Education Commons^™

Instructional Practices Of Upper Elementary General Education Teachers Of English Learners, Jamie Lynn Cardwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For the past 7 years in a public Midwestern school district, 75% of the English learners (ELs) in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades have performed below proficiency on the state examination. To address the declining academic achievement, district administration required that K-5 teachers attend professional development (PD) that featured culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR) instructional practices for ELs. Despite district wide PD, school administration did not monitor implementation of these practices and student achievement continued to decline. This qualitative bounded case study was grounded in Vygotsky's constructivism and Krashen's second language acquisition theories. The purpose of this study was to …

Systems Of Support For Elementary School Principals: A Case Study, Jennifer Francone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Principals need support throughout their careers in order to lead effectively and promote continuous improvement. However, some elementary school principals of small, rural schools lack access to structured systems of support that could increase their knowledge and skills as instructional leaders. The purpose of this study was to examine a central California school district's existing system of support for elementary school principals to learn the essential features that could be used to provide support for principals of small, rural schools. Informed by the Principal Support Framework provided by the University of Washington's Center for Educational Leadership, the guiding questions for …

Technology-Based Professional Development For Teaching And Learning In K-12 Classrooms, Nijia Byrd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an urban Georgia school district, teacher satisfaction surveys revealed that technology-based professional development was not equipping teachers with the skills or support needed to implement technology into their teaching practices. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to explore teachers' experiences and perceptions of technology-based professional development and its effect on self-efficacy. Guided by Piaget's constructivist theory, this study was based on the perspective that teachers often construct knowledge rather than gain it. Guiding questions explore the experiences teachers have had with technology integration in daily teaching practices, their self-perceived competency level and self-efficacy regarding technology, their attitudes …

Implications Of The School Improvement Engine For Teacher Retention And School Organizational Health, Lisa M. Digaudio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers working in urban schools in the United States are among those most at-risk for leaving the profession due to poor working conditions and lack of collegial relationships with school leaders and peers, among other factors. Use of professional development tools, such as the School Improvement Engine (SIE), may improve teacher retention and school organizational health; however, little research exists on the use of the SIE in charter schools. The purpose of this case study was to investigate New York City (NYC) school data on teacher retention and student achievement, how NYC charter school leaders participating in the program implemented …

Principals' Perceptions Of Instructional Leadership Development, Carla Brabham Brabham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional leadership is an important aspect of student achievement and the overall success of schools. Principals, as instructional leaders, need continual reflection on their competency. Job-embedded professional development (JEPD) for teachers is implemented and monitored by instructional leaders. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceived instructional leadership development of two principals at two schools where JEPD was used. Weber's model of instructional leadership guided the research questions on how the implementation of JEPD affected the principals' instructional leadership growth and development. Data collection occurred through interviews, observations during principal-led JEPD sessions, and document review after which …

Integrating The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics In A Secondary School, Danielle Holmes Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that anchored this study was district leaders' and administrators' lack of clarity regarding teacher concerns about the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) implementation in high school math. The purposes of the study were to (a) examine the perception of high school math teachers regarding the barriers for successfully implementing the CCSSM, and (b) to elicit recommendations for teacher preparation. Ely's theory of change was utilized to relate the entity of the CCSSM to this new shift in education. To better understand this phenomenon, 2 research questions accompanied this study. The research questions were geared to not …

Intermediate Teachers' Perceptions Of Reading Instruction Strategies And Professional Development Needs, Barbara Jean Joyner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 1 urban Tennessee school, students in Grades 3 through 5 had not met adequate yearly progress in reading for the past 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of current district-recommended teaching practice in reading. The research questions related to current instructional strategies, teaching practices, challenges, and perceptions of current instructional strategies and changes needed to improve students' reading achievement. This study was grounded in the constructivist theoretical framework of Vygotsky. Twelve educators from Grades 3 through 5 and a reading specialist participated in this study. The data were collected from interviews, minutes …

Improving Literacy For Diverse Low Socio-Economic Status Middle School Students, Vivian Fowler Means

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an urban district, Surfside School personnel were concerned that student literacy proficiency levels were low during 2011-2014 and teachers had not been able to close the achievement gap despite a focus on literacy practices and literacy professional development (PD) provided by the district. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions of teachers and administrators in relation to the best instructional practices for increasing self-efficacy when teaching literacy skills and related literacy PD for teachers. Knowles' andragogy theory and Vygotsky's social learning theory formed the theoretical foundation of this study, which hold that PD should provide …

