Dissertations / Theses: 'Catholic primary teacher education'

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Nongkas, Catherine Matmadar, and res cand@acu edu au. "Leading Educational Change in Primary Teacher Education: a Papua New Guinea study." Australian Catholic University. School of Educational Leadership, 2007. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp167.23072008.

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Papua New Guinea gained its independence from Australia in 1975. However, as a developing nation, PNG has continued to depend on external assistance for its development programs. Extensive foreign aid has been expended primarily to enhance the quality of education. To explore the issue of foreign aid and its impact on PNG as a postcolonial society, the dependency and postcolonial theories were adopted to guide the discussion. The theorist Beeby argues that in order to improve the quality of education, the level of general education and training of teachers in developing countries must be raised. This has occurred in PNG but it has not significantly enhanced the quality of education. Consequently, the issue explored concerns the type of educational change occurring in PNG primary teachers’ colleges (PTCs) and its leadership. Globalization processes were adopted to guide the exploration of the education reform and its impact on the quality of education in primary teacher education in PNG. The following questions focused the content of the study:1. What is the quality of education being experienced in the Catholic Primary Teachers’ Colleges? 2. What are the lecturers’, students’, and recent graduates’ perceptions of the recent Primary and Secondary Teacher Education Project innovations occurring in the teachers’ colleges? 3. How is the curriculum in the teachers’ colleges perceived by the lecturers, students and recent graduates? 4. How is leadership demonstrated in the three Catholic Primary Teachers’ Colleges? The epistemological framework of the research was constructionism adopting an interpretivist approach. The specific interpretivist perspective employed was symbolic interactionism because symbolic interactionism places emphasis on the importance of understanding, interpretation and meaning. A case study approach was adopted as the methodology for this research because of the nature of the research purpose. This study involved a total of 166 participants consisting of staff and students from the three Catholic primary teachers’ colleges, representatives from the Catholic Church, National Department of Education (NDOE), Primary and Secondary Teacher Education Project (PASTEP) and other education officers. The data was gathered through a variety of methods including in-depth interviews, participant observation, focus groups, and documentary analysis. The major conclusions that emerged from this study revealed that educational change in primary teacher education has been implemented. However, the study concluded that the quality of leadership demonstrated to lead the educational change was disappointing. Inadequate leadership at the administration and curriculum levels had a negative influence on the quality of education. Achieving quality education was also hampered by inadequate funding, scarcity of resources and inappropriate infrastructure in all the institutions. The two-year trimester program has improved access and quantity but at the expense of quality. To assist primary teacher education implement the reform agenda, foreign aid was required. PASTEP was introduced and the contribution made by PASTEP was substantial. However, the study concluded that some of the strategies adopted by PASTEP to conduct its programs were questionable because there was evidence of hegemonic and colonial practices found among some of its workforce. In accepting foreign aid projects, PNG needs to establish strategies to ensure equitable partnerships with all stakeholders for sustainable development in education. In this respect, the findings of this study may serve as a guide for future decisions about educational leadership, curriculum innovation, donor funding agencies and policy generation.

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Wagiet, Razeena. "Environmental education : a strategy for primary teacher education." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003394.

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This research focuses on environmental education in initial teacher education, and is grounded in three interlinked and widely recognised assumptions. First, that education for sustainable living can assist in resolving some environmental problems that are contributing to the environmental crises of sustainability currently facing South Africa and the rest of the world. Second, that education for sustainable living can assist in the establishment of a new environmental ethic that will foster a sustainable way of living. Third, that teacher education is a vital process for the attainment of both. These assumptions inform the aim of this research, which is to explore the potential for the implementation of education for sustainable living, and to identify a strategy for this, for initial teacher education, for senior primary school student teachers in the Western Cape. The strategy is derived following the grounded theory approach, developed through the case study method. In the process of identifying the strategy, this study establishes that there are challenges at macro, meso and micro levels that are obstructing the changes necessary for education for sustainable living. Change theory provides the basis for explaining these shortcomings, by helping to identify the barriers that might obstruct the realisation of the changes that are necessary for education for sustainable living. These challenges need to be perceived in the light of overcoming three sets of barriers in the way of the potential implementation of education for sustainable living in teacher education. First are those that can be ascribed to the formal education system that, while clinging to Western, Eurocentric values on the one hand, bave also failed to secure a policy for environmental education on the other. Second are the barriers ascribed to the teacher educators themselves, with the whole notion of their powerlessness at its core. Finally, there are the logistical barriers, which encompass, for example, time and financial constraints. With these barriers as a backdrop, to facilitate the incorporation of environmental education into initial teacher education, the study identifies a need for the development of a strategy to secure that education for sustainable living assumes its rightful place in the curriculum for initial teacher education. This framework emerges from the theory grounded in the interviewees' responses during the research, and from the theory grounded in the literature. Central to this framework is for education for sustainable living to contribute to the realisation of real change, change that would further the transformation of our conflict-riddled and inequitable society towards a more democratic and just one. This thesis demonstrates that the realisation of the changes necessary for education for sustainable living demand a reconstruction of current teacher education in order to secure and to sustain an appropriate and sound education ethic to form the basis of a trans formative teacher education curriculum for sustainable living within initial teacher education. Except formal policy, but central to overcoming these barriers, is the need for professional development programmes for teacher educators. A strategy in this regard, is outlined.

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Allingham, Pauline Kay, and n/a. "Thank God it's Friday : occupational stress and coping among Catholic primary teachers." University of Canberra. Teacher Education, 1996. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060531.155625.

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Occupational stress among teachers is a painful, prevalent and costly phenomenon, one which impacts on individuals, families, schools and wider society. A growing body of evidence suggests that individuals' susceptibility to occupational stress is not determined exclusively by environmental or personality factors, but by the cognitive and behavioural transactions between the individual and potentially stressful events. Two major factors which contribute to individual stress are a person's appraisal of events as threatening or demanding, and the strategies they use in coping with those events. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between experience, stress levels and coping patterns in a group of primary school teachers. Two groups of teachers were surveyed, 'Starters' who were in their first year of teaching and 'Stayers' who had at least 10 years of teaching experience. Stayers were divided, on the basis of their responses, into Low-stress, Moderate-stress and High-stress groups. The aspects of coping which were explored are: 1. The range of coping strategies used by teachers in each group, 2. The frequency of use of those coping strategies for each group, and 3. The coping styles preferred by teachers in each group. The results of this study show no direct connexion between stress level and any of the demographic variables (sex, age, religion, piety, teaching experience, full-time teaching, part-time teaching and time away from teaching). Nor are significant differences found between the coping patterns of more or less experienced and more or less stress teachers. A pattern is suggested by correlational analysis, wherein inexperienced teachers (Starters) and highly-stressed experienced teachers (High-stress Stayers) show the same preference for coping styles. It is hypothesized that this similarity of preference relates to role of control in reducing stress, and that these groups are examples of different stages of adaptation to teaching. Implications for the use of these preferences in detecting teacher stress, and for the inclusion of coping strategies in teacher training are discussed.

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Whitworth, Linda. "Engaging Phronesis : religious education with primary initial teacher education students." Thesis, Middlesex University, 2018. http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/23887/.

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This thesis considers the initial teacher education of non-specialist primary undergraduate student teachers in teaching Religious Education. The focus of the research is a short module taught in the second year of the students’ degree course, which prepares students to teach in predominantly multicultural classrooms in London. The module adopts an Interpretive Approach to Religious Education, which contributes to a realignment of the students’ conceptualisation of knowledge through examination of the concepts of episteme and phronesis. Findings show that overt acknowledgement of the student teachers’ developing professional understandings, situated in decisions which reference values as well as subject knowledge, can alter their understanding and confidence about teaching Religious Education and indicates wider benefit in their appreciation of their developing teacher personae. The Structure of the Research Chapter 1 is a contextual introduction which presents a series of lenses through which to view the Religious Education module. Chapter 2 is an exploration of three main ideas which influenced the research: the Interpretive Approach to RE, the concept of phronesis, and the benefits to understanding pedagogy through self-study in teacher education. Chapter 3 explains the methodological thinking behind the research, ethical considerations and the methods employed. These include practitioner research, use of ethnographic and reflexive lenses and analysis of data from both students and personal reflection through self-study. Chapter 4 reports the findings from the research carried out with students, exploring the ideas which emerge from their responses to the module and my observations and interviews which illuminate ideas which emerge from the analysis. Chapter 5 is a discussion of the content and development of the module itself, exploring the impact and development of activities which influence the students’ understanding of RE. Chapter 6 draws together the threads of the research to explore the vision of a transformative ITE RE module, which recognises the value of acknowledging and developing phronesis in primary non-specialist student teacher education and concludes with recommendations to improve the current situation in RE in primary ITE.

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Gould, Rachel Amanda. "Leadership in the primary Catholic school in the West Midlands." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2016. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/6820/.

