Education Commons^™

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 …

Review Of Collaborative Lesson Study: Revisioning Teacher Professional Development, Erin M. Faeth

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

This article offers a review of Vicki S. Collet’s (2019) book Collaborative Lesson Study: ReVisioning Teacher Professional Development. In this text, Collet provides a guide to the implementation of Collaborative Lesson Study, an ongoing, in-classroom, inquiry-based professional development strategy. The text includes scaffolding on how to (a) plan a lesson for lesson study, (b) observe the lesson in ways that will further the teacher’s understanding of their practice and students, and (c) debrief from the lesson to inform future instruction. This text supports educators in implementing this process in schools and higher education contexts to increase teacher agency and efficacy, …

The Effects Of Teacher Professional Development And Self-Efficacy On Classroom Uses Of Information And Computer Technologies, Elif N. Gokbel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The uses of new technologies during mathematics instruction are essential for maintaining opportunities for students to gain better understanding of the content and become digital learners in the information age. Although scholars found technology integration is helpful in improving students’ mathematics achievement, the role of teachers’ preparedness for technology integration remains critical.

Technology professional development and self-efficacy are two major factors impacting teachers’ successful integration of instructional technologies. The purpose of this study was to provide a more in-depth look into (i) mathematics teachers technology uses during direct instruction, dialogic instruction, and assessment; (ii) the relationship between various types of …

Understanding Staff Perceptions Of Swpbis, Laurie L. Hatch

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

About eight years ago a school district, located in the foothills of western Maine, implemented a Tier-1, universal, school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) framework to provide school staff with positive behavior supports to achieve positive outcomes for all students. A key factor to the initial success of SWPBIS was staff buy-in. Research has shown that teacher and staff support is needed, not just for the implementation phase, but for the continued success of the framework. In the eight years since implementation, one of the district’s elementary schools has seen a staff and teacher turnover rate of over 50%. …

Grassroots Professional Learning : The Homegrown And Human Dimensions Of Teacher Learning, Heather A. Frank Matteo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This qualitative study was prompted by the current climate of teacher accountability and educational reform efforts focused on teacher quality and effectiveness in the U.S. Initiatives, at both the national and state levels, reflect top-down professional development policies that tend to prioritize one-size-fits-all approaches to teacher development and ultimately serve to deprofessionalize teachers. As a result, little attention has been paid to understanding teachers’ professional learning in a grassroots sense. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how a group of elementary school teachers of literacy engaged collectively in grassroots professional learning in the context of top-down professional …

The Role Of The School Administrator In Implementing Communities Of Practice To Build Organizational Capacity, Kara L. Plank

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The field of education is constantly changing and requires a significant shift in teacher practice. Despite the demands for ongoing professional learning and collaboration, teachers remain resistant to the transition from an autonomous position. Professional learning communities, a particular type of communities of practice, are a common practice for schools to implement with a goal of improving student performance. Despite attempts, this concept proves to be very difficult to implement. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of existing professional learning communities within the school setting. In addition, this study sought to understand the role of school …

Investigation Of Saudi Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teaching And Learning After A 12-Month Professional Development Programme In Australia, Gosia Klatt, Amy Berry, Anne Suryani, Veronica Volkoff, Hesham Khadawardi

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study investigates the perceptions of teaching and learning of teachers from Saudi Arabia who participated in a 12-month professional development programme based in Australia. Considering the design of the programme and the vast differences between the education systems and cultures of the two countries, this study examines Saudi teachers’ classroom practices and challenges while teaching at schools in their home country, and whether their perceptions of teaching practice changed during and after participating in the professional development programme in Australia. Factors that might have influenced the changes to and nature of their teaching aspirations and plans for their students …

Teachers And Research Practices: Perspectives From English Language Educators In A Philippine University, Veronico N. Tarrayo, Philippe Jose S. Hernandez, Judith Ma. Angelica S. Claustro

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Given the paucity of studies regarding research practices of teachers, particularly English language teaching (ELT) practitioners in the ASEAN region and in the Philippines, this study explores the research practices of English language teachers in the Philippines. Using purposive-convenience sampling, a total of 49 teachers of English from a Philippine university were asked to answer a survey. To validate the data, pertinent public university documents were examined, and interviews with the university research heads were conducted. Findings suggest that the teachers were cognizant of the link between teaching and their own and their schools’ research practices. This research also reports …

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. …

Implementing A Teaching Performance Assessment: An Australian Case Study, John Buchanan, George Harb, Terry Fitzgerald

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on the implementation of a Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA), a component of graduation recently introduced into the teaching workforce in Australia. The TPA typically requires graduates to demonstrate that they can plan, implement, assess and reflect on a series of lessons given to school students. This case study used grounded theory to analyse the initial implementation of a TPA at an Australian university, based on interviews, student focus groups, and a classroom readiness survey. We investigated the TPA’s contribution to final-year pre-service teachers’ learning and professional readiness. We conclude that the TPA, as a threshold task, is …