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Copyright of Bartin University Journal of Faculty of Education is the property of Bartin University Journal of Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although teacher agency is increasingly recognised by educationists in the Global South, it is not always well understood or accommodated in policy, as experienced with Universal Primary Education (UPE) reforms in Uganda. This empirical study analyses its role on the UPE reforms, the factors that shape it and its implications for curriculum making. The study adopted a qualitative case study of two UPE schools, utilising an ecological approach to understanding teacher agency. It found that UPE teachers in the selected schools were strongly achieving agency in their daily practice through different forms of 'resistance', 'mitigation' and 'cooperation'. Their agency is being shaped by ecological factors comprising of their temporal dimensions mediated by the affordances and constraints of their cultures, structures and materials, with significant implications. The study concludes that stakeholders need to better explicate teacher agency in policy and scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study was conducted to investigate how the capacity of primary school teachers can be built in terms of the Single National Curriculum. The specific objectives of the study were: 1) To develop Teaching Module for capacity building of teachers toward science in terms of Single National Curriculum, 2) To implement the Teaching Module to develop the capacity building of teachers toward science in terms of Single National Curriculum 3) To assess the capacity building of teachers toward science before and after the implementation of Teaching Module. The researcher employed a quasi-experimental "pretest-posttest control group design." The "Teaching Module of Science for Class Five" was the study's primary resource. Fifteen (15) female teachers from the Govt. Girls Middle School Churata No. 3, Tehsil, and District D.G. Khan were chosen for this study. Results revealed that developed module was effective for capacity building of teachers in single national curriculum at primary level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has gained momentum due to increasing calls for a more STEM-literate society. As teaching integrated STEM poses curricular and pedagogical challenges for most generalist primary teachers, professional development (PD) is essential to support them to develop appropriate knowledge and efficacy to teach STEM. This paper presents a qualitative study of 17 primary teachers, 2 school principals and the PD facilitator. It explores the perceived impact of a customised three-phase STEM PD program on teacher efficacy in STEM education using Bandura's (1977) sources of efficacy as an analytic lens. The findings illustrate how particular features of the PD model were identified as contributing to the development of participating teachers' performance accomplishment, emotional arousal, vicarious experiences and verbal persuasion. In particular, there was consensus that the developmental structure of the STEM PD program, in terms of teachers' assuming increasing ownership for their STEM learning, incrementally enhanced teacher efficacy in STEM education. Implications of this study for STEM education and in particular STEM PD are discussed fully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bu çalışma 2000-2021 yılları arasında sınıf öğretmenlerinin yaşadıkları sorunları tematik analiz yöntemiyle belirlemek ve belirlenen yıl aralıklarında trend olan konuları tespit etmek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Bu yöntem, bir konu hakkında yapılan çalışmaların betimsel ve içeriksel olarak incelenerek, çalışmaların eğilimlerini ve sonuçlarının tespit edilmesi esasına dayanır. Bu amaçla Türkiye’de sınıf öğretmenlerinin yaşadıkları sorunlar ile ilgili çalışmalar alan yazında taranmıştır. Tarama sonucunda sınıf öğretmenlerinin güncel eğitim sorunları konusunda 2000-2021 yılları arasında yayımlanan toplam 113 (83 makale, 30 lisansüstü tezi) çalışma araştırmaya dâhil edilmiştir. Çalışmanın özelliklerini ortaya çıkarmak amacıyla araştırmaya özgü bir kodlama yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Ulaşılan çalışmalar çalışma türü, araştırmanın konusu, araştırma türü ve deseni, örneklem, veri toplama aracı ve veri analizi sonuçlarına göre incelenmiştir. Analizler sonucunda 2016-2021 yılları arasında hem yüksek lisans tezi hem makale çalışmalarında en yüksek değere ulaşıldığı, en çok tercih edilen araştırma deseninin tarama modeli, en çok kullanılan veri toplama aracının ölçek, en fazla veri analiz türünün parametrik testler, en fazla tercih edilen araştırma konusunun sınıf öğretmenlerinin tükenmişlik sorunları, en trend olan araştırma türünün nitel araştırma, en trend örneklem grubu sınıf öğretmenleri, 2016-2021 yılları arasında yabancı uyruklu öğrencilerin öğretim süreçlerinde karşılaşılan sorunlar ile uzaktan eğitim süreçlerinde karşılaşılan sorunlara yönelik araştırmaların sayısının arttığı belirlenmiştir. Araştırma sonunda elde edilen bulgulara yönelik önerilere yer verilmiştir.

