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.

The purpose of this study was to explore (1) how teachers build knowledge, (2) the influence of prior beliefs on the ways in which teachers internalize this knowledge, and (3) the degree to which teachers use this new knowledge to facilitate changes in their practice. The use of landscape as a metaphorical representation for this study satisfied two needs. First, this study took place on two fundamentally different landscapes—a summer writing institute where the teachers took the role of learner, and in three teachers’ classrooms where they were to enact what they learned. However, in a more abstract sense, these landscapes, considered “exterior” (Lopez, 1995) were also places in which people lived, sharing their thoughts about families, teaching, learning, schools, and children. Thought of as “interior landscapes,” (Lopez, 1995) these conversations revealed the dialogic nature of the relationship between the two and made it possible to engage in a Bahktinian analysis of the interplay between internally persuasive and authoritative discourses voiced in the narratives. Utilizing a narrative inquiry approach (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) as a methodological base, the study focused on the relationship between professional development and the possibilities for change in each of the teacher’s classrooms. The representation of the data consisted of the many stories that took place on the two landscapes of the institute and the classrooms—stories of the teacher, school, district, community, and the state. The findings suggest that strategies alone will not improve the instruction in writing classrooms and that researchers, teacher educators, and those who provide professional development need to rethink the cultural narrative of “change.” Consideration must be given to the dialogic interplay among the various discourses, both authoritative and internally persuasive, that live on the interior landscapes of the teachers and the role each plays in the change process. Therefore, professional development settings need to become places where teachers are guided through a process to examine their deeply held assumptions of students, writing curriculum, and what constitutes knowledge. / text

This qualitative case study explored the response of four practicing non-Aboriginal teachers related to preservice training and effectiveness. Each of the participants involved in this research project was an experienced teacher with a minimum of five years of teaching experience. This case study is framed within the conceptual context of cultural responsivity. The research questions were: What do four non-Aboriginal teachers with over five years experience working with Aboriginal students describe as qualities of effective teaching in this context? What are some of the major social justice issues that teachers need to address in order to be both successful and effective when working with Aboriginal students? Methods for data collection included semi-structured interviews during which the participants shared their stories. These conversations were audio taped and the audio tape recordings were transcribed. The transcriptions were analyzed to determine insights from the stories. Those teachers who are interested in learning about being an effective teacher of Aboriginal students will find the stories insightful. While the researcher and participants were non-Aboriginal the stories may be helpful for all teachers, regardless of their ethnic or cultural background, as they work with both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. The implications of this study are that further research is needed in the areas of Teacher Education, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, and Teacher Effectiveness.

From 1998- 2009, mainland China has been the number one source of immigrants in Canada (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2011). For newcomer families, adjusting to the local school is a major concern, since their children’s education is a crucial factor in families’ immigration decision. In my research, I examined Chinese immigrant parents’ experience with Canadian schooling. The study focuses on four families living in the Greater Toronto area, who have immigrated from mainland China. I employed narrative inquiry to tell the stories of the lived experience of the four families in my study. The data for these stories are mainly drawn from field notes of each of my home visits and my interviews with the family members over a six month period. I found that the challenges and difficulties the immigrant parents face are deeply rooted in the differences between Chinese and Canadian cultures and social systems. The discussion on the features of Chinese culture in its comparison with Western culture provides a reference point for understanding the Chinese immigrant parents’ values and opinions on such matters as schooling, moral education, and parenting practice. Parental involvement in schools is different between China and Canada, and the parents, and school teachers and administrators have different understanding on this issue. What’s more, the language barrier impeded the parents’ involvement in their children’s school life. The acculturation gap between the parents and their children is another major reason for miscommunication over such issues as extracurricular activities, choice of university major, and future career. The less heard voice of immigrant parents will open new venues for the understanding of cross-cultural experiences of immigrant students. I find that instead of mainly using the traditional Chinese practice and Chinese educational values in approaching their children’s education, it is important for Chinese immigrant parents to make efforts to familiarize themselves with the ideas and values that their children are exposed to in the new environment.

