Esse estudo investigou a estrutura curricular de educação infantil e ensino fundamental I de uma escola cuja organização curricular se baseia no PYP (Primary Years Programme), modelo de currículo integrado organizado por temas transdisciplinares elaborado, implantado e supervisionado pelo IB - International Baccalaureate. A forma de organização das ações educativas propostas pelo PYP se contrapõe aos princípios do modelo linear disciplinar, estruturado tradicionalmente a partir da justaposição de disciplinas, geralmente isoladas umas das outras. Essa investigação partiu do pressuposto de que as limitações da organização linear disciplinar não atendem às necessidades de uma escola imersa numa sociedade onde cada vez mais os aspectos econômicos, culturais, políticos, ambientais, científicos, etc. se mostram interdependentes. A revisão de literatura fundamentou este trabalho a partir do desenvolvimento dos paradigmas da ciência e da indústria, da discussão sobre os conceitos de disciplina, currículo integrado, transdisciplinaridade e de propostas de ensino baseadas em modelos de currículo integrado e métodos globalizados. A investigação foi realizada a partir de dois estudos, a saber: (I) descrição e análise das características e pressupostos do programa PYP e, (II) a articulação da educação física ao currículo transdisciplinar. A escolha metodológica pelo estudo de caso etnográfico reuniu no estudo I professores de classe e professores especialistas de diversas áreas e, no estudo II professores de educação física. A investigação pautou-se na descrição densa e análise de documentos, das entrevistas semi-estruturadas reflexivas e da observação participante durante reuniões com professores. Os principais aspectos observados revelaram algumas dificuldades, tais como: compreensão dos conceitos essenciais, elaboração de conexões entre o conteúdo disiciplinar e unidades de investigação, articulação do que foi previamente planejado com questões que emergem do cotidiano. Também foram identificados avanços, como por exemplo: o pensamento linear disciplinar dos professores de educação física deu lugar a uma visão mais ampla e integrada de educação, o modelo diretivo de ensino modificou-se na direção de um modelo mais construtivo e reflexivo, a organização curricular transdisciplinar permite que conhecimentos disciplinares sejam contemplados nas unidades de investigação sem a forma estereotipada de uma disciplina / This study has investigated the Early Years and Primary curriculum structure of a private school, which has its curricular approach based on the PYP (Primary Years Programme), an integrated curriculum model organized by transdisciplinary themes, elaborated, implanted and supervised by the International Baccalaureate (IB). The organization form of the educational actions proposed by the PYP opposes the principles of the disciplinary linear model, traditionally structured as of the juxtaposed disciplines, generally isolated from one another. This investigation has taken for granted that the limitations of the disciplinary linear organization do not meet the needs of a school immersed in a society where economic, cultural, political, environmental and scientific aspects are more than ever interdependent. The literature review has addressed the science and industry paradigms development, the concepts of discipline, integrated curriculum, transdisciplinarity and a few teaching proposals based on integrated curriculum models and globalized methods. Two studies were conducted to investigate: (I) the PYP programme characteristics and premises, and (II) the articulation of physical education with the transdisciplinary curriculum. The methodological option for the ethnographical case study has joined in study I, class teachers and specialists of several areas and, in study II physical education teachers. The investigation was conducted through a dense description and analysis of documents, reflective semi-structured interviews and participant observation during meetings with teachers. The main observed aspects revealed some teachers difficulties in comprehending essential concepts, making connections between disciplinary contents and the units of inquiry, finding a balance between addressing what has been previously planned and contents that arise from daily activities. Advancements have also been identified, for example: physical education teachers disciplinary linear thought has given room to an ampler and integrated educational stand point, the directive teaching style has moved towards a more constructive and reflective approach, the transdisciplinary curricular organization enables disciplinary knowledge to be integrated to the units of inquiry without the stereotyped form of a discipline

This Masters project consists of two elements: 1) an integrated after-school program to improve student English language reading and academic outcomes for third graders' vocabulary development by incorporating music, artistic creativity and linguistics; 2) a pilot sample curriculum that demonstrates the approach for building student comprehension through musical theater and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) content experiences. Called "Water Buddy", this is an after-school program uses singing, dancing, writing, and play to build reading and vocabulary skills. The goal is to improve learner academic outcomes by mastering the elemental building blocks of words, letters, symbols by making memorable the sound units, idioms, print conventions, and concepts that they were previously lacking.

