Grupos colaborativos de professores e tutorias individuais nas escolas são modelos de formação continuada que podem ser alternativas aos tradicionais cursos oferecidos aos professores. Nossa pesquisa teve o objetivo de investigar como a colaboração e a tutoria auxiliam no desenvolvimento profissional de um grupo de professores de Química. Constituímos um grupo colaborativo de professores de Química na região sul de São Paulo/SP, em 2012, e investigamos o processo de desenvolvimento profissional experimentado por eles. Realizamos trinta e oito encontros do grupo colaborativo entre os anos de 2012 e 2015 aos sábados de manhã, sendo que selecionamos doze deles para a análise. Dentre os vinte e quatro professores que participaram do grupo colaborativo, foram investigados os seis mais assíduos, sendo que três dos professores investigados também participaram de encontros individuais de tutoria em suas escolas. A coleta de dados envolveu gravações dos encontros do grupo colaborativo em vídeo, gravações em áudio das tutorias, questionários, notas de campo, entrevistas semiestruturadas e um protocolo de observação de aulas. Foram realizados e analisados, ao todo, vinte e três encontros individuais de tutorias. No grupo colaborativo e nas tutorias, os professores definiram os conteúdos que queriam discutir e as atividades que gostariam de realizar. Nossa participação tinha como objetivo promover a reflexão sobre as experiências de ensino e sobre as atividades apresentadas pelos professores. O desenvolvimento profissional foi analisado considerando as necessidades formativas dos professores de ciências que foram priorizadas pelos sujeitos da pesquisa, os obstáculos ao desenvolvimento profissional que eles manifestaram e suas intenções comportamentais quanto à contextualização, experimentação e interação dialógica nas aulas. Nossos resultados mostraram que tanto o grupo colaborativo quanto a tutoria são modos eficazes de promoção do desenvolvimento profissional, pois possibilitaram que os professores rompessem o isolamento profissional, compartilhassem experiências de ensino, refletissem sobre os problemas vivenciados em suas aulas, construíssem colaborativamente soluções e modificassem concepções educacionais. Os resultados ainda indicam que essas estratégias são complementares e que o grupo colaborativo pode alcançar resultados melhores quando mediado por um formador. Embora os professores tenham refletido bastante sobre o ensino e a aprendizagem de conceitos químicos e sobre atividades didáticas para seu ensino, eles pouco se envolveram em discussões sobre avaliação e sobre aspectos pedagógicos mais teóricos, que poderiam contribuir também para seu desenvolvimento profissional. / Collaborative groups and individual tutoring in schools are models of in-service teacher education that may be an alternative to traditional courses. Our research aimed to investigate how collaboration and tutoring can help teachers in their professional development. Twenty-four Chemistry teachers gathered, on Saturday mornings, in a school located at the South area of São Paulo city, in Brazil, during thirty-eight collaborative meetings, from 2012 to 2015. We selected twelve meetings in order to analyze the professional development process experienced by these teachers. We also investigated the ideas of the six assiduous teachers, and three of them who attended individual mentoring meetings at their schools. Data collection took place from 2013 to 2015 by video recordings of collaborative group meetings, audio recordings of tutoring, surveys, field notes, semi-structured interviews and a protocol to classes\' observation. We also carried out and analyzed twenty-three individual tutorial meetings held with three teachers. During the collaborative meetings and tutoring, secondary teachers were responsible for define discussion contents, and activities they would like to do. The tutor\'s aimed was to promote teachers\' reflection on self-teaching experiences and school activities. The professional development process was analyzed taking into account pedagogical content knowledge, obstacles to achieve professional development, behavioral intentions regarding to teaching context-based approach, experimentation, and dialogic interaction among students and teacher. The results showed that both collaborative group and tutoring were effective ways to promote teachers\' professional development, since they allowed educators to overcome their professional isolation, share teaching experiences, reflect on problems experienced in their classes, solve problems collaboratively and modify educational conceptions. The results also indicated that both strategies, collaborative groups and tutoring, are integrated. The collaborative group can achieve better results by means of mediated action of a more experienced Science educator. Although teachers were able to reflect on teaching and learning chemical concepts and pedagogical activities, they were poorly engaged in discussions about assessment and teaching-learning theories.

