Education Commons^™

Who Cares? Exploring Student Perspectives On Care Ethics, Kelly A. Concannon Mannise

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Care ethics are influenced by conflicts between crafted theories and how students read those theories in practice.

Back Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Editor's Message

Being And Becoming Public School Teachers: Career Mobility Of Chinese Overseas-Trained Teachers In The San Francisco Bay Area, Lily L. Chow

Doctoral Dissertations

Teacher shortage and retention has persisted in the United States for decades. Ethnic minority teachers are underrepresented in public K-12 schools as well as teachers for English learners. Untapped pools of overseas-trained teachers who are lawful permanent residents exist but are unemployed, underemployed, or working in other fields. To earn a local teaching credential, the immigrant bears the burden of proving equivalent knowledge and skills to re-enter her or his profession in the United States. At the time of this study, there was no research about overseas-trained immigrant teachers entering the teaching profession for primary and secondary public school students …

Successful African American Community College Students Perceptions On Sense Of Belonging In Three California Community College Districts, Nicole Yvette Wise

Doctoral Dissertations

Roach (2009) indicates that "only 31 percent of public community college students go on to complete either an associate or bachelor's degree in six years" according to U.S. Education Department data (p. 14). In California the gap is even wider and the statistics more scarce for students of color. Whereas only 15 percent of African American students compared, to 26 percent of white students, complete their degree in six years of enrolling in a California Community College (Roach, 2009, p. 14). College retention as it pertains to success is a challenging issue in the United States, and the California Community …

Academic Language Teaching And Learning In The Third Space Classroom: A Preservice Teachers' Perspective, Cinzia Forasiepi

Doctoral Dissertations

The increased percentage of immigrant children in the public school system in the United States has challenged schools to provide adequate academic language instruction to reach the same levels as their monolingual peers. Teachers must demonstrate the ability to support the development of academic language in accordance to both the standards' requirements and the linguistic needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. It is very important to shed light on teacher preparation programs and how they support their candidates to develop a pedagogy that can best respond to students' needs. This study explore the beliefs and practices of preservice teachers …

Funding Teacher Education: A Catalyst For Enhancing The Universal Basic Education In Imo State Of Nigeria, Martin Okoro

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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School Administrators And The Professional Learning Of General Education Teachers Related To Gifted Education: A Delphi Study, Lenore Cortina

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Student, Faculty, And Administrator Attitudes And Perceptions Of Virtual High School Classes At One Suburban New Jersey Public High School, Gina Donlevie

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Elementary Principals Decision-Making Process During Crisis Situations In One Northern New Jersey District, Marilyn Torley

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how school administrator,respond during a crisis. Relevant research pertaining to crisis decision-making will be presented, focusing on the three steps of crisis decision theory (a) assessing the severity ofthe negative event (b) deterrnining response options, and (c) evaluating response options (Sweeny, 2008) during crisis situations. This is the first time crisis decision theory will be used to explore how schoolleaders respond to a crisis. CriticaI Incident Technique (CIT) (Flanagan, 1954) was used as the investigative framework with the improved credibility checks established by Butterfield et al. (2005). Following the guidelines set …

The Influence Of Student And School Variables On Student Performance On The New Jersey Assessment Of Skills And Knowledge In Grade 8, Maria A. Periera

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Reading Comprehension In The Secondary Classroom, Kathryn Grace Rowe Novotny

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Reading is important for the mind and the success of students' academic career (Cunningham, 1998). To read, one must comprehend what has been read; otherwise, there would be no purpose in reading. Comprehension is one of the most important reading skills adolescent students need to possess (Underwood, 1994). Students who have excellent reading comprehension are able to master academic content, read for pleasure, and are more likely to succeed in post-secondary goals. Unfortunately, comprehension strategy skills are not natural skills of students, but rather must be self-taught or taught by someone else. In view of the impact that reading comprehension …

Forty Percent Of 2 Million: Preparing To Serve Our Veterans With Disabilities, Bruce C. Kelley, Emetta L. Fox, Justin M. Smith, Lisa A. Wittenhagen

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

On August 1, 2009, the Post-9111 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 was passed, and as a result, almost 2 million veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will soon enroll in postsecondary education. Up to 40 percent of these veterans are estimated to have disabilities. This chapter examines some of the characteristics of this group, the challenges that veterans face as they transition into life as college students, and how faculty developers can help faculty better serve these incoming veterans.

The Digital Academy: Preparing Faculty For Digital Course Development, Sunay V. Palsole, Beth L. Brunk-Chavez

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

New generations of learners necessitate new ways of teaching, and hybrid courses can help institutions leverage technologies to improve teaching and learning. The adoption of a new instructional paradigm, however, requires attention to the facuity’s ability to create and deliver effective courses. The University of Texas at El Paso has developed the Digital Academy to help facuity interweave online elements with face-to-face teaching. The model is pliable and portable in its application to other universities.

Faculty Development As A Hazardous Occupation, Linda B. Nilson, Edward B. Nuhfer, Bonnie B. Mullinix

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

"Hazardous" describes events and conditions that produce an undesired, involuntary, career-changing disruption of a developer’s professional practice. While faculty development is an immensely valuable asset to an institution that knows how to make use of it, the unique nature off acuity development centers within varied academic institutions brings occupational hazards to those who direct or work in such centers. Our study synthesizes and identifies patterns among over thirty cases furnished by developers, primarily center directors, who experienced career disruptions. We conclude by offering evidence-based counsel on how to recognize the hazards and mitigate damage.

Effecting Change In Limited-Control Classroom Environments: A Case Study, Allison P. Boye

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Many instructors face the dilemma of possessing little control over their own curriculum or even their own pedagogy. This chapter examines three instructors who were teaching the same course over several years, facing the same problematic issues beyond their control, and describes the role of faculty developers in helping effect practical change for those instructors and for the course. The findings of this study, using longitudinal data derived from student evaluations and qualitative responses from instructor interviews, suggest that faculty developers can help instructors realize change on an individual level as well as at the department and big-picture levels.

About The Authors, Volume 29 (2011)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

About the editors and authors of volume 29 (2011) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Support Needs Of University Adjunct Lecturers, Sarah M. Ginsberg

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Little is known about the support needs of the part-time instructors on university campuses, despite the fact that they represent more than 50 percent of the instructors teaching in higher education. This study of adjunct lecturers investigated their support needs and their preferences for receiving support. Results indicated that adjuncts wanted information about their students and effective teaching methods beyond lecturing. They expressed frustration over the fact that there was no systematic approach to information sharing, particularly with the tenure-track faculty in their programs. They evenly favored resources provided either electronically or face-to-face.

Adapting A Laboratory Research Group Model To Foster The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning, Beth A. Fisher, Regina F. Frey

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

A multidisciplinary group of faculty and staff formed an education research group modeled on a laboratory research group to focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This group has bridged the communication and knowledge gaps between STEM and social science faculty and science education specialists, fostered the development of collaborative SoTL projects, and laid the groundwork for broader institutional support of SoTL.

Using Students To Support Faculty Development, Teresa M. Redd, Carl E. Brown Jr.

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Howard University’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (CETLA) provides faculty development for more than fifteen hundred facuity. Yet it is CETLA’s students who make the difference. They are both the motivation for improving teaching and the means to that end. Students have contributed to everything from the design of CETLA’s infrastructure, to the implementation of instructional technologies, to the assessment of student learning. Meanwhile, supporting faculty development has contributed to the students’ own development. A cost-benefit analysis as well as survey data confirms that working with students at CETLA is a win-win opportunity for the university, faculty, …

Preface, Volume 29 (2011), Judith E. Miller

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Preface to volume 29 (2011) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, by Judith E. Miller of University of North Florida.

Acknowledgments, Volume 29 (2011)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Acknowledgments for volume 29 (2011) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, by Judith E. Miller of University of North Florida.

Graduate Student Internships As A Pathway To The Profession Of Educational Development, Kathryn E. Linder, Stephanie E. Rohdieck, Alan Kalish, Teresa A. Johnson, Kathryn M. Plank

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Educational developers can help create a cadre of well-prepared new professionals by mentoring them during graduate study. Through an educational development intern position, we created a mentorship opportunity for graduate students interested in the field of educational development as a career opportunity. Teaching center staff, participating graduate student interns, and the field of educational development benefited from the model.

Writing Groups For Work-Life Balance: Faculty Writing Group Leaders Share Their Stories, Dannielle Joy Davis, Kara Provost, Amanda E. Major

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Faculty writing groups can promote both the work-life balance and productivity of members of the professoriate. The benefits of such development initiatives expand beyond productivity to include retention, promotion, and improved teaching. Through the development of writing groups, faculty developers can empower faculty to meet research obligations, establish equilibrium in their work practices, and maintain work-life balance.

Incredible Years Dina Dinosaur Program Evaluation, Amanda Holzapfel

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine the effectiveness of the Incredible Years (IY) Dina Dinosaur Child Training Program in the Early Childhood Special Education Classroom (ECSE) at the GFW Elementary School, a small town school. The Dina Dinosaur Program is designed to promote children’s social, emotional, behavior and academic skills through social skills and problem solving curriculum. This program has been found to be appropriate for children with ADHD, language and/or developmental delays and mild autism spectrum disorders, which were all present in the ECSE classroom at GFW Elementary. All of the ECSE teachers and paraprofessionals had …

Exploring Teacher Attitudes, Experiences, And Beliefs Of The Development And Implementation Of Faculty Data Teams (Tm) In A Midwestern School District, Bradley William Sheppard

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe the development and implementation of Data Teams™ in a Midwestern school district and to explore what influenced teachers to become effective team members. It analyzed the product and process of creating Data Teams™ who competently used data to make academic standards work by identifying power standards, analyzing data, setting goals, implementing research-based effective teaching strategies, and assessing student performance and adult behaviors that had a direct impact on student achievement.

Method. A qualitative case study design was used for this investigation as it explored the narratives of 10 elementary teachers on …

Completing The Faculty Development Cycle: Using Data From Syllabi Review To Inform Action, Phyllis Blumberg

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Consistent with the mission of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, the Teaching and Learning Center has emphasized implementation of learner-centered practices for eight years. To assess the impact of these development efforts, I reviewed syllabi and course approval forms of seventy-two recently approved courses. The documents revealed a disappointing lack of evidence of learner-centered course design features. Voluntary faculty development programming cannot force faculty to change their course designs. However, the results prompted discussions with administrators and faculty and yielded calls to action for greater implementation of learner-centered practices.

Curriculum Revision And Cultural Change: A Joint Faculty Development And Faculty Governance Approach, Terre H. Allen, David A. Horne, Ingrid M. Martin, Michael E. Solt

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Typically faculty development is not closely aligned with faculty governance. However, faculty development and faculty governance can find opportunities to work together to achieve transparent, rapid, and systematic curriculum revision and cultural change. Specifically, we describe the process of revision of a master’s of business administration (M.B.A.) curriculum in which faculty development and faculty governance worked together to provide continuous assistance, opportunities for frequent discussion, periodic review, and faculty programming to achieve curriculum and course redesign for integrative learning and integrative teaching practice.

Social Capital And The Campus Community, Andrew N. Carpenter, Linda Coughlin, Susanne Morgan, Christopher Price

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Investigating colleges’ and universities’ social capital through its five dimensions—civic engagement, norms and trust, collective action, bonding capital, and bridging capital—provides a powerful way of thinking about organizational and faculty development. Four very different institutions of higher learning have promoted their organizational development through efforts that build social capital. We seek to inspire additional application of and research into this topic by demonstrating that confronting the complexities of social capital within diverse campus communities can help faculty developers understand those communities with greater nuance and in ways that improve their ability to design and implement development initiatives.

The Ta Consultant Program: Improving Undergraduate Instruction And Graduate Student Professional Development, Mikaela Huntzinger, Paul Mcpherron, Madhumitha Rajagopal

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Graduate students, particularly at research-oriented universities, are well prepared for future research careers, but they often lack knowledge or training in other aspects of academic life. A teaching assistant consultant program was created to improve the professional development opportunities for campus teaching assistants and provide a community of practice in which graduate students pursue teaching interests, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and service. We offer recommendations for creating similar programs and conclude by recommending the development of communities of practice to create opportunities for graduate students to improve their teaching skills.