10. Teacher Education Research
Paper
Promoting Beginning Science Teachers' Confidence and Competence in Engaging with Science/religion Encounters in the Classroom
Caroline Thomas1, Mary Woolley1, Robert A. Bowie1, Sabina Hulbert2, John-Paul Riordan1, Lynn Revell1
1Canterbury Christ Church University, United Kingdom; 2University of Kent, United Kingdom
Presenting Author: Thomas, Caroline;
Woolley, Mary
This paper examines findings from a large-scale Templeton World Charity Foundation-funded research project exploring primary and secondary beginning teachers' perspectives on science/religion encounters in classrooms in England. It considers the implications for practice within schools and universities engaged in initial teacher education (ITE).
Our research question is: What are the experiences of beginning secondary science teachers and beginning primary teachers in planning for and responding to science/religion encounters in the classroom? The paper intends to stimulate discussion on the implications of the research for ITE across Europe. We invite conference delegates to discuss how student teachers can best be prepared to plan for and manage encounters between science, religion and the broader humanities. Whilst there has been some focus on teachers' approaches to such encounters (Hall et al. (2014); Subedi, 2006; Mansour, 2015), little previous research addresses beginning teachers' experiences of science/religion encounters.
Science teachers across Europe face the challenge of engaging learners with diverse religious and non-religious beliefs and promoting science as a worthwhile career. Learners' religious beliefs and values can influence attitudes to science education and interpretations of scientific theories and evidence (Mansour, 2015), particularly aspects concerning life's origins. In an increasingly fragmented world, teachers need to respect learners' individuality whilst fostering open-mindedness, respect for evidence and the critical thinking skills required to investigate scientific theories. Teachers, however, may lack knowledge or even hold stereotypical views about religions other than their own (Subedi, 2006). Should learners perceive that science conflicts with or is independent of religion (Barbour, 2000), they may feel marginalised if their religious beliefs and values are compromised or are at odds with accepted science worldviews taught.
Unless teachers are sensitive to and acknowledge the different worldviews in the classroom, learners are left to make sense of the science-religion relationship. They face challenges in considering how their religious beliefs relate to science when tackling controversial issues concerning gender and evolution. There is a recognised need for teachers to challenge scientism amongst some learners, to ensure they understand the limits of scientific methods and do not disregard non-scientific ideas (Astley and Francis, 2010; Reiss, 2008). Engaging with beginning teachers' prior epistemological assumptions and presumptions during their ITE is crucial to support teachers in handling potentially sensitive science/religion encounters.
In England, religious education and science are statutory subjects in the school curriculum; The Religious Education Council of England and Wales (2013) promotes exploration of the ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews and suggest that learners should debate why some people consider science and religion to be incompatible. Although the Science National Curriculum emphasises the social and economic aspects of science (DfE, 2015), this is often delivered by the wider curriculum. Religious education teaching, however, differs across European countries and may not be taught at all. Despite such variations, ultimate issues relating to
morality, origins, sustainability and climate change can be taught across all European countries and will ultimately enable citizens of the future to make important lifestyle choices. Teachers need preparation to teach these topics and how to acknowledge moral and ethical issues in the science classroom.
Increased immigration across Europe, whether from Muslim countries or Eastern Europe, has contributed to more fundamental religious views and negative attitudes towards particular religious views, such as Islam (Subedi, 2006). Biesta et al. (2018) argue that religious literacy the responsibility of all curriculum teachers, not just Religious Education teachers. Religion, beliefs and values are part of human life, and science teachers need to engage learners with diverse worldviews in a respectful manner and promotes respect for religions and challenges stereotypical views.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe research employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection. Seventy-Five initial teacher education (ITE) students from 6 universities participated in 17 focus groups; Seven with primary education student teachers, seven with student RE student teachers and three with student science teachers. Contacts with ITE tutors facilitated a consistent approach to student-teacher recruitment. More RE students answered the call, leading to a discrepancy in the numbers of each kind of participant across the sample. The focus group protocol was drawn from a review of relevant literature, exploring five main aspects of science/religion encounters in the classroom. The university ethics committee agreed on a robust ethical framework to ensure participants' informed consent, anonymity and the appropriate safeguarding of data (BERA, 2018). Ethical approval was in place before data collection. Data from the focus groups was analysed and coded. This process identified various codes related to student experiences, which were then grouped into themes. The themes identified were a collection of similar data on similar topics, often semantic and explicitly expressed in the data (Braun and Clarke, 2006).