The diploma thesis will deal with the professional vision of teachers as one of the actual concepts of didactics, given to art education. It is based on the knowledge that professional's thinking does not take place only in terms but also through images. It will deal with vocational vision in connection with professional knowledge and action in close relation to the teaching reflection. In the research part the student will participate in the analysis of concrete art lesson recorded by video study method. She will study and compare the comments of student teachers at the observational concepts and sub-processes. In the practical part student will create and carry out own art project that will respond to selected categories of the observed video study. She will apply it to the skills of primary school pupils. She will reflects in detail implemented project in relation to the analyzed concepts. Keywords reflection, art education, didactics of art education, discourse, teacher, student, teacher learning, Professional development, professional vision, teacher knowledge, video cases, analysis, concept

There seems to be a lack of synchronisation between the acquisition of skills, knowledge, values, teaching techniques, and so forth from professional learning interventions and the application thereof in practice by teachers in general and language teachers in particular. Those charged with ensuring that teachers‟ development needs, in terms of Collective Agreement 8 of 2003 (DoE, 2003), receive attention, seem to be complying with that prerequisite without establishing whether such interventions really do address the need for development. This study focuses on the quality assurance of workshops meant to address the professional development needs of language teachers. This was explored in terms of learning theories informing methods used when facilitating professional development workshops for teachers and the assessment of teachers during the workshops, including evaluation of the workshops themselves and the quality assurance of those workshops. The study has found, among others, that the methods used during facilitation are not sourced from a variety of professional learning theories, including different learning styles that accommodate teachers who learn differently from others; a variety of assessment methods is not used to assess language teachers during the workshop sessions and quality assurance of the workshops internally and externally scarcely takes place. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2013 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

This study researches phenomenon of the Biology Teachers Network (BTN), a distributed Community of Practice (CoP). The membership of the BTN is voluntary. The BTN is supported by a core group of members and administered by single moderator. The network uses a manually operated email system to communicate and share information as an automatic listserv proved to be beyond the capabilities of the membership. Etienne Wenger is the authority on the theory of CoPs and provides in depth background to the processes that are evident in a CoP. A CoP consists of the Domain, Practice and Community and through a process of negotiation of meaning, learning takes place through identity formation. CoPs can exist online in the form of distribute CoPs. Passionate leadership is essential for the formation of a CoP as is the voluntary participation of the members. A Naturalistic case study methodology is considered to be the most appropriate research tool. In this study a focus group interview and a collection of emails were used as data sources. The data was analysed using three instruments derived from the literature. The conclusion from the analysis of the data was that the BTN is a vibrant and fully functional distributed CoP in the coalescing stage. Participation in the BTN has led to an increase in professional development and ICT skills amongst some of the member teachers. The fact that this was achieved through the use of email instead of sophisticated websites suggests that this model of distributed CoP is suitable for the professional development of teachers in South Africa. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

The Case Study of the Developmental Appraisal System (DAS) is the main focus of this research inquiry. DAS is an instrument for teacher professional development aimed at enhancing the competency of teachers and accordingly, the quality of education. In the context of this exploratory study, informed by concerns about teacher learning, I sought to gain insight into how the implementation of government policy on teacher appraisal influences the way teachers strive to learn and change their practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to trace the implementation of government policy on teacher development in different contexts and to determine the extent to which DAS policy influenced teacher learning in these diverse contexts. The research inquiry is guided by one main research question: · What are the effects of developmental appraisal policy on teacher learning as seen through the eyes of teachers working in different resource contexts? In tracing the effects of DAS Policy, I focused on policy breakdown by looking at the views of implementers, i.e., educators at the level of the school. The study also explains how teachers understand the policy, which helped to lay the empirical foundation for exploring teacher learning. The investigation draws on recent work on what is called “teacher learning” for the conceptual focus. The framework provided a descriptive function that helped to assign content to the new concept on “teacher learning” in education research. It also presented an empirical function and exploratory purpose that assisted in exploring the effects of DAS Policy on the teacher learning. In seeking responses to the main research question, I conducted qualitative cases of 12 teachers who have been involved in the various phases of DAS. Teachers were selected from different resource contexts and sampled on the basis of