Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

How Sensory Exploration Using Expressive Arts Provides A Cohesive Experience For Children With Multiple Diagnoses, Chanelle Goguen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis looks at the potential benefits and cohesive experience of sensory exploration for children with multiple diagnoses through a trauma informed lens. The researcher was inspired by Prendiville’s (2021) idea of how interactive sensory exploration and art making can help foster and develop reciprocal communication and socio-affective relationships influenced the researcher to design a method that would be used to collect data about potential similar findings. In the method, the interaction of the sensory-specific art mediums were reflected through the expressive therapies continuum (ETC) framework. The research of this thesis acknowledges and explores how trauma and adverse childhood experiences …

Exploring Special Education Teacher Perceptions Of The Effects Of A School-Based Yoga Program On Adolescents Classified As Emotionally Disturbed, Ivette Brown

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Adolescents with behavioral disorders suffer academic and social struggles when compared to general education adolescents in the United States. As behavioral health strategies gain greater priority in schools, interest has increased in the use of yoga practices as one of the key approaches to addressing student well-being. The majority of previous research relating to adult yoga has shown positive benefits; however, research on teacher perceptions of youth yoga is lacking. This study explores special education teachers’ perceptions of school-based yoga programs and their impact, if any, on students with behavioral disabilities with special interest in adolescents’ personal and social experiences …

Gender Stereotypes In The Elementary Classroom, Mckenna Gill

Master's Theses

This study explores ways to reduce gender stereotypes in the elementary classroom. Specifically, it was designed to collect data on male and female behaviors related to gender stereotypes toward different school subjects, volunteering, peer relationships, and student redirections during lessons. A literature review was conducted to investigate existing research on this topic. A mixed-methods design was used in this study. Data was collected in a fifth-grade classroom, by keeping a tally of each of the subject areas Math, Reading, Science, and Writing, and the students who volunteered. Included in the investigation was a teacher interview regarding her thoughts on gender …

Inside Out Creativity: Nurturing Teachers As Creative Catalysts To Transform Education, Katie Ravich

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project is a thought piece aimed at re-evaluating and clarifying the potential of activating transformational creative change leadership in teachers. By embracing creativity as a human process, teachers can become catalysts for change within themselves and their students. This approach requires a nurturing and relational co-creative process, fostering a learning environment that values emotional well-being alongside intellectual growth for everyone. For teachers to stimulate others to be creative and innovative, they must challenge their own beliefs about creativity. There needs to be an explicit process that underpins these behaviors, integrated with a high level of emotional intelligence to nurture …

Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Cyberbullying: A Qualitative Investigation Of Teacher Perspectives, Shanda Salvant Theriot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the self-efficacy of middle school teachers as they address cyberbullying in the classroom. A phenomenological research design using a purposive sampling method was used. To understand the teachers’ lived experiences and perspectives on cyberbullying, open-ended semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventh-grade teachers from two parochial schools and three charter schools. Participants completed a demographics questionnaire, which was used to gather additional information regarding the teachers’ background and experience. Seven themes emerged from coding the data collected from the teacher interviews and focus group session: 1) collaboration and communication, 2) professional development and training, 3) support and …

Preparing The Next Generation Of Music Teachers: Illuminating Motivations Of Nebraska Preservice Teacher Mentors, Emily Marie Chapman

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This mixed methods study examined factors influencing practicing educators' decisions to mentor preservice teachers in Nebraska. Guided by Expectancy-Value-Cost Theory, the study utilized a sequential explanatory design, integrating a quantitative survey design and qualitative phenomenological interview. Findings indicated that educators' belief in their mentoring ability or Expectancy-Ability Belief (EAB) significantly predicted their willingness to mentor, with PK-12 music educators exhibiting higher EAB scores than elementary or high school music educators. Qualitative insights highlighted reciprocal benefits of mentoring, such as skill development and professional growth. The impact of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on mentoring experiences varied among participants. Recommendations included …

