Education Commons^™

Transformative Learning In Teachers’ Family Collaboration With English Learner Families: The Role Of Beliefs, Cultural Competence, And Communities Of Practice, Sara Saberimoghaddam

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Through a multiple case approach, this qualitative research study examined how teachers' beliefs on family collaboration and cultural competence related to their family collaboration practices within Culturally Responsive Instruction. The learning theories of Communities of Practice (Lave &Wenger, 1991) and Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 1978), and Critical Consciousness (Freire, 1979) were used as the lens to analyze the data. Teacher interviews and classroom observations were used as data sources. The study found that teachers’ perception of cultural competence impacted their classroom practices. Teachers who worked hard to intentionally change their cultural competence awareness into family collaboration actions appeared to be more …

Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge As Communal Practice: A Case Study Of Chemistry Graduate Teaching Assistants, Walker Bryan Mask

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Learning does not only happen during dedicated instructional time, which also applies to learning how to teach. Teachers can reflect on their practice while working to continue to improve and develop their teaching skills. In addition to self-reflection, teachers can also learn from their colleagues to experiment with new practices and take others’ teaching knowledge into their repertoire. Understanding how these two processes function can lead to developments in teacher education and professional development, specifically for initiatives that seek to promote collaboration among teachers. Post-secondary educators in particular can benefit from collaborative and reflective practices to improve their teaching, especially …

Enhancing The Culture Of Professional Learning In A High Performing School, Ann Elizabeth Ingram

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Essential transformations within a school culture that ensure organizational learning take place at the individual, group, and organizational levels. With the recent implementation of the Teacher Professional Growth and Effectiveness System, Kentucky teachers have experienced change in their organization, but may have not yet changed their professional practice. This recently revised framework for teacher evaluation requires teachers to reflect on their practice, create professional growth plans, seek opportunities for professional development, set goals for student academic growth, analyze student progress, and participate in observations conducted by a peer and their principal. The framework for teachers centers on the belief that …

Building Capacity Through A Community Of Practice For Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities Seeking Inclusion In Higher Education, Jason L. Wheatley

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is an urban school district in Louisville, Kentucky. While serving more than 100,000 students, JCPS is the 27th largest school system in the United States. JCPS serves students with moderate to severe disabilities (MSD) seeking to attain an alternative diploma upon exiting secondary school. Students with MSD enrolled in JCPS age 16 and older receive transition services to support post-secondary transition. Community stakeholders and JCPS central office staff are concerned about post school outcomes and transition for students with MSD. Based on a report by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), a majority of …

Transformative Participation In A Professional Community: A Holistic Case Study Of One Experienced Teacher’S Evolving Practice, Kim Zeidler-Watters

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

This descriptive, holistic, single case study focuses on how an experienced teacher with 21 years of teaching was able to negotiate participation in a community of practice (CoP). The study applies Wenger’s (1998) Community of Practice framework as a lens through which to gain insight into the subject’s professional transformation. Wenger’s multilayered theoretical approach, including the four components of his social learning model, provides a common language to describe participation.

The specific research questions that frame this inquiry are: 1) How did an experienced secondary mathematics teacher, involved in an ongoing and dual-faceted professional development project, negotiate meaningful participation in …

Relationships & Capital In Living Learning Communities: A Social Network Analysis, Leslie Nicole Woltenberg

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This study was designed to explore the possible connections between student peer relationships and individual students’ roles in a network as it pertained to outcomes such as self-reported academic achievement and personal satisfaction with the first year of college. The research question directing this inquiry is: How does a student’s role within a residential community of peers relate to success in college? Social network analysis was employed for examination of individual engagement within the context of a larger community.

The vast learning community literature tells an interesting story: 1.) a history of co-curricular peer learning environments, 2) a tradition of …

Professional Identity Development In Online Christian Theological Education: A Case Study Of Preparing Pastoral Practice Through Discursive Activity, Rovina L. Hatcher

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the professional preparation of students in online classes at a Christian theological seminary. Concerns of theological education involve the capacity or incapacity of community development and somatic or embodied learning in online education. Using a theoretical framework drawn from communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), professional clergical preparation (Foster, Dahill, Golemon, & Tolentino, 2005), and Gee’s (2000-2001) dimensions of identity development, the researcher focused the analyses on students’ written texts located in the discussion board fora of the online courses. These records were examined for indications of formation of the professional identity …