“Practicum” refers to the time students undertaking initial teacher education programs spend in schools during their training. Its purpose is to enable the university and accredited teachers to assist student teachers to gain experience in translating educational theory into classroom practice. It is recognised as a vital component of teacher education. In 1998 the Australian Catholic University (ACU National) Melbourne campus, introduced the ‘extended practicum’ into their teacher education program. The extended practicum, undertaken by students in their final year, is significant to student learning as it enables them to spend an extended period of time with the same group of pupils. However, to date this program has not been formally evaluated. This study used qualitative methodology to investigate the effectiveness of the extended practicum in the Bachelor of Education course offered through the Trescowthick School of Education at ACU National Melbourne Campus. Literature pertaining to the development and current understandings of the practicum in teacher education and the partnership between the university and schools in managing the practicum was reviewed. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data about the experiences and reflections of pre-service teachers, first year teachers, supervising teachers and university staff involved in the extended practicum. The data were analysed and key themes were identified and compared between groups. The findings suggested that while all stakeholders recognised the importance and value of the extended practicum in teacher education, their ideas about its major aims and strengths differed. A number of issues were identified that could improve the quality of the extended practicum and thus enhance the learning experience for pre-service teachers. These issues included preparation of the pre-service teachers, length and timing of the practicum, supervision and assessment of pre-service teachers during the practicum, professional development for supervising teachers and most importantly improved communication between the university and schools. Information from this study can inform the development of the extended practicum, and as a consequence, the total practical teaching program at ACU, (National), Melbourne. This will further support the ongoing relationships between the university and schools and teachers who support the program and who provide an improved learning opportunity for pre-service teachers.

Demands to changes of instruction for mathematics classrooms are presented in standards promoted by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Illinois State Board of Education and other government reports creates a demand for teacher professional development to support teachers to adapt to these changes of instruction. The overall purpose of this study investigated characteristics of effective professional development and how those characteristics are associated with teacher job satisfaction and teacher working conditions. With the completion of this dissertation, this study adds to the literature relevant to teacher professional development by demonstrating an association between teacher professional development and teacher working conditions. / This non-experimental quantitative study examined 23 lists of characteristics of professional development to provide designers of professional development programs the frequency that specific characteristics were mentioned on the 23 lists. Also, this study administered a Likert scale questionnaire to secondary mathematics teachers to measure the teachers' perception of the three variables: teacher professional development, teacher job satisfaction, and teacher working conditions. The completed questionnaires were used to calculate measures of the three variables and these measures were used to calculate Pearson correlation coefficients. Ultimately, tests of correlations were conducted with the Pearson correlation coefficients to measure the associations between the three variables. Four research questions relating to these associations were created that guided the details of this quantitative study. / The results of the data analysis revealed a statistically significant association between teacher professional development and teacher working conditions. Also, the results of a second test of correlation revealed that the association between teacher professional development and teacher job satisfaction was not significant.

This study examines the teacher visions, or idealized images of classroom practices, held by second-year alternatively certified special education teachers. In particular, it explores the range of visions maintained by New York City Teaching Fellows who begin teaching in "hard-to-staff" subjects and schools after minimal pre-service training, noting gaps which emerge between vision and practice. Given the brevity of the Fellows' preparation and the context of their schools, I sought to discover how Fellows navigated these gaps, and the role played by on-the-job learning in this process. / The study consisted of a larger cohort of 47 second-year special education Teaching Fellows and a smaller cohort of five. I distributed a questionnaire to the 47 Fellows, both to uncover the range of visions and gaps within that group, and to find five Fellows for a more in-depth study. The Fellows from the in-depth study, all of whom noted gaps between vision and practice, participated in three semi-structured one-hour interviews over the course of one school year. In addition, I conducted two classroom observations of each Fellow and analyzed classroom documents. / I found that none of the 47 Fellows mentioned special education when describing their teacher visions on the questionnaires. Following up with the smaller cohort, I discovered visions of special education which were blurry or inaccurate---leading to substantial gaps between vision and practice. These gaps, in turn, let to feelings of guilt and frustration. On-the-job learning was little help in navigating gaps, given the conditions of the participants' "hard-to-staff" schools. Fifty-four percent of the larger cohort said they were unlikely to continue teaching in New York in five years, while in the smaller cohort, two teachers had left their original placements within two years. Participants from the smaller cohort also discussed the difficulty of achieving their visions within special education as it was implemented at their schools. / This study concludes that the design of the New York City Teaching Fellows program practically ensures the presence of gaps between the vision and practice of special education, and at the same time does not do enough to help its teachers negotiate them.

