Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Religious education|Secondary education|Curriculum development'

This project, Brothers for Life, is a curriculum of formation designed for seniors at an all-male Lasallian high school so they can join faculty in their efforts to facilitate retreats, prayer, and service activities for younger students. This project takes root in the writings of St. John Baptist de La Salle (the founder of Lasallian schools) which state that students in Christian schools should receive an education that moves the students toward full and abundant lives, not just an accumulation of numbers and facts. To give this project proper shape and direction, the unit design is organized through the Understanding by Design framework created by Wiggins and McTighe (2005, 2011). Through an organized structure that maintains authenticity to the Founder, this project opens the door to a fuller and more abundant life for the students enrolled in the course and by extension, the students and faculty to whom they minister.

This study has explored and described how Religious Education (RE) in Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe has developed in response to pluralism. It has been inspired by my teaching experience in different secondary schools in the country. There has been a growing need in Zimbabwe to expand the horizon for RE as the nation is becoming more sensitive to religious diversity among the learners. The government through its Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has been implementing changes in RE secondary schools with the hope of making it open to pluralism. This study shows that despite the government's efforts, little has changed in the teaching of RE in the classroom. This has been a result of failure by the government to engage teachers in the implementation of the proposed changes. There is a strong relationship between teachers and religious education in schools. They are the main determinant of the quality of education learners receive as they make choices, both conscious and unconscious, in regard to how to structure academic and social relationships in the classroom. Their perceptions towards religious pluralism also influences the way they teach about religion in the classroom. Unfortunately, this relationship between teachers and religious education was not given much attention in the development of the subject in secondary schools in Zimbabwe. This study investigates this relationship and contributes some knowledge in this area for further discussion.

The project director serves as the director of operations for the New Breed Church Planting Network (NBCPN). A necessity for developing a reproducible disciple-making strategy for the church planters of NBCPN existed. The project exists to develop a reproducible disciple-making practicum to meet the needs of NBCPN.

Within the first chapter, the project director explored the ministry project proposal and purpose. Listing main objectives, limitations, assumptions, term definitions, and a detailed project rationale explain the project process. The project director researched four North American church planting organizations to assess the respective utilization of disciple-making processes, while providing an explanation for NBCPN’s need for a reproducible strategy.

Within the second chapter, the project director examined two separate passages of scripture. The texts of Matt 28:18–20 and Acts 1:8 (ESV) became the foundational basis upon which the project director analyzed and made reproducible disciple-making conclusions. Chapter two consists of exegesis, exposition, and application of the chosen texts and explained the biblical and theological foundation of the ministry project.

Within chapter three, the project director provided research for the ministry foundations aspect of the project. The project director identified and explored past and present ecclesiological disciple-making procedures. The project director’s goal for chapter three provided information concerning the development of historical and 11 contemporary reproducible disciple-making, as well as, examining theoretical and application models.

Within chapter four, the project director described the development of the ministry project. The chapter focused on the project director’s seven-practicum reproducible disciple-making strategy for the church planters of NBCPN. The project director’s compiling of information regarding the utilization of an expert panel, incorporated Great Commission components, integrated research of chapters two and three, and implemented expectation, completed the chapter.

In chapter five, the project director documented an overall summation of the ministry project. The director examined the evaluation of the project process, analysis of the findings, and an overview of the lessons learned. The strengths, weaknesses, and personal reflection of the ministry project offered descriptive insight to the project director and for reader clarity.

The purpose of writing An Evaluation of The Journey Within: Soul Care in the African American Context to implement an eight week curriculum of intentional and experiential practice of spiritual formation/soul care to determine the impact of the Journey Within: Soul Care on a Christian believer’s emotional health and spiritual maturity in the African American context. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)

This research examines the current requirements and practices of Religious Observance (RO) and spiritual development within Scotland’s ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ (CfE). The research is focussed on the nondenominational school sector - approximately 90% of Scottish schools. The CfE has brought a shift in focus from solely curricular content to greater emphasis on character formation. Four key descriptors, termed “capacities”, are used: responsible citizens, effective contributors, successful learners and confident individuals. A number of supplementary programmes are being promoted to achieve this through schemes such as the ‘Rights Respecting School Award’, ‘Inspire-Aspire’, ‘Peer Mediation’ and ‘Restorative Justice’. The CfE details certain age-appropriate experiences and outcomes which pupils are expected to attain across eight core curricular subjects. In contrast, RO and spiritual development are outlined very differently by six key ‘Sensings’ in the ‘Report of the Religious Observance Review Group’ (2004), referred to in this thesis as the RORG. These Sensings have minimal descriptions, no exact definition and do not have detailed age-appropriate experiences and outcomes. The Sensings are: sensing mystery, sensing values, sensing meaningfulness, sensing a changed quality in awareness, sensing ‘otherness’ and sensing challenge. This thesis addresses a number of questions: defining ‘spirituality’ in a way that can sit comfortably within Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (CfE); how RO events and these Sensings are perceived by pupils in particular - their voices are given especial prominence throughout; where RO and spiritual development are perceived as ‘belonging’ or ‘fitting’ within the CfE; how the ‘success’ of Sensing-rich RO events can be assessed and measured; crucially - what the children and young people think of the RO they receive; the validity and ‘completeness’ of the Sensings; how to train school staff and school chaplains in delivering spiritual development. The research involved participant observation and interviews with policymakers (advisors, consultants, Education Scotland staff, Religious Representatives on local Council Education committees, and members of school senior management teams), practitioners (chaplains and youth workers tasked with the actual delivery of RO events), parents of Primary school and Secondary school pupils, and - crucially - pupils (from Primary 3 to Secondary 6). The goal was to record and analyse their principles, practices and lived experience of RO and spiritual development. In total qualitative data was gathered in thirty-four interview sessions from nine policy-makers, eight practitioners, nine parents, seventeen Primary school pupils and thirty-five Secondary school pupils. The practitioners, parents and pupils between them were connected to nondenominational schools covering seven Councils: City of Aberdeen, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, City of Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire. The pupils between them came from four different nondenominational Primary schools, three non-denominational Secondary schools, and one independent School (Christian faith-based, fee-paying). This gave a reasonable sample of Scottish schools. The definition of ‘spirituality’ that I developed (p 44) is that “Spirituality is that uniquely human capacity and need for a sense of identity and of integrity, of place and of purpose, which can only be fully satisfied in relationship with others and with a transcendent Other.” A full explanation for this definition is given in the text. The pilot study showed that pupils of all ages did not grasp the language and vocabulary of the Sensings as given in the RORG and in conclusion I offer an alternative “child-friendly” re-titling as follows: sensing mystery (the “Wow!” moments), sensing values (the “Now ...' moments), sensing meaningfulness (the “How ...? ” moments), sensing a changed quality in awareness (the “Aum” moments), sensing ‘otherness’ (the ‘Narnia’ moments) and sensing challenge (the “Ow!” moments) (p 54). Once reworded and explained all pupils were quick to grasp most of the Sensings though ‘a changed quality in awareness’ and ‘otherness’ - perhaps requiring higher order thinking skills - were only accessible to older pupils (though they could not always discern or define the distinctions between them). I found that Policy-makers had a clear perception of how RO fits within CfE but that the actual practitioners (many of them from faith-based backgrounds) frequently struggled to achieve clarity on this point and were often unable to articulate a clear educational purpose to their RO input (p 113). A lack of contextual awareness, of training, of time, and of ability to think beyond their theological frameworks often hampered them. Clear and positive and fruitful metaphors for RO emerge from the research: RO provides an important ‘space’ within CfE (p 119), and a place for ‘exploration’ and for ‘questioning.’ A consistent conclusion from my data reflects on how both practitioners and participants in RO events viewed them and constructed meaning from them: this was frequently done by offering opposed pairs and, almost literally, placing themselves or their RO events at some point on the continuum between two poles (p 124). A whole spectrum of opposed pairs were found: from indoctrination (RO) to education (RME); from collective (RO) to individual (RME); from emotional (RO) to intellectual (RME), though practitioners were frequently at pains to make clear that this did not mean RO was inferior or in any way anti-intellectual or lacking in intellectual rigour; from experiential (RO) to explorative (RME); and from inspirational (RO) to informational (RME). My findings were that practitioners offered a range of measures for assessing the ‘success’ of their RO events (p 139) which are critiqued: “an RO event is successful” - when I think it is, if it was enjoyed, if a school is “happy with it”, if there is pupil engagement, if pupil feedback says it has been, if your chosen quantifier says it has been, and if there are no complaints about it. I follow this with a discussion on the issues of getting RO ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ (p 152). The view of parents on the qualifications for those delivering RO to their children were also explored at this point, with the great majority strongly favouring faith-based practitioners (p 162). A major feature of this research has been to seek and to summarise the first-hand views and the authentic voices of the children and young people within CfE. Their main reactions are summarised (p 172) as “Don’t make it [RO] a policed endurance test”; “Don’t make it so boring”; “Don’t tell us what to think”; “Let us ask our big questions. Help us find some answers”; and “Don’t exclude us. Let us have a say. Let us help you.” In the light of the research two additional Sensings are strongly indicated: Sensing Stillness (p 192) and Sensing Community (p 200). Sensing Community in particular was identified as offering significant potential benefits for RO (p 206): creating a beneficial group identity or ethos for the school community, building pupil capacity as responsible citizens able to take their place in the wider community beyond the school gates, enabling individual and group resilience in the face of crisis, sharing emotional and spiritual experiences that could enrich the lives of all the participants, and the acquisition and exploration of values together in a safe and protected environment. The final section (p 210) explores the creation and use of a tool for teaching practitioners to identify and explore the Sensings: the ‘Spiritual Moments’ box.
In Educating school staff to experience and deliver the sensings (p 223), it merged that the issue is one of helping secular staff in particular to find a spiritual context for exploration and development of the sensings. In training faith representatives to experience and deliver the sensings (p 227) the issue is one of helping faith practitioners to explore and develop the sensings in the secular educational framework.

