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Malekane, Wendy Mapule. "Students' experiences of community engagement in an educational psychology practicum." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2010. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-03302010-152226.
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Pienkowski, Margaret P. "A Dialogue of Learning: The Exploration of a Service-Learning Practicum and the Development of Democratic Educational Values." VCU Scholars Compass, 2017. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/4774.
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Using a hybrid portraiture interpretivist case study methodology, this study explores the development of democratic educational values of pre-service teachers who participated in a “nested” service-learning practicum during their first semester in a secondary teacher preparation program. In this nested model, both the pre-service teachers and the middle school students with whom they worked participated in service-learning. The study is in response to the findings of previous researchers that democratic educational values have, in many classrooms, been pushed aside by the pressures of the standardization and accountability movement and by the belief that democratic educational values are critical to a public educational system which supports civic identity and participation. Data collected over the course of one semester included reflective journals, blog postings, observations of the service-learning seminar, observations of teaching practices in the field, and audio-recorded semi-structured interviews. Four participants were interviewed three times each, and all four participants were observed both in the service-learning seminar and in their field placements. While this study did not find that participation in a nested service-learning model led to pre-service teachers becoming active agents of change, it did find that the nested service-learning experience helped the pre-service teachers to begin to lay a solid foundation in their understanding of basic democratic educational values, in their plans to embrace democratic educational values in their future classrooms, and in their view of themselves as democratic educators.
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Malekane, Wendy Mapule. "Students' experiences of community engagement in an educational psychology practicum." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/23639.
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The purpose of this study was to explore and describe students’ experiences of community engagement in an Educational Psychology practicum. The theoretical framework was Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory. The study consulted relevant literature relating to community engagement, the experiences of students of community engagement activities, such as service-learning; the asset-based approach, positive psychology and the learning strategies relevant to the community engagement practice, namely experiential and reflective learning. A qualitative research approach was applied, guided by an interpretivist epistemology. An instrumental case study design was employed and the Department of Educational Psychology of the University of Pretoria, which was involved in the community engagement practicum, was conveniently selected for this research study. I selected one focus group for a pilot study, and later selected a second focus group, consisting of 8 purposefully selected students of the MEd Educational Psychology degree, as my research participants. Focus group interviews, reflective journals and visual data served as data collection methods. And, to further enrich the data collection process, audio-visual methods and a personal reflective journal also served as methods of data documentation Four main themes emerged as the result of thematic analysis and interpretation. Firstly, during the focus group interview, the students conversed about how they gained insight into themselves as Educational Psychologists within South Africa, such as their experiences of encountering individuals from different socio-economic groups, cultures, race and language. Secondly, the students also experienced professional development as a result of their experiences from the Educational Psychology community engagement practicum. That included experiencing themselves as being more confident, able to adapt to new situations and deeper insight into their role as a professional. Thirdly, the students discussed experiences related to integration of theory and practice. Their ability to understand theories, such as the asset-based approach and positive psychology, was enhanced as a result of putting it into practice. Finally, the students had experiences relating to structuring a community engagement practicum. The students expressed the need to receive additional information on the orientation and preparation of the practicum, as at times they had felt unsure of what was expected of them. They experienced the time spent in the practicum as being limited and discussed their experiences of writing in a reflective journal and participating in reflective dialogue Based on the findings, community engagement in this Educational Psychology practicum can be regarded as being a valuable inclusion to the training programme of these students of Educational Psychology, as it gave them the opportunity to interact with diverse clients in a South African setting. As a result of experiential learning during the practicum, students acquired several skills that they would not have gained in a classroom setting, such as the ability to work with diversity, groups, different age groups and in different contexts. CopyrightDissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Educational Psychology
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Kennedy, Joy, and res cand@acu edu au. "A Study of Learning Environment in the Extended Practicum of a Pre-Service Teacher Education Course at a Catholic University." Australian Catholic University. School of Education, 2006. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp169.24072008.
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This thesis reports research which employed quantitative data collection methods to investigate pre-service teacher perceptions of extended practicum learning environments of pre-service teachers at a Catholic university and their self-efficacy for future teaching. By drawing on learning environment research, practicum in teacher education literature, student teacher practicum evaluation data and stakeholder perceptions of dimensions of the ACU extended practicum learning environment, an instrument, a 72-item questionnaire, the Extended Practicum Learning Environment Inventory (EPLEI) was developed and validated. To establish relationships between student teacher perceptions of the extended practicum learning environment and their self-efficacy for future teaching, a Student Teacher Efficacy Instrument (STEI) was also developed. Data were collected from student teachers using the EPLEI and the STEI. In 2001, the total sample consisted of 64 students. Recognising that there are a number of dimensions to the learning environments of the extended practicum and to assess differences in student teacher and supervising teacher perceptions of the same extended practicum learning environment, supervising teachers responded to an analogous form of the EPLEI. In 2002, the sample consisted of 57 student teachers and their supervising teachers. Statistical analyses were performed on the quantitative data and revealed some statistically significant differences in the way student teachers and supervising teachers perceive the same environment. Statistical analyses also revealed significant differences in student teachers perceptions of extended practicum environments in relation to school type. Student teachers who participated in the extended practicum in Catholic schools perceived the learning environments more positively than student teachers in State and Other Christian schools. The analyses revealed significant associations between student teacher perceptions of the extended practicum learning environments and their self-efficacy for future teaching. This research clearly demonstrates that extended practicum experiences of student teachers at a Catholic university are affected by features at both classroom and school levels
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Bulut, Melike. "Pre-service EFL teacher learning during the practicum : a multiple case study in a context of systemic dissonance." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2016. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/17977/.
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This study examines the contribution of the practicum to student teacher learning and investigates the factors hindering or facilitating such learning in a pre-service English language teacher education context in Turkey. For the purposes of the study, student teacher learning is defined as a change in student teachers’ stated cognitions and teaching practices. Adopting a sociocultural perspective to learning, it is assumed that any learning that takes place would be mediated by the socialisation of the student teachers into the practicum context. Qualitative longitudinal research was conducted into five cases of student teachers situated within their supervision triads through classroom observations, semi-structured and video stimulated interviews. Drawn from narrative and thematic analysis of the data, the findings show that during the practicum, the student teachers gained basic instructional skills, recognised tensions between the ideals promoted by the teacher education programme and the realities of the classrooms, strove mainly to survive the assessed practicum and to develop a perception of themselves as teachers. While the student teachers benefited from practising teaching in real language classrooms, the main factors impeding their learning were limited access to teaching, the absence of constructive feedback and the lack of communication among the partners who were involved in the organisation and implementation of the practicum. The opportunities created for student teacher learning were influenced not only by the local institutional factors but also wider social, cultural contextual factors. Further analysis of the data has led to the generation of a model of student teacher learning during the practicum. The major contribution of this study is to uncover the pivotal role of practicum context in affording opportunities for student teacher learning and to explicitly demonstrate the collective impact of the multidimensional factors on such learning. The findings of the study have direct implications for the design of English language teacher education practices, and also offer suggestions for further research into pre-service student teacher learning.
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Jackel, Daniel. "Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Internship Program." TopSCHOLAR®, 2011. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1117.
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The traditional way to learn about social sciences in a university setting includes taking courses that teach theoretical frameworks and scientific methodologies that are required for one’s major area of study. The courses that are taught to students are determined by what major they sign up for. After a student has taken all required courses,what skills does the student have to take with him after graduation?
Whether participation is pursued solely for academic credit, for career development, or for civic engagement, an experiential experience typically enhances a student’s connection between academic content and “real world” applications. Bridging the gap between “real world” situations and the classroom demonstrates the need for the application of knowledge.
This project’s primary purpose was to examine the student’s internship experience and determine whether it helped to enhance his or her ability to achieve the predicted outcomes of the internship program. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies was deemed appropriate for empirical analysis. This evaluation project measured enhancement outcomes of an internship program, which rationalized potential designs for the undergraduate sociology major/minor and the undergraduate criminology minor, offered by a higher educational institution.
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Pokorny-Golden, Carissa Ann. "Three Classroom Environments and Their Effect on Teacher Candidates' Conceptions of Literacy and Community during the Practicum Semester." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2010. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/97844.
