Classroom observations have been increasingly used for teacher evaluations, and thus it is important to examine the measurement quality and the use of observation ratings. When a teacher is observed in multiple classrooms, his or her observation ratings may vary across classrooms. In that case, using ratings from one classroom per teacher may not be adequate to represent a teacher’s quality of instruction. However, the fact that classrooms are nested within teachers is usually not considered while classroom observation data is analyzed. Drawing on the Measures of Effective Teaching dataset, this dissertation examined the variation of a teacher’s classroom observation ratings across his or her multiple classrooms. In order to account for the teacher-level, school-level, and rater-level variation, a cross-classified random effects model was used for the analysis. Two research questions were addressed: (1) What is the variation of a teacher’s classroom observation ratings across multiple classrooms? (2) To what extent is the classroom-level variation within teachers explained by observable classroom characteristics? The results suggested that the math classrooms shared 4.9% to 14.7% of the variance in the classroom observation ratings and English Language and Arts classrooms shared 6.7% to 15.5% of the variance in the ratings. The results also showed that the classroom characteristics (i.e., class size, percent of minority students, percent of male students, percent of English language learners, percent of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and percent of students with disabilities) had limited contributions to explaining the classroom-level variation in the ratings. The results of this dissertation indicate that teachers’ multiple classrooms should be taken into consideration when classroom observation ratings are used to evaluate teachers in high-stakes settings. In addition, other classroom-level factors that could contribute to explaining the classroom-level variation in classroom observation ratings should be investigated in future research.

Advancements in media technologies have resulted in increased student usage causing teachers to struggle to be able to engage and hold student’s interest in a typical classroom. As students’ needs change, the field of education changes. One strategy that is gaining in popularity among teachers is the implementation of the “flipped classroom” also known as the “inverted classroom” or “reverse instruction” - a method incorporates technology to “flip” or “reverse” what is typically done in class with what is typically done as homework. Through teacher interviews of eight core teachers, this study attempts to discover teacher perceptions of the use of this method. Results of the study reveal that perceptions of the method are more positive among teachers who typically use lecture as a primary mode of information dissemination.

Periodic fluctuations in women's emotions during the menstrual cycle have been a continuing topic of research and discussion. The current study was designed to determine if premenstrual syndrome conditions in female teachers have any effect on reported classroom misbehavior and infractions. Subjects were twenty-one faculty members presently employed in the capacity of teachers in a public middle school. By utilizing a teacher's daily behavioral checklist, along with student misconduct reports, the changes in teachers' moods and behavioral symptoms over the menstrual cycle were studied in relation to reported student infractions. Based on the results of this study, it appears that menstrual cycle fluctuations have no recognizable impact upon a female's classroom demeanor and her ability to discipline in a professional manner.

Numerous designs, practices, stakeholders, and technology options make it difficult for higher education institutions to find direction and established standards for classroom construction and remodeling projects. Different models of technology-enhanced classrooms are being adopted as various managers, integrators, and architects develop new classroom spaces. A planning process, standardized classroom model, and effective support structure will be valuable elements in meeting the needs of faculty and students. The goal was to establish a best practices classroom model to meet the needs of community college faculty, students, and technology support personnel. Information collected from community colleges was used to determine the state of installed classroom technology that includes standard practices, policies and procedures, stakeholder involvement, ongoing budget and equipment replacement, and technical support. Community college faculty and students provided data related to the effectiveness of and their satisfaction with different technology classroom models. A case study approach was employed. The cases included two different electronic classroom models (Model 1: remodel of rooms in existing buildings in 2004 and Model 2: new building construction in 1995). Data were collected from faculty and students related to the effectiveness of and their satisfaction with the particular environment. Background information on classroom design, standards, technology integration, and support was gathered from other community colleges to be included as part of the foundation provided by the review of literature. These data, together with the local data, were used to develop a classroom standards document. Faculty and student data were used to determine the effectiveness of the technology components, room and system design, and overall integration of technology in the electronic classroom. Faculty and students reported a high level of satisfaction with the electronic classrooms as well as a perceived high level of instructional effectiveness. Some design considerations related to screen placement and lighting control were raised by both populations. There were no other significant differences between the two classroom models used in the investigation. Faculty and student preferences were incorporated into the classroom standards document developed at the conclusion of the research. Community college instructional support personnel reported a fairly consistent basic model for their electronic classrooms. The use of any form of standards document was rare. A team approach to planning, design, installation and support was widely used.

