In the South African context, it is currently assumed by most role players in education that teacher graduates are proficient in the medium of instruction they will use once they start their careers. This may be a reason why currently there is no mandatory testing of teachers‟ language proficiency. Due to social, economic and historical factors, English has become the medium of instruction at most educational institutions in South Africa, yet less than 10% of the population speak English as a home language. Consequently, an overwhelming number of learners are being taught in a language other than their home language and often by teachers not adequately prepared to teach through the medium of English. In the absence of mandatory testing and with the complex language situation in South African classrooms, this case study aimed to determine the perceptions held by pre-service teachers and their mentors regarding their English proficiency at entry to the teaching profession. This was done by answering the following research question: What is the perceived Classroom English proficiency of final year pre-service teachers prior to graduating? The conceptual framework was grounded in Uys‟s (2006) model of Classroom English proficiency and the methodology employed was quantitative in nature. Instruments used to collect data included an observation schedule completed by mentor teachers observing pre-service teachers presenting the fifth lesson of their first internship period, and a questionnaire completed by the pre-service teacher directly after the observed lesson. Both instruments were adapted from Elder‟s Classroom Language Assessment Schedule (1993, 2001), and each included 42 items related to various language proficiency variables rated on a four-point Likert scale. Data were analysed using various statistical measures comparing groups and subgroups within the sample. Key findings included a significant statistical difference between how English Home Language (EHL) pre-service teachers perceived their language proficiency and those who are English Additional Language (EAL) preservice teachers. EHL pre-service teachers perceived their Classroom English proficiency better than EAL pre-service teachers. The same trend was evident among the perceptions of mentor teachers. Pedagogical language and voice skills emerged as areas in which additional support was required by EAL pre-service teachers. Further research avenues to explore relate to the feasibility of administering refined instruments among teachers to determine not only what the perceptions would be on a national level but also to assess their Classroom English proficiency, followed by possible interventions. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Social Studies Education / MEd / Unrestricted

This essay presents an interventional field study that aims to refine practice in the English classroom in Swedish upper-secondary school by implementing imitation pedagogy. Imitation pedagogy is essentially learning to analyze and imitate texts’ internal structure for developing one’s own production. The focus on my first research question was on examining if imitation pedagogy with political mentor texts develop students’ language awareness, language control, and argumentative abilities in reading and writing. My second research question was focused on investigating if political mentor texts could be used to prepare students for future participation in civic discussions and debates. My initial hypothesis was that mentor texts with political topics in imitation pedagogy could be used to develop students’ argumentative abilities; the learners could through this pedagogy be taught to recognize linguistic features in political texts that aim to persuade audiences, and the learners could learn to imitate these mentor texts to produce own successful argumentative writing. To answer my research questions and to see if my hypothesis was accurate, I conducted an interventional field study that followed a lesson study model. The findings from my study indicate that imitation pedagogy does develop and enhance learners’ language awareness, argumentative abilities, and ability to provide stronger contributions to discussions in different social and democratic contexts. Imitation pedagogy enhances the learners’ confidence and improve their writing capabilities, specifically the ability to compose stronger argumentations in writing in different situations varying from smaller everyday issues to larger societal and political issues. Moreover, imitation pedagogy promotes the development of language control and critical language awareness. The learners practiced writing in new patterns, which forced the students to use their linguistic knowledge to produce sentences with language accuracy, fluency, and coherency. In addition, the students learned in this interventional study to recognize different linguistic and grammatical features that can add power to written compositions in different social and democratic contexts. By being able to recognize these features, the learners can be more aware of manipulative language in political texts and more effectively counter them.

The study’s purpose is to examine teachers’ perceptions of genre pedagogy and mentor texts toteach writing in upper-secondary school. Previously many English teachers in Sweden usedprocess pedagogy to teach writing, an approach that encourages students to create drafts andrevise their texts accordingly. The study finds that even though this approach is still active inupper-secondary schools in Sweden, teachers feel that providing time for revisions isimpossible. Further, the study finds that teachers have started to provide their students withmodel texts that can give students a hands-on model for writing their own texts. The use ofmodel texts in genre pedagogy and mentor texts approach will be examined in this study. Thestudy has been conducted using interviews with teachers in upper-secondary schools in Sweden.The interviews were semi-structured and constructed using themes to simplify the analysis ofthe results. The results from the study show that the interviewed teachers of upper-secondaryschools in Sweden believe that students benefit from being provided with models in for writing.The teachers also believe that the students are benefited from seeing the structure of the modeltext, which can encourage students to structure their own writing similarly. The teachersinterviewed in the study perceive genre pedagogy and mentor texts approach to supportstudents’ development as successful communicators in the English written language.

