One hundred and twenty-two students at Virginia Tech who had completed teacher certification requirements in science and/or mathematics from 1980 to 1986 were surveyed to determine their current employment status, and if not currently teaching, then what reforms in the conditions of teaching might encourage them to return to or enter teaching. Opinions were solicited from three groups: current teachers, those who had left teaching, and those who had never taught. Data were reported in four categories: general demographics of all groups, importance of work satisfaction for all groups, modifications in the conditions of teaching necessary to entice those not currently teaching to return to or enter teaching, and opinions of current teachers on how to improve recruitment and retention of qualified science and mathematics teachers. It was determined that the general demographics of the individuals surveyed conformed to general descriptions of teachers in current literature with the exception that the parents of Virginia Tech graduates were more highly educated and tended to hold professional and semiprofessional positions in higher percentages. No significant differences were determined among current teachers, those who left teaching, and those who had never taught in regard to opinions of work satisfaction in teaching. Lack of administrative support, poor student discipline, and low salaries were factors involved with decisions not to teach. Others left teaching to raise a family. Improvements in working conditions that would encourage non-teachers to teach include improvement of student discipline, reduction of class size, removal of incompetent teachers, reduction of teacher isolation, reduction of stress, and the improvement of the physical environment. Almost 60% of individuals not currently teaching would teach if offered a suitable position. The majority of current teachers believe that raising teachers' salaries would be the most important improvement to increase recruitment and retention of teachers, however, beginning teachers' salaries compared favorably with those of individuals employed outside of education. Almost two out of three current teachers indicated they planned to leave teaching within five or more years. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to explore possible relationships between the acculturation level and culturally responsive teaching practices among Korean American mathematics teachers in K-12 schools. In addition, this study aimed to see how Korean American mathematics teachers applied culturally responsive teaching in their culturally diverse classrooms. This research further examined a possible difference in applying culturally responsive teaching among Korean American mathematics teachers from urban schools and from suburban schools. A total of 30 Korean American mathematics teachers with more than 3 years of experience in teaching mathematics in K-12 schools participated in the study. This study used mixed methods: quantitative research methods were used to explore participants’ responses on three surveys, focused on their cultural experiences, teaching expertise, and culturally relevant pedagogy, and a subset of 10 participants participated in in-depth interviews for the qualitative research component. For quantitative research, the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (Suinn et al., 1992) was used for the acculturation level of participants, the Attitudes Towards Mathematics Inventory (Tapia, 1996) was used for general attitudes towards mathematics among participants. In addition, the Culturally Responsive Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (Siwatuet et al., 2015) was used to evaluate how familiar participants were with culturally responsive teaching. Interviews were designed based on four elements suggested by Ellis (2019): supporting deep learning, valuing and engaging identity, sharing authority, and applying mathematics. Results in this study indicated that school environment was a more important factor than acculturation level when it came to culturally responsive teaching. Furthermore, all the participants still held beliefs in Korean subculture (known as “education fever”) prioritizing test-driven performance among students as an important factor in their teaching strategies regardless of acculturation level. Perceptions of most appropriate mathematical support for students’ learning varied; more acculturated participants expressed that family support for mathematics was most important for students, while less acculturated participants shared that outside classroom support including private academies was best. Participants from urban schools felt more pressure from school administration about test-driven performance of students, while those from suburban schools expressed that the major issue for teaching and learning was the language barrier between teachers and students. After moving to the United States, participants realized how they went through the acculturation process in their lives, but did not believe that it affected many of their teaching strategies. Most immigrant participants still held strong beliefs in Korean subculture in education, and even those who were born and raised in the United States knew what Korean subculture in education was, and how it affected their teaching strategies in one way or another. However, the acculturation process was believed to be contextual and differed depending on who participants frequently interacted with, and the school environment where they taught students largely determined their teaching strategies.

