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Training And Supporting Early Childhood Providers In Inclusive Settings, Kimberly K. Bennett
Training And Supporting Early Childhood Providers In Inclusive Settings, Kimberly K. Bennett
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Early childhood providers care for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and special needs in their programs and classrooms. This study addressed the problem that there is insufficient professional development (PD) training for early childhood providers working with infants and toddlers with special needs in inclusive settings. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand what training early childhood providers report they have had, and what training early childhood providers perceive that they need to support infants and toddlers with special needs in inclusive settings. Using the whole teacher approach as the conceptual framework, the research questions explored …
Experiences And Perceptions Of Local Diocesan Catholic School Teachers Regarding The Progress Of Their Implementation Of Project-Based Learning In The Classroom, Donna Lee Saladino
Experiences And Perceptions Of Local Diocesan Catholic School Teachers Regarding The Progress Of Their Implementation Of Project-Based Learning In The Classroom, Donna Lee Saladino
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
AbstractAfter finding research confirming that the innovative approach of project-based learning (PBL) improves 21st century education for all students, the administrators of a large local diocesan Catholic school system (LDCSS) initiated PBL implementation in their schools. The problem was that after 6 years it was not known how the teachers were experiencing and perceiving their progress with this implementation in the classrooms. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to discover and understand LDCSS teachers’ experiences and perceptions of their progress of PBL implementation in the classroom. The conceptual framework for the study comprised John Dewey’s educational philosophy of …
Special Educators’ Experiences With Professional Development And Implementation Support In Using Digital Social Stories For Students With Autism, Simbi Mignon Animashaun
Special Educators’ Experiences With Professional Development And Implementation Support In Using Digital Social Stories For Students With Autism, Simbi Mignon Animashaun
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Students with autism need social skills to succeed academically, which can be fostered with the use of digital social stories (DSSs). While many special educators are expected to use DSSs to teach social skills because of increased elementary autism diagnoses, a significant number of DSS users are unprepared. The problem addressed in this qualitative project study was that special educators were not receiving adequate professional development and implementation support to use DSSs to teach autism-related social skills. The purpose of this research was to explore the special educators’ experiences with professional development and implementation support. The concerns-based adoption model and …
K-5 Teachers' Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Challenges In Mathematics, Nataine Latoya Grant
K-5 Teachers' Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Challenges In Mathematics, Nataine Latoya Grant
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem for this study was that K-5 teachers in a northeastern school district were challenged to implement culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices in mathematics instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore K–5 teachers' perceptions about the challenges of using CRT practices in mathematics with culturally diverse students and to identify teacher suggestions for needed resources and training. Gay’s culturally responsive teaching theory formed the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on providing K—5 teacher perceptions about their challenges of implementing CRT practices with culturally diverse students and about their suggestions for resources and …
K-5 Teachers' Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Challenges In Mathematics, Nataine Latoya Grant
K-5 Teachers' Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Challenges In Mathematics, Nataine Latoya Grant
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem for this study was that K-5 teachers in a northeastern school district were challenged to implement culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices in mathematics instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore K–5 teachers' perceptions about the challenges of using CRT practices in mathematics with culturally diverse students and to identify teacher suggestions for needed resources and training. Gay’s culturally responsive teaching theory formed the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on providing K—5 teacher perceptions about their challenges of implementing CRT practices with culturally diverse students and about their suggestions for resources and …
Experiences And Perceptions Of Local Diocesan Catholic School Teachers Regarding The Progress Of Their Implementation Of Project-Based Learning In The Classroom, Donna Lee Saladino
Experiences And Perceptions Of Local Diocesan Catholic School Teachers Regarding The Progress Of Their Implementation Of Project-Based Learning In The Classroom, Donna Lee Saladino
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
AbstractAfter finding research confirming that the innovative approach of project-based learning (PBL) improves 21st century education for all students, the administrators of a large local diocesan Catholic school system (LDCSS) initiated PBL implementation in their schools. The problem was that after 6 years it was not known how the teachers were experiencing and perceiving their progress with this implementation in the classrooms. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to discover and understand LDCSS teachers’ experiences and perceptions of their progress of PBL implementation in the classroom. The conceptual framework for the study comprised John Dewey’s educational philosophy of …
