During this explorative journey, I investigated what keeps teachers motivated to learn and develop in their professional practice. I employed Bell and Gilbert’s (1994) model which encapsulates and examines the personal, professional and social aspects of teachers’ development. Within this interpretive paradigm, I offered an understanding of what the impetus for change entailed - from their personal and professional self on their practice and what sustains teachers to continue to negotiate the changes in their daily work. Employing participatory methodology as my methodological research approach, I portray and interpret data that was generated from the teachers’ stories. The methods used to produce the data included life story interviews, photographs and drawings. By composing and reconstructing my participants’ stories, I show how the personal and professional aspects of teacher learning are interactive and interdependent. By retelling stories we can foreground crucial processes in teachers’ development and show what motivates them to learn and develop in their professional practice. Through the reconstructed stories, these particular teachers in this study were able to, through particular social relations and practice, create new meanings and definitions to their professional identity and responsibilities as teachers in a changing schooling context. The findings of the study indicate that within their school context there were many challenges with which teachers were confronted. However, the teachers in this study chose to uplift, inspire and motivate themselves. Although they followed prescribed policies and curriculum, they engaged in certain relationships and enacted certain practices that went beyond their teaching responsibility. The teachers’ initial frustration and restlessness had led to a personal change in their attitudes, values and beliefs. There was an inner desire to bring about change in the personal meanings and definitions of teacher self. Through particular practices and relationships, new thinking, new ideas, new interests and new meanings about the teacher self were invoked. It was through the creative use of these social spaces that teachers cultivated new ideas and new meanings of the kind of teacher they wanted to be for a South African classroom. The teachers engaged in innovative ways in terms of their professional development to bring about change. The teachers indicated that their identity as a teacher was linked to being a learner iii and a researcher. In addition, the relationships of love and care towards learners brought new meaning to their teacher self. It translated into what they were doing in their relationships with learners and the subject/s they taught - this, became a deeply rewarding engagement between the teacher and their work. In response to my main research question, what keeps teachers motivated? These particular teachers were not blind to complexities they faced on a regular basis but against all odds worked within the complexity. Imbued with renewed vigour, hope and love they forge ahead. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

The purpose of this study was to explore the Staff Development Team’s (SDT) promotion of quality education within the context of Integrated Quality Management System. The study explored aspects that the SDT does to promote quality education, processes by which the SDT engages itself in to promote quality education and the reasons why the SDT promotes quality education. Provision of quality education in South Africa passed different stages that eventually culminated in Integrated Quality Management System being gazetted in 2003. With this instrument in place, the Department of Education (DoE) hoped schools, in particular and the Education Department in general, would perform well. Mixed responses from the respondents reflected that there are numerous factors that hamper the implementation of IQMS. These factors range from inadequate training of teachers for IQMS, scanty meetings in which discussions about IQMS are held, lack of involvement of all teachers in the school on issues related to IQMS, implementation of many quality education improvement strategies by the DoE within a short period of time and fear by teachers of being evaluated. The main findings showed that there is a dire need for teachers to be retrained on IQMS and frequent holding of IQMS related meetings. The main findings also revealed that the monetary component of IQMS, namely, pay progression, is a cause for concern in that it compels teachers to be dishonest in evaluating one another. This suggests that if IQMS is to be successful, the pay progression component should be divorced from it (IQMS). The study recommends that there should be regular meeting for IQMS at school so as to bring every teacher on board about IQMS. The study further recommends that although it is good to learn from other countries, but the context should be taken into consideration if a new strategy has been copied from other countries because what is good for one country may not be good for another country. Finally, the study recommends that while counter opinions always exist when a new initiative is being implemented, steadfastness should be upheld and adherence to the policy will ensure the realisation of its (policy) intended aim. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.

