The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers’ practice either supports or constrains learners’ conceptual understanding. The study is structured within an interpretive paradigm. The research takes the form of a case study and focused on the teaching practice of two purposefully selected teachers who had been identified as being effective/successful practitioners. The data was collected in two stages. In the first stage, qualitative data was collected by video recording six classroom lessons, three for each of the two participating teachers. In stage 2, participating teachers were individually interviewed. In these interviews the two participating teachers were asked to reflect on their classroom practice, through a process of stimulated recall, where their actions seemed to either support or constrain the development of learners’ conceptual understanding. The study identified a number of elements of the two teachers’ practice that related to the development of learners’ conceptual understanding in the classroom. These include building on learners’ prior knowledge, the use of concrete manipulatives, questioning that promotes critical thinking, and the use of multiple representations and connections. The study also identified elements of the two teachers’ practice that had the potential to constrain the development of learners’ conceptual understanding. These include the lack of opportunities for co-operative or peer-oriented learning, the absence of questioning that leads to discussion, and a scarcity of activities that build mathematical concepts through hands-on engagement. The study highlights the need for supporting teachers and helping them strengthen their practice with regard to those activities that support the development of conceptual understanding in their learners.

Frequent changes in the school music curriculums in South Africa necessitated changes in teaching music in schools. Music teachers in secondary schools who are responsible for teaching music as a subject have been confronted with the challenges presented in such a changing educational climate and often found that their pre-service teacher training did not sufficiently prepare them for changing syllabi. The quality of teaching in schools is directly linked to the quality of teacher training at universities and when institutional policies prohibits pre-service teachers from qualifying themselves sufficiently for their in-service careers, frustration and disillusionment sets in. This study explores the perceptions of music teachers of the effectiveness of their pre-service training. It also explores the content of university music degree courses and whether it is in line with school music curricula. The study addressed the research questions through the use of questionnaires and interviews. The finding suggested that there is a need for teacher training courses to be adapted and contextualised so that there is continuum between university and school curriculums. This research also exposed the policies barring music graduates from fully qualifying themselves as teachers and raised important issues that music teacher educators need to address in order to ensure that music graduates are adequately prepared for classroom music teaching.

As educators search for ways of improving student achievement, it is imperative that focus be placed on teacher learning and development. Currently, the trend in public schools throughout the country is to look directly at students and the deficits they bring to the learning environment when responding to those who find fault with the educational system. The current study directed attention to teachers' beliefs about their ability to affect change in student learning. The study centered on seven research questions that sought to determine: (1) the effect of job-embedded staff development on teachers' sense of efficacy; (2) the effect of job-embedded staff development on teachers' stages of concern; (3) the relationship between teacher efficacy and stages of concern; (4) the status of teachers' level of use of an innovation; and (5) the dominance of teacher concerns prior to and after involvement in job-embedded professional development. Through a mixed methodology approach, quantitative and qualitative analyses provided perspectives from 30 teachers in a suburban North Texas school district on the impact of job-embedded professional development on teacher efficacy, stages of concern, and resulting levels of use of an educational innovation. Quantitative results of two surveys: the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) and the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (Hall, George, & Rutherford, 1979) revealed a strong focus on stage 0, awareness, concerns and no statistically significant gain in teacher efficacy as teachers engaged in job-embedded professional learning. Qualitative data were gathered through Levels of Use Focused Interviews (Loucks, Newlove, & Hall, 1975) and revealed more teacher involvement with the innovation than quantitative data suggested. Further investigation into the inconsistencies between dominance of teacher concerns and perceptions of levels of use is warranted.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher religiosity and teacher self-efficacy. The present study builds upon previous research which has shown purposeful work in everyday living fosters intrinsic motivation, religious orientation affects daily living, and teacher self-efficacy beliefs predict student achievement. Religiosity and self-efficacy data were gathered from public school teachers from a suburban school district in North Texas and from private Christian schools in Western Washington. The Age Universal I-E scale (a measure of religious orientation intended to capture how one lives out his/her religiosity), Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale, and a teacher characteristic form were used to collect data. In a multiple regression analysis, independent variables included teacher age, gender, grade level taught, experience level, campus type (public or private religious), and teacher religious orientation (intrinsic or extrinsic); the dependent variable was the score for teacher self-efficacy. The regression analysis resulted in an equation that explained only slightly more than 9% of the variance in the score for teacher self-efficacy. Three significant variables were identified--grade level taught, teacher age, and intrinsic religious orientation. Teacher age and teacher intrinsic religious orientation were the two most important contributors according to a comparison of beta weights. Intrinsic religious orientation contributed to the equation, but it acted as a suppressor variable in the study, having little predictive value by itself but contributing to the predictive value of the model. Based on the data collected, recommendations for future research and suggestions for field application are offered.

