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The provision of authentic teaching and learning in the Mathematics classroom is one of the corner stones of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS). This study investigated to what extent teachers provide authentic teaching and learning in their Mathematics classrooms. A literature study was undertaken to explain authentic teaching and learning. The use of teaching methods and strategies, learning activities, assessment methods and strategies, and the role of the teacher and learner in the context of authentic teaching and learning in the classroom were explored. The literature review provided the conceptual framework for the study; as well as the framework for designing questionnaires and an observation schedule. The questionnaires were utilized to obtain the perceptions of teachers and learners regarding opportunities provided by teachers for the provision of authentic teaching and learning experiences in the Mathematics classroom, and the observation schedule determined how and to what extent the principles of authentic teaching and learning were translated into practice. Data was collected by means of quantitative, non-experimental descriptive survey research. The self-constructed questionnaires were administered to a convenient sample of a purposively selected group of Grade 4, Grade 5 and Grade 6 Intermediate Phase Mathematics teachers (n = 24) and learners (n = 440) in the Johannesburg South District of the Gauteng Department of Education. In addition to this, the classroom practices of six of the teachers who completed the questionnaire were observed over a period of six months. The triangulation of teacher and learner data revealed similarities and differences in opinion related to the opportunities that teachers create for authentic teaching and learning in the Mathematics classroom. In essence, the data revealed that teachers who took part in the study apparently understand the principles that underpin authentic teaching and learning, and to some extent comply with the principles of authentic teaching and learning in their classrooms. In addition to this, the triangulation of the teacher responses to the questionnaire and the observations of the classroom practices of the teachers indicated that in practice all the application of the principles of authentic teaching, learning and assessment have not yet fully become a reality in the Mathematics classroom. According to the learner responses, to the questionnaire, as well as the observations, it appeared that the application of teaching and assessment strategies that promote authentic teaching and learning are under-utilized by the teachers. This study is concluded with recommendations to teachers on how to create classroom climates that promote the provision of authentic teaching and learning in the Mathematics classroom. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

The provision of authentic teaching and learning in the Mathematics classroom is one of the corner stones of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS). This study investigated to what extent teachers provide authentic teaching and learning in their Mathematics classrooms. A literature study was undertaken to explain authentic teaching and learning. The use of teaching methods and strategies, learning activities, assessment methods and strategies, and the role of the teacher and learner in the context of authentic teaching and learning in the classroom were explored. The literature review provided the conceptual framework for the study; as well as the framework for designing questionnaires and an observation schedule. The questionnaires were utilized to obtain the perceptions of teachers and learners regarding opportunities provided by teachers for the provision of authentic teaching and learning experiences in the Mathematics classroom, and the observation schedule determined how and to what extent the principles of authentic teaching and learning were translated into practice. Data was collected by means of quantitative, non-experimental descriptive survey research. The self-constructed questionnaires were administered to a convenient sample of a purposively selected group of Grade 4, Grade 5 and Grade 6 Intermediate Phase Mathematics teachers (n = 24) and learners (n = 440) in the Johannesburg South District of the Gauteng Department of Education. In addition to this, the classroom practices of six of the teachers who completed the questionnaire were observed over a period of six months. The triangulation of teacher and learner data revealed similarities and differences in opinion related to the opportunities that teachers create for authentic teaching and learning in the Mathematics classroom. In essence, the data revealed that teachers who took part in the study apparently understand the principles that underpin authentic teaching and learning, and to some extent comply with the principles of authentic teaching and learning in their classrooms. In addition to this, the triangulation of the teacher responses to the questionnaire and the observations of the classroom practices of the teachers indicated that in practice all the application of the principles of authentic teaching, learning and assessment have not yet fully become a reality in the Mathematics classroom. According to the learner responses, to the questionnaire, as well as the observations, it appeared that the application of teaching and assessment strategies that promote authentic teaching and learning are under-utilized by the teachers. This study is concluded with recommendations to teachers on how to create classroom climates that promote the provision of authentic teaching and learning in the Mathematics classroom. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Abstract According to Wilkerson and Lang (2003, p.1) with approximately "90% of schools, colleges, and departments of education using portfolios of one form or another as decision-making tools for standards-based decisions regarding certification or licensure (as well as NCATE accreditation), it is appropriate to explore the legal and psychometric aspects of this assessment device." This study was conducted to examine how well the authentic assessments created in the Chalk and Wire ePortfolio initiative, which was created to provide authentic assessments of the Accomplished Practices, relate to the measures in the Professional Knowledge subtests on Florida Teacher Certification Examination. The sample was comprised of 294 graduating student teachers from a single department in the College of Education for the 2009/2010 school year at a large southern university. Multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the relationship between authentic assessments (i.e. critical tasks) in Chalk and Wire and performance on the subtests of the Professional Knowledge Test on the Florida Teacher Certification exam while controlling for gender, ethnicity and overall GPA. Only two of the independent variables were statistically significant from the 12 models examined. The scores from the Professional Knowledge subtests on Florida Teacher Certification Examination for Diversity (AP5) and Technology (AP12) were statistically different for gender, with females scoring higher than males on both. The results provided little evidence of concurrent validity between the authentic assessments of the Chalk and Wire ePortfolio initiative and the Professional Knowledge subtests on Florida Teacher Certification Examination.

