Depuis 2002, dans un nouveau domaine des mathématiques intitulé « grandeurs et mesure », les auteurs des textes officiels proposent d'aborder les grandeurs au travers d'activités de comparaison directe, indirecte, en utilisant des étalons arbitraires avant d'introduire les unités conventionnelles et en puisant dans le réservoir d'activités que sont les sciences expérimentales.Ces injonctions ont été à l'origine de ce travail.Une analyse épistémologique des concepts nous a permis de montrer que la distinction« grandeur/mesure », présentée comme naturelle, est pertinente pour ce niveau d'enseignement.Nous avons cherché l'origine de la proposition des prescriptions officielles en étudiant les textes duprimaire de sciences et de mathématiques depuis 1923. Nous avons constaté un tournant décisif dans les programmes : à la suite de la réforme des mathématiques modernes, l'étude des grandeurs avant la mesure apparaît en sciences comme en mathématiques, s'appuyant sur les travaux des psychologues de l'époque. Cette étude dans les deux disciplines ne sera plus demandée jusqu'en 2002.Dans notre travail, nous avons mis en évidence une mauvaise maîtrise des concepts de « grandeur »et « mesure » ainsi qu'une conception erronée de « grandeur » chez les professeurs d'école. Certains d'entre eux sont par ailleurs réticents à adopter la démarche décrite dans les textes pour l'ensemble des grandeurs.Nous avons étudié l'impact des activités de comparaison avec l'utilisation d'étalons arbitraires sur la construction du concept de masse et sur le sens de la mesure, à l'aide de la mise en œuvre deux ingénieries comparatives en CE1. Nos résultats montrent que le niveau de conceptualisation des élèves, tel qu'il est évalué à l'aide de nos critères, est supérieur tant pour le sens de la grandeur que pour celui de la mesure, chez les élèves ayant vécu une séquence introduisant la masse à partir d'activités de comparaisons détachées du nombre. / Since 2002, in a new domain of the mathematics entitled " quantity and measurement ", the authors ofthe curriculum suggest approaching the quantity through activities of direct, indirect comparison, byusing arbitrary standards measurement before introducing the conventional units and by drawing fromthe reservoir of activities that are the experimental sciences.These orders were at the origin of this work.An epistemological analysis of the concepts allowed us to show that the distinction "quantity/measurement", presented as natural, is relevant for this level of teaching.We looked for the origin of the curriculum's proposition by studying the texts of the primary schoolin sciences and mathematics since 1923. We noticed a decisive bend in the programs: following thereform of the modern mathematics, the study of quantity before measurement appears in sciences asin mathematics, leaning on the works of the contemporary psychologists. This study in both disciplineswill not be any more asked until 2002.In our work, we brought to light a bad control of the concepts of "quantity and "measurement " as wellas a misconception of "quantity" at the primary school teachers. Some of them are besides reluctantto adopt the approach described in curricula for all the quantities.We studied the impact of the comparison's activities with the use of arbitrary standards on theconstruction of the concept of mass and on the sense of moderation, by means of the implementationtwo comparative engineerings in 2nd year of primary school. Our results show that the level of pupil'sconceptualization, such as it is estimated by means of our criteria, is upper so much for the sense ofthe quantity than for that of the measure, at the pupils having lived a sequence introducing the massfrom comparison's activities out of the number.

This study investigated whether a relationship exists between learning style and the self-reported technology-related needs, beliefs, stages of adoption, software expertise, and technology competencies of teachers in a large suburban school district. The Gregorc Style Delineator was used to identify dominant learning style, and the Snapshot Survey was used to measure technology-related needs, beliefs, stages of adoption, and software expertise. Technology competencies were measured using the Technology in Education Competency Survey. Data collected from 499 participants was included in data analysis. The study was conducted at each of the 12 elementary schools of a large suburban district in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The findings suggest that there is a significant relationship between learning style and the technology-related needs, stages of adoption, software expertise, and competencies of teachers. The relationship between learning style and technology-related needs was significant at the p < .01 level. The relationships between learning style and technology-related stages of adoption, software expertise, and technology competencies were significant at the p < .05 level. Members of the abstract sequential [AS] learning style group reported having significantly fewer needs and significantly higher stages of adoption, software expertise, and competency than members of one or more of the other learning style groups. More research is recommended to determine whether these findings could be utilized to improve teacher staff development in the area of technology. Possible applications may include mentoring programs and the customization of training models to more closely match learning style profiles.

