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Meier, Lori T. "Episode 4: Primary & Secondary Sources." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2021. https://dc.etsu.edu/social-studies-education-oer/4.
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In this episode, we discuss the use of primary and secondary sources in the elementary social studies classroom. We explore the definitions for both primary and secondary sources, examine how they are connected to K-5 standards and curriculum frameworks, and visit various digital resources where teachers can find engaging primary sources for their students.https://dc.etsu.edu/social-studies-education-oer/1003/thumbnail.jpg
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Vincent, Carol. "Parental participation in primary education." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1993. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/36101/.
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This thesis is a qualitative study of the power relations structuring interactions between parents and teachers in one inner London borough. The first three chapters consider the theories and practice of participation and the extent of its realisation in education. Individual parental involvement is seen as the accepted way for parents to intervene in their child's education; this tendency is heightened by the current New Right emphasis on the 'parent-asconsumer'. Such individual parental incursions can only have a limited effect upon the imbalance of power that defines relationships between teachers and working class parents. However opportunities for collective parental participation are found to be restricted. Chapters five to nine contain case studies of two primary schools, a home-school co-ordinators' project and a parents' centre. The ethnographic chapters use fieldwork data, gathered mainly through semi-structured interviews to illustrate the effects of social class, ethnicity and gender; firstly, on individual teacher-parent-officer relations, and secondly, on allowing access to school and LEA decisionmaking fora. These chapters illustrate the arguments of the earlier theoretical chapters, by showing how teachers as individuals and schools as institutions allow particular types of individual parental involvement whilst limiting opportunities for collective parental participation. The concluding chapter applies these findings to the theoretical arguments outlined in chapters one to three. It argues that allowing parents a role as participant would profoundly alter their relationship with the education system. Such a role - resulting in increased lay participation in a welfare state institution - is seen as an integral part of citizenship in a fully participative democracy.
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Russell, Anthony. "Primary science education in Botswana." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1989. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10019698/.
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Prince, Nanette Marie. "Balanced literacy in primary education." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1998. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1655.
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Kityo, Sylvester. "Primary education reform in Uganda : assimilating indigenous education." Thesis, McGill University, 1988. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=61672.
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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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Ward, Gavin. "Knowing primary physical education movement culture." Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2436/615665.
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Background: Mind-body dualisms create particular difficulties for researching and justifying learning and knowledge within PE practices. These issues are compounded in the UK by prevailing cognitivistic ideas of education, knowledge and learning. Crum (1993) suggests reconceptualising PE as movement culture as a potential solution to the limitations created by dualistic positions within education. How knowledge and learning within movement culture is positioned, however, was left underdeveloped by Crum. The aim of this thesis is to explore an embodied, action position on knowledge and learning, as a potential solution to this issue. Purpose: This thesis is driven by two purposes. The first; to examine and discuss how John Dewey’s theorising of knowledge and learning within experience provides a theoretical position on knowledge and learning within movement culture. The second; to utilise this position to explore how pupils’ and teachers’ actions within primary PE lessons constitute and negotiate the movement cultures within their school. Findings: In adopting a position which dissolves mind-body dualisms, movement culture allows the practical work of PE lessons to be considered as contexts of knowledge production. This opens up our understanding of different ways of knowing in PE through pupils’ epistemological ‘action-in-PE-settings’. Rather than creating another hybrid of educational ideology by objectifying what to ‘do’ or ‘know’, movement culture keeps the ‘who’ of participation in PE practice in view. Such a position is achieved because pupils are seen as ‘coming to know’ through their immediate and continuous experiences of sports and physical activities both in PE and beyond the school gates. By dissolving traditional dualisms within educational ideology, movement culture allows ideologies and assumptions about learning in PE to be decoded and managed. It also provides a framework to explore subject-matter for learning and analyses some of the disconnections which exist within PE practice. Conclusions: Reconceptualising PE as movement culture is not intended to create a logic of practice to which I claim PE should ascribe. In this thesis, movement culture offers a position from which to consider the continuity between PE and pupils’ lives within and outside of the school gates. Such a standpoint can challenge our ideas as to what subject-matter could be within PE and the possibilities of learning outcomes other than those that focus on performance sport or bodily training for fitness. From a research perspective questions arise in relation to understanding very young pupils’ experiences of knowing within PE and how learning and knowledge are embodied across other subject areas. Addressing such questions may help to support new understandings of learning and knowledge within schools that are concurrent with developing new methodologies and research tools. These may in turn support the continuing development of pedagogical practices.
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Gujberová, Monika, and Peter Tomcsányi. "Environments for programming in primary education." Universität Potsdam, 2013. http://opus.kobv.de/ubp/volltexte/2013/6449/.
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The aim of our article is to collect and present information about contemporary programming environments that are suitable for primary education. We studied the ways they implement (or do not implement) some programming concepts, the ways programs are represented and built in order to support young and novice programmers, as well as their suitability to allow different forms of sharing the results of pupils’ work. We present not only a short description of each considered environment and the taxonomy in the form of a table, but also our understanding and opinions on how and why the environments implement the same concepts and ideas in different ways and which concepts and ideas seem to be important to the creators of such environments.
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Alsenaidi, Sami Fahad. "Electronic brainstorming in Saudi primary education." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10036/3910.