This research focuses on and responds to the neglect of Media Education within teacher education proposals. It is premised upon the importance of Media Education in a democratic society, particularly its role within the curriculum development. Most importantly this research study is aimed to create an informed basis from which to influence both curriculum planners and policy makers of colleges of education to include Media Education as a core component of the programme for student teachers at those colleges of education. As the starting point of this research, the following definition is accepted: Media Education (as the word suggests) attempts to educate about media, to construct a critical approach to information offered by the media, to contextualise those agencies that produce media. The role attached to Media Education is to develop and nurture critical abilities of learners, to nurture autonomous thinkers who approach information not as transparent, but as constructions that are selective and partial (Prinsloo 1994: 19). Research was conducted at Umbumbulu College of Education to seek information about the understanding of Media Education of lecturers at the college. The results of the survey indicated that: • There is a lack of understanding and familiarity with Media Education by lecturers. • Lecturers constantly confuse Media Education with the use of media as a teaching resource. • Lecturers have not been exposed to literature and texts which are related to Media Education. • In terms of the role of Media Education in developing critical understandings of media, lecturers experienced difficulty with the concepts of 'critical understandings' and critical thinking. • Within the college there is no coherent strategy in the form of modules, worksheets, and syllabi that are specifically designed for Media Education. In view of the above, this research proposes a development of a Media Education curriculum to be developed as a speciality subject which can be taught along with other fields of study at a teacher training college. This initiative locates Media Education as an intervention that proposes critical pedagogy. To enable this, lecturers and curriculum developers of the college need to recognise the value of Media Education and to familiarise themselves with Media Education as this is a new field of study within traditional black teacher institutions. The research finally recommends both ongoing professional development of college lecturers interested in Media Education as well as collaboration with other educators who have expertise in and knowledge of Media Education. It proposes that Media Education be offered at all levels of study within the college, from Pre-Primary level to Secondary level of study as a speciality course in its own right. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Durban, 1996.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Mus.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1995.

Abstract available in pdf file.

This thesis focuses on how new college faculty learn to teach. It is a qualitative study involving four first year Ball State University college professors from different departments. The past research explores faculty beliefs, skills, and styles as well as graduate preparation for teaching. The literature also covers faculty development programs, university and administrator influence, and the future of college teaching. The researcher used observations and interviews in the research design and analyzed the data by coding it into themes. The findings are discussed within the following topics: teaching techniques, professor experience, faculty development, graduate preparation and teaching assistantships, formation of teaching style, and professors' personal theories. The conclusion includes a discussion of how past experiences have taught professors how to reflect on their teaching to make modifications and how there is a lack of emphasis placed on teaching in the graduate schools. The substitution of teaching techniques for a teaching style, as well as, the amount of training professors have in college student development is also explored. The discussion also includes how new professors form personal theories of teaching. There is also a section on some specific findings for Ball State University, as well as recommendations for future research. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

Eight years after the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (PL 105-17), there still appears to be gaps in the efforts to ensure that students with disabilities are given a free and appropriate public education. While the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 aims to create school environments where teachers and paraprofessionals are highly qualified for all students, the issue of having adequately trained paraprofessionals assisting in physical education continues to be ignored. The purpose of this study was to determine the basic profiles of paraprofessionals assigned to physical education and to conduct a needs assessment for training. Participants (N=76) were comprised of paraprofessionals from city and county public schools grades Pre K -12 in Northwest and East Central Indiana, and Northwest Ohio. A twopart questionnaire was given to paraprofessionals in the classrooms to assess current responsibilities in physical education as well as identify training needs they might have in physical education. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency counts, and measures of central tendency (means) to answer all research questions. Results indicated that paraprofessionals who assisted in physical education perceived themselves to be adequately trained despite not having much professional training. Paraprofessional responsibilities in physical education remained vague and unclear; however, results showed paraprofessionals were willing to receive training depending on training length of time and training topics offered. / School of Physical Education

