The Relationship Between Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities And Shared And Supportive Leadership, Alicia Hunter

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study is an exploration of leadership practices that develop and sustain a professional learning community (PLC). It explores teacher perceptions of these leadership practices. Findings include descriptions of teacher perceptions of leadership practices as they relate to shared and supportive leadership, shared values and vision, collective learning, supportive conditions, and shared personal practice. This study utilized the five Madison County (KY) middle schools to assess the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of shared and supportive leadership practices and the other indicators of an effective Professional Learning Community. The characteristics evaluated included teachers’ perceptions of professional learning through PLCs along with …

Moments Of Reflection: A Phenomenological Study Of Preservice Teacher Reflection, Jane Ferris

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Transitioning from their training programs to their own classrooms, new teachers may feel a disconnect between what they learned and what they experience. To help with this transition and to promote teachers’ abilities to respond to the varying and unique needs of their students and schools, teacher training programs, beginning in the 1980s, have incorporated the use of reflective practice. Reflection provides teachers an opportunity to engage with their experiences in such a way that prereflective understandings, assumptions, biases, and beliefs may be identified. Reviewed literature suggests that teacher training programs do not clearly define and implement reflection instruction into …

I Don’T Really Work Here: Part-Time Faculty And The Adjunctification Of Higher Ed., Maggie Cawley

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This critical action research thesis will explore the 40-year rise of adjunctification, the term coined to describe the increased reliance on adjunct and contingent labor in institutions of higher education. This thesis will examine adjunctification’s detrimental effects on teaching in higher education as a profession, on adjuncts and contingent teachers, and on students. Institutional overreliance on adjunct faculty as cheap, ad hoc labor flies in the face of the role that education should play in society: to develop student potentiality and capacity for critical thought. I believe that the casualization of teaching and the subsequent rise of adjunctification preclude these …

Daring Greatly: School-University Partnerships And The Development Of Teacher Leadership, René Roselle, Robin E. Hands, June Cahill

Education Faculty Publications

This survey-based self-study explored how teachers’ commitments to a formalized lead teacher role in relationship with a university partnership impacted their perceptions of themselves as educational leaders and as agents of change; and how these perceptions impacted P-12 student learning. The study showcases the importance of creating an infrastructure that includes a lead teacher component when establishing professional development school (PDS)-university partnerships and demonstrates the value and impact that teacher leaders bring to partnership work. Through this study, the authors hope to further professionalize and exonerate the role of lead teacher in order to encourage others to “dare greatly” by …

Understanding Educators’ Experiences During Long-Term School Closures, Jessica Pryor, Jessica Pryor

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

In the spring of 2020, many public places closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most public schools in the United States suddenly closed buildings as educators and students scrambled to adapt to distance education. This phenomenological, qualitative study holistically explores elementary educators’ experiences during the extended school closures. The 18current elementary educators who participated in individual interviews, served rural, elementary students. Individual interviews allowed participants to discuss and explain their experiences concerning methods, materials, time commitments, and communication with colleagues, parents, and students. They also discussed how they used feedback to alter their teaching. The interviews were conducted during …

Cocreate: Collaborative Curriculum Reimagining And Enhancement Aiming To Transform Education, Barry J. Ryan, Adrienne Fleming, Catherine M. Deegan, Claire Mcavinia, Colm O'Kane, David Williams, Edmund Nevin, Eric Bates, Fionnuala Darby, Jen Harvey, Lesley Murphy, Maebh Coleman, Miriam O'Donoghue, Nicola Duffy

Teaching Fellowship Reports

The establishment of TU Dublin in January 2019 provided a unique opportunity to create a bespoke curriculum framework for students, staff and stakeholders of TU Dublin, produced by the students, staff and stakeholders of TU Dublin. A curriculum framework is a set of guiding values that inform the design of teaching and learning activities within TU Dublin. A Teaching Fellowship Team, comprising eighteen teaching academics from across the three TU Dublin campuses and supported extensively by the Learning Teaching and Technology Centre (LTTC), was formed to collaboratively craft, in partnership with all stakeholders, a curriculum framework for TU Dublin. Working …

Precarity In Feminism And Feminist Art Education: Decentering Whiteness Through Reproductive Justice Activism, Michelle Bae-Dimitriadis, Olga Ivashkevich

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

The article addresses precarity in mainstream feminism and feminist art education as a systemic dismissal and exclusion of the critical concerns and voices by disenfranchised women of color from its narratives and agendas. It draws on a case of the reproductive justice feminist activism to illustrate how the mainstream pro-choice feminist movement neglected the urgent and often life threatening reproductive concerns by Black, Brown, Indigenous and immigrant women, which led to an establishment of the reproductive justice coalitions by activists of color. The reproductive justice movement is an important call to action to challenge and decenter Whiteness in mainstream feminism …

