Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Principal Leardership Behaviors Which Teachers At Different Career Stages Perceive As Affecting Job Satisfaction, Valari Hill

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of teachers as to how the leadership of their principal affects their job satisfaction. This study collected the view of teachers at different career stages and examined their perceptions and needs. The participants consisted of 12 elementary school teachers at three different career stages (beginning, middle, and late).

Qualitative analysis of the interview data revealed three major themes and nine subthemes.

The first theme reveals that principal leadership style is not consistent and includes the subthemes: (1.1) principals are not successfully sharing their vision with teachers, (1.2) principals attempt …

Nuestra Voz: A Critical Ethnographic Study Of Latina School Leaders, Angelica Ramsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The population of Latina/o students in public school across the United States is ever-increasing. This fast-growing population suffers from high dropout rates and academic underachievement. This epidemic of underachievement is alarming, as today's Latina/o student will be tomorrow's workforce. There is no time like the present to increase the number of Latina principals in high schools throughout the United States. The purpose of this critical ethnographic study was to understand the experiences of Latina principals in both established and burgeoning Latina/o communities in raising Latina/o achievement. Key findings included: (a) strong ethnic ties and identity, (b) similar stories of ascending …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Impact Of Pre-Service And In-Service Training Regarding The Integration Of Twenty-First Century Technologies Into Selected Teachers' Instruction, Christopher Clark

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand how in-service teachers with three to five years of experience perceive their pre-service and in-service training regarding the integration of twenty-first century technology into their instruction. Twenty participants from a rural public school system in southeast North Carolina participated. This study attempted to describe the following: (1) How do third through fifth year teachers in one public school district in North Carolina feel about their technological awareness and ability to integrate twenty-first century technologies into their instruction? (2) How do third through fifth year teachers in one public school district …

A Collective Case Study Of The Perceptions And Implementation Of Self Advocacy From Four Educators Of Students With Disabilities, Heather Heap

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study identified four educators' perceptions and their implementation of teaching advocacy to students with disabilities within a public secondary educational setting. Federal mandates, such as Public Law 94-142, requested educators including administrators, counselors, special educators, and general educators to help facilitate self advocacy skills in the public educational setting. Using observations, comprehensive interviews, and available documentation, this collective case study identified four educators' experiences (an administrator, a counselor, a special educator, and a general educator) in developing student self advocacy as it pertains to the educators' perceived role in working with students with disabilities. This study identified their …

Differences In Assessments Of Organizational School Climate Between Teachers And Administrators, Brandy Duff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the organizational school climate perceptions of teachers and principals and to ascertain the extent to which their perceptions differed. This causal comparative study used the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools (OCDQ-RE) as the survey instrument for data collection. The OCDQ-RE was administered to 244 teachers and 11 administrators in four north Georgia elementary schools. The mean scores of the teachers and administrators were compared. The results indicated relationship the organizational school climate perceptions of teachers and administrators in only one of the four schools were alike. Administrators in each …

Bridging The Divide: A Case Study Investigating Digitally-Wise Teacher Perceptions Of Middle School Cyberbullying, Tiffany Graves

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of middle school, technologically proficient, or digitally-wise teachers, regarding how they defined, prevented, recognized, and handled incidences of cyberbullying in four middle schools located in Southern Virginia. Data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire, archival data, including school public records and lesson plans, and interviews. Data for this study were triangulated and synthesized following Stake's data analysis procedures to create naturalistic generalizations for the readers. All data was coded and 10 emergent themes developed. Digitally-wise middle school teachers voiced confidence about their ability to define cyberbullying; they shared …

Is The Sat The Root Of All Evil? Reviewing The Evidence On Admission Policies And Diversity In Higher Education, Loris Fagioli

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

It is imperative to achieve diversity in Higher Education. With affirmative action policies under fire, it is becoming difficult to enroll a diverse student body. Many critics see standardized tests, and the SAT in particular, as contributing to the problem. This paper reviews research on such criticism, about suggested alternative approaches, and regarding recommendations on how to improve the current situation. In general, this review finds little evidence against a judicious use of the SAT. Also, alternative approaches such as percent plans or abolishing the SAT have had little success in increasing diversity. However, most specialists agree that a comprehensive …

