This exploratory descriptive case study aimed to identify key issues in the transformation of mathematics teaching in elementary schools. This study told the story of what happened to sixteen elementary teachers who embarked on a quest to improve their mathematics teaching by participating in at least two in-depth professional development experiences over an interval of three years. It traced their ideas about how and why to improve instruction, identified their challenges with prevailing school organizational conditions, and reported perceived changes that were made in their teaching. The research data, comprised of quotations from teachers' writing while they were engaged in professional development experiences at SummerMath for Teachers of Mt. Holyoke College and the researcher's notes from interviews, formed the data for analysis to answer four interrelated research questions: (1) What changes in instruction do selected elementary teachers of mathematics report that they made as a result of participating in professional development for improving the teaching of mathematics? (2) What do selected elementary teachers of mathematics report are the reasons for the changes they made in instruction? (3) What changes in instruction do selected elementary teachers of mathematics report that they regard as most effective for improving student learning? (4) What organizational conditions in their local elementary schools do selected elementary teachers of mathematics report helped or hindered their changes in instruction? The major findings based on the collected data were summarized and presented according to the four research questions that guided this study. The major findings related to changes in instruction fell under five prominent categories: increased emphasis on student thinking and understanding, increase in student-centered activities, changes in classroom discourse, increase in conceptually-based mathematics content, and a shift in the teacher's role from an authoritarian model of instruction to one that is student-centered. Findings from this study suggested some recommendations for educational practice for institutions preparing elementary teachers of mathematics, for in-service teacher professional development programs, and for school policies and organizational structures. One primary recommendation involved engaging pre- and in-service teachers in revisiting the mathematics content that they currently teach or will teach within an inquiry-based teaching and learning environment so that they might draw their own conclusions as to the implications for teaching mathematics.

This qualitative, exploratory case study focused on the design and implementation of a human rights curriculum in a fourth grade, public school classroom. Based on a review of the literature on human rights education, a curriculum incorporating a month long unit, democratic classroom practices, and social action projects was designed and carried out with a group of eighteen, White fourth graders. The study examined students' responses in terms of their thinking about human rights, themselves, and others; their peer relations; and their involvement in social action projects. Data collection methods included participant observation, interviews, audiotaping and videotaping classroom events, and document analysis. Feedback from the students, parents, and teachers in the school helped to establish reliability and confirmability. The major finding of the study was that students' personal experiences, developmental levels, and family and cultural backgrounds strongly influenced their ideas, interests, and subsequent learning about human rights. Most students were able to develop a basic understanding of human rights concepts. Effective teaching techniques were simulations, using children's literature, role play, and action projects. Though the students' peer relations did not change appreciably, most of the students developed a greater interest in human rights issues and learning about different others as a result of the human rights curriculum. The democratic classroom practices and the social action projects gave many students opportunities to become empowered in their own learning. The implications of this study are relevant for teaching at the upper elementary level. It is important for teachers to become aware of children's pre-existing knowledge and attitudes and provide them with with meaningful experiences to build upon or change their thinking. In teaching about human rights and other cultural issues, educators need to be aware of their own biases and teach in ways that reduce rather than increase stereotypes and prejudice. An integrated, comprehensive, and developmentally appropriate approach to human rights instruction will maximize students' learning.

Bibliography: pages 315-322. / This study explored the use of the experiential learning methodology and the concept of learner responsibility within a course for the professional preparation of adult educators at university level. The research methodology was illuminative evaluation using case study research and participant observation. The study described the problems and issues that arose when the students, on the 1982 Diploma Course for Educators of Adults at the University of Cape Town, were faced with the responsibility for the designing, managing and teaching of their own curriculum. The analysis of this showed an ability and willingness on the part of most students to engage in this responsibility. For some students the required role as "curriculum constructor" contradicted with their expected and preferred stance of a learner receiving mediated knowledge from a teacher. The role of assessment diminished the freedom to engage in responsibility, and the difficulties of decision making and management led ultimately to the formation of a management committee. The study went on to examine learner responsibility and experiential learning in more depth. The students' preference for other methodologies and their own perceived ability and confidence to engage with both learner responsibility and experiential learning were major hindrances for the course. The conflict of roles experienced by both the staff and students at a variety of points required a way of clarifying and resolving this conflict, otherwise it continued to block involvement for the students or staff. For learner responsibility the access to learning resources was a further problem. The introduction of experiential learning and the apparent non-openness of it to other methodologies were also problems experienced in practice. The research concluded with an attempt to address these problems. It was proposed that experiential learning and learner responsibility needed to be reconceptualised. Developments such as "learning contracts", "a learning community", new forms of assessment, "learning conversations" and increasing the reflective capacity of experiential learning were proposed. The research ended with a series of implications for practice for those adult education programmes which were committed to a learning process which maximised learner responsibility and autonomy and took seriously the life experience of the students.

