The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between mathematics teachers’ subject matter knowledge and their teaching effectiveness. A convenient sample of 19 grade 11 mathematics teachers and 418 students were initially selected for the study and took part in some stages of the study. Of this lot, only 11 teachers and 246 students participated in all the stages of the study. Explanatory Mixed methods research design which entails the use of a co-relational study and a descriptive survey design were employed in the study. Data was collected from the teachers using a self report questionnaire, Teacher Subject Matter Knowledge of Trigonometric Functions Scale (TSMKTFS) and peer evaluation questionnaire, and from students using teacher evaluation questionnaire and Student Trigonometric Functions Performance Scale (STFPS). All the instruments had their validity and reliability accordingly determined. Quantitative data gathered was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data gathered from teachers’ and students’ tests were analysed using task performance analysis. It was found that a positive, statistically significant relationship existed between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and the composite measure of their teaching effectiveness. The relationships between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and students’ achievement and also between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and students’ rating of the teachers’ teaching effectiveness were found to be positive and statistically significant. However, the relationships between teachers’ subject matter knowledge and teachers’ self rating as well as teachers’ subject matter knowledge and peers’ rating of teachers’ teaching effectiveness were not found to be statistically significant though they were positive. Further data analysis showed that there was a difference between the subject matter knowledge of effective and ineffective teachers and also between the students taught by effective teachers and the students taught by the ineffective teachers. / Institute of Science and Technology Education / PhD (Mathematics Education)

This study investigates the use of co-operative learning in the teaching of mapwork to Geography students in tertiary education. Diverse methods of teaching Geography mapwork and also theories of learning that are relevant to the teaching of mapwork are discussed. Co-operative learning, and how it can be employed in the teaching of mapwork is fully explained. The study revealed that co-operative learning method can help students to achieve higher marks in mapwork. It is an instructional method that uses small groups of students working together to meet educational goals. The approach relies on interaction and interdependence and thus is especially suited to higher level conceptual tasks requiring problem-solving and decision-making. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

It was the goal of this study to determine the relationship between student achievement and other selected variable such as principal years of experience, student socioeconomic status, teachers’ perceptions of administrative support, students’ perceptions of teacher support, and teacher attendance to teacher engagement. The study also determined if the variables along with teacher engagement were predictors of attrition. Pearson correlations were used to analyze the data that had the greatest significant relationship to teacher engagement. Regression tests were used to determine if the variables were predictors of attrition. The researcher concluded that student achievement, teachers’ perceptions of principal support, and students’ perceptions of teachers had the most significant relationship to teacher engagement; student socioeconomic status had a negative relationship with teacher engagement. The researcher found that the selected variables were not significant predictors of teacher attrition. Recommendations were suggested for central office leaders, building level leaders, teachers, and future researchers.

The purpose of this study was to examine teacher and parent perceptions of the impact of a high-family engagement model, Academic Parent-Teacher Teams (APTT). Teacher and parent surveys were administered to determine the relationship between the following variables: teacher leadership, administrative support, parental perceptions of effectiveness of communications, parental perceptions of convenience of scheduling of meetings, parental perceptions of usefulness of meetings, family engagement, and student academic achievement. Data from a Pearson correlation and a regression test were analyzed to determine which variables had the greatest significance on the impact of APTT on family engagement and student academic achievement. Based on the results of the study, parental perception of effectiveness of communications, parental perception of convenience of scheduling of meetings, and parental perception of usefulness of meetings had the greatest significance with family engagement and student academic achievement. Recommendations were suggested for policy-makers, district leaders, educational leaders, teachers, and future researchers.