Exploring Gradient: An Interactive Online Peer-Review And Assessment Tool., Pat Reid, Akesha Horton

Teaching and Learning Technologies Presentations

Gradient is a web-based writing and peer assessment tool developed by the ITaP Informatics Team at Purdue University. It allows students the opportunity to develop critical reading and writing skills using various scholarly resources. Assignments can be designed to focus on discipline-specific domains, interdisciplinary topics, core curricula, or more general subject areas. Students develop critical-reviewing skills, which can be transferred to various contexts. What makes Gradient unique from similar products is its clean interface, the flexibility it offers for designing assignments, the ability to integrate graphics into assignments, and the process for scoring students.

Imagine A Place Where Teaching And Learning Are Inspirational: A Decade Of Collected Wisdom From The Field, P. Maureen Musser, Micki M. Caskey, Linda L. Samek, Younghee M. Kim, William L. Greene, Jan Marie Carpenter, Jay Casbon

Faculty Publications - College of Education

The purpose of this article is to share wisdom collected from the field and offer a view of meaningful learning, explore the tensions that exist in educators’ work, and invite conversation about the future of educational practice. The anecdotes and data come from a series of research studies conducted from 2001 to 2011 by a cadre of middle grades researchers— university faculty from public and private universities across Oregon. Over the past decade, we studied the perspectives of middle grades principals, middle grades teachers, university faculty, and district personnel directors representing distinct communities (urban, suburban, rural), disparate demographics (e.g., low …

The Relationship Between The Amounts Of Time Spent In One School During Early Field Experiences And Student Teacher Performance, James Gregory

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative non-experimental correlational study was designed to investigate the correlation between the amount of time a teacher candidate spent during their early field experiences at one school location and performance ratings on their student teacher evaluation sheet. The rating scale was based on the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Standards. The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a difference in the level of teacher candidates' performance as outlined by the INTASC standards for secondary students in relationship to the number of hours of early field experience spent at one school location. All …

A Faculty-Focused Course Design/Redesign Process, Pat Reid

Teaching and Learning Technologies Presentations

As a part of the IMPACT (Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation) project, faculty attend weekly developmental workshops. As these have become progressively more focused and interactive, we realized that many faculty members have little to no education in sound course design. As a result, we developed a faculty-focused, backward design process that offers a flexible, step-by-step model. The model provides both practical and theoretical background at each step, links to articles, videos, websites, and more for faculty who wish to delve deeper.

Im:Pact: Supporting Faculty Innovation In Course Redesign, Pat Reid

Teaching and Learning Technologies Presentations

M:PACT is a centrally supported program that encourages faculty innovation in the redesign of large-enrollment courses at Purdue University. In two years, IM:PACT has seen the participation of 61 faculty, representing 49 courses and 11 colleges. FLC (faculty learning community) sessions lead faculty through the course redesign process, focusing on creating student-centered learning and leveraging instructional technology. Faculty work closely with design teams composed of staff from the academic technologies division of the central IT organization (ITaP), the Center of Instructional Excellence (CIE), and Libraries. Participants will explore how to begin a similar program at their own institutions.

Letters Of Recommendation: Honesty Remains The Best Policy, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Amid concerns over teacher sexual abuse and other misconduct involving students— although involving a very small percentage of educators—boards should strengthen their policies for evaluating the qualifications of potential teachers, including those with experience, by requesting letters of recommendation after they complete initial state-mandated criminal background checks.

As crucial as letters of recommendation are in the hiring process, litigation demonstrates that some education leaders fail in their duty to safeguard children from sexual predators. Cases arose when officials provided undeserved positive reference letters for teachers who engaged in sexual misconduct with students—teachers who moved on to other school systems where …

Teacher Training: Teacher Education In Transition, Muhammad Ali, Reshma Parveen

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Parts Of The Whole: When Variation Is The Goal, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

The goals of higher education are a population of extreme variability in expertise, a diffusion of specialized knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, and production of strong K-12 teachers. Promoting these three goals has implications at all granularities, from the pedagogy of an individual college professor to the incentives and policies that shape systemic change.

