Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Prioritizing Learners’ Cultural Assets And Multimodal Literacies During Preservice Teachers’ Community Literacy Experience, Janine Bixler, Rebecca Norman

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

As teacher educators, we believe it is critical for preservice teachers (PSTs) to recognize the many cultural assets that learners bring to today’s diverse classrooms and to use these assets in their instruction. It is key to the literacy success of all students, particularly children of low socioeconomic status, multilingual learners, children of color, and children who continue to have limited literacy success in school. Our teacher preparation program in childhood includes out-of-school community literacy experiences for teaching diverse Grade 1–6 learners because these hybrid spaces provide rich opportunities for our candidates to learn about and with children and their …

The Impact Of Restorative Practice Implementation On Culturally Responsive Teaching And Student Behavior, Patrice Mccoy

Dissertations

American public schools uphold the policies, standards, and disciplinary practices that guide the belief systems of how students view fairness and deal with conflict. As teachers invest in student knowledge and seek to guide students in the right direction, the challenge is learning the appropriate methods of dealing with student behavior. Behavior management practices have evolved just as many student challenges and needs have changed. With these changes evolves the need to better understand students and families. Teachers gaining cultural responsiveness to student behavior challenges is a relatively new ideology to ensure students feel understood and more engaged in the …

Mission Possible: Motivating Students Toward High School Completion, Terri Howard

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Celebrated each spring, high school graduation yields many positive, long-term impacts on an individual’s life. These include better overall health, lower reliance on government resources, higher lifetime earnings, and eligibility for post-secondary educational opportunities (Levin et al., 2007; Rowley et al., 2011; McFarland et al., 2019; Uretsky, 2019). While the benefits of high school completion are clear, each year hundreds of students fail to meet diploma requirements. Autonomous motivation, both intrinsic motivation and integrated regulation, drives engagement in activities perceived as relevant to desired outcomes and is closely associated with positive academic performance, school persistence (Deci et al., 1991; Vallerand …

Early Career Teachers' Perceptions And Preparedness For Culturally Responsive Teaching When Teaching Black Youths With Behavior Challenges., Erica Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In my study, I explore the perceptions and preparedness of early career teachers in the context of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) when instructing Black youth with behavior challenges. Early career teachers play a vital role in shaping the educational experiences of their students. Their beliefs and readiness to employ CRT practices are critical factors in addressing the unique needs of Black youth, particularly those facing behavioral difficulties. I investigated the perceptions of early career teachers regarding the importance of CRT and its effect on the learning environment. I examined how these teachers perceive the value of cultural responsiveness in managing …

Taking A Closer Look At Tpack: Examining Teacher Perspectives Of The Knowledge, Competencies, And Context Needed For Improved Remote Education In Grades 4-8, Jennifer Christine Buth Bell

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

Though wrought with challenges, the COVID-19 Pandemic, which led to the closure of schools worldwide and forced educators into a rapid transition from traditional to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT), held some promise for furthering the integration of digital technology in schools. But now, years following the crisis, policymakers, administrators, and teachers continue to grapple with how best to incorporate lessons learned and improve the future of teaching and learning in both traditional and remote settings. This mixed-methods study (n = 21; n = 6) followed an explanatory sequential design to collect and analyze data from a sample of 4th-8th …

Benefits Of Teaching Pre-Literacy In Waldorf Education In Early Childhood, April Guerrero

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project examines the benefits of teaching pre-literacy in Waldorf education in early childhood. In Waldorf Education, literacy development incorporates differentiated instructions that fosters cognitive and social emotional learning of their students. Through the use of literature review and several teachers in various grades of Waldorf schools, the result findings revealed that pedagogical practices around literacy instructions promote critical thinking skills, nurtures children’s creative expression, and imagination. Literacy curriculum in Waldorf schools allows students to create tangible evidence of self-expressions and communication skills. Given its emphasis on holistic curriculum, it allows teachers to engage with their diverse …

A Qualitative Study Of Iranian Efl Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Digital Diversified Education, Seyed Mohammad Reza Marvasti Zadeh, Azizollah Dabaghi Varnosfadrani Advarnosfadrani, Mohammad Amiryousefi

