Education Commons^™

The Identification Of Successes And Barriers In Establishing Professional Learning Communities From Principals' Perspectives, Katie Carol Clarke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify the successes and challenges in establishing professional learning communities (PLC) within 25 school districts in southwest Minnesota. Data was generated by school principals completing a closed-ended online survey that revealed degrees of implementation of PLCs. Survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and provided a foundation for the development of semi-structured focus group questions. This was a sequential mixed methods study, as the quantitative data was first collected followed by obtaining qualitative focus group data. Themes were generated during data analysis of the focus group questions and findings revealed successes and …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Shared Epistemic Agency In Team Projects In An Online Baccalaureate Nursing Course, Suzanne Hayes

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study explores the role of instructional design in the development of shared epistemic agency (SEA) when RN to BSN nursing students collaborate to complete a team project in an online course. Paavola & Hakkarainen's (2005) trialogical model of learning is used to design a learning activity where teams create a shared knowledge object, a co-authored patient interprofessional care plan to support group knowledge creation. The study addresses the following research questions:

Special Education Co-Teachers' Perceptions: Collaboration, Involvement In Instruction, And Satisfaction, Eden Hagelman

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is an approach that is frequently used by schools when students both with and without disabilities are taught in an inclusive classroom. With co-teaching, a general education teacher and a special education teacher share the responsibility of planning and teaching students. This study examined the perceptions of elementary special education co-teachers (n=81) regarding their collaboration with the general educator and their involvement in instruction in the inclusive classroom. In addition, the special education teachers' satisfaction with the co-teaching assignment was investigated. Findings showed that special education co-teachers shared an average of 30 minutes of co-planning a week, teachers who …

Museum And P-12 School Collaborations And The Role Of A Third-Party Facilitator, Katherine Somerville

Museum Studies Theses

This paper will trace a brief history of museum and P-12 school collaborations in the United States including recent reforms in formal education and the marketization of museums. It will explore different models of collaboration exemplified by national and local programming in a variety of school and museum settings. Details about collaborations between Western New York museums and schools were gleaned through personal interviews with museum personnel, mainly museum educators. This paper will also include criteria for successful collaborations and challenges to overcome in creating and sustaining collaborations between two structurally different organizations.

Finally, this paper will explore the role …

A Case Study Investigating How Art Education Fosters Collaboration In An Urban Environment Through The Lens Of Public Pedagogy, Tracy Fox

Art Education Projects

This case study examines how one particular after-school arts program in an urban environment bridges the gap between a university campus and the community it serves, creating opportunities for collaboration via the arts. The study was conducted at a community center run by Buffalo State.

Over the course of the study, ten interviews were conducted with a variety of people connected to the Community Arts Center’s (CAC) arts programs, including partners in the public arts initiative. The data was collected and analyzed over the course of eight weeks through the lens of Henry Giroux’s public pedagogy, which focuses on educational …

Collaboration Between Grant-Making Organizations, Evaluators, And Program Staff Related To Standardized Evaluation Requirements, Kristin M. Everett

Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations have received funding from grant-making organizations and foundations for many years. These funds have been used to support programs developed by the nonprofit organization. Over the years, two critical developments have occurred between grant-making organizations and nonprofit organizations related to evaluation and collaboration. First, grant-making organizations and nonprofit organizations are combining funds and resources to collaborate on projects. Second, program evaluation has become an essential piece of many grant-funded projects.

Historically, nonprofit organizations receiving funding from multiple sources were required to implement multiple monitoring and evaluation plans and write a report for each funder. These reports use staff …

Language Acquisition: Effectiveness Of Collaboration On Teacher Practices And Beliefs, Kara-Lisa Mitchell

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Language Acquisition

Abstract

The effectiveness and challenges of teacher collaboration as a tool to drive teaching outcomes has been observed in various educational settings. This research project was designed to answer the question, “Would collaboratively creating a Useful Words Handbook for teachers increase the number of language teaching opportunities that could occur during the day?” This action research project, conducted in a Montessori preschool setting, focused on two classroom teachers who educate children between the ages of two and three. Three intervals were identified for data collection. Four weeks of collaboration on the Useful Words Handbook began after two weeks …

