Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Classroom Implementation Of Cooperative Learning: Qualitative Case Studies Of Three Early Elementary Teachers, W. Philip Bassett

Dissertations

This study uses qualitative methodology to look at the implementation of cooperative learning in three early elementary classrooms. The questions of interest were "What, from a teacher's point of view, happens when cooperative learning methods are implemented?" and "What happens to a cooperative learning model when it is implemented by trained teachers?"

A review of the literature related to cooperative learning identifies three genres of cooperative learning and proposes a theoretical framework. A review of the literature related to qualitative research defines qualitative research in terms of philosophy, perspectives, applications to educational research, and data gathering and analysis techniques. A …

School Ka Sabaq: Literacy In A Girls Primary School In Rural Pakistan, Iffat Farah

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper (which is part of a larger ethnographic study) describes literacy learning practices in the context of a girls' school in rural Pakistan. In this context, school ka sabaq is recognized as involving reading and writing activities, and behavior particular to the institution of the school. A description of the reading and writing activities as well as the division of time and space in the school shows that literacy activities are reflected in and determined by the context of the particular institution within which they are learned and practiced. The author also describes school-community relations and the community's goals …

Cooperative Learning On Mathematical Problem Solving: Reflections By A Traditional Teacher And Her Students, Diana Metsisto

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

As our society becomes more technologically complex, the educational system preparing our students to become citizens of this society must adapt to met changing demands. Mathematical literacy of the 21st century will require a different model of mathematics education than that which served in the past. This thesis argues for a model of mathematics education which includes as key components: problem solving, question posing, cooperative learning, concrete manipulatives, and teaching for thinking. This new model sets forth guidelines for a facilitative approach to the teaching of mathematics as opposed to the more traditional, authoritative model. This facilitative model is based …

Critical Thinking In Reading: A Whole Language Approach, Deborah Anne Adkins

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

The importance of good instruction in reading education has long been recognized. What constitutes good instruction and what materials should be used have been the focus of much debate, however, over the years. Two relatively new movements in education have recently added fuel to that debate, namely the movements in critical thinking and whole language. The fundamental purpose of the thinking skills movement is the development of higher level thinking in students. In the area of reading this means that students should be challenged by questions and problems in literature which cause them to go beyond a literal understanding. They …

In The Classroom: Details, Details, Details (Nov. '90), Michael P. French, Kathy Everts Danielson

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Recounts how several teachers came up with their own solutions to teaching problems involving diverse areas like reading diagnosis, writing workshops, and peer conferencing.

In The Classroom: Vocabulary (April '90), Michael P. French, Kathy Everts Danielson, Maureen Conn, Willa Gale, Charlene Lueck, Mona Manley

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Vocabulary knowledge is one of the most critical elements of comprehension. Helping students to expand their own vocabularies and to become more interested in words is a challenge for all teachers. The following techniques provide teachers various ways to enhance students' vocabulary development. To read more about vocabulary instruction, see: Heimlich, J.E., & Pittelman, S.D. (1986). Semantic mapping: Classroom applications. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Johnson, D.D. (Ed.) (1986). Vocabulary [Special issuel. Journal of Reading, 29 (7). Johnson, D.D., & Pearson, PD. (1984). Teaching reading vocabulary (2nd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Marzano, R.J., & Marzano, J.S. (1988). …

In The Classroom: Strategies For Poor Readers (Mar. '90), Michael P. French, Kathy Everts Danielson, Maureen Conn, Willa Gale, Charlene Lueck, Mona Manley

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

All readers need successful learning experiences. Recent research suggests that poor readers benefit from using the same whole language reading and writing strategies as more successful readers. In her introduction to the April 1988 themed issue of Vie Reading Teacher on what works with poor readers.

Irene West Gaskins stated: The research I was doing supported the current view that reading is a process in which an active and strategic reader gains meaning through an interaction between background knowledge and information in a text. Since I have adopted this definition, the way I teach has changed and students in the …

A Comparison Of The Frequencies Of Selected Teaching Behaviors Of Trained And Untrained Teachers, Raymonde Antonia Frances Joseph

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to compare the frequencies of a selected set of teaching behaviors of trained and untrained teachers in elementary schools in St. Lucia. The dependent variables in the study were the frequencies of Structuring, Questioning, Feedback and Praise behaviors. The independent variables were training, grades awarded at teaching practice, and subject areas.

