This thesis is an investigation into the exercise of autonomy in the practice of collaborative, project-based classrooms. The investigation set out to answer two research questions: What are the forms of autonomy expected of students in project-based classes?, and What are the factors that mediate the employment of autonomy in these classes? The investigation gathered qualitative data from students and teachers of four project-based, computer-assisted courses in four language departments at The University of Melbourne. The study was carried out in two stages, over two years. In all, a total of ten 14-week classes run by four teachers were investigated, containing a total of 136 students. The first year (stage one of the investigation) focussed on teacher practice and course syllabi, and addressed the first research question. The second year (stage two), focussed on student practice and addressed the second research question.

Submitted by Valquíria Barbieri (kikibarbi@hotmail.com) on 2017-06-01T19:55:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Izilene Leandro da Silva.pdf: 4633232 bytes, checksum: 51c1cda27158afcd18558e73d999a48f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Jordan (jordanbiblio@gmail.com) on 2017-06-07T13:35:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Izilene Leandro da Silva.pdf: 4633232 bytes, checksum: 51c1cda27158afcd18558e73d999a48f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-07T13:35:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Izilene Leandro da Silva.pdf: 4633232 bytes, checksum: 51c1cda27158afcd18558e73d999a48f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-28 / Estudos que descrevem o que professores de escola pública fazem ou estão fazendo em sala de aula, do ponto de vista dos próprios professores, ainda são pouco explorados na área de ensino e aprendizagem de língua estrangeira em contextos brasileiros. Esta dissertação teve como objetivo relatar e refletir sobre a minha prática como professora de inglês durante a realização de um curso extracurricular denominado Learning with Life, realizado no âmbito da escola pública para alunos do ensino médio. O curso elaborado e desenvolvido buscou aproveitar o conhecimento de inglês de dois alunos investidos no papel de monitores para auxiliar a professora durante o planejamento e desenvolvimento das aulas, bem como trabalhar com a oralidade para melhorar a comunicação na língua inglesa, por ser esse um dos aspectos mais negligenciados na escola. Dois pressupostos teóricos propiciaram o ímpeto para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa: o conceito de “fundos de conhecimento” de González, Moll e Amanti (2009) e o princípio da escuta do aluno na perspectiva freireana (FREIRE, 2002). Três perguntas orientaram esta pesquisa de natureza etnográfica em que os instrumentos principais foram a observação participante e entrevistas semiestruturadas: O que os atores (professora e alunos) do curso Learning with Life fazem no espaço da sala de aula? O que esses acontecimentos significam para os atores (professora e alunos) neles engajados? Como o conceito de “fundos de conhecimento” pode ser explorado para transformar a relação entre professores e alunos de língua inglesa? Os resultados mostraram que a prática da sala de aula se distanciou do objetivo do curso que pretendia conectar as aulas com o universo do aluno. As atividades desenvolvidas pouco exploraram temas presentes no mundo real dos alunos visando a produção de significados, ao contrário, enfatizaram a oralidade por meio da repetição excessiva de palavras e explicação de itens gramaticais. Contudo, no tocante à interação e ao relacionamento entre os atores, observou-se um vínculo de cumplicidade, comprometimento e confiança engajando-os nas ações, atividades e tarefas que eram convidados a desempenhar. / Studies that describe what public school teachers do or are doing in the classroom from the point of view of the actual teachers are still scarcely explored in the area of teaching and learning of foreign language in the Brazilian context. This dissertation has as an objective to relate and reflect about my experience as a teacher of English during an extracurricular course titled Learning with Life at a secondary public school. The course as elaborated and developed tried to take advantage of the knowledge of English of two students in the role of monitors to assist the teacher during planning and development of the class as well as working with the orality to improve communication in English as this has been one of the aspects most neglected at the school. Two theoretic assumptions provided the impetus for the development of the research: the concept of knowledge of funds of González, Moll e Amanti (2009) and the principle of listening to the student in Freire's perspective (FREIRE, 2002). Three questions oriented this ethnographic research in that the principal instruments were participant observation and semi-structured interviews: What did the actors (teachers and students) of the course Learning with Life do in the space of the classroom? What do these events mean for the actors engaged with them? How can the concept of funds of knowledge be explored to transform the relation between teacher and students of English? The results showed that the classroom practice distanced itself from the objective of the course that planned to connect the classroom with the universe of the students. The developed activities barely explored themes present in the real world of the students aimed at production of meanings. To the contrary, these activities emphasized excessive repetition of words and explanations of grammatical items. However, regarding the interaction and relationship between the actors, there was observed a bond of mutual understanding, trust and commitment engaging them in actions, activities and tasks that were invited to play.

