Education Commons^™

Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions Of Opportunities And Challenges, Shelby Eversole

Masters Theses

This study investigates the perspectives of opportunities and challenges of middle school mathematics’ teachers. To gain these perspectives, an ethnographic study was conducted by interviewing four middle school mathematics teachers in central Illinois. The results of this study imply that teachers of different backgrounds and teaching environments have varying perspectives about challenges and opportunities in the classroom. Limitations of this study include but are not limited to, the researcher having one year to conduct the research, only four teachers from two schools being interviewed, interviewees teaching different grade levels, no rural setting involvement, one educator having little teaching experience, teachers’ …

Implementing Reading Strategies With Ell Elementary Students, Nelofar Khamisani

Masters Theses

This study shows the challenges the English Language Learners face in learning reading at the Elementary level; implementing reading strategies for them; and choosing effective strategies for the students to learn reading more easily. The findings of the study show that teachers use different strategies according to the language proficiency level of the students. ELL students face challenges in communication, pronunciation, sound recognition, and vocabulary. As a strategy to overcome these challenges, the teachers emphasize learning phonics and vocabulary. Observations of three teachers in three mainstream classrooms show that teachers implement nearly similar strategies for teaching phonics and vocabulary. The …

The Development And Implications Of Social Studies And History Curricula In Ghana, Razak Kwame Dwomoh

Masters Theses

Current research shows the social studies taught at lower grade levels in Ghana incorporates minimal historical content, and Ghana's history in the curricula may fade away without careful considerations. This study examined the development of the social studies subject within the curricula within Ghana, the quantity and quality of historical content prevalent in the middle and high-level schools' curricula. The study was an extrapolation of the U.S. curricula, and juxtaposed with Ghana. Qualitatively, data were collected through Face-Time interviews of participants. Participants comprised 41 social studies and history teachers and administrators at the middle and high schools in the Akuapem …

Gifted Education In Elementary Schools, Danielle Wilkinson

Masters Theses

Gifted students have enormous potential, yet there are few consistent opportunities for gifted students to receive challenging instruction. Drawing upon literature detailing the history of gifted education nationally and in Illinois, this study sought to find what services were currently offered to Illinois students, and if the opportunities for gifted students were related to a district’s state funding tier. Findings indicated that the elementary gifted services being offered and the ways in which eligibility is determined were inconsistent among districts. In addition, many districts who offer gifted services are using local/community funds in order to provide services regardless of their …

Middle School And High School Teachers' Actual And Perceived Use Of Praise And Reprimand, Melissa Beaudoin

Masters Theses

This study aimed to examine teachers' natural praise and reprimand rates among 66 middle and high school teachers. In addition, teachers' perceptions of how often they praised and reprimanded were compared to their actual use of praise and reprimands. A total of 1,320 direct-observation minutes were collected using 20-min observations for each teacher. After teachers were observed they completed a survey rating their perceived use of praise and reprimand. Teachers were observed to use significantly more general praise compared to behavior specific praise. They were also observed to use significantly more mild reprimands compared to any other type of reprimand. …

Teacher Perceptions Of Evidence-Based Classroom Management Practices, Chloe Lindstrom

Masters Theses

The current study examined teachers' perceptions of 20 evidence based classroom management strategics. Participants were asked to complete an online survey that required them to rate their use, acceptability, and self-efficacy for each of the strategies, as well as demographic questions such as whether they had taken a behavior management course during their training program, and how long they have been teaching. Participants included 202 kindergarten through eighth grade teachers across the state of Illinois. Results indicated that teachers on average reported using 18 of the 20 strategies, and that there was not a significant difference in number of strategies …

Middle And High School Teachers' Praise And Reprimand Delivery, Emma Riedesel

Masters Theses

The benefits of increasing teacher praise and decreasing teacher reprimand (for both students and teachers) is well-established in the literature. The purpose of this study was to expand the literature on teachers' natural use of praise and reprimand, specifically in terms of how teachers deliver praise and reprimand. Sixty-six middle (sixth through eighth grade) and high school (ninth through twelfth grade) teachers' delivery of praise and reprimand to individual (one student), small clusters (two to six students), and large groups (seven or more students) during a 20-minute observation were examined. Teachers delivered significantly more general praise to individual students, rather …

