Education Commons^™

A Phenomenology Study- Vicarious Trauma Among School Counselors And Teachers Working With Students From The Northern Triangle In Elementary Title I Schools, Janeth B. Santiesteban

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present phenomenological study aimed to describe the lived experiences of school counselors and teachers working at elementary Title I schools in Maryland with students from the Northern Triangle (a region of Central America comprising El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras). The assumption was that these education professionals may undergo struggles and demands that may put them at risk of vicarious trauma due to the trauma those students and their families have endured. The theory guiding this study was the transactional theory of stress and coping (Lazarus,1966; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) and the stress theory (Cohen et al., 1997), which converge …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study On The Common Core State Standards Implementation And The Influence On Academic Motivation Of Students In Middle School English Classes, Susan Diane Wright

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of English teachers and determine how implementing Common Core State Standards has influenced student motivation for middle school language arts students at Smith Middle School. Since the implementation of increased testing, changes in curriculum, and mandated instructional strategies, student motivation has declined in secondary students. The theory guiding this study was Dewey’s theory of experience which explains that students should have individualized, challenging, real-world learning opportunities. Dewey’s theory connected to this study of how the Common Core State Standards have changed the school’s instructional model. The sample …

“I Have Nothing Left To Give” A Phenomenological Study Of Secondary Traumatic Stress And Burnout In Urban School Teachers Related To The Socioeconomic Issues, Childhood Trauma, And Low Academic Performance Of Urban Students, Melissa Elizabeth Grazette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the shared experiences of secondary traumatic stress and burnout in urban schoolteachers in Washington, D.C. This study focuses on the experiences of teachers working in a low-performing school in a low-income neighborhood and working with students with trauma as it relates to their experiences with secondary traumatic stress and burnout symptoms. This study focused on the lived experiences of ten urban schoolteachers in Washington, D.C. The teacher participants served a school population of 68% at risk of negative socioeconomic barriers such as exposure to violence, poverty, drugs, and an increased likelihood of exposure to trauma. The hermeneutic …

The Greatest Miracle, Anna Katherine Green, Office Of Communications & Marketing

Press Releases

I believe a testimony is a lot more than just when you came to know Jesus as your personal savior – it’s about everything the Lord has done in your life. So, I’m going to start at the very beginning of my life, when God miraculously saved my physical life before I was saved spiritually.

There are a lot of things you can probably tell about me from the outside and even just by my walking around on campus. I’m a senior, I’m an elementary education major, I love to go on walks, and I am a part of the …

Lucy Calkins, Units Of Study, Balanced Literacy, And The Art Of Not Being Silly, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

No abstract provided.

Assessing Writing - What Doesn't Work, But Is Used Anyway, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

This is an excerpt from my book, Johnson, A. (2024). Being and becoming teachers of writing: A meaning-based approach. Routledge. It should be out in March/April of 2024.

https://www.routledge.com/Being-and-Becoming-Teachers-of-Writing-A-Meaning-Based-Approach-to-Authentic/Johnson/p/book/9781032355726

2024 Merc Annual Report, David Naff, Jesse Senechal, Paula L. Ogston-Nobile

MERC Publications

This is the annual report of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University for the 2023-2024 academic year. It includes vignettes depicting MERC activities in the past year that align with each of its five principles: research, relevance, rigor, multiple perspectives, and impact. It concludes with a discussion of MERC's commitment moving forward.

Teachers’ Voices On Multimodal Input For Second Or Foreign Language Learning, Mónica Stella Cárdenas-Claros, Tetyana Sydorenko, Elizabeth Huntley, Maribel Montero Perez

Applied Linguistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Multimodal input – which combines written, auditory, and/or visual modalities – is pervasive in everyday life and could serve as a source of rich input in language teaching. In recent years, research has determined that vocabulary learning is one of the clear benefits of being exposed to such input. Regrettably, only a handful of studies have investigated whether and how second language (L2) teachers approach multimodal input in teaching. To further contribute to the research–practice dialogue, we examined factors that influence L2 teachers’ use of multimodal input in L2 teaching. This qualitative case study presents an in-depth analysis of interview …

Changes In Teacher Salaries Under The Arkansas Learns Act, Gema Zamarro, Andrew Camp, Josh Mcgee, Taylor Wilson, Miranda Vernon

