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Inge Timoštšuk

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Inge Timoštšuk

Tallinn University

Thorleif Frøkjær

University of Helsinki

Tallinn University

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Papers by Inge Timoštšuk

Teachers ’ learning experiences in the context of neoliberal educational c hange

Our aim is to describe how neoliberal changes in society are reflected in the teacher’s learning ... more Our aim is to describe how neoliberal changes in society are reflected in the teacher’s learning experiences and to analyse which learning experiences are more meaningful to teachers. The curriculum is changing constantly, and coping with this change requires learning, however, it creates certain tensions (frustration and stress) among teachers. According to Britzman (2007) the problem is inevitable, and she calls it uncertainty of teaching, which is driven by both the variability of situations and educational policy changes. An outstanding example of such changes is the democratic social order achieved by Estonia’s regaining of independence in 1991 (cf. e.g., Kitsing et al., 2016). Education was influenced by market economy principles and the liberal worldview. Similar changes in education continue, but are no longer so revolutionary and take place on a step-by-step basis as Estonia follows the global trend over the last decade (Ruus & Timoštšuk, 2014). The effect of such ideologic...

Preschool and primary teachers’ evaluations of their preparation, competence and experiences to teach newly arrived migrant students

Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri. Estonian Journal of Education

Kaasavas hariduses rõhutatakse sidusama ühiskonna loomise eesmärgil võrdset õigust haridusele. Õp... more Kaasavas hariduses rõhutatakse sidusama ühiskonna loomise eesmärgil võrdset õigust haridusele. Õppijate kaasatus mitmekultuurilises õpikeskkonnas sõltub õpetajate kultuuridevahelisest pädevusest ja valmidusest toetuda õpetamisel iga õpilase kultuurile, keelele ja huvidele. Uurimuse eesmärk oli välja selgitada Eesti lasteaia- ja klassiõpetajate hinnangud oma ettevalmistusele, pädevusele ja kogemusele õpetada uussisserändajast õpilasi. Andmeid koguti poolstruktureeritud intervjuudega 14 lasteaia- ja põhikooliõpetajalt, kellel on varasem uussisserändajate õpetamise kogemus. Andmete analüüsimisel kasutati kvalitatiivset sisuanalüüsi. Uuringust selgus, et õpetajate ettevalmistus peaks sisaldama praktilisi koolitusi, kuidas korraldada õpet mitmekultuurilises keskkonnas. Kuigi uussisserändajate õpetamise kogemust peeti arendavaks ja rikastavaks nii õpetajale kui ka lastele, siis õppeprotsessis ja õpikeskkonnas lapse kultuurilise taustaga enamasti ei arvestatud. Õpetajate kogemustest tuli e...

Conducting large-scale mixed methods studies in education

Elsevier eBooks, 2023

Differentiated Instruction in Primary Science Classes – Student Teachers´ Experiences

Teaching in a natural history museum: what can we learn from Estonian elementary school teachers?

Cultural Studies of Science Education

Natural history museums are great places for learning new concepts and enhancing social skills an... more Natural history museums are great places for learning new concepts and enhancing social skills and motivation. However, it is often difficult for teachers to make full use of the museum as a learning environment. Some teachers seem to be more successful than others in crossing the boundaries—they enjoy and value field trips and advocate for them in the teaching community. Such teachers are a valuable source of information on how to overcome factors that hinder field trips and support meaning-making in the museum. This study explored the practices of eight Estonian elementary school teachers who create, conduct, and analyse learning activities at a natural history museum without the direct help of museum educators. All participants frequently and willingly teach across different learning environments. A qualitative multiple case study strategy was used. The teachers were interviewed and learning activities were observed. Field notes, interview transcripts, lesson plans, and thick des...

Schoolwork Engagement and School Burnout Among Primary School Students in Estonia

EDULEARN Proceedings

Estonian Preschool and Primary Teachers’ Intercultural Competence as Shaped by Experiences with Newly Arrived Migrant Students

Intercultural Education

Cultural diversity in Estonia has been expanding through migration and hence the need to teach ne... more Cultural diversity in Estonia has been expanding through migration and hence the need to teach newly arrived migrant students (NAMSs) has become an important issue in the Estonian education system. This study examined intercultural competence across domains relating to the attitudes, knowledge and skills of teachers. A total of 167 teachers from 15 preschools and 227 primary teachers from 26 basic schools participated in the study. Experienced teachers self-evaluated their attitudes towards intercultural competence as being significantly lower than less experienced teachers. However, teachers without experience in NAMSs teaching self-evaluated their skills and knowledge as being lower than teachers with NAMS-experience. A comparison of teachers’ intercultural competence, based on school level, indicated that preschool teachers self-evaluated their skills as being significantly higher than primary teachers. The results highlight the value of teaching NAMSs in teachers’ professional learning experience. Also, there is a need to broaden the concept of intercultural competence in teachers’ pre- and in-service education by connecting inclusive practices more with cultural diversity.