The article analyses the characteristics of schools according to the perception teachers have regarding their commitment to using research evidence within their practice. A questionnaire focused on issues such as the use of research evidence to improve schools, as well as factors known to influence this practice, such as organizational culture, leadership style, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making processes, was administered to a sample of 462 teachers from 204 primary schools in two Spanish autonomous regions. The questionnaire responses were analysed using a two-stage factor analysis. Three clusters of schools were identified. Although teachers from a large number of schools were enthusiastic regarding the use of research evidence, others were sceptical, and most declared themselves undecided. In all cases, we observed that organizational commitment to the use of research evidence, leadership support, and debate regarding decisions were significant characteristics of those schools oriented towards the use of research evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the level of metacognitive awareness of STEAM education among primary stage teachers in Jordan. It also aimed to identify the impact of school type, experience, and specialization on the level of Metacognitive awareness. Via purposive sampling, 370 science, computer science, social science and humanities, and mathematics teachers were selected, who already know about the STEAM approach, from public and private schools in Amman and Madaba Governorates. The researcher developed a five-point Likert-type scale to measure metacognitive awareness among primary school teachers about the STEAM approach. The researcher verified the content validity by presenting the instrument to a group of experts in curricula and teaching methods to determine the extent of the clarity and comprehensiveness of the items. The researcher applied the questionnaire to a pilot of 30 from outside the sample to calculate the constructive validity and reliability. The results of the application showed constructive validity ranging between (.65 and .82). The researcher concluded that the level of metacognitive awareness among teachers with 3 years and more experience who work in the private sector is higher than those who work in the public sector. The results also showed no significant difference in the level attributed to the specialization variable. The researcher recommends that the Ministry of Education should prepare a successful education reform process in addition to adopting a unified reform plan with clear educational goals and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School lockdowns in response to COVID-19 have forced teachers around the world to quickly and unexpectedly shift from face-to-face to distance teaching. The struggle with the forced transition has been even more severe in the lower levels of schooling than in higher education institutions, which had already established online course delivery before the crisis. The current paper investigates Finnish primary teachers' principles for high-quality distance teaching. Twenty primary teachers were interviewed in April 2020 during the fourth week of the two-month distance teaching period. The findings from phenomenographic analysis revealed that high-quality distance teaching at the primary level requires (1) relatedness, (2) design, (3) routine, and (4) control. This study illustrates the understanding of teachers' working in a basic education system ranked among the best in the world and thus provides valuable insights for developing instructional practices in distance education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Teachers' multilingualism-related beliefs affected their multilingual classroom practices. • Only teachers' multilingualism-related self-efficacy, but not their general self-efficacy affected their multilingual classroom practices. • Teachers' demographic and sociocultural characteristics indirectly affected their multilingual classroom practices. Considering the steadily increasing number of multilingual students, it is essential for teachers to consider their students' multilingualism in school. While there is increasing research done regarding how teachers incorporate multilingualism in class, little is known what aspects predict teachers' multilingual classroom practices. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine several potential predictors of teachers' multilingual classroom practices. The analytic sample consisted of N = 494 German primary school teachers. Applying path analyses, we found that teachers' multilingualism-related beliefs and multilingualism-related self-efficacy correlated with their multilingual classroom practices directly. Furthermore, many indirect effects of demographic and sociocultural characteristics on teachers' multilingual classroom practices through their multilingualism-related beliefs and multilingualism-related self-efficacy were found. Implications and limitations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of teaching reasoning in schools is widely recognised. Yet this has presented teachers with difficulties, particularly in primary education. Difficulties partially stem from a lack of cohesive theory about reasoning for education and a lack of specificity about it in the English National Curriculum. One route to improved teaching of reasoning is through recognition of the importance and prevalence of discipline‐specific practices. This paper draws on socio‐cultural theory and disciplinary literacy research to argue that some reasoning practices are discipline specific. The theoretical lens of reasoning styles is adopted. A cognitive history approach has been used to create a framework of reasoning styles important in primary English. English represents a curriculum area that is currently poorly understood in terms of its prevalent reasoning practices. This paper, therefore, makes important theoretical and pedagogical contributions to existing research. Examples of student engagement with identified reasoning styles are provided. The framework and accompanying examples will help teachers to support the development of student reasoning, particularly in the subject of English. Developing students' meta‐awareness of patterns of language use is beneficial. Development may also support students to become fuller members of the English academic community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving teachers' intercultural competence is one of the keys for successful implementation of intercultural education. This paper explores Vietnamese primary education teachers' level of intercultural competence as one of the first steps towards intercultural education in this country. The ISS-15 questionnaire was used to collect data from 70 teachers working in different schools and English centres in Hanoi City. Data