DEd (Curriculum Studies) / Department of Curriculum Studies

National English Committees insist that composition content is of first importance; organization of ideas, second; and form third. The writer agrees with this point of view, but believes that a large proportion of class time in English, all through the grades, is spent in trying to establish knowledge and skill in the use of grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and mechanics generally.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / David S. Allen / Margaret G. Shroyer / Ongoing, effective professional development is viewed as an essential mechanism for eliciting change in teachers’ knowledge and practice in support of enacting the vision of NCTM’s Principles and Standards of School Mathematics. This case study of the Infinite Mathematics Project, a Title IIB MSP professional development initiative, seeks to provide a qualitative examination of the characteristics and strategies used in the project and their impact on teacher learning and practice. The project embodied many features and strategies of effective professional development such as: mathematics content focus; sustained over time; reform activities (e.g., lesson study, teacher collaboration); active learning opportunities (e.g., implementing an action plan; developing differentiated instruction activities for a mathematics classroom); coherence with NCTM and state standards; and collective participation by IHE facilitators and participant K-12 teachers from partner districts. The findings reveal teachers gained both content knowledge (knowledge about mathematics, substantive knowledge of mathematics, pedagogical content knowledge, and curricular knowledge) and pedagogical knowledge (knowledge about strategies for differentiating instruction in a mathematics classroom, for supporting students’ reading in the content area, for fostering the development of number sense, for implementing standards-based teaching, and for critically analyzing teaching). The study also provides some evidence that the project had an impact on teaching practice. In addition, an implication of the study suggests the positive impact of Title IIB MSP partnership requirements.

This research investigates drama teaching practice in New Zealand primary and secondary schools, through a case-based qualitative inquiry into the practice of six experienced drama teachers. The study reveals that whilst drama education is couched within the Arts learning area of the national curriculum, the educational philosophy enacted by participants encompasses a broad vision for drama education, which extends learning beyond a technical knowledge of theatre and theatre-making towards the domains of social and personal meaning-making and emancipatory knowledge. Explored through the lenses of Artist and Co-artist, the study identifies the socio-cultural nature of the practice of these teachers. Teachers’ artistry is revealed through creative use of drama tools and processes to create aesthetically-rich learning experiences. The significance of relational pedagogy to teaching and learning in these drama classrooms is also examined within the study. Teachers’ accounts reveal the ways they seek to develop interpersonal relationships with and between students, and establish ensemble-based approaches to learning in drama. As co-artists, participants employ pedagogies that empower students to actively participate in a community of drama practice, intentionally developing students’ capacities for collaboration, creativity and critical thinking, while discovering and developing their artistic-aesthetic capabilities. These teachers share power with students through acts of negotiation, creating dialogic learning opportunities in order to develop student agency as artists and citizens. Attempts to navigate tensions that arise due to increased performativity pressures on teachers and to avoid prescriptive and technocratic delivery of drama curriculum are also explored. In-depth interviews were conducted with participants to discover the complexities of their teaching practice, the philosophy of drama education they hold, and the decisions they make in curriculum content and pedagogy. Observations of classroom practice were also undertaken, along with an analysis of planning documents and an interview with their students. The study provides six rich case studies of drama practice in New Zealand schools, contributing to local and international understandings of enacted drama education within school settings. Implications for educational policy, curriculum design, classroom practice and teacher education arise from this investigation.

The research by Lithuanian and foreign scientists justify the fact that instructional communication becomes a topical objective in the teacher-students’ professional self-development. Instructional communication is defined as a complex integral phenomenon, the most significant part of teacher’s activity, joining together all other activities into the whole and having an impact on pupil’s and teacher’s interaction, success of the self-developmental process. Teacher’s informative-communicative, perceptive, interactive skills of instructional communication perform a multifunctional role in pupils’ self-developmental process, while designing their world of values, motivating them to learn all life long, embed the attitudes of humanism, democracy, etc. Scientific literature data and legal documents‘ analysis substantiate theoretically the development of student-teachers’ instructional communication topical and points out the problem of its insufficient research. The aim of the research is to reveal peculiarities and dynamics of student‘s and teachers‘ instructional communication in the study process. The data of the empirical research revealed and substantiated prerequisites for student-teachers’ self-development of instructional communication skills: one’s self-determination to become a teacher, interpersonal relationship in a study group, carrying out practical tasks under the guidance of competent supervisors in particular. The integration of theoretical knowledge on... [to full text] / Lietuvos ir užsienio mokslininkų darbai pagrindžia, kad pedagoginis bendravimas – aktualus siekinys būsimųjų mokytojų profesiniame ugdyme(si). Pedagoginis bendravimas apibrėžiamas kaip sudėtingas integruotas reiškinys, svarbiausia mokytojo veiklos dalis, jungianti į visumą visas kitas veiklas bei lemianti mokinio ir mokytojo sąveiką, ugdymo(si) proceso sėkmingumą. Mokytojo pedagoginio bendravimo informaciniai-komunikaciniai, percepciniai, interakciniai gebėjimai atlieka polifunkcinį vaidmenį mokinių ugdymo(si) procese, kuriant vertybinį pasaulį, motyvuojant mokymąsi visą gyvenimą, įtvirtina humaniškumo, demokratiškumo nuostatas ir kt. Darbe mokslinės literatūros analize aktualizuota būsimųjų mokytojų pedagoginio bendravimo ugdymo(si) aukštojoje mokykloje nepakankamo mokslinio ištyrimo problema, todėl išsikeltas tyrimo tikslas – atskleisti būsimųjų mokytojų pedagoginio bendravimo ypatumus ir dinamiką studijų procese. Remiantis empirinio tyrimo rezultatais atskleistos ir pagrįstos būsimųjų mokytojų pedagoginio bendravimo gebėjimų ugdymo(si) prielaidos: pasiryžimas dirbti mokytoju, tarpasmeniniai santykiai studijų grupėje, savarankiškos praktinės užduotys konsultuojant kompetentingiems vadovams. Taip pat pagrįstas integruoto pedagoginio bendravimo ugdymo pozityvus poveikis studentams: jų profesiniam (stiprėjantis apsisprendimas būti mokytoju), dalykiniam (sąmoningas siekis gilesnio dalykinio išprusimo) apsisprendimui, tarpasmeninių santykių grupėje dinamikai ir kt.

