This thesis explores the relatively under-researched experiences of module design of academics employed within one UK university. In all, 96 people responded to an initial e-questionnaire survey, and 23 of these participated in follow-up semi-structured interviews. The qualitative data collected from both sources is the main focus of discussion. The thesis contextualises the research by presenting a brief description of the university of study and a sense of the social and political context of higher education in the few years preceding the onset of the project. Following this, there is a review of the existing literature around module and curriculum design. A separate chapter outlines the mixed methods employed to collect the data and the form of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) used to theme the qualitative data provided by the survey and interviews. The findings supported previous studies, but there was some contradictory data concerning assessment design, the value of the institutional approval procedures, and the usefulness of involving students in the design process. This study found that, as a result of the effect of institutional processes and documents on design, the consequence of changing student profiles (particularly around assessment), and the obligation staff feel to their students (despite their expressed lack of available time and resources), module design (and redesign) is more situation-informed than evidence-informed. It concludes that module designers employ a realistic and pragmatic approach to the process, even when their views, attitudes, and consciences around the rights and wrongs of the design process are sometimes questioned. / The full text was made available at the end of the embargo, 26th Oct 2020

本研究目的在瞭解師生進行「公平分配」概念討論教學之情形，透過自身教學的反思，探討教師在設計「公平分配概念」課程上的考量，以及教師面對「公平分配概念」課程時，該具備之教學技巧。 研究者設計一系列的公平分配課程並實際進班教學，收集資料的方式主要包括錄影、錄音、研究日誌。研究對象為研究者本身以及某大班幼兒共十五名。 研究結果發現，設計公平分配課程時，必須考量到「程序性原則」、「繼續性原則」以及「範圍」。且必須注意內容與目標之間的一致性，並考量到幼兒之特性，與日常生活經驗結合，採多元評量，並依幼兒的學習情況適時調整課程。 在教學時需注意討論位置的安排，以及討論規則之訂定，對討論時之秩序以及對話的影響。在問話內容上，有「資訊性的討論」、「問題性的討論」、「經驗感受的討論」、「想像及創造的討論」四類型，其中後三個容易引起幼兒之間有對話互動。在問題概念層次上，有「記憶性問題」、「轉譯性問題」、「聚斂性問題」、「解釋性問題」、「擴散性問題」、五類型，其中後兩個容易引起幼兒之間有對話互動。 在對話類型部份，「反問以及轉問」最能引起幼兒之間的對話互動；而「補充覆述」則能夠提供幼兒對話的一種可能性；「提示」、「深入探究」能幫助教師所回應的該名幼兒學習更加深入；至於「判斷」、「總結」能讓幼兒知曉何種答案是適當的。 最後，針對以上幾點發現以及在研究過程中所遇見的困難與限制提出幾點對幼稚園教師以及未來研究者的一些建議。 / The purpose of this study is to explore the situation of teacher and students use discussion method on distributive-Justice concept. Through reflection on oneself, focuses on how to design distributive-Justice concept curriculum and the teaching skill that the teachers must have. The writer designs a series of distributive-Justice concept curriculum and teaches myself. The collecting methods included video recording, taping and journal. The study samples are I and 15 children between 5-year-old and 6-year-old. The main conclusions were drawn as follows: Designing distributive-Justice concept curriculum must to think about ‘sequence’、‘continuity’ and ‘scope’. Then must to note the contents accord with the objective, and think about the character of child to match activities of daily livings, and use multiple evaluations, and regulate curriculum by children’s learning. When teaching must to think about arrange of seat and discussion order. On ‘question contents’ , there are four types：‘material discussion’、‘ question discussion’、‘experience discussion’ and ‘creative discussion’, among these, the last two easy to cause conversation among children. On ‘question concept’ , there are five types：‘memory question’、‘translate question’、‘gathered question’、 ‘explanation question’ and ‘extended question’ , among these, the last two easy to cause conversation among children. On ‘conversation type’, ‘reask’ easy to cause conversation among children；‘supplement’ provide the chance of the conversation among children ; ‘cue’ and ‘explore’ can accelerate child learning in depth ; ‘estimate’ and ‘summarize’ can make child know which answer is adequately. According to the conclusions, some suggestions to kindergarten teacher and the future research.

