Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Understanding How Covid-19 Has Changed Teachers’ Chances Of Remaining In The Classroom, Gema Zamarro, Andrew Camp, Dillon Fuchsman, Josh B. Mcgee

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The 2020-2021 academic year was a year like no other. After nationwide school closures during the spring of 2020, schools reopened in the fall of 2020 using combinations of in-person, hybrid, and remote learning models. Teachers had to adapt to unexpected conditions, teaching in unprecedented ways, using synchronous and asynchronous instruction, while also being challenged to establish connections with students, families, and colleagues. Health concerns added to the mix as some teachers went back to in-person education during the height of the pandemic. As a result, teachers' levels of stress and burnout have been high throughout these unusual pandemic times …

Development And Initial Evaluation Of The Assessment Of Teacher Expectations And Practices (Atep), Kimberly Barajas

Dissertations

Teacher practices and expectations are important factors for students’ academic and behavioral functioning (Andersson & Palm, 2016; Oliver, Wehby, & Reschly, 2011; Rimm-Kaufman, Storm, Sawyer, Pianta, & LaParom 2006; Rubie-Davies, 2007; Sandholtz, 2011). The current measures available require a great deal of resources (i.e., time, money, personnel), have poor psychometric properties, or are not comprehensive (e.g., facets assessed; assessment of teacher practices for different grade levels). Given these concerns, the proposed study aimed to develop a psychometrically sound measure that is time and cost efficient and comprehensively assesses the multi-faceted construct of teacher practices. This measure is expected to allow …

Seeking Universal Education: From Singapore’S Educational Success, Gulnar Rzayeva

Master's Projects and Capstones

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, education is considered a fundamental human right. However, this right is not accessible for every child. Not all education systems are capable of providing quality education. There are various reasons behind this issue. Based on the OECD and PISA records, Singapore has a successful education system with multiple ethnicities and religions. This study intends to discover some characteristics of Singapore's education system and the feasibility of achieving similar success in other practices. In the methodology part, based on a literature review on the education policy and the education system of Singapore, content …

Seeking Universal Education: From Singapore’S Educational Success, Gulnar Rzayeva

Master's Projects and Capstones

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, education is considered a fundamental human right. However, this right is not accessible for every child. Not all education systems are capable of providing quality education. There are various reasons behind this issue. Based on the OECD and PISA records, Singapore has a successful education system with multiple ethnicities and religions. This study intends to discover some characteristics of Singapore's education system and the feasibility of achieving similar success in other practices. In the methodology part, based on a literature review on the education policy and the education system of Singapore, content …

Infographic: Teachers Who Work Second Jobs, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

A new paper explores US data on public school teachers working a second job, outside the education system. What proportion of full-time teachers worked a second job? What type of jobs did they take? And, what were their average earnings? Find out in this infographic.

Belize Student Success And Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Study Report 2020-2021, Ariana J. Groen, Daniel Houlihan, Jacob Wessels, Collin Estrada

Psychology Department Publications

The Student Success and Challenges to Education in the Country of Belize During the COVID-19 Pandemic studies were created and conducted in the hopes of attaining data on the needs, success, and barriers to students, their families, and educators during distance learning. The purpose of the survey is to examine parents and educators in Belize to understand the scope of potential challenges during the COVID pandemic as it relates to student education, well-being, support, access to materials, availability of resources, and areas of concern. Questionnaires were created to hear the voices of parents and guardians as well as educators of …

Understanding How Experienced World History Teachers In Minnesota Choose Course Content: A Mixed Methods Study, Kathleen Ferrero

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Education in the United States has consistently utilized tests as well as a relatively standard curriculum to educate the youth. However, the introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act and the subsequent implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, has created an educational environment focused largely on math and literacy skills. This mixed methods study discovered the primary factors experienced world history teachers in Minnesota utilize to balance historical thinking skills and the inclusion of current events against national and statewide curricular standards. Five experienced teachers were interviewed, and their responses coded using qualitative methods. These themes informed …

Understanding The Impact Of An Act Intervention Course Through The Perspectives Of Previous Students, April Clement

