Abstract

In the 21st Century, it is imperative for new teachers to be well prepared for utilizing technology to enhance instruction and increase student learning. While this is true for all teacher education programs it may be more challenging for those steeped in the liberal arts. With an emphasis on thinking liberally and understanding a breadth of knowledge from across the disciplines, adding separate educational technology courses to the already robust program certification requirements is difficult. Some teacher preparation programs have succumbed to this pressure and require all teacher certification candidates to enroll in and pass a course designed for the use of educational technology. This immersion approach ensures all teacher candidates are introduced to the use of technology in education. In a small, liberal arts institution, the author and his colleagues have chosen a different path. Although it requires tremendous coordination and communication, we infuse our curricular content and methods courses with technology so that it is in context and concert with the actual content and pedagogy. This article will examine the current research and explore the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach in preparing undergraduates for teacher certification. The specifics of the context will provide further reasons why this infusion approach appears to be the most effective for preparing teacher candidates to successfully use educational technology.

Abstract

In schools, teachers come across pupils who have diverse abilities and special needs. Some of the learners achieve high and some may lag behind in their learning. They may face learning problems such as difficulties in listening, speaking, thinking, reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, calculating or social skills. It is a great challenge on the part of teachers and trained educational specialists to deal with those children with learning disorders through the adoption of different educational strategies.

In the current scenario, theatre education has emerged as an innovative strategy to mitigate the gap between educators and the educated. Theater education is beginning to be seen as a unique hybrid of performance and child-centred learning. This educational medium initially aims to acquaint teachers with the concepts of learning and using the experiential method in teaching. This kind of synergy uniting classroom instruction and theatrical tools provides for students educational environment in its most effective way as it is both visual and auditory in a sophisticated fashion.

Theatre education has been designed in many institutions across the globe to broaden the base of knowledge, hone skills, facilitate age-specific learning etc. Many theatrical companies today specialize in performances designed to cater to the needs of children with learning disabilities. It is seen that four components go into the success of this programme — thorough familiarity with the system of education, the use of experiential gains, openness to innovative ideas and presence of experts from the world of theatre.  So theater education seeks to create a wide range of learning opportunities across the whole curriculum in an inclusive setting.

Abstract

In efforts aimed at acquainting learners with ‘how to learn’ skills rather than static content knowledge, more student-centric instructional approaches are being increasingly adopted in informing curriculum design and delivery. Technology-rich problem solving environments offer great promise in scaffolding and facilitating student-centred learning. Geographic information system is one powerful technology that enables learners to become proficient spatial problem solvers, analytical users of geographic information and expert decision makers. This paper investigates the pedagogical benefits of GIS in influencing students’ problem solving performances in Singapore. Data was collected by administering a likert-scale based questionnaire constructed specifically for this study and analysed using statistical method. Students participated in this research highlighted many of the instructional strengths of GIS that enabled them to become competent problem solvers and self-directed learners. They also pointed out some of the challenges which educators need to bear in mind in the development and enactment of GIS enabled pedagogy.

Abstract

The success of any educational reform depends upon the quality of teachers and in turn the quality of teachers depends to a large extent on the quality of teacher education and quality of teacher education mainly depends upon the teacher training institutions. Education is a nation building activity and teachers are the pillars of the educational system. At present the education colleges and some departments of education of public sector universities are given the responsibility of providing Pre Service training, and with in the institutions teacher educators have to play an important and vital role. The study was aimed to know the attitude and perception of teacher educators towards secondary school teacher training programme in Pakistan. To get the desire end a questionnaire of   75 items was constructed. Questionnaire was divided into sub sectors i.e. Admission criterion. Objectives of teacher training, Facilities available, Content of the courses, Methodology used by the teacher educators, Teaching practice and Evaluation procedure adopted by the teacher educators. Data were collected from 325 teacher educators from 26 institutions through out the country and data were analyzed by using mean score t test and ANOVA by comparing different variables i.e. age, gender, residence, institution, province, academic qualification, professional qualification, teaching experience, administrative experience. The study revealed that there is significant difference among the attitude and perception of teacher educators on selected variables i.e. age, gender, residence, institution, province, academic qualification, professional qualification, teaching experience, administrative experience. Beside it very interesting finding were found.

Abstract

There are indications that the new technologies could have radical implications for conventional teaching and learning processes. It notes that, in reconfiguring how teachers and learners gain access to knowledge and information, the new technologies challenge conventional conceptions of both teaching and learning materials, and teaching and learning methods and approaches. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are a major factor in shaping the new global economy and producing rapid changes in society. They have the potential to transform the nature of education-where and how learning takes place and the roles of students and teachers in the learning process. Teacher education institutions may either assume a leadership role in the transformation of education or be left behind in the swirl of rapid technological change. For education to reap the full benefits of ICTs in learning, it is essential that pre-service and in-service teachers have basic ICT skills and competencies. Teacher education institutions and programmes must provide the leadership for pre-service and in-service teachers and model the new pedagogies and tools for learning (Annaraja, P., Nima M Joseph. 2006).. ICT has great potential for enhancing teaching and learning outcomes. The realization of this potential depends much on how the teacher uses the technology. This would in turn depend, among other things, on the kind of training that the teacher has undergone. Teachers’ attitude towards ICT is a very important factor which stake-holders ought to consider in implementing ICT in education. With the introduction of the new ICT initiatives it becomes crucial particularly for newly qualified teachers to be confident in using ICT effectively in their teaching. (Maria Kyriakidou, 1999) This necessitated the researcher to develop a research tool to measure the attitude of B.Ed. teacher trainees towards ICT. The purpose of this study is to develop a research tool to measure the Attitude of B.Ed. teacher trainees towards ICT. Initially the tool was constructed with 34 statements and administered to 400 B.Ed., teacher trainees. In order to standardize the tool the researcher applied Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Cronbach Alpha test and‘t’ test.  After the item analysis 20 statements were considered for the final Tool.

Abstract

The present attempt is to study the use of computer and its possible relationship to Internet attitude, self-efficacy in computer and computer anxiety among higher secondary students. The present study aims at finding the levels of use of computer, Internet attitude, Self-efficacy in computer and computer anxiety among higher secondary students. The investigators have randomly selected 802 higher secondary students from higher secondary schools as sample. From the study, it is evident that use of computer, computer anxiety, internet attitude and self-efficacy in computer is average in higher secondary students. The results show that there is a relationship between use of computer and internet attitude of higher Secondary students. The results reveals that no relationship between Use of computer and Computer anxiety & Use of computer and self-efficacy in computer of higher Secondary students. This reveals that the use of computer, internet attitude and self-efficacy in computer of higher secondary students needs to be improved.  Computer anxiety of higher secondary students needs to be reduced.

Abstract

Teaching is deemed to be the noblest of all professions. The innovations in teaching techniques have placed the teacher educator’s approach individualized and more learner-centred. The advancement of science and technology has provided the modern teacher with better teaching aids and exposure. The novel methods of group discussion, symposium, seminar, debate and quiz programmes have tremendous influence upon the teaching-learning process effectively. The present study has focused on the teaching style of 30 teachers from colleges of education in the Union Territory of Puducherry. The data have been collected from the subject teachers, the teachers of humanities and language. The data have been analyzed by employing ‘t’ test and coefficient of concordance. The results reveal that in their instructional planning varies. The rewarding result of the observation is that there continues to be a linking feature.