It has been argued that teachers do not always teach in the ways their teacher education programs promoted. One cause of this problem has to do with teachers' conceptions about mathematics and ability being incompatible with the visions of mathematics that teacher educators promote. For example, teacher educators may emphasize the need for conceptual understanding but a teacher who equates understanding with being correct and fast will enact this goal differently from someone who expects students to be able to explain and communicate their understanding. The way a teacher understands what it means to do mathematics and be good at mathematics will influence their future teaching. Furthermore, the messages teachers send to their students about who they are as mathematical learners are full of messages about what it means to do and be good at mathematics. Additionally, these messages can have a long-term impact on how those students view themselves and the decisions they make for their future. This study uses qualitative methods to better understand pre-service teacher (PST) talk, how their talk relates, and how their talk changes over time. I describe PST talk as it relates to mathematics (M), ability (A), and themselves as mathematical learners (P) (the three components of the MAP framework). This study took place with the PSTs in two sections of a mathematical content course for elementary school teachers taught by the researcher. First, using grounded theory, I developed codes to understand how these PSTs talked in regards to the three components and applied these codes to written reflections at the beginning and end of our course. After analyzing the data I selected and interviewed 14 PSTs one year after our course. Again, I applied the same codes to their talk in the interview to see how their talk continued to change. Select interview PSTs were then chosen to represent common and uncommon examples of PST talk. Findings from this study show that talk across the MAP framework was related and that this talk became more standards-aligned by the end of the content course. However, the findings also provide a much more nuanced insight into different relationships and changes in talk. One finding shows that when variations in PST talk existed between framework components it was most commonly due to PSTs talking about mathematics in a more traditional way than when they talked about ability or themselves as mathematical learners. Another finding shows that during the interviews (one year after our course) PSTs continued to talk about themselves and abilities in mostly standards-aligned ways but reverted towards more traditional talk when discussing mathematics and how someone demonstrates their mathematical understanding. These findings have important implications for future research and for teacher educators. First, the relationships between the components of the MAP framework suggest that addressing PSTs conceptions of mathematics and their conceptions of ability may affect how they talk about individuals as mathematical learners. Second, the findings show which aspects in the MAP framework PSTs more readily talk about in standards-aligned ways. This provides insights into which areas teacher educators may want to emphasize more in trying to promote changes in PST talk. Lastly, these findings also show which aspects of PST talk maintain over a longer time frame and which aspects need a greater sustained emphasis. All of this is necessary as we support PSTs to think and talk about mathematics and mathematical abilities in standards-aligned ways that are truly supportive of all students.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Doctor in Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies in the Faculty of education at the University of Zululand, 2018. / In an effort to understand why there is a general outcry about the poor quality of teachers who are produced by many institutions of higher learning, despite the practice teaching which is highly emphasised and offered to all pre-service teachers who intend to become teachers; this study sought to evaluate the pre-service teachers’ readiness to teach. The expectation in education is that pre-service teachers should complete their studies having been adequately prepared to teach. On the contrary, most of them exit the programme underequipped to teach. Within the qualitative methodology, a case study of a South African University was used. Sixteen third year B.Ed. pre-service teachers who were placed in uMkhanyakude and King Cetshwayo districts were purposively selected and observed during their practice teaching period. They were also interviewed and documents which consisted of their files as well as university supervisors’ reports were analysed after practice teaching. Furthermore, sixteen subject mentors were interviewed because they spend adequate time with the pre-service teachers in schools during practice teaching session. The findings revealed, among others, that although the pre-service teachers displayed appropriate professionalism in schools, most of them lacked content knowledge as well as pedagogical skills. However, subject mentors portrayed them as being outstanding in content and pedagogy. Another finding was that the pre-service teachers did not have adequate competence on lesson presentation and development. They also lacked confidence in maintaining order in their classrooms. Because of the above mentioned findings, this study therefore suggests, among other things, the need for the institution of higher learning to revisit the curriculum of pre-service teachers and involve the partner schools during the redesigning of pre-service teachers’ curriculum to strengthen the confidence of both pre-service teachers and subject mentors. It also posits that pre-service teachers should be provided with sufficient teaching practice session in order to be well equipped with all activities that are rendered in schools from the beginning to the end of the school period.