Since the 1990s, the number of courses of Spanish for Specific Purposes (SSP), especially Business Spanish, has increased rapidly in institutions of higher education in the U.S. Ideally, the design of these courses is based both on an analysis of the learners’ needs and on a specific business-related purpose. However, instructors of Business Spanish may not be specialists in this area and may lack the means or the time to perform a needs analysis (NA) to prepare the course syllabus and materials. Consequently, choosing the Business Spanish textbook ends up being the first step in designing the course, and for the reasons stated above, this choice tends to be based on the instructor’s needs rather than those of the learners. In this dissertation, I subjected four Business Spanish textbooks to an in-depth analysis (Littlejohn, 1998) in three stages. This analysis includes their approach to specificity (from narrow to wide), and how the business-related learners’ needs (language- and skill-based) are addressed. Results from these four analyses reveal that the authors adapted four different language teaching approaches and methods. Their wide-angled approach to specificity and different viewpoints of the target learners’ business-related needs are based on (1) their beliefs on the nature of language and language teaching, (2) the position of the course in the macro curriculum (macro-specific purpose), and (3) their respective target audiences. A two-step evaluation of Business Spanish textbooks is recommended to instructors based on the macro-specific purpose of their courses and the micro-specific purposes of communicative activities.

This thesis is a work-in-progress that articulates my research journey based on the development of a curriculum innovation in environmental education. This journey had two distinct, but intertwined phases: action research based fieldwork, conducted collaboratively, to create a whole school approach to environmental education curriculum planning; and a phase of analysis and reflection based on the emerging findings, as I sought to create personal "living educational theory" about change and innovation. A key stimulus for the study was the perceived theory-practice gap in environmental education, which is often presented in the literature as a criticism of teachers for failing to achieve the values and action objectives of critical environmental education. Hence, many programs and projects are considered to be superficial and inconsequential in terms of their ability to seriously address environmental issues. The intention of this study was to work with teachers in a project that would be an exemplar of critical environmental education. This would be in the form of a whole school "learnscaping" curriculum in a primary school whereby the schoolgrounds would be utilised for interdisciplinary critical environment education. Parallel with the three cycles of action research in this project, my research objectives were to identify and comment upon the factors that influence the generation of successful educational innovation. It was anticipated that the project would be a collaboration involving me, as researcher-facilitator, and many of the teachers in the school as active participants. As the project proceeded through its action cycles, however, it became obvious that the goal of developing a critical environmental education curriculum, and the use of highly participatory processes, were unrealistic. Institutional and organisational rigidities in education generally, teachers' day-to-day work demands, and the constant juggle of work, family and other responsibilities for all participants acted as significant constraints. Consequently, it became apparent that the learnscaping curriculum would not be the hoped-for exemplar. Progress was slow and, at times, the project was in danger of stalling permanently. While the curriculum had some elements of critical environmental education, these were minor and not well spread throughout the school. Overall, the outcome seemed best described as a "small win"; perhaps just another example of the theory-practice gap that I had hoped this project would bridge. Towards the project's end, however, my continuing reflection led to an exploration of chaos/complexity theory which gave new meaning to the concept of a "small win". According to this theory, change is not the product of linear processes applied methodically in purposeful and diligent ways, but emerges from serendipitous events that cannot be planned for, or forecast in advance. When this perspective of change is applied to human organisations - in this study, a busy school - the context for change is recognised not as a stable, predictable environment, but as a highly complex system where change happens all the time, cannot be controlled, and no one can be really sure where the impacts might lead. This so-called "butterfly effect" is a central idea of this theory where small changes or modifications are created - the effects of which are difficult to know, let alone determine - and which can have large-scale impacts. Allied with this effect is the belief that long term developments in an organisation that takes complexity into account, emerge by spontaneous self-organising evolution, requiring political interaction and learning in groups, rather than systematic progress towards predetermined goals or "visions". Hence, because change itself and the contexts of change are recognised as complex, chaos/complexity theory suggests that change is more likely to be slow and evolutionary - cultural change - rather than fast and revolutionary where the old is quickly ushered out by radical reforms and replaced by new structures and processes. Slow, small-scale changes are "normal", from a complexity viewpoint, while rapid, wholesale change is both unlikely and unrealistic. Therefore, the frustratingly slow, small-scale, imperfect educational changes that teachers create - including environmental education initiatives - should be seen for what they really are. They should be recognised as successful changes, the impacts of which cannot be known, but which have the potential to magnify into large-scale changes into the future. Rather than being regarded as failures for not meeting critical education criteria, "small wins" should be cause for celebration and support. The intertwined phases of collaborative action research and individual researcher reflection are mirrored in the thesis structure. The first three chapters, respectively, provide the thesis overview, the literature underpinning the study's central concern, and the research methodology. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 report on each of the three action research cycles of the study, namely Laying the Groundwork, Down to Work!, and The Never-ending Story. Each of these chapters presents a narrative of events, a literature review specific to developments in the cycle, and analysis and critique of the events, processes and outcomes of each cycle. Chapter 7 provides a synthesis of the whole of the study, outlining my interim propositions about facilitating curriculum change in schools through action research, and the implications of these for environmental education.