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Since the year 2000 there has been a statistically high proportion of head teachers’ leaving the profession. There have been studies conducted to predict when this exodus would conclude, but not the actual reasons for why senior people are leaving. Schools have found replacing head teachers’ increasingly difficult and the inevitable leadership crisis has been well documented by authors, such as Dorman and D’ Arbon (2003) and Harris (2007) alongside many articles in the media. The leadership crisis has been most noticeable within the Catholic Primary School sector. This thesis identifies the leadership crisis from the negativity of the education system with possible supporting solutions, such as the value of acting headship, succession planning and talent spotting. This research journey started with a questionnaire with eighty senior leadership teams within Catholic Primary schools (English West Midlands) and progressed to interviewing fifteen senior leaders, pooled from five head teachers; four deputy heads, three assistant heads and three middle leaders. The research was conducted from September 2011 to June 2014. This study captures the importance of succession planning and expectations on faith school head teachers having many aspects adding to the working week. Accountability and workload issues are adding increasing pressure on a heads’ shoulders which is putting many senior leaders off. The research concluded that any future succession planning should include opportunities for acting headship. The other emerging theme was the impact of OFSTED, especially in relation to the workload levels and the accountability of senior leader.

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Barişeri, Nurtuğ. "Primary music teacher education in England and Turkey." Thesis, Durham University, 2000. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4287/.

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This research investigates the primary student teachers' music education in England and Turkey. It is aimed to determine the generalist PGCE and specialist B.Ed students' attitudes and confidence towards primary music teaching before and after their teacher education courses. Similarly it investigated the 3(^rd) and 4(^th) year generalist student teachers' attitudes and confidence towards primary music teaching. Pre and post course questionnaires, interviews and informal observations were used for the study in England and a single questionnaire was applied to Turkish students. Factor analysis was used to construct a valid post-course questionnaire, which was also used to interpret some of the findings. English students' attitudes towards music teaching are based on three factors: (I) confidence in pedagogical content knowledge, (II) beliefs about value of music, (III) enjoyment of teaching music. Turkish students' responses on attitude statements created four factors: (I) confidence in content of music, (II) teaching role and beliefs to the value of music, (III) confidence in pedagogy, (IV) enthusiasm for music teaching. Turkish students tended to separate their pedagogical confidence from their subject knowledge confidence, whereas these aspects were merged for English students. In contrast to the Turkish teacher education course, the PGCE course increased students' confidence in their pedagogical knowledge and in creative activities at the end of their course. 3(^rd) year Turkish students were more confident in their musical and teaching knowledge and had more positive beliefs about the value of music education than the 4(^th) year students. Lack of time for music teaching practice and class management problems were shown as the main obstacles to the development of students' confidence to teach music further. The main implication for Turkish courses is to give more emphasis on pedagogy and creative activities for the education of students and English students should be given more chance to teach music during their teaching practice. Key Words: primary music education, specialist-generalist student teachers, attitude, confidence, and teaching practice.

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Elligate, John Edward, and res cand@acu edu au. "Developing Better Practice for Beginning Primary Teachers: The significance of the practicum." Australian Catholic University. Trescowthick School of Education, 2007. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp182.20112008.

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“Practicum” refers to the time students undertaking initial teacher education programs spend in schools during their training. Its purpose is to enable the university and accredited teachers to assist student teachers to gain experience in translating educational theory into classroom practice. It is recognised as a vital component of teacher education. In 1998 the Australian Catholic University (ACU National) Melbourne campus, introduced the ‘extended practicum’ into their teacher education program. The extended practicum, undertaken by students in their final year, is significant to student learning as it enables them to spend an extended period of time with the same group of pupils. However, to date this program has not been formally evaluated. This study used qualitative methodology to investigate the effectiveness of the extended practicum in the Bachelor of Education course offered through the Trescowthick School of Education at ACU National Melbourne Campus. Literature pertaining to the development and current understandings of the practicum in teacher education and the partnership between the university and schools in managing the practicum was reviewed. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data about the experiences and reflections of pre-service teachers, first year teachers, supervising teachers and university staff involved in the extended practicum. The data were analysed and key themes were identified and compared between groups. The findings suggested that while all stakeholders recognised the importance and value of the extended practicum in teacher education, their ideas about its major aims and strengths differed. A number of issues were identified that could improve the quality of the extended practicum and thus enhance the learning experience for pre-service teachers. These issues included preparation of the pre-service teachers, length and timing of the practicum, supervision and assessment of pre-service teachers during the practicum, professional development for supervising teachers and most importantly improved communication between the university and schools. Information from this study can inform the development of the extended practicum, and as a consequence, the total practical teaching program at ACU, (National), Melbourne. This will further support the ongoing relationships between the university and schools and teachers who support the program and who provide an improved learning opportunity for pre-service teachers.

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Koelsch, Jane-Marie Fetty. "Teacher Perceptions of Professional Learning Community Maturity in Catholic Schools." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2737.

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Many Midwestern Catholic schools have implemented professional learning communities (PLCs) to enhance teacher quality and attain school goals. However, not all schools have aligned practices essential to increase maturity in the five PLC dimensions, as defined by Hord. Guided by Hord's framework, this research study investigated teachers' perceptions of PLC maturity in select Catholic schools. A convenience sample allowed an examination of schools engaged in an initiative that included PLCs. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the Professional Learning Communities Assessment - Revised was administered to 42 teachers in 4 schools. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data revealed the dimensions of shared leadership and shared vision and values were most mature in the majority of participating schools. The dimension of shared personal practice was least mature in all participating schools. Demographic data, analyzed using independent sample t tests and a series of ANOVAs, showed some demographic factors had significant findings in individual schools but no single factor had a significant finding in all schools. Results of quantitative data analysis provided direction for qualitative interviews. Four teachers participated in interviews that examined PLC practices affecting maturity. Transcribed interviews were coded and 7 themes emerged: supportive administration, teachers as leaders, shared vision, peer teaching, teacher buy in, too many meetings, and improper use of PLCs. PLC training for administrators and teachers could result in positive social change as school staffs learn to align specific instructional practices with an infrastructure that supports increasing PLC maturity. This increased PLC maturity directly determines a school's ability to improve.

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Martins, Cristiane Nascimento. "Estado e Igreja Católica como instâncias promotoras de educação: formação de professoras primárias em Minas Gerais na Primeira República (1892-1904)." Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, 2013. https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/13669.

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This investigation has as its theme the State and the Catholic Church, as instances of promoting education, focusing on the training of primary teachers in Minas Gerais. The temporal scope encompasses the time between 1892-1904, the first years of the Republic in Brazil. This period is justified for reasons that are interlinked: First, the demise of the functioning of the schools for the training of teachers as recorded at the time that the analysis of primary sources. Second, with the new regime, given the separation between of the State and Catholic Church took place in the legal framework, it is decreed the secularity of school education. It is also during this period that the movement occurs expansion of primary schooling and, in consequence, the expansion of Education Schools for the training of teachers to work in this level of education. Thus, this study aims to analyze and interpret the action of the Catholic Church in state affairs, so to evidence that the relationship between these two institutions continued very close in the educational field, including teacher training courses, even when the laws, as the Brazilian Constitution of 1891, decreed otherwise. The method of investigation is proposed to documentary research, consisting of documents produced in the daily Education Schools of Minas Gerais, as well as a set of laws produced in the time encompassed by our study and literature that helps us in interpreting and enforcing our arguments. The sources are listed, mostly in the custody of the Minas Gerais Public Archives in Belo Horizonte. These are documents produced in the secretariats of the Education Schools: certificates and attestations with seal of authentication to prove the trustworthiness, civil and religious, women of Minas Gerais; timesheet (containing the subjects taught in course teacher training) and normal evaluative tests (written exams) of some normal schools of Minas Gerais. As additional sources are used the encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891), legislation that organized educational laws that organized teaching in Brazil, laws and decrees of Minas Gerais as the law no. 41 of 1892 (Afonso Pena Reform) and law no. 281 of 1899 (Silviano Brandão Reform) which regulated primary education and teacher training to act in this level of education. The analysis of the sources gives us like result that the action of the Church in the training courses for teachers were part of the rescue project of Catholic ideals in Brazil, in general, and in Minas Gerais, in particular. This project of the Catholic Church has dovetailed with the plans the State which had the interest to train the girls in the traditional model of the family of Minas Gerais. Working together in education, church and State, formed women within the Catholic doctrine - with the goal that it extended this education in the family environment - at the same time that professionalize them to act in the primary teaching.
A presente investigação tem como tema o Estado e a Igreja Católica, como instâncias promotoras de educação, com enfoque na formação de professoras primárias em Minas Gerais. A abrangência temporal engloba o período entre 1892 a 1904, primeiros anos da República no Brasil. O recorte temporal se justifica por motivos que se encontram interligados: primeiro, devido às fontes primárias que revelam a efemeridade do funcionamento das Escolas Normais, formadoras de professores. Segundo, é nos primeiros anos da república que sucedeu a separação entre Estado e Igreja Católica ocorrida no âmbito legal, sendo decretada a laicidade da educação escolar. Nesse período, ocorreu o movimento de expansão da escolarização primária e, em consequência disso, a ampliação de Escolas Normais para a formação de professores para atuar nesse grau de ensino. Sendo assim, este estudo tem como objetivo analisar e interpretar a atuação da Igreja Católica nos assuntos do Estado, de maneira a evidenciar que a relação entre essas duas instituições continuaram muito próximas no campo educacional, incluindo os cursos de formação docente, mesmo quando as legislações, como a Constituição brasileira de 1891, decretaram o contrário. Como método de investigação propõe-se a pesquisa documental, composta de documentos produzidos no cotidiano das Escolas Normais de Minas Gerais, bem como um conjunto de legislações produzidas no tempo abarcado para nosso estudo e pesquisa bibliográfica que nos ajuda na interpretação reforçando nossos argumentos. As fontes elencadas encontram-se, em sua maioria, sob a guarda do Arquivo Público Mineiro, em Belo Horizonte. Trata-se de documentos produzidos nas secretarias das Escolas Normais: certidões e atestados com selo de autenticação que comprovam a idoneidade, civil e religiosa, das mulheres mineiras; quadro de horários (contendo as disciplinas ministradas no curso de formação docente) e exames avaliativos (provas escritas) das normalistas de algumas escolas normais de Minas Gerais. Como fontes complementares são utilizadas: a encíclica Rerum Novarum (1891), as legislações educacionais que organizaram o ensino no Brasil e as leis e decretos mineiros como a lei n. 41 de 1892 (Reforma Afonso Pena) e a Lei n. 281 de 1899 (Reforma Silviano Brandão) que regulamentaram o ensino primário e a formação de docentes para atuar nesse nível de ensino. A análise das fontes nos apresenta como resultado que a atuação da Igreja nos cursos de formação de professoras fazia parte do projeto de resgate dos ideais católicos no Brasil, em geral, e em Minas Gerais, em particular. Esse projeto da Igreja Católica se encaixou nos planos do Estado que tinha o interesse de formar as moças dentro do modelo tradicional da família mineira. Atuando conjuntamente na educação, Estado e Igreja, formaram mulheres dentro da doutrina católica com o objetivo de que ela estendesse essa educação no meio familiar ao mesmo tempo em que as profissionalizavam para atuar no magistério primário.
Doutor em Educação