The education system in California currently faces three major challenges---teacher shortage, lack of diversity in the teacher population in terms of gender and ethnicity, and a need for more effective teachers. After school programs have the potential of addressing all these challenges in a cost-effective manner. However, for these programs to achieve their full potential, greater understanding and systemic changes are needed to positively impact the transition of after school employees to the teaching profession. Three kinds of factors affecting after school employees---biographical, societal, and imbedded practices---were studied to understand what motivates them to transition to becoming credentialed teachers. Biography addresses how to find those willing to enter the workforce. Society determines how suitable they are for the profession. Imbedded practices take into consideration the extent and role of teacher preparation enabled by after-school programs. An existential phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data collected through in-depth interviews and surveys of current after-school employees to derive the essential meaning of experiences from expressed meanings. In terms of biographical factors, interviewees indicated that their desire to work with children motivated them the most. The positive results of their efforts reflected in students' behavior and academics; and validation from students and parents further motivated them. In terms of societal factors, informal educators' ability to identify with the role of a teacher and to be effective in it were the key motivating factors. In terms of imbedded practices, the support extended by both the educational system and credentialed teachers in after-school programs motivated interviewees to enter the workforce as credentialed teachers. A key recommendation from this study is that programs like Leadership for Student Success through After-School Program be offered to principals to help them learn the best practices to align instructional day with after-school programs. Accrediting bodies should encourage professional associations to offer programs and guidance for the after school system. A recommendation for state policy is that a regulatory strategy requiring beginning educators to gain experience working in a publicly funded after-school program at early stages in their career be implemented.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-01, Section: A, page: 0083. Adviser: Terrence C. Mason. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed on Feb. 8, 2007)."

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-01, Section: A, page: 0081. Advisers: David Flinders; Luise McCarty. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed Feb. 8, 2007)."

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of theological education on philosophy of human nature among Sunday school teachers in the Church of the Nazarene. Research materials consisted of Wrightsman's Philosophy of Human Nature scale and a demographic questionnaire constructed by the researcher. These materials were mailed to a random sample of 188 Sunday school teachers in the Oregon-Pacific District of the Church of the Nazarene. Useable materials were received from 157 subjects for an 84% return rate. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, and tested for significance at the p < 0.05 level. The null hypothesis was retained: there was no difference in philosophy of human nature between subjects with different levels of theological education. Other findings were: 1) Oregon-Pacific Nazarene Sunday school teachers had moderately positive scores on all subscales of the PHN. Previous studies had reported that conservative Christians had negative scores on the PHN. 2) Oregon-Pacific Nazarene Sunday school teachers had a higher level of educational attainment than adults in the United States generally. 3) Women had more positive scores than men, although they had far less theological education than men. 4) Subjects with at least a college degree had more complex views of people than did those with a high school diploma or some college as the highest level of educational attainment. Recommendations were outlined for the practice of Christian education and for future research. These recommendations included the following: 1) use of the PHN as a screening device for Sunday school teachers, 2) cooperation between Nazarene colleges and district CL/SS boards to provide training opportunities for Sunday school teachers, 3) equipping of women for expanded leadership roles in Sunday school and church, 4) examination of differences that may exist in the philosophy of human nature between Sunday school teachers of different denominational groups, and 5) study of the relationship between training experiences, educational beliefs, and effectiveness of Sunday school teachers. / Graduation date: 1990

The online teaching skills and best practices of virtual classroom teachers| A mixed method Delphi study

The purpose of this qualitative, narrative study was to examine the extent and endurance of influence a technology-based professional development program had on the epistemological, ontological, and methodological beliefs of selected high school chemistry teachers. Three participants of a technology-based professional development program were interviewed with additional insight provided by this author, who was a participant in the program. Evidence of an epistemological, ontological, and methodological change in the participants was indicated by their self-proclaimed change in attitudes concerning the use of inquiry-based learning and information technology in the classroom. The participants understood and related the importance of incorporating inquiry-based learning and information technology into their classroom methodology and provided examples of their applications. Findings of this study reveled that the participants acknowledged the effectiveness of inquiry-based learning and information technology teaching strategies, but did not fully implement either strategy citing time constraints, lack of resources, and statewide accountability testing. A surprising finding was that the participants did not use the technology-based instructional strategies to prepare students for the TAKS test.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Lehigh University, 2009. / Adviser: Perry A. Zirkel.