Assessment data continues to show middle and high school students struggling with literacy. As literacy is intricate to every course at the secondary level, students who struggle with reading and writing struggle across the curriculum. While this glaring issue persists, many teachers take few courses to train them to implement the instructional strategies needed to help students overcome deficits and succeed in the disciplinary coursework of secondary school. The goals of the project were to decide which content should be included in a required program of study for secondary education pre-service teachers to increase capacity and improve classroom readiness and identify influencing factors in instructional adjustments and literacy coursework that contribute to secondary preservice /in-service teacher success. Research studies show explicit instruction instruction in vocabulary, comprehension, and writing across the curriculum have a positive effect on student achievement in literacy. Research also showed that pre-service teachers trained in literacy instructional strategies and engaged in quality field experience are more prepared to instruct students successfully. Based on research, an updated secondary education program of study was created to strengthen literacy instructional capacity through targeted coursework and teacher residency. The current degree program was audited to find solutions. Courses strong training pre-service teachers in comprehension, vocabulary, and writing instruction were added to the program of study. The updated coursework was set in a progression to improve alignment of instructional strategies taught within the program. The program’s field experience component was expanded from a semester of required internship to a full academic year of teacher residency through a new teacher residency program. Updated syllabi, programs of study, course progression, and the teacher residency program were converted into the required documentation to request for a new degree program through Mississippi State University.

Texas programs in pre-service art teacher preparation vary little. Since 1970, the National Art Education Association (NAEA) has created voluntary standards in hopes of decreasing variability among programs. In 1999, the NAEA published Standards for Art Teacher Preparation, outlining 20 content areas that art pre-service programs should provide their students. To obtain information on the implementation and the extent to which these 20 standards are being implemented, a questionnaire was sent to all programs in Texas. The 20 standards were the dependent variable for the study. The four independent variables used in this ex post facto study were: the size of the institution where the program exists; the number of full-time art faculty; the number of full-time art education faculty; and, the number of undergraduate art education students who graduated last year. The 20 standards or provisions were scored on a Lickert scale with six options: zero (not taught) to five (comprehensively taught). The response size (N = 23) was 47% of the state's 49 approved programs. The results from the survey suggest no significant difference among programs. However, the results showed a significant difference in the number of provisions taught between programs with no art educators and those with 1 to 3 art educators. One art educator seemed to increase the number of pedagogical provisions taught but did not increase the extent or enhance the degree to which each provision was taught. A comprehensively taught response to the NAEA provisions on the questionnaire was further investigated through analysis of catalog course descriptions and correspondence with participants. The results are estimated in credit hours and indicate that there may be a point where time on task decides the limit that constitutes a comprehensive preparation. Perspectives on content are discussed and regarded as too subjective to define comprehensive preparation. Comprehensive time on task varies with content, which may imply an unconscious marker of time shared by educators that defines a comprehensive preparation for each provision. Changing and local standards in art pre-service programs may have produced a range of interpretations regarding the meaning of "comprehensively taught.";

The South African government has developed various policies to promote equality and inclusivity in education. Despite all the efforts, Grade R in-service teachers seem unable to cope with inclusive education and it appears that they are not adequately prepared for inclusive education. The purpose of this study is to explore Grade R in-service teacher preparation for inclusive education in South Africa, with a view to add to existing knowledge on this topic and propose guidelines that can be used to enhance Grade R in-service teacher preparation for inclusive education. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory formed the theoretical foundation for this study. Qualitative approach was used to understand Grade R in-service teacher preparation for inclusive education. A sample group of eleven Grade R teachers were selected to provide “information-rich” data. Interviews, observations and document analysis were selected as data collection techniques. Data analysis and interpretation was a qualitative and inductive process. The findings revealed that Grade R in-service teacher preparation programmes are inadequate to prepare them for inclusive education; and they have difficulty coping with inclusive education because of insufficient translation of theory into practice and insufficient knowledge on the use of available resources for inclusive education. Curriculum differentiation should form an important aspect of teacher training. It is recommended that there should be a consultative process between all stakeholders who are involved in training of Grade R teachers. Guidelines were also proposed that could be used to enhance Grade R in-service teacher preparation programmes for inclusive education. These include preparing Grade R in-service teachers to apply curriculum differentiation in practical situations, and using teacher trainers who are knowledgeable about inclusive education in the context of the Grade R classroom. The researcher proposes that Grade R teachers be prepared so they are skilled, knowledgeable and confident to transfer knowledge and skills among themselves, even in cluster meetings. / Inclusive Education / Ph. D. (Inclusive Education)

