This research project takes a critical look at the data that drives educational policies. This research project looks at the data at the national level as well as the regional levels in order to see if the data is functioning differently at the different levels. All data has been collected from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) through reports published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an independent committee assigned to collect and analyze educational data. The data was collected and then correlations were run between the expenditures per pupil, number of pupils per teacher, standardized test scores, such as average ACT, average SAT, average 8th grade Math and Reading tests, and average 4th grade Math and Reading tests. This research project also included the percentage of minority students in the classroom, a variable whose data has been collected over the years, but it has never been included in any prior analyses. What this research project found is that some of the data, such as the standardized test scores, have a different strength of relationship between variables at the different levels. For example, expenditures per pupil have strength in the relationship between the different standardized test scores at the national level, but once those numbers are broken down by region, the strength in the variables relationship is weakened. This research project also discovered that the make up of the classroom, specifically the percentage of minority students, is a vital factor in the performance of all students.

Despite site-based decison making (SBDM) educational mandates, research determined the virtual exclusion of parents, family, and/or home as co-authoritative voice in Texas public school district mission statements. Qualitative analysis determined six parent roles within 155 inclusive mission statements through rhetorical deconstruction, a text-based grammatical evaluation procedure; quantitative analysis determined no significance between inclusive and exclusive districts in factors of size, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. The implications of this study add further support to the growing parental insistence for greater educational decision-making options: ie., home schooling, voucher system, and charter schools.

No description available.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of identifying and assessing degrees of influence of environmental conditions and actors which influenced the passage of House Bill 72 by the Texas legislature. The two methods used to collect this data were personal interviews of key actors in the legislative process and a questionnaire administered to all members of the 68th Texas legislature.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction / Rosemary Talab / The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher practices of enabling factors in the implementation of technology-assisted PBL, in Tatweer schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This study also explored how the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) National Education Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS.T) were used in Tatweer classrooms and for what purposes technology was used to support PBL in the Tatweer schools. Using a constructivist framework, a convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. The survey included closed and open-ended items, which was sent to 1073 male and female Tatweer teachers in 30 schools. Of the 710 responses received, 640 were valid, resulting in a 60% return rate. Factorial MANOVA results indicated that gender and school level were statistically significant at p < .05, while other teacher characteristics (degree types, educational degree, years of teaching experience, and content area), including their interaction, were not. ANOVA results indicated that gender effects on PBL practices were statistically significant on both teacher roles (F (1,403) = 17.77, partial ƞ2 = .042, p < .05) and learning environment (F (1, 403) = 10.83, partial ƞ2 = 026, p < .001). A means comparison indicated that males had better technology-assisted PBL practices on both variables. ANOVA and post hoc test results found that high schools used technology-assisted PBL better than elementary schools, and intermediate schools performed better than elementary schools. No significant difference was found between technology-assisted PBL practices in high schools and intermediate schools within the school system. Descriptive analysis results for research question two indicated that Tatweer school teacher technology uses were aligned with ISTE NETS.T, though there was very little use of technology in PBL. Though 177 units of information were found for the seven open-ended questions, little was related to the research questions, so Grounded Theory was used to find 19 overall themes. Findings indicated several casual conditions for the lack of technology-assisted PBL, including technology access, classroom design, space, and facilities, ministry/district support, and teacher preparation. Action strategies included providing needed technology, offering technology training, providing training in new instructional methods, creating a more flexible curriculum, and adopting advanced teaching methods and authentic assessment. Recommendations for Tatweer schools included a better learning environment, greater professional technology access, and school system support. Recommendations for future studies included conducting a similar study on other schools and a further examination of Grounded Theory findings.