The purpose of this grounded theory research study was to discover the transformational learning elements of a small group experience at an Evangelical Christian church that fosters personal transformation. Given the lack of Evangelical Christians experiencing personal transformation within small groups, leaders and teachers could learn much from transformational learning theory that continues to be the predominant framework for research in the area of adult education. The source of data for this study was interviews with small group leaders, teachers, and participants who had experienced a personal transformation while attending a small group. Analysis of the data found that participants faced a variety of circumstances that were personal, meaningful, and transformative, revealing 8 elements, mostly relational, within the small group experience that fostered personal transformation. The concluding theory for this study is that the relational elements of small groups, such as love, care, prayer, and connection create a transformative learning environment where personal transformation is likely to take place through the transparency and development of close relationships with others in the group. Implications of this study include pastors and leaders incorporating relational elements into small groups by taking intentional steps to match individuals, set expectations, set an example, be open and honest, know members, focus on the Bible, be ready to learn, and assess throughout. Creating a life-changing small group experience is an essential mission of Evangelical churches and by incorporating these elements churches can make great strides in fostering spiritual growth and personal transformation in individuals’ lives.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research focuses on teacher-learning for religious and cultural diversity. The background to the study is associated with curriculum reforms in South Africa since democratization in 1994 and the growing interest globally in the integration of Citizenship education and Religion education. In South Africa, the new national curricula after 1994 introduced Life Orientation as a learning area / subject which includes Citizenship education with Religion education as key focus areas. The outcomes associated with these focus areas require school-based learners to demonstrate knowledge of diversity, co-operative and communicative forms of democracy and commitment to the values espoused in The Constitution. The question that arises in relation to the professional development of teachers in this regard, concerns whether teachers have the professional knowledge base to ensure that their learners acquire the knowledge and skills to enable them to participate as competent citizens in a pluralist democracy. Consequently the large-scale transmissionist approaches to teacher development that have dominated INSET programmes have been critiqued in this study for being inadequate for learning the complexities associated with diversity, citizenship and democracy. This study has hence advocated for teacher-learning through participation in communities of practice which arguably provide appropriate learning conditions in which dialogue and critical reflection characterise the interaction between teachers. On the grounds that South Africa’s social-political history enforced the segregation of racial groups and privileged Christianity above other religions or beliefs, a further argument is related to how this history has influenced teachers’ frames of reference and whether teachers’ frames of reference continue to influence how Citizenship education is approached in the classroom. Hence, the theoretical framework for this study has been formulated to address the issue of teacher-learning for Citizenship education and Religion education (Citizenship education/Religion education) and the extent to which the frames of reference of teachers influence their approaches to democracy, values, citizenship and diversity. To this end two learning theory perspectives have been explored, viz. Mezirow’s transformative learning theory (1991, 2000) and communities of practice, as conceptualised by Wenger (1998, 2006b). The efficacy of the communities of practice concept for teacher-learning for diversity was investigated against a transformative learning theory background, using a mixed methods approach. A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 60 secondary schools in the Gauteng province, followed by a phase of participatory action research (PAR) with three teachers over a period of approximately eight months. The survey questionnaire was designed to determine the perspectives of a sample of Life Orientation teachers towards learning and teaching religious and cultural diversity in Life Orientation. The findings were used to inform the action research process which in turn drew attention to the significance of the community of practice concept for assisting teachers to generate content knowledge for Citizenship education/Religion education from an inclusive and constructivist perspective. The findings of the survey questionnaire indicated that the majority of the teachers in the sample were not opposed to including religious diversity in their Life Orientation classes despite not having backgrounds in Religious Studies or meaningful in-service training. The PAR findings indicate the value of engagement by teachers in a community of practice for creating and acquiring appropriate content knowledge and for critical reflection on the meaning and application of democratic and personal values for Citizenship education/Religion education.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsprojek fokus op onderwyser-leer ter bevordering van religieuse en kulturele diversiteit. Die agtergrond van hierdie studie is enersyds kurrikulumhervorming in Suid-Afrika sedert demokratisering in 1994 en andersyds die groeiende, wêreldwye belangstelling in die integrasie van Burgerskapopvoeding (Citizenship Education) en Religieuse-onderrig (Religion Education). Lewensoriëntering as ‘n leerarea/vak wat Burgerskapopvoeding en Religieuse-onderrig as primêre fokus insluit, is na 1994 as deel van die nuwe nasionale kurrikulum in Suid-Afrika bekendgestel. Die leeruitkomste van hierdie fokus vereis dat leerders kennis moet demonstreer rakende: diversiteit, samewerkende- en kommunikatiewe vorms van demokrasie en die verbintenis tot die waardes soos in die Grondwet vervat. Die vraag word gestel of die professionele ontwikkeling van onderwysers die nodige professionele kennisbasis bied wat kan verseker dat leerders wel kennis en vaardighede verwerf wat hulle in staat sal stel om bevoegde burgers te wees om aan ‘n pluralistiese demokrasie deel te neem. In hierdie studie word die transmissionistiese benaderings (transmissionist approaches) wat die indiensonderwysersopleiding (INSET) gedomineer het, krities ondersoek en bevraagteken ook hierdie benadering vir die onderrig-leer van kompleksiteite soos diversiteit, burgerskap en demokrasie. In hierdie studie word onderwyser-leer by wyse van deelname aan “gemeenskappe van praktyk” (communities of practice) onderskryf hoofsaaklik weens die moontlikhede wat hierdie benadering bied om gepaste leeromstandighede te skep waar onderwysers se interaksie deur dialoog en kritiese refleksie en terugskouing gekenmerk word. In die lig van Suid-Afrika se sosio-politiese geskiedenis waartydens die segregasie van rassegroepe afgedwing is en Christendom bo ander religieë of geloofsoortuigings bevoorreg was, word kritiese argumente gevoer rondom die invloed van hierdie geskiedenis op onderwysers se verwysingsraamwerke en hoe hierdie betrokke verwysingsraamwerke onderwysers se benadering tot Burgerskapopvoeding beïnvloed het. In die teoretiese raamwerk van hierdie studie word die grondliggende kwessies en diskoerse van onderwyser-leer vir Burgerskapopvoeding en Religieuse-onderrig (Burgerskapopvoeding/ Religieuse-onderrig) ondersoek asook die mate waarop die verwysingsraamwerke van onderwysers hulle onderrigbenaderinge tot demokrasie, waardes, burgerskap en diversiteit beïnvloed het. Die twee leerteorieë en perspektiewe van Mezirow se Transformatiewe Leerteorie (1991, 2000) en “gemeenskappe van praktyk”, soos deur Wenger (1998, 2006b) gekonseptualiseer is, word as vertrekpunte geneem. Die effektiwiteit van die konsep “gemeenskappe van praktyk” vir onderwys-leer in belang van diversiteit, word ondersoek teen die agtergrond van ‘n transformatiewe leerteorie deur gebruik te maak van ‘n gemengde-metodesbenadering (mixed methods approach). ‘n Deursnee-opname is aan 60 sekondêre skole in die Gauteng provinsie gedoen, gevolg deur ‘n fase van Deelnemende-Aksienavorsing met drie onderwysers oor ‘n tydperk van ongeveer agt maande. Die vraelys vir die opname is sodanig ontwerp dat ‘n steekproef Lewensoriënteringonderwysers se perspektiewe van onderrig-leer van religieuse en kulturele diversiteit in Lewensoriëntering bepaal kon word. Hierdie bevindinge is vir die aksienavorsingsfase gebruik wat die aandag gefokus het op die belangrikheid van “gemeenskappe van praktyk” as ‘n konsep wat onderwysers kan help om inhoudskennis vir Burgerskapopvoeding/Religieuse-onderrig vanuit ‘n inklusiewe en konstruktiewe benadering te genereer. Die bevindinge van die vraelysopname toon dat die meerderheid van die onderwysers, wat deel was van die steekproef, nie gekant is teen die insluiting van religieuse diversiteit in Lewensoriënteringsklasse nie ten spyte van die feit dat hulle geen agtergrond in Religieuse-onderrig of enige ander betekenisvolle indiensopleiding ontvang het nie. Die bevindings van die Deelnemende– Aksienavorsingsproses bewys die waarde van onderwyserbetrokkenheid in “gemeenskappe van praktyk” om inhoudskennis te verwerf en krities na te dink oor die betekenis en toepassings van demokratiese en persoonlike waardes vir Burgerskapopvoeding/Religieuse-onderrig.