The purpose of this study was to (1) report changes in elementary teachers' and principals' perceptions of organizational climate as climate was perceived by (a) elementary teachers in individual schools, (b) elementary teachers as a total group, (c) elementary principals in individual schools, and (d) elementary principals as a total group. The subjects in the study included 13 elementary principals and 247 elementary teachers. Each principal had a least two years tenure in the elementary school. The Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ) was administered at the beginning of the school year, at midyear, and at the end of the school year.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2007. / The aim of this investigation was to establish the challenges facing educators in the implementation of inclusive education. From the literature study it emerges that inclusive education constitutes a challenge to the education system in South Africa, in particular to mainstream educators. Successful implementation of inclusive education requires educators to have a positive attitude, be flexible and critical, creative and innovative in their approach to teaching and learning. Educators are expected to have the necessary knowledge, skills, competencies and support to accommodate a wide range of diversity among learners in an inclusive classroom. They must be able to select appropriate teaching strategies to achieve specific outcomes. Effective inclusion will only stay a dream if educators do not have the necessary training, support systems and appropriate resources. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a self-structured questionnaire, to be completed by educators from primary schools, was utilised. The data obtained from the completed questionnaires were analysed and commented on by means of descriptive statistics. In conclusion a summary was presented on the findings of the literature review and empirical investigation and the following are some of the recommendations that were made: > Opportunities for in-service training regarding inclusive education must be made available to mainstream educators. > The Department of Education must provide adequate support to educators concerning all aspects of inclusive education.

The method of instruction and the formal curriculum within two Kenyan teacher training colleges were studied in order to discover which messages regarding pedagogical practice are internalized within novice Kenyan primary school teachers and then actualized within their classrooms. An educational connoisseurship approach was utilized to give descriptive, interpretive, evaluative, and thematic insight. Three data streams were collected through interview, observation, and design evaluation in order to establish structural corroboration and internal validity. The study found that the method of instruction by the teacher training college faculty was teacher-centered and utilized lower order cognitive methodology. Though the formal curriculum design was strong, it too promoted lower cognitive processes. These two messages, teacher-centered pedagogies and lower cognitive processes, are being internalized and applied by the novice teachers and maybe affecting the quality of education in Kenyan schools. The results of this study suggest that pedagogical skills promoting higher cognitive levels should be developed through in-service training in Kenyan training colleges and primary schools as a way to improve the quality of education in this country.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Technology: Language Practice, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / The literacy levels in South African schools are alarmingly low. Educators are challenged in diverse classrooms with multicultural and multilingual learners as they are faced with the problems that these learners are experiencing in literacy. Educators therefore need to be able to adapt their teaching strategies to suit the needs of their learners to address learners’ different learning needs and styles. This study investigated the use of adapted teaching strategies used by grade 3 educators in literacy in selected schools in northern KwaZulu-Natal. A mixed methods research design was used which included the use of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to gather data. The findings which were linked to the literature review revealed that educators lacked adequate knowledge and skills to adapt their teaching strategies as they have not been adequately trained to teach literacy within multilingual contexts. Although some educators were using adapted teaching strategies they were not using them effectively in their multilingual classrooms while some educators did not have a wellstructured intervention programme at school to deal with learners who were experiencing problems with literacy. Inexperienced educators also had problems identifying learning styles and adapting their teaching strategies. This study found that teachers require continual professional development to enable them to effectively adapt their teaching strategies to suit individual learning needs and styles.