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EnglishPh.D.
In Practice Makes Practice: A Critical Study of Learning to Teach Deborah Britzman (2003) points out that teacher candidates enter their education programs with their own conceptions of teaching, “bring(ing) to teacher education their educational biography and some well-worn and commonsensical images of the teacher’s work” (p. 27). Similarly, teacher candidates bring their own preconceived ideas of literacy and community to their teaching as well. This study focuses on whether or not teacher candidates’ conceptions of literacy and community can change given a teacher education practicum focused on literacy and community, a community learning experience once a month, and two placements in local middle and high school classrooms. In doing so it inquires as to how each of these different classroom environments informs teacher candidates’ conceptions of literacy and community and how literacy and community is utilized in these different environments. Qualitatively and ethnographically based, the study took place at a state university in rural Pennsylvania. It focused on nine teacher candidates enrolled in a practicum course during their 16-week field experience. It utilized a card sort, surveys, e-mails, teacher candidate journals and assignments, audio taped transcripts of practicum classes and observations. All information was analyzed using constant comparison methods and journals and practicum classes were coded to identify changes over the semester and patterns in the data. The study found that teacher candidates’ conceptions of literacy and community changed over a sixteen week time period as a result of the three different environments that teacher candidates participated in during their field experience semester. Teacher candidates’ conceptions of literacy, once focused on more autonomous literacy practices, expanded to include more sociocultural, i.e. ideological literacy practices. Conceptions of community that were based on more homogeneous, relational conceptions of community grew to include more heterogeneous, geographic conceptions of community. Overall, given three environments focused on literacy and community teacher candidates’ expanded their ideas of literacy and overcame their fears of working with communities outside their own. Correlations were also uncovered relating to authority in each of the environments and the importance of teacher candidate/cooperating teacher relationship to placement success.
Temple University--Theses
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Johnson, Kabrina Rochelle. "Fourth Year Teachers' Perceptions of the Student Teaching Practicum in Abu Dhabi." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1787.
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A local college in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates began a Bachelor of Education program in 2008 to train prospective teachers to deliver a bi-literate education in Arabic and English to students in Abu Dhabi schools. Because there had been no examination of preservice teachers' perceptions of their practicum experience, a project study was designed to analyze the perceptions of a group of preservice teachers regarding the final practicum and whether that experience enhanced their ability to deliver educational practices to better serve students. This phenomenological study was guided by experiential learning theory, as preservice teachers learned from their experiences in a professional setting. The research questions addressed preservice teachers' experiences during the practicum and how those experiences contributed to their professional growth. Individual face-to-face interviews of 8 preservice teachers were the means of data collection. Transcripts of audio recorded interviews were coded to determine themes related to the practicum experience. The data revealed that preservice teachers felt that the practicum allowed them to experience the role of the classroom teacher and its day-to-day challenges. Based on the research findings, a project is proposed to assist preservice teachers in assessing students' needs, identifying instructional classroom practices, and planning lessons. Implementation of the project could lead to positive social change by engaging preservice teachers in professional development centered on professional learning communities. This engagement would encourage collaboration with professionals to develop lesson plans to reach all learners. This project has the potential to contribute to preservice teachers' professional growth, which may lead to continuous learning in their professional learning environment.
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Julie, Hester. "Community- based service-learning through reflective practice." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2004. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&.
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The purpose of the study wass to describe the professional and personal development of nursing students who were placed at the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Abused Women and Children for the service-learning trial run of this Gender-Based Violence module i
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Olivero, María Matilde. "Cultivating Peace via Language Teaching: Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs and Emotions in an EFL Argentine Practicum." Scholar Commons, 2017. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7432.
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In order to understand the intricate processes involved in second language teacher development, in the last decade studies in second language teacher education (SLTE) have addressed the need to explore pre-service teachers’ beliefs and emotions jointly as they occur in their contexts of teaching. SLTE researchers have referred to the importance of helping pre-service teachers verbalize their beliefs and try to understand and regulate their emotions as they can serve to explain what, how, and why pre-service teachers do what they do during their practicum experience. In addition, considering future teachers will be passing on their beliefs, values, and ways of behaving and feeling to future generations, SLTE should offer pre-service teachers with models of teaching that will help form ethical, reflective, and emotionally intelligent professionals capable of transforming society. The clamor for peace in today’s world and the globalized nature of the English language emphasize the need to embrace practices in SLTE intended to foster peace. In Argentina (the context of the present study) such practices carry particular relevance, as it is expected from the Ministry of Education that the teaching of foreign languages at primary and high school level serve as tools to promote societal peace.
Given the importance of exploring pre-service teachers’ beliefs together with emotions, and on the importance of providing them with holistic approaches to teaching aimed at expanding peace, this study examines pre-service teachers’ beliefs and emotions about an innovative intervention involving the language of peace throughout their practicum semester in an Argentine setting. More specifically, through multiple case studies and narrative approaches, this study investigates four pre-service teachers’ beliefs and emotions regarding peace and the implementation of multidimensional peace language activities (MPLAs) before, during, and after their Practicum I course. In addition, it aims at comparing participants’ beliefs and emotions with their actions as reflected in their lesson plans and in-school teaching experience. Finally, it traces pre-service teachers’ transformation of beliefs and emotions throughout the course, and examines the ways in which reflection facilitates teacher development.
Multiple sources were used for data collection, including semi-structured interviews, journal entries, field-notes from classroom observations, lesson plans, and narrative frames. The thematic and content analysis of the data revealed that in general participants believed the MPLA intervention in the practicum (a) gave participants meaningful English exposure, (b) changed their understanding of peace and enhanced their ability to teach peace in EFL classrooms, and (c) led to a more transformative practicum experience. By embodying multidimensional peace the participants were able to become conscious of their beliefs, emotions, and actions regarding the inclusion of MPLAs and understand their teaching practices better, thereby allowing themselves to develop as teachers and peacebuilders. However, it was noted that two pre-service teachers were not able to include as many MPLAs as they had desired, due to contextual factors and previous learning experiences, among other aspects. Limitations of the study are addressed, as well as research and pedagogical implications for the field of SLTE that relate to the need to incorporate holistic, experiential, and contemplative approaches intended to cultivate multidimensional peace.
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Guram, Adriana, Teresa Brooks Taylor, and Bethany Novotny. "Building Bridges: Creating a Model for Linking High Impact Practices Across Academic and Student Affairs." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/3633.
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Nemeth, Emily Annette. "“Because I Live in this Community”: Literacy, Learning, and Participation in Critical Service-Learning Projects." The Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1403520728.
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Wasner, Victoria Ellen. "Collaborative inquiry into service learning : ethical practice through a 'Pedagogy of CARE'." Thesis, Durham University, 2019. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/12991/.
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Practitioner inquiry is an ethical process that begins from a stance of caring. When one cares about the principles of democratic participation and social justice, one wants to advocate for them through modelling them in practice. When teachers engage in practice-based research that is democratic and radical in its intent and process, they act as ethical role models. The aims of this inquiry were to explore ethical principles of practice through a 'students as researchers' approach to service learning at the high school campus of an international school in Central Switzerland. The research question that drove the inquiry was; 'How does meaningful teacher and student involvement as collaborative inquirers into service learning model a pedagogy for service learning?' The participatory methodology of practice-based, collaborative inquiry involved a teacher-researcher and student researchers engaging in a pedagogy that was based on mutual understanding and respect and critical reflection. A rich variety of qualitative, practice-oriented methods were employed within cycles of inquiry and spirals of action and reflection. Through modelling and reflecting on the pedagogical strategies that were part of the collaborative research process, a framework for a 'Pedagogy of CARE' was developed. The acronym CARE, whilst representing the underlying stance of caring, stands for the required and desired personal attributes within collaborative inquiry; one is conscious, active, responsible and experimental. At the same time, it also embodies pedagogical principles; one engages in a practice of consciousness, action, responsibility and experimentation. This framework, conceptualised as a non-hierarchical pyramid model, can be used by teachers and educational researchers within international education and beyond to inform a practice that is ethical in both its process and intent.
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Womack, Bethany G. "Qualitative Service Review as a Learning Strategy for Child Welfare Practice Improvement." Thesis, The University of Alabama, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10288296.
