This study investigated whether the big five factors of personality traits can predict academic department chairs’ leadership practices. The study had a predictive research design; the data were collected from 424 participants in the 2023 academic year, and the instruments of this study were two questionnaires. The study found that the big five factors of personality traits predict the leadership practices of academic department chairs. Two factors of personality traits, conscientiousness and openness to experience, were statistically significant and predicted the practices in modelling leadership. Four factors (agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and extroversion) were statistically significant and predicted leadership practices in inspiring a shared vision. Three factors (neuroticism, extroversion, and conscientiousness) were statistically significant and predicted leadership practices in challenging processes. Two factors (conscientiousness and openness to experience) were statistically significant and predicted leadership practices enabling others to act. Three factors (conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness to experience) were statistically significant and predicted leadership practices encouraging the heart. The study recommended that academic leaders be required to consider personality traits as an important dimension in selecting and assigning academic department chairs and other academic leaders at all levels at higher education institutions.
{"title":"The Big Five Factors of Personality Traits and Leadership Practices of Academic Department Chairs: A Predictive Study","authors":"Mohammed Ali Assiri","doi":"10.26529/cepsj.1736","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1736","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated whether the big five factors of personality traits can predict academic department chairs’ leadership practices. The study had a predictive research design; the data were collected from 424 participants in the 2023 academic year, and the instruments of this study were two questionnaires. The study found that the big five factors of personality traits predict the leadership practices of academic department chairs. Two factors of personality traits, conscientiousness and openness to experience, were statistically significant and predicted the practices in modelling leadership. Four factors (agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and extroversion) were statistically significant and predicted leadership practices in inspiring a shared vision. Three factors (neuroticism, extroversion, and conscientiousness) were statistically significant and predicted leadership practices in challenging processes. Two factors (conscientiousness and openness to experience) were statistically significant and predicted leadership practices enabling others to act. Three factors (conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness to experience) were statistically significant and predicted leadership practices encouraging the heart. The study recommended that academic leaders be required to consider personality traits as an important dimension in selecting and assigning academic department chairs and other academic leaders at all levels at higher education institutions.","PeriodicalId":38159,"journal":{"name":"Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal","volume":"11 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140442924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The paper discusses the school magazine as an important extracurricular activity. We first define the characteristics of school magazines, pointing to aims, content focus, types of texts and the organisation of editorial boards. The fact that school magazines present an important platform for young people to formulate their opinions, challenge societal norms and values, pursue their artistic aspirations, and acquire knowledge, skills and competences, as well as form group identity, is emphasised. The objective of the research was to identify how the theoretical underpinnings of the school magazine as a clash of genres are reflected in the selected corpus of 103 issues of the school magazine Izvir, which has been in circulation since 1967. Particular interest is focused on the content, the types of texts, the presence of the zeitgeist and the edition notice. The research is in the form of a case study, applying thematic network analysis. The results show that the researched corpus covers diverse content, relating mainly to curricular and extracurricular activities, embraced in informative and interpretative journalistic texts, entertaining features and a literary section. The extent of politically oriented content engaging with issues that mark the period 1979–1985 is exceptional. The edition notice shows a significant improvement from the first issues, which lacked much of the required data, to the present perfected issues. Lastly, the magazines mirror the zeitgeist, transitioning from socialist and communist ideology to democracy. All in all, school magazines are an important educational pillar, adding to the formation of young people’s minds, but also encouraging teachers to question their roles, didactic methods and approaches. They also play a role in the formation of the school’s recognition in the local community.
