The purpose of this study was to explore the linguistic architecture of instructional language used during first grade read aloud lessons. The participants were from the CTL Year-3 Read Aloud study. The study’s random assignment created 20 teachers in the treatment group and 19 teachers in the control group. My study investigated the variability of their teacher’s use of instructional language during direct instruction read aloud lessons. Specifically, I analyzed the following linguistic attributes: (a) clausal density, (b) number of different words, (c) words per minute, (d) percentage of maze words, and (e) number of abandoned utterances. Exploratory associations for these variables were compared against the Quality Classroom Instruction protocol (QCI), a measure of teaching effectiveness. The results of my study yielded null effects due study limitations. However, the explored area addressed a blind-spot within the literature and provided preliminary data, insight, and recommendations pertaining to the linguistic attributes of instructional language used by first grade teachers during read aloud lessons.

Teachers in classrooms use a vast of array of language to support children in their educational development. Previous research with teachers and children in secondary schools has identified that, when supporting children to prepare for important tests, teachers use supportive statements as well as statements stressing the negative outcomes associated with poor performance. However, in the primary school context, research has not identified the specific language that is being used by teachers for test preparation. In this explorative mixed methods study, eight teachers completed communication diaries and were interviewed to identify the types of communication they were using in the classroom towards children aged 6-11 in order to support their test preparations. Two focus groups were also held with children to determine their awareness of teachers’ communicative messages. The final phase of the study gathered data from a questionnaire distributed to a large sample of 112 primary school teachers allowing broader exploration of test-related language use in the classroom. Results identified various forms of communication being used by primary school teachers when preparing children for important tests, with children also aware of these statements. This included informative communication about test arrangements, outcome based statements, efficacious statements, reassuring and calming messages, language statements that related to the importance of tests, and test reminders. The findings further suggested that efficacious communication was the most frequent form of communication that was employed in primary classrooms, though use of language varied amongst teachers. Furthermore, the research identified that teachers were combining particular forms of communication, and it is likely that this communication fluctuated over the academic year. Teachers were also judicious in their use of communication towards children, where statements were chosen to have maximum effect on children based on teachers’ assessments of children’s characteristics. Additional factors such as teacher control, teacher philosophy, a view of children as dependent, views about testing, and teacher-held beliefs about particular forms of communication were also explored to judge their impact on the language used by teachers. The findings of this study provide a preliminary foundation for future research to explore teacher communication and its effects on children’s test preparations in primary schools.

Student motivation is a significant concept as school teachers need to be able to mobilise students to work towards success in examinations. This thesis investigated the impact of teachers' behaviours on students' motivation and examination performance and how these behaviours could be adapted to suit the needs of students. A systematic review of the literature examined how secondary school teachers use motivational strategies in respect of student academic assessment, performance and attainment. Six studies were included in the review and showed both the positive and negative impacts of teacher behaviour on students' academic performance. The review highlighted a need for further research on teachers' knowledge of the impact of their behaviours on student motivation. An empirical study was completed which engaged high school teachers as participants, affording the opportunity to reflect on their current practice from feedback from their students. The research progressed through 3 phases: focus group of six teachers teaching high stakes examination programmes to students age 14-16 (English GCSEs); 10 interviews with students selected from each teacher's classes; and a second focus group re-convening the teachers. The research found a link between what students perceived to be motivational and the changes that teachers were able to envisage for future practice, indicating that teachers were able to learn from their students. The implications for educational psychologist practice and future research are discussed. Finally, the thesis concludes with a reflection of the dissemination of the above pieces of research. Dissemination focussed on offering the findings to schools and using methods of consultation and collaboration to integrate findings in to school practice.