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Boyer, Mary Beth. "An Examination of Catholic School Teachers' Perceptions and Legal Understanding of Cyberbullying." Thesis, Loyola Marymount University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3739705.

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The bully has been a figure in adolescent life for decades; however, the nature of bullying in the 21st Century has changed as it has moved to cyberspace. Bullying has taken on a new form termed cyberbullying. This quantitative survey design study examined Catholic school teachers’ legal understanding and perceptions of cyberbullying. In examining Catholic school teachers’ understanding of the law governing cyberbullying, their concerns about cyberbullying, their perceived responsibility in addressing cyberbullying, and their perceived ability to respond to cyberbullying, the study examined the human interactions that reflect not only legal responsibilities, but also ethical obligations as caring and just leaders in Catholic schools.

A survey instrument was distributed online to eight Catholic schools within the Diocese of St. Aquinas (a pseudonym). The study showed that Catholic school teachers had limited understanding of the law governing cyberbullying. Findings indicated that Catholic school teachers were concerned about cyberbullying and perceived a high level of responsibility in addressing cyberbullying, but did not perceive an ability to effectively respond to cyberbullying. The findings support the need for professional development programs to increase Catholic school teachers’ awareness of cyberbullying and provide comprehensive training on how to respond effectively. Findings also suggest re-examination of teacher preparation programs to provide training to teachers on how to recognize and effectively manage cyberbullying. Persistent attention to private school law and current case analysis should be an ongoing practice at the diocesan level with the intent to disseminate legal information and direction to Catholic school principals and teachers.

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Carnochan, Jean Kathleen. "Tourette's syndrome and primary education : child and teacher perceptions." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.616638.

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This study illustrates the creation, exploration and analysis of the narratives of five primary school children with a diagnosis of Tourette's syndrome (TS). Additionally it provides the analysis of thematic data gathered from semi-structured interviews conducted with their teachers which focused upon the teachers' perspectives of teaching a child with TS. The aims of this study are to: to gauge a better understanding of the children's views of their TS and their primary school experience; consider the interactions within this environment; and consider interventions and approaches that might support children in primary school. The children participating in this study do not wish to be defined by their TS, and they make semi-successful attempts to supress tics. However, their limited success at tic suppression sometimes leads to misinterpretation by teachers of the nature of tics. The children's attempts to suppress their tics and others' misinterpreted responses may have implications for their emotional development and access to learning. The children's teachers report a lack of easily accessible information about TS. Subsequently, they feel unsupported and unknowledgeable about how to provide effective support; instead, they build knowledge and understanding through experience. Having a 'sanctuary' within school and an adult to advocate on their behalf is cited as a potentially supportive strategy. Peer support and peer education are also thought to be of value; however, there are exceptions, making it important to listen to individual children about their perceived support needs. Implications for Educational Psychologist's practice and the limitations of this study are also discussed.

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Al-Omari, Khaled Mohammed. "Quality assurance mechanisms in Jordanian primary teacher education programmes." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.368323.

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This study explores the quality assurance mechanisms in primary teacher education programmes in Jordan in order to examine how the participants perceive the systems in their programmes. As a point of reference the English experience in quality assurance was incorporated. The main areas investigated were (i) The components of primary teacher education programmes in Jordan (the objectives, the theory, the school experience, the teaching methods, the management system, and facilities) (ii) The problems that hinder the implementation of the quality assurance systems (iii) Suggestions for promoting quality assurance (iv) Guidelines for quality assurance obtained from the English teacher education programmes. Data was collected from all public Jordanian universities that are concerned with primary teacher education programmes and in 9 English universities and one college. The three main research methods employed in the research were documentary analysis, questionnaires, and the interview. It is concluded that quality assurance systems are not clearly specified or implemented in the primary teacher education programmes in Jordan. The perceptions of the majority of the participants indicated that they were dissatisfied with both the components of the programme and the management system. The study argues that without the co-operation of the people involved in the quality assurance systems, the system will not totally achieve its objectives. Communication and commitment by all the participants are essential if quality assurance systems are to be effectively employed.

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Oski, Mary. "Examination of the impact of the Catholic education office Melbourne school improvement planning processes within Catholic primary schools /." Connect to thesis, 2010. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/7077.

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Lydon, John. "The contemporary Catholic teacher : a reappraisal of the concept of teaching as a vocation in the Catholic Christian context." Thesis, St Mary's University, Twickenham, 2011. http://research.stmarys.ac.uk/505/.

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In unpacking the concept of teaching as a vocation in Chrisrian tradition, the research aims to articulate the essential interconnectedness between four elements: * Christ as the foundation of Christian vocation - biblical perspectives, focusing particularly on the concepts of discipleship, emulation and charism * The way in which that vocation has developed within Christian tradition - historical perspectives focusing on two Religious Orders, the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Sisters of Mercy. * Current conversations in the academy concerning teaching as a vocation - contemporary perspectives including the notion of spiritual capital, the sacramental perspective, a renewed focus on interiority, vocation as a convergence between self and service and current challenges to the concept of teaching as a vocation. * Vocation demonstrated in the perceptions and motivations of practitioners - quantitative and qualitative research. The former involved in-depth interviews with twelve practitioners encompassing a wide range of ages and stages of career progression. The interviews were patterned in three stages: personal religious commitment. Quantitative research was introduced in an attempt to corroborate the findings emergent from both the critical retireval of literature and the in-depth interviews. The research findings were then analysed in the light of the literature review and this was followed by a chapter in which conclusions were reached, structured around the principal elements of both the literature review and the empirical research. Based on these conclusions, a series of recommendations are put forward, focusing primarily on the maintenance of formation programmes both at Diocesan and Relitious Order level, the challenge to address the complementary aspects of Chrsitain vocation such as family commitments in the context of teaching, then explore futher what might be meant by 'integrity of life'. The thesis concludes strongly that the notion of commitment permeates the empirical evidence to the extent that it echoes that of the first disciples of Jesus and the pioneers within Religious Orders who constituted "an example of the unreserved and gratuitous "gift" of self to the service of others in the spirit of their religious consecration." (Congregation for Catholic Education: 1997).

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Whitehead, Dawn Michele. "Taking the road less traveled primary teacher retention in Ghana /." [Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2007. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3278234.

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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, 2007.
Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-09, Section: A, page: 3797. Adviser: Barry Bull. Title from dissertation home page (viewed May 8, 2008).

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Tenorio, De Azevedo Maria Rosalia. "Media Literacy and the Common Good| A Link to Catholic Social Teaching." Thesis, Loyola Marymount University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3705460.

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In order to effectively teach students how to critically consume media it is paramount for teachers to be media literate (Ian & Temur, 2012; Keller-Raber, 1995; Schmidt, 2012). Using Freirean critical literacy as a theoretical framework, this case study investigated how a 60-hour teacher training program in media literacy promoting Catholic Social Teaching and how undergoing this training has influenced teachers’ perceptions of media literacy, Catholic Social Teaching, and the link between the two. As the researcher, I performed participant-observation as a trainee in the program. Five teachers, alumni of the program, participated in this study: one middle school teacher, three high-school teachers, and one college professor, all of them taught at Christian private schools. I recorded how participants applied the Media Mindfulness—a faith based media literacy strategy—in their practice as a response to the Church’s call for Catholic teachers to engage in media education (Benedict XVI, 2008; John Paul II, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2005). Findings show how the Media Mindfulness method helped teachers integrate media literacy in their practice, promoting student empowerment and character education. A follow up action research at a Catholic high school where teachers are trained in Media Mindfulness is recommended to find out: a) how the training influenced teachers’ confidence in integrating media education into their practice? b) to what extent students’ assimilation of Catholic Social Teaching concepts resulted from the teacher training program? c) and how training teachers in the media mindfulness model influenced the school’s culture in addressing social justice issues?