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Academic Cheating And The Influence Of Achievement Motivation With Online And Face-To-Face Learning Environments, Sherée Christine Royer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There are many components contributing to academically dishonest behaviors and with improvements in technology, methods for cheating have expanded to web-based classrooms. This study focuses on academically dishonest behaviors in online and face-to-face (F2F) course formats in an attempt to better understand the impact of cheating in these two learning environments. Additional factors in this study include the relationship between student and faculty achievement orientation and classroom context through the use of vignettes. Participants were students and faculty from a large Southwestern University and faculty members from a local smaller college in the same area. Respondents completed inventories using a …

Professional Learning Communities Enhancing Capacity For Improved Student Learning, L. Keith Adams

Master's Theses

Educators continue to be challenged with improving the nation's schools. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 created an elusive moving target towards perfection as the ultimate goal. This was a mandate for every school receiving federal funds to close the achievement gap. Recently, states have been applying for waivers to help them move out of the NCLB rut of narrowly focused and unattainable goals. The pressure of school improvement and its challenges, with limited funding, continue for schools to supply efficient and effective professional development that will benefit student learning. The Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, wrote in …

The Relationship Between Teachers' Perceptions Of The Feedback They Receive And Their Teaching Efficacy In High-Performing Schools, Joshua D. St. John

Open Access Dissertations

As reform efforts are prescribed in every state through mandates and regulations in an effort to better prepare students to compete in a global economy, and as states like Indiana implement new evaluation plans for teachers based on a rigorous rubric and objective measures of student achievement, close attention to the ripple effects must be involved. While efforts such as professional learning communities and instructional coaches are aimed at building teacher capacity, maximum results can only be achieved when school leaders balance how they leverage their evaluative power while promoting these formative experiences. Absent in the drive for heightened accountability, …

Innovation In Academic Libraries During A Time Of Crisis, Dane Michael Ward

Theses and Dissertations

During a period of rapid social and technological change, academic Academic libraries and librarianship are experiencing a period of great change, or crisis, influenced by multiple factors including emerging technologies, declining budgets, and changing information. More than a transitory historical phase, these changes represents a fundamental transition between paradigms (Kuhn, 1962). Academic libraries and librarianship are moving from a paradigm focused on collections and books to a paradigm focused on learning. Within this context, innovations are new processes, services and products that facilitate this transition to the new paradigm.

Beyond this definitional work, the work serves as an exploration of …

Reflective Teaching Practices: Looking Beneath The Surface And Emergent Cyclical Experiential Learning Processes And Outcomes, Mazie E. Black

MA TESOL Collection

In this professional paper, I examined the kinds of processes I experienced for English language acquisition (ELA) in practice. This journey is about my transition from a generalist to a TESOL specialist. One of my most successful lessons was not in English, but a science lesson to students who were majority users of English as a second or third language. It was about the use of reflective and refractive telescopes. My approaches were very student centered and project based. They worked in groups, chose which type of telescope to make, kept journals with notes, drawings and key vocabulary, made inferences, …

Counseling Religious African Americans: Implications For A Social Justice Model Of Intervention, Rachelle Delorse Smith

Dissertations

Due to a complex history of unethical societal and medical practices towards African Americans from U.S. institutions such as the U.S. Public Health Services and Johns Hopkins Hospital, a consistent lack of collaborative relationships between the African American religious community and the professional counseling community has emerged. Thus, some religious African Americans who may have needed counseling services did not receive them, as Black churches commonly dismiss the relevancy and necessity of professional counseling. The purpose of this theory-building study was to examine the perceptions that lead to such dismissals and, inspired by action research approaches, derive the best methods …

Sharevision Collaboration Between High School Counselors And Athletic Educators To Stop Lgbtq Bullying, Lisa Dawn Thompson

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of the study was twofold: to explore how school counselors and athletic educators experienced implementing the 2010 Massachusetts Anti-bullying law and to explore how participants experienced using the Sharevision structured group reflection process as the format for group discussions. The Sharevision structured group reflection process provided the safety and support school counselors and athletic educators said they needed. Participants eagerly shared their experiences with one another. They used the Sharevision process to discuss the list of participant generated questions they posed during the individual interviews. They exchanged ideas and were able to generate new ways to respond to …

Principal And Teacher Beliefs About Leadership Implications For Student Performance, Jerri Cherita Jackson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to examine whether the leadership style of principals affects teacher and student performance. The study includes an elementary, middle, and high school principal along with two teachers from each school who worked at schools that were in good standing from 2007-2011. Each school made adequate yearly progress (AYP) each year according to the No Child Left Behind Status History Report. This study examined one over arching research question: What do principals and teachers say about school and schooling? Data for this study was gathered through principal interviews, teacher interviews, and the results of an …

Changing Mindsets: A Case Study Of A Community Of Practice Between Charter And Traditional Public School Leaders In The School Leaders Network, Manuel Nicolas Ponce Jr.

