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Full-Text Articles in Education
Supplemental Education Services And Cultural-Linguistic Instruction For Hispanic Students To Improve English Language Proficiency, Joshua William Cochran
Supplemental Education Services And Cultural-Linguistic Instruction For Hispanic Students To Improve English Language Proficiency, Joshua William Cochran
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Due to low English language arts (ELA) state test scores among Hispanic students, district administrators in a Title I identified school district implemented a new literacy policy that included both supplemental education services for Hispanic students (SES-HS) and professional development in cultural and linguistic instructional practices (CLIP) for ELA teachers. But the ELA state test scores for Hispanic students who received the SES-HS and CLIP services had not been studied to see if there was any improvement related to the CLIP-HS training. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in Hispanic students’ ELA scores before and after …
Tech-Savvy Educators’ Perceptions Of Using Smartphones For Self-Directed Professional Development, Matinga E. Ragatz
Tech-Savvy Educators’ Perceptions Of Using Smartphones For Self-Directed Professional Development, Matinga E. Ragatz
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The proliferation of the smartphone has encouraged educators, particularly the tech savvy, to seek personalized learning options in lieu of the absence of individualized professional development (PD) offerings provided by their academic institutions that are not based on short-term whole group instruction. Although smartphone use has attracted the attention of researchers, not much has been examined about how educators use the device to enhance their learning. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions of tech-savvy educators regarding smartphone use for informal self-directed PD. The conceptual framework of the study was the 3 x 3 model …
Middle School Teachers’ Use Of Differentiated Instruction Strategies, Felecia G. Prince
Middle School Teachers’ Use Of Differentiated Instruction Strategies, Felecia G. Prince
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
AbstractMiddle School Teachers’ Use of Differentiated Instruction Strategies by Felecia George Prince MEd, Troy University, 2010 BS, Georgia Southern University, 1988 AA, East Georgia College, 1984 Project Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University June 2020Abstract The administrators at the study site were concerned that teachers struggle with differentiated instruction (DI) in their classrooms, which involves strategies to support students’ levels. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to learn what DI strategies teachers used at the study site. The conceptual framework of Tomlinson on the differentiated strategies …
Alternative Certification Teachers' Perceptions About Teacher Preparation Programs, Mary Kathleen Huffman
Alternative Certification Teachers' Perceptions About Teacher Preparation Programs, Mary Kathleen Huffman
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Due to the teacher shortage in a U.S. southeastern state, administrators at Unified School District (USD, a pseudonym) hired alternative teacher certification program (ATCP) teachers enrolled in graduate level education courses through ATCPs while teaching full time. These ATCP teachers have bachelor’s degrees and work experiences in various professions. The problem investigated in this study was the high attrition rate of ATCP teachers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore ATCP teachers’ perceptions of their preparation program, previous degrees, careers, and family life experiences in preparation for teaching in USD’s K-12 schools. The conceptual framework was Shulman’s …
How Teachers And Counselors Collaborate Formally And Informally To Improve The Precollege Curriculum, Amanda Williams
How Teachers And Counselors Collaborate Formally And Informally To Improve The Precollege Curriculum, Amanda Williams
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Teachers and counselors in a large suburban district in the Southeastern United States strive to collaborate to equip students with key skills needed to succeed in their first year of college. The problem is that little was known about the collaborative challenges teachers and counselors faced as they implemented the precollege curriculum in secondary schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how teachers and counselors collaborate formally and informally to improve the precollege curriculum as recommended by the guidelines of the American School Counselor Association and adopted by the local district. Knowles’s theory of andragogy provided …
Success Stories: Community College Teachers Using Technology To Engage Online Students, Alice Louise Dieli
Success Stories: Community College Teachers Using Technology To Engage Online Students, Alice Louise Dieli
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
For online students to be engaged in learning process, best practices include teachers using appropriate technology. However, it is unclear how some teachers who initially face challenges to adopting new teaching technology have overcome those challenges, adjusted their instructional practices, and adopted innovative technology to successfully engage students online. The purpose of this case study was to describe how teachers overcame challenges of using instructional technology tools for online learning. Rogers’s diffusion of innovations theory and Kolb’s experiential learning model provided the framework for this study. The research questions explored why teachers initially resisted the use of technology tools in …
Middle Level Teachers’ Perceptions Of Quality Professional Development, Justin Turner
