<p> This descriptive study looks at how social justice is being integrated into 11th grade language arts classes in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado. I observed four educators, noting how they addressed issues of social justice through classroom discussions and literature selection. This study will reflect upon on observations in classrooms and interviews with educators that inform ineffective and effective means of incorporating, or not incorporating, social justice into their classrooms.</p>

This thesis traces the history of the teaching of English within the state system of education in the nineteenth century through the twentieth century and the writing of a national curriculum. More specifically, it traces definitions of language upon which its teaching has been based and the theories that have informed that teaching. This history is located within the wider social context of its formation. It contends that the teaching of English within a national State system of education was made possible by the standardisation of English as the language of the newly formed nation state. Teaching English, therefore, is primarily concerned with teaching language and through the texts it uses with teaching particular versions of society. It is divided into two parts. The first part considers formations of English and definitions of language from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the nineteen eighties. It describes the language theory that informed the teaching of language and their change from a prescriptive to descriptive basis. The second part of the thesis considers in more detail the writing of a national curriculum for English and the theories of language upon which the original curriculum and subsequent revisions drew. It ends by proposing a formation of English informed by contemporary language theory and the subject of stylistics centred upon the writing and study of 'text' as defined by the printed word.

<p>An online learning phenomenon emanated 2&frac12; years ago from three courses taught at Stanford University, promising an opportunity for high-quality instruction from elite institutions and professors for no cost to the student. This phenomenon, which came to be known as the MOOC, catalyzed sweeping changes in both higher education&rsquo;s relationship with distance education, as well as the discussion of higher education in society, in a remarkably short period of time. </p><p> While people have questioned the effectiveness of MOOC learning and the potential negative consequences of adopting MOOC systems either in support of or to replace existing educational infrastructure, the MOOC movement has continued to grow at a rapid pace. This research study sought to define the characteristics of the MOOC on the terms of learning theory, pedagogy, history, society and policy through the use of an expert-based Delphi study, where participants engaged in a phenomenological dialogue about what constitutes a MOOC in practice, the present state of higher education in the wake of the MOOC movement, the effect the phenomenon has had on education both structurally as well as socially, and visions of the future of the institution of higher education as affected by the MOOC. </p><p> In summary, panelists focused their agreement on cognitive and pragmatic aspects of the MOOC debate, such as a hope for learning analytics to offer solutions to educational problems as well as the opportunity for the MOOC system to offer tier-based education services to consumers. The Delphi discussion showcased the importance of cognitive theory in MOOC design as well as the relationship between MOOCs and economics, and highlighted the difficulty education experts have in agreeing on how to define educational terminology. </p>

This thesis examines the educational role of English literature in Taiwan and proposes a method of reading and teaching English Renaissance poetry for Taiwanese students and teachers. Based upon the idea of integrating literature and language, this thesis suggests a stylistic approach to reading as well as interpreting literary texts. The thesis will argue that the prevalent communicational features of Renaissance poetry will, during the reading process, allow Taiwanese students to explore the interaction between the poetic speaker and the addressee before considering the relationship between the poet and the reader. Thus, as a reader of Renaissance poetry, the student can carry out an individual communication with the text. This proposed method for teachers of Renaissance poetry in Taiwan is predicated on a selection of "manageable" texts which should enable students to understand the use of language before they embark on further interpretation. Within the thesis there will be examples of various text analyses that are intended to guide students in constructing their own reading strategies. This, in turn, will lead to a broader interpretation of text and context. By demonstrating the accessibility of the proposed reading and teaching method, this thesis aims to promote a pedagogical development for both the teaching of a specific genre and for other types of literary texts encountered in the classroom.

This thesis studies the secular schools sustained by two rural municipalities of majority Indian population in the Sierra Norte de Puebla in the periods before and after the 1910 Revolution (1875-1930). In order to assess the role of schools in the community and their contribution to nation-state building, it examines changes in the tax system that affected educational provision, the mutual interaction between schools, politics and inter-ethnic relations at the local level, and the methods used and problems faced when teaching Indian children to read and write in Spanish. The approach of social history is followed to address these questions, seeking to strike a balance between the necessary recognition of the agency of subordinate groups and the complexities of power relations that kept them dominated. Taking a local perspective and using a variety of sources including previously untapped municipal archives, this study both complements and challenges the history of education and nation-state building in modem Mexico. This thesis shows how, before 1910, municipal schools were successfully sustained by locally-controlled taxes and how post-revolutionary policies, contrary to the prevalent view in Mexican historiography, did not necessarily have positive consequences for education. In this case they had a negative impact by abolishing the tax system that had sustained schools, without providing an effective alternative. In organising themselves to fund schools, communities proved to be stronger than the post-revolutionary state. Seeking to contribute to an incipient but growing history of Indian education, this study analyses classroom practice, showing how speakers of Indian languages were at a disadvantage in school. After the revolution, there was a growing awareness of the specific needs of Indian children, but the methods adopted did not necessarily result in more effective learning of Spanish. In fact, the thesis argues that throughout the period of study schools contributed to non- Indian domination by reproducing and reinforcing Indians' linguistic disadvantage.

<p> Throughout history women have attempted to reach senior leadership positions in churches of all denominations, but only within the past three centuries have women gained a presence in such positions. This thesis was undertaken to fill the gap of current research on the leadership roles of women within the ministry of traditionally conservative churches. Data were collected through surveys and follow-up interviews. Twelve women who held senior leadership positions in American Baptist churches participated in the case study. Their stories of religious transformation, social support, and discrimination are highlighted in this study. Their callings were both a personal and religious experience that could only be captured through interdisciplinary, qualitative research methods. Religious studies, women's studies, and critical theory were combined to create a feminist narrative of spiritual women who were both leaders within their faith and change agents of conservative, religious traditions. The analysis focuses on their roles in cultural and religious reforms. In addition, the author drew upon recent theories and empirical research on collaborative, transformational, and spiritual leadership and Maslow's earlier work on human motivation to better understand the leadership roles of women in the ministry.</p>

Prior to the passing of the Education (Religious Instruction) Act 1950, religious instruction was permitted in State schools in Victoria, but had to be given outside the hours prescribed for secular instruction. Within these limitations, representatives of the non-Roman Catholic Churches provided basically non-sectarian teaching under the auspices of the Joint Council for Religious Instruction in State Schools. The 1940's, however, saw a growing dissatisfaction in the Churches with the secular nature of the Education Act and a desire for statutory recognition of the place of religion in the education of children. Through the Joint Council and its successor, the Council for Christian Education in Schools, and through a series of conferences of the Heads of Churches begun in 1943, negotiations were initiated in order to seek common ground for an approach to the Government. The Anglican desire for segregation and the unstable political situation were the biggest obstacles to progress. By 1950, after protracted negotiations and many disappointments, the member-Churches of the Council for Christian Education in Schools had reached agreement, and with Roman Catholic support, secured the 1950 Amendment.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Dept. of History, 2005. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-213).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on May 12, 2009). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-08, Section: A, page: 2961. Advisers: Suzanne E. Eckes; Martha M. McCarthy.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Education, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-01, Section: A, page: 0113. Adviser: Edward P. St. John. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed Jan. 24, 2007)."