Education Commons^™

Supporting Teachers Through Standardized Testing: Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Administrator Support, Erica Neeves

Dissertations and Theses

In recent years, standardized assessment has played a major role in the American school system. Standardized testing, sometimes referred to as high-stakes testing, is a measure to ensure accountability and equity. One standardized test, the NWEA MAP assessment, is used to measure growth and proficiency. When students complete the assessment, they receive a Rasch UnIT (RIT) score and a prediction of growth for the next time they take the assessment, as well as a projection of whether or not they are on track for that expected growth (NWEA, 2021). The purpose of this study was to explore teacher perceptions of …

Examining Teachers' Use Of Adaptive Diagnostic Assessment To Improve Mathematics Teaching And Learning, Dalal H. Alfageh

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined teachers’ perceptions and use of adaptive diagnostic assessment for improving teaching and learning of elementary level mathematics. Specifically, this case study was conducted at some of the leading primary schools in a Midwestern school district. TPACK theory was used as the theoretical framework for this case study to provide an understanding of how the teaching and learning of mathematics occurs in the classroom and the changes that occur due to the implementation of adaptive diagnostic assessments. A survey, individual interviews, a focus group, and journal reflections were used for data collection. The findings of this …

Elementary Teachers' Use Of Evaluation To Guide Their Instructional Practices, Lajoi Gardner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Well-designed research-based evaluation instruments have been implemented in school districts in a southwest U.S. state; however, it was unclear how elementary teachers were using an evaluation instrument as a formative tool to guide their instructional practices. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how elementary teachers’ perceptions and experiences influenced their use of an evaluation instrument to improve their instructional practices. Marzano’s focused teacher evaluation model provided the conceptual framework for the study. The research questions focused on elementary teachers’ perceptions and experiences with using an evaluation instrument as a guide for their instructional practices. A purposeful …

Examining The Specialized Math Content Knowledge Of Elementary Teachers In The Age Of The Common Core, Stephanie Purington

Doctoral Dissertations

Mathematical standards for students have increased with the development of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and its accompanying high stakes testing. Teachers need strong conceptual knowledge of the mathematics they teach in order to give students the opportunity to learn that math deeply. An earlier study (Ma, 1999) found that US elementary teachers lack the deep knowledge to teach math conceptually. Given the mathematics standards movements of the last two decades, it is plausible that the knowledge base of teachers has changed. Using the framework of Specialized Content Knowledge (SCK), which is the knowledge required to teach math …

The Value Of Reflective Thinking Among Public Elementary Teachers In Ontario, Canada, Margeaux Natalie-Ann Levy

Dissertations

This research study investigated the perceived value of reflection among in-service teachers in Ontario, Canada. The surveys were randomly distributed to 140 teachers within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB; the largest school board in Canada). The teachers all had Ontario teaching certification, were surveyed at their current school, and had taught from one to 35 years. I investigated to what extent in-service teachers engage in reflective thinking, specific aspects of the teaching process that teachers reflect about, and sought to determine whether engagement in reflective thinking is related to years of teaching experience, elementary teaching levels (primary, junior, intermediate), …

A Survey Of The Big Five Personality Traits Among Elementary Teachers, Afrina R. Rohani

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research examined the possibility that personality traits play a part in career longevity and job satisfaction in the education field. The current study examined trends among the Big Five personality traits (Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism) and their relation to job satisfaction in the elementary classroom. This researcher hypothesized that some common personality traits that are shared by teachers who persist in the classroom for five or more years, who are satisfied with their jobs and do not intend to leave. This researcher hypothesized that more experienced teachers would be high in Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness. This …

What Do Teachers Know About Differentiated Instruction?, Sharmayne Raby Rutledge

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to explore what elementary teachers in an urban school district understand and implement as differentiated instruction and the role of learning styles. While there is much research that supports the implementation of differentiated instruction based on learning styles and learning levels to increase student achievement (Grasha, 2002; Patton, 1987), there is limited research that aligns the teacher’s understanding, implementation, and reflection on pedagogical differentiated practices within the classroom. As an employee of the study district, a former teacher within the district, and a former supervisor of the school, I defined my role as …

Concerns Of Elementary School Leaders And Teachers When Implementing A Common Core Aligned Mathematics Program, Leela J. George

Dissertations - ALL

The purpose of this study is twofold: first, the research is an investigation of the concerns of school leaders and teachers when implementing a Common Core Learning Standards-aligned elementary mathematics curriculum in an age of accountability and reform; second, this research aims to identify the interventions that school leaders employ in response to the concerns of teachers.

This is a mixed methods study using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM). Specifically, the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) and the Change Facilitator Stages of Concern Questionnaire (CFSoCQ) were administered three times during the initial year of implementation of a new mathematics program …

Indiana's High-Stakes Reading Assessment: Impact On Professionalism And Instructional Practices Of Elementary Teachers, Michelle A. Fish

Dissertations

Problem.

Since the turn of the twenty-first century, political mandates have been the driving force behind educational decision-making. The execution of the federal Race to the Top Assessment Program in 2009 ushered in a new era of accountability measures for educators, resulting in a significant increase in the number of state assessments, including the implementation of the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) summative assessment in the spring of 2012. Within this model of top-down, political decision-making, the collective voice of educators has been minimized as instructional practice has been driven by student performance on standardized assessments. The purpose of …

Motivating Factors Of Elementary Teachers (K-5) In Illinois Who Belong To Veteran, Baby Boomer, Generation X, And Generation Y Age Bands: A Study Of Ways In Which Improved Generational Intelligence Can Impact School Leaders, Scott Schwartz

Dissertations

The purpose of this study focused on identifying the perceived factors needed for

maintaining and improving job satisfaction of K-5 teachers in Illinois. Determining how

school leaders can improve their understanding of all generations, and therefore work to

increase motivation amongst a growing age span of teachers, is of increasing importance. Increased legal and mandated demands in the field of education have made teaching and school administration more challenging. Based on what the field of education knows about motivation and research on generational intelligences this study answered questions about what building principals need to understand about Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation …

Exploring The Understanding Of Whole Number Concepts And Operations: A Case Study Analysis Of Prospective Elementary School Teachers, Farshid Safi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project aimed to extend the research literature by providing greater insight into the way individual prospective teachers develop their conceptual understanding of whole number concepts and operations in a social context. In this qualitative study, a case study analysis provided the opportunity for careful exploration of the manner in which prospective teachers' understanding changed and the ways two selected participants reorganized their mathematical thinking within a classroom teaching experiment. While previous research efforts insisted on creating a dichotomy of choosing the individual or the collective understanding, through the utilization of the emergent perspective both the individual and the …