Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

A Study Of Menarche In Athletes Participating In Common Public School Sports, Kristi R. Shirley

Graduate Theses

The number of women and young girls participating in sports has grown significantly since the passage of Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972. The female athlete derives many benefits from exercise; however, women are also a group that is at special risk because of the few negative effects of exercise on the reproductive and skeletal systems. Risks involved in increased physical activity include several forms of menstrual irregularities. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between athletic training, at a less intense level than those in previous studies such as ballet dancers …

The Effects Of The Use Of Dynamic Geometry Software On Student Achievement And Interest, Heidi B. Hansen

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This study examines the current research that exists on the effects that the use of dynamic geometry software has on student achievement and interest level in mathematics. Additional questions examined are whether using dynamic geometry software has a greater impact on high or low achievers, and what current methods of implementation are suggested by the research. A review of the relevant literature indicates that the use of dynamic geometry software does have a positive effect on student achievement, particularly achievement in areas of high-level thinking. Insufficient research has been done on the effect that the use of dynamic geometry software …

Process-Writing Instruction In One Teacher's Classes And Its Impact On The Writing Of Her Seventh Grade Students, Christine M. Dicicco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the project was to determine whether process-writing instruction in the classroom was improving one group of seventh grade language arts students' writing. Students in three classes with the same language arts teacher were involved in the study. Over the course of the first three marking periods, writing samples were collected from each of the students involved. Each student's writing was assessed according to criteria on both the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards and the New Jersey Registered Holistic Scoring Rubric. The teacher was also both observed and interviewed in order to determine what process-writing techniques she implemented …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Let Me Learn And Process Writing: A Qualitative Analysis, Grace D. Hagan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to examine the relationship between Let Me Learn and process writing. Christine A. Johnston's Let Me Learn Inventory was administered to a middle school class of 27 students, and 8 students were selected with use-first learning patterns in each of the four learning pattern categories. Once the 8 students were selected, the students participated in interviews with questions regarding their learning patterns and writing process style. The researcher then collected three writing samples from each student as well as a novel project. Upon completion of the data collection, the writing samples were analyzed …

The Perceptions Of School Safety And Discipline And How These Perceptions Affect Teaching Methods And Strategies, James J. Lapsley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions teachers have concerning safety and discipline within their school and how these perceptions affect teaching methods and strategies. The study took place in a large rural area high school with a diverse multi-cultural background of students. This particular school has increasingly been scrutinized for the disruptive behavior of the students and the ability of the administration to handle these problems among the majority of teachers in the school. This study focused on the perceptions the teachers have about their school policies and procedures and the ability the school has in …

Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge Base: Preliminary Results, Guershon Harel, Kien Lim

Departmental Papers (Math)

Student learning depends on the teacher’s actions, which are, in turn, dependent on the teacher’s knowledge base—defined here by three components: knowledge of mathematics content, knowledge of student epistemology, and knowledge of pedagogy. The purpose of this study is to construct models for teachers’ knowledge base and for their development in an on-site professional development project.

A Study To Determine If Multimedia Technologies In A Regular Classroom Enhance Learning And Motivation, Carol Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of infusing multimedia technologies in a regular classroom. The purpose of this study was also to demonstrate that with the use of technology, the students would better understand the important concepts covered in the social studies unit, as well as be motivated to learn.

Thirty sixth grade students conducted research using wireless laptops to find information about a prominent African-American who has made a positive contribution to our society. The control group created an oral presentation and constructed a replica in the form of a doll to represent their person. …

A Study Examining The Effects Of Athletics On Females' Mathematical Achievement, Genevieve M. Bieg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of a correlation between females who actively participated in athletics and a high achievement in mathematics. A comparison of females who actively participated in athletics and females who did not actively participate in athletics was made using an independent samples t-test.

The design for this study was the use of a survey, data collection and an independent samples t-test. This study used the sample of forty-one sixth grade females. Each female attended the same middle school and had the same math teacher. Each participant filled out a survey that determined …

Young Learners Of Modern Foreign Languages And Their Transition To The Secondary Phase: A Lost Opportunity?, Allison Bolster, Christine Balandier-Brown, Pauline Rea-Dickins

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Following publication of the National Languages Strategy on 18 December 2002 the teaching of foreign languages (FL) in the primary school is again high on the agenda in England as in other parts of Europe. Research has shown in the past (Burstall et al., 1974) that an early start in FL does not necessarily result in any long-term advantage in terms of proficiency. However, the above study also draws other conclusions, less widely reported, which remain significant. These include insufficient liaison between primary and secondary schools, lack of continuity in foreign language learning across phases, inadequate training of teachers, …

Munazza’S Story: Shedding Light On A Science Teacher’S Conceptions Of The Nature Of Science Through A Life History Study, Nelofer Halai, Derek Hodson