Entre idas e vindas na história do currículo escolar desde o século XIX, a Sociologia como disciplina do ensino médio volta a ser debatida. Com o fim da ditadura militar no país e desde a promulgação da Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional, em 1996, ganhou status diferente na legislação a cada mudança de governo. Na busca por compreender as especificidades da docência nesta área, objetivo central desta tese, foram adotados dados quantitativos e qualitativos, baseados em entrevistas com onze professores e dez professoras, em cargos efetivos de Sociologia no ensino médio da rede estadual paulista. Trajetórias, condições de trabalho e conteúdos e contornos que esta disciplina assumiu por meio dos professores foram os elementos verificados para apreender sua unicidade, no intervalo entre sua obrigatoriedade, em 2008, e a confusa condição de estudos e práticas, colocada pela reforma do ensino médio instituída em 2017. Os resultados mostram um cenário de equilíbrio numérico entre professores e professoras no quadro docente, um traço de sua singularidade. Sua incorporação recente ao currículo obrigatório se desdobra em ausência de referências comuns e condições de trabalho mais frágeis, com grande acúmulo de atividades e menores médias salariais. Entre ser uma escolha e uma possiblidade, as Ciências Sociais, como formação voltada à compreensão do mundo social, e a docência, como alternativa de inserção profissional, atraem professores e professoras com origem na classe trabalhadora, cujas biografias são permeadas pelas artes e pelo universo político, que se deslocam aos sentidos atribuídos à Sociologia no ensino médio. O cotidiano dos alunos é abordado como objeto de estudo pelos professores, numa tentantiva de conferir maior democratização do conhecimento escolar. É, também, lugar de fruição, em que a Sociologia é adotada como suporte para promover a vivência e a reflexão de relações sociais na escola. Alunos e alunas ganham protagonismo com o apoio dos professores de Sociologia, que entendem o fortalecimento das demandas estudantis como parte de seus trabalhos. Na combinação entre o movimento em torno de seu status na legislação educacional, e as falas dos professores e professoras de Sociologia, com seus medos e inquietações, tem-se uma fração relevante dos embates que circunscrevem a escola pública na história recente do país. / Looking back and forth through the history of school curriculum since the 19th century, Sociology as a high school subject is again debated. After the end of the military dictatorship in the country and since the National Education Basic Law and Guidelines were ratified, in 1996, it received a different status in the Law at each government change. Looking forward to understanding the specific features of the teaching in this area, a central objective of this thesis, quantitative and qualitative data were adopted, based on interviews with eleven male and ten female teachers, holding teaching positions in Sociology in São Paulo State High School network. Careers, work conditions and content and outlines that this subject assumed through the teachers were the elements checked to seize its uniqueness, in the meantime between its requirement, in 2008, and the confusing condition of studies and practices, stated by the High School reform constituted in 2017. The results show a scenario of numeric balance between male and female teachers in the teaching staff, a feature of its singularity. Its recent incorporation to the mandatory curriculum unfolds in the absence of common references and most frail work conditions, performing multiple activities and the lowest wage averages. Between a choice and a possibility, Social Sciences, as an education facing the understanding of the social world, and the teaching profession, as an alternative of employability, attracts male and female teachers coming from the working class, whose biographies are filled with arts and the political universe, which move towards the senses attributed to Sociology in High School. Teachers approach the daily routine of students as an object of study, in an attempt to have a more democratic school knowledge development. It is, furthermore, a place of fruition, where Sociology is adopted as a support to promote the experience and the reflection on social relations in school. Students, boys and girls, get center stage with the support of their Sociology teachers, who understand the empowerment of the demand of students as part of their tasks. In combining the movement around its status in educational law, and the speeches of Sociology teachers, with their fears and worries, we have a relevant share of clashes that restrain the public school in the recent history of the country.