The purpose of this study was to collect information to measure the perceptions of superintendents and principals about the extent to which they: (1) were aware, (2) were supportive, and (3) have implemented the National Education Goals and Maryland's Schools for Success Goals. In addition, the study examined (1) level of implementation and (2) adequacy of funding for the National and Maryland Goals. Superintendents and principals from Maryland's 23 counties and the Baltimore City school district comprised the population in this study. A questionnaire was designed and administered by the researcher to gather data on education awareness, attitudes and involvement of the National and State Goals. It also gathered data about administrators t experience, size of school, school district, race and gender. A process was described in which the researcher designed and pilot tested a survey questionnaire. The revised questionnaire was used in a survey of 635 Maryland public school principals and 24 superintendents. Of the 635 surveys sent to principals, 443 or 70% were returned and processed. For superintendents, the return rate was 67% (16 of 24). Superintendents and principals responded to five questions for each of the six national goals and ten Maryland goals. The five questions assessed awareness of the goals on the part of the respondents, the extent to which they supported the goal, the extent to which the goal was currently being implemented, the extent of their personal commitment to implementing the goal and whether adequate funding support for the goal was being supplied. For each of the 16 goals, respondents rated their agreement-disagreement on a 5-point Likert scale. Statistical measures included ANOVA, F-test and t-test. The results indicated that there were a number of important statistically significant differences between the groups studied. Superintendents and principals differed significantly on level of awareness of the National and Maryland Goals. Superintendents were more informed. Elementary and secondary principals differed significantly on commitment to implementing the goals, secondary principals being more committed. There were statistically significant differences between urban, rural and suburban principals in implementation of Maryland Goals, with suburban principals being more advanced in commitment. Suburban schools were also more in agreement than were rural or urban schools in the area of financial support of Maryland Goals. School size reflected statistically significant differences concerning financial support. Smaller schools were more satisfied than larger ones. Similar differences were found on the basis of race of principal; African-American principals were more content with the level of support of National and Maryland Goals than were Caucasian principals. The results indicated that questions of awareness, support, degree of implementation, and personal commitment for the National goals correlated significantly with the corresponding Maryland goals. The process and instrument proved to be effective in gathering data related to the research questions. / Ed. D.

The major focus of this study was to obtain information and to make comparisons of the importance of technology education program goals as determined by three professional groups in the State of Virginia: professional leaders/teacher educators, local supervisors, and technology education teachers. Two dimensions were investigated: actual program goals and ideal program goals. Furthermore, goal emphases at two school levels, middle school and senior high, were investigated separately. Two primary factors were investigated: (1) were there differences among the three professional groups relative to the assessed importance of program goals; (2) were there differences among the geographic locations (urban, suburban, and rural) relative to the assessed importance of program goals? Data were collected through a mailed questionnaire. Results of the study were based on responses received from 77.1 percent of professional leaders/teacher educators, 82.5 percent of local supervisors, and 73.9 percent of technology education teachers. The MANOVA, and ANOVA, and Hotelling paired T² tests were used to determine significant differences among the mean scores. Major conclusions reached as a result of the study were: 1. Professional leaders/teacher educators held different beliefs than did local supervisors and technology education teachers about the importance of program goals for technology education. 2. Local supervisors and teachers in the three geographic locations held similar beliefs about the importance of technology education program goals. 3. All three groups of respondents put greater importance in the ideal goals as compared to actual goals for most the 14 goal statements for technology education. / Ph. D.

The study surveyed two groups of elementary school principals who participated in the 1983 and 1984 NAESP National Fellows Program by means of a questionnaire; one hundred seventy-three principals from the 1983 program and one hundred twenty-six from the 1984 group. The questionnaire sought to gather information in an effort to determine whether the subjects made changes in their schools in five selected categories during the 1983-1984 school year, and if so, the sources the subjects cited as motivating them to undertake such a change. The information indicated that the highest number of respondents (N=238) reported making changes or undertaking new initiatives in their instructional programs with a seventy-nine (79%) response in this category. There were differences between the two groups in two categories: creating business/school partnerships and management style. There was relatively little difference between the two groups in the final two categories: use of technology to provide information to students and marketing the good things about school. The investigator concluded that (1) the principal does influence change in the school and the instructional program of the school receives the greatest level of involvement from the principal; and, (2) that the information provided by the principals indicated that conventions, books, and contact with other colleagues provided the most frequently cited sources for motivation to undertake change or new initiatives; and, (3) that participation in the NAESP National Fellows Program could be considered a strong motivating force for impacting change in the schools led by the participants. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata

The purpose of this study was to report on policy changes implemented by school boards in the past two school years (1982-1984) in the areas of graduation requirements, financial incentives for teachers, instructional time, and homework. The survey also obtained information on program curtailment and or elimination. A stratified random sample (4,134) of 17 percent was drawn from the population of subscribers to the American School Board Journal who are local school board members. A return rate of 24.8 percent (1,027) was realized. The survey used in this study was designed to accomplish two purposes. One was to collect demographic and personal data to be treated in the study. The data employed concerned state, region, and school district population; school district classification; family income; marital status; occupation; race; age; educational attainment; and years served as a board member. The second purpose of the survey was to gather data involving changes implemented by school boards in the last two years in the selected areas. Respondents reported significant increases in graduation requirements in mathematics, language arts, computer technology, and science. In the area of course curtailment, music, driver education, art, industrial arts, and health/physical education were most frequently cited as being reduced. Secondary driver education was most frequently cited by the respondents as being eliminated. In the category of instructional time, the respondents' first choice for policy changes was increasing class time. Second most often cited was lengthening the school day. Increasing the school year was the area least cited by the respondents. Suggestions for further research include (1) the further exploration of the long range fiscal impact of the changes and (2) the investigation of a more comprehensive sample of demographic and personal variables that might be related to policy changes implemented by school boards. / Ed. D.

The Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 reaffirmed the school as the centre of change and as critical for promoting sustainable education. The purpose of this research was to assess, firstly, how the Eco-Schools Programme can achieve whole school development by implementing sustainability education, and secondly, the feasibility of its incorporation into the formal school system. It examined what impact the South African Eco-Schools Programme, since 2003, has had on the implementation of sustainable education through whole school development. The qualitative evaluation research design was used and data was collected through interviews, questionnaires and narratives that included all role players. It noted the strengths of the programmes already in place and identified the challenges that still need to be addressed. The outcome of the study proves that the Eco-Schools Programme does achieve whole school development by implementing sustainability education and should be incorporated into the formal education system. / Further Teacher Education / M.A. (Education)

This study was designed to determine the relationship between Florida School Recognition Program (FSRP) participation and adequate yearly progress (AYP) criteria met during school years 2004-2008. It also intended to discover whether schools' socioeconomic status, minority rates, and levels moderated this relationship as well as a difference in average AYP criteria met for schools that maintained FSRP participation and those that do not. The study further sought to determine whether these school characteristics and schools' grades predicted maintenance of participation in the FSRP. A quantitative method, including three statistical analyses, was employed to respond to 6 research questions and test 14 corresponding null hypotheses. Three thousand and seventy-seven schools were identified for data collection and analysis. Six independent variables were defined as school level, average socioeconomic status, average minority rate, average percentage of AYP criteria, aggregate number of years 100% of AYP criteria was met, and average school grade. One dependent variable was defined as aggregate years of FSRP participation. The study found that there was a relationship between participation in the FSRP and AYP criteria met, and school level, socioeconomic status, and minority rate moderated this relationship. While school level and minority rate moderated a difference in average percentage of AYP criteria met in schools that maintained participation in the program and those that did not, socioeconomic status did not. Moreover, all independent variables served as predictors for maintenance of participation in the FSRP. The study found that schools' demographic characteristics influence student achievement and participation in incentive pay programs. / Six implications for future research were identified to further explore the FSRP and AYP relationship, the unintended consequences of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the appropriateness of incentive pay education, the distribution of FSRP award dollars in schools, and student achievement by school level. Recommendations were to add an AYP criterion to the FSRP, assess the effectiveness of inducement policies in education, and add a provision for program evaluation to the FSRP statute. / by Valerie Smith Wanza. / Vita. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The purpose of this qualitative narrative research study was to interpret the meaning found throughout the formal educational experience stories of Native American, Asian American, and African American women born after 1944, who had earned an education doctorate degree after 1976, and were working with adults in an educational capacity within the community. Utilizing the snowball technique, 14 participants from across the United States volunteered to collaborate with the researcher. The study's conceptual framework included adult learning principles and practices, Nussbaum's 'narrative imagination,' which were used to examine the women's motivation to participate in an education doctorate program as well as the barriers, the enhancers, and the application of the degree in the community. Data collected included an in-depth, face-to-face interview, two reflective narrative guides, document analysis, and researcher journals and analytic memos. All data was coded and analyzed with Atlas -ti 5.0 software, and thematic analyses completed in order to triangulate the data. Six major themes for motivation to participate were found: self-awareness through placement in the family, family and community expectation in importance of education, personal strengths and weaknesses, perceived differences in the classroom and mainstream society, and knowledge of motivation to pursue doctorate. Five barriers emerged: racism, gender, advisers, institutional changes and problems, and juggling multiple roles in limited time. Five main enhancers arose: family and community foundation, financial, friends, and others which motivated participation. / The women applied their doctorates through leadership activities in community-based organizations such as role modeling, mentoring, and other scholarly activities which advocated "giving back culturally," which was the ultimate meaning or value of the degree; however, achievement and credibility were also valued a doctorate degree was "only step in the process." This study provided a space for rich descriptive storytelling about each woman's successful experience pursing and completing an education doctorate program. Adult learning discussion of the findings, contributions to the literature, and recommendations for graduate education and future research were included. / by Jo Ann Marie Bamdas. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

