Need and Scope of In-Service Teacher Education | In-Service Training of Computer Education to Teachers | Secondary Education | Course Code 8624 | AIOU |

QUESTION:

 Discuss the need and scope of in-service teacher education. Is there a need to give in-service training in computer education to teachers to improve their methods of teaching?

Course: Secondary Education
Course code 8624
Level: B.Ed (1.5 Years)
Solved Assignment

ANSWER:

In-service teacher education is broadly defined as any learning opportunity for practicing teachers. The term in-service teacher designates a teacher that has certification or is already teaching in a classroom, in contrast to a pre-service teacher, who is in the process of preparing to become a teacher.

 

Pre-service and in-service teacher learning has changed over time. This is due to the evolution of how the field has moved. In particular, there has been a shift from many educators aligning with behavioral theories of teaching and learning to more constructivists, sociocultural, and situated theories of teaching and learning. In-service teacher education has gone from one-shot workshops where an expert imparts knowledge to teachers in a traditional lecture-style workshop to more professional learning opportunities where teachers engage in communities of learning: unpacking content, examining teachers ‘instruction, and analyzing student thinking.

Through this evolution, in-service teacher education has become synonymous with professional development or professional learning. These trends and the different ways that the field of education conceptualizes teaching and learning have broad yet important implications for in-service teacher education and professional development. In particular, the language and jargon associated with the field have changed to reflect the transformed theories or stances. For instance, the terms in-service teacher education and staff development are now more commonly referred to as teacher professional development and professional learning respectively. Due to this evolution of the field and the aligned adjustments in terminology in this article, we purposefully use the vocabulary that is consonant with the article under review in this volume.

Additionally, this annotated bibliography builds on the Oxford Bibliographies in Education article by Stephanie Hirsch, Joellen Killion, and Joyce Pollard titled “Professional Development,” but provides a distinct framework and selection of annotations. We have selected articles that focus on the impact of professional development on one or more of the following: teachers’ knowledge, teachers’ instructional practices, and student learning. We also put forth a new theoretical construct to analyze research on in-service teacher education and professional development. Synthesizing and detailing the best current knowledge on teacher professional development (PD), this annotated bibliography highlights

• Research on the impact of different models of in-service teacher education on teacher learning and instruction and/or student learning,
•  Handbooks and handbook chapters related to in-service learning and professional development, 
• Salient reports, theoretical articles, and meta-analyses that have been written on professional development and in-service teacher education.

In-service training of computer education to teachers

In Greece, the teaching of Computing and ICT in secondary education is conducted by teachers holding an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Applied Informatics.  

Secondary Education in Greece is divided into two cycles: compulsory lower secondary and non-compulsory Upper Secondary Education. Compulsory lower secondary education is provided in Gymnasium, while non-compulsory upper secondary education is provided in one of two types of schools: the General Lyceum (GL) and Vocational Lyceum (EPAL). In General Lyceum, both day and evening, ICT has been taught as a lecture or direction course since 1999.

 

 In the last two classes of General Lyceum, students select one of three directions, (technological, scientific, or theoretical). If students in the last grade select the technological direction, they attend a course in algorithms and programming, entitled “Application Development in a Programming Environment”, for which they are assessed through national exams. The grade acquired in this examination is part of the consideration used in selecting students for admission to higher education programs.

 

The overall aim of the course is to develop analytical and synthetic thinking, acquire methodological skills and be able to solve simple problems within a programming environment. Many basic algorithmic and programming concepts, such as conditions, expressions, and logical reasoning, are fundamentals of general knowledge and skills to be acquired in general education; most of these concepts are not presented in other disciplines.

 

 The curriculum states that this subject must be taught (at least partially) in a computer lab. The Greek Pedagogical Institute (Ministry of Education) has certified specific Educational Software to support the lab work. During the lab hour, teachers can use technological tools to facilitate the learning process.

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