The aim of this research was to better understand teacher's beliefs about visual literacy and to explore how their beliefs influence their teaching practice. In order to investigate this, a case study was conducted that comprised of lesson observations and semi-structured interviews with two secondary school English home language educators. The backdrop to the research was the implementation of the new national curriculum for grade 10. The participants, though well educated and experienced teachers, felt their training had been inadequate in the area of teaching visual literacy and although they acknowledged the importance of visual literacy, it seemed to have a fairly low priority in their actual teaching practice. In particular, very little attention was given to the production of multimodal texts by learners. The reason for this low priority may be related to the requirements of the formal assessment programme as well as limited lesson time in which to cover an extensive curriculum. The research findings would seem to suggest a need for in-service training in this area as well as access to suitable learning support materials and teacher resources.

Thesis (MTech (Education))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, 2002 / Within the broad theoretical context provided by debates on the importance of focussing on programme teaching towards workplace-orientated goals and greater cooperation between the world ofwork and the higher education sector in order to develop work integrated curricula, this study attempted to investigate the relevance of the diploma in educare with regard to meeting the needs ofeducare centres. The study as a whole is set against the general literature on the development of the transdisciplinary curriculum that integrates the world of work with academic programmes and the development oftransdisciplinary curriculum in educare in particular. The literature that was surveyed covered the following aspects: The needs ofthe educare practitioner in the workplace, important aspects that need to be present in the Early Childhood curriculum in order for the child to learn effectively and how could the higher education sector and the workplace, work together to develop a balanced curriculum that is offered to the educare practitioners at the institutions. Along with this investigation quantitative as well as qualitative data were collected about the curriculum that is offered to potential educare practitioners by means of questionnaires, interviews and focus group interviews. The conclusion drawn from the findings of the literature survey and the investigation is that the integration of theory and practice in the teaching and learning processes should be encouraged if the development and professional growth of students are to be achieved, and more interaction should take place between the higher education sector and the workplace in order to increase the performance levels of students and their employability in the workplace. The present study therefore, is an attempt to encourage the integration oftheory and practice and collaborative efforts between higher education institutions and the worklllace in curriculum development and is in line with the new South African curriculum that places emphasis on the relevance of education to the needs ofthe workplace and to the lives of South Africans.

Since the Namibian independence in 1990, the education system has undergone some major revamping which involved the adoption of social constructivist perspectives in the teaching and learning of sciences. This learning theory acknowledges learners’ background prior knowledge as valuable tools in the effective construction of science concepts during lessons. A corollary is that the socio-cultural circumstances of learners might negatively influence the way learners construct new knowledge in the science classroom if they are not taken into consideration. This study was thus prompted by the need to understand how trainee science teachers engage with prior everyday knowledge and experiences, so as to enhance the conceptual development of biological concepts. The study was qualitative and it was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm with some elements of action research. Science trainee teachers at Katima Mulilo, Unam Campus were used as research participants. The techniques used to gather data included document analysis, brainstorming, observation, audio-visual, microteaching and semi-structured interviews. The results of this study showed that the changes that occurred during microteaching practices of the four trainee teachers involved in the study reflected their professional development in this approach. However, it emerged that prior everyday knowledge can be both a barrier and enabler to the construction of meaningful teaching and learning; hence its oversight may lead to instructional failures. The findings also indicated that selected platforms are essential to enable trainee teachers to incorporate prior everyday knowledge and experiences into the teaching of Western science. However, larger scale study should be conducted in order to deepen the understanding of the topic.

