Education Commons^™

A Qualitative Case Study: Exploring Elementary Principals’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teacher Leadership, Cathy De Leon

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined the perceptions of one principal and 10 teachers from a school district in the Rio Grande Valley regarding how leadership is distributed in their schools through the lens of distributed leadership. This study contributes to the small body of literature regarding teacher leadership to foster dialogue and potentially provide opportunities for teachers to take on leadership roles. Recently, the expectations for schools have increased to the extent that leaders are now expected to ensure all students are learning at prominent levels. Today’s public-school principals may benefit from the support of teacher leaders. Results of …

Fifth Grade Teachers Use Of Cooperative Learning In Science, Liza Ramos

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to explore Cooperative Learning theories and practice by examining the relationships among three aspects: Experience, Practice and Perceptions. The data were from interview records from eight science teachers.

As a student-centered active pedagogical trend, cooperative learning has become part of one of the most effective and efficient educational trends that has illuminated constructivist science classrooms in South Texas. This method is conducive in the field of education. Students, in general, are encouraged to cooperatively get involved and to collaboratively participate in problem solving, discussions, and/or productions in group sessions to build a sense of community with the …

An Exploration Of Latinx Generation Z Secondary Teachers’ Lived Experiences, Motivations, And Retention Factors To Teach In The Rio Grande Valley, Kimberly B. Banda

Theses and Dissertations

Generation Z teachers have encountered pivotal events in their lives that have empowered them into becoming change agents in society. They have entered the classrooms during a time of great change in education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing teacher shortages in schools. Generation Z teachers have had to adapt to the changes in education and endure the challenges of transitioning back to face-to-face instruction. As school districts prepare for the post-pandemic era, it is important to capture the lived experiences of Latinx Generation Z secondary teachers to understand the motivation and retention factors that influence their decision …

Teacher Knowledge, Perceptions, And Language Orientations Towards Oral Language Instruction In A Dual Language Classroom, Lucy A. Montalvo

Theses and Dissertations

Dual language (DL) schools provide literacy in students’ native languages; however, it is unknown if there is a focus on oral language (OL) development, an essential component for emergent bilinguals’(EB) literacy development. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study is to understand what DL teachers in Virginia know about OL instruction when providing literacy instruction to EB students. This study also explored DL teachers’ perceptions and language orientations towards OL instruction in a DL classroom. The Holistic Biliteracy Framework by Escamilla et al. (2014) provided a research-based pedagogical model to compare teachers’ knowledge on OL instruction. The Language Orientation Framework …

The Perceived Competency Of Hispanic Teachers In Teaching Classes Of Diversity Is A Function Of Demographic And Personality Traits, Melissa C. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

For the past three decades, multicultural education has remained a focal point in the culture wars that United States education has encountered. Multicultural education is an educational reform movement that continues to evolve as ethnic minorities make their educational concerns and needs known. The forces driving the reform effort extend beyond linguistic and cultural diversity to include issues of academic diversity, gender, social class and sexual orientation (Wilhelm, 1998). How do educators address these needs, and how does the interaction among these diverse groups impact students and society?

The purpose of this paper is to determine the perceived competency of …

Teachers' Perception Of School Climate As A Function Of Personality Traits, Mary Carmen Pacheco

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between teachers' perception of school climate and their personality traits. The instruments used to gather the data are the Revised Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire ( OCDQ-RE ) and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory ( NEO-FFI ). Both instruments were administered to 290 Hispanic, Mexican-American, elementary teachers during team or faculty meetings. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses are used in the present study. The mean, standard error of mean, variance, skewness, standard error of skewness, kurtosis, and standard error of kurtosis are reported. Box-and-whisker plots and stem-and-leaf displays are also reported. Correlation …

Attitudes Of Migrant Receiving And Home District Teachers And The Academic Successes Of Migrant Children, Martha Alicia Cantu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this research was to investigate the attitudes of teachers in receiving and home districts toward migrant students and measure the academic achievement of migrant students. The study also serves the purpose of accessing the preparation needs of teachers who work with migrant students.

The instrument used to gather the attitudinal data from 215 receiving and home district teachers was the Migrant Education Survey . The surveys were mailed or delivered to the receiving and home district migrant teachers. Initially, 125 migrant students were selected as participants for the study. However, only 77 were used in the final …

Relationships Between Teachers' Perceptions Of Principals' Leadership Behavior And Level Of Work Motivation, Raquenel Sanchez-Perkins

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers' perceptions of the principal's leadership behavior, either initiating structure or consideration and work motivation of elementary school teachers. The three subscales of motivation are: (1) Intrinsic, (2) Extrinsic, and (3) General Satisfaction. This study also examined the relationship between work motivation and job satisfaction of elementary school teachers based on the teachers' age, years of work experience, and the student enrollment of the school they work in. The two instruments used to gather the data from elementary school teachers were the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire and the Minnesota …