This study explores preservice teachers' learning to teach mathematics in the context of an innovative version of the mathematics methods courses typically offered at UBC. Thirteen preservice teachers engaged in a math letter writing exchange with Grade 4 students are the focus of this study. This math penpal experience was meant to provide a "laboratory setting" for preservice teachers to try out and investigate the ideas discussed during methods classes. Interactions with students, in turn, served as the focus of further class discussions and reflective journal writing. Two research questions were investigated: (1) What were preservice teachers learning through their math penpal investigations; and (2) What factors influenced their learning? Preservice teachers' written records (math letters, journals, and case reports) were the main sources of data used to address these questions. My perspectives as a participant, teacher, and researcher were used to guide and inform my analysis of this data. An analytical framework was constructed based on preservice teachers' "pedagogical puzzles" (issues and challenges faced and deliberated on). These puzzles related to their problem posing, interpreting, and responding practices. This framework was used to explore patterns and changes in preservice teachers' views and practices. Learning themes discussed include: learning to broaden goals and expectations of problems; learning to see and construct meaning from students' work, and learning to question and revise claims about students' mathematical attitudes and abilities; learning to recognize and interrogate hidden messages in their discourse, and learning to respond differently. Factors found to be associated with preservice teachers' learning include: (a) interactive experiences with students, (b) engagement in collaborative explorations of problems and comparable students' work, and (c) the opportunity to revisit and reinterpret their experiences with students in multiple occasions. Implications for the research and practice of mathematics teacher education are discussed in relation to: (a) preservice teachers' learning of mathematics and mathematical pedagogy, (b) learning in courserelated field experiences, and (c) learning to reflect and write about teaching and learning.

This thesis explores and discusses the current practice of English as a Second Language (ESL) evaluation primarily in terms of validity, authenticity, and experiential groundedness. The researcher endeavours to apply theories of ESL evaluation to actual practice, analyzing the differences or harmonization between with regard to validity, authenticity, experiential groundedness and some other factors identified as being important in evaluation in language acquisition situations, particularly CRTs, NRTs, foramtive and summative evaluations. Ethnographic inquiry is used for obtaining data. A program case study, a technique of qualitative research, is used for this study. The purpose is to gather some genuine data from the interviewees which are real and revealing, thus enabling the researcher to gain particular insights relative to the aims of his study. The analysis aspires to give voice to interviewee's on ESL evaluation in terms of validity, authenticity, and experiential groundedness, along with other factors noted above. This report sets out to determine how or if validity, authenticity, and experiential groundedness, along with some other factors identified above, are integrated elements of an efficient and effective ESL evaluation. Such was found to ve the case and it was also found that these can be reinforced by guaranteeing that an evaluation targets its population closely, adopting real-life approaches and, establishing linkages between evaluation and prior knowledge and skills. / xi, 156 leaves ; 28 cm.

The problem of this study was to compare the achievement and attitude of students in an individualized biology program, modeled after parts of the Proposed Texas Science Framework, with the achievement and attitude of students in conventional biology classes. The subjects used for the study were tenth grade, first year biology students in three high schools in a large North Central Texas city. Each of the three high schools was selected to represent a particular category of high schools. The categories were based upon the mean achievement scores for the students within a school. The categories of schools were above average, medium low, and very low. In each of the schools the classes and teachers in the experimental group and the control group were matched as closely as possible.

