Second language (L2) learners are a growing population in Canadian school systems, and acquisition of literacy skills is critical to their success in Canadian society. While much research has been devoted to writing development in first language (L1) learners, text-level writing remains relatively underexplored in L2 populations. The present study sought to address this gap by considering the relative contributions of component oral language and word-level literacy skills to writing in elementary students speaking English as a first (EL1) or second (EL2) language. A sample of 124 kindergarten students (56 EL1, 68 EL2) and 112 grade three students (51 EL1, 61 EL2) completed a battery of standardized measures assessing oral language, word-level literacy, and writing skills. An ordinary least squares (OLS) regression-based mediation path analysis was used to test associations among oral language, word-level literacy, and writing skills in each group. Results indicated that word-level literacy skills had a significant direct effect on writing in all groups, but that oral language had no significant direct effect on writing in any groups. Instead, the effect of oral language on writing was significantly mediated by word-level skills in the kindergarten EL1 and EL2 groups, and the grade three EL1 group. The indirect effect of oral language on writing through word-level skills was not significant in the grade three EL2 group. Despite this, no significant differences in variable associations were found between EL1 and EL2 groups in either grade. Oral language skills were additionally found to have a significant effect on word-level literacy skills in the kindergarten EL1 and EL2 groups and the grade three EL1 group; the significance of this effect in the grade three EL2 group was unclear. Results of this study are discussed in relation to existing literature, and existing theories of L1 and L2 writing. / Graduate

The specific goal of this study was to determine the use of the physical classroom environment as a teaching and learning tool in an era of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). This qualitative multi-case study focused on the learning principles and epistemological beliefs of primary teachers with reference to the physical classroom environment and the teaching process in regard to meeting the expectations set forth by the CCSSI. The researcher sought participation from a city school district in Northeast Tennessee which included a total of 8 participating teachers consisting of 2 each of grades kindergarten, first, second, and third. The Teacher Beliefs Survey (Woolley, Benjamin, & Woolley, 2004) was administered to determine teachers’ philosophical position regarding constructivist and traditional beliefs. Based upon responses, 8 teachers representing the most constructivist and most traditional teachers in each grade were selected for further participation. Teachers’ practices and perceptions of the role of the physical environment in the teaching and learning process including consideration of the CCSSI were further explored through interview. Each physical classroom environment was evaluated using the Primary Educators Environment Rating Scale (PEERS), a rubric designed to assess the use of the physical classroom environment on a continuum from traditional to constructivist practices (Evanshen & Faulk, under review). Observational field notes and photographs were collected in order to document environmental components of the physical classroom environment of each participant. Data was collected and triangulated through the use of the aforementioned methods. Through the data analysis process, the researcher found all participants to demonstrate support for the role of the physical environment in the teaching and learning process which was determined based on results of the interview in conjunction with findings of the PEERS and supporting photographic evidence. Each teacher’s personal experiences and philosophy of education was found to guide the physical classroom environment design and layout in various ways. While most teachers felt the CCSSI had little or no impact on their physical classroom environment, all shared in varying degrees the use of the physical environment as a tool to support students in developing 21st century skills.

