The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to compare the effects of three different composition tasks with varying degrees of structure on pre-service music teachers’ creative self-efficacy as composers and their instructional self-efficacy as pedagogues of composition; and 2) to describe through pre-service music teachers’ talk perceptions of composition and their experiences completing the three composition tasks. Participants (N = 29) were music education majors from three different sized universities in the northern-central region of the United States. At the beginning of the study, the participants answered a researcher-design self-efficacy questionnaire that measured (a) their self-efficacy as composers and (b) their self-efficacy as teachers of composition. Next, they composed three compositions of various task structures (unstructured, poem, and rhythm). Immediately after completing each task they again completed the self-efficacy questionnaire. Statistically significant mean differences between the pre-task administration of the measuring instrument and all three composition tasks were found for the pre-service teachers’ compositional self-efficacy. Statistically significant mean differences were also found between the unstructured task and the rhythm task, but not between the rhythm and poem tasks or the unstructured and poem tasks. For the pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy as pedagogues of composition question, the results were also statistically significant between the pre-task administration of the measuring instrument and all three composition tasks. Statistically significant mean differences were also found between the unstructured task and the rhythm task as well as the poem and rhythm tasks, but not between the unstructured and poem tasks. Additional data were gathered through semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Through their talk the pre-service music teachers commented that they enjoyed the overall composition process. This experience also seemed to challenge the participants’ assumptions about composition and appeared to make creative experiences more tenable and relevant to their future classroom experiences. The results of this study suggest that incorporating composition activities regardless of structure within a music teacher’s pre-service training might impact their self-efficacy beliefs not only as composers, but also as pedagogues of composition. This study suggested that teacher educators might want to consider using a rhythmic structure as the first task to help provide an initial framework to guide and initiate their composition. Pre-service teachers engaged in similar compositional activities might also gain further insights about what it means to be a composer and into the pedagogy of composition.

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It has been widely accepted that history education is key in the formation of identity by providing groups with knowledge and understanding of their common past. Historical consciousness is, thus, formed through the transmission of history education. In the context of collective victimhood, official and unofficial historical narratives in this research became the tools for the transgenerational transmission of collective victimisation, resulting in a victim-based identity. The formation of identity which is based on either official or unofficial history is believed to lead to a double-consciousness, where the historical consciousness created through official history interacts with a sense of collective victimhood. This qualitative case study had the dual purpose of conceptualising and understanding pre-service teachers’ sense of collective victimhood as a historical consciousness that indicated a specific social identity. Data for this study was obtained using an open-ended question from an electronic survey distributed in 2018 as part of an existing project. A total of 138 narrative responses from the purposively sampled first-year education students at the University of Pretoria in 2018 was analysed using critical qualitative content analysis. Findings from the data analysis conceptualised three social identities, namely South Africanness, rainbowism and Black victimhood. Of these three social identities, the historical consciousness presented through the use of historical thinking skills was different in the way that group-based effects manifested in the narrative responses. The historical consciousness contained within South Africanness manifested in attitudes of civic responsibility and justice. Rainbowism and Black victimhood presented a sense of collective victimhood through hostility and injustice, where rainbowism’s sense of collective victimhood was influenced by colour-blind ideology. Historical-thinking concepts were selectively used in the victim-based identities of rainbowism and Black victimhood, suggesting the presence of a double-consciousness. The findings from this study contributed to the broader field of history education and collective victimhood respectively in its understanding and conceptualisation of a pre-service teachers’ sense of collective victimhood as historical consciousness indicative of specific social identities. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria 2020. / pt2021 / Humanities Education / MEd / Unrestricted

The specific objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of training on understanding empathy in the teacher training process. Subjects were Utah State University students enrolled in Elementary Education during winter quarter 1976. The experimental group was composed of 34 subjects and the control group of 27 subjects. Both groups were administered a pretest. The experimental group then received the treatment which consisted of a training program designed to help them to be able to (1) define, (2) recognize instances of, and (3) to emit empathic behavior. At the conclusion of the training program both the experimental and the control groups were administered a posttest. A hypothesis of significant difference was formulated stating there would be a significant difference between posttest scores of the experimental and control groups on a measure of empathic understanding. Results of the study indicate that in fact a significant difference was found as a result of the experimental treatment. On the criteria measured, the empathy training program did have a significant effect on the emitted empathic behavior of the subjects in the treatment group.

