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AN EXPLORATION OF TEACHER CANDIDATE PERCEPTIONS CONCERNING THEIR POLITICAL ROLE IN SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION
Title
AN EXPLORATION OF TEACHER CANDIDATE PERCEPTIONS CONCERNING THEIR POLITICAL ROLE IN SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION.
Creator
Zagrocki, Brian, Russell, William, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study argued that the purpose of social studies education is intimately connected with civic engagement. The function of civic engagement shifts in accordance with the political roles a teacher plays in the classroom (Westhaimer & Kahne, 2004). The literature review defined the possible parameters of these political roles. The research then explored how secondary social science and elementary teacher candidates, if at all, planned to address the political issue of civic engagement in...
Show moreThis study argued that the purpose of social studies education is intimately connected with civic engagement. The function of civic engagement shifts in accordance with the political roles a teacher plays in the classroom (Westhaimer & Kahne, 2004). The literature review defined the possible parameters of these political roles. The research then explored how secondary social science and elementary teacher candidates, if at all, planned to address the political issue of civic engagement in education and their self-awareness as political actors. This research study aimed to expand the available body of research on this topic by exploring the perceptions of social studies teacher candidates concerning their roles in promoting civic engagement. This study conducted a survey of social science and elementary teacher candidates to qualitatively measure these perceptions. The study found that teacher candidates possessed entrenched conceptions of good citizenry but fail to connect social studies� primary purpose of civic engagement with the promotion of good citizenry. The study also indicated teacher candidates lack sufficient civic engagement conceptual understanding and corresponding pedagogy to adequately perform their political roles as democratic gatekeepers. Consequently, the study�s educational implications were that social studies teachers� and teacher candidates� awareness of civic engagement in the social studies classroom is necessary to facilitate an effective, ethical, and objective education. Additionally, more attention must be given in teacher candidate education to address the political reality of the social science education profession.
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Date Issued
2016
Identifier
CFH2000056, ucf:45510
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000056
Teacher Candidates' Civic Attitudes and Civic Knowledge: A Comparative Study
Title
Teacher Candidates' Civic Attitudes and Civic Knowledge: A Comparative Study.
Creator
Furgione, Brian, Russell, William, Waring, Scott, Hewitt, Randall, Jahani, Shiva, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The foundations of a democratic society are the citizens who engage in its political processes and functions. The democratic skills and dispositions needed to be engaged citizens must be embedded within the school system of that society. In the United States, teachers serve as the delivery system of these skills and dispositions, and it is therefore imperative to understand who these teachers are as citizens. Leveraging survey research and various quantitative measures, the civic attitudes...
Show moreThe foundations of a democratic society are the citizens who engage in its political processes and functions. The democratic skills and dispositions needed to be engaged citizens must be embedded within the school system of that society. In the United States, teachers serve as the delivery system of these skills and dispositions, and it is therefore imperative to understand who these teachers are as citizens. Leveraging survey research and various quantitative measures, the civic attitudes and civic knowledge of teacher candidates in various fields were investigated. Using self-reported demographic information, teacher candidates were compared based on their academic program track, gender, race, and status as a college student (first generation or other). Initial findings indicate statistically significant differences in the mean civic attitudinal scores and civic knowledge based on program track and college student status. How the findings may influence the long-term outlook of civic education and the needs for preparing future teachers are discussed.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007633, ucf:52474
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007633
Using a Mixed-Reality Classroom Environment Including English Learners: The Perceptions of Teacher Candidates
Title
Using a Mixed-Reality Classroom Environment Including English Learners: The Perceptions of Teacher Candidates.
Creator
Ashtari, Nooshan, Nutta, Joyce, Hutchinson, Cynthia, Mihai, Florin, Jahani, Shiva, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Technological modernization has impacted various fields such as the field of education, teaching, and learning. The traditional classroom and teaching methodologies no longer meet the needs of the new tech-savvy generation. Thus, recently there have been changes in teacher preparation programs in order to prepare teacher candidates to have the skills to respond to such high technological demands. Additionally, the demographics of students attending schools in countries with exceptionally high...
