Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / This study aims to give insights into the nature and extent of professional teacher development by the department of education through class visits, and subsequently its impact on professional teacher development in the white hazy circuit in Mpumalanga province. This study further examines measures and recommendations to be put in place which can help to improve the programme (class visits), also the effectiveness of this programme in professional teacher development. The study further highlights key issues regarding class visits with regard to professional teacher development. The study further highlights strategies that can be put in place to enhancing class visits as a programme for professional teacher development. The study further highlights key recommendations to be put in place to enhance class visits as professional teacher development programme. KEY WORDS Professional Teacher Development; Development Appraisal System; Integrated Quality Management Systems; development support group; Continuing Professional Teacher Development.

Magister Educationis (Adult Learning and Global Change) - MEd(AL) / Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) of teachers at working class schools in South Africa has come under scrutiny over the past few years. Despite new education policies which incorporated the dire need for CPTD, the achievement of learners at working class schools remains poor. This investigation was prompted by the cause of this discrepancy. This study investigates the participation of teachers in Continuous Professional Development initiatives at working class schools in the Western Cape. The primary research question for this research paper is: “Why are teachers at working class schools not participating in CPTD initiatives as expected?” A qualitative approach within the interpretive paradigm was adopted throughout this study. The interpretive approach allowed the researcher to gain a more social world interpretation of the respondents as it provided insight in CPTD practices at working class schools. The process of data gathering was inductive as information emerges from interviews and questionnaires. Open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. The study comprised 15 respondents and included teachers at two schools and three officials from the Department of Education. The demographics of the two schools were similar which made it possible to ask the same questions for all respondents. The study highlighted the lack of participation of teachers in CPTD due to human, material and financial constraints. Urgent consideration needs to be given to eradicating these barriers for continuous professional development of teachers. Providers of CPTD should ensure that the needs of teachers are met and training should be embarked upon on a continuous basis. In addition, priority should be given to teachers employed at schools in working class areas.

The purpose of this research activity was to determine the nature of in-service training as a mode of capacitating and developing teachers in public secondary schools serviced by the Matlosana Area Office (AO). The process of teacher in-service training is constantly faced by challenges, which derail and stall progress and sometimes negatively affect learners’ performance. Amongst others, these challenges include: changes in the curriculum, inconsistent monitoring and follow-up on in-service training programmes, the impact of teacher performance on learners’ attainment, the HIV/AIDS scourge, poor learner discipline, incorrect placement of teachers with regard to school and subjects taught, and the low participation of key role-players. The Department of Education (DoE) is divided into the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher Education. A literature study to look into the Department of Basic Education’s Acts, policies, strategies and other relevant documents aimed at skilling and developing teachers, was carried out. This assisted the researcher in understanding the legal parameters that guide teacher in-service training. Upon completion of the literature study, a brief explanation of the empirical research design, the administration and the use of the questionnaire as a research tool, are given. Data were collected from the respondents in the randomly selected secondary schools in the focus area – by means of a questionnaire. These data gave the researcher an idea of the situation with regard to teacher in-service training in the Matlosana Area Office’s responsibility area. To respond to the statements, respondents were required to indicate their views by ticking on a 5-step Likert scale. Respondents were given the opportunity of writing down their opinions; and these were summed up and indicated. Data collected were analysed and presented in the form of tables and histograms. This was followed by the interpretation of these data. Chapter 5 of the mini-dissertation presents a summary of the research activities. The findings, in accordance with the literature review, and the results of the empirical research with regard to the stated research objectives, are also presented. Finally, based on the findings, conclusions are drawn and recommendations subsequently formulated. Major findings include the need for more time to be dedicated to in-service training, thorough monitoring and prompt follow-up thereof. Data collected also indicated that the DoBE has a number of programmes in place to develop teachers and to put them on a par with curriculum requirements. Despite these efforts, some schools are still performing below the required standard. / Thesis (M Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The purpose of this research activity was to determine the nature of in-service training as a mode of capacitating and developing teachers in public secondary schools serviced by the Matlosana Area Office (AO). The process of teacher in-service training is constantly faced by challenges, which derail and stall progress and sometimes negatively affect learners’ performance. Amongst others, these challenges include: changes in the curriculum, inconsistent monitoring and follow-up on in-service training programmes, the impact of teacher performance on learners’ attainment, the HIV/AIDS scourge, poor learner