Education Commons^™

Technology Integration For Common Core State Standards Implementation: Developing Differentiated Professional Development Based On The Concerns-Based Adoption Model, Tami Boatright

Dissertations

Teachers must learn how to integrate technology for CCSS implementation in an educational environment tasked with preparing 21st century students to not only survive, but thrive in a knowledge-based global society. The changes required for 21st century learning to prepare 21st century students is transformational in nature and represents a paradigm shift for many teachers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the differences in teachers’ Stages of Concern with integrating technology for implementation of CCSS according to age, gender, and years of teaching. In addition it was the purpose of this study to use information obtained from …

Educator Perceptions Regarding Quality Workplace Professional Development, Darrel Chris Rink

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study, Educator Perceptions Regarding Quality Workplace Professional Development, attempted to formulate through interviews and surveys the attitudes of educators regarding their personal experiences with professional development. The study was based on Donald Super's Career Development Theory, Jack Mezirow's Transformational Learning Theory, and David Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory. These three theorists help form the conceptual foundation for the study.

One of the challenges the United States has had within the past fifty years is that workers were not being adequately prepared for the workplace during their school years or after. Super, Mezirow, and Kolb helped to identify stages of growth …

An Investigation Of Teacher Evaluation Systems And How They Can Be Transformed To Improve Teaching And Learning: A Change Leadership Plan, Kelly O'Brien

Dissertations

Numerous states have contributed to the overhaul of teacher evaluation systems by imposing mandatory guidelines for the development of new measures. The purpose of this Change Leadership plan was to build upon my research “Principal Perspectives on the Current State of the Art of Teacher Evaluations: A Program Evaluation” which revealed a need to investigate how teacher evaluation systems could be transformed by integrating technology to streamline the process and thus improve teaching and learning. Therefore, this Change Leadership plan aimed to address two important questions. How is technology being used within current teacher evaluation systems? Within current teacher evaluation …

Effective Elements Of Science Teacher Professional Development, Amy Jean Zientek

Theses and Dissertations

Educational reform efforts to improve students' learning outcomes are often present in teacher professional development opportunities; however, the structure and design of these opportunities vary and often focus on a homogenous student population; that is, White students in suburban schools. Reform efforts in teacher professional development that aim to educate teachers not only about science content and pedagogy, but also about practices that aim to reach a diverse student population is needed. This study examines three, science teacher summer professional development (PD) programs [SUN, SEPA, and CLA], and explores how programs affect teacher learning outcome(s) and any subsequent translation into …

The Impact Of Professional Development On Early Implementation Of A 1:1 Laptop Initiative, Bradley A. Hanson

Dissertations

As school leaders continue to attempt to integrate technology into today’s classrooms, 1:1 laptop initiatives are becoming increasingly more prevalent and certainly more affordable than ever before. School leaders must be able to justify the expenditure by the direct impact the integration of the laptops make on classroom instruction and learning. Preparing and supporting teachers to teach and facilitate learning with these new technological tools is a necessity that cannot be overlooked in ensuring the success of 1:1 laptop initiatives. This study examined the impact of various professional development preparatory factors on the instructional change that occurred immediately after implementation …

The Impact Of Professional Development On Early Implementation Of A 1:1 Laptop Initiative, Bradley A. Hanson

Dissertations

As school leaders continue to attempt to integrate technology into today’s classrooms, 1:1 laptop initiatives are becoming increasingly more prevalent and certainly more affordable than ever before. School leaders must be able to justify the expenditure by the direct impact the integration of the laptops make on classroom instruction and learning. Preparing and supporting teachers to teach and facilitate learning with these new technological tools is a necessity that cannot be overlooked in ensuring the success of 1:1 laptop initiatives. This study examined the impact of various professional development preparatory factors on the instructional change that occurred immediately after implementation …

Assessment For Learning: An Evaluation Of A Professional, Aimee Davis Feehery

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine how teachers have come to understand, use, and value formative assessment through their participation in our Assessment for Learning Teams for the past five years. Greeno, Collins, & Resnick's (1996) learning theory serves as the theoretical framework of the evaluation, as this program evaluation serves to determine if, and how, teachers have changed their mental models of assessment from a Behaviorist-Differentiationist model to the Cognitive-Situative model, or from an Assessment of Learning view of assessment, to an Assessment for Learning perspective. In order to determine if teachers have gained the conceptual …

