Depuis les années 1980, la formation des enseignants a fait l’objet de réformes majeures dans la plupart des sociétés développées, souvent en étant directement articulée à un processus de «professionnalisation» (Tardif, Lessard & Gauthier, 1998). La professionnalisation de l’enseignement est aujourd’hui considérée comme un mouvement international (OCDE, 2005). Dans cette recherche de maîtrise, nous analysons la mise en œuvre de la professionnalisation et son articulation à l’organisation des programmes de formation des enseignants du primaire dans deux contextes : Finlande et Québec. L’intérêt d’une comparaison du Québec avec la Finlande découle des enquêtes PISA 2000, 2003, et 2006, qui ont permis de faire reconnaître le système éducatif finlandais comme l’exemple d’un système performant qui combine avec succès la qualité, l’équité et la cohésion sociale (Sahlberg, 2007). Or, parmi les nombreuses raisons présentées pour expliquer ce succès, une des plus importantes serait la formation des enseignants. En Finlande les enseignants réalisent une formation initiale de 5 ans. Mais au Québec les enseignants sont aussi hautement éduqués : ils réalisent une formation universitaire de 4 ans après deux années d’études pré-universitaires. Dans les deux contextes, les enseignants complètent 17 ans de scolarité. Quelles sont les similitudes et les différences entre les programmes de formation des enseignants du primaire en Finlande et au Québec? Comment et en quoi ce processus de professionnalisation, comme tendance internationale, a-t-il marqué les systèmes de formation d’enseignants finlandais et québécois ? Peut-on dégager, à partir de cette comparaison, des éléments d’un système de formation à l’enseignement de meilleure qualité pour le Québec? / Since the 1980s, teacher education has undergone major reforms in most developed societies, often directly connected to a process of "professionalization" (Tardif, Lessard & Gauthier, 1998). The professionalization of teaching is now considered an international movement (OECD, 2005). In this MA research thesis, we analyze the implementation of professionalization and its connection to the organization of primary school teachers training programs in two contexts: Finland and Quebec. The interest of such a comparison between Finland and Quebec comes from the PISA 2000, 2003 and 2006 results, which brought to light the recognition of the Finnish education system as an example of a well-performing system that successfully combines quality, equity and social cohesion (Sahlberg, 2007). Among the many reasons presented to explain this success, one of the most important would be highly educated teachers. In Finland, teachers complete a 5 years initial training program. But in Quebec teachers are also highly educated: they take a 4 years initial training program, after 2 years of pre-university studies. In both contexts, teachers complete 17 years of schooling. What are the similarities and differences between the primary school teachers training programs in Finland and Quebec? How and in what way has this process of professionalization, as an international trend, influenced the teacher training systems in Finland and Quebec? Can we identify, from this comparison, the elements of a teacher training system of greater quality for Quebec? / Desde los años 1980, la formación de docentes ha sido objeto de importantes reformas en la mayoría de sociedades desarrolladas, reformas a menudo directamente ligadas a un proceso de “profesionalización” (Tardif, Lessard & Gauthier, 1998). La profesionalización de la docencia es hoy en día considerada como un movimiento internacional (OCDE, 2005). En esta investigación de maestría, analizamos la implementación de la profesionalización y su relación con la organización de programas de formación de docentes de primaria en dos contextos: Finlandia y Quebec. El interés de una comparación de Quebec con Finlandia surge a partir de las encuestas PISA 2000, 2003, y 2006, cuyos resultados permitieron el reconocimiento del sistema educativo finlandés como ejemplo de un sistema de buen funcionamiento que combina exitosamente la calidad, la equidad y la cohesión social (Sahlberg, 2007). Entre las múltiples razones presentadas para explicar el éxito finlandés, una de las más importantes sería que los docentes son altamente preparados. En Finlandia, los docentes realizan una formación inicial de 5 años. Pero en Quebec los docentes también son altamente preparados: éstos realizan una formación de 4 años, luego de completar dos años de estudios pre-universitarios. En los dos contextos, los docentes completan 17 años de escolaridad. ¿Cuáles son las similitudes y diferencias entre los programas de formación de docentes de primaria en Finlandia y Quebec? ¿Cómo y en qué este proceso de profesionalización, como tendencia internacional, marcó los sistemas de formación de docentes en Finlandia y Quebec? ¿Se pueden identificar, a partir de esta comparación, los elementos de un sistema de formación docente de mejor calidad para Quebec?