Records of the lessons were obtained through the use of audiotapes. The behaviors were coded using a low inference observation schedule. The data were analyzed using means and standard deviations. The significance and inferential statistic applied was the chi-square.

Significant differences were found …

Job Sharing Among Elementary School Teachers, Denise Ione Walsh

All Graduate Projects

The practice of job sharing, in which two teachers share the responsibilities of one teacher, is described. A comprehensive review of related literature is presented. Perceptions of those directly affected by the practice in one school district were gathered through 70 structured interviews with elementary principals, job sharing teachers, full-time teacher colleagues, students in job sharing classrooms, and parents. The study reveals predominantly positive reactions to the practice, and supports continuation of job sharing as an employment option for teachers.

Nova University Master's Programs: Child And Youth Care Administrators, Family Support Studies (Application Packet) 1990–1991, Nova University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Elementary Teachers' Self-Perception Of Burnout While Participating In A Professional Development Change Process, Lana L. Callihan

Dissertations

Teachers are experiencing pressures from the demands of educational change required in their profession. The quality of education is reflected by the competency of the teacher. The research suggests that efforts should be directed toward identifying a process for change that will reduce the feelings of burnout which block the energy and enthusiasm needed for change.

This study investigated the question, "Does involvement in a professional development process modify a teacher's perceived feelings of burnout?" The professional development models studied were the Collaborative Curriculum and Professional Development Process (CCPDP), Instructional Theory Into Practice (ITIP), and the Michigan School Improvement Process …

In The Classroom: Reading And Writing In The Content Areas (Dec. '89), Michael P. French, Kathy Everts Danielson, Maureen Conn, Willa Gale, Charlene Lueck, Mona Manley

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Students comprehend content material by reading, discussing, writing, questioning, investigating, exploring, and organizing. Reading and writing in the content areas relates prior knowledge, classroom interaction, cooperative learning, vocabulary instruction, and questioning techniques. Children practice research skills by organizing information in a meaningful and practical manner. This month's In the Classroom column presents ways in which teachers can enhance their students' comprehension of content area topics by involving them in various classroom activities. Additional resources for content area reading and writing activities follow :

Dupuis, M.M. (1983). Reading in the content areas: Research for teachers. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Graves, …

In The Classroom: Using Children's Literature (Oct. '89), Michael P. French, Kathy Everts Danielson, Maureen Conn, Willa Gale, Charlene Lueck, Mona Manley

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Lists children's literature in reading instruction. "Children's Literature in the Reading Program"; "Literature-based Reading Programs at Work"; "Children's Choices: Teaching With Books Children Like"; "Transitions: From Literature to Literacy".

Introducing Problem Solving Through Literature At The Elementary Level, Margaret S. Harbert

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

There has been much publicity the past few years, regarding students' lack of basic skills, their inability to think clearly, and their poor use of problem solving strategies. To focus on this need, the following program has been designed to help elementary teachers introduce problem solving in an organized manner adding very little, if any extra material to the curriculum. The program aims to help students solve problems, critically, creatively, and systematically. Problem solving was chosen as the target area since the skills and strategies used are closely related to those used in reading comprehension, answering questions logically, and general …

A Comparison Of Career Ladder Iii And Career Ladder I Elementary Principals' Leader Behavior And Organizational Climate, Eugene H. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The perceptions of elementary teachers with regard to the leadership behavior exhibited by their principals and to the organizational climate of their schools were examined in this study. The purpose of the study was to determine whether Tennessee elementary principals who achieved Career Ladder III standing exhibited more effective leadership behaviors and maintained a more suitable organizational climates than Career Ladder I principals. This study followed the ex-post facto research approach and utilized data obtained through use of the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire Form 12 (LBDQ-12) and the Revised Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ-RE). Responses were obtained from 590 teachers …

A Staff Development Program For Paraprofessionals, Marjorie Brickley

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A description of the process of designing a staff development program for paraprofessionals working with children birth - 3 years of age. The thesis highlights special issues that infant/toddler programs face. The staff development process includes an assessment of the caregiver's skills, setting goals for the improvement of the program, a description of the 2 day training that was held, and an evaluation of the changes that resulted from the staff development experience.