Submitted by Valquíria Barbieri (kikibarbi@hotmail.com) on 2017-06-08T21:31:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Maria de Fatima Comini da Silva.pdf: 1814093 bytes, checksum: 32ec9022812bebc17a2e8cae89fc1f76 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Jordan (jordanbiblio@gmail.com) on 2017-06-09T14:48:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Maria de Fatima Comini da Silva.pdf: 1814093 bytes, checksum: 32ec9022812bebc17a2e8cae89fc1f76 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-09T14:48:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Maria de Fatima Comini da Silva.pdf: 1814093 bytes, checksum: 32ec9022812bebc17a2e8cae89fc1f76 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-30 / Não é de hoje que professores e pesquisadores têm apontado desvantagens e deficiências a assombrar o ensino de inglês na escola de ensino regular, geralmente, contrastando-o com as vantagens e eficiências da renomada escola de idioma. Contudo, se a própria escola pública esquecer o cenário idealizado da escola de idioma e pensar o ensino de um outro lugar, outros modos de pensar poderiam abrir novas possibilidades. O objetivo principal deste estudo etnográfico está embasado em dois conceitos – fundos de conhecimento (GONZÁLEZ; MOLL; AMANTI, 2009) e princípio freireano da escuta (FREIRE,1996,1997) –, que destacam a valorização da cultura do aluno, ambos, portanto, são conceitos poderosos para se afastar da teoria do déficit, que só aponta deficiências estruturais e humanas. Para tal, o estudo busca conhecer de modo contextual a prática rotineira da sala de aula de uma professora de inglês, que também assume o papel de pesquisadora, a fim de avaliar se o trabalho desenvolvido com seus alunos está afinado com a pedagogia culturalmente sensível e inclusiva. Os atores da pesquisa são alunos do 2º ano do Ensino Médio Integrado de uma escola pública central de Cuiabá, oriundos de nove comunidades diferentes e a professora-pesquisadora. Por meio de observação participante e entrevistas semi-estruturadas, busca entender o que os atores – professora e alunos – fazem no espaço da sala de aulas e como eles atribuem sentido a esses eventos. São três as perguntas que orientam a pesquisa: O que os atores (professora e alunos) fazem em sala de aula? Como os atores (professora e alunos) atribuem sentidos aos eventos que acontecem em sala de aula? As práticas culturais da turma acolhem a escuta dos alunos? Por um lado, os resultados do estudo mostraram que os recursos dos alunos podem ser mais explorados a fim de ampliar o empoderamento do estudante sobre seu próprio aprendizado. Por outro, mostraram que a oralidade e o uso de inglês foram enfatizados na sala de aula e, além disso, a aceitação de tópicos dos alunos pela professora são aspectos que fazem parte da prática da turma e podem ser interpretados como índices de acolhimento à escuta dos alunos. / Not only now have teachers and researchers pointed out the disadvantages and deficiencies that haunt the teaching of English in a general education school as opposed with the advantages and efficiencies of the renowned language schools. All in all if the public school itself forgets the idealized setting of the language school and thinks of teaching in another place, other ways of thinking can open new possibilities. The principal objective of this ethnographic study is grounded in two concepts – funds of knowledge (GONZÁLEZ; MOLL; AMANTI, 2009) and Freirean principle of listening (FREIRE,1996,1997) that emphasize the acceptance of students’ culture. Both, therefore, are powerful concepts that dispel the theory of deficits that only points out structural and human deficiencies. For this, the study attempts to know in a contextual way the routine practice of the classroom of an English teacher that also assumes the role of researcher, in order to assess if the work developed with the students is in tune with culturally sensitive and inclusive pedagogy. The actors of this research are second year students of a secondary public school in Cuiaba coming from nine different communities and a researcher-teacher. Using participant observation and semi-structured interviews, this study attempts to understand what the actors – teachers and students – do in the space of the classroom and how they attribute meaning to these events. There are three questions that orient the research: What do the actors do in the classroom? How do the actors attribute meaning to the events that happen in the classroom? Do the cultural practices of the class encourage listening of the students? On one hand, the results of the study showed that the students’ resources could be more explored in order to empower the student with his own learning. On the other hand, orality and the use of English were emphasized in the classroom and, moreover, the acceptance of students’ topics by the teacher are aspects that make part of the practice of the class and can be interpreted as indication of the receptiveness of listening to the students.

