Currently, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is a popular buzz word in P -12 education as it represents a means to advance American competitiveness in the global economy. Proponents of the engineering component of STEM advocate additional benefits in teaching engineering, such as its capacity to engage students in collaboration, and to apply critical thinking, systems thinking, negotiation, and communication skills to solve real-life contextual problems. Establishing a strong foundation of engineering knowledge at a young age will provide students with internal motivation as it taps into their curiosity toward how things work, and it also prepares them for secondary science courses. Successful STEM education is often constrained by elementary teachers' low perception of self-efficacy to teach science and engineering. Elementary teachers with low self-efficacy in science are more likely to spend less instructional time teaching science, which suggests that teachers with little to no training in engineering might avoid teaching this topic. Therefore, the purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine the effects of engineering professional development on elementary (K-6) teachers' content and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and perceptions of self-efficacy to teach engineering, and (b) to identify and explain sources influencing self-efficacy. Professional development was conducted in a metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest. Results revealed that after the engineering professional development, teachers experienced statistically significant gains in content, PCK, and self-efficacy to teach engineering. Increases in self-efficacy were mainly attributed to mastery experiences and cultivation of a growth mindset by embracing the engineering design process.

This study was undertaken in an effort to determine the effects of piano instruction on attitudes and piano skills of elementary education majors enrolled in a music methods class. A class of nineteen elementary education majors at a private mid-western university served as subjects for the case study. They were given both written and oral pre and posttests, and extensive anecdotal data were recorded.As a result of the study, general conclusions and recommendations were as follows:1. Subjects' initial perceptions of their probable success in the piano laboratory were high. In addition, seventy-nine percent of the subjects accurately predicted their probable success (or failure) in the piano laboratory. It is recommended that instructors take time at the outset of the course to reassure and encouage the students in an effort to increase confidence and thereby the probability of success in the piano laboratory.2. Subjects' attitudes and skill development were negatively affected by perceived inadequacies when comparing themselves to other subjects in the class. As the more advanced students tested out of the piano laboratory, skills and attitudes of the slower subjects improved appreciably. This suggests that ability grouping in methods classes may improve students' perceptions and also performances in these lasses.3. Subjects' confidence in their ability to teach music increased, as indicated by pretest and posttest rankings. Since the sample size was adequately large, the Wilcoxin T value of 7.5 was standardized to a Z value = 2.66 (p <.01). Interpretation of a Z-value = 2.66 strongly suggests the posttest score has significantly increased over the pretest score.4. Subjects' perceptions of their ability to read and write music, their ability to sing songs with their students, and their piano playing ability significantly increased as shown by a series of paired comparisons t-test analyses on the pretest/ posttest data.It is recommended that additional case studies be conducted in the methods class in an effort to isolate and identify additional aspects of the class which influence the students' growth and/ or lack of growth in self confidence and musical skills. / School of Music

M.Ed. (Media Integration) / The curriculum cycle constitutes a simultaneously continuous and interactive teaching design for the training of primary school teachers. Educational theory, as well as educational training, should be presented within this context to ensure that a measure of practical vocational direction is achieved. This is the task of every lecturer at a college of education. The situation analysis, aim and choice of learning content form the leading introduction which culminates in the creation of the learning opportunity. The learning gain is, however, closely linked to the learning experience within the learning opportunity. A learning opportunity in which educational-media are used, can be an effective opportunity if the media are effectively integrated in the teaching situation, so that a two-directional channel of communication is created. The type of learning-experiences acquired by student teachers during learning experiences must therefore be carefully considered, so that the necessity for meaningful media-integration in the teaching and learning situation, and the important functions that this media integration can fulfil, is both witnessed and experienced. This should result in the creation of technological teaching thought processes in the student teacher. The primary school child is still very much bound to concrete ideas and the student teacher needs to be made constantly aware of this. Even the student who functions on an abstract level, has a need of concrete experiences, for example in Pedagogical Studies, to aid and support him during learning occasions. Indirect (concrete) learning experiences are created by the integration of educational media so that a person can also acquire learning experience through symbols, images, et cetera. The creation of learning opportunities is an important aspect of curriculum design. They must, however, be effective learning opportunities that must define the learning gain during evaluation.

This cross-sectional study assessed participants' perceptions of classroom technology integration and compared them to variables such as years of teaching experience, age, gender, computer access, technology training and level of technology adoption in the classroom.

