Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
- Publication
- Publication Type
Articles 1 - 12 of 12
Full-Text Articles in Education
Principals’ Perspectives On Integrating Digital Tools In The Jamaican Primary Curriculum, Audrea Samuels
Principals’ Perspectives On Integrating Digital Tools In The Jamaican Primary Curriculum, Audrea Samuels
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
There is a growing demand for schools to be digitalized in the fourth industrial revolution, yet many teachers do not use digital tools in their pedagogical practices. Primary school principals have experienced challenges in motivating teachers to use digital tools in curriculum delivery in a rural quality education circle (QEC). The purpose of this study was to explore principals’ perceptions about the challenges experienced with using digital tools in curriculum delivery and the organizational supports needed for utilization in instruction by primary teachers in a rural QEC in Jamaica. The technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) framework was used in …
Intermediate Schoolteachers’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Professional Development On Their Classroom Instruction, Gwendolyn Adams Lockett
Intermediate Schoolteachers’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Professional Development On Their Classroom Instruction, Gwendolyn Adams Lockett
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Despite increased district-provided professional development (PD) opportunities for teachers to improve classroom instruction, there has been a steady decline of academic achievement at an intermediate school in a large urban school district in the southwestern United States. One of the factors campus administrators attributed the lack of student success to was that the district does not provide PD that is effective in changing in intermediate schoolteachers’ instructional practices. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore intermediate schoolteachers’ perceptions of the impact PD provided by the district has on their classroom instruction, as well as the impact these trainings …
Digital Colleague Connectedness: A Framework For Studying Teachers’ Professional Network Interactions, Darci J. Harland
Digital Colleague Connectedness: A Framework For Studying Teachers’ Professional Network Interactions, Darci J. Harland
Journal of Educational Research and Practice
The coronavirus outbreak will likely highlight both strengths and weaknesses of the pre-corona educational system. Researchers have a responsibility to examine the experiences educators have had during the pandemic; however, there are no education-specific frameworks for researchers to use to examine teachers interacting with digital colleagues for professional purposes. This paper describes the literature used to design the digital colleague connectedness framework. The purpose of the framework is to operationalize terminology used to examine educators interacting in professional exchanges within a virtual network. This framework includes six behaviors in which digital colleagues engage and four roles they may assume that …
Understanding Teachers’ Experiences Implementing An Innovative Early Literacy Program, Stephanie Callaway
Understanding Teachers’ Experiences Implementing An Innovative Early Literacy Program, Stephanie Callaway
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem addressed in this study was the lack of effective literacy interventions for the development of reading skills for primary students who are at-risk for dropping out of high school. The purpose of this study was to examine early literacy instruction by exploring the insights and perspectives of primary educators who participated in a literacy intervention program known as the supporting literacy model. The conceptual framework was based on sociocultural learning theory and self-efficacy theory. The main research question for this qualitative multiple case study addressed the experiences of teachers and instructional coaches who implemented the supporting literacy model. …
Program Evaluation Of An Induction Program In A Rural U.S. Middle School, Jean Dorinda Graddick
Program Evaluation Of An Induction Program In A Rural U.S. Middle School, Jean Dorinda Graddick
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This project study addressed the problem of induction teacher attrition at a rural middle school in the Southeastern United States. The study consisted of a program evaluation of a new induction program to ascertain the program's effectiveness in reducing induction teacher attrition. The theoretical framework for this study was Social constructivism. The goals of the evaluation were to (a) examine evidence supporting the effectiveness of the program, (b) identify whether the program helped the school to meet its new-teacher retention goals, and (c) evaluate induction program processes for their possible revision and improvement at other rural middle schools. A qualitative …
Blended Learning As An Instructional Strategy To Improve Academic Performance, Debra-Dreana Marshall-Stuart
Blended Learning As An Instructional Strategy To Improve Academic Performance, Debra-Dreana Marshall-Stuart
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Higher education institutions in Barbados have introduced blended learning as a strategy to improve students' academic performance and achievement. Despite the implementation of blended learning, the poor student performance and outcomes persist. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how teaching processes and practices at the institution have influenced blended learning to improve student achievement. A social constructivist framework was used to guide the study. The research question addressed the practices and processes used by teachers to increase student learning and performance in a blended learning environment. Data collection involved semistructured interviews with 6 teachers from the …
A Case Study Of The Teacher Advancement Program On A Native American Reservation, Shing Aruguete Aruguete
A Case Study Of The Teacher Advancement Program On A Native American Reservation, Shing Aruguete Aruguete
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A school district on a Native American reservation in the southwestern region of the U.S. decided to implement the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) to improve teacher instructional effectiveness and student academic achievement. Although researchers have documented successes of the TAP in high-poverty urban school districts across the U.S., little is known regarding the TAP implementation in remote Native American cultural context schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate if the collaborative process of the TAP implementation changed the teachers' instructional practices. Using Vygotsky's social constructivism, which emphasizes that learning happens through interactions and cooperation of people in their …
Narratives Of Elementary And Secondary Teacher Leaders As Agents Of Transformational Change, Cassandra Mason
Narratives Of Elementary And Secondary Teacher Leaders As Agents Of Transformational Change, Cassandra Mason
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Historically, being self-reflective has not been evidenced as critical to the career advancement of teachers aspiring to leadership roles. Five teacher leaders in a southwestern school district participated in a district Teacher Leadership Certificate Program (TLCP), which included self-reflective practices to broaden their understanding of the tools necessary to be an effective leader in 21st century schools. Theories of change suggest that teachers must acquire new knowledge and apply this new knowledge in practice. The theoretical framework for this project study was Mezirow's transformative learning theory. A narrative design was employed to identify the change process experienced by the 5 …
Towards More Effective Teacher Professional Development Initiatives, Laura Sebastian Hooks
Towards More Effective Teacher Professional Development Initiatives, Laura Sebastian Hooks
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The No Child Left Behind Act (2002) and Race to the Top (2009) legislation have forged new school accountability measures and led to a sharp increase in demand for teacher professional development (TPD). However, data revealed that there is a disconnection between the training that teachers receive and its implementation, limiting its impact on student achievement. This qualitative case study's purpose was to reveal major barriers to TPD implementation and provide suggestions for crafting more impactful TPD. Based on the social constructivist foundation, this study sought to address the factors that increase teachers' receptiveness to more effective teaching techniques. It …
Barriers To Facilitating An Existing Certified Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom, Shelley L. Easler
Barriers To Facilitating An Existing Certified Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom, Shelley L. Easler
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In response to social trends whereby children are spending less time outside, school administrators have developed certified Nature Explore Outdoor Classrooms (NEOCs) intentionally designed to support whole-child learning within a natural environment. Despite the documented benefits of nature-based education, the literature and NEOC sites report challenges in facilitating this type of space. The purpose of this study was to investigate what prevents teachers in a certified NEOC from facilitating student/teacher engagement with the natural outdoor environment. Kolb's, Piaget's, and Vygotsky's theories of constructivism served as the study's framework to explore the problem from the teachers' perspectives. A qualitative case study …
Facilitating Inquiry-Based Science Learning Online In A Virtual University, Rosalind Kam, Bernard (None) Hoop Jr.
Facilitating Inquiry-Based Science Learning Online In A Virtual University, Rosalind Kam, Bernard (None) Hoop Jr.
Walden Faculty and Staff Publications
The authors reviewed their approaches to facilitating inquiry-based science courses from 2005 through 2010 in a fully online master's degree program at Walden University designed to help teachers bring inquiry-based science to their students. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate their interaction-engagement approach in facilitating online courses, which focused on a guided inquiry approach to build understanding of core science concepts using hands-on experimental science investigations.
Facilitating Inquiry-Based Science Learning Online In A Virtual University, Bernard Hoop, Rosalind Kam
Facilitating Inquiry-Based Science Learning Online In A Virtual University, Bernard Hoop, Rosalind Kam
Higher Learning Research Communications
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the authors’ interaction-engagement approach in facilitating online courses, which focused on a guided inquiry approach to build understanding of core science concepts using hands-on experimental science investigations. The graduate-level courses were taught during 2005 through 2010, entirely online. The course participants were practicing teachers who were enrolled in the K-8 Science Specialization of a Master of Science in Education degree program. It was presumed that teachers undertook this graduate program to improve their content knowledge, as well as for their professional advancement in their teaching careers and, for some, financial incentives from …