Vol. 36-1 (2023/4)
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Chun-Wei Pan, Hui-Ting Wang*, Shu-Fei Tsai, & Pei-Fang Wu
Positive behavior support (PBS) has been widely emerged as an effective framework to support positive behaviors and address challenging behaviors. To effectively implement PBS, professional development is essential for teachers. However, research indicates that one-time workshops have limited effectiveness. Thus, the purpose of this study was to employ an online three-tier teacher training (3TTT) model to implement a PBS curriculum, and to explore its effects on the knowledge improvement among six general education teachers. The three-tier model consisted of asynchronous self-study, synchronous group workshop, and one-on-one coaching. Using a single-subject changing conditions design, quantitative data were visually analyzed, and qualitative data as well as participant feedback were integrated to support the findings of the study. The findings revealed that: 1) Two out of six teachers met the response criteria at Tier 2, 2) knowledge improved for five out of six teachers, with two teachers meeting the response criteria, 3) all five teachers agreed that applying behavioral skills training was beneficial for learning and practice, and four teachers had a positive attitude towards the PBS curriculum, 4) four out of five teachers agreed that the online 3TTT model aligned with their learning styles and preferences, and provided different levels of support, and 5) four out of five teachers believed that PBS was helpful in managing student behavior problems, expressed willingness to use it in the future, and demonstrated confidence in preventing potential behavior problems. This study represents the first in Taiwan utilizing the three-tier training model. The findings highlighted the utility of three-tier model, the importance of diverse learning resources, and the necessity of behavior skills training. Future research may consider expanding the scale of the 3TTT, strengthening behavior skill training through practical skill practice, extending PBS curriculum and exploring changes in teacher behavior.
Keyword：general education teacher, online training, positive behavior support, single-subject design, three-tier model
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Wen-Yan Chen & Li-Li Huang*
The study aimed to investigate the effects of teachers’ ability-based beliefs and effort-based beliefs on their behavioral intention for curriculum reform via their beliefs about learning. Data was collected through a survey from 1,195 public junior high and senior high school teachers in Taiwan. The data analysis involved descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The main findings were as follows:1) Teachers’ score on effort-based belief was significantly higher than their score on ability-based belief, reaching a high-intermediate level. Teachers’ beliefs about community learning and student-centered instruction reached high and high-intermediated levels. Their change behavioral intention showed a positive attitude toward the curriculum reform at a high-intermediate level.2) In the mediation model, teachers’ effort-based belief directly affected their beliefs about community learning and learner-centered instruction. Moreover, the effort-based belief could positively influence change behavioral intention through different indirect paths via its impact on belief of community learning and belief of learner-centered instruction. Conversely, the ability-based belief had a negative effect on teachers’ change behavioral intention. The study revealed that teachers’ beliefs about community learning and student-centered instruction were critical to their behavioral intention for the reform. Moreover, teachers’ beliefs about effort and ability were found to be fundamental cultural factors influencing their conceptions of learning and their behavioral intention for change.
Keyword：ability-based belief, belief about community learning, belief about learner-centered instruction, change behavioral intention, curriculum reform, effort-based belief , teacher belief
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Ming-Hsu Wang*
The article aims to develop teamwork tetralogy, a series of four related strategies, through collaborative learning. The study employs a mixed-methods research design, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires, while qualitative data was gathered from group project discussions and analysis of learning portfolios. This triangulation of data sources and methods allows for a thorough examination and evaluation of the learning outcomes. Through triangulation, the influence of independent variables on dependent variables, as well as the phenomenon of team trust, interaction, and knowledge sharing during the process of team collaboration were explored. Reviewing recent research, the importance of teamwork or collaborative learning to interdisciplinary learning in the field of education has been highlighted, particularly in response to the trend of interdisciplinary collaborative problem-solving in the real world. However, despite the abundance of theoretical research findings, a gap remains in addressing practical challenges and providing teaching steps in universities.
The results show that teamwork tetralogy significantly improved team work and motivation on interdisciplinary studies. Results from qualitative feedback, show that students enjoyed the process of collaborative learning more than the outcome. The positive atmosphere and attitude helped design thinking course. The knowledge sharing facilitated by teamwork tetralogy plays a crucial role in fostering effective team dynamics, including enhanced team interaction and increased levels of trust among team members. Furthermore, in the process of mutual subjectivity, team leadership is no longer a significant factor influencing team collaboration. In summary, teamwork tetralogy can foster a flexible and diverse atmosphere, leading to improvements in participants’ creative thinking, motivation, collaborative learning, attitude, and performance. Several suggestions are offered for educators to consider in the future.
Keyword：collaborative learning, design thinking, interdisciplinary learning, teamwork tetralogy
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Characteristics and Title Keywords of Teaching Practice Research Projects Driven by Open Data
Chih-Lin Chung* & Wei-Che Hsu
The Ministry of Education (MOE) recently initiated a teaching practice research (TPR) program for higher education which has drown participation of professors from 152 universities. The present data-driven study utilized the open data of 3,699 TPR projects from 2018 to 2020. The dataset includes project titles, disciplines, and information about applicants’ positions and affiliations. This research employed statistical analysis to identify TPR characteristics and issues, adopted text mining techniques to explore title keywords, and provides insights into the future development of TPR. This study represents Taiwan’s first macroscopic investigation on TPR, which could benefit instructors’ project applications, universities’ planning of TPR training programs, and MOE’s policy-making. The results reveal the following key findings: 1) The participation rate of full-time faculty members in the TPR program is low, with only 5-7 out of 100 faculty members applied and a further 2-3 being approved. Associate and assistant professors are the main contributors to TPR projects, and there is a similar project participation rate between applicants from public and private universities. Comprehensive and vocational universities targeted different TPR disciplines. While seven disciplines experienced an increase in project approval rate, five disciplines did not. Common issues identified include budget constraints and a lack of journal publishing opportunities for TPR reports. Participation rates also varies across individual disciplines and universities. 2) 14 sets of high-frequency terms, or quasi-keywords, in four categories were identified: (a) (learning) effectiveness and motivation for research targets; (b) integration, innovation, and cross-disciplinary for project highlights; (c) listening-speaking-reading-writing skills, thinking, programming, and literacy for learning competencies; and (d) project/problem-based learning (PBL), digital, flipped, cooperative learning, and gamification for pedagogical approaches.
Keyword：data-driven, scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), teaching practice research (TPR), text mining
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The Teaching Guidelines and Strategies of Bilingual Teaching in Taiwan
Chin-Fen Chen*
Based on the author’s experiences of implementing “Projects for Bilingual Teaching in Public Primary and Secondary Schools”, which has been commissioned by the Ministry of Education since 2018 and her experience of supervising 155 bilingual primary and secondary schools, the author elaborates the major concepts of bilingual education and suggests appropriate teaching guidelines and strategies to resolve doubts and anxiety of both teachers and school administrators, including providing sufficient, comprehensible language input, adjust Chinese and English usage patterns and timing flexibly, integrating English into subject teaching process, applying inquiry-based teaching method, making good use of existing multiple teaching resources, focusing on subject knowledge and adopting formative assessment, which will dispel teachers’ doubts and relieve their anxiety of conducting bilingual education and further to enhance their willingness and confidence in participating in bilingual instruction. Finally, several suggestions are also offered for school administrators who intend to plan and implement bilingual education.
Keyword：bilingual instruction, curriculum standard and guidelines, English integrated into subject teaching, inquiry-based learning, multiple auxiliary teaching resources
