In order to improve his own teaching practice, the researcher observed and studied student-driven approaches to public art education that not only achieved the aims of the national standards, but also encouraged secondary students' engagement with art in personally relevant ways. Inspired and informed by these observations and studies, the researcher developed a curriculum based more on student concerns, which was studied using action research. The action research approach was driven by experimentation with the curriculum's content as well as its implementation and is fundamentally about improving the researcher's own teaching practice. Hence, the study focuses largely on the researcher's curriculum and teaching. Relationships or correlations between intrinsic motivation, engaging with art in critical ways, and classroom autonomy are explored in the present study. This thesis investigates what students might accomplish when given more autonomy over their projects and learning opportunities. This study focused largely on how a student-driven approach changed the researcher's own feelings and understandings about teaching and learning. The results of the present study lead to a variety of conclusions regarding teaching, curriculum, and student learning.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T13:52:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Edslene Dias Pereira Schutz.pdf: 6454509 bytes, checksum: f4cb0e8757eeba23f6e500225593e66d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-12-16 / The objective of this thesis was to identify whether students in the Bachelor's Degree in Physics Distance Learning Consortium Northern UFG-UEG-UCG (LICFIS) are encouraged to develop skills and attitudes necessary for independent learning. In the first chapter presents a brief history and models of Distance Education (EAD), highlighting the role of autonomy in this type of teaching and learning. These topics are discussed in light of Almeida (2003), Belloni (2002), Maia and Mattar (2007), Moore and Kearsley (2008), Peters (2004, 2006) Pretto (2001, 2002, 2003, 2008) Pretto and Shrike (2005), Santos (2005) and Silva (2000, 2003). The second chapter discusses learner autonomy in distance education and ICT can foster the development of autonomy. The third chapter presents the empirical research of what was basically an exploratory observation of the virtual environment of the course "Psychology of Education" conducted between 2008 and 2009, for (42) forty-two students from the poles and Luziânia Quirinópolis (Goiás)'s Degree in Physics Distance Learning Consortium Northern UFG-UEG-SCU. The informational and technical dimensions of autonomy (Preti, 2005) were adopted as analytical categories. It was also a questionnaire with the teacher educator and the academic advisor of that discipline. Data indicate that in the course on screen, there are some mechanisms that stimulated the development of the autonomy of the students who stayed the course, but apparently not have prevented the escape. / O objetivo desta dissertação foi identificar se os alunos do curso de Licenciatura em Física à Distância do Consórcio Setentrional UFG-UEG-UCG (LICFIS) são estimulados para o desenvolvimento de habilidades e de atitudes necessárias à aprendizagem autônoma. No primeiro capítulo são apresentados um breve histórico e os modelos de Educação à Distância (EAD), destacando o papel da autonomia neste tipo de ensino-aprendizagem. Estes temas são abordados à luz de Almeida (2003), Belloni (2002), Maia e Mattar (2007), Moore e Kearsley (2008), Peters (2004, 2006), Pretto (2001, 2002, 2003, 2008), Pretto e Picanço (2005), Santos (2005) e Silva (2000, 2003). O segundo capítulo discute a autonomia do aluno na EAD e se as TIC podem favorecer o desenvolvimento desta autonomia. O terceiro capítulo apresenta a pesquisa empírica, de tipo exploratória que consistiu basicamente na observação do ambiente virtual da disciplina Psicologia da Educação ministrada no período de 2008 e 2009, para os (42) quarenta e dois alunos dos polos de Luziânia e de Quirinópolis (Goiás) do Curso de Licenciatura em Física à Distância do Consórcio Setentrional UFG-UEG-UCG. As dimensões informacional e técnica da autonomia (Preti, 2005) foram adotadas como categorias de análise. Foi também aplicado um questionário com a professora formadora e com o orientador acadêmico da referida disciplina. Os dados obtidos indicam que no curso em tela, verificam-se alguns mecanismos que estimularam o desenvolvimento da autonomia dos alunos que permaneceram no curso, mas parece, não terem impedido a evasão.

This thesis explores educative ideas such as student choice, student autonomy and student directed learning in an educational environment dominated by a top-down, provincially legislated curriculum. Qualitative data was obtained from the professional stories of two experienced educators teaching in public alternative schools in Toronto, Ontario. Using the theoretical lenses of autonomy, relatedness and competency to filter the collected data reveals that offering students authentic choice in their school day has many benefits. Despite this, our globally entrenched educational paradigm dominates our educational world usurping many alternative models.

This thesis explores educative ideas such as student choice, student autonomy and student directed learning in an educational environment dominated by a top-down, provincially legislated curriculum. Qualitative data was obtained from the professional stories of two experienced educators teaching in public alternative schools in Toronto, Ontario. Using the theoretical lenses of autonomy, relatedness and competency to filter the collected data reveals that offering students authentic choice in their school day has many benefits. Despite this, our globally entrenched educational paradigm dominates our educational world usurping many alternative models.

In an attempt to help a class of high school AP Studio Art students find a more authentic sense of autonomy and ownership with their own art projects, the author has constructed a portable art gallery space designated for the exhibition of student artwork. Through a theoretical framework of post-structuralism, as well as a hybrid methodological approach, including tenets of both action research and grounded theory, he was able to explore how de-centralizing traditional, pedagogical notions of power in the classroom and utilizing contemporary art education practices affected AP Studio Art students' experience in the art classroom. By placing an emphasis on student exhibitions, the author was able to foster an environment of greater student autonomy and meaningful art making in the classroom.