After nearly a century of research, scholars are still unable to concretely define the personal and professional characteristics that predict effective teachers. This dissertation contributes to the research base by using a unique dataset that allows the estimation of unbiased effects of teacher characteristics and preparation program on student gains. These estimates provide new evidence that, with quality data, teacher characteristics can predict student gains. The effects of teacher characteristics on student gains are analyzed using data from a Kentucky school district that links teachers to individual students over time. A series of fixed- and between-effects models are used to arrive at unbiased estimates of GPA, math content hours, and math education hours. A similar model is used to estimate the effects of teacher preparation programs on student gains. Results from the empirical models suggest that teachers’ overall GPA is highly predictive of students’ academic gains, although the effects decline as teachers gain experience. The positive effect of math content hours is noteworthy because it does not decrease over time, suggesting the importance of gaining content knowledge during teacher preparation. The data do not permit conclusive results to be drawn regarding the impact of specific teacher preparation programs on student gains, although additional data are being collected in the district that will allow the successful completion of this study in the future. A nationally representative dataset is used to analyze the effects of school workplace conditions on teacher turnover. Results from the logit and multinomial logit models suggest that workplace conditions affect the transition decisions of teachers who switch schools, but not those of teachers who leave the workforce entirely. The findings of this dissertation inform ongoing policy debates that are relevant to stakeholders at all levels of the educational system. The empirical chapter on teacher turnover focused on policy levers that can be influenced at a more local level – workplace conditions. This study also informs the policy debate on pathways to teacher certification.The results of the teacher characteristics demonstrate the value of both content and pedagogical knowledge on student gains.

This study uses teacher employment data provided by the State Board for Educator Certification to examine the similarities and differences between initial employment and attrition rates of teachers trained in three prevalent types of Texas teacher preparation programs; alternative certification programs (ACP), the centers for professional development of teachers (CPDT), and traditional certification programs (TCP). The population for the study includes all Texas teachers who completed training in these programs in 1995, 1996, and 1997. The study found that ACP participants gain employment as Texas public school teachers at a significantly higher rate than their CPDT and TCP trained peers in year-one after completion of their training. However, ACP completers experience higher attrition rates in each of the subsequent years investigated. The study concludes that the overall cumulative attrition rate of new teachers trained in these programs is not as pronounced as originally presumed, but that low production levels cannot keep up with the growing demand for new teachers. Teacher preparation program leaders must seek ways to recruit and train more teachers.

The early childhood profession regards advocacy as a professional and ethical responsibility yet little is known about advocacy instructional practices in teacher education programs. This study surveyed selected early childhood teacher educators who currently prepare undergraduate preservice professionals in two- and four-year institutions throughout the United States to identify and evaluate the existing advocacy training practices in preservice education. The study was designed to: (a) determine what leaders in the field of early childhood believe constitutes appropriate advocacy training for preprofessionals, (b) describe the advocacy activities of teacher educators, (c) determine if there is a difference in the advocacy instructional practices of two- and four-year institutions, and (d) recommend a model for advocacy in preprofessional programs. The participants included 607 teacher educators who responded to a mailed questionnaire and 14 leaders of early childhood professional organizations who participated in telephone interviews. Participants represented 48 states and all geographic regions of the United States. Results indicate that teacher educators and leaders believe advocacy instruction is important in preparation programs. The most frequently included advocacy activities are professionalism and understanding the professional role. Advocacy skills and strategies focused on public policy were included the least. Findings show that teacher educators participate in a variety of advocacy activities although few participate in public policy activities. No statistically significant differences were found between two- and four-year institutions in advocacy instructional practices. Based on study data, the researcher developed the Brunson Model for Advocacy Instruction in order to provide the profession with a consistent and sequenced approach to advocacy instruction. Recommendations for future research include: investigation of effective strategies for teaching advocacy; a study of the developmental nature of advocacy; and a study of the Brunson Model for Advocacy Instruction to determine the model's effectiveness in preparing professionals who will have the ability to speak up and speak out for children and families.

