D.Ed.

Stories are a vehicle through which experiences and events are communicated amongst people. Stories have the potential to influence people’s understandings and beliefs, and essentially, promote a societal and cultural change. Grounded in literature pointing to the value of narrative in supporting learning and the need to explore new modes of communicating science, this study explores the potential of narrative in science education. The aim was to explore the use of a Story-Based Learning Design in a Grade 4 Science and Technology classroom. Using a qualitative case study research design the researcher took on the role of participant-observer. Data were collected through observations, learner verbal and written descriptions of a final product and teacher reflective interviews. The findings of this study illustrate the value of stories, as learning tools, in science education. In this regard pertinent conclusions were derived, namely, that stories attract learners and have the potential to be used as a vehicle for learning scientific concepts and the target vocabulary, that stories enable learners to make meaning of abstract concepts and relate it to their world and finally that the use of the imagination assists learners to visualise concepts making learning relevant.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dilemmas pre-service science teachers encounter in relation to their participation in a project which sought to establish a constructivist and collaborative model of teaching and learning. I also explored the strategies the pre-service teachers implemented to manage the dilemmas they encountered, as well as how they perceived those dilemmas to have influenced their teaching practice and their personal philosophies of teaching and learning (PPoTaL). Since the construct of voice was an important factor in this study, I used a research method that I refer to as intercontext. This method has three major components: stimulated linkage, reflexivity and the dialectical conversation. To enact this research method, I conducted five interviews with each of the six pre-service teachers over the 12-month period of their professional preparation. In addition, I had many informal conversations with them and observed them several times during their university and school practicum experiences. I argued that social constructivism provides a fruitful theoretical framework to interpret the results of this study, because this orientation to teaching and learning is based on the notion that knowledge is socially constructed and mediated by.cultural, historical and institutional codes. In this light, three broad dilemmas were identified in relation to the students' experiences with the teacher education program's course content and design and six dilemmas were identified in relation to the roles the participants felt they needed to perform during their school practicum. The variety of dilemmas the pre-service teachers encountered and the direct and indirect strategies they implemented to manage those dilemmas could be explained in terms of two overarching issues. The first had to do with the difficulties associated with bridging the theory and practice of learning to teach in two distinct communities of practice (i.e., in the university and the school communities). The second general factor had to do with the type of relationship the pre-service teachers established with their school advisor(s) or/and faculty advisor; that is, from the the students' point of view they wondered to what extent they could trust their advisors to allow them to take the risks associated with asking questions, trying innovative approaches in the classroom, and exploring their own teaching identity without any of these reflecting negatively in their final evaluation reports. Finally, a number of suggestions for practice and further research are provided. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to investigate the praxis (theory and practice) of oral language by student teachers during their practicum. Specifically, this study identified and described the factors which 13 British Columbia student teachers perceived of as affecting the establishment of an orally interactive environment within their practicum classroom. Through the analysis of dialogue journals, interviews, and questionnaires, 24 factors in 5 categories were identified and described that affect the development of orally interactive teaching. The factors were grouped into categories of knowledge, position, expectations, structures, and assumptions. This study concludes that the identification of factors affecting orality in the practicum can assist teacher education programs and teachers to more effectively address the potential of orality as a medium for negotiation and meaning making in the classroom. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

M.Ed. (Education) / South-Africa is on the verge of a new lifestyle, a new way of thinking and doing. The task thrust upon the teacher of today for preparing the adults of the future, is therefore a very important one. But the present teachers are not going to be there for ever, new teachers are entering the educational system all the time. The preparation of these new teachers is the focus of this study. Students qualifying as teachers need to undergo a programme of preparation to be professionally acceptable. The course of this study is both theoretical and practical. The student must have a fundamental knowledge of children, as well as the subject . matter that they must make fundamental for the children. If they know the child, and they know the subject matter, they should also be capable of conveying this knowledge successful]y to the child. This is a complex action that cannot be done only with knowledge from a book or books, but must be practised during the preparation of the students, otherwise no help can be given to the student. This is where practice teaching plays a very important role. The importance of practice teaching cannot be underestimated. The preparation of teachers may not be only theoretical or only practical, but an integration of the two aspects. With the theoretical foundation, the students set Qut for practice teaching. At the schools they interact with other teachers and with children, and prepare lessons to present to their supervisors. This is where different points of view occur over what really happened during the lesson, how the ,practice lesson should have been presented and how the student should have been evaluated on his performance. Lots of students do not think that these practice les80ns are worth while and the whole idea of practice teaching is lost. To counteract this negative feeling from students, research was done to determine which problems students experience during practice teaching. Some procedures have been identified as problems, and some procedures not. The feelings of the students were noted and the handling of practice teaching by all parties was investigated. To ensure that practice teaching has a profound impact on students, a form to evaluate the students was designed. This form aims to set aside some subjective measures that may result in negative attitudes by students. The evaluation forms of some universities and colleges have been evaluated to find a way of trying to motivate students through the process of evaluation during practice teaching.

