Secondary Education and Teaching Commons^™

What Concerns Are Secondary Mathematics Teachers Experiencing With The Implementation Of The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics And Is There A Relationship Between The Concerns And Professional Development Received?, Suzanne Therez Jennings

Dissertations

Using the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) as the theoretical framework, this mixed-methods study utilized three research methods, quantitative, profile interpretation, and qualitative to answer the research questions to investigate the concerns teachers were experiencing during the first year of implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) and to determine if professional development affected those concerns. The Stage of Concern questionnaire which included two open-ended questions was employed to survey 88 secondary Mississippi mathematics teachers. MANOVA was used to investigate any differences in the means of the relative levels of intensity present within the subgroups which are inconclusive. …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Student Achievement And Engagement In The Transition To High School, Laura Aguada-Hallberg

All Theses And Dissertations

This study sought to examine the extent that social-emotional learning of teachers and students impacts students’ transition from middle school to high school. Existing research indicates that by implementing specific transition programs for freshmen, the dropout rate is greatly reduced, academic achievement increases, and the ability to transition to life after high school improves. Crucial to any transition program is staffing these programs with teachers who understand their own social-emotional learning and make relationships with students a priority. The study answered four research questions: 1) what elements and characteristics of freshmen transition programs (specifically, summer bridge and freshman orientation) do …

On The Nature Of Experience In The Education Of Prospective Teachers: A Philosophical Problem, Christi U. Edge

Journal Articles

In this exploratory paper, the author argues that a core, ontological assumption—the nature of experience—could be a part of the enduring problem in preparing prospective teachers. The paper begins by identifying contrasting perspectives of teaching as simple versus teaching as complex in order to illuminate how perspectives relate to a construction of reality. Positioning this literature review as creative inquiry, the author first identifies seventeen assumptions related to the preparation of teachers in the United States and analyzes the constructs of place, purposes, practice, and the nature of field experiences. Finally, the author asserts that the foundation for the purposes …

Writing The World: Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of 21st Century Writing Instruction, Kristine E. Pytash, Elizabeth Testa, Jennifer Nigh

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore preservice teachers’ perceptions of integrating technology into writing instruction before and after a methods course and the experiences in a methods course that, according to the preservice teachers, influenced these perceptions. Participants were enrolled in two sections of a Teaching Language and Composition course. Data collected included an adapted Likert-scale pre and posttest survey, and focus group interviews. Preservice teachers self-reported salient course experiences, and also discussed the affordances and tensions they felt in thinking about how to use technology to teach writing. This study has implications for teacher education and …

"I Second That Emotion": Minding How Plagiarism Feels, Ann E. Biswas

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

It stands to reason that when writing teachers believe their students have plagiarized, they will experience strong emotions that impact their relationships with students, their pedagogy, and their sense of professional identity. Far from being a threat to reason, understanding and acknowledging writing teachers’ emotional responses to plagiarism can lead to a deeper wisdom of its true impact. By examining the literature on emotion from psychology, sociology, education, and writing studies as well as findings from a pilot study of writing teachers’ emotional responses to plagiarism, this article argues that the work involved in managing the emotions of plagiarism reflects …

We Learned What?: Pre-Service Teachers As Developmental Writers In The Writing Methods Class, Christina Saidy

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This article employs a pedagogical reflection of a pre-service teacher and her out-of-context grammar lesson. The author uses this pedagogical reflection to argue for enhancing the writing methods class by inviting pre-service teachers to see themselves as developing writers and see the teaching and learning of writing as an ecological practice.

Teaching Reflective Writing: Thoughts On Developing A Reflective Writing Framework To Support Teacher Candidates, Donna L. Pasternak, Karen K. Rigoni

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

To achieve licensure in the United States, many teacher candidates must demonstrate competency as reflective practitioners. This requires many of them to describe their experiences through reflective writing, a mode of writing that is far from the academic writing that is taught throughout their baccalaureate education. Much reflective writing is being assigned to teacher candidates without it being taught. In an effort to intervene in that pattern, the authors examined multiple sources and developed a framework to teach to their teacher candidates to support them to communicate their practices as effective, reflective practitioners. This paper documents the evolution of creating …

Entering The Conversations, Practices And Opportunities Of Multimodality Texts, Theresa Dark, W. Douglas Baker

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

No abstract provided.

Structure Speaks: User-Centered Design And Professional Development, Nikki Holland, Christian Z. Goering

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This reflective essay situates a yearlong professional development endeavor led by a site of the National Writing Project within the language of technical communication. Developing rural writing teachers through four distinct design features—needs assessment, frequent contact, website redesign, collaborative planning through Google Docs—this work sought to put participants and providers on equal levels, sharing control of programming when possible. Professional development providers and teacher educators ultimately must model practices they desire to impacting students in the classroom.

Learning To Teach Writing In The Age Of Standardization And Accountability; Toward An Equity Writing Pedagogy, Shannon M. Pella

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Qualitative data from over three years of a lesson study project were analyzed through a situated learning theory lens in order to describe the connections between teacher learning and the variety of situations, or contexts that shaped the learning. The lesson study professional development model included planning, observation, and student data analysis protocols. The lesson study was situated in various middle school classroom settings, which provided multiple learning contexts. Additionally, teacher learning was shaped by the larger socio-political context often comprised of accountability rhetoric, standardization, and testing pressure. This study described how two teachers negotiated balance, or theoretical equilibrium, across …

Preservice Teacher Understanding And Implementation Of Caring Teaching-Learning Student Relationships, Daniel J. Shafer

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

This study was motivated by the interactions I have had with preservice teachers over the past 15 years as a science teacher who builds relationships with students to impact their motivation and success in school. The research focuses on the use of specific research-based relationship building strategies used with high school biology students. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the natural phenomenon that occur in a biology classroom when a cooperating teacher models these strategies for a preservice teacher during their student teaching experience. This study was supported with high school student perception data, as well …

Preparing 21st Century English Teachers: Using Young Adult Literature To Challenge Stereotyping And Reduce Stigma Of Marginalized Populations, Kia Jane Richmond, Maureen Mcdermott, Tiffany Rehbein

Conference Presentations

Panelists shared strategies for using young adult (YA) literature to address stereotyping and reduce stigma associated with two frequently marginalized populations: those with mental illness, and those in the LGBTQ community. A recent study (Pytash, Morgan, and Batchelor, 2013) found that reading young adult literature helped preservice teachers “recognize how instances of gossip, rumors, or attention to physical attributes can make a person feel insecure or threatened.” Presenters argue that YA literature is a perfect tool for helping preservice teachers address real-life issues and teach empathy.

Imagination: Active In Teaching And Learning, Christopher Cunningham

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

This autoethnography tells the story of the author’s endeavor to examine my teaching during a sculpture lesson in three 2^nd grade art classes in a mid-western suburban Title I elementary school. I analyze my planning, teaching, reflecting through the lens of Stuart Richmond’s Characteristics of Imaginative Teaching as well as noted educational theorists’ conceptions of imagination and imaginative teaching and learning. These theorists include but are not limited to Maxine Greene, Kieran Egan, John Dewey, and The Lincoln Center Institute’s Capacities for Imaginative Learning. I conclude that imaginative teaching is an intentional act and that there is no …

Using Student-Led Discussion Strategies To Motivate, Increase Thinking, Create Ownership, And Teach Citizenship, Matthew Brisbin

Education Masters Theses

This study aimed to see how teacher implementation of a student-led discussion process influenced intrinsic motivation of students in a high school Language Arts classroom. There was a specific focus on how these discussions impacted the students’ critical thinking. A pre and post-survey, student journals, videos of discussions, and interviews were used to collect data regarding motivation and critical thought. The study verified prior research regarding student discussions as a useful tool in classrooms if implemented in an effective way. However, there were no new conclusions reached. With that said, student-reported intrinsic motivation and critical thinking showed an increase from …

The Effect Of District Provided Training And Paraprofessional Self-Efficacy, Meredith Madden

All Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the effect(s) district provided training, or lack thereof, had on paraprofessional self-efficacy. This study was a descriptive action research study using a survey design. The participants of this study were selected from a south suburban, Cook county high school district. All participants, when surveyed, were currently employed paraprofessionals working with students with disabilities in grades 9-12. This study was conducted as part of a Multicategorical Special Education graduate student culminating project at Governors State University in summer 2015.

A Search For Understanding Why Male, Long Term High School Dropouts Resist Returning To Complete A Secondary Credential, Robert S. Mcgowan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Much of the resistance for returning to education seems to be related to the same reasons students left school to begin with. The reason for dropping out and resisting to return to school may be a result of too much emphasis on academic preparation and too little emphasis on satisfying the perceived needs for preparing a youth for adulthood. Four themes emerged from the field-note based interviews: (1) all students do not learn the same way, (2) there is a need for more participatory learning, (3) learning should be relevant to life as perceived by the student, and (4) there …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Community: The Fayetteville High School Community Photography Project, Stephanie Collier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Fayetteville High School Community Photography Project was conducted with 10th-12th grade students in Spring 2014 as part of a participatory art project through their Sociology class. This study uses participant photographs and surveys to better understand student variation in community perceptions and connections. Participant photographs serve as a way to “see” how high school students perceive community. Survey data gathered on the same sample are used to measure individual-level characteristics such as perceived neighborhood deterioration, neighborhood satisfaction, and Social capital to better understand how they impact feelings of community connectedness in youth. Results indicate that Social capital plays an …

A Cross Case Study Of Excellence In Science Fair Program Design, Kimberly Jones Murie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify components of schools with successful science

fair programs. Ideally schools interested in starting or improving their science fair programs could find a way to emulate some of the identified components. Successful was defined by having received recognition on some level at the International Science and Engineering Fair at least nine out of the last ten years. Twelve schools were identified as meeting this definition and five agreed to participate in the study. The schools represented diverse geographic areas as well as types of schools. Included in the study was a private school, …

Economic Literacy: Measuring The Economic Human Capital Of Arkansas K-12 Teachers, June Marie Freund

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Economic literacy is recognized as a deficit quality in the United States, no more prevalent than during the last great recession. It is paramount the K-12 educational system lead the movement to educate the public on economic content and issues, as it is the one institution that has direct contact with all citizens. The question then must be asked, how economic literate are teachers entrusted with the responsibility of imparting economic knowledge to his/her K-12 grade level student. A sample of Arkansas teachers at each grade level K – 12 were tested using national normed economic literacy tests designed to …

Mentoring Teachers For Critical Global Consciousness: Infusing Solidarity In International Service Learning, Michael W. O'Sullivan, Ewelina K. Niemczyk

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This study examines the little-studied phenomenon of teacher mentoring for global consciousness. It reviews the relationship between secondary school teachers participating in an international service-learning (ISL) project in Nicaragua and an NGO, Canadian Youth Abroad (CYA). CYA facilitates short, but intensive, ISL experiences. The teachers work for a publicly funded Catholic district school board in Ontario, Canada. Teachers who travel to Nicaragua with the students are mentored and accompanied by more experienced peers - "veteran" CYA/ISL teacher-participants. The mentoring process seeks to impart the CYA’s particular transformative values to the new teacher-participants and through them, to their students. These values …