Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Safe Spaces For Enabling The Creative Process In Classrooms, Monique Fuss, Graham R. Daniel

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Based on interviews with five creative professionals this article looks to investigate the creative experience as a source of data on how educators might create space for enabling the creative process in the classroom. Looking toward professional artists who are also committed educators provides core commentary on how to maximise creative experiences in the classroom. Whilst acknowledging the importance of physical space, the following article looks purposefully toward how to enable space as an internal state of being, with the intent toward establishing transdisciplinary discussions that stimulate and provoke creative pedagogical research across an interdependent continuum. The research concludes that …

Making A Difference To The Student Experience Through Purposeful Course Design, Lucia Zundans-Fraser, Alan Bain

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The study described examines the student experience in a graduate inclusive education course purposefully designed to address areas of need identified. These include the need for theory to underpin course design, the need for collaborative practice, and the need to reduce the theory-to-practice gap. Throughout their enrolment and after course completion, feedback from students is presented and examined in order to determine whether these needs have been met through the design of the course. Findings suggest that the organisation of learning materials, embedded capacity-building skills, and the practical applicability of course content was highly regarded by students and contributed to …

Lessons In Persistence: Investigating The Challenges Faced By Preservice Teachers In Teaching Coding And Computational Thinking In An Unfamiliar Context, Vinesh Chandra, Margaret Lloyd

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

An ongoing problem for teacher education institutions is bridging the gap between theory and practice and offering authentic experiences to challenge preservice teachers’ pedagogical decision-making. Preservice practicums simulate teaching and can, at best, offer controlled experiences in familiar settings. This restricts the opportunities for preservice teachers to develop confidence in their own pedagogical decision-making and to adapt curriculum to meet unknown or unforeseen conditions. This paper describes, through a small-scale qualitative case study, a teaching experience in an unfamiliar setting, the persistent actions taken to respond to a specific context and the impact this had on preservice teacher knowledge and …

Factors In Agency Development: A Supervisory Teaching Perspective, Paul Crowhurst, Linley Cornish

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Promoting student agency is an emerging priority in education. Supervisory teaching is a potentially useful approach for supporting agency development. This approach includes two characteristics, namely, tutorial learning conversations between the teacher and a group of one to four students, and students learning independently for extended periods of time. Supervisory teaching lessons in three primary-school classrooms were observed over a period of five months and teachers were interviewed as part of the data collection process. Five key factors were found to support students to have more agency in their learning: independence and ownership, scaffolding, students as teachers, joyfulness, and reflection. …

Curriculum Alignment After Reforms: A Systematic Review With Considerations For Queensland Pre- And In-Service Teachers, Claudia Elisabeth Johnson, Helen J. Boon, Maree Dinan Thompson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This systematic review synthesises research on curriculum alignment to suggest considerations for the implementation of the Senior secondary curriculum reform in Queensland, Australia. It focuses on the coherence of cognitive skills in the prescribed and enacted curriculum as these are typically the least aligned curriculum components. Search methods, which followed the PRISMA model, resulted in 108 relevant articles for qualitative synthesis. Results show that alignment after curriculum reforms is typically low. The use of educational taxonomies can support curriculum alignment. Marzano and Kendall’s (2007) New Taxonomy of Educational Objectives underpins the new Queensland Senior secondary syllabi which, in line with …

Implicit Theories Of Learning As Reflected In One Upper Elementary Teacher's Talk, Laura May, Diane Truscott, R. D. Fremeau

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Strong empirical evidence exists indicating language can influence students’ beliefs about ability. Professional literature for teachers offers practical advice on how to adjust their classroom-based talk to support student achievement by orienting students toward an incremental theory of ability. Yet, little empirical work has been done to investigate how teacher talk plays out moment-to-moment within the classroom context. This study reports on a qualitative analysis of one upper elementary teacher's talk with regard to implicit theories of learning. Findings suggest teacher talk is dynamic and overlapping, operating along a continuum from entity-oriented talk to incremental-oriented talk across varied classroom situations. …

Coaching Conversations: Examining Job-Embedded Professional Development Action Research Using Danielson's Framework To Develop Shared Understanding Of Effective Teaching Practices, Diana Parnell Dubisky

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This action research study investigated the effects of biweekly coaching conversations using a common language of effective teaching practices, Charlotte Danielson’s (2013) Framework for Teaching (CDFfT), to guide collegial discourse during coaching sessions with beginning teachers utilizing a partnership approach to coaching. The study was conducted in a middle school setting with three instructional coach participants and eight beginning teachers. Data were collected using qualitative tools, including (a) pre and post professional development survey, (b) coaching communication logs, (c) coach-to-coach weekly debriefing responses, (d) coaching preparation logs, and (e) survey responses at the end of the 8-week study. Analysis of …

