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Voldemaras, Georgette. "A study of soil survey report use by Indiana secondary school vocational agriculture/agribusiness and social science educators." Virtual Press, 1986. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/483130.
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Awareness, use and attitude by Indiana secondary school vocational agriculture/agribusiness and social science educators toward soil survey reports were determined using a mailed questionnaire. Results were analyzed based on teaching discipline and geographic location (urban and rural). In general, social science respondents were not aware of and did not use soil survey reports as a teaching aid whereas vocational agriculture/ agribusiness respondents did. The majority of educators responded positively to statements regarding usefulness of soil surveys. No significant differences were found between urban and rural areas. Results indicated that teaching discipline was the critical factor in educator use of soil surveys.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306
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Werling, Mark. "Knowledge of Indiana school law possessed by Indiana public secondary school teachers." Virtual Press, 1985. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/458831.
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The purpose of the study was to assess the general knowledge of Indiana school law possessed by Indiana public secondary school teachers. The population consisted of three hundred and thirty randomly selected Indiana public secondary school teachers.A researcher developed assessment instrument comprised of thirty items from Indiana school law in the areas of teacher tenure, pupil control, and tort liability was utilized. One statistical hypothesis and six statistical subhypotheses were analyzed with a Z test. The five percent level of significance was established as the probability level for non-acceptance of the hypothesis and subhypotheses.Conclusions1. The percentage of Indiana public secondary school teachers who possess a fair or better level of knowledge of pupil control, and tort liability is likely between seven and fifteen.2. There is no significant difference in the level of knowledge of Indiana school law possessed by Indiana public Indiana school law in the combined areas of teacher tenure, secondary school teachers when grouped according to years of teaching experience, location of their teacher education training, and inclusion of instructional units on school law in their teacher education training.3. The percentage of Indiana public secondary teachers who possess a fair or better level of knowledge of Indiana school law in the area of teacher tenure is likely between four and twelve.4. The percentage of Indiana public secondary school teachers who possess a fair or better level of knowledge of Indiana school law in the area of pupil control is likely between twenty-two and thirty-four.5. The percentage of Indiana public secondary school teachers who possess a fair or better level of knowledge of Indiana school law in the area of tort liability is likely between seventeen and twenty-seven.
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Rutledge, Michael L. "Indiana high school biology teachers and evolutionary theory : acceptance and understanding." Virtual Press, 1996. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1027093.
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The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the status of and relationships among the variables of teacher acceptance of evolutionary theory, teacher understanding of evolutionary theory, and teacher understanding of the nature of science among Indiana public high school biology teachers. The relationships between these variables and the emphasis evolution receives in the classroom and teacher academic variables were investigated. Teacher knowledge structure of the concept of evolution was also explored.To answer the questions and hypotheses delineated in the study, a 68-item questionnaire and concept mapping activity was administered to the population of 989 teachers. The response rate was 53%.The teachers exhibited only a moderate level of acceptance and a marginal level of understanding of evolutionary theory. Teacher understanding of the nature of science was moderately high. Evolution played only a minor role in the curriculum. While the teachers had completed considerable course work in biology, the vast majority lacked specific course work in evolution and the nature of science.The data revealed a significant relationship between teacher acceptance and teacher understanding of evolutionary theory and between teacher acceptance of evolutionary theory and teacher understanding of the nature of science. The data also revealed significant associations between teacher allocation of instructional time to evolution and teacher level of acceptance of evolutionary theory, teacher level of understanding of evolutionary theory, teacher level of understanding of the nature of science, and teacher completion of a course in evolution. Additionally, the data revealed significant associations between teacher level of understanding of evolutionary theory and teacher completion of a course in evolution and teacher academic background in biology. Significant associations were revealed between teacher level of acceptance of evolutionary theory and both teacher completion of a course in evolution and teacher completion of a course in the nature of science.A significant amount of the variance in teacher acceptance of evolutionary theory was explained by the other variables delineated. The concept mapping activity revealed that teacher acceptance and understanding of evolutionary theory was reflected in teacher knowledge structure of evolution and that teachers' knowledge structures were characterized by an unsophisticated organizational framework.Department of Biology
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Donnelly, Lisa A. "Indiana secondary students' evolution learning experiences and demarcations of science from non-science." [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:3274916.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education, 2007.Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-07, Section: A, page: 2882. Adviser: Valarie L. Akerson. Title from dissertation home page (viewed Apr. 14, 2008).
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Lawson, Michael A. "Leadership styles in secondary school science teachers /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p3164522.
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Ukaha, Emmanual Chuks. "Hierarchy of causes of curriculum lag in industrial-technical education as perceived by industrial-technical teachers, principals and superintendents in the state of Indiana." Virtual Press, 1986. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/465789.
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The primary purpose of the study was to identify major causes and subsequent effects of curriculum lag in industrial-technical education. The subsidiary purpose of the study was to compare hierarchical rankings of major causes of curriculum lag in industrial-technical education as perceived by superintendents, secondary school principals, and industrial-technical education teachers in Indiana public school systems.Usable data collected by questionnaire from 406 out of 540 sample subjects were computed to generate respective rank hierarchies of selected twenty causes of curriculum lag in industrial-technical programs. Decisions about two Null Hypotheses were made at 0.05 level by use of multivariate, univariate, and chi-square analyses.Findings1. Superintendents, principals, and industrial-technical teachers were in agreement that three most severe causes of curriculum lag in Indiana secondary industrial-technical programs were inadequate funding, outdated laboratory equipment, and lack of in-service training for industrial-technical teachers.2. Ninety percent agreement occurred between the three respondent groups on ten most severe or ten least severe causes of curriculum lag in Indiana secondary industrial-technical programs.3. As perceived by teachers, inadequate funding and lack of in-service training opportunities affected school corporations with smaller enrollments than school corporations with larger figures.4. There were no significant differences between sizes of school corporations and causes of curriculum lag in industrial-technical programs as perceived by school administrators.5. Items involving structuring of courses, students' interest to study, and evaluation process were ranked as three least severe problem's in industrial-technical education. Sixty-seven percent agreement occurred between the respondent groups in ranking the last three severe problems.Conclusions1. Indiana public high schools are not funded for industrial-technical programs.2. Indiana industrial-technical education teachers are not offered opportunities to improve already acquired skills through in-service training programs.3. Industrial-technical programs are taught with outdated equipment in Indiana secondary schools.4. Lack of funds and in-service training for industrial-technical teachers affected smaller school corporations more than larger school corporations.Additional observations made during the study were presented.
