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This study discussed the need for a broader public discourse on high-stakes accountability-based school reform that underscores teachers' perspectives. Also, the study discussed the need for fuller disclosure of the possible undesirable classroom effects of the reform. To address these needs, the study described teachers' perspectives on the Standards of Learning (SOL) school reform in Virginia, focusing upon teachers' views on the reform's classroom effects. The domains of interest were (1) the adequacy of curriculum and the diversity of teachers' instructional strategies, (2) the quality of student learning, (3) teachers' sense of professional autonomy and level of teacher tension, and (4) school quality. The study examined whether there are differences in teachers' views based the income level of the school locale where teachers teach (low-, middle-, or high-income), the school type (elementary, middle, or high school) in which they teach, and teachers' status on whether they teach a SOL-tested subject (yes/no). The participants of the study included 360 randomly selected teachers who were listed as members of Virginia Education Association (VEA). A survey research design was employed. The instrument included 80 Likert-type items, eight demographic items, and three open-ended questions. Inferential and descriptive statistics were reported for eight scales of the survey as were thematic trends in the qualitative data. The study's results suggested that the SOL program contributes to a hurried, high-pressure classroom culture that depletes the potentiality of the very ends of education the program is intended to achieve. Teachers tended to report (1) an inadequacy of the SOL content standards, (2) a reduction of teachers' use of diverse instructional strategies and an inability of the SOL program to meet diverse student needs, (3) arbitrary SOL test cut-scores, (4) an inadequacy of the SOL pass rates to represent school quality, (5) a lack of diagnostic usefulness of SOL test scores, (6) an inadequacy of SOL testing and SOL test scores to hold schools accountable, (7) teachers' sense of diminished professional autonomy, and (8) teachers' mounting tension in the classroom. These results were juxtaposed to the views of policymakers and business leaders, the public at large, parents, and scholars in the field of education concerning the issue of high-stakes accountability-based school reform. Finally, the study discussed a conflict related to the purpose of public schooling between a prevailing narrative of many policymakers and business leaders and what have been the marginalized views of classroom teachers. / Ph. D.

When it comes to improving schools, context always matters (Murphy, 2013, p. 260). School leaders are "masters at brokering" (Murphy, 2013, p. 259) change. These changes are usually through the transfer of programs, interventions, and structures that worked elsewhere and pay little regard to the conditions and context that made them work (Murphy, 2013). School improvement reform will require "substantive systemic change" (Adelman and Taylor, 2007, p. 55) that considers the "current culture of schools and intended school improvements" (Adelman and Taylor, 2007, p. 56). This study will use a qualitative, multiple case-study methodology, a semi-structured interview protocol, and a document review to identify how school leaders in five, accredited high or mid-high poverty Virginia middle schools both identified and provided resources to address barriers to student learning. The instrumentation tool for this study was based on the learning or enabling components of the Adelman and Taylor improvement model (2008). The tool was used to qualify the school leaders' site-based school resource allocation and then analyzed for common themes. The study found that some learning or enabling supports were more represented than others. The study also found that there were three key leadership traits among school leaders who had effectively resourced the learning supports: instructional leadership; human-resource leadership; and culture and expectations leadership. Implications from this study include the need for further research on models for school improvement that require schools and districts to identify, plan, and provide for barriers to student learning. A second implication is the need for further study on leadership traits that might exist in school leaders who not only recognize but are able to inspire the implicit and explicit need to plan and provide for overcoming barriers to student learning. / Doctor of Education / The process of improving schools is important. The decision-making and school improvement structures that most schools employ is one that focuses mainly on classroom instruction with little regard to planning for students who may struggle because of outside barriers, like the effects of poverty, lack of exposure to background knowledge, or insufficient schooling and experiences. This study used a qualitative, multiple case-study methodology, a semi-structured interview protocol, and a document review to identify how school principals in five, accredited high or mid-high poverty Virginia middle schools both identified and provided resources to address barriers to student learning. The study used the learning or enabling components of the Adelman and Taylor improvement model (2008) to qualify the school leaders’ site-based school resource allocation and then analyzed them for common themes. The study found that some learning or enabling supports were more represented than others. The study also found that there were three key leadership traits among school leaders who had effectively resourced the learning supports: instructional leadership; human-resource leadership; and culture and expectations leadership.