教育部明訂，九年一貫能力指標應作為教科書編輯者編撰課本、習作之依據。透過教科書，學生可期望習得能力指標所標示的能力。台灣國中英語教學現場中，習作常作為學生的回家作業，所以能力指標如何呈現在習作上可影響學生能力習得的結果；然而，目前相關研究仍顯不足，因此，本研究採用九年一貫國中英語讀寫能力指標，分析目前最為廣用的一套國中英語習作。另外，本研究也針對第一線國中英語教師進行團體訪談，以了解教師對習作和能力指標的看法。 本研究的結果總結如下: 1. 14條指標中，只有3項在習作中有超過10%的練習題目(推論字義文意;了 解文章主旨大意；合併、改寫及造句)；然而卻有8項指標在習作中的練 習題少於1.5%。 2. 針對被強調的3項指標，訪談教師同意這些能力的確需要被強調，只不過習 作的練習題仍顯不足。 3. 針對被忽略的8項指標，教師認為有些能力(例:查字典)對學生來說並非最 重要，因此習作缺乏此類練習是可以接受的；不過，某些能力(例:看懂圖 表標示)因為和學生的日常生活息息相關，理應出現在習作裡；而部分難度 較高的指標(例:寫一個段落)可編為自由選擇(optional)的習題，讓程度 較高的學生有更多練習的機會。 根據研究結果，研究者對教育決策者、教科書編輯、及英語教師提出數點 建議。 / The competence indicators (CI) listed in the Grades 1-9 Curriculum Guidelines are regulated as the principles for private publishers to compile teaching materials—textbooks and student workbooks. Through these teaching materials, it is expected that students can acquire the competences stipulated in the curriculum guidelines. Student workbooks, especially in Taiwan’s junior high school English classrooms, are used as a main source for students’ homework. Therefore, how the CIs are incorporated into the workbooks can affect students’ acquirement of the competences. Nonetheless, little research has been done on analysis of English workbooks based on competence indicators. This study, therefore, aimed to analyze a most popular set of junior high school English workbooks based on the Grades 7-9 reading and writing competence indicators. To gain more in-depth insights, a focus group interview with in-service teachers was later conducted to explore teachers’ views on the workbooks and competence indicators. The results of the present study are summarized as follows. 1.Of the 14 CIs, only three were emphasized (to guess meanings of words and reading passages; to understand main ideas; and to combine, change, and make sentences), each taking up more than 10% of the workbook exercises. However, there were up to eight CIs that were neglected, each taking up less than 1.5% of the workbook exercises. 2.As for the three emphasized CIs, the teacher interviewees agreed that the emphasis was necessary, but the practice in the workbooks were still insufficient for their students. 3.As for the eight neglected CIs, the teachers considered that: (1) lack of practice on some CIs, such as to use a dictionary, was acceptable, for these skills were impractical for their students; (2) some practices, such as to fill out forms, should have be included into the workbooks because they were related to students’ daily lives; (3) certain practices, such as to write a simple paragraph, could be designed as optional workbook exercises for high achieving students to master more advanced skills. Finally, some suggestions are provided on the basis of the findings in this study.

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Min tanke bakom undersökningen är att betygsättning och olika former av bedömningssätt är frågor lärare måste ta ställning till i utövandet av sin yrkesroll, från ett makt- och elevperspektiv. Som lärare har man makten att öppna respektive stänga dörrar för elever, då betyg blir avgörande för elevernas vidare utbildning. Mina frågeställningar är: Vad berättar medieelever om sina upplevelser av att bli betygsatta i media- estetiska ämnen? Hur beskriver medieelever att betygsättning inverkar på deras självbild? Mina informanter går i årskurs 3 på en medieinriktning, på ett estetiskt gymnasieprogram. Med dem gör jag intervjuer där de reflekterar kring att få betyg i media-estetiska ämnen. Denna uppsats använder sig av etnografiska metoder grundat på intervjuer och diskurs som analysverktyg och teori. Min strävan är att förstå hur betygssättning inverkar på mina informanters liv och hur den tillslut fungerar i en större samhällskontext. Studien visade att lärarna har en inflytelserik roll när det kommer till hur eleverna känner sig efter bedömningssituationen. Resultatet i undersökningen visar att det är svårt att definiera vad "rättvisa bedömningar" verkligen innebär och att det är individuellt hur eleven uppfattar kommunikationen med läraren. Man kan se att kommunikationen mellan lärare och elev är grundkärnan i hur bedömningen framförs och tas emot. Det krävs yrkeskompetenta lärare som är tydliga med kunskapskraven och att samtal med elever förs på ett konstruktivt vis. Sammanfattningsvis så behövs forskning inom detta område och resurser på ett politiskt plan. Min gestaltning är en förlängning av min etnografiska undersökning. Där samtalar elever som går olika estetinriktningar - musik, media, florist, musikal och teater, med varandra om vad de tycker om att bli betygsatta i ett estetiskt ämne och vad de tycker generellt om betyg. Detta resulterade i porträttfotografier som sedan ställdes ut på Vårutställningen på Konstfack 2014. / My thought behind the investigation is that grading and different forms of grading are questions that teachers have to deal with in their profession, from a power and pupil perspective. As a teacher you have the power to open respectively close doors for pupils, and then grades becomes decisive for the pupils further education. My issues are: What do media pupils tell about their experiences of being graded? How do media pupils describe the impact of the grading on their self image? My informants are studying at 3rd grade at a media orientation on an esthetical program. With them I do interviews where they reflect on being graded in media esthetical subjects. This essay uses ethnographical methods based on interviews and discourse as an analytical tool and theory. My aim is to understand how grading impacts on my informants’ life and how it finally works in a bigger social context. The study showed that the teachers have an influential role when it comes to how the pupils feel after the grading situation. The result in the investigation shows that it is difficult to define what a "fair grading" really implies and that it is individual how the pupil understands the communication with the teacher. In that way you can see that the communication between the teacher and the pupil is the core in how the grading is being brought up. It demands professionally skilled teachers that are clear with the requirements of knowledge and that conversations with the pupils are being held in a constructive way. To sum up, this calls for research within this subject and resources on a political level. My interpretation is a prolongation of my ethnographical investigation. There the pupils studying on different esthetical orientations – music, media, florist, musical and theatre, are discussing with each other about what they think about being graded in an esthetical subject and generally what they think about grading. This resulted in a number of portrait photographs later being exhibited on the spring exhibition at Konstfack in 2014.

