Education Commons^™

Teacher Initiated Collaboration In Community: A Case Study Considering Communities Of Practice At A Title I Middle School, Katherine Stewart

Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigates how faculty members in a Title I middle school engage in collaborative practices to enhance professional growth without formal professional learning. Framed within a descriptive lens (Merriam, 1998) and informed by Brown and Duguid's Community of Practice (CoP) framework (1991), the study addresses two research questions: (1) How do teachers collaborate to improve their practice outside formal professional learning? (2) In what ways do these methods reflect the elements of CoP: working, learning, and innovating? Through data analysis, the study reveals that teachers predominantly collaborate on student behavior and classroom management, with curriculum being a …

Distributed Leadership In International Schools Across The Asia Pacific: A Sequential Explanatory Study, Robert A. Appino

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This explanatory study examined how distributed leadership is practiced in international schools. This included looking at principals’ readiness to practice a distributed perspective of leadership, how they practice leadership, the opportunities for teacher leadership, and the relationship between distributed leadership practices and school innovation and improvement. Principals have increasingly adopted distributed leadership, sharing responsibilities with others, in response to COVID-19 (Azorin, Harris, & Jones, 2020). However, this response was not by design but to survive (Harris & Jones, 2020). The demands of the pandemic left leaders stretched more than ever, and adopting distributed leadership practices was essential (Harris & Jones, …

Designing A Program To Develop Computer Science Master Teachers For An Underserved Rural Area, Susie Morrissey, Thomas Koballa, Robert Allen, Judy Godfrey, Michael Dias, Shawn Utley, Deannia Clements

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

Due to a shortage of rural computer science teachers, researchers used a three-phase method to design a computer science endorsement, which will be coupled with an instructional coaching endorsement within an Educational Specialist degree program. The team conducted interviews of teachers as well as school and district level administrators in rural areas to determine needs and resources available to develop computer science master teachers. Interviewers also investigated recruitment, preparation and support processes pertinent to the program. Findings included that, although infrastructure for wireless access is lacking, school and district administrators are very interested in supporting teachers to become computer science …

Portraits Of Practice: A Case Study On Elementary Schools Successfully Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support, Catherine "Cat" Merkle

Honors Theses

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) is an educational framework that aims to make the general education classroom more inclusive to all students and types of learners. MTSS has been found to improve student growth and achievement and decrease special education referrals through the use of layered supports that allow students to stay in the classroom as much as possible. There is a direct focus on progress monitoring, universal screening, and data-based decision making in order to ensure that all students are getting the support they need, whether it be universal, group-based, or individualized. This study aimed to understand what factors …

Teacher Leadership: A Delphi Study, Critical Leadership Skills And Personal Dispositions Necessary For Teacher Leaders To Effectively Lead Educational Change Initiatives In Tk–12 Public Schools, Jennifer E. Larson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-method Delphi study was to identify and rate the most important leadership skills and personal dispositions that effective teacher leaders use in leading educational change initiatives based on the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession (CSTP) Teacher Leadership Skills Framework. Additionally, this study explored how effective teacher leaders describe the leadership skills and personal dispositions that are most important in leading education change initiatives.

Methodology: This mixed method Delphi study identified and described the most critical leadership skills and personal dispositions used by expert teacher leaders in public schools in Sonoma and Marin County. Round …

Principals’ Perceptions And Understandings Of Teacher Leadership, Anna Hart

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

No singular definition of teacher leadership (TL) exists in empirical literature or practice in the field. This lack of clarity has greatly impacted the implementation of TL in American schools. The purpose of this study qualitative case study was to investigate public school principals’ perceptions and understandings of TL in an effort to better inform continued efforts toward its ubiquitous application in American schools. Principals’ definitions of TL fell into three categories: action-based, quality-based, and role-based definitions. Principals’ recognition of the work of teacher leaders in schools fell into two parallel categories: action-based and role-based leadership. Findings reveal that many …

Self-Study Portfolio: Sandra Montanez, Sandra Montanez

Master of Education in Teacher Leadership Portfolios

No abstract provided.

An Explorative Study Of Kentucky Teacher Leader Graduate Programs: Response To Policy Change, Bailey M. Ubellacker

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Teacher leadership is a growing practice for supporting K-12 teachers and students. Recent policy regulations in the Commonwealth of Kentucky mandated a change in the professional standards used by approved graduate programs that prepare teacher leaders. To support this foundational change, program leaders designed programmatic goals, curriculum, structure, and tasks to align with the Teacher Leader Model Standards that emphasize promising research-based practices. The programs support development of teacher leadership through pedagogical approach, requirements, and programmatic structure.

Using a qualitative, multi-site case-study approach, this dissertation explored Kentucky teacher leadership graduate programs to understand how teacher leaders were formally prepared. Program …

Family Perceptions Of Family Engagement: A Qualitative Study To Assist Stakeholders, Candis Ervin

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This qualitative study sought to understand how professional working families with elementary age children perceive family engagement. Through one-on-one interviews, the researcher gained insight on how families define and perceive family engagement. The open-ended, one-on-one, semi-structured interviews included a purposeful sample of 8 participants. An analysis of data included a system of coding to link thoughts across data after reviewing, reflecting, and transcribing interviews. Their rich descriptions provide detailed information that is extremely useful to understanding the complexities of family engagement and its ability to support teachers, students, families and schools.

Findings from the study revealed the importance of families, …

Evidence-Based Instructional Practices For Teachers Of Children With Rett Syndrome – A Case Study, Todd Geren

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

ABSTRACT

EVIDENCE-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES FOR TEACHERS

OF CHILDREN WITH RETT SYDNROME

by

Todd L. Geren

Kennesaw State University, 2020

In this study, evidence-based practices (EBP) utilized for children with Rett syndrome (RTT) by a team of special educators in a rural elementary school was examined. Using a case study approach, three teachers in a severe classroom setting who teach a student with RTT were observed and interviewed. The researcher addressed the following:

1. What evidence-based practices, if any, are currently being utilized by local educators to educate a student with RTT?

2. What professional development is needed for teachers and …

Gaining Insight Into The Development Of Mathematics Teacher Leaders In Primary Grades: A Multi-Case Study, Susan Katt

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Teacher leaders have the potential to influence improved instructional practice for mathematics within elementary schools and thereby student performance. Lamentably, an insufficient number of elementary classroom teachers, specifically those who teach kindergarten, first, and second grades, participate actively in a teacher leader role, which positively impacts teaching and learning mathematics. Therefore, an examination of how professional development plays a role in cultivating new teacher leaders proves to be critical.

In this qualitative multi-case study, I examined a structured professional development opportunity for K–2 teachers designed to promote their leadership. All participants were full-time classroom teachers within an urban, Midwestern public …

Challenging Our Sense Of Ourselves: Teacher Leaders' Transformative Learning Experiences, Karen Marie Humphrey

Dissertations - ALL

It is important to understand the ways teacher leaders undergo a transformation of their professional selves as they move from being a teacher to teacher leader. This qualitative study examined the ways teacher leaders made sense of their teacher leadership experiences, thus, exploring the changes in their beliefs, values, and perspectives as they expand their educational capacity in that role. This study used transformative learning theory as the framework to explore the phenomenon. Transformative learning theory is a theory of adult learning and is understood as a way of making meaning of our experiences that “transforms problematic frames of reference …

Teacher Leadership: A Case Study In The Preparation Of Future Teacher Leaders, Abigail Hasebroock

Dissertations

Over the past century, Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade (PK-12) schools evolved into hierarchical learning organizations that centralized power, decision-making, and leadership at the top in the hands of a few predominantly male administrators. the teaching force, by contrast, became majority female. While teacher education programs formalized, the accountability movement that swept across the U.S. schooling system during the 1980s led to narrowed teacher educator programs and licensure requirements. Consequently, traditional teacher education programs in four-year universities focused more on theory and pedagogy but less on praxis and leadership in the name of producing highly-qualified teachers. Today, new pathways for teacher …

Developing Teacher Leaders Through Professional Development Offered In A District Teacher Forum, Suzanne T. Koty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition is an ongoing problem in education, and the lack of leadership opportunities contribute to that problem. Teachers who serve in leadership roles are more likely to remain in the profession and positively impact students and the profession as a whole. However, there is little qualitative research to address how teachers develop the needed leadership skills to take on additional leadership roles. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experiences of participants in a District Teacher Forum. The District Teacher Forum is a cohort of teachers identified as Campus Teachers of the Year led by the …

Developing Teacher Leaders Through Professional Development Offered In A District Teacher Forum, Suzanne T. Koty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition is an ongoing problem in education, and the lack of leadership opportunities contribute to that problem. Teachers who serve in leadership roles are more likely to remain in the profession and positively impact students and the profession as a whole. However, there is little qualitative research to address how teachers develop the needed leadership skills to take on additional leadership roles. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experiences of participants in a District Teacher Forum. The District Teacher Forum is a cohort of teachers identified as Campus Teachers of the Year led by the …

Teacher Leaders’ Experiences And Perceptions From Program To Practice, Carolynn Stoddard

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Most studies dedicated to investigating teacher leadership has focused on the impact teacher leaders (TLs) have with professional development and enhancing other teachers' performances or conquering a school's improvement plan. Few studies have set out to explore the impact preparatory teacher leadership programs have on the TLs. There is also a minimal amount of studies discussing the influence TLs feel they are having at their schools and the effects of becoming a teacher leader. This qualitative survey study focused on the first-hand experiences of seven pre-K-12th grade TLs within the southeastern region of the United States. The method of data …

Empowering Teacher Leadership To Address Math Anxiety In Today’S Schools, Joseph M. Furner, Christine Higgins

Transformations

Math anxiety is an uneasiness or worry when dealing with doing mathematics, ranging from slight nervousness, nausea, to complete panic. It prevents students from learning math and makes them more likely to give up. Math anxiety is common in many math classrooms today. Teachers can work together and take a real leadership role in addressing this problem to build math confidence. Solutions range from undergoing therapy to changing teaching styles to being more inclusive of students with math anxiety. This paper looks at ways teachers as leaders can work together to address math anxiety in their schools. School leaders can …

Teacher Leaders' Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities In Middle Schools, Joan Ann Mory

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While much is known about the benefits of professional learning communities as supportive structures for teaching teams to work together to increase student learning opportunities, team development requires strong administrators and teacher leaders. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher leaders' perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of professional learning communities in the middle school setting. With a foundation in constructivist and organizational learning theories, differences in teacher leaders' perceptions were investigated based on gender, number of years teaching at the schools, and number of years on the school leadership team. Within a nonexperimental, quantitative research design, 380 …

Why They Stay: Factors Contributing To Second Stage Teachers' Decisions To Remain In Teaching Profession, Samantha Hope

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition, particularly in hard-to-staff urban schools, is a problem addressed by many researchers. Although this research often focuses on novice teachers, those with three or fewer years of experience, there is a growing body of literature that examines second stage teachers, those with between four and 20 years of experience. Like their novice colleagues, these second stage teachers are also at risk of leaving the profession, which can have negative consequences for students. While much of the research focuses on reasons why teachers leave the profession, there is a growing interest in understanding how teachers reach the decision to …

How Do Instructional Coaches Support The Adult Development Of Teachers, Amanda Carol Linn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This case study focused on five Instructional Coaches working in public high schools. The intent of this study was to determine how these Coaches support the adult development of teachers. Three themes emerged from this study: 1) ambiguity regarding the role of Instructional Coaches impacts the performance of Coaches and the adult learners they support, 2) Instructional Coaches struggle to balance the work of supporting adult learners with tasks unrelated to supporting adult learners, and 3) preparation and ongoing professional development for Instructional Coaches is inconsistent in content and frequency.

A Multiple-Case Study On The Perceptions Of Teacher Autonomy In A Traditionally Structured And A Teacher Powered School, Jerry Wright

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine teachers’ perceived autonomy in two different school settings. The theory that guided this study was Bandura’s social-cognitive theory, specifically focusing on the three aspects of human agency. The research question was used to investigate the similarities and differences of teachers’ perceptions of autonomy in two schools one traditionally structured and the other teacher-powered. Thirteen participants from two separate settings, one teacher-powered school and one traditionally structured school were selected for this study. Participants were selected using criterion-sampling methods to ensure that all participants were teachers within their setting. Teacher-powered …

Teacher And Administrator Perspectives From Experiences In The Teacher Leadership Initiative, Leslie Lynne Sharp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teacher leadership, has been defined by many researchers as the answer to school improvement through the use of teacher leaders leading the effort in schools and districts. This qualitative dissertation takes a deep look into the experiences of teachers and administrators that participated in a nation-wide teacher leadership pilot, the Teacher Leadership Initiative (TLI), and the effects that this year-long event had on leadership, school improvement and teacher and administrator professional practices. Unifying outcomes from the participants as a result of their involvement in this initiative included changes in thinking about leadership that directly improved professional efficacy, collaborative and leadership …

Examining The Relationship Between Teacher Leadership Perception And Professional Learning Community Engagement, Laura Elizabeth Godlesky

Theses and Dissertations

This sequential-explanatory mixed methods study examines teachers' perceptions of their leadership practice through the lens of professional learning community (PLC) engagement. Through the two phases, the relationship is explored quantitatively and qualitatively using a survey and interviews, respectively. Teacher leadership perceptions were analyzed through comments teachers made about their practice through PLC engagement. Additionally, teachers' perspectives of their leadership and influencing factors were also explored through this research study. Findings from this research shed light on the differing ways teachers describe their current leadership practice, and provide insight into further development for teacher leaders.

What Complicates Or Enables Teachers’ Enactment Of Leadership, Jill Bradley-Levine 8881892

The Qualitative Report

This article presents findings from a case study that describes the ways that four teachers pursuing their master’s degree in teacher leadership engaged in leadership activities in their schools. In order to explore this purpose, this study examines two research questions: (1) How do teachers enact leadership in their schools and (2) What complicates or enables teachers’ leadership activity? Findings indicate that the norms of the teaching profession including equality and privacy affect teachers’ enactment of leadership in their schools. Teacher leaders limit their work based on their knowledge of these norms, their past experiences engaging in leadership, and the …

The Predictive Relationship Of Teacher Leadership Dimensions On Elementary School Climate, Ashley Watson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leaders exist at many levels. Within the educational arena, studies have shown the correlation of leadership styles among principals and the school culture (Pepper & Thomas, 2002; Perspective, 2012; Williams, 2009). This study attempted to extend Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory (1985) and Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory (1976) through examining leadership dimensions among teacher team leaders - and their influence on school climate. Using a predictive correlational research design, the current study sought to investigate relationships between leadership dimensions of teacher leaders and elementary school climates. Two different groups of teachers from a school district in the northern metro …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Collaborating Teacher Leadership In Professional Development Schools (Pdss), Nedd James Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Professional Development Schools (PDSs) provide teachers with multiple new opportunities for leadership. As teachers are encouraged to assume new roles outside of the classroom and beyond the school, it is important to examine the concept of teacher leadership in practice--specifically, how it is perceived by those most closely associated with it. This study identifies a shared understanding of teacher leadership from collaborating teachers, using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design in PDSs within a large, diverse southern New Jersey school district-university partnership. The two-phase study examines perceptions about teacher leaders through data collected from the Teacher Leadership Inventory (TLI) (Angelle …

Perceptions And Attitudes Of General And Special Education Teachers Toward Collaborative Teaching, Garletta D. Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Georgia middle school, general and special education teachers expressed concerns about the challenges of working collaboratively in the inclusive classroom. Effective teacher collaboration is pivotal to ensure academic success of all students. The purpose of this qualitative bounded instrumental case study was to explore middle school teachers' perceptions and attitudes toward shared teacher collaboration in inclusion classrooms. Lave and Wenger's situated learning theory was the conceptual framework. Purposeful sampling was used to select 4 general and 4 special education teachers who worked in middle school coteaching classrooms. Face-to-face interviews and teacher lesson plans were the data sources. Data …

An Evaluation Of Novice Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Teacher Induction And Teacher Leadership, Beth J. Bergren-Mann

Culminating Projects in Education Administration and Leadership

Abstract

Background

Classroom teachers have the most influence on student learning (Goldrick, 2009). In order for new teachers to be effective, they require support through comprehensive induction programs during the first three years of teaching (Stanulis & Floden, 2009). Induction and enculturation will happen with or without a formal program, and states and school districts have the opportunity to be at the forefront, developing quality, comprehensive systems of support that will set the stage for a life-long career of effective teaching (Feiman-Nemser, 2001).

Problem

In examining the literature on a leadership pathway for novice teachers, there appears to be little …

Improving Student Behavior Through The Use Of Greater Teacher Accountability Measures, Tequila S. Kurth

Dissertations

This change leadership plan examined the fidelity of implementation of strategies teachers learned during professional development at an elementary school in a large Midwestern urban school district. Emphasis was placed on the quality of teacher-student relationships as well as the strategies teachers used to address undesired behaviors. Also included were actions I took as an administrator with struggling teachers. While it was evident that in order to change student behaviors it would be necessary for teacher behaviors to change, making this change happen through greater teacher accountability measures proved to be challenging. Teacher resistance made it clear that the best …

Perceptions Of Highly Recognized Teachers About Approaches To Teacher Leadership, Maryann Woods-Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

State and regionally recognized New Jersey teachers struggle to use their professional knowledge in their schools and districts in roles other than teaching. The purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of highly recognized New Jersey teachers who were interested in taking on additional roles and responsibilities in schools. Guided by Sergiovanni's concept of school communities, DuFour's vision of school culture, and Lieberman's professional development practices, this study examined the connection among these 3 concepts and explored approaches to the creation of trusting communities of teachers who work collaboratively to improve schools. The research questions focused on teacher …