The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of self-efficacy enhancement in building pre-service teacher resilience to prevent symptoms of burn-out in Swaziland; how engaging in reflective practices can act as a protective factor. Not much research focuses on pre-service teacher burn-out and how to mitigate its effects, and this creates a gap that this study sought to address. Through the interpretivist perspective, and employing participatory action research (PAR) and some elements of pre-test, post test design, seven pre-service teachers who were doing their final year of a three year teacher’s diploma programme; four males and three females were engaged in the study. Data were collected by using the resilience scale questionnaire, participants’ reflective journals, researcher’s diary and transcribed recordings from a focus group interview. Three themes emerged; (1) that pre-service teachers in Swaziland do experience symptoms of burn-out during teaching practice. Seven risk factors that contribute to the experience of burn-out were cited by participants; learners’ behavioural issues, heavy workloads, demanding supervisors, lack of support from colleagues, teaching learners who are high achievers, feelings of inadequacy and lack of prioritising. (2) Pre-service teachers were able to draw strength and possibly avert burn-out by mobilising external and internal protective sources. (3) Reflective practices proved to be a viable intervention that enhanced pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy and helped promote resilient coping. Future research might look into other factors that predispose pre-service teachers to stress and how reflective practices may be infused in the curriculum for pre-service education. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Humanities Education / MEd / Unrestricted

In-service education and training (INSET) has become a key vehicle for the professional development of educators in the school context. However, its role and impact has yet to be fully comprehended. This study resulted from the realization that educators often attend short training courses without being tracked or monitored afterwards. Using an illuminative approach to evaluation, this study aimed to establish the impact of INSET on educators’ ability to effectively implement the Life Orientation (LO) curriculum, after attending national INSET in 2005. It was also important to gauge if educators had gained the knowledge and skills to deal with emergent issues not addressed during the training. The field of adult education offered a particular lens through which I aimed to look at both LO and INSET. The sample selected for this study consisted of three teachers teaching at co-educational government schools in Johannesburg, who attended the 2005 Gauteng provincial training in LO for grade 10. Data collection methods included questionnaires, naturalistic observations, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The findings of this study suggest that the success of this INSET programme depends heavily on the individuals who attend them and their personal experiences and beliefs. The study concluded that for educators to implement LO effectively they would not only have to develop professionally but they should also be committed to lifelong learning.

The problem of the study was to compare the relationships between a cognitive-oriented and affective-oriented teacher in-service program on the subsequent incidence of humane characteristics in the classroom. Ninety-two teachers of grades 4, 5, and 6 from three school districts located in the Region XI Education Service Center area were involved in the study. One of the purposes of the study was to obtain information which could be helpful to Texas educators responsible for teacher in-service programs. It is critical that educators know the kinds of in-service programs which produce the greatest change in teacher behavior. This study concludes that in-service education programs which focus on specific instructional skills and strategies related to curriculum content are more viable in achieving the characteristics of a humane classroom than in-service programs which, though they be skills-oriented, do not relate specifically to curriculum content.

Science instruction in the early years of a student’s education career is essential to a student successfully continuing science in their secondary and postsecondary careers. However, the amount of high-quality science instruction students receive at the elementary level has been steadily declining for two decades, resulting in an inequitable imbalance in those who pursue STEM careers, a lack of critical science literacy in the U.S. populace, and a shortage of qualified employees entering the U.S. economy. Much of the lack of science instruction can be traced to decreased training of teachers to teach science during elementary credentialing programs or the complete absence of said training. This qualitative study sought to understand, through multiple-case study analysis, what makes one university “successful” at teaching science methods to their pre-service teachers and what makes another “unsuccessful.” Through interviews, observations, and an online document review, the author found that pre-service teachers entering the elementary school classroom need to feel they have the content knowledge necessary to teach science, feel they can overcome and work within barriers to high-quality science instruction in the K-12 system, and feel ready and prepared to teach science by their chosen Teacher Preparation Program.

