A reliance on a teacher-centered model of instruction presented the foundation for my research. I chose to investigate constructivist theory and to implement constructivist teaching practices within my art education classroom to determine if constructivist teaching practices would facilitate a shift to a more student-centered learning environment, and to determine if constructivist strategies positively impact student learning. I collected my raw data using autoethnographic recording, documenting my results over a two month period in January and February of 2007 from my experiences as an art educator at a public, Metro-Atlanta elementary school. A positive impact on student learning was observed and the constructivist teaching strategies did produce student-centered learning environments. Based on my experiences constructivist teaching strategies may be beneficial to the creation of student-centered learning environments and assist in broadening student inquiry and investment with lessons.

In an attempt to help middle school art students to be more engaged and have more ownership over their learning experience, the researcher, who is also the classroom teacher, created and implemented student-directed and teacher-supported strategies. Using a design-based research methodology, the author conducted a qualitative study over a twelve-week period investigating the affordances or limitations of implementing more student-directed strategies. The results showed three categories of student responses. The students that were ready and capable to direct their own learning excelled, guiding their own learning, and were able to generate personally relevant and disciplinary connected art. The second category of students initially did not have the artistic skills or the skills necessary to direct their own learning. Through interventions and scaffolding, these students were able to direct their learning and make personally relevant and disciplinary connected art. The last category of students struggled to guide their learning, were unmotivated, and relied on the teacher to direct their learning. The results suggest that neither a teacher-centered or student-directed model alone is adequate to achieve desired outcomes of students guiding their learning and achieving high academic standards. There is a need for a teacher to perceive and adapt their practice to address the multifaceted needs of students.

A reliance on a teacher-centered model of instruction presented the foundation for my research. I chose to investigate constructivist theory and to implement constructivist teaching practices within my art education classroom to determine if constructivist teaching practices would facilitate a shift to a more student-centered learning environment, and to determine if constructivist strategies positively impact student learning. I collected my raw data using autoethnographic recording, documenting my results over a two month period in January and February of 2007 from my experiences as an art educator at a public, Metro-Atlanta elementary school. A positive impact on student learning was observed and the constructivist teaching strategies did produce student-centered learning environments. Based on my experiences constructivist teaching strategies may be beneficial to the creation of student-centered learning environments and assist in broadening student inquiry and investment with lessons.

This study was conducted in order to determine how mathematics teachers allocate their time in the classroom and the factors that influence teacher priorities in that time allocation. Research has indicated that math teachers may choose not to do certain activities in their classroom because of the amount of time that they take, but other underlying reasons may exist. In order to study this idea, six math teachers were interviewed on their current time allocation and rationale for that allocation, and the results from these interviews were used to create a survey that was sent to 581 math teachers in Utah. The results from the 224 completed surveys showed that many teachers allocate their classroom time in a fairly traditional manner, with an average of about 10% of class time being spent on student-centered activities. 40.63% of teachers spent 0% of their class time on student-centered activities. There is variation in time allocation and influencing factors based on a teacher's schedule, level of teaching, experience, and how student-centered their teaching methods are. Also, the results support the claim that there are factors, other than limited class time, that affect how teachers choose whether or not to do certain activities. Some of the most significant deciding factors found are whether the activities will help students with their end of level tests, if they will keep students working hard mathematically, whether others are using those activities or not, how the activities affect classroom rowdiness. It was also found that teachers who are more teacher-centered tended to choose activities based on how easy they were to implement, including their personal comfort level, ease of preparation, and ease of management with student behavior. More student-centered teachers tended to care more about keeping the students working hard mathematically.

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Heeding current best practice, many teachers prioritize student-centered instruction as the most effective pedagogy to achieve student learning. However, preservice teachers at a small, southeastern U.S. university have expressed reservations in executing student-centered instructional methods when they become lesson facilitators. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine whether probational elementary teachers have the knowledge and skill set to execute student-centered instruction and identify the characteristics of this method based on their preservice experiences. The conceptual framework consisted of constructivist, humanism, and social learning, theories . The four research questions focused on participants' understanding of student-centered and teacher-centered pedagogical methods, whether or not their understandings changed in practice, and what factors influenced those changes. Purposeful sampling provided 5 probationary elementary teachers who had graduated from the same university. Data included 3 semistructured interviews, 2 classroom observations, and a review of instructional materials. Data were inductively coded and analyzed throughout the collection process. Findings revealed that each participant practiced and could theoretically identify the characteristics of both student-centered and teacher-centered methods; however, they could not identify these characteristics consistently in their own practices. Findings indicated that preservice teachers needed more exposure to student-centered pedagogy. Teachers who develop proficiency with student-centered pedagogy may be better able to empower students to solve problems, make decisions, advocate, and negotiate relationships with others. These characteristics are the foundation for active citizenship making positive social change possible.

