Digital Commons Network^™

Returning To School After A Pandemic And The Lived Experiences Of Rural High School Mathematics Teachers On Student Success, Joshua Saúl Silva

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological methodology investigation was to examine and describe rural mathematics teachers’ lived experiences on the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic on freshman students returning to school after being online for 2 years through the lens of Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and serves as part of a thematic dissertation with each researcher focusing on different educators in the K-12 school system.

Methodology: Through qualitative methodology utilizing one-on-one interviews of nine rural high school freshman mathematics teachers with 5 or more years of experience before, during, and after the COVID-19 global pandemic, data was analyzed …

A Design Thinking Mixed Methods Study On Learned Empathy Through Multicultural Education, Samanantha Webb

Dissertations

The dissertation in practice focused on addressing the issue of inadequate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) competencies among teachers in a Title I school. The problem of practice emerged within the context of an increasingly diverse educational landscape, necessitating educators to possess robust DEI skills. The proposed solution was a professional development (PD) program, crafted using a design thinking approach, which included an asynchronous learning module supplemented by a book study. The comprehensive PD program was aimed at enhancing the teachers' understanding and application of DEI principles, making the prototype relevant to the demands of multicultural education in today’s diverse …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Relationships Between Teachers And Students And Possible Effect On Standardized Test Scores, Rachel Quintana

Dissertations

This research study sought to determine correlations between the perceptions of teacher and student relationships and personality traits with academic achievement as measured by End-of-Course (EOC) summative exams in a rural midwestern high school. As a firm believer in the importance of relationships in the classroom, the researcher created a survey instrument and provided it to teachers and students who enrolled in courses that took End-of-Course (EOC) exams in the Spring of 2021. The researcher-designed instrument categorized teachers and students based on their perceptions of relationships and four common personality traits to determine if correlations to EOC scores existed.

The …

Culturally Relevant Practices And Community: Increasing Minority Leadership In School Administration To Improve School Climate, Cassandra Suggs, Joy N. Rogers

Dissertations

This dissertation and research looks into the area of Culturally Relevant Practices and Leadership in K-12 schools and the potential effect on all students in having minority leadership present. The research dives into interviews of teachers, hiring leaders, district leaders and building leaders. It also uses survey results from over 700 students, with the central theme of the questions around school safety, climate, culture, support, academics and a sense of belonging. The research purpose was to look into the potential positive effect on students and staff, if Culturally Relevant Practices and hiring of minority leadership was in place within school …

The Impact Of Organizational Citizenship And School Culture And Climate Behaviors Of Small Elementary School Principals, Teresa Cowan-Fayter

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine whether there was a relationship between the small school elementary principal organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) as measured by the Principal School OCB Survey and the student academic achievement on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in California small school districts. An additional purpose was to determine how small school elementary principals identify and describe the impact of their personal behaviors on school culture and climate.

Methodology: This is a mixed methods study. Archival data were collected from the California Department of Education (CDE) Dashboard, and additional …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Educational Reforms Implemented By Abu Dhabi Education Council On Teacher Efficacy In Al Ain Public Schools, Cherry Jean Recio

Dissertations

Teachers’ self- efficacy has been considered as one of the main contributors to quality teaching and job performance of teachers. Teachers’ self- efficacy may be influenced by factors such as educational reforms. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate teachers’ perceptions on whether educational reforms implemented by ADEC from 2005-2017 contributed to their self-efficacy and influenced their abilities to carry out their teaching jobs. The second aim of this dissertation is to investigate whether teachers’ perceptions of their self-efficacy differ in relationship to ADEC reforms based on a number of demographic factors such as gender, cycle, years of teaching …

Teachers Attitudes Regarding Adverse Childhood Experiences, Trauma-Informed Educational Practices, And Student Resiliency, Alyson Reynolds Kohl

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this convergent parallel design mixed methods case study was to determine how training on Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma-Informed Educational Practice affected the attitudes of teachers, in Shasta County’s Enterprise Elementary School District (EESD), regarding students who had experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). A further purpose of this study was to understand if teachers in EESD perceived training in ACE and Trauma-Informed Educational Practices (TIEP) was effective in changing their classroom practices to support the resiliency of students who had experienced ACEs.

Methodology: The methods for this research included: an online survey, The Attitudes Regarding Trauma-Informed …

Perceptions Of Southwest Missouri Public School K‒12 Teachers And Building Principals In Regard To Preparedness Of Culturally Responsive Teaching, Katie C. Kensinger

Dissertations

Over the past two decades, K‒12 public education demographics have reflected an increase in student diversity while over 80% of the teaching population remains White (Ramirez et al., 2016). As student demographics evolve, public schools must adjust to provide all students with an education relevant to their backgrounds and experiences (Jones-Good, 2015). Teachers must prioritize and be prepared to teach diverse groups of students (Gay, 2018). This mixed-methods study included an analysis of teacher and principal perceptions of their level of preparedness for culturally responsive teaching in four southwest Missouri school districts with diverse student populations. The focus was placed …

A Multiple Case Study Of The Training Of Instructors Teaching Inclusive Postsecondary Education Students In Typical College Courses, Enoh Nkana

Dissertations

Problem

Limited research exists regarding the professional development program processes and components used to train instructors to equip students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive greater support and access to the benefits of a postsecondary educational experience.

Purpose of the Study

The principal purpose of this research was to conduct a multiple case study of inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs known as Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) and/or Comprehensive Transition Programs (CTP) at institutions of higher education across the United States to examine training provided to instructors teaching students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who …

The Use Of Differentiated Instruction By Teachers Of The Columbia Union Seventh-Day Adventists, Jennifer Jill Bianco

Dissertations

The Problem

Teachers in the Columbia Union of Seventh-day Adventists were provided training in differentiated instruction training during the summers of 2013-2016. However, there were no formal follow-up communications to report or to share their experiences with implementing the newly learned method of instruction. The purposes of this study were (a) to describe the teachers' beliefs and levels of practice of differentiated instruction after completing the training; (b) to determine if there are differences in beliefs and practice; and (c) to describe methods of support for implementation of differentiated instructions.

Method

This study used a mixed-method design. The quantitative section …

An Evaluation Of School Culture And Its Impact On Student Achievement, Jeremy Johns-Klein

Dissertations

The purpose of this evaluation was to examine if a school’s culture impacts student academic achievement due to initial low attainment on state assessments and low graduation rates. The data collected provides both quantitative and qualitative information using a teacher survey, a teacher focus group, administrator interviews, and school achievement data. The results of the study indicate a need for stronger trust between teachers and administrators, increased professional development to support teaching and learning, and improved partnerships with the parents/guardians of the students. An additional result is that the school’s culture for learning can impact the achievement levels of the …

Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Techniques And Former Riverside County And San Bernardino County Teachers Of The Year: A Phenomenological Study, Brian Redmond

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine what former County Teachers of the Year understand and describe as the methods they use for culturally responsive classroom management with respect to Brown’s Five Culturally Responsive Factors (developing personal relationships, creating caring learning communities, establishing a business-like learning environment, establishing congruent communication processes and, teaching with assertiveness and clearly stating expectations).

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological design to discover what former County Teachers of the Year do to identify and describe as the methods they use for culturally responsive classroom management with respect to Brown’s Five Culturally …

Transforming Professional Development For Today's Educational Environment, Amy L. Geurkink-Coats, Richard A. Regina

Dissertations

Professional development is vital to education. It provides an opportunity for continued growth and learning for educators throughout their career. While teachers earn credentials and certification through a university, professional development is intended to hone skills and help teachers evolve in an ever-changing landscape. The changing landscape may involve technology, generational needs, or broader societal interests. This research is an analysis of the implementation of transformational professional development in one large suburban Midwestern school district and one large Midwestern high school in another district. It analyzes data regarding professional development and examines literature that studies teacher participation, attitudes, and transfer …

The Effects Of Rurality And Education Deserts On The Four-Year Degree Selection Of Aspiring Teacher Education Candidates In A Rural Community College Setting, Alice Faye Sanders

Dissertations

Teacher shortages exist across the nation, with greater shortages in middle school and secondary education (Center for Public Education, 2016). The purpose of this study was to determine the factors and barriers presented to teacher education candidates affecting the selection of their teacher education degrees in a rural community college setting. The research questions were designed to use quantitative survey questions administered to the teacher education candidate population of ABC College. Qualitative interview questions were used to gather data from the Director and Assistant Director of Enrollment Services/Student Development at ABC College. As a result of data analysis, misconceptions were …

An Investigation Into The Conceptualisations Of Leadership Among Early Childhood Teachers In Ireland., Edel Fenlon

Dissertations

Leadership in an Irish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) context is a new and emerging ideology at a policy and practice level. This study aimed to gain an understanding of the conceptualisations of leadership held by early childhood teachers who work directly with children in Ireland. This study explored the associations of leadership held by participants, recognition of leadership potential and attributes of effective leadership; through an interpretivist paradigm. Within this paradigm, a qualitative research design was selected to capture the lived experiences of leadership of participants. Six semi-structured interviews we completed with early childhood teachers from rural Ireland. …

School Principal's Leadership Style And Teacher's Self-Efficacy In High And Low Achieving Schools In Chikankata, Zambia, Pardon Mwansa

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose

Much research has been done in past years on the topic of student achievement, with most of those studies focusing on factors that contribute to student achievement. Little, or no research has been done, especially in the country of Zambia, that has focused on the relationship between leadership style, teacher self-efficacy, and the extent to which these constructs impact student achievement. This study explored the school principals' leadership style, teacher self-efficacy, and the extent to which these factors contribute to student achievement in Chikankata District, Zambia. The Ministry of Education in Zambia and other educators, especially those …

Teacher Talk: How Many White, Middle-Class, Female Educators Perpetuate White Privilege In School, Theresa Nomensen

Dissertations

This paper examines the ways middle-class, white, women, who comprise more than eighty percent of the teaching force in public schools perpetuate white supremacy in public schools, explicitly at looking at how and what middle-class, white teachers say to and about their students of color. I interrogate and analyze my own beliefs and experiences, using autoethnography, revealing my journey from learning about my white privilege to understanding how I perpetuate white privilege in schools. Using the theoretical framework of Critical Whiteness Studies, I will interrogate my own whiteness as I confront and wrestle with whiteness in myself and in five …

Building Teacher Self-Efficacy Through Administrator Feedback, Limary Trujillo Gutierrez

Dissertations

The study explored current site principals’ feedback practices that support or hinder teachers’ implementation of feedback, and identified site principal’s practices that encourage or interfere with teacher’s self-efficacy. Using qualitative interviews with site principals and teachers from two different districts and three different school sites, the study analyzed two major leadership practices: (a) an administrator’s ability to communicate effectively with teachers before, during, and after the feedback process, and (b) an administrator’s use of emotional intelligence when providing feedback. Data were separated into four feedback types (positive feedback, negative feedback, feedback and feedforward) and emotional intelligence traits (self-regulation, self-aware, empathy, …

Supporting A Growth Mindset In High School Classroom Teachers, Peter Abboud

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the strategies that California public high school principals utilized to develop a growth mindset in classroom teachers.

Methodology. This qualitative case study used interviews from 12 high school principals to gain an understanding for how they supported a growth mindset in their classroom teachers. The population for the case study was northern California high school principals, and the sample included high school principals from Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Marin, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties. To participate in the study, principals needed to be serving in at …

Stress And The Resiliency Of Teachers, Michelle L. Abiyou

Dissertations

This study used a mixed methods approach to examine the factors that cause teachers’ stress--specifically burnout and the strategies teachers use to become resilient. The study took place in a Midwest, rural school. Previous research suggests that stress is a common predictor of burnout (Torelli & Gmelch, 1992). Researchers have shown that teaching about stress and strategies to cope with stress are effective (Wu et al., 2006). However, there is limited research on the strategies used to cope effectively with teachers’ stress and burnout. The Maslach Burnout Inventory Educators Survey was used to assess the stress levels of sixty-one rural …

Applying A Cognitive-Behavioral Model To Conceptualize Burnout And Coping For Teachers In Urban Schools, Daniel Camacho

Dissertations

Teachers in urban schools, facing a myriad of daily stressors and oftentimes without sufficient knowledge and skills to manage the social and emotional needs of their students and themselves, experience stress and burnout at levels that cause them to leave the teaching profession at alarming rates. Research pertaining to teaching stress, burnout, and coping has largely been devoted to enumerating the stressors that teachers experience, the impact of burnout on teachers and their students, and relating type of coping strategies that teachers employ. This body of literature falls short of illuminating what makes the teaching profession so inherently stressful, the …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Exemplary National Blue Ribbon Elementary School Teachers In Improving Student Learning Through Effective Coaching Conversations With Their Principals: A Phenomenological Study, Kristin Watson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discover and describe how exemplary National Blue Ribbon Elementary School teachers improve student learning through effective coaching conversations with their principals. A second purpose was to explore the barriers they encountered to holding these conversations and actions they took to overcome barriers. The theoretical framework for this study was grounded in Lev Vygotsky’s sociohistorical viewpoints of development which relies on social interaction as an ingredient in the process of learning.

Methodology: This study employed a qualitative methodology utilizing in-depth and semi-structured interviews of 12 participants. Participants were identified in collaboration with the …

Perception Of Consultation Among Professional School Counselors, Teachers And Mental Health Professional Counselors, Brenda Lorraine Bryant

Dissertations

Abstract This is a study concerning the perception of consultation among school counselors, teachers, and mental health professional counselors (MHPCs) working collaboratively in the public school setting for the benefit of the academic and behavioral success of students. Although there are many consultation models and theoretical views (Brigman, Mullis, Webb, & White, 2005; Caplan, Caplan, & Erchul, 1995; Erchul & Conoley, 1991; Erford, 2011; Kampwirth, 2006), this study utilized the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) framework for consultation in schools. Although MHPCs are not considered school counselors by definition, and they are not compensated by school districts, they still serve …

Dual Enrollment Efficacy On College Readiness As Perceived By High School Dual Enrollment Teachers And Counselors In South Alabama, Shulanda Stallworth Franks

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Dual Enrollment teachers and high school counselors to compare and determine whether there are significant differences between their perceptions of college readiness among DE participants in South Alabama. Data was analyzed and presented based on its relevance to effectiveness. This study is relevant because scholars are unclear about the effects of DE on college readiness.

This research was designed to close some of the gaps in the literature and help education stakeholders to identify effective mechanisms to continue to develop and promote the Dual Enrollment program. This study examined …

A Comparison Of The Attitudes Of Administrators And Teachers On Cell Phone Use As An Educational Tool, Karen Smith Lockhart

Dissertations

Youth continue to make up the largest share of the cell phone market in the United States. In 2010, 58% of all 12 year olds owned their own cell phone. By 2015, 88% of teenagers owned a cell phone. Today’s teenagers are constantly on cell phones, using them to text, talk, access the internet, and take pictures. Technology is such a part of teenagers’ lives that they have been labeled by Marc Prensky and others as digital natives (2001). They have always had technology and cannot conceive of a world without it.

School systems have faced challenges with the new …

Preferences For Intrinsic And Extrinsic Sport Motivators Of Mississippi's Public Sschool Teachers, Jason Hugh Rayborn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if Mississippi’s teachers teach for the same motivational reasons that athletes practice their sport. Certified teachers (N=380) from Mississippi were asked to complete a modified version of the Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II) survey. This modified version of the instrument, the SMS-II-ED, included 18 questions from 6 different extrinsic, intrinsic, and a-motivational subgroups and one qualitative question for a total of 19 questions. Preliminary demographic items included teacher’s grade level taught (K-5, 6-8, 9-12), years’ experience (1-10, 11-19, 20+), and previous high school or collegiate sport participation (yes or no).

Descriptive statistics were …

The Induction Process Of Newly Hired Teachers Into The Existing School Culture Of Niles Community Schools, Zechariah Matthew Hoyt

Dissertations

Problem

Schools, like other organizations, provide capital resources and experiences that promote the professional development of their employees. Professional learning and skill development are essential for educators as they work to improve student achievement. However, conventional professional development often fails to provide a collaborative social construction of knowledge that supports educators in transforming their schools into a strong culture of shared learning. This is especially evident when induction programs do not provide collaborative environments for new teachers to work with each other and other experienced teachers. This study explored the induction of newly hired personnel within a district located in …

The Implementation Of Common Core Standards And Teacher Intent To Persist, Eddie Miles Louis Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the implementation of the Common Core Standards (CCS) into schools had an impact on teacher intent to persist in the classroom. Specifically, this study sought to determine if the implementation of the CCS was a factor of novice and veteran teachers’ intent to persist in schools located in south Mississippi. A review of the literature indicated that teacher shortages were not primarily due to recruitment and training, but rather, to a significant extent, were the result of teachers leaving the profession long before retirement (Ingersoll & Smith, 2004).

Data were collected …

Performance Assessment For Quality Teaching: Three Critical Variables For Measuring And Improving Teaching And Learning, Kathleen L. Gallagher Phd

Dissertations

While outstanding teachers are any school system's most important investment, assessing the quality of instructional practice has proven to be an ongoing challenge for the profession. Despite assertions that effective teachers are the single most important school-related factor responsible for increased learning, no teacher's employment is dependent on their performance in the classroom or the quality of instruction that they provide. This problem has fueled a growing mistrust in school districts nationwide, specifically in the area of teacher evaluation. One possible explanation is that the profession lacks the scaled level of expertise needed to evaluate instruction consistently and in a …

Data-Driven Decision Making: Teachers' Use Of Data In The Classroom, Tammy Wu Moriarty Phd

Dissertations

Data-driven decision making has become an important educational issue in the United States, primarily because of federal and state emphasis on school accountability and achievement. Data use has been highlighted as a key factor in monitoring student progress and informing decision making at various levels of the education system. Federal and state policies require educators to use data to inform decision making and the assumption is that educators already know how to analyze, interpret, and use data to make informed decisions. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of classroom teachers' engagement in data-driven decision making …