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Lemons, Theresa. "Factors That Influence Special Education Teachers' Career Decisions in a Rural School District in Southern Indiana." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1085.
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Attrition of special education teachers is a national problem resulting in lost monetary resources, school climate discontinuity, and lower student achievement. Within a small, rural district in southern Indiana, special education teacher attrition has risen since 2008 and continues to rise. District administrators want to retain teachers to ensure a continuity of instructional services for students with special needs. To explore this problem, an intrinsic qualitative case study was employed, guided by a research question that investigated the factors that special education teachers and administrators perceived as influencing special educators' career decisions. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory and Billingsley's schematic representation of special education attrition and retention comprised the conceptual framework. Data collection included one-on-one semistructured interviews with 7 teachers and 5 administrators and teacher retention documents. Data analysis involved in vivo coding and an inductive process to collapse data into the 3 following themes: (a) daily challenges, (b) retention factors, (c) transfer or leaving factors. A project arose from the study. Using salient interview data, a professional development plan was designed to address teachers' needs of relevant professional development (PD) and collaboration. The PD plan will establish a professional learning community and utilizes free evidence-based online training modules to support reading comprehension of students with special needs. Positive social change may result from improvements in PD support provided by the district to retain its special education teachers, resulting in greater continuity of instruction for students with special needs who depend on high quality, experienced educators.
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Grauer, Bette L. "Secondary science teachers’ use of the affective domain in science education." Diss., Kansas State University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/17312.
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Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Curriculum and Instruction
Michael F. Perl and Kay Ann Taylor
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore (a) the types of student affective responses that secondary science teachers reported emerged in science classes, (b) how those teachers worked with student affective responses, and (c) what interactions were present in the classroom when they worked with student affective responses. The study was motivated by research indicating that student interest and motivation for learning science is low. Eight secondary science teachers participated in the case study. The participants were selected from a pool of teachers who graduated from the same teacher education program at a large Midwest university. The primary sources of data were individual semi-structured interviews with the participants. Krathwohl’s Taxonomy of the Affective Domain served as the research framework for the study. Student affective behavior reported by participants was classified within the five levels of Krathwohl’s Affective Taxonomy: receiving, responding, valuing, organization, and characterization. Participants in the study reported student behavior representing all levels of the Affective Taxonomy. The types of behavior most frequently reported by participants were identified with the receiving and responding levels of the Affective Taxonomy. Organization behavior emerged during the study of perceived controversial science topics such as evolution. Participants in the study used student affective behavior to provide feedback on their lesson activities and instructional practices. Classroom interactions identified as collaboration and conversation contributed to the development of responding behavior. The researcher identified a process of affective progression in which teachers encouraged and developed student affective behavior changes from receiving to responding levels of the Affective Taxonomy.
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Ellis, John A. "An analysis of perceptions of Indiana secondary teachers regarding components deemed important to effective staff development programs." Virtual Press, 1987. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/530365.
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The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions of Indiana secondary teachers regarding components deemed important to effective staff development programs. Perceptions were analyzed according to the years of teaching experience, gender, content area and demographic classification of the school. The population consisted of two hundred fifty secondary public school teachers from fifty public secondary schools distributed throughout the ten regions of the Indiana School Boards Association.The data collection Instrument used in the study consisted of a demographic section, a forty-item Likert style questionnaire and a short answer/narrative section. Four null hypotheses were tested for statistical significance using a multivariate analysis of variance. The .05 level of significance was established as the critical probability level for the non-acceptance of hypotheses. Insufficient responses in one cell necessitated the deletion of the hypothesis stating no significant difference exists in the perceptions of teachers from schools which are classified as urban, suburban or rural.FindingsStatistically significant differences were found to exist in the perceptions of Indiana public secondary teachers regarding components deemed Important to effective staff development programs from different subject content areas and gender. However, no statistically significant difference was found to exist from teachers with varying years of teaching experience.3. Forty-six percent of the responding teachers reported they participated in a staff development program.4. Teachers reported nearly two to one they would participate in a staff development program during the summer months.5. Thirteen percent of the teachers reporting had five or less years of teaching experience, whereas forty-one percent reported sixteen or more years of teaching experience.Department of Educational Administration and Supervision
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Star, Rachel Padma. "Constructivist teaching practices middle and secondary school science teachers /." Cincinnati, Ohio : University of Cincinnati, 2005. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?acc%5Fnum=ucin1123797028.
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Thesis (Dr. of Education)--University of Cincinnati, 2005.Title from electronic thesis title page (viewed Mar. 23, 2006). Includes abstract. Keywords: Constructivist Teaching Practices; Science Teachers. Includes bibliographical references.
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Illes, Robert Timothy. "Teachers' perspectives of energy in lower secondary school science." Thesis, Oxford Brookes University, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.404688.
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Wuyep, Sunday Nankap. "Training teachers for integrated science in Nigerian secondary schools." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1994. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10021520/.
