This study investigates the influence of inner-city and suburban student teaching upon adjustment and effectiveness of first-year elementary teachers, with secondary attention to their personal and professional problems of adjustment to their initial teaching location. The fifty-five subjects of this study were first-year, inner-city and suburban teachers in the Dallas area. Except for two Black females and three Anglo males, all were Anglo females. The findings of this study support the following conclusions 1. Student-teaching locale should not be the determining factor in deciding the type of school for first-year teachers. 2. Effective inner-city student teachers may be expected to be highly effective teachers in both inner-city schools and those in other locales. 3. Successful student-teaching experiences, regardless of location, can be expected to produce well-adjusted, effective teachers. 4. It can be anticipated that inner-city teachers will experience a negative change in optimism, attitudes toward teaching, general adjustment and mental health during their initial year of teaching. 5. Both suburban and inner-city teachers who enjoyed successful student-teaching experiences can be expected to have good self-perception, empathy, a favorable view of children, confidence regarding classroom discipline, and effectiveness as a teacher.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T16:17:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Thuinie Daros _Dissertacao final.pdf: 2587382 bytes, checksum: d183d93ea940c1adb8c2eb6859f0ded0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-04-28 / This dissertation is a result of research carried out between 2012 and 2014, linked to the Postgraduate Program in Education at the State University of West Paraná. The aim was to address the following question: What meanings do the children assign to written language in the first year of Elementary School? The issue raised here is twofolded: on the one hand, there is the need to address the concepts of language regarding the writing appropriation process in the context of the expansion of compulsory schooling; on the other hand, there is the need to conceive children as social subjects, belonging to social groups, in real conditions of existence. The study is a qualitative research organized into two steps: a) literature review and documentary research, and b) field research. The instrument of data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews and collection of children s drawings, involving 67 children between 5 and 6 years old attending regularly four classes in public schools in Foz do Iguaçu (Paraná, Brazil). The analysis of the research subjects utterances was based on the theoretical framework of Mikhail Bakhtin s Theory of Enunciation, particularly the concepts of verbal interaction, dialogism, polyphony and otherness. In order to understand the ways of thinking that are peculiar to children, the study was based on works by Lev Semenovitch Vigotski and Alexis Leontiev. The results showed that there are different meanings assigned to written language by children in the first year of Elementary School. These different meanings are due to the way the teachers have designed and conducted the teaching of written language, as well as the way they consider the specificities of children in their childhoods. The attempt to understand the meanings assigned to written language in the first year of Elementary School, viewing the child as an active subject in the research process allowed to realize the necessity of education professionals promoting, by means of their teaching practices, discursive interlocutions during the education of written language. / Esta dissertação é o resultado de pesquisa realizada entre 2012 e 2014 alocada no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná. Abordou a seguinte questão: Que sentidos as crianças atribuem à linguagem escrita no primeiro ano do Ensino Fundamental? A problemática levantada teve um duplo desdobramento: por um lado, a necessidade de tratar das concepções de linguagem frente ao processo de apropriação da escrita no contexto da ampliação da escolaridade obrigatória, por outro, compreender as crianças enquanto sujeitos sociais, pertencentes a grupos sociais, em condições reais de existência. A investigação correspondeu a uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa organizada em duas etapas: a) pesquisa bibliográfica e documental e b) pesquisa de campo. Utilizou como instrumentos para geração de dados a realização de entrevistas semiestruturada e a coleta de desenhos infantis, com 67 crianças entre 5 e 6 anos, matriculadas regularmente em quatro turmas de escolas públicas do município de Foz do Iguaçu-PR. A análise das enunciações dos sujeitos da pesquisa foi realizada com base no referencial teórico da Teoria da Enunciação de Mikhail Bakhtin, principalmente a partir das categorias de interação verbal, dialogismo, polifonia e alteridade. Com o intuito de compreender os modos de pensar próprios das crianças, recorreu-se aos estudos de Lev Semenovitch Vigotski e Alexis Nikoláievtch Leontiev. Os resultados da investigação apontaram que há diferentes sentidos atribuídos à linguagem escrita pelas crianças do primeiro ano do Ensino Fundamental. Estes diferentes sentidos são decorrentes da maneira como as professoras têm concebido e conduzido o ensino da linguagem escrita, bem como consideram as especificidades das crianças e suas infâncias. Buscar compreender os sentidos atribuídos à linguagem escrita no primeiro ano do Ensino Fundamental, tendo a criança como sujeito ativo no processo de pesquisa, permitiu evidenciar a necessidade posta aos profissionais da educação de promover, por meio de suas práticas pedagógicas, interlocuções discursivas durante o ensino da linguagem escrita.