Professional Growth: How Do Cooperating Teachers Grow Through The Experience Of Having A Student Teacher?, Ashton D. Coppley

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Cooperating teachers and student teachers share a unique internship that allows the development of skills for both individuals. The literature states that cooperating teachers can grow from student teachers; however, there are a few sources that state the areas in which this growth occurs. The purpose of this study was to determine if growth or impact happened in the areas of instructional practices, coaching skills, and self-efficacy during the student teaching process. This mixed methods study included a survey, focus group interview, and single interviews to determine whether any change was made. The survey created descriptive statistics, a Pearson correlation …

Mastery Learning: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Teacher Efforts Implementing Key Components Of The Mastery Learning Framework, Lashay Conley

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study works to assess the degree to which the impact of implementation of Mastery Learning can be described through teacher perception, academic achievement, and student growth. Elementary school teachers in a suburb in North Carolina implemented the Mastery Learning framework. The school’s end-of-grade test scores were above state and district averages but did not meet expected academic growth as identified by the state. These results are an indicator that many of the students were proficient but were not growing at an acceptable rate. Beginning in the 2017 school year, teachers attended professional development training on the framework, processes, and …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of A Freshman/Success Academy Program Through The Perceptions Of Educators In An Urban High School, Michelle Pettiford

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of educators regarding the effectiveness of an academic success program for ninth- and 10^th-grade students who are at-risk males. The term at risk has often been utilized to describe students who have low academic performance as well as social and emotional concerns observed during the transitioning process from middle to high school. The foundation of this study centered on past and current educational initiatives, achievement gaps, and pedagogical and cultural awareness for at-risk minority students as they entered high school. I used a 2-phase process that included …

Exploring Aspects Of Science Literacy Demonstrated By Early Undergraduate Stem Majors Through A Manuscript-Style Writing Assignment, Samantha Lynn Jusino

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the past twenty years, scientific literacy amongst undergraduates has not improved despite their exposure to higher education science classes. Underlying mechanisms of science literacy development are poorly understood; however, exposure to authentic practices in science has been demonstrated as a means to fostering science literacy development. A unique approach to studying science literacy is through examining the three domains of the science literacy conceptual framework developed in this study, Science as Access, Science as Process, and Science as a Sociopolitical Factor and their components as they emerge through the process of writing a manuscript-style writing assignment. In …

Black Students, White Schools, And Racism: Exploring The Experiences, Challenges, And Resilience Of Black Students At Private K-12 Predominantly White Institutions (Pwis) Through Adult Reflections, Sade Ojuola

Master's Theses

This project examines the challenging racialized experiences of Black students who attended private predominantly white institutions (PWIs) during their K-12 education, with a particular focus on the long-term impact of those experiences. The existing literature contains valuable data about the experiences of Black students in predominantly white private schools. However, an important gap in the literature exists regarding the reflections and understandings developed over time by Black adults who attended predominantly white private schools. This field project aims to explore the beliefs that were borne of those experiences and how those experiences ultimately become interwoven into a Black student’s identity …

Journal Of Communication Pedagogy, Complete Volume, 2020

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Student's Perceptions Of Smartphone Use At Home And At A High School Regarding A New Smartphone Policy: A Case Study, Ana Zurita

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The new generation raised in the digital era continues to present unresolved challenges for both parents and teachers. The purpose of this case study is to analyze students' usage of their smartphones in their lives, and understand the success of a new school policy on smartphone use at an arts school in the U.S. For this qualitative research, I interviewed ten participants from the high school. The literary review informs us that smartphones are potentially addictive, with negative effects for healthy mental, emotional and social child development, as well as a source of misleading information. As a consequence, smartphones in …

Strengthening Middle School Students’ Commitment To Social Justice Issues: Building Connections With Teacher Education Candidates, Anne Katz

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Publications

This article was published in Dragon Lode.

Children’S Practices And Engagement In E-Reading For Pleasure: A Case Study Of A Malaysian Primary School, Ghalebandi Seyedeh Ghazal

Student Works (2020-2029)

Children nowadays have been exposed to on-screen reading or e-reading since the development of mobile application and devices to support reading and learning activities. The reading for pleasure declines as children grow older. Studies highlighted the reduces children’s time and motivation for voluntary reading because of competing interests and other leisure activities. It is believed that recent technological advancements are also contributing to the decline in reading for pleasure. This study employed a case study approach to understanding children’s practices and engagement in e-reading for pleasure context. The following research questions were put forward in the investigation: a) how do …

A Longitudinal Corpus Investigation Of Grammatical Stance Markers In The English Argumentative Writing Of Chinese Students, Man Deliang

Student Works (2020-2029)

