<p> The young adolescent learner is in a unique and distinctive phase of development, and as such requires a developmentally responsive educational program delivered by specially prepared middle level educators. The purpose of this qualitative mixed methods study was to compare current California policies for middle school teacher licensure and preparation programs with the most recent research on young adolescent development. A second purpose of this study was to investigate the design and implementation of middle school specific teacher preparation programs in California in relation to the most recent research on young adolescent development. </p><p> The findings of this study indicate that the young adolescent student is in a unique phase of development, which requires a specialized developmentally responsive educational program, delivered by specifically prepared teachers. The evidence further demonstrates that strong middle level teacher preparation programs, such as the program at CSU San Marcos, are designed to prepare teachers to address these complex developmental needs of the young adolescent student. An additional finding was that the current California teacher licensure and preparation requirements have not kept pace with the research on the young adolescent learner and are thereby misaligned with the best practices determined for this age group. A restructuring of the policies for California teacher licensure and preparation requirements to align with the research on best practices for the young adolescent learner is recommended. </p><p> The voluminous body of research on the young adolescent learner consistently demonstrates the need for developmentally responsive schools staffed by specially prepared middle level educators. The current licensing and teacher preparation systems in place in California are poorly coordinated with known best practices and, are failing to meet the needs of the middle level learner. There is a need for restructuring of schooling for the young adolescent learner in California, including the method for preparing and licensing teachers for the middle level, in order to provide developmentally responsive schools.</p>

Within the last decade, the pressures of implementing state mandated early learning guidelines and meeting the requirements from federal, state and local agencies, have taken their toll on many preschool programs. In the present study, preschool programs were given a chance to voice their opinions about how curriculum standards and other external mandates were directly and indirectly influencing curriculum planning, teaching practices, and child activity. A brief survey was sent to 90 preschool directors in a region in Massachusetts, 28 directors completed this survey. A sample of nine directors, from the survey respondents, volunteered to be interviewed. In two separate interviews the researcher asked a series of questions to obtain data from the participants. These interview questions focused on how the participants made sense of the mandatory integration of early learning standards and other external mandates into their preschool program and their concerns based on their role as a preschool director. The results of the study revealed that external guidelines set forth by the state and federal government were a great concern to the preschool directors. These directors agreed that curriculum mandates were necessary yet the amount of work, time and expenditure needed to meet the demands of these mandates could be quite overwhelming. Concerns were particularly relevant in the areas of obtaining or maintaining NAEYC accreditation and the push for a standardized curriculum and/or a standardized assessment tool. To receive specific types of funding, a program must be using a standardized assessment tool. Many funding sources also require that a program be accredited by NAEYC. The financial and physical expense of both of these requirements was prohibitive. The results were analyzed with respect to child development and early childhood education principles. The findings indicated that curriculum mandates focused primarily on young children's cognitive development to the detriment of social and emotional competence. The findings also indicated that children were being pressured to spend more time on narrow academic skills and less time on play. Yet play has been found to provide children with opportunities to interact socially, express and control emotions, and develop symbolic thinking skills (Nicolopoulou, 2010).

The purpose of this study is to describe the multicultural curricula that are currently being offered to prospective elementary teachers for promoting learning for diverse students. First, multicultural courses that exist in selected elementary teacher preparation programs are identified and described. Second, perceptions of teacher educators toward the importance of the role of multicultural education in the preparation of elementary school teachers is reported. Specifically, the following research questions guide the nature of the study: (1) What courses in multicultural education are part of the teacher education curriculum for elementary teacher certification in selected institutions of higher education? (2) What do teacher educators consider as the main reasons for including or excluding multicultural education in the elementary teacher preparation program? (3) What recommendations do teacher educators suggest for improving the multicultural education of their elementary teacher preparation program? This study is significant because it brings into sharp focus the multicultural curricula that are currently being offered to prospective elementary teachers. Additionally, the study reports the perceptions of teacher educators toward the importance of multicultural education in the preparation of elementary school teachers. Seven diverse colleges and universities provided the data on multicultural courses. Twenty-one teacher educators from these participating institutions reported their perceptions toward the importance of multicultural education to the preparation of elementary teachers. The analysis of data on multicultural courses and perceptions of teacher educators revealed that there was significant difference between the way teacher educators perceived the importance of multicultural education and the way multicultural courses were actually offered to prospective elementary teachers. In six of the participating institutions of higher education, multicultural education was offered as topics or units within already existing Foundations courses. Only one university offered a separate multicultural education course as a part of its elementary teacher education program. It is reasonable to conclude from this study that whenever a new issue in student learning and curriculum emerges, too often the curriculum to prepare prospective teachers responds by adapting existing courses rather than by considering a curriculum reform that may include new courses. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