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.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Ways of enacting effective professional development (PD) and professional learning (PL) of teachers are diverse and often contested and therefore needs sustained inquiry (Schuck, Aubussona, Kearney, & Burden, 2013). The “quick fix” mentality that is endemic to most including those aimed at educational systems leads to very superficial implementation of improvement strategies, including teacher development. These strategies are usually bureaucratically mandated and superficially implemented in a top-down manner. One of the critical drawbacks of such superficial implementation of top-down improvement strategies is that it fails to appeal to teachers because of their historical experiences of such short term and intermittent improvement interventions. This study focussed on the development of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) as a possible continuous professional teacher development (CPTD) model with a promise to deliver effective CPTD. Literature in this regard indicates this model of CPTD as highly effective to support sustained teacher development. The efficacy a PLC is predicated on a collaborative and relational approach to teacher development and professional learning underpinned by a microclimate of commonality. The initiation of PLCs is a complex task. It requires a deep understanding of the processes involved in orientating teachers to processes that involve reflective dialogue and collaborative inquiry. Hence this study sought to investigate experiences of teachers in a PLC established through an alliance involving teachers, didacticians and education officials. This study found that the PLC signifier conveys significant meaning for teachers in terms of their engagement in the PLC. Moreover, teachers’ experiences of the PLC model confirmed the generally accepted features of a PLC. The importance of having a common vision, norms and standards was shown to be an important dimension of the PLC. Besides the fact that the active promotion of this shared vision by the PLC leadership and other education administrators was highlighted, teachers in general accepted the importance of being reflective practitioners. Despite this belief in the value of collaborative reflection, this study found that it does not take place as often as one would expect. This is, to some extent, due to the timetabling arrangements at most schools in the sample. Findings of this investigation provided evidence that it is possible in a PLC to effect a shift from professional development to professional learning. This is consistent with literature in this regard, for example, Benken & Brown (2010) support this argument by indicating that CPTD should be viewed as professional learning that is sustained over time. However, the issue of sustainability is an important challenge. This study revealed that teachers see sustainability as a function of three important variables, namely, recognition by school leadership and administrators, support from the organised teacher movements and subject organisations, and teacher commitment. Important affordances of a PLC identified through this study are relational agency, epistemic agency and a micro-climate of commonality. These affordances are viewed as important enablers of collaborative inquiry and reflective dialogue and underscores the community aspect of a PLC.

Includes bibliographical references / This thesis explores the beliefs of mathematics teachers working in a rural school in South Africa. This is premised on the argument that understanding the beliefs of teachers is a necessary, even if insufficient, prerequisite to designing effective teacher development programmes. I postulate that take-up rates of new content and teaching methods are low due to unmanaged cognitive conflict with pre-existing beliefs about the nature of teaching. A broad review of the literature on beliefs as a concept is conducted to establish theoretical grounding for the study of beliefs as an abstract object of analysis (Green, 1971; Nespor, 1987; Pajares, 1992). I particularly refer to Ernest's (1989) models of mathematics epistemology, and Adler's (2001) dilemmas of teaching mathematics in multilingual classrooms. Multiple studies of mathematics teachers' beliefs are drawn upon to relate beliefs to classroom practice. Qualitative data on two mathematics teachers working in a rural school in the Eastern Cape was gathered over the period of a month, using ethnographic methods as outlined by Thompson (1992) for gathering evidence of beliefs. Primary data, which consisted of pre-interviews, multiple lesson observations and stimulated-recall post-interviews, was analysed for evidence of teacher beliefs. Secondary data, in the form of a researcher journal and socio-economic information about the school, was also gathered to provide rich context data in which to situate the teachers' work. Particular attention was paid to teacher beliefs about teaching and learning, mathematics and language. Further evidence for beliefs was then obtained through close examination of an observation extract using classroom discourse analysis. The main finding of this thesis was that not only does a school's context provide logistical constraints to curriculum implementation and pedagogical change, but that the worldviews of teachers affect their interpretation of the curriculum (Chapman, 2002). Significantly, a relationship between the mathematics epistemology a teacher holds and their ability to admit language as a critical pedagogical factor is suggested. I conclude that detailed understanding of what teachers believe may provide a productive approach for teacher development programmes that aim to effect change.