A semi-structured online survey with over 70 items was shared with ITE providers across England between March 2021 and June 2021. It was also shared with practising teachers using alumnae networks and social media. The survey targeted responses from early career teachers of science and RE, defined as either preservice training or their first two years post-qualification. A total of 949 teachers accessed the survey. Four hundred eighty-six early career teachers completed over 50% of the survey (324 primary; 76 secondary science; 86 secondary RE). It was considered an appropriate level to be included in the analyses for this paper. Online survey participants agreed they had read an information sheet about how data would be used, stored and reported. Upon completing the online survey, participants could choose to be entered into a draw to win vouchers. This incentive intended to publicise the survey in a period when teachers were under pressure due to the lockdown. The survey included sections on confidence and competence, experiences of planned and unplanned science/religion encounters, knowledge of science and religion and barriers and facilitators to teaching science/religion encounters.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThis paper discusses the findings from the student-teacher focus groups, beginning secondary science teachers and beginning primary teachers in the survey. Whilst beginning teachers reported limited experience in engaging with science/religion encounters, all aspired to plan for more science/religion encounters in their classrooms. Primary teachers were the most aspirational. Perceived barriers to planning for science/religion encounters included a lack of knowledge about religions, the purposes of religious education and confidence. Primary teachers experienced anxiety about parents' and
senior leaders' responses to such encounters. A central issue of concern was student teachers' access to sources of support. When asked where they might go for advice in teaching science/religion encounters, only half of the beginning teachers reported asking a university tutor or a school mentor for support. Instead, they were more likely to access internet video resources to seek new subject knowledge.
Focus group data enriched the survey findings. Student teachers had limited opportunities to plan for cross-disciplinary learning or observe the teaching of science/religion encounters by more experienced teachers. Furthermore, secondary science student teachers encountered a lack of collaboration between science and religious education teachers. All reported little experience in addressing questions that crossed disciplinary boundaries.
The findings raise questions for initial teacher education provision across Europe, where science teachers may experience different science/religion encounters within their unique classroom contexts. We consider the importance of including opportunities that promote the building of cross-disciplinary encounters in initial teacher education. Models of curriculum planning and inclusive pedagogies should support beginning teachers in managing such encounters. Student science teachers need support to develop competence and confidence in exploring questions and managing discussions around sensitive and controversial issues that cross subject boundaries. The findings indicate the importance of promoting dialogue between student teachers in multicultural, diverse Europe to promote inclusive cultures and pedagogical practices.
ReferencesAstley, J. and Francis, L.J. (2010) 'Promoting positive attitudes towards science and religion among sixth‐form pupils: dealing with scientism and creationism', British Journal of Religious Education, 32(3), 89-200.
Barbour, I. G. (2000) When Science Meets Religion: Enemies, Strangers or Partners, San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco.
Biesta, G., Aldridge, D., Hannam, P. and Whittle, S. (2018) Religious Literacy: A Way Forward for Religious Education? Culham St Gabriel’s Trust. Retrieved 14 March 2022 from https://www.reonline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Religious-Literacy-Biesta-Aldridge-Hannam-Whittle-June-2019.pdf
Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2022) Thematic Analysis: A Practical Guide London, SAGE.
British Educational Research Association [BERA] (2018) Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, fourth edition, London.
Department for Education (DfE) (2015) National curriculum in England: Science programmes of study. Available athttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-science-programmes-of-study [Accessed 30/1/2023].