Ua35/11 Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

The WKU Student Honors Research Bulletin is dedicated to scholarly involvement and student research. These papers are representative of work done by students from throughout the university.

• Coates, Alan. Management's Attitude Toward Collective Bargaining
• Frew, Becky. The Effects of Personality Type and Social Support on Instances of Job Stress
• Green, Laura. Earth Sheltered Housing
• Gregory, Vicky. Fraud and Abuse by Medical Providers in Medicare and Medicaid
• Hignite, Susan. Japanese Students in Kentucky Classrooms
• Hodum, Martha. The Mathematically Gifted Child
• Jones, Rodney. Superman to Censorship: America's Romance with the Comic Book
• Marrs, Shawn. Romanticism and Unromanticism in Sir Gawain and the …

The Effect Of Extrinsic Rewards On Intrinsic Motivation In Preschool Children, Rebecca L. Di Santo

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Staff Development And The Process Of Teacher Change: A Case Study, Christene Kay Jones

Dissertations and Theses

This case study documented a staff development program which was the major component of a public school/university partnership between Portland State University and the Lake Oswego School District, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. A select group of 34 Lake Oswego teachers and 4 administrators participated in the Joint Ventures in Instructional Leadership Program which included classes in learning and instructional theory, techniques of peer sharing, instructional strategies and models of teaching, and approaches to the teaching of higher order thinking skills. The program included 7 full days and 4 evenings of instructional training which occurred throughout the 1986-87 school year. …

A Teacher's Guide To Pioneer Life In South Central Kentucky, Nancy Disher Baird, Carol Crowe Carraco

Teacher Resources: Kentucky History

No abstract provided.

Special Ideas, Marlene Ashby

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Special Ideas is a composite of practical strategies and techniques assembled for the primary-grade teacher’s use with the learning disabled student, slow learner and underachiever. The focal point of this material is the basic skills of reading, math, spelling, handwriting and general ideas on classroom management, behavior management and motivation. The purpose of the material is to provide the classroom teacher with practical ideas that may serve as a guide to help the teacher adapt and/or modify the curriculum, the materials, and the methods of instruction to the needs of the special child. The sources for these ideas include personal …

A Survey Of Oral Communication Instructional Practices In The Elementary Public Schools Of Michigan, James N. Walker

Dissertations

Instruction in oral communication is critical to education. Oral communication skills are needed in the development of skills in written language, math, problem solving, and reading. Oral communication skills are important in achieving academic, vocational, and personal success. On November 1, 1978, speech education was recognized as a basic skill by United States law.

The purpose of this study was to determine the oral communication instructional practices in Michigan public elementary schools grades K-5. Eight research questions were identified:

(1) Is instruction provided? (2) What is the "basis" for instruction? (3) What materials are used? (4) What is the method …

Ua35/11 Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

The WKU Student Honors Research Bulletin is dedicated to scholarly involvement and student research. These papers are representative of work done by students from throughout the university.

• Bachert, Sara. Rational Portrayal of the Irrationational in The Pit and the Pendulum
• Bell, Suzanne. Early Secret Involvement of the United States Military in Cambodia
• Brock, Beth. The Informal Caregiving System: The Frail Elderlys' Avenue of Choice
• Daniel, Janice. Child Sexual Abuse
• Johnson, Linda. International Telecommunications Trade with Japan
• Jones, LaMont. Ernie Pyle: Journalist Without Peer
• Kesserling, Marcia. Attitudes Toward the Need for Computer Literacy
• Lewis, Gloria. John Donne's Attitude Toward Love
• Majdi, …

Dorchester: The Community Teaches, A Resource Book Of Information And Activities, Institute For Learning & Teaching, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Institute for Learning and Teaching Publications

We have prepared this manual of resources and activities so that Dorchester teachers and children can explore their community. We have done so in the belief that community studies can be a valuable addition to the curriculum. They involve children in thinking about and taking part in the affairs of their community. Through community studies, children in the process of becoming citizens can learn how to participate in and have an impact on their community. In this time of widespread apathy, despair, and resignation about community problems, education for citizenship is a top priority.

