Education Commons^™

Prioritizing Professional Development At The Interface Of Natural Resources And Agriculture, Katherine J. Starzec

The Journal of Extension

Continuous professional development is critical for Extension staff, and many agriculture-focused Extension employees are tasked with outreach related to a wide variety of natural resource topics. The purpose of this study is to help prioritize trainings needed by Kansas Extension agents and specialists based on their current level of knowledge and interest in staying up to date on 18 different natural resource topics. Responses to a statewide survey were analyzed using the Borich model. Results indicate priority professional development needs related to soil health; effects of climate; invasive species, harmful algal blooms; and groundwater, surface water, and air quality.

Maker Math: Exploring Mathematics Through Digitally Fabricated Tools With K–12 In-Service Teachers, Jason R. Harron, Yi Jin, Amy F. Hillen, Lindsey Mason, Lauren Siegel

Faculty Open Access Publishing Fund Collection

This paper reports on nine elementary, middle, and high school in-service teachers who participated in a series of workshops aimed at exploring the wonder, joy, and beauty of mathematics through the creation and application of digitally fabricated tools (i.e., laser-cut and 3D printed). Using the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to investigate technological, pedagogical, contextual, and content knowledge, researchers applied qualitative methods to uncover the affordances and constraints of teaching and learning math concepts with digitally fabricated tools and examined how the workshops supported broadening participation in mathematics by focusing on the connections between mathematical inquiry, nature, and …

Using Teacher Noticing And Video-Mediated Professional Learning To Develop Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge For Teaching The Derivative, Alfred M. Limbere

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study investigated how problem-solving videos can be used in video-mediated professional learning to support secondary preservice mathematics teachers (PMTs) in developing teacher knowledge for noticing student thinking in the context of the derivative concept in calculus. A model of the trajectory of PMTs’ noticing was constructed as six PMTs viewed and analyzed videos of students’ problem solving. At the same time, the nature of video-mediated interactions that were found to be productive in supporting this knowledge development was examined. A design experiment was used as the research methodology. Data was collected from video recordings of eight semi-structured teaching episodes …

Teacher Preference In Professional Development, Cheri L. Keyes

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Teacher Preference in Professional Development

Teacher professional development (PD) is seen as best ways to ensure teacher quality and guarantee positive student achievement outcomes; however, there is a lack of appropriate and effective PD. This quantitative study examined teachers’ preferences in PD content and delivery. Teachers from a K-12 public school district in Northwest Arkansas were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey, and 292 teachers responded. The measured variables were the professional development preferences of the teachers, the teachers' years of experience, the grade level at which teachers teach, gender, the content of preferred PD, and the delivery or …

Secondary Teachers’ Noticing Of Students’ Mathematical Thinking As They Participate In A Professional Development Program Centered On Task-Based Student Interviews, Gurkan Kose

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Teacher’s noticing of students’ mathematical thinking has been an important focus of research in the past two decades (e.g., Jacobs et al., 2010; Sherin et al., 2011). Noticing matters, but it is not an end in itself (Schoenfeld, 2011). It is operationalized within the context of teachers’ dispositions and knowledge which shape decisions teachers make while responding to student thinking and planning the next instructional steps. In order for teachers to adapt productive beliefs about how children learn and shift to student-centered instruction, they need to acknowledge the importance of understanding students' existing conceptions of mathematical ideas (Carpenter & Lehrer, …

Ready To Engage? Urban Middle School Teachers’ Responsiveness To Targeted Engagement Interventions On Their Virtual Instructional Practices: An Action Research Study, Svetlana Nikic

Dissertations

Teachers’ effectiveness is associated with their instructional practices and is ultimately linked to students’ learning outcomes. In order to impact teachers’ effectiveness, schools focus substantial effort and resources on professional development led by an assumption that teachers’ classroom practices can be improved through targeted interventions. Even if this premise is correct, little information is available about how much a teacher’s practice may change through interventions, or which aspects of instructional practice are more receptive to improving teacher effectiveness (Garret et al., 2019).

This study took place at an urban middle school and examined teachers’ responsiveness to targeted engagement intervention in …

Transitioning A Mathematics Specialist Preparation Program Into An Interactive Online Program: Insights From The Developer And Candidate Perspectives, Aimee J. Ellington, Allison Yoder

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

This paper will describe how the Virginia Commonwealth University mathematics specialist preparation program transitioned from a face-to-face format to a fully online format. We will describe the technology and instructional methods that are used for course meetings, activities, and assignments. We will describe the development and implementation of a mathematics activity from instructors designing the activity, participants completing the activity, and instructors providing feedback on the activity. One mathematics activity will be shared that demonstrates the process of the program model that includes independent work, small group work, and in-class discussions. We will describe one participant’s experience as she developed …

Fostering Mathematical Creativity Among Middle School Mathematics Teachers, Ceire H. Monahan

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this research was to understand in-service teachers’ experiences with and ideas about mathematical creativity after participating in a targeted professional development program. The professional development program encouraged participants to think creatively and foster students’ creativity. In this study I present the results from the main unit of analysis, 12 participants in a professional development program, along with a deep analysis of three exemplar teachers from each of the identified groups, adherence to traditional teaching practices (traditional), appreciation for teaching for creativity (creative but hesitant), and teaching for creativity (creative). The findings of this study highlight the combination …

Video Case Materials And The Development Of Collective Professional Knowledge, Victoria D. Bonaccorso

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The dynamic nature of teaching means that teachers are making in-the-moment decisions on a daily basis. Video case study professional development can be used as a way to provide teachers an opportunity to analyze real teaching scenarios to prepare to make these decisions in practice. While work has been done to reveal the effectiveness of using case studies as a teaching tool, there has not been research conducted to determine if video case studies can be used to foster the development of collective professional knowledge. This study utilizes a particular professional development model using video case studies grounded in the …

The Changing Profile Of Ecs Teachers, Steven Mcgee, Lucia Dettori, Ronald I. Greenberg, Andrew M. Rasmussen, Dale F. Reed, Don Yanek

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This study compares the characteristics and professional development (PD) experiences between teachers who began teaching Exploring Computer Science before and after the enactment of a CS graduation requirement in the Chicago Public Schools. The post-requirement teachers were less likely to have a CS background, but their experience in the ECS PD and their level of confidence at the end of the PD were equivalent to the early adopters.

Using Site Visits To Strengthen Collaboration, Victor Piercey, Rebecca Segal, Afroditi Filippas, Tao Chen, Soloman Kone, Rosalyn Hargraves, Jack Bookman, John Hearn, Debbie Pike, Kathy Williams Phd

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

The SUMMIT-P project is a multi-institutional endeavor to leverage interdisciplinary collaboration in order to improve the teaching of undergraduate mathematics courses in the first two years of college. One goal of this work is to establish collaborative communities among the institutions involved. As part of the project, institutions visit one another on site visits that are structured according to a common protocol. The site visits have been valuable to the project. Participating institutions report the exchange of actionable ideas and feedback; members of the grant leadership team have used the site visits to direct the overall project, and evaluators have …

Mathamigos: A Community Mathematics Initiative, James C. Taylor, Delara Sharma, Shannon Rogers

Journal of Math Circles

We present a broad, and we think novel, community mathematics initiative in its early stages in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At every level, the program embraces community-wide collaboration—from the leadership team, to the elements of the mathematics being implemented (primarily math circles and the Global Math Project’s Exploding Dots), to the funding model. Our MathAmigos program falls within two categories of math circle-related programs: outreach and professional development (PD). In outreach, we work with the Santa Fe Public School district (administration, teachers, students, and parents) and the City of Santa Fe government (our funders via a two-year contract) in …

Standardizing Facilitator Development For Exploring Computer Science Professional Development, Steven Mcgee, John Wachen, Lucia Dettori, Don Yanek, Faythe Brannon, Andrew M. Rasmussen, Dale F. Reed, Ronald I. Greenberg

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A key strategy for broadening CS participation

in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has been the enactment

of a high school CS graduation requirement. The Exploring

Computer Science (ECS) curriculum and professional development

(PD) program serve as a core foundation for supporting

enactment of this policy. The CAFE´CS researcher-practitioner

partnership provides support for ECS implementation in CPS.

An important part of the sustainability of the ECS PD model in

CPS is the development of local workshop facilitators. Potential

facilitators have generally been selected based on the CAFE´CS

team’s personal familiarity with active ECS teachers. Once

selected, teachers engage in a …

K-2 Mathematicians & Writers: Professional Learning Communities For Developing Conceptual Understanding, Doris Santarone, Angel R. Abney, Sandra M. Webb

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has long supported the use of children’s literature, writing, and manipulatives to improve conceptual understanding of mathematics (2000). In a professional learning community for K-2 teachers, professional development was designed and implemented on ways to incorporate literacy and manipulatives into a mathematics lesson. The teachers were charged with collaboratively planning lessons that included multiple components: the standard(s), a mathematics activity, manipulatives, a writing task, and children’s literature. As the data were analyzed, it became apparent that while most of the lessons were well connected, this did not happen for all of the lessons. …

Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities' Impact On Math Critical Thinking Pedagogy, Elizabeth Ann Daly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. educational leaders struggle with declining mathematics achievement among students as compared to other countries. The problem for this study was low standardized mathematics scores in one district in a major city in the Southwestern United States. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed method project study was to analyze the effectiveness of professional learning communities (PLCs) on the mathematics critical thinking pedagogy among teachers in 2 elementary schools. The conceptual framework focused on work by Olivier, Hipp, Huffman, and Hord on the efficacy of PLCs for improving teacher pedagogy. Research questions addressed in this study were designed to explore …

