Bilingualism and multilingualism are phenomena dominantly present in today’s globalized world. Sweden is not an exception and its international character is apparent in all domains, such as politics, business and education. English is perceived more as a second language rather a foreign one, taking into consideration the numerous bilingual and international schools of the country that promote the acquisition of Swedish and English from an early age. Teaching in bilingual classrooms may cause challenges due to students’ different linguistic abilities and background and thus, teachers are responsible to maintain a balance between both languages. The particular study has a two-fold aim; at first place, it analyzes theories of bilingualism that are directly related to pedagogical and teaching practices as well as the relation between bilingualism and brain functions. The purpose is to identify how these theories are reflected into everyday classrooms through teachers’ methods. The second part of the research is the examination of the contextual background of Sweden in terms of linguistic hierarchy, the aims of society to bilingual education and laws regarding languages and teacher training. The purpose is to outline the extent to which this background is applied into actual contexts. Therefore, the third part is the empirical study that is a comparative case-study through a qualitative approach into two bilingual schools in Sweden. The central focus is on teachers’ opinions about challenges, teaching methods and personal reflections and the identification of differences and similarities. The critical analysis of the three main parts enables the researcher to reach conclusions where certain points and issues are outlined along with possible solutions. The goal of the study is not the generalization of data but a focus on individuals and reflection of real situations that sets the basis for research in larger scales.

Bilingualism and multilingualism are phenomena dominantly present in today’s globalized world. Sweden is not an exception and its international character is apparent in all domains, such as politics, business and education. English is perceived more as a second language rather a foreign one, taking into consideration the numerous bilingual and international schools of the country that promote the acquisition of Swedish and English from an early age. Teaching in bilingual classrooms may cause challenges due to students’ different linguistic abilities and background and thus, teachers are responsible to maintain a balance between both languages. The particular study has a two-fold aim; at first place, it analyzes theories of bilingualism that are directly related to pedagogical and teaching practices as well as the relation between bilingualism and brain functions. The purpose is to identify how these theories are reflected into everyday classrooms through teachers’ methods. The second part of the research is the examination of the contextual background of Sweden in terms of linguistic hierarchy, the aims of society to bilingual education and laws regarding languages and teacher training. The purpose is to outline the extent to which this background is applied into actual contexts. Therefore, the third part is the empirical study that is a comparative case-study through a qualitative approach into two bilingual schools in Sweden. The central focus is on teachers’ opinions about challenges, teaching methods and personal reflections and the identification of differences and similarities. The critical analysis of the three main parts enables the researcher to reach conclusions where certain points and issues are outlined along with possible solutions. The goal of the study is not the generalization of data but a focus on individuals and reflection of real situations that sets the basis for research in larger scales.

Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar como professoras alfabetizadoras da rede pública estadual paulista lidam com o modo de alfabetizar proposto pelos programas de formação continuada Letra e Vida e Ler e Escrever implantados pela Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo (SEE-SP) desde 2003 tendo em vista a forma pela qual veem as diversas dimensões do trabalho que realizam para a alfabetização dos seus alunos. Os referidos programas são elaborados para serem desenvolvidos na sala de aula a partir de material impresso de apoio específico para a série/ano e a constante formação dos professores envolvidos. Para a realização da pesquisa, entre setembro e dezembro de 2010 foram aplicados questionários e feitas entrevistas acerca da origem social, trajetória de formação escolar e profissional, hábitos de lazer e cultura, experiências vivenciadas nos referidos programas e a sua influência sobre a própria atuação profissional com dez professoras alfabetizadoras de seis escolas de uma diretoria de ensino da região leste da capital que tiveram aproveitamento diverso nas provas do Sistema de Avaliação do Rendimento Escolar de São Paulo (SARESP) de língua