The Qualitative Report

Because Iran is a country of learners of diverse languages, socio-economic classes, genders, and ages, digital diversified education seems appropriate to address needs in English language education. However, there is a notable gap in research on teachers’ perceptions about this type of education. To fill this gap, this study aimed to investigate the perspectives of Iranian teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding a diverse digital education. Data were collected via an open-ended survey with 30 EFL teachers, both male and female, who were selected through convenience sampling. Analysis revealed several key themes, including the utilization of diverse …

Rooted In Nature: Pre-Service Teachers' Development Of Nature-Based Pedagogical Insights Through A Forest School Field Experience, Janet Vanlone, Lauren Shearer, Makenna Luzenski, Ellen Amarante, Susan Chlebowski, Chris Boyatzis

Faculty Journal Articles

Outdoor education programs, such as Forest School, have physical, social-emotional, and academic benefits for children, and teachers trained in nature-based pedagogy are more likely to provide outdoor education opportunities for their students. Incorporating outdoor field experiences in teacher preparation may teach new teachers how to implement nature-based programming. However, little is known about how outdoor field experiences affect pre-service teacher development. Grounded in self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977), this mixed-methods study examined in a pretest-posttest design how participating in a 12-week outdoor field experience contributed to pre-service teachers’ (N = 9) knowledge of nature-based pedagogy and their self-efficacy. Participants also completed …

“It’S Not My Immediate Instinct”: Perceptions Of Preservice Teachers On The Integration Of Popular Culture, Melinda S. Butler, Eva S. Arbor, Nadine Bravo

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Popular culture curricula integration provides educational benefits for students (Morrell, 2002; Petrone, 2013); bridging students’ out-of-school popular culture knowledge with their in-school literacies promotes learning, engages students, and values students’ background knowledge (Dyson, 1993, 2021; Marsh, 2006; Morrell, 2002; Petrone, 2013). Therefore, teacher educators may consider the addition of popular culture education into preservice teacher’s preparation for teaching (Petrone, 2013). In this qualitative study, researchers were interested in asking the following questions: What popular culture texts did preservice teachers consume as children and adults? and How does preservice teachers’ previous popular culture text consumption factor into decisions to include or …

Exploring How Funds Of Knowledge Is Utilized Among Teacher Educators In A Teacher Preparation Program Focusing On Arts Integration And Language Diversity, Gabrielle H. Pretto Ph.D

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

In our current educational climate, teaching for social justice has become increasingly difficult. Teacher educators are faced with certification rules that prioritize test scores over teaching ability, scripted curriculums, and the limited understandings about differences related to culture, class, and race. This study examined how social justice teachings were sustained and enhanced through a Funds of Knowledge (FOK) learning approach. Case study was utilized and guided by the following research questions: (1) What are the FOK of teacher educators participating in the TEALi program? (2) In what ways are the FOK of teacher educators integrated or utilized in their university …

Unraveling The Impact Of Cognitive Test Anxiety On Academic Performance Among Adolescents: The Case Of Minority And Majority Communities, Zulfiqar Ullah Siddiqui, Wael M. F. Abuhassan

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Background: Within the Indian society and its many communities, adolescents exhibit a wide range of individual differences, including cognitive abilities, learning styles, and personality traits. These differences can influence how students perceive and cope with test anxiety and related stress. Objective: The primary goal of this research study was to investigate the influence of cognitive test anxiety on academic performance in adolescents from both minority (Muslims) and majority (Hindus) communities in India. Method: Based on descriptive-inferential research design, a sample of 450 students was selected, with 223 students representing the majority community and the remaining 227 students representing the minority …

Understanding The “L” In Cslp Within The Literacy Conundrum, Julia Lynch, Andrea Perrone

Michigan Reading Journal

Rooted in culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally sustaining literacy practices (CSLP) focus on equity in education (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Paris, 2012). Our view of CSLP emphasizes integrating the arts into literacy instruction to leverage students' cultural assets, stimulating their cognitive processes and recognizing literacy's interdisciplinary role in learning. As we align literacy practices with state standards, high-stakes testing, and research-based methods, it's crucial for educators and society to embrace them. Traditionally, literacy instruction has prioritized written language, creating hierarchical structures that lead to learning gaps and inequitable opportunities. An arts-based CSLP framework addresses these issues by ensuring literacy includes diverse …

