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Full-Text Articles in Education

The Impact Of Teacher Preparedness And Professional Development On Fourth-Grade Students' Science Achievement, Craig L. Mayo, Faye Bradley Dec 2023

The Impact Of Teacher Preparedness And Professional Development On Fourth-Grade Students' Science Achievement, Craig L. Mayo, Faye Bradley

Journal of Research Initiatives

Science scores among US fourth-grade students have declined compared to their international counterparts in recent years. Recent results show that teachers are the most impactful influence on student success and accountability. Teacher preparedness and professional development are two key areas that serve as indicators of providing relevant and essential information for students' success. A correlational quantitative study was conducted to assess the relationship between teacher preparedness and professional development on fourth-grade students’ science achievement. The TIMSS 2019 data were secured from the Boston College, TIMSS, and PIRLS International websites. The data was evaluated using the SPSS 27 Hierarchical Linear Regression. …


The Lived Experiences Of Teachers Of Color And Racial Microaggressions, Torine Champion, Linda Wilson-Jones Aug 2023

The Lived Experiences Of Teachers Of Color And Racial Microaggressions, Torine Champion, Linda Wilson-Jones

Journal of Research Initiatives

This qualitative study describes the lived experiences of teachers of color and identify commonalities within the lived experiences of teachers of color employed in predominately White K–12 schools. This study utilized interpretive phenomenological analysis, viewed through the White racial frame lens. There were 15 participants who were included in this research study. Participants were teachers of color with at least five years of teaching experience in predominately White K–12 environments. Data collection procedures included confidential virtual, semi-structured interviews with specific information the researcher wanted to explore. A lack of professional connectivity and microaggression was revealed as a theme. While teachers …


A Creative Approach To Promoting And Discussing Social Emotional Learning, Lori B. Doyle, Jill L. Swisher Mar 2023

A Creative Approach To Promoting And Discussing Social Emotional Learning, Lori B. Doyle, Jill L. Swisher

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Social emotional learning (SEL) is an important topic in education and a desired area of professional development for teachers. This conceptual essay offers a creative approach in promoting and discussing SEL through the use of haiku poetry. The tenets from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework were synthesized into key concepts and presented as haiku poems as a pedagogical exercise to increase awareness on SEL.


The Relational Exchange Model For Academic Partnerships (Remap): A Transition From Transactional To Transformational Relationships Between Pk-12 School Districts And Institutions Of Higher Education, Kaleb G. Patrick Ed.D., Gregg Dionne Ph.D. Jan 2023

The Relational Exchange Model For Academic Partnerships (Remap): A Transition From Transactional To Transformational Relationships Between Pk-12 School Districts And Institutions Of Higher Education, Kaleb G. Patrick Ed.D., Gregg Dionne Ph.D.

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

Education is in an incredible time of transition. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was mounting importance on the need for professional development to meet the ever-increasing demands of students, families, and communities along with ongoing accountability and improvement measures. This increased need of professional development for educators in PK-12 school districts has only accelerated in the wake of COVID-19. Considering this need, a new model for sustainable, mutually beneficial, relationships between PK-12 school districts and Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) is critical. A movement from the currently existing, singularly beneficial, transactional finite relationships to a sustained, mutually beneficial, …


Peer-Coaching Based Professional Development: A Sample Of A School Of Foreign Languages, Sinem Arslan Dönmez, Ahmet Şahin Assoc. Prof. Jan 2022

Peer-Coaching Based Professional Development: A Sample Of A School Of Foreign Languages, Sinem Arslan Dönmez, Ahmet Şahin Assoc. Prof.

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this study is to investigate the views of lecturers about the effectiveness of the implementation of the peer-coaching practice conducted at the school of foreign languages of a foundation university. The lecturers who took part in the peer coaching practice in the academic year 2019-2020 acted as the participants in this case study. The qualitative data was collected via interviews and document analysis. Content analysis and descriptive analysis methods were used in the process of data analysis. The findings from the analysis showed that peer-coaching practice consisted of lesson observations, pre and post-observation meetings, and reflection stages. …


Teachers Of Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students And Effective Professional Development: A Critical Review Of Research, Irish Farley Dec 2021

Teachers Of Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students And Effective Professional Development: A Critical Review Of Research, Irish Farley

Journal of English Learner Education

Effective Professional Development (PD) is essential for teachers of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students. Despite the continuing increase of diversity of students, teachers are underinformed with best practices for teaching and support. Many good teachers may not know how to best support CLD students. In 2018, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that only 44% of surveyed teachers who had at least one CLD student in their classroom received professional development specifically for working with these students. This review of the literature covers two distinct but related topics: why teachers of CLD students need more PD and what …


