'boundary crossing' Search Results
A Critical Examination of the Impacts and Lessons Learned from a Professional Development Program for Out-of-Field Mathematics Teachers
out-of-field teachers professional development mathematics teacher education mathematical knowledge for teaching...
As international concerns about the prevalence of out-of-field teaching have grown, so have discussions about how to support out-of-field teachers. In Ireland, the Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching, a two-year professional development program, was created for out-of-field mathematics teachers. A pre-test, post-test, and final survey examined the program’s impact on participating teachers’ mathematical knowledge, confidence in teaching curricular content, and classroom practice. Findings offer evidence of development in participating teachers’ mathematical knowledge and self-efficacy after completing the program. They also raise important concerns about persistent weaknesses in participating teachers’ mathematical knowledge, particularly related to key areas of the curriculum.
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Teaching Science Out-of-field: Beliefs and Practices
boundary crossing constructivist beliefs out-of-field science teaching process beliefs...
Out-of-field teaching in science is a phenomenon in many secondary schools across the world. While the reasons for out-of-field teaching are complex, its incidence is heightened in low socio-economic communities and in regional and remote school locations. Research on out-of-field science teaching in secondary schools has tended to focus on teacher competence, particularly in relation to pedagogical content knowledge. However, while teachers’ beliefs and teaching practices within their specialist subject are shown to be related, it is unclear how teachers’ beliefs and practices alter when teaching across subject boundaries. Using a boundary-crossing lens, where teachers engage in passing back and forth between different contexts, this study explored the relationship between teachers’ beliefs about their in-field and out-of-field discipline (science) and the connections to their teaching practice. Interview data, including a video-stimulated interview of a lesson in a teacher’s specialist field and then a subsequent out-of-field lesson, were analysed using the framework of a belief that investigated the relationships between in-field and out-of-field beliefs and practices. Findings indicate that those who teach science out-of-field revert to traditional ways of teaching, despite being more open and adventurous in their in-field discipline areas. However, there were significant instances of boundary crossing with their pedagogy to support their teaching – both in-field and out-of-field. These findings support the development of structured mechanisms and strategies to assist teachers to cross boundaries to establish new and unique interdisciplinary practices.
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