Research on learning to teach mathematics reveals that mathematics teaching is a complex process (Lerman, 2000) and classroom teaching and learning is a “multifaceted, extraordinarily complex phenomenon” (O’Connor, 1998, p. 43). Moreover, research reveals that the mathematics reform agenda has had an impact on what happens in the mathematics classroom, however, the impact has been superficial (Kazemi & Stipek, 2001) with teachers often retaining their pre-reform habits and attitudes in regards to mathematics teaching and learning (O’Connor, 1998). This study examined the reform discourse practices that three novice teachers, who had been enrolled in a reform based methods course during their preservice teacher education program, adopted, adapted, or ignored as they attempted to engage students in mathematical conversations. Data sources included interviews, field notes, artifacts, and transcripts of videotaped classroom lessons. The primary research questions guiding this study included: 1) What reformoriented discourses practices do novice teachers, who participated in a reform-based mathematics methods course adopt? What practices do they adapt? What practices do they ignore as they engage students in mathematics conversations? and 2) What issues and challenges surface as novice teachers begin to enact reform-oriented discourse practices? Results indicated that despite holding beliefs that reflect the basic tenets of mathematics reform, theses novice teachers represent a continuum of practices ranging from traditional to reform. Evidence suggests that adopting the reform-oriented practice of eliciting different solutions was critical in the development of social norms that reflect mathematics reform. Eliciting different solutions served to focus classroom conversations on meaningful student generated explanations and justifications. Moreover, evidence suggests that enacting the practice of eliciting different solutions was instrumental in enacting other reform-orientated practices associated with the development of reformoriented socialmathematical norms. Lastly, results indicate that the pressures of teaching in an underperforming school, as defined by state standardized high stakes tests, can impact a novice teacher’s ability and willingness to adopt mathematics reform practices.

Speaking is an essential skill for language learning. Moreover, the communicative aspect of learning a secondary language is the major goal for many learners. Since English is a language with a substantial number of speakers and is often used as the preferred method of communicating between people with different mother tongues, the pressure on teaching materials and textbooks for learning English is substantial. Traditionally, textbooks are one of the most used tools for learning language and assisting teachers in providing materials for students in the targeted language. However, previous research showed that there are aspects where textbooks could still be lacking due to commercial interests, lack of effective speech enhancing tasks, and a divergence from current research in secondary language acquisition. Moreover, little research has been done in Swedish contexts regarding the effectiveness of speaking tasks in textbooks. Considering these issues, the current study aimed to investigate speaking tasks within textbooks used for English 5 in Sweden to see if they can be considered effective in teaching speech. The study also aimed to find out novice teachers’ views on the speaking tasks in textbooks and teaching speaking in general. The study was conducted by analysing two English textbooks, namely Blueprint A and Solid Gold 1 used for English 5 in Sweden.  The speaking tasks within both textbooks were categorised based on previous research on effective speech enhancing tasks. The results of this analysis showed that a large portion of the speaking tasks within the textbooks could not be considered effective speech enhancing tasks. Nevertheless, around half of the ineffective tasks could be made into effective speaking tasks with minor teacher intervention. The result of the following interviews also showed that the novice teachers were aware of how to supplement the tasks within the textbooks and that they had a focus on content rather than structure of the tasks. Lastly, the novice teachers’ also viewed repetition of tasks as negative and that more focus on the social factors of teaching speaking should be taught in teacher programs.

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Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Janice Wissman / This study sought to provide insight regarding how novice teachers perceive the influence of receiving an award for excellence early in their careers. The questions guiding this study focus on the perceptions of the respondents regarding whether or not they perceived that the award was motivating; whether the award influenced them personally, professionally, and organizationally; and whether they perceived an increase in commitment to the profession. This quantitative study gathered data from an on-line questionnaire sent to teachers who received the Kansas Horizon Award from 2003 through 2011. The study used exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, and analysis of variance procedures to ascertain whether or not there was any significance regarding the way awardees responded to 15 Likert items. The data were compared to six demographic variables: year of award; age of winner at the time of the award; level taught – elementary or secondary; location of school – urban, suburban, or rural; gender; and teaching status. Each of the 15 Likert items were aligned with one of the four factors identified by the factor analysis – internal influence, expectations, external influence, and commitment to the profession. The significant statistics from the factor analysis ranged from .506 through .900. The analysis of variance showed significance for three factors and variables.(1) The most recent awardees (2009-2011) perceived a greater influence from the award regarding expectations (p = .03) than did those teachers who won the award in previous years. (2) Teachers from urban schools perceived a greater significance from the award regarding external influence (p = .05) than those from suburban schools. (3) Females perceived a greater influence from the award than did males regarding commitment to the profession (p = .03). Recommendations for practice include the need for increased awareness of administrators regarding the importance of awards and recognition for teachers, increased support for teacher attendance at the state conference, and increased leadership opportunities for awardees. Recommendations for further research include studies of how administrators choose nominees for awards and why some never nominate anyone, the relationship between leadership opportunities and awards, and retention of award-winning teachers.

