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1. Using Framing Effect to Detect Implicit Bias in Educators through a Simulated Teaching Environment

   Christensen, R.; Knezek, G.; Norton, S. (July 2023, Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning)

   Bastiaens, T. (Ed.)

   Improving teaching strategies through a simulated teaching environment has been shown to improve teacher self-efficacy, teaching skills, classroom management and multicultural awareness. The current study is using the simulation program simSchool to help educators recognize possible implicit bias with the goal of recognizing, reflecting and reducing any biases that may exist. Framing effect bias was used to detect possible bias due to expectations for students who were differing in gender and English language learner status, but underlying characteristic and capabilities were the same. Simulation-captured data are used to understand the changes that occur as educators have the opportunity over multiple sessions to adjust their teaching strategies based on objective performance and feedback data provided by the system. 

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2. Examining the connection between preservice teachers’ discussion performance in a mixed reality teaching simulation with their self-reported goals and success in facilitating discussions

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cexr.2024.100071  

   Kinsey, Devon; Mikeska, Jamie N; Howell, Heather; Kaur_Bharaj, Pavneet (December 2024, Computers & Education: X Reality)

   With the growing use of mixed reality teaching simulations in teacher education there is a need for researchers to examine how preservice teacher (PST) learning can be supported when using these simulations. To address this gap the current study explores how 47 PSTs used an online teaching simulation to facilitate a discussion focused on argumentation with five student avatars in the MursionTM mixed reality simulated classroom environment. We assessed PSTs' performance in the simulation using rubric-level scores assigned by trained raters and then compared the scores to PSTs' survey responses completed after their discussion asking them to self-report their goals for the discussion, how successful they thought they were across five dimensions of facilitating high-quality, argumentation-focused discussions, and their overall perceptions of the mixed reality teaching simulation. Findings suggest that PSTs' understanding of the discussion task's learning goals somewhat predicted their success in facilitating the discussion and that PSTs' self-assessment of their performance was not always consistent with raters' evaluation of the PSTs' performance. In particular, self-assessment was found to be most consistent with raters' evaluations for those PSTs with higher rater-assigned scores and least consistent for those with lower rater-assigned scores. The implications of these findings are as follows: (1) researchers should be cautious in relying on PST self-report of success when engaging in mixed reality teaching simulations, particularly because low performance may be obscured, (2) teacher educators should be aware that reliance on self-report from PSTs likely obscures the need for additional support for exactly those PSTs who need it most, and (3) the field, therefore, should expand efforts to measure PSTs' performance when using mixed reality teaching simulations. 

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3. Examining What and How Secondary Science Preservice Teachers Learn from Using a Suite of Online Simulations

   https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2024.2350148  

   Shekell, Calli; Mikeska, Jamie N; Kaur_Bharaj, Pavneet (May 2024, Journal of Science Teacher Education)

   Preservice teachers (PSTs) need to be able to use ambitious teaching practices to help support their students’ productive engagement in scientific practices such as analyzing and interpreting data or using evidence-based reasoning to support their claims. Approximations of practice are one way in which teacher educators can support their PSTs to develop their skills in enacting ambitious teaching practices. In this study, we report on the use of a suite of three online, simulated approximations of practice where secondary PSTs practiced facilitating discussions focused on engaging students in argumentation. Using information from both PSTs’ and teacher educators’ perspectives, we examined their main takeaways from each simulation experience, how learning from one simulation was used to prepare for the next simulation, PSTs’ perception of the simulations’ authenticity, and their views about whether they would recommend using this online suite of simulations in future teacher preparation courses. Findings suggested that teacher educators and PSTs alike noted a variety of main takeaways, including understanding the importance of planning and asking good questions. Furthermore, they recommended the suite for use in future teacher education courses. Implications of the work for productively integrating online simulations into teacher education settings are discussed. 

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4. Using a Simulated Teaching Platform to Improve Teacher Practices

   Christensen, Rhonda; Knezek, Gerald; Norton, Samantha; Kruse, Stacy (March 2024, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE))

   Cohen, J; Solano, G (Ed.)

   To address the diversity of student differences, educators need to actively recognize and counter patterns of bias in their teaching practices as well as in their classroom environments. The topic is highly relevant to the education field including faculty of educator preparation programs, classroom teachers and administrators. The simulated teaching environment includes research-based outcomes that show improvement in teaching efficacy and culturally diverse teaching practices. The simulation is focused on allowing educators to “practice teaching” in a variety of content areas any time benefitting from the simEquity experience by learning how to change instructional practices based on bias awareness and guided improvement through targeted feedback. Context appropriate recommendations for improvements in equity-based teaching practices will provide participants with the tools needed for reducing implicit bias in instruction. The cycle includes planning instruction, teaching in a simulation, receiving feedback, improving instruction for subsequent simulations and reflecting on the practices that were used with the artificially created students. One strength of using simulations is the objective feedback provided to participants that allow improvements based on actual choices made with each of the simStudents. All participants will have access for any of their colleagues and students to the “Teaching without bias” module for one year. 

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5. “This Began My Journey of Confidence in Teaching Engineering on an Elementary Level!”: Three Cases to Examine the Development of Preservice Teacher Self-Efficacy for Teaching Engineering in the Elementary Classroom.

   Gutierrez, K. S. (January 2023, Journal of science teacher education)

   As a result of the increased inclusion of engineering and computer science standards for K-6 schools nationwide, there is a need to better understand how teacher educators can help develop preservice teachers’ (PSTs’) teaching self-efficacy in these areas. Ed+gineering provides novel opportunities for PSTs to experience teaching and learning engineering and coding content by building COVID-companion robots. Growing evidence supports robotics as a powerful approach to STEM learning for PSTs. In this study, Ed+gineering examined three cases to explore this overarching question: In what ways did PSTs’ virtual robotics project experience develop their self-efficacy for teaching engineering and coding? Three PST cases were examined, within the context of their work with other team members (i.e., undergraduate engineering student(s), 5th graders). To understand each of three PSTs’ virtual robotics project experiences, multiple data sources were collected and analyzed which includes mid- and post-semester CATME, end of course short-answer reflections, follow up interviews (including a modified Big Five personality inventory), and Zoom session recordings. Elementary PSTs Brenda, Erica, and Sarah experienced various levels of commitment and engagement in their five Zoom sessions. These factors, along with other personal and external influences, contributed to Bandura’s four identified sources of self-efficacy. This study examines these contributing factors to create an initial working model of how PSTs develop teaching self-efficacy. In this conference session, science teacher educators will learn more about this model and pedagogical decisions that seemed to influence PST’s self-efficacy for teaching engineering and computer science. 

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