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This research examined the teacher training for integrated science in some university departments and colleges in Nigeria with the aim of establishing its characteristics, quality and appropriateness of the training in fitting the trainees to their job. It was decided to focus on all the "players" in the training of teachers; to canvas their views and to investigate their understanding of integrated science as it appears in college and school curriculum. This study specifically sought to determine: (a) the thrust and characteristic features of the teacher training; (b) the relevance of the teacher training programme for integrated science students to their role in schools; (c) the concepts of integration implied and reflected in both the junior secondary school national core curriculum for integrated science and in the curricula for teacher training; further to compare and contrast the views found; (d) the perception and understanding of "integration of science" in schools held by practising integrated science teachers, student teachers and the teacher trainers. The integrated science curriculum in schools; and the curriculum used in the training colleges and the universities were also analysed to compare and contrast the integration models used to structure them. By means of questionnaires and interviews in schools, colleges and universities in Nigeria, data were collected and analysed describing the views, understandings and practices of integrated science teacher trainers, classroom (practising) teachers and the student teachers in selected schools and training institutions in Nigeria. A total of two hundred and sixty four (264) participants responded to the questionnaires. In the light of the research findings, their discussions and implications, the following conclusions and recommendations have been made, that: 1. There is a general low understanding of the meaning and the philosophy for integrated science education among the participants. The term "integrated science" was defined by most participants popularly as the teaching of the sciences of biology, chemistry and physics mixed together. 2. The student teachers, most of whom had weak background in the pre-requisite sciences, saw their training curricula as overloaded and not appropriately matched to the duration of their training and needs. However, students from training institutions that were under the Nigerian Integrated Science Teacher Education Project (NISTEP) were relatively more positive and optimistic about their training. 3. There is a dearth of relevantly trained integrated science practising teachers in schools as well as teacher trainers in the training institutions in Nigeria. 4. The Junior Secondary School curriculum for integrated science revealed a substantial amount of evidence to show that it was designed with relevance to the childhsneeds, environmental conditions in Nigeria and reasonable meaning of integration iii scope and intensity. The NISTEP curriculum appear to be a good model for the training of teachers to implement the JSS curriculum. Those of universities are more or less ambitious. It is recommended that a systematic programme of teacher training for integrated science be mounted to meet the need of the junior secondary schools as well as the teacher training institutions. First, a rigorous orientation and training of the teacher trainers in the meaning, philosophy and the methodology of integrated science education. The Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) and the National Commission for College of Education (NCCE) can work together to achieve this goal. The NISTEP human and material resources and the STAN Integrated Science Panel can be invaluable vehicles in meeting both the full time and INSET training needs.
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STAR, RACHEL PADMA. "CONSTRUCTIVIST TEACHING PRACTICES: MIDDLE AND SECONDARY SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1123797028.
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Krim, Jessica Sarah. "Critical reflection and teacher capacity the secondary science pre-service teacher population /." Thesis, Montana State University, 2009. http://etd.lib.montana.edu/etd/2009/krim/KrimJ0809.pdf.
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This qualitative study seeks to understand the development of secondary science pre-service teachers. A case study is developed about each of the five participants, in effort to answer the research questions, which are: How did critical reflection inform teacher capacity within the secondary science pre-service teacher population? What knowledge, skills, and dispositions facilitated secondary science pre-service teachers in developing a critically reflective practice? It is the author's expectation that by teaching these pre-service educators to develop their skills of critical reflection by using external methods of assessment such as videotaping, peer feedback, and student work, the participants in this study will increase and expand their capacity as teachers, or their "innate potential for growth, development, and accomplishment" (McDiarmid & Clevenger-Bright, 2008), and be better prepared to accomplish the goals that are expected of a master teacher. Data is collected from interviews, participant work samples, and observations from the researcher and other key individuals who worked with each participant, such as: the methods instructor, university supervisors, and cooperating teachers. Over the course of two semesters, the researcher developed a detailed description of each of the participants through analyzing passages selected from interview transcripts and student work samples for reflection type, factor of teacher capacity, and commonplace interaction group. The first outcome of this study includes an understanding of the relationship between critical reflection and teacher capacity and the knowledge, skills and dispositions that facilitate the development of a critically reflective practice. The second outcome of this study was the development of a new adaptation of a teacher interaction model (commonplace interaction groups) based on Schwab's Commonplaces of Educating. Lastly, three conclusions were drawn about the five participants in this study: There was a change in the participants' reflection level from the methods semester to the student teaching semester, most shifted their focus of reflection from teacher-self to teacher-student, and the weakest area of reflection with all participants was content / subject area and curriculum / standards.
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Blackmon, Phyllis Ann. "A Case Study Investigating Secondary Science Teachers' Perceptions of Science Literacy Instruction." ScholarWorks, 2015. http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1670.
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This project study addressed the lack of inclusion of discipline literacy pedagogy in secondary classrooms in a rural school district in eastern North Carolina. Discipline literacy practices are recommended in the Common Core Standards for History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. The district had implemented content area reading strategies across content areas, yet no significant progress in secondary students' reading abilities had been demonstrated in statewide or national assessments. The conceptual framework that drove this study was disciplinary literacy, founded by the literacy research of Shanahan, Shanahan, and Zygouris-Coe. Within a qualitative case study method, this investigation of 8 secondary science teachers' experiences teaching literacy during content instruction focused on practices of embedding science-specific reading strategies into lessons and factors that influence teachers' decisions to participate in professional development to advance their learning of discipline-specific literacy methods. Data were collected and triangulated using a focus group and 8 individual interviews. Data from both methods were analyzed into codes and categories that developed into emergent themes. Findings from the focus group and individual interviews revealed that the science teachers possessed limited knowledge of science-specific reading strategies; used random, general literacy practices; and had completed inadequate professional development on science-related topics. Positive change may occur if district leaders support teachers in expanding their knowledge and application of discipline literacy strategies through participation in discipline literacy-focused professional development. The study may provide educators and researchers a deeper understanding of disciplinary literacy and increase research on the topic.
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Kay, Gillian. "Science practical work: what types of knowledge do secondary science teachers use?" Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13355.
