published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

A prior study conducted by Walker (1996) showed teachers working in Primary schools in Hong-kong experienced professional development as a ‘one off’ occurrence, referring to one day out of the academic year, in the form of a workshop or course. Teachers felt that they did not take into consideration ‘teachers skills needs and involovement’ (Walker, 1996). According to the study, Principals and heads of department are usually responsible for shaping and establishing the norms for professional growth. The study revealed that the general consensus amongst principals and administrators believed that teachers should be involved in the actual planning and design of professional development. This study aims to further shed light on this phenomenon in the form of a case study at a primary school in Hong-Kong. An in depth look at how a school implements and organizes professional development can be beneficial to numerous members of the school community, including principals, teachers and administrators. Walker’s (1996) study was ultimately effective in recognizing the trends and opinions amongst principals and administrators regarding professional development. However there is limited research regarding how teachers perceive professional development and how they feel it can improve their needs. By acknowledging the lack of professional development , and it’s perceived ineffectiveness from teachers, this studies objectives is to explore how professional development is organized and developed in the school, and use such insights and opinions gained to provide a means to establish how professional development can be implemented more effectively to benefit teachers. Moreover research shows that in recent times, professional development is low on the list of teacher priorities, as they feel overwhelmed with their existing workload. Though the present study stems for the ideologies and perceptions teachers in Hong-Kong seemingly have toward professional development, majority of the research will be addressing the current effectiveness of professional development at the school, as this will enable one deduce factors that make it successful or unsuccessful. It is important to recognize that every school is different and will therefore have different needs. Thus making comparisons towards professional development regarding its policies and implementation will most likely to render obsolete, as a professional development program that is successful at one school may not be at the other. Though there is no concrete definition for what constitutes ‘effective professional development’ Desimone (2009) offers a framework that is broad enough to be relevant to most schools. Such a framework will be used as an indicator in establishing whether professional development is effective in the school (See appendix A and B). Responses from administrators and teachers from the interview questions will also be used to analyse whether professional development offered at the school is effective and productive. This study will adopt a qualitative approach primarily through the use of interviews and observations. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This dissertation explored how a professional developer, using the Center’s Professional Development Model for Innovating Instruction, supported two teachers’ acquisition of the knowledge needed for their mathematics instruction. Through analysis of detailed field notes and semi-structured interviews of two experienced elementary school teachers working in an urban, high-need school, this dissertation studied how the design and situate components of the Center’s Professional Development Model for Innovating Instruction can lead to multiple ways of supporting teachers’ instruction depending on the teachers’ needs and interests. Findings from these two case studies suggest that there is a need for teacher education mathematics programs—In-service and pre-service—to provide teachers with the knowledge for innovative mathematics instruction needed to create demanding learning experiences in their classrooms. This dissertation elaborates on these results, discusses connections with other research, and ends with implications of these results, in terms of their immediate application and the need for future research.

M.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Education is fundamentally an imaginative act of hope” (Purkey and Novak, 1996, p.1) and this hope is dependent on one’s ability to care enough to develop each child to his or her full potential. The intention of this study is to determine the dispositions of fourth year Foundation Phase students at a local higher education institute, and to establish how these dispositions influence their practice during their scheduled teaching practicals. The findings from this study will be used to propose a strategy for Initial Professional Education and Training (IPET) programmes in order to explicitly develop invitational dispositions in Foundation Phase teachers in training. The study is supported by a theoretical framework which investigates the notion of dispositions and the development of these through the lenses of structuration theory, social cognitive theory and attribution-based theory of motivation, and leading to the application of the Invitational Education approach. Self concept theory and perceptual theory are encompassed within this approach, and form an integral part of the study. From this theoretical framework, an invitational dispositional framework is developed to represent the inter-connected nature of the five invitational dispositions of care, intentionality, trust, respect and optimism. The research design and methodology of the study is located in the interpretivist paradigm, using a case study design within a qualitative approach. A survey is used to collect data relating to fourth year Foundation Phase students’ opinions regarding the essential dispositions required by Foundation Phase teachers in order to establish positive teaching and learning environments. Further data is gathered from two nested cases of fourth year Foundation Phase students during both their first and second teaching practicals, through the means of observations, interviews and document analysis. Each data source is analysed through content analysis in an attempt to identify the common patterns that emerge, followed by the coding of the data according to the invitational dispositions of care, intentionality, trust, respect and optimism. The opinions of the students, as determined from the analysis of the survey, are then compared to their actions as demonstrated through their practice, with a final consideration of the developmental trajectory of these dispositions. From this study, it was found that the dispositional ability to care is of paramount importance in Foundation Phase teaching and that this dispositional ability is determined in three inter- iii connected areas. A reduced ability to care in one of the interactional areas of self, others and the profession results in a decreased ability to care in the other areas as well. Upon analysis of the data, it was discovered that low levels of self confidence and limited care for the learning taking place in classrooms results in inconsistent invitational interactions between the student and the children. Lower levels of care further impacts upon the students’ ability to act with intentionality in each of the three interactional areas. Students would greatly benefit from explicit development in their reflective practice and in their self confidence, as “caring is an ethic that guides action” (Purkey and Novak, 1996, p.9). In this way students would be able to be Intentionally Inviting more consistently, and purposefully engage with children in the teaching and learning process.