Hall, S., McKinney, S., Lowden, K., Smith, M. & Beaumont, P. (2014) Collaboration between Science and Religious Education teachers in Scottish Secondary schools, Journal of Beliefs and Values, 35, 1. 90-107. DOI: 10.1080/13617672.2014.884846
Mansour, N. (2015) 'Science Teachers' Views and Stereotypes of Religion, Scientists and Scientific Research: A call for scientist–science teacher partnerships to promote inquiry-based learning', International Journal of Science Education, 37,11, 1767–1794. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2015.1049575.
Reiss, M.J. (2008) 'Should science educators deal with the science/religion issue?', Studies in Science Education, 44:2, 157-186, DOI: 10.1080/03057260802264214.
Religious Education Council of England and Wales. (2013). A Review of Religious Education in England. London: Religious Education Council of England and Wales.
Smith, W. R. (2012). Culture of collaboration. School Administrator, 69,1, 14 – 20.
Subedi, B. (2006) 'Preservice Teachers' Beliefs and Practices: Religion and Religious Diversity', Excellence and Equity in Education, 39. 3, 227-238.
10. Teacher Education Research
Paper
Out-of-school Learning Places in the Focus of Future Science Teachers
Annkathrin Wenzel, Jan Roland Schulze, Eva Blumberg
Paderborn University, Germany
Presenting Author: Wenzel, Annkathrin;
Schulze, Jan Roland
The importance of out-of-school places of learning for education in Germany has been clearly highlighted since the first PISA results in 2001 (Deinet & Derecik, 2016). Numerous advantages are recognised for visiting an out-of-school place of learning. For example, it is an opportunity to awaken new motivation in students, to give them new ideas (Karpa et al., 2015) and to positively influence attitudes towards (unpopular) school subjects (Richter & Komorek, 2022); the unusual experiences can be helpful in this regard (Kleß, 2015). However, visiting an out-of-school place of learning also involves additional work compared to the established teaching settings in the classroom, as well as problems in evaluating students by the classical criteria (Sauerborn & Brühne, 2020). Further opportunities and challenges of out-of-school learning were summarised by Kindermann and Riegel (2015) and Kuske-Janßen et al. (2020)). Out-of-school places of learning are becoming increasingly popular because of the numerous advantages and opportunities they offer (Jäkel, 2021) and are increasingly gaining in importance (Deinet & Derecik, 2016).
The increasing combination of school and out-of-school places of learning represents a characteristic change of the modern school in Germany (Budde & Hummrich, 2016). According to Deinet and Derecik (2016), a comprehensive education can only take place in cooperation between the school and out-of-school partners. This is especially required for the teaching of science in primary schools (Blaseio, 2016). When visiting an out-of-school place of learning, subject competence as well as methodological competence, social competence and personal competence can be addressed (Sauerborn & Brühne, 2020). The attraction for the students is to leave the classroom and to step out of the usual school environment and everyday lessons (Karpa et al., 2015).
This could also be the case for teachers, but this still needs to be analysed. In general, studies on out-of-school places of learning deal almost exclusively with students and not with teachers (Kindermann & Riegel, 2015). Even fewer studies deal with future teachers. This study will change this situation. In addition to the attitudes and opinions of future primary school science teachers towards out-of-school learning places, their general definition of these places will also be identified. Out-of-school learning locations and out-of-school learning are not defined in a standardised way. Sauerborn and Brühne (2020) point out these definitional difficulties several times.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedSince there are very few or no studies to this date that look at the opinions and attitudes of future teachers of science in primary school, a study was developed with the following research questions:
1) How do future teachers of science at primary school define out-of-school places of learning?
2) What opportunities and potential do the future teachers believe a visit to the out-of-school place of learning offers?
3) What barriers and disadvantages do the future teachers see in the visiting?
4) Which are the criteria that are most important to them when choosing a visit to an out-of-school place of learning in science education?
