Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Teaching and teacher education'

This thesis is centred upon the development, implementation and evaluation of the Bachelor of Education (Tertiary) BEd T. program at the University of Papua New Guinea, which aims to promote quality teacher educators. The program has its in rationale cognitive development theory, research on approaches to learning and the literature concerning adult and teacher development in the Melanesian context. The theoretical position adopted is that teacher development is a form of adult development and the promotion of quality teacher educators, a function of higher stages of development. Consequently, the intervention curriculum had two major expectations: to improve the level of cognitive development; to improve the quality of potential teacher educators. The following evolved as research questions. • What factors influence the learning of Papua New Guinea teachers undertaking higher education? • Does the experience of the special curriculum promote greater cognitive development than increased general education at the University? • What is the perceived impact of the BEd T. students in the teachers' colleges? • What are the contextual factors that influence college lecturers' teaching and students' learning? No one research methodology was considered appropriate to address these research questions because the theoretical position required a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. The methodology adopted was multi - disciplinary in scope and used structures from the following perspectives: ethnographic; illuminative evaluation; case study; quasi experimental. The research concluded that: The biggest single factor that influenced teachers' learning at university is their own misconceived expectations of learning compared with university expectations. This is exaccrbated by learning through English as a second language, where the main problem is the lack of conceptual equivalence between western and Melanesian epistcmologies. It was also found that the intervention curriculum did promote significantly greater cognitive development in the BEd T. students, as measured by the Student Process Questionnaire who in turn were perceived to be making a strong positive impact in the teachers' colleges. However the fullness of impact appears to be potentially muted by the mechanistic curriculum operating in the colleges, as well as by the conservative bureaucratic administrative practices of Government agencies.

Teacher education researchers and policy makers recognize field experience, particularly student teaching, as a critical component of pre-service teacher learning and development. The co-teaching model of student teaching, in which cooperating teachers and student teachers jointly plan and deliver instruction, has been adopted by university-based teacher education programs across the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between elements of the co-teaching model of student teaching and teacher efficacy outcomes for student teachers. Research suggests that teacher efficacy, a teacher’s beliefs in his or her capacity to affect student performance, is positively associated with teachers’ behaviors and commitment to teaching as well as student achievement and motivation. This quantitative study utilized multiple regression statistical analyses to examine the relationship between co-teaching overall and the relationship, communication, classroom applications, and knowledge base elements and teacher efficacy overall and the domains of efficacy in student engagement, efficacy in instructional strategies and efficacy in classroom management. Descriptive statistics indicated that the relationship and communication elements of student teaching were more prevalent than the classroom applications and knowledge base elements. Student teachers in the sample reported higher levels of efficacy in instructional strategies than efficacy in classroom management and efficacy in student engagement. A positive and statistically significant relationship between teacher efficacy overall, efficacy in student engagement, efficacy in instructional strategies, and efficacy in classroom management and the co-teaching model of student teaching, after controlling for gender and credential program, was found. The findings of this study substantiate teacher education policy makers’ support for the co-teaching model of student teaching.

This study explores a basic paradox. On the one hand, innovations thatappear in the field of language teaching - or indeed any other field ofendeavour - in order to be maximally effective, need in some way to beincorporated into the contexts of their application. However, such contextsare often unfavourable to the reception of new ideas which consequentlyneed to undergo some measure of adjustment prior to theirimplementation in the classroom. As such those ideas are seldomrealisable in their 'true colours'. Furthermore, they are at timesthemselves not very clear even within their own terms, and may suffer tovarying degrees from vagueness, diffusion and instances of contradiction. What I seek to do in the chapters that follow is investigate Communicative Language Teaching in order to (i) establish what the basictenets of the approach are, and (ii) identify those factors that affect the wayin which communicative principles could be made acceptable andeffective with particular reference to the language teaching /learningsituation in japan. As a necessary corollary of this investigation, consideration is givento the implications for language teacher education where, it is argued,teachers-to-be need to be provided with the means via which to mosteffectively evaluate innovative ideas and come to terms with thosedifficulties that arise from attempts to apply general principles toparticular circumstances.

ABSTRACT TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE CO-TEACHING MODEL: ANALYZING THE COOPERATING TEACHER/TEACHER CANDIDATE CO-PLANNING DIALOGUES by Jennifer Brownson The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2018 Under the Supervision of Drs. Hope Longwell-Grice and Linda Post Planning is a central component of the teaching experience in which the teacher draws on curriculum and pedagogy as well as learners and their context. Planning is also a teacher standard at both the state and national level (WI DPI Teacher Standards, InTASC, 2013). For teacher candidates (TCs), an opportunity to learn to plan occurs during the student teaching experience, and the planning session can reveal how the TC and cooperating teacher (CT) choose to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of their students (John, 2006). The power in the planning session has traditionally rested in the hands of CTs (Anderson, 2007); they make the decisions about what to teach and how to teach it, which may not provide the TC with enough opportunities to learn how to plan.

The co-teaching for student teaching model has shown promise in terms of increased agency for TC’s when making decisions in the classroom, including opportunities to share reasons for choices of pedagogy and curriculum, and identify problems and solve them together. While in the co-teaching model for student teaching the CT and TC have been found to have more shared power, (Bacharach, Heck & Dahlberg, 2010; Gallo-Fox & Scantlebury, 2015), there is little research about how CTs and TCs plan for lessons in the co-teaching model, much less on how power is distributed between CTs and TCs during the co-planning session. The dilemma of the distribution of power for the CT and TC in the planning session, and how they participate in the planning session, was explored in this study. The purpose of this collective case study was to reveal and investigate the discourses CTs and TCs create in a co-planning session within the co-teaching model to explore the potential for engaging both participants to use their imaginations and create together, challenging the TC and CT to rethink and/or expand on ideas for planning; and talking about/creating/questioning/challenging each other when planning lessons that provide an equitable education for students.

College of Education faculty members at the University of Central Missouri found that public school teachers and administrators from surrounding schools were reluctant to hand over classrooms of students to novice teachers for student teaching. With high stakes accountability for test scores, teachers voiced their need to be present in the classroom, particularly during spring semester of statewide testing (Diana, 2014). The university adopted a co-teaching model of student teaching to prepare its teaching candidates for the first year of teaching while allowing the cooperating teacher to stay in the classroom throughout the student teaching term. The problem-of-practice addressed in this study focuses on the need to determine if a co-teaching student teacher model provides university students an adequate amount of clinical experience and preparation to support a successful first year of teaching.

The purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) analyze the perceptions of former and current student teachers, cooperating teachers, and university supervisors on the coteaching model of student teaching and (2) assess the model’s effectiveness in preparing student teachers for their first year of teaching. To this end, the research questions are as follows:

Research Question 1. What are the perceptions of University of Central Missouri current and former student teachers on the co-teaching student-teaching model’s ability to prepare student teachers for their first year of teaching?

Research Question 2. What are the perceptions of University of Central Missouri university supervisors on the co-teaching student-teaching model’s ability to prepare student teachers for their first year of teaching?

Research Question 3. What are the perceptions of cooperating teachers on the co-teaching student- teaching model’s ability to prepare student teachers for their first year of teaching?

The research questions were answered through an analysis of the data collected via a quantitative survey followed by a qualitative interview. The quantitative survey asked respondents to rate items on a Likert-type scale (Fink, 2013) as to how well they perceived the co-teaching model of student teaching prepares student teachers to meet Missouri Teaching Standards. The qualitative survey asked respondents to discuss their perceptions of how well the co-teaching model of student teaching prepares student teachers for their first year of teaching based on their personal experience.

The responses indicated that the co-teaching model scored higher in first year teacher preparation by elementary teachers and elementary supervisors than by secondary teachers and supervisors. Responses also indicated that student teachers and cooperating teachers perceived the co-teaching model as more positively preparing student teachers for their first year of teaching than do university supervisors. Additionally, responses indicated that the co-teaching model of student teaching closely aligns to the Gradual Release of Responsibility theory of learning (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983) with the co-teaching model of student teaching strengths as follows: extensive modeling by a More Knowledgeable Other (Vygotsky, 1978), extensive professional reflection and immediate feedback, a narrowing of focus, professional collaboration, and building of confidence in the student teacher. Due to the student teacher never solely taking over the classroom responsibilities in a co-teaching model of student teaching, the model’s barrier for preparing student teachers for their first year of teaching centers on the student teacher not receiving a fully realistic teaching experience in a classroom without a co-teacher.

On this basis, it is recommended that universities and school districts adopt the co-teaching model of student teaching to provide a strong base of teaching background for the student teacher through the Gradual Release of Responsibility. The student teacher should also receive two to three weeks of sole classroom responsibility and all the duties in that role as to provide a realistic experience of teaching without a co-teacher present. Further research could synthesize the perceptions of the same group of participants in this study regarding a model similar to the one recommended.

Reforms in teacher evaluation are enacted to increase student achievement. Although there is research on teacher evaluation and teacher quality, there is little that addresses effective teaching as conceptualized in Danielson’s Framework for Teaching, a commonly used evaluation tool. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine which of the 4 domains and 76 elements of Danielson’s framework are viewed by award-winning teachers as having the greatest impact on effective teaching and learning. Constructivism formed the theoretical basis for this study. The research questions examined to what extent state and national teachers of the year perceive differences in the importance to effective teaching and learning across each of Danielson’s 4 domains and across the elements within those domains. A quantitative single-factor within-subject design was utilized. Framework for Teaching Survey importance ratings obtained from state teachers of the year for the past 6 years (N = 350) were compared using repeated measure one-way analysis of variances). Significant F values were followed by the Fisher Least Significant Difference Test to determine the domains or elements that significantly differ from one another. Significant differences in the importance ratings were obtained across each of the 4 domains. The instruction domain was rated most important followed by classroom environment, planning and preparation, and professional responsibilities. Findings may facilitate positive social change by enabling schools, districts, and states to more accurately evaluate teachers and devote limited professional development resources to domains and elements with the greatest potential for improving teacher quality.

Abstract Since 2005, it has been government policy in Taiwan to introduce English in Grade 3 of primary schooling (when learners are generally age 9). The overall aim of this research project was to investigate some of the problems associated with the implementation of this policy by combining research involving teacher cognition with research involving the criterion-referenced analysis of a sample of textbooks produced in Taiwan for young learners and a sample of lessons taught in Taiwanese primary schools. A questionnaire-based survey of a sample of teachers of English in Taiwanese primary schools (166 respondents) was conducted, focusing on teacher background and training, views about national and local policies, approaches to course content, methodology and teaching resources, and perceptions of their own proficiency in English and of their own training needs. Only 46 (27%) of the respondents reported that they had a qualification specific to the teaching of English and 41 (25%) reported that they had neither a qualification in teaching English nor a general primary teaching qualification. Many expressed dissatisfaction with the implementation of policies relating to the teaching of English at national level (46/ 29%), local level (39/24%) and in their own school (28/17%). Although many reported that the availability of resources (125/ 75%) and/ or student interest (101/ 61%) played a role in determining what they taught, none reported that the national curriculum guidelines did so. Although official policy in Taiwan endorses the use of 'communicative language teaching', only 103 (62%) of respondents reported that their own approach was communicatively-oriented, with 18 (11%) observing that they preferred grammar-translation. A more in-depth survey relating to teacher perception of pre- and in-service training was conducted using a questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Although all 10 participants in this survey are officially classified as being trained to teach English in Taiwanese primary schools, the type and extent of their training varied widely and all of them expressed dissatisfaction with that training, noting that they had no confidence in the trainers' own competence in teaching English to young learners. All claimed that critical issues were either omitted altogether or dealt with in a superficial way. One contextual factor that has a significant impact on teacher performance in Taiwan is the quality of the textbooks that are generally available. A sample of textbooks (3 different series) produced in Taiwan was analysed and evaluated, the analysis revealing that the materials were often poorly organised, inappropriately selected and illustrated, contextually inappropriate. Finally, from a sample of twenty videotaped English lessons taught to students in primary schools in Taiwan, six that were considered to be typical were transcribed, analysed and evaluated in relation to criteria derived from a review of literature on teaching effectiveness. All of these lessons were found to be characterised by problems in a number of areas, including lesson focus, lesson staging, concept introduction, concept checking, and the setting up and conducting activities. It is concluded that the implementation of official policy on the teaching of English in primary schools in Taiwan is fraught with problems, problems that are evident at every stage in the process, from teacher education, through materials design to lesson planning and delivery.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether first-year teachers' teaching practices improve across time and to identify whether school level (elementary, middle, and high) influences new teachers' teaching practices as measured by the observation instrument. Also, the study examined the relationships between first-year teachers' teaching practices, teacher education, school level, and school SES.The current research included two studies. Study One was carried out in the academic year 2003-2004, and Study Two in year 2004-2005. Both studies involved collecting teaching practices data through observations by trained researchers. Study One data were based upon observations of 113 first-year teachers and Study Two involved 139 first-year teachers. A correlational analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between first-year teachers' teaching practices and school SES. A mixed (2x3x2) Analysis of Variance model was employed to analyze how first-year teachers' teaching practices are influenced by types of teacher education, school level, and school SES.The study found that the majority of beginning teachers not only showed a desirable normative level of teaching practices, but also continued to teach at that level and made improvements as measured by the end of year teaching performance measure.Three main themes were found in this study: (1) Changes in first-year teaching practices across time were not correlated with school SES. (2) Elementary school teachers were observed to be more effective in Classroom Management practices. (3) There were significant interaction (time by teacher education and school level) effects on new teachers' teaching practices in Study Two. The results indicated that the study of teacher education requires a complex design. Different types of teacher preparation paths might suit in different contexts.

