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Given the growing movement in support of blurring the divisions between language and literature teaching, it has become increasingly vital to understand what language teachers think of literature as a language resource, the approaches they employ when teaching with it, the extent to which they can appreciate, understand, analyse, and interpret literary texts, that is, their literary competence, and whether certain traits predict such competence. Yet, research into the use of literature in language education has been primarily concerned with learners rather than teachers. This article reports on an online questionnaire-based study that explored the creativity, orientations towards literature, teaching approaches, and beliefs regarding literature of 170 language teachers in Central Asia and how these elements predicted their literary competence. Participants worked at universities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan and were teaching Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, and Spanish as foreign languages. The findings revealed that their reading habits and creativity statistically significantly predicted their literary competence while their selection of texts was partly at odds with their professed orientations towards literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores pre-service teachers' L1 use in Thai Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) secondary classrooms through the translanguaging frame, which emphasises the use of the whole linguistic and semiotic repertoire in the classroom to make meaning and construct new knowledge. Teachers may choose to make deliberate use of learners' linguistic repertoires in classroom activities to enhance understanding and develop learners' communicative abilities beyond narrowly defined language codes. We investigate how pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers employed a translanguaging approach to model tasks and provide definitions of key terms. We explore the teachers' beliefs concerning L1 use, drawing attention to the apparent tension between teachers' practices and beliefs. The findings indicate that the teachers utilised translanguaging in different modes, including modeling tasks and translating L2 terms, to address students' comprehension problems. However, the teachers expressed mixed beliefs concerning how and when L1 should be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored preschool teachers' beliefs about the benefits of young children's outdoor play and play in naturalized play environments. Three face-to-face in-depth, semistructured individual interviews were administered. For data analysis, Charmaz's (2006) constructivist grounded theory was employed using two steps of coding, initial and focused. These teachers' beliefs about the benefits of children's outdoor play in natural environments emerged in three major themes: (1) environmental, physical, and emotional freedom, (2) learning and development through outdoor play, and (3) burning off energy. The links between the findings and the existing literature, implications for practice, and recommendations for further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalisation and migration have brought greater diversity to English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classrooms. In their daily practice, language teachers gain first-hand experience and develop strategies for managing such diversity. The present study focuses on experienced EFL teachers, positioned as "knowledge generators" (Cummins, 2021, p. 313), aiming to map, document, and understand their language practices in multilingual classrooms from the perspectives of translanguaging pedagogy (García & Wei, 2014, p. 20) and teacher beliefs (Borg, 2006; Uljens, 1997). Drawing on classroom observation and semi-structured interview data from four secondary-school EFL teachers in Sweden, the study addressed three research questions concerning (1) the extent and purposes of the use of different named languages in the classroom, (2) teacher strategies for encouraging student use of English in class, and (3) the beliefs underpinning teachers' observed language practices. Findings revealed that English was the default and desired classroom language for all four teachers. They also used Swedish to provide translation equivalents, translations of task instructions, to explain grammar, and to communicate with students individually. Regarding strategies to encourage students to speak English in class, teachers reported always speaking English in class themselves, carefully selecting engaging teaching materials, and sometimes topicalising student utterances in Swedish by encouraging the class to develop a translation into English jointly. Teachers' beliefs underpinning these practices were (a) student comprehension is paramount, (b) the need to use any resource necessary for securing student comprehension, particularly students' first languages (L1s), and (c) the importance of Swedish-English bilingualism in Swedish society. The article closes by suggesting implications for lower secondary school EFL language practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, translanguaging has been the focus of many scholarly studies in bilingual education and applied linguistics. Scholars have urged language teachers to develop contextually grounded translingual pedagogies to transform their praxis. However, in the context of Philippine ELT, there seems to be resistance towards a translanguaging stance and a misunderstanding of what it means to ground one's teaching in