This action research study investigated the feasibility of a novice teacher using concept maps as assessments in secondary science classes. The subjects in this study were the researcher, a novice pre-service science teacher, and students (n=35) in two classes of mixed-grade Foundations in Physics and Chemistry. This study tracked student and teacher experiences over an instructional unit in astronomy. All students received a 50-minute lesson on concept mapping, one class received three additional concept mapping lessons during the unit, then all students took a unit test with a paired short answer and concept map question. Student surveys were conducted to gather student feedback, and teacher reflective journaling was used to track teacher data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results indicated that the extra concept mapping lessons did not result in higher scores on the concept maps or the paired short answer responses. The teacher journaling revealed that using concept mapping as an assessment tool was possible for a novice teacher. Advantages and barriers were identified.

This case study documented a staff development program which was the major component of a public school/university partnership between Portland State University and the Lake Oswego School District, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. A select group of 34 Lake Oswego teachers and 4 administrators participated in the Joint Ventures in Instructional Leadership Program which included classes in learning and instructional theory, techniques of peer sharing, instructional strategies and models of teaching, and approaches to the teaching of higher order thinking skills. The program included 7 full days and 4 evenings of instructional training which occurred throughout the 1986-87 school year. The purpose of the study was to examine the professional growth process of teachers participating in the Joint Ventures Program and determine what effects the program had on instructional decision making and teaching practices. The study provides a full description of the program including: its background; assumptions, goals, and objectives; the selection process and characteristics of teacher participants; the planning process; and the program's content and activities. In addition, the study addresses the following questions: How did teachers perceive their professional growth experience? Did participation in the program bring about any changes in how teachers made instructional decisions? What skills and strategies, acquired through program participation, did teachers use and incorporate into their normal repertoire of teaching practices? Participant observation was the primary method of data collection used in this study. Other data collection techniques including interviews, questionnaires, video tapes, and documentation were also employed to provide multiple sources of evidence, thereby increasing construct validity of the study. These observational data were integrated and assembled into a chronological, narrative record of events, resulting in a descriptive account of the staff development process as experienced by Joint Ventures Program participants. The results of this case study indicated that the Joint Ventures Program was effective in promoting desired changes in teachers' approaches to instructional decision making and classroom practices. Several factors were found to influence these changes including a norm of collegiality, School District support, and an ongoing planning process based on participant feedback. The workshop instructor, teacher training activities, and program scheduling also affected the outcomes of the program. Joint Ventures Program participants viewed their overall professional growth experience in a very positive light.

问责已经成为教育改革与研究的关键词。无论是西方还是中国，都把建立问责机制视作提高教育质量的重要举措。从教育问责的社会基础出发，国家是公共教育的主要资助者或协调者，他们通过教育视导来保证公共教育质量。但是教育视导人员在当下教育质量保障系统中发挥何种作用，其能动性与职业承诺如何，尚未有充分的研究。中国大陆的教研室作为地方教学质量保障机制，表现出双栖性的职能：教育问责和教师发展。身处其中的教研员如何诠释角色？他们与政府的关系如何，在多大程度上能致力于教师发展？身份建构理论有助于回答上述问题。故本研究以形态衍生理论为视角，选取H市教研员为个案，探讨其在教育质量保障体系中的角色、身份与能动性。 / 本项质性研究主要通过访谈、观察和文件收集获取资料。共计访谈教研员30名，教育行政领导3名，教师9人。研究者还参与了教研员的集体会议、听评课、教研组展示等活动，观察、记录了教研员的日常工作；并收集了教研员的工作计划，工作简报，教研室内部杂志等文献资料。在转录完所有资料后，利用Nvivo8软件进行编码、解码，建立群组、抽取概念，最终形成论文。研究发现如下： / 首先，监督、管理、指导、研究是教研员角色的主要组成部分。在公共教育发展的不同阶段，他们的角色应行政之要求会进行重新排列、组合，内涵也所有发展。其中，来源于优秀教师的教学质量保障人员最先发展起来的是指导职能，因其依附在教育视导系统内部，遂产生了行政权威。1949年之后，这类人员从教育视导系统中独立出来，被称之为教研员，享有行政编制；1990年之后，教研员逐渐从行政编制中退出，教学管理职能未褪，故行政权威犹存。课改背景之下，H市教研员的“研究、“评价职能被强调。但是通过对教研员的工作节奏、角色比喻的分析，发现结构并没有为发展教研员的“教学研究能力提供支持性条件。故行政干预成为教研员角色异化的重要原因。 / 其次，在课程改革背景下，教研员的社会身份表现出问责导向的特征。因个人关注的介入，在个体层面，教研员的身份建构可进一步区分为四种类型。身份建构表现为结构关注的教研员，实践中以完成各类“课题研究和“项目研究为重任，并从中获得价值认可，对自我的判断是“做研究的人。身份建构表现为结构关注为主，个人关注为辅的教研员，认为最重要的工作应该是教材分析，但实践中花费其时间最多的却实命题工作。