Experts do not agree on the definition of spiritual development although positive spiritual development benefits society in many ways. Without agreement on the definition of spiritual development and a common understanding of spiritual development, parents, teachers, and pastors who are entrusted with the task of fostering positive spiritual development in Christian settings face the challenges of determining what spiritual development is (definition), the desired goals (culmination) of spiritual development, and the most effective ways to meet those goals (context and content). The purpose of this study was to use data, from the social sciences and Christian points of view, to inform Christian education programs and arrive at recommendations for fostering young children's spiritual development. Data sources include textual literature from the social science and Christian points of view. In addition, the researcher gathered interview data from twenty children's pastors. Research results included: 1. It is possible that spirituality is associated with sensory awareness. 2. Examining spirituality as sensory awareness may lead to focusing on innate qualities of spiritual capacity with a more focused inclusion of children with special needs in faith-based programs, a God-given conscience, and consideration that children may be born with spiritual gifts to express their spiritual nature. 3. Congregations/parishes under utilize intergenerational activities, time for quiet and reflection, and opportunities to talk to children about spiritual matters.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Although numerous norm-referenced measures of religiosity and spirituality exist for adults, no assessment of the holistic goals for Christian spiritual development in the context of evangelical Protestant schools, geared to adolescents, and using emerging technologies, was found. Addressing this lacuna, the purpose of this curriculum study was to develop and validate the Growing Disciples Inventory (GDI) as a curriculum-aligned self-assessment for Christian education. Using a mixed methods approach, the GDI was constructed in the first phase of this educational design research. Experts in the fields of curriculum, assessment, Christian education and/or discipleship evaluated the extent to which proposed items were aligned to the Growing Disciples (GD) curriculum framework, and were appropriate to adolescent learners participating in Christian education. At least four items were included for each of 21 constructs within the four GD curriculum processes. The 100-item GDI was further refined through two development cycles of usability testing with adolescents. Using a think-aloud protocol, a proportional quota convenience sample of 16 learners completed the GDI online, reviewed their online reports, and took the exit survey. Minor refinements were made with the data from these individual interviews. During the second phase, evidence for the validity of the GDI was evaluated with data from a purposive sample of nine educators and 595 Grade 7 through 12 students in 8 American, South African, and Australian Seventh-day Adventist schools. High reliability was found in terms of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas of .855 to .943) and structural equation modelling (standardized correlation coefficients of .59 to .95) for the four cyclical and lifelong Christian spiritual development processes of Connecting, Understanding, Ministering, and Equipping. Confirmatory factor analysis through structural equation modelling provided evidence of construct validity with an adequate model fit. Moderate inter-factor correlations compared to higher correlations within factors indicated discriminant validity. Learner responses to 7 GDI exit survey items further supported the GDI’s design and ease-of-use online. Answers to 3 open-ended GDI exit survey questions supplied rich qualitative data that corroborated quantitative responses, and added perceptions of the utility and relevance of the GDI as a formative selfassessment tool to facilitate exploration of strengths and growth points through reflection and metacognition. The majority of educator interviews indicated favourable perceptions of the GDI’s utility and relevance within their sphere of the global Seventh-day Adventist education system. Structural equation model fit evaluation and correlations demonstrated that the GDI is a consistent self-assessment across gender and grade level. Although a weak correlation between country and learner scores was found, qualitative data supports the relevance of the GDI in each country. Further validation studies are recommended with larger samples international samples to adequately demonstrate generalizability within the context of evangelical Protestant education. Analysis of emerging themes in learner responses corroborated quantitative findings, triangulating evidence for learner engagement and the positive potential for the GDI’s use to facilitate Christian spiritual development. Each study of reliability and validity undertaken in this mixed methods curriculum research added moderate to strong evidence in support of the GDI as a curriculum-aligned selfassessment for adolescents participating in Christian education.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar bestaan talle norm-gebaseerde meetinstrumente vir die meting van vlakke van religieusiteit en spiritualiteit vir volwassenes. Geen assessering instrument van die holistiese doelstellings van Christelike spirituele ontwikkeling in die konteks van Protestant skole, toegespits op adolessente, wat van opkomende tegnologieë gebruik maak, kon gevind word nie. Om hierdie leemte aan te spreek, was die doelwit van hierdie navorsingstudie en kurrikulumontwikkeling om die “Growing Disciples Inventory” (GDI) te ontwikkel en om die geldigheid van dié instrument te bepaal as ʼn kurrikulumgerigte selfassessering instrument vir Christelike onderwys. Deur gebruik te maak van ʼn gemengde navorsingsmetode-benadering is die GDI in die eerste fase van hierdie opvoedkundige navorsingsontwerp opgestel. Deskundiges op die gebiede van kurrikulum, assessering, Christelike onderwys en/of "dissipelskap" het die toepaslikheid van voorgestelde items vir die “Growing Disciples” (GD) kurrikulumraamwerk, asook die geskiktheid vir adolessente-leerders in Christelike onderwys geëvalueer. Ten minste vier items is vir elk van 21 konstrukte binne die vier GD kurrikulumprosesse ingesluit. Die 100-item GDI is verder verfyn deur twee ontwikkeling-siklusse van loods- of bruikbaarheidstoetsings met adolessente. Deur gebruik te maak van ʼn "hardop-dink" protokol het ʼn proporsionele kwota gerieflikheidsteekproef van 16 leerders die GDI aanlyn voltooi. Die deelnemers se onmiddellike kits-aanlyn verslae is hersien, en die 10-item finale opname is gedoen. Geringe verfynings is ontwerp met data wat verkry is van hierdie individuele onderhoude. In die tweede fase is bewyse vir die geldigheid van die GDI geëvalueer met data wat versamel is van ʼn doelgerigte steekproef van nege opvoeders en 595 graad 7 tot 12 leerders uit 8 Sewende-dag-Adventiste skole in Amerika, Suid-Afrika, en Australië. Hoë betroubaarheid is gevind in terme van interne konsekwentheid (Cronbach se alfas tussen .855 tot .943) en strukturele vergelykings-modellering (gestandaardiseerde korrelasie koëffisiënte tussen .59 tot .95) vir die vier sikliese en lewenslange Christelike spirituele ontwikkelingsprosesse: Verbinding, Begrip, Bediening, en Toerusting. Bevestigende faktorontleding deur middel van strukturele vergelykings-modellering het bewyse gelewer van konstrukgeldigheid met voldoende model paslikheid. Matige interfaktor-korrelasies in vergeleke met hoër korrelasies binne die faktore, het voorlopige bewyse van diskriminante geldigheid gelewer. Leerders se response op 7 GD finale opname items het die GDI se ontwerp en aanlyn gebruikersvriendelikheid verder ondersteun. Response op drie oopeinde vrae van die GDI se finale opname het baie goeie kwalitatiewe data opgelewer wat kwantitatiewe response staaf. Daarmee het persepsies oor die bruikbaarheid en toepaslikheid van die GDI as ʼn vormende self-assesserings-instrument aansienlik gegroei. Die GDI bevorder die verdure ondersoek van die ontwikkeling van Christelike spiritualiteit en groeipunte deur middel van refleksie, besinning en metakognisie. Die meeste van die opvoeders se finale onderhoudsresponse het gunstige persepsies van die GDI se bruikbaarheid en toepaslikheid in die globale Sevende-dag Adventiste onderwys-stelsel aangedui. Evaluering van strukturele vergelyksmodellering se paslikheid, asook korrelasie-ontleding lewer bewyse dat die GDI ʼn bestendige self-assesseringsinstrument is oor geslag en graad vlak. ʼn Swak korrelasie is tussen land van herkoms en leerdertellings gevind; maar kwalitatiewe data ondersteun die toepaslikheid van die GDI in elke land. Verdere geldigheidstoetsing word aanbeveel, met groter steekproewe. Ontleding van opkomende temas in die geldigheidsteekproef se leerder-response, het kwantitatiewe bevindings ondersteun. Bewyse van leerderbetrokkenheid en die positiewe potensiaal van die GDI se gebruik om Christelike spirituele ontwikkeling te bevorder, is getrianguleer. Die betroubaarheid en geldigheid van die gemengde navorsingsmetodes het matige tot sterk bewyse gelewer ter ondersteuning van die geldigheid van die GDI as ʼn kurrikulumgerigte selfassesseringsintrument vir adolessente in Christelike onderwys.