英語在貿易、科技等領域為當今國際交流的主要語言，更是學術界之主要溝通媒介，在台灣高等教育亦是如此。本研究旨在探討企業管理碩士班學術英文課程規劃之現況，以台灣某科技大學之企業管理所及國際企業管理所為對象，採問卷、課室觀察、訪談之研究方式，從教師及學生的觀點深入評析97、98學年度兩所的學術英文課程規劃、實施現況、學生的學術英文需求、及學生自評之學術英文能力。從兩所學生回收的有效問卷共98份，篩選後的學生訪談者共14位。兩位授課教師的訪談則分別於97、98學年度各進行一次。問卷結果採描述性統計加以敘述分析，課室觀察及訪談結果則以持續比較法（constant comparison method）進行分析。研究結果顯示兩所之課程規劃均注重培養教師及學生的學術英文能力；雖教師方面含海外師訓、定期教學研討會，然全英授課課程之師資來源為一困難。學生方面則從招生至畢業規定，均將促進語文能力納入整體課程規劃中。教師在教學、教材選擇、評量方面均致力培養學生的學術英文能力。學生的學術英文需求特別注重術語、讀、口語溝通、上台報告之能力，然本土文化之知識極待加強。學生普遍自評學術英文能力普通或不佳。本研究結果為商管學術英文課程規劃者及研究者提供了一個全面性的參考資料。 / English is the main lingua franca for international communication in fields such as business and technology; it is also the major medium in teaching and learning. This phenomenon has a significant impact on higher education in Taiwan. This study aimed to probe into the status quo of EAP (English for Academic Purposes) curriculum design in graduate business administration programs. An MBA and an IMBA program at a national university of science and technology in Taiwan was targeted. Questionnaires, classroom observation, and semi-structured interviews were adopted as research instruments. Teachers’ and students’ perspectives of the curriculum design, implementation, students’ EAP needs, and students’ self-evaluated EAP abilities in the academic years of 2008 and 2009 were investigated. A total of 98 valid questionnaires were collected, and 14 student interviewees were selected. Two teachers were first interviewed in the academic year of 2008, and again in 2009, respectively. The analysis of questionnaires was conducted through descriptive statistics, while the qualitative data was analyzed by constant comparison method. Results of this study indicated that the two programs included nurturing teachers’ and students’ EAP abilities in the curriculum design. For teachers, overseas teacher training and regular teaching seminars were provided. However, finding teachers to teach English-medium courses presented a difficulty. Developing students’ language abilities was included in the overall curriculum design, from admission to graduation regulations. Teachers were committed to cultivating students’ EAP abilities in instructional practices, material selection, and evaluation. The EAP needs of terminology, reading, oral communication, and presentation abilities were particularly valued. Nonetheless, students’ knowledge of local culture needed to be strengthened. Students generally rated their EAP abilities average or below average. In sum, this study may be of importance in improving EAP curriculum design in graduate business programs in future.