portuguesa dos 3º e 5º anos do ensino fundamental, no período de 2008 a 2010, considerando o fato de a prova ser organizada dentro dos princípios norteadores dos programas. A análise dos resultados obtidos permitiu notar diferenças em relação à idade, escolha da profissão, formação, tempo de docência na rede estadual, acesso aos bens culturais, mas aproximações no que diz respeito à origem social e as condições de vida. Além disso, foi possível constatar que todas as professoras alfabetizadoras entrevistadas são docentes estabilizadas na carreira profissional e detentoras de bastante experiência no magistério. Elas referem-se à docência como exercício profissional, que requer formação específica e continuada, mas suas declarações sobre o ensino e a profissão também remetem ao prazer e a vontade de ensinar. Tendo como principais referências as obras de Chartier, Nóvoa e Tardif, a análise do conteúdo das entrevistas procurou mostrar a forma como cada uma delas apropriou-se do que foi proposto pelos cursos numa tentativa de reelaborar as próprias práticas. Nesse sentido, foi possível notar diferenças significativas nas prioridades estabelecidas por elas para o desenvolvimento de seu trabalho. Algumas priorizaram o uso das sondagens para identificar a hipótese de escrita de seus alunos; outras os momentos diários de leitura em voz alta para os alunos; outras ainda passaram a alfabetizar tendo como preocupação a intenção de oferecer aos alunos, desde o início do processo de alfabetização, textos que não fossem escolarizados, mas que conservassem as suas características de uso social; por fim, algumas professoras optaram por adotar o trabalho interativo, com uso de jogos, organizando os alunos em agrupamentos para a realização das tarefas de leitura e escrita. Dessa forma, ainda que essas professoras tenham tido a mesma formação continuada, recebido as mesmas orientações e os mesmos materiais didáticos, cada qual apropriou-se de forma particular e única dos conceitos e concepções ali veiculados, ressignificando um saber já existente. / This research aims to analyze how literacy teachers from the São Paulo state public education networking, work with the literacy manner proposed by the continuing training programs called Letra e Vida and Ler e Escrever - implemented by the São Paulo state Education Department (SP-ESS) since 2003 - given the way they see the several dimensions of their work for the literacy of their students. These programs are prepared to be developed in the classroom with printed support material specific for the grade/year and the frequent training of the involved teachers. For conduct the survey between September and December 2010 were administered questionnaires and interviews made about the social origin, history of the school and professional training, leisure and culture habits, experiences in these programs and their influence on the professional work with ten literacy teachers from six schools of an education department from the east region of the capital that had different evaluations in the tests of the São Paulo Education Achievement Assessment System (SARESP) in portuguese language in the 3rd and 5th years of the elementary education in the period 2008 to 2010, considering the fact that the examinations was organized within the guiding principles of the programs. The analysis of the results obtained allowed find the differences related to age, career choice, training, teaching experience in state, access to cultural goods, but similarities regarding to social origin and living conditions. Furthermore, it was found that all literacy teachers interviewed are stabilized teachers in the professional career and holding a lot of experience in teaching. They refer to teaching as professional practice that requires specific and continuing training, but their statements about the teaching and the profession also refer to the pleasure and the desire to teach. Taking as main references, Chartier, Nóvoa and Tardif works the content analysis of the interviews tried to show how each of them appropriated of the courses proposal in an attempt to rebuild their own practices. Thus, it was possible to verify significant differences in the priorities set for them to develop their work. Some of them prioritize the use of surveys to identify the hypothesis of writing of their students, some others prioritize the daily moments of reading aloud to their students, others still come to literacy having as a concern the intention to offer to students, since from the beginning of the literacy process, texts that were not adapted for school, but that retained the characteristics of social use; and finally, some teachers chosen to adopt the interactive work, using games, organizing students into groups to execute the tasks of reading and writing. So, even that these teachers have had the same continuing education, received the same guidelines and the same didactic material, each one appropriated in a particular and unique manner of the concepts and conceptions presented there, remeaning an existing knowledge.