The Reception Year (Grade R) classroom is the educational setting for lifelong learning to take place. The Reception Year teacher is primarily involved in equipping the young child with care and education. Quality education calls for trained teachers with diverse, intense training; teachers who would use their knowledge, skills and attitudes to lead the child to ultimately reach his/her full potential in the classroom setting through the curriculum. This study investigates what constitutes and influences quality teaching in the Reception Year classroom. The investigation includes a literature review and empirical research using quantitative research approaches and expands on the role of the Reception Year teacher with regards to the child in totality, Grade R curriculum and outcomes-based education. Findings show that teachers with specialised qualifications in early childhood education bring to the Grade R classroom relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes that affect the young child’s developmental needs. / Teacher Education / M.Ed. (Didactics)

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research focuses on teacher-learning for religious and cultural diversity. The background to the study is associated with curriculum reforms in South Africa since democratization in 1994 and the growing interest globally in the integration of Citizenship education and Religion education. In South Africa, the new national curricula after 1994 introduced Life Orientation as a learning area / subject which includes Citizenship education with Religion education as key focus areas. The outcomes associated with these focus areas require school-based learners to demonstrate knowledge of diversity, co-operative and communicative forms of democracy and commitment to the values espoused in The Constitution. The question that arises in relation to the professional development of teachers in this regard, concerns whether teachers have the professional knowledge base to ensure that their learners acquire the knowledge and skills to enable them to participate as competent citizens in a pluralist democracy. Consequently the large-scale transmissionist approaches to teacher development that have dominated INSET programmes have been critiqued in this study for being inadequate for learning the complexities associated with diversity, citizenship and democracy. This study has hence advocated for teacher-learning through participation in communities of practice which arguably provide appropriate learning conditions in which dialogue and critical reflection characterise the interaction between teachers. On the grounds that South Africa’s social-political history enforced the segregation of racial groups and privileged Christianity above other religions or beliefs, a further argument is related to how this history has influenced teachers’ frames of reference and whether teachers’ frames of reference continue to influence how Citizenship education is approached in the classroom. Hence, the theoretical framework for this study has been formulated to address the issue of teacher-learning for Citizenship education and Religion education (Citizenship education/Religion education) and the extent to which the frames of reference of teachers influence their approaches to democracy, values, citizenship and diversity. To this end two learning theory perspectives have been explored, viz. Mezirow’s transformative learning theory (1991, 2000) and communities of practice, as conceptualised by Wenger (1998, 2006b). The efficacy of the communities of practice concept for teacher-learning for diversity was investigated against a transformative learning theory background, using a mixed methods approach. A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 60 secondary schools in the Gauteng province, followed by a phase of participatory action research (PAR) with three teachers over a period of approximately eight months. The survey questionnaire was designed to determine the perspectives of a sample of Life Orientation teachers towards learning and teaching religious and cultural diversity in Life Orientation. The findings were used to inform the action research process which in turn drew attention to the significance of the community of practice concept for assisting teachers to generate content knowledge for Citizenship education/Religion education from an inclusive and constructivist perspective. The findings of the survey questionnaire indicated that the majority of the teachers in the sample were not opposed to including religious diversity in their Life Orientation classes despite not having backgrounds in Religious Studies or meaningful in-service training. The PAR findings indicate the value of engagement by teachers in a community of practice for creating and acquiring appropriate content knowledge and for critical reflection on the meaning and application of democratic and personal values for Citizenship education/Religion education. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsprojek fokus op onderwyser-leer ter bevordering van religieuse en kulturele diversiteit. Die agtergrond van hierdie studie is enersyds kurrikulumhervorming in Suid-Afrika sedert demokratisering in 1994 en andersyds die groeiende, wêreldwye belangstelling in die integrasie van Burgerskapopvoeding (Citizenship Education) en Religieuse-onderrig (Religion Education). Lewensoriëntering as ‘n leerarea/vak wat Burgerskapopvoeding en Religieuse-onderrig as primêre fokus insluit, is na 1994 as deel van die nuwe nasionale kurrikulum in Suid-Afrika bekendgestel. Die leeruitkomste van hierdie fokus vereis dat leerders kennis moet demonstreer rakende: diversiteit, samewerkende- en kommunikatiewe vorms van demokrasie en die verbintenis tot die waardes soos in die Grondwet vervat. Die vraag word gestel of die professionele ontwikkeling van onderwysers die nodige professionele kennisbasis bied wat kan verseker dat leerders wel kennis en vaardighede verwerf wat hulle in staat sal stel om bevoegde burgers te wees om aan ‘n pluralistiese demokrasie deel te neem. In hierdie studie word die transmissionistiese benaderings (transmissionist approaches) wat die indiensonderwysersopleiding (INSET) gedomineer het, krities ondersoek en bevraagteken ook hierdie benadering vir die