Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of Veteran Middle And High School Stem Teachers On Integrating Tablets Into The Classroom, Joanie Marie Rice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Despite the availability of technology for instruction, veteran science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers are still reluctant to incorporate recent technologies, such as tablets, into the classroom. This qualitative case study was conducted to explore the perceptions of eight middle and high school veteran STEM teachers integrating tablets into the classroom. This study focused on how veteran STEM teachers viewed the integration of tablets into the school, the challenges experienced when integrating tablets into the classroom, and the opportunities that experienced STEM teachers observed when integrating tablets into the classroom based on the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) …

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Behaviors That Lead To Disproportionate Referrals By Race, Susan Johannes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDisproportionate office referrals through teachers in Grades 3-5 based on their students’ race are documented. At a Title I elementary school in the northeastern part of Virginia, non-White students are referred to the office for behavior issues 5% more times than their White peers. Guided by Bell’s critical race theory, the purpose of this study was to examine Grade 3-5 elementary teachers’ perceptions regarding types of behaviors that are leading to disproportionate numbers of office referrals for non-White students. A basic qualitative research design was employed. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 purposefully sampled teachers to explore teachers’ perceptions about …

Teachers’ And Education Leaders’ Perspectives On Using Technology To Develop Vocabulary Among Kindergarten English Learners, Nelsy J. Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearch has shown that technology-mediated interventions in education can increase students’ understanding of academic vocabulary. However, it is not known how teachers provide opportunities for kindergarten English learners (ELs) to learn vocabulary using technology, and school leaders support teachers in this endeavor. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand teachers' and school leaders’ perspectives on opportunities for kindergarten ELs to use technology to develop vocabulary in an urban school in the southwest United States. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Cummins’s theory of basic interpersonal communication skills and cognitive academic language proficiency. Using purposeful …

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Behaviors That Lead To Disproportionate Referrals By Race, Susan Johannes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDisproportionate office referrals through teachers in Grades 3-5 based on their students’ race are documented. At a Title I elementary school in the northeastern part of Virginia, non-White students are referred to the office for behavior issues 5% more times than their White peers. Guided by Bell’s critical race theory, the purpose of this study was to examine Grade 3-5 elementary teachers’ perceptions regarding types of behaviors that are leading to disproportionate numbers of office referrals for non-White students. A basic qualitative research design was employed. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 purposefully sampled teachers to explore teachers’ perceptions about …

Perceptions Of Veteran Middle And High School Stem Teachers On Integrating Tablets Into The Classroom, Joanie Marie Rice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Despite the availability of technology for instruction, veteran science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers are still reluctant to incorporate recent technologies, such as tablets, into the classroom. This qualitative case study was conducted to explore the perceptions of eight middle and high school veteran STEM teachers integrating tablets into the classroom. This study focused on how veteran STEM teachers viewed the integration of tablets into the school, the challenges experienced when integrating tablets into the classroom, and the opportunities that experienced STEM teachers observed when integrating tablets into the classroom based on the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) …

Head Start Teachers’ Perspectives On The Implementation Of Head Start Program Performance Standard 1302.17, Leslie Shumate Floyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Federal Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) were revised in 2016 to strengthen and improve the quality of all Head Start (HS) programs. The problem addressed in this basic qualitative study is that teachers in a local urban HS program in the southwestern region of Virginia have decreased levels of job satisfaction and cannot support the social-emotional development of their students due to difficulty implementing the standard HSPPS 1302.17. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate the perspectives of HS teachers regarding their job satisfaction while supporting the implementation of HSPPS 1302.17. Lacey’s theory of social strategies …

