During the last two decades, the issue of multiculturalism has gained exceptional importance in our schools. Yet, there is a lack of research that examines teachers' beliefs and understanding of multiculturalism and their influence on instructional strategies that are implemented. This study explored how teachers' beliefs and understanding of multiculturalism influence instructional strategies used in classrooms. A sample of ten teachers was selected from three public middle schools within a school district in San Joaquin County in Northern California. In this phenomenological study, intensity sampling was used for the selection of the participants. Out of ten teachers, five taught mathematics and five taught Language Arts. The data consisted of the interviews with each of the teachers, classroom observations, and the examination of instructional materials. Teachers' beliefs and understanding of multiculturalism were usually reflected in the instructional strategies that they utilized. In the analysis of data, the following themes were identified: “The Great Mosaic,” “The Learning Environment for Every Child,” and “Concerns Regarding Multiculturalism.” “The Great Mosaic” theme referred to different cultures that can be found in a classroom and in society. This theme dealt with teachers' beliefs regarding cultural diversity and their practices with which they attempted to address it. “The Learning Environment for Every Child” theme reflected teachers' beliefs about creating an environment where all students could learn. It also showed how teachers attempted to create such an environment. The “Concerns Regarding Multiculturalism” theme conveyed the concerns expressed by teachers about multiculturalism. Teachers explained that different problems related to multiculturalism still existed in society and schools and that improvement was necessary. This study has shown that teachers possessed certain beliefs and had some understanding of multiculturalism. Areas that need improvement were also revealed. These areas include, for example, the definition of multiculturalism and teachers' knowledge of instructional strategies, which foster multiculturalism, and of criteria for selecting multicultural content. The findings of this study have also shown that an in-depth understanding of multiculturalism is necessary.

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One understudied barrier to science education reform concerns teachers’ cognitive processes and how they relate to instructional decision-making. Epistemic cognition—teachers’ beliefs about knowledge and knowledge acquisition and goals for their students’ knowledge acquisition—could provide important insights into the choices science teachers make in the classroom and why they might and might not adopt different instructional practices. Previous research has found mixed results regarding the relationship between beliefs and practice. Uniquely, science teachers encounter epistemic beliefs from both science and education, with potential differences that may need to be negotiated. This study found significant differences between the two belief systems but failed to find differences between biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth science. Three profiles were identified that were significantly different on their epistemic beliefs in the natural sciences and the learning sciences. Those in the naïve profile (highest beliefs in certainty of knowledge, authority as source of knowledge, and attainability of truth) had significantly less self-efficacy than those in the sophisticated profile, which predicted lower frequency of investigative teaching practices and practices promoting an investigative culture. Those in the flexible profile (medium beliefs in certainty of knowledge, authority as source of knowledge, and attainability of truth) used practices promoting an investigative culture significantly less frequently than those in the sophisticated profile. The findings from this study add to the literature on epistemic cognition and its influences. / Educational Psychology

The problem this study addresses is the relationship among the constructs content knowledge, beliefs, and previous experiences of prospective elementary teachers. The 36 participants in the study, 35 females and one male, were recent graduates from a five-year Elementary Education licensure program at a major university located in the Mid-Atlantic region. A correlational research design was used to investigate the relationships that might exist among the three constructs using Praxis I Pre-professional Math test scores, Beliefs Survey scores, and Previous Mathematics Experience Questionnaire [PMEQ] scores. Scores from the Praxis I Pre-professional Math test were self-reported and verified by the Licensure Coordinator in the Center for Teacher Education [CTE]. Scores for the Beliefs Survey and Previous Mathematics Experience Questionnaire [PMEQ] were collected from the survey and questionnaire completed by each participant and the data were analyzed using SPSS software. A frequency distribution was constructed for the Praxis I Math Test scores, the Beliefs Survey scores, and the PMEQ scores. A Pearson correlation was constructed to analyze the relationship among the following variables: Praxis I Math Test, beliefs, and previous mathematics experiences (feelings, teaching tools, and quantity of math courses taken). An alpha level of .05 was used for all statistical tests. A significant positive correlation was found to exist between Praxis I Math Test scores and feelings about mathematics using a two-tailed test indicating that prospective elementary math teachers who have higher Praxis I math test scores tend to report having more positive feelings about mathematics. A significant negative correlation was found to exist between beliefs and teaching tools using a two-tailed test. This indicates a tendency by prospective teachers to favor more relational beliefs when their previous experiences included the use of a wide variety of teaching tools. The prospective teachers' responses to the essay question and interview questions support their stated beliefs about the importance of teachers emphasizing relational understanding. On their essay responses, all 36 participants indicated a desire to provide a relational oriented learning-environment in their future classrooms. The findings in the study support the notion that the prospective teachers in this group with stronger content knowledge tended to report more positive feelings about mathematics. They also tended to favor a relational teaching/learning environment if they had experiences using a wide variety of teaching tools. No significant correlation was found to exist between any of the other variables that were tested. / Ph. D.

