Depuis des décennies, toutes les analyses convergent vers l’idée d’une relative inefficacité des systèmes éducatifs d’Afrique subsaharienne. Décrochage, redoublements, effectifs pléthoriques, faible qualité des acquis d’élèves, insuffisance et obsolescence des structures d’accueil, du matériel didactique et des enseignants, dont parfois les niveaux et qualité de formation restent quelque peu incertains, inadaptation des programmes d’enseignement. Bref, tels sont quelques uns des maux qui minent lesdits systèmes et confirment les constats établis par de nombreux rapports. Face à ce constat de faiblesse, les autorités éducatives, soutenues par l’aide internationale se sont mobilisées dans plusieurs pays en vue d’améliorer leurs systèmes respectifs aux plans qualitatif, quantitatif mais aussi d’équité car, il ne faut pas l’oublier, dans ces systèmes, le dimorphisme structurel et contextuel les rend fortement inégalitaires. Devant cette crise, l’une des solutions entrevues, avec effets à court et moyen terme, a consisté à revoir fondamentalement les programmes d’enseignement. Dans ce contexte, l’approche par les compétences qui constitue l’une des grandes évolutions de la recherche éducative de ces trois dernières décennies, a été retenue comme plus apte à répondre aux besoins éducatifs fondamentaux des populations scolarisées. Pour en cerner les contours et en apprécier le bienfondé, une analyse objective des résultats desdites réformes, dont certaines ont débuté depuis 1998 était nécessaire. Ainsi, cette recherche a pour objectif d’évaluer aussi bien la pertinence que le niveau d’efficacité des réformes curriculaires mises en œuvre dans trois pays d’Afrique francophone à savoir : le Bénin, le Gabon et Madagascar. Prenant appui sur les données issues du programme d’analyse des systèmes éducatifs d’Afrique francophone (PASEC) ainsi qu’une enquête ad hoc menée au Gabon, l’étude tente de cerner les déterminants de l’efficacité éducative à partir de l’analyse comparative des performances et d’une étude séquentielle des pratiques d’enseignement. Si les résultats ressortent des transformations réelles du point de vue des pratiques pédagogiques, les indicateurs de performances scolaires restent quant à eux assez décevants. Pour autant, avec les mesures d’accompagnement d’envergure qu’ont initiées les autorités éducatives de certains pays, on peut s’attendre à de bien meilleurs résultats dans le temps. / For decades, all analyzes converge on the idea of the relative inefficiency of education systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Dropout, repetition, overstaffing, low quality of learning student failure and obsolescence of facilities, teaching materials and teachers, including sometimes the levels and quality of education remain somewhat uncertain, inadequate educational programs. In short, these are some of the ills that plague these systems and confirm the findings made by many reports. Given this weakness finding, educational authorities, supported by international aid mobilized in many countries to improve their systems to qualitatively, but also quantitatively equity because we must not forget in these systems, the structural and contextual dimorphism makes them highly unequal. Faced with this crisis, one of the interviews solutions with short and medium-term effects has been to fundamentally rethink the curriculum. In this context, the competencies approach constitutes one of the major developments in educational research of the past three decades, was selected as most suitable to meet the basic educational needs of school populations. To define its contours and appreciate the merits, an objective analysis of the results of these reforms, some of which began in 1998 was necessary. Thus, this research aims to assess both the relevance that the level of effectiveness of curricular reforms implemented in three Francophone African countries namely: Benin, Gabon and Madagascar. Drawing on data from the educational systems analysis program in Francophone Africa (PASEC) and an ad hoc survey in Gabon, the study attempts to identify the determinants of educational effectiveness from the comparative performance analysis and a sequential study of teaching practices. If the results come out real transformations from the perspective of teaching practices, school performance indicators are in turn quite disappointing. However, with major support measures what initiated the educational authorities in some countries, we can expect much better results in time.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a preschool program followed the recommendations outlined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in their joint position statement "Early Childhood Mathematics: Promoting Good Beginnings." Six teachers were randomly selected from three of the preschool program's six locations that are situated in an urban city in North Texas. Two parts of this program's approach to mathematics were investigated: the teachers' instructional practices and the program's curricular materials. Data came from observations using the Classroom Observation of Early Mathematics-Environment and Teaching (COEMET) protocol and field notes. Each teacher participated in three interviews over the course of this research. Analyses of these sources provided insights into teachers' instructional practices for mathematics. Reviews of curricular documents and lesson plans for mathematics instruction provided information pertaining to the math curriculum used at this preschool program. All of these data sources were analyzed using the framework presented in NAEYC and NCTM's position statement. Analysis of the data indicated that, although teachers did not have any knowledge of these guidelines, teachers followed some of these recommendations; such as presenting children with daily developmentally appropriate mathematics activities and connecting mathematics to classroom routines. Other practices did not align with NAEYC and NCTM's suggestions, such as offering children few opportunities to engage in problem-solving situations and providing an inconsistent integration of mathematics into meaningful activities related to other content areas. Several possible factors may have influenced teachers' use of these recommendations. Teachers' prior educational opportunities, the program's curriculum materials, and the teachers' prior experiences with mathematics all may have contributed to the teachers' understandings of high quality mathematics instructional practices. Results from this research help to provide the foundation for future investigations of how teachers of young children follow NAEYC and NCTM's recommendations.

No description available.

The increasingly diverse population of the United States is reflected in classrooms across the country. Teachers often struggle with understanding students' cultural differences in the classroom and therefore also struggle with implementing culturally appropriate instructional strategies. The results of this study provide educational leaders with a viable option to enhance intercultural competence for implementing culturally appropriate instructional practices through the experiences gained in teaching abroad programs like Apufram International. This exploratory case study investigated how teaching experiences abroad contributed to implementing culturally diverse instruction in multicultural classroom settings. The multicultural educational theory of Banks was the theoretical framework used for this study. The research question addressed how a travel abroad experience contributed to the participants' insights into the cultural differences of students and strategies for implementing culturally diverse instruction in the multicultural classroom. The analytic process included a series of semi structured interviews and classroom observations, and a two-step process (thematic followed by open) to identify common themes. Eight teachers who participated in a teaching abroad experience with the Apufram International within the last 5 years provided the data that addressed the research question. The results of this study found that participating in a teaching abroad program increased cultural awareness and understanding of the need for implementation of culturally diverse instructional practices. Providing teachers with a creative means of improving student academic success helps develop students into global leaders for positive social change.

The problem for this study is positioned in exploring how four high school academic (two science, one English, one history) teachers change their curricular, pedagogical, and assessment practices from traditional high school environments to career-oriented program settings, such as California Partnership Academies (CPAs). The participants were from four different school sites and districts and represented industry sectors related to energy, green engineering, or environmental science. This was a qualitative, collective case study using classroom observations, interviews. and document review of lessons as the data sources. This study found that participants provide an instructionally stable and efficient learning environment in the CPA academic classroom setting, one in which teachers get to know students well and have the flexibility to modify their instructional practices to meet the needs and goals of the academy program. The findings provided evidence that participants' instructional practices with their academy students are different from the instructional practices in their traditional non-academy classrooms. Differences include how participants plan for instruction, the curriculum materials and teaching strategies they use, how they assess student learning, and what classroom culture is established. It is reasonable to infer from the findings that it is not any single strategy or approach that provides an effective and stable curricular instructional program for students in California Partnership Academies. Rather, it is a combination of teacher's actions (e.g. classroom culture they establish), behaviors (e.g. role and teacher-student relationships), and beliefs (e.g. self-efficacy) that contribute to their ability to move from a traditional instructional setting to a career-oriented environment. In addition, the collaborative nature of the academy team of teachers and the commitment they make to implement the goals of the academy to ensure student success constitute significant findings that compliment the current research. These findings also build on or expand the research by presenting examples of the curriculum, pedagogical, and assessment practices found in career academy settings. Findings are significant for practitioners who seek to understand what is needed from teachers, administrators and teacher educators to improve the environment of high school programs and close the instructional gap currently found in our nation's secondary schools.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to explore elementary teachers' self-reporting of: a) work with a reading coach and b) attitudes, perceptions, and practices in teaching reading. The five point ratings and open-ended responses on the survey were the sources of data. Surveys were returned by 85% of teachers in five elementary schools in Collier County, Florida. Correlations of survey items were analyzed on the basis of the aggregated data and the following subgroups: certification, years of experience, school demographics, and grade levels. The survey in this study was excerpted and adapted from a survey, which was tested for validity and reliability, used with teachers in a research study, and published by the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) in Evaluating professional development: An approach to verifying program impact on teachers and students (Shaha, Lewis, O'Donnell, & Brown, 2004). Permission to use the survey was granted by Performance Learning Systems, Inc. and the National Staff Development Council (see Acknowledgements). The primary question for this study was: Are teachers' self-reports of their attitudes, perceptions, and instructional practices on the Reading Instruction Survey correlated with the amount of coaching they indicated they had received? Secondary questions pertained to how the results changed for the subgroups. The literature review contained information about resources and research in reading that led to the provision of reading coaches. High-stakes for the improvement of reading instruction from federal, state, and local levels provided a rationale for the study. The results of this study indicated that coaching made a difference for these teachers. The aggregated and disaggregated data revealed small to large, significant correlations to coaching. The items with the greatest number and magnitude of correlations to coaching were isolated skills instruction and intervention plans. The evidence of positive relationships of attitudes, perceptions, and practices to work with a coach is an important finding. The limited correlations of skilled, balanced, and integrated strategies led to questions about the content of the coaching. Further research is needed to determine whether the content of the professional development offered by coaches is comprehensive enough to impact reading proficiency levels of all students.

No description available.

No description available.