I denna studie har vi varit intresserade av att undersöka frågan om den digitaliserade läs- och skrivundervisningen utifrån ett lärarperspektiv. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka olika faktorer som kan påverka lärares inställning till ASL-metoden. Vi har särskilt intresserat oss för frågan om lärares digitala kompetens som en betydande faktor. Vi har valt att genomföra en enkätundersökning riktad till lärare som använder ASL-metoden i sin undervisning, för att försöka besvara frågan om vilka faktorer som kan tyckas ha påverkan på deras inställning till ASL-metoden. Det var 22 lärare som svarade på vår enkät och vi har sammanställt och analyserat enkätsvaren både med hjälp av kvantitativ och kvalitativ metod. Vi har även använt TPACK-modellen i vissa delar av vår analys. Med hjälp av TPACK-modellen har vi kunnat synliggöra olika komponenter, vilka tillsammans utgör de kunskaper som anses viktiga för att lärare ska kunna integrera digitala verktyg i sin undervisning, på ett sätt som främjar elevernas lärande. I vår analys kunde vi se att för de lärare som besvarat vår enkät så verkade inte digital kompetens ha en särskilt betydande roll i förhållande till deras inställning till ASL-metoden. Vi såg även att lärarna överlag hade en positiv inställning till metoden och att de såg betydligt fler möjligheter än hinder i arbetet med metoden. De vanligaste hindren som de såg var av teknisk karaktär till exempel nätverksproblem, men även att eleverna inte fick öva sin motorik och handstil. De slutsatser som vi presenterar är bland annat att en faktor som verkar vara av särskild betydelse för lärarnas positiva inställning till ASL-metoden är deras tilltro till de fördelar som kommer med att använda digitala verktyg i undervisningen.

The aim of this qualitative study is to examine how teachers comprehend and interpret the subject of Religious Studies in Sweden; and how these interpretations manifest themselves practically in their teachings. The theoretical framework of the subject Religious Studies can be perceived and interpreted in different ways. This interpretation, as well as its practical implementation, is a process that is largely determined by a teacher’s knowledge of: pedagogical content knowledge, subject matter knowledge and curricular knowledge. The examination is based on eight semi-struc-tured interviews with Religious Studies teachers. Perceptions and methods were explored with each of them, the output of which has been analysed and themed. The result of the study clearly demonstrated that the main purpose of Religious Studies teaching was to increase the acceptance and tolerance of its students. It also revealed that due to the breadth and complexity of subject matter, the practical implementation of their teaching approaches varied significantly. Furthermore, its effectiveness is not only influence by the teaching approach itself, but also by individual’s own personal development.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Libya, as one of the third world countries, is struggling to address the issue of transformation and various institutional reforms (including the education system). For example, it has been observed that many biology teachers are faced with challenges relating to both subject matter knowledge (SMK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) yet the expectation of the new curriculum is that biology teachers demonstrate professional efficacy in their work regardless of the challenges they face. In light of this, a group of Libyan secondary school biology teachers was investigated in Tripoli through a participatory action research process. The study was underpinned by the Shulman theory of PCK using a mixed-methods design to generate an understanding of the theory of basic knowledge of teaching.

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Forskning om de särskilda matematikkunskaper som lärare behöver för att undervisa om proportionella samband är begränsad. Därav är syftet med denna studie att bidra med insikter om pedagogiska ämneskunskaper inom proportionella samband. Det görs med utgångspunkt i två frågeställningar, som utgår från två kategorier av pedagogiska ämneskunskaper i matematik som Ball et al. (2008) beskrivit: (1) Vilka kunskaper om proportionalitet och elever visar lärare? (2) Vilka kunskaper om proportionalitet och undervisning visar lärare? Studien har genomförts med hjälp av kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra lärare som arbetar i grundskolan och undervisar i matematik. Resultatet visar på flera exempel på vad som är kunskap inom de båda kategorierna. Bland annat beskrivs olika representationsformer och hur de kan användas för progression av undervisning som exempel på kunskaper om proportionalitet och undervisning. Sådana kunskaper är av stor betydelse att lärare besitter eftersom förståelse för proportionella samband framhålls som viktigt inom flera områden i matematiken. / Research about the special kind of mathematical knowledge that teachers need to teach proportional relationships is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to contribute with insights into pedagogical content knowledge about proportionality. To study this, two questions were posed: (1) What can knowledge of proportionality and students be? (2) What can knowledge of proportionality and teaching be? The two questions are based on two different categories of pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics that Ball et al. (2008) have described. This study has been conducted through qualitative semi-structured interviews with four teachers who work with students in the ages of 10-13 and teaches mathematics.  The result of the study shows several examples of pedagogical content knowledge in both categories that has been studied. For example, different representations and how they can be used to progress the teaching are described as examples of knowledge of proportionality and teaching. It is of great importance that teachers possess such knowledge considering understanding of proportional relationships has been described as a key to many areas of mathematics.

