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This theoretical thesis investigates the effects of communicative constraints within a second language (L2) classroom with the purpose of developing ways of exploiting and modifying these constraints to improve L2 learning. This investigation incorporates the identification of hierarchical structures, teaching and learning practices which constrain L2 learning within the classroom. The hierarchical structures of institutional power relations and the authority of the teacher guide set goals and assessment. However, L2 learners may have different expectations to those of their teachers. Therefore, in the presentation of an understanding of classroom genre, this thesis analyses the inherent logic or common fallacies of thinking and practice within L2 classrooms and further, the individual experience which each L2 learner brings to the classroom situation. This thesis examines classroom constraints which prevent L2 learners from developing an appropriate range of experiences to enable them to participate in authentic social interaction. Cultural, linguistic and educational disciplinary views are engaged in the description of these substantive problems. L2 learners invariably experience difficulties in communication when they interact socially within their L2 culture, outside the classroom. Learners often lack the experience to express self-purpose within cultural genres because previous classroom learning may have been based upon situation-specific and context-determined patterns of communication and practice. Such patterns and practices are an inherent part of the classroom because the classroom is a specific genre itself and consequently classroom talk is very different from talk in other places. This thesis develops alternative hypotheses which incorporate critical findings pertaining to L2 classroom practices. Further, a project for realistic solutions to L2 learning is offered. These solutions have been developed from the recognition that learning a L2 in a classroom-based situation is a process which lacks the diversity of everyday societal life.

The principal contribution of the study is a conceptual account of classroom activities in school science, which incorporates both ethical and conventional science understandings within a single conceptual framework. In order to illustrate and explore the strengths and limitations of the conceptual framework developed, an exploratory case study involving 7 science classes was conducted at 2 schools. The 'classroom practices and understandings' conceptual framework presents a novel approach for understanding activities of students and teachers in the science classroom. According to this framework 'understanding' is a grasp of inferential connections as part of either practical or cognitive types of activity, whereas a 'practice' is a set of activities organized by understandings, rules and characteristic aims, emotions, and projects. On this basis the grounds for a given understanding are described in terms of a unifying structure for both ethical and science understandings. In both cases 'authority in understanding' refers to the specific sources of authority for a given understanding, which may include authoritative individuals in addition to more conventional grounds such as reasons or evidence. Finally, 'richness' of understanding refers to the quality of such connections to sources of authority in understanding, and is thus is a measure of the strength of understanding generally. Classroom lessons developed for the exploratory case study focused on ethical questions of sustainability. These were implemented in the science classroom at two research sites, with the researcher acting as guest teacher. One site focused on study of ecology in grade 11; the other site focused on study of genetics in grade 10. At both sites student interviews were conducted to supplement the findings of the classroom-teaching component. The findings support the integrity of the conceptual framework, while highlighting significant challenges for seeking to make explicit the sources of authority in science students' ethical understandings. Building from the conceptual framework and cases studies, a number of further directions for empirical and theoretical research are suggested.

The principal contribution of the study is a conceptual account of classroom activities in school science, which incorporates both ethical and conventional science understandings within a single conceptual framework. In order to illustrate and explore the strengths and limitations of the conceptual framework developed, an exploratory case study involving 7 science classes was conducted at 2 schools. The 'classroom practices and understandings' conceptual framework presents a novel approach for understanding activities of students and teachers in the science classroom. According to this framework 'understanding' is a grasp of inferential connections as part of either practical or cognitive types of activity, whereas a 'practice' is a set of activities organized by understandings, rules and characteristic aims, emotions, and projects. On this basis the grounds for a given understanding are described in terms of a unifying structure for both ethical and science understandings. In both cases 'authority in understanding' refers to the specific sources of authority for a given understanding, which may include authoritative individuals in addition to more conventional grounds such as reasons or evidence. Finally, 'richness' of understanding refers to the quality of such connections to sources of authority in understanding, and is thus is a measure of the strength of understanding generally. Classroom lessons developed for the exploratory case study focused on ethical questions of sustainability. These were implemented in the science classroom at two research sites, with the researcher acting as guest teacher. One site focused on study of ecology in grade 11; the other site focused on study of genetics in grade 10. At both sites student interviews were conducted to supplement the findings of the classroom-teaching component. The findings support the integrity of the conceptual framework, while highlighting significant challenges for seeking to make explicit the sources of authority in science students' ethical understandings. Building from the conceptual framework and cases studies, a number of further directions for empirical and theoretical research are suggested.