When children are learning about their …

A Study Of Group Attitudes Toward The Professional Status Of Teachers In Selected Adventist Elementary And Secondary Schools, Edward Joseph Kunitz

Dissertations

Problem. It was not known to what extent groups associated with Adventist education supported the professional role orientation of teaching which in turn affected the work behavior and morale of teachers.

Method. A Professional Role Orientation Scale (PROS) was responded to by 701 randomly selected subjects. The scale contained four criteria identifying professional aspects of teaching as a profession. Responses to the instrument were item weight analyzed and judged for point multiserial reliability before insertion into a BMDP statistical program. Four null hypotheses were tested using two-way ANOVA with the Scheffe test for multiple mean comparisons. Stepwise multiple regressions were …

A Curriculum Design Using Mnemonic-Type Techniques To Aid Recall In Low/Average Achievers In The Fifth Grade, Blanche Floannell Fuqua Mcmath

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children in the Duval County School System in Jacksonville, Florida, who are low/average achievers have to compete in a multi-graded classroom atmosphere. These students are passed along supported by low minimum-based competency test scores. The purpose of this project was to show teachers how they can present mnemonic procedures to these students in an effort to help these students raise test scores, boost self-esteem, and provide a self-help study device that can aid their progress in subsequent grades, aid morale, and thus avoid potential drop-outs in the system. This curriculum design is offered in the subjects of health and science. …

Teaching Communication Skills Through Video Tape Productions, Jane R. Fleetwood

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Motivating students to learn and practice effective communication skills has always been a dilemma for teachers of all grade levels. Video cameras and camcorders are now being used as teaching tools in many schools to not only motivate students to use and practice a variety of skills, but to stimulate their creativity, as well. Loretto Elementary School in

Jacksonville, Florida, is developing a program which incorporates student-written video productions into its existing curriculum. Loretta's innovative program is a direct result of a 10-rninute informational video tape production done by graduate student Jane Fleetwood and Continental Cablevision, a local cable television …

An Analysis Of Problems Identified By Teachers And Selected Social Demographic Variables, Brenda C. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this study was to investigate the problems listed as bothersome and their frequency as identified by selected elementary teachers. Another objective was to analyze differences between teacher problems and selected social demographic variables. The background research was limited to a review of the literature related to the subject. It was determined that the relevance of professional problem solving as a competency could provide formative information to guide changes in undergraduate, graduate, preservice, and in-service education. A descriptive research design was followed by surveying a selected sample of teachers of grades 1-7 in the nine counties and two …

The Efficacy Of Relaxation Training On The Affective Behavior Of Early Elementary Minority Students, Mary L. Veele

Dissertations

The relationship between affective behavior and academic achievement has been addressed by a community based education program for minority student achievement in a southwestern Michigan school district. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the effectiveness of selected components of the intervention program whose design or goal was to change the affective behavior of early elementary Black students enrolled in the community based education program. It was hypothesized that there would be a difference in affective behavior between groups of children who received regular training or intensive relaxation training; between boys and girls; and among Grades 1, 2, …

An Analysis Of Problems Identified By Teachers And Selected Social Demographic Variables, Brenda C. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this study was to investigate the problems listed as bothersome and their frequency as identified by selected elementary teachers. Another objective was to analyze differences between teacher problems and selected social demographic variables. The background research was limited to a review of the literature related to the subject. It was determined that the relevance of professional problem solving as a competency could provide formative information to guide changes in undergraduate, graduate, preservice, and in-service education. A descriptive research design was followed by surveying a selected sample of teachers of grades 1-7 in the nine counties and two …