Research reviews have shown that the use of formative assessment in classroom practice can substantially improve student achievement. However, a strong research base about how to support teachers’ implementation of such formative classroom practice is lacking. In this thesis, I investigate the effects of a comprehensive professional development programme (PDP) in formative assessment on teachers’ classroom practice and students’ achievement in mathematics. In addition, I identify reasons for the changes made in the teachers’ formative classroom practice. Fourteen randomly selected year - 7 mathematics teachers participated in the PDP. The teachers’ formative classroom practice before and after attending the programme was analysed and described, and reasons for their change in practice were explored. The effect of the changes in formative classroom practice on students’ mathematics achievement was examined using pre- and post-tests administered to both the intervention group and a control group. A mixed methods approach with classroom observations, teacher interviews, questionnaires and student achievement tests in mathematics was used in the studies included in the thesis. The results show that the teachers used aspects of formative assessment in their classroom practice before the PDP, but that there was plenty of room for development towards a more effective formative assessment practice. Several possibilities for developing the practice were identified. After the PDP the teachers believed in the idea of formative assessment and were motivated to make changes towards a more formative classroom practice. The teachers included new formative assessment activities in their classroom practice, but in different ways and to different degrees. The characteristics of these changes were identified, and also the characteristics of the PDP that the teachers found to be influential for their development of the formative classroom practice. Results also show that the teachers’ motivational beliefs held after the PDP was an explanatory factor for their changes in practice. However, the formative assessment practice the teachers implemented did not have a significant effect on their students’ achievement compared to the control group. In addition, there was no correlation between the number of formative assessment activities implemented by the teachers and their students’ achievement gains. Reasons for these non-effects on student achievement, and for the teachers’ degree and type of implementation of formative assessment in the classroom practice, are discussed in the thesis.

No description available.

Despite the raise in per-pupil expenditures, the achievement gap between economically advantaged and disadvantaged students continues to increase. Education proponents are scrambling to understand the complexities of local school funding. The No Child Left behind deadline stipulated that all students must be proficient in language arts and mathematics by 2014. The constructivist theory served as the conceptual framework for the study. Performance data were obtained from the State of New Jersey Department of Education and the United States Department of Education. This quantitative study determined whether a significant relationship exists between the allocation of fiscal resources and students' test scores. Improvement District Survey data were obtained from the New Jersey school district. District test results for Grades 6, 7, and 8 in language arts and mathematics from the 2011-2012 school year were used. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed no significant relationship between the allocation of fiscal resources and student achievement other than a significant relationship (25%) between mathematics achievement and educational media services/school library. The Improvement District Survey results revealed that the New Jersey district is capable of aligning their improvement efforts with the barriers and challenges of teachers. These findings have implications for positive social change for education officials by informing their allocation of fiscal resources. This informed approach will support increased student achievement and will add to the current research of allocation patterns and student performance.

Research has shown that interest in science often decreases in the middle-school grades for both boys and girls, but that more boys continue on the science track in high school and college, leading to males dominating the fields of science and engineering in the work place. The interpersonal interaction between teachers and students, as both individuals and as a group, comprises a large part of the classroom learning environment. Though these interactions last only a school year, they can influence student attitudes and achievement in the long term. Past research has suggested that a key factor in improving student achievement and attitudes is to create learning environments which emphasize characteristics that have been found to be linked empirically with achievement and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to use quantitative methods to validate a learning environment questionnaire (Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction, QTI), to investigate outcome-environment associations, and to compare male and female students in terms of their attitudes, classroom environment perceptions and achievement. An attitude scale, based on items from the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA), and a 48-item eight-scale version of the QTI were administered to 1228 science students in Grades 6, 7 and 8 at one middle school in South Florida. Student achievement was measured using the students’ quarterly (nine-week) science grade. / The results revealed satisfactory internal consistency reliability for the QTI, with alpha reliability coefficients ranging from 0.51 to 0.83 for different scales with the student as the unit of analysis and from 0.54 to 0.96 for class means. For the 10-item attitude scale, the alpha coefficient was above 0.80 for both the student and the class mean as the unit of analysis, demonstrating high internal consistency reliability. Overall, the results of the statistical analyses supported that the QTI questionnaire and the attitude scale are valid and reliable instruments for use with secondary science students in South Florida. A strong relationship was found between student outcomes (attitudes and achievement) and many of the eight QTI scales with either the individual or the class mean as the unit of analysis. For example, students’ attitudes towards science were more positive when teachers exhibited more leadership and understanding behaviors and science achievement was higher when teachers were friendlier and less uncertain. The use of MANOVA tentatively revealed gender differences in students’ perceptions of teacher interpersonal behavior, attitudes towards science, and science achievement. However, the differences between males and females were statistically significant only for the Helping/Friendly, Dissatisfied, and Admonishing scales of the QTI and for achievement. In general, relative to males, female students had more positive perceptions of teacher interpersonal behavior and higher academic achievement.

