Education in Swaziland is faced with the challenge of degenerating professional standards among teachers. This study sought to determine the relevance of the current teacher training curriculum in preparing pre-service teachers on professional ethics regarding teacher-pupil relationships. The study’s participants were from two universities; University of Swaziland (UNISWA) and Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU), and three teacher-training colleges; William Pitcher, Ngwane, and Swaziland College of Technology. Participants comprised five purposefully selected heads of education departments, five focus groups of eight final year student teachers randomly selected from each institution, 100 new teachers with less than five years teaching experience (graduates) from the participating teacher training institutions. Data were collected concurrently using a semi-structured interview for the heads of department, focus group interviews for student teachers, a questionnaire for new teachers and document analysis for collecting data from documents of the institutions. Instruments were pilot tested on samples with similar characteristics to those of the participants. Data analysis was guided by the research questions. Qualitative data from the interviews and focus group interviews were analysed inductively, presented narratively through the use of verbatim quotations. Content analysis was used to analyse data from the documents and presented similarly to that from interviews. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies and percentages using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20. Findings of the study revealed that the extent to which teacher training institutions implemented professional ethics regarding teacher-pupil relationships was not as adequate as it should, in terms of content and methods of implementation. The teacher training institutions generally offered professional ethics not as a course but as part of a course or courses. Therefore, the study recommended that the curricula in teacher training institutions should incorporate a course specific to ethics of the teaching profession. A further study on challenges faced by teacher training institutions in the implementation of the curriculum on professional ethics is necessary. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

In this paper the notion of “mathematics profiles” and “instructional behaviour profiles is introduced. A brief explanation of what these profiles are and how they were constructed and represented for preservice mathematics teachers is provided. An example of one of the participants’ profiles is included as an example. The influence of the pre-service teachers’ mathematics profiles on their instructional behaviour is then discussed. This is done with regard to using the mathematics profiles as a potential tool to optimise the development of pre-service mathematics teachers’ instructional behaviour towards a more reform-oriented approach.

A local college in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates began a Bachelor of Education program in 2008 to train prospective teachers to deliver a bi-literate education in Arabic and English to students in Abu Dhabi schools. Because there had been no examination of preservice teachers' perceptions of their practicum experience, a project study was designed to analyze the perceptions of a group of preservice teachers regarding the final practicum and whether that experience enhanced their ability to deliver educational practices to better serve students. This phenomenological study was guided by experiential learning theory, as preservice teachers learned from their experiences in a professional setting. The research questions addressed preservice teachers' experiences during the practicum and how those experiences contributed to their professional growth. Individual face-to-face interviews of 8 preservice teachers were the means of data collection. Transcripts of audio recorded interviews were coded to determine themes related to the practicum experience. The data revealed that preservice teachers felt that the practicum allowed them to experience the role of the classroom teacher and its day-to-day challenges. Based on the research findings, a project is proposed to assist preservice teachers in assessing students' needs, identifying instructional classroom practices, and planning lessons. Implementation of the project could lead to positive social change by engaging preservice teachers in professional development centered on professional learning communities. This engagement would encourage collaboration with professionals to develop lesson plans to reach all learners. This project has the potential to contribute to preservice teachers' professional growth, which may lead to continuous learning in their professional learning environment.

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This dissertation examines elementary teacher candidates' perceptions of hip-hop culture and utilizing hip-hop pedagogy in a mathematics classroom. This study demonstrates how elements of hip-hop may be integrated into an elementary mathematics methods course to develop pedagogical knowledge that challenges teacher candidates to explore the benefits of utilizing hip-hop as a tool in the classroom. This study contributes to the growing body of research that investigates the use of hip-hop pedagogy in educator preparatory programs. Participants in this study were teacher candidates at a large university in Texas enrolled in the final year of their educator preparatory program. This research shows that as a result of integrating hip-hop pedagogy in the mathematics methods course, teacher candidates had increased knowledge and more positive perceptions of hip-hop culture, and they demonstrated a greater willingness to integrate hip-hop pedagogy in their future classrooms.

The assumption of the present study is that teachers should possess an adequate understanding of the nature of science and scientific method and hence this aspect was investigated. The empirical research carried out with Secondary School teacher trainees at Botswana colleges of education showed the following: Subjects possess an adequate understanding of some aspects of the nature of science and several aspects of the scientific method. They however do not have an adequate understanding on certain aspects of the nature of science. An association was found between the nature of science, type of educational institution attended, years of study and majoring in science. A positive association was found between scientific method and years spent studying. The present study recommended the inclusion of history, philosophy and sociology of science in the curriculum of teacher education. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Natural Science Education)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:24:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Renata Almeida Martins.pdf: 1453359 bytes, checksum: 8034082e67cead89b15f3a1453d9a0a1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-10-09 / Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo / This research aims at describing and interpreting the phenomenon of participation of public school English teachers in a continuing education course. It is justified by the need to also understand what involves my own participation in many continuing education courses with the purpose of gathering subsidies that provide me directing, coordinating, supervising, and developing courses of this kind. This research is theoretically grounded on studies about pre-service teacher education (Imbernon, 2000, Vianna, 2004; Martins, 2004, Santos and Mendes Sobrinho, 2006; Gómez, 1995; Mizukami, 2002; Brito, 2006, Contreras, 2002; Brazil, 2002) ; continuing teacher education (Marin, 1995; Mizukami, 2002; Destro, 1995; Contreras, 2002; Smyth, 1991); English teachers education (Celani, 2002; Paiva, 2005; Dutra, 2003, Brazil, 2001, Castro, 1999 ; Celani and Collins, 2003) and concepts of reflection (Schön, 1995, 2000). The methodological approach adopted in this study was the hermeneutic-phenomenological one (van Manen, 1990, Freire, 2007). The description and interpretation of the phenomenon in focus was undertaken through textual registers obtained through questionnaires answered by 57 student-teachers enrolled in a three-semester continuing education course offered to public school English teachers. The research results reveal that participation of public school English teachers in that continuing education courses is unique, since it results in a constant search for improvement and also in change related to practice. The results also allow me to say that the research phenomenon was experienced in three different ways because each semester was played by a different group of student-teachers who was in a different period of the course and into a different reflective moment as well / Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo descrever e interpretar o fenômeno da participação de professores de inglês da rede pública de ensino em um curso de formação contínua e justifica-se pela necessidade de também entender o que envolve a minha participação em vários cursos de formação contínua com a finalidade de obter subsídios que me proporcionem dirigir, coordenar, supervisionar, bem como elaborar cursos dessa natureza. Fundamentam teoricamente esta pesquisa, estudos sobre: formação inicial (Imbernón, 2000; Vianna, 2004; Martins, 2004; Santos e Mendes Sobrinho, 2006; Gómez, 1995; Mizukami, 2002; Brito, 2006; Contreras, 2002; Brasil, 2002); formação contínua (Marin, 1995; Mizukami, 2002; Destro, 1995; Contreras, 2002); formação de professores de inglês (Celani, 2002; Paiva, 2005; Dutra, 2003; Brasil, 2001; Castro, 1999; Celani e Collins, 2003) e conceitos sobre reflexão (Schön, 1995, 2000) A abordagem metodológica adotada nessa pesquisa foi a hermenêutico-fenomenológica (van Manen, 1990; Freire, 2007). A descrição e interpretação do fenômeno em foco foi feita a partir de registros textuais, obtidos por meio de questionários respondidos por 57 professores-alunos, participantes dos três semestres de um curso de formação contínua oferecido a professores de inglês da rede pública de ensino. Os resultados da pesquisa revelam que a participação de professores de inglês da rede pública de ensino em cursos de formação contínua é único, pois decorre de uma constante busca por aprimoramento e mudança em relação à prática. Os resultados também me permitem afirmar que o fenômeno investigado foi vivenciado de três formas diferentes, pois cada semestre foi vivido por um grupo de professores-alunos que se encontravam em um momento diferente do curso e também em um momento reflexivo diferente

The assumption of the present study is that teachers should possess an adequate understanding of the nature of science and scientific method and hence this aspect was investigated. The empirical research carried out with Secondary School teacher trainees at Botswana colleges of education showed the following: Subjects possess an adequate understanding of some aspects of the nature of science and several aspects of the scientific method. They however do not have an adequate understanding on certain aspects of the nature of science. An association was found between the nature of science, type of educational institution attended, years of study and majoring in science. A positive association was found between scientific method and years spent studying. The present study recommended the inclusion of history, philosophy and sociology of science in the curriculum of teacher education. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Natural Science Education)

Traditionally, K-5 students' writing has had a primarily academic aim-to help students master concepts and express themselves. Even if students take a professional writing course later, they typically do not have the opportunity to practice-over the long period of time mastery requires-the non-academic writing skills they will be required to use as part of their jobs and in their civic life. Based on a limited K-5 study, Texas' McKinney Independent School District is doing a good job of preparing students at the elementary-school level in the areas of collaboration and presentation. A fair job of helping elementary-school students understand the communication situation, define audience, clarify purpose, gather and evaluate resources, and test usability. [And] a poor job of helping elementary-school students with analysis and organization. With their teachers' help, K-5 students eventually grasp the communication situation and can broadly identify their audience and purpose, but they do not appear to select words, format, communication style, or design based on that audience and purpose. Their writer-based focus affects their presentations as well, although they do present frequently. If teachers routinely incorporated audience and purpose considerations into every aspect of communication assignments (format, communication style, design), students would be better prepared for non-academic communication. Texas pre-service teachers practice the types of documents they will write on the job but do not receive training in design or style. Likewise, they practice researching, collaborating, and presenting but receive little training in those skills. If Texas K-5 teachers are to supplement the curriculum with professional writing principles, as trends suggest they should, education programs need to focus on these principles in their pre-service teacher curriculum. Professional writing principles need to become part of ingrained writing patterns because these are the skills that will best serve students after they graduate, both in their careers and civic lives. Understanding how to tailor communication for audience and purpose; how to effectively collaborate; how to select, evaluate, analyze, and organize information efficiently and productively; and how to format presentations effectively requires practice over a long period of time.

The Junior primary teachers have the task of catering for the needs of pupils of varying abilities in their charge. With the admission of culturally different groups of children (many of them from disadvantaged communities) to schools previously accustomed to having one cultural group, this task of catering for the needs of pupils presents a problem as teachers are not trained to deal with disadvantaged children. The aim of this study was to formulate scientifically sound guidelines according to which class teachers can plan and implement language programmes for disadvantaged learners. In order to formulate such guidelines, a theoretical investigation was undertaken on normal language development and on the effects of disadvantagement on the scholastic and language performance of the child. Various programmes available for disadvantaged learners which are being implemented in other countries were evaluated. On the basis of these findings guidelines were suggested to class teachers for planning language programmes for disadvantaged learners. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Orthopedagogics)