In ESL writing, a controversy has existed on whether or not an assignment plays an important role when students produce their writings. Plausible arguments have been also made on the matter of amount of information given in a writing assignment. But so far, there have been no convincing data to show a favor of either side in any case.This study is designed to examine the importance of assignment and the relationship between information load and the quality of ESL student writings by analyzing compositions written by ESL students. For the collection of data, 150 students who were randomly selected from two Korean universities. They were asked to write an essay in response to three different types of writing assignments in information load and topic kind.The data were analyzed by two well trained ESL teachers with the method of holistic evaluation. The data were evaluated in nine areas of quality with a binary scale (Yes and No) and in general quality with a 1 to 6 scale. The result of data evaluation was analyzed statistically using SPSS-X. Cross tabulations were used to check for relationship between information load and general impression score, between information load and binary question scores, and between binary question scores and general impression scores. Regression techniques were used to characterize the significant relationships. In performing all calculations, a paper's score will be the sum of the individual graders' scores.The results of data analysis demonstrate that ESL students prefer a subjective topic despite the level of information load. Nevertheless, their preference is not directly related to the quality of their writings. ESL students produce higher quality of writings as they are given less information. Finally, the importance of an assignment in ESL writing classes is supported by the marking of students' higher scores in dichotomous questions.The study also discusses problems and causes of difficulties, in Korean ESL, for utilizing the method of writing education as a means of teaching the English language. The study also points out the importance of a teacher training program and suggests variables which should be considered for producing a better quality teacher training program in the Korean ESL situation. / Department of English

This study consisted of qualitative interviews with eight recent graduates of doctoral programs in adult education from each of three different universities (a total of twenty-four respondents). The question that was addressed by this study is: "What are the shared beliefs and behaviors of those who have completed doctoral studies in adult education."The respondents to this study gave forceful support to the argument that adult education is a practice-oriented field. Their responses consistently focused around the practical. They were interested in research for the applications that it would give them for their practice. They were interested in teaching methods. They wanted to see fewer administrative and delivery barriers to adult education. They mentioned empowerment and application as purposes of adult education. In general, they viewed adult education as a field of practice that related directly to what they were doing to educate adults and they were really more interested in teaching methodologies and other practical information than in theoretical foundations. This orientation was reinforced by the overwhelming support for Malcolm Knowles as an author who has had a great influence on their development as adult educators. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the status of and relationships among the variables of teacher acceptance of evolutionary theory, teacher understanding of evolutionary theory, and teacher understanding of the nature of science among Indiana public high school biology teachers. The relationships between these variables and the emphasis evolution receives in the classroom and teacher academic variables were investigated. Teacher knowledge structure of the concept of evolution was also explored.To answer the questions and hypotheses delineated in the study, a 68-item questionnaire and concept mapping activity was administered to the population of 989 teachers. The response rate was 53%.The teachers exhibited only a moderate level of acceptance and a marginal level of understanding of evolutionary theory. Teacher understanding of the nature of science was moderately high. Evolution played only a minor role in the curriculum. While the teachers had completed considerable course work in biology, the vast majority lacked specific course work in evolution and the nature of science.The data revealed a significant relationship between teacher acceptance and teacher understanding of evolutionary theory and between teacher acceptance of evolutionary theory and teacher understanding of the nature of science. The data also revealed significant associations between teacher allocation of instructional time to evolution and teacher level of acceptance of evolutionary theory, teacher level of understanding of evolutionary theory, teacher level of understanding of the nature of science, and teacher completion of a course in evolution. Additionally, the data revealed significant associations between teacher level of understanding of evolutionary theory and teacher completion of a course in evolution and teacher academic background in biology. Significant associations were revealed between teacher level of acceptance of evolutionary theory and both teacher completion of a course in evolution and teacher completion of a course in the nature of science.A significant amount of the variance in teacher acceptance of evolutionary theory was explained by the other variables delineated. The concept mapping activity revealed that teacher acceptance and understanding of evolutionary theory was reflected in teacher knowledge structure of evolution and that teachers' knowledge structures were characterized by an unsophisticated organizational framework. / Department of Biology