Les différents acteurs impliqués dans la formation pratique en milieu scolaire doivent composer avec les réalités culturelles et territoriales des régions du Québec. Les étudiants issus des régions éloignées des universités souhaitent retourner dans leur milieu d’origine afin d’y réaliser un de leur stage. L’omniprésence des technologies de l’information et des communications (TIC) dans les milieux scolaires et universitaires et l’exigence du Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec (MEQ) (2001) à développer une compétence professionnelle qui vise à intégrer les TIC aux fins de préparation, de pilotage et de gestion de l’enseignement concourent à mettre en place un modèle de supervision qui puisse répondre aux exigences liées au domaine de la formation pratique. Les enjeux sont de taille et méritent que l’on s’y attarde. Prenant en considération le fait que l’observation et la communication entre les différents partenaires de la supervision du stagiaire sont à la base d’une formation efficiente qui puisse répondre aux besoins des étudiants, la présente étude propose un modèle de supervision pouvant accroître la présence des universités dans les milieux plus éloignés et ainsi assurer un accompagnement optimal des stagiaires sur l’ensemble du territoire québécois. Cette recherche a pour objectif de mieux comprendre les avantages et les limites d’un modèle de supervision en distanciel faisant appel aux TIC lors des stages réalisés dans les milieux scolaires éloignés de leur université. Plus précisément, l’étude répond à trois objectifs en identifiant (1) les avantages et (2) les limites liés à la supervision des stages lorsqu’ils se déroulent par l’entremise des TIC et en contribuant à (3) comprendre l’efficience d’un modèle de supervision en distanciel appuyé par les TIC sur l’accompagnement des stagiaires dans le développement de leurs compétences professionnelles de l’acte d’enseigner et de l’identité professionnelle. Afin de saisir les enjeux d’un tel modèle, une étude qualitative descriptive s’avère être le choix qui s’impose. Une rigoureuse collecte de données menée auprès de quatre stagiaires, leur enseignant associé respectif et leur superviseur à l’aide de grilles d’observation, d’enregistrements vidéo, de journaux de bord et d’entrevues semi-dirigées permet de répondre à quatre questions de recherche. Ces dernières s’interrogent sur l’efficience d’un modèle de supervision en distanciel au plan de l’encadrement du stagiaire avant, pendant et après sa prestation, au plan du développement des compétences professionnelles de l’acte d’enseigner et de l’identité professionnelle et au plan de la communication entre les partenaires de la supervision. Les données recueillies à partir des différents outils permettent la présentation d’une description de chaque étape et des avantages et des limites de chacune d’elles : l’accueil, l’observation, les échanges-partenaires et la rétroaction. L’étude permet également de mieux comprendre les avantages et les limites d’une supervision en distanciel appuyé par les TIC lors des stages se déroulant dans les milieux scolaires éloignés de leur université. Ainsi, l’étude fait ressortir que chaque étape du modèle de supervision en distanciel proposé contribue, à différents égards, à rendre la supervision efficiente sur le plan de l’accompagnement au développement des compétences professionnelles. Des recommandations et des pistes de recherches sont proposées afin de maximiser le potentiel du modèle. / The different actors involved in the provision of practical training must take the cultural and territorial realities of the regions of Quebec into account. Students from remote areas distant from universities want to return to their home community in order to complete one of their practicum. The omnipresence of information and communications technologies (ICT) in school and university settings, and the Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, MEQ’s requirement to develop professional competencies, which integrate ICT, contribute to set up a supervision model, which can meet requirements linked to practical training. There are major challenges and they deserve to be studied at length. Taking into consideration the fact that observation and communication between the practicum student’s different supervisory partners is essential to effective training that meets the student’s needs, this study proposes an approach to supervision which may increase the university’s presence in remote communities and, in doing so, ensure optimal support of practicum students throughout the province of Quebec. The goal of this research is to describe the contributions made by ICT to the practicum supervision process when they occur in remote school settings, away from universities. More precisely, the study meets three objectives by (1) identifying the advantages and (2) the limits linked to supervision of practicums when it is conducted using ICT, and by contributing (3) to understanding the contribution ICT makes to supporting practicum students in the development of their professional competencies with respect to the teaching act, and to the development of their professional identity. In order to grasp the challenges of such an approach, it is required to select a descriptive qualitative study to carry out the research. A rigorous data collection process was conducted with four practicum students, their associate teachers and their supervisors as subjects, using observation forms, video recordings, practicum journals, and semi-directed interviews, which made it possible for the four research questions to be answered. These questions deal with the efficiency of a distance supervision model to the practicum student’s supervision before, during and after the completion of their practicum, with the efficiency of a distance supervision model to communication between the supervisory partners and to the support of the development of professional competencies with respect to the teaching act and to the development of their professional identity. Data gathered using different tools permited the presentation of a description of each step of the proposed approached and the strengths and limits of each step: introduction, observation, partner-exchanges and feedback. The study also allows an understanding of how the model can contribute to supporting the development of practicum students’ professional competencies. In this way, the study highlights that each step of the proposed online supervision approach contributes, in different ways, to making supervision effective in terms of supporting the development of professional competencies. Recommendations and avenues for research are suggested so as to maximize the potential of the model.

