Education Commons^™

Global Citizenship Education Starts With Teacher Training And Professional Development, Evan Saperstein

Journal of Global Education and Research

In recent years, the idea of global citizenship has grown in scholarly circles and developed into a nascent discipline known as global citizenship education. As a general matter, global citizenship education strives to deepen cross-cultural understanding through the study of current transnational issues. This qualitative, interpretivist case study examined the roles and responsibilities of global studies teachers at an urban New Jersey public high school. The study included interviews with an administrator, two global studies teachers, and six students enrolled in the second sequence of a two-year course in the global studies curriculum; as well as observations and analysis of …

Educational Leadership, Leader-Member Exchange And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Gabriela Flores, Denver J. Fowler, Richard A. Posthuma

Journal of Global Education and Research

The purpose of this article is to examine social cognitive theory and social comparison theory, and how they are integrated to propose that self-efficacy mediates the relationship between leader-member exchange social comparison (LMXSC) and performance. Furthermore, the article supports the need for development and examination of the effects of educational leadership and teacher self-efficacy. That is, to determine if school leadership has an effect on teacher self-efficacy, and if teacher self-efficacy has an effect on student achievement. The preliminary conceptual model developed within the article includes insightful research questions to be considered for impending future studies. The authors hope this …

Support For Teacher Candidates And The Edtpa, Dia Gary, Dylan Thomas, Joseph Miller

Journal of Global Education and Research

Equipping new teachers in today’s society is a noble and challenging task. Of late, many additional licensing standards for teachers create additional responsibilities for universities that provide pedagogy, knowledge, and content for teacher candidates. Identification of best practices that support teacher candidates on the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) is of interest to many teacher education programs. The purpose of this research was to analyze whether incorporating a mock edTPA had beneficial results on the passage of the edTPA. This study spanned fourteen ten-week quarters and included 688 teacher candidates who were preparing to become certificated teachers at a university …

Exploring Adult Indigenous Latinxs’ English Language Identity Expressions And Agency: A Malp®-Informed Photovoice Study, Andrea Enikő Lypka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholars historically emphasized literate learners’ additional language trajectories. In countries with increasingly large numbers of limited-literate adult language learners, there is an urgent need to inspire limited-literate adults to speak out and be heard. To address the needs of adult language learners with inconsistent schooling, and the ways their identities, agency, and social power influence opportunities for participation in the target language communities of practice, scholars need to implement bottom-up and responsive curricular and research innovations. To this end, informed by poststructuralist and transdisciplinary understandings of English language development, I investigated the identity work (self-positioning and other-positioning) and agency deployment …

Building Collaborative Teacher Education: Integrating Udl Through A Faculty Learning Community, Stacie B. Whinnery, Keri C. Fogle, Jennifer C. Stark, Keith W. Whinnery

Journal of Practitioner Research

Teacher educators have focused reform efforts on preparing graduates to address increasingly diverse K-12 students. Collaboration among general and special education faculty is seen as beneficial for preparing teacher candidates who can teach diverse learners, yet it is not the norm. This practitioner research study explored a curriculum reform effort that employed a faculty learning community (FLC) to engage general and special education faculty to collaboratively integrate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into two teacher education programs. Faculty perceptions of the collaborative reform process and resulting curriculum enhancements are presented. Findings indicated the process was valued by our faculty, promoted …

Practicing Policy: Preservice Teachers’ Experiences With A Proficiency-Based Education Model, Meredith Jc Swallow

Journal of Practitioner Research

Abstract: Varying policy on the implementation of proficiency-based education (PBE) presents a challenge in the preparation of future educators. It becomes critical to include structures and strategies in teacher education programs that support learning and application in different assessment frameworks. This study explores a piloted PBE model in a university teacher preparation course to better understand the enactment of PBE in classrooms, and the associated teaching and learning implications in a university setting. Results point toward reflection, choice, and standards as objectives as benefits of a PBE model, while challenges include time and scalability in classrooms. Implications focus on the …

An Examination Of An Engagement Indicator For Non-Traditional First-Generation Black Students Enrolled In U.S. Institutions, Chantae D. Still

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

More students than ever have been provided access to higher education; however, the increase in enrollment is outpacing the data on successful completion rates. Student engagement has been identified as fundamental for college student success and retention.

The purpose of this study was to provide a description of the student engagement of non-traditional first-generation Black students attending 4-year public institutions in the United States. Using the Student-Faculty Interaction (SFI) National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) scales of student engagement, this study examined the relationship between SFI and selected personal characteristics of traditional and non-traditional, first-generation first-year and senior-year Black students, …

The Impact Of War On U.S. Army Leader Self-Development Domain In The Early 21st Century, Stephen D. Pomper

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research examines senior U.S. Army officer leaders’ propensity and appreciation to engage in self-devolvement and to develop their junior leaders. The research compares what the Army is prescribing to its leaders with what they are actually saying and doing. It focuses on the decade before the Global War on Terrorism, during the high-tempo war period, and the last ten years. We find that the past 19 years of war have impacted the U.S. Army in countless ways. One is arguably on its most precious capability—its active officer leaders. As the Army rose to war-related challenges, it did so …

Spilling The Lgbt(Ea)Q: A Study Of Lgbtq Youth Early School Experiences, Nicholas Catania

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this arts-based qualitative study, I explore the experiences of LGBTQ youth regarding inclusion during their early schooling. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of youth participants regarding inclusion during their early school experiences to better assist educators and policy-makers at all levels with information to provide safe and equitable learning environments for LGBTQ youth to succeed. The intent of this study was to uncover the ways schools may marginalize or be inclusive of LGBTQ youth by examining school experiences with a particular focus at the elementary level. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, …

Successful Novice Teachers’ Conceptualizations And Enactments Of The Collaborating Teacher Role: A Dual Case Study, Kia Sarnoff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive, exploratory, dual case study was to understand the ways two successful novice middle school mathematics teachers serving as first-year collaborating teachers (CTs) for preservice teachers (PSTs) from the same “Grow Your Own” (GYO) educator preparation program (EPP) where they received their initial preparation conceptualized and enacted their CT roles. The CTs’ perceived impact of being alumni of the same middle school mathematics EPP as their PSTs was also explored. Analysis of interview, observation, and document data collected throughout the PSTs’ initial field experience and the CTs’ first-ever mentoring experience resulted in several key assertions including: …

Perceptions Of Preservice Teachers Of Students With Autism And Intellectual Disabilities In Their Teacher Preparation Programs In Saudi Arabia, Salman Almughyiri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the male preservice special education teachers’ perceptions in regard to the preservice special education teacher preparation courses, practicum, and evidence-based practices that they have recently completed. The participants of the study included five preservice special education teachers from two universities, Shaqra University and King Saud University, in Riyadh (the capital city of Saudi Arabia). Qualitative interview designs were employed to gather the data, which included conducting fifteen interviews. Each participant was interviewed three times with 45-90 minutes of length for each interview. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Thematic analysis is a method for identifying, …

Bidirectional Influences Of Decisions And Outcomes On Organizational Identity And Sustainable Viability In Small, Private, Nonprofit, Mission-Focused Higher Education Institutions, Brian J. Gilliam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As educational leaders in small, private, nonprofit, mission-focused higher education institutions confront challenges, their decisions influence organizational identity, culture, and viability. Decision-making is informed in a complex environment of internal and external influences. The purpose of this research is engaged scholarship to inform practitioners of decision-making in mission-focused institutions with better understanding of why and how adaptation is occurring, and provide a conceptual framework for decision-making and further study of organizational leadership in this important sector of higher education.

Four-year private, nonprofit, degree-granting institutions represent 34% of all accredited institutions in the United States and serve over 5 million students. …

Community College Students’ Perceptions Of The Effects Of Peer Mentoring On Their Sense Of Belonging, Bryan K. Sullins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Community college students are less likely to complete their educational objectives than are students who attend 4-year institutions. Students who opt out of the recommended remedial coursework in the foundational subjects of reading, writing, and math may be further disadvantaged when attempting college level coursework. As one way to reduce this disadvantage, peer mentoring’s positive influence on retention, student development, and success in college is well-documented in higher education literature. Additionally, an increasing number of research articles espouse students’ sense of belonging as a critical factor in these same areas. What the extant literature fails to closely examine are the …

Using The Cipp Evaluation Model To Examine A Bachelor Of Science In Health Systems Management Program, Somer Goad Burke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this formative evaluation was to explore the effectiveness of a Bachelor of Science in Health Systems Management (BS HSMT) program in supporting student success through gathering information that led to recommendations for program improvement. The evaluation setting was a public university in the southeastern United States that began enrolling students in the BS HSMT in the fall semester 2017. The BS HSMT was developed to meet the local workforce need for professionals trained in health management and to offer a non-clinical bachelor’s degree for students not competitive or not admitted to their first-choice selective major (described in …

Identifying The Academic And Emotional Risk And Resource Factors Of Underrepresented Students In Accelerated Coursework, Jasmine L. Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are many benefits of student participation in accelerated curricula in high school such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBD) or Advanced Placement (AP) coursework. Benefits include skipping introductory coursework in college, being better prepared to deal with the stressors of college, and positive impacts on peer relationships, self-image, and the development of the concept of success (The International Baccalaureate Organization [IBO], 2019). However, the extent to which all students, regardless of demographic background, are able to participate in and benefit from such programs is a little less known. Previous research indicates that the IBD tends to enroll high-achieving …