Syftet med detta självständiga arbete är att se hur fyra lärare anser sig arbeta med digitala verktyg i praktiken, samt deras åsikter kring dessa. Vi tolkade och bearbetade data genom att använda oss av semistrukturerade intervjuer, samt ramverket Structuring Features of Classroom Practice. Ramverket delar in data i fem kategorier, som sedan tolkas till ett resultat. Resultaten visar att lärarna anser sig arbeta med digitala verktyg på olika sätt, alla berättade att de använder verktygen som presentationsverktyg och för att få en varierad undervisning. Lärarna framförde att de ser digitala verktyg på ett positivt sätt, men uttryckte också att verktygen har brister. Våra slutsatser i arbetet är att (1) lärarna anser att deras arbete blivit mer effektivt med digitala verktyg. (2) lärarna anser att det är enklare att anpassa, individualisera och hitta mer uppgifter med digitala verktyg. En av de brister samtliga lärare påtalade, var att de inte har tillräckligt antal av de digitala verktygen. Lärarna tar dock även upp brist på hårdvara som ett problem. Bristen på hårdvara gör att det blir svårare att använda de digitala verktygen och gör att arbetet inte är lika flexibelt och anpassningsbart.

Magister Educationis - MEd / This mini thesis analyses and describes the implementation of the National Curriculum in the Foundation Phase of the primary school. On the 24th of May 1997 South Africa launched a new curriculum, Curriculum 2005 (C2005). The underlying philosophy of C2005 is Outcomes Based Education (OBE). Since the adoption of OBE and the introduction of C2005 many changes have been introduced in our schools with a new curriculum that had to be implemented hastily, which was reviewed and again introduced as the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS).Teachers had little say in any of these changes and this has resulted in frustration and in many cases a lack of ability to cope with the implementation of the new curriculum.I argue that teachers do not have a common understanding of the Assessment Standards and that they still need support with linking the theory of curriculum policy to their practices and with a sound application of Integration and Progression. This research is an enquiry into the process of curriculum implementation in particular in the Foundation Phase which was tasked to be the first to adopt the changes. Change was not sustained and I highlight some of the challenges that teachers still face.A significant part of the research is the participatory action research process which is a deliberate, solution-oriented investigation into the implementation of the RNCS in the Foundation Phase to inform and change my understanding of the actual support teachers need.The study is characterized by a cycle of problem identification, planning, systemic data collection, reflection, analysis and action. With the research I am striving to understand teachers’ practices in order to improve my work as Education Specialist that supports and develops teachers in primary schools.

Thesis (M.Ed.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study investigated how educators apply democratic principles and values in their practice after two decades of democracy in South Africa. It dwells on how democratic principles and values are infused into teaching, learning and assessment in the classroom. The study followed an interpretive paradigm using the qualitative approach through a descriptive case study design. Data collection methods used included semi structured interviews, focus group interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. Purposive sampling was used with focus on Grade 10-12 educators and learners from two secondary schools in Mogoshi Circuit of Limpopo Province of South Africa. The theoretical frameworks of the study drew from the Child-Friendly Schools and Social Reconstructionism approach. Emphasis is on the upholding of children‟s rights, and the, re-dress of educational imbalances. The frameworks also recommend the promotion and integration of democratic principles and values in schools. The study concludes that educators do incorporate democratic principles and values in their teaching, learning and assessment with the promotion of attributes such as participation (dialogue), respect, equity and inclusion which impact greatly on learners‟ daily lives. However, it is not without fault that certain activities which are not child-friendly are still practised by some educators in some schools as they do not promote democratic principles and values, while some educators do. It was found that democratic principles and values are embedded in schools. However, not all educators are doing this. The study recommends further investigation on the implementation of democratic principles and values for reflection and improvement. / EDTP SETA

This paper draws on data gathered from a large-scale, multi-year research project, Curriculum Implementation in Intermediate Mathematics (CIIM), that examines the implementation of a reform (inquiry-oriented) mathematics curriculum in Grades 7 – 10 in Ontario, Canada. To describe classroom practices and ways that teachers have been challenged and supported in implementing an inquiry-oriented approach, the data included teacher questionnaires (n =1096), focus group interviews with mathematics educators across the province, and nine case studies. While some of our data align with the research of others who show that teacher change is complex and inquiry-oriented pedagogies are slow to emerge (Frykholm, 1999; Jacobs, Hiebert, Givven, Hollingsworth, Garnier, & Wearne, 2006), we also have evidence of teachers engaged in a variety of classroom practices that involve students in inquiry-oriented mathematics learning.

