Contemporary early childhood experts, via their major professional organization, the National Association for the education of young children (NAEYC), have adopted a set of guidelines for "developmentally appropriate practice" (DAP) in kindergartens. These guidelines, based on child development research, contrast sharply with a contrary educational movement for increased formal "academic" programming for young children. The primary purpose of this study was to survey the beliefs and practices of kindergarten teachers in Massachusetts, and to examine the congruence of those beliefs with the set of nationally proposed guidelines. A second purpose was to examine the relationship between the beliefs and practices reported and selected professional development variables. A questionnaire designed by a Louisiana group (Charlesworth et al., 1991) and based on the NAEYC guidelines was used. In addition, an author-designed set of questions on key demographic and professional development variables was included. Surveys were mailed to a random sample of 150 elementary schools in Massachusetts. One hundred twenty six teachers responded, representing 102 schools for an overall school return rate of 68%. Results indicated that Massachusetts teachers tend to follow the NAEYC guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice. Correlations between the Teacher Belief Scale and the Instructional Activities Scale (r =.6225, p,.0001) indicate that teachers in Massachusetts generally report using practices that are congruent with their beliefs. Significant positive relationships were found between teachers with advanced college training and both of the Teacher Questionnaire Scales. The professional development activities most frequently listed as valuable to Massachusetts kindergarten teachers included college courses, whole language workshops, Math Their Way workshops, DAP seminars, the Lesley College Kindergarten Conference and inclusion workshops. In further analysis, the sample was divided into thirds based on the total DAP scale scores. Those with high DAP scores differed from those with low DAP scores in the amount and type of professional development activities. The results were discussed with respect to the effectiveness of specific professional development activities.

This dissertation explores the meaning the rural inhabitants of the North of Cauca region in Colombia make of the rural primary school teacher. It examines the themes and metaphors used by rural teachers, community members, and youth to describe the teacher's present image, their perspectives on the possible changes, and the implications of these perceptions for future educational interventions. The themes and metaphors that emerged alluded to two general images. The researcher has named these the portrait of the teacher as a hero and as a ordinary human being. The first, she proposes, is an ideal image that comes from people's collective memory. The second, she attributes to their real life experiences. The heroic image of the teacher is depicted through metaphors such as that of an apostle, a pillar of society, a second parent, and a community catalyst. The real image refers to the short-comings of teachers to fulfill this heroic image. The point of reference for the heroic image is the teacher's archetype that comes from a glorified perception of the past. It contains symbols, archaic images, and motifs that are embedded in people's collective memory. The researcher suggests that the teacher's true image is neither its ideal and heroic image nor its real and descriptive one but an amalgamation of both. She recommends the incorporation of this complex and dual image in teacher training programs. She suggests that, beginning teachers be encouraged to reflect on their own impressions of the teacher figure, to analyze the sources of these perceptions, and to situate their viewpoints in the cultural context in which they are embedded. This process of critical reflection allows teachers to become aware of their own contradictions and prepares them for the complex reality of their profession.

This thesis reports the findings of a research study conducted in an initial primary teacher education college in Dublin, exploring how teacher education students experienced and constructed meaning from a pre-service RE course which recognized the importance of a focus on their inner lives. The study, which adopted a qualitative interpretive approach, was conducted using semi-structured interviews with twelve past students from a recently-graduated year group of one hundred students. The study hoped to uncover how a focus on the inner life was taken up by the research participants in relation to their personal and professional wellbeing and their role as educators in general and religious educators in particular. While it did not seek to generalise as a result of the findings, confined as it is by time and circumstance, nevertheless aspects deemed worthwhile by the research participants may also be deemed worthwhile by the reader and indeed may not be confined to the domain of RE. The findings have been framed generally against the three themes of ‘particularity’, ‘inner-ness’ and ‘ongoing-ness’. The theme of ‘particularity’ relates to the participants’ epistemological journey, as it is concerned with how concrete elements of the course supported inner life work. The theme of ‘inner-ness’ relates to the participants’ ontological journey, as it is concerned with how participants experienced and made meaning from the space provided by the course for inner life work. The theme of ‘ongoingness’ relates to the total RE journey from primary and secondary school to college and into their teaching lives and its impact on participants’ inner lives. What is clear from participants’ responses is that the RE course, and particularly the elements of the RE course that had a focus on the inner life, had a significant impact on participants’ identity, both personal and professional, at an important stage of their development and personal story. The study demonstrates the importance of inner life work for teacher education students and contributes a level of insight into how students appropriate and construct meaning from a created and creative space that supports a focus on that inner life.