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This study explores the use of electronic brainstorming in classrooms in primary schools in Saudi Arabia. It involves teachers and students in primary school who used computers in their Islamic Education lessons. The main aim of my study is to explore the students’ interest in Islamic Education in primary schools in Saudi Arabia, to improve their creativity skills through electronic brainstorming and to investigate the influence of the pedagogical affordances of the electronic brainstorming method on classroom activity. To this end, I compared three groups, electronic brainstorming (EBS), verbal brainstorming (VBS) and the traditional method (T), in different classrooms and with different teachers. Mixed qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis were employed. The data collection methods used in this study were classroom and online forum observations, teacher and the student interviews, and pre- and post-tests (using the Torrance test, TTCT, to measure students’ creativity skills). The sample consisted of 61 primary school students aged between 11 and 12 years old and three Islamic Education teachers. The study took place in a classroom within the students' primary school in Saudi Arabia, and lasted around three months. The interview and observation findings indicated the greater student participation, motivation and creativity in the EBS method. The observation and interview findings revealed positive differences between electronic brainstorming (EBS) on side and verbal brainstorming (VBS) and traditional methods (T) on the other side in Islamic Education lessons in primary schools in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the analysis of the research findings demonstrated how pedagogical affordance of EBS lead to a significant improvement of creativity skills, dialogue and engagement in learning environment where EBS had been employed. Finally, this study concluded that EBS method has considerable potential to improve the Islamic Education curricula in primary schools in Saudi Arabia.
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Kobayashi, Tomoko. "Community participation in primary education : the case of Lok Jumbish and District primary education programme in India." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.425484.
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Chimombo, Joseph Patrick Goodson. "Implementing educational innovations : a study of free primary education in Malawi." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.310250.
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The new democratic government of Malawi introduced free primary education (FPE) in the 1994/95 academic year. This major policy intervention included the removal of tuition and other school fees, and children were no longer required to wear a uniform to attend school. The main objectives ofFPE were to increase access to primary education and to eliminate inequalities in participation through reducing the direct costs, and to improve retention rates and thus reduce illiteracy. FPE is the most significant educational policy ever introduced in Malawi. Its development invited a detailed study of how participation has changed, what mechanisms were employed to improve retention and promotion, and what strategies were used to meet the need for additional human and physical resources. There are four main concerns which shaped this study: 1) The genesis of the policy- how was the policy initiated and for what reasons? 2) The policy itself- i.e. what did the policy consist of and what did the ministry of education do? 3) What happened after the introduction of FPE and how did enrolment, access and retention change over time? 4) Why did things happen the way they did and what are the reasons which help explain the effect of implementing FPE? Data were collected through grounded case studies of ten schools undertaken in different parts of Malawi. The literature indicates that judgements on the effectiveness of policy implementation require insights that can only be obtained from case study work at the local level. Those involved in the development of policy were interviewed and national level data were also analysed. Systems theory was used to examine the relationships between system components, between the system and its environment and between one system and another, and the major concepts of this theory of interdependence, integration and cohesion were used to analyse and interpret the findings of this thesis. At the macro level, the study also drew on functionalist theory. In order to examine how educational institutions perceive, manipulate and act within the structural constraints within which they find themselves, the socio-politico-cultural frameworks within which, and through which these institutions have shaped schooling under FPE were elaborated. The analysis has shown that the immediate goal of ensuring universal access to primary education has been largely achieved. Most children in Malawi have set foot inside a school of some kind. But when the implementation of FPE policy was examined within the Jomtien aspirations which included improving educational quality, ensuring greater equity in the distribution of educational resources, and improving retention and attendance, the thesis concludes that Malawi lacks the administrative and fiscal capacity to deliver primary education of minimum quality to all. This deficiency leads to system fragmentation and low cohesion in the implementation process which partly explains the limitations of FPE policy identified. The study established that schooling problems might have worsened since the introduction of FPE and that despite increased efforts towards girls education, gender disparities still remain one of the main problems. Further, the rhetorical association of schooling with economic opportunity is questionable, at least for those where the demand for schooling is weak and the benefits not apparent. A simulation modelling costs also indicates that achieving EFA is financially unsustainable in the short and medium term. The findings provide pointers about what needs to be done or strengthened in order to ensure a more effective implementation of an ambitious and worthwhile educational policy reform in Malawi, as well as the lessons that can be learned for the implementation of similar reforms.
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Tosam, Ful John. "Implementing educational change in Cameroon : two case studies in primary education." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1988. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10019696/.
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Since the Cameroon nation came into being in 1961, it has been engaged in efforts towards harmonizing two distinctly different educational traditions it inherited from the colonial era, the one, French-oriented, and the other, British-oriented, while at the same time, working towards better quality schools. However, the main thrust towards meeting these objectives thus far, has been in primary education where two main separate and on-going attempts at educational change are being undertaken in both educational traditions in the country. This research is based on case studies of these two experiences, and attempts to provide a holistic appraisal of the strategies adopted thus far, towards implementing change in Cameroon primary education. The one experience, the Institut de P6dagogie Appliquee sa vocation Rurale (IPAR) began in 1969, and is embodied in two projects (IPAR-Yaounde and IPAR-Buea) which aim at the harmonization and reform of Cameroon primary education, while the other, the Support to Primary Education Project (SPEP), began in 1984, and aims at improvements in the training and support system for primary school teachers in four of the country's ten provinces (one anglophone, and three francophone). The IPAR projects have not yet been implemented in schools, and by design the SPEP does not directly involve schools. The appraisal of these experiences comprises an analysis of their significance in Cameroon primary educational change, and their organization, management and accomplishments thus far. Three broad perspectives of the concept of institutional development or institutional analysis viz, the intra-, inter-, and extra-institutional analytical perspectives, have been adopted as the analytical framework for appraising the performance of these projects, using an essentially illuminative methodology. In this thesis, the concept of "institution" is used broadly to refer to governmentwide administrative functions including such entities as project management units, while "institutional development" or "institutional analysis" concerns the organisation and management of the various project systems, and the significance of these experiences in Cameroon primary educational change. The intra-institutional development perspective provides an analysis of the resource allocation (personnel and material) and management of the project unit, the inter-institutional development perspective provides an examination of the influence of other institutions in the administrative bureaucracy on the performance of these projects, while the extra-institutional development perspective provides an analysis of the pertinence of project ideologies in relation to the broader aims of harmonizing and reforming Cameroon primary education. In conclusion, problems of implementing Cameroon educational change epitomized by the two projects are highlighted and discussed, and suggestions made towards thinking about existing and alternative strategies in Cameroon educational change, in general.