The thesis reports on the evaluation of a digital information literacy program (DILP) to determine the program’s effectiveness in enhancing students’ digital information literacy skills. The program was originally designed and developed for the South African student, as member of Generation Y, but was adapted to suit the demographics and characteristics of Generation Z. New learning technologies were incorporated to enhance students’ learning experience. One of the characteristics of information literacy programs that illustrate best practice is the evaluation of the program itself to judge it’s effectiveness and validate the program as a learning tool. A review of the literature confirmed the paucity of the evaluation of such programs using assessment of student learning through outcomes assessment instruments, based on information literacy competency standards, designed with proven validity and reliability. The literature review found no evidence of the evaluation of the effectiveness of such programs through meaningful assessment of student learning using outcomes assessment in South Africa. For these reasons, the evaluation of the DILP was undertaken. To evaluate the effectiveness of the DILP, a non-randomised quasi-experimental research design, focusing on a single-group pre-test/post-test design which incorporated a combined quantitative and qualitative research approach was used. The primary research instrument was a pre- and post-test. A group of students, belonging to Generation Y and Z, completed a pre-test, worked through the DILP and completed a post-test. Telephonic and e-mail interviews were used to collect further data. The statistical analysis is presented by using descriptive statistics (stacked bar charts for the quantitative data and pie charts for the qualitative data). Inferential statistics were used to reach conclusions beyond the immediate data presented in the charts. The final step was to judge the overall effectiveness of the DILP. The difference between the means was statistically significant, indicating that the DILP was effective in enhancing the digital information literacy skills of students. Based on this research, additional research could be the evaluation of a DILP designed specifically for “digital natives”; the development of online outcomes assessment instruments for web-based tutorials with proven validity and reliability and research in the area of integrating emerging learning technologies with such programs, evaluating their effectiveness. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

本研究旨在探討國民小學校長空間領導、教師社群運作與學生學習成效的關聯性。本研究採用問卷調查法，以臺灣地區公立國民小學教育人員為對象，總共發出1,064份問卷，回收1,008份問卷，回收率為94.74%，而有效問卷回收率則為92.20%。正式問卷回收之後，分別以描述性統計、t考驗、單因子變異數分析、皮爾森積差相關、逐步多元迴歸以及結構方程模式等統計方法加以分析。 本研究獲得以下八項結論，分述如下： 一、 國民小學校長空間領導各層面達到高程度表現，在「建構教育空間」、「形塑空間願景」層面表現最突出。 二、 國民小學教師社群運作各層面表現達到高程度表現，以「情感投入」層面最獲肯定。 三、 國民小學學生學習成效各層面表現達到中高程度表現，其中以「學生行為表現」層面最獲認同。 四、 不同背景變項在國民小學校長空間領導、教師社群運作與學生學習成效之差異有其脈絡因素存在。 五、 國民小學校長空間領導、教師社群運作與學生學習成效三者間具有正向關聯。 六、 國民小學校長空間領導及教師社群運作的分層面能預測學生學習成效。 七、 國民小學校長空間領導、教師社群運作與學生學習成效的結構方程模式之適配度評鑑良好，能解釋主要變項間的關係。 八、 國民小學校長空間領導可直接影響學生學習成效，更可間接透過教師社群運作的中介機制，對學生學習成效產生正向影響。 最後，根據研究結論，提出相關建議，俾供教育行政主管機關、學校設施規劃設計、學校單位以及後續研究之參考。 / The main purpose of this study was to explore the relationship among principals’ space leadership, teacher community operation, and student learning outcomes in Taiwan elementary school. The researcher adopted survey as the main research method. The subjects have been public elementary school educators in Taiwan. 1,064 school staffs were selected to complete the questionnaire, where 1,008 questionnaires were returned. The return rate was 94.74% and the valid rate was 92.20%. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlation, stepwise regression, and Structural Equation Modeling. Based on the result of the current study, eight research conclusions were generated as follows: 1. The level of space leadership of principals in the elementary schools is high, and the performance in “constructing educational space” and “molding space vision” are outstanding. 2. The level of teacher community operation is high, and “affective engagement” is certainly the most eligible in the elementary schools. 3. The level of student learning outcomes is medium-performance, and “student behavior” acquired the most recognition in the elementary schools. 4. The differences of the background of principals’ space leadership, teacher community operation, and student learning outcomes have the context factors. 5. The relationships among principals’ space leadership, teacher community operation and student learning outcomes have positive correlations. 6. The sub-level of the principals’ space leadership and teacher community operation can apparently predict the student learning outcomes. 7. The proper fit of structural equation model among principals’ space leadership, teacher community operation and student learning outcomes is assessed as positive and can explain the relationships among main variables. 8. The principals’ space leadership can affect student learning outcomes directly, and which can also affect student learning outcomes positively through teacher community operation. Eventually, according to the above conclusions, the research is to provide some recommendations as future references for the educational administration authority, school planners, and elementary schools.