Thesis in compliance with the requirements for the Doctor's Degree in Technology: Language Practice, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / In adopting a critical realist approach, this study offers a view of the complex social and contextual factors impacting on literacy acquisition and development in primary education, which is thought to be its main contribution to the field. The study‟s focus was on reading because reading is a fundamental part of literacy acquisition and development in primary education. Its purpose was to establish the state of current literacy teaching and learning practices in formal education so that, ultimately, recommendations could be made for teacher training and support. In the changing face of education in post-apartheid South Africa, provision has been made by the government to democratise education, and, in particular allow all students equity of access to key competences such as literacy. However, there are signs that all is not well at the level of implementation, for example, the low learner pass rate. In particular, teachers do not appear to be coping with the new dispensation, and are generally demoralised and demotivated. It must be stressed that the issue of literacy acquisition and development is complex and multi-layered, and not just a simple question of applying linguistic knowledge or skills. While literacy is a key competence for schooling and a key life skill, education is an essential variable in literacy acquisition and development. However, there are indications that the South African educational system is failing to deliver quality education to its learners. It has been estimated that illiteracy is costing the government as much as R550 billion a year. The fact remains that the main responsibility for teaching literacy rests with schools. Currently there is a literacy crisis in South Africa. This means that large numbers of children are not acquiring the high level skills in reading and writing that will enable them to take part in the new knowledge economy. The general aim of this project was to investigate the process of literacy acquisition and development in primary schools. The investigation focused specifically on how learners acquire literacy, and the involvement of teaching training and support for educators. It was anticipated that the investigation would identify gaps in the acquisition and development of literacy, as well as iii provide recommendations for teacher training and support: the findings might then feed specialist knowledge on the current state of literacy acquisition in formal education into the area of teacher training as to address the problem of lack of preparedness of teachers to deal with literacy acquisition. The project involved an investigation of literacy teaching and learning practices in three different types of public school in the Ethekwini Region, comprising ex-Model C, semi-urban and rural schools. The scope of the study was confined to three primary schools in KwaZulu Natal. The selected research sites were Joel1 Primary School (urban) in the Pinetown area, Milo Primary School The semiurban) in the Mariannhill area, and John Primary School (rural) in the Ndwedwe District. No attempt was made to generalise on the acquisition of language and development, and the provision of teacher training and support at these selected primary schools with reference to schools in the rest of South Africa. However, it is thought that the findings might well be relevant to some schools to enable them to cope and understand the role and function of language acquisition and development. The social factors which negatively impact on literacy acquisition and development were found to include features of the local social context, security for literacy resources and other physical challenges. Factors impacting negatively on teacher performance were inadequate teacher training, the impact of teacher unions, and the effects of poverty and HIV/AIDS. Some of the clearly intertwined challenges experienced at the Intermediate Phase education level include the problems of insufficient teaching staff numbers and insufficient numbers of competent and trained staff; lack of sufficient support for African language learners; large class sizes; lack of resources; and lack of quality leadership in schools. These challenges are the shaky ground upon which we build education for some of our learners, especially those in rural and poor areas. / Durban University of Technology Post Graduate and Support Centre.

D. Tech. Education / The study explores the experiences of 23 primary school teachers who participated in a nine-month professional development that focused on assessment for learning. The study addresses questions about teachers knowledge of assessment for learning and their capacity to learn and implement the techniques; to describe teachers beliefs and practices of assessment for learning before their participation in the teacher professional development programme, discover how reflective practices can influence teachers to enhance knowledge of assessment for learning, and to explore the depth of teachers learning after their participation in the teacher professional development programme.