Global Education Review (Mercy College, New York)
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What About Elementary Level Teachers: A Closer Look At The Intersection Between Standardization And Multilingualism
Full text linkThe specialized literature in the field of education has not focused in what ways the multilingual classroom setting exacerbates teachers’ tension concerning the need to comply with standards, on the one hand, and the aspiration to embrace diversity, on the other hand. That is to say, there is a need to understand how teachers adapt to confront the tension between standardization and multilingualism.
Understanding teachers’ experiences will be important to inform policy with regards to the implementation of standardized testing in multilingual settings and how these affect the cultural rights of minority students. The way teachers surf or navigate the tension will inform to what extent cultural rights of ethnic minority students are jeopardized due to the increasing interest in standardization.
Therefore, the purpose of this grounded study is to explore the adaptive process of elementary teachers in multilingual classrooms as they confront the tension between meeting the educational needs of multilingual students, while complying with the mandated standardization requirements in Miami public schools. The study adds to the vast literature on standardized testing by providing information about teachers’ experiences in highly multilingual settings, such in the public schools in Miami Dade County.
Understanding teachers’ experiences will be important to inform policy with regards to the implementation of standardized testing in multilingual settings and how these affect the cultural rights of minority students. The way teachers surf or navigate the tension will inform to what extent cultural rights of ethnic minority students are jeopardized due to the increasing interest in standardization.
Therefore, the purpose of this grounded study is to explore the experience and strategies of elementary teachers in multilingual classrooms as they confront the tension between meeting the educational needs of multilingual students while complying with the mandated standardization requirements in Miami public schools. The study adds to the vast literature on standardized testing by providing information about teachers’ experiences in highly multilingual settings, such in the public schools in Miami Dade County. 
The Relationship between Opportunities to Learn Algebra and Students’ Algebra Achievement: A Comparative Study
Full text linkThe article provides a report on the comparison of Opportunities to Learn algebra and eighth grade students’ algebra achievement in three countries: Botswana, Singapore and the United States. The study used student and teacher data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (2011 and 2015). By using a multilevel regression analysis, the study presents the models within the three countries of the relationships between Opportunities to Learn algebra and eighth-grade students’ algebra achievement of the recent TIMSS cycle. The findings indicate that the Opportunities to Learn algebra are context specific and align with the expectations of the curriculum guides from the governing bodies within the countries. Also, the study shows that students who learned particular algebra topics in the early grades had significantly higher algebra scores in the TIMSS 2015 assessment. In particular, students who had been taught properties of functions and simplifying and evaluating algebraic expressions before eighth grade in the United States had significantly higher scores. Also, Singaporean students who had been taught simple linear equations and inequalities and simultaneous equations had higher algebra scores. Implications for policy and research are discussed
Developing and Refining Usable, Accessible, and Culturally Relevant Materials to Maximize Parent-Child Interactions in Mathematics
No full textResearch indicates that parent involvement in their child’s education is positively related to academic achievement. The purpose of this manuscript is two-fold. First, we describe a home-based intervention designed to support parents’ involvement with their children in mathematics. The intervention was implemented with parents of children in Grades 1 and 2 in two rural parishes in Jamaica. Key components of the intervention included (a) six sets of mathematics learning materials, each covering foundational early mathematics concepts, and (b) educator-led workshops to implement the mathematics learning materials intended to support parents’ conceptual understanding of the mathematics concepts. Second, we describe the iterative development process used to create the sets of mathematics learning materials. Research and development activities included focus groups conducted with parents, teachers, members from the Ministry of Education, and community members; an external review for mathematical accuracy and cultural relevancy; and a feasibility study implemented with a small group of Jamaican parents. We detail the process used to refine the materials after each of these research activities to improve their usability, accessibility, and cultural relevancy. We hypothesize that parents’ involvement with their children will increase if they have access to accessible and culturally relevant mathematics learning materials
An Inquiry into the Who, Why, and How we Teach
Full text linkReview of the book Teaching with Purpose: An Inquiry into the Who, Why, and How we Teach by James D. Kirylo. The book provides essential understandings that are crucial in order to better conceptually and contextually teach with a sense of purpose.
