The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of professional development designed to enhance vocabulary instruction on four first-grade teachers’ vocabulary instructional practices. The study incorporated a formative design methodology and the collection of baseline data on current instructional practices to inform the design of the professional development and subsequent intervention. According to Nagy and Scott (2004), word knowledge encompasses aspects and stages that surpass the common acceptance of what it means to know a word, definitional knowledge, and into the incorporation of that word into a child's working vocabulary knowledge. The teacher participants were provided with vocabulary instructional strategies through professional development with the goal of improving their vocabulary instructional practice. Following the professional development, the researcher initiated an eight-week intervention including observations, group meetings, and interviews to evaluate the impact of the professional development. Findings indicated that the professional development and intervention positively impacted the vocabulary instructional practices of the four first-grade teachers. Implications for future research include the benefit of using effective practices in professional development and a formative design framework to impact the instructional practice of primary teachers. / Ph. D.

Identification of aggression in Junior Primary school learners often becomes a difficult task due to the lack of appropriate measuring instruments. The assessment instruments used presently are unable to identify the subtypes of aggression. In order to address this limitation in the field of aggression, the present investigation was undertaken. A literature study was done where the concept aggression was defined and the relationship and differences between the subtypes of aggression (physical, verbal, reactive and proactive aggression) were examined. The factors that relate to aggression, namely, biological, personality, environmental and social, parental influence, frustration and media influences were identified. A reliable measuring instrument was developed to identify the four main subtypes of aggression in junior primary learners. The results of the empirical investigation indicated that there were significant positive correlations between the subtypes of aggression. Gender and intellectual potential do not appear to have a significant bearing on childhood aggression. The educational implications of the findings are discussed and guidelines regarding treatment of childhood aggression are given for both educators and parents. / Education Studies / M.Ed.

Identification of aggression in Junior Primary school learners often becomes a difficult task due to the lack of appropriate measuring instruments. The assessment instruments used presently are unable to identify the subtypes of aggression. In order to address this limitation in the field of aggression, the present investigation was undertaken. A literature study was done where the concept aggression was defined and the relationship and differences between the subtypes of aggression (physical, verbal, reactive and proactive aggression) were examined. The factors that relate to aggression, namely, biological, personality, environmental and social, parental influence, frustration and media influences were identified. A reliable measuring instrument was developed to identify the four main subtypes of aggression in junior primary learners. The results of the empirical investigation indicated that there were significant positive correlations between the subtypes of aggression. Gender and intellectual potential do not appear to have a significant bearing on childhood aggression. The educational implications of the findings are discussed and guidelines regarding treatment of childhood aggression are given for both educators and parents. / Education Studies / M.Ed.