Undocumented Students In Christian Higher Education: Theological And Legal Ramifications For Financing Student Leaders, Nathanael P. Austin, Maddie Deegan, Leah N. Fulton, Keartsten Karrick

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Private institutions in the United States of America are being forced to confront an increasing number of undocumented persons who seek employment, education, healthcare, and personal development. In this case study we considered the options which Christian colleges must weigh when interested in allowing undocumented students to serve in (traditionally) paid leadership roles on campus. Through research, interviews with student development professionals, and conversations with formerly undocumented students, this study provides a unique solution for Christian colleges to consider when faced with the consideration of undocumented students in leadership roles. The scope of our research is focused in three primary …

The Heart Of Higher Education, John Delony, Sheila Delony

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The Implementation Of Professional Learning Communities And The Impact On Student Achievement, Cristi M. Bostic

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation evaluated the implementation of professional learning communities in a large suburban school district in North Carolina. The presence of shared and supportive leadership, shared values and vision, collective learning and application, shared personal practice, supportive conditions for relationships, and supportive conditions for structures are all attributes that were assessed to determine the degree of implementation.

A quantitative and qualitative program evaluation was conducted using the CIPP evaluation model to determine the degree of implementation of professional learning communities and whether or not the implementation has had an impact on student achievement based on state end of course test …

Catalog 2013-2014, Bank Street College Of Education

Graduate School of Education

This course catalog from a past academic year is a resource for referring to previous course offerings, degree requirements, institutional policies, and more.

Growth No. 12 (2013) - Full Issue

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The full issue of the twelfth edition of Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development.

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Values, Sources Of The Values, And Its Influence On Student Personality Development: A Case Study From Pakistan, Sharifullah Baig, Zeenat Shah

Professional Development Centre, Gilgit

This study explores the perceptions and level of awareness of teachers’ personal values and their influence on the valuation processes of their students in the specific social and cultural context of Pakistan. Within the qualitative paradigm, this study employed the deeplystructured, self-reflection process involving six teachers from three different school sites. The research participants highlighted the morality and ethics, role-modeling, affection and empathy, nation-building, and professional competency as their articulated values. Among these values, almost all of the participants regarded morality and ethics as the most prominent of the teachers. Alternatively, the more experienced teachers in this study were more …

Public Acts Of Self-Deliberation: Preparation For Discursive Democracy In Education, Vonzell Agosto

Educational and Psychological Studies Faculty Publications

This conceptual essay forwards self-deliberation as an act to be included in the preparation of educators and administrators. Self-deliberation is defined as a public act of deliberation that can be instigated pedagogically to prepare students for difficult dialogues on enduring issues in education. Self-deliberation provides another pedagogical method for preparing aspiring educators to participate in deliberative or discursive democracy. Narrative vignettes are used to illustrate the acts of self-deliberation performed by aspiring teachers of color as they consider controversial issues such as affirmative action, racial segregation, and culturally relevant education.

Exploring The Role Of The Principal In Elementary Teacher Retention And Migration As Perceived By Elementary Teachers In Rural School Districts Of North-Central Pennsylvania, Diana L. Barnes

Dissertations

Problem. Teacher migration and attrition are costly to educational institutions and negatively impact students' education. Teachers migrate to other positions and/or leave the profession for different reasons. Research of literature indicated that one influence on the teacher's decision to migrate to another position or to leave the profession is lack of principal support. This sequential mixed-methodology study explores elementary teachers' perception of the relationship between principal support and teacher retention and migration in the rural elementary schools of north-central Pennsylvania.

