Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of School Through The Lens Of Black Male Elementary Students: A School Climate Study, Erica Peek

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This qualitative case study focused on the perceptions of 5^th grade black males at a suburban neighborhood elementary school in the southeastern United States. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how the participants felt about their teachers and school community. The theoretical frameworks that informed this study were Critical Race Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Several data gathering techniques (qualitative questionnaire, focus group meeting, and student journals) were utilized and analyzed to describe the participants’ experiences regarding school climate at TES. From the data collected, several themes emerged such as Building Relationships & …

Toward A Student-Ready Cybersecurity Program: Findings From A Survey Of Stem-Students, Lora Pitman, Brian K. Payne, Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, Lenora Thorbjornsen

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

As the number of available cybersecurity jobs continues to grow, colleges strive to offer to their cybersecurity students an environment which will make them sufficiently prepared to enter the workforce after graduation. This paper explores the academic and professional needs of STEM-students in various higher education institutions across Virginia and how cybersecurity programs can cater to these needs. It also seeks to propose an evidence-based approach for improving the existing cybersecurity programs so that they can become more inclusive and student-ready. A survey of 251 college students in four higher-education institutions in Virginia showed that while there are common patterns …

The Impact Of A Gencyber Camp On In-Service Teachers’ Tpack, Kevin M. Thomas, Jessica Ivy, Kristin Cook, Robert R. Kelley

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a GenCyber camp curriculum on teachers’ technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK). The camp was designed to engage participants in developing the knowledge and skills to incorporate GenCyber Cybersecurity First Principles and GenCyber Cybersecurity Concepts (GenCyber, 2019) into their curriculums. Participants (37 middle and high school teachers from a variety of disciplines) attended one of two weeklong camps held at a Midwestern liberal arts university. Using the TPACK Self-Reflection and TPACK Self-Assessment Surveys, pre- and post-camp data were collected from participants. Findings indicate that participants demonstrated an increase in …

Cultivating Culturally Responsive Elementary Teachers In A Suburban Title I School, Angela L. Mack

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Research suggests increased enrollment of students with diverse cultural, racial, linguistic, and social backgrounds will continue in schools across the United States over the coming years; thereby, imposing a challenge for some teachers with differing backgrounds to instruct culturally and linguistically diverse students. Without adequate professional development focused on culturally responsive teaching, it has been purported teachers will continue to adopt deficit perceptions and subpar practices that negatively impact students of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Thus, this study aimed to explore how a series of in-service professional development focused on culture, race, and pedagogy may influence teacher perceptions and …

A Structured Literacy Approach To Support Striving Readers In Secondary Grades: Meaningful Transactions Through Morphological Awareness And Fluency Building, Samantha Bart-Addison, Robert A. Griffin

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A high school English teacher and a university literacy professor provide secondary teachers with structured literacy strategies to support striving readers in the middle and high school grades. The authors present strategies that can be utilized with diverse texts across learning contexts. As a structured literacy approach, morphological awareness and prosodic fluency are emphasized to foster deeper, more meaningful transactions between students and texts. An example of a full structured literacy lesson is also provided that includes multiple strategies and is based on a gradual release model with guided and independent reading cycles. Applicable strategies for delivery of these skills …

Connecting A Community Through A Family Literacy Project And Virtual Writing Collaboration: University Students Facilitate Access To Literature During The Pandemic, Anne Katz Ph.D., Alexandria Sledge-Tollerson B.A. In Early Childhood Education

Georgia Journal of Literacy

The importance of accessing and sharing children’s literature took on new meaning as educators pivoted to remote and online learning models over the course of the past school year. In light of the pandemic, College of Education pre-service educators enrolled in a Fall 2020 Language and Literacy Development course (which is usually scheduled to meet face-to-face twice a week) was re-structured as hybrid, where a group of students were scheduled to meet partially face-to-face and partially online on a weekly basis. I planned to adapt my family literacy project collaboration with a local community center, an academic service learning assignment …

Culturally Relevant Teaching For The 21st Century: The Success And Challenges Of Pre-Service Teachers When Using Technology In Critical Ways, Virginie Jackson, Stacy Delacruz, Dominique Harry

