Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

The Challenges That Nontraditional Early Childhood Educators Face When Completing Higher Education, Polixeni Pantelidou

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The Challenges that Nontraditional Early Childhood Educators Face When Completing Higher Education by Polixeni Pantelidou

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the challenges that non-traditional Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers face as they pursue higher education. The study aimed to identify key barriers, motivators, and strategies that influence their educational progression and completion. It aims to identify the motivators that drive these individuals to pursue further education, the challenges they encounter once enrolled, and the strategies they employ to overcome these barriers.

Methodology: This study employed a qualitative descriptive method, engaging a select group …

Monsters, Multiplicities, And Liminal Experiences In Doctoral Education: Fabulation As Research Methodology, Anna V. Gonzalez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to experiment with qualitative research methodologies while exploring the complexities of doctoral education, research practices, philosophies of inquiry, and other topics intersecting with(in) educational scholarship. My vision for this work was fueled by postmodernist critiques of humanist education, frustrations with the methodological status quo pervasive in educational research, and deep concerns about the unsustainability of performance-focused teaching and learning.

The logic I follow in this project is simple: if we—researchers and academics—are to contribute solutions for challenges and ongoing crises in our world, then we must start thinking relationally and in ways more complex …

An Explorative Study Of Two African American Mentoring Programs At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Arlen Sims

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Arlen Sims Gary on November 15, 2024.

Centering Joy In The Classroom: Authentic Pedagogy Through Purpose And Mindfulness, E Mariah Spencer

New Jersey English Journal

This essay explores the need for authenticity as key to a joyful classroom and outlines the ways in which this authenticity can be achieved. Purpose and mindfulness are the linchpins to creating an authentic and joyful learning environment.

Landform Lessons: Applying Terrestrial Geography To Mars Landing Site, Lindsey Herlehy

Publications & Research

In this hands-on, STEM integrated workshop, educators will explore the fascinating parallels between Earth's landscapes and the Martian surface to enhance their understanding of planetary geography. Through a progressive series of activities, participants will compare environments and landforms on Earth and Mars, using actual data from spacecraft orbiting Mars to collect evidence and construct conclusions about these terrestrial planets. Then, applying this information, educators will construct multi-layer maps aimed at selecting the most advantageous landing site for a manned mission to the Red Planet. Finally, utilizing an online mapping application, participants will virtually explore their chosen landing site and examine …

Scholar Perspectives On The Impact Of A Scientific Community Program For Neurodivergent Undergraduate Stem Scholars, Dylan Sullivan, Fernando Zavala, Derek Hidalgo, Jacob Stolle, Rebecca Matte, Christin B. Monroe

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Despite the adaptive strengths and unique problem-solving skills demonstrated by neurodivergent (ND) individuals, they remain underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. High unemployment rates among individuals with disabilities emphasize the need for addressing barriers to entry and persistence in the workforce. This study introduces a program designed to enhance opportunities for neurodivergent STEM scholars with financial needs, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program involves: 1) a weekly cohort course to engage in professional development, 2) use of the Birkman Method® survey to help scholars identify and communicate strengths, fostering self-awareness and growth, and 3) …

Shevtsov: Growing Pains And Growing Gains: The Arizona Experience, Tynan Lazarus, Jane Shevtsov

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Sjsu Erfa Board Minutes, October 7, 2024, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Executive Board Minutes October 7, 2024

Applications In The Classroom: Pop Culture And Ed Psychology: What I Learned From Larry David, Rick Grimes, And Hank Hill, Melissa Vosen Callens

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

In teacher education courses, it is common to teach educational psychology concepts using case studies. Many publishers provide these case studies in textbooks and/or in ancillary materials, and there are many advantages to using them. For example, an instructor does not have to spend extra time finding or writing the case studies, both of which can be very time consuming. In addition, if students have the textbook, they have immediate access. One major disadvantage, however, is that students may find themselves uninterested and disengaged with the cases, depending on the students’ interests and the cases. This paper argues that studying …

Sjsu Erfa Board Minutes, November 4, 2024, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Executive Board Minutes November 4, 2024

Pity The Poor Reader, Charles H. Haddad

School of Communication and Journalism Faculty Publications

I conceived my book “Pity the Poor Reader” as an un-textbook, an irreverent “Elements of style.” Like Elements, it’s designed to complement textbooks. Pity is concise, memorable and portable. Under 300 pages, Pity serves as an aspiring writer’s keepsake. Concision lies at the heart of Pity. The key concepts of writing well are distilled into irreverent, memorable lines and axioms. Many of them are organized as lists that are easily printed and taped to a wall or a computer. Indeed, in testing the book with my university students, I’ve found that many of them did print out its list of …

November 2024 Cafe Newsletter, Center For Advancing Faculty Excellence

CAFE Faculty Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Rubrics Informed By The Cognitive Theory Of Multimedia Learning That Support Research On Personalized Learning Paths, Sean A. Mochocki, Mark G. Reith, Jonathan Zemmer

