Elementary Education and Teaching Commons^™

Experiences Of Michigan Elementary National Board Certification Candidates, Kristen L. Dewitt

Dissertations

Since 1987, over 55,000 teachers have achieved National Board Certification (NBC), which is claimed to be the highest symbol of teaching excellence and an identifier of accomplished teaching. To become certified, teachers must demonstrate a clear understanding of rigorous standards as defined by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

This phenomenological study examined ten Michigan elementary National Board Certified Teachers and candidates in hopes of better understanding the roles that motivation, support and pressure played in their decisions to seek NBC, and the influence the process had on their teaching. Four critical findings were identified.

The first critical finding …

Schools’ Participation In Great Conversation: A Proposal For School Improvement In Pakistan, Zubeda Bana

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper proposes the value of building social relations through critical conversation in schools in developing countries and particularly in Pakistan. The current climate in most of the schools in these countries reflects “apathy” and “ignorance”. It is argued that schools posses a capacity for wisdom if they develop a habit of engaging themselves into critical discourse. Schools can be personified as human beings to speak and open their minds and hearts in front of their stakeholders and share their successes and challenges to form a real sense of school community. The paper also shares an example of one of …

The Role Of Schooling In Constructing Gendered Identities, Bernadette L. Dean, Rahat Joldoshalieva, Abid Hussainy

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Many research studies show that schools play an important role in constructing gendered identities of girls and boys in western contexts. In Pakistan, there are research studies on the construction of gender in textbooks but studies on the role of schools are either unreported or unavailable. To address this gap in the literature, an exploratory study was carried out in public sector schools in the urban and semi-urban areas of Karachi. The findings indicate that the inter-relationship of the structure of schools, the official curriculum, teaching and learning practices and teacher beliefs result in a gendered division of labor, gendered …

Assessing Formatively In The English Language Classroom, Sherwin Rodrigues

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

The area of ‘assessment’ – and particularly that of ‘formative assessment’ – has attracted the increasing attention of educational researchers within the last decade. This article presents the findings of a qualitative research study that was conducted in a primary school in Oxford, UK. Data were gathered through classroom observations that were videotaped. The assessment strategies used by the teacher were the foci of observations. It was found that questioning and feedback were two key elements characteristics of a teacher’s formative assessment practice in the English Language primary classroom. Extensive questioning for assessment purposes invited pupils to contribute ideas, checked …

Least Common Multiple Of Teacher Leadership Styles: Implication For Classroom, Khalid Mahmood

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

In a school, a teacher, as a leader, interacts directly with the students to develop their cognition for a desired outcome. At the same time s/he also forms a caring relationship with them not only to guide them academically but also socially and spiritually. Students also have certain capacity for their own learning. This capacity to large extent influences by teacher’s role in the classroom. Hence three factors have major influence to shape effectiveness of a classroom. In the study reported in this paper, combinations of these factors were sought and presented in three dimensional models. Eight different combinations (models) …

School Improvement In Multi-Grade Situation (Sims): An Innovation Of The Pdcc, Jalal Wali Khan

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Professional Development Center, Chitral (PDCC), since its establishment in Chitral, is committed to work with its partner education providers for the improvement of quality of teaching and learning in schools. PDCC believes that effective teaching and learning in primary, acts as a foundation stone for higher education, but currently it does not happen in majority of our primary schools. Multi-grade situation in primary schools is one of the many reasons of low quality education. School Improvement in Multi-grade Situation (SIMS) was piloted in five schools aiming to improve the current Multi-grade Teaching (MGT) situation in schools. This study intended to …

Digging Through The Garden State's Digital Divide: A Descriptive Retrospective Study Of Differences In Educational Technology Resources In New Jersey Public Elementary Schools According To Socioeconomic Status, Percentage Of Minority Students, Abbott District Designation, And Charter School Designation, Veronica E. Geyer

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Qualitative Analysis Of Fourth Grade Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of The New Jersey Ask4 Testing On Instructional And Assessment Practices, Barbara A. Pepe

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Learning To Use Innovative Pedagogy: The Experience Of A Primary Science Teacher In Pakistan, Nelofer Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This study examined the experiences of primary science teachers when they weThis study examined the experiences of primary science teachers when they were exposed to a new and innovative teaching strategy and the process that they followed in using the strategy in the class- room for the first time. Four primary science teachers, among the 22 participants of an 8-week Certificate in Education (Science) in Karachi, were observed and interviewed after the four-day teaching session where they were instructed how to use "Discrepant Events" to teach science content. Only the case of Farhana Batool, a teacher in a private school, …

Exclusion Of Girls From Education In Rural Pakistan, Parvez Pirzado

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Teacher Education In Pakistan With Particular Reference To Teachers' Conceptions Of Teaching, Amin Rehmani

Examination Board

This paper discusses teacher education in Pakistan with particular emphasis on teachers’ conceptions of teaching in improving quality of education. This paper is based on an initial study that examines teachers’ conceptions of teaching in the context of Pakistan. The study seeks to explore whether teachers’ conceptions of teaching influence decision-making in classroom teaching. It describes conditions of teaching and learning in Pakistan and argues for reform in teacher education to improve quality of teaching and learning.

