The present study is located within a broader problematic of how inequality is generated and legitimated within schools. It has as its centre of focus three Greek mathematics teachers who are seen as mediating forces between state curricular intentions and the learners. Having social justice as my primary motive for conducting this thesis research, I use the critical theoretic research paradigm as a guiding framework in order to investigate the teachers’ conceptions of the socio-political dimension of the assessment of pupil attainment in mathematics. Through an analysis of the socio-political role of educational assessment I argue that the investigated issue may be considered as a privileged window that can provide a broad perspective from which I can observe how the participants of this study are positioned with respect to the role of mathematics education in the reproduction of unequal class relations. To obtain answers to my assessment-related research questions, through a series of interviews I examine the teachers’ theoretical positions but in addition to that I observe their classroom cultures in the formation of which they play a protagonistic role. Through the teachers’ discourses and their annotated actions, I try to uncover the ways they respond to the contradictions and the dilemmas that might be posed to them by the given educational reality, as well as the tensions they might experience whenever they perceive the incompatibility of what they espouse and what they can achieve. Moving beyond the cognitive and psychological approaches that characterise most of research literature on teacher beliefs into the realm of ideology critique, I use Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis to depict teacher discourses as parts of social practices that are conditioned by social-historical factors and try to show what reproductive effects these discourses can have on social structures, sustaining them or contributing to their transformation.

The purpose of this study was to explore string teachers? assessment practices related to string program success. Additionally, the study examined the relationship between teacher characteristics and string program success. This study was conducted by surveying string teachers (N = 201) from around the country. The survey was designed based on the independent variables of teacher characteristics and assessment practices, and the dependent variable of string program success. Results indicated that string teachers most frequently assess with teacher-given verbal criticism, rehearsal skills, attendance, teacher-rated rubrics, and student evaluations. The least common assessment practices used by string teachers were composition assignments, music history assessments, portfolio assessment, improvisation/creativity assignments, and cross-curricular assignments. String program success was correlated with the assessment practices of written assessments, student reflections, teacher-rated rubrics, sightreading skills assessment, student evaluations, music theory assessments, music history assessments, and portfolio assessments, and student rated rubrics. Years of teaching, level of education, musicianship-based assessment, and student-based assessments were predictors of string program success. String program success did not differ as a function of years teaching, however there is a difference in string program success within the characteristics of gender, education level, and primary instrument, as well as primary instrument by education level.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2008. / Title from title screen (site viewed Nov. 25, 2008). PDF text: vi, 94 p. : ill. ; 2 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3315205. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Though attention to academic language is a key component of the Teacher Performance Assessment and the new Common Core Standards, little has been researched regarding how pre-service teachers build academic language knowledge and integrate it into their practice teaching experience. This study focuses on the construction and delivery of academic language knowledge to pre-service teachers in a one year immersion teacher preparation program. It studies the pre-service teachers' use of academic language knowledge in their planning, teaching, and assessment throughout a practicum and clinical experience, as well as their use of academic language knowledge as part of reflective practice. Through analysis of classroom observation notes, interviews, and artifacts, the data show that after receiving instruction on academic language concepts in the areas of content-area terminology and language use, reading, and writing, pre-service teachers consciously integrated an attention to the terminology and language use of their content area into their practicum experience. However, faced with understanding themselves as teachers while navigating their mentor teacher's expectations, learning the curriculum they are teaching, and developing classroom management skills, etc., attention to academic language instruction in reading and writing was limited. Recognition that content-area terminology and language use is key to accessing content, though, influenced reflection on how content knowledge is accessed. This conscious understanding of the role terminology and language use plays in accessing content knowledge opened the door for a deeper reflection on the role academic language plays in the classroom. And, during their post-practicum clinical experience, these pre-service teachers were able to more knowledgeably reflect on how to integrate specific content-area reading and writing instruction into curriculum. These conclusions suggest that an introduction to academic language concepts and practices can reveal "blind spots" that enable pre-service teachers to better address content-area literacy in their future practice. They also suggest that more focus in academic language instruction in teacher education programs could help pre-service teachers more efficiently learn the complexities of their new role.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 79-88).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-88). Also available in print.

