This study is an exploratory investigation on teachers' perceptions of the extent to which the national examinations that are written at the end of primary schooling in Rwanda influence their curriculum practices. The study used a structured questionnaire for data collection, and simple descriptive statistics for data analysis. The study, firstly, examined teachers' views on the link between national examinations and the aims of primary education. The results showed that teachers perceived the national examinations as assessing the prerequisite knowledge for secondary education, on one hand; and to some extent social skills needed for life in the community and society. This is in line with the aim of primary education in Rwanda according to government policy. Secondly, the study explored the impact of the national examinations on teachers' practices as well as on teacher self image. Findings were that a good success rate in these examinations was the main goal-direction for teachers and had a major influence on the curriculum practices. Most teachers indicated that they aimed to produce a large number of candidates who were classified highly on national scale, and were socially well skilled. The impact of the national examination on their practices is evident in some of the strategies they use in negotiating and mediating the curriculum: the focus on the main examination subjects, on the previous examination topics, and on academically good and borderline students who have a greater chance of scoring high grades in the national examination. Finally, the study explored factors that teachers perceived to influence candidates' success and failure in the national examinations. Teacher commitment to preparing candidates for the examinations was most frequently reported, as a factor associated with student success, whereas the very limited places I available in pubic and subsidized secondary schools was the most contributing factor to poor results. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

The problem of this study was to examine the relationship between pre-service elementary teachers' attitudes toward role modeling and the health behaviors they practice. Using a 26-item questionnaire modified from several instruments, a convenience sample of 166 pre-service elementary teachers enrolled in health education course at Ball State University, voluntarily completed the questionnaire in Spring semester 2004. A panel of expert jurors reviewed the instrument for face validity. A pilot test was conducted to confirm instrument reliability. Data were analyzed using both unviariate and bivariate analysis. Bivariate correlations indicated a statistically significant association between pre-service elementary teachers' attitudes toward role modeling and their attitudes toward role modeling healthy behaviors. Additionally, a statistically significant association was indicated between pre-service elementary teachers' attitudes toward role modeling healthy behaviors and the actual health behaviors they practice. Results confirmed that while elementary teachers believe role modeling healthy behaviors to their students is important, they are not consistently practicing healthy behaviors. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to discover and compare perceptions of three different groups of Indiana elementary educators concerning the importance of areas of the principal’s literacy knowledge base, as well as responsibility for and use of this knowledge by principals to adequately support effective research-based literacy instruction. The educator groups selected to participate in the study included elementary principals, non-permanent teachers, and literacy curriculum specialists from all Indiana public elementary schools containing grades K – 4. Using a survey specifically designed for this study, data on participants’ perceptions connected to the purposes of the study were collected and analyzed. Twelve different areas of literacy knowledge were identified for investigation. The areas included: Literacy Research and Best Practice, Role of Change Agent in Literacy Curriculum and Instruction, Literacy Instructional Components, District Language Arts Curriculum, Language Arts State Standards and Assessments, School-Based Literacy Assessments, Literacy Data Collection and Analysis, Literacy Classroom Environments and Schedule, Literacy Instructional Resources, Quality Children’s Literature, Meeting Struggling Readers Needs, The School Literacy Curriculum Specialist. The study used quantitative methods of statistical analyses. Results showed a large percentage of participants perceived all twelve identified areas as absolutely essential for the principals’ literacy knowledge base. Some areas were statistically more important than others. The results were similar concerning the principals’ ability to use and share the areas of literacy knowledge. Perceptions of who the principal should be able to share areas of literacy knowledge revealed faculty as being most important when compared with parents and children. Sharing literacy knowledge with parents was considered more important than children. While it was perceived as critical for principals to have a broad literacy knowledge base and have the ability to use this knowledge with various school constituent groups, all literacy areas with a few exceptions were seen as the responsibility of both teacher and principal equally. Finally, a comparison between perceptions of participating principals, non-permanent teachers, and literacy curriculum specialists showed more similarities than differences between groups overall. / Department of Educational Leadership

