Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2002. / Field problem. Includes bibliographical references.

Due to the new demands placed upon schools in our current learning society, teachers are expected to learn continuously. However, not much is known about how teachers learn. Three major problems are identified in the emerging literature. First, little is known about what constitutes meaningful learning from the teachers’ own perspectives. Second, there is a lack of a common framework for analysing and comparing findings across different studies on the process of teacher learning. This is a major obstacle in advancing the field. Third, factors affecting teacher learning are often studied in an isolated manner without acknowledging the interaction among these factors. As a result, this fails to provide a holistic picture of how teacher learning can be enhanced or impeded. In view of the above, this study adopted a teacher perspective to investigate teacher learning and the factors affecting it in a holistic manner, using an interpretive framework that can be applied across different studies. The study was situated in the context of a year-long school-based teacher professional development (TPD) programme. Seven teachers of two different schools participated in the study. Teachers in each school formed a community of practice that made use of classroom videos to improve their practice. A case study approach was used to document the content and process of teacher learning, as well as to illuminate how various factors interact to affect teacher learning within the two communities. Data was collected from individual teacher interviews, teacher reflection tasks, discussion in the TPD meetings and non-participant observation. The Interconnected Model of Teacher Professional Growth (IMTPG) and Community of Practice (CoP) were adopted as the interpretative frameworks for data analysis. Besides gaining knowledge and skills, the teachers also exhibited affective and social learning. More than half of the teachers considered affective learning (e.g., confidence in their own identity as a good teacher)and social learning (e.g., building a trusting relationship with colleagues) as the most important learning to them. The idiosyncratic and recursive nature of teacher learning is consistent with existing literature. Three types of factors that have a bearing on teacher learning were identified. First, the individual factors, which include the teacher’s will to learn, level of reflectivity and time available for professional development. Second, the communal factors, which include: (i) the ways in which members in a CoP engage with each other (i.e., engagement), (ii) the ways in which members construct an image of themselves (i.e., imagination), and (iii) the ways in which members coordinate perspectives, interpretations, and actions so that the CoP can realise higher goals (i.e., alignment). Third, the features of the TPD programme that were reported by teachers as helpful in facilitating their learning, including the multiple strategies adopted, videos, and facilitation from a university educator. Implications for video-based TPD and for research on teacher learning were identified, in particular, a need for more research on teacher learning from the teachers’ own perspective in order to better understand teachers’ authentic learning experiences and to build a more holistic model of teacher learning. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Summary While aerobic training and, to a lesser degree, resistance training are known to reduce blood concentrations of lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), little is known about the effects of a combination of aerobic and resistance training on LDL-C concentrations. The aim of the investigation was to examine the effects of 16 weeks of no exercise, aerobic training or a combination of aerobic and resistance training on lowering blood concentrations of LDL-C. Thirty-eight healthy, previously untrained men (mean age: 25 years and six months) with borderline high blood LDL-C concentrations volunteered to participate in this investigation. Each subject’s blood LDL-C concentrations were measured following a nine- to 12-hour fasting period and prior to any exercise. Aerobic training consisted of exercise using a combination of treadmills, rowers, steppers and cycle ergometers. Combined aerobic and resistance training consisted of a combination of aerobic training at 60% of heart rate maximum, and resistance training using eight prescribed exercises performed for two sets of 15 repetitions at 60% of the estimated one-repetition maximum (1-RM). The no-exercise group was found to have had no significant (p ≤ 0.05) change in blood LDL-C concentrations (from 4.12 ± 0.27 to 4.21 ± 0.42 mmol.l-1), whereas the aerobic training and combined training groups showed significant and similar (p = 0.123) decreases in blood LDL-C concentrations (from 3.64 ± 2.87 to 2.87 ± 0.64 mmol.l-1 and from 4.39 ± 1.04 to 3.23 ± 0.71 mmol.l-1, respectively). This investigation indicates that a larger dose of aerobic exercise does not necessarily equate to a greater improvement in LDL-C concentrations if the lost aerobic exercise time is replaced with resistance exercise.

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The purpose of this study was to strengthen our understanding of counsellor development by examining changes in trainees' knowledge and thinking during master's training in counselling psychology. Forty-two volunteers (21 practicum and 21 internship students) critiqued a 20-minute segment of a counselling videotape before and after one academic year. / Qualitative analysis of pretest-posttest responses revealed substantial improvement in students' understanding of the counselling process and adjustment to the counsellor role. Greater self-confidence was also conveyed by a significant increase in trainees' use of clinical terminology. However, students' ability to observe and conceptualize the client, to establish therapeutic goals, and their overall counselling effectiveness did not differ over the academic year. Given that changes were related to training emphasis, results call attention to the need for more systematic training in a wider range of cognitive competencies.

This is a study of seconded teachers' experiences as university instructors and faculty advisors in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. Data were gathered for this study through interviews with 17 seconded teachers (5 first-year seconded teachers, 8 continuing seconded teachers, and 4 teachers who reentered the school system after secondment). The purpose of my study was to understand more clearly the experiences of seconded teachers in the teacher education program through the use of Glaser and Strauss's (1967) grounded theory approach. The results indicated that the seconded teachers in this study moved through stages: seeking the position, preparing for secondment, expressing self doubts and loneliness, adjusting to the tempo and workload, working with adult learners, and looking for support. As university instructors, seconded teachers bring realism to the teacher education program by presenting fundamentals of teaching, by modeling teaching strategies, by connecting theory and practice, and by sharing narratives. Seconded teachers acknowledge with reservations that as evaluators they possess power over student teachers. Regardless of how they might prefer to conceive of their role, in the end, they become evaluators. Seconded teachers displayed various communication styles. Reflection, an aspect of communication, was also identified as important. The themes that have emerged in this study point to 5 general central issues: the contrast between university and school cultures, the strength of reflection on practice, seconded teachers' commitment to classroom teaching, seconded teachers' professional identities, and secondment as professional development. The results of this study suggest that the temporary, short-term nature of secondment, as it now stands, may be a lateral career move rather than a vertical progression. Comments suggest that the Faculty of Education could do a better job of educating seconded teachers about, not only the preservice teacher education program, but specifically the expectations and roles for the seconded participants.