In Ghana, two government commissioned committee reports and a major research study raised concerns about the quality of the country's teacher education programme. The quality deficiency was attributed to a disjuncture between the theory and practice of teaching. To bridge this theory-practice gap, the University of Education, Winneba, adopted a one-year school-based student internship as an innovative component of its 4-year teacher education programme for upgrading in-service teachers to replace the traditional 4-6 weeks teaching practice, with classroom teachers serving as mentors for student teachers. Since the heart of mentoring is the mentor-mentee relationship, this study explored in depth the mentor-mentee relationships of a Cooperative-Reflective model of mentoring adopted by the University of Education, Winneba, (UEW), Ghana, for its student teachers in an attempt to understand the nature of these professional relationships and how they facilitate teacher professional learning, growth and development. A qualitative ethnographic case study approach was used to study five cases of mentor-mentee relationships from the lived experiences of mentors and mentees involved in the University's student internship programme. The data were collected from interviews, observations, and document analysis. Trustworthiness of the research was ensured through the multiple sources of data, peer review, member checks, as well as the description of themes in the participants' own words. The study revealed that although the involvement of classroom teachers in the professional training of student teachers is a novelty in teacher education in Ghana, and a great departure from the old teaching practice, the programme has some conceptual and implementation challenges. First, the old conception of a hierarchical relationship between student teachers and their supervisors still persists contrary to the collegial, collaborative, reciprocal and critical reflective conceptions that underpin the UEW mentoring model. This is attributable to the lack of sensitivity to the socio-cultural and professional contexts in which the model is being implemented. The Ghanaian society is hierarchical; age is, therefore, equated with experience, respect, authority, and reverence. Fostering collegial relationships among mentors and mentees in this cultural context becomes problematic. Again, even in the Ghanaian teaching profession, inherent in the professional ethics is the respect for rank and social distance. It is, therefore, difficult for teachers of lower ranks to forge collegial relationships with those of higher ranks. Second, there is a dearth of direction and guidance on the selection of mentors and the matching of mentors and mentees. This results in the mentors and mentees going through the mechanics of the relationship without there being any substantive professional learning from their interactions. The current practice where the responsibility for the selection of mentors and the matching of mentors and mentees is vested in the heads of partnership schools/colleges results in instances of mismatch in terms of age, gender, experience, and personal chemistry. Third, the programme targeted the wrong type of student teachers; hence the superficial nature of the professional learning that occurred in the relationships. Since they were not novice teachers, but had teaching experiences ranging from five to twenty-seven years, they did not find the professional learning experience challenging enough. Finally, the programme did not envision that the collegial, collaborative and participatory learning strategies that are supposed to characterise the mentoring relationship are to have their parallels in the teaching and learning contexts of the mentoring dyad in schools and colleges in terms of a shift in pedagogy. The findings suggest that theoretical positions alone cannot provide sufficient basis or framework for the development of a mentoring programme. It must be based on the socio-cultural as well as the professional factors within the context of implementation since it is the interaction between particular mentors and particular mentees in their particular contexts that determines the type of relationship to be established and the type of professional learning that will result.

Assessment is considered a powerful tool for improving learning outcomes and education quality. However, limited empirical research on classroom assessment exists in many developing countries including Ghana. This study explores the issues of mathematics classroom assessment in Ghana. Specifically, it investigates and analyses mathematics teachers' views and practices of assessment with specific reference to the implication for learning. Although the main focus of this study is on teachers' assessment practices, an examination of their conceptions of the nature of mathematics is undertaken to facilitate an in-depth understanding of teachers' views and practices. The research is mainly qualitative by design and employs both interpretative and exploratory strategies. Classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and document reviews are used as instruments for data collection through a non-participant observation method. A purposive sampling method is used to select six participants: four teachers and two headteachers for the study. This research study explores key factors affecting assessment practices in mathematics classrooms. In particular, it provides an analysis firstly of teachers' views about assessment emphasising improvement and accountability and secondly of the different types of knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of the mathematics teachers, and their relationship with practice. Attention is directed to the teacher's practical knowledge of teaching, of mathematics and how assessment comes into play. Also notable is the importance attached to the teachers' beliefs concerning the nature of mathematics. Findings from this study show that teachers use both formal and informal assessments in mathematics classrooms although formal assessment dominates practice. Teachers' views about assessment and their conceptions of the nature of mathematics are related to their classroom practices. Beyond these two factors, this exploratory study illustrates how teachers' assessment practices are affected by a number of contextual factors which are related to institutional policies, professional development and classroom conditions. There are implications of this research for the implementation of assessment for learning in Ghana. It is evident that in the current context, the widespread implementation of assessment for learning is ambitious and would demand well-defined and context-specific approaches to classroom practices. The introduction of these innovative assessment practices marks a significant departure from traditional practice and as such may require regular professional support and a coordinated and collaborative effort from policy makers, schools and teachers.