Middle Level Teachers’ Perceptions Of Quality Professional Development, Justin Turner
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Professional development is a learning process that continues throughout the career of an educator providing opportunities for teachers to fine tune their teaching and improve classroom practices. The middle level teachers at Middle School A believe they are lacking in effective professional development. The purpose of the project study was to determine what the perceptions of middle level teachers are regarding effective professional development. The ability for teachers to transfer their learning into the classroom is vital to the success of the students at this Central Ohio middle school. Mezirow’s transformative learning theory of adult learning, which states that adults …
Exploring Ways To Support Preservice Teachers’ Use Of Udl In Planning And Instruction, K. Alisa Lowrey, Audra Classen, Anne Sylvest
Exploring Ways To Support Preservice Teachers’ Use Of Udl In Planning And Instruction, K. Alisa Lowrey, Audra Classen, Anne Sylvest
Journal of Educational Research and Practice
There is limited research documenting current efforts to support preservice teachers to use the universal design for learning (UDL) framework in authentic teaching experiences. To increase knowledge on the effects of preparing preservice teachers to incorporate the UDL framework, researchers examined the effects a UDL professional development seminar that was delivered during the student teaching phase had on eight teacher candidates during their K–12 placement. Using a concurrent triangulation mixed-method design, researchers examined lesson plans, video footage of teaching, teacher candidate reflections on their teaching sample, and university supervisor measures of the same sample before and after the UDL seminar. …
Teachers' Perceptions Of The Sustainability Of Mathematics And Science Partnership Professional Development, Robert Harold Alt
Teachers' Perceptions Of The Sustainability Of Mathematics And Science Partnership Professional Development, Robert Harold Alt
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The sustainability of improved pedagogy gained through professional development (PD) of mathematics teachers has undergone little empirical study. In a midsized urban school district in the Northeastern United States, all high school mathematics teachers attended a 3-year mandatory PD program. Although an external evaluator studied this program immediately after completion, there had been no longitudinal study of the perceptions of its participants regarding the sustained benefits of the program. This qualitative study offered a follow-up study of the participants in the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) PD program to provide insight to administrators regarding the sustainability of benefits gained through …
Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Development Around Assessment, Mary Sue Durr
Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Development Around Assessment, Mary Sue Durr
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The significance of professional development (PD) is acknowledged in research studies as essential to implementing rigorous state standards. Although the literature recognizes that PD is a crucial component in improving teachers' knowledge and skills, some teachers at a midsized urban public elementary school in the southern United States did not see the benefit of attending PD. The purpose of this study was to explore elementary special education teachers' perceptions of PD around assessment. Guided by a framework based on Chen and McCray's whole teacher approach to teacher PD, this basic qualitative study was designed to understand how these elementary special …
A Survey Study Of Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Student Classroom Behavior, Duane L. Davis
A Survey Study Of Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Student Classroom Behavior, Duane L. Davis
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In a midwest, rural, and high-poverty elementary school, teachers expressed concerns about difficult student behaviors in their classrooms. It was important to address the problem because student misbehavior disrupts the learning of all students in the classroom. To provide information to the school that could inform possible interventions, a survey was conducted that measured the perceptions of 24 classroom teachers about concerning student behaviors, their methods of dealing with such behaviors, their needs for further support, and their confidence in dealing with difficult student behaviors. The conceptual frameworks that guided this study were the behaviorist theories of Watson and Skinner. …
Early Childhood Education Trainers' Knowledge And Use Of Andragogical Principles, Kimberly Thornton
Early Childhood Education Trainers' Knowledge And Use Of Andragogical Principles, Kimberly Thornton
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Early childhood education (ECE) teachers often lack the experience and skills to provide children with supports necessary to foster academic and social skill development. Professional development can improve ECE teachers' skills, but ECE trainers often lack understanding of adult learning principles, known as andragogy. Knowles' conceptual framework of andragogy was used to explore the knowledge and use of andragogical principles of 8 ECE trainers selected via criterion-based purposive sampling. The research questions focused on ECE trainers' knowledge and use of andragogical principles. Three cases, each consisting of 2 or 3 live professional development trainings for early childhood educators, were used …
