Primary school teachers are expected to teach reading. Whether they are adequately prepared to fulfil this role, particularly for those preparing to teach in the senior primary phase, is the concern of this thesis. Reading teaching models are useful to reading teaching course developers for devising initial training syllabuses. Such models are described, followed by an example of such a syllabus developed at Rhodes University. The Rhodes University model, described early in the thesis, is used as a background for the further consideration of aspects of reading teaching at other institutions. This model is also used as an instrument for assessing the pre-service teaching experience of student teachers. The study focuses on English speaking teacher training institutions where the majority of the student teachers are preparing to teach in English speaking primary schools. Because of the considerable influence of developments in England on South African English speaking teacher training institutions, reading teaching developments in England from 1972 to 1990 are described. The pioneering work of Cook and Moyle provides a background against which subsequent developments in reading teaching are traced. Reports produced by the Department of Education and Science provide many insights into the state of reading teaching in schools in England as well as developments in teacher training. The reading teaching courses at six teacher training institutions are examined - three in England and three in South Africa. The differences are considerable, particularly the amount of time allocated to reading teaching during the four years of initial teacher education and training common to the six institutions. Two cohorts of student teachers review and assess the Rhodes University reading teaching course in terms of the extent of its interest and value for them as prospective teachers, and the amount of time allocated to the course. The most disturbing finding of this study is the nature of reading teaching observed in schools by student teachers. It is suggested that if reading teaching in senior primary schools is to be improved, the deadlocked cycle needs to be broken by education authorities, teachers and teacher trainers resolving the problem jointly.

M.Ed. (Adult Education) / Inadequate school education in South Africa has resulted in the maJority of the adult population being illiterate, not possessing the most basic living skills. Recent estimations indicate that only one percent of approximately 15 million illiterate adults in South Africa is presently engaged in basic education programmes. Since education is regarded as a basic human right, Adult Basic Education (ABE) is therefore a priority of the South African government. The provision of large scale, effective ABE programmes in future will depend on the availability of an adequate number of professionally trained and well equiped instructors in ABE. At present very little theoretical background can be provided for training such instructors. The instructors, cum facilitators I are mostly trained informally, haphazard, fragmented and limited to a specific programme. Apart from the general characteristics and needs typical of adult learners, illiterate South African adults have specific characteristics and needs unique to their circumstances. In view of the above, the question posed in this study is as follows: What recommendations can be made' to design a curriculum for a training programme for ABE instructors? Within the framework of a descriptive-interpretative research paradigm, an elaborate literature study forms the background for the empirical research. The recommendations for the training of ABE instructors are made in the form of answers to the following three questions: * Who should be trained as ABE instructors? * What objectives should be achieved by training ABE instructors?i and * How should ABE instructors be trained? According to research individuals should possess certain characteristics, values and attitudes, in order to be trained as ABE instructors. Potential ABE instructors should thus be selected, bearing these attributes in mind. Training objectives should include that instructors be equipped with the knowledge, skills. values and attitudes they need to perform their task as efficiently as possible. The selection of the candidates and/or the knowledge and skills the instructors should be equipped with. is perhaps less important than the way in which they are trained. Research indicates that instructors tend to have two theory types in their repertoires, namely espoused theory and theory- in- action. A training programme for instructors in ABE should serve as an example of espoused theory, also being theory- in-action. Instructors in ABE should be trained as reflective practitioners - learners should thus be empowered to take control of their own learning. This implies that instructors should already be able to exercise control of their own learning.

