Education Commons^™

Empowering Literacy Instruction With Ipads: Teacher Reflection In A Multilayered Professional Development Approach, Kathleen M. Wilson, Laurie A. Friedrich

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

This collective case study (Stake, 1995) examines teacher growth in applying mobile technology to teaching and learning as evidenced in reflections on integrating iPads as teaching and learning tools in a university clinical setting. Graduate students, who were new to tablet technology, were given iPads during a summer session course to use as part of their course requirements and for personal use. Each participant successfully incorporated this technology in completing course assignments, creatively tutoring an elementary grade child with reading and writing difficulties, coaching a preservice teacher in the Secondary Special Education program during tutoring, and communicating with instructors.

Technology Implementation: Teacher Age, Experience, Self-Efficacy, And Professional Development As Related To Classroom Technology Integration, Stephanie Renee Tweed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the combination of factors that pertain to the implementation of new technologies in the classroom. Specifically, the study was an analysis of the age of the teacher, years of teaching experience, quality of professional development, and teacher self-efficacy as defined by Bandura (1997) to examine the manner in which these factors relate to implementing new technologies in the classroom. Participants in this study were located in 2 different school districts in East Tennessee. All data were collected through an online survey distributed to K-5 teachers by way of email from school …

Professional Development And Teacher Perception Of Efficacy For Inclusion, Susan E. Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed for the purpose of quantitatively examining the significant elements of reform-based professional development and their relationship to teachers’ self-efficacies for inclusion. The theoretical frameworks for this study were drawn from Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy and social cognitive theory in addition to pre-existing research pertaining to professional development and teacher efficacy for inclusion.

A web based survey was developed and made available for voluntary participation to a total population of 385 elementary school teachers in one East Tennessee school district. Data were collected from 79 elementary school teachers in 14 of the district’s elementary schools.

Findings included no …

Teachers' Mental Health Literacy And Capacity Towards Student Mental Health, Tamara D. Daniszewski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current youth mental health care system is ineffective at meeting the needs of Canadian youth. More than ever, teachers are placed on the frontlines of mental health care provision, including identification and intervention delivery. The present study explored teachers’ mental health literacy and capacity in the context of providing help to their students. Secondary data from a large-scale survey of teachers in one Ontario school board was analyzed to assess teachers’ current levels of knowledge, awareness and comfort levels in student mental health care. Teachers were compared based on teaching experience, school division, and school location, in terms of …

Full Steam Ahead – A Collaborative Colloquium, Hilary Dito

The STEAM Journal

On February 2, 2012, Contra Costa County Office of Education organized its 2^nd Annual STEAM Colloquium: Full STEAM Ahead. This forum brought together over 150 educators, business leaders and community members to discuss and share best practices in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education

Professional Development In Cte Data Driven Methods: Development Of A Research-Based Intervention, John Foster, Carol L. Hodes, Patricia Kelley, Sandra Pritz

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

An initial survey conducted by the authors in 2009 determined the amount and type of preparation career technical educators (CTE) had regarding the use of assessment data for program and instructional improvement; this survey was the basis for development of an intervention for teachers on interpretation of assessment data for improvement of classroom instruction. The intervention, titled Career and Technical Educators Using a Data Driven Improvement Model or CTEDDI, was developed and successfully piloted in five states during spring semester 2010; the results of the pilot study have been used to revise the materials and process to produce a professional …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Teacher Support Approaches In Afghanistan, Noorullah Noori

Master's Capstone Projects

This research explores the effectiveness of three teacher professional development (TPD) approaches in the context of Afghanistan: 2-year in-service teacher education; short-term (ad-hoc) teacher training; and teacher learning circles (TLC). In this research, I compare these three models, their impact on improving teacher quality and subsequently student outcome. I applied the mix-methods approach by using three different research tools: classroom observations, self-administered questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. I also reviewed student performance records over four semesters; from 2010 to 2011. Despite many challenges, the results show three core strengths of each of these models: the 2-year in-service teacher …

An Investigation Of Traditional Professional Development Versus Reform Professional Development And The Implementation Of Strategies, Curriculum And Classroom Environment By Prekindergarten Teachers, Helen Marie Oliver-Brooks

