Este estudo situa-se no âmbito das propostas sintonizadas com novos paradigmas de formação inicial de professores, onde a profissionalização docente é vista como um processo dinâmico e interativo que se apóia em saberes específicos. O contexto investigado foi a disciplina Estágio I do Curso de Ciências Biológicas de uma Universidade Federal, cuja estrutura baseou-se na perspectiva Ecológica de Formação, na qual o ambiente de supervisão leva em conta que a aprendizagem da docência implica redes de saberes, reconhecendo a importância dos contextos profissionalizantes significativos para o licenciando (a instituição de formação, a sala de aula e a escola). Partindo desses pressupostos, o foco dessa investigação visou compreender de que maneira os processos instaurados em um Ambiente de Supervisão, planejado em uma perspectiva Ecológica de formação, são capazes de confrontar as crenças dos futuros professores sobre a prática docente e contribuir para a elaboração de conhecimentos e saberes profissionais dos licenciandos. Utilizamos nesse estudo a estratégia metodológica do estudo de caso, analisando três sujeitos. Dividimos essa investigação em fases (pré-ativa, ativa e pós-ativa) visando facilitar o acesso ao pensamento do licenciando ao longo da disciplina. Durante este período, acompanhamos seus movimentos por meio de suas reflexões escritas sob forma de diário virtual, das reuniões entre supervisor e licenciando e entrevistas e apresentações gravadas em áudio e vídeo e, áudio, além de instrumentos específicos para crenças educacionais (DASTT) e para o aferimento de crenças de eficácia (STEBI). A análise dos dados foi realizada sob a perspectiva do interacionismo interpretativo, o que implica assumir a relação entre pesquisador, sujeitos e objeto de pesquisa como intrinsecamente subjetiva, onde a compreensão de um dado fenômeno só é possível a partir de processo mútuo e socialmente compartilhado, dos quais emergem os significados e os sentidos. Nossos resultados mostram que houve aprendizagem da docência na interação e adaptação dos indivíduos ao seu ambiente de atuação, no qual articularam, por meio do raciocínio pedagógico, suas crenças anteriores sobre seus professores, suas vivências como alunos, os dilemas experienciados em situações inesperadas na prática, acabando por definir sua posição didática durante a transposição do tópico de ensino em sala de aula. Evidenciaram assim, elementos relativos ao Conhecimento pedagógico do conteúdo, e conseqüentemente, os saberes docentes inerentes aos aspectos didáticos gerais e pessoais, disciplinares e sobre o contexto. Esse estudo demonstra que o diálogo entre teoria e prática dentro de um ambiente de supervisão ecológico viabiliza a concretização de processos reflexivos sistemáticos nas ações empreendidas pelos licenciandos, de forma que suas crenças educacionais possam ser acessadas, suas crenças de eficácia se fortaleçam, e sua articulação em um raciocínio pedagógico possa construir saberes docentes. Outra contribuição é auxiliar na definição de um nicho de pesquisa específico sobre as crenças educacionais dos futuros professores de Ciências e Biologia, de forma que outros estudos na mesma direção possam compor uma fundamentação sólida, que implique em programas de formação cuja visão holística tenha impacto no desenvolvimento inicial dos futuros professores, repercutindo na melhoria do ensino e da aprendizagem. / This study locates in the extent of the proposals attuned to new paradigms of teachers initial formation, where professionalization is seen as a dynamic and interactive process. The context of this study was the subject Estágio (Traineeship) I of the Course of Biological Sciences in a University, whose structure was based on an Ecological Training perspective, where the supervision environment takes into account that the learning to teach involves networks of knowledge and knowing, recognizing the importance of professional meaningful contexts for trainee (teacher formation institutions, the classroom and Traineeship schools). Assuming these assumptions, the focus of this research aimed to understand how the proceedings planned in a Supervision environment from the ecological training perspective are able to confront the preservice teachers beliefs on teaching practice, and contribute to elaboration of the future science teachers professional knowledge and knowing. Aiming to answer the proposed question, we used in this research the case study as a methodological strategy for examining three subjects. This investigation was structured in blocks, (Teaching Training, Workshop on Environmental Education (EE) Training, and Research Training), whose the structural core was the systematic reflection. It was divided into phases (pre-active, active and post-active), to facilitate access to the trainees thoughts along the course. During this period, we followed the trainees movements, through their reflections written in the virtual diary form, meetings between supervisor and trainee, presentations and interviews recorded in audio, video and audio only, as well as specific tools to educational beliefs (DASTT), and for efficacy measures benchmarking (STEBI). The data analysis was performed from the perspective of interpretive interactionism, thereby assuming the relationship between researcher, subject and object as inherently subjective, in which the understanding of a particular phenomenon is only possible through mutual process socially shared of which emerge from the meanings and senses. Our results show that has been teaching learning in