The principal contribution of the study is a conceptual account of classroom activities in school science, which incorporates both ethical and conventional science understandings within a single conceptual framework. In order to illustrate and explore the strengths and limitations of the conceptual framework developed, an exploratory case study involving 7 science classes was conducted at 2 schools. The 'classroom practices and understandings' conceptual framework presents a novel approach for understanding activities of students and teachers in the science classroom. According to this framework 'understanding' is a grasp of inferential connections as part of either practical or cognitive types of activity, whereas a 'practice' is a set of activities organized by understandings, rules and characteristic aims, emotions, and projects. On this basis the grounds for a given understanding are described in terms of a unifying structure for both ethical and science understandings. In both cases 'authority in understanding' refers to the specific sources of authority for a given understanding, which may include authoritative individuals in addition to more conventional grounds such as reasons or evidence. Finally, 'richness' of understanding refers to the quality of such connections to sources of authority in understanding, and is thus is a measure of the strength of understanding generally. Classroom lessons developed for the exploratory case study focused on ethical questions of sustainability. These were implemented in the science classroom at two research sites, with the researcher acting as guest teacher. One site focused on study of ecology in grade 11; the other site focused on study of genetics in grade 10. At both sites student interviews were conducted to supplement the findings of the classroom-teaching component. The findings support the integrity of the conceptual framework, while highlighting significant challenges for seeking to make explicit the sources of authority in science students' ethical understandings. Building from the conceptual framework and cases studies, a number of further directions for empirical and theoretical research are suggested. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

In this study the mixed methods research design was used to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of secondary school science teachers in the implementation of the new Swaziland Junior Secondary Science Curriculum (SJSSC). The interactions between the teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and classroom practices were also investigated. A total of 37 Form-1 Science teachers from 20 purposively selected schools in the Manzini region of Swaziland participated in the study. The 20 schools were located in urban, peri-urban and rural settings. The teachers responded to a survey questionnaire and a few selected teachers were interviewed and then observed teaching the new curriculum in their classrooms. The data for the study were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The findings for the study showed that teachers generally have good basic knowledge of the curriculum. A majority hold positive attitudes towards it. However, the classroom practices for almost all the teachers are inconsistent with the requirements and demands of the curriculum. Generally, the teachers’ knowledge was not transferred to their classroom practices largely because factors such as inadequate school physical resources, large class sizes, and traditional teaching methods appeared to still influence the classroom practices and mediate the relationship between the teachers’ knowledge and their classroom practices. / Dissertation (MEd (Curriculum and Instructional Design and Development))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

The connection between teacher practices and efficacy beliefs and the connection between teacher practices and professional development has been explored empirically (Allinder, 1994; Boardman & Woodruff, 2004; Cohen & Hill, 2001). However, there is a need to examine how mentoring and professional development opportunities for novice teachers function in relation to their efficacy beliefs and teaching practices. This study contributes to the novice teacher literature by examining the interrelations among these constructs. Data for this study were collected from 81 first-year teachers across seven school districts. Data were collected during the fall, winter, and spring using a classroom observation rubric, interviews, and a survey measure. Data were analyzed to look for relationships among teachers' perceptions of their mentoring and professional development experiences, actual classroom practices, and their efficacy beliefs. Results indicated considerable differences in mentoring for teachers in K-2, 3-5, and 6-8; they also indicated grade-level trends on the focus of professional development activities. Findings suggest the stability of teacher efficacy beliefs across the school year. For some districts, there appeared to be a relationship between efficacy scores and the frequency with which teachers reported meeting with their mentors. Lastly, findings suggest that mentors and professional development play important roles at the beginning of the school year. Results also suggest a relationship between teaching practices at the beginning of the school year and efficacy beliefs at the end of the school year for some teachers and districts.