Higher education institutions across the United States have developed global learning initiatives to support student achievement of global awareness and global perspective, but assessment options for these outcomes are extremely limited. A review of research for a global learning initiative at a large, Hispanic-serving, urban, public, research university in South Florida found a lack of instruments designed to measure global awareness and global perspective in the context of an authentic performance assessment. This quasi-experimental study explored the development of two rubrics for the global learning initiative and the extent to which evidence supported the rubrics’ validity and reliability. One holistic rubric was developed to measure students’ global awareness and the second to measure their global perspective. The study utilized a pretest/posttest nonequivalent group design. Multiple linear regression was used to ascertain the rubrics’ ability to discern and compare average learning gains of undergraduate students enrolled in two global learning courses and students enrolled in two non-global learning courses. Parallel pretest/posttest forms of the performance task required students to respond to two open-ended questions, aligned with the learning outcomes, concerning a complex case narrative. Trained faculty raters read responses and used the rubrics to measure students’ global awareness and perspective. Reliability was tested by calculating the rates of agreement among raters. Evidence supported the finding that the global awareness and global perspective rubrics yielded scores that were highly reliable measures of students’ development of these learning outcomes. Chi-square tests of frequency found significant rates of inter-rater agreement exceeding the study’s .80 minimum requirement. Evidence also supported the finding that the rubrics yielded scores that were valid measures of students’ global awareness and global perspective. Regression analyses found little evidence of main effects; however, post hoc analyses revealed a significant interaction between global awareness pretest scores and the treatment, the global learning course. Significant interaction was also found between global perspective pretest scores and the treatment. These crossover interactions supported the finding that the global awareness and global perspective rubrics could be used to detect learning differences between the treatment and control groups as well as differences within the treatment group.

The study’s intention is to research the questions of how authentic assessment could benefit EFL students’ speaking skills in Swedish upper secondary school and what some advantages and disadvantages were of doing so. To this end secondary sources were used to gather information to be able to answer the research questions. The results showed that the benefits of authentic assessment could help students’ speaking skills in improving their accuracy and fluency, their conversational skills and grammar use for communicative competency. Results also showed that authentic assessment promotes learning style diversity. Both skill and materialistic issues were found as some advantages and disadvantages of using authentic assessment when assessing EFL students’ speaking skills. Examples of advantages were authentic assessment helping students develop skills such as critical and logical thinking, interactional skills and combining cognitive objectives with attitudes and social skills. No disadvantages in favour of the students were found. However, the teacher’s lack of possible knowledge needed to use authentic assessment was noted. A final discussion expressed that authentic assessment, like any other type of assessment, has its value when used in the right context.

