Education Commons^™

Success Stories : A Means Of Enhancing The Personal-Professional Development Of Teachers, Elizabeth Kirstie Thorburn

Theses : Honours

This thesis details my experiences and findings as u teacher-researcher of narrative inquiry. To address the effectiveness of teacher story sharing as a means or enhancing teacher personal-professional development, I formed a 'story group' with four teacher participants, three of whom were at the pre-service level. The participants collaboratively engaged in the narrative processes of story sharing, story writing, reflection and story critiquing with myself shifting between the roles of researcher, facilitator and participant. Hence, the participants engaged in research about their peers, as well as about themselves, and their practice. In this way, knowledge was shared and jointly constructed, …

Learner Centeredness As A Predictor Of Teachers' Role Stress And Career Commitment, Kathryn Marie Krudwig

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Questions explored in this study were: (a) Is learner centeredness related to teacher role stress and/or career commitment; (b) If so, can learner centeredness explain variance in teachers' role stress and/or career commitment; (c) Is the discrepancy between teacher and student perceptions of teacher practices related to teacher role stress and/or career commitment; and (d) if so, can this discrepancy explain variance in teachers' role stress and/or career commitment? The current need to provide every child with qualified and committed teachers in the face of a growing, national teacher shortage supported the significance of the research. The study was based …

Lnservice Educational Activity Needs And Preferred Delivery Methods Of Bement Community Unit School District #5 Teachers, Nyle G. Waters

Masters Theses

A study of the Bement Community Unit School District #5 faculty was conducted in the spring of 1999. The purposes were to determine the inservice educational activity needs of the faculty and to determine which inservice educational activity delivery methods the faculty considers most effective. Bement C.U.S.D. #5 is a small rural district in central Illinois with 38 prekindergarten through 12th grade teachers. A needs assessment questionnaire was constructed and administered to all district teachers. Each item on the questionnaire was designed to collect data on the following questions:

1. What are the perceived inservice educational activity needs of the …

Timed Conversation: One Routine For Engaging Large Classes Of Non-Motivated Learners In Meaningful Oral Communication, Bradley J. Deacon

MA TESOL Collection

This paper will explore an activity called “Timed Conversation” that I use in large classes of relatively unmotivated first and second year non-language majors in a Japanese university setting. Timed Conversation is designed to help students to communicate in native-like and incrementally longer sustained dialogues in the target language. In the activity, the students interact with many partners and practice conversations while practicing various language expressions. In every lesson over the course of a semester they speak in conversations about a number of topics for a set limit of time. The goal is to be able to speak more fluently …

Traditional Vs. Non-Traditional Blocks Of Time In Relationship To Teaching And Learning: An Independent Professional Project, Susan W. Chilson

MA TESOL Collection

This Independent Professional Project reflects a discussion about the use of traditional and non-traditional blocks in their relationship with teaching and learning. It reflects the ways in which teaching and learning might lead to a better outcome if the non-traditional blocks were implemented. It addresses the issues of learning styles and the perceptions that revolve around them.

An overview of visits to several schools across the country is included to offer insight into what the various movements in teaching and learning are in different schools. There are as many similarities throughout the schools in the country as there are differences. …

Effective Middle School Teachers : Becoming "Real", Rhoda C. Sommers

Dissertations

Problem. This study looks at four effective middle school teachers' stories in order to understand the experiences and beliefs which impact their choice to use developmentally responsive classroom practices. There is general agreement in the literature concerning characteristics of effective middle school teachers, but little has been done to understand what influences these teachers to teach the way they do.

