June 23 | International Portal of Teacher Education

Jun. 23, 2009

Dear subscriber,

MOFET ITEC Portal Newsletter

Dear Subscriber,

We are delighted to send you the latest issue of The MOFET ITEC Portal resource list.

The current bulletin represents the latest articles and some significant trends published in academic journals that focus on teacher education, pedagogy and instruction.

Some of our readers have expressed their desire to receive more frequent updates about new items which are added to the MOFET ITEC Portal a few times every week. In order to get these updates, readers can subscribe to the RSS feed provided on the upper right hand side of any MOFET ITEC page. The new items will then be delivered to your RSS reader as they are added to the portal. (To learn more about using RSS feeds, please view the Common Craft video – RSS in Plain English or the MOFET ITEC RSS Information Page).

Wishing you interesting and enjoyable reading,

The MOFET ITEC Portal Team

June 23, 2009

International Portal of Teacher Education

June 2009

Featured Items

Improving Preservice Middle Grades Science Teachers’ Understanding of the Nature of Science Using Three Instructional Approaches

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in preservice teachers’ understanding of the nature of science (NOS) as a result of four activity-based interventions. These interventions represent three instructional approaches used in a middle grades science methods course. 10 participants’ understanding of NOS and their perceptions about the activity-based interventions were investigated.

Enhancing Advocacy Skills of Teacher Candidates

This case study investigates the dynamics of enhancing the capacities of teacher candidates in the Bilingual/Bicultural Education Students Interacting to Obtain Success (BESITOS) recruitment and retention program to advocate for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. This study describes the efforts of one Midwestern university to increase the number of highly qualified teachers prepared to address the challenges that confront CLD students.

Feelings of Existential Fulfilment and Burnout Among Secondary School Teachers

Teacher burnout is recognized as a serious problem. In research it has been related to many person-specific variables; one of these, the variable of existential fulfilment, has received very little attention thus far. The present study focuses on the relationship between existential fulfilment and burnout among 504 secondary school teachers in the Netherlands. The inquiry demonstrated the importance of existential fulfilment for the prevalence and prevention of burnout among teachers.

Building Resilience in Pre-Service Teachers

The paper explores the role that professional experiences (practicum) can play in building resilience in pre-service teachers. In particular it focuses on a learning communities model of professional experience. This model puts its emphasis on relationships and pays attention to the complex and dynamic interactions between individuals and their ‘student teaching’ contexts.

An Inquiry-Based Practicum Model: What Knowledge, Practices, and Relationships Typify Empowering Teaching and Learning Experiences for Student Teachers, Cooperating Teachers and College Supervisors?

The author explores an inquiry-based teaching/learning model involving diverse members of learning communities. A triad of cooperating teachers, student teachers, and a college supervisor engaged in ongoing discourse. The purpose of this discourse is to investigate the teacher–learner (expert–novice) reciprocity, school culture and social relations.

Examining Teacher Ethical Dilemmas in Classroom Assessment

This study documents ethical conflicts faced by teachers in the United States regarding assessment of students. The most frequently mentioned assessment topics causing conflict included grading, standardized testing, and special populations. These findings suggest that explicit guidelines for defining and avoiding unethical behavior would be helpful to teachers in developing their assessment practices.