In Grades 3 to 5 at a suburban southeastern elementary school, the percentage of students with disabilities (SWDs) who do not meet state standards in science and social studies is greater than that of their nondisabled peers. To address this disparity, district administrators required that proficiency ratings increase for SWDs without providing general education (GE) teachers with training. A qualitative bounded case study was used to understand how GE teachers constructed their knowledge of and met SWDs instructional needs and to understand GE teachers' needs as they worked toward meeting the district goals. Piaget's constructivist learning theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. A purposeful sample of 6 GE teachers, 2 each from Grades 3-5 whose classrooms included SWDs, volunteered to participate in open-ended interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using provisional coding and pattern coding. A primary finding was that the participants identified teacher collaboration and professional development necessary to accommodate SWDs in the GE setting. This finding led to a recommendation that school leaders provide ongoing professional development for GE teachers as well as ongoing opportunities for collaboration between GE and special education teachers. These endeavors may contribute to positive social change by providing GE teachers instructional strategies and accommodations for meeting the learning needs of SWDs to increase the number and percentage of SWDs who meet the state standards and district goals in science and social studies.

Inclusive education within the United Arab Emirates has started to gain momentum and the roles of teachers have become more challenging. This study investigated teacher views surrounding the inclusion of SEN students into mainstream schools. A qualitative exploratory research design was employed and the social constructivist theory was used as a framework for the research. Purposive sampling was employed, and a total of seven teachers and four parents participated in the study. Thematic analysis was used and findings suggested that UAE teachers experienced various challenges due to the inclusion of SEN students into their schools. Some of the challenges included: lack of professional development, lack of managerial support, parental demands, cultural barriers and the lack of collaborative opportunities. The study recommended varied professional development workshops aimed at developing an understanding of SEN and inclusion within the UAE context. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The study investigated the impact of computer simulations on the teaching and learning of electromagnetism in grade 11. Electromagnetism is a section of the Physical Science curriculum. Two grade 11 classes in the Mgwenya circuit in Mpumalanga province of South Africa were used as a case study. Using a pre-test, post-test non-equivalent control group design, it was found that learners in the experimental group (n = 30) who were taught using the simulations achieved significantly higher scores on the post-test than learners in the control group (n = 35) who were taught using traditional teacher-centred teaching method; (t statistic = 3.582, df = 56, p<0.05). Learners were more active during the lessons, predicting, observing, discussing and explaining concepts. The use of simulations also provided support (scaffolding) that the learners need to enhance learning. The Hake’s normalized gain for the experimental group <g> = 0.32 compared to <g> = 0.18 for the control group confirmed conceptual improvement. Both teachers and learners indicated that they accept the use of computer simulations in teaching and learning of electromagnetism. / Science and Technology Education / M. Sc. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

This thesis is focused on use of the critical thinking techniques into the courses of information education. The study describes links and relations among the critical thinking as one part of constructivist teaching and information, critical and reading literacy. A literature review of the thesis also includes description of programme for critical thinking development called "Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking". A finding and methodology section is divided into two parts. First one analyses questionnaire of the critical evaluation of information quality organized for students of Czech University of Life Sciences. Following part describes case study (method based on Yin, 2009) of application critical thinking techniques into the courses of information education in Czech University of Life Sciences. This part, due to chosen method, includes description of current state of information education in the university, its environment and influences. It also gives in detail description of "Course of information literacy for PhD students" which used critical thinking techniques from "Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking" programme. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

