This study aimed to explore how a rural elementary school and community situated English language education in Central Turkey, and how the rural context shaped a beginning English language teacher&rsquo / s professional identity and teaching practices. In order to achieve this goal, a qualitative case study was conducted. The required data were obtained through three major methods / semi-structured interviews, a time and motion study, and an open-ended questionnaire. The interviews were all audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The time and motion study involved the recording of the English language teacher&rsquo / s actions at the school. In this regard, the teacher was observed both in and out of the class during a two-month period and his actions were noted down at 60-second intervals. In addition, an open-ended questionnaire was delivered to the students taking English as a compulsory subject in their curriculum. The data were organized in separate files regularly, and analyzed by coding, and interpreting the emerging themes. The results revealed four keys to being a successful teacher in the rural setting. These included appreciation of rural life, passion for rural teaching, aspiration for teaching profession, and being well-prepared for teaching. It was also concluded that the rural elementary school and its community had general appreciation for quality English language education / however, they did not find teaching practices sufficient for effective language learning. Thus, English was not on the top of their list. Lastly, the results also shed light on the rural challenges that a beginning teacher might face.

Syftet med denna undersökning var att få ta del av en nyexaminerad lärare och en mentors erfarenheter och upplevelser av mentorskap. Metoden var att intervjua en adept och en mentor, som tillsammans hade haft en mentorskapsrelation. Intervjuerna gjordes av två personer med öppna och ostrukturerade frågor, vilket ledde till följdfrågor. Resultatet visade att de båda enbart hade positiva erfarenheter och upplevelser av mentorskap. Det visade sig att det viktigaste med ett väl fungerande mentorskap var erfarenhet inom yrket hos mentorn och en vilja och ett engagemang hos alla inblandade parter.

Some school divisions find themselves with a limited number of qualified applicants for administration positions. Aspirants require suggestions of and guidance toward effective leadership training programs and supports. A clear understanding of essential leadership skills may create an incentive for classroom teachers to apply for administration positions and potentially decrease the strain on school divisions. Selection and suitability of qualified candidates applying for vacancies will diminish school boards struggles to fill administrative vacancies. <p>The purpose of this case study was to describe what administrative personnel superintendents, principals, and vice principals in one Saskatchewan urban school division consider essential skills for classroom teachers to develop as a means to position themselves as future school administrators. Furthermore, the case study set out to identify appropriate leadership development programs and supports to assist aspiring administrators in leadership development. This study aspired to isolate programs that practicing administrators in the school division posited as most useful in their own skill acquisition and development.<p>A mixed-methods survey questionnaire was administered to 117 administrators of one Saskatchewan urban school division. The administrators insights and expertise as to the essential skills required to be an effective administrator will assist classroom teachers prepare for the potential of becoming formal leaders. Forty percent of this group responded to the survey. Data from this case study were compared to a similar case study conducted by John Daresh (1994) in the United States.<p>Participants believed aspiring administrators must develop self-awareness skills to be effective educational leaders and must be offered appropriate leadership programs and supports through which aspirants could develop essential leadership skills. Even though the majority of respondents suggested self-awareness skills were essential to develop for effective leadership, they posited the importance of also developing technical and social skills. This case study found that while a commonality of skills were identified by participants as essential, it was extremely important for aspiring administrators, with the assistance of their school board, to build on their own personal leadership strengths.

Abstract This research investigated the influence of the childhood literacy learning experiences of 6 beginning elementary teachers on their literacy teaching practice. This qualitative case study employed 5 interviews and classroom observations of each participant over the first 3 years of his or her teaching. Three main findings emerged from the research. First, participants’ early literacy experiences shaped their identity as students. The participants’ images of themselves as students, in turn, influenced their images of themselves as teachers. Second, the participants’ early literacy learning experiences influenced the types of literacy environments and literacy activities that they provided for their students. Participants employed teaching approaches that had worked for them, or that they believed would have worked for them as students. Third, participants’ early literacy experiences influenced how they understood their students’ learning. The participants who had struggled as students were more focused on detecting and addressing the needs of their students who struggled. Implications for school literacy teaching include understanding and valuing the literacy knowledge and skills that young children bring to school and systematically addressing the needs of students who struggle with school literacy. Implications for preservice teacher education in literacy include an increased focus on supporting student teachers to reflect on how their early literacy learning affects their attitudes and assumptions about learning and teaching, more instruction on how to address the needs of struggling literacy learners, and the provision of a coherent teacher education program that combines theory and practice more effectively. Implications for in-service teacher education in literacy include providing induction programs that are tailored to meet the needs of individual beginning teachers, an expanded range of professional development options, and ongoing opportunities to engage in effective reflective practice. Implications for further research include investigations of the influence of early literacy learning on student achievement and on literacy teacher educators’ practice.