<p>The research findings are grouped according to the three themes identified which includes the relevance of the module, the effectiveness of the teaching and learning approaches and methods, and the integration of generic and discipline specific academic literacy. The researcher hopes this study will help illuminate perceptions of part-time students&rsquo / about the Academic Literacy for Commerce course and also how it can be improved to better serve the needs of part-time students.</p>

<p>The research findings are grouped according to the three themes identified which includes the relevance of the module, the effectiveness of the teaching and learning approaches and methods, and the integration of generic and discipline specific academic literacy. The researcher hopes this study will help illuminate perceptions of part-time students&rsquo / about the Academic Literacy for Commerce course and also how it can be improved to better serve the needs of part-time students.</p>

Compared to other subjects, Learning Area Technology teaching is a relatively new knowledge area world-wide, especially in the South African school curriculum, and it consequently presents new challenges. One of these challenges is the fact that no previous tertiary training programmes exist for the Learning Area Technology; thus new ones have to be developed. Since limited research has been done regarding Learning Area Technology teaching, teachers of Technology are forced to base their professional teaching and learning practices on approaches from other fields of knowledge and adapt these. This is not necessarily ideal for Learning Area Technology teaching in the South African context. The following question can thus be posed: To which extent do existing pre-service training programmes develop the essential competences and skills required for the effective teaching of the Learning Area Technology? Against the background of this overarching aim of the study, this research attempted to find answers to the following research questions: • What are the competences a qualified Learning Area Technology teacher should possess? • What is the nature of Learning Area Technology teacher training in South Africa? • What is lacking in training programmes for pre-service Learning Area Technology teachers in South Africa? To provide answers to these questions, a literature study as well as an empirical study was conducted. To achieve the aim of the empirical study a phenomenological approach was applied in executing an exploratory qualitative study. A random sample was drawn from available tertiary institutions training pre-service Technology teachers in the Learning Area Technology. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with lecturers to enable the researcher to comprehend and interpret experiences and realities in terms of the research question. Findings from the literature study on the competences a qualified technology Teacher should possess indicate that a Technology teacher, upon completion of studies, should posses the following competences to present the Learning Area Technology as a subject specialist: indepth subject knowledge of the various knowledge areas for the Learning Area Technology; suitable pedagogical content knowledge to be able to transform technological knowledge to teachable matter; technological skills in technological processes and techniques; and positive values and attitudes which can be integrated successfully during various learning opportunities. It is also imperative that pre-service Learning Area Technology teachers possess knowledge of appropriate teaching strategies to accomplish critical, creative and problem-solving skills among learners. The empirical research was aimed at establishing the nature of pre-service training programmes in South Africa, as well as identifying shortcomings in the training of pre-service Technology teachers. Data analyses regarding the nature of pre-service training of Learning Area Technology teachers-.enabled the researcher to identify particular shortcomings in preservice training programmes in South Africa. The following shortcomings were identified: insufficient subject knowledge and technological subject skills; limited subject specific pedagogical knowledge; lack of real life situations in learning opportunities; and a lack of modelling of teaching strategies during facilitation of the Learning Area Technology. Based on the findings of the research which was also related to the literature, specific recommendations were made in order to improve the quality of pre-service training for the Learning Area Technology. Recommendations on the identified shortcomings include the following: the training of Learning Area Technology teachers as subject specialists by establishing standards appropriate for tertiary training in order to enhance the development of subject knowledge; the development of subject specific pedagogical content knowledge by implementing micro lessons; revision of time planning and facilities for the practising of technological skills; and sufficient opportunities to practise, analyse and reflect on teaching processes to develop proper and appropriate teaching strategies. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010