Que relações os professores estabelecem com os cursos de formação continuada dos quais participam? Quais os sentidos dessa formação que ocorre em exercício? Com base nessas questões, empreendemos uma pesquisa que procurou refletir sobre o lugar ocupado pela formação de professores na atualidade, especialmente a continuada, ou seja, aquela que acontece após o ingresso na profissão. Realizamos oito entrevistas semidirigidas com professoras e um ex-professor e, embasados nos referenciais da área, encontramos algumas funções que podem ser atribuídas a essa formação, tais como: aquela proveniente da racionalidade técnica, conduzindo o professor a cumprir um papel mais de aplicador de saberes produzidos em outras instâncias, em que o foco de seu trabalho encontra-se nos meios para se alcançar finalidades previamente estabelecidas; as que visam a aproximá-lo do proletariado ou transformá-lo num profissional do ensino, como estabelecem as perspectivas da proletarização e da profissionalização, respectivamente; a chamada formação compensatória, que surge para suprir as chamadas carências da formação inicial; a de desenvolver as competências profissionais necessárias ao professor; aquela que intenciona conferir teorias ou práticas que despontam como novidades no cenário pedagógico; entre outras desenvolvidas ao longo do trabalho. Apontamos que os sentidos atribuídos à formação continuada e as implicações desta na prática docente estejam mais atrelados à singularidade do sujeito isto é, à sua condição de sujeito ao desejo inconsciente do que às ferramentas trabalhadas nos cursos, em que pesa sobretudo a dita ciência pedagógica. Baseados no método clínico e na transmissão, ambos da psicanálise, seguimos propondo modos de trabalho que pressupõem o professor como sujeito do desejo, não limitando-o ao indivíduo da cognição, tais como: a análise pessoal, grupos de discussão e escrita de relatos, narrativas e diários. / What are the relations between the teachers and the continued education courses that they take? What are the meanings of these continued education courses? We were based on these questions in order to carry on a research that intents to think about the place occupied by the teacher education nowadays, specially the continuous education courses, which are the ones that happen after the beginning of the work as a teacher. We had eight interviews with female teachers and one interview with a male ex-teacher and, based on the references about teacher education, we found a few purposes that can be related to teacher education, which are: that one that came with the technical rationality, leaving the teacher in an application role (teachers apply the knowledge that was produced in other places) and making them focus on the means, not on the purposes of their job; the ones which intend to get the teachers closer to the proletariat or to a professional of the education, as the perspectives of proletarianization and professionalization, respectively; the so called compensatory education, that was created to compensate bad instruction in the graduation; the one to develop professional competences which are considered necessary for a teacher; the one that intends to give theories or practices that emerge as innovations in pedagogical scenarios, among others which are developed throughout their work activity. We point that the meanings of the continuous education courses and their implication in reality are more related to the singularity of the person, in other words, to the teacher\'s condition as subject to unconscious desire, than to the tools given in the courses. Based on the clinic method and in the transmission, both from psychoanalysis, we propose ways of working which assume the teacher as a subject of desire, not only as an individual of cognition, such as: the personal analysis, groups of discussion and the write of reports, narratives and diaries.