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Haddow, D., and Kimberly D. Hale. "Primary Partnership, the Changing Landscape, and Maximizing Teacher Potential." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2016. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/7030.

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Prestwich, Jeanne Sperry. "Teacher Definitions of Integration in Primary Grades." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2012. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3738.

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One obstacle that challenges the implementation of effective curriculum integration practices is the confusion caused by the existence of numerous definitions of this construct in the literature. This concern is further compounded by the potential disconnect between the varied definitions proposed by scholars and classroom teachers' acceptance and use of curriculum integration. The purpose of this study was to analyze K-3 grade teachers' self-reported definitions of curriculum integration. Teachers responded to an Internet survey in which they provided their personal definition of curriculum integration, described integrated teaching examples from their own classroom, and rated six teaching scenarios for quality of integration. Results suggest that teachers may not share the wide variety of definitions of integration described in the literature. Teachers in this study seemed to generally share one definition of integration, as measured by their explanation of the term integration and by the teaching examples they provided. In addition, the majority of the teachers' definitions aligned with their teaching examples, suggesting that the teachers both define and practice integration in similar ways. Finally, when teachers ranked teaching scenarios written to illustrate different levels of quality of curriculum integration, the majority of the teachers again appeared to agree on a shared definition. There were no statistical differences based on grade level, years of experience and education level. In addition to presentation of results, implications for future research and practice are discussed.

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Alderton, Julie. "Pedagogical discourses and subjectivities in primary mathematics initial teacher education." Thesis, University of Roehampton, 2013. https://pure.roehampton.ac.uk/portal/en/studentthesis/pedagogical-discourses-and-subjectivities-in-primary-mathematics-initial-teacher-education(0aeeefbc-37be-42e2-bbff-131f03ab367f).html.

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This thesis examines students’ experiences of learning to teach mathematics as they complete a primary Postgraduate Certificate in Education to gain qualified teacher status. The research data are drawn from students’ accounts of learning to teach mathematics, which include email communications during their studies and interviews with eight students at the end of the course. Analysis is informed by post-structuralist feminist understandings of discourse, power and knowledge. These tools are used to explore the complexities of learning to teach, the ways in which beginning teachers are ‘produced’, what counts as mathematics and the effects of power relations within pedagogical encounters. I use a reflexive approach to methodology, acknowledging the ways in which my own subjectivity permeates the enquiry, and the ways in which power permeates the research process. The study found performances of gender in students’ accounts of their experiences of the course, both on campus and in schools. Dominant discourses of teaching and mathematics create tensions for students and act as a form of control and categorisation as they strive to be recognised as legitimate mathematics teachers. It is argued that students’ subjectivities are shaped by discursive practices and peer and pedagogical relationships in the context of the course and that students are constituted as mathematical subjects often in inequitable ways. They are both powerful and powerless in different instances as they take up competing discourses, positioning themselves and their peers in shifting locations. Some students are silenced, categorised and marginalised within discourses of mathematics. Most report complying with the established practices of the school and class teacher and focused on the struggle to achieve legitimacy as successful student teachers. They 2 demonstrate both compliance with and resistance to dominant discourses as they are caught between the tensions and inconsistencies of competing and conflicting discourses. A key implication of this study is that teachers, teacher educators and student teachers need opportunities to explore their own gendered subjectivities as learners and teachers and to acknowledge that learning to teach mathematics is not solely a cognitive endeavour but one deeply located in social relations and contexts. Within teacher education more spaces need to be opened up to enable student teachers to embody themselves as mathematics subjects and primary teachers differently.

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Doolan, T. J., and n/a. "Observations of a regional education officer for catholic primary schools : implications for administrators." University of Canberra. Education, 1990. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060705.122459.

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The study's primary purpose was, through the recorded observations of a Regional Education Officer (REO) working in Catholic primary schools over eighteen months, to draw out implications for local and central administrators for the maintenance and improvement of the schools' quality. Of particular interest was the question that since the schools were Catholic schools, would or should this make any significant difference to these implications. A secondary purpose of the study was the clarification and articulation for myself of what the main elements of the REO role might best be in practice. Analysis of diary entries and relevant Catholic Education Office documents was based on the writer's fundamental assumption that the merits of educational administrative decisions and actions should be judged in relation to the benefit these are to teachers and their students. The main conclusions of the study were: i) that the recognition by administrators of the special qualities of the personal and interpersonal relationships existing in schools would assist administrators in maintaining and developing the schools' quality; ii) that the religious faith aspect of the ideals of a Catholic school adds a deeper dimension to the special qualities of the personal and interpersonal relationships which are common to schools; iii) that such are the demands by staffs of schools for support and assistance, that the only ones who can realistically meet the bulk of such demands are staffs themselves, supporting and assisting each other through some form of regular collegial system; iv) that schools are more non-rational than rational organizations, and hence an emphasis on bureaucratic administrative processes will be detrimental to schools' effectiveness.

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Tenorio, de Azevedo Maria Rosalia. "Media Literacy and the Common Good: A Link to Catholic Social Teaching." Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School, 2015. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/191.

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In order to effectively teach students how to critically consume media it is paramount for teachers to be media literate (Ian & Temur, 2012; Keller-Raber, 1995; Schmidt, 2012). Using Freirean critical literacy as a theoretical framework, this case study investigated how a 60-hour teacher training program in media literacy promoting Catholic Social Teaching and how undergoing this training has influenced teachers’ perceptions of media literacy, Catholic Social Teaching, and the link between the two. As the researcher, I performed participant-observation as a trainee in the program. Five teachers, alumni of the program, participated in this study: one middle school teacher, three high-school teachers, and one college professor, all of them taught at Christian private schools. I recorded how participants applied the Media Mindfulness—a faith based media literacy strategy—in their practice as a response to the Church’s call for Catholic teachers to engage in media education (Benedict XVI, 2008; John Paul II, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2005). Findings show how the Media Mindfulness method helped teachers integrate media literacy in their practice, promoting student empowerment and character education. A follow up action research at a Catholic high school where teachers are trained in Media Mindfulness is recommended to find out: a) how the training influenced teachers’ confidence in integrating media education into their practice? b) to what extent students’ assimilation of Catholic Social Teaching concepts resulted from the teacher training program? c) and how training teachers in the media mindfulness model influenced the school’s culture in addressing social justice issues?

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Maphalala, Mncedisi Christian. "Teacher stress in primary schools at eNsingweni circuit." Thesis, University of Zululand, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10530/1307.

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Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2002.
The object of this study was to determine teacher stress in primary schools at Ensingweni Circuit. The first aim was to determine through literature the characteristics of stress, its causes and effects. The second aim was to conduct an empirical investigation into stress among educators at Ensingweni Circuit. The last aim was to present finds, and recommendations, which emanate from the study. A questionnaire was developed by the investigators, which measured the extent to which educators experienced stress in their working environment. By using the questionnaire the investigator was interested in determining which teaching stressors educators found most stressful. Some 71% females and 29% males educators of primary schools at Ensingweni Circuit filled out questionnaires. The teaching stressors which this sample of educators found stressful, in order of most to least stressful, were curriculum changes, work load pressures, job insecurity, poor relationship with colleagues, reward and recognition, learners discipline problems, poor rapport with management and role ambiguity. In terms of factors associated with teacher stress, the results showed that a combination of outside and inside were associated with teacher stress. In terms of inside factors, organisational stressors and classroom stressors were associated with teacher stress. In terms of outside stressors minimal general life stressors were also found to be associated with teacher stress. The problems educators viewed as most stressful are consistent with other studies on teacher stress, namely policy changes. time-workload pressures and classroom discipline. These studies were conducted by Bernard (1989) Gold & Roth (1993) and Cole & Walker (1989). The last chapter of this study recommends a variety of strategies that could be employed by educators to alleviate stress in teaching.

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Garvey, T. "Intercultural education : the case of Ireland and Lesotho Primary Teacher Education Support Project." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.403478.

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Ramirez, Aimee Eva. ""When Do We Play?"| Administrator, Teacher, and Parent Perceptions of Play in a Catholic Kindergarten Classroom." Thesis, Loyola Marymount University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10641111.

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Educational reforms have created a climate of accountability and high academic pressure that has resulted in a pushing down of the curriculum into early childhood education. Once a prominent pedagogical feature, play is disappearing from kindergarten. The following is a doctoral dissertation that studied administrator, teacher, and parent perceptions of play and its role within the kindergarten curriculum at a Catholic elementary school in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Using a qualitative case study method, the study noted how play was utilized in transitional kindergarten and traditional kindergarten classrooms at the school site. Interviews, classroom observations, and document review of school publications contributed to the following findings: play was used as a reward for classroom management, adults did not commonly see the connection between play and learning, and academic achievement was valued over play. These findings were placed in the larger context of kindergarten, play, and curriculum by using a theoretical framework built on Early Child Education theories and Epstein’s (2011) Parental Involvement framework. This case study highlighted factors that influenced curriculum design and implementation in kindergarten. It contributes to the effort to inform parents, teachers, administrators, and policy makers of the importance of defending play within kindergarten in light of social pressures that favor a didactic kindergarten setting.