their different profiles. I used teacher testimonies composed qualitatively through multiple methods of data collection, viz. biographical data, free writing schedule, semi-structured interviews, critical incident reports and teacher diaries. From the data generated, the following are the main findings of the study: · Teachers find the developmental promises of DAS to be unpersuasive because of its identification with the previous inspection system, and because of teachers’ identification with more powerful sources of learning. · The failure of the policy to give recognition in practice to the diverse contexts within which teachers work had a negative effect on teacher learning. · Teacher learning is an extremely complex process, and to pin down its critical features is very difficult in a developing country context. · Teachers found it difficult to ascribe “learning” to their DAS experiences given the largely negative experiences of the policy implementation process. · Context contributed to the disjuncture between understanding and practice in terms of teacher development and in particular to teacher learning. Finally, given the importance of teacher professional development in the reform process there is need for further research on how to effectively promote teacher learning. In addition, in considering the implications that diverse work contexts have for teacher learning in developing countries, policymakers can aim at effective programmes that will strengthen teacher learning. Therefore, research needs to address the link between teacher learning and diverse work contexts in different ways. / Thesis (PhD (Education Management and Policy Studies)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The effective and sustainable use of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in education has become commonplace as it is necessary to keep up with demands of the 21st century. ICT in education has become a tool for the empowerment of both teachers and learners for better teaching and learning. Although various ICT strategies and initiatives are implemented across South Africa, no system-wide effective and sustainable ICT integration in schools has yet come about. The pace of integration is slow and teachers avoid using ICT in their teaching and learning practices due to insufficient training. The aim of teacher professional development (TPD) is to improve teachers’ ICT application skills and knowledge, as well as to enable teachers to integrate ICT effectively in their classroom practices. Principals play a vital role in leading school reform, implementing innovations and bringing about change. The widespread assumption that high-quality leadership is an essential dimension of successful school management, leads to the question of how principals can influence teachers’ effective and sustainable integration of ICT into classrooms through TPD activities. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine the influence that principals have on teachers’ ICT integration through TPD. As school leadership is frequently cited as an essential for the successful integration of ICT into education, the very position of the principal is associated with authority, accountability and power. My initial research is based on Stoner’s (1999) Adapted Life Cycle Model of Learning Technology Integration. I used this model to illustrate the principals’ influence on teachers’ integration of ICT into education. From this review subsidiary questions emerged. Qualitative research through in-depth interviews formed the basis of an interpretative perspective, allowing principals to reflect on ICT integration, as well as their influence on teachers’ use of ICT. This study followed a basic grounded theory approach where I assumed an inductive stance and strived to derive meaning from the data in order to develop new theory. Pre-defined theoretical criteria determined the selection of the respondents to ensure validity of the data. The seven principals represented secondary schools across cultural and socio-economic levels. The perceptions and experiences of the principals were analysed, compared, and patterns of influence were identified. This study indicated that principals do not only influence the integration of ICT in classrooms through their leadership and management styles, but also through their attitude toward ICT integration, knowledge on related ICT and TPD issues, as well as their strategic thinking on ICT integration. Emerging findings on the role of the principal lead to new insights on the empowerment of teachers. The study resulted in a proposed theoretical framework that indicates the interrelatedness of the emerging patterns that influence the principals’ role through TPD. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

This diploma thesis deals with the topic of career in teaching, which has many specific characteristics compared to the classical concept of career. The thesis focuses on the group of kindergarten teachers who stand at the beginning of the education system as important influencers on the life-long educational journey of each of us. The aim of the thesis is to analyse the view of the kindergarten teacher career by teachers and principals and to look for support from the school management level. The theoretical part deals with three basic areas, which are professional development, professional career and career system. The first chapter shows the connection between the professional development of teachers and their career, it also focuses on its individual components, especially continual education of teachers. The second chapter is devoted to the career itself and compares the theoretical background of the career with its specifics in the teaching career. It looks at the teaching profession in terms of its attractiveness and individual stages of the teachers' career. The third chapter reflects the need for a career system, characterizes its benefits and presents the current state of its setting in the Czech Republic and abroad. The research part uses a questionnaire survey to find out how teachers...