Experiences And Practices Of Environmental Adult Education Participants, Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Awareness of the sustainability of our natural resources is a continuing concern. Initiatives promoting environmental adult education (EAE) through professional development (PD) workshops ensure educators' have the knowledge and skills to inform their audience about environmental literacy and stewardship. However, these workshops have rarely been monitored. Specifically, it appears no researchers have focused on the reflective experiences of an EAE PD workshop on educator participants at least 5 years after participation. This basic qualitative study used telephone interviews of 8 past participants to explore whether and how they perceive their behavior changing in relation to natural resources conservation years after …

Motivations Of Educators For Participating In An Authentic Astronomy Research Experience Professional Development Program, Luisa M. Rebull, T. Roberts, W. Laurence, Michael Fitzgerald, D. A. French, Varoujan Gorjian, G. K. Squires

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Astronomy Education Research.] The NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program (NITARP) partners small groups of educators with a research astronomer for a year-long authentic research project. This program aligns well with the characteristics of high-quality professional development (PD) programs and has worked with a total of 103 educators since 2005. In this paper, surveys were explored that were obtained from 74 different educators, at up to four waypoints during the course of 13 months, incorporating data from the class of 2010 through the class of 2017. This paper investigates how participating teachers …

The Effects Of Different Teaching Methods On Student Attitude And Achievement In Calculus Recitations, Jocelyn Noelle Rios

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

Many universities offer recitation sections in their calculus sequences; however, little research has been conducted on TA best practices in the recitations.This study first aimed to observe the different teaching methods that TAs employed in their recitations and then measure their efficacy in improving student course attitudes and achievement, focusing on student-centered and concept-based instruction. In addition, this study aimed to assess the quality of professional development offered to recitation leaders. Using a quantitative-dominant mixed methods design, 12 TAs were observed throughout the semester and TAs and calculus students were surveyed. This study found that student-centered instruction was positively correlated …

Creating A Culture Of Evidence-Based Teaching Through Faculty Professional Development, Kirsten Fleming, David Polcyn

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This session will focus on leading change designed to instill a culture of equity-minded, evidence-based teaching and learning. Drawing on a community of practice model, a variety of professional development opportunities will be explored that enable STEM faculty members to redesign courses in ways that intentionally incorporates evidence-based teaching practices.

Faculty Perceptions Of Instructional Strategies That Foster Student Engagement In Online Courses, Sharon M. Hope

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Developing online instructional strategies for increasing student engagement and success is significant locally and nationally due to growth in the online field, advances in technology, and the need for colleges to maximize student success. This study stemmed from the desire of administrators at an upstate New York private college to discover additional ways to design and deliver effective online instruction. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to discover faculty perceptions of and experiences with instructional strategies that they used to foster student engagement in online learning. Kearsley and Shneiderman's engagement theory formed the study's conceptual framework. Ten …

The Basic Competencies Of Biological Experimentation: Concept-Skill Statements, Nancy Pelaez, Trevor Anderson, Stephanie M. Gardner, Yue Yin, Joel K. Abraham, Edward Bartlett, Cara Gormally, Jeffrey P. Hill, Mildren Hoover, Carol Hurney, Tammy Long, Dina L. Newman, Karen Sirum, Michael Stevens

PIBERG Instructional Innovation Materials

This biological experimentation competencies map is a model created by members of the ACE-Bio Network of seven areas a competent biologist calls in when doing experimentation in biology. Each competency is represented by a summary word on a uniquely colored segment of the model. For presentation convenience, the seven major areas within experimentation in biology are mapped onto tables in a linear manner. However, this is not meant to convey a particular order that one must follow during experimentation. The areas are given equal weight and flexible order of their use throughout the process of experimentation. This work is meant …

I Want To Be The Inquiry Guy! How Research Experiences For Teachers Change Beliefs, Attitudes, And Values About Teaching Science As Inquiry, Deborah Herrington, Senetta F. Bancroft, Molly M. Edwards, Caroline J. Schairer

Peer Reviewed Articles

This qualitative study examined how and why a research experiences for teachers (RET) influenced middle and high school science teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and values about teaching science as inquiry. Changes teachers reported after participating in the RET ranged from modifying a few lessons (belief change) to a comprehensive revision of what and how they taught to better reflect inquiry (attitude change). Some teachers who described comprehensively changing their instruction also described implementing actions meant to change science education within their respective schools, not just their own classrooms (value change). We present how and why teachers went about changes in their …

Junior High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Math Instruction For African American Students, Sandra Denise Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A mathematics achievement gap exists between 8th grade African American students and other ethnic groups. Guided by the conceptual framework of constructivism, the purpose of this case study was to examine 8, Grade 8 math teachers' perceptions of factors contributing to mathematical performance gap in their African American students and what instructional strategies can be used to help reduce the achievement gap in southwest Georgia. Data were obtained through interviews and classroom observations and were coded and analyzed using typological analysis, followed by inductive analysis. The results of the data revealed teachers perceived recruiting and retaining African American teachers and …

Engaging In Lesson Study At Georgia College, Angel R. Abney, Brandon Samples, Doris Santarone

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

A lesson study cycle is a professional development process that integrates research and reflection through collaboration. The cycle allows a group to refine a lesson based on these collaboration efforts such as interaction with students and the post-lesson discussion. Secondary pre-service teachers in a mathematics methods course engaged in a lesson study cycle through collaboration between in-service teachers, Georgia College professors, and students in a local high school classroom. We systematically investigated this process to determine that through preparing, enacting and reflecting on their practice, Pre-service Teachers (PST) developed insight, reasoning, and understanding of the mathematics that they taught.

A Primer For Mathematical Modeling, Marla A. Sole

Publications and Research

With the implementation of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommendations and the adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, modeling has moved to the forefront of K-12 education. Modeling activities not only reinforce purposeful problem-solving skills, they also connect the mathematics students learn in school with the mathematics they will use outside of school. Instructors have found mathematical modeling difficult to teach. To successfully incorporate modeling activities I believe that curricular changes should be accompanied by professional development for curriculum developers, classroom teachers, and higher education professionals. This article serves as an introduction to modeling by …

Elements Of Proximal Formative Assessment In Learners’ Discourse About Energy, Benedikt W. Harrer, Rachel E. Scherr, Michael C. Wittmann, Hunter G. Close, Brian W. Frank

Faculty Publications

Proximal formative assessment, the just-in-time elicitation of students' ideas that informs ongoing instruction, is usually associated with the instructor in a formal classroom setting. However, the elicitation, assessment, and subsequent instruction that characterize proximal formative assessment are also seen in discourse among peers. We present a case in which secondary teachers in a professional development course at SPU are discussing energy flow in refrigerators. In this episode, a peer is invited to share her thinking (elicitation). Her idea that refrigerators move heat from a relatively cold compartment to a hotter environment is inappropriately judged as incorrect (assessment). The "instruction" (peer …

Elements Of Proximal Formative Assessment In Learners’ Discourse About Energy, Benedikt W. Harrer, Rachel E. Scherr, Michael C. Wittmann, Hunter G. Close, Brian W. Frank

Benedikt W. Harrer

Proximal formative assessment, the just-in-time elicitation of students' ideas that informs ongoing instruction, is usually associated with the instructor in a formal classroom setting. However, the elicitation, assessment, and subsequent instruction that characterize proximal formative assessment are also seen in discourse among peers. We present a case in which secondary teachers in a professional development course at SPU are discussing energy flow in refrigerators. In this episode, a peer is invited to share her thinking (elicitation). Her idea that refrigerators move heat from a relatively cold compartment to a hotter environment is inappropriately judged as incorrect (assessment). The "instruction" (peer …

Creating A Masters In Numeracy Program, Eric Gaze

Numeracy

The Master of Science in Numeracy program at Alfred University received full approval from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) in May of 2007. This first-of-its-kind program seeks to provide teachers at all levels, from across the curriculum, the skills, and more importantly the confidence, to introduce relevant quantitative concepts in their own disciplines. Created to be a complement of the MS Ed. in Literacy, the 30-hour MS in Numeracy program consists of four required core courses (Teaching Numeracy, Teaching with Data, Assessment and Learning Theories in Numeracy, and Doing Science and Numeracy), five electives from a list of …

Validation Of The Principal’S Computer Technology Survey, Lantry Brockmeier, Nicole Gibson

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this study was to provide a more in-depth analysis of the psychometric characteristics of the Principal’s Computer Technology Survey (PCTS). The PCTS developmental process yielded a 40–item survey with groups of items comprising five subscales (i.e., curriculum integration, perceptions, acquired expertise, needs assessment, and professional development). Principals’ responses to items within the five subscales was measured on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). An expert panel reviewed the instrument plus exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. This analysis resulted in a restructured instrument …

Enhancing Science Teachers' Understanding Of Ecosystem Interactions With Qualitative Conceptual Models, Marion Dresner, Monica Elser

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The project described in this article explores how a series of conceptual ecological models can be used to portray the improvement in ecological understanding over the span of a short course. The course involved high school teachers working collaboratively on ecological research projects. Teachers were asked to construct qualitative conceptual models (a diagram of important ecosystem components and the linkages between these components) and write explanatory essays at three points during their research experience. The progression in development of teachers’ models spanned initial intuitive explanation, with misconceptions, to the post-test elaboration of a more complex and accurate understanding of ecological …