In this degree project, a survey-study of 50 Swedish primary teachers’ attitudes towards reading and their choice of reading instruction practice in Swedish was made. The aim of the study was to examine Swedish primary teachers’ attitudes towards reading and how they describe their reading instruction practice. This to make it possible to examine if there is a relationship between the teachers’ attitudes towards reading and the choice they make about their reading instruction practice. The study aimed to answer the questions below: Considering the personal reading habit among the teachers, what kind of attitudes and perceptions of reading does the teachers in the study express? When it comes to their reading instruction practice, based on what principals do they describe their practice? What is described as important by the teachers when planning and contemplating reading instruction practice in Swedish? What does the teachers describe as successful motivators for a beneficial development in reading among the pupils? Is there a relationship between the teachers’ attitudes towards reading and their choice of reading instruction practice? Is the choice of reading instruction practice among the teachers influenced by the attitude towards reading that they have? The theoretical bases of this study were based on theories of functions of reading, the literacy language practices emergent literacy and skill-based read readiness and also on the theory of attitudes value in decision making.As a conclusion, this study finds that there is evidence for a relationship between the teachers’ attitudes towards reading and their choice reading instruction practice in Swedish. It is shown that the teachers’ attitudes towards reading could be seen as influential in the choice of reading instruction practice. This since there is a correlation between how reading is defined, descried and how the purpose of reading is described, in both of the aspects which the study investigated. / I detta självständiga arbete gjordes en enkätstudie av 50 svenska lågstadielärares attityder gentemot läsning och deras val av undervisningspraktik i läsundervisningen i Svenska. Syftet med studien var att undersöka svenska lågstadielärares attityder gentemot läsning och hur de beskriver sin läsundervisningspraktik i svenska. Detta för att undersöka utifall det fanns en relation i vilken attityd gentemot läsning de hade och de val de gjorde i utformandet av sin läsundervisningspraktik i svenskämnet. Studien syftade till att besvara dessa frågor: Utifrån den personliga fritidsläsningen, vilka attityder och inställningar gentemot läsning uttrycker lärarna i studien? Utifrån vilka principer beskriver lärarna sin läsundervisningspraktik? Vad framhåller de är av vikt vid planering samt genomförande av läsundervisning i svenskämnet i lågstadiet? Vad framhåller lärarna som motivatorer för en gynnsam läsutveckling hos eleverna? Finns det en relation mellan lärarnas personliga attityd samt förhållning gentemot läsning och deras val av metod i läsundervisningen? Är deras val av metod i undervisningen influerad av vad de personligen anser om läsning? De teoretiska utgångspunkterna i detta självständiga arbete baseras på teorier om funktioner av läsning, teorier om språkundervisningspraktikerna emergent literacy samt skill-based read readiness och också på teorier om hur våra attityder står i relation till de val och beslut vi gör. Sammanfattningsvis finner denna studie att det finns bevis för en relation mellan lågstadielärarnas personliga attityder gentemot läsning och hur de väljer att konstruera sin läsundervisningspraktik i svenskämnet. Detta då det finns en korrelation mellan hur lärarna i studien definierar och beskriver läsning samt syftet med läsning,  båda de aspekter som studien undersökte.

In an inner-city elementary school, students continue to lag in reading proficiency, and implementation of research-based, district-mandated teaching strategies is not well understood. The purpose of this case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of mandated, read-aloud expository text strategies in K-2 classrooms. The conceptual framework was Vygotsky's social constructivism model of learning, which envisions students learning by interacting with teachers and peers, in this case, using read-aloud strategies, until they become autonomous, expository readers. The research questions focused on benefits and challenges of the implementation of read-aloud expository text by K-2 teachers who were given a 5-year mandate by the school to use strategies of scaffolding, graphic organizers, think-alouds, and text talk. Data were gathered from 5 teachers who volunteered to participate and were trained in the strategies. Data collection included individual interviews, collaborating interviews, reflective journals, and field notes. Open coding and thematic analysis identified 6 themes of teacher perceptions, including benefits, situational strategies, and explanations for use, challenges, support, and implementation. Throughout the data collection process, teachers suggested the use of Text Talk Kit materials. These kits, in use by other districts, may be beneficial to all teachers and may lead to social change by allowing teachers to access materials to better instruct all struggling readers, a benefit across all curricular areas and for all students.

