My autobiographical research focuses on creating digital heterotopias through social media platforms, providing safe spaces which allow art teacher candidates the opportunity to reflect upon their practicum experiences and question the status quo of institutional myths and inherited discourses in teacher fieldwork. Functions of heterotopic space link together and reflect other pedagogical sites, including institutional spaces. Heterotopias are often designed to be temporal and hidden from public view but are necessary enclaves for exploring non-hierarchical paradigms. Such temporary communal spaces can lead one to a personal praxis in uncovering what sometimes is never fully explored, our own autobiographical narrative of teaching. By creating a digital space utilized by art education student teachers in the midst of their practicum, I recalled my forgotten autobiography of student teaching, where memories of inequities and suppression of difference emerged. Through the lenses of critical theory and resistance theory, this study examines possibilities of crafting digital spaces as forms of artistic resistance and identity reconstruction zones. As such, the goal of examining the student teaching practicum concerning; power inequities, evaluation methods, standardization of teaching, evolving teacher identities, and the social environment of teaching, is to illustrate hegemonic processes and visualize spaces of possibility to deconstruct self and (re) imagine alternative ways of being teachers. Weaving in multiple stories of fieldwork experience allowed for a collocation in visualizing a space of unfolding inquiry, recognizing multiple genres of knowing through the qualitative and emergent methodologies of narrative inquiry and arts-based research.

This multi-faceted research study examined the current approach of educational technology courses and how integrating modern learning technologies into curriculum effectively is addressed in pre-service education programs at U.S. universities. The primary goal was to explain the current trends in the reviewed pre-service programs in relation to how future educators are prepared by the universities to incorporate educational technology and use technology enhanced curriculum. This study was an exploratory, non-positivistic qualitative study that employed multi-strategy and survey research approaches in order to establish a baseline of the way that technology integration skills are being addressed in undergraduate pre-service educator programs today. Survey participants were educators within a public or private K-12 system in the U.S. The participants' level of education, university attended, educational technology experience, and technology perceptions were gathered from the survey's Likert-type and open-end questions. Current and historically statistics and data were collected for each university identified from the survey responses. Findings of this study revealed outcomes related to participants' education, perception of educational technology, and university educational technology course offerings and/or requirements for undergraduate pre-service educator programs. Results of this research study provide a solid foundation for future research in these areas within the field of education.

This century is characterized by an increasing pace of globalization and migration that results in an increased diversity of classroom populations in Western countries. However, the teacher workforce still consists mostly of white females that come from different cultural backgrounds than their students, and who seem to lack the skills to respond to diversity in the classroom effectively. This raises the question of how the cultural mismatch can be overcome. The aim of this research is to explore how pre-service teachers can develop culturally relevant pedagogy, so they can establish a classroom environment that suits the needs of all learners. A systematic literature review is conducted, and 10 articles were analysed. The results show pre-service teachers can develop culturally responsive pedagogy through courses that offer knowledge or a combination of knowledge and field-based experiences. Factors that contribute to increased culturally relevant pedagogy are: previous experience with diversity, connecting theory and practice, modelling, learning through a community of learners, and critical reflection. However, research indicates that becoming a culturally relevant teacher is a time consuming process. Hence, it is recommended that teacher education programs include more courses in the curriculum to enable pre-service teachers develop this skill over time through taking part in a community of learners. In addition, as much of the current research originates from the United States, it is suggested future research focuses on other Western countries.

The present study was inspired by Human-Vogel and Dippenaar’s (2013) research, which examined pre-service teachers’ commitment to community engagement in their second year of study. Human-Vogel and Dippenaar 2013 found that personal justice beliefs were independent of the pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards service learning. These puzzling findings necessitated further investigation and formed the basis of the rationale for my study. I was furthermore intrigued by the number of mentions made of social justice in connection with community engagement, evoking my interest in this concept and the role that social justice plays in service learning. In the present study I explored pre-service teachers’ experience with social justice during their service learning activities, examining the ways in which they dealt with social justice issues during their interactions in the different settings. A qualitative research approach was applied guided by an interpretivist paradigm. I made use of an ex post facto instrumental case study design and four pre-service teachers were conveniently and purposively selected for the present the study. The criteria for selection was that the participants must have been involved in the Human-Vogel and Dippenaar’s (2013) research and were willing and available to participate in the present study. The data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis was utilized during the data analysis. In the present study five themes emerged as a result of the thematic analysis and interpretation. Firstly the pre-service teachers were able to provide their individual conceptualisation of justice. Under this theme they gave their individual definitions of personal and social justice and also provided examples of these concepts. Secondly, the pre-service teachers reported on their overall service learning experiences and these included the negative and positive aspects. Thirdly, there were barriers faced by the pre-service teachers during service learning activities. These included a lack of preparation and structure in the service learning activities, expectation versus reality of the service learning experiences, language barriers, lack of resources in the community, security concerns, and issues of stereo-types and assumptions. Fourthly, the pre-service teachers discussed issues of justice and social change. They were able to discuss issues related to social injustices experienced in the community, the availability and accessibility to justice structures as well as their being a voice to the voice-less. These aspects were discussed with the aim that such could be examined and used to bring about social change in the community. Lastly, the pre-service teachers provided recommendations in the form of Support structures needed by pre-service teachers in future service learning activities. They suggested that in future other pre-service teachers could benefit from preparation for the service learning module, monitoring of the service learning activities, guidelines and structure in the service learning and debriefing during and after the service learning. / Mini-dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