{"title":"The Importance of the School Magazine as an Extra-Curricular Activity in Facilitating Students’ Cross-Curricular Skills and Competences","authors":"Melita Lemut Bajec","doi":"10.26529/cepsj.1559","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1559","url":null,"abstract":"The paper discusses the school magazine as an important extracurricular activity. We first define the characteristics of school magazines, pointing to aims, content focus, types of texts and the organisation of editorial boards. The fact that school magazines present an important platform for young people to formulate their opinions, challenge societal norms and values, pursue their artistic aspirations, and acquire knowledge, skills and competences, as well as form group identity, is emphasised. The objective of the research was to identify how the theoretical underpinnings of the school magazine as a clash of genres are reflected in the selected corpus of 103 issues of the school magazine Izvir, which has been in circulation since 1967. Particular interest is focused on the content, the types of texts, the presence of the zeitgeist and the edition notice. The research is in the form of a case study, applying thematic network analysis. The results show that the researched corpus covers diverse content, relating mainly to curricular and extracurricular activities, embraced in informative and interpretative journalistic texts, entertaining features and a literary section. The extent of politically oriented content engaging with issues that mark the period 1979–1985 is exceptional. The edition notice shows a significant improvement from the first issues, which lacked much of the required data, to the present perfected issues. Lastly, the magazines mirror the zeitgeist, transitioning from socialist and communist ideology to democracy. All in all, school magazines are an important educational pillar, adding to the formation of young people’s minds, but also encouraging teachers to question their roles, didactic methods and approaches. They also play a role in the formation of the school’s recognition in the local community.","PeriodicalId":38159,"journal":{"name":"Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal","volume":"32 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140443346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
During the Covid-19 pandemic, all stakeholders in education, including music teachers, had to respond to new challenges, including the adjustment of the learning process to the requirements of distance learning and teaching. The main goal of the present research was to determine music teachers’ self-assessment of ICT competences and their use of teaching methods, strategies, techniques and assessment methods. A survey questionnaire was designed and the collected data were processed using the Friedman test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The sample consisted of teachers of subjects that are taught in groups (i.e., Music Preparatory, Music Theory and Solfeggio) at public primary music schools in Slovenia. The participants reported no problems using most ICT tools and resources during the pandemic. In general, they were most confident with videoconferencing tools and least confident when recording explanatory videos unaccompanied by oral explanation. In the planning and implementation of the teaching process, they least frequently used activities of music creation and playing Orff instruments. More specifically, lessons in Music Preparatory most frequently included listening activities, while classes in Music Theory and Solfeggio focused on the transmission of theoretical musical and formal knowledge. Overall, the teachers mainly resorted to synchronous and frontal instruction. In terms of evaluation and assessment of musical abilities, skills and knowledge, they most frequently employed oral consolidation, testing and assessment, as well as student-produced recordings of rhythmic and melodic exercises.
{"title":"Distance Learning and Teaching in Group Settings at Primary Music Schools in Slovenia","authors":"Jerneja Žnidaršič, Matic Trčko","doi":"10.26529/cepsj.1716","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1716","url":null,"abstract":"During the Covid-19 pandemic, all stakeholders in education, including music teachers, had to respond to new challenges, including the adjustment of the learning process to the requirements of distance learning and teaching. The main goal of the present research was to determine music teachers’ self-assessment of ICT competences and their use of teaching methods, strategies, techniques and assessment methods. A survey questionnaire was designed and the collected data were processed using the Friedman test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The sample consisted of teachers of subjects that are taught in groups (i.e., Music Preparatory, Music Theory and Solfeggio) at public primary music schools in Slovenia. The participants reported no problems using most ICT tools and resources during the pandemic. In general, they were most confident with videoconferencing tools and least confident when recording explanatory videos unaccompanied by oral explanation. In the planning and implementation of the teaching process, they least frequently used activities of music creation and playing Orff instruments. More specifically, lessons in Music Preparatory most frequently included listening activities, while classes in Music Theory and Solfeggio focused on the transmission of theoretical musical and formal knowledge. Overall, the teachers mainly resorted to synchronous and frontal instruction. In terms of evaluation and assessment of musical abilities, skills and knowledge, they most frequently employed oral consolidation, testing and assessment, as well as student-produced recordings of rhythmic and melodic exercises. \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":38159,"journal":{"name":"Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal","volume":"182 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140475355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This systematic literature review has examined the various functions assumed by preschool educators in promoting developmentally appropriate practice, the differing beliefs held by preschool teachers concerning it, and the factors that influence the beliefs and perceptions of preschool teachers about it. To carry out this review, a comprehensive search strategy was employed across different databases to identify relevant studies published between 2010 and 2023. The inclusion criteria comprised studies that focused on the role and beliefs of preschool teachers in promoting developmentally appropriate practice. The review includes a total of 14 studies. The results indicate that preschool teachers play different roles in promoting developmentally appropriate practice, such as creating a safe and supportive learning environment, providing diverse learning experiences customised to the specific needs and interests of each child, working in collaboration with families to ensure that children receive the necessary support at home, and advocating for the needs of young children and their families. The beliefs of preschool teachers regarding developmentally appropriate practice are attributed to various factors, including their personal experiences as learners, their training and professional development, the culture of the preschool or school where they work, and the availability of resources and support to implement developmentally appropriate practice. The findings highlight the importance of preschool teachers having a strong comprehension of developmentally appropriate practice and being able to implement it effectively in their classrooms. Moreover, it is crucial to provide preschool teachers with professional development opportunities that can enhance their beliefs about developmentally appropriate practice and help them learn how to implement it effectively.