the individuals interaction and adaptation to their environment of acting, in which articulated through the pedagogical reasoning, their prior beliefs about their teachers, their experiences as a student, the dilemmas experienced in unexpected in practical situations, and ultimately define their teaching position at the didactic transposition in the classroom. Thus, they revealed issues related to pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and, consequently, the teacher\'s knowledge inherent to personal and general instructional aspects, disciplinary action and the context. This study shows that the dialogue between theory and practice within an ecological supervision environment, enables the implementation of systematic reflexive processes in actions taken by trainees, in such a way that their educational beliefs can be accessed, their efficacy beliefs can be improved, and, their articulation in a consistent pedagogical reasoning can build their knowledge and teachers experiences. Another contribution is to assist in defining a specific research niche on the preservice science teachers educational beliefs, so that other researches in the same direction can compose a solid foundation, involving training programs, whose impact on a holistic view will enable the professional development of trainees, resulting in improvements in teaching and learning.

Submitted by Rosina Valeria Lanzellotti Mattiussi Teixeira (rosina.teixeira@unisantos.br) on 2017-08-22T12:48:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Adriana Mallmann Vilalva.pdf: 2852847 bytes, checksum: 537df41d11bd9bf9bf1008a983e137bc (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-22T12:48:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Adriana Mallmann Vilalva.pdf: 2852847 bytes, checksum: 537df41d11bd9bf9bf1008a983e137bc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-22 / Considering that teachers¿ professional knowledge has strong influence in students¿ learning processes and also that Law School professors have not necessarily been trained in Pedagogical and teaching skills, thus resort to a more dogmatic and teacher-centered style, this study proposes a discussion about the aspects related to Pedagogical Content Knowledge which has been studied in several areas of teacher training, but not deeply enough by the Law professionals in Brazil. In order to better understand the topic, we studied Lee Shulman¿s constructs ¿ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and the Pedagogical Reasoning and Action Framework (PRAF). Therefore, the question that triggered this investigation is: to carry out a theoretical research and study of the concept of PCK and what are its repercussions on the teaching practice of a Law school professor; to observe and understand how a teacher assimilated the concept of PCK and how she deals with the content of the subject she teaches and how her teaching practice was shaped. To that end, we used multiple tools for the collection of data: the creation of a field journal that reports the observation of classes of a Law School professor during one school term; interviews; the analysis of her teaching plan, and post-observation questions. Data has been analyzed having the practical proposals formulated by Minayo (2006) and the categories of PRAF, proposed by Shulman. PCK comprises of an important kind of knowledge when establishing bodies of professional knowledge and enables the structuring of teaching practices of Law School professors. Data analysis allowed us to understand that it is not enough knowledge of the specific content of the subject to be taught, you need a body of knowledge to that teaching can be transformed into learning. / Tomando por base que o conhecimento profissional dos professores possui repercussão no aprendizado de seus alunos e tendo em vista que os docentes que lecionam em grande parte dos cursos de Direito não possuem formação pedagógica, remontando ao ensino dogmático, bancário, discutem-se, os aspectos relacionados ao conhecimento pedagógico do conteúdo (PCK), o qual tem sido estudado em diversas áreas de formação de professores, mas ainda é pouco estudado pelos profissionais do Direito no Brasil. O PCK compreende um tipo de conhecimento importante na definição de um corpo de conhecimentos profissionais e auxilia na estruturação das práticas pedagógicas do docente do curso de Direito.Para tanto foram utilizados os construtos de Lee Shulman, o conhecimento pedagógico do conteúdo e o modelo de raciocínio pedagógico e ação. Assim, a presente investigação teve por objetivo realizar um estudo teórico sobre o conceito de PCK analisando suas implicações na prática docente de um professor do curso de Direito. Para tanto, foram utilizados instrumentos múltiplos de coletas de dados: elaboração de um diário de campo que retratou o acompanhamento de um semestre letivo de uma docente do curso de Direito; entrevistas; análise de seu plano de ensino, questões pós observação. Os dados foram transportados para o software de análise Atlas Ti e analisados com base na proposta operativa de Minayo (2006) utilizando as categorias do MRPA proposto por Shulman. O PCK compreende um tipo de conhecimento importante na definição de um corpo de conhecimentos profissionais e auxilia na estruturação das práticas pedagógicas do docente do curso de Direito. A análise de dados nos permitiu compreender que não basta o conhecimento do conteúdo específico da matéria a ser ministrada, é necessário um corpo de saberes para que o ensino possa ser transformado em aprendizado.