School-based social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions have the potential to promote healthy development among children, including social and emotion regulation and academic achievement. Higher levels of implementation quality are associated with greater student outcomes compelling research to identify factors that contribute to successful implementation. Social validity refers to the social significance of an intervention and is thought to improve the uptake of interventions. The ecological model of teacher implementation proposes that individual and contextual factors influence social validity. The present study used a mixed-method design to examine how teacher and school factors were associated with the social validity of SEL interventions. Participants included 112 PK-5 teachers who completed an online survey about their perceptions of social validity of SEL interventions, their demographics, SEL beliefs, self-efficacy, stress level, multicultural competence (MCC), school climate, school location, and proportions of students and teachers of color. Participants responded to four open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of SEL interventions. Structural equation modeling was used to test model fit and estimate relationships between variables. Teacher SEL Competence (indicated by SEL beliefs, self-efficacy, and MCC), School Diversity (indicated by location, proportions of students and teachers of color), stress level, race/ethnicity, and school climate were examined in their association with the social validity (i.e., acceptability, willingness, perceived effectiveness, and disruption) of SEL interventions. Thematic analysis was used to extract common themes from qualitative data and expand the understanding of teachers’ perceptions about SEL interventions. Quantitative and qualitative results showed that teacher and school factors were significantly associated with social validity. Overall, teachers reported positive perceptions about SEL interventions; particularly, teachers with higher SEL competence perceived SEL interventions to be more acceptable and effective and were more willing to engage in them. Teachers with higher stress levels also perceived SEL interventions as more acceptable, suggesting they may think SEL interventions can improve both student behavior and teacher well-being. On the other hand, teachers with more years of teaching experience perceived SEL interventions as more disruptive to classroom routines. This may point to barriers in school settings such as lack of time for non-academic activities. Notably, teachers of color also perceived SEL interventions to be more disruptive, and teachers working in more diverse schools rated SEL interventions to be less acceptable. Teachers noted that SEL interventions should be customized to students’ context and reality. Teachers of color and those working in diverse schools may be more aware of the lack of cultural responsiveness of SEL interventions, and therefore find them less socially valid. Providing trainings and supports that develop teacher SEL competence can significantly increase social validity and, consequently, engagement in interventions. It is also important to promote teachers’ MCC and infuse multicultural considerations into school practices. Research on intervention development, evaluation, and dissemination should account for cultural diversity as well as investigate adaptations to improve implementation quality, sustainability, and student outcomes. Advancing SEL interventions in these areas has the potential to promote a healthier development among students particularly those from diverse communities.

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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.

The National Curriculum Statement advocates a shift in focus with regards to the manner in which assessment and learning are conceptualized (Department of Education, 2002). Consequently, new forms of assessment that are in keeping with the principles of the National Curriculum Statement (Department of Education, 2002), are expected to be implemented within the South African classroom context. Set against this backdrop, the study set out to explore teaching learning through the lens of assessment, by focussing on the content, process and application issues associated with teacher learning. This study attempted to unpack what teachers know about assessment and how they have come to acquire this knowledge. It was envisaged that through an analysis of how teachers learn about assessment, this study would reveal valuable insights about how teachers learn, and in this way, bring to the fore additional meaningful insights about the conditions that lead to effective teacher learning. In striving to achieve the outcomes of the research project, this study focused on the interplay between theory and practice to explore the process of teacher learning and how this learning translates into practice, through exploring how teachers’ knowledge of assessment, influenced their classroom assessment practices. The study was a qualitative one, within a case-study design. The use of semi-structured, iterative interviews, document analysis, and observations, formed the instruments used in the study. The thesis unpacked the journey of learning about the new forms of assessment, among three primary school educators, who formed the participants of the study. The findings of the study allude to the notion that teachers learn in a variety of different ways, and through a plethora of learning experiences, making a simplistic, superficial understanding of teacher learning, inadequate. In addition, the study pointed to teacher learning being shaped by a number of factors, indicating the significant influence that a multitude of factors, both internal and external, have over teacher learning. Further, the challenges and issues associated with teacher learning were brought to the fore. The implications of the study suggest that teacher learning is complex and multi-faceted, making it most necessary to adopt a multi-focus approach to teacher learning. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.

