What is the nature of preservice teachers knowledge base that would enable them teach with technology? How preservice teacher education programs should be structured to build this knowledge base? In an effort to respond to these questions, this study examines the mostly recognized relevant theoretical grounding of the nature of the teacher knowledge base. As a result, it introduces TPACK-XL as a transformative view of a strand of Mishra and Koehler (2005) TPACK (Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge) theoretical framework, named ICT-TPCK as proposed by Angeli and Valanides (2009). ICT-TPCK integrates the context (X) and the learner’s (L) knowledge to contribute to TPACK with more specificity on ICTs in the field of educational technology. Mishra and Koehler proposed the TPACK model that describes teachers’ integration of ICTs in their classroom practices. TPACK has become known as a useful overarching conceptual framework that builds on Shulman (1986) formulation of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). In this paper, the author analysis of ICT-TPCK model aims to contribute to the discussions on how to educate preservice teachers within the ICT-TPCK framework principles. The detailed examination and refinement of the interrelated contributing knowledge bases of ICT-TPCK: ICTs (T), pedagogy (P), content (C), learners (L), and context (X) has led to pointing thirty-one constituent knowledge constructs. TPACK-XL is identified as the elaborated form of ICT-TPCK that highlights the interdisciplinary knowledge constructs that synthesize to lead to its core knowledge and, consequently, serve as an advanced lens of ICT-TPCK for preservice teachers’ educators.

This study aims to investigate the influence of History of Science Cases on student science teachers’ (SSTs) nature of science concepts. This study was used as a qualitative research method. For this study, History of Science Cases were implemented for a group of 18 SSTs. Data gathered via-nature of science questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. In addition, SSTs wrote reflective notes after their each activity. It was concluded that SSTs had naive views about the aspects of the NOS at the beginning, however, they had informed views about it after the intervention especially in four aspects; Tentative and empirical relationships between scientific theories and laws, the role of social and cultural context in science, creative nature of scientific knowledge and difference between an observation and inference. It is suggested, supporting previous work in that developing informed conceptions of the NOS for SST is a cognitive instructional outcome that requires History of Science Cases.

This is a qualitative case study assessing lecturers’ knowledge of critical thinking at two secondary pre-service teacher education programs in Saudi Arabia. Data include open-ended interviews with four lecturers from each university and is based on purposeful sampling. The theoretical framework is Richard Paul’s (1992) theories on critical thinking and the consensus arrived at in the Delphi Report. The findings demonstrate that there is a lack of knowledge of critical thinking theory among lecturers at both universities and this can be attributed to many factors including cultural, lack of professional development and an emphasis on rote-learning and memorisation. This lack of knowledge of critical thinking impacts on the development of critical thinking among students who will perpetuate this in their own teaching practice in the future. This paper argues for education reforms based on critical thinking to improve student learning outcomes and for professional development in critical thinking for lecturers.

This study aimed to determine the leadership styles of Turkish primary school principals according to the views of teachers working at the primary schools. The sample consisted of 787 teachers working in the primary schools of Rize, a city on the North-East part of Turkey. In this study “Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ)” developed by Bass and Avolio was used. The Alpha co-efficiency number of 36 entries in the questionnaire was found 0.85. For the data calculation, t-test was used for binary comparisons, one-way variance analysis (F) was used for the comparisons of groups more than two. The results showed that as the perceived leadership styles of the school principals were differentiated according to the gender of the teachers, seniorities and school location.