Next-Level Leadership: Preparing Assistant Principals For Campus Leadership, Jerry R. Burkett Oct 2021

Next-Level Leadership: Preparing Assistant Principals For Campus Leadership, Jerry R. Burkett

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The workload of campus leaders continues to increase with new expectations for evaluation and supervision, changing legislative mandates, and mounting pressures for improved school accountability. Educational Leadership preparation programs are built on national and state standards related to principal leadership and competency. However, while principal preparation programs have focused intently on instructional leadership development for future principals, most educational leadership candidates do not immediately enter the principalship but rather start their administrative careers as assistant principals. School districts can implement a comprehensive training protocol for their emerging principals using research-based practices to ensure assistant principals have the training, coaching, and …


Chasing Down The Educational Debt By Centering Race In Educational Supervision, Teresa Lance May 2021

Chasing Down The Educational Debt By Centering Race In Educational Supervision, Teresa Lance

Journal of Educational Supervision

Educational professional development is ubiquitous; yet the gains on student learning are minimal as measured by local, state, and federal assessment measures. Although there is widespread agreement that assessment data alone does not tell the story of what students are learning and teachers are teaching, the data is still alarming. Why is there a gap between the billions of dollars spent on professional learning and student learning outcomes? In this article, the author seeks to shed light on this disconnect, offering a framework that links deficit perspectives of Black, Brown, and Indigenous students and opportunity gaps associated with inept monitoring …


Becoming A Highly Effective Elementary Teacher And How To Support Teachers' Development, Tim Pressley, Riley Isom, Chalon Johnson, Amy Barnes, Laura Mcauliffe Sep 2020

Becoming A Highly Effective Elementary Teacher And How To Support Teachers' Development, Tim Pressley, Riley Isom, Chalon Johnson, Amy Barnes, Laura Mcauliffe

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

As teachers enter the field of teaching, teachers look to continue to develop in order to become highly effective teachers as they are often less effective than teachers with at least some experience (Boyd et al., 2008; Ladd & Sorenson, 2017). This development may occur through the support of mentors, administration, professional development (PD), as well as through trial and error, with the most development occurring during the first several years of teaching (Koedel & Betts, 2007; Rice, 2003). However, not all teachers develop into effective teachers. Some aspects that may affect a teacher’s effectiveness are the classroom environment, instruction, …


Supporting Professional Development Through Digital Principal Leadership, William Sterrett, Jayson W. Richardson Jul 2020

Supporting Professional Development Through Digital Principal Leadership, William Sterrett, Jayson W. Richardson

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

A core role of the K-12 school leader is to support and nurther the growth of others. That growth is commonly thought to be at the student level. However, school leaders must also focus on the growth of their teachers. School leaders are adjusting to a world where technology has crept into many aspects of the profession. And sometimes, technology innovation comes during a time of sudden disruption, such as the COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020 where digital learning and leadership become the new norm, even when uncertainty and change were omnipresent. As such, while it is clear that principals …


Perspectives Of Professional Development On Supervision Skills, Roger "Mitch" Nasser Mar 2020

Perspectives Of Professional Development On Supervision Skills, Roger "Mitch" Nasser

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Supervision skills are essential at all levels of administration in higher education. However, it is unclear where many professionals attain these skills. New professionals, who often supervise student workers, receive training during their graduate program experiences. Senior level professionals, those who run Student Affairs divisions or segments of those divisions, are often not questioned in their practices. Senior administrators are valued for decision making and strategic planning. Unfortunately, the final population, middle managers, do not receive training and may be expected to have skills upon arriving in a position. The following study examined perceptions of middle and senior administrators in …


Maximizing Teacher Time: The Collaborative Leadership Role Of The Principal, William L. Sterrett, Michele A. Parker, Kris Mitzner May 2018

Maximizing Teacher Time: The Collaborative Leadership Role Of The Principal, William L. Sterrett, Michele A. Parker, Kris Mitzner

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Using data from the 2014 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (NCTWC) biennial survey researchers identified a sample from over 2,500 principals. The researchers surveyed 68 principals; 24 principals participated in a 19-item survey containing 5 demographic questions, 7 Likert-scale questions, and 7 open-ended questions. The descriptive analyses revealed that the principals in the study had the highest agreement with time constructs related to “reasonable class size” and “protecting teachers from duties that interfere” and lowest levels of agreement with “efforts made to minimize routine paperwork.” The qualitative analyses shared further principal perspective regarding specific strategies with the seven time constructs. …


Conceptual Model Of Educational Planning And Program Evaluation: Addressing Deficit Thinking At The Top, Melanie Lichtenstein Mar 2018

Conceptual Model Of Educational Planning And Program Evaluation: Addressing Deficit Thinking At The Top, Melanie Lichtenstein

The William & Mary Educational Review

Deficit thinking has been attributed to on-going academic and social inequities in school districts. Scholars have discussed addressing deficit thinking before educators enter the classroom through pre-service teacher programs. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding educational leaders’ perceptions and belief systems of culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse students. The impact of deficit thinking at the leadership level can influence program, policy, and planning decisions that can negatively impact any educational change efforts. This conceptual model of educational planning and evaluation will suggest an approach to change the deficit thinking of school district leaders such as superintendents, school …


Introduction: Teacher Leaders - Transforming Schools From The Inside, Gil Schmerler Oct 2016

Introduction: Teacher Leaders - Transforming Schools From The Inside, Gil Schmerler

Occasional Paper Series

Describes the issue's purpose, which is a "modest attempt to restore the issue of teacher leadership to the prominence it deserves and requires" -- author.


A Content Analysis Of Images Of Novice Teacher Induction: First-Semester Themes, Jennifer R. Curry, Angela W. Webb, Samantha J. Latham Sep 2016

A Content Analysis Of Images Of Novice Teacher Induction: First-Semester Themes, Jennifer R. Curry, Angela W. Webb, Samantha J. Latham

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The powerful nature of novice teachers’ experiences in their first years of teaching has been well documented. However, the variance in novices’ initial immersion in the school environment is largely dependent on perceived personal and professional support as well as the environmental inducements that lend to novice teachers’ success in the classroom. For the purposes of this study, 72 participating novices, who were participants in an alternative certification program, drew representations of their current teaching environments. Of the 72 initial participants’ pictures, 58 were used in this content analysis. The interrater analysis involving multiple documentation of codes between and among …


Building Currency: Crafting New Channels For Undergraduate Communication Programs, Vickie Shamp Ellis, Kaylene Barbe, Kalyn G. Fullbright Jun 2016

Building Currency: Crafting New Channels For Undergraduate Communication Programs, Vickie Shamp Ellis, Kaylene Barbe, Kalyn G. Fullbright

Administrative Issues Journal

University professional development funds, generally present for faculty, and often available for graduate students through grants or stipends, are seldom available to undergraduates. In this study, we assessed Giddens and Pierson’s (1998) structuration theory in terms of how a professional development fund for undergraduates can impact the lives of students, create new structures within the culture to foster scholarship, and celebrate role models. Specifically, we used action research to trace seven steps involved in one program’s effort to establish a direct funding channel for those wanting to contribute to the lives of undergrads. We demonstrated how the new funding channel …


Rethinking Professional Development Training Through Mentoring Relationships, Tania Marie-Cecile Benoiton Oct 2015

Rethinking Professional Development Training Through Mentoring Relationships, Tania Marie-Cecile Benoiton

Administrative Issues Journal

This proposal looks at teacher mentorship and how it is manifested in different school environments. Grid and Group Theory provides the basis of discerning the cultural forces at play within the respective school environments. The theoretical framework will highlight the data collection process. Rather than being a secondary asset, mentorship should become a primary resource for the professional development of teachers, novice and veteran alike. Each school faces challenges that are unique to their environment which calls for the use of inhouse resources to engage the educator on multiple levels. The proposal reports preliminary findings and concludes on with a …


The Use Of Twitter In The Creation Of Educational Professional Learning Opportunities, Carrie R. Ross, Robert M. Maninger, Kimberly N. Laprairie, Sam Sullivan Apr 2015

The Use Of Twitter In The Creation Of Educational Professional Learning Opportunities, Carrie R. Ross, Robert M. Maninger, Kimberly N. Laprairie, Sam Sullivan

Administrative Issues Journal

This study sought to examine how educators are using Twitter to increase their professional learning opportunities beyond the boundaries of traditional professional development offers, and whether educators feel a greater sense of fulfillment receiving professional development through networking and community learning than they do through traditional means of learning. A population of 160 educators—105 females and 55 males between the ages of 22 and 65—were surveyed using education related hashtags on Twitter. Thirty-two educators from the survey population elected to participate in an interview. The study discovered that educators are frequently using Twitter professionally to collaborate, network, and engage in …


Professional Development In Urban Schools: What Do The Teachers Say?, Tanya R. Green, Mishaleen E. Allen Feb 2015

Professional Development In Urban Schools: What Do The Teachers Say?, Tanya R. Green, Mishaleen E. Allen

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

This quantitative causal-comparative study compared perceptions of professional development opportunities between high-achieving and low-achieving elementary-middle school teachers in an urban school district using the Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI). A total of 271 teachers participated including 134 (n=134) teachers from high-achieving schools, and 137 (n=137) teachers from low-achieving schools. Teachers in high-achieving schools reported receiving professional development more aligned to the 12 NSDC standards for quality professional development than teachers in low-achieving schools. In addition, teachers in high-achieving schools indicated receiving professional development modeled as Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Findings suggest that high quality professional development designed with elements of professional …


Examining Effective Characteristics Of Professional Development In K-12 Education Since The Inception Of The No Child Left Behind Act Of 2002: A Meta-Analytic Investigation, Eugene M. Thomas, Karen H. Larwin Sep 2014

Examining Effective Characteristics Of Professional Development In K-12 Education Since The Inception Of The No Child Left Behind Act Of 2002: A Meta-Analytic Investigation, Eugene M. Thomas, Karen H. Larwin

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

With the dire financial crisis facing our national and state economy, schools are forced to reduce budgets while simultaneously improve program delivery. Professional development is the mechanism that is generally used to facilitate improving educational delivery and subsequently student achievement results. This investigation examines the influence of professional development on student achievement since No Child Left Behind. Results indicate that professional development can have a moderate impact on student achievement. A number of moderators were found to have a positive significant impact on this effect including the level of students, the duration of the professional development, the discipline area focus …


Professional Development: The Use Of Nonverbal Communication During Class Lecture, Dustin York Sep 2014

Professional Development: The Use Of Nonverbal Communication During Class Lecture, Dustin York

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Teachers’ nonverbal communication has a vital role within the classroom environment. This literary review examined (1) a historical perspective of teachers’ nonverbal communication, (2) the relationship between students’ perceptions of their learning and teachers’ nonverbal communication, (3) the relationship between standardized measurements of student learning and teachers’ nonverbal communication, and (4) the relationship between students’ perceptions of teacher credibility based on the teachers’ nonverbal communication. Findings in the literary study suggest that teachers’ nonverbal communication is beneficial to students’ academic success. This review has outlined elements of nonverbal communication a teacher could use to benefit student learning. Using the findings …


The Development Of Faith Leadership In Novice Principals, Barbara Stacy Rieckhoff Apr 2014

The Development Of Faith Leadership In Novice Principals, Barbara Stacy Rieckhoff

Journal of Catholic Education

This article describes the Catholic School Principal Support Program (CSPSP), a mentoring program for first and second-year Catholic school principals in a large urban diocese, and identifies key challenges, impacts and influences on decision-making. Ten school leaders describe their work and provide the lens by which they reflect on their role as faith leaders. The challenges these principals face along with the various roles they play are discussed. Based on the perceptions and insights of their roles as faith leaders and how that role is situated within other leadership roles, this study seeks to better understand how the faith leadership …


Student And Teacher Attitudes Toward Giftedness In A Two Laboratory School Environment: A Case For Conducting A Needs Assessment, Jennifer Riedl Cross, Tracy Cross, Andrea D. Frazier Oct 2013

Student And Teacher Attitudes Toward Giftedness In A Two Laboratory School Environment: A Case For Conducting A Needs Assessment, Jennifer Riedl Cross, Tracy Cross, Andrea D. Frazier

NALS Journal

Providing effective professional development in laboratory schools around topics that can be divisive, such as preparing a school environment for expansion of gifted education services, can be quite difficult. However, doing so based on data collected through a needs assessment can be invaluable to the planning process. As part of a needs assessment in preparation to enroll 100 new gifted students, students and teachers (N=171) from a unique setting in which a residential school for gifted high school students is housed within a laboratory school were surveyed using F. Gagné and L. Nadeau’s (1991) Opinions about the Gifted …


Service-Learning As A Professional Development Tool, Lillian Wichinsky, Carolyn Turturro Oct 2011

Service-Learning As A Professional Development Tool, Lillian Wichinsky, Carolyn Turturro

Administrative Issues Journal

The authors examined students’ attitudes towards grant writing and program evaluation when service learning was integrated into the assignment. Over a two-year period, 71 graduate students participated in an online survey responding to both qualitative and quantitative items. Students overwhelmingly reported that they learned more through the servicelearning experience than they would have doing the assignment as an academic exercise. It is recommended that all disciplines seek out service-learning opportunities to promote professional development.


Federal Accommodation Policy In Practice: Implications For A Substantive Process, Lynn Hemmer, Candace Baker Oct 2011

Federal Accommodation Policy In Practice: Implications For A Substantive Process, Lynn Hemmer, Candace Baker

Administrative Issues Journal

The design of governmental regulations creates an assumption that policy implementation is linear in nature and is unproblematic (Dorey, 2005). As states, local education agencies (LEAs), and eventually school leaders and teachers engage in the policy implementation process, it becomes evident that this hierarchal dissemination of policy results in various interpretations and actions (Spillane, 1996, 2002). In the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the legislative language clearly states that students with disabilities are to participate in assessments with accommodations as described on their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Research suggests …