O estágio supervisionado na formação inicial de professores é o momento no qual os licenciandos são inseridos, como professor, em seu ambiente profissional. Para se compreender o lugar do estágio na formação docente é necessário investigar como os saberes docentes dos licenciandos são elaborados durante essa formação. A pesquisa aqui apresentada possui como tema central a produção de saberes docentes por licenciandos em física durante o estágio supervisionado investigativo em sua formação inicial. Um estágio que envolve uma dimensão de ensino, caracterizada pelas atividades de regência dos licenciandos, e uma dimensão pesquisa, que envolve os licenciandos em um processo de pesquisa sobre a sua própria prática. Utilizamos a conceituação de saber como constructo de pesquisa e a centralidade dos saberes experienciais na prática profissional docente, tal como propostos por Tardif (2008), a fim de compreendermos a elaboração e a validação de saberes docentes pelos licenciandos durante o estágio supervisionado investigativo. Utilizamos também o Conhecimento Pedagógico do Conteúdo (PCK), como esquema teórico de análise com o intuito de caracterizar as interações existentes entre os saberes docentes relacionados às atividades de regência desenvolvidas pelos licenciandos. O pesquisador, como supervisor de estágio, orientou, durante um semestre, dois licenciandos de uma universidade pública de São Paulo no desenvolvimento de seus estágios. A análise dos dados envolveu dois recortes: um primeiro longitudinal, a partir das gravações das reuniões de supervisão entre os licenciandos e o pesquisador, além de uma apresentação final de estágio e uma entrevista final individual, que propiciou uma linha cronológica da elaboração e validação dos saberes docentes conforme o desenvolvimento do estágio supervisionado investigativo; e um segundo recorte transversal, com base em cinco unidades temáticas de análise, originárias da primeira etapa de análise, que nos permitiu esmiuçar a elaboração e validação dos saberes docentes desenvolvidos pelos licenciandos durante o estágio supervisionado investigativo. A partir desses dois recortes analisados de forma mais descritiva, foi possível delinear um melhor entendimento da relação teoria e prática e da centralidade dos saberes experienciais no decorrer do estágio supervisionado investigativo. A percepção da centralidade dos saberes experienciais e do movimento do PCK na atividade de regência dos licenciandos no desenvolvimento do estágio supervisionado investigativo nos possibilitaram refletir sobre a formação inicial de professores e propor redirecionamentos que podem contribuir para uma formação teórico-prática mais efetiva. / The supervised practicum in initial teacher education is the moment in which the pre-service teachers are inserted, as a teacher, into their professional environment. To understand the place of internship in teacher education is necessary to investigate how the teachers knowledge pre-service teachers are prepared during the training. This research focus on the development of teachers knowledge by pre-service teachers during a investigate supervised practicum occurred in their initial teacher education. A investigate supervised practicum comprehends both the teaching dimension, the latter having as its main characteristic the teaching activities carried out by the pre-service teachers, and the research dimension, which takes into account a process whereby pre-service teachers examine their own pedagogical practices. The concept of knowing as a research construct and the centrality of experiential knowledge in teachers professional practice are considered, as proposed by Tardif (2008), so as to understand the development and validation of teachers knowledge by pre-service teachers throughout the investigate supervised practicum. Moreover, the so-called Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) was also applied as a theoretical framework of analysis in order to describe the interactions prevailing in the teachers knowledge related to the practicum accomplished by the pre-service teachers. The researcher, as the practicum supervisor, guided and assisted two pre-service teachers of a public university of São Paulo over one semester in the development of their practicum. The analysis of the data involved two perspectives: firstly, a longitudinal one, which regarded the recorded supervision meetings between the pre-service teachers and the researcher, as well as a practicum final presentation, and an individual final interview, which provided a timeline of the of the development and validation of teachers knowledge as the supervised pre-service teachers practicum progressed; and secondly, a transversal perspective, based on five thematic units of analysis, originating in the first stage of analysis, which allowed us to look deeper the development and validation the teachers knowledge by pre-service teachers during the supervised practicum. From these two perspectives examined in more descriptive way, it was possible to devise a better understanding of the theory-practice relationship and the centrality of experiential knowledge in the accomplishment of the investigate supervised pre-service teachers practicum. The perception of the centrality of experiential knowledge and the movement of PCK in the teaching activities of pre-service teachers in the development of investigative supervised practium, allowed us to reflect on the initial teacher education and propose redirects that can contribute to a more effective theory-practice relationship.