Cette recherche présente des travaux sur la construction de l’expérience d’apprenants « enseignant » par la pratique du théâtre selon une approche orientée « analyse de l’activité ». L’objectif était de traiter la question suivante : à quelles conditions une pratique théâtrale en formation peut-elle aider des étudiants à entrer dans leur « rôle » de futurs enseignants novices, et donc les aider à agir ultérieurement en classe ? La production de connaissances scientifiques était guidée par un enjeu praxéologique en termes d’aide aux concepteurs de dispositif de formation à visée professionnalisante. Trois catégories de matériaux empiriques ont été utilisées pour construire les données : a) des données d’observation recueillies au cours des situations de formation ; b) des données d’autoconfrontation issues d’entretiens menés juste à l’issue des situations de formation ; c) des données d’entretiens menés à distance des formations. L’analyse des données a été conduite en référence à l’approche sémiologique du cours d’action (Theureau, 2004, 2006) qui a permis de décrire et d’interpréter l’activité des participants aux enquêtes. L’apport scientifique de cette recherche permet de proposer une orientation nouvelle dans le champ de la formation des enseignants : celle d’une centration sur l’activité créatrice de l’apprenant encourageant l’émergence de dispositions à agir en situations d’imprévu, encourageant l’autorégulation, l’analyse de pratique collective, l’ouverture sur l’environnement. Ainsi, aussi paradoxal que cela puisse paraître, le jeu d’improvisation dans une situation éloignée du contexte professionnel et dans des conditions sécurisantes peut s’avérer être un espace d’actions encouragées (Durand, 2008) pour le futur enseignant novice. / This research presents works on the construction of the experience of teacher trainees by the practice of drama according to an "analysis of the activity" approach. The goal was to treat the following question: at which conditions can a theatrical practice help students to enter their "role" of future teachers, and thus to help them to act later in class? A praxeological stake to help the designers of training programs with professional-qualification aim guided the production of scientific knowledge. Three categories of empirical materials were used to build the data: a) observation data collected during the training session; b) self-confrontation data gathered from interviews led just after training sessions; c) data of interviews led some time after the training sessions. The data analysis was driven in reference to the semiological approach of the "cours d'action" (Theureau, on 2004, 2006) that allowed to describe and to interpret activities of the participants. The scientific contribution of this research allows to propose a new orientation in the field of teacher training: to focus on the creative activity of the trainees encouraging the emergence of "potentialities to act" in unforeseen situations, encouraging the self regulation, the analysis of collective practice, the opening on the environment. So, even if it seems paradoxical, a game of improvisation in a situation remote from the professional context and in reassuring conditions can turn out to be a "space of encouraged actions" (Durand, on 2008) for the future teacher.

The focus of this study is the phenomenon of beginning teacher competence. In Queensland, the context for the research presented here, the competence of beginning teachers is appraised by their supervisor (usually the principal) at the end of their first year of full-time employment. This appraisal is conducted on behalf of the Queensland Board of Teacher Registration and a positive outcome enables beginning teachers to achieve full teacher registration. Although there exists research suggesting that principals bring to the appraisal process their conceptions of competence, there is a dearth of knowledge about beginning teachers' conceptions of their own teaching competence. The research presented here adds to the debate about competence by including the voice of the beginning teacher. This focus, located within the context of local issues, is used to explore important themes that are relevant to other systems of beginning teacher appraisal. The selection of phenomenography as the research approach adopted for this study is based on its appropriateness to the investigation of a phenomenon such as competence. Phenomenography aims to describe, analyse and understand the ways in which people experience aspects of the world around them. The point of departure that sets apart this approach from many others, is the principle that phenomenography seeks to investigate neither the phenomenon, nor the people who experience the phenomenon, but the relation between the two. The results of a phenomenographic study are presented as a description of all of the possible conceptions that a specific group can have about a particular phenomenon. For the research presented here, eighteen beginning teachers were interviewed individually in order to identify and describe the variation in their conceptions of competence. Research participants representing State, Catholic and Independent school systems were drawn from preschools, special, primary and secondary schools of one provincial city, in one regional area of South East Queensland. Two major outcomes emerged from the research presented here. Firstly, beginning teachers were identified as experiencing competence in a number of ways. Although these conceptions were varied, their number was quite limited. Six distinct conceptions of beginning teacher competence were identified, with a further finding that individual beginning teachers were not limited to one conception, but conceived of competence in multiple ways. Because the relational nature of competence demands that it be investigated within the context in which it is experienced, this study also identified five different approaches to competence appraisal, as understood by the beginning teachers who had undergone the appraisal process. Comparisons of both conceptions of competence and approaches to appraisal were then compared to existing research in this area. This thesis presents an alternative view of competence and appraisal that may be used to further develop the process of appraisal and indeed, the professional development of beginning teachers.