本研究旨在探討三位國小英語教師的專業知識及其課堂教學，並分析影響其知識及教學的因素。透過個案研究的方式，本研究呈現了國小英語教師的課堂教學，其中探討了其教學如何受教學專業知識的影響並探索了形成教學專業知識的來源。 本研究採取質性的研究方法，研究過程採取訪談，教學觀察，文件分析等主要資料蒐集來源，為期約兩個月。資料的涵蓋層面包括：(1)班級經營 (2) 課程教學 (3) 形成知識的來源。經由這些資料，本研究討論了三位教師專業知識的異同：(1) 各個教師對自己的教學觀點如何 (2) 各個教師如何受其工作場域的影響 (3)各個教師的知識來源如何形成。 本研究根據以上議題的討論結果，進一步提供相關建議，以期能作為英語師資培育人員，英語教師及未來研究的參考。 / The purpose of the study was to investigate the professional knowledge and its influence on classroom practices of elementary school English teachers. Cross cases analysis was conducted to examine the differences and similarities of three subject teachers concerning their professional knowledge, classroom practices and derived sources of knowledge. Qualitative approach was adopted to look into the professional knowledge of three elementary school English teachers in Taipei. The data was collected through interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. In this study, the knowledge of three teachers was presented in the following areas: (1) classroom management, (2) enactment of curriculum (3) sources of teacher’s knowledge. Based on the above information, this study discussed the qualitative differences of knowledge of three teachers under two dimensions: (1) how the teachers perceived their teaching (2) how the teachers responded to their working contexts. As for sources of teacher’s knowledge, three factors were discussed: (1) learning experiences (2) teaching experiences (3) contextual factors. Finally, pedagogical implications and suggestions based on the study results are presented mainly for teacher educators and English teachers.

Student Number : 0317854T - MEd research report - School of Education - Faculty of Humanities / School effectiveness and school improvement research is a worldwide phenomenon that has inspired a great deal of literature. This report examines teachers’ perceptions of a teacher-led curriculum development initiative currently effective in independent schools in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, and it describes strategies for implementation for interested schools. It is a programme that focuses school improvement back into the classroom, with teachers leading the changes at their site of practice. The Gauteng Independent Schools Curriculum Development Initiative (GISCDI) is a teacher-led initiative. Qualitative research generates an understanding of how the mechanisms of this initiative impact on the lives of teachers and students. It provides detailed explanations of teachers’ perceptions of change in actual classroom practices, pedagogy and curriculum implementation by entering into conversations with selected participants. It considers the changes in light of reflective practice, after involvement in the GISCDI. The report accesses the different methodologies the teachers implemented in their classrooms, after the teacher-led interventions were presented to them. It also considers the concepts of teacher leadership, trust, distributed leadership and collegiality as being the core elements to initiating, implementing and sustaining change in practice, to benefit student learning and improving schools.

