Thesis advisor: Curt Dudley-Marling / Federal legislation now requires that all children participate in large-scale, statewide assessments in English in an effort to increase accountability and bolster student achievement (Abedi, Hofstetter, & Lord, 2004; Hass, 2002). Students labeled as "English language learners" (ELLs) consistently score dramatically lower on English language and literacy assessments than their native speaking peers (Au & Raphael, 2000; National Center for Educational Statistics, 2011). Additionally, most mainstream teachers are not adequately prepared to meet the linguistic challenges that ELLs face in classroom settings (Lucas & Villegas, 2011). Reading aloud to bilingual students, specifically using components of a shared reading model (Holdaway, 1979), potentially provides an avenue for meaningful language and literacy development. While a corpus of research exists about reading aloud with English-speaking students, there has been limited research on its use with bilingual students in classroom settings. Drawing on a sociocultural theoretical framework (Gee, 1996; Vygotsky, 1978), the Output Hypothesis of second language acquisition (Swain, 1985), ethnographic perspectives (Heath & Street, 2008), action research (Stringer, 1999) and discourse analysis (Bloome et al., 2008), this qualitative study examined the practice of four pre-service elementary teachers reading aloud English texts (fiction, expository, and poetry) to small groups of bilingual students across four grade levels. The research was conducted to study pre-service teachers' language and literacy teaching practices and pre-service teacher-bilingual student interaction patterns in read aloud contexts to better understand their potential for bilingual student language and literacy learning. Additionally, the study provided beginning teachers with professional development geared towards helping pre-service teachers to meet the unique language and literacy needs of bilingual students. It was found that pre-service teachers consistently strived to develop students' word knowledge and support text comprehension. In doing so, teachers utilized a variety of teaching practices and linguistic patterns of interaction during read alouds which varied across teachers. The argument is made that these various teacher moves and discourse patterns led to qualitatively different types of interactions and affordances for bilingual student learning. Implications for mainstream classroom teachers and teacher education programs are provided. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

The purpose of this study was to explore and represent students leadership understandings that emerged from discussions of their past and current leadership experiences in everyday life, their school experiences, and their college level contexts.<p>In this study I used a multiple method (QUAL + QUAL) research design and the data were analyzed within principles of grounded theory drawn from Strauss and Corbins (1998) grounded theory approach. Individual and focus group interviews were the main data collection methods used in this study: individual interviews with fifteen undergraduate education students and six focus group sessions (held in succession) generated the data. <p>As the leadership understandings held by the students unfolded, four broad themes became prominent. The first theme, the ubiquity of relationships, emerged from the students discussions of collaboration, context, power, and vision. Highlighted in these conversations was their perspective that, with respect to leadership, relationships are everything. The second theme included the students understanding that self-esteem and self-actualization were important aspects of effective and energizing leadership. Third, and perhaps more informative, was the manner in which the students articulated their leadership understandings. One of the biggest findings to come out of the study was the students tendency to speak in dualities in order to process, conceptualize, and articulate their leadership understandings. Additionally, the students sensemaking reflected the important role language and framing played in articulating their leadership understandings. Their perspective that small things (positive and negative) had momentum and led to ramifications emerged as the fourth broad theme. In my quest to understand this phenomenon, I developed the concept of leadership throw as the metaphor that conveyed the students understanding of small things having big ramifications. <p>Implications for theory, research, and policy arose from the students beliefs that leadership was collaborative, interactive, and featured the harnessing of individuals skills for the betterment of communities. In view of what was learned about the students use of language, framing, and leadership throw, their leadership synthesis has implications for an enhanced pre-service teacher preparation program suggesting greater congruence with the lived realities of K-12 schools.<p>In conclusion, it became apparent that the students leadership understandings were part content, part process, and part articulation. Remarkably, I came into this research looking for the students denotative leadership understandings and came away from the study with a clearer understanding of language and framing, leadership throw, and the implications of these concepts powerful argument this makes for nurturing student voice and the capability for expression and framing at all levels of leadership, organizational life, and community relations.