Issues Related To Implementing High-Fidelity Simulation In A Nursing Program, Sherry Rene Ray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to the shortage of clinical sites, nursing educators, deans, and directors are compelled to implement alternative clinical solutions such as high-fidelity simulation (HFS). The problem is that nursing educators are often not prepared to implement HFS as a teaching strategy. Faculty readiness is imperative for a successful simulation program and student outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions and practices of faculty, deans, and directors on the implementation of HFS across the nursing curriculum. Kolb's experiential learning theory provided the theoretical support for both the teaching and learning required by faculty for a successful …

A Summative Program Evaluation Of Online And Hybrid Military Professional Development Courses, Leah Flores Goerke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructors at a U.S. Military School transitioned traditional courses used for professional development (PD) of military and civilian personnel to fully online and hybrid formats that combine online and face-to-face instruction. No evaluation of student satisfaction or instructor experiences during the transition has been conducted. The purpose of this sequential mixed methods summative program evaluation was to evaluate hybrid and online delivery of 2 PD courses by analyzing student satisfaction data and instructor experiences. This study was grounded in Knowles, Holton, and Swanson's adult learning theory and Anderson's and Salmon's online learning theories. Data from 96 course evaluations from students …

A Content Analysis Of Images Of Novice Teacher Induction: First-Semester Themes, Jennifer R. Curry, Angela W. Webb, Samantha J. Latham

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The powerful nature of novice teachers’ experiences in their first years of teaching has been well documented. However, the variance in novices’ initial immersion in the school environment is largely dependent on perceived personal and professional support as well as the environmental inducements that lend to novice teachers’ success in the classroom. For the purposes of this study, 72 participating novices, who were participants in an alternative certification program, drew representations of their current teaching environments. Of the 72 initial participants’ pictures, 58 were used in this content analysis. The interrater analysis involving multiple documentation of codes between and among …

Algebraic Content And Pedagogical Knowledge Of Sixth Grade Mathematics Teachers, Mariyam Shahuneeza Naseer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Algebra test scores of the Maldivian students from grade 6 through 12 are the lowest compared to any other area of mathematics. Algebra is a fundamental topic in mathematics and lays the foundation for mathematical reasoning and complex problem-solving. Research shows that strengthening algebra instruction could improve student achievement. This concurrent mixed methods study examined the algebraic content and pedagogical knowledge of 5 sixth grade mathematics teachers who teach in 5 different schools across the Maldives. Shulman's major categories of teacher knowledge and Ball, Thames, and Phelps' domains of mathematical knowledge for teaching guided this study. The research questions examined …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Leadership Practices In Urban Charter Middle Schools, Cherise Cupidore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have noted that educational manager and instructional leadership roles are vital to achieving sustainable student achievement. Ineffective leadership practices may decrease students' academic success and are a continuous concern for educators, especially for those of urban charter schools. The purpose of this study was to explore practices that leaders of urban charter middle schools have implemented to advance their schools from a priority school to a focus school designation. This multiple case study sought to identify and clarify leadership practices of successful leaders in urban charter middle schools. Leithwood and Riehl's core leadership practices model served as the basis …

A Program Evaluation Of The Comprehensive School Reform Model Making Middle Grades Work, Wycondia West

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A Program Evaluation of the Comprehensive School Reform Model Making Middle Grades Work

by

Wycondia S. West

MA, Spring Hill College, 2002

BS, Spring Hill College, 1998

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Walden University

August 2016

There is increasing concern in the United States about the academic challenges that middle grade students face. Middle schools are not meeting accountability standards, and as a result students are not being adequately prepared for high school. In response to these concerns, a state in the southeastern United States adopted a comprehensive school …

Integration Of Place-Based Education Into Science Classes From Prekindergarten Through Grade 5, Terri Adele Wade-Lyles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a large urban district in Ohio, 29.2% of Grade 5, 28.7% of Grade 8, and 45.7% of Grade 10 students passed the state test in science. School district administrators formed a community partnership with local science institutions in order to provide students with hands-on place-based learning experiences intended to improve science academic achievement in PK-Grade 5. The purpose of this qualitative program evaluation was to determine the level of implementation of that place-based program by examining the efficacy of the teachers' embedded professional development and their experiences with the training components. Bruner's theory of cognitive development was used to …