In the last two decades, ignoring the bulk of educational research findings, policymakers shaped educational policy into a standardized testing movement that now dominates education. Now, to comply with No Child Left Behind, teachers and administrators shape curriculum in a way that maximizes student achievement measured by these tests. Recently, business and educational leaders initiated a reform movement to broaden curriculum, narrowed by this inadequate standardized testing movement, so that necessary 21st century learning skills can be practiced through project-based learning. The Federal Government’s enforcement of power over education created the climate that defined the current educational policy that gave birth to the standardized testing movement. In this climate, this reform to boost 21st century learning skills does not gain practical traction that results in changed policy, because it is impossible for standardized testing to assess most of these skills and this type of learning due to the limitations of bubbled-multiple choice questions. Instead of shaping policy to foster these 21st century learning skills, policymakers push another reform, through TAP (The System for Teacher and Student Advancement) and Value-Added Assessment. This reform attempts to improve instruction through teacher merit pay--a device that has failed many times in educational reform history. Unfortunately, most TAP systems use standardized tests as the only student achievement measurement, so almost all student achievement gains involving 21st century learning skills and project-based learning are not officially measured. Efforts to use portfolios and authentic assessment, the measurement tools that should be used to measure these higherlevel skills, are not supported by policymakers, because the lack of standardization requires more trust in the assessment ability of local school districts and communities. Consequently, a massive disconnect exists where standardized testing is being reinvigorated instead of de-emphasized, and this comes with the potential price of many teachers and administrators not embracing 21st century learning skills and project-based learning as much as they could if they were not bound by standardized test results. Ultimately, these two reforms that contradict each other involve larger issues of jurisdictional power over education at federal, state, and local levels, and ideological challenges to teacher job security and teacher representation.

<p>This study explores the assessment practices of adult educators in Mamelodi Adult Learning Centers using a qualitative methodology. The study recognizes that assessment is an important activity within the education and training enterprise since it can be used to improve the quality of teaching as well as improve and support the learning process. The study sets out to investigate how Mamelodi adult educators conceptualize assessment / the skills levels of these educators / the nature of support and training these educators received to enhance their assessment practices / the different assessment methods employed by the adult educators to assess learners / and the educational validity and efficacy of these practices.</p>

The focus of this case study was on the problem-framing activities of one teacher within two teaching contexts large group and studio. This study was grounded in Schöns research on reflective practice and sought to answer the following research questions: 1. What are the teachers problem-setting behaviours in the studio and large class context? As the teacher resets problems; (a) what frame-experiments are carried out by the teacher in each context? (b) Are these experiments similar or different? (c) How do these frame-experiments change with each iteration? 2. What type of teacher feedback is given to students in each of these contexts? 3. What tacit teacher understandings are at work in each context? 4. What are the similarities and differences in assessment techniques used in a studio and large group context? Interpretation of the data revealed several differences in how one teacher framed problems in the studio and classroom contexts. Findings from the data suggest ways that teaching strategies commonly employed in studio teaching might be applied to classroom music teaching.

The focus of this case study was on the problem-framing activities of one teacher within two teaching contexts large group and studio. This study was grounded in Schöns research on reflective practice and sought to answer the following research questions: 1. What are the teachers problem-setting behaviours in the studio and large class context? As the teacher resets problems; (a) what frame-experiments are carried out by the teacher in each context? (b) Are these experiments similar or different? (c) How do these frame-experiments change with each iteration? 2. What type of teacher feedback is given to students in each of these contexts? 3. What tacit teacher understandings are at work in each context? 4. What are the similarities and differences in assessment techniques used in a studio and large group context? Interpretation of the data revealed several differences in how one teacher framed problems in the studio and classroom contexts. Findings from the data suggest ways that teaching strategies commonly employed in studio teaching might be applied to classroom music teaching.