This research focuses on environmental education in initial teacher education, and is grounded in three interlinked and widely recognised assumptions. First, that education for sustainable living can assist in resolving some environmental problems that are contributing to the environmental crises of sustainability currently facing South Africa and the rest of the world. Second, that education for sustainable living can assist in the establishment of a new environmental ethic that will foster a sustainable way of living. Third, that teacher education is a vital process for the attainment of both. These assumptions inform the aim of this research, which is to explore the potential for the implementation of education for sustainable living, and to identify a strategy for this, for initial teacher education, for senior primary school student teachers in the Western Cape. The strategy is derived following the grounded theory approach, developed through the case study method. In the process of identifying the strategy, this study establishes that there are challenges at macro, meso and micro levels that are obstructing the changes necessary for education for sustainable living. Change theory provides the basis for explaining these shortcomings, by helping to identify the barriers that might obstruct the realisation of the changes that are necessary for education for sustainable living. These challenges need to be perceived in the light of overcoming three sets of barriers in the way of the potential implementation of education for sustainable living in teacher education. First are those that can be ascribed to the formal education system that, while clinging to Western, Eurocentric values on the one hand, bave also failed to secure a policy for environmental education on the other. Second are the barriers ascribed to the teacher educators themselves, with the whole notion of their powerlessness at its core. Finally, there are the logistical barriers, which encompass, for example, time and financial constraints. With these barriers as a backdrop, to facilitate the incorporation of environmental education into initial teacher education, the study identifies a need for the development of a strategy to secure that education for sustainable living assumes its rightful place in the curriculum for initial teacher education. This framework emerges from the theory grounded in the interviewees' responses during the research, and from the theory grounded in the literature. Central to this framework is for education for sustainable living to contribute to the realisation of real change, change that would further the transformation of our conflict-riddled and inequitable society towards a more democratic and just one. This thesis demonstrates that the realisation of the changes necessary for education for sustainable living demand a reconstruction of current teacher education in order to secure and to sustain an appropriate and sound education ethic to form the basis of a trans formative teacher education curriculum for sustainable living within initial teacher education. Except formal policy, but central to overcoming these barriers, is the need for professional development programmes for teacher educators. A strategy in this regard, is outlined.

With more and more focus on accountability, algebra achievement has become a major focus of math curriculum developers. In many states, students are expected to pass standardized Algebra achievement tests in order to satisfy graduation requirements.

The purpose of this study was to identify teacher qualities and teaching qualities linked to teacher effectiveness in 7th-grade Algebra I Honors. This study examined two aspects of teachers, teacher quality and teaching quality. Teacher quality refers to the characteristics that teachers possess and teaching quality refers to what teachers do in the classroom to foster student learning. For this study, teacher quality included teacher professional preparation characteristics and teacher knowledge. Also, aspects of teaching quality that promote conceptual understanding in Algebra were examined.

In this mixed methods study, quantitative data were used to determine a relationship between teacher qualifications and student achievement. Qualitative data were used to gain an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of teaching quality.

Based on the findings of this study, in this group of teachers, there is a relationship between teacher quality and teaching effectiveness; however it is very limited and only based on participation in two specific workshops. The difference between more and less effective teachers in this study lies in teaching quality, what teachers do in the classroom, as opposed to teacher quality, what those teachers bring with them to the classroom.

The findings of this study indicate that elements of teaching quality are more indicative of teacher effectiveness than elements of teacher quality among teachers in the study. Although there was some evidence of a relationship between elements of teacher quality and teacher effectiveness, there were clear differences in teaching quality among more effective and less effective teachers in this study.