were analysed through descriptive statistics: one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results show homogeneity although teachers' backgrounds and working contexts are varied. Teachers show high degrees of interaction engagement and enjoyment as well as respect for cultural differences. However, their levels of interaction confidence and attentiveness are moderate. Our conclusions suggest that teachers need to develop their intercultural competence (IC), especially in terms of practice skills. They demand to implement intercultural education (IE) in Vietnamese schools, as well as to help citizens realize its outstanding role for the necessary socioeconomic changes of the country nowadays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how six English primary school teachers enact assessment and attainment-focused policy and asks what this performative policy work does and whether it shapes or requires a new kind of primary teacher subjectivity. The paper draws on a small study of policy enactments in two primary schools in Greater London in order to discuss two dimensions of policy enactment that emerged from our data: first, shifting assessment regimes in primary schools which create an enactment environment of second-guessing policy; second, a shift in focus from the individual child to targeted groups that raises questions about more traditional primary school values. The paper concludes with a reflection on the effects of contradictory values and practices and how this policy context creates a form of 'doing without believing' in the English primary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curriculum integration is a feature of many new curricula that have emerged in different countries since around the turn of the millennium. It focuses on removing the boundaries between traditional subject specialisms, to enable more holistic and 'joined‐up' learning opportunities. This study draws on the experiences of a group of primary and secondary teachers in Wales, engaged in creating a framework for an integrated curriculum for expressive arts. Whilst the teachers are united in their ambition for establishing a curriculum that gives greater status to the arts, curriculum integration presents significant challenges, notably in how subject knowledge is understood and presented within an integrated curriculum. The teachers take different approaches to curriculum integration, with primary teachers favouring a transdisciplinary approach, with child‐led learning and themes taking precedence, and secondary teachers opting for multidisciplinary approaches, where the themes are organising devices but where subjects take priority. Differing practices suggest differing conceptions of subject knowledge and mastery within an integrated curriculum. Drawing, in particular, on Bernstein's concepts relating to knowledge discourses, this paper suggests that the danger of an integrated curriculum is weakened disciplinary knowledge. Whilst this paper relates to the arts, the messages about curriculum integration might be applied more widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current paper, we present an analysis of a case study in which we have followed Swedish primary teachers who voluntarily began using translated Finnish curriculum materials, i.e. a textbook and teacher guide, in order to reform their mathematics teaching. The multifaceted data, consisting of questionnaires, interviews, protocols from collegial meetings and classroom observations, were gathered during the period 2010–2014. The analysis of the interplay within this cross-cultural setting reveals the special characteristics and the challenges existing in practice. Both the experienced and inexperienced teachers offloaded a great deal of their agency to the materials in order to become familiar with the ideas they mediated. Yet, the lack of a clear rationale behind the organization of the materials, as well as the suggested activities connected to taken-for-granted features of the Finnish teaching tradition, made fruitful interaction problematic. The changes teachers made in their classroom practice were tightly connected to the support offered in the materials, without which the teachers abandoned their new classroom patterns. Based on the results of this study, we suggest a number of general aspects that we regard as important to consider when implementing curriculum materials developed within another cultural-educational context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an ongoing professional learning and development (PLD) initiative in New Zealand. The Academy is designed to provide primary and intermediate classroom teachers with the knowledge, materials and support needed for effective delivery of The New Zealand Curriculum's science subject area. Specifically, this paper reports on the Academy's interconnections of government policy, professional learning and development, teachers' practice and students' learning. Results indicate how relevant, useful and meaningful education through science has influenced classroom teachers' practice. The implications support the critical importance of effective connections between content, policy and practice in the ongoing development of teaching practice.