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

AN INVESTIGATION OF TRADITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT VERSUS REFORM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIES, CURRICULUM AND CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT BY PRE- KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS

by

HELEN OLIVER-BROOKS

May 2013

Advisor: Dr. Marc Rosa

Major: Curriculum and Instruction

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this study is to investigate differences between traditional conventional professional development and high quality reflective professional development and curriculum implementation of classroom practices. This study examined the extent to which professional development activities were associated with increased levels of curriculum implementation. Differences in curriculum implementation, teacher knowledge, and changes to teaching practice based upon the type …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Development Activities Which Result In Successful Integration Of Classroom Instructional Technologies, Lisa Blackmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research demonstrates the expectation of the use of technology in schools. Advances in technology often require teachers to learn new methods of teaching while trying to keep up with rapidly increasing technological changes. Unfortunately, many teachers report being inadequately prepared to utilize instructional technologies in their classrooms. School leaders have the complex task of providing effective training that meets their teachers’ needs. In this quantitative study, the author sought to determine teachers’ perceptions of professional development activities which result in successful classroom integration of instructional technologies in schools. Teachers from two school districts in Georgia were surveyed. Data were …

Professional Development Needs Of Early Childhood Providers: A Focus Group Study, Cristin Caparotta

Honors Scholar Theses

Research indicates that the quality of early childhood (EC) education and care influence child development. While the developmental and educational needs of young children are clear, the characteristics of quality programs are known, and school readiness goals are well articulated, the field lacks a coherent, coordinated approach to preservice training; additionally, the ongoing professional development (PD) needs and priorities of providers are not known. This occurs amidst significant changes in the structure, funding, teacher preparation, and program objectives for CT EC programs. This study employed focus groups to explore the extent to which EC providers feel prepared to address the …

Interactive Whiteboard Transition: A Case Study, Jason S Beach

Doctoral Dissertations

This case study examined the process teachers use when incorporating interactive whiteboards in the classroom and daily curriculum. Participants were drawn from a small group of three elementary and three high school teachers who received an interactive whiteboard, but no formal training. The school system purchased over 300 interactive whiteboards and was not able to adequately train all of the teachers before the beginning of the school year. Findings were compared to relevant models of andragogy, TPACK, and CBAM. The results indicate that a teacher’s prior technological ability aids in the implementation of new technologies in the classroom. The findings …

Opportunities Preschool Teachers Use To Offer High Quality Instruction: Investigating Experiences Of Professional Development, Hannah B. Mudrick

Master's Theses

This study identified the professional development opportunities Connecticut pre-kindergarten teachers found helpful for improving their teaching and how this information was related to their personal characteristics and their level of high quality instruction and supports for early literacy. Participants were 16 female teachers from eight different centers across central and eastern Connecticut. High quality instruction and supports for early literacy were assessed observationally, and teachers’ ideas about professional development and their personal characteristics were assessed through semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that although teachers did mention multiple different professional development opportunities, discussion was overwhelmingly identified as the most helpful opportunity. …

Team-Teaching Experiences Of A Mathematician And A Mathematics Teacher Educator: An Interpretative Phenomenological Case Study, Sarah K. Bleiler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, experts and organizations involved in mathematics education have emphasized the importance of collaboration between mathematicians and mathematics teacher educators as a means of improving the professional preparation of mathematics teachers. While several such collaborative endeavors have been documented in the extant literature, most research reports have focused on the products, rather than the process, of collaboration. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological case study is to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of a mathematician and a mathematics teacher educator as they engaged in a team-teaching collaboration within the context of prospective secondary mathematics teacher preparation. …

Factors Influencing Teachers' Technology Self-Efficacy: A Case Study, Amy Farah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Factors influencing teachers` levels of technology self-efficacy were examined through a qualitative multi-site, multi-subject case study research design. An initial survey was administered to all full-time, certified teachers at three school sites in order to gauge teachers` current level of technology self-efficacy. From that population, purposive and systematic samplings were used to draw the participants for the case study. A group of nine teachers with varying levels of technology self-efficacy was interviewed and participated in one of three focus groups to better understand factors influencing their current level of self-efficacy. A document analysis was also performed of local school professional …

Portfolio: A Professional Development And Learning Tool For Teachers, Babar Khan, Salima Begum

Professional Development Centre, Gilgit

Professional development of teachers is considered a source to enhance teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. To meet this purpose teacher education institutions use a variety of ways for teachers’ development programs. Mostly these ways and strategies are used in short and long programs where teachers are provided opportunities to learn knowledge and skills outside classroom and schools. The purpose of these courses is to enhance the teachers’ capacity and improve students’ learning outcomes. However, most of these learning and strategies are limited to the training centers and teachers face challenges while implementing the learning in their respective schools. Teachers …

