This dissertation investigates Korean pre-service kindergarten teachers’ practical knowledge regarding teaching circle time developed through both teaching practices and contextual factors during their field experience. To investigate this, a qualitative case study examining four pre-service kindergarten teachers working their field experience was conducted. Data collected through observation, stimulated recall interviews and semi-structured interviews of four participants during field experience was analyzed in order to answer the research questions. Data analysis revealed two major types of practical knowledge for teaching circle time: 1) practical knowledge about classroom management strategies; 2) practical knowledge about the teacher’s role in teacher-children interaction. The findings of the study were organized for presentation in Chapter 4 by combining the types of practical knowledge with separation of pre-existing and developed practical knowledge: the first section covers both pre-existing and developed classroom management strategies; the second section covers both pre-existing and developed practical knowledge regarding the teacher’s role in teacher-children interaction. The third section covers contextual factors which influence that development. While the pre-service teachers may have had sudden moments of inspiration where things coalesced for them, in general practical knowledge was not an instant acquisition. Indeed, this study witnessed what developed though successive teaching practices during their field experience. The use of (stimulated recall) interviews allowed for candid and timely revelations from the pre-service teachers, giving important insight into some specifics on the acquisition of practical knowledge, such as facing challenges as a vehicle for change, and the need for critical reflection. In this study, the primary contextual factor recognized as influencing pre-service teachers’ practical knowledge is the classroom teacher, through modeling and post-lesson conferences. Chapter 5 addresses the significance of the findings of this research and compares it to other research in the field, focusing on three aspects: 1) the specific types of practical knowledge developed through circle time teaching practice; 2) the process of the development of practical knowledge; and; 3) the influence of classroom teachers on that development. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of implications for: 1) pre-service kindergarten teachers at the same stage of their education, 2) teacher educators who are responsible for designing and reforming teacher education programs for pre-service kindergarten teachers, and 3) administrators of teacher education programs who can establish systemized regulations for field experience and recommendations for future research. / text

This qualitative ethnographic study explored the various ways a team of early childhood teachers made sense of, and used, an assessment framework based on learning dispositions and formative assessment for assessing children’s learning. In the late 1980s and early 1990s traditional methods for assessing children were being significantly questioned. The development in 1996 of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, signalled a re-form of assessment practices in the early years. This reform involved a major shift in thinking and practice for teachers who worked in early childhood education. The teachers in this study were already beginning to change their assessment practices to reflect learning dispositions and formative assessment. This study focused on the theoretical and policy framework that reflected the shift toward teachers being encouraged to adopt these new ways for assessing children’s learning Multiple sources of data collection included individual interviews, a group interview, an analysis of documents including relevant policies, staff meeting minutes and Learning Stories written by three of the teachers over a six-month period. Findings revealed that the ways in which the teachers in this study made sense of, and used, the dispositional framework depended on how they viewed the purposes of assessment and their role as teachers. The study also explored some of the consequences of teachers adopting the dispositional framework when they were already experienced in other forms of assessment practice. The significance of self-directed professional development was also highlighted. Implications for management include the need to consider that the theoretical concepts associated with shifting from a developmental approach to a dispositional focus requires extensive time, resources and a team that is committed to change.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the teacher change process and extend our understanding of how variability in the ways that primary school teachers in Bangladesh implement innovative pedagogical practices, such as active learning, reflects variations in their understanding, attitude, experience, and skill in the use of those pedagogical approaches. Multiple forms of data gathering were employed based on the concerns-based adoption model (CBAM) including an open-ended statement of concern, interviews, and class observations from a purposive sample of ten teachers working in ten different schools. Additional interviews were also conducted with staff responsible for the teachers' professional development. Five main findings emerged from the research. First, there was a split between novice teachers who were committed to following the prescriptive lesson plans and more experienced teachers who adapted their lessons to accommodate differences in student readiness and performance. Second, the majority of teachers appeared to be satisfied with their use active learning methods and the mandated lessons with little projected variation in how they will implement the innovation in the future. Third, the class observation findings indicate that the majority of teachers were rated as ideal users of active learning methods in the classroom. Fourth, findings indicate that professional development and a commitment to building networks among teachers and support staff helped facilitate teachers' confidence and competency. Fifth, among the most influential factors shaping teachers' use of active learning methods were the availability of supplementary learning and teaching resources. Implications for professional development and support for teachers, the applicability of CBAM-based research in low-income country contexts like Bangladesh, as well as future areas of comparative, international, and development education research are discussed in light of those findings.

