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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.

The Impact Of International Service Learning On Teacher Education Students Serving In A Third World Country, Seth E. Jenny, Geraldine C. Jenny

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This study examined perceived outcomes associated with undergraduate teacher education students who were involved in an international service learning project with impoverished children in a third world country. Qualitative data collection methods guided the study which centered upon student attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors relating to international service learning as well as any individual learning regarding a possible deepened understanding of their personal worldview or valuing of diverse peoples. Findings indicated that the participants perceived several prior expectations which did not match reality, the diversity of the new loving culture was enjoyed, and several distinct individual changes occurred as a result …

Connecting Teacher Preparation With District Expectations: A Framework For Accreditation Collaboration, Carol G. Hoyle, Tracy N. West

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Special education teachers must be prepared for the demands of the public school classroom. Teacher education programs have a responsibility to ensure that pre-service teacher candidates are able to translate current research into practice, and the specialty program accreditation procedures help guide this process. This article overviews a framework that utilizes collaboration as the vehicle for ensuring this occurs. Results of a state survey of special education district administrators are provided with implications for program improvements and ongoing accreditation practices. As teacher education accreditation is based on multiple sources of data, a model that incorporates the input of public school …

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 …

Principals' Personality And Instructional Leadership Behavior, Edward Cox, W. Burke Royster

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This quantitative study examines the relationship between the leadership personality of a principal and the perception of that principal as an instructional leader. More specifically it seeks to determine if a principal's dominant personality characteristic, as defined by a four quadrant analysis, relates to the faculty's perception of that principal's instructional leadership. That perception is also examined in light of principal experience and grade level of the school. The results of this study indicate that a principal's predominant personality characteristic does not impact that individual's perception as an instructional leader by the faculty. A weak to moderate relationship between the …

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, …

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Helping Teen Mothers Graduate: A Qualitative Study Investigating The Educational Experiences Of Teen Mothers Who Graduated With Recommendations For Teachers, Christine Stroble, Greg Wiggan

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

In June 2013 the U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) urged secondary schools to do more to help the hundreds of students who become mothers and fathers each year graduate from high school. With the same intent, in 2012-2013, we conducted a qualitative phenomenological study investigating the educational experiences of teen mothers who graduated from high school and attended or completed college and sought to discover the factors that contributed to their success. The research question that guided our study was: What is the educational experience of teen mothers who graduated from high school and attended …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

“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 …

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

A Letter To My Juror, Michael Anthony Mariscal

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.

Research Proposal, William H,

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.

Classroom Exercise Breaks In Central South Carolina:‘It’S Not A Well-Oiled Machine’ But ‘Kids Are Happy And Productive’, Erin K. Howie, Russell R. Pate

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

In order to comply with state physical activity policies and increase physical activity of students, schools have begun to implement classroom exercise breaks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of existing classroom exercise breaks in elementary schools in central South Carolina. Principals in elementary schools in central South Carolina were invited to participate in a brief online survey and phone interview about classroom exercise breaks. Principals reported varied types of classroom exercise breaks but described many benefits of exercise breaks including improved student behavior and attention. Providing resources and example activities, training teachers to …