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Life history research creates a broader understanding of teaching by providing illustration of the relationships among various aspects of teachers’ lives and their teaching practice, both inside and beyond the classroom. This article focuses on the life history of Munazza, a young science teacher at the Karachi Model Secondary School (KMSS), a private, co‐educational, English‐medium school for children from middle‐income families. Its purpose is to gain insight into a female science teacher's understanding of teaching science in a school in Pakistan, ascertain what aspects of this science teacher's conceptions of the nature of science are explicit in her practice, and …

Action Research To Study Classroom Impact: Is It Possible?, Anjum Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

In recent years, a discourse is emerging in education that emphasises the study of the impact of in-service teacher education on student outcomes (more often than not student outcomes are seen in the form of test scores of academic achievement). Implicit in this discourse is the view that the impact of in-service teacher education is directly observable on students' outcomes, suggesting that the variables in a school or classroom are connected in some kind of a causal link. However, it is problematic to view variables in a social setting such as a school or a classroom as being in causal …

Impact : Making A Difference, Anjum Halai, Jane Rarieya

Books

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Direct Reading Instruction For Middle School Students At Newfield Middle School, Newfield, New York, Robert R. Ike

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Health Action Schools Pakistan: Towards School Improvement, Parvez Pirzado, Health Education Team

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Health education and promotion is a key determinant of quality education particularly in primary schools in Pakistan. This has been affirmed by an action research project entitled Health Action Schools (HAS) headed by Dr. Tashmin Khamis, based at Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED). The HAS project began initially as a three-year (1998-2001) action research project using the Child-to-Child approach in partnership with Save the Children, UK. The objective of the project was to develop prototypes of health-promoting schools in different social and educational contexts in Pakistan. Initially the HAS project was launched in five pilot schools from …

Mathematics Association Of Pakistan (Map): A Network For Teachers’ Learning, Sikunder Ali Baber

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Mathematics Association of Pakistan (MAP) came into being on July 4, 1997, after the conclusion of a course with the Andover Dartmouth Institute of Philips Academy, USA. The participants of the course decided to form a forum that would enable them to take charge of their own professional needs on a sustained and ongoing basis. Since its inception, MAP has initiated several innovative programmes with the aim to create a positive culture of learning of mathematics. Over the period, the qualitative increase in both MAP’s programmatic activities and membership demonstrate that the members value its work and see it as …

Promoting Female Participation In Professional Development Programmes, Shahnaz S. Mithani, Yasmin Memon, Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Muhammad Nadeem Farooqui

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

A recent publication of the Ministry of Education, Islamabad, shows that the province of Sindh has a population of over 30 million. The overall literacy rate in this province is 46.7 %, while the female literacy rate is 35.4%. However, in the rural areas of Sindh the female literacy rate is 13.11% against the male literacy rate of 52.1%. There are many social, cultural and economic factors that inhibit females from availing opportunities on an equal basis with the other segments of society. The literature also reveals that due to the above-mentioned factors females are confined to play a passive …

Teacher Empowerment, Rakhshinda Meher, Asghari Ummulbanin, Firdous Lalwani

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Literature reveals that “teacher empowerment” (to become an active decision-maker) is considered a key element in successful school reforms. Despite the many educational reforms that have been executed in Pakistan, limited work has been done for teacher empowerment; as a result, the expected outcomes were not achieved. To facilitate the teacher empowerment process, the Aga Khan University-Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) under USAID Project-III, planned and implemented a series of professional development programmes for rural and suburban teachers from Non-Governmental Organizations and Community-Based Organizations (NGOs and CBOs) working in the education sector of Sindh. The focus of these programmes was …

Challenges And Learning Opportunities Involved In The Professional Development Of Mathematics Teachers Within The Government Sector, Sardar Ahmed Khan, Nadeem Asghar Kirmani

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

As Professional Development Teachers (PDTs), we have been working in the government sector for the last several years to improve the profile of Mathematics teachers within the sector. Our experience of the Professional Development of teachers suggests that working in the government sector is not an easy task. However, neither is it an impossible one. The government’s system faces varied challenges in tackling the professional development needs of teachers. The most important one is the capacity of the professional staff to undertake this mammoth job. Secondly, there is a strong need to change the perceptions of policymakers to consider the …

Pdt Pathways, Zeenat Shariff, Ruth Otienoh

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

After completing the Master of Education (MEd) at Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED), most Professional Development Teachers (PDTs) enter a foggy zone where they have to grope to make a place for themselves. This paper is based on the experiences of two PDTs who found different paths to work on teachers’ professional development. The first PDT works as a school-based PDT, and hence the experience focuses on classroom teaching, student assessment, working with teachers at the school and the broader experience of working on professional development programmes. There is also an element of outreach as this PDT …