The increasing diversity of societies is one of the most important educational issues of the globalised era. However, while some attention has been paid to the schooling experiences of racial, ethnic and immigrant minorities in Western societies, little research has been conducted with religious adolescents. This thesis explores the complexities of religious adolescents’ experiences of English secondary schools. As an exploratory study, I employed an emergent research design carrying out loosely-structured, group and single interviews at eleven places of worship to investigate the schooling experiences of 99 adolescent Christians, Jews and Muslims. In order to interpret their reported experiences, I applied a theoretical model based on the Students’ Multiple World Framework in conjunction with concepts of religious identity negotiation and construction. The interview data show how Christians, Jews and Muslims negotiate their religious identities in the context of the numerous challenges presented by secondary schools in a religiously plural and largely secular society. In classroom worlds participants perceived their religious traditions to be distorted, inaccurately or unfairly represented. In peer worlds participants reported that they could experience prejudice, and criticism of their beliefs. Christians, Jews and Muslims reported two principal management strategies in the face of these challenges, either: declaring their religious identity openly, or by masking it in public. The findings of this study are highly relevant to debates about the role of religion in education, including those concerning faith and Church schools and the nature and purpose of the curriculum subject Religious Education.

This thesis addresses the influence of Twitter on the development of female individualism in Saudi Arabia in relation to the religious curriculum. It reveals the process of this development through two different environments, the physical environment in religious education and the virtual environment in the form of Twitter. The thesis is based on a combination of methods (largely qualitative data obtained from observations, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires). It develops a theoretical framework based on gendered identity as the central concept of this research. the framework positions this concept within two fields of research : feminist approaches to gender and psychological approaches to identity. This thesis presents and innovative approach to the analysis of female individuality. Methodologically, the thesis establishes a position that informs the overall analysis between two different settings, i.e., the physical environment of Saudi schools, which illustrates long-established definitions of the Saudi female as the foundational unit of the analysis. It then moves to an analysis of these definitions in the virtual environment of Twitter, revealing how the different characteristics of the virtual environment influences definitions of identity, the formation of perceptions and the relationships between authorities. In conclusion, the thesis presents significant findings and recommendations.

Syftet med examensarbetet var att undersöka samer och samisk religion i relation till undervisningsämnet religionskunskap. Studien har undersökt läroplanernas utveckling, både från grundskolan och gymnasieskolan med fokus på samisk religion. Läromedel inom religionsämnet har dessutom granskats i relation till läroplanernas förändringar samt för varje undervisningsstadium. En enkätstudie har slutligen genomförts vilken ligger till grund för lärares framställning av samisk religion i undervisningsämnet utifrån Lgr 11 och Gy 11. Metoden som tillämpats i studien har varit en komparativ metod samt kvalitativ metod med kvantitativa inslag. Resultatet visar att samisk religion fått större plats i läroplanerna i relation till samhällsförändringar. Läroplanerna utgör den grund som läromedel utgår från, med andra ord struktureras läromedel utifrån läroplanernas innehåll liksom fokusområde.  I samband med Lgr 11 och Gy 11 har samer med tillhörande religion fått större utrymme i läromedel. Trots detta visar studien att förhållandevis få läromedel behandlar samer och samisk religion i relation till andelen läromedel som granskats i examensarbetet. Resultatet visar att drygt hälften av lärarna som medverkat i studien undervisar om samer, detta trots att majoriteten av lärarna menar att tiden inte räcker till. Flertalet lärare anser det viktigt att belysa samer och samisk religion i undervisningen, lärarna önskar därför att lärarutbildningar i större utsträckning lyfter Sveriges nationella minoriteter. Majoriteten av lärarna menar däremot att de har tillräckliga kunskaper för att samer ska behandlas rättvist i undervisningen. Resultatet har skildrats i relation till ett diskursteoretiskt ramverk för att synliggöra maktstrukturerna gällande majoritetssamhälle och minoritetssamhälle.
The purpose with this advanced professional degree was to research Sami populations with associated religion in relation to religious education. In addition, the study has researched the development of the national school curriculum from primary school and secondary school with focus on Sami religion. Development and changes in teaching materials in accordance with the development of the school curriculum and its various phases has also been examined. To conclude, a survey has laid the foundation for a study of teachers' own portrayal of Sami religion in RE for Lgr 11 and Gy 11 students. A Qualitative Comparative analysis methodology has been practiced in the study with some quantitative uses. The results of the study show the Sami religion has received a larger place in the national school curriculum in relation to societal changes. The school curriculum sets the foundation the school materials are based on, in other words the materials are structured on the basis of the curriculum and its focus area. In relation to Lgr 11 and Gy 11, Sami with associated religion has seen a significant place in teaching materials. Despite this, there are comparatively few teaching materials that cover Sami population with Sami religion in relation to the amount of researched materials. Results show about half of the teachers participating in the study include Sami population and history in their teachings, despite the majority of teachers stating that time spent is not enough. Many teachers state Sami studies are important in education and wish that teachers' education include Sami more frequently. However, the majority of teachers report that they have sufficient competence for Sami to be covered in their teachings. The result has been described in relation to discourse theoretical framework to cast light on the hierarchical structures concerning majority and minority society.

