Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

This teaching guide for adult piano study has been designed to be used with many of the methods which already exist, and to serve as a guide for the teacher who failed to keep abreast with the progress of modern piano study.

Literature study on piano technique, which consists mainly of piano pedagogues' empirical considerations, indicates the existence of common strategies/theories regarding the development of a piano technique. A meaningful and scientifically grounded piano-technical orientation is one of the major factors during the first few months of piano tuition and provides a basis for the development of an advanced piano technique. The majority of beginner piano courses use the adjacent, legato five finger method. The researcher identified six beginner courses, which were analysed in order to measure their presentation of a well-structured piano-technical development against the recommendations of well-known piano pedagogues/author~ in this field. During this process, demerits in the sequence, structure and presentation of the basic movements in piano playing were found. In most instances the use of the bigger levers are not addressed at all. All the levers and their specific movements should be addressed from the very first lesson. A logical motoric and educational process is to concentrate on the bigger levers (giving the support), which perform slower and easier movements, and then move on to the smaller levers, which perform faster and more complicated movements. All theoretical information in the beginner books studied is properly explained and presented in a very structured manner. The researcher is, however, concerned about the fact that there is not enough structure in the sequence of teaching and developing the basic technical movements in the beginner piano courses using the adjacent, legato five finger method. The connection between sound and movement is not made. Authors in the field of piano technique emphasize the fact that the movements the beginner is taught during the first lessons provide the technical foundation for the rest of his/her life. To address demerits in the structure, presentation and discrepancy in the sequence of learning the basic movements, the researcher compiles exercises for the beginner. These exercises concentrate on specific movements and results in sound recommended by well-known authors in the field of piano technique. In addition the researcher strives to explain the movements as clearly as possible and illustrates them with photographs and pictures. / Thesis (DMus (Performing Arts))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Music / unrestricted

Utilising a qualitative methodology approach and a case study research design this study set out to explore the influence of ‘own teachers’ on beginner teacher professional identities. The research design borrowed from the idea of a palimpsest, (Diamond & Mullen, 1999). Data comprised a mix of semi-structured interviews, field notes and a researcher journal. Ten participants, representative of four different racial groups in South Africa were included. Data was analysed by means of the thematic content analysis method. This study contributed to the body of knowledge on beginner teachers’ professional identity on two levels. The first level pertains to the methodological contribution of this study in terms of the interrelatedness with which particular methodological constructs were applied. The second level of contribution involves four novel theoretical findings that came to the fore in this study. First, findings showed how participants (beginner teachers) connected with fictional characters from various types of media and substitute those characters as role models in the place of ‘real’ own teachers or teacher-like figures. Second, participants drew on positive experiences with own teachers that guided them through the navigation of several socio-political challenges stemming from the Apartheids era. Third, positive own teachers served as beacons of hope, strength and resilience. Examples of past teachers unfolded as the driving force behind attitudes displayed by participants, of embracing diversity and sensitivity towards differences between themselves, their learners and colleagues. Fourth, positive own teachers served as beacons of hope, strength and resilience. The fifth, and most complex finding, illustrated the ways in which participants constructed their emerging professional identities around what they perceived as the qualities of the ‘ideal’ teacher. ‘Levels of cautiousness’ surfaced as key to the professional identity of beginner teachers in terms of the influence of their own teachers. It was found that beginner teachers approached their professional identity on a continuum of ‘caution’ with regard to certain aspects including reflection, classroom discipline, the influence of own teachers as well as the awareness of the role of own teachers. This study showed a close link between participants’ self-knowledge, perceptions of their personalities, their inherent communicative traits and their progress on this ‘continuum of caution’. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Humanities Education / PhD / Unrestricted

This study asked the question of how I constructed my beginner teacher identity as a female Mathematics teacher and why my journey unfolded in the way it did. With regards to beginner teacher identities I used work from Morrison (2013), Pennington & Richards (2015), Ballentyne & Grootenboer (2012) and Beijaard, Meijer & Verloop (2004). For work on the beginner female STEM teachers, I used authors including Spangenberg & Myburgh (2017), Else-Quest et al. (2013), Stromquist et al. (2013), Ahlqvist et al. (2013) and Rodriguez et al. (2017). These concepts were key to the understanding of this study. An Interpretivist epistemological paradigm underpinned this study (Wagner, Kawilich & Garner 2012). The conceptual lens used in this study was designed employing tenets of the Social Identity Theory of Tajfel & Turner (1979) as well as Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory (1994). I followed a qualitative research approach and autoethnography as research design whereby the I, the researcher was also the sole participant of the study (Ellis, 2009). Co-constructors of knowledge were involved in this study to corroborate my personal. They comprised of close family members and a friend. Data generation methods included self-reflexive narratives about my experiences as a beginner teacher and my researcher’s journal. Furthermore, I conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with the co-constructors. In analysing my data, I used the method of thematic analysis whereby I would read my data and identify suitable themes based on my two secondary research questions. The main findings of the study showed that I faced situations that went against my pre-conceived expectations, formed in part by my family members and that the construction of my beginner teacher identity involved a process wherein I had to accept elements of my out-group as part of my in-group (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) to achieve a satisfied social identity. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria 2020. / pt2021 / Humanities Education / MEd / Unrestricted

