The purpose of this mixed-method phenomenological study is to understand the beliefs and attitudes that mid-career secondary school teachers have regarding the teacher evaluation process and its effect on their professional practice. Mid-career secondary school teachers (defined as having between 14-21 years of classroom experience) from Bayview Public Schools were selected to participate. A total of 152 mid-career secondary school teachers completed an electronic survey. Additionally, a total of 9 participants took part in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The theoretical framework used to guide the study was the theory of planned behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1988; 1991) and Bandura*s theory of self-efficacy (1977). The quantitative results from the electronic survey were used to augment qualitative data collected from interviews with willing participants. The interviews with study participants were analyzed for emerging themes. In all, a total of nine emerging themes came to light through the analysis of interview data. The data revealed areas of concern regarding the current method of evaluating teachers in Bayview Public Schools. A presentation of the findings with regard to the theoretical framework, literature, and practice were presented. Furthermore, a list of recommendations was provided addressing the specific concerns of participating teachers. In conclusion, recommendations were also made concerning future research that might continue to add to the body of knowledge concerning teacher evaluation.

Despite the demand for a diverse STEM-educated population and workforce, college students have consistently turned away from these disciplines in large numbers, creating a persistent problem that many are trying to address. The aim of the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is to inspire, attract, and retain STEM majors. Funding supports undergraduate STEM students' engagement in real-world research alongside STEM mentors. As colleges and universities compete for funding for REUs, it is important to understand the mechanisms within summer research programs that resonate most deeply with undergraduate STEM researchers. While many studies reveal strong correlations between research experiences and STEM aspirations, less is known about the mechanisms within REU programs that support these gains. My research used quantitative and qualitative self-reported data from 20 REU students, 18 of whom were underrepresented minorities in STEM. Over two summers, these students, in cohorts of ten, came to the University of Vermont to participate in a team-oriented, 10-week REU: Interdisciplinary Research on Human Impacts in the Lake Champlain Ecosystem. Two mixed-methods studies, guided by the frameworks of the theory of possible selves, theory of self-efficacy for research, and social cognitive career theory, revealed four important program mechanisms that gave rise to gains in research skills, confidence and self-efficacy for research, and STEM career aspirations, particularly for individuals from underrepresented minority groups in STEM. Findings suggest that the program fostered student capacity building within a safe, inclusive, and positive setting where students experienced what it feels like to be an active participant in the world of research. Within this context, critical mechanisms that gave rise to gains in research skills, confidence and self-efficacy for research, and STEM career aspirations included: (1) experiential education through interdisciplinary research experiences, (2) student independence and ownership balanced with expert researcher guidance and support, (3) formal and informal mentoring networks where students were mentored and where they mentored others, and (4) the establishment of an intentional learning community that advanced leadership, research skill building, perseverance, and reflection. Results from this research cannot be generalized beyond the context of the Lake Champlain REU, however, findings are in alignment with the body of literature that highlights the positive effects of REUs on STEM majors' research skills, confidence and self-efficacy for research, and STEM career aspirations. Using mixed methods to identify and understand the within-program mechanisms that support student gains is a valuable new research approach for this field. Recognizing programmatic mechanisms across REU programs can lead to expansion, replication, and application of these models beyond one institution, resulting in more positive gains for more undergraduate STEM researchers.