This study addressed the current status of early childhood curriculum design and implementation in the Texas Education Service Centers Seven and Eight. No Previous research about the characteristics of the preschool programs had been completed in those areas. This research established if preschool programs were receiving priority status in East Texas. The results yielded evidence regarding the characteristics of administrators, teachers, curriculum implementation, plus parent and community involvement. The information also provided insight regarding short-term and longitudinal effects on children who have attended preschool programs. Data were collected from a search of educational literature, regional service preschool directors, administrators, and teachers. The procedure used in designing the survey and interview documents was Michael Scriven's goal-free strategy. The main sources for the questions were the National Association for the Education of Young Children and Head Start. The study first directs attention to the common characteristics of national programs/standards, then discusses the level of implementation in local rural prekindergartens. The fifteen open-ended interviews yielded concise information relevant to the population of students served and administrative beliefs on current practices. Surveys were sent to a total of all preschool administrators in the Education Service Center Regions of Seven and Eight. A 51 percent response rate was received. The results of the analysis demonstrated the direction current administrators hope early childhood will take in the areas of 1) developmentally-centered curriculum, 2) parental and community input, and 3) professional development. The administrators' commitments and focal points were correlated with the national standards. Recommendations are made that should result in an overall increase of successful prekindergarten and high school graduates.

In an environment of systemic educational reform, which emphasizes the alignment of curriculum standards, instructional practices, and assessments, an important question arises: What are the factors which influence teachers to change their classroom practice in response to standards-based reforms ? My study examined the initial legislative model, Washington Education Reform Act HB1209 (1993), and tested other factors that led to changes in classroom practice in three middle schools which are currently implementing HB1209. The case studies included multiple sources of evidence (administrator and teacher interviews, surveys, classroom observations, focus groups, and documents). The data were analyzed for each school individually and across all three schools to clarify the connection between standards-based reform policy, teachers' learning, and changes in classroom practice. The study examined the influence of six teacher factors and four school level factors on familiarity with the reform policy, involvement in educational reform, and changes in classroom. Teacher factors were: (a) present teaching experience; (b) previous teaching experience; (c) pedagogical knowledge needed to implement the reform; (d) involvement in educational reform; (e) sense of empowerment; and (f) self-efficacy. School level factors were: (a) previous educational policies; (b) participation in a collaborative learning group; (c) building level and district administrative expectations and support; and (d) organizational features that enhance time for teachers to learn and collaborate. Both teacher and school level factors were related to familiarity with the policy, involvement in reform, and changes in classroom practice. Teacher factors (involvement in reform, empowerment) predicted more of the variance in familiarity with HB1209 than did school level factors (collegial teams, school reform plan). Contrary to my original hypothesis, knowledge of the reform policy itself was the largest single predictor of involvement in educational reform and of changes in classroom practice. However, while knowledge of the policy was necessary, it was not a sufficient predictor. Teacher factors (staff empowerment, pedagogical knowledge) predicted more of the involvement in reform than did school level factors (time for planning and curriculum development, school reform plan). Teacher factors (involvement in reform) and school level factors (workshops, conversations about practice) were equally predictive of changes in classroom practice.

This dissertation is a study of a relatively new teacher function in nurse education, a teacher function that can be called clinical teacher, link lecturer, link teacher or lecturer involved in practice. The study departs from a constructivist perspective and the aim is to study the introduction, performance and regulation of this teacher function. The material consists of internationally and nationally published research 1978-2009, reports from the authorities, job ads for clinical teachers, job descriptions and contracts, archive material, evaluation studies, professional journals, texts on the Internet and 15 interviews with clinical teachers in Sweden. Using discourse analysis this material is studied in terms of interpretive repertoires, subject positions and ideological dilemmas. The primary focus of this dissertation concerns what problems the new teacher function is supposed to solve, how the problem should be solved, the effects of the chosen solutions and what´s staged, challenged and reproduced. Secondly, this dissertation highlights what categories of teachers are required and in demand for the new teacher function, how the teachers themselves manage their function and how the teacher function is maintained and challenged. The analysis identifies and highlights current interpretive repertoire, teachers possible subject positions and ideological dilemmas and how they are governed and challenged in the teaching function.