The aims of this paper are to present some of the findings about the creation and utilization of online assignments and choice of support software for several calculus classes at Simon Fraser University (SFU) by considering the needs and perspectives of the instructors, students, and administrators. The term online assignment is used for a set of problems that are posted, submitted, graded, and recorded electronically through a course learning management system (LMS) of choice. The purpose of this note is to contribute to the discussion about a common question detected among research papers on the theme of online assignments; how can technology be used in teaching so that students benefit the most? Questions are provided to guide an instructor in choosing online assignment problems, and a list of necessary skills is supplied for an instructor to be able to deal effectively with this pedagogical tool.

Effective implementation of the principles of the National curriculum Statement (NCS) for Life Orientation has various requirements. Thus, with a specific focus on Life Orientation in grade 10, the study aimed at investigating various issues around the implementation of these principles. To this end, a mixed-methods approach was used. In the quantitative phase, questionnaires were used. In the qualitative phase, focus groups and interviews were used to collect data. Similar questions were asked in both phases. The sample was a group of 48 Life Orientation teachers from 48 secondary schools in the Gauteng West district. Ethical issues were considered. Techniques to ensure validity and reliability were also taken into account. The results showed that, in general: • the introduction of the NCS in Life Orientation had resulted in too much paperwork and administration for the teachers; • the principles of the NCS had not helped to transform education from the apartheid era system of education to the present democratic system of education; • the teachers were poorly trained with regard to implementing the principles of the NCS in the sense that there were not enough workshops and follow-up support provided; • the principles of the NCS were not implemented at schools, among others because there were problems with the distribution of policies to the teachers via the school management; • the implementation of the principles of the NCS did not make the envisaged impact on learner attitudes since the attitudes of many learners were often negative; • the implementation of the principles of the NCS did not make the envisaged impact on learner respect for other cultures; • the principles of the NCS did not have the ideal impact on morals, values and standards; or impact significantly on crime rate, learner pregnancy or disrespect at school; and• the principles of the NCS did not support learners well to acquire life skills. • However, the principles of the NCS in Life Orientation were more successful with regards to helping address barriers to learning. In line with the above, recommendations were made and the limitations of the study were pointed out. / Further Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

A full dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Education Presented to the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / Writing in rural multigrade Foundation Phase schools is a largely negelected area for research and teacher development. Even those teaching multigrade classes are not sure how to approach it. There are almost no regulations or guidelines in PIRLS or government documents and reports. Nevertheless multigrade rural schooling is prevalant throughout South Africa. This gap between widespread practice and lack of theoretical acknowledgement or knowledge prompted this study. For the purposes of this study two rural multigrade Foundation Phase classes were selected in the Northern District of the Western Cape. This study answers one main question: What writing practices are being implemented in these two rural Foundation Phase multigrade classes? Two sub-questions are: How do the two Foundation Phase teachers teach writing skills to rural multigrade learners? What challenges do these two Foundation Phase teachers experience when teaching writing? Lack of research in this area required considerable time to consolidate an appropriate research methodology. To establish a scientific structure for this research certain theoretical approaches were adopted. Socio-cultural theories of learning, particularly focusing on Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological model, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and social constructivism were used. Piaget’s developmental contributions add to this research project. Cambourne’s principles and strategies were invaluable in understanding constructivism in a language classroom. Because this was a pioneering research project it took over four years to complete analysis of data from the schools and link it to the theoretical framework. A qualitative interpretative case study research design was specifically formulated to provide an objective understanding of the research questions. The data were analysed qualitatively. Four themes emerged from sub-question one and include: the pedagogy of teaching writing in a multigrade class, the importance of creating a writing ethos in the classroom, elements of writing and supporting learners in the writing process. The following six themes were identified in answering sub-question two: teacher challenges, poor socio-economic backgrounds, writing support from the WCED, creating a writing ethos including discipline, parental literacy and learner challenges. In conclusion, this research indicates that multigrade education is, far from being a recalcitrant problem or cause for apology, useful as a template for curriculum development in many other areas of education. Multigrade education provides a realistic and flexible tool for meeting urgent educational problems.