The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to understand how passion is used by participating teachers at Hugo High School and if its use is intentional in the classroom. A qualitative research design was used for this study. The case study was determined to be the most appropriate method for this research because it provided an opportunity to get a deeper understanding of the research topic. This study used Fried’s definition of passion as one who is “in love with a field of knowledge, deeply stirred by issues and ideas that challenge our world, drawn to the dilemmas and potentials of the young people who come into class each day – or captivated by all of these” (Fried, 2001, p. 1). The research data were collected from nine teachers about their use of passion in the classroom. The constant comparative method is an important tool to sort data in the coding process; it was used to take information from the data, compare it to previous data, and sort it into six themes. The findings indicate that teachers used passion as a teaching tool and that passionate teaching was used by all teachers in the study. Passion was experienced through the care that teachers felt for their students. Teachers who did not plan to use passion used passion when the opportunity was present and realized by the teacher. Using passion was a positive experience for teachers. Teachers who did not plan to use passion recognized changes in their behavior and felt good about themselves as teachers. Teachers who intended to use passion planned many of their own behaviors and felt good about themselves as teachers when experiencing passionate lessons. Teachers’ feelings were fueled by positive student feedback and perpetuated passionate teaching moments.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the development of the classroom communication behaviours of Foundation Phase student teachers over the course of a B Ed degree programme at a South African university. It challenges the premise of conventional wisdom that classroom communication behaviours will develop through regular exposure to situated learning experiences. Whilst acknowledging that learning to teach is a long and challenging process of which the precise nature is seldom clear-cut and distinct, this study claims to make a humble contribution to teacher education curriculum development. Classroom communication from the perspective of this study involves communication at two levels: firstly, interpersonal communication behaviours, which are influenced by nonverbal immediacy, communication apprehension, willingness to communicate and self-perceived communication skills; and secondly, instructional communication behaviours, more specifically clarity and immediacy behaviours. There seems to be a general perception that effective classroom communication will develop naturally by exposure to situated learning experiences, such as teaching practice sessions. Although the relative importance of these specific classroom communication behaviours for quality teaching and learning is acknowledged, whether and how these develop is seldom explicitly monitored. This was the intention of this study. It utilised a longitudinal mixed methods approach to follow Foundation Phase students over the four years of the degree programme in order to answer the following research question: To what extent do perceptions related to the classroom communication behaviours of Foundation Phase student teachers change over the course of a B Ed degree programme? The quantitative phase collected data using various self-report surveys in order to investigate possible changes in the self-perceptions of Foundation Phase student teachers regarding their communication behaviours over the four-year period. The purpose of the qualitative phase was to investigate possible changes in the perceptions of external evaluators regarding the instructional communication behaviours of student teachers over the degree programme. The qualitative data was obtained from the evaluation reports written by external evaluators on various aspects of the observed lessons. Although some changes occurred during the course of the B Ed degree programme, they were not as substantial as anticipated. From an interpersonal communication perspective, there was one particularly noticeable change: the self-perceived communication competence of the Foundation Phase student teachers improved between the first and second years of the programme, however, thereafter no further changes occurred. From an instructional communication perspective, more noticeable changes occurred: Foundation Phase student teachers improved in some aspects related to clarity, however other aspects still remained challenging. However, there was positive development related to immediacy: the fourth year Foundation Phase student teachers displayed higher levels of immediacy behaviours at the end of the four-year degree programme. Bearing in mind that neither interpersonal nor instructional communication theory was explicitly included in this particular B Ed degree programme; these findings are particularly noteworthy. This study advances the argument that if teacher education intends to address the quality of the teacher graduates entering the profession, classroom communication needs to be included in teacher education curricula.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die ontwikkeling van die klaskamer-kommunikasiegedrag van studentonderwysers in die Grondslagfase aan 'n Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit oor die verloop van 'n B Ed-graadprogram. Dit daag die konvensionele opvatting uit dat klaskamer-kommunikasiegedrag sal ontwikkel met gereelde blootstelling aan leerervarings in die praktyk. Alhoewel aanvaar word dat om te leer om te onderrig 'n lang en uitdagende proses is waarvan die presiese aard selde duidelik en onderskeibaar is, word daar met hierdie studie gepoog om 'n beskeie bydrae te lewer tot die ontwikkeling van onderwysersopleidingskurrikulums. Klaskamerkommunikasie behels vanuit die perspektief van hierdie studie twee vlakke: eerstens, interpersoonlike kommunikasiegedrag, wat beïnvloed word deur nie-verbale onmiddellikheid, kommunikasie-angstigheid, gewilligheid om te kommunikeer en self-persepsie van kommunikasievaardighede; en tweedens, onderrigkommunikasie-gedrag, meer spesifiek duidelikheid en onmiddellikheid. Die algemene persepsie bestaan dat doeltreffende klaskamerkommunikasie spontaan sal ontwikkel deur blootstelling aan praktiese ervaring in die klaskamer. Alhoewel die relatiewe belangrikheid van hierdie spesifieke klaskamer-kommunikasiegedrag algemeen erken word, word die ontwikkeling hiervan selde eksplesiet gemoniteer. Juis dít was die doel van hierdie studie. Longitudinale gemengde-metode navorsingsmetodologie is gebruik om Grondslagfase studente se kommunikasie-ontwikkeling oor die verloop van hul graadprogram te volg, met die doel om die volgende navorsingsvraag te beantwoord: Tot watter mate verander persepsies oor die klaskamer-kommunikasiegedrag van studentonderwysers in die Grondslagfase oor die verloop van die B Ed-graadprogram? Tydens die kwantitatiewe fase van die studie is data ingesamel deur die gebruik van 'n aantal self-rapporterende opnames ten einde moontlike veranderinge in die Grondslagfase studentonderwysers se selfpersepsie van hulle kommunikasiegedrag oor die tydperk van vier jaar te ondersoek. Die doel van die kwalitatiewe fase was om ondersoek in te stel na moontlike veranderinge in die persepsies van eksterne evalueerders wat betref die onderrig-kommunikasiegedrag van die studetonderwysers oor die verloop van die vier jaar van die kursus. Die kwalitatiewe data is verkry uit evalueringsverslae wat geskryf is deur eksterne evalueerders oor verskillende aspekte van die lesse wat geëvalueer is. Alhoewel daar sommige veranderinge plaasgevind het oor die verloop van die vier jaar van die B Ed-kursus, was hierdie veranderinge nie so substansieel as wat verwag is nie. Vanuit die oogpunt van interpersoonlike kommunikasie was daar slegs een merkbare verandering: die Grondslagfase-studente se selfpersepsie van hulle kommunikasievaardigheid het van die eerste na die tweede jaar verbeter, maar daarna het geen verdere veranderinge plaasgevind nie. Vanuit die oogpunt van onderrigkommunikasie het meer merkbare veranderinge egter plaasgevind: die Grondslagfase-studentonderwysers het verbeter ten opsigte van sommige aspekte wat betref duidelikheid, maar ander aspekte het steeds 'n uitdaging gebly. Daar was egter positiewe ontwikkeling wat betref onmiddellikheid: die Grondslagfase- studentonderwysers het in hulle vierde jaar hoër vlakke van onmiddellikheid getoon as aan die begin van hulle studies. Hierdie veranderings is veral opmerklik as is ag geneem word dat nie interpersoonlike kommunikasie of onderrigkommunkasie eksplesiet onderrig is in die spesifieke kursus nie. Hierdie studie voer aan dat as onderwysersopleiding 'n verskil wil maak aan die kwaliteit van onderwysgraduandi wat die beroep betree, moet onderrigkommunkasie ingesluit word by onderwysersopleiding-kurrikulums.

By 2018, STEM occupations are projected to grow twice as fast as all other occupations combined (Olson & Riordan, 2012; Craig Thomas, Hou, & Mathur, 2012). The need to educate and produce more STEM graduates is eminent, and research shows that the pipeline to prepare students for STEM fields begins in elementary school. Research also shows that many elementary teachers lack the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and confidence to teach STEM subjects (Dorph, Shields, Tiffany-Morales, Hartry, & McCaffrey, 2011). Meanwhile, opportunities for elementary teachers to develop their STEM PCK and confidence in teacher preparation programs or professional development are limited.

To address this problem, programs like Raising the Bar for STEM Education in California are emerging. A yearlong case study utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods was employed to examine the program’s effectiveness in preparing future elementary teachers to effectively teach STEM subjects through a STEM-rich, clinical, co-teaching model of student teaching. Data collection methods included qualitative interviews, observations through videotaped lessons, documents, and quantitative pre- and post-surveys. The key findings from this study include that the STEM-rich, clinical, co-teaching model of student teaching was successful in increasing pre-service teachers’ confidence and expanding their pedagogical knowledge of teaching inquiry-based lessons. Pre-service teachers were willing and excited to teach STEM subjects in their future elementary classrooms at the conclusion of the program. However, the growth in content knowledge and confidence was uneven among the four STEM content areas and there was a lack of integration. \

Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that future STEM professional development programs emphasize the vital importance of STEM fields as the rationale for teaching STEM subjects; build pedagogical content knowledge; integrate STEM subjects through a focus on engineering; explicitly link STEM to Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards; design the STEM professional development around the characteristics of Adult Learning Theory; and foster reflective, collaborative communities of practice. Further recommendations for policy and research are presented and discussed.

