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

The beliefs that teachers have about teaching and learning have an influence on the practices that teachers implement. This is particularly relevant, although not exclusively, to teaching practices that meet the needs of Māori students in our bicultural learning environments of New Zealand. There is a growing amount of research to support the use of student voice data, the benefits of which can be seen at a school level, at the classroom teacher level as well as for the individual students themselves. This research project focused on exploring the impact of students sharing their thoughts and opinions about their learning, (i.e.: student voice data) on influencing teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning. In doing so it explores effective facilitation of this process in a bicultural learning environment. In particular it investigates the potential of a combination of specific tools, notably student focus groups and coaching conversations with teachers to influence teachers’ beliefs. This study took place in two low decile schools in Christchurch. It involved focus groups of Māori and non-Māori primary-aged students, alongside teacher reflective interviews being conducted on repeated visits. Its findings identified approaches for accessing authentic student voice in a bicultural learning environment. The thoughts and opinions shared by Māori students highlighted a focus on their own learning as well as celebrating their culture. Teachers reacted to student voice by making connections to their classroom programmes, and by accepting or dismissing more provocative statements. These reactions by teachers helped emphasize the most helpful methods for reflecting on this data. Their reflections, used alongside a specially designed ‘Teacher Belief Gathering Tool’, ascertained that teachers’ beliefs were both reaffirmed and changed through guided reflection and coaching conversations on student voice data. Teachers’ knowledge of effective teaching and learning, their motivation for changing their teaching practices, as well as witnessing success were all considerable factors in teachers changing their beliefs.

本研究旨在探討一位國中英語教師對於課室互動及提問策略的信念與教學實務。資料搜集與分析採質性之資料收集及分析法，以期對於該英語教師之信念及教學能有整體的瞭解。參與本研究教師及學生為台中市一所中型公立國中的一位英文教師及一個七年級班級，期間自九十八年八月至十二月初。資料蒐集方式以訪談、課室觀察及回憶式訪談的逐字稿為主。 以課室互動的七個面向來探討及呈現此位國中英語教師對於課室互動及提問策略的信念與教學實務。研究結果指出該受訪英語教師的教學信念與實務在課室互動的重要性、語言的使用、提問的目的、提問的類型與提問策略等五個面向呈紫現一致性，唯活動類型、溝通式語言的使用面向不一致。研究結果發現該受訪英語教師教學實務深受其教學信念影響，而造成老師信念及實際上課些微差異的因素包括教科書、時間緊迫、大班級的呈現方式、學生的語言能力不足及班級裡頭學生語言能力個別差異大。研究者根據這些發現，提出了對英語教學的看法及未來研究方向的建議，以期對於課室互動及提問策略有整體的瞭解。 / The study attempts to better understand what beliefs a junior high school English teacher had with regard to classroom interaction and questioning, and how these beliefs were reflected in her actual practices. To achieve the purpose, qualitative methods were adopted to capture a holistic understanding of the teacher’s beliefs and practices. The participants included one junior high school English teacher and one seventh grade class in a medium-sized school in Taichung city. Data were collected from August of 2008 to December of 2008. Data from semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, stimulated recall interview, and field notes were analyzed to see the teacher’s beliefs and teaching practices about classroom interaction and questioning. Seven elements derived from classroom interaction and questioning were used to display the teacher’s beliefs and practices. The results of this study revealed the consistency of the participating teacher’s beliefs and practices in five areas: the significance of classroom interaction, choice of language, the purpose of questioning, teachers’ questioning types and teachers’ questioning strategies. The inconsistency between the teacher’s beliefs and practices was found on the elements of activity types and communicative language use. The results of the consistency between the teacher’s beliefs and practices showed that the teacher’s beliefs greatly influenced the way how she carried out instructional classroom practices. The results of inconsistency, on the other hand, suggesting a mismatch between the teacher’s beliefs and practices, were associated with the following factors, i.e., textbooks, time constraints, large class, students’ limited and diverse proficiency in English. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research were recommended. It is hoped to provide insights into the dynamics of classroom interaction and questioning.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Yahya Assiri, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Curriculum and Instruction, presented on August 19th, 2016, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: SCIENCE TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE, BELIEFS, VALUES, AND CONCERNS OF TEACHING THROUGH INQUIRY MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. D. John McIntyre, Professor Emeritus of Curriculum and Instruction, Ed.D., Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Department of Curriculum and Instruction. This study investigated elementary science teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, values, and concerns of teaching through inquiry. A mixed-methods research design was utilized to address the research questions. Since this study was designed as a mixed-methods research approach, the researcher gathered two type of data: quantitative and qualitative. The study was conducted in Mohayel School District, Saudi Arabia. The information was collected from 51 participants using a questionnaire with multiple choice questions; also, 11 participants were interviewed. After collecting the data, descriptive and comparative approaches were used. In addition, themes and codes were used to obtain the results. The results indicated that the mean of elementary science teachers’ knowledge was 51.23%, which was less than 60% which was the acceptable score. Also, the qualitative results showed that science teachers had a limited background of teaching through inquiry. In addition, the elementary science teachers had a high level of belief to teach science through inquiry since the mean was 3.99 out of 5.00. These quantitative results were confirmed by the qualitative data. Moreover, the overall mean of elementary science teachers was 4.01, which indicated that they believed in the importance of teaching science through inquiry which was also confirmed by the responses of teachers in the interviews. Also, the findings indicated that elementary school science teachers had concerns about teaching science through inquiry since the overall mean was 3.53. In addition, the interviewees mentioned that they faced some obstacles when they teach by inquiry, such as time, resources, class size, and the teachers’ background. Generally, the results did not show any significant differences among elementary science teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, values, and concerns depending on gender, level of education, and teaching experience. However, the findings indicated there was one significant difference which was the level of teaching experience between groups: (6-10) years and (11-15) years, and (16- more) and (11-15) years. In addition, the implications and suggestions for future research were provided to enhance teaching science through inquiry.