Special Educators’ Experiences With Professional Development And Implementation Support In Using Digital Social Stories For Students With Autism, Simbi Mignon Animashaun
Special Educators’ Experiences With Professional Development And Implementation Support In Using Digital Social Stories For Students With Autism, Simbi Mignon Animashaun
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Students with autism need social skills to succeed academically, which can be fostered with the use of digital social stories (DSSs). While many special educators are expected to use DSSs to teach social skills because of increased elementary autism diagnoses, a significant number of DSS users are unprepared. The problem addressed in this qualitative project study was that special educators were not receiving adequate professional development and implementation support to use DSSs to teach autism-related social skills. The purpose of this research was to explore the special educators’ experiences with professional development and implementation support. The concerns-based adoption model and …
Principal Leadership Style And Teacher Retention In China’S Bilingual Kindergartens, Feng Yang
Principal Leadership Style And Teacher Retention In China’S Bilingual Kindergartens, Feng Yang
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
High teacher turnover affects school development and student achievement in bilingual kindergartens in China. Relaying on this gap in practice, the project study explores how teachers perceive the influence of their principals’ leadership styles on their decisions to stay in or leave bilingual kindergartens in Shanghai. The concepts of instructional leadership, transformational leadership, and distributed leadership from leadership theory were used as the conceptual framework for the study. The research questions addressed bilingual kindergarten teachers’ reasons to stay or leave and, in particular, their perceptions of their principal’s leadership style as a retention factor. In this basic qualitative research study, …
Esl Teachers’ Perceptions Of Intercultural Sensitivity Training In K-12 U.S. Classrooms, Cherise Rosemarie Clark
Esl Teachers’ Perceptions Of Intercultural Sensitivity Training In K-12 U.S. Classrooms, Cherise Rosemarie Clark
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Recent studies have suggested that intercultural sensitivity can improve intercultural relationships and that training increases English as a second language (ESL) teachers’ intercultural sensitivity. However, research investigating teachers’ perceptions of their training in intercultural sensitivity is limited. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore ESL teachers’ perceptions of their experiences with training and professional development (PD) toward becoming more interculturally sensitive in K-12 U.S. classrooms. The conceptual framework was Chen and Starosta’s concept of intercultural sensitivity, as a concept from their theory of intercultural communication competence. The research questions addressed the teachers’ perceptions of their experiences with …
Nigerian Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Integrating Literacy Strategies Into Science Instruction, Joy Oghogho Isa
Nigerian Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Integrating Literacy Strategies Into Science Instruction, Joy Oghogho Isa
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Reading problems among students in Nigeria prompted the implementation of a literacy across the curriculum initiative in a cluster of schools within a district, where all teachers were required to integrate literacy strategies into their lessons. The problem investigated in this study was that the teachers’ instruction of science at Beta Schools had not produced the expected results with respect to integrating literacy strategies into the science lessons. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand the teachers experiences and perceptions of literacy integration in science lessons. Grounded in the content area literacy conceptual framework, the research questions …
Principals’ Perceptions Of How To Reduce Discipline Disparities For Black Students, Brandi Lee Pineda
Principals’ Perceptions Of How To Reduce Discipline Disparities For Black Students, Brandi Lee Pineda
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Disparity exists in disciplinary actions taken toward Black students compared to White students in the public schools of a county school district in a Southwest U.S. state. Successful school leadership practices are needed to minimize the disproportionality of Black students being expelled, suspended, and routed to the school-to-prison pipeline. The purpose of this basic qualitative case study was to explore school leaders’ perceptions of how to reduce the disciplinary actions taken with Black students in the public schools of a county school district in a Southwest U.S. state. The conceptual framework was critical race theory. The research questions addressed (a) …
Exploring The Strategies English As A Second Language Teachers Use To Teach Students, Unika Lasha Felton
Exploring The Strategies English As A Second Language Teachers Use To Teach Students, Unika Lasha Felton
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
AbstractIn the local school district under study located in southern United States, English as second language (ESL) students are experiencing lower than expected standardized testing scores according to expectations set forth by the state Department of Education. The purpose of this project study was to explore the strategies ESL teachers use to teach ESL students. The conceptual framework was Gagne’s conditions of learning theory, which is used to assess students’ lack of preparation for future academic and career success. The research question asked what strategies ESL teachers use to teach ESL students. A qualitative exploratory case study with purposive sampling …
High School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Jeffrey Allen Hinton
High School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Jeffrey Allen Hinton
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem at the local site was a gap in practice in that teachers were not using culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) in their delivery of lessons, which may have contributed to an achievement gap between European American and Asian American students and African American and Latinx students. This problem was important because local ACT results indicated that a significant achievement gap existed between these student populations. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ use of CRP, which may serve to mitigate the achievement gap. The conceptual framework for this study was self-determination theory. The research questions focused on …
Teacher Perspectives Of Project-Based Learning Implementation In Middle-Grade Classrooms, Lyndria Regina Bland
Teacher Perspectives Of Project-Based Learning Implementation In Middle-Grade Classrooms, Lyndria Regina Bland
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Teachers at a middle school in a Southeastern U.S. state were not implementing project-based learning (PBL) as mandated by the district. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perspectives of teachers concerning PBL implementation and how their self-efficacy shaped their perspectives. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected through interviews with 11 participants and examination of PBL artifacts. Data were analyzed using thematic, open and axial coding to discover patterns and themes. Findings indicated that teachers shaped their perspectives regarding PBL through their experiences while implementing PBL, collaboration among teachers is …
A Program Evaluation Of A Community College’S New Faculty Seminar, Kari Mclean Proft
A Program Evaluation Of A Community College’S New Faculty Seminar, Kari Mclean Proft
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A community college (CC) in the midwestern United States launched a New Faculty Seminar (NFS) in 1999 for new tenure-track faculty. The problem that prompted this project study is that the NFS has been implemented yearly since 1999 without a formal evaluation. Without an evaluation plan, college leadership cannot determine whether the program is meeting stated goals. The purpose of this program evaluation was to explore how faculty described the NFS inputs and processes they experienced and how they perceived the outcomes and impact of the NFS on their understanding of the CC environment and the development of their instructional …
Teacher Self-Efficacy And Classroom Managment, Michelle Mitchell
Teacher Self-Efficacy And Classroom Managment, Michelle Mitchell
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
When the classroom environment is safe, reductions in aggression and an increase in compliance with rules can be expected. Teacher self-efficacy is therefore likely to play a significant role in teachers’ participation in the change process of implementing strategies that assist with classroom management styles. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and classroom management styles (reward strategies, preventive strategies, initial corrective strategies, and later corrective strategies). Teachers’ characteristics such as age, gender, education level, years of teaching experience, grade level taught, and class size were also explored to provide insight on teacher training …
Experiences And Practices Of Environmental Adult Education Participants, Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck
Experiences And Practices Of Environmental Adult Education Participants, Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Awareness of the sustainability of our natural resources is a continuing concern. Initiatives promoting environmental adult education (EAE) through professional development (PD) workshops ensure educators' have the knowledge and skills to inform their audience about environmental literacy and stewardship. However, these workshops have rarely been monitored. Specifically, it appears no researchers have focused on the reflective experiences of an EAE PD workshop on educator participants at least 5 years after participation. This basic qualitative study used telephone interviews of 8 past participants to explore whether and how they perceive their behavior changing in relation to natural resources conservation years after …
Relating Teacher Attendance To Student English Language Arts And Math Achievement, Daryl Kubilus
Relating Teacher Attendance To Student English Language Arts And Math Achievement, Daryl Kubilus
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
On average, teachers in the United States are absent for 9.6 days of student instruction per school year, while in this study's rural Northeast Ohio school district, teachers averaged 16.2 absences in the 2015-16 school year. Teacher absence is a concern because the classroom teacher is often considered the most crucial school-related influence on student achievement. Guided by Bowlby's attachment theory, the purpose of this study was to examine the possible predictive relationships between teacher absences for sick/personal and professional leave as well as other teacher-related variables, including teaching experience, teacher education level, and teacher evaluation results, with the outcome …
Community College Professors' Engagement And Perceptions Of Professional Development In Remote Environments, Norma-Jean J. Nielsen
Community College Professors' Engagement And Perceptions Of Professional Development In Remote Environments, Norma-Jean J. Nielsen
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Research shows that consistent, supportive, and relevant professional development (PD) is an action that empowers educators to change. In the east central region of Canada, the sustainability of community colleges had been linked to program collaboration and internationalization which requires implementation of high-quality PD for its professors. Guided by Mezirow's adult transformative learning theory, the purpose of this study was to understand the PD practices of full-time professors by investigating the connections between professors' level of engagement in PD and their perceptions of the resources and processes that may improve their instructional practices. This single-phased, concurrent mixed-methods study was conducted …
Teachers' Challenges In Implementing Personalized Learning In Content Areas, Angela Dawn Mosier
Teachers' Challenges In Implementing Personalized Learning In Content Areas, Angela Dawn Mosier
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Despite the national trend of assessments for gauging student mastery of prescribed curriculum standards which has placed assessment preparation at the forefront of classroom practices, teachers at a midwestern school promoting personalized learning for students, demonstrated inconsistency in implementation among content areas. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods study based on expectancy-value theory was used to define the challenges that arise as teachers implemented personalized learning in their content area. The research questions addressed the implementation of 5 personalized learning elements in secondary content areas, how teachers implement each element, and teachers' challenges in implementing personalized learning in their classroom. The quantitative …
Educational Development Needs Of Higher Education Faculty Working With Ells, Kevin Joseph Martin
Educational Development Needs Of Higher Education Faculty Working With Ells, Kevin Joseph Martin
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This study was undertaken to examine the educational development (ED) needs of higher education (HE) faculty who have English language learners (ELLs) in their mainstream courses but do not have specialized training in teaching such students. A quantitative approach was used to explore the impact of any existing ED and areas that might need improvement. This study, guided by andragogy, examined the pedagogical needs of these HE faculty. A cross-sectional analysis of online survey data using a multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) and multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) examined the ED needs and available resources of faculty with respect to …
Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Single-Gender Grouping Instruction And Student Motivation In Middle School, Chundra Deondrea Haywood-Grisby
Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Single-Gender Grouping Instruction And Student Motivation In Middle School, Chundra Deondrea Haywood-Grisby
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A rural middle school in Mississippi has been labeled at-risk of failing or failing by the Mississippi Department of Education for the past 5 years, and the parents, students, teachers, and administrators have been looking for ways to improve academic achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of students, teachers, parents, and administrators about single-gender grouping that was used to raise achievement levels in this Mississippi middle school. The theoretical framework for this qualitative case study was Deci and Ryan's work on student motivation for learning. The research questions focused on perceptions of single-gender classroom instructional …
Technology-Based Professional Development For Teaching And Learning In K-12 Classrooms, Nijia Byrd
Technology-Based Professional Development For Teaching And Learning In K-12 Classrooms, Nijia Byrd
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In an urban Georgia school district, teacher satisfaction surveys revealed that technology-based professional development was not equipping teachers with the skills or support needed to implement technology into their teaching practices. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to explore teachers' experiences and perceptions of technology-based professional development and its effect on self-efficacy. Guided by Piaget's constructivist theory, this study was based on the perspective that teachers often construct knowledge rather than gain it. Guiding questions explore the experiences teachers have had with technology integration in daily teaching practices, their self-perceived competency level and self-efficacy regarding technology, their attitudes …
Principals' Perceptions Of Instructional Leadership Development, Carla Brabham Brabham
Principals' Perceptions Of Instructional Leadership Development, Carla Brabham Brabham
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Instructional leadership is an important aspect of student achievement and the overall success of schools. Principals, as instructional leaders, need continual reflection on their competency. Job-embedded professional development (JEPD) for teachers is implemented and monitored by instructional leaders. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceived instructional leadership development of two principals at two schools where JEPD was used. Weber's model of instructional leadership guided the research questions on how the implementation of JEPD affected the principals' instructional leadership growth and development. Data collection occurred through interviews, observations during principal-led JEPD sessions, and document review after which …