Collaborative Professional Development Featuring Innovative Curriculum Materials, Cory Callahan

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Here I synthesize two research investigations (Callahan, 2018, 2019) that comprise a continuing line of inquiry into the potential of innovative curriculum materials and sustained collaboration as a professional development program to help in-service teachers understand and implement a complex model of social studies instruction. This article features an original innovative curriculum material and specifically explores the question: To what degree can a collaborative professional development program featuring innovative curriculum materials help social studies teachers understand and implement a powerful social studies approach? Findings suggest the professional development program and its innovative curriculum materials helped teachers promote substantive pedagogical thinking …

Agreement And Disagreement In Teachers’ Talk: Facilitative Design Of Deliberation In Norwegian Initial Education, Andreas Reichelt Lind

Democracy & Education

This article investigates the roles of the terms agreement and disagreement in teachers’ talk in Norwegian Grades 1-4 classrooms. Through an exploration of what teachers said and did when they used these terms, five different themes were identified in the teachers’ talk. The teachers tended to use the terms in relation to the process of discussion, the outcome of these discussions, and nuancing the idea of the nature of this outcome; as a function in conversation; and how agreement and disagreement are valuable in different ways. The key finding across these themes and patterns was that the lessons tended to …

Stories From The Laboratory Schools, Fall 2024, College Of Education

Stories from the Laboratory Schools

Fall 2024 edition of Stories from the Laboratory Schools contents include:

Welcome

"But what do I say to them?" Engaging Beginning Teacher Candidates in Small Group SEL Circles

Building Bridges Through Language: Learning Mandarin in the ISU Lab Schools

Empowering Caregivers: The Impact of Parent-Implemented Communication Strategies for Deaf Children

Reimagining Research in the Middle School

Journal is co-edited by Dr. Anthony Jones, Director of Laboratory Schools and Dr. Barbara Meyer, Associate Professor in the School of Teaching and Learning

Human Capital At Home: Evidence From A Randomized Evaluation In The Philippines, Noam Angrist, Sarah Kabay, Dean S. Karlan, Lincoln Lau, Kevin M. Wong

Education Division Scholarship

Children spend most of their time at home in their early years, yet efforts to promote human capital at home in many low- and middle-income settings remain limited. We conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate an intervention which encourages parents and caregivers to foster human capital accumulation among their children between ages 3 and 5, with a focus on math and phonics skills. Children gain 0.52 and 0.51 standard deviations relative to the control group on math and phonics tests, respectively (p<0.001). A year later effects persist, but math gains dissipate to 0.15 (p=0.06) and phonics to 0.13 (p=0.12). Effects appear to be mediated largely through instructional support by parents and not other parent investment mechanisms, such as more positive parent-child interactions or additional time spent on education at home beyond the intervention. Our results show that parents can be effective conduits of educational instruction even in low-resource settings.

Inquiry Into Equity Practice In A “White Space”: Student-Led Discussions And Academic Discourse, Caran Mullins

Journal of Practitioner Research

In this study I used teacher inquiry to explore how to better engage my Black and Brown elementary students in student led discussions that could enhance academic discourse. The research questions driving my work emerged at the intersection of my beliefs and commitment to creating an equitable learning environment. Specifically, I wanted to know: (1) How do I scaffold my minority students to increased participation in academic discourse?, (2) How might these scaffolds support their development of metacognition, reading comprehension, and deeper critical thinking?, And (3) How do these scaffolds contribute to student feelings about their voice and place in …

The Impact Of Early Teacher Bias And Academic Risk On Children’S Current And Future Academic Achievement, Damira S. Rasheed