Metaphor provides a potentially powerful rhetorical device to help me to tell informed and persuasive stories about mathematics education. In this ethnographic study I consider key episodes that serve to exemplify the complex experience of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students of secondary mathematics education. I use a narrative analysis to shine a spotlight on the experiences of six beginning teachers so that the metaphors in their stories expose the impact that separately situated sites of teacher education have upon their beliefs and behaviour as teachers. Tensions between school and university contributors to teacher education have been well documented over many decades, but recent policy changes in the nature of post-graduate ITE in England bring these issues to the fore. In this study, I consider the influences of school-based and university-based teacher educators upon the beliefs of student secondary mathematics teachers and interpret the students’ perceptions of these influences on their actions as novice teachers. My analysis is framed by a model of experience and education articulated by Dewey as well as a framework of representations of knowledge in a culture of education articulated by theorists concerned with the relevance of constructivism and situated cognition as theories of learning. In this study, disturbances and discontinuities relating to the location and culture of ITE, together with the development of ITE students’ professional knowledge are uncovered, warranting further research.

Alternately certified teachers (ACTs) are teachers who receive teacher training in an accelerated program provided by alternate certification programs (ACPs). Induction/mentoring programs are provided to ACTs as a source of additional training. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine ACTs' perceptions of their effectiveness as teachers in relation to their students' achievement and the support provided to them as new teachers by their induction/mentoring training. The research question explored if there was a relationship between the amount of support provided to the ACTs from their induction/mentoring programs and the ACTs' perception of their effectiveness in relation to student achievement. The primary data sources consisted of journal data and semistructured interviews from 2 ACTs. Open, axial, and selective coding strategies were used as one component of the data analysis. Conventional content analysis was used to explore the perceptions of the 2 ACTs interviewed. Analysis revealed that ability to manage a classroom and the support provided by induction/mentoring programs may influence the ACTs' perceptions of effectiveness in terms of student achievement. Results also suggested that ACTs' induction/mentoring programs did not successfully facilitate a transition into the teaching profession. The results from this study can be used by mentoring/induction program directors, and school administrators to inform policy and curricular modifications to induction/mentoring programs that would optimize ACTs' perceptions of their effectiveness as teachers and student achievement. The use of these data may contribute to social change by providing the ACT with an improved support system during the ACTs' first year in the classroom.

Culturally responsive teaching is seen as a promising practice that will enhance teachers’ ability to meet the needs of today’s diverse student population. The purpose of this study was to understand how White supervisors talk about race and culture in the classroom, and in regard to their role of preparing pre-service teachers. Because supervisors’ work is grounded in student teachers’ classrooms, they are uniquely positioned to respond to specific incidents in the student teacher’s experience and thereby have a primary role in shaping teachers’ instructional practices.

This dissertation research examined 12 White university supervisors. Prior to this study, supervisors participated in professional development offered by the college aimed at raising awareness of culturally responsive teaching. The professional development was part of Griffin, Watson, and Liggett’s (2014) initial study, and offered opportunities for supervisors to discuss topics of race, culture, ethnicity, class, and gender, and to engage in reading Gay’s (2010) text: Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice. Griffin et al. collected data, including a pre- and post-survey, a November interview, and artifacts from the professional development. Their study established the starting point for this research.

All 12 supervisors were interviewed following participation in the professional development. Findings indicated supervisors defined and described culturally responsive teaching by relying on elements congruent with the literature. Even when supervisors used language similar to Gay (2010), they held misconceptions and formed incomplete definitions about culturally responsive teaching. Other findings indicated supervisors lacked a clear vision in their role in supporting culturally responsive teaching. Lastly, supervisors used hegemonic understandings when talking about race and culture. The results of this study suggest supervisors need more opportunities to talk about race and culture, and their role in preparing culturally responsive teachers.

This study explores teachers’ understanding of character education, their perceived role in curriculum development, implementation effectiveness, and their teaching practices. This two-part investigation surveys teachers from two schools, followed by an interview process with six of those participants. The school staffs of one elementary school and one elementary-junior-high school were surveyed to provide a general overview of teacher understanding of expectations, their knowledge of character traits identified in the curriculum goals of their Board of Education, and opinions about how their current teaching practice addresses the development of character. The interview data provided indepth information about teacher interpretation of character by their Western Canadian urban Public Board, details about their current teaching practices, including techniques and strategies incorporated, and their feelings about how character education should be taught in the school. The research revealed that teachers were generally unaware of the board’s curriculum expectations of the 11 character traits to be taught in school. There were mixed responses about who was responsible for teaching character: Some felt the responsibility was on the parents, while others felt it should be all adults. The study found that teachers were, in fact, currently teaching and assessing students on many of the traits identified as being significant as part of the hidden, lived curriculum.
ix, 95 leaves ; 29 cm

Mestrado em Supervisão
O desenvolvimento educacional moderno trouxe novas portagens para a avaliação das capacidades que os alunos irão utilizar em tarefas da vida real. Esta necessidade tem criado uma mudança radical nos métodos tradicionais de ensino e avaliação. Assim, são necessárias abordagens alternativas de avaliação, quer do processo, quer do produto de aprendizagem. O presente estudo leva em consideração o uso de estratégias de utilização do portfólio no ensino de Inglês, com particular destaque para o sistema de ensino da Líbia. Além disso, apresentam-se definições, algumas vantagens e desvantagens do uso de portfólio, bem como possibilidades de sua utilização para a avaliação e melhoria do desempenho dos alunos. Além disso, será dada atenção à importância de desenvolver a consciência dos professores para o portfólio. A investigação indicou que os portefólios podem ser vistos como conjunto selecionado de trabalhos importantes, o que se relaciona com a medição do desempenho do que foi conseguido. O seu uso pode fornecer aos professores maior feedback sobre o seu ensino e obter mais informações sobre o processo de aprendizagem dos alunos. Como conclusão, podemos afirmar que os portfólios podem servir como uma boa alternativa de ensino- aprendizagem e avaliação no ensino de Inglês, devido às vantagens que oferece.
Modern educational development has brought up new tolls for the evaluation of the skills students will need in real-life tasks. This need has created a radical change in traditional methods of instruction and assessment. Therefore, alternative evaluation approaches are needed in assessing both learning process and product such as achievement portfolio. The present study takes into consideration the use of portfolio assessment strategies in English language teaching with particular emphasis on the Libyan education system as a case study. In addition, definitions, advantages and disadvantages of the use of portfolio are presented using the achievement portfolio as a tool of teaching and evaluation pointing out its importance in improving students‟ performance. Moreover, attention will be paid to the importance of developing teachers‟ awareness as far as the importance of portfolios is concerned. Research has indicated that achievement portfolio is a collection of the important works, which is related to the measurement of the performance of what was achieved. Its use can provide teachers more feedback about their teaching and more information about students‟ learning process. As a conclusion, we may state that portfolios can serve as a good alternative teaching and assessment tool in English language teaching due to the advantages that it offers.