The interviews are carried out using an interview guideline. This guideline contains questions on various aspects of the out-of-school learning place or a corresponding visit. The guideline interview method was chosen because although it gives a general structure to the interview, there is still room for flexibility in the process. Thus, the questions can be adapted or changed. A standardisation is reached by structuring the topics in terms of content (Döring & Bortz, 2016).
For the available material, the content-structuring qualitative analysis of data according to Kuckartz and Rädiker (2022) is used. The qualitative content analysis is an interpretative form of evaluation that is linked to the human understanding and interpretation skills (Kuckartz & Rädiker, 2022). All process steps are run through and complemented by iteration and feedback steps. The formation of categories happens mostly in an inductive way. The categories are thus defined on the basis of the material. Only some categories for the opportunities and disadvantages of visiting an out-of-school place of learning can be extracted from the literature. A detailed code manual is prepared for the fixation.
To check the quality of the analysis, the intercoder reliability is then calculated. The second coder processed about 20 % of the text material on the basis of the codebook. According to (Döring & Bortz, 2016, p. 558), at least 10-20% of the data material should be processed by two coders. Cohen's Kappa is determined as the reliability coefficient. The entire analysis was carried out using the MAXQDA 2022 software. The statements are straightened out in language for better readability. To illustrate the results, the anchor examples are translated into English. This procedure does not falsify the material.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsAt the moment, interviews are being taken with the future teachers of science for the primary school. By the time of the conference, the study will be completed and the around 20 interviews will have been analysed in order to be able to present specific results. In this way, it should be possible to record the status quo of the opinions and attitudes of future teachers in science education. According to Kuske-Janßen et al. (2020), it is to be anticipated that there could be a need for optimisation in the area of out-of-school learning places and out-of-school learning, which concerns the theoretical and practical examination. As a consequence of the interviews and the results, relevant contents and events could be increasingly integrated into the teaching of future teachers. In addition, it might make sense to introduce future teachers to specific out-of-school places of learning. The qualification of prospective teachers at university must diversify its range of seminars in a way that out-of-school learning places become attractive enough that they demonstrate broad academic potential to a heterogenous group of students in primary school. Evaluating and analyzing interviews of teacher education students on the topic of out-of-school learning we do not only aim to develop attractive classes which highlight the potential of out-of-school learning in primary school, but also intend to provide didactic solutions to circumvent the inhibitions of teaching outside the classroom. In addition, studies with actual science teachers in primary schools are also planned afterwards in order to be able to offer corresponding offers for this status group as well.
ReferencesReferences
Blaseio, B. (2016). Außerschulische Lernorte im Sachunterricht: Vielperspektivisches Sachlernen vor Ort. In J. Erhorn & J. Schwier (Eds.), Pädagogik. Pädagogik außerschulischer Lernorte: Eine interdisziplinäre Annäherung (pp. 261–282). transcript Verlag.
Budde, J., & Hummrich, M. (2016). Die Bedeutung außerschulischer Lernorte im Kontext der Schule – eine erziehungswissenschaftliche Perspektive. In J. Erhorn & J. Schwier (Eds.), Pädagogik. Pädagogik außerschulischer Lernorte: Eine interdisziplinäre Annäherung (pp. 29–52). transcript Verlag.
Deinet, U., & Derecik, A. (2016). Die Bedeutung außerschulischer Lernorte für Kinder und Jugendliche: Eine raumtheoretische und aneignungsorientierte Betrachtungsweise. In J. Erhorn & J. Schwier (Eds.), Pädagogik. Pädagogik außerschulischer Lernorte: Eine interdisziplinäre Annäherung (pp. 15–28). transcript Verlag.