The purpose of this study was to examine the events, processes, perceptions and changes that occurred as an elementary school faculty and a university faculty collaborated in a partnership formed by the creation of a Professional Development Academy (PDA). The study described how an elementary school faculty and a university faculty collaborated as they implemented a PDA. Research questions were: (1) What contributing factors led to the school and university faculties' collaboration during the first three years of the pilot PDA, 1993-1996? (2) How did the school and university faculties collaborate for change during the first three years of the pilot PDA? (3) As a result of collaboration between the school and university faculties during the first three years of the pilot PDA, what changes occurred at the school and university? A descriptive case study approach was used to explore behaviors within these groups during the three pilot years of the PDA. The study included interviews, and a review of documents and artifacts. Four classroom teachers were randomly selected from the elementary school, four professors were selected from the university and two administrators: one from the school and one from the university, were interviewed. Responses from the interviewees were initially categorized into Kagan's (1991) six categories of collaboration and into three sections: before the PDA began, during the three years of the PDA, and reflections at the end of the three pilot years of the PDA. Kagan's categories for collaboration are: formation, conceptualization, development, implementation, evaluation, and termination/reformation stages. Documentation from the participants and PDA files were analyzed. Six factors were found to contribute to collaboration between faculties: a wish to know the other colleagues personally; maintenance of "we're in this together" attitude; willingness to accept additional responsibilities; investment in making the PDA work; discovery of opportunities for leadership and input; and synergy between coordinators and administrators. There was evidence that collaboration occurred because of a welcoming and supportive climate; open communication; active involvement by both faculties; validation of teachers and professors; and support for goals and recommendations. / Ed. D.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine whether the attitudes of Elementary Education students and Secondary Education students toward children and teaching differ significantly prior to and after student teaching and whether these attitudes show a significant change as a result of the student-teaching experience. The study was also concerned with correlation between attitude change and the subject which the student teaches and correlation between attitude and the student ' s performance grade in student teaching. Method Subjects for the study were 33 Elementary Education students and 67 Secondary Education students at Utah State University who did their student teaching during the winter quarter, 1975. Secondary Education students were distributed in six areas as follows: Arts/Humanities, 11; Business Education/Distributive Education, 12; Math/Science, 5; Vocational Education, 23; Social Studies, 7; and Physical Education/Health, 9 . Students participating in the study were tested on the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory (MTAI) before and after student teaching. They were rated by university supervisors on Part I of the Instrument for the Observation of Teaching Activities (IOTA) during the final weeks of student teaching. Analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were used to compare group means on the pre- and post-tests of the MTAI. Analysis of variance was also used to compare mean group scores on the IOTA . Pearson's L product-moment correlation was used to determine significant relationships between student teachers' attitude scores on the MTAI and performance scores on the IOTA. Findings 1. Prior to student teaching, Elementary Education student teachers had a significantly less realistic attitude toward children and teaching than Secondary Education student teachers had . Significance was at the .01 level. 2. After student teaching, there was no significant difference between t he mean attitudes of Elementary Education and Secondary Education students toward children and teaching. 3. Elementary Education students and Secondary Education students had more realistic attitudes toward children and teaching (significant at the .01 level) after student teaching. 4. There was no significant difference in the mean attitudes toward children and teaching , before and after student teaching, of Secondary Education students who taught in five of the six Secondary Education teaching areas. Students who taught in the area of Vocational Education had a significantly more realistic mean attitude toward children and teaching after the student teaching experience. Significance was at the .01 level. 5 . There was no significant difference in mean performance scores on the Instrument for the Observation of Teaching Activities (IOTA) for Elementary Education student teachers and Secondary Education student teachers. 6. There was no significant correlation between mean attitude scores and mean performance scores on the IOTA for Elementary Education student teachers and Secondary Education student teachers. 7 . There was no significant correlation between mean attitude scores and mean performance scores on the IOTA for students in five of the six Secondary Education teaching areas. Students teaching in the area of Physical Education/Health had a significant correlation between their mean attitudes prior to and after student teaching, and their mean performance score on the IOTA. Significance was at the .01 level.