Notre recherche étudie la pratique des professeurs des écoles débutants à partir d'une approche par la description de leur vécu, de leur point de vue, c'est-à-dire en première personne. La méthode de recueil des données choisie est l'entretien d'explicitation de Vermersch, dans le but de mieux comprendre comment se construit le « je » professionnel chez les professeurs des écoles débutants. Cet accompagnement amène la personne interviewée à recontacter, au plus près, son vécu passé. Les verbalisations ainsi recueillies concernent, selon notre choix, des descriptions de situations de classe. À partir de l'analyse de ces données, nous avons mis en évidence des gestes professionnels d'ajustement (Jorro) des professeurs des écoles débutantes qui sont le résultat de prises d'information/prises de décision très brèves en situation. Les principaux indices qui attirent l'attention des professeurs des écoles débutantes sont relatifs aux élèves : leurs mouvements, leurs paroles, leur expressivité (le regard, l'absence de réaction, les sourires, etc.). Nous avons mis en évidence des compétences émergentes chez les professeurs des écoles débutantes, qui relèvent de compétences transversales. Pour nous, une compétence émergente est un savoir-faire professionnel mû par une intention, un sous-but, qui est en cours de construction chez le professeurs des écoles, qui, souvent n'est pas encore conscientisé, mais qui est présent dans la description en première personne d'un vécu de classe. Ces savoir-faire appartiennent au préréfléchi de l'action et vont donner lieu à des prises de conscience par le processus cognitif de réfléchissement. Les compétences émergentes que nous avons pu identifier sont au nombre de quatre : faire verbaliser les élèves, favoriser les interactions entre les élèves, écouter et prendre en compte la parole des élèves, utiliser son corps et son positionnement dans la classe. Deux catégories de compétences émergentes se dégagent : l'importance du corps de l'enseignant par les professeurs des écoles débutantes, d'une part, et l'importance de la prise en compte de la parole des élèves, d'autre part. Ces deux objets de prise de conscience semblent fondamentaux dans la conduite de la classe, pour instaurer un climat de confiance et pour assurer une relation pédagogique propice à l'apprentissage des élèves. Notre recherche met en évidence des compétences conscientisées par les professeurs des écoles débutantes. Elles sont déjà présentes à la conscience des professeurs des écoles débutantes interviewées, ou ont fait l'objet d'une prise de conscience au cours de notre recherche. Elles sont constituées de ce que la professeurs des écoles sait qu'elle sait faire. Ces compétences conscientisées font partie des gestes professionnels (Jorro). Ces gestes professionnels contiennent les savoir-faire historiques du métier et intègrent des compétences que le professionnel ajuste selon ses perceptions et les relations inter-subjectives, en situation. Nous avons montré que les compétences émergentes et les compétences conscientisées, constituant des gestes professionnels, étaient sous-tendues par des valeurs pour les professeurs des écoles débutantes de notre corpus. Ces valeurs sont : créer un climat de confiance dans la classe, de donner confiance en eux aux élèves, d'aider les élèves en difficulté et de rendre les élèves autonomes. Ces valeurs sous-jacentes sont incarnées par les professeurs des écoles débutantes à travers une posture d'écoute et de respect des élèves, sachant manier aussi l'humour, une posture d'accompagnement des élèves (dans le sens d'être « à côté », de « rassurer » et d'« encourager »). Ces valeurs représentent les deux piliers du « je » professionnel en construction chez les professeurs des écoles débutantes : l'importance de la relation aux élèves et l'importance du lâcher-prise. Nous formulons l'hypothèse que ce « je » professionnel évolue tout au long de la carrière des professeurs des écoles. / Our research studies the practice of the primary school teachers beginners starting from an approach by description from their real-life experience, their point of view, i.e. in first person. The selected method of collection of the data is the elicitation interview method of Vermersch, with an aim of better understanding how the professional “I” of the primary school teachers beginners in construction. This accompaniment brings the person interviewed to recontact, with close, its past real life experience. The entries of charge thus collected concern, according to our choice, descriptions of situations of class. Starting from the analysis of these data, we highlighted professional gestures of adjustment (Jorro) of the primary school teachers beginners which are the result of acquisitions of information and very short decision makings in situation. The principal indices which draw the attention of the primary school teachers beginners are relating to the pupils: their movements, their words, their expressivity (the glance, the absence of reaction, smiles, etc.). We highlighted emergent competences of the primary school teachers beginners, which concern transverse competences. For us, an emergent competence is a professional know-how drived by an intention, a under-goal, which is in construction at the primary school teachers beginners, which, often is not conscientized yet, but which is present in description in first person of the real life experience on class. This know-how belongs to the given cognitive process of the action and will cause awakenings by the cognitive process of reflecting. Emergent competences that we could identify are four : to make the pupils to verbalize, support the interactions between the pupils, to listen to and to take into account the word of the pupils, to use teacher's body and its positioning in the classroom. Two categories of emergent competences appear: importance of the body of the teacher by the primary school teachers beginners, on the one hand, and the importance of the taking into account of the word of the pupils, on the other hand. These two objects of awakening seem fundamental in the control of the class, to found a climate of trust and to ensure a teaching relation favourable with the training of the pupils. Our research highlights the competences conscientized by the beginners primary school teachers. They are already present at the conscience of the primary school interviewed teachers, or were the object of an awakening during our research. They consist of what the primary school teachers beginners know that they can do. These conscientized competences are part of the professional gestures (Jorro). These occupational gestures contain historical know-how of the trade and integrate competences which the professional adjusts according to his perceptions and the intersubjective relations, in situation. We showed that emergent competences and conscientized competences, constituting professional gestures, were underlain by values for the primary school teachers beginners of our corpus. These values are : to create a climate of trust in the class, to give confidence in them to the pupils, to help the pupils in difficulty and to make the pupils autonomous. These subjacent values are incarnated by the primary school teachers beginners through a posture of listening and respect of the pupils, knowing to also handle humour, a posture of accompaniment of the pupils (in the direction to be “at side”, “to reassure” and “to encourage”). These values represent the two pillars of the professional “I” in construction of the primary school teachers beginners: importance of the relation to the pupils and importance of the release-catch. We formulate the assumption that this “I” professional evolves throughout the career of the primary school teachers.