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Full-Text Articles in Teacher Education and Professional Development

Teacher Use And Perceptions Of Writing Practices In West Virginia: Policy And Leadership Implications, Margaret Luma Jan 2022

Teacher Use And Perceptions Of Writing Practices In West Virginia: Policy And Leadership Implications, Margaret Luma

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

National standardized test scores indicate West Virginia students perform below the national average in writing achievement, yet little research has been conducted to investigate how writing is being taught. Gaining understanding of the instructional strategies West Virginia teachers use to teach writing may provide insight for educational leaders about how to better support and prepare teachers for the complex task of teaching writing. Identifying challenges and barriers to implementing evidence-based practices may provide areas of focus for school and policy improvements as they relate to writing expectations. This study investigated the practices and perceptions of fourth-grade teachers in West Virginia …

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Corequisite Mathematics: A Program Analysis At The College Level, Shannon Miller-Mace Jan 2021

Corequisite Mathematics: A Program Analysis At The College Level, Shannon Miller-Mace

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Many incoming college freshmen who do not meet minimum standardized exam cut-score requirements are often determined to be not ready for college-level coursework and registered for pre-requisite, multi-semester, remedial course sequences. The goal of pre-requisite courses is to prepare students for college-level courses prior to enrollment in college-level classes. However, based on multiple studies, traditional, pre-requisite developmental education has become a barrier to student success. In contrast, the co-requisite instructional model enrolls students into their college-level, credit-bearing course in their first semester on a college campus, improving the likelihood of success in those courses and beyond. The purpose of this …

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Using Book Clubs To Encourage Middle School Reading Interest: A Qualitative Case Study, Marc Shoemaker Jan 2020

Using Book Clubs To Encourage Middle School Reading Interest: A Qualitative Case Study, Marc Shoemaker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Reading has been central to my life since my earliest years and has molded me into the adult I have become, for better or worse. My conversations in classrooms, backed by research, has made it plain that today’s students value reading far less than in the past. Books are still read in class, but less out-of-class reading takes place, and a lessening number of students carry a love of reading into adulthood. Student attitude toward reading changes during the middle-school years. As reading increases children’s empathy and critical thinking abilities, this becomes a significant concern. For my research, I chose …

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I Wish School Was Like This: One Teacher's Journey Towards Creating A Student-Led Learning Space, Angela Dawn Abbott Jan 2019

I Wish School Was Like This: One Teacher's Journey Towards Creating A Student-Led Learning Space, Angela Dawn Abbott

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to use the principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach to change how children in a high poverty school in West Virginia are educated. Specifically, this study was an exploration of the learning space as a third teacher, teachers as researchers, and giving students agency in their learning. A philosophy supporting emergent and participatory inquiry was developed and carried out for this project. Data were collected using several qualitative methods such as participant observation, discussion, interviews, photo elicitation, and student work. Conclusions from this project include: that there is potential of using space as a …

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Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Teaching Mathematics, Mathematics Anxiety, And Teaching Mathematics Efficacy, Brittany Elaine Porter Jan 2019

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Teaching Mathematics, Mathematics Anxiety, And Teaching Mathematics Efficacy, Brittany Elaine Porter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Predicated on the understanding that teachers who are more comfortable with mathematics will better teach it, this study aimed to explore the extent to which building participating teachers’ mathematics efficacy might also help teachers build metacognitive awareness with regards to effectively teaching mathematics, decreasing their mathematics anxiety and ameliorating negative perceptions about teaching elementary mathematics. To analyze teachers’ perceptions with regards to math, teaching mathematics, and their own content knowledge,qualitative research methods were utilized. The participants began the study with an open-ended survey gauging their attitudes, confidence, and anxiety about math. The participants were observed during their trainings and their …

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The Education Of The Elementary Mathematics Specialist: A Program Evaluation, Lee Ann Vecellio Jan 2019

The Education Of The Elementary Mathematics Specialist: A Program Evaluation, Lee Ann Vecellio

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Over the past 30 years, there has been a growing need to strengthen educators’ mathematical skills through additional training. Nationwide, companies such as Exxon Mobile (1988) have created mathematics and science initiatives to improve teachers’ skills in the classroom. It is important that school systems explore ways to ensure students receive quality mathematics instruction from well trained, confident teachers who understand the content, can use instructional/assessment strategies, and to understand how students learn mathematics. The purpose of this study was to examine the confidence levels in mathematical content and pedagogy of graduates of the Elementary Mathematics Specialist (EMS) program. This …

