Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research question I wondered about was whether becoming a reflective practitioner/teacher could contribute to a sense of empowerment and greater effectiveness in practice. I am telling my own story in this study and have chosen to do this through the use of a variant of Life History Research called Narrative Inquiry. This is a qualitative approach to research and makes use of narratives. Field texts (journal entries, family stories, teacher stories) were produced through conversations, observation and journal writing. These field texts were then presented in narrative form. Analysis of the field texts, as well as the story was done throughout the research process. I used conceptual tools developed within Narrative Inquiry to analyse the narrated data in order to foreground the two main areas namely personal and professional growth. Based on this study of my personal experience of the use of reflection, it would seem that becoming a reflective practitioner could indeed contribute to a sense of empowerment and more effective classroom practice by supporting personal and professional growth and development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsingsprobleem waaroor ek wonder is of die gebruik van refleksie as reflektiewe praktisyn kan bydra tot 'n gevoel van bemagtiging en groter effektiwiteit binne die klaskamer. Aangesien ek my eie storie in hierdie studie wou vertel het ek besluit om gebruik te maak van 'n variant van lewensgeskiedenisnavorsing naamlik 'Narrative Inquiry'. 'Narrative Inquiry' is 'n kwalitatiewe benadering tot navorsing en maak gebruik van stories. Narratiewe data (dagboekinskrywings, familieen onderwyserstories) is geproduseer uit gesprekke, waarneming en die skryf van 'n dagboek en is in die vorm van 'n storie vertel. Analise van narratiewe data vind plaas regdeur die navorsingsproses. In die analise van die narratiewe data is gebruik gemaak van konseptueie terme wat binne 'Narrative Inquriry' ontwikkel is om die professionele en persoonlike ontwikkeling uit te lig. Uit hierdie studie van persoonlike ervaring van die gebruik van refleksie as 'n reflektiewe praktisyn wil dit blyk dat die gebruik van refleksie wel kan bydra tot gevoelens van bemagtiging en groter effektiwiteit binne die praktyk, aangesien dit professionele en persoonlike groei en ontwikkeling ondersteun.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study aimed at establishing and analysing the literacy practices in the rural and urban communities and their effect on the academic achievements of learners. It also aimed to establish the impact of other factors, such as the exposure to the language of examination, the level of parents formal education and the quality of parental mediation in the their children's academic work, which could be responsible for the imbalance between the rural and urban learners academic achievements. This study endeavours to established that the literacy practices in urban areas prepare learners for schooled and global literacies while the literacies in rural areas are to localised and thus impoverish the learners initial literacy development. This study also seek to determine the extent to which the current language policy in education in Uganda favours the urban learners at the expense of the rural learners as far as the acculturation into and acquisition of the schooled and global literacies are concerned.

The Cambridge education system introduced after independence is mainly blamed for the high failure rate experienced in the Junior Secondary (Grade 10) and Senior Secondary (Grade 12) phases in Namibia. Although it is acknowledged that failure rate can be contributed to by many factors, the research wanted to establish whether the principal’s leadership can have any contribution to the academic achievement in a school. The researcher consulted different literature in an attempt to achieve the research objectives. The principal carries out a number of leadership job functions, hence, an instrument with the relevant job functions of a principal was selected to collect data. Three poorly performing schools were identified in the Omaheke Region. The research used questionnaires among teachers, inspectors and principals to collect data. The analysis shows that two principals were rated low in most leadership job functions. That implies that these principals are not engaged in instructional leadership, resulting in poor academic results. At the end recommendations and proposals for future research are highlighted. / Human Resource Management / M.Tech. (Human Resource Development )

The diploma thesis: "Project method at primary school" deals with the development of new knowledge and skills through the project method, analysis of the quality of its use and possibilities of its application in practice. The work discusses how teachers work on projects with new information, how they develop new knowledge and skills of their students when using the project method. Furthermore it brings author's own project the purpose of which was to allow students to invent new knowledge on their own. The project method at the first school can be carried out by either short-term or long-term projects. Effectivity and quality of teaching is influenced by versatile development of personality of each student. Results of the questionnaire survey proves that the teachers are trying to ensure students enough opportunities for development of key competencies. They strive to put students in the working mood and try to build rich information background. Teachers knowingly consider these aspects however they are not convinced whether it is sufficient for the students. Results of student questionnaire captures how students perceive the work with new information acquired during the project. The project awakens students' interest in these information even for the future. When working on the project students...