Under läsåret 2014/2015 genomfördes ett projekt med kollegialt lärande på S:t Petriskola i Malmö. Deltagande var frivilligt och deltagarna fick 35 timmar under läsåret isin tjänst till detta. En indelning i två grupper gjordes och auskultationer och träffargenomfördes huvudsakligen inom den egna gruppen. Gemensam litteratur och filmerdiskuterades på mötena.Syftet med detta arbete är att följa detta utvecklingsarbete och göra en deskriptivstudie och utvärdering av det första året. Detta gjordes genom deltagande i projektet,enkäter med deltagarna och intervjuer med gruppledarna. Svaren på enkäterna har varitpositiva. Det deltagarna varit mest nöjda med har varit att få inspiration, feedback ochdiskussionerna efter auskultationerna. Det största problemet har varit att hitta tider, bådeför auskultationer och möten.Från läsåret 2015/2016 ska samtliga lärare på S:t Petri skola delta i kollegialt lärande.Det är inte längre frivilligt, men alla får tid i sin tjänst för det. Grupperna går från att havarit ämnesöverskridande till att vara i samma eller snarlika ämnen. / During 2014/2015 a projekt with collaborative learning among teachers took place at S:t Petri school in Malmö. Participation was voluntary and the participants were given 35 hours of ther working time during the year to take part. Two groups were formed and lesson visits and meetings were primarily performed within the smaller group. Assigned literature and films were discussed during the meetings.The purpose of this work is to follow this development work and to make a descriptive study and evaluation of the first year. This was done by participation in the project, questionnaires with the participants and interviews with the group leaders. The responses to the questionnaires were generally positive. The most positive things have been getting inspiration, feedback and the discussions after the lesson visits. The biggest problem has been finding time, both for the visits and the meetings.Starting 2015/2196 all teachers at S:t Petri will take part in the collaborative learning study. It will no longer be voluntary, but time will be given for the work. The groups will cease being mixed and instead consist of teachers having the same or similar subjects.

Elementary general music teachers often enter the teaching field with minimal training and field experiences related to teaching students with disabilities (Colwell & Thompson, 2000; Frisque et al., 1994; Gfeller et al., 1990; Hahn, 2010; Hammel, 2001a; Heller, 1994; Salvador, 2010). Many research studies have focused on the preservice preparation for teaching music to students with disabilities, but neglect to examine the ways in which in-service elementary music teachers acquire competency for teaching music to students with disabilities following a deficient teacher preparation program. Thus, examining the how music teachers acquired competency for teaching music to students with disabilities warranted examination. Using inclusion as a conceptual framework (Adamek & Darrow, 2018), I conducted a phenomenological case study so I might better understand: (a) the lived experience of elementary music teachers for acquiring competency to teach music to students with disabilities, (b) how elementary music teachers reflected Hammel’s (2001b) essential competencies for including students with disabilities in the elementary music classroom, and (c) and how elementary music teachers utilized reflective practice to acquire competency for the instruction of students with disabilities in the elementary music classroom (Schön, 1987). Three participants were chosen according to their school district of employment, recognition as a music teacher leader, and level of preparedness to include students with disabilities in the elementary general music classroom following completion of their initial teacher preparation program. I interviewed and observed each participant in an inclusive setting. Field notes and interview data were coded, and emergent themes were presented concerning their sources and experiences for acquiring competency for teaching music to students with disabilities and how they reflected identified essential competencies for teaching music to students with disabilities in their classrooms. The findings from the research indicate that experience, compassion, and seeking and participating in professional development opportunities were the participants’ sources of growth for acquiring competency for teaching music to students with disabilities. Additionally, each participant reflected identified competencies for teaching music to students with disabilities; however, findings indicate the need to extend the competencies to include the ability to utilize reflective practice to inform instruction. Implications from this study are related to considerations for teacher training and suggestions for resources from policymakers. Findings from this study may inform music teacher educators, schools and school districts, and music educators associations for the planning and development of opportunities for teacher development related to meeting the musical needs of all students in the inclusive setting. / 2024-09-13T00:00:00Z

The process of teacher evaluation has often been less than satisfying for both teachers and administrators. Educational literature dealing with teacher evaluation shows that it is frequently a rote procedure with little or no benefit for the people involved. In this study, the researcher used the action research process to design, implement, and evaluate a new system of teacher evaluation and development in St. Anne's Catholic School. Twenty teachers of the twenty-two member faculty participated in the two-year study. Together, the teachers and administrator examined the original system of evaluation and then devised a new system. They put the new process into effect, critiqued it, and revised it. The administration and faculty learned that teacher evaluation can be more meaningful if teachers are involved in its planning, given a choice of evaluation methods, and evaluated consistently throughout the school year. / Ed. D.