他对自己的比喻是“尴尬的“稻草人。身份建构表现为个人关注为辅，结构关注为主的教研员一方面能在实践中坚持自己对教师的指导，一方面明晰问责导向的工作逻辑，并达到两者的融洽。对自我的评价是“一个风风火火的闯将。身份建构表现为个人关注的教研员应付问责导向的工作，并花费额外的时间从事教师指导。从教师的认可中获得职业的成就感。对自我的判断是职场“菜鸟。 / 再次，不同学科教研员受考试、经验的影响，表现出不同程度的能动作用。高利益考试蕴含的控制性并不能直接决定教研员的能动性，但是教研员的知能水平，及其结构的支持程度，对教研员的能动性和承诺有直接的影响。教研员要致力于教师发展，需兼顾结构的需求，并从中获得个人的成长或者结构的奖励，方能形成稳定的职业承诺。 / 论文弥补了现有教育质量保障人员研究的不足。从结构与能动者互动的理论视角，分析教研员何以呈现如此的身份建构，对Archer的形态衍生理论做了本土的探索，对西方教育领导理论有所回应。并对教研员的定位与发展提出了政策建议。 / Accountability has become the key word in educational reform and educational studies. In western countries as well as China, establishing accountability mechanisms is regarded as an important strategy for the improvement of educational quality. The state, which is the main sponsor and coordinator of public education, attempts to ensure educational quality with varying degrees of supervision. However empirical studies on the role, functions and performance of those who are in charge of supervision, agency in and commitment to quality assurance system are also nebulous. Teaching-research office, a local quality assurance mechanism for teaching and learning in Mainland China, plays a dual role in education accountability and teacher development. How do teaching-research officers elaborate their prescribed roles? What is the relationship between the government and the teaching-research officers? To what extent are they committed to teacher development? Identity construction theory is helpful to addressing the above questions. Therefore, from the perspective of morphogenesis, this study chooses teaching-research officers of H city as a case of investigation by exploring their roles, identities and agency in the educational quality assurance system. / The data of this qualitative research were collected through the adoption of three research methods. First, interviews were conducted with 30 teaching-research officers, 9 teachers and 3 educational administrators. Second, with permission, teaching-research officers’ meetings, as well as class observation and demonstration conducted by teaching-research officers were observed first hand. Third, relevant documents including official newsletters and work plans, internal journals of teaching research offices were collected. Nvivo 8 was adopted to analyze the interview transcripts, field notes of observation, and relevant documents collected for research purposes. / This study has three major findings. First, teacher-research officers played four principals roles: supervisor, administrator, director and researcher. These roles, however, varied in accordance with the governmental requirements and needs in different historical periods. Before 1949, the teaching-research officers were supervisors for educational quality. They were excellent teachers that were recruited by educational supervision institutions, and thus were given with administrative authority. Between 1949 and 1990, these teacher-supervisors were classified as professional teaching-research officers who were in charge of teaching administration and teacher development. Although they were no longer conaidned educational administrators since 1990, the teaching-research officers still maintained a certain degree of administrative authority and exercised influence in educational administration. Since the launch of the 8th curriculum reform in China at the advent of the 21st century, the role teaching-research officers as researchers have been greatly emphasized. Nevertheless, an analysis of teaching-research officers’ working rhythm and role metaphor indicates that the quality assurance system has fallen short of providing support to develop the research competence of teaching-research officers. Consequently, state intervention remains the key factor in defining the role of teaching-research officers. / Second, the social identities of teaching-research officers demonstrate accountability-oriented characteristics in the context of curriculum reform. Personal concerns enable teaching-researcher officers to construct four types of identities at the individual level. Structure-concerns lead certain officer to treat project research as top priority in their practice and allow them to obtain value recognition during research. This type of officers regards themselves as researchers. For those officers who mainly focus on structural concerns, but supplemented their work with individual concerns, analysis of teaching materials one considered the most important aspect of their work while the refinement of test construction consumes most of their times. An awkward “scarecrow is used as their role metaphor. For those officers who mainly focus on individual concerns, but supplemented their work with structural concerns, insist on guiding teacher practice on the one hand, and accept the working logic of the accountability-oriented approach, on the other. Their perpetual task is to maintain harmony between the two. A pathbreaker in haste is the role metaphor adopted. Officers who are individual-concern persons attempt to deal with accountability-oriented work, and spend extra time mentoring teachers. Career fulfillment comes from appreciation of teachers. A rookie is the role metaphor adopted. / Third, the degree of agency and commitment of teaching-research officers varied with their views on public examinations, personal experience, and structural support. It is not public examinations but personal experience that had direct an impact on the agency of the teaching-research officers. Specifically, the knowledge and ability of teaching-research officers, as well as the degree of structural support that they receive, have a direct effect on their agency and commitment. Teaching-research officers who have make a steady commitment to teacher development, have to give consideration to quality structural concerns, and in addressing these concerns, gain personal growth or structural rewards. / This study contributes to filling the void in current research that neglete to the investigation into the educational quality assurance, staff who work for. The perspective of structure-agent interaction is used to analyze how teaching-research officers construct their identities in Chinese educational reform context. It is a local exploration of Margaret Archer’s morphogenesis theory. It enriches western educational leadership theory, and provides policy suggestion on the orientation and development of teaching-research officer. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 沈伟. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 367-388). / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Shen Wei. / Chapter 第一章 --- 导论 --- p.1 / Chapter 第一节 --- 研究背景 --- p.1 / Chapter 一、 --- 实践背景：新的教育质量内涵需要新的质量保障机制 --- p.1 / Chapter 二、 --- 理论背景：教育问责背景下的能动者 --- p.7 / Chapter 第二节 --- 研究目的与问题提出 --- p.12 / Chapter 一、 --- 研究目的 --- p.12 / Chapter 二、 --- 研究问题 --- p.13 / Chapter 第二章 --- 文献综述 --- p.15 / Chapter 第一节 --- 教育质量保障概念解析 --- p.15 / Chapter 一、 --- 教育质量与教育质量保障 --- p.15 / Chapter 二、 --- 教育质量控制与教育质量保障 --- p.20 / Chapter 三、 --- 教育问责与教育质量保障 --- p.23 / Chapter 第二节 --- 教育质量保障：实践模式与存在理据 --- p.25 / Chapter 一、 --- 实践模式 --- p.25 / Chapter 二、 --- 教育视导的影响：基于实证研究的发现和分析 --- p.35 / Chapter 三、 --- 存在理据 --- p.38 / Chapter 第三节 --- 教育质量保障系统中的地方教育领导 --- p.41 / Chapter 一、 --- 作为教学领导 --- p.43 / Chapter 二、 --- 作为合作领导 --- p.48 / Chapter 三、 --- 作为系统领导 --- p.52 / Chapter 第四节 --- 中国教育质量保障中的教研员 --- p.56 / Chapter 一、 --- 当代政策文本中的教研员角色 --- p.56 / Chapter 二、 --- 教育理论研究中的教研员角色 --- p.59 / Chapter 三、 --- 教研员对其角色的理解 --- p.60 / Chapter 第五节 --- 教育变革能动者的身份与能动作用 --- p.62 / Chapter 一、 --- 角色、 --- p.62 / Chapter 二、 --- 身份建构的途径 --- p.66 / Chapter （一） --- “自上而下的身份建构 --- p.67 / Chapter （二） --- “自下而上的身份建构 --- p.68 / Chapter （三） --- 融合主义的身份建构 --- p.70 / Chapter （四） --- 形态衍生理论视野的身份建构 --- p.73 / Chapter 第六节 --- 理论框架的提出 --- p.75 / Chapter 一、 --- 身份建构的理论框架 --- p.75 / Chapter 二、 --- 从形态衍生理论研究教研员身份建构的可行性 --- p.79 / Chapter 第三章 --- 研究方法与研究设计 --- p.82 / Chapter 第一节 --- 研究问题与分析路径 --- p.82 / Chapter 一、 --- 研究问题 --- p.82 / Chapter 二、 --- 分析路径 --- p.84 / Chapter 第二节 --- 研究方法 --- p.86 / Chapter 一、 --- 质的研究取向 --- p.86 / Chapter 二、 --- 个案研究为主，历史分析为辅 --- p.87 / Chapter 第三节 --- 个案研究 --- p.89 / Chapter 二、 --- 资料的收集 --- p.93 / Chapter 三、 --- 资料分析 --- p.100 / Chapter 第四节 --- 研究可靠性与研究伦理 --- p.102 / Chapter 一、 --- 研究可靠性 --- p.103 / Chapter 二、 --- 研究伦理 --- p.105 / Chapter 第四章 --- 教育质量保障系统中的教研员角色变迁 --- p.106 / Chapter 第一节 --- 中国教育质量保障系统的发展：从晚清到现在 --- p.106 / Chapter 一、 --- 晚清政府：以教育外在事项为主的质量保证体系 --- p.107 / Chapter 二、 --- 民国国民政府：以教育内部事项为主的质量保证体系 --- p.109 / Chapter 三、 --- 老解放区：资源匮乏情形下形成的教育质量保证应对之策 --- p.113 / Chapter 四、 --- 1949年后：日趋系统化的教育质量保证体系 --- p.116 / Chapter 第二节 --- 教育质量保障人员的角色变化与特征：历史的视角 --- p.119 / Chapter 一、 --- 晚清政府的视学与劝学员：监督、 --- p.119 / Chapter 二、 --- 民国国民政府的视学与辅导员：管理、 --- p.121 / Chapter 三、 --- 老解放区的教育巡视员与辅导员：报告、 --- p.126 / Chapter 四、 --- 1949年后的督导、 --- p.128 / Chapter 第三节 --- 课程改革背景下H市教研员的角色发展：结构的新期待 --- p.131 / Chapter 一、 --- 教研制度的正式确立及教研员的角色定位 --- p.131 / Chapter 二、 --- H市教研室职能的发展 --- p.136 / Chapter 三、 --- H市教研员的角色：群内分工不同 --- p.145 / Chapter 第四节 --- 本章结语 --- p.152 / Chapter 第五章 --- 教研员的社会身份建构 --- p.156 / Chapter 第一节 --- 日常工作中呈现的群体共性 --- p.156 / Chapter 一、 --- 以课为载体的教研活动 --- p.156 / Chapter 二、 --- 由调研与视导构成的多维评估 --- p.170 / Chapter 三、 --- 自上而下的课题研究与教学研究 --- p.178 / Chapter 第二节 --- 与群外人员的差别 --- p.184 / Chapter 一、 --- “我们眼中的他人 --- p.185 / Chapter 二、 --- 他人眼中的“我们 --- p.196 / Chapter 第三节 --- 从群体到个体：角色认知与事项排列 --- p.205 / Chapter 一、 --- 职能排序 --- p.205 / Chapter 二、 --- 工作节奏与事项排列 --- p.216 / Chapter 第四节 --- 本章结语 --- p.221 / Chapter 第六章 --- 实践：社会身份与个人身份的对话 --- p.224 / Chapter 第一节 --- 结构关注：“做研究的人 --- p.224 / Chapter 一、 --- 重要任务：提高区域教育质量 --- p.224 / Chapter 二、 --- “最高境界与“最重要任务的冲突 --- p.228 / Chapter 三、 --- 基于学科属性、 --- p.230 / Chapter 四、 --- 不被理解的痛苦与研究的快乐 --- p.232 / Chapter 第二节 --- 结构关注为主，个人关注为辅： --- p.236 / Chapter 一、 --- 进入市教材编写队伍 --- p.236 / Chapter 二、 --- 教师培养：“守正出新 --- p.238 / Chapter 三、 --- 职业生命何在？ --- p.243 / Chapter 四、 --- 最有压力的是考试 --- p.245 / Chapter 第三节 --- 个人关注为主，结构关注为辅： --- p.248 / Chapter 一、 --- 从实践教学开始 --- p.248 / Chapter 二、 --- 对课程、 --- p.251 / Chapter 三、 --- 教师队伍建设 --- p.255 / Chapter 四、 --- 研究真问题 --- p.260 / Chapter 第四节 --- 个人关注：职场“菜鸟 --- p.264 / Chapter 一、 --- 从专业角度来选择 --- p.264 / Chapter 二、 --- “不听课不能指导 --- p.267 / Chapter 三、 --- 不找校长，不听推门课，不申请课题研究 --- p.270 / Chapter 四、 --- “合格就是老师对你的认可 --- p.273 / Chapter 第五节 --- 本章结语 --- p.275 / Chapter 第七章 --- 承诺是否可能 --- p.280 / Chapter 第一节 --- 考试影响下的学科教研工作 --- p.280 / Chapter 一、 --- 考试之于语文、 --- p.281 / Chapter 二、 --- 考试之于科学教研员 --- p.288 / Chapter 三、 --- 考试之于音乐、 --- p.295 / Chapter 四、 --- 考试之于拓展、 --- p.303 / Chapter 第二节 --- “经验影响下的教研工作 --- p.310 / Chapter 一、 --- 为什么选择教研员 --- p.311 / Chapter 二、 --- 入职时面临的挑战及应对措施 --- p.318 / Chapter 第三节 --- 承诺：从结构能动者互动的视角 --- p.327 / Chapter 一、 --- 强控制下的能动作用与承诺 --- p.328 / Chapter 二、 --- 弱控制下的能动作用与承诺 --- p.329 / Chapter 三、 --- 能动作用的强弱：结构与个人关注的融洽度 --- p.330 / Chapter 四、 --- 承诺的“源泉：结构支持或个人收获 --- p.332 / Chapter 第四节 --- 本章结语 --- p.333 / Chapter 第八章 --- 结论：教研员的角色、 --- p.338 / Chapter 第一节 --- 研究结论 --- p.338 / Chapter 一、 --- 研究发现 --- p.339 / Chapter 二、 --- 研究结论 --- p.346 / Chapter 第二节 --- 研究贡献 --- p.352 / Chapter 一、 --- 理论贡献 --- p.352 / Chapter 二、 --- 政策实践的启示 --- p.359 / Chapter 第三节 --- 研究局限 --- p.362 / Chapter 第四节 --- 后续研究建议 --- p.364 / p.367 / p.389

Arising from a literature study, the notions of quality and quality assurance (QA) were described. A literature study was undertaken regarding the current South African national QA policies on teacher education. A case study was conducted at Tshiya College of Education, which merged with the University of the North: Qwaqwa Branch during the rightsizing of higher education in 2001. The establishment of a QA system for teacher education, on micro level, was critically described. Action research was used to investigate the process of QA. A steering committee was established. Two QA seminars contributed toward an awareness campaign. A SWOTanalysis was done. A QA policy was designed, including a framework-for-action which was action researched by volunteers. Researchers developed their own improvement plans by: compiling their job descriptions; rating their effectiveness of task execution; and attending to emerging quality gaps to determine focus areas. Professional development was emphasised. Improvement plans for Micro Teaching and Media were action researched. Taxing circumstances, resulting from the higher education transformation and its effect on the research, were reported. Data emerged from describing the action research phases: planning, implementation, observation, and reflection for re-planning. Self-, peer-, and student-assessments were utilised. Apart from discussions and meetings, the researchers kept diaries and forms were designed for assessments. In both improvement plans, reflection-in-action led to identification of unforseen weaknesses which were addressed as side-spirals of the original plans. Reflection-on-action took place at a formal meeting to which external evaluators were invited. Strengths and weaknesses were determined and findings corroborated and clustered toward final recommendations. Intrinsic motivation was described as a precursor to involvement in QA. Leadership/management/planning was seen as creating infrastructure to encourage employees to focus on quality and movement toward the institution's vision. Implementation was described as taking action to put a realistic plan into practice. Teamwork was identified as a hallmark of action research and emphasis was placed on collective wisdom. It was concluded that meritorious modelling meant that educators should lead by example / Educational Studies / D.Ed.(Education Management)