This qualitative study described teachers’ perspectives of The Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model during the first year of its implementation. Further, this study examined the relationship between teachers and their administrators during implementation. The researcher’s goal was to examine how teachers changed their behavior as the result of the first year following the implementation of The Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice teachers' (PSTs) perceptions regarding their knowledge of the English as a Second Language (ESOL) domains as suggested in the Florida Teacher Standards for English as a Second Language Endorsement (FTSEE), their beliefs regarding the types of assessments and assignments that provided them with the best method of understanding the ESOL domains, and other factors they perceived as influencing their understanding. This mixed methods study collected both quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) data. Study participants were elementary education majors enrolled in an ESOL infused program model. Findings from the study indicated that PSTs had an overall understanding of the ESOL domains and were prepared to incorporate a wide variety of instructional strategies and methods into their lesson plans. While culturally competent, they had not yet developed the understanding of how to take an advocacy approach to empower their students in both the school and community. While some PSTs demonstrated a basic understanding of the components of oral language and literacy development in ELLs, many had not yet obtained an in-depth understanding of the specific language thresholds at each language proficiency level nor understanding of the grammatical and linguistic complexities of spoken and written English. These findings imply that further development is needed so that PSTs are better prepared in the following competencies: the ability to write language objectives across the content areas based on the output of oral and written language; the ability to select the appropriate instructional strategies, curriculum, and materials based on language proficiency levels; and the ability to interpret and make informed decisions based on ELLs' assessment results. PSTs valued assignments and activities that allowed them to integrate their own knowledge base into scenarios that might actually occur when they become teachers, or reflected scenarios encountered in teaching situations. They valued opportunities to observe and work with ELLs in the field and desired more opportunities to work with a larger variety of language proficiency levels and ages. Outside influences such as jobs, own school experiences, knowledge of another language, and societal interactions also contributed to their ESOL knowledge. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:17:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcos Spector Azoubel.pdf: 1072766 bytes, checksum: 23c379adc01477a179884b5386c30877 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-10 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / There are many behavior analysts studies about education. Based on these research findings, methods were developed to use of the knowledge produced on behavior in educational contexts. Though they have demonstrated efficacy through a wide range of empirical research, the area s teaching procedures are underutilized. Several causes for such disuse are pointed out, most of them with respect to preconceptions, ignorance or rejection of the area s proposals. The aim of this study is to investigate possible variables involved in the use of teaching methods derived from the Behavior Analysis. For this study five behavior analysts, with experience in the supervision of theses and / or dissertations on education and Behavior Analysis and teaching in graduate programs, were interviewed. Finally, the obstacles mentioned by the literature with those reported by the professionals were compared. Results shows that, for attendees, most of the obstacles for using the approach s teaching methods relates to problems inherent to its technology and Behavior Analysis community itself. Therefore, it is placed into question the arguments pointing out misconceptions, ignorance and disagreements as the major cause for the underutilization of behavior analysis' teaching procedures / Há diversos estudos de analistas do comportamento sobre educação. Baseados nos achados destas pesquisas, foram desenvolvidos métodos para uso do conhecimento produzido sobre o comportamento em contextos educacionais. Apesar de terem eficácia demonstrada através de vasta gama de pesquisas empíricas, os procedimentos de ensino da área são pouco utilizados. Apontam-se diversas causas para tal desuso, a maior parte delas diz respeito a pré-conceitos, ignorância ou não aceitação de propostas área. O objetivo deste trabalho é investigar possíveis variáveis envolvidas na utilização de métodos de ensino derivados da Análise do Comportamento. Para tal, foram entrevistados cinco analistas do comportamento com experiência em orientação de teses e/ou dissertações sobre educação e Análise do Comportamento e docência em programas de pós-graduação. Por fim, compararam-se os empecilhos apontados pela literatura com aqueles relatados pelos profissionais. Os resultados mostram que, para os participantes, a maior parte dos obstáculos apontados para utilização dos métodos de ensino da abordagem diz respeito a problemas inerentes às tecnologias e à própria comunidade de analistas do comportamento. Assim, coloca-se em xeque a visão de que concepções errôneas, divergências e ignorância sobre as contribuições da Análise do Comportamento são as principais responsáveis para o desuso dos procedimentos comportamentais para o ensino

