Education Commons^™

Considerations For Delivery Of Online Professional Development Courses For Childcare Professionals, Heather Marie Bauer Olsen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In an age of increasing accountability, childcare professionals are held responsible for providing young children quality early care and education. The unfortunate reality is that it is challenging for childcare professionals to pursue training because of the cost of training, family responsibilities, and scheduling conflicts. The Internet has the capability to knock down those barriers in the childcare profession, and has expanded the availability of information and has created avenues for teaching and learning.

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the factors that will give online professional development instructors a better insight into the characteristics …

Addressing Diversity: A Case Study Of Teacher Educators' Views And Instructional Practices At A Midwestern University, Alina Slapac

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It is well documented that while the student population is becoming more and more diverse, the teacher population remains mostly white, female, monolingual, and monocultural (Banks, 2001a; Darling-Hammond, 2002; Nieto, 2000a). Consequently, teacher education programs have the important role of addressing diversity throughout curriculum, field experiences and faculty recruitment.

The purpose of this qualitative research was to gain more understanding, from the teacher educators' perspectives, about the way diversity is being addressed at a Midwestern university by examining teacher educators' various methods of instruction, and their course materials, which focus on diversity issues and the needs of diverse learners. The …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Professional Development On High School Physics Teachers' Conceptual Understanding Of Newtonian Mechanics, Instructional Practices, And The Conceptual Growth Of Their Students, Julia K. Moeller

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a physics professional development program on secondary science teachers' conceptual knowledge of Newtonian mechanics, instructional practices and the conceptual growth of their students. The University of Northern Iowa Physics Institute enabled a group of twenty-one Iowa high school and middle school science teachers to complete the physics coursework required to obtain the State of lowa 7-12 Grade Physics Teaching endorsement. The Institute provided experiences to improve physics content knowledge and proficiency of constructivist methodologies for teaching high school physics.

Twelve Institute participants completed a two-year program during the 2002 …

Effectiveness Of Educator-Oriented Content Courses, Joslyn K. Burt

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

The idea of teaching science strikes fear into the hearts and minds of many elementary teachers; however, as a core piece of the overall curriculum, they cannot escape teaching science. The courses taken at the university and the professional development classes taken on the job play a critical role in helping educators feel comfortable teaching science. Such courses also impact how the content is taught by introducing the best practices used in science teaching.

As a Basic Science Minor in the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa, I have taken many science content courses and several courses …

Integrating New Technologies Into The Methods Of Education (Intime): Its Impact On The Professional Practice Of Participating Teacher Educators, Marius Boboc

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine those factors that influenced the implementation of a technology-based project (Integrating New Technologies Into Methods of Education [INTIME]) as well as its overall impact on the professional practice of participating methods professors who used it in their classroom over a number o f semesters.

Recent research findings reveal the fact that teacher preparation programs lack the proper use of computer technology (CT). In this light, it would be expected that in- service teachers who have recently graduated college do not master the necessary technological skills to educate their own students for …

Perceptions Of High School Principals On Instructional Leadership And Implications For Practice And Professional Development, Dianna K. Engelbrecht

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was: (a) to determine how Iowa high school principals perceive their instructional leadership practice as defined by ISSL/ISLLC Standard 2 and the knowledge, dispositions, and performance descriptors; (b) to determine which Standard 2 indicators are most essential for the high school principal's instructional leadership practice; (c) to determine if the practices of high school principals as instructional leaders align with the identified essential indicators of Standard 2; (d) to define and describe how Iowa high school principals define instructional leadership; (e) to determine if demographics impact the instructional leadership practices of Iowa's high school principals; …

The Effects Of A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Intervention On Irrational Beliefs And Burnout Among Middle School Teachers In The State Of Iowa, Shirley Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) bibliotherapy intervention on the level of burnout and irrational beliefs. This study specifically examined the impact of a REBT bibliotherapy intervention on middle school teachers' irrational beliefs and level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (Maslach, Jackson, & Schwab, 1986) and the Irrational Beliefs Test (Jones, 1968).

