The purpose of the study was to analyze the self-reported experiences of Japanese English as a foreign language (EFL) pre-service teachers with listening comprehension skills in their teaching classroom as university students and in their learning classroom as EFL students. Currently, Japanese EFL education is changing rapidly and focusing on developing overall English skills that include listening, speaking, reading, and writing. However, pre-service teacher EFL education in Japan does not stress the importance of listening comprehension pedagogy. Moreover, there have been few studies about listening pedagogy from the perspective of preservice teachers. Through analyzing pre-service teacher's self-reported listening learning experiences, the current study aimed to analyze the current listening pedagogy targeting elementary, junior, and high school EFL preparation. Three participants responded to an interview conducted in Japanese regarding their experiences with the EFL listening pedagogy experiences in their teaching classroom as university students and in their learning classroom as EFL students. The interview data were transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed through a qualitative research approach. The findings revealed that the pre-service teacher training track focused mostly on developing the pre-service EFL teachers' language proficiency rather than their pedagogical knowledge. Several possible explanations for this trend that were Japanese-context specific were provided, as well as directions for future research on the topic.

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The problem set forth in this investigation is to determine which of the two methods is more effective in teaching reading and spelling in the first grade. Recent investigations would lead one to believe that a phonetic approach to reading and spelling is more effective than the non-phonetic approach.

Master of Science / Counseling and Student Developement / Christy D. Craft / Students have many opportunities to familiarize themselves with their college after committing to a school. Institutions offer summer orientation and enrollment sessions, and many also offer extended orientation sessions that may include spending time in the residence halls or outdoor camps and activities. Upon arrival to campus, first year students are given a great deal of information about campus resources, culture and traditions. They may also have welcome week activities, first year seminar classes, learning communities, specialized housing accommodations,and a wealth of other opportunities to connect to the university. The purpose of this report is to explore both the unique challenges facing first year students and the varying support structures in place for them. To explore this topic, the unique needs facing first-year, residential students as it relates to student development and transition theories will be outlined. Focusing on institutional concerns, persistence will also be explored as a theoretical framework. Finally, to make this report relevant to Kansas State University, the first year programming efforts at twelve institutions will be synthesized and analyzed as a foundation for comparison. A proposal for potential programs at K-State will be presented.

The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of collaboration among members of a first grade team as they participated in a state mandated reading initiative. The second purpose was to examine how top-down mandates of state reading initiatives and collaboration among team members translated into “secret stories” of classroom instruction for the three focus teachers. The study also considered my role as the campus reading coach, as I attempted to facilitate the translation of the reading initiative to meet the diverse needs of the team members, while navigating issues of power among the campus administration and the first grade team. Qualitative research methods were used to document and describe (a) the interactions and collaboration of the first grade team during grade level reading meetings; (b) the formation of micro-groups due to power issues; (c) literacy practices of the three focus teachers and; (d) the secret stories of members of the first grade team as they navigated the troubled landscape of the second year of the reading initiative. The first grade meetings were observed and documented for five months, as teachers completed the reading initiative modules and attempted to translate those practices in order to complement their existing classroom practices. Each of the three focus first grade teachers was interviewed and recorded during classroom instruction. Interviews with students were also conducted in order to gain the perspective of literacy practices from a child’s point of view. Data for the study included field notes from observations, student and teacher interviews, digital images of student work and classroom texts, and digital video and audio recordings of interviews and classroom instruction. The findings of the study indicate that teachers translated staff development practices in accordance with their existing beliefs and tended to gravitate toward and collaborate with those who shared common pedagogical beliefs. The role of the reading coach was best served when the coaching protocols were transparent to all team members. The study revealed the inevitability of conflict in an atmosphere of collaboration as well as the notion that teachers are the true curriculum makers regardless of the initiative. / text

M.Ed. (Didactics) / The beginning teacher doesn't start his teaching career as an educational expert. Although he is professionally qualified, his professional training doesn't fully equip him with all the required attributes necessary for an error-free start to his teaching career. The objective of this study is to scientifically acquire, by way of a literature study, information concerning individual shortcomings and lack of expertise attributable to the beginning teacher in practice. Attention has been given to the problems experienced by the beginning teacher when starting his teaching career in practice. His initial experience of the educational environment, as well as his development as person, educator, teacher and his position in the educational management situation are discussed. Due to the fact that he as an adult student exposes himself to an informal study situation to improve his teaching abilities, attention has been given to the specific qualities and problems the beginning teacher will be exposed to. The study also emphasised the importance of the support by more experienced teachers to the beginning teacher...

This paper explores and compares the ways in which novelist and playwright Tomson Highway and visual artist and poet Neal McLeod use traditional and contemporary Cree narratives to represent personal and collective cultural experiences, both past and present. In Highways novel <i>Kiss of the Fur Queen</i>, and in McLeods exhibition of paintings <i>Sons of a Lost River</i>, the mythic figure of the wîhtikow, a cannibalistic entity that symbolizes the destructive forces of colonialism and urbanization, as well as the self-abusive patterns found within the individual psyche, is used in counterpoint with the Cree trickster wîsahkecâhk, elemental spirits like the Thunderbird, and heroes such as ayash and pîkahin okosisa to express a multi-stylistic array of cultural meanings that avoid absolute interpretations. Highway and McLeod create myths that explore the oppressive as well as the redemptive processes of their cultural heritage over centuries of engagement with colonial powers and institutions.