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Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983. / Also available in print.

M.Ed. (Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

No description available.

No description available.

The publications in this portfolio are focused on issues related to educational innovations and in particular, how improved practice can be encouraged, planned and implemented. It highlights how activist professionals can play key roles in mobilising teachers, academics, communities and education authorities and so engage in the politics of transformation that invokes wider issues of equity and social justice. As members of communities of practice that value respect, reciprocity and collaboration, activist professionals forge an identity that is strategic and tactical and works strongly in the interests of students and the communities in which schools are located. In identifying and promoting better practice, activist professionals are critical of existing structures and in shaping and embracing the challenges that present themselves, they frame the future agendas of schooling and education. This research as an activist professional in both diverse and intersecting communities of practice, has led to the development of a range of benchmarking methodologies as a way of identifying and fostering better professional practice. These methodologies and their associated better practice have the common purpose of reviewing and revitalising teacher professionalism. The research undertaken, its methodologies, findings and application have been intended to contribute to profession-led change / Doctor of Education (Ed. D.)

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 202 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-140).

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of participation in a Problem-based learning (PBL) teacher education program at the University of British Columbia. The PBL teacher education program included changes to the program of studies and changes to the practica experiences. First, this study examined changes in the PBL teacher education students' feelings of teacher efficacy, feelings of teacher preparedness, and learning styles arid strategies. The PBL students, showed significant increases in their feelings of personal teaching efficacy and feelings of teacher preparedness. In order to better understand the changes over time in the PBL teacher education students the present study also compared the opinions and attitudes towards inclusion of students with special needs, feelings of satisfaction with their programs, feelings of preparedness, and ratings of self-directed learning using both Likert-scale and short answer responses of the. same PBL students to 40 non-PBL teacher education students. The results indicated that proportionally more PBL than non-PBL teacher education students had increased concerns about inclusion of children with special needs. As well, proportionally more PBL than non-PBL teacher education students felt the time that they had spent in the classroom had the greatest influence on changes in their opinions. The results revealed that proportionally fewer PBL than non-PBL teacher education students felt well prepared. Participation in a PBL curriculum was not found to have an effect on students' feelings of satisfaction with their program or ratings of self-directed learning. To further examine the effects of a PBL curriculum in teacher education, the present study also examined the perceptions of university and school-based personnel who were involved with PBL. The results from this investigation revealed that the majority of the groups involved agreed that a PBL curriculum does have an effect on reasoning, interest, enthusiasm, and satisfaction of faculty and teacher education students. The majority of participant groups also were of the opinion that PBL and non-PBL curriculums provided equal knowledge of basic skills and principles, and professional preparation to the students. Implications of the findings are discussed.

In this study, the discourse about beginning teachers is a central focus. I attempt to unravel the strands of this discourse and juxtapose the voices of beginning teachers with scholarly and authoritative voices which speak about or on behalf of beginning teachers. This thesis attempts to link narrative and narrative theory with critical and cultural theory in order to highlight the nature of this discourse about teachers at career entry. Issues of identity and the ‘process of becoming’ (Britzman, 2003) remain central throughout this work.