The subjects in this study consisted of 167 middle school teachers in the State of Iowa. These teachers taught sixth, seventh, or eighth grade or a combination of these …

An Investigation Of The Energy And Transportation Component For Junior High School Technology Education Programs In Taiwan, Chang-Cheng Chen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify the appropriate content of the Energy and Transportation (E&T) unit for use in instruction in the junior high school Technology Education (TE) programs in Taiwan. Another purpose was to provide the Taiwanese higher education program administrators and educational planners with practical information for use in effectively designing and implementing preservice and in-service teacher preparation programs.

Survey instruments were developed through a literature review and validated by nine experts in E&T. The samples included 400 stratified and randomly selected TE teachers from four geographic parts of Taiwan, 200 stratified and randomly selected industrial …

Passages: A Case Study Of An Iowa Female Secondary Principal, Victoria L. Robinson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to identify and describe one female Iowa secondary principal's career path to the principalship in an Iowa public high school. Several factors were considered in the selection of the participant including: demographics, administrative experience, and her willingness to spend time in the interview process. To provide semi-structure to the interviews and in turn suggest the conceptual frame for analyzing the data, the following questions were formulated:

1. What were the experiences which served as perceived barriers in the career path to the high school principalship for one Iowa female high school principal? …

Direct And Television-Mediated Observation Of Verbal Interaction In The Classroom, Terri Mcdonald

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to investigate differences in preservice teachers' ability to identify and report verbal interaction in the classroom during direct observation as compared to television-mediated observation, and (b) to examine the advantages and disadvantages of direct and television-mediated classroom observation as perceived by preservice teachers.

Subjects in this study were preservice teacher education majors (N = 96) from four university class sections enrolled in professional sequence courses prior to student teaching. The data were analyzed using a 2 x 2 ANOVA (mode of observation x tally type). The independent variable of mode of observation …

The Relationship Of Teachers' Job Satisfaction And Their Perceptions Of Principals' Leadership Styles In Private Vocational High Schools In A Selected Metropolitan Area Of Taiwan, Ining Yuan-Hsiang Chu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between teachers' job satisfaction and their perceptions of principals' leadership styles (transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles) in the Kaohsiung Metropolitan Area of Taiwan. A secondary purpose was to examine the difference between teachers' gender, educational level, and length of service in terms of their perceptions of the three different leadership styles and job satisfaction.

The sample consisted of 629 full-time private vocational high school teachers. The translated Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used to measure teachers' perceptions of their principals' leadership styles. The translated Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) …

Implications Of Teacher In-Service Training On Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Identification, Glenn Evan Haupt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the impact of teacher in-service training on the ability of teachers to identify children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in their classrooms. The subjects were 16 teachers from two small rural midwestern schools. All but one of the teachers were females, with a range in years of teaching experience from five through 30 years.

The intent of the study was to investigate if an ADHD in-service training program would have a beneficial effect on the ability of teachers to identify students in their classrooms with behaviors characteristic of ADHD. The subjects were split into two groups, …

Sustaining And Impinging Factors On Teaching Satisfaction Of Effective Middle Level Teachers, Cheryl D. Hoversten

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify the ontogeny of effective middle level teachers. The study was a search through their lives, both professional and private, for those elements that they perceived have contributed to their professional development and consequent attitudes and perspectives on teaching.

A sample of 12 teachers was obtained through reputational-case selection, a process by which teachers were nominated by experts on the basis of their professional expertise. All participants were middle level teachers from two Midwestern states who had at least 10 years of teaching experience.

A career history interview, which focused on critical shifts …

Effects Of Electronic Mail On Staff Communication Satisfaction And Computer Anxiety, Donald D. Luck

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Research indicates teacher isolation and computer anxiety are significant problems effecting teachers. This study examined the influence of electronic mail on these two problems. The research hypotheses questioned whether electronic mail installation positively effected a staff's level of communication satisfaction and/or lowered their level of computer anxiety.

