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An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Engaged In Mentoring Programs For Novice Teachers, Donna M. Sowerby Jan 2023

An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Engaged In Mentoring Programs For Novice Teachers, Donna M. Sowerby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Beginning special education teachers often leave the field within the first 3–5 years of employment. There is ample research available on mentoring programs for beginning teachers. However, limited research exists on mentoring programs for beginning special education teachers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of novice special education teachers in urban schools to broaden the current understanding regarding their perceptions of mentoring. Self-determination theory was the conceptual framework for examining the mentoring relationships and the participants’ perceptions. Using a phenomenological approach, in-depth face-to-face interviews were used with a purposeful sample of 10 novice …


Perceptions Of Science Teachers At Title I Middle Schools Tasked To Integrate Digital Interactive Textbooks, April C. Carpenter Jan 2023

Perceptions Of Science Teachers At Title I Middle Schools Tasked To Integrate Digital Interactive Textbooks, April C. Carpenter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the K-12 classrooms, science teachers are increasingly using digital interactive textbooks to improve instruction. However, limited research exists on the Title I science educators’ experiences with digital interactive texts in Title I middle schools. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of these Title I science teachers in middle schools tasked with integrating digital interactive textbooks. This study was guided through the lens of Fuller’s stages of concern, a component of the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM). Adopting basic qualitative methodology, purposeful sampling was employed to recruit nine Title I middle school science teachers through …


An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Engaged In Mentoring Programs For Novice Teachers, Donna M. Sowerby Jan 2023

An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Engaged In Mentoring Programs For Novice Teachers, Donna M. Sowerby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Beginning special education teachers often leave the field within the first 3–5 years of employment. There is ample research available on mentoring programs for beginning teachers. However, limited research exists on mentoring programs for beginning special education teachers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of novice special education teachers in urban schools to broaden the current understanding regarding their perceptions of mentoring. Self-determination theory was the conceptual framework for examining the mentoring relationships and the participants’ perceptions. Using a phenomenological approach, in-depth face-to-face interviews were used with a purposeful sample of 10 novice …


Perceptions Of Science Teachers At Title I Middle Schools Tasked To Integrate Digital Interactive Textbooks, April C. Carpenter Jan 2023

Perceptions Of Science Teachers At Title I Middle Schools Tasked To Integrate Digital Interactive Textbooks, April C. Carpenter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the K-12 classrooms, science teachers are increasingly using digital interactive textbooks to improve instruction. However, limited research exists on the Title I science educators’ experiences with digital interactive texts in Title I middle schools. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of these Title I science teachers in middle schools tasked with integrating digital interactive textbooks. This study was guided through the lens of Fuller’s stages of concern, a component of the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM). Adopting basic qualitative methodology, purposeful sampling was employed to recruit nine Title I middle school science teachers through …


Cross-Cultural Mentoring Of Racially And Ethnically Diverse Counselor Educators: A Grounded Theory Study, Ashley L. Keaton Jan 2022

Cross-Cultural Mentoring Of Racially And Ethnically Diverse Counselor Educators: A Grounded Theory Study, Ashley L. Keaton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIndividuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds are underrepresented as counselor education faculty. In the current literature, these counselor educators report limited mentorship due to a lack of culturally diverse faculty to serve as mentors and ineffective mentoring approaches. The purpose of this study was to discover an emergent theory of cross-cultural mentoring based on the experiences of mentors to racially and ethnically diverse counselor educators. The research question addressed how to provide competent cross-cultural mentoring to racially and ethnically diverse counselor educators. The study followed Kathy Charmaz’s approach to constructivist grounded theory using purposeful sampling, snowball sampling, and semi-structured …


Novice Secondary Teachers’ Perceived Efficacy And Projected Responses To Bullying Behaviors, Jennifer L. Greineder Jan 2021

Novice Secondary Teachers’ Perceived Efficacy And Projected Responses To Bullying Behaviors, Jennifer L. Greineder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was a quantitative exploration of the relationship between novice secondary teachers’ perceived levels of self-efficacy and their projected responses to specific bullying behaviors. The theoretical foundation was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. The relationship between novice teachers’ perceived levels of self-efficacy, their reported ability to recognize different types of bullying behaviors, their responses to these bullying behaviors, and importance of a mentoring program were explored in this quantitative study. The sample was a convenience sample consisting of 159 teachers in different school settings in Pennsylvania. Vignettes about different types of bullying behaviors were presented to the participants. Likert scale questions …


Employee Perceptions Of Collaborative Communication Skills Learned In The Informal Workplace, Wendy Marie Lewis Jan 2021

Employee Perceptions Of Collaborative Communication Skills Learned In The Informal Workplace, Wendy Marie Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Collaborative communication skills are underdeveloped through higher education experiences; therefore, employees need to develop these skills while working. Current research has not focused on how employees identify collaborative communication skills developed from informal workplace learning experiences, specifically those presented as coaching, mentoring, and networking. Marsick and Watkins’s informal workplace learning theory was the conceptual framework for this basic qualitative study, which used a researcher-produced interview protocol with eight United States employees who had been in their positions longer than 6 months. Data were analyzed using three rounds of hand coding. Participants described how informal coaching, mentoring, and networking encounters influenced …


Mentorship Education For Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Eleanor Dunlap Jan 2021

Mentorship Education For Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Eleanor Dunlap

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mentorship is vital part of the nursing profession. The evidence suggests that competent mentors aid in facilitating role transitions, improving job satisfaction, enhancing patient care, and decreasing nursing turnover. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) have the skill and knowledge to provide safe, high-quality, patient-centered care; however, they may be lacking in mentorship abilities. Currently, there is no formal mentorship training in the organization, which may cause variability in the mentoring of new staff. The focus of this project was to create a staff educational intervention to improve the mentoring competency of surgical APRNs. The project practice focused question asked if …


Faculty And Staff Mentors’ Experiences Supporting Academic Success With At-Risk Undergraduates, Francis Ellison Howard Jan 2021

Faculty And Staff Mentors’ Experiences Supporting Academic Success With At-Risk Undergraduates, Francis Ellison Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differences in student persistence remain between at-risk students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those less challenged in college. There is a need to understand the perceptions of faculty and other professionals whose primary role does not focus on mentoring but who serve as mentors to low income and minority students, in order to understand how they construct their experiences as mentors as well as what promotes and impedes their success with the students they mentor. This basic qualitative study addressed the reflections of such mentors who have mentored at-risk students for at least two years at a public university that …


Faculty And Staff Mentors’ Experiences Supporting Academic Success With At-Risk Undergraduates, Francis Ellison Howard Jan 2021

Faculty And Staff Mentors’ Experiences Supporting Academic Success With At-Risk Undergraduates, Francis Ellison Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differences in student persistence remain between at-risk students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those less challenged in college. There is a need to understand the perceptions of faculty and other professionals whose primary role does not focus on mentoring but who serve as mentors to low income and minority students, in order to understand how they construct their experiences as mentors as well as what promotes and impedes their success with the students they mentor. This basic qualitative study addressed the reflections of such mentors who have mentored at-risk students for at least two years at a public university that …


Urban School District Principals’ Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction, Darcy Lynn Woodcock Jan 2021

Urban School District Principals’ Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction, Darcy Lynn Woodcock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Principals in urban school districts directly and indirectly affect school communitiesthrough student achievement, teacher retention, and school climate. When a high-quality school principal leaves a school, it can negatively affect these areas due to the interruption of progress toward school improvement goals to increase student achievement. Seeking to address this issue, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perceptions of job satisfaction among urban school district principals. The conceptual framework was Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory. The key research question concerned investigating the perceptions of job satisfaction among urban school district principals. Qualitative data were collected via virtual, …


Perspectives Of Mentor Teachers For Early Childhood Teacher Preparation, Shannon J. Rivera Jan 2020

Perspectives Of Mentor Teachers For Early Childhood Teacher Preparation, Shannon J. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood (EC) teacher education programs and public-school partnerships have broadened preparation of preservice teachers by providing more learning opportunities during preservice field experiences. These experiences require mentoring from highly qualified supervising teachers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore mentors’ perspectives of their qualifications to mentor EC preservice teachers in a 4-year university laboratory school. Ambrosetti’s theory of mentor preparation guided this study. The research question addressed mentor teachers’ perspectives of their mentoring qualifications for EC preservice teachers. A snowball sample of 8 mentor teachers, with at least 4 years’ experience mentoring EC preservice teachers, volunteered …


Case Study Of A Principal-Directed Mentorship Program For Untrained Primary School Teachers, Joycelyn Archibald Pennyfeather Jan 2020

Case Study Of A Principal-Directed Mentorship Program For Untrained Primary School Teachers, Joycelyn Archibald Pennyfeather

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Issues relating to teacher quality are being discussed internationally. Locally, teachers in St. Kitts and Nevis are hired to teach without any formal training, resulting in poor quality teaching. The problem studied was the poor-quality performance of first-year teachers in a rural primary school of St. Kitts and Nevis. One school principal introduced a mentoring program in an effort to improve teacher quality. The purpose of this study was to explore educators’ perceptions of the implementation of that principal-directed mentoring program and make suggestions for its improvement. Guided by Chinnasamy’s concept of mentoring as andragogy in action, this study examined …


Mentor Teacher Development During A Co-Teaching Model Of Student Teaching, Jeanne M. Delcolle Jan 2019

Mentor Teacher Development During A Co-Teaching Model Of Student Teaching, Jeanne M. Delcolle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a co-teaching model of student teaching, mentor teachers are presented with opportunities for professional growth because extensive collaboration occurs with the teacher candidate throughout the process. Despite the proliferation of co-teaching programs, mentor teachers often lack formal training for their role. Further, insufficient evidence fails to show how collaboration between mentor and candidate contributes to professional growth for the mentor. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine such growth in 9 mentor teachers who hosted teacher candidates during 1 semester of student teaching to determine how a co-teaching model affected mentor teachers' own teaching and mentoring skills. …


Mentoring Experience Perceptions Of Career Changing Teachers On Guam, Ronald A.S Canos Jan 2018

Mentoring Experience Perceptions Of Career Changing Teachers On Guam, Ronald A.S Canos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition continues to impact public schools that seek to retain teachers in the classroom and meet rising enrollment rates. The recruitment of experienced career changing professionals into the educational workforce is a viable option to address teacher shortages. In addition, while the use of mentorship may support teacher retention and job satisfaction for novice teachers, inconsistencies in mentoring practices have limited the effectiveness of mentoring programs and support systems. The problem of limited research that examines the needs of career changing teachers (CCTs) and their initial mentoring experiences was addressed in this study. The social learning theory and Maslow's …


Strategies That Enhance Student Engagement In The Community College Learning Environment, Susan Jane Reddick Jan 2018

Strategies That Enhance Student Engagement In The Community College Learning Environment, Susan Jane Reddick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

From 2012 to 2015, students' academic performance at a community college in North Carolina fell below North Carolina Community College System baseline benchmarks despite the institution's adoption of several student success initiatives. Building from the established correlation between student academic achievement and academic engagement and the importance of noncognitive competencies in moderating student academic engagement, this qualitative case study investigated the academic experiences of 7 students who were members of the Paying It Forward mentoring program to determine the types of support and resources that students needed to develop and hone intrinsic motivation, sense of belonging, and self-efficacy-the noncognitivenoncognitive competencies …


Relationship Between Novice Teachers' Perceptions Of Mentoring Support And Job Satisfaction, Karen Nichola Williams Jan 2018

Relationship Between Novice Teachers' Perceptions Of Mentoring Support And Job Satisfaction, Karen Nichola Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low job satisfaction among novice teachers is a problem that has become a concern for administrators at school districts, advancing the need for effective mentoring and induction programs. Induction programs provide opportunities for collaborative relationships through mentoring support to address areas such as professional growth and development, teaching practices, and other challenges faced in the early years of novice teachers' careers. The purpose of this correlational explanatory study was to examine the relationship between mentoring support and novice teachers' job satisfaction at a school district in southern USA. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory was the theoretical foundation for the study. The research …


Teaching On The Prairie: First-Year Teachers In Rural Schools, Mary Leonora Eldredge-Sandbo Jan 2018

Teaching On The Prairie: First-Year Teachers In Rural Schools, Mary Leonora Eldredge-Sandbo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The North Dakota Teacher Support System (NDTSS) mentoring program is available to 1st-year teachers employed in the state public schools. Because there has been limited research on the topic, the purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of how participation in the mentoring program affects the experiences and developing effectiveness of 1st-year teachers in rural schools, which is important because teacher retention and recruitment are a concern in rural schools. This study was set within a conceptual framework of andragogy and constructivism and guided by 2 research questions that inquired about the experiences of teaching in a rural …