translingual realities. This article investigated Filipino in-service and pre-service teachers' perspectives of translanguaging through a survey which utilised short-answer questions. The survey results were then utilised to design a seminar-workshop which aimed at raising awareness about the theoretical and pedagogical underpinnings of translanguaging. Data analysis utilised a thematic analytic lens, revealing how the teacher-participants (mis)understand translanguaging. Specifically, Filipino English teachers have conflicting perspectives regarding how multi-/translingual ELT looks in the classroom. Although most of the teacher-participants expressed a willingness to honour the students' languages as essential resources for learning, several others hold a relatively limited or essentialist understanding of language learning and support monolingual ideologies that privilege English. Moreover, while the participants willingly accepted the invitation to reimagine their classrooms as multi-/translingual spaces, this paper underscores the need to (re)focus or expand professional development efforts on awareness raising about the crucial developments in second language learning research in addition to engaging the teachers to examine their beliefs about teaching and learning critically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have brought about significant disruptions across nearly every industry, including education. Acknowledging the power of the digital revolution to make a positive change, educational policy makers in Luxembourg have made efforts to translate these trends into policies leveraging the potential of technologies while also tackling the challenges they present. However, these efforts and their impact on teacher ICT integration behaviors in Luxembourg are rather underexplored. The aim of the study was to examine and understand factors associated with efficient educational technology practices. The study data were collected through an online survey of 159 teachers and analyzed through a mixed-method approach, including regression and correlation analyses. Findings shed light on the connections between professional use of ICT and a set of interrelated factors such as (a) teacher attitudes followed by (b) subjective norms, (c) teacher self-efficacy beliefs, (d) facilitating conditions, (e) teacher value beliefs, and (f) fundamental pedagogical beliefs. The study also revealed possible deterrents and challenges of ICT integration in Luxembourgish fundamental schools, including gaps between teacher ICT competencies and advanced ICT uses, class management issues, and developed suggestions for professional development training to ensure efficient and advanced ICT uses in the classroom.

Studies on teachers’ beliefs about vocabulary learning and teaching have focused, so far, on English as a second language (L2), or foreign language (FL), in different contexts but little attention has been given to other L2s and FLs. In this study, 15 Spanish L2 instructors at large universities were interviewed in order to better understand where they stand when it comes to (1) the importance they give to vocabulary, as compared to grammar, in their classes, (2) how they decide which words to teach, and (3) how they assess students’ word knowledge. These interviews were subsequently analysed following Grounded Theory. Most instructors declared favoring grammar over vocabulary in their courses because the former is seen as more challenging and useful than the latter and because institutional practices and materials also present such a preference. When it comes to vocabulary selection, most of them declared feeling insecure in their decisions due to lack of access to useful resources and to vocabulary goals not being stated clearly anywhere in the syllabi. This lack of clarity when it comes to vocabulary learning goals also results in doubts about the usefulness of even evaluating word learning at all and an overreliance on informal assessments.

This article argues that consumer-oriented machine translation software applications are disrupting foreign language education. In order to mitigate this impact, the article provides guidance on how to transform teachers’ perceptions of online translators. This process is a critical precondition for the gradual and thoughtful implementation of online translators in the foreign language classroom. The first part of the articles will define the concept of disruption and use the pocket calculator as an historical example to illustrate challenges and solutions for an educational setting that was fundamentally impacted by a new technology. The second part will turn to the present and focus on the impact of online translators not only on ways humans communicate across languages in authentic real-world settings, but also on the foreign language classroom. In the third part, we will argue that a careful recalibration of educational objectives that will have to include the students’ ability to engage effectively in tasks that rely on human-machine collaboration will provide an opportunity to integrate online translators and related technologies into foreign language curricula. To this end, we propose that future generations of language learners need to develop specific competencies that will qualify them to effectively collaborate with online translators and related technologies. The conclusion will outline future leadership priorities for professional organizations and teacher training programs while acknowledging the limitations associated with the integration of the machine translation technologies into language learning environments.