Students at an eastern United States high school have experienced low pass rates on the High School Assessment Program for English Language Arts (HSAP ELA) for the past 5 consecutive years. The HSAP ELA test is 1 of 2 exams that students must pass to receive a high school diploma. Students who failed the HSAP ELA were provided remedial content and test preparation courses and enrichment tutorials to pass the state's ELA high-stakes test. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore the teaching practices used to improve student performance on the HSAP ELA test. The conceptual framework for this study was the ELA competency model, a framework that combines instructional-practice principles and assessment. A purposeful sampling of 8 high school ELA teachers (3 regular education teachers, 4 remedial teachers, and 1 teacher who taught both groups) who taught ELA content and test preparation courses volunteered to participate in semi-structured interviews and provided sample lesson plans for document review. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis with open coding to identify patterns and themes. Teachers used graphic organizers, vocabulary study, questioning, relevant texts, and writing to prepare students for success on the HSAP ELA test. It is recommended that the current ELA curriculum and professional learning opportunities include teaching practices which could increase student content knowledge and performance on the HSAP ELA. These endeavors may contribute to positive social change by providing ELA teachers with specific teaching practices to prepare students to pass the HSAP ELA test, thus increasing the number of students receiving high school diplomas and increasing employment opportunities after high school.

The major issue of this thesis is that for effective change in teachers' classroom practice to occur, multiple actions are required at different levels of participation, from federal and state education jurisdictions through to school communities and individual classroom teachers. The thesis supposition is that practical action factors in schools and the community can be found which meet the needs of the change. The history of attempts to achieve educational change through changed classroom practice is littered with a range of different approaches, usually one-off events. They have sometimes succeeded. Stakeholders, including parents, social pressure groups and particularly governments have increasing expectations of what it is that teachers can achieve in terms of their students' learning outcomes. The degree to which actual teaching practices are changed at the classroom level will depend on the degree to which teachers are able to manage and implement change. However, studies in the area of curriculum change reveal that the gap between policy and practice remains an ongoing concern. This thesis draws upon theory and applied research findings from the traditions of educational change, health education, models of change, evaluation and social science research methods. The purpose of this thesis is to identify and make comparisons in the practical action factors which enhance the capacity of teachers to change their classroom practice. These are investigated through a multiple case study consideration of the school context, the professional development inputs, and the classroom programs. The patterns of effective practical action in the research study would support the thesis supposition. A multiple case study-theory building approach was used to analyse the data from twelve school sites selected from the School Development in Health Education (SDHE) Project. Data analysis employed the technique of matrix displays, with several rounds of analysis in order to generate some significant factors related to teacher change. The results were considered for endorsement by an expert panel from the field in order to enhance confidence in the validity and the reliability of the research study. Results from first round of analysis in the multiple case study showed school team commitment, teachers' attitude to professional development and community cooperation to be important factors in educational change. The second round of analysis highlighted the importance of placing the teacher at the centre of change when planning professional development. Finally, the third round presents a summary of the factors emerging from the analyses in five major focus areas: professional development; principal leadership; school organisation and culture; school team; and system support. The importance of the relationships among these factors was recognised in their impact on teachers' abilities to make educational changes in their classrooms. The thesis has found that the professional decision-making and practice of teachers is value added by the actions of other players - professional development providers, school principals and education systems. Teachers' capacity to change is enhanced by appropriate school-based professional development, flexible school organisation, and the opportunity to work collaboratively in school teams. From the patterns emerging from the strong and weak clusters of cases the thesis is able to make conclusions about teachers' professional practice, professional development approaches, principal leadership, school organisation, education systems and the nature of change. This thesis shows that educational change requires multiple actions at different levels of participation. Finally, the thesis offers recommendations to the different players in the field: education systems, principals and professional development providers.