This study examined elementary teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s level of cultural proficiency. Practices for Developing a Culturally Competent School Environment, a survey Camille Smith and adapted by Dr. Mack T. Hines, was completed from a sample size of 119 teachers. The survey contained 35 items, including six constructs: valuing diversity, assessing the culture, managing the dynamics of difference, institutionalizing cultural knowledge and resources, adapting to diversity and inclusiveness. Teachers rated their principal using a Likert scale which consisted of 1 = never uses, 2 = rarely uses, 3 = sometimes uses, 4 = frequently uses, and 5 = always uses. Teachers of various races, ages and years with their principal participated in this study. The study reveals that these variables do not make a statistically significant difference in the teachers’ perception of how proficient they are in valuing diversity, a assessing his/her own culture and institutionalizing cultural knowledge. This quantitative study reveals the variances of statistical significance of teacher demographics: age, gender, years served under current principal and accountability rating of the school. Cultural proficiency is important to the development and maintenance of the necessary relationships among students, teachers, principals and the school community.

Submitted by Sara Ribeiro (sara.ribeiro@ucb.br) on 2018-06-19T16:59:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MonalisadeOliveiraMirandaRedmerskiDissertacao2018.pdf: 1194106 bytes, checksum: f9820f571903dfafb54d953857195d61 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sara Ribeiro (sara.ribeiro@ucb.br) on 2018-06-19T16:59:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MonalisadeOliveiraMirandaRedmerskiDissertacao2018.pdf: 1194106 bytes, checksum: f9820f571903dfafb54d953857195d61 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-19T16:59:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MonalisadeOliveiraMirandaRedmerskiDissertacao2018.pdf: 1194106 bytes, checksum: f9820f571903dfafb54d953857195d61 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-23 / Since education is an important basis for individual and collective development, teaching becomes essential for all. Based on this assertion, the present work aims at analysing aspects of the educational process that contribute to the integral development of students with autism in elementary education. The theoretical discussion was based on legal norms and on authors such as Vygotsky (1991; 2000, 2003), Cunha (2011; 2013a), Mantoan (2015). The work adopts a qualitative approach, of an exploratory nature, based on multiple case studies, compatible with the richness and uniqueness of the investigated object. The collection and generation of data were performed through the following techniques: observations, interviews and documentary analysis. Data analysis was guided by the assumptions of content analysis, as proposed by Bardin (2012). Results showed that resources used by teachers to accompany the development of autistic students in the classroom were activities, observations, adapted assessments, oral expression and behaviour analysis. The choice of these resources by teachers is based on the characteristics and interests of their respective autistic students. In addition, it was also verified that the socio-affective aspects of teachers were perceived by these students as an important element in their decision to go to school. / Sendo a educação uma base importante para o desenvolvimento individual e coletivo, ensinar se torna algo imprescindível para todos. Com base nessa afirmação, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar aspectos do processo educacional que contribuem para acompanhar o desenvolvimento integral de alunos com autismo do ensino fundamental. A discussão teórica fundamentou-se em normativos legais e em autores como Vygotsky (1991; 2000, 2003), Cunha (2011; 2013a) e Mantoan (2015). Adotou-se a abordagem qualitativa, de natureza exploratória, na modalidade de estudo de casos múltiplos, compatível com a riqueza e singularidade do objeto investigado. A coleta e geração de dados foi realizada mediante observações, entrevistas e análise documental. A análise dos dados orientou-se pelos pressupostos da análise de conteúdo, tal como propõe Bardin (2012). Os resultados evidenciaram que os meios utilizados pelos professores para acompanhar o desenvolvimento do aluno autista em sala de aula foram atividades, observações, avaliações adaptadas, expressão oral e análise do comportamento. A escolha desses meios pelos professores foi realizada com base nas caraterísticas e interesses de seus respectivos alunos autistas. Além disso, também foi constatado que os aspectos socioafetivos dos professores são percebidos por esses alunos como diferencial para irem à escola.

The purpose of this case study was to conduct an investigation of educator perceptions of instructional leadership in the school improvement process. Interviews were conducted with educators and an administrator in a small, rural high school in Middle Tennessee. In 2010, the high school was labeled as a low performing school by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE). In 2014, Commissioner Kevin Huffman announced the school was on the TDOE Reward School Cusp List for being in the top 10% of schools based on one-year progress data from the Tennessee Value-added Assessment System (TVAAS) school composites. Participants of this case study shared experiences and opinions of the instructional leadership utilized by the school principal. As indicated in the findings of this study, instructional leadership practices are crucial in the school improvement process. The key themes related to indicators of sound instructional leadership practices were: maintaining a culture of continuous school improvement, having every faculty member participate in the development and implementation of the school improvement plan, knowing how to use data to make crucial decisions, developing leadership capacity in the school, and being an engaged leader during the school improvement process. Developing a qualitative understanding of the perceptions of effective instructional leadership will enhance greater understanding of leadership practices in the school improvement process.

