Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.225-237).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2003. / Title from title screen (viewed Apr. 28, 2008). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Dept. of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts. Includes bibliography. Also available in print form.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1970. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Arno A. Bellack. Dissertation Committee: J. W. George Ivany. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D., Mathematics)--University of Idaho, July 2009. / Major professor: David A. Thomas. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-152). Also available online (PDF file) by subscription or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisors: Dr. Alejandro J. Gallard and Dr. Owen F. Gaede, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Middle and Secondary Education. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 19, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains xvii, 290 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 261-277).

Teaching has a primary focus on engagement with students, but paradoxically, it can be experienced as lonely, private work, in classrooms behind closed doors, with an accompanying sense of deep disconnection from peers. When six experienced teachers sought to counteract this isolation, they formed a group which embarked on a shared journey of reflection and conversation, with the purpose of increasing selfknowledge, clarifying a sense of self as teacher, extending understanding of the selfhood of other teachers, and exposing the deeper sources of meaning underlying the vocation of teacher. This study sought to describe the information, opinions and beliefs which were exchanged among participants within the group and to describe the dynamics within the group. Furthermore, it sought to identify and describe the self-perceived impact of the experience of such a group, on the vocational vitality of each of the participants. Within an interpretivist epistemology a qualitative phenomenological research approach was adopted for the study. Data were obtained from two sources, consisting of transcripts of conversations from the meetings of a collaborative reflective group and from semi-structured individual interviews with group participants. These were analysed using an inductive approach with the aid of qualitative data analysis software: Atlas ti®. Findings from the study show that a high level of trust and a sense of safety were created through the use of guiding principles for meetings. Content chosen for reflective conversations and the general experience of meetings was perceived as providing a rare opportunity for participants to discover their selfhood as teachers. They reported that this understanding was further broadened by exposure to the selfhood of other teachers. Furthermore, members of the talk group reported that participation had resulted in a lowering of their sense of professional isolation and a renewal of vitality in their teaching. It is hoped that the findings from the study will inform an understanding of the experience of dialogue in a reflective, peer group where teachers focus on exploring together “who they are” as teachers. It provides valuable insights of the personal and professional transformations which can take place for teachers participating in conversations which focus on their inner landscape. Furthermore, the study has the potential to inform South African teacher professional development programmes with approaches which focus on teacher vocational renewal and vitality.

The major purpose of the study was to determine whether there are observable differences in the interactions of day care supervisors with three and four year old children whom they perceive as behaviourally different and with children who are not perceived in this manner. It was hypothesized that a day care supervisor's interaction with three and four year old children perceived as behaviourally different would be unlike that supervisor's interaction with children who are not perceived in this manner. The interactions of six day care supervisors with 48 three and four year old children were recorded on video tape in a natural day care setting. A questionnaire completed by the supervisors, was used to identify children they perceived to be behaviourally different and behaviourally adapted. As a result, eight children from each center were selected; two girls and two boys identified as behaviourally different, and two girls and two boys identified as behaviourally adapted. Video-taped observations were subsequently coded using the Brophy and Good Teacher-Child Dyadic Interaction System (1969). After minor modification of the codes, 61 codes were employed to describe the interaction of the day care supervisor with each child. Thirty-three variables were selected by combining codes; the variables were grouped into nine clusters for analysis. The nine clusters are: Total support, child created support, teacher created support, total non-support, child created non-support, teacher created non-support, child created praise, teacher created praise, and response opportunities. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to test the hypothesis. The results revealed that some interactions had not been observed. Some clusters of interactions were not differentiated between behaviourally different and behaviourally adapted children by the day care supervisor, and some clusters of interactions were significantly differentiated between behaviourally different and behaviourally adapted children by the day care supervisor. The sex of the child did not affect the day care supervisor's interaction with the child in any way. The findings indicate that day care supervisors do respond differently to young children whom they perceive to be behaviourally different and to those they perceive to be behaviourally adapted. Behaviourally different children receive less total support, and less nurture; they receive more total non-support and criticism than behaviourally adapted children. In general it is concluded that if day care supervisors are given knowledge about the nature of their interactions with children they will be able to enhance the quality of care they provide each child and to provide optimal opportunities for acceptable behavioural responses by virtue of their own supportive interaction with children. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

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