In Ireland, formal mentoring as a mechanism for supporting student learning in the Teaching Practice (TP) phase of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) is at a developmental stage. The Irish Government appears to support mentoring initiatives in ITE, however, there is little evidence of a clear policy on student teacher learning, and the role of mentoring within it. This study investigates physical education teacher education (PETE) student learning on TP within a community of practice framework. Currently, the process of informal mentoring of PETE students during TP is undertaken by untrained cooperating teachers (CTs) as an unacknowledged gesture of goodwill. This has implications for the quality of PETE student learning during TP and became the subject of this research. Employing a range of qualitative data collection methods, this study focused on one umbrella case study (Greendale University, schools and PETE students) and five individual case studies: tetrads of PETE student, CT, university tutor (UT) and school principal (SP) during one academic year. PETE student learning was investigated from the perspectives of each member of the tetrad and data collected were analysed using grounded theory. Findings from this research concluded that (a) untrained CTs were unsuitable mentors and (b) untrained UTs were inappropriate tutors for PETE students as they both needed teaching expertise, a positive disposition and adequate training to embrace their respective roles. The study also found that within TP, there was a perceived lack of parity between the schools and university, with SPs feeling excluded and taken for granted by the university. This often led to open hostility between CTs and UTs, who were unclear about their respective TP roles. The combination of these factors resulted in PETE students learning the powerful hidden curriculum of TP which encouraged them to learn pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in an unsupported and often isolated manner.

This study used Activity Theory (AT) as a lens to explore how administrative and academic activity systems worked in a university, in schools and in the university-school partnership to support Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Saudi Arabia. It examined the perspectives of partnership coordinators, university tutors, head teachers, cooperating teachers and student teachers involved in the ITE partnership programme at Umm Alqura University. The study was conducted under the umbrella of the interpretive paradigm. Case study was used as the methodology of the study. The study employed multiple methods of data collection: questionnaire, interviews and documentary evidence. Maximum variation sampling was used to select the participants to take part in the current study. The total number of the whole sample with all sub-groups was 187. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with volunteer interviewees. The study yielded various findings. Participants’ expectations were influenced by their history and background. In addition, student teachers were supported in learning about teaching in the university, school and through the partnership between school and university. However, different kinds of challenges were identified. These included: extreme centralisation in running the partnership activity system, lack of awareness of the importance of the partnership and of the need to address contradictory points of view about teaching and learning to teach in a constructive way. These challenges were symptoms of unresolved contradictions inherent in the partnership activity system. Despite these contradictions, many opportunities for professional development were highlighted by all partners. Using AT as an analytical tool, several implications for all partners were identified. The study concluded with the idea that for effective teacher education, not only is it important to understand the interaction between university and school but also how, within each, administrative and academic activity sub-systems operate and interact. This is because clear understanding of all aspects of the academic and administrative elements of the partnership, and of their relationship, is essential for a successful teacher education.