South Africa stands on the threshold of a new era in education. The separate and fragmented model for the provision of education, which signified a policy of apartheid, is to be replaced by a single unified system. With the adoption of a new interim Constitution (1993), we have, for the first time, formal recognition of human rights, the application of which, will underlie all legislation and administration decisions (Dean in Neon, May 1994:9-10). On 31 March 1994, the 'own affairs' administrations were abolished. In accordance with the interim Constitution (1993), these structures have, however, been retained and will continue until the transition to a new dispensation takes place (Neon, May 1994:20). Progress towards achieving the goal of a unified education system includes, inter alia, the creation of a Department of Education and Training at a national level, as well as the creation of provincial administrations in 9 provinces, each of which will have its own education department (Neon, June 1994:1). The new government stands committed to early childhood development. The care and development of infants and young children is seen to be the foundation of social relations and the starting point of a national human resource development strategy. Policy proposals outlined by the Department of Education in the Draft White Paper recommend that: “The care and development of infants and young children must be the foundation of social relations and the starting point of a national human resource development strategy ..... The new national department is planned to have a directorate for Early Childhood Development and Lower Primary Education, in the light of continuity in developmental approaches to the young child and the need for a reshaping of curricula and teaching methodology for the early years of school …… The year 1995 should be used mainly for planning the development of the reception year……” (Republic of South Africa, 1994:20). As far back as 1981, the De Lange Commission stated that without a corps of well-trained and talented teachers, any attempts aimed at realizing the potential of a country's inhabitants, improving the quality of life of its citizens, promoting economic growth and providing an equal system of education, cannot be successful. No other single factor determines to such an extent the quality of education in a country, as the quality of the corps of its teachers (HSRC, 1981:59 & 180). It is anticipated that the demand for teachers is likely to increase as a result of the phasing-in of compulsory education commencing with the class one child, the introduction of a reception class year, reduction of class sizes to 40 pupils and the enrolment of out-of-school children. Trained manpower will prove to be a major problem and an accelerated programme of teacher education to meet quantitative needs, without compromising quality, will be essential, in order to successfully implement a reception class year, ensure a better distribution of qualified teachers and cater for ever-increasing numbers of school-going children. Major structural changes will, therefore, be needed in the preparation and development of teachers. It is within the context of this background information, that this study has been conducted, namely to develop appropriate teacher-training structures for the foundation phase of education, with particular reference to the reception class year. The specific purposes of the study were:- * to review pre-primary provision; * to review current teacher-training structures and assess priorities and needs for developing appropriate methods of professional training; * to compare pre-primary provision and teacher-training policy with that of developing and developed countries; * to develop strategies to train and accredit teachers through a shortened PRESET structure; * to upgrade existing teacher qualifications through an approved INSET structure; * to analyse the feasibility of the proposed strategies for the KwaZulu-Natal region. The study involved an analysis of the NEPI sectoral reports on Early Childhood Educare and Teacher Education, the ERS and the KwaZulu-Natal Interdepartmental Working Groups' Discussion Documents. In addition, other relevant reports and working papers have also been consulted. Viable options for the training of teachers for the foundation phase of education which emerged from the study were: * the establishment of links between non-formal and formal training programmes; * the development of a modular career path for the coordinated training of teachers through INSET; * the development of a 5-year plan for the phasing in of qualified teachers through PRESET and INSET; * the development of an appropriate course structure; * an outline of governance and control. The main recommendations made in the study include the following:- * the obtaining of a Reception Class Diploma which will allow experienced educare workers to obtain a formally-recognised diploma in reception class education, part-time, whilst currently employed as a teacher; * the recognition of such a diploma should the student not wish to study further; * the upgrading and revitalising of lower primary school teachers currently in service; * the obtaining of a 3-year diploma through an inverted '2+2' teacher-training model which will, inter alia, allow the student to obtain 'on the job' training whilst studying on a part-time basis; * a simplified qualifications structure; * the implementation of a 5-year plan for the phasing-in of qualified teachers; * a collaborative strategy with accredited NGOs who will assist with the training of teachers * a modularised curriculum * the establishment of a Resource and Training Centre for teachers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, 1995.