This study is an exploration of the relationship between subjectivity and pedagogy in the secondary school English classroom in South Africa during a time that can be characterised as one of considerable social change. It examines the subject positions students take up in relation to a teaching intervention that invites them to historicise their identities. In so doing, it seeks to contribute to the growing body of education research on how to meaningfully engage young people in post-conflict societies with their recent past and their shifting present, with the primary aim being to understand how these students are positioning themselves in relation to the changing sociopolitical context. The research was conducted in two Grade 11 English classrooms, one a de(re)segregated former Model C school and the other an elite private school. The research design is a two-case case study, employing ethnographic tools to generate a multi-layered and multifaceted understanding of the students’ engagement in all its forms. Poststructuralist theories on discourse and subjectivity form the theoretical framework for this study, informing both the methodology and the data analysis. At the heart of this lies Foucault’s notion of the discursively constructed subject, extended through the work of Stuart Hall, Chris Weedon, Bronwyn Davies and others in ways that facilitate their application to individual subjectivity, particularly in relation to the classroom as a pedagogically structured discursive space. The data is subjected to poststructuralist discourse analysis, adjusted to suit the mode and type of data which includes, inter alia, the analysis of a multimodal artefact, analysis of performative classroom talk and moment-by-moment analysis of classroom interaction. The analysis shows that students’ subjectivities are not fixed but shift in ways that are contingent on the pedagogic context. Such shifts are particularly noticeable when there is a shift in the interactional situation; when students move between different semiotic modes; or when they are provided with the opportunity for extended conversational interaction around an issue. In addition, students’ participation in the section of work on South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) shows that engaging with the past in post-apartheid South African classrooms can have unpredictable results. Students’ resistance to engaging with recent history seems to be related to discomfort with the ways in which the grand narrative of the past works to position them in racialised ways. While there is evidence of students seeking to ‘unfix’ racialised subject positions, it is also clear that past discourses linger. Despite their desire to be rid of the past, students’ subject positions are frequently tied to their historically constructed locations in the sociopolitical and economic landscape of South Africa. These ambiguities and contradictions are viewed in part as a function of the complexity of the relationship between subjectivity and pedagogy, where what students are able to say and who they are able to be is shaped by the discursive structure of the classroom space. Ultimately it would seem that more serious consideration needs to be given to ways of developing a pedagogy that is able to tolerate contingency and heterogeneity and that would have relevance not only in post-conflict contexts but also beyond. Keywords: subjectivity, pedagogy, poststructuralist discourse analysis, positioning, identity, English classroom, TRC, multimodal artefact, classroom talk, South Africa

by Yuen Hoi Kau. / Title also in Chinese. / Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 107-116.

This study is inspired by a desire to revisit Anyon's Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work (1980) in a more contemporary context, one that responds to calls in the research on the socioeconomic achievement gap for deeper investigation into the heterogeneity of the middle class. More specifically, the research examines five middle class American high schools in Massachusetts, and asks the question, 'How is classroom 'work' different across these schools, thirty years after Anyon's study'? This study employs several methods of analysis including Anyon's ethnographic observational analysis and a corpus linguistic analysis. It also uses reflexive interviews to review initial findings and integrate participant input into the data itself. I also draw upon the data in light of previous frameworks to develop a new framework for looking at smaller differences in teacher talk, lessons and classroom instruction that is more fit for purpose. Through these ethnographic observations and reflexive interviews, this study reveals that even across schools that are considered to belong to the same socioeconomic class - the middle class - differences in instruction and lessons can be clearly observed. The body of literature discussing the middle class, in terms of the diversity within it, is very small, this extensive study contributes to this knowledge, and hopefully creates avenues for further research. Using Anyon's approach of observing 'work' across social class in classrooms this research builds on Anyon's findings in a contemporary context. Insight into the ways in which difference manifests in smaller ways in the classroom may be fundamental in understanding how small differences compound across the socioeconomic spectrum. The impact of this research on the socioeconomic achievement gap is a better, more complete, look at the picture of how the distribution of resources across the socioeconomic spectrum plays a role in classroom differences.

No description available.

Book Summary: Empowering students to be active thinkers and learnersPrimary students enter the classroom as capable thinkers with unique experiences, skills, and ideas about the world. Using this new collection of articles, educators can build on that preexisting knowledge to take teaching and learning to the next level. This valuable resource will help you- Create environments that boost learning and build social relationships among students- Engage young learners in interpreting complex literature and thinking deeply and meaningfully about math and science- Support culturally and linguistically diverse children- Foster strong ties with familiesUsing the ideas presented here as a foundation, educators can make the most of their time with students by using each interaction as a powerful opportunity to instill confidence, competence, and a love of learning.

Book Summary: Edited and compiled just for teachers, this resource explains developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) so teachers can apply DAP in their work with children in first, second, and third grades.