Teacher Perspectives Regarding Low Teacher Retention In Rural Primary Schools In Tanzania, Tumaini Urio Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tanzania, similar to other nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, has been experiencing a severe teacher shortage. The problem that was addressed is that factors influencing rural primary school teachers’ decision to continue teaching in Northeast Tanzania are unknown. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions on teaching in rural primary schools in Northeast Tanzania and the reasons why they remain. This study was guided by self-efficacy theory, a subset of Bandura's social cognitive theory. This descriptive qualitative study explored how rural primary school teachers in northeast Tanzania describe the challenges that cause them to consider abandoning …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Instructional Coaching, Judith Salazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional coaching focuses on increasing the effectiveness of instructional practices. However, little is known concerning the perceptions of teachers and administrators regarding the role of instructional coaching related to student performance. This basic qualitative study was conducted to analyze the perceptions of administrators and teachers within one region in Texas. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 participants—eight administrators and eight teachers—using a researcher-designed questionnaire regarding the effectiveness of instructional coaching in addressing achievement gaps among African American, Hispanic, and European American students. Fullan’s coherence framework provided the basis for data analysis. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed and four …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Instructional Coaching, Judith Salazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional coaching focuses on increasing the effectiveness of instructional practices. However, little is known concerning the perceptions of teachers and administrators regarding the role of instructional coaching related to student performance. This basic qualitative study was conducted to analyze the perceptions of administrators and teachers within one region in Texas. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 participants—eight administrators and eight teachers—using a researcher-designed questionnaire regarding the effectiveness of instructional coaching in addressing achievement gaps among African American, Hispanic, and European American students. Fullan’s coherence framework provided the basis for data analysis. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed and four …

Teachers’ And Education Leaders’ Perspectives On Using Technology To Develop Vocabulary Among Kindergarten English Learners, Nelsy J. Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearch has shown that technology-mediated interventions in education can increase students’ understanding of academic vocabulary. However, it is not known how teachers provide opportunities for kindergarten English learners (ELs) to learn vocabulary using technology, and school leaders support teachers in this endeavor. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand teachers' and school leaders’ perspectives on opportunities for kindergarten ELs to use technology to develop vocabulary in an urban school in the southwest United States. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Cummins’s theory of basic interpersonal communication skills and cognitive academic language proficiency. Using purposeful …

Early Childhood Teachers' Perspectives Of Their Relationships With Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Tyesha Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

General education early childhood (EC) teachers may find it challenging to build positive teacher-student relationships (TSRs) with students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD). There is a gap in practice regarding general education EC teachers’ TSRs with students with EBD and the support they need when teaching these students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of general education EC teachers regarding their TSRs and the support they need when teaching students with EBD. The conceptual framework was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory of human development. Participants were nine general education EC teachers who were currently …

Current School District Administrators’ And Math Teachers’ Perspectives Of Teacher Buy-In For Problem-Based Learning In Middle School Math, Kelly Riley Hastings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project-Based Learning (PBL) in middle school math classrooms is a topic that has not been well-researched, even though math scores in the United States have been declining. In a school district in the Southcentral United States, the local problem was that teacher buy-in for PBL in middle school math classes was unknown, as current literature regarding administrator and teacher perspectives on teacher buy-in is limited. The purpose of the study was to explore current school district administrators’ and math teachers’ perspectives of teacher buy-in for PBL in middle school math in a Southcentral U.S. state. Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory contributes …

The Meaning Of Violence, Justice, Training, And Administrative Support For Teachers, Pearstina Linnette Badger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTeachers are experiencing violence at work at an alarming rate. Violence against teachers has become a national and international issue. However, there has been little discussion on the issue. The research questions pertained to how teachers experienced justice and violence at work and if they received training or adequate support before and after the violent incident. The research used a social constructivist conceptual model, and organizational justice was used as a theoretical framework. An inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the semantic data. The data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, which created semantic data that were coded at …

Influence Of Online Professional Learning Networks On Teacher Self-Efficacy For Using Information Communication Technology, Jeremy A. O'Toole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information communication technology (ICT) is increasingly used to enhance teaching and learning, but many teachers lack mastery-level experiences using these computing technologies in the classroom. To further their knowledge, some teachers have turned to online professional learning networks (PLNs) for development, but further research is needed to explore how and why these networks change teachers’ practice. Framed by Albert Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, the purpose of this study was to explore the influence of online PLNs on teachers’ perceptions of their technological self-efficacy for implementing ICT in the classroom. The research question of this basic qualitative study with interviews addressed …

Teachers’ Perspectives Of Instructing Elementary Students In Reading, Catrina Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Midwestern, urban, elementary school, a problem is teachers are struggling to support the instructional needs of the students with limited resources and training opportunities. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the perspectives of reading teachers in Grades 3 to 5 about the challenges with meeting the instructional needs of the elementary students at the target site. Gagne’s theory of the conditions for learning and Tomlinson’s theory of differentiated instruction comprised the conceptual framework. Data for this study were collected from semistructured interviews with 10 teachers in Grades 3 to 5 who currently teach or …

Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives On Engaging Fathers In Their Child’S Education, Jawan Marquis Burwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preschool environments set the educational foundation for children in the early years. Despite the positive effects that preschool environments have on children and families, previous studies have shown that preschool teachers are challenged to engage fathers in their child’s education. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate preschool teachers’ perspectives on engaging fathers in their child’s education. The conceptual framework was based upon Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. The research question focused on the challenges that teachers encounter in engaging fathers in their child’s education. This qualitative study included individual one-on-one interviews with 12 teachers using an open-ended …

Influence Of Online Professional Learning Networks On Teacher Self-Efficacy For Using Information Communication Technology, Jeremy A. O'Toole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information communication technology (ICT) is increasingly used to enhance teaching and learning, but many teachers lack mastery-level experiences using these computing technologies in the classroom. To further their knowledge, some teachers have turned to online professional learning networks (PLNs) for development, but further research is needed to explore how and why these networks change teachers’ practice. Framed by Albert Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, the purpose of this study was to explore the influence of online PLNs on teachers’ perceptions of their technological self-efficacy for implementing ICT in the classroom. The research question of this basic qualitative study with interviews addressed …

Striving For Homeostasis: Balancing The Inclusion Of Students With An Emotional/Behavioral Disorder, Rob Mcgarva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social justice advocates have championed inclusive education, leading to its adoption in many jurisdictions. Despite policy changes designed to support learners with disabilities and research on inclusive education, students with an emotional/behavioral disorder (EBD) experience significantly poorer outcomes than their peers. Teachers often describe including this group of students as impossible and attempts to achieve inclusion often result in extreme stress. Research has identified proven inclusion strategies, but there are often problems with implementation in real-world settings. There is a research gap concerning how teachers understand and select interventions. Classic grounded theory methodology was used to identify the primary concern …

Middle School Teachers’ Use Of Differentiated Instruction Strategies, Felecia G. Prince

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMiddle School Teachers’ Use of Differentiated Instruction Strategies by Felecia George Prince MEd, Troy University, 2010 BS, Georgia Southern University, 1988 AA, East Georgia College, 1984 Project Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University June 2020Abstract The administrators at the study site were concerned that teachers struggle with differentiated instruction (DI) in their classrooms, which involves strategies to support students’ levels. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to learn what DI strategies teachers used at the study site. The conceptual framework of Tomlinson on the differentiated strategies …

Teacher Preparedness, Stress, And Subjective Well-Being In Alternative And Traditional Certification Route Teachers, Shuchemia Nicole Bradley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many educators who enter the teaching profession via the traditional route leave the profession early. As a result, many school districts rely on alternative certification programs to fill the teacher shortage. Though the traditional route of teacher certification contains instruction parallel to pedagogical theories and produces candidates with the opportunity to gain experience through practicums, the alternative route allows candidates to move directly into the classroom to fill teacher vacancies. The purpose of this study was to examine possible differences in teacher job-related stress and teacher subjective well-being as a function of teacher certification route. In addition, possible differences in …

Instructional Strategies For English Language Learners In Elementary Classrooms, Jiji P. Olds

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an Eastern U.S. school district, little is understood about how elementary general education teachers apply instructional strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs) in the classroom and which strategies they perceive support academic achievement. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore elementary general education teachers' reported application of ELL instructional strategies and their perceptions of how those strategies support ELL academic achievement. The study's conceptual framework consisted of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, which infers that learning is a social process guided by interactions with one's environment, people, and culture. Also framing this study was Krashan's second language acquisition …

Peer-To-Peer E-Learning And Professional Practices Of First-Year Teachers, Brian Keith Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students are at an academic disadvantage by having first-year teachers who lack the necessary professional practices and teaching skills. Education leaders need ways to improve professional practice deficits of first-year teachers to address the inequities professional practice deficiencies cause. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to examine the professional practice differences of first-year teachers who participated in peer-to-peer e-learning to those who did not receive similar training. Participants of this study included first-year teachers (n = 28) who participated in peer-to-peer e-learning throughout their first year of teaching compared to a historical cohort of first-year teachers (n = …

How Teachers And Counselors Collaborate Formally And Informally To Improve The Precollege Curriculum, Amanda Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers and counselors in a large suburban district in the Southeastern United States strive to collaborate to equip students with key skills needed to succeed in their first year of college. The problem is that little was known about the collaborative challenges teachers and counselors faced as they implemented the precollege curriculum in secondary schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how teachers and counselors collaborate formally and informally to improve the precollege curriculum as recommended by the guidelines of the American School Counselor Association and adopted by the local district. Knowles’s theory of andragogy provided …