Education literature is replete with articles on critical thinking in secondary and post secondary education. However, the bulk of this literature focuses on the process from the educators perspective of student performance and understanding of critical thinking. Very little research seems to have been done to uncover what the students themselves may think. <p>This thesis attempts to address this lack of enquiry into student perceptions by illuminating how a group of pre-service teachers (and one long service master teacher) have experienced critical thinking in their education, and how they define and understand it. The thesis consists of a literature review that briefly examines the history of critical thinking in education, and how student understandings of critical thinking are perceived by professors and others at the post secondary level.<p>Then, through a series of semi-structured interviews, the thesis examines the perspectives of eleven participants in comparison to those commonly held by writers and educators in the field. The data indicate that most of the participants did not acknowledge encountering critical thinking methodologies or structures during their K-12 education in any significant way, and that K-12 did not prepare them for critical thinking at the University level- and in fact often did not meet the criteria laid out in Saskatchewan Curricula. This finding is in general agreement with the literature. However, in addition, most of the students asserted that their experience indicated that high level critical thinking was not actually required for success at the undergraduate level.<p>The data from this thesis suggest that further study may be useful in understanding how critical thinking may be better taught and encouraged at all levels of education.

The purpose of this study was to explore and represent students leadership understandings that emerged from discussions of their past and current leadership experiences in everyday life, their school experiences, and their college level contexts.<p>In this study I used a multiple method (QUAL + QUAL) research design and the data were analyzed within principles of grounded theory drawn from Strauss and Corbins (1998) grounded theory approach. Individual and focus group interviews were the main data collection methods used in this study: individual interviews with fifteen undergraduate education students and six focus group sessions (held in succession) generated the data. <p>As the leadership understandings held by the students unfolded, four broad themes became prominent. The first theme, the ubiquity of relationships, emerged from the students discussions of collaboration, context, power, and vision. Highlighted in these conversations was their perspective that, with respect to leadership, relationships are everything. The second theme included the students understanding that self-esteem and self-actualization were important aspects of effective and energizing leadership. Third, and perhaps more informative, was the manner in which the students articulated their leadership understandings. One of the biggest findings to come out of the study was the students tendency to speak in dualities in order to process, conceptualize, and articulate their leadership understandings. Additionally, the students sensemaking reflected the important role language and framing played in articulating their leadership understandings. Their perspective that small things (positive and negative) had momentum and led to ramifications emerged as the fourth broad theme. In my quest to understand this phenomenon, I developed the concept of leadership throw as the metaphor that conveyed the students understanding of small things having big ramifications. <p>Implications for theory, research, and policy arose from the students beliefs that leadership was collaborative, interactive, and featured the harnessing of individuals skills for the betterment of communities. In view of what was learned about the students use of language, framing, and leadership throw, their leadership synthesis has implications for an enhanced pre-service teacher preparation program suggesting greater congruence with the lived realities of K-12 schools.<p>In conclusion, it became apparent that the students leadership understandings were part content, part process, and part articulation. Remarkably, I came into this research looking for the students denotative leadership understandings and came away from the study with a clearer understanding of language and framing, leadership throw, and the implications of these concepts powerful argument this makes for nurturing student voice and the capability for expression and framing at all levels of leadership, organizational life, and community relations.