Over the past five years, increased enrollment in student teaching at Portland State University has forced the School of Education to consider its current guidelines and policies for admitting student teachers. School of Education funding and faculty time are being taxed to meet the demands placed on them by increasing enrollment. This study was undertaken to provide data to determine if and how enrollment in student teaching could be limited. To do this, the study examined the existing guidelines for screening and selecting student teachers. The aim of the design was to determine if any of the existing criteria used in screening correlated with the student’s success in student teaching. If the screening criteria did correlate with the student’s success it would be strictly defined. This would then aid in limiting the number of students accepted by the School of Education to student teach. If the screening criteria did not correlate, research could begin from that point. This research could be directed toward finding criteria that did correlate. The sample selected for this study was made up of 1,409 student teachers at Portland State University from Fall Term 1966 to Spring Term 1969. The qualifications for each of these student teachers, at the time of their screening, were gathered and correlated with the scores each student received for his student teaching experience. The scores used to measure the student’s success were taken from the ratings made by the University Supervisor, who was assigned to the student teacher. These scores were concerned with four areas of the student’s experience: first, the student’s knowledge of his subject matter field, second, the student’s teaching ability, third, the student’s ability to get along with students and colleagues, fourth, the student’s professional and ethical attitudes. The data was gathered by reviewing and compiling each student’s qualifications from records on file in the School of Education. This data was transferred from the file to a data sheet which was specially designed for this study. From the data sheets the findings were grouped and tested. The general conclusion of the study was that of the current criteria used in screening, none correlated at a statistically significant level with the student’s success score. A secondary conclusion was that of the three grade point averages used in screening, the cumulative average correlated at a higher level than the other two. The interview rating used did not correlate at a significant level with the success score. Also, the interview rating did not correlate significantly when used to indicate an unacceptable or outstanding score in student teaching. From the findings and conclusions several recommendations were made in the study. One was that, the screening criteria used by the School of Education be deleted. In its place, an open enrollment policy should be adopted by the School of Education. To ease the funding and time difficulties, it was recommended that the one to sixteen ratio currently used in supervision be increased. To do this it was suggested that the clustering plan, now being considered by the School of Education be adopted as a plan of action.

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to examine how cooperating teachers’ narrative authority was revealed or strengthened within an intentionally formed knowledge community established to create a safe space for cooperating teachers to story and restory their experiences as music teacher educators. The conceptions of knowledge communities and narrative authority, grounded in Dewey’s theory of experience and narrative knowing, followed the research line of Connelly and Clandinin (1990). Concepts of interest emerging from this framework were cooperating teachers’ personal practical knowledge, continuity of experience between their stories, interaction with others in specific contexts, features of the professional knowledge landscape of music teacher education, and tensions arising from cooperating teachers’ positions on the landscape relative to the conduit. Of particular interest was how the strengthening of narrative authority within the knowledge community would allow cooperating teachers to question taken-for-granted notions of teacher education. The knowledge community, which included three participants and myself, met twice during the course of the study, but maintained continuous communication through conversations and emails. Observations were conducted during the student teaching practicum. Field notes were also an important part of the data collected. Data analysis and representation were situated within the three-dimensional inquiry space described by Clandinin and Connelly (2000) and drew on a variety of methods. Issues of researcher subjectivity and ethics were addressed through enacting the principles of resonant work in narrative inquiry in music education (Stauffer & Barrett, 2009). Four story categories emerged from the data: stories of established practice, stories of influential relationships, stories of tension, and stories of possibility. Laying alongside the stories of each participant created a thematic dialogue that gives readers a seat at the table to experience their stories and a jumping off point to add their own. There is potential for this type of knowledge community to strengthen practice by creating a space for sharing previously untold stories of practice. The process of looking back at past practices, reflecting on current practices, and reimagining future practices within the knowledge community strengthened narrative authority in a way that opened the possibility to trouble certainty.

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