Education Commons^™

A Realist Evaluation Of The Professional Development Program Thriving Through Being With Professional Coaches And Support Staff Of Ncaa Women’S Basketball, Lauren Kelly Mchenry

Doctoral Dissertations

Scholars have consistently identified a secure relational base as a key contextual enabler for thriving—success and well-being—in sport. In turn, person-centered theory is a viable, evidence-based framework for coaches and support staff to cultivate a secure relational base with their athletes. Drawing from this literature, the continuing professional development program Thriving Through Being was developed to improve professional coach and support staff knowledge, awareness, and skills related to person-centered theory concepts (unconditional positive regard, empathy, and authenticity). This program was implemented with professional coaches and support staffs from 17 NCAA Women’s Basketball programs. The purpose of the current study was …

Formative Assessment Professional Development For Science Teachers: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis Of The Research Literature, Javed Iqbal

Masters Theses

The major aim of teaching science at the K-12 level is to develop scientific and critical thinking by promoting inquiry skills and fostering a scientific attitude among students. These skills may enable students to solve science-related issues in their daily lives (AAAS, 1990; NRC, 2012). To achieve these objectives, science teachers’ professional development in pedagogy and subject matter is indispensable. Particularly, science teachers need to go through professional development programs in the domain of formative assessment so that they will be able to help students to enhance their understanding by assessing their learning through instruction, helping them track their learning …

Assessing The Impact Of Picture Books In Primary Grades Mathematics Instruction, Jessica Stone

Doctoral Dissertations

This study documents an educational field experiment evaluating the effects of picture books on primary students’ mathematical achievement and their dispositions towards mathematics. The study involved 136 primary grade students from one elementary school in the southeastern region of the United States. The student population had an overrepresentation of students from minority backgrounds (91%), low socioeconomic status (93%) and English Language Learners (47%). During the 18-week treatment period, teacher participants from the treatment group received bi-weekly collaborative professional development regarding the use of picture books in mathematics instruction. The teachers in the control group followed their district’s mathematics curriculum.

To …

The Roles Of Facilitators In Implementation And Effectiveness Of In-School Suspension (Iss): A Qualitative Study, Gia Renee Gray

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine In-School Suspension (ISS) facilitators’ role(s) in ISS implementation and effectiveness. An important effect linked to participation in ISS is the decreased likelihood of high school graduation for students assigned to the program. There is also a notable gap in the literature regarding the role and effectiveness of ISS in helping students get back on track. Similarly, little is known about ISS facilitators’ beliefs and perspectives about the program.

A basic qualitative design utilizing in-depth interviews was implemented. Participants included six high school ISS facilitators in one southeastern school district. A thematic analysis …

Undergraduate Perception Of Introductory Lecture And Laboratory Biology Instructors At The University Of Tennessee Knoxville, Katharina Denise Kendall

Doctoral Dissertations

Undergraduate students entering the higher education system are often unaware of the diverse teaching and learning community they will encounter, including the different instructor types who will teach their classes. In order to accommodate the growing numbers of enrolled students, the higher education system is increasingly reliant on contingent instructors such as non-tenure track faculty members and graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). This dissertation explores undergraduate student perspective of the different instructor types who teach introductory biology courses, with a focus on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). The goal of this work is to provide insight regarding how perceived differences …

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 …

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 …