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

• The LEARNS Act:
• Increased the state’s minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000,
• Guaranteed all teachers a minimum raise of $2,000, and
• Removed the minimum teacher salary schedule and relaxed other salary schedule requirements in state law.
• Before LEARNS, starting teacher salaries in almost all school districts were below the new minimum salary of $50,000.
• The average entry-level teacher salary for those holding a bachelor’s degree was about $38,000, with 39% of districts paying the pre-LEARNS minimum salary of $36,000.
• Starting teacher salaries under LEARNS are now more equally distributed, with minimal variation across districts.
• This school year, 97% of …

Intentional Conversations: Co-Creating Global Family, School, And Community Engagement Research, Emily Markovich Morris

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presents a lecture titled "Intentional Conversations: Co-Creating Global Family, School, and Community Engagement Research" by Brookings fellow in global economy and development, Emily Markovich Morris. The more that families, schools, and communities work in partnership, the more students and schools have the support needed to thrive. This lecture explores a school and community-based research study representing education institutions in 14 countries across 6 continents. The project identifies beliefs held by families, educators, and students on the purpose of school, and global barriers to family, school, and community engagement. Surveys …

What Do You Want Your Teachers To Know? Using Intergenerational Reflections In Education Research, Catherine Vanner

Education Publications

The Intergenerational Reflections technique was developed to bring together the voices of connected stakeholders of different ages and positions—in this case, students and teachers—to create recommendations that build on both groups’ perspectives. This article describes its use and results as piloted in the Time to Teach about Gender-Based Violence in Canada project. The project gathered 11 teacher participants in a participatory workshop to mobilize teachers’ reflections on student-produced cellphilms responding to the prompt: “What do you want your teachers to know when teaching about gender-based violence?” Framed using hooks’ engaged pedagogy, analysis describes teachers’ identification of potential pedagogical adaptations responding …

Effects Of A Mindfulness Intervention To Improve Teachers’ Well-Being, Andrea P. Almaguer-Botero, Eva L. Miller, Roy K. Chen, Ralph Carlson

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Teacher attrition has increased by 50% over the past 15 years. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a mindfulness-based intervention would be effective for reducing stress and increasing mindfulness, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and well-being among teachers at Title I (low-income) schools. The researchers evaluated the effects of a mindfulness intervention created specifically for teachers using a four-way ANOVA (2 × 3 × 2 × 5) with two between subjects’ factors, groups and levels, and two within subjects/repeated measures factors, pretest-posttest and scales. While the study did not show significant effects for mindfulness, stress, self-efficacy, and well-being, teachers …

Ouachita To Host Called To Teach Conference On July 21, Felley Lawson, Office Of Communications & Marketing

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s Huckabee School of Education will host its annual Called to Teach Conference on Friday, July 21, in Walker Conference Center, 485 Campus Drive. Called to Teach is open to the public; attendees can receive six hours of professional development credit through the Arkansas Department of Education.

“Building Relationships” is the theme for the 2023 conference, which will feature guest speaker Marilyn Rhames, founder of Teachers Who Pray. Rhames is a Doctoral Academy Fellow in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, where her research is focused on the intersection of religion and race in …

Football Connections Impact On High School Graduation: A Qualitative Study, Devin Rakin Allison Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand the influences that playing high school football has on graduation. The theories guiding this study were the theory of connectedness and the theory of attachment and how students' connections to football helped them achieve the goal of graduation. Ainsworth and Bowlby and their theories of attachment were used to tie football as an extracurricular activity to graduation and why educators push for students to be involved. I attempted to show the benefits that involvement in football helps a student succeed in high school. Themes like connections, support, and academics were revealed …

A Causal-Comparative Investigation Of The Effect Of Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Students’ Socioeconomic Status On Their Attitudes Toward Technology, Catherine Rose

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative causal-comparative study investigated the effect of middle school teachers’ perceptions of students’ socioeconomic status on their attitudes toward technology. The study was based on the theory of social constructivism and the will, skill, and tool model of technology integration to investigate teachers’ attitudes toward technology. This study advanced the body of knowledge by examining the connection between pedagogical beliefs and teachers’ attitudes toward technology, the use of technology with students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and the need for more research on technology use by teachers at the middle school level. The research question exploring the possibility of a …

Expanding Teacher Diversity And Learning Achievements: Understanding And Supporting The Teaching Career Decision Making Of Minoritized Students, Jannatul Anika