Student's verbal participation in science classrooms is an essential element in building the skills necessary for proficiency in scientific literacy and discourse. The myriad of new, multisyllabic vocabulary terms introduced in one year of secondary school biology instruction can overwhelm students and further impede the self-efficacy needed for concise constructions of scientific explanations and arguments. Factors inhibiting students' inclination to answer questions, share ideas and respond to peers in biology classrooms include confidence and self-perceived competence in appropriately speaking the language of science. Providing students with explicit, engaging instruction in methods to develop vocabulary for use in expressing conclusions is critical for expanding comprehension of science concepts. This study fused the recommended strategies for engaging vocabulary instruction with linguistic practices for teaching pronunciation to examine the relationship between a student's ability to pronounce challenging bio-terminology and their propensity to speak in teacher-led, guided classroom discussions. Interviews, surveys, and measurements quantifying and qualifying students' participation in class discussions before and after explicit instruction in pronunciation were used to evaluate the potential of this strategy as an appropriate tool for increasing students' self-efficacy and willingness to engage in biology classroom conversations. The findings of this study showed a significant increase in student verbal participation in classroom discussions after explicit instruction in pronunciation combined with vocabulary literacy strategies. This research also showed an increase in the use of vocabulary words in student comments after the intervention.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This research investigated the teacher beliefs and the important aspects of value education in relation to the New Senior Secondary Liberal Studies (NSS LS) curriculum in Hong Kong. The NSS LS curriculum was first introduced to schools in the academic year 20092010. It emphasises the cultivation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Therefore, it is suggested that value education should be an important element in this new core senior secondary curriculum. The focus of this study is to explore the beliefs which are held by the NSS LS teachers in value education and to identify the important aspects of value education in practice accordingly. The findings suggested that value education in relation to NSS LS is a common concern of teachers, and it is expressed as two themes: ‘moral standard’ and ‘critical thinking’. It was found that if ‘moral standard’ is the focal concern for teachers, ‘value instruction’ may become the main teaching strategy and ‘biased selection of experience’ may inform pedagogy. On the contrary, if ‘critical thinking’ is the focal concern for teachers, ‘value clarification’ and ‘providing alternatives for students to experience’ may become the main melodies in their teaching. In addition, ‘programmability’ and ‘role of emotions’ are the important aspects in which NSS LS teachers differ in their views of value education. Based on the analysis and findings of this qualitative study, some implications for future research are discussed. It is hoped that this study may provide some insights for those educationalists who are interested in this area of study. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This is a study of the relationship between rhetoric and informal reasoning in Liberal Studies. Williams (1991) argued that the educational background of a reader would affect his perception of written discourse in Informal Reasoning and Education: Rhetoric and Informal Reasoning. This study is trying to investigate whether there is a relationship between readers’ educational background and their preference on writing style. The research conducted is related to the NSS Liberal Studies curriculum in Hong Kong. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study investigates critical thinking skills of secondary school students in Hong Kong. It focuses on one specific subject of Liberal Studies, that has been one of the four core subjects in the New Senior Secondary curriculum since 2009. Most Hong Kong schools that use English Language as the medium of instruction conduct the lesson and assessment in the students’ second language. The assessments (public examination) include two written examinations (Paper 1: Data-based questions and Paper 2: Extended-response questions) and one Independent Enquiry Studies task accomplished under the guidance of a teacher. Critical thinking is regarded as one of the core skills that students need to master and demonstrate during the lessons and assessments (CDC, 2007). According to the Curriculum guide (CDC, 2007), the design of the curriculum and assessment framework for this subject “has taken into account overseas experiences in cross-disciplinary studies, pertaining in particular to critical thinking, life education, values education and civic education, with due consideration given to their relevance in the Hong Kong context”. Yet, the guide fails to examine the possible difficulties and challenges for Hong Kong students to acquire and demonstrate critical thinking through their second language. This study attempts to analyze whether predominantly Cantonese-speaking students can acquire and express critical thinking in an English-medium classroom. One of the central arguments of this paper is that while the mastery of critical thinking is rather abstract, whether a student can acquire critical thinking skills is assessed by more concrete measurements (written public examinations) which are largely dependable on the student’s ability to communicate effectively in English. Therefore, this study draws on first-hand data from the 2013 Liberal Studies Practice Paper. Sample scripts chosen by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority and the relevant marking guidelines are employed to aid the discussion. / published_or_final_version / English Studies / Master / Master of Arts

The period 2005-2014 was the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Many countries, especially those in European and North America have been implementing or looking for ways to implement education for sustainable development (ESD) in their education system. In Hong Kong, Liberal Studies (LS) is an important new channel for ESD. It is the only compulsory subject in secondary schools which required students to learn about sustainable development (SD). There are a lot of similarities between LS and ESD in terms of goal, perspectives, values and attitudes, pedagogy and the development of skills, however, both LS and SD are new to many LS teachers. This study aims to examine LS teachers’ perception of SD and ESD and the ways they implement ESD through LS in order to identify opportunities and constraints for implementing ESD through LS and find out what can be done to further promote SD in schools. Apart from desktop research, first-hand data were collected mainly from questionnaires and interviews with LS teachers. Interviews were also conducted with some relevant government officers and LS teacher educators working at universities. This study finds that LS teachers generally support SD and ESD and have developed some common understandings on SD and ESD. They pay special attention to preservation and conservation and the controversial nature of SD issues. They put special emphasis on helping students see SD issues from multi-perspectives and balance different interests. They are able to recognize the importance of experiential learning, place-based education and active and participative learning approaches to ESD. LS teachers generally agree that LS is a very important channel for ESD as it raises students’ awareness and sensitivity to current SD issues and can help students think about SD across modules by applying the concept on different geographical and time scales. However, there are a number of factors limiting the effectiveness of ESD in LS. This study shows that there are four major types of constraints affecting the implementation of ESD through LS, including conceptual constraints, LS curriculum constraints, resource constraints and the over-reliance on LS. This study also identifies some opportunities to improve ESD in LS. Base on the study findings, some general recommendations for improving ESD in the Hong Kong education system are made followed by some specific recommendations for improving ESD in LS. / published_or_final_version / Kadoorie Institute / Master / Master of Philosophy

