Education Commons^™

Teacher Perceptions Of Personalized Teaching & Learning In An Instructional Technology Graduate Course: A Phenomenographical Case Study, Stephanee Stephens

Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology Dissertations

With the growing focus and popularity of personalized learning in K-12 education, the need to support educators in their ability to implement personalized learning pedagogy grows. The paradigm shift towards personalized learning includes necessary iteration to the types of professional development offered to practicing teachers. This study explored the perceptions of teachers experiencing the meta-learning phenomenon of both teaching and learning about Personalized Learning (PL) in a six-week, online graduate-level course. Inquiry was focused on uncovering how in-service K-12 teachers' experience, understanding of PL, and ability to design PL evolve during a six-week graduate-level education course on personalized learning, ITEC …

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, …

Training Peer Mentors In Reinforcement And Modeling With Prompting (Ramp): Using Mixed Reality Simulation To Encourage Social Reciprocity Skills In Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jasmine V. Sadler

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can face many challenges, including limited ability in social reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests as a result of the disorder (APA, 2013). This hinders their ability to build and maintain friendships in the same manner as their typically developing peers and affects their interactions, speech and language abilities, and emotional regulation (Whitman & DeWitt, 2011). Peer Mentors (PMs) are trained to support the development of these skills as part of the Peer Mediated Instruction and Intervention (PMII) evidence-based practice (EBP). However, and explicit training program is not always …

From Teacher To Teacher-Leader: A Phenomenographic Study Of Transition, Jennifer Santi

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

As Education evolves, the roles within traditional teaching and learning also evolve. School structures change and leadership roles within those structures change as well, creating and recreating the educational experience for students and practitioners alike. As these structures change the nature of education, the roles found within them also transform what it means to be a professional educator. Increases in teacher-leadership positions have led to more instructional coaching roles for teachers and it is necessary to understand how those roles are perceived by those that are now changing the nature of their chosen work. As teachers leave the classroom to …

Are Teachers’ Formative Assessment Practices Reliable Indicators Of Students’ Mastery Of Standards?, Olivia Hall

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Some students, parents, and teachers are concerned over the apparent disparity between a student’s classroom grades and his/her proficiency levels reported from criterion-referenced standardized assessments, such as the Georgia Milestones. The purpose of this research project was to determine if teachers’ formative assessment practices were reliable indicators of students’ mastery of grade-level standards. This study was a mixed-methods study with an explanatory research design. Qualitative data were collected through observations and interviews that analyzed teachers’ perceptions of the meaning of formative assessments and how they are impacted by the summative assessment system. Also, samples of teacher-selected assessments were analyzed to …

The Impact Of Gamification On The Mathematics Achievement Of Elementary Students, Tamisha Kimble

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This study explores the use of gamification in elementary math. Living in a Global society requires students to use technology in classes daily. Students are using technology to complete a task that is aligned to state standards. These tasks are geared to help students master grade-level skills. So often, teachers are finding that students are completing the task just to comply. Teachers are seeking problems that will help with student engagement and prepare students for mastery of grade-level skills. Teachers are looking for a problem that serves the purpose of both. Teachers are looking for programs that engage students as …

The Influence Of Student Discipline On Teacher Job Satisfaction When Controlling For Workplace Characteristics, Personal Attributes, Human Capital Elements, And Principal Leadership, Joshua Pittman

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the empirical literature related to the influence of student discipline on teacher job satisfaction. Further, this research aimed to explore the correlation between student discipline and teacher job satisfaction while controlling for the contributing factors of job satisfaction (i.e., workplace characteristics, personal attributes, human capital elements, and principal leadership). In addition, the results of this research study were interpreted through the lens of the Affective Events Theory indicating a person’s emotions and behaviors for the workplace may influence their job satisfaction. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to see whether there …

A Phenomenographic Study Of Teachers’ Perceptions Of A School Leader’S Role In Teacher Retention In A Failing Title I Elementary School, Alex Davis

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

This study examines teachers’ perceptions of their administrator’s role in retaining teachers in one failing Title I Elementary School. As attrition rates among teachers increase in the United States, more investigation is needed to fully understand what role, if any, school administrators play in teachers’ retention efforts. Through the use of phenomenography, this study explores various factors connected to school administrators that can contribute to teacher retention. Interviews and a focus group were used to gather data in this study to provide insight into teachers’ perceptions of their administrator's role in contributing to their decisions to leave or remain in …

Student Experiences, Attitudes, And Perceptions Toward Online Collaborative Tools: A Case Study, Jeremy Easley

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Abstract

This case study (Merriam, 1998) describes the experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of four twelfth-grade students at Bob Jones High School (pseudonym) with literacy deficiencies as they used collaborative technology tools in an online after-school tutoring program that focused on reading and writing skills. Leveraging the sociocultural theory of reading (Freebod & Luke, 1990), participants worked collaboratively to strengthen skills while completing tasks. In addition, students used online collaborative tools, based on the principles of the New Literacies Studies (Gee, 2010), to construct and share meaning. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, participant observation and student artifacts. The data from these …

Evaluative Feedback Of Performance As Experienced By First-Year Teachers, Christine Carson

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Evaluative performance feedback is critical to improving educational practice. First-year teachers are learning to develop lesson plans, make their own decisions on how to handle classroom management, promote positive behavior of students, and increase student achievement. Evaluative performance feedback is critical to improve how first-year teachers navigate the early years to make positive and lasting changes in their practices. The problem this investigation sought to explore was to identify how new teachers use evaluative performance feedback to reflect and develop ideas for change and growth in practice. This phenomenography was an inquiry into understanding how first-year teachers experience evaluative performance …

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 …

The Twilight Program: A Phenomenographic Study, Chanda Crawley

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Alternative schools are an important concept in current education. This research describes the qualitatively different ways in which student’s experienced an alternative program, like Twilight. In these phenomenographic inquiry two current students, two Twilight graduates, and four Twilight teachers discuss the qualitatively different ways that students’ experience Twilight. The analysis yielded an outcome space of three qualitatively different ways of experiencing Twilight 1. Culture, 2. Self-efficacy, and 3, Teacher impact. Based on the findings of this research, the recommendation includes studying the shifting role of administrators in alternative education.

Exploring The Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Plcs By Teachers In A Rural Middle/High School, Erin Beasley

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This mixed methods study sought to explore how effective teachers perceive their PLCs to be. Of particular interest was the possible effects that the teachers’ years of experience and/or the level of certification had on those perceptions. The researcher sought to determine how the teacher population of one rural Georgia school felt about their PLCs as well as get a more candid, in-depth picture from a selective number of those teachers via interviews. The purpose of this study was to then use these findings to improve PLC practices and build a sustainable PLC environment in this particular school.

Conceptualizing One’S Self-Efficacy As Advocate: Parents’ Perceptions As Embodied In Social And Cultural Capitals, Karmen Binion

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to understand and generate theory relevant to educator-parents’ and non-educator parents’ perceptions of their efficacy as advocates for their own child(ren) with exceptionalities, as embodied in social and cultural capitals, as espoused by Bourdieu (1986). The present study was guided by the following research questions: How do educator-parents and non-educator parents perceive their efficaciousness as advocates for their own children with exceptionalities? How do educator-parents and non-educator parents construct the narrative of their efficaciousness as advocates as embodied in cultural and/or social capital?

Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz, 2000, 2006) was chosen for the …

Experiences With And Conceptions Of School Discipline And Pbis Implementation: A Phenomenography Of Fifteen Students With Disabilities In One Title I Middle School, Osman Khan

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

In this phenomenographical study, fifteen students with disabilities from one middle-grades setting were recruited to explore the qualitative different ways they experience and conceive of exclusionary discipline (i.e., in-school suspension (ISS), out-school suspension (OSS), and detention) and Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS). The participants engaged in interviews and produced two (2) visual representations to investigate the following research questions: (1) How do students with disabilities experience and conceive of school discipline?; (2) How do students with disabilities experience and conceive the implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS); and (3) In what ways can voices of students with …

Students’ Perspectives On Their Learning Experiences Within An Inclusive Secondary Mathematics Setting, Cleopatra Sorina Iliescu

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

Students’ perspectives in learning mathematics are important considerations in education yet few studies document their insights. The current investigation used a case-study design and interviews, drawings, clarifying discussions, and focus group interview data collection methods to capture detailed perspectives of high school students with disabilities while learning mathematics. Document data was used to substantiate students’ achievement information and the impact of their disability, if any, on their experiences in learning mathematics. The sample of participants consisted of four self-selected high school students, from two inclusive Advanced Algebra classrooms. Three major tenets of Vygotsky’s (1978) framework were used to analyze the …

Examine The Mediating Effect Of Coaching Mentoring Programs On Teacher Burnout, Crystal Wright

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The World Health Organization has included “Burnout” in the International Classification of Diseases as an occupational phenomenon (World Health Organization, 2019). This phenomenon in teaching profession has created devastating attrition that urgently needs attention. The purpose of this study is to provide insight on how to address the negative issue of teacher attrition through examining how teacher leaders may affect teacher burnout during the coaching mentoring experience. An online questionnaire was employed to collect data from 82 teachers in a coastal Georgia school district; including teachers who had participated in a coaching mentoring program (n=51), teachers who hadn’t participated in …

Pitching Change: Micro-Community Of Higher Learning, Christopher Chaphe

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Being around sports growing up has given me some experiences that have shaped who I am today. Playing and watching sports is a common activity amongst my friends and family. These events spark engagement and camaraderie between us. The stadium in which these sports are played within are a key component to this engagement. They bring people together to enjoy and root on your favorite teams along side thousands of other fans.

Stadiums today are becoming a remarkable instrument to generate communal spirit besides marketing, recruiting and hosting games for universities. The iconic design of these stadiums has become more …

Collaborative Pull-Out Literacy Classroom For Dually Served Students, Mandy Sitten

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

This descriptive study examines the effectiveness of a collaboratively-taught classroom literacy skills and language acquisition delivery collaborative classroom for middle school students who receive both special education and ESOL services. Limited research was found on best practices for teaching dually-served students, yet a noticeable increase of evidence indicates that ELs with disabilities require accommodations for language development and/or modifications for their disability in order to achieve academic success. This research combines theories of additional language acquisition and special education to show their relationship to the needs of dually-served students; it will address problems of serving ELs with disabilities. This research …

The Use Of E-Books, Computers, And Tablets To Enhance Reading Skills, Nicole B. Ingram

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to identify teacher’s opinions of technology and its usage with reading instruction. The study explored teachers’ use of e-books, computers (reading programs), and tablets to enhance reading skills. Specifically, the researcher wanted to investigate elementary teachers’ beliefs regarding the use of e-books (electronic books), computers (reading programs), and tablets for enhancing reading skills with students who struggle with reading. To determine the impact of e-books, computers, and tablets on reading practices, data were collected from four urban elementary teachers in a southeastern school district. The research was conducted using surveys, interviews, and observations.

Impact Of Teacher Perceptions In The Disproportionality Of Black People In Special Education, Chenita Jarrett-Evans

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

If you walk into any special education classroom in America, you will see that Black students are overrepresented. The issue of disproportionality of Black students in special education has been a longstanding concern. Although students can be referred to special education through parent request, students are most likely referred by their general education teacher. The referral requirements for students with emotional disabilities or learning disabilities can be subjective to the beliefs of the referral teacher, as the U.S. Department of Education does not outline the definition of “teacher referral”. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore whether teacher …

Elementary School Teacher's Beliefs, Organizational Change, And Stem Implementation: Factors Impacting Teacher Leadership, Shelante Patton

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine organizational change as it related to the implementation of STEM as perceived by elementary educators in an urban school in an urban city. The barriers, challenges and supports provided to teachers regarding STEM implementation in an urban school were investigated This study looked to include teachers and teacher leaders over a six-week period in an elementary school in a large urban School District., As a result of this study, some dialogue was generated in reference to STEM instructional practices and integration. Teachers also shared how they can increase change implementation …

A Comparison Of Public And Private School Teachers' Job Satisfaction When Controlling For Policy Perspectives, Individual, And Workplace Characteristics, Christopher Small

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the empirical literature concerning the factors that contribute to the job satisfaction levels of public and private school teachers. Furthermore, an emphasis is placed on how policy, procedures, and workplace characteristics affect levels of job satisfaction. This study focused on other contributing factors of job satisfaction such as personal attributes, human capital, occupational characteristics, and school characteristics. Inferential statistics concluded that there was a statistically significant difference between the job satisfaction levels of public and private school teachers.

Flexibility Matters: A Qualitative Look At Four Middle Grade Teachers’ Implementation Of Personalized Learning, Christa Evans Heath

Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology Dissertations

Personalized learning (PL) has emerged as a trend in K-12 teaching and learning (Netcoh, 2017). This instructional strategy provides a customized learning experience, allowing students to work on their own path and at their own pace while learning and instruction is developed to students’ ability levels, interests, and learning modalities. While some scholars and many educational organizations have published definitions of PL, these definitions are often vague and sometimes conflicting. Furthermore, there is limited in-depth research presently available regarding the implementation of personalized learning in K-12 classrooms. Due to the lack of clear definitions and descriptions of PL, educators struggle …

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 …