Education Commons^™

The Relationship Between Elementary School Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of The Influence Of Male Teachers And Schools' Male Student Achievement Growth In English Language Arts, Kathleen Elizabeth Kaump Truitt

Theses and Dissertations

There is a national achievement gap between male and female students in the United States. A common recommendation to reduce this achievement gap has been to hire more male teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that elementary administrators and teachers have of male teachers’ influence on male student growth in English Language Arts. In order to measure perceptions, a five-point Likert scale survey was adapted from an existing qualitative questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted, an Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses were performed, and the survey was found valid and reliable to measure four constructs …

An Evaluation Of School Culture And Its Impact On Student Achievement, Jeremy Johns-Klein

Dissertations

The purpose of this evaluation was to examine if a school’s culture impacts student academic achievement due to initial low attainment on state assessments and low graduation rates. The data collected provides both quantitative and qualitative information using a teacher survey, a teacher focus group, administrator interviews, and school achievement data. The results of the study indicate a need for stronger trust between teachers and administrators, increased professional development to support teaching and learning, and improved partnerships with the parents/guardians of the students. An additional result is that the school’s culture for learning can impact the achievement levels of the …

No Habla Espanol: Are Monolingual Teachers Getting The Support They Need?, Selena Banuelos

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For this Capstone Project, the researchers investigated how monolingual teachers view the support and resources they received to teach English Language Learners (ELL) and what they thought could be done to improve their teaching effectiveness. An evidence based argument is offered that monolingual teachers were not being provided with effective support and resources. More specifically, three themes emerged from an analysis of the data obtained from interviews of monolingual teachers and administrators. Based on the emergent themes, an action was undertaken to help monolingual teachers better address the needs of ELLs. This is an important issue for monolingual teachers because …

A Descriptive Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of International Travel Outcomes, Michael Dale Green

Theses and Dissertations

People have been traveling internationally for hundreds of years seeking enlightenment. There is a plethora of research to discuss how travel has impacted them. However, travel research is lacking where the educational impacts on the educational experiences of teachers are concerned. The purpose of this study was to offer empirical evidence on whether the international travel outcomes appear to be a function of traveling abroad, according to teacher perception. Eleven teachers were interviewed using a semi-structured format. They were questioned concerning the effects of international travel on their personal and professional lives. The researcher analyzed the data by transcribing the …

Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Techniques And Former Riverside County And San Bernardino County Teachers Of The Year: A Phenomenological Study, Brian Redmond

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine what former County Teachers of the Year understand and describe as the methods they use for culturally responsive classroom management with respect to Brown’s Five Culturally Responsive Factors (developing personal relationships, creating caring learning communities, establishing a business-like learning environment, establishing congruent communication processes and, teaching with assertiveness and clearly stating expectations).

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological design to discover what former County Teachers of the Year do to identify and describe as the methods they use for culturally responsive classroom management with respect to Brown’s Five Culturally …

Teaching For Equity: A Case Study Of Teachers’, Vice Principals’, And Principals’ Perspectives In Three High-Poverty Elementary Schools In Ontario, Canada, Abhilasha Duggal

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Elementary students in high-poverty schools have diverse learning needs. Their academic and social learning, in particular, varies between students - especially so for those students from culturally non-dominant backgrounds. In 2009, the Ontario Ministry of Education mandated that all school boards in Ontario develop and implement equity education policies, as specified in Policy/Program Memorandum No. 119: Developing and Implementing Equity and Inclusive Education Policies in Ontario Schools (2009). This dissertation explored the implementation of Ontario’s Equity Strategy in three highpoverty elementary schools within one district school board in Ontario. This exploratory case study investigated the following research questions: 1. How …

Secondary Teachers’ Descriptions Of Blended Learning And Professional Development: A Case Study, Melinda Payton

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Teachers who were born before the proliferation of computers are a large part of the education workforce. Therefore, it is important to understand how that group of teachers describes the use of technology in their classroom, as well as professional development that they have taken which focused on the implantation of blended learning in their classrooms. The purpose of the qualitative descriptive single case study was to understand how teachers describe technology and blended learning in their classrooms, as well as their descriptions of professional development that focuses on technology regarding blended learning. The overlying research question for the study …

The Perceptions Of Private Special Education School Leaders Regarding Their Role In Promoting Self-Care And Renewal Practices For Themselves And Their Teachers, Theresa Melito-Conners