{"title":"Preschool Teachers’ Role and Beliefs about Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Systematic Literature Review","authors":"Misahun Shumetu Taye, Fituma Yadesa Kana, Tesema Regassa Jekil","doi":"10.26529/cepsj.1693","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1693","url":null,"abstract":"This systematic literature review has examined the various functions assumed by preschool educators in promoting developmentally appropriate practice, the differing beliefs held by preschool teachers concerning it, and the factors that influence the beliefs and perceptions of preschool teachers about it. To carry out this review, a comprehensive search strategy was employed across different databases to identify relevant studies published between 2010 and 2023. The inclusion criteria comprised studies that focused on the role and beliefs of preschool teachers in promoting developmentally appropriate practice. The review includes a total of 14 studies. The results indicate that preschool teachers play different roles in promoting developmentally appropriate practice, such as creating a safe and supportive learning environment, providing diverse learning experiences customised to the specific needs and interests of each child, working in collaboration with families to ensure that children receive the necessary support at home, and advocating for the needs of young children and their families. The beliefs of preschool teachers regarding developmentally appropriate practice are attributed to various factors, including their personal experiences as learners, their training and professional development, the culture of the preschool or school where they work, and the availability of resources and support to implement developmentally appropriate practice. The findings highlight the importance of preschool teachers having a strong comprehension of developmentally appropriate practice and being able to implement it effectively in their classrooms. Moreover, it is crucial to provide preschool teachers with professional development opportunities that can enhance their beliefs about developmentally appropriate practice and help them learn how to implement it effectively.","PeriodicalId":38159,"journal":{"name":"Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal","volume":" 99","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139619050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dharel P. Acut, Shanaia Marie Fernandez, Pauline Kaye Madelo, Ray Anne Lu Suico, Jas Felicisimo A. Cane, Joy Magsayo, Mae Capuyan, N. M. Siew
For the advancement of humanity, scientific creativity is a crucial skill for coming up with innovations, addressing existing issues and interpreting particular scientific phenomena. The present study aimed to determine the scientific creativity level of 23 primary school students. In a single cross-sectional study, a descriptive survey questionnaire modelled on the Scientific Structure Creativity Model (SSCM) incorporated a seven-item scientific creativity test specifically designed to align with the backgrounds of primary school students. The results show that the students have a balance between a low or intermediate scientific creativity level. Of the 23 respondents, 8 have a low scientific creativity level, 8 have an intermediate scientific creativity level and 7 have a high scientific creativity level. The respondents are the most scientifically creative in creative science problem solving. The researchers recommend an intervention such as integrating the arts into the STEM curriculum to help develop students’ scientific creativity.
{"title":"Thinking What No One Else Has Thought: Investigating the Scientific Creativity of Primary School Students in a Science Class","authors":"Dharel P. Acut, Shanaia Marie Fernandez, Pauline Kaye Madelo, Ray Anne Lu Suico, Jas Felicisimo A. Cane, Joy Magsayo, Mae Capuyan, N. M. Siew","doi":"10.26529/cepsj.1514","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1514","url":null,"abstract":"For the advancement of humanity, scientific creativity is a crucial skill for coming up with innovations, addressing existing issues and interpreting particular scientific phenomena. The present study aimed to determine the scientific creativity level of 23 primary school students. In a single cross-sectional study, a descriptive survey questionnaire modelled on the Scientific Structure Creativity Model (SSCM) incorporated a seven-item scientific creativity test specifically designed to align with the backgrounds of primary school students. The results show that the students have a balance between a low or intermediate scientific creativity level. Of the 23 respondents, 8 have a low scientific creativity level, 8 have an intermediate scientific creativity level and 7 have a high scientific creativity level. The respondents are the most scientifically creative in creative science problem solving. The researchers recommend an intervention such as integrating the arts into the STEM curriculum to help develop students’ scientific creativity.","PeriodicalId":38159,"journal":{"name":"Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal","volume":" 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139622519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Music education underwent significant adjustments during the Covid-19 pandemic, reflecting broader changes in education as a whole. Distance learning was the only way to organise learning to avoid the consequences of the pandemic. As part of this project, research was carried out in the 2021–2022 school year to determine primary school students’ attitudes towards distance music learning. A total of 503 seventh- and eighth-grade students from general education primary schools completed an online survey to collect the data. The results show that the majority of the students feel that they found suitable conditions for distance music learning, that their parents and school were supportive, that they were satisfied with the digital tools, and that they saw themselves as successful learners. The overwhelming majority of the students believe that they acquire the same knowledge through distance learning as they do at school, and that distance music learning does not require a lot of effort or cause stress. However, the majority of the students feel that there were not enough workshops and courses organised by the school and the local community in order to make distance music learning easier for them. Of the sociodemographic factors studied, only the variable related to home conditions for distance music learning proved to be partially predictive.
