Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Illuminating Two Secondary Schoolteachers’ Praxes On A ‘Terrain Of Freedom:’ Lessons For Teacher Education, Paul Tarc, Nicholas Ng-A-Fook, Tasha Ausman, Catherine James

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This paper attunes to the stated focus of this special issue—teacher subjectivities on a terrain of freedom—to consider the qualities, possibilities and limits of teachers’ praxes and development upon this ‘terrain.’ In response to the call, we explore three critical questions: 1) Where does the teacher’s freedom lie amidst required protocols and standardization?; 2) Can teachers transcend how they have been conceived and conditioned?; and 3) How can teachers engage in transformative development? Through a "poetics of teaching," inspired by Hansen (2004), we frame teaching as a curricular and pedagogical art form that melds interdisciplinary, intellectual, aesthetic, and …

Pinterest Can Help Teachers Cook A Casserole, But What About Lgbtqia+ Affirming Lesson Plans For Students Of Color?, Denise Villarrial Nealon

Deliberately Queer Journal

We have learned to be crafty homemakers, small space decorators, and even teachers through the eye-catching appeal of sites like Pinterest or Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT). The accessibility and ease of searching for a preset lesson saves time, and in a society where teachers are paid far less than what they are worth and asked to work longer hours than they are paid for, this makes sense. Using the theoretical frameworks of CRT, QueerCrit, and CRP, along with the concepts of intersectionality, can build learning tools for new teachers to disrupt previous exclusionary practices that prevent LGBTQIA+ students of Color …

Strategic Considerations For Integrating Digital Technology And Literacy Learning, Christine N. Green

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

In an era of rapidly advancing technology, integrating digital tools into literacy instruction has become a vital component of effective educational practice. This article presents findings from a case study examining how digital technology was incorporated into the literacy block of a first-grade classroom. Through sixteen hours of classroom observation and three teacher interviews, four key strategic considerations emerged for planning literacy activities that utilize educational technology. These activities enriched student learning by encouraging engagement through multiple modes of literacy. These strategic considerations include building digital connections that complement instructional goals, strategically adding digital tools, allowing students to lead, and …

أثر استخدام بيئة تعلم إلكترونية تكيفية قائمة على الذكاء الاصطناعي في تنمية مهارات التفكير العليا في مادة الكيمياء لدى طلبة المرحلة الثانوية, Ruwaida Abu Shoshah, Hala J. Abualnadi

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف البحث إلى استقصاء أثر استخدام بيئة تعلُّم إلكترونية تكيُّفيّة قائمة على الذكاء الاصطناعي في تنمية مهارات التفكير العليا في مادة الكيمياء لدى طلبة الصف الحادي عشر، وتكونت عينة الدراسة من (60) طالبة من الصف الحادي عشر في العاصمة عمان، تم تقسيمهم إلى مجموعتين، تجريبية وضابطة، تم اختيار افراد العينة بالطريقة القصدية، ولتحقيق هدف الدراسة تم الاعتماد على المنهج شبه التجريبي، وتم إعداد اختبار لقياس مستويات مهارات التفكير العليا في مادة الكيمياء، بعد التحقق من صدقه وثباته ومعاملات الصعوبة والتمييز للفقرات، وقد أظهرت نتائج الدراسة وجود فرق في الأداء البعدي بين المجموعتين في اختبار مهارات التفكير العليا، حيث بلغت قيمة …

Phenomenological Inquiry: High School English Language Arts And Reading Professional Development Design And Delivery, Michelle Jestice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological inquiry aimed to understand the overall essence of public high school English language arts and reading professional development design and delivery from an inclusive, sociocultural, responsive theoretical lens. The lens extended previous scholarship, combining six educational concepts and theories to develop an ideological framework for high school English language arts and reading professional development design and delivery. They include Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, Knowles’ (1978) andragogy, Shulman’s (2013) content-pedagogy-curricular contextualization, Hammond’s (2015) culturally responsive teaching, Bennett’s (1986) intercultural competencies, Smale-Jacobse and others’ (2019) and Tomlinson and others’ (2003) concepts of differentiation: referred to as SACReD. A central …

Rethinking “Key-Chain Swap” And Other Decontextualized Algorithm Teaching Practices For Rational Number Learners, Connor B. Desai

Education Dissertations

Mathematical literacy is critical in an increasingly data-driven society, yet many students struggle with rational number concepts due to the prevalence of decontextualized algorithmic instruction. This study investigates the impact of targeted professional development (PD) on sixth-grade teachers’ instructional strategies and their students’ rational number achievement. The research examines whether explicit, conceptually grounded teaching of rational number operations improves student understanding compared to traditional algorithm-based instruction. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study collected quantitative and qualitative data from students at two middle schools. The intervention was statistically significant at School A, where students in the intervention group demonstrated greater achievement …