Educators have a moral imperative and job-embedded expectation to effectively teach all students, which requires a commitment to continued personal growth. The purpose of this instrumental project study was to explore the lived experiences of first-year teachers and their mentors who teach in a culturally-diverse school district. The conceptual framework was based on supporting adult learning methods through the theories of critical thinking, constructivist perspective, the theory of mentoring, and culturally-instructional teaching. The guiding research questions addressed the perceptions of 5 first-year teachers and 5 mentors regarding individual and shared learning as a result of mentor-mentee relationship. A constant comparison method provided a process for analyzing the semi-structured interviews, observations, and field notes to determine a unit of data. Triangulation of the units of data then informed possible categories that were noted in words and statements. This process continued until saturation of categories was reached. Spreadsheets provided a structure to organize the data along the way and chart tables and taxonomic representation were used to display results. The mentees' results encompassed 19 themes such as feeling valued, safe, supported, trusted, and believed. The recommendations include the development of long-term solutions for supporting beginning teachers during the first 3 years of their profession with mentoring as an essential component. These findings illustrate that formal and informal beginning teacher professional learning is critical to produce high quality instruction, and to ensure that students graduate with globally competitive skills.

Doctor of Philosophy / This arts-informed inquiry is grounded in the lived experiences of five self-proclaimed artists including the researcher, who have turned to careers in teaching at varying stages of their lives. The stories of their transitions and evolving identities as both artists and teachers provide the investigative focus for this study. Although this research is relevant to teachers more generally, it specifically focuses on those who have chosen to teach Visual Arts. Particularly suited to a postmodern, arts-informed inquiry, the diverse forms of knowing that create our everyday experiences are acknowledged. The researcher became the bricoleur who collaged the individual stories of the first year artist-teachers into an integrated work of art. This constructivist approach included the use of visual imagery to transcend linguistic description. Through artworks, photographs, a self-narrative and novelette, the multiple ways these early career Visual Arts teachers came to understand themselves and their journeys are explored. This study has the potential to inform novice teachers of the transitions they may experience as they enter the teaching profession. Possible challenges, including the recognition that idealised beliefs might be traded in for more realistic representations, are discussed along with the notions of teaching as an art and the concept of resilience.

Women are returning to study as mature age students in increasing numbers. Typically, these women have been away from study for a number of years and, in order to gain entrance into a university course most women are required to undertake a bridging program. Bridging programs can provide women with an alternative pathway into university and are designed to develop the academic and study skills required to successfully undertake undergraduate studies. The Women into Science and Technology (WIST) bridging program, offered by Central Queensland University, is a self-paced bridging program which provides a low cost, study at home option specifically designed to accommodate women’s needs. This research focuses on the perceived needs of women who are enrolled in the WIST program. To this end a survey instrument has been developed to identify the needs and challenges of women undertaking the WIST program. This instrument was used to explore the needs and challenges of women enrolled in the WIST program. The survey results revealed that women have a range of needs which include support from the university, development of study and academic skills, personal qualities such as motivation and determination as well as support from their family and personal networks. The results indicate that the university needs to provide a range of support mechanisms and processes. These outcomes were used to develop the Get SET for Study framework that can be used for the planning and design of bridging courses similar to WIST for women who are considering enrolling in university.

<p>HIV poses considerable social and health challenges in South Africa, particularly among young people aged 15-24. Research indicates a strong link between risky sexual behaviour and alcohol and illicit drugs. In the Western Cape drug-related behaviours is a growing concern among young people because of relatively high prevalence rates of drug abuse, particularly methamphetamine. Previous South African studies have tended to focused on the link between substance use and risky sexual behaviour among commercial sex workers. The theoretical approach of this study is the information motivation behavioural skills model. Participants were selected using non-probability sampling of 279 first year students registered for Psychology I at the University of the Western Cape. This study employed a quantitative research approach using a survey design. Results: Forty-six percent of students do not believe that the use of illicit drugs has an impact on a person&rsquo / s sexual behavior. However, the findings also showed that only 45% of students believed that there was a difference between illicit drug users correctly using condoms when compared to non-users. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Conclusion: Prevention is our best and most effective means of decreasing risk-taking behaviours associated with HIV infection. Information is the first line of intervention that is necessary to reduce risk-taking behaviours / however prevention strategies and interventions of risk-taking behaviours should aim to increase motivation and help young people integrate information in a way that it is personally relatable. This is vital to address the inconsistencies between perceptions of risk and the realities of risk-taking behaviour.</p>

Studien syftade till att undersöka hur psykologer upplever skapandet av sin profession under den praktiska tjänstgöringsperioden. Vi använde oss av grundad teori som kvalitativ metod för datainsamling och databearbetning. Vi intervjuade 14 psykologer och fann ett antal centrala teman som var återkommande i intervjuberättelserna. Dessa handlade om hur sociala interaktioner med omgivningen påverkade den egna processen i att bli psykolog. Datamaterialet genererade en teori som visar hur psykologen under PTP-året är en del i ett möte och interaktion med organisation, erfarenheter, utveckling och den egna individen. Dessutom framkom en processmodell som påvisade fem processer som samverkar under PTP-året. Dessa processer är reflektionsprocess, känsloprocess, yrkesrollprocess, lärandeprocess samt yrkesidentitetsprocess. Slutligen använde vi oss av respondentvalidering för att kvalitetssäkra de upptäckta fynden. / The aim of this study was to investigate how psychologists experience the creation of their profession during the first year of practice. We used “Grounded Theory” as research method. We interviewed 14 psychologists and found some central themes which were frequently described. The material from the interviews let us know that the social interaction with others had an effect on their own processes in becoming a psychologist. The material generated a theory that shows how the psychologist, during the first year of practice, is part in a meeting and an interaction with organization, experiences, professional development and the individual person. We also exposed a process model that revealed five processes that interact during the first year of practice. These processes were a reflection process, an emotional process, a professional role process, a learning process and a professional identity process. Finally, we used the quality assessment method of respondent validation to confirm the findings discovered.