Technology engages and increases academic achievement for K-5 students, but teachers face attitudinal, social/cultural, and pedagogical barriers when they integrate technology for student learning. Although some teachers overcome these barriers, it remains unclear how they do so. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to analyze the attitudes and behaviors of 3 groups to determine how some teachers successfully overcame barriers to technology integration. The conceptual framework included Bandura's social cognitive theory and Ertmer's theory on second order barriers to technology integration. Participants were drawn from each of 3 schools in the northeastern United States. Data included interviews from 3 groups of 2-3 classroom teachers, 1 administrator, and 1 technology integration person. Data were analyzed using open coding to identify rich themes and patterns. The findings showed that a triadic force of administrators, technology support, and teachers worked together to positively influence technology integration. Strategies included providing appropriate professional development, building collegial support and sharing among teachers, training teachers to locate relevant technological resources, and establishing value and support for the use of technology for learning. The present study may contribute to positive social change by increasing the knowledge of barriers preventing integration of technology into K-5 classrooms, and by providing information that will allow teachers, administrators, and technology integration personnel to implement strategies that reduce and overcome these barriers.

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This dissertation presents a phenomenographic case study of a senior physics professor during and beyond an extended collaboration with a science education professor from a College of Education. The context for the collaboration is the co-teaching of a physics course for graduate students in a Masters of Teaching program at a research university in the southeastern US. The course was focused on physics content and the pedagogy of teaching for conceptual change. The purpose of this study is to investigate from a physics professor’s perspective the progression of his conceptions and practices regarding teaching for conceptual change over the duration of the collaboration and beyond. Prior research indicates that such change is a difficult and complex process requiring a transformative, personal experience. Collaboration between science departments and Colleges of Education has been identified as a key opportunity for transformative experiences, but research on the resulting changes is limited. Questions addressed by this study include (a) what is the evidence of change in a physics professor’s conceptions of teaching for conceptual change, (b) what is the evidence of change in a physics professor’s practices of teaching for conceptual change, (c) what are the learning environment characteristics identified by the physics professor that either facilitated or hindered changes in his conceptions and/or practices in teaching for conceptual change. The primary data were interviews with the physics professor integrated with direct classroom observations. Emergent categories of how the physics professor conceived and practiced teaching for conceptual change showed a progression over time toward a more expert view on teaching for conceptual change. Key factors identified in the physics professor’s progression are: 1) his motivation to become a more effective teacher, 2) the expertise of the science education professor, and 3) the way the collaboration developed. Limiting factors identified include: 1) time pressure for content coverage, 2) difficulty in translating change to other contexts, and 3) unsupportive external environments.

The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to investigate the influence of curricular mandates on the teaching practices of high school mathematics teachers. Narrative inquiry, philosophically based on John Dewey’s theory of experience (Dewey, 1938), provides the intimate study of an individual's experience over time and in context(s) (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). This study focused on the experiences of three high school mathematics teachers’ stories of educational change with data collected through interviews and personal documents. Socio-cultural narrative analysis was used to interpret the participants’ stories of adaptation. The data, presented as an ethnodrama, is composed of scenes taken from the interviews and interweaves the participants’ stories of evolution as they tackled the struggles of change on multiple levels: curriculum, student assessment, and teacher evaluation. Results indicated teachers adopt both traditional and reform strategies when deciding on appropriate teaching practices. Collaboration and professional development were two important aspects used by the participants to enlarge their toolbox of teaching practices when forced to challenge their existing beliefs. This study contributes to the scarce research on the impact of curricular mandates on teaching practices. It also highlights the experiences of high school mathematics teachers as they embrace the paradigm shift associated with the mandates and implement changes to their practices to promote a more student-centered, collaborative environment.