AFIT Documents

Personalized Learning Paths (PLP)s are a popular area of research in E-Learning where sequences of Learning Materials (LM)s and activities are returned based on a learner profile, the LM metadata, and a knowledge structure that describes the relationship between the underlying topics. Unfortunately, PLP researchers tend to not use an empirically supported cognitive science framework for their research, instead relying on such unsupported theories as learning styles or developing their own ad hoc approaches. While many of these researchers present and solve challenging PLP problems using a variety of algorithmic approaches, the PLP community in general would benefit from a …

Pity The Poor Reader, Charles H. Haddad

School of Communication and Journalism Faculty Publications

I conceived my book “Pity the Poor Reader” as an un-textbook, an irreverent “Elements of style.” Like Elements, it’s designed to complement textbooks. Pity is concise, memorable and portable. Under 300 pages, Pity serves as an aspiring writer’s keepsake. Concision lies at the heart of Pity. The key concepts of writing well are distilled into irreverent, memorable lines and axioms. Many of them are organized as lists that are easily printed and taped to a wall or a computer. Indeed, in testing the book with my university students, I’ve found that many of them did print out its list of …

Panopto Video Platform: Product Review, Claudia Vela, Raymundo Garza-Araujo

TxDLA Journal of Digital Learning

Educational videos enhance the learning experience for students regardless of the delivery mode. A video platform can enhance the instructor’s social, cognitive, and teaching presence in the online classroom. It is an effective way to connect with students, deliver content, and improve the educational experience. Panopto is a tool for on-demand video sharing that is successful in online education. Panopto can transform how students learn and study, making the educational experience more engaging, effective, and accessible.

Study Of Graduate Student Instructors’ Attempts To Incorporate And Reflect On Using Discourse Practices In Undergraduate Mathematics Courses, Katie Johnson Sprague

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

Within the last decade, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has made a call to action, asking educators to engage in effective teaching of mathematics which includes having classrooms rich in mathematical discourse (NCTM, 2014). In this nine-week dissertation study, three mathematics graduate student instructors (GSIs) teaching undergraduate students at a large midwestern university enacted discourse practices to promote mathematical discussions as part of a participatory action research study. The participants were video tapped teaching six times and attended four whole group meetings. The whole group meetings were used to discuss the practices, planning, and enactment of the …

Bridging Gaps. The Role Of School Leaders In Implementing The Mckinney-Vento Act For Homeless Student Success, Brian Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative narrative inquiry explores the role of school leaders in implementing the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (MKVA) within a public school district in West Texas. The study addresses the challenges school leaders face in supporting homeless students and the strategies they employ to ensure academic success and socio-emotional well-being. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Bertalanffy’s general systems theory, the research examines how school leaders' personal understandings and professional experiences influence MKVA provisions' implementation. The study employs semistructured interviews and reflective journals to gather participant data, followed by a member-checking process to enhance the accuracy and credibility of …

Radical Hospitality: Transforming Adjunct Care, Jennifer L. Kritsch, Rachelle Wong, Michael Corke, Ricardo Ramos, Deb Erickson

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

What would it look like to actively connect with others instead of fighting to affirm our differences? Could radical hospitality usher in a way to connect with others? What would a deep connection to adjuncts in an educational community look like? This research intended to document adjunct faculty responses to departmental efforts to better support adjunct faculty based on their expressed needs. Further, the researchers examined literature on the ethic of care, hospitality, invitational theory, and the role that leadership plays in making people feel welcome. The research team also illuminated how radical hospitality/transformative care can redefine the relationships found …

Storytelling As Assessment And Assessment As Storytelling: Reading And Writing Equity, Julene L. Jones, Mary K. Thompson, Co-Creating Action, Watermark

Library Presentations

Wrestling with both the language of storytelling and the language of narrative, this presentation repositions assessment work as creative and historical, giving a double responsibility to its authors. How we speak of education and how we use this information to improve it begs the questions of character and audience. In these questions is the larger consideration of equity. This presentation explores what storytelling as an art can teach us about the institutional stories we are telling.

Equity Action Makers’ Assessment Projects: What Have We Learned Thus Far?, Julene L. Jones, Mary K. Thompson

Library Presentations

Grand Challenges in Assessment Equity Action Makers poster session

Core Concepts: Views From Physiology And Neuroscience, Jennifer E. Schaefer, Joel Michael

Biology Faculty Publications

Core concepts are “big ideas” that are central to a discipline, provide frameworks of understanding for disciplinary content, and aid student transfer of learning. Core concept lists have been developed for increasing numbers of higher education STEM disciplines. This mini-review uses physiology and neuroscience core concepts as examples to inform core concept pedagogies in these and other disciplines. The article reviews the development of physiology and neuroscience core concepts and compares the resulting concept lists. It then provides suggestions or “lessons learned” for educators and researchers who wish to utilize core concept pedagogies or who wish to develop core concepts …