Teacher Perceptions And Attitudes Of Classroom Technology Integration Related To Ipad Training, Theresa Marie Pepe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While professional development on the use of technology in the classroom aids educators to implement new teaching strategies, little is known about teachers' concerns with professional development specifically for adopting mobile technologies like iPads in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to discover teachers' attitudes and perceptions toward teacher training for integration of the iPad into their classroom instruction. Using a case study approach and the concerns-based adoption model as a framework, this study examined teachers' concerns about their training for using the iPads in the classroom. Participants were 7 teachers from a small, suburban, Catholic K-8 school …

Faculty Knowledge And Use Of Best Practices In Online Professional Continuing Education, Gladys Montane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A recent mandate by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists requires that U.S. radiologic technologists complete continuous qualification requirements (CQR). This study examined faculty skills and practices at an American university that developed online CQR courses in response to this mandate. It was specifically designed to assess the knowledge and skills of this university's faculty with regard to best practices in an online learning environment, so as to provide the basis for meeting faculty needs in distance education. Dewey's work on constructivism served as the framework guiding this study. A qualitative, intrinsic case study was employed to collect data using …

Exploring College Instructors' Integration Of Technology Into Their Curriculum, Junior George Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technology integration in the curriculum remains a challenge at different levels in the education system. In one Caribbean 4-year college, faculty are expected to prepare preservice teachers to integrate technology in classroom instruction. When preservice teachers are not prepared for technology integration, interventions are necessary to address this challenge of technology integration. The purpose of this qualitative bounded intrinsic case study was to gain an understanding of the process of technology integration by instructors at the research site. Davies' theory for understanding technological literacy and the technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge model conceptually framed this study. A purposeful sample of …

Meeting The Unique Needs Of Teachers Of Students At Risk Of Not Graduating, Meike Lee Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers who are not adequately prepared to teach struggling students often seek employment elsewhere rather than be ineffective with those students. When teachers leave the classroom, this has a vast impact on student learning. For the past 9 years, a high school in the southeast United States for students at risk of not graduating has had an average annual teacher turnover rate of 31.25%, nearly twice the national rate of 15.9%. The purpose of this study was to learn the kinds of training and knowledge teachers believed would help them to succeed in teaching students struggling to graduate. Constructivist theory …

Perceptions Of Adult Professional Studies Instructors Regarding Developing And Transitioning Online Courses, Miah M. Skinner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although a mandate was given in an urban southern university for instructors in the Adult Professional Studies Program (APS) to begin transitioning their face-to-face courses to online curricula, few courses have been converted. The purpose of this case study was to determine APS instructors' perceptions of developing and transitioning face-to-face courses to an online format. Lewin's change theory and force field analysis provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions concerned the faculty's perceptions of developing and transitioning courses to an online format. A purposeful sample of fulltime and adjunct faculty, with different levels of expertise in online …

Preparing Faculty To Teach Online: Promoting Success In The Online Classroom, Julia Babcock Hamilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Distance learning students at a community college in the southeast United States were not completing their coursework as well as were students enrolled in traditional courses. This disparity was negatively affecting the institution's state performance measures, putting at risk the institution's state-based funding under the state's performance model. The purpose of this qualitative, bounded case study was to explore faculty experiences with online course professional development and faculty's teaching practices related to successful student online course completion. Chickering and Gamson's 'Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education' served as the study's conceptual foundation. Distance learning faculty (n = 10), …

Internet Technology As A Means Of Delivering Reading Instruction In The Content Areas, Kimberly Rose Pintok

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to students not meeting minimum proficiency levels in reading, a central Florida middle school that was rated an A school for 4 years consecutively dropped to a B rating during the 2012-2013 school year and was 10 points away from dropping to a C rating in the 2013-2014 school year. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe classroom implementation of Internet technology in a middle school classroom in an attempt to address the steady decline in reading scores. Guided by Piaget, Dewey, and Vygotsky's social constructivist view of education, this study explored if and how teachers used …

General Education Teachers' Perceptions About Teaching Students With Autism In Urban Schools, Sabrina Denise Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are included or mainstreamed in general education classrooms, yet general education teachers receive little, if any, formal training for working with children with ASD. The conceptual framework for this study was differentiated instruction, which is a best practice intended to improve educational experiences for children diagnosed with ASD. The purpose of this research study was to explore general education teachers' perceptions of providing differentiated instruction to these students. The research questions examined teachers' perceptions of barriers that can affect their ability to differentiate instruction in their classrooms and strategies teachers use to facilitate …

