Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Planning Strategies To Elementary Students: Implications For Educators, Melissa Martin

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

The purpose of this study was to examine the writing achievement [as measured by the Test of Written Language-IV (TOWL-4); Hammill & Larsen, 2009], and writing fluency (as measured by Total Words Written) of at-risk elementary students (N = 61). Researchers also examined the types of planning strategies employed by participants. Based on standardized scoring procedures of the TOWL-IV, results suggest students demonstrated average writing abilities. Further analyses suggest that students sampled had a lower writing fluency than national writing norms. Analyses of planning strategies indicated a majority of students (54%) showed some evidence of planning during the prewriting stage …

Using Video Technology As A Tool For Pre-Service Teacher Reflection During Student Teaching, Robin Franklin, Justin Mitchell

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This qualitative case study offers additional insight into the use of video technology in relation to pre-service teacher reflection when implemented within a college of education’s clinical practice (student teaching) spring cycle. Summative survey data were collected post clinical practice and researchers triangulated the data to identify emergent themes. Overall findings based on participant responses yielded a level of reflection that focused on surface-level perceptions. These themes included: appearance/body language; voice quality and expression; teacher positioning; and calling on students.

Full Issue: Volume 12, Number 1, Fall 2018, Julie Jones

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

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

Using Blended Learning To Support Differentiated Instruction, Suzanne Horn, Rhonda Miller

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This article reviews the concept of blended learning. The authors explore how blended learning can support teachers efforts to differentiate instruction and support English Language Learners and students with learning differences in the classroom.

Full Issue: Volume 11, Number 2, Spring 2018, Julie Jones

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

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

The Impact Of Changing Academic Standards On Teacher Efficacy And Retention: A Survey On Teachers' Perceptions, Amanda Moon, Liyun Zhang, Lisa D. Waller

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Little research has directly examined the impact of changing academic standards on teacher efficacy and teacher retention, especially among South Carolina teachers who have experienced a series of changes of academic standards in recent years. Accordingly, this study surveyed teacher perceptions regarding the impact of academic standards changes on their efficacy and retention. Participants included 158 classroom teachers within one public school district in South Carolina. Teachers across the district reported using three different sets of academic standards, including the Old South Carolina State Standards, Common Core State Standards, the New South Carolina State Standards, and some using more than …

Curriculum And Instruction Lessons Learned From Elementary Education Student Teacher Reflections, Ashley Anderson-Murray, Greta Freeman

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Teacher candidates often find reflection as a topic of discussion and implementation in their university, education program courses. The purpose of this grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1994) research study was to identify attitudes, questions and concerns of undergraduate elementary education student teachers through written reflections during the student teaching semester. The study revealed eight major themes related to the student teaching assignment and experience.

Does Using A Graphing App Improve The Problem Solving Confidence Of Algebra Students?, Edwin Montijo, Timothy R. Nelson

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

As new technology in education emerges, research is necessary to assess the impact it is having on students' confidence to solve mathematics problems. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control-group comparison study was to examine the impact the Desmos graphing calculator has on the problem-solving confidence of Algebra students as compared to students who use a TI-83 Plus graphing calculator while controlling for students' math achievement scores. Five highly qualified teachers taught the same content to at least one control group (traditional calculator) and one experimental group (Desmos calculator) for a 12-week period. Students in both groups took the Problem …

Full Issue: Volume 11, Number 1, Fall 2017, Julie Jones

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

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

Evaluating A Special Education Teacher Program: The Relationships Between Graduates’ Standardized Test And Course Grade Performances, Holly Pae

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Special Education Teacher preparation programs face great challenges in assuring that their graduates are prepared for the demands of today's classrooms. This research examines the test and grade results earned by 91 currently employed teachers that completed the same certification program in Learning Disabilities. The results of this multivariate analysis found a level of significance between course grades and test scores. These outcomes suggest recommendations for program improvement by identifying conditions that positively impact candidates' achievement and teacher competency. The findings support the need for content-base coursework in special education, offering field-based experiences tied to the courses' content curricula, and …

Implementing Web-Based Instructional Technologies To Support And Improve Math Achievement, Howard V. Coleman, Jeremy Dickerson

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This paper presents a case study review of a public school's effort to improve student math achievement scores. The implementation process reviewed in this case study occurred in a public school that had become increasingly concerned about its elementary students' low math scores on in-class assessments and standardized tests. The public school's leadership team in this case study was interested in focusing on providing digital instructional support for all students, and in specifically targeting students needing math intervention. The digital instructional support was to be used to complement, rather than replace teachers' lesson plans and classroom activities. A K-5th grade …

Face-To-Face Or Cyberspace? The Evolution Of Science Inquiry Professional Development And The Impact Of Teacher Attitudes About New Curriculum, Kimberly Carroll

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Today's students often have choices in the way they learn new things. When choices are given, attitudes about learning often improve. What happens when teachers are given choices? This article provides the research data of a pilot study conducted with grades three through eight science teachers regarding their preferred method of professional development. Using the Revised Science Attitude Scale, (RSAS), (Bitner, 1994, Thompson & Shrigley, 1986), the researcher determined the mode of professional development type (face-to-face vs online) resulted in no impact on teacher attitudes about teaching science inquiry. Results support a null hypothesis and provide significant information for determining …

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, …

Attracting Early Childhood Teachers To South Carolina’S High Needs Rural Districts: Loan Repayment Vs. Tuition Subsidy, Henry Tran, Alison M. Hogue, Amanda M. Moon

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

South Carolina (SC) has enacted a rural teaching initiative designed to provide financial incentives to attract teachers to their high needs rural districts. The plans have components that address both loan repayments and tuition subsidies; however, it is unknown which of the two options may be more incentivizing. Our analysis suggests that a reframing of the loan repayment to a tuition subsidy is not associated with stronger preference for teaching for at least five years in rural high needs districts. However, we uncovered positive associations between respondents' degree of confidence in their own self-efficacy (b=1.24, p=.008) and general openness to …

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.

Building Problem Solving Skills, Gary Bradley

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Elementary, middle-grades, and secondary preservice teachers engaged in mathematics methods courses whose focus was problem solving interacted with non-routine problems during the semester-long. To assess the efficacy of the problem-solving focus, the preservice teachers were given a non-routine problem at the beginning of the course and the same non-routine problem at the end of the course. Although some growth in problem solving strategies was seen, there was no increase in the number of correct answers to the problem. The findings indicate no significance between the math background or efficacy of the preservice teachers on their effective use of problem solving …

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.

A Rubric For Revitalizing Teacher Reflection, Todd Cherner, Marcie Ellerbe, Elena Andrei

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

The notion that teachers must be “reflective practitioners” has long been supported by research, and teacher education programs typically promote reflection as one of their central tenets. Additionally, several rubrics have been created and used to evaluate pre-service teachers' reflection. The challenge, however, is that few of these rubrics are research-based or have been validated. In response, this article presents a narrative that explains how three teacher educators came together and used qualitative research methods to construct and validate a rubric designed to evaluate pre-service teachers' reflections. This rubric can be adopted by teacher educators to assess the quality of …

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 …

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.

The Glass Cliff: Female Superintendents In South Carolina, Edward Cox, Blanche Bowles

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

South Carolina public school districts are confronted with a series of difficult circumstances and rely more on female superintendents than the national average. The investigation of female South Carolina superintendents was guided by transformational leadership and the glass cliff conceptual frameworks. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental study was to examine the relationship between the sex of South Carolina public school superintendents to (a) self-reported transformational leadership behaviors and (b) select district indicators indicative of the difficult circumstances confronted by public school districts. The indicators for this study were the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) composite indices and school …

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.

2026 March 25 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

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.

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 …

A Cooperative Approach For Improving A Culminating Teacher Education Assessment: Revising The Teacher Work Sample, Rebecca Stobaugh, Janet Tassell, Lisa D. Murley, Pamela M. Jukes, S. Kay Gandy

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

The purpose of this article is to provide a synopsis of the evaluation and revision process of a senior capstone project, the Teacher Work Sample (TWS). One university developed a task force to develop and implement goals to revise this capstone project. The revision process forced the task force members to examine institutional data from multiple program assessments. This process can serve as a model for other institutions as they seek to improve assessment rigor.

A Decade Of Growing Our Own In South Carolina: Efficacy Studies On Project Create, Joe P. Sutton, Shirley C. Bausmith, Holly A. Pae, Michelle M. Bishop, Cathy M. Boshamer

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Project CREATE's chief mission is to reduce the number of non-certified special education teachers while simultaneously growing a highly qualified special education teacher work force in the State. Nationally recognized for grow your own (GYO) and alternative routes to certification (ARC) emphases, project leadership implemented an aggressive research agenda that has spanned CREATE's 10 years of operation to date. In this article, we summarize five peer-reviewed studies on the efficacy of CREATE, all focusing on aspects of outcome data from special education teachers who were program completers. These studies, emanating from different perspectives and research interests, provide a framework for …