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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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Stevens, Vanessa Jane. "Governing education : the ethical spaces of primary school citizenship education." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2010. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.522269.
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Faulk, Janet, and Pamela Evanshen. "Primary Grades: Linking the Primary Classroom Environment to Learning." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2013. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4462.
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Davén, Jonatan. "Free Primary Education in Tanzania? : A case study on costs and accessibility of primary education in Babati town." Thesis, Södertörn University College, School of Life Sciences, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-1833.
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In 2002 Tanzania initiated the implementation of the Primary Education Development Plan (PEDP), in which a substantial capacity expansion and quality improvement of primary education was outlined. The most important measure in the plan was to make primary school free and accessible to all, irrespective of financial capabilities. This thesis is a qualitative policy study, which aims at finding out whether or not primary education is free and equally accessible to all in Tanzania. Besides establishing if it is in fact free and accessible, the thesis identifies the main costs and restraints to access and also brings forward the children’s perceptions on these restraints. The answers to these questions were sought in a case study, conducted in Babati District in Northern Tanzania. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with households, school staff and primary school children and their responses has been compared to the national policy on primary education. The main conclusions of the study are that: Primary education is not free in Tanzania, as there are significant costs involved to send a child to primary school, such as school uniform, school material and various contributions to the running costs of the school. Neither is primary education equally accessible to all, as children from households, which cannot pay these costs, are sent home from school on a regular basis. Lastly, being sent home has a damaging effect on the children’s school performances and self-esteem.
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Wong, Wai-ling Winnie, and 黃惠玲. "A new primary school for quality education." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1999. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31984903.
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Yovera, Chavez David, Romero Gonzalo Villena, Villalta Alfredo Barrientos, and Galvez Miguel Cuadros. "Telepresence Technological Model Applied to Primary Education." Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10757/656582.
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El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado.This research paper proposes a low-cost telepresence technological model focused on primary education. Its aim is to give students a new resource/communication channel for classes, which would be used when they cannot attend school due to health problems that do not affect their learning process. This solution seeks students to not be passive listeners during a session, but that they interact with their classmates and teachers during class. To validate the model, a telepresence platform based on WebRTC was developed. It was tested in three schools in different geographical areas belonging to socioeconomic sector C, collecting data from the students who tested the tool, as well as from classmates, teachers, and parents.
Revisión por pares
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Papanastasiou, Efthymia. "Gender and leadership in Greek primary education." Thesis, London Metropolitan University, 2016. http://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/1023/.
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Women constitute more than half of the teaching force in primary schools in Greece but men are more likely than women to achieve headship. In other countries (e.g. in the USA, in the UK and in other European countries) women are represented in educational leadership in disproportionately low numbers, too. The aim of this thesis is to cast light on the neglected phenomenon of women’s relatively low participation in Greek primary school leadership and to explore the constructions of men and women head teachers and teachers regarding headship and gender. More specifically, the research offers insights into women’s and men’s experiences of progressing to and experiencing primary school leadership in Greece; examines whether and to what extent these experiences are gendered; and maps the participants' constructions of primary headship. In addition, I explore the future for women in educational leadership in Greece. The study is underpinned by a feminist social constructionist paradigm, involving a qualitative analysis of 40 semi-structured in-depth interviews with women and men head teachers and teachers. The findings suggest that women teachers in primary education in this sample, were generally less leadership-oriented than men and followed relatively unplanned occupational trajectories compared with men. Both men and women appeared to need encouragement from colleagues, superiors and family to enhance their confidence and set them on the pathway to headship. Gendered processes in relation to the recruitment and selection of head teachers, as well as traditional 'masculine' stereotypes of leadership, are challenged by the research. It is argued that both men and women participants construct accounts of approaching leadership in a fluid way, reflecting time, place and situation, rather than primarily gender. Finally, implications for theory, policy and practice are discussed and recommendations for future research are proposed.
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Wong, Wai-ling Winnie. "A new primary school for quality education." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1999. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25950940.
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Bullock, A. D. "The purpose of microcomputers in primary education." Thesis, Bangor University, 1988. https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-purpose-of-microcomputers-in-primary-education(14112e4e-ab68-40fa-95f5-f0f89e3484ec).html.