随着教师研究关注点从教师行为发展到教师认知，教师信念成为重要的研究议题。职前教师教育政策性文本也开始关注教师信念等问题，促进师范生信念的改变成为职前教育的目标。在教师信念研究中，基于中国大陆职前教育背景的师范生信念的动态研究相对比较少。 / 本研究采用质性研究取向、个案研究策略，选取了P师范大学英语专业和学前教育专业共8位师范生为研究对象。通过深度访谈、文件分析等方法搜集田野研究数据，探究在职前教育阶段师范生信念的发展变化，并分析影响师范生信念发展变化的因素。 / 研究发现，在专业课后，学前教育专业师范生都转向幼儿中心的信念取向；实习后，学前教育专业师范生信念出现回归倾向。英语专业师范生在专业课后信念发展变化有一些多样性。师范生信念的转变可以分为两组，专业课学习之后，EFL-X、EFL-Q这两位师范生信念呈现整合的特点，实习后，两位师范生信念转向以传统教师中心取向为主。而另外两个英语专业师范生则呈现另一类型。专业课后，EFL-Z、EFL-R两位师范生持有学生中心的信念取向，实习后，他们的信念呈现整合的特点。师范生信念的发展是一个动态的过程，师范生信念由基于个人经验的信念发展初期，发展到基于理论的信念发展阶段，再发展到基于情境的、经验的信念发展阶段，这一阶段师范生信念出现具体化，回归传统两种发展变化形态。 / 在不同的阶段中，影响师范生信念的因素具有差异性。在专业课学习阶段，学前教育教育专业师范生信念受职前教育课程影响比较明显。师范生接受专业理论课程时，师范生进行一致性检验，新习得的信息与原有的基于个人经历形成的信念不一致，出现认知冲突，认知冲突是信念改变的开始。专业课传递的理念处于比较强势的地位，同化了之前基于社会文化及个人因素形成的信念，基于专业课形成的信念还要反复地通过实践环节进行一致性的检验。学前教育专业主干课程的课程内容强调儿童中心，理论课程的学习阶段有见习环节，见习的重要作用在于及时强化师范生在专业课程中习得的信念。大学教师在教学中注重学生参与、注重实践性，课程组织以及大学教师的教学方式都符合情境学习理论所强调的通过即时的情境、注重学习材料的真实性，在参与实践的过程中学习的理念。结合真实的情境进行学习，容易引起师范生的认知冲突，因此，学前教育专业师范生信念改变比较明显。英语专业职前教育课程理论课程与实践课程相分离，在专业课形成理念得不到及时的强化，不利于师范生信念的改变。英语知识课程理念和教师职业教育类课程所强调的理念有一些不一致，是导致专业课后英语专业师范生信念出现差异性的原因之一。 / 实习过程中，师范生信念主要受情境性因素、基于实践的反思、社会性互动影响。师范生在实习过程中教学实践与信念的一致性强化专业课习得的信念，信念的发展形态为具体化。如果实践和师范生持有的信念不一致，出现认知冲突，伴随比较消极的情绪，师范信念开始动摇，出现回归的倾向，出现信念的重新整合或回归教师中心的信念取向。 / 个人、社会方面的因素对师范生信念有所影响，高中学习经历是影响大一英语专业师范生信念形成的因素。实习阶段，受考试文化因素的影响，师范生信念发生回归传统的倾向。另外，师范生的个人性格、个人性别、其他学习经历制约职前教育课程对个人信念影响的大小。 / With the shift of focus in teacher research from teachers’ behavior to teachers’ cognition, teachers’ beliefs have become an important research issue. Recently, pre-service teacher education policies have begun to pay attention to teachers’ beliefs. Promoting changes in the beliefs of pre-service teachers should be one of the central tasks of pre-service teacher education. However, few studies of pre-service teachers’ beliefs have been conducted in the context of mainland Chinese pre-service teacher training programs. / The present research followed a qualitative research approach and employed the case study method. Eight students of a normal university, four pre-service teachers majoring in English and four majoring in preschool education, participated in the study. The researcher collected data through in-depth interviews and document analysis to address the following questions. How do pre-service teachers’ beliefs develop during pre-service teacher education? What factors would effect changes in the beliefs of pre-service teachers? / The results show that before their teaching practicum the preschool education majors tended to hold child-centered beliefs, whereas after it their beliefs tended to reflect a traditional teacher-centered orientation. The changes in the beliefs of the English majors exhibited greater variety, although two general types of belief-changes were observed. Two of the English majors showed an integration of teacher-and student-centered beliefs before the teaching practicum, and reverted to teacher-centered beliefs after it. The other two originally held student-centered beliefs, and then moved toward an integration of teacher-and student-centered beliefs after the teaching practicum. / The influential factors in changing the participating pre-service teachers’ beliefs differed at different stages of the research. The preschool education majors were affected by the university curriculum in significant ways, and then tried to reconcile their experience in the teaching practicum with a theoretical perspective. Cognitive conflict arose when there was a discrepancy between teaching experience and earlier held beliefs, leading to a change in beliefs. Beliefs based on formal education tend to be influential and to assimilate pre-existing beliefs based on personal