Resumo Sob o enfoque do trabalho colaborativo esta pesquisa qualitativa pretende contribuir, com seus resultados, para ampliar informações com relação ao desenvolvimento profissional do formador de professores de ciências. O interesse está em viabilizar caminhos que promovam a melhoria tanto na formação dos professores, como no próprio ensino de ciências nas séries iniciais, através da formação dos formadores de professores de ciências. Compreendemos que pouco adianta os investimentos em formação de professores se não voltarmos nossas atenções para aquele profissional que é responsável por essa formação, por exemplo, o Assistente Técnico Pedagógico, que atua nas Diretorias Regionais de Ensino. Através de uma proposta de ensino de ciências para as séries iniciais, por meio de atividades investigativas no contexto da física, surge a iniciativa de nove Assistentes Técnico Pedagógicas (ATP), formadoras de professores de ciências, em realizar um projeto de melhoria no ensino, integrando a universidade, as diretorias regionais de ensino e as escolas públicas. O projeto O conhecimento físico no ensino fundamental: dos programas de formação continuada à implementação de novas práticas em sala de aula, financiado pela FAPESP, é o objeto de estudo da presente pesquisa, que contou com dados coletados em diferentes instâncias ao longo do período em que a pesquisadora acompanhou o Grupo das ATP. Dentre os dados analisados, destacam-se fragmentos de reuniões realizadas na universidade e nas diretorias de ensino, entrevistas, relatórios e outras produções escritas do grupo. A investigação possibilitou uma compreensão mais ampla sobre a formação de formadores de professores e, neste sentido, merece destaque a construção de um ambiente efetivamente colaborativo entre os participantes do processo, que pode ser relacionado, entre outros, a uma constante valorização dos saberes trazidos por cada uma das ATP. / Abstract Under the focus of cooperative work, this qualitative research intends to contribute, with its results, to enlarge information with regard to the professional development of the teachers of sciences teachers. The interest is in make possible ways that promote the improvement of teachers of teachers, and of the science education in primary school, through the formation of the teachers of science teachers. We understand that the investments on teachers\' formation are not successful if we do not pay attention for that professional who is responsible for this formation, for example, the Assisting Pedagogical Teaching, which acts in the Regional Directories of Teaching. Through a science teaching proposal for the primary school, by means of investigative activities in the context of physics, arises an initiative of nine Assisting Pedagogical Technician (ATP), teachers of sciences teachers, in accomplish an improvement project in the teaching, integrating the university, the regional directories of teaching and the public schools. The project The physical knowledge in the fundamental teaching: of the formation programs continued to the new practices implementation in class room, financed by the FAPESP, is the study object of this research, which relied on data collected in different instances along the period in which the researcher accompanied the Group of ATP. Among the analyzed data, we highlight meetings fragments accomplished at university and in the teaching directories, interviews, reports and another writings productions of the group. The investigation enabled a wider comprehension about teachers formation and, in this sense, deserves highlight the construction of an indeed cooperative environment among participants of the process, which can be related, among others, to a constant valorization of the knowledge brought by each one of ATP.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-04T21:16:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A tese tomou como objeto de estudo uma turma do Programa Especial para Formação de Professores em Serviço vinculado à Faculdade de Educação da Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Teve como questão inicial de pesquisa saber como foi possível conseguir transformações no senso comum fortalecido pelas práticas de escolarização e de docência das professoras discentes do curso. A questão delimitou um campo de análise e inseriu-se no propósito de compreender e dar visibilidade a um processo de êxito no que se referia às expectativas dos grupos envolvidos. Quanto à coleta de dados, foram privilegiados textos escritos pelas alunas durante o curso de formação e entrevistas narrativas que permitiram reconstruir determinados acontecimentos a partir da perspectiva individual. A análise foi feita dentro da estratégia do estudo de caso, com a utilização de princípios da análise de conteúdos. As unidades de análise ― leitura, escrita e participação ― foram consideradas como dispositivos de formação com capacidade

