Student disaffection, a pervasive problem in middle school classrooms, is costly not only for disaffected students themselves (e.g., declines in GPA, high school drop out) but also for their teachers (e.g., stress-related health outcomes). Despite its importance, however, open questions remain regarding both the development of disaffection during early adolescence and the classroom dynamics that underlie changes in disaffection. This dissertation includes two free-standing manuscripts that explore these open questions regarding the development and classroom dynamics of disaffection. Each focuses on different developmental time scales and employs different methodological approaches to examine these important, but unanswered questions. Drawing from a database of classroom observation videos, study one is a multiple case study focusing on four classrooms, which were selected based on school-level socioeconomic status and student-reported disaffection. This study was designed to explore 1) how disaffection is first initiated, 2) how it develops across single class periods, 3) how teachers generally respond to student disaffection, and 4) whether different kinds of teacher responses reduce or amplify disaffection. Student disaffection and teacher responses to disaffection were observationally coded and analyzed resulting in the following findings. First, students were initially most frequently socially off task during individual work time or relatively passive whole group time. Second, six patterns of how disaffection changed over the observed class periods were found with each pattern representing distinct student experiences and varying degrees in severity of disaffection. Third, while teachers' overall responses to disaffection could be classified as generally supportive (involvement and autonomy support) or defensive (withdrawal and controlling behavior), the teachers were not strictly adherent to one response style. Finally, five kinds of teacher responses to disaffection (supportive, quick fix, no response, mixed, and defensive) were found, each with varying degrees of effectiveness at resolving disaffection. Drawing from a 5-year longitudinal cohort-sequential dataset, study two is designed to describe the normative trajectories of disaffection across the early adolescent years and then to also examine the classroom dynamics that underlie these developmental changes in disaffection. Surveys of students' experiences of disaffection and perceptions of their relationships with their science teachers and teachers' views of student disaffection were collected twice per school year and subsequently analyzed. Latent growth curve models examined the development of disaffection finding both behavioral and emotional forms to have gradually increasing linear trajectories across the early adolescent years. Additionally, both initial levels in fall of 6th grade and rates of change significantly differed between students. Regarding the classroom dynamics of disaffection, the supported model suggests that teacher views of disaffection directly and indirectly through student-teacher relationships predict concurrent student experiences of disaffection and that earlier student experiences of disaffection predict changes in teacher views of disaffection across the school year. Taken together, the studies in this dissertation contribute to our growing understanding of how disaffection develops both across single middle school class periods (study 1) and across early adolescence (study 2). Additionally, these studies are among the first to investigate the classroom dynamics that may explain why disaffection develops over these multiple time frames. Implications of each study and the collective findings of this dissertation are considered in the respective discussion sections in Chapter 3, 4, and 5.

Managing challenging behaviour in the classroom is a problem faced by all teachers. Challenging behaviour is any form of behaviour that interferes with children's learning or normal development; is harmful to the child, other children or adults; or puts a child in a high risk category for later social problems or school failure. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the link between undesirable behaviours of students and their effect on classroom learning culture, as one of the key factors in behaviour management is in understanding why challenging behaviour occurs. The qualitative nature of this research allowed for the exploration of both teacher and student narratives by learning from their experiences regarding challenging behaviour and its effect on a classroom learning culture. The literature review revealed that it is important, that teachers have a personal definition of challenging behaviour and reflect on their own personal beliefs and the beliefs of others regarding the understanding of challenging behaviours. Research, reviewed in Chapter 2 has indicated that challenging behaviour is strongly context dependent as seen particularly in the impact of different cultural contexts on that behaviour, that learning and behaviour are socially and culturally acquired and that academic learning and social learning are interconnected. It is the teachers' responsibility to initiate a classroom culture that recognises the connections between learning and behaviour, especially when there are a number of cultures represented. This type of classroom culture must be acceptable to, and shared by both students and teachers, must recognise and respond to cultural difference, and must avoid deficit thinking about minoritized cultures. To achieve this, teachers need to be the ones that change the most as they are the ones who hold the power to do so. Successful teachers need to place a high value on forming mutually respectful, trusting and positive relationships with their students which will create classrooms and schools that are safe and caring and allow a stronger focus on realising potential and encourage learning. The most effective way of forming such relationships is to learn to listen to and respect student voice. The outcomes of this study confirm findings in literature by demonstrating, that a close, positive and supportive relationship between teacher and students are essential for developing learning potential and for responding appropriately to challenging behaviour. Recognition of student voice is central to achieving these aims. Teachers also need to be aware of cultural difference and be prepared to make shifts in their thinking so that their own culture does not totally dominate in the classroom. In this study, the student and teacher participants were representative of both Māori and European ethnicity and the findings suggest that their assertions regarding how challenging behaviours affects learning were noticeably similar. This suggests perhaps that the participants in this study felt they were in a culturally safe environment where the teachers' culture did not always dominate.

