Education Commons^™

The Closing Of One Black Box, The Opening Of Another: A Self-Study Of How An Instructional Coach Makes Decisions, Andromeda L. Hightower

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite the efforts of traditional and alternative teacher education programs (i.e. pre-service teacher education) in the United States, teachers frequently report feeling unprepared by the time they begin teaching full time in the classroom. Teachers with low levels of self-efficacy are correlated with lower job satisfaction, higher levels of stress and anxiety, and lower student achievement gains in the classroom. To assist with ameliorating these gaps, schools, districts, and private distributors provide training opportunities for teachers once they have begun the job (i.e. in-service teacher training) in the form of teacher professional development. Mainstream professional development approaches are traditionally simplistic …

Co-Teaching At The Secondary Level: A Qualitative Study Of Perceptions, Implementations, & Constructivism, Anne-Marie Raskin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The intended outcome of this qualitative study was to provide valuable information that could improve pre-service teacher education programs and inclusion professional development programs, as well as help guide school-based administrators on how to better support co-teaching at the secondary level. In order to accomplish the outcome, the purpose of the study was twofold: (1) to examine secondary co-teachers’ perceptions toward their preparedness to co-teach in an inclusion classroom based on their pre-service training, overall professional development, and administrative support; and (2) to explore how well secondary co-teachers practice constructivist-oriented co-teaching. The research questions included: (1) How do secondary co-teachers …

Activity-Based Intervention And One-To-One Correspondence For Children With Developmental Delays, Cyndy Anang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

PreK children with developmental delays in inclusive classrooms need access to math interventions helps them develop foundational math skills that are needed to succeed during their K-12 education. Research is significantly lacking that addresses increasing math skills for children with disabilities in PreK classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine how using activity-based intervention (ABI) increases one-to-one correspondence for children with disabilities in an inclusive classroom. A single subject multiple probe design across participants was implemented to embed one-to-one correspondence math goals into daily routines and preferred activities. The participants of the study were two 3–5-year-old children categorized …

The Effects Of Coaching Provided Via Video-Conferencing To Caregivers Of Children With Asd, Kendra L. Antill

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The ability to communicate effectively to others is a pivotal skill necessary to get one’s needs and wants met; however, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have significant delays in communication skills. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices provide an alternative means for children with complex communication needs to express their needs and wants. Communication interventions involving AAC have been largely conducted in school and clinical settings, despite young children spending a significant amount of their time at home and in the community. Family involvement plays a critical role in improved outcomes for young children with disabilities. Recent shifts …

An Integrative Variable And Person-Centered Approach To Representing Teachers' Self-Efficacy: A Cross-Cultural Perspective, Ana Paula Santos Loures Elias

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There has been substantial scholarly attention given to teachers’ functioning over the past two decades. Much of this attention has been precipitated by accounts of increasing teacher burnout and attrition from the profession. Central to this scholarly focus has been the construct of teacher self-efficacy, which has been shown to be a predictor of important teacher outcomes. However, there remain several unresolved issues in the teacher self-efficacy literature that limit the utility of the construct for understanding teachers’ effective functioning. First, there is little clarity about the dimensional structure of teachers’ self-efficacy data. Second, little empirical work has been conducted …

Examining The Attitudes Of Preservice Teachers Toward English Learners, Annie Chou

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The rapid growth of the K-12 English Learner (EL) student population in the United States raises concerns related to their learning and growth in schools. Teachers are central figures in their students’ achievement. The influence of teachers’ attitudes on student learning and development validates the need to examine these in research studies. What influences teachers’ attitudes is an important part of understanding teachers’ attitudes towards their EL students. Certain individual characteristics including teachers’ training, may be associated with their positive attitudes. Studies have shown that effective teacher preparation programs can change preservice teacher attitudes in general and specifically towards their …

Measuring Social Studies Teacher Self-Efficacy: Development Of A Valid, Reliable, And Fair Social Studies Self-Efficacy Scale, Leona Calkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social studies education provides unique opportunities for students to learn about the democratic process and, more importantly, how to engage in civic life to become active citizens. It is through meaningful social studies education that students are deliberately helped to understand the world, and are provided space to discuss, deliberate, and inquire about problems in the world, both past and present, and then learn how they can work to solve these problems (NCSS, 2013a; Parker, 2008). Considering the role of social studies education in helping develop active citizens, there has been a call for social studies teachers to provide instruction …

The Role Of Peer Relationships In Developing, Promoting, And Maintaining Teachers’ Social And Emotional Competence In The Charter School Setting, Ted Jason Weisman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social and Emotional Competence (SEC) is comprised of five main components: self awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Within the context of K-12 education, SEC is typically explored through the lens of student achievement or student progress. This area of research is noteworthy as teachers aretrained in SEL to assist and support students, not themselves or one another (Wiglesworth et al., 2016). Although teachers may receive training on SEC, the teachers rarely are the focus of that training (Aldrup et al., 2021). One area of particular interest is the setting of charter schools and how they address …

How Do Beliefs Come Into Play? An Examination Of The Influence Of Core Conceptions On Science Teachers’ Inquiry Lesson Plan Designs, Mehmet Fatih Dulger

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Teaching science through inquiry-based methodologies has been advocated by several governmental and professional organizations (National Research Council [NRC], 2000; NGSS Lead States, 2013); however, their use is not widespread. Why is this? What science teachers do in their classrooms is shaped by their beliefs, especially their beliefs about the nature of science, about the goals and purposes of school science and the goals of teaching science, and about the teaching and learning science. By critically examining these core conceptions and their influence on teacher lesson planning, this study aims to shed light on the role conceptions play when teachers design …

Learning As We Grow: A Multiple Case Study Of Teachers Experiences With Graduate Online Courses, Erica K. Reid

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Teacher professional development in the United States has significant gaps in practical training. In the state of Nevada, research has shown discrepancies between the retention of skills from training sessions and the ability to transfer learned methods into daily classroom practices. Previous studies have investigated teacher professional development and understanding its influence on student learning. Furthermore, the limits in framework design for contemporary approaches to professional development in online mediums has created inconsistencies in measuring outcomes. Finally, current research has resulted in mixed reviews concerning training in nontraditional online courses offered through graduate courses in various organizations. This research explored …

Understanding And Addressing Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Misconceptions In Science Education, Nicole Juliana Thomas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prior research has demonstrated that both children and adults alike hold misconceptions about various scientific phenomena (Snyder & Sullivan, 1995; Driver et al., 1985). These misconceptions range from a variety of different fields, including astronomy and space science, environmental biology, and geology, among others (Miller & Brewer, 2010; Wandersee et al., 1994; Ritger & Cummins, 1991). Research suggests that the vast majority of misconceptions are formed early in a students’ educational career, and these misconceptions could be held throughout adulthood unless they are sufficiently addressed (Coley & Tanner, 2012; Posner et al., 1982; Nehm & Reilly, 2007; Sadler et al., …

Finding Ways To Increase Physical Activity In Students With Disabilities In A Social Distanced World, Paula Kerchenski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Obesity in the United States is becoming a problem that negatively affects the life expectancy of young children, which for the first time in history is moving in the wrong direction (Ogden et al., 2014). According to obesity trend data, obesity has tripled in children from 5% in 1978 to 18.5% in 2016 (Anderson et al., 2019). For our students with disabilities, obesity rates are two times higher than students without disabilities (Neter et al., 2011). Although physical activity is considered an essential component of a young child’s health and development, the lack of physical activity attributes to the obesity …

School Climate, Teacher Self-Efficacy, And Teaching Practices: Evidence From Talis 2018, Chengcheng Li

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the enactment of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2016, K-12 schools in the U.S. have responded to the challenge with various instructional reform initiatives. School climate, teaching practices, and teacher self-efficacy are important aspects of research as they affect students’ learning. The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to evaluate the goodness of fit of the three hypothesized mediation models with the data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM); and second, to determine the interrelations between teacher self-efficacy, school climate, and teaching practices. To address the research questions and hypotheses, …

Effects Of An Online Learning Module For Pediatricians Regarding Early Intervention Services, Nicole L. Atwell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Pediatricians serve a vital role in identifying young children with developmental delays and disabilities and referring families for services to support their children’s development and learning. However, past researchers indicated there is minimal research on training pediatricians on the Part C early intervention (EI) process that supports young children with developmental delays and disabilities. This study examined the effectiveness of a web-based training on pediatricians' knowledge of EI services and referral processes. The training components included interactive, online modules and paper resources directed towards an understanding of EI services. A convergent parallel mixed-methods study design was used to determine the …

Addressing Disproportionality In School Discipline Through Alternatives To Exclusionary Discipline Practices, Kevin Matthew Higley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Tasked with ensuring that school environments are safe and orderly, school administrators spend an increasingly inordinate amount of time and energy on managing student discipline. Often, when students commit egregious behaviors or violate school policy, schools resort to out-of-school disciplinary consequences, i.e. suspension, expulsion, or alternative educational placements, in attempts to reduce problem behaviors from recurring. Historically though, these exclusionary discipline practices have led to the unfair treatment of some students, (e.g., Black/African American students, male students, and/or students with disabilities). This disproportionate practice is often cited as the genesis for the school-to prison pipeline phenomenon. From a behaviorist perspective, …

The Relationship Between Teacher Identity And Teacher Retention In Title 1 Schools: A Multiple Case Study, Michelle A. Arroyo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Teacher turnover is a significant phenomenon and a dominant factor driving demand for new teachers and, in turn, creating school staffing problems. Retaining teachers in the classroom is critical to properly serve a growing and diverse student population. The purpose of this case study was to investigate critical components that cause teachers to remain teaching in Title 1, hard to staff schools and how their professional identities contribute to that decision. A qualitative research design was used by conducting one interview with seven teachers employed at a Title 1 elementary school in the Southwest portion of the United States.

The …

Reflections Of An Early Literacy Professional Learning Community: An Interactional Ethnographic Case Study Of Transforming Pedagogy Through Reflective Practice, Carly Waters

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Teachers have historically been faced with extrinsic factors, such as federal, state, and local mandates, that leave them feeling disempowered (Slattery, 2006; Spring 2018). In response to low reading proficiency, many states have adopted Read by Grade Three laws, some of which require or make optional retention of students that are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade. Laws such as these, though well-intentioned, provide another external force that leave teachers feeling stressed and chained to practices they are told to implement. Effective professional development that targets both strong early literacy pedagogy and the empowerment of teachers may …

Exploring Preservice Teacher Agency Influencing Power Relationships With Teacher Educators: A Multiple Case Study, Steve Hayden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Teacher agency is the temporal and ecological understanding of a teacher’s capacity to make choices, take principled action, and enact positive change. A teacher’s agency relies on context and is measured on a continuum, with agency contingent on the reciprocal relationship between the individual and the structural environment. Structure influences teachers’ professional practice, but teachers must reciprocally influence power relationships within the structural school context to be successful and active contributors to the education process. Teacher agency is an essential dimension of effective professional practice because of its ability to highlight the required skillset of successful teachers. Because preservice teachers …

A Video Game As A Pedagogical Tool For Pre-Service Teachers To Learn About Bullying Prevention And Intervention In School Contexts, Jeffrey Robert Laferriere

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bullying is an act of aggression intended to physically or emotionally harm another. It is a problem that affects millions of K-12 students around the world each year. Victims of bullying may suffer severe effects that follow them into adulthood, including depression and self-harm. In-service teachers, though aware of the problem, are often inadequately trained to correct the current trends. This lack of knowledge and skills is the result of a failure among teacher preparation programs to properly prepare their candidates. This study examined the use of the video game Bully as a pedagogical tool in an attempt simulate mastery …

An Analysis Of Teacher Training Concerning The Identification Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Brittany Jo Desnoyer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Given recent revisions to the diagnostic criteria as it pertains to students with ASD (DSM-V; APA, 2013), several studies have raised concern that future diagnosis will be limited (McPartland et al., 2012). However, prevalence rates of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have continued to rise since its release (Baio et al., 2018). Because special education referrals are subject to bias, and positively correlated with a high probably of subsequent diagnosis (Ysseldyke & Algozzine, 1981), the role of the educator warrants exploration.

This study investigated the level of training provided to pre-service and in-service general and special educators in the DSM-IV (APA, …

Centering Preservice Teachers Of Color Through Culturally Relevant Critical Teacher Care: A Critical Race Transformative Convergent Mixed-Methods Analysis, Tara Joann Plachowski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The reproduction of white supremacist culture in schools continues to marginalize Students of Color in a variety of implicit, explicit, and systemic ways. As teachers are the one of the key arbiters of school culture, teacher education presents itself as a vital locus in need of critical inquiry and radical change. A diverse teacher workforce not only helps to disrupt the direct effects of racism on Students of Color, but also prepares all students for successful democratic participation in a diverse global society (Sleeter, 2011). This study of teacher education examines the teacher demographic diversity gap within a College of …

A Case Study: Number Apps In Preschool, Amy Beth Adkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

iPads are increasingly present in education. This research explores their role developing fundamental mathematics concepts. It investigates preschoolers’ interactions with mathematics apps, and affordances and constraints accessed. It was conducted over fourteen weeks; students played mathematics apps for thirty minutes a week. The qualitative case study design included participants who varied in mathematics and technological skill. Data was collected through assessments, interviews, questionnaires, videotapes, and artifacts. Results determined that students access constraints or affordances based on ability level. Findings indicate iPads are beneficial tools for preschool classrooms. Preschoolers showed an increase in math ability when using iPads.

A Descriptive Exploration Of A Self-Directed Professional Development Approach, Derek R. Riddle

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Teachers, who are deemed the greatest in-school factor of student success, are often invited or mandated to engage in some form of professional development (PD) to continue in improving their practice. However, an empirical understanding of how teachers learn from PD offerings remains elusive and incomplete. Often teachers report not learning from the models where they have little autonomy. While there is small body of research on teacher-driven models, there is a lack of sufficient evidence on whether these models enhance teacher learning and ultimately their practice. Therefore, this study employed grounded theory methods coupled with a descriptive research approach …

Utilizing Teacher Response To Help Students Meet And Transfer First-Year Composition Course Objectives, Clyde Aidoo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For decades, considerable scholarship has explored how teachers can respond more effectively to student writing. There has also been significant research on how first-year-composition concepts can be transferred by students to other arenas of discourse outside of this required course. This thesis begins with a brief discussion on the meaning of transfer. Then, with the Council of Writing Program Administrators’ Outcomes (knowledge of conventions, rhetorical knowledge, critical thinking, processes) as a starting point, I redefine and pare down the seven response modes described by Elaine O. Lees to five types of response (calling for correction, reminding, explaining, suggesting, and assigning) …

Discovering The Self That Teaches: Multimedia Reflective Journaling And The Education Stories Of Beginning Preservice Teachers, Meredith Paula Allard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Who is the self that teaches (Palmer, 1998)? One way of uncovering a teacher’s self may be to allow beginning preservice teachers the opportunity to share their education stories, which may then allow them to explore their initial self-concepts of their roles as future teachers. This study used narrative inquiry and the arts-based activities of a multimedia reflective journal and a memoir reflective assignment as tools to help beginning preservice teachers discover and learn from their education stories. The frameworks of arts-based education research, transformative learning, and transformative teaching provided a unique lens through which to explore the education stories …

Reimagining High School Writing: A Multi-Case Examination Of The Impact Of External Pressures On High School Writing Contexts, Nicole Elizabeth Klimow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research concerning teachers’ pedagogical beliefs shows a strong relationship between planning and instruction; however, the sources of pedagogical beliefs have not been researched thoroughly. Because teachers bring their histories and experiences to their interactions with students, their pedagogical beliefs may also be present in their instruction, mediating the relationship between knowledge (planning) and action (writing instruction). Framed by Sociocultural Theory (SCT), the purpose of this qualitative, multi-site, multi-case case study was first to understand teachers’ expectations for teaching writing based on their beliefs about learning. A secondary intent was to examine ways in which high school English teachers’ learning expectations …

Do I Enact What I Learn?: Examining Novice Science Teachers Approximations Of Practice, Helene Pollins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine novice secondary science teachers’ enactment of their teaching philosophies in their lesson planning and teaching. The framework was based on three theories: approximations of practice, teachers’ knowledge of content and students (KCS), and experiential learning. The design for this research used a qualitative case study design. The participants were three novice science teachers in a large school district in the Southwestern United States. Data sources included teaching philosophies, three semi-structured interviews, lesson plans, and observations. Three research questions were: what are novice science teachers’ major philosophies at the entry level of teaching; …

Investigating The Use Of An Emotional Intelligence Intervention With Young Elementary Students Receiving Services In A Self-Contained Setting For Students With Emotional Disturbance, Kristin Lian Withey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While there is a longstanding call for all students to succeed, students receiving special education services under the label of emotional disturbance (ED) are at an increased risk for minimal school and life outcomes, ranging from poor classroom grades and increased expulsion to high rates of incarceration and drug use. Although there are extant interventions, these often rely on extrinsic motivation or are begun after research suggests behaviors have become habit. Because of this, there is a call for earlier intervention that teaches students requisite skills. One such developmentally appropriate practice that has yet to be explored with students receiving …

Media Portrayals Of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cars2 And Frame Analysis Of The Sesame Street Character Julia, Sallyann Ficarrotta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Media Portrayals of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A CARS2 and frame analysis of the Sesame Street character Julia Media portrayals of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are grossly exaggerated and inaccurate. Julia, a Muppet with ASD, is not depicted as having high-functioning autism, but most of the exaggerated portrayals depicted in movies and television are of a person on that end of the spectrum. The current study, a quantitative content analysis of Julia from Sesame Street, draws from framing theory, most importantly stigmatizing cues, and utilizes the professional assessment tool, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS2). The tool was used to rate …

A Study Of Strengthening Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge Of Statistics And Probability Via Professional Development, Lina Devaul

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A professional development program (PSPD) was implemented to improve in-service secondary mathematics teachers’ content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and self-efficacy in teaching secondary school statistics and probability. Participants generated a teaching resource website at the conclusion of the PSPD program. Participants’ content knowledge change and self-efficacy change were measured. After PSPD, three participants were selected to represent three types of change. Teachers’ classroom instructions were video-taped and analyzed to explore the enactment of PSPD components, such as activities and concepts. Interviews were conducted to assess factors that facilitated teachers’ change and the enactment of PSPD components. Preservice teachers who majored in …