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar o Programa de Educação Continuada Formação Universitária (PEC) Municípios - 2ª edição (2006-2008) e sua relação com alunos-professores de Educação Infantil participantes. Diante da complexidade desse Programa, que é uma das iniciativas empreendidas no Brasil, para certificar, no âmbito do ensino superior, milhares de professores de Educação Infantil, em serviço, das redes públicas de ensino, fez-se necessária uma delimitação no amplo universo a ser pesquisado, para aprofundamento sobre o tema. Optou-se, então, pelo Material Impresso de Educação Infantil do PEC-Municípios, porque esse material atua como eixo organizador das atividades propostas a alunos-professores e por trazer temas e assuntos relevantes referentes a esse nível de ensino. Além da análise do PEC-Municípios (origem, princípios, formato e atividades pedagógicas) e do seu Material Impresso de Educação Infantil (estruturação, temas e concepções), por meio de documentos oficiais, esta pesquisa avalia também como essa iniciativa foi apropriada por uma parte de seu público-alvo: os professores de Educação Infantil do polo de Catanduva, interior de São Paulo, participantes do Programa. Em outras palavras, foram analisados, sob a ótica dos próprios docentes, efeitos e/ou contribuições do PEC-Municípios, a partir de sua estrutura e de teorias acerca da Educação Infantil, sobretudo, em seus discursos e concepções pedagógicas. Para tanto, foram aplicados questionários a alunos-professores participantes do Programa. Os dados coletados por esse instrumento passaram pelo crivo da análise de conteúdo, segundo Bardin (1977), mais especificamente pela análise categorial. Pelos resultados, avaliou-se que o PEC-Municípios é um curso de formação de professores de Educação Infantil em serviço com princípios, formato, atividades e conteúdos inovadores, proporcionando sólida formação teórica e de qualidade, propiciando, segundo respostas dos próprios alunos-professores, participantes, reflexões, apropriações de conhecimentos, concepções e relações com a prática cotidiana, além de possibilitar outros processos formativos. O PEC-Municípios se apresenta, então, como um possível modelo para se repensarem antigos cursos de reciclagem e de capacitação, além de poder ser um programa de formação inicial de professores de Educação Infantil a ser incentivado e desenvolvido por outras instituições que se proponham também a serem realmente formadoras de profissionais da Educação Infantil, em um contexto que exige docentes bem qualificados e mais atuantes, para contribuírem com a sociedade em que vivem. Desse modo, os resultados positivos desta proposta de formação de professores de Educação Infantil não são receitas a serem seguidas, mas sim, um convite a refletir sobre as contribuições que ela trouxe e sobre o que ela pode ensinar sobre o tema, com vistas a contribuir para o fazer docente. / This research aims to analyze the Continuing Education Program-University Education PEC-Cities 2nd edition (2006-2008) and its relation with Early Childhood Education student-teacher participants. Due to the complexity of this program, which is one of the undertaken initiatives in Brazil, to certify in higher education, thousands of in service teachers in Early Childhood Education from public schools, there was a need to limit the wide field to be searched so that the subject could be more deeply researched. We decided on the Early Childhood Education Printed Materials PEC-Cities for this material acts as the main thrust of the proposed activities for students-teachers and brings relevant issues and concerns related to this level of education. Besides the analysis of the program (origin, principles, format and teaching activities) and of its Early Childhood Education Printed Materials (structure, themes and concepts), by means of the access to official documents, this study also evaluates how this initiative was appropriate to a part of its target audience: teachers of the Early Childhood Education center in Catanduva, state of São Paulo, who took part in the program. In other words, effects and / or contributions from PEC-Cities were analyzed from the perspective of those documents, considering their structure and theories about Early Childhood Education, particularly those found in speeches and educational ideas. So as to achieve our aim, we applied questionnaires to students-teachers who were participating in the program. The data collected by the instrument had its content analysis tested according to Bardins (1977) category analysis. From the results, it was estimated that the PEC-Cities is a training course for Early Childhood Education teachers which is in accordance with its principles, format, activities and content, providing solid and quality theoretical orientation. It also provides students-teachers with subjects, thoughts, appropriation of knowledge, concepts and relation with daily practice, enabling further conceptual processes. Thus PEC-Cities presents itself as a feasible model to rethink old \'recycling\' and \'empowerment\' courses, and it can be an Early Childhood Education Program teachers training to be promoted and developed by other institutions which intend to form real good education professionals in a context that requires well-qualified and active teachers who are supposed to contribute to their society. As a conclusion, the positive results of this proposal for teacher training in Early Childhood Education are not recipes to be followed, but an invitation to reflect upon the contribution they have brought and what can be learned about the subject, aiming to effectively contribute towards the teaching activity.

<div>The purpose of this study was to examine the factors attributed to teacher candidates’ perceptions of self-efficacy throughout their student teaching semesters. This study used a narrative inquiry methodology to enhance the researcher’s understanding of variables attributed to teacher self-efficacy among a group of secondary content area teacher candidates. In this study, the purpose of using a narrative inquiry methodology was to share the stories of content area teacher candidates’ student teaching experiences and inform teacher educators about the extent to which teacher education preparation affects the self-efficacy of beginning content area teachers, as well as which recurrent elements of teacher education affect the self-efficacy of beginning teachers, regardless of their respective content areas. The findings of this study suggest that teacher education preparation affects the self-efficacy of secondary teacher candidates across the content areas; accordingly, the findings of this study provide insight for teacher educators to consider the areas where teacher education programs are failing to provide adequate preparation. The 10 teacher candidates who participated in this study emphasized the value of adequate preparation throughout their teacher education programs to help inform their student teaching experiences. In order to feel prepared for student teaching and effective as teacher candidates, the 10 participants referenced the following areas as requiring further implementation within teacher education curricula: increased opportunities to apply the practical application of their teaching skills prior to the student teaching experience, the incorporation of classroom management strategy coursework into their curriculum, and opportunities to explore the extensive demands of the teaching profession ranging from time management to dealing with difficult parents, to name a few.</div>