The problem of this study is concerned with the relationships between selected requirements for admission to elementary teacher education and teaching performance. The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate the relationships between teaching performance, as evaluated by a principal, and five selected admission criteria (the GPA at the time of admittance to teacher education; achievement test scores in reading, language, mathematics; and instructor appraisal of the student during the first education course); (2) to determine whether or not the five selected admission criteria used singly, or in some combination, predict success in teaching performance.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-04-16T12:55:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ariane Ferreira Barros.pdf: 1509033 bytes, checksum: 7943c60c3d127794bf026a4703ca7002 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-16T12:55:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ariane Ferreira Barros.pdf: 1509033 bytes, checksum: 7943c60c3d127794bf026a4703ca7002 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The objective of this research is to reveal the perceptions of English teachers from the Municipal Education System of Sao Paulo on the absence of a curriculum for Ciclo de Alfabetização [Literacy Cycle] and to investigate what would guide the practice of these teachers in the absence of such curricular standards. This is a case study within a qualitative-interpretive paradigm (TRIVIÑOS, 1987; RIZZINI et al 1999; YIN, 2001; LIER, 2005; CHIZZOTI 2006) and was carried out with ten English teachers who teach in the Literacy Cycle (1st to 3rd year) of the Municipal Education System of Sao Paulo. For data collection, a professional profile questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were chosen. Data were analyzed through the Content Analysis theory (BARDIN, 1977). The theoretical basis was constructed from the studies of Rocha (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010a, 2010b, 2012) about the absence of curriculum in Brazilian primary schools and Silva (2014), Sacristán (1989, 2000, 2013), Imbérnon (2013), Contreras (2002), among others, on curricular issues. It was also sought in Scott and Ytreberg (1990), Halliwell (1992), Phillips (1993), Moon (2000), Cameron (2001) and Pinter (2017) the premises that outline the teaching of English for young learners. Vygotsky (1984/2007) and Moyles (2002) bring the constructs that underlie the role of playing in the teaching of English for young learners. Finally, in order to ratify the need for a training that promotes the reflective practice of English teachers from Literacy Cycle, the ideas of Freire (1996/2011a; 1983/2011b), Celani (2004, 2008, 2010, 2016), Contreras (2002) and Nóvoa (1992) were chosen. The results indicate the need to establish an English curriculum for the Literacy Cycle. In addition, teachers seem to conceive the term curriculum in different ways particularly as a list of prescriptions and content. The results also point out that teachers seem to be trying to fill in the gaps left by their initial training through lifelong training once the absence of curriculum makes their work harder, they are solitary and have to base their decisions on previous experiences. Results also show that due to the absence of a curriculum relevant pedagogical activities are not always ratified, especially the playful ones. Data also indicate that in the absence of a curriculum, the practice of these teachers is guided by their training, the experiences lived during their career/with other teachers, their beliefs and conceptions about English teaching and by the readings and studies on their own account / O objetivo desta pesquisa é desvelar as percepções de professores de língua inglesa do Ciclo de Alfabetização da Rede Municipal de Ensino de São Paulo sobre a ausência de currículo para esse ciclo e investigar o que norteia a prática desses professores na ausência de um referencial curricular. Este é um estudo de caso inserido no paradigma qualitativo-interpretativista (TRIVIÑOS, 1987; RIZZINI et al 1999; YIN, 2001; LIER, 2005; CHIZZOTI, 2006) que foi realizado com dez docentes de Língua Inglesa do Ciclo de Alfabetização (1o a 3o anos) da referida rede. Os instrumentos de coleta de dados foram um questionário de perfil profissional e uma entrevista semiestruturada. Os dados foram analisados à luz da Análise de Conteúdo (BARDIN, 1977). A fundamentação teórica foi construída a partir dos estudos de Rocha (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010a, 2010b, 2012) sobre a ausência de currículo de LI no EFI no Brasil e de Silva (2014), Sacristán (1989, 2000, 2013), Imbérnon (2013), Contreras (2002), dentre outros, sobre questões curriculares. Buscou-se, ainda, em Scott e Ytreberg (1990), Halliwell (1992), Phillips (1993), Moon (2000), Cameron (2001) e Pinter (2017) os pressupostos que delineiam o ensino de inglês para crianças. Vygotsky (1984/2007) e Moyles (2002) trazem os constructos que fundamentam o papel do brincar no ensino de LI para crianças. Por fim, as ideias de Freire (1996/2011a; 1983/2011b), Celani (2004, 2008, 2010, 2016), Contreras (2002) e Nóvoa (1992) foram retomadas para ratificar a necessidade de momentos de formação que propiciem a prática reflexiva dos docentes de LI que atuam nesse ciclo. Os resultados apontam a necessidade de se estabelecer um referencial curricular de língua inglesa para o Ciclo de Alfabetização. Além disso, apontam que os professores de inglês que dão aula no Ciclo de Alfabetização parecem conceber o currículo de modos diferentes e, em especial, como uma lista de prescrição e de conteúdos; que há lacunas em sua formação inicial que dificultam o trabalho com os alunos desse ciclo e os professores tentam preenchê-las com formação contínua; que a ausência de currículo torna o trabalho dos professores mais solitário fazendo com que eles baseiem as suas tomadas de decisão em experiências anteriores e, por fim, que trabalhos pedagógicos pertinentes nem sempre são validados – em especial as atividades lúdicas – devido à ausência de currículo. Na ausência de um referencial curricular, a prática desses professores parece ser norteada por sua formação, pelas experiências vivenciadas durante a carreira/com colegas de profissão, por suas crenças e concepções sobre ensino-aprendizagem de LI e pelas leituras e estudos que fazem por conta própria