Professional Growth: How Do Cooperating Teachers Grow Through The Experience Of Having A Student Teacher?, Ashton D. Coppley

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Cooperating teachers and student teachers share a unique internship that allows the development of skills for both individuals. The literature states that cooperating teachers can grow from student teachers; however, there are a few sources that state the areas in which this growth occurs. The purpose of this study was to determine if growth or impact happened in the areas of instructional practices, coaching skills, and self-efficacy during the student teaching process. This mixed methods study included a survey, focus group interview, and single interviews to determine whether any change was made. The survey created descriptive statistics, a Pearson correlation …

Growth No. 19 (2020) - Full Issue

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

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

The Campus Rape Frenzy: The Attack On Due Process At America's Universities, Britney N. Graber

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

No abstract provided.

Teaching About Race And Racism In The College Classroom: Notes From A White Professor, Jeffrey Tabone

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

No abstract provided.

In Praise Of Consent: Why Talking About Sex On Christian Campuses Matters Differently Than We Think; A Review Essay, Kristen L. Guidero

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

For many contemporary evangelical Christians, the concept of consent tends to evoke marked squeamishness. Popular essays have construed consent as a mark of a dangerous, God-forsaking world or of a modernity that can only form shallowly contractual, liability-avoiding relationships (Franks, 2017; Harrison Warren, 2017). But revelations of abuse and assault by high-profile perpetrators in contexts as varied as sports, entertainment, education, and, yes, churches, should prompt renewed deliberation. This review essay engages with Donna Freitas’s work on consent to argue that Christians in higher education ought to heed her wisdom and adapt such conversations. The essay traces Freitas’s research-driven definitions …

Functional Assessment Of Behavioral And Social Supports, Beth S. Rous

Educational Leadership Studies Faculty Publications

The Functional Assessment of Behavioral and Social Supports is a practice-oriented assessment tool designed to help early childhood teams identify children’s behavioral, social, communication, classroom, work, and self-management skills and the supports needed for successful participation in early childhood settings. The assessment allows teams to document whether skills are present, emerging, inconsistent, or not present; identify adult or classroom supports; describe patterns of support; and summarize priority skills for intervention. The tool is intended for use by teachers, families, and assessment team members as part of early childhood transition, intervention planning, and classroom support processes.

Instructional Strategies Manual, 4th Edition: For The Helpful Entry Level Skills Checklist, 4th Edition, Beth S. Rous

Educational Leadership Studies Faculty Publications

The Instructional Strategies Manual, 4th Edition is a companion resource for the Helpful Entry Level Skills Checklist. The manual provides teachers, families, and early childhood teams with strategies, activities, and adaptations to support young children’s development of social, behavioral, communication, classroom, work, and self-management skills during the transition from preschool to school-age programs. The manual is organized around five major skill areas: classroom rules, work skills, communication skills, social behavior skills, and self-management skills. It includes strategies that can be embedded into daily classroom routines, family activities, and individualized supports, with adaptations for children with hearing, vision, cognitive, physical, speech/language, …

In The Business Of Learning: Faithful Consumerism, Jessica Martin

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

The landscape of higher education is rapidly evolving. The amenities arms race is in full swing as institutions vie for student attention, choice, and dollars. The very competition that wins institutions their best and brightest, and affords institutional survival, bolsters a consumer mindset amongst students that undermines the learner-centered values institutions exist to espouse. Current cultural and societal norms, along with the actions of institutions themselves—treating students as customers—have unsurprisingly left students and higher education professionals facing a new challenge: determining how to helpfully engage consumer-minded students to help them become better learners. This paper explores one approach—utilizing the language …

The Relationship Of Gender, Spirituality, And Willingness To Seek Mental Health Treatment Among Students At A Faith-Based Institution, Lauren Hoffman, William Buhrow

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

College is a demanding time in a student’s life that often requires a willingness to seek help in times of significant distress. The factors that influence this decision are numerous and complex. This study examined the relationship between willingness to seek mental health treatment, gender, and level of religiosity and spirituality in students enrolled in a single faith-based institution. Results suggest that female students were more willing to seek help from a mental health professional than males, and students who endorsed high levels of religiosity and spirituality were more inclined to seek help from a religiously affiliated advisor than those …

Supporting And Sustaining Specialized Literacy Professionals In Teacher Leadership Positions, Thea Yurkewecz

