Notre recherche doctorale porte sur l’influence des pratiques d’enseignement du code alphabétique sur les progrès des élèves de cours préparatoire. Elle a pour objectif d’identifier des pratiques pédagogiques efficaces et de contribuer à la réflexion sur la formation professionnelle des enseignants. Elle constitue l’un des volets d’une enquête collective de grande ampleur dirigée par Roland Goigoux qui visait à évaluer l’influence des pratiques d’enseignement de la lecture et de l’écriture sur la qualité des apprentissages.La première partie de notre recherche est consacrée à la mise en évidence de relations causales entre les pratiques d’enseignement du code alphabétique et les performances des élèves en décodage et en orthographe. Nous nous intéressons tout d’abord à la question de la planification de l’enseignement, plus précisément à la vitesse d’étude des correspondances entre les graphèmes et les phonèmes (tempo) et à la part déchiffrable des textes utilisés comme supports d’enseignement de la lecture (rendement effectif). Nos résultats soulignent l’influence significative de ces deux variables sur la qualité des apprentissages, cette influence s’exerçant de manière différenciée selon le niveau des élèves à l’entrée du cours préparatoire. En outre, nous proposons une progression de l’étude du code alphabétique fondée sur la fréquence théorique des correspondances graphèmes-phonèmes des textes écrits en français standard pouvant servir de référence aux enseignants. Nous étudions également les effets du temps d’enseignement de l’encodage sur les acquisitions scolaires, effets qui se révèlent significatifs et positifs mais qui varient selon la nature des tâches proposées et les publics ciblés.Dans la seconde partie de notre thèse, nous nous attachons à comprendre et à documenter la conduite de l’activité de maitres expérimentés de cours préparatoire à des fins de formation professionnelle. Nous analysons une situation de référence de l’enseignement du lire-écrire à partir des enregistrements vidéo de trente-six séances de lecture collectives. Puis, nous décrivons des scénarios pédagogiques prototypiques et nous posons les bases d’une formation destinée à développer les compétences professionnelles des enseignants. Nous soulevons notamment la problématique de l’articulation de la résolution de tâches de code et de compréhension et celle de l’autonomie de déchiffrage offerte aux élèves. Nous présentons enfin la plateforme numérique que nous avons élaborée et qui permet de déterminer la part déchiffrable des textes utilisés lors des séances de lecture collectives. Cette plateforme nommée Anagraph aide les enseignants à planifier l’étude des correspondances graphophonémiques et à choisir des textes adaptés à l’enseignement de la lecture / Our doctoral research focuses on the influence of phonics instruction on first-grade students’ progress. Its purpose is to identify effective teaching practices and to contribute to the training of teachers. This research is part of a larger study conducted by Roland Goigoux, which aimed to assess the influence of reading and writing on the quality of learning.The first part of our research examines causal relationships between the characteristics of phonics instruction and students’ performances in decoding and spelling. First, we study the influence of the speed of teaching of grapheme-phoneme relationships (tempo) and of the decodable part of texts used to teach reading (rendement effectif). Our results reveal a significant influence of these two variables on the quality of learning, this influence being different according to students’ initial levels. Besides, we propose a planning of the phonics instruction based on the theoretical frequency of the grapheme-phoneme correspondences in texts written in standard French which can serve as references for the teachers. We also study the effects of the teaching time allocated to encoding tasks on reading achievement, effects which appear to be significant and positive but which vary according to the nature of the tasks and to students’ characteristics.In the second part of our dissertation, we attempt to analyze and document teaching practices of experienced first-grade teachers for training purposes. We analyze a reference situation of the teaching of reading and writing from the video recordings of thirty six collective sessions of reading. Then, we describe prototypical teaching scenarios and lay the foundations for a training intended to develop the professional skills of the teachers. Specifically, we raise the issue of the relationship between the resolution of decoding and understanding tasks and the autonomy that decoding success afforded the students. We finally present the digital platform we designed, which allows calculating the decodable part of texts used during reading instruction. This platform named Anagraph has been designed to help teachers plan the study of the grapheme-phoneme correspondences and to choose texts adapted to their teaching