It is established in this research project that recognition of competence does not begin when a person takes on employment. For reasons alluded to in this project, it begins when a candidate is selected for initial teacher education and training. However, recognition of competence is a model that applies different methods or modes of recognition. These methods have been identified, their differences are indicated and the variations used according to the level of competence are clarified as well. Recognition of competence represents a new way of managing human resources in education. It is a model which emerges from paradigm shifts and the need for quality service in education. This model includes mechanisms of managing quality and standards such as the South African Qualifications Authority, National Qualifications Framework, National Standards Bodies, Standard Generating Bodies and Education and Training Qualifications Authority. The researcher identified key areas of success in the present and erstwhile recognition systems. However, it was found that these systems were inadequate for the retention of teachers. In a bid to search for solutions, the research unravelled recognition systems used in the private sector. Literature study revealed, in this regard, that there are inadequacies as well. The system in the private sector was severely affected by policies of the past dispensation. Nevertheless, it seems recognition of competence is well on its early stages in the education sector. Consequently, there is an emphasis on competencies to advance South Africa in world markets. The challenge of raising standards so as to make South Africa competitive . begins with empowerment and capacity building. Empowerment and capacity . building are complementary approaches in recognition of competence. These approaches recognise the inadequacies and disparities of the past. It is from this consideration that the fundamentals of recognition of competence are refocused on levelling the playing fields. In each case, the approaches are evaluated by pointing out the advantages and disadvantages. In order to establish the basis from literature review, the researcher used empirical research. Consequently, the theories on recognition of competence, empowerment and capacity building were complemented and verified by unravelling the real situation. Interviews and surveys were conducted. The findings reveal that there are a myriad of challenges and problems that still plague education. The researcher suggested guidelines to overcome the challenges and problems. Finally, whilst it is acknowledged that there are some good initiatives from the Department of Education, much is still to be done with regard to recognition of competence. The researcher made conclusions, recommendations on how to navigate our way out of these problems, and pointed out areas that need further research. / Thesis (PhD (Education Management))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The study was designed to determine and compare the perceptions of various groups with regard to the most and the last important characteristics and behaviors of effective teachers. The population for the study included (a) four groups of high school graduates selected at five year intervals beginning with 1980, (b) four groups of high school dropouts selected from the same five year intervals, (c) high school teachers, (d) high school principals and central office administrators, and (f) teacher educators. The instrument used to determine perceptions was a 28 item Q-sort. The items of the Q-sort were developed from a review of the literature on teacher effectiveness and from a review of the criteria for the evaluation of teacher effectiveness as used by the school district in which the study was conducted. The Q-sort items were deemed valid by a panel of teacher educators.

The overarching purpose of the study was specifically designed to examine how teacher preparation programs contributed to novice teachers' sense of self-efficacy. The significance of this study related to how well teachers were prepared, based upon their preparation program. This qualitative methods study incorporated a research design consisting of phenomenological research. Eleven thematic findings derived based upon the participants' input after several series of data analysis and reduction, using a general deductive approach. Results showed many implications of how teacher preparation programs contributed to the participants' sense of self-efficacy. Major implications for teacher preparation programs and their impact on novice teachers are discussed, such as improvement measures for preparation programs, and opportunities to increase teacher effectiveness.

This study examines current educational practices by looking at factors leading up to increased attention on student achievement and the role of teacher effectiveness evaluation models in delivering a quality education. The RISE teacher effectiveness evaluation model used in Indiana and two teacher evaluation models commonly used, by Charlotte Danielson and Robert Marzano, are examined based on their capacity to evaluate and support the professional performances and growth of art teachers.

Education in rural areas coupled with poverty is shown to be a risk factor for reading failure (Bhattacharya, 2010; Morrison et al., 2005). Students who have severe reading failure are serviced in the realm of special education. To enhance a student's ability to read, special education teachers can use literacy interventions. Targeted reading intervention (TRI) is a literacy intervention that was developed to meet the requirements of rural elementary classroom teachers, who are often unready to provide diagnostic reading instruction for reading difficulty (Vernon-Feagans et al., 2012). Stevenson and Reed (2017) identified eight empirically supported methods for intensifying instruction when students are not responding to core instruction. The study sought to understand how, if at all, rural special educators altered reading instruction practices after receiving literacy intervention professional development. A case study using a qualitative design was used to observe the perceptions of three special education teachers in an impoverished, rural school district. The special education teachers received instruction on the eight components of intensifying instruction and the TRI. These specific literacy interventions were then implemented by the teachers with their students. Before and after interviews were recorded and used for data analysis. Our findings show that prior to the training the participants felt the power to teach reading resided in a formalized, commercial reading program. Following the training and implementation of these specific literacy interventions, the participants were more often able to diagnose reading difficulties and prescribe effective interventions based on the individual needs rather than relying on a scripted program. By increasing instructional match, the teachers were able to intensify instruction and could make changes to the student intervention as needed. Findings from the data analysis in this thesis study indicated that when teachers were provided ongoing professional development, there was evidence of movement towards intensification. School district-level administrators should consider creating ongoing professional development that targets intensifying instruction, particularly for special education faculty.

ABSTRACT Predicting On-the-Job Teacher Success Based on a Group Assessment Procedure Used for Admission to Teacher Education by LaVaun Gene Faulk, Doctor of Education Utah State University, 2008 Major Professor: Deborah Byrnes, Ph.D. Department: Elementary Education Students who have graduated in Elementary Education at Utah State University, since 1997 when the group assessment interview procedure was adopted, and have been employed as teachers for at least two years were contacted. Students were located with the help of the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) and the Office of Teacher Education, Graduation, and Educator Licensing at USU. Permission to interview each teacher’s supervisor was obtained from each study participant. Principals were contacted and interview dates set. A self-anchoring interview was conducted to provide quantitative data on the success of each teacher. This new data was then used to compare each participant’s success as seen by supervisors to existing data already on record at USU. Specifically, principal interview data were compared to the participant’s student teaching scores, prior academic achievement data (grade point average and American College Test scores), and ratings the teacher received on the group assessment interviews when applying to the elementary education teacher training program at USU. (107 pages)