Common Themes Associated With Teacher-Identified Obstacles To Implementing Change In Mathematics Instruction Attributable To Participation In Mathematics Professional Development, Ronald A. Twitchell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study had three purposes: first, explore any common phenomenon of secondary mathematics teachers’ experience in secondary mathematics professional development (MPD); second, determine if there were positive changes in teacher attitudes after completing secondary MPD; and finally, if a positive change in teacher attitude was identified, describe the shared experiences in secondary MPD to in a way that cannot be revealed through ordinary observations. It was the intent of this study to identify positive changes in teacher attitudes not to measure their magnitude. This study implemented a mixed methods design using descriptive statistics and categorical analysis on data from pre- …

The Danielson Evaluation System In Two Mid- South High Schools: A Case Study, Laura R. Strickland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to answer the question: How do pilot users of the Danielson Evaluation System perceive this model in two mid-south high schools? The study describes the perceptions of teachers and administrators who implemented the Danielson Teacher Evaluation Model. The primary focus was on teachers and administrators experience with the pilot of the new Arkansas Teacher Excellence Support System. In an effort to meet requirements under the ESEA flexibility waiver Arkansas developed a comprehensive evaluation model to meet state and federal accountability standards. Arkansas Department of Education developed a pilot school program in which they were …

Implications Of Teacher Motivation And Renewal Indicators In Arkansas Toward Professional Growth And Achievement, Lary D. Whitten

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to determine if the teaching population in the state of Arkansas had a more favorable attitude toward specific motivational theories and practices; and to determine if that attitude significantly affected the teacher retention rate and the quality of work produced. The literature reviewed included the role of the school leader, motivational theory, and other relevant studies on teacher motivation. Eight National Board Certified teachers in Arkansas were interviewed about motivation as it related to professional improvement and development. The interviews focused on characteristics that serve as intrinsic motivators toward professional improvement and development and their …

Learning To Prevent Burning And Fatigue: Teacher Burnout And Compassion Fatigue, Adam Koenig

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

During a professional development workshop, 64 Canadian educators from Southwestern Ontario participated in a workshop about natural consequences that may develop as a result of their line of work. A focus on teacher compassion fatigue, an unresearched area with respect to Canadian educators, and burnout, was taken. The current study hypothesized professional development would positively influence educators’ knowledge, skills, and awareness regarding burnout, vicarious trauma, and compassion fatigue, in both the short and long term. Furthermore, it was predicted there would be a correlation between burnout and compassion fatigue, and that years of experience would be related to the level …

An Examination Of Teachers' Perceptions And Implementation Of Learning Trajectory Based Professional Development, Megan Hope Wickstrom

Theses and Dissertations

The aims of this study were to investigate how teachers incorporated learning trajectory based research into practice, specifically how they made sense of students' thinking in relation to classroom instruction. To conduct this study, I used an ethno-methodological approach (Garfinkel, 1967) across several months, with three fourth-grade teachers in a diverse, high needs school. Each of the teachers participated in professional development on using learning trajectories (Sarama & Clements, 2009) as a tool to formatively assess individual student's thinking as a means to inform classroom instruction. During the study, the teachers were asked to conduct clinical interviews with students in …

Influence Of Siop Cognitive Coaching Workshops On Teaching Practices Of Esl Teachers And Esl Paraprofessionals, Ruben Alicea

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and report on the influence that cognitive coaching, as an embedded part of professional development, has on ESL teachers' and ESL paraprofessionals' learning and practice in the context of educating English learner (EL) students using the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model of instruction. An examination was made on the views of 52 ESL teachers and paraprofessionals regarding participation in a series of 12 professional development workshops, use of cognitive coaching, and implementation of the SIOP with their EL students. As part of their participation in the professional development, self-reflection data were …

Building Local Skills: The Multitrait-Multimethod Matrix In Practice, Anna Clara Gersh

Wayne State University Dissertations

The potential of expanding the evaluative skills of site-based practitioners is examined in a variety of educational enterprises by introducing a procedure to determine evidence for construct validity of measurement tools. The expectations of administrators of educational enterprises, including school day principals, administrators of after school and extended day programs, camps and other instructional settings to effectively collect and manage data is growing. Research skills are an important part of both accountability and improvement efforts which are frequently tied to funding. The multitrait-multimethod matrix (MTMM) (Campbell & Fiske, 1959) combined with the Sawilowsky I test (Sawilowsky, 2002) may provide a …

College And Career Readiness Anchor Standards For English: Preparedness Of Students And Teachers As Perceived By West Virginia English Language Arts Teachers In Grades Six Through Twelve, Mary Ann Triplett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine how prepared students are to learn the competencies outlined in the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for English Language Arts and how prepared teachers are to teach those same competencies as perceived by West Virginia English Language Arts teachers in grades six through twelve. In addition, this study examined differences, if any, between student preparedness and teacher preparedness as well as differences among respondents with different demographic or attribute variables. Finally, this study described effective instructional strategies and beneficial professional development topics identified by respondents. Data obtained from responses …

An Investigation Of Teachers’ Noticing, Cognitive Demand, And Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching: Video Reflections In An Elementary Mathematics Context, Lorelei R. Coddington

CGU Theses & Dissertations

In the past decade, mathematics performance by all students, especially minority students in low socioeconomic schools, has shown limited improvement nationwide (NCES, 2011). Traditionally in the United States, mathematics has consisted of arithmetic and computational fluency; however, mathematics researchers widely believe that this method of instruction does not enhance the development of mathematical reasoning and ignores the research on students’ mathematical development (Blanton & Kaput, 2005; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999). Recommendations by the mathematics community are to broaden and strengthen teacher content knowledge in mathematics and to provide the pedagogical tools needed by teachers to extend their students’ thinking and …

Increasing Self-Efficacy And Quality Lesson Planning Using Lesson-Study With Elementary Preservice Teachers, Elizabeth Ann Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, quasi-experimental study examined if lesson-study could be a successful approach in improving lesson plan quality and increasing self-efficacy levels toward teaching science at the preservice elementary teacher level in North Mississippi. Lesson-Study can be defined as a cycle of instructional improvement in which small groups work together to design and teach a lesson, revising again as needed over the course of a semester. This study described the experiences of two sections of preservice teachers enrolled in a science methods course as they engaged in lesson-study at a comprehensive university in Northeast Mississippi. One section of the class served …

General And Special Education Teachers' Perspectives Of Full Membership For Students With Disabilities, Pamela S. Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations

The idea of full membership (FM) for students with disabilities (SWD) originated with the 1975 Education for all Handicapped Children Act which required equal educational access for these students. Full membership has evolved from mainstreaming to focusing on acceptance and belonging in a school community where all stakeholders have a voice and the culture is reflective of these values and beliefs. Despite American public education policy, there appears to be minimal progress for SWD in gaining FM. This phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to gain insight into the perceptions and lived experiences of teachers. Comparing two high schools in the …

Formal Change Processes And Informal Teacher-Initiated Change Processes: A Longitudinal Case Study Of Technology Integration At An Elementary School, Candace Michelle Griffin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although teachers and students in nearly every classroom have access to technology, for various reasons many teachers are unable to integrate technology successfully into their classroom instruction. The primary purpose of this longitudinal, qualitative case study was to investigate how formal change processes and informal teacher-initiated change processes facilitated technology integration at a small, private school in the southeastern United States. The change processes investigated were (a) formal professional development (b) informal job-embedded professional development, (b) informal communities of practice, and (c) informal teacher leadership. The secondary purpose was to investigate changes in teaching that resulted from technology integration at …

The Effect Of Academic Coaches On Teachers' Effective Use Of Data For Instructional Decisions, Barbara Quillen Shoemaker

Online Theses and Dissertations

One of the common themes in education reform is the use of data-driven decision making. The data provides the information we use to improve our knowledge of classroom instruction. Teachers need professional development to improve their ability to enable data driven decision-making. What data are available? What information can be gleaned from the data? What instructional changes based on data occur? Professional development, the nature of coaching, and their effect on teacher use of data have not been adequately treated in educational literature. This study will be based on an evaluation of an academic coaching project in a large urban …

Principals' Perceptions Of The National Board Certification Process For Administrators: A Phenomenological Study, Wendolyn Conner-Knight

All ETDs from UAB

Research has indicated that the role of the principal as an instructional leader has come to the forefront as the school leader is an influential factor in student achievement and school improvement. Understanding the impact instructional leaders have on student achievement, reform efforts have focused on the preparation of school leaders to effectively transform 21st-century schools into high-performing learning organizations by calling for higher standards for principals and more rigorous means of credentialing principals. In the effort to improve school leadership, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) began implementation of National Board Certification for Education Leaders (NBCEL), a …

The Effect Of A Professional Development Model On Teachers' Knowledge, Beliefs And Instructional Practices In Teaching Early Reading, Gemma Scarparolo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The release of several major evidence-based reports and reviews worldwmilcatide in the last 15 years on teaching reading, have reported that one of the most effective ways to teach the necessary decoding skills for beginning readers is to include and teach phonological awareness and phonics in an explicit, direct and systematic manner. To achieve this, researchers and educators have placed an emphasis on the key role that evidence-based professional development plays in providing teachers with the necessary knowledge, understandings and instructional skills to be able to teach these skills effectively to beginning readers. Professional development has three aims: to change …