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education in the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2013 / Parental involvement in rural multigrade schools in South Africa is poor. This is mainly due to a lack of support for and insufficient knowledge regarding the development of a programme that would increase parental involvement at rural multigrade schools in South Africa. The context of multigrade education in South Africa reflects the reality of a lack of parental involvement. South African rural multigrade education is beset by a variety of internal and external challenges which have a detrimental effect on effective parental involvement. However, in the rural multigrade school context, parents have untapped potential that needs to be identified and acted upon in order to empower parents; this could provide the rural marginalised children with meaningful access to quality education. Research has proved that parental involvement has a positive effect on the quality of education. According to research, the six types of parental involvement are parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making and collaborating with the community. In this study the focus was on involving parents in learning and allowing them to become active partners in education. To increase parental involvement in learning at rural multigrade schools in South Africa, an intervention was needed. This intervention came in the form of a school, community and family partnership programme. The core elements of a school, community and family partnership programme (SCAF partnership programme) were the creation of partnerships and communication channels between the school, community and family, as well as the utilisation of existing community resources. These core elements had a specific focus on learning. This study used Bourdieu's (1986) theory on capital and Epstein's (1995) theory of overlapping spheres of influence. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of an effective school, community and family partnership programme that would increase parental involvement in learning at rural multigrade schools in South Africa. Design-based research was employed in order to design, develop and test the proposed programme. Research was conducted in two phases. During the preliminary phase, a needs and content analysis, review of literature, and the development of a conceptual or theoretical framework for the study were conducted. This was followed by a prototyping phase which is an iterative design phase consisting of iterations, each being a micro-cycle of research with formative evaluation as the most important research activity, and which is aimed at improving and refining the intervention. Summative evaluation was conducted during the prototype phase in order to determine whether the solution or intervention met the pre-determined specifications. Data gathered during this study indicated: 1. The SCAF partnership programme can increase parental involvement in learning at rural multigrade schools if certain product and process characteristics are active. 2. The SCAF partnership programme allows utilising school, home and community capital through interaction and collaboration to increase parental involvement in learning. 3. A SCAF partnership programme should focus on learning through creating partnerships and opportunities for communication, and utilising community resources. 4. A SCAF partnership programme should be employed through a specific process. 5. Design research offers an appropriate and powerful approach to design, develop and implement a SCAF partnership programme that increases parental involvement in learning at rural multigrade schools. Keywords: Parental involvement, Parents, Design Research, Rural multigrade schools, Rural multigrade education