Health education is critical to the success of a community health program. Yet the majority of research on health education is conducted from the point of view of programme designers or evaluators. Where health educators themselves are the focus, data is often generated through surveys, questionnaires, field notes, or quantitative measures. Narrative accounts by health educators describing their activities and their perceptions of programme efficacy are thus a neglected line of inquiry. My thesis examines one group of health educators who trained and worked with Sidney and Emily Kark at the Institute of Family and Community Health in Durban during the 1940s and 1950s. The importance of health educators in the Institute's project has often been acknowledged by key figures like the Kark, but few scholars have highlighted the contributions of these paraprofessionals. As catalysts of change and disseminators of knowledge, their role was encapsulated by health educator Neela Govender: "So many things people can do to [become] aware of health problems, and how much they themselves could be responsible for their own health ... that's not something they can forget. They will pass it on to another generation, or influence each other. We sow the seed, and it must grow, and spread". In focusing on the health educators' role, I seek to integrate perspectives of "history from below" to enhance previous analyses that concentrated on doctors and government administrators as the main architects of the Institute of Family and Community Health. To this end, I have collected testimony of health educators as a valuable source of historical evidence, which not only uncovers a foot soldier's view of what the Karks called a "practice of social medicine" but also illuminates various social, political, and economic contexts underpinning health education in South Africa. This study used oral history techniques to explore how retired health educators perceived their experiences at the Institute. It thematically analysed their narratives to gain a sense of their training, goals, methods and working conditions in segregationist and apartheid-era South Africa. My interview subjects were predominantly women whose work reflected the centrality of maternal, child, and family health to the Institute. As intermediaries between the clinic and the community, they were integral to the Institute of Family and Community Health's investigation of the links between health and culture. The themes of race, gender and culture were as pertinent in the mid-twentieth century as they are today in the delivery of health services; health educators' narratives might provide insights into how such conceptual factors influence the operation of community health programs in contemporary South Africa. The ways in which the Institute's health educators became active agents in the face of oppressive circumstances also contain potential lessons for their counterparts currently struggling to address an HIV/AIDS epidemic with inadequate resources and governmental support. / Thesis (M.Med.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.

The research questions of this thesis, “Migrating Through Currere: A Narrative Inquiry Into the Experience of Being a Canadian Teacher,” are three-fold: What is the experience of being a Canadian teacher? How do personal and trans/national migration histories influence this experience? How does being a teacher of English-as-a-Second/Additional- Language of adult immigrant and refugee students affect this experience? The aim of this thesis is to better understand how auto/biographical migration stories are connected to a pedagogical life and how this connection influences a teaching praxis. The following quotation sets the teacher in migration: “What is the experience of being…a stranger in a land not one’s own” (Pinar, 1975a, p. 399)? Curriculum reconceptualist theory asks the teacher to engage in processes of self-reflexivity in social, historical, and pedagogical contexts. The experience of being a Canadian teacher is reflected in my family’s and others’ migration stories during the first wave of migration of immigrants to Alberta. Four narratives of my own arose out of self-reflection on topics of identity, culture, home, location, and ethnicity. Each narrative is developed using William F. Pinar’s (1975a) method of currere. The narratives are interspersed throughout the thesis from the regressive to the synthetical moments of currere; they are juxtaposed against autobiographies written by first and second generation Canadians. A review of the literature illuminates the works of educational philosophers such as Maxine Greene and contemporary curriculum scholars including Ted T. Aoki, Dwayne Huebner, Janet L. Miller, Leah Fowler, Erika Hasebe-Ludt, and Cynthia Chambers, in addition to Pinar. The inquiry reveals how a historical return to the self can inform the teacher of the meaning of the teaching experience found in the pedagogical, lived, and historical v circumstances of the self and other. A new awareness of the teaching self emerges in the foreign and familiar of the classroom. Tensions found in dichotomies of language, culture, and ethnicity become generative spaces to reflect on the experience; home becomes a portal through which the teacher views the world with empathy. The teacher lives perceptively in a culturally diverse classroom and amongst the complexities of another’s life circumstances. / ix, 157 leaves ; 29 cm