Esta pesquisa investigou na produção acadêmica sobre EaD as questões emergentes do seu paradigma educacional em função da inserção das TDIC (Tecnologias Digitais de Informação e de Comunicação) por meio de plataformas virtuais com o objetivo de compreender principais tendências, contribuições e desafios identificados. Descreve os principais conceitos ligados à EaD e às plataformas virtuais de aprendizagem, destacando-se as características do Moodle. Apresenta as gerações da modalidade EaD, a legislação vigente, amplo número de produções científicas nacionais, predominante em cursos da rede privada da Educação Superior. Questiona seu paradigma como diferenciado do modelo tradicional de ensino e como são tratados os estruturantes didáticos em suas propostas de cursos bem como questões referentes à formação docente e à inserção das TDIC em diferentes modalidades de EaD. Focaliza a opção metodológica por uma pesquisa de natureza exploratória e descritiva de referências e a criação de categorias de análise ligadas aos estruturantes didáticos. Identifica as tendências, contribuições e desafios da EaD articulada à presença ou não dos estruturantes didáticos (contexto institucional, modalidades, fundamentação da visão de ensino e de aprendizagem, inserção dos recursos tecnológicos e suas contribuições aos processos de ensino e de aprendizagem e processo de avaliação). Conclui pela necessidade de uma ressignificação educacional da inserção das Tecnologias Digitais de Informação e Comunicação (TDIC) que reduza a reprodução da sala de aula tradicional e que forme docentes capazes de compreender a complexidade existente na convergência de dimensões antes menos integradas ao processo de ensino e de aprendizagem como as competências cognitivas, emocionais e éticas. A inserção das TDIC implica planejamento e formação prévia e continuada dos professores para evitar o que ocorre atualmente com os modelos tutoriais de EaD com estratégias pré-planejadas, processos diretivos rígidos, com memorização de fatos e/ou informações isoladas, reforçando paradigmas educacionais tradicionais. Os estruturantes didáticos precisam ser considerados nas articulações dos diferentes saberes docentes (conhecimentos específicos, conhecimentos pedagógicos e conhecimentos tecnológicos) com foco prioritário no protagonismo discente da aprendizagem e na interação colaborativa. O maior desafio consiste em reduzir a ênfase dada a tecnologia, como se ela, por si só, pudesse ser responsável pela melhoria da democratização e qualidade da educação. / This research investigated the academic production about EaD emerging issues of their educational paradigm according to the insertion of TDIC (Digital Information and Communication Technologies) through virtual platforms with the goal of understand main tendencies identified contributions and challenges. Describes the major concepts connected to distance education and virtual learning platforms highlighting the features of Moodle. Displays the generations of distance education modality, the current legislation, large number of national, prevailing scientific production in the private courses of higher education network. Questions his paradigm as distinguished from the traditional model of teaching and learning as the structuring are treated in their proposed courses as well as issues related to teacher training and the integration of TDIC in various forms of distance education. Focuses on the methodological option for an exploratory and descriptive research references and the creation of categories related to structuring didactic. Identifies trends, contributions and challenges of distance education articulated the presence or absence of didactic structuring (institutional context, procedures, grounds of educational vision and learning, integration of technological resources and their contributions to teaching and learning processes and evaluation process ). It concludes for the need for a redefinition of educational integration of Information and Communication Digital Technologies (TDIC) that reduces the reproduction of the traditional classroom, and form teachers able to understand the complexity existing in the convergence of dimensions before less integrated into the teaching process and learning as cognitive, emotional and ethical skills. The insertion of TDIC implies planning and prior and continued training of teachers to avoid what is currently happening with the tutorials models of distance education with pre-planned strategies, hard directive processes, memorization of facts and / or isolated information, reinforcing traditional educational paradigms. The didactic structuring need to be considered in the joints of different teaching knowledge (specific knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and technological knowledge) with priority focus on the role of student learning and collaborative interaction. A major challenge is to reduce the emphasis on technology, as if she alone, could be responsible for improving the quality of education and democratization.

