An ethnographic study of the Pima County Adult Education Family Literacy Program in Tucson, Arizona, reveals ideological and pedagogical tensions and contradictions within it. Some elements of the Program are "accommodationist," aimed at helping students fit into an unjust status quo as they find it. Other elements are "liberatory," aimed at empowering students to transform the status quo. Recommendations are made aimed at steering the Program in more liberatory directions without sacrificing its crucial role in preparing students for further education and work. The Program during 1994-95 was a collaboration among Pima County Adult Education, Head Start, Sunnyside and Tucson Unified School Districts, and the National Center for Family Literacy. It involved nearly a hundred families, mostly young mothers with preschool children, at five elementary school sites. Students were predominantly Hispanic, many recent immigrants from Mexico, with low income and minimal levels of education. Adult students received ESL and/or GED education while their children were enrolled in Head Start at the same sites. Other features of the Program included parenting skills education, vocational education, and volunteer work by the adult students at school sites. A review of literature places the Program in the complex environment of adult literacy education generally and, more specifically, the national family literacy movement in the United States. Competing definitions of literacy (nominal, functional, cultural, critical) are examined, as well as two prevailing philosophies in family literacy programs: a "deficit model" of language use by disadvantaged people, and a "transmission model" of school literacy from parent to child. All theoretical principles are related to the PCAE Family Literacy Program. The research methodology is reflexive ethnography, in which the researcher tries to account for his personal interaction with the phenomena studied and incorporates it into every aspect of the ethnography, from collection to presentation to interpretation of data. The last chapter is a personal essay in the form of a literacy narrative that attempts to relate the autobiography of the ethnographer to the lives of the ethnographic subjects.

Since the South African government decided in 1997 to replace traditional education with outcomes-based education, curriculum transformation has as yet for various reasons not realised in the Physical Sciences classroom, thus resulting in poor marks in Physical Sciences. This study was prompted by the above realities and the fact that education reform in South Africa cannot occur in isolation from globalisation and the demands of 21st-century teaching-and-learning. The overarching aim of the study thus was to propose guidelines for an ICT-integrated approach to teaching and for a learning environment that can lead to the successful implementation of the Physical Sciences curriculum in the classroom. In order to achieve this aim, the research had, on the one hand, to focus on those aspects against which successful curriculum implementation can be measured and, on the other, be directed at the contribution which the use of digital technology could make in curriculum implementation. The above led to a comprehensive literature study during which Physical Sciences curriculum documents and other teaching-and-learning literature were investigated within the context of UGO, constructivism as well as effective principles of learning. Ultimately eleven so-called âimplementation principlesâ were identified (see 2.7.1). Thereafter it was established how different ICT usages can be practically and feasibly used in order to contribute to the realisation of the implementation principles in the Physical Sciences classroom. Due to the fact that todayâs learners belong to the Y generation, with their unique needs, as well as the fact that over 80% of all South African learners are taught Science in a language that is not their home language (see 1.2.2.2), much attention was paid to these aspects in this study. A quantitative research design was used and data were collected by means of a questionnaire, as measuring instrument. Although multi-choice and binary-type questions were also used, the questionnaire mainly consisted of five-point Likert-type questions (see 4.10). The questions in the various sections of the questionnaire dealt with âdaily ICT applicationsâ, learnersâ home environment, language of teaching-andlearning, the availability and use of ICT in the school environment, learnersâ experience of the ICT Laboratory (see 1.2.3) as learning environment as well as their experience of ICT applications in the Laboratory. The test sample consisted of 110 Physical Sciences learners who visited the ICT Laboratory regularly. The Statistical Processing unit of the ICT services at the University of the Free State processed the questionnaires by means of the SPSS computer package. The information gleaned from the literature study as well as the empirical research enabled the researcher, from a didactical perspective, to propose guidelines for an e- Education-based approach to the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement for Physical Sciences (see 6.4). The study emphasises the essential role of the teacher in identifying suitable ICT applications that can be used to the benefit of teaching-and-learning within a 21stcentury learning environment and in service of the implementation of a Physical Sciences curriculum.

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore pre-service school counselor&rsquo;s perception of identity development. The main research question of this study was, how is professional identity development described by pre-service school counselors? Three sub-questions were posed as well. What are internal factors described by pre-service school counselor that influence their professional identity development? What are external factors described by pre-service school counselors that influence their professional identity development? What are other factors described by pre-service school counselors that influence their professional identity development?</p><p> Seven pre-service school counselors from two campuses of one private, accredited university participated in this research. The pre-service school counselor participants were given a demographic survey and interviewed. In this study, the interviews followed a protocol and lasted between thirty-five to forty-five minutes. During this time, the participants shared their perceptions of pre-service school counselor professional identity development. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a basic, interpretive qualitative method. </p><p> Documentation in the form of four syllabi were collected across the two campuses of the university of study. Three of the four syllabi were the same. Given the small sample the two differing syllabi were compared. They differed on all factors except one, the use of experience to inform becoming a professional school counselor. This theme matched several of the interview findings. </p><p> Eighteen themes comprised the results of the interview research. Each was supported with rich data from the interviews. Four major findings emerged from the eighteen themes. The recommendations for school counselor preparation programs emerged from the four major findings. They were, the incorporation of processing experiences during class time, including coursework specifically related to school counseling; Practicum and Internship are solely school counselor focused; and instilling clear mission of the role of the school counselor into the school counseling preparation program. Areas for future research; such as replicating this study at a non-accredited institution, utilizing a longitudinal study, and exploring perceptions of professional identity development from other perspectives involved in school counselor preparation; are presented in this study.</p>