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T16:34:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Francisca de Fatima Araujo Oliveira.pdf: 1727061 bytes, checksum: a76df3271aa47ba38109dc1e8aa91989 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-08-23 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This study aimed at analyzing the current education policies implemented in Mossoró RN as an expression of the Brazilian education reform which has been implemented since 1990, attempting to identify the changes that this policy has caused in Elementary School, with focus on the problem of school failure, using quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data collection was done through statistical surveys on the situation of elementary school in Brazil and in Mossoró between 1996 and 2008, the national database of the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research (INEP) and the Index of Educational Development (IDE), and the organs of the Executive Department of Education (GEED) of Mossoró. Qualitative data collection, regarding the education system, was done by analyzing documents from the municipal school system, particularly the Municipal Education Plan, the Municipal Law, Actions Plans and Goals and the Programs and Projects developed by GEED. In three public schools, qualitative data were collected through action plans and goals, and through semi-structured interviews with directors, supervisors and teachers. The data reveal that, in the schools surveyed, there are many difficulties to deliver a quality education and point to the existence of students in the 6th year who cannot read yet. The research showed that the Ayrton Senna Institute outlines strategies for the correction of flux, accelerated learning and for the reduction of failure and dropout in the Municipal System of Education of Mossoró as well. Despite the commitment and also the political proposals that blatantly attempt to improve the quality of education, this educational reform expresses the maintenance of an education system that ultimately results in the failure of those to whom increasingly higher levels of access to culture and to a critical view of society should be provided: students from lower classes, i.e. those who suffer the most dire consequences of a society based on class privilege / Este estudo analisa as políticas atuais de educação implementadas no município de Mossoró, RN, como uma das expressões da reforma da educação brasileira implementada a partir dos anos de 1990. Procura-se identificar as mudanças que tal política tem provocado no ensino fundamental, com foco no problema do fracasso escolar; utilizam-se dados quantitativos e qualitativos. A coleta quantitativa foi realizada em levantamentos estatísticos sobre a situação do ensino fundamental no Brasil e em Mossoró, no período entre 1996 e 2008, por meio da base de dados nacionais do Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais INEP e Índice de Desenvolvimento Educacional IDE, e dos órgãos da Gerência Executiva da Educação GEED, do município de Mossoró. A coleta qualitativa, no que se refere ao sistema de ensino, foi realizada por meio da análise de documentos do sistema municipal de ensino, especialmente, o Plano Municipal de Educação, a Legislação Municipal, os Planos de Ações e Metas e os Programas e Projetos desenvolvidos pela GEED. Nas três escolas municipais, os dados qualitativos foram obtidos do plano de ações e metas e por entrevistas semiestruturadas com diretores, supervisores e professores. Os dados revelaram que, nas escolas pesquisadas, existem muitas dificuldades para se ministrar ensino de qualidade e apontam para a existência de alunos no 6ª ano que ainda não sabem ler. A pesquisa revelou que o Instituto Ayrton Senna define as estratégias para a correção de fluxo, aceleração da aprendizagem, bem como para a redução da reprovação e da evasão escolar no Sistema Municipal de Ensino de Mossoró. Verifica-se que o fracasso da reforma educacional é expressão contraditória da sociedade administrada que opera nos limites determinados pelas relações sociais capitalistas. Os obstáculos à reforma estão associados à contradição imanente da sociedade administrada, fundada na contradição social entre forma e conteúdo, promessa e descumprimento, progresso e retrocesso, prescrição e frustração.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-09-21T12:29:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Inocente Coronel Muendo André.pdf: 1484660 bytes, checksum: b584598f40eaf71b70d103c0cd1f342e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-21T12:29:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Inocente Coronel Muendo André.pdf: 1484660 bytes, checksum: b584598f40eaf71b70d103c0cd1f342e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-11 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This research intends to identify this research intends to identify the positive and negative aspects of the reality of primary schools Angola was the semi-structured interview technique of gathering information; characterization of respondents, where were placed the subject of research and its delimitations judiciously, followed by the analysis of the content, with the elaboration of categories of information that has been collected. After the analysis of the interviews, research has shown that primary education in Angola still faces great difficulties even though it was installed the educational reform. The teachers ' reports show many difficulties and challenges to be overcome since the own infrastructure, teaching materials and even the policies directed to the question of the training of a qualified teaching to meet the demand of primary school students and the curriculum that guides the elementary school. Many teachers have not yet assimilated the issue of Monodecency for lack of preparation. It is the responsibility of the Ministry of education, together with the Government review and make new diagnoses in order to combat such weaknesses that primary education faces and hear these teachers about the reality experienced in the day-to-day activities of teachers, in order to map goals