Democratic Practices As Part Of Mathematical Modeling In Schools, Lisa Steffensen, Inger Elin Lilland, Shengtian Zhou

Democracy & Education

We focus on how democratic practices occur during the modeling activity “The Candy Bag of Dreams.” With democratic practices, we refer to approaches supporting inclusivity and active participation aimed at empowering students. We investigated one group of preservice teachers implementing an optimizing modeling activity during practicum in two fifth-grade classes, where students modeled their dream candy bags. Students engaged in mathematical modeling where mathematics was embedded in their social context, and they negotiated meanings and developed perspectives. Through this, they experienced lived democracy by actively engaging in and through democratic practices.

We found democratic practices such as students inviting peers …

What Is Truly Best For Students For Them To Succeed In High School Classrooms Today, Matthew Ortt

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper examined research studies that explored what is truly best for student success in the field of education. This topic aimed to determine the best way to teach students or ensure they reach their full potential through research findings from various qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies. These studies examined the areas of school start times and student’s daily schedules, academic structure and how classes are being offered, student mental health, and the use of technology in the classroom. The research showed a plethora of ways that could help students succeed and gave great insights into data that may already …

Minimal Mindfulness For Maximum Impact: Mandalas, Positivity, Self-Compassion, And Gratitude In The Higher Education Classroom, Jennifer M. Joy Phd,Ncsp, Kendra K. Fox Ed. S., Ncsp, Lauren A. Shepherd Ed. S

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Numerous mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated significant increases in users’ overall physical and emotional well-being. Often, however, graduate-level instructors believe it would be too time-consuming to incorporate these worthwhile self-care strategies into their curriculum. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether participating in a day of mindfulness-based activities could increase overall mindfulness in graduate students. Intervention activities were focused on creating a safe and focused space, as well as instilling self-compassion, positivity, and gratitude. Twelve female graduate students completed short activities utilizing mandalas, prompts for self-compassion and positivity, and a forgiveness practice. Paired-samples t-tests showed the intervention significantly …

Mass Shootings And Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, Kelly Stith

English Faculty Research

I am sitting in the University of Nevada Las Vegas Special Collections archive room in the Lied Library. I came here before to donate a zine of a previously published essay, “Still Echoes,” and photographs to a project they are coordinating in remembrance of the December 6, 2023, mass shooting. The Special Collections team was gracious enough to allow me to investigate other artifacts, including several handwritten condolence cards left at campus memorials. Being here is harrowing and reminds me that these are not just mere notes but reflections of people’s grief and the reckoning with a tragedy that rocked …

Sjsu Erfa Board Minutes, September 9, 2024, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Executive Board Minutes

September 9, 2024

Avoiding Stereotypes: Utilizing A Flipped Framework Of Hofstede’S Cultural Dimensions For Teacher-Student Intercultural Awareness, Maha Azzazi

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Cultural differences are increasingly being analyzed in a globalized world to minimize conflict and optimize successful intercultural interactions. Among the most used cultural frameworks is Hofstede's cultural dimensions. This framework has, however, been criticized as stereotyping nations and individuals from different countries instead of raising awareness and minimizing cultural conflicts. The paper will utilize Hofstede's cultural dimensions to discuss the differences and similarities of cultural behavior within these dimensions. Therefore, a framework will be developed to outline differences in cultural behaviors for educators and students, which can be analyzed on a case-by-case basis without intersecting with nationality and country of …

Strategies And Practices For Guiding Students Through Qualitative Research In A Semester-Long Course, Ellen Block

Center for Teaching and Learning Lectures

In this Talking Teaching session, Dr. Ellen Block will discuss helpful strategies and practices for guiding students through the process of conducting qualitative research over the course of a semester. Topics will include preparing students for interviews, helping them with coding, using qualitative data software, guiding them through the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process, and supporting them as they write up their data. Participants will also have the opportunity to share their own interests, questions, and experiences with guiding student research during the semester.

October 2024 Cafe Newsletter, Center For Advancing Faculty Excellence

CAFE Faculty Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Finding Language For The Experience Of Pltl, A.E. Dreyfuss, Lesley Howell, Maria Cecilia Barone, Sofia Delgado, Sally Faulkner, Ana Fraiman, Robin Frye, Redwan Shahid

Publications and Research

The purpose of this paper is to share a means of communicating why Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) has provided a sense of deep connection among practitioners, including Peer Leaders, faculty and administrators. To arrive at finding the qualitative language of emotions, three discussion sessions were facilitated over the course of three days during the 11th Annual Conference of the Peer-Led Team Learning International Society (June 2023, University of Houston Downtown). Facilitators’ techniques, prompts and the necessary pivots used to question assumptions are presented. We found that despite the many variations in the institutions where PLTL is practiced, we are united …