Cette étude vise à explorer le caractère acculturant de pratiques scolaires ordinaires utilisant la littérature de jeunesse en classe de cours préparatoire. Adossée à la recherche LireÉcrireCP, elle compare dans une démarche à la fois écologique et quantitative les pratiques de deux groupes de classes à l’efficacité contrastée. Trois pratiques sont étudiées dans ce travail : la lecture offerte, la séance de découverte de texte et l’implantation d’une bibliothèque de classe. Le corpus est composé des 15 classes qualifiées, par la recherche LireÉcrireCP, comme les plus efficaces et les 15 les moins efficaces. L’efficacité est mesurée en fonction de la progression des élèves, évalués en début et fin d’année, et attribuable uniquement à l’enseignant, ce qu’on peut nommer aussi l’effet-enseignant. Les résultats montrent que dans le groupe des classes les plus efficaces, et contrairement au deuxième groupe, les pratiques étudiées comportent une dimension qui cultive la lecture privée chez les élèves. L’acculturation est alors caractérisée par la mise en œuvre de situations rituelles mettant en scène la pratique culturelle de lecture pour soi dans ses trois composantes indissociables : subjective, sociale et cognitive. L’étude est prolongée par une analyse qualitative des pratiques des maitres du groupe le plus efficace. Elle montre que la modélisation de l’activité de l’élève est assurée par un étayage serré de l’enseignant et que celui-ci repose sur la mise en scène des corps, des réifications et sur la verbalisation. L’analyse de l’étayage langagier montre enfin que, dans ces classes, les oraux qui entourent les lectures de littérature de jeunesse sont particulièrement réflexifs et relèvent d’une compétence professionnelle particulière consistant à étayer la construction négociée d’un point de vue où la reformulation et la structuration du discours sont essentielles. / The purpose of this study is to explore the acculturating features of some teaching practices using youth literature in the 1st year. Reinforced by the research LireÉcrireCP, it compares the practices of two different groups of classes of different efficiency within a quantitative approach without impact on the teachers’ practices. Three different types of practice are studied in this research: the reading by the teacher for pupils, the lessons of text exploration, and the implementation of a library within the classroom. In our study, according to the LireÉcrireCP research, 15 classes are recognised as the most efficient ones, and 15 others as the less efficient ones. The efficiency is assessed according to the progression made by the pupils attributable only to the teacher, so-called the teacher’s effect. This progression is assessed at the beginning and at the end of the school year. In contrast with the less efficient group of classes, the results observed in the most efficient group of class show that the investigated practices help to develop and cultivate reading for personal purpose of pupils. The acculturation is therefore characterised by the implementation of rituals featuring the cultural practice of reading for personal purpose with its three indissociable components: subjective, sociable, and cognitive. The study is extended by an investigation of the teachers’ practices within the most efficient groups. It highlights that shaping of the pupils’ activity is ensured by a strong scaffolding of the pupils by the teacher. This scaffold must rest upon the acting, on the reification, and on the verbalisation. Lastly, the analysis of the language’s scaffold shows that in these classes, the oral activity that complements the reading of youth literature is particularly thinking demanding and depends on the supporting skills of the teacher for the construction of the point of view where reformulating and structuring the pupil’s speech are essential.

The purpose of this investigation was to describe the behavior of effective teachers working within the context of an effective school. The study focused on both the content and techniques of instruction utilized by the teachers. In addition, the research examined teacher behaviors that were external to the classroom setting, including teacher-to-teacher relationships, teacher-to-parent relationships, and teacher-to-principal relationships. A qualitative research design was selected for this study. The site was an inner city elementary campus. Data were collected from eleven K-3 teachers using participant observation and interviews over a seven-month period. Documents were also used as a source of data. The analysis of data was ongoing and cyclical based on the constant comparative method. The final analysis of data resulted in nine themes based on recurring patterns of teacher behavior. The findings suggest that a caring school culture plays an important role in a school's success and the effectiveness of its teachers. Furthermore, there does not appear to be a universal description that fits all effective teachers. Instead, effective teachers in an effective school function as autonomous decision makers in their classrooms, choosing the curriculum and techniques that work best for them and their students. They tend to focus on basic skills, especially reading and mathematics, using explicit direct instruction methods. However, these teachers frequently digress from their planned lessons to teach life skills and test-taking strategies. Findings for this study also support the creation of structured school and classroom environments for low-income inner city students. Student self-esteem and parental support are not negatively impacted when firm discipline is administered fairly in a caring, supportive school climate. The conclusions of this investigation have implications for teacher staff development and campus administrator training. The findings also suggest further research in the areas of school culture, direct instruction, student discipline, and classroom management.