This research aims to determine whether the voucher scheme in Hong Kong would really increase professional development of Hong Kong early childhood teachers, and to see how the teachers will react to this change. Few studies have been conducted on how the voucher system affects the teachers. A qualitative approach was employed where a total of twelve teachers and four principals from the four kindergarten schools were asked to participate in the study. The results of the study show that teachers from the different kindergartens were having more convergent views about the pre-primary education voucher scheme among the teachers from these schools. Many of them believe that the voucher scheme is in fact a fair policy and that it could effectively improve teachers‟ quality, though the apprehension of old generation teachers over the influx of the younger and relatively more qualified teachers is a concern that needs to be addressed. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

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Educational legislation requires the implementation of a functional assessment for students with disabilities who engage in challenging behavior that could lead to a change in their educational placement (IDEA Amendments, 1997; IDEA, 1990; IDEA Improvement Act, 2004). Research has shown that teachers can implement functional assessments with intensive instruction and performance feedback, yet this training can be difficult to carry out in educational settings with limited resources to provide such supervision. In the health care field, video teleconferencing (VTC) is used to overcome specialist shortages and provide supervision. Such technology might be used to deliver training and performance feedback to teachers learning to assess challenging behavior, but few studies have reported the use of VTC in educational settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of performance feedback delivered via VTC on the acquisition and maintenance of functional analysis procedures by 6 teachers. Concurrent multiple baseline designs across teacher-student dyads with embedded multi-element designs were used to evaluate the effects of performance feedback delivered via VTC on the percentage of functional analysis procedures implemented correctly. Performance feedback via VTC was provided once per week over an average of 6 weeks until each teacher implemented the procedures of each functional analysis condition (i.e., escape, attention, and play) at 100% accuracy over three consecutive sessions. Results indicated that performance feedback delivered via VTC was effective to train the teachers to independently implement functional analysis conditions. These results were maintained at or near criterion performance four weeks following the termination of performance feedback for 4 teachers. Each teacher rated performance feedback delivered via VTC positively with respect to the training procedures and the outcomes of training. The results and limitations of this study, and relevant areas for future research are discussed. / text

D. Tech. Education / The effectiveness of teacher development has been a concern for decades in South African schools. Linked to this, is the lack of or no innovative networks that is dependent on quality of teachers and continuous professional growth is an essential part of improvement in the quality of teaching. However, in this study it has emerged that professional development for teachers is unsatisfactory and has not met its intended purpose. Research indicated that the ineffectiveness of teacher development programmes is based on faulty assumptions or even no research at all. This study aimed to investigate a new paradigm on how cluster systems as innovative network could enhance teacher development to improve quality teaching because of the major obstacles perceived in its implementation.

M. Tech. Education / Transformation in the education system of South Africa brought new trends in education on policies, curriculum and teacher education. The educational reforms resulted in the negative implications to all role players in the teaching profession, as well as quality of teaching and learning programmes. Quality support services, at all levels of the new educational system, were, and continue to be in great demand for sustainability and development. This research provides an analysis and critique of the role of school management support teams with respect to the professional support and also prescribed by White Paper 6 of 2002. The aim of this research is to investigate the provision of professional teacher support and the role of teacher support teams or school management of the programme.

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published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education