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張銀霞. / "2013年8月". / "2013 nian 8 yue". / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 313-339). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Zhang Yinxia.

The focus of this study is the phenomenon of beginning teacher competence. In Queensland, the context for the research presented here, the competence of beginning teachers is appraised by their supervisor (usually the principal) at the end of their first year of full-time employment. This appraisal is conducted on behalf of the Queensland Board of Teacher Registration and a positive outcome enables beginning teachers to achieve full teacher registration. Although there exists research suggesting that principals bring to the appraisal process their conceptions of competence, there is a dearth of knowledge about beginning teachers' conceptions of their own teaching competence. The research presented here adds to the debate about competence by including the voice of the beginning teacher. This focus, located within the context of local issues, is used to explore important themes that are relevant to other systems of beginning teacher appraisal. The selection of phenomenography as the research approach adopted for this study is based on its appropriateness to the investigation of a phenomenon such as competence. Phenomenography aims to describe, analyse and understand the ways in which people experience aspects of the world around them. The point of departure that sets apart this approach from many others, is the principle that phenomenography seeks to investigate neither the phenomenon, nor the people who experience the phenomenon, but the relation between the two. The results of a phenomenographic study are presented as a description of all of the possible conceptions that a specific group can have about a particular phenomenon. For the research presented here, eighteen beginning teachers were interviewed individually in order to identify and describe the variation in their conceptions of competence. Research participants representing State, Catholic and Independent school systems were drawn from preschools, special, primary and secondary schools of one provincial city, in one regional area of South East Queensland. Two major outcomes emerged from the research presented here. Firstly, beginning teachers were identified as experiencing competence in a number of ways. Although these conceptions were varied, their number was quite limited. Six distinct conceptions of beginning teacher competence were identified, with a further finding that individual beginning teachers were not limited to one conception, but conceived of competence in multiple ways. Because the relational nature of competence demands that it be investigated within the context in which it is experienced, this study also identified five different approaches to competence appraisal, as understood by the beginning teachers who had undergone the appraisal process. Comparisons of both conceptions of competence and approaches to appraisal were then compared to existing research in this area. This thesis presents an alternative view of competence and appraisal that may be used to further develop the process of appraisal and indeed, the professional development of beginning teachers.

This study is an exploration of the influence of different school contexts on novice teachers’ professional development and learning. The study sought to understand and interpret how 1st year novice teachers who were exposed to a new UKZN teaching practice approach, learnt and developed in varying school contexts. It also attempted to understand how these teachers exposure to knowledge/experiences of contextual diversity during their training contributed to their development in their present school contexts. A qualitative approach with an interpretive framework was used, as this approach allowed for the phenomenon (novice teachers’ development in diverse school contexts) to be studied in natural settings and it foregrounded the social and cultural context. The study was underpinned by the teacher development framework designed by Amin and Ramrathan, and Samuel’s force field model and the situated learning theory. Amin and Ramrathan’s approach foregrounded contextual diversity as this is the reality of the post-apartheid South African schools. As the study also sought to explore novice teachers’ professional development in work contexts, it drew on the situated learning theory and Samuel’s force field model as a means to assess the extent the role the various forces (biography, curriculum, institutional and contextual) play in influencing novice teacher development. The case study methodology was used to elicit insight and clear perspectives of novice teachers’ multiple truths and realities with regard to their professional development in the contexts they worked. The participants were purposefully selected. They were three 1st year teachers who had completed the B.Ed degree at the same university. They were of the same race and gender. These participants taught at different school contexts. This enabled me to assess how these varying contexts shaped their professional development. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The use of semi-structured interviews allowed for new data to be generated through probing and clarification of answers. The interviews were audio-recorded to ensure that all data was available for analysis. The findings of the study reveal that the nature of the school contexts has a direct bearing on the professional development of the participants. Factors such as the school leadership and management styles, school resources and school based professional development programmes influenced how these teachers developed. The biography of the participants had a significant role in ensuring that they were able to rise above their many challenging experiences and thereby enhance their professional growth and professional development. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of novice teachers with regard to teacher leadership. It sought to ascertain the importance of teacher leadership for novice teachers, to determine how teacher leadership is enacted by novice teachers and to examine the factors that enhance or hinder teacher leadership of novice teachers. Teacher leadership is an emerging field of study in many countries. Literature surrounding education practices suggest that a democratic and collaborative environment should be fostered. This study draws on the Distributed Leadership theory and Grant’s (2008) model of Teacher Leadership. Paradigmatically, this study is interpretive and is qualitative. A case study research design was used. Data was generated using focus group and semi-structured interviews. One secondary school in the KwaDukuza Region, KwaZulu-Natal was purposively selected as the case study school with the Principal, senior teachers and novice teachers serving as participants. The findings of the research revealed that novice teachers execute most of their leadership skills within the classroom. Little or no opportunities are given to them within the school environment to lead. As a result, the ideal characteristics of teacher leadership seem to have no place within the chosen school. Although novice teachers are aware of their importance as being part of the school leadership, very few leadership roles are filled by novice teachers within the school, among their colleagues and in their community at large. Findings also revealed that the school management team pays little attention to developing novice teachers as teacher leaders. This is one of the main obstacles that hinder the enactment of teacher leadership by novice teachers. In addition to this, lack of resources, time constraints and teacher overload affect novice teachers negatively in terms of taking on leadership roles. The research findings also reveal that the school operates under a stringent beauracratic management system. Decisions are left entirely to the school management team and the Principal. It was noted that both novice teachers and senior teachers express the similar outlook on the manner in which the school operates, that is an authorised leadership practice as opposed to democratic distributed leadership. Some of the recommendations that emerged from the findings were that of the school management team harnessing the enthusiasm of novice teachers to take on leadership roles and be part of the schooling community. The implementation of induction and mentoring programmes was a suggestion put forth by participants. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The main purpose of the study was to explore the relationships between self concepts of beginning teachers as measured before and after an internship year. The second purpose of the study was to examine whether there were significant differences between beginning elementary teachers' expectations/experiences, attitudes and views before and after a year of participation in the Beginning Teacher Internship Program. A comparison of differences in perceptions between the findings obtained from the beginning elementary teachers and their cooperating principals was also conducted.The populations for the study included 138 beginning elementary teachers and 120 cooperating principals.Nine research questions were developed and tested using the data from participants who responded to this research. The t test at the .05 level of significant difference was administered in this study.The following results were obtained:1. There were no significant differences in the self concepts of beginning teachers from before participation in comparison to those self concepts held after a year's participation in the Beginning Teacher Internship Program as measured by the Self-perception Inventory. Within the instrument, three items of 36 yielded significant differences.2. There were significant differences before the start of the internship year between the expectations (7 of 12 items), attitudes (6 of 10 items), and views (3 of 3 items) held by beginning teachers and those held by their cooperating principals. Beginning teachers held more positive expectations, attitudes and views than did their cooperating principals.3. There were significant differences in 11 of 12 items after a year's experience with BTIP between the reported experiences of beginning teachers and the observed experiences of beginning teachers as reported by their principals. Beginning teachers reported more positive experiences than their principals.4. There were significant differences between the expectations/experiences (11 of 13 items), and attitudes (6 of 10 items) held by beginning teachers before and after participation in the BTIP.The educational implications of these findings were presented. Recommendations for further research and replication were also presented. / Department of Educational Leadership

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Curriculum and Instruction. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 278-291). Also available on the Internet.