The majority of Grade 5 students demonstrate limited science knowledge on state assessments. This trend has been documented since 2010 with no evidence of improvement. Because state accountability formulas include proficiency scores and carry sanctions against districts that fail to meet proficiency thresholds, improved student performance in science is an important issue to school districts. The purpose of this study was to explore elementary teachers' perceptions about their students' science knowledge, the strategies used to teach science, the barriers affecting science teaching, and the self-efficacy beliefs teachers maintain for teaching science. This study, guided by Vygotsky's social constructivist theory and Bandura's concept of self-efficacy, was a bounded instrumental case study in which 15 participants, required to be teaching K-5 elementary science in the county, were interviewed. An analytic technique was used to review the qualitative interview data through open coding, clustering, and analytical coding resulting in identified categorical themes that addressed the research questions. Key findings reflect students' limited content knowledge in earth and physical science. Teachers identified barriers including limited science instructional time, poor curricular resources, few professional learning opportunities, concern about new state standards, and a lack of teaching confidence. To improve student content knowledge, teachers identified the need for professional development. The project is a professional development series provided by a regional education service agency for K-5 teachers to experience science and engineering 3-dimensional learning. Area students will demonstrate deeper science content knowledge and benefit from improved science instructional practice and learning opportunities to become science problem solvers and innovative contributors to society.

Abstract This qualitative case study examined teachers' perceptions that contributed to a lack of technology integration in their K-8 classrooms. The purpose of the study was to determine why teachers of a K-8 and K-5 school underused or failed to integrate technology to support learning. The theoretical framework for this study was provided by Dewey's constructivist theory, Lave and Wenger's situated learning theory and communities of practice, and Kolb's experiential learning theory principles of teaching and learning. The research questions addressed teachers' perceptions of technology integration as a curriculum strategy and teachers' perceptions of how technology affected professional practices to improve student performance in Grades 3 through 8. A purposeful sample of 8 certified teachers who used technology in their classrooms was selected to participate in the study. The participants represented a range of grades in 2 schools located in an economically disadvantaged sector of an urban school district. Qualitative data were collected through one-on-one interviews, classroom observations, and use of technology questionnaires. Data were transcribed, coded, and grouped into categories and themes focused on: (a) progressive technology usage, (b) competency in technology education, and (c) assertiveness towards computer techniques. Participants articulated the need for technical acuity, collaboration, and continuous professional growth activities to integrate technology as a curriculum element. Findings from this study were used to establish a 3 day professional development plan to provide training on technology integration to local K-8 teachers. Social change can be achieved by increasing the level of technology integration to enhance K-8 instruction.

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The main theme of the study is exploring and understanding the impact of an innovative continuing professional development model for integrating ICT into classroom pedagogy. The focus is on the relationship between teachers’ beliefs, knowledge and pedagogic practice in the process of developing and adopting new knowledge and skills to cope with 21st century education. The study explores the 'future schools' primary teachers’ education, in-service training, status, beliefs, knowledge, and skills of using ICT in practice in the Kuwait context. The finding from the exploratory study shows that teachers’ lack of Technological, Pedagogical and Content knowledge TPACK and that this impacts on their capacity to improve their pedagogic practice. The study applied a social-constructivist approach to understand the process of change in the nine participants' teachers' beliefs, knowledge through an innovative continuing professional development model, and stimulating teachers to develop a reflective practice skills focusing on improving pedagogic practice and using ICT. A case study approach was used as the methodology of the study to develop an understanding of the process of change in the nine participant teachers' reflection on and experienced of the effects of adopting alternative pedagogic practice and integrating ICT. The numerous small findings from the quantitative and qualitative methods applied to the six months of continuing professional development involving nine primary teachers come under four main themes: 1) In-service teachers' beliefs and knowledge development, 2) Classroom pedagogy for autonomy with ICT integration, 3) Constraints affecting future schools’ teachers' integration of ICT, and 4) The key principles of an RP-BCPD model for teachers CPD in Kuwait. The understandings from the findings of the study show that the quality of the CPD for improving teachers' pedagogic practice is affected by the socio-cultural context of the 'future schools'. The study shows that the nine participant teachers can develop effective alternative pedagogic practice and successfully integrate ICT, when they are empowered to reflect, inquire into their practice, and learn from each other and from cross-cultural best practice. The unique finding of the study indicated that the nine participant teachers experiences some difficulties with engaging in the change process because of classroom cultural context such as: teachers' TPACK knowledge and competences, curriculum overload, and classroom size. Finally, the finding shows that providing the participant teachers with reflective practice as the base of CPD programme within schools context linked learning theory to improve pedagogic practice.