Over the course of American schooling scholars note that democratic education and citizenship have not been abandoned, but perhaps marginalized or pushed aside, as test scores and achievement have become the most desired outcomes. Democratic education must move out of the margins and into high priority. The current political climate of increased division and divisiveness could not illustrate this need any more. Another well-documented challenge within the American educational system, particularly in high need areas is the need for highly qualified teachers. Urban Teacher Residency (UTR) programs have offered a possible solution to this growing problem in recruiting, training, and retaining highly qualified teachers in urban settings. UTRs are designed to alleviate one of the longstanding education challenges of both, quality and quantity of educators within some of the most underserved schools. While the rise in teacher residency programs, particularly in urban settings, and the marginalization of democratic education may seem unconnected, an effort to illuminate their potential relationships guides this study. Qualitative case study methodology (including analysis of program documents, interviews with teachers, and interviews with staff) was undertaken to understand the inclusion of democratic habits in one UTR, as well as the resulting enactment of democratic education by the UTR residents and alumni in one UTR, Mid-Atlantic Teacher Residency (MATR). Findings reveal the use of democratic habits by the residents and in the MATR program was mixed. Democratic habits of associated living, collaboration, student voice, critical inquiry, and student-centered learning were the most prevalent through the MATR program components of coursework, mentorship, and the cohort during the residency year. As teachers, the resident alumni exhibited democratic habits through their professional relationships and attitudes towards student-centered instruction, particularly through the use of activities. A few of the alumni exhibited aspects of democratic education through their discussion of social justice and their commitment to citizenship development. Overall, however, limited evidence of a commitment to democratic education was present in the data, which may be in part due to the program’s relatively low emphasis on democratic education. Other barriers that emerged in the data included: classroom management struggles, administrative support and policies, a lack of promoting democratic education through the program, a disconnect from the residents’ coursework to their classroom practices, and being new teachers. While it does not appear that MATR or other UTRs are currently foregrounding democratic education or democratic principles, I close by discussing why UTRs should emphasize democratic education and offering suggestions for how they might do so.

Während psychologische Studien Effekte von Emotionen für verschiedenste gesellschaftliche Diskurse belegen, wurden sie in der fachdidaktischen Forschung bisher nur wenig beachtet. Dies gilt insbesondere für Emotionen von Lehrenden. Diese sind von herausgehobener Wichtigkeit für unterrichtliche Lernprozesse, da beispielsweise die von Lehrenden empfundene Freude am Unterrichten mit der Lernfreude von Schülerinnen und Schülern zusammenhängt. Die vorliegende Dissertation setzt an diesem Punkt an und untersucht in intrapsychologischer Perspektive zum einen die Auswirkungen von Emotionen auf Motivationsprozesse (Forschungsfokus I) und zum anderen wie diese emotionalen Reaktionen entstehen (Forschungsfokus II). Aufbauend auf dem Model of Goal-directed Behavior nach Perugini & Bagozzi (2001) wurde dabei in der ersten Teilstudie (Kapitel 4.1) der Zusammenhang von Unterrichtsemotionen und der Lehrmotivation im Kontext der Rückkehr der Wölfe nach Deutschland untersucht. Hierbei konnte die Freude gegenüber dem Unterrichten des Themas als signifikanter Prädiktor der Lehrmotivation herausgearbeitet werden. Dieser Faktor zeigte dabei größere Zusammenhänge mit dem Unterrichtswunsch als die wahrgenommene Handlungskontrolle, die in vorhergehenden Studien als wichtige Voraussetzung für die Lehrmotivation dargestellt wurde. Dieser verstärkte Zusammenhang von Emotion und Motivation konnte auch in der zweiten Teilstudie (Kapitel 4.2) aufgefunden