Nationwide, higher education institutions are increasingly interested in infusing sustainability content into their curricula. The world is facing complex and interconnected problems creating a need for college graduates with an understanding of the ecological, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability. There is a shortage of research studying sustainability-related teaching practices, particularly in higher education contexts. The University of Vermont (UVM) recently established Sustainability Learning Outcomes (SLOs) as a general education requirement. As a result of this initiative, sustainability-designated courses are offered across the university that fulfill the requirement, creating a unique opportunity to explore related teaching practices. The purpose of this study was to explore how instructors structured and taught the SLOs, how students learned UVM's SLOs, and which teaching practices students found helpful to their learning, within courses designed to meet this general education requirement. To systematically gather people's perceptions of and experiences with the new general education requirement, this study used the following methods: 1) instructor interviews; 2) course document reviews; 3) classroom observations; 4) student focus groups; and 5) an online student survey. Data were collected from eight sustainability-designated courses. The variety of data collection methods enabled identification and triangulation of strong themes. Instructors used class discussions, papers, readings, projects, guest speakers, case studies, and reflective activities to teach sustainability content and skills. Students reported the following teaching practices as particularly helpful: experiencing a real world application, discussing sustainability issues in class, exploring different perspectives, and hosting guest speakers. Moreover, certain instructional methods may be better received with students with prior exposure to sustainability content. Findings suggest that learning from case studies, guest speakers, and written papers may be more helpful to students with higher levels of prior exposure to sustainability courses. This study's findings add to what we know about how instructors teach sustainability content and students' experiences of their teaching practices. They also suggest a number of implications for policy and practice around supporting professional development opportunities in teaching practices and assessment strategies, creating a teaching culture of experimentation and reflection, and using a variety of methods to assess teaching and learning.

xi, 112 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The purpose of this study was to conduct, as a participant observer and district-level regional administrator, three exploratory mini-case studies of elementary schools in the same district attempting to meet the same district improvement goal, imbedded in individual School Improvement Plans (SIP) during the same period of time in the school year. In order to document how each leadership team identifies strategies to meet the goal, how strategies are implemented, how each leadership team interacts with me as their district administrator, and how performance toward meeting the goal is perceived by key actors in the school this research was conducted as an action-research case study. The inter-relationships between school goals and school leadership team behaviors in a large suburban school district and the influence of these teams on the practices of the individuals on each of the three different school teams were the primary focus of this study. This study took place beginning in December 2007 and culminating in March 2008. The researcher kept a field journal of team meetings and staff development activities at each site. Interviews were conducted with principals, teachers, and parents at each site to gain multiple perspectives of school improvement and leadership. Findings of this case study may reveal a close connection between the practices of the regional administrator and school leadership teams and the outcome of school improvement initiatives. Recommendations are made for changes in practice and for future research studies. / Adviser: Diane M. Dunlap

