Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

A Grounded Theory Of New Aboriginal Teachers’ Perceptions: The Cultural Attributions Of Medicine Wheel Teachings, Lorenzo Cherubini, Ewelina Niemczyk, John Hudson, Sarah Mcgean

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

The stress and anxiety of new teachers is a pervasive problem that impacts upon teacher preparation and retention. Although new mainstream teacher concerns and experiences have been readily discussed in the literature, the same attention has not been invested for new Aboriginal teachers. In Ontario, Canada, in excess of 60% of the Aboriginal population live off-reserve and reside in urban communities. Well over 50,000 Aboriginal students attend publicly funded kindergarten to Grade 12 schools that are governed by the Ontario Ministry of Education. There is a growing socio-political awareness that Aboriginal epistemologies are distinct from colonial paradigms, and that Aboriginal …

Media And Youth Identity In Pakistan: Global-Local Dynamics And Disjuncture, Al-Karim Datoo

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

The paper critically analyzes the engagement of a group of Pakistani urban youth with global cultural flows through media, and their responses to those flows. The discussion mainly centres around an analysis of a re-make of a drama-skit performed by a group of Pakistani urban high school youth during their school’s annual function which could be regarded as a kind of satire providing a cultural critique on the way cultural globalization, through media (especially cultural production through Indian Bollywood film/soap media-industry), is influencing urban Pakistani youth's perception of 'local' values, norms and identities. For the analysis, the paper draws upon …

An Empirical Investigation Across Second-Level, Third-Level And Adult-Level Career Guidance Services In Ireland, Tara Conlon

Theses

This study is an investigation across second-level, third-level and adult-level career guidance services in Ireland. This study particularly focuses on the different career guidance services available to the Irish population and how people use these services to help them in making academic and professional decisions. Many difficulties are encountered by people making critical choices on course and career options in order to progress.

The recent downturn in the Irish economy has had a significant effect on educational and career paths of the Irish population. Job losses and redundancies have led to an increase in unemployment rates. A significant amount of …

Reflections Of Pre-Service Teachers On Their Own Teaching Practices, David W. Snyder

Faculty Publications - College of Education

The focus of this paper is self-reflection on teaching using video. The excerpts that are used in this paper are taken from the emails of pre-service music teachers at Illinois State University completing their required clinical hours with instrumental students at both the middle school and high school level. Though these teaching episodes were eventually evaluated by the instructor in the areas of teacher presence, classroom management, lesson planning, teaching method, pacing, error detection, pedagogy and assessment, the pre-service teachers received no specific guidelines on how to focus their first reflective comments. The intent was to get a glimpse into …

Will Peer Review Still Function And How?, Sheri Spaine Long

College of Arts & Sciences Professional Work

Editors of scholarly journals increasingly use web-based peer review and tracking systems to offer enhanced speed, communication, automation and a complete record of submissions and peer review history. Such digital tools are likely to increase frequency of revisions and ultimately lead to a higher quality published article. However, with the larger and ever more dispersed reviewer pool that is facilitated by web-based systems, there is less reliance on elite reviewers. Therefore, there is more pressure on editors to assign manuscripts for review appropriately due to more peer reviewers, academic globalization, and the inherent depersonalization of the digital editorial assistant.

A Project-Based Learning Approach To Applied Craft Calculations Within Apprenticeship Education: An Action Research Study, Kevin Furlong

Theses

Using an Action Research methodology, this study was based in Technologicl University Dublin and conducted with the cooperation of three groups of Phase Six Plumbing apprentices over a ten-month period (three cycles). The main aim of the research project was to establish if a deeper understanding and application of Building Services Applied Calculations could be achieved through the implementation of Project-Based Learning within Apprenticeship Education? Research literature shows that not only in Ireland but also abroad, third level education is experiencing what is described as a ‘maths problem’. With applied calculations and mathematics being a fundamental and essential part of …

Teacher Workload: A Formula For Maximizing Teacher Performance And Well-Being, Norma A. Sugden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that teacher workload is intensifying and teachers are increasingly leaving the profession prior to having taught for 35 years. The purpose of this mixed method, sequential, phenomenological study was to determine (a) how workload intensification impacts teacher performance and well-being, (b) whether or not workload intensification was a primary factor in teachers’ choosing to leave the profession early, and (c) a formula for maximizing teacher performance and well-being. Apple’s workload intensification thesis was the theoretical framework for this study. Quantitative data obtained via a survey (N=484), together with qualitative data collected via four focus group sessions and …

Using Electronic Faculty Course Portfolios To Showcase Classroom Practices And Student Learning, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodburn

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Faculty course portfolios are a valuable medium for documenting and making visible the serious intellectual work of teaching. Developing a faculty course portfolio follows the same process one uses to explore a research question. Faculty members inquire, analyze, and document their teaching practices and the resulting student learning and then make the results accessible for use, review, and assessment by one’s peers. In this article, we introduce four types of electronic course portfolios that sponsor different forms of inquiry into student learning. We highlight the major components of each type, offer advice in developing them, and share examples of each. …

Through Support Of Mothers, Khush Funer Murtaza

Professional Development Centre, Gilgit

No abstract provided.

