Education Commons^™

Educators’ Adolescent Experiences And Their Implementation Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports, Je Quila D. Broussard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is a framework comprised of several tiers to address students’ emotions and academics. Although educators utilize PBIS in their classroom management, they encounter barriers that hinder implementation. The purpose of the study was to discover, through qualitative interviews, how educators’ adolescent experiences with behavior/classroom management and the positive and negative consequences they experienced in school influenced their values and beliefs about classroom management and their implementation of the PBIS framework in middle schools in Texas. Bandura’s social cognitive theory provided the theoretical framework used to craft the research questions. The central research question examined …

An Examination Of The Factors Contributing To Academic Resilience Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Individuals In Northeast Tennessee, Connie Larissa Trivette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the factors of resilience that educators could replicate to increase the number of socio-economically disadvantaged students that successfully complete high school and continue to become successful adults. An examination of the factors that socio-economically disadvantaged individuals attribute to their success was conducted in this study. This study used interview data from 15 participants ranging in age from 21 to 80 years old. Nine themes emerged from the interview data that affects the resilience of socio-economically disadvantaged students. The 9 themes identified were 1) Definition of success is different for each …

Examining How Black Administrator Employment Decisions Are Impacted By The Behaviors Of Supervisors, Annie Wilson Whitaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how Black, public school administrator employment decisions are impacted by the behaviors of supervisors in Virginia. Commonalities among the lived experiences of Black, public school administrators were examined in order to identify specific behaviors which impact employment decisions.

Transcendental phenomenological qualitative research design was utilized. Participants were identified through gatekeeper introductions and then narrowed through snow-ball sampling. Data was collected through open-ended face-to-face interviews with 12 Black, public school administrators in Virginia via a secure online platform. The data was analyzed in order to identify emergent themes which represent the lived …

Agency Of In-Service Elementary Science Teachers During A Global Pandemic, Anica Miller-Rushing

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In-service teachers of science work with unique content and pedagogical experiences. Understanding teacher agency in these circumstances will help researchers understand the actions that these teachers take, actions that are consequential for shaping teaching patterns and supporting the development of students’ scientific practices. The purpose of this study was to understand how the agency of six elementary (K–5) in-service teachers was expressed discursively during a global pandemic. The teachers’ agency was qualitatively analyzed using a case study approach (Yin, 2012, 2017) that applied discourse analysis to identify the ways in which science teacher agency is conceptualized, afforded, and constrained through …

Is There More Than One Way? Examining Alternative Pathway Teacher Effectiveness Through The Experiences And Perceptions Of Principals In Urban, Low-Socioeconomic Schools In Oklahoma, Julianne Hennessy Denton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher quality continues to be recognized as one of the strongest predictors of student success and school improvement. The quality of an educator is also critical to being able to address the growing achievement and opportunity gap in schools and communities that are marked by concentrated poverty. Therefore, principals are under significant pressure to recruit, train, support, and retain highly qualified teachers, so all students have access to quality education. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to generate knowledge of alternative pathway teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom from an administrative point of view, specifically in urban, low socioeconomic, …

Formal Mentoring Programs: An Exploration Of Barriers To Implementation In Nursing Schools, Megan Christine Duncan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Although there are over three million registered nurses in the United States, the national nursing shortage has reached epic proportions, with a vacancy rate of 9.9%. One of the contributing factors to the nursing shortage is the lack of qualified nursing faculty. While formal mentoring programs have been identified as best practice in supporting the expert nurse clinician in their transition into the novice nurse faculty role, these programs are not consistently implemented in schools of nursing. In this phenomenological study, the perceptions of nursing leaders regarding barriers to the implementation of formal mentoring programs were analyzed. Using a …

Restorative Justice & A Dean Of Students: An Auto-Criticism Of The Role Of Care In School Discipline In A Poverty Impacted Public High School, Alicia D. Vasquez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study is an auto-criticism, an approach that allows researchers to study themselves. This emergent methodology is derived from educational criticism and connoisseurship, which fits under the broader category of arts-based research. School discipline is a programmatic component of any secondary school’s educational framework and directly effects student engagement and academic achievement. An analysis of the dean role in relation to school discipline is central to this study. The main research question is what are the lived experiences of a dean who incorporates restorative justice practices in a poverty impacted public high school?

