Museum-School Partnerships: From Creative Discourse To Resource Development, Emma Doctors

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper aims to explore museum-school partnerships and best educational practices within each entity's efforts to collaborate. The project surveys museum education and explores programmatic and curriculum development that help to serve as enrichment for students. These partnerships are important to the museum studies field as it fulfills a fiduciary responsibility that museums hold - to educate the public. By fulfilling the needs of both entities (museums and schools), creative discourse ensues, creating solutions for students to enrich their learning. I end with a project to propose the development of an exhibition resource guide that would combine the knowledge and …

A Qualitative Study On Teachers' Perceptions Of Co-Teaching In Inclusion Classrooms, Cheryl M. Banks

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this research study was to examine teachers’ perceptions toward co- teaching in inclusion classrooms and provide valuable information on relevant content, activities and assignments that focus on collaboration between school professionals. A second purpose of this study was to add knowledge to the existing literature describing factors for developing effective co-teaching programs in schools that serve large populations of students with disabilities in urban schools. This included examining their perspectives about the co-teaching model, their relationships formed with their co-teacher, and the support given by administration. The study was a descriptive study that used qualitative research methods …

Let’S Talk About It: Special Education Communication Barriers With General Education Teachers, Claire Going, Edith Diaz, Clarissa Carrillo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project is the communication barriers between Special Education and General Education educators. The importance of this issue is the lack of time given in order for all subject departments to have efficient time to collaborate during the school year. The negative effects on teachers are then reflected on students academic achievements. Unfortunately, this has issue has been around for decades yet no effective methods have been put in place. Methods that have been considered are more teacher training, peer-mediated instruction, and time allotment between Special Education and General Education teachers. Data was collected from interviews …

Reducing Runway Incursions: The Role Of Collaboration, Education, And Training, Billy Metallinos

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Runway incursions are a major threat to aviation safety and can cause major delays and collisions that have significant human and financial implications for airlines. This study investigated how training, education, and collaboration may be improved to reduce the occurrence of runway incursions at airports. Data collection involved interviews, a focus group, and document analysis to explore the participants’ perceptions. The interviews and focus group involved a purposive sample of 12 pilots, air traffic controllers, airport administrators, and ground personnel. The interviews and focus group transcripts were chunked, coded, and patterns sought to form five key themes addressing the research …

Let’S Talk About It: Special Education Communication Barriers With General Education Teachers, Edith Diaz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project is on the communication barriers between Special Education and General Education educators, due to a lack of time for collaboration during the school year. Poor communication between teachers can negatively impact special education students’ academic achievement. Unfortunately, this issue has been around for decades, yet no effective solutions have been implemented. Solutions that have been considered include more teacher training, peer-mediated instruction, and co-teaching. Data was collected from interviews conducted with one administrator, two Special Education teachers and three General Education teachers from a local high school. Surveys were also taken from Special Education …

Teaching Evidence-Based Practices To Teachers, Jennifer M. Pena

Special Education ETDs

A convenience sample of 32 teachers (general and special education) and instructional coaches participated in professional development (PD) focused on finding, researching, and implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) in a charter elementary/middle/high school that uses an inclusive model of special education services. Research questions addressed participants’ understandings and implementation of EBPs prior to and following the PD, as well as their reports about the PD model itself. Results indicated teachers had limited understanding of EBPs and knowledge of resources (i.e., where to find EBPs), and mixed reports of implementation prior to the PD. Throughout the study, participants reported a desire to …

Perceptions Of Empowered Teacher Leaders, Michael J. Rafferty

All Theses And Dissertations

Teacher Leadership movements over the last 30 years have attempted to create leadership opportunities within and across an organization. The purpose of this mixed method case study was to evaluate the impact of a district’s teacher leadership opportunities to reduce teacher isolation and increase teacher collaboration. This study illustrated how effective teacher leadership initiatives should take Piaget’s idea (1971) of discovery learning and combine it with the concept that teaching and learning are more powerful when they involve social interaction (Bandura, 1987).