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between principals’ social and emotional skills and the academic and social outcomes of their schools. The Social-Emotional Educational Leadership Factor (SELF) survey was completed by 27 Indiana public elementary school principals and 30 Indiana public elementary school teachers to analyze the perceptions of the principals’ social and emotional skills. Results showed that principals’ self perceptions of their social and emotional skills predicted 49% of the variability of how they perceived their skills affecting their school’s academic success (R = .70, p < .01). A larger 57% of the variability was predicted from teachers’ perceptions of how their principal’s social and emotional skills affected their school’s academic success (R = .76, p < .01), while principals’ self perceptions of their social and emotional skills predicted 33% of the variance in iv student attendance rates. Results also indicated that principals and their teachers differed on their perceptions of principals’ skills (Wilk’s λ = .33, p < .001), as principals’ self evaluations of social and emotional skills were consistently more positive than the teachers’ evaluations of their principal’s social and emotional skills. It was determined that teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s social and emotional skills predicted 82% of the variability of their assessment regarding their principals’ overall leadership abilities. An in-depth analysis of six participating schools indicated that academic and socially underperforming schools consistently had lower average social and emotional skill scores throughout the SELF survey when compared to academic and socially performing schools. Finally, teachers tended to believe at higher rates that principals’ social and emotional skills can affect the principals’ ability to lead when compared to the responses of the principals. / Department of Elementary Education

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-93). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xi, 109 leaves, bound 29 cm

The purpose of this study is to analyze the interaction of (1) the secondary school teacher's knowledge concerning both the problem of adolescent suicide and the potential for teacher intervention and (2) selected demographic variables on the dependent variables of the teacher's attitudes concerning both the problem of adolescent suicide and the potential for teacher intervention in order to develop a data base upon which to examine the prospects for realizing the intervention potential of secondary school teachers in the area of adolescent suicide. Findings indicate that there are significant differences in knowledge concerning the problem of adolescent suicide and the potential for teacher intervention as a function of particular demographics. Similarly, there are significant differences in attitude toward the problem of adolescent suicide and the potential for teacher intervention as a function of particular demographics. Findings further reveal that level of knowledge appears to be a significant contributing factor in the secondary school teacher's attitude as a function of selected demographics. Secondary school teachers appear to possess a low level of knowledge concerning both the problem of adolescent suicide and the potential for teacher intervention, and they exhibit a range of predominantly negative attitudes toward the problem of adolescent suicide. However, the teachers appear to possess a tenuously positive attitude toward the potential for teacher intervention.

M.Ed. / This research project forms part of a group project that involves three factors of effective management: • normative management; • open democratic management; and • accountable co-operative management. This mini-dissertation deals with normative management as a factor of effective school management. Chapter one explains the aims and objective of the research. The main objective is to determine the role normative management plays in the effective management of schools with diverse academic results in the 1999 senior certificate exam. This chapter further explains the research method, quantitative research, used for this research. Finally the researcher makes important assumptions in this chapter that should be taken into consideration for the mini- dissertation. Chapter two is in the form of a detailed literature study of the topic. The concepts, effective management and normative management as a factor of effective management, are explained in full. This chapter also deals with concepts from the questionnaire. Chapter three discusses the research instrument, the questionnaire. This chapter also explains the items of the questionnaire that forms part of normative management and the research group. Chapter four deals with the empirical study of the data from the questionnaires. In chapter five the researcher comes to certain conclusions from the study. Firstly the moral of educators influences school effectiveness. Secondly a common vision and mission will improve school effectiveness. The importance of the role of the principal is thirdly explained. Fourthly it is stated that parents should be involve to improve school effectiveness. Fifthly the curriculum in schools is dealt with. Curriculum 2005 is also discussed. Finally the importance of providing in the basic needs of children to improve school effectiveness is explained. In conclusion the researcher states that the educator should ask him/herself the following question when doing or saying something involving the learners: "Will this benefit the learner?" If the answer to this question is 'yes', the action will improve school effectiveness.

This study examined the attitudes of regular education teachers at the elementary school level, toward mainstreaming students with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) and identified variables which were correlated with those attitudes.

This thesis examines the attitudes of secondary teachers toward school social workers.