European educational reforms call for the implementation of evidence-based teaching (EBT) in universities. Based on the evidence-based research paradigm in medical education, this study investigates the relationship between teacher educators' research experience, practical knowledge, self-efficacy beliefs, and frequency of EBT implementation. We report on survey data from N = 243 teacher educators from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. A set of mediation analyses were run to identify the mediating role of self-efficacy beliefs and practical knowledge in the interplay among teacher educators' research experience and frequency of research evidence implementation. The results indicate that self-efficacy beliefs are a strong predictor of how frequently teacher educators implement EBT. Implications about the role of self-efficacy beliefs in teacher educators' professional learning and development along with future steps that are necessary to increase the implementation of EBT practices in teacher education will be discussed.
In primary schools, the benefits of incorporating technology in curricula have been addressed by several studies; however, technology integration as experienced by teachers is often overlooked. Teachers’ lack of confidence teaching STEM and technology subjects, their lack of appropriate preparation along with unclear curricula frameworks in technology education, and the ambiguity of the definition of technology education have scarcely been discussed in the literature. This study explored teachers’ experiences with the current integration of technology and identified challenges to the integration of technology and areas where support is needed. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and were analyzed using content analysis. Content knowledge, proper training, and professional development programs on the integration of technology along with the need for clear and unanimous curricula standards have been perceived as important factors in the integration of technology education. Participants also acknowledged the need for the establishment of teaching communities wherein they can learn from one another. Our study discusses implications for research and practice and provides a knowledge base for the establishment of well-structured professional development courses based on teacher needs.
The results of international comparison studies such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) have initiated intense discussions about educational reforms in Germany. Although in-service and pre-service teachers are an essential part of such reforms, little is known about their attitudes towards PISA studies. The present study aims to fill this gap through the investigation of pre-service teachers' awareness, interest, perception, and attitudes towards PISA. A questionnaire was used to survey a sample of 107 university students who were participating in a teacher education program. The results reveal that 100% of the participants are aware of PISA. Nearly 69% of the participants think that the impact of PISA is rather high or very high, while 41% of them believe that PISA results are reliable. Accordingly, half of the participants seem to be interested in PISA results for their country. The present study discusses these findings in the light of the expected outcomes as proposed in standards for teacher education.
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