This study investigates the terms, dialogue, structure and active learning in Open Distance Learning texts in aa constructivist and problem-solving approach. In-text activities are imbedded in selfstudy texts. Their construct is validated against appropriate instructional design and learning theories for active learning. A course team developed, implemented and piloted a Unisa course for mathematics teachers in South Africa. The results describe their professional development through action learning. The Tornado-approach affects teams in organisations. A team used participatory action research and action learning with rich descriptions to document the longitudinal case study of four action research cycles over eight years. Qualitative research involved a literature survey, notes, portfolios, mindmaps, letters, interviews, document analyses, and assessment results. Our action research demonstrates ways to implement a post-modern learning design in an industrialized institution. The researcher applies action learning in professional development, in team management, and suggests models for successful/unsuccessful teams (tornado-effect). / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is a component of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The Questioned Document Unit (QDU) is a section within the FSL. It has been practice in the QDU to recruit members of the SAPS for training as Questioned Document Examiners within the FSL. Although the SAPS has a policy on education, training and development, it is not applied. Even after the establishment of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), the QDU and the rest of the FSL continued their training practices at the workplace outside the outcomes-based paradigm. As part of standard practice, the FSL has taken content experts (forensic analysts) and turned them into trainers. These forensic experts had no training qualifications and little or no facilitation skills. Their knowledge of outcomes-based education (OBE) and adult learning was also either inadequate or non-existent. This shortcoming has influenced the quality of learning in this environment. In 2004 the Forensic Science Laboratory began to give some members an opportunity to be trained as trainers, assessors and moderators of learning. However, this has been a disjointed effort. Generally, learners have had to endure a frustrating period of more than four years of internal training before being certified as competent to act as examiners. Before 1994 the QDU employed mostly white personnel as examiners. Most black personnel still occupy the lower salary levels amongst examiners. There are no black trainers. At present (2006) in the FSL, the tendency is that white personnel hold senior positions and black personnel are juniors. There is covert racial tension among the members. In the QDU, the training manager has always been a trainer as well. In the training environment at the QDU there have been obvious problems, namely – 􀂾���������� poor practice of OBE and adult learning; 􀂾���������� relationship problems between trainer and learners; 􀂾���������� distrust and a lack of communication and dialogue between trainer and learners; and 􀂾���������� underlying racial tension. The action research process on which we (the learners, training manager and I) embarked was aimed at – 􀂾���������� opening dialogue/communication between the training manager and learners; 􀂾���������� increasing learner participation in the process; and 􀂾���������� providing the opportunity for both the learners and the training manager to increase their knowledge of adult learning and OBE. We hoped that by making the entire action research process transparent we could create a platform for the learners and the training manager to build relationships in order to bring about an improvement in learning practice. We used an action research process that included participation by both the learners and the training manager. Change occurs within the action component of the action research process, while the research component is meant to generate knowledge. We used a cyclic method that entailed stages of planning, action, observation and reflection. Continuity was achieved by the reflection stage of one cycle informing the planning stage of the next. The action research process used in this setting has supported the existing theory and assumptions that adult learners want to participate, be involved in decision-making, and learn by doing. It has also shown that they are critically aware. The learning practice at the QDU has improved. The action research process that took place at the unit can serve as a powerful case study for trainers who endeavour to improve practice in other environments. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Forensiesewetenskapslaboratorium (FWL) is 'n komponent van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD), terwyl die Betwistedokumente-Eenheid (BDE) ʼn afdeling binne die FWL is. Sedert die stigting van die BDE was dit algemene praktyk om lede van die SAPD te werf en hulle binne die FWL as eksaminatore van die BDE op te lei. Alhoewel die SAPD ʼn beleid het ten opsigte van onderwys, opleiding en ontwikkeling, word dit nie toegepas nie. Selfs ná die totstandkoming van die Suid-Afrikaanse Kwalifikasieowerheid (SAKO) en die Nasionale Kwalifikasieraamwerk (NKR), het die BDE en die res van die FWL hul werkgebaseerde opleidingspraktyke buite die paradigma van uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys voortgesit. Die FWL het tot dusver forensiese skeikundiges in opleiers omskep. Hulle het geen kwalifikasies in opleiding gehad nie en hul kennis van uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys (UGO) en volwasseneleer, asook hulle fasiliteringsvaardighede, was onvoldoende. In sommige gevalle het dit geheel en al ontbreek. Hierdie tekortkoming het ʼn nadelige invloed op die gehalte van leer gehad. Onlangs (2004) het die FWL begin om sommige polisielede die geleentheid te bied om as opleiers, assessors en moderators van leer opgelei te word, maar hierdie pogings is nog nooit behoorlik gestruktureer nie. Binne die huidige opset is daar leerders wat meer as vier jaar interne opleiding moes ondergaan voor hulle as bevoeg gesertifiseer is om as opleiers op te tree. Die BDE het in die verlede meesal wit personeel in diens geneem as eksaminatore. Die meeste van die swart eksaminatore in die BDE is op die laer salarisvlakke, en daar is geen swart opleiers nie. Tans (2006) is daar hoofsaaklik wit personeel in die seniorposte in die FWL, met die swart personeel meesal in juniorposte. Daar is onderliggende rassespanning onder die lede. In die BDE was die opleidingsbestuurder nog altyd ook ʼn opleier. Die volgende probleme is in die opleidingsomgewing van die BDE geïdentifiseer: 􀂾��������� swak praktyk t.o.v. UGO en volwasseneleer; 􀂾��������� troebel verhoudings tussen die opleier en die leerders; 􀂾��������� wantroue en gebrekkige kommunikasie en dialoog tussen die opleier en die leerders; en 􀂾��������� onderliggende rassespanning. Die aksienavorsingsproses wat ons (ek, die leerders en die opleidingsbestuurder) aangepak het was daarop gemik om – 􀂾��������� dialoog/kommunikasie tussen die opleidingsbestuurder en die leerders te vestig; 􀂾��������� leerderdeelname in die proses te verhoog; en 􀂾��������� vir beide die leerders en die opleidingsbestuurder die geleentheid te bied om hul kennis van volwasseneleer en UGO uit te brei. Deur die hele aksienavorsingsproses deursigtig te maak, het ons gehoop om vir alle rolspelers ʼn geleentheid te skep om verhoudinge te bou ten einde ʼn verbetering in die leerpraktyk teweeg te bring. ʼn Aksienavorsingsproses is aangewend wat deelname deur beide die leerders en die opleidingsbestuurder ingesluit het. In aksienavorsing vind verandering binne die aksiekomponent van die proses plaas, terwyl die navorsingskomponent daarop gemik is om kennis vir die deelnemers – en as deel van die proses self – te genereer. Ons het ʼn sikliese metode gebruik wat beplanning, handeling, waarneming en refleksie behels het. Kontinuïteit is verseker deurdat die refleksiestadium van een siklus die basis gelê het vir die beplanningstadium van die volgende. Die aksienavorsingsproses wat in hierdie opset gebruik is, het die bestaande teorie en aannames ondersteun dat volwasse leerders wil deelneem, dat hulle by besluitneming betrokke wil wees, dat hulle wil leer deur te doen, en dat daar ‘n groter kritiese bewussyn is. Die leerpraktyk aan die BDE het verbeter. Die aksienavorsingsproses aan die BDE kan ʼn betekenisvolle gevallestudie wees vir diegene wat poog om hul praktyk in ander omgewings te verbeter.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this mini-thesis I share the action research that I undertook at the school where I teach. This research was an attempt to improve my practice in career guidance, a sub-division of Life Orientation. The need for a study of this nature was developed out of my experiences with matriculants who appear to be confused about their future careers they intent pursuing. It appeared that they lacked the capacity to do self-planning and did not really comprehend how to plan their future careers. In reflection on career guidance, in general, and my own teaching practice in particular, I came to the conclusion that there is a real problem in terms of the effectiveness of career guidance and that I, in my technicist attitude towards policies of the education department, perhaps unconsciously, became part of the maintenance of a fruitless practice. Although I dutifully carry out the curriculum according to the required education policies, there remain an uncertainty and a concern regarding the practicality surrounding career guidance and more so when it comes to disadvantaged students from rural areas. This compelled me to do some introspection about the way I was teaching and involving the learners in my career guidance classes. This introspection lead me to the realisation that the instrumentalist and technicist way of teaching (‘talk