This study reports the development of an instrument intended to measure mathematics teachers' knowledge of Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI). CGI is a mathematics professional development framework based on how students think about and solve problems and how that knowledge guides instruction for developing mathematical understanding. The purpose of this study was to (a) analyze and revise the original CGI Teacher Knowledge Assessment (CGI TKA), (b) administer the revised CGI TKA, and (c) analyze the results from the revised CGI TKA. As part of the revision of the original CGI TKA, distractor analysis identified distractors that could be improved. Experts in CGI content were interviewed to identify ways in which the content of the CGI TKA could be improved, and some new items were created based on their feedback. Formatting changes were also made to administer the assessment electronically.After the original CGI TKA was revised, the revised CGI TKA was administered to teachers who had been trained in CGI. Two hundred thirteen examinees completed the revised CGI TKA and the results were analyzed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed 21 of the items loaded adequately onto one factor, considered to be overall knowledge of CGI. The Rasch model was used to estimate item difficulty and person abilities as well as to compare models using dichotomous and partial credit scoring. Advantages and disadvantages of using partial credit scoring as compared to dichotomous scoring are discussed. Except under special circumstances, the dichotomous scoring produced better fitting models and more reliable scores than the partial credit scoring. The reliability of the scores was estimated using Raykov's rho coefficient. Overall, the revised CGI TKA appears to validly and reliably measure teachers' CGI knowledge.

The following essay has the purpose of giving an account of how the increasing digitalization, medialization and flow of information has affected social science as a subject, and how this has changed the expectations put on students and teachers. Furthermore, the way teachers’ TPACK knowledge and web literacy skills affect their teaching is also examined. Lastly, students’ level of understanding for the term media and information literacy is further investigated.  This is being done with the help of the following three question formulations: 1. What further demands does the increasing digitalization, medialization and flow of information pose for students and teachers, and how does it connect to social science as a subject? 2. How do teachers' knowledge of TPACK and web literacy affect their teaching? 3. What level of understanding do students have for the term media and information literacy?  The essay is based upon 15 peer-reviewed scientific articles, which have been chosen to represent the field of knowledge and answer the three question formulations. The interconnection between media and information literacy and democracy makes the subject increasingly important in today’s society with threats like propaganda, misinformation, and anti-democratic rhetoric. One conclusion made is how important it is for the students’ learning outcomes that the teacher is well-informed and has the necessary knowledge to help and support the students in their learning. It is also important to consider that the way students define media and information literacy may differ from teachers’ understanding, and that can lead to students’ knowledge being interpreted as higher than it is in reality.

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This study examines the effect of a technology-based instructional tool `Geniverse' on the content knowledge gains, Science Self-Efficacy, Technology Self-Efficacy, and Career Goal Aspirations among 283 high school learners. The study was conducted in four urban high schools, two of which have achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and two have not. Students in both types of schools were taught genetics either through Geniverse, a virtual learning environment or Dragon genetics, a paper-pencil activity embedded in traditional instructional method. Results indicated that students in all schools increased their knowledge of genetics using either type of instructional approach. Students who were taught using Geniverse demonstrated an advantage for genetics knowledge although the effect was small. These increases were more pronounced in the schools that had been meeting the AYP goal. The other significant effect for Geniverse was that students in the technology-enhanced classrooms increased in science Self-Efficacy while students in the non-technology enhanced classrooms decreased. In addition, students from Non-AYP schools showed an improvement in Science and Technology Self-Efficacy; however the effects were small. The implications of these results for the future use of technology-enriched classrooms were discussed. / CITE/Mathematics and Science Education

Det saknas, i stor utsträckning, forskning om läromedlens roll i grammatikundervisningen på lågstadiet i svenska skolor. Samtidigt framkommer grammatikens betydelse, om än inte explicit, i kursplanen för ämnet svenska och mycket tyder samtidigt på att läromedlen spelar en central roll för planeringen och genomförandet av undervisningen. Den här studien syftar till att bidra till en ökad förståelse för läromedlens funktion i grammatikundervisningen på lågstadiet samt hur lärare beskriver användningen av och uppfattningen om de läromedel de använder. Studiens teoretiska ramverk grundar sig i det sociokulturella lärandeperspektivet som kompletteras med Shulmans didaktiska pedagogical content knowledge. Genom fyra kvalitativa intervjuer med verksamma lågstadielärare samt utdrag av de läromedel de använder, framkommer efter en tematisk analys, uppfattningen om läromedel som ett stöd men även en begränsning för grammatikundervisningen. Ett stöd så till vida att det bidrar till ökad trygghet för lärarna, men en begränsning utifrån dess utformning och avsaknad av flexibilitet. Vidare utkristalliseras en bild av grammatiken som ett begrepp vilket lärare, samt läromedlen, använder med stor försiktighet. Med anknytning i tidigare forskning samt det teoretiska ramverk som studien hänvisar till förs en diskussion kring läromedlens roll i grammatikundervisningen idag, samt dess roll i framtiden. / There is, to a large extent, a lack of research regarding the role of teaching materials as a resource in grammar teaching at a primary level in L1 education in Sweden. At the same time, the importance of grammar education appears, if not explicitly, in the curriculum for the Swedish subject. Much indicates that teaching materials play a large role in the planning and implementing of the teaching. This study aims to contribute an increased understanding of how teaching materials are used in grammar teaching in primary education, and how teachers describe the use of and the perceptions they have regarding the teaching materials they use. The theoretical framework for this study is based on the sociocultural learning theory, which is supplemented by Shulman's didactic pedagogical content knowledge. The data was collected through four qualitative interviews with practicing primary school teachers, along with excerptions from the teaching materials they use. After analyzing the data through a thematic analysis, the perception of textbooks as both a support but also a limitation for grammar education was discerned. A support to the extent that it contributes to an increased security for the teachers, but a limitation based on its design and lack of flexibility. Moreover, a perception of grammar as a concept appears, which teachers as well as textbooks handle with caution. With regards to previous research and the theoretical framework this study relies on, a discussion is initiated where the role of  teaching materials in grammar education on a primary level today, and in the future is in focus.

