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Full-Text Articles in Education
Engaging Teachers To Improve Administrator Support In An Urban Middle School: An Action Research Study, Barbara R. Kimzey
Engaging Teachers To Improve Administrator Support In An Urban Middle School: An Action Research Study, Barbara R. Kimzey
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Abstract High teacher turnover in urban schools, such as at the school in which this study was conducted, has persistently negatively impacted school reform efforts aimed at closing the achievement gap (Donaldson & Johnson, 2011; Ronfeldt, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2013). Since effective teachers have the greatest direct impact upon improving student achievement, high teacher turnover rates in low-performing schools that serve large populations of minority and low-income students help perpetuate the low performance of those schools (Ingersoll, 2002; Ronfeldt et al., 2013; Stronge, 2010; Wright, Horn, & Sanders, 1997). Furthermore, research indicates that teachers tend to stay in schools where …
A Phenomenological Study Of Student Engagement In An Urban K-8 School, David Joseph Gesualdi
A Phenomenological Study Of Student Engagement In An Urban K-8 School, David Joseph Gesualdi
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Student engagement is an indicator of student achievement. For students living in poverty it is difficult to engage in a school that is not relatable to their own cultural norms and values. This phenomenological study sought to understand the lived experiences of these students and their teachers related to student engagement. The purpose of this study was to provide insights and perspectives of students’ and teachers’ personal experiences within a mathematics classroom. The key research questions targeted understanding student perceptions of their own level of engagement—behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively; teacher perceptions of their students’ levels of engagement; instructional factors that …
Giant Steps: Toward A Developmental Trajectory Of Creative Talent As A Jazz Improviser, Anthony Michael Washington
Giant Steps: Toward A Developmental Trajectory Of Creative Talent As A Jazz Improviser, Anthony Michael Washington
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Expert jazz improvisers follow a developmental trajectory that is useful to understanding creative ability. Because this domain uses creativity as a fundamental part of its performance, its development naturally includes techniques for developing one’s creativity. This study explored the development of expert and eminent jazz improvisers' creative abilities and delineated critical experiences, skills, dispositions, and activities associated with developing elite talent in this domain. I conducted interviews with expert jazz improvisers to gain retrospective accounts of their talent development process in addition to exploring autobiographical and biographical accounts of developmental activities of selected eminent jazz improvisers. I employed grounded theory …
Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Development Practices And Their Influence On Self-Efficacy: An Action Research Study, Jennifer Mcsweeney
Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Development Practices And Their Influence On Self-Efficacy: An Action Research Study, Jennifer Mcsweeney
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Teachers play a critical role when it comes to impacting student achievement. As a result, quality of teachers is an issue that is being addressed through continuing professional development. Even with this emphasis, current professional development is perceived by teachers as being ineffective and lacking in relevance to student and teacher needs. However, research-based professional development practices do exist, and this study sought to explore which of these features teachers perceive to be effective within the learning experiences of lesson study, book study, and peer observations. Additionally, self-efficacy can affect teacher impact on student achievement. Four sources of efficacy contribute …
Teacher Perceptions Of The Virginia Evaluation Process: A Program Evaluation Of Northshore High School’S Teacher Evaluation Process, Douglas Fulton
Teacher Perceptions Of The Virginia Evaluation Process: A Program Evaluation Of Northshore High School’S Teacher Evaluation Process, Douglas Fulton
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Teacher evaluation systems have served to remove ineffective teachers and support teacher professional development. Even with changes in evaluation systems that incorporated student-growth measures, teacher evaluation systems are more likely to serve for teacher development than teacher removal. This qualitative study focused on teacher perceptions of one school’s evaluation components in supporting teacher professional growth and student learning. The study broke the teachers into career level experience groups of novice, early career, and experienced. The required district/state evaluation components of goal conferences, classroom observations, and student-growth measures were selected for the study. The study also looked at the school practice …
A Study Of Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Impact Of Feedback On Teacher Instructional Practices In Reading, Tiffany Lashawn Chatman
A Study Of Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Impact Of Feedback On Teacher Instructional Practices In Reading, Tiffany Lashawn Chatman
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Effective reading instruction is paramount to the success of students in school and well into adulthood. Students that read below grade in third grade are more likely to drop out of high school and earn less income as adults. Teacher effectiveness is critical in helping to close these ongoing gaps with regards to reading. Teacher quality is very important to student achievement and as a result, teacher evaluation processes have become essential in determining and retaining quality teachers. Additionally, teachers’ and administrator’s perceptions of evaluations, particularly, perceptions of administrative feedback given and the impact it has on changing instructional practices, …
