Education Commons^™

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Public Policy And Their Impact On Teacher Retention, Carl Bryan

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Fewer issues have received more attention by education researchers than understanding the global teacher shortage, especially in public schools. Concurrent with this issue is the concern that the rate of teacher hires is insufficient to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse body of students. Further, while the research on job satisfaction, specifically in understanding their impact on teacher retention, is multifaceted, causal data underlying these approaches have been limited. This research gains significance in light of policymakers’ increasing calls for restructuring the way schools do business to effectively meet the diverse needs of students, often in spite of already-limited …

Designing An Educational Robotics Curriculum To Teach Mathematical Concepts While Fostering A Growth Mindset: A Self-Study, Lauren Harter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the development and implementation of a five-day curriculum designed to enhance students' understanding of algebraic concepts through the integration of educational robotics and growth mindset principles. The study is structured around three research questions that investigate influences on decision-making in curriculum design, the alignment of teaching intents with practices, and the impact of self-study on integrating algebra, robotics, and growth mindset principles. Findings reveal themes focused on the importance of research and collaboration, using the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework, intentional curriculum creation, starting somewhere, personal growth and self-reflection, and experiencing and embodying constructivism in action. The …

Assessment Of Inquiry-Based Learning Practice In Response To The Science Achievement Gap Of City Schools, Lexus K. Baxendale,

Masters Theses

Over the past few decades, many city schools have seen a decline in graduation rates, attendance, rates, and standardized test scores. Once high achieving schools, are now struggling to get students to attend school let alone graduate. One specific area that has experienced this decline is K-12 science education. As a secondary science educator working within a city district, I have witnessed firsthand the substantial gaps in knowledge that many students exhibit even as they transition into high school. These gaps are often profound and can be traced back to the early stages of their education, where foundational scientific concepts …

Teacher Knowledge And Confidence Integrating Social Change Concepts In K–12 Classrooms, Amy White, Fran Reed, Tina Marshall-Bradley, Kathy Strang

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

The purpose of this survey research was to examine the perspectives of K–12 classroom teachers about their knowledge of social change concepts and their confidence in implementing these into their existing curriculum. A questionnaire was used to (a) examine the perspectives of K–12 classroom teachers about the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to implement social change concepts into their teaching and (b) define areas of social change that teachers struggle to implement in K–12 classrooms. We employed Wilcoxen signed rank tests to determine if differences existed between what teachers reported they knew and their confidence in integrating 11 social …

District-Level Instructional Leaders’ Perceptions Of Obstacles When Implementing District-Wide Change Initiatives—A Delphi Study, Ashley Fulmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify what expert district-level administrative instructional leaders perceive as obstacles when implementing district-wide change initiatives to improve student achievement and well-being through a shared leadership approach, to rate the degree of importance of the identified obstacles, and to describe the most effective strategies to overcome the highest rated obstacles identified.

Methodology: This study used the Delphi methodology to collect data from expert district-level administrative instructional leaders through three rounds of survey questionnaires. The expert panel was selected through purposive, convenience, and expert nomination sampling methods. In Round 1, the expert panel …

The Politics Of Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education: A Panel, Lonice Eversley, Richard Haynes, Asya Johnson, Dina Klein, Diana E. Lemon, Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Natalie P. Byfield

Journal of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

No abstract provided.

Not 'Fit In More,' I Would Say 'Stand Out Less': Dialogical Learning With A Filipino-American High School Student In A Predominantly White High School: A Case Study, Cristofer G. Slotoroff Ed.D.

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This piece seeks to amplify the voice of Jamie: a Filipino-American student in a predominantly White high school. Through a series of dialogues, the researcher seeks to take an intentional, purposeful step toward uncovering how Jamie's understanding of her school's cultural makeup influences her education, her self-conception, and her identity.

Through a series of qualitative interviews, the researcher seeks to value the singularity of Jamie's experience while, alternatively, taking note of how a better knowledge of her circumstances lends insight into the nuanced educational experiences of minority students in predominantly White schools. Using Shields's (2004) dialogical leadership for social justice …

Identifying Instructional Design Strategies In Differentiated Instruction In China: A Systematic Review, Haizhi Fu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Differentiated instruction (DI) is defined as an approach that allows teachers to strategically and proactively plan and vary curriculum design and delivery to address students’ individual needs and to create meaningful student experiences. Since China’s New Curriculum Reform in 2001, DI has been extensively employed to motivate teachers to be curriculum developers and researcher practitioners. Teachers were encouraged to develop a diverse curriculum by connecting students’ and teachers’ life experiences and prior knowledge to the course content. Despite this popularity, the DI practice has been met with great difficulties and challenges in China, and few studies have identified instructional design …

“Los Programadores Debieron Pensarse Como Dos Veces”: Exploring The Intersections Of Language, Power And Technology With Bi/Multilingual Students, Sara Vogel