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of private special education school leaders regarding their role in promoting self-care and renewal. There is limited research on self-care and renewal in schools. Data were gathered through surveys and interviews that addressed three guiding research questions: (a) Do school leaders consider self-care and renewal practices to be important for themselves and their teachers? (b) What are the various ways school leaders report they promote self-care and renewal practices for themselves and their teachers? (c) What do school leaders believe to be the factors and conditions that inhibit and foster their efforts to implement …

An Analysis Of High School Students' Self-Efficacy In Second Language Acquisition Through Digital Language Lab Learning: Exploring New Pathways To Proficiency, Lorna A. Fairess

Theses and Dissertations

Students are often faced with barriers acquiring a second language due to various factors such as language anxiety, learning differences, and a lack of speaking time with the language. The purposes of this qualitative study were to: a) determine students' perceptions of the effectiveness of a digital language lab on their self-efficacy in second language acquisition at the secondary level, and b) discern teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the lab as well as recommendations for best practices in teacher training and implementation. Twenty-seven Italian and Spanish students and 12 world language teachers from two fairly rural high schools in …

Teachers’ Job Satisfaction: Content Area In Relation To Middle School Teachers’ Job Satisfaction, Ashley Potter

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Retaining high quality teachers to counteract the teacher shortage happening across the nation has been a focus of the education system. Middle school educators require a certain skill set and knowledge to be effective at this vital time in their student’s lives. These specific set of educators have not been exempt from the shortage statistic. A teachers’ overall job satisfaction plays a major role in their decision making on a daily basis and their longevity in the profession. Although there are studies on teachers’ job satisfaction, there is minimal research available on how the content area a middle school teacher …

Teacher Perceptions Of How Attire Affects Student Behavior And Academic Performance: A Case Study, Gwendolyn Ivery

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative single case study sought to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions about how their attire impacts student behavior and academic performance. The study took place in a school district located in Texas, with the target population being middle school teachers at a Title I school. Twelve certified teachers with varying degrees of experience and expertise within a particular content area contributed to this study. After using a semistructured interview process as well as teacher observations, data were coded and analyzed with the aim of allowing general themes to emerge. The results of this study align with the conceptual framework …

Transforming Professional Development For Today's Educational Environment, Amy L. Geurkink-Coats, Richard A. Regina

Dissertations

Professional development is vital to education. It provides an opportunity for continued growth and learning for educators throughout their career. While teachers earn credentials and certification through a university, professional development is intended to hone skills and help teachers evolve in an ever-changing landscape. The changing landscape may involve technology, generational needs, or broader societal interests. This research is an analysis of the implementation of transformational professional development in one large suburban Midwestern school district and one large Midwestern high school in another district. It analyzes data regarding professional development and examines literature that studies teacher participation, attitudes, and transfer …

Framing Teaching In Retrospect: A Qualitative Study Of Educational Philosophies And Teacher Socialization Through The Teach For America Experience, Angela Marie Kraemer-Holland

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the capacity of neoliberalism and organizational socialization to shape alternatively certified teachers’ preparation and understanding of their teaching roles within the context of Teach for America. Using theoretical lenses of both neoliberalism and organizational socialization, I conducted a qualitative study on Teach for America teachers’ previous educational experiences, participation in the program, and the impact of this preparation on their careers post-teaching. None of the five participants are currently classroom teachers. Data collection included semi-structured interviews and critical discourse analysis of program documents. Findings reveal how participants’ educational and program experiences challenged their initial conceptions of teaching …

How High School English Teachers Make Sense Of And Instruct With Narrative Film In The English Classroom, Joseph Goldberg

Dissertations - ALL

Although English teachers have integrated narrative film into their classroom instruction for over a century, the medium remains highly vulnerable to suspicion of its pedagogic value. While film has become ubiquitous in the English classroom, training for teachers in instructing with the medium remains nearly non-existent. This has led to the regular misuse of film as a time-filler, babysitter, reward, or mere break for student and teacher, alike. Such malpractice has only reinforced skepticism of film’s instructional value in the classroom despite the ample scholarly literature supporting its inherently cognitive nature and literary and linguistic likeness. Though film has been …

Public School Teacher's Experience Of Technostress In A Mandatory Technology Adoption Policy Environment, Brandon Liu

