Education Commons^™

An Exploration Of Black Women Faculty Members' Faculty Development And Career Advancement Experiences Within A Pwi, Monica N. Guient

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

At a large, research-intensive, predominantly White university, in this qualitative case study, Black women faculty members’ experiences with and perceptions of institutionally sponsored faculty development activities in relation to career advancement was explored. The career advancement of faculty members from underrepresented and minoritized populations—particularly Black women—is ultimately impacted by the racialized and gendered disparities among tenure-track and tenured professors in research, service, and teaching. Unique to this study is the exploration of how Black women faculty members experience the human resource development practice of faculty development while also gathering information from the institutional leaders who oversee and guide institutionally sponsored …

Are We There Yet? Educators As Lgbtq Advocates And Book Clubs As Professional Development, Alexis Marie Egan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines Rainbow Advocates: An Educator’s Book Club, a book club study designed for educators wherein they read three works of LGBTQ young adult literature in Summer 2020. Purposes of the book club study include a consideration of how participating educators’ experiences with LGBTQ youth, literary materials, and training compare to past research. This dissertation includes an assessment of their readiness to handle LGBTQ issues in school sites and an evaluation of book clubs and reading LGBTQ young adult literature as a method of professional development for educators. In doing so, this dissertation draws on reader responses as per …

Teachers As Change Agents: An Investigation Into The Literary Practices Of Effective Tier 2 Charter School Teachers In South Louisiana, Earlisha Jenkins Whitfield

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A Southern Louisiana charter school is in the initial phases of a Response To Intervention (RTI). General education classroom teachers are responsible for all Tier 1 and 2 instruction that included interventions in Tier 2. However, many teachers were unsure about the implementation, of RTI and had negative experiences with RTI, describing the process as frustrating and overwhelming. This case study examines teachers that have been effective in the process as evidenced by an increase in in reading levels and student interest. The research explores the teachers’ perceptions, experience, and knowledge of the current implementation of RTI. This qualitative research …

Investigating Curriculum Use And Its Impact On Teachers And Their Practice, Tiah B. Alphonso

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study provided insights into how upper elementary teachers from three southern school districts used standards based curriculum materials and the resulting changes in their beliefs, knowledge, and practice. Additionally, this study sought to identify whether the following four factors were predictors of change in teacher practice: coherence of the professional development program, opportunities to collaborate, years of teaching experience, and curriculum use. The participating school districts were selected through purposeful sampling with districts being chosen largely based on a strong commitment to implementing Eureka Math in their schools. For comparison purposes, a contrast school district was also included in …

How Principal Participation In An Online Community Of Practice Impacts The Professional Development Experience Of Middle School Teachers, Cynthia Beatty Vavasseur

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study provided insights about incorporating an online community of practice into a professional development program designed to facilitate the instructional implementation of technology. Two middle schools in a southern state served as a comparative case study where this model of professional development was implemented. The primary goal of this research was to gain understanding of how principals interact with teachers and the roles principals assume during these interactions. A second goal was to determine how teachers perceived principal participation and how their levels of competence and efficacy were influenced by this experience. During four weeks of implementation principals participated …

A Day In The Parc: An Interactive Qualitative Analysis Of School Climate And Teacher Effectiveness Through Professional Action Research Collaboratives, Shannon Lasserre-Cortez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the effects Professional Action Research Collaboratives (PARCs) have on several variables including teacher effectiveness, school effectiveness, and school climate. Mixed methods including Interactive Qualitative Analysis and non-parametric Mann Whitney U statistics were used to explore these effects. PARC participation was found to have no significant effect on school climate or teacher effectiveness; however, PARC Schools demonstrated higher school effectiveness scores than Comparison Schools. This project also generated a systems relationship diagram of school climate in PARC schools using Interactive Qualitative Analysis, and this paper offers a criticism of this fledgling method of data collection and analysis. There …

Technology Adoption Into Teaching And Learning By Mainstream University Faculty: A Mixed Methodology Study Revealing The 'How, When, Why, And Why Not', Pamela Stone Nicolle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The field of educational technology has been and continues to be an influential component within the vast array of educational strategies, pedagogies, plans, and processes designed to enhance student learning. Faculties are realizing the relevance and potential of educational technologies in their teaching and professional and personal growth. However, the distance between envisioning technological use and actual implementation is often a long, winding road for many educators.

University faculty members are in the midst of a strong emphasis by various stakeholders to travel that road and to travel it with speed and accuracy. The mainstream members of tertiary level faculties …

An Exploratory Case Study Of The Social Interactions Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students In A Cooperative Group Learning Environment, Golden M. Tradewell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the social interactions among baccalaureate nursing students in a cooperative group learning environment. The following research questions were formulated to guide the research: (1) In a cooperative group learning environment, how do the social interactions among baccalaureate nursing students influence their course content learning? (2) In a cooperative group learning environment, how do the social interactions among baccalaureate nursing students influence their professional development? Students enrolled in an upper division nursing program were selected for this study. Age, gender, and ethnicity were considered in placing students in five groups. Data included student …