Teacher Beliefs, Behaviors, and Instructional Practices

The aim of this study is to investigate teachers’ perceptions of their practice of values education, and to explore their degree of professionalism in this matter. Qualitative interviews with 13 teachers have been conducted and analysed by a comparative analysis. According to their view, values education is (a) most often reactive and unplanned, (b) embedded in everyday school life with a focus on students’ everyday behaviour in school, and (c) partly or mostly unconsciously performed. Furthermore, professional knowledge appears to be missing in the domain of values education among these teachers.

Teachers who do not integrate technology are often labelled as ‘resistant’ to change. Yet, considerable uncertainties remain about appropriate uses and actual value of technology in teaching and learning, which can make integration and change seem risky. The purpose of this article is to explore the nature of teachers’ analytical and affective risk perceptions, and how these influence decisions to integrate technology in their teaching practice. These ideas are explored through an in-depth qualitative analysis of teacher interviews focusing on experiences with, and beliefs about, technology and teaching. Results suggest decisions to integrate technology in teaching are influenced by negative affective responses to technology, general risk-aversion in teaching, and the perceived value of technology in teaching. The risk analysis framework and findings presented in this paper can be used to support communication with teachers to minimize perceived risks and, where appropriate, help support future technology use.

This literature review on teachers' beliefs about English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream classrooms is organized into three sections: (a) inservice teachers' existing beliefs, (b) predictors of inservice teachers' beliefs, and (c) the connection between inservice teachers' beliefs and practices. This body of literature points to a clear need for increased professional development for mainstream teachers because, currently, teacher education possesses a “poverty of language learning.” According to the research included in this review, a relation exists between beliefs and practices in relation to teaching ELLs in mainstream classrooms. Certain factors, such as training in teaching ELLs, years of teaching experience, and exposure to language diversity, have been identified as predictors of mainstream teachers' beliefs about English to speakers of other languages students. It is important for teachers who hold deficit beliefs toward ELLs to adopt a new set of beliefs for successful inclusion of ELLs.

The aim of the current study was to examine Swedish and Turkish teachers’ perspectives on values education. Qualitative interviews with 52 teachers were conducted and analyzed. Values education was mostly about compliance with societal values and norms. The learning goals or values in values education were mainly on how to treat others and on self-responsibility. Teachers did not take a critical approach. A main method of values education reported by the teachers was to be a good role model in everyday interactions with students. Values education was largely described as an everyday practice embedded in the stream of social interactions. Furthermore, an everyday language was used when the teachers described values and values education. There was a lack of professional knowledge in this domain.

General education teachers support the inclusion of students with disabilities, but researchers have found supports for students with disabilities in general education settings to be less than adequate. How teachers make decisions about supporting the learning of included students with disabilities is not well understood and may well be driven by teachers’ own beliefs. A better understanding of the relationship between secondary teachers’ beliefs and their practices for supporting students with disabilities is critical for efforts to help teachers improve their practice. Four secondary level general education language arts teachers were interviewed and observed 4 times to investigate how their beliefs were related to practices to support students with disabilities. Data were analyzed according to guidelines for grounded theory; the grounded theory was expressed as a series of proposition statements related to the core phenomenon of negotiating support for included students with disabilities. The propositions delineated relationships between teachers’ beliefs and practices found in this dataset (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Teachers’ beliefs about the content area, the needs of students with disabilities and their own roles and responsibilities influenced their practices for providing support for their included students with disabilities. The results have implications for researchers, teacher educators, professional development providers and administrators seeking to influence teachers’ practice in the area of supporting students with disabilities within general education classes.