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

With new technology restructuring instructional practices, many school systems are working towards adoption and integration to meet learning standards and demands (Çoklar, Efilti, Şahin, & Akçay, 2016; Al-Fudail & Mellar, 2008; Hixon & Buckenmeyer, 2009; McCannon & Crews, 2000; Nepo 2017; Straub, 2009; Sang, Valcke, van Braak & Tondeur, 2010; Wood, Mirza, & Shaw, 2018). However, few studies have been conducted within educational environments on technology-related stress and well-being when technology adoption is mandatory. Building off of Jena’s (2015) prior technostress study, this study aims to contribute to and better understand technostress within a Mandatory Adoption Policy Environment (MAPE). This …

Building Teachers’ Emotional Competence: A Transactional Training Model, Caroline Fulton

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Classrooms are complex entities, where the emotions of students and teachers interact to influence learning, relationships, and students’ social emotional development. Teachers’ understanding of emotional processes within the classroom is critical to effective teaching, promotion of healthy child development, and attaining desired learning outcomes. Further, emotions have powerful consequences for teachers themselves. They affect teachers’ well-being, self-efficacy, and ultimately whether teachers remain in the profession or not. Therefore, teachers need skills to recognize and respond to emotional experiences in the classroom. In the present research project a set of emotional competences relevant to educational practices were developed. These competencies include …

The Effects Of Rurality And Education Deserts On The Four-Year Degree Selection Of Aspiring Teacher Education Candidates In A Rural Community College Setting, Alice Faye Sanders

Dissertations

Teacher shortages exist across the nation, with greater shortages in middle school and secondary education (Center for Public Education, 2016). The purpose of this study was to determine the factors and barriers presented to teacher education candidates affecting the selection of their teacher education degrees in a rural community college setting. The research questions were designed to use quantitative survey questions administered to the teacher education candidate population of ABC College. Qualitative interview questions were used to gather data from the Director and Assistant Director of Enrollment Services/Student Development at ABC College. As a result of data analysis, misconceptions were …

Hispanics In Education: A Look Into Underrepresentation, Sarah Joanne Dillinger

Honors College

By 2045 the Hispanic population in the United States is projected to be at 25%. In Texas, that number is currently higher and continuing to rise. Despite large numbers of Hispanic students, they are underrepresented in schools among teachers and administrators. Could the lack of a cultural mirror play a role in this number since Hispanic students do not see as many Hispanic teachers and administrators in education? Through this paper, I will examine the cultural mirror theory briefly, but spend a majority of the paper analyzing the history behind desegregation in public schools. I will also review the literature …

Primary Factors Impacting Burnout In Special Education Teachers, Jenna Kulberg

Culminating Projects in Special Education

Many factors may lead to burnout of special education teachers. Teachers are faced with overwhelming caseloads, student behaviors, job duties, and a history that has been inconsistent with appropriate supports for students with special needs. The studies that were reviewed offered information that directly correlated with burnout. There was much focus on the three areas addressed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Survey (MBI-ES). The three areas of burnout according to this survey were emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishments. Studies completed showed tendencies towards the emotional exhaustion being directly related to the highest rate of reasons for burnout among special …

Building Bridges: Using Community-Based Participatory Action Research To Examine Communication Between Somali Families And Teachers At A Suburban School In Minnesota, Ashley Quien

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this community-based action research project was for teachers and Somali families to collaboratively improve communication between parents and teachers at a suburban school in Minnesota. The project used multiple data sources to understand how to improve communication between Somali families and teachers. A teacher survey revealed the current communication practices teachers use at this school. Data was collected for attendance and behavior referrals to see how Somali students related to other students. A Somali family focus group met to discuss communication practices at the school. This group discussed what was going well, what needed to be improved, …

Special Education Teachers' Self-Efficacy Regarding Improving The Reading Comprehension Of Students With Working Memory Deficits, Amy Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Significant discrepancies in reading comprehension rates exist for students with disabilities compared to their grade appropriate peers. Educational neuroscientists suggest that identifying breakdowns in the cognitive processes required for reading comprehension and applying specialized strategies have significant implications for improving the reading proficiency of students with working memory deficits. Despite the availability and implications of educational neuroscience, a significant gap between theory and classroom practice exists. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods research study was to examine special education teachers’ self-efficacy regarding their ability to increase the reading comprehension of students with working memory deficits. The quantitative phase, …

An Investigation Of Patterns Between Demographic Characteristics Of Teachers And Grading Practices, Jenelle Lee

Dissertations

This mixed-methods phenomenological study examined a sample of grade 7 through 12 core content area teachers at four Missouri school districts. This study investigated the patterns linking demographic characteristics of teachers and grading practices. These practices were cross-referenced to the level of implementation of bestgrading practices as it pertained to the amount of time and support systems a district provided for its teachers. The teachers in this study responded to a survey and provided insight regarding their grading practices. The purpose of the survey was to collect demographic information on the teachers, information on the academic and non-academic factors included …

Understanding Teacher Shortages In Christian Schools, Ralph Medema

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research project investigated the reasons for the current teacher shortage in the Federation of Protestant Reformed Christian Schools. The research was a descriptive survey study with parents, teachers, and students serving as respondents. Three surveys were designed to measure perspectives about teaching and motivations for both becoming and remaining teachers among members of Christian schools from a Reformed Christian background. The survey results indicated some correlation with previous research, especially concerning the financial aspects of teaching. The survey results also demonstrated some aspects that make the perspectives and motivations of Reformed Christians unique. Suggestions for strengthening the ability …

Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Project Based Learning As It Impacts First Year Implementation, Stacey Cunningham Whitaker

Theses and Dissertations

Current education expectations require teachers to meet federal and state standards as well as develop 21st century skills like collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving. Preparing students for state testing while also preparing them to be successful in a global society can present an instructional dilemma. Project-based learning has been identified as a possible solution to this problem. Although researchers agree that integrating 21st century skills in daily instruction is necessary, many teachers and administrators have shied away from implementing a project-based learning curriculum (Hmelo-Silver, Duncan, & Chinn, 2007). The identified problem of practice for this present action research study …

Coaching By Scaffolding: Increasing Teacher Questioning Through Structured Modeling And Feedback, Sarah J. Little

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the effects of the Gradual Increase of Responsibility Model (Collet, 2008) when used by coaches to mentor teachers in best questioning practices in kindergarten through second grade classrooms. The researcher focused on questioning practices after observing missed opportunities to extend student thinking in primary school classrooms during teacher-student conferences in both reading and writing. Vicki Collet’s Gradual Increase of Responsibility Model (2008) was chosen as a coaching model based on the wide range of teacher experiences in the researcher’s educational setting. This coaching model allowed the researcher to scaffold teachers based on …

A Case Study Of School Leaders’ Understanding And Practice In Providing Feedback During The Teacher Observation Process, Karen Allen Benton

Theses and Dissertations

New teacher evaluation reforms in the state of New Jersey and across the country have put an increased emphasis on the role of classroom observations as a method to improve teacher practice. School leaders are expected to facilitate the observation process and provide meaningful feedback that leads to teacher engagement in professional learning that results in instructional improvement and increased student achievement. To meet state mandates for increased number of classroom observations for all teachers and adoption of state-approved evaluation tools, such as the Danielson Framework, districts have increased the work demands of administrators. Yet there has been little guidance …

Parent And Teacher Perceptions About What Leads To Mastery In Reading At Classical Charter Schools In Texas, Brittany Kretz

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Throughout the United States and in the State of Texas there are high percentages of students who are not reading at grade level. This study looked at the activities done at home by families of students who scored above grade level on the Third Grade Reading STAAR from classical charter schools. In this quantitative study, a survey was given to the parents of fourth-grade students and the teachers of elementary students. The families used in the study were from classical charter schools located in Texas. The literature review discusses the curriculum used in classical schools and how reading is taught. …

Teachers And Creativity In The Classroom, Krystal Dawn Flanders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fostering creativity within the classroom can have numerous positive and lasting effects that support students in becoming adults who are inquisitive, curious, critical thinkers, as well as risk takers (Amabile & Kramer, 2012; Beghetto, 2015; Craft, 2003; Csikszentmihalyi, 2013; Hennessy, 2017; Piirto, 2004; Starko, 2018). Sternberg (2007) argues that, since the world is changing at a faster pace than ever before, students will need to continuously deal with new and unusual tasks and situations. Although the research identifies the importance of creativity in the classroom, the research also finds a trend in teachers' limited understanding of what creativity is and …

African-American Male Teachers: Examining The Insight, Encounters, And Best Teaching Practices, Brandon Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

The experiences students have in schools has a large effect not only on their career choices but also on the way they interact with other members of society in the future. Specifically, the K-12 education system has an objective of ensuring that all students are adequately prepared to become responsible and productive members of society. Unfortunately, research shows that African-American male students and teachers face comparatively high levels of societal challenges compared to their Caucasian counterparts. General demographic trends reveal a serious concern.

While the number of black students entering the education system is increasing, there is a reduction 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 …