Transfer articulation is an important policy issue in Virginia. With increasing economic strains on federal and state budgets, pressure on key actors in higher education, and critical teacher shortages, an opportunity presented itself to investigate state transfer policy and articulation agreements designed to facilitate student transfer. Articulation agreements are policy instruments designed to facilitate a seamless transfer of both students and credits from the community college system into senior institutions. Over the last decade increased articulation activity has taken place in the Commonwealth of Virginia driven by higher education costs and articulation specific to teacher preparation due to teacher shortages. This study is an effort to add to the literature by linking the presence of one articulation agreement to increased enrollments of Virginia Community College System (VCCS) associate degree holders into a 5-year teacher preparation program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Select academic outcomes of associate degree holders, students who took coursework in the VCCS, and native students were also examined for comparative purposes. The study engaged a quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional research methodology using existing data related to the 5-year teacher preparation program at VCU. The data collected for the study originated from the initial teacher licensure Master of Teaching (M.T.) programs which include early/elementary, and secondary (6-12) programs in English, foreign languages, history/social studies, mathematics, sciences, and special education. A master file containing 2,349 observations was created from which samples were then drawn for hypotheses testing. Ordinary Least Square regression, multiple regression, and binary logistic regression were used and the results indicated the presence of the 2004 VCU/VCCS Teacher Education Provision Admission (TEPA) articulation agreement had no impact on enrollment likelihood. Earning an associate degree was a strong predictor of graduation likelihood in the teacher preparation program and associate degree holders could also expect to earn fewer cumulative hours in the program—a potential savings of time and money. Total community college credits earned was a strong predictor of teacher licensure likelihood. Race had no impact on elapsed time spent in the teacher preparation program. The findings of this study suggest the mere presence of an articulation agreement does not guarantee increased enrollments into an academic program, in this case, a 5-year teacher preparation program. Student outcomes also suggest earning the associate degree had significant effects post transfer, almost doubling graduation likelihood. Licensing likelihood is positively affected by total community college credits earned. Results of the models testing common measures of student academic success—cumulative GPA, Praxis I performance, and GRE performance had no impact on graduation likelihood. Since the extant research is not robust on 5-year teacher preparation programs, further research is recommended specifically on 5-year programs related to the effectiveness of articulation agreements on enrollments—in addition to post transfer student outcomes.

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the knowledge, skills, and experiences in the enameling arts and the attitudes and perceptions of in-service (n = 12) and pre-service Kuwaiti art teachers (n = 170), art supervisors at the Ministry of Education (MOE) (n = 3) and art education faculty members at the College of Basic Education (CBE) and Kuwait University (KU) (n = 8) about what they believed pre-service art teachers should know and be able to do in order to teach the enameling arts, and (2) to use this information to inform and guide the development of a content outline for an enameling course for pre-service Kuwaiti art teachers that is educationally (how to perform enameling arts skills and how to teach what they know), practically (safety issues, workshop management, etc), and culturally (its relation to Islamic culture) suitable. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. Most of the respondents revealed limited knowledge and skills and modest experiences in the enameling arts. All interviewees in the study expressed positive perceptions and attitudes about the enameling arts. Most agreed that a revision to the current art education curriculum at the CBE was needed and made suggestions about how the curriculum should be revised. It was clear that there is a disconnection and miscommunication between the MOE and the CBE with regards to the information about enameling that should be covered and taught in the art education classes. All respondents expressed support for the inclusion of a course in enameling in the art education curriculum at the CBE. Because of the limited knowledge of the participants in the study, they were not able to provide guidance in shaping the content for a course in the enameling arts. The researcher had to rely on the literature review and his expertise as an enameling artist to develop a content outline that was educationally, practically, and culturally suitable for the pre-service Kuwaiti art teachers. Further study was recommended in regard to curriculum issues, especially those related to the inclusion of Islamic culture, and methods of delivering instruction in the enameling arts.