This research is a case study of stakeholders' perceptions of learning and provision during a specific English language program. The pedagogical context of the program was clearly defined. English teachers from Hong Kong who had either Cantonese or Mandarin as their first language (L1) came to Australia for intensive language proficiency training and assessment. The Hong Kong government determined the program's syllabus, including assessment instruments and criteria in the Syllabus Specifications for the Language Proficiency Assessment for Teachers (English Language) (LPATE) (Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), 2000). The Australian provider had created the program from the specifications and had developed appropriate teaching and assessment materials for its implementation in all syllabus components. Additionally, the provider was responsible for administering and marketing the program. Delivery was in immersion mode with the Hong Kong teachers travelling to Australia and residing with Australian 'homestay' families for the 6-week program. The 'guiding issue/question' for the case study was: How did the multiple stakeholders perceive learning and provision? The study drew on a corpus of data collected from the perspectives of various stakeholders within provision of a 6-week in-service and education training program (INSET) (Bolam, 1986) for Chinese first language (L1) primary and secondary school teachers. Stakeholders represented in the study were teachers who participated as learners; the researcher who was a part-time language instructor; a course designer who was a full-time language instructor in the program; and an administrator who also held a wider role in the general marketing of INSET. Multiple forms of data were collected and analysed within a case study design (Stake, 1995, 2000). These included: a document analysis; pretest and posttest questionnaires; semi-structured interviews from individuals and focus groups; stimulated recall interviews from individuals; learner journals; and a researcher journal. Existing knowledge was reviewed through a search of literature, policies and accounts that examined four contextual layers that framed the study and situated it in terms of global, local and intercultural issues. Specifically, the layers were: (a) imperatives for Australian higher education to internationalise; (b) provision of INSET for teachers of English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL); (c) language education and proficiency in Hong Kong; and (d) intercultural communication and culture learning as they pertained to an immersion program. While higher education institutions in Australia have recognised the imperative to internationalise, some recent initiatives are poorly researched. Bodycott and Crew (2001a, p. 23) noted a 'dearth' (p. 2) of literature surrounding short-term, immersion versions of INSET such as that used in the current research. A review of literature where INSET had been used for the education of language teachers provided important insights into issues that might affect learning and provision. These involved the extent to which teachers' home country contexts were included in the design and content of programs, whether 'one-off' programs could be effective in the long-term, and what models underpinned the current design of INSET. The major gaps in the literature were (a) reported research on INSET where it is delivered as a short-term, immersion program to South East Asian teachers; and (b) published work on the LPATE as a learning-teaching experience. The current study attempted to address these gaps. While there was an absence of literature on the specific context of the INSET under study, the literature did reveal ways for the teacher/researcher to objectify and reflect on INSET provision. Literature on interactionism and social constructivism provided insights into the role and effect of the teacher/researcher in a data-gathering process. The case study approach was reviewed and Stake's (1995, 2000) design used in the study within a theoretical framework of social constructivism. In its reporting, the case accounts for forces of change surrounding the participants' INSET. These included the internationalisation of Australian higher education and curriculum reform in Hong Kong. At more personal levels, participants provided reflective data throughout the immersion experience. These data from the Hong Kong teachers indicated perceptions of strong positive growth in their English proficiency. This is an outcome consistent with the purpose of the INSET, which was to improve and benchmark proficiency standards. The data also revealed that the teachers had learned much about pedagogy and culture, which formed insights into intercultural negotiation and learning. The providers - an administrator and an instructor - supported accounts their learners had given of learning and provision. Yet, each had particular views regarding what constituted success in delivery of an INSET. While the case study provided detailed explication of the 'nature' of this particular INSET, this researcher supports Crew and Bodycott's (2001) call for further, longitudinal research into the phenomenon. Drawing on findings from this study, specific research questions are suggested to investigate the effects of immersion INSET. Within the constraints of case study method, implications are drawn for the design and delivery of future short-term, immersion INSET. A detailed mapping of what stakeholders reported as culture learning and cross-cultural experiences provided an account of this aspect of the phenomenon. There was strong evidence that a component based on intercultural communication should be included in any future trial to inform INSET design. A new model, entitled 'Intercultural INSET', is proposed for future implementation and research. It incorporates domains of learning established from the case study data and is informed by a theoretical construct designed in the current study and termed, 'Positive Effect Chain'. The proposed model embeds the design within contexts significant to the teacher/participants and to their ongoing critical reflection. This ongoing reflection informs thinking about the proposed INSET course evaluation. Finally, the proposed model extends INSET into a post-immersion phase. This subsequent phase extends participants' INSET interaction, once they have returned to their own countries and to their work in home classrooms. The model seeks enduring and effective learning and requires trial and further study. The case study approach provided a successful vehicle for organising the data of the research and for framing the discussion. It also yielded indications as to the means by which INSET providers might structure ongoing feedback and assessment of their intended curriculum design. These indications are reflected in the proposed 'Intercultural INSET' design.

