Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Teacher Use And Perceptions Of Writing Practices In West Virginia: Policy And Leadership Implications, Margaret Luma

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

National standardized test scores indicate West Virginia students perform below the national average in writing achievement, yet little research has been conducted to investigate how writing is being taught. Gaining understanding of the instructional strategies West Virginia teachers use to teach writing may provide insight for educational leaders about how to better support and prepare teachers for the complex task of teaching writing. Identifying challenges and barriers to implementing evidence-based practices may provide areas of focus for school and policy improvements as they relate to writing expectations. This study investigated the practices and perceptions of fourth-grade teachers in West Virginia …

Impact Of Educator Preparation Routes And Teacher Characteristics On Student Academic Achievement, Robert Hagerman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated the effect of traditional and alternative teacher preparation, years of service, and type of licensure held and teacher quality on English language arts and mathematics summative assessment scaled scores and performance levels among West Virginia students in grades 5 and 11. Specifically, this research analyzed the existing assessment data in West Virginia’s 55 counties, regarding teacher preparation routes, teacher experience, teacher licensure, and the teacher’s Highly Qualified (HQ) designation to determine the effect on student achievement. The study was designed with the aforementioned variables and applied a standardized summative content assessment outcome to the two grade levels …

Effects Of Teacher Prompting Techniques On The Writing Performance Of Fourth And Fifth Graders, Mindy S. Allenger

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study was a quantitative research investigation to determine the effects of teacher prompting techniques on the writing performance of 137 fourth and fifth graders from two parochial schools in West Virginia. Over a two-week period from March, 2014, to April, 2014, researchers collected writing samples with three typologies of prompting; no prompting, general prompting, and content specific prompting. The major outcome variables included were the numbers of words, number of sentences, and average sentence length, and writing ease and complexity level using the Flesch Kincaid Readability and The Flesch Reading Ease. Data analysis was accomplished by applying several types …

The Relationship Between Teacher Planning Time And Eighth Grade Reading Achievement In West Virginia Schools, Anne Marie Monterosso

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Widespread educational research supports the implementation of collaborative teacher planning time or Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as a means to increase student achievement. However, corresponding gains in student achievement are not always evident in schools where PLCs are implemented. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student achievement and the amounts and types of teacher planning. The population for this study consisted of 174 West Virginia public schools housing 8th grade students. Individual and collaborative planning time were analyzed in comparison to reading achievement. Demographic information and principals’ perspectives on the effectiveness of teacher collaborative teams …

A Study Of Kindergarten Teachers' Ability To Teach The Kindergarten Informational Text Common Core Standards In Fifteen West Virginia School Districts, Shelly Ann Ratliff

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study sought to determine kindergarten teachers’ perceived knowledge of the informational text Common Core State Standards within the population of 185 kindergarten teachers in 15 West Virginia counties.

A four part researcher-developed survey was mailed to each participant. Subjects were also given the option of participating in a follow-up telephone interview and interviewees were asked a series of questions based on a researcher-developed interview protocol. Subjects that participated in the interviews were asked if they were willing to be observed by the researcher for 30 minutes during reading instruction and an observation checklist was used to guide the time …

Methodological Orientation Of Research Articles Appearing In Higher Education Journals, Sherri E. Ritter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to understand the methodologies authors in higher education journals used to obtain knowledge in their fields. This study looked at five peer-reviewed journals of higher education and analyzed the methods of research employed by the authors to help them answer their respective research questions. The methods of research are qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods. Additionally, this study examined the effects of author, gender, and academic rank on the selection of research methods.

Methodological Orientations Of Articles Appearing In Allied Health's Top Journals: Who Publishes What And Where, Pamela Lea Mccloud Alderman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined articles published in the major peer-reviewed journals, either hard copy, web, or both formats, in five allied health professions from January 2006 to December 2010. Research journals used in this study includes Journal of Dental Hygiene, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Physical Therapy Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association, and Radiologic Technology. These journals were chosen after reviewing the professional organizations’ of each discipline, as well as the professional honor societies, and the recommendations by the discipline-specific national accreditation agencies found on the organizations’ websites. All research articles published in these …

Grade Retention As Perceived By Kindergarten Through Third Grade Teachers, Brittany Leigh Pettay

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the attitudes of kindergarten through third grade teachers regarding academic, emotional and social effects of grade retention, in addition to alternative interventions to retention. The teachers were asked to take part in a survey on grade retention as an intervention. After completing the initial survey, teachers were then asked to read an article entitled, "Grade Retention and Promotion" (Jimerson, Graydon, Pletcher, Schnurr, Kundert, & Nickerson, 2006) and then take a post-survey.

