Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Increasing The Accessibility Of Science For All Students, Samantha Langley - Turnbaugh, Glenn Wilson, Lynn Lovewell

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This paper evaluates the accessibility of selected field and laboratory high school science activities, and provides suggestions for increasing accessibility for students with disabilities. We focused on GLOBE (Global Learning Observations to Benefit the Environment) protocols, specifically the new Seasons and Biomes investigation currently being developed as part of the GLOBE program. Five university students with disabilities majoring in science or technology were recruited to test the GLOBE protocols, and 10 protocols were evaluated for accessibility. Based on our results, we make several suggestions with regards to instructions, equipment, safety, outcomes and activity significance that will increase the accessibility of …

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Students’ Perceptions Of Academic Self-Efficacy And Self-Regulation While Learning In A 1:1 Laptop Environment, Joan M. Carraher

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

1:1 Laptop initiatives continue to grow throughout Nebraska schools. There are many questions regarding their effectiveness in improving student learning, justifications for expenses, and the process to guide such an initiative.

The purpose of this case study was to explore students’ perceptions of academic self-efficacy and self-regulation while learning in a 1:1 district where students in grades 7 through 12 have 24/7 access to a school-issued laptop. Students in their first (8^th grade) and third-year (10^th grade) of learning in a 1:1 environment at a Nebraska school district participated in this study. Data was collected from an online …

Faith, Resistance, And The Future: Daniel Berrigan’S Challenge To Catholic Social Thought, Kurt Nelson

Journal of Catholic Education

Review of Faith, Resistance, and the Future: Daniel Berrigan’s Challenge to Catholic Social Thought.

Culturally Responsive Caring And Expectations For Academic Achievement In A Catholic School, Christian Dallavis

Journal of Catholic Education

This article draws from a larger dissertation study that applied ethnographic and historical research methods to explore the intersection of culturally responsive pedagogy and Catholic schooling in immigrant communities. In particular, this article presents qualitative data analysis to describe student achievement expectations at a contemporary urban Catholic elementary school. By examining teacher, student, and parent perspectives on academic achievement, the article explores the degree to which the caring demonstrated at the school is/is not consistent with a notion of “culturally responsive caring” in the scholarly literature surrounding theories of culturally responsive pedagogy.

Transforming Catholic Education Through Research: The American Educational Research Association Catholic Education Special Interest Group, Shane Martin

Journal of Catholic Education

Catholic schools in the United States and abroad face numerous financial, cultural, and structural challenges due to contemporary education policies and economic trends. Within this climate, research about Catholic education is often conducted and leveraged in efforts to serve schools’ most immediate needs. To be certain, research aimed at finding solutions to pressing problems is important—indeed, essential—to Catholic schools’ survival. However, it is also important that research on Catholic education connect to larger questions, issues, and discourses in education—both private and public—in order to contribute important insights and bring otherwise marginalized voices to bear in contemporary educational debates.

Editors' Comments, Mary Mccullough, Karen Huchting, Martin Scanlan

Journal of Catholic Education

We are pleased to announce the new name for the Journal: The Journal of Catholic Education.

The Logistics Of Implementing A Field-Based Comprehensive School Reform Initiative, Dawn E. Reeves

Dissertations

This research is a qualitative, reflective case study regarding a cohort in the form of a district-university partnership between the Oak Park Schools in Oak Park, Michigan and the College of Education at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The initiators of the program envisioned a more successful urban school district by offering training beyond the traditional professional development to district teachers with an incentive of a Master’s Degree. The criteria of this particular initiative mandated that the program be field-based where all courses met in district buildings and be non-traditional, where all content was focused on the needs of …

Staff In Australia’S Schools 2013: Main Report On The Survey, Phillip Mckenzie, Paul R. Weldon, Glenn Rowley, Martin Murphy, Julie Mcmillan

School and system improvement

This report provides an overview of the results obtained from the Staff in Australia’s Schools (SiAS) 2013 survey commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education and conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The work was supported by an Advisory Committee of government and non-government school authorities and other stakeholder groups. The survey was intended to provide a detailed picture of the Australian teacher workforce, and to gather information to assist in future planning of the workforce. It was also designed to provide comparative and updated data following on from the previous SiAS surveys conducted in 2006-07 …

Investigating Practices Of Research-Proven Multidimensional Teacher Evaluation Systems In Michigan Schools, George A. Aramath

Dissertations

Traditional teacher evaluation systems have little to no impact on changing teacher behavior or improving student achievement. Subsequently, studies and reports show the lack of and need for multidimensional teacher evaluation system. This deficiency and need is especially evident in Michigan due to the state's recent legislative mandate that their evaluation system must include multiple data as measures of educator effectiveness.