Mindful Education: Strategies For Promoting Body Positivity Through Literature Works In The Classroom, Ellie Kronberg

Honors Projects

This project presents a comprehensive guide with a structured, yet flexible framework for educators to adapt into their curriculums, and is aimed at assisting in facilitating meaningful discussions about body image and diversity through a study of literature. Using mentor texts, this guide provides educators with practical strategies and resources to promote positive body image in their classroom. These mentor texts have explicit themes of body representation, positivity, and self-acceptance, which emphasize the importance of promoting body diversity and challenging stereotypes. This guide offers insights into how literature can serve as a powerful tool for addressing body representation in a …

Who Picks Where A Student Sits In A Classroom?, Kathryn Kummer

Honors Projects

This ACTION research study aims to explore who should pick where students sit in a classroom. Disruptive behavior is a common issue in managing a classroom, so in this study, the results of each arrangement will be done by observing how often disruptive behavior happens in the classroom due to the seating arrangement. Student preference for seating arrangement will also be noted to determine if that affects disruptive behavior. The three arrangements to explore are: student choice, teacher choice, and random selection. By the end, the study will provide the arrangements effect as it relates to disruptive behavior and if …

Learning Through Play At School Ukraine: Final Research Report, Rachel Parker, Amy Berry, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson, Oksana Zabolotna

Student learning processes

The Learning Through Play (LTP) at School Research Study Ukraine was a four-year intervention study funded by the LEGO Foundation and implemented by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Ukrainian Educational Research Association (UERA). The intervention was a two-year professional learning program that blended online, and face-to-face learning called the Teacher Innovative Play Program (TIPP). The TIPP was designed based on documented evidence that reports that teachers need opportunities to experiment and reflect to change practice. The study was guided by three research questions which were revised following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces …

Returning To School After A Pandemic: K-6 Education Teachers Perspectives On Low- Income Students Returning To School With Regard To Academic Achievement, Behavior, Mindset, And Social Connections, Sarah Orendorff

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine K-6 educators’ perceptions of the impact on low-income students returning to school after the trauma of a pandemic for 2 years with regard to behavior, academic achievement, mindset, and social connections.

Methodology: This qualitative study interviewed 12 K6 teachers who taught before, during, and after the pandemic in Orange County, CA. Semi-structured open ended interview questions was the main source of data collection with other sources including observations, and artifacts. Data was coded and the researcher analyzed the data for themes and patterns.

Findings: After analyzing data, codes, and themes …

Trauma-Informed Teaching Perspectives Of Arts And Non-Arts Educators: A Mixed Methods Study For Transformational Change, Annie C. Shrawder

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand and answer the overarching research question: To what extent are PA educators prepared to recognize and respond to students impacted by trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)? This question is investigated using a mixed methods action research design on the preparedness of k-12 arts and non-arts educators within one school district. This study unpacks the level of preparedness of educators teaching students with trauma and adverse childhood experiences. The data analysis provided perspectives of non-arts teachers and arts teachers in one school district. Additionally, academic research revealed that the arts positively counteract …

The Impact Of Guided Notes Intervention On Learning Achievement, Quality Of Notes, And Perception, Bryan Richard Biggers

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Guided notes in the form of teacher-prepared materials that guide students through the lesson with cues and space have been recommended as a possible aid to support student learning. The present study investigated the results of guided notes on the students’ learning achievement, the quality of the students’ notes, and the students’ perceptions of note-taking. Sixty students were enrolled in an eight-week, asynchronous, online, general education course and were divided into nonintervention and intervention groups where the nonintervention groups took notes without support while the students in the intervention group took notes with guided notes during weeks two through seven. …

I Didn’T See It Coming: Navigating An Uncomfortable Episode During Doctoral Research Fieldwork, Narina A. Samah

The Qualitative Report

In this article, I revisit my experiences during my doctoral fieldwork from the lens of a novice qualitative researcher. Initially embracing the role of narrative inquirer, I was in the midst of navigating my inquisitive journey by re-examining my personal practical knowledge as a means to confront my puzzle of practice. Six months of fieldwork allowed me to re-experience my classroom teaching practice through a pair of new eyes. As my research was ending, events took an unexpected turn, leading to the delicate issue of female teacher/lecturer-student relationships during research fieldwork and the dilemma of deciding whether to include or …

Educator And Caregiver Perceptions Of Project Begin Well: An Early Childhood Risk Identification Course, Samin Khallaghi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The early years of a child's life are vital to building the foundation for early childhood, and educators and caregivers are at the heart of making this foundation for children. However, educators and caregivers often lack knowledge on correctly identifying risks in children. The current study used a quantitative non-experimental design to examine early childhood educator and caregiver perceptions of a training program called Project Begin Well. Project Begin Well included a risk identification course for educators and caregivers of children aged 3-5 years. Specifically, educators' and caregivers' knowledge, skills, attitudes, aspirations, and behaviors toward the risk identification course were …

إدارة الذات وعلاقتها بالرضا الوظيفي لدى مديري المدارس الحكومية في لواء قصبة إربد, Khaled Odeh Awad Al Khaldi, Rania Waleed Aljarrah, Asma Mohmd Khdair

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف المقال التعرف إلى إدارة الذات وعلاقتها بالرضا الوظيفي لدى مديري المدارس الحكومية في لواء قصبة إربد، تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي بالطريقة التحليلية لملائمته وطبيعة الدراسة، ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة تم استخدام مقياس (العنزي والعجمي،2021) لإدارة الذات ومقياس (سميث وكندال وهيولن، 1969) الخاص بالرضا الوظيفي، تكونت عينة الدراسة من (45) مدير، أظهرت النتائج بأن درجة إدارة الذات لدى مديري المدارس الحكومية في لواء قصبة إربد جاءت بدرجة مرتفعة دون أي فروق تعزى لمتغيري المؤهل العلمي وسنوات الخبرة، وبأن مستوى الرضا الوظيفي لديهم مرتفع دون أي فروق تعزى لمتغيري المؤهل العلمي وسنوات الخبرة، كما أظهرت النتائج وجود علاقة ارتباطية موجبة بين إدارة …

Mindfulness: The Missing Link In Education, Ashley L. Baer

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Were you asked to pay attention or behave in school? As educators, we must stop expecting focus and self-regulation, and instead we must teach it. Learn how in this experiential session to connect and regulate students using the breathing ball, games, breath, and movement. Let’s practice!

Engaging Teacher-Student Relationships With All Students, Jess Teal

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Positive teacher-student relationships are essential for a safe classroom that promotes academic achievement and social/emotional development for all children. Teachers need specific practices and resources to support them in establishing positive teacher-student relationships with all their students. All students deserve a consistent adult connection and to call school a safe place to learn and grow.

Coping Strategies And Stress Of The Undergraduate Nursing Student In The Clinical Setting: An Evidence Based Practice Quantitative Study, Ashley Calverley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The assessment of perceived stress and coping behaviors related to first-semester clinical might benefit students in nursing education. The assessment of most common coping behaviors and perceived stress related to the clinical setting is essential due to difference in personalities, learning abilities, and coping behaviors among nursing students today. Previous research has suggested the initial clinical period results in adverse outcomes, such as poor academic performance, elevated burnout levels, and diminished personal well-being. These factors are detrimental to academic success in nursing programs. Evidence supports that helping students develop positive stress/coping abilities will aid in adapting in both the academic …

Understanding The New Stress Factors Affecting Teachers' Burnout: A Scoping Review, Joby Thomas, Marc Eric S. Reyes

