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Teacher Education and Professional Development

Theses and Dissertations

Professional Development

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Motivation, Learning, And The Workplace: A Study Of Community College Student Affairs Professionals And Continued Professional Learning, Joseph M. Ginese Jan 2024

Motivation, Learning, And The Workplace: A Study Of Community College Student Affairs Professionals And Continued Professional Learning, Joseph M. Ginese

Theses and Dissertations

Continued professional learning is a consistent focus of attention for the field of student affairs within higher education. Yet, very little research has been conducted on the factors that influence the motivation of student affairs professionals to pursue continued professional learning, especially professionals within community colleges. This study utilized a quantitative research design to examine the physical and psychological factors of the work environment that can influence a community college student affairs professional’s motivation to pursue continued professional learning. Through the theoretical lens of Lewin’s Field Theory and Eccles’ Expectancy-Value Theory, I designed a 58-item survey (N = 41) …


Expectancy-Value Theory During Challenging Moments: A Narrative Inquiry Into Classroom Dialogic Discussions, Malka Alter Ungar Jan 2021

Expectancy-Value Theory During Challenging Moments: A Narrative Inquiry Into Classroom Dialogic Discussions, Malka Alter Ungar

Theses and Dissertations

This problem solution narrative inquiry explored how expectancy-value theory impacts teachers’ decisions during dialogic discussions. This paper delved into challenging moments teachers faced during dialogic discussion implementation. The purpose was to use this data to better inform the development of teacher-centered and more supportive professional learning opportunities. Participants from two parochial schools were invited to be interviewed about their dialogic discussion experiences. Data was coded using constant-comparative coding and was then restoried within problem solution narrative framework. The narratives were then coded for themes of expectancy, value, and self-efficacy. This study was intended to impact professional development to guide teachers …


Examining Career And Technical Education Practitioner Preparation And Professional Development Needs, Shane Wilson Lange Mar 2020

Examining Career And Technical Education Practitioner Preparation And Professional Development Needs, Shane Wilson Lange

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study was used to investigate Illinois automotive educator professional development needs and to identify the demographic landscape of Illinois secondary and post-secondary automotive teachers. The study should bring a greater understanding of what automotive teachers feel they need to learn in order to continue as successful educators. A modified Borich (1980) needs assessment model was used to identify the perceived importance and ability levels for 32 professional competencies. Mean Weighted Discrepancy Scores (MWDS) were calculated using the importance and ability scores in order to report the professional development need. The administered survey was also utilized to examine their …


A Teacher’S Adoption Of Maker-Centered Learning: A Phenomenological Case Study, Michael L. Schad Jan 2019

A Teacher’S Adoption Of Maker-Centered Learning: A Phenomenological Case Study, Michael L. Schad

Theses and Dissertations

The maker movement is a social movement which espouses the importance of artifact creation through physical and digital tools. As the maker movement moves into educational spaces, researchers and educators are exploring ways to integrate it alongside current classroom practices. A prevalent framework for maker integration is the maker-centered learning framework, which was used as part of the conceptual framework. Currently, more research is needed which justifies and analyzes maker-centered learning in an educational environment. This study aimed to use phenomenological methods to capture the lived experience of chemistry teacher as she integrated the maker-centered learning framework into her chemistry …


Exploring The Impact Of Diversity Training On The Development And Application Of Cultural Competence Skills In Higher Education Professionals, Kendra Cabler Jan 2019

Exploring The Impact Of Diversity Training On The Development And Application Of Cultural Competence Skills In Higher Education Professionals, Kendra Cabler

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years the terms diversity and inclusion have become major buzzwords across industries and fields of study. Within the field of education broadly, and higher education in particular, a shifting student demographic can be seen across the country. Issues of equity and inclusion have become central complexities for present day educational strategists, and organizations committed to cultivating a culture of inclusion must do so with intentionality. In the context of higher education, this often requires the intentional development of professionals within a particular college or university. There has been a great deal of research concerning the development of cultural …


The Role Of Professional Development On Secondary Special Educators Self-Efficacy Regarding The Use Of Evidence-Based Transition Practices, Lauren P. Bruno Jan 2018

The Role Of Professional Development On Secondary Special Educators Self-Efficacy Regarding The Use Of Evidence-Based Transition Practices, Lauren P. Bruno

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how transition specific professional development influenced secondary special educators’ knowledge and perceived self-efficacy regarding the use of evidence-based transition practices. Past research has suggested that secondary special educators enter the profession with limited knowledge and skills to provide effective evidence-based transition practices to students with disabilities. Based on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, and Desimone’s framework for effective professional development, this study identified how different variables related to professional development can influence teacher self-efficacy in terms of delivering evidence-based transition practices. Specifically, a correlational research design was used to investigate teacher self-efficacy to …


Discursive Tactical Negotiations Within And Across Literacy Coaching Interactions, Carolyn S. Hunt Sep 2013

Discursive Tactical Negotiations Within And Across Literacy Coaching Interactions, Carolyn S. Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the researcher employed de Certeau's theoretical insights into cultural production in everyday life to examine how literacy coaches and teachers discursively negotiated issues of identity, power, and positioning during coaching interactions. The study also explored how literacy coaches and teachers enacted emotions within these discursive negotiations of identity, power, and positioning; and how physical, social, and ideological spaces were shaped by and reflected in coaching interactions. Data were generated during a yearlong qualitative study of literacy coaches and teachers interacting within a mid-size, suburban district in the U.S. Midwest. The researcher used a microethnographic approach to discourse …