Georgia Journal of Literacy

This case study examined pre-service teachers' use of technology as they implemented culturally relevant literacy lessons while tutoring elementary students in their field placement sites. As we enter a new decade, we want our students to be future-ready with technology skills. Here, we present an examination of how pre-service teachers integrated culturally relevant teaching with technology along with a discussion of the tools and devices their students used. Findings provided evidence that as pre-service teachers experienced authentic and engaging learning experiences within a supportive space, they emerged equipped to teach in culturally responsive ways that supported student learning and deeper …

Parental Leave Policy And It's Impacts On Educators In Public Schools., Tahy Addison

Symposium of Student Scholars

Parental Leave and it’s impacts on educators within public schools. Tahy Addison Candidate for the B.S. in Human Services with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Social Innovation Department of Social Work and Human Services

Dr. Jennifer A. Wade-Berg, Research Mentor

Abstract

Public Law 103-3 cited as the Family and Medical leave Act of 1993, was enacted to grant family and temporary medical leave under certain circumstances. The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was created for Americans who feel that their career takes valuable time away from their children and loved ones. FMLA allows eligible employees up to 12-weeks of …

Addressing Student Engagement During Covid-19: Secondary Stem Teachers Attend To The Affective Dimension Of Learner Needs, Tiffany Roman, Laurie Brantley-Dias, Michael Dias, Belinda Edwards

Faculty and Research Publications

This case study examines how a cohort of eleven induction secondary STEM teachers engaged learners during the onset of COVID-19 and their designs for student engagement given an online or blended teaching context in fall 2020. Participants attended a summer professional development workshop guided by trauma-informed teaching practices and learner engagement conceptual frameworks. Through the analysis of teacher artifacts and interviews, we identified dimensions of student engagement that teachers prioritized. Results indicate a marked increase in teachers’ attention to affective and social dimensions of learner engagement. We argue that teacher awareness and action in the affective domain of student engagement …

Examining Teachers’ Practices And Perspectives Of Family Engagement In A Rural High School Setting, Meredith Gulledge

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Once considered an additional support for schools, family engagement became a more essential aspect of education to help connect teachers with family members in an effort to increase positive academic outcomes among students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the current practices and perspectives of family engagement practices promoted by classroom teachers who currently teach at a high school in a rural setting. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and the Teacher Efficacy Theory based on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory were two influences of the theoretical framework for this study. The two research questions examined teachers’ current practices …

Everyone Matters: Eliminating Dehumanizing Practices In Physical Education, Brian Culp

Faculty and Research Publications

Recently, discussions regarding how to create a positive school climate where all can be successful has come to the forefront. Healthy schools support student learning, well-being, time, space to be active, and opportunities for social and emotional growth. However, a host of numerous trends suggest that the school climate is becoming increasingly hostile towards students who are from immigrant, LBGTQ, and ethnic minority groups. What is often seen as disrespectful behavior toward these students is in fact actions that can be more accurately defined as dehumanization. This article overviews the practice of dehumanization, the implications for learning, and introduces proactive …

Letter From The Editor, Shannon Tovey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Editorial by Shannon Tovey, Editor-in-Chief

Research On Global Citizenship Education In Asia: Conceptions, Perceptions, And Practice, Theresa Alviar, Mark C. Baildon

Faculty Bookshelf

This edited book provides new research highlighting philosophical traditions, emerging perceptions, and the situated practice of global citizenship education (GCE) in Asian societies. The book includes chapters that provide: 1) conceptions and frameworks of GCE in Asian societies; 2) analyses of contexts, policies, and curricula that influence GCE reform efforts in Asia; and 3) studies of students’ and teachers’ experiences of GCE in schools in different Asian contexts. While much citizenship education has focused on constructions and enactments of GCE in Western societies, this volume re-centers investigations of GCE amid Asian contexts, identities, and practices. In doing so, the contributors …

Training Peer Mentors In Reinforcement And Modeling With Prompting (Ramp): Using Mixed Reality Simulation To Encourage Social Reciprocity Skills In Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jasmine V. Sadler

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can face many challenges, including limited ability in social reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests as a result of the disorder (APA, 2013). This hinders their ability to build and maintain friendships in the same manner as their typically developing peers and affects their interactions, speech and language abilities, and emotional regulation (Whitman & DeWitt, 2011). Peer Mentors (PMs) are trained to support the development of these skills as part of the Peer Mediated Instruction and Intervention (PMII) evidence-based practice (EBP). However, and explicit training program is not always …

From Teacher To Teacher-Leader: A Phenomenographic Study Of Transition, Jennifer Santi

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

As Education evolves, the roles within traditional teaching and learning also evolve. School structures change and leadership roles within those structures change as well, creating and recreating the educational experience for students and practitioners alike. As these structures change the nature of education, the roles found within them also transform what it means to be a professional educator. Increases in teacher-leadership positions have led to more instructional coaching roles for teachers and it is necessary to understand how those roles are perceived by those that are now changing the nature of their chosen work. As teachers leave the classroom to …

Immigration Picture Books By #Ownvoices Authors, Sanjuana C. Rodriguez, Karina Gonzalez, Carolina Rojas

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Reviews of Latinx immigration picture books

Building Excitement For Reading And Building New Friendships: Using Book Bistro With Pre-Service Teachers And Middle School Students, Erinn Bentley

Georgia Journal of Literacy

This article describes a collaborative Book Bistro event between middle school students and pre-service English educators. Book Bistro is a strategy that promotes independent reading by gathering students in a café-like setting to discuss texts and perceptions through casual conversations. The purpose of this collaborative Bistro was two-fold: 1) To spark middle school students’ interest in self-selecting texts and engaging in independent reading, and 2) To allow pre-service teachers the opportunity to practice this strategy within an actual classroom. Responses from both the students and pre-service teachers indicated that this event positively impacted their interest toward reading and their relationships …

Seeking Calm Among The Chaos: A Letter From The Editor, Shannon Tovey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A letter from the Editor of the Georgia Journal of Literacy

Are Teachers’ Formative Assessment Practices Reliable Indicators Of Students’ Mastery Of Standards?, Olivia Hall

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Some students, parents, and teachers are concerned over the apparent disparity between a student’s classroom grades and his/her proficiency levels reported from criterion-referenced standardized assessments, such as the Georgia Milestones. The purpose of this research project was to determine if teachers’ formative assessment practices were reliable indicators of students’ mastery of grade-level standards. This study was a mixed-methods study with an explanatory research design. Qualitative data were collected through observations and interviews that analyzed teachers’ perceptions of the meaning of formative assessments and how they are impacted by the summative assessment system. Also, samples of teacher-selected assessments were analyzed to …

A Sociological View On Designing A Sustainable Online Community For K–12 Teachers: A Systematic Review, Dabae Lee, Jiyoon Jung, Suhkyung Shin, Anne Otternbreit-Leftwich, Krista Glazewski

Faculty and Research Publications

As a way to support teachers’ professional development activities and build communities of practice for teachers, education researchers and practitioners have put considerable effort into building an online learning community for K–12 teachers to create a venue to facilitate teachers’ joint knowledge construction. However, a substantial number of such online communities have failed due to lack of participation of members. Therefore, it is critical to understand how to design a sustainable community that fulfills members’ needs and elicits active participation of members. In this literature review, we adopted a sociological framework to investigate how to create a sustainable online community. …

The Twilight Program: A Phenomenographic Study, Chanda Crawley

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Alternative schools are an important concept in current education. This research describes the qualitatively different ways in which student’s experienced an alternative program, like Twilight. In these phenomenographic inquiry two current students, two Twilight graduates, and four Twilight teachers discuss the qualitatively different ways that students’ experience Twilight. The analysis yielded an outcome space of three qualitatively different ways of experiencing Twilight 1. Culture, 2. Self-efficacy, and 3, Teacher impact. Based on the findings of this research, the recommendation includes studying the shifting role of administrators in alternative education.

Exploring The Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Plcs By Teachers In A Rural Middle/High School, Erin Beasley

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This mixed methods study sought to explore how effective teachers perceive their PLCs to be. Of particular interest was the possible effects that the teachers’ years of experience and/or the level of certification had on those perceptions. The researcher sought to determine how the teacher population of one rural Georgia school felt about their PLCs as well as get a more candid, in-depth picture from a selective number of those teachers via interviews. The purpose of this study was to then use these findings to improve PLC practices and build a sustainable PLC environment in this particular school.

In-Service Biology Teachers’ Perceptions And Pedagogical Rating Of Two Mobile Learning Applications Recommended For Learning Biology In Nigerian Secondary Schools, Uchenna Udeani Prof, Jeremiah Nosakhare Akhigbe Mr

The African Journal of Information Systems

The study investigated in-service biology teachers’ perceptions of the instructional use of smartphones equipped with Biology Mobile Learning Applications (BMLAs) in the learning of biology concepts in Nigerian senior secondary schools and the pedagogical rating of two commercially available mobile learning applications recommended for learning biology. The study utilized a descriptive survey design. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings gathered revealed that the in-service biology teachers had good perceptions of the instructional use of BMLAs and that these perceptions influence their pedagogical rating and selection of mobile applications. The study also revealed that demographic variables such …

Letter From The Editor

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A Letter from the Editor

About The Authors

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Read this to learn more about this issue's authors.

Using Choral Reading To Improve Reading Fluency Of Students With Exceptionalities, Harriet J. Bessette

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Despite the existence of a continuum of modeling reading methods (e.g., sustained silent reading, paired reading, repeated reading, and others), the goal of modeling strategies continues to be to prepare learners to read with ease and enjoyment, while gaining content knowledge for academic success. Moving to increasingly more reading independence on the part of the student is a critical goal for emergent readers, and those with exceptionalities. Reducing modeling by the teacher and increasing modeling by other students may lead to greater reading fluency and overall reading achievement and satisfaction. In this paper, the author suggests that choral reading, a …

Educator Researched Methods And Interventions That Increase Below Level Readers’ Fluency And Comprehension, Shawnee Knott, Shannon Tovey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A student walks into a classroom multiple grades below grade level and already on day one that student is behind and will most likely be behind their entire school year. Many teachers are faced with this scenario year after year. Students entering their classrooms unprepared for the on-level content they need to be on. Reading below grade level is just the beginning of the learning gap that exists in today’s classrooms. Teachers work hard to close that gap, but by upper elementary is it too late? What can teachers do to help these students grow and become successful learners?

This …

What’S Next For Literacy Education In Georgia? An Interview With Dr. Caitlin Dooley, Deputy Superintendent, Georgia Department Of Education, Shannon Tovey Howrey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

An interview with Dr. Caitlin Dooley

Elementary School Teacher's Beliefs, Organizational Change, And Stem Implementation: Factors Impacting Teacher Leadership, Shelante Patton

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine organizational change as it related to the implementation of STEM as perceived by elementary educators in an urban school in an urban city. The barriers, challenges and supports provided to teachers regarding STEM implementation in an urban school were investigated This study looked to include teachers and teacher leaders over a six-week period in an elementary school in a large urban School District., As a result of this study, some dialogue was generated in reference to STEM instructional practices and integration. Teachers also shared how they can increase change implementation …

Performance Feedback In Teacher Preparation: Improving Preservice Teachers’ Use Of High Leverage Practices Through Mixed-Reality Simulation, Kate Zimmer, Melissa Driver, Patricia Alvarez Mchatton

Faculty and Research Publications

Challenging classroom behaviors are a leading cause of beginning teachers’ stress and attrition. It has been a longstanding criticism that teacher preparation programs are not adequately providing preservice teachers with the proper strategies to help them deal with behavior problems effectively. This study examines the effects of performance feedback and deliberate practice using a mixed-reality simulation on preservice teachers’ use of high leverage practices. Simulators are well suited for training preservice teachers in high leverage practices because it allows for repeated practice and opportunities for performance feedback. Findings are presented from research on the use of performance feedback and deliberate …