Döring, N., & Bortz, J. (2016). Forschungsmethoden und Evaluation in den Sozial- und Humanwissenschaften (5th ed.). Springer-Lehrbuch. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41089-5
Jäkel, L. (2021). Lernort Museum. In L. Jäkel (Ed.), Faszination der Vielfalt des Lebendigen - Didaktik des Draußen-Lernens (pp. 263–275). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-62383-1_14
Karpa, D., Lübbeke, G., & Adam, B. (2015). Außerschulische Lernorte: Theoretische Grundlagen und praktische Beispiele. In D. Karpa, G. Lübbeke, & B. Adam (Eds.), Reihe: Band 31. Außerschulische Lernorte: Theorie, Praxis und Erforschung außerschulischer Lerngelegenheiten (11-27). Prolog Verlag.
Kindermann, K., & Riegel, U. (2015). Wie Religionslehrpersonen außerschulisches Lernen erleben. In D. Karpa, G. Lübbeke, & B. Adam (Eds.), Reihe: Band 31. Außerschulische Lernorte: Theorie, Praxis und Erforschung außerschulischer Lerngelegenheiten (pp. 333–352). Prolog Verlag. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvss3xrv.28
Kleß, E. (2015). Wenn Studierende von Schülerinnen und Schülern lernen und umgekehrt. In D. Karpa, G. Lübbeke, & B. Adam (Eds.), Reihe: Band 31. Außerschulische Lernorte: Theorie, Praxis und Erforschung außerschulischer Lerngelegenheiten (pp. 264–272). Prolog Verlag. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvss3xrv.24
Kuckartz, U., & Rädiker, S. (2022). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse: Methoden, Praxis, Computerunterstützung : Grundlagentexte Methoden (5. Auflage). Grundlagentexte Methoden. Beltz Juventa. https://permalink.obvsg.at/AC16378905
Kuske-Janßen, W., Niethammer, M., Pospiech, G., Wieser, D., Wils, J.‑T., & Wilsdorf, R. (2020). Außerschulische Lernorte – theoretische Grundlagen und Forschungsstand. In G. Pospiech, M. Niethammer, D. Wieser, & F.-M. Kuhlemann (Eds.), Begegnungen mit der Wirklichkeit (E-Book): Chancen für fächerübergreifendes Lernen an außerschulischen Lernorten (1st ed., pp. 21–49). hep verlag.
Richter, C., & Komorek, M. (2022). Mädchenförderung in der Physik. PhyDid B - Didaktik der Physik - Beiträge zur DPG-Frühjahrstagung. https://ojs.dpg-physik.de/index.php/phydid-b/article/view/1317
Sauerborn, P., & Brühne, T. (2020). Didaktik des außerschulischen Lernens (7. unveränderte Auflage). Schneider Verlag Hohengehren GmbH. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/kxp/detail.action?docID=6914424
10. Teacher Education Research
Paper
A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale and Exploration of School’s ‘Disadvantaged Status’ as Mediator in Ireland
Greta Lisbeth Westerwald, Elaine Keane, Manuela Heinz
University of Galway, Republic of Ireland
Presenting Author: Westerwald, Greta Lisbeth
Previous quantitative research on teachers and teacher job satisfaction in the Republic of Ireland suggests teachers are satisfied with their jobs overall (Darmody and Smyth, 2010); however, an overwhelming majority of Ireland’s teachers are White Irish Catholic (Keane and Heinz, 2018) and come from middle class backgrounds (Keane and Heinz, 2015). Qualitative research from the Diversity in Initial Teacher Education (DITE) Project at the University of Galway has demonstrated that working class student teachers in Ireland felt, based on their own schooling experiences, that middle class teachers underestimated the academic abilities and career aspirations of students from lower social class backgrounds (Keane, Heinz and Lynch, 2018, 2020). Studies of job satisfaction among working class teachers in England (Maguire, 2005), and the United States (Benton, 2007; Jones, 2003; Lee, 2017; Mello, 2004) reported their feelings of not fitting in with their fellow teachers, difficulties communicating with pupils’ parents and some difficulty relating to pupils unless teaching in rural or low socioeconomic status schools. Furthermore, subsequent to the Irish Department of Education’s launch of the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS)- designation for publicly funded schools in economically disadvantaged areas, DEIS teachers have reported issues in classroom management, and problematic encounters with working class parents in these schools (Burns and O’Sullivan, 2023). Earlier international research on teacher job satisfaction and burnout has noted significant correlations between teacher-pupil, teacher-parent, and teacher-colleague interactions and the teacher’s job satisfaction (Skaalvik and Skaalvik, 2011; Spilt, et al., 2011; Decker, et al., 2007; Green, et al., 2007; Pianta, et al., 2006; Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler, 1995).
