Education Commons^™

The Resilience And Contribution Of Positive Veteran Teachers: A Phenomenological Study, Eric B. Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study is to examine the resilience and contribution in the lived experiences of positive veteran teachers with more than five years of teaching experience. Using self-determination theory (SDT), this study links the resilience and contribution of teachers to the fulfillment of the psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The central research question for this study was: What are the contributions in the lived experiences of positive veteran teachers to their school communities due to their resilience? A triangulation of journal prompts, individual interviews, and focus groups provided data from the lived experiences of …

Secondary Math Teachers’ Responses To Errors In The Classroom, Richie Vicinanza

Honors College Theses

This study was conducted in an effort to find out how modern-day secondary math teachers respond to errors in their classrooms and the reasonings behind their responses. To fulfill the purpose of this study, various methods of research were used to gather information. Methods included looking into the scholarly sources surrounding the topic as well as a primary-conducted study in the field. Participants of this study were high school math teachers. The participants engaged in two semi-structured interviews (an initial and a debrief) as well as an observation that was conducted during one of their classes. Through the initial interview, …

Resilience Of Teaching Juveniles: A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers In Juvenile Corrections Facilities, Jessica D. Bradshaw

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to interpret the experience of resilience in teachers in juvenile corrections facilities. The theory guiding this study is the self-determination theory, which Richard Ryan and Edward Deci developed. Self-determination theory is a means to understand human motivation. The methodology to be used is a hermeneutic phenomenological approach using interviews, exhibit scenarios, and a journal reflection prompt from 13 voluntary participants of teachers and former teachers with experience in long-term juvenile corrections facilities from around the United States. Although the education field has challenges in any setting, the challenges specific to working in …

Use Of Online Hybrid Supplemental Teaching In Field-Based Teacher Education Programs, Hank Bohanon, Wenjin Guo, Christopher Dickman

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

University faculty who implement field-based teacher education programs experience challenges providing instruction for clinical, site-embedded university-based students. These issues can include a lack of common times to meet with students, limited access to meeting space to provide direct instruction, and changes in the school schedule. A number of these barriers may be addressed by adding elements of online instruction to traditional in-person classes, making the course, in effect, a hybrid one. In this study, the researchers analyzed the perspectives of university-based, special education focused instructors and clinical partners on the barriers, needs, benefits, and content related to implementing hybrid instruction …

That Garden Of Hope, Bhavika Sicka

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The poem explores themes of freedom of speech, the power of words, and the pursuit of knowledge.

A Phenomenological Study On Special Education Teachers' Experience With General Education Teachers Not In A Co-Teaching Model Of Inclusion In North Carolina High Schools, Desmond Denard Coble

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of special education teachers with general education teachers who are not in a co-teaching model of inclusion in North Carolina high schools. The study examined how inclusion is implemented at the school level and how special education teachers and general education teachers collaborate for students with disabilities. Special education teachers working at the high school level in North Carolina are the participants in this study. The setting for the study is high schools within the state of North Carolina. The central question for this study asks how special …

The Lived Experience Of Secondary Career And Technical Education Teachers Collaborating With Special Education Teachers: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Padro L. Gould

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study aims to describe the lived experiences of secondary career and technical education (CTE) teachers in a Michigan public school district who collaborate with special education teachers to meet the instructional needs of students with special needs. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s self-efficacy theory as it is used to assess CTE teacher confidence levels, and how those levels directly and indirectly affect their capacity to offer adequate instruction to CTE students with special needs through collaborative efforts. This research intended to answer this central research question: What are the experiences of CTE teachers who collaborate …

Observed And Perceived Benefits Of Providing Physical Activity Opportunities In Elementary Schools: A Qualitative Study, Timothy J Walker, Derek W Craig, Christopher D Pfledderer, Michael C Robertson, Paula Cuccaro, Keisey Fumero, John B Bartholomew

Journal Articles

INTRODUCTION: Schools play an important role in promoting physical activity for youth. However, school-based physical activity opportunities often compete with other academic priorities, limiting their implementation. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore elementary school teacher and staff perspectives on providing physical activity opportunities and how they impact students and learning.

