Education Commons^™

Effective Practices Of Feedback Of Elementary School Administrators During The Post-Observation Conference, Michael Galvin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research identifies two purposes for teacher evaluation: measurement and professional growth; however, the literature provides limited research on the impact of the post-observation conference in teacher evaluation on professional growth (Marzano, 2012). The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study is to examine the perceptions of Indiana public elementary school principals on the impact of the post-observation conference on professional growth of teachers. The study uses an Elementary Administrators’ Background Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to gather an in-depth understanding of administrators’ perceptions.

Four research questions framed this study as I examined public elementary school administrators’ perceptions of post-observation feedback within the …

The Effectiveness Of Professional Development On The Literature-Based Chinese Teaching, Gracelynn G. Knapp

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The surge in Chinese language learning as CSL/CFL increases needs for quality teacher professional development training. Although researchers report advantages of employing literature and confirm the value of literature in teaching foreign language, few studies focused on CSL/CFL teacher training, specifically, for the use of literature-based Chinese language teaching for CSL/CFL classes. Professional Development (PD) provided opportunities for Chinese teachers to learn and practice strategies that are necessary to teach CSL/CFL with literature-based teaching. The researcher conducted the PD training evaluation to determine the significant effect on the Chinese teachers’ confidence, attitude, and overall preparedness for teaching literature to non-Chinese …

A Blueprint For A Collaborative Learning Organization: Lean Methodology As A Framework For Secondary Teacher Teams, Brandon Willcox

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

Teacher teams such as Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and similar cooperative teams, have been identified as instrumental in improving student outcomes. At the same time, the importance of a collaborative approach to evaluating data and refining practice has been recognized (Graham, 2007; Sigurðardóttir, 2010). Often however, teacher teams do not have the resources available to them to ensure their success. This paper examined current research regarding several internal and external factors that impact the success of teacher teams such as PLCs. A review of the literature suggested that within teams, trust amongst team members is a predominant indicator of …

The Predictability Of Faculty Participation In Professional Development Programs Using Demographic, Academic, And Occupational Factors In Higher Education, Dibande Anna Itoe

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study was to determine if there exist any predictive relationships between faculty demographic, academic, and occupational factors, and faculty participation in professional development programs. Despite the established benefits of faculty participating in professional development programs and its corresponding impact on student learning and graduation rates, a critical issue for professional development centers has been how to attract and motivate faculty to participate in these programs (James Jacob et. al., 2019). A correlational research procedure was used as the structural framework for conducting this study, and the population of interest were higher education faculty from two private …

Online Education Experiences Among Teachers Within Technical College System Of Georgia Institutions: A Multiple Case Study, John Robert Edalgo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore technical education teachers’ perceptions on the use of e-learning within the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) institutions. This central research question provides the lens needed to explore forces that promote or discourage the use of online instruction administered by teachers. The theory guiding this study was the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory, developed by E.M. Rogers approximately 60 years ago. The DOI theory provides the theoretical framework needed to assess the adopter, the innovation, and the type of communication (evaluation) needed to facilitate sustained adoption in the future. Increased adoption …

The Challenges And Rewards Of Co-Chairing A Department: Lessons Learned From Leaders In The Middle, Laura Trujillo-Jenks, Gina Anderson

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Newly appointed Department Chairs are often on their own to learn “on the job” the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed. One way to mitigate the challenges of this high-stakes approach is to identify a second leader who can serve in the role of mentor, coach or Co-Chair alongside the new Chair. The Co-Chair may be a leader who has served as a Department Chair in the past and/or who is serving in another middle-management position such as a Chair from a different department, Director, or Associate Dean. During a time of tremendous change and uncertainty, the Co-Chair …

The Role Of A School Principal's Practice Of Resource Allocation And Its Relationship With A School’S Culture Of Collaboration, Annette Perez

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This article presents the findings that investigated the relationship between a principal's practice in resource allocation and how it promotes a school’s collaborative culture.

Participants of the study were New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) school principals who scored a four or above on the NYC Survey School Measures of “Effective School Leadership.” The independent variable was principal practice defined as resource allocation. The dependent variable, collaborative school culture, was defined as scoring 90% or above on the “Collaborative Teachers” measure of the NYC School Survey. The study was guided by the question: What is the relationship between …

Writing Instruction For Multilingual Learners, Leticia Kiwan

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the benefit of three key elements of instructional writing strategies: structured writing, visual learning, and collaborative tasks to assist Title 1 middle school site administrators and teachers in assessing the impact of the instructional writing strategies for multilingual learners to achieve reclassification to Fluent English Proficient.

Methodology: The qualitative case study included a thorough analysis of one-on-one interviews with seven teachers and seven administrators with more than three years of experience in a middle school from the Sacramento area.

Findings: Examination of the data indicated the following findings: (1) …

How Principals Influence, Facilitate, And Support Instructional Coaching Programs, Nadine Y. Norris

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative, multicase study examined how principals perceived the role of instructional coaches and how they facilitated, influenced, and supported teachers’ professional learning through the instructional coaching program. Including the researcher as a participant, 16 participants from three suburban school districts—including district-level administrators, principals, instructional coaches, and teachers—engaged in semistructured interviews. This study was framed by Desimone’s core conceptual framework for professional development and Spillane’s distributed leadership model. Data analysis revealed principals viewed instructional coaches as their partners in instructional leadership and professional learning facilitators. Principals facilitated and influenced the instructional coaching program by empowering teachers, promoting collaboration, and establishing …

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Professional Development Effectiveness, Justin C. Hose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Through continuing education, educators improve their skills and become more proficient at their jobs. However, some educational leaders are unaware of the perception of teachers regarding professional development. Grounded in Desimone and Garet’s framework of best practices in teachers’ professional development, the purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was to compare that framework to what a sample of teachers believe is effective professional development based on their experiences. Data were interviews with 10 teachers with at least a year of experience in Virginia. The framework was used to compare the theory of what makes effective professional development to the actual …

Identifying The Impact Of Online Toolkit Training On Paraprofessionals In Two Rural States, Kyle William Laughlin

Dissertations and Theses

The need for more paraprofessionals is growing due to the increasing number of students who are qualifying for specialized educational support. In addition, paraprofessionals have been called upon to provide support in the general education setting in schools. This research study was designed to determine the impact of online paraprofessional training on paraprofessionals’ knowledge and perceived knowledge around supporting students with disabilities. The paraprofessional toolkit was first developed by using survey data and feedback from districts and building administrators, special education and general education teachers, and paraprofessionals. This study helped identify what numerous content areas that resulted in paraprofessionals knowledge …