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Full-Text Articles in Education

A Qualitative Descriptive Study Exploring The Perceptions Of New Teacher Induction Supports, Tonya Dixon Apr 2024

A Qualitative Descriptive Study Exploring The Perceptions Of New Teacher Induction Supports, Tonya Dixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of novice teachers leaving the profession in the first few years of their career represented a global issue and an increased attrition rate. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the perceptions of novice U.S. teachers and effective systemic supports provided to new teachers through the lens of social capital. For this study, the intangible components of social capital emerged through the development and fostering of mentoring relationships in an induction program. The methodology used was a qualitative descriptive study using a survey, interviews, and thematic analysis of the survey and interview data collected. The …


Influence Of Restorative Practices On The Middle-School Classroom, As Reported By Teachers: A Qualitative Case Study, Julia Y. Andrews Dec 2022

Influence Of Restorative Practices On The Middle-School Classroom, As Reported By Teachers: A Qualitative Case Study, Julia Y. Andrews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions of the influence that restorative practices have on the middle school classroom environment. For the purpose of this study, seven middle school teachers were selected who have implemented restorative practices in their middle school classrooms to provide feedback. Findings suggest that overall restorative practices have a positive influence on the classroom. The findings from this study can be used with teachers, administrators, counselors, parents, and school and district support staff to help create a positive campus culture between students and adults in middle school classrooms. The …


All-Day Prekindergarten: Closing The Achievement Gap In Literacy, Theodore Clevenger Iv Nov 2022

All-Day Prekindergarten: Closing The Achievement Gap In Literacy, Theodore Clevenger Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative research study was to compare the impact that half-day and full-day prekindergarten had on economically disadvantaged students on Grade 3 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Reading test results. Data from students who previously attended a half-day and full-day prekindergarten program were analyzed to see which program had a greater impact on STAAR reading scores at the conclusion of third grade. The comparison included two urban school districts with an economically disadvantaged threshold of 70% or greater. Descriptive statistics to obtain frequencies were used to create data that showed how students performed …


A Qualitative Study Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Teachers Of Color In Predominately White K–12 Environments, Torine S. Champion Sep 2022

A Qualitative Study Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Teachers Of Color In Predominately White K–12 Environments, Torine S. Champion

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the lived experiences of teachers of color and identify commonalities within the lived experiences of teachers of color employed in predominately White K–12 schools. This study utilized interpretive phenomenological analysis as viewed through the White racial frame lens. There were 15 participants that were included in this research study. Participants were teachers of color with at least 5 years of teaching experience in predominately White K–12 environments. Data collection procedures included confidential virtual, semistructured interviews that included specific information the researcher wanted to explore. Six themes were revealed: (a) cultural advocacy, …


Is There More Than One Way? Examining Alternative Pathway Teacher Effectiveness Through The Experiences And Perceptions Of Principals In Urban, Low-Socioeconomic Schools In Oklahoma, Julianne Hennessy Denton Apr 2022

Is There More Than One Way? Examining Alternative Pathway Teacher Effectiveness Through The Experiences And Perceptions Of Principals In Urban, Low-Socioeconomic Schools In Oklahoma, Julianne Hennessy Denton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher quality continues to be recognized as one of the strongest predictors of student success and school improvement. The quality of an educator is also critical to being able to address the growing achievement and opportunity gap in schools and communities that are marked by concentrated poverty. Therefore, principals are under significant pressure to recruit, train, support, and retain highly qualified teachers, so all students have access to quality education. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to generate knowledge of alternative pathway teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom from an administrative point of view, specifically in urban, low socioeconomic, …


Perceptions Of Classroom Management Coaching At District A Independent School District, Ashley L. Brittain Nov 2021

