Education Commons^™

Whole-School Inclusive Reform: "It's What's Best For Kids”, Nicole M. Declouette

Teaching and Leadership - Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigates a school and university inclusive reform project, called the All Means All Project, and how it is understood and experienced by teachers and administrators at Kennedy School, a K-8 school in the northeast United States. The All Means All Project began when two university professors called into question the practice of placing students with disabilities in segregated special classrooms. Their goal was to create a collaborative, multi-dimensional approach to providing all students with access to rigorous academic instruction and promoting a sense of belonging through students' full-time membership in general education classrooms. This reform was …

Professional Conversations: Mentor Teachers’ Theories-In-Use Using The Australian National Professional Standards For Teachers, Simon N. Leonard

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this paper the written feedback provided by mentor teachers using a new assessment model for preservice teacher professional experience deployed in the Australian Capital Territory and based on the Australian National Standards for Teachers is analysed. The analysis reveals mentor teachers hold a pervasive theory-in-use in regards to the needs of beginning teachers that may restrict the developmental ambition of the assessment model. The restricted vision of what is important for beginning teachers held by mentor teachers is possibly a reaction to continual change within school education. The analysis is preceded by a description of the ‘Professional Conversations’ model …

Making Performance-Based Evaluation Work For You: A Recipe For Personal Learning, Audrey Church

Education & Human Services Faculty Publications

Teacher observation and teacher evaluation are a given in American schools, and Charlotte Danielson's work in teacher effectiveness and professional practice has guided evaluation efforts for many years. There is a new, big kid in town, however. As Race to the Top requires documentation of student growth, and research shows that teacher effectiveness is a key factor in student learning, people see full implementation of performance-based teacher-evaluation systems in states and school districts across the nation. The goal of performance-based teacher evaluation is actually two-fold: first, to document teacher effectiveness and, second, to guide professional …

Teacher Professionalism And Team Performance Pay: A Mixed Methods Study, Pamela Wells, Julie P. Combs, Rebecca M. Bustamante

Administrative Issues Journal

The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of their professional behaviors when they worked in schools that awarded team performance pay. Teachers’ archival responses from two questionnaires were analyzed using mixed methods data analysis techniques (Year 1, n = 368; Year 2, n = 649). Most teachers had positive views of the team performance pay system. Lack of collaboration has been a criticism of some individual performance pay systems; however, teachers in this study believed that the team performance pay encouraged collaboration and attendance at staff development. Findings were interpreted using the framework of …

Overseas Trained Teachers (Otts): Student Attitudes And Expectations In The Context Of Vocational Education, Jill Murray, Judith Cross

Judith (Judie) L Cross

The vocational education and preparation of overseas trained teachers (OTTs) in NSW is a demanding and lengthy process. It involves the development of communicative language ability to a standard equivalent to native-like vocational proficiency in two domains: linguistic and pragmatic. In order to demonstrate competence at this level, OTTs in NSW are required to pass an English language test, the NSW Professional English Assessment for Teachers (PEAT). In the PEAT, Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing are specifically tested in the context of workplace requirements for the NSW education system. Success in the PEAT leads directly to the DET Pre-Employment Program. …

Movements Of Diverse Inquiries As Critical Teaching Practices Among Charros, Tlacuaches And Mapaches, Stephen T. Sadlier

Open Access Dissertations

This year-long participant observation qualitative case study draws together five social practices of mid-career elementary school educators in the Mexican southeastern state of Oaxaca: a protest march, a roadblock, the use of humor, a school-based book fair and alternate uses of time and space in school. The title terms of charros, tlacuaches and mapaches represent some of the diverse sites of friction where teachers interact. Additionally, movements of diverse inquiries is derived from the definition Michel Foucault gives to "critical" which leads to the primary guiding question: how have Oaxacan teachers engaged in critical pedagogical practices? The study finds that …

Tennessee Public High School Principals’ Leadership Behaviors And Teachers’ Job Satisfaction, Amie Broughton Rumph