The Effects Of Professional Development And Formative Assessment Quality On Students' Self-Regulation In Primary School Mathematics, Oluwakemi Adewoye
The Effects Of Professional Development And Formative Assessment Quality On Students' Self-Regulation In Primary School Mathematics, Oluwakemi Adewoye
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Student self-regulation is associated with mathematics achievement in Nigerian primary schools, and formative assessment holds promise for increasing self-regulation. However, to date no research has explored teacher professional development (PD) for formative assessment and its effects on students' self-regulation in Nigerian primary schools. This quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design used Desimone's teacher professional development conceptual framework, Popham's model for practicing formative assessment, and Zimmerman's concept of self-regulated learning. Research questions concerned whether differences existed in teachers' practice and students' self-regulation between two groups of Nigerian primary school mathematics teachers who received variations of professional development. The sample was 13 volunteer …
Professional Development As A Process Of Cultural Brokering: Positioning Coaches As Cultural Brokers, Tasha R. Wyatt, E. Brook Chapman De Sousa, Sarah C. Mendenhall
Professional Development As A Process Of Cultural Brokering: Positioning Coaches As Cultural Brokers, Tasha R. Wyatt, E. Brook Chapman De Sousa, Sarah C. Mendenhall
Journal of Educational Research and Practice
Teachers who serve diverse students must navigate two “worlds.” One world is that of standardized curricula and pedagogy and the other is culturally relevant education. To effectively navigate these worlds, teachers need assistance from “cultural brokers” who can help make sense of the tension that emerges when these two educational worlds interact. This study analyzes the work of two Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence coaches who worked as cultural brokers to help teachers integrate multiple pedagogical models. The results indicate the coaches shifted their strategies depending on teacher preferences, and helped teachers overcome constraints within their classrooms …
Teachers' Stage Of Concern And Self-Efficacy Regarding Teaching Students In An Inclusive Classroom, Sonya Yvette Avery
Teachers' Stage Of Concern And Self-Efficacy Regarding Teaching Students In An Inclusive Classroom, Sonya Yvette Avery
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Federal legislation mandates inclusion of students with special needs in general classrooms. Teachers in the Shelco school system implemented this mandate to teach in an inclusive classroom given limited professional development, and a desire for more. To determine their preparedness to teach with inclusion, 44 general education teachers participated in this correlational study. Two surveys were administered: Teachers' Self-Efficacy Survey and Stages of Concern Questionnaire. Scores were combined to identify and recommend groups of teachers for differentiated professional development. Social constructivism, which focuses on how learning is affected by social concepts such as self-efficacy and concerns, was the theoretical framework. …
Faculty Self-Efficacy Instructing In A Hybrid Learning Environment At A Career College, Donna Gosselin Gosselin
Faculty Self-Efficacy Instructing In A Hybrid Learning Environment At A Career College, Donna Gosselin Gosselin
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Since the inception of the hybrid instruction model at a career college in the western United States, there has not been an exploration of faculty members' understanding of hybrid instruction. Therefore, campus administrators do not have a clear understanding of the faculty perception of teaching in a hybrid learning environment. Using Bandura's social cognitive theory, this qualitative narrative inquiry study was conducted to explore faculty self-efficacy instructing in a hybrid learning environment at the career college. A purposeful sampling method was used to select 9 faculty who have taught less than 2 hybrid learning courses and attended the college professional …
Content Area Teacher Perspectives On Integrating Literacy Strategies, Lynette Smith Smith
Content Area Teacher Perspectives On Integrating Literacy Strategies, Lynette Smith Smith
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The Common Core State Standards recommend that all educators prepare students with the literacy skills needed for college and careers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine 7th and 8th grade content area teachers' perspectives towards teaching literacy. The research questions addressed teachers' capabilities in the role of literacy instructor as well as the actual application of literacy. The conceptual framework included Bruner's constructivist, Bandura's self-efficacy, and Knowles's andragogy theories. These theories informed the investigation of adult learners' perspectives regarding the way they learn and gain confidence to provide literacy instruction. Eleven English, math, science, and social …
How High School Teachers Perceive The Quality Of Professional Development, Leslie Puente-Ervin
How High School Teachers Perceive The Quality Of Professional Development, Leslie Puente-Ervin
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
New Jersey is 1 of 46 states to enroll in President Obama's Race-to-the-Top Initiative. Participating states must adopt national standards, revise teacher evaluation procedures, and administer new state assessments. States are prioritizing quality professional development (PD) to prepare teachers for these rapid shifts. The overall problem studied was how high school teachers perceive the quality of PD in a high school in New Jersey. While substandard PD alone is not enough to lose tenure, it has recently become one of the evaluative measures for teacher performance according to a new tenure law signed in 2012 by Governor Chris Christie. Such …
Secondary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of A Professional Learning Community, Catina Shontelle Stewart
Secondary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of A Professional Learning Community, Catina Shontelle Stewart
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) in schools has been shown to serve as a catalyst in transforming school culture and increasing the academic performance of students. Our school district mandated that PLCs were established at the research site, an urban Louisiana school, for the primary purpose of closing the achievement gap. Yet, recent data from the local district indicate that these PLCs have not resulted in capacity building for sustainable improvement. Ineffective implementation of the current PLCs may have contributed to the poor outcomes. One purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the …
Middle School Teachers' Professional Development Needs For Ict Literacy Integration, Melanie Lynn Park
Middle School Teachers' Professional Development Needs For Ict Literacy Integration, Melanie Lynn Park
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This qualitative case study explored U.S. middle school teachers' professional development needs in Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) literacy integration. Past literature has suggested that teachers should improve classroom practices that promote ICT literacy, but few studies have addressed educators' specific training needs. This study was designed to identify the unique professional development needs of academic teachers in a Midwestern middle school using focus groups and interviews to explore teacher perceptions of current technology usage as well as the barriers and/or facilitators of ICT literacy integration. The conceptual framework was based on Knowles's theory of adult learning, which suggested that …
Exploring Barriers To Implementing A School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention And Support Program., Ronald L. Gay
Exploring Barriers To Implementing A School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention And Support Program., Ronald L. Gay
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This study examined factors related to the implementation of a School Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (SWPBIS) program at a large middle school in the United States. Parent Teacher Student Association volunteers at the school reported that teacher fidelity to implementation of SWPBIS activities was inconsistent, threatening the SWPBIS program's effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers that hindered teachers' fidelity in implementing SWPBIS. Teacher resistance to change, change leadership framework, and the model for effective professional development were used in this case study to explore the perceptions of 16 participants. The research questions focused on …
Teacher Education In Central Equatoria, South Sudan, Catherine Hahs Brinkley
Teacher Education In Central Equatoria, South Sudan, Catherine Hahs Brinkley
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Without education, many South Sudanese will continue living in poverty. There are numerous factors that limit their educational opportunities including tribal warfare, colonialism, missionary malpractice, civil wars, a high illiteracy rate, low government funding, and threats of war. These factors have left a substantial deficiency in available training for teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine the pedagogical needs of the teachers of South Sudan. Within a conceptual framework of participatory action research, this qualitative study examined educators' view of the effectiveness of the teacher education that they had received, the pedagogical needs of teachers, and the ideal …
Impact Of Professional Development In Response To Intervention On Secondary Teachers' Efficacy, Crystal Joy Spence
Impact Of Professional Development In Response To Intervention On Secondary Teachers' Efficacy, Crystal Joy Spence
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In 2012, a southeastern state mandated that all school districts employ the response to intervention (RtI) tiered approach model to meet the needs of struggling students. RtI was implemented at the study site; however, secondary teachers were not confident in their abilities to implement RtI. Researchers have found that a teacher's sense of efficacy can impact student academic outcomes. Professional development on implementing RtI was provided for teachers in the study school. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of explicit RtI professional development on the perceived self-efficacy of secondary teachers and their ability to impact student …
Elementary Teachers' Understanding, Knowledge, And Perceptions Of Inclusion Best Practices, Jason Liggins
Elementary Teachers' Understanding, Knowledge, And Perceptions Of Inclusion Best Practices, Jason Liggins
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Recent legislative actions requiring schools in the local school system to increase the percentage of students served in the inclusion classroom has led to teachers having difficulty in implementing inclusion best practices. Using Vygotsky's social theory, the purpose of this case study was to examine teachers' understanding, knowledge, and perceptions of inclusive teaching strategies. The research questions were used to explore the teachers' understanding of inclusion, perceived effectiveness of strategies, and the resources that teachers feel are necessary to implement inclusion strategies. A purposeful sample of 10 teachers currently teaching in an inclusion setting were interviewed face-to-face using semistructured questions. …