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of teachers fulfilling the role of facilitators of the STAR intervention with fellow teachers at two neighbouring schools. The study constituted part of a broader research project that commenced in 2003, at a primary school in the Eastern Cape. At the time of the current study, seven of the ten teachers who participated in the initial study were replicating the initial study’s strategy in two neighbouring schools in an attempt to assist the teachers in providing psychosocial support. In an attempt to explore the experiences of the teacher-facilitators I observed a STAR intervention session (November, 2008), that involved four participants facilitating a STAR intervention session at the neighbouring school. Following my observation of the intervention session, I co-facilitated a focus group, exploring the teacher-facilitators’ experiences in fulfilling the role of peer-facilitators. Two days after the first focus group, I co-facilitated a follow-up focus group for the purpose of member-checking. In addition, I relied on field notes and visual data as data sources. Based on the data analysis that followed, three main themes emerged. Firstly, the teachers seemed to ascribe meaning on a personal level in terms of their experiences as facilitators of STAR. They experienced joy in sharing knowledge and enabling others, feelings of self-worth and self-confidence, personal development and growth, as well as confirmed commitment and motivation. Secondly, they experienced a shared voice in the community, in response to the peer-facilitation of STAR, referring to appreciation and trust that inspired enthusiasm for participation in various school-community systems and a sense of community as outcome of facilitation. Thirdly, participants identified aspects related to being a peer-facilitator, in terms of overcoming feelings of uncertainty and concern, working as a team, relying on creative problem solving when dealing with potential challenges, and extending the scope of facilitation. Based on the findings of the study I concluded that the participating teachers experienced the facilitation of STAR in a positive manner on both a personal and professional level. As a result of their positive experiences, they seemed to become even more committed and motivated than initially, to support their community through the facilitation of STAR. Their positive experiences seemingly influenced their perceived development in terms of self-efficacy beliefs and actualisation, which in turn enhanced their personal and professional growth, thereby forming a cycle of improved positive experiences on various levels. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Syftet med föreliggande studie är att bidra med kunskap om hur några lärare beskriver arbetet med läsning i årskurs 4-6 i svenskämnet för att skapa förutsättningar för läsmotivation hos elever. Följande frågeställningar har använts för att uppnå studiens syfte: Hur beskriver lärare att de implementerar läsandet i svenskundervisningen, hur beskriver lärare att de motiverar elever till läsande i svenskämnet samt vilka faktorer beskriver lärare som betydelsefulla för deras arbete med läsning i årskurs 4-6. Studiens syfte och frågeställningar besvaras genom datainsamling och analyser av kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra verksamma lärare i ämnet svenska för årskurs 4-6. Studiens teoretiska ramverk grundar sig på Banduras theory of self-efficacy där individens tilltro till att kunna slutföra en uppgift stärks av att motiveras till att klara det, både genom inre- och yttre motivationsfaktorer. Sammanfattningsvis visar studiens resultat att lärare beskriver hur de arbetar motivationsfrämjande för läsande i undervisningen genom att använda både inre och yttre motivationsfaktorer. Lärarna nämner hur författarbesök och att gemensamt arbeta mot uppsatta mål där det finns belöningar, motiverar elever till att läsa. Att arbeta strategiskt med analoga och digitala texter beskriver lärarna som ett arbetssätt de använder för att implementera läsandet i undervisningen. Att involvera eleverna i undervisningen genom att diskutera innehållet leder till att eleverna får en förståelse för text och motiveras således till att läsa mer, och oftare. / The purpose of the present study is to contribute knowledge about how some teachers describe the work with reading in grades 4-6 in the Swedish subject to create conditions for reading motivation among pupils. The following questions have been used to achieve the purpose of the study: How do teachers describe that they implement reading in Swedish subject, how do teachers describe that they motivate pupils to read in the Swedish subject and which factors do teachers describe as significant for their work with reading in grades 4-6. The purpose and questions of the study are answered through data collection and analyzes of qualitative semi-structured interviews with four active teachers in the subject of Swedish for grades 4-6. The study's theoretical framework is based on Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, where the individual's belief in being able to complete a task is strengthened by being motivated to do it, both through internal and external motivational factors. In summary, the results of the study show that teachers describe how they work to promote motivation for reading in teaching by using both internal and external motivational factors. The teachers mention how author visits and working together towards set goals where there are rewards motivate pupils to read. Working strategically with analogue and digital texts is described by the teachers as a working method they use to implement reading in their teaching. Involving the pupils in the teaching by discussing the content leads the pupils towards gaining an understanding of the text and is thus motivated to read more, and more often.

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