Doctoral Dissertations

The attrition rate of teachers is alarming (Darling-Hammond, 2002; Keigher, 2010; Marvel, Lyter, Peltola, Strizek, & Morton, 2006). Factor of the attrition include teachers leaving the profession due to lack of job satisfaction or lack of administrative support (Angelle, 2002; Littrell, 1994; Schlichte, Yssel, & Merbler, 2005). Frameworked by Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory (Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman, 1959), this web-based, quantitative, descriptive study explored the connections between job satisfaction and perceived leadership behaviors. Participants included 302 teachers from public secondary schools in Central and East Tennessee. Instruments used were the Job Satisfaction Survey ([JSS], Spector, 1994), the Study of School Leadership …

Into The Tangled Web: K-12 Educators, Free Speech Rights, And Social Media, John David Andrews

Theses and Dissertations

Much attention has recently been given to K-12 educators and their use of social media. This quantitative study surveyed a targeted sample (n = 543) of known social media users to learn about K-12 educators’ use of social media, their legal knowledge of the First Amendment as it relates to free speech and education, and their dispositions toward the First Amendment. Survey respondents self-reported levels of social media use, completed a legal knowledge section, and responded to a series of items used to gauge their disposition toward the First Amendment. These were analyzed through various demographic and contextual factors in …

Teds-M Plenary Panel At Icme-12, Ray Peck

Ray Peck

Focusing on mathematics learning at school level, mathematics teachers have the strongest influence on student learning because they are directly working with students. Teachers are regarded as key persons of educational change. For example, a meta-analysis on student learning (Hattie, 2003) found that teachers' impact on students' learning is high: Identified factors that contribute to major sources of variation in student performance include the students (50%) and teachers (30%) as the most important factors, whereas home, schools, principals, peer effects (altogether 20%) play a less important role.

The Influence Of Physical Education Teachers' Beliefs On Secondary School-Based Physical Activity Opportunities: A Case Study Of One Ontario Public School, Gregory D. Rickwood

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this inquiry was to investigate the relationship between the beliefs of physical education teachers from one public secondary school in Ontario concerning physical activity and school-based physical activity opportunities. More concisely, did physical education teachers’ beliefs influence school-based physical activity opportunities and were there other social factors that influenced their engagement in these opportunities.

The method of inquiry was grounded in the academic literature that examined the characteristics of effective school cultures, and how culture was related to school-based physical activity opportunities. From this review, it showed that a post-positivism framework within a case study design …

Technology Use, Technology Views: Anticipating Professional Use Of Ict For Beginning Physical And Health Education Teachers, Lori Lockyer, John W. Patterson

John Patterson

In Australia, the national initiative known as Learning in an Online World, focuses school jurisdictions across the country meet the challenge of achieving the national vision of all schools “…confidently using ICT in their everyday practices to improve learning, teaching and administration” (MCEETYA, 2005, p. 3). One strategy in reaching this goal is the effective preparation of pre-service teachers to use and integrate technology in their teaching and learning practices. This article reports on a research study that aimed to explore the issue preparation for use of technology in teaching by understanding the current and anticipated technology usage for Australian …

"Endemic Uncertainties" : Teachers' Professional Lives In The High-Stakes Reform Movement, Harris Sockel

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Explores the effects that principles of certainty have on teachers' professional lives and their attitudes toward their work.

The Relationship Between Teacher Satisfaction And Developmentally Responsive Structures At New York City Middle Schools, Elianna Rose Lippold-Johnson

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The purpose of this research was to investigate the experience of teachers at two New York City middle schools to see how developmentally responsive school-wide structures influenced their professional satisfaction and commitment to their schools.

Understanding The Design Context For Australian University Teachers: Implications For The Future Of Learning Design, Susan Bennett, Lisa Thomas, Shirley Agostinho, Lori Lockyer, Jennifer Jones, Barry Harper

Professor Lori Lockyer

Based on the premise that providing support for university teachers in designing for their teaching will ultimately improve the quality of student learning outcomes, recent interest in the development of support tools and strategies has gained momentum. This article reports on a study that examined the context in which Australian university teachers design in order to understand what role design support tools and strategies could play. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 academics across 16 Australian universities. The findings suggest that most Australian university teachers have a high degree of flexibility in their design decisions suggesting that opportunities exist for …

The Effect Of Improved School Climate Over Time On Fifth-Grade Students’ Achievement Assessment Scores And Teacher Administered Grade Scores, Dawn M. Marten

Student Work

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of improved school climate, as teachers' beliefs changed from negative to positive over time, on students' reading, math, and writing assessment scores and teacher administered grade scores in reading, math, and writing. Overall, findings indicate that lose, maintain, or improve third-grade pretest compared to fifth-grade posttest Essential Learner Outcome assessment below proficient, barely proficient, proficient, or beyond proficient nomenclature category chi-square results were in the direction of statistically different nomenclature category improvement for reading ( X² (6, N = 75) = 22.00, p = .001), math (X^{2 …}

The Effects Of Training On Teachers' Perceptions Of Inclusion Of Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Kerin M. Vernier

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In today’s society, many general education and special education teachers struggle with the concept of inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the general education classroom setting and perceive that inclusion of ID students impedes the learning of others. The purpose of this project was to establish if a 60-min training session on the benefits of inclusion would alter teachers’ perceptions of inclusion of children with ID in the general education setting as measured by a pre- and post-training rating scale. Forty-eight general education and special education school teachers participated. Of the 48 participants, 47 had special education experience …

School Facility Design: Are We Asking The Right People?, Dale C. Jerome

Ed.D. Dissertations

Realizing the need for changes in the design of new school facilities, architects and educators must reach beyond the norms of past designs. This mixed-methods study was conducted at four recently completed high schools. Questionnaires were utilized in the initial phase of research to identify statistically significant differences between the perceptions of teachers and students regarding the physical design characteristics of their learning environment. Structured interview sessions were then conducted with teachers, principals, and architects, to understand their perceptions regarding the involvement of students in the design and planning process of school facilities, and indicated the importance of providing a …

Factors Affecting Talent Development: Differences In Graduate Students Across Domains, Stephanie Hartzell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is an abundance of literature on young individuals who show early signs of talent and on older individuals who have demonstrated their abilities throughout the years. This research aims to look at those individuals who are in between, that is, graduate students who have the demonstrated potential to achieve within their fields of study. This study explored backgrounds of talented individuals in their adolescent period and their current measures of cognitive abilities. A total of 38 graduate students majoring in the areas of art (n= 12), science (n= 12), and education (n= 14) were used as examples of individuals …

Classroom Factors, Student Engagement, And Self-Motivation In Reading, Anna M. Carlson

Honors Program Projects

The goal of this research was to determine how teachers most effectively produce engaged, self-motivated readers. The answer to this question was determined by preliminary research and survey results from 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade teachers. Based on the findings of the preliminary research, the following hypothesis was formed:

It is predicted that there is a relationship between implementing the following factors in the classroom and producing engaged, self-motivated readers:

1. 1. Providing time in class for independent reading
2. 2. Providing an appropriate environment for reading
3. 3. Allowing students to select books according to their interests …

Empowering Teachers: Characteristics, Strategies, And Practices Of Successful Principals, Cailin Patrice Ellis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study implemented an exploratory mixed-methods design to better understand how the characteristics of a principal, specifically the strategies, behaviors, and actions, lead to the perception of empowerment as perceived by the teachers themselves.

An expert panel identified three highly successful principals assigned to elementary schools within a large urban district. Each was the principal of the school for a minimum of 4 years that utilized and sustained a shared-governance structure. Site observations at the schools, as evidenced by principal supervisors, indicated a successful governance structure, strong educational focus, and a sustained data-driven design for school improvement.

The teachers at …

Looking For A Diverse Teacher Force, Guy Trainin, William England, Britney Tonniges

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

At some point over the next 10 to 12 years, the nation’s public school student body will have no one clear racial or ethnic majority. But the makeup of the nation’s teacher workforce is not keeping up with these changing demographics. At the national level, students of color make up more than 40 percent of the public school population. In contrast, teachers of color—teachers who are not non-Hispanic white—are only 17 percent of the teaching force. (Boser,2011- Teacher Diversity Matters) This infographic presentes a snapshot of the situation in Nebraska 2012.

Mcintire, Tandie Lewis, 1865-1947 (Mss 396), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscript Collection 396. Correspondence to family, friends, and acquaintances of Tandie Lewis McIntire, Edmonson County, Kentucky. Collection contains educational material related to McIntire's career as a teacher in Edmonson County. Also includes tracts and pamphlets related to McIntire's involvement in religious organizations, particularly Baptist entities.

Settle, B. C. (Mrs.) (Sc 265), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 265. Teacher’s composition book of Mrs. B. C. Settle, presumably of Warren County, Kentucky.

Teaching Games For Understanding (Tgfu); A Model For Pre Service Teachers, Gregory J. Forrest, Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson

Greg J Forrest

Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) has been present in the Australian sporting community for the last ten years and more recently as the focus of physical education lessons in some Australian schools’ curriculum, especially in NSW. However, the effectiveness of TGfU as a teaching method is limited by the skill of its practitioners in developing the appropriate games and questions to generate understanding opportunities for their students. If practitioners do not develop these skills, there may be limited opportunities for their students to gain skills in critical analysis, deep knowledge and deep understanding, essential in any productive pedagogy.

Turning The Switch On! The Teachers’ Ability To Influence Student Motivation In Physical Education, Dana Perlman, Philip J. Pearson, Kim Mckeen, Gregory J. Forrest

Greg J Forrest

Student motivation is an area of importance in physical education due to the association with enhanced levels of effort, participation and aspects of learning (Tjeerdsma-Blankenship, 2008; Chen, 2001). Physical education specialists are routinely challenged by students who demonstrate behaviours indicative of low levels of motivation, such as high rates of absenteeism and severely low levels of active participation within the class setting (Ntoumanis, Peensgaard, Martin & Pipe, 2004). Bryan and Solmon (2007) indicate that the teacher is a primary driver for the development and implementation of experiences that support and/or thwart student motivation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was …

Teachers As Language-Policy Actors: Contending With The Erasure Of Lesser-Used Languages In Schools, Kara Brown

Kara D. Brown

On the basis of an ethnographic study of the Võro-language revitalization in Estonia, this article explores the way teachers function as policy actors in the broader context of the school. As policy actors, the language teachers' appropriation of regional–language policy helps simultaneously to reproduce and challenge existing ideologies in the school environment. I explore the teachers' understandings of their power and freedom to inform their navigation of the circumscribed choices offered in a post-Soviet educational system. [language, anthropology of policy, teachers, Baltic]

A School-Based Intervention For Third Grade Students Experiencing Test Anxiety, Laura S. Tenenbaum

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

With the advent of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001), students are regularly faced with high stakes tests and classroom-based assessments to determine if they are meeting grade level educational standards. Estimates suggest that up to 40% of children may experience significant anxiety surrounding evaluations (e.g., McDonald, 2001; Turner, Beidel, Hughes, & Turner, 1993) and research shows that this test anxiety can negatively impact school performance (e.g., Abu-Rabia, 2004; Putwain, 2008) and mental health (e.g., Barksdale-Ladd & Thomas, Weems et al., 2010). As a result, test anxiety has become a topic of concern for researchers, educators, and mental …

Baker, L. Alleyne, 1858-1916 (Sc 234), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "additional files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 234. Two letters written to L. Alleyne Baker, a school teacher In Auburn, Logan County, Kentucky. An 1898 letter, from a cousin, contains family news; a 1907 letter pertains to educational matters. Also includes an undated essay by a female high school student entitled, “Woman’s Sphere.”

A Pedagogy Of Freedom: Why Primary School Teachers Should Embrace Educational Emancipation, Doireann O'Connor

Education Conference Papers

Rich stories of learning journeys that arose from a Life History Research Project resulted in the development of a growing awareness on the part of the author in the role that freedom can productively play within the primary school classroom. The stories that adults told of their most memorable learning experiences almost exclusively occurred outside of the classroom within play and social situations where they were free to engage in a meaningful and personalised learning experience. Learning stories involving risk and even danger, conflict and resolution, freedom from supervision and responsibility as a self-regulated mantle of growing maturity were common …

Creativity In Childhood: The Role Of Education, Doireann O'Connor

Education Conference Papers

Creativity in adults is highly valued in our society. Personal creativity contributes to inventiveness, innovation, social and cultural change as well as political development and economic progression. The creator is an innovator, a problem solver, an entrepreneur, an artist. Creative people have rapid and effective responses that help them to achieve their life goals and allow them to enjoy the journey. Creativity is both a skill set and a unique and individual personality structure that is developed throughout childhood and fine tuned in adolescence and adulthood. Education has a key role to play in its development. Positive creativity inspiring experiences …