Publications and Research

Critical computing approaches to K-12 Computer Science (CS) education aim to promote justice in computing and the wider world. Despite being intertwined with inequitable power dynamics in computing, issues of linguistic (in)justice have received less attention in critical computing. In this article, I draw on theoretical ideas from sociolinguistics and critical computing to analyze qualitative data collected in computing and technology-integrated language and humanities classes serving emergent bi/multilingual middle school students. Conversations about language, technology, and power were close at hand in focal classrooms, and surfaced in moments when students acted as users and critics of, and tinkerers with digital …

Educating For Democracy: Policy Recommendations For The Revitalization Of Civic Learning In The United States, Meghan E. O'Brien

Community Engagement Student Work

The recent decades have brought upon a dramatic shift in the United States’ political and social climate. Increases in ideological polarization and extremism have taken hold as individual trust, knowledge, and participation in democratic processes has declined (Gould et al., 2011). These trends have contributed to the rising severity of social issues facing the United States - climate change, income inequality, systemic racism - as well as an inability to collectively address these issues. The need for a solution to these trends has never been greater as the nation struggles to perfect a democratic structure in which citizens are equitably …

Teacher Perceptions Of E-Learning During Covid-19 In Low-And-High-Income Schools, Thomas Allen Cooper Ii

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined if there were significant differences among K-12 teachers at low-income and high-income schools on their perceptions of various aspects of e-learning due to COVID-19. The study also sought to collect data concerning how teachers’ perceptions of technology may have changed, what factors impacted their ability to conduct e-learning, and what factors most impacted their students’ performance during e-learning due to COVID-19. A concurrent nested mixed-methods design was used. A 15-item self-report survey containing both Likert scale and open-ended questions was developed by the researcher to assess differences in teachers’ perceptions. Findings indicated a statistically significant difference in …

Rapid Shifts In Educators’ Perceptions Of Data Literacy Priorities, Kristin Fontichiaro, Melissa P. Johnston

Journal of Media Literacy Education

To meet the challenges of a data-driven society, high school students need new arrays of literacy skills. In the United States, school librarians, who work across disciplines, are well-positioned to help students improve their data practice, but they first need new domain knowledge. This article presents findings from an evaluating survey and session evaluation data from a virtual data literacy conference, which were part of a federally-funded project to develop data literacy skills among high school librarians and educators. Findings indicated a noticeable shift in participant perceptions of the need and urgency for data literacy instruction across content areas and …

Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning To Support 21st Century Learners, Nikki Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teacher perceptions of blended learning as an instructional methodology for addressing the needs of diverse learners. The researcher explored the perceptions of teachers who were participating in an ongoing professional development program within their school district. This program focused on improving teaching and learning through the implementation of a blended learning approach. The researcher examined the experiences of teachers as they learned to adapt pedagogical practices to address the learning needs of 21st century students through blended learning. The researcher sought to gain a better understanding of how teachers perceived that …

Teacher Characteristics And Blended Learning Adoption In Stem-Focused Charter Schools, Omer Faruk Polat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As an innovative teaching strategy, blended learning provides an environment where students are able to receive individualized instruction based on their needs. Even though the number of schools that adopt blended models of instruction has been increasing nationwide, the number of studies that explore the relationship between teacher characteristics and blended learning use is limited. This quantitative survey study explored the relationship between selected characteristics of teachers and the levels of blended learning adoption in charter schools with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) focus. The concerns-based adoption model (CBAM) was used as a theoretical lens as it provided tools …

Black Students, White Schools, And Racism: Exploring The Experiences, Challenges, And Resilience Of Black Students At Private K-12 Predominantly White Institutions (Pwis) Through Adult Reflections, Sade Ojuola

Master's Theses

This project examines the challenging racialized experiences of Black students who attended private predominantly white institutions (PWIs) during their K-12 education, with a particular focus on the long-term impact of those experiences. The existing literature contains valuable data about the experiences of Black students in predominantly white private schools. However, an important gap in the literature exists regarding the reflections and understandings developed over time by Black adults who attended predominantly white private schools. This field project aims to explore the beliefs that were borne of those experiences and how those experiences ultimately become interwoven into a Black student’s identity …

Stem Shift Action Plan, Nancy L. Ledbetter

Transformations

That there is an ever-growing need for students to enter STEM fields is no longer news. The need for people to fill STEM related jobs continues to expand (Bybee, 2013). Today’s students are global citizens who will need to collaborate and communicate with people around the world when they enter the workforce. Therefore, it is imperative that they are prepared with problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication skills before they enter secondary school (Myers & Berkowicz, 2015). Knowing that this must be done is the easy part, figuring out how to do it is the challenge. STEM must be incorporated into …

Teaching Undergraduates How To Analyze, Ryan Andrew Nivens, Rosalind Raymond Gann

Ryan Andrew Nivens

Analysis is typically the first of the higher functions listed in taxonomies of higher order thinking. Academics consider these upper categories extremely worthwhile, but they are hard to teach and we are apt to ignore them. Today higher education is being criticized for “dumbing down” curriculum or lowering standards. To rectify this, many policies at the state or national level are requiring higher education institutions to change. In K‐12 education, Race to the Top and Common Core requirements are placing new demands on K‐12 teacher preparation, which include evaluation of the analysis skills of pre‐service teachers. But professors do not …