Language is the tool of tools, essential to our identities as individuals and as a species. All living languages change continuously, and people are responsible for that change, primarily to express identity and build relationships (Trask, 2010). This thesis is about language, English Language Teaching (ELT), and in particular the evolving identities and development of Speakers of Other Languages Teaching English (SOLTEs). It is presented against a contemporary backdrop of globalisation and complex forces of sociocultural and educational transformation, which influence the field of language and identity research. English in the early 21st century is indisputably the world's Lingua Franca (Ostler, 2010), in that billions of people use it alongside thousands of other languages: a growing majority of its speakers are thus defined as 'non-native'. There is a similar pattern in the proportions of teachers: the majority are local to their professional context, share the first language of their students, and work in mainstream school systems. Crystal (2003) expresses an ideal balance between multilingualism and a globally-intelligible world language. This also implies the presence of multilingual, multicompetent language practitioners, and it is these people who stand at the centre of the study. The thesis addresses the following related research questions: 1. What does it mean for Speakers of Other Languages Teaching English (SOLTEs) to say: 'I am an English teacher'? 2. How do these multilingual, multicultural teachers develop their identities and what influences their professional practice and beliefs? 3. What are the implications of the globalisation of English for the field of English Language Teaching, and the impact on the position of SOLTEs? In exploring these questions, the study aims to discover more about these ELT practitioners' attitudes towards the definition of their subject, and the development of their own multiple identities in relation to the language they teach, its learning and use. For example, do teachers see language as essentially a body of knowledge to be taught and learnt, or a social practice, a set of skills to be acquired and developed? To what extent does their own language learning experience condition their beliefs and teaching approach? How do they see themselves in terms of professional competence and personal confidence? In short, who do they think they are? The study uses semi-structured interviews and online discussion with a small group of six teachers based in various European ELT contexts, including the UK. The research methodology is participative and interpretative, designed to be relevant to the central questions and the individuals involved. An inductive approach to qualitative data analysis is adopted, where meaning is uncovered and categorised through a process of iterative engagement with the raw narrative texts produced with the participants. The aim is to present a fuller picture and tell a credible and interesting story. In answer to the question 'Who do you think you are?' the participants claim both competence and confidence as English language teachers, yet also express self-doubt and reservations towards a still-powerful 'native' model that they themselves increasingly question. The implications of this study suggest that the field of ELT needs to move away from debates on 'nativeness', 'ownership' and idealised norms, towards notions of 'beyond-native' language competence, a 'multilingual principle' for teaching and learning, and more appropriate teacher education programmes. Pedagogical targets for all living languages also change continuously, as do people's local communicative needs and identity claims, in a globalised world where multicompetent teachers can act as role models for their learners. If these new realities are recognised, a pedagogy for the 21st century can evolve which embraces teachers' and learners' multiple identities, as part of Crystal's (2003) ideal world of mutual understanding, where English in its infinite varieties and idiolects can sit alongside all other languages.