This descriptive, holistic, single case study focuses on how an experienced teacher with 21 years of teaching was able to negotiate participation in a community of practice (CoP). The study applies Wenger’s (1998) Community of Practice framework as a lens through which to gain insight into the subject’s professional transformation. Wenger’s multilayered theoretical approach, including the four components of his social learning model, provides a common language to describe participation. The specific research questions that frame this inquiry are: 1) How did an experienced secondary mathematics teacher, involved in an ongoing and dual-faceted professional development project, negotiate meaningful participation in a community of practice? 2) How did the kinds of participation in which she chose to engage affect her professionally? and, 3) How did her classroom practice change? Findings from the study include: 1) Wenger’s Stages of Development (potential, coalescing, active, dispersed and memorable) for a CoP were in evidence in this teacher’s participatory experiences. 2) Internal and external factors worked in concert to support transformed practice. 3) The tension between experience and competence is an important factor when thinking about the difference between an expert and experienced teacher. 4) The case subject negotiated her participation through intellectual partnerships formed through the interaction with her Peer CoP and educational experts and researchers—an example of legitimate participation in authentic professional activities at a level quite different from most “teacher professional development” activities. The evolving shared repertoire of changed mathematical instructional practices was tangible evidence of transformative interactions. These findings indicate that a viable, robust CoP can be stimulated through external scaffolding and coordination of learning activities in combination with a joint enterprise of growth-minded professionals. The data provide insight into the professional transformation that occurred within the case teacher’s practice as she enacted the new, shared repertoire with students in her classroom. The new repertoire resulted in improved student learning not just during her active involvement in the CoP but after the community disperses, in a penultimate stage of a CoP described by Wenger (1998), suggesting that the results and transformed practice can be sustained.

This mixed methods study is a program evaluation of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Excellence in Mathematics Strategy commencing in 2007 with a curriculum review leading to the implementation of the Western and Northern Canadian Protocol Common Curriculum Framework in K-12 mathematics along with the implementation of numeracy support teachers in classrooms across the province. The goals of the Strategy were to improve student achievement with the curriculum change; to support teachers, students, and parents; and to encourage an increased interest and enthusiasm for mathematics. This study included a quantitative analysis of the provincial mathematics assessment results in Grades 3, 6, and 9 from 2007 to 2012 by comparing assessment items that were common to both the old and new curricula, and comparing results of items anchored in 2011 and 2012. Assessment results demonstrated inconsistent results on common curriculum items. Results of items anchored decreased in all grades in 2011 but items anchored in 2012 increased in all grades. Another quantitative analysis was conducted on the effect of numeracy support teachers (known elsewhere as mathematics specialists, coaches, or mentors) on students’ mathematics achievement in schools having Grade 3 and 6 classrooms receiving numeracy support from 2007 to 2011. Schools with numeracy support in Grades 3 and 6 for four years were mostly lower-achieving schools and had achievement results move closer over time to schools receiving one or no years of support which were mostly higher achieving schools. Schools receiving support in both Grades 3 and 6 had the highest proportion of students moving from below standard to at/above standard on rubric-scored open-constructed response questions. A qualitative analysis was conducted of focus groups with numeracy support teachers and supported the quantitative analysis of the provincial assessment results. Numeracy support teachers shared their observations of teachers’ unconventional assessment methods and students’ increase in communicating, reasoning, problem solving, and strategizing about mathematics. Lower-achievers were more engaged in these classrooms and manipulative use in problem solving improved. Numeracy support teachers witnessed physical and attitudinal changes through planning, modelling, co-teaching, and reflecting with teachers thereby helping change the culture of students’ classrooms. The goal of numeracy support teachers to build capacity in their teachers through collaboration was evident in some classrooms as beliefs and habits were changing, but some were resistant. / Graduate / 0280 / 0727 / karen.m.moore@gmail.com