Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

After the introduction of Learner Centred Education in Namibia, a number of studies were conducted on how teachers either perceived learner centred education or implemented it. However, very few studies investigated the teachers' understanding of both subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge; primarily, how they understand and develop key concepts. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Grade 5 teachers' understand and develop key concepts in Social Studies in selected schools in Namibia. The study focused on three teachers in three primary schools in the Caprivi educational region of Namibia. These teachers were purposefully selected as graduates of the teacher education programme instituted at the time of the Namibian education reform process. As a teacher educator, my main motive of conducting this study was to gain a better understanding of some of the issues that have been raised about these graduates' lack of content knowledge. The study adopts a qualitative approach and seeks to investigate (a) how the three teachers in this study understand key concepts and (b) the strategies they use to develop such concepts. Three data collection instruments were employed: interviews, document analysis and class observations. The findings indicate that despite the training that all three teachers in this study received, their understanding of the concepts they taught is problematic. Furthermore, some of the strategies that the teachers used did not bring about learning with understanding. The results of the study revealed how these teachers' problems with concepts and the development of conceptual understanding are related to specific issues and can be attributed to a number of factors. Because of this, the study has provided valuable insights into aspects of teacher education that need to be addressed both in terms of in-service and pre-service programmes to support teachers in teaching for understanding, a key idea underpinning the reform process.

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which relationships exist between the perceptions of local supervisors of social studies, social studies teachers, and building principals relative to the role of the local supervisor of social studies education. Data were gathered to determine the perceptions of supervisors, teachers, and principals regarding actual and ideal performance on forty-two selected supervisory activities. The descriptive-survey method was utilized in the study. Population sample included twenty local social studies supervisors, one hundred and ninety-seven building principals, and four hundred and sixty social studies teachers. The four hundred and sixty social studies teachers (twenty-five percent) and one hundred and ninety-seven building principals represented employees in each school division in Virginia during the 1980-81 school year where local supervisors of social studies education were employed full-time. Mail questionnaires were developed, piloted, and forwarded to the selected sample population. Usable responses were received from three hundred and twenty-five teachers (seventy-one percent), one hundred and fifty-one building principals (seventy-seven percent), and twenty local supervisors of social studies (one hundred percent). The alpha level selected for determination of statistical significance and rejection of the seven null hypotheses was p < .05. Descriptive statistics, correlated t tests, uncorrelated t tests, and the Spearman rho (ρ) were used in analyzing the data. Data were reported by means, frequencies, ranks, standard deviations, and percentages. To analyze data within groups the correlated t test was used. The uncorrelated t test was used to analyze the data between groups. To determine the relationship between the rank differences reported by the sample groups, Spearman rho (ρ) correlations were computed using the formula: ρ = l - (6Σd²)/[N(N² - 1l)] In a comparison of perceptions of local supervisors of social studies education versus perceptions of teachers regarding actual performance on forty-two selected supervisory activities, it was determined that there was a high agreement between teachers and supervisors as to the order of priority placed on activities by supervisors. The Spearman rho computation based on rank differences of actual time spent as perceived by supervisors and the teacher's perceptions of actual time spent yielded a high positive correlation. Also, principals and supervisors were in close agreement as to the priority of supervisors' actual use of time. A high positive correlation was found to exist based upon rankings of the two groups relative to actual use of supervisors' time. Significant differences were noted between the perceptions of local supervisors of social studies education and those of social studies teachers and building principals relative to ideal supervisory performance. Teachers and supervisors were in moderate agreement relative to the setting of priorities for time utilization by supervisors across the forty-two activities. Principals and supervisors were in high agreement relative to the priorities based on ideal rankings for supervisors. Major findings of the study were as follows: 1. Supervisors, teachers, and principals agreed that supervisors should spend more time on nearly all of the identified activities than they currently do. 2. Each group surveyed agreed that the ideal performance of supervisors should be closely related to that group's perceptions of what supervisors currently do. 3. There was a high positive correlation between the supervisors, teachers, and principals as to the allocation of priorities by supervisors. 4. There was a moderate to high positive correlation across groups as to how supervisors should allocate their time. / Ed. D.