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Includes bibliographical references.The prominence of practical work in science curricula today infers that these activities offer unique learning experiences for achieving specific goals. Yet, but for a few exceptions, practical work in school science is often neglected and has not been effective in achieving the goals normally associated with it. The rationale behind this study was that an understanding of the bases for decisions made as teachers plan, enact and assess practical work in Grade 8 and 9 natural sciences, may reveal the nature of the knowledge base required for effective practical work. It was thought that such insight might also shed light on some of the reasons for the apparent lack of effective practical work in South African schools. Furthermore it could inform the design of those aspects of pre - service and in - service teacher professional learning programmes aimed at developing the knowledge and skills required for effective practical work. There is a paucity of research on the knowledge base required for science practical work and no instruments designed to measure, capture or describe such a knowledge base, were found. The aim of this study was firstly to develop a valid and reliable instrument to facilitate the analysis of what teacher s say and do with respect to practical work, and secondly to get a feel for using this instrument for the purpose it was intended. Informed by literature, and using Shulman’s notion of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as the theoretical lens, the analytical instrument, called the practical work PCK table (PPCK T able), consisting of different categories and sub - categories of knowledge, was developed. A number of strategies were used to improve the validity and reliability of the instrument. These strategies included: i) using the instrument to analyse interviews and lessons of three natural sciences teachers working in three different educational settings, ii) soliciting the input from experts in the field of PCK, and iii) determining the inter - rater agreement in the interpretation of the categories or sub - categories among four raters by calculating the percentage agreement and the Fleiss’ kappa statistic. Addressing the shortcomings revealed by these measures culminated in the final version of the instrument, the practical work knowledge table (PracK Table) and its accompanying codebook. The second aim was addressed by conducting a pilot case study to explore the usefulness of the PracK Table as a heuristic device. A series of eight Grade 9 lessons taught by one teacher were observed. Data sources included lesson observations, teacher and learner interviews, worksheets and samples of learners’ work. The PracK Table was used to identify and describe the knowledge the teacher drew on when he engaged his learners in practical work. This study has shown the construct, ‘PCK for practical work’, to be invalid. It also revealed that a useful, valid and reliable instrument could be developed, if it is informed by authoritative literature, and if its validity and reliability are empirically tested in real contexts. In the case study the strengths and weaknesses in a teacher’s knowledge and practice could readily be identified using PracK Table as the analytical tool. The findings of the case study indicate that a broad knowledge base and access to laboratory resources, although necessary, does not always translate into effective practical work. Furthermore, it suggests that for well - qualified, experienced natural sciences teachers, teaching in fairly well - resourced schools, it is their theories about teaching and learning in general that is the main factor that determines the effectiveness of the practical work they engage in. These findings could have significant implications for the development of teacher professional learning programmes.
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Sunger, Mustafa. "An Analysis Of Efficacy Beliefs, Epistemological Beliefs And Attitudes Towards Science In Preservice Elementary Science Teachers And Secondary Science Teachers." Master's thesis, METU, 2007. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12608601/index.pdf.
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The purpose of the study was to analyze preservice science teachers at
elementary science teaching and secondary science teaching with respect to
their self efficacy beliefs, epistemological beliefs, and attitudes towards
science teaching. Preservice elementary science teachers and preservice
secondary science teachers who enrolled in Middle East Technical University
in Ankara were the sample of this study.
Participants of this study were third grade of preservice elementary science
teachers and preservice secondary science teachers. The instruments which
are, efficacy beliefs, epistemological beliefs, and attitudes towards science,
were utilized this study.
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The analysis indicated that moderately positive self efficacy beliefs,
epistemological beliefs and attitudes towards science teaching were
expressed by most of the preservice elementary and secondary science
teachers regarding science teaching. Moreover, preservice elementary and
secondary science teachers believe that effective teaching can influence their
teaching abilities and students'learning. Furthermore, many preservice elementary and secondary science teachers express a positive attitude toward science teaching. The analysis indicated that there is a relationship between self efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards science teaching in preservice secondary science teachers, and there is another relationship between epistemological beliefs and attitudes towards science teaching in preservice elementary science teachers.
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Tarmo, Albert. "Science teachers' beliefs and teaching practices in Tanzanian secondary schools." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2018. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/74620/.
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Recent attempts to improve science teaching and learning in Tanzania required teachers to adopt a learner-centred pedagogy. Although researchers widely acknowledge a lack of sustained success in science teachers' adoption of learner-centred pedagogy, the reasons for teachers' reluctance to adopt learner-centred pedagogy remain debated. Various contextual constraints, including resource shortages, overcrowded classrooms, ineffective teacher education, and high-stakes exams, render learner-centred pedagogy unsuccessful. However, in the Tanzanian context, teacher educators and researchers seem to overlook the critical role science teachers' beliefs about science knowledge, teaching, and learning play in their teaching practices. Thus, attempts to identify and address Tanzanian science teachers' deeply held beliefs are uncommon. Therefore, I interviewed six secondary school science teachers to explore their beliefs about science knowledge, teaching and learning and to show how these forms. I also observed their lessons to examine how the teachers' beliefs manifest in their classroom practices. The findings showed that teachers largely espoused ‘traditional beliefs' about science knowledge, teaching, and learning. They viewed science as a fixed body of discrete facts that mirrors natural phenomena. They believe the body of science knowledge is absolute and handed down by omniscient authorities, such as textbooks and teachers. The teachers consistently described teaching science as conveying textbook facts for students to accumulate and reproduce during exams. Social and contextual factors, including teachers' childhood, schooling, and training experiences, as well as the bureaucratic demands, paradoxical curriculum, and students' reticence reinforced these beliefs. Teachers' beliefs, though consistent with their teaching practices, were largely antithetical to the principles and practices of learner-centred pedagogy. Therefore, I propose that Tanzanian secondary school teachers consider their beliefs and the social and contextual conditions of the schools in adopting learner-centred pedagogy. They weigh their beliefs against the social and contextual conditions to decide how to teach. These results suggest that teacher educators and policy makers should seek to transform teachers' beliefs about science knowledge, teaching, and learning through learning trajectories that require teachers to articulate and interrogate their beliefs. Such attempts should consider the social, cultural, and material contexts of the schools in which teachers teach.
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Bauserman, Adam D. "Special education service delivery and instructional models used in Indiana for secondary students with emotional disabilities perceptions from the field /." Muncie, Ind. : Ball State University, 2009. http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/756.
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McCall, Madelon J. Conaway Betty J. "Qualities of effective secondary science teachers perspectives of university biology students /." Waco, Tex. : Baylor University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2104/5244.