Структурно-Семантическая Модель Матричной Таблицы Глаголов Звучания: К Реконструкции Лексической Системы, Irina V. Ivliyeva

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

цель статьи – провести структурно-семантический анализ авторской таблицы веб-извлечения глагольных форм. Матричная таблица форм глаголов звучания рассматривается как инновационный лексикографический инструмент, обладающий способностью не только фиксировать уже существующие единицы, но и выявлять потенциальные формы глаголов, находящиеся за пределами кодификационных норм. Работа направлена на описание структуры, принципов построения и способов наполнения данной таблицы. Проводится сопоставление с традиционными лексикографическими источниками. Особое внимание уделяется семантическому значению незаполненных ячеек, способности таблицы к синтезу новых форм и её потенциалу как прогностического инструмента в сфере лексики, словообразования и словообразовательного синтеза.

Narratives Of Latina Teacher Candidates On Subtractive Schooling Experiences And Their Language Identity, Joao Goebel

Dissertations

The subtractive nature of bilingual education in the United States has long impacted the language identities of Latinx students. Despite being raised in multilingual environments, many are schooled in systems that devalue their home languages and prioritize English-only instruction. This study explored how these dynamics influenced Latina teacher candidates’ perceptions of their own bilingualism and professional identities. The purpose of the study was to examine how Latina teacher candidates understood and constructed their language identities in the context of their K–12 and higher education experiences. The study used narrative research centered on four Latina teacher candidates enrolled in an undergraduate …

Rethinking Assessment In Asynchronous Learning: A Benchmark Portfolio For Mngt 301, Pedro J. Agüero Arroyo

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This teaching portfolio evaluates the instructional redesign of MNGT 301 Introduction to Management at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, focusing on improving student learning outcomes, addressing performance disparities across demographic groups, and enhancing assessment alignment with course goals. The redesign primarily involved modifying assessment types and implementing clearer structure and grading expectations. The analysis compares student performance data from Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, disaggregated by demographic indicators including gender, race/ethnicity, parent education, neighborhood opportunity index, and rural/urban background. In addition, student perceptions were assessed through a midsemester Keep-Stop-Start survey. Findings suggest that redesign elements enhanced student engagement and equity by …

Ecen191/Robo150 Robotics Tools: Evaluating The Impact Of Project-Based Learning On Teaching Effectiveness, Nikhil Satyala

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The course selected for this study aims to introduce the skills and knowledge needed to utilize software and hardware tools used to design and operate robots. In this introductory course, undergraduate students in the Robotics Engineering major are provided with the opportunity to broaden their skill set with focus on specializing in one of three engineering disciplines (Software, Electrical and Mechanical). The primary goal of this course is to teach how develop the proficiency in basic concepts in robotics and enable the students to build and program a small-scale fully functional robotic arm. In this portfolio study, I investigated the …

Experiential Learning In Lecture Settings For Ides 200: Programs, Codes & Standards, Emily Cerny

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

In traditional lecture settings, students take notes from a lecturer’s recitations and have minimal interaction with each other and the world around them. For IDES 200: Programs, Codes & Standards, a key aspect of learning is for students to understand the connections between the concepts learned in class and the built environment. To increase this connection and get students thinking in different manners, experiential learning methodologies were introduced through in-class exercises and within the course assignments alongside typical lectures and lecture comprehension quizzes. By surveying students’ perceptions of assignments and course activities, the goal of this course portfolio is to …

Imagination: Bridging The Intended, Delivered, And Received Curricula, Vicki Boley Dr., Paul A. Michalec Dr.

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This paper explores the transformative potential of imagination in higher education, particularly its capacity to bridge the intended, delivered, and received curricula. Through a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with graduate students, the research highlights how imagination fosters holistic, socially just, and humanizing educational experiences that transcend traditional instructional boundaries, encouraging student ownership and creative engagement in the higher education classroom and beyond.

Adpr 323: Copy & Concept – A Peer Review Of Teaching Course Portfolio, Brian D. Hubbard

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

ADPR 323: Copy & Concept is an elective course in the Advertising and Public Relations curriculum at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, designed to immerse students in the foundational principles and practices of advertising copywriting and conceptual development. This portfolio documents the recent redesign of the course, including updated learning outcomes, teaching methods, assignments, and assessment strategies. The redesign emphasizes a balance between creative ideation, effective writing, and strategic thinking, with a focus on real-world application and industry standards. This portfolio includes a rationale for changes, analysis of student learning, reflections on successes and challenges, and plans for future improvements.