Developing Processes And Criteria For External Reviews Of Scholarly Teaching, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodburn

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This workshop explores theoretical questions and practical strategies for how to develop peer reviewers for faculty required to document their scholarly teaching. After reading two mini case-studies of how faculty have documented the intellectual work of their teaching, participants will engage in guided discussion about reviewing and assessing such work and about developing faculty communities equipped to do such work. Presenter(s) also will seek feedback on guidelines that they have developed for external reviewers of SOTL work.

To Blend Or Not To Blend: Online-Only And Blended Learning Environments, Rachel M. B. Collopy, Jackie Marshall Arnold

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Increasing curricular demands and the desire to provide meaningful, engaging instruction have pressed teacher educators to review and revise their programs. Many have viewed the assets of online learning as a potential solution to meet the seemingly ever increasing state- and accreditation-mandated course content and competencies. Universities have explored the inclusion of Web based courses for students for several decades. According to Martyn (2003), over 90% of higher education institutions use some type of electronically enhanced learning or “e-learning” option.

These options vary between courses that are offered completely “online” to those that include a blend of differing amounts of …

Characteristics Of A Healthy Environment, Saima Khalid

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Getting Boys To Read: A Look At The Research And The Books They Love, Carrie Lynn Cooper, Kathy Cox Watson

Library Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

This session focuses on what the research says about males as readers and introduces the audience to great boy books and other types of text that appeals to male readers. The presenters have chosen titles from the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards program that are of interest to young male readers. Presenters also introduce and promote Kentucky’s children’s choice reading program, the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards. To misquote George Ella Lyon, the presenters would like to get boys to "shake hands with a book."

A Strong Foundation, Khush Funer Murtaza

Professional Development Centre, Gilgit

No abstract provided.

Interview With Paul Gray: 2008 Arkansas Teacher Of The Year, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

The 2008 Arkansas Teacher of the Year was Paul Gray of Russellville. Mr. Gray is a social studies teacher and department chairman at Russellville High School.

A Pedagogy Of Process: Using Arts Based Research With Community Development Co-Researchers To Explore Campus Community Dialogue, Brian Hand

Theses

This thesis will outline how I employed an arts informed participatory research process with four women members of the Southend family resource centre in Wexford town. The primary context for this research was the introduction of a module in community based learning on the BA (hons) in Art at the Wexford Campus of I.T. Carlow combined with a desire to participate more actively in the community sector outside the campus. The choice of an arts based methodology was to capture knowledge in a multifaceted way, to give depth to the many meanings of individual experiences and finally to suggest a …

The Effect Of Prior Knowledge In Undergraduate Performance In Chemistry: A Correlation – Prediction Study, Michael K. Seery

Theses

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Feedback Given To Strong And Weak Student Writers, Janet L. D. Dinnen, Rachel M. B. Collopy

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Improvement-oriented feedback has been shown to be more effective at raising writing achievement than simple evaluative feedback. This study investigates whether teachers differ in the feedback they give to weak and strong writers as well as how feedback differs across grades. Interviews were conducted with 15 teachers about the feedback they gave students on their writing. Contrary to expectations, analyses indicate that both weak and strong writers received minimal improvement-oriented feedback. However, strong writers received more positive evaluative feedback while weak writers received more negative evaluative feedback. This research has implications for both teacher education and the professional development of …

Managing Conflict In The Classroom, Saima Khalid, Syeda Imrana Raza

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Encouraging Criticality Through Academic Reading, Fariha Hayat

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

The paper focus on the findings of one of the research questions of a larger research study. It explores the affordance of academic reading to invoke ‘criticality’ (Cope, 2002; Burns and Hood, 1998 and Brown 1999) amongst postgraduate students within traditional university classrooms. Anchored in a research study that roots itself in the broad area of English for Academic Purposes (or EAP), it probes into the process of reading and responding to academic texts written in English. With a qualitative orientation, the study uses a case study design to gather empirical evidence through the introspective method of ‘stimulated think alouds’ …

What’S Your Perspective A Secondary Staff Cultural Proficiency Training, Jeanne A. Cunningham

All Graduate Projects

A two-hour and forty-five minute staff cultural proficiency training was compiled for an urban high school. Nearly thirty percent of the school's population is make up of non-majority cultural groups yet approximately ninety-nine percent of the staff is white. A review of literature indicates that culture matters when educating students and schools cognizant of this information realize higher student performance. Using current data, the project demonstrates the need for cultural proficiency training and provides staff information and resources to increase awareness of the role of culture in teaching and learning.

Examining Teachers' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Response To Intervention, Ashley Elizabeth Moore Swigart

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-step approach to providing interventions to students within general and special education. This study investigated the relationship between elementary, middle, and high school teachers’ perceptions of RTI and (a) whether they taught general versus special education, (b) grade level taught, (c) knowledge level of RTI, and (d) presence in a school implementing RTI and participation in the process. Understanding teachers’ perceptions is of particular importance to school psychologists and can be used to ensure that teachers participate fully in the RTI process. Participants were given a questionnaire to complete that assessed their perceptions and …

Does A Co-Learner Delivery Model In Professional Development Affect Teachers’ Self-Efficacy In Teaching Mathematics, John J. Ribeiro, Denise Demagistris

Teacher Education

A mixed method study is reported examining teacher efficacy regarding professional development in mathematics instruction for two groups of teachers: in building with peers (N=17) and MAT student co-learners in the classroom (N=14). An end-of-course survey, focus group interviews and pre-post data for the Teacher Self Efficacy Scale were used to investigate:1. What is the difference in teachers’ efficacy regarding mathematics instruction based on the professional development delivery system they experienced? 2. What are teachers’ perceptions of their professional development with peers conducted onsite in district compared with professional development with peers and preservice teachers at a university setting? Descriptive …

Expectations For Career And Social Support By Mentors And Mentees Participating In Formal Elementary And Secondary School Mentoring Programs, Monique Jacob, Robert K. Gable

Teacher Education

Teacher shortages are a nationwide concern, attributable primarily to high attrition rates among new teachers (Ingersoll, 2003; Ingersoll & Kralik, 2004; Ingersol & Smith, 2004). Ingersoll and Kralik (2004) claimed that an estimated 50% of new teachers left the profession within their first 5 years. Reasons for leaving include: isolating and non-supportive teaching environments, poor working conditions and overwhelming teaching assignments (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2005). To support beginning teachers, Rhode Island passed legislation requiring districts to develop a mentoring process (Law 16-7.1-2 Accountability for Student Performance). One variable measuring mentoring success is how closely participants’ expectations for the relationship …

Searching For Patterns Of Discourse In A Sea Of Professional Development: Professional Learning And Teacher Discourse, Brian T. Whitney

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Professional development, like a sea of changing tides, ebbs and flows through a myriad of professional trends. Some of these trends have disenfranchised teachers from the core of professional learning while others have empowered teachers to confront change with passion and courage. As collaboration continues to gain popularity as an empowering and effective route to professional learning, scrutinizing the effects of professional development on teacher discourse will ensure desired outcomes are achieved.

While collaboration holds the power to break down some of the isolation that exists in the teaching profession, talk alone, void of inquiry and reflection, will not necessarily …

Need For International Business Concepts In The Curriculum, David Seeley Jr.

International Journal for Business Education

With the continued increase in international business, business education has an obligation to reflect this trend. There are two methods for incorporating international business concepts into the curriculum: infusion and creation. Ideally, this obligation would be completed with a standalone course in international business. However, it can also be accomplished through incorporating international business concepts into current curriculum. Business programs need to include international aspects into the curriculum to help the students understand the economy in which they live.

Enhancing Science Teachers' Understanding Of Ecosystem Interactions With Qualitative Conceptual Models, Marion Dresner, Monica Elser

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The project described in this article explores how a series of conceptual ecological models can be used to portray the improvement in ecological understanding over the span of a short course. The course involved high school teachers working collaboratively on ecological research projects. Teachers were asked to construct qualitative conceptual models (a diagram of important ecosystem components and the linkages between these components) and write explanatory essays at three points during their research experience. The progression in development of teachers’ models spanned initial intuitive explanation, with misconceptions, to the post-test elaboration of a more complex and accurate understanding of ecological …

Support For Youth Workers: Slipping On The Social Curve, John K E Tan

Social Space

What are the issues concerning the training of our youth workers? What support exists for them? Are we creating a vacuum where we are grooming an increasing number of youth workers and not providing enough resources to ensure their sustenance? Children-At- Risk Empowerment Association's (CARE Singapore) John K E Tan sheds some light on this matter.

Curriculum Evolution At The Department Of Baking Technology (National Bakery School), Dit, Kevin Street 1998-2008: What Factors Have Brought About A Change In The Curriculum, Mary Kavanagh

Theses

This thesis research set out to examine the factors which have contributed to curriculum evolution at the National Bakery School, Technologicl University Dublin (DIT) from 1998 to 2008. It focused on a number of dimensions which have contributed to a radical shift in curriculum. Those dimensions include biographical, cultural, micro-political, structural, socio-historical, technological and scientific. The research design was essentially a hermeneutical, interpretative case study using qualitative data gathering techniques. The primary research methods employed were interviews conducted with lecturing staff, and a survey conducted with students travelling to Germany for continuing professional development. An extensive literature review was conducted …

Stories Of God's Love: Preschool Program (Ages 4-5), Joy L. Comingore, Shauna M. Adams, Joni L. Baldwin, Elizabeth M. Engelhardt, Susan M. Ferguson, Debra Ciambro Grisso

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Stories of God’s Love is a Bible-based program prepared by a team of respected preschool specialists from the University of Dayton and is written following the directives developed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The leaflet style format proclaims age appropriate Bible stories as well as contemporary stories which connect the scripture story to an everyday life experience of a preschool child.

Seasonal leaflets introduce and explore holy days, holidays and the seasons of the year. A music component, poster set and program director manual completes the program. Multi-day and one-day guides are available.