Submitted by Tatiana Lima (tatianasl@ufba.br) on 2015-04-13T19:33:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Almeida, Bonifácio Chaves de.pdf: 1090715 bytes, checksum: f15a6c96219e88a107cb2874c040cba9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Patricia Barroso (pbarroso@ufba.br) on 2015-05-05T14:22:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Almeida, Bonifácio Chaves de.pdf: 1090715 bytes, checksum: f15a6c96219e88a107cb2874c040cba9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-05T14:22:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Almeida, Bonifácio Chaves de.pdf: 1090715 bytes, checksum: f15a6c96219e88a107cb2874c040cba9 (MD5) / Avaliações institucionais são procedimentos administrativos que visam diagnosticar a situação na qual a organização se encontra em comparação ao que foi projetado, em busca da melhoria dos seus serviços ou produtos ofertados. Podem ser classificadas em avaliação institucional externa e avaliação institucional interna ou autoavaliação. A autoavaliação se caracteriza por contemplar a participação de todos os stakeholders. Considera, no caso da organização educacional, a avaliação dos docentes realizadas pelos discentes. A avaliação feita pelos alunos das práticas pedagógicas dos professores são fontes expressivas para auxiliar o desenvolvimento de políticas para formação continuada docente que visem o melhoramento de suas práticas pedagógicas e, consequente, a qualidade do ensino ofertado. Com o objetivo de analisar a percepção de utilização ideal e a percepção de utilização efetiva dos professores do Ifba acerca da avaliação do docente pelos discentes como fonte informacional utilizável na melhoria de suas práticas pedagógicas foi realizada uma pesquisa com 240 professores das carreiras de magistério de ensino superior e de ensino básico, técnico e tecnológico do Ifba, metodologicamente caracterizada como descritiva de levantamento (survey) de cunho quantitativo. Supõe-se, primeiramente, não existir diferenças significativas entre a percepção de utilização ideal e a percepção de utilização efetiva no que tange à avaliação do docente feita pelo aluno como melhoria das práticas pedagógicas docentes. Os resultados obtidos por meio do teste dos postos com sinais de Wilcoxon apontam para uma diferença estatística significativa entre a percepção de utilização ideal de empregabilidade da avaliação do docente realizada pelos alunos e a percepção de utilização efetiva dessa avaliação. Institutional assessments are administrative procedures to diagnose the situation in which the organization is compared to what was projected in the pursuit of improving their services or products offered. They can be classified into external institutional assessment and internal assessment or institutional self-assessment. Self-assessment's main characteristic is that it considers the participation of all stakeholders. In terms of educational organization, it includes assessments of teachers made by students. The assessments performed by students concerning the pedagogical practices of teachers are significant sources to assist the development of policies for continuing teacher training aimed at improving their teaching practices and, consequently, the quality of the education offered. A study was conducted with 240 teachers and professors who work with college, basic, technical and technological education at the IFBA. The aim was to analyze the perception of ideal use and the perception of effective use of teachers and professors at the IFBA about assessments made by students as an informational source shown to be utilizable in the their teaching practices. The study is methodologically characterized as a descriptive survey of quantitative nature. At first, it was assumed that no significant differences between the perception of ideal use and the perception of effective use in regard to teacher assessment made by students as improving pedagogical teaching practices existed. However, the results obtained through the test carried out with posts with Wilcoxon's signs point to a statistically significant difference between the perception of ideal use of applicability of the teacher evaluation performed by the students and the perception effective use of this assessment.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of changes in preservice elementary mathematics teachers&rsquo / views and reflections about elementary mathematics classes based on their observations in School Experience I and School Experience II courses. Specifically, this study investigated pre-service elementary mathematics teachers&rsquo / views and reflections about instruction, assessment, and classroom management issues in elementary mathematics classes based on their observations in School Experience I and School Experience II courses. The sample consisted of 19 pre-service elementary mathematics teachers from a teacher education program at Middle East Technical University (METU). Pre-service elementary mathematics teachers involved in this study made their observations in their cooperating schools for 3 months during the spring semester of 2004-2005 academic year and the fall semester of 2007-2008 academic year. The data were collected by means of their School Experience I and School Experience II course reports. The results indicated that although there was commonality in the views and reflections of pre-service elementary mathematics teachers&rsquo / about instruction, assessment, and classroom management issues in elementary mathematics classes, there were differences in their knowledge in the way they perceive instruction, assessment, and classroom management as they progressed through their education. In other words, when School Experience I course reports were compared with School Experience II course reports, pre-service teachers perceived the mathematics instruction as more student-centered and they gave more importance to the alternative assessment strategies in their School Experience II course reports. Furthermore, they defended more positive classroom management methods in their School Experience II course reports.

This study reports the development of an instrument intended to measure mathematics teachers' knowledge of Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI). CGI is a mathematics professional development framework based on how students think about and solve problems and how that knowledge guides instruction for developing mathematical understanding. The purpose of this study was to (a) analyze and revise the original CGI Teacher Knowledge Assessment (CGI TKA), (b) administer the revised CGI TKA, and (c) analyze the results from the revised CGI TKA. As part of the revision of the original CGI TKA, distractor analysis identified distractors that could be improved. Experts in CGI content were interviewed to identify ways in which the content of the CGI TKA could be improved, and some new items were created based on their feedback. Formatting changes were also made to administer the assessment electronically.After the original CGI TKA was revised, the revised CGI TKA was administered to teachers who had been trained in CGI. Two hundred thirteen examinees completed the revised CGI TKA and the results were analyzed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed 21 of the items loaded adequately onto one factor, considered to be overall knowledge of CGI. The Rasch model was used to estimate item difficulty and person abilities as well as to compare models using dichotomous and partial credit scoring. Advantages and disadvantages of using partial credit scoring as compared to dichotomous scoring are discussed. Except under special circumstances, the dichotomous scoring produced better fitting models and more reliable scores than the partial credit scoring. The reliability of the scores was estimated using Raykov's rho coefficient. Overall, the revised CGI TKA appears to validly and reliably measure teachers' CGI knowledge.

No description available.