Education Commons^™

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 …

Environmental Scan: Topical Areas To Inform A Future Review Of The Australian Professional Standards For Teachers, Kerry Elliott, Pru Mitchell, Hilary Hollingsworth, Charlotte Waters, Jenny Trevitt

Teaching standards and teacher evaluation

The brief was to conduct a broad sweep of literature that has surfaced since the publication of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in 2011, and to consider how this literature could inform any future review of the standards. This multi-pronged scan method identified eleven topics that have increasingly influenced teachers' work over the past decade. The environmental scan report provides a critical review of current educational research and policy literature for each of the 11 topics. Findings provide a description of the topic, key sources, an outline of the changing landscape as it relates to teaching, examples of how …

Perceptions Of Urban Secondary Science Teachers Regarding Social Learning Professional Development, Mary Kaye Macauley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditional classroom environments may not motivate students to learn and may lack interactive connections between educators and learners in the classroom. The problem addressed in this research study is the lack of understanding of science teachers' use and perception of innovative social learning strategies implemented in urban classrooms. The purpose of this research study was to establish urban science teachers' perceptions regarding social learning strategies within their classrooms. The conceptual framework of Hall and Hord's levels of use was used. The research questions addressed in this study focused on the perceptions and experiences of secondary science teachers in a large, …

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 …

Improving Classroom Management And Teacher Retention: A Needs Assessment, Jill Stefaniak, Jilian L. Reynolds, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This case explores how a needs assessment was conducted at a middle school experiencing high rates of teacher turnover. Pamela Frost, an experienced instructional designer, was assigned to assess the situation and identify opportunities to improve professional development opportunities for the teachers. As a part of a needs assessment, Pamela gathered data to address needs pertaining to classroom management challenges, teacher attrition rates, and establishing relations with the local community. This case explores how Pamela gathered data and triangulated her findings to determine what interventions were needed.

Cultural Diversity Professional Development In Schools Survey, Krystal R. Thomas, Hillary Parkhouse, Jesse Senechal, Zoey Lu, Laura Faulcon, Julie Gorlewski, David B. Naff

MERC Publications

This report presents findings from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) Cultural Diversity Within Schools Survey. This survey was designed for school- based professionals (i.e., teachers, instructional staff, administrators) within the MERC region. Administered in the fall of 2018, the survey collected information about experiences of professional development related to cultural diversity, attitudes toward cultural diversity within schools, perceptions of barriers and opportunities, and perspectives on the need for professional development. Section 1 of the report discusses the context for this survey effort: increased cultural diversity in our schools, increased cultural mismatch between students and teachers, and multicultural education as …

The Impact Of Research-Based Professional Development On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Collective Efficacy Beliefs With Respect To Applying Techniques From Teach Like A Champion 2.0, Rhonda L. Partin-Dunn

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This mixed methods research examined the impact of professional development on teacher self-efficacy and collective efficacy beliefs with respect to applying techniques from Teach Like A Champion 2.0. Increasing research shows there is a positive correlation between student achievement and high levels of teacher self-efficacy. Studies on teacher preparation acknowledge the role professional development plays on both teacher self-efficacy and collective efficacy beliefs. Additionally, research-based best practices like the techniques found in Teach Like A Champion 2.0 have been established as behaviors of highly efficacious teachers. The study assessed teacher self-efficacy and collective efficacy beliefs, provided research-based professional development, …

Collaborative Professional Learning In Early Literacy: The Impact On Teacher Knowledge, Actions, And Beliefs, Jaime Henderson Dawson

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Literacy is the foundation for individual success and economic independence. Early literacy development is an area of importance; thus, professional learning in early literacy is critical and significant. This study examined the impact of a collaborative professional learning model in early literacy on teacher knowledge, actions, and efficacy and how learning transfer resulted in changes to instructional practices. The study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. Data were collected from participants in a specific collaborative professional learning model, the Early Literacy Professional Development (ELPD) model. Quantitative data were collected through surveys to identify professional learning topics perceived as having …

Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Integration Of Technology Into Pedagogy, Joe George Gerez