Perception Of Parents And Teachers About Social Media Communication Effecting Children’S Attitudes Toward Schooling In Deployed Military Families, Luther Mike Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military families represent an under-researched and unique population in U.S. society. Little is known about the effects that extended separations have on military families and/or about the daily challenges such families face. This basic qualitative inquiry examined military spouses’ perception of how social media and digital face-to-face communication with deployed parents influenced their children’s behaviors and attitudes toward school. It also examined the perceptions of teachers who teach or taught military children whose parents were deployed. The study’s conceptual framework consisted of Bandura’s social cognitive theory of self-efficacy and Ainsworth and Bowlby’s attachment theory. The research questions for this study …

Instructional Leadership Practices Of K-12 School Principals Regarding Teachers Of English Language Learners, Omolola Tumininu Wright Odusoga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this project study was that K-12 school principals in international schools located in the Middle East were inconsistently implementing instructional leadership practices to support teachers who teach English language learners (ELLs). The purpose of this study was to understand how K-12 school principals were implementing instructional leadership practices to support teachers who teach ELLs. The research question involved instructional leadership practices K-12 school principals implement in international schools in the Middle East to support teachers who teach ELL. The conceptual framework was the instructional leadership theory of Murphey, Hallinger, Weil, and Mitman. For this basic qualitative …

Survey Of Teachers’ Use Of And Preferences For Professional Development Regarding Available Technology, Shannon Main-Petelka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem in a medium-sized school district is the lack of data regarding what currently accessible technology and technology learning activities (TLAs) teachers use, have access to, and for which technology and TLAs they desire professional development (PD). There is a gap in practice in that technology directors lack data-based plans for PD. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to analyze teachers’ ratings of technology access, use, and desire for PD including the correlation between teachers’ use of technology and their previous PD hours as well as between teachers’ desire to use technology and their location in their …

Perceptions Of English Teachers About Professional Development For Evidence-Based Writing Practices, Julie Nicole Bollich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Writing teachers in a southern school district have not consistently implemented evidence-based practices (EBPs) in writing instruction as indicated by students not meeting proficiency levels on state and campus writing assessments. Despite professional development (PD) provided to writing teachers, writing assessment scores remained lower than state level scores between 2012 and 2019 at the target campus. Teachers’ perceptions of their competence related to the implementation of writing strategies in the classroom, their perceptions of how district and campus PD supported their skill development, and their efficacy in designing and implementing lesson plans focused on teaching writing strategies were explored in …

Quantitative Comparison Of Novice And Veteran Teachers' Cultural Beliefs, Janet Adrienne Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor scores on standardized tests on the part of African American students are a problem at an urban high school in the U.S. Midwest. A factor potentially contributing to this problem is that teachers' cultural beliefs may not be well matched to those of students. This gap is important because cultural beliefs have an influence on the academic achievement of students. The cultural mismatch may be reduced as teachers gain experience with students' cultures and diversity, but it is not known the extent to which experience is beneficial in the Midwest urban high school setting. The purpose of this quantitative …

Teachers' Perceptions Of African American Middle School Males' Reading Performance, Louis David Figueroa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School administrators at a middle school in the northeastern United States lacked understanding regarding reading services and teaching strategies to improve African American middle school (AA MS) males' performance on standardized state reading assessments. English language arts (ELA) teachers' perspectives on and experiences of teaching reading to AA MS males at the target site were explored using Kolb's model of experiential learning. A qualitative intrinsic case study with an anonymous survey was used to collect data at the target site. Fifteen individuals who met inclusion criteria of being 6th- or 7th-grade ELA teachers at the target site were recruited using …

Mentor Teachers' Perceptions Of Effective Mentoring Strategies, Paula Tomlinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators at a public high school in Southeastern United States depend on mentor teachers to minimize the attrition rate among beginning teachers, yet the strategies implemented by mentors lack definition and clarity. The purpose of this study was to explore mentor teachers' perceptions of effective mentoring strategies and their needs when mentoring new teachers. Maslow's humanistic learning theory guided this bounded basic qualitative study. The research questions focused on the mentoring strategies mentor teachers perceived as effective and the needs of the mentors. Ten high school mentor teachers, who currently mentor new teachers, were purposefully selected to participate in individual …