagement predicted post-secondary school attainment. Nearly 10,000 post-9/11 veterans, who separated from military service in 2016, were surveyed on the programs/services they used over 4 years following separation. More than half of veterans had obtained a degree within 4 years of separation. A higher proportion of veterans of color and female veterans reported attending only some higher education than White non-Hispanic male veterans. Positive predictors of educational attainment included participating in veterans’ centers and veteran-student organizations, while negative predictors included financial and mental health problems. Implications for veteran-serving programs of post-secondary institutions are discussed.","PeriodicalId":15568,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82091156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}