The author spent two years as …

The Infinity Mirror: Learning To Lead Through Action-Oriented Inquiry, Robert D. Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation-in-practice is a reflective self-study exploring the lived experience of the current researcher as a leader of Lesson Study (LS) over 2 years. Drawing on the concepts of perspective and engagement articulated by Wenger-Trayner and Wenger- Trayner (2016) in their Learning in Landscapes of Practice conceptual framework, the study is organized around the primary critical question: How has my perspective on what it means to be a teacher leader been transformed through my engagement with LS in the context of a US community of educational practice? Working within the paradigm of first person action-oriented inquiry, the method of self-study …

Curriculum Development Of Agricultural Educators In South Dakota, Mercedes Lemke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Curriculum development is an essential component of teaching. Understanding how agriculture education teachers utilize, develop, and adapt content to curriculum can benefit teachers to spend less time on curriculum development. Recognizing the way agriculture education teachers use content in curriculum implementation will allow curriculum developers to create materials that can effectively be used by teachers. This study also looked at the affects of how COVID19 pandemic affected the way teachers locate and develop curriculum. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the way agriculture education instructor’s usage of content for curriculum development, implementation decisions and the affects of the …

Counterstories Of High School Black Males And Their Experiences Of The Mainstream Curricula, Kayla Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an inquiry into the experiences Black males have with the current high school curricula. Theoretically drawing on critical race theory (Bell, 1992; Delgado, 1995; Dixson & Rousseau, 2006; Ladson-Billings, 2009; Solórzano & Yosso, 2001, 2004), I explore how high school Black males’ suggestions and ideas can be used to shift the current curricula to a curricula that is more culturally sustaining. I challenge deficit research on Black male learners by focusing on the educational successes of Black males. Methodologically, I utilize counterstorytelling (Delgado, 2017; Solórzano & Yosso, 2002) to illustrate the experiences of three academically successful high school …

Vistas Y Experiencias: Exploring The Development Of Professional Self-Efficacy Of Nonnative Spanish Foreign Language Teachers, Tiffany A. Howell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of self-efficacy development of three nonnative Spanish foreign language teachers who teach in north Georgia. All three participants taught at different schools and all had a minimum of 10 years teaching experience. I used interviews as my form of inquiry. Each participant participated in one in-depth interview. For clarification, a follow-up interview was also conducted with one of the participants. As a beginning researcher, I incorporated the Interview Protocol Refinement framework (Castillo-Montoya, 2016) in order to guide the development of my interview protocol. The theoretical framework for this study was self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977a, …

Exploration Of Strategies Of Teacher Leaders For Responding To Students Experiencing Trauma Framed In Casel's Social And Emotional Learning Theory, Kimberly Dionne Parrott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore strategies for supporting students experiencing trauma as perceived by teacher leaders framed in CASEL’s social and emotional learning theory. A descriptive instrumental case study design utilized data from online interviews and voluntarily submitted artifacts of nine middle school teacher leaders to investigate strategies used to support students experiencing trauma. Data were manually coded to determine themes indicating recommend strategies used to support students who have experienced trauma. The overall findings revealed that teacher leaders require professional development focusing on trauma-informed practices to suitably support students who are experiencing trauma. …

An Exploration Of Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences Serving Students Of Incarcerated Parents In A Rural Setting, Melissa P. Phelan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The increase in the United States prison population over the past several years has precipitated a record number of children in the public school system with incarcerated parents. Consequences of this trend have recently been given significant attention by researchers due to the myriad of difficulties noted to be associated with parental incarceration. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions, experiences, and insights of educators in a small rural district in Texas as they serve students experiencing parental incarceration. Presentation of an educator in context schema was provided by the application of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological …

Manifestations Of Students’ Voices: Examining Shifts, Academic Demands, And Identity Work In How Students Make Themselves Understood., Lauren Elizabeth Fletcher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Voice is a concept that is both highly sought after and elusive in education. While schools aim to foster students’ voices, many academic structures inadvertently conceal their voices and in turn their identities. Definitions of voice have been assumed, vague, or looked at as a writing trait, with little consideration of voices’ dynamic and mediated structures. Drawing on scholarship grounded in sociocultural theories and dialogism (e.g., Bakhtin, 1986; Engeström; 1987, Leont’ev, 1981; Rosenblatt, 1978; Vygotsky, 1978), I contribute a new, tangible definition of voice, in which voice is a dynamic happening, continually negotiated and constructed. This dissertation explores students’ voices, …

Perceptions Of Classroom Management Coaching At District A Independent School District, Ashley L. Brittain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed teacher retention and research-to-practice gaps in the literature related to classroom management coaching and what types of teacher support are the best and why. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of teachers, campus administrators, and campus intervention coaches regarding District A Independent School District’s campus intervention coach model. This study attempted to understand better the perceptions of how the campus intervention coach model influences teachers’ decisions to remain in the profession; how teachers, campus administrators, and campus intervention coaches perceive the campus intervention coach model’s effectiveness in reducing the percentage of …

