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Digital portfolios have gained an increasing prominence in teacher education programmes around the world as a consequence of research which purports their multiple benefits to users and of their potential to represent beginning teachers' practices. Despite the current popularity of digital portfolios, the nature of their use is still not well understood. This article explores how student teachers use digital portfolios in a teacher education programme in Singapore from an economics perspective. It posits that the adoption of an economic lens would shed new light on existing understandings and raise awareness of how and why student teachers use digital portfolios the ways they do. Reference to a range of economic concepts would will help to better understand educational outcomes. The article considers the implications of the findings for informing how digital portfolios are implemented and raises issues for consideration in further implementation efforts and in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflection is recognised as a significant goal in teacher education. Digital portfolios have considerable potential for developing teacher reflective capacities, but more research is needed for documenting the content and quality of the reflections within it and for understanding the factors related to its occurrence. Many schemes of analyses have been developed. However, they do not accord sufficient attention to the situated nature of reflection and the sociocultural context within which reflection occurs. In this study, we seek to analyse and understand student teacher reflections as captured in digital portfolios. We propose using a lens that combines a framework on types of reflection with a situative perspective. Results suggest that student teachers do not typically reflect at deep levels, unless the situation legitimizes or privileges it, even if they may be able to do so. Findings are discussed in relation to contextual factors. It is surmised that student teacher reflections may be tied to the sociocultural context in which they learn and in which reflection is enacted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, using the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as the underpinning framework, examines student teachers' basic psychological needs, their subjective experience and their perceived teaching competence during practicum. It attempted to establish whether there were distinct groups of student teachers with different needs satisfaction, and how their levels of needs satisfaction were related to the groups' subjective experience and perceived teaching competence. Quantitative data were collected. Data were analysed using cluster analysis and MANOVA. Overall, the results suggest that SDT can be effectively utilized as a framework for looking at how needs satisfaction is related to student teachers' subjective experiences and perceived competence in teaching during practicum. The findings from this study are useful in providing evidence for teacher educators to strengthen their practicum model and plan mentoring workshops. The findings also provide much-needed insights into groups of student teachers that may need more support during practicum. Finally, the findings may help mentors understand their mentees better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Professional Practice and Inquiry (PPI) course was introduced to equip pre-service teachers with the knowledge, skills, and values required to develop them into reflective practitioners with a strong teacher identity. This study looks into the efficacy of the course in the preparation of thoughtful and reflective teachers. Self-reported questionnaires were administered to the pre-service teachers. Interviews were conducted to complement the quantitative findings. Findings suggested that pre-service teachers (1) were more aware of their teaching identity, (2) perceived themselves as teacher inquirers, (3) were more able to engage in cognitive self-regulation, and (4) were more cognizant of their Graduand Teacher Competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of effective self-regulated learning strategies is of interest to educationalists. In this paper, we examine inherent individual difference in self-regulated learning based on Motivated Learning for Learning Questionnaire (MLSQ) using the cluster analytic approach and examine cluster difference in terms of self-determination theory related variables. The sample of the study consisted of 238 junior college students from 12 intact classes. Two adaptive clusters and two maladaptive clusters were uncovered based on the MLSQ, with the adaptive clusters showing better academic grades. Results from the one-way MANOVA showed that the four clusters differed significantly in terms of their needs satisfaction, behavioural regulations, enjoyment, effort and value. The findings supported the importance of needs satisfaction in the development of self-regulated learning behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines student teachers' views on their country and on National Education (NE), with the aim of promoting teachers' understanding of the need for NE. A 40-item survey was administered to 1,650 student teachers, to assess their sense of belonging, protective attitude, perceived right, ethnic tolerance and community and political involvement, as well as their perceptions of the importance and learning outcomes of NE. Significant differences were observed between the genders and between the various programme groups in terms of the student teachers' responses, suggesting the need for a more comprehensive approach to NE in initial teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]