Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

September 13, 2013 - Alec Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Meeting Minutes

ALEC Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Four Year Experience: Career Search Self-Efficacy Of New Graduates, Heather Maietta

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Abstract

The author examines the relationship between the degree of participation in a mandatory, credit-bearing, four-year career development program and career search self-efficacy of college graduates using the Career Search Efficacy Scale (CSES). Solberg, Good, & Nord (1994) define career search self-efficacy as an individuals’ efficacy expectations regarding their ability to perform important activities associated with career search and selection. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations, and regression analyses were performed. Results indicated there was a relationship between participation in a career development program and career search self-efficacy. Discussion of findings and recommendations for future research are provided.

Reflective Teaching Practices: Looking Beneath The Surface And Emergent Cyclical Experiential Learning Processes And Outcomes, Mazie E. Black

MA TESOL Collection

In this professional paper, I examined the kinds of processes I experienced for English language acquisition (ELA) in practice. This journey is about my transition from a generalist to a TESOL specialist. One of my most successful lessons was not in English, but a science lesson to students who were majority users of English as a second or third language. It was about the use of reflective and refractive telescopes. My approaches were very student centered and project based. They worked in groups, chose which type of telescope to make, kept journals with notes, drawings and key vocabulary, made inferences, …

Can The Differentiated Math Classroom Be A Reality?, Carl Jeff Morris

Mathematics Graduate Theses

Imagine a math classroom that looked more like a Google workplace where collaboration, teamwork, and innovation are the centerpieces. Instead of just students sitting in rows passively learning about the nature of mathematics, picture a classroom of students in small circle discussing mathematics. This could range from groups working together on a problem solving strategy for a newly learned concept, students helping students using technology as an aid, another small group receiving intervention from the teacher, or individual students making or viewing instructional math videos. All of this according to research focused on classroom differentiation; specifically in middle school and …

Averting Uncertainty: A Practical Guide To Physical Activity Research In Australian Schools, Jerome N. Rachele, Thomas F. Cuddihy, Tracy L. Washington, Steven M. Mcphail

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Preventative health has become central to contemporary health care, identifying youth physical activity as a key factor in determining health and functioning. Schools offer a unique research setting due to distinctive methodological circumstances. However, school-based researchers face several obstacles in their endeavour to complete successful research investigations; often confronted with complex research designs and methodological procedures that are not easily amenable to school contexts. The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical guide for teachers (both teacher educators and teaching practitioners) seeking to conduct physical activity-based research in Australian school settings, as well as discuss research practices. The …

What Is The Profile Of The Ideal Christian Coach, Alan Coker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The question this writer would like to explore is: What is the profile of the ideal Christian Coach? Recently I sat down with Jonathan Reitz, CEO of CoachNet, one of the largest Christian coaching networking agencies in the world. Jonathan's question to me was can we come up with a profile of the ideal coach? The goal is to answer the question by using materials from evaluations and assessments provided by CoachNet. These have been agreed upon to be readily available for the purpose of this project. The research and statistical analysis provided should present a profile from a random …

Effects Of Single-Gender Education On The Reading Achievement Of Third Through Fifth Grade Boys, Michael Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is said repeatedly, boys can't read. However, the statement should be boys can read they just don't. Understanding there is a need for action is the first step educators must take in helping boys emerge as confident and successful readers. Single-gender classrooms can be successful tools when seeking new ways in which to engage boys in reading. This is a step towards creating atmospheres where boys are encouraged to read and where reading is tailored to their interests. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to examine the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) reading achievement scores of third …

Advance Organizers In Secondary Special Education Resource Classrooms: Effects On Student Engagement Behaviors, Lisa King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student engagement and appropriate behaviors are essential for effective instruction in secondary special education classrooms. Research suggests that proactive engagement strategies and interventions can have a greater effect on overall classroom behaviors than negative consequences. A single case experiment measured the effects of expository advance organizers on academically engaged behavior, respectful behavior, and disruptive behavior in the special education self-contained resource classroom. The single-case A-B-A-B design for this study evaluates these components of student engagement during academic instruction over a four-week period. Three secondary special education small-group resource Language Arts classes from a Northeast Georgia high school comprised the subject …

A Phenomenological Investigation Into The Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Teachers Who Have Persisted In The Teaching Profession, Shana Market Norton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of 12 secondary school teachers from public secondary schools in northern Georgia regarding their feelings about self-efficacy and why they have persisted in the teaching profession. The research questions centered around their perceptions on how self-efficacy influences the academic achievement of their students, on what personality characteristics they feel teachers add to their positive or negative self-esteem in teaching, and on what factors they identify as influencing their professional self-efficacy in teaching. Teacher self-efficacy, the belief in oneself to succeed at completing a task, is a key factor in retaining teachers. Four data …

The Academic Impacts Of Attending A Kipp Charter School In Arkansas, Caleb P. Rose