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This thesis examines, conceptually and empirically, the educational role of microcomputers in primary schools. The first part of the thesis is, in the main, theoretical. It is concerned with making more explicit the meaning of the term 'computer education' and the kinds of activities to which it may legitimately refer. The first chapters seek to substantiate the argument that, in essence, 'computer education' is an attempt to use computers in ways which foster and promote the quality of the educational processes provided by schools. Having considered computer education from a theoretical perspective, it is then explored empirically. An interpretive research methodology was utilized. The methods used to gather data were thus mostly qualitative, rather than quantitative. Case studies were undertaken to illuminate the ways in which computer education was interpreted in three primary schools. Attention focused on the educational values implicit in policy and practice and on identifying correspondence and discrepency between how computers were used and the educational philosophies espoused by individual teachers and schools. The empirical research revealed that imprecise, non-explicit and largely unarticulated intentions were being pursued by teachers in their employment of computers. No particular educational rationale was being explicitly adopted, even though, some close affinity between educational values and classroom practice would seem to be essential if the notion of 'computer education' is to have any real meaning. However, the conclusion of this thesis is not to doubt the importance of microcomputers in primary education. Rather, it is to suggest that fundamental questions about the educational purpose of computers need to be more rigorously addressed if computers are to be integrated into the curriculum of the future in ways which hold out some promise of improving the quality of educational experiences offered by primary schools.
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Potter, Kristine. "Impact of incorporating strong reading skills on writing instruction in the primary grades /." Staten Island, N.Y. : [s.n.], 2006. http://library.wagner.edu/theses/education/2006/thesis_edu_2006_potte_impac.pdf.
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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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Nongkas, Catherine Matmadar. "Leading educational change in primary teacher education: A Papua New Guinea study." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2007. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/6905928a5efbf36bafb3aa8f2d864263f3afbc6d9ad680aedc18a603bfdd0b6d/3330177/65032_downloaded_stream_257.pdf.
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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. T he 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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Reid, O'Connor Bronwyn L. "Exploring a Primary Mathematics Initiative in an Indigenous Community School." Thesis, Griffith University, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/398092.
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An important focus in Indigenous education research focuses on equitable educational experiences to support student outcomes. This study explored the implementation of a mathematics education initiative in an Australian Indigenous community school aimed at raising students’ mathematics proficiency over a 7-month period. The initiative was informed by current scholarship focused on effective practices in mathematics education, and explored how teachers implemented a mathematics education initiative, and factors that influenced the development of students’ mathematical proficiency.
To achieve the aims of the study, an innovative conceptual framework was developed integrating perspectives from sociology and psychology. A mixed methods research design was used, and data sources included standardised mathematics tests, adapted classroom diagnostic tests, problem-solving interviews, and classroom observations. The participants in the study included 50 primary school students (Years two to six) and four primary school teachers.
Findings from the study indicated that students’ mathematical proficiency was below national means at the beginning of the initiative. At the end of the study, positive changes in students’ proficiency were found, with evidence of closing gaps in achievement noted on some measures (i.e., on standardised tests). Other findings indicated there were complex factors associated with students, teachers, the school, cultural-factors, and community factors that acted to influence the development of students’ mathematical proficiency.
The findings inform curriculum recommendations including the need for early years mathematics programs to focus on key number concepts, as well as the inclusion of problem-solving heuristics into problem-solving programs. The importance of supporting Indigenous students’ productive dispositions towards mathematics, developing skills for success at school in the early years, and considering interpersonal interactions when assessing students was also highlighted in the study findings.
Teaching practice recommendations include the use of balanced explicit instruction, a diagnostic teaching cycle with effective and immediate feedback, a mastery teaching approach, consistent lesson structures, and an expectation of high academic and behavioural standards with increased time on task. The findings support the value of mentoring models of professional development to support teachers’ capacity with pedagogical content knowledge, in addition to the need to focus on developing Indigenous students’ familiarity with the school discourse to enable them to engage successfully with this discourse in the early primary years.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School Educ & Professional St
Arts, Education and Law
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Nambalirwa, Stellah. "The implementation of Universal Primary Education in Uganda." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27986.
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Since independence in 1962, the education system in Uganda has comprised four levels under the control of the Ministry of Education and Sports, namely, the pre-school, primary education, post-primary education and higher education. In 1986, the National Resistance Movement formed a series of commissions to investigate the functioning of the Ministry of Education and Sports. Subsequently, the Education Policy Review Commission was established and made the recommendation to universalise primary education. In 1996, the President announced free education for all with the main components including the provision of free education for a maximum of four children per family, and the removal of school fees in primary schools from grades one to seven. The main goal was to provide for the minimum necessary facilities and resources to enable all Ugandan children of school-going age to enter and remain in school until the primary cycle is completed. However, the implementation of Universal Primary Education in Uganda has been met with various challenges. The current planning and organising framework does not support its implementation with communication and coordination challenges cited as most problematic. This study focuses on proposing a planning and organising framework that will address the issues regarding policy implementation, coordination and communication. Specifically, the study will focus on: - a) describing the internal and external environment within which Universal Primary Education in Uganda is implemented; b) exploring the planning and organising challenges hindering the implementation of Universal Primary Education in Uganda; and c) proposing a comprehensive planning and organising framework to support the implementation of Universal Primary Education in Uganda.
Dissertation (MAdmin)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA)
unrestricted
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Waugh, David George. "Primary schools at the crossroads : a study of primary schools' abilities to implement educational change, with a particular focus on small primary schools." Thesis, University of Hull, 2000. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:11286.
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This thesis addresses the issue of primary schools' abilities to implement educational change and focuses, in particular, on small primary schools. A comparison is made between small and large primary schools, in order to determine whether there are differences between the ways in which each have adapted to and implemented changes. Whilst a series of educational changes since the Second World War have affected primary schools the thesis takes 1988 as a watershed date, since the Education Reform Act of that year made considerable statutory demands upon primary schools. The thesis examines, in particular, the ability of small schools to implement changes effectively, since this was questioned following the Act, and it seemed that this might precipitate closures and amalgamations at a faster rate than had previously been the case. The thesis is based upon research over an eight-year period, involving three postal surveys, a series of structured interviews, and a review of relevant literature. The focal point for much of the research is the headteacher, with all of the empirical work being focused on heads, since they have been central to the management of change in schools. Attention is also given, mainly through reviews of literature, to the role of the class eacher and the way in which this has changed in relation to that of the head. The thesis may be divided into two sections. In the first, the scene is set through an examination of the position of primary schools in general, and small primary schools in articular, before the Education Reform Act. This is followed by a review of published research and the author's empirical studies, in order to gain an understanding of the way n which schools have coped with the implementation of the Education Reform Act. The thesis ends with conclusions and recommendations which are based upon the research findings.
