The crucial issue in the new democratic South Africa was to change the type of education system that was based on social discrimination to one which is non- discriminatory, unbiased and accessible to all South Africans. However, to teach in a multicultural society and being faced with the challenge of teaching multicultural diverse classes, within an OBE paradigm, demands special knowledge, skills and attributes of teachers. Therefore, this study intended to investigate teachers’ OBE practices in multicultural classrooms in order to determine the strengths and weaknesses that could be useful for the improvement of teaching and learning within multicultural contexts. The study was approached from a socio-reconstructivist point of view and focused specifically on schools in the Harrismith region. The purpose of this study was thus to explore and come to a better understanding of how teachers’ OBE practices accommodate multicultural diverse learners in the Harrismith region. In order to direct the study towards the intended purpose, a literature study was undertaken to define multicultural diversity and to conceptualize OBE practices in order to operationalize the concept within the context of the study. The empirical research was done by following a qualitative research design in the form of a case study. Semi-structured, individual interviews and observations were used as data collection instruments. Interviews were conducted with teachers teaching Grade 8 and 9 learners as well as learners from the same grades, of five purposefully selected schools in the Harrismith region. By using maximal variation sampling, ten teachers and ten learners from the selected schools eventually participated in the research. Observations were recorded by means of anecdotal notes which were used to verify and supplement data obtained through the interviews. According to the findings of the empirical research, it appears that the research participants’ understanding of multiculturalism lack substance. The findings also revealed that multiculturalism is mainly accommodated by implementing the following OBE practices: working together with others, showing respect, cultural sensitivity, acknowledgement of individual learner differences, and by creating positive classroom climates. It was also evident that teachers act as change agents by discrediting discrimination and prejudice. Teaching in multicultural classrooms also poses some challenges. These included language problems, acceptance of different cultural practices, racial differences and “inherent” segregation. Though the findings revealed that teachers’ OBE practices still need to be refined in order to successfully accommodate multicultural diversity, positive attitudes were reflected in terms of improving their competence with regard to teaching in a multicultural diverse environment. / MEd, Learning and Teaching, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

This study was undertaken in an attempt to determine the degree to which second year Mathematics education students consider critical thinking dispositions and attitudes to be important and to develop a curriculum-based mediational approach based on the data, to encourage the critical thinking dispositions and attitudes that appeared to be in need of encouragement. A literature study was undertaken to determine the positive critical thinking dispositions and attitudes students should possess. In addition it was also determined which teaching learning approaches will benefit the development of critical thinking dispositions and attitudes the most. The advantages as well as the processes and components that should form part of the mediational approach for the development of critical thinking dispositions were examined. A two-phase, sequential, explanatory mixed method study was subsequently undertaken with second-year Mathematics students at a South African university. The quantitative study made use of a self-developed questionnaire to determine the degree to which students consider critical thinking dispositions and attitudes important. Data emanating from the questionnaires were analysed and questions that had to be answered in narrative format were set for each student according to their own responses on the questionnaire. Narratives formed part of the qualitative component of the study in which students had to indicate factors that influence their critical thinking dispositions and attitudes, what could be done to improve the apparent unimportant critical thinking dispositions and attitudes and whether they regard the critical thinking dispositions and attitudes as important. Narratives were analysed and the results were used to explain the quantitative data. Results revealed that second year Mathematics education students do not consider critical thinking dispositions and attitudes, in particular inquisitiveness but also judiciousness, open-mindedness, systematicity, truth-seeking, analyticity and confidence in critical thinking to be very important and therefore these critical thinking dispositions and attitudes appeared to require encouragement. A curriculum-based mediational approach based on a section in the existing Mathematics module for second year education students was developed in order to encourage critical thinking dispositions in Mathematics. The study concluded with recommendations to encourage critical thinking dispositions and attitudes as well as proposals for future studies. / PhD, Education, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

The performance of mathematics and physical science students are very low in South Africa. These students lack algebraic knowledge and skills in physics education. They tend to treat mathematics and science as separate entities; to them the two subjects are not related. Even the teachers seem not to realise the interrelationship of the two subjects, because according to the research, they perpetuate this attitude. A possible reason could be that they are unfamiliar with common objectives and applications. Knowledge of science is enhanced by the application of mathematics, but the role of mathematical knowledge and skills in the understanding of physical science is uncertain. Even in the new National Curriculum Statement (NCS) of South Africa the relationship between mathematics and physical science is not clearly indicated. Algebraic language is a main tool used in physics, but students still display a lack of understanding of mathematical concepts and problem solving skills. The study was aimed at identifying the mathematical knowledge and skills that would enable students to solve physics problems in grades 11 and 12. The aim was also to identify the specific problems experienced by students in applying these skills and knowledge in physics at grades 11 and 12 level. The empirical study was conducted amongst a group of 120 students in four schools in the Rustenburg Region, North- West Province, South Africa and 28 teachers of which 10 were from these schools and 18 were teachers participating in the Sediba project of the North-West University. The investigation was done by means of a self constructed test and questionnaires. The results indicate that the biggest problem lies with a lack of conceptual knowledge, especially with a basic understanding of proportional reasoning. Other problems were identified and possible remedies proposed. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