Course Portfolio: Csce 478/878 Introduction To Machine Learning, Hongzhi Guo

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio was developed for CSCE 478/878: Introduction to Machine Learning, offered by the School of Computing at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, as part of the Faculty-led Inquiry into Reflective and Scholarly Teaching (FIRST) project. The course provides an introduction to foundational machine learning concepts, models, and programming tools. It enrolls both undergraduate and graduate students from a wide range of academic backgrounds, including computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, biological systems engineering, chemical engineering, business-related fields, etc. Offered in Spring 2025, the course was peer-reviewed to support continuous improvement in teaching. The primary goals of this portfolio are …

Using Fantasy Sports To Connect Process With Product In Adpr/Spmc 464/864 – Sports Media Relations And Promotion, Brian Petrotta

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The purpose of this portfolio is to analyze the relationship between assignments and desired learning outcomes in ADPR/SPMC 464/864 – Sports Media Relations and Promotion. ADPR/SPMC 464/864 Sports Media Relations and Promotion remains a challenging course to navigate but the process of developing this portfolio demonstrates that it has many strengths. The first of these strengths is the simple structure that centers the course around a fantasy football team (NFL in fall, EPL in spring). Most students were already familiar with fantasy sports and, in general, appreciated the inherent competition within this structure. Feedback from students’ year-end self-assessments from two …

Benefits Of Informal Practical Experiences As A Central Teaching Method In A Literature Of Adolescents Course, Jillian Harpster

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio includes the course context and organizational format of a junior-level required course for pre-service secondary English teachers. Formatting and context information include teaching methods and course materials. As a central teaching method of the course, students are required to attend a practicum that is additional to their observational practicum (sophomore year) and their clinical practicum (senior year). In this way, the praxis of the coursework and the informal practicum serve as an intentional moment of praxis, while also scaffolding students towards their senior year practicum and beyond (student teaching, early career teaching). Ultimately, the argument of the portfolio …

Using Robot Toys To Play With Math, Space, And Coding: Children's Development Of Computational And Mathematical Thinking, Jessica Shumway, Jody Clarke-Midura, Deborah Silvis, Boram Lee, Anahita Ashineh, Camille Lund, Asmaa Yazidi Alaoui, Alissan Sarturato Firão, Makayla Rogers

Spatial Activities and Robot Coding (SPARC)

• CT as "the thought processes involved in formulating a problem and expressing its solution(s) in such a way that a computer—human or machine—can effectively carry out" (Wing, 2014)

A Seat At The Schoolhouse Table: Reimagining Education Through Afrofuturist And Womanist Theory, Natasha M. Capers

Student Theses

“A Seat at the Schoolhouse Table: Reimagining Education Through Afrofuturist and Womanist Theory” critically examines how curriculum, even when well-intentioned, can perpetuate harm by excluding the lived experiences of marginalized communities—especially Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA+ students. Using a real middle school immigration assignment given to the author's son as a case study, this capstone deconstructs the structural biases embedded in curriculum design and proposes a radical reimagining through the liberatory lenses of Afrofuturism and Womanism. Blending scholarly inquiry, personal narrative, and community-based interviews, this project offers a restructured assignment that centers joy, identity, and speculative storytelling as tools for educational …

How We Show Up Matters: Transformative Adult Social Emotional Learning To Build Equity-Centered Schools, Samantha L. Rummage-Massey

Dissertations

Transformative Social Emotional Learning (tSEL) expands traditional SEL by integrating equity and social justice to cultivate student development and as a framework for educator growth and systemic change in education (Jagers et al., 2019). Unlike traditional SEL, which primarily targets students, tSEL emphasizes educators’ role in disrupting inequitable practices, making it a powerful tool for reimagining schools as justice-oriented spaces. This qualitative case study explores how tSEL professional development influences educators’ sense of identity, agency, and belonging, along with their reflections on systemic inequities and application of Critical Pedagogy (Freire, 1970) in personal and professional contexts. Data collection included semi-structured …

Teaching Engaging Grammar Instruction In The High School English Classroom, Emily A. Erlbacher

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Grammar is a fundamental component in the content area of English Language Arts. Having a strong foundation in grammar is a critical stepping stone to writing clearly and communicating with success. Despite its importance, grammar is historically not the most engaging topic for high school students. My study, consisting of a seven week action plan involving the ninth graders in an English Language Arts classroom, sought to recognize this disengagement and work to combat it in order to improve students’ writing capabilities. More specifically, the purpose of my action research was to evaluate different grammar instructional strategies recommended in existing …