onderrig-leer van kompleksiteite soos diversiteit, burgerskap en demokrasie. In hierdie studie word onderwyser-leer by wyse van deelname aan “gemeenskappe van praktyk” (communities of practice) onderskryf hoofsaaklik weens die moontlikhede wat hierdie benadering bied om gepaste leeromstandighede te skep waar onderwysers se interaksie deur dialoog en kritiese refleksie en terugskouing gekenmerk word. In die lig van Suid-Afrika se sosio-politiese geskiedenis waartydens die segregasie van rassegroepe afgedwing is en Christendom bo ander religieë of geloofsoortuigings bevoorreg was, word kritiese argumente gevoer rondom die invloed van hierdie geskiedenis op onderwysers se verwysingsraamwerke en hoe hierdie betrokke verwysingsraamwerke onderwysers se benadering tot Burgerskapopvoeding beïnvloed het. In die teoretiese raamwerk van hierdie studie word die grondliggende kwessies en diskoerse van onderwyser-leer vir Burgerskapopvoeding en Religieuse-onderrig (Burgerskapopvoeding/ Religieuse-onderrig) ondersoek asook die mate waarop die verwysingsraamwerke van onderwysers hulle onderrigbenaderinge tot demokrasie, waardes, burgerskap en diversiteit beïnvloed het. Die twee leerteorieë en perspektiewe van Mezirow se Transformatiewe Leerteorie (1991, 2000) en “gemeenskappe van praktyk”, soos deur Wenger (1998, 2006b) gekonseptualiseer is, word as vertrekpunte geneem. Die effektiwiteit van die konsep “gemeenskappe van praktyk” vir onderwys-leer in belang van diversiteit, word ondersoek teen die agtergrond van ‘n transformatiewe leerteorie deur gebruik te maak van ‘n gemengde-metodesbenadering (mixed methods approach). ‘n Deursnee-opname is aan 60 sekondêre skole in die Gauteng provinsie gedoen, gevolg deur ‘n fase van Deelnemende-Aksienavorsing met drie onderwysers oor ‘n tydperk van ongeveer agt maande. Die vraelys vir die opname is sodanig ontwerp dat ‘n steekproef Lewensoriënteringonderwysers se perspektiewe van onderrig-leer van religieuse en kulturele diversiteit in Lewensoriëntering bepaal kon word. Hierdie bevindinge is vir die aksienavorsingsfase gebruik wat die aandag gefokus het op die belangrikheid van “gemeenskappe van praktyk” as ‘n konsep wat onderwysers kan help om inhoudskennis vir Burgerskapopvoeding/Religieuse-onderrig vanuit ‘n inklusiewe en konstruktiewe benadering te genereer. Die bevindinge van die vraelysopname toon dat die meerderheid van die onderwysers, wat deel was van die steekproef, nie gekant is teen die insluiting van religieuse diversiteit in Lewensoriënteringsklasse nie ten spyte van die feit dat hulle geen agtergrond in Religieuse-onderrig of enige ander betekenisvolle indiensopleiding ontvang het nie. Die bevindings van die Deelnemende– Aksienavorsingsproses bewys die waarde van onderwyserbetrokkenheid in “gemeenskappe van praktyk” om inhoudskennis te verwerf en krities na te dink oor die betekenis en toepassings van demokratiese en persoonlike waardes vir Burgerskapopvoeding/Religieuse-onderrig.

Thesis (MEd (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (CRSA) (1996) ushered in a new dispensation with regard to the human right to ‘religious freedom’. Inclusivity in a school context of religious diversity underpins the Religion and Education Policy (2003) which is in turn informed by, and supportive of, the CRSA (1996). To date, the Policy (2003) has not been substantially implemented. In classroom praxis there has been little or no substantial cascading to teachers (and therefore also to learners), of the intention and substance of the Policy (2003). A possible cause of this is that many teachers do not necessarily understand the meaning of the human right to ‘religious freedom’. As a result, they have resisted a multireligion approach to education. The aim of this study was to investigate how teachers construct their understanding of the human right to ‘religious freedom’ and how they voice this understanding in a context of religious diversity in schools. Integral to the investigation was an interrogation of the influence of their biographical context in shaping their personal religious identity. The study also considered the impact of the school context in which teachers taught. This study anticipated the theoretical clarification of how teachers construct their social identities, and in particular their religious identities. This theoretical framework informed what emerged from the empirical research that was conducted. The key concepts of ‘religious freedom’ and voice were described and clarified by the sources employed in the literature review. It was clear from the literature review that while useful research had been undertaken in aspects relating to the acceptance of, or resistance to, the Policy (2003), no research had grappled sufficiently, if at all, with teachers’ understanding of the human right to ‘religious freedom’ and how they constructed this understanding. In order to conduct this study, an empirical, qualitative research design, including elements of small-scale ethnography, using a case study approach, was employed. Research methods included the use of semi-structured individual and focus group interviews and self-administered questionnaires. The data were triangulated. From the research it emerged that teachers’ biographical context and school context do indeed influence the construction of their understanding of the human right to ‘religious freedom’. The way in which they give voice to this understanding varied. It became apparent that many teachers lacked understanding of religions other than (and in some cases, including) their own. The Policy (2003) was also poorly understood as was the implementation thereof. Recommendations relating to the problems and shortcomings identified by the research have been made. These include possible intervention strategies by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and Culture; Human Rights Values Education as a teaching approach; and the empowering of teachers by affording them opportunities to engage in emancipatory discourse. Further research possibilities that can be influenced by this research include issues relating to teacher identity formation; further interrogation of the impact of the teacher’s voice; and the inclusion of parents and the school community in the implementation of policy relating to Religion and Education.