Utifrån våra erfarenheter, litteratur och forskningslitteratur upplever vissa lärare att delar av geometri är svårt att undervisa om. De upplever också att de läromedel som finns har begränsningar att vara ett stöd i att utveckla deras undervisning. Forskning och annan litteratur vi tagit del av beskriver att det förekommer att elever inte får tillräckligt med undervisning för att kunna bedriva matematiska samtal om geometriska objekt, kunna relatera objekten till varandra och sätta in dem i olika kontexter. Vissa elever har även svårigheter med att problematisera och konstruera geometriska objekt. Med dynamisk geometri och användning av digitala verktyg kan eleverna få mer tid åt att utveckla förståelse för hur geometriska objekt konstrueras. Syftet med litteraturstudien är att sammanställa hur forskning beskriver undervisning i ämnet geometri med stöd av digitala verktyg, och mer specifikt, att besvara frågeställningen: Hur kan geometriundervisningen enligt forskning utvecklas med stöd av digitala verktyg? För att besvara frågeställningen och uppnå studiens syfte har vi systematiskt tagit fram, analyserat och sammanställt vetenskapliga studier om användning av digitala verktyg i geometriundervisningen. Vårt resultat visar att digitala verktyg möjliggör utforskande arbetssätt, social interaktion och ökar vissa elevers motivation och engagemang samt att en del elevers van Hiele-nivå i geometriskt tänkande ökar i samband med användning av digitala verktyg i undervisningen. Slutligen diskuterar vi didaktiska implikationer såsom att digitala verktyg kan bidra till ett utforskande arbetssätt och öka elevers engagemang och motivation. Andra implikationer är att alla skolor inte har tillgång till digitala verktyg och att tekniska problem kan uppstå vid användning av dessa vilket kan leda till att undervisningstiden minskar. Som förslag till vidare forskning ser vi en möjlighet att undersöka hur skapande och visande av videoklipp påverkar elevers lärande i geometri. / Based on our experiences, literature and research literature, some teachers experience that certain parts of the subject geometry are difficult to teach about. They also experience that the teaching aids are not sufficient enough for developing their teaching. The research we mentioned is that some students do not get enough teaching to be able to conduct mathematical conversations about geometric objects, to relate the objects to each other and insert them into different contexts. Some students also have difficulties in problematizing and constructing geometric objects. With dynamic geometry and the use of digital tools, students can have more time to develop their understanding of geometric objects being constructed. The aim of this literature study is to compile how research describes teaching the subject geometry with the support of digital tools, and more specifically, to answer the question: How can teaching in geometry, according to research, be developed by using digital tools? To answer the question and achieve the aim of the study, we have systematically presented, analyzed and compiled scientific studies on the use of digital tools in the teaching of geometry. Our results show that digital tools enable exploratory working methods, social interaction and increase some students' motivation and commitment, and that some students van Hiele-level in geometric thinking increase while using digital tools. Finally, we discuss didactic implications such as that digital tools contribute to an exploratory approach and increase students' involvement and motivation. Another implication is that all schools do not have access to digital tools and that technical problems can arise when using these, which can lead to a reduction of teaching time. As a proposal for further research, we see an opportunity to look at how the creation and display of video clips affect pupils' learning in geometry.

This study examines the effect of deep approaches to learning on development of the inclination to inquire and lifelong learning over four years, as an essential graduated outcome that helps students face the challenges of a complex and rapidly changing world. Despite the importance of the inclination to inquire and lifelong learning, some literature has attempted to operationalize this concept in practical ways. In another limited line of studies, researchers explored how the education process and deep approaches to learning affected students' cognitive development among first-year undergraduates. This dissertation focuses on the ways that the process of deep approaches to learning influences the development of the inclination to inquire and lifelong learning through the positive feelings from information acquisition and the conceptual change from meaningful structure of information. The individuals in the sample were 1,914 first-year undergraduate students participating in the Wabash National Study on Liberal Arts Education at each of the 17 institutions in the study. This longitudinal study was designed to use three waves of data to control for student background characteristics, institutional types, overall exposure to organized instruction, and other college experiences. The current study employed ordinary least squares regressions with a weighting algorithm and also investigated whether the effects were general or conditional based on differences in race, gender, precollege total academic preparation, and precollege measure of need for cognition. Using longitudinal, pretest-posttest deign with statistical control, this study found that the higher-order learning subscale, the integrative learning subscale, and reflective learning subscale generated a significant positive effect on the development of inclination to inquire and lifelong learning over four years. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the effect of deep approaches to learning appear to be general rather than conditional. In summary, the results confirm that the growth of inclination to inquire and lifelong learning can be fostered through deep approaches to learning. The findings suggest that higher education educators should create a developmentally-appropriate learning environment for students to organize their knowledge into cognitive structure, which fosters the capacity for lifelong learning.