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.

In an effort to ensure high quality early childhood education, curriculum reform has been implemented for over one decade in Shanghai kindergartens (specifically, since 2004). The reform guidelines largely align with the principles of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) issued by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in the United States, which served as the conceptual framework of this study. This study aimed to develop a better understanding of kindergarten teachers’ beliefs and practice of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) in Shanghai in the context of educational reform, the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their practice, and whether the type of school (public versus private) moderates the belief-practice relationship. Applying a correlational research design, this study measured kindergarten teachers’ beliefs and practices by the instrument of Teacher Beliefs and Practices Survey (three to five-year-olds) (Chinese version, by Wang, Elicker, McMullen, & Mao, 2008). Respondents from both public ( n = 111) and private ( n = 71) kindergartens in Shanghai completed this survey. Findings suggested that teachers endorsed both appropriate and inappropriate beliefs and engaged in both appropriate and inappropriate practices (as defined by DAP principles), but with significantly higher levels of endorsement in appropriate (as compared to inappropriate) beliefs and engagement in appropriate (as compared to inappropriate) practices. Teachers’ beliefs and practices were reported to be moderately positively correlated, implying that their practices tend to reflect their beliefs. School type was not found to moderate the belief-practice relationship; however, public and private school teachers, on average, differed in their levels of endorsing appropriate and inappropriate beliefs, and the levels at which they engage in appropriate practices (but not inappropriate practices, with the Bonferroni adjustment applied to control the Type I error rate). Public kindergarten teachers were higher, on average, for all four subscales. Implications are discussed along with suggestions for further research.

The aim of this thesis is to explore the factors influencing the usage of modern technologies in teaching Mathematics. Modern technologies have been gradually earning their place in Czech schooling for a while now, but they are not always used in the way we might expect. To address such a question, upon consulting various literary sources, this thesis presents a model of factors which influence the usage of technologies in teaching Mathematics and aims to answer the following questions. What factors influence the intended usage of technologies in teaching Mathematics? How do these factors influence the intended usage of technologies in teaching Mathematics? What are the differences between the intended usage and the real usage and what factors influence them? How do these factors influence the real usage in teaching Mathematics? The individual factors have been further explored by a multiple-case study of three Czech Mathematics teachers during their teaching and subsequential interviews. It was the form of a multiple-case study which allowed for deeper observation of the mutual relationships between the individual factors in teachers with very different approaches to teaching and modern technologies. The differences between the considered cases then provided an insight into what could help...

The policy and mission of the Swedish upper secondary school highlight the importance of developing students’ learning. Formative assessment is commonly used for this purpose. However, a prerequisite for formative assessment is a consensus between the student and the teacher. As a result, there are challenges regarding students enrolled into the introductory programmes due to these students’ lack of motivation. The aim of this study is to examine English teachers’ experiences of formative assessment in the Swedish introductory programmes IMS and IMA. The study took a qualitative approach and was conducted by semi-structured interviews with 5 teachers. The results show that the experience differs among the teachers, but all participants recognize the benefits of formative assessment for making the students’ learning process visible. Moreover, the effects of formative assessment are particularly evident when the students receive feedback during the writing process. However, a prominent challenge regards when students lack motivation to take an active part in their own learning process. The results of this study are of importance because teachers continue to teach unmotivated students in a formative manner despite the limited effects and students’ expressed need of a more summative assessment.

Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Bibliography / The implementation of OBE has significant implications for teachers’ work; adopting an OBE approach entails reconstruction of professional knowledge and a redefinition of planning procedures, teaching approaches and assessment practices. A teacher attempting to make sense of OBE, learning outcomes, assessment standards, band levels, NQF, etc. will inevitably bring his/her worldviews, past experiences and beliefs into the process of teaching and learning, and would also need to engage with new concepts to keep track of the changes in meaning and priorities. Within this changing education scenario OBE, as an initiative, offers opportunities for new pedagogies to flourish, marking a departure from the safe haven of traditional pedagogy. Therefore a perspective on teachers’ beliefs regarding OBE can provide an alternative interpretive lens for researchers through understanding teachers’ actions and thoughts. Purpose: The aim was to examine strategies teachers employ in their classrooms in response to their beliefs about OBE. Teachers’ epistemological beliefs were explored and linked to OBE pedagogical frameworks and classroom management practices. Their belief systems were divided into three categories – the teachers’ views about OBE, mathematics knowledge, and the teaching and learning of mathematics. This study was based on the belief that conceptions are specific meanings given to phenomena, derived from different experiences involved in helping individuals make sense of their world. Furthermore, those worldviews in turn influence how new information is perceived. Methodology: The researcher adopted a qualitative exploratory design. The method of choice for this study was a combination of elements of phenomenology and ethnography. Nineteen teachers were interviewed and observed. The sample was drawn from two former Model C schools and three township schools. Data were analysed qualitatively. Findings: The findings confirmed that there are multiple beliefs that constitute a personal epistemology. Therefore, to investigate some unique entities of the belief system such as OBE requires examining the broader belief system. The majority of teachers responded to OBE implementation with uncertainty, anger, frustration and anxiety. In the absence of certainty about OBE and faced with a myriad of classroom iv challenges, teachers relied on their experience to make decisions regarding what was important to know, they drew on their own personal teaching theories more than what they thought about OBE to make judgments of learning processes. This study concludes that the link between teachers’ beliefs, conceptualisation of OBE and teaching practice is weak. Their beliefs about the nature of mathematics knowledge, teaching and learning mathematics had stronger connections with, and represented the basis for teachers’ pedagogical purpose behind their preferred teaching practice.