Pepe et al.’s nine-item internationally tested Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale (TJSS) (Pepe, et al., 2017; Chalghaf, et al., 2019) has demonstrated, across five different languages and eight countries, that teacher job satisfaction can be reliably constructed from the following three factors: 1) satisfaction with teacher-colleague relationships, 2) satisfaction with teacher-pupil relationships, and 3) satisfaction with teacher-parent/guardian relationships. The scale is comprised of three items per relationship type. In all studies, Cronbach’s alpha for the nine-item scale was not less than 0.79, with p = 0.01. Furthermore, multiple confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated above-satisfactory fit indices in all studies (Pepe, et al., 2017; Chalghaf, 2019).
Thus, it is posited that teacher job satisfaction is a formative construct (Nayak, 2022), which is greatly impacted by latent factors associated with teachers’ professional relationships and interactions with their colleagues, pupils, and their pupils’ parents/guardians. This view is supported by prior quantitative studies from America (Pianta, et al., 2006; Pianta, 2019), Belgium (März & Kelchtermans, 2019), Norway (Skaalvik and Skaalvik, 2011), and India (Pamu, 2010), which demonstrated the positive correlations between pupils’ disruptive behaviours in the schools, difficulties with parents and teacher burnout and career dissatisfaction.
To date, no study has tested the TJSS in the Republic of Ireland; nor has any study incorporated teaching in a designated economically disadvantaged school environment as a potential mediator of job satisfaction. Hence, this paper’s main objective is to better understand how and to what extent relationships with pupils and their parents in DEIS schools may play a role in teacher’s ratings of their job satisfaction. Therefore, the main research questions are:
What are the levels of job satisfaction of teachers in Ireland as measured by Pepe et al.’s Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale?
To what extent does teaching in a DEIS-designated school impact scores on the TJSS?
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedSurvey data was collected from a total cohort of 265 teachers, residing in the Republic of Ireland (n = 182) and Northern Ireland (n = 83), via on online Microsoft Forms questionnaire, which was disseminated via emails to primary and secondary schools, Twitter, and Facebook during the spring and early summer of 2022. Teacher respondents represented a diverse range of primary and secondary schools (Education and Training Boards (ETB), community, DEIS, private, grammar, and Irish-medium). Of the 182 in the Republic, a small proportion, 6.3% (n=29) of the teachers, reported current employment in a DEIS-designated school. Teacher’s perceptions of their relationships and interactions with colleagues, pupils, and the pupils’ parents/guardians were assessed using the English language version of the TJSS (Pepe, et al., 2017) with the entire teacher cohort (n = 265). School type was self-reported on the questionnaire using a multiple-choice categorical variable, from which a nominal variable DEIS School (DEIS = 1; non-DEIS = 0) was derived. The internal structure and discriminant validity of the nine-item TJSS (Cronbach’s a = 0.83) was confirmed by above satisfactory fit indices via Confirmatory Factor Analysis in R. Teachers reported their perceptions of their teacher-colleague (Cronbach’s a = 0.86), teacher-pupil (Cronbach’s a = 0.79), and teacher-parent relationships (Cronbach’s a = 0.86) via three items per relationship category. To test the strength and direction of a relationship between teaching in a DEIS school, TJSS scores generally, and total scores for each of the three constructs on the TJSS, point biserial correlations were run in SPSS using the Republic cohort.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsA confirmatory factor analysis demonstrates that the TJSS falls within the Hu and Bentler’s (1999) recommended range of best model fit statistics: χ2 (24, N = 265) = 36.316, p = .05), CFI = 0.965; Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.947; RMSEA = 0.079; SRMR = 0.073. These results are expected. Mean scores across each of the nine items for this cohort demonstrate that, on average, teachers on the island of Ireland are largely satisfied with their teaching jobs, with most items displaying an average score above 4 per item and none less than 3.5 (for item 4, ‘My students act in a self-disciplined manner’, SD = 0.9) on the instrument’s scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = Strongly Disagree and 5 = Strongly Agree.