Evaluation is considered crucial for successful academic writing (Hunston, 1989, 1994; Hyland & Jiang, 2016; G. Thompson, 2001). It conveys the values and judgement of the writer, maintains the relations between the writer and reader and organizes the discourse (G. Thompson & Hunston, 2000). Despite the importance of evaluation, the use of evaluative language in academic writing has shown to be difficult for both L1 and L2 users of English. One active strand of research in English for academic purposes gives considerable attention to the use of linguistic markers of stance. While there has been growing research interest in stance …

Development Of Collaborative Tpack Module For Continuing Professional Development In A Higher Education Institution, Vasodavan Vinothini

Student Works (2020-2029)

Teaching and learning in higher education should be more than just a transmission of knowledge. The focus should be on acquiring skills for interacting, applying, evaluating and creating new knowledge as well as problem solving. This can be achieved through social interactions and cognitive process during collaborative learning (CL) using collaborative learning (CL) tools. Therefore, instructors should be able to integrate CL tools effectively into instruction by having a good understanding of incorporating them into appropriate pedagogy and content. Hence, in this study a Collaborative TPACK module was developed for continuing professional development (CPD) to build instructor’s skills and knowledge …

Teacher-Tool Relationship Of Maldivian Esl Teachers: A Multiple Case Study, Wadheefa Aishath

Student Works (2020-2029)

Previous research has revealed the various ways teachers use the curriculum in classroom teaching. The way teachers use the curriculum not only impacts the effective implementation of the curriculum but, it also impacts the classroom instruction. This study intended to describe the teacher-tool relationship and the factors which shape this teacher-tool relationship. It particularly focused on ESL instruction in the context of Maldivian Key stage two teachers. Framing the study to include the unique characteristics of the island contexts, a qualitative multiple case study design informed by the interpretivist research paradigm was used in this study. Four schools across Maldives …

Saudi Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs And Attitude Towards Teaching Mathematics, Theyab Alhallafi Ghaythah Hamdan

Student Works (2020-2029)

Mathematics is one of the major educational subjects in schools because of its overwhelming relevance and application to human life and progress. Mathematics is central to human development and mastery of the planet earth and beyond particularly in this age of computer and information technology. Teaching Mathematics is an endeavor that dated back three (3) millennia. For centuries, teaching and Mathematics teachers have been subjected to various forms of scholarly investigations. This study examines teachers’ beliefs and attitudes and their impacts on the way they teach the subject of mathematics in their respective schools across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. …

Conceptions And Practices Of Divergent Thinking Among Form Two Science Teachers, Krishnan Kutty Lakshmi Nair

Student Works (2020-2029)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the conceptions and practices of Divergent Thinking among Form Two Science Teachers. Divergent thinking is integral to creativity which comprises four components, namely Fluency, Flexibility, Originality and Elaboration. Divergent thinking is important because it is the thought process that allows students to think outside the norm and to create many, original solutions for new problems. In our education system, it is the teachers’ responsibility to foster divergent thinking in classroom as teachers are the main mediators between the curriculum and classroom practices. If the teachers lack conceptions on divergent thinking, they might …

Year Five Pupils’ Mental Model Of Environment, Maslamany Kavitha

Student Works (2020-2029)

In the current society, pupils are given less opportunity to discover the natural world around them. This has resulted in ‘nature deficit disorder’ among the pupils especially among those who are living in urban areas which are surrounded by the built environments. This becomes worse when pupils get less exposure to environmental education in schools where they learn environmental concepts as disconnected pieces of information. Pupils who are unable to comprehend the environment as a complex and interconnected system will have less awareness of environmental problems. Studying pupils’ mental models of the environment enable teachers to understand pupils’ conceptualization of …

Use Of Student Teams-Achievement Divisions Approach In Science For Verbal Interactions And Performance Among Year Four Pupils, Murugan Rhubhambikhei

Student Works (2020-2029)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the verbal interactions and performance of selected Year Four science pupils in National Type Tamil School. Generally, National Type Tamil school pupils are passive and tend to be listeners in the classroom. Even though pupils talk, they do more social talk and there is no increase in pupils’ cognitive skills. Hence, this research focuses on pupils’ verbal interactions among their cooperative group members when using the prepared Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) Teaching and Learning Guide. STAD Teaching and Learning Guide was prepared to help teachers to promote verbal interactions among pupils. The …

Makna Numeral Hindu Arab Murid Tahun Empat, Hashmi Syaheela Atikah

Student Works (2020-2029)

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk meneroka makna numeral Hindu Arab murid Tahun Empat. Dalam kajian ini, reka bentuk kajian yang digunakan adalah kajian kes yang melibatkan empat orang murid Tahun Empat sekolah rendah di negeri Selangor yang dipilih melalui kaedah persampelan bertujuan. Data dikumpul melalui tujuh sesi temu duga klinikal dengan menggunakan pelbagai tugasan berkonteks dan juga tanpa konteks diberikan kepada peserta kajian. Dalam kajian ini, empat tugasan pelbagai format berkonteks dan juga tanpa konteks telah diberikan kepada peserta kajian semasa temu duga. Transkripsi temu duga telah di analisis secara dalam kes dan merentas kes. Keputusan analisis merentas kes menunjukkan yang …

