Caribbean Curriculum

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Browsing Caribbean Curriculum by Author "Ali, Shahiba"

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    Improving Literacy in Secondary School Geography
    (School of Education, UWI, 2020) Rampersad, Aileen; Ali, Shahiba; Ali, Nafeesa
    The aim of this research was to find the extent to which the literacy levels in reading comprehension of students entering a secondary school with low levels of reading and writing, would improve through content enhancement to aid in their cognitive development. The research was conducted in a secondary school in an educational district in Trinidad and Tobago that has one of the lowest primary school performance in the country. Form 1 Geography students at the secondary school, aged 11-13, expressed frustration in understanding geographical terms and concepts, thereby preventing them becoming proficient in the subject. They felt that teachers should help them understand the complex jargon in the subject. The Qualitative Reading Inventory-4 (QRI-4) diagnostic test was conducted prior to the intervention, to assess literacy levels for grade levels 4-6. Results from the diagnostic test indicated that the students’ literacy level was below grade 7, which is the required level for Form 1. An action research approach, using three literacy strategies, namely, the Frayer Model, Audience-Centred teaching and Learning Logs, were implemented as the intervention during and at the end of each lesson over five weeks. Numerical and non-numerical data on students’ performance and attitude to reading were collected and analysed. Overall, students improved in their reading comprehension, which resulted in an elevated level of writing through Audience-Centred Teaching, advancement in vocabulary use with the Frayer model, and student self-reflection by using Learning Logs. They made connections between text in the lesson, other subjects and their real life. They were also more engaged in class as they began to read, write and construct meaning in Geography. The main implication of this study is that all teachers should consider integrating literacy strategies within their classroom practice to assist their students in becoming proficient in reading comprehension.
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    Is anybody listening? Stakeholders' perspectives on the in-service Diploma in Education Programme at the School of Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus
    (School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2012) Ali, Shahiba; Augustin, Désirée S.; Herbert, Susan; James, Freddy; Phillip, Sharon; Rampersad, Joycelyn; Yamin-Ali, Jennifer
    The Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed.) programme at the School of Education of The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, provides initial training for teachers employed in the secondary school system in Trinidad and Tobago. In keeping with the tenets and stages of fourth generation evaluation research, stakeholders' perspectives were integral to the process of evaluating the Dip.Ed. programme, which was delivered during the period 2004-2009. Through purposive and stratified random sampling, focus group and individual interviews were conducted with three separate groups of stakeholders: principals, heads of departments, and deans from a sample of schools; and Central Administration officers of the Ministry of Education. Teachers who had graduated from the programme during the period were asked to complete a questionnaire. Data were analysed, using the NVIVO qualitative data analysis software, to determine stakeholders' issues, claims, and concerns. This article reports on these selected stakeholders' perspectives on the programme. Preliminary findings reveal the extent to which the current in-service Dip.Ed. programme meets stakeholders' expectations, and the benefits and limitations of the programme. The implications of the findings for teacher education and reform are discussed
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    Is anybody listening? Teachers' views of their in-service teacher professional development programme
    (School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2013) James, Freddy; Phillip, Sharon; Herbert, Susan; Augustin, Désirée S.; Yamin-Ali, Jennifer; Ali, Shahiba; Rampersad, Joycelyn
    This paper reports on a segment of a research project that conducted an overall evaluation of the Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed.) programme provided by the School of Education of The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine for the period 2004-2009. The Dip.Ed. programme provides initial training for teachers employed in the secondary school system in Trinidad and Tobago. The overall study utilized the following models as theoretical and conceptual lenses: Guskey's (2002a) model of evaluating the impact of continuing professional development (CPD) on teachers' practice; and Guba and Lincoln's (1989) fourth generation evaluation model. This paper, which reports on the teachers' perspectives, presents findings on the extent to which the Dip.Ed. programme met their expectations, the benefits and limitations of the programme, and the impact of the programme on their practice. Data from teachers were gathered using an open-ended questionnaire, and were analysed with the NVIVO qualitative data analysis software. The paper considers the implications of these findings for the overall improvement of the Dip.Ed. programme and teacher professional development