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Bhutta, Sadia M. "Health education practice in primary classrooms in Pakistan." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.432110.
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Aquilina, Michael. "Physical education and the Maltese State primary schools." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.489080.
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This thesis is mainly concerned with the peripheral standing of Physical Education (PE) in Maltese state primary schools, presenting the first in-depth study of its type in this context. It draws upon the interpretive and critical approaches to qualitative research to portray the interpretations of various key stakeholders, and offer possibilities for change. 1 he study adopts a mixed-method approach that fit the purpose of the study.
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Chau, Tat-sing, and 鄒達成. "A forgiveness education programme with primary school students." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2004. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B30247767.
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Shorman, Susan Clare. "Stories from the lifeworld of primary physical education." Thesis, University of Plymouth, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/1863.
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This thesis attempts to Hnk conceptual analysis with empirical data and shows the interplay between the two. The first part of the thesis considers the work of Whitehead who presents an alternative philosophical framework to re-conceptualise our understanding of the value of Physical Education (PE). She uses the classical philosophical debate about the body and the mind to encourage us to view PE for its own intrinsic worth which she argues, may contribute to the quality of life or well-being of the individual. The dualist and monist theories of the body/mind split are considered and a phenomenological framework for understanding these theories is presented. The notion of the person as an integrated whole is developed as a possible way to re-conceptualise a framework for PE within the primary curriculum. The research methods are developed from the previous debates and use a phenomenological framework to arrive at a final case study where one teacher and her class of 27 Year One/Two children (aged five to six years) were asked to tell their story about PE. Key themes which arose from the data were: PE is different from all the other activities which take place in school. The children experience problems whilst changing for PE. The children direct little attention towards the physical skills in PE. PE can cause the children to experience discomfort. There is a temporal dimension to the PE experience. The children talked about PE requiring them to think. There was a strong imperative dimension to PE although the teacher structured elements of choice and problem solving within the lesson. The children highlighted appropriate behaviour as important. Lastly there was a dominant focus on the emotional dimension of the experience. This study highlights the need to continue and extend the debate within PE: i) to be more creative in the presentation of the PE experience for children by using language which is embodied rather than disembodied; ii) to listen to the stories from children about their experiences in PE to gain a greater understanding of how children receive the PE experience; and iii) to consider how this experience can contribute towards the well-being of the children.
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Ó, Cuanacháin Colm. "Human rights education in an Irish primary school." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/27726.
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This thesis reports on an action research study conducted with teachers and pupils in one Irish primary school. It focuses on human rights education as a framework for a whole-school approach to participative learning that promotes citizenship, justice, and equality, in the classroom. As the principal teacher in the school, the author sought to develop a more effective, inclusive and democratic learning environment for children. The study was a response to opportunities presented for human rights education both in international human rights law, and in the Irish primary school curriculum. The needs analysis generated research aims that focused on developing a human rights school, monitoring its impact, and evaluating the outcomes. The process included the development of policies, programmes, and methodologies to achieve the identified aims. The change process ran over the course of one year, during which the children were engaged in participative learning about, in and for human rights. The praxis based implementation model involved a series of cumulative stages of action and reflection. Monitoring and evaluation methodologies included questionnaire based longitudinal cohort studies, formal and semi-formal meetings, and the use of teachers' diaries. The resultant data was analysed and interpreted with the participants, and resulted in findings across four areas: • The role and function of the school leadership in facilitating, and implementing a whole-school approach to human rights education. • Aspects of the curriculum, and the hidden curriculum, including participation, time, and evaluation. • Professional development, including pre-service, and in-service training. • Behaviour, and the framework for accountability, decision-making, transparency, and responsibility in the school. The resultant recommendations point to the need for the school partners to consolidate the human rights approach through the ongoing provision of resources and time to participative methodologies, and the responsibility on the Department of Education and Science to facilitate and support schools seeking to encourage democratic education.
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Hodgkin, Kieran. "Schooling, Physical Education and the primary-secondary transition." Thesis, Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10369/6525.
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Preliminary evidence indicates that although there have been attempts to ensure continuity across the primary-secondary transition (Tobell, 2003), discontinuities remain and that there is a „hiatus in progression‟ (Galton et al., 2000). For pupils the transition to secondary school is a time of change leaving their small familiar primary school and entering a large unfamiliar secondary school. This thesis presents pupils‟ expectations and experiences of the primary-secondary transition, across the curriculum and specifically with regards to Physical Education (PE). The primary-secondary transition with regards to PE is marked by significant changes in resource provision, and a mode of delivery from (mainly) non-specialist teachers to subject specialists (Capel and Piotrowski, 2000). As an exploratory case study, an ethnographic approach was adopted with „pupil-voice‟ a distinctive and central feature. Two phases of fieldwork were conducted. The first phase examined Year 6 (aged 10-11) pupils‟ expectations of the primary-secondary transition at Urban Primary and tracked these pupils into City Comprehensive to explore their experiences (June-October 2011). The second phase of fieldwork examined the particularities of the transition concerned with PE. Once more, expectations of Year 6 pupils at Urban Primary were explored and tracked into City Comprehensive (June-October, 2012). Thematic inductive analysis was conducted and there were four super-ordinate findings which relate to: pupils‟ perceptions of the process of transition across the curriculum and with regards to PE; the notion of „being good enough‟; social implications of transition; concept of „growing up‟; teachers and teaching. Findings suggest that these factors contribute to a discontinuous experience for pupils during transition. Future research directions point towards a focus on academia across transition and a consideration of the development in physical competence within primary school settings. Throughout this thesis reflexivity and reflection were used to provide an insight into the research journey as part of the doctoral apprenticeship.