CONTRIBUTION OF SOME FACTORS TO EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS&rsquo / SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT IN TURKEY: TIMSS 2007 KORKMAZ, Fettah M. S., Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education Supervisor: Prof. Dr. &Ouml / mer GEBAN September 2012, 120 pages The purpose of this study is to determine some of the factors that affect science achievement of eighth grade students in Turkey based on data results of Trends in International Science and Mathematics Study (TIMSS 2007). The present study investigated the relationship between the students&rsquo / achievement in science and certain factors such as student centered activities perceived by students, teacher centered activities perceived by students, students

This study aimed at investigating classroom management approaches of primary school teachers and exploring if their management approaches are consistent with the constructivist curriculum. The sample consisted of 265 primary school teachers working in Kastamonu. Data were gathered from the participants via Classroom Management Inventory developed by the researcher. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to analyze the data. Mixed Design ANOVA (within subjects and between subjects) was employed to investigate the dominant classroom management approach that teachers use and to explore the effect of some variables on classroom management approaches of teachers. Results of the study indicated that primary school teachers prefer to use studentcentered management approach rather than teacher-centered approach. That is teachers&rsquo / management approaches are consistent with the constructivist instruction. Furthermore, some background variables were found to affect the classroom management approaches of teachers. A significant difference was found in classroom management approaches of teachers with respect to teaching experience, branch, type of certification and average number of students teachers have in their classes while no significant difference was found with respect to gender variable.

The purpose of this descriptive, mixed-method study was to explore a possible relationship between teacher beliefs and their philosophy of teaching. A theoretical framework depicted connections among levels of science anxiety and science teaching self-efficacy, and their influences on elementary teacher instructional preferences for a traditional or inquiry-based model of instruction. A card-sorting methodology was adapted to create an interview protocol that examined teacher instructional practices within the framework of an inquiry continuum. Teacher groups were identified quantitatively with two existing instruments to examine science anxiety and science teaching self-efficacy. Subtests of both the Science State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) were administered through an online survey and completed by 86 elementary teachers of science in a large urban school district. From the survey data teachers were grouped by levels of anxiety and self-efficacy in order to further examine their beliefs. Results identified three groups of teachers meriting additional investigation - low anxiety and high self-efficacy, high anxiety and low self-efficacy, and high anxiety and high self-efficacy. From these groups, eight total participants were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol consisting of a science teaching scenario card sort and open-ended questions to classify groups of teachers as primarily learner- or teacher-centered, and preferring a traditional or inquiry-based method of instruction. Based on qualitative coding for levels of inquiry and responses to questions probing teacher beliefs and practices, all of the teachers were classified as preferring a primarily teacher-centered model of instruction, thus upholding the theoretical framework for the high anxiety groups. In contradiction to the expectations described in the theoretical framework, the low anxiety and high self-efficacy group stated one of the strongest preferences for traditional instruction. In conclusion the low anxiety group may have preferred a traditional approach in order to meet campus expectations of instructional strategies that promote passing scores on standardized tests. Implications suggest that explicit instruction is needed on the essential features of inquiry for teachers during the preservice and induction phase of their careers, and additional professional development support for practicing elementary teachers. / text

This research explored Chinese college English teachers’ beliefs and conceptual change in relation to the government-mandated shift from the traditional grammar-based approaches to language teaching to communicative language teaching (CLT). This study employed an ethnographic approach and was conducted at a university in China. Six Chinese college English teachers agreed to participate in a three-month study during which their classroom teaching was observed and they were interviewed about their teaching experiences, understanding of the new teaching methods, and interpretations of the curriculum change. Three patterns of conceptual change were found in their beliefs about language teaching and learning: (a) change in teaching methods but no significant change in conceptions and beliefs, (b) change in both teaching methods and conceptions accompanied by painful conceptual conflict, and (c) change in both teaching methods and beliefs and an acquisition of broader curriculum perspectives. The stories and experiences of the participants indicate the complex, non-linear nature of conceptual development in their beliefs about language teaching. They struggled to expand their conceptual space by dwelling in the Zone of Between—between Chinese and Western educational traditions, between social, cognitive, and psychological processes of conceptual growth, between teaching and educating, and between curriculum-as-plan and curriculum-in-use. This study is expected to have suggestions for ongoing college English teaching in China, provide insight for the research of teachers’ beliefs related to curriculum development in other cultural contexts, and inform language teacher education and development programs. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2008-08-17 09:08:34.638