In Ireland, formal mentoring as a mechanism for supporting student learning in the Teaching Practice (TP) phase of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) is at a developmental stage. The Irish Government appears to support mentoring initiatives in ITE, however, there is little evidence of a clear policy on student teacher learning, and the role of mentoring within it. This study investigates physical education teacher education (PETE) student learning on TP within a community of practice framework. Currently, the process of informal mentoring of PETE students during TP is undertaken by untrained cooperating teachers (CTs) as an unacknowledged gesture of goodwill. This has implications for the quality of PETE student learning during TP and became the subject of this research. Employing a range of qualitative data collection methods, this study focused on one umbrella case study (Greendale University, schools and PETE students) and five individual case studies: tetrads of PETE student, CT, university tutor (UT) and school principal (SP) during one academic year. PETE student learning was investigated from the perspectives of each member of the tetrad and data collected were analysed using grounded theory. Findings from this research concluded that (a) untrained CTs were unsuitable mentors and (b) untrained UTs were inappropriate tutors for PETE students as they both needed teaching expertise, a positive disposition and adequate training to embrace their respective roles. The study also found that within TP, there was a perceived lack of parity between the schools and university, with SPs feeling excluded and taken for granted by the university. This often led to open hostility between CTs and UTs, who were unclear about their respective TP roles. The combination of these factors resulted in PETE students learning the powerful hidden curriculum of TP which encouraged them to learn pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in an unsupported and often isolated manner.

This degree project essay examines the literary culture phenomenon known as poetry slam, a competitive format for performance poetry, with the purpose of discussing whether poetry slam could contribute to upper secondary school Swedish teaching or not. The essay consists of two parts, one where poetry slam is presented and one where poetry slam is discussed from a didactic perspective. In the first part, a brief history of poetry slam and its origins in the U.S. is presented, followed by a discussion of the ideology within the slam movement. Furthermore, the set of rules that regulate poetry slams are presented and finally the first part of the essay is ended with a discussion of poetry slam as a poetic genre of its own. The second part starts by presenting and discussing the concept of aesthetic learning processes and how poetry slam might enable such processes. Poetry slam is then related to the Swedish subject syllabus for upper secondary school in order to analyse whether there is any rationale for poetry slam in Swedish teaching or not. Furthermore, poetry slam is related to literacy development, first by discussing creative writing and then by discussing oral performance. The results of the analysis shows that poetry slam is foremost motivated in Swedish teaching as a literary historical content, partly as an opportunity to work with oral performance, and also to cultivate students’ linguistic subjectivity. Poetry slam could possibly enable aesthetic learning processes, although it may be questioned whether poetry slam qualifies as an artistic community professional enough to provide artistic working methods. The very concept of a school poetry slam could also be seen as a contradiction, when considering the slam movement’s self image of counter culture, as schools themselves could be interpreted as dominant literary establishments. Possible pitfalls related to poetry slam in Swedish teaching are the competitive format’s effect on students socio-emotional safety and the scoring system that may be hazardous for students’ linguistic subjectivity. Also, poetry slam may not meet the curricular demands on rhetoric performances which are mandatory in the upper secondary school Swedish courses, and thus questions may be raised if oral poetic performances can be prioritised at the expense of oral rhetoric performances. Moreover, the free, creative space provided to students within creative writing processes puts high demands on the teacher balancing students’ creative freedom, in order to possibly articulate hidden knowledge, with making sure that students do not spend time procrastinating.

Schwerpunkt dieser Ausgabe sind die Beiträge der 2016 abgeschlossenen Lehr-Lern-Projekte der 5. Kohorte im Verbundprojekt Lehrpraxis im Transfer.