abstract: Experienced mentor teachers that are prepared for the task of mentoring pre-service teachers are highly valued. Few studies in music education address the music teachers’ role of mentor or the music mentor’s perceptions and practices within the mentoring process. This study investigates the experiences and practices of music mentor teachers and how they construct an understanding of their mentoring role. Guiding questions were: 1) How do music teachers describe their mentoring experiences and practices? 2) What do music teachers’ descriptions of their mentoring experiences and practices reveal about their understanding of the mentoring role? and 3) What types of preparation and support do music teachers feel they need to serve in this role? Four music teacher mentors served as participants for this study. Participants described their mentoring experiences and practices in working with student teachers and responded to questions in three in-depth interviews over three semesters. Each interview was audio-recorded, transcribed, and verified for accuracy and clarification. Findings indicate that 1) Mentors tend to rely on their own student teaching experience and beliefs about teaching when working with student teachers; 2) Mentors construct their own conceptions of the mentor role, mentoring style and relationships based on personality and their beliefs about what mentoring is and is not; 3) The rewards of mentoring are closely tied to student teacher growth and successful relationships, and challenged by issues of time and student teacher readiness; and 4) Learning to mentor is like learning to teach. It is a process learned over time and requires experience. Music education programs and teacher educators should consider preparing student teachers and the cooperating mentor teachers who work with them, by discussing mentor relationships and role expectations within the student teacher triad. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music Education 2019

<p>In counseling psychology, which counts social justice and multiculturalism issues among its central values, international students represent a sizeable student body. However, there has been concerns about whether the training programs and filed are providing adequate support and training experiences for international students. Considering unique nature of international students experience in counseling psychology and needs for individualized support, the researcher sought to explore international students’ mentoring experience, an effective form of guidance. To understand the complex nature of international students’ mentoring experience, Chat et al.’s (2015) multicultural, ecological, and relational model of mentoring was used as theoretical framework of the current study. Through CQR, the researcher pursued an in-depth understanding of international students’ mentoring experiences. The results of the current study provided valuable information of international students’ contextual factors in understanding mentoring experience, international students’ perception of their mentoring experiences, importance of quality mentoring relationship, impacts of mentorship, and examples of negative experiences in mentoring relationship. Finally, I provide implications for current and future mentors of international students, for international students in counseling psychology, and for training programs and the field of counseling psychology. </p>

Vägledning är betydelsefullt enligt litteraturen, dock visar ett antal studier och granskningar på brister i arbetet med studie- och yrkesvägledning inom skolväsendet. Det som främst behöver utvecklas och stärkas är vägledning som hela skolans ansvar; organisering, ledning och styrning. Fokus för den här studien är gymnasiementorers upplevelse av sitt uppdrag relaterat till studie- och yrkesvägledning som hela skolans ansvar, samt hur mentorer ser på sina förutsättningar att utöva och utveckla studie- och yrkesvägledningen utifrån sitt uppdrag. Förhoppningen är att studiens resultat ska bidra till att utveckla och stärka studie- och yrkesvägledning för att skapa hållbara effekter för både människor och samhället i stort. För studien valdes en kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sju gymnasiementorer vid en kommunal gymnasieskola intervjuades. Mentorerna är samtliga anställda som lärare vid både högskoleförberedande och yrkesprogram. Resultatet visar på att mentorerna upplever att de har och tar visst ansvar för studie- och yrkesvägledning, men att de har begränsade formella förutsättningar för mentoruppdraget generellt. Det finns få uttalade förväntningar och ingen formell beskrivning avseende vägledning specifikt för mentorerna. Studien visar även att mentorskap och vägledning har klara beröringspunkter med fler likheter än skillnader. Mentorerna i studien beskriver sitt arbete påfallande likt snäv/individuell vägledning. Utifrån studiens resultat framstår det som att skolväsendet och andra berörda aktörer skulle kunna dra nytta av ett vidgat perspektiv på vägledningens och mentorskapets former samt vilka funktioner som skulle kunna bidra till att utveckla studie- och yrkesvägledning som hela skolans ansvar. I teorin se till forskning, i praktiken prova; exempelvis leda och organisera för att skapa förutsättningar för reflektion, samverkan och samarbete mellan olika funktioner i olika former.

Through the use of interview and observation data, collected over two years, this qualitative study describes the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of two Cooperating Teachers (CTs) and their assigned Pre Service Teachers (PST; n = 12) who were mentored over the course of two Special Education practicum experiences and five CT professional development trainings. Special attention was focused on the ways that CTs and PSTs describe modeling and how CTs’ modeling seemed to affect the CT/PST relationship. Participant responses were analyzed using a qualitative narrative method and indicated that CT’s use of modeling served primarily as a socializing process in which PSTs learn the role of a professional teacher through their interactions with the CT. Also, different types of modeling (e.g., simple vs. cognitive) seemed to affect this socialization process. The outcomes of simple and cognitive modeling were highly varied and affected the CT/PST relationship development differently. Additional findings indicated that professional development that focused on cognitive modeling may be related to CTs’ mentoring role development and the way they implement mentoring processes. It is hoped that the findings in this study will help to initiate conversations between CTs and PSTs and teacher educators concerning the use of modeling and the potential effects modeling may have on the mentoring relationship.