Technology integration into the classroom is a multi-faceted and complex topic. One factor that can have an effect on a teacher's incorporation of technology into their classroom is pre-service teacher technology training. In this research study the ARCS instructional design model was applied to a pre-service teacher technology course in the hopes of motivating course attendees to both learn about technology incorporation and to incorporate technology into their future classrooms. The ARCS instructional design model that relies on the motivational sub-components of attention, relevance, confidences, and satisfaction to develop instruction that motivates to students to learn course content and goals. This study analyzed a group of pre-service teachers enrolled in a university technology training course to determine if the redesign resulted in the desired outcomes. Pre-test and post-test data was collected using both quantitative and qualitative instruments to analyze the potential effect of the redesigned course.

This semi-structured interview study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of Filipino pre-service teachers’ perceptions of sexuality education. It also aimed to study how the pre-service teachers’ perceptions related to international recommendations on sexuality education and the theoretical perspectives of gender and power and Freiran theory that these draw on. Main findings included that the pre-service teachers critically reflected on own experiences of sexuality education and did not intend to repeat the education they received to future students. Furthermore, they expressed problem-focused perceptions of sexuality education content but positive approaches to the subject in general, and were hopeful of positive sexual health outcomes in the Philippines. Objections from the Catholic Church and parents to future students were perceived as the biggest challenges to the implementation of sexuality education. More information to, and collaboration with, parents regarding sexuality education were suggested as means to face resistance in the Philippine society. The pre-service teachers’ perceptions agreed with international recommendations on sexuality education to some extent, but results showed contradicting opinions regarding gender equality and sexual diversity. This point to a conclusion that the pre-service teachers need extended and improved teacher training on sexuality education, that develop their knowledge and allow them to critically reflect on norms in their society.

This thesis reports research which employed quantitative data collection methods to investigate pre-service teacher perceptions of extended practicum learning environments of pre-service teachers at a Catholic university and their self-efficacy for future teaching. By drawing on learning environment research, practicum in teacher education literature, student teacher practicum evaluation data and stakeholder perceptions of dimensions of the ACU extended practicum learning environment, an instrument, a 72-item questionnaire, the Extended Practicum Learning Environment Inventory (EPLEI) was developed and validated. To establish relationships between student teacher perceptions of the extended practicum learning environment and their self-efficacy for future teaching, a Student Teacher Efficacy Instrument (STEI) was also developed. Data were collected from student teachers using the EPLEI and the STEI. In 2001, the total sample consisted of 64 students. Recognising that there are a number of dimensions to the learning environments of the extended practicum and to assess differences in student teacher and supervising teacher perceptions of the same extended practicum learning environment, supervising teachers responded to an analogous form of the EPLEI. In 2002, the sample consisted of 57 student teachers and their supervising teachers. Statistical analyses were performed on the quantitative data and revealed some statistically significant differences in the way student teachers and supervising teachers perceive the same environment. Statistical analyses also revealed significant differences in student teachers perceptions of extended practicum environments in relation to school type. Student teachers who participated in the extended practicum in Catholic schools perceived the learning environments more positively than student teachers in State and Other Christian schools. The analyses revealed significant associations between student teacher perceptions of the extended practicum learning environments and their self-efficacy for future teaching. This research clearly demonstrates that extended practicum experiences of student teachers at a Catholic university are affected by features at both classroom and school levels

The objective of this thesis was to investigate pre-service teachers and student misconceptions of the equal sign, and then offer suggestions to pre-service teachers, teachers, university programs, and schools to prevent common misconceptions from occurring in classrooms. Some students do not realize the equal sign can have two different functions, operational and relational. There are several different reasons for this misconception, beginning with the lack of defining what the equal sign is and what it means in the classroom. In the first study, eighteen participants were interviewed to explain their responses when evaluating student work to gain an in-depth knowledge of pre-service teachers' perceptions of the equal sign and their ability to evaluate a students' response to a specific math task. Results showed that pre-service teachers have a better understanding of the equal sign and may be ready to teach the equal sign as a relationship between numbers. Furthermore, pre-service teachers would benefit greatly from evaluating students' work and looking for common misperceptions that students may have. In the second study, six fifth grade classes were studied to determine if there was a positive relationship for teaching atypical type equivalence statements to students and performing better on equivalence questions. Three classes from Spring 2011, were administered a test; two of the test items were used to analyze their understanding of the equal sign. In Fall 2011, another three fifth grade classes participated in lessons, which required students to analyze atypical type equivalence statements, and then they were given the same two test items. Results from this study supported the use of atypical type equivalence statements because more students in the experimental group correctly responded to the two items and were also able to justify their responses with work that exemplified good understanding of the equal sign as being a relationship. Both of these studies support increasing student and pre-service teachers understanding of the equal sign and the misconceptions students have regarding the equal sign. University programs and schools should utilize these results to require preservice teachers and teachers to evaluate student work to identify common misconceptions and teach the equal sign as a relationship between both sides and not as an operation.