and chalk’ method of teaching) and my endeavour to finish my content and assessment tasks within a certain prescribed timeframe, were at odds with creative career guidance teaching. My classroom practice was trapped in the old methods, and I was caught up in the old traditional ways while teaching a 21st-century learner. In an effort to address the above-mentioned issues of concern, I address the following critical questions, namely: - How can career guidance be used as a tool to improve the life skills of learners from a poor rural school? - How can I improve my classroom practice? In Chapter one I explore my background and provide reasons why I got involved in this project. In my literature review, I suggest that the principles of the National Curriculum Statement Grades R–12 (2012) and the outcomes that the learners have to achieve have certain implications for classroom practice. This is in line with Cuseo’s (1996) view that basic education is guaranteed by not only giving form to the structure of the curriculum, but also to what happens between learners and teachers in the classroom. A detailed description of the two action research projects that were undertaken with Grade eleven learners at my school is given in Chapters four and five. In the final chapter of this thesis, I reflect on the research engaged in the classroom and I also reflect on the future of teachers as researchers. I believe that any attempt to improve the education and conditions of our rural and disadvantaged schools would go a long way in addressing the inequities prevalent in our society. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie mini-tesis deel ek die aksienavorsing wat ek by die skool waar ek onderrig, onderneem het. Hierdie navorsing was ʼn poging om my praktyk in beroepsvoorligting, ʼn onderafdeling van Lewensoriëntering, te verbeter. Die noodsaaklikheid van ʼn studie van hierdie aard het voortgespruit uit my ervaringe met matrikulante wat totaal verward voorkom oor hul toekoms en ʼn kommerwekkende gebrek aan kapasiteit toon om selfbeplanning te doen en nie regtig weet hoe om hul toekoms te beplan nie. Tydens refleksie oor beroepsvoorligting in die algemeen en my eie onderrigpraktyk in die besonder het ek tot die slotsom gekom dat daar ’n wesenlike probleem ten opsigte van die effektiwiteit van beroepsvoorligting bestaan en dat ek, deur my tegnisistiese ingesteldheid teenoor beleide van die onderwysdepartement, dalk onbewustelik deel geword het van die instandhouding van ’n vrugtelose praktyk. Alhoewel ek pligsgetrou die kurrikulum en gepaardgaande onderwysbeleide uitvoer, stem hierdie onsekerheid en onbekwaamheid van ons leerders my tot kommer. Dit het my genoodsaak om terug te staan en my eie praktyk in heroorweging te neem en te bevraagteken. Hierdie introspeksie het my gelei tot die bewuswording dat my instrumentele en tegnisistiese ingesteldheid ook in my klaskamerpraktyk gemanifesteer word deurdat ek, in my strewe om inhoud en assesseringstake binne ʼn voorgestelde tydsraamwerk te voltooi, in my klaskamerpraktyk na die ‘talk’ en ‘chalk’-metode geneig het. My onderrigpraktyk was dus van ʼn ou, tradisionele aard en het nie tred gehou met die moderne eeu waarin ons onsself bevind nie. In ʼn poging om bogenoemde aspekte aan te spreek, bespreek ek die volgende kritiese vrae: - Hoe kan beroepsvoorligting gebruik word as ʼn hulpmiddel om die lewensvaardighede van leerders van ʼn arm landelike skool te verbeter? - Hoe kan ek my praktyk in die klaskamer verbeter? Ek suggesteer ook in my literatuuroorsig dat die beginsels waarop die Nasionale Kurrikulumverklaring grade R–12 (2012) rus en die uitkomstes wat deur die leerders bereik moet word ʼn sekere klaskamerpraktyk impliseer. Hierdie aanname is in ooreenstemming met Cuseo (1996) se siening dat algemene onderwys verseker word deur nie net aan die struktuur van die kurrikulum vorm te gee nie, maar deur ook aan wat tussen leerders en onderwysers in die klaskamer gebeur, vorm te gee. ʼn Gedetailleerde beskrywing van my twee aksienavorsingsprojekte, wat ek met graad elf-leerders by my skool onderneem het, word in hoofstukke vier en vyf gegee. In die laaste hoofstuk van hierdie tesis reflekteer ek oor my navorsing in die klaskamer en die toekoms vir die onderwyser-navorser. Ek glo dat enige poging om die onderwys en toestande van ons landelike en minder-bevoorregte skole te verbeter ‘n lang pad sal gaan om die ongelykhede wat teenwoordig is in ons gemeenskappe aan te spreek. In Hoofstuk een verskaf ek inligting met betrekking tot my agtergrond en gee ook redes waarom ek by hierdie projek betrokke geraak het. In my literatuuroorsig fokus ek op aspekte wat direk en indirek aan die onderwerp van hierdie aksienavorsingstesis gekoppel word.