Initiating Change In Classrooms: Pathways And Challenges For East African Schools, Anjum Halai, Ruth Otienoh, Zeenat Shariff, Naomi Swat

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This paper draws upon classroom-related findings from a set of impact case studies of whole school improvement in six primary schools that have been involved as “cooperating schools” in long-term school-university partnerships with the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (IED), and it’s Professional Development Centre in East Africa (PDC-EA). The IED approach for school improvement involves participating schools in multiple strands of professional development, including: a two-year masters degree programme that provides selected teachers with the pedagogical and leadership knowledge and skills to serve as Professional Development Teachers in their schools; Certificate in Education programmes (CEP) for teachers …

Change Agents’ Orientations To Change, Mir Afzal Tajik

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This study explores five field education officers’ (FEOs) understanding of their dual roles as educational reformers and community developers in the rural, mountainous district of Chitral, Pakistan. In particular, it examines their specific actions and methods (strategies) and their underlying assumptions and core values (orientations) of change. These FEOs work as change agents in schools and in the local communities where schools have been established by the Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan (AKES,P). The study’s findings derive from empirical data collected through qualitative research methods, such as semi-structured interviews (individual and focus-group), non-participant observations, post-observation discussions, informal conversations and analysis …

Reforming Public Education In Developing Countries: Turning Challenges Into Opportunities, Rana Hussain, Sajid Ali

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This paper tries to respond to a basic question: “Can public education (or some aspects of it) be reformed?” The authors’ response to this question is, “Yes, public education can be reformed, if contextual possibilities are exploited efficiently.” Although a straight forward and simplistic response to the question, this was felt necessary to counter an unfavourable bias towards public education sector without recognizing the challenges that it faces, and without recognizing the potential of many of the public teachers who continuously strive to change these negative perceptions. This paper recognizes the potential of public sector education and shares a relatively …

Effective School Leadership: Can It Lead To Quality Education?, Jan-E-Alam Khaki

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This paper examines the role of effective leaders in bringing about quality in teaching and learning in schools. It is based on my doctoral empirical research undertaken during 2000-2005 under the auspices of the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE/UT), Canada. My study explores the roles, beliefs and behaviors of three reputationally effective secondary school headteachers in Karachi, Pakistan, in three types of schools – government, community and independent, assuming that contextual factors will influence the nature of leadership. The findings reveal that all three heads’ beliefs and practices show similarity in a vision of providing …

Teacher Leaders: Experiences Of Pakistani Teachers In Leading School Improvement Activities, Mwanaate Shabaan, Rashida Qureshi

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Teachers As Leaders In The Pakistani Context, Nusrat Fatima Rizvi

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Study Of The Ways In Which Selected New York State District Administrators In Districts In Need Of Improvement Respond To The No Child Left Behind Act, Paula C. Childs

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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School Improvement: A Case From The Northern Areas In Pakistan, Gulzar Kanji, Takbir Ali

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Professional Development And School Improvement In Central Asia, Gulgunchamo Naimova

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Developing Leadership And Management Capacity For School Improvement, Muhammad Memon, Tim Simkins, Charles Sisum, Zubeda Bana

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Problems Of Teachers' Re-Entry In Schools After In-Service Education, Razia Fakir Mohammad

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Teacher Education And School Improvement: A Case Study From Pakistan, Anil Khamis, Shahida Jawed

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Qualities Of Effective Mentor Teachers, Eileen Mooney Cambria

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

A STUDY OF THE QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE MENTOR TEACHERS The purpose of this study is to identify the attributes of teachers who are master teachers and exemplary mentors. This qualitative inquiry was designed to shed light on the values, attributes, beliefs and practices of these individuals as they relate to the art of teaching and mentoring novice teachers. A stable faculty provides schools with a strong support structure that enables students to achieve high levels of instruction and new teachers the high quality of mentoring needed during the first phase of their careers. Recruiting new teachers to fill the void …

A Study Of The Status Of The Strategic Planning Process As Used By Public School Districts In Six Suburban New York City Counties, Bartholomew Linehan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Over the past two decades, strategic planning has emerged as a management tool to assist administrators in leading public school districts forward. If strategic planning is an important administrative tool in moving a school district toward its vision, how and in what form is it being utilized in suburban New York City school districts? The purpose of this study was to understand the utilization of strategic planning in suburban New York City school districts and to understand the constraints, training and technical needs regarding strategic planning. This study also discusses the relationship existing between strategic planning and the key district …

A Case Study Of The Writing Consultant As A Professional Development Model For Elementary School Teachers, Shirley E. Martin

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Affecting Schools Through A Health Education Initiative, Tashmin Kassam-Khamis, Sadia Muzzafar Bhutta

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Citizenship Education In Pakistani Schools: Problems And Possibilities, Bernadette L. Dean

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

A critical aspect of education that is often overlooked or inadequately addressed is the preparation of school students for citizenship. This paper assesses the current state of citizenship education in Pakistani schools. It draws on the findings of two research studies: an analysis of the social studies curriculum and textbooks and a review of teaching and learning practices in schools. The findings indicate that the curriculum and textbooks do not distinguish between Islamic education and citizenship education and promotes exclusionary and passive citizenship. They also shows that while Pakistani students acquire knowledge and learn some important values in schools, they …

Educational Development Projects At Ied: Towards School Improvement, Khalid Mahmood, Nilofar Vazir

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

The M.Ed. program at The Aga Khan University-Institute for Educational Development helps to develop Course Participants (CPs) as teacher educators / educational leaders. The institute always welcomes innovations in its various programmes. The Educational Development Project (EDP) was conceived as an alternative to research to develop CPS’ knowledge and skills required for developmental work. The EDP is concerned with capacity building at classroom and school level depending on the needs of the relevant stakeholders. A contextually relevant model was adapted for EDP at the institute. The research reported in this paper discussed the question: To what extent does the course …