Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons^™

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.

Off The Shelf And Into The Classroom: Working With K-12 Teachers To Integrate Digitized Collections Into Classroom Instruction, Tara Zachary Laver

The Southeastern Librarian

Thanks to a grant funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Special Collections Department of LSU Libraries and the LSU digital library have been digitizing, cataloging, and making available via the World Wide Web selected documents and publications from the era of the Louisiana Purchase held by LSU and the New Orleans City Archives. A goal of the grant was to enhance K-12 teaching and learning by working with Louisiana teachers to integrate the use of the digital collection into their classroom activities. The digital collection’s availability on the web would also give access to any teacher, …

After Turning Points: Evidence Of The Adoption Of Middle School Reforms In The United States 1987-2000., Nancy Barnes Mansberger

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the adoption by U.S. middle schools of key practices recommended by the 1989 Turning Points report. Three questions were examined: (1) To what extent have the organizational practices identified by research to impact the development of "small learning communities" been adopted by U.S. middle schools? (2) To what extent do the instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers reflect developmentally responsive or traditional/bureaucratic methods?, and (3) Do the instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers differ between those who teach in schools with developmentally responsive organizational practices and those who teach in …

Divorce: A Teacher's Perspective On How It Affects Primary Age Children And Their Behavior In An Elementary School Setting, Reina Moriah Beere-Kuklinski

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Belonging In Parent-School Partnerships: Perspectives Of Parents Of Middle School Students With Autism, Michael Wayne Riley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to contribute to understandings of parent-school relationships involving parents of students with autism by exploring notions of belonging with a small group of parents. The purpose of the study is to describe the experiences of middle school parents of children with autism. From these descriptions, I examined how parents of students with autism might contribute to understandings of belonging in school-family partnerships and enable schools and families to collaborate more effectively. This study addresses an apparent gap in understandings of belonging of parents of children with autism in their relationships with their child's school. …

The Association Between Learning Processes And Formal Music Electives Among Sixth Grade Music Students, Anthony C. Varga

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of learning process frequencies among sixth grade music students who elect to participate in musical ensembles. Is there an association between the student's choice of elective music ensemble and their learning process?

Forty-five sixth grade music students participated in the study with their parents' permission. Subjects were administered the Learning Combination Inventory during their scheduled music class. They were asked to first respond to 28 Likert-type statements rating their answers as best fitting their own individual learning. The second part of the instrument required the subjects to respond to three …

Women Scholars, Integration, And The Marianist Tradition: Learning From Our Culture And Ourselves, Mary Ellen Seery, Shauna M. Adams, Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch, Connie L. Bowman, Patricia R. Grogan, Laurice J. Joseph

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

In the fall of 1997, a group of junior tenure-track women faculty in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton decided to meet regularly in order to support each other’s scholarly endeavors in the process of achieving promotion and tenure. The group of subsequently became known as the Writing-Writers’ Support Group (WWSG). In 2000, the group conducted a self-study of its group process to determine how the formation of women’s WWSG fit with the mission and characteristics of a Marianist university. The results suggest that, although each of the characteristics could be identified in the group processes, …

Journaling In The Secondary Mathematics Classroom: An Introduction, Defense, And Resource, Emily K. Falgier

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

The Effects Of A Direct Instruction Versus A Non-Direct Instruction Classroom Environment On Behavior Patterns At The Middle School Level, Pamela D. Davis

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this research was to complete an historical comparison of behavior patterns exhibited by students at a small rural middle school in Southside, Virginia during the 2000-2001, and the current 2001-2002 academic years. In addition, the research includes components of the effects of a non-direct instruction classroom versus a direct instruction classroom environment on such behavior patterns. All students' discipline records in grades 6 through 8 were evaluated for the study. The numbers of referrals written on individual students were considered in addition to the types of referrals written.

It’S All About M.E. (Motivation Through (Self) Evaluation), Wendy Pillars

MA TESOL Collection

Middle school is a paradox. Students want nothing more than autonomy, while classrooms become more structured and demanding. With the increased structure, however, are increased expectations for the students to determine what to do and when to do it, on their own. This rapid increase in personal responsibility creates confusion in an already tumultuous time in their lives, and a common retaliation, out of fear, apathy, or simply not knowing, is to do nothing. It is a given that students differ in their motivation to learn, and tapping each one of those sources becomes, in effect, a quest for the …

Fa'al Shehriyat, Bernadette L. Dean

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Jamhuriyat Bator Siyasi Nizam, Bernadette L. Dean

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Hukumat-E Pakistan, Bernadette L. Dean

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Review Of Hearing All The Voices: Multicultural Books For Adolescents, Kathyanne W. Dobda

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

This article is a book review of Hearing All the Voices by Mary Ann Darby and Miki Pryne.

Promoting Curiosity Through Students’ Questioning, Harcharan Pardhan, Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Asking questions is central to intellectual effort; it is instrumental in bridging the gap between the known and the unknown. Questioning existed even before the time of Greek philosopher Socrates and still prevails in classrooms. Questioning is a major teaching and learning strategy for teachers in Pakistan. Unfortunately, teachers’ questioning overrules students’ questioning, leaving neither space nor time to create an interactive environment that promotes curiosity and meaningful learning. Using an innovative approach, we attempted to implement students’ questioning in an upper primary science classroom. The encouraging findings of our study and their implications are discussed in this article.