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Kaya, Fatma. "HOW A SCIENCE METHODS COURSE CHANGES SECONDARY PRESERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS ABOUT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICES." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1594471533162242.
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Uludag, Nazan. "Teaching for understanding exploring preservice science teachers' beliefs and practices /." Related electronic resource: Current Research at SU : database of SU dissertations, recent titles available full text, 2005. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/syr/main.
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De, Vore Philip Steven. "Use of state recommended curriculum materials by Ohio secondary vocational teachers /." The Ohio State University, 1998. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487951595500598.
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Nyirenda, Euginia Mukhala. "Zambian Secondary School Pre-service science Teachers' Pedagogical Orientations and Beliefs about science Teaching." OpenSIUC, 2019. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/1711.
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The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was fourfold: examine the pre-service science teachers' pedagogical orientations about science teaching; examine the pre-service science teachers' beliefs about science teaching; establish the extent to which the pre-service science teachers' pedagogical orientations correlate with their beliefs; and establish factors that shape the pedagogical orientations and beliefs of pre-service science teachers. A sample comprised 140 secondary school pre-service science teachers at three universities in Zambia. There were 102 males and 38 females. In the first phase, data were collected using the Pedagogy of Science Teaching Test (POSTT) that was adapted to suit the Zambian curriculum, and the Teacher Beliefs Interview (TBI) protocol. Whereas, in the second phase, a semi-structured interview was used to collect data. Twelve pre-service science teachers were interviewed to solicit in-depth information on the findings from the POSTT and TBI protocol.
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Price, Gareth. "Exploring secondary school science teachers' understanding of creativity in their lessons." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 2018. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/23346/.
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This study uses a Personal Construct Theory methodology to explore the constructs of creativity of science teachers working in England with students aged 11-16. In-depth interviews were conducted with 7 UK teachers on two occasions to elicit the constructs they used to recognise creativity in their classroom context. 46 constructs were elicited and sorted into six categories: autonomy, optionality, collaboration, confidence, efficacy and excitement. These categories were further sorted into 3 roles (Enablers, Modifiers and Validators) which allowed a model to be developed showing how the categories interrelated and could drive changes in teacher constructs and perceptions.
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Çikmaz, Ali. "Examining two Turkish teachers' questioning patterns in secondary school science classrooms." Thesis, University of Iowa, 2014. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1442.
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This study examined low and high level teachers' questioning patterns and classroom implementations within an argument-based inquiry approach known as the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach, which addresses issues on negotiation, argumentation, learning, and teaching. The level of the teachers was determined by the students' writing scores. This study was conducted in Turkey with seven teacher for preliminary study. Because scoring writing samples examines the students' negotiation level with the different sources and students learn scientific process, as negotiation, which they may transfer into their writing, in classroom, two teachers were selected to represent low and high level teachers. Data collection involved classroom observation through video recordings. The comparative qualitative method was employed throughout the data analysis process with including quantitative results. The research questions that guided the present study were: (1) How are low and high level teachers, determined according to their students' writing scores, questioning patterns different from each other during classroom discourse? (2) Is there a relationship between students' writings and teachers' questioning styles in the classroom? Analysis of Qualitative data showed that teachers' classroom implementations reveal big differences based on argumentation patterns. The high level teacher, whose students had high scores in writing samples, asked more questions and the cognitive levels of questions were higher than the low level teacher. Questions promote an argumentative environment and improve critical thinking skills by discussing different ideas and claims. Asking more questions of teacher influences students to initiate (ask questions) more and to learn the scientific process with science concepts. Implicitly, this learning may improve students' comparison in their writing. Moreover, high level teacher had a more structured and organized classroom than low level teacher.
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Kim, Young-Soo. "A study of concept maps regarding the nature of science by preservice secondary science teachers /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9901250.
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Aram, Roberta J. "A case study of secondary science teachers with 1960's and 1990's science education goals orientations /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1996. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9841204.
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Edwards, Karol Lyn. ""They can be successful too!", inclusive practices of secondary school science teachers." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape3/PQDD_0008/MQ52896.pdf.
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Scales, Jason A. "Assessment of teachers' ability to integrate science concepts into secondary agriculture programs." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4717.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on February 29, 2008) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.
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Silva, Pimentel Diane H. "Secondary Science Teachers' and Students' Beliefs about Engaging in Whole-Class Discussions." Thesis, Boston College, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/2927.
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Thesis advisor: Katherine L. McNeillReform movements in science education have repeatedly called for more dialogic and student-centered discussions during science lessons. The approach secondary science teachers take towards talk during whole-class discussions continues to be predominantly teacher-centered even when curriculum materials are designed to support a shift in discourse. This dissertation explores what factors may be influencing the approach that both teachers and students take towards whole-class discussions in order to understand why the type of talk that occurs in high school science lessons is not changing. In order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of this issue, this dissertation made use of mixed methodology. To explore secondary science teachers' beliefs in general, responses to a statewide survey of science teachers (N=185) were analyzed statistically to investigate factors that were related to their efficacy beliefs about whole-class discussions, as well as their beliefs about the effectiveness of dialogic and authoritative approaches to bring about learning in students. Acknowledging that discursive interactions are context dependent, a case study of a high school chemistry teacher and her students (N=45) was also included which examined both the teacher's and her students' beliefs as well as how those beliefs manifested themselves during instruction. Findings suggest that although teachers believe that a dialogic approach to whole-class discussions is more important for student learning than an authoritative approach, lower self-efficacy for engaging in dialogic talk is related to limited opportunities teachers have to learn and recognize alternative strategies that can be used to shift talk during whole-class discussions. Furthermore, school and student characteristics may play a role in teachers' beliefs about the effectiveness of dialogic talk as an approach to learning science. The teachers' role is only one part of the interaction, however. This dissertation also shows that secondary students have beliefs and expectations about whole-class discussions that also influence the type of discourse that can occur. Changing the type of talk that occurs in high school science classes will require not only professional development about talk strategies for teachers, but also a shift in how students frame their role in discussions and the purpose of talk in learning science
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction
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Campbell, Nancy S. "Delaware Technical & Community College's response to the critical shortage of Delaware secondary science teachers." Access to citation, abstract and download form provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company; downloadable PDF file, 89 p, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1601234351&sid=7&Fmt=2&clientId=8331&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Bancha, Rattanawai Fisher Robert L. "An investigation of the professional education component of the preservice programs for secondary science teachers in Thailand." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1988. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p8901468.