A literature review revealed a gap in understanding what systems and structures made collaboration more successful for teacher …

Developing Musicianship And 21st Century Learning Skills Using The Lisk “Creative Director” Series, Thomas Reynolds

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The Effects Of Collaborative Grouping On Student Engagement In Middle School Students, Jeanine M. Backer, Jaymeson L. Miller, Shannon M. Timmer

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research project investigated the impact of collaborative grouping on students’ engagement in three middle level STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) classrooms. Research was conducted in two rural and one urban setting. Four data collection tools were used: A semantic rating scale (student questionnaire), teacher observations, student interviews, and teacher journaling. Data was categorized into three domains of student engagement: emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. Teamwork strategies were overtly taught to students before the study with additional instruction during the observation process as needed. While quantitative evidence implied a slight decrease in preference for collaborative learning by student’s self-report, …

A Call To Action: Indigenizing Curriculum Through Adaptive Leadership, Christie Rehmann Pettipas

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Since the release of the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in 2015, the post-secondary sector has focused their attention on the indigenization of programming and practices with mixed results. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) presents a possible solution to embed Indigenous knowledge and culture in a program offered at a large urban college in Canada.

Both decolonization theory and Schein’s cultural assessment (2017) are used to identify current values and structures that are barriers to the effective integration of Indigenous knowledge in course curriculum and teaching. Utilizing an adaptive leadership framework (Hefeitz, 1994, Northouse, …

Enhancing Team Motivation Through A Period Of Rapid Change, Lisa Ramshaw

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan (OIP) presents possible leadership approaches and solutions to the enhance team motivation through a period of rapid change. The OIP focuses on a team within an educational training institute, strategically aligned to a large educational organization. The training institute was previously known as the professional learning and development (PLD) department and was situated within the corporate office of the organization. The Governing Board moved the PLD department into a separate business entity, a training institute, with a new commercial vision. The team therefore transitioned from an internal PLD department (cost center) with service-orientation, to an external …

Examining Effective Collaboration In Instructional Design, Melissa Sue Ferguson

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the application of teamwork in instructional design to determine the frequency by which coordination, decision making, leadership, interpersonal skills, adaptability, and communication are applied in real-world instructional design teams. Instructional designers found on the social media network, LinkedIn, were asked to voluntarily complete the 36-item Teamwork Skills Questionnaire, which was distributed and returned electronically. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were calculated using Microsoft Excel.

The most frequently applied teamwork skills in instructional design teams were interpersonal skills (M = 3.57) and communication (M = 3.26). Each of the six skills …

An Action Research Investigation Into An Early Childhood Digital, Storytelling-Based Solution, Jessica Smith

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The development of literacy skills prior to the classroom has been established as essential for future school and life successes. However, the present achievement gap between lower-socioeconomic neighborhoods and their higher-income counterparts illustrate vast dissimilarities in early childhood provisions for quality reading materials and instructional aides. In an effort to bridge the educational breach, a collaborative, storytelling-based program entitled Kid Forward was introduced to five nationwide families as a means of assistance for early childhood literacy development. Through the use of demographic surveys, interviews completed before and after the program implementation, and exit surveys, the action research study examined early …

The Experiential Journey Of Teacher-Scholars: “If You’Re Not A Teacher, You Just Don’T Get It”, Ashleigh L. Pelafigue

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Center of Graduate Schools (2015) published a report detailing applications, enrollment, and trends in graduate schools across the nation showing that approximately one third of all first-time graduate school applicants in master’s degree programs utilizing the GRE assessment identify their career path in either business or teacher education. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of classroom teachers who concurrently pursued graduate studies to earn a master’s degree in education and to understand how adult learning provided opportunities for personal growth and the attainment of professional goals. Individual interviews and two focus groups were conducted …

Promoting Community Through Caring Leadership: An Action Research Project, Hazel Claros

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The overall purpose of this study was to increase collaboration across USD’s decentralized graduate admission departments through the approach of caring leadership (Uusiautti, 2013). The study was guided by the overarching question: How can I use caring leadership (Uusiautti, 2013) within academic affairs to encourage effective collaboration and understanding and foster a sense of community across departments? It was also guided by the sub-questions: Does gender impact the practices of collaboration and exchange of ideas within decentralized admission offices? If so, how does the current culture and structure of USD’s graduate admission offices aid/impede the practice of caring leadership (Uusiautti, …

Behavioral Interdependence In Project Team Collaboration: Study Of Engineering Students’ Collaborative Behaviors In High Levels Of Interdependent Task Settings, Yiyan Wu

Dissertations - ALL

In teamwork learning settings, tasks are often designed at varying levels of interdependence that requires students to complete the tasks by relying only on their team members sharing resources, knowledge, and skills. However, well-structured tasks do not always guarantee task-related collaborative behaviors will occur and are simply not adequate for us to understand the collaboration process and participants’ actual collaborative behaviors. To deepen our understanding of collaboration and explore how increased collaboration may be promoted in high-level interdependent task settings, this study uses behavioral interdependence as an analytical concept to describe and examine individual students’ actual behaviors as they worked …