The  purpose  of  this  study  is  to  identify  and  analyze  reoccurring  insights  in Entrepreneurship  Education  (EE)  literature,  fill  gaps  in  the  scholarly  discussion,  and develop innovative teaching tools for entrepreneurship educators. The study is based on an in-depth  review  of  the  current  EE  literature  drawing  on  insights  from  about  70  studies. The analysis finds a clear need for: EE on the university level; clear goals and objectives; clear  program  descriptions;  a  more  practical  orientation;  and  true  alumni  networks. Additionally it finds that EE should be interdisciplinary, student-centered, practical, as well as containing strong elements of reflection, support, and networking. These findings are a valuable  resource  for  educators  interested  in  innovative  teaching  practices  and entrepreneurship  program  design  in  a  university  context.  This  paper  develops  three suggestions  on  the  use  of  innovative  teaching  practices,  namely  a  course  on  business models,  an  adapted  form  of  business  simulation  with  a  focus  on  cross-disciplinary networking, and a comprehensive class in entrepreneurial venturing that takes the student through all steps of establishing and growing a business.

Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar como professoras alfabetizadoras da rede pública estadual paulista lidam com o modo de alfabetizar proposto pelos programas de formação continuada Letra e Vida e Ler e Escrever implantados pela Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo (SEE-SP) desde 2003 tendo em vista a forma pela qual veem as diversas dimensões do trabalho que realizam para a alfabetização dos seus alunos. Os referidos programas são elaborados para serem desenvolvidos na sala de aula a partir de material impresso de apoio específico para a série/ano e a constante formação dos professores envolvidos. Para a realização da pesquisa, entre setembro e dezembro de 2010 foram aplicados questionários e feitas entrevistas acerca da origem social, trajetória de formação escolar e profissional, hábitos de lazer e cultura, experiências vivenciadas nos referidos programas e a sua influência sobre a própria atuação profissional com dez professoras alfabetizadoras de seis escolas de uma diretoria de ensino da região leste da capital que tiveram aproveitamento diverso nas provas do Sistema de Avaliação do Rendimento Escolar de São Paulo (SARESP) de língua portuguesa dos 3º e 5º anos do ensino fundamental, no período de 2008 a 2010, considerando o fato de a prova ser organizada dentro dos princípios norteadores dos programas. A análise dos resultados obtidos permitiu notar diferenças em relação à idade, escolha da profissão, formação, tempo de docência na rede estadual, acesso aos bens culturais, mas aproximações no que diz respeito à origem social e as condições de vida. Além disso, foi possível constatar que todas as professoras alfabetizadoras entrevistadas são docentes estabilizadas na carreira profissional e detentoras de bastante experiência no magistério. Elas referem-se à docência como exercício profissional, que requer formação específica e continuada, mas suas declarações sobre o ensino e a profissão também remetem ao prazer e a vontade de ensinar. Tendo como principais referências as obras de Chartier, Nóvoa e Tardif, a análise do conteúdo das entrevistas procurou mostrar a forma como cada uma delas apropriou-se do que foi proposto pelos cursos numa tentativa de reelaborar as próprias práticas. Nesse sentido, foi possível notar diferenças significativas nas prioridades estabelecidas por elas para o desenvolvimento de seu trabalho. Algumas priorizaram o uso das sondagens para identificar a hipótese de escrita de seus alunos; outras os momentos diários de leitura em voz alta para os alunos; outras ainda passaram a alfabetizar tendo como preocupação a intenção de oferecer aos alunos, desde o início do processo de alfabetização, textos que não fossem escolarizados, mas que conservassem as suas características de uso social; por fim, algumas professoras optaram por adotar o trabalho interativo, com uso de jogos, organizando os alunos em agrupamentos para a realização das tarefas de leitura e escrita. Dessa forma, ainda que essas professoras tenham tido a mesma formação continuada, recebido as mesmas orientações e os mesmos materiais didáticos, cada qual apropriou-se de forma particular e única dos conceitos e concepções ali veiculados, ressignificando um saber já existente. / This research aims to analyze how literacy teachers from the São Paulo state public education networking, work with the literacy manner proposed by the continuing training programs called Letra e Vida and Ler e Escrever - implemented by the São Paulo state Education Department (SP-ESS) since 2003 - given the way they see the several dimensions of their work for the literacy of their students. These programs are prepared to be developed in the classroom with printed support material specific for the grade/year and the