Method. A qualitative case study design was used for this study. Two male and two female middle school teachers were observed and interviewed during the course of 1 school year. Each teacher's life experiences, classroom practices, and beliefs are …

Teacher Efficacy And Behavior: Their Relationship And Impact On Student Learning, Linda Diane Avery

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The purposes of this study were to explore the relationships between teacher efficacy and changes in teacher behavior and student learning espoused by the standards-based reform movement and to examine the impact of a curriculum innovation on student learning and teacher efficacy The study was designed to target sophisticated pedagogical behavior associated with setting high learner expectations.;The context for the research was a federally funded project to develop and implement model lessons in elementary social studies in an urban setting. The sample was comprised of 25 experimental and 17 comparison teachers. Instrumentation included two measures of teacher efficacy, two measures …

The Attitudes Of Public Elementary School Principals Toward Inclusive Education And Educational Strategies Related To Its Practice, Frank J. Inzano

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Block Scheduling: The Effects Of Extended Periods Of Class Time On Student And Teacher Perceptions Of The Instructional And Professional Climate Of A Secondary School, Joanne Patrice Kenny

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Teaching And Learning In Higher Education : Nurturing Critical Reflection For Bridging Theory/Practice Links : A Case Study In Social Work Education, Gary Keith Ovington

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The 1990s has witnessed two 'institutions' in 'crisis': higher education and social work. In higher education. government has brandished its quality sword and the long-neglected area of teaching is prominent in the war cry. In social work, major stakeholders have constructed the crisis as the 'theory/practice problematic' and the systemic intervention has been the prima facie increasing power of non-academic bodies to shape social work curriculum. This study is set within this context of quality teaching and theory/practice issues. It is an action research study of the teaching and learning dynamic of a first year social work subject which seeks …

The Good Language Class: Teacher Perceptions, Rosemary Senior

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This is a qualitative, descriptive study of group processes in classes of adult language learners, viewed from the perspective of practising teachers. The study has an internal narrative which takes the reader through the process of the research, from the initial question raised by a casual classroom conversation to the discussion chapter which questions a number of assumptions underlying current English language teaching practices within western educational contexts. The study falls into two distinct phases. The first phase uses the constant comparative method of data collection and analysis to integrate the perceptions of 28 experienced language teachers into the following …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Elementary School Teachers In Two Districts Utilizing Peer Coaching In Response To The New Jersey World Languages Standards, Ellen B. Decker

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Attaining Professional Goals Using The Expertise Of Colleagues, Esme Pashley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study examines one method of providing professional development, which addresses the individual needs of experienced successful classroom teachers. It is a qualitative investigation into how teachers attain their professional goals using the expertise of their colleagues through a collaborative and collegial process Data were collected from regular meetings by the participants and their personal journal entries related to the project The data were then compiled in a context chart and a descriptive matrix, to enable case studies to be compiled. The findings contribute to enhanced understanding of how professional development may be provided to experienced classroom teachers.

Program Practices In An Urban School District For Serving Students Identified As Emotionally Disturbed In The Least Restrictive Environment, Leigh L. Butler

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This research examined current educational practices utilized by administrators and teachers to provide services to students with emotional disturbances in an urban school district in the least restrictive environment. In addition, training needs to improve the delivery of education services to students identified as emotionally disturbed also were identified. Data was gathered through the use of a survey and was expanded through focus group interviews. All schools in the urban school district which provide services to students identified as emotionally disturbed were requested to participate in this research. Surveys were distributed to special education and regular education teachers who provided …

An Analysis Of Practicum Student Attitudes In Urban Professional Development School And Urban Traditional School Programs, Ira Carroll Starling

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study compares practicum student attitudes (N = 46) in urban Mature PDS, urban Newly Established PDS, and urban Traditional Schools on five professional attributes: diversity, collaboration, reflection, theory-to-practice, and motivation/efficacy. The researcher also compared practicum expectations of students, principals and clinical faculty to identify differences in attitudes among the three practicum environments.

With regard to the five professional attributes, the Mature PDS environment was most successful in encouraging positive professional attitudes, the Traditional School environment was moderately successful, and the Newly Established PDS was least successful. Qualitative findings showed that the clinical faculty in the Mature PDS environment were …