This study measured and explored changes in perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of the library media specialist when the level of collaboration increased. Seven library media specialists targeted four members of their educational communities with whom to increase collaborative activities. Before and after the collaboration began, the library media specialists, the teachers with whom they chose to collaborate, other members from the same educational community, and a control group that did not participate in increased collaboration were given a roles and responsibilities rank-order form. This form was used to measure changes in perceptions regarding the importance of the three roles and selected responsibilities related to the three roles before and after the collaborative experience. The library media specialists and the targeted teachers also kept reflection logs to record factors that enhanced collaboration, factors that inhibited collaboration, and any changes in their teaching style as a result of the collaborative experience. Results indicate that the participating library media specialists themselves experienced the most change. Role identification remains a problem as library media specialists seek to become teaching partners with classroom teachers yet still must keep the library media center aligned with school and district goals and move toward making it an information center that provides information resources for all members of the educational community in an effective, efficient and timely manner. Major enhancers to increased collaboration included flexible scheduling of the library, sharing ideas and resources, partnership in teaching, and student achievement. Major inhibitors included time, wanting to keep things the way they were, and lack of resources. Changes in teaching practice included working with another professional instead of in isolation, integrating many resources into the lesson to provide for the learning needs of all students, the incorporation of technology into the lesson, and an awareness of the roles of both library media specialists and teachers.

Notre travail de thèse porte sur la pratique enseignante. Nous étudions plus particulièrement la cohérence discursive des savoirs tout au long d’une séquence d’enseignement de physique intégrant les TICE. L’étude est conduite en classe de terminale scientifique et porte sur l’enseignement de l’électricité. L’étude de cas s’appuie sur des éléments théoriques utilisés dans les recherches en didactique (modélisation, registres sémiotiques, discours multimodal, approche communicative), comme elle propose des développements de certains concepts (inscription, concept importé de l’anthropologie des sciences). De même, l’étude propose des développements méthodologiques pour l’analyse de la cohérence discursive de l’enseignant et des inscriptions, et les interactions entre elles. Nous avons proposé une distinction entre quatre catégories de cohérence discursive dans la transmission du savoir (expansion, réduction, auto-reformulation et répétition). De même, nous avons distingué les inscriptions réalisées par l’enseignant en deux natures différentes ; elles complètent les potentialités du logiciel utilisé par l’enseignant. / Our work deals with the teaching practice. We are particularly interested in the discursive coherence of knowledge in a “natural” physics teaching sequence in electricity involving ICT. The study is conducted at the grade 12 (Terminale in France) in science class.The case study is based on theoretical elements used in science education (modeling, semiotic registers, multimodal discourse and communicative approach), it offers some conceptual development (inscription: imported from the anthropology of science). The study also proposes methodological developments for the analysis of discursive coherence of teachers and of inscriptions, and the interactions between them.We have suggested a distinction of four types of discursive coherence in the transmission of knowledge (expansion, reduction, self-reformulation and repetition). We also distinguish between two types of the inscriptions made by the teacher; they complement the potential of the software used by the teacher.

Orientador: Elianeth Dias Kanthack Hernandes / Resumo: A leitura constitui prática reconhecidamente valorizada no âmbito da sociedade, uma vez que sua utilização remete a maior possibilidade de participação em diferentes esferas sociais. Portanto, saber ler vai muito além de saber a pronúncia das letras e a decodificação de sílabas. Por sua função social, o domínio das capacidades de leitura é uma questão de cidadania, pois possibilita a capacidade criadora e o posicionamento crítico diante da complexidade do mundo no qual estamos inseridos. Outro ponto de destaque para a pesquisa que originou este trabalho é o entendimento de que a escola é a agência por excelência de veiculação e produção desses conhecimentos. Sendo assim, ela desempenha um papel de extrema importância no processo de aquisição da leitura, e deve sempre buscar o desenvolvimento leitor de seus alunos, de forma plena, por intermédio das tematizações das práticas sociais de leitura e escrita proporcionadas no contexto escolar. Nesta perspectiva, este estudo está centrado no tema da formação de alunos leitores e das práticas de professores alfabetizadores que são destinadas a esta formação. O ensino da leitura, por muitas décadas, foi baseado em métodos caracterizados pelo progresso passo a passo, ou seja, decorava-se o alfabeto, soletrava-se, decodificavam-se palavras isoladas, frases e por fim textos. O estudo partiu do pressuposto que este é um caminho que se distancia das concepções sobre o ensino da leitura defendidas por autores: Ferreiro e Teberosky (1999), S... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Reading is a recognised practice within society, as its use refers to the greater possibility of participation in different social spheres. Therefore, knowing how to read goes far beyond knowing the pronunciation of letters and the decoding of syllables. Due to its social function, the mastery of reading skills is a matter of citizenship, since it enables the creative capacity and critical positioning in the face of the complexity of the world in which we are inserted. Another highlight of the research that originated this work is the understanding that the school is the agency par excellence for conveying and producing this knowledge. Therefore, it plays an extremely important role in the process of acquisition of reading, and should always seek the reader development of its students, fully, through the themes of social practices of reading and writing provided in the school context. From this perspective, this study is centred on the subject of the training of student readers and the practices of literacy teachers that are intended for this training. The teaching of reading, for many decades, was based on methods characterised by step-by-step progress, i.e. decorating the alphabet, spelling, decoding individual words, sentences and finally texts. The study was based on the assumption that this is a path that distances itself from the conceptions about the teaching of reading advocated by authors: Ferreiro and Teberosky (1999), Smith (2003), Cadermatori (2006), Freire (2011)... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre