Education Commons^™

Where Are The Black Teachers? There Should Be More To Make It Even, Harolyn Harris

Dissertations

For years, Black teachers lived and worked in the communities that they served. I was one of those teachers who lived and worked in my community, but I noticed that there were not many of us. As a Black woman, mother and teacher, I was fully aware of the numbers of Black teachers declining. I wanted to know why.

In this study, I utilized my experience as a Black student, a Black teacher, and a Black administrator to reflect my feelings. I used Critical Race Theory as the theoretical lens on my stories using autoethnography as the research method. I …

The Integration Of Art: A Multiple Case Study Of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, And Math (Steam) Schools In Three Schools In Southern California, Reyna Esther Smith

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to describe and analyze how schools that implement a STEAM program include the arts in their integrated program. The study focused on 3 K-12 schools in Southern California that are located in the Antelope Valley high desert region of the state. This multi-case study analyzed an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school that are in different districts in the area.

Methodology: This multi-case study used qualitative data to analyze the research questions regarding art infusion in STEAM programs and teacher and leader perspectives. Drawing from interviews of teachers …

Into The Cloud: How Professional Development And Leadership Relate To Technology Implementation, Jessica Iovinelli

Dissertations

The skills necessary for 21st century society and the information age require that schools reevaluate their mission, vision, and goals to reflect how they will prepare students for the demands of a world in which immediate access to droves of information has led to increased value placed on what Tony Wagner (2008) has defined as the “seven survival skills”: critical thinking and problem-solving; collaboration and leading by influence; agility and adaptability; initiative and entrepreneurship; effective communication; accessing and analyzing information; and curiosity and imagination. For many districts and schools, the response has been adding technology to the menu of initiatives. …

Creating A Systemic Approach To Technology Integration Through Job-Embedded Professional Growth, Andrew Kohl

Dissertations

This change plan employs Wagner’s (2008) change leadership model to assess culture, context, conditions, and competencies of a small suburban school district and to develop a systemic plan for implementing job-embedded professional development in the area of technology integration. However, this plan is meant to be applicable to all content areas. This plan is informed by data that I collected as part of my program evaluation of a one-to-one technology program and also applies additional survey data and interviews with building principals, to examine staff attitudes towards professional development and understanding of instructional coaching models. Using this plan, I hope …

One-To-One Learning - Success Factors For Meaningful Technology Integration, Andrew Kohl

Dissertations

This paper explores an evaluation of the Grove School District’s one-to-one iPad program, for the purpose of understanding the relationship between teacher support for the program and classroom use. The evaluation also explores the various factors that impact a successful one-to-one program, including leadership attitudes and professional development. The attitudes of the teaching staff were compared to classroom observation data and focus group input. The research design followed a case study approach with a combination of survey, focus group, and observation methodologies. The goal was to determine to what extent the attitudes of teaching staff towards the one-to-one program impact …

Developing A Blended Learning Model In Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Programs: Faculty Development Through Action Research, Eugene Basil

Dissertations

Public institutions of higher education in Kentucky have been experiencing cuts in state budgets. Kentucky lawmakers have moved state colleges to a performance-based form of budgeting. In this new budget paradigm, an institution’s funding is based on a metric that significantly considers student outcomes. Technical college programs are not currently meeting the quantity, and in some cases quality, outputs required to sustain the economic growth in the community. To increase the capacity, quality, and accessibility of technical programs, the faculty members of the Advanced Manufacturing Technologies division of the Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College implemented a blended learning approach …

Perceptions Of Segregation, Desegregation, And Integration From Burglund High School Students In Mccomb, Mississippi, Cynthia Loren Lamkin

Dissertations

Black-American history has been, and continues to be, one rich with struggle and progress throughout a multitude of past and current events – including the White resistance to Blacks becoming educated and the segregation and inequality permeating education, politics, and general living for centuries. It is necessary to gather a further understanding of the Black perspective regarding direct experiences of discrimination in education in order to cultivate pedagogy by which all students may have an equal chance to thrive. This study of the memories shared by former students who did and did not participate in the walkout on October 4, …

Comparison Of Beginning Teachers' And Experienced Teachers' Readiness To Integratetechnology As Measured By Tpack Scores, Heather S. Fontanilla

Dissertations

Despite a growing awareness of the importance of technology in education, increased investment and attention to preparing teachers to integrate technology into the classroom, research shows that technology continues to fail to live up to its potential for transforming education. As schools move from standards based testing to implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), an expectation exists that teachers will be using technology to transform their teaching practices. There is also an expectation that schools are providing students with 21st century skills, including the use of technology. In exploring the reasons teachers are not using technology effectively, much …

Developmental Education At The Community College: An Exploration Of Instructional Best Practices And The Relationship Between Integration, Student Involvement And Rates Of Completion, Beverly Gayle Strickland Lewis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the developmental education process within the community college system in Mississippi. Tinto’s (1993) Integration Theory and Astin’s (1993) Theory of Student Involvement were employed as a framework to assess and understand the relationship between academic integration, social integration, student involvement, and rates of completion.

This concurrent mixed method study identified best practices related to the successful completion of developmental education courses from the vantage point of the faulty and administration at the community college. A total of ten faculty and administrators from five of the community colleges in Mississippi were given a …

Relationships Of Parental Homeschooling Approaches Including Technology Integration, Letitia Annette Walters

Dissertations

This study examined the factors influencing parental selection of homeschooling approaches for their children and the utilization of technology integrated. Factors explored were parental motivators for selecting homeschooling approaches, parental reasons for choosing to homeschooling, technology device usage, and instructional technology integration. The population consisted of parents with at least one year or more of experience in teaching homeschooling and the primary educator being involved in answering the survey. Participants in this study responded to items from a researcher-adapted questionnaire using. The majority of the participants were from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kentucky. A Bachelor's degree was reported as the highest …

Students' Perceptions Of Integration Of Faith And Learning And Intentional Teaching Strategies At A Christian University, Terry Anne Lawrence

Dissertations

Purpose

This study examined Christian graduate students’ perceptions of integration of faith and learning (IFL) in an instructional context where intentional integrative strategies were used to enable IFL for students.

Method

This study used a case study design that relied primarily on qualitative sources. The case investigated included 28 graduate education students in a summer “institute” at a Christian university. The instructors and most students were of the same denomination that the university is affiliated with. Most students were experienced teachers and expressed strong personal faith. The instructors support institutional goals for faith- learning integration. Descriptive statistics from a survey …