Perceptions Of Classroom Management Coaching At District A Independent School District, Ashley L. Brittain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed teacher retention and research-to-practice gaps in the literature related to classroom management coaching and what types of teacher support are the best and why. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of teachers, campus administrators, and campus intervention coaches regarding District A Independent School District’s campus intervention coach model. This study attempted to understand better the perceptions of how the campus intervention coach model influences teachers’ decisions to remain in the profession; how teachers, campus administrators, and campus intervention coaches perceive the campus intervention coach model’s effectiveness in reducing the percentage of …


Traditional And Alternative Certification Programs And Their Effect On Elementary School Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs In Title I And Non-Title I Schools, Rita Gale Sullivan Jun 2021

Traditional And Alternative Certification Programs And Their Effect On Elementary School Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs In Title I And Non-Title I Schools, Rita Gale Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School districts across the United States face the challenges of teacher shortages and rely heavily on alternative certification programs to fill teaching positions. Over the last decade, researchers question the quality of fast-track teacher preparation programs compared to traditional educational paths. This quantitative, causal-comparative study examined two methods of obtaining teacher certification (traditional and alternative) and their impact on novice teacher self-efficacy levels in Title I and non-Title I schools. Elementary teachers with five years or less of experience, traditionally and alternatively certified, were asked 24 questions using the Likert-type Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale on student engagement, instructional practices, …


Differentiated Spelling: Using Small Group Instruction, Sara Broughton May 2021

Differentiated Spelling: Using Small Group Instruction, Sara Broughton

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Spelling instruction is often overlooked by many teachers during reading and language arts. The purpose of this study was to implement a manageable differentiated word study instruction program, drawn from the Words Their Way (WTW) program, to determine how it affected students’ spelling accuracy and how the participants perceived its effect on students’ daily journal writing time in a fourth-grade self-contained classroom. Students were placed into small groups based on their spelling pre-test scores. Data was collected through field notes, student and teacher interviews, a pre- and post-test, and a survey. Qualitative data was analyzed using the constant …


“Math Talks Are Like An Alarm Clock Waking You Up”: Language’S Crucial Role In Mathematics, Ella Wasser May 2021

“Math Talks Are Like An Alarm Clock Waking You Up”: Language’S Crucial Role In Mathematics, Ella Wasser

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Whole group math talks, or number talks, are a common practice to get students talking about their own understanding of mathematical concepts. The purpose of this study was to implement math talks in small group settings to see what would happen, specifically to students’ conceptual understanding as well their general perceptions of math talks. This study took place in a fourth-grade math classroom, and math talks were implemented with the whole class for a week and then moved to small groups for the remaining three weeks of the study. During the study, a pre-and post-assessment was given, field notes were …


Case Study: Teacher Mindset And Its Impact On Instruction In An At-Risk Classroom, Michelle L. Rice Apr 2021

Case Study: Teacher Mindset And Its Impact On Instruction In An At-Risk Classroom, Michelle L. Rice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their advantaged peers is a problem that has been a concern since the Brown vs. the Board of Education Supreme Court case in 1954. The problem continues to exist, and little progress has been made in closing the gap. Research shows a teacher’s mindset can significantly impact the achievement gap. This mixed-methods case study aims to examine teacher mindsets in at-risk, suburban elementary campuses to determine its impact on instruction. A purposeful selection sample of nine teachers from various levels, experience, and specialties in grades PK-5 took part in the study. The quantitative …


A Qualitative Study Of The Perceptions Of Elementary And Secondary Campus Administrators’ Role In Managing Teacher Stress, Cody M. Record Feb 2021

A Qualitative Study Of The Perceptions Of Elementary And Secondary Campus Administrators’ Role In Managing Teacher Stress, Cody M. Record

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers should oversee and provide each of their students with a high-quality educational experience during the short time they are serving the student. Moreover, teacher stress has a significant role in how teachers perform in their classrooms and often creates a substantial challenge for the campus leader to ensure that teachers perform adequately in the classroom. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how campus leaders perceive their role in the management of teachers and what, if any, strategies are being implemented to address teacher stress. Furthermore, the study was centered on a prequestionnaire and individual interviews, …