Strategies Used To Retain Teachers In Hard To Staff Schools, Levi Shavers Jan 2018

Strategies Used To Retain Teachers In Hard To Staff Schools, Levi Shavers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition has serious consequences in hard to staff schools. Mostly poor and ethnic minority students are deprived of being taught by stable, experienced teachers. The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies used to effectively retain teachers in such schools through the perspective of teachers at a high school that comprises poor and ethnic minority students in southwest Georgia. The conceptual framework that guided this study was Chen's theory about race and social class which postulated that a high percentage of poor ethnic minority students results in low teacher morale. This study explored the reasons why teachers …


New Teacher Mentees' Perceptions Of Mentorship As An Assimilation Strategy, Konstance Laverne Grimble Jan 2017

New Teacher Mentees' Perceptions Of Mentorship As An Assimilation Strategy, Konstance Laverne Grimble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attrition among new teachers with fewer than 5 years of experience was high in an urban high school in Texas. The high attrition rate is a problem for students, because high teacher turnover can result in teachers with low expertise. In this study, the conceptual framework used was Hord's professional learning community (PLC) model, which emphasizes trust and a utilization of a cycle of inquiry among colleagues to prepare lessons and assessments that affect student achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine new high school teachers' perceptions of assimilation techniques used by their mentors in the new teacher …


High School To College Transition Among Black Males: An Action Research Project, Orval Albert Jewett Jan 2017

High School To College Transition Among Black Males: An Action Research Project, Orval Albert Jewett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A participatory action research project involving social workers as stakeholders from high schools and the local community college in Nassau County, New York, provided the basis for an inquiry that addressed the effectiveness and implementation of clinical social work practice with Black male students transitioning to community college from high school. This study addresses how clinical social work practice may be utilized to enhance the experience of the transition process for Black male students from high school to college. Through the use of a qualitative in-depth interview process, 16 school-based social workers provided professional perspective and expertise that resulted in …


The Impact Of A New Teacher Support System On Teacher Efficacy, Tonja Denise Simpson Jan 2016

The Impact Of A New Teacher Support System On Teacher Efficacy, Tonja Denise Simpson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining novice teachers is a major concern for school districts across the United States. At an urban high school in a Southeastern state, over 30% of novice teachers hired over a 3-year period did not return after their first year of teaching. The purpose of the study was to examine novice teachers' perceptions of support received during their first year to determine how school-based support could increase novice teacher retention. The theoretical framework was Bandura's theory of self-efficacy and the concept of teacher efficacy espoused by Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk-Hoy, and Hoy. The research questions focused on the perceptions of novice teachers …


Novice Teachers' Perceptions Of Success In A Mentoring Relationship, Dorean Marie Whitehouse Jan 2016

Novice Teachers' Perceptions Of Success In A Mentoring Relationship, Dorean Marie Whitehouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been little research on what is necessary for a mentoring relationship to be considered successful from the novice teacher's perspective. Although researchers have asserted that mentoring promotes new teacher retention and improves new teacher skills, new teachers are still leaving the profession, causing a shortage of teachers in school districts across the United States. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the meaning of a successful mentoring relationship from the perspective of 6 selected elementary teachers who have been in the teaching field fewer than 5 years and who have participated in a mentoring relationship for …


The Relationship Between High School Culinary Curriculum And Culinary Arts College Student Achievement And Completion, Emily Knight Jan 2016

The Relationship Between High School Culinary Curriculum And Culinary Arts College Student Achievement And Completion, Emily Knight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of persistence and completion of students enrolled in a local college culinary arts program, a problem also evident in national data. Some students entering the college program have participated in a defined high school curriculum focused on culinary arts, such as the National Restaurant Association Education Association's ProStart curriculum. The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in the ProStart program was related to the mean grade point average (GPA) and time to completion in the college culinary arts program. Dewey's theory of experience provided the theoretical framework. Participants from 2 cohorts at the …


Cross-Age Peer Mentoring To Improve Sixth-Grade Student Reading, Christina L. Belotti Jan 2016

Cross-Age Peer Mentoring To Improve Sixth-Grade Student Reading, Christina L. Belotti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a middle school in the southern United States, administrators and teachers are concerned that approximately 40% of sixth-grade students are reading below grade level despite intervention programs. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to inquire whether a cross-age peer mentoring program would improve sixth-graders' reading achievement and motivation to read. The theoretical framework for the study was Vygotsky's constructivist theory, with a focus on scaffolding. Research questions focused on sixth-grade students' perception of their participation in a cross-age peer mentoring program and the effect of the program on reading achievement and motivation. Data were collected through pre- …


An Evaluation Of Mentoring, Self-Efficacy, And Teacher Retention In An Induction Program, Sherri Latonya Henry Jan 2016

An Evaluation Of Mentoring, Self-Efficacy, And Teacher Retention In An Induction Program, Sherri Latonya Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Several decades of research have shown that quality teacher induction programs are effective in providing support to beginning teachers, improving teachers' performance, and increasing teachers' self-efficacy. A large urban school district implemented a new teacher induction program and the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the program using beginning teachers' perceptions of program effectiveness, the mentor-mentee relationship, intention to remain in teaching, and self-efficacy scores. Bandura's self-efficacy theory provided the framework for this study. Research questions examined the relationships among the 4 variables of interest as well as the differences in each by the number of years of …


Perceptions On Interventions Impacting The Self- Efficacy Of At-Risk Students, Natalie Giddens Giddens Jan 2016

Perceptions On Interventions Impacting The Self- Efficacy Of At-Risk Students, Natalie Giddens Giddens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers need interventions to improve at-risk students' self-efficacy, which may improve their academic performance in school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of elementary school teachers at a Texas public middle school as to what research-based interventions they felt would improve the self-efficacy of these students. Bandura's social cognitive theory, which framed the study, indicates that self-efficacy beliefs affect the courses of action that people seek and the choices people make. Many at-risk students who experience a lack of academic success have low self-efficacy, which may affect their school performance. The research questions that …


The Relationships Among Job Satisfaction, Length Of Employment, And Mentoring Of Nursing Faculty, Zelda Suzan Jan 2016

The Relationships Among Job Satisfaction, Length Of Employment, And Mentoring Of Nursing Faculty, Zelda Suzan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The shortage of faculty in nursing education programs has been well documented by the National League for Nursing. Job satisfaction is important in retaining nurse educators, and one New York nursing program was interested in examining the potential impact of mentoring on satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine job satisfaction, measured by the Job Descriptive Index/Job in General scale (JDI/JIG), between nurse faculty participants in formal mentoring programs compared to participants receiving an informal type of mentoring. In addition, the length of employment was examined as a possible factor in predicting job satisfaction. The theoretical framework …


Supporting The Professional Needs Of Alternatively Certified Secondary Education Teachers, Michelle Latrice Washington Jan 2016

Supporting The Professional Needs Of Alternatively Certified Secondary Education Teachers, Michelle Latrice Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The reliance on alternative teacher certification to address teacher quality and quantity is an educational issue worthy of study because non-traditionally prepared teachers fill the nation's classrooms. This qualitative case study explored the experiences of secondary education teachers with no preservice training who earned a professional educator certificate in Alabama through the alternative baccalaureate-level program. The central research questions of this study related to the professional needs of alternatively certified teachers and how educational leaders supported those professional needs. The conceptual framework of this project study included the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education's differentiated induction model based …


Exploring The Experiences And Relationships Of First-Year Teachers And Mentors, Melanie Jane Strey Jan 2015

Exploring The Experiences And Relationships Of First-Year Teachers And Mentors, Melanie Jane Strey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators have a moral imperative and job-embedded expectation to effectively teach all students, which requires a commitment to continued personal growth. The purpose of this instrumental project study was to explore the lived experiences of first-year teachers and their mentors who teach in a culturally-diverse school district. The conceptual framework was based on supporting adult learning methods through the theories of critical thinking, constructivist perspective, the theory of mentoring, and culturally-instructional teaching. The guiding research questions addressed the perceptions of 5 first-year teachers and 5 mentors regarding individual and shared learning as a result of mentor-mentee relationship. A constant comparison …