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Adams, Muriel Sylvia. "Problems of managing teacher appraisal schemes in Gwent primary schools." Thesis, Cardiff University, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.311320.

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Boddison, Adam. "Video conferencing : the experiences of a mathematics teacher." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2010. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/3624/.

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Video conferencing is a relatively new technology for primary schools in England and it is normally used as a tool for distance learning. This thesis is a phenomenological case study that describes a course of mathematical enrichment sessions delivered through the medium of video conferencing to a group of 36 able children across six primary schools. The sessions are delivered by me, which gives the study a reflective and reflexive aspect since I have a dual role as both the teacher and the researcher. As well describing the experiences of the children, there is a focus on the teaching strategies that are used in this virtual environment and how they evolve over time. The thesis is structured around a framework of teaching strategies consisting of four categories; cognitive, compensation, metacognitive and affective strategies. The project makes use of video recordings, children’s diaries, a personal log, lesson plans and interview transcripts and the methods used include visual discourse analysis and Bloom’s method of stimulated recall. Successful and effective are the terms used for describing the outcome of a video conference in relation to technology and pedagogy respectively. This study shows that the evolution of teaching strategies is centred around creating routines to address the uncertainty of the virtual environment rather than focusing directly on pedagogy. The three major findings of this study are: 1. Site facilitators are not an essential requirement for ensuring the smooth running of a video conference. This study has shown that the participants themselves are able to take on any required responsibilities in this area if the number at each endpoint is relatively small (i.e. between four and eight participants). 2. Remote behaviour management and monitoring strategies are an important aspect of the video conferencing tool-kit for teachers. This study has demonstrated the importance of screen layouts in facilitating the use of such strategies. 3. The production features associated with children’s educational television programmes may be able to inform effective pedagogy for teaching and learning through video conferencing. In particular, this study has highlighted the potential of using theme tunes as auditory anchors to emphasise key points during a video conference. By the end of this study, it will be argued that the children enjoyed taking part and they became more independent as learners. Furthermore, it will be shown that if the teaching strategies are appropriate and if the mathematical content is enriching and open-ended, then video conferencing can create valuable learning opportunities for children that are not readily available in the traditional classroom environment.

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Green, Jean R. "The Development of a Meaningful Teacher Evaluation Process in a Catholic Elementary School." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29775.

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The process of teacher evaluation has often been less than satisfying for both teachers and administrators. Educational literature dealing with teacher evaluation shows that it is frequently a rote procedure with little or no benefit for the people involved. In this study, the researcher used the action research process to design, implement, and evaluate a new system of teacher evaluation and development in St. Anne's Catholic School. Twenty teachers of the twenty-two member faculty participated in the two-year study. Together, the teachers and administrator examined the original system of evaluation and then devised a new system. They put the new process into effect, critiqued it, and revised it. The administration and faculty learned that teacher evaluation can be more meaningful if teachers are involved in its planning, given a choice of evaluation methods, and evaluated consistently throughout the school year.
Ed. D.

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Pope, D. "Conceptions of subject knowledge in primary initial teacher training : the perspectives of student teachers and teacher educators." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2017. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/5762/.

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This study is about the ways in which the term subject knowledge is conceptualised and interpreted by student teachers, university tutors and school mentors in the context of undergraduate primary initial teacher training (ITT) in two post-1992 university providers. Subject knowledge has been a consistent feature of the policy context of ITT over decades, although disparities are apparent between the rhetoric of policy directives, the theoretical knowledge base and how primary teachers’ subject knowledge is represented, and enacted, in communities of practice in primary ITT. The conceptual framework for the research is underpinned by Shulman’s (1987) theoretical knowledge bases for teaching, and draws significantly on the conceptual tools of culture, practice and agents in educational settings, provided by Ellis’s (2007) situated model of subject knowledge. The perspective of the individual is developed further by utilising Kelchtermans’s (2009) personal interpretative framework. An additional lens is provided by the external political context, within which primary ITT is located. The research adopted an inductive, interpretative approach that incorporated multiple methods to construct a bricolage. Data collection included semi-structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews that incorporated the production of visual data, and content analysis of documents. The study indicates that subject knowledge was understood by participants as an umbrella term representing general teacher knowledge, rather than as a critically distinct concept. Overall, there was a general lack of emphasis on subject-specific pedagogical knowledge evident in the discourse around subject knowledge for primary teaching. Conceptualisations of subject knowledge were highly individualistic. The findings indicated that the culture and practice in different contexts is interpreted and experienced in very different ways by individuals to influence their interpretations of subject knowledge and its place in pedagogy. Thus, this study makes an original contribution to knowledge in the field by: 1) mapping the details of the conceptualisations of subject knowledge held by student primary teachers, university tutors and school mentors in the context of undergraduate primary ITT, to identify commonalities, and disparities, with the theoretical knowledge base; and 2) identifying and examining cross-contextual and personal influences on conceptions of subject knowledge and in so doing, extending and adapting Ellis’s (2007) model of subject knowledge, to the specific context of undergraduate primary ITT.

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Ramirez, Aimée Eva. ""When Do We Play?": Administrator, Teacher, and Parent Perceptions of Play in a Catholic Kindergarten Classroom." Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School, 2017. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/459.

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Educational reforms have created a climate of accountability and high academic pressure that has resulted in a pushing down of the curriculum into early childhood education. Once a prominent pedagogical feature, play is disappearing from kindergarten. The following is a doctoral dissertation that studied administrator, teacher, and parent perceptions of play and its role within the kindergarten curriculum at a Catholic elementary school in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Using a qualitative case study method, the study noted how play was utilized in transitional kindergarten and traditional kindergarten classrooms at the school site. Interviews, classroom observations, and document review of school publications contributed to the following findings: play was used as a reward for classroom management, adults did not commonly see the connection between play and learning, and academic achievement was valued over play. These findings were placed in the larger context of kindergarten, play, and curriculum by using a theoretical framework built on Early Child Education theories and Epstein’s (2011) Parental Involvement framework. This case study highlighted factors that influenced curriculum design and implementation in kindergarten. It contributes to the effort to inform parents, teachers, administrators, and policy makers of the importance of defending play within kindergarten in light of social pressures that favor a didactic kindergarten setting.

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Watkins, Simon A. C., and res cand@acu edu au. "An Exploration of How Some Staff Members Perceive Catholic School Renewal in Some Primary Schools in the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton." Australian Catholic University. School of Educational Leadership, 2006. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp106.11092006.

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For the last forty years, since the end of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has been committed to renewal. In Queensland, Catholic schools have responded to this commitment by undertaking cyclical renewal processes since the early 1980s. The focus of this research was the process of Catholic School Renewal in the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. The review of the literature focused on literature relating to school effectiveness and school improvement internationally and nationally, as well as Catholic School Renewal in Queensland generally and the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton specifically. The following research questions focused the research design: 1. How is the process of Catholic School Renewal a source of potential growth? 2. How does the process of Catholic School Renewal ensure quality Catholic education? 3. How is the process of Catholic School Renewal a useful quality assurance tool? The epistemological stance adopted for the research was constructionism. The research paradigm adopted was interpretivism with social interactionism as the selected orientation. As case study is congruent with an interpretivist tradition of research it was adopted as a useful way of gaining insight into the perspectives of the participants. The case was comprised of some staff members who worked in one of four Catholic primary schools situated in three of the four regions of the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton. Data collection took the form of semi-structured interviews and a survey questionnaire with the data being analysed using the constant comparative method. The study concluded that the process of Catholic School Renewal in the Diocese of Rockhampton is a useful quality assurance tool which helps to ensure quality Catholic education. Whether or not the process is a source of growth is dependent on a number of factors, paramount among which is the approach and ability of the Regional Supervisor of Schools. There were six major recommendations arising out of the research. These related to: 1. Ensuring the Regional Supervisor of Schools has certain attributes and knowledge. 2. Inservicing school staff on the purpose and nature of Catholic School Renewal. 3. Providing External Validation Team members with adequate inservice. 4. Permitting more involvement of the school principal in the process. 5. Initiating a review of the process of Catholic School Renewal in the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton. 6. Rockhampton Catholic Education continuing to use the process.

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Shi, Yvonne Yuk-hang. "Science-technology-society education for primary pupils of Hong Kong." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.267061.

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Wildsmith, Rosemary. "A study of teacher attitudes as related to teacher practices at primary school level in South Africa." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1992. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10006577/.

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The research reported on in this thesis investigated the nature of the relationship between teachers' attitudes and perceptions regarding the language learning/teaching process and their pedagogical practices in class, within two English as second language teaching contexts - a non-formal project and a state primary school. Both attitudes and practices were examined in relation to an educational model consisting of a bi-polar dimension, moving from a traditional, transmission-oriented perspective on teaching, to a more progressive, generative one. This model was based upon preexisting models drawn from educational philosophy and communicative language teaching. Thus, a principle of communicative orientation underpinned the model and provided the theoretical framework for the design of the major research instruments viz, an attitude questionnaire and a classroom observation scheme. The data from these research instruments were supplemented by that obtained from more naturalistic methods such as interviews, stimulated recall and diary entries, so that data was produced that could be analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Thus, the state of the art of pedagogy in black primary classrooms was examined in terms of both the micro-context (pupil numbers, teacher qualifications, etc), and the macro-context (wider societal structures and ideology) which might have an influence on teachers' attitudes and practices in class. Alternatives to this type of pedagogy were then considered with reference to various project initiatives encouraging communicative approaches to language teaching. Finally, the implications of the study for research into teacher thinking in general, and for new roles in particular, are examined in relation to two innovative research techniques and an attitude awareness activity. The educational model is then reappraised in the light of the research findings.

