Education Commons^™

Bringing Up Buddhas: How Mindfulness Can Impact The Next Generation, Alex Tzelnic

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The following presents both a rationale paper and a creative thesis on the topic of how mindfulness can meaningfully impact the next generation. Given the daunting issues faced by Generation Alpha (those born after 2010), including climate change, social justice, and mental health, understanding how the tool of mindfulness can best support children, as well as inform the caretakers most influential to them such as parents and educators, is crucial.

The following rationale paper outlines how mindfulness can make an impact in the fields of parenting and education, as well as in addressing the pertinent issues mentioned above. In surveying …

The Perception Of Elementary School Principals Regarding Constructivist Approaches, Deborah Daley

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

While it is widely accepted among education scholars that constructivist instructional approaches improve student learning, there is little evidence to suggest that school leaders and teachers are actively supporting or regularly incorporating such approaches in their practice. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of elementary school principals regarding their role in promoting constructivist approaches to teaching and learning. A phenomenological approach was selected in order to develop a complete and accurate understanding of the participants’ feelings and experiences around supporting and implementing constructivist approaches in their schools. Specifically, the study explored the extent to …

A Tradesperson’S Transition To Vocational Technical (Vt) Teaching, Susan J. Sylvia

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study examined survey and interview data collected from tradespeople who transitioned to vocational technical (VT) teaching in regional vocational technical schools in Massachusetts. This study included two research questions that inquired about how tradespeople’s prior experiences, beliefs, and thoughts influenced or inspired them to pursue a transition to vocational technical (VT) teaching and about how their anticipated transitional experiences aligned with their actual transitional experiences. The survey phase included 170 respondents. Survey responses provided an overview of participants, which was integral in identifying four interview participants who were digitally recorded during one-to-one interview sessions. A multiple Case Study …

Full Circle: A Portraiture Study Of Three Successful Indigenous Educators And Community Leaders Who Experience Personal Renewal In Their Practice Of Cultural Restoration, Kathrin W. Mccarthy

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative inquiry uses the narrative methodology of portraiture to explore how the experiences of three successful Native educators and community leaders can contribute to the adult learning and development literature. In portraiture study the researcher uses diverse methods of gathering data, including interviews, observations of participants, and participant artifacts to co-construct a story of each participant’s life. Participants’ portraits were analyzed using well-established adult learning theories including Erickson’s developmental lifespan concept of generativity, Lave and Wenger’s concept of situated learning and communities of practice; Wlodkowski’s concepts of motivation and culture; Belenky and her colleagues’ conceptions of voice as development; …

Whatever Works: Teaching Adults With Learning Difficulties In Adult Basic Education Programs: A Dissertation, Susan Noyes Spear

Educational Studies Dissertations

Research indicates that significant numbers of adult learners who attend adult basic education (ABE) programs have learning difficulties and/or learning disabilities. However, most ABE teachers have not been trained to teach students with these complex learning needs. This qualitative study, conducted through an interpretivist/constructivist lens, used in-depth individual interviews to garner the voices and experiences of ten ABE teachers as they described how they identify and manage the learning needs of their students. Results showed that ABE teachers described their practice in terms of how they identified their students' learning difficulties; their perceptions of their identity and role as an …

Shaking It Up: Challenging Veteran Teachers To Change, Evelyn Baker Lang

Educational Studies Dissertations

My research, conducted at a 600 student middle school, explored the conditions and factors needed by veteran teachers to learn about and implement educational change, either mandated or teacher-initiated. Qualitative research methods used included in-depth interviews of veteran teachers and observations in classrooms, cluster meetings and professional development workshops. Five factors appeared to facilitate the change effort for this group of teachers. They are: An understanding that the change process is a challenge in itself. A school culture that is conducive to change. A school principal who supports, inspires and encourages teachers. Appropriate professional development is offered to teachers. Teachers …

Teacher Reflection In A School Committed To Student Reflection, Debra Richardson Smith

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of three veteran teachers in an elementary school in which there was an explicit commitment to fostering children's reflection about their own learning.

Teacher Supervision And Reflectivity: A Relational And Interactional Process, Claire M. Stanley

Educational Studies Dissertations

This dissertation examines teacher supervision and reflectivity