This study explores preservice teachers' learning to teach mathematics in the context of an innovative version of the mathematics methods courses typically offered at UBC. Thirteen preservice teachers engaged in a math letter writing exchange with Grade 4 students are the focus of this study. This math penpal experience was meant to provide a "laboratory setting" for preservice teachers to try out and investigate the ideas discussed during methods classes. Interactions with students, in turn, served as the focus of further class discussions and reflective journal writing. Two research questions were investigated: (1) What were preservice teachers learning through their math penpal investigations; and (2) What factors influenced their learning? Preservice teachers' written records (math letters, journals, and case reports) were the main sources of data used to address these questions. My perspectives as a participant, teacher, and researcher were used to guide and inform my analysis of this data. An analytical framework was constructed based on preservice teachers' "pedagogical puzzles" (issues and challenges faced and deliberated on). These puzzles related to their problem posing, interpreting, and responding practices. This framework was used to explore patterns and changes in preservice teachers' views and practices. Learning themes discussed include: learning to broaden goals and expectations of problems; learning to see and construct meaning from students' work, and learning to question and revise claims about students' mathematical attitudes and abilities; learning to recognize and interrogate hidden messages in their discourse, and learning to respond differently. Factors found to be associated with preservice teachers' learning include: (a) interactive experiences with students, (b) engagement in collaborative explorations of problems and comparable students' work, and (c) the opportunity to revisit and reinterpret their experiences with students in multiple occasions. Implications for the research and practice of mathematics teacher education are discussed in relation to: (a) preservice teachers' learning of mathematics and mathematical pedagogy, (b) learning in courserelated field experiences, and (c) learning to reflect and write about teaching and learning. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

In this research, an attempt is made to evaluate the music program of a typical high school in terms of its contribution to the development of pupils who show evidence of possessing musical talent. One of the aims of modern education is to help pupils develop emotional stability, desirable attitudes, and worthy ideals. In other words, the purpose is to teach pupils to feel, as well as to know and do. Music can be powerful force in fulfilling this aim. The purpose of this report is to apply the results of the Pitch and Tonal Memory tests of the Seashore Measures of Musical Talent and the results of the Kuder Preference Record to the building of a Program Music in Borger High School.

Intensive care units in South Africa have been faced with various challenges which in turn affect the working condition of critical care nurses, thus leading to poor productivity. Nurses in the work environment blame this poor work quality of nursing to the way critical care nurses are trained and assessed in nursing schools. There is general concern that graduate nursing students lack the knowledge and skills necessary to equip them to work in intensive units. Objectives: To measure the perceptions of critical care nursing students as well qualified critical care nurses on the use of OSCE as a valid and reliable tool to assess clinical competence in critical care nursing students. Methods: A quantitative approach and descriptive survey was administered to critical care nursing students and qualified critical care nurses who had participated in OSCE examination. The intensive care departments of two provincial (states) hospitals and (provincial) nursing college that trained critical care nurses were used. Results: The findings revealed that OSCE was still overwhelmingly accepted as a relevant tool for assessing clinical competencies in Critical Care courses by both students and staff. It was also clear that the students did not believe that all the competencies required in the ICU environment can be assessed using the OSCE method. Discussion: Critical care nursing educators are facing a challenge to develop more comprehensive method for assessing clinical skills in critical care students nurses since OSCE x examination cannot assess all the skills that are necessary in intensive care environment. In order for effective learning to take place during assessment, it is extremely important for nurse educators to give formative feedback in OSCE. / M.N. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2012.

Acompanha: Tarefas para educação financeira: uma proposta a luz da educação matemática realística / Este trabalho apresenta a elaboração, aplicação e discussão de uma Sequência de Tarefas matemáticas que provocam reflexões a respeito de temas da Educação Financeira. Todo o desenvolver da pesquisa ancorou-se nos pressupostos de ensino e aprendizagem da Educação Matemática Realística. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa de cunho interpretativo. A aplicação da Sequência de Tarefas foi realizada em uma instituição Filantrópica de Londrina-PR, na qual os adolescentes que a frequentam encontram-se em situação de desproteção social e a regente foi a pesquisadora. A partir de seu desenvolvimento e aplicação buscou-se provocar um repensar a prática de ensino e de aprendizagem e discutir objetivos e competências da Educação Financeira revelados nas produções dos estudantes. A construção do trabalho gerou indícios de que, um ambiente de sala de aula à luz de Educação Matemática Realística favorece uma educação aos jovens na direção de tornarem-se sujeitos matematicamente letrados, em especial referente a situações financeiras. / This paper presents the elaboration, application and discussion of mathematical task sequence in order to raise reflections on Financial Education themes. The entire development of the research was based on the teaching and learning assumptions of Realistic Mathematics Education. It is a qualitative research of an interpretive nature. The sequence task application was carried out by the researcher, who was also the teacher, in a Philanthropic institution in Londrina-PR, where adolescents are in an unprotected social situation. The activity tried to arouse a rethinking of the teaching and learning practice and also discuss the objectives and competencies of Financial Education revealed by the students’ productions from its development and application. The work construction produced some indications that a classroom environment concerning the Realistic Mathematical Education provides the young some education, which, makes them become mathematically literate subjects, especially referring to financial situations.