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Impact Of Educator Preparation Routes And Teacher Characteristics On Student Academic Achievement, Robert Hagerman Jan 2018

Impact Of Educator Preparation Routes And Teacher Characteristics On Student Academic Achievement, Robert Hagerman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated the effect of traditional and alternative teacher preparation, years of service, and type of licensure held and teacher quality on English language arts and mathematics summative assessment scaled scores and performance levels among West Virginia students in grades 5 and 11. Specifically, this research analyzed the existing assessment data in West Virginia’s 55 counties, regarding teacher preparation routes, teacher experience, teacher licensure, and the teacher’s Highly Qualified (HQ) designation to determine the effect on student achievement. The study was designed with the aforementioned variables and applied a standardized summative content assessment outcome to the two grade levels …

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Preschool To School: Transition Through The Eyes Of Teachers, Ruthann Arneson Jan 2016

Preschool To School: Transition Through The Eyes Of Teachers, Ruthann Arneson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This qualitative comparative case study conducted in two West Virginia school systems examined the factors that regulate the implementation of transition practices from pre-k into kindergarten from the perspective of pre-k and kindergarten teachers. The participants’ perceptions were explored in relation to teacher practices, school practices, and practices with families in both pre-k and kindergarten classrooms. The study investigated what teachers perceived to be barriers and/or inducements relating to the implementation of transition practices. Findings were based on interviews with pre-k and kindergarten teachers from the two counties. One county participated in a year-long professional development intervention on transitions; the …

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Re-Professionalizing Teachers: Earning A Seat And A Voice At The Table, Donna Diane Hage Jan 2016

Re-Professionalizing Teachers: Earning A Seat And A Voice At The Table, Donna Diane Hage

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored the perceptions of teachers, the current culture of teaching, and ways to regain influence within the teaching profession. Some scholarly researchers have begun to analyze and critique this current culture of deprofessionalization of teachers (Barantovich, 2006; Beijaard, Meijer and Verloop, 2004; Bolton and Muzio, 2008; Boote, 2006; Duncan, 2009; Goldstein, 2014; Ingersoll and Merrill, 2012; Ingersoll and Perda, 2012; Ingersoll and Perda, 2008, Kuhn, 2014; Labaree, 1992; Lee, 1995; Lortie, 1975; Milner, 2013; Ravitch, 2011; Rooney, 2015; Sachs, 2001; Wills and Haymore Sandholtz, 2009). Very little is known, however, about how teachers themselves are experiencing this phenomenon …

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Effects Of Teacher Prompting Techniques On The Writing Performance Of Fourth And Fifth Graders, Mindy S. Allenger Jan 2015

Effects Of Teacher Prompting Techniques On The Writing Performance Of Fourth And Fifth Graders, Mindy S. Allenger

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study was a quantitative research investigation to determine the effects of teacher prompting techniques on the writing performance of 137 fourth and fifth graders from two parochial schools in West Virginia. Over a two-week period from March, 2014, to April, 2014, researchers collected writing samples with three typologies of prompting; no prompting, general prompting, and content specific prompting. The major outcome variables included were the numbers of words, number of sentences, and average sentence length, and writing ease and complexity level using the Flesch Kincaid Readability and The Flesch Reading Ease. Data analysis was accomplished by applying several types …

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Teacher Attitudes Of The Effectiveness Of Reading Comprehension Strategies And Interventions, Charles Hartley Jan 2015

Teacher Attitudes Of The Effectiveness Of Reading Comprehension Strategies And Interventions, Charles Hartley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study surveyed the attitudes of secondary teachers in a semi-rural school district in West Virginia in an attempt to gain an understanding of how teachers in the district perceived the comprehension skills of their students and the effectiveness of reading comprehension strategies and interventions currently being employed by the district and by individual teachers. The researcher developed a survey that was distributed to all the secondary schools in the district. The survey consisted of Likert Scale questions and opened ended responses. The results of the survey indicated that the participants believe that overall the comprehension skills of students in …

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Assessing The Presence And Use Of Nonverbal Communication In Primary Reading Instruction, Amelia C. Ferrell Jan 2012

Assessing The Presence And Use Of Nonverbal Communication In Primary Reading Instruction, Amelia C. Ferrell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research examined the presence and types of nonverbal communication presented in primary reading instruction. Primary instructors were surveyed about their use and types of nonverbal communication employed during reading instruction. Nonverbal communication variables studied were determined from relevant literature regarding nonverbal immediacy, primary education, and reading instruction. Findings revealed that almost all nonverbal communication variables studied were employed frequently and most respondents had no prior training. Findings suggest how future studies can better evaluate the role of nonverbal communication in reading instruction and provide education for primary teachers in hopes of improving literacy education.