Online Theses and Dissertations

College admission exams have long been the determining factor in students' college acceptance as well as being used as a predictor of success in college. States across America also used college admission exams as a way to measure a school's success in multiple dimensions. This study examined the effect of placing participants in an ACT intervention course that provides them with instruction and material to help them in areas they were struggling in on the ACT. This study focused on an ACT test that participants took before taking the intervention course and a test after taking the course. Along with …

Strengthening Student Engagement Through Positive Teacher-Student Relationships, Kimberly H. Snodgrass

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between teacher-student relationships and student engagement. Specifically, this study was designed to answer the following questions (a) Is there a correlation between student engagement and teacher-student relationships? and (b) Is there a correlation between student engagement and a safe classroom environment (location of teacher-student relationship development)?

The Kentucky Student Voice Survey (KSVS) survey utilizing a Likert-scale was given anonymously to the students of 804 classroom teachers in grades three through twelve in a school district in the state of Kentucky. Of the seven domains of the KSVS, the domains of …

When Knowing Is Not Enough: A Narrative Exploration Of How K-12 Teachers Make Decisions About The Transfer Of Critical Competencies From Professional Learning To Daily Practice, Nell E. Ballard-Jones

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

School districts spend millions of dollars each year to provide training and learning to staff working in direct and indirect service to students (National Council on Teacher Quality, 2021). This financial commitment says nothing about what is even more important: the need for school employees and the systems in which we work to serve students more effectively. Despite vast allocations of time and money and presumably best intentions for better social and academic outcomes for students, very little data exist that reflect regular transfer and application of training/learning into professional practice (Nittler et al., 2015). By and large, schools and …

Teachers’ Perspectives Of Instructing Elementary Students In Reading, Catrina Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Midwestern, urban, elementary school, a problem is teachers are struggling to support the instructional needs of the students with limited resources and training opportunities. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the perspectives of reading teachers in Grades 3 to 5 about the challenges with meeting the instructional needs of the elementary students at the target site. Gagne’s theory of the conditions for learning and Tomlinson’s theory of differentiated instruction comprised the conceptual framework. Data for this study were collected from semistructured interviews with 10 teachers in Grades 3 to 5 who currently teach or …

School Libraries In South Australia 2019 Census, Katherine Dix, Rachel Felgate, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Shani Sniedze

School and system improvement

This report presents the results of a survey census and website review of school libraries, taken across all South Australian schools in Term 3, 2019. The census collected data on school library staffing, facilities, funding, and support. Results reveal that schools with a qualified teacher librarian are more likely to have improved student literacy outcomes. While 94 per cent of South Australian schools have someone to manage the library collection and to select resources, less than a quarter (23 per cent) are managed by a qualified teacher librarian. Questions about the nature of library provision in schools uncovered eight main …

Leveraging Local Resources And Contexts For Inclusive Computer Science Classrooms: Reflections From Experienced High School Teachers Implementing Electronic Textiles, Mia S. Shaw, Deborah A. Fields, Yasmin B. Kafai

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Background and context

Promoting open-ended projects presents new opportunities and challenges for inclusive teaching in CS classrooms. While efforts have been made to develop inclusive curricula, little research has focused on ways teachers apply curricula in their classrooms to promote inclusion.

Objective

To understand the challenges faced in facilitating an open-ended unit and the pedagogical strategies enacted to address those challenges, we analyze the self-reported teaching practices that experienced teachers developed in their implementation of a constructionist electronic textiles unit in Exploring Computer Science.

Method

We inductively analyzed and coded 17 experienced teachers’ weekly surveys and post-interviews.

Findings

Teachers …

Infographic: From One Teacher To Another, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

Each year, we ask readers to share a piece of advice. In today’s infographic we share some of the responses we’ve received on teaching and leading. What would your piece of advice be?

Talis: Stress Levels Among Australian Teachers, Sue Thomson

Teacher columnist - Sue Thomson

The OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey provides a voice for teachers and principals internationally. Australia is one of 48 countries that participated in TALIS 2018, and ACER has just released the second report on the data gathered – Teachers and school leaders as valued professionals (Thomson & Hillman, 2020). The foci of this second volume are career opportunities, collaboration, autonomy and prestige. The results reported in this article are those from lower secondary school teachers and principals.

Teachers’ Priorities For Education Spending, Sue Thomson

Teacher columnist - Sue Thomson

In my last column I examined secondary school teacher and principal views on resourcing issues that hinder quality teaching, as revealed by the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). What, then, do these teachers see as the spending priorities for Australian education? And are the priorities different in primary schools?

Experiences Of African American Teachers In Desegregated Pk–12 Schools: A Systematic Literature Review, Yonghee Suh, Brian J. Daugherity, Jihea Maddamsetti, Angela Branyon

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This literature review reports findings from 19 empirical studies on the experiences of African American teachers in PK–12 desegregated schools. The research questions were: What do we know about the experiences of African American teachers in desegregated PK–12 schools? What are the challenges African American teachers experience in desegregated PK–12 schools? In response to these questions, the article first discusses school desegregation after the Brown v. Board of Education decision and its impact on African American teachers as a historical backdrop. Findings from 19 studies were analyzed through grounded theory. Two core themes were identified from our findings: persistent structural …

The Power Of Open: Benefits, Barriers, And Strategies For Integration Of Open Educational Resources, Tian Luo, Kirsten Hostetler, Candice Freeman, Jill Stefaniak

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Open Educational Resources (OER) are becoming a significant, mission-driven trend within educational literature. To help address rising costs, instructors and designers are looking to OER to effectively replace traditional instructional content, which requires more than just identify and replace. Drawing from 51 OER studies conducted in countries across the five continents, this systematic literature review explored the empirical themes evident in the current research on a global scale. This review found (1) discoverability, sustainability, and remixing are significant barriers that stand in the way of OER disrupting traditional textbook models; (2) there is no significant difference in learning outcomes when …

The Relationship Between Elementary School Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of The Influence Of Male Teachers And Schools' Male Student Achievement Growth In English Language Arts, Kathleen Elizabeth Kaump Truitt

Theses and Dissertations

There is a national achievement gap between male and female students in the United States. A common recommendation to reduce this achievement gap has been to hire more male teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that elementary administrators and teachers have of male teachers’ influence on male student growth in English Language Arts. In order to measure perceptions, a five-point Likert scale survey was adapted from an existing qualitative questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted, an Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses were performed, and the survey was found valid and reliable to measure four constructs …

Infographic: Teacher Status Around The World, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

A global survey asked members of the public in 35 countries about their attitudes to teachers and teaching, with data used to create a ‘status index’ score out of 100. Today’s infographic looks at the 15 countries where teachers are most valued, according to their score.

Preparing Teachers For A Diverse Classroom, Sean O'Rourke, Jonathon Arndt

Education Presentations at National and International Conferences

This project investigated the research question: How do changes in inter-cultural competency (ICC) compare among pre-service teachers at three data collection points? Intercultural competency was defined as “the capability to accurately understand and adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonalities” (Hammer & Bennett, 2010). The study was based on the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (Bennett, 1986), which identified five orientations toward cultural differences: denial, polarization, minimization, acceptance, and adaptation. Data was collected from 48 undergraduate students who majored in elementary education. Investigators hypothesized that students would have a statistically significant change in their ICC from the beginning of their …

The Effects Of Rurality And Education Deserts On The Four-Year Degree Selection Of Aspiring Teacher Education Candidates In A Rural Community College Setting, Alice Faye Sanders

Dissertations

Teacher shortages exist across the nation, with greater shortages in middle school and secondary education (Center for Public Education, 2016). The purpose of this study was to determine the factors and barriers presented to teacher education candidates affecting the selection of their teacher education degrees in a rural community college setting. The research questions were designed to use quantitative survey questions administered to the teacher education candidate population of ABC College. Qualitative interview questions were used to gather data from the Director and Assistant Director of Enrollment Services/Student Development at ABC College. As a result of data analysis, misconceptions were …

An Investigation Of Patterns Between Demographic Characteristics Of Teachers And Grading Practices, Jenelle Lee

Dissertations

This mixed-methods phenomenological study examined a sample of grade 7 through 12 core content area teachers at four Missouri school districts. This study investigated the patterns linking demographic characteristics of teachers and grading practices. These practices were cross-referenced to the level of implementation of bestgrading practices as it pertained to the amount of time and support systems a district provided for its teachers. The teachers in this study responded to a survey and provided insight regarding their grading practices. The purpose of the survey was to collect demographic information on the teachers, information on the academic and non-academic factors included …