Not available / text

Examining teacher attitudes about the impact of Standards-Based Reform (SBR) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) on current teaching practices in kindergarten classrooms was the focus of this mixed-methods study. The investigation was designed to survey classroom teachers concerning activities and opinions about enactment of governmental policy, One hundred-nine kindergarten teachers responded to a questionnaire about beliefs, educational level, years of kindergarten teaching, and classroom practices. Follow-up semi-structured interviews were carried out with ten teachers to gather information on attitudes, beliefs, and implementation of policy. Quantitative analysis was used on practices and subject changes. Qualitative analysis was used to report attitude, procedural changes, and predictions concerning SBR and NCLB. Triangulation strengthened the study by examination of classroom practices and teacher reporting through plan book inspection.The quantitative research was conducted to measure changes through chi-square analysis to the questionnaire responses, Developmental teaching practices and subject changes were examined. Outcomes demonstrated that teaching practices had become more "blended" but more developmental than teacher-directed. Significant differences were noted in subject changes, confirming that language arts dominates the curriculum. Subjects not tested for NCLB were presented less,Ten teachers who had taught prior to initiation of SBR in Indiana (2000) were interviewed and their plan books were examined. Along with an open-ended question from the questionnaire, these responses provided the qualitative methodology. Analysis created six categories concerning the impact of SBR and NCLB on the child, the classroom, the family, the teacher and profession, and the future of education. Theories were developed that addressed the conflict educators feel between the Structure of legislation and the Humanistic components of teaching. This personal balance that teachers have created between Structure and Humanistic was influenced by a sense of independence garnered by support of principals. Teachers who taught in schools with structured, embedded programs aimed at raising test scores exhibited the most stress and lack of autonomy.This study resulted in five recommendations. They were: encourage developmental practices that support the individual child, increase the role of the parent in the educational partnership process, to support teacher inclusion in decision making to foster autonomy, and the need for professional organizations and teacher preparation programs to heed current teaching practices while supporting the developmental needs of the child. / Department of Elementary Education

<p>The South African government plays a direct and active role in facilitation the development of a skilled workforce. The effective mobilisation, development and utilisation of South Africa's human resource capacity are critical for the success of the economy, institution building and the transformation process. In this context, the development of a system of Recognition of Prior Learning is one of the government's significant initiatives. This research examined whether the policy documents of the universities in the Western Cape comply with the requirements of the National Government Recognition of Prior Learning policy.</p>

Title: Analysis of the observance of the objectives of school physical education at primary school graduates. Objectives: The main purpose of this work was to analyze the knowledges, skills and level of physical abilities and attitudes of the 9th year of primary school graduates pursuant to the proposed standards for physical education developed according to the modified RVP ZV. Methods: To collect and successive evaluation of the data was used a questionnaire survey. A total of one hundred and forty students were interviewed, where seventy students were from Písek and seventy students from České Budějovice. Further, their physical education teachers were interviewed. Results: The results of the analysis don't correspond to the expectation that the students have sufficient knowledge of the activities influencing their health and physical education skills. Students don't have sufficient (general) theoretical knowledge from this sphere Keywords: Education standards, basic education, educational framework programs, physical education, movement literacy, student competenc.

No description available.

This thesis discussess the limitations of the standards-based movement and suggests that some schools, especially those whose mission it is to work exclusively with at-risk students, need to be allowed to set local behavioral standards before any consideration can be given to setting and teaching academic standards. It mainly focuses on Phoenix High School, a community day school in the Corona-Norco Unified School District, and discusses how the standards based movement is not suited to meet the needs of its students.

The purpose of this study was to look at how principals and educators managed and experience the implementation of Quality Assurance policies in secondary schools in KwaZulu Natal focusing on the bttegrated Quality Management System that is currently in place. This study was designed as a qualitative exploratory and descriptive survey. Data was collected in 2007 by visiting schools and conducting interviews with the principals and educators. School managers fell into two groups. One group was positive about Integrated Quality Management System and other group negative. Even though there were differences, all agreed that lntearated Quality Management System was good if it was to be introduced at a pace suitable to the educators. Educators preferred Integrated Quality Management System to systems that were not transparent. They then recommended that Integrated Quality Management System should not be linked to the educators' remuneration as this destroys what could be good about IQMS / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)