Notetaking Reimagined: The Impact Of Combining Text And Visuals For Effective Learning, Sarah J. Mussetter

Art 895 Research Papers

This Mixed-Methods Narrative Case Study examines previous research on the effects of visual/ illustrative notes and their effect on knowledge coding, retention, and retrieval processes. It adds to current research in the form of a case study of a high school advanced photography course in Livingston, MT and the effect that adding visuals to notetaking practices affects student performance and memory throughout the semester. This study also proposes a method of introduction to visual notetaking that can be implemented in classrooms regardless of subject matter.

Joy In Lifelong Learning: An Introduction To Planning For Learning Disabilities In Museum Education, Elaine L. Davis

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

For over a century, the role of museums as learning institutions has been considered alongside that of schools. However, special education practices are rarely adapted for museum education, requiring educators in museum contexts to undertake extra work to accommodate those with learning disabilities. This thesis used Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Textual Analysis to review pedagogical white papers and academic research on museum programs aimed at neurodivergent audiences. The findings were used to create a professional development guide for museum educators at a range of different types of museums.

Science Of Reading Professional Development: The Perceptions Of Secondary Teachers In Arkansas, Teresa R. Moka

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

ABSTRACT SCIENCE OF READING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE PERCEPTIONS OF SECONDARY TEACHERS IN ARKANSAS

Teresa R. Moka

The study addresses the critical issue of low literacy proficiency among secondary students in Arkansas, where National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data reveals declining reading scores. Despite scientific consensus on reading instruction, many teachers lack professional development in evidence-based reading strategies, particularly at the secondary level. Although Arkansas secondary teachers have received initial Science of Reading (SoR) professional development from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the perceptions of secondary teachers regarding SoR professional development is not well documented. The purpose …

Guidance And Lessons Learned For Instructors Seeking To Add Video Creation To Their Skill Set, Wendy A. Swenson Roth

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

Videos have entered the classroom, whether for online asynchronous courses or as supplementary information in synchronous classes. COVID-19 accelerated the pace of online and video learning but left instructors with little time to explore the optimal use of this technology. Nonetheless, videos are here to stay, raising questions about what unique choices faculty must make when implementing them and what new skills are required as videos become additional content delivery sources. The following article provides implementation guidance and lessons learned for instructors seeking to add video creation to their skill set.

Design, Implementation, And Reflection From An Interdisciplinary Course In Museum Studies, Brenna L. Decker

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

In Spring of 2023, I developed a special topics course titled Collection Material Handling to introduce students to museum management using Utah State University collections on the Logan, UT campus. The cross-listed upper-level course brought 16 USU students together from two disciplines: anthropology and natural sciences. The publication details how I used various learning theories to guide the creation of course content and how I structured and implemented activities in the classroom and in the collections. Examples of worksheets, activities, student feedback, and recommended improvements to assignments are provided. I encourage …

Learning A Little Bit Harder: The Intersecting Experiences Of First-Generation And Single-Mother College Students, Natalie Lecy, Elizabeth Hendrix, Brian A. Droubay

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

This study examines the experiences of nine first-generation, single-mother college students, focusing on these intersecting, double-jeopardy identities. Participants’ difficulty navigating college varied; contributing factors included family background, social capital, the type of college attended, and whether they established a mentor. The following themes were established: 1) realizing college is an option, 2) caught between two worlds, 3) college wasn’t designed for us, 4) economic barriers, and 5) disparities in social capital. Our findings indicate colleges were unprepared to meet the unique challenges faced by this group. We present recommendations for the …

Spring 2025 Introduction, Nichelle Frank

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

An introduction to the Spring 2025 issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 9, Issue 1, Spring 2025

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Spring 2025 issue (Volume 9, Issue 1) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

The issue includes five articles addressing challenges in higher education: faculty-student interactions with Generation Z students, experiences of first-generation single-mother college students, implementation of an interdisciplinary museum studies course, guidance for creating educational videos, and a book review on resistance to change in higher education. The journal emphasizes practical strategies for effective teaching, inclusivity, and innovative approaches to pedagogy across various educational contexts.

Call For Manuscripts, Michele J. Koomen, Thomastine Sarchet-Maher, Jessica Williams

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Call For Manuscripts, Michele J. Koomen, Thomastine Sarchet-Maher, Jessica Williams

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.