With the internationalization of English there is a growing demand for high quality English language education around the globe, particularly in non-English speaking countries. Consequently, there is an increasing demand worldwide for competent English teachers and more effective approaches to teaching and teacher professional development. In Egypt, in a context of educational reform where communicative language teaching approaches have been adopted as a way to improve teaching, this study explores how teachers perceive and respond to this call for change in instructional practices. It examines the professional development experiences of a group of English as a foreign language (EFL) and English-medium subject (EMS) teachers working in the private and public basic educational sectors in Cairo, Egypt. The research questions focus on teachers’ perceptions of change and improvement occurring in their teaching practices, their beliefs on the sources of change available to them, and the perspectives of school principals and professional development providers on teachers’ change prospects. In this study, a multi-method approach was applied, with a teacher survey administered to 174 teachers; in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 36 teachers, 15 principals, and 8 professional development (PD) providers; field observation; and examination of relevant documents and artifacts. The analysis of data is informed by sociocultural theory perspectives (Vygotsky, 1978). The findings indicate that (1) teachers perceive great change in their practices, though their conceptions and implementation of communicative approaches are context-bound, (2) teaching is influenced by various professional learning opportunities, and (3) change or lack thereof results from teachers’ adaptability to their local contextual demands through a process of resistance, resilience, or maintaining the status quo. The findings highlight the centrality of teachers in change processes.They suggest that change results from a process of interaction between teachers and other individuals within their community, and that the nature of change as experienced by the participants is shaped by a multitude of contextual factors. The implications of the study include the need to replace the technical conception of professional development with a more ecological orientation, to establish professional learning communities among teachers and within schools, and to establish a coherent framework for change initiatives.

This dissertation documents a critical-ethnographic-action-research (CEAR) project conducted in two elementary schools in Oaxaca, Mexico, with the collaboration of one language teacher educator and ten language student teachers. The two schools have a diverse student body composed of mestizo children and children from different Indigenous groups. The CEAR Project challenged historical and societal ideologies that position Indigenous children as deficient learners and their translanguaging and multiliteracies practices as inappropriate for schools. The CEAR Project was also a response to a world phenomenon that associates English with “development” and economic success and Indigenous and “minoritized” languages with backwardness marginalization. The CEAR Project’s purpose was to use the student teachers’ English language praxicum in order to: (a) develop elementary school teaching expertise, (b) co-construct affirming identities among all the participants, (c) foster multilingual, multiliteracies, and intercultural practices, and (d) dialogue with the children in order to change pejorative ideologies that regard certain languages, literacies, and cultures as better than others. The Transformative Multiliteracies Pedagogy developed by Cummins (in press) and critical pedagogies theory (Freire, 1970; Norton & Toohey, 2004) informed the CEAR Project and the data collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and children’s work samples. Using narrative, photos, and videos, this dissertation presents the migratory lives, the families, and the language and literacy practices of 50 children, and their views regarding the English language and Indigenous languages and peoples. It portrays the vivid critical moments and changes that occurred in the praxicum as the children became teachers and linguists. Through the construction of identity texts and the translanguaging and multiliteracies practices that the student teachers and the children engaged in, stories emerge that portray them as the intelligent, creative, and genuine individuals that they really are. This dissertation also documents how the children’s complex lives challenged constructs such as “family” and “Indigenous,” and the new Mexican educational policy that brings English into public elementary schools using a generic English software. It is concluded that every policy, theory, social construct, pedagogy, and curriculum should be challenged on a daily basis if we are truly to serve the ever-evolving diverse classrooms of today.