This study examined the data use of central office administrators working in the Curriculum and Instruction Department of a school district. The purpose of this work was to broaden the knowledge base of data use and of the integral role the central office plays in the district-wide use of data to improve teaching and learning. Two research questions guided the study: (a) How do central office personnel involved in curriculum and instruction use data to support district goals of improved student achievement, and (b) how do central office personnel involved in curriculum and instruction use data to support campus goals of improved student achievement? A qualitative and quantitative data collection process with a single-case study approach included focus groups, individual interviews, and a survey instrument. The data from these components were coded, analyzed, and translated into themes and findings using a 9-step constant-comparative process. This process provided rich description and a comprehensive evaluation of findings to answer the research questions. Findings regarding the use of data within the department of curriculum and instruction at the central office revealed that administrators most often took on the role of data provider. The central office provided reports both to campuses and to comply with federal and state regulations and funding requirements; provided professional development to principals, teachers, and instructional specialists; provided information about student achievement to parents and the greater community; and encouraged the use of data and highlighted the value of data use to inform instructional choices. Further analysis of the data revealed barriers that inhibit the systemic use of data and the ability of school districts to become truly data informed: lack of a common vision for data use, creation of data silos that reduce the ability to collaborate and make cooperative data-based decisions, too much data for consideration, and fragmented implementation of the goal-setting process. These findings contribute to the current literature by demonstrating the importance of the central office in data use. In conclusion, what central office administrators do with data matters, and how the central office uses data to support teacher and principal quality is critical in a district focused on improving teaching and student learning. / text