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Dynamicity Of Motivational Change In Learning Japanese As A Foreign Language, Ayaka Komori Jan 2012

Dynamicity Of Motivational Change In Learning Japanese As A Foreign Language, Ayaka Komori

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Enhancing students’ motivations could lead to the improvement of students’ academic achievement in second language acquisition. Many scholars have discussed changes and outcomes of motivation over the language learning process to examine the relationship between attitudes, motivation, and language learning outcome. The present study examines how some high school student learners of Japanese in an American high school have changed or maintained their motivational levels toward learning Japanese, as well as how their motivation in their second language learning can be influenced by classroom activities. The results of the questionnaire data, the classroom observation data, and the interview data indicate …

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A Descriptive Study Of Response To Intervention (Rti) Implementation At The Elementary Level In West Virginia, Sarah L. Lee Jan 2012

A Descriptive Study Of Response To Intervention (Rti) Implementation At The Elementary Level In West Virginia, Sarah L. Lee

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to describe levels of RTI implementation in West Virginia elementary schools. Little is known about the national efforts that states are collectively undertaking to scale up implementation of RTI (Hoover, Baca, Wexler-Love, & Saenz, 2008). West Virginia’s elementary schools were required by state policy to implement RTI in reading by July 1, 2009. A wide-scale implementation status check has not been conducted since that date. A cross-sectional research design using members of the school’s curriculum team to complete the RTI Implementation Inventory was used to provide a description of RTI implementation fidelity. All eight …

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Best Instructional Practices In Developmental Education: Faculty Perspectives, Calisa A. Pierce Jan 2012

Best Instructional Practices In Developmental Education: Faculty Perspectives, Calisa A. Pierce

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This descriptive study employed a survey to examine the perspectives of developmental education faculty members at public community colleges regarding instructional practices that have been identified in the literature as effective for developmental education. The study focused on two major areas related to the instructional practices surveyed: the degree to which faculty members perceive the practices to be effective and the degree to which they report they employ the practices. The entire population of West Virginia full-time faculty members teaching developmental education regularly in public community and technical colleges was surveyed with an 89.6% response rate. In addition, demographic information …

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The Perceived Self- Efficacy Of West Virginia Public Elementary School Teachers To Teach Character Education, Hannah R. Toney Jan 2012

The Perceived Self- Efficacy Of West Virginia Public Elementary School Teachers To Teach Character Education, Hannah R. Toney

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of West Virginia public elementary school teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching character education. Questions addressed teachers’ overall level of perceived self-efficacy for teaching character education; the levels of perceived self-efficacy in student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management; and the differences between levels of perceived self-efficacy and selected school and teacher demographic/attribute variables. Teacher self-efficacy to instruct character education was measured using the Teacher Self-Efficacy to Instruct Character Education (TSICE) survey, an adaptation of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) designed by Megan Tschannen-Moran and Anita Woolfolk Hoy (2001). The …

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A Study Of The Impact Of A School-Based, Job-Embedded Professional Development Program On Elementary And Middle School Teacher Efficacy For Technology Integration, Yvonne M. Skoretz Jan 2011

A Study Of The Impact Of A School-Based, Job-Embedded Professional Development Program On Elementary And Middle School Teacher Efficacy For Technology Integration, Yvonne M. Skoretz

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a school-based, jobembedded professional development program on elementary and middle school teacher efficacy for technology integration. Teacher efficacy has been identified as a strong predictor of whether the content of professional development will transfer to classroom practice (Bandura, 1997). Using a conversion mixed methods quasi-experimental research design, qualitative data were collected from the experimental groups’ journal postings. Grappling’s Technology and Learning Spectrum (Porter, 2002) was used to convert this qualitative data into quantitative data to determine the change in levels of technology integration in classroom practice. The Computer Technology …

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Team Collaboration Between Groups In The Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program, Jason B. Conaway Jan 2011

Team Collaboration Between Groups In The Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program, Jason B. Conaway