Compared to other subjects, Learning Area Technology teaching is a relatively new knowledge area world-wide, especially in the South African school curriculum, and it consequently presents new challenges. One of these challenges is the fact that no previous tertiary training programmes exist for the Learning Area Technology; thus new ones have to be developed. Since limited research has been done regarding Learning Area Technology teaching, teachers of Technology are forced to base their professional teaching and learning practices on approaches from other fields of knowledge and adapt these. This is not necessarily ideal for Learning Area Technology teaching in the South African context. The following question can thus be posed: To which extent do existing pre-service training programmes develop the essential competences and skills required for the effective teaching of the Learning Area Technology? Against the background of this overarching aim of the study, this research attempted to find answers to the following research questions: • What are the competences a qualified Learning Area Technology teacher should possess? • What is the nature of Learning Area Technology teacher training in South Africa? • What is lacking in training programmes for pre-service Learning Area Technology teachers in South Africa? To provide answers to these questions, a literature study as well as an empirical study was conducted. To achieve the aim of the empirical study a phenomenological approach was applied in executing an exploratory qualitative study. A random sample was drawn from available tertiary institutions training pre-service Technology teachers in the Learning Area Technology. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with lecturers to enable the researcher to comprehend and interpret experiences and realities in terms of the research question. Findings from the literature study on the competences a qualified technology Teacher should possess indicate that a Technology teacher, upon completion of studies, should posses the following competences to present the Learning Area Technology as a subject specialist: indepth subject knowledge of the various knowledge areas for the Learning Area Technology; suitable pedagogical content knowledge to be able to transform technological knowledge to teachable matter; technological skills in technological processes and techniques; and positive values and attitudes which can be integrated successfully during various learning opportunities. It is also imperative that pre-service Learning Area Technology teachers possess knowledge of appropriate teaching strategies to accomplish critical, creative and problem-solving skills among learners. The empirical research was aimed at establishing the nature of pre-service training programmes in South Africa, as well as identifying shortcomings in the training of pre-service Technology teachers. Data analyses regarding the nature of pre-service training of Learning Area Technology teachers-.enabled the researcher to identify particular shortcomings in preservice training programmes in South Africa. The following shortcomings were identified: insufficient subject knowledge and technological subject skills; limited subject specific pedagogical knowledge; lack of real life situations in learning opportunities; and a lack of modelling of teaching strategies during facilitation of the Learning Area Technology. Based on the findings of the research which was also related to the literature, specific recommendations were made in order to improve the quality of pre-service training for the Learning Area Technology. Recommendations on the identified shortcomings include the following: the training of Learning Area Technology teachers as subject specialists by establishing standards appropriate for tertiary training in order to enhance the development of subject knowledge; the development of subject specific pedagogical content knowledge by implementing micro lessons; revision of time planning and facilities for the practising of technological skills; and sufficient opportunities to practise, analyse and reflect on teaching processes to develop proper and appropriate teaching strategies. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010

This thesis examines the potential of a learning outcome-led model of curriculum design to influence how students perceive learning in education studies within a modular context of a new university. It identifies and compares the conceptions of learning held by students and lecturers on traditional and outcome-led modules, and it explores and specifies the design factors which shape these conceptions. The issue is located within the interpretivist paradigm for the research seeks understanding which derives from the perceptions, attitudes and beliefs that students and their lecturers hold about learning in a given context. But the methodology employed is not wholly consistent with this paradigm, for a qualitative approach is complemented by the use of factor analysis techniques to facilitate the identification of the design features which influence how students perceive learning. The approach is thus eclectic drawing on quantitative methods to examine what is essentially qualitative data. An innovative model of learning outcome-led design is proposed, implemented and modified as a result of the research. The learner is placed at the centre of the learning experience which is defined as incorporating three domains: the teaching context; the assessment régime; and the directed learning undertaken by students outside of taught sessions. The model incorporates a trichotomy of outcomes which define the subject -specific, the transferable skills and the generic academic outcomes which influence directly both the content and process of learning, and which successful students are expected to achieve on completion of a module. The findings show that five design features influence how students perceive learning: the clarity of expectations; congruence between the content and process of each domain of the learning experience; direction in respect to the learning activities which should be undertaken in each domain to achieve the outcomes; and the content and process of the teaching context. The data suggest that a much higher profile should be given to metacognitive skills in curriculum development in HE because how students perceive both the process and the content of learning profoundly influences their conception of learning and, consistent with the underpinning theory, how they approach learning and therefore ultimately the kind of outcomes they achieve. The research leads to recommendations for the modification of the three models of learning in context; Ramsden (1988), Biggs (1990b) and Prosser (1995), which are presented and analysed in the thesis. The findings suggest that the learning experience should be redefined to specify the three domains - the teaching context, assessment régime and directed learning - and that clarity of expectations, metacognitive skills and congruence between the content and process of learning in each of the domains should be articulated as directly influencing students' conceptions of learning. The models should also seek to indicate that learning outcomes influence how students perceive learning, and that therefore they feature both at the starting point and as the end product of a contextualised learning process. The findings relating to students' conceptions of learning show that the study of outcome-led modules has resulted in a much greater degree of congruence between how lecturers and students perceive learning in a given module and that fewer students studying outcome-led modules hold a quantitative conception of learning. This suggests that the outcome-led model does have the potential to improve teaching and learning and consequently that there is an educational rationale for curriculum development premised on this model.