abstract: With the unveiling of the National Educational Technology Plan 2010, both preservice and inservice K12 teachers in the United States are expected to create a classroom environment that fosters the creation of digital citizens. However, it is unclear whether or not teacher education programs build this direct instruction, or any other method of introducing students to the National Education Technology Standards (NETS), "a standard of excellence and best practices in learning, teaching and leading with technology in education," into their curriculum (International Society for Technology in Education, 2012). As with most teaching skills, the NETS and standards-based technology integration must be learned through exposure during the teacher preparation curriculum, either through modeling, direct instruction or assignments constructed to encourage standards-based technology integration. This study attempted to determine the extent to which preservice teachers at Arizona State University (ASU) enrolled in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College (MLFTC) can recognize the National Education Technology Standards (NETS) published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and to what extent preservice teachers are exposed to technology integration in accordance with the NETS-T standards in their preparation curriculum in order to answer the questions of whether or not teacher education curriculum provides students an opportunity to learn and apply the NETS-T and if preservice teachers in core teacher preparation program courses that include objectives that integrate technology are more likely to be able to identify NETS-T standards than those in courses that do not include these elements In order to answer these questions, a mixed-method design study was utilized to gather data from an electronic survey, one-on-one interviews with students, faculty, and administrators, and document analysis of core course objectives and curriculum goals in the teacher certification program at ASU. The data was analyzed in order to determine the relationship between the preservice teachers, the NETS-T standards, and the role technology plays in the curriculum of the teacher preparation program. Results of the analysis indicate that preservice teachers have a minimum NETS-T awareness at the Literacy level, indicating that they can use technology skills when prompted and explore technology independently. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Technology 2013

No description available.

A investigação da Linha de Pesquisa: Universidade: Teoria e Prática, Ênfase em Formação de Professores, "Do professor licenciado ao docente crítico intelectual e reflexivo: uma análise a partir de cursos de licenciatura em matemática e história de universidade privada no RS", estudou as implicações da reforma educacional pós LDBEN, Resolução CNE/CP 1/2002, verificando a manifestação dessas concepções na prática pedagógica dos professores de duas licenciaturas de uma universidade privada no litoral do RS. Buscou igualmente evidenciar a lógica que permeia os documentos legais normativos para formação de professores e a concepção de professor reflexivo que aparece a partir da Resolução CNE/CP 1/2002, que institui as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para Formação de Professores da Educação Básica, em nível superior, em curso de licenciatura, de graduação plena, esta antecedida pelo Parecer CNE/CP 09/2001. Neste estudo de caso que pautou-se num modo de análise ancorado na teoria crítica e, na análise de conteúdo dos dados coletados, encontrou-se como resultado que tais políticas são balizadas por estratégias econômicas, entendidas neste texto como reflexo de políticas neoliberais. Esta resolução sinaliza uma inovação na perspectiva de formação docente, que embora inovadora, é permeada pela racionalidade técnica, tratando-se então, de novas roupagens para velhos discursos. A intencionalidade da reflexão sofre interferências deste contexto, resultando num esvaziamento de seu real significado. Em contraponto a esta perspectiva, esta dissertação apresenta a concepção de professor como intelectual crítico e reflexivo (Pimenta, 2002). Concluo a investigação, constatando nos cursos analisados que estes se pautam no que apresentam as normativas legais; que os professores, principais agentes de efetivação destas propostas, muitas vezes desconhecem ou não participaram da reforma curricular dos cursos, resultando num alienamento das intenções e na superficialidade de entendimento dos conceitos abarcados. / The investigation of the Research Line: University: Theory and Practice, with emphasis on Teacher Education, "From a licentiate teacher to a critical and reflexive educator: an analysis on mathematics and history licentiate courses at a private university in RS", studied the post-LDBEN educational reform implications, CNE/CP 1/2002 Act , verifying the manifestation of such conceptions on the pedagogical practice of two licentiate courses at a private university in RS's coastal region. Also it sought to make clear the logic permeating the normative legal documents for teacher education and the conception of a reflexive teacher that comes out from the CNE/CP 1/2002 Act, which instituted the National Curriculum Guide for the Formation of Basic Education Teachers, at higher level licentiate course, full degree programs, being the latter preceded by the CNE/CP 09/2001 Act. Drawing on the critical theory analysis as well as on the collected data content analysis, this case study has shown that such policies are oriented by economic strategies, herein understood as a consequence of neoliberal policies. They point toward some innovation on teacher education; such innovative perspective, however, is permeated by technical rationality, what means, in the end, that we have new garments for old speeches. Such context interferes greatly on the initial intent for reflection, emptying its real meaning. In contrast with that perspective, this dissertation presents the conception of a teacher as a critical and reflexive intellectual (Pimenta,2002). The investigation findings show that the analysed courses draw from the legal norms while the teachers, who are the main agents for such proposals to enter into force, are either unaware of the curricular reform or have not taken part in it. Thus, the result is alienation of purposes and superficial understanding of the concepts involved.