The changing role of literacy in primary education, with its emphasis on the acknowledgement of the learner’s values, beliefs, culture, background and language is the focus of this study. The research was concerned with understanding the literacy practices of Foundation Phase Grade 3 teachers who are able to intentionally promote and mediate literacy acquisition among their learners. A qualitative design was used to describe the approaches of effective literacy teachers. The research study discovered that while the teachers made use of a number of teaching methods that underpinned a de-contextualised and constructivist approach, a socio-cultural approach to literacy was lacking. The results call for a broadening of the definition of literacy; one that acknowledges the socio-cultural background of the learners in developing a literacy disposition that prepares learners for a changing world. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of expatriate school leaders in the education system of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study was motivated by a concern regarding the short-term entry of expatriates into the UAE education system, thereby questioning their overall impact in the UAE educational reform. The literature reviews focused on mentoring and leadership within education, and how these related to the UAE educational reform in particular. The empirical investigation used a qualitative, ethnographical case study design. The situated learning theory and the social constructivist theory were used as conceptual frameworks for the study. Purposive and convenient sampling was employed to select five indigenous and five expatriate school leaders as participants for this study. Qualitative data collection was preceded by a pilot study in which an indigenous and an expatriate school leaders were informally interviewed. Individual interviews were thereafter conducted whereby participants were interviewed over a two-week period. The interviews were followed by focus group sessions that were gender specific. Notes were kept and all observations were documented throughout the study. Findings were that, according to the participants’ views, expatriate school leaders seemed to make little impact on current UAE education reform. Their impact was inhibited by dubious motives of many expatriate school leaders working in the UAE; cultural and religious barriers between expatriate and indigenous school leaders; language as a barrier; lack of role modelling; continuous changes in the UAE education system; poor attitudes of some indigenous school leaders; resistance to change; lack of sustainability and poor communication between school leaders and policy makers. Recommendations were provided to enhance the impact of expatriate school leaders within the UAE system. Firstly, expatriate impact could be enhanced through an intensive two-week induction programme and secondly, by means of a partnership development framework to improve the mentoring relationship between expatriate and indigenous school leaders. Ways to overcome the language barrier were also recommended. Additionally, the study provided recommendations for further research. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

South African schools have experienced a high rate of educator turnover which has led to greater school instability, disruption of curricular cohesiveness and a continual need to hire experienced and inexperienced educators, who may be typically less effective, as replacements for educators who leave. Unfortunately, principals of schools lack organizational capacity to provide the necessary management strategies that can enhance educators’ job satisfaction. Since the principals are fully responsible for the proper functioning of the schools and their personnel, this study explored the relationship between the management strategies of school principals and the educators’ job satisfaction levels within the context of South African schools. It examined how management strategies of principals impact on job satisfaction levels of educators in various school environments. The study explored literature from local and international perspectives on management strategies and the job satisfaction of educators. It described the background and findings of the relationship between management strategies of principals and educators’ job satisfaction levels from an education management perspective. For the empirical inquiry the study adopted a qualitative research paradigm, and as such, a qualitative investigation of the relationship between the management strategies of school principals and the educators’ job satisfaction levels in schools was conducted. Non-probability sampling methods were used to select a sample of six school principals and twelve educators. Individual and focus group interviews were used in data collection and were audio-recorded. Throughout the research study, ethical considerations were upheld. Data analysis involved a mix of content and thematic analysis instruments. The study findings determined the relationship between management strategies of principals and educators’ job satisfaction levels. An understanding of human relationship is very important to school principals who have the responsibility of establishing an environment that not only motivates educators, but can also help to enhance their job satisfaction levels in a positive way. An understanding of educators’ needs also helps school principals to devise management strategies to enhance the job satisfaction levels of educators. Based on the findings, recommendations to improve the management strategies of school principals in the enhancement of educators’ job satisfaction were proposed. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The overarching aim of this thesis is to explore how teaching and learning in tertiary education is performed in times of change both in language policy and learning approaches. The study takes social constructivist and socio-cultural theories as its major points of departure. These theories are combined with cognitive theory of learning with multimedia. The four studies comprising this thesis are born out of a new situation demanding the mastery of a scientific language in English and new ways of teaching and learning backed with ICT. The studies set out to investigate (i) how students and teachers adapt to a change of medium of instruction (ii) what teachers and students of physics learn when constructing a multimedia vocabulary learning instrument (iii) the impact of two methods of teaching vocabulary on students’ test performance and (iv) how teachers reflect on the use of ICT in Physics teaching. To attain these targets, the study employed a blend of qualitative and quantitative designs to gather relevant data. In three studies, data were gathered from classroom practices in tertiary education. The fourth study included teacher interviews on their experiences with ICT. Findings indicate that the understanding of physics was facilitated by a variation in language use in different classroom spaces, students and teachers’ collaborative selection of technical vocabulary and a multimedia tool of technical vocabulary software constructed by two teachers and the researcher. According to the teachers, the quality of physics teaching would be enhanced further by adopting learner-centred teaching methods and the integration of more advanced ICT. The studies show that teachers and students are on their way to develop ICT tools for teaching and learning. Given adequate support, this can pave the way for transforming teaching and allowing for further quality development in innovative and creative ways of learning with ICT. / Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka hur undervisning och lärande inom högre utbildning sker i tider av förändring både inom språkpolicy och inom lärande. Studien tar socialkonstruktivistiska och socio-kulturella teorier som utgångspunkt. Dessa teorier har kombinerats med en kognitiv teori om lärande med multimedia. Studien består av fyra studier som behandlar den nya situation som uppstått när studenter och lärare behöver bemästra ett vetenskapligt språk på engelska och nya sätt att undervisa och lära med stöd av IKT. Studiernas syfte är att undersöka (i) hur studenter och lärare anpassar sig till ett förändrat undervisningsspråk (ii) vad lärare och studenter inom fysik lär när de konstruerar ett multimedia instrument (iii) utfallet av två olika metoder att lära studenter ett fackspråk inom fysik som det visar sig i olika test (iv) hur lärare reflekterar över användningen av IKT inom ämnesområdet fysik. För att uppnå dessa mål används en kombination av kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder. I tre studier samlades data från klassrumspraktiker inom högre utbildning. I den fjärde studien intervjuades lärare om sina erfarenheter med IKT. Resultaten visar att förståelse av fackspråkliga begrepp underlättades av att olika språk användes beroende på avstånd eller närhet till eleverna i klassrummet. Samarbete mellan studenter och lärare i att välja ord och begrepp som skulle användas och mellan lärarna och forskaren i att konstruera ett multimedia-instrument påverkade också lärandet positivt. Enligt de intervjuade lärarna skulle kvaliteten i fysikundervisningen kunna förbättras ytterligare genom att använda elevcentrerade undervisningsmetoder och mer avancerad IKT. Studierna visar att lärare och studenter är på väg att utveckla IKT redskap för undervisning och lärande. Med adekvat stöd kan detta bereda vägen för en transformering av undervisningen och ge utrymme för vidare kvalitetsutveckling genom uppfinningsrika och kreativa sätt att lära med stöd av IKT.