An Exploratory Study Of Leadership, Literacy Assessments And Acceleration For Closing The Reading Achievement Gap By Third Grade, Laura Frances Estes
An Exploratory Study Of Leadership, Literacy Assessments And Acceleration For Closing The Reading Achievement Gap By Third Grade, Laura Frances Estes
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The third grade year is a seminal moment for children moving into a fluent reader stage that continues to evolve well across their school career. Research indicates that not learning to read well by the third grade sets some children on a path of overall diminished school and life success, and thus, school leaders are faced with the challenge of altering the trajectory for students behind their peers in reading development. School leaders and teachers have a limited number of tools to assess literacy progress of beginning readers; therefore, it is important educators understand the connections between two of the …
Project Based Learning To Promote 21st Century Skills: An Action Research Study, Jason Michael Allison
Project Based Learning To Promote 21st Century Skills: An Action Research Study, Jason Michael Allison
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This action research study explored how instructional staff members at a rural high school in Central Virginia can improve their PBL instructional practices to promote students to acquire the 21st century skills of communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Based on the results of this action research study, the top three strengths of PBL were students learning from mistakes, students taking responsibility for their learning, and that projects come in all shapes and sizes. The study revealed that there is not a tight fit or alignment between PBL and the Four Cs of communication, creativity, and critical thinking, and collaboration; …
A Program Evaluation Of A Technology Based Formative Assessment For Algebra Readiness, Cassandra Harris
A Program Evaluation Of A Technology Based Formative Assessment For Algebra Readiness, Cassandra Harris
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Algebra 1 is often called the “gateway” course to higher education and opportunity. In the state of Virginia, the Algebra Readiness Diagnostic Test (ARDT) is the recommended mathematics formative assessment selected to monitor progress of students at each grade level. This program evaluation sought to take a closer look at tasks that teachers practice in the formative assessment process which exceed the mandatory ARDT periods for assessment. Teachers felt strongly about the adverse impact of assessment overload, but they also stressed the need to have continual alternative assessments, such as memory recall practices, to make certain that elementary students retained …
The Actions Institutional Agents Take To Support First-Generation Latino College Students At A Catholic Hispanic-Serving Institution: An Embedded Case Study, Diana Marie Hernández
The Actions Institutional Agents Take To Support First-Generation Latino College Students At A Catholic Hispanic-Serving Institution: An Embedded Case Study, Diana Marie Hernández
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of the study was to examine the actions institutional agents took to support first-generation Latino students at a Catholic Hispanic-Serving Institution using Stanton-Salazar’s (2010) framework. All but one of the 14 roles in the framework were present. An in-depth examination of the framework led to the creation of a fluidity model, aligning with Stanton-Salazar (2010) and Jiménez’s (2012) findings that institutional agents fulfilled simultaneous and multiple roles. In addition, the data demonstrated that institutional agents’ roles worked in tandem with Rendón’s (1994) validation theory. Last, context and whether St. Jude’s was Hispanic-serving versus Hispanic-enrolling (Corral, Gasman, Nguyen, & …
Principal Support And Academic Optimism In Urban High Schools, Todd Edward Perelli
Principal Support And Academic Optimism In Urban High Schools, Todd Edward Perelli
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between principal support and teacher academic optimism. The conceptual framework guiding this study proposed that the existing relationship between the constructs of teacher academic optimism could be related to principal support. Extant data from high school teachers in an urban setting provided quantitative data analysis of the four types of principal support (emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal) and whether they can predict the constructs of teacher academic optimism (teacher self-efficacy, teacher trust in parents and students, and teacher academic emphasis) or academic optimism itself. This study identified the relationship between …
Knowledge, Perceptions, And Beliefs Of Elementary Principals Regarding Whole-Grade Acceleration For Gifted Students, Allison A. Sheppard
Knowledge, Perceptions, And Beliefs Of Elementary Principals Regarding Whole-Grade Acceleration For Gifted Students, Allison A. Sheppard
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Abstract This study used a case study research design to investigate the knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs of elementary principals regarding whole-grade acceleration for gifted students. The research literature is overwhelmingly positive on student outcomes – academically, socially, and emotionally. However, little research exists on the impact of principal leadership and the use of acceleration as an academic option. The study explored principals’ prior training, personal and professional experiences with whole-grade acceleration. In addition, the research questions aimed to understand what participants considered to be both benefits and challenges with acceleration. The theoretical framework for this study was human capital theory …
Distinguished, Endowed, And Underrepresented: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Talent Development Among Expert Black Scholars In Education, Keisha Baylor
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of talent development toward successful outcomes among 10 expert Black scholars in the field of education. A transcendental phenomenological approach was employed to gather data through open-ended phone interviews. Research questions included: What are the talent development experiences of Black distinguished and endowed faculty in the field of education? How did contexts or situations influence or affect their path toward successful career outcomes? Five themes emerged from the interviews: (a) Background Influences and Preparation, (b) Connections, Mentoring, and Support, (c) Self-Preservation and …
Teacher Perceptions Of The Implementation Processes Of The Imagine Learning Program In Title I Elementary Schools, Brigitt Angelica Mcguinness
Teacher Perceptions Of The Implementation Processes Of The Imagine Learning Program In Title I Elementary Schools, Brigitt Angelica Mcguinness
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Closing achievement gaps for students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds is a decades-long issue in public education, particularly for reading instruction (International Reading Association [IRA], 2010; National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2013). Across the United States, initiatives to further integrate technology-based instruction to achieve differentiation are constantly emerging. Selecting which programs to use and how to best implement the technology to produce the highest academic gains remain significant issues. Research has shown that technology-based programs can produce the same positive or negative effects as teacher-led instruction (Ross, Morrison, & Lowther, 2010). Finding and implementing high-quality literacy technology is particularly important for …
Teacher Perceptions Of Teacher Performance Pay And Performance Evaluation In Yunnan Province, China, Yi Hua
Teacher Perceptions Of Teacher Performance Pay And Performance Evaluation In Yunnan Province, China, Yi Hua
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
In China, teacher performance pay has been implemented for eight years, but teachers’ perceptions regarding its implementation have been examined seldomly. Exploring teachers’ perceptions is a path to hear teachers’ voices, inspect implementation practice, and evaluate impacts. This mixed-method study explored teachers’ perceptions toward performance pay in Panda School District of Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China through surveys, interviews, and artifacts. A total of 333 valid responses to the survey were collected and 14 teachers participated in follow-up semi-structured interviews. The quantitative results indicate low to moderate teacher support for performance pay. The qualitative themes generated through content analysis present …
The Implementation Of A Principal Mentoring Program And The Corresponding Impact On Leadership Practice, Paula Massey Huffman
The Implementation Of A Principal Mentoring Program And The Corresponding Impact On Leadership Practice, Paula Massey Huffman
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
With the challenges facing principals today, the question of how best to support new principals in meeting these challenges remains. The leadership abilities of new school leaders matter more today than ever with increasing accountability and additional responsibilities. The focus of this study was to determine participants’ perceptions of the impact of mentoring on the development on first and second-year principals in a suburban school district located in a fast growing metropolitan area within the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The overarching question of the study was: What impact does mentoring have on first and second-year principal performance? Secondary …
Evaluating Programming, Performance, And Perspectives In Pursuing Progress For English Language Learners, Patricia Marie Tilghman
Evaluating Programming, Performance, And Perspectives In Pursuing Progress For English Language Learners, Patricia Marie Tilghman
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Abstract The demographic composition of America’s population has changed significantly over the past several decades which is reflected in classrooms that are culturally and linguistically more diverse. In particular, the rapidly growing population of non-native English speaking students has highlighted the need for language instruction programs to increase linguistic proficiency outcomes and close pervasive gaps in academic achievement in comparison to native English speaking students. Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA), requires that local education agencies (LEAs) as guided by state education agencies …
Emotional Intelligence, Environment, And Teacher Self-Efficacy: A Look Into The Effects Of Teacher Emotional Intelligence And Socioeconomic Status Of School On Teacher Self-Efficacy In K-12 Public Schools, Augustine Kang
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This study sought to uncover the relationship among emotional intelligence, teacher self-efficacy, and socioeconomic status of schools amongst K-12 public school teachers. Correlations were analyzed between overall emotional intelligence and overall teacher self-efficacy, as well as between the subscales of both constructs. Furthermore, regression analysis was used to determine the predictability of teacher self-efficacy based on emotional intelligence, school socioeconomic status, and the subscales of emotional intelligence. Weak correlations were found between emotional intelligence of teachers and teacher self-efficacy levels. Emotional intelligence and school socioeconomic status were not found to be strong predictors of teacher self-efficacy. Subscales of emotional intelligence …
Virginia Principals' Knowledge Of Classroom Assessment And Support Of Assessment For Learning Practices, Rachel Previs Ball
Virginia Principals' Knowledge Of Classroom Assessment And Support Of Assessment For Learning Practices, Rachel Previs Ball
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this study was to investigate the assessment literacy of Virginia principals and describe how principals with varying levels of assessment literacy integrate assessment leadership practices that support assessment for learning. This study investigated the differences in assessment literacy between elementary and secondary principals and across principals’ predominant method of training in assessment. Mertler and Campbell’s (2005) Assessment Literacy Inventory (ALI) was used to obtain measures of overall assessment literacy and determine relative strengths and weaknesses across the seven Standards for Teacher Competence in the Educational Assessment of Students. There were no significant differences in assessment literacy across …
Institutional Analytics: A Response To The Pressures Of Academic Capitalism, Molly E. O'Keefe
Institutional Analytics: A Response To The Pressures Of Academic Capitalism, Molly E. O'Keefe
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The higher education sector today faces an environment unlike any it has seen before. Serving a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders and facing diverse and fast-changing economic, social, and political pressures, universities can benefit from corporate-like approaches such as the use of analytics to inform strategic decision-making and planning. Institutional analytics programs can be a valuable resource in guiding university responses to modern challenges around fiscal responsibility, accountability, competition, and student success. Customizable when it comes to leadership, staffing, and data and technology infrastructure, analytics initiatives can be targeted to meet individual institutional resources, environments, challenges, needs, mission, …
Teacher Perspectives Of Whole Brain Teaching In A Suburban Middle School: A Program Evaluation, Wendy Vanhosen
Teacher Perspectives Of Whole Brain Teaching In A Suburban Middle School: A Program Evaluation, Wendy Vanhosen
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this program evaluation case study was to seek the perceptions of a group of teachers based on their experience with Whole Brain Teaching strategies at a suburban middle school. Perceptions and factors that lead to teacher use of the strategies were explored with the intention of informing stakeholders of whether teachers view these strategies as viable to their practice and how these beliefs influence implementation. Challenges pertaining to implementation were uncovered as well as the frequency and intended purposes of teacher use of the Whole Brain Teaching strategies. Further, there is limited research available on Whole Brain …
Culture Clash: A Case Study Of The Issues That Non-Traditional College Presidents Face In Adjusting To Academic Culture, Sean Michael Heuvel
Culture Clash: A Case Study Of The Issues That Non-Traditional College Presidents Face In Adjusting To Academic Culture, Sean Michael Heuvel
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Chancellor's College Success Coach Initiative: A Formative Program Evaluation Of The Virginia Community College System's Initiative From The Success Coaches' Perspective, Marcia C. Strange
Chancellor's College Success Coach Initiative: A Formative Program Evaluation Of The Virginia Community College System's Initiative From The Success Coaches' Perspective, Marcia C. Strange
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
The Language Of Leadership A Feminist Poststructural Discourse Analysis Of Inaugural Addresses By Presidents Of High Profile Research Universities, Tehmina Khwaja
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
The Relationship Between Student Infractions And Social Emotional Competence: A Program Evaluation Of Responsive Classroom(Rtm), Bloodine Barthelus
The Relationship Between Student Infractions And Social Emotional Competence: A Program Evaluation Of Responsive Classroom(Rtm), Bloodine Barthelus
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Mission Us And Historical Empathy: A Qualitative Case Study Of Sixth-Grade Students' Experiences, James Richard Maxlow
Mission Us And Historical Empathy: A Qualitative Case Study Of Sixth-Grade Students' Experiences, James Richard Maxlow
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
An Exploration Of Compliance Predictors Of The Institutional Effectiveness Requirements Of The Southern Association Of Colleges And Schools Commission On Colleges' Baccalaureate Instittutions Between 2008 And 2012, Benjamin Ninjo Djeukeng
An Exploration Of Compliance Predictors Of The Institutional Effectiveness Requirements Of The Southern Association Of Colleges And Schools Commission On Colleges' Baccalaureate Instittutions Between 2008 And 2012, Benjamin Ninjo Djeukeng
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Teachers' Perspectives Of Effective Lesson Planning: A Comparative Analysis, Jessica Miller Wunderle Straessle
Teachers' Perspectives Of Effective Lesson Planning: A Comparative Analysis, Jessica Miller Wunderle Straessle
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
An Evaluation Of Project Iread: A Program Created To Improve Sight Word Recognition, Theresa Meade Marshall
An Evaluation Of Project Iread: A Program Created To Improve Sight Word Recognition, Theresa Meade Marshall
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This program evaluation was undertaken to examine the relationship between participation in Project iRead and student gains in word recognition, fluency, and comprehension as measured by the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) Test. Linear regressions compared the 2012-13 PALS results from 5,140 first and second grade students at adopting and non-adopting schools. Similar regressions were performed at early and late adopting schools. The outcomes for Project iRead indicated statistically significant improvement in word recognition at the district level. However, the results were not practically significant as less than 1% of the variation was explained by the model. In addition, Project …
Teacher Self-Efficacy, Content And Pedagogical Knowledge, And Their Relationship To Student Achievement In Algebra I, Antonia M. Fox
Teacher Self-Efficacy, Content And Pedagogical Knowledge, And Their Relationship To Student Achievement In Algebra I, Antonia M. Fox
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between teacher self-efficacy beliefs and the level of student achievement their students obtain as evidenced by the Algebra I Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment. This study also explored teachers' mathematics content knowledge, mathematics pedagogical knowledge, and the relationship of each of these to their self-efficacy beliefs as teachers, and to student achievement. Finally, the study explored whether there were significant differences between teachers who teach Algebra I at the middle school level versus those who teach Algebra I at the high school level in each of the four …