Leadership, Professional Development and Teachers＇ Practice in Bedouin High Schools

The purpose of this paper is to explore the Bedouin educational system from the leadership context and its relation with professional development and to test professional development impact on teachers＇ practice. The research relies on the theory of full range leadership model and professional development and teaching practice. Design/methodology/approach-the questionnaires assessing the variables of interest were completed by 306 teachers in 22 Bedouin high schools in the Negev in south of Israel, in addition to an interview with 10 principals. As results of the study, hypotheses which expect a positive relationship between transformational and transactional leadership and professional development have been rejected. On the other hand hypothesis that expects no relationship between laissez-faire leadership and professional development and hypothesis which expects a positive relationship between professional development and teachers practice have been accepted.

Contribution of International and Comparative Approach to the Policy and Practice of Teacher Education

This study intends to identify the value and pitfalls of international and comparative approach for the policy and practice of teacher education.The structure of this article proceeds as follows:the first section focuses on explaining the meaning and the values of international and comparative approach;based on previous discussions,the second section makes a more in-depth analysis of the values of international and comparative approach to teacher education from five key themes;the final section of this article proposes and interprets the drawbacks of international and comparative approach in teacher education.

A Critical Review of Yang & Gao(2013)

This article reviews and reflects on Yang & Gao's research on beliefs and practices of Chinese university teachers in EFL writing instruction.After a summary of the major arguments, the author offers a detailed and balanced critique on Yang&Gao's research. In the end, the author comes to a conclusion based on her critique and proposes several implications it has on L2 writing instruction.

University English Teachers' Sense-Making of Their Classroom Practices

This paper reports a study which investigated the meanings a group of experienced English as Foreign Language （EFL） teachers at a Chinese university gave to their classroom practices. It uncovers for each teacher a conceptual framework for practice, which comprises teaching principles and strategic intentions. It reveals that teachers＇ frameworks for practice are an interwoven system of their most strongly held beliefs in language teaching and their perceptions of their teaching contexts, and that teachers＇ own learning and teaching experiences are important influences on their conceptualisations of classroom work. Findings of this research have implications for language teacher education and development.

Pakistani Teachers’ Perceptions of Kindergarten Children’s Learning: An Exploration of Understanding and Practice

This paper considers perceptions of children’s learning and classroom practice to support learning in the Pakistani early years educational context.In Pakistan,there is a growing focus on quality provision of early childhood education and building early childhood education teacher capacity.Over the course of one academic year,data were collected from kindergarten teachers in a Pakistani urban school through interviews and classroom observations as part of a larger study.Findings presented in this paper are based on the interview data of two teachers in the sample,a novice and an experienced teacher.Data analysis examined their perceptions of kindergarten children’s learning and of their practice to support kindergarten children’s learning,taking into consideration the gender perspective.The results showed tensions in the teachers’perceptions which contrasted between a constructivist approach and a teacher-directed skills approach.Perceptions of their practice reflected a formal,teacher-directed approach rather than a constructivist approach and a teacher-directed skills approach to teaching.Several factors,including deep-rooted perceptions as well as curriculum structure,time,number of staff and resources,contributed to this.

When Teacher Autonomy Meets Management Autonomy to Enhance Learner Autonomy

Developing learner autonomy （LA） requires a shift of control from teachers to students. This development also relates to teacher autonomy （TA）, which requires school managers to relinquish some degree of their own autonomy （MA） to teachers. Thus, a problem arises： how can the three levels of control-shifts co-exist and survive in harmony, and ideally, thrive each in its own way？ Based on a recent case study, this paper aims to explore the complexity of the dynamic interaction between these three types of autonomy within an educational hierarchy. The study was conducted in a Chinese secondary school which was promoting whole-person development through a comprehensive innovation project. The participants comprised nine English teachers, the executive director, and the principal. Data collection methods included interviews, observations, and post-lesson discussions. Three issues are addressed in this paper： the principal＇s perceptions of LA, a classroom instruction model to cultivate LA, and a teacher training scheme to facilitate TA. The findings display a complex picture of these issues, and imply the importance of a genuine, shared understanding of the nature of autonomy and the need to carefully ensure the optimal balance among the three types of autonomy in the design and implementation of curriculum innovations.

A Harmony-Based Approach to Student Diversity

Purpose:Inspired by Kuan-Hsing Chen's“Asia as method,”this study investigates a multicultural approach to education.Using East Asia as the frame of reference,this study explores multicultur-alism in middle school classrooms in Chinese Taiwan.Design/Approach/Methods:Semistructured interviews were conducted with principals,admin-istrators,and teachers at a middle school known for its diversity work.Data were coded based on the conceptual framework and emergent themes analyzed using NVivo.Findings:Findings elucidate the harmony-oriented multicultural approach adopted by administrators and teachers to empower the youth to embrace their ethnic heritage.This approach was characterized by three Confucian-influenced features:whole-person develop-ment,strengthening of the collective school unit,and a school decision-making approach prioritizing“fairness.”OriginalityValue:This study investigates the multicultural responses of teachers and schools to student diversity through a nondeficit lens in East Asia,revealing the harmony-oriented prac-tices adopted in this respect.In addition to establishing a foundation for East Asian scholars to explore how teachers respond to student diversity in their respective contexts through an asset lens,the findings of this study advance our understanding of how to recognize differences and maintain social cohesion.

Introduction to Special Column “Chinese as a Second Language Learning and Teaching”

Chinese as a second language （CSL） policy makers and scholars began to introduce task-based language teaching （TBLT） to CSL teaching more than a decade ago. However, policy innovations or theoretical precepts are not necessarily the blueprints of teachers＇ classroom practice. It is assumed that teachers are more likely to accept or apply the new approach if the new philosophy is concordant with their existing beliefs. This study attempts to examine the prospect of TBLT application in CSL teaching by exploring the extent to which TBLT philosophy has found its way into CSL teachers＇ beliefs. The research also probes into teachers＇ practices to explore whether their beliefs in TBLT could be actualized. A questionnaire, classroom observations and interviews have been employed. The results indicate that the Chinese teachers have strong faith in the effectiveness of TBLT, but they doubt its feasibility. Their difficulties and confusion in realizing their beliefs in practice, in turn, lead to their faith in TBLT philosophy having a peripheral status in their belief system. This may imply the bi-directional causal relationships between teachers＇ beliefs and practices. The factors revealed make clear the responsibilities or measures to be taken at social-cultural, institutional and internal levels. The findings generate empirical insights into implementations of pedagogical innovations.