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is a dual focused pedagogical practice in which a language other than the students’ first language is taught through content. CLIL has grown to become a popular pedagogic approach within education systems across the world. However, research conducted in Swedish primary schools is extremely limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to provide an insight into what factors are of relevance for the practice to be successful, as well as whether an implementation of the approach in the Swedish educational system would be beneficial. The study presents an overview regarding previous research and relevant theoretical perspectives. Semi-structured interviews with five primary school teachers in the south of Sweden were conducted for this study. The results reveal numerous beneficial factors, such as the students’ language skills and knowledge skills developing simultaneously in meaningful contexts. An additional beneficial factor expressed by all the interviewed teachers is the development of the students’ interculturality, which is stated as a key skill to develop through English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching by the Swedish National Board of Education (Skolverket). However, the conclusion demonstrates that the major challenges are the lack of a set framework and adapted materials available in Sweden for the pedagogical practice.

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the impact of a long-term, 5E inquiry-based professional development on content and pedagogical knowledge in eighth-grade science teachers in Texas. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected via university designed reflective prompts, science content pretests and post-tests, and a classroom observation instrument. Results showed the professional development had a statistically significant impact on teachers' content knowledge in earth science, less significant impact in content knowledge in physical science and that teachers' levels of inquiry-based practice were in the early stages. The teachers' reflections of the professional development's impact indicated self-identified growth in their content knowledge and an impact on their understanding of inquiry-based classroom instructional practice. The findings suggest inquiry-based professional development has an impact on teachers' content and pedagogical knowledge, specifically regarding conveying content effectively, concept interconnection, lesson design, and teachers' opportunities to experience inquiry-based learning themselves before implementing it in their classrooms. The study's implications for further research include examinations of professional learning opportunities at local district and campus levels to identify and incorporate science teachers' existing levels of content and inquiry-based pedagogical knowledge and provide opportunities for practice to incorporate the pedagogy in classrooms.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Technology teachers’ knowledge in promoting learners’ higher order thinking skills. This aim was addressed by conducting the relevant literature survey and an empirical investigation. Four schools were selected in the Johannesburg West District. Here, twelve Grade 7 Technology teachers, three from each school, were interviewed and observations conducted. The data was analysed and findings presented ultimately. The findings reveal that Technology teachers who possess a greater depth of technological content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and assessment knowledge are more effective in as far as promoting learners’ higher order thinking. On the other hand, Technology teachers who possess a shallow technological content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and assessment knowledge struggle to promote learners’ higher order thinking. The main conclusions drawn from this study are that Technology teachers’ knowledge can play a role in learners’ acquisition of higher order thinking skills. Therefore, Technology teachers should acquire a sound technological knowledge in order to be able to promote learners’ acquisition of higher order thinking skills. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / Technology -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Johannesburg -- Case studies / Critical thinking -- South Africa -- Johannesburg -- Case studies

The purpose of the study was to explore problems encountered in the teaching and learning of statistics in grade 11 and to offer ways of addressing them. A convenient sample of 100 grade 11 mathematics teachers and 448 grade 11 mathematics learners participated in the study. A descriptive survey design was used. Data were collected from the teachers using a teacher questionnaire, classroom observation schedule and teacher interview, and from learners through the use of a learner questionnaire, classroom observation schedule, diagnostic test and learner interview. The validity and reliability of all these instruments was established. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to analyse learner questionnaires, teacher questionnaires and learners‟ responses to a diagnostic test. Teacher and learner interviews were transcribed and classified according to themes. Classroom observations were analysed by using themes and checking for similarities and differences. The results showed that teachers had difficulty with the interpretation and calculation of measures of dispersion; representation and interpretation of data on graphs or plots; determining the five number summary; constructing and interpreting probability diagrams and tables; and interpreting probability terminology. Also, the results showed that learners experienced difficulties when using graphs to predict the results; interpreting and determining measures of dispersion; computation of quartiles when the total number of data values was even; representing data on graphs or plots; interpreting and determining measures of central tendency; constructing and interpreting probability graphs and tables; and interpreting probability terminology. The results found possible causes of the teachers‟ difficulties to be (1) their lack of statistics content knowledge; (2) inadequate textbooks; (3) in-service programmes which did not cover statistical topics, or which did not pay adequate attention to probability; and (4) teachers failure to attend these in-service teacher workshops. Further, the findings of the study were that the probable causes of learners‟ difficulties were (1) inadequate teaching of statistics topics in previous grades; (2) teachers‟ lack of content knowledge in statistics meant they had difficulty explaining concepts to learners; (3) inadequate learning material and learners‟ inability to use the statistics function mode on their calculators; and (4) learners‟ lack of conceptual knowledge of certain aspects of statistics. Lastly, the results of the study found that the possible ways to address the problems in the teaching and learning of statistics in grade 11 to be: (1) teachers should receive financial support from their schools/districts to attend in-service education and training programmes; (2) textbooks should be well written (provide thorough explanations) and contain all the information necessary to teach data handling and probability (i.e. formulae, more examples); (3) in-service teacher programmes should meet the needs of the teachers by offering topics that teachers find difficult to teach; and (4) more and longer inset programmes on probability, preferably five-day workshops, should be arranged. / Mathematics Education / M. Sc. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)