<p> The purpose of this doctoral research project was to determine if the impartation of the step-by-step "business plan" of Nehemiah in a nine-week class would assist participants in learning and applying this process to determine their unique calling from God, and integrating their faith in whatever realm they are called upon to lead: home, church, community, or workplace. </p><p> In Chapter One, "Introduction," the research author stated the ministry problems being addressed (lack of "integration" or "dis-integration" of faith and life; need for clarity regarding one's calling), and the contribution that this <i>Nehemiah: Leading with Integrity</i> class could make to the re-integration of faith and life and clarity of one's calling. </p><p> In Chapter Two, "Literature Review," the research author reviewed books on integration of faith and life (particularly books and articles on the Puritans); commentaries, books, articles, and papers on the content of the book of Nehemiah; books and articles on leadership (particularly integrity in leadership); books, articles, and papers on a theology of work and divine calling; and other research projects related to Nehemiah. </p><p> In Chapter Three, "Procedure and Research Methodology," the research author described hypotheses ("Nehemiah Project"); the intervention (the Nehemiah course); summary (weekly topics; the development of the <i>Nehemiah</i> manual and the integrated leader evaluation); the evaluation process; and assessment toward goals. </p><p> In Chapter Four, "Results," the research author reviewed the data collected from this study in two sections: (1) "Quantitative Analysis," analyzing the data collected from the Integrated Leader Evaluation (ILE) to determine if, in fact, there was a perceptible increase in a sense of integration in the nine areas of life listed above, as well as an increase in clarity regarding one" calling; and (2) "Qualitative Analysis," analyzing the journaling, classroom discussion, and "discovery papers" that outlined the individual steps that led to an increased sense of integration and calling that was expressed by the participants in this study. </p><p> In Chapter Five, "Conclusions," the research author summarized conclusions from this study. Included in this chapter were the restatement of the purpose of the study, interpretation of results (quantitative and qualitative results), conclusions based on the evaluation of data, overall recommendations, and recommendations to improve the project and conduct further research.</p>

This study was concerned with policy research for coordinating state higher education and telecommunication efforts. It focused on graduate and continuing education and on distance learning. (Distance learning is an extension of the classroom which utilizes interactive television.).;This study's research was to identify and analyze possible coordinating state policies that would best facilitate distance learning in Virginia. This is linked to how Virginia higher education can interact with business and industry to encourage academic and industrial cooperation in distance learning.;It was hypothesized that there is consensus among influential people in Virginia as to the best coordinating policy for Virginia's graduate and continuing education and distance learning. The results of the study indicated the research hypothesis was not fully supported. However, one of the seven policy options, the telecommunications cooperative, revealed near consensus (87%) among participants and was considered to be the best option to facilitate distance learning in Virginia. The results of the data fit with the study's theoretical model, Plude's Telecommunications Cooperatives Model.;The responses of influential Virginia leaders in higher education, government, business and industry seem to support these conclusions: (1) The participants confirmed that there was a real and urgent need for distance learning in Virginia's graduate and continuing education. (2) Participant opinions concerning the best way to fund and to coordinate a workable system did not result in overall agreement. However, they agreed in three areas: higher education must include business and industry, a state-level cooperative be formed to coordinate and facilitate a workable system, and funds for distance learning come from those who are involved--the customers and providers and these funds would include both state and private monies. (3) Participants gave strong support to the need for developing a coherent state policy in Virginia. (4) of the seven policy options considered, the participants considered a state telecommunications cooperative policy to be the best option.;In the future, policy research will need to focus on interstate and international education and in issues relating to education as a life-long pursuit.

What are the differences between the continuing education programs for museum workers in the United States and Great Britain, and what do these distinctions reveal about the ways in which the role of the museum worker is perceived in these respective countries?;This study will: (1) analyze the literature surrounding these questions, literature ranging in topics from the sociology of professions to descriptions of mid-career training options, (2) compare and contrast the museums, museum studies programs, and continued learning schemes for museologists, and, finally, (3) examine the differences and similarities between two representative programs, one for each country: the Seminar for Historical Administration and the Diploma Scheme of the Museums Association in Great Britain. From these comparisons both general and specific, the investigation will conclude with an interpretation of the differences in so far as they shed light on the varying perceptions of the museum worker in the United States and Great Britain.;In the United States, museum workers are exposed to a seemingly unlimited array of mid-career training options, a veritable smorgasbord of professional learning opportunities of varying quality and usually offered by agencies quite independent of the academy. "Contest" mobility prevails. The programs are responsive to an ever-changing market. While, in Great Britain, only a few options are available, most notable is the diploma scheme with its university affiliations. When compared to the American system, a semblance of "sponsored" mobility prevails, and one is struck by the limited, single-level and insulated nature of the programs available. This dissertation identifies these distinctions and expands on their significances as they pertain to current perceptions of the museum workers in each country.

Diss. Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2007.

Achievement of the teacher trainees

urban and rural women's literacy centres

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Economics August 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.