The aim of this thesis is to promote a dialogue about constructive alignment (Biggs, 1996) with a particular focus on the use of reflective writing as an assessed task in courses of teacher education and the influence it has, or does not have, on teacher reflection and/or in improving practice. The work is set against a national context in which time to reflect is being written out of teacher education as a consequence of policy which locates ‘training’ to teach increasingly within the busy-ness of school life. Persuaded by principles of constructive alignment and, therefore, troubled by student teachers’ perceptions of complex assignments which appear to have little relevance to their practice as teachers, I have undertaken an action research study (McAteer, 2013; Norton, 2009; and Wells, 2001), beginning with a conviction that it is possible to design assessment tasks which truly integrate professional and academic requirements and influence the learning activity of student teachers in ways which are meaningful for their development as teachers. Using an adaptation of the Ward and McCotter (2004) ‘Reflection Rubric’ to locate characteristics of reflection within the reflective writing submitted for assessment, the study evaluated the relationship between written reflection and academic and professional attainment and found little evidence that engagement in the reflective writing assignment had contributed to the participants’ development as teachers. I conclude that the assessment strategies of students and of the course had been either not aligned or destructively aligned. The thesis narrates my journey to the adoption of a socio-constructivist perspective, leading to greater insight into the relationship between established assessment practice and the learning activity of student teachers, and a questioning of my practice. Crucially, the notion of a ‘framework for assessment’ is broadened to encompass all assignment-related activity, the people involved and the timeframe, in addition to the task and criteria. I conclude by identifying a desire to know more about the national view of assessment in teacher education, seeking a network of colleagues in order to explore ways in which counterparts in other institutions are supporting student teachers to develop reflective practice and assess reflective writing.

The educational system in Kuwait is intended to provide primary and secondary students with required skills in order to operate in the technical careers commonly undertaken. However, mathematics education lags significantly behind other countries in Kuwait. In the 1997 and 2008 TIMMS international studies of primary and secondary mathematics achievement, Kuwait ranked near the bottom on almost all scores. Thus, improving mathematics education in Kuwait is an issue of serious concern. This research focuses on the question of whether mathematics teaching and learning in Kuwaiti primary schools (grade 4) can be improved through the use of computer-based tools for practice drills and constructive mathematics play. An observational intervention was used in a classroom of 24 children, where students took a pre-test for mathematics achievement, then engaged in a series of exercises through the term and were retested at the end of the term. This was accompanied by a series of in-services and teacher interviews that were conducted within the school, in order to discover attitudes about mathematics teaching and learning and to train teachers in the suggested approaches and techniques. A combined qualitative and quantitative approach included analysis of test scores and interviews with teachers and students. The overall outcomes of the study did show a slight increase in mathematics achievement scores. However, more importantly it showed an improvement in children's and teacher's attitudes to mathematics learning related to the introduction of constructive play activities (derived from the Cambridge University N-RICH program and selected for students based on level of achievement) Overall, the importance of this study is that it provides pragmatic information for Kuwaiti teachers and curriculum designers on improving mathematics teaching and learning.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-25T12:19:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marilia Lidiane Chaves da Costa 1.pdf: 1878397 bytes, checksum: 27d31a324d6c84cae789a512317ca529 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-09-08 / This research study aimed to analyze the participation of six Mathematics teachers in a forming collaborative group in a way of achieving an environment which motivated the teachers‟ professional and individual development in the pedagogical use of technologies and to identify their contribution. The idea of establishing a study group came from the researcher‟s observations in the own working environment which shown to the individualism and to the professional isolation as strong aspects among the teachers. From the researcher´s observations, pointed by the lack of dialogue and interactions among the colleagues, along the issue of inadequate use of technological resources available in the school, provoked in the born and establishing of a study environment, where the teachers could investigate the limits and possibilities of the use of software in the Mathematics teaching. Our concern to understand the complexity of the educative process, and of the relation among the teachers acting on that, made us to feel motivated of studying in greater detail some of the aspects which characterize the relation among the teachers and how it can come to be ways that new working proposals can be created and be continually better. In this way, we developed a theoretical framework to offer a discussion on the concepts of professional development, teaching cultures, teacher individualism, collaboration and collaborative work. Little by little the Group created its own identity by making the collaborative work among the teachers possible and natural. The meetings with the teachers happened on Saturdays, every fifteen days, from March to December 2010 and were done in the school. By the end of the meetings, we noted that the participation in the Study Group make a greater integration among the teachers possible, the development of competencies and abilities in the use of some software and, consequently, of some joint work and project which contributed to the professional development. At last, the mediated realtion by the collaboration among the teachers provoked a higher confidence and the establishment of friendly links which brought more security and professional autonomy in the pedagogical practice of the teachers involved. / Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar a participação de seis professores de Matemática em um grupo colaborativo em formação a fim de proporcionar um ambiente que motivasse o desenvolvimento profissional e individual desses professores no uso pedagógico das tecnologias informáticas e identificar suas contribuições. A idéia de estabelecer um grupo de estudos surgiu de observações realizadas pela pesquisadora no próprio local de trabalho, as quais apontavam para o individualismo e o isolamento profissional como aspectos marcantes nas relações entre esses professores. As inquietações geradas a partir da observação da própria prática, marcada pela falta de diálogo e interação entre os colegas, aliado a questão da má utilização de alguns recursos tecnológicos disponíveis na instituição escolar, culminou no nascimento e estabelecimento de um ambiente de estudo, onde esses professores puderam investigar limites e possibilidades para o uso de software no ensino da Matemática. Nossos anseios por entender a complexidade do processo educativo, e das relações entre os professores que nele atuam, serviram de motivação para estudar em maior detalhe alguns dos aspectos que caracterizam as relações entre professores e como podem vir a trilhar caminhos em que novas propostas de trabalho possam ser criadas e aperfeiçoadas continuamente. Dessa forma, elaboramos um aporte teórico que oferece discussão acerca dos conceitos de desenvolvimento profissional, culturas de ensino, individualismo docente, colaboração e trabalho colaborativo. Aos poucos o Grupo criou identidade própria, viabilizando o trabalho colaborativo entre os professores como uma atividade cada vez mais natural. Os encontros com os professores ocorreram aos sábados, quinzenalmente, durante os meses de Março a Dezembro de 2010 e foram realizados no próprio local de trabalho. Ao final dos encontros, notamos que a participação no Grupo de Estudos possibilitou uma maior integração entre os professores participantes, o desenvolvimento de competências e habilidades na utilização de alguns software e, conseqüentemente, de alguns trabalhos e projetos em parceria, o que contribuiu para o desenvolvimento profissional. Finalmente, as relações mediadas pela colaboração entre os professores provocaram o aumento da confiança e o estabelecimento de vínculos de amizade, o que acarretou em mais segurança e autonomia profissional na prática pedagógica dos professores envolvidos.