Teacher identity significantly influences pedagogical decisions, classroom practices, and professional development. Understanding the development of preservice teacher identity is particularly important during initial teacher education, as it involves navigating and integrating the perspectives of both a learner and an emerging teacher. This exploratory study investigated the perceptions of teacher identity held by students in a teacher education program at a public university in the United States. Guided by phenomenography and a drawing-based research method, the data sources included drawing tasks and a focus group interview. The findings revealed that the participants had predominantly positive and idealistic views of teacher identity, using various affect-laden symbols in their drawings and depicting themselves with positive characteristics. Although their classrooms were depicted as traditional, the participants emphasized their commitment to promoting student-centered learning and fostering a positive classroom atmosphere. Past schooling experiences were found to be integral in shaping teacher identity, as well as their motivation and passion for teaching a particular subject or concentration area. The findings highlighted that the participants held strong perceptions of teacher identity even before entering the teacher education program. Thus, this study posits that addressing teacher education students' pre-existing beliefs and perceptions is essential to developing positive professional teacher identity development and confirms that drawing can be a powerful reflective tool that stimulates self-awareness of prior beliefs and views toward their chosen teaching profession, thereby preparing them to learn, unlearn, and relearn many aspects of one's personal and professional identity.

Mathematics education research has long focused on students’ conceptual understanding, including highlighting conceptions viewed as problematic and looking for ways to develop more desirable conceptions. Nevertheless, limited research has examined how mathematicians characterize understanding of concepts and definitions or promote activities beneficial for students. Based on interviews with 13 mathematicians, we present thematic characterizations of what it means to understand a concept and definition, highlight activities mathematicians believe assist students’ learning, and examine their reasons for promoting these activities. Results include mathematically grounded descriptions of what it means to understand a concept but general descriptions of approaching and supporting learning. Implications include a need for attending to intended meanings for “understanding” in context and how this impacts appropriate activities for developing understanding, as well as a careful examination of the extant research literature’s claims about seemingly unified notions of conceptual understanding.

Teacher education at universities often lacks practice although preservice teachers should be equipped with effective teaching methods. We conducted an intervention to convey and practice autonomy-supportive teaching behavior (ASTB) with 63 preservice teachers. The first control group (n = 76) did not receive any information on ASTB. A second control group (n = 54) had their regular seminar on ASTB without practicing what they had learned. Significant differences in the participants' (Mage = 24.18 ± 3.26 years; Msemester = 7.61 ± 1.84; 63% female) knowledge, beliefs, and intentions were found. Participants of the intervention had higher theoretical and practical knowledge regarding ASTB and a higher level of perception that ASTB is easy to implement than a seminar without information on ASTB (first control group) and the regular seminar (second control group). That is, their knowledge acquisition and their belief about the ease of implementation were positively affected by the intervention in comparison to both control groups. Although no significant differences were found, preservice teachers in the intervention group also showed the highest level of agreement with the belief about the effectiveness of ASTB and the most pronounced intention to implement ASTB. The results of our study show that the developed intervention based on self-determination theory had a positive impact on preservice teachers' knowledge and beliefs about ASTB as well as their intention to apply it in the future. Since teacher education at university often lacks practice, the development of such effective theory- and practice-based interventions for preservice teachers is especially important. The practical skills acquired in our study are of particular importance for one central challenge teachers face in their profession: the need to counteract the decreasing trend of student motivation during secondary schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The importance of diagnostic and scaffolding activities for early science learning has been shown consistently. However, preschool teachers scarcely engage in them. We developed an instrument to assess preschool teachers' willingness to engage in diagnostic and scaffolding activities in science learning situations and examined its relation with teachers' knowledge, beliefs and practice. Aims: We validate an instrument to assess willingness to engage in scaffolding and diagnostic activities and study the interplay between willingness, learning beliefs, content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the context of science learning, particularly block play. Sample(s): A total of N = 151 preschool teachers from 41 kindergartens in Germany participated in our study. Methods: Preschool teachers completed a questionnaire, which took approximately 1 hour of time. We drew a subsample of N = 73 teachers and observed their practice during a 30 min block play episode. Results: With our instrument, we were able to distinguish between preschool teachers' willingness to diagnose and to scaffold. Preschool teachers' co‐constructivist beliefs and PCK predicted willingness to engage in diagnosing, PCK also predicted willingness to engage in scaffolding. Associations between learning beliefs and