All Theses And Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions of the integration of technology into pedagogy. Data collection occurred from analyzing middle school teacher’s experiences, observations, and motivation following a technological implementation initiative into pedagogy. The evaluation of the study data included the analysis of surveys and interpretation of in-depth interviews of teachers. A pedagogical focus on teacher integration of technology supported by the self-determination theory as the research study’s theoretical framework examining human motivation was appropriated to the case study. As educational leaders face significant challenges in understanding the impact of teachers’ perceptions …

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

Jennifer Cross

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 …

Queensland Teacher Workload Study: Final Report To The Queensland Teachers’ Union, Sheldon Rothman, Lawrence Ingvarson, Darren Matthews

Dr Sheldon Rothman

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) conducted an online survey of members on behalf of the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU). The survey was open to teachers, school leaders (principals and assistant principals) and heads of program working in Queensland government schools. It was based on one conducted for the Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU) in 2016 and the AEU – Tasmanian Branch in 2017. The survey of the work of union members in Queensland government schools focussed on the hours of work by school staff, staff perceptions of their work, and the relationship between work practices …

Queensland Teacher Workload Study: Final Report To The Queensland Teachers’ Union, Sheldon Rothman, Lawrence Ingvarson, Darren Matthews

Dr Lawrence Ingvarson (Consultant)

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) conducted an online survey of members on behalf of the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU). The survey was open to teachers, school leaders (principals and assistant principals) and heads of program working in Queensland government schools. It was based on one conducted for the Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU) in 2016 and the AEU – Tasmanian Branch in 2017. The survey of the work of union members in Queensland government schools focussed on the hours of work by school staff, staff perceptions of their work, and the relationship between work practices …

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series: Timor-Leste: Interim Report 1, Elizabeth Cassity, Jennie Chainey, Sheldon Rothman

Teacher education

The purpose of this Interim Report is to present the findings from the first year of a multi-year study of Timor-Leste’s Professional Learning and Mentoring Program (PLMP). The study focuses on understanding the extent to which education stakeholders, including school leaders and teachers, develop teaching knowledge and change teaching practice over time. It also explores the extent to which participation in the PLMP leads to improvements in learning outcomes for students. This study of the PLMP is framed within the context Timor-Leste’s introduction of a new National Basic Education Curriculum.

Teacher Learning And Continuous Professional Development., Fiona Faulkner, John Kenny, Coral Campbell, Cosette Crisan

Books/Book Chapters

This chapter discusses teacher learning and professional development of out-of-field teachers from the point of view of the literature. It examines what makes this kind of learning and development effective and explores the ideas surrounding the varying rationale for the introduction of such teacher learning and professional development opportunities. Classical approaches to professional development are discussed in addition to several emerging international models of professional development that are currently being employed in the Republic of Ireland, England and Australia for in-service out-of-field teachers of mathematics predominantly but also a range of other subject disciplines (in the case of South Korea). …

The Impact Of Common Core Mathematics Professional Development On Elementary Mathematics Teaching Self-Efficacy And The Resulting Effects On Their Student Achievement, Alissa Smith Lee

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine the impact of professional development on elementary mathematics teaching self-efficacy as well as the influence of teacher self-efficacy on student achievement. Statistical t tests were used to analyze the dispersion of the teachers’ personal mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs (PMTE) and mathematics teaching outcome expectancy efficacy beliefs (MTOE). To develop a broader perspective, a qualitative analysis of interview data was implemented. Unlike the results from the quantitative data, the qualitative data in this study revealed that meaningful participation in professional development increased teacher performance as well as enhanced their mathematical teaching efficacy. …

Perceptions Of The Impact Of Quality Professional Development On The Sustainability Of A One-To-One Computing Initiative At The High School Level, Kerry Morrison

Education Dissertations and Projects

It has been said that education is the key to success, and today’s youth are tomorrow’s human resources. This is the 21st century; and students, who will be the human resources of tomorrow, are being prepared for jobs that may not even exist today. Legislators, policy makers, and researchers have encouraged methods to ensure teachers deliver high quality instruction, including requiring that teachers complete specific training, possess a minimum level of content knowledge, and use curriculum materials and professional development resources available from schools and districts (Hill, Blazar, & Lynch, 2015). As a result, teachers need to be exposing students …

Teacher's In-Service Professional Development Needs Assessment-The Pakistani Context, Aamna Pasha, Yuling Smith, Shehzad Jeeva

Examination Board

This paper explains the study of conducting a survey to assess the professional development needs of the teachers in schools affiliated with Aga Khan University – Examination Board (AKU-EB) with the aim of strategizing and designing teacher development programmes. An online survey was carried out with questions regarding the demographic information, teachers’ current practices and their professional training needs. There were 306 teachers who participated in this survey from affiliated schools from the provinces of Sindh, Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The results show that teachers expressed a preference in using lecturing as the main teaching method and familiarity …

Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions Of Opportunities And Challenges, Shelby Eversole

Masters Theses

This study investigates the perspectives of opportunities and challenges of middle school mathematics’ teachers. To gain these perspectives, an ethnographic study was conducted by interviewing four middle school mathematics teachers in central Illinois. The results of this study imply that teachers of different backgrounds and teaching environments have varying perspectives about challenges and opportunities in the classroom. Limitations of this study include but are not limited to, the researcher having one year to conduct the research, only four teachers from two schools being interviewed, interviewees teaching different grade levels, no rural setting involvement, one educator having little teaching experience, teachers’ …

Queensland Teacher Workload Study: Final Report To The Queensland Teachers’ Union, Sheldon Rothman, Lawrence Ingvarson, Darren Matthews

Teacher workforce and careers

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) conducted an online survey of members on behalf of the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU). The survey was open to teachers, school leaders (principals and assistant principals) and heads of program working in Queensland government schools. It was based on one conducted for the Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU) in 2016 and the AEU – Tasmanian Branch in 2017. The survey of the work of union members in Queensland government schools focussed on the hours of work by school staff, staff perceptions of their work, and the relationship between work practices …

Implementing Nh Child: A Comprehensive Approach To Professional Learning To Reach All New Haven Early Childhood Educators, Emily Sharrock, Courtney Parkerson

All Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

New Haven Children’s Learning District (NH ChILD) envisions a city where all children have access to high quality early learning experiences. In order to turn this vision into reality for the 14,800 children ages 0-8 living in New Haven, NH ChILD is working to increase the number of spaces in high quality programs while simultaneously improving the quality of early learning experiences in existing programs. The following paper outlines NH ChILD’s beliefs, commitments, and plan for action with respect to NH ChILD’s citywide efforts for in-service professional learning.

Cultivating A Professional Culture Of Peace And Inclusion: Conceptualizing Practical Applications Of Peace Leadership In Schools, Whitney Mcintyre Miller, Annmary S. Abdou

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Beyond the role of educating students across all academic domains, school leaders are tasked with the monumental responsibility of creating positive, engaged systems and cultures that embrace the growing cultural, economic, linguistic, and cognitive diversity in the United States landscape. With collective goals to create peaceful learning environments with capacity to serve diverse learners, many school leaders have embraced school-wide prevention and intervention efforts, such as Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for social-emotional and behavioral development of students. Unfortunately, due to the inherent complexities and fragmentation of such efforts, many school leaders have continued to experience significant barriers to sustainable …

Faculty Development Initiatives: A Prerequisite For Capacity Building And Enhanced Productivity In A Medical Institution, Rehana Rehman, Hassan Mehmood, Syeda Fatima, Irfanullah Baig, Zohaib Rana, Mohammad Iqbal

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To determine the contribution of teaching, learning and assessment forum's initiatives on professional development of faculty and staff.
Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, from July to December 2016, and comprised teaching, learning and assessment activities carried out from 2012 to 2015. The responses acquired from feedback evaluation were recorded at the end of activity on a Likert-type scale ranging from 1-5. Positive responses were presented for each variable with respective activity type across the study years. The association of the effectiveness of teaching, learning …

The Use Of Student Feedback In Teacher Development, Lawrence Jarocki

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of master teachers, administrators, and teacher trainers about the content of Student Evaluations of Teachers (SET) in California high schools. This study also sought to reach a consensus among experts concerning how SETs can be used both in teacher evaluations and in professional development practices and content at the secondary level.

Methodology: A classical Delphi method was utilized to collect perceptual data from a panel of California master teachers, administrators, and teacher trainers that met specific criteria regarding their education, involvement in their professional communities, and their role training …

Principal Professional Development And Principal Self-Efficacy In An Urban School District., Brian Thomas Garrett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educator professional development (PD) is a heavily relied upon method for school improvement, and administrator professional development (APD) is a key element to nearly all school reform efforts. District-wide APD in large school districts can carry a heavy cost in financial and human resources. Moreover, PD is frequently too inadequately planned and/or implemented to bring about lasting positive change in educator practice, school reform, and student achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between principal PD focused on culture/climate or instruction and principal self-efficacy in an urban school district. Through hierarchical linear multiple regression (HLMR), this …

Social Scientists' Conceptualization And Implementation Of Research Ethics And Integrity, Heather A. Pease

Dissertations

The purpose of the current study is to identify core themes, values, and principles through which social scientists conceptualize and implement research ethics and integrity. Periods of rapid growth and interest in research ethics and integrity often coincide with significant scientific discoveries (e.g., mapping of the human genome) or scientific misconduct (e.g., Tuskegee studies). Even though research policies are being developed, they are done in a manner which does not maximize the opportunities to regulate ethics and integrity within social science research. The laws and programs aimed at mitigating acts of misconduct were originally intended for biomedical sciences, yet they …

Reinvigorating Classroom Practice Through Collaborative K-12 And Higher Education Professional Development, Sean W. Agriss, Katie O'Connor, Louann Reamer, Andrea Reid

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

High school, community college, and university faculty attempted to address student readiness for first-year college English classes by working with each other across sectors in an ongoing, collaborative professional development project, Successful Transitions to College (STC). STC demonstrates that teachers can work across sectors to smooth transitions for students who often navigate multiple educational systems throughout their K-16 experience. This professional development work intentionally built opportunities for faculty to work collaboratively while honoring teaching expertise and shared problem solving. Interest in student transition across academic sectors has created a fresh realization for many teachers—one of the best ways to …

Contexts Of Cultural Diversity Professional Development In Schools, Hillary Parkhouse, Jesse Senechal, Julie Gorlewski, David Naff, Zoey Lu, Ashlee Lester

MERC Publications

This report is part of a larger MERC study on Professional Development for Success in Culturally Diverse Schools.The goals of the larger study are (1) to understand the landscape of diversity within the schools in the MERC region, (2) to consider the implications for school policy and professional practice, (3) to review the current models of professional development that support teachers and other school professionals in regards to issues of cultural diversity, and (4) to develop and test models of professional development that have positive impacts on teacher practice, student outcomes and overall school success. With these goals in mind, …

School Leadership Preparation In The Commonwealth Of The Northern Marianas Islands, Rizalina Maratita Liwag

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The perceptions of school leaders on the effectiveness of the school leadership preparation program (SLPP) in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) public school system have not been examined. Highly qualified teachers are selected and trained for administrative and leadership roles through the SLPP. This qualitative case study was conducted to evaluate the level of effectiveness of the SLPP in the CNMI public school system. The conceptual framework was the Seven Habits of Effective Principal Preparation Programs by Davis and Jazzar. The theoretical frameworks were transformational leadership as articulated by Burns and instructional leadership. The research questions …

Developing An Impella Education Program For The Critical Care Registered Nurse, Sara Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year, hundreds of thousands of patients have coronary angiograms performed in the United States. The Impella is a percutaneous ventricular support device that provides hemodynamic support for patients if hemodynamic instability occurs during the procedure. The critical care nurse is responsible for the recovery and management of the patient with the Impella device in place. The purpose of this scholarly project is to provide registered nurses (RN) who have not previously managed the Impella device with the appropriate education in order to demonstrate competency. The program demonstrated improved RN knowledge about the Impella and increased confidence when managing the …

Teacher Development Multi-Year Studies: Conceptual Framework, Hilary Hollingsworth, Elizabeth Cassity, Debbie Wong, Jacqueline Cheng

Teacher education

The purpose of this conceptual framework for DFAT’s teacher development multi-year study series is to improve the following elements across the series: clarity on the purpose of the series; consistency in terminology and methodology; connections to give the ability to draw common conclusions and explain differences; communication to create a shared understanding of the series and each stakeholder’s role and responsibility, and to use internal and external means to engage strategically and disseminate findings. To date, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and Laos have committed to undertake multi-year studies of their teacher development investments.