Math Talks: Focusing On Student Thought In A Second-Grade Classroom, Jessica Parsons May 2020

Math Talks: Focusing On Student Thought In A Second-Grade Classroom, Jessica Parsons

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Math metacognition is on the rise. There is an increase in focusing student thought on the process of computation and problem solving. This study examined what happened when math talks were conducted in a general education second-grade classroom and if students’ perceptions of math changed after they participated in math talks. The researcher’s purpose was to more fully understand students’ thoughts related to math. The data was collected through student interviews, student surveys, and researcher observational field notes. Then, the data was analyzed through coding using the constant comparative method and frequency counts. The main themes to emerge from the …


Further Investigation: A Daily Inquiry Practice In The Elementary Classroom, Cyanna Gonzales May 2020

Further Investigation: A Daily Inquiry Practice In The Elementary Classroom, Cyanna Gonzales

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Researchers have shown that many students lack problem-solving skills. This deficit can be addressed through the implementation of inquiry-based learning. However, many teachers lack expertise in this area. The purpose of this study was to address both issues with a newly created inquiry practice called Further Investigation time, or FI time. The researcher studied what happened when this practice was implemented in a second-grade, self-contained classroom. In addition, student and teacher perceptions of the FI time were studied. Data was collected through the use of observational head notes, student surveys, and individual teacher and student interviews. Qualitative data was analyzed …


Pointless Or Profitable? Perceptions Of Proactive Circles In A Second-Grade Classroom, Jordyn Arendse May 2020

Pointless Or Profitable? Perceptions Of Proactive Circles In A Second-Grade Classroom, Jordyn Arendse

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Teachers are plagued with the unfortunate concept of “never enough time” in the classroom, trying to balance meeting the needs of the whole child and meeting the requirements of higher authority. The purpose of this study was to identify student and teacher perceptions of proactive circle and its impact on relationships, as well as its impact on students’ ability to appropriately express their feelings and emotions. The study took place in a second-grade classroom with seventeen students and one classroom teacher. Data was collected through surveys, sociograms, interviews, and field notes. Qualitative data was coded using the constant comparative method, …


Growth Mindset In A Fourth-Grade Class, Sierra Bennett May 2019

Growth Mindset In A Fourth-Grade Class, Sierra Bennett

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

In this study the researcher examined growth mindset teaching and its effect on student performance as well as students’ perceptions of their math self-efficacy. The author was a preservice teacher completing her clinical teaching internship in a fourth-grade math and science departmentalized setting. The goal of the study was to implement growth mindset instruction and study its effects on student performance and self efficacy in the subject of mathematics. For this study, the author collected data in the form of pre- and post-surveys, student interviews, and pre- and post-math tests. The students engaged in growth mindset mini lessons throughout the …


Student And Teacher Perceptions Of Math Workstations In A Third-Grade Classroom, Katie Norwood May 2019

Student And Teacher Perceptions Of Math Workstations In A Third-Grade Classroom, Katie Norwood

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Math workstations can offer teachers an outlet to differentiate instruction in the math classroom in order to better meet student needs. The purpose of this study was to discover how students and the teacher in a third-grade classroom felt about using math workstations. Specifically, the researcher wanted to discover whether or not the students and teacher participants enjoyed using math workstations and whether or not they felt math workstations helped students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. The researcher collected data through student surveys, student and teacher interviews, and observations. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method to help the researcher …


Engagement In Science Instruction In A First-Grade Classroom, Corinne Pretiger May 2018

Engagement In Science Instruction In A First-Grade Classroom, Corinne Pretiger

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Too often, science is pushed toward the bottom of the priority list when it comes to teaching in elementary schools. Focusing on student and teacher perceptions, the researcher of this study wanted to know how this theme or attitude would shift if science became a higher priority in the classroom, for both students and teachers. What do students see as the most important when it comes to engagement and construction of their own learning in science instruction using the Science by Month curriculum? Data was collected for five weeks through student and teacher surveys, interviews, and observations. The constant comparative …