<p>Swedish as a school subject has long been debated in Sweden, and ideas concerning its content, role and function in school and society have varied greatly throughout the years. In 1994, there was an upper secondary school reform which resulted in a partial revision of the Swedish subject, including its introduction within a new course and grading system. The Swedish A and B courses became obligatory for all upper secondary students. Other courses in Swedish became largely optional.</p><p>This study consists of two levels – a rhetorical and practical level. The rhetorical level deals with understandings and ideas of the Swedish subject and instruction as they are expressed in curricula and course syllabi, as well as with the understandings and ideas expressed by the four teachers in the study. In addition, the external and internal frame factors which underlie this rhetoric are considered. The practical level concerns the four teachers’ concrete Swedish instruction, i.e. the aims and goals, content and working methods which underlie their teaching, as well as the factors which influence, limit and facilitate it.</p><p>The aim of the study is to attempt to describe, analyse and understand the role and function of the Swedish subject after the upper secondary school reform of 1994. What ideas do the four teachers express regarding the role and function of the Swedish subject in upper secondary school and society after 1994, and how should these ideas and reasons be interpreted and understood from a more comprehensive, general perspective? How do the teachers represent the Swedish subject in their teaching, i.e. how is their knowledge of subject didactics expressed? These are two central questions in the study. A third central question concerns notions of society and the good citizen implied in the chosen views of the Swedish subject.</p><p>The study has two theoretical starting points: subject didactics and curriculum theory. Shulman’s concepts of pedagogical content knowledge and transformation are central to the subject didactics drawn upon here, while frame factor theory and Bernstein’s concepts of “classification” and “framing” are central to the curriculum-theoretical perspective. The perspective of subject didactics deals with the relation between teacher and content, while the curriculum-theoretical perspective deals with the relation between content, individual and society.</p><p>This study shows that the teachers’ knowledge of subject didactics is vague.The teachers’ transformation of content in teaching resides to a high degree in an adaptation to the students; the focus is thus not on a transformation and content analysis of the Swedish subject. Further, the teachers have an instrumental approach to the steering documents. A common characteristic among the four teachers, and in Swedish instruction generally, is that a large degree of responsibility is placed on the individual student for their literary and language development. Collective meetings were very infrequent in the teaching of the four teachers in the study.</p><p>This study discerns four teacher codes which reflect understandings and ideas of school and education, formed by previous and current material and sociocultural conditions and which the individual teacher has encountered, adopted and reshaped into his/her own. These four teacher codes can be described as closeness and hierarchy, tradition and renewal, vision and reality and the individual and the collective. The teacher codes reveal that the four teachers have relatively similar teaching strategies, whereas their teaching aims, goals and content diverge significantly.</p><p>Viewed from the perspective of curriculum theory, it is evident that the teachers emphasise the individual student over the collective. It is a matter of developing one’s thought and personality and of fostering the students to be individual, active members of society. However, this active member of society does not appear to be aware and critically active, but rather a loyal and obedient member of society.</p>

In school algebra, using different methods including factorization to solve quadratic equations is one common teaching and learning topic at upper secondary school level. This study is about analyzing the algebra content related to solving quadratic equations and the method of factorization as presented in Swedish mathematics textbooks with subject matter content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as analytical tools. Mathematics textbooks as educational resources and artefacts are widely used in classroom teaching and learning. What is presented in a textbook is often taught by teachers in the classroom. Similarly, what is missing from the textbook may not be presented by the teacher. The study is based on an assumption that pedagogical content knowledge is embedded in the subject content presented in textbooks. Textbooks contain both subject content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. The primary aim of the study is to explore what pedagogical content knowledge regarding solving quadratic equations that is embedded in mathematics textbooks. The secondary aim is to analyze the algebra content related to solving quadratic equations from the perspective of mathematics as a discipline in relation to algebra history. It is about what one can find in the textbook rather than how the textbook is used in the classroom. The study concerns a teaching perspective and is intended to contribute to the understanding of the conditions of teaching solving quadratic equations. The theoretical framework is based on Shulman’s concept pedagogical content knowledge and Mishra and Koehler’s concept content knowledge. The general theoretical perspective is based on Wartofsky’s artifact theory. The empirical material used in this study includes twelve mathematics textbooks in the mathematics B course at Swedish upper secondary schools. The study contains four rounds of analyses. The results of the first three rounds have set up a basis for a deep analysis of one selected textbook. The results show that the analyzed Swedish mathematics textbooks reflect the Swedish mathematics syllabus of algebra. It is found that the algebra content related to solving quadratic equations is similar in every investigated textbook. There is an accumulative relationship among all the algebra content with a final goal of presenting how to solve quadratic equations by quadratic formula, which implies that classroom teaching may focus on quadratic formula. Factorization method is presented for solving simple quadratic equations but not the general-formed quadratic equations. The study finds that the presentation of the algebra content related to quadratic equations in the selected textbook is organized by four geometrical models that can be traced back to the history of algebra. These four geometrical models are applied for illustrating algebra rules and construct an overall embedded teaching trajectory with five sub-trajectories. The historically related pedagogy and application of mathematics in both real world and pure mathematics contexts are the pedagogical content knowledge related to quadratic equations.

