Digital Commons Network^™

Full Issue: Volume 9, 2016, Christopher Burkett

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This file contains the full issue of TEJSC, including front matter, table of contents, editorial notes, and articles.

Reconceptualizing Educational Technology Integration In A Middle Level Teacher Preparation Program, Deborah H. Mcmurtrie, Bridget K. Coleman, Gary J. Senn

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Our middle level education (MLE) faculty recently engaged in a self-study guided by this research question: How is our university preparing our MLE teacher candidates to integrate technology in teaching and learning? There were two overarching goals: 1) identify where we can introduce, practice, reinforce, and master technology skills and concepts. 2) reconceptualize our technology integration course. Our process included collaborating with stakeholders, surveying teacher candidates, examining theoretical underpinnings, exploring research-based best practices, and analyzing our programs. Data was collected through multi-year technology surveys and semi-structured focus group interviews. We grouped survey data into three broad technology categories: instructional delivery, …

Transitioning To Act Standards In South Carolina Schools: Insights And Techniques For School Districts, Howard V. Coleman, Jeremy Dickerson, Cindy Ambrose, Edi Cox, Dottie Brown

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

The adoption of ACT Standards in South Carolina for the 2015/2016 school year is requiring rapid and systemic change for teachers, local school leaders, district administrators, and university teacher/administrator preparation programs. This article presents descriptions of the new standards and assessments, provides an overview of the current transition to ACT Standards, and emphasizes the importance of planning and implementing relevant, high quality professional development for teachers and local school leaders. The article concludes with examples of techniques from the Horry County Schools ACT planning and implementation process.

Understanding English Language Learners: A Qualitative Study Of Teacher Candidates Teaching In Another Country, Culture, And Context, Lee Vartanian

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Regardless of the influx of English Language Learners (ELLs) in public schools, many pre-service and in-service teachers are underprepared to teach them (O'Neal, Ringler, & Rodriguez, 2008). Study abroad experiences, that include a teaching component, may provide an option for teacher candidates wishing to increase their ability to teach ELLs. In May 2014, nine teacher candidates from South Carolina taught for two weeks in an elementary school in central Guatemala. This qualitative study focused on how the experience of teaching in a new country, culture, and context impacted participant perceptions of effective teaching practice, the diverse needs of children, and …

Influences Of Prior Experiences And Current Teaching Contexts On New Teachers’ Use Of Manipulatives For Math Instruction, Elizabeth Lee Johnson

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

In order to develop mathematical proficiency, students need access to a variety of representations to make sense of mathematical ideas. This case study documents the perceived influences on three novice elementary teachers' use of math manipulatives for teaching mathematics. Three sources of data were collected: video-recorded lessons, interviews, and a focus group. Analyses indicated that, although concrete representations were accessible to all three teachers, they were the least used among the available representations. While participating teachers shared similar pre-service experiences in relation to their coursework and internship, there were substantive differences between them in relation to how they viewed adopted …

Evaluating Teacher Preparation In Assessment Lite, Tara L. R. Beziat, Bridget K. Coleman

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Classroom assessment literacy is a vital part of pre-service teachers' preparation as it allows them to monitor student progress and document their effect on student learning. We conducted two studies that measured participants' knowledge of standards-based classroom assessment strategies during their teacher preparation. Results revealed that pre-service teachers lack assessment literacy, despite completing undergraduate, introductory courses in classroom assessment. Secondary education majors and those who have been admitted to a program show a greater knowledge of assessment practices. Suggestions for improving pre-service teachers' preparation are discussed.

The Science Edtpa: Emphasis On Inquiry, D. Michelle Rogers, Lisa Barron

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

edTPA is a performance-based assessment used to evaluate the teaching skills of pre-service teacher candidates. The Middle Childhood Science and Secondary Science edTPA assessments require that students are engaged in specific skills of scientific inquiry. While inquiry has been a focus of science education reform at the national level for years, there is little evidence to show that inquiry is common in the K-12 classroom. This article explains what inquiry is, why it is valuable, and why its inclusion poses a challenge and opportunity for new teachers being assessed with edTPA. The authors also provide suggestions to help college faculty …

Technology Beliefs And Self-Efficacy - A Pilot Study, Michael Cook, Ron Knorr

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This research was a pilot study for validation of an instrument used to measure changes in teachers' technology beliefs and self-efficiency after a course in the use of educational technology. The research literature revealed high interest but low self-efficiency in use of such technology among teachers. After pilot survey validation, the survey was administered pre and post course to a cohort of participants in a concentrated graduate/professional development course. Results of this study indicated no statistically significant change in teacher technology beliefs, but the results showed statistically significant improvement in teacher technology self- efficacy across multiple educational technology platforms. Explanations …

Embracing The Future Of Online Learning, Timothy Rayle, Michael Langevin

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

The use of online learning has become a common solution for high schools to meet the needs of students. Many high schools have embraced online learning particularly for students at-risk of not meeting the credit requirement for graduation. This study presents an analysis of high school principals' beliefs in the effectiveness, implementation, and barriers of online learning, as well as suggestions to improve the effectiveness.

Full Issue: Volume 8, 2015, Christopher Burkett

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This file contains the full issue of TEJSC, including front matter, table of contents, editorial notes, and articles.

Senior Stories: Using Biblio-Therapy To Shape Positive Perceptions Of Senior Adults In Teacher Education Program And Multigenerational Settings, Linda Karges-Bone

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Biblio-therapy is a powerful tool in the hands of educators. Those who prepare future teachers can benefit from a more broad exposure to biblio-therapy as it relates to the treatment of senior adults. Too often, seniors are seen as weak, passive, and powerless. The bias of ageism has the potential to negatively influence perceptions of seniors by themselves and others. The model outlined in this article offers 1) opportunities to use biblio-therapy in a collaborative way in senior adult and school age populations; and 2) a more balanced and healthy perception of senior adults in children's literature choices.

Universal Design For Learning With Elementary Science, Catherine Matthews, Stephanie Kurtts, Melony Allen

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Universal design for learning (UDL) continues to be a topic of interest as teachers search for instructional strategies and activities to differentiate the general curriculum. This differentiation should provide access to and successful engagement with the curriculum for all students, including learners who have unique educational needs. Described here is an elementary science lesson on temperature planned and implemented using the principles of UDL. This example is offered that so that teachers may be encouraged to plan and implement instruction by using UDL principles in meeting diverse student learning goals.

Integration And Innovation: Our Journey To The Meshing Of Technology, Pedagogy, And Content Knowledge For Teacher Education, Stacy Burr, Susan Fernandez, Laura Kaufmann, Judy Beck, Cece Toole

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Ever since the inception of horn books and one-room schoolhouses, curriculum 'silos' have proliferated the field of education. Once information and communicative technology (ICT) arrived at the schoolhouse doors, the need for compartmentalization concluded. Integration and collaboration have now become the essential means and methodologies in the education profession. Moving from the isolation of specific curricular pedagogical content knowledge to the unification of learning with technology as a principal means for consolidating the complexities of teaching and learning has precipitated the introduction and incorporation of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model. This paper illustrates how the scaffolding of the …

Lessons Learned: Implementing A Personalized Digital Learning Initiative In South Carolina Public Schools, Howard V. Coleman, Jeremy Dickerson, Cynthia Ambrose, Edi Cox

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This paper presents logistics, planning, practical reflections and lessons learned from a large South Carolina school district's efforts to implement a Personalized Digital Learning (PDL) Initiative. This PDL process was designed and implemented to promote the achievement of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and to go beyond traditional 1:1 computing environments in schools. Reflections for teachers, school leaders and technology specialists implementing new technologies are presented.

Full Issue: Volume 7, 2014, Christopher Burkett

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This file contains the full issue of TEJSC, including front matter, table of contents, editorial notes, and articles.

Do Transformational Leadership Behaviors Support A Successful Grant-Seeking Culture, Melissa Sesco Vermillion

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Melissa Sesco Vermillion on March 25, 2026.

Employability Skills Development In Secondary Education, Mark D. Sims

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Mark D. Sims on March 25, 2026.

“Why Does My White Coat Feel So Tight?”: A Program Evaluation Of Well-Being Support For Physician Assistant Students, Danielle Castro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a program evaluation of the Wellness Initiatives (WI) Program in the University of South Florida’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program, an accelerated 24-month graduate curriculum. The problem of practice is that PA students reported burnout, feeling overwhelmed, and difficulty navigating support within a year-round structure that did not consistently align with centralized university services. Guided by Theory of Change as the theoretical framework and Improvement Science as the conceptual framework, the evaluation examined how iterative wellness supports shaped students’ perceptions of well-being across six implementation cycles (May 2023–March 2025). A convergent parallel mixed methods design integrated survey data …

Mentoring Mentalities Made Manifest: Toward A Better Understanding Of Secondary Teacher Mentor Professional Learning, Practice, And Self-Efficacy, Maggie L. Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teacher shortages are becoming increasingly problematic nationwide. Teacher mentoring has been found to be an effective method of curbing teacher attrition, but little attention has been addressed to ensuring that teacher mentors are receiving the most relevant professional learning experiences to bolster their self-efficacy and mentoring practice. This qualitative study, drawing on research traditions such as grounded theory and case study, seeks to illuminate the mentor self-efficacy and practice of secondary teacher mentors and to understand the role their professional learning plays in how and how well they enact their mentor roles. Through qualitative interviews, including artifact-based interviews, this study …

Elementary Administrators’ Use Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports As A School Reform Model For Discipline, Rashida Patrecé Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was that elementary administrators struggle to implement the positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework as a school reform model for discipline at a Southern school district (SSD). Grounded in Bandura’s theory on social learning, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore elementary administrators’ perceptions of their successes, challenges, and recommendations for using the PBIS framework as a school reform model for discipline in the SSD. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 administrators that implemented the PBIS framework in their schools. Through thematic analysis using …

Critical Discourse Analysis Of Turnaround Leadership Competencies Using A Transformative Leadership Framework, Kevin D. Mcdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School turnaround leadership has become a leading strategy to address school underperformance emphasizing rapid and dramatic improvement in a school within the bottom five percent of schools as measured by gains in both mathematics and English Language Arts. However, prevailing turnaround leadership discourse largely centers technical and managerial competencies, often marginalizing leadership practices oriented toward equity, advocacy, and social transformation. This narrowing of leadership is particularly consequential for Black male principals, who are disproportionately assigned to low-performing and turnaround schools and whose leadership practice frequently reflects core elements of transformative leadership.

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore current …

2026-03-25 President's Senior Cabinet Update, Morehead State University. Staff Congress., President's Senior Cabinet.

Staff Congress Records

Announcement from the President's Senior Cabinet meeting from March 25, 2026.

Spectrum, Volume 56, Issue 7, Sacred Heart University

Newspapers (Obelisk & Spectrum)

Highlights include: 2026 Founder’s Day Celebration -- Men Against Violence Campaign -- The Luck of the Draw -- Hands-On Learning With The Criminal Justice Club -- Rallying Late for a MAAC Tournament Run

The Impact Of The Two-Way Immersion Model On Hispanic Pre-Service And In-Service Teachers’ Understanding Of Curriculum Implementation In Early Childhood Field Placements, Omar J. Vigo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Dual language education, also known as Two-Way Immersion (TWI), is a teaching method that puts native English speakers and native speakers of another language in the same classroom. This helps both groups become bilingual and biliterate (Christian, 1996; Lindholm-Leary, 2001). The TWI approach highlights several benefits, including bilingualism and biliteracy, academic achievement, cross-cultural competence, cognitive improvements, and equity and accessibility (Lindholm-Leary, 2001). Research on the TWI model in adults is limited, although it has demonstrated effectiveness in supporting Hispanic teacher candidates, unlike studies conducted in primary education. This demonstrates that the TWI methodology benefits students (Van Booven, 2012). This …

Spatial Narrative Beyond The Proscenium: Set Design As A Tool For Wellness, Christina Griffey

LSU Master's Theses

Inspired by a health crisis that led to spending time in medical settings, this thesis examines how our surroundings impact our well-being. By developing a framework that explores the topics of storytelling, space, place, theatre, and expanded scenography, I propose that set design can be used as a tool for wellness. I explore several disciplines through the lens of set design and highlight the disciplines, professionals, and designers that are contributing to the creation of therapeutic environments using scenographic practices.

The Rural Minnesota Principalship: Commitment Amid Challenge Interpreting The Minnesota Principals Survey Through A Rural Leadership Lens, Brennan Kent

Essays in Education

School principals occupy one of the most complex leadership roles within public education, particularly in rural communities where schools often serve as central institutions for both learning and community life. This paper interprets findings from the 2023 Minnesota Principals Survey (MnPS) through a rural leadership lens. While the survey reflects statewide perspectives on principal workload, leadership efficacy, and barriers to student learning, several findings carry particular relevance for rural districts where staffing capacity and access to services may be more limited. MnPS results indicate that principals work an average of 57 hours per week and that only 52% perceive their …

A Letter To My Juror, Michael Anthony Mariscal

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.

No Forget, Brah!, Samuel Nault

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.

Drops In A Collective Monsoon, Jason A. Martinez

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.

Research Proposal, William H,

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.