Three sites were used in the study. Site One had electronic mail at the time of both measurements, Site Two implemented electronic mail immediately following the first measurement, and Site Three never used electronic mail. Ten months separated the measurements.

The study used the Computer Satisfaction Questionnaire to measure eight components of communication …

The Effects Of A Microteaching Program Upon The Critical Thinking Skills Of Preservice Teachers, Vickie Trent-Wilson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Critical thinking skills have received considerable attention during the past decade as test scores measuring higher-order thinking abilities have declined (Benderson, 1984). It has been advocated that the responsibility for the development of these skills lies with the classroom teacher (Glickman, 1987; Beyer, 1983; Costa, 1981). Brandt (1984) purports that all teachers need to understand cognitive processes and ways to strengthen them. Yet, many teachers have not had the benefit of "systematic cognitive development in their own schooling; they are unprepared to foster cognitive skills in their own students" (Martin, 1984, p. 68). If thinking skills are a desired outcome …

The Impact Of A Model Inservice Program On The Components Of Comprehensive School Health Education, Susan J. Koch

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Inservice education has been utilized for both professional growth and school improvement in all educational disciplines for more than a century. As the focus of school health education has extended to include the concept of the wellness lifestyle and health promotion, school health educators have employed inservice education as a vehicle for improving the three components of comprehensive school health education: curriculum and instruction, school health services, and the healthful school environment.

One response to the need for professional training of school employees in wellness has been the Seaside inservice model. Initiated in Oregon in 1977, the model is based …

An Analysis Of Selected Initial Phase Iii Plans Developed From Iowa's Educational Excellence Program H.F. 499, Randall B. Clegg

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Phase III of Iowa's Educational Excellence Program has provided Iowa school districts with the unique opportunity to improve and enhance the quality and effectiveness of Iowa teachers through the development of performance-based and supplemental pay plans. With 50 million dollars in state funding Iowa school districts were in a unique position to develop and implement their own prescription for achieving educational excellence.

The purpose of this study was to conduct an analysis of initial performance-based supplemental pay plans developed by Iowa school districts. As a result of the analysis this study described the reform efforts initiated by local school districts …

Elements In An Educational Preparation For Middle School Teachers, Cheryl Wogens Budlong

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research investigated the importance of selected aspects of the professional preparation for middle school teachers. The purpose was to determine perceptions of middle school teachers concerning the importance of twelve frequently recommended teacher preparation courses. Differences in perceptions were explored for subgroups identified by type of endorsement held (elementary or secondary), sex, and years of teaching experience.

The sample consisted of Iowa middle school teachers employed during the 1986 spring semester. The sample was stratified and proportional among districts, random within districts.

The data were collected through the use of a questionnaire, constructed in two parts. The initial section …

A Survey Of Selected Iowa Colleges And Universities And Their Elementary Teacher Education Programs For Ige Training Of Preservice Teachers, Leotis D. Swopes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to survey the Elementary Teacher Education Programs (ETEPs) of Iowa's three public institutions of higher learning and Iowa's three largest non-public institutions of higher learning. Using a questionnaire and interview method, the survey was to answer two questions: 1. Do (ETEPs) at Iowa's six sample institutions of higher learning prepare preservice teachers through an IGE Teacher Education Program for IGE elementary schools in the state? 2. Do ETEPs of Iowa's six sample institutions of higher learning prepare preservice teachers for IGE elementary school programs in the state?

A 10-item questionnaire with subdivisions was used …

The Development Of A Handbook For Use In The Selection Of Materials On Communism For Secondary Social Studies Classes, Richard Raymond Olmsted

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Following World War Two, the United States and the Soviet Union became the chief rivals for world leadership. Because of this, communism replaced fascism as the totalitarian ideology of most concern to Americans. This new situation brought with it a series of problems for the public schools: Should secondary schools teach about communism? How should this topic be approached? What materials should be provided for use by high school students?

For a time, public hysteria prevented the logical resolution of these problems. George B. Bruntz describes this period in the following way:

There was a time when the mere mention …