With the internationalization of English there is a growing demand for high quality English language education around the globe, particularly in non-English speaking countries. Consequently, there is an increasing demand worldwide for competent English teachers and more effective approaches to teaching and teacher professional development. In Egypt, in a context of educational reform where communicative language teaching approaches have been adopted as a way to improve teaching, this study explores how teachers perceive and respond to this call for change in instructional practices. It examines the professional development experiences of a group of English as a foreign language (EFL) and English-medium subject (EMS) teachers working in the private and public basic educational sectors in Cairo, Egypt. The research questions focus on teachers’ perceptions of change and improvement occurring in their teaching practices, their beliefs on the sources of change available to them, and the perspectives of school principals and professional development providers on teachers’ change prospects. In this study, a multi-method approach was applied, with a teacher survey administered to 174 teachers; in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 36 teachers, 15 principals, and 8 professional development (PD) providers; field observation; and examination of relevant documents and artifacts. The analysis of data is informed by sociocultural theory perspectives (Vygotsky, 1978). The findings indicate that (1) teachers perceive great change in their practices, though their conceptions and implementation of communicative approaches are context-bound, (2) teaching is influenced by various professional learning opportunities, and (3) change or lack thereof results from teachers’ adaptability to their local contextual demands through a process of resistance, resilience, or maintaining the status quo. The findings highlight the centrality of teachers in change processes.They suggest that change results from a process of interaction between teachers and other individuals within their community, and that the nature of change as experienced by the participants is shaped by a multitude of contextual factors. The implications of the study include the need to replace the technical conception of professional development with a more ecological orientation, to establish professional learning communities among teachers and within schools, and to establish a coherent framework for change initiatives.

This research investigated elementary classroom teachers' experiences in a collaborative learning community (CLC) on the topic of supporting the literacy learning of students with characteristics of ADHD. Five general education classroom teachers participated in biweekly CLC meetings over a 5-month period. Qualitative methods of data gathering were employed in the form of participant observations in the classroom and during 9 CLC meetings. Participants were also interviewed three times. The first interview was conducted before the CLC meetings began, the second interview was conducted immediately after formal CLC meetings had ceased, and the final interview was conducted 6 months after meetings had ended. Three main findings emerged from the research. First, participants' literacy teaching of their students with characteristics of ADHD was positively influenced as a result of their participation in the CLC. This positive influence came through an interaction of factors related to their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs. It also resulted from a reconceptualization of both their understanding of their students with characteristics of ADHD and of themselves as literacy teachers. Second, certain aspects of the CLC contributed to this positive outcome. These aspects were the opportunity to work with colleagues, participant control over the format and content of CLC, and repeated opportunities to reflect on and refine teaching practice. Third, personal and contextual factors shaped the participants' experiences within the CLC. Participants who had challenges during their own schooling were more driven and committed to understand and respond to their students’ diverse learning needs. Participants with the most number of years of teaching experience had a more fully realized skill set, higher levels of self-efficacy, and lower levels of stress related to teaching and meeting the needs of their students with characteristics of ADHD. Implications for school literacy teaching, preservice education, in-service education, and future avenues for research are discussed in light of the findings.

Although STSE has recently received attention in educational research, policy, and science curricula development, fewer strides have been made in moving theory into practice. There are many examples of STSE-based and issues-based teaching in science at the elementary and secondary levels, which can be found in the literature (Alsop, Bencze, & Pedretti, 2005; Hodson, 1993, 2000; Pedretti & Hodson, 1995), yet little has focused specifically on physics education. This doctoral thesis will examine pre-service physics teachers’ beliefs and perceptions, challenges and tensions which influence their adoption of STSE education in the context of a pre-service physics education course (Curriculum and Instruction in Physics Education at the B.Ed level). An interpretive case study design as described by Merriam (1988) has been employed for this research (Merriam, 1988; Novodvorsky, 2006). The specific phenomena this case study examined and explored were the pre-service physics teachers’ beliefs and perceptions, challenges and tensions influencing their adoption of physics curricula that explicitly emphasizes an STSE orientation to physics education. The pre-service physics teachers’ evolution of perceptions and attitudes show growth in the areas of curricula understanding and implementation issues, potential student concerns, and general fit of the subject within the context of a student’s learning journey. This study contributes to our understanding of the challenges pre-service physics teachers face when considering teaching physics through an STSE lens, and provides some implications for both pre-service and in-service teacher education.