How might a curriculum based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) influence student motivation and art making in a 9th grade art classroom? The researcher devised a negotiated curriculum called The Master Artist Program based on the SDT theory of intrinsic motivation. The implementation of this curriculum was designed to explore the question of how a curriculum based on SDT theory would influence student motivation and art making in a 9th grade art classroom. This curriculum was implemented in a ninth grade art class on an optional basis for the course of nine weeks. The results of data analysis, illustrated by relevant vignettes, revealed features indicative of intrinsic motivation as well as peer interaction and community.

Creating a community of learners with and among students in a collaborativeclassroom environment provides the keystone for developing the skills necessary forsuccess in the 21st century. Some preservice teachers envision that community building can enhance the learning experience for them and their students and want to learn and employ the necessary strategies. This study examined whether such a desirous group of novice teachers could identify the key factors they believed comprise community building and could successfully establish a community of learners during their first full year of teaching, supported by participation in a collaborative inquiry group. Four novice teachers met monthly throughout their first year for two-hoursessions during which they discussed and examined various aspects involved inestablishing their classroom communities. They created and shared artifacts designed to promote a caring, respectful relationship between them and their students as well as among the students themselves. These novice teachers discussed the challenges inherent in helping students with differing sociocultural, language, and behavioral needs bond with one another. They also supported each other in dealing with the myriad of necessities and constraints involved in implementing a start-up classroom. During the final session, group members synthesized what they believed constituted the essence of community building. They also elaborated regarding the areas of success they had achieved during their initial year of teaching. Finally, the members identified that participation in a collaborative inquiry group had supported their first-year experience. The group judged their overall experience as productive and successful. The researcher’s perspective was somewhat different from the other groupmembers. Difficulties identified in the process were using collaborative inquiry as themethod to gather data for a dissertation while endeavoring to act as an equal groupmember, requiring in-depth analysis of novice teachers who had not previouslyparticipated in action research and were still in the early stages of developing theirpractice as well as the tendency of novice teachers who had experienced the samepreservice program to employ groupthink rather than to challenge one another’sstatements. Further research should study collaborative inquiry as a method employed throughout preservice programs.

This quantitative study examined teacher perceptions on the relationship between technology, student academic behaviors, and performance in blended 9th-12th grade settings through pre-COVID-19 Pandemic and post-COVID-19 Pandemic learning experiences. This replicate study explored the relationship between teacher perceptions of student motivation and student autonomy and their relation to technology implementation in face-to-face instruction and blended learning environments. Particularly, this study analyzed how student motivation and student autonomy were affected by blended learning technologies and teaching strategies introduced after the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Data were examined to investigate teacher perceptions on the relationship between technology, student academic behaviors, and performance in blended learning 9th-12th grade settings through pre-COVID-19 Pandemic and post-COVID-19 Pandemic learning experiences in two east Tennessee school districts. Participants of this study included 42 high school teachers post-COVID-19 Pandemic in 2023 and 75 high school teachers pre-COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 within two school districts in east Tennessee. Statistical analyses of the data revealed significance on participant teacher perceptions of student motivation and student autonomy. Findings did not correlate to the original study. The research revealed there was a significant difference in teacher perceptions of student autonomy in the face-to-face instructional setting. Findings indicated teacher perceptions of student motivation were significantly higher post-COVID-19 Pandemic compared to pre-COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study investigated the hypothesis that there is a relationship between teacher practices that focus on the provision of involvement, structure, and autonomy support and student engagement (Connell & Wellborn, 1991). The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) (Pianta, R., Hamre, B., Haynes, N., Mintz, S., & La Paro, K., 2006) was used to assess practices of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade core teachers (N =17) in mathematics, English, science, and social studies in an economically-depressed, rural middle school setting. Student perceptions (N = 299) of relatedness, competence, and autonomy, and mathematics teachers' (N = 5) perceptions of student engagement were assessed using the Research Assessment Package for Schools (RAPS) (IRRE, 1998). While the findings revealed that there were significant relationships between teacher practices that center on involvement, structure, and autonomy support and student engagement, the effect sizes were found to be low. / Ph. D.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Lúcio Campos Costa / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ensino, História, Filosofia das Ciências e Matemática, Santo André, 2018. / Nos documentos oficiais nacionais sobre Educação Básica é possível identificar a relevância atribuída à autonomia no processo de formação dos(as) estudantes. Parecem existir, todavia, diferentes formas de dar sentido ao termo "autonomia", não só nestes documentos, mas também em trabalhos acadêmicos voltados à promoção de autonomia discente. Frente a esta aparente polissemia, será empreendida neste trabalho, num recorte temporal estabelecido, uma pesquisa bibliográfica sobre a questão da autonomia em contextos educacionais. De posse destes dados, será realizado um processo de análise e categorização dos sentidos e interpretações que vêm sendo veiculados nos documentos oficiais e nos trabalhos acadêmicos, visando a uma síntese que permita identificar as principais correntes sobre o tema. Com isto, espera-se contribuir não só para um entendimento mais aprofundado sobre as questões que envolvem a promoção de autonomia discente, como também com uma recolocação mais adequada do tema em questão no debate pedagógico atual. / In the official national documents on Basic Education it is possible to identify the relevance attributed to the autonomy for the students formation. However, seems to exists different ways to signify the term "autonomy", not only in such documents, but also in academic works related to the student autonomy promotion. Considering this apparent polysemy, a bibliographical research on the issue of autonomy in educational contexts will be undertaken in this work, within an established time frame. With these data, a process of analysis and categorization of the meanings and interpretations that are being conveyed in the official documents and in academia will be carried out aiming at a synthesis that allows to identify the main currents on the theme. It is hoped, therefore, to contribute not only with a deeper understanding on the issues that involve the promotion of student autonomy, but also to a more adequate replacement of the subject in the current pedagogical debate.