Perceptions And Practice: The Relationship Between Teacher Perceptions Of Technology Use And Level Of Classroom Technology Integration, Laura Marie Sawyer

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This correlational-predictive study investigated the relationship between teacher perceptions of technology use and observed classroom technology integration level using the Technology Uses and Perceptions Survey (TUPS) and the Technology Integration Matrix-Observation (TIM-O) instruments, developed by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) at USF. Anonymized data were obtained from FCIT that included 51 teachers from a Florida school district who completed the TUPS and were observed using the TIM-O. Linear regression was used to determine the overall relationship between perceptions and technology integration, as well as the overall predictive value of teacher perceptions on technology integration level. Both were found …

Living And Leading In A Digital Age: A Narrative Study Of The Attitudes And Perceptions Of School Leaders About Media Literacy, Kerrigan R. Mahoney, Tehmina Khwaja

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Students graduating from K-12 education need media literacy skills to engage, participate, and learn in a world in which literacy must keep pace with rapidly changing technologies. Given the significant roles school administrators play in providing leadership and vision to their schools, this narrative study addresses the research question: What are school administrators’ perceptions of, and attitudes about, media literacy? Through the stories of six K-12 school administrators, we highlight the connections of their experiences and attitudes to the actions they take to support media literacy learning, and their visions for technology, instruction, and learning in their schools.

Examining Effective Characteristics Of Professional Development In K-12 Education Since The Inception Of The No Child Left Behind Act Of 2002: A Meta-Analytic Investigation, Eugene M. Thomas, Karen H. Larwin

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

With the dire financial crisis facing our national and state economy, schools are forced to reduce budgets while simultaneously improve program delivery. Professional development is the mechanism that is generally used to facilitate improving educational delivery and subsequently student achievement results. This investigation examines the influence of professional development on student achievement since No Child Left Behind. Results indicate that professional development can have a moderate impact on student achievement. A number of moderators were found to have a positive significant impact on this effect including the level of students, the duration of the professional development, the discipline area focus …

Indiana, Susan R. Adams

Susan Adams

Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th state on December 11, 1816. Corydon, Indiana, located in southern Indiana, was the first state capitol until 1825, when the capital was moved to a more central location in Indianapolis. Indiana, located in the midwest, was formerly part of the Indiana Territory, dissolved in 1798. The first governor of the territory was William Henry Harrison, who served from 1800 until 1813. Harrison later became the into president of the United States, in 1840. Two constitutions have been ratified in Indiana: the first in 1816, and the current constitution in 1851. Indiana …

Teaching Undergraduates How To Analyze, Ryan Andrew Nivens, Rosalind Raymond Gann

ETSU Faculty Works

Analysis is typically the first of the higher functions listed in taxonomies of higher order thinking. Academics consider these upper categories extremely worthwhile, but they are hard to teach and we are apt to ignore them. Today higher education is being criticized for “dumbing down” curriculum or lowering standards. To rectify this, many policies at the state or national level are requiring higher education institutions to change. In K‐12 education, Race to the Top and Common Core requirements are placing new demands on K‐12 teacher preparation, which include evaluation of the analysis skills of pre‐service teachers. But professors do not …

Indiana, Susan R. Adams

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th state on December 11, 1816. Corydon, Indiana, located in southern Indiana, was the first state capitol until 1825, when the capital was moved to a more central location in Indianapolis. Indiana, located in the midwest, was formerly part of the Indiana Territory, dissolved in 1798. The first governor of the territory was William Henry Harrison, who served from 1800 until 1813. Harrison later became the into president of the United States, in 1840. Two constitutions have been ratified in Indiana: the first in 1816, and the current constitution in 1851. Indiana …

Preservice Teachers’ Attitudes, Familiarity, Use, And Perceived Applicability Of Content Area Reading Strategies, Bridgette Ladonna Davis

Dissertations

The influence of field based-experiences in K-12 classroom and grade level licensure area on preservice teachers’ attitudes, familiarity, use, and perceived applicability of content area reading instruction was examined for 597 participants from three state-supported universities in a southeastern state in the United States. These participants who were seeking either K-6 or 7-12 licensures represented three levels of field-based classroom experience: (a) no field-based experience, (b) some non-sustained field-based experience, and (c) a full-semester of field-based experience. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and two instruments, the Attitudes toward Content Area Reading (ATCAR) questionnaire and the Content Area Reading …

A Revolutionary Model To Improve Science Education, Teachers, And Scientists, Susan H. Brawley, Judith Pusey, Barbara J.W. Cole, Lauree E. Gott, Stephen A. Norton

Maine Policy Review

To meet many modern global challenges, we need to promote scientific and technical literacy. The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) supports a “revolutionary” program to connect science education at all levels, from elementary through graduate school. The authors demonstrate how Maine has benefited from this program. They describe the University of Maine’s NSF-funded “GK-12 STEM” program, which placed graduate and advanced undergraduate science and technology students in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms; provided equipment for the schools; and offered training and professional development for the partner teachers. The authors urge the state, universities, and school districts to continue to …