Professional Development To Enhance Instructional Leadership And Practice Of Central Office Administrators, Cheryl A. R. Mccue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professional Development to Enhance Instructional Leadership and Practice of

Central Office Administrators

by

Cheryl A. R. McCue

M. Ed., Lehigh University, 1990

BS, Kutztown University, 1987

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Walden University

June 2016

Decades of research and practice suggest that educational administrators need to experience opportunities for professional development and continuous learning. This project study addressed the problem regarding the lack of a formal or systemic plan for professional development of central office administrators in a large suburban school district in northeastern United States. Supported by Lave …

Afterschool Program Effects On English Learners' Reading And Teachers' Reading Curriculum Perceptions, Helen Marie Mayfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the problem of 3rd grade English language learners (ELLs) not passing the state mandated reading test at the same rate as other students between 2009 and 2013 in Georgia. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of an elementary school's afterschool program (ASP) on ELLs' reading achievements and to investigate 3rd grade afterschool teachers' perceptions of the reading curriculum using a mixed methods explanatory sequential design. Schema theory, the framework used to guide this study, indicated prior knowledge and experiences are necessary to comprehend new ideas or concepts. Prior knowledge and experiences can …

Differentiation For Content Area Literacy: Middle School Teachers' Perceptions And Practices, Beth Ann Oswald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent studies support the use of differentiated instruction (DI) to improve literacy in content area classrooms. At the same time, research has found that few teachers implement DI purposefully or consistently. Accordingly, a case study design was used to explore middle school content area teachers' understanding and implementation of DI for content literacy at a site where it is an integral component of the response to intervention (RTI) process. The conceptual framework for this study was principles of differentiation, as defined and discussed by Tomlinson. Research questions were framed to examine how middle school content area teachers defined and implemented …

Criminal Justice College Instructors' Experiences, Perceptions, And Teaching Strategies Related To Undergraduate Plagiarism, Mark William Bond

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The criminal justice program in a community college located in the southwestern United States had experienced an increase in student plagiarism. However, the current teaching practices of criminal justice instructors to prevent and manage the increased student plagiarism have not been effective. The purpose of this study was to explore criminal justice college instructors' experiences, perceptions, and teaching strategies related to undergraduate student plagiarism using Goleman's emotional intelligence theory and Daloz's mentoring theory. Employing a qualitative instrumental case study design, data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 criminal justice college instructors. Member checking and reflective journaling ensured accuracy and …

Middle School Teachers' Experiences With Teaching Self-Regulation Skills To Adolescents With Disabilities, Jessica Traylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that adolescents with disabilities often lack self-regulated learning skills. Current research further indicates that explicit teaching of self-regulation skills is beneficial to adolescents with disabilities. The site of this study was a local middle school in rural Georgia that did not assess whether or not teachers were explicitly teaching self-regulation skills to adolescents with disabilities. It was unknown, therefore, whether adolescents with disabilities were learning self-regulation skills in school and whether teachers faced problems in teaching these skills. The study sought to explore this gap in knowledge and practice. Zimmerman's self-regulated learning theory and Bandura's self-efficacy theory served …

Outcomes Of Professional Development For Rural Community College Leaders, William Thompson Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To mitigate the loss of experienced administrators, community college leaders create internal grow-your-own (GYO) leadership development programs. Although the purpose of these programs is to ensure institutional efficacy by developing a pipeline of administrative and faculty leaders, little attention has been given to learning about the participants' post-program career advancement over time. Consequently, the value of GYO leadership training for participants is not well known. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the post-program professional development of a group of participants 2 years after completing a rural community college GYO leadership program. The conceptual framework was guided …

Junior High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Math Instruction For African American Students, Sandra Denise Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A mathematics achievement gap exists between 8th grade African American students and other ethnic groups. Guided by the conceptual framework of constructivism, the purpose of this case study was to examine 8, Grade 8 math teachers' perceptions of factors contributing to mathematical performance gap in their African American students and what instructional strategies can be used to help reduce the achievement gap in southwest Georgia. Data were obtained through interviews and classroom observations and were coded and analyzed using typological analysis, followed by inductive analysis. The results of the data revealed teachers perceived recruiting and retaining African American teachers and …