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Stewart, Dalys A. "Principals' post-observation feedback and its influence on teacher professional growth at two Southern California Catholic high schools." Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3588574.

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The principal plays a key role in establishing a culture of collaboration and ongoing learning, and his/her actions related to effecting change are vital to the success of the school. A principal can contribute to the advancement of teacher expertise by engaging in specific behaviors. One such behavior is focused feedback, which leads teachers to reflect on their instructional routines. Given with intentionality, it is a powerful tool. Therein lies the motivation for this study.

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to examine the practices in which principals engage during classroom post-observation feedback, and their effect on teacher professional growth. Seven teachers at 2 Southern California Catholic high schools were interviewed to capture their perceptions of the effect that principal feedback has had on their professional growth. Although much research has revolved around the impact that principals' actions have on the enhancement of teacher practice, very little research has focused on these effects from the perspective of the teacher. Capturing teachers' perceptions about the way their principals' actions impact their instructional practice may add to the existing body of knowledge in the field of education related to the way principals promote the use of effective practices at their schools. It may also shed light on the need for the teacher's voice to be heard and taken into consideration when making decisions on and implementing policies that are directly related to improving teacher practice.

Three main ideas emerged from a review of the existing literature: (a) there is a direct connection between the principal's actions and teachers' professional growth; (b) principal feedback produces lasting changes in instructional practice, especially when given immediately following the teaching; and (c) teachers are reflective practitioners seeking to improve their practice on an ongoing basis. Educational institutions may be able to utilize the findings of this study to inform their practice, and or to re-examine their policy on evaluation processes.

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Downey, Michael John, and res cand@acu edu au. "Experiences of Teachers’ Daily Work Which Nourish and Sustain the Spirituality of Lay Teachers in Catholic High Schools." Australian Catholic University. School of Religious Education, 2006. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp112.25102006.

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The hierarchy of the Catholic Church has stated that formation of lay teachers is essential for the personal sanctification of the teacher and the apostolic mission of the Church (CCE, 1982, #65) and that “formation must be broadened and kept up to date, on the same level as, and in harmony with, human formation as a whole (CCE, 1982, #62). The research reported in this thesis: (1) explores Catholic Church documents and other literature in order to gain insights into the spirituality of teachers who teach in Catholic schools; (2) identifies experiences of teachers’ daily work in Catholic high schools that nurture and sustain teacher spirituality; (3) explores how the insights revealed can inform the practices of formation for lay teachers in Catholic schools. The demonstrated success of a teacher formation known as The Courage to Teach invited exploration to gain understanding of the principles and practices of formation that could prove helpful for developing formation practices within Australian Catholic Education. The research reported in this thesis included teachers reflecting upon their daily experiences of work and identifying, what one called, “moments of grace” that nourished and sustain teachers’ spirits. These experiences were identified as teachers’ experiences of community and their experiences of making a difference. For Catholic schools to continue to have authenticity, the ongoing formation of lay teachers is essential. This does not mean, as others have said, “adding more water to an already overfull cup” by including formation as one more thing for teachers to do. It means making space and providing the opportunity for teachers to discover the ‘moments of grace’ that providentially fill their day. In conversation with Catholic Scripture and Tradition, these moments of grace will nurture and sustain the vocations of lay teachers in Catholic schools, so that lay teachers will both flourish and “teach with authority” (Mk. 1:22).

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Wilson, Christopher D. "Male perceptions of teaching in the primary grades| A phenomenological study." Thesis, University of Phoenix, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3570377.

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Since the 1970s, a continuous decline in the number of males entering into the teaching profession has resulted in significant underrepresentation of male teachers in public schools, especially in elementary schools. The problem is applications to elementary school positions by females far outnumber applications by males. This qualitative phenomenological study was designed to identify potential male elementary school teachers’ perceptions of teaching in the primary grades and how the perceptions are influenced. Nine male veteran teachers and 11 male nonveteran teachers participated in the study. All data were collected with in-depth interviews using open-ended questions. Six relevant themes pertaining to attracting and retaining male teachers in elementary teaching emerged during data processing, including the decision to teach, stereotypical expectations about elementary teaching, the importance of money, reducing barriers for male teachers, the benefits of teaching, and technological teaching orientations. Exploration of the emergent themes on an individual basis provides information for school leaders that will help refine recruiting practices and allow leaders to target potential male elementary teachers more effectively.

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Fan, Xuying. "Teacher cognition of thinking skills in Chinese primary EFL classrooms." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/33398.

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Extensive attention is given to the significance of promoting thinking skills in education. However, very little research has attempted to explore EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher cognition of thinking skills, even it directly influences children’s thinking and learning. In recent years, promoting thinking skills has become an educational goal in the Chinese English Curriculum (MOE, 2010). In order to bridge the gap between the desired outcome and current practice, this study aims to investigate Chinese EFL teachers’ conceptions and teaching beliefs about thinking skills, and to explore the opportunities for, and obstacles to, developing students’ thinking skills in primary EFL classrooms. Four EFL primary school teachers, with more than three years of teaching experience each, participated in this case study. Semi-structured interviews and video recordings were used to collect the qualitative data. The interview data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Teaching practices were video recorded and examined through a think-led methodological framework developed in this study. The analysis revealed a new concept - “English thinking”, as subject-specific thinking. The findings also showed that teachers’ conceptions of thinking skills were fragmented and that they felt unprepared to teach thinking skills, although they all had a positive attitude towards integrating thinking skills into their teaching. The conflicting beliefs around promoting thinking skills were influenced by teachers' previous language learning experiences and by the challenges they come across. Opportunities for promoting thinking skills are identified from teacher-students interaction, including the use of teacher questioning and feedback, collaborative learning, increase of wait time, authentic topics, and teaching creatively. Teachers’ insufficient knowledge of thinking skills and other contextual factors such as the exam-oriented education system constrained the successful implementation of thinking skills in class. Pedagogical suggestions are put forward for policy makers, teacher educators, and teachers. Implications for future research indicate a need to explore EFL teachers’ perceptions of thinking skills, and to develop a framework for the development of thinking skills in foreign language curricula.

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Mayo, Connie. "The Residual Effect of Novice Primary Teachers on Reading Achievement Scores." TopSCHOLAR®, 2005. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/346.

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This dissertation was an exploratory investigation of the residual effect of novice primary teachers on reading achievement scores. The study employed the theory of pedagogical content knowledge as a basis for understanding teacher expertise and comparing the expert teacher to the novice teacher. The research sought to answer two major questions; (a) Is there a statistically significant difference between the reading achievement, (measured two years later) of students taught by teachers of differing experience levels in primary grades and the state mean for the appropriate grade level? and (b) Is there a statistically significant difference among the two-year-later reading achievement of the groups of students based on teacher experience levels? This study used student reading achievement test scores from the CTBS/5 Achievement Test published by CTB/McGraw Hill. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) using a series of nine Mests and three analysis of variance tests (ANOVAs). While the findings of this study indicated that there were no statistically significant differences among the groups, the author discussed several limitations to the study. In addition, proposals for future research in the area were presented. The final pages of the dissertation posit that school system administrators must use the information on novice teachers available to them to implement and strengthen programs of teacher recruitment, placement, training, and retention.

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Bu, Xun. "An investigation of the relationships between professional development, teacher efficacy and teacher stress among teachers in Shanghai public primary schools." Scholarly Commons, 2017. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/1.

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Under the theoretical framework of Guskey’s (2000) professional development models and Bandura’s (1997) social cognitive theory, this study sought to (a) identify how teachers in Shanghai public primary schools perceive the effectiveness of different types of professional development; (b) assess teachers’ self-efficacy and stress level; and (c) examine how teachers’ perceived effectiveness of professional development, their self-efficacy and stress level are related. A total of 562 public primary school teachers in Shanghai responded to the online survey which consisted of demographic information, the short version of Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, Teacher Stress Inventory and a designed Professional Development Scale regarding the participation in and perceived effectiveness of professional development activities. Results emerged after analyzing the data: 1) among various types of professional development, mentoring, observation and assessment and study groups were perceived to be the most effective types by both novice and career teachers; 2) teachers generally felt “quite a bit” of teacher efficacy but a majority reported moderate levels of stress; 3) compared with their career counterparts, novice teachers have significantly lower self-efficacy and also show significantly lower stress; 4) a negative relationship between teacher efficacy and teacher stress exists for both groups of teachers; 5) an association between the perceived effectiveness of professional development and teacher efficacy exists for career teachers only; 6) teacher efficacy was found to fully mediate the relationship between perceived effectiveness of professional development and teacher stress only among career teachers. Additional discussion of the findings and their implications and suggestions for further research were also presented.

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Earle, Sarah. "The relationship between formative and summative teacher assessment of primary science in England." Thesis, Bath Spa University, 2018. http://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/11554/.

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Assessment drives the taught curriculum, defines what is valued (Stobart 2008) and can enhance or hinder learning (Mansell et al. 2009). In England, the complexities of assessment are compounded by ongoing changes to statutory assessment procedures and a lack of centralised guidance for judgements of primary science (Turner et al. 2013). The Nuffield expert group (2012) proposed a pyramid-shaped model of teacher assessment which utilised formative information to inform summative judgements. The model was operationalised by the Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) project (Davies et al. 2014), but there was no explicit explanation of the 'formative to summative' process. This study sought to develop understanding of the relationship between formative and summative teacher assessment of primary science, in action and over time. A Design-Based Research (DBR) approach was used in order to develop guidance directly relevant to practice. Analysis of 91 submissions from the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) database provided a mapping of current practice in England. Two case studies of TAPS project schools considered the enacted relationship between formative and summative assessment, during implementation of a 'formative to summative' approach. New insights have been gained into the conceptualisation and enactment of the relationship between formative and summative assessment. Teacher conceptualisations of assessment were found to encapsulate a wide range of dimensions such as purpose, value, audience, assessor, timing, formality, rigidity and support. Refinements to the TAPS pyramid model are proposed to explain the 'formative to summative' process, conceptualising summative assessment as a summary judgement of attainment, which may be informed by snapshot and focused assessment activities. It was found that implementation of a 'formative to summative' approach required a shared understanding of key assessment concepts like validity and reliability; a seesaw balance model is proposed to support the development of such a shared understanding.

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Pereira, Janet Aileen, and n/a. "Aspects of primary education in Samoa : exploring student, parent and teacher perspectives." University of Otago. Department of Anthropology, 2006. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20061025.141215.

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This thesis is a qualitative study into aspects of primary education in Samoa. Using student, parent and teacher interview material, I investigate local perspectives on why education is important, what children should learn, how children learn, and what constitutes 'good' teaching. I also look at local perspectives on the place of exams and physical discipline. Fieldwork included classroom observations in rural and urban settings. The thesis documents how children approach learning at school, how teachers go about their work, and how teachers and students interact. This is primarily an ethnographic study and, as such, focuses on local theories and meanings. However, several broader theoretical areas emerge as important. In the thesis I look at: a) the interdependence between different aspects of school (i.e. curriculum, teaching methods, assessment practices, material constraints, etc.); b) the relationship between primary education and the wider society; and c) the increasing impact of globalisation on education. The thesis challenges the belief that patterns of interaction at school undermine primary socialisation. It also challenges the idea that primary education is an alien Western institution. Formal education has been eagerly embraced, co-opted, and reshaped to ensure consistency with local perspectives and practices. Increasingly, global flows impact on education in Samoa. This has created tensions between educational policy and teaching practice. Education policies are profoundly influenced by Western ideologies and practices. These reflect fundamentally different ways of thinking about children, their relationships with adults, teaching, and learning. By contrast, teaching practices in Samoa are consistent with local beliefs, values and understandings, and the material realities of a small, fiscally constrained Pacific nation. Policy initiatives are often met with inertia and resistance. The thesis raises issues as to the role of education in maintaining the status quo versus education as an agent of change. It also points to the increasingly difficulty task of defining what is a relevant education and how this is best achieved.

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Yan, Bing. "The development of assessment literacy in Chinese pre-service primary teachers." Scholarly Commons, 2015. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/11.

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Over the past decades, there has been a growing consensus among researchers and teacher educators that more support and training should be provided for pre-service and in-service teachers in order to help them acquire basic assessment knowledge and competence. Using a quasi-experimental research design, this dissertation study examined the effectiveness of a backward-designed assessment training course for improving the assessment literacy levels of pre-service primary teachers who were participating in college-level teacher preparation programs in Shanghai. Two extant naturally formed classes, within which the eighty pre-service primary teachers from a private pre-service teacher education institution XT in Shanghai fit the participants recruiting criterion, were used to serve as the treatment and control groups. Framed by the design approach of Understanding by Design (UbD) developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005), an assessment training program was developed and provided for those in the treatment group during a 12-week period of time; in contrast, those in the control group were not provided with any assessment-related courses. For all the participants, their levels of assessment literacy were measured twice, before and after the intervention, by using the Chinese version of the Assessment Literacy Inventory (Mertler & Campbell, 2005) which I modified further to better meet the context of this study. Results of the study suggest that: 1) among the courses (excluding the intervention itself) provided for the pre-service primary teachers involved in this study, limited efforts had been made to prepare the pre-service teachers for their future assessing tasks; 2) due to the inadequacy of assessment training, most of the Chinese pre-service teachers being tested were not initially literate enough in their assessment knowledge or practice; and 3) whether or not one participates in the assessment training course is a statistically significant predictor of pre-service teachers' assessment literacy, with their previous assessment literacy controlled. In other words, with the embedded theoretical framework of UbD, the designed assessment literacy training course appears to have had a large positive impact on improving pre-service teachers’ assessment competency ( F (1, 77) = 135.91, p 2 partial = .638).

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Govinda, Ishwar Lingam, and n/a. "Teacher preparation for the world of work: a study of pre-service primary teacher education in Fiji." Griffith University. School of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20041021.131036.

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This study was undertaken to selectively investigate pre-service primary teacher education in one of the Pacific island countries, and in particular to explore whether it provides an adequate and enriching professional preparation to beginning teachers with a view to satisfying the demands of work in the field. In doing so, the issue was examined in detail in a teacher education institution located in Fiji, namely, Lautoka Teachers College (LTC). An integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed to explore if beginning teachers from the College are provided with appropriate professional preparation as future teachers. Using LTC as a case study, basic data gathering methods utilized questionnaire surveys, interviews and documentary analyses. Survey-based data were gathered from the beginning teachers to find out their perceptions of the pre-service program that they had completed. Data were also gathered from their Head Teachers to ascertain views on the beginning teachers' professional preparation for the demands of work in their schools. In addition, an interview-based approach explored the perceptions of not only the College staff but also the Ministry of Education officials with regard to the preparation of teachers in meeting the demands of work and responsibilities in the field. Documentary-based research was also used to explore matters associated with teacher preparation at LTC and to integrate the findings with the data obtained in the surveys and interviews. The study indicated that the beginning teachers were not adequately prepared for the demands of work and responsibilities expected of them as perceived by the profession and other stakeholders. A number of factors were found to be contributing to the perceived inadequacy of the professional preparation of beginning teachers. Lack of physical facilities and quality of educational resources together with an outdated curriculum contributed to this situation. At the same time, lack of support from the principal stakeholder in terms of staff professional development and funding was also cited as impacting upon the quality of pre-service teacher education provided to the beginning teachers. An important emergent issue emanating from the study relates to colonial influence on Fiji's education in general, and teacher education at LTC in particular. Some of the problems LTC grappled with were attributable to certain features of the formalised educational system introduced during the colonial era. These aspects, such as the inheritance of the system of educational administration and centralised control, constrained the College in attempting to fulfil its professional role in an appropriate and responsive manner. The administrative system and related context, delivery and assessment elements established in education during the colonial period have been retained and not attuned to contemporary Fiji needs despite the changing times. In overview terms, the presence of these aspects appeared to have impacted negatively on College's effective conduct of its professional role and responsibilities. Further, this study provides specific insights into the pre-service primary teacher education in Fiji, in particular the importance of having relevant policies and programs to ensure the provision of an adequate and enriching professional preparation for teachers to meet the range of work commitments in the field. The study concluded that a number of factors influence the professional preparation of future teachers and these need to be considered with a view to ensuring that teachers are able to meet the demands of their profession. Based on these findings, the study recommends ways and means to improve the pre-service primary teacher education at LTC, which in turn could be expected to enhance the professional preparation of teachers and their competence within the context of teaching in Fiji primary schools. Additionally, some possible areas for future research have been suggested.

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Mackenzie, Roderick. "The predicament of the new primary teacher : educating teachers as intellectuals in changing times." Thesis, University of Plymouth, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/428.

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This thesis is based on a case study of the predicament of new primary teachers in a time of rapid and multiple change. It examines the proposal that emerging teachers should be supported as intellectuals in responding to the inherited collision of education policy and practice within postmodernity. Action research methodology was employed to investigate a small scale attempt to support student teachers as intellectuals in their final period of the BEd. Some participants were followed into the first year of teaching, using an ethnographic and autoethnographic methodology to evaluate and elaborate the initial proposal. The study shows that emerging teachers could function as intellectuals but there was little political or professional support for this. In particular there were neglected elements in both preparation and induction periods concerning professional purpose, vocation and orientation. The study contributes to our understanding of the dilemmas of tutoring emerging teachers as intellectuals. It also contributes to our understanding of the predicament of new teachers, which is typified as caught between the rock of the state and the increasingly hard place of the school. In this situation clarity of ideals and beliefs are required, and personal and social strategies are needed to carry these through in the problematic contexts of both policy and practice. It is recommended that the imbalance of preparation and induction programmes is reconsidered in order to allow for these neglected elements. Finall y the study offers a cultural rationale for professional purpose and vocation based on principles of equality, quality, diversity and democracy.