The diploma thesis on topic Development of professional competencies of Primary School teachers considers the research question: "What is the significance of teacher training and its length in the development of the professional competencies of primary school teachers?". The aim of the thesis is to introduce and analyze effective ways of developing the professional competencies of primary school teachers in the combined form of study. Contextualize the importance of practice and its length in the development of professional competencies. To deal with specific cases, ie cases of significance of practice and its length in the development of professional competencies of primary school teachers. With the support of professional literature, the basic theorems related to the topic of work are defined in the theoretical part: teacher, competencies, key competences, pedagogical knowledge and skills, constructivist approach in education and methods of professional development of teachers. Attention is paid to theory, practice and its position in teacher education. Reflection, cooperation and portfolio are mentioned here as effective means of professional development of teachers, ensuring the interconnection of theoretical knowledge and practical experience. The practical part is focused on qualitative...

Despite the substantial amount of education research on “teaching for understanding” and “learning for understanding” processes that has occurred in the fields of achievement goals, constructivist-based pedagogy, motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning there is little research that considers in unison the pillar constructs of these fields. Three studies comprised the present research which was designed to address the proposal that important social- and personal-based constructs associated with achievement goals, constructivist-based pedagogy, motivational beliefs, and self-regulated learning act in an interdisciplinary fashion to influence learning in the high school science classroom. All the large-scale quantitative studies presented a single-level structural equation model that was applicable to the general high school science student, controlling for the variance associated with age, gender, and student type (regular or selective high school student). Results from the two large-scale trait-level correlational studies of Study 1 (n = 655) and Study 2 (n = 617) using the Achievement Goals Questionnaire (Elliot & Church, 1997), Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (Taylor, Fraser, & Fisher, 1997) and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991) as the main quantitative instruments found support for the hypothesis that a perceived emphasis on the constructivist-based pedagogical dimensions of personal relevance and student negotiation in science classrooms promotes the adoption of mastery-approach and intrinsic value. These analyses also showed the importance of self-efficacy in promoting mastery-approach, performance-approach and the use of regulatory strategies, and that test anxiety had positive associations with mastery-avoidance and performance-avoidance goals. / Study 3 comprised of two mini-studies that investigated the associations of competence perceptions, achievement goals and self-regulated learning in two science classroom learning contexts: teacher-led discussion (n = 451) and group work (n = 476). Using specifically developed context-level questionnaires, the results of these studies affirmed current theories concerning the interactions of self-efficacy, achievement goals, self-regulated learning (regulatory strategy use) and maladaptive strategy use. Students interviewed in Study 3 mostly reported the adoption of their achievement goals depended upon personal reasons that were commensurate with current achievement goal theory (Elliot, 1999) rather than specific classroom practices. The present research was also significant in that it tested the empirical stature of two frameworks by which social/cognitive research affiliated with learning environments, achievement goals and self-regulated learning may be conducted. Firstly, the results of the construct validity measures generated across Studies 1, 2 and 3 found support for the existence of the hypothesised 2 X 2 achievement goals framework (Elliot, 1999; Elliot & McGregor, 2001; Pintrich, 2000a). Secondly, the research introduced the tenets of a “context” hypothesis and found support for this perspective throughout the context-level studies. Adjunct multilevel multiple regressions were used in all the quantitative studies to examine the impact of subpopulation variables (age, gender, regular or selective high school student) and multiple goal interactions upon response variables, and to assess the variance attributed to the response variables at the class-level. Implications for the research disciplines studied are presented in terms of teaching practice, theory, future research and research methods.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of constructivist instruction on the achievement, attitude towards science teaching, science process skills and retention of fourth grade preservice science teachers in Science Teaching Methods II course. Two groups (one experimental and one control) were assigned from Hacettepe University Faculty of Education Department of Science Education. Experimental group consisted of 53 preservice science teachers and the control group consisted of 50 preservice science teachers / totally 103 preservice science teachers participated in this study. Quasi experimental research design was used in this study. Constructivist instruction was used in experimental group and traditional instruction was used in control group during the teaching and learning process. This research study was conducted in fall semester of the 2007-2008 academic year and lasted 15 weeks including the final examination term. Science Process Skills Test, Attitude towards Science Teaching Scale and Achievement Test in Science Teaching Methods II course were administered to participants three times / at the beginning of the study, immediately after the implementation process and 10 weeks later. A mixed between within ANOVA with repeated measures was used as a statistical technique for analyzing quantitative data and both descriptive and content analysis was used for analyzing questionnaire, formative and summative focus group interviews. Statistical mean difference was obtained for all tests in favor of experimental group and the findings of quantitative data analysis results were supported by the qualitative data analysis results. After interpreting the results, it can be claimed that constructivist instruction is effective in preservice science education.