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigates the collaborative process of grade level teams as they progress through the 4 stages of a group collaboration model during a summer enrichment program at Marshall University. This study used a curriculum-based questionnaire that was filled out by each of the 47 graduate students who participated in collaboration training and continued to serve as members of a grade level team. The questionnaires were evaluated using a correlations between all questions and the temperature rating scale with a criterion correlation defined of n=.50. The results indicated that 5 questions on the questionnaire correlated with each other above the …

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Implementation Of Language And Literacy Practices By Prekindergarten Teachers In The West Virginia Universal Pre-K System, Leslie Papelier Jan 2010

Implementation Of Language And Literacy Practices By Prekindergarten Teachers In The West Virginia Universal Pre-K System, Leslie Papelier

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated the perceived frequency of implementation of language and literacy practices for 217 West Virginia Pre-K teachers. Teachers were employed in public school-based and community-based classrooms for 4-year-olds. Respondents completed the Language and Literacy Practice Survey (LLPS), which measured their perceived frequency of implementation of 18 language and literacy practices. Their overall perceived ability level for implementing effective language and literacy instruction was also assessed. Respondents also rated their use of resources and materials to facilitate effective language and literacy instruction. Additionally, respondents answered open-ended qualitative questions to determine perceived constraints that may hinder their effective implementation of …

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The Effectiveness Of Marshall University's Master Of Arts In Teaching And Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certificate Programs As Determined By Graduates' And Completers' Perceptions, Melissa F. Spivy Jan 2010

The Effectiveness Of Marshall University's Master Of Arts In Teaching And Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certificate Programs As Determined By Graduates' And Completers' Perceptions, Melissa F. Spivy

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined graduates’ and completers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of Marshall University’s alternative certification programs, the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) and Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certificate (PBTC), from 1999-2010. This nonexperimental descriptive cross-sectional study used the Spivy Survey of MAT and PBTC Program Effectiveness to collect data. Based on the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards, this survey used 20 closed-ended questions and two open-ended questions to investigate graduates’ and completers’ perceptions. Data indicated that graduates and completers perceived their preparation was moderately prepared based on the mean scores. All median and mode scores indicated graduates …

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Influences Of Writing Project Involvement On The Professional Development Of Teachers, Barbara Dondiego Holmes Jan 2009

Influences Of Writing Project Involvement On The Professional Development Of Teachers, Barbara Dondiego Holmes

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Writing is a powerful learning tool that allows students to connect critical thinking across the curriculum. Good writing skills are necessary for students to succeed in higher education and on the job. Teachers, however, are avoiding teaching writing, in part because it has not been included until recently in high stakes testing, and in part because they may not understand how to teach writing and how to grade it. Central West Virginia Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project, conducts an annual Invitational Summer Institute for teachers of grades K-Adult to teach teachers to teach writing across the …

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A Descriptive Analysis Of Knowledge And Implementation Of 21st Century Instructional Practices Among Elementary School Teachers Whose Administrators Participated In The 2006-2007 21st Century Leadership Institute, Elisabeth Michelle Samples Jan 2009

A Descriptive Analysis Of Knowledge And Implementation Of 21st Century Instructional Practices Among Elementary School Teachers Whose Administrators Participated In The 2006-2007 21st Century Leadership Institute, Elisabeth Michelle Samples

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to describe levels of knowledge and implementation of 21st century instructional practices among elementary school teachers whose administrators participated in the 2006 – 2007 21st Century Leadership Institute. A researcher-developed survey was used to collect data from 242 elementary teachers from 22 West Virginia schools. Teachers reported high or moderate knowledge and indicated they were implementing a majority of the 21st century instructional practices on a daily or weekly basis. Teacher knowledge of practices was significantly different based on school SES. Teacher implementation levels were not significantly different based on the variables investigated. The …

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Students’ Assessment Of Biology Education At Marshall University, Chris A. Barker Jan 2004

Students’ Assessment Of Biology Education At Marshall University, Chris A. Barker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis research was to evaluate the quality of scientific education offered in the College of Science’s Department of Biology at Marshall University. The objectives of this study were to emphasize the important aspects of higher education assessment, point out that a scientifically literate citizenry is imperative for society to function effectively, and to determine what factors contribute to differences among students with regard to their perception of the quality of scientific education they are receiving at Marshall. A survey questionnaire was administered to students in eleven biological science courses during the Fall semester of 2003 and …

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