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Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1988.Title from title page screen, viewed September 19, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Robert L. Fisher (chair), Larry D. Kennedy, Ronald S. Halinski, Douglas X. West, Donald S. Kachur. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 273-283) and abstract. Also available in print.
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Saunders, Kathryn Jean. "Engaging with controversial science issues - a professional learning programme for secondary science teachers in New Zealand." Thesis, Curtin University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1880.
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Internationally there is concern that many science teachers do not address controversial science issues in their science classrooms, and there is a perception amongst many science teachers that science is about the delivery of facts, and that it is value-free. However with the increasingly complex, science-based dilemmas being presented to society, there is a growing call for future citizens to be more scientifically literate and to be able to make informed decisions on issues related to these dilemmas. There have been shifts in science curricula internationally, and in New Zealand, towards a focus on scientific literacy, but changes in teachers’ pedagogical practice have not been widespread. The demands and challenges for teachers are high and to make such changes requires support and guidance.Because of the paucity of literature available about teaching controversial science issues in New Zealand science classrooms, the purpose of this project was to firstly establish the current status of the teaching and learning about issues and to identify the support that teachers felt they required to address this in science classrooms. This information then informed the development of a professional learning programme to provide support for teachers. The project took a mixed method approach and proceeded in three phases, with Phase One involving the development and administration of a survey to secondary teachers in the North Island of New Zealand, with follow-up interviews with some survey participants. The qualitative and quantitative data gathered enabled the current scene to be established. Phase Two involved the use of data from Phase One, together with information obtained mainly from the literature review, to design a professional learning programme, the focus of which was the development of a model for ethical inquiry. Phase Three involved two workshops, separated by eleven weeks, in which four teachers critiqued, trialled and evaluated the model in the classroom. A series of case studies was developed from each trial, with a cross-case analysis made to validate the usefulness of the model.The findings of the survey and interviews indicated that to address controversial issues, there was a need to move New Zealand teachers away from a focus on content, towards a pedagogy that focused on ethical inquiry and the appropriate use of strategies and approaches to support this. The findings from the professional learning programme confirmed that teachers had been supported in addressing controversial science issues by the use of the model for ethical inquiry and positive outcomes were reported for both teachers and students.The project provided current information about how controversial science issues are addressed in New Zealand secondary science classrooms and validated the model for ethical inquiry in supporting teachers to address controversial science in the light of impending and changing requirements of The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) towards informed citizenry and scientific literacy. The project also supplements the very small amount of research that has been carried out in a New Zealand context on addressing controversial science issues in secondary science classrooms.
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Thornton, David. "Experience of the Neophyte Science Teachers: Through Their Eyes." Scholar Commons, 2017. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6964.
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A variety of lenses were used to examine the world of the novice science teacher. A degree of agency was provided by looking through the eyes of the beginning teacher. Previous studies focused on researcher or program’s orientation, the successes of various educator preparation programs, or were limited in scope to elementary teachers of science. This study was conducted to better understand and appreciate the high school novice science teacher’s view of science, teaching, and teaching science in the today’s contextual setting. Experiences encountered during the initial year of teaching high school science and as perceived by teachers without previous professional teaching experience presents are presented. A multiple case study was built around four individual novice cases from one of the largest school districts in the state of Florida. Of the four cases, three participants were rehired for the following year. The fourth left teaching after nine weeks. The research questions are: How do today’s novice science teachers describe their first year’s teaching experiences? How do novice teacher’s feelings about being science teachers change during their first year of teaching? How do beginning science teachers describe their successes? And, what challenges do today’s beginning science teachers face? These research questions were asked to relate the novice experiences and perceptions associated with the initial year of teaching high school science. Emergent themes included concerns for questionable ethical administrative actions and poor administrative decisions as they are perceived by the novice science teacher. Findings of the multiple case study relate experiences perceived as positive, bureaucratic, involving student and parent apathy, local administration, and missed communications. Beliefs changed about student needs, mandated science exams, district micromanagement, confidence, and unique personal changes. Descriptions provided of success involved mentoring, students, lesson planning, confidence, and retention. Perceived challenges were parent and student apathy, mandated science exam validity, student needs, micromanagement of science lessons, discipline, abandonment, and development. The researcher was employed as a science teacher in the same district as the participants, but at a separate high school.
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Ogunmade, Taiwo Oludare. "The status and quality of secondary science teaching and learning in Lagos State, Nigeria." Connect to thesis, 2005. http://portal.ecu.edu.au/adt-public/adt-ECU2006.0042.html.
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Hung, Cheung-ling. "A study of the teaching methods used by integrated science teachers in Hong Kong secondary schools." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1988. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B1803925X.
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Miller, Chris Michael. "Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction and Teacher Retention for North Texas Secondary Science Teachers." Thesis, Dallas Baptist University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10792070.
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The current mixed method study explored the job satisfaction perceptions and retention plans of 241 secondary science teachers from seven North Texas school districts. For the current study, an email questionnaire was sent to seven districts across 83 secondary campuses, which included 51 middle schools and 32 high schools. The current study intended to find reasons why secondary science teachers continue to teach or decide to leave the profession. The participants’ perceptions and intentions to continue teaching were gathered through an online survey which gathered data across seven job satisfaction domains. Demographic and retention responses provided additional data on each participant. Through a quantitative analysis of Likert type survey responses and qualitative analysis of open-ended retention responses, the current study explored secondary science teachers’ perceptions and intentions to stay teaching. The quantitative analysis of survey data found significant differences in almost all of the job satisfaction domains for all teachers. There were also significant differences across some demographic groups as well. Through a qualitative analysis, motivation to teach was the leading predictor for retention. On the other hand, school culture and compensation were the top reasons for teachers planning to leave the classroom.
