This investigation compares the effectiveness of two methods of teaching production work in beginning typewriting. One method is defined as the traditional approach, which adheres to suggestions and materials for teaching found in current typewriting textbooks. Students are paced, drilled, and timed on straight copy to build speed and accuracy, but not on production work; they usually type from perfectly arranged copy; and they circle their errors for at least half the course. The other method, developed at North Texas State University by Payne and Anderson, is defined as the teacher-directed approach. Students are intensively paced, drilled, and timed by the teacher on short, simple jobs or parts of jobs; they usually type from unarranged copy; they learn to erase errors on production work during the first production unit; and they are evaluated on the basis of the number of mailable items produced during a specific time period.

The purpose of the research was to form a defensible basis for considering possible changes in classroom practice within a small rural state school, and it involved four, mixed-ability classes comprising Year 9 and 10 students. These classes were taught an energy-related module by the researcher. In the preliminary phase, which involved two classes, resources were developed to produce a more student-centred module. These resources, and the constructivist approach which informed their development, are described. In the subsequent comparative phase, the reformed module was taught using two contrasting strategies - one teacher-directed and the other, student-managed. During this phase individual achievement and group investigative skills were assessed. Student perceptions of classroom environment were probed using an existing instrument, the ICEQ. The range of classroom activity and level of student engagement was continuously monitored by independent observers using a specifically developed instrument, termed the SALTA.No overall learning advantage was demonstrated to either teaching strategy. A small strategy advantage favouring Year 10 students in the student-managed strategy was offset by a similar disadvantage to the Year 9 cohort. A cohort penalty was found to apply to Year 9 students under either strategy, with a paradox in its application. The role of the teacher was found to change significantly under each strategy, with a consistent hierarchy of student engagement with activity emerging. Boys were found to have significantly higher levels of engagement than girls under either teaching strategy. However, this was associated with only modest advantages in achievement. The relationship between engagement and achievement was stronger and more positive under the student-managed strategy. Mismatches between preferred and actual classroom environment were found, ++ / particularly in the dimension of independence. This mismatch was less in the student-managed setting. Increased potential for learning was noted under each strategy.

No description available.

abstract: The purpose of this study is to portray kindergarten teachers' developmentally appropriate practices in order to authenticate the essential component of play. Recently, student achievement has been the primary focus in Early Childhood Education, and play is seen as an action that precludes academic learning. This is a qualitative study of teachers' perceptions and teaching practices through observations, interviews, surveys, and journal reflections. The study found that participant kindergarten teachers: (1) have a developing understanding of the positive impact play has on student development, yet they are not aware of how to successfully implement play in their classroom; (2) tend to be more work driven than play driven in their daily activities; and (3) perceive play occurrs when manipulatives are made available for student use, however, the activities are largely teacher-directed in contrast to student initiated play. In summary, participant kindergarten teachers were found to be hesitant to let their control shift to child-initiated learning. There are gaps between teacher knowledge of how child initiated play impacts learning and the actual classroom implementation of child initiated play. Teachers need further development to understand how to use materials to integrate play into daily lessons. It is important to widely disseminate and support the use of Early Childhood National Board Standards regarding play in kindergarten classrooms. Kindergarten teachers require professional development that permits the integration of knowledge of play and the implementation of play in an increasingly accountability driven environment. Keywords: Play; Perceptions of play; Learner-Centered; Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP); National Board Certification National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT); National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS); English Language Learners (ELL); English Language Development (ELD) / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2012

Thesis (Ed. S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Psychology, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 22-25).

One of the major priorities for community colleges is to focus on the pedagogical tools that will allow students to achieve excellence and quality in curriculum and instruction to meet the changing societal needs (Shearon & Tollefson, 1989). Rapid demographic, social, and technological changes demand that community colleges produce self-directed lifelong learners (Closson, 1996). The study of student learning preferences for more teacher-directed or more self-directed learning is one of the concepts that is important in enhancing teaching and learning practices. The purpose of this study was to examine students' teacher-directed versus self-directed learning preferences in specific courses. The possible relationships among age, gender, and academic majors and the learning preferences (teacher-directed or self-directed) were also explored. The revised version of Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (LSPQ) originally designed by Hinkle (1990) was administered to 563 students at five selected community colleges in the southeast. The majority of the participants were female traditional students majoring in the natural sciences. The sample showed a preference for teacher-directed orientation in specific courses. Statistically significant differences were observed in the magnitude of the teacher-directed orientation between the mean scores of male and female students with male students scoring significantly higher than the female students. Traditional students obtained significantly higher mean scores on the items addressing the delivery of instruction than the nontraditional students. Nontraditional students obtained significantly higher mean scores on the items addressing the testing of learning. Gender had an impact on the magnitude of the teacher-directed learning preferences for evaluation and testing of learning. Academic majors had an impact on the magnitude of the teacher-directed learning preferences for evaluation of learning. Students in this study preferred a teacher-directed approach to learning. Follow-up research using a variety of instruments may investigate how this preference contributes to or affects academic achievement. It is recommended that the methods and procedures adopted in this study be replicated in other community colleges across the nation. Learning preference concepts and methods should be developed at the community college level to include professional development of instructors so that they may better provide learning opportunities for their students. Such studies may also be conducted in other parts of the world to determine how cultural differences may impact on learning preferences.

No description available.

Recent research has elucidated the sustained benefits of early mathematics instruction. With growing concern about the performance of South Africa’s senior learners in mathematics, it is imperative to look at long-term solutions within the education process. One such solution may be to focus on improved mathematics instruction as early as preprimary school. However, children at this young age are not typically suited to formal teaching. Alternative methods of mathematics instruction must be considered for maximum and effective impact. The study was conducted to test the notion that not all early methods of mathematics instruction are equal. During the empirical research approximately 200 preprimary school children in three different socio-economic environments (urban higher SES, township and rural) were tested after experiencing a teacher-guided play-based mathematics teaching intervention, or after experiencing a worksheet-based or free-flow play-based curriculum. The test performance of the participants was primarily compared to find relations between teaching methods and early mathematics performance. The study found that a teacher-guided play-based curriculum is superior to other curriculums in the instruction of mathematics in all educational settings, regardless of socioeconomic background. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Recent research has elucidated the sustained benefits of early mathematics instruction. With growing concern about the performance of South Africa’s senior learners in mathematics, it is imperative to look at long-term solutions within the education process. One such solution may be to focus on improved mathematics instruction as early as preprimary school. However, children at this young age are not typically suited to formal teaching. Alternative methods of mathematics instruction must be considered for maximum and effective impact. The study was conducted to test the notion that not all early methods of mathematics instruction are equal. During the empirical research approximately 200 preprimary school children in three different socio-economic environments (urban higher SES, township and rural) were tested after experiencing a teacher-guided play-based mathematics teaching intervention, or after experiencing a worksheet-based or free-flow play-based curriculum. The test performance of the participants was primarily compared to find relations between teaching methods and early mathematics performance. The study found that a teacher-guided play-based curriculum is superior to other curriculums in the instruction of mathematics in all educational settings, regardless of socioeconomic background. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)