Swedish as a school subject has long been debated in Sweden, and ideas concerning its content, role and function in school and society have varied greatly throughout the years. In 1994, there was an upper secondary school reform which resulted in a partial revision of the Swedish subject, including its introduction within a new course and grading system. The Swedish A and B courses became obligatory for all upper secondary students. Other courses in Swedish became largely optional. This study consists of two levels – a rhetorical and practical level. The rhetorical level deals with understandings and ideas of the Swedish subject and instruction as they are expressed in curricula and course syllabi, as well as with the understandings and ideas expressed by the four teachers in the study. In addition, the external and internal frame factors which underlie this rhetoric are considered. The practical level concerns the four teachers’ concrete Swedish instruction, i.e. the aims and goals, content and working methods which underlie their teaching, as well as the factors which influence, limit and facilitate it. The aim of the study is to attempt to describe, analyse and understand the role and function of the Swedish subject after the upper secondary school reform of 1994. What ideas do the four teachers express regarding the role and function of the Swedish subject in upper secondary school and society after 1994, and how should these ideas and reasons be interpreted and understood from a more comprehensive, general perspective? How do the teachers represent the Swedish subject in their teaching, i.e. how is their knowledge of subject didactics expressed? These are two central questions in the study. A third central question concerns notions of society and the good citizen implied in the chosen views of the Swedish subject. The study has two theoretical starting points: subject didactics and curriculum theory. Shulman’s concepts of pedagogical content knowledge and transformation are central to the subject didactics drawn upon here, while frame factor theory and Bernstein’s concepts of “classification” and “framing” are central to the curriculum-theoretical perspective. The perspective of subject didactics deals with the relation between teacher and content, while the curriculum-theoretical perspective deals with the relation between content, individual and society. This study shows that the teachers’ knowledge of subject didactics is vague.The teachers’ transformation of content in teaching resides to a high degree in an adaptation to the students; the focus is thus not on a transformation and content analysis of the Swedish subject. Further, the teachers have an instrumental approach to the steering documents. A common characteristic among the four teachers, and in Swedish instruction generally, is that a large degree of responsibility is placed on the individual student for their literary and language development. Collective meetings were very infrequent in the teaching of the four teachers in the study. This study discerns four teacher codes which reflect understandings and ideas of school and education, formed by previous and current material and sociocultural conditions and which the individual teacher has encountered, adopted and reshaped into his/her own. These four teacher codes can be described as closeness and hierarchy, tradition and renewal, vision and reality and the individual and the collective. The teacher codes reveal that the four teachers have relatively similar teaching strategies, whereas their teaching aims, goals and content diverge significantly. Viewed from the perspective of curriculum theory, it is evident that the teachers emphasise the individual student over the collective. It is a matter of developing one’s thought and personality and of fostering the students to be individual, active members of society. However, this active member of society does not appear to be aware and critically active, but rather a loyal and obedient member of society.