Method. To explore the role of the principal, this sequentially mixed-methodological study used a focus group to identify elementary teachers' …

Fostering A Growth Mind-Set: Integrating Research On Teaching And Learning And The Practice Of Teaching, Beth A. Fisher, Carolyn L. Dufault, Michelle D. Repice, Regina F. Frey

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Centers for teaching and learning have a crucial role to play in helping facuity learn about and apply research on learning. The approach we have developed integrates discussion of recent research with specific recom mendations of teaching modifications that can be adapted for different disciplines and courses. Preliminary evaluation suggests the effectiveness of this approach in fostering a growth mind-set about teaching--a mind-set that helps faculty develop, implement, and assess effective teaching modifications, thereby transforming facuity into scholars of teaching and learning and further developing a collaborative, innovative culture that integrates research on teaching and learning with the practice of …

Navigating The New Normal, Terre H. Allen, Holly Harbinger, Donald J. Para

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Faculty socialization and satisfaction are critical to retaining quality teacher/scholars and key to a well-functioning teaching-intensive, research-driven university (Ponjuan, Conley, and Trower, 2011). This chapter reports on a year-long research project aimed at investigating faculty work life and satisfaction at a large, urban, comprehensive state university. Our goal was to use empirical evidence to understand and support faculty work under the "new normal" conditions characterized by reduced state funding and increased faculty workload. We discuss the results in terms of a revitalized direction for facuity and explore directions for organizational development within the context of the new normal.

Envisioning Creative Collaboration Between Faculty And Technologists, Gail A. Rathbun, Sally Kuhlenschmidt, David Sacks

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Faculty developers must often mediate conflicts resulting from differences between seemingly mutually exclusive cultures that university technolo gists and university teachers inhabit. Activity theory embraces workplace conflict as normal and as contributing to organizing health and adapta tion, in contrast to a functionalist approach that focuses on how to maintain system equilibrium. Engestrom’s (1987) interpretation of activity theory provides a theoretically informed framework for under standing different forms of human activity, mediated by culturally mol ded rules, values, and division of labor, without suffering from the polarizing effects of an us-versus-them approach.

Keeping The Fire Burning: Strategies To Support Senior Faculty, Michael J. Zeig, Roger G. Baldwin

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Recent reports indicate that at some colleges and universities, as many as one in three professors are age sixty or older. This increase in senior faculty raises the question of what institutions do to support this large and important cohort. Historically, faculty development programs have focused on early-career faculty, with less attention paid to more seasoned professors. Based on a national web-based investigation, this chapter reviews the strategies some institutions have implemented to support senior faculty. It also provides recommendations for how senior faculty and their administrator colleagues can provide new meaning and purpose to this phase of academic life.

Connect To Learning: Using E-Portfolios In Hybrid Professional Development, Bret Eynon, Judit Török, Laura M. Gambino

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Based at LaGuardia Community College, the Connect to Learning (C2L) project has developed an innovative hybrid professional development model using e-portfolios, online conversations, and face-to-(ace meetings to support campus leadership teams as they strengthen e-portfolio initiatives on twenty-five diverse campuses nationwide. The C2L model adapts a conceptual framework of inquiry, reflection, and integration to a hybrid context and addresses the challenge of local professional devel opment leadership for classroom and institutional change.

Developing A Faculty Learning Community Grounded In The Science Of How People Learn: A Year-Long, Faculty-Led Teaching And Learning Seminar, Alison Rudnitsky, Glenn W. Ellis, Patricia Marten Dibartolo, Kevin M. Shea

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter describes a multiyear professional development effort undertaken by a learning and teaching center at a liberal arts college. As part of its founding mandate, the center helps faculty improve teaching by paying attention to the current literature about how people learn. This core commitment of our center is pursued through support of a year-long faculty seminar. Now in its fourth year, the seminar has had a significant impact on its faculty participants and their thinking about teaching and learning. Moreover, the seminar has seeded a number of teaching and assessment initiatives at the college.

Faculty Development Scholarship: An Analysis Of To Improve The Academy, 1982-2011, Kathryn E. Linder, Suzanna Klaf

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

As To Improve the Academy enters its thirty-second year, this chapter offers a retrospective to honor the history of the field through a timely analysis of the content published in TIA and editorial and authorship trends over the previous three decades. Frequency distributions identify the most published authors, their institutional affiliations, the most written about topics, and patterns of collaborative authorship in volumes 1 (1982) through 30 (2011), and findings from a citation analysis of ten years of TIA (volumes 21-30), highlight trends in resources cited and types of resources.