College student engagement is an important factor that contributes to student success. This study is one of the first to explore student engagement in undergraduate social work education by examining engagement levels among at-risk social work students. In this study, two types of at-risk student groups were studied: First Generation College Students (FGCS) and transfer students. A cross sectional research design was used. Secondary analysis was performed on data gathered by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) from five accredited, Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs in one southeast state. A sample of 135 BSW seniors were included in this study and their levels of engagement were measured using four engagement types (peer to peer, student with faculty, student with university, and student with profession). Univariate and bivariate statistical procedures were used to examine the data and describe the sample. Hierarchical and logistic regression were used to test whether membership in an at-risk group could predict student engagement. There was a moderate to strong relationship between the four types of student engagement. Together, they indicated a good measure of BSW student engagement. FGCS had statistically significant lower levels of student engagement in three out of the four engagement types (peer to peer, student with faculty, and student with profession) than their non-FGCS counterparts. Practice implications for BSW programs to address low student engagement for FGCS through specific programming were provided. Transfer students had no statistically significant differences in any of the four types of student engagement compared to their non-transfer counterparts. Two explanations were posited for these findings; that social work programs are small in size and facilitate targeted student engagement that act as engagement “protective factors” and, by the time transfer students completed this survey they had already adopted the academic and cultural expectations requisite for success. Lastly, membership in an at-risk group, specifically FGCS, may predict lower levels of engagement in certain engagement types. The overall findings identify areas of low student engagement which afford BSW programs opportunities to create tailored programming to address it, especially among FGCS. Suggestions for future studies are also discussed.

Den Kern der aktuellen Ausgabe bilden die Werkstattberichte geförderter Lehr-Lern-Projekte aus der 4. Kohorte. Diese präsentieren sich enorm vielfältig – sowohl in Inhalt als auch in gewählter Darstellungsform.

All die sich in diesem Journal präsentierenden Praxis- und Forschungsprojekte machen Lust auf Mehr: mehr davon in der eigenen Lehr-Lern-Praxis auszuprobieren, mehr hochschuldidaktische Ansätze in der Lehrpraxis erforscht zu sehen, mehr Synergieeffekte durch Kooperationen zu erreichen und mehr Verstetigungstendenzen der Projekte aufzugreifen und zu diskutieren.

Orientador: Suzi Marques Spatti Cavalari / Resumo: Este estudo tem por objetivo investigar o que dizem os professores de inglês a respeito da utilização de tecnologias nas escolas públicas de uma cidade do interior de São Paulo. A discussão teórica se embasa nos pressupostos da Teoria da Atividade (ENGESTRÖM, 1999; 2001), nos documentos oficiais que orientam a educação básica no Brasil (PCN, PCNEM, LDB, OCEM, BNCC, PME), nas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para Formação Inicial e Continuada em Nível Superior de Profissionais do Magistério para a Educação Básica (BRASIL, 2002; 2015) e nos fatores que influenciam a utilização de tecnologias no contexto escolar (RODRIGUES, 2010; ALVARENGA; AZZI, 2013; ROSA; AZENHA, 2015; MAYRINK; COSTA, 2017). Trata-se de um estudo misto (quantitativo e qualitativo) do tipo survey cujos dados foram gerados por meio de um questionário composto por questões abertas e fechadas realizado com 16 professores de inglês atuantes nas escolas públicas da cidade focal. Além disso, adotou-se como fonte de dados complementar a tomada de notas feita pelo pesquisador em visita a cada uma instituições pesquisadas, totalizando dez escolas estaduais e uma municipal. Os dados apontaram que há utilização de tecnologias, contudo, apenas em alguns momentos da prática pedagógica dos docentes, conforme afirmaram os professores. Os tipos de atividade predominantes foram de pesquisa, escuta, pronúncia e vocabulário e as mídias mais utilizadas foram músicas, filmes, vídeos e jogos. Em relação aos objetivos, os docentes ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This study aims at researching what English teachers say about the use of technologies in classroom in the context of public schools in a city in the countryside of São Paulo State. The theoretical discussion sets its bases on the principles of the Activity Theory (ENGESTRÖM, 1999; 2001), on the official documents which orient the Brazilian basic education (PCN, PCNEM, LDB, BNCC, PME), on the National Curricular Guidelines to Higher and In-service education for basic education teaching professionals (BRASIL, 2002; 2015) and on the factors that influence the use of technologies in a public school context (RODRIGUES, 2010; ALVARENGA; AZZI, 2013; ROSA; AZENHA, 2015; MAYRINK; COSTA, 2017). This study employs quantitative and qualitative approaches and it is characterized as a survey type work. A questionnaire composed by closed and open-ended questions and answered by 16 public school English teachers is adopted as the main source of data. As a secondary data collection instrument, the researcher employed note taking about the schools’ infrastructure while visiting them. In total, ten state schools and one municipal school were visited. The data pointed out that the use of technology in this context exists, however, only in some moments of the teachers’ pedagogical practice. The predominant kinds of activity were research, listening, pronunciation, and vocabulary exercises done through songs, movies, videos, and games. Concerning the objectives, the teachers claimed to use the te... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre