Education Commons^™

The Impact Of Job-Embedded Professional Development Coaches On Teacher Practice., Donna T. Hamblin Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this qualitative study was to understand the impact of job-embedded professional development coaches on teacher practice. Coaches in this study worked with teachers to plan lessons, model lessons with feedback, and disaggregate data. This qualitative study was conducted using interviews of coaches to gain their perceptions of the work they did with teachers and how this work influenced teacher practice. Teachers were interviewed to determine their perceptions of the impact coaches' work had on their classroom practices. Analysis of the coaches and teachers' reflective journals was also conducted to establish the participants' perceptions of their work together …

Small Rural School Districts In Nebraska: A Case Study Of Challenges And Solutions, Michael R. Montgomery

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to determine the problems faced by small, rural Nebraska school districts. For this study, 15 possible challenges were identified (a) student enrollment, (b) instructional programs, (c) instructional support services, (d) extra curricular activities, (e) hiring and retaining administrative staff, (f) hiring and retaining teaching staff, (g) hiring and retaining non-certified staff, (h) building and grounds, (i) transportation services, (j) food services, (k) school finances, (l) student assessment, (m) accountability school performance, (n) family support, and (o) community support. There were no data on this topic for the state of Nebraska. The case for this …

Getting Families Involved In Students’ Education Through Home Visits At Midwestern Charter Schools, Hakan Solak

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Home visits are a model of communication after school time when school staff members actually go into students homes to foster a relationship among students, families, and teachers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how home visits take place in a single charter school and how families are involved in the educational process of students at Midwestern Charter Schools.

Thirteen participants from Chicago Math and Science Academia (CMSA) were interviewed via an open-ended questionnaire. Additionally, two home visit observations were made by the primary investigator in the natural setting of the homes of two students. Through this …

The Relationship Among Mathematics Anxiety, Mathematical Self-Efficacy, Mathematical Teaching Self-Efficacy, And The Instructional Practices Of Elementary School Teachers, Lydia Joan Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to explore the relationships among the variables of mathematics anxiety, mathematical self-efficacy, mathematical teaching self-efficacy, and the instructional practice of elementary school teachers. The study included 320 practicing elementary teachers who teach mathematics to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. These teachers completed the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale, the Mathematics Teaching and Mathematics Self-Efficacy survey, and the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Survey. Quantitative data analysis methods included descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Results indicated a statistically significant relationship between mathematical teaching self-efficacy (efficacy) and mastery approaches to instruction, as well as …

Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of In-School Suspension, Amelia Shondra Jackson

Dissertations

Providing a safe and orderly school environment for students to learn is of paramount importance to school administrators, teachers, students, and the general public; however, the learning process should not be compromised while trying to maintain such an environment. There are many alternative approaches that can be utilized that would rectify the problem we as educators face in providing a safe and orderly environment. At-risk students are usually the ones who have the most serious infractions. These students exhibit a cyclical pattern of recalcitrant behavior. It is imperative that these at-risk students be identified as early as possible, and intervention …

Voices, Echoes, And Narratives: Multidimensional Experiences Of Three Teachers Immersed In Ethnomathematical Encounters In Morocco, Mekyah Q. Mcqueen, Stanley F. H. Shaheed, Curtis V. Goings, Iman C. Chahine

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How Is It That One Particular Statement Appeared Rather Than Another?: Opening A Different Space For Different Statements About Urban Mathematics Education, David W. Stinson

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Faculty Publications

In this editorial, the author applies Michel Foucault's concept of "discursive formations" to examine fictions, fantasies, and power relationships in mathematics education research.

The Relationship Between Leader Decision Making And Student Achievement At K-3 Title I And Reading First Elementary Schools, Emily Kathleen Richmond

Dissertations

This mixed methodology study investigated the relationship between administrator and teacher perceptions of leader decision making regarding five variables (reading training, reading curriculum, program evaluation, financial support, and student assessment) and student achievement (in the single content area, reading, at the 3rd grade level) in Title I K-3 schools receiving Reading First Grants (RFGs) and Title I K-3 schools not receiving RFGs, in four states (Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, and Oklahoma). Respondent data and district data regarding percentages of students achieving proficient and above on state third grade reading assessments were analyzed via Pearson Correlations, Multiple Regression Analysis, and a MANOVA. …

Shu's Robert Mccloud Teaches Class Of 2 Million Children: Computer-Aided Learning In Albania, Robert Mccloud

Robert McCloud

No abstract provided.

Teachers’ Knowledge About The Nature Of Mathematics: A Survey Of Secondary School Teachers In Karachi, Pakistan, Munira Amirali, Anjum Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This study presents the findings from a study which explored patterns in teachers’ knowledge about the nature of mathematics. A survey questionnaire was developed and distributed to 200 secondary school mathematics teachers teaching in public and private schools in Karachi, Pakistan. Exploratory factor analysis was performed which showed patterns in teachers’ view about the nature of mathematics. The analysis illustrates that teachers hold contradicting views about the nature of mathematics i.e. mathematics, both as discovered as well as invented body of knowledge. Moreover, teachers irrespective of their professional qualification, considered mathematical knowledge as ‘truth’, where mathematical rules can never be …

Efficiency Of Fiscal Allocations In Site-Based Empowered Schools, Jerome Jay Meyer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study implemented a two phase concurrent mixed-methods design to generate a greater understanding of how elementary schools with increased autonomy in fiscal decision making allocated their money, how their site-based decisions affected allocative efficiency, and how increased autonomy affected site-based decision making when compared with a set of matched control schools within a large urban district.

Phase I compared school site expenditure patterns of site-based empowered schools to demographically matched control schools and to all elementary schools within a large urban district over four years, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08. Expenditure data were collected from the In$ite data base …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring On Homework Completion And Accuracy Rates Of Students With Disabilities In An Inclusive General Education Classroom, Carol Ann Falkenberg

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of self-monitoring on the homework completion and accuracy rates of four, fourth-grade students with disabilities in an inclusive general education classroom. A multiple baseline across subjects design was utilized to examine four dependent variables: completion of spelling homework, accuracy of spelling homework, completion of math homework, accuracy of math homework. Data were collected and analyzed during baseline, three phases of intervention, and maintenance. Throughout baseline and all phases, participants followed typical classroom procedures, brought their homework to school each day and gave it to the general education teacher. During Phase I of the intervention, participants …

Preferences Of First-Time Expectant Mothers For Care Of Their Child: I Wouldn’T Leave Them Somewhere That Made Me Feel Insecure, Wendy Anne Boyd, Karen J. Thorpe, Collette Patria Tayler

Dr Wendy Boyd

Australia has witnessed a continual increase in maternal employment over the past two decades, which places focus on both supply of childcare and a demand for high-quality care. This study examined childcare preferences regarding the return to paid work of 124 Australian women who were expecting their first child. In contrast with most studies that have retrospective designs, the design of this study presents the perspectives of women prior to the birth of their first child – that is, before they have made a final decision about child care. This study found that the majority (78 per cent) of the …

Children & Behaviour: A Strengths-Based Approach To Education: Conference Report, Sallie Newell, Adam Biggs, Anne Graham, Lyn Gardon

Professor Anne Graham

Difficult and/or challenging student behaviour continues to rank high in terms of the most frequently cited ‘problems’ confronting schools and teachers. Research suggests that positive and proactive behaviour management is one of the most constructive building blocks for effective classrooms. Teachers recognise that behaviour is closely linked with learning outcomes as well as to issues of care, respect and safety that contribute to positive classroom environments. This conference, we believe, provides an important forum in which to explore the possibilities for implementing a strengths based, capacity building approach to behaviour support in schools. The conference theme reflects a key aim …

Murwillumbah Communities For Children Initiative: Baseline Community-Level Survey Results, Sallie Newell, Anne Graham

Professor Anne Graham

This report summarises the results from the baseline community-level surveys collected as part of the evaluation of the Murwillumbah Communities for Children initiative. The information from these surveys gives an impression of how families and early childhood workers were feeling in the early stages of the initiative – in relation to the main goals described below. Similar surveys will be collected towards the end of the initiative to allow an assessment of if, and how, things have changed for families with young children in and around Murwillumbah. About

Parent Support Project: Evaluation Report, Anna D. Huddy, Sallie Newell, Anne Graham

Professor Anne Graham

What is the Parent Support Project? The Parent Support Project (PSP) was a pilot project developed by the Northern Rivers Division of General Practice (NRDGP), with funding from the Early Childhood – Invest to Grow arm of the Australian Government’s Stronger Families and Communities Strategy. This 12-month project involved expanding the parenting support services delivered through the NRDGP’s Family Care Centre, in Lismore. Planned activities included: compiling a directory of locally-available resources and services to support early child development; developing a PSP web page for inclusion on the NRDGP website; producing age-specific parenting newsletters; developing and running training sessions for …

World Youth Day Pilgrimage: Evaluation Report, Chris White, Sallie Newell, Anne Graham

Professor Anne Graham

Importance of Pilgrimage Pilgrimage is important for Christians. It was a central feature of both the Old and New Testaments. It is practised by many of the great religions of the world. Pilgrimage is based on a strong attachment to place in the spiritual lives of people. It fulfils a human desire to see and feel a person’s faith origins. Pilgrimage sites offer stories both of saints and of God interacting with ordinary people. It also draws the pilgrim into an atmosphere of corporate spirituality, while allowing scope for individual response to God. At a pilgrimage site, a grace is …

Communicating With Kids About School Issues: Seminar Report, Sallie Newell, Adam Biggs, Anne Graham, Lyn Gardon

Professor Anne Graham

This seminar took a strengths-based approach to examine the challenges facing parents/carers and young people as they attempt to negotiate school-related, relationship and behaviour issues. Two initial discussions explored and compared the audience’s and the students’ thoughts about factors worrying young people and factors worrying parents. Both groups nominated similar issues as concerning young people – peer pressure, bullying, study pressures, living up to others’ expectations, etc. However, there were quite different perceptions about the issues concerning parents – with the audience expressing concern about a broad range of issues, most not directly related to their children themselves, whereas the …

Lismore Communities For Children Initiative: Interim Evaluation Report, Sallie Newell, Anne Graham

Professor Anne Graham

This report aims to give an overview about the planning, development and implementation (as at May 2007) of the Lismore Communities for Children initiative, overall and in relation to each of its strategies. It also presents results from the relevant community-level and strategy-specific evaluation activities – as at May 2007. As this is only an Interim Evaluation Report and limited followup data have yet been collected, most results are presented simply and with minimal interpretation. However, all data will be explored and critiqued in more depth in the Final Evaluation Report.

Goonellabah Transition Program 'Walking Together, Learning Together: Interim Evaluation Report, Sallie Newell, Anne Graham

Professor Anne Graham

Rationale & Background National and international evidence Extensive national and international research from many different fields has consistently demonstrated the critical importance of children's early life experiences and circumstances on their subsequent development and wellbeing throughout their lives. There is clear evidence that well-founded, well-implemented prevention and early intervention programs, starting early in life, can improve young children’s cognitive, social and emotional functioning. This results in a positive influence on their readiness to learn in the school setting and improves educational, social, emotional and health outcomes throughout their lives. Cost-effectiveness analyses have shown that such programs more than pay for …

Goonellabah Transition Program: 'Walking Together, Learning Together': Final Evaluation Report, Sallie Newell, Anne Graham

Professor Anne Graham

Extensive national and international research from many different fields has consistently demonstrated the critical importance of children's early life experiences and circumstances on their subsequent development and wellbeing throughout their lives. There is clear evidence that well-founded, well-implemented prevention and early intervention programs, starting early in life, can improve young children’s cognitive, social and emotional functioning. This results in a positive influence on their readiness to learn in the school setting and improves educational, social, emotional and health outcomes throughout their lives. Cost-effectiveness analyses have shown that such programs more than pay for themselves, by reducing the later need for …

Goonellabah Transition Program: Final Evaluation Plan, Sallie Newell, Kimberlii Austen-Baker, Anne Graham, Mary Ward

Professor Anne Graham

Program Rationale National and international evidence An extensive national and international body of literature has demonstrated that the early years of life have a substantial impact on a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development and wellbeing throughout their life course. Similarly, it is clear that various aspects of a child’s environment, from socioeconomic factors (eg: poverty), through to community factors (eg: violence, social cohesion) and family factors (eg: parenting styles, intra-family conflict), all impact greatly on educational outcomes and are vital determinants of a child’s long-term health and wellbeing. There is clear evidence that well-founded and well-implemented universal and …

Contact & Relocation: Focusing On The Children: Conference Report, Sallie Newell, Anne Graham, Judy Cashmore, Robyn Margaret Fitzgerald

Professor Anne Graham

The conference theme reflects a key aim of Southern Cross University’s Centre for Children & Young People (CCYP). The CCYP aims to improve child and youth focused practice, particularly in regional areas, through interdisciplinary research, education and advocacy. The CCYP undertakes its work in close collaboration with relevant agencies and organisations to help ensure its activities are underpinned by a capacity building approach that results in improved knowledge and skills for practitioners working with children, young people and families. The conference program has been structured to provide delegates with opportunities throughout the day to engage in discussion with the speakers …

Feeling Glad And Proud: Children In Rural Vietnam Have A Say About Learning, Renata Phelps, Nhung Ha Thi Tuyet

Dr Renata Phelps

This book is the result of a collaborative research project between ChildFund Australia and the Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University, Australia. The research aimed to better understand:

1.Vietnamese children's views and experiences of learning and primary schooling in rural and remote communities (within the district of Na Ri, Bac Kan province);

2.how their views about learning and education might inform the development of future quality, basic education provided in a safe and stimulating environment; and

3.the ethical and methodological issues involved in undertaking culturally appropriate research in Vietnam that incorporates children's views and voices. The research …

Gender-Separate Education: The Effects On Student Achievement & Self-Esteem On Economically Disadvantaged Public Middle School Students In Philadelphia, Heather M. O'Neill, Allison Guerin

Business and Economics Faculty Publications

In 2003, three Philadelphia middle schools with similar demographics and failing student achievement levels were taken over by an educational management organization. Two were transformed into distinct single-sex academies within the original school buildings and a third remained coeducational. Students did not have the option where to attend, eliminating selection bias. Through funding from a Spencer Foundation grant, data was collected on 1,000 students for 2002-03 through 2004-05 to examine impacts of gender-segregation. We find students in single sex schools witness greater improvements in standardized test scores, with boys gaining the most, and no differences on Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale.

The Relationship Of Personality Traits To Satisfaction With The Team: A Study Of Interdisciplinary Teacher Teams In Rhode Island Middle Schools, Michele D. Humbyrd, Robert K. Gable

Teacher Education

Shared practice in schools has emerged; teachers are moving from isolation to team collaboration where personality traits could be related to quality interactions. Team personality traits and team satisfaction were examined. A survey and interview approach was used for N = 244 full-time teachers from N = 49 interdisciplinary teams at N = 7 middle schools. Descriptive, correlational, multiple regression analyses and coded themes about team members’ personalities and interactions were employed. No significant relationships were found between the BFI traits and Satisfaction with the Team. Team-level analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between Satisfaction with theTeam and Extraversion and …

Teacher Collaboration As Professional Development In A Large, Suburban High School, Marlie L. Williams

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative study explored the impact of teacher collaboration in a professional learning communities (PLC) school on teacher self-efficacy. Through the collection and analysis of personal interview data from 20 teachers in a large, suburban Midwestern high school, the impact of structured teacher collaboration was evaluated for its impact on changes in teachers’ instructional practices, their feelings of responsibility for student learning, positive adult interdependence, and changes in teacher self-efficacy. Experts in educational professional development identify the importance of sustained, collegial learning. This study explored the structure of one high school’s professional collaboration model, the measures in place for goal-setting, …

From Failing To Effective: A Case Study Of Transformational Leadership And Teaching At A Township High School In Durban, South Africa, Kathlyn Pattillo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research has documented what leadership qualities are necessary to improve an underperforming disadvantaged school in South Africa. This research has called for further study of effective township schools in order to understand what makes them succeed. This research project will offer a case study of one such school’s transformation from low to high quality. Menzi High School, an entirely African, under-resourced township school in Umlazi, has achieved extraordinarily high matric pass rates despite the fact that the majority of learners live in informal settlements. The school’s success is due to the strong leadership of a principal who has led the …

Public-Private Partnerships, Civic Engagement, And School Reform, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The number of partnerships between public schools and private organizations increased dramatically after the National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983) issued its report "A Nation at Risk." ... In this essay, I propose an uncommon perspective of public-private partnerships in the United States—one that calls for direct citizen involvement to ensure that collaboration is linked to and compatible with reform efforts carried out at the local (school district) level. The need for a new conceptualization is framed by three convictions: public-private partnerships have been largely ineffective in terms of improving instruction and student learning; democratic deficits in these ventures …

Explicitly Differentiated Eighth-Grade Reading Instruction In A Rural Middle School Seeking To Reestablish Adequate Yearly Progress Benchmarks, John W. Hill, Sean Dunphy

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of explicitly differentiated reading instruction on eighth-grade students’ reading comprehension assessment scores and classroom reading grade scores in a rural middle school seeking to reestablish satisfactory No Child Left Behind, Adequate Yearly Progress, benchmarks. After one school year of participation in assessment-based and readiness-focused explicitly differentiated instruction, randomly assigned students across all three reading ability conditions high (n = 25), middle (n = 25), and low (n = 25) had statistically significantly improved pretest-posttest reading comprehension assessment scores and classroom reading grade scores. Furthermore, statistical equipoise was observed for posttest-posttest …