The present study investigates through five in depth interviews high-school teachers thoughts about students choices and selecting choices, what teachers believe shapes and affects students educational and occupational choices, and also, how these choices according to the teachers should go to. The underlying reasons for the topic and purpose of the study are based on reports done by The Swedish Schools Inspectorate (2013:5) showing that teachers find it difficult to integrate guiding interventions in the regular pedagogy, actions the Swedish Education Act say they has a responsibility to take on. The result in this study shows that teachers believe that students choices are formed in relation to the knowledge and information they obtain in different social contexts and in relationships with others close, like friends and parents. However, the teachers don’t believe that all students have an accurate picture of the reality, which can lead to wrong choices. Wrong choices are characterized by getting influenced by other close, like choosing as their friends, and or base their choices on inadequate knowledge about what pathways and occupations really contains and means. Students choices should be, according to the teachers, characterized by choosing in relation to their own abilities, interests and actual will, and especially be based on accurate knowledge about how the reality actually works. / I föreliggande studie undersöks genom fem kvalitativa intervjuer hur lärare i grundskolans senare årskurser (6-9) uppfattar elevers val och väljande. Det innefattar vad lärarna upplever formar och påverkar elevers studie- och yrkesrelaterade val, men också, hur dessa val enligt lärarna bör gå till. De bakomliggande motiven till studiens ämnesområde och syfte grundar sig på rapporter från framförallt Skolinspektionen (2013:5) som visar att skolans lärare har svårt att integrera vägledande insatser inom den ordinarie undervisningen, insatser de enligt skollagen har ett ansvar för att ta sig an. Av resultatet i denna studie framgår att lärarna uppfattar att elevernas valbara studie- och yrkesrelaterade alternativ formas i relation till den kunskap och information de tar del av i olika sociala kontexter och i relationer med andra nära, som exempelvis vänner och föräldrar. Dock anser inte lärarna i studien att alla elever har en korrekt bild av hur verkligheten faktiskt ser ut och fungerar, vilket öppnar för felval. Felaktiga val kännetecknas av att elever i valet blir påverkade av sina nära relationer, exempelvis att de väljer likt sina kompisar och eller grundar sina val på bristfällig kunskap om vad olika studievägar och yrken egentligen innehåller och innebär. Studie- och yrkesrelaterade val bör därför, enligt lärarna, kännetecknas av att man väljer i relation till sin egen förmåga, sina intressen och faktiska vilja, och att dessa i sin tur bygger på korrekt kunskap och bilder om hur verkligheten faktiskt ser ut och fungerar.

The exploratory study sought to elicit and document mathematics teachers‟ views on how they enacted the process of transition between contexts and mathematics. The study pursued to understand teachers‟ beliefs and knowledge of mathematics. A mixed methods sequential explanatory research design was employed where a quantitative phase was followed by the connecting phase and concluded through a qualitative phase involving three case studies. A purposive sample of 165 practicing teachers who had registered for a professional advancement developmental course at a university participated in the study by voluntarily completing a survey questionnaire. From this sample, three cases of individual teachers were pursued. The first two cases involved conducting in-depth interviews with the teacher who had rated sentences in the questionnaire differently while the last case involved the recording of an interview of one individual using field notes. The questionnaire sought teachers‟ biographical details (section A), their views on contexts and mathematics (section B) and their rating of sentences in a passage with regard to the mathematics embedded in the sentences (section C). Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the qualitative phase to elicit in-depth views of the teachers‟ regarding the research problem. All the instruments were tested for validity and reliability. Quantitative data gathered was analysed using frequencies, percentages, cross tabulations, bar charts and pie charts as well as the calculation of Pearson chi-square tests (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2011). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to collate teachers‟ views from which themes were drawn and related to make inferences. It was found that teachers‟ positive views about contexts and mathematics did not translate into them recognising mathematics in some mathematics potent contexts as captured in their ratings in section C of the questionnaire. Statistically significant associations were recorded to support this. The study also conceptualised a mathematical participation model (MP-model) as a tool to describe and analyse participation that involves the use of real world data in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The MP-model involves four components, viz. the community of practice (CoP), real world data, mathematics and a model in which members of the CoP tap into the real world data and mathematics to model their participation. The study recommends the MP-model as tool for description and enactment of full mathematical participation. / Mathematical Sciences / D.Litt.et. Phil. (Mathematics Education)