werden, in der das Modell auf generelle Naturschutzmotivationen abstrahiert wurde. Dabei wurde die Motivation für einen Like in einem sozialen Netzwerk als innovatives Naturschutzverhalten mit den klassischen Motivationen für Geldspenden und Freiwilligendienste zum Schutz des Andenbären in Ecuador miteinander verglichen. Während sich die Prädiktoren zwischen den Verhalten unterschieden, war die Freude der einzige Prädiktor der bei allen drei Verhalten einen ähnlichen Anteil an Varianz innerhalb der abhängigen Variablen vorhersagen konnte. Diese Ergebnisse unterstreichen übereinstimmend mit vorherigen Studien die Bedeutung von Emotionen für generelle Naturschutzmotivationen. Um die Entstehung von Emotionen besser zu verstehen untersucht die dritte Teilstudie (Kapitel 4.3) die motivationale Relevanz tieferliegender Persönlichkeitsmerkmale im Kontext der Rückkehr des Wolfes. Hierbei stellte sich die Schutzmotivation als wichtigste Voraussetzung für die motivationalen Faktoren Einstellung, Freude gegenüber dem Unterrichten und der wahrgenommenen Verhaltenskontrolle heraus. Diese Schutzmotivation wurde durch tieferliegende Faktoren wie Einstellungen und Werte begründet. Ein weiterer direkter Prädiktor war die psychologische Distanz zur Rückkehr des Wolfes. Das Kapitel schließt mit einer Diskussion über die Möglichkeit der Integration der vorgestellten Variablen in die universitäre Ausbildung von Lehrkräften. Diese stellt sich speziell bei Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen wie Einstellungen und Werten schwierig dar, könnte aber laut der empirischen Ergebnisse eine gewünschte und nachhaltige Steigerung der Lehrmotivation nach sich ziehen. Dieser Zusammenhang von tieferen Werten und Unterrichtsemotionen wurde in der letzten Teilstudie (Kapitel 4.4) auf verschiedene weitere Unterrichtskontexte übertragen. Hierbei stellten sich die allgemeine Werte Universalismus und Benevolenz kontextspezifisch als Prädiktoren der Freude gegenüber dem Unterrichten heraus. Für das Thema des Klimawandels war nur die psychologische Distanz entscheidender Prädiktor, die ebenfalls mit der Freude gegenüber dem Unterrichten der anderen beiden Themen zusammenhing. Insgesamt zeigt der erste Teil Ergebnisse die motivationale Relevanz von Emotionen auf, deren Entstehung im zweiten Teil genauer untersucht wird. Für die Lehrerbildung sind Emotionen zum einen aufgrund ihrer Spezifität als Herausforderung zu bezeichnen, bieten aber wegen ihrer motivationalen Relevanz auch Möglichkeiten für die Ausbildung erwünschter Lehrmotivationen.

In response to social trends whereby children are spending less time outside, school administrators have developed certified Nature Explore Outdoor Classrooms (NEOCs) intentionally designed to support whole-child learning within a natural environment. Despite the documented benefits of nature-based education, the literature and NEOC sites report challenges in facilitating this type of space. The purpose of this study was to investigate what prevents teachers in a certified NEOC from facilitating student/teacher engagement with the natural outdoor environment. Kolb's, Piaget's, and Vygotsky's theories of constructivism served as the study's framework to explore the problem from the teachers' perspectives. A qualitative case study was used to gain insight into the potential barriers to facilitating a NEOC. Eight teachers were recruited using purposeful sampling. Participant criteria included (a) >18 years of age, (b) >3 years early childhood teaching experience, (c) >1 year experience in selected NEOC, (d) prior NEOC training, and (e) willingness to share experiences. Data collection included classroom observation, individual interviewing, and review of relevant documents. All data were analyzed using comparative and inductive analysis and coded into 5 emergent themes. Identified barriers included teacher involvement, rules and regulations, volunteers, materials, and weather. By creating a 3-day professional development program that supports the benefits of nature-based learning environments and introduces strategies to overcome identified barriers, this study may promote positive social change in nature-based education. Children, families, and communities may expand their nature-based knowledge and interaction skills to pass to future generations.