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Specialized literacy professionals (specialists/coaches/coordinators) are enacting leadership roles that influence how school communities interact and collaborate to change instructional practices. These positions involve multiple responsibilities highlighted in the standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals (International Literacy Association, 2017). This manuscript extends from the investigation of three specialized literacy professionals from one school community identified by their administrators as teacher leaders. After three years in these positions, each identify the structures, resources, and types of support that were critical to the sustainment of their leadership positions within their school district. This study informs the literacy community on the specific and …

New Teacher Induction: Improving Teacher Self-Efficacy, William Jesse Bacon

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Induction programs are comprehensive initiations or introductions to a position that provides beginning teachers with the necessary tools for starting their teaching careers, as well as specific guidance aimed at helping them meet performance standards. Induction programs may include mentoring, assistance in planning, professional development, and evaluation. Other terms used for induction include support, orientation, training, internship, assistance or assessment programs, retention programs, beginning teacher program, transitional program for existing teacher, cohort program, phase-in, professional development, and workshops. School districts across the country have turned to effective induction programs in response to rising teacher attrition rates. Comprehensive induction programs that …

The Leadership Stories Of Students Of Color At Predominantly White Christian Institutions, Sharia Hays

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

Leadership has been identified as an important component of higher education and the college student experience (Dugan, 2006; Komives, Dugan, & Owen, 2011; Shertzer & Schuh, 2004; St. John, Rowley, & Hu, 2009). Although there has been an in-crease in leadership initiatives across higher education, many institutions, specifically dominantly White Christian institutions have struggled to find ways to involve students of color in leadership. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, this study explored the leadership experiences of 11 students of color from 3 dominantly White Christian institutions (DWI). This article will provide a broad overview of the study while focusing on how …

An Investigation Of Elementary School Teachers’ Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices In Two Cultures: A Comparative Study In China And The United States, Alicia R. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Effective teaching is one of the most important factors in student achievement. Throughout the world, there are high expectations for teacher and student performance. Teachers and students need to navigate the demographic and cultural shifts occurring around the world. Teachers’ cultural awareness and knowledge base of culturally relevant teaching practices is critical to their effectiveness. Based on the need to better understand the cultural responsiveness of teachers, this comparative study investigated elementary school teachers’ culturally relevant teaching practices in China and the U.S. through the use of video-cued ethnography. The following findings were revealed from the study: (a) differences in …

Codeva Elementary Coaches Academy : Impact Of Computer Science Implementation In K-5, Mark A. Fowler Dr., Bryan Hicks Dr, Kenneth White Dr, John Ringstaff Dr

Doctor of Education Capstones

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of CodeVA’s elementary coach’s academy (ECA) on computer science implementation in elementary schools across the state of Virginia. The research took a multimethod qualitative and quantitative approach through surveys, focus groups, interviews and observations of ECA coaches and participants, along with the analysis of historical data provided by CodeVA. The capstone research questions were: “What is the impact of the elementary coaches academy?” and “What impacts the effectiveness of CodeVA’s elementary coaches academy?” In general, the data collected suggested that CodeVA has been effective in reaching its intended audience and meeting the needs of …

How Aspiring Principals Applied Course-Based Learning To Develop School Improvement Plans, Dana L. Bickmore, Maria M. Roberts, Miguel M. Gonzales

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education Faculty Research

© 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: School improvement planning and implementation is one organizational process by which principals may positively impact school and student outcomes. Limited research, however, has explored how principal preparation programs prepare aspiring leaders for this common school leadership activity. This study examined aspiring principals engaged in the school improvement process by evaluating what they included in their school improvement plans (SIPs) that were developed as part of their field experience. Design/methodology/approach: The authors examined SIPs aspiring principals collaboratively developed as part of their field experience. Using an abductive analysis method, combining both deductive and inductive coding …

Tensions Of Learning On The Job, Brandon M. Butler, Diane Yendol-Hoppey

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

What does it mean to lead in teacher education? This is a question to which self-study scholars have provided some answers, but there remain opportunities to more deeply explore this question. Although there is an extensive research base in self-study on the transition from teacher to teacher educator (e.g., Williams et al., 2012) and a broader base of scholarship on higher education leadership as department chairs (Buller, 2012; Cipriano & Riccardi, 2010) and the deanship (e.g., Clift et al., 2015; Elliott-Johns, 2015), self-study research into teacher education leadership is still in its relative infancy (Allison & Ramirez, 2020).