“Teaching with Purpose: An Inquiry into the Who, Why, and How We Teach.” By James D. Kirylo. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-4758-1294-
The Role of Creative Coursework in Skill Development for University Seniors
Full text linkPrevious research suggests that creativity training can be effective in academic settings and that teachers in particular can have an impact on creativity. Furthermore, creativity is one of many transferable skills in higher education that will benefit students when they enter the workforce. This study extends research on creativity training and transferable skills in higher education, using data from the Senior Transitions topical module of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Responses from over 48,000 seniors at 227 different U.S colleges and universities were used to explore curricular differences across disciplinary fields as well as how exposure to creative coursework can predict confidence in numerous skills and abilities. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis provided support for a measure of exposure to creative coursework, and an ANOVA suggested significant differences by major fields, with arts majors showing a distinct advantage. Results from ordinary least squares regression models found that even after controlling for several demographic and institutional characteristics, creative coursework is a significant positive predictor of confidence in several different skills and abilities that are important for adapting to traditional and non-traditional work settings, including creative thinking, critical thinking, entrepreneurial skills, and networking abilities. Potential reasons for these patterns of results are discussed. These findings can help to inform curricular and programming enhancements for college students across all major fields, helping to better prepare them for their futures in various workplace settings
Teacher-led Professional Learning in Tanzania: Perspectives of Mathematics Teacher Leaders
Full text linkThis paper explores the perspectives of mathematics teacher leaders (MTLs) on teacher-led professional learning (TLPL). Shaped by notions of symbolic interactionism, the study employed a multisite case study design. Empirical data were collected through in-depth interviews. The study revealed the practice of TLPL influential in facilitating teacher participation and engagement in learning; encouraging long-term teacher collaboration and interaction; inviting integration of teaching experiences; inviting contextualization of professional learning; and more importantly, in promoting sustainability of professional learning of mathematics teachers. A significant implication of this study is that the education system of Tanzania needs to encourage and empower mathematics teachers to become teacher leaders for them to be able to lead and support the professional learning of mathematics teachers within their schools
A Waterfall Model for Providing Professional Development for Elementary School Teachers: A Pilot Project to Implement a Competency-Based Approach
Full text linkSupporting the professional development of teachers to enhance mathematics learning is an important consideration of global education initiatives. However, designing and implementing professional development depends on the structures in place in different contexts. For instance, some structures involve different roles played by the different actors in the schooling system. Thus, school board consultants, principals, inspectors and teachers might be in charge of providing information, coaching, training or educating teachers. Those policies and practices are key components when designing and implementing professional development for teachers at a large scale. This article presents an initiative supported by UNICEF in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In 2015, the DRC undertook a transitional approach to school reform by adopting a situation-based approach “Approche par les Situations (APS)” in the elementary school curriculum. An experimental pilot project to improve teaching and learning Mathematics and Language Arts in elementary school was set up. To this end, learning situations were created and 80 teachers were trained in the use of these situations in class using a waterfall model of professional development. The results indicated positive contributions resulting from the teacher-enacted situation-based approach, but also exposed functional problems of implementing a waterfall model to support teachers at a large scale. Our results highlight the challenge of supporting all teachers in a global context
Creativity and Pre-Service Teacher Education: What You See is What You Get
Full text linkThis essay discusses creativity in the classroom, constraints and the lack of creativity modeling in undergraduate teacher education programs, and some simple changes that can be made. This lack of models and modeling of creativity in the teacher education classrooms leads to a lack of creativity in teaching, activity design, tasks, and assessments. Issues related to lack of creativity in the education system are discussed from the student, faculty, state, and government levels. 
Learning to Teach in a Global Crisis: Teachers’ Insights from a Temporary Non-Formal Refugee Education Project in Gaziantep
Full text linkTurkey is home to 1.2 million child refugees whom has been the most vulnerable since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, which is considered to be the worst humanitarian crisis of this century. More than 50% of school age child refugees are out of school (UNICEF, 2017) in Turkey. This paper reports one of the findings of a case study of a temporary non-formal education project (Learning Turkish)1, that focused on supporting 4-6-year-old Syrian children with Turkish language and literacy development. The purpose of the paper is to focus on the teachers’ and administrators’ experiences in learning to teach young refugees in the time of crisis. Data sources include in-person interviews and observations. Findings from this study confirm that in times of crisis teachers and administrators focus on being in the moment, teaching in the moment and learning to teach refugee children. Teachers and administrators reported that the experience in this project contributed to their teaching and personal development and enhanced their civic responsibility and personal growth. This study also confirmed that improvements are needed in making schooling available to all refugee children and training teachers to work with students who have experienced trauma. One of the limitations of the project was its unsustainability due to funding. The paper concludes with implications for educational policy makers and non-formal education providers
The Importance of Educating Refugees
Full text linkThe Syrian war, the overall increase in refugee flows over the last few years, and the participation of student refugees at all levels of education, has brought the important, ongoing issue of refugee education into the spotlight. Although education is a sovereign right of the refugee population, underpinned by relevant international law (UNHCR, 2000), many matters concerning the education of refugees continue to remain open. These include the search for better policies and strategies for the effective education of refugee students, ways of creating equal opportunities and social justice, and reducing the educational and social exclusion of people with refugee identity