{"title":"Primary School Students’ Attitudes Towards Distance Music Learning","authors":"A. Begić, Jasna Šulentić Begić, Daria Kurtić","doi":"10.26529/cepsj.1648","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1648","url":null,"abstract":"Music education underwent significant adjustments during the Covid-19 pandemic, reflecting broader changes in education as a whole. Distance learning was the only way to organise learning to avoid the consequences of the pandemic. As part of this project, research was carried out in the 2021–2022 school year to determine primary school students’ attitudes towards distance music learning. A total of 503 seventh- and eighth-grade students from general education primary schools completed an online survey to collect the data. The results show that the majority of the students feel that they found suitable conditions for distance music learning, that their parents and school were supportive, that they were satisfied with the digital tools, and that they saw themselves as successful learners. The overwhelming majority of the students believe that they acquire the same knowledge through distance learning as they do at school, and that distance music learning does not require a lot of effort or cause stress. However, the majority of the students feel that there were not enough workshops and courses organised by the school and the local community in order to make distance music learning easier for them. Of the sociodemographic factors studied, only the variable related to home conditions for distance music learning proved to be partially predictive. \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":38159,"journal":{"name":"Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal","volume":"21 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139529079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This empirical study aimed to introduce the concept of destruction and transformation into secondary school art education as a potential way of incorporating conceptual and contemporary artistic practices. Experts have highlighted the absence of such content in art education, emphasising the responsibility of teachers to integrate it into the learning process thoughtfully. To encourage students to engage in profound thinking about destruction and internalise the essence of conceptual art through practical experiences, we conducted a study at a Ljubljana secondary school. Here, students created their initial artwork (ready- made), a prerequisite for its subsequent destruction and transformation into a new artwork. We included two first-year classes, exploring 1) their response to the presented artworks aligned with the researched concept, 2) their attitude towards destroying and transforming their initial art- work, and 3) their response to the concept of destruction and transformation through their creative practice. Over four school hours, we gathered data through both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The results showed that in-depth discussions of conceptual foundations led to a predominantly positive student attitude towards contemporary artworks. They not only understood but also internalised the essence of these artworks, which was vividly reflected in their practical artistic expressions. In conclusion, the study effectively introduced the concept of destruction and transformation into secondary school art education, promoting a deeper understanding of contemporary art among students while cultivating their creative and critical thinking skills.