In this …

Cultural Diversity Professional Development In Schools Survey, Krystal R. Thomas, Hillary Parkhouse, Jesse Senechal, Zoey Lu, Laura Faulcon, Julie Gorlewski, David B. Naff

MERC Publications

This report presents findings from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) Cultural Diversity Within Schools Survey. This survey was designed for school- based professionals (i.e., teachers, instructional staff, administrators) within the MERC region. Administered in the fall of 2018, the survey collected information about experiences of professional development related to cultural diversity, attitudes toward cultural diversity within schools, perceptions of barriers and opportunities, and perspectives on the need for professional development. Section 1 of the report discusses the context for this survey effort: increased cultural diversity in our schools, increased cultural mismatch between students and teachers, and multicultural education as …

Penyeliaan Instruksional, Kepercayaan Kepada Penyelia, Dan Kapasiti Guru Sekolah Menengah, Makin Mislinah

Student Works (2020-2029)

Dalam melaksanakan transformasi pendidikan, pemimpin sekolah perlu memberi sokongan kepada guru untuk meningkatkan keberkesanan pengajaran dan pembelajaran dalam bilik darjah. Amalan penyeliaan instruksional yang berkesan mampu meningkatkan kapasiti guru dalam melaksanakan tugas mereka di dalam bilik darjah. Namun, tidak banyak bukti empirikal yang mengkaji hubungan antara pemboleh ubah tersebut khususnya dalam konteks Malaysia. Berdasarkan tinjauan literatur berkaitan amalan pelaksanaan penyeliaan instruksional, pengkaji mendapati bahawa guru-guru masih kurang jelas tentang proses pelaksanaan penyeliaan instruksional. Oleh itu, tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk mengkaji amalan penyeliaan instruksional yang dilaksanakan di sekolah, khususnya konstruk kemahiran penyelia dan bantuan langsung, dan hubungannya dengan kapasiti guru. …

Enabling And Threatening Factors Affecting Persistence. A Qualitative And Quantitative Study On Rural First-Generation Stem Students’ And Stem Faculty's Perspectives., Travis A. Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focuses on the factors that enable and threaten rural first-generation STEM students’ persistence. Limited empirical studies are available that focus on rural first-generation STEM majors’ persistence. Quantitative analysis was conducted using Kruskal Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests to determine any significant differences with the survey results. Content and thematic analysis was conducted on the student and faculty interviews to determine themes of enabling and threatening factors affecting persistence.

Enabling factors affecting persistence were found to be: Drive or Motivation, Experiences and skills, and Support. These were both faculty and student interview themes whereas a …

Inside Collaborative Communities: Teachers' Perceptions Of The Collaborative Process, Pamela Ann Evors

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teachers’ perceptions of the collaborative process and how it affected their classroom practices. The research question was “What are the perceptions held by experienced public elementary-school teachers in a large urban school district in the southeastern United States regarding the collaborative process in their school settings?”

The research design used semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a specific group of public elementary-school teachers who had extensive professional development and experience with the collaborative process, either in co-teaching settings or in frequent collaboration with colleagues. Using the process of educational criticism (Eisner, 1998) …

Reappraising The Aitsl Professional Engagement Domain: Clarifying Social Capacity Building For School Leaders To Enhance Overall Teacher Job Satisfaction And Career Longevity, Geoffrey M. Lowe, Peter F. Prout, Christina C. Gray, Sarah Jefferson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2018) stipulate what teachers should know and do through each career stage. School leaders are complicit in promoting the Standards are met by all staff, including Professional Engagement (Standards Six and Seven). While the Standards emphasise content and pedagogical capacity building, we contend that teaching is a social enterprise. Although social capacity building is implied in the Professional Engagement domain through terms such as ‘collegiality, collaboration and dialogue’, we question the degree to which it is understood by school leaders. We ask this in light of influential studies by Waldinger (2010) and Vaillant …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Transition To Retirement Of P-20 Educators In The State Of Kentucky, Chanel M. Schwenck

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological research study explored the physical, mental, social, emotional, and financial experiences of P-20 educators in their transition from teaching into retirement. A grand tour question and three research questions guided this study. Data collected from interviews with retired educators provided a thorough understanding of the issues experienced during the transition into retirement from the Kentucky public school system. The experiences of recently retired P-20 educators showed that stress was a motivating factor for retirement but not chronic illness, disease, or other serious physical health concerns. Public educators in Kentucky may retire after 27 years of service, and many …

Factors To Teacher Retention In Leave:Secondary Agricultural Education, Keasha Floyd

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to provide qualitative inquiry into the attrition rates of high school agriculture teachers in Tennessee. The supply does not equal the demand for high school agriculture teachers. The study investigated why teachers left the profession, their personal experiences while in the classroom, their feelings on preparedness, and identifiable trends among the participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with former secondary agricultural educators taught in a high school agricultural classroom between 2014 and 2019. Objective one sought to describe the demographic characteristics of secondary agricultural teachers. Two themes were found: Teachers who enter the agricultural education profession right out …