Mit ca. 40.500 Studierenden und 9.200 Studienanfängern im Wintersemester 2007/08 ist Dresden der bedeutendste Hochschulstandort im Freistaat Sachsen. Für die Landeshauptstadt Dresden ergeben sich durch ihre Hochschulen und Studierenden eine Reihe positiver Effekte, von wirtschaftlicher Innovationskraft bis zur Bereicherung des kulturellen Lebens. Aufgrund der demographischen Entwicklung wird für den Freistaat Sachsen jedoch im Zeitraum 2008 bis 2015 ein massiver Einbruch der Studienanfängerzahlen prognostiziert. Wie stark diese Abnahme ausfällt, ist nicht nur abhängig von der Größe der relevanten Altersjahrgänge, sondern auch von der Studienberechtigten- und Studierquote sowie der Mobilität der Studienanfänger. Im Fokus der Studie steht die Mobilität der Studienanfänger bzw. Studierenden: Um die mit einem starken Rückgang der Studierendenzahlen drohenden negativen Folgen für die Stadtentwicklung zu vermeiden, müssen zukünftig Dresdner Abiturienten und Studierende verstärkt in Dresden gehalten sowie Abiturienten und Studierende aus anderen Bundesländern für ein Studium in Dresden gewonnen werden. Mit Bezug auf die Stadt Dresden vermittelt die Studie ein umfassendes Bild vom Prozess der Studienstandortwahl und geht dabei insbesondere auf kommunale Handlungsspielräume ein. Anhand von Befragungsergebnissen und unter Bezug auf vorhandene Initiativen im Bereich Hochschulmarketing werden Empfehlungen entwickelt, wie die Stadt Dresden ihre Attraktivität für Studienanfänger und Studierende weiter erhöhen kann.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

Tyrimo tikslas - atskleisti, kaip skirtingi tėvystės patirties aspektai (išoriniai ir vidiniai) yra susiję su vyrų gyvenimo kokybės pokyčiais pirmaisiais metais po kūdikio gimimo. Tyrime dalyvavo 170 vyrų auginančių kūdikius iki metų laiko, dalis tiriamųjų pašalinta iš analizės, todėl tyrimo analizė atlikta su 157 tiriamaisiais. Tiriamieji tyrimui atrinkti patogiosios atrankos būdu. Tyrimas atliktas Lietuvos mastu, kadangi anketos platintos per internetinius portalus tokius, kaip „supermama“, „mamų klubas“, „tavo mažylis“, „tindi rindi“, „facebook“ ir pan. Be internetinės apklausos surinkta ir keletas anketų raštu. Anketa sudaryta iš keleto klausimynų. Ją sudaro tokios dalys: demografiniai dalykai, motinos kompetencijos klausimynas, su sveikata susijusios gyvenimo kokybės pokyčių klausimynas, tėvystės kompetencijos klausimynas. Bendras klausimų skaičius anketoje – 86 klausimai. Atskiros dalys sudarytos iš skirtingo skaičiaus klausimų. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, jog vyrų gyvenimo kokybės pokyčiai pirmaisiais metais po kūdikio gimimo yra susiję su išoriniais, fiziniais, socialiniais ir materialiniais veiksniais tokiais kaip materialinės sąlygos kūdikio auginimui, socialinis partnerių palaikymas, kūdikio ramumas, partnerių pasiruošimas motinystei. Individualūs psichologiniai veiksniai (vyrų savo tėvystės įgūdžių vertinimas, tėvystės siekiamumas, pasiruošimas šiam vaidmeniui, įtampa susijusi su tėvyste) turi reikšmingas sąsajas su teigiamais su sveikata susijusios gyvenimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the research is to reveal how different parental experience aspects (external and internal) are related to the male life quality and its changes. There were 170 male participants in the research, parenting infants under 12 months age, due to the elimination of some respondents from the research, the research analysis was conducted with 157 respondents. The research respondents were selected by convenience sampling. The research was conducted on the local scale in Lithuania as the surveys were distributed by online portals such as „supermama“, „mamų klubas“, „tavo mažylis“, „tindi rindi“,„facebook“ etc. Besides the online survey, some surveys in a written form were collected. The survey consists of several questionnairies. It is formed of the following parts: demographics, mother competence questionnaire, the life quality changes in relation to health questionnaire, parenting sense of competence questionnaire. The total number of questions in the survey is 86. The seperate parts are formed from different number of questions. The research results demonstrated that men‘s life quality changes during the first year after the childbirth are related to external, physical, social and material aspects such as material conditions for the child raising, the support of social partners, the infant‘s calmness, the preparation of partners for the motherhood. Individual psychological factors ( men‘s self-evaluation of parental skills, the pursuit for parenting, the preparation... [to full text]