This study documents a critical evaluation of the religious education curriculum used in Uganda's secondary schools. The study focused on goals and objectives, methods, content, and public perception of religious education instruction. The evaluation was based on a qualitative investigation that employed three methods to collect data: document analysis, classroom observation, and interviews. The investigation was guided by a series of research questions that included the following: What are the overall goals and objectives of religious education instruction? What are the attitudes from the community regarding religious education? What are the roles of religious leaders during implementation of this curriculum? How does the curriculum prepare students for the pluralistic nature of the society? What qualifications and training do the teachers have? What are the politics involved in curriculum implementation? What is the philosophy of religious education instruction as defined by policy makers and how is it implemented?

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1994.
Title from title page screen, viewed March 23, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Larry D. Kennedy (chair), Robert L. Fisher, Michael A. Lorber, John R. McCarthy. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-132) and abstract. Also available in print.

This research study aimed to explore and describe students' and teachers' perceptions of religious education programs for Year 12 students in Catholic schools in Victoria in light of theoretical concepts of religious education. It sought to discover how appropriate these programs were in meeting the needs of today's students and achieving the aims of religious education for senior secondary students in Catholic schools in Victoria. The purpose was to propose guiding principles that could inform a review of Year 12 religious education curriculum in Catholic schools. There were two broad areas of investigation to this study: the theory and the practice of religious education in Catholic schools, with special attention given to the Year 12 programs. With the first area, there was an examination of religious education theory as revealed in the literature. This was concerned with the nature and purpose of religious education in Catholic schools. Different approaches to religious education were explored and their strengths and weaknesses for senior secondary programs were highlighted. In addition, recent approaches to teaching and learning at the broader curriculum level were investigated to highlight possible relevance to religious education. Thirdly, the theory of and approaches to religious education were considered in relation to some aspects of the context of contemporary classrooms. The second area was an investigation into current practices in the compulsory or core Year 12 religious education programs since these were accessed by all or most students in Catholic schools. Eleven schools were involved in the study. They were drawn from the four dioceses in Victoria and were chosen because they displayed certain characteristics which were seen as representative of the wider range of Catholic schools. In order to gain an insight into classroom practices, three sources of data were collected from these schools and examined. Firstly, through the use of questionnaires and interviews, data was collected on students' perceptions of their experiences in their religious education program. Secondly, questionnaires were used to gather information on the teachers' experiences of the program, their perceptions of their students' experiences and their background in religious education. Teachers' perceptions were used as a point of comparison with students' perceptions. Thirdly, religious education documents were examined and analysed to discover their aims and objectives, the content and topics included and their assessment strategies. In general, the various approaches (in terms of content and method) to Year 12 religious education classroom programs in Catholic schools in Victoria either emphasized cognitive learning or it focused on affective learning. With the former, an intellectual study of religion through a study of different religious traditions was offered which, it was hoped, would lead to an increased understanding and appreciation of the subject. With the latter, more attention was given to the personal dimension in religious education in terms of interpersonal and intrapersonal learning. The findings of this research study indicated that, in the perceptions of a majority of students, the religious education programs were not meeting their needs. This raises the question of the pertinence of the aims for senior secondary religious education as proposed in curriculum guidelines for Catholic schools in Victoria. The findings, therefore, suggest a need for a review of such programs in Catholic schools. The study concluded with the proposal of thirteen guiding principles that could inform the development, implementation and evaluation of future Year 12 religious education programs in Catholic schools. The principles, drawn from key insights from both the theory and current practice of religious education, could have relevance for Catholic school administrators, policy makers and religious education teachers. In addition, other areas were identified which could be useful for further investigation to enhance existing knowledge in this field of study.

Educational leaders have many choices of organizational, curricular, and instructional interventions for academically underprepared high school freshmen. In the past decade, doubled instructional time in core subjects has become an increasingly popular intervention in large public school districts. Results so far have been mixed and there are no studies investigating the effects of this strategy in the private school sector. The purpose of this retrospective, pretest-posttest quasi-experiment with nonequivalent groups was to examine whether significant differences existed in the academic achievement gains of academically underprepared Catholic high school freshmen who received double-dosed mathematics and/or English instruction during ninth grade compared to equally underprepared peers who did not. The study used a dataset of 493 cases from an urban Catholic diocese in the San Francisco Bay Area. Academic achievement data consisted of archived mathematics and reading scores from two standardized, norm-referenced batteries with a published predictive validity metric of r = .83 (pretest: HSPT, posttest: PLAN). Independent t-test, ANCOVA, and ANOVA analyses were conducted to identify differences between group means and variances. Analyses revealed no statistically significant differences in posttest scores in mathematics or reading between the groups, challenging existing assumptions from previous effectiveness findings in the public school sector. The results indicate that, as a stand-alone intervention, doubled instructional time in the core subjects does not accelerate achievement gains for academically underprepared freshmen at urban Catholic high schools.

The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relation between student engagement and reading attitude in an online high school learning environment using the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE) and the Rhody Secondary Reading Attitude Scale (Rhody). Subjects were administered the HSSSE and Rhody as a single survey electronically using Google Forms during the Fall 2016 semester. All subjects were enrolled in at least one online course at the time of the survey administration. A MANOVA was run to analyze the data for each research question and sub-question. Although this research found there to be no statistically significant correlation between student engagement and reading attitude in the online high school environment used for this study, the results provided a few strong trends: the relation between the number of online courses a student had previously taken and emotional student engagement and the relation between the number of online courses a student had previously taken and overall student engagement. This research found overall trends that contradict the results of research done in traditional high school learning environments, but support previous research done in online high school learning environments.

These substantial trends influence the development and implementation of policies and procedures of online high school learning environments in order to increase student engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive). Although this dissertation has distinguished these essential trends, future research must investigate student characteristics and environmental factors to identify elements that lead to increased student engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive).

With the ever-changing requirements of a secondary level of education and the application of standardized testing criteria to determine proficiency in mastery of the subject matter, the attempt to create a standard and acceptable curriculum for all school sites has left the control of the schools. Now classrooms are scrambling for focus, guidance and support with curriculum development and implementation. Over the last three decades, there have been numerous research studies that have examined the place of the classroom teacher in the process of creating curriculum for their classroom with mixed results. The efforts to reform secondary education, from the federal level to the local level, have shut out the local input from teachers and professionals in their particular fields as to what the curriculum in the classroom should be and left that decision to people outside the classroom environment.

This research study was conducted to derive a theory developed on the empirical basis of teacher input through the lens of the methodology of grounded theory. Its goal was to identify the underlying issues and problems associated with classroom teachers; input into local curriculum as well as the barriers to changing the prevailing thought of classroom teachers on curriculum. Classroom teachers from two separate academic subject matters that are currently being taught at the middle school level were interviewed and their responses were coded using the classical grounded theory methodology and processes.

The resulting research shows that the involvement of classroom teachers is considered a benefit to the local curriculum development, regardless of experience in the classroom or length of service as a teacher. While most teachers feel that their input is paramount to learning in their particular classroom, teachers admit that they lack the skills to effectively create curriculum for implementation. It is in this manner that teachers strive to do what is best for their students; however, in some cases they lack the support and direction from the district, state or federal level. Knowing the issue as it appears to the classroom teacher, the creation, implementation and execution of locally created curriculum would be and is met with great resistance due to the adherence to the prevailing thoughts on curriculum development at the state of federal level and the need to comply with and execute the curriculum within the existing frameworks.

Further studies in looking at the existence of and use of locally teacher created and implemented curriculum, in different state or regional areas, would contribute to a better and clearer understanding of the particular issues that surround and deal with teacher involvement in the classroom curriculum decision making process. It is believed that the use of the grounded theory model as a methodological research tool provides a pathway for all interested parties to be open and candid about the issue and provide a better introspective look at the issues at hand.

The topic of this study is teacher support and professional development offered at urban Title 1 schools. This study compares the teacher support and professional development provided at an urban Title 1 traditional public school to the support and professional development provided at an urban Title 1 charter school. The purpose is to compare the schools and find out from a teachers’ perspective which school supports its teachers better. Teachers were interviewed in order to receive the data necessary to determine which school is more effective at supporting its teachers. The other significant purpose of this study was to suggest improvements that ether or both schools can implement. The results indicate that the traditional school teachers felt better supported and satisfied with their professional development, than the charter school teachers. The findings also present knowledge that can help improve both schools and other schools similar to them.

Choosing curriculum is an essential part of what teachers do to ensure students are successful learners. Students in rural areas may feel many current educational practices are biased toward urban education or may not see the need for education in their lives. Connecting students to their “place” through place-based learning may help rural students become engaged learners and active community members. Place-based learning is a curriculum designed around the locations near students. Students help create the curriculum by using essential questions and inquiry. Although often used in science and social studies classrooms, place-based learning may be used in the secondary English language arts classroom. This study looks at the advantages and disadvantages of using place-based curriculum in a rural secondary English language arts classroom and determines what implications there are for using place-based curriculum as a regular aspect of the rural secondary English classroom. Using surveys, interviews, reflective student writings, and observational data of community members and students, this case study shows one rural secondary English language arts classroom’s place-based learning experience.

Modeling is an important scientific practice through which scientists generate, evaluate, and revise scientific knowledge, and it can be translated into science classrooms as a means for engaging students in authentic scientific practice. Much of the research investigating modeling in classrooms focuses on student learning, leaving a gap in understanding how teachers enact this important practice. This dissertation draws on data collected through a model-based curricular project to uncover instructional moves teachers made to enact modeling, to describe factors influencing enactment, and to discuss a framework for designing and enacting modeling lessons.

I framed my analysis and interpretation of data within the varying perceptions of modeling found in the science studies and science education literature. Largely, modeling is described to varying degrees as a means to engage students in sense-making or as a means to deliver content to students. This frame revealed how the instructional moves teachers used to enact modeling may have influenced its portrayal as a reasoning practice. I found that teachers’ responses to their students’ ideas or questions may have important consequences for students’ engagement in modeling, and thus, sense-making.

To investigate factors influencing the portrayal of modeling, I analyzed teacher interviews and writings for what they perceived affected instruction. My findings illustrate alignments and misalignments between what teachers perceive modeling to be and what they do through instruction. In particular, teachers valued providing their students with time to collaborate and to share their ideas, but when time was perceived as a constraint, instruction shifted towards delivering content. Additionally, teachers’ perceptions of students’ capacity to engage in modeling is also related to if and how they provided opportunities for students to make sense of phenomena.

The dissertation closes with a discussion of a framework for designing and enacting lessons for engaging students in modeling. I draw on examples from this study to provide context for how the framework can support teachers in engaging students in modeling. Altogether, this dissertation describes how teachers facilitate modeling and why varying enactments may be observed, filling a gap in researchers’ understanding of how teachers enact modeling in science classrooms.

This research evaluates the effectiveness of Project ReCharge, an energy efficiency, STEM curriculum designed for middle and high school students. The project includes a five-unit curriculum, and monthly professional development spanning a year. The project was implemented in ten schools over three years. Four areas were explored in the study including (1) changes to student content knowledge, (2) changes to student attitudes towards STEM subjects and careers, (3) changes to teacher self-efficacy and beliefs, and (4) changes to teacher content knowledge. A content test for teachers and students, the STEM Semantics Survey, and STEBI-A were used to collect data on 4123 students and 47 teachers. Data were collected in a quasi-experimental design utilizing parametric and nonparametric techniques. Analyses suggest student content knowledge increased significantly from pretest to posttest for all years (Pretest: M = 11.38, SD = 4.97, Posttest: M = 16.67, SD = 5.83, t = 45.05, p < 0.001, d = 0.98). Increases to student attitudes in STEM varied by year and grade, but overall increases were found in science (N = 2362, z = –2.618, p = 0.030, η ² = 0.002), and math attitudes (N = 2348, z = –2.280, p = 0.023, η² = 0.002). High school students tended to show more increased attitudes in more subject areas than middle school students. No changes to teacher self-efficacy and beliefs were found, and increases to teacher content knowledge only occurred in the third year (N = 22, x² = 5.158; p = 0.076, η² = 0.319).

