This study was undertaken in conjunction with the Successful Integration of Learning Technologies (SILT) Project in Victorian state schools, and its purpose was to identify the forms of teachers’ professional practice that enhance knowledge building, in order to inform teacher development policy and pre-service education. Knowledge building is based on a constructivist approach to learning and teaching, and this, in conjunction with the spread of learning technologies, is said to have greatly changed the role of the teacher in the classroom: from the expert dispensing knowledge to the facilitator of student learning. (For complete abstract open document)

Despite the common occurrence of teaming in preschool classrooms, very little research has explored the experiences of teachers working in such a context. Due to a high turnover of preschool teachers and a recent change in the educational requirements of lead teachers in Head Start, it is anticipated that the number of young and inexperienced lead teachers is likely to increase. The purpose of this case study research is to illuminate the teaming relationships between young, recently qualified lead teachers and their assistants working together within one classroom. Over the course of a school year, interviews and observations were conducted of two Head Start teaching teams. Five major themes were revealed through data analysis: understanding of roles; organization of work; use and resistance of power; development and management of conflict; and support from within and outside the team. Analysis across the findings of both cases showed that identity and power played a central role in team functioning. The teachers' identities, perceived threats to their identities, and their understanding of the power differential played a significant role in the way the teams organized their work, the way the teachers viewed their roles within the team, and the conflict and support they experienced. Conclusions of the study are discussed through the lens of identity process theory and elements of Bourdieu's theory of power and practice. Implications for teacher professional development and the need for increased institutional support for teaming in preschool is presented.

This is a qualitative, descriptive study of group processes in classes of adult language learners, viewed from the perspective of practising teachers. The study has an internal narrative which takes the reader through the process of the research, from the initial question raised by a casual classroom conversation to the discussion chapter which questions a number of assumptions underlying current English language teaching practices within western educational contexts. The study falls into two distinct phases. The first phase uses the constant comparative method of data collection and analysis to integrate the perceptions of 28 experienced language teachers into the following theory: teachers judge the quality of their classes in terms of the degree to which they function as cohesive groups. The second phase uses the social-psychological framework of class cohesion to explore the perceptions of eight language teachers concerning a range of everyday behaviours and events occurring within their classes. The data were gathered through classroom observations and extended weekly teacher interviews and were supplemented by information from student interviews.

Teacher-student communication in the classroom is crucial for effective student learning and a teacher can play different roles by asking related questions. Teachers use of the right questions at the right moment stimulates and invites the students to have a closer look, reinvestigate or revisit the problem. The teachers play various roles while asking the questions to continue the classroom discourse. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate various roles of a high school teacher in a science classroom discourse. The study also pursued how these roles are related to the types of questions asked by the teacher during classroom communication. A framework, constructed by Chen and his colleagues, has been used to categorize types of teachers’ roles to find the relationship between the roles of the teachers and the types of questions asked in a science class.  A case study has been presented in this report with observations from two high school level biology lessons.  Both audio and video recording were deployed to capture the lessons as well as a notebook was maintained. These recordings have been transcribed for a qualitative data analysis. In this study, five types of questions have been observed in two biology lessons: concept, confirmation, remembering, challenging and encouraging. Furthermore, based on Chen and his colleagues Framework, only three roles of the teacher was found: dispenser, coach, and participant. The findings revealed that the concept, confirmation and remembering types of questions are related to the teacher role as dispenser, the challenging types of questions are related to the role as coach and encouraging type of questions are related to the teacher’s participant role. The teacher acted mostly as a dispenser in the classroom discourses. There were some rooms where the teacher might exercise more as a coach and participant to improve the classroom interaction. No connection between the content of the questions and the role of the teachers was found from the observations. Therefore, this study suggests that further research should be continued with a broader scope to analyze the teachers’ questioning roles, its relationship with the content of the questions and its impact to promote student learning.

No description available.

No description available.

<p>This research proceeds via a mixed methods paradigm using both qualitative and quantitative methods in a case study research design. A conceptual framework of mutually interacting variables influencing each other and impacting on and defining the roles teachers have to execute to deal effectively with HIV and AIDS challenges, is provided to facilitate the research process. This conceptual framework in conjunction with a theoretical framework which includes critical constructivist theory and the pedagogical models of Delors and Bronfenbrenner, guide the course of this study. The main recommendation of this study was that formal focused training should be given to teachers. This formal training should emphasise the role of the teacher as counselor, the teacher as an anti-stigma, anti-discrimination and anti-prejudice agent, a HIV-aware, HIV-competent and HIV-safe teacher and pastoral carer having the competence to deal with the practical issues around HIV and AIDS.</p>

<p>This research proceeds via a mixed methods paradigm using both qualitative and quantitative methods in a case study research design. A conceptual framework of mutually interacting variables influencing each other and impacting on and defining the roles teachers have to execute to deal effectively with HIV and AIDS challenges, is provided to facilitate the research process. This conceptual framework in conjunction with a theoretical framework which includes critical constructivist theory and the pedagogical models of Delors and Bronfenbrenner, guide the course of this study. The main recommendation of this study was that formal focused training should be given to teachers. This formal training should emphasise the role of the teacher as counselor, the teacher as an anti-stigma, anti-discrimination and anti-prejudice agent, a HIV-aware, HIV-competent and HIV-safe teacher and pastoral carer having the competence to deal with the practical issues around HIV and AIDS.</p>

This research proceeds via a mixed methods paradigm using both qualitative and quantitative methods in a case study research design. A conceptual framework of mutually interacting variables influencing each other and impacting on and defining the roles teachers have to execute to deal effectively with HIV and AIDS challenges, is provided to facilitate the research process. This conceptual framework in conjunction with a theoretical framework which includes critical constructivist theory and the pedagogical models of Delors and Bronfenbrenner, guide the course of this study. The main recommendation of this study was that formal focused training should be given to teachers. This formal training should emphasise the role of the teacher as counselor, the teacher as an anti-stigma, anti-discrimination and anti-prejudice agent, a HIV-aware, HIV-competent and HIV-safe teacher and pastoral carer having the competence to deal with the practical issues around HIV and AIDS. / Philosophiae Doctor - PhD

This study aimed to investigate the motivation of a number of Swedish upper secondary students in terms of learning English, as well as their two English teachers’ understanding of this motivation, and how teacher roles and teaching methods might be crucial for students’ motivation to learn English at upper secondary level. The data was collected and analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively, as both a questionnaire and interviews were chosen as data collection methods. In terms of results, a variety of levels and sources of motivation were indicated by both the students and the teachers that participated in the study. Among other things, the teacher’s approach and attitude as well as choice of teaching methods play a crucial role for students’ motivation to learn English. For example, creating a safe classroom climate, showing enthusiasm and a positive outlook as well as working with the students' interests, are all factors that can help teachers in improving student motivation both individually and collectively.