Abstract This research investigated the influence of the childhood literacy learning experiences of 6 beginning elementary teachers on their literacy teaching practice. This qualitative case study employed 5 interviews and classroom observations of each participant over the first 3 years of his or her teaching. Three main findings emerged from the research. First, participants’ early literacy experiences shaped their identity as students. The participants’ images of themselves as students, in turn, influenced their images of themselves as teachers. Second, the participants’ early literacy learning experiences influenced the types of literacy environments and literacy activities that they provided for their students. Participants employed teaching approaches that had worked for them, or that they believed would have worked for them as students. Third, participants’ early literacy experiences influenced how they understood their students’ learning. The participants who had struggled as students were more focused on detecting and addressing the needs of their students who struggled. Implications for school literacy teaching include understanding and valuing the literacy knowledge and skills that young children bring to school and systematically addressing the needs of students who struggle with school literacy. Implications for preservice teacher education in literacy include an increased focus on supporting student teachers to reflect on how their early literacy learning affects their attitudes and assumptions about learning and teaching, more instruction on how to address the needs of struggling literacy learners, and the provision of a coherent teacher education program that combines theory and practice more effectively. Implications for in-service teacher education in literacy include providing induction programs that are tailored to meet the needs of individual beginning teachers, an expanded range of professional development options, and ongoing opportunities to engage in effective reflective practice. Implications for further research include investigations of the influence of early literacy learning on student achievement and on literacy teacher educators’ practice.

Some school divisions find themselves with a limited number of qualified applicants for administration positions. Aspirants require suggestions of and guidance toward effective leadership training programs and supports. A clear understanding of essential leadership skills may create an incentive for classroom teachers to apply for administration positions and potentially decrease the strain on school divisions. Selection and suitability of qualified candidates applying for vacancies will diminish school boards struggles to fill administrative vacancies. <p>The purpose of this case study was to describe what administrative personnel superintendents, principals, and vice principals in one Saskatchewan urban school division consider essential skills for classroom teachers to develop as a means to position themselves as future school administrators. Furthermore, the case study set out to identify appropriate leadership development programs and supports to assist aspiring administrators in leadership development. This study aspired to isolate programs that practicing administrators in the school division posited as most useful in their own skill acquisition and development.<p>A mixed-methods survey questionnaire was administered to 117 administrators of one Saskatchewan urban school division. The administrators insights and expertise as to the essential skills required to be an effective administrator will assist classroom teachers prepare for the potential of becoming formal leaders. Forty percent of this group responded to the survey. Data from this case study were compared to a similar case study conducted by John Daresh (1994) in the United States.<p>Participants believed aspiring administrators must develop self-awareness skills to be effective educational leaders and must be offered appropriate leadership programs and supports through which aspirants could develop essential leadership skills. Even though the majority of respondents suggested self-awareness skills were essential to develop for effective leadership, they posited the importance of also developing technical and social skills. This case study found that while a commonality of skills were identified by participants as essential, it was extremely important for aspiring administrators, with the assistance of their school board, to build on their own personal leadership strengths.

Ming Dynasty women¡¦s literature vigorous growth , emerges many famous family talented women , their poetic composition mostly reflects inner chamber female¡¦s life spirit in the feudal society , the work style many to chant the bosom to mourn perhaps to describe the scenery chants the thing , lacks the profound social surface . Until the end of the Ming and beginning of the Qing dynasty , in national hurriedly turmoil time , after the inner chamber poet degenerates into loses the people , woman¡¦s transfers the reflection chaos caused by war¡¦s reality and nationality¡¦s contradiction in literary production style , in the work presents the strong wandering feeling , sorrow of the exileing home and goes to pain of the country . In the Chinese history . During the end of the Ming and beginning of the Qing dynasty , the female poets have not been neglected in the historical mighty current , they and the masculine writer are the same , they experience are destitute and homeless because of war , and comes the testimony time by feminine sound and the angle of view . They expresses feeling , sadness family country the life experience by writing . This study is the discussion female poets of Ming adherents during the end of the Ming and beginning of the Qing dynasty . They narrate personal experience of politics turmoil by own sound and the angle of view . They are not only event¡¦s relators, is also the party concerned . Facing being destitute and homeless because of war, they reveal individual will, the sentiment and the choice in the poetic composition . Female poets¡¦ narration is always neglected outside the literature of Ming adherents writing . Is ¡§ the small narration ¡¨ not under a historical ¡§ big narration ¡¨ link ? Whether it can be regarded as supplement of history , waits for continuing to explore deeply. This study collects poets from the Ming and Qing Dynasties poetry anthology and selects achiever of female poets to discuss about their biography , their poetic composition and their spirit of Ming adherents . The research of literature of Ming adherents writing always focuses in the male poets , female poets actually little to obtain scholar's favor . Therefore this study attempts to seeks female poets¡¦ position and value in the literature of Ming adherents writing .