Reflection of Concept Modelling on Student Teachers’ Learning Experiences From a Primary Education Perspective

Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability

It is important to be able to make better informed decisions about issues such as sustainability ... more It is important to be able to make better informed decisions about issues such as sustainability and climate change that have both personal and global impact as early as possible in life. Primary teachers have a significant role in supporting students’ learning and understanding of these concepts. One important teaching skill that needs to be improved for understand sustainable development is the creation of meaningful generalizations, including models. Therefore, the learning experiences of pre-service primary teachers (N = 28) in regard to modelling was our focus. The results of our case study indicated concrete and visual modes as most common in student teachers’ experiences and understandings of modelling. The symbolic mode is less in evidence and an understanding of gestural and verbal models is rather unambiguous. Thus, we see a need and the potential to improve teaching and learning experiences in teacher education about the modelling of complex concepts.

The role of reflection in understanding teaching practice

This article focuses on the transformation from student to teacher at the critically important po... more This article focuses on the transformation from student to teacher at the critically important point of teaching practice. This is when students develop their practical skills and form a deeper understanding of the teaching profession in initial teacher training. They need experienced support, reflection and feedback to improve their theoretical studies and teaching practice. Students' statements were analyzed during the teaching practice reflection seminar in group interviews. It became evident that the most important experience was about selfperception, understanding cooperative relationships and the teaching environment.

Primary Teachers’ Instructional Behavior as Related to Students’ Engagement in Science Learning

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015

The aim of the study was to explore how teachers' instructional behavior in second grade is relat... more The aim of the study was to explore how teachers' instructional behavior in second grade is related to pupils' engagement in learning and homework practices. Autonomy supportive and structured teaching-style classroom observation sheets and homework instruction observation sheets exploring teachers' instructional behavior were used. Also pupils' questionnaire about engagement in observed lessons and parent questionnaire about homework practices were used. We found that a balanced teaching style, rather than a dominance of either structured or autonomy supportive teaching, resulted in more learning engagement but more structure supportive teaching is related with higher need of homework support from parents. Teachers' autonomy supportive teaching style brings pupils more independent and meaningful homework.

Student teachers’ knowledge about children with ADHD and depression and its relations to emotions

Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 2015

Student teachers’ knowledge about children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a... more Student teachers’ knowledge about children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression and its relations to reporting experiencing emotions during teaching practice were studied. The participants were 186 teacher education students in Estonia. Student teachers’ general knowledge and confidence in knowledge varied a lot. Knowledge about children with ADHD was generally limited. Knowledge and confidence in knowledge were negatively related to reporting negative emotions (anxiety, anger, shame) experienced during teaching practice. Findings are discussed, taking into account recent changes in scientific knowledge about ADHD and depression and democratic changes in schools. As knowledge of special educational needs has become important due to applying inclusive education, the findings also refer to the need for modifications in teacher education curricula.

Student teachers’ professional identity

Teaching and Teacher Education, 2010

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative interview study of the professional identity of... more This paper presents the findings of a qualitative interview study of the professional identity of 45 student teachers. The students described their personal experiences in teaching their own subject and the positive and negative emotions that were evoked. Students emphasized failure or success but not what they had or had not learned. Broader social contexts and professional relationships within the teaching community were marginalized. The study suggests developing the social aspects of learning to teach by supporting teacher identity formation in initial training. Stronger links between teacher education and society might better prepare students for their future work.

The role of emotions in student teachers’ professional identity

European Journal of Teacher Education, 2012

This paper presents findings of a qualitative interview study of the role of emotions in the prof... more This paper presents findings of a qualitative interview study of the role of emotions in the professional identity of student teachers. Strong positive and negative emotions (mostly related to pupils and supervisors) were expressed about personal teaching experiences. The results confirm that emotions play an important role in social learning and, therefore, influence the development of professional identity. The two most important findings were that negative emotions exercised the strongest influence and that supervisors neglected the role of positive emotions as a support for learning. The study supports the concept that it is important for teacher educators to help student teachers understand their emotional experiences (focusing foremost on positive factors in their experience) and to develop the ability to express their own emotions in addition to understanding the emotions of others.