The purpose of this study is to investigate and describe how two Michigan public schools are attempting to build a multidimensional teacher evaluation system that includes the new Michigan mandate to incorporate evidence of student learning as a significant …

Understanding Georgia's National Board Certified Teachers: A Phenomenological Approach To A Teacher's Perspective, Kimberly Brantley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand what it means to be a National Board Certified teacher (NBCT) in Georgia. Georgia teachers, distinguished with the NBCT title, participated in surveys and interviews which were analyzed qualitatively in order to understand the essence of being a National Board Certified teacher. Three themes emerged from this study. Georgia NBCTs are dedicated, passionate, and driven. They are reflective and use reflection to drive their instruction. Georgia NBCTs have a strong desire to improve their teaching and a strong need to have their teaching validated to ensure they are good teachers.

Working Towards School Goals At Lion Elementary: A Phenomenological Study, Benjamin Butcher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the perspectives of educators regarding school goals at Lion Elementary. Perspectives concerning school goals were generally defined as the importance of competing priorities as described by participants. This research can inform educators about whether perspectives regarding school goals were aligned, and provide insight regarding the reasons behind similarities and differences by having considered several questions: (a) What were the perceptions of the principal and teachers regarding school goal priorities? (b) What were the main challenges they perceived for meeting school goals? (c) What factors contributed toward schools successfully meeting goals? …

The Story As A Cultural Transmitter: Applications For Business Education, Carol Blaszczynski, Ph.D.

International Journal for Business Education

Stories assist in transmitting cultural wisdom, including wisdom about the business community. The role of stories in various contexts such as education (including international management), management, and marketing, as well as the job search is explained. The article concludes by presenting instructional activities for business education that develop cultural competence through stories.

The Influence Of Teacher Leadership And Professional Learning On Teachers’ Knowledge And Change Of Instructional Practices In Low Performing Schools, Christen Conklin Topolinski

Dissertations

A cross-sectional survey was utilized in this study to explore the perceptions of teacher in low performing schools. These perceptions concerned the influence of teacher leadership and professional learning on their changes in knowledge and instructional practices. Research advises that in order to help students grow, teachers must engage in professional learning activities which help them to develop and master new instructional strategies (Bredeson & Scribner, 2000; DuFour & Marzano, 2012; Harrison & Killion, 2007). Research also suggests that distributed leadership can have a positive influence on the professional culture in a building, creating a positive learning environment for both …

2014 Ijbe Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Principal Leadership And Teacher Morale In The Elementary Schools In A Northwest Georgia School District, Daniel Webb

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the difference between 2012 CRCT math sores based on principal leadership styles and teacher morale, as well as the relationship between teacher morale and 2012 CRCT math scores at each of the 12 elementary schools within a Northwest Georgia county school district. There is a gap in current research regarding the importance of teacher morale and principal leadership at the elementary level, and another gap exists in research that compares teacher morale and student success. Teacher morale was quantified through the use of the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire (PTO), principal leadership practices were quantified through the use of …

Writers Who Care: Advocacy Blogging As Teachers - Professors - Parents, Leah A. Zuidema, Sarah Hochstetler, Mark Letcher, Kristen Hawley Turner

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Because we believe strongly that writers develop through authentic writing instruction - and because we see policies that drive practices away from these goals - we have decided to speak up and to speak out through advocacy blogging. Teachers, Profs, Parents: Writers Who Care (writerswhocare.wordpress.com) was born from our frustration with current mandates that limit teachers and students to reductive writing. We know what good writing instruction looks like, and we want to share that knowledge with an audience beyond academia. In doing so, we hope to redefine what it means to be an academic writer and to encourage others …

The Relationships Between The Process Of Acculturation Of Teachers And Beliefs About Student Learning, Gabriella Blakey

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

One of the most challenging aspects of being a school leader is the struggle to get the school staff to embark on school improvement initiatives. The culture of the school can be a powerful driver in or a resister to our ability to move a school forward to increase student learning. New teachers struggle to understand the culture of the school along with the unwritten norms, values, and customs. As they observe the school culture, beginning teachers try to understand their individual power and role in the school culture. A teachers belief in students can help students enhance their chances …

Professional Certification For Accomplished Principals: Directions For Australia, Lawrence Ingvarson