Submitted by admin tede (tede@pucgoias.edu.br) on 2017-10-25T12:53:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MARIA JOSE DE MOURA ALVES.pdf: 820834 bytes, checksum: 501fc449efda843fb4b83e6995ca22e7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-25T12:53:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MARIA JOSE DE MOURA ALVES.pdf: 820834 bytes, checksum: 501fc449efda843fb4b83e6995ca22e7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-08-01 / Treatment to the handicap has undergone many phases, since segregation, going through integration overture until the so called Inclusive Education came along, which strengthened primarily since the Salamanca Declaration. The implementation of the Inclusive Education depends on various factors, amongst which the student board stands out. In this perspective, the objective of this study is to analyze the Inclusive Education Implementation Policy in the County Education System of Anapolis in the early years of Elementary school, as well as the Continued Preparation of Teachers to act in The Inclusive Overture. It is also intended to elucidate the main legislations relative to inclusive education on an international, national and countywide scale, as well as discovering the condition considered necessary for the inclusive implementation, to discuss the role of the teacher in their preparation, analyzing how this preparation has been occurring in relation to the teachers of the 1st and 5th grade of the county education of Anapolis. The methodology used can be described as an exploratory research that involved a bibliographic gathering of the subject studied, and data collecting through questionnaires, documental analyses and strategic methodology of the focal group. 1st to 5th grade Elementary teachers of 15 model schools of Inclusive Education in Anapolis, which corresponds to a total of 50% of this school type, participated in the research, not to mention the teacher of Special Educational Services of the same schools. It is suggested that everyone assumes their responsibility as to the effectiveness of inclusive education, leaving in to public authorities to guarantee the adequate conditions to the implementation, amongst which include the adaptation of the physical structure, adequate didactic material and real conditions of teacher preparation to work with diverse cases. On the other hand, teachers also need to invest in their own formation, seeking to upgrade their knowledge not only through courses, but by reading up to date material about the subject and exchange information with colleagues. The County Secretary of Education has promoted some preparation courses for teacher focusing on Inclusive Education, but this has not been enough to attend to the necessities of teacher preparation. / O atendimento à pessoa com deficiência passou por diversas fases, desde a segregação, passando por propostas de integração até o advento da chamada Educação Inclusiva, cujo fortalecimento deuse principalmente a partir da Declaração de Salamanca. A implementação da Educação Inclusiva depende de uma série de fatores, dentre os quais se destaca a formação docente. Nesta perspectiva, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar as Políticas de Implementação da Educação Inclusiva no Sistema Municipal de Ensino de Anápolis nos anos Iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, bem como a Formação Continuada dos Professores para Atuar numa Proposta Inclusiva. Pretende-se ainda elucidar as principais legislações relativas à educação inclusiva no âmbito internacional, nacional estadual e municipal, bem como conhecer as condições consideradas necessárias para a implementação da educação inclusiva, discutir o papel do professor em sua formação, analisando como esta formação vem ocorrendo com relação aos professores de 1º ao 5º ano da rede municipal de ensino de Anápolis. A metodologia utilizada pode ser descrita como pesquisa exploratória, que envolveu levantamento bibliográfico sobre o tema em estudo, e coleta de dados mediante aplicação de questionários, análise documental e estratégia metodológica do grupo focal. Participaram da pesquisa professores regentes de 1º ao 5º ano do Ensino Fundamental de 15 escolas referência em Educação Inclusiva em Anápolis, o que corresponde a 50% do total de tais escolas, além dos professores de Atendimento Educacional Especializado das mesmas escolas. Sugere-se que cada um assuma sua responsabilidade em relação à efetivação da educação inclusiva, cabendo ao poder público garantir as condições adequadas à sua implementação, entre as quais estão as adaptações na estrutura física, material didático adequado e condições reais de formação docente para atuar na diversidade. Por outro lado, o professor também precisa investir em sua própria formação, procurando atualizar-se não só por meio de cursos, mas pela leitura de materiais atualizados sobre o tema e troca de experiência com colegas. A Secretaria Municipal de Educação tem promovido alguns cursos de capacitação docente voltada para a Educação Inclusiva, mas estas não têm sido suficientes para atender às necessidades de formação dos professores.

The purpose of this study was to identify beginning teachers' perceptions of how colleges and universities can improve their teacher preparation programs and what school systems can do to ensure that first-year teachers have a successful and satisfying experience in the classroom. A total of 20 first and second-year elementary teachers participated in 20 separate, qualitative interviews. The information collected from the interviews was inductively analyzed. Several themes reflecting the perceptions of study participants emerged during the data analysis process: (1) a belief that college classes did not reflect or prepare new teachers for the "real world" of teaching. (2) feeling overwhelmed by teaching duties and expectations; (3) positive benefits of mentoring; (4) a desire for more interactive field experience; and (4) the need for classroom management skills. From the findings, the investigator presented the following suggestions for improving the teacher education program at colleges: (1) provide additional opportunities for more interactive field experience, not just observing; (2) eliminate many of the philosophy classes and research requirements; (3) include more instruction in dealing with classroom management, including discipline strategies and effective means of interacting with parents; (4) intensify reading instruction; and (5) provide more course work in special education issues. The following suggestions were presented for improving the induction program at the school level: (1) formally assign a mentor; (2) schedule a time for the principal to meet with new teachers individually to fully explain school procedures and expectations; (3) hire beginning teachers earlier in the summer to provide them with more preparation time; (4) furnish teachers with adequate funds to purchase school materials; and (5) provide release time to observe veteran teachers. This study provides valuable information for university departments of education to improve their teacher preparation program to reflect the needs of today's new teachers. These findings will assist school systems in developing more appropriate induction programs for new teachers.