that allow a quality education to all education in Angola / Esta pesquisa pretende identificar os aspectos positivos e negativos da realidade das escolas do ensino primário Angola. Foi utilizada entrevista semiestruturada como técnica de coleta de informações e realizada caracterização dos entrevistados, onde foram colocados os sujeitos de pesquisa e suas delimitações de forma criteriosa. Seguiu-se análise do conteúdo, com a elaboração das categorias das informações que foram coletadas. Após a análise das entrevistas, a pesquisa mostrou que o ensino primário em Angola ainda enfrenta grandes dificuldades mesmo tendo sido instalado a reforma educativa. Os relatos dos professores mostram muitas dificuldades e desafios a serem superados desde a própria infraestrutura, materiais didáticos e até as políticas voltadas para a questão da formação de um quadro docente qualificado para atender a demanda dos alunos do ensino primário e o próprio currículo que norteia o ensino primário. Muitos professores ainda não assimilaram a questão da monodocência por falta de preparo. Cabe ao Ministério da Educação, juntamente com o Governo reverem e fazerem novos diagnósticos de modo a combater tais debilidades que o ensino primário enfrenta e ouvir esses professores sobre a realidade vivenciada no dia a dia das suas atividades docentes, a fim de traçarem metas que possam permitir uma educação de qualidade para todo o ensino em Angola

The focus of this thesis was to explore educational professionals' everyday experience of English educational policies; narrowing its focus to policy which promotes an inclusion agenda. The findings are presented in three sections with the first two papers prepared in accordance with the author guidelines of the journals proposed for submission. The first paper offers a review of literature which represents teacher relationship (see Braun, Maguire and Ball, 2010; Fullan, 2006; Luttenberg, Imants and van Veen, 2013; Luttenberg, van Veen and Imants, 2013; Wexler, 2002) with English educational policies. Teacher perspectives illustrate how the implementation and practice of policy heavily guides practice, both in terms of pedagogy and content, and detail the difficulties teachers have in establishing professional identity whilst trying to accommodate policy into practice. It is suggested that in order for teachers to adopt new educational policies they need to be able to take some ownership of both the policies themselves and of their own professional development; but most importantly, that they need the space to engage in dialogue around their practice to do this. The first paper provided a frame for the second by offering a description of the current climate teachers find themselves in and by discussing what might be needed to bring about the professional development necessary to embed policy into practice. The second paper then presents a description of a collaborative action research project within an English high school; a group of educational psychology, teaching, support and pastoral professionals worked collaboratively to develop person-centred practice through their engagement in an inquiry group. The inquiry group engaged in dialogue around practice; exploring their own personal and professional values as well as the values embedded within person-centred practice. This paper offers an account of the inquiry group's journey, highlighting key themes as identified by the group: ownership of, and confidence in, the learning process; developing reflective practice; and the challenge of engaging others in the learning process. The findings suggest that an action research approach can facilitate the learning and development necessary to embody collaborative person-centred practice. The third paper then offers a critical appraisal of the role that educational psychology can have in disseminating findings and promoting teacher development; in particular through the facilitation of collaborative action research within the school context.

Kazakhstan has used the Soviet system of education since its independence in 1990. Researchers have noted shortfalls in education reform efforts and documented factors of teachers' resistance to new pedagogies. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore local teachers' perceptions of the new pedagogies in the context of understanding the local-international teacher program in Agrenov international schools (AIS). Three research questions focused on teachers' perceptions of factors for adoption of new pedagogies in an educationally transforming school using the motivational and systems approaches and emotional intelligence conceptual frameworks. A conceptual framework constructed from three theories of motivation, systems approach, and emotional intelligence was used. The target participants were local teachers who had worked in state schools for a minimum of 3 years and for 2 years in AIS, and who had worked with national teachers. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with a random sample of 10 local veteran teachers from the target population. Thematic coding produced 4 themes: school, teacher, time, and political factors with 15 subthemes which can be used as areas of focus in researching, analyzing, and enhancing adoption of new pedagogies. The results of the study can be used to enhance teacher adoption of educational reform efforts locally in Agrenov international school Centre City and the AISes, and internationally.