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The mission of public child welfare agencies is to help children grow up in families that can provide safety, permanency and well-being. Child welfare systems are notoriously complex and workloads heavy, but all participate in evaluation with the goal of continuous practice improvement. The Qualitative Service Review (QSR) is a tool designed to provide feedback about case practice and to identify trends influencing practice. Feasibly, QSR cannot be performed on every case, so an important element of its utility is the degree to which workers can apply learning from one case to others. Little is known about frontline workers’ experiences with QSR and how these reviews influence application of QSR generated knowledge and practice. Fourteen frontline workers in three state child welfare agencies participated in individual interviews about their experience with QSR and its influence on their practice. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method to describe perceptions of QSR and practice learning. Findings suggest that workers perceive QSR as a practice improvement strategy as well as an evaluation, that it requires a significant time investment, and that it highlights areas of opportunity where best practice expectations can be articulated more fully. Additional themes about the practice environment emerged. Workers described their emotional investment in practice and their perceptions that multiple systems influence practice. The neoliberal influence on public agencies could be heard in participants’ observations that the child welfare work environment is changing from one that measured performance through interaction with families to one that promotes accountability by data collection. These findings have implications for child welfare practitioners and administrators, researchers, staff responsible for conducting QSR reviews, and social work educators.
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Nordin, Hasniza. "Pre-service teachers' TPACK and experience of ICT integration in schools in Malaysia and New Zealand." Thesis, University of Canterbury. School of Educational Studies and Leadership, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/9856.
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Information and communication technologies (ICT) are common in schools worldwide in the 21st century, in both developed and developing countries. A number of initiatives have been made in the development of ICT related training in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. These initiatives aim to develop future teachers’ ability to teach and deliver the school curriculum, including using ICT in the classroom. Sufficient field experience is essential since the process of undergoing such placements would prepare them in creating new ideas and implementing strategic ways as to how they can effectively incorporate the use of ICT in their lesson plan, class management, and in teaching.
The key research question in this study is “Do pre-service teachers in a New Zealand and a Malaysian ITE programme use their field experience to develop their potential to integrate ICT in schools and, what are the similarities and differences between these case studies?” Effective use of ICT in teaching and learning requires the teacher to understand how ICT weaves with pedagogy and content. The Technological, Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) theoretical framework introduced by Mishra and Koehler (2006) clarifies the need to understand and develop TPACK to inform integration of ICT in teaching.
This research provides two case studies of ICT in ITE in the Asia Pacific region, one in a developed country, New Zealand, and the other in a developing country, namely Malaysia. Both case studies are of ICT in an ITE programme with a particular focus on field experience in secondary schools, within which there are embedded cases of ITE students. This study illustrates how pre-service teachers’ experience and development of ICT knowledge and skill and their understanding of TPACK can support an increase in their teaching competencies. This research provides evidence that field experience is important to support pre-service teachers to develop their teaching competencies with ICT and understanding of TPACK in ways that are transferable into their own practice. This study has also contributed to increased reliability and validity of TPACK instrumentation. The comparative findings of the New Zealand and Malaysian case studies indicate the importance of a range of contextual factors, which suggest that the Initial Teacher Education programme, school curriculum and ICT availability as well as student maturity contribute to the development of TPACK.
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Slosberg, Deborah A. "Practices in Service-Learning that Support Higher Levels of Civic Engagement after Graduation." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1308274358.
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Krebs, Marjori Maddox. "Service-Learning: Motivations for K-12 Teachers." Connect to this title online, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=bgsu1162837806.
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Arnold, Barbara. "Long-term outcomes of service-learning on civic engagement and professional nursing practice." Thesis, Oklahoma State University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3728107.
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Although there is a growing body of knowledge concerning service-learning in professional nursing education, nursing research reports minimal studies that sufficiently address the effects of service-learning strategies on baccalaureate nursing alumni in promoting self-efficacy toward long-term civic engagement or development of professional practice. The purpose of this predictive, correlational study was to determine if a relationship existed between participation in the service-learning experience and self-efficacy toward civic engagement as a long-term outcome of professional nursing education and the development of professional practice in nursing alumni. Spearman's Rho was used to correlate the independent variable of service-learning with the dependent variables of civic engagement and professional practice. Multiple regression analysis indicated that service-learning had less than a 4% effect on civic engagement attitudes and a 6% effect on community service hours (behavior). The Social Cognitive Theory, specifically self-efficacy coupled with the construct of practical reasoning provided framework for the study. Results concluded that service-learning had a low to moderate relationship with both long-term civic engagement and the development of professional nursing practice.
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Waters, Matthew H. "High-Impact Practices and Community College Completion Rates." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2016. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3152.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between the 3-year completion rates of first-time, full-time, transfer degree-seeking community college students, participation in activities that may encourage persistence and retention, and the demographic variables of ethnicity, Pell grant recipiency, gender, and ACT or Compass subscores in English/writing, reading, and math/algebra. The researcher used a snapshot of students’ degree completion three academic years after initial enrollment to determine 3-year completion. The study focused on first-time, full-time students who were pursuing associate of arts or associate of science degrees at a nine-campus community college in eastern Tennessee. Students who were pursuing applied science degrees, workforce certificates, or other credentials were excluded from the population. Students first enrolled in Fall 2010, 2011, and 2012, and their 3-year completion windows ended in Spring 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. The population consisted of 398 degree completers and 964 non-completers. The dependent variable in this study was 3-year completion. The independent variables in this study were participation in service learning courses, participation in courses that involved study abroad, and participation in student athletics, as well as ethnicity, Pell grant recipiency, gender, and ACT or Compass subscores in English/writing, reading, and math/algebra. Two-way contingency tables and Chi square were used to examine the associations between each independent variable and the dependent variable. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between all variables.
The quantitative findings indicated students who participated in service learning, study abroad, and student athletics were more likely to complete their degrees within three years. Additionally, findings revealed Pell grant recipiency, gender, and ACT or Compass subscores in English/writing, reading, and math/algebra predicted students’ 3-year degree completion. Ethnicity was found to have no significant effect on the 3-year completion rate.
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Pausigere, Peter. "Primary maths teacher learning and identity within a numeracy in-service community of practice." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017183.
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This study focuses on the processes of primary maths teacher learning and how their identities and practices evolve in relation to participation in a primary maths focused in-service teacher education programme, called the Numeracy Inquiry Community of Leader Educators (NICLE).Additionally it investigates activities, relations and forms of participation within the Community of Practice (CoP) which enable or constrain evolving primary maths identities and practices and how these relate to the broader context. The study draws from the situative-participationists (Lave, 1996; Wenger, 1998; Sfard & Prusak, 2005; Wenger et al, 2002) theoretical framework supplemented by Bernstein’s (2000) pedagogic identity model. Using a qualitative educational interpretive approach I sampled 8 primary teachers drawn from NICLE and gathered data through participant observations, interactive interviews, document analysis and reflective journals. Analysing the key data themes that emerged from teacher learning stories, which I have called stelos, the study explains the nature of the primary maths teachers’ learning, transformation and participation experiences in NICLE using the synonyms reinvigoration and remediation and activation and relating these semantics to the teachers’ mathematical identities and histories. The study also explains the processes through which primary maths teacher identities evolve in relation to participation in an in-service CoP as ‘insiding’ and ‘outcropping’. Interpreting qualitative data from the empirical field indicates that teachers participating in NICLE mostly took-up into their maths classrooms key numeracy-domain concepts, resources and issues presented by primary maths experts which are informed by research and theory that link to practices. Teachers collaboratively and actively engaged in a range of activities that relate to classroom practices. Teacher learning was also enabled when teachers engaged in maths overlapping communities of practice, shared classroom experiences in friendly ways with fellow NICLE teachers and engaged with NICLE presenters who mutually respected and regarded them as professionals. Such affordances were said to enable teachers to engage learners in maths classes and improve their understanding of specific primary maths concepts. On the other hand teachers felt challenged by the travelling distance, limited time and also raised the tension of how to scale-up maths professional development initiatives to include schools from their community. The study makes a theoretical contribution by illustrating how Bernstein’s pedagogic identity model and its elaboration by Tyler (1999) provides analytical tools to interrogate macro educational changes and connect these to the micro processes and teacher identities.