Over the recent decades, much empirical evidence has shown the benefits of problem-based learning (PBL) over traditional teacher-centred pedagogy. However, research on problem-based learning (PBL) has focused more on students’ learning outcomes and less on what it might take for teachers to implement it, especially in primary school and in education systems such as Taiwan, where its principles deviate from customary practice. Issues concerning how PBL, which initially derived from the adult medical education field, can be applied to primary education, remain poorly understood. This study examines what was involved for a teacher while she implemented a 1-year PBL intervention in a year 5 (ages 10-11) mathematics classroom in Taiwan. On the basis of the evidence in this paper, we provide a realistic account of the teacher’s pedagogical practice and how she changed, or further developed her pedagogies in order to adapt to PBL. The findings from our study brought important messages for teachers and educators when implementing PBL at primary education level. With a focus on the teacher’s pedagogical changes, implications for primary teachers when implementing PBL are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher training is one of the most important aspects of professional development for teachers in education. This paper identified 22 primary in-service teachers' beliefs, needs, and challenges they faced with regards to teacher training program in Thailand. The research methods used were a modified questionnaire and individual and focus group interviews. Findings revealed that the beliefs of the primary teachers were shaped by their previous attendance and experience on teacher's training programs in the country. Engaging workshops, simple but relevant teaching strategies were reported to be the needs of these teachers in a teacher training program. Teachers also reported the lack of teaching resources, problems on implementing new teaching strategies, and a big class size as the challenges they have encountered in their own classrooms. Findings may be useful for the Ministry of Education, education policy-makers, and teacher's training institutions in the ASEAN region context to design a much more effective training program for the local teachers to improve their teaching capacity. Implications are discussed in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of a trend towards inclusive practice in Irish primary schools, many teachers feel ill-equipped to cope with this new challenge. Scope exists within the Irish education system to transform mainstream schools into autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) friendly environments. Research into teacher perceptions of inclusion has found that teachers’ views impact on how inclusionary practices are implemented. This study utilised semi-structured interviews with six primary school teachers. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings from this study suggest that the majority of teachers were apprehensive and lacked confidence at the initial prospect of teaching a child with ASD. The majority of the teachers interviewed also described feelings of uncertainty in managing the behaviour of a child with ASD. These findings were analysed in the context of teachers’ perceptions of systemic issues such as lack of access to resources, support and training in ASD-specific approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports on an ongoing professional learning and development (PLD) initiative in New Zealand. The Academy is designed to provide primary and intermediate classroom teachers with the knowledge, materials and support needed for effective delivery of The New Zealand Curriculum's science subject area. Specifically, this paper reports on the Academy's interconnections of government policy, professional learning and development, teachers' practice and students' learning. Results indicate how relevant, useful and meaningful education through science has influenced classroom teachers' practice. The implications support the critical importance of effective connections between content, policy and practice in the ongoing development of teaching practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study objective was to explore the psychic state of Primary Education teachers of several public and concerted centers of the community of Madrid. We evaluated anxiety and depression symptoms and burnout syndrome using the HADS scale and the Burnout Questionnaire of teachers. The results indicated that, although concerted schools teachers report more symptoms anxious, teachers of public schools have a greater presence of the Burnout syndrome in the scales of organizational issues, supervision and recognition. It is evident that the primary education teachers are high-risk professionals, despite the fact that the studies have focused mainly in Secondary Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of effective teachers continues to be a critical issue in the literature since what teachers know and are able do is the most significant influence on what students learn. Teacher education programmes are considered to be the best places for teacher candidates to learn the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to educate children. Physical education initial teacher education (PE-ITE) for generalist primary teachers is being challenged with regard to quality. The purpose of this article is to stimulate discourse on how teacher education for primary school teachers teaching physical education might be structured more effectively. The article begins with a description on how the PE-ITE programme for generalist teachers is designed and delivered at the University of Cyprus. The article then presents and discusses the most effective features of exemplary teacher education programmes and the most common qualities of newly qualified teachers who have been identified in the literature. Finally, the article presents some concluding thoughts on how the existing body of research should be used effectively by teacher educators. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study investigated 15 Year 4–6 classrooms in two multicultural schools in New Zealand to understand what opportunities students had to draw on their diverse experiences of texts. A mixed-methods approach was taken, including classroom observations and student interviews. Results suggested that lessons were characterised by a consistent format of teacher-led, whole class instruction followed by independent writing. Conversations about prior knowledge typically sought display of taught items. Students saw few links between writing forms in school and texts out of school. The study highlights the role of lesson structure in framing incorporation of prior knowledge in writing lessons. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Revista Electrónica Interuniversitaria De Formación del Profesorado is the property of Asociacion Universitaria de Formacion del Profesorado (AUFOP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates the process of teacher change in a group of 8 primary school teachers during their exposure to a science, technology and society (STS) approach to teaching Science in Swaziland. The research aimed to establish the effect of support given to teachers in using the approach through a series of workshops, followed by a 5-week supported implementation of the unit ‘matter and energy’. An analysis of the way in which the STS approach impacted on the classroom practice of the teachers yielded 2 outcomes that were hierarchical. First, teacher understanding of the approach was observed to go through levels of unawareness, recognition of differences in approach, utilisation, personalisation and production. Second, the teachers' level of use of the STS approach was observed to have been affected by their levels of understanding, characterised by the following typologies: dropouts, strugglers, domesticators, succeeders and innovators. Some relationship between levels of understanding and typology of use was found, however, the level of understanding was not the exclusive determinant of typology of use. Only teachers reaching the utilisation level were able to use the innovation in a sustainable way, while those at the level of unawareness were able to become domesticators, adapting the innovation to their usual teaching approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports on a study investigating the effectiveness of a new professional learning development (PLD) initiative in New Zealand, The Sir Paul Callaghan Science Academy (The Academy). The Academy is designed to provide primary and intermediate (students aged 5 to 13) classroom teachers with the knowledge, materials and support needed for The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007). After the Academy's first two years of operation, results indicate that The Academy has shown how relevant, useful and meaningful education through science can impact on both individual classroom teacher's practice and entire school programmes. The implications of this paper support the critical importance effective PLD plays in continued teaching practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of social networks in primary schools has become an imperative of modern times. Adding a profile has become more common in lower grades of primary school. Although the creation of a profile on social networks is forbidden to children under thirteen, many of them use a fake date of birth, or rely on an insufficient knowledge of safety statements and control by the parents, teachers, professors. More frequently, children have the possibility of an 'uncontrolled' access to social networks. Future MAs of primary school teaching meet the safety statements for the access to social networks in some of their compulsory courses, and later on, during their practice, volunteering and work, they will be able to transfer the acquired knowledge and skills to children and parents. Since most of the students spend their free time (and usually time intended for learning and lectures as well) on the use of social networks and playing online computer games every day, we have conducted a research on the students playing computer games with and without elements of violence's self-evaluation on the frequency of use of social networks and their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this research was to analyse teachers’ views of pupil assessment. The theoretical framework was based on existing literature on advances and challenges of pupil assessment in regard to support for learning, fairness, educational partnership, feedback, and favourable methods. The data were gathered by means of a questionnaire designed for teachers of comprehensive schools. Teachers were first asked to describe a good (right/fair) and a bad (wrong/unfair) case of pupil assessment selected from the period of latest three years. Second, two lists of factors were presented, and respondents were asked to indicate which were the most influential in making pupil assessment either difficult or easy. One hundred twenty-six teachers completed and returned the questionnaire. A descriptive, mainly qualitative approach was used to analyse the data. The majority of positive views concerned the use of different assessment methods, an interactive approach, encouraging feedback, and criteria clarification. Negative views dealt with improper assessment methods, level of stringency, badly implemented assessment, and weak grounds for assessment. Three factors made assessment as difficult: interpretation of fairness, pupils with special needs, and pupils’ heterogeneity. On the other hand, versatile assessment methods, curriculum advice, and pupils’ good competencies made teachers’ assessment work easy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper argues that in order to begin loosening the ties that bind care and gender in primary education, we need to re-examine the knowledge sought and found by educational research about teachers. The focus is primarily on how we understand men who teach. Through an examination of two scholarly texts – Ashley, M., and J. Lee [2003. Women Teaching Boys: Caring and Working in the Primary School. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham] and King, J. [1998. Uncommon Caring: Learning from Men Who Teach Young Children. New York: TCP] – I argue that we must be mindful that our research can effectively produce and reiterate common-sense understandings of men that binds them to the hegemonic masculine ideal. It is argued that mixed-method qualitative research that untangles the layers of context influencing the lives of men who teach is important. The paper also suggests that the study of male teachers' emotions, as at once individual and social, and private and public, can disrupt the rational–emotional binary that cements care to gender and reveal new configurations of the gender order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This sociological qualitative study identifies reasons why female pre-service teachers believe males are underrepresented in primary education courses at Australian universities. The findings of the study suggest that the nineteenth century naturalistic discourse of nurturance continues to sustain the notion that primary school teaching is a female profession. The study argues that this socially-conservative gender discourse remains essentially unchallenged and maintains a significant negative influence on males' willingness to take up a career in primary teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the findings of research on school culture in post-totalitarian society in the Czech Republic. The research explored restructuralisation and reculturalisation in the Czech school education system through analysis of school culture in one school located in a midsized town in the central part of the country. In-depth biographical interviews were carried out with teachers who taught in the school before and after 1989, the year of the fall of communism in the Czech Republic. The article offers a detailed description of how the totalitarian regime used teachers as its servants. At the same time, it offers an analysis of the changes that were provoked by the political transformation, and how teachers reacted to them. The research also reflects aspects of change in the country as a whole as it underwent dynamic development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, we present a valid and reliable instrument which measures the attitude of in-service and pre-service primary teachers toward teaching science, called the Dimensions of Attitude Toward Science (DAS) Instrument. Attention to the attitudes of primary teachers toward teaching science is of fundamental importance to the professionalization of these teachers in the field of primary science education. With the development of this instrument, we sought to fulfill the need for a statistically and theoretically valid and reliable instrument to measure pre-service and in-service teachers' attitudes. The DAS Instrument is based on a comprehensive theoretical framework for attitude toward (teaching) science. After pilot testing, the DAS was revised and subsequently validated using a large group of respondents (pre-service and in-service primary teachers) (N= 556). The theoretical underpinning of the DAS combined with the statistical data indicate that the DAS possesses good construct validity and that it proves to be a promising instrument that can be utilized for research purposes, and also as a teacher training and coaching tool. This instrument can therefore make a valuable contribution to progress within the field of science education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Bartin University Journal of Faculty of Education is the property of Bartin University Journal of Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research evidence suggests that, worldwide, physical education in early years is mainly taught by primary teachers (Graber et al., 2008; Hunter, 2006; Kirk, 2005). Descriptions of primary teachers’ experiences of teaching physical education are particularly essential as an avenue for developing better-quality teacher training for teaching primary school physical education (Hunter, 2006; Kirk, 2005; Pangrazi, 2003; Tsangaridou, 2008). The purpose of this article is to provide an overview and discuss illustrative findings of research conducted on primary school teachers who teach physical education. The paper is divided into three sections. In the first section, research findings on in-service primary teachers are presented and discussed. In the second section, an account of empirical inquiries on pre-service primary teachers is reviewed. Finally, the third section provides a summary of the major findings, discusses the main conclusions, offers implications for teacher educators and points out directions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Textbook sets should be designed according to the constructivist theory of learning and teaching on which the curriculum for the environmental studies subject in the Republic of Slovenia was built. With the empirical research we wanted to establish how teachers evaluate the representation of some constructivist elements in the selected textbook sets for the environmental studies subject. We collected the data on a non-accidental pattern of teachers (n=63) that were teaching the third grade in the primary school. With our research we established that in the teachers' opinion there are differences among the textbook sets regarding the consideration of the selected constructivist elements: stimulation of pupils' independence, guidance into more active forms and methods of work, and mainly representation of the activity of pupils, which should develop their skills and abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive education is a worldwide reform strategy intended to include students with different abilities in mainstream regular schools. Evidence from previous research shows that success in implementing effective inclusive teaching practices in the school is contingent on teachers' positive attitudes towards inclusive education. This study was conducted in the context of primary education in Bangladesh aiming to examine variables influencing teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Data for the study was collected from 738 teachers working in 293 government primary schools in Bangladesh. The results indicated that perceived school support for inclusive teaching practices and a range of demographic variables including previous success in teaching students with disabilities and contact with a student with a disability were associated with more positive attitudes of the teachers towards the inclusive education. The results are discussed with possible implications for