The poor performance by South African pupils in The Third International Mathematics and Science Study highlighted the importance of and need for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for South African mathematics teachers. For these teachers, the sudden, rapid and dramatic advent of the World Wide Web (WWW) and its communication conduit, the Internet, with its multimedia capabilities, interactive tools and telecommunication facilities, seems full of potential as a catalyst for significant and sustained online CPD activities. However, the Internet's usefulness for mathematics and spontaneous mathematical interaction is severely limited. Against this background, the motivation for this study was born out of two beliefs - a belief that context needs to be considered in online endeavours, particularly given the disparities that exist between disadvantaged and advantaged teachers in the South African context; and the belief that a bottoms-up approach to community formation allows space for a self-organizing system whose continual health and functioning is dependent upon local ownership and member identification. Having developed a mathematics-friendly online forum environment (ODEM) that allows teachers to include mathematical expressions in their posts, this study investigated the personal and situational tensions impacting on the use and value of this appropriate forum environment as a reflective tool in pursuit of CPD. Two groups of disadvantaged and advantaged mathematics teachers were separately provided with Personal Computers and home Internet access, thereby creating opportunities for reflection, communication with colleagues and the exchange of knowledge and ideas. Little evidence of community growth was found, while disadvantaged teachers faced more tensions than advantaged teachers in using the ODEM. Despite these differences, both groups' tensions pointed to their real (and thus forum) needs not being addressed. These forum needs are related to issues arising from their practice and the need for a channel of communication to a Subject Advisor that should actively manage these needs. A vertical relationship with the Subject Advisor is preferred over collegial interaction, over the needs to include expressions in their posts, or to reflect on their practice. Until teachers' needs are resolved, the ODEM is thus perceived to have potential value. The results furthermore informed a model that can be used by a Subject Advisor to determine teachers' tensions and needs in context, thereby ensuring appropriate online CPD strategies. / Mathematics, Science and Technology-Education / Ph. D. (Mathematics, Science and Technology-Education)

The study investigated the nature and quality of in-service education and training programmes organized for Further Education and Training (FET) mathematics teachers in the Greater Taung Area. The researcher is of the contention that more could be done to improve the process and the effectiveness of in-service training in the area. An extensive literature study provides a theoretical foundation and exposes some critical issues for effective in-service training programmes. The qualitative approach is used in the case study. The data were analysed through inductive analysis. The major research findings are that there are no formal processes of identifying the needs of mathematics teachers and further, teachers are not monitored and supervised after in-service sessions. It is recommended that the needs of teachers be identified by the school before inset. For effective monitoring and supervision of mathematics teachers after inset, it is recommended that each cluster within the Area Project Office (APO) should have a subject specialist for mathematics. / EDUCATIONAL STUDIES / MED (MATHS EDUC)

Thesis (PhD)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mathematics teacher development is a source of national and international concern. This study describes how primary school mathematics teachers develop didactisation practices. In considering how teachers could develop, so that student learning is optimised; the concepts of didactisation and the mathematical work of teaching were sourced from existing literature. The concept didactisation is explored and defined; and is incorporated with the concept of mathematical work of teaching. Nine practices were made explicit through this incorporation: active students, differentiation, mathematisation, vertically aligned lessons, access, probe, connect and assess student thinking, and teacher reflection. These nine practices become the framework for the professional development program and the data generation structure. Five primary school teachers were involved in a professional development program that used model-eliciting activities (MEAs) as a point of departure. A modelling perspective to teacher learning was chosen for the professional development program. The methodology followed the principles of design research and from this, a three phase teaching experiment was designed and implemented. The teachers and researcher met for development sessions and teachers were observed in practice at intervals throughout the program. Their developing didactisation practices were documented through a qualitative analysis of the data. It was established that teachers’ didactisation practices did develop during the nine-month program. Furthermore it was found that didactisation practices developed at different rates and consequently, a hierarchy of didactisation practice development is presented. The impact of the program was also gauged through teachers’ changing resources, goals and orientations. These three aspects also evolved over time. The program proposed in this study may be a suitable model to develop in-service and pre-service mathematics teachers. The study contributes to understanding teacher action in a classroom and how teachers can change their own thinking and practice. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontwikkeling van wiskundeonderwysers is ‘n bron van nasionale en internasionale kommer. Hierdie studie beskryf hoe die didaktiseringspraktyke van laerskool wiskundeonderwysers met die oog op optimalisering van leer ontwikkel het. In die bestudering van die ontwikkeling van onderwysers met die oog op optimalisering van leer, is die begrippe didaktisering en die wiskundige werk van onderrig (mathematical work of teaching) nagespoor uit bestaande literatuur. Die begrip didaktisering is deeglik ondersoek, gedefinieer en saamgevoeg met die begrip wiskundige werk van onderrig. Nege praktyke is eksplisiet gemaak deur hierdie inkorperering: aktiewe studente, differensiasie, matematisering, vertikaalgerigte lesse, toegang, indringende ondersoek, gekonnekteerdheid en assessering van studente-denke, en onderwyserrefleksie. Hierdie nege praktyke het die raamwerk gevorm vir die professionele ontwikkelingsprogram en die data genereringstruktuur. Vyf laerskool onderwysers was betrokke in ‘n professionele ontwikkelingsprogram waarin model-ontlokkende aktiwiteite (MOA’s) as ‘n vertrekpunt gebruik is. ‘n Modelleringsperspektief is vir onderwyserleer in die ontwikkelingsprogram gekies. Die metodologie volg die beginsels van ontwerpnavorsing waarna ‘n drie-fase onderrig-eksperiment ontwerp en in werking gestel is. Die navorser en die onderwysers het byeengekom vir ontwikkelingsessies; die onderwysers is op ‘n gereelde basis tydens die program besoek om hul onderwyspraktyk waar te neem. Hul ontwikkelende didaktiseringspraktyke is gedokumenteer en die data is kwalitatief geanaliseer. Onderwysers se didaktiseringspraktyke het wel gedurende die negemaande program ontwikkeling getoon. Hierdie didaktiseringspraktyke het egter teen verskillende tempo’s ontwikkel en daarom kon ‘n hierargie van die ontwikkeling van didaktiseringspraktyke saamgestel word. Die impak van hierdie program op onderwysers se veranderende hulpbronne, doelstellings en oriëntasies is ook gemeet. Die drie aspekte het in hierdie nege maande verder ontwikkel. Die voorgestelde program in hierdie studie mag moontlik ‘n gepaste model wees om indiens en voornemende wiskundeonderwysers te ontwikkel. Die studie lewer ‘n bydrae tot ‘n beter begrip van onderwyserhandelinge in ‘n klaskamer, asook hoe onderwysers hul eie denke en praktyke kan verander.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The poor performance by South African pupils in The Third International Mathematics and Science Study highlighted the importance of and need for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for South African mathematics teachers. For these teachers, the sudden, rapid and dramatic advent of the World Wide Web (WWW) and its communication conduit, the Internet, with its multimedia capabilities, interactive tools and telecommunication facilities, seems full of potential as a catalyst for significant and sustained online CPD activities. However, the Internet's usefulness for mathematics and spontaneous mathematical interaction is severely limited. Against this background, the motivation for this study was born out of two beliefs - a belief that context needs to be considered in online endeavours, particularly given the disparities that exist between disadvantaged and advantaged teachers in the South African context; and the belief that a bottoms-up approach to community formation allows space for a self-organizing system whose continual health and functioning is dependent upon local ownership and member identification. Having developed a mathematics-friendly online forum environment (ODEM) that allows teachers to include mathematical expressions in their posts, this study investigated the personal and situational tensions impacting on the use and value of this appropriate forum environment as a reflective tool in pursuit of CPD. Two groups of disadvantaged and advantaged mathematics teachers were separately provided with Personal Computers and home Internet access, thereby creating opportunities for reflection, communication with colleagues and the exchange of knowledge and ideas. Little evidence of community growth was found, while disadvantaged teachers faced more tensions than advantaged teachers in using the ODEM. Despite these differences, both groups' tensions pointed to their real (and thus forum) needs not being addressed. These forum needs are related to issues arising from their practice and the need for a channel of communication to a Subject Advisor that should actively manage these needs. A vertical relationship with the Subject Advisor is preferred over collegial interaction, over the needs to include expressions in their posts, or to reflect on their practice. Until teachers' needs are resolved, the ODEM is thus perceived to have potential value. The results furthermore informed a model that can be used by a Subject Advisor to determine teachers' tensions and needs in context, thereby ensuring appropriate online CPD strategies. / Mathematics, Science and Technology-Education / Ph. D. (Mathematics, Science and Technology-Education)