Education literature is replete with articles on critical thinking in secondary and post secondary education. However, the bulk of this literature focuses on the process from the educators perspective of student performance and understanding of critical thinking. Very little research seems to have been done to uncover what the students themselves may think. <p>This thesis attempts to address this lack of enquiry into student perceptions by illuminating how a group of pre-service teachers (and one long service master teacher) have experienced critical thinking in their education, and how they define and understand it. The thesis consists of a literature review that briefly examines the history of critical thinking in education, and how student understandings of critical thinking are perceived by professors and others at the post secondary level.<p>Then, through a series of semi-structured interviews, the thesis examines the perspectives of eleven participants in comparison to those commonly held by writers and educators in the field. The data indicate that most of the participants did not acknowledge encountering critical thinking methodologies or structures during their K-12 education in any significant way, and that K-12 did not prepare them for critical thinking at the University level- and in fact often did not meet the criteria laid out in Saskatchewan Curricula. This finding is in general agreement with the literature. However, in addition, most of the students asserted that their experience indicated that high level critical thinking was not actually required for success at the undergraduate level.<p>The data from this thesis suggest that further study may be useful in understanding how critical thinking may be better taught and encouraged at all levels of education.

This dissertation investigates Korean pre-service kindergarten teachers’ practical knowledge regarding teaching circle time developed through both teaching practices and contextual factors during their field experience. To investigate this, a qualitative case study examining four pre-service kindergarten teachers working their field experience was conducted. Data collected through observation, stimulated recall interviews and semi-structured interviews of four participants during field experience was analyzed in order to answer the research questions. Data analysis revealed two major types of practical knowledge for teaching circle time: 1) practical knowledge about classroom management strategies; 2) practical knowledge about the teacher’s role in teacher-children interaction. The findings of the study were organized for presentation in Chapter 4 by combining the types of practical knowledge with separation of pre-existing and developed practical knowledge: the first section covers both pre-existing and developed classroom management strategies; the second section covers both pre-existing and developed practical knowledge regarding the teacher’s role in teacher-children interaction. The third section covers contextual factors which influence that development. While the pre-service teachers may have had sudden moments of inspiration where things coalesced for them, in general practical knowledge was not an instant acquisition. Indeed, this study witnessed what developed though successive teaching practices during their field experience. The use of (stimulated recall) interviews allowed for candid and timely revelations from the pre-service teachers, giving important insight into some specifics on the acquisition of practical knowledge, such as facing challenges as a vehicle for change, and the need for critical reflection. In this study, the primary contextual factor recognized as influencing pre-service teachers’ practical knowledge is the classroom teacher, through modeling and post-lesson conferences. Chapter 5 addresses the significance of the findings of this research and compares it to other research in the field, focusing on three aspects: 1) the specific types of practical knowledge developed through circle time teaching practice; 2) the process of the development of practical knowledge; and; 3) the influence of classroom teachers on that development. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of implications for: 1) pre-service kindergarten teachers at the same stage of their education, 2) teacher educators who are responsible for designing and reforming teacher education programs for pre-service kindergarten teachers, and 3) administrators of teacher education programs who can establish systemized regulations for field experience and recommendations for future research. / text

The purpose of the present study is to investigate what research show about the use of manipulative materials in the mathematics education and what factors have an impact on this approach. A definition of the problem<img src="https://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" /> was formed when considering the decrease of Swedish pupils mathematical abilities presented in PISA. The intention with the present study was to assemble further knowledge in whether or not the use of manipulative materials could be a teaching method that could help improve this. The method used in this study was a systematic review based on an analysis of 8 studies. The results of the studies were thoroughly examined and presented in a result chapter. When comparing the results categories were found. These categories structured the result chapter as following: the beliefs of pre- and in- service teachers, the situations in which manipulative materials are used / not used, the use of manipulative materials in relation to grades and duration and pupils’ beliefs and achievements. Results show a positive meaning to the use of manipulatives, however it is the question of how they are used that is discussed.