Show moreTechnological modernization has impacted various fields such as the field of education, teaching, and learning. The traditional classroom and teaching methodologies no longer meet the needs of the new tech-savvy generation. Thus, recently there have been changes in teacher preparation programs in order to prepare teacher candidates to have the skills to respond to such high technological demands. Additionally, the demographics of students attending schools in countries with exceptionally high numbers of immigrants such as the United States is another reason to seek novel ways to prepare teachers who have had adequate practice and developed teaching skills needed to reach the English learners (ELs) in their classrooms. Using Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) has been one solution in order to bridge this gap. EL TLE TeachLivE(TM), which was the focus of this study, is a computer simulated environment that combines real-life participants and digital personas or avatars. The participants of this study were teacher candidates who experienced using EL TLE TeachLivE(TM) to practice the teaching strategies and skills they had been learning about during their teacher preparation program (n=20). This research investigated the perceptions of these teacher candidates about using this mixed-reality classroom environment through observations, questionnaires, focus groups, and individual interviews. A qualitative transcendental phenomenological approach was taken to have a more in-depth understanding of the participants' perceptions about the phenomenon of EL TLE TeachLivE(TM) as a mixed-reality classroom environment in teacher preparation and the meaning they made of their experiences. Through the data analysis three main categories emerged: TCs' general perceptions about the avatars and EL TLE TeachLivE(TM) as a mixed-reality classroom environment, TCs' perceptions of the current use of the EL TLE TeachLivE(TM) in their teacher preparation program, and TCs' perceptions about the future use of EL TLE TeachLivE(TM). The Teacher Candidates' General Perceptions of EL TLE TeachLivE(TM) consisted of the following sub-themes: (a) Video game dissimilarities, (b) Avatar believability and real-life features, (c) Personification of the EL cases, (d) Fear of the unknown, (e) Avatar movement restrictions, and (f) Suspension of disbelief. The Teacher Candidates' Perceptions about the Current Use of EL TLE TeachLivE(TM) included: (a) Importance of prerequisites, (b) Advantages over role-playing, (c) Teaching in front of peers, (d) Group teaching and random selection, (e) Importance of feedback, and (f) Teaching strategies and aha moments.Finally, the Teacher Candidates' Perceptions about the Future Use of EL TLE TeachLivE(TM) incorporated: (a) Changes in the implementation, (b) Elementary vs secondary classrooms, and (c) Gradual practice.
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Date Issued
2016
Identifier
CFE0006255, ucf:51048
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006255
A hermeneutic study of secondary English Language Arts teacher candidates' writing instruction experiences in ESOL methods courses
Title
A hermeneutic study of secondary English Language Arts teacher candidates' writing instruction experiences in ESOL methods courses.
Creator
Bello, Paula, Olan, Elsie, Nutta, Joyce, Hopp, Carolyn, Mihai, Florin, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The purpose of this hermeneutic study was to understand, describe and interpret secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teacher candidates'(TC) experiences with writing instruction while attending English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) methods courses. The study included a purposeful convenience sample of 15 (fifteen) secondary ELA teacher candidates' (TC) attending 4 (four) different sections in 2 (two) ESOL methods courses. TCs were invited to participate in inquiry driven activities...
Show moreThe purpose of this hermeneutic study was to understand, describe and interpret secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teacher candidates'(TC) experiences with writing instruction while attending English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) methods courses. The study included a purposeful convenience sample of 15 (fifteen) secondary ELA teacher candidates' (TC) attending 4 (four) different sections in 2 (two) ESOL methods courses. TCs were invited to participate in inquiry driven activities including written reflections in response to a literacy questionnaire, oral interviews responding to open-ended questions and focus/work groups' discussions, which allowed them to reflect about their past and present literacy and learning experiences and become reflexive about the application of knowledge and practices in their future classrooms. The phenomenological hermeneutic qualitative design granted the researcher insight into participants' literacy and learning experiences as lived in relationship with their contexts, in a specific place and time.Colaizzi's (1978) seven-stages data analysis procedure, enabled the analysis and thorough description of TCs' experiences with writing instruction along their schooling and teacher education career. The following thematic categorization of participants' experiences was outlined: a)- TCs' experiences with instruction received and knowledge developed in teacher education programs, b)- TCs' recognition of good and bad practices in educational settings, including planning accommodations in general education classrooms, c)- TCs' experiences with ELs in authentic settings, d)- TCs' awareness process of ELs in schools, and e)- TCs' experiences with and about writing instruction to teach ELs.Further in depth data analysis guided the researcher into the interpretation of the fundamental structure of the phenomenon of teacher education experiences with writing instruction. TCs' experiences, drawn from different learning settings (including methods and content courses and field practicum), were articulated thanks to their participation in inquiry based learning activities. This breath of experiences specifically informed TCs' writing instruction experiences while attending ESOL methods courses. TCs' reflective and reflexive stances position them at the center of the educational phenomenon, in which TCs develop from facilitators of classroom communication to facilitators of learning processes and intercultural mediators.The phenomenon of TCs' lived experiences with writing instruction while attending ESOL methods courses, and by extension, content area courses and field practicum, needs to be analyzed, described and interpreted in order to develop practices conducive to inform the curricular development of teacher education programs and courses, to better prepare TCs to teach every learner develop knowledge and literacy, paying special attention to ELs'proficiency in English as a second language (ESL).?
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Date Issued
2016
Identifier
CFE0006681, ucf:51904
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006681