After The Final Bell: The Self-Directed Learning Practices Of Elementary Teachers, Susan Renee Wagner

Doctoral Dissertations

Are elementary teachers self-directed learners? If so, do their learning activities outside their classrooms translate into their classrooms? The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship, if any, between elementary teachers’ self-directed learning and activities in their classrooms. A two phase, mixed methods design first utilized a quantitative study from which the results were used to denote the type of data collected in the second, qualitative phase. The quantitative Phase I of this study involved using a survey instrument in order to identify self-directed learners and identify categories of teacher learners. These quantitative data were gathered through the …

A Study Of K-12 Music Educators' Attitudes Toward Technology-Assisted Assessment Tools, Lance D. Nielsen

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

The purpose of this study was to examine K-12 music educators’ attitudes regarding the use of technology in the assessment of music learning. There is a considerable range of musical behaviors with different levels of complexity that can be assessed (Boyle & Radocy, 1987). A variety of software and web-based assessment tools are available for music educators. However, it is unclear how many teachers are taking advantage of incorporating these technological assessment tools into their instructional practice. This study provided current data about the demographics of teachers using technology to assess musical growth and the variables that might motivate a …

Evaluation Of A High School Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (Siop) Implementation, Samuel L. Ray

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many school systems across the USA have implemented sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP) strategies to help their English language learners (ELLs) master core content while they learn English. Most studies have reported positive results from using SIOP strategies with ELLs. Elementary and middle school studies were available, but studies of SIOP implementation in a comprehensive high school were lacking. This action research project was initiated by teacher leaders (department chairs) and the school principal. It included a year of combined SIOP training and implementation. After the first academic year of utilizing SIOP school-wide, an anonymous electronic survey was used to …

Bridging Professional Development And Context: Integrating Mathematics And Academic Language In A District Facing Takeover, Patricia Swanson, David Whitenack

Faculty Publications

This quasi-experimental, multi-phase study uses mixed methods to evaluate a professional development initiative focused on integrating mathematics and academic language. The context is a highly diverse urban district facing state takeover. The professional development focused on the understanding of key mathematics concepts and developing content-specific academic language. It linked explicitly to district-adopted texts and prescribed lesson formats. Teachers perceived the strategies to be feasible and beneficial to student learning, and had high rates of implementation. Nonetheless, pacing guides pressuring teachers to quickly cover content pose challenges for continued implementation. Implications for (1) professional development focusing on integrating subject-matter content and …

Effectiveness Of An Inquiry Based Professional Development Program, Lynne Beyah El-Amin Muhammad

Dissertations

Pre-service and in-service teacher education programs are designed to disseminate large quantities of knowledge in a short period of time (Deng, 2004). However, they have been found to be ineffective with implementing teacher change (Deng, 2004). To increase the level of effective implementation, as measured by the ability of teachers to utilize what they have learned, designers of pre-service and in-service programs for teachers should include cognitively engaging activities (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999). This study explored the relationship between student achievement and the level of teacher participation while attending an inquiry-based professional development program. Six teachers at a private school …

A Case Study Of The Mathematical Learning Of Two Teachers Acquiring Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching, David R. Hartman

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study offers an analysis of the learning of practicing teachers as they acquire a deeper knowledge of mathematics. While some professional developers have shifted part of their focus to helping practicing teachers acquire a deeper knowledge of mathematics (e.g., Stein & Silver, 1996), the results from studies often describe what translates from the professional development experience into classroom practice and measureable gains in student achievement (e.g., Desimone et al., 2002). Studies showing improvements in pedagogy and student learning are important. However, studying what teachers are learning and how they learn is important in developing understanding of the content and …

Evaluating And Improving The Quality Of Teacher’S Language Modeling In Early Childhood Classrooms, Lillian White Englund

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The relationship between pre-school teachers and the children in their classrooms directly influences the degree of success the children experience in school and in life. The emphasis on quality pre-K education in the U.S. has resulted in an increased need for highly qualified teachers who are capable of engaging in meaningful interactions with young children. An important component of high-level teacher-child interactions is the teacher's ability to model language for children as they acquire vocabulary and language context.

This mixed-methods study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a professional development intervention designed to improve the quality of language modeling …

Teacher Collaboration As Professional Development In A Large, Suburban High School, Marlie L. Williams

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative study explored the impact of teacher collaboration in a professional learning communities (PLC) school on teacher self-efficacy. Through the collection and analysis of personal interview data from 20 teachers in a large, suburban Midwestern high school, the impact of structured teacher collaboration was evaluated for its impact on changes in teachers’ instructional practices, their feelings of responsibility for student learning, positive adult interdependence, and changes in teacher self-efficacy. Experts in educational professional development identify the importance of sustained, collegial learning. This study explored the structure of one high school’s professional collaboration model, the measures in place for goal-setting, …

The Relationships Among Caregiver Training, Mentoring, And Turn-Taking Between Caregiver And Child In Family Child Care, Carrie L. Ota

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Basic communication skills are foundational for children's success in school and are dependent largely on their language experiences early in life. The purpose of this study was to examine two professional development models and family child care providers' use of turn-taking strategies that promote language in young children. The first professional development model consisted of a 10-hour nonformal training focused on supporting early language development. The second included the nonformal training and on-site mentoring. The 48 family child care programs were randomly assigned to one of the professional development models or a control group. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to …

Evaluation Study Of C.A.R.E., The National Education Association's Culture, Abilities, Resilience, And Effort Professional Development Training, Noni Reis, Denise Alston, Linda Bacon, Brooke Whiting, Sheila Simmons

Faculty Publications

This was an evaluation study of C.A.R.E., National Education Association's Culture, Abilities, Resilience and Effort (C.A.R.E.): Strategies for Closing Achievement Gaps. The training is based on culturally relevant pedagogy and on the Center for Research on Educational Diversity and Excellence standards. The research questions for the study were: 1.Did the training lead to changes in instructional practices? 2.Were the tools and materials provided by the C.A.R.E. guide used? 3.Did the strategies lead to changes in student behavior and school practices Participants (n-275) completed an on-line survey and/or a telephone interview. Two-thirds (66%) of the participants noticed improvements in student achievement, …

Free Technology Tools To Develop Professionally And Collaboratively, Laura L. Needs, Larry D. Long

Larry D. Long

No abstract provided.

Faculty And Administrator Perceptions Of Teaching, The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning, And Culture At A Teaching University, Jonathan D. Bartling

Faculty Scholarship – Education

Despite increased calls in higher education for institutions to be accountable for quality teaching and student learning, at many institutions, the status and quality of teaching and learning has not improved. Many faculty members remain teaching-focused, and institutions often afford a low status to teaching. This is present even at institutions whose missions are teaching-focused. The purpose of this case study was to explore faculty and administrator perceptions at one private, Christian, Midwest teaching institution regarding teaching, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the institution’s culture and commitment to teaching and scholarship. Through interviews with a purposeful sample of …

Aspiring To A Continuous Learning Ethic: Building Authentic Learning Communities For Faculty And Administration, William C. Frick, Joseph A. Polizzi, J. Edward Frick

Joseph A Polizzi Ph.D

An intentional, active and self-regulated approach to professional growth results in improved instruction and higher levels of student achievement over time. School systems that aspire to a continuous learning ethic socialize educators to act on the assumption that all students and all educators are capable of learning and reaching high standards. This article explores the emergence of the notion of a continuous learning ethic within sustainable educational reform, and the experiences of three school districts in introducing, nurturing and building collaborative learning for teachers, student-teachers and administrators. The central phenomenon explored in this article is the powerful role that sustained …

School-Based Coaching: An Interpretive Study Of One Model Of Professional Development, Michele De Bellis

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A trend developing over the last decade in professional development has been to provide teachers with support and guidance through engaging and interactive experiences (Boston Plan for Excellence, 2004). The assumption is that teachers who are provided with hands-on professional development experiences will make connections and add meaning to new content or pedagogy being taught and increase the likelihood of transfer of those practices to the classroom. Another current approach to professional development, known as school-based, delivers support to teachers in the eye of the storm, at the school site and in the classroom (Barkley, 2005). Proponents of school-based professional …

Cultural Competence: Developing And Assessing Multicultural Proficiency For Teachers And School Personnel In Hawaii, Caryl H. Hitchcock, Mary Anne Prater, Chuan Chang

Faculty Publications

Teachers were recruited from the mainland of the United States to work in rural areas in the State of Hawaii to meet the high demand for personnel. But often there is a mismatch between the culture of the island residents and that of the new teachers. To alleviate this mismatch, a workshop was developed to promote multicultural proficiency of school personnel focusing on Asian/Pacific cultures. One hundred teachers, administrators and staff (including custodians and cafeteria workers) from four rural elementary schools participated in a three hour workshop. The workshop consisted of three activities: (a) self-awareness, (b) awareness of Asian/Pacific Island …