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explored the number sense of 47 final year primary school pre-service teachers in Namibia and was motivated by the poor performance of Namibian primary school learners in both national and international standardised assessment tests. The literature review revealed that learner performance is linked to teacher subject knowledge (Ball, 1990, Ma, 1999) and that teachers’ confidence in doing and teaching mathematics influences the way they teach and their willingness to learn mathematics (Ball, 1990; Graven 2004). Number sense studies of pre-service teachers (Kaminski, 1997; Tsao, 2004; Veloo, 2010; Yang, Reys & Reys, 2009) have indicated that the development of number sense should be a focus of primary pre-service teacher education. The data in this mixed method research design were obtained from a Number Sense Questionnaire, a Written Computations Questionnaire and a Mental Calculations Questionnaire. These questionnaires were adapted from instruments developed by Professor Der-Ching Yang for 6th and 8th grade learners in Taiwan. Teacher confidence was measured by the McAnallen Confidence in Mathematics and Mathematics Teaching Survey. Six randomly selected pre-service teachers were interviewed to determine their use of number-sensible strategies. The correlation analysis shows a strong relationship between number sense and mental calculations; between number sense and confidence in both the ability to do and the ability to teach mathematics and between mental and written calculations. The overall results of this study reveal that the final year primary pre-service teachers demonstrate limited number sense and possess very few of the indicators of number sense that were described by Kalchman, Moss and Case (2001). The findings expose a lack of conceptual understanding of the domain numbers and operations, particularly in the domain of rational numbers and the operations of multiplication and division. The pre-service teachers have little or no access to a variety of flexible number-sensible strategies to solve problems and calculate mentally. They lack the fluency in basic facts and procedures to perform written calculations efficiently and correctly. Unexpectedly, the analysis of the confidence survey shows that they are confident in both their ability to do mathematics and their ability to teach mathematics. It is recommended that mental calculations and computational estimation should become a focus of primary school mathematics education. Institutions responsible for teacher training should develop the number sense of pre-service teachers and research effective and long-term professional development programmes. The confidence and willingness of the teachers to learn can be used as an important resource. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die getalbegrip van 47 finale jaar primêre skool voordiens-onderwysers in Namibië en is gemotiveer deur die swak prestasie van die Namibiese primêre skool leerlinge in beide nasionale en internasionale gestandaardiseerde assesseringstoetse. Die literatuurstudie het aan die lig gebring dat leerlinge se prestasie gekoppel is aan onderwyservakkennis (Ball, 1990, Ma, 1999) en dat onderwysers se vertroue in hulle vermoë om wiskunde te doen en te onderrig, die manier waarop hulle onderrig en hul bereidwilligheid om wiskunde te leer beïnvloed (Ball, 1990, Graven 2004 ). Studies van voordiens primêre onderwysers se getalbegrip (Kaminski, 1997; Tsao, 2004; Veloo, 2010; Yang, Reys & Reys, 2009) toon dat die ontwikkeling van getalbegrip 'n fokus van primêre voordiensonderwyseropleiding behoort te wees. Die data in hierdie gemengde metode navorsing is verkry uit 'n Getalbegrip, 'n Skriftelike Berekeninge en 'n Hoofrekene Vraelys. Hierdie vraelyste is gebaseer op die instrumente wat ontwikkel is deur Professor Der-Ching Yang vir graad 6 en 8 leerlinge in Taiwan. Onderwyservertroue is gemeet deur die McAnallen Confidence in Mathematics and Mathematics Teaching Survey. Ses ewekansig geselekteerde voordiens-onderwysers is ondervra om te bepaal watter sinvolle strategieë hulle gebruik om vrae oor getalbegrip te beantwoord. Die korrelasie-analise toon 'n sterk verband tussen getalbegrip en hoofrekene; tussen getalbegrip en vertroue in die vermoë om wiskunde te doen en te leer, en tussen vermoë om hoofrekene en skriftelike bewerkinge te doen. Die algehele resultate van hierdie studie dui daarop dat die finale jaar primêre voordiens-onderwysers oor beperkte getalbegrip en baie min van die aanwysers van getalbegrip wat deur Kalchman, Moss en Case (2001) beskryf is, beskik. Die bevindinge toon ‘n gebrek aan begrip van die domein van getalle en bewerkings, veral in die domein van rasionale getalle en die bewerkings vermenigvuldiging en deling. Die voordiens-onderwysers beskik oor min of geen soepel strategieë om probleme op te los en hoofrekene te doen nie. Hulle beskik nie oor die vlotheit in basiese feite en bewerkings om skriftelike berekeninge doeltreffend en korrek uit te voer nie. Die vertroue wat voordiens-onderwysers uitgespreek het in hulle vermoë om wiskunde te doen en onderrig staan in sterk teenstelling met hierdie bevindige. Dit word aanbeveel dat hoofrekene en skatting 'n fokus van primêre skool wiskunde-onderwys behoort te wees. Instansies gemoeid met onderwyseropleiding behoort die getalbegrip van voordiensonderwysers te onwikkel en navorsing te doen oor effektiewe en lang-termyn programme vir professionele ontwikkeling. Onderwysers se vertroue en bereidwilligheid om te leer kan as 'n belangrike hulpbron gebruik word.

This thesis deals with a training of primary school teachers in the Czech Republic and in the French-speaking part of Belgium. It is a comparative study analyzing corresponding systems of tertiary education. In detail it describes selected examples of education used by the Faculty of Education of Charles University in Prague and the École normale catholique du Brabant Wallon at Haute Ecole Léonard de Vinci in Louvain - la - Neuve. For the purpose of mutual inspiration it presents individual curricula of both universities, the relationship of theory and practice in the studies and, based on author`s own observations and experience, reflections of two specific issues from each institution which are interesting and unique. It also presents problems of professional competence of teachers who apply for teacher training. Because such paper is already valid in Belgium, while in the Czech Republic it is still in progress. Both schools have a lot to offer for its current students, but there is always space for further development.