This study examines the experiences of teachers and students in secondary English classes, as they engage in the reading of contemporary adolescent fiction, when such fiction is set as a class text. This study also includes an examination of students' perceptions of such reading, and of reading in general. The aim of the study is to add to the knowledge about what actually goes on inside English classrooms during the teaching of literature, and within that field, to specify how teacher-student interaction in the classroom defines and positions the kinds of meanings that are made of literary texts. Therefore, this study focuses on the teaching of units of work related to the reading of adolescent fiction novels by three South Australian English teachers, based in three different metropolitan schools.The central focus is on the teachers? plans for these units of work, and on the outcomes: that is, on teacher-student interactions during the time spent in class on the novel, and on students? written and oral responses. Thus this study also focuses on the learning that took place in these classrooms, as students made meaning from their reading.In the review of the literature, the role of the literary novel as the class ?set text? in its several historical contexts is examined, as well as current theories of reading, of pedagogy, and of literary criticism. Finally this study is placed in the context of other related studies and its contribution to the field explained.An interpretive approach is employed and methods of educational ethnography are used to what was visualised from the outset would be qualitative research in the form of case studies. Some quantification is used in this research to report on a small-scale survey, using a questionnaire to create a ?readers? profile of the cohort of student-informants as a whole. Metaphors were used to encapsulate the teachers? teaching styles, and their intentions and practices analysed to uncover the underlying theories on which these intentions and practices were based. Throughout, but especially in the final chapter, the related notions of ?enjoyment? and ?the teaching of reading? at secondary school levels, as well as the concept of reflectivity, are examined for their impact on reading pedagogy. Finally, some suggestions are made for possible and desirable future research and teacher professional development. / thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2002.

Thesis (M.Ed. Mgt.)--Unitec New Zealand, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-132).

Faculty of Education. Bibliography: leaves 142-155.

Approximately one quarter of America's students leave school prior to graduation. Teaching practices need to be examined if schools are to effectively deal with the student population. at highest risk of dropping out. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attending behaviors high school teachers directed to students at high risk of dropping out, and to students not so identified. A survey of the literature provided an overview of related studies which addressed the number of students who drop out, their reasons for doing so, and alternative programs for those who have left school. Not found in abundance were studies linking teachers' classroom behaviors with effective at risk strategies. Data regarding teachers' verbal and nonverbal attending behaviors were gathered in twenty classrooms. The resulting totals for all at risk and control groups were nearly equal. However, the types of attending behaviors directed to the two groups were qualitatively different. At risk students were praised one third as often but were criticized seven times as often as their control group counterparts. Additionally, at risk students' attention getting behaviors were ignored seven times as often, and they were physically approached half as often as control group students. Anecdotal data revealed contrasting classroom atmospheres. Some classes were greeted at the door and were praised by their teachers. Other teachers chastised classes, spoke negatively about them, or showed little or no interaction with students in them. / Graduation date: 1991

Current curriculum trends promote inquiry-based student-centered strategies as a way to foster critical thinking and learning. Problem-based learning (PBL), a type of inquiry focusing on an issue or “problem,” is an instructional approach taught on the basis that science reform efforts increase scientific literacy. PBL is a constructivist approach to learning real life problems where understanding is a function of content, context, experiences, and learner goals; historical PBL situates the lesson in a historical context and provides opportunities for teaching NOS concepts. While much research exists on the benefits of historical PBL to student learning in general, more research is warranted on how teachers implement PBL in the secondary science curriculum. The purpose of this study was to examine the classroom-learning environment of four science teachers implementing a historical PBL instructional unit to identify the teachers’ understandings, successes and obstacles. By identifying teachers’ possible achievements and barriers with implementing a constructivist philosophy when executing historical PBL, educators and curriculum designers may improve alignment of the learning environment to constructivist principles. A qualitative interpretive case study guided this research study. The four participants of this study were purposefully and conveniently selected from biology teachers with at least three years of teaching experience, degrees in education, State Licensure, and completion of a PBL workshop. Data collection consisted of pre and post questionnaires, structured interviews, a card sort activity in which participants categorized instructional outcomes, and participant observations. Results indicated that the four teachers assimilated reform-based constructivist practices to fit within their preexisting routines and highlighted the importance of incorporating teachers’ current systems into reform-based teacher instruction. While participating teachers addressed a few NOS tenets, emphasizing the full range of possible NOS objectives included in historical PBL is warranted. This study also revealed the importance of creating a collaborative classroom culture and building positive student-teacher relationships when implementing PBL instruction. The four teachers agreed that the historical PBL instructional unit provided a context for learning state standards, and they positively viewed their experiences teaching the lesson. Thus findings from this study suggest that teaching science in a historical context using PBL can be effective.