"It is the writer's purpose to examine carefully the characteristics of the nine- to twelve-year-old child in order to select what seems to be the psychological and social factors which make necessary an extensive reading program"--Introduction. / "August, 1951." / Typescript. / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts." / Advisor: Blanche Trezevant, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-42).

The general supervisor for Seminole County works co-operatively with the supervisor of negro schools who directs the instructional program in the negro schools. Consequently, this study is limited to a consideration of the facilities in the twelve white schools as the beginning of a county-wide program to improve materials of instruction. Recognition of the constant need to see the educational program in Seminole County as a whole, to provide first for strengthening those aspects of the program which will benefit most directly the work of each teacher in every classroom has lead the general supervisor for the county to examine critically the materials of instruction and the facilities for making them available to children and teachers alike. / Typescript. / "March, 1949." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of the Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Plan II." / Advisor: R. L. Eyman, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-54).

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Although the federally funded TRIO Program entitled Upward Bound has been in existence for over thirty years and numerous federally and privately funded studies have been conducted about the hundreds of programs available throughout the nation, there has been relatively few investigations involving qualitative research approaches. Additionally, despite the fact that first generation college students, the primary target population for Upward Bound Programs, are most likely low-income and Latino, few studies have sought data directly from these target groups about their experience in Upward Bound. In this regard, the data gathered and reported in this qualitative education evaluation research study is unique. Twelve former first-generation, low-income, Puerto Rican Upward Bound students who had completed at least one year of college were interviewed for this study. The interviews utilized a protocol from a twenty-five year old study that also interviewed Upward Bound students (Bemak, 1975). The purpose of this inquiry was to investigate how first generation, low-income, Puerto Rican college students evaluate the impact of their participation in a high school Upward Bound program on their academic preparation for college, self-perceptions, family and social relationships, future educational goals, and ultimately their post-secondary success. The findings of this study shed light on the impact Upward Bound has upon first-generation, low-income, Puerto Rican students who have succeeded in post-secondary education. Data from the study indicate that the services and support provided by Upward Bound effectively intervenes in the unique struggles of first generation, low-income, Puerto Rican students who are at great risk for educational access and attainment. Reflections of former Upward Bound students inform the field of education regarding the impact of college preparatory programs on students who face the most difficult barriers in college completion. This research identifies practices that contribute to post-secondary success and uses the words and ideas of first-generation, low-income, Puerto Rican students as a guide to the implementation of future support services.

This dissertation is based on a field study of an alternative schooling program, CHOLEN, in Bangladesh. The purpose was to seek a clearer understanding of an alternative education model known as 'accelerated learning', where the time required for learning is much shorter than in conventional models, and is used where learners are unable to attend normal schooling due to poverty, cultural barriers, or conflict. CHOLEN used innovative strategies to enhance learning for tribal/indigenous children who were marginalized and bypassed by mainstream education. Key among the strategies used by CHOLEN was 'activity-based learning' that allowed learning to be organized around activities, rather than relying solely on the textbook, expanding learning outside the classroom to the learner's life and environment, creating a friendly learning environment, and using varied materials and methods to deepen the learning experience. Teacher training helped to develop teachers as facilitators with creativity and openness to shift from conventional methods to learner-centered ones. The training used a 'reconstruction approach' which taught teachers how to create their own learning activities. The study also looked at the policy context of CHOLEN. As a non-governmental or NGO program, what were the possibilities and challenges it faced. It looked particularly at the kinds of training and support systems that were essential to effective implementation of this approach. The study employed qualitative methods, using interviews with teachers and trainers, classroom observations of learners, and discussions with parents and community members. The schools studied included both community and government schools so that comparisons could be made as to how the training was applied by teachers in these two systems. The major findings were that CHOLEN promoted 'accelerated learning' by creating a 'culture of learning'. This involved changing beliefs and assumptions of teachers, trainers, and supervisors about learning, learners, the role of teachers, and building a new vision. Changing beliefs went hand-in-hand with practicing new ways of teaching-learning where learners took active role in learning, group and peer-learning were the norm, and learning was often in the form of games and fun. Community members actively participated in supporting this changed environment of learning.

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