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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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Cruz, Alberto. "Teaching behaviours of primary physical education student teachers." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/30996.
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The purpose of the study was to examine the teaching behaviours of Hong Kong physical education students teachers. Thirty-two local pre-service and in-service student teachers were videotaped teaching two ball games lessons in their own schools or in the allocated schools during their final practicum. Each videotaped lesson was coded using the Physical Education Teacher Assessment Instrument (PETAI). Data generated by the PETAI were comprehensively described and comparison was made between the two groups' behaviour categories by employing the independent t-test. Results indicated that the in-service group had significantly higher percentages of response presentation and total teacher instructional time than the pre-service group did, whilst the pre-service group spent significantly higher percentages of time in planned presentation, equipment management, activities organization, behaviour management and overall management time than did the in-service group. Six pre-service and in-service student teachers were randomly selected to participate in the second phase of the study. They were observed teaching two ball games lessons and were invited to take part in two pre-lesson interviews and two post-lesson stimulated recall sessions. Qualitative data were collected through lesson observation and interviews. Constant comparison and analytic induction were used to organize and categorize the data. Results showed that there were similarities and differences in teaching behaviours, teaching strategies and decision making during different stages of teaching between the two groups of subjects. Although the two groups of subjects held similar teaching beliefs and perceptions about physical education, they appeared to possess different teachers' knowledge of teaching. It was likely that the different teaching experience in physical education between the two groups accounted for the differences in their teaching behaviours. Findings of the present study hold implications for the preparation of physical education teachers.
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O'Flynn, Kim Lorraine. "Post-primary education in West Ham, 1918-39." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1996. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10021607/.
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This thesis is concerned with post-primary education in West Ham 1918-39, with particular reference to secondary education. The realities of local educational experience are set against a background of educational acts an economies. The economic difficulties of the 1920s and the Depression of the 1930s were keenly felt in West Ham despite the efforts of the predominantly Labour council to mitigate poverty. A gap sometimes existed between the educational opportunities Labour councillors wished to provide and those they were able to provide. Generally a pragmatic approach was taken and certainly a secondary education was not seen as essential for all. Chapter One outlines West Ham's pre-1918 history and growth with reference to local politics and immigrant and religious groupings. West Ham's interwar history is told in greater detail. Chapter Two relates the difficulties encountered by the West Ham Education Committee in its decision to establish compulsory continuation schools, not least from the parents of West Ham. West Ham was one of the few areas in the country which succeeded in implementing compulsory continuation education albeit for a limited period. A section on technical education is also included in this chapter, although detailed treatment is hampered by a scarcity of records. Chapter Three examines West Ham's secondary school scholarships in the context of the national situation. West Ham's higher elementary/central school scholarships are subjected to the same scrutiny. Each of West Ham's secondary schools shared a broadly similar curriculum and ethos. Chapter Four highlights these similarities but also points out differences. Of the five interwar secondary schools, two catered for girls, one for boys and two were mixed. Two of the secondary schools were Catholic institutions, although both accepted non-Catholic pupils. Three of the schools were aided and two municipal. A section is included on West Ham's higher elementary/central schools but records are less full than those for the secondary schools. Chapter Five compares and contrasts West Ham's interwar secondary school system with that in East Ham, its sister borough. Chapter Six discusses both the economic and cultural factors underlying local attitudes to post-compulsory schooling. The main conclusions drawn relate to these attitudes which militated against any easy acceptance of such education as necessarily beneficial.
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Duncan, Roderick. "A structure for staff development in primary education." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1990. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU027127.
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The study sets out to examine the underlying principles of and requirements for a structure for staff development in primary education within education authorities. The concept of staff development is introduced in Chapter One, followed in Chapter Two by a review of previous research published in the main during the last twenty-five years. Chapter Three proposes a process model of staff development. Within this is a description of one education authority's use of school self-evaluation materials written specifically to assist schools determine their own priorities for staff development. Alternative models of staff development are examined followed by an examination of the proposition against paradoxes derived from an analysis of needs of the individual, schools, education authorities and the political constraints operating within Scotland in the late 1980s. Chapter Four reviews historically the growth of a staff development structure within this authority based on such a model and describes the structure in action, the impact of the growth of the structure, and key factors in its development. Chapter Five is a short-term evaluation of the use of the school self-evaluation materials by schools in two pilot studies and issues are identified which should influence the operation of the proposition within authorities. In Chapter Six the structure is examined critically through the eyes of a parent, head teacher, teachers' union secretary and Minister of State for Scotland. Chapter Seven thereafter examines in detail six issues which are seen to be fundamental if developments are to progress into the 90s. The concluding chapter firstly examines the strengths, weaknesses and possible reasons for the structure to crumble. Thereafter, conclusions are reached which refer to: the characteristics of a necessary structure; the need for authorities to accept some diminution of power; partial autonomy of schools; the requirements for, purpose and benefits of school self-review; the need to involve the parent body and children; the development of critical communities and a new professionalism.
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Koutsoupidou, Theano. "Improvisation and creative thinking in Primary music education." Thesis, University of Roehampton, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.535854.
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Smith, Prudence. "Improving Classroom Discourse in Inquiry-Based Primary Science Education." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/591.
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Teachers‟ capacity to use classroom discourse to deepen student learning through sustained conversation is considered crucial to increasing students‟ intellectual development. Learners actively construct knowledge and develop understandings from their shared experiences and via interaction with others (Driver, Asoko, Leach, Mortimer & Scott, 1994). However, talk that fosters students‟ capacity to reason is lacking in many classrooms (Alexander, 2006) and, what is more, teachers tend to control the discourse by asking a predominance of closed questions and using a question-answer recitation script which limits the exploration of students‟ ideas (Nystrand, Gamoran, Kachy, & Prendergast, 1997). The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers‟ beliefs and knowledge about managing classroom discourse and their teaching practice was influenced by their participation in an action-research based professional learning intervention. The guiding framework for the teachers‟ professional learning drew on Mortimer and Scott‟s communicative approaches, which were matched to the phases of scientific inquiry. This study was a part of a larger research project entitled: Enhancing Classroom Discourse in Primary Science Education which utilised mixed methods and interpretive approaches, combining pre- and post-intervention observations and data collections involving a cohort of 12 teachers as well as a set of embedded case studies involving more extensive collection of data with five of the participants. These case studies provided the focus for this study. Analysis of classroom video as well as teacher questionnaire and interview data gathered before, during and after the professional learning intervention provided insights into the impact of the intervention on teachers‟ understandings about: quality talk; the classroom culture needed to support whole-class talk; and, the skills of using puppets to engage students in discourse. A more detailed analysis and coding of the transcripts of whole-class discussions revealed changes to the way the teachers used questioning, discourse moves and communicative approaches to orchestrate sustained
conversations and the resultant impact this had on level of students‟ engagement and the quality of their talk. Following the professional learning intervention, the case study teachers gained a deeper understanding of substantive talk and of the complex role of the teacher in managing classroom discourse to sustain a culture for talk. They made significant gains in confidence and self-efficacy for managing classroom discourse and developed a greater understanding of the conventions that are supportive of substantive talk. The case study teachers increased their capacity to conduct more purposeful discussions and they developed sophisticated understandings about how to use teacher questioning and discourse moves to elicit, explore and probe their students‟ ideas and to develop cumulative talk. Ultimately, the teachers developed a repertoire of discourse moves to support their questioning and differentiate their management of class discussions in order to match their communicative approach to the instructional focus of the lesson and phase of inquiry. Consequently, their students participated more readily in discussion and they gave increasingly elaborated responses. Furthermore, they were able to generate cumulative talk and to give progressively more complex descriptions, explanations and reasons. Some teachers also used puppets effectively to establish a supportive culture for talk, set up convincing investigations, and elicit elaborated responses and explanations from their students. The findings of this research may be transferable to teachers who work in settings similar to those of the case study teachers. The set of codes that were developed to describe the teacher-student interactions will be useful for future researchers wishing to investigate classroom discourse. These codes along with the video footage and professional learning resources developed for this study will be used as the basis for future research and teacher professional learning. Further studies might investigate how changes to the teachers‟ discourse practice were sustained over time and what impact this had on students‟ learning outcomes. It would also be useful to understand how the improvements seen in whole-class discourse translate to the student-to-student interactions in both whole-class and small group discussions and whether students are able to manage the talk so that they use „talking for thinking‟.
This study developed new approaches to and resources for teacher professional learning as well as new insights into teachers‟ discourse practices, which have informed an elaborated theoretical model that shows the variables impacting on quality classroom discourse.
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Button, Dianne. "Men and primary teaching." Thesis, University of Bristol, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.299729.
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Khan, Shereen Alima. "Mathematics proficiency of primary school students in Trinidad and Tobago." Thesis, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10256768.
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To address the problem of underperformance in mathematics, Trinidad & Tobago introduced national tests to provide feedback to stakeholders, so that well-targeted interventions can be planned. After more than a decade of generating and sharing reports on performance with these stakeholders, results of national tests remained much the same. It was evident that the feedback was ineffective in instituting the desired changes. In keeping with Vygotsky’s notion that instruction can be improved by teaching within the child’s Zone of Proximal Development, this study devised a model, incorporating the principle of assessment for learning to provide feedback on student performance.
Data from the 2015 mathematics (Standard 3) national test was analysed to describe the proficiencies of students within each of four performance levels. Using a mixed methods design, a sample of 180 scripts was analysed to determine content-specific proficiencies. These were categorised into (i) what students know and can do (Zone of Achieved Development), (ii) what they can do with help (Zone of Proximal Development) and (iii) what they cannot do.
The findings indicated that students in the lower performing groups had deficiencies in reading and comprehension skills and this impacted on their mathematics performance. Division and multiplication algorithms posed difficulties for these students. Performance in measurement was poor, with only the top performing group demonstrating proficiency in this strand. Items requiring higher order thinking were challenging for all students. Inability to carry out mathematical modeling prevented students from obtaining correct answers to questions covering almost half of the test.
A key recommendation is that teachers be given support in planning and instructional strategies to cater for all learners. Intense, ongoing professional development, targeting problem solving, mathematical modeling, and teaching algorithms was recommended. To enable learners to experience more depth and less breadth in achieving competence in measurement, reform in curricula demands, assessment techniques and instructional strategies was suggested.