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Johnson, Peter. "Spirituality in the primary school : a study of teacher attitudes." Thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.683286.

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Bourne, Jill. "Inside a multilingual primary classroom : a teacher, children and theories at work." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.333590.

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Ahmed, Mah-E.-Rukh. "Comparative perspectives on initial primary teacher education and training in England and Pakistan." Thesis, University of Hull, 2008. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:5533.

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This study explored the extent to which initial teacher education and training programmes provide an adequate preparation for the needs of the primary school teachers in England and Pakistan. An integral part of this exploration was the identification of particular aspects of ITE programmes which had a significant impact in enhancing the professional development of teachers, the effectiveness of the ITE programmes and then overall quality. The second notable feature is that this study is a comparative one. The researcher chose two countries where initial teacher training programmes were being implemented, albeit in different ways. England and Pakistan are two contrasting countries from different global regions and having different cultural and social contexts. This is not a problem for comparison because the issue is whether they provide an adequate and enriching professional preparation for beginning teachers in their respective contexts. The study also aims to explore how far the English experience has potential for development and improvement in the Pakistani initial primary teacher education programme. The issue was examined in detail in different teacher education institutions located in England and Pakistan. For this purpose the researcher used Bereday�s comparative methodology to investigate the juxtaposition of these two initial teacher education programmes. The researcher hopes thereby to add to the stock of theory through the use of a cross-national study. The study indicated to what extent the beginning teachers were adequately prepared for the demands of work and the responsibilities expected of them as perceived by the profession and other stakeholders. A number of factors were found to contribute to the perceived adequacy of the professional preparation of student teachers. An enriching curriculum together with availability and quality of physical facilities and educational resources contributed to this situation. At the same time, the support from the principal stakeholders in terms of funding and staff professional development was also cited as impacting upon the quality of pre-service teacher education provided to the beginning teachers in England and Pakistan. The aim of this research was to investigate initial teacher education in Pakistan and England to gain insights into two initial teacher education systems with a view to improving initial teacher education in Pakistan. To achieve this aim, a cross-cultural study using a multi-method approach was adopted. This research revealed how questionable it can be to merely state what the similarities and differences really are between two initial teacher education systems. Nonetheless, it did identify some important differences as between the two initial teacher education systems, namely in terms of: - cultural differences affecting initial teacher�s attitude and values; - differences in governmental vision, political will, and government policies and institutional provision; - teacher education curricula, policies and delivery; - traditional and economic disparities; and theoretical underpinning. Having conducting this research, it is the view of the writer that it is possible for Pakistan to gain from certain aspects of the experience in England, especially in administration and quality control.

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De, Larkin Christian Martin II. "A Study of Teacher-Buy-In and Grading Policy Reform in a Los Angeles Archdiocesan Catholic High School." Thesis, Loyola Marymount University, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3597221.

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This study examined the construct of teacher buy-in (TBI) during a grading policy reform effort in a high school. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe teachers' perceived value to the grading reform. Additionally, the researcher studied teacher behavior by identifying the teachers' actual practice of the policy. The study finally compared the identified reported values of the participants with their actual grading practices to determine the convergence of values and practice.

The research provided empirical evidence for a new way to study TBI and its relationship to a reform implementation. This study addressed a school-site policy reform effort and described TBI contributing to, and perhaps challenging, current practices in school reform and teacher grading policies. This study described the extent to which teacher bought into the grading policies and provided a framework for studying TBI and grading policies in the context of Standards-Based Reform in the future. The findings and discussion highlight how grading policies are a critical element of the student evaluation process in the increasing movement towards national learning standards and testing.

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White, Judith Deierling Klass Patricia Harrington. "Reduced class size and teacher perceptions of its impact in kindergarten through third grade." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1997. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p9819904.

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Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1997.
Title from title page screen, viewed June 30, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Patricia Klass (chair), Paul Baker, Larry McNeal, Thomas F. Ryan. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-112) and abstract. Also available in print.

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Lotz, Heila Betrie. "The development of environmental education resource materials for junior primary education through teacher participation : the case of the We Care Primary project." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/55264.

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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 1996.
One copy microfiche.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The We Care Primary project is a participatory materials development research project, grounded through a socio-historical location of the research question in the assumptions and ideals of the critical inquiry paradigm and socially critical environmental education. This research represents an atlemptto clarifY the assumptions and orientations of socially critical environmental education as a possible 'tangible alternative' to modernist models of environmental education and educational change in a South African context. Through this project environmental education materials development emerged as a reflexive and responsive process of change in which I was able to work with teachers with in local contexts to develop resource materials which may contribute to the development of quality education and the transformation of the junior primary school phase. The emerging central thesis of this report is an ongoing questioning of the notion of participation, and a realisation of the complexities of establishing conditions for authentic participation in materials development, curriculum development and research contexts, Phase one of this research report describes a journey of inquiry toward" socially critical environmental education. This phase portrays a growing understanding of environmental education and is focused on the development of a participatory orientation to materials development. Phase two of this research journey illustrates a critical and reflexive stance to the 'weaknesses' identified in the first phase of the project. The interdependence of curriculum development, materials development and in service teacher education is explored. This phase of the research is presented as a journey with in socially critical environmental education and reflects ongoing praxis and engagement with in the assumptions of critical theory and socially critical environmental education. In phase two and three, the development of a critically reflexive stance to the assumptions guiding this study is described, and a shift in possible research orientations is highlighted. Further possibilities for research journeys beyond socially critical environmental education are presented in phase three through a tentative critique of the first two phases of this research project. This research report offers a brief insight into some of the complexities of change in the formal education sector. It demonstrates that confronting the challenges and complexities of change in realistic and meaningful ways is possibly one of the most daunting realities facing South Africans as we begin to respond to the many legacies of apartheid ideologies, modernisation, a history of mis-education and poor education, decades of social separation and increasing socioecological degradation and risk.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Ons Gee Om Primer-projek is 'n navorsingsprojek in deelnemende hulpbronontwikkeling, gegrond op die sosio-historiese plasing van die navorsingsvraag binne die aannames en ideale van die kritiese navorsingsparadigma en sosiaal-kritiese omgewingsopvoeding. Die navorsing verteenwoording 'n poging om die aannames en orienlasies van sosiaa/-kriliese omgewingsopvoeding as moonllike 'Iasbare a/lemalief' vir modemisliese modelle van omgev.'ingsopvoeding and opvoedingsverandering binne 'n Suid Afrikaanse konleks Ie verk/aar. Deur hierdie projek het hulpbronontwikkeling na yore gekom as 'n refleksiewe en responsiewe proses van verandering, waardeur ek mel onderwysers kon werk mel in plaaslike kontekse om hulpbronmateriaal te ontwikkel wat moontlik kan bydra tot die ontwikkeling van die kwaliteit van opvoeding en die transformasie van die junior primere skoolfase. Die sentrale tese van hierdie verslag is 'n voortdurende bevraa!:,rtekening van die idee van deelname, en 'n hesefvan die komp/eksileile daarvan om loeslande Ie skep wal ware dee/name verseker in hulpbronontwikkeling, kurrikulumontwikkeling en navorsingsverbande. Fase een van hierdie navorsingsverslag beskryf 'n reis van ondersoek op weg 110 sosiaal-kritiese omgewingsopvoeding. Die fase skets 'n toenemende begrip van omgewingsopvoeding en fokus op die ontwikkeling van 'n deelnemende orientasie tot hulpbronontwikkeling. Fase Iwee van hierdie navorsingsreis illustreer 'n kritiese en refleksiewe houding ten opsigte van die 'swak plekke' wat in die eerste fase ge"identifiseer is. Die interafhanklikheid van kurrikulumontwikkeling, materiaalontwikkeling and die indiensopleiding van onderwysers word ondersoek. Hierdie fase van die navorsing word voorgestel as 'n reis mel in sosiaal-kritiese omgewingsopvoeding en weerspieel voortdurende praksis en 'n betrokkenheid by die aannames van kritiese teorie en sosiaal-kritiese omgewingsopvoeding. Infases Iwee en drie word die ontwikkeling van 'n krities-refleksiewe houding ten opsigte van die aannames van hierdie studie beskryf, en 'n verskuiwing in moontlike navorsingsorientasies word uitgelig. Verdere moontlikhede vir navorsingsreise verby sosiaal-kritiese omgewingsopvoeding word infase drie uitgewys deur 'n tentatiewe kritiek op die eerste twee fases van die navorsingsprojek. Hierdie navorsingsverslag bied 'n vlugtige kykie na van die kompleksiteite van verandering in die formele onderwyssektor. Dit wil blyk dat 'n realistiese en betekenisvolle reaksie op die uitdagings en kompleksiteite van verandering moontlik een van die gedugste realiteite is waarmee Suid-Afrikaaners te kampe het in ons pogings om te reageer op die vele nalatings van apartheidsideologiee, modernisasie, 'n geskiedenis van wanopvoeding en swak opvoeding, dekades van sosiale skeiding en toenemende sosio-ekologiese degradasie en risiko's.

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Remy, Dawn Cheryl. "Training and practice : a case study of teacher education in St. Lucia." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.283349.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Catholic primary teacher education'

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