This thesis set out with the research question, “How are relationships framed, valued, taught and assessed by early childhood educator program instructors in British Columbia?” I conducted six group interviews and five individual interviews with instructors and directors, respectively, at public and private institutions around British Columbia. Using narrative analysis, I constructed a composite instructor character and a composite student instructor character and, using Ollerenshaw and Creswell’s (2002) problem-solution strategy, analyzed the characters during a chronological school year to illustrate tensions that arose at specific points. Overall, instructors frame relationships as foundational in the Early Childhood Educator Program. I draw parallels between the struggle to support adult students while being responsible to children and the balance between pedagogical and andragogical principles. Modeling and engaging in authentic professional relationships with students were the most effective tools for teaching relational development. Instructors engaged in an editing process to ensure that their actions reflected their beliefs, but were still professional. They noted that relational skills can be difficult to assess, and that they cannot assess a student’s willingness to use appropriate skills when needed. In the discussion, I trace the findings back to the purpose and questions for the research. I draw lines between instructors’ discursive constructions of students and Langford’s (2007) Good ECE, and examine the small but distinct cluster of instructors who spoke of the reconceptualising movement and its bearing on a teacher education program.
Education, Faculty of
Graduate

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of teacher teaming in school improvement efforts as reflected by teachers' expressions of their sense of efficacy and collaborative efforts. The exploratory, descriptive study involves 37 teachers in a Southwestern elementary school. Three instruments were used to gather data on teachers' sense of efficacy, team planning activities, and teacher perceptions and attitudes about collaboration in the major site: Teacher Efficacy Survey, a collaboration questionnaire, and voluntary interviews. The major findings show that: (1) Teachers express fairly high confidence in efficacy, especially with regard to their potential to impact student progress. (2) Teachers disagree with statements that the home is the sole determiner of student learning and progress. (3) Teachers report a high frequency of collaboration. This tendency was especially strong in the area of communication with other teachers and actual planning/teaching activities. (4) Variations in satisfaction levels are expressed by teachers in relation to collaborative team planning. (5) Teachers express a medium satisfaction level toward collaborative team planning. (6) Teachers perceive a feeling of empowerment based on involvement in decision making and communication. (7) Teachers do not perceive a positive or negative relationship with the district's organizational demands for teaming and express feelings of powerlessness and irrelevancy. (8) Teachers' perceptions toward student learning are positively influenced by collaborative team planning. (9) The evolution of the collaborative team planning project at the major site has progressed in four distinct phases. The major implication of this study is that it is necessary to foster and promote teacher collaboration in collegial activities to enhance their sense of efficacy toward student learning during school improvement or restructuring processes.

Student literacy rates across the country are unacceptably low. Teacher preparation has emerged as a priority in both research and practice in efforts to improve the nation's literacy rates. Teacher knowledge and beliefs influence the quality of instruction teachers are able to implement. This study was designed to help educators and mentors of novice teachers understand the relationship between literacy pedagogical content knowledge and literacy teacher efficacy beliefs and changes to this relationship during the course of student teaching.

Using a sample of 36 pre-service teachers assigned to student teaching in kindergarten, first or second grade classrooms, literacy pedagogical content knowledge was measured in a multiple-choice assessment that covered a variety of early literacy instructional areas including phonology, orthography, vocabulary, morphology and comprehension. Literacy teaching efficacy beliefs was measured using a self-report questionnaire. Participants completed the survey at two time points, at the beginning and end of student teaching.

To determine if a literacy pedagogical content knowledge and literacy teaching efficacy beliefs demonstrated a relationship, Pearson correlations were calculated at both time points. Results of this study suggest that these constructs are not related and operate independently. Additionally this study suggested that while literacy teaching efficacy beliefs improved significantly over the course of student teaching, literacy pedagogical content knowledge did not. Results from this study can inform teacher educators, mentors of novice teaches and professional development programmers on the relationship of literacy pedagogical content knowledge and literacy teaching efficacy beliefs in pre-service teachers.

The purpose of the study was to examine what teaching methods new college teachers received and which ones they believed were important. New college faculty were asked questions on teaching methods to determine which, if any, were made available to them before they entered college teaching. The research questions under study were: (1) What type(s) of methodological preparation do/does higher education faculty receive? (2) What methodological preparation would be beneficial to new higher education faculty? (3) How do new higher education faculty learn methodological preparation? (4) What strategies could be developed to assist new higher education faculty in the development of instructional skills? (5) Are there differences between faculty who teach at institutions classified according to the Carnegie Classifications (1987) regarding the importance of methodological preparation and the amount of training received? The conclusions of the study were that new faculty were not prepared for the overall duties of the career as college teacher, except for being knowledgeable in their subject area. New college faculty also indicated a large difference between what they should know prior to beginning their college teaching and what they actually know. There were differences between faculty at two year colleges and at four year colleges, both in what was perceived as important to know and in the amount of training received. The recommendations of the study were that training programs for new college faculty should prepare these faculty in more than content; that as more non-traditional students return to college, faculty need to know more about how adults learn, different student learning styles, and how to increase student motivation; colleges should include training mechanisms for new faculty, such as how to teach, developing mentoring relationships, or creating internships; and orientation programs should be set up for newly hired faculty.

Although previous studies have acknowledged the role of teacher training in working with children with special needs, none have investigated the relationship between teacher training and referrals. There is a need to understand the factors that affect K-12 classroom teachers' referrals of twice exceptional (2E) students into gifted programs. Supported by the optimal stimulation theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between teacher training and 2E student referrals. The survey method was used to collect data from 102 K-12 teachers in the Ohio school district on their teaching credentials, ranging from no training to being certified to teach gifted children.The teachers read a vignette about a hypothetical student who had an emotional behavior disorder and indicated their decision for referral. Phi and Cramer's V tested the validity of the hypothesis that teachers will make referrals according to their level of training. A binary logistic regression was performed to determine which factors predicted the referral of the hypothetical 2E student described in the vignette and the number of self-reported referrals during the previous year. Teachers who received training in the education and learning of exceptional students beyond the current level of degree for K-12 teachers were significantly more likely to refer 2E students to their school's gifted program. Teachers who received advanced training in working with exceptional students were significantly more likely to have made referrals of 2E students during the previous academic year. The results of this study can initiate positive social change by aiding teacher-educators or leaders in education to make specific recommendations for teacher training in an attempt to respond to the needs of 2E students.