University Scholar Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore how college students of color who are considering (or have considered) the teaching profession describe the internal and external factors that are influencing their career decision. In Connecticut during the 2021-22 academic year, 89.9 percent of public school teachers identified as White, while Connecticut’s population of students of color is more than 45 percent. This project translated the observations and experiences around the lack of diversity in the teaching workforce and aimed to understand the underlying reasons why there is a shortage of teachers of color with the goal of recommending solutions. …

A Glimpse Into Arkansas Teachers’ Grading Practices 2022-23, Sarah Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This case study assesses the current, self-reported grading practices among Arkansas teachers. We distributed a Teachers’ Grading Perceptions survey in November, 2022, and we conducted semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals in January-February, 2023. We gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from the teacher survey, and we used interviews to collect themes for current grading practices in Arkansas’s schools. We generated a grading equity scale from the survey questions, verified by a reliable alpha coefficient = 0.83, and we use this in a multivariate regression to explore teacher characteristics and their likelihood of favoring grading equity practices. We collected themes …

Examining The Relationship Between School Climate And Teacher Self-Efficacy In Oregon, Vincent T. Domingo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, predictive correlational study is to determine if school climate (SC) factors can accurately predict teachers' self-efficacy (TSE) in Oregon public schools. Using social cognitive theory and ecological systems theory as theoretical frameworks for this study, the importance of this research includes, adding Oregon data to the body of knowledge, narrowing the research gap, and a better understanding of SC and TSE that may be applied to improving a school’s climate, school planning, increasing TSE, and retaining teachers. The sample for this study were Oregon public school teachers, 69 of which participated in the study. Two …

Lessons Learned In Social-Emotional Development After A Pandemic: A Qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Lyndsey Eksili

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lessons learned by educational leaders and teachers in the social emotional development of K-12 students after the COVID-19 pandemic. Twelve K-12 leaders and teachers in varying in age and demographics participated in interviews, a focus group, and artifact collection to explore the lived experiences and lessons learned in social-emotional learning and development after the pandemic. Themes were then developed based on those experiences using the qualitative transcendental methods of research and data analysis. The themes discovered through research were student struggles, teacher/staff struggles, and school climate. The subthemes …

A Glimpse Into Arkansas Teachers’ Grading Practices, Sarah Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

This case study assesses the current, self-reported grading practices among Arkansas teachers. We distributed a Teachers’ Grading Perceptions survey in November, 2022, and we conducted semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals in January-February, 2023. We gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from the teacher survey, and we used interviews to collect themes for current grading practices in Arkansas’s schools. We generated a grading equity scale from the survey questions, verified by a reliable alpha coefficient = 0.83, and we use this in a multivariate regression to explore teacher characteristics and their likelihood of favoring grading equity practices. We collected themes …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Connective Experiences Between Elementary Teachers And Parents In A Virtual Setting, Amy J. R. Truett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how connective experiences are built between elementary teachers and parents in a virtual setting at the ABC school district in the southeastern region of the United States. The theory guiding this study was Siemens’ connectiveness theory, as it explored the students' knowledge impacted by the connective experiences of the network of elementary teachers and parents in accessing their learning and success in the virtual school setting. Three essential research questions focused on the connective experiences between elementary teachers and parents in the virtual setting in the southeastern part of the …

A Case Study: Exploring High School Extracurricular Activities' Sponsors' And Coaches' Experiences With The Inclusion Of Ninth--Grade Students As A Marginalized Population, Kimberly Swaney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore the inclusion process for extracurricular activity sponsors and coaches at a rural high school in southwestern Pennsylvania. The theory guiding this study was Maslow’s theory of human motivation as it provided a structural format that was useful for implementing an inclusive process into extracurricular activities. This was a qualitative, single case study with a purposeful sampling of 11 participants representative of extracurricular activity sponsors and coaches in a rural school district. The central research question was: How do high school extracurricular activities’ sponsors and coaches describe their experiences with the inclusion …

Thinking Global, Acting Local, Ali Gohar Qazi

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Ongoing or continuous professional development is essential for teachers to develop and maintain the knowledge base required to produce more powerful learning outcomes among their students. Research has shown that professional development is more effective and meaningful to teachers when it is content focused, involves active learning and collective participation, and when it is sustained in duration, instead of being top-down, episodic, or delivered as ‘one-shot’ training workshops.

Economic Evaluation Of Teacher Induction Programs: A Report, Jonathan D. Becker, Elisa Tedona, Matthew Togna

MERC Publications

Research shows that teacher induction programs can be effective as measured by a number of outcomes. However, research also shows that teacher induction programs vary greatly from one district to another. Furthermore, there is no research that examines teacher induction programs with respect to costs and benefits. Educational leaders and stakeholders do not need to wait on formal institutional research to do such an economic evaluation.

This report, in combination with a How-to-Guide, the Teacher Induction Program Cost Matrix and the Teacher Induction Program Benefit-Cost Workbook, comprises a toolkit designed to allow school and district leaders to conduct …

Administrator Feedback To Teachers, Regina Frazier, Candace Wilkerson, Jacquie Cioffi, Patrick Simmons, Makeba Lindsay D'Abreu, Thea Racelis, Amanda Simmons, Melissa Yancey, Deanna Fierro, David B. Naff

MERC Publications

This brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) curates peer-reviewed scholarship as well as state and school board policies in Virginia related to administrator feedback to teachers. It explores the following questions: 1) What is the purpose of administrators providing feedback to teachers? 2) How do administrators typically provide feedback to teachers? 3) How do teachers typically receive feedback from administrators? 4) What are research-based strategies for administrators to provide productive feedback to teachers? It concludes with key takeaways and recommendations for how administrators provide feedback to teachers.

Concern, Conflict, And Chaos: Nebraska Educator Experiences During The Pandemic, Amanda Witte, Amanda Prokasky, Courtney Boise, Renata T.M. Gomes, Gwen Nugent, Susan Sheridan

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

During the spring of 2020, Nebraska’s 983 public schools sat vacant, and Nebraska’s 329,290 Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 students were learning in environments other than school. Educators were expected to pivot quickly from traditional classroom instruction to remote experiences. Understanding the effects of the pandemic on educators is necessary to effectively meet their needs and the needs of students. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the experiences of Nebraska’s urban and rural PreK–Grade 12 educators during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In surveys collected in July 2020, participants (i.e., superintendents, principals, and teachers) completed …

Why Do Students Attend Stem Clubs, What Do They Get Out Of It, And Where Are They Heading?, Margaret R. Blanchard, Kristie S. Gutierrez, Kylie J. Swanson, Karen M. Collier

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This research investigated what motivated and sustained the involvement of 376 students in culturally relevant, afterschool STEM clubs at four rural, under-resourced schools. A longitudinal, convergent parallel mixed methods research design was used to investigate participants’ participation in and perceptions of the clubs, their motivations to attend, and their future goals, over three years. Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT) served as a guiding theoretical and analytical framework. Overall, students who attended the clubs were African American (55%), female (56%), and 6th graders (42%), attended approximately half of the clubs (43%), and agreed with quality measures on the STEM Club Survey (M …

Economic Evaluation Of Teacher Induction Programs: A Toolkit How-To Guide, Jonathan D. Becker, Elisa Tedona, Matthew Togna

MERC Publications

Research shows that teacher induction programs can be effective as measured by a number of outcomes. However, research also shows that teacher induction programs vary greatly from one district to another. Furthermore, there is no research that examines teacher induction programs with respect to costs and benefits. Educational leaders and stakeholders do not need to wait on formal institutional research to do such an economic evaluation.

This how-to guide, in combination with a comprehensive report, the Teacher Induction Program Cost Matrix and the Teacher Induction Program Benefit-Cost Workbook, comprises a toolkit designed to allow school and district leaders to …

Challenges And Opportunities In Teaching Interdisciplinary Courses On Islam And Evolution: A Theology-Centric Perspective, Shoaib Ahmed Malik

All Works

In the nascent discourse of Islam and science, the discussion of how to reconcile evolution with Islam is one of the most, if not the most, pressing concerns. This article reviews the various studies that have looked at the reception of evolution in multiple contexts to highlight the pedagogical challenges that materialise for Muslim students and teachers. It argues that, while recognising the obstacles and challenges mentioned in other studies, the crucial subject matter of Islamic theology (ʿaqīda) is not fully appreciated in those analyses. How and why theology is a vital discussion matter is examined, along with the benefits …

Learning From The Courageous Actions Of War And Post-War Time Teachers: A Bricolage Of Bosnian Educators, Elana Micahl Haviv

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify the preconditions that inspire courageous action through exploration of the choices made by four classroom teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Each educator had made the decision not only to teach during or after the 1992–1995 war and genocide in their country, but to do so in ways that went against official post-war teaching guidelines. Although there are a vast number of studies on courage in literature, there is little research that includes teachers who remained in their classrooms during wartime or chose to enter their classrooms in transitional societies after their communities …