The study also called for re-conceptualising the design and implementation of national assessment. Such approaches should incorporate models that provide feedback on all curricula outcomes on a continuous basis, and empower teachers to analyse classroom data so as to diagnose student deficiencies.
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Mtahabwa, Lyabwene. "Pre-primary educational policy and practice in Tanzania observations from urban and rural pre-primary schools /." Thesis, Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2007. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B38877028.
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Evanshen, Pamela, and L. Phillips. "Primary Learning Environments That Teach!" Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2006. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4365.
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Kazamia-Paschalidou, Androulla. "Development in primary and pre-primary education and curriculum in Cyprus since independence (1959-2003)." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2004. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10019814/.
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Tamburri, Sarah Jane. "Primary school teachers’ experience of mathematics education: A phenomenological study." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2020. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2321.
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Researchers and policymakers agree that all children can learn mathematics, and research has shown that teaching practices have a significant impact on student learning and achievement. Therefore, it is important that teachers are supported in their development as professionals and mathematics educators. This research gives a voice to a small number of primary school mathematics teachers, providing insight into their experience of mathematics education, from their perspective. In-depth interviews form the basis of data collection and these have been analysed through a transcendental phenomenological approach. The insights gained into teachers’ experiences and perspectives provide a deeper understanding of their role and opens the door to a necessary conversation on what success in mathematics looks like and how it can be best supported. The feeling of being time-poor was significant, contributing to a situation where teachers faced a choice between what they think would be best for students and meeting external requirements. The participants described how different schools vary, and how different working environments have impacted their experience of mathematics education. These new understandings have implications for policymakers, school leaders and professional learning providers, as they lead to recommendations regarding the curriculum, supportive working environments, and necessary resources for teachers.
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Patten, Ivy Kaufhold. "An electronic writing portfolios program for the primary classroom." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1995. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1220.
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Chiu, Shu-yi. "A global epidemic of creative education : shaping and implementing creative education in primary education in Taiwan." Thesis, Goldsmiths College (University of London), 2010. http://research.gold.ac.uk/4787/.
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This thesis identifies and analyses the limitations and effects of the implementation of creative education in primary schools within the Taiwanese context. It explores how the new government formulated and delivered the policy, and how the teachers put creative education into classroom practice. The analysis presented here consists of a critical analysis of the creative education policy agenda, a survey of how three types of respondents (teachers, students, and parents) perceive creativity, and an investigation of the dilemmas faced by teachers and students in developing creativity in the classroom. A number of arguments are presented. Firstly, this thesis highlights that creativity has been redefined as a crucial element for education reform in response to the rise of the knowledge economy in Taiwan. I suggest that this economic-led discourse and the short sighted plan have led to misunderstandings of what creativity means. Regarding strategies for policy delivery, I suggest that the role given to policy-makers and their limited experience in developing proper methods has led to more confusion for the teachers. I also suggest that the development of a more liberal and creative education environment has been constrained by entrenched institutional and socio-cultural limitations. I then indicate how these limitations and school cultures have influenced the respondents‟ perceptions of creativity and of teaching and learning in the classroom. Finally, I suggest that creativity in the classroom involves multiple ways of interaction between all participants. This research makes three contributions. Conceptually, I combine various psychological, educational, and sociological approaches to discussions of creativity. Methodologically, I develop multilayered methods and visual analytical frameworks for researching creative education. Empirically, I provide dynamic stories about the practice of creativity in the classroom within the Taiwanese context. This thesis provides a political and socio-cultural angle from which see the limitations on developing creative education in Taiwan.
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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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Kao, Trai-shar. "Environmental education in Taiwan : a curriculum development of environmental education for primary schools." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.294626.
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Benavides, Lahnstein Ana Ilse. "Conceptions of environmental education in Mexican primary education : teachers' views and curriculum aims." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2017. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/20134/.
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This thesis is about how Mexican primary school teachers conceptualise environmental education (EE) and talk about its practise. Teaching EE or EE-related content is often not a straightforward and unproblematic task for educators. Formal education still faces persistent gaps between EE theory, policy, curricula, and practice in schools. Additionally, EE is often eclipsed by crowded curricula and busy schedules. In fact, in the 2011 Mexican basic education curriculum, EE is one of eleven socially-relevant themes (i.e. cross-curricular themes) to be embedded in multiple aims and statutory subjects, suggesting important teaching challenges for EE. Through a qualitative study, this thesis presents EE in Mexican primary education as a case study situation. It investigates references to EE in 2011 curriculum documents for primary school, then it focuses on the views from 11 Year 6 teachers of 6 schools located around Monterrey, Mexico. After five months of fieldwork, this study collected audio-recordings of three individual semi-structured interviews and non-participant classroom observations per participant. The thematic analysis of the data revealed that the curriculum documents faintly outline EE and stress anthropocentric and participatory aims. Then, using Sauvé’s (2005) EE typology, it was found that teachers’ conceptions about EE concentrate on fostering students’ environmental awareness, hoping it would translate into pro-environmental behaviour. Their views relate EE to management and conservation of the immediate environment and in relation to the sustainability of current and future lifestyles. Socio-scientific issues and other elements of human lifestyles, like health and environment, were not emphasised. Additionally, typical factors of the contemporary educational climate and schools’ cultures were related to difficulties in teaching EE-related content. These findings suggest inviting a democratic outline of the desired/necessary EE approach in schools and classrooms might be a substantial step forward to closing gaps. The results also showcase the need for training teachers in cross-curricular pedagogies, shared leadership, and effective communication of the goals and approach to EE.