Abstract The purpose of this case study was to determine the value orientations of health and physical education students (HPE) in an Australian physical education teacher education (PETE) program. Additionally, I was interested in the sympathy or otherwise in the relationship between the explicit Queensland HPE curriculum values and the value profiles of a cohort of pre-service teachers. Values were measured with the Value Orientation Inventory-2 (VOI-2) developed by Ennis and Chen, (1993). The culture and the curriculum goals of HPE and health and physical education teacher education (HPETE), contribute to the socialisation and construction of value orientations (Solmon & Ashy, 1995). Descriptive statistics were compiled for all five-value orientations, along with t-tests and ANOVA’s. Participants (N=33) were recruited from the 3rd year HPE cohort at a large Australian University and were tested pre and post semester 2, 2007. Initial and final testing demonstrated a diverse range of value orientation profiles. This cohort of HPETE students emphasizes certain value priorities over others. 26 students within this study demonstrated a ‘Neutral’ or ‘High’ priority towards learning process (LP), additionally 22 students also have a ‘Neutral’ or ‘High’ disciplinary mastery (DM) priority. The students’ priorities towards social responsibility (SR) were very low, with two students in the ‘High’ category and eighteen in the ‘Low’ priority. Initial ‘High’ dispositions towards LP and DM are consistent with the findings of Solmon and Ashy, (1995). The SR results suggest that many PETE students’ values are unsympathetic with the values underpinning the Queensland HPE curriculum. This may be cause for concern to those interested in curricula orientated around the principles of social justice, equity, diversity, inclusiveness, and supportive contexts.

So many students enter college without the conceptual knowledge of mathematical principles needed in order to succeed in higher education. Pre-service teachers entering teacher education programs are not exempt from this dilemma. While training to be educators, many pre-service teachers struggle to understand the concepts behind elementary level mathematics. These pre-service teachers will then continue in the education field and teach mathematics to the future generation. Will they teach their students the way they were taught? The purpose of this study is to investigate how pre-service teachers view their past experiences with math during their K-12 education and to compare those views with their perceptions of how they will teach math in the future. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods through surveys, short answer responses, and interviews, this study examines 38 pre-service teachers currently taking math methods courses at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in order to find out (1) how pre-service teachers view their past experiences with mathematics during their K-12 education, (2) what pre-service teachers' visions of how they will teach mathematics to their students in the future are, (3) which appears to have more influence on pre-service teachers' perceptions of their own future math teaching practices: their past learning experiences or their current teacher preparation program, and (4) what pre-service teachers perceive as effective ways of mathematics teaching and learning. Findings revealed that pre-service teachers tend to view their past K-12 math education experiences as mostly consisting of steps and procedures they were taught to memorize, but they have strong feelings about teaching mathematics for conceptual understanding instead of focusing on memorization like they were taught during their math classes in K-12 education. The results from this study also revealed that pre-service teachers feel it will be difficult not to fall back on the way they were taught mathematics when encountering unfamiliar concepts they have to teach. The need for more field experiences and learning how to incorporate project-based learning and presenting diverse ways of problem solving also came out as ways to improve teacher education programs.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / In this study a mixed methods approach was employed to investigate how exposure to a teaching strategy based on spiral revision, productive practice and a mainly direct expository instructional method would influence the mathematical competencies of procedural fluency and conceptual understanding of pre-service mathematics teachers at a South African university. A secondary concern of the study was how retention and transfer abilities of participants would be influenced if they experience mathematics through a teaching strategy underpinned by spiral revision and productive practice. A revised version of the taxonomy table of Anderson et al (2001) was utilized to classify learning and instructional activities in the study in terms of mathematical reasoning and knowledge requirements. In this revised taxonomy the cognitive processes are understood to operate on knowledge structures during the process of cognition (i.e. reasoning categories based on knowledge categories.). The categories of the revised taxonomy table were the main measuring instrument for the study. The findings of the study indicate that the competencies of procedural fluency and conceptual understanding were positively enhanced by the teaching strategy. Some categories however did not show the same level of positive enhancement. Arguments are presented as to why this might be the case and possible solutions are mooted. Findings also indicate that retention and near transfer abilities of participants were positively enhanced. Far transfer abilities were unchanged post intervention. Explanations are offered for this finding and possible resolutions are suggested.