This study examined the pedagogic practices of primary teachers in Ghana. The major goal was to identify innovative pedagogic practices, as well as to understand why the transmission practices continue to prevail in a majority of Ghanaian primary classrooms. Using a qualitative approach, the study tried to probe deeply into how and why teachers in Ghana engage with their practices, at the same time, how and where teachers manage to better support their learners in the face of their contextual difficulties. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Schulman's theory on teacher knowledge. Schulman proposed that, for teachers to be able to support their learners, they must be able to combine content knowledge, curricular knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK): of the three he argued that it was PCK that teachers needed most in order to make sense of teaching. Thus this study has examined what constitutes teacher knowledge in Ghana and found that, primary teachers add on the traditional and cultural knowledge systems to teaching and learning processes in Ghana. The major instruments used for the study were observations and interviews. The study employed two stages of observations; the first stage of unstructured lesson observations of 40 teachers revealed pedagogic variations (supportive and unsupportive) in Ghanaian classrooms. The second stage of structured lesson observations enabled categorizations of the pedagogic practices. Follow-up interviews unearthed teachers' views and understanding of their practices. The analysis of the study revealed two categories of primary teachers in Ghana; the traditional and innovative. All teachers in the study relied on the traditional and cultural knowledge systems; but whilst a majority (36 out of 40) validated their transmission rote practices from the culture, there were a few (6 out of 40) who had deeply reflected on the positive aspects of the culture making learning more flexible and supportive for their children. The study concludes that teachers in Ghana would experience more successes in their classrooms when they begin to embrace fully the positive aspects of the cultural knowledge. They will also begin to find alternative strategies to address the contextual challenges they often encounter in their classrooms. Therefore the learner's cultural background ought to be promoted and embedded in the teaching as it stands as an all-inclusive and empowering agenda for the teaching practice. Teachers and learners alike have common goals and ideas that bond them so their familiarity with the indigenous culture would yield very much desired positive learning outcomes in the learners.

Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2011. / In this research report, I present the role of ethical principles in promoting efficient service delivery at the Department of Education in the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province. I critically present what the codes of conduct are; and explore the challenges and constraints faced by the public regarding behaviour and conduct of public officials Both the interviews and the questionnaires of the study were conducted at Capricorn District of the Department of Education at Lebowakgomo. The subjects of the study were all the current personnel attached to the Human Resource Management of the district.The report is concluded with an assessment of the challenges and constraints faced by the districttowards acceptable conduct as opposed to unacceptable or unethical behaviour, as well asrecommendations for addressing them.

Thesis (M.A(Folklore)) --University of Limpopo, 2009 / This study contains documentation and naming of indigenous plant species of the GaMamabolo area. Knowledge about their classification and their local natural resources has been acknowledged through this study. It is not only naming and classification but extending information about interaction of useful indigenous plants with human society. This is followed by a survey of 85 plant species found in the Mamabolo area. The immense cultural significance of the traditional knowledge system is portrayed in this study. ii

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2002. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-61). Also available on the World Wide Web.

New layered cathode materials, Li₀.₉Ni₀.₄₅Ti₀.₅₅O₂, were synthesized by means of ion-exchange from Na₀.₉Ni₀.₄₅Ti₀.₅₅O₂. The degree of cation disordering in the material depends critically on the synthesis conditions. Longer times and higher temperatures in the ion-exchange process induced more cation disordering. However, the partially disordered phase showed better capacity retention than the least disordered phase. First principles calculations indicated this could be attributed to the migration of Ti⁺⁴ into the Li layer during the electrochemical testing, which seems to depend sensitively on the Ni⁺² -Ti⁺⁴ configuration in the transition metal layer. The poor conductivity of this material could also be the reason for its low specific capacity according to the Density of States (DOS) obtained from first principles calculations indicating that only Ni participates in the electronic conductivity. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

In this article the shift of the Swedish goverment´s policies for the financing through taxation, fees and prices paid for the use of roads and railroads from 1945 until the 2010s is discussed. It is argued that the shift from a full-cost coverage principle to a short term social marginal cost principle can be seen in the light of the controversy between a Coasean and a Pigovian perspective. The Coasean perspective furthers an institutional view where organizations and dynamic development matters while the Pigovian perspective furthers a welfare economic equilibrium view where organizations are less focused. It is argued that the shift in policies coincided with less interest and focus on the organizational perspective and incentives for organizational efficiency, which can be seen in the public documents from the time. The government seems to have been guided by a mar ket failure stance since the 1970s which has motivated growing intervention, following a mar ket-economy stance in the first 25 years after the nationalization of roads and railroads. A current opening in transport infrastructure policies with more room for alternative financing, user charges and fees might, even though also consistent with short term social marginal cost principles, signal a revival of a perspective more in line with the Coasean view. / <p>QC 20130614</p>

published_or_final_version / Mathematics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy