Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Professional Learning Communities As A Critical Structure For Ell Schooling, Miguel A. Serrano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nationally, English language learners (ELLs) have underperformed in making the grade on standards set by the U.S. Department of Education. National data indicate that ELLs are performing lower (National Center for Education Statistics, 2011). ELLs are likely to perform less well on state assessments and drop-out rates are higher than their English speaking peers (Ballantyne, Sanderman & Levy, 2008). Current school practices lack a comprehensive knowledge base as to how to prepare ELLs to be academically successful. With the advent of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), educators have to demonstrate annual language and academic gains for English Language Learners (ELLs) …

Higher-Order Thinking Question Affecting Economically Disadvantaged Students’ Reading Achievement, Ruth Ann Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

Reading proficiency continues to elude a large number of school children, in particular, our economically disadvantaged students (Clark & Akerman, 2006). In a continued effort to decrease the gap between the high-poverty and low-poverty students’ reading scores, this study examined the effect of third-grade and fifth-grade teachers’ use of higher-order thinking (HOT) question levels and student context (whole group, small group, and one-one-one) during reading workshop on economically disadvantaged students’ reading achievement. Teacher questionnaires and researcher observations were analyzed to determine the effect on reading CRCT scores and the two domains within the reading CRCT scores of Literary Comprehension and …

The Influence Of Teacher Preparation Programs' Field Experiences On Pre-Service Teacher Candidates' Sense Of Teaching Efficacy, Alison Marie Reddy

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

In this descriptive, mixed methods study, the researcher investigated the influence of teacher preparation programs' field experiences on teacher candidates' sense of teaching efficacy. Tschannen-Morgan & Woolfolk-Hoy's (2001) Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale questionnaire was sent to 221 teacher candidates enrolled in one of five teaching license paths in a large metropolitan university in the eastern part of the United States. Seventy-seven percent of the questionnaires were returned. Questionnaires were analyzed to determine the degree the number of hours of elementary teacher candidates' field experiences influence their perceptions of their teaching efficacy. The questionnaires were also used to compare the …

Teacher Education Protocol : How Social Media Improves Connections Between Teachers And Students, Darcel Pledge

Graduate Research Papers

This review examines the importance of incorporating social media into teacher education programs to strengthen the partnership between teachers and their students in the classroom. Social media plays a big part in individuals' everyday lives. The purpose of this review is to display the benefits of social media tools in education. Peer reviewed journals were used for research. The studies examined found that social media tools can have a benefit in the classroom and strengthen the learning partnership between teachers, students, and parents. The sources reviewed also found that proper incorporation of these tools aids in a better learning partnership …

Exploring The Relationship Between Pre Service School Counselor's Academic Training And Reported Levels Of Multicultural Competence As Predictors Of Attitudes Toward Inclusion, Rachael Annette Evans

Wayne State University Dissertations

The principal aim of this study was to explore the relationships between preservice school counselors' academic training and their self-reported levels of multicultural competence as predictors of attitudes toward inclusion. Variances in demographic data also were examined as predictors of attitudes regarding inclusion. A nonexperimental, correlational research design was used. Pearson product moment correlations were used to test the relationships between preservice school counselors' level of academic training and their attitudes toward inclusions. No statistically significant correlations were obtained on these analyses, indicating that academic training does not predict attitudes toward inclusion. . Pearson product moment correlations were used to …

Examining The Factors Of A Technology Professional Development Intervention, Kelly L. Unger

Wayne State University Dissertations

In response to the ever increasing demand to compete in a global economy, the United States needs to prepare its students with the appropriate technical knowledge and communication skills to be competitive in the 21st century (Watson, 2007). Students must begin utilizing current technology tools during their K-12 educational experience and online learning can assist students with developing these skills. Teachers with online technology skills and equipped with effective pedagogical strategies for teaching in an online environment are the keys to achieving this goal. To ensure teachers are keeping pace with changing teaching and learning environments, and effectively utilizing new …

Talking Circles For Adolescent Girls In An Urban High School: A Restorative Practices Program For Building Friendships And Developing Emotional Literacy Skills, Martha Ann Schumacher

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

TALKING CIRCLES FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS

IN AN URBAN HIGH SCHOOL: A RESTORATIVE PRACTCES' PROGRAM FOR BUILDING FRIENDHIPS AND DEVELOPING

EMOTIONAL LITERACY SKILLS

by

MARTHA ANN SCHUMACHER

DECEMBER 2012

ADVISOR: Dr. Loraleigh Keashly

MAJOR: Communication

DEGREE: Doctor of Philosophy

Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice programs in schools are a new and emerging field. Meeting in Circles to build community, resolve conflict, and learn interactively are core components of these programs. This ethnographic study, which took place February 2010 to December 2011, evaluates 12 small, out-of-classroom Talking Circles for 60 adolescent girls as part of a Restorative Practices program in an …

Promoting And Preserving Scholarly And Creative Work At Parkland College, Sherry Cmiel, Erika Hackman

Library Scholarship

What is the role of scholarship at a community college? The process of identifying, sharing, showcasing, and using the scholarly and creative work of a community college can lay the groundwork for cross-curricular collaborations and encourage students to demonstrate learning at a higher level. At Parkland College, the institutional repository (SPARK) has played a key role in this process.

What Is The Content Of Methods? Building An Understanding Of Frameworks For Mathematics Methods Courses, Signe Kastberg, Wendy B. Sanchez, Kelly Edenfield, Andrew Tyminski, Sheryl Stump

Faculty Articles

This discussion group will focus on exploring the use of conceptual frameworks in building mathematics methods courses for prospective mathematics teachers. Participants will consider (a) frameworks, (b) activities, (c) relationships between frameworks and activities, (d) the residue of activities and how they contribute to learning to teach, (e) research literature and attempts to explore these questions, and (e) development of a research agenda. Dialogues and collaboration among working group members will be encouraged by the development of teams to address facets of the emerging research agenda.

Implementation Of Professional Learning Standards In Georgia Schools: An Examination Of The Current Reality, Mary M. Chandler, Tak Cheung Chan

Faculty Articles

Professional learning is considered important for improving teacher quality and for development of organizational capacity to boost school improvement for student learning. This mixed methodology study examines the implementation of the National Staff Development Council Standards (NSDC) in professional learning in Georgia schools through the NSDC Standards Assessment Instrument and six open-ended follow-up questions. The findings suggest that teachers in Georgia did not perceive that professional learning holds a high priority by their school leaders, state legislators, and key policy makers. However, they rated their effort toward context and content areas of professional learning to be above average.

Using Web-Based Key Character And Classification Instruction For Teaching Undergraduate Students Insect Identification, Douglas A. Golick, Tiffany M. Heng-Moss, Allen L. Steckelberg, David W. Brooks, Leon G. Higley, David Fowler

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The purpose of the study was to determine whether undergraduate students receiving web-based instruction based on traditional, key character, or classification instruction differed in their performance of insect identification tasks. All groups showed a significant improvement in insect identifications on pre- and post-two-dimensional picture specimen quizzes. The study also determined student performance on insect identification tasks was not as good as for family-level identification as compared to broader insect orders and arthropod classification identification tasks. Finally, students erred significantly more by misidentification than misspelling specimen names on prepared specimen quizzes. Results of this study support that short web-based insect identification …

Dispositions In The Twenty First Century School Library Profession, Sue C. Kimmel, Gail K. Dickinson, Carol A. Doll

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Within the school library profession there is an emerging focus on dispositions, defined as "a tendency to exhibit frequently, consciously, and voluntarily a pattern of behavior that is directed to a broad goal" (Katz, 1993). Directed focus groups of practicing school librarians were asked to articulate their vision for school libraries of the future. Data from these groups informed development of six dispositional continua to guide both school library education and school librarianship in the 21st century. This study clarifies the dispositions needed by school librarians in the future.

An Exploratory Study Of Principals' And Teachers' Perceptions Of School Work Conditions In Sinclair County, Georgia, Veronica Lawrence

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated principals’ (n = 16) and teachers’ (n = 362) perceptions of five work conditions domains: Professional Development, Facilities and Resources, Leadership, Empowerment, and Use of Time. This quantitative study used two instruments: principal work conditions survey and teacher work conditions survey to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a factorial analysis of variance. Findings revealed observed differences in principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of school work conditions. The factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed statistically significant differences for domain scores of Facilities and Resources, Leadership, and Empowerment by type of school. No significant differences …

Changes In Teachers’ Early Reading Instruction In One Year, Gemma Scarparolo

Research Journeys in Education

No abstract provided.

Intensive Teaching To Improve Vocabulary, Wendy Moore

Research Journeys in Education

No abstract provided.

Grammar: How Ready Are Western Australian Teachers? A Study In The Skills, Motivation And Knowledge Of Western Australian Teachers., Rebecca Blaxell

Research Journeys in Education

No abstract provided.

Relationship Of Collaborative School Culture And School Achievement, Karen Durrence Bland

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this correlational, quantitative study was to examine the magnitude and direction of the relationship between collaborative school culture and school achievement in rural, economically disadvantaged middle schools utilizing a 6, 7, 8 grade configuration. Survey data was collected from 263 teachers representing 12 rural, economically disadvantaged middle schools in the state of Georgia. Data collection tools included the Learning Community Culture Indicator (LCCI) 4.0 survey developed by Williams, Matthews, Stewart, and Hilton (2007) and the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (GCRCT).

The study generated data from 12 middle schools regarding the overall functionality level of their collaborative …

Hitch Your Wagon To Institutional Goals, Anne E. Zald, Michelle Millet

Library Faculty Research

The landscape of accreditation and accountability in higher education is in a period of rapid change, coalescing around issues identified in the 2006 report of the Spellings Commission, “A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education.” Information literacy librarians need to connect their instructional efforts to the institutional strategies and initiatives that address continuous improvement whatever their source, e.g. accreditation agencies, funding bodies such as state legislatures, institutional participation in the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA), University & College Accountability Network (U-CAN), or internal initiatives of the institution’s administration. The challenge for instruction librarians is great, requiring …

Enrollment And Academic Outcomes Of English Language Learners In Pre-K To Grade 3 In The Boston Public Schools, Sy2009: Data Points For A Discussion At Wheelock College, Miren Uriarte, Faye Karp

Gastón Institute Publications

This brief report focuses on the enrollment, characteristics and academic outcomes of English Language Learners in Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 3 in comparison with those of English proficient students and all students at these grade levels. The purpose of the report is to generate discussion about ways in which the learning needs of these students can best be met. As proposed, the report consists primarily of data tables and annotations organized around five sets of questions.

Parent Involvement Plan For Lincoln Elementary, Michelle Kaune

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to create a parent involvement plan for Lincoln Elementary using research based information. The information gathered during the literature review will be used to gain a better understanding of parent involvement along with evidence based strategies to improve parent involvement. This plan will then be used by the school to work to increase the amount of involvement parents during the 2012-13 school year. Creating a strategy to increase parent involvement has been identified as a need by the school. It is also part of the school’s Adequate Yearly Progress plan which was submitted …