Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Growth Mindset In The Classroom, Luther L. Kiger

Empowering Research for Educators

This article discusses how Mindset can effect a students educational and social life.

The Language Of Learning In Family And Consumer Sciences: English Language Learners In Career Technical Education, Kali S. Lenhoff

Empowering Research for Educators

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) content and English as a Second Language (ESL) strategies can be organically incorporated to create a successful education for an English Language Learner (ELL). The first objective of this research project is to discover how prepared Family and Consumer Sciences teachers feel to work with English Language Learners in the classroom. The second objective is to identify practical and effective methods and strategies that are useful for Family and Consumer Sciences teachers instructing English Language Learners. The rationale for this project is that by identifying the challenges faced by English Language Learners in education, teachers …

Emphasis On Test Scores In Education, Lindsay Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

This article discusses how too much emphasis on standardized testing can affect student learning as well as teaching in the classroom. It includes a personal interview with a high school teacher as well as an article from the Washington Post regarding a study that was completed involving testing students.

And So The Pendulum Swings: Senior Student Affairs Officers Balancing Implementation Of Federal Campus Safety Mandates At Small Colleges, Kimberly J. Blea

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Issues of campus safety are being addressed on campuses nationwide because of the requirements set forth by the Clery Act, Title IX, and the Campus Sexual Assault Violence Elimination Act. The purpose of this qualitative study was to deeply understand experiences of senior student affairs officers (SSAO) at small colleges and universities who have implemented federal campus safety mandates. Their experiences, offered insight into how SSAOs used these experiences to inform their own professional growth, and contribute to the student affairs profession. I utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach and conducted multiple semi-structured interviews with three SSAOs at small colleges and …

Exploring Teacher’S Attitudes And Behaviors In Implementing Instructional Technology Into Curriculum, Letitia Walters

Dissertations

This program evaluation explored how effective integration of technology resources and systems with teacher training and curriculum development can occur despite teachers limited technology competencies. Theses competencies increase when teachers have desire and opportunities to become better acquainted with utilizing digital tools. Perceived technology integration skills of teachers solely, cannot predict the effective integration of technology in student products to address new learning (Ertmer, 2005). Technology integrated lesson plans, the relationship between teachers' beliefs and their use of various strategies to integrate technology and a model that teachers can use to guide them through the necessary changes they will need …

Music Education And Its Impact On Students With Special Needs, Sarah V. Foley

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

Using music in a setting that includes students with special needs can have an effect on student communication and socialization. A review of the literature indicates that little is known about the effect of music on student's academic performance and behavior. Overall the research indicates that using music in a classroom, particularly with children with special needs has a positive effect on communication and socialization. Additional studies are needed to document the effect of music on student learning.

Review Of The Literature: Impact Of Music On Children With Special Needs

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

Music helps children with special needs improve their socialization skills.

Neighborhood Strategizing: Understanding Community Collaborations Within California Bay Area Public Schools, Windi Hazzard

Master's Projects and Capstones

For the better half of a century, education policy has been guided by economics and profit. One after another, every U.S. president since the 1960s has championed legislation that reflects neoliberal ideals of competition and profitable skills. Through the standardization of the public school system, education has become a marketplace rather than an environment for cultivating empowered learners and critical thinkers. The purpose of this field project is to show how communities are challenging the current education system in order to influence education policy in San Francisco, California. I interviewed four participants from two organizations that advocate parents’ rights as …

Generative Leadership: A Thematic Book Review, Rebecca S. Monroe

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This thematic book review looks at how four texts interweave the topic of generative leadership into a cohesive structure so the reader can bring about change in our educational system. The authors of these texts begin by defining generative leadership and complexity, then move on to discuss mirror neurons and empathy, relationships and the importance of feeling a part of something, and how experience equals learning, which in turns sculpts the brain physically. As you think of the leadership style you want to emulate as you build your own and your staff’s capacity, these resources may easily sum this up …