Since 2011, the state of Oregon has embarked on a comprehensive educational policy change to create a unified birth to twenty educational system. As part of the birth to age five early childhood and family investment strategy, mandated participation in Oregon professional development system is required for all early childhood educators working in Office of Child Care licensed programs. To date, research on early childhood educators' experience in professional development systems has focused primarily on experiences with regulatory systems. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how four early childhood educators made meaning of their experiences of professional engagement in Oregon's state professional development system. As a researcher-participant, I conducted a two-part interview with these early childhood educators. First, we revisited the experience of the professional development journey in collage, followed by narrative semi-structured interviews. The researcher employed Dahlberg's (2006) concept of "bridling the experience" (p. 16) as a way to develop an understanding of early childhood educators' professional practice and the intersection between practice and professional engagement in Oregon's professional development system for childhood care and education. The collage and narrative dialogues illuminated the essence of each individual's experience. Experiences such as the intersection of personal professional self, acts of professional engagement, and the emotional nature of participants' work all emerged from the collage and interview process. Three essential themes emerged from the data interpretation and discussion, namely, (a)Personal and Professional Self: Intertwining Personal Experience and Professional Identity, (b)Curves Ahead: Maneuvering Rivers, Roads, and Paths, and (c)The Journey and the System are Asynchronous: "You Guys Figure that Out, Good Luck." Through the emergence of essential themes, participants demonstrated that their experiences while unique also shared common characteristics of what it means to be an early childhood educator in Oregon living with policy in the classroom. It is now the turn of policy makers and program managers of Oregon's professional development system to recognize the strength and wisdom of the voices in the early childhood classroom.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:30:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cristina Ribeiro Silva.pdf: 1034249 bytes, checksum: de4f8a12dea7438290b6d8728d43669a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-05-18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study is based on the Programa Masters/PhD Scholarship Program, as a continuing education public policy for educators in the State of São Paulo, created in 2003, which grants semiannual scholarships to stricto sensu graduate programs in Education. The scholarships are awarded to public schools teachers and to students in state and private universities accredited by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior Capes (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel). The continuing education policy in which this study is grounded on aims at improving educators practices by developing their profiles and skills as teachers researchers. This qualitative research is based mainly on studies by Nóvoa (1995), Pimenta and Ghedin (2005) in regards to educators training, having employed André (2004) and Lüdke s (2001) propositions regarding Research Professors. Books, the legislation, official documents and field research, held by data collection of the Caieiras Board of Education (SP) scholarship grantees and their Lattes Curriculums, were used as research sources. The dissertation also includes data and information collected from a community in a social network, Orkut ( Masters Scholarship Community), polls and interviews. Statements from Masters and PhDs scholarship grantees and the principal of the school with the largest number os scholarship grantees in the researched Board of Education are the main empirical source of this study / Esta pesquisa tem por objeto de estudo o Programa Bolsa Mestrado/Doutorado . Trata-se de uma política pública de formação continuada de educadores do Estado de São Paulo, criada em 2003, que disponibiliza, semestralmente, bolsas de estudos para cursos de Pós-Graduação stricto sensu na área da Educação. Os contemplados são educadores da rede de ensino estadual, discentes de universidades públicas ou privadas reconhecidas pela Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior (Capes). A política de formação continuada em foco tem por finalidade promover a melhoria da atuação profissional desses educadores mediante seu desenvolvimento como professores pesquisadores. Esta pesquisa, de caráter qualitativo, apoia-se, sobretudo, nos estudos de Nóvoa (1995), Pimenta e Guedin (2005) no tocante à formação de professores, tendo sido empregadas as proposições de André (2004) e Lüdke (2001), referentes ao professor pesquisador. Como fontes de pesquisa, foram utilizados livros, legislação, documentos oficiais e pesquisa de campo, feita mediante a coleta de dados sobre os bolsistas da Diretoria de Ensino de Caieiras (SP), e em seus currículos lattes. O trabalho contou também com o levantamento de informações na rede social Orkut por meio da comunidade Bolsa Mestrado e com a aplicação de questionários e entrevistas. Os depoimentos dos mestres e doutores bolsistas, e do diretor de escola com maior número de bolsistas da Diretoria de Ensino pesquisada, constituem-se na principal fonte empírica deste trabalho