experience and the prevailing culture, but need to be consolidated by practice. The preschool education curriculum emphasizes child-centered beliefs, which are to be strengthened by internship experience. Normal universities emphasize the full participation of pre-service teachers, and preschool education majors have many opportunities to learn through practice. The organization of the curriculum and teaching methods are in line with situated learning theory, which emphasizes the situated nature of the learning process in the immediate context and the use of authentic learning materials. For English majors, in contrast, the curriculum and practice are separated. Beliefs shaped by the courses taken are not immediately strengthened by practice, and are thus more resistant to change. What is more, there are inconsistences between English subject courses and educational theory courses. That discrepancy appears to be the main reason for the diversity in pre-service teachers’ beliefs observed in this research. / During the teaching practicum, participants’ beliefs were affected by the context, reflection on practices, and social interaction. Consistency between practice and beliefs reinforced their beliefs, whereas discrepancies led to negative emotions and belief-regression. / Personal factors and the assessment-centered culture that prevails in mainland China also affected the participating pre-service teachers’ beliefs. The main influence on those beliefs was the participants’ own educational experience, which was largely characterized by an emphasis on assessment. During the teaching practicum, this assessment-centered culture prompted the English majors to resort to a traditional teacher-centered orientation. Also, personal factors such as personality, sex, and additional learning experiences, influenced the effectiveness of the teacher training program in shifting the beliefs of all participating pre-service teachers. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 李玲. / Parallel title from added title page. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2015. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 238-261). / Abstracts also in English. / Li Ling.

The Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 reaffirmed the school as the centre of change and as critical for promoting sustainable education. The purpose of this research was to assess, firstly, how the Eco-Schools Programme can achieve whole school development by implementing sustainability education, and secondly, the feasibility of its incorporation into the formal school system. It examined what impact the South African Eco-Schools Programme, since 2003, has had on the implementation of sustainable education through whole school development. The qualitative evaluation research design was used and data was collected through interviews, questionnaires and narratives that included all role players. It noted the strengths of the programmes already in place and identified the challenges that still need to be addressed. The outcome of the study proves that the Eco-Schools Programme does achieve whole school development by implementing sustainability education and should be incorporated into the formal education system. / Further Teacher Education / M.A. (Education)

The purpose of the project was to provide first grade teachers at the Baldwin Park Unified School District with teaching approaches, tools, and strategies in instructing their students in character development education. These approaches, tools, and strategies will support students' academic learning as they develop a deeper comprehension of responsibility skills.