frequent training of the involved teachers. For conduct the survey between September and December 2010 were administered questionnaires and interviews made about the social origin, history of the school and professional training, leisure and culture habits, experiences in these programs and their influence on the professional work with ten literacy teachers from six schools of an education department from the east region of the capital that had different evaluations in the tests of the São Paulo Education Achievement Assessment System (SARESP) in portuguese language in the 3rd and 5th years of the elementary education in the period 2008 to 2010, considering the fact that the examinations was organized within the guiding principles of the programs. The analysis of the results obtained allowed find the differences related to age, career choice, training, teaching experience in state, access to cultural goods, but similarities regarding to social origin and living conditions. Furthermore, it was found that all literacy teachers interviewed are stabilized teachers in the professional career and holding a lot of experience in teaching. They refer to teaching as professional practice that requires specific and continuing training, but their statements about the teaching and the profession also refer to the pleasure and the desire to teach. Taking as main references, Chartier, Nóvoa and Tardif works the content analysis of the interviews tried to show how each of them appropriated of the courses proposal in an attempt to rebuild their own practices. Thus, it was possible to verify significant differences in the priorities set for them to develop their work. Some of them prioritize the use of surveys to identify the hypothesis of writing of their students, some others prioritize the daily moments of reading aloud to their students, others still come to literacy having as a concern the intention to offer to students, since from the beginning of the literacy process, texts that were not adapted for school, but that retained the characteristics of social use; and finally, some teachers chosen to adopt the interactive work, using games, organizing students into groups to execute the tasks of reading and writing. So, even that these teachers have had the same continuing education, received the same guidelines and the same didactic material, each one appropriated in a particular and unique manner of the concepts and conceptions presented there, remeaning an existing knowledge.

The achievement gap between White students and students of color has long been a concern of educators. It is well established that critical pedagogy and culturally relevant teaching practices increase the possibility of academic achievement for ethnic minority students; yet, throughout the U.S., the implementation of such practices has been less than optimal. It is also clear that some teachers are doing an excellent job of teaching students of color. However, it is not clear what those teachers are doing and what their practices look like, particularly in secondary classrooms and for Latina/o students—the fastest growing ethnic minority population in the U.S. Are successful teachers of Latina/o youth engaging in critical pedagogy or culturally relevant teaching practices? Have they developed caring, empathetic relationships with students that result in greater engagement and academic success? Using a multifaceted theoretical framework of critical social theory, seen specifically through the lenses of culturally relevant pedagogy, empathy and false empathy, critical studies in Whiteness, and critical race theory, this ethnographic multiple-case study aimed to answer those questions. By observing and interviewing educators whom principals, teachers, and parents all nominated as “successful” for the Latina and Latino students in a particular school, and identifying the teaching strategies and classroom management routines they employed, I hoped to illuminate key practices and underlying attitudes that other teachers can emulate as they strive to reach and teach Latina/o students.

The study that has been undertaken sets out to explore teacher attitudes towards the subject of self-assessment. It also aims at finding out specific strategies and tools used, and what the teachers feel would aid with the promotion and implementation of self-assessment in the modern language classroom.To this end we conducted a number of interviews, in the south of Sweden, with teachers of varying experience who actively practice self-assessment in their classrooms. The teachers were positive to the concept of self-assessment, but stressed a number of areas that presented problems, available time and the ambiguity of the syllabi being examples. They adopted a number of strategies in order to overcome these problems. Furthermore, they identified a number of key advantages in using the approach, both from their perspective and that of the students’. It strengthens student confidence, clarifies goals and promotes active learning.