Ethnocultural minority immigrant students carry diverse histories, perspectives, and experiences, which can serve as resources for critical reflection and discussion about social conflicts. Inclusion of diverse students’ identities in the curriculum requires acknowledgement and open discussion of diversity and conflictual issues. In democratic peacebuilding education, diverse students are encouraged to express divergent points of view in open, inclusive dialogue. This ethnographic study with a critical perspective examined how three teachers in urban public elementary school classrooms with ethnocultural minority first- and second-generation immigrant students (aged 9 to 13) implemented different kinds of curriculum content and pedagogy, and how those pedagogies facilitated or impeded inclusive democratic experiences for various students. In these classrooms, peers and teachers shared similar and different cultural backgrounds and migration histories. Data included 110 classroom observations of three teachers and 75 ethnocultural minority students, six interviews with three teachers, 29 group interviews with 53 students, document analysis of ungraded student work and teachers’ planning materials, and a personal journal. Results showed how diverse students experienced and responded to implemented curriculum: when content was explicitly linked to students’ identities and experiences, opportunities for democratic peacebuilding inclusion increased. Dialogic pedagogical processes that encouraged cooperation among students strengthened the class community and invited constructive conflict education. The implicit and explicit curriculum implemented in these three diverse classrooms also shaped how students interpreted democracy in the context of multiculturalism in Canada. Teaching students as though they were all the same, and teaching curriculum content as if it were neutral and uncontestable, did not create equitable social relations. Explicit attention to conflict provided opportunities to uncover the hidden curriculum and to acknowledge structures of power and domination, creating space for development of critical consciousness. Thus culturally relevant curricula and democratic learning opportunities encouraged social and academic engagement and resulted in the inclusion of a wider range of diverse students’ voices.

Doctor of Education / Department of Special Education / Warren J. White / The current study, based solely on teacher-report, provides descriptive data regarding current transition-related instructional practices among Kansas special educators of secondary-aged youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Students with E/BD are the least likely of all students with disabilities to gain and maintain positive post-school outcomes in the areas of employment, personal-social skills, and community and independent living. Students who demonstrate functional life skills and self-determination skills independent of instruction and directive generally report a higher quality of life than those who are unable. Transition-related instruction specifically addressing functional life skills and self-determination skills may assist these students in their quest for positive post-school outcomes. Research indicating what, if any, transition skills instruction these students receive is not available. Teachers (N = 165) reported a desire to provide transition skills instruction to youth with E/BD (N = 1,076) yet reported having very little transition training (fewer than eight clock hours) and providing very little instruction (less than two hours weekly). Teachers reported that many students with E/BD do not demonstrate life skills and self-determination skills independent of instruction or directive, yet fewer than 11% of the student population had, within their IEP, a goal addressing the specified transition skills. IDEA 2004 regulations mandate that teachers address the transition needs of students with disabilities within a statement of needed transition services, which is not happening with any regularity. The self-determination skills of demonstrating positive social interactions, making appropriate choices and decisions, and employing self-regulation, though often deficits of youth with E/BD, were among the skills mentioned least frequently within the goals of these students. Based on the Pearson r correlation-coefficient analysis no significant relationship was indicated between the number of years of experience of the teachers and the number of minutes of transition instruction teachers provided to this student population. Very few significant relationships existed between the level of independence students reportedly demonstrate each life skill and self-determination skill and a) the amount of transition training the teacher had received and, b) the amount of transition-related instruction teachers reportedly provide. The teacher’s focus has frequently shifted from transition to educational reform.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Secondary Education / Diane McGrath / In many college of education programs, the feasibility of online courses has provided opportunities for in-service teachers who are pursuing a higher educational goal while working full-time with school and/or family responsibilities. Although preliminary evidence on project-based learning (PBL) in traditional classrooms with younger learners suggests that students are highly motivated, it is not clear whether adult learners recognize the value of the online PBL approach. This study documented adult learners’ learning experience with online projects, their collaborative experience, and their learning experience with technological tools. The result of this study can contribute to our understanding of the strengths and the obstacles in an online PBL environment. Nineteen participants who registered in a graduate level course participated in this case study over a 16-week semester. They collaborated in small group of 2–5 members in order to communicate and construct projects at a distance. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and interpreted based on a descriptive case study design. Multiple sources of data include course documentation, archival data from course management system, student-created projects, surveys, and interviews. A model for content analysis of CMC was applied to qualitative analysis of the electronic discourse. Findings of this study indicated that participants gained positive experience in this new way of learning. In particular, three themes related to online PBL approach emerged: (1) project relevancy and authenticity as the primary concerns in guiding driving question, researching information, and constructing artifact; (2) synchronicity is indispensable for online collaboration; and (3) repeated exposures with technology tools reduce the fear and reinforce the skill to be learned.