Orientador: Maria Helena Vieira Abrahão / Banca: Denise Bértoli Braga / Banca: Nelson Viana / Banca: Ana Mariza Benedetti / Banca: Douglas Altamiro Consolo / Resumo: Esta investigação enfoca a formação inicial de interagentes em contexto de aprendizagem de português e espanhol in-teletandem, estando inserida no projeto institucional Teletandem Brasil: línguas estrangeiras para todos (UNESP/ FAPESP). Em termos gerais, a aprendizagem in-tandem envolve pares de falantes nativos de diferentes línguas trabalhando, de forma colaborativa, para aprenderem a língua um do outro, sem a presença de um professor, por meio do programa computacional MSN Messenger. Nesse sentido, este estudo tem como participantes uma interagente brasileira, licencianda em Letras por uma universidade pública paulista, uma interagente mexicana, doutoranda em Lingüística Aplicada na Espanha, e uma mediadora, que também é autora desta investigação. Tem como objetivo analisar de que maneira crenças, discursos e reflexões se manifestam e se (re)constroem em relação ao processo de aprender línguas e comunicar-se em um contexto mediado pelo computador. A pesquisa tem base etnográfica e os dados foram coletados por meio de instrumentos compatíveis com tal tipo de pesquisa, tais como interações e mediações gravadas inteletandem ou em chat, autobiografias, entrevistas, questionários e diários de pesquisa, analisados sob uma perspectiva interpretativista. Nesse contexto, o teletandem representa uma possibilidade real de comunicar-se com alguém, aprender sobre sua cultura, os pensamentos e os costumes de um povo, aspectos reais que usualmente não aparecem em livros didáticos. As mediações podem ser caracterizadas como um espaço de aprendizagem e têm potencial para promover oportunidades significativas de reflexão crítica, em busca de uma coerência para a formação inicial de professores inteletandem e conscientização quanto à responsabilidade pela aprendizagem em parceria. Dessa maneira, o diálogo entre crenças, discurso e reflexão profissional... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: and Spanish teaching/learning in teletandem, and is inserted in the institutional project Teletandem Brasil: línguas estrangeiras para todos (UNESP/FAPESP). In general terms, language learning in-tandem involves pairs of native speakers of different languages working collaboratively to learn each other's language, without the presence of a language teacher, mediated by the computer program MSN Messenger. This study has as participants a Brazilian partner, which is a "Letters" student in a public university; a Mexican partner, which is a Ph.D. candidate in Applied Linguistics and lives in Spain; and a mediator, which is also the author of this thesis. The study aims at analyzing the beliefs, the discourse and the reflective processes that are revealed and (re)constructed in relation to communication and language learning processes, mediated by the computer. The research has an ethnographic basis and the data were collected by instruments that are compatible with this kind of investigation, such as the recording of interactions and mediations developed in teletandem and in chat, autobiographies, interviews, questionnaires and research diaries, which were analyzed through an interpretative perspective. In this context, teletandem represents a real possibility for communication and culture learning, real aspects which may not be explored by the textbooks. The mediations can be characterized as learning contexts with the potential to promote meaningful opportunities for critical reflection, searching for coherence in pre-service teacher education and shared learning responsibility. This way, the dialogue among beliefs, discourse and professional reflection is perfectly comprehensible in this research. Finally, by considering the results of this investigation, we can figure out that the project can contribute to the formulation of educational official documents which focus on new... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-12-04Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:43:25Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 kaneoya_mlck_dr_sjrp.pdf: 863561 bytes, checksum: 0e806c21358a3ea8067b34a69d17f9bb (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Esta investigação enfoca a formação inicial de interagentes em contexto de aprendizagem de português e espanhol in-teletandem, estando inserida no projeto institucional Teletandem Brasil: línguas estrangeiras para todos (UNESP/ FAPESP). Em termos gerais, a aprendizagem in-tandem envolve pares de falantes nativos de diferentes línguas trabalhando, de forma colaborativa, para aprenderem a língua um do outro, sem a presença de um professor, por meio do programa computacional MSN Messenger. Nesse sentido, este estudo tem como participantes uma interagente brasileira, licencianda em Letras por uma universidade pública paulista, uma interagente mexicana, doutoranda em Lingüística Aplicada na Espanha, e uma mediadora, que também é autora desta investigação. Tem como objetivo analisar de que maneira crenças, discursos e reflexões se manifestam e se (re)constroem em relação ao processo de aprender línguas e comunicar-se em um contexto mediado pelo computador. A pesquisa tem base etnográfica e os dados foram coletados por meio de instrumentos compatíveis com tal tipo de pesquisa, tais como interações e mediações gravadas inteletandem ou em chat, autobiografias, entrevistas, questionários e diários de