The results of this study reveal that the teachers' attitudes about grade retention were significantly changed when they were presented with a research-based article entitled "Grade …

The Effect Of Virtual Clinical Gaming Simulations On Student Learning Outcomes In Medical-Surgical Nursing Education Courses, Robin A. Lewis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine what the effects of virtual clinical simulation instruction were on the learning outcomes of students in higher education medical-surgical nursing education courses. This study fills a gap in the literature by adding data to the body of knowledge related to the use of this strategy for practical application in the classroom. This study used a causal comparative design. Data were acquired from the ATI Content Mastery Series (CMS) 2.1 Medical Surgical Examination ™ information for the fall 2006 through fall 2008 academic semesters. Additionally, data were collected using a pre- and post-course …

Analysis Of Factors Influencing West Virginia Secondary Biology And Science Teacher Attrition Rates, Seth Perry

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The high rate of attrition for beginning teachers has been blamed on many factors. Nationally these include low pay, urban versus rural school settings, age, with younger teachers leaving sooner, and other variables making a complex problem with no clear component responsible for the loss of teachers. This study examined the self reported variables that contribute to high school teachers in West Virginia leaving their profession. An electronic survey instrument was distributed to current secondary teachers across the state. Teachers were asked to respond to questions related to professional satisfaction, perceived value from students and parents, administrative support, content versus …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Knowledge And Implementation Of 21st Century Instructional Practices Among Elementary School Teachers Whose Administrators Participated In The 2006-2007 21st Century Leadership Institute, Elisabeth Michelle Samples

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to describe levels of knowledge and implementation of 21st century instructional practices among elementary school teachers whose administrators participated in the 2006 – 2007 21st Century Leadership Institute. A researcher-developed survey was used to collect data from 242 elementary teachers from 22 West Virginia schools. Teachers reported high or moderate knowledge and indicated they were implementing a majority of the 21st century instructional practices on a daily or weekly basis. Teacher knowledge of practices was significantly different based on school SES. Teacher implementation levels were not significantly different based on the variables investigated. The …

The Principalship: A Study Of The Principal's Time On Task From 1960 To The Twenty-First Century, Jacqueline A. Mcpeake

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine legislative and societal developments in the United States in relation to changes in educational administration and determine the existence of bifurcation points of change. The effects of legislative and societal changes on the tasks on which administrators focus their time were evaluated. The administrators were surveyed to determine if changes in time on task have occurred to meet the demands of current legislative priorities and if any demographic relationships existed. The study’s population consisted of 1950 (N=1950) administrators in public elementary, middle and high schools in the Southern Regional Educational Board 16 …

Best Practices Of National Board Certified Teachers And Non-Board Certified Teachers In Grades One And Two, Sue Ellen Hollandsworth

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The education of children in America has been the cause of much debate and conflict. At the center of this debate is the need for quality teachers. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was formed to advance the quality of teaching and learning by recognizing accomplished teaching. Teachers with this certification fit West Virginia’s definition of a highly qualified teacher under No Child Left Behind. If the National Board Certification (NBC) itself is reason for the highly qualified designation then the classroom practices of those teachers should differ from those who have not gone through the certification process. …

Faculty And Program Predictors Of Pass Rates Of Graduates Of Nursing Programs In West Virginia On The National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses 1991 To 2000, Lynda F. Skinner Turner

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mean student program scores on standardized pre-graduation nursing tests, program attendance policies, grading scales, policies on repeating nursing courses, faculty turnover, degree, teaching experience, clinical nursing experience, part-time faculty, national certification, and NCLEX-RN success in West Virginia nursing programs from 1991-2000. A causal comparative and correlational design was used to investigate the relationship between the dependent variable of NCLEX-RN pass rates and the independent variables. The population of this study consisted of 19 undergraduate nursing programs preparing graduates for entry into practice as registered nurses. Data collection tools utilized …

The Effect Of Space And Furnishings On Academic Readiness Scores Of West Virginia Preschoolers, J. Elise Coccari

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The effect of space and furnishings, as measured by the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R), on the School Readiness Composite (SRC) of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale –Revised (BBCS-R) was investigated. The data analyzed was collected as part of the West Virginia Educare Initiative and included the SRC from 65 preschool students, ranging in age from 2 years, 6 months to 5 years, 0 months. The first subtest score on the ECERS-R, space and furnishings, was also calculated for each child’s classroom. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient between the SRC on the BBCS-R and the space and …

The Relationship Between Receptive Language Skills And School Readiness, Patricia Slack Hines

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between language and academic readiness. The current study included 56 preschool children. Specifically, 9 two year olds participated, 18 three year olds participated, 21 four year olds, and 8 five year olds participated. Twenty- three were female and twenty-three were male. Each child was administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT III), followed by both the School Readiness Composite (SRC) of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale – Revised or BBCS-R. A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the relationship between the standard scores of the PPVT III, and the …