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

KIPP Delta College Preparatory School (KIPP: DCPS), an open-enrollment charter school, opened in 2002 in Helena, Arkansas. Since its opening, KIPP: DCPS students have consistently outperformed their peers in the Helena/West Helena School district, and moreover, recent test scores suggest that white students and minority students are achieving at the same rate, essentially eliminating the achievement gap that persists between whites and minorities elsewhere in the state. In fact, KIPP's achievement record was so influential that when Arkansas lawmakers instituted a cap on the number of open-enrollment charter schools in the state, they made an exception for KIPP, essentially allowing …

Assessing Preservice Teachers’ Presentation Capabilities: Contrasting The Modes Of Communication With The Constructed Impression, Matt G. Bower, Robyn A. Moloney, Michael S. Cavanagh, Naomi Sweller

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A research-based understanding of how to develop and assess classroom presentation skills is vital for the effective development of pre-service teacher communication capabilities. This paper identifies and compares two different models of assessing pre-service teachers’ presentation performance – one based on the Modes of Communication (voice, body language, words, and alignment between those elements) and another based on features of the Constructed Impression of the communication acts (confidence, clarity, engagement and appropriateness). The Modes of Communication and the Constructed Impression of 164 pre-service teacher presentations were rated. The Constructed Impression model provided a better fit to data, while averaging of …

Validity Of Subjective Self-Assessment Of Digital Competence Among Undergraduate Preservice Teachers, Joseph Andrew Maderick

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Technology is now integrated into the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) required to be a highly qualified 21st century teacher. Accurate measurement of digital competence has become critical. Self-assessment has been used widely to measure the digital competence of preservice teachers who are expected to integrate technology into their teaching. There is little in the literature indicating that there has been validation of self-assessment as a measure of that competence. While recent research studies have tested the validity of self-assessment verses objective testing among business and accounting students, there have been no studies of self-assessment validity conducted on digital competence …

E/Merging Across Africa: Five Papers On The Use Of Educational Technology In African Higher Education, Tony Carr

The African Journal of Information Systems

This guest editorial comments on the rapidly changing environment for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in African Higher Education Institutions (HEI), introduces the e/merge online conferences and gives a brief introduction to the papers in the special issue.

Accommodating Accommodations: How A Small Liberal Arts College Certification Program Redefines The New Ell State Mandates, Brent C. Talbot, Kaoru Miyazawa

Sunderman Conservatory of Music Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ethical Implementation Of An Automated Essay Scoring (Aes) System: A Case Study Of Student And Instructor Use, Satisfaction, And Perceptions Of Aes In A Business Law Course, John K. Lewis

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

A pilot study of a vendor provided automated essay scoring system was conducted in a Business Law class of 27 students. Students answered a business law fact pattern question which was reviewed and graded by the textbook vendor utilizing artificial intelligence software. Students were surveyed on their use, satisfaction, perceptions and technical issues utilizing the Write Experience automated essay scoring (AES) software. The instructor also chronicles the adoption, set up and use of an AES. Also detailed are the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing such software in an undergraduate course environment where some students may not be technologically adept or …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Intervention Mathematics Class For Low Achieving Middle School Students In Northwest Georgia, Johnnie Coats

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

High-stakes testing has become crucial in public education, requiring students to meet increasingly higher standards, regardless of their ability levels. This causal-comparative study sought to determine the effectiveness of an intervention mathematics course in the middle school setting for at-risk, sixth grade students. The Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) math scores of 143 at-risk students enrolled in a remediation mathematics course were compared to scores from a control population of 143 at-risk students who did not participate in the class. Math scores from the 2008 administration of the CRCT test were used as covariates, and comparisons were made using …

The Effects Of Collaborative Strategic Reading On Informational Text Comprehension And Metacognitive Awareness Of Fifth Grade Students, Margaret Mccown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) on informational text comprehension and metacognitive awareness of fifth grade students. This study tested the theories of metacognition and social cognition with a focus on self-regulation and self-efficacy. Participating students included a heterogeneous mix of regular education students, students with disabilities, and English learners (ELs). Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design, this study examined the effects of CSR on informational text comprehension using the Qualitative Reading Inventory-5 (QRI-5) and Georgia's Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Metacognitive awareness was measured using the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI). Data …

A Comparison Of Course Delivery Formats On Student Success Of Developmental English Students At California Community Colleges, Camilla Bantum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the influence of campus-based and online-based community college developmental English courses on two student success factors: course persistence and course success. Retrospective data on all first year California community college students enrolled in developmental English courses between 2008 and 2011 were analyzed for differences between students. Descriptive statistics were used to compare differences in individual student characteristics of age, gender, and race, and the situational variables of enrollment status and eligibility for tuition fee waiver. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to examine the difference in likelihood of course success and course persistence of developmental English students in …

The Impact Of Selected Initiatives On The Reading Criterion Referenced Competency Test Scores Of African-American And Disadvantaged Students In Grades 3, 5, And 8, Eric Fuller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to examine the impact of selected research-based whole-school reading reform programs, Success for All (SFA), Core Knowledge, and Direct Instruction (DI) on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) reading scores of African-American students and students from disadvantaged subgroups in Grades 3, 5, and 8 in a large urban school system. The target sample consisted of 61 elementary schools and 16 middle schools. Student data consisted of 3,533 data points for African-American students and 7,550 data points for disadvantaged students attending reform and non reform schools respectively. A causal-comparative research design was the methodology …

Going The Distance: A Study Of Student Success Rates In An Online Platform, Della F. Pack

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 Della F. Pack on June 6, 2013.

Survey: Teacher Education In Private Sector, Nelofer Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Cultural Exposure For Cal Poly Orientation Programs: Training Orientation Leaders To Promote An Inclusive Environment And Creating Respect And Diversity Programming For Incoming Students, Sofia Rodriguez Mata

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo is home to the largest student run orientation program in the nation. The success of the program is due to a combination of student volunteer involvement, comprehensive topic coverage, campus and community involvement, and dedicated leadership. Topics to ensure student success are carefully researched, conceptualized, and implemented to construct programming for Soar and Week of Welcome. As an Executive Board Member, supervising a committee focused on student and student supporter transition and awareness topics, one has the option to specialize on projects. Improvement of respect and diversity training and programming needed to …

I See, I Think I Wonder: An Evaluation Of Journaling As A Critical Reflective Practice Tool For Aiding Teachers In Challenging Or Confronting Contexts, Geoffrey M. Lowe, Peter Prout, Karen Murcia

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In October 2011, five selected Western Australian teachers took part in a teacher mentoring project in Tanzania. The teachers spent a month embedded in local primary and secondary schools, working collaboratively with their Tanzanian counterparts. As a strategy for making sense of their experiences, each teacher was asked to maintain a reflective journal, using the Harvard Visible Thinking Routine of ‘see, think, wonder’ as a critical structure for guiding their journal writing. The purpose of this article is to discuss the effectiveness of journaling for teachers in challenging teaching situations, and the usefulness of the Harvard approach in structuring the …

Bringing Online Peer Review Into Blended Teaching, Susan White

Blended Learning in the Liberal Arts Conference

Motivated by my experience as a student in a MOOC, I have incorporated online peer review of writing assignments into my advanced undergraduate biochemistry courses. Each student submits her review of a course reading or report online, then evaluates work submitted by two or three of her classmates based on a rubric I provide. As peer reviewers, students anonymously assign low-stakes grades and receive credit for their reviews, but they also get an opportunity to write for each other and read their classmate's responses to course topics. Moodle’s Workshop activity was used to manage the submission and review process. I …

Using Blended Learning To Take Advantage Of Learning Science Research, Jennifer Spohrer

Blended Learning in the Liberal Arts Conference

Why does blended learning work? Some observers have suggested that students simply spend more time with the material in a blended course, but evidence from studies of blended courses is mixed. Learning science research suggests that how learners study also matters, and a blended learning approaches incorporate many tactics shown to be effective, such as formative assessment, repetition at intervals, and metacognitive prompting.

Keynote: Nglc Blended Learning Study Report And Where Do We Go From Here?, Kimberly Cassidy, Jennifer Spohrer

Blended Learning in the Liberal Arts Conference

Drs. Cassidy and Spohrer will give an update on the Next Generation Learning Challenges Wave I grant-funded study of blended learning, including an overview of preliminary findings from courses taught at our partner colleges over the 2012-2013 academic year. We will also present and discuss possible next steps for 2013-2014.

Perceptions Of Tennessee School Principals About The Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (Team), Carmen Belcher Bryant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the perceptions of Tennessee principals about the implementation of the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM) and the impact of TEAM on teachers’ instructional practice and professional growth. Participants in this study were PK-12 public school principals from 12 districts in the First Region of Tennessee who were implementing TEAM in the 2011-2012 school year. Specifically this research was guided by 8 research questions on principal’s perceptions about TEAM providing appropriate and effective professional growth for teachers and the principal’s perception about their ability to adequately perform the requirements of TEAM. The …

Common Misconceptions And Instructional Best Practices For Teaching Fractions To Students In Grades Three, Four, And Five, Dan Fairchild

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This research paper will identify common misconceptions related to the teaching and learning fractions for students in grades three, four, and five. Different fraction subconstructs will be identified and instructional best practices will be identified for the teaching and learning of comparing fractions, ordering fractions, adding fractions, and subtracting fractions.

Lesson Study At The Bank Street School For Children, Ryan Harrity

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Lesson study, the primary form of professional development in Japan, is receiving increased attention in the U. S. Its efficacy in Japan is well documented, and it has been successfully implemented in the U. S. Other educator-scholars have adequately argued for its use in American schools. What is needed, however, is more documented evidence of its implementation and outcomes, as well as school-specific frameworks for conducting lesson study in various schools, especially independent schools. There has been extensive documentation of lesson study in public schools across the U. S., but none, as we know, in independent schools. This paper establishes …

Language Arts Achievement Of Fourth Grade Students With Regard To Gender, Ethnicity, And Socioeconomic Status, Paula C. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to see if a difference exists in the language arts proficiency levels of 2,080 fourth grade students with regard to gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status from 2010 through 2012 on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program. Specifically, this study considered the possibility that a difference existed in language arts proficiency levels between males and females.

A quantitative study was used to find differences in the language arts proficiency levels from 2010 through 2012 for males and females in the fourth grade in an upper East Tennessee urban school system. A quasi-experimental design was selected because preexisting data …