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Schools are increasingly challenged to respond to educational initiatives, implement accountability measures, and incorporate standards-driven curriculum changes introduced by laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. IDEIA signified a shift in the field of education and intensified practitioners’ concerns about the identification and instruction of students with learning disabilities (LD). The revisions to IDEIA proposed alternative models for the evaluation and identification of students with LD, such as response to intervention (RTI). RTI is an educational framework that supports students at-risk for academic failure by focusing on preventative measures. As teachers’ roles evolve in response to innovations such as RTI, teacher preparation programs must adjust their focus and curriculum accordingly. A parallel mixed-methods design was used to explore 100 general education pre-service teachers’ levels of concern regarding the implementation of RTI based on the concerns based adoption model. The sample for the study integrated general education pre-service teachers enrolled in professional development schools (PDS) at two levels of candidacy, PDS1 and PDS2. Data collected was analyzed utilizing canonical correlation analysis (CCA), multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), descriptive statistics, and thematic analysis. Results explain general education pre-service teachers’ levels of knowledge had a negative relationship with the levels of concern, as these appeared to be higher due to teacher candidates’ lack of knowledge. Qualitative findings supported this statement. Contributions to the literature are presented and may guide teacher preparation programs as they assess the readiness of their pre-service teachers to effectively implement RTI.

The importance of global education cannot be overstated in modern American society. A crucial first step to promoting global perspectives in the K-12 classroom is to ensure that the teachers have developed their own global perspectives. Multiple global education frameworks have suggested that two keys to globalizing teacher education curricula are the integration of global content courses and participation in co-curricular cross-cultural experiences. Therefore, this study sought to determine the extent to which global content courses and co-curricular cross-cultural experiences had been integrated into the teacher preparation of pre-service teachers in multiple certification areas at a large public university in Florida, as well as the effects of that integration on the global perspectives of pre-service teachers. The questionnaire used in this study was the Global Perspectives Inventory (GPI) which was designed by Braskamp, Merrill, Braskamp, and Engberg (2012). The GPI was designed to measure individuals' development of global perspectives along three interrelated domains: cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal. This study examined the extent to which pre-service teachers in different certification areas reported participating in global content courses and co-curricular cross-cultural experiences and the effects on their global perspectives. Significant differences in the rate of participation were found in pre-service teachers in one of seven types of global content courses examined, but in none of the eleven types of co-curricular cross-cultural experiences examined. The results of this investigation also confirmed that higher rates of participation in both global content courses and co-curricular cross-cultural experiences have a significant positive relationship with pre-service teachers' global perspectives.

The intent of thesis is to explore pre-service teachers' perceptions of using a form of professional development to promote teacher autonomy. Current evidence shows that autonomy is a recurring element desired by American teachers in their profession. However, research advocates for teachers who are initiating and carrying out research in their schools (as a form of professional development) to have the potential to promote autonomy. For American teachers to gain a sense of autonomy in their profession there needs to be a change in the way professional development is directed. One form of professional development that promotes teachers as researchers is Lesson Study. Teachers who participate in lesson study are given the opportunity to research, collaborate, and learn. A sample population of five Pre-service teachers were interviewed to discover their perceptions of using Lesson Study as a means to promote teacher autonomy. The results of this thesis are that lesson study was regarded, by three out of five of the participants, as an effective way to strengthen teacher autonomy. The implications of the results are discussed, and the descriptions and implications of Lesson Study are provided.

The purpose of this study was to identify preservice teachers’ perceptions of the at-risk student and their perceptions toward their educational preparation to effectively teach the at-risk student. A ten-question survey was conducted to gain insight on 15 preservice teachers’ perceptions of the at-risk student. The results showed that 100% of the preservice teachers believe at-risk students could learn, but then were dissatisfied with the training that the teacher preparation program at the university has provided them. These findings suggest the importance of conducting further research on preservice teachers’ preparation programs. Preservice teachers’ ability to effectively teach the at-risk student can have a lasting impact on these students and their success in the future.

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