Education Commons^™

A Comparison Of Professional Development Needs Of Beginning Teachers In West Virginia Schools, Carla A. Warren

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this research is to share findings about the perceptions of beginning teachers and mentor teachers throughout West Virginia regarding the professional development topics and skills that are most critical to the success of new teachers. In addition, this study provides data regarding perceptions of goals that are most important in the design of professional development and the most beneficial professional development delivery models for beginning teachers. Responses are used to examine the perceptions of mentors and beginning teachers regarding the professional development needs of beginning teachers. The West Virginia Center for Professional Development provides staff development targeted …

Education All A'Twitter: Twitter's Role In Educational Technology, Rikki Elaine Mccormick Lowe

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine whether current uses of Twitter by educators correlate with the literature on the uses and advantages of using Twitter in education through an examination of United States educators and West Virginia educators. Data was obtained from responses to the online survey, Education All A’Twitter: Twitter’s Role in Educational Technology, content analysis of public Twitter feeds, and semi-structured interviews that were sorted, coded, organized, and analyzed to identify emergent themes. The study had a population that included 97 survey responses, 78 Twitter feeds, and 8 semi-structured interviews. There were survey respondents …

Effects Of Teacher Prompting Techniques On The Writing Performance Of Fourth And Fifth Graders, Mindy S. Allenger

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study was a quantitative research investigation to determine the effects of teacher prompting techniques on the writing performance of 137 fourth and fifth graders from two parochial schools in West Virginia. Over a two-week period from March, 2014, to April, 2014, researchers collected writing samples with three typologies of prompting; no prompting, general prompting, and content specific prompting. The major outcome variables included were the numbers of words, number of sentences, and average sentence length, and writing ease and complexity level using the Flesch Kincaid Readability and The Flesch Reading Ease. Data analysis was accomplished by applying several types …

Paraprofessional Perceptions Of Training And Professional Development, Paige C. Stratton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Paraprofessionals, also called teacher’s aides, in Lincoln and Putnam counties in West Virginia were surveyed to gain their perceptions of the effectiveness of the state’s training requirements and professional development. Questions on how well the current requirements prepares paraprofessionals for their jobs and what should be added yielded moderately positive opinions with suggestions for classes on individual disabilities and a practicum being added. Questions on professional development showed moderately positive opinions on the effectiveness of current professional development. The majority of participants felt that additional training would improve their job performance. Training in specific disabilities and interventions was viewed as …

A Study Of The Impact Of A School-Based, Job-Embedded Professional Development Program On Elementary And Middle School Teacher Efficacy For Technology Integration, Yvonne M. Skoretz

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a school-based, jobembedded professional development program on elementary and middle school teacher efficacy for technology integration. Teacher efficacy has been identified as a strong predictor of whether the content of professional development will transfer to classroom practice (Bandura, 1997). Using a conversion mixed methods quasi-experimental research design, qualitative data were collected from the experimental groups’ journal postings. Grappling’s Technology and Learning Spectrum (Porter, 2002) was used to convert this qualitative data into quantitative data to determine the change in levels of technology integration in classroom practice. The Computer Technology …

Infusing Technology: A Study Of The Influence Of Professional Development On How Teachers Use Technology, Amy E. Cottle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined whether a quality professional development course, Infusing Technology, influenced the use of technology by elementary and middle school teachers in West Virginia. Infusing Technology was designed to help school-based team learning communities use technology in their instruction while engaging students in critical thinking, reasoning, and problem solving skills.

This mixed-method study used the LoTi Digital-Age Survey, aligned with the National Educational Technology Standards, to collect quantitative data on levels of technology innovation, levels of personal computer use, and levels of current instructional practices. Participants in the Infusing Technology course completed the survey before the summer institute and …

The Current State Of Professional Development In Appalachia, Lisa D. Beck

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Tied to the current federal legislation, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and all the national influences on American Education which have come before is the need for teachers to receive high-quality professional development. Approximately 5,500 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) work in the 13 states that lie along the Appalachian Mountain Region of the United States. To complete this study, a stratified random sample was performed with 650 NBCTs contacted by mail. They were asked to complete and return The Beck's Professional Development Inventory (BPDI). In order to analyze the data and to determine if statistical significance was …

A Descriptive Analysis Of The Quality Of Staff Development Experiences As Perceived By West Virginia Teachers, Melinda Backus

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Teaching is an ever-changing profession. The field of education is expanding each year as advancements are made in technology and brain-based research. To keep pace with the changing world, teachers must stay abreast of current pedagogical knowledge and skills, a task accomplished through participation in professional growth opportunities. The professional growth of the teacher has become a vital component of national and state reform efforts. Great investments are being made by federal and state organizations to ensure the quality of professional growth experiences in which teachers participate. This study examined the quality of staff development experiences in which teachers in …