Leading The Way: A Critical Narrative About The Creation Of An Online Professional Development Program, Otis Wilder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leading the Way is a narrative examination of how I (the author) built a professional development training program for the hospitality industry in cooperation with my university and numerous hospitality industry leaders from our community. The program was developed over the course of a year by a large team of people working together to create the Hospitality Leadership Program (HLP). My role in the creation of the HLP was that of instructional designer and curriculum developer. The purpose of the narrative is to provide a critical view of the interactions between the fields of instructional design and curriculum development during …

Students' Perceptions Of Career And Academic Advising In College Learning Communities, Kelly M. Hallas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if community college students in differing learning communities had different perceptions of their career and academic needs and whether students in different learning communities perceived their career and academic advisor as meeting these needs (i.e. are they satisfied with their advising). In addition, this study examined the variables of gender, ethnicity, and enrollment status and their relation to students’ needs and satisfaction across learning communities.

The Community College that provides the backdrop for the inquiry has recently transitioned to Academic and Career Learning Communities. This institution defines its communities as similar majors …

Predicting Transfer Student Degree Completion At The University Of South Florida - Tampa Utilizing Pre-Matriculation Data, Danielle Busson Mcdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the ability of demographic and academic pre-matriculation variables to predict degree completion of transfer students at the University of South Florida –Tampa. The University is situated in a state with performance-based funding and with a high number of students who transfer from Florida College System community and state colleges to the university. Transfer students are predicted to become an additional population included in performance metrics thus increasing the need for the university to begin to analyze degree completion barriers to shape early intervention.

Participants in the study were 970 students who transferred …

Civic Engagement Amid Civil Unrest: Haitian Social Scientists Working At Home, Nadège Nau

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unlike many of the autoethnographic accounts in world anthropologies discourse, this study employs critical educational ethnography to both address the geopolitics of Haitian anthropology while also spotlighting an understudied group: university faculty. This study addresses: What are the conditions of academic labor for anthropology professors working in Haiti? Moreover, what is the price of being an anthropology professor at the School of Ethnology at the State University of Haiti (UEH), and how do professors add meaningful value to their labor through sacrifice, ingenuity, and civic engagement? Despite professors’ work-related challenges and Haiti’s severe “brain drain” levels, for many professors, their …

The Participation Of Children With Multiple Disabilities In The Florida State Alternate Assessment: Parent Perspectives, Lora Reese

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The perspectives of parents of children with multiple disabilities regarding their understanding and involvement in their child’s participation in the Florida State Alternate Assessment (FSAA) Performance Task and Datafolio are explored in this study. In the United States, federal policies require all students to participate in state-wide formal assessments, including students with multiple disabilities. Current research literature examines the perspectives of teachers and other education professionals regarding the many facets of formalized assessment. However, the perspective of parents of children with multiple disabilities and their child’s participation in formal alternate assessment is scant. Throughout this study, the reflections of six …

Facilitators And Barriers To Treatment Engagement In A Behavioral Parent Training Program, Holland Hayford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study sought to analyze caregivers’ perspectives regarding facilitators of, and barriers to, attending the behavioral parent training programs (BPTs) known as Helping Our Toddlers, Developing Our Children’s Skills (HOT DOCS) and Developing Our Children’s Skills K-5 (DOCS K-5). Participants included 43 caregivers who successfully completed their respective DOCS program. These caregivers answered two questionnaires which contained items addressing demographic variables (i.e., gender, race, ethnicity, household income, level of education, number of children, and program attendance) and logistic factors of the DOCS programs (i.e., course location, class length, time of day, course duration, availability of transportation, availability of childcare). …

Understanding Campus Support Programs: How Universities Are Assisting Foster Care Alumni In Achieving Success, Bonnie Wilson Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Young adults with foster care experience encounter a number of challenges related to obtaining a college degree. To assist this population in reaching their academic goals, many colleges and universities have created campus-based support programs. These programs are designed to assist former foster youth through an array of services, which range from financial aid to mentorship. However, little is known about how these programs are designed or implemented, or how effectively they are meeting the needs of this population. This dissertation sought to build upon previous research that examined the barriers faced by former foster children who are pursuing a …

There Is No I In Team: A Case Study Exploring Co-Teaching Relationships In Preschool Classrooms, Stefanie Claire Lynch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is a highly complex phenomenon where two teachers work together in some capacity. Co-teaching is an accepted practice in preschools across the United States to meet state licensing standards and state ratios. There is a paucity of research done on this topic in preschool classrooms in the United States. The purpose of this study is to explore co- teaching relationships in preschool classrooms. This study was guided by three research questions: What are teachers’ notions about co-teaching? What are co-teachers’ experiences working in preschool classrooms? How does care manifest in co-teaching relationships? This study delves into the ways in …

Digital Stories Students Tell: An Exploration Of Doctoral Sla Students’ Beliefs About Storytelling And Educational Technology, Patrick Mannion

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Educational technology (ET) plays a major role in second/foreign (L2) language teaching and learning. Some factors influencing the ways in which teachers employ ET in L2 education are the teachers’ personal beliefs about how teachers and students should use ET to learn target languages. To develop a better understanding of influences on L2 teachers’ ET-related subjective positions, a need exists to explore the ET-related perceptions and beliefs of current and future teacher educators who are, or will be, responsible for the design and implementation of curricula and learning activities in teacher education programs. In these teacher education programs, future teachers …

Potential Roles Of Speech-Language Pathologists In Advancing Early Intervention And Prevention Within A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports (Mtss) Framework, Meaghan A. Mckenna

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) is a framework that promotes school improvement through tiered deployment of research-based academic and behavioral practices. MTSS employs a systems approach whereby data-based problem solving integrates effective assessment and instruction designed to meet the academic, behavioral, and social emotional needs of all students. Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are interested in better understanding their role within MTSS and others have a desire to lead efforts at their school site or the district level, but are unsure of where to begin. This dissertation includes three papers that explore potential roles and responsibilities of SLPs within a multi-tiered …

Exploring A Boundary-Spanner's Beliefs, Tensions, And Decision-Making As A Methods Course Instructor And University Supervisor: A Self-Study, Wendy Baker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High quality teacher preparation is essential for the future of education. Researchers have examined the connection of theory and practice as an imperative to prepare preservice teachers. Methods course instructors and university supervisors are key players in bridge theory and practice, but rarely does the same individual get to be both methods course instructor and university supervisor. While it is important for teacher education programs to consider how to connect theory and practice, it is equally important to understand how to support preservice teachers when the same person acts as methods course instructor and university supervisor. Using self-study, the purpose …

Exploring Implicit Bias To Evaluate Teacher Candidates' Ethical Practice In The Internship, Jamie Silverman, Jessica Shiller

Journal of Practitioner Research

To create an equitable and ethical learning environment in the classroom requires teacher candidates (TCs) to develop positive relationships with students and to reflect on who they are. Using the elements of Richard Milner’s (2007) Framework of Researcher Racial and Cultural Positionality, this article presents an account of an innovative practice in how to engage secondary education TCs in a reflection of implicit biases, and how to interrupt them to become more ethical professionals. This article takes InTASC 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice as a point of departure and describes how a new teacher mentor piloted a series of …

Women In Water: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Women's Lived Experience As Water And Wastewater Professionals, Pamela Murawski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore the lived experiences of women water and wastewater professionals in California. A qualitative methodology and semi-structured interviews provided detail and a rich understanding of women’s occupational choices, pursuits, and roles as told from their own perspectives. The results revealed that while working in water promoted a sense of pride, accomplishment, and empowerment, women continued to fight for equal access and full participation in lucrative water treatment careers. Key issues the women indicated were lack of knowledge of the industry, the necessity of mentorship, access to technical information, and the male-centered …

Predictive Validity Of Standards-Based And Curriculum-Embedded Assessments For Predicting Readiness At Kindergarten Entry, Elizabeth Ashton Decamilla

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As with traditional K-12 educational settings, early childhood assessments have been a primary source of information determining whether early educational experiences have promoted children’s readiness to start school in kindergarten. The level of use of Kindergarten Entry Assessments (KEAs) has become more wide-spread to establish levels of school readiness at kindergarten entry.

This quantitative, correlational study of children in schools that have blended Head Start/Voluntary Prekindergarten funded programs examined the predictive relationships between the independent variables (i.e., VPK Assessments and Teaching Strategies GOLD) and the dependent variable of kindergarten readiness, as measured by the Work Sampling System™ (WSS). Additionally, the …

Evaluating The Use Of Alternative Seating With Children At Risk For Emotional Behavioral Disabilities, Corinne E. Bloom Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) include learning difficulties that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors and an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. Often, children with EBD have a tendency to have negative experiences in school and engage in challenging behavior in the classroom. This could stem from their lack of desire or motivation to succeed, which is often found in individuals with EBD. One possible antecedent manipulation, alternative seating, may reduce problem behavior and involves exchanging the typical seating and tables in classrooms for different types of seating …