This qualitative action research study examines how critical theory defined and guided my practice as an art teacher educator while I provided inclusion training for seven preservice art teachers during their student teaching. Sources of data included a personal journal, the inclusion curriculum I created for the preservice teachers and questionnaires and interviews. Primary findings indicated that critical theory had a substantive impact on the evolving development of my teaching philosophy, in particular my attention to issues of power redistribution in the classroom and my developing notion of teaching as form of artistry. The findings of this study also indicate that the primary impact of critical theory upon the preservice teachers was the articulation of their personal narratives and its relation to the development of their teaching identities. Further, mentoring these preservice art teachers in critical theory increased their competence in solving educational dilemmas. A primary finding of this study was how significant of a role the supervising or mentor teacher plays in developing preservice teachers' identity. As this is acknowledged, valued and utilized, more collaborative relationships among these stakeholders in the education of the preservice art teacher can be forged. The study provides implications for art teacher educators as they provide inclusion training to preservice teachers. These include honoring narratives, articulating a broader notion of inclusion, and using context-specific instructional tools while preservice teachers are completing fieldwork with students with disabilities. One suggestion for future research is to conduct longitudinal studies which explore and validate the impact of critical theory upon art teacher educators and preservice art teachers during the student teaching semester and several years beyond.

The effectiveness of long-term staff development (Reading Academy Project-RAP) on students' reading scores on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test was examined to determine if teachers transferred newly learned teaching strategies into practice and changed their beliefs about reading instruction. In a four-year cohort longitudinal study in an East Texas rural community, the effects of long-term staff development on third grade students' TAAS test reading scores, teacher practices, and teacher beliefs were explored. Populations included a teacher group (N = 17), an experimental (N = 419), and a control (N = 419) group of students. Children's groups were matched pairs based on five demographic characteristics and membership or non-membership in one or more of six categories. An application survey and four end-of-the-year surveys provided teacher data regarding classroom practices. One interview question provided information about teacher beliefs. Results indicate students who had a RAP teacher for at least one year scored significantly higher on the TAAS reading test in the third grade than those without a RAP teacher. Examination of students having more than one year with an academy teacher failed to produce statistically significant differences in TAAS test reading scores; however, an upward trend was noted. Statistically significant differences were found in 6 of the 20 items on the survey investigating classroom practices. All teachers reported the RAP affected them positively, and 82% confirmed that changes took place in their classroom practices, student behaviors, and teacher responsibilities. Validation of or strengthening existing beliefs accounted for 76% of the teacher responses. Recommendations include adding a population of kindergarten through third graders and following them through high school to determine ultimate reading success, continue surveying teachers to see if effective strategies persist, add a parental involvement component, and replicate this investigation in suburban and metropolitan areas.

No description available.

The first year of teaching has profound implications for career length, job satisfaction, and teacher effectiveness. Establishing relationships with multiple colleagues has been found to help new teachers improve their practice and create a sense of identity within their schools and within the profession. Lack of physical proximity among teachers, however, has been shown to inhibit the formation of these professional relationships. Despite these findings, research involving a close examination of how socio-physical arrangement of space can foster or hinder a sense of professional community is sparse, particularly with relation to new teachers. Hence, the purpose of this study was to better understand how first-year teachers’ interactions with their colleagues influenced the novices’ establishment within their school communities, their conceptions of teaching, their sense of place and identities as teachers, and the learning that occurs over the course of the first year. Using interviews and observations as primary sources of data, and supplementingthese with several other sources such as video tours, interaction logs, and relational maps, this study examined the interactions of three first-year teachers (in the same middle school) with their colleagues, while paying specific attention to the role of the spatial structures of the school in shaping these interactions. Ultimately, this study found that the arrangements of school structures, including space, time, and task, as well as the interrelatedness of these structures, influenced the frequency and nature of the novices’ interactions with their colleagues, thus playing a crucial role in their learning, identities, and conceptions of teaching as a collaborative versus independent endeavor. This dissertation concludes with implications for practice and research aimed at arranging these structures so as to make the first years of teaching more constructive and more satisfying for novice educators.

