This qualitative study investigated the extent of Teachers’ Private Theories on the level of instructional technology integration within a Hong Kong international school. Such private theories develop as a result of personal and pedagogical experiences influencing how teachers think, manage their classrooms and make decisions, essentially acting as a foundation for instructional decision-making practices. The participants within this study consisted of three teachers with various degrees of experience. Lesson observations and interviews were conducted, and an intervention measure in the form of Moodle, a course management system, was introduced to enhance existing pedagogical practice and provide an opportunity for the teachers to facilitate a higher level of technology integration; something that is generally attributed to a strong focus on student centered pedagogy. Private theories were categorized into six key areas - student learning, management, assessment, teaching, technology and support. Results from the study indicated that intervention measures used to facilitate higher-levels of technology integration for teachers who already focus on student-centered pedagogy, do not result in any noticeable transformation of their private theories. Instead, teachers develop a deeper cognitive understanding of the intervention, and begin to question how they can modify existing teaching and learning practices. Teachers that participate in comprehensive school wide technology programs need continuous support to ensure they achieve higher-levels of technology integration, and continue to develop student-centered pedagogy. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

Teaching competition is a common and standardized practice in mainland China, but until then it is rather new to teachers in Hong Kong. Teaching competition can have dual roles: being an activity for teacher development and as a kind of standard enforcement of teachers’ performances. The primary purpose of this dissertation was to examine the perceptions of teachers in Hong Kong towards teaching competition as a means for staff development. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this research study. A questionnaire containing both multiple choices and open-ended questions was used to collect data anonymously from secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. This study also attempted to explore other areas relating to teaching competition, including teacher collaboration, teaching performance assessment, teacher identity, and teacher standards. The results of this study showed that in general Hong Kong teachers did not reject the idea of using teaching competition as a platform for sharing and developing teaching skills. However, some teachers considered that teaching competition might, to a certain extent, induce tensions among teachers and jeopardize teacher collaboration. Judging teachers’ performances in teaching competition can be considered as a process of assessment. As such, applying theories of assessment could gain better understanding of the judgment itself, maintain fairness of judgment and clear up the misunderstanding of ostentation in teaching competition and non-determinacy of teaching performance. Moreover, the results of judgments in teaching competitions must be correctly interpreted. Judgments accompanied with feedback instead of simply feedouts could serve better for teacher development purpose. Finally, teaching competition could enforce performance standards to teachers. Findings from this research study revealed that recent education reform in Hong Kong would affect teachers’ views on teaching competition. It was argued that teaching competition might be an appropriate means to help teachers establish and re-establishing their discredited professional identity under the cultural change of marketization. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

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The exit/entry patterns of students in higher education have been a matter of concern to college administrators and counselors for over half a century. The purpose of this study was to identify certain characteristics commonly associated with persistence in order to determine if these same characteristics are likewise predictive of success in teacher training programs. The data base was the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972. This study was an investigation designed to observe the educational and vocational activities, plans, aspirations, and attitudes of high school seniors of that year and subsequent years through three follow-up studies. The sample design was a two-strage probability sample with schools as the first stage and students as the second stage. The sample was highly stratified with variables such as type of control, geographical region, minority group enrollment, and level of urbanization making up the strata. The base year questionnaire was administered in the spring of 1972 and consisted of 104 questions. Subsequent follow-ups in 1973, 1974, and 1976 asked questions similar to those asked int he base year and others necessary to ensure continuity of data. The sample used for the present study consisted of 472 prospective teachers. Identifying education as a major and aspiring to teach was the method used to determine sample members. Additional criteria were used to select migratory and non-migratory prospective teacher sub-groups. The sub-groups identified were persisters, drop-ins, drop-outs, late entries, program transfers, and college transfers. Since most students move into migratory patterns due to one or more intellectual or non-intellectual reasons, the present study was designed to compare certain selected factors hypothesized to have a relationship with this movement. Ability, satisfaction with the college environment, values, and self-concept were factors chosen for this comparison. Ability was determined in the base year from standardized tests such as the Scholastic Achievement Test. The students' feelings toward their instruction, social life, campus resources, and curriculum were used as a measure of satisfaction. Having lots of money, being a leader in the community, living close to parents, and correcting social ills were used to determine values. Self-attitude, self-worth, external satisfaction, and internal satisfaction were factors selected to measure self-concept. Levels of satisfaction, values, and self-concept were collected in all three follow-up studies. Ability was determined only in the base year. The design of the investigation was to compare the only nonmigratory group, persisters, with other prospective teacher sub-groups considered migratory. Comparisons were made using the persistence characteristics identified earlier, namely, ability, satisfaction, values, and self-concept. Additional comparisons were made between prospective teacher sub-groups on the basis of race, sex, and type of institutionalized control. Longitudinal trends were incorporated into these comparisons. Prospective teacher sub-groups were also examined in relation to financial assistance. The results suggest that ability and satisfaction measures can provide a persistence index that permits differentiation between certain prospective teacher groups. There is a further indication that ability tests provide a clear distinction between minority and non-minority prospective teachers. Ability and certain self-concept and satisfaction measures provide a distinction between males and females in teacher training programs. Differences among private and public college prospective teachers can be seen with selected achievement tests. Public college late entries and drop-outs are more dissatisfied with the college environment than any other prospective teacher group. Finally, a relationship exists between the amount of financial assistance and the various prospective teacher sub-groups. This relationship is most pronounced for late entry students.

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This study sought out the perceptions of middle school (any combination of grades 5-9) educators in 19 states regarding the specific learning experiences that should be included in the curriculum for the preparation of junior high/middle school teachers, the skills or characteristics that are needed by a junior high/middle school teacher to best meet the needs of the early adolescent, the desirability of a discrete middle school certificate and the reasons why or why not. Using the data collected, a paradigm was designed for a junior high/middle school teacher training program that reflected the best thinking of these educators. This middle school study utilized a modified Delphi Technique in surveying the perceptions of administrators, teachers holding secondary certificates and teachers holding elementary certificates currently employed at junior high/middle schools, North Central Association associate state chairmen, and college of education professors. The three primary points emerging from this study are (1) that the lines of communication need to be opened between educators in the junior high/middle schools and those at institutions where policies, teacher preparation programs and certification requirements regarding middle school education (and educators) are being formulated, (2) that those same policies, teacher preparation programs and certification requirements be formulated on the basis of research data gathered directly from those educators in junior high/middle schools, and (3) that a middle school teacher's characteristics are considered by those involved currently in middle school education to be more important than his/her skills.

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