Submitted by LUIZ HENRIQUE INIGNES DIVIESO null (luizdivieso@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-05-27T21:10:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Luiz Henrique- final.pdf: 1926030 bytes, checksum: c134dc9827bd7706f1c220351df75273 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-05-31T16:21:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 divieso_lhi_me_prud.pdf: 1926030 bytes, checksum: c134dc9827bd7706f1c220351df75273 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-31T16:21:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 divieso_lhi_me_prud.pdf: 1926030 bytes, checksum: c134dc9827bd7706f1c220351df75273 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-30 / Esta dissertação de mestrado, vinculada à linha de pesquisa “Processos Formativos, Ensino e Aprendizagem.” do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da FCT/UNESP, teve por objetivo geral analisar uma experiência de formação em serviço de professores dos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental sobre a possiblidade de utilizar as TDIC no Ensino de Matemática e por objetivos específicos: identificar o perfil dos professores participantes da pesquisa quanto à utilização das tecnologias e do ensino de Matemática; investigar a constituição de um grupo de formação continuada em serviço tendo em vista a integração das TDIC na prática escolar do Ensino de Matemática; caracterizar os elementos que facilitam a formação de um grupo de estudos; descrever os elementos que demonstram a inserção das tecnologias no Ensino de Matemática pelos sujeitos da pesquisa; analisar os avanços e retrocessos relatados pelos professores no processo ao final da formação. A pesquisa tem uma abordagem qualitativa com delineamento descritivo – explicativo e para a efetivação da coleta de dados fizemos uso de questionários e da observação durante o processo. Desenvolvemos um processo formativo de professores em serviço na EMEIF General Lima Figueiredo, escola pertencente à Rede Municipal de Educação de Bilac (SP), nos Horários de Trabalho Pedagógicos Coletivos (HTPC). Esta unidade escolar conta, atualmente, com 10 salas de aulas equipadas com lousas digitais interativas. A análise dos dados focou os seguintes aspectos: participação docente, condições de formação, conteúdo específico e ação do gestor No processo formativo vivenciado os professores elaboraram e desenvolveram atividades com recursos digitais com seus alunos em sala de aula, bem como socializaram e refletiram com o grupo suas experiências. Os resultados dessa pesquisa permitiram identificar indícios de transformação da prática docente com a inserção de tecnologias digitais da informação e comunicação para o ensino de Matemática. Apontam, ainda, para a importância de uma formação em serviço na qual os gestores e docentes trabalham em conjunto e compartilham aprendizagens. Portanto, entendemos que, é preciso formar os professores para que a escola contemporânea se atualize e que os recursos tecnológicos atuais sejam integrados e utilizados de forma significativa por nossos alunos. / This master's dissertation, linked to the research line "Processes Formativos, Ensino e Aprendizagem." Of the Postgraduate Program in Education of FCT / UNESP, had the general objective to analyze an experience of in-service teacher training in the initial years of Teaching Fundamental about the possibility of using the TDIC in Mathematics Teaching and for specific objectives: to identify the profile of the teachers participating in the research regarding the use of technologies and the teaching of Mathematics; To investigate the constitution of a group of continuing education in service with a view to the integration of the TDIC in the school practice of Mathematics Teaching; Characterize the elements that facilitate the formation of a group of studies; To describe the elements that demonstrate the insertion of the technologies in the Mathematics Teaching by the subjects of the research; Analyze the advances and setbacks reported by teachers in the process at the end of training. The research has a qualitative approach with descriptive - explanatory delineation and for the effectiveness of the data collection we made use of questionnaires and observation during the process. We developed a training process for teachers in service at the General Lima Figueiredo EMEIF, a school belonging to the Municipal Education Network of Bilac (SP), in the Collective Pedagogical Working Hours (HTPC). This school unit currently has 10 classrooms equipped with interactive whiteboards. Data analysis focused on the following aspects: teacher participation, training conditions, specific content and manager action In the formative process experienced, teachers developed and developed activities with digital resources with their students in the classroom, as well as socialized and reflected with the Group their experiences. The results of this research allowed to identify indications of transformation of the teaching practice with the insertion of digital information and communication technologies for the teaching of Mathematics. They also point out the importance of in-service training in which managers and teachers work together and share learning. Therefore, we understand that it is necessary to train teachers so that the contemporary school is updated and that the current technological resources are integrated and used in a significant way by our students.