Planning Impact Research: Issues And Dilemmas, Anjum Halai

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

The Multiple Roles Of A Professional Development Teacher (Pdt), Tasneem Shabbar Zaidi

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

School improvement can be conceived broadly as encompassing the whole range of areas related to the school such as curriculum, human resources, the physical environment, and financial resources. Each of these areas, in turn, is itself immensely broad. This presentation will highlight the particular role played by a Professional Development Teacher (PDT) and Principal in contributing to school improvement in a local trust-operated school. Seventy-six per cent of the staff members of the school are graduates of various programmes conducted at Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED). The focus will particularly be on the purpose and procedures of …

An Exploratory Study On The Impact Of Alternative Approaches To The Treatment Of Bullying At The Middle/High School Level In A Southern New Jersey Public School District, Lynda L. Hinkle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to explore, in two separate studies, the impact of one comprehensive treatment and one curricular treatment on bullying behaviors within the context of a southern New Jersey school district. In the first study, 1280 middle school students were surveyed in the beginning of the school year and again at the end, after comprehensive treatment methods were applied. In the second study, a single high school writing class was observed both before and after the teaching of an anti-bullying curriculum. The first study showed an increase of students reporting that they were victims of bullying …

Elementary School Meets University, Rachel M. B. Collopy, Patsy Bowman

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

When school districts and universities combine their strengths, both benefit. Like teaching hospitals associated with medical schools, professional development schools (PDSs) train future practitioners, develop state-of-the-art practices, and nurture professional growth. Schools benefit from sustained professional development focused on their unique needs. Teacher preparation programs benefit from exemplary placements for student teachers and the wisdom of current practitioners. Both gain from joint research into innovative practices and the cross-fertilization of ideas.

Science Teacher Education And The Nature Of Science: A Voice From Pakistan, Nelofer Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

The purpose of this paper is to advocate that tenchcrs be encouraged nnd helped to develop an overt and deaf epistemological understanding of the methods and structure of science, i.e., the nature of science (NOS). I have tried to define the concepts that constitute NOS essential for school science. I also want to highlight some of the challenges faced in attempts to introduce NOS in inservice teacher education in Pakistan.

Working With Teachers: Practical Suggestion Stimulates Teacher’S Self-Reflection, Harcharan Pardhan

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Curriculum Materials As A Professional Development Tool: How A Mathematics Textbook Affected Two Teachers' Learning, Rachel M. B. Collopy

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This study reports on 2 upper-elementary teachers' learning through their use of potentially educative mathematics curriculum materials without additional professional development. 41 observations of the teachers' mathematics lessons and 28 interviews of the teachers were collected from October to May of an academic year. The case study analyses indicated that curriculum materials can be an effective professional development tool, but perhaps not for all teachers. 1 teacher's instructional focus and rationale for instructional practices remained stable throughout the school year, whereas the other's changed dramatically. The cases illustrated the teachers' dynamic and divergent nature of opportunities to learn through reading …

Examining Technology Acceptance By School Teachers: A Longitudinal Study, Paul J.H. Hu, Theodore H.K. Clark, Will W.K. Ma

Support & Other Units (THEi)

The role of information technology (IT) in education has significantly increased, but resistance to technology by public school teachers worldwide remains high. This study examined public school teachers’ technology acceptance decision-making by using a research model that is based on key findings from relevant prior research and important characteristics of the targeted user acceptance phenomenon. The model was longitudinally tested using responses from more than 130 teachers attending an intensive 4-week training program on Microsoft PowerPoint, a common but important classroom presentation technology. In addition to identifying key acceptance determinants, we examined plausible changes in acceptance drivers over the course …

Curriculum As Practiced In Pakistan, Nilofar Vazir

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

From 1995 to 1999, as a teacher educator in Pakistan teaching on professional development programs, my colleagues and I were able to address some needs and interests of primary school teachers. After obtaining a degree in teacher education I was better equipped with the skills required for designing, implementing, and evaluating the curriculum. I also gained further insight into teaching and learning through the fieldbased component. A "need analysis" determined teacher selection for our field component, with the overarching principle being to select teachers who considered change to be relevant. Other selection criteria included teachers who were willing to bring …

Shaking It Up: Challenging Veteran Teachers To Change, Evelyn Baker Lang

Educational Studies Dissertations

My research, conducted at a 600 student middle school, explored the conditions and factors needed by veteran teachers to learn about and implement educational change, either mandated or teacher-initiated. Qualitative research methods used included in-depth interviews of veteran teachers and observations in classrooms, cluster meetings and professional development workshops. Five factors appeared to facilitate the change effort for this group of teachers. They are: An understanding that the change process is a challenge in itself. A school culture that is conducive to change. A school principal who supports, inspires and encourages teachers. Appropriate professional development is offered to teachers. Teachers …

Policy Dialogues On Key Issues In Education, Aku - Ied

Books

No abstract provided.