This volume examines the agency of second/foreign language teachers in diverse geographical contexts and in both K-12 and adult education. It offers new understandings and conceptualizations of second/foreign language teacher agency through a variety of types of empirical data. It also demonstrates the use of different methodologies or analytic tools to study the multidimensional, dynamic and complex nature of second/foreign language teacher agency. The chapters draw on a range of theories and approaches to language teacher agency (including ecological theory, positioning theory, complexity theory and actor-network theory) that expand our understanding of the concept, while at the same time presenting various analytic approaches such as discourse studies and narrative inquiry. The chapters also analyze the connection of agency to other relevant topics, such as teacher identity, emotions, positioning and autonomy.

This edited volume presents the current state of the art of genetics education and the challenges it holds for teaching as well as for learning. It addresses topics such as how genetics should be taught in order to provide students with a wide and connected view of the field. It gives in-depth aspects that should be considered for teaching genetics and the effect on the student's understanding. This book provides novel ideas for biology teachers, curriculum developers and researchers on how to confront the presented challenges in a way that may enable them to advance genetics education in the 21st century. It reviews the complexity of teaching and learning genetics, largely overlooked by biology textbooks and classroom instruction. It composes a crucial component of scientific literacy.

This book reports on a study on physics problem solving in real classrooms situations. Problem solving plays a pivotal role in the physics curriculum at all levels. However, physics students' performance in problem solving all too often remains limited to basic routine problems, with evidence of poor performance in solving problems that go beyond equation retrieval and substitution. Adopting an action research methodology, the study bridges the `research-practical divide by explicitly teaching physics problem-solving strategies through collaborative group problem-solving sessions embedded within the curriculum. Data were collected using external assessments and video recordings of individual and collaborative group problem-solving sessions by 16-18 year-olds. The analysis revealed a positive shift in the students' problem-solving patterns, both at group and individual level. Students demonstrated a deliberate, well-planned deployment of the taught strategies. The marked positive shifts in collaborative competences, cognitive competences, metacognitive processing and increased self-efficacy are positively correlated with attainment in problem solving in physics. However, this shift proved to be due to different mechanisms triggered in the different students.

This book is a step-by-step guide for instructors on how to teach a psychology research methods course at the undergraduate or graduate level. It provides various approaches for teaching the course including lecture topics, difficult concepts for students, sample labs, test questions, syllabus guides and policies, as well as a detailed description of the requirements for the final experimental paper. This book is also supplemented with anecdotes from the author's years of experience teaching research methods classes. Chapters in this book include information on how to deliver more effective lectures, issues you may encounter with students, examples of weekly labs, tips for teaching research methods online, and much more. This book is targeted towards the undergraduate or graduate professor who has either not yet taught research methods or who wants to improve his or her course. Using step by step directions, any teacher will be able to follow the guidelines found in this book that will help them succeed.How to Teach a Course in Research Methods for Psychology Students is a valuable resource for anyone teaching a quantitative research methods course at the college or university level.

This book aims to be a reference for understanding an educational system throughout Latin America aligned with the Catholic Church. In both public and private sectors, whether it's in the secular or the religious sector, considering Catholic Education brings up a question regarding the relevance of religion in the public sector, where education is presented as another alternative of education. This volume allows the reader to take a closer look into the recent challenges of Catholic Education in Latin America, such as quality and excellence, its anthropological dimension, as well as the ongoing dialogue between faith and culture. These essential elements are reflected upon, developing an educational process that responds to the current needs. Deep reflection is made in a contemporary and regional context throughout the eleven chapters of this book, all written by Latin American authors. Translation from the Spanish language edition: EDUCACION CATOLICA EN LATINOAMERICA. Un proyecto en marcha by Patricia Imbarack and Cristobal Madero (c) Ediciones Universidad Catolica de Chile, 2019. Original Publication ISBN 978-956-14-2459-3. All rights reserved

Writing centers are places where writers work with each other in an effort to develop ideas, discover a thesis, overcome procrastination, create an outline, or revise a draft. Ultimately, writing centers help students become more effective writers. Visit any college or university in the United States and chances are there is a writing center available to students, staff, and community members. A Guide to Creating Student-Staffed Writing Centers, Grades 6-12 is a how-to and, ultimately, a why-to book for middle school and high school educators as well as for English/language arts teacher candidates and their methods instructors. Writing centers support students and their busy teachers while emphasizing and supporting writing across the curriculum.