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Owen, Jeffery C. "Design, Implementation and Assessment of an Earth Systems Science Course for Secondary Teachers." Fogler Library, University of Maine, 2003. http://www.library.umaine.edu/theses/pdf/OwenJC2003.pdf.
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Korte, Sarah. "The Acceptance and Understanding of Evolutionary Theory among Ohio Secondary Life Science Teachers." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1070473022.
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Landis, Carol E. "Teachers' thinking about the use of global environmental issues in secondary science classes." The Ohio State University, 1995. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487868114110813.
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Boston, Julie. "Learning in a digitally connected classroom: Secondary science teachers’ pedagogical reasoning and practices." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2019. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2275.
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Despite decades of research surrounding Information Communication Technology (ICT) use in schools, the pedagogical reasoning required to provide meaningful ICT enabled learning opportunities is rarely analysed in the literature. The purpose of this research was therefore to investigate teachers’ pedagogically reasoned practice. This study involved three exemplary Australian secondary science teachers, renowned for their expertise in utilising ICT working in classrooms where students had school issued one-to-one computers and reliable network access. The research utilised qualitative methods, including semistructured interviews, video-based observational data, and an array of lesson artefacts. The study followed a naturalistic multiple-case study design to explore the pedagogical reasoning and actions of these science teachers.
The study identified different forms of pedagogical reasoning and action for a digitally connected world. Many aspects of this iterative model bear close resemblance to Shulman’s (1987) original conception of pedagogical reasoning and action. In each case, sophisticated reasoned decision-making drawing upon a range of teacher knowledge bases, most notably technological pedagogical content knowledge took place. The pedagogical reasoning and action model presented demonstrates a backward mapping approach where the use of ICT was directed at supporting the development of scientific content and educational outcomes of the mandated science curriculum. The research also found that these teachers held social constructivist beliefs for the use of ICT and intentionally designed ICT enabled opportunities from a learning affordance perspective. The research also demonstrated a reflexive relationship between the teacher’s beliefs and their pedagogical practices. Teacher activity involved significant preparatory work in the selection and curation of motivating, authoritative and multimodal Internet accessible ICT resources and tools aligned to the mandated science curriculum. In each case, the teachers had purposefully created a customised classroom online presence or website, offering students a flexible learning environment, an uncommon practice at the time of the study.
The teachers designed ICT enabled learning opportunities following a guided inquiry model, frequently involving collaborative problem-based strategies. In each case, the students were the dominant users of ICT in the classroom using ICT for discovering knowledge, constructing knowledge and for sharing knowledge. The teachers’ role was predominantly one of orchestration of the learning environment, scaffolding and questioning students as they engaged with guided inquiry-based learning tasks.
Ultimately the research revealed the critical role of the teacher in mediating the affordances of ICT for meaningful learning. Overall the findings offer useful insights into how exemplary science teachers’ reason and act about the use of ICT in a digitally connected classroom. An important implication for the development of initial science teacher education programs arose from the study, notably that preservice teachers require ongoing and authentic course opportunities to support the development of the technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge relevant for a digitally connected classroom.
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Keys, Philip Mark. "Primary and secondary teachers shaping the science curriculum : the influence of teacher knowledge." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2003. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/15920/1/Philip_Keys_Thesis.pdf.
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This thesis reports on how primary and secondary teachers' knowledge influenced the implementation of a Year 1-10 science syllabus which was introduced into Queensland in 1999. The study investigated how the teachers' knowledge of the primary and secondary teachers differed and how teachers' knowledge impacted on the implementation of the science curriculum. Teacher knowledge otherwise referred to as teacher beliefs and practices has been acknowledged as an influence in the implementation of curriculum. Yet, a considerable portion of curriculum evaluation has focused on measuring the successful implementation of the intended curriculum and not the enactment. As a result, few studies have investigated how the curriculum has been influenced by teacher knowledge or have compared primary and secondary teacher knowledge. Furthermore, in order to provide a seamless grade one to ten science syllabus it is necessary to compare primary and secondary teacher beliefs and practices to determine whether or not the beliefs and practices held by these two groups of teachers is similar or dissimilar and how these beliefs and practices in turn, impact on the implementation of a curriculum. The research adopted Eisner's (1991) methodology of educational criticism and used a comparative case study approach to investigate the teacher knowledge of four primary and three secondary teachers. Data were presented as a dialogue between three composite characters, a lower primary, a middle/upper primary and a secondary teacher. The results revealed that teachers utilised three sets of beliefs to shape the implementation of the science curriculum. These were categorised as expressed, entrenched and manifested beliefs. The primary and secondary teachers did possess similar sets of beliefs and knowledge bases but their strategies for implementation in some instances were different. Furthermore, these sets of beliefs and knowledge bases served as motivator or an inhibitor to teach science in the manner that they did. A theoretical model was developed to explain how these sets of beliefs influenced the curriculum. This study provides professional developers with a framework to observe teacher beliefs in action and thereby to assist in the facilitation of curriculum change.
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Keys, Philip Mark. "Primary And Secondary Teachers Shaping The Science Curriculum: The Influence Of Teacher Knowledge." Queensland University of Technology, 2003. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/15920/.