Acompanha: Tarefas para educação financeira: uma proposta a luz da educação matemática realística / Este trabalho apresenta a elaboração, aplicação e discussão de uma Sequência de Tarefas matemáticas que provocam reflexões a respeito de temas da Educação Financeira. Todo o desenvolver da pesquisa ancorou-se nos pressupostos de ensino e aprendizagem da Educação Matemática Realística. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa de cunho interpretativo. A aplicação da Sequência de Tarefas foi realizada em uma instituição Filantrópica de Londrina-PR, na qual os adolescentes que a frequentam encontram-se em situação de desproteção social e a regente foi a pesquisadora. A partir de seu desenvolvimento e aplicação buscou-se provocar um repensar a prática de ensino e de aprendizagem e discutir objetivos e competências da Educação Financeira revelados nas produções dos estudantes. A construção do trabalho gerou indícios de que, um ambiente de sala de aula à luz de Educação Matemática Realística favorece uma educação aos jovens na direção de tornarem-se sujeitos matematicamente letrados, em especial referente a situações financeiras. / This paper presents the elaboration, application and discussion of mathematical task sequence in order to raise reflections on Financial Education themes. The entire development of the research was based on the teaching and learning assumptions of Realistic Mathematics Education. It is a qualitative research of an interpretive nature. The sequence task application was carried out by the researcher, who was also the teacher, in a Philanthropic institution in Londrina-PR, where adolescents are in an unprotected social situation. The activity tried to arouse a rethinking of the teaching and learning practice and also discuss the objectives and competencies of Financial Education revealed by the students’ productions from its development and application. The work construction produced some indications that a classroom environment concerning the Realistic Mathematical Education provides the young some education, which, makes them become mathematically literate subjects, especially referring to financial situations.

The study intends to investigate the nature and cognitive demands of contextual word-problems posed in the FET mathematics examinations of IEB and NSC. The analysis of the mathematization of real-life situations to form contextual word-problems is based on the theory of authentic task situations. The theoretical basis for analyzing mathematics teaching and learning is the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) theory. Data was obtained using the schedule of mathematization of real-life situations and the schedule of total marks of contextual word-problems and national performance. All contextual word-problems included in the 2008-2013 question papers of IEB and NSC mathematics examinations were analysed. The research revealed that 509 marks out of 1800 marks were allocated to contextual word-problems in IEB examinations; whereas 473 marks out of 1800 marks were allocated to contextual word-problems in NSC examinations. / Mathematics Education / M. Sc. (Mathematical Education)

The study intends to investigate the nature and cognitive demands of contextual word-problems posed in the FET mathematics examinations of IEB and NSC. The analysis of the mathematization of real-life situations to form contextual word-problems is based on the theory of authentic task situations. The theoretical basis for analyzing mathematics teaching and learning is the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) theory. Data was obtained using the schedule of mathematization of real-life situations and the schedule of total marks of contextual word-problems and national performance. All contextual word-problems included in the 2008-2013 question papers of IEB and NSC mathematics examinations were analysed. The research revealed that 509 marks out of 1800 marks were allocated to contextual word-problems in IEB examinations; whereas 473 marks out of 1800 marks were allocated to contextual word-problems in NSC examinations. / Mathematics Education / M. Sc. (Mathematical Education)