The purpose of this study was to determine the sustainability of professional development teacher utilization of the Science-in-CTE pedagogical model and science enhanced CTE lessons one year following the Science-in-CTE Pilot Study. This study included 27 teachers (15 experimental CTE and 12 science) who participated in the Pilot Study in 2009-2010. This study was a partial replication of the Math-in-CTE Follow-up Study and data were collected using a mixed methods approach. Quantitative data were obtained from online questionnaires and qualitative data were collected from personal and telephone interviews. Data found that a majority of the CTE and science teachers voluntarily incorporated portions of the seven-element pedagogical model and 15 science-enhanced lessons into their curricula one year later. Findings suggest that collaborative professional development is an effective method of integrating science content into CTE curricula to enhance student CTE course achievement without reducing the intent of the CTE program.

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2003 / Refer to document / National Research Foundation and University of the North Financial aid

College campuses are becoming more diverse now than ever before. Campuses, however, are not as prepared as they should be for the new students that are arriving. Changes need to be made to status quo processes and procedures, event planning, and classroom education in order to best serve current students. In order for changes to happen, professionals need to participate in diversity related professional development to examine their own biases and assumptions, to learn more about people different from themselves, and to become equipped with tools that will enable a more inclusive campus climate. A mixed methods study was utilized to participants of a single-campus-based diversity summit to capture participants' learning and perceived tools and knowledge with which to return to campus. Findings suggest that there needs to be a community in which participants can grow through relationships, both individually and as a collective; participants of the summit had personal growth of knowledge and understanding in diverse areas, and participants desired to create change in departments, organizations, and in the campus at large. / Graduation date: 2012

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

This study focuses on the processes of creating and maintaining a community of teachers in an Israeli high-school. Ten high-school teachers were self-selected to participate in a yearlong professional development focusing on learning and teaching. The participants directed their own professional development by collaboratively sharing and reflecting on their practice. The methodology used for data gathering is rooted in the case study tradition within the philosophy of naturalistic inquiry. The weekly meetings throughout one academic year were recorded and transcribed. Teachers were interviewed three times: at the beginning and end of the year, and two years later, to leam about reasons for participating and evaluation of the community, and to allow further reflections on their experiences in the community. Two main concepts - community and caring relationships - emerged from group conversations and personal interviews, and were used as the study's analytical tools. Three topics were revisited in our conversations throughout the year: teacher-students relationships, teaching strategies, and evaluation of learning for both teachers and students. The conversations revealed the processes of creating an atmosphere of care, trust and openness that enhanced the development of genuine dialogue that turned this group into a caring community. The caring relationships encouraged teachers to make changes in their teaching and suggest changes at the school level. These relationships enhanced teachers' ability to leam from their encounters and helped them develop awareness of the importance of such relations within the educational context. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of teachers' community. It suggests that communities (a) support teachers by enhancing dialogue among them; (b) contribute to social change within the limited context of the school; and (c) add to the construction of knowledge about teaching, learning, and schooling. If schools aim to teach recognition of diverse voices where people strive to care for and understand each other, then teachers should leam and exercise these behaviours. The most viable space for the occurrence of such learning is within teachers' communities. This study, then, gives strength to arguing for the pursuit of communities in school.

Conceptualising teacher learning in terms of participation in a teacher learning community is a relatively new phenomenon in South Africa. This study explores the usefulness of applying a social practice theory of learning to a community of novice Economic and Management Sciences teacher learners involved in the Teaching Economics and Management Sciences (TEMS) teacher development project. It examines the influence of contextual constraints, teachers' biographies and professional career trajectories on teachers' ability to participate in a learning community. By drawing on Wenger's theory of learning in a community of practice and Wenger et al's stages of community development framework, it also illuminates and theorises the potential that a community of practice framework has for teacher development. Wenger's framework offered important insights that informed and shaped the development of the TEMS programme. It also provided a useful tool for analysing teacher learning as constituting four components, namely, meaning, practice, identity and community. The complex relationship that exists between these different components of learning is examined. The study offers a critique of the feasibility and appropriateness of using Wenger's framework for analysing a teacher learning community. Methodologically, the tenets of symbolic interactionist ethnography were employed in the collection of data for this study. An exposition of the complexity and challenge of adopting the dual role of researcher as observer and participant is presented. An analysis is also provided of the methodological challenge of gaining access and acceptance in a South African education research context. The study examines how the essential tension in teacher professional development, namely, that of curriculum development and deepening subject matter knowledge is managed in a teacher learning community of novice Economic and Management Sciences teachers. It reveals the potential that a learning community framework has for teacher learning through different levels of participation, and points to the importance of the input of an outside expert, particularly during the early stages of development of a community of teacher learners who lack subject content knowledge. It argues that teacher learning communities present a fruitful and viable alternative to the current 'deficit' models of teacher development that typify the present South African teacher development scenario, as teacher learning communities suggest a conceptual reorientation of the discourse on teacher development. / Theses (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