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This thesis reports on how primary and secondary teachers' knowledge influenced the implementation of a Year 1-10 science syllabus which was introduced into Queensland in 1999. The study investigated how the teachers' knowledge of the primary and secondary teachers differed and how teachers' knowledge impacted on the implementation of the science curriculum. Teacher knowledge otherwise referred to as teacher beliefs and practices has been acknowledged as an influence in the implementation of curriculum. Yet, a considerable portion of curriculum evaluation has focused on measuring the successful implementation of the intended curriculum and not the enactment. As a result, few studies have investigated how the curriculum has been influenced by teacher knowledge or have compared primary and secondary teacher knowledge. Furthermore, in order to provide a seamless grade one to ten science syllabus it is necessary to compare primary and secondary teacher beliefs and practices to determine whether or not the beliefs and practices held by these two groups of teachers is similar or dissimilar and how these beliefs and practices in turn, impact on the implementation of a curriculum. The research adopted Eisner's (1991) methodology of educational criticism and used a comparative case study approach to investigate the teacher knowledge of four primary and three secondary teachers. Data were presented as a dialogue between three composite characters, a lower primary, a middle/upper primary and a secondary teacher. The results revealed that teachers utilised three sets of beliefs to shape the implementation of the science curriculum. These were categorised as expressed, entrenched and manifested beliefs. The primary and secondary teachers did possess similar sets of beliefs and knowledge bases but their strategies for implementation in some instances were different. Furthermore, these sets of beliefs and knowledge bases served as motivator or an inhibitor to teach science in the manner that they did. A theoretical model was developed to explain how these sets of beliefs influenced the curriculum. This study provides professional developers with a framework to observe teacher beliefs in action and thereby to assist in the facilitation of curriculum change.
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Fricke, Norma Irene. "The effect of a mentoring programme targeting secondary school science and mathematics teachers in a developmental context." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2008. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-11262009-002707.
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Ames, Roland Tyler. "A Survey of Utah's Public Secondary Education Science Teachers to Determine Their Preparedness to Teach Engineering Design." DigitalCommons@USU, 2014. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/3559.
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Education is always changing and science education is no exception, with many influential publications passing through science education over the years. The latest wave in science standards is called the Next Generation Science Standards. The Next Generation Science Standards are anticipated to have a significant effect on state science standards around the entire country. One thing about these new standards is very different from all previous science standards—they include the principle of engineering design in them.
Asking science teachers to teach engineering design is asking them to teach a principle for which their teaching licensure would not have formally prepared them. Consequently, the hypothesis of this study was that the feeling of preparedness to teach engineering design would be low among public secondary education Utah science teachers. This study shows that hypothesis to be correct: Utah science teachers do not feel prepared to teach engineering design. The feelings of teacher preparedness can be improved through professional development and inclusion of engineering design into science teacher education programs. It should be infused into these arenas now that teachers have indicated their low feelings of preparedness. More teacher preparation should be sought because an unprepared teacher will not prepare students as well as a prepared teacher. And, creating prepared students is the goal of the education system.
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Chan, Kam-ho, and 陳錦河. "Experienced teachers' development of pedagogical content knowledge for teaching a new topic." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/206720.
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Binti, Roslena Pdis Haji Johari. "Lower secondary science teachers' conceptions of, and approaches to, teaching and learning in government secondary schools in Brunei Durassalam." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.546242.
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Alston, Lizzie. "A Case Study of Eight First-year Secondary Science Teachers in North Carolina: Problems, Issues and Behaviors." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/30533.
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The purpose of this study is to (1) identify some of the major problems confronting first-year secondary science teachers; (2) list supportive practices supplied by the school-based administration and district-wide programs for first-year secondary science teachers; and (3) describe problems of socialization confronting first-year secondary science teachers.
The study analyzes perceptions of eight first-year secondary science teachers under contract at the start of the 1996-1997 school year. The study viewed these teachers as novice by definition and perceptions of specific support activities which assisted them in moving from initially licensed to career tenure status.
The literature review examines research on teacher based on self-reporting data. Although several of the cited research studies consider first-year teachers in general, few qualitative studies contain specific information on first-year secondary science teachers, e. g., what is involved in the new environment or what developmental skills are needed to survive the year.
The research procedure used in this study is the individual case study method. Data were collected primarily through ethnographic interviews and surveys of eight first-year secondary science teachers and six administrators responsible for evaluation of these teachers.(Two administrators did not respond to the survey.) A thematic conceptual matrix was used to display the problems and issues faced by and support offered to these teachers.
The findings clearly reveal the top two problems of first-year secondary science teachers to be discipline and classroom/time management exacerbated by a perceived lack of administrative support and assistance.Ed. D.
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Ludbrook, Geraldine Ann. "Investigating the English language needs of CLIL teachers in Italian secondary school science classrooms." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.656309.
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This research project examines the English language needs of science teachers teaching in Italian secondary school classrooms within the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach. The study collects naturally-occurring data from 20 secondary school lessons to investigate the salient features of the language used by six content teachers, most of whom co-teach with language teachers. The data from the classroom observations are enriched by additional material from interviews with the content and language teachers participating in the study. The study analyses the data collected with the main objective of drawing up a rich, detailed picture of the content teachers' language to inform the construct of a performance test designed for the specific purpose of assessing the English language abilities of the content teachers. The investigation examines theoretical models of communicative language ability underlying the development of performance language tests, in particular the model of specific-purpose language testing. A review of tests currently used to assess the foreign language of non-native English speaking content teachers wishing to work in English language medium education systems provides insights into the issues involved in the development of a performance test of teacher language, and highlights the specific features of the CLIL teachers' language. The analysis of the classroom data focuses on four main aspects of the CLIL lessons. Two aspects deal with the classes in general and investigate how the content teachers' foreign language needs are influenced by the activity types observed in the lessons and by the nature of the partnership between the content and language teachers in the co-taught lessons. The third aspect focuses on the content teachers' foreign language ability and investigates their general language proficiency, their use of subject-specific language, and their use of language for classroom interaction. The fourth aspect examines the communication strategies demonstrated by the content teachers to control their own foreign language and that of their learners. This feature is of particular importance as strategic competence is required to implement the pedagogies promoted within the CLIL approach. The findings of the research project have three main applications. The first is to further the understanding ofthe current language needs ofItalian science teachers working in CLIL classrooms. The second is to provide some insights into the future language training ofItalian content teachers wishing to work within the CLIL approach and how this will develop CLIL practice in Italy. The third is to provide a principled basis to the definition of the construct of a test of CLIL teachers' language,. and the development of a CLIL teacher classroom observation instrument for use in the future training and qualification of Italian CLIL teachers.