Student teaching is recognized as the culminating and seminal experience of preservice teacher education. It is a unique time when preservice teachers are fully engaged in daily responsibilities of P-12 music educators, while under direct supervision of a mentor, often referred to as the cooperating music teacher (CMT). CMTs have immense influence on student teachers during this pivotal point in their education. The purpose of this convergent mixed methods study was to explore preferences and practices of music teacher educators (MTEs) in the United States with regards to the selection, preparation, and education of CMTs, through the lens of Abramo and Campbell’s Four Notions Framework. Data were collected through a document search of state administrative codes, rules, and regulations regarding selection criteria for CMTs, a national survey of MTEs (n = 104), and semi-structured follow-up interviews of survey participants (n = 10). This study demonstrated the importance of MTE agency and student involvement in the selection process and selection criteria that is responsive to diverse and localized needs of institutions of higher education, P-12 schools, and individual student teachers. Findings argue against universal criteria for CMTs in favor of policies that are appropriate and sensible for diverse teaching and learning contexts. Findings indicate a prevalence of published criteria for the selection of CMTs across the United States, paired with a disconnect between the prevalence of policy and MTEs knowledge of those state policies, and a lack of published policy at institutions of higher education. MTEs in the study reported community building and individual relationships as important elements that facilitate the selection, preparation, and education of CMTs. MTEs also demonstrated strong agreement with the importance of the Four Notions Framework and indicated student involvement dispositional criteria for CMTs (e.g., good role model, willingness to discuss feedback) to be elements of the selection process they valued most. The strong agreement with the Four Notions Framework positions it as a useful tool to evaluate effectiveness of selection criteria and available professional development. Availability of professional development for CMTs appears to be an important area of growth for the profession. MTEs identified themselves as primary providers of professional development, through informal and formal individualized interactions they have with CMTs. While handbooks for CMTs appear to be prevalent, findings demonstrate they are an underutilized tool for preparation and education of CMTs. MTEs shared mixed perceptions about alignment of available professional development with the Four Notions Framework, indicating effectiveness of those opportunities, in helping to promote dispositions and qualifications MTEs value, is another area of growth. The availability of qualified and effective CMTs emerged as a primary barrier, alongside other expected barriers such as geographic contexts, time, funding, staffing, and full workloads. MTEs in this study also identified institutionalized structures and policies intended to support CMTs that sometimes act as barriers to selection, preparation, and education. A lack of common terminology in the field of music teacher education may also act as a barrier to collaboration and communication about policies and processes. Implications and recommendations are offered for further exploration of selection criteria, advancement of professional development, and further lines of inquiry.

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between ratings of desirable teacher competencies and selected personal and professional variables of the trade and industrial (T&I) teachers in Virginia. The variables were correlated and analyzed in order to explain the variance of teacher competencies. The independent variables were years of trade experience, years of teaching experience, levels of professional training, and reasons for teaching. The dependent variables were the total ratings of the 17 competencies, as evaluated by the teacher's immediate supervisor, and three categories of the competencies: teacher preparation, delivery of instruction, and support of appropriate vocational organizations. The sample in the study consisted of 130 randomly selected T&I teachers from 74 comprehensive high schools and vocational centers across the state of Virginia. Data were collected by mailing the evaluation instrument and teacher questionnaire to the teacher's immediate supervisor. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of the mail surveys were returned. The sample was described by the number of years of trade experience, the number of years of teaching experience, the number of college hours with Vocational prefix, other college hours, and reasons for entering the teaching profession. Frequencies, means, and standard deviations were obtained. The reasons for teaching which were ranked as first and second choices were a desire to work with young people and interest in their trade. The data were analyzed by using correlations and multiple regression. Findings revealed that: (1) No significant correlations exist among the independent variables and the dependent variables. (2) Nothing can be gained by partialing out the variance in the dependent variable. Thus, the ratings of the T&I teachers by their immediate supervisors were not dependent upon the variables of years of trade experience, years of teaching experience, or hours of postsecondary professional training. / Ed. D.

No description available.

This research aimed at identifying the teacher competencies of teachers teaching at an international school in Saudi Arabia. The research addressing the problems and sub-problems involved a literature review that conceptualised multicultural education and international schooling. The empirical investigation included the use of a questionnaire to gather data. The questionnaire aimed at determining the ability of teachers to function effectively within a multicultural environment. The findings, which were linked to the literature review, revealed areas of strength and weakness. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for school administrators for the design of appropriate staff development programmes to inculcate in teachers the competencies necessary to perform effectively in an international multicultural environment. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Educational psychology)