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Boland, Josephine Anne. "Embedding a civic engagement dimension within the higher education curriculum : a study of policy, process and practice in Ireland." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/5804.
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As the civic role of higher education attracts renewed critical attention, the idea of engagement has come to the fore. Civic engagement, as espoused in many institutional missions, encompasses a diversity of goals, strategies and activities. Latterly, these have included particular approaches to teaching and learning. This research examines the process of embedding a civic engagement dimension within the higher education curriculum in Ireland. I use the term ‘pedagogy for civic engagement’as a generic term for a range of academic practices –variously referred to as ‘service learning’or ‘community based learning’–which share an explicit civic focus. Academic practice serves as the central focus with attention to pertinent aspects of the prevailing context. Using a multi-site case study conducted in the spirit of naturalistic enquiry, I examine four cases of this curriculum innovation, drawn from the university and institute of technology sectors in Ireland, with unstructured interviews and documents as the main sources of data. I interrogate the underpinning rationale for ‘pedagogy for civic engagement’–as gleaned from the literature, the policy context and the case studies –exploring implicit conceptions in relation to knowledge, curriculum, civil society, community and the purpose of higher education. The study draws its empirical data from those responsible for implementing this pedagogy –the ‘embedders’–and a range of other actors. Interviews were carried out with academic staff, project directors, educational developers, academic managers and leaders. Key actors from the national policy context and from the international field of civic engagement also participated in the study. Four orientations to civic engagement are identified, revealing the multifaceted rationale. I explore the process of operationalising the pedagogy and the factors impacting on academics’capacity and willingness to embed it. While the study does not directly examine the experience of students and community partners their role within the process, as perceived by academic staff and others, is problematised. The implications of the putative unresolved epistemology of this pedagogy are explored in light of how participants conceive of and practice it. Academics’ambivalence about the place of values in higher education emerges as a theme and the issue of agency recurs. I explore how the pedagogy may be conceived of in terms of the teaching, research and service roles of academics and consider how it may be positioned within an institution. Opportunities for alignment are identified at a number of levels from constructive alignment within the curriculum to alignment with national strategic priorities. I explore the unrealised potential of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications –specifically the ‘insight’dimension –as a means of enabling and legitimising the pedagogy, in light of the prominence afforded to the principle of subsidiarity in Irish higher education policy. The localised way in which these practices have been adopted and adapted underlines the significance of context and culture. ‘Pedagogy for civic engagement’as a concept and as a practice challenges a range of assumptions and traditional practices, raising fundamental questions regarding the role and purpose of higher education –and not just in contemporary Ireland.
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Abdelhafez, Ahmed. "An investigation into professional practical knowledge of EFL experienced teachers in Egypt : implications for pre-service and in-service teacher learning." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10036/119325.
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This study aimed to investigate what constituted the professional practical knowledge of EFL experienced teachers in the Egyptian context and what the sources of their knowledge were. It also aimed to examine the relationship between the teachers’ knowledge and the contextual factors intervening in action. By delineating its focus as such, the study responds to call for reconceptualising the core of the knowledge base of teaching to focus on teaching as a knowledge-based activity and an act of common sense and reasoning, the pedagogy by which teaching is done, and the context in which it is done. The study was carried out using multiple methods for collecting qualitative and quantitative data. This design was chosen to investigate the participants’ views of professional practical knowledge and to construct their different understandings and interpretations which they brought with them. Questionnaires completed by 236 EFL experienced teachers, semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 of them and stimulated recall classroom observation data with three of them were the data collected for the current study. Although it provided a parsimonious view, quantitative questionnaire data made an important contribution to the bricolage of information built up during the study. A more in-depth understanding was gained from qualitative data using responses to the open-ended section of the questionnaire, interviews and classroom observation. Based on quantitative and qualitative data analyses, six core areas of teacher knowledge were constructed from the participants’ responses and accounts. These were: subject matter, pedagogy, students, classroom learning environment, curriculum and self. The findings also revealed a variety of sources which shaped the teachers’ professional practical knowledge including: experience, teacher education, university study in the subject department, student and peer feedback, in-service training, expert advice, student output and postgraduate study. The findings also revealed that the relationship between teacher knowledge and practice was reflected in two ways. The first was that teacher knowledge represented an operative model which underpinned practice. The second was that it informed the classroom decisions. However, not all teacher knowledge found application in practice. A variety of intervening contextual challenges were revealed to deter the actualisation of teacher knowledge in action such as the EFL exam policy, lack of time, support and resources, mismatch between teacher purposes and students’ expectations and needs, and large class size. These findings were discussed in relation to existing research evidence and context. Implications for pre-service and in-service teacher learning were also drawn based on the findings of the study.
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Felts, Mark T. "Perceived Impacts of a Study Abroad Experience on In-Service Teachers' Practices." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2018. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1248464/.
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This phenomenological multiple case study provides the details, reasoning, and discussion of the role of study abroad experience and its perceived impact(s) on three in-service teachers. Two research questions were posed: What are the perceived impacts on in-service teachers' practice of a study abroad program experience and how does the in-service teacher's perception of impact change over time within a teacher's career? Results of this study suggest that the teaching practice of in-service teachers who study abroad would benefit, especially in the area of intercultural competence, if this experience is structured in a way where the curriculum of the study abroad program aligns with the content of their future teaching assignment i.e. curricular bridging. Case evidence further suggests that long-term impact of a study abroad experience upon a teacher's practice is related to providing the future teacher an opportunity for to develop and maintain pedagogical relationships with students while abroad. The term ‘submersion' is introduced to help articulate depth of impact during a study abroad program experience.
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Wilson, Edwin L. "A study of the cognitive styles and learning preferences of Fire Service officers." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 1999. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/287/.
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This research examines the relationship between Cognitive Style and Learning Styles of senior officers in the Fire Service and their preferences for different training delivery methods. Data has been gathered from students attending courses at the Fire Service College, in particular those attending the Divisional Command Course (DCC), which is a personal and professional development course for officers aspiring to a senior role in the Fire Service. Three data gathering instruments were used in the research, the Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA) (Riding, 1991), the Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) (Honey & Mumford, 1982), and a questionnaire specifically designed to gather students’ preference ratings across a range of 14 training delivery methods. The research examines the psychological and educational derivations of models that underpin the CSA and LSQ instruments in order to help clarify the construct systems used to describe both cognitive and learning style; and to examine their relationships with other psychological constructs. Further exploration of the relationships between cognitive and learning styles attempts to answer the question as to whether they have similar attributes and also whether the instruments have any practical predictive utility in predicting suitable delivery methodologies for training. The data findings suggest that the officer students formed a homogeneous group with regard to cognitive style on the ‘wholist–analytic’ dimension, the tendency for bias towards the analytic end of the scale, but were evenly distributed on the ‘verbaliser–imager’ dimension. The sample exhibited a more normal distribution of type with regard to learning style (using the LSQ), although there was a tendency for them to be more ‘reflector’ orientated than a standardized group in the general population. The sample group showed preferences for certain delivery methods that encouraged interactive participation in the learning process but these did not appear to show any significant correlation with either cognitive style or learning style.
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Lee, Kwok-wai Stephen. "An evaluation of the impact of a customer service approach on e-learning practices in schools." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2005. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B40040112.
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Lee, Kwok-wai Stephen, and 李國偉. "An evaluation of the impact of a customer service approach on e-learning practices in schools." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2005. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B40040112.
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Grohowski, Mariana. "At War with Words: Understanding U.S. Service-Personnel's Literate Practices for a Universal Design for Learning Worldview." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1421692543.
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Debreli, Emre. "EFL pre-service teachers' changing beliefs about learning and teaching English : insights from a nine-month pre-service teacher training programme on pre-service teachers' practical knowledge development." Thesis, University of Reading, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.646410.
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Heo, Gyeong Mi 1971. "Learning in an informal web-based community of practice : a study of community, interpersonal, and individual planes." Thesis, McGill University, 2008. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=115653.