Domains of Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Primary Student Teachers’ Practice Experiences

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015

This study aims to describe how science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is reflected in the l... more This study aims to describe how science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is reflected in the learning experiences of future primary teachers. Questionnaires and focus groups were used and data analysed by domains of PCK-orientation to teaching science, pupils´ thinking about science, instructional strategies for science, the science curriculum and assessment of pupils' science learning. Most experiences related to general aspects of teaching and learning and less with science-specific factors. The result that some PCK domains are half or less significant could reveal why primary science student teachers do not meet some expectations of supervisors, teachers and pupils.

Associations between teachers' instructional practices and student engagement in the 2nd and 7th grade classrooms

Õpikäsitus: teooriad, uurimused, mõõtmine. Analüütiline ülevaade

SearchINg for coNStaNt INNoVatIoN IN teacher educatIoN currIcula: the caSe of eStoNIa

The study addresses the tensions between the aims and objectives of global, national and local cu... more The study addresses the tensions between the aims and objectives of global, national and local curricula and suggests solutions for mitigating these conflicts using the experience of Estonia as an example. In spite of the success of recent reforms and the good results of students in international comparisons, there are serious deficiencies: an Estonian teacher’s readiness to use professional freedom is modest, personal efficiency, job satisfaction, and students’ motivation to learn is low: there are few outstanding performers. The aim of the study is to propose and analyse a teacher education curriculum innovation model for overcoming the problem. Adaptive model for curriculum design is presented where the predominant outcomeoriented approach was replaced and focus on teaching and learning processes was highlighted, the logic of design in curriculum development was implemented. A model for the practice component of teacher education, based on Wenger`s situated learning model and Eng...

Identity Statements of Student Teachers in the Initial Stage of Teacher Training Characterizing Environmental, Cognitive and Relationship Mechanisms

Education in Transition – the Impact of Neoliberal Educational Reforms on Teacher Professionalism in Estonia

Academic Emotions Questionnaire--Modified

PsycTESTS Dataset, 2016

Teachers ’ learning experiences in the context of neoliberal educational c hange

Our aim is to describe how neoliberal changes in society are reflected in the teacher’s learning ... more Our aim is to describe how neoliberal changes in society are reflected in the teacher’s learning experiences and to analyse which learning experiences are more meaningful to teachers. The curriculum is changing constantly, and coping with this change requires learning, however, it creates certain tensions (frustration and stress) among teachers. According to Britzman (2007) the problem is inevitable, and she calls it uncertainty of teaching, which is driven by both the variability of situations and educational policy changes. An outstanding example of such changes is the democratic social order achieved by Estonia’s regaining of independence in 1991 (cf. e.g., Kitsing et al., 2016). Education was influenced by market economy principles and the liberal worldview. Similar changes in education continue, but are no longer so revolutionary and take place on a step-by-step basis as Estonia follows the global trend over the last decade (Ruus & Timoštšuk, 2014). The effect of such ideologic...

Preschool and primary teachers’ evaluations of their preparation, competence and experiences to teach newly arrived migrant students

Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri. Estonian Journal of Education

Kaasavas hariduses rõhutatakse sidusama ühiskonna loomise eesmärgil võrdset õigust haridusele. Õp... more Kaasavas hariduses rõhutatakse sidusama ühiskonna loomise eesmärgil võrdset õigust haridusele. Õppijate kaasatus mitmekultuurilises õpikeskkonnas sõltub õpetajate kultuuridevahelisest pädevusest ja valmidusest toetuda õpetamisel iga õpilase kultuurile, keelele ja huvidele. Uurimuse eesmärk oli välja selgitada Eesti lasteaia- ja klassiõpetajate hinnangud oma ettevalmistusele, pädevusele ja kogemusele õpetada uussisserändajast õpilasi. Andmeid koguti poolstruktureeritud intervjuudega 14 lasteaia- ja põhikooliõpetajalt, kellel on varasem uussisserändajate õpetamise kogemus. Andmete analüüsimisel kasutati kvalitatiivset sisuanalüüsi. Uuringust selgus, et õpetajate ettevalmistus peaks sisaldama praktilisi koolitusi, kuidas korraldada õpet mitmekultuurilises keskkonnas. Kuigi uussisserändajate õpetamise kogemust peeti arendavaks ja rikastavaks nii õpetajale kui ka lastele, siis õppeprotsessis ja õpikeskkonnas lapse kultuurilise taustaga enamasti ei arvestatud. Õpetajate kogemustest tuli e...