practice were inconsistent. Conclusions: Our study highlights aspects of the association between preschool teachers' PCK and their willingness to engage in diagnosing and scaffolding. However, we found inconsistencies between preschool teachers' beliefs and practice, which call for further clarification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early school leaving is an outcome of complex and long‐term processes comprising personal, institutional, and systemic factors. Studies on individuals in Hungary have identified a connection between early school leaving and teaching practices at schools. The creation of supportive learning environments in turn can contribute to preventing early school leaving. This article reports on findings from a cross‐sectional study conducted in Hungary between 2018 and 2021 in the context of the project HRDOP–3.1.2‐16‐2016‐0000 Renewal of the public education methodology to reduce early school leaving. The primary focus of the study was to investigate the characteristics of the learning environment in participating schools. The study sought to identify risk factors as well as mitigating factors that are relevant to early school leaving. Sampling was based on availability; the sample contained the responses of 9892 students and 6034 teachers and heads from 473 educational institutions. Respondents were asked about their opinions about the characteristic features of the learning environment in the classroom and at school. This article presents our comparison of results from: (1) a research panel on teacher and student perceptions of the attributes of the classroom learning environment; (2) analysis on differences in teacher and student perceptions; and (3) analysis on possible differences between the results of the questionnaires administered to different groups of respondents in different years. Besides outlining characteristic features of how learning environments were perceived in Hungary, the article offers a conceptual framework and tool for understanding and contributing to the development of supportive learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the English language teachers' perceived beliefs on how to improve English language students' learning skills. English language teachers' level of competencies on how to improve language skills of their students is the main focus of this study. Therefore, the domain, "Improving Language Skills," defined by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) in Türkiye in the field of "Subject Specific Competencies for Teaching Profession" has been used. This specific domain includes seven competency performances and 63 related performance indicators at three levels: A1, A2, and A3. This study, first, aims to develop a new "English Language Teacher Competency Scale" under the light of MoNE descriptors; second, it aims to observe the English teachers' competency levels following the suggested performance indicators. The participants of the study were 100 English language teachers, teaching at public and private primary schools in Türkiye. Accordingly, the teachers responded to the mentioned scale, including other variables; such as gender, professional experience, educational background, and the type of schools they worked in. The findings indicated that there was no significant difference between the teachers' competency beliefs about their professional experience, gender, and educational background; however, there was a significant difference in terms of the type of schools the teachers worked in. Also, this study revealed feasibility of developing the "English Language Teacher Competency Scale,", and made the scale available to use for evaluating English Language Teaching teachers' competency levels on how to "Improve Language Skills" in class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates how a lesson study (LS) on designing and implementing challenging tasks impacts Vietnamese high school mathematics teacher knowledge and beliefs. Its contribution highlights cultural considerations when adopting LS to the forefront to contextualize the impacts. The results show that the teachers developed their specialized content knowledge by attending to students' mathematics and creating cognitive conflicts building on student responses. The teachers changed their curriculum knowledge from implementer to transformer, improved knowledge about content and students attending to difficulties and misconceptions, and enhanced their knowledge about content and teaching in ways they designed, sequenced, and evaluated approaches that fit student learning. Finally, they changed their beliefs about mathematics to a comprehensive view of knowledge, mathematical proficiency, and sophisticated beliefs of teaching and learning. Discussion about the essence of LS when adopting it to different cultures is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyse the misconceptions, knowledge, and knowledge gaps of 176 Turkish pre-service English as a foreign language teachers about dyslexia which is a prevalent developmental disorder. The data were collected at eight different universities in Türkiye and analysed by SPSS 25.0 via descriptive statistics and the Kruskal Wallis Test, considering the participants’ scores on the Knowledge and Beliefs about Developmental Dyslexia scale. In addition to studying the knowledge base about dyslexia, the effect of the variables grade and gender was analysed. The results showed that most of the participants had flawed information about dyslexia, and lack of information was common. On the other hand, gender and grade did not have any significant effects. These findings indicate a need for wider awareness and formal education about dyslexia for pre-service English as foreign language teachers to create more inclusive classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the early writing beliefs, ideas, and practices of 54 early childhood teachers. Teachers completed a survey designed to examine their early writing beliefs and provided definitions about early writing development through a written response. Teachers were also observed in their classrooms and writing