Texas public high schools induct beginning science teachers each year; yet, little is known about how schools induct beginning teachers. The three studies included in this dissertation use a mixed methods approach to explore data collected by the Policy Research Initiative in Science Education (PRISE) Research Group during the 2007-2008 academic year. The first study focused on principals' perceptions of teacher induction. A content analysis of interviews collected from 50 principals examined principals' perceptions of teacher induction. Analyses indicated that high school principals had an overwhelmingly narrow focus of mentoring and provided mentor teachers with little support or training. Findings indicated that induction activities for beginning teachers were front-loaded before the school year began and were left in the hands of unprepared mentors during the school year. Further analyses indicated that the primary purpose of mentoring and induction for beginning teachers in Texas high schools revolved around orientation to campus policies and procedures. Beginning teachers' instructional needs appeared to be an afterthought. The second study explored beginning high school science teachers' evaluations of their induction experiences. Beginning teachers identified the best school-level induction supports received and recommended improvements for school-level induction. Teachers identified mentoring as one of the best received supports, yet also made recommendations for more structure in the mentoring experience. A comparison of beginning teachers' responses with teacher turnover found that: (a) Stayers (i.e., teachers retained at a campus) were most likely to report that they received induction support from other science teachers; (b) Movers (i.e., teachers who transferred to another campus) less frequently reported working conditions as a positive induction support; and (c) Leavers, (i.e., teachers not retained in the profession) most frequently did not identify induction support from the school. The final study compared principals' perceptions of induction and beginning teacher Movers and Leavers' evaluations of their induction experiences. Findings from this study indicated that principals were aware of induction components that were considered helpful by both Movers and Leavers. However, principals did not acknowledge what Movers and Leavers recommended for improvements to current induction practices. The final chapter provides a summary of all three studies. Recommendations are made for improving induction practices for high school science teachers. In particular, high school principals should discard their current "hands-off" approach to teacher induction and become more active in their induction experiences. Additionally, types of induction practices should increase to include more than mentoring. Moreover, policy makers should reform mentoring policies so that current practices, which have a narrow focus on school policies and procedures, are abandoned.

The purpose of this research is to create an awareness of the significant contributions to the solo and chamber trumpet literature made by Jiří Laburda (b. 1931), a twentieth-century composer from the Czech Republic. Laburda has an extensive oeuvre including 22 solo pieces for trumpet and accompaniment, four pieces for two or more trumpets, two collections of trumpet duets, eight brass chamber works including at least one trumpet, and six works for brass quintet. Select pieces by Laburda for trumpet and piano lend themselves to pedagogical uses for the instruction of beginning and intermediate trumpet students, and thus provide a valuable repertory of teaching pieces that could help prepare students to play standard repertory such as the Haydn and Hummel concerti for trumpet. This document provides annotated pedagogical analyses of four compositions by Jiří Laburda including Diarium (a five-volume set of short technical studies for trumpet and piano), Peter with Trumpet, Sonatina for Trumpet, and Sonata for Trumpet. The four works have been selected from various levels of difficulty to illustrate Laburda's method of sequential progression in writing for different stages of the developing trumpet student. Each analysis explains how the composition is of particular value for trumpet students and for what purpose(s) the piece can be used pedagogically. The analyses contain various exercises and suggestions to help students practice and prepare these pieces for performance.

This study has investigated the problems experienced by female educators in relation with their job satisfaction by focussing on: The nature of job satisfaction; The problems and factors which cause job satisfaction/job dissatisfaction among female educators; To achieve these goals a literature study and an empirical study has been conducted. The literature study was undertaken by consulting primary and secondary sources. After the nature of job satisfaction and the problems causing satisfaction or dissatisfaction were established and discussed, a questionnaire was drafted. From a review of the literature, it appeared that the problems experienced by the female educators were intrinsic problems, within the classroom, outside the classroom, and within the community. A study population was used in which female educators who worked in secondary schools in the Potchefstroom District were involved. The empirical investigation indicated that the major problems experienced by the female educators were mostly outside the classroom. A minor problem for female educators appears to be that the learners are not under the obligation to tell if they are HIV/Aids infected. Also safety does not seem to be of influence on the job satisfaction of female educators in secondary schools / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.