The introduction of outcomes-based education in South African schools has changed the roles of all role players. For outcomes-based education to be successfully implemented everyone should fully understand these new roles. Since the principal should ensure that there is effective teaching and learning at school, this study explored his/her role in the implementation of outcomes-based education. This study includes a literature review of instructional leadership and outcomes-based education in South African schools. A qualitative investigation of the role of the school principal in the implementation of outcomes-based education in KwaMashu schools was conducted. Data were analysed, discussed and synthesised. It was found, inter alia that principals and educators do not fully understand the instructional role of the principal in the implementation of outcomes-based education. Lack of training appeared to be the major reason that exacerbates the problem. Based on findings, recommendations for improving the role of the principal were proposed. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

The aim of this study was to investigate the criteria for effective continuous professional development of educators and to determine ways of improvement of the programmes as implemented in secondary schools in the Thohoyandou district of Limpopo Province. The study was conducted through a literature review and qualitative investigation. The literature review explored the nature of effective professional development of educators and the criteria for design, planning and implementation of such programmes. The qualitative study investigated the management of professional development programmes for secondary schools educators in the Thohoyandou district using interviews with district coordinators or Educator Multi Purpose Centers (EMPC) facilitators, secondary school principals and educators. The findings revealed the strengths and weaknesses of professional development programmes. Based on the literature review and qualitative investigation, recommendations were made with regard to the provision of effective professional development programmes for educators, particularly secondary school educators. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Education Managament)

The phenomenon of strategy implementation is crucial to the improvement of learner performance, and to the effectiveness of schools. Literature reveals that research on strategy implementation has received much attention in business studies. However, little attention has been given to it in schools. It is this gap which this study endeavours to fill. The key research questions for this study aimed at garnering evidence on factors that influence strategic plan implementation. In the empirical study, two secondary schools and three education offices were purposively selected. A mixed methods research design was adopted, and in this regard, data was collected using interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, participant observation and questionnaires. Data was analysed by means of organising, coding and categorising. The main findings of the study are that the factors that affect School Strategic Plans (SSPs) implementation are largely related to education management at all levels. There is also anecdotal evidence that teacher, learner and external stakeholder factors affect the implementation of SSPs. In all these factors, monitoring was the major factor. One recommendation proposes that the education managers at provincial and district levels and implementers at school levels should all be empowered with skills and knowledge on effective strategy implementation. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This diploma thesis deals with the issue of the usage of comic processing in the lessons of literary education at the second grade of the elementary school. The theoretical part defines the basic expressions concerning the area of literary education, the theory of comic, the theory of adaptation, and effective teaching. The set of four educational scripts employing comic processing of classical works of Czech and world literature, highlighting the up-to-date conception of the literary education in accord with demands on the education which is set down by Framework Education Programme for Elementary Education, was created within the practical part. The main aim of scripts was to support the progress in reader´s literacy and the communicative skills. These educational scripts are not only intended for university students, primarily within the didactics of the Czech language and literature, and beginning teachers, but also for experienced pedagogues. The quality of the scripts was proved in practise.

The purpose of this study is to discover how courses in world history and United States history are taught in Southern California secondary schools. At this stage of the research the study of the history course instruction will be generally defined as an exploratory and investigative inquiry involving the interviews of the history faculty, analysis of their course offerings and syllabi content, and the overall teachers' course content preparation and knowledge.

The problem of the study was determining the supportive conditions related to instructional rounds (rounds) to understand better what conditions may allow for sustained systemic improvement over time. Three Texas school districts were studied to understand the perceptions of district leaders, principals, teacher leaders, and teachers with regard to the sustainability of instructional rounds as a systemic improvement practice, the supportive conditions necessary for sustainability, the salient characteristics that differentiated rounds from other improvement practices, and the potential of rounds to build organizational capacity. Observation of network rounds visits and document analysis was conducted to determine alignment of perception with observation and documents. Findings include perceptions, themes, and critical factors for the sustainability of rounds as an effective systemic improvement practice. Supportive conditions emerged as the most significant perception expressed by the participants. Implications for action for school districts beginning or continuing implementation of instructional rounds are suggested based upon findings from participant perceptions and observation of networks. Suggestions for future research are shared. With supportive conditions in place, instructional rounds has the potential to serve as an effective systemic improvement practice.

Department of Curriculum Studies and Education Management / MEDEM

Department of Curriculum Studies and Educational Management / PhD (CS)

MEd (Educational Management) / Department of Educational Management / See the attached abstract below