The study investigated the impact of computer simulations on the teaching and learning of photoelectric effect in Grade 12. The Grade 12 Physical Sciences curriculum has components of physics and chemistry. The photoelectric effect is a section in the physics curriculum and examination in the National Senior Certificate. In this case study, thirty learners were randomly divided into three groups in one rural school in the Frances Baard district in the Northern Cape Province. A randomised pre-test - post-test control group design was implemented. Data were collected through pre and post tests, by observation of the lessons and learner interviews. An analysis of variance performed showed that there was no significant difference on pre-test scores for the three groups. A paired -sample t-test on the post-test scores discovered that the Teacher-Centred Experimental Group (TCEG) performed better than the Learner-Centred Experimental Group (LCEG); (t statics, t (9) = -6.135, p < 0.05). In addition, the Control Group (CG) where the teacher used the traditional method of teaching performed even better than the Learner-Centred Experimental group. An analysis of covariance on the post-test scores with learners' pre-test scores as the covariate showed a significant effect on the instructional group favouring the TCEG (F (2,29) = 52.763, p < 0.05). The Hake's normalised gain, <g> was used to measure the effectiveness of the intervention. The normalised gain showed a high-g (0.794) for the TCEG, a medium-g (0.405) for the CG and a low-g (0.134) for the LCEG. The interview data also confirms that the TCEG learners benefited more than the LCEG learners. It is, therefore, suggested that the TCEG approach is a better method for the effective teaching of photoelectric effect. / Science and Technology Education / M. Sc. (MSTE)

The changing role of literacy in primary education, with its emphasis on the acknowledgement of the learner’s values, beliefs, culture, background and language is the focus of this study. The research was concerned with understanding the literacy practices of Foundation Phase Grade 3 teachers who are able to intentionally promote and mediate literacy acquisition among their learners. A qualitative design was used to describe the approaches of effective literacy teachers. The research study discovered that while the teachers made use of a number of teaching methods that underpinned a de-contextualised and constructivist approach, a socio-cultural approach to literacy was lacking. The results call for a broadening of the definition of literacy; one that acknowledges the socio-cultural background of the learners in developing a literacy disposition that prepares learners for a changing world. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)