Syfte och frågeställningar. Syftet med studien var att undersöka lärares och elevers syn på feedback i ämnet idrott och hälsa, samt om och i så fall hur denna feedback påverkar elevernas upplevda lärande. Detta skedde utifrån följande frågeställningar; Anser eleverna att feedback är viktigt för det upplevda lärandet i ämnet idrott och hälsa och hur tänker de kring detta? Anser lärarna i ämnet idrott och hälsa att feedback är viktigt för utvecklingen av elevernas lärande och hur tänker de kring detta? Har lärarna ett medvetet användande av feedback och uppfattar elever lärarnas feedback som konstruktiv och utvecklande? Använder lärarna formativ bedömning i sin undervisning och är det i så fall ett medvetet val? Metod. Detta är en kvalitativ studie med intervju som metod. Vid datainsamlingen genomfördes totalt åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer. Fem lärare med gedigen erfarenhet intervjuades enskilt samt tre elevgrupper bestående av totalt tolv elever. Urvalet skedde enligt bekvämlighetsprincipen. Vår teoretiska ansats grundar sig på tre lärandeteorier; sociokulturellt-, behavioristiskt- och konstruktivistiskt lärande. Vi har valt att använda grounded theory som analytiskt verktyg och teoretisk koppling till dessa teorier. Resultat. Studien visar att lärare och elever är överens om att nyttjandet av feedback är viktigt för att nå till upplevt lärande hos elever. Lärarna påstår sig ha ett medvetet, individ-, och situationsanpassat användande av feedback och detta speglar sig i att eleverna uppfattar lärarnas arbete med feedback som konstruktivt och framåtsträvande. Lärarna uppger att de känner sig trygga i användandet av formativ bedömning och att de litar på metodens funktionalitet men de efterlyser resurser för att kunna använda formativ bedömning i ökad utsträckning. Slutsats. Lärarfeedback tenderar att utmynna i en enkelriktad kommunikation och utgör således bara en bråkdel av lärandet som helhet i ämnet idrott och hälsa. Utöver att kunna ge feedback bör en skicklig lärare kunna skapa lärandemiljöer som även möjliggör för elevers lärande utifrån elevens egna erfarenheter och i samspel med andra elever. / Purpose and issues The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' and students' view regarding the role of ‘feedback in physical education’ and if such feedback affects a person’s perceived learning. This study was based on the following questions: do students believe that feedback is important for their perceived learning in physical education and what are their thoughts about it? Do teachers of physical education believe that feedback is important for the development of student learning and what are their thoughts about it? Do teachers have a conscious use of feedback and do their students perceive such feedback as constructive and stimulating? Do teachers use formative assessment in their work and if so is that a deliberate choice? Method A qualitative method was used for data collection throughout this study. Eight semi-structured interviews were carried out; five teachers with extensive experience and three student groups consisting of a total of twelve students. The selection of who to interview was made according to the principle of convenience. Our theoretical approach is based on three learning theories; ‘sociocultural’, ‘behaviorist’ and ‘constructivist’ learning. We have chosen to use grounded theory as an analytical tool and theoretical links to these theories. Findings This study shows that teachers and students agree that the use of feedback is important to experience learning. The teachers claim to have a conscious, individual, and situational use of feedback and this is reflected in the students' understanding of the work of teachers with feedback as constructive and progressive. The teachers say they feel secure in the use of formative assessment and that they trust the method's functionality, but they call for resources to use formative assessment to a greater extent. Conclusion Teacher feedback tends to result in a one-way communication and thus represents only a fraction of the overall learning in physical education. Beside the ability of giving the right feedback, a skilled teacher should be able to create a learning environment that also allows for learning based on the student's own experience and in their interaction with other students.

New advances in computer programming and more powerful technology have opened up new opportunities for learning though immersive virtual reality simulations. This research highlighted the importance of the role of a lecturer in fostering learning in a technology rich learning environment. Undergraduate business studies students worked collectively to try resolve a problem depicted through an immersive simulation involving a burning factory. The simulation provided a rich personal experience that enabled students with lecturer support to generate effective strategies to address the problem.

The purpose of this study is to use a constructivism as a referent to investigate how students learn physics in a Taiwanese career college classroom. Forty-nine first year, engineering major first students participated in this study of teaching and learning in my college level classroom. The theoretical framework for the study was based on the five dimensions of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) (Taylor & Fraser, 1991: Taylor, Fraser & White, 1994; Taylor, Fraser & Fisher, 1997), namely Personal Relevance, Student Negotiation, Shared Control, Critical Voice, and Uncertainty. These dimensions were employed as analytic themes to examine the qualitative data. / A total of six lessons were observed: two lecture classes, two laboratory practice sessions, and two group discussion sessions. My qualitative observations, supplemented by video- and audio-recordings, of these six lessons were used to produce six classroom narratives. These six narratives were analyzed individually and then comparatively using a cross case analysis whereby the five dimensions of the CLES were employed as analytic themes. The CLES questionnaire was administered at the commencement of the semester and again at the end of the semester in order to determine any quantitative changes in students’ perceptions of their classroom environment. The various analyses were used to make several propositions about the constructivist nature of my classroom. I conclude the study with a discussion of the implications of the study and my reflections on the thesis experience. / The study found that, in my Taiwanese career college physics classroom, (a) the teacher plays a central role in establishing the overall classroom learning environment, (b) student group dynamics are important in the classroom learning environment, (c) the central role of content often works against the establishment of a constructivist classroom, (d) cultural factors play a large role in determining the constructivist nature of the classroom, (e) language plays an important role in the construction of the learning environment, and (f) the students’ learning attitude affected the classroom environment.