The main objective of the research was to assess the relationship between instructional practices of teachers on students’ academic performancein English. To achieve this aim, the researcher selectedAssistant Language Teachers (ALTs) and public secondary students in Okinawa Prefectureas respondents of the study during the school year 2020-2021. The primary data gathering tools used in the study was a standardized questionnaire Instructional Practices Survey adopted from Valentine (2000) on determining teachers’ instructional practices and a documentary analysisto determine the point average of the respondents’ level of academic performancein English. The collected data were analyzed and treated statisticallywith theuse of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results revealed that there is a positive strong correlation between instructional practices andthe students’ academic performance in English as evidenced by. 853 correlation coefficient. Findings indicate that a high level of instructional practices among teachers contribute to the increase of academic performance of students in English. The study recommended that school principals may conduct frequent teachers’ assessment, training needs assessment to maintain this status-focusing on the needs of teachers in terms of their professional growth and development, and continuous monitoring of students endeavors.

The transition to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) in the 2020 academic year, resulted in a rapid shift in Higher Education practice. The ERT environment created the need for educational practitioners to critically reflect and learn to fully orientate to the new conditions it presented and carry out effective interventions for the continued achievement of educational outcomes. Their perspectives and beliefs within their roles were adjusted through this experience and it is necessary to explore the process through which these reorientations took place and the effects they had on pedagogical practice.

To explain the range of activities that took place, there exists a need to define and describe the theoretical underpinnings of practice during this period. Central to this are questions about the conditions in which pedagogical practice took place during this period, and how educational practitioners adjusted their practice within these new conditions.
In light of the foregoing, this paper argues for the theoretical location of Higher Education pedagogical practice during ERT within Transformative Learning Theory. It further explores the various characteristics and processes which took place during the transition in these terms.

Current literature reports that the reorganization of schools through national ef- forts is not closely paralleled to subsequent local classroom changes. The focus of this study concerns teachers’ beliefs and their interpretations of a 2-week summer institute intended to change their treatment of scientific knowledge and assessment strategies at the classroom level. Furthermore, this study suggests that major contextual barriers to change should be identified and support should be provided to help teachers interpret and rethink their practice in venues beyond institutes. Despite collaborative efforts, participants were found to maintain their entry level fundamental beliefs about the nature of scientific content knowledge, teach- ing, and assessment practices. Reaching beyond past research on reform and reports of change in teachers, this study attempts to explicate the struggle of making lasting and deeply rooted change in teacher beliefs that results in the transformation of traditional science teaching.

Abstract:  This state of the art paper revisits foreign language teacher beliefs. The first part of the paper  reviews  some  factors  that  have  an  impact  on  foreign/second  language  (L2) teachers’‎ beliefs.‎ ‎ The‎ second‎ part‎ outlines‎ some‎ characteristics‎ of‎ teacher‎ beliefs‎ by‎ providing examples from a range of research studies conducted in the field. In the final part, the paper attempts to illuminate the complex nature of L2 teacher beliefs and belief formation processes by‎ addressing‎ Moscovici’s‎ social‎ representations‎ theory.‎ The‎ author argues that Moscovici’s‎ social‎ representations‎ theory, ‎and‎ Abric’s‎ central‎ kernel‎ theory  developed  as  a  sub-theory  of  social  representations  theory  offer  the  theoretical foundation  to  explain  differing  aspects  of  L2  teacher  beliefs.  The  author  claims  that central kernels theory provides a clear distinction between peripheral and core beliefs.  The‎ author ‎concludes ‎by ‎suggesting ‎future ‎research‎ focusing ‎on ‎L2‎ teachers’‎ peripheral‎ and core beliefs.

This study proposes employing linguistically responsive instruction (LRI) in transnational higher education such as international branch campuses (IBCs). It sheds light on the beliefs and practices of content instructors teaching in English-medium IBCs, in terms of supporting students' academic language development. Previous studies have shown how content instructors, particularly in STEM fields, do not see teaching language as part of their role in the classroom and do not attach importance to it. However, students in IBC contexts often need more language support. 101 IBC instructors from various disciplines completed a survey regarding their beliefs about providing language support for students. A purposeful sampling of 6 engineering, science, and liberal arts instructors were also video-recorded teaching their classes and then interviewed about LRI practices using stimulated-recall techniques. Findings show that while STEM instructors tended to align less with LRI than liberal arts instructors on the surveys, they employed multiple LRI practices while observed teaching. The study shows the importance of going beyond just attitudinal surveys when it comes to understanding STEM instructors' dispositions toward teaching language, and it is proposed that IBCs create dialogic, multidisciplinary faculty learning communities on academic language development and meaning making resources.

This dissertation reports on a case study into three teachers’ beliefs and practices of drama education. The research investigated what changes, if any, were there on the beliefs of drama education of the graduates as a result of their engagement in learning about drama education during the Advanced Post-Graduate Diploma in Drama and Drama Education (APGD).

The teachers went through the APGD from January 2003 to October 2004. The idea for this research came about as the researcher, who was also a graduate of the programme, experienced a significant and personal change in beliefs and practices during the course. He then decided to investigate whether his peers had similar experiences. The data was collected between March and April 2006. For each teacher, a survey was administered, interviews audio-taped, a lesson plan collected, a lesson video-taped and a stimulated recall audio-taped.

The research seeks to understand the complexity of the change in beliefs as a result of the exposure to drama pedagogy during the course. The data from the three teachers were looked at separately as distinct units and then collectively as a case study to find common themes. The analysis is focused on the aspects of the APGD that the teachers felt had impacted on their beliefs about drama education, their changes in beliefs about drama education, the extent of change and the factors that had impacted the change.

Analysis shows that there was a change in these teachers’ beliefs about drama education from a view that drama education is only about finished products like plays, stagecraft and “acting” (cognitive/procedural paradigm of drama education) to encompass a belief in the process of learning through drama (social/pedagogical paradigm of drama education). Their experiences of process dramas during the course had the greatest impact on their belief about drama education. Additionally, their learning preferences and motivation also had a strong influence on how they engage with the theoretical and practical aspects of the APGD. Though all three teachers expressed a change in belief about drama education to include the process of learning through drama, there was a difference in the extent of change. Two of the teachers believed in the process of learning through drama but analysis of their critical incidents and reflections reveal that their strong prior beliefs influenced by the examination culture and the dominant paradigm of drama education (cognitive/procedural) in Singapore had a stronger influence; hence they demonstrated conservative change in beliefs. One teacher was found to demonstrate progressive change in her beliefs about drama education as she could articulate the conflict between her old and new beliefs, and acted to resolve the conflict by knowing when and how to tap into her old and new beliefs. As a case, the teachers’ prior beliefs, the examination culture and dominant paradigm of drama education, assessment of students’ learning and their understanding of the process of learning through drama were factors that impacted their change in beliefs.

This study aimed at to investigate lecturers' perception of students' learning motivation at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Musamus University of Merauke, Papua, Indonesia. This study asked " what are lecturers' perception of the sttudents' learning motivation? " I employed a quantitative approach, using survey research design. A purposive sampling technique was used to obtain 40 respondents drawn from amongst lecturers at the Factulty of Teacher Training and Education, Musamus University of Merauke. Data were analysed quantitatively using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 for Windows TM. The descriptive data analysis was conducted by calculating means and standard deviations scores to describe lecturers' perception of students' learning motivation. The general mean of the data is 1.1300 with a standard deviation of 13.66957, where the present study indicated that students' learning motivation were lowly perceived by the lecturers. This finding might be wothwhile for the head of all departments and the dean at the faculty level as well to make an effort of creating strategies to enhance students' learning motivation in order to address the need of having qualified graduates.

Abstract:  This  state  of  the  art  article  overviews  the  literature  on  discrepancies  between  foreign  language  teacher  and learner beliefs.  In  the  first  section,  the  author draws  the  reader’s  attention  to  the  significance  of  discrepancies between  the  L2  teacher  and  L2  learner  perceptions  and  provides  a  synopsis  of  both  practical-anecdotal  and empirical evidence on the possible consequences of such discrepancies. In the second part of this paper, drawing upon  relevant  literature,  the  author  suggests  some  ways  of  overcoming  discrepancies  between  teachers  and learners’ understandings concerning foreign language practices.

Educational change, such as technology integration, involves risk. Teachers are encouraged to ‘take risks,’ but what risks they are asked to take and how do they perceive these risks? Developing an understanding of teachers’ risk perceptions can help explain their choices and behaviours. This paper presents a way to understand the complex weighing of teaching and technology values when teachers’ choose, or choose not to, integrate technology in their teaching, through an investigation of technology-related risk perceptions. Findings suggest that teachers, regardless of personal and professional technology use, perceive the same risks when considering technology integration in the classroom; but there was considerable variance in the acceptability of these risks. Acceptability was strongly related to teachers’ affect for technology and value of technology in teaching. The study employs the semantic image of ‘cost-benefit’ as framework to identify and discuss teachers’ rationales supporting their choice to integrate technology in their teaching.

This paper explores how teachers’ beliefs and practices create spaces for the contestation and innovation of bilingual intercultural education (BIE) policy, a policy of indigenous culture and language revitalization in Peru. Based on ethnographic research, there are two central arguments developed throughout this paper. First, the author argues that unaddressed issues in the definition of BIE policy, namely its top-down design and vague treatment of the intercultural element, contribute to its problematic implementation. Under BIE the school has likely remained a space of exclusion of indigenous languages and cultures. Second, using empirically documented teacher data, the author argues that teachers are central to reproducing inequalities and contesting social structures through the implementation of policy. This paper aims to challenge common assumptions about the limited (passive) role of teachers as policy actors. Although bilingual teachers continue to contest and transform BIE policy in rural schools, their actions have remained unnoticed; thus opportunities for ground-up innovation to reach and transform the official discourse have been missed. This paper places at the center of language and policy research and, in particular, of bilingual education, the urgency to understand local practitioners – beyond the school setting – at the policy level.

There is a lot of speculation about how teachers can use multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) such as Second Life in the classroom. Many sources will tell teachers that MUVEs can offer students a rich and engaging learning experience, and that these mediums can provide learning opportunities not traditionally available in the classroom. Often when new ways to use MUVEs in the classroom issues related to duty of care are mentioned. Proponents of MUVEs in the classroom will dismiss these risks in light of possible teaching benefits, or they will argue that ways to manage student safety are available. These arguments beg the questions: How serious are the risks threatening duty of care? Is the use of MUVEs in teaching worth risking students’ safety?

An online questionnaire was designed to provide a snapshot of the music-related practices of self-selecting foreign language teachers in 2005-2006 compared to 2013-2014. Questions aimed to explore to what extent, and in what ways, teachers used music and songs to support learning in the foreign language classroom. Overall, there were few noticeable changes in teachers’ instructional practice and recommendations during this period. Results showed that music and songs are more frequently used with beginning-level language learners and with learners under the age of 14. At both time points, 60% of teachers used music and songs only as part of language lessons, about 20% also used background music and songs to set a positive classroom tone, and about 7% of respondents used background music exclusively. In both 2006 and 2014, music was most often used to support vocabulary, grammar, listening comprehension, cultural awareness, and to provide motivation and fun.

The present study was designed to (a) investigate teachers’ approval and disapproval behaviors towards
academic and social behaviors of students in mainstreaming classrooms and (b) determine
whether or not having special needs be a predictor of teachers’ approval and disapproval behaviors.
The study group consisted of 43 teachers who were working in the elementary schools in Bolu
and had students with special needs in their classrooms. Ten observers recorded academic and
social approval and disapproval behaviors of 43 teachers using Teacher Behaviors Observation
Form. In the analysis process, descriptive statistics and Categorical logistic regression analysis
techniques were used. The results of the analysis indicated that teachers used disapproval behaviors
more than approval behaviors, and used academic approval and disapproval more than
social approval and disapproval and recognized and responded to the behaviors of students with
special needs more than their peers. Teachers mostly used ‘yes’ to approve academic and social
behaviors, and ‘don’t talk, don’t make noise, shut up, be quiet’ and “Shh!’ to disapprove behaviors.
This study showed that having special needs had a significant prediction in social disapproval category
and not having a special need had a significant prediction in approval category.