{"title":"Secondary School Students’ Response to Learning the Concept of Destruction and Transformation of an Artwork into Another Artwork in the Visual Arts Class","authors":"Daša Bojc, Robert Potočnik","doi":"10.26529/cepsj.1734","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1734","url":null,"abstract":"This empirical study aimed to introduce the concept of destruction and transformation into secondary school art education as a potential way of incorporating conceptual and contemporary artistic practices. Experts have highlighted the absence of such content in art education, emphasising the responsibility of teachers to integrate it into the learning process thoughtfully. To encourage students to engage in profound thinking about destruction and internalise the essence of conceptual art through practical experiences, we conducted a study at a Ljubljana secondary school. Here, students created their initial artwork (ready- made), a prerequisite for its subsequent destruction and transformation into a new artwork. We included two first-year classes, exploring 1) their response to the presented artworks aligned with the researched concept, 2) their attitude towards destroying and transforming their initial art- work, and 3) their response to the concept of destruction and transformation through their creative practice. Over four school hours, we gathered data through both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The results showed that in-depth discussions of conceptual foundations led to a predominantly positive student attitude towards contemporary artworks. They not only understood but also internalised the essence of these artworks, which was vividly reflected in their practical artistic expressions. In conclusion, the study effectively introduced the concept of destruction and transformation into secondary school art education, promoting a deeper understanding of contemporary art among students while cultivating their creative and critical thinking skills.","PeriodicalId":38159,"journal":{"name":"Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal","volume":" 34","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139620735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The teaching profession has become increasingly complex in the last decades. The changing role of teachers has called for a new paradigm of the teaching profession that recognises the potential of teachers to lead for supporting school development and change. The influence teachers have on the school community and their commitment to school change are at the core of teacher leadership definitions. Preparing future teachers to act as leaders in their schools can support the overall efforts for school improvement. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore pre-service teacher leadership development. The study utilised a qualitative methodology to address: (i) pre-service teachers’ understanding of teacher leadership, (ii) the role of initial teacher education in shaping the understanding of teacher leadership, and (iii) the contribution of initial teacher education to pre-service teachers’ readiness for exercising leadership roles for school improvement. The study was conducted with pre-service teachers in the leading initial teacher education institution in Kosovo. A total of 42 pre-service teachers from all years of the Primary Teacher Education programme participated in four group interviews with the aim of discussing in depth the core elements of teacher leadership in order to better grasp the pre-service teachers’ understanding of this concept as well as their readiness to exercise leadership roles. A model devised by Snoek et al. (2019) was used as an analytical framework to determine the development of teacher leadership in initial teacher education. The study reveals that there is no consensus on the definition of teacher leadership. The findings show that the understanding of teacher leadership is based on a contextually drawn vision of what it means to be a teacher, resulting in a narrow view of leadership with regard to individual and classroom levels. The study concludes that initial teacher education has a critical role in contributing to shifting the conceptualisation of teacher leadership beyond the isolated views of individual and formal leadership. The findings have imperative implications for providing good models of initial teacher education that support the preparation and readiness of future teacher leaders to tackle the ever-increasing complexities of the teaching profession.
{"title":"An Exploration of Teacher Leadership: Are Future Teachers Ready to Lead?","authors":"Jete Aliu, Fjolla Kaçaniku","doi":"10.26529/cepsj.1634","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1634","url":null,"abstract":"The teaching profession has become increasingly complex in the last decades. The changing role of teachers has called for a new paradigm of the teaching profession that recognises the potential of teachers to lead for supporting school development and change. The influence teachers have on the school community and their commitment to school change are at the core of teacher leadership definitions. Preparing future teachers to act as leaders in their schools can support the overall efforts for school improvement. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore pre-service teacher leadership development. The study utilised a qualitative methodology to address: (i) pre-service teachers’ understanding of teacher leadership, (ii) the role of initial teacher education in shaping the understanding of teacher leadership, and (iii) the contribution of initial teacher education to pre-service teachers’ readiness for exercising leadership roles for school improvement. The study was conducted with pre-service teachers in the leading initial teacher education institution in Kosovo. A total of 42 pre-service teachers from all years of the Primary Teacher Education programme participated in four group interviews with the aim of discussing in depth the core elements of teacher leadership in order to better grasp the pre-service teachers’ understanding of this concept as well as their readiness to exercise leadership roles. A model devised by Snoek et al. (2019) was used as an analytical framework to determine the development of teacher leadership in initial teacher education. The study reveals that there is no consensus on the definition of teacher leadership. The findings show that the understanding of teacher leadership is based on a contextually drawn vision of what it means to be a teacher, resulting in a narrow view of leadership with regard to individual and classroom levels. The study concludes that initial teacher education has a critical role in contributing to shifting the conceptualisation of teacher leadership beyond the isolated views of individual and formal leadership. The findings have imperative implications for providing good models of initial teacher education that support the preparation and readiness of future teacher leaders to tackle the ever-increasing complexities of the teaching profession.","PeriodicalId":38159,"journal":{"name":"Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal","volume":"94 S88","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139165978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Susanne Kink-Hampersberger, Lisa Scheer, Iris Mendel
Teacher education’s primary goal is to train prospective teachers, which differs from study programmes, such as philosophy or mathematics, that do not cater to defined professions. This traditional understanding of the teaching profession becomes apparent when students ask: ‘How is this content, topic, method, task, or question relevant to school work?’ It is also reflected in the inclusion of practical school training in teacher education curricula. In Austria’s teacher training, these practical elements are accompanied by theoretical and methodological teaching foundations. However, students often question the applicability of theoretical knowledge to the teaching profession, which creates tension between the academic and pedagogical orientations. This paper discusses these very theory-practice tensions in teacher education based on findings from the project Habitus. Power.Education, which involved student teachers at an Austrian university. We argue that teacher training at universities is neither merely a place for producing a future workforce nor a self-growth space without purpose. Teacher training, rather, combines both (sometimes ambivalent) elements: education in its broadest sense and professional training. Using our empirical material, we show that the theory-praxis gap manifests in the tension between academic and pedagogical orientation. To address and mediate this tension, we propose the concept of habitus reflexivity. Promoting such a form of reflexivity among students makes it possible to bridge the gap between the different logics of university and school. Furthermore, it helps to comprehend inequality and power imbalances in the education system and develop agency, which is essential for navigating the ever-changing and complex world of modern schools.