South African education is in the process of undergoing what has become known as a "paradigm shift", requiring a change from the familiar transmission method to outcomes-based education (OBE) founded on social constructivist theories oflearning and teaching. Teachers, (45% of whom are poorly qualified), "will play a pivotal role in the success or failure of this change. There is therefore an urgent need to re-educate in-service teachers in the philosophy, and related methodologies underpinning Curriculum 2005. To this end, in-service education courses need to be developed "which will encourage teachers to reconstruct their beliefs about teaching and learning. INSET programmes in the past were aimed at either "topping up" qualified teachers, or "adding on" for under qualified teachers - neither of which have proved successful. It is therefore unlikely that applying similar methodologies to support teachers in the shift to OBE will meet with success, nor will simply "training" teachers to use the new learning programmes. Government documents on Education Policy are calling for teachers to become reflexive practitioners, able to guide learners in their efforts to achieve the critical outcomes which are intended to develop a competent citizenry of lifelong learners. Therefore, teachers ought to be empowered as curriculum developers in their own right. This interpretative case study hoped to find out from teachers themselves what aspects of an activity-based environmental education course acted as change agents in assisting them to begin the shift to constructivist theories of teaching and learning. A variety of research tools were used, including questionnaires, interviews, journals, narratives and concept maps, all of which provided a rich source of data for interpretation. From what was gained from four participants in this research, tentative suggestions for incorporation into the next cycle of action research in future INSET programmes are made.

Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar a viabilidade da educação online como estratégia de formação continuada de professores de música em exercício na educação básica. O método de pesquisa utilizado foi a pesquisa-ação, que consistiu de um curso online sobre tecnologia na educação musical destinado a professores de música de escolas públicas situadas no Estado do Pará. Oito professores aceitaram participar da pesquisa. Foram utilizadas três técnicas de pesquisa: questionário auto-administrado, observação participante e entrevista semiestruturada. Os resultados da presente pesquisa indicam que as bases para criação de programas de formação continuada de professores de música em exercício na educação básica, por meio da educação online, estão na concepção metodológica que a orienta, na gestão eficiente do ambiente, na adequação do material didático disponibilizado ao conteúdo do curso e no apoio institucional. / This study aimed to investigate the viability of online education as a strategy for inservice music teacher education. The research method used was the actionresearch, which consisted of an online course on music technology for in-service music teachers of public schools situated in the State of Pará, Brazil. Eight teachers agreed to participate in this research. Three research techniques have been used: self-administered questionnaires, observation and semi-structured interviews. The results point out that the basis for the creation of in-service music teacher education programs, using online education, resides on the conception that orient the program, on efficient administration of the environment, on adequation of the teaching material available to the content of the course and on the institutional support.

Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar a viabilidade da educação online como estratégia de formação continuada de professores de música em exercício na educação básica. O método de pesquisa utilizado foi a pesquisa-ação, que consistiu de um curso online sobre tecnologia na educação musical destinado a professores de música de escolas públicas situadas no Estado do Pará. Oito professores aceitaram participar da pesquisa. Foram utilizadas três técnicas de pesquisa: questionário auto-administrado, observação participante e entrevista semiestruturada. Os resultados da presente pesquisa indicam que as bases para criação de programas de formação continuada de professores de música em exercício na educação básica, por meio da educação online, estão na concepção metodológica que a orienta, na gestão eficiente do ambiente, na adequação do material didático disponibilizado ao conteúdo do curso e no apoio institucional. / This study aimed to investigate the viability of online education as a strategy for inservice music teacher education. The research method used was the actionresearch, which consisted of an online course on music technology for in-service music teachers of public schools situated in the State of Pará, Brazil. Eight teachers agreed to participate in this research. Three research techniques have been used: self-administered questionnaires, observation and semi-structured interviews. The results point out that the basis for the creation of in-service music teacher education programs, using online education, resides on the conception that orient the program, on efficient administration of the environment, on adequation of the teaching material available to the content of the course and on the institutional support.