practices were coded for instructional strategy employed by the teacher (i.e., modeling and scaffolding approaches) and the instructional focus of these interactions with attention to early writing skill. Teachers' definitions of writing often emphasized specific writing skills, with most teachers emphasizing handwriting. Teachers were observed enacting a range of modeling and scaffolding practices to support early writing, but the majority of interactions focused on handwriting supports. Teachers' definitions of writing and their responses to the teacher belief survey were unrelated to each other, but differentially related to writing skills emphasized in interactions with children. Teachers who identified more than one writing component in their definition were more likely to enact practices to support children's writing concept knowledge, while teachers who espoused more developmentally appropriate early writing beliefs on the survey were more likely to engage children in spelling focused interactions. Findings have implications for the study of teachers' beliefs about writing as well as the need for professional learning supports for preschool teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' oral corrective feedback (CF) may be influenced by the communication orientation of the lessons, but little research has taken lesson focus into account when examining the relationship between teachers' CF beliefs and practices. This study explores teachers' CF beliefs, practices, and the relationship between the two constructs in Vietnamese high school EFL classrooms. The study also compares and contrasts the teachers' CF practices in relation to two opposing lesson types in terms of communication orientation. The participants were ten experienced EFL teachers from two public high schools. Analysis of audio-recorded in-depth interviews and video and audio-recorded classroom observations (n = 20 lessons, 15 h) showed a strong relationship between the lesson focus and the teachers' practices in various aspects of feedback provision. The teachers' beliefs were reflected more consistently in grammar lessons (where the teaching is more form-focused) than in speaking lessons (where the teaching is more meaning-focused). There was also a difference in the teachers' CF strategies used between the two lesson types. This difference could be explained by the teachers' background and the difference in the predictability of the learning activities and learner contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work discusses the relevance of meta-reflexivity, both for the professionalization of the teaching profession and for teacher education. Meta-reflexivity is based on the multiparadigmatic system of teacher education, which finds itself grounded in diverse scientific disciplines. The approach takes uncertainty as an essential element characterizing the act of teaching. Inherent rationales of specific theories and empirical findings are made explicit, thus creating a referential framework for situation-specific interpretations and professional action. Based on a theoretical reconstruction, we propose meta-reflexivity as an essential element of pedagogic practice and, consequently, teacher professionalism. Such professionalism is characterized by teachers being able to undertake exemplary-typifying interpretations of situations, based on a deep understanding of multiple approaches. While assessing specific situations in school, a teacher can refer to these interpretations. Possible principles of a meta-reflexive teacher education are proposed that can potentially enrich the practice of teacher education for a future-proof profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we share the understandings and the reflections of preservice teachers as they engage in focus group interviews about inquiry in social studies, generally, and their reactions to publicly available Inquiry Design Model blueprints. These preservice teachers first discussed their understanding of inquiry, which was rooted in their university coursework. They then described their self-efficacy for implementing inquiry, generally, and the IDM blueprint, specifically, in their current field placements and future classrooms. This envisioned implementation often involved adaptations of the blueprints. Our goal in this research was to reconsider how preservice teachers experience and learn about social studies inquiry and, as a result of these experiences, whether and how they see themselves implementing social studies inquiry with students. This study can inform teacher educators to proactively address common barriers and better support preservice teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid technological advances and enhanced global cooperation have led to tremendous changes in access to information and new modes of communication and, hence, calls have been made for instantaneous adjustments in education (Fullan, 2007). Despite global access to internet-enhanced modes of communication and up-to-date information on all subjects – including those relating to new and effective approaches to pedagogy – traditional teacher-centered teaching prevails in many EFL contexts. This is the case even though this approach to teaching has been insufficient to address challenges in EFL teaching. This study explores how the teaching beliefs of 12 EFL teachers changed as they learned to teach innovatively and to teach with features of learner-centeredness and L2 interaction. In the context of a MA program capstone course, the teachers were introduced to the essential elements, such as learner-centeredness and L2 interaction, involved in four approaches to teaching innovatively: task-based language teaching, problem-posing, scripting and oral interpretation, and extensive reading. The data analyzed comprised the teachers' belief reports, written reflections on teaching interactively, interview accounts, and the teacher educator's observational notes. The results of this study revealed changes in teachers' beliefs about innovative teaching with the aforementioned features, the influential forces bringing about the change, and teachers' growing