discipline, incorrect placement of teachers with regard to school and subjects taught, and the low participation of key role-players. The Department of Education (DoE) is divided into the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher Education. A literature study to look into the Department of Basic Education’s Acts, policies, strategies and other relevant documents aimed at skilling and developing teachers, was carried out. This assisted the researcher in understanding the legal parameters that guide teacher in-service training. Upon completion of the literature study, a brief explanation of the empirical research design, the administration and the use of the questionnaire as a research tool, are given. Data were collected from the respondents in the randomly selected secondary schools in the focus area – by means of a questionnaire. These data gave the researcher an idea of the situation with regard to teacher in-service training in the Matlosana Area Office’s responsibility area. To respond to the statements, respondents were required to indicate their views by ticking on a 5-step Likert scale. Respondents were given the opportunity of writing down their opinions; and these were summed up and indicated. Data collected were analysed and presented in the form of tables and histograms. This was followed by the interpretation of these data. Chapter 5 of the mini-dissertation presents a summary of the research activities. The findings, in accordance with the literature review, and the results of the empirical research with regard to the stated research objectives, are also presented. Finally, based on the findings, conclusions are drawn and recommendations subsequently formulated. Major findings include the need for more time to be dedicated to in-service training, thorough monitoring and prompt follow-up thereof. Data collected also indicated that the DoBE has a number of programmes in place to develop teachers and to put them on a par with curriculum requirements. Despite these efforts, some schools are still performing below the required standard. / Thesis (M Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2017-02-07T15:36:03Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Paulo Gaspar Graziola Junior_.pdf: 1139919 bytes, checksum: eb5c068e018e228c5a92e3d98a929318 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-07T15:36:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Paulo Gaspar Graziola Junior_.pdf: 1139919 bytes, checksum: eb5c068e018e228c5a92e3d98a929318 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-21 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O desenvolvimento profissional docente é um processo contínuo, sistemático, organizado e auto-reflexivo, envolvendo os percursos trilhados pelos professores na dimensão pessoal e na interpessoal, na construção de um repertório de conhecimentos, saberes e fazeres, abarcando desde a formação inicial até o exercício continuado da docência. A Formação como trajetória pressupõe o conhecimento dos sujeitos em formação para poder compreender suas expectativas e potencializar seus saberes. Trata-se de um processo exigente e localizado, que conta com um diálogo comum entre formadores e formandos. É importante que valorize o protagonismo dos envolvidos tanto na escolha dos temas como na eleição das formas de abordagem. Assumir a formação como trajetória requer, ainda, uma preocupação com a continuidade desta formação, para poder avaliá-la, realimentá-la no sentido da “humana formação” nas palavras de Arroyo (2013). Nessa perspectiva é possível assumir a formação como uma real experiência. Neste trabalho, tomou-se como objeto de pesquisa a experiência formativa no contexto da Rede Nacional de Formação Continuada de Professores, no qual a Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) possui um Programa intitulado “Formação continuada de professores da Educação Básica da cidade de Curitiba e da sua região metropolitana do Paraná”. O Programa teve como objetivo geral promover a formação continuada de professores dos anos ou séries iniciais do ensino fundamental da rede pública de ensino, contribuindo para elevar a qualidade do ensino e da aprendizagem. Procurou-se compreender “como a experiência de formação, no contexto da COPEFOR, assume uma condição formativa tanto para os Coordenadores como para os cursistas?” Para explorar o problema de pesquisa, tomou-se duas dimensões de aprofundamento e análise: a) as propostas dos Cursos e a compreensão de formação dos formadores; b) o Curso como uma experiência na trajetória formativa dos professores/cursistas. A pesquisa assumiu uma abordagem exploratória qualitativa, através do Estudo de Caso. Dentre a oferta de Cursos de Extensão para a Educação Básica, foram escolhidos dois cursos e, em cada um deles, dois formadores e cinco cursistas. A coleta de dados foi realizada através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas e grupo focal. A análise dos documentos auxiliaram a compreensão da proposta. Os principais resultados indicam a satisfação dos professores com a experiência de formação em que destacam: a relação teórico-prática, o trabalho colaborativo por meio do diálogo entre pares, a reflexão sobre o que realizam salientando o especial papel da relação universidade escola. / The Professional Teacher Development is a continuous, systematic, organized and self-reflective process which involves the paths trailed by the teachers, in a personal and in the interpersonal dimension with the creation of a repertoire of knowledge, skills and practices that embraces initial training up until the continued practice of teaching. Formation as a trajectory presupposes the knowledge of the individuals in training in order to understand their expectations and enhance their knowledge. This is a demanding and localized process, which counts on a common dialogue between trainers and trainees. It is important to appreciate the protagonism of those involved in the selection of the topics such as the election of the forms of approach. Assuming training as a course requires also a concern for the continuity of this formation in order to evaluate it, feed and re-feed it in the meaning of "human formation" in the words of Arroyo (2013). In this perspective it is possible to take the training as a real experience. In this paper, the