METHODS: We partnered with a school district in Texas to conduct semi-structured individual interviews. We used a purposeful sampling approach to recruit elementary teachers and staff knowledgeable about the physical activity opportunities provided at their school. Interviews included questions about participant opinions of providing physical activity opportunities …

Improving The Reading Skills Of Struggling Secondary Students In A Real-World Setting: Issues Of Implementation And Sustainability, Susan Main, Susan Hill, Annamaria Paolino

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reading difficulties have been associated with limited academic success and related social-emotional outcomes including anxiety and low motivation. Recent research on the educational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that children with poor reading skills were disproportionally disadvantaged. This growing number of students experiencing reading difficulties will require effective implementation of strategies to prevent long-term disadvantage, including in the challenging context of secondary schools where teachers are unfamiliar with reading instruction and constrained by timetabling of subjects and teachers. This research examined whether a Direct Instruction programme could be implemented with fidelity in the real world of a secondary school …

Teacher Salaries In The Mountain West, 2019 - 2021, Corryn Richardson, Joshua Padilla, Hira Ahmed, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet examines state-level data of teacher salary benchmarks from the National Education Association, a labor union representing public school teachers and other education faculty in the U.S. Data are presented on average teacher salaries, average teacher starting salaries, and teacher pay penalties in the Mountain West (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah).

The Silent Secret: College Instructors’ Nonverbal Behavior And Its Correlation With Student Immediacy, Jared Van Fujishin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative research study focuses on the relationship between college teachers’ nonverbal communication behaviors and the influence that those behaviors have on college students’ perception of immediacy. Understanding the factors of immediacy, or trust and rapport with another, is imperative for educators as the current literature suggests that how students feel toward their instructors plays a role in the retention or attrition of students. Although nonverbal communication is only one part of a complex set of variables that go into the equation of student retention, it is an important aspect of the equation to study because nonverbal communication is constantly …

Actions Of The Principal: Influences On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Motivation, Amanda Maslen Conner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Classroom teachers are a significant influence on student achievement. Numerous studies indicate that teacher motivation and self-efficacy influence their effectiveness in the classroom. Furthermore, studies indicate that the leadership behaviors of the principal can influence the school culture and have a direct impact on teacher motivation and self-efficacy. This study sought to determine if a relationship exists between certain behaviors of administrators and a teacher's self-efficacy and motivation. The study used a correlational design using The Teacher Motivation & Job Satisfaction Survey (TMJSS), The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), and the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI). There were 72 high …

How Ethnic Minority Single Mothers Characterize The Influences That Led Them To Leave The Teaching Profession, Janelle Bravo-San Pedro

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are leaving the profession at high rates. Salary, support, and workload are factors that have contributed to this phenomenon. Teachers who are single mothers and are the sole providers of their households in all aspects, including financial, emotional, and physical find themselves questioning their career choice and the constant inner struggle of being an effective teacher and super mom. Little research has explored the personal lives and responsibilities of educators, particularly those of single mothers, to understand and address their needs and reasons for leaving the teaching profession. This research holds implications for policy, practice, and future scholarship on …

Leadership Teams Supporting Teacher Wellbeing By Improving The Culture Of An Australian Secondary School, Geoffrey W. Lummis, Julia E. Morris, Catherine Ferguson, Susan Hill, Graeme Lock

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research explored teachers’ experiences of school and their work-related wellbeing, from the perspective that work-related wellbeing is an organisational responsibility. A single case study was enacted in an urban Western Australian secondary school to explore the relationship between school organisational health and teacher wellbeing. A mixed method pre-test phase determined professional growth, professional interaction and role clarity were areas of organisational health that yielded divergent responses from staff. Subsequently, the school’s leadership team implemented interventions to improve these domains, and post-intervention data collection was conducted 18 months later to determine any changes. Qualitative data showed improvements in the professional …

A Circular Pedagogy For Higher Education, Lucia Morales, Jon-Hans Coetzer, Nadia Barkoczi, Lia Pop, Claudia Marian, Patrick Flynn

Working Papers

Over the last two decades, higher education has been subject to significant scrutiny due to increasing pressures to provide a meaningful and relevant learning experience to the student population, and by their strong connection to the functioning of the economic and political systems. By reflecting on the controversies surrounding pedagogy, this paper contributes to the current debate by exploring pedagogy as a circular process where learners grow and develop by taking different roles and identities as they navigate a research-informed learning continuum defined by growing levels of complexity and uncertainty. This study introduces a new pedagogical paradigm for adult education, …

Get The Arts Outdoors: Merging Arts And Nature In Outdoor Education At The Ymca, Puneet Dhaliwal