The Lived Experiences Of Filipino Teachers Teaching In Texas: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Jeffrey Chua

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among the estimated 100,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) working in the United States, a small group of Filipino teachers may have lasting impacts on one of the most important pillars of the nation: its public schools. Thus, it is important to understand the lived experiences of Filipino teachers teaching in Texas. This research aimed to contribute to existing literature that explores the lived experiences and the acculturation process of Filipino teachers. Utilizing a transcendental phenomenological approach, seven such teachers were selected through snowball sampling and were interviewed. The findings of the study showed their shared experiences revolved around four themes: …

A Qualitative Case Study Of The Influence Of Student Presence In Teacher Professional Development, Katharine Roche

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although research exists on many of the various types of teacher professional development, it lacks in the area of teacher professional development in the presence of students (Durbin, 2018; Margolis et al., 2016). This exploratory case study of a suburban school district in southeast United States will contribute to the field by examining teacher and teacher leader perception of professional development in the presence of students. According to Margolis et al. (2016), teaching or learning changes cannot occur without simultaneous adjustments in the structure and culture of teacher professional development. Schools must adjust teacher professional development to better support teachers …

Exploring The Impact Of The Achievement Gap On Shame And Resilience In African American College Students, Brittany R. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap refers to the stark difference that occurs between racial or gender groups, as one group performs significantly higher than the other. An achievement gap has the propensity to produce psychological distress, as well as buffering techniques that are necessary for survival and success. Growing research shows that African American college students experience unique levels of trauma, shame, hardship, macro, and micro-aggressions, suggesting that these students learn to self-preserve as early as 10 years old. This study used a Pearson correlation, Independent T-Test, and a Moderated Multiple Regression to explore the impact of the achievement gap on shame …

Investigating The Attitudes, Beliefs And Practices Of High School Chemistry Teachers Regarding The Differentiation Of Instruction, Anna Tyrina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Differentiation of instruction (DI) is a broad term used for a group of pedagogical tools that teachers use to individualize instruction for students of different abilities and needs. Differentiation of instruction is a practice that has been researched and characterized to have a variety of instructional benefits, some of which include increased student motivation and engagement (Tomlinson, 2001). This study sought to characterize the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of ten high school chemistry teachers in Maine regarding the differentiation of instruction. Through a phenomenological approach, interviews with these teachers were analyzed to understand how high school chemistry teachers define differentiated …

Using Peer Supports To Improve Positive-To-Negative Teacher/Student Interaction Ratios By Novice Teachers, Karen Robbie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A critical teacher shortage continues to exist throughout the United States. Challenges with student behavior and classroom management are identified as a top reason for teacher attrition. Educational research has demonstrated that PreK-12 students who receive social-emotional-behavioral support through evidence-based classroom management (EBCM) practices are more likely to achieve academic success. When teachers deliver high ratios of positive interactions to their students, positive student outcomes are likely to occur. However, researchers have consistently found that, like other EBCM practices, this low-intensity, high-impact practice is typically implemented at significantly lower levels than necessary to promote positive student outcomes. This implementation gap …

Educator Perceptions Of Generational Poverty, Adverse Childhood Experiences And Student Learning, Rachel Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine educators perceptions of the effects of generational poverty and adverse childhood experiences on student learning and to understand the factors that might facilitate breaking the cycle of generational poverty and adverse childhood experiences with respect to student learning.

Data collection strategies included individual interviews and document review. Analysis of data occurred in three phases: categorization of data, building the explanation in narrative form and reexamination of the data. The analysis of the data was based on Payne’s idea of generational poverty and the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences(ACE) study.

The credibility …

Non-Traditional Instruction: Examining The Interaction Effect Between Student Characteristics And Perceived Sense Of Connectedness In An Online Learning Environment., Kendra M, Nolan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The school setting also has an influence on students' sense of connectedness. Because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, schools across the United States and the world were forced to close in March 2020. The sampled district began the 2020-2021 school year with non-traditional instruction (NTI). With NTI, teachers and students continued academic instruction through an online communication platform such as Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. Researchers and school leaders are uncertain how effective online learning was. Furthermore, minimal research explores the interaction effect between student characteristics (grade level, gender, and race/ethnicity) and their perceived sense of connectedness in a …