Regarding the mediation effects of the DEIS School variable, results of the two-tailed point biserial correlation tests between DEIS School and all nine items on the TJSS for the Republic cohort (n = 182) demonstrated significant negative correlations at the 0.01 level, on the six items relative to the two latent constructs, satisfaction with pupils and satisfaction with parents. Furthermore, point biserial correlations between each of the three latent constructs and DEIS School returned significant negative correlations at the 0.01 level between Satisfaction with Pupils and DEIS School (- 0.48, p = 0.00) and Satisfaction with Parents/Guardians and DEIS School (- 0.46, p = 0.00). In contrast, there was no significant mediating effect between the variable DEIS School and the latent construct Satisfaction with Colleagues. Granted the small DEIS School cohort (n = 29), these results are considered tentative, and will be further informed by forthcoming qualitative results from follow-up teacher interviews and open-ended responses from the questionnaire.
ReferencesBurns, G. and O’Sullivan, K. (2023). “Going the Extra Mile: Working Class Teachers and Their Engagement with Parents.” In Keane, E., Heinz, M. and McDaid, R. (eds.) Diversifying the Teaching Profession – Dimensions, Dilemmas, and Directions for the Future. Routledge.
Chalghaf, N., and Guelmami, N. 2019. “Trans-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the ‘Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale’ in Arabic Language Among Sports and Physical Education Teachers.” Frontiers in Psychology.1-8.
Darmody, M. and Smyth, E. 2010. “Job Satisfaction and Occupational Stress Among Primary School Teachers and School Principals in Ireland.” Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
Decker, D., Dona, D. and Christenson, S. (2006). “Behaviorally at-risk African American students: The importance of student–teacher relationships for student outcomes.” Journal of School Psychology, 45, 83–109.
Green, C., Walker, J., Hoover-Dempsey, K. and Sandler, H. (2007). Parents’ motivations for involvement in children’s education: An empirical test of a theoretical model of parental involvement. Journal of educational psychology, 99(3), p.532.
Heinz, M., and E. Keane. 2018. “Socio-demographic composition of primary initial teacher education entrants in Ireland.” Irish Educational Studies 37 (4): 523-543.
Hoover-Dempsey, K. and Sandler, H. (1995). Parental involvement in children’s education: Why does it make a difference? Teachers College Record, 97(2), pp.310-331.
Hornby, G. and Lafaele, R. (2011). Barriers to parental involvement in education: An explanatory model. Educational review, 63(1), 37-52.
Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indices in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55.
Keane, E., and M. Heinz. 2015. “Diversity in Initial Teacher Education (DITE) in Ireland: The Socio-demographic Backgrounds of Postgraduate Post-primary Entrants in 2013 & 2014.” Irish Educational Studies 34 (3): 281–301.
Keane, E., M. Heinz, and A. Lynch. 2018. “‘Working Class’ Student Teachers: Not Being Encouraged at School and Impact on Motivation to Become a Teacher.” Education Research and Perspectives 45: 71–97.
Keane, E., M. Heinz, and A. Lynch. 2020. “Identity Matters? ‘Working Class’ Student Teachers in Ireland, the Desire to Be a Relatable and Inclusive Teacher, and Sharing the Classed Self” International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1–17.
Pepe, A., and Loredana, A. 2017. “Measuring Teacher Job Satisfaction: Assessing Invariance in the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale (TJSS) Across Six Countries.” Europe's Journal of Psychology, 13 (3): 396–416.
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