Elementary Education and Teaching Commons^™

Tenure Wars: The Litigation Continues, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Teacher tenure is a controversial topic that continues to generate litigation. Parents and advocates of educational reform have filed claims alleging, in part, that school officials violate the rights of students who are not achieving academically largely because of the ineffective instruction the students receive from teachers.

Typically, these suits also claim that conditions in districts where students perform poorly on academic measures are exacerbated by the protection that state tenure laws—in conjunction with union efforts—afford ineffective teachers, thereby making it difficult to dismiss the teachers for incompetence.

In North Carolina Association of Educators v. State (2016), a North Carolina …

It’S All In The Heart: The Influence Of The Personal Values And Philosophies Of Administrators And Teachers On The Methodologies And Effectiveness 
Of Character Education, Rebecca Joy Foxworth

Selected Honors Theses

This thesis sought to determine the influence of educators’ personal values and philosophies on character education, particularly on methodologies and effectiveness. Research consisted of a two-part study of an elementary charter school. Part one of the study consisted of an interview with two administrators from the school, and part two of the study consisted of a survey sent out to the teachers of the school. Both the interview and survey sought to determine the values and philosophies of character education held by the educators, the methodologies the school uses for character education, and how the educators perceive the effectiveness of …

What I Didn't Know About Teaching: Stressors And Burnout Among Deaf Education Teachers, J. Lindsey Kennon Ed.D., Margaret H. Patterson M.A.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

No abstract provided.

Becoming A Teacher Leader Within Your Classroom: A Dialogue, Jill Stacy, Nayantara Mhatre

Occasional Paper Series

Describes a spontaneous relationship that has equal measures of mentoring, peer coaching, and teaming.

Trouble With The Edtpa: Sliding From Teaching To Preparing For The Test, Stephanie Cronenberg, Dori Johnson, Alexis Jones, Stacey Korson, Natasha Murray, Michael Parrish, Marilyn Johnston-Parsons

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

This paper was written by a group of instructors responsible for preparing 100 elementary/middle school licensure students for the edTPA portfolio assessment. It is an analysis of our experiences doing so in the pilot year. The edTPA is a performance assessment required for teacher licensure. We considered this assessment to have significant advantages over a multiple choice test and we debated for a year how best to implement it. Our plan was to integrate what they needed to know into our courses rather than to prepare them directly for the test. We approached this with a positive attitude but emerged …

Fives: An Integrated Strategy For Comprehension And Vocabulary Learning, Mary Shea, Nancy Roberts

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

This article describes a strategy that emphasizes the integration of all language and literacy skills for learning across content areas as well as the importance CCSS place on learners’ ability to ask questions about information, phenomena, or ideas encountered (Ciardiello, 2012/2013). FIVES is a strategy that meaningfully integrates research-based methodologies associated with reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing for differentiated disciplinary literacy instruction related to authentic texts and issues. The strategy described can be universally applied across disciplines to develop high levels of competence with literacy processes and content.

Civic Education Training Promotes Active Learning With Real-World Outcomes, Becci Burchett Gauna, Michelle Paul

SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

The teaching of history is moving away from the rote memorization of textbooks and toward the development of civic skills. Illinois’ recent decision to require all students to complete a semester-long civics course brings us a step closer to measuring active citizenship. Typically harbored under the social studies umbrella, civics is now a stand-alone course. The state mandates that each civics course include service learning, controversial conversation, instruction regarding government institutions and procedures, and simulations.

Galileo: Staying Afloat In The Digital Age, Pamela Y. Mccreless

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

According to the Pew Research Center, 94% of teachers surveyed indicated that their students are “very likely” to use Google or other search engines ahead of all other sources when doing research for assignments. Educators agree that students are drowning in information. Teachers and librarians alike have the mission to teach information literacy skills to enable students to stay afloat in the sea of information. These same students were reported to lack online search skills. Students should understand that not all search engines are alike nor can all search engine results be trusted 100% of the time. GALILEO - Georgia …

The Effects Of The United States Government On Educators, Jessica Marie Zollinhofer

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis is an attempt to understand the correlation between the modern day United States government and current educators. The research founded the correlation to a reason, or several reasons, behind the deficit of educators in different fields of education, which included but is not limited to: teacher salary, leaving the field, dissatisfaction. The history of governmental involvement in education was pertinent in explaining where different responsibilities on educators originated from, such as Least Restrictive Environment, standardized testing, etc. The relationship between these two establishments reaches a critical point at teachers and directly affects teacher efficacy and turnover. In conclusion, …

The Differences In Teacher Self- Efficacy Beliefs Among Elementary School Teachers, Christopher Litz

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct a study that explores the differences in self-efficacy beliefs among specific teacher subgroups within the elementary school environment. This quantitative study searches for the differences in self-efficacy beliefs among teachers who instruct mandated state assessment subjects and those who do not. In addition, this study also attempts to search for differences in self-efficacy beliefs among elementary general education teachers and elementary specialists. This study utilizes Anita Hoy’s Teacher Sense of Self- Efficacy Scale (TSES) to find the self-efficacy differences in three particular domains: classroom management, student engagement, and instructional strategies.

This study …

Community Partnerships In Urban, Title I Elementary Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study, Jae L. Strickland

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify and describe community partnerships in Urban, Title 1 Elementary Schools.

Fifty-one principals from the Southern and Midwestern regions of the United States completed a 19-question on-line survey designed to explore community partnerships in Urban, Title 1 Elementary Schools. Of the 51 principals who completed the survey, 26 agreed to participate in a semi-structured interview.

The findings of the study suggest that community partnerships play an essential role in supporting Urban, Title 1 Elementary Schools. Finding community partners can be challenging. Principals who wish to engage community partners should identify the needs …

Family-Friendly Science: Increasing Family Engagement In Stem Education, Alison Bixler

Honors Projects

Family engagement is vital to a child’s success in his or her academic career. Current research has focused more specifically on the relationship between parent engagement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and a student’s success in his or her STEM education. This paper is a summary of present research pertaining to this topic, as well as a summary of the results of a field-based study the author and faculty mentors completed to learn more about methods for engaging families in STEM education, particularly in the area of science. Present research indicates that a successful method for engaging …

Beginning Teachers’ Experiences Working With A District-Employed Mentor In A North Carolina School District, Kari S. Hobbs Dr., Jennifer Putnam Dr.

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This study is concerned with the experiences of beginning teachers working with a district-employed mentor. Based on Illeris’s (2002) Three Dimensions of Learning, the study sought to understand the cognitive, emotional, and social processes involved in working with a mentor through the use of one-on one, in-depth interviews.

Nine beginning teachers participated in the study. Their assignments included elementary (n=4), middle grades (n=2), and high school (n=3). Data collection took place at the end of the school year and included Year 1 and Year 2 teachers. The study uncovered four findings related to these beginning teachers: mentors …

Parents' And Teachers' Collaborative Perspective: An Input For A Model On Materials Development In A Multilingual Setting, Jane Kibla Lartec

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study explored the collaborative perspective of teachers and parents on the materials development in a multilingual setting. Respondents were six parents and six teachers from two pilot schools in a melting pot city of different languages and cultures. The research design employed was qualitative to gain insights, explore the depth, richness and complexity inherent in the social or cultural phenomenon. Data were gathered from interviews with the aid of audio recorder and interview guide based on Malone (2007). The responses were transcribed and then categorized into themes according to similarities pertaining to the development of materials. It was found …

The Experiences Of African-American Males In Academic Leadership Positions At Public Predominantly White Institutions In North Carolina, Dalton Dockery, Comfort O. Okpala

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this narrative study was to explore the experiences of African-American males in academic leadership positions at public predominately White institutions in North Carolina. Four African-American males in academic leadership positions that met the selection criteria were purposefully selected for the study. For the sake of confidentiality a pseudonym was used for the participants and universities to protect their privacy. Multiple data collection and analytical methods were utilized to document the experiences and voices of the participants. While the experiences of the participants varied, they overwhelmingly identified their faith in God, mentorship, qualifications and preparations made them successful …

African American Early Literacy Development: An Integrative Review Of The Research, Tiffany A. Flowers

Journal of Research Initiatives

An integrative review of the research literature was conducted in order to explore plausible explanations of the achievement gap. Research articles were analyzed for this review of the research literature. The findings of this integrative review were included and the educational implications for practice are delineated.

The 'Rules Of Engagement': The Ethical Dimension Of Doctoral Research, Christopher Berg

Journal of Research Initiatives

The pursuit of a doctorate is a rite of passage that requires a student to successfully navigate the transition from “student” to “scholar.” One area of practice, however, that is often marginalized is the role of ethics. Though there is no formal coursework in ethics, its importance cannot be understated. This essay examines the conceptual role of ethics in doctoral research as both an individual reflective essay as well as a broader discussion of ethics in general. The ethical dimension considered is broken down into eight principles or ethical research and practice in doctoral research. The “Eight Ethical Principles” will …

Exploring The Influence Of Teacher Language On Fourth Grade Students’ Mindsets: A Multi-Case Study, Abby Rau

The Qualitative Report

With a shift in education today toward increased student talk, collaboration, and ownership of learning, the words that teachers choose to weave throughout their instruction and interactions with students are even more crucial. The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to explore the shift in students’ mindsets within an environment thick with process-oriented language with a focus on the inevitability of problems while learning. Research questions focused on the impact of specific teacher language, student reactions to challenging situations, and shifts in student language and perceptions of themselves as learners (mindset). The participants, two male and one female, attended …

Hiring The Most Effective Teachers: An Examination Of Policy And Practice In Pennsylvania, Barbara Launi Powers

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Hiring the most effective teachers not only has an impact on America’s children, but on America’s economic future as well. For two decades, much research about the failings of America’s schools has been conducted. Since the advent of No Child Left Behind (2002), never has more focus been applied to teaching quality. Hiring the best teachers for our children leverages the single largest in-school influence on achievement. James Coleman, in his seminal work, The Coleman Report (1967), notes that a child’s home socio-economic status and race are more significant influences than any in-house school influence. Subsequent research on teacher quality …

A Collaborative Approach To Address Student Behavior And Academic Achievement Across Systems, Beverly Ngozi Okereke

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Academic achievement and in-classroom behaviors are two significant child outcomes that affect student success in school. According to Systems Theory, in order to truly understand the factors that affect these outcomes for children, one must look to the major systems that encapsulate the child (including their school and home environments). This project is a meta-analytic review that examined the effectiveness of measures representing each system in predicting child achievement and behavior: School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) for the school as a system, level of parent involvement (high versus low) for the home system, and student motivation (intrinsic versus extrinsic) for …