Conducting large-scale mixed methods studies in education

Elsevier eBooks, 2023

Differentiated Instruction in Primary Science Classes – Student Teachers´ Experiences

Teaching in a natural history museum: what can we learn from Estonian elementary school teachers?

Cultural Studies of Science Education

Natural history museums are great places for learning new concepts and enhancing social skills an... more Natural history museums are great places for learning new concepts and enhancing social skills and motivation. However, it is often difficult for teachers to make full use of the museum as a learning environment. Some teachers seem to be more successful than others in crossing the boundaries—they enjoy and value field trips and advocate for them in the teaching community. Such teachers are a valuable source of information on how to overcome factors that hinder field trips and support meaning-making in the museum. This study explored the practices of eight Estonian elementary school teachers who create, conduct, and analyse learning activities at a natural history museum without the direct help of museum educators. All participants frequently and willingly teach across different learning environments. A qualitative multiple case study strategy was used. The teachers were interviewed and learning activities were observed. Field notes, interview transcripts, lesson plans, and thick des...

Schoolwork Engagement and School Burnout Among Primary School Students in Estonia

EDULEARN Proceedings

Estonian Preschool and Primary Teachers’ Intercultural Competence as Shaped by Experiences with Newly Arrived Migrant Students

Intercultural Education

Cultural diversity in Estonia has been expanding through migration and hence the need to teach ne... more Cultural diversity in Estonia has been expanding through migration and hence the need to teach newly arrived migrant students (NAMSs) has become an important issue in the Estonian education system. This study examined intercultural competence across domains relating to the attitudes, knowledge and skills of teachers. A total of 167 teachers from 15 preschools and 227 primary teachers from 26 basic schools participated in the study. Experienced teachers self-evaluated their attitudes towards intercultural competence as being significantly lower than less experienced teachers. However, teachers without experience in NAMSs teaching self-evaluated their skills and knowledge as being lower than teachers with NAMS-experience. A comparison of teachers’ intercultural competence, based on school level, indicated that preschool teachers self-evaluated their skills as being significantly higher than primary teachers. The results highlight the value of teaching NAMSs in teachers’ professional learning experience. Also, there is a need to broaden the concept of intercultural competence in teachers’ pre- and in-service education by connecting inclusive practices more with cultural diversity.

Reflection of Concept Modelling on Student Teachers’ Learning Experiences From a Primary Education Perspective

Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability

It is important to be able to make better informed decisions about issues such as sustainability ... more It is important to be able to make better informed decisions about issues such as sustainability and climate change that have both personal and global impact as early as possible in life. Primary teachers have a significant role in supporting students’ learning and understanding of these concepts. One important teaching skill that needs to be improved for understand sustainable development is the creation of meaningful generalizations, including models. Therefore, the learning experiences of pre-service primary teachers (N = 28) in regard to modelling was our focus. The results of our case study indicated concrete and visual modes as most common in student teachers’ experiences and understandings of modelling. The symbolic mode is less in evidence and an understanding of gestural and verbal models is rather unambiguous. Thus, we see a need and the potential to improve teaching and learning experiences in teacher education about the modelling of complex concepts.

The role of reflection in understanding teaching practice

This article focuses on the transformation from student to teacher at the critically important po... more This article focuses on the transformation from student to teacher at the critically important point of teaching practice. This is when students develop their practical skills and form a deeper understanding of the teaching profession in initial teacher training. They need experienced support, reflection and feedback to improve their theoretical studies and teaching practice. Students' statements were analyzed during the teaching practice reflection seminar in group interviews. It became evident that the most important experience was about selfperception, understanding cooperative relationships and the teaching environment.