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    Quality assurance in teacher education through insider evaluation and stakeholder involvement: A case for programme renewal
    (School of Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, 2016) Yamin-Ali, Jennifer; Herbert, Susan; James, Freddy; Ali, Shahiba; Augustin, Désirée; Phillip, Sharon; Rampersad, Joycelyn
    This paper presents a description of a teacher education programme evaluation that was initiated, planned, and executed in an attempt to enhance the quality of the programme’s content, delivery, and impact. The evaluation comprised reports on the perspectives of major stakeholders on whether the Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed.) programme (2004–2009) had met their expectations, and on the benefits and limitations of the programme and its impact on teachers’ practice. Subsequent to the preliminary inquiry into those stakeholders’ perspectives, a more probing approach was applied to the perspectives of Heads of Department, School of Education (SOE) staff, and Ministry of Education officials. The evaluation was guided by Guskey’s (2002) theoretical and conceptual model of evaluating the impact of continuing professional development (CPD) on teachers’ practice, and by the fourth generation evaluation model of Guba and Lincoln (1989). The sample for each phase was either stratified random or purposive. This research is significant in that it provides a model for programme evaluation that focuses on the role of the stakeholder in determining effective practice in teacher education. It also highlights the process of rigorous programme evaluation and renewal through staff engagement.
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    Social sciences teachers’ perceptions of transformatory learnings and the transfer of transformatory learnings from an initial in-service professional development programme at The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, 2013-2014
    (School of Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, 2016) Barras, Dyann; Bitu, Benignus; Geofroy, Stephen; Lochan, Samuel; McLeod, Lennox; Ali, Shahiba
    This paper investigates how social sciences teachers, upon completion, perceive their capability to transfer transformatory learnings gained on an initial in-service Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme (2013-2014) at the School of Education, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Using a phenomenological approach, experiences of 14 teachers from various disciplines within the social sciences were investigated through semi-structured interviews in two concurrent focus group sessions. The research questions investigated what learnings on the programme they perceived as transformatory and what were their perceptions on transferring transformatory learnings in their schools. Findings revealed that the main transformatory learnings on the programme occurred through an expansion of pedagogical content knowledge, becoming a reflective practitioner, sharing a community of practice, and sharpening their professional identity. In the transfer of transformatory learnings, participants declared an enhanced pedagogical practice, a piquing of interest, a feeling of empowerment, and other factors that facilitated the learnings. They mentioned certain barriers to implementation such as the emphasis their schools placed on teaching to the test and the challenge of access to educational technology.
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    Transfer and transitioning: Students’ experiences in a secondary school in Trinidad and Tobago
    (School of Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, 2016) Antoine, Sharla; Ali, Shahiba
    In Trinidad and Tobago, parents, teachers, and students use several factors in selecting a secondary school of their choice. However, not all students are given their first choice of school. In an attempt to ensure the best educational experience available, some parents use the route of requesting, from the Ministry of Education, a transfer out of the school to which the student was first admitted into another they perceive as better. This makes those students “second-transfer” students, as they have already experienced the transfer process from a primary school into a secondary school. Using a phenomenological methodology, this study explored the experiences of the transitioning process of students who transferred from one secondary school to another, as they appeared to have difficulties adjusting to a new school environment. Two male and three female students from Forms 2 to 4, at different stages of transitioning, and three of their teachers were purposely selected to participate in the study. Data collected through interviews were analysed using the Constant Comparative Method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Findings indicated that transitioning positively affected them as they experienced a stable environment in their new school; and negatively affected them academically, with males faring worse than females. Their negative experiences diminished over time as they adjusted and found their niche in the new school environment. The insights gained from the study can be useful to the school administration and the education system in understanding the transitioning process.