Engineering Is Elementary: Identifying Instances Of Collaboration During The Engineering Design Process, Lora Kulakowski Gruber-Hine

Dissertations - ALL

21st century educational reform initiatives value creativity, collaboration, innovation, and higher-order thinking (Scardamalia, 2002), the skills needed for students to successfully address the complex engineering challenges facing society. A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practice, Crosscutting Concepts and Core Ideas (NRC, 2012) acknowledges that advances in knowledge occur through collaboration, with many minds working together to communicate and share ideas over time. It has been proposed that collaboration, creativity, and persistence are of value to engineering (Cunningham, 2012), and that engineering possesses a unique set of epistemic practices, including envisioning multiple solutions and teamwork (Cunningham and Kelly, 2017). Cunningham (2012) …

Effects Of Collaboration On Elementary Teachers, Meghan M. Jackson

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research study investigated the effects of bi-weekly, guided, intentional and collaborative classroom material development on the teaching practice of elementary teachers. The study was conducted at a private Montessori school of 125 students, and two elementary teachers participated. Data was collected using a variety of research tools including participant self-assessments, a prepared environment rubric, post-collaboration meeting reflection pages, daily reflection pages and a final conference with the teachers at the end of the research period. Both teachers expressed positive feelings towards the collaborative approach of enhancing their classrooms. The teachers also appreciated the ability to share ideas and …

In It Together: The Impact Of Data-Driven Teams On Student Learning, Collaborative Practice, And School Culture, Marcie Wilson

Education Dissertations and Projects

The goal of this study was to determine the impact of data-driven teams on student learning, collaborative practice, and school culture. The participants in the study were the data-driven team members from four middle schools in a North Carolina county. The study used EOG test results in 6–8 reading and math from before implementation to after implementation of data-driven teams, EVAAS growth in 6–8 reading and math from before implementation to after implementation of data-driven teams, results on Gruenert and Whitaker’s (2015) School Culture Survey given after implementation, interviews with the principals of each middle school, and focus group interviews …

Teacher Perspectives Of Their Experiences In A Professional Learning Community And How These Experiences Contribute To A Collaborative School Culture, Kimberly Janette Kelley

Education Dissertations and Projects

Fullan (1998) stated, “Student achievement increases substantially in schools with collaborative work cultures that foster a professional learning community among teachers and others” (p. 8). Vandevoort, Amrein-Beardsley, and Berliner (2004) also found that the quality of the teacher in the classroom is the single most important factor in determining how well a child learns. The purpose of this study was to determine practices and experiences within a Professional Learning Community (PLC) that contribute to a collaborative culture and student performance. The research question for this study was, “What experiences in a PLC do teachers perceive contribute to a collaborative culture?” …

A Qualitative Approach To Examining The Rules Of A Community College And Industry Partnership., Cara Dimattina-Ryan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the governance structure of a successful community college and industry advisory board that collaborate to improve regional workforce development initiatives. The institutional analysis and development (IAD) framework was used as a lens to describe the partnership. The results determined that there were many informal rules that governed the relationship between the community college and industry partners, which led to successful implementation of decisions. The community college leaders created the informal rules with the purpose of encouraging involvement among industry stakeholders, sharing power among all the participants, and facilitating communication. The findings …

Collaborative Practices In Special Education: An Exploratory Study, Blanka Pentek, Katherine Sadoff, Evelyn Tang

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Objective: This exploratory survey study examined collaborative practices of professionals working in special education. The basis for the survey was the Conceptual Model of Collaboration (CMC), created by Hess and colleagues (2017).

Methods: 27 professionals who work in special education participated. Cross tabulation tests and Pearson's correlation tests were run to determine relationships between the variables.

Results: The findings indicated that the majority of participants value collaboration for student outcomes and professional development. Most participants agreed on common facilitators and barriers to collaboration. Collaboration primarily takes place in IEP meetings, through email and text messaging and is frequent in all …

Stronger Together: A Case For Team Teaching In The Elementary School Setting, Jenna Christine Degan

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The focus of this study was to determine the impact of team teaching on teacher efficacy, burnout, and student engagement in an elementary school setting. Few if any studies have examined the relationship between team teaching and feelings of efficacy and burnout with elementary school teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine if team teaching was a viable and workable approach for teachers in the elementary school settings to develop teacher efficacy, avoid burnout, and increase student engagement. This study utilized a qualitative methodology to collect data from three participants who were team teaching at the same elementary …