The study searches for staff development programs associated with good academic performance in the Lesotho Primary School Leaving Examination. The study was conducted mainly to: • examine the type of programs available in schools to support staff development. The research was conducted by means of questionnaires (Appendix 2) handed out to principals and teachers in four primary schools in the Mafeteng district in Lesotho. The results of the study indicate that there were inadequate staff development programs in schools and that the programs were not well administered. The main recommendations of the study were: • Considering the nature and scope of this study there is need to broaden the scope of further research to include not only few schools in Mafeteng district but also all schools in Lesotho. • Research should not be conducted in primary schools only; but in post primary schools as well where staff development programs may just be as important as they are in the primary schools. More research needs to be carried out in order to investigate the quality of the programs that presently exist in schools, because according to the study it seems the very few that exist do not have much impact on the academic performance in the schools studied. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, 2002.

This study is an exploration of the influence of different school contexts on novice teachers’ professional development and learning. The study sought to understand and interpret how 1st year novice teachers who were exposed to a new UKZN teaching practice approach, learnt and developed in varying school contexts. It also attempted to understand how these teachers exposure to knowledge/experiences of contextual diversity during their training contributed to their development in their present school contexts. A qualitative approach with an interpretive framework was used, as this approach allowed for the phenomenon (novice teachers’ development in diverse school contexts) to be studied in natural settings and it foregrounded the social and cultural context. The study was underpinned by the teacher development framework designed by Amin and Ramrathan, and Samuel’s force field model and the situated learning theory. Amin and Ramrathan’s approach foregrounded contextual diversity as this is the reality of the post-apartheid South African schools. As the study also sought to explore novice teachers’ professional development in work contexts, it drew on the situated learning theory and Samuel’s force field model as a means to assess the extent the role the various forces (biography, curriculum, institutional and contextual) play in influencing novice teacher development. The case study methodology was used to elicit insight and clear perspectives of novice teachers’ multiple truths and realities with regard to their professional development in the contexts they worked. The participants were purposefully selected. They were three 1st year teachers who had completed the B.Ed degree at the same university. They were of the same race and gender. These participants taught at different school contexts. This enabled me to assess how these varying contexts shaped their professional development. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The use of semi-structured interviews allowed for new data to be generated through probing and clarification of answers. The interviews were audio-recorded to ensure that all data was available for analysis. The findings of the study reveal that the nature of the school contexts has a direct bearing on the professional development of the participants. Factors such as the school leadership and management styles, school resources and school based professional development programmes influenced how these teachers developed. The biography of the participants had a significant role in ensuring that they were able to rise above their many challenging experiences and thereby enhance their professional growth and professional development. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Middlewood, D. et al. (1998) state that "Development cannot be forced because it is the teacher who develops (active) and not the teacher who is developed (passive)". Active teacher participation in professional development programmes will result in greater school improvement and teacher empowerment. The study is based on the parameter that if the teachers have no real input in the planning stage of the development programmes, such development programmes are likely to be ineffective. This study seeks to investigate whether these school-based professional development activities help teachers to teach effectively or make the school efficient. The study aims to investigate the perceptions of teachers and the role of the school managers regarding the value and usefulness of school-based teacher professional development programmes in school X. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used and data was collected through semi-structured interviews with members of the school management and questionnaires with educators. The investigation was limited to the data obtained from all the questionnaires and interviews that were responded to by the entire academic staff of school X. The findings are based on data collected only from the interviews and questionnaires. The findings of the study showed diverse views towards the current form of school-based professional development programmes. There were however all encompassing parameters that can be summed up basically as follows: Both educators and school management regard school-based professional development as important aspects of teaching to improve educator performance. Development programmes should become an integral part of schooling and an official policy should be established in this regard. Development programmes have to be a continuous process and should be related to the subject taught be relevant and practical. Subject knowledge and teaching methods should be improved for effective teaching and learning to take place. Professional development programmes should be evaluated to determine whether meaningful outcomes have been achieved or not, and continuous feedback should be given to educators. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.