Thoughts Of A First Year Teacher: Know Your Students, Caitlin King

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This Ethnographic Narrative is a research based look into the lives of socially disadvantaged students in a low-income area. It breaks down the assets and needs of each student individually and discusses how to better help them academically and socially based on their individual personalities and needs. The narrative also discusses the community in which these individual students live and attend school, it looks at research on the community to determine how each student is affected by the city that they live in. Finally the narrative concludes by looking at the teacher over the course of this past year and …

Ethnographic Narrative Project, Kimberly Goodwin

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This paper details the journey of a first-year teacher. It is a highly reflective exploration of their inner landscape – one that documents the development of the teaching self in relation to students and society at large. Separated into four distinct sections, this work serves as an account of personal motivation to teach, getting to know students beyond the classroom walls, immersion in the community to situate educational work, and a comprehensive reflection upon teaching effectiveness and the evolution of the educating self. Development as a professional educator as stated in Teacher Performance Expectation (TPE) 6 demands continual introspection and …

Memories Of The Teacher: A Reflection Of Enduring Ideals, Katherine Cooke

CGU Theses & Dissertations

In order to educate my students in my first year of teaching, I embarked upon a research project that would allow me to get to know their strengths and needs in addition to identifying my own possible biases and pre-conceived educational ideas. My research spreads from my own life to the lives of three focus students from various populations: one English learner, one student who receives special education services, and one student who has had significant life experiences that might contribute to his academic work. I interviewed all three students and their families to develop an action plan to help …

Emotional Intelligence Instruction For Millennials In Undergraduate Education, Jason M. Pollett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the improvement, if any, of emotional intelligence scores of students who participated in and completed the specified professional development seminar. In addition, this study aimed to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence subscales of students enrolled in a professional development seminar that focuses on enhancing the emotional intelligence. The research design for this study was an ex post facto, quasi-experimental correlational quantitative research design. Data from the 371 students who enrolled in the Professional Development Seminar course during academic years 2015-2017 served as the sample for this study.

This study focused on …

Revealing The Human Resource Development Discourse: A Mixed Methods Study Of Similarities And Differences In Academic And Practitioner Language, Or Labels-In-Use, Holly D. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Woven within the pages of HRD’s historical literature, a variety of scholarly voices can be found drawing attention to the increasing inconsistency in the language of the field. Within the literature, we also find evidence of a long-standing discord and debate regarding the field’s definition and identified boundaries. This is the first study that attempts to elevate the conversation of HRD’s definition to that of an exploration of what is shared, and what makes the discipline’s members unique. Utilizing Li’s (2009) lens of disciplinary identity and elements of Gee’s (1999) theory of Discourse, this study presents a concept of what …

Computer Science In The Elementary Classroom: The Basics, Mary Grace Belle Hill

Honors Theses

Computer Science is often ranked with Nuclear Physics or Biochemical Engineering; people understand it is an academic discipline, but have no desire to study or learn anything about it. With the introduction of Arkansas Computer Science Standards in the elementary classroom, many teachers wonder how to satisfy these and to do so without full knowledge of computer science and alongside all the other demands they must meet in the classroom. This paper covers my interest in computer science and why it is needed in elementary schools, specifically in Arkansas. It also incorporates the standards, including a chart of all the …

L’Apprentissage Autonome Dans La Didactique Des Langues Étrangères: L’Enseignement À L’Université, Santiago Rosero Ojeda