The purpose of the study was to question rural general education teachers’ perceptions and attitudes on the inclusion of students with significant disabilities. The investigator surveyed rural general education teachers on their perceptions of what should be occurring in terms of inclusion and on what they saw as occurring in terms of inclusion of students with significant disabilities. The results yielded mixed perceptions and were generally positive in terms of the inclusion occurring within that school district.

Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical method used by classroom teachers to enhance student learning. Researchers have described how students benefit from differentiated lessons, but have not explored the relationship between teachers' perceptions of differentiation and student success. This gap is problematic because teachers' instruction directly affects student achievement. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how elementary (K-5) teachers define, familiarize, use, and perceive differentiation. The conceptual framework was rooted from a synthesis of ideas found in current refereed literature, and the educational concepts and constructionist theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. Purposeful sampling identified 12 participants for individual or focus group interviews. Data were analyzed through an interpretative analysis of open, axial, and selective coding; interpretations were subject to member checking to bolster trustworthiness. The findings revealed that teacher participants understood the textbook definition of differentiated instruction and focused on student grouping to create differentiated classrooms. Despite that understanding of differentiation, participants perceived differentiation as time consuming and challenging due to a lack of materials and diverse populations. Implications for social change focus on mindset and instruction. Administrators and teachers may use these findings to broaden the definition of differentiation. Furthermore, teachers may use this study to gain insight of their personal perception of differentiation, identify materials, and commit to improved pedagogical practices that focus on its versatility in classrooms and improve student learning. Teachers may consider the participants' experiences and change their own existing classroom environments, thus improving student successes.

Many teachers in a low socioeconomic school district in Florida struggle with differentiating instruction for the large at-risk population; however, one school has been identified as a high functioning school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate how classroom teachers at the high functioning school are differentiating instruction and how their reading coaches are supporting the teachers in designing instructional interventions. Guided by the concepts of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and Tomlinson's differentiated instruction, this study examined the connection between these 2 concepts and explored approaches to the creation of an instructional model to support at-risk students. The research questions focused on the perceptions of teachers and reading coaches about instructional interventions and differentiated instruction. The participants were classroom teachers and reading coaches with 2 or more years of teaching experience in grades 3-5. A case study design was used to capture the insights of 7 participants through interviews and school district public artifacts. Emergent themes were identified from the data through open coding and findings were developed and validated. The findings indicated that at-risk students benefit from (a) dedicated, caring teachers; (b) strong stakeholder support; (c) on-going professional development; (d) opportunities for teacher collaboration; and (e) effective differentiated instructional strategies. Implications for social change include increased instructional effectiveness for teachers that improve academic performance of at-risk students.

The problem of this study was to determine teachers' perceptions of their school organizational climate, to determine teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership behavior, and to ascertain the relationships between teachers' perceptions of school organizational climate and principal's leadership behavior. The study had three major purposes. The first was to determine teachers' perceptions of their school organizational climate as measured by the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ) across selected variables. The second was to determine teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership behavior as measured by the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) across selected variables. The third was to ascertain whether significant relationships existed between teachers' perceptions of school organizational climate and their principal's leadership behavior. Based on the analyses of data, the conclusions could be drawn that: 1. The school organizational climates as perceived by secondary school teachers tended to fall into the closed end of the open-closed climate continuum. It is interesting to note that teachers with more years of teaching experience perceived their school organizational climates as being open. 2. All of the teachers in this study perceived their principal as an effective leader. 3. There was a significant relationship between organizational climate and principal's leadership behavior; however, no matter how teachers perceived their school organizational climate, they still perceived their principal as an effective leader.

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) One-Act Play Contest is a competition where similarly sized Texas schools present an 18-40 minute play usually adjudicated by a single judge. At each level of competition the judge awards individual acting awards as well as selecting two productions to advance to the next level of competition. After the awards are announced the judge gives an oral critique to each of the schools. Because of the wide participation and diversity of plays produced, certain rules and guidelines have been adopted to ensure safety, allow for equity, satisfy legal standards, and make the running of the contest practical. These rules can be modified to achieve positive outcomes and improved educational results. Changes in the rules of a UIL contest are in accordance with stated educational objectives of the UIL. Occasionally, however, modifications in procedures raise questions. The problem of this study was to determine, from the perceptions of administrators and teachers, whether significant modifications in the rules and policies for the UIL One-Act Play Contest over a time span of 20 years have had impacts on the goals and procedures of the contest. The study utilized a qualitative approach through historical analysis and a survey to answer two research questions. Historical analysis identified the six modifications in the UIL OAP over the years 1986-2006. The survey instrument determined the impact of these changes on the goals and procedures of the contest. Based on the responses of the survey the competition experience has been enhanced by recent changes.