The Impact Of Teacher Collaboration On The Implementation Of Best Practices With A Learning Management System In A Public School Setting, Sarah Vycital, Nicholas Zwick, Ross Nelson

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this research project was to study the impact of teacher collaboration on

implementation of best practices with a learning management system (LMS) in a public school setting. Three researchers, 21 kindergarteners, 29 second graders, 113 eighth graders, and parents participated in this study for four weeks. During this study, quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. This data included: three parent assessments and researcher-completed observations . As a result, the researchers found that collaboration improved their personal attitudes, parent involvement, student engagement, and student learning outcomes.

Video Composition, Creative Discourse, And Facilitated Freedom: A Teacher's Journey To Reveal Student Potential, Michael A. Brinkmeyer

MSU Graduate Theses

This research project was conducted in response to students’ lack of engagement in traditional modes of instruction and composition in a high school English Language Arts course. In order to better understand students as creative composers of knowledge, this research project asked students to engage in the video production process in collaborative groups. The research was conducted over the course of eight class periods in three different sections of Junior-level English Language Arts courses. Analysis of the data from this study reveals three important findings: 1) students respond well to creative and relevant performance assessments; 2) students’ collaborative conversations, or …

Engaging The Disengaged: Using Every Trick In The Book, Brooke Prusaczyk

Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Literacy

Researchers have affirmed a connection between students’ engagement in reading to their academic achievement. Struggling readers in particular are generally not engaged or motivated to read. While the construct of reading engagement is difficult to measure, a student’s motivation seems to be the driving force behind reading development. Additionally, today’s students are involved in and more motivated by the many different activities outside of school, which poses challenges for both teachers and parents. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of instructional techniques on student engagement in reading. To measure the academic progress of 21 fifth grade …

Employing Engagement To Enhance Literacy Learning, Kerry Zrenda

Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Literacy

Numerous studies have identified a symbiotic relationship between student engagement and academic achievement. However, over the last three years, nearly half of Connecticut’s students have failed to meet the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts. Social constructivism and metacognitive theories frame this study, which aimed to examine instructional techniques that positively impacted student engagement. Specifically, we used engagement inventories to record student behaviors before, during, and after a six-week instructional period, throughout which we implemented several different engagement techniques. We coded student behaviors in order to analyze the effects that heightened student choice, structured peer discourse tools, and …

The Impact Of Responsive Partnership Strategies On The Satisfaction Of Co-Teaching Relationships In Early Childhood Classrooms, Caroline Lee Hulin

LSU Master's Theses

BACKGROUND: Lack of coordinated action between two adults in the classroom can lead to disjointed instruction for young children and teacher stress (Masterson, 2015; Nilsson, 2015). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to measure the effects of a Responsive Partnership Strategies intervention (Masterson) on teacher satisfaction with their co-teaching relationship. METHODS: Teachers were observed within the context of their classroom and during weekly planning sessions to record Responsive Partnership Strategies. Following baseline observations, teachers completed the Teaching Models Identification (Appendix B), Relationship Satisfaction Questionnaire (Appendix C), and the Responsive Partnership Strategies Checklist (Appendix D). The Responsive Partnership …

Fostering Organizational Change Through A Solutions-Driven Culture Of Collaboration: A Case Study Of A Teachers’ Union In The Mid-Atlantic Region, Terence Che Ngwa

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This case study explored how the teachers’ union in a mid-Atlantic urban school district used collaboration with the school district to foster a change in its organizational culture that was previously characterized by adversarial relationships. The change in the union culture presented a unique opportunity that led both sides to believe that there was value to short-term and long-term collaborative partnerships. The study was framed on an open systems theory of organizations and an evolutionary change theory. Evidence for the study was collected from published and unpublished data, field observations, a focus group discussion, and participant interviews. Overall, the researcher …

Leadership Styles In An Online Higher Education Setting: A Phenomenological Study Of Online Professional Learning Communities, Cathy Busay

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The world of online higher education is still in its infancy. This provides the opportunity for universities to create environments where online adjunct faculty acknowledges a sense of belonging and collaboration working with leaders who inspire, support, and mentor. Leaders, who truly listen, are open and honest. Support will inspire online adjunct faculty to deliver a high caliber of instruction to students. In this study, leadership styles and working in collaboration within a virtual environment were investigated using a qualitative, phenomenological study design. Adult learners in leadership capacities in online higher education described their lived experiences in working with online …