Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Increasing Feedback From Endocrinology Faculty To Fellows: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Emily Metzinger, Emily Griffing, Michelle Knoll

Research Days

Feedback is essential in medical training. Our aim is to increase the frequency of feedback that CMH endocrinology fellows receive in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. We noted initial success of increasing feedback in the inpatient setting however later decreased to below goal. Frequency of feedback in the outpatient setting has remained below goal. Tracking feedback has been challenging, but a recent survey showed that fellows perceive that they receive more feedback.

Exploring The Curriculum And Institutional Contexts Of Stem Future Faculty Programs, Amy Mae Forester

Dissertations and Theses

While there are a multitude of contributing factors, under-represented student success in STEM appears to be critically interdependent with teaching and learning practices that are responsive to diverse epistemologies and inclusive pedagogies. However, the professional literature has yet to identify a set of faculty development best practices that might guide the field. Furthermore, the institutional supports required to drive the success of STEM-oriented future faculty programs remain unknown. This inquiry proposal intended to address these concerns through a critical comparative qualitative study in seeking evidence-based practices and institutional elements of STEM faculty professional development programs that support diverse graduate and …

To Bpd Or Not To Bpd: A Comparison Of The 2022 Versus 2011 Nichd Web-Based Risk Estimator For Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Mitch Kinkor, Jake Schneider, Farhath Sulthana, Janelle R. Noel-Macdonnell Phd, Alain Cuna

Research Days

This study compares the performance of the 2022 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) Outcome Estimator and its original 2011 version in identifying high-risk infants.

Oscillometry In Term Neonates Without Respiratory Disease, Anna Nelson, Cheri Gauldin, Brooke Smith, Venkatesh Sampath, Winston Manimtim

Research Days

This feasibility study aims to determine normative values of oscillometry for neonates without respiratory disease.

Increasing The Rate Of Infants Rooming In With Their Mothers With Low-Acuity Congenital Heart Disease, Anna Nelson, Amy Marks, Ekta Patel

Research Days

This quality improvement study aimed to increase the number of infants with low-acuity congenital heart disease that could room-in with their mothers in a high-risk delivery center.

Automate Isolation Infection-Prevention Precautions (Aid-Ip): Improving The Efficiency Of Hospital Isolation With Viral Respiratory Infections, Timothy Burchard, Michael Platt, La'sonya Buford

Research Days

The AID-IP project is a QI study working to improve the process of isolation and de-isolation regarding respiratory viruses at Children's Mercy Hospital. Specifically, we aim to improve adherence to proper isolation precautions, minimize cognitive workload regarding the maintenance of isolation for staff, and improve family satisfaction with isolation practice.

Nrp, Pals, And Their Utilization During Code Events In A Pediatric Quaternary Hospital: A 'Compressed' Analysis, Mitch Kinkor, Deepa Kumar, Allison Taber, Stephen Pfeiffer, Jessica Brunkhorst, Danielle Reed

Research Days

Both the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) algorithms are utilized for resuscitation during pediatric codes. The optimal time period to transition from NRP to PALS is not well studied. This study describes the utilization of chest compressions, prescribed medications, and patient outcomes during and after code events organized by the algorithm used to direct resuscitation (PALS or NRP) in a similarly aged patient population.

Improving Awareness And Utilization Of Safety Net Resources After Extremity Firearm Injury, Colleen M. Moreland, Caleb W. Grote, Richard M. Schwend, Julia G. Harris

Research Days

The orthopaedic surgery department can improve follow-on care for pediatric survivors of extremity firearm injuries by creating and implementing a checklist of defined safety net resources.

A Quality Improvement Project To Improve Antibiotic Choice For Children Admitted With Urinary Tract Infections (Utis), Philip Jurasinski Do, Pgy-3, Adrienne Deporre Md, Kathleen Berg Md, Allison Hadley Md, Viktoriya Stoycheva Mha, Rn, Cpn, Rana El Feghaly Md

Research Days

This is an antibiotic stewardship quality improvement project focused on improving antibiotic choices for children with urinary tract infections who are in the Children's Mercy Kansas City system. This project aims to improve the rates of cefazolin or cephalexin for treatment from 27% to 60%. 96% of urinary tract infections in our system are caused by E. Coli that are susceptible to these first generation cephalosporins.

More Of Less: Optimizing Opioid Prescriptions For Acute Fractures In The Emergency Department At A Children’S Hospital, Colton Schwarz, Spencer Wittmeyer, Mitch Kinkor, Michelle Dephillips, Elizabeth Edmundson, Ryan Mcdonough, Warren Teachout, Nicholas Clark

Research Days

Quality improvement project that aims to improve opioid stewardship in acute fracture management.

Characterization Of Nationally Reported Pediatric Deaths Involving Fentanyl Ingestions In Missouri, Margaret Campbell, Mary Moffatt, Emily Killough, Terra Frazier

Research Days

There has been a dramatic rise in pediatric deaths associated with synthetic opioid use, with the most prominent being Fentanyl. This is a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention with the goal of identifying risk factors that increase the vulnerability of children to Fentanyl ingestion. Ultimately this research may help lead to improved identification of at risk children with the goal of implementation of targeted prevention programming.

How Neonates Die: Mortality Trends And Associations In A Level Iv Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Erin Bolen, Ashley K. Sherman, Julie Weiner, Jotishna Sharma

Research Days

Background

Modes of neonatal mortality include withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions, non-escalation of interventions, and secondary to a code event. Mortality trends have been examined broadly, but the impact of clinical and demographic factors on the mode of neonatal mortality has yet to be evaluated. A greater understanding of this information would help guide medical decision-making and identify potential inequities. The aim is to evaluate the impact of clinical and demographic factors on the mode of neonatal death in a level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Study Design/Methods

Data were collected via retrospective chart review of patients who died at …

Understanding Inpatient Diagnostic Imaging Use In Children’S Hospitals To Prioritize Stewardship Efforts, Megan E. Collins, Matt Hall, John Stephens, Jessica L. Markham

Research Days

We utilized the Pediatric Health Information System to perform a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized children across 45 hospitals to describe diagnostic imaging studies among hospitalized children with the highest prevalence, cost, rates of repetition, and hospital variation to help inform de-implementation efforts.

Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes About Gender, Education, And Mathematical Aptitude: A Quantitative Study, Paige Barnett

Honors Theses

Females and mathematics are often not grouped together due to the gender bias surrounding the two. Perhaps attending an all-girls high school has instilled a higher level of confidence in me and my mathematical abilities than many females exhibit. The focus of my research is to examine preservice elementary teachers for their confidence levels in mathematics, as well as if they hold a form of unconscious gender bias. I completed this research by developing a six-question survey instrument. The survey was administered in the Spring and Fall of 2023 Math 245 and Math 245 classes. Both are required math courses …

Counting The Possibilities: New Numerals And New Opportunities, Ryan Fox

Faculty Scholarship Symposium

To support the teaching of a class, I investigated the Kaktovik or Inupiaq number system. What started as an exploration to enhance an education class activity turned into a fascinating addition to my research agenda. The proposed presentation will summarize already accepted work and look forward to new possibilities. My first scholarly work with these numbers had education majors connect their own understanding of mathematics to the addition and subtraction in the number system, challenging the students’ approaches to teaching elementary school children familiar algorithms. In another work, I presented approaches to multiplying these new numbers to local mathematics teachers. …

Key Benefits Of Small Group Instruction For Diverse Learners