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The racial academic achievement gap continues to plague child academic outcomes in American public schools and teacher bias may be a contributing factor. Through the theoretical lens of critical race theory and the cultural synchrony hypothesis, this study contemplated how longstanding racism in the US may function to hinder the academic achievement outcomes of minority-race children. Moreover, cultural mismatches in the classroom between teachers and students may be associated with lower quality teacher-child relationships and perceived academic risk. A growing body of work has examined the association between teacher bias and child academic-risk factors—with risk defined by children’s sociodemographic characteristics …

Play In The Undercommons: The Transformative Power Of Fugitive Practice In A Multiracial, International Teacher Inquiry Collective, Kushya Sugarman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Though scholars have begun to position youth’s fugitivity, refusal, and disengagement as logical responses to hostile environments, and as part of a larger legacy of Black speculative planning and action, most teachers do not. Elementary teachers, especially in urban contexts, notoriously struggle with “classroom management” and teachers across contexts cite behavior challenges, such as “disruptive” behavior, as the number one challenge facing our schools. In fact, up to 50% of novice teachers leave the profession in the first five years due to students’ behaviors. This dissertation interrogates the common trope of the wayward student who must be controlled. I consider …

Is Science For All An Elusive Goal? Disparities In U.S. Science Education, David Devraj Kumar, John L. Pecore

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

An examination of published reports on Free or Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) regarding Per Pupil Spending, Technology Resources, Science Course Offerings, and Race and Ethnicity Distribution in FRPL Groups shows that science for all remains an elusive goal in the United States. Science for all requires long-term solutions, including adequate fiscal resources for high FRPL quartile schools and effective policies to ensure quality science learning experiences for low-income students. Teachers in high FRPL schools need access to high-quality instructional resources, technology tools, and effective strategies to engage students in science learning. Schools should invest in technology tools like virtual reality and …

Teacher Implementation Profiles: A Response To Top-Down Mandate Of Movement Integration, Zack Beddoes, Jeanne Barcelona, Darla Castelli

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

This study examined teacher implementation practices to meet a state mandate requiring 135 minutes of student physical activity (PA) weekly. Teachers were required to implement a video-based movement integration (MI) program. Using an embedded mixed-methods design, provider characteristics of 42 teachers and the organizational capacity of six schools were developed from interviews, surveys, observations, and artifacts. Data analysis revealed three teacher profiles (a) Dynamic Experientialists, (b) Coachable Constructivists, and (c) Cautious Behaviorists, and three school profiles (a) Whole Child Approach, (b) Grade Level Champions, and (c) Back to Basics. Findings suggest that school, teacher, …

Coaching And Developing Non-Certified Instructional Staff In Key Literacy Practices, Holly Nicole Bigos

Masters Projects

Paraprofessionals are vital staff members of elementary schools that often provide small group instruction for struggling students to develop key literacy skills. Despite the critical contribution paraprofessionals can provide, schools often neglect to adequately train and develop these staff members to support students’ instructional literacy needs. This project explores the relevant history of paraprofessional staff in schools and the current need for increased development and support of these staff members. Additionally, modern sustainable solutions are explored to develop paraprofessional literacy knowledge and instructional skills for these vital staff members. Programming recommendations are grounded in adult learning theory, feedback and coaching, …

An Examination Of Positive Impacts On Students' Math Success, Lauren E. Bisher

Masters Projects

In today’s classrooms, some students struggle to achieve at high levels in math. Yet, recent research describing the neuroplasticity of the brain means that, with a mathematical mindset, all students can achieve in math at the highest levels in school. Unfortunately, some capable students disengage from the subject due to a fixed mindset or holding beliefs in math myths, such as only some people are born with a math brain or math is about speed. Achievement in math can open more opportunities in a student’s future. Entrance into college and various careers that require mathematical skills become possible when students …

Policy, Practice, And Perceptions Of K-12 Social-Emotional Learning, Janice Filer, Ebony C. Cain, Della Thompson-Bell

Education Division Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of K-12 school staff who participate in social-emotional learning (SEL). Since the global pandemic, several school districts have included SEL as part of the school curriculum. Teachers, counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and school administrators participate in SEL instruction and/or practices. Classroom teachers instruct students in SEL instruction and other school staff practice the SEL components of self-awareness, self-management, decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills through their daily interactions with students. This study was conducted in various schools throughout the Los Angeles area using open-ended interview questions that utilized focus …