Kemahiran Membaca Teks Bahasa Tamil Dengan Penggunaan Comic Strips Dalam Kalangan Murid Tahun Empat, Mathialathan Shanthini Sree

Student Works (2020-2029)

Penggunaan Comic Strip sebagai bahan bacaan teks bahasa Tamil mampu mewujudkan suasana pembelajaran yang menyeronokkan. Comic strip berperanan sebagai alat yang berfungsi untuk menyampaikan isi pembelajaran yang mana ia mewujudkan satu proses komunikasi antara murid dengan bahan pembelajaran. Kajian ini merupakan sebuah kajian tindakan yang melibatkan murid tahun empat dalam membaca teks bahasa Tamil dengan menggunakan comic strip.Reka bentuk kajian ini adalah bentuk kualitatif yang menggunakan kaedah pemerhatian, temu bual dan analisis dokumen yang mana kaedah pemerhatian digunakan sebagai instrumen utama dan kaedah temu bual dan analisis dokumen sebagai instrumen kedua dalam pengumpulan data. Dalam kajian ini, kemahiran membaca teks …

Student Involvement In Flipped Classroom Course Design, Whitney Henderson, Lyndi Plattner, Bailey Baucum, Tymeshia Casey, Allison Grant, Paige Headlee

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine changes in content knowledge, clinical reasoning, and metacognition with occupational therapy students involved in course design (collaborative participants), with participants engaged in flipped classroom model only (course participants), and to compare results between the collaborative and course participants. Forty-three occupational therapy students participated in this study. Researchers administered three pre- and post-test questionnaires and completed three focus groups. Results demonstrated both groups experienced growth in active learning and clinical reasoning and changed their perception of student involvement. The collaborative participants demonstrated additional benefits of development of relationships, increased accountability, and improved …

Representation Of Theory In Occupational Therapy Education: An International Systematic Mapping Review, 1940-2015, Rachel Heeb, Barb Hooper, Steven D. Taff

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Previous review research has outlined the state of various aspects of occupational therapy education. No reviews, however, have examined how theory, specifically, is represented in educational scholarship. This systematic mapping review explored the way in which theory, as it relates to both occupational therapy practice and pedagogy, has been discussed throughout occupational therapy education scholarship. In the education scholarship, theory pertaining to occupational therapy practice often overlaps with theory pertaining to pedagogy; therefore, both domains were included in the review. A systematic search for occupational therapy education literature published between 1940 and 2015 resulted in 9765 unique citations, 556 of …

Knowledge And Perceived Barriers Of Ot Students In The Transition Planning Process: A Pilot Study, Patrick A. Leytham, Robyn Otty

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The involvement of related service personnel (such as occupational therapists) in the transition planning process for children with disabilities has consistently been reported as low. The purpose for this pilot study was to (a) compare Masters-level occupational therapy student knowledge of transition-related terminology to practicing therapists and (b) determine what perceived barriers students have as it relates to transition planning. A one-shot case study design was used to collect data. Occupational therapy students participated in a one-hour lecture on transition planning and a three-hour lab wherein they learned how to administer transition planning inventories. Afterwards, they completed a brief survey …

Managing Science Teachers’ Adoption Of The 2005 Tanzanian Inquiry And Student-Centred Curriculum: Revealing Schoolbased Leaders’ Practices And Achievements, Noel Mark Makwinya

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Many countries have made considerable changes to their education systems in response to the forces of globalisation. Tanzania is no exception. The most recent educational change attempt in Tanzania relates to the introduction of the 2005 Tanzanian Inquiry and Student- Centred Curriculum.

Sound change-leadership is a necessary condition for the realisation of change, particularly in influencing its adoption. Within the descriptive qualitative research paradigm, this study employed a Type IV (embedded and multiple) case-study design to examine and describe science teachers’ lived experiences in dealing with this latest Tanzanian curriculum and the role played by school-based leaders in influencing such …

Receiving By Giving: The Impacts Of Immersive Service-Learning For Primary School-Age Students, Kimberley Luinstra

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Immersive service-learning (ISL) tours provide opportunities for students to deepen their academic and social learning as they provide services to others in an environment different to their home. Research on the effects of ISL tours has been conducted with secondary, tertiary, and graduate school level students, but little research exists on the effects for primary school-age students. This may be in part because of the scarcity of ISL programs available for primary school-age students.

This case study research explores the impacts of an ISL service-learning experience on its primary school-age participants. The community of the metropolitan suburban school at the …