Today’s modern society is multicultural, school is therefore a meeting place for pupils withdifferent experiences, prior knowledge, and mother tongue. Second language students whohave not yet developed good skills in various subject languages, face several challenges inupper secondary school. To succeed in different school subjects these students need todevelop language that is specialized for each school subject. The purpose of this study is toexamine how social science teachers in the upper secondary school experience and work withsecond language students who have difficulties with content-based language. The appliedmethod in the study is qualitative interviews. The theoretical framework is based on differentconcepts of literacy to analyze the results. The results in this study show that the teachers useboth similar and different methods to develop second language students’ understanding ofconcepts, reading, and writing skills, subject language, and subject knowledge. However,several differences between teachers’ perceptions and approaches are also discerned. Theteachers in this study understand the importance of placing the language in focus within thesubject, however some of the teachers experience difficulties with integrating language andsubject into the teaching.

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Syftet med denna studie är att belysa hur gymnasielärare i samhällskunskap använder formativ bedömning, hur detta påverkas av interna och externa faktorer samt vilka förutsättningar att ge formativ bedömning som respondenterna beskriver som specifika för samhällskunskap. Studiens resultat baseras på semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex gymnasielärare i samhällskunskap. Intervjuerna analyserades med hjälp av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys och ramfaktorteorin utgjorde studiens teoretiska utgångspunkt. Ett resultat av studien är att samtliga respondenter använder formativ bedömning och anpassar densamma utifrån varje elevs behov. Ett annat resultat är att respondenterna menar att externa faktorer har en större påverkan på deras formativa bedömning än interna faktorer. Ytterliggare ett resultat är att hälften av respondenterna anser att det finns specifika förutsättningar att använda formativ bedömning i samhällskunskap jämfört med historia, svenska och matematik. / The purpose of this study is to highlight how social studies teachers in the Swedish upper secondary school uses formative assessment, how this is affected by internal and external factors and which conditions to give formative assessment the respondents describes as specific for social studies. The result of the study is based on semistructured interviews with six social studies teachers in the upper secondary school. The interviews were analyzed with a qualitative content analysis and the frame factor theory constituted the studies theoretical starting point. One result of this study is that all respondents uses formative assessment and adjusts the same based on the specific needs of every pupil. Another result is that the respondents consider external factors as having a larger impact on their formative assessment than internal factors. A further result is that half of the respondents think that there are specific conditions for using formative assessment in social studies compared to history, swedish, and mathematics.