Inclusion is a federal education policy in the United States that challenges educational leaders. Despite U.S. federal laws requiring an inclusive education for students with disabilities (SWD), educators continue to struggle to implement inclusion. Some scholars argue that leadership is the key to inclusion, with most studies focused on principal leadership. Successful inclusive districts are rare, as are studies of these districts. The purpose of this in-depth case study was to describe and understand the leadership practices of SSSD (pseudonym), an inclusive (based on LRE ≥75% for three consecutive years) and effective district (based on district grades of As and Bs, state measures of student achievement) in Southeast Florida. Within SSSD, a purposeful sample of 31 participants was selected that included eight district leaders, three principals, 15 teachers, and five parents located at four sites and observed across three events over the span of one semester with multiple supporting documents analyzed. Four findings describing district leadership practices emerged from the data analysis; 1) a shared inclusive mission, 2) collaborative efforts, 3) formal and informal professional development (PD), and 4) acknowledging and addressing challenges. The practices of district leaders found in this study resonate with other findings in the literature and contribute two of the new findings in this study: 1) the superintendent’s attitudes, beliefs, and experiences as a special educator were described as key to her district’s inclusive focus and success and extends previous research connecting principal leadership to school site inclusion; and 2) informal versus formal PD was more beneficial to teachers in building collective capacity for inclusive service delivery—marking a new distinction within related PD literature. Recommendations to district leaders, policy makers, and scholars are included. The study concludes by encouraging educational leaders to cultivate a shared inclusive mission implemented through collaborative efforts. There is hope for inclusion, not only in theory, but in practice, mirroring the call of other district leadership studies of successful, systemic inclusion. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

In the theoretical part, the author discusses the technological principles of Google Apps and proposes a way to use them for making the school education programme. In the practical part presents the results of action research attesting specific expected benefits of using Google Apps for the creation of the school education programme. Details the results of each of the 4 cycles of action research, which is currently becoming the next cycle starting points. Based on the experience the author recommends the use of innovative technologies Google Apps as an alternative solution to traditional forms of team projects in the school environment.

Since independence, the Namibian education system has experienced a process of transformation from authoritarianism to democratisation. The philosophy underpinning this process is spelt out in the policy, Toward Education for All, with its four major goals being: Access, Equity, Quality and Democracy. Democratisation of education would mean that people would be equally involved in decision‐making processes both at the system and organizational level, so as to contribute collectively to shaping the destiny of education in Namibia. This would mean at the school level of an organization, that teachers are the facilitators of democracy and agents of change in the learning organization environment. To strengthen democracy and empower people’s participation in the decision‐making process, Namibia further adopted a decentralization policy which involved the devolution of power and administrative functions from central government to regional authorities. In the context of this policy framework, schools should take responsibility to introduce and manage change in their organizations. However, evidence suggests that schools have been slow to take up the challenge and that change is largely still initiated by regional officials. This study looks at how organisation development (OD) may play a role in encouraging a mindset where change may be initiated by the organisation itself. OD is a planned change strategy based on normative re‐educative and empirical rational strategies implemented systematically. OD is participant driven, involving a series of activities that move the organization to a preferred future. It focuses on human behaviour and organizational change through staff participation practising a bottom‐up rather than top‐down approach. This study reports on an OD intervention in a rural school east of Rundu, in the Kavango Educational region of Namibia. The study aimed at exploring staff involvement in an OD intervention and probed participants’ perceptions and experiences of the process. The study is an action research case study located within the interpretive and critical paradigms. Observation and semi‐structured interviews were the main data‐collection tools used in the study. In its preliminary investigation the study found that a lack of staff involvement in decisionmaking processes and participation in meetings were the major factors that were perceived to retard the effectiveness of the organization. The study further found that the authoritative style of leadership in the school contributed to the lack of cooperation and participation of staff members. In contrast, the staff responded positively to the OD intervention. Participants embraced OD as a democratic approach to change as it made a meaningful impact on their understanding and conception of organization change. The intervention further empowered participants with new skills and knowledge of initiating change and problem‐solving. Apart from that, the intervention provided a possible short‐term outcome that encouraged participants to adopt and apply OD in the future, without underestimating the difficulties associated with the process.