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Includes bibliography
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2004-2015), better teaching and learning of environmental education and education for sustainable development (EE and ESD) in schools is one of the main responses to the worsening state of the global environment. Environmental concerns are integrated into the South African school curricula; in the General Education and Training (Grades R-9) (GET) and Further Education and Training (FET) phases through the principles that underpin the curricula such as social justice, a healthy environment, human rights and inclusivity. While a cross-curricula approach to teaching and learning is followed in the GET phase, environmental concerns are infused in each subject at FET level. Because geography deals with human-environment relationships and is interdisciplinary, it is considered to be one of the main vehicles for teaching EE and ESD. To respond to the need for better teaching and learning of EE and ESD during the DESD, the main aim of this research project was to find out how EE and ESD are being implemented through the geography curriculum in South African secondary schools at FET level. The investigation sought answers to questions related to: opportunities for teaching EE and ESD in the geography National Curriculum Statement; the geography teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD; the extent to which the teachers incorporate the teaching of EE and ESD in the geography lessons; pedagogical approaches used by the geography teachers; and, the barriers to teaching environmental concerns through the geography curriculum. A qualitative case study research design, underpinned by the interpretive research paradigm, was used. A sample of 10 senior geography teachers comprising 8 males and 2 females participated in the study. They were drawn from five Western Cape secondary schools selected through purposeful sampling in such a way that the sample of schools is representative of the socio-economic and sociocultural context of the Western Cape as far as possible. Data were generated from biographic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Data were also generated from lesson observation and the analysis of documents such as the geography NCS, work schedules and lesson plans. The use of different research instruments ensured the triangulation of data sources in order to address issues of validity and reliability. The qualitative data were then analysed through thematic analysis. The study found that the sustainable development theme is central to the curriculum. Additionally, strategies of implementing EE and ESD such as the enquiry approach, the issues-based approach and the need to impart critical thinking skills are suggested in the curriculum. The teacher participants experience conceptual barriers concerning the nature of EE and ESD and that of notion of integrated geography promoted by the curriculum document. As a result, some of the teacher participants have difficulties in identifying EE and ESD themes in the curriculum document and incorporating them in the lessons. Furthermore, the teacher participants have difficulties in distinguishing learner activities from learnercentred approaches underpinned by constructivist learning theories as observed by Janse van Rensburg & Lotz-Sisitka (2000) and in using the enquiry learning approach. Some teacher participants prefer using traditional teacher-centred approaches which enable them to finish syllabuses in time for examinations. The use of learner-centred approaches such as fieldwork is hindered by barriers such as shortage of resources, class time, large classes, deteriorating discipline, heavy workload and policy contradiction. This study revealed a gap between policy rhetoric and practice in the teacher participants’ efforts to implement EE and ESD through the geography NCS.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Beter omgewingsopvoeding-onderrig en -leer van volhoubare ontwikkeling (OO/OVO) in skole is een van die hoofresponse op die toenemende agteruitgang in die toestand van die wêreldomgewing in die Dekade van Opvoeding vir Volhoubare Ontwikkeling (DOVO) (2004-2015). OO/OVO is geïntegreer in die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolkurrikulum; in die Algemene Onderwys en Opleidingfase (Grade R tot 9) (AOO) en die Verdere Onderwys en Opleidingsfase (VOO) deur die beginsels wat die leerplan onderlê soos sosiale geregtigheid, ‘n gesonde omgewing, menseregte en inklusiwiteit. Alhoewel ‘n kruiskurrikulêre benadering tot onderrig en leer in die AOO-fase gevolg word, word OO/OVO by elke vak op die VOO-vlak geïntegreer. Omdat geografie oor mens-omgewingverhoudings handel en interdissiplinêr is, word die vak as een van die hoofvoertuie vir die onderwys van OO/OVO beskou. Om op die behoefte vir beter onderrig en leer van OO/OVO tydens die DOVO te reageer, is die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsingsprojek om vas te stel hoe OO/OVO deur die geografiekurrikulum in Suid-Afrikaanse sekondêre skole op VOO-vlak geïmplimenteer word. Die ondersoek het antwoorde gesoek op vrae wat verband hou met: geleenthede vir die onderrig van OO/OVO in die geografie Nasionale Kurrikulumverklaring (NKV); die perspektiewe van geografie-onderwysers oor OO/OVO; die mate waartoe onderwysers die onderrig van OO/OVO in geografie-lesse inkorporeer; die pedagogiese benaderings wat geografie-onderwysers gebruik; en die hindernisse ten opsigte van die onderrig van OO/OVO in die geografie-kurrikulum. ‘n Kwalitatiewe gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp, ondersteun deur die interpretatiewe navorsingsparadigma, is ingespan. ‘n Steekproef van 10 senior geografie-onderwysers, bestaande uit agt mans en twee vroue is by die studie betrek. Hulle is uit vyf Wes-Kaapse sekondêre skole geselekteer deur middel van doelgerigte steekproefneming op so ‘n wyse dat die monster van skole so ver moontlik die sosiaal-ekonomiese en sosiaal-kulturele kontekste van die Wes-Kaap weerspieël. Inligting is verkry uit biografiese vraelyste en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, asook deur waarneming van lesse en deur die ontleding van dokumente soos die NKV vir geografie, werkskedules en lesplanne. Die van verskillende navorsingsinstrumente is gebruik ter ondersteunin van die triangulasie van data ten einde geldigheids- en betroubaarheidskwessies aan te spreek. Die kwalitatiewe data is daarna aan tematiese ontleding onderwerp. Die studie bevind dat volhoubare ontwikkeling ‘n sentrale tema in die kurrikulum is. Daarbenewens word strategieë om OO/OVO te implementeer, soos die ondersoekleerbenadering, die kwessiegebaseerde benadering en die behoefte om kritiese denkvaardighede te ontwikkel, in die kurrikulum voorgestel. Die onderwyserdeelnemers ervaar konseptuele hindernisse met betrekking tot die aard van OO/OVO en die nosie van geïntegreerde geografie wat die kurrikulumdokument bevorder. Gevolglik vind sommige onderwyserdeelnemers dit moeilik om OO/OVO in die leerplandokument te identifiseer en in hul lesse te inkorporeer. Verder ondervind die onderwyserdeelnemers probleme om leerderaktiwiteite te onderskei van die leerdergesentreerde benaderings wat onderlê word deur konstruktiwistiese leerteorieë soos deur Janse van Rensburg & Lotz-Sisitka (2000) waargeneem en om die ondersoekleerbenadering te gebruik. Sommige onderwyserdeelnemers verkies om tradisionele onderwysergesentreerde benaderings wat hulle in staat stel om kurrikula betyds vir eksamens af te handel. Die gebruik van leerdergesentreerde benaderings soos veldwerk word gestrem deur belemmeringe soos hulpbrontekorte, beperkte klastyd, groot klassse, verswakkende dissipline, hoë werklading en teenstrydighede in die beleid. Die studie het ‘n gaping tussen beleidsretoriek en die praktyk in die onderwyserdeelnemers se pogings om OO/OVO te implementeer wat in die geografie NKV ingewerk is, uitgewys.

Up to 1998, there was no common curriculum policy for secondary education in Trinidad and Tobago. Against this background, there was widespread student underachievement and it was determined that the absence of a common curriculum policy could be a contributing factor. In an attempt to address these perceived deficiencies, the country embarked on curriculum reform. Critical to the reform was the establishment of curriculum policy designed to ensure equity and quality in secondary education. In this study, I spotlighted the curriculum policy process, seeking to gain insight into what the development process entailed. I explored the approach to policy making that was adopted; investigated the sociocultural and historical factors which influenced policy development and brought to light the dilemmas which were experienced and the opportunities which presented themselves. I adopted Taylor, Rizvi, Lingard and Henry's (1997) concept of educational policy and employed Bowe, Ball and Gold's (1992) notion of the policy cycle. In addition, I drew heavily on the principles of critical policy analysis to deepen the probe. Through an interrogation of these concepts, an understanding of curriculum as policy emerged and was elaborated to guide the structure of the study; suggest a methodological approach; and signal critical elements of policy analysis. I took a qualitative approach to the study and employed a case study design, using interviews and documentary analysis as research methods. The findings of the study revealed that curriculum policy in Trinidad and Tobago is state-centric, elitist in nature and locked into the positivistic paradigm. Curriculum policy making is undisputedly impacted by global factors, yet, at the same time, strongly influenced by socio-cultural practices, linked intrinsically to the country's colonial history and deeply embedded educational ideologies. Curriculum policy making IS, therefore, complex and takes place in a dynamic policy environment which gives rise to many dilemmas but which also offers opportunities for curriculum policy change.

This research study involved examination of the quality of globalized character-based education in Missouri and the reasons secondary public schools have been slow to adopt globalized educational programs such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). This established programme has been the standard-bearer across the globe during the last 40 years and continues to promote the evolution of new globalized educational programs (IBO, 2017c). The International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme is now in 3,662 schools worldwide with 1,465 schools located in the United States (International Baccalaureate Organization [IBO], 2015b), but only 11 of the 573 Missouri public secondary schools have instituted a working IBDP (IBO, 2017c). A quantitative research study was conducted using a survey based on global characteristics as established by the IB Learner Profile. Data were collected from four specific groups within Missouri: 103 students currently enrolled in an IB Diploma School, 10 IB coordinators, 16 admissions directors of post-secondary institutions that offer IB credit, and 86 human resources directors at Missouri-based globalized businesses. These groups were chosen because of their relationship with the IB Learner Profile characteristics as demonstrated by IB Diploma candidates and the hiring process of employees in the 21st-century workplace. The further a student progresses educationally, the less often evaluators see the criteria of globalized learners being followed. The weaknesses revealed through this study can help drive the evolution and possible expansion of more globalized character-based programs in secondary schools in Missouri.

Faculty in higher education overtly teach content and skills to their students in their courses. However, faculty teach and demonstrate a tacit curriculum in their interactions with their students as well. This study examined how faculty believe they articulate and personally demonstrate these tacit goals and objectives to their students. This study examined the interview responses of ten female university English instructors. The faculty were questioned regarding the values, moral principles, ethical standards, and academic goals that they believe they demonstrate and enforce among their students. In addition, faculty were asked if they believed if the elements changed over time as faculty gained teaching experience or if they changed according to the students' academic rank. As the data from this study was coded, a grounded theory of the tacit curriculum in higher education emerged. This grounded theory can best be seen as a developmental model through which female English Department faculty progress as they gain classroom teaching experience. Faculty in this study progressed through three stages in their development as teachers; Show-Off Lecturer, Audience Respecter, and Mentor/Teacher, and developed a tacit curriculum as they gained teaching experience. These stages correspond with movement from novice to expert status in teaching. The presence of this developmental model lends credence to the phenomenological model of human learning developed by Hubert and Stuart Dreyfus and supports Polanyi's concepts of the personal and tacit dimensions of human knowing. This responses in this study indicate that as faculty develop teaching skill, they also develop tacit moral aims to their teaching. It is unclear if the development of these moral aims are deferred until tenure is obtained or if the process of their development just takes about the same time as the tenure process. In addition, while there is no way to exclude all other influencing factors in the faculty member's lives, the data in this study suggests that experience is central in the development of the faculty's tacit moral curriculum.