教育，是透過學生持續社會化的過程而形塑社會的重要機制。教育，為未來世代參與社會變遷預作了準備，並有助於社會發展。尤有甚者，教育使學生們意識到他們的權利。我們可以在各個教育階段裡引入人權教育。但是，小學階段的社會科教育對青少年的人權概念發展是具有決定性意義的。對此階段的學生而言，教師的引導以及人權教育的教學對清楚理解人權概念是相當關鍵的。針對教導學生深思熟慮的方法、人道與明智的價值、理性與批判的思考，人權教育教學可以是有助益且有效途徑。因此，本研究目的是在人權教育的脈絡下，評估社會科教師並探究他們的教學法。而本研究之研究問題是：（1）台北與新德里小學社會科教師在他們人權教育的價值、信念、態度與觀念脈絡下，理解人權教育教學的方式為何？（2）台北與新德里小學社會科教師在人權教育的教學實踐為何？（3）在台北與新德里小學社會科教室中，有意與無意的教學內容為何？（4）在人權教學的過程中，台北與新德里小學社會科教師所面臨的難題與阻礙為何？（5）可能存在一種可以應用在不同教育背景的普遍性人權教育教學嗎？因此，本研究針對台北與新德里小學，分別進行兩組各三位六年級教師及其班級的探究。 本研究發現，教師是人權教育成功實行的重要關鍵。教師必須對人權有熱情與承諾；教師必須尊重學生做為個體的權利；人權教育必須有情境脈絡的特殊性；《世界人權宣言》可以做為人權教學的普遍標準；此外，聯合國與國家政府的角色亦關係重大，因為他們提供人權教育結構與資金。最後，值得一提的是NGOs 與INGOs 的角色越來越重要，他們有必要在橫向與縱向上拓展他們的網絡。 / Education is an important institution that shapes our society through continuous socialization of pupils. It prepares future generations to participate in social change and contributes to society’s development. Moreover, it makes pupils aware of their rights. Human rights education can be introduced at all levels of education. The elementary level Social Science education is crucial for the development of the concept of human rights among adolescents. For the pupils of this age group, the guidance of teacher and the pedagogy of human rights education are critical for a clear understanding of the concept. The pedagogy of human rights education can be a useful and effective way of inculcating deliberative methods, humane and judicious values, and rational and critical thinking among pupils. The present study is an attempt to assess social science teachers and explore their pedagogy in the context of human rights education. The issues that the present research intends to raise are: (1) How the pedagogy of human rights education is perceived by Social Science teachers of the elementary school of Taipei and New Delhi in the context of their values, beliefs, attitudes, and ideals of human rights education? (2) How is the pedagogy of human rights education of Social Science teachers of Taipei and Delhi put into practice? (3) What is taught in human rights education in the social science classrooms of Taipei and New Delhi intentionally and unintentionally? (4) What are the problems and obstacles faced by Social Science teachers during the process of teaching human rights? (5) Can there be a general pedagogy of human rights education, which can be applied across different educational settings? The issues are examined with two sets of three teachers of sixth grade and their classes in elementary schools of Taipei and New Delhi. The findings of this study suggest that the agency of the teacher is crucial for successful implementation of HRE; that a teacher has to have passion and commitment for HR; that the rights of students as individuals must be respected by the teacher; that HRE must be context specific; that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be used as a universal standard to teach HR; and, finally, that the role of UN and national government is crucial. These two institutions provide with the framework and funding for HRE. Last, but not the least, the role of NGOs and INGOs is gaining importance by the day and that they need to expand their network, both vertically and horizontally.

Online learning is a rapidly growing phenomenon in post-secondary education. Institutions of higher learning have embraced online learning for its perceived merits, but without the consideration of how instructors deal with this different learning medium. Little is known of the extent to which different disciplines are suited to the online medium; this is pertinent to disciplines that rely on spontaneous in-person discussion. Furthermore, as colleges continue to invest heavily in online learning, instructors who only possess face-to-face teaching experience may begin teaching online. This poses a pedagogical challenge for instructors who are unfamiliar with the medium. This qualitative, in-depth interview study with ten social science instructors elucidates the process of transition from face-to-face teaching to online teaching. Through grounded analysis, a few key themes emerged. Respondents explain that teaching in the online classroom is qualitatively different from teaching in-person. The asynchronisity of the online classroom - which means students do not "meet", discuss, or learn at the same time - is a subtle yet significant difference between the two mediums. The asynchronous classroom means instructors relinquish control of when and where students will engage in study and discussion, and this requires students to have especially high self-regulatory skills. Respondents also explained that their online courses were several times larger than their in-person ones, with some courses allowing over twice as many students as an in-person course. Consequently, instructors must find new ways to approach teaching in the online medium. This pitfall of relying on old, obsolete methods in the online medium can be avoided if instructors are provided with the peer and pedagogical support of their professional peers, and access to teaching assistants to manage the greater time commitment of teaching online. In order to have a positive experience, online teachers must be willing to take on an intellectual challenge that may defy how they perceive themselves and their role in higher education. If instructors are open to a new intellectual challenge and possess the proper resources, they will become committed to teaching online and perceive the advantages of the medium to outweigh the disadvantages.

This inquiry is an autoethnography of my experiences as a Black American male serving as a methods of social studies instructor to preservice teachers. Although some may deem this study as subjective, I have embraced that designation to provide insider information to others that face intersectionality and to inform institutional practices in teacher education programs.