Primary Teachers’ Instructional Behavior as Related to Students’ Engagement in Science Learning

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015

The aim of the study was to explore how teachers' instructional behavior in second grade is relat... more The aim of the study was to explore how teachers' instructional behavior in second grade is related to pupils' engagement in learning and homework practices. Autonomy supportive and structured teaching-style classroom observation sheets and homework instruction observation sheets exploring teachers' instructional behavior were used. Also pupils' questionnaire about engagement in observed lessons and parent questionnaire about homework practices were used. We found that a balanced teaching style, rather than a dominance of either structured or autonomy supportive teaching, resulted in more learning engagement but more structure supportive teaching is related with higher need of homework support from parents. Teachers' autonomy supportive teaching style brings pupils more independent and meaningful homework.

Student teachers’ knowledge about children with ADHD and depression and its relations to emotions

Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 2015

Student teachers’ knowledge about children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a... more Student teachers’ knowledge about children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression and its relations to reporting experiencing emotions during teaching practice were studied. The participants were 186 teacher education students in Estonia. Student teachers’ general knowledge and confidence in knowledge varied a lot. Knowledge about children with ADHD was generally limited. Knowledge and confidence in knowledge were negatively related to reporting negative emotions (anxiety, anger, shame) experienced during teaching practice. Findings are discussed, taking into account recent changes in scientific knowledge about ADHD and depression and democratic changes in schools. As knowledge of special educational needs has become important due to applying inclusive education, the findings also refer to the need for modifications in teacher education curricula.

Student teachers’ professional identity

Teaching and Teacher Education, 2010

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative interview study of the professional identity of... more This paper presents the findings of a qualitative interview study of the professional identity of 45 student teachers. The students described their personal experiences in teaching their own subject and the positive and negative emotions that were evoked. Students emphasized failure or success but not what they had or had not learned. Broader social contexts and professional relationships within the teaching community were marginalized. The study suggests developing the social aspects of learning to teach by supporting teacher identity formation in initial training. Stronger links between teacher education and society might better prepare students for their future work.

The role of emotions in student teachers’ professional identity

European Journal of Teacher Education, 2012

This paper presents findings of a qualitative interview study of the role of emotions in the prof... more This paper presents findings of a qualitative interview study of the role of emotions in the professional identity of student teachers. Strong positive and negative emotions (mostly related to pupils and supervisors) were expressed about personal teaching experiences. The results confirm that emotions play an important role in social learning and, therefore, influence the development of professional identity. The two most important findings were that negative emotions exercised the strongest influence and that supervisors neglected the role of positive emotions as a support for learning. The study supports the concept that it is important for teacher educators to help student teachers understand their emotional experiences (focusing foremost on positive factors in their experience) and to develop the ability to express their own emotions in addition to understanding the emotions of others.

Domains of Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Primary Student Teachers’ Practice Experiences

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015

This study aims to describe how science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is reflected in the l... more This study aims to describe how science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is reflected in the learning experiences of future primary teachers. Questionnaires and focus groups were used and data analysed by domains of PCK-orientation to teaching science, pupils´ thinking about science, instructional strategies for science, the science curriculum and assessment of pupils' science learning. Most experiences related to general aspects of teaching and learning and less with science-specific factors. The result that some PCK domains are half or less significant could reveal why primary science student teachers do not meet some expectations of supervisors, teachers and pupils.

Associations between teachers' instructional practices and student engagement in the 2nd and 7th grade classrooms

Õpikäsitus: teooriad, uurimused, mõõtmine. Analüütiline ülevaade

SearchINg for coNStaNt INNoVatIoN IN teacher educatIoN currIcula: the caSe of eStoNIa

The study addresses the tensions between the aims and objectives of global, national and local cu... more The study addresses the tensions between the aims and objectives of global, national and local curricula and suggests solutions for mitigating these conflicts using the experience of Estonia as an example. In spite of the success of recent reforms and the good results of students in international comparisons, there are serious deficiencies: an Estonian teacher’s readiness to use professional freedom is modest, personal efficiency, job satisfaction, and students’ motivation to learn is low: there are few outstanding performers. The aim of the study is to propose and analyse a teacher education curriculum innovation model for overcoming the problem. Adaptive model for curriculum design is presented where the predominant outcomeoriented approach was replaced and focus on teaching and learning processes was highlighted, the logic of design in curriculum development was implemented. A model for the practice component of teacher education, based on Wenger`s situated learning model and Eng...

Identity Statements of Student Teachers in the Initial Stage of Teacher Training Characterizing Environmental, Cognitive and Relationship Mechanisms

Education in Transition – the Impact of Neoliberal Educational Reforms on Teacher Professionalism in Estonia

Academic Emotions Questionnaire--Modified

PsycTESTS Dataset, 2016