Beyond Socioeconomic Status: The Impact Of Principal Leadership In Urban And High Poverty Turnaround Schools, Mojisola Adejumo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The quest to transform failing urban and high-poverty schools in America has been a slippery uphill battle since the banner of war was raised against the many schools serving impoverished children. As battle rages, a few are schools leading their students, teachers, parents, and community to victory by turning their once-failing schools into institutions of academic excellence. However, the shouts of victory and strategic planning that led to their success have been overlooked or relegated to mere happenstance. As these successful schools claim unchartered territories of success, a quick glance at the battlefield reveals the reality that the battle is …

For The Greater Good: A Decade Of K-12 Education Philanthropy In New Mexico, Amy Jane Ballard

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

In an increasingly complex landscape of education practitioners, goals and funding models, the need for a comprehensive understanding of the role of private foundations in public school philanthropy is more crucial now than ever. This dissertation examines the evolving role of foundations in supporting education in the United States, as a prelude to an in-depth examination of school-focused education philanthropy in New Mexico. New Mexico’s education reform environment and national education reform themes from 2000-2012 provide a structure to consider three questions: 1) Who have been the major donors to and recipients of school-focused philanthropy in New Mexico?; 2) What …

Exploring Postsecondary Market And Discipline Influences On Faculty Role Performance, Wendiann R. Sethi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Prior research has shown that the type of institution, disciplines, and characteristics of the faculty influence the structure and character of academic work. Zemsky and Shaman (1997) and others have suggested that differentiation among institutions, which has historically been structured along level of degree offerings and size/complexity, is now becoming increasingly structured along the lines of market segments – with many non-selective four-year institutions increasingly resembling two-year “convenience” institutions in terms of their academic organization. The purpose of this study was to test the extent to which academic work is increasingly organized by institutional market segment rather than traditional categories …

Cooperating Teachers' Experiences Mentoring Preservice Teachers, David H. Lewis

Special Education ETDs

Abstract

Recent literature was reviewed to locate articles with perspectives and attitudes of cooperating teachers who work with preservice teachers at school sites in coordination with institutions that have teacher preparation programs in general and/or special education. The results showed an emphasis in reporting the external aspects of being a cooperating teacher such as the daily activities, and little was reported about the internal aspects of being a cooperating teacher such as personal experience and rationale for working a preservice teacher into a classroom. This led to the research question “What do cooperating teachers report as their experiences while mentoring …

Student Teachers, Interns Are Vital For Teacher Recruitment, Student Achievement, David G. Title

Education Faculty Publications

As a former superintendent of schools for Fairfield, Conn., I have personal insight into how valuable it is to have nationally renowned universities as part of our community. Through this proximity, and based on long-established relationships, I saw students from area colleges teaching and interning in our public schools, and even had the opportunity to hire some of them into full-time assignments. The strategic and creative support they provided for the children and teachers in our classrooms and their contributions to the district was invaluable then, and remains so today.

Understanding The Learning & Advocacy Needs Of A Twice-Exceptional Student Through A Strengths-Based Lens: Review Of The Literature, Lisa Krausz

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

Twice-exceptional students possess both high ability and learning disabilities. The complex interaction of their gifts and disabilities perplexes both educators and parents. Educators often use a deficit approach when working with these learners; new research calls for multi-dimensional, strengths-based approaches to engage these students. Strengths-based approaches draw upon student strengths, interests, and talents to help address their disabilities. They also call for the involvement of parents and the student herself in the process of better understanding and meeting the student’s needs. Collaboration is a key component of strength-based approaches. While parents are key advocates for their special needs children, many …

Review Of The Literature: Scientific Argumentative Writing, Gabriela A. Mastro

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

In light of the essential science and engineering practices identified by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), this study focuses on the specific science and engineering practice, "engage in argument from evidence," and how classroom practices can serve to strengthen this skill (National Research Council, 2012, p. 71). The NGSS focus on inquiry necessitates students’ use of argument, particularly in writing, to communicate their knowledge and scientific findings and to develop an understanding of scientific practice. The contents of this literature review will link the practice of scientific inquiry to writing in the science curriculum, and how argumentative writing can …

