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Full-Text Articles in Education
Faculty Perceptions Of Instructional Strategies That Foster Student Engagement In Online Courses, Sharon M. Hope
Faculty Perceptions Of Instructional Strategies That Foster Student Engagement In Online Courses, Sharon M. Hope
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Developing online instructional strategies for increasing student engagement and success is significant locally and nationally due to growth in the online field, advances in technology, and the need for colleges to maximize student success. This study stemmed from the desire of administrators at an upstate New York private college to discover additional ways to design and deliver effective online instruction. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to discover faculty perceptions of and experiences with instructional strategies that they used to foster student engagement in online learning. Kearsley and Shneiderman's engagement theory formed the study's conceptual framework. Ten …
Student Perspectives Of An Off-Reservation Residential Program, Lucia Rose Mitchell
Student Perspectives Of An Off-Reservation Residential Program, Lucia Rose Mitchell
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Navajo students who attend residential schools that are located off the reservation and hours away from their homes, communities, and tribes may experience issues with development of a meaningful cultural identity. The purpose of this study was to better understand and identify key themes related to how Navajo students' cultural identity may be affected while living in an off-reservation residential hall. Phinney's ethnic identity development theory was used to explain the psychosocial process of developing industry and identity in adolescents. The primary research question addressed how former students' experiences of living in an off-reservation residence hall affected their development of …
Official And Unofficial Mentorship By Generational Cohorts Of State Teachers Of The Year, Angelica Jordan
Official And Unofficial Mentorship By Generational Cohorts Of State Teachers Of The Year, Angelica Jordan
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Some school districts are exploring mentorship to help teachers enact more effective classroom practices that lead to higher student outcomes. The Good to Great study, by the National Network of State Teachers of the Year outlined the professional growth opportunities that state teachers of the year (STOYs) perceived as contributing to their success in the classroom. Although the STOYs noted that mentorship was a key factor, the original study did not examine how different generations of educators may respond differently to mentorship based on their generational cohort identity. The purpose of this nonexperimental, causal-comparative study using Good to Great data …
Paraprofessional Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices For Special Education Students, Esther Bubb-Mckinnie
Paraprofessional Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices For Special Education Students, Esther Bubb-Mckinnie
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Paraprofessionals often constitute the primary support system for special education students and are core members of special education instructional teams. Therefore, the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act requires that paraprofessionals receive adequate training, including training in evidence-based practices (EBP). However, paraprofessionals often do not obtain the training and professional development they need to become qualified. The unpreparedness of paraprofessionals may lead to discouraging student outcomes. Informed by social constructivism, the purpose of this exploratory case study was to understand the perspectives of 6 special education administrators, 5 special education teachers, and 1 special education paraprofessional on paraprofessionals' implementation of EBP …
Systems Of Support For Elementary School Principals: A Case Study, Jennifer Francone
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
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
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
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 …
Intermediate Teachers' Perceptions Of Reading Instruction Strategies And Professional Development Needs, Barbara Jean Joyner
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
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 …
A Summative Program Evaluation Of Online And Hybrid Military Professional Development Courses, Leah Flores Goerke
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 …