As an ethnographic study situated within teacher education practice, this thesis is structured around 'three pedagogical moments' in the studies of society and environment units within a Bachelor of Education degree. This study links classroom teaching and observation illuminated through naturalistic enquiry with student surveys and interviews and locational analysis using a multi-method approach to research. The hidden and explicit curriculum and pedagogies of fieldwork are investigated as these are implemented in early childhood and primary education - and more particularly, in the teaching of Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE), as a specific site of knowledge construction in teacher education. Accordingly, the study is located within recent debates surrounding the nature of geographic knowledge and understandings of place and space as partial and socially constructed. It also draws on recent critiques of fieldwork in early childhood and primary education and more specifically, in geography. Integral to this discussion are understandings of place and space as triggers to childhood learning and emerging identity. Reference to paintings by Jeffrey Smart - as an illustrative and visual device -helps to locate the study's central themes, and the visual and emotional as well as rational and cultural dimensions of student teacher choices. Key themes identified through a constructivist approach to grounded theory are used as the basis of analysis of interview responses and the generation of theory. By beginning a critical pedagogy of space with the 'mattering maps' and 'cartographies of taste' of teacher education students, the study articulates the many discourses brought to the selection of sites for Studies of Society and Environment and contributes to the dialogic process of learning to teach.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Master’s Degree in Education in the Department of Foundations of Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2019. / Conditions in rural schools regarding learner academic performance are still categorized as below the expected level of performance based on national and international standards. Learners and teachers continue to underperform as evidenced by poor results in schools. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which teachers are professionally developed to promote teaching and learning in rural primary schools. The study was conducted through mixed methods approach. Simple random sampling was used to select teachers from twenty-four public primary schools. Purposive sampling procedure was followed to select participants who were interviewed face-to-face. Results showed that teachers find that teacher’s professional development programmes are too demanding. The training of teachers who are at work should be conducted during school holidays to avoid disruption of classes. The study concludes that if teachers are well developed, teaching and learning would be effective. The study recommends that the department should organise workshops for teachers in rural areas and train them taking into consideration the conditions in the rural areas. / National Research Foundation of South Africa

Professional development has been deemed ineffective for several decades. This ineffectiveness could stem from the one-size-fits-all professional development designs, and the inconsistencies and contradictions pointed out in professional development research (which is used to create these designs). Investigating how subject taught (STEM and non-STEM), Title I status of the school (Title I and non-Title I), and grade level of instruction (elementary, middle and high) could influence teachers’ preferences regarding components included in an effective design is a step toward resolving some of these inconsistencies. The research design was an embedded mixed method – an overall causal-comparative design embedded with interviews. Interviews determined teachers’ perceptions of an effective professional development design. The survey investigated preferences for nine components: content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, active learning, duration, alignment with goals and policies, follow-up, collaboration, support, and resources (tangible and intangible). In the interviews, teachers communicated a need for differentiation based on grade level of instruction, Tittle I status of the school, and subject taught, with high percentages of agreement with the final questions of the survey. The ordinal logistic regression indicated that subject taught and Title I status of the school did not have a statistically significant effect on the dependent variable. Breaking up participants according to grade level of instruction (elementary versus secondary) had a statistically significant effect on teachers’ preferences regarding the components included in an effective professional development design. This indicated that professional development should be differentiated based on elementary and secondary instruction. When the researcher reviewed the components, some showed that the independent variables, Title I status of the school and grade level of instruction had a statistically significant effect. Although the ordinal logistic regression revealed a lack of statistical significance, percent differences indicated that factors such as subject taught, Title I status of the school, and grade level of instruction influenced teachers’ preferences regarding specific components in an effective professional development design. These findings illustrate promise that in a larger study, statistical significance might be present. Thus, professional development should be differentiated based on subject taught, Title I status of the school, and grade level of instruction. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

<p>Numerous studies have shown multiple benefits gained through professional development for teachers, which address increasing pedagogical content knowledge, increasing student achievement and increasing teacher job satisfaction (Banks, 2008; Colbert, Brown, Choi &Thomas, 2008; Dash, de Kramer, O’Dwyer, Masters & Russell, 2012). However, barriers to professional development, including cost, time and access, make face-to-face professional development sessions difficult to meet teacher needs (Carr, 2016). Online professional development can help to address these barriers, while meeting the needs of teachers. Employing best practices established through both online learning pedagogy and professional development techniques, teachers can increase their pedagogical content knowledge and opportunities for collaboration using online platforms. This study demonstrated, using a blend of qualitative and quantitative assessments that online professional development was comparable in effectiveness to face-to-face professional development in preparation for teaching an introductory logistics course and the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council Certified Logistics Associate certification exam. </p>

The advent of relatively cheap micro-computers in the 1980s has led to major investment in information and communication technology (ICT) for schools. The technology has been developed continually, creating a situation where there may be significant differences between policy and practice. The literature relating to innovation diffusion and the rationale for ICT in school education has concentrated upon effectiveness and teacher professional development. Existing models of development in the area are limited in scope or make ill-founded assumptions. Little work has been done on the question of alignment between policy and practice. This study used a grounded theory approach to examine the relationships between policy, implementation and underlying models of development. This was done through a process of policy comparison, consultation with experts in the field and case study observations. The methodology used a comparative case study approach at national, school and classroom levels and examined issues such as the nature of development processes for policy in the area, implementation and practice in the use of computers in classrooms, teacher professional development and stages of development as perceived by practitioners. Data were gathered from the United States of America, England, Estonia and Australia from November 1999 to September 2002. The study found ICT curriculum approaches for students were strongly aligned with a stage of development which emphasised the integration of ICT into existing curricula and current classroom practice. There was poor alignment between overlapping policies for teacher training and student learning outcomes and also between policy and classroom practice. It was confirmed that students generally have better access to computers outside school than within it, a situation largely ignored by policy. It was also found that experts in the field perceived increasing reliance upon generic office software as an outmoded tool approach, and saw ICT as a driver for transformative change in school education. School and classroom observations confirmed that local practice included transformative uses of ICT. From these findings a general model of stages of development was derived. The model consisted of an introductory Phase 1, where students in school first use computers and information technology becomes a subject choice; an integrative Phase 2, where information and communication technologies are used to enhance learning opportunities in all traditional curriculum subject areas; and a transformative Phase 3, where the curriculum clearly includes topics of study that would not exist without information and communication technologies and schooling for most students no longer fits the traditional group-instruction model. The model has implications for alignment in policy development based upon a national cross-curriculum framework. It demonstrates the importance for teacher professional development to include training in virtual teaching and the evaluation of digital materials. In particular, there is a need to examine the alignment between conventional learning outcomes, policy and practice when ICT is much more available to students outside school than within. The study provides guidance for future policies concerning teacher ICT professional development and argues for their alignment with national cross-curriculum frameworks for ICT in school education. It will also be useful for educators training pre-service teachers to use and prepare online digital learning materials. Further, the study also informs school communities about the need to use ICT as a way of linking their institution with student homes and to extend learning opportunities.

Thesis (Ph.D.(Organisational Behaviour))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 28, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The professional development of teachers in South Africa needs critical attention, particularly in the area of early grade mathematics. The Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa 2011–2025 (ISPFTED) (DBE, 2011) proposes the creation of professional learning communities as a school-based initiative to this end. In a South African context, Japanese lesson study is a relatively undocumented professional development tool. This inquiry is a case study exploring the effect of introducing lesson study in the early grades of a primary school, particularly in the subject of mathematics. Findings suggest that lesson study has a marked and positive effect on the professional development of early grade teachers in a local context. Seven teachers from Grade R to Grade 2 participated in a lesson study programme for a period of four months, meeting weekly to plan and provide feedback on lessons. Key findings of the study reveal that lesson study is a highly effective collaborative tool for improving both the subject content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of early grade teachers. This was evidenced in a more problem-centred approach to teaching. Furthermore, improvements were noted in teacher creativity, self-confidence and learner-centeredness. Lesson study provoked intergrade collaboration, curriculum development and lesson flow. The findings suggest that learning extends beyond the scope and confines of the actual lesson study sessions to provoke extensive self-reflection and self-analysis. Through lesson study, the professional development process becomes highly contextualised. Findings furthermore suggest that teacher motivation to participate in lesson study remains a multi-faceted problem and the cooperation of school management is critical for making time allowances and working within the school timetable. An inherent fear of demonstrating lessons in front of others, as well as the fear of inadequate input during group sessions are additional personal challenges to the process. This study proposes a model for the effective facilitation of lesson study sessions and navigating the dynamic and interrelated variables of goal-setting, content exploration, activity planning, resource selection and peer feedback. The scientific importance of the study lies in building a knowledge base by gaining an understanding of the outcomes, viability and practical challenges facing schools as they implement this collaborative and contextually-based professional development method. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2021. / Early Childhood Education / PhD / Unrestricted

This study seeks to develop a better understanding of the nature and potential of quality management in primary schools and to determine possible professional development strategies for principals in relation to the introduction of quality management within their schools. A questionnaire was utilised to seek the insights, understandings and opinions of thirty-four primary school principals within the Western Sydney area in relation to quality management in their schools and the kinds of leadership support required to initiate and sustain this process. The policy orientation of the research is evident through suggested options for leadership development which emerge from the findings of the quesionnaire. Furthermore, the notion of schools as 'learning communities' is a vision for school education which requires the transformation of the cultural elements of schools to enable all school members to be active managers of their own learning. There is a need to develop systems and processes to allow this vision for schools to emerge, and this research accepts this challenge. This thesis, based on the outcomes of the questionnaire, includes a theoretical framework based on an overview of current models relating to quality management in primary schools and concludes with considerations for the further development of the process in primary schools in New South Wales. / Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

The articles in this portfolio provide an account of research, which for the purposes of this thesis is divided into two broad categories: teacher professional development, and the support of teacher education in literary and performing arts pedagogy. Within this context three issues are addressed. The study can be categorised under research into teacher professional education.Action research and reflective practitioner research methodology were adopted, as this schema is recognised as being highly appropriate to preservice and inservice development of teachers, and to the improvement of teaching approaches and skills especially in the development of new methods of learning.The research has its theoretical foundations in interactive, child-centred theories of education, performance semiotics and psycholinguistic theories of reading. It is also committed to enabling teachers and students to engage creatively and interpretively in the comprehension of artistic texts and the performing arts. / Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)