SASAH 4th Year Capstone and Other Projects: Publications

As part of my SASAH experiential learning requirement, I worked at the YMCA Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre during the Fall/Winter term of 2021/22. Although I had previously worked at the outdoor centre as an educator teaching groups, this year was a different experience due to the new responsibilities and unique learning opportunities presented by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the year, I was responsible for the creation of lesson plans merging the arts and sciences in an outdoor setting according to the curriculum requirements of Ontario’s Ministry of Education. Moreover, I implemented inclusive learning options for each unit …

The Impact Of A Year-Long Professional Development On Teacher Self-Efficacy In Personal Writing And The Teaching Of Writing, Guang-Lea Lee, Terri Brodeur, Cherng-Jyh Yen, Tian Luo, Pauline Salim Muljana

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Long-term professional development (PD) initiatives are scant in the extant literature. This study examines the impact of a year-long, face-to-face teacher PD provided for teachers from a high-need elementary school to improve their personal writing and writing instruction. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect and analyze data primarily from pre- and post-surveys and interviews. Statistical analyses suggest that teachers’ self-efficacy toward writing instruction was improved, but not self-efficacy toward their personal writing. Various means of how the year-long teacher PD influenced their self-efficacy were demonstrated through qualitative analysis. Implications of conducting teacher PD on writing instruction were discussed.

The Role Of Early Childhood Pedagogical Leaders In Schools: Leading Change For Ongoing Improvement, Amie Fabry, Lennie Barblett, Marianne Knaus

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Early childhood pedagogical practice in primary schools is often challenged by academic demands, debate about best practice and ongoing change through new policy initiatives. This paper reports an investigation of how early childhood pedagogical leaders assist early years teachers in schools to embrace change and embed early childhood pedagogy. Framed within a constructivist epistemology, this paper reports on findings from three case studies drawn from a larger mixed-methods study from Perth, Western Australia. Data collected through shadowing pedagogical leaders, undertaking contextual interviews and analysing school documents revealed that pedagogical change was promoted, encouraged and sustained through a number of strategies. …

A Collective Case Study Of Teachers’ Perceptions Of Factors That Impact Teacher Retention At A Title I High School In A Southern U.S. State, Laronica Deniece Gilmore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand secondary teachers’ perceptions of the factors that influenced teacher retention at a Title I high school in a southern U.S. state. Although researchers have investigated the problem of teacher retention, few have studied factors that have influenced teacher retention in Title 1 high schools. The theories that guided this study included job demands-resources theory which analyzes employee well-being. This collective case study captured the insights of 10–15 current and former teachers at a Title I high school in a southern U.S. state. Data were collected through interviews, focus groups, and …

Features Of Direct Instruction: Interactive Lessons, Kristen R. Rolf, Timothy A. Slocum

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Direct Instruction (DI) teaches challenging academic content to a range of diverse learners. In order to do so, DI includes a complex system for organizing and directing teacher–student interactions to maximize learning. This system includes: instructional formats that specify the interactions between teacher and student, flexible skills-based groupings, active student responding, responsive interactions between students and teachers, ongoing data-based decision making, and mastery teaching. In this article, we describe each of these main features of the system, define their functions, reveal how they are interwoven throughout all DI lessons, and provide specific examples of their application during instruction. Our goal …

Teacher Perception Towards The Use Of Information And Communication Technology (Ict) In Secondary Schools In Ebonyi State, Nigeria, Chinwe Enyi, Mkpoikanke Otu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examined the teacher perception towards the use of (ICT) in teaching Biology in secondary schools in Okposi education zone of Ebonyi state. Ten schools and all 15 Biology teachers in the schools were used for the study which adopted descriptive survey design. Two instruments were used. The first one was a checklist on availability of (ICT) facilities in schools while the second was a questionnaire for Biology teachers on their perception on the use of ICT and the problems militating against the integration of ICT in their work. Simple percentages and mean were used in answering the research …

High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Student Cell Phone Use In The Classroom: A Case Study, Summer Dawn Dupont

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative intrinsic case study discovered high school teachers’ perceptions of student cell phone use in the classroom at Battery Creek High School. The theory which guided this study is based on Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory and social constructivism as it pertains to the environment children grow up in affects how they think and what they think about. The case study utilized semi-structured interviews of teachers, a teacher survey, and followed by focus groups created from common themes found. The data gathered was analyzed through the method of open coding and selective coding using bold/italics and then …

Strategies For Teachers To Promote Physical Activity In Early Childhood Education Settings—A Scoping Review, Toby C. T. Mak, Derwin K. C. Chan, Catherine M. Capio

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Recent evidence has emphasized the importance of the early childhood years for developing lifelong physical activity patterns. As such, evidence-informed programs that create opportunities for young children to engage in physical activity are needed and education settings present an important context. This review aimed to identify strategies that are implemented by teachers to promote physical activity in early childhood education and care settings. This is a scoping review that followed the framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Searches were conducted using the databases of PubMed, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, SPORT Discus, ERIC and Web of Science for publications up to September …

Teachers’ Perspectives On The Use Of Digital Portfolios In Efl Teaching Context, Diem Thi Ngoc Hoang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Teacher education in Vietnam has undergone radical reform in the last decade. This is partially the result ofthe determination of the Vietnamese government to improve education quality nationwide at all levels. In particular, the training of teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) has received significant consideration. This is shown in many policy documents issued by the government that focus on increasing both quantity and quality of EFL teachers (Government of Vietnam, 2008; Ministry of Education and Training, 2014). Among the quality standards of EFL teachers, ICT competence has recently received considerable attention and investment (Government of Vietnam, 2017; …

Arts 4 All Kids/Ymca: Cel Final Report, Sarah Collins

SASAH 4th Year Capstone and Other Projects: Publications

An account of my CEL experiences as a volunteer creative writing teacher for the London nonprofit organization, Arts 4 All Kids, and as an educator for the before and after school program from the YMCA. These experiences have allowed me to explore teaching in a classroom setting, planning/delivering activities and assignments, behaviour and classroom management, working with children with special needs, and working with children from struggling families.

Impact Of A Teacher Education Program On The Intercultural Competence Of Teacher Candidates, Elizabeth J. Sandell

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

No abstract provided.

Improving Teacher Retention In A South Carolina School District, Christine Proctor Gunter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study is to solve the problem of the teacher retention issue for a school district in South Carolina and to design a solution to address the problem. A multi-method design was used consisting of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first approach was structured interviews with administrators. The interviews with administrators aimed to set the foundation on their school’s teacher retention and attrition and provided an outline for supportive opportunities they offer early-career teachers. Surveys with early-career teachers provided insight to their thoughts and feelings about their profession and school. The third approach is to …

Emergent And Early Literacy Opportunities For Children With Visual Impairment With/Without An Additional Disability, Susan Pope

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Introduction: This study examined implications of literacy instruction for children with visual impairment (VI) with/without an additional disability at a specialized preschool in a large Midwestern city. Methods: Teachers participated in interviews and revealed their perspectives for providing literacy instruction, and students were video recorded participating in literacy activities. Literacy opportunities were coded for themes. Results: Six themes of literacy opportunities emerged from this study (i.e., literacy opportunities, accessibility, frequency, assessment, settings, and cues for understanding). Results provide evidence of instructional strategies, challenges and strengths described by teachers, types of activities used to promote literacy and the frequency and accessibility …

Parental Involvement In Children’S Education At A Christian School: A Transcendental Phenomenological Approach, Deborah Ann Minix-Fuller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parents share collective experiences of either involving themselves or not in their child’s education. This transcendental phenomenological study’s rationale was to explore the views, experiences, beliefs, and motivations of parents who are involved in their children’s education. Eleven participants who engaged in this research are from a small-sized Christian school in Kentucky. The theory guiding this study is Urie Bronfenbrenner’s theory (1979), the Ecological System (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem). The data collected from interviews, a focus group, and two surveys. NVivo12 plus Qualitative Data Analysis Software (Q-DAS) implemented to analyze the qualitative data collected. Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological seven …

“I Think That’S My Job”: What Motivates Teachers To Partner With Teacher Educators In Ite?, Corinne Green, Michelle J. Eady, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Policymakers and researchers internationally have advocated school–university partnerships as an innovative means of strengthening initial teacher education (ITE) through the integration of theory and practice. These partnerships provide valuable learning opportunities for the pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, university teacher educators, and school students involved. While there has been ample literature discussing the implementation and benefits of school–university partnerships, there is currently a paucity of research investigating what motivates teachers’ involvement in these collaborations. This chapter provides a local response to this research gap by presenting an Australian-based case study. Informed by the Reasoned Action Approach (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010), this …