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This thesis focuses on investigating learning occurring in a web-based community of foodservice professionals, which is informally structured and based on voluntary participation, using concepts from the "communities of practice" (CoP) (Wenger, 1998) paradigm. As an informal learning environment, the web-based community was investigated based on three planes (Rogoff, 1998): Community (i.e., how does learning occur in the web-based community?), Interpersonal (i.e., how does learning occur between participants of the web-based community?), and Individual (i.e., how does individual learning occur through participating in the web-based community?).Under the umbrella of the online ethnographic approach, I applied mixed-method research combining multiple data sources (i.e., discussion transcripts, online survey, online interviews, ethnographic observation, and other documents) and analytical methods (i.e., descriptive framework for CoP, content analysis, transcript analysis, and descriptive statistics).
In terms of the community plane, the web-based community was explored by applying the descriptive framework for communities of practice consisting of observable and measurable indicators in terms of organization, participation, and outcome. With regard to the interpersonal plane, I explored how learning occurs between participants of the WBC: How do participants interact with each other and what do they share through their interactions? To do that, the processes of interaction and learning were examined according to the size of threads (i.e., small, medium, and large sizes). For the individual plane, I examined (a) individuals' epistemological beliefs and (b) individuals' change of roles in relation to the degree of participation. Based on the results investigated in each plane, I discussed general characteristics of this web-based community as informal learning environment, effective features fostering interaction and learning in this web based community, and possible trajectories of the web-based community evolving for a community of practice.
The importance of this study lies in its contributions to the conceptual framework (i.e., descriptive framework for communities of practice) and the methodological approach (i.e., multi-layered analytical approach) developed and applied in this thesis. The descriptive framework enables us to identify some defining features that distinguish communities of practice from other structures and hence to establish guidelines for monitoring how communities of practice evolve and what makes them evolve in successful ways. In addition, this study offers useful implications for designing and supporting web-based communities even in formal and non-formal learning environments. Because this study employed an exploratory, interpretive approach and concentrated on the breadth of learning in a web-based community through different planes, the results offer broader aspects of learning rather than specific, intensive issues of learning in this web-based community. Therefore, further studies are suggested along with the issues derived from this thesis.
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Ng, Swee Fong. "Malaysian pre-service primary mathematics teachers and their lecturers : practice and beliefs about mathematics, teaching and learning." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.365276.
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Fodo, Sihle. "Collaboration in inclusive education: teachers’ perspectives and practices." UWC, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/7554.
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Magister Educationis - MEdInclusive education (IE) is an international movement and South Africa is in the process of developing systems to support the process. The aim of this study was to develop narratives of teachers’ trajectories of collaboration in developing IE. The Department of Education acknowledged that collaboration between teachers and other professionals and between teachers and parents and the community at large is a critical strategy and skill for developing IE successfully (Department of Education, 2001). This study was conducted at a full-service school in the Western Cape Province which was selected purposively. Snowball sampling was used to select six teachers who were interviewed and observed in their collaborative spaces. This study used a qualitative approach and a case-study approach as a research design. It used Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as the theoretical framework to understand how teachers respond to the diverse needs of all learners and how they collaborate with others in developing more responsive pedagogies. Multiple methods of data analysis, such as thematic analysis and CHAT, were used to analyze data collected. The study revealed that teachers collaborated in school-initiated collaboration practices as well as in Department owned collaboration practices. Teachers reported to have voluntarily participated in school-initiated collaboration practices as their school had a culture of sharing knowledge and skills and this enabled them to work closely with each other, whereas in Department owned collaboration practices teacher reported that they participated because they had to obey instructions from their employee. Teachers felt that the Department owned collaboration practices used top-down approaches which hindered some of their collaboration practices. Teachers reported to have encountered some benefits from as well as barriers to collaboration. This study concludes that if collaboration is a critical strategy for the successful implementation of IE in South Africa, the Department of Education (DoE) should give schools an opportunity to indicate their areas of need so that they can be trained accordingly. Secondly, the DoE should continuously provide training for teachers on collaboration. Lastly, the DoE and the school should encourage and monitor teachers to continue to create environments where they work collaboratively in decision-making and problem-solving.
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Amerson, Roxanne M. "The influence of international service-learning on cultural competence in baccalaureate nursing graduates and their subsequent nursing practice." Connect to this title online, 2009. http://etd.lib.clemson.edu/documents/1263396701/.
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Belmeskine, Rachid. "NICOLAT : un système iNformatIque COmmunautaire et AdapTatif support d'une Communauté de Pratique pour un apprentissage basé sur la résolution de problèmes." Thesis, Amiens, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015AMIE0030/document.
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Dans ce travail de recherche, nous nous sommes intéressés à la conception et au développement d'un système iNformatIque COmmunautaire mobiLe et AdapTatif, appelé NICOLAT. Ce dernier vise à supporter une CoP dans laquelle l'apprentissage s'effectue via la résolution communautaire de problèmes en offrant des solutions qui permettent de limiter les facteurs qui peuvent aboutir à la démotivation des membres de la CoP.Pour expérimenter et valider les solutions que nous proposons à travers ce système, nous ciblons la CoP des enseignants usagers de la méthode pédagogique MAETIC, qui peuvent rencontrer, en classe, des problèmes dans l'usage de celle-ci.Ainsi, nos principales contributions se résument dans les points suivants : 1) La mise en place du noyau communautaire du système NICOLAT. Ce dernier est sous forme d'un réseau social supportant la résolution communautaire de problèmes, 2) La mise en place d'une couche de résolution de problèmes ayant pour objectif d'aider le membre à résoudre son problème par exploitation de l'historique des problèmes résolus dans le passé. Ceci pour minimiser le nombre de demandes d'aide répétitives. Le cycle du raisonnement RàPC (Raisonnement à Partir de Cas) a été utilisé pour guider ce processus, 3) La mise en place de deux couches d'adaptation permettant de supporter les interactions des membres dans les outils d'interaction qu'ils préfèrent ou avec lesquels ils sont familiarisés le plus. L'objectif visé par cette adaptation est, d'une part, de dépasser les problèmes de prise en main de nouveaux outils d'interaction. D'autre part, de permettre l'accès au système en cas de mobilité et minimiser ainsi le temps de réponse, 4) La mise en place d'une approche de sélection des membres qui peuvent contribuer positivement à résoudre un problème à qui faire aboutir la demande d'aide. L'objectif est de permettre à un membre cherchant à résoudre son problème de recevoir une réponse pertinenteIn this research work, we focused on design and development of an adaptive and mobile community system, called NICOLAT (iNformatIque COmmunautaire mobiLe et AdapTatif). The latter aims to support a Community of Practice (CoP) in which learning is done through community problem solving by providing solutions that limit the factors that can lead to the demotivation of the CoP members.To experiment and validate the solutions we provide through this system, we target the CoP of teachers users of the MAETIC pedagogical method, who can meet, in classroom, problems in the use of it.Thus, our main contributions are summarized in the following points: 1) Establishment of community kernel of the NICOLAT system. The latter is as a social network supporting the community solving of problems, 2) Implementation of problems resolution layer that aims to help the member solve his problem through the exploitation of the history of problems solved in the past. This is to minimize the number of repetitive help requests. The cycle of the CBR (Case-Based Reasoning) was used to guide this process, 3) Establishment of an interactions adaptation layer to support the members' interactions in the interaction tools they prefer or with which they are most familiar. The purpose of this adaptation is, firstly, to exceed the problems of interaction tools manipulation. On the other hand, to enable access to the system in case of mobility and thereby minimize response time, 4) Establishment of a dynamic approach of selection of members who can contribute positively to solve a problem, to whom bring the help requests. The objective is to enable a member seeking to solve his problem to receive a relevant answer
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Parker, Miriam Bibi. "Design, implementation and evaluation of a model for Service-learning in Pharmacy (SLIP) at a tertiary hospital." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4603.