expertise in using and drawing on concepts in teaching practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the influence of ego networks on first-year teachers (1YTs) regarding belief persistence, formation, and change. The study employed a mixed methodology of interviews, survey questionnaires, and an ego-centric social network analysis of 1YTs. Findings suggest that 1YTs' beliefs can be influenced by ego networks, with some individuals showing greater influence than others in a network. The ego networks of 1YTs showed varying degrees of stability over the first year, with many networks undergoing structural changes during the first few months of 1YTs' careers. Implications for this research include structuring formal teacher induction programs that encourage interactions between diverse individuals and 1YTs, monitoring structural changes of ego networks during early-career years, and empowering administrators to increase their visibility and interactions with 1YTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supporting changes in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction requires an understanding of the relationship between STEM instructors' conceptions and practices. In this study, the authors used the Teacher‐Centered Systematic Reform (TCSR) model as a framework to understand how instructors' conceptions are related to their instructional practices. This multiple methods study included interviews and classroom observations of 22 STEM instructors. We used qualitative methods to describe instructors' conceptions of how students learn and quantitative methods, including a hierarchical cluster analysis, to analyze the types of relationships that exist between their conceptions and practices. Results indicated instructors had a wide range of conceptions that exist along a continuum from teacher‐centered to student‐centered. While many faculty members perceived student‐centered practices as valuable, they conceptualized these practices in different ways. Instructors implemented a wide range of instructional practices, and these practices varied independently of conceptions. We identified three distinct clusters of participants based on the relationships between instructors' conceptions and practices: congruent lecturers, congruent active learning facilitators, and incongruent lecturers. In the first two clusters, instructors' conceptions were aligned with their instructional practices. However, incongruent lecturers thought that students learn through active learning approaches but primarily lectured in their courses. Instructors in this group described several personal and contextual factors that influenced the relationship between their conceptions and practices. The results include an in‐depth portrayal of one participant in each cluster. We found that student‐centered conceptions may be necessary but are not sufficient for instructors to implement active learning. Implications focus on instructional and institutional change efforts. To promote instructional change most effectively, it is important to address each component of the TCSR model, including personal and contextual factors. A focus on conceptions and practices alone may not sufficiently support faculty members in overcoming barriers that limit active learning instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher self-efficacy to teach reading is positively associated with teacher effort and persistence as well as student performance. To provide effective reading instruction that meets the needs of students with reading difficulties, theoretical and empirical evidence suggests teachers need to believe they have the necessary knowledge and skills to do so. The purpose of this study was to explore kindergarten teachers' self-efficacy beliefs related to providing reading instruction to students with reading difficulties. We also aimed to better understand the barriers to and facilitators of kindergarten teachers' reading self-efficacy beliefs. Fifteen kindergarten teachers participated in semi-structured interviews and completed surveys related to sense of efficacy and knowledge for teaching reading. Interviews were analysed using a thematic analytical approach. Findings indicated that kindergarten teachers experience a moderate to high level of self-efficacy in providing reading instruction to students with reading difficulties. However, several themes that emerged from the data focused on barriers to, rather than facilitators of, teacher self-efficacy. Implications are discussed, including ways to cultivate stronger self-efficacy beliefs related to reading instruction for students with reading difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally accepted that teachers' beliefs impact their instructional choices, but characterizations of that relationship are limited in college settings. Furthermore, examinations of instructor beliefs, instruction, and student beliefs together in one setting are rarely described. Based on interviews with two Abstract Algebra instructors, classroom video from three units of instruction, and survey and interview data from students in the classes, this paper examines instructors' stated beliefs, ways these beliefs manifested in their teaching, and students' beliefs across the course. Both instructors made curricular choices clearly aligned with their stated views of the nature of mathematics, learning, and teaching. Day-to-day instructional choices reflected these stated beliefs as well, but the difficulty of material and tensions with other beliefs like the importance of interactivity manifested. Characterizations of the interactivity of classes and placement of the mathematical authority in class are provided through descriptive and quantitative measures. These characterizations of instruction provide nuanced portrayals of classroom norms and changes in those norms throughout the semester. Furthermore, subtle shifts in student beliefs about teaching and learning are noticeable, suggesting students' beliefs about teaching and learning mathematics can be influenced even by modest changes in instructional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic, the