This thesis is a documentation of an empirical study in which qualitative methods were employed to investigate the current programmes offered to pre-service Creative Arts teachers at selected South African universities. The subject, Creative Arts, is one of the compulsory learning areas for grades R - 9 in all South African public schools as prescribed by the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement of 2011. In order for learners to gain maximum benefit from the subject Creative Arts, pre-service teachers should be educated to gain an understanding of the interrelatedness of the different art forms. The theoretical framework underpinning this study is Mezirow's theory of transformative learning which is based on critical reflection. Pre-service teachers should therefore be encouraged to critically reflect on the learning process, rethinking their own perspectives and constructing new knowledge in the process of discourse with others. Information on the current programmes offered at five South African universities involved in this collective case study, was extrapolated from interviews with both lecturers of Creative Arts programmes, and pre-service teachers enrolled for courses in Creative Arts. Furthermore, observations were done at various sites to obtain an in-depth perspective of how the arts are presented at these institutions. Findings revealed that most universities offer Creative Arts programmes with an arts specific approach. This corresponds with the demands of artistic disciplines, and especially performance arts, which require the development of practical skills which should be developed over an extended period. Although developing these specialized skills and knowledge in each art form is important, the discrete presentation of these arts may limit opportunities for students to experience integrated arts activities. Moreover, pre-service teachers need practice in school based settings to hone their teaching skills in delivering meaningful arts activities to learners. The recognition of common grounds between the different art disciplines makes the merging of these arts into the broad subject, Creative Arts possible. These commonalities should be further explored, especially in a South African context where African arts are inherently integrated. Benefits of co-operative curriculum planning between the departments of Basic and Higher Education in the provision of competent and skilful teachers for Creative Arts is the key to successful arts education in South African schools. / Thesis (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Music / DMus / Unrestricted

Language is central to all teaching and learning. The ability to communicate effectively, and more specifically during instruction is one of the key competencies beginner teachers should develop. While English is the home language of ±10% of South Africans, the majority of learners are taught in English from Grade 4 onwards, many of their teachers being non-native English speakers themselves. The English proficiency level of most South African teachers has been identified as problematically low by a number of researchers. This study aimed to investigate the nature of Classroom English and the underlying oral English proficiency of native isiZulu-speaking pre-service teachers as a first step toward being able to better support Classroom English proficiency development of non-native pre-service teachers. Within my conceptual framework for the study oral English proficiency is viewed as part of and foundational to Classroom English proficiency. A mixed methods approach was used. Data were gathered through questionnaires which gauged perceptions of the pre-service teachers’ English proficiency in the classroom as well as voice recordings of lessons they presented during their practice teaching period in rural KwaZulu-Natal schools. Voice recordings of this case study were analysed with the support of existing oral English proficiency rubrics and a self-designed Classroom English proficiency rubric. In a broad sense findings correspond with previous studies in similar fields, pointing to the nature of Classroom English of this case study at a level not considered ideal for effectively facilitating teaching and learning. These isiZulu-speaking preservice teachers require more support to develop better Classroom English proficiency. An approach that specifically addresses development of language proficiencies required in the classroom, with vocabulary and grammar embedded therein, is suggested. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Humanities Education / MEd / Unrestricted

This paper examines the curricular intersection of social studies teacher education with Pinar’s (2012) seminal currere process. Woven together in an undergraduate elementary methods course, currere inquiry served as a beginning, yet cogent lens to explore the nature of students’ social studies lived experiences, to interrogate normative and conventional views of teaching elementary social studies, and to begin to understand and challenge hegemonic narratives in the social studies curriculum and alternatively promote classroom experiences that are culturally responsive (Gay, 2002; Banks, 2007).

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Presenters will introduce the research base behind the relationship between critical reflection and pre-service teacher growth. Participants will engage in discussions of how to scaffold critical reflection to allow access points for students at differing levels of reflective development.

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