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Magister Pharmaceuticae - MPharmIn recent years the focus of pharmacy practice has changed from being primarily 'drug-centred to' one which is 'patient-centred' (El-Awady et al., 2006, p. l ). Developments in pharmacy curricula worldwide are reflecting this change. Pharmacy courses no longer concentrate primarily on theoretical content, but increasingly on the ability of students to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice. The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) requires that pharmacy education and training in South Africa equips pharmacists for the roles they will take on in practice. In order to accomplish this, the SAPC has prescribed competency unit standards for entry level pharmacists which may serve as a guide for pharmacy educators. A significant challenge in pharmacy education is the application of theory in practice settings (Bucciarelli et al., 2007), which possibly affects the ability of entry-level pharmacists to meet the SAPC unit standard competencies. The dire shortage of pharmacists in public sector health settings further emphasizes the need for a level of competency of entry level pharmacists so that they may enter the workplace ready to serve the medicine related needs of society. Service-learning is defined as experiential learning in which students engage in structured activities that address community needs and promote learning. The purpose of this study was to design, implement and evaluate a Service-learning in Pharmacy (SLIP) intervention which is intended to serve as a generic model which can be used in tertiary hospital pharmacies. The SLIP intervention aimed to promote student learning by providing opportunities for students to engage in structured activities, while simultaneously alleviating pharmacy workload.
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Tembe, Cristina Raul Cesar Augusto. "Exploring professional development interventions for improving the teaching practice of primary school teachers." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24096.
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Since the independence of Mozambique in 1975 teacher education and teacher continuing professional development (TCPD) have been a matter of concern for the Ministry of Education (MINED) and teachers. Both the MINED as employer and the teachers individually have permanently been looking for models and ways to upgrade their academic and professional qualifications levels. The constraints faced by Mozambique are similar to those faced by other sub-Saharan African countries since their independence due to the increased pressure for more attention to all levels of education, with particular emphasis on primary education. Although TCPD is usually seen as part of the overall Strategy for Teacher Education (Ministry and Education and Culture, 2004), this scenario privileges initial teacher education since there are many unqualified teachers facilitating learning. The main challenge of this study was to investigate the practices of primary school teachers in Grades 1 and 2 through a participatory action research (PAR) in a study titled Exploring Professional Development Intervention for Improving the Teaching Practices of Primary School Teache. Mixed methods research was used, namely quantitative and qualitative methods. A quantitative method was used during the baseline study which consisted of questionnaires administrated to 1 028 teachers from six provinces in the country. Qualitative research was used with five practitioner-researchers (PRs) in one school. Each PR was approached as a single case study. The findings of this PAR indicate that, on the one hand, the teachers are aware of the need for more academic and pedagogical qualifications, and on the other hand, of the individual responsibility they have. They believe that progression in their careers should be a credible procedure that recognises the TCPD programmes they have attended. The teachers are of the opinion that the MINED should formally recognise the TCPD by allocating credit points to teachers. Although the self-directed professional development (SDPD) model used in this study was time consuming, it has revealed that TCPD can provide effective results when with the appropriate support and follow-up of methods of facilitating the learning of reading and writing skills in Grades 1 and 2. The study involved all teachers appointed to Grade 1 in 2007, and continued with the same teachers until 2010. During this period the teachers were appointed to facilitate learning in Grades 1 and 2. Notwithstanding the fact that the PRs were only from 2 of the 7 grades provided in primary education, the study revealed the advantage of whole school professional development. The study took into consideration the Mozambican school context and calendar. For instance, the PRs were certified by the latest model of teacher education (10+2 teacher education programme) provided by the MINED. In addition, the meetings were carried out during the period scheduled for the planning of pedagogical practices and TCPD programmes. Throughout the study the constant issue that emerged was the need for a paradigm shift in TCPD. Providers of TCPD need to introduce changes in the way they view primary school teachers and confer on them the responsibility for their individual continuous professional development. Action Research could be the new research paradigm used by providers and teachers to improve their work, understand learners’ learning problems and find the appropriate solutions to improve achievement. The findings of this PAR both contribute to understanding the teachers’ views with respect to the TCPD programmes being provided, and offer the option for a new paradigm for TCPD. In this regard the current providers of such programmes can also consider the school principal and the deputy principal as fundamental facilitators of TCPD through a SDPD model.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011.
Humanities Education
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Curtis, Anna E. "Professional Learning Communities: A Comparative Case Study of Shared Personal Practice." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2017. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1011785/.
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Effective instructional practice has a significant impact on student learning. Shared personal practice within a professional learning team (PLT) is one of the key elements in consistently improved instructional practice. However, this PLT characteristic is often the least evident and the hardest to absorb into PLT culture. This study examined the relational characteristics, facilitating factors, or barriers to shared personal practice within a PLT. Two PLTs in core subject areas across two Texas high school campuses were included in this comparative case study. Data from document analysis, PLC observations, focus group interviews, and in-depth individual interviews were examined thematically to answer the research questions guiding this study. The results of this study revealed that building strong relationships and an emphasis on collective creativity were strong predictors of sharing personal practice. Collective clarity on PLT practices and the purpose of sharing personal practice increased the success and occurrence of sharing personal practice. The results also revealed that the copious tasks of teaching and negative perceptions of being observed by colleagues hindered consistent sharing of personal practice. This study describes the current context of shared personal practice as a foundation for future studies to examine how practice can be transformed.
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Kashima, Andreas Akwenye. "Teaching for conceptual understanding : an analysis of selected teachers' practice." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017348.
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The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers’ practice either supports or constrains learners’ conceptual understanding. The study is structured within an interpretive paradigm. The research takes the form of a case study and focused on the teaching practice of two purposefully selected teachers who had been identified as being effective/successful practitioners. The data was collected in two stages. In the first stage, qualitative data was collected by video recording six classroom lessons, three for each of the two participating teachers. In stage 2, participating teachers were individually interviewed. In these interviews the two participating teachers were asked to reflect on their classroom practice, through a process of stimulated recall, where their actions seemed to either support or constrain the development of learners’ conceptual understanding. The study identified a number of elements of the two teachers’ practice that related to the development of learners’ conceptual understanding in the classroom. These include building on learners’ prior knowledge, the use of concrete manipulatives, questioning that promotes critical thinking, and the use of multiple representations and connections. The study also identified elements of the two teachers’ practice that had the potential to constrain the development of learners’ conceptual understanding. These include the lack of opportunities for co-operative or peer-oriented learning, the absence of questioning that leads to discussion, and a scarcity of activities that build mathematical concepts through hands-on engagement. The study highlights the need for supporting teachers and helping them strengthen their practice with regard to those activities that support the development of conceptual understanding in their learners.
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Fakir, Mohammad Razia. "From theory to practice : an understanding of the implementation of in-service mathematics teachers' learning into the classroom in Pakistan." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.395297.
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Van, Putten Jessica K. "The influence of the mentor lecturer on pre-service professional teacher identity." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/78500.
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The purpose of this study was to determine fourth-year pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the influence of mentor lecturers on their Professional Teacher Identity (PTI) while on teaching practice. The problem underpinning this study was that the students may not be able to mediate the merging of the academic world with the world of work if the influence of the mentor lecturer is lacking. The significance of this study lies in the student perceptions of the mentor lecturers’ role. The data were collected through the Fourth Years Initiative for Research in Education (FIRE) project. Students reflected in groups on the development of their PTI and the role their mentor lecturers played in this development. In this qualitative, descriptive case study, a document analysis was conducted on transcriptions of the posters that the students created in workshops. The conceptual framework combined a mentorship and a PTI model. The results showed that in PTI development, the mentor lecturers’ influence ranked sixth out of nine. The students felt misunderstood and unsupported. The findings indicate either that the role of the mentor lecturer is a redundant feature of the BEd programme, the mentor lecturer is not meeting the students’ needs, requiring revisitation of the programme, or this millennial generation sample is not open to critical self-reflection and critique. Similar studies may access the mentor lecturers’ perceptions of their own PTI and their influence on their mentees’ PTI development, and why passion for a subject is not a statistically significant influencer of PTI.Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2020.
Humanities Education
MEd
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Westermark, Kristina. "Proximity and Learning in Internationalisation : Small Swedish IT firms in India." Doctoral thesis, Stockholms universitet, Kulturgeografiska institutionen, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-92603.