Perceptions Of Occupationally Trained Technical College Faculty On Their Preparedness To Teach And On The Need For Professional Development: A Phenomenological Study, Brandon Hudson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study examines the perceptions of occupationally trained Tennessee technical college faculty on their preparedness to teach after being hired directly from industry and on the need for professional development and training on instructional and classroom strategies. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted by Zoom with instructors from three technical college program areas, Industrial Maintenance, Machine Tool Technology, and Welding. Participants represented institutions from each grand division of Tennessee, West, Middle, and East, plus Upper East. As a result of the data analysis, common themes, including a “here are your keys” approach to instructor induction, a reliance on other …

An Evaluation Of Programs And Leadership Practices For Effective Dropout Prevention, Nicole C. West

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This mixed-methods study explored a problem within dropout research which often fails to link characteristics of student subgroups with effective dropout interventions. Considering the characteristics identified in the literature of at-risk learners, the conceptual framework for this study combined the theory of self-efficacy and leadership with emphasis on servant leadership. The purpose of the study was to evaluate dropout intervention and prevention programs in two high schools by examining intervention and leadership practices for students at risk of dropping out of high school. Through causal-comparative and phenomenological approaches, this investigation focused on identifying dropout factors targeted in the intervention …

A Study Of The Association Of Teacher Efficacy And Students' Achievement In A North Texas School District, Ruth E. Schackmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field of education places great importance on measurable student achievement and the role of teaching competencies for maximizing success. Whereas much focus has been given to professional development and improving teachers’ skills, this quantitative study examined whether teachers' self-efficacy and judgment about their skills and capabilities were significantly associated with improving student achievement in third grade reading. This dissertation involved a study of teacher self-efficacy using a sample group of third grade English/Language Arts teachers from one Texas urban school district. Targeted teachers were invited to complete a valid and reliable teacher efficacy survey, the Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy …

Experiences That Support Persistence And Retention Of Latinx First-Generation College Students (Fgcs) At Community Colleges, Veronica Rios

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to describe experiences of successful Latinx first-generation college students that support persistence and retention toward graduation for Latinx first-generation college students at California community colleges. The study was framed using Tinto’s retention theory. Successful Latinx first-generation college students were defined as those who have attained graduation from a California community college. This study focused on Latinx first-generation college students not persisting toward graduation at California community colleges, a situation that extends to the national level. This case study included nine Latinx first-generation college students, and the researcher collected data through virtual semistructured …

Traditional And Alternative Certification Programs And Their Effect On Elementary School Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs In Title I And Non-Title I Schools, Rita Gale Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School districts across the United States face the challenges of teacher shortages and rely heavily on alternative certification programs to fill teaching positions. Over the last decade, researchers question the quality of fast-track teacher preparation programs compared to traditional educational paths. This quantitative, causal-comparative study examined two methods of obtaining teacher certification (traditional and alternative) and their impact on novice teacher self-efficacy levels in Title I and non-Title I schools. Elementary teachers with five years or less of experience, traditionally and alternatively certified, were asked 24 questions using the Likert-type Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale on student engagement, instructional practices, …

In-Service Teachers' Ability To Integrate Instructional Technology Into Lessons Based On Samr Level Outcomes And Their Perceived Ease Of Use, Perceived Usefulness, And Self-Efficacy, Jordan L. Cotten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine in-service teachers’ ability to integrate instructional technology into their lesson plans. The Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM 2) survey was used to measure self-reported perceived ability of technology integration. Teacher self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy, and self-efficacy towards technology integration questions will be used to measure self-reported self-efficacy levels. The Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model was used to determine the level of integration in-service teachers actually incorporated. Participants (n = 131) were teachers from a suburban public K-12 school district in the northeastern region of the United States. Results showed that participants …

Examining The Development Of Tpack And The Use Of Sqd Strategies In Teacher Education Programs, Triantafyllia Sarri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study is to investigate the impact of technology training offered by teacher education programs on preservice teachers’ ΤPACK development. Specifically, the study aims to investigate how the SQD strategies of: 1) teacher educators acting as role models, 2) learning technology by design, 3) collaborating with peers, 4) scaffolding authentic experiences, 5) reflecting about the role of technology in education and, 6) moving from traditional to continuous feedback, contribute to the development of each domain of the TPACK framework. The study employs a quantitative methodology for analyzing the data collected. The measurement instruments for data collection …

Remote Learning And Third-Grade Reading Performance In A 1:1 District, Amanda Milhorn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore a possible relationship between remote learning with 1:1 devices and reading performance for third graders in a school district in Tennessee by comparing differences between universal screener reading data from fall 2020 and universal screener reading data from both fall 2018 and fall 2019. Star Reading universal screener Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE) data from fall 2018, fall 2019, and fall 2020 from three elementary schools were used for the study.

Results indicated that the third-grade students’ fall 2020 Star Reading universal screener NCEs were significantly lower than their fall 2018 first …