United States' racial reckoning, and nationwide educational "anti-woke" legislation—along with long-standing accountability policies—acutely constrained teachers' experiences and have solidified public portrayals of educators as mistrustful and docile. Yet research suggests that, in the face of school and societal constraints, Black women educators develop and enact beliefs about teaching that challenge prevailing opinion to provide equitable and just learning experiences for their students. The 2020–2021 school year, an extraordinary moment in the United States, provided an important context to understand Black women educators' developing beliefs about teaching secondary literacy, a politicized and contested subject. Purpose: This study builds off of historical and contemporary research on Black women educators to understand how two teachers developed their beliefs about teaching literacy in a middle school with a diverse student population during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. Drawing on Black feminist theory and asset-based pedagogies, it also sought to understand what individual and collective meaning they made out of their teaching experience. Research Design: The qualitative study centered on two Black women educators who taught seventh-grade English language arts and history during the 2020–2021 school year. The two teachers worked at a suburban middle school serving a racially diverse student population. The study involved three interviews with each participant and seven group discussions with both participants throughout the year. I employed grounded theory methodology to analyze the data and to develop themes about how the teachers developed their beliefs about teaching literacy. Findings: During an extraordinary moment in the United States—characterized by the Covid-19 pandemic, hybrid instruction, and a countrywide racial reckoning—the participants felt empowered to call out the deficit ideologies that their colleagues voiced. Calling out deficit ideologies informed three beliefs about teaching literacy: upholding students' humanity, elevating classroom discussion, and teaching a complex narrative of people of Color. These findings affirm the mutuality between action and beliefs and emphasize a more socially and politically oriented conceptualization of literacy pedagogy. Recommendations: This study informs how educational leaders can support Black women educators with professional learning that positions culturally affirming school expectations and critical self-reflection as a precedent to the empowering literacy instruction teachers could enact in classrooms. Future research can examine school-level and social factors shaping teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing often begins during the early years of childhood. Teachers' beliefs about early writing development can influence children's process in learning to write. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine deaf education teachers' beliefs and practices regarding the process of development of Deaf children's emergent writing. An online Qualtrics survey was completed by 86 elementary deaf education teachers working with Deaf students in K-6th classrooms. Teachers' responses indicated which aspects of writing they valued and used and the frequency they used them when teaching writing to Deaf children. Classroom teachers' and itinerant teachers' responses revealed statistically significant differences on the writing aspects they valued and used. Based on these findings, the researcher offers several suggestions and recommendations aimed at promoting Deaf children's writing in both deaf education classrooms and mainstream programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a number of studies have explored the experiences of remote English language teaching in response to COVID-19, yet to be addressed is English language teacher-educators' beliefs regarding their online tutoring practices. This article reports on the finding of a study which attempted to identify tutors' beliefs about the differences between face-to-face (F2F) and online tutoring and the knowledge and skills required for online tutoring. Data collected through a questionnaire and follow-up interviews reveal that instructional strategies were regarded as a main difference between F2F and online tutoring, followed by the use of technology. However, knowledge about technology and how to use it was believed to be most important for tutoring in an online environment. Implications of the study include creating structured professional learning opportunities for online tutors, incorporating a focus on managing well-being, and developing awareness of the trainees' sociocultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Virtual Reality (VR) in educational contexts is becoming increasingly common. The ability of VR to provide authentic learning experiences is making it a particularly promising platform for language learning, but the research on its acceptance among language teachers is scarce. This paper reports the results obtained from a large-scale (N = 2,176) survey on language teachers' beliefs toward the use of VR for education. The survey explored the relationships between language teachers' beliefs about using VR in a classroom and their teaching experiences, such as previous use of VR for teaching, their stages of VR technology integration, and their preferred teaching approaches. Furthermore, the survey yielded answers on the relationship between the availability of information technology (IT) personnel in language teachers' schools. We found that practical knowledge and past experiences of incorporating VR in teaching were crucial determinants of teachers' positive beliefs, showing that teachers were motivated to adopt VR technology in their classrooms if they had previously used it. Language teachers' favorable beliefs were also positively correlated with the availability of IT personnel in their schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: To explore teachers' perceptions of incorporating digital technologies in physical education (PE) and how they influenced