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The four IT service firms of this thesis set out to interact and collaborate between their offices in Sweden and in India, some more intensely and frequently than others. In the process of their internationalisation, these small service firms find ways, or go through a process of learning how to collaborate in an international setting. The qualitative exploration of the process of learning is inspired by ‘communities of practice’, and in this thesis the focus is on ways in which individuals of firms through social participation learn to collaborate across distance, and develop a common way of working together in an international setting. This includes making use of technological objects as well as individuals acting as brokers bridging distance, and it is played out in physical as well as social proximity. This thesis aims at continuing the vibrant discussion in economic geography where proximity is seen as more than ‘being there’ in a physical sense. In this discussion, the understanding of proximity is related to social aspects and can be seen as a metaphor of closeness. Hence, more emphasis is put on the role and experiences, including intention and sense of passion, of individuals. In this thesis, this experience of closeness is empirically explored through a longitudinal study in Sweden and in India. This includes trying to operationalise social proximity by exploring the experience of social proximity amongst the individuals of the case firms. More precisely, social proximity is conceptualised as individuals experiencing ‘shared social familiarity’. This thesis combines a discussion on proximities with literature on processes of learning. This is in order to present a more thorough understanding of how social proximity can develop over time and, furthermore, in what way social proximity matters for service firms working in an international setting.Formas project: "Swedish Cities in 'the Spaces of Flows': National, European and Global Networks"
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Agulles, Simó Maria Remedios. "Practical Knowledge Transfer Processes in Labour-Intensive Service Multinationals." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/384536.
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This dissertation contains a qualitative case study research that takes an integrated facility services multinational as the setting, focusing on two services—catering and cleaning—in three subsidiaries—India, Spain and the UK. The author investigates and discovers how the types of knowledge tied to the services practice and characteristics of the subsidiaries and services such as their age, context and development are related to the knowledge transfer mechanisms these subsidiaries and services use. The dissertation contains also a research on the literature on organizational learning and knowledge management, to which she contributes with an indagation on the epistemological foundations of the main trends on these topics, a classification of types of knowledge, a taxonomy of service firms and a typology of knowledge transfer mechanisms. All these insights are used in the subsequent empirical research.
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Arnold, Maik. "Community-based Service-Learning and Digital Media: A Teaching Practice Report on a Flipped-Classroom-based Crowdfunding Course for Social Pedagogues." TUDpress, 2019. https://tud.qucosa.de/id/qucosa%3A36545.
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This teaching practice report looks ahead to the learning experiences of students relating to the use of digital media and their collaborative knowledge work within a service-learning project. This project takes into account the increasing digitalisation in higher education, in particular, its didactic-methodical, technological, and organisational implementation, as well as their integration into appropriate learning management systems. Undergraduate students initiated a crowdfunding campaign for young people aged between 12 and 18 in a rural town under the authors’ direction in the bachelor’s degree program “Social Pedagogics and Management” at a University of Applied Science in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. The two-semester course included a flipped classroom concept linked to a community-based learning approach that not only allowed for development of students’ digital literacy skills and a deepening of their theoretical knowledge in the field of alternative financing possibilities in human service organisations but also helped to enhance students’ social engagement. In this context, the learning management system ILIAS provided not only an appropriate digital knowledge architecture for the service-learning project but also offered a wide range of eLearning opportunities, a platform for multi-local project work, and the documentation of ePortfolios. This practice report aims at a short description of the teaching project itself, its implementation, and the results of the mentioned learning scenario and will conclude by summarising how the quality of technology-enhanced higher education pedagogy could be improved in future.
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Leung, Pamela Pui-wan, and n/a. "On Becoming a Chinese Language Teacher: Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Chinese Learning and Teaching, and their Classroom Practices in Hong Kong." Griffith University. School of Cognition, Language and Special Education, 2003. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20051103.122245.
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The continual decline of Chinese proficiency has caused serious concerns in Hong Kong. Although most Hong Kong people speak Chinese as their first language, they have not been strongly motivated to learn it in part because of the socio- economic status of English, and in part because of the discrepancies between the spoken and the written forms of Chinese. The absence of a link between the spoken dialect (Cantonese) and the written Modem Standard Chinese language (based mainly on the syntax of Mandarin) makes the learning of Chinese in the 'trilingual' (Cantonese, Mandarin and English) and 'biliterate' (Chinese and English) society laborious. The perception that Chinese proficiency is waning has led to criticisms of the quality of language teachers and language teacher education in the community. Hence, a study of the problems in Chinese language teacher education in Hong Kong is an indispensable step in improving the quality of Chinese language education in Hong Kong. This study takes pre-service teachers' (PST) perceptions as the predomhant factor in understanding how they learn to become a teacher of Chinese. As both students and teachers, the PSTs in this study provide insights into learning, teaching, and learning to teach, the Chinese language. Famous for its cultural tradition, Chinese teaching is typically transmissive. In particular, teachers of Chinese are expected to teach with a missionary zeal for 'educating' students by acting as exemplars. As a result, how a teacher teaches is often determined by how he or she was taught to interpret the nature of Chinese Language. The use of texts written by distinguished authors as teaching materials further encourages language teachers to give higher priority to literature, culture and moral education than language use. Inheriting such a tradition, modem Chinese language teacher education is faced with multiple challenges: to promote cognitive developments in teachers and cognitive teaching approaches to meet the needs of rapidly developing society, and to prepare teachers to maintain a proper balance between moral education and appreciation of culture and literature on the one hand, and teaching language use on the other. This study draws on the literature on Chinese language education, TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages), learning to teach, teacher knowledge, beliefs and perceptions, and develops a conceptual framework to interpret the relationships between perceptions and practices as a reciprocal cycle. Perceptions of self as a teacher, the subject matter, and teaching and learning of the subject matter are inseparable from the beliefs and knowledge of the PSTs, which affect how they prepare lesson plans to teach and actually teach in the classrooms. Planning and classroom practices are realised in teaching objectives, instructional strategies and evaluation of teaching effectiveness, which then reinforce knowledge, beliefs and perceptions. The cycle goes on as the PSTs learn more about teaching and accumulate teaching experiences. From this recurring cycle, the PSTs generate personal theories of teaching a specific subject. This study is longitudinal in design, which follows a logical procedure of inquiry. It first examines the PSTs' perceptions of teaching and learning Chinese on entry to, during and on exit from a.two-year teacher education program. Then it turns to the perceptual development and the sources of perceptions and perceptual changes, and how they impact on the PSTs. Finally, the complex relationship between perceptions, lesson planning and classroom practices are elaborated. In particular, data collected in some stages were dependent on the findings of the preceding stage. This adds complexity to the overall research desip of the study. This study uses a multimethod approach with two research populations -the questionnaire surveys of the entire cohort and qualitative data collection from twelve sub-sample participants. Because of the lack of well-established research instruments in the Chinese research context, all methods of inquiry have been revised according to the results of pilot studies. The multimethod approach in this study demonstrates how questionnaire surveys, repertory grids, individual interviews, focus groups, classroom observations and the analyses of lesson plans and reflective journals can be used in a complementary manner to assure the validity of the research. Questionnaire surveys yield the overall perceptions of the cohort on entry to and exit from the teacher education program. The perceptual development of the entire cohort is understood by the findings of the two surveys. Against the backdrop of the overall perceptions of the cohort, the qualitative methods are used to study the sub-sample. Repertory grids reveal the participants' views of teachers of Chinese from different perspectives, whereas individual interviews and focus group discussions tap more deeply into the participants' thinking about how they have learned to teach Chinese. Other qualitative methods such as classroom observation and the analyses of lesson plans and reflective journals provide compelling evidence for indicating the extent that the participants have grasped the craft of teaching. This study suggests from the persistent perceptions and perceptual development of the PSTs that Chinese language education in Hong Kong has been ineffective. Ineffective Chinese language education has a long-lasting negative impact on students including the PSTs. The strong emphasis on literature, culture and moral education, and the knowledge telling and teacher-led traditions have led to a low level of cognitive demand in Chinese teaching. The procedures recommended for teaching a text in Chinese and the assessment criteria of the teacher education program have encouraged the,PSTs to become more didactic in teaching, although they themselves are aware that they should pay more attention to the needs of students. This study argues that student teachers' perspectives form a critical element in reforming Chinese language teacher education in Hong Kong, and that language teacher education should first be ameliorated before language education can be effectively improved. Not only should PSTs of Chinese Language be equipped with better subject matter knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, but Chinese language teacher educators should also be cognisant of the necessity for change. Because learning to teach is often discipline-based, it is more cost-effective and consistent if the teacher educators' Chinese language classes also emphasise cognitive development in the PSTs. To be real exemplars for the PSTs, the Chinese language teacher educators should be involved in continuing critical evaluation of their own practices.
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Zengin, Selcuk O'Connor Brian C. "E-learning and in-service training an exploration of the beliefs and practices of trainers and trainees in the Turkish National Police /." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2007. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-3895.
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Zengin, Selcuk. "E-Learning and In-Service Training: An Exploration of the Beliefs and Practices of Trainers and Trainees in the Turkish National Police." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2007. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3895/.
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This targeted research study, carried out by an officer of the Turkish National Police (TNP), investigated the perceptions and beliefs of TNP trainers and trainees towards the potential adoption and implementation of e-learning technology for in-service police training. Utilizing diffusion and innovation theory (DOI) (Rogers, 1995) and the conceptual technology integration process model (CTIM) (Nicolle, 2005), two different surveys were administered; one to the trainers and one to the trainees. The factor analyses revealed three shared trainer and trainee perceptions: A positive perception towards e-learning, personally and for the TNP; a belief in the importance of administrative support for e-learning integration; and the belief in importance of appropriate resources to facilitate integration and maintain implementation. Three major recommendations were made for the TNP. First, the research findings could be used as a road map by the TNP Education Department to provide a more flexible system to disseminate in-service training information. The second is to establish two-way channels of communication between the administration and the TNP personnel to efficiently operationalize the adoption and integration of e-learning technology. The third is the administrative provision of necessary hardware, software, and technical support.
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Verzosa, Hurley Elise. "Toward a Pedagogy of Visual Communication as Critical Practice in Professional and Technical Communication." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/297050.
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This project, Toward a Pedagogy of Visual Communication as Critical Practice in Professional and Technical Communication, examines the teaching of visual communication in undergraduate professional and technical communication courses. Through an analysis of scholarship, textbooks, and a service-learning project as a case study, I argue that a situated visual communication pedagogy that integrates both analysis and reflection throughout the visual production and design process can better allow students to understand the ways in which the visual participates within larger social and cultural contexts. This understanding helps students develop abilities to potentially transform visual discourses emphasizing that all visual documents and texts, including the ones they produce, participate in shaping the ways in which meaning is made. By integrating visual communication and design into service-learning and other civic engagement pedagogies in the professional and technical communication classroom, instructors and students can begin to interrogate the view that professional and technical communication is a neutral, objective practice concerned only with prescriptive adherence to forms, conventions, workplace efficiency, and corporate success. Thus, in addition to helping students develop as communicators and thinkers, integrating visual communication into service-learning and throughout the duration of a course allows students to explore the civic dimensions of professional and technical communication, situating them as engaged designers and active members of their communities.
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Pancotto, Adriana. "Os saberes do Pregoeiro : um estudo à luz da noção de Knowing-in-Practice." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/165458.
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Os pregoeiros são os servidores responsáveis pela condução dos processos licitatórios de aquisições e contratações dos órgãos públicos no Brasil. A função de pregoeiro, apesar de sua complexidade e importância à eficiente utilização dos recursos públicos, vem sendo negligenciada pelo Estado. Até o momento não há uma carreira específica ou remuneração condizente ao risco dessa atividade. Os métodos e análises realizadas por este estudo, à luz dos Estudos Baseados em Prática (EBP) e do knowing-in-practice, permitiram melhor visibilidade aos elementos tácitos que compõem os saberes os pregoeiros desenvolvidos no seu cotidiano de trabalho. Partindo da identificação e descrição de suas práticas de trabalho, a função pregoeiro caracteriza-se pelo acúmulo e sobreposição de atividades, dificultando assim desenho de um perfil para a mesma. Outra característica inerente a função é a presença de uma forte estrutura normativa a qual norteia e permeia esse trabalho. A partir dos discursos dos entrevistados, constatou-se que o Curso de Formação de Pregoeiros demonstrou-se insuficiente para desenvolver as habilidades de negociação e conversação e os aspectos atitudinais da atenção, equilíbrio e retidão necessários à sua prática. Assim, a aprendizagem no cotidiano de trabalho dos pregoeiros ocorreu de forma situada através dos conhecimentos informais e tácitos, compartilhados por meio das interações sociais entre os servidores, facilitada pela estrutura em rede dos Institutos Federais de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia (IFs) (instituições pesquisadas), fóruns e comunidades de praticantes, confirmando assim a perspectiva do knowing-in-practice. Afirma-se então que o desenvolvimento dos saberes do pregoeiro não está descolado de suas práticas de trabalho. A partir dos elementos identificados neste estudo, sugerem-se ações para melhoria das condições de trabalho, desenvolvimento e reconhecimento profissional do pregoeiro. Um olhar mais sensível da sociedade e dos representantes políticos é necessária, dada a importância estratégica do papel do pregoeiro na garantia da qualidade do gasto público.Public Procurement Officers are the public servers responsible for conducting bidding processes of acquisition and hiring for public organs in Brazil. The main duty of the Public Procurement Officer, despite its complexity and importance to the efficient use of public resources, has been neglected by the state. Still, there is no specific career or equitable salary which represents the risks of this activity. The methods and analysis made by this study, considering Practice-Based Studies (PBS) and of knowing-into-practice, allowed a better visibility in the tacit elements that build the knowledge Public Procurement Officers have developed in their daily work. Starting with the identification and description of their practices at work, the Public Procurement Officer function is characterized by the accumulation and overlapping of activities, making it difficult to draw a proper profile to the function. Another intrinsic characteristic of the Public Procurement Officers' function, which directs and permeates this paper, is the presence of a normative structure. Through the speech of the interviewees it was possible to state that the Basic Training Course Public Procurement Officers take is not sufficient to develop the negotiation and reasoning skills and the attitude of attention, balance and rectitude needed to the practice of this function. Therefore, the Public Procurement Officers’ learning process happens throughout informal and tacit knowledge, shared through servers’ social interaction – facilitated by the structure in network from Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology (FIs) (institutions where the research took place), online forums and communities, corroborating the knowing-in-practice perspective. It can be stated that the knowledge development of Public Procurement Officers is not disconnected to their practice. Based on the elements identified in this study, some actions are suggested to improve the working conditions, development and recognition of the Public Procurement Officers. A more sensitive consideration from society and from political representatives is necessary, given the strategic importance of Public Procurement Officers’ role in assuring the public money is being well spent.
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Shoop, Michael Clifford. "Public service employees' experiences in communities of practice." [Yellow Springs, Ohio] : Antioch University, 2009. http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_num=antioch1241195377.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Antioch University, 2009.Title from PDF t.p. (viewed October 7, 2009). Advisor: Elizabeth Holloway, Ph.D. "A dissertation submitted to the Ph.D. in Leadership and Change program of Antioch University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy March, 2009."--from the title page. Includes bibliographical references (p. 257-268).
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Sheppard, Louise. "How can inquiry groups promote learning within an educational psychology service? : an evaluation of an initiative whereby educational psychologists work together to share and improve areas of practice." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2010. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/785/.
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This study is a realistic evaluation of Inquiry Groups, an initiative introduced in an educational psychology service in response to the drive towards providing a high quality service, that is based upon psychological theory and research, contributes to positive outcomes for young people, and is responsive to current changes and development. Despite a growing interest in organisational learning, there is very little existing research into organisational learning and improvement in Educational Psychology Services. Research and Development in Organisations (RADIO) is used to structure the study, and realistic evaluation is used to explore the links between learning (outcomes) and the factors supporting/ inhibiting learning for individuals, groups and organisations. Commitment to the initiative, opportunities for reflection, and relationships within the Service, are highlighted as three of the key supporting factors. The study proposes that EPSs can change in response to new knowledge and self-review, providing sufficient time is allocated, and the initiatives are carefully planned to consider organisational and group processes, and the individuals at the heart of the organisation.
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Halsell, Tiffany Y. "High Impact Practices: A Mixed Methods Study of Engagement among Black Undergraduate Women." The Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1491747764231344.
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