In order to improve his own teaching practice, the researcher observed and studied student-driven approaches to public art education that not only achieved the aims of the national standards, but also encouraged secondary students' engagement with art in personally relevant ways. Inspired and informed by these observations and studies, the researcher developed a curriculum based more on student concerns, which was studied using action research. The action research approach was driven by experimentation with the curriculum's content as well as its implementation and is fundamentally about improving the researcher's own teaching practice. Hence, the study focuses largely on the researcher's curriculum and teaching. Relationships or correlations between intrinsic motivation, engaging with art in critical ways, and classroom autonomy are explored in the present study. This thesis investigates what students might accomplish when given more autonomy over their projects and learning opportunities. This study focused largely on how a student-driven approach changed the researcher's own feelings and understandings about teaching and learning. The results of the present study lead to a variety of conclusions regarding teaching, curriculum, and student learning.

This is a quantitative non-random experimental study involving two ninth grade Art I classes at a California charter high school. One class is the control group while the other class is the experimental group. The control group will be taught an Everyday Aesthetics unit (EAU) of instruction focusing on traditional art vocabulary and themes. The experimental group will be taught the Environmental Significance of Everyday Aesthetics (ESOEA) using elements of a critical pedagogical teaching approach.

This initial experimental study includes three hypotheses. Hypothesis 1 is an experimental group of high school Art I students participating in the ESOEA unit and hypothesized to demonstrate a significant increase in environmental consciousness between pretest and posttest. Hypothesis 2 is a control group of high school Art I students exposed to the EAU and is predicted to demonstrate no significant increase between pretest and posttest in environmental consciousness. Hypothesis 3 is the experimental group participating in the ESOEA and hypothesized to demonstrate a significant increase between pretest and posttest regarding environmental consciousness in comparison to the control group of students taught with the EAU of instruction.

The purpose of the essay is to examine and discuss the attitudes presented from different players involved in the development of religious education (RE) for upper secondary school in Sweden, and see if and what solutions are presented for solving these problems. A qualitative content analysis was used in order to investigate the different players, the Swedish schools inspectorate and the different researchers involved in the development of RE,attitudes and criticism towards religious education in Sweden.This study has shown that there are many fundamental issues with religious education in Sweden in such areas as different attitudes from both teachers and students towards RE, teachers competence in RE and towards the goal and criteria in the curriculum “outlooks onlife” (Swedish: Livsåskådningar). However, this essay has also proven that there have been no clear solutions presented by any of the players as to solving the issues of RE in Sweden, leaving a gap between schools, teachers and the other players involved in the development of religious education in Sweden.

This dissertation reports on a study of two widely used eleventh grade ELA textbooks for the opportunities they provide students to construct knowledge through writing. Data included every writing task in both textbooks (158 tasks) as well as the corresponding texts. Data analysis focused on (a) how cognitive demand, textual grist, and elaborated communication contribute to the rigor of a writing task, (b) how authentic the tasks are to the discipline of ELA, and (c) how writing tasks position students as intellectual authorities. This study contributes a new approach to determine the quality of ELA writing tasks and a detailed assessment of the writing tasks in the most widely used ELA textbooks. The findings from this study showed differences in the quality of ELA writing tasks types (text-based, non text-based, and creative writing), with text-based tasks ranking the highest quality for cognitively demanding work. Findings also showed that textual grist and opportunities for elaboration in addition to cognitive demand are essential factors when determining the overall rigor of text-based writing tasks (i.e., analyzing text-based ELA writing tasks for cognitive demand alone may inflate the rigor of the task). Further findings on writing task quality describe the level of disciplinary authenticity and intellectual authority contained in ELA textbook writing tasks and why these features are important in determining the quality of ELA writing tasks. The findings from this study suggest the importance of using a disciplinary-specific theory of task quality, including a three-part model of rigor, disciplinary authenticity, and intellectual authority, to assess the quality of ELA writing tasks. Additionally, this study provides suggestions for practitioners including how teachers might revise and supplement ELA textbook writing tasks in order to support student writing.

This study examines the perceived intellectual and dispositional takeaways for high school alumni who had been peer tutors in their secondary context. The research question which drove this study was, “What abilities, values, and skills do tutors develop from their experience as peer tutors and how, if at all, have they used those abilities, values, and skills in their lives beyond high school?” The findings come from the completed surveys of 63 high school tutor alumni who all tutored at a large, public suburban high school with a diverse population, and who represent a cross-section of the school’s population. The survey was adapted from one made available by the Peer Writing Tutor Alumni Research Project (PWTARP), a national project which seeks to better understand the developmental process of students who engage in the work of peer tutoring during their undergraduate university experience. I collected this data between 2010 and 2013 in my role as the program coordinator and although I knew these tutors very well, their responses were anonymous. Participants named 25 skills, abilities, and values they developed. Participants also indicated, through the survey’s four Likert-scale questions, that they found their tutor experiences were important or influential to their development after high school. This study used the grounded theory method of initial and focused coding for analysis of the data generated by the survey’s open-ended responses. These responses generated 180 pages of text. During the analysis 132 initial codes were applied to 2,231 excerpts from the survey responses. The 132 initial codes were grouped into 34 focused codes. These focused codes were further consolidated into 11 categories that describe the learned skills, innate abilities, and developed values of respondents. These analytic categories are descriptive in nature and constitute the major findings of this study. These categories include writing, reading, collaboration, adaptability, patience, perseverance, confidence, maturity, leadership, bravery, and joie de vivre.

This thesis examines existing curricula at colleges and universities about sustainability and uses results to develop an introductory post secondary course curriculum. The proposed course is organized around three major elements - - science, philosophy, and economics - - all integral to understanding sustainability. Materials needed to teach the proposed 3-semester hour course including syllabus, teaching modules, transparencies, handouts, and exams were developed. Suggestions on how to teach a one-semester hour course on sustainability and a workshop on sustainability are also presented. The following research and curriculum development was a project established and funded by the Texas Energy Office, Renewable Resources and Sustainability Program.

The purpose of this project to was to 1) develop, 2) instruct, 3) evaluate, and 4) revise a 5^th-12^th grade fisheries conservation engineering outreach program entitled Smart Fishing and the Bering Sea (SFBS).

Fishery resources are important to Alaska and Alaskans, but present complex conservation challenges including user conflicts and concerns about unsustainable fishing practices. Increasing Alaska residents' environmental literacy will enhance natural resource management decisions regarding fisheries. The intent of the SFBS program is to introduce students to ecological and economical factors that drive conservation engineering in the Bering Sea pollock fishery. I instructed the SFBS program to 93 students from four different public and private institutions in Anchorage, Alaska. My observations and participants' pre- and post-program concept maps were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the SFBS curriculum. Participants gained content knowledge from this fishery outreach program about the Bering Sea and commercial fishing. Program evaluation analysis and results were used to revise the curriculum and make suggestions to SFBS stakeholders.

This thesis aimed to study the perspectives of religious education coordinators’ in secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne regarding their management of a particular curriculum change in religious education. The change in question involved a “top down” (Morris, 1995) change to a “text-based curriculum” (Pell, 2001) directed by the Archbishop of Melbourne, who is responsible for religious education in Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese. Situated within a qualitative paradigm this research utilised grounded theory as a means to identify and analyse the theory generated from interviews with religious education coordinators who were responsible for managing the change. The emergent categories were used to generate new theory in relation to how religious education coordinators managed the curriculum change. Key theories generated from this study included factors that impeded the change such as an inability to understand the theoretical position underpinning the curriculum innovation, and inadequate qualifications to teach religious education. It also generated theory about factors that assisted the management of this change such as time to reflect on practice, and support from school leadership teams. The theory generated was analysed against the existing knowledge about curriculum change in education, textbook use and leadership in religious education. A distinguishing aspect of this research is that it linked the general literature on educational change as it applies to curriculum change, with curriculum change in religious education.The study also proposed some recommendations for future directions and practices concerning the management of curriculum change in religious education in Catholic schools.