Relationship Between Teachers' Use Of Academic Progress Data And Students' Test Scores, Amanda Egan Egan
Relationship Between Teachers' Use Of Academic Progress Data And Students' Test Scores, Amanda Egan Egan
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A small private secondary school in Mexico implemented periodic progress testing with the intention of individualizing education of its students. The relationship between teachers' use of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) data and students' mathematics and reading gain scores was not known. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the frequency of teachers' use of MAP data or student profiles was related to students' MAP mathematics and reading test gain scores between 2 years of test administrations. The theoretical framework for the study was Dewey's, Kolb's, and Vygotsky's ideas on pragmatism and constructivism, which support students' opportunities for …
Student Perspectives Of An Off-Reservation Residential Program, Lucia Rose Mitchell
Student Perspectives Of An Off-Reservation Residential Program, Lucia Rose Mitchell
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Navajo students who attend residential schools that are located off the reservation and hours away from their homes, communities, and tribes may experience issues with development of a meaningful cultural identity. The purpose of this study was to better understand and identify key themes related to how Navajo students' cultural identity may be affected while living in an off-reservation residential hall. Phinney's ethnic identity development theory was used to explain the psychosocial process of developing industry and identity in adolescents. The primary research question addressed how former students' experiences of living in an off-reservation residence hall affected their development of …
Instructional Practices Of Upper Elementary General Education Teachers Of English Learners, Jamie Lynn Cardwell
Instructional Practices Of Upper Elementary General Education Teachers Of English Learners, Jamie Lynn Cardwell
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
For the past 7 years in a public Midwestern school district, 75% of the English learners (ELs) in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades have performed below proficiency on the state examination. To address the declining academic achievement, district administration required that K-5 teachers attend professional development (PD) that featured culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR) instructional practices for ELs. Despite district wide PD, school administration did not monitor implementation of these practices and student achievement continued to decline. This qualitative bounded case study was grounded in Vygotsky's constructivism and Krashen's second language acquisition theories. The purpose of this study was to …
Integrating The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics In A Secondary School, Danielle Holmes Campbell
Integrating The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics In A Secondary School, Danielle Holmes Campbell
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem that anchored this study was district leaders' and administrators' lack of clarity regarding teacher concerns about the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) implementation in high school math. The purposes of the study were to (a) examine the perception of high school math teachers regarding the barriers for successfully implementing the CCSSM, and (b) to elicit recommendations for teacher preparation. Ely's theory of change was utilized to relate the entity of the CCSSM to this new shift in education. To better understand this phenomenon, 2 research questions accompanied this study. The research questions were geared to not …
Integration Of Place-Based Education Into Science Classes From Prekindergarten Through Grade 5, Terri Adele Wade-Lyles
Integration Of Place-Based Education Into Science Classes From Prekindergarten Through Grade 5, Terri Adele Wade-Lyles
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In a large urban district in Ohio, 29.2% of Grade 5, 28.7% of Grade 8, and 45.7% of Grade 10 students passed the state test in science. School district administrators formed a community partnership with local science institutions in order to provide students with hands-on place-based learning experiences intended to improve science academic achievement in PK-Grade 5. The purpose of this qualitative program evaluation was to determine the level of implementation of that place-based program by examining the efficacy of the teachers' embedded professional development and their experiences with the training components. Bruner's theory of cognitive development was used to …
Preparing Faculty To Teach Online: Promoting Success In The Online Classroom, Julia Babcock Hamilton
Preparing Faculty To Teach Online: Promoting Success In The Online Classroom, Julia Babcock Hamilton
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Distance learning students at a community college in the southeast United States were not completing their coursework as well as were students enrolled in traditional courses. This disparity was negatively affecting the institution's state performance measures, putting at risk the institution's state-based funding under the state's performance model. The purpose of this qualitative, bounded case study was to explore faculty experiences with online course professional development and faculty's teaching practices related to successful student online course completion. Chickering and Gamson's 'Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education' served as the study's conceptual foundation. Distance learning faculty (n = 10), …