The Classroom Practice Inventory (CPI) was developed as a tool to provide descriptive information about the practices used in classrooms to address the developmental needs of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data from a multi-site study examining the outcomes for preschool students with ASD served in three types of classroom models indicate that the CPI produces reliable and valid assessments of practices used in classrooms. Items on the CPI can be used to discriminate among classroom models and can be used to provide descriptive information about classrooms following a prescribed comprehensive treatment model as well as those providing an eclectic model of services. Implications for the future use of the CPI are discussed.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand and describe the sources of Nicaraguan EFL teacher educators’ knowledge base, the types of knowledge and skills that constructed their knowledge base, and the relationship of this knowledge base and classroom practices in a teacher education program at a Nicaraguan University. This study presents a literature review on the sources of knowledge and knowledge base of EFL teacher educators in the field of language teacher education. I used a purposeful sampling technique to select both the research site and the six EFL teacher educators who participated as research participants in this study. Data were collected from three sources: a curriculum analysis, six one-shot semi-structured interviews, and a document analysis to lesson plans, syllabi, and assessment instruments used by the research participants. To analyze the data collected, I used the qualitative data analysis model proposed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014). As a mode of findings, I describe the sources of knowledge, a categorization of knowledge base and skills that Nicaraguan EFL teacher educators possess as well as the relationship they identified between their knowledge base and their teaching practices in EFL teacher education classrooms. Findings revealed that Nicaraguan EFL teacher educators possess sixteen types of knowledge and fourteen types of skills that resulted from eight sources of knowledge, among which English proficiency, own experiences as language learners, subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, teaching experience in EFL teacher education programs, assessment knowledge of language student teachers, and knowledge of students’ L1 seem to be the most important when it has to do with actual teaching in language teacher education classrooms. In addition, according to the findings, the process of becoming an EFL teacher educator may take many years. It begins with the professional coursework teacher educators take in their language teacher education programs where they first become English teachers. It continues with teaching experiences either in high schools, English teaching centers, or universities. Their professional knowledge as teacher educators is completed through the interaction with EFL preservice student teachers in teacher education classrooms, in which their previous pedagogical, linguistic, and teaching experiences as EFL teachers is transformed. In other words, their professional identity as EFL teacher educators is developed as they begin teaching in EFL teacher education programs. Pursuing this further, this study presents some pedagogical implications based on the findings that can help improve the quality and preparation of EFL teacher educators in Nicaragua. Finally, it offers some avenues for more research regarding the knowledge base of EFL teacher educators in Nicaraguan teacher education programs.

Research investigating faculty and instructors’ perception of teaching in discipline oriented fields such as biology, chemistry and physics suggest that faculty hold diverse <br>conceptions about teaching and learning. This study extended this work to a discipline at the interface between traditional physical science and life science fields, upper-level biochemistry courses. It also compared instructors’ perception, beliefs and actions when teaching biochemistry at research institutions with courses taught at primarily <br>undergraduate institutions (PUI’s). In a recently completed review of discipline-based educational research (DBER) in <br>biochemistry, I noted the absence of research regarding the relationship between faculty beliefs and classroom practices in biochemistry and noted that different levels, associated <br>with teaching and learning experiences, have not been studied in the context of the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. As a scientific field, biochemistry bridges chemistry and biology, which each have a consensus regarding the major concepts or ideas that should <br>be taught within their disciplines. However, biochemistry, despite its increased relevance in recent years, has achieved hardly any consensus among those who teach this content material on what should be taught or how instructors should teach it. Biochemistry is also a rapidly growing field with increased relevance that is being taught as a unique discipline in more and more institutions. Another unique feature that distinguishes biochemistry from other scientific fields is that it is inherently interdisciplinary and taught in different departments, often for a versatile population of various majors and minors. Further research suggests that we overgeneralize conclusions on factors influencing teaching practices within classrooms, which could possible prevent the advancement of teaching methodologies used by instructors. To explore this research interest, classroom <br>observations and semi-structured interviews were used. <br>Within the scope of this study, I identified two main ways biochemistry instructors thought about their teaching of biochemistry: theory versus practice-oriented. The more <br>theory-driven instructors reflected on their beliefs and perceptions, the more traditional their teaching practices were executed – the contrary held true for instructors with a more practical conception of the teaching of biochemistry. Overall, I was able to portray a multitude of ways in which biochemistry is currently being taught at different institutions, <br>identifying differences and communalities they shared. As well as the unique challenges instructors faced when implementing evidence-based teaching methodologies in their classrooms were identified and categorized. My research should improve the understanding of factors, barriers, and possible opportunities that various scientific <br>disciplines face to inform the development of professional programs that can encourage the use and implementation of evidence-based instructional practices.