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

Este artículo de investigación se enmarca en la línea de investigación “Saber educativo, pedagógico y didáctico”, y tuvo como objetivo fundamental interpretar estudios que buscan encontrar/demostrar una relación entre el aprendizaje autodirigido y el aprendizaje de idiomas extranjeros en un entorno universitario. Esta investigación se realizó teniendo en cuenta catorce investigaciones que abordaron la problemática del aprendizaje autónomo en la universidad de manera práctica desde el plano de la investigación experimental. Por un lado, este ejercicio investigativo tuvo cuatro elementos teóricos concretamente: La dimensión afectiva y motivacional, Apoyo y rol del profesor, Estrategias, ritmo y factores de aprendizaje y el …

Desarrollo Académico Del Profesor Universitario Estudio De Caso Universidad De La Salle Bogotá-Colombia, Yineth Adriana Villamizar Naranjo

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

No abstract provided.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Participation In Elt Content-Based Classes: A Study Of Positioning, Paula Natalia Castillo Rivera, Valentina Jiménez Malpica, Frank Camilo Ortíz Sánchez, Nicoll Carolaine Mejia Santiago

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

El presente trabajo de investigación busca explorar las razones y maneras en las cuales los profesores en formación participan en clases de contenido en inglés del programa de pregrado en la enseñanza del idioma inglés de la Universidad de La Salle. Este estudio determina el modo en el cual las formas de participación de los profesores en formación configuran el desarrollo de estas clases de contenido, y las razones que hacen que los estudiantes participen. El trabajo sigue los principios de la teoría de posicionamiento en un grupo de 21 estudiantes en la clase de contenido “Intercultural Communication”. Observaciones participantes, …

The Role Of Icts In The Initial Education Of Foreign Language Teachers, Heisson Javier Sánchez Peña, Andrea Yulitza Castro Gómez

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

Este informe de semillero de investigación presenta tres constructos teóricos que sirven como base para entender los procesos tecnológicos implicados en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera. De igual manera, permite conocer los resultados del análisis de un cuestionario que recoge las opiniones de los estudiantes de primero a sexto semestre, de la Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras, de la universidad de La Salle, sobre el valor de una herramienta tecnológica - curso Pearson English Interactive de la plataforma My English Lab de Pearson- para el aprendizaje del inglés y potenciar el desarrollo de la autonomía, …

Escuela, Formación Docente Y Práctica Reflexiva En Maestros De Ied Debora Arango Pérez E Ied Brazuelos, Katherine Escobar Garzón

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

El presente trabajo de investigación, indaga sobre las comprensiones que tienen los maestros de instituciones educativas distritales de Bogotá sobre práctica reflexiva, formación docente y escuela. El propósito de esta investigación por parte de los integrantes del semillero de investigación EVA, del grupo Educación y Sociedad consiste en rastrear y analizar la relación que los maestros tienen de escuela a partir de la percepción de su formación inicial y sus experiencias, la reflexión de las acciones y procesos que pueden surgir en la escuela. La investigación se realizó dentro del paradigma cualitativo, utilizando la fenomenología como método de estudio en …

Escuela, Formación Docente Y Práctica Reflexiva En Maestros De Ied Los Pinos E Ied Alfredo Iriarte De Bogotá, Cindy Johana Suárez Daza

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

El presente trabajo de investigación indaga, sobre las comprensiones que tienen los maestros de instituciones educativas distritales de Bogotá sobre práctica reflexiva, formación docente y Escuela. El propósito de la investigación por parte de los integrantes del semillero de investigación EVA, del grupo de investigación Educación y Sociedad consistente, en rastrear y analizar la relación que los maestros tienen de Escuela a partir de la percepción de su formación inicial y sus experiencias, la reflexión de las acciones y procesos que pueden surgir en la Escuela. La investigación se realizó dentro del paradigma cualitativo, utilizando la fenomenología como método de …

Learning Journey As An Educator Ethnography, Seleni Alcantar

CGU Theses & Dissertations

What makes an effective teacher? This is the question I have tried to answer as I developed this ethnographic narrative. What is written here for you to read is an outline of what my experiences have been for the past two years, although it could have been my first year of teaching, but because I set back in the program, I will talk about both my first and second year of teaching. It traces back to the early expectations and hopes to more complex understandings of my students and myself. It has been 19 months since I started writing my …

Implementation Of The Instructional Practices Inventory – Technology Process With Fidelity: The Impact On Technology Use And Student Cognitive Engagement, Mekca Rae Wallace-Spurgin

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to determine if students were using the recently purchased Chromebooks as well as if they were cognitively engaged when using the technology. Data collected using the IPI-T process suggested teachers were typically the users of the technology, students were often disengaged, and teachers were asking students to participate in lower-order surface activities. Missing from the process was the implementation of the faculty collaborative sessions.

