Journal of Educational Practice and Research

• Using “5Why Scaffolding Questioning” in Community Resources

  Chow-Chin Lu, Lin-Yao Ke, Jon-Chao Hong

   

   

  The study examined whether twenty three primary teachers who were trained in using 5Why scaffolding questioning could design questioning activities to allocate proper community resources for science and technology courses. The results show that (1) teachers incorporate 5Why scaffolding questioning in one of the activities provided in the textbook and guide students to draw fishbone diagrams first. Then, teachers look for community resources based on teaching needs and design 5Why scaffolding questioning activities. After the community resources activities, teachers and students go back to their classrooms and discuss related topics. Using fishbone diagrams, teachers guide students to identify the main cause to a problem. (2)Primary teachers choose nature experience-based community resources to help them design cognitive and affective activities in biology topics. They also choose exposition-based community resources to guide students to learn scientific knowledge through factual phenomena. Because all participating teachers consider 5Why scaffolding questioning to be time-consuming and hard to enforce, we recommend that teachers can use 5Why scaffolding questioning on suitable topics from textbooks or club activities.

   

Keyword：5Why scaffolding questioning, fishbone diagram, community resource 

• A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry and Reflection on the Experience of Examination for Ninth Graders

  Hui-Ju Hsu

   

   

  Examination taking experience can be regarded as the collective memories for all of us when we were students; however, few researches focused on students’ lived experience of examination. The purpose of this study was to seek and understand the examination taking experience of junior high school students. Hermeneutic phenomenology was adopted as the research methodology to discover and interpret the essence and hidden meanings behind the examination taking experiences, and reflect upon teachers’ teaching practice. Thematic analysis was used to identify and clarify the themes. Six essential themes were identified as follows: First, examinations encircle students’ world where all the people (including students, parents and teachers) are alienated. Second, in such lived world, students suffer strong emotion laden experiences. Third, exams may be experienced as numbers and have a great effect on people’s cognition and identification. Fourth, examinations are just like the process of producing economic goods. Fifth, examinations oppress student entities, and as a result, students resist to learn. Sixth, the examination and cheating coexist and become teachers’ and students’ survival tactics. Finally, a pedagogical discussion aims to remind educators about the need to reflect on their examination practices.

   

  Keyword：hermeneutic phenomenology, examination experience, thematic analysis

• The Content Analysis of Algebra Material in the Elementary Mathematic Textbooks of Taiwan and Hong Kong

  Wei-Min Hsu & Yu-Ting Hsu

   

   

  This study was to explore how algebra materials were presented in the elementary mathematics textbooks in Taiwan and Hongkong. Kang-Hsuan version of mathematics textbook for 9 year compulsory education in Taiwan, and 21 century modern version in Hongkong were analyzed through content analysis. Analytic categories were designed to analyze the distribution arrangement of algebraic concepts between the two versions of math textbooks. This study found that although algebra contents are presented differently between the two versions, the overall teaching goals of the algebra content are similar: both emphasized the concepts of “building basic algebra concepts”, and “understand and apply symbols of unknown quantity”. There was a different arrangement of algebra concepts: Taiwan adopted a spiral method and integrated with number as a unit, whereas Hong Kong adopted a thematic method and presented independent unit of algebra. The presentation and arrangement of algebra concepts were mostly consistent with the teaching goals set by the two countries. According to statistical results of category counting, “relation and equation”, and “basic algebra concepts” algebra contents occurs most often in both versions of the elementary mathematic textbooks.

   

  Keyword：content analysis method, algebraic material, elementary mathematics textbook

• The Practical Discourses of Curriculum Action Research:From One-Self Towards Social Culture

  Pei-Hsuan Lin

   

   

  Curriculum action research can be seen a public form of practical discourses done by practitioners systematically collecting information about curriculum practice. This paper argues that some action research has concentrated on the concern of self-service instead of the caring of broad social purposes. Due to the orientation of self-service, curriculum action research hardly evokes public dialogue. To initiate the enlightened function of action research on social caring around curriculum practice, this paper intends to interpret the nature of practice discourse, to analyze the phenomena of self-service orientation, and to propose some approaches for future curriculum action research.

   

Keyword：curriculum action research, practical discourse, curriculum practice

• Collective Teacher Efficacy:Concept, Measurement and Research

  Chun-Weil Chen

   

   

  The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept, measurement, and research on collective teacher efficacy. First, the definitions, conceptual foundations, and characteristics of collective teacher efficacy were explained. Then the measurement instruments of collective teacher efficacy as well as related measurement issues were explored. In addition to reviewing the empirical research findings of collective teacher efficacy, this article also analyzed the relationships between teacher self-efficacy and collective teacher efficacy. Finally, future research trends in collective teacher efficacy were discussed.

   

  Keyword：collective teacher efficacy, teacher self-efficacy

• The Development of University-School Partnerships:A Literature Review

  Chih-Lin Sun

   

   

  The development of university-school partnerships is an important issue in teacher education policy and practice. However, the nature and value of university-school partnerships is not well understood. The development of university-school partnerships has positive impacts for both universities and schools. Through partnership, schools can gain new ideas and knowledge, while universities can get renewal from the access to school practices. In the long run, teacher quality can be improved in the process of partnership development. To enhance teacher quality, universities and schools need to establish partnerships, reinforce collaboration, and invest in teachers’ professional development. This paper focuses on the development of university-school partnerships and proposes implications for both teacher education and school practices that can enhance the quality of teachers. First, it described the origins, the concepts, and the types of university-school partnerships. Then, the developmental process of university-school partnerships was analyzed. Further, it examined the benefits and problems of university-school partnerships. Finally, some implications for developing university-school partnerships were discussed.

   

Keyword：partnership, collaboration, teacher education, teacher quality