research object chosen was formative experience in the context of the National Network of Continuous Teacher Training, in which the "Universidade Federal do Paraná" (Federal University of Paraná) has a program entitled "Formação continuada de professores da Educação Básica da cidade de Curitiba e da sua região metropolitana do Paraná" (Continuous teachers training of the primary education in the city of Curitiba and its metropolitan region of Paraná). The program aimed to promote continuous formation for teachers of the early elementary school public network, helping to raise the quality of teaching and learning. It was tried to comprehend "how the experience of formation in the context of the Coordenação de Políticas de Formação do Professor (COPEFOR - Teacher Education Policy Coordination) assumes a formative condition for both the Managers and to the course participants?". To explore the research problem, it took up two dimensions of depth and analysis: a) the proposals of courses and understanding the training of trainers; b) the course as a formative experience in the trajectory of teachers/course members. The research took a qualitative exploratory approach, through the Case Study. Among the Extension Courses offers for Basic Education, two courses were chosen and in each of them two teachers and five course members. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The analysis of the documents helped in the comprehension of the proposal. The main results indicate the satisfaction of the teachers with training experience in which they emphasize: the theoretical and practical relationship, collaborative work through dialogue among peers, reflection on what they accomplish pointing out the special role of the university/school relationship.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become part of education as it has, in many cases, become the mode of choice of communication with people in all spheres of life. It provides teachers with the opportunity to access information from a vast array of resources that assists them in their teaching practices. Education in South Africa is constantly transforming to new requirements from the National Department of Education (NDoE). The fundamentals of Outcomes Based Education are lifelong learning and the development of 21st century skills that allow learners to use information for different contexts. ICT enables teachers and learners to access computer systems to develop skills, interact with their peers, colleagues, and the global society. Even though teachers know the value of ICT in teaching and learning, the pedagogical use of ICT in South African schools remains limited. In the SITES 2006, South African teachers acknowledged that they were enthusiastic to explore new ways to make teaching and learning more interesting, but that they encountered many barriers that hinder the pedagogical use of ICT for mathematics. This research has determined that the teachers’ ICT pedagogical knowledge contributed towards more effective teaching and learning practices of mathematics in South African schools. The study also describes how insufficient ICT pedagogical knowledge affected teachers’ confidence to explore ICT tools. This study followed a secondary data analysis (SDA) of the Second International Information Technology in Education Study of 2006 (SITES 2006) data from the 640 participating mathematics teachers in South Africa. The correlated data describes the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) of mathematics teachers while making use of ICT. Continuous professional teacher development is required to focus on the attainment of information technology pedagogical knowledge to further the use of ICT on the teaching of Mathematics. The study also indicates that South Africa lags far behind the other 22 countries that participated in SITES 2006. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become part of education as it has, in many cases, become the mode of choice of communication with people in all spheres of life. It provides teachers with the opportunity to access information from a vast array of resources that assists them in their teaching practices. Education in South Africa is constantly transforming to new requirements from the National Department of Education (NDoE). The fundamentals of Outcomes Based Education are lifelong learning and the development of 21st century skills that allow learners to use information for different contexts. ICT enables teachers and learners to access computer systems to develop skills, interact with their peers, colleagues, and the global society. Even though teachers know the value of ICT in teaching and learning, the pedagogical use of ICT in South African schools remains limited. In the SITES 2006, South African teachers acknowledged that they were enthusiastic to explore new ways to make teaching and learning more interesting, but that they encountered many barriers that hinder the pedagogical use of ICT for mathematics. This research has determined that the teachers’ ICT pedagogical knowledge contributed towards more effective teaching and learning practices of mathematics in South African schools. The study also describes how insufficient ICT pedagogical knowledge affected teachers’ confidence to explore ICT tools. This study followed a secondary data analysis (SDA) of the Second International Information Technology in Education Study of 2006 (SITES 2006) data from the 640 participating mathematics teachers in South Africa. The correlated data describes the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) of mathematics teachers while making use of ICT. Continuous professional teacher development is required to focus on the attainment of information technology pedagogical knowledge to further the use of ICT on the teaching of Mathematics. The study also indicates that South Africa lags far behind the other 22 countries that participated in SITES 2006. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Submitted by MARCELA CORRÊA TINTI null (marcellatinti@hotmail.com) on 2017-05-12T18:24:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE FINALIZADA.pdf: 2875783 bytes, checksum: d7156b3b3a14a83935dd647844351884 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-05-12T18:45:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 tinti_mc_dr_prud.pdf: 2875783 bytes, checksum: d7156b3b3a14a83935dd647844351884 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T18:45:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tinti_mc_dr_prud.pdf: 2875783 bytes, checksum: d7156b3b3a14a83935dd647844351884 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Esta pesquisa está vinculada ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Unesp/FCT e foi desenvolvida com apoio do Programa de Apoio a Educação Especial (Proesp) na linha de pesquisa: Processos formativos, ensino e aprendizagem. Teve por intuito analisar as contribuições de uma proposta de formação continuada para o desenvolvimento profissional docente em uma perspectiva colaborativa, entre professores da Sala Comum (SC) de ensino e do Atendimento Educacional Especializado (AEE), vivenciada em um espaço digital aberto e flexível. As ações que pautaram a pesquisa basearam-se pelos referenciais teóricos para a formação de professores, perpassando as discussões complementares sobre um espaço educacional democrático e a composição para a prática pedagógica de qualidade. Consolidada na abordagem qualitativa foi desenvolvida a partir dos pressupostos do modelo metodológico colaborativo de pesquisa-intervenção, em que desenvolvemos um curso de formação continuada e em serviço de professores, visando o desenvolvimento profissional dos docentes de um município do interior paulista. O curso compreendeu dois momentos: o primeiro momento aconteceu vinculado ao projeto “Núcleo de Ensino” e tratou das necessidades formativas dos professores do AEE para o uso de tecnologias em ambiente escolar a favor da inclusão escolar. A fim de aproximar das necessidades formativas dos participantes, por meio de encontros presenciais, foram realizadas oficinas temáticas a respeito do uso de tecnologia em ambiente educacional. A partir dos indicativos suscitados neste primeiro momento, que acenderam da realidade escolar sobre as dificuldades encontradas pelos professores do AEE em articular os trabalhos educacionais com os professores SC de ensino fomentaram o segundo momento de formação: um resultado da proposta anterior que considerou como principio a ação colaborativa entre professores do AEE e da SC para discussão e aprofundamento de temáticas que compunham o ambiente escolar. A proposta foi estruturada a partir de encontros presenciais e virtuais, em que utilizamos ambientes digitais abertos, principalmente o Facebook e o Google Drive (GD). Os dados que compõe a pesquisa são oriundos dos questionários, das narrativas escritas dos professores, das atividades no GD e Facebook, bem como dos depoimentos e do grupo de discussão no decorrer do curso. A partir da análise, os resultados e discussão indicam aspectos sobre a propositura de cursos para o desenvolvimento profissional docente, ofertados presencial e virtualmente, que valorizem a prática cotidiana como possibilidade formativa, e que promovam a reflexão do professor durante a concepção da prática pedagógica por meio de ações colaborativas. A partir dos indicativos da pesquisa, ressaltamos como necessidade para elaboração de propostas desse tipo, considerar a realidade escolar em que os professores estão inseridos; compreender as necessidades formativas e as condições do trabalho docente. Com tudo, consideramos que a promoção do desenvolvimento profissional docente, a partir de uma perspectiva colaborativa na construção da prática pedagógica, é um movimento a favor de um olhar profundo às práticas escolares democráticas e inclusivas. / This research is linked to the Unesp / FCT Postgraduate Program in Education and was developed with the support of the Special Education Support Program (Proesp) in the line of research: Training processes, teaching and learning. It was intended to analyze the contributions of a continuing education proposal for professional teacher development in a collaborative perspective, between teachers of the Common Room (CR) teaching and Specialized Educational Assistance (SEA), experienced in an open and flexible digital space. The actions that guided the research were based on theoretical references for a teacher education, passing as complementary discussions about a democratic educational space and a composition for a quality pedagogical practice. Consolidated in the qualitative approach was developed from the presuppositions of the collaborative methodological model of intervention research, in which it develops a course of continuous training and in service of teachers, aiming at the professional development of the teachers of a municipality of the interior of São Paulo. The course comprised two moments: the first stage involved the "Teaching Nucleus" project and addressed the teacher education needs of ESA teachers for the use of technologies in school environment in favor of school inclusion. In order to approach the course needs of the participants, through face-to-face meetings, thematic workshops were built on the use of technology in an educational environment. From the concepts of education and teachers, from elementary and high school, the knowledge acquired are as follows: Collaborative action between teachers of the ESA and the SC to discuss and deepen the themes that made up the school environment. The proposal was structured from face-to-face and virtual meetings on Facebook and Google Drive (GD). The data that make up a research come from the questionnaires, the written narratives of the teachers, the activities in the GD and Facebook, as well as the testimonies and the discussion group during the course. From the analysis, the results and discussions indicate the proposition of courses for professional teacher development, offered in person and virtually, that value a daily practice as possible formative, and also promote a reflection of the teacher during a conception of pedagogical practice. Through collaborative actions. From the research indicators, the requirements for the elaboration of study models, consider a school reality in which the teachers are inserted; Also as conditions of teaching work. Nevertheless, we consider that a promotion of professional teacher development, from a collaborative perspective in the construction of pedagogical practice, is a movement in favor of an in-depth look at democratic and inclusive school practices.