published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

This qualitative study described teachers’ perspectives of The Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model during the first year of its implementation. Further, this study examined the relationship between teachers and their administrators during implementation. The researcher’s goal was to examine how teachers changed their behavior as the result of the first year following the implementation of The Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This mixed methods study investigated second through fifth grade teachers’ perceptions of Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre (CBRT) as a relevant approach for teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). Quantitative survey data were collected from 18 teachers who worked at the school with the largest population of ELLs in a large South Florida school district. The surveys investigated teachers’ current use of ESOL instructional strategies prior to participating in a CBRT professional development session as well as their ability to identify ESOL instructional strategies embedded within the approach after professional development and classroom implementation. Qualitative data were collected in the form of interviews and discussion board transcripts from eight participants, who were also members of a school-based Readers Theatre Professional Learning Community (PLC). Transcripts were used to investigate how participants implemented CBRT in their classrooms as well as how they described their identification and application of ESOL instructional strategies during implementation. The impact of PLC participation on CBRT implementation and identification of ESOL instructional strategies was also investigated. The findings indicated that participants recognized various ESOL instructional strategies embedded in the CBRT approach. In addition, data indicated that participants viewed CBRT as an effective means for delivering various ESOL instructional strategies. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis led to similar conclusions and revealed that CBRT incorporates various ESOL instructional strategies that are recognized as effective for teaching ELLs. Teachers reported using CBRT at various points during instructional units and across all content areas. Implications and suggestions for future research are offered for the instruction of ELLs, the benefits of CBRT and other similar approaches, the design of school-based professional development, and the infusion of ESOL instructional strategies within teacher education and inservice professional learning experiences. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Educational technology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2002 / Refer to document

This research explored 19 higher education faculty members' perceptions of satisfaction with their online teaching work, identified elements that enhance or inhibit these higher education faculty members' online teaching satisfaction, and provided a theoretical framework, higher education faculty online teaching satisfaction a conceptual model, to understand the relationship among these elements. The study participants represented eight different university campuses, three academic disciplines, and 10 online programs. Data was collected from multiple sources including an online background questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and public documents. Data was analyzed using the procedures for developing constructivist grounded theory proposed by Charmaz (2006). The researcher posits that the individual context component in this conceptual model affects, and is affected by the work context component as follows, online teaching work-related experiences are subjectively interpreted by individuals and groups of individuals, i.e., work-related perceptions, which affect, and are affected by individual(s) socially constructed and subjective interpretations of their online teaching work, i.e., individual(s) interpretations of work circumstances. The work-related perceptions and individual interpretations of the online teaching work circumstances reciprocally interact with each other, affecting and being affected by the first two components, individual context and work context, which also reciprocally interact and affect, and are affected by the faculty member(s) affective and cognitive evaluations of their online teaching work. These affective and cognitive evaluations result in a continuum of online teaching satisfaction. The resulting continuum of online teaching satisfaction can reciprocally affect, and be affected by any or all of the previously mentioned components of the conceptual model of this research.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Significant changes to the British Columbia's educational system have been caused by new curriculums that are based on a resource-based learning and teaching model. The Ministry of Education evaluates learning resources and allocates funding to support the acquisition of learning resources at the district and school level. Learning resources selected for classroom use are to support the Principles of Learning: • learning requires the active participation of the student; • people learn in a variety of ways and at different rates; • learning is both an individual and a group process. The Ministry recommends that schools have a Learning Resource Committee to develop a school vision for learning resources, evaluate current school resources, establish selection priorities, evaluate resources and make recommendations for purchase, and identify learning resource management systems. A survey of Vancouver elementary and secondary schools indicates that 41% of the schools have Learning Resource Committees, but that their activities rarely include all the recommendations of the Ministry. The survey shows that only 25% of the Committees have an established procedure for selecting learning resources. This study includes an analysis of Learning Resources Committees at two secondary and one elementary school where interviews were done with administrators, teacher-librarians, teachers and staff assistants provide a picture of how learning resources are selected and managed and their impact on resource-based learning and teaching. This study found that systems for selecting and managing learning resources are in the developmental stage as teachers move from primarily print formats to a broad range of print and non-print learning resources.

This dissertation examines the contribution that media make in quality distance education and seeks explanations for poor media selection processes. Distance education is viewed in policy documents as playing a crucial role in the development of South Africa and the provision of a wide range of education opportunities through distance methods has increased rapidly. There are however grave concerns about the quality of much of this provision. This reflects global disappointment where many technology-based educational operations failing to meet expectations. In Part One, the study scrutinizes the role of media in distance education and concludes that conceptually and in practice technology is indeed viewed as a crucial component of distance provision and consequently decision around the selection and usage of media will be significant in quality distance education. Thereafter the study analyses possible reasons for poor media choices, highlighting aspects such as over-enthusiastic beliefs in technology, a neglect of educational issues and an under theorized approach. Given that there has been considerable research activity into media usage, the study then examines why previous research has not been influential in media decisions, concluding that the research is conceptually flawed and overly crude. Having identified and discussed bad practice, Part Two moves into the positive and identifies basic principles in making better choices (such as examining our own beliefs, conceptualizing the relationship between education and technology and mobilizing team approaches). Developing more sophisticated understandings of education and technology and ways in which can be utilized forms the bulk of this section and includes a focus on current notions of quality education. Rather than concluding with strong recommendations, two specific areas for consideration - convergence and media combinations- are suggested. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.