No description available.

The study focused on the challenges pre-service teachers face while learning to teach Accounting in the context of mentoring at a University of Technology. The major purpose was to investigate the kinds of challenges pre-service teachers face in teaching Accounting and how their respective school-based mentors respond to these challenges. It is vital to understand these challenges while learning to teach Accounting before a mentor can respond to them. This study was located within an interpretivist paradigm. The interpretivist researcher is keen to address social issues in and through their research. To position this study within the context of learning while teaching within a context of mentoring, I utilized case study research methodology. The main purpose of utilizing case study methodology was to develop a deep understanding of the challenges pre-service teachers face while learning to teach Accounting and the nature of mentoring. The voices and experiences of the respondents were used to explore and understand the reality embedded in the mentoring of pre-service teachers during teaching practice. The research sites included six schools located in the Cape Metropole, Western Cape, South Africa. I used purposive sampling to select the participants for my study. I focused on Accounting as a ‘vehicle’ to guide my choice of sampling to explore how pre-service teachers learn while teaching Accounting. The sample of this study consisted of six pre-service teachers learning to teach Accounting in the fourth year B Ed:FET programme and their respective school-based Accounting mentors. The main reason for using the fourth year preservice teachers was that in their final year of study they spend six months at a school to work alongside a school-based mentor. This time period gave the researcher sufficient time to explore challenges and how the school-based mentors respond to them. The research methods used in this study were reflection journals, unstructured interviews, focus group interviews and fieldnotes. Reflective journals can provide the teacher educator with a valuable tool showing how pre-service teachers perceive and experience teaching practice while learning to teach (Mills, 2007:69). The pre-service teachers were requested to complete entries in a reflection journal on a weekly basis, to write on their experiences while learning to teach Accounting and to describe the nature of their school-based mentors’ support. The purpose of the unstructured interview with the pre-service teachers was to gain a better understanding of their challenges while learning to teach Accounting and their interaction with their mentors, if the information in their reflection journals were unclear. Unstructured interviews were conducted with the Accounting school-based mentors to ascertain the preservice teachers’ performance while learning to teach Accounting, and to gain perspective of the Accounting mentor’s role as mentor. Two focus group interviews were conducted with the pre-service teachers to corroborate the challenges the pre-service teachers experience while learning to teach Accounting. A total of 96 reflection journal entries were collected from the pre-service teachers, 18 unstructured interviews were conducted with the pre-service teachers, 12 unstructured interviews were conducted with the school-based mentors and 2 focus group interviews were conducted. Data revealed that despite mentoring having the potential to enhance the preparation of preservice teachers, it does not always yield positive results. It also became clear in the data that the nature of the Accounting discipline requires a different type of mentoring as opposed to other disciplines. Hence a ‘one size fits all’ mentoring institutional policy does not yield the desired results of mentoring pre-service teachers in the B Ed:FET programme. Findings from this study suggest that the university must play a greater role in developing mentorship programmes to support pre-service teachers learning to teach during teaching practice, especially for Accounting pre-service teachers.

Magister Educationis - MEd / This study involves a group of pre-service teachers who are specialising in Science and Mathematics education at a university in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The aim of the study was to investigate perceptions about the earth in space held by the pre-service natural science teachers. A related aim was to create awareness among the prospective teachers about various views that people hold about the earth as against the scientifically valid view (Govender, 2009, Plummer & Zahm, 2010, Schneps & Sadler, 1989). To determine and improve the prospective teachers’ perceptions and awareness about the significance of the earth in space the study adopted the dialogical argumentation model (DAIM) and spatial modelling as a theoretical framework (Ogunniyi, 2013). Further, the study used pre- and post-test data based on the responses of the pre-service teachers to questionnaires, focus group interviews and reflective diaries. The data set was analysed using a mixed methods approach (qualitative and quantitative). Results from the study show that most the pre-service teachers involved in the study hold both scientific and alternative conceptions about the earth in space. However, they seem to suppress the latter because they believe them to be unscientific. In addition they believe that their role is to impart scientific knowledge to learners. As has been revealed in a number of studies, some of the prospective teachers did not have much background in geography.

This study has been made for three purposes: 1) to find out what difficulties experienced and inexperienced teachers recognize in their teaching; 2)to find out what factors have influenced these difficulties; and 3)to find out, if possible, which difficulties could be eliminated with further pre-service training.