Dans le contexte actuel de l’éducation, l’enfant est davantage placé au cœur des relations entre la famille, l’école et la communauté, et les parents sont invités à accompagner leur enfant tout au long de son parcours scolaire. Quant aux enseignants, ils sont conviés à collaborer de façon systématique avec les familles. La collaboration entre les enseignants et les parents devient donc une condition essentielle à la réussite scolaire des élèves, notamment avec ceux qui éprouvent des difficultés d’apprentissage. Actuellement, dans nos écoles, la collaboration se situe principalement au niveau des communications obligatoires de base prescrites par le Régime pédagogique. En ce sens, Kalubi et Lesieux (2006) soulignent que le partenariat tant souhaité dans les documents officiels des ministères concernés ne transparaît pas toujours dans les pratiques quotidiennes. D’ailleurs, la littérature scientifique montre qu’il existe de nombreux obstacles liés à la collaboration école-famille-communauté, tout particulièrement lorsqu’il s’agit d’entretenir des relations harmonieuses avec les parents d’élèves à risque. À cet égard, une plus grande participation parentale est sollicitée en vue d’intensifier la collaboration entre l’école et la famille. Effectivement, les enseignants désirent que les parents s’impliquent davantage auprès de leur enfant dans les travaux et les devoirs à la maison et, du côté des parents, ils se demandent souvent comment agir pour aider encore mieux leurs enfants dans leur apprentissage (Gouvernement du Québec, 2000). Le plan d’intervention est un outil reconnu par les milieux scolaires pour aider l’élève à risque dans son cheminement scolaire puisqu’il sollicite la participation des parents et encourage la collaboration école-famille-communauté. De fait, il s’inscrit dans une démarche dynamique et prend appui sur une vision systémique de la situation de l’élève, ce qui permet de mieux identifier les besoins de l’élève à risque et d’y répondre adéquatement (Gouvernement du Québec, 2004). En prolongement à ce que l’on connaît déjà sur la participation parentale et la collaboration école-famille-communauté, nous orientons cette recherche sur les perceptions et les attentes d’enseignants au primaire en classe ordinaire et de parents d’élèves à risque à l’égard de la participation parentale et de la collaboration école-famille dans le cadre de l’élaboration et du suivi du plan d’intervention. Cette étude emprunte une approche de recherche qualitative de type exploratoire et elle est menée auprès de huit enseignants au primaire et de sept parents d’élèves à risque. Les participants ont délibérément été choisis pour leur représentativité par rapport à l’objet d’étude (Mongeau, 2009). Une procédure d’échantillonnage par volontariat a été appliquée et les données ont été recueillies par le biais d’entrevues semi-dirigées. L’analyse des entrevues révèle que les parents participent au plan d’intervention parce qu’ils veulent soutenir et aider leur enfant dans leur cheminement scolaire. Il existe cependant de multiples façons pour les parents de participer à la réussite scolaire de leur enfant, celles-ci variant particulièrement selon leurs intérêts, leurs compétences et leurs disponibilités. En ce qui concerne les enseignants, les entrevues nous dévoilent qu’ils ont globalement des perceptions positives à l’égard des parents, ce qui favorise grandement l’établissement de relations harmonieuses. Par contre, ils s’attendent à une plus grande participation parentale dans le suivi scolaire de l’enfant à la maison. Tant d’un côté que de l’autre, les résultats indiquent qu’il faut favoriser davantage la participation des parents à l’élaboration et au suivi du plan d’intervention de l’élève à risque. Idéalement, les enseignants et les parents devraient s’enrichir mutuellement de leurs ressources et de leurs expertises complémentaires en créant des relations collaboratives plutôt que hiérarchiques. Ce niveau de collaboration est sans aucun doute celui qui favoriserait avantageusement la réussite scolaire des élèves à risque. / In today’s education context, the student is placed in the center of the relations between the family, the school and the community. Parents are invited to help their children all along their schooling and teachers are asked to systematically collaborate with families. The collaboration between teachers and parents is therefore an essential condition of the student achievement and it is even more important for students with learning disabilities. Currently in our schools, the collaboration is being mainly maintained at the obligatory basic communications level which is prescribed by the Pedagogic System. Kalubi and Lesieux (2006) indicate that the so desired partnership in official documentation from concerned ministries does not transpire in day to day school practices. Furthermore, scientific literature as shown that there are obstacles to family-school-community partnership especially in regards to keeping harmonious relations with parents of special needs students. Furthermore, even greater parent participation is sought in order to intensify the collaboration between the school and the family. Teachers wish for parents to get more involved with their children in order to accompany them in their school projects and homework. Parents are often asking themselves how to act in order to help even more their children in their homework and learning activities (Government of Quebec, 2000). The individualized education plan is a tool recognized by schooling communities to help the special needs student in their learning activities as it involves parent participation and promotes the family-school-community partnership. The individualized education plan is at the core of a dynamic plan of action which is based on a systemic vision of the student situation in order to better identify the specific needs of the special needs student and to respond to these adequately (Government of Quebec, 2004). In the continuation of what we already know about parent participation and family-school-community partnership, this research is about both perceptions and expectations of teachers and parents of special needs students in elementary school in regards to parent participation and family-school-community partnership in the preparation and follow-up of the individualized education plan. This study is using a qualitative approach of the exploration type with eight teachers in elementary school and seven parents of special needs students. These participants were deliberately chosen for their representativeness in regards to the study (Mongeau, 2009). A process of voluntary sampling was put in place and the data was collected via semi-directed interviews. Data analysis extracted from these voluntary interviews reveals that parent participate in the individualized education plan because they want to help and support and their child in their learning activities. It appears that there are many different ways and levels of engagement for parents to participate in their child’s student achievement. These different ways and level of engagement varies depending on parent’s interests, skills and availability. In regards to teachers, the data extracted from their interviews shows that they have a global positive perception in regards to parents which greatly helps to establish harmonious relationships between them. On the other hand, teachers are expecting greater involvement of parents in their child learning activities at home. On both teacher and parent side, results indicate that parent participation must be facilitated in the preparation, execution and follow-up of the individualized education plan. Ideally teachers and parents should mutually benefit from each other resources and knowledge based on a collaborative relationship instead of a hierarchical one. Such collaborative relationship between teachers and parents would be, without a doubt, the best approach to help special needs students in their school success.