The purpose of this study was to understand the teaching practices of the Agriculture Faculty at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). This study is at the intersection of the critical assessment and examination of assumption and exploring options and plans stages of transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 2000) and the environment factor of Astin's I-E-O model. Previous studies showed that tertiary education of Bangladesh fails to develop critical thinking abilities among the students. Higher order teaching practices help to develop critical thinking abilities among the students. Thus, it is important to explore the level of teaching practices at the Agriculture Faculty of BAU to understand how it supports critical thinking abilities among the students. Graduates being able to use critical thinking skills to solve agricultural issues will increase total food production and reduce national poverty. This study was an instrumental single case study. Faculty of Agriculture of BAU was the unit of analysis for this study. The findings of this study were only generalizable to the Agriculture Faculty at BAU and only relevant for Summer 2020. The phenomenon of this study was teaching practices at the Agriculture Faculty of BAU. Data sources included a census survey of active faculty members and content analysis of course syllabi. Findings from this study suggested that both teaching methods and course learning outcomes of the courses of the Agriculture Faculty at BAU were related the lower order of Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (RevBT). Moreover, faculty members from biological science and engineering used more teaching practices from evaluating level of RevBT than social science disciplines. Evaluating level is considered as higher level of RevBT. Male faculty members also used more teaching practices related to analyzing level than female faculty members. Analyzing level is also considered as higher level of RevBT. Faculty members identified that they have lack of training, standard teaching resources to use higher order teaching practices. Moreover, they also said that students of the Agriculture Faculty at BAU are more interested in job preparation than classroom education. However, faculty members also felt that higher order teaching practices can improve the creativity and critical thinking abilities for students and brings enthusiasms in teaching. Faculty members recommended that BAU revise its curriculum, syllabi, and assessment strategies to create higher order teaching practices in classrooms. As a result of this study, there is opportunity for faculty to increase their use of higher order teaching practices and develop course outcomes that support higher order learning. In addition, the university should revise their existing curricula and assessment techniques and give more freedom to the faculty members to choose their teaching and assessment methods. Finally, training should be organized to support higher order teaching by female faculty members. / Doctor of Philosophy / The purpose of this case study was to understand the teaching practices of the Agriculture Faculty at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). Conceptually, this study was coupled up with transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 2000) and the Astin's I-E-O model. The unit of analysis of this study was the educational environment provided by Agriculture faculty of BAU that offers a single under-graduate degree program called B.Sc. Ag. (Hons.). A structured survey questionnaire was used to collect data from the faculty members of the Agriculture Faculty of BAU based on Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (RevBT). Additionally, all course syllabi were analyzed to identify the level of intended teaching practices based on RevBT. RevBT is the benchmark standard to evaluate the cognitive orders of the teaching-learning process, curriculum planning, instruction, and test tasks. Findings from this study suggested that faculty members slightly more preferred teaching practices from the lower levels of RevBT for the classroom teaching at BAU. Findings also suggested that teaching practices connected to the higher cognitive levels of RevBT were significantly varied based on academic disciplines and gender of the faculty members. Faculty members mentioned that lack of students' interest in classroom lessons, the rigid curricula and existing examination system of BAU, large numbers of students in classes, and lack of training of the faculty members are the main limiting factors for them to use higher order teaching practices in classrooms. However, faculty members also wanted to use the higher order teaching practices in classrooms as higher order teaching practices enhances students' creativity, problem solving skills, and critical thinking skills. Faculty members suggested to update course curricula, syllabi, and the exam system to support higher-order teaching practices at BAU. Findings from the course syllabi analysis supported that most of the action verbs of course learning outcomes of the course syllabi were connected to the lower cognitive levels of RevBT. As a result of this study, there is opportunity for faculty to increase their use of higher order teaching practices and develop courses that support higher order learning. In addition, the university should revise their existing curricula and assessment techniques and give more freedom to the faculty members to choose their teaching and assessment methods. Finally, training should be organized to support higher order teaching by female faculty members.