<p>Although there are several achievements made by the Namibian government after independence, there are still many constraints and challenges facing the education system, particularly with regard to novice teachers&rsquo / support and professional development. Most novice teachers are coming into the teaching profession and receive little or no assistance. Nevertheless, novice teachers are expected to perform the full teaching responsibilities despite their inexperience. Novice teachers are expected to formulate their own coping strategies and to grapple with the challenges they encounter during their first year of teaching on their own. This study aims at investigating the coping mechanisms used by novice teachers to achieve their teaching goals during their first year of teaching. The study recommends that the teacher training institutions, the Ministry of Education and schools have an important role to play in facilitating the use of effective coping mechanisms and in assisting novice teachers in alleviating these challenges. Teacher training should ensure that a balance is maintained between theory and practice. In addition the Ministry needs to provide favourable working conditions and put up support systems for novice teachers. Schools should also provide orientation to all novice teachers and most especially render support to all novice teachers until they are fully integrated into the school and teaching culture.</p>

Many of America's schools are populated with diverse student populations, while the teaching population remains largely White. This creates dissonance for White teachers and students of color. Possibly mentoring can assist novice White teachers as they enculturate into the profession and their culturally diverse campuses. This qualitative research, conducted from an Interpretivism paradigm, used a case study of a White female novice teacher at a culturally diverse campus to understand the role mentoring played in a White female novice teacher's perceptions of her enculturation into a culturally diverse campus. Several methods of data collection were used, including 9 semi-structured interviews with the novice teacher, email dialogues, 3 days of shadowing, as well as two semi-structured interviews with the subject's principal and mentor. The data was analyzed using the constant comparative method. This White female novice teacher taught at a campus with a large Hispanic student population. She struggled to feel confident in her work and in her relationships with her mentor, her fellow teachers, her administrators, her students and their parents. She relied heavily on her faith and her fellow novice teacher and teammate. Her mentor visited her once a week. She liked her mentor, but never felt she received the assistance desired. She recognized she knew little about the Hispanic culture of her students; she was willing to learn more, but failed to see her own privileged membership in the dominant White culture and its effect on interactions with her students. The discussion of this study looks at the structuring of an effective mentoring program for novice teachers, and the new teacher?s frustrations with the mentoring received; her relationship struggles with her principal and other staff, but also some successes in forming friendly relationships; her desire to understand her Hispanic students and their culture, yet her inability to see her membership in the dominant culture, as well has her school and district's "color-blind" approach to race; and her perceptions of her enculturation into the profession of teaching. The conclusions of this study discuss mentoring new teachers, the role of principals in the induction of new teachers, cultural differences between teachers and students, and the influence of faith and character with a teacher and his/her teaching.

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF VETERAN ART EDUCATORS by JOHN PAUL WOOD JR. Under the Direction of Dr. Melody Milbrandt ABSTRACT This educational case study on classroom management was conducted through questionnaire format by way of email and mail correspondence with art teachers working in a south metro Atlanta area school system in February of 2008. It was conducted to gain data on classroom management techniques and strategies from veteran art educators. The data I analyzed provided commonalities in methods, strengths and weaknesses, and techniques used that could potentially assist novice art teachers in areas of managing student behavior, materials and supplies in an art classroom. The findings of this study reveal although art educators of different grade levels teach different art lessons, they share similar approaches to behavior management and have overcome similar problems as novice teachers. INDEX WORDS: Art Teacher, Classroom Management, Behavior Management, Advice For Novice Teachers

This mixed method study employs a phenomenological methodology to explore the experiences of novice secondary Texas English/Language Arts (E/LA) teachers' who integrated media literacy curriculum within their content area during the 2010-2011 school year. Data relating to the phenomenon was collected through Likert-type survey items and an in-depth three-interview protocol. The key findings in this study highlight the complex relationships that affect novice secondary Texas E/LA teachers' development of curriculum and pedagogy in the context of media literacy education. Participants' backgrounds were found to influence their beliefs and attitudes related to media literacy, which in turn, influenced the way they integrated media literacy curricula. Despite a commonly held belief in the value of media literacy education and intent to integrate media literacy in the E/LA curriculum, participants' confidence in their ability to teach students media literacy skills declined over time. Data suggest that this decrease is attributable to environmental factors such as access to technology resources and the culture and climate of the schools in which the participants teach. The study also finds that participants were insufficiently prepared to teach media literacy in the E/LA classroom and that both participants' teacher preparation program and school districts bear the burden for this deficiency. The findings of this study have specific implications for current educational practice. Schools of education and school districts are appropriately positioned to provide needed, but currently deficient, support to novice E/LA teachers with regard to media literacy integration in the content area. Such support could consist of formal coursework and/or mediated discussion in professional learning communities regarding: media literacy in the standards; technology skills and integration; pedagogical content knowledge related to media literacy education; sources for media literacy self-study and independent professional development; and teaching media literacy skills in technologically under-resourced or hostile environments.