This book explores language teacher beliefs in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading instruction in the context of Chinese university English instructors. Since the 1990s, there has been a renewed interest on teacher beliefs in the domain of language teacher cognition. However, most studies in this area aim at investigating the relationship between particular aspects of teacher beliefs and classroom practices, largely ignoring the complexity of teacher beliefs. This study explores the issue from an alternative perspective by conceptualizing teacher beliefs as a complex, dynamic and multi-faceted system. By adopting five rounds of interview and four classroom observations, the year-long study reveals seven key features of the belief system shared among six participants. It calls for the holistic, complex and insider view to examine teacher beliefs in relation to the sociocultural and historical contexts where the teachers work and live.

This book traces the origins and activities of the longest-standing collaborative teacher group in education, the Portfolio Group. Each chapter documents, historically and conceptually, the main intellectual moments in the evolution of the idea of knowledge communities. Authors illuminate the expansive work, research, and the leading/learning influence that the Portfolio Group has had in the local education community as well as on the international education landscape. In doing so, they illustrate the journey of a school-based, cross-institutional knowledge community and provide the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for so many novice and newly formed groups seeking sustainability. The book demonstrates through the shared experiences of five teachers/teacher educators the ways in which varied collaborations aimed at professional development lead to teacher growth in practice, leadership, and career.

This book analyzes stories of university early childhood faculty members, community activists in southern California, and children and the early childhood teacher education students working with them. The grounding of this research is reconceptualization of postmodern narrative theoretical influences. Through narrative inquiry, the book connects ongoing research to ongoing pedagogy. It explores the following research questions: (1) How do learners across generations create, build upon, and reinvent each other's stories to make new meanings through consideration of family history, multigenerational knowledge, and experiences?; (2) How do learners' stories offer new possibilities through leadership that connects Global South knowledge with Global North contexts?; (3) In what ways is it possible to use this framework and methodology in Higher Education to promote systemic consistency in promoting social justice that is generatively inclusive? More than half of the research participants have truly lived bi-culturally, many of the children in the early care and education programs in the USA are from Mexico and Central America. These collaborators truly carry their roots with them as they strive for justice and authenticity in early childhood teacher education and community activists working with families and children.

This volume documents on-going research and theorising in the sub-field of mathematics education devoted to the teaching and learning of mathematical modelling and applications. Mathematical modelling provides a way of conceiving and resolving problems in people's everyday lives as well as sophisticated new problems for society at large. Mathematical modelling and real world applications are considered as having potential for cultivating sense making in classroom settings. This book focuses on the educational perspective, researching the complexities encountered in effective teaching and learning of real world modelling and applications for sense making is only beginning. All authors of this volume are members of the International Community of Teachers of Mathematical Modelling (ICTMA), the peak research body into researching the teaching and learning of mathematical modelling at all levels of education from the early years to tertiary education as well as in the workplace.

This book provides a refreshing look at kindergarten teachers' practical knowledge and their context-specific reasoning of the usefulness of constructivism from a culturally emic perspective. Examining the similarities and differences between constructivism and Confucianism from both instructional and moral perspectives, it provides a unique contribution to teaching and teacher education. An understanding of the compatibility between constructivism and Confucianism is valuable in cross-cultural exchange and learning, and as such the book is a great source for educational researchers in a time of globalization.

Led by Donna Pendergast and Susanne Garvis, this new edition of Teaching Early Years provides a comprehensive overview of and introduction to educating children from birth to eight years. Structured around the key priorities for early childhood education and care - curriculum, pedagogy and assessment - this book supports readers to develop and enhance their knowledge and understanding of the essential theory, scholarship and practical applications. This second edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect the significant innovation and development across the sector, ensuring that coverage of content, the latest research, references to curricula and professional standards are up to date and relevant to today's pre- and in-service educators. The new edition covers: Sustainability education Health and nutrition Innovative and age-appropriate pedagogies Increased coverage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives New understandings of the early years learner Each chapter provide case studies, examples from practice, chapter summaries and reflection questions, encouraging the reader to engage more deeply with the key concepts and learning points. Bringing together leading scholars and practitioners Teaching Early Years provides the specialist knowledge and preparation required for early years educators, in all learning environments, to deliver exceptional education and care to all children in the early years.

This book explores emerging practices in distance education that have been facilitated by the development of educational technology. The volume examines core themes in distance education including online education at scale, embodiment in online environments, connectivity in online education and the personalisation of learning experiences within online education. The first section of the book examines online teaching tools, and explores how they are being used to enhance and promote student learning. The second looks at some of the broader challenges encountered by online teachers and those responsible for designing online learning material. While this volume will be of significant interest to distance learning universities and colleges, it will also be a valuable resource to traditional Higher Education Institutions, who are increasingly searching for innovative ways to reach and teach their students. This edited collection will be of value to scholars of online education as well as practitioners and policy makers looking to enrich their notions of online pedagogy.

In 2007, the Monash-Kings College London International Centre for the Study of Science and Mathematics Curriculum edited a book called The Re-emergence of Values in Science Education. This book reflects on how values have been considered since this original publication, particularly in terms of socio-cultural, economic and political factors that have impacted broadly on science, technology and society, and more specifically on informal and formal science curricula. Hence, the title of this book has been framed as Values in Science Education: The shifting sands. As in the first book, this collection focuses on values that are centrally associated with science and its teaching, and not the more general notion of values such as cooperation or teamwork that are also important values in current curricula. Such values have indeed become more of a focus in science education. This may be a response to the changing global context, where technological changes have been rapid and accelerating. In such complex and risky environments, it is our guiding principles that become the important mainstays of our decisions and practices. In terms of science education, what is becoming clearer is that traditional content and traditional science and scientific methods are not enough for science and hence science education to meet such challenges. While shifts in values in science education continue, tensions remain in curriculum development and implementation, as evidenced by the continued diversity of views about what and whose values matter most.

This book examines continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers in Finland. As one of the best-performing countries in terms of education, the Finnish education system is often revered and held up as an example to follow. However, the authors argue that CPD actually constitutes the Achilles' heel of this 'miraculous' system, demonstrating that in fact it is a victim of contradictory discourses and actions among decision-makers, teacher educators and practitioners. Including extensive interviews from CPD providers, teachers and other educational actors, the authors critically discuss the 'wonders' of Finnish education, in the process debunking various myths created both inside and outside Finland. The authors also call for a new approach to comparative and international education. Based on over 20 years of experience in Finnish education, this pioneering book will be of interest and value to students and scholars of Finnish education, continuing professional development and international education branding more generally.

This book is a collection of narratives from a diverse array of science education researchers that elucidate some of the difficulties of becoming a science education researcher and/or science teacher educator, with the hope that through solidarity, commonality, and "telling the story", justice-oriented science education researchers will feel more supported in their own journeys. Being a scholar and teacher that sees science education as a space for justice, and thinking/being different, entry into this disciplinary field often comes with tense moments and personal difficulties. The chapter authors of this book break into many painful, awkward, and seemingly nebulous topics, including the intersectional nuances of what it means to be a researcher in the contexts of epistemic rigidness, white supremacy, and neoliberal restructuring. Of course these contexts become different depending on how teachers, students, and researchers are constituted within them (as racialized/sexed/gendered/disposable/valued subjects). We hope that within these narratives readers will identify with similar struggles in terms of what it means to desire to "do good in the world", while facing subtle and not-so-subtle institutional, personal cultural, and political challenges.