In 1985 the council of Ministers of Education of the European Community agreed upon a Resolution containing an action programme for equal opportunities in education for girls and boys. One element of that programme was the inclusion of equal opportunities in the curriculum of teacher education. This thesis represents a series of developments in research and curriculum development which have resulted in a Community wide Action Research programme by the Commission of the European Communities to implement the terms of the action programme in all member states. The thesis examines the social and occupational status of women in the Republic of Ireland in the light of the differential education received by boys and girls. The participation of women in mathematics. Science and Technology in particular is examined, and, drawing on the author's own data from a sample of girls in second-level schools, conclusions regarding the nature of teacher education programmes are drawn. The central part of the thesis examines the structure of teacher education in Ireland and the place of equal opportunities in the curricula of all the institutions offering pre-service teacher education. This data is evaluated against the available data from the member states of the European Community and leads, in the final part, to a presentation of a model curriculum for the integration of equal opportunities in both pre- and in-service teacher education. Examples of the integration of gender issues in teacher education are provided from the author's own courses, and the thesis concludes with a proposal for an Action Programme to give expression to the model curriculum design presented in the thesis.

Thesis (MEd)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019.
The objective of initial teacher education is to prepare teachers to teach effectively in schools. The quality of schools of a country depends on the quality of teachers (Femin-nemser, 2001). Provision of good teachers is, thus, crucial for the quality of teaching in schools. This research seeks to explore newly qualified teachers experiences of learning to teach and how it supports their classroom practices. A mixed method study with an interpretivist emphasis was conducted with teachers, who were in their first year of teaching. Data generation ensued through questionnaires and discussions whereby only some aspects of these were used to complement the main data generation which was the focus groups. Pedagogic Content Knowledge is a knowledge base that allows teachers to effectively pass their content knowledge on to students. Drawing on existing literature, a conceptual framework was developed. The study used the content analysis method where data was categorised according to the themes. The findings show that the Newly Qualified Teachers found their Initial Teacher Education to have had both positive and negative influences on their classroom practices. The heavy administrative duties, adapting to school contexts, relationships with people of influence like lecturers during Initial Teacher Education and mentor teachers, teaching practice (which had the most profound influence on their classroom practice) and the professional knowledge and skills as taught during Initial Teacher Education all played a part in supporting the classroom practices of Newly Qualified Teachers. The implications for policy makers, initial teacher education providers and mentor teachers therefore suggest some adjustment to the structure of Initial Teacher Education programs that would enable improving the development of Pedagogic Content Knowledge including enhanced involvement of schools in Initial Teacher Education to support classroom practice of Newly Qualified Teachers.

This thesis reports on a multiple case study of four EFL teachers’ long-term development of autonomy in a particular Chinese mainland university. Each teacher was selected as a holistic case because of their variations in dispositions, backgrounds, experiences, and trajectories of development. It addresses three major research questions: 1) How do the teachers control over the multiple aspects of their teacher work across time and contexts? 2) What are the major individual and contextual factors that facilitate and constrain the development of teacher autonomy? 3) How do teacher identities affect the development of teacher autonomy? The study adopted many narrative forms of data collection instruments, including (auto)biographies, interviews, casual conversations, questionnaire, complemented by classroom observations, staff meeting observations, and documents, in order to understand teacher autonomy from the lived experiences of the four teacher participants throughout their careers and lives. By examining the concept of teacher autonomy through the lens of teacher identity, this study analyzed how four teacher participants exercised different degrees of autonomy at different stages of their teaching, research, and administrative roles. It provides a holistic picture of zigzagging pathways towards teacher autonomy across the whole course of their careers. It then discussed how the teachers’ autonomy was facilitated and constrained by contextual and individual factors across time. Based on the findings, this study proposes a conceptual framework to illustrate the close relationship between teacher identity and teacher autonomy, and this relationship’s dynamic and unstable nature across time and contexts. It also suggests there is an urgent need for teacher autonomy scholarship to broaden its scope by moving beyond language teaching and learning to more crucial aspects of language teachers’ daily work and to explore the development of teacher autonomy in a long-term process.

This study identifies differences in perceptions between three stakeholder groups - principals, K-12 teachers, and parents - regarding the effect of workplace conditions on teacher attrition. An electronic questionnaire was sent to 15 of Utah's 41 school districts. Sampling efforts yielded completed surveys from 93 principals, 2003 teachers and 495 parents. All three groups agreed that workplace conditions are important, but the greatest disagreements occurred in perceptions of (a) teacher involvement in decision-making, (b) protection of teacher preparation time, (c) administration's management of student discipline, (d) adequacy of resource availability, (e) the degree to which a trusting and supportive school environment existed within the school, and (f) whether teachers' expectations were reasonable. Overall, principals believed that work conditions are relatively good for teachers, while many teachers disagreed with these perceptions. The study also examined factors that influence science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) university students' willingness to consider teaching as a career. A total of 4,743 university students majoring in STEM fields from Brigham Young University completed the survey (31%) and although very few of these students initially consider this profession, we identified four factors using predictive modeling that are strongly associated with these students' willingness to consider teaching and their belief that teaching might be their best career option. Results indicated that STEM university students were more likely to consider teaching when they believed teaching is something they would be good at, others encouraged them to be a teacher, when family encourages them to teach, and when teachers they know inspire them. Results from this study indicate that small salary bonuses would likely not entice students in STEM subjects to become teachers. Less impactful factors included gender and individual beliefs about the respectability of the profession. Additionally, this study found these students less likely to consider work conditions for teachers when making career choices. This study concludes with several implications that can inform and possibly improve the recruitment and leadership preparation programs at Institutes of Higher Education.

Fifteen undergraduate music education majors enrolled in an introductory music education course at a major university in the Southwestern United States participated in this study. Students constructed concept maps on the topic teacher effectiveness as a measure of their cognitive schemata. They completed two microteaching lessons in two different settings which were videotaped and subsequently analyzed using the Survey of Teaching Effectiveness and a time sampling procedure using criteria from teacher intensity research. Following their microteachings students constructed a second concept map on the same topic. Students were interviewed to explore the nature of their thinking about effective teaching. Quantitative analyses were conducted using data from the concept maps and both measures of teacher effectiveness. Results of a dependent t-test showed no significance difference between map scores either for total score or component scores of extensiveness and coherence. Spearman Rank Correlations were calculated between map scores and subjects' scores on both the STE and TI measures. No significant correlations were found to exist. Qualitative analyses were completed based on data from concept maps, self-evaluations, and interviews. Frequency responses by categories and data source indicated subjects' responses fell into two main areas: teacher effectiveness and skills and strategies. Within these two areas four sub-categories were targeted for further analysis: knowledge, teacher traits, delivery and instructional skills. Frequency responses for all but delivery skills were quite high. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) Preservice teachers have a clear picture of what it means to be an effective teacher. They describe an effective teacher as knowledgeable, possessing a variety of personal characteristics, and engaging in specific teacher actions. (2) Preservice teachers' cognitive structure does not change after the completion of two microteaching experiences. There is some indication that changes in the content of their thinking arise following their microteachings. (3) There is no relationship between preservice teachers' cognitive structure and their ability to demonstrate effective teaching behaviors. However, qualitative analyses suggest a possible connection between the content of their thinking and their ability to teach effectively. Implications for education and future research are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to chronicle the experiences of an elementary music educator incorporating composition and improvisation activities into her elementary general music curriculum. I interviewed a primary music specialist with the purpose of discovering her background in teaching music. The questions focused on the teacher’s experience with music composition. After this interview, I observed the teacher in a third-grade general music composition lesson. I documented how the teacher approached the lesson and any steps she took to adapt the lesson to the needs of their students and her teaching style.

After the observation, I interviewed the teacher again to record her reactions to teaching the lesson. After coding the transcripts of the interviews and observation, four themes developed from the data: Personal Initiative, Teacher Reassurance, Student Engagement, and Teacher Improvement. The participant involved in this study received training in improvisation and reported that it had a positive effect on not only how she taught composition and improvisation, but also how comfortable she felt while teaching. As the training this teacher received was not through her teacher training program, her case may be unusual among experienced music teachers. Although this teacher was successful in teaching composition, her positive reactions to professional development indicate a desire for more training among in-service music education specialists. This study supports the idea that there is a need for more pre-service and in-service teacher training in how to teach younger students to compose.

Educational Psychology
Ph.D.
Preparedness, efficacy, and commitment to a teaching career are important products of the teacher preparation process. Yet research on how the context of field experiences influences the development of these products is limited. The purpose of this study is firstly to confirm the existence of hypothesized differences between urban and suburban field placements and secondly to investigate the relationship between individual components of these contextualized field experiences and the outcomes of preparedness, efficacy, and commitment. Field experiences are examined through the lens of Bandura's (1997) sources of teacher efficacy belief development (mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, emotional arousal) and their interactions with student teaching contextual influences. The results suggest that urban-based student teachers have a qualitatively different experience from their suburban-based counterparts. Although the study did not find significant differences in resultant teacher efficacy, or preparedness for assuming fulltime teaching responsibilities, urban-based teachers report less long-term teaching commitment, but are more likely to be seeking an initial placement in an urban school. Regression analyses were performed to identify those components of the field experience and individual student characteristics that predict preparedness, efficacy and commitment. Location and on-site school contextual variables (school climate, school poverty) play an integral role in prediction of teaching efficacy. While long-term teaching commitment was most strongly predicted by emotional interpretations of the experience (satisfaction, stress, confidence) together with feeling supported by the field supervisor, intentions regarding teaching location were more dependent on support and encouragement received from mentor teachers in those locations, and viewing the mentor as a good career model. The findings of this study have important implications for teacher training since the results confirm that student teachers have very different experiences based on field site location and that these experiences do contribute differentially to the development of preparedness, efficacy and commitment.
Temple University--Theses

Schools have organized professional learning communities to support teacher learning and hopefully student achievement. An investigation of these learning communities may provide a description of professional teacher learning and suggest implications and implementation processes. The following question guided this inquiry: In collaborative groups, what learning is recognized by teachers and what do teachers think facilitates that learning? The qualitative study investigated how teachers that participate in collaborative teams describe the learning process. The teachers responded to interview questions following observations of team meetings. The findings reveal what teachers perceive about their learning. The findings suggest the qualities of the learning situations for the teachers, the learning as recognized by the teachers, and the changes in practices that the teachers implemented in the classroom. The study implies and/or suggests processes and procedures to guide and enhance teacher learning in collaborative groups.

The demands placed upon stakeholders of the public education system have become more and more compelling with each passing year. With the success of schools and students at stake, it is imperative to examine multiple facets of the public education structure. One of the most important aspects of this process is the development of preservice teachers entering the classroom. This study initially chronicled the history of teacher education and state licensure. Subsequently, standards enforced by the Tennessee Department of Education and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education were also explored to gain information about the guidelines and criteria required for accrediting teacher education and licensure programs. Further information in regard to teacher education was examined through current trends and issues that affect classroom teachers. The teacher education program criteria from 6 Tennessee higher education institutions were also reviewed. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of classroom teachers about effective higher education programs. Twelve K-6 classroom teachers with 5 or fewer years of teaching experience were interviewed to gain insight about the opinions of effective components of teacher education programs. This information was examined to explore specific program requirements. The analysis of the data collected in this study introduced several themes and common patterns. Most commonly, participants expressed the importance of a substantial field experience within the teacher education program. The value of relating content and theoretical approach to the practical application of the classroom was also noted as a priority. Participants reported the most effective teacher education programs as those that formulated a realistic portrayal of the classroom setting. These responses illustrated the significance of a hands-on approach to teacher education training and development.

In a co-teaching model of student teaching, mentor teachers are presented with opportunities for professional growth because extensive collaboration occurs with the teacher candidate throughout the process. Despite the proliferation of co-teaching programs, mentor teachers often lack formal training for their role. Further, insufficient evidence fails to show how collaboration between mentor and candidate contributes to professional growth for the mentor. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine such growth in 9 mentor teachers who hosted teacher candidates during 1 semester of student teaching to determine how a co-teaching model affected mentor teachers' own teaching and mentoring skills. Professional growth was examined through Wenger's 4 components for situated learning. Research questions focused on mentor teachers' initial expectations about their roles, their identity and growth, and the application of their learning and growth when teaching. At the end of student teaching, mentor teachers participated in a series of 3 interviews based in phenomenological techniques. Their responses were coded using an inductive approach. Identified themes included mentor teacher experience, communities of practice, actions during student teaching, and mentor teachers' reflection on the role. Key findings were that all mentor teachers reported that they grew in practice, but not all developed their coaching and mentoring skills, and some focused on transmission of content and skills rather than candidate transformation. The findings of this study may influence positive social change to ensure that educator preparation assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning through mutually beneficial partnerships.