This study explores preservice teachers' learning to teach mathematics in the context of an innovative version of the mathematics methods courses typically offered at UBC. Thirteen preservice teachers engaged in a math letter writing exchange with Grade 4 students are the focus of this study. This math penpal experience was meant to provide a "laboratory setting" for preservice teachers to try out and investigate the ideas discussed during methods classes. Interactions with students, in turn, served as the focus of further class discussions and reflective journal writing. Two research questions were investigated: (1) What were preservice teachers learning through their math penpal investigations; and (2) What factors influenced their learning? Preservice teachers' written records (math letters, journals, and case reports) were the main sources of data used to address these questions. My perspectives as a participant, teacher, and researcher were used to guide and inform my analysis of this data. An analytical framework was constructed based on preservice teachers' "pedagogical puzzles" (issues and challenges faced and deliberated on). These puzzles related to their problem posing, interpreting, and responding practices. This framework was used to explore patterns and changes in preservice teachers' views and practices. Learning themes discussed include: learning to broaden goals and expectations of problems; learning to see and construct meaning from students' work, and learning to question and revise claims about students' mathematical attitudes and abilities; learning to recognize and interrogate hidden messages in their discourse, and learning to respond differently. Factors found to be associated with preservice teachers' learning include: (a) interactive experiences with students, (b) engagement in collaborative explorations of problems and comparable students' work, and (c) the opportunity to revisit and reinterpret their experiences with students in multiple occasions. Implications for the research and practice of mathematics teacher education are discussed in relation to: (a) preservice teachers' learning of mathematics and mathematical pedagogy, (b) learning in courserelated field experiences, and (c) learning to reflect and write about teaching and learning.

This study explores preservice teachers' learning to teach mathematics in the context of an innovative version of the mathematics methods courses typically offered at UBC. Thirteen preservice teachers engaged in a math letter writing exchange with Grade 4 students are the focus of this study. This math penpal experience was meant to provide a "laboratory setting" for preservice teachers to try out and investigate the ideas discussed during methods classes. Interactions with students, in turn, served as the focus of further class discussions and reflective journal writing. Two research questions were investigated: (1) What were preservice teachers learning through their math penpal investigations; and (2) What factors influenced their learning? Preservice teachers' written records (math letters, journals, and case reports) were the main sources of data used to address these questions. My perspectives as a participant, teacher, and researcher were used to guide and inform my analysis of this data. An analytical framework was constructed based on preservice teachers' "pedagogical puzzles" (issues and challenges faced and deliberated on). These puzzles related to their problem posing, interpreting, and responding practices. This framework was used to explore patterns and changes in preservice teachers' views and practices. Learning themes discussed include: learning to broaden goals and expectations of problems; learning to see and construct meaning from students' work, and learning to question and revise claims about students' mathematical attitudes and abilities; learning to recognize and interrogate hidden messages in their discourse, and learning to respond differently. Factors found to be associated with preservice teachers' learning include: (a) interactive experiences with students, (b) engagement in collaborative explorations of problems and comparable students' work, and (c) the opportunity to revisit and reinterpret their experiences with students in multiple occasions. Implications for the research and practice of mathematics teacher education are discussed in relation to: (a) preservice teachers' learning of mathematics and mathematical pedagogy, (b) learning in courserelated field experiences, and (c) learning to reflect and write about teaching and learning. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

Many teachers lack the confidence and knowledge to transition their classroom science lessons to an outdoor setting. Very few teacher professional development (PD) programs focus on improving teachers' self-efficacy and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) that is needed to enhance their science curriculum with outdoor lessons. This study examined an exception: The Connect2Science workshops, which provided elementary teachers the opportunity to experience nature-based science lessons. My research question for this study is: In what ways does a professional development workshop focused around the Next Generation Science Standards influence teachers': a) self-efficacy in teaching science outdoors and b) science pedagogical content knowledge? Data was collected using a retrospective pre and post survey, a reflection piece on participants’ pedagogical content knowledge and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that participants’ self-efficacy was positively affected by the Connect2Science workshops. As for pedagogical content knowledge, the results give a small insight into how participants viewed and thought about student misconceptions and how the instructional strategies presented in the workshops equipped them to better address science content in an outdoor setting.