I den här uppsatsen har medarbetarintroduktionen undersökts ur introduktionsmentorers perspektiv. Dessa mentorer har haft ett formellt uppdrag för att introducera medarbetare och lära upp nytillkomna medarbetare i arbetsuppgifterna. Intervjuade mentorer arbetade inom en större tillverkningsindustri där arbetet präglats av standardisering och tidsoptimering. Uppsatsen vilar på kvalitativ ansats och sex mentorer har intervjuats med semistrukturerade intervjuunderlag. Dessa intervjuer har analyserats och förklarats med hjälp av aktuella handlingsteoretiska modeller inom pedagogik. Resultatet av uppsatsen visar att mentorer till stor del utformar introduktionsprocessen efter sin egen uppfattning om vad som är lämpligt. Det pedagogiska rummet konstrueras efter mentorns uppfattning om tillgängligt handlingsutrymme i den meningsbärande kontext mentor och adept befinner sig. I vissa fall ökar det pedagogiska utrymmet utanför det mentorns upplevda förväntningar av organisationen. I andra fall begränsas det pedagogiska utrymmet på grund av mentorns upplevda inskränkning av handlingsutrymmet. Slutsatsen är att det formella handlingsutrymmet inte nödvändigtvis överensstämmer med organisationens givna handlingsutrymme. Primärt formas det pedagogiska rummet efter mentorns uppfattningar och värderingar. Detta resulterar i att mentorns pedagogiska interventioner kan falla utanför deras pedagogiska uppdrag. De pedagogiska interventionerna beskrivs även de med hjälp av det teoretiska ramverket, inom respektive handlings- och lärandenivå.

Through the use of interview and observation data, collected over two years, this qualitative study describes the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of two Cooperating Teachers (CTs) and their assigned Pre Service Teachers (PST; n = 12) who were mentored over the course of two Special Education practicum experiences and five CT professional development trainings. Special attention was focused on the ways that CTs and PSTs describe modeling and how CTs’ modeling seemed to affect the CT/PST relationship. Participant responses were analyzed using a qualitative narrative method and indicated that CT’s use of modeling served primarily as a socializing process in which PSTs learn the role of a professional teacher through their interactions with the CT. Also, different types of modeling (e.g., simple vs. cognitive) seemed to affect this socialization process. The outcomes of simple and cognitive modeling were highly varied and affected the CT/PST relationship development differently. Additional findings indicated that professional development that focused on cognitive modeling may be related to CTs’ mentoring role development and the way they implement mentoring processes. It is hoped that the findings in this study will help to initiate conversations between CTs and PSTs and teacher educators concerning the use of modeling and the potential effects modeling may have on the mentoring relationship.

Onboarding is about giving new employees a good foundation to stand on in order to be able to do their work in the best way. Through a structured and systematized introduction process, organizations can make employees feel motivation and joy in their work, driving forces that help the business to develop and remain productive. The aim of the study is to gain a better understanding of the onboarding process by investigating new employees' experiences of onboarding at a construction company, by answering the research questions: Does the organization have an introductory approach and if so how do the informants describe their experience of it? How can the introduction process be understood based on theories of onboarding and organizational culture? Through a qualitative method, empiricism has been collected through eight semistructured interviews. The analytical tools used in the framework of this study are Bauer's (2010) theory regarding successful onboarding, Lindelöw's (2016) theory of introduction and Granberg's (2011) theory of leaders as cultural bearers within organizations. The results show that the organization has a formal character in its introduction process, but that this is not systematized and formalized to the extent that would be desirable, which means that new employees have different conditions to complete their work. / Onboarding handlar om att ge nya medarbetare en bra grund att stå på i syfte att kunna utföra sitt arbete på bästa sätt. Organisationer kan genom en strukturerad och systematiserad introduktionsprocess få medarbetare att känna motivation och glädje i sitt arbete, drivkrafter som hjälper verksamheten att utvecklas och förbli produktiva. Studiens syfte är att få en ökad förståelse för onboardingprocessen genom att undersöka nyanställdas upplevelser av onboarding på ett företag inom bygg-och anläggningsbranschen, genom att besvara forskningsfrågorna: Har organisationen ett introduktionsupplägg och i så fall hur beskriver informanterna sin upplevelse av den? Hur kan introduktionsprocessen förstås utifrån teorier om onboarding och organisationskultur? Genom en kvalitativ metod har empiri samlats in genom åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer. De analysverktyg som nyttjats inom ramen för denna studie är Bauers (2010) teori gällande en lyckosam onboarding, Lindelöws (2016) teori om introduktion samt Granbergs (2011) teori om ledare som kulturbärare inom organisationer. Resultatet visar att organisationen har en formell karaktär på sin introduktionsprocess men att denna ej är systematiserad och formaliserad i den omfattning som vore eftersträvansvärt, vilket gör att nya medarbetare får olika förutsättningar för att klara sitt arbete.