Educational leadership

This review was commissioned by Principals Australia Institute. Its purpose is twofold: to review approaches to assessing and evaluating principals internationally; and, to draw on this review in developing recommendations for building a rigorous and beneficial professional certification system for accomplished principals in Australia. There is widespread agreement that our society needs to place greater value on the important and complex work of teachers and principals (Productivity Commission 2012). Whether that happens will depend in large part on our capacity to develop standards for successful practice and rigorous methods for assessing those who meet them. Our ability to recognise and …

The Relationship Between Servant Leadership And Student Achievement In Southwest Virginia Schools, Christopher Crabtree

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study is to test the theory of servant leadership that relates the servant leadership characteristics of school principals to student achievement in Southwest Virginia schools. The primary independent variable was principals' servant leadership characteristics as derived from a self-assessment survey (SASL). The dependent variable was student achievement as measured by students' scores on the Virginia Department of Education Standard of Learning achievement tests in math and reading. Other variables tested were principal total experience in education, principal total experience in administration and principal education level. The data analysis chosen for this research is the Pearson …

Faculty Perceptions Of Teacher Professionalism In Christian Schools, James A. Swezey, Donald E. Finn

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Able school administrators understand that teachers are their most valuable asset. If Christian schools are to effectively serve the families who entrust their children to their care, teachers must demonstrate both professional competency and godly character. This study was an investigation of faculty perceptions of teacher professionalism at ten Christian schools in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. An online survey of 24 items was completed by 230 teachers (males=30; females=200). The survey instrument was a modified version of Tichenor and Tichenor’s (2009) four dimensions of teacher professionalism. Data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis-of-variance (MANOVA) …

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 …

Eury Value-Added Experience Model: A Case Study On The Collective Learning Culture Of A Suburban Middle School In The Southeastern Region Of The United States, Timothy Merrell Reed

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to test the Eury Value-Added Experience Model as a theoretical model to measure and evaluate the collective learning culture of a school organization. The Eury Value-Added Experience Model is based upon five domains of the theoretical model: (1) dispositions, (2) professional experiences, (3) structure, (4) shared decision making, and (5) assessment and reflection skills. This mixed-method case study used the five domains to focus on the collective learning culture of a suburban middle school in the western region of the State of North Carolina. Limited research exists on the use of the Eury Value-Added Experience Model …

A Program Evaluation Of A Hiring Process In A School District, Charles Westley Wood

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this program evaluation was to analyze the effects of the Ventures for Excellence program on the hiring process of a northwestern North Carolina school district. The perceived problem was that in this particular school district there was a need for a hiring instrument that provided a large applicant pool of quality teachers and created an efficient hiring system. There was also a need to have a hiring system that would protect the school district from any legal issues that might arise from the interviewing of teacher applicants.

The setting for this project was a school district located …

Leadership Practices: Perceptions Of Principals And Teachers Of A Small Rural School District In Western North Carolina, Randy Mann

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences of the teachers' perceptions and principals' perceptions of the principals' leadership practices in public schools of a small rural county in western North Carolina. The participants in this study included 207 certified teachers and 11 building-level principals. The researcher used the survey method of data collection in which the teacher participation was 70% and the principal participation was 92%.

The instruments used to collect data included a demographic survey and the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 2003a). The demographic survey was used to obtain teacher demographic characteristics. The …

Loving The Academy: Helping Educators Understand Characteristics Of Black College Students’ Romantic Relationships, Miriam Chitiga

Faculty Working Papers from the School of Education

The paper presents the results of a survey on the characteristics of black college students’ romantic relationships, including types of relationships, the reasons for beginning and ending relationships and the elements of successful relationships. The anonymous electronic survey was voluntarily completed and included questions that allowed for both qualitative and quantitative assessment. The findings of the study reveal that students, who may be involved in stable and committed relationships, begin relationships for emotional needs and romance but acknowledge that compatible personality traits are the key to successful relationships. They cite cheating, partner abuse, and control as major causes of break-ups. …

The Impact Of Performance Evaluations On Teachers' Instructional Practices And Student Achievement : Evidence From A Rural School District, Lee Ann Calvert

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance evaluation procedures in a local county school district to find out if the performance evaluation system influenced student achievement. Can effective teaching be linked, via evaluation tools and rubrics, to student achievement outcomes? A second focus of this research investigation was to examine the impact that the county's evaluation system had on teacher practice. Does the evaluation system provide a crucial link between student achievement and teacher performance, or do teachers view it as a formality, or worse, as a less-than-meaningful mandated exercise? This investigation will be the first step …