Education Commons^™

Democratic Education And An Urban Teacher Residency: A Case Study, Bryan P. Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Over the course of American schooling scholars note that democratic education and citizenship have not been abandoned, but perhaps marginalized or pushed aside, as test scores and achievement have become the most desired outcomes. Democratic education must move out of the margins and into high priority. The current political climate of increased division and divisiveness could not illustrate this need any more. Another well-documented challenge within the American educational system, particularly in high need areas is the need for highly qualified teachers. Urban Teacher Residency (UTR) programs have offered a possible solution to this growing problem in recruiting, training, and …

Exploring Stakeholders' Perceptions Of The Evaluation Of Early Fieldwork Experience In An Undergraduate Teacher Preparation Program, Amber R. Peacock

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a qualitative meta-evaluation of the early field experience (EFE) program at a small, private, undergraduate teacher preparation program in Virginia focusing on the perceptions of preservice teachers, cooperating teachers and course instructors about the EFE evaluation objectives, evaluation experience, and resulting data usage. The EFE evaluation protocol at the study site is explored using a participatory-oriented evaluation model that solicited the perceptions of stakeholders. Analysis of EFE evaluation documents and semi-structured interviews with the stakeholders were conducted to explore the extent to which (1) official EFE objectives are congruent with the EFE evaluation, (2) the intended evaluation …

Preparing Teachers Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence-Based Practices And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Jane E. Strong

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

PREPARING TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES AND TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY

By Jane E. Strong

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014

Major Director: Evelyn Reed, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Department of Special Education and Disability Policy

School of Education

There is a need for intensified, rapid, and special emphasis on training of teachers for students on the autism spectrum (NRC, 2001). The current movement in the field emphasizing the use of evidence-based practices in designing instructional methods should be emphasized …

A Comparison Of Legal Literacy Among Teacher Subgroups, Candace Mirabile

Theses and Dissertations

A COMPARISON OF LEGAL LITERACY AMONG TEACHER SUBGROUPS By Candace Partridge Mirabile, Ph. D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013 Charol Shakeshaft, Ph.D., Professor, Educational Leadership, School of Education This study determined the level of legal literacy among classroom teachers in a suburban metropolitan division in Virginia. I have focused on aspects of the law that relate to student safety and student rights, and my operational definition of legal literacy is the understanding of these laws. The results from 239 respondents indicated …

Digital Native Preservice Teachers: An Examination Of Their Self-Efficacy Beliefs Regarding Technology Integration In Classroom Settings, Sarah Parker Southall

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to investigate digital native preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs regarding their technology experiences and skills at the beginning and at the end of their field placement semester. Digital natives, as defined by Prensky (2001), are students born after 1980 who have been raised with digital media and spend a great deal of time engaging with digital devices. Factors that could impact changes in these participants’ technology integration self-efficacy beliefs were also analyzed. This study used pre- and post-surveys, face-to-face interviews with a portion of the respondents, and a document review of course materials and …

Preparing Early Childhood Special Educators For Inclusive Practice, Belinda Hooper

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe experienced practitioners’ beliefs about inclusion and their perceptions of what early childhood special education (ECSE) preservice teachers need to know and be able to do to effectively support early childhood inclusion. This study used a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach to describe the perceptions of ECSE practitioners currently participating in the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) statewide initiative, Inclusive Placement Options for Preschoolers (IPOP). The study occurred in two stages: 1) a survey of ECSE IPOP planning team members, and 2) focus group interviews with ECSE IPOP planning team members. Data were …