Higher education institutions in Barbados have introduced blended learning as a strategy to improve students' academic performance and achievement. Despite the implementation of blended learning, the poor student performance and outcomes persist. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how teaching processes and practices at the institution have influenced blended learning to improve student achievement. A social constructivist framework was used to guide the study. The research question addressed the practices and processes used by teachers to increase student learning and performance in a blended learning environment. Data collection involved semistructured interviews with 6 teachers from the study site. Lean coding analysis yielded 4 themes: student engagement, student success, pedagogical and technological challenges, and teacher professional development. Findings were used to create a teacher professional development program for local stakeholders with an emphasis on pedagogical best practices and processes for creating and sustaining an effective blended learning environment. Findings may be used to improve student engagement and academic success at the study site.

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The Swedish curricula for compulsory school science emphasize laboratory inquiry-based science teaching (IBST) to develop pupils’ critical thinking. In contrast, several studies indicate that teachers within the Swedish teaching tradition almost solely emphasize laboratory work as a way to gain students understanding of traditional science content. In this thesis the aim is to investigate how this gap emerged in lower secondary science teaching and to investigate possible ways to bridge this gap between curricula and tradition. Two studies were carried out. In the first study, the aim was to explore how science teachers met the curricula’s expectations of involving pupils in IBST. The result is based on twelve teachers reflecting in groups about their own inquiry activities. Two strategies were identified. Hybridization (existing laboratory activities were transformed) and imitation (investigative inquiry as carried out on national tests was imitated). The way scientific practices are represented in such activities is probably limiting pupils’ potential for critical thinking in everyday life. In the second study, possibilities to bridge gaps between the laboratory tradition and IBST in curricula were explored within a teacher professional development program. Tensions between key ideas of laboratory work in Swedish teaching tradition and IBST, as discussed in international literature, were made explicit. It was then used as a point of departure to negotiate upon the purposes of involving students in laboratory work. The result was based on ten teachers divided in three groups. Eventually, two out of the three groups did explicit articulated awareness of different purposes linked to different types of laboratory activities. The third group showed limited awareness although they developed similar activities as the two other groups. This indicates that teaching tradition is an important variable when implementing new ideas and worthy taking into account and challenge. / Baksidestext Grundskolans läroplan för naturämnena betonar laborativt undersökande arbete i syftet att utveckla elevers kritiska tänkande medan undervisningstraditionen betonar laborationer i syftet att ge ökad förståelse för ämnesinnehåll. Syftet med denna avhandling var att undersöka hur detta glapp gestaltar sig i senare delen av grundskolan och hur detta glapp kan överbryggas. I delstudie ett utforskades lärares sätt att tillmötesgå förväntningar om undersökande arbete. Två strategier identifierades: hybridisering (befintliga laborationer omformades) och imitering (nationella prov härmades). Det finns risk för att dessa aktiviteter framställer naturvetenskapliga praktiker på ett sätt som ger begränsade förutsättningar för kritiskt tänkande i vardagsliv. I delstudie två utforskades möjligheten av att använda spänningar mellan läroplan och laborationstradition som utgångspunkt för att överbrygga glapp mellan läroplan och tradition. Spänningar synliggjordes och var utgångspunkt för förhandling om syften med laborationer. Resultatet visade att två utav totalt tre grupper i slutändan explicit skiljde på olika syften med olika laborativa aktiviteter. Detta indikerar att laborationstraditionen är en viktig faktor, värd att ta med i beräkningen, när undersökande arbete ska införlivas.

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The United States public schools promote inclusion and educational equity among diverse student populations. Considerable and growing numbers of students with categorical disabilities and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) are enrolled in regular classrooms. The systemic barriers in learning that they have could impact teacher perceptions and decisions about teaching practices as well as the teaching profession. These students have challenged K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers to provide high-quality, accommodative service and equitable educational opportunities in an increasingly STEM-infused society. Professional development associated with teaching students with disabilities and LEP is critical to inform in-service STEM teachers with these students' learning needs and promote student success. Effective preparation and support help maintain teacher satisfaction and retention within the teaching profession. However, the levels and perceptions of STEM teacher participation in such professional development, and whether the service load and professional development regarding the concerned groups of students associated with teacher satisfaction and retention remain unclear. This dissertation addresses these issues through two research studies using secondary analysis of the 2011-2012 School and Staffing Survey Teacher Questionnaire (SASS TQ) national dataset. The first study focused on K-12 STEM educator participation and perceived utility regarding their professional development experience concerning students with disabilities and LEP. Quantitative analysis revealed an overall lower level of participation and perceived utility of such professional development for STEM educators compared to all other educators. The second study examined teacher satisfaction and intent to remain in teaching, as well as their relationships to teacher service load and professional development specific to students with disabilities and LEP. Results indicated that K-12 STEM educators were less likely to feel satisfied or intent on remaining in teaching, compared to the remainder of the teaching population. Logistic regressions showed that service load of students with LEP predicted teacher satisfaction and participation in professional development concerning students with disabilities associated with teacher intent to remain in STEM education, especially for science educators. These findings collectively suggested the necessity and demands of sufficient and useful professional development offerings regarding the two concerned groups of students in inclusive STEM education settings. / Ph. D.