Education Commons^™

Understanding Teacher Experience With Instructional Coaching To Inform Program Improvement Reflecting The Principles Of Adult Learning Theory: A Mixed Method Case Study, Shay Reitz

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Instructional Coaching (IC) is a strand of Professional Development (PD) during which an instructional coach provides individualized support and feedback to teachers, focused on instruction, generally within the context of the teacher’s classroom (Kraft et al., 2018). This fully integrated mixed method case study examined teacher experience with IC in order to understand which operational and emotional components of IC had the greatest perceived impact, in order to inform program improvement. Adult learning theory served as the conceptual framework for this study; the process of teaching adults is known as andragogy (Knowles, 1980). Andragogy indicates that teaching adults in a …

The Impact Of Parent Training On Access To Care For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rian Brown-Beasley

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that impacts communication and behavior. Parents of children with ASD have the difficult challenge to identify appropriate treatment to address their children’s needs. There are unproven treatments that appeal to parents that can cause harm. Parents need targeted educational opportunities in evidence-based interventions such as Applied Behavior Analysis to foster positive outcomes for their children. The purpose of this study was to determine baseline parental knowledge of evidence-based intervention for children with ASD and if specialized parent training increased parental knowledge of ASD interventions, and to determine socioeconomic status was a factor …

Attitudes, Beliefs And Self-Efficacy Of Elementary Teachers Towards Inclusive And Equitable Education In A Diverse Suburban School, Rachel Mcclellan-Kirksey

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Merging the two philosophies of inclusive and equitable education has significant advantages for all students in the general education classroom. Moving beyond the inclusion of students with disabilities, and focusing on all students, especially those historically marginalized or with diverse needs in today’s classrooms is crucial. This raises the importance about how teachers and school principals might further learn to better support all students in the general education classroom, and to make schools a more productive and engaging experience for all students, despite their diverse learning needs (Woodcock & Hardy, 2017). Therefore, examining teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, self-efficacy, and self-disclosed needs …

Hopes And Struggles: Cross-Generational Metamorphosis Of Educational Beliefs And Practices Between Two-Generations Of Korean-American Parents, Haewan Rho

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Although Korean-Americans are ubiquitous in contemporary American society, it was only after the enactment of the Immigration Nationality Act of 1965, when a sizable number of Koreans found their way to the U.S. During the two decades of the 1970s and 1980s, about a half-million Koreans immigrated to the U.S.

Almost five decades since their arrival, 2^nd-generation Korean-American offspring are now parents raising their own school-aged children - 3^rd-generation Korean-Americans. 2^nd-generation Korean-Americans who have grown up in the U.S. are largely assimilated to mainstream U.S. society, and therefore their views and practices on various …

Text Messaging Between School Counselors And Students: An Exploratory Study, Nicholas R. Gilly

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory case study examines the impact of text messaging on mentoring relationships when used as an outreach between school counselors and high school students, where established relationships are lacking. An SMS gateway was used to mediate communication between school counselors (N=2) and students (N=5) over a three-month timeframe. The SMS gateway converted email, sent from counselors, to text messages, which were received on mobile devices of students and allowed students to respond back to counselors. Findings indicate that the use of text messaging may ease scheduling of face-to-face meetings between counselors and students, but evidence does not support any …

Examining New Teachers’ Perceived Reality Shock And Stages Of Concern Upon Entering The Profession, Meghan Markle

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative survey study was to use a phenomenological approach to seek input about the experiences of new teachers as they navigate the role transition from pre-service to in-service teacher. This study sought input from new teachers on factors that contribute to their reality shock, as well as their thoughts on the types of supports that have helped to manage their transition into the profession. The top factors contributing to the reality shock as reported by these new teachers during their first years of teaching included: Supporting students with diverse needs, having insufficient or inadequate teaching materials, …

Public-School Systems Are Criminalizing Our Young People: Giving Voice To The Marganilized, Carrie Stoltzfus

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

A phenomenological qualitative study using Critical Race Theory and counter-storytelling was completed to investigate what K-12 public schools should be doing to keep young people out of the school-to-prison pipeline (STPP). This study took place in a large city in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Interviews were completed with former students of the researcher who were previously incarcerated, educational professionals, and justice system professionals. Additionally, observations of the court systems and document reviews were completed in order to triangulate findings. Themes emerged around factors that lead to incarceration and the preferred practices to support young people to avoid …

Students’ Perceived Cultural Intelligence Outcomes Based On Their Participation In Undergraduate Courses That Embed Short-Term International Travel: A Case Study, Margaret Arrison Nolan

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Cultural intelligence (CQ) refers to an individual’s capability to successfully adapt to new or unfamiliar cultural settings (Earley & Ang, 2003). The purpose of this study was to gain a holistic and comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of CQ within the context of higher education pedagogy. This study explored undergraduate students’ perceived outcomes of CQ based on their participation in full semester courses that embedded short-term international travel (SIT). The researcher conducted a qualitative, phenomenological case study that explored, in depth, the nuances of students’ shared lived experiences in SIT, and how these experiences intersected with students’ perceived CQ outcomes …