A investigação da Linha de Pesquisa: Universidade: Teoria e Prática, Ênfase em Formação de Professores, "Do professor licenciado ao docente crítico intelectual e reflexivo: uma análise a partir de cursos de licenciatura em matemática e história de universidade privada no RS", estudou as implicações da reforma educacional pós LDBEN, Resolução CNE/CP 1/2002, verificando a manifestação dessas concepções na prática pedagógica dos professores de duas licenciaturas de uma universidade privada no litoral do RS. Buscou igualmente evidenciar a lógica que permeia os documentos legais normativos para formação de professores e a concepção de professor reflexivo que aparece a partir da Resolução CNE/CP 1/2002, que institui as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para Formação de Professores da Educação Básica, em nível superior, em curso de licenciatura, de graduação plena, esta antecedida pelo Parecer CNE/CP 09/2001. Neste estudo de caso que pautou-se num modo de análise ancorado na teoria crítica e, na análise de conteúdo dos dados coletados, encontrou-se como resultado que tais políticas são balizadas por estratégias econômicas, entendidas neste texto como reflexo de políticas neoliberais. Esta resolução sinaliza uma inovação na perspectiva de formação docente, que embora inovadora, é permeada pela racionalidade técnica, tratando-se então, de novas roupagens para velhos discursos. A intencionalidade da reflexão sofre interferências deste contexto, resultando num esvaziamento de seu real significado. Em contraponto a esta perspectiva, esta dissertação apresenta a concepção de professor como intelectual crítico e reflexivo (Pimenta, 2002). Concluo a investigação, constatando nos cursos analisados que estes se pautam no que apresentam as normativas legais; que os professores, principais agentes de efetivação destas propostas, muitas vezes desconhecem ou não participaram da reforma curricular dos cursos, resultando num alienamento das intenções e na superficialidade de entendimento dos conceitos abarcados. / The investigation of the Research Line: University: Theory and Practice, with emphasis on Teacher Education, "From a licentiate teacher to a critical and reflexive educator: an analysis on mathematics and history licentiate courses at a private university in RS", studied the post-LDBEN educational reform implications, CNE/CP 1/2002 Act , verifying the manifestation of such conceptions on the pedagogical practice of two licentiate courses at a private university in RS's coastal region. Also it sought to make clear the logic permeating the normative legal documents for teacher education and the conception of a reflexive teacher that comes out from the CNE/CP 1/2002 Act, which instituted the National Curriculum Guide for the Formation of Basic Education Teachers, at higher level licentiate course, full degree programs, being the latter preceded by the CNE/CP 09/2001 Act. Drawing on the critical theory analysis as well as on the collected data content analysis, this case study has shown that such policies are oriented by economic strategies, herein understood as a consequence of neoliberal policies. They point toward some innovation on teacher education; such innovative perspective, however, is permeated by technical rationality, what means, in the end, that we have new garments for old speeches. Such context interferes greatly on the initial intent for reflection, emptying its real meaning. In contrast with that perspective, this dissertation presents the conception of a teacher as a critical and reflexive intellectual (Pimenta,2002). The investigation findings show that the analysed courses draw from the legal norms while the teachers, who are the main agents for such proposals to enter into force, are either unaware of the curricular reform or have not taken part in it. Thus, the result is alienation of purposes and superficial understanding of the concepts involved.

A investigação da Linha de Pesquisa: Universidade: Teoria e Prática, Ênfase em Formação de Professores, "Do professor licenciado ao docente crítico intelectual e reflexivo: uma análise a partir de cursos de licenciatura em matemática e história de universidade privada no RS", estudou as implicações da reforma educacional pós LDBEN, Resolução CNE/CP 1/2002, verificando a manifestação dessas concepções na prática pedagógica dos professores de duas licenciaturas de uma universidade privada no litoral do RS. Buscou igualmente evidenciar a lógica que permeia os documentos legais normativos para formação de professores e a concepção de professor reflexivo que aparece a partir da Resolução CNE/CP 1/2002, que institui as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para Formação de Professores da Educação Básica, em nível superior, em curso de licenciatura, de graduação plena, esta antecedida pelo Parecer CNE/CP 09/2001. Neste estudo de caso que pautou-se num modo de análise ancorado na teoria crítica e, na análise de conteúdo dos dados coletados, encontrou-se como resultado que tais políticas são balizadas por estratégias econômicas, entendidas neste texto como reflexo de políticas neoliberais. Esta resolução sinaliza uma inovação na perspectiva de formação docente, que embora inovadora, é permeada pela racionalidade técnica, tratando-se então, de novas roupagens para velhos discursos. A intencionalidade da reflexão sofre interferências deste contexto, resultando num esvaziamento de seu real significado. Em contraponto a esta perspectiva, esta dissertação apresenta a concepção de professor como intelectual crítico e reflexivo (Pimenta, 2002). Concluo a investigação, constatando nos cursos analisados que estes se pautam no que apresentam as normativas legais; que os professores, principais agentes de efetivação destas propostas, muitas vezes desconhecem ou não participaram da reforma curricular dos cursos, resultando num alienamento das intenções e na superficialidade de entendimento dos conceitos abarcados. / The investigation of the Research Line: University: Theory and Practice, with emphasis on Teacher Education, "From a licentiate teacher to a critical and reflexive educator: an analysis on mathematics and history licentiate courses at a private university in RS", studied the post-LDBEN educational reform implications, CNE/CP 1/2002 Act , verifying the manifestation of such conceptions on the pedagogical practice of two licentiate courses at a private university in RS's coastal region. Also it sought to make clear the logic permeating the normative legal documents for teacher education and the conception of a reflexive teacher that comes out from the CNE/CP 1/2002 Act, which instituted the National Curriculum Guide for the Formation of Basic Education Teachers, at higher level licentiate course, full degree programs, being the latter preceded by the CNE/CP 09/2001 Act. Drawing on the critical theory analysis as well as on the collected data content analysis, this case study has shown that such policies are oriented by economic strategies, herein understood as a consequence of neoliberal policies. They point toward some innovation on teacher education; such innovative perspective, however, is permeated by technical rationality, what means, in the end, that we have new garments for old speeches. Such context interferes greatly on the initial intent for reflection, emptying its real meaning. In contrast with that perspective, this dissertation presents the conception of a teacher as a critical and reflexive intellectual (Pimenta,2002). The investigation findings show that the analysed courses draw from the legal norms while the teachers, who are the main agents for such proposals to enter into force, are either unaware of the curricular reform or have not taken part in it. Thus, the result is alienation of purposes and superficial understanding of the concepts involved.

No description available.

No description available.