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the essential elements of a community of practice intended to increase communication and collaboration between traditional public and charter school leaders. Members of the Los Angeles Cohort of the School Leaders Network participated in this study.

This case study triangulated observation, interview, and document review data to identify the factors that were most beneficial to this particular community of practice. Drawing on the research of communities of practice, constructivism, and leadership theory, these factors were articulated into five domains with the hope that, with further research, this framework could influence the creation …

A District-Wide Study Confirming The Relationship Between Professional Learning Communities And Student Achievement In Elementary Schools, Joseph Samuel Backman

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have studied professional learning communities for over two decades. Educators have utilized the elements of professional learning communities in their schools to improve instruction and student learning. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence that establishes, describes, and confirms this relationship. This study was completed to better understand the nature, strength, and types of relationships between the individual elements of professional learning communities and student achievement. The sample for this study was 26 elementary schools, 439 teachers, and nearly 11,000 students. An analysis of professional learning communities and student achievement data through hierarchical linear modeling indicated that each of the …

Managing Threats: Examining Intra-Organizational Collaboration Between Academic And Student Affairs Divisions, Mignon Chinn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tragic shootings in classrooms on the campuses of Virginia Tech (2007), Louisiana Technical College (2008), and Northern Illinois University (2008) where 39 students and faculty members lost their lives shattered perceptions of the college campus as a safe haven (Dungy & Roberts, 2010), brought heightened awareness to the decade-long increase of students with "severe mental health issues" enrolled in postsecondary education (Goldrick-Rab & Cook, 2011), and became a "tipping point" for new resource allocations for violence prevention in higher education (Dunkle, 2009). Following The Virginia Tech Panel Review (2007), threat assessment and management teams (TAMTs) became an intervention of choice. …

Playing In Trelis Weyr: Investigating Collaborative Practices In A Dragons Of Pern Role-Play-Game Forum, Kathleen Marie Alley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive case study examined adolescents' and emerging adults' literate and social practices within the context of a role-play-game (RPG) forum, investigating the ways participants read and collaboratively composed within this space. As a researcher, I was interested in how this space functioned and how the interactions between members impacted their composing processes, with particular attention to the role of online spaces and popular culture in adolescents' motivation to engage in this forum. This study was guided by three research questions: (1) In what ways is Trelis Weyr, an RPG forum, organized as a virtual environment?; (2) In what ways, …

A Qualitative Study: Integrating Art And Science In The Environment, Deborah Naughton Mills

Wayne State University Dissertations

The study was used to develop an understanding of the nature of a creative learning experience that incorporated the foundational elements of Reggio Emilia, place-based education, and experience design. The study took place in an urban high school with eight students in an advanced placement art class. The qualitative research project revolved around the pollinator garden that the science teacher planted in the year prior to the study and the garden that was planted in the spring. Students were asked to create an art project that could withstand the Michigan climate. The science teacher lectured on elements of the pollinator …

Evaluating The Role Of Principals In Teacher Teams: A Longitudinal Analysis Of Principal Involvement And Impact In A District-Wide Initiative To Increase Teacher Collaboration, Craig Michael Outhouse

Open Access Dissertations

Principal leadership is one of the most heavily researched topics in the field of education and is a key to increasing school effectiveness and stimulating school change. One of the most important principal roles that have emerged in the literature is the facilitation of a collaborative culture. Teacher collaboration has been linked to a variety of positive outcomes such as improved instruction and student learning. Research indicates that collaboration is most effective when it is part of a district's professional development. Using a theory-driven approach, the present study evaluated a four-year collaboration initiative aimed to increase student learning in one …

Team-Teaching Experiences Of A Mathematician And A Mathematics Teacher Educator: An Interpretative Phenomenological Case Study, Sarah K. Bleiler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, experts and organizations involved in mathematics education have emphasized the importance of collaboration between mathematicians and mathematics teacher educators as a means of improving the professional preparation of mathematics teachers. While several such collaborative endeavors have been documented in the extant literature, most research reports have focused on the products, rather than the process, of collaboration. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological case study is to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of a mathematician and a mathematics teacher educator as they engaged in a team-teaching collaboration within the context of prospective secondary mathematics teacher preparation. …

Communication Crossroads: Assertiveness Pedagogy For College Writers With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Dev Bose