The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service mathematics teachers&amp / #8217 / subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and the relationships between the two on multiplication and division of fractions. For this purpose, pre-service teachers&amp / #8217 / understanding of key facts, concepts, principles, and proofs, their knowledge on common (mis)conceptions and difficulties held by the elementary students, their strategies of teaching these concepts, and representations they use to reason their understanding on multiplication and division of fractions were examined. Qualitative case study was performed where / data was collected from the pre-service teachers at the end of the spring semester of 2004-2005. Pre-service teachers were senior students enrolled in a teacher education program at a public university. Results revealed that pre-service teachers could easily symbolize and solve the basic questions on multiplication and division of fractions. However, in terms of pre-service teachers&amp / #8217 / interpretation and reasoning of key facts and principles on multiplication and division of fractions, their subject matter knowledge could not be regarded as conceptually deep. Furthermore, although pre-service teachers have strong belief that they should teach multiplication and division of fractions conceptually, where the logical background of the operations is explained, they do not have sufficient knowledge to represent and explain these topics and relationships conceptually.

The emergence of online learning environments and advances in web-based technologies enable teachers to interact and exchange ideas and experiences in online communities. However, these rapid technological advances also cause such online communities to disband quickly, before they have the opportunity to evolve into a community of practice, in which a group of teachers build a shared history, a shared repertoire of resources and activities, and mutually engage in collaborative professional development, over time. Moreover, rapid advances in technology necessitate on-going collaboration among teachers so that they develop meaningful technology integration practice. While such collaborations have taken place in face-to-face settings, how this might be achieved through participation in an online teacher community of practice has been under-researched. Therefore, the present study examines one long-standing, globally-distributed, online community of practice created by English language teachers, called "Webheads in Action", whose shared domain of interest centers on exploring the pedagogical uses of web-based technologies in English language teaching. The study employs netnography, or online ethnography, in which the researcher collects data through participant observation, interviews, and archiving, all of which is conducted completely online. The aim of this study was to understand the broader culture of learning, collaboration, and mentoring in this online language teacher community by exploring and analyzing its shared repertoire of resources, and activities; ways members engage in the collective development of this technology integration practice; and the role of participation in such an online community of practice on developing language teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge when designing instruction. The data for this study comes from various sources of data collected through online participant observation in this community's activities over a year, reflective observational fieldnotes, online interviews, and archived data. Throughout my online fieldwork, I participated in this online community's activities both synchronously and asynchronously. At the same time, I took reflective observational fieldnotes of my participation and observations during these activities, as well as community's spaces and email communications. As for archival data, I archived the email communication that occurred during my time in the field, as well as screenshots of the community spaces and platforms. I conducted in-depth interviews with four key people in this community in order to better understand the organization and background of this community and its activities, and interviewed five individual members in order to learn about their stories with and as Webheads. Through qualitative data analysis procedures, namely coding, categorizing and finding themes, the study provides a rich and thick description as well as an analysis of this community and its culture in the light of my experiences and observations, as well as the experiences of others. The study reveals insights as to the culture of teacher learning in an online community of practice and the mediation of technological pedagogical content knowledge in online communities of practice. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also presented, as well as an in-depth discussion of how ethnographic fieldwork practices are adapted in netnography with online communities of practice.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become part of education as it has, in many cases, become the mode of choice of communication with people in all spheres of life. It provides teachers with the opportunity to access information from a vast array of resources that assists them in their teaching practices. Education in South Africa is constantly transforming to new requirements from the National Department of Education (NDoE). The fundamentals of Outcomes Based Education are lifelong learning and the development of 21st century skills that allow learners to use information for different contexts. ICT enables teachers and learners to access computer systems to develop skills, interact with their peers, colleagues, and the global society. Even though teachers know the value of ICT in teaching and learning, the pedagogical use of ICT in South African schools remains limited. In the SITES 2006, South African teachers acknowledged that they were enthusiastic to explore new ways to make teaching and learning more interesting, but that they encountered many barriers that hinder the pedagogical use of ICT for mathematics. This research has determined that the teachers’ ICT pedagogical knowledge contributed towards more effective teaching and learning practices of mathematics in South African schools. The study also describes how insufficient ICT pedagogical knowledge affected teachers’ confidence to explore ICT tools. This study followed a secondary data analysis (SDA) of the Second International Information Technology in Education Study of 2006 (SITES 2006) data from the 640 participating mathematics teachers in South Africa. The correlated data describes the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) of mathematics teachers while making use of ICT. Continuous professional teacher development is required to focus on the attainment of information technology pedagogical knowledge to further the use of ICT on the teaching of Mathematics. The study also indicates that South Africa lags far behind the other 22 countries that participated in SITES 2006. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.