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2015-07-29T15:19:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Nilza Carla Teixeira.pdf: 3117539 bytes, checksum: 8515836bcc713fe07609b720f09ac8c5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-29T15:19:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nilza Carla Teixeira.pdf: 3117539 bytes, checksum: 8515836bcc713fe07609b720f09ac8c5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-31 / Este trabajo pretende señalar retos, que los responsables de la enseñanza de la música en las escuelas primarias estatales de cara São Paulo, por lo que se aplica el contenido de música en el aula. La contribución científica y cultural de esta investigación es analizar la base teórica del programa de estudios de Arte - La Escuela de Artes de Early Years - Las expectativas de aprendizaje -, así como la Ley 11. 769/2008, responsable de la educación obligatoria como contenido musical Art. El soporte teórico de esta investigación es que los autores: Snyders (2008), Assmann (2001) y Fonterrada (2008) que se convierten en la música en el ser humano, Bioto-Cavalcanti (2014b) sobre la educación de los maestros y Viñao Frago (2001) que se ocupa de las reformas educativas. También se seleccionaron Disertaciones empleos entre ellos los autores Alicia Maria Almeida Loureiro (2001), Vera Lucia Gomes Jardín (2003) y Leila Guimarães (2008), en el que destacan la educación musical como un contenido disciplinario implica el proceso de adaptación y transformación el mismo en el currículo escolar y Wasti Silverio Ciszevski Henriques (2011), que aborda la enseñanza de la música en el área de Pedagogía. La metodología utilizada para llevar a cabo este trabajo provino de la investigación bibliográfica y documental que abarca el período de 1995 a 2013. En el futuro, celebrada observación de orientación técnica; entrevista con la colección semiestructurada, los datos y el proceso de intervención en tres directrices técnicas. Los datos recogidos permitieron la identificación de las propuestas del CRG para la implementación de la educación musical a través de las Directrices técnicas dirigidas a los profesores de arte, así como los retos que estos profesores se enfrentan el plan de estudios para la música lecionarem en las escuelas. / This work aims to point out challenges, that those responsible for teaching music in state primary schools of São Paulo face, so that the music content is applied in the classroom. The scientific and cultural contribution of this research is to analyze the theoretical basis of the Art curriculum - The School of Arts in Early Years - Learning Expectations - as well as Law No. 11.769/2008, responsible for compulsory education as musical content Art. The theoretical basis for this research is the authors: Snyders (2008), Assmann (2001) and Fonterrada (2008) that turn on the music in human, Bioto-Cavalcanti (2014b) on the education of teachers and Viñao Frago (2001) which deals with educational reforms. Dissertations jobs were also selected among them the authors Alicia Maria Almeida Loureiro (2001), Vera Lucia Gomes Garden (2003) and Leila Guimarães (2008), in which highlight the music education as a disciplinary content implies the process of adaptation and transformation the same in the school curriculum and Wasti Silverio Ciszevski Henriques (2011) which addresses the teaching of music in Pedagogy area. The methodology used to conduct this work came from the bibliographical and documentary research covering the period from 1995 to 2013. In the future held observation Technical Guidance; interview with semi-structured, data collection and intervention process in three Technical Guidelines. The data collected allowed the identification of the GRA 's proposals for the implementation of music education through the Technical Guidelines geared to art teachers as well as the challenges that these teachers are facing the curriculum for lecionarem music in schools. / Esse trabalho tem como objetivo investigar os desafios com os quais os responsáveis pelo Ensino de Música nas escolas estaduais do Ensino Básico de São Paulo se defrontam, para que o conteúdo musical seja aplicado em sala de aula. A contribuição científica e cultural dessa pesquisa está em analisar as bases teóricas do Currículo de Arte – o ensino das Artes nos anos iniciais, Expectativas de Aprendizagem – bem como a Lei nº 11.769/2008, responsável pela obrigatoriedade do Ensino Musical como conteúdo de Arte. O aporte teórico para a realização desta pesquisa está nos autores: Snyders (2008), Assmann (1998) e Fonterrada (2008) que versam sobre a música na formação humana, Bioto-Cavalcanti (2014b) sobre a formação do professor e Viñao Frago (2001), que trata sobre reformas educativas. Trabalhos de dissertações também foram selecionados, dentre eles os das autoras Alícia Maria Almeida Loureiro (2001), Vera Lúcia Gomes Jardim (2003) e Leila Guimarães (2008), que destacam o Ensino de Música enquanto conteúdo disciplinar, o que implica no processo de adaptação e transformação da música no currículo escolar, e o trabalho de Wasti Silvério Ciszevski Henriques (2011), que aborda o Ensino de Música na área de Pedagogia. A metodologia utilizada para a realização desse trabalho partiu da investigação bibliográfica e documental compreendendo o período de 1995 a 2013. Numa próxima etapa realizou-se observação de Orientação Técnica; entrevista com roteiro semiestruturado, coleta de dados e um processo de intervenção em três Orientações Técnicas. Os dados levantados permitiram identificar as propostas do GRA para a implantação do ensino de música através das Orientações Técnicas voltados aos professores de Arte, bem como os desafios que esses professores encontram frente ao currículo para lecionarem música nas escolas.