pesquisa, analisados sob uma perspectiva interpretativista. Nesse contexto, o teletandem representa uma possibilidade real de comunicar-se com alguém, aprender sobre sua cultura, os pensamentos e os costumes de um povo, aspectos reais que usualmente não aparecem em livros didáticos. As mediações podem ser caracterizadas como um espaço de aprendizagem e têm potencial para promover oportunidades significativas de reflexão crítica, em busca de uma coerência para a formação inicial de professores inteletandem e conscientização quanto à responsabilidade pela aprendizagem em parceria. Dessa maneira, o diálogo entre crenças, discurso e reflexão profissional... / and Spanish teaching/learning in teletandem, and is inserted in the institutional project Teletandem Brasil: línguas estrangeiras para todos (UNESP/FAPESP). In general terms, language learning in-tandem involves pairs of native speakers of different languages working collaboratively to learn each other's language, without the presence of a language teacher, mediated by the computer program MSN Messenger. This study has as participants a Brazilian partner, which is a “Letters” student in a public university; a Mexican partner, which is a Ph.D. candidate in Applied Linguistics and lives in Spain; and a mediator, which is also the author of this thesis. The study aims at analyzing the beliefs, the discourse and the reflective processes that are revealed and (re)constructed in relation to communication and language learning processes, mediated by the computer. The research has an ethnographic basis and the data were collected by instruments that are compatible with this kind of investigation, such as the recording of interactions and mediations developed in teletandem and in chat, autobiographies, interviews, questionnaires and research diaries, which were analyzed through an interpretative perspective. In this context, teletandem represents a real possibility for communication and culture learning, real aspects which may not be explored by the textbooks. The mediations can be characterized as learning contexts with the potential to promote meaningful opportunities for critical reflection, searching for coherence in pre-service teacher education and shared learning responsibility. This way, the dialogue among beliefs, discourse and professional reflection is perfectly comprehensible in this research. Finally, by considering the results of this investigation, we can figure out that the project can contribute to the formulation of educational official documents which focus on new... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

This study was designed to provide information on the reading instructional practices of 36 first grade teachers in nine schools that serve predominantly Spanish-speaking and ELL students in a southeastern U.S. school district. The purpose of this investigation was to describe teaching practices employed during English language arts instruction and to examine their use in relation to instructional grouping strategies, teacher language use, and student engagement. Participating classrooms were observed three times throughout the 2006-07 school year. Data were collected via the Timed Observations of Student Engagement/Language (TO/SEL) classroom observation instrument (Foorman & Schatchneider, 2003). Paired sample t-tests, multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA), and multiple regression analyses were employed to investigate the relationship among the following observed variables: allocation of reading instructional time, grouping strategies, teacher language use and student engagement. Several key findings emerged. Participating teachers spent a greater amount of time on meaning-focused reading instruction (i.e., writing, reading texts, reading comprehension) than on code-focused reading instruction (i.e., word work, spelling, reading fluency, phonemic awareness), both during all four observed grouping strategies and after controlling for individual student seat work. In addition, of five key collapsed instructional variables (word work/spelling, oral language, writing, reading texts, and reading comprehension), teachers spent most time on word work/spelling (19%) and writing (18%). Reading texts and reading comprehension instruction together comprised 26% of total instructional time. Whole class instruction was the grouping strategy of choice among teachers (65% of total observed time); in sharp contrast, teachers spent 11% of observed time engaged in small group instruction, despite research findings supporting the effectiveness of sound grouping instruction. In addition, as little as 1% of teachers' total instructional time was spent in oral language/discussion, and 6% of total instructional time was spent in vocabulary instruction. The results also demonstrated little variation in teacher language use. Thus, evidence of "codeswitching" was not significant. Student engagement was high- 91% of total time students were observed; and was highest during writing and word work/spelling instruction. More longitudinal research is warranted that further explores precisely documented teacher reading instructional practices in relation to student outcomes with culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. Implications for practice include teacher training and professional development on managing small group instruction, and incorporating additional oral language/discussion, vocabulary and meaningful tasks into daily classroom activities.