All Dissertations

This study seeks to explore the phenomenon of why some adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulties in communicating in groups at school and work, despite the integration of collaboration within the curricula of college oral and written communication courses. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore a sample of college writers' with ADHD perceptions on difficulties with their writing, as well as to evaluate an intervention which utilized communication-based classroom scenarios. The research employed qualitative methods to investigate the phenomenon under study. Participants in the study consisted of a criterion-sampled group of 10 individuals from …

Two Marginalized Adolescents Using The Internet To Complete An Inquiry Project, Jennifer Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study focused on the strategies that two marginalized seventh graders used as they completed an Internet inquiry project about survival. The participants spent time over a four-week period in three phases—selecting a topic, locating information, and presenting information. Participants completed journals and participated in interviews. The participants' online searches and how they organized their presentations were recorded. The researcher took field notes. These four data sources were used to determine subcategories in each phase to document the strategies they employed as they completed the project. Participants used phrases and questions as they decided on key words to locate …

Interdisciplinary Teamwork Pedagogy, Carole Ivey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the interdisciplinary teamwork pedagogy of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) training programs, specifically the content focus, instructional methods, and assessment practices. LEND programs are a national network providing long-term, graduate interdisciplinary training through federal funds from the Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal Child Health Bureau. This study used a mixed method approach to describe the interdisciplinary teamwork pedagogy of LEND training programs. The study occurred in three stages: 1) a survey of LEND training directors, 2) a survey of LEND interdisciplinary teamwork instructors, and 3) document review …

Contributory Factors To Teachers' Sense Of Community In Public Urban Elementary Schools, Debra K. Kirkhus

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS TO TEACHERS' SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN PUBLIC URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that contribute to teachers' sense of community within public, urban, elementary schools. Becauseprevious research has touted the benefits of teacher communities within schools(Kruse, 2001; Leana & Pil, 2006; Ware & Kitsantas, 2007) educational leadersare challenged with creating school environments that foster a sense ofcommitment and cohesiveness among staff within our current accountability climate in schools. Research that focuses on best practices of successful school principals in cultivating such things as teacher communities is scarce at the elementary level (Crum …

Team Collaboration Between Groups In The Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program, Jason B. Conaway

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigates the collaborative process of grade level teams as they progress through the 4 stages of a group collaboration model during a summer enrichment program at Marshall University. This study used a curriculum-based questionnaire that was filled out by each of the 47 graduate students who participated in collaboration training and continued to serve as members of a grade level team. The questionnaires were evaluated using a correlations between all questions and the temperature rating scale with a criterion correlation defined of n=.50. The results indicated that 5 questions on the questionnaire correlated with each other above the …

The Clearing Storm: A Re-Assessment Of The Climate For Collaboration Between Academic And Student Affairs, Janine Mae Abdallah

Master’s Theses

There is increasing recognition among those in higher education that it is no longer adequate to train students in a specific field or industry. Instead, the push is more towards producing well-rounded students. In order to do so, all of a university’s resources must come together and the climate on campus must be one that supportscollaboration. This report is a re-examination of the climate for collaboration on the campus of a private liberal arts university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is a follow up to a similar investigation conducted on the same campus by Victor Arcelus(2008) …

The Impact Of Pre-K Programs On Student Achievement And Instructional Leadership In Rural Mississippi School Districts, Jeremy Eugene Stinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2011, Mississippi continues to be the only state in the southern region without a single state-funded pre-k program (NIEER, 2007), and all preschool funds in the state are currently allotted to Head Start. Witte and Trowbridge (2004) warned that the combination of pre-k programs could be the reason for highly fragmented systems of state funding, policies, and regulations. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate whether differences exist between preschool groups in three North Mississippi school districts and to determine the degree to which stakeholders in the programs practice instructional leadership. From a quantitative perspective, the …

Student Problem Solving Communication Processes While Completing Multimedia Case Studies: A Look Into The Relationship Among Levels Of Collaboration, Problem Solving Processes, And Problem Solving Performance On Individual And Group Levels, Jan Elizabeth Broussard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In an effort to better prepare students to become productive members of the work force, educators must grant students the opportunities to become critical thinkers. Students need to be able to learn to inquire, create, and think critically in order to obtain meaningful information from the abundance of knowledge that is accessible to them through the Internet and the World Wide Web. This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of online collaborative problem solving processes during a multimedia case study. Sixty-one students in two undergraduate management information systems classes agreed to participate. The experimental class, section 01, was required to use …