The writer scheduled dates to collect data three times during the 2018-19 school year. In addition, faculty collaborative sessions were planned and facilitated within one week of collection data. Participating in …

Exploring Early Childhood Teachers' Beliefs And Perceptions About The Use Of Technology In The Classroom, Sharron Hallanger

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how the professional beliefs and perceptions of teachers in early childhood education (ECE) influenced their acceptance for the use of interactive technology as a learning tool for children. Eight primary grade teachers at a rural school district in Washington State were interviewed. Of the eight ECE teachers, two had no student technology use in their classrooms. The second group of two teachers had some student technology use on a weekly basis, and the last group of four teachers utilized daily student technology use in their classrooms. The sample subjects were interviewed …

Exploring Alumni Valuation Of An Undergraduate Leadership Program, John D. Egan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored alumni’ valuation of an undergraduate leadership program by gaining an understanding of what leadership learning and leadership behaviors transferred into their work environments. The alumni graduated from the same university in the southeastern United States, and while enrolled completed a four-year, co-curricular leadership program. In this mixed methods study, eight participant alumni engaged in semi-structured interviews as well as completed the Leadership Practices Inventory. Alumni perceived that leadership experiences, learning community, classroom learning, peer coaching, and intentional reflection were the most valuable attributes of the program. The leadership learning that effectively transferred to work environments included collaboration, …

The Associations Between The Perception Of Helpfulness Of Teacher Induction Programs, Teacher Self-Efficacy, And Anticipated First-Year Teacher Retention In Shanghai Public Primary Schools, Xiaotian Han

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to: (a) determine to what extent the formalized teacher induction programs (TIPs) in Shanghai are perceived to be helpful for first-year public primary school teachers; (b) measure teacher self-efficacy and anticipated job retention of first-year teachers in Shanghai public primary schools; and (c) examine the degree to which these perceptions of helpfulness, teacher self-efficacy, and anticipated job retention are associated. In this study, retention is defined as remaining in a public primary school in Shanghai. Shanghai TIPs are one-year long, mandatory programs for first-year teachers in Shanghai public primary schools. The conceptual framework of …

Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs In Relation To Perceived English Proficiency And Teaching Practices: An Investigation Of Chinese Primary English As A Foreign Language (Efl) Teachers, Yun Zhang

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Research on self-efficacy has been a productive field and abundant research has shown that teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs influence teachers’ actions and performances and thus affect students’ learning outcomes. However, there is a lack of literature on EFL teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and even less research was set in Chinese EFL contexts. On the one hand, this study was conducted to provide a general picture of the current status of EFL teachers’ perceived English proficiency, self-rated self-efficacy beliefs and self-reported teaching practices in terms of some demographic perspectives; On the other hand, it aimed to explore the correlations among Chinese primary EFL …

Improving School Culture To Enhance Academic Achievement At Samad Islamic School: A Change Leadership Plan, Hanan Matari, Ruqia Ali

Dissertations

The purpose of this leadership change plan was to understand the influence of Samad School’s culture on students’ academic achievement. The goal was to help Samad Islamic School to develop and follow an action plan to improve school culture. Wagner et al.’s (2006) 4C’s change leadership model was used to analyze four dimensions of the school: context, conditions, competencies, and culture. An adapted version of the School Culture Triage Survey was used to collect data. Survey results were presented to and discussed among teachers in both large and small group settings followed by written individual teacher reflections on the process. …