In Conversation With Seth Pollack, Seth Pollack, Marshall Welch

Engaging Pedagogies in Catholic Higher Education (EPiCHE)

In November 2016, EPiCHE Editor Marshall J. Welch sat down with service-learning scholar and practitioner Seth Pollack. They explored how the spiritual and religious dimensions of Seth’s life have influenced his personal passions and academic career.

Seth Pollack is Professor of Service Learning, and the founding faculty director of the Service Learning Institute at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). For the past 17 years, Seth has provided overall leadership for the Service Learning Institute at CSUMB. In 2005, he received the Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service Learning, recognized as the nation’s outstanding faculty in the field of community …

The Influence Of Administrators On Literacy Instruction Through The Promotion And Selection Of Professional Development, Lucy K. Johnston-Josey

Dissertations

Literacy is a key component to success in school and in life. Literacy has been a focus of education since 1965 when President Jimmy Carter announced a “war on poverty.” Since then, history has shown that educators should place an emphasis on literacy within schools. Because literacy is so important, I set out to explore how administrators influence literacy through the promotion and selection of professional development.

Mississippi was chosen as a basis for the study because it falls below the nation in terms of literacy rates on the National Assessment for Educational Progress assessment. Nineteen participants from four school …

Identity Crisis: Understanding How American Males’ Self-Perception And Experiences Impact Their Educational Attainment, Jo Yarketta Hawkins-Jones

Dissertations

If you google African American males, the top results include the following words and phrases: poverty, incarceration, locked out of employment, struggle in the classroom, and high school incompletion. Likewise, research continues to show that disadvantages in education and in African American communities are responsible for many Black males’ poor academic achievement and social outcomes. However, there is one key element missing from majority of the research on Black males, their perspectives.

This dissertation addresses how the personal and educational experiences of low-income African American males, who dropped out of school, influenced their self-perceptions and decision regarding their educational attainment. …

Factors In Public School Settings That Result In Teacher Agency, Jessica Hadid

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

A quality system for educating a nation’s youth depends upon a teaching force that continually learns, and applies its learning outcomes to active problem solving and development. Many current school and district models minimize teacher ability to engage in meaningful change, ultimately undermining the teachers’ sense of personal and professional agency. Literature suggests that internal forms of motivation are likely to result in the development of agency via self-determination of actions and behaviors. This mixed methods study examined five public schools in a small K-12 district through the lens of self-determination theory. An initial set of quantitative data were collected …

The Role Of Administrative Support In The Retention Of Special Education Teachers, Atinart Koonkongsatian

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Administrative support of special education teachers can be a determining factor towards their success in teacher retention, motivation, and overall well-being. Special education teachers manage paperwork, meetings, and other administrative duties in addition to their teaching responsibilities. The extensive workload often leads these teachers to feel stressed, inadequate, and most importantly, this reduces their desire to continue working in their field. Administrative support of special education teachers can play an important role in promoting retention, increasing motivation, and supporting the overall well-being of a special education teacher. Their caseload of students is extensive, and often these teachers do not receive …

Will You Be My Mentor? Self-Selecting A Mentor During Student Teaching., Linda Ludwig

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of this research study was to investigate student teachers who self-selected mentors during student teachings and the ways they perceived support and professional advice compared to student teachers who did not self-select mentors. The study looked at the nature of the mentoring relationship with student teachers and their self-selected mentor. This mixed-methods research collected data using a five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. Questionnaires were given to students during their 16-week student teaching placement. The common themes to emerge were that a self-selected mentor’s greatest influences included: offering advice, teaching strategies, encouragement and being a role model. The …