The United States continues to become increasingly more diverse, demanding civic engagement that extends beyond personal responsibility such as obeying laws and voting and requiring a citizenry capable of disrupting the status quo and enacting social change that contributes to a more equitable and just society. Education plays a vital role in this civic development; therefore, preservice teachers must be prepared to teach for critical citizenship education. Using narrative inquiry, this study explored how five preservice teachers with more critical civic identities made sense of their teacher education experiences in relation to civic identity development. The findings of the study revealed how teacher education programs fostered uncomfortable, but transformative, learning experiences that promoted the preservice teachers’ senses of understanding and empathy for those whose identities and lived experiences were different than their own. Additionally, the findings illuminated the preservice teachers’ understandings of the interplay between identity and power as they examined how their own civic values and engagement contributed to patterns of privilege and/or oppression in society. The study builds on the literature base that explores preservice teacher civic identity and continues the conversation regarding what type of teacher education experiences foster the construction of more critical civic identities.

The demands placed upon stakeholders of the public education system have become more and more compelling with each passing year. With the success of schools and students at stake, it is imperative to examine multiple facets of the public education structure. One of the most important aspects of this process is the development of preservice teachers entering the classroom. This study initially chronicled the history of teacher education and state licensure. Subsequently, standards enforced by the Tennessee Department of Education and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education were also explored to gain information about the guidelines and criteria required for accrediting teacher education and licensure programs. Further information in regard to teacher education was examined through current trends and issues that affect classroom teachers. The teacher education program criteria from 6 Tennessee higher education institutions were also reviewed. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of classroom teachers about effective higher education programs. Twelve K-6 classroom teachers with 5 or fewer years of teaching experience were interviewed to gain insight about the opinions of effective components of teacher education programs. This information was examined to explore specific program requirements. The analysis of the data collected in this study introduced several themes and common patterns. Most commonly, participants expressed the importance of a substantial field experience within the teacher education program. The value of relating content and theoretical approach to the practical application of the classroom was also noted as a priority. Participants reported the most effective teacher education programs as those that formulated a realistic portrayal of the classroom setting. These responses illustrated the significance of a hands-on approach to teacher education training and development.

The purpose of this study was to determine if teacher effectiveness, as measured by value-added gain scores on student achievement, was related to the teacher personality characteristics of efficacy and locus of control. The value-added mean gain scores for each teacher were correlated with teachers' scores on the Rand Corporation Efficacy Scale and the Rose and Medway Teacher Locus of Control Scale. A multiple regression analysis was used to determine if these teacher characteristics along with selected demographic variables could be used as good predictors of achievement gain. The population consisted of 132 middle school teachers across five subject areas in one county in Northeast Tennessee. No correlation was found between either teacher efficacy or locus of control and mean gain scores. A statistically significant relationship was revealed between gender and teacher efficacy with females indicating higher scores than males. Pairwise correlational analysis also revealed that mathematics gain scores were significantly correlated with age, college major, experience, and certification. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the extent to which the demographic variables and the personality variables were related to student achievement. The percent of variance in mathematics scores attributed to teacher age and major indicated that these two variables were good predictors of value-added gains. Neither the demographic nor the study variables entered into the regression formula for the other academic subjects studied.

The introduction of site-based management has had an impact on the operation of school systems in Tennessee; however no one seems to know for certain what that impact was. Findings from this study revealed that there is a basic understanding of the impact of site-based management as perceived by superintendents, board chairpersons, principals, personnel, budget, curriculum, and staff development administrators. Findings also revealed that central office staff and principals, for the most part, perceive that the superintendents and board chairpersons were supportive of site-based management programs. One hundred and eighty-one educators, including board chairpersons, responded to a fifty-four item questionnaire. This questionnaire focused on the following areas: impact, roles, system-wide policies, personnel, relationships, staff development, morale, position authority, curriculum, policy making, budget and support. Using the F-test for analysis of variance, it was determined that significant differences in perceptions existed in the area of understanding the impact, sharing decisions at the school site, boards of education relinquishing policy making authority to the school site, and principals and faculties having control of the curriculum. The remaining eight (roles, system-wide policies, personnel, staff development, morale, position authority, budget, support) had no significant differences in the perceptions of the respondents. Conclusions of the study emphasize that in order for site-based management programs to be successful there must be a dramatic change in the traditional administrative role. Recommendations were extensive training, retraining, and education be provided so that all school and central office personnel and community members understand and have a sense of ownership of site-based management.