Language Ideologies And Use Among Latine Children In A Dual Language Program In Southern California: A Qualitative Approach, Xochitl Morales

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Through a critical race and LatCrit framework, this research examined the language ideologies of young Latine children enrolled in Spanish dual-language programs. Specifically, I examined how and why the children chose to speak English and Spanish at home and school. A qualitative approach was used to understand the participants in their natural environment. The participants were five third-grade students (two males and three females), and their parents, five females and one male, and a the student’s third-grade teacher. The data collected included participant observations at home and at school as well as both formal interviews and informal conversations with students, …

Exploring Early Childhood Teachers’ Experiences In Teaching Multilingual Children In Public Mainstream Schools In Tennessee, Maria Dias

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study, grounded in a phenomenological perspective, delves into the lived experiences of early childhood teachers who teach multilingual children in mainstream classrooms in Tennessee. Amidst the rising number of multilingual learners in mainstream educational settings and the dearth of adequate teacher training to address their needs, this research illuminates the experiences of these teachers. Furthermore, it seeks to advocate for the integration of translanguaging pedagogy into teacher training programs and state policies. This study employed a qualitative study using the three-in-depth-interview series from a phenomenological perspective (Seidman, 2019). The first interview focused on participants’ overall teaching experiences and …

Elementary Science Teacher Self-Efficacy In The Context Of Ngss-Aligned Curriculum Enactment: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Wesley P. Sliger

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

A confluence of circumstances in educational policy and teacher preparation have placed a low priority on elementary science teacher preparation. Historically, a lack of elementary science teachers’ subject matter knowledge and pedagogical knowledge has negatively impacted science teaching self-efficacy, which is linked to many teacher and student outcomes. Meanwhile, the past decade has ushered in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the modern era of reform-based science teaching. The emergence of self-proclaimed NGSS-aligned resources has outpaced academic examination regarding professional development (PD), curriculum implementation, and curriculum enactment. The purpose of this study was to use social cognitive theory to …

“Without Boundaries, Something Great Might Just Be Created”: Examining Preservice Teachers’ Radical Imagination Through Becoming Writers And Teachers Of Writing, Erica Holyoke, Susan Tily

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This study investigates how preservice teachers (PTs) created and enacted innovative views of writing instruction through course experiences in a field-based writing methods course as writers and teachers working with early elementary authors. Theoretically, we drew on radical imagination (Sailors, 2018) to interpret PT’s narratives and experiences in the course. We used constant comparative data analysis across sources, which included field notes, observations, and course artifacts. The findings explore interrelationships between being a writer, establishing a writing identity, and teaching and envisioning writing instruction through liberating perspectives through writing for social change. The implications of this work argue for integrated, …

What Kinds Of Personal Data Do Primary School Pupils Share With Whom? Children’S View Of Personal Data And Its Implications For Teaching About Privacy, Martin Hermida, Raffael Meier, Iwan Schrackmann, Nina Imlig-Iten, Eva Marinus

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Safeguarding personal digital data is crucial and requires appropriate training. However, privacy remains a novel topic, leaving teachers with limited guidance. This study investigates how elementary school students perceive personal data and assesses pre-service teachers’ accuracy in predicting children’s responses. Employing Nissenbaum’s contextual integrity framework, the outcomes of this research offer a nuanced perspective on privacy, considering different recipients and data types. The study surveyed 94 Grade 3 and Grade 5 students, asking them to indicate with which recipients (no one, parents, best friends, class, all other people) they would share specific information. In addition, 75 pre-service teachers were asked …

Empathy And Readers – The Questions And Connections That Help Us Relate With Our Maturing Readers, Justin M. Stygles

Wellspring: A Practitioner-Oriented Journal of Literacy and Language Education

What motivates a reader? It may not be "interest" as commonly known, but affect. Affect can be considered a reader's thoughts about themselves including self-perception. When we know our students through through empathy, that is, because we've been in their shoes, we can create the foundation for stronger relationships and purposes for conferring.