educators, policy-makers and international organisations working on the implementation of inclusive education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to determine the attitudes towards English courses and achievement level of prospective primary school teachers who may have to teach English in the future and develop recommendations regarding the situation. For this purpose, "The Scale of Attitude towards English" and "Foreign Language Achievement Test" were applied to145 4th grade students of Faculty of Education, Department of Primary Teacher Education to gather the data. The data were analyzed through SPSS 11.5 for windows (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). In conclusion, this study indicates that there is a significant relation between student academic achievement and student attitude towards foreign language and the relation between gender, age, previous preparatory school education and attitude was statistically significant.The paper concludes by highlighting some key factors to consider about English lessons of Faculty of Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on survey data, this paper examines the patterns and perceptions of technology use by primary EFL teachers in China. Findings suggest that although Chinese EFL teachers hold positive attitudes toward the value of technology for teaching and learning, they use technology mainly for teacher-centered purposes, such as teaching preparation and instructional delivery, and seldom utilize technology for student-centered activities. Factors constraining student-oriented technological use in early EFL instruction include teacher-center pedagogical practices and lack of effective professional development that focuses on instructional design and technology integration. These findings suggest that China must redirect its effort to promote teacher conceptual and pedagogical change in integrating technology in early EFL instruction and emphasize alignment among technology, curriculum, and pedagogy in EFL teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a study concerning Greek primary school teachers' (n = 162) ideas about the particulate nature of matter and their explanations of physical phenomena. The study took place during an in-service training course where the effectiveness of a specially designed intervention was tested. A key feature was an approach based on the concept of a substance and its states rather than “solids, liquids, and gases”. Pre-intervention, the teachers held misconceptions similar to those of pupils. Also, there seemed to be some relationship between the teachers' particle model ideas and their explanations of phenomena. Post-intervention, the teachers' descriptions and explanations were found to be significantly improved, with almost zero correlation between pre- and post-intervention scores. Implications for science education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on practitioner interviews and action research, this article explores heteronormativity in U.K. primary schools, providing a performance venue where teachers' voices can be heard. Our particular focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality in the primary school makes the voices of minority practitioners and equalities activists, generally expected to be silent in the school context, appear to sound particularly loud. Shifting the metaphor slightly from the oral to the visual realm, the unexpected visibility of those who were meant to remain invisible lends our participants what Patai calls surplus visibility; as the "Other," they are forced to either disappear or appear larger than life, to keep silent, or scream. We have woven our participants' voices into an ethnographic narrative based on Patai's notion of surplus visibility, and the resulting play script is meant for public performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a case study that examined the views of primary teachers in one school about their ability to be creative practitioners within the current education system. This research was conducted following the recent emphasis that teacher creativity has been given in government debate. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 10 members of teaching staff. The main findings presented suggest that the pressures of the curriculum, and the targets and objectives laid down within it, severely restrict and constrain the creative practices that the teachers in this school feel able and willing to engage in. Perceptions of the relevance and value of teacher creativity are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of regular relaxation on the perceived stress in a group of London in primary education teachers. Based on Jacobson's original work (1938) and developed by Wolpe, (1939) through systematic desensitisation utilising the theory of reciprocal inhibition. The Participants consisted of 40 teachers divided equally between the study group and the control group. Participants were asked to complete a Perceived Stress Scale before starting to listen to a ten minute relaxation tape every day for one month, giving a baseline measure. Each participant in the study group was asked to complete a daily relaxation log to identify usage, in addition participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS.Cohen and Williamson, 1988) on a weekly basis, for 4 weeks. The control followed the same procedure without the relaxation tape. These results were collated and scored, the effect of relaxation on perceived stress was analysed with a 2 way mixed design ANOVA (independent and repeated measures). The results were significant. F=7.447, df - (1, 38), P<,0.5 a significance of .000 The study group's PSS score at the end of the 4th week was significantly reduced, the control group's PSS score remained at consistent levels. The Hypothesis: The use of regular relaxation by the study group will result in a significantly lower perceived stress scale score. The hypothesis was upheld. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]