The focus of this study was to understand my experiences of teaching sensitive topics in my professional capacity, as a female beginner teacher who has an Islamic upbringing and strong religious views according to which I live. The purpose of this study was to make sense of these personal and professional experiences when teaching sensitive topics as an Islamic beginner female teacher. In so doing this study sought to contribute to body of knowledge about key concepts namely sensitive topics, an Islamic context, female beginner teacher identity and autoethnography as research design. The literature reviewed for this research study was centred around the said key concepts and included scholarly work by Collins (2017), Lowe and Jones (2015), Du Bois (2014), and Anacona (2014). Theoretically, this study was underpinned by an interpretivist epistemological paradigm informed by Berg (2007) and from a conceptual point of view I drew on tenets of both the religion and feminist theory guided by the work of Rambo (1999). Data was generated in the form of short anecdotal self-reflective narratives spanning over 25 years and encapsulated the gist of my upbringing and later experiences which all influenced the ways in which I have experienced the teaching of sensitive topics as a female beginner teacher female within an Islamic context. Findings were divided into three main themes, namely the Islamic religion, Islam and gender and teaching sensitive topic as a Muslim, female beginner teacher. Findings were refined into relevant subthemes. The gist of the findings revealed that a strict Islamic upbringing contributed largely to the discomfort experienced by a female teacher when teaching topics of a sensitive nature, such as sexual education which is compulsory in the current Life Orientation curriculum. Findings further pointed to the fact that this discomfort can be alleviated through self-talk, engagement with scholarly work and deep thought incited by engagement with sensitive topics. Recommendations were suggested for classroom practice. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Humanities Education / MEd / Unrestricted

Many beginner educators leave the profession within the first three years following their appointment. The security of educators, and especially that of the beginner educator is threatened from many angles. Beginner educators experience this threat very intensely and this weakened feeling of security they experience, has important implications for their role as educators. There are, however, many legal determinants that protect educator security and oppose each threat directly. This research falls within the field of Education Law and the security of beginner-educators is studied from this angle. The study focuses on the protection of security as offered by law determinants and the real experience of threats by beginner educators. In the research, law determinants such as the Constitution, education law, labour law and case law, as protectors of security, were studied. Using a qualitative study the experience and perceptions of a selection of participants was analysed. The participants, from different types of schools in a certain geographical area, were identified. During the analysis two aspects emerged that influence security. The first aspect is the beginner educator‟s lack of knowledge of the mechanisms that protect security and the second aspect was beginner educators‟ real experience of threats. Beginner educators‟ lack of security is the result of their lack of knowledge of the mechanisms that protect security. The findings of this research propose that more emphasis is placed on the legal aspects concerning the protection of security of educators during their training and that beginner educators are empowered to face threats of security and overcome it. / MEd (Education Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Many beginner educators leave the profession within the first three years following their appointment. The security of educators, and especially that of the beginner educator is threatened from many angles. Beginner educators experience this threat very intensely and this weakened feeling of security they experience, has important implications for their role as educators. There are, however, many legal determinants that protect educator security and oppose each threat directly. This research falls within the field of Education Law and the security of beginner-educators is studied from this angle. The study focuses on the protection of security as offered by law determinants and the real experience of threats by beginner educators. In the research, law determinants such as the Constitution, education law, labour law and case law, as protectors of security, were studied. Using a qualitative study the experience and perceptions of a selection of participants was analysed. The participants, from different types of schools in a certain geographical area, were identified. During the analysis two aspects emerged that influence security. The first aspect is the beginner educator‟s lack of knowledge of the mechanisms that protect security and the second aspect was beginner educators‟ real experience of threats. Beginner educators‟ lack of security is the result of their lack of knowledge of the mechanisms that protect security. The findings of this research propose that more emphasis is placed on the legal aspects concerning the protection of security of educators during their training and that beginner educators are empowered to face threats of security and overcome it. / MEd (Education Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This study analyzed the effects of restricting the response space and selfevaluation on students' handwriting quality in two beginning handwriters and two experienced handwriters. Students executed letters with and without using a transparent overlay, in a multiple-baseline-across-letters design. The use of the transparent overlay included drawing letters in a space restricted by the transparency; overlaying a model letter on top of the written letter and; evaluating if the two letters matched. Letter quality immediately improved when overlays were used, and handwriting quality maintained when the writing response was not restricted by the overlay transparency. Prompting and feedback were delivered contingent on on-task behavior. Analysis was based on three different measurement systems.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of achieving reliability of administrative judgment in the selection of beginning teachers. This study has a threefold purpose. The first is to determine the type and extent of investigation necessary to achieve reliability of judgment in the ratings of teacher applicants. The second is to investigate the feasibility of a Regional Education Service Center's providing personnel selection services to independent school districts. The final purpose is to develop recommendations relating to reliability in teacher selection.