{"title":"Between Academia and School: Habitus Reflexivity as One Way of Dealing with the Theory-Practice Tension in Teacher Education","authors":"Susanne Kink-Hampersberger, Lisa Scheer, Iris Mendel","doi":"10.26529/cepsj.1652","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1652","url":null,"abstract":"Teacher education’s primary goal is to train prospective teachers, which differs from study programmes, such as philosophy or mathematics, that do not cater to defined professions. This traditional understanding of the teaching profession becomes apparent when students ask: ‘How is this content, topic, method, task, or question relevant to school work?’ It is also reflected in the inclusion of practical school training in teacher education curricula. In Austria’s teacher training, these practical elements are accompanied by theoretical and methodological teaching foundations. However, students often question the applicability of theoretical knowledge to the teaching profession, which creates tension between the academic and pedagogical orientations. This paper discusses these very theory-practice tensions in teacher education based on findings from the project Habitus. Power.Education, which involved student teachers at an Austrian university. We argue that teacher training at universities is neither merely a place for producing a future workforce nor a self-growth space without purpose. Teacher training, rather, combines both (sometimes ambivalent) elements: education in its broadest sense and professional training. Using our empirical material, we show that the theory-praxis gap manifests in the tension between academic and pedagogical orientation. To address and mediate this tension, we propose the concept of habitus reflexivity. Promoting such a form of reflexivity among students makes it possible to bridge the gap between the different logics of university and school. Furthermore, it helps to comprehend inequality and power imbalances in the education system and develop agency, which is essential for navigating the ever-changing and complex world of modern schools.","PeriodicalId":38159,"journal":{"name":"Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal","volume":"211 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139165615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper deals with the science competences of fifth-grade students (ages 10 and 11 years) in Slovenia. The science content researched in this study comprises chemical concepts, such as aqueous solutions, states of matter, and nutrition. The science competence and science competencies that elementary school students are supposed to develop are defined. In the following, the concept of attitude towards science and its role in the construct of science competence is explained. The three components of science competencies of the 10- and 11-year-old students were measured using a knowledge test to cover content and procedural knowledge and a questionnaire to measure the attitude of students towards science. The findings reveal that procedural knowledge is the least developed among students. It is also confirmed that attitude components have an important role in interpreting overall science competency test achievements. In the conclusion, the holistic view of the development of science competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitude) is emphasised. Further study of the attitudes towards science in relation to science competence development in a broader way is suggested.
{"title":"Fifth-grade Students’ Science Competencies – An Opportunity to Rethink Further Education for Science Competence","authors":"Matija Purkat, Iztok Devetak","doi":"10.26529/cepsj.1658","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1658","url":null,"abstract":"This paper deals with the science competences of fifth-grade students (ages 10 and 11 years) in Slovenia. The science content researched in this study comprises chemical concepts, such as aqueous solutions, states of matter, and nutrition. The science competence and science competencies that elementary school students are supposed to develop are defined. In the following, the concept of attitude towards science and its role in the construct of science competence is explained. The three components of science competencies of the 10- and 11-year-old students were measured using a knowledge test to cover content and procedural knowledge and a questionnaire to measure the attitude of students towards science. The findings reveal that procedural knowledge is the least developed among students. It is also confirmed that attitude components have an important role in interpreting overall science competency test achievements. In the conclusion, the holistic view of the development of science competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitude) is emphasised. Further study of the attitudes towards science in relation to science competence development in a broader way is suggested.","PeriodicalId":38159,"journal":{"name":"Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal","volume":"24 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138947006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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