Esta dissertação realizou uma pesquisa de crenças sobre abordagens de ensino de japonês em uma escola comunitária de uma associação de nipo-brasileiros localizada no Centro-Oeste do Brasil. Seu objetivo foi analisar as crenças sobre abordagem de ensino de duas professoras descendentes de imigrantes japoneses que atuam em uma escola vinculada à uma associação de descendentes de imigrantes japoneses e as influências que as atividades culturais da escola e associação produzem no ensino de japonês. As duas professoras possuem experiência no Japão como alunas do ensino regular, e começaram a ensinar o idioma japonês ao retornar ao Brasil. Ambas possuíam entre 24 e 28 anos à época da coleta de dados, sendo uma filha de pai descendente e de mãe não descendente de imigrantes japoneses, e a outra, filha de pais descendentes de segunda geração. A primeira adquiriu a língua japonesa e o português simultaneamente, enquanto a segunda adquiriu o japonês por volta de 10 anos de idade, ao viajar com os pais para o Japão. Os dados utilizados neste trabalho foram coletados mediante o uso de instrumentos de pesquisa comuns à uma investigação de crenças com base contextual, como observação e gravações em áudio das aulas, observação do contexto (escola e associação), notas de campo e entrevistas. Com base no método de pesquisa científico-indutivo, de abordagem qualitativa com enfoque comparativo, analisamos os dados a partir do foco de estudo de caso e etnografia, comparando as abordagens utilizadas pelas duas professoras. Tornou-se necessário uma análise histórica do ensino de japonês no Brasil, pelo fato da escola ser vinculada à uma associação de descendentes de imigrantes japoneses, e ambas as instituições apresentarem ainda muito das práticas típicas das associações, escolas e colônias de imigrantes japoneses dos primeiros períodos no Brasil. Os resultados mostraram que apesar das duas professoras possuírem experiências parecidas como ter estudado em escola no Japão enquanto seus pais trabalhavam como decasséguis, e terem participado de cursos para professores de japonês no Brasil e no Japão, apresentam abordagens de ensino diferentes uma da outra. / This essay has done a research of beliefs about Japanese teaching approaches on a nipo-brazilian community school located on Brazils Middle-West region. Its objective was to analyze the beliefs about the teaching approach of two Nikkei teachers (Japanese immigrants descendants) that work on a school related to a descendants association of Japanese immigrants and the influence that the schools cultural activities and association produce on the Japanese teaching. Both teachers have experience on Japan as regular students and started teaching de Japanese language by the time they returned to Brazil. They both had between 24 and 28 years old by the time of the data collecting, being one of them daughter of Japanese immigrants descendant father and non-descendant mother, and the other one, daughter of descendants parents of second generation. The first one acquired the Japanese and Portuguese languages simultaneously, while the second one acquired the Japanese when she was around 10 years old, when travelling to Japan with her parents. The data thats been used on this essay was collected with the use of research instruments common to beliefs investigation with contextual base, such as observation e audio recording of the classes, context observation (school and association), field notes and interviews. Based on the inductive research method, with a qualitative approach and comparative focus, we analyzed the data based on case study and ethnography, comparing both teachers approach. It became necessary an historical analyses of the Japanese learning in Brazil, by the fact that the school is attached to an association of Japanese immigrants descendant, and both institution still presents a lot of the associations typical practices. Schools and colonies of the first years Japanese immigrants on Brazil. The results showed that, despite both teachers have similar experience, such as studying in Japan while their parents worked as migrant, and have had participated on Japanese teachers classes on Brazil and on Japan, they present different teaching approaches.

This study analyzes the kinds of beliefs pre-service elementary mathematics teachers hold about mathematical problem solving, and investigates whether, or not, gender and university attended have any significant effect on their problem solving beliefs. The sample of the present study consisted of 244 senior undergraduate students studying in Elementary Mathematics Teacher Education programs at 5 different universities located in Ankara, Bolu, and Samsun. Data were collected in spring semester of 2005-2006 academic years. Participants completed a survey composed of three parts as demographic information sheet, questionnaire items, and non-routine mathematics problems. The results of the study showed that in general the pre-service elementary mathematics teachers indicated positive beliefs about mathematical problem solving. However, they still had several traditional beliefs related to the importance of computational skills in mathematics education, and following predetermined sequence of steps while solving problems. Moreover, a number of pre-service teachers appeared to highly value problems that are directly related to the mathematics curriculum, and do not require spending too much time. Also, it was found that although the pre-service teachers theoretically appreciated the importance and role of the technology while solving problems, this belief was not apparent in their comments about non-routine problems. In addition to these, the present study indicated that female and male pre-service teachers did not differ in terms of their beliefs about mathematical problem solving. However, the pre-service teachers&rsquo / beliefs showed significant difference when the universities attended was concerned.

This research explored Chinese college English teachers’ beliefs and conceptual change in relation to the government-mandated shift from the traditional grammar-based approaches to language teaching to communicative language teaching (CLT). This study employed an ethnographic approach and was conducted at a university in China. Six Chinese college English teachers agreed to participate in a three-month study during which their classroom teaching was observed and they were interviewed about their teaching experiences, understanding of the new teaching methods, and interpretations of the curriculum change. Three patterns of conceptual change were found in their beliefs about language teaching and learning: (a) change in teaching methods but no significant change in conceptions and beliefs, (b) change in both teaching methods and conceptions accompanied by painful conceptual conflict, and (c) change in both teaching methods and beliefs and an acquisition of broader curriculum perspectives. The stories and experiences of the participants indicate the complex, non-linear nature of conceptual development in their beliefs about language teaching. They struggled to expand their conceptual space by dwelling in the Zone of Between—between Chinese and Western educational traditions, between social, cognitive, and psychological processes of conceptual growth, between teaching and educating, and between curriculum-as-plan and curriculum-in-use. This study is expected to have suggestions for ongoing college English teaching in China, provide insight for the research of teachers’ beliefs related to curriculum development in other cultural contexts, and inform language teacher education and development programs. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2008-08-17 09:08:34.638