Upon hearing a beautiful piece of music, one can find it difficult to express in words the most appropriate assessment of it. More challenging would be to quantify the performance with a numerical value. Assessment assists learning, while evaluation judges and assigns a grade to it. Secondary school band teachers are faced with this dilemma of quantifying musical achievement and knowledge in schools. It was from an interest in how music teachers can use assessment (as opposed to evaluation) to guide their teaching, and to learn more about how they do assign a number to students’ music, that I posed the following questions: (a) What are the participants’ rationales for the assessment strategies they choose and the evaluative measures they make for students? (b) What influences have led teachers to have these particular rationales? This study used interviews within a grounded theory method to conduct qualitative research. The research sample was limited to a selection of secondary band teachers in Saskatchewan. Eight teachers volunteered to participate in interviews which inquired into their current assessment and evaluation practices. Research revealed several themes impacting teachers’ rationales. Themes emerging through analysis were: the impact of the set-up of the band, performance versus best practice, issues around subject legitimacy, impact of school division policy, and held values specific to instrumental music education. The theory arising from data analysis is that when a band teacher is reluctant to fully adopt best practice methods, this is based on fears of producing less than adequate group performances which is a response to a fear of losing the band program all together. The significance of these findings lies in the implication that existing underlying issues need to be addressed that best practice expectations and/or policy cannot fully encompass.

The aim of this qualitative study was to attain an increased understanding as to how several upper-secondary school students perceived and experienced teachers using humour during classroom discourse. The study was based on the following questions: What does humour mean to the students? What are the forms of humour utilized by teachers? How do students perceive the use of humour with regards to learning processes? Are there recommendations and cautionary measures for teachers to consider when incorporating humour in teaching? Methodology used was a semi-structured interview of 13 questions. Participants consisted of six students aged 16 to 19 years. The length of the interviews varied between 20-35 minutes. Results of the interviews indicated that openness and understanding the unique sense of humour existing in each classroom, as well as self-confidence and a moderate use of humour, are necessary to effectively incorporate humorous text and anecdotes in lessons to facilitate learning processes. However, the study revealed that openness is pivotal in the construction and maintenance of positive learning climates. Students did not experience humour during ESL lessons, indicating a possible lack of contextual knowledge in language teaching practices.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-91).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1987.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--Kutztown State College. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2787. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 33-35).

University-based initial teacher education aims at instilling in teacher candidates the idea of the interconnectedness of content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge by allowing meaningful interaction between teacher candidates and teacher educators. The theory-practice divide is presented in the literature as barrier to achieving this goal. This mixed methods research study re-conceptualizes the theory-practice divide from a problem into an opportunity. Secondary school teacher candidates can use contradictions and tensions, surrounding the theory-practice divide, for synthesizing diverse perspectives on content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge. They can integrate this perspective in their practice teaching. The study examined secondary school teacher candidates’ perspectives on the interaction of their content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge in practice teaching as well as factors contributing to these perspectives. The study found that participants’ different perspectives on their research pedagogical and content knowledge (RPACK) were associated with the different levels of their reform-mindedness in mathematics education as measured by a survey. The low, medium and high reform minded participants placed as the first priority pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge and educational research knowledge, respectively.

University-based initial teacher education aims at instilling in teacher candidates the idea of the interconnectedness of content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge by allowing meaningful interaction between teacher candidates and teacher educators. The theory-practice divide is presented in the literature as barrier to achieving this goal. This mixed methods research study re-conceptualizes the theory-practice divide from a problem into an opportunity. Secondary school teacher candidates can use contradictions and tensions, surrounding the theory-practice divide, for synthesizing diverse perspectives on content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge. They can integrate this perspective in their practice teaching. The study examined secondary school teacher candidates’ perspectives on the interaction of their content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge in practice teaching as well as factors contributing to these perspectives. The study found that participants’ different perspectives on their research pedagogical and content knowledge (RPACK) were associated with the different levels of their reform-mindedness in mathematics education as measured by a survey. The low, medium and high reform minded participants placed as the first priority pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge and educational research knowledge, respectively.

Most of the research on students’ school engagement is based on Western society (Maslak, Kim, & Mcloughlin, 2010) and most was conducted on students in tertiary institutions (Kuh et al., 2005). This study pertains to the students’ school engagement factors in a non-Western one. Students’ school engagement continues to be an issue that attracts special attention. In this study, I review the existing literature relating to students’ school engagement while examining whether the success of a school as a learning environment is based on students’ interest in schooling or the fact that the school environment is crucial to students’ success (Bempechat, Beth, Piergross, & Wenk, 2008; Bong & Mimi, 2005; Deci & Ryan, 1992; Harris, 2008; Leithwood, Seashore-Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004; Newell, 2003; Satchwell, 2004; Spillane, Halverson, & Diamond, 2001). In this study, I carry out a qualitative investigation through observations and interviews, of the factors present in school that influence students’ school engagement. The themes emerging from the data from the school observations and the interviews of the participants were colored by the unique school context, which inordinately did affect students' interest and school participation. Their analysis reveals the interplay of factors like the approach adopted in leadership, the teachers’ approach to pedagogy, and peer socialization towards students’ engagement. In my discussion, I provide suggestions derived from this study on how school administrators, educators and policy makers alike may indeed create, enhance, influence and sustain students’ school engagement in the context such as the one in my study. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-07-30 13:43:39.521

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