The Reception Year (Grade R) classroom is the educational setting for lifelong learning to take place. The Reception Year teacher is primarily involved in equipping the young child with care and education. Quality education calls for trained teachers with diverse, intense training; teachers who would use their knowledge, skills and attitudes to lead the child to ultimately reach his/her full potential in the classroom setting through the curriculum. This study investigates what constitutes and influences quality teaching in the Reception Year classroom. The investigation includes a literature review and empirical research using quantitative research approaches and expands on the role of the Reception Year teacher with regards to the child in totality, Grade R curriculum and outcomes-based education. Findings show that teachers with specialised qualifications in early childhood education bring to the Grade R classroom relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes that affect the young child’s developmental needs. / Teacher Education / M.Ed. (Didactics)

Orientador: Maria da Glória Marcondes Gohn / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T09:29:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Zancanella_Yolanda_D.pdf: 2119907 bytes, checksum: 19b348b50bacfcd73a99e97ca959bf94 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: O objetivo central da tese é compreender o significado da formação superior universitária para integrantes de movimentos sociais do campo a partir das características atribuídas, por eles, a essa formação. Para tanto, analisa a relação dos movimentos sociais e a universidade e o modo como os alunos advindos de movimentos sociais se relacionam com produção do conhecimento na universidade. A tese apresenta um panorama do quadro de oferta deste tipo cursos de cursos no Brasil na atualidade e faz um estudo de caso sobre o Curso de Pedagogia para Educadores do Campo da Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná Unioeste/Incra/MST. O processo de investigação identificou um aumento na oferta de cursos de Pedagogia para Educadores e Licenciaturas para a Educação do Campo, como parte das alterações no ensino superior universitário na última década. Atualmente, treze universidades públicas nacionais oferecem esses cursos. Eles buscam as especificidades da cultura do campo, constituem uma renovação pedagógica frente à Educação Rural até então preconizada e mantida pelo Estado. Os novos cursos propõem experiências que recriam o conhecimento considerando os saberes construídos coletivamente pelos movimentos sociais. O objetivo final deles é formar professores para atuarem em escolas de áreas rurais, especialmente em assentamentos beneficiários da reforma agrária, criados via longos processos de luta pela terra. Nos novos cursos as atividades acadêmicas são desenvolvidas com calendários escolares específicos, que leva em conta a realidade de origem dos alunos, entre outras, época de plantio e de colheita. No estudo de caso realizado foram entrevistados 10 (dez) egressos do Curso de Pedagogia para Educadores do Campo, da Unioeste, Campus de Francisco Beltrão, e 31 (trinta e um) graduandos que frequentam o Curso de Pedagogia para Educadores do Campo, na mesma Universidade, no Campus de Cascavel, Paraná, no período de março de 2009 a abril de 2010. As análises da investigação levaram a conclusão de que os alunos têm consciência da necessidade da formação superior universitária como instrumento fundamental para a melhoria das condições de sobrevivência nos acampamentos, assentamentos, bem com a ampliação da capacidade de gerir suas próprias vidas. / Abstract: The central goal of the thesis is to understand the significance of university higher education for members of social movements of the field from the characteristics assigned by them to this training. For both, examines the relationship of social movements and universities and how pupils from social movements relate to production of knowledge at the University. The thesis presents an overview of the framework for such courses offering courses in Brazil today and makes a case study on the course of Pedagogy for educators in the field of Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná-Unioeste/Incra/MST. The process of investigation identified an increase in offering courses in Pedagogy for educators and Undergraduate education field, as part of the changes in higher education University in the last decade. Currently, thirteen national universities offer these courses. They seek the specificities of culture of the field, constitute a pedagogical renewal front to Rural Education advocated hitherto and maintained by the State. The new courses proposed trials which recreate the knowledge considering knowledge built collectively by social movements. The ultimate goal of them is to train teachers to act on schools of rural areas, especially in agrarian reform beneficiaries settlements, created via long processes of struggle for land. In the new courses are academic activities developed with specific school calendars, which takes into account the reality of origin of students, among others, the time of planting and harvesting. In the case study conducted were interviewed 10 (ten) graduates of the course of Pedagogy for educators in the field, Unioeste, Campus de Francisco Beltrão, and 31 (thirty-one) undergraduates who attend the course in Pedagogy for educators in the field, in the same University, on the Campus of Cascavel, Paraná, in the period March 2009 to April 2010. The analyses of research led to the conclusion that the student is aware of the need of university higher education as a fundamental instrument for the improvement of living conditions in camps, settlements, and with the expansion of the ability to manage their own lives. / Doutorado / Politicas, Administração e Sistemas Educacionais / Doutor em Educação