pedagogical practices. Method: Data were collected using qualitative methods (interviews, observations, and artifacts) and were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results: Teachers integrated wearable digital technologies in ways they thought would augment their PE programs, not replace them. It also was found that teachers' ideologies of PE shaped the way they implemented wearable digital technologies. Finally, the material circumstances of schools affected the ways in which wearable digital technologies could be implemented in PE. Conclusion: Teachers were willing to integrate wearable digital technologies if they augmented (and did not replace) their preferred purpose of PE. Given this, ideologies of teachers influenced the role that technologies played in teaching and learning in PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher education at universities often lacks practice although preservice teachers should be equipped with effective teaching methods. We conducted an intervention to convey and practice autonomy-supportive teaching behavior (ASTB) with 63 preservice teachers. The first control group (n = 76) did not receive any information on ASTB. A second control group (n = 54) had their regular seminar on ASTB without practicing what they had learned. Significant differences in the participants’ (Mage = 24.18 ± 3.26 years; Msemester = 7.61 ± 1.84; 63% female) knowledge, beliefs, and intentions were found. Participants of the intervention had higher theoretical and practical knowledge regarding ASTB and a higher level of perception that ASTB is easy to implement than a seminar without information on ASTB (first control group) and the regular seminar (second control group). That is, their knowledge acquisition and their belief about the ease of implementation were positively affected by the intervention in comparison to both control groups. Although no significant differences were found, preservice teachers in the intervention group also showed the highest level of agreement with the belief about the effectiveness of ASTB and the most pronounced intention to implement ASTB. The results of our study show that the developed intervention based on self-determination theory had a positive impact on preservice teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about ASTB as well as their intention to apply it in the future. Since teacher education at university often lacks practice, the development of such effective theory- and practice-based interventions for preservice teachers is especially important. The practical skills acquired in our study are of particular importance for one central challenge teachers face in their profession: the need to counteract the decreasing trend of student motivation during secondary schooling.

The practice of inclusive education in schools has led to changes in policy and pedagogy, hence teacher acceptance and attitude are important components of its success. The aim of this study is to identify the differences in attitudes of primary and secondary pre-service teachers on inclusion and the potential relationship between demographic variables such as definitions of inclusion, previous experience working in a school, completion of a module on inclusive schools, and other variables. The study included 548 Australian university students studying primary (n = 348) or secondary (n = 193) professional teaching. All participants completed the Teacher Attitudes to Inclusion Scale (TAISA). Principle components analysis was performed to transform the TAISA questionnaire into smaller set of components and two-way between-groups analysis of variance was used to analyse data. Results showed that primary pre-service teachers have more positive attitudes towards inclusion than secondary pre-service teachers. Primary pre-service teachers were also more responsive to training on inclusive education. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

This study examined the early writing beliefs, ideas, and practices of 54 early childhood teachers. Teachers completed a survey designed to examine their early writing beliefs and provided definitions about early writing development through a written response. Teachers were also observed in their classrooms and writing practices were coded for instructional strategy employed by the teacher (i.e., modeling and scaffolding approaches) and the instructional focus of these interactions with attention to early writing skill. Teachers’ definitions of writing often emphasized specific writing skills, with most teachers emphasizing handwriting. Teachers were observed enacting a range of modeling and scaffolding practices to support early writing, but the majority of interactions focused on handwriting supports. Teachers’ definitions of writing and their responses to the teacher belief survey were unrelated to each other, but differentially related to writing skills emphasized in interactions with children. Teachers who identified more than one writing component in their definition were more likely to enact practices to support children’s writing concept knowledge, while teachers who espoused more developmentally appropriate early writing beliefs on the survey were more likely to engage children in spelling focused interactions. Findings have implications for the study of teachers’ beliefs about writing as well as the need for professional learning supports for preschool teachers.

This study explored preschool teachers’ beliefs about the challenges they have experienced when supporting young children’s outdoor play. Through Charmaz’s (2006) constructivist grounded theory data analysis process, two types of challenges for providing outdoor play were specified including: (1) natural environmental challenges, such as insect bites, allergies, and severe weather issues and (2) physical environmental challenges that include lack of play materials/environments and playground maintenance. The participant teachers perceive that these challenges are related to their preparation and planning for outdoor play including the provision of outdoor play, allotted play time, and a number of outdoor learning activities.