Begreppet biologi finns inte med i förskolans läroplan i Sverige men benämns en gång i den norska rammeplanen. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur svenska och norska förskollärare ser på och använder läroplanen/rammeplanen när de undervisar barnen i biologi. Upplevs den som en hjälp eller är den bristfällig, och i så fall hur och vad använder de sig annars av i sin undervisning? Med hjälp av semi-strukturerade intervjuer har tre svenska och tre norska förskollärares uppfattningar om styrdokumentens styrkor och svagheter uppmärksammats. Resultatet visar att läroplanen och rammeplanen ger stora möjligheter att undervisa utifrån barnens intressen men att avsaknaden av en tydlig beskrivning av biologi kan göra undervisningen svårare. Som hjälp utöver läroplan/rammeplan använder sig förskollärare av böcker, internet och kollegor. En slutsats av studien är dock att läroplanen ses som en tillgång, då den uppfyller sitt syfte och att det kompletteras med andra kunskapskällor i biologiundervisning. / The concept of biology is not included in the preschool curriculum in Sweden but is once mentioned in the Norwegian framework plan. The aim of this study is to investigate how Swedish and Norwegian preschool teachers experience the curriculum when they teach biology to children. Is it perceived as a help or is it deficient, and if so, how, and what else do the preschool teachers use in their teaching? With the help of semi-structured interviews, three Swedish and three Norwegian preschool teachers' perceptions of strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum have been captured. The results show that both the curriculums provide great opportunities to teach based on the children's interests, but that the lack of a clear description of biology can make teaching more difficult. To help in addition to the curriculum, preschool teachers use books, the internet and colleagues. However, one conclusion of the study is that the curriculum is seen as an asset, as it fulfills its purpose and that it is supplemented with other sources of knowledge when teaching biology.

This study aimed at exploring the Life Orientation (LO) teachers’ knowledge and teaching of study skills in high schools, Ekudibeng cluster, Gauteng East. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is the most recent curriculum policy (Department of Basic Education [DBE], 2012) and serves as an action plan to 2030 for the South African education system in order to address some of the origins of underperformance in South African schools (Nicolson, 2013). Life Orientation (LO) can be described as a learning area within the educational context that promotes the holistic development of a child. The educational context refers to all processes at school level involved in training children’s minds and abilities so that they can acquire knowledge and develop skills to succeed in life. Life Orientation integrates subjects, such as life skills, career guidance, health education, physical education, human rights studies and religious education (Pillay, 2012). According to the Life Orientation 2011 CAPS document, Life Orientation teachers are expected to teach study skills to learners starting from grade 10 – 12 (Further Education and Training (FET) Phase (DBE, 2011). Learning or study skills carry over into other areas of life and beyond school. Study skills are therefore critical tools that ensure that learner achievement leads to success. Furthermore, effective study skills need effective interaction between teachers and learners (Gettinger, & Seibert, 2002). The teacher is a social agent and should make study skills accessible through the process of teaching in the classroom. This implies that the teacher is a central tool for equipping the learners with the necessary study skills which can aid in the unlocking of their future potential (Sasikala, 2012). As such, it was considered important to explore the knowledge and skills for teaching LO as well as the challenges faced and their needs for further development. Three schools in Ekudibeng cluster, Gauteng East were purposefully selected for this purpose on the basis of their results in the previous year’ matric exit examinations. Qualitative case studies of the Further Education and Training LO teachers’ experiences at each of these schools were undertaken utilising semi-structured interviews as a data collection tool. The data were analysed via qualitative content analysis techniques. The findings of this study emphasise the need for a focus on study skills teaching and teacher proficiency in the high school education system. The South African Education System role-players need to take LO seriously and have teachers qualified to teach LO, and to meet their needs through study skills training workshops. Comprehensive continuous improvement in learner performance requires a constant determination of trained LO teachers, qualified for the subject and properly equipped with relevant knowledge to cascade it to learners and cooperative community members, where parents are involved/hands on in shaping their children’s’ future. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)