An International Comparison Of K-12 Computer Science Education Intended And Enacted Curricula, Katrina Falkner, Sue Sentance, Rebecca Vivian, Sarah Barksdale, Leonard Busuttil, Elizabeth Cole, Christine Liebe, Francesco Maiorana, Monica M. Mcgill, Keith Quille

Conference Papers

This paper presents an international study of K-12 Computer Science implementation across Australia, England, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Scotland and the United States. We present findings from a pilot study, comparing CS curriculum requirements (intended curriculum) captured through country reports, with what surveyed teachers (n=244) identify as enacting in their classroom (the enacted curriculum). We address the extent that teachers are implementing the intended curriculum as enacted curriculum, exploring specifically country differences in terms of programming languages and CS topics implemented. Our findings highlight the similarities and differences of intended and enacted CS curriculum within and across countries and the value …

Teacher's In-Service Professional Development Needs Assessment-The Pakistani Context, Aamna Pasha, Yuling Smith, Shehzad Jeeva

Examination Board

This paper explains the study of conducting a survey to assess the professional development needs of the teachers in schools affiliated with Aga Khan University – Examination Board (AKU-EB) with the aim of strategizing and designing teacher development programmes. An online survey was carried out with questions regarding the demographic information, teachers’ current practices and their professional training needs. There were 306 teachers who participated in this survey from affiliated schools from the provinces of Sindh, Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The results show that teachers expressed a preference in using lecturing as the main teaching method and familiarity …

Putting Educational Reform Into Practice: The Impact Of The No Child Left Behind Act On Students, Teachers, And Schools, Timothy Song

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to investigate the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on U.S. student achievement and teacher effectiveness. By combining the results from various data sources, I am able to indicate the levels of student preparedness, school spending, and specific classroom practices. After an analysis of my results, I suggest that NCLB has found moderate success in increasing the level of math preparedness for younger students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. On the other hand, the data also suggests that there have been no statistically significant gains in reading achievement after the implementation of NCLB. Additionally, spending …

Incentives And Teacher Effort: Evidence From Lagos, Nigeria, Simileoluwa Adebajo

Master's Theses

According to recent research (Hattie, 2003), teachers contribute to around 30% of the overall variation in student achievement and success – more than any other influencing factor. This study seeks to understand how different types of incentives (monetary, near monetary and non-monetary incentives) influence the “effort” of public school teachers as perceived by the students in Lagos, Nigeria using a novel measurement tool – the teaching effectiveness survey – to measure the teachers’ outcomes. Using a randomized field experiment where students evaluate the changes in their teachers’ effort with a standard teaching effectiveness survey and differences in differences estimation, we …

Infographic: Schools Australia Data, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

The annual Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report on the number of schools, students and staff across Australia has been released. In this infographic, we look at some of the latest figures.

Effect Of School Level On Teacher Perceptions Of Sst/Rti Effectiveness (K-12), Within A Northwest Georgia School System, Susan R. Tolbert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study is to evaluate the effect of school level (primary, elementary, middle, and high school) on teacher perceptions of Student Support Team and Response to Intervention within a Northwest Georgia school system. Understanding these differences in perceptions will allow educational leaders to create meaningful staff development for mandated programs for all certified staff. This study will utilize demographic information, 21 survey questions, and two multiple-choice questions to analyze the differences in perceptions among primary, elementary, middle, and high school certified staff in regards to SST and RTI. Analysis will involve the use of an ANOVA …

Contexts Of Cultural Diversity Professional Development In Schools, Hillary Parkhouse, Jesse Senechal, Julie Gorlewski, David Naff, Zoey Lu, Ashlee Lester

MERC Publications

This report is part of a larger MERC study on Professional Development for Success in Culturally Diverse Schools.The goals of the larger study are (1) to understand the landscape of diversity within the schools in the MERC region, (2) to consider the implications for school policy and professional practice, (3) to review the current models of professional development that support teachers and other school professionals in regards to issues of cultural diversity, and (4) to develop and test models of professional development that have positive impacts on teacher practice, student outcomes and overall school success. With these goals in mind, …