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

The teaching profession is extremely vulnerable to burnout. The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic posed new threats and changed the educational environment, the perceptions and the values of teachers. The traditional in-person learning approach was quickly replaced by distant online learning to continue education. As schools reopened, a new educational platform, the hybrid learning model, evolved by fusing the two learning models. The high expectations placed on teachers to swiftly adopt new teaching methods—often without the required resources or training—exacerbated their exhaustion. We conducted a scoping review to determine the new stress factors that cause teachers’ burnout, following the …

Understanding The Virginia Literacy Act, Candace Bechtold, Kimberly Bridges, David Naff, Joan A. Rhodes, Valerie Robnolt, Tara Davison, Suzanne Alexandre, Michael Crusco, Karli Johansen, Amber Butler, Allison Yandle, Jennifer Askue-Collins, Jean Samuel, Sharrie Merritte, Regina Frazier

MERC Publications

This research and policy brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) offers an overview of the Virginia Literacy Act. It is structured to explore the following questions: 1) What are the recent trends in reading achievement in Virginia? 2) What are the policy implications of the VLA for Virginia school divisions? 3) What does the research say about Science of Reading (SoR)? 4) What core instructional programs are approved to meet the VLA? It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations.

Click here to listen to our podcast episode on the Virginia Literacy Act and click here …

Moving Through: Supporting Preservice Teachers’ Transition Through College To The Profession Using Homerooms, David Wolff, Mark Diacopoulos, Alexis Durman, Alexis Monks, Madison Adamson, Kim Ballew

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Preservice Teachers at Pitt State undergo a significant transition from student to professional. Faculty in the College of Education created a weekly Homeroom to support this shift, covering topics like goal setting, power dynamics, generational differences, self-care, identity charts, and time management. Preservice Teachers’ experiences will be shared.

Learning Through Play At School: Ukraine, 2019-2024, Rachel Parker, Amy Berry, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson, Oksana Zabolotna

Student learning processes

The Learning Through Play at School Research Study Ukraine was a four-year longitudinal intervention study funded by the LEGO Foundation and implemented by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Ukrainian Educational Research Association (UERA). The study was implemented between 2019 and 2024, during COVID-19 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces. Despite, at times, insurmountable challenges, the professional learning intervention was successful in supporting most teachers to progress from a surface level understanding of learning through play to a deep level. In addition, almost all children’s literacy and social-emotional skills grew significantly from start …

Perceptions Of High Stakes Testing And Burnout As Predictors Of Quality Of Life Among Primary School Teachers In Trinidad And Tobago, Victoria Patricia Elder

Dissertations

Problem

This study explored how high-stakes testing (HST) and burnout affected the quality of primary school teachers in Trinidad and Tobago. HST refers to school exams often required by government agencies that are used to make key decisions pertaining to students, teachers, and schools (Embse & Hanson, 2012). Burnout is defined operationally as a psychological syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and impaired personal accomplishment induced by repeated workplace stressors (Maslach & Schaufeli, 2017). Quality of life (QoL) is the measure of an individual’s ability to function physically, emotionally, and socially within his/her environment at a level consistent with his/her own …

Examining High School Mathematics Teachers' Research-Based Instructional Practices And Their Relationship To Students' Learning Outcomes: A Convergent Parallel Mixed-Method Study, Isiaka Busari

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

This convergent parallel mixed-methods study examines the relationship between high school mathematics teachers' research-based instructional practices and students' learning outcomes in Algebra 1 classrooms at a high school in a central region of a Southern U.S. State. The research addresses improving mathematics proficiency in the United States, where national performance remains below average. Guided by psychological and social constructivism, the study involved three Algebra 1 teachers and 171 students. Data were collected through classroom observations using the Mathematics Classroom Observation Protocol for Practices (MCOP²), teacher interviews, and student pre-and post-tests. Quantitative data from tests and MCOP² were …

Catching Up To Yesterday: An Argument For A Practical Application Of Creativity For Inspiring Change From A Content-Based Course Delivery To A 21st-Century Skills-Based Delivery, Darren Chapman

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project is a creative vision for how college-level courses could be changed to deliver the most important skills students need in the 21st century—moving toward an essential employability skills-based delivery process while training vocational (content) skills. Technology is outpacing humans' ability to adapt and adopt to it, making it increasingly difficult to keep pace with technological change. This has wide-ranging effects on each of us – productively, emotionally, and perhaps physically. Colleges are at the forefront of educating citizens about the working world to improve their productivity, incomes and their sense of intrinsic motivation. However, these same colleges are …

The Emotional Side Of Teaching Conceptions: Exploring The Relationship Between Conceptions Of Teaching And Teacher Burnout, Well-Being, And Resilience, Marc Clarà, Alba Vallés, Sílvia Cavalcante, Aina Franch, Jordi Coiduras, Patricia Silva, Nick Kelly, Tatiana López, Priscila Marchán, Bárbara Padula

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper investigates the relationship between teachers’ conceptions of teaching and several indicators of their emotional experience. With a sample of 200 teachers, the study identifies three dimensions of teaching conceptions, “student-centeredness,” “educational purpose,” and “projection into the future.” Statistical analysis revealed that student-centeredness is negatively correlated with teachers’ resilience and well-being. Additionally, we found that well-being and sense of personal accomplishment are significantly lower, and depersonalization significantly higher, when the educational purpose is psychosocial learning as opposed to academic learning. We also found some differences in conceptions of teaching among different countries and among different educational levels. These results …

Mapping The Historical Discourse Of A Right-To-Read Claim: A Situational Analysis, Mursalata Muhammad

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation project used an interpretivist qualitative research design to study how the right-to-read claim made by seven teenagers attending Detroit public schools in 2016 reflects, addresses, or describes contemporary discussions about educational access. Using situational analysis (SA) as a theory/method, the entirety of the claim comprises the situation of the social phenomenon being studied, not the people. This research combines critical race theory (CRT) with Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems and uses situation analysis to map historical discourses to conduct a study that examines the history of a present situation of inquiry as presented by this question: How does the 2016 …

Understanding Teacher Behavior And Its Influence On Student On-Task Behavior, Jennifer Birchler

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Student behavior in the classroom is a significant predictor of student outcomes and teacher satisfaction. But, teachers report classroom management to be challenging. Finding simple, cost-effective methods of improving student behavior in the classroom can vastly improve long-term success for students. This study seeks to better understand how class size relates to teacher praise and movement, and how these teacher behaviors relate to student on-task behavior. Previous research suggests on-task behavior improves with more teacher praise and movement in the classroom. The current study used data collected using the Bx Management Tool as part of the Osage County Fall 2019 …

Embracing Diversity In Higher Education: Teaching A Driven And Determined Approach, Melvin Jackson, Adriel Adon Hilton, Kevin Mcclain

Journal of Research Initiatives

Diversity and inclusivity are two must-teach components that the academy needs to incorporate into its curriculum to enrich student experiences. Due to globalization, technological advances, and norms, societies are becoming more homogenous. Institutions of higher learning should prioritize teaching diversity and inclusion with a driven and determined approach to prepare students better personally and professionally.

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Autonomy Support, Kimberly Hannah Siacor, Betsy Ng, Woon Chia Liu

Journal of Research Initiatives

This paper aimed to elucidate teachers' perceptions of using autonomy support in Singapore's classrooms. Science and mathematics teachers (N = 10) were gathered for semi-structured interviews after a 10-week autonomy support intervention. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis with emerging themes pre-conceived from the literature. The qualitative data provides meaningful insights into the teachers' understanding of what autonomy support entails, to which relevant examples of what teachers said and did to be autonomy-supportive were illuminated. The findings present an in-depth description of teachers' experiences of autonomy support, suggesting the interconnected nature of the autonomy-supportive features. Teachers should practice …