In the United States, a growing disparity exists between the racial composition of teachers and the students they teach. In 2006, 43.1% of K–12 public school students were reported as non-White—in 1990, 32.4% (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). Teachers, however, are predominantly White, 83.3% (U.S. Department of Education, 2007a). Exacerbating this disparity, it has been noted that fewer African Americans are choosing education as a profession (see, e.g., Irvine, 1989; Ladson-Billings, 1994). This growing disparity motivates a crucial question: Can White teachers be successful with “other people’s children” (Delpit, 1995)? This study explores this question by examining the life histories of four White mathematics teachers who have experienced success with other people’s children, specifically, with African American children. The purpose of the study was to better understand what led each of the participants to teach African American children, and what factors may have led to her or his success as a White teacher of African American students. A qualitative, collective case study methodology (Stake, 1995) was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using an eclectic theoretical framework (Stinson, 2009) which included critical theory, critical race theory, and Whiteness studies. Analysis of the data revealed the participants incorporated into their own teaching many of the same characteristics of culturally relevant pedagogy identified by Ladson-Billings (1994). Nevertheless, three strategies were identified as being essential to the teachers’ success with African American students: (a) forming meaningful relationships with students, (b) engaging students in racial conversations, and (c) reflecting both individually and with colleagues. The findings suggest a need for “spaces” in which pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and teacher educators can discuss and openly debate issues of race, and challenge racial hierarchies found in schools and society at large. The findings also suggest developing a sharp focus on multicultural anti-racist education in teacher preparation programs as well as incorporating it into professional development plans for in-service teachers. Moreover, the findings highlight a need for school districts to provide teachers with professional development in three “How to” areas: (a) build teacher–student relationships, (b) connect to the local community, and (c) develop as reflective practitioners.

Graduate school socialization and mentoring are based on adult development theory as articulated by Jung, Erickson, and Levinson. As adults mature, they go through several stages of detaching from family and learning how to live in the world. During this period (which encompasses undergraduate and graduate education), special relationships are often formed to help ease the transition to adulthood by providing advice and mentoring. A mentor is a person who helps guide another person into a profession and contributes to his or her professional development. The mentor may serve as a professional role model and teacher, providing encouragement, direction, information, and friendship. Levinson’s work in particular revealed mentoring to be an important part of adult development. However, a review of the literature revealed a lack of research on the characteristics and consequences of mentor relationships and on male-female differences in mentor relationships A written multiple choice survey was administered to 28 male and 28 female doctoral level faculty members at Western Kentucky University. The results were examined to learn whether subjects had been mentored in graduate school, and whether they had same-gender or cross-gender relationships. The study assessed the characteristics and functions of mentoring relationships, and sought to determine whether graduate school mentoring was associated with differences in productivity, professional satisfaction, and whether they had become mentors themselves. A stratified sample was used to match subjects by academic college, year degree was received (within five years), age (within 10 years), and, where possible, academic department and type of degree. The results were analyzed using the Chi-Square test for significance. It was found that 78.6% of the men and 75.0% of the women had mentors, but women were significantly more likely than men to have had cross-gender relationships. The presence or absence of mentoring was not significantly related to either productivity or professional satisfaction. Although the difference was not significant, faculty members who had been mentored were more likely to become mentors themselves. The findings from the present study were compared to the findings of previous research, and suggestions for future research were discussed, including the need for similar research with a larger sample that includes a wide variety of professional and non-professional occupations. A longitudinal study which follows the professional development of students who have been questioned about their mentor relationships was also suggested as a means toward a better understanding of the possible contribution of mentor relationships to a person’s professional development.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of West Florida, 2007. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 157 pages. Includes bibliographical references.