Professional Development Of Head Start Teachers In Emotional And Instructional Support, Marilyn Mcleod Harris
Professional Development Of Head Start Teachers In Emotional And Instructional Support, Marilyn Mcleod Harris
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In the southwest region of Tennessee, a local Head Start program classroom assessment scoring system's (CLASS) scores fell in the lowest 10% among national Head Start programs in emotional and instructional support. Since 2012, the Office of Head Start has released reports showing that the average Head Start program has low performance CLASS emotional and instructional support scores. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to investigate the professional development of local Head Start teachers with low CLASS scores in emotional and instructional support. Knowles's adult learning theory of andragogy was the overall conceptual framework and the concentrated theory …
Teachers' Perceptions Of English Language Learners And Reading Instruction, P. Pualani Jackson
Teachers' Perceptions Of English Language Learners And Reading Instruction, P. Pualani Jackson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The growing population of English language learners (ELLs) in an urban school district in the southwest United States has maintained low achievement scores in the K-5 grades. Students who do not attain reading proficiency at least by the end of 3rd grade are at risk of continued academic failure through high school. Research shows that teachers' knowledge and preparedness to teach reading has an influence on student performance. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the readiness of mainstream classroom teachers to teach reading to ELLs. Guided by the sociocultural frameworks of Bruner and Vygotsky, this study explored …
Factors That Impact African American High School Equivalency (Hse) Students' Pursuit Of Higher Education, Jamiyla Chandler-Melton
Factors That Impact African American High School Equivalency (Hse) Students' Pursuit Of Higher Education, Jamiyla Chandler-Melton
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
African Americans account for a disproportionate percentage of students who pursue college education in comparison to European Americans. Indeed, a considerable number of African American High School Equivalency (HSE) students are not enrolling in college once they earn their HSE diploma. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine 3 African American HSE students' perceptions about factors that influenced their pursuit of higher education at the selected HSE study site. These 3 students were selected for their inclusion because of their ethnicity, enrollment in the HSE program, academic underpreparedness and lack of pursuit of higher education, and strong …
Predicting Mathematics Teachers' Acceptance Of Reflective Blogging To Improve Instruction, Diana Sue Fesmire
Predicting Mathematics Teachers' Acceptance Of Reflective Blogging To Improve Instruction, Diana Sue Fesmire
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
An internal district audit identified that a rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged Southwestern school district has a lack of congruent and consistent implementation of the Common Core State Standards in mathematics. Innovative and cost-saving avenues for professional development (PD), such as reflective blogging, foster teacher learning to reconcile the enacted curriculum with the intended curriculum. This correlational study investigated the predictive power of technology acceptance and motivation constructs on reflective mathematics teachers' social media use intention and participation in informal, virtual Communities of Practice (vCoP). The framework that guided this study is the unified acceptance and use of technology and self-determination theory. …
Middle And High School Teachers' Perception Of Professional Development, Carissa Mccray
Middle And High School Teachers' Perception Of Professional Development, Carissa Mccray
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Within the literature, a gap exists in understanding how teacher perceptions may be used to develop, implement, and evaluate professional development. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to describe the perceptions of middle and high school teachers regarding their professional development experiences in a rural school district in Florida. Guided by Chen and Chang's whole teacher framework and Knowles's theory of adult learning, the research questions addressed teachers' needs, expectations, and perceptions of professional development. Triangulated data sources included face-to-face interviews with 10 teachers, participant journals, and professional development agendas. Data analysis included line-by-line coding, open coding, and …
Perceived Self-Efficacy Of Secondary General Education Teachers In The Inclusion Classroom, Pamela Sime-Cummins
Perceived Self-Efficacy Of Secondary General Education Teachers In The Inclusion Classroom, Pamela Sime-Cummins
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) has been linked to the academic success of students. This association has been found in contexts where teachers have received training relevant to working with the student population being served. In the suburban Pennsylvania school district targeted in this study, there was little district-sponsored professional development (PD) available to general education teachers regarding strategies for teaching students with disabilities in the inclusion setting. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine whether a difference exists in perceived TSE when instructing in the inclusion setting compared with the traditional setting, and whether an association exists linking prior …