This book investigates the education policy in Chinese high schools from both concept and practice perspectives. It offers a specific lens to explore Chinese high school education since the reform and opening up, the teacher policy in Chinese high schools, the curriculum and textbook policy in Chinese high school, the school layout policy of Chinese high school education, the enrollment policy of college entrance examination, and the diversified development of high school education in China. All those dimensions related to exploring the education policy in Chinese high schools offer an understanding of the modernization of high school education in contemporary China since 1949. This book provides multiple perspective to investigate the systematic landscape of high school education, contextually.

This volume brings together recent research and commentary in secondary school mathematics from a breadth of contemporary Canadian and International researchers and educators. It is both representative of mathematics education generally, as well as unique to the particular geography and culture of Canada. The chapters address topics of broad applicability such as technology in learning mathematics, recent interest in social justice contexts in the learning of mathematics, as well as Indigenous education. The voices of classroom practitioners, the group ultimately responsible for implementing this new vision of mathematics teaching and learning, are not forgotten. Each section includes a chapter written by a classroom teacher, making this volume unique in its approach. We have much to learn from one another, and this volume takes the stance that the development of a united vision, supported by both research and professional dialog, provides the first step.

This book introduces the specifics of mathematics lesson study with regard to regional/national particularities, discussing the methodological and theoretical tools that can be used to pursue research on lesson study (its forms, contents, effects etc.) from an international perspective. Lesson study and learning study (LS) are becoming increasingly important in teacher education, mostly in continuous professional development, but also in prospective teachers' education, and this interest is accompanied by a demand for more solid theorization of the lesson study process. A number of social, cultural, cognitive and affective issues are reflected in the way LS develops, and the book examines the latest results of these developments.

The need to improve the mathematical proficiency of elementary teachers is well recognized, and it has long been of interest to educators and researchers in the U.S. and many other countries. But the specific proficiencies that elementary teachers need and the process of developing and improving them remain only partially conceptualized and not well validated empirically. To improve this situation, national workshops were organized at Texas A&M University to generate focused discussions about this important topic, with participation of mathematicians, mathematics educators and teachers. Developing Mathematical Proficiency for Elementary Instruction is a collection of articles that grew out of those exciting cross-disciplinary exchanges. Developing Mathematical Proficiency for Elementary Instruction is organized to probe the specifics of mathematical proficiency that are important to elementary teachers during two separate but inter-connected professional stages: as pre-service teachers in a preparation program, and as in-service teachers teaching mathematics in elementary classrooms. From this rich and inspiring collection, readers may better understand, and possibly rethink, their own practices and research in empowering elementary teachers mathematically and pedagogically, as educators or researchers.

This volume brings together the views of academics and researchers from a range of European educational traditions to reflect on the contribution of holism to language learning, drawing on research and practice in various areas of second language acquisition. The volume is divided into four sections which move broadly from theoretical to particular methodological and practical considerations. The individual chapters address and evaluate the following questions: What are the theoretical bases of holistic learning and how can it encompass language teaching? Do approaches to language learning exist which succeed in engaging with language learners as individual, dynamic, complex 'whole' human beings? What reflections are relevant from the different points of view of teacher and learner? What are the pedagogical implications? Can holistic approaches be adopted within schools and universities? How can technology enhance holistic language learning? How can the scope and limits of this concept be delineated?

This book examines the ways in which PDSs build cultural competence for various stakeholders including pre-service teachers, classroom teachers, school leaders, college faculty, and K-12 students. Given the increased national attention on the opportunity gap present in underserved marginalized communities across the country, the authors in this series identify a combination of research-based practices and institutional changes that increase student attainment and develop educators' capacity to serve a range of diverse learners.We are certain the timeliness of the topic will provide educators with context for understanding the role PDSs play in the creation of culturally responsive schools.