Instructional Teacher Job Resources And Student Achievement In Mathematics., Amy Stokes-Levine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that teachers who are supported with job resources are more engaged regardless of the level of demands (Klusmann et al., 2008). Additionally, teachers who are engaged with their work are less likely to report their intention to leave the teaching profession (Klassen et al., 2012), which is particularly important for mathematics teachers who are in high demand (Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, & Carver-Thomas, 2016). Supporting employees with job resources is a commonly accepted practice in many professional fields (e.g., Christian, Garza, & Slaughter, 2011), yet is not a common practice in education (e.g., Bidwell, 2013; Gewertz, 2014; Layton, 2015; Rentner …

The Impact Of Title I Designation On Teacher Morale In Middle Schools, Jennifer Lyons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine the impact on Title I designation on teacher morale of middle school, grades 6 through 8, English and math teachers in school districts in Virginia. The study focused on two research questions using the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire. A Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to determine if there is a difference in the morale of middle school English and math teachers in Title I versus non-Title I designated schools, and a Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted to determine if there is a difference in the morale of middle school English and math …

Factors Contributing To The Problem Of Student Absenteeism In A Rural School, Angela Denean Durborow

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Student attendance would seem to be a vital link in measuring student success in school. If students are not in school, they miss instruction from the teacher. Without instruction it seems incredibly difficult to complete the work needed to pass classes and be successful in school. The research explored the problem of practice of student absenteeism in a rural school. The study was conducted using mixed methods research methodology, specifically a sequential mixed methods research design. The research questions were as follows: (1) What explicit or implicit messages are parents and the school sending about school attendance? (2) What is …

The Role Of Administrative Support In The Retention Of Special Education Teachers, Atinart Koonkongsatian

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Administrative support towards special education teachers can be a determining factor towards their success in regards to teacher retention, motivation, and overall happiness. Special education teachers face large amounts of paperwork, meetings, and other administrative duties that they are expected to complete in addition to the various teaching duties required as well. The amount of work given can lead to feelings of stress, inadequacy, and most importantly, a lack of desire to continue working in the field of special education. The quantity and quality of administrative support towards special education teachers can play an important role in the retention, motivation, …

The Missouri Student Transfer Program, Howard E. Fields Iii

Dissertations

In 1993, the state of Missouri passed the Outstanding Schools Act. This law was created as a means to ensure that “all children will have quality educational opportunities, regardless of where in Missouri they live.” Section 167.131 of this law states that an unaccredited district must pay the tuition and transportation cost for students who attend an accredited school in the same or adjoining district. This portion of the law became known as the Student Transfer Program.

The Riverview Gardens School District (RGSD) was one of three unaccredited school districts in the state of Missouri in 2013. With close to …

Project-Based Learning: A Pathway To Success, Elizabeth A. Trimble

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Elizabeth A. Trimble on April 17, 2017.

So Do Values: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Quality Matters, Paul G. Nagy Iii

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

In the first part of the 21^st century, community colleges in the U.S. have embraced exclusively online coursework as a major part of their curriculum. Yet students at community colleges face a variety of impediments--including socioeconomic and cultural barriers--to their success in online coursework, and research at community colleges has revealed that success in those online courses has varied widely for the diverse student populations of those colleges. Such selective success of students lends itself to inquiry regarding why online learning has become such a prominent educational arrangement at community colleges. A review of the history and policy context …

Effective And Ineffective Clinical Teaching And Instruction In Dental Hygiene School, Vicki Gianopoulos Pizanis

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Introduction

Educators who teach in a clinical setting, primarily in healthcare fields, while having knowledge of the subject, having skills in what is taught, and having experience in the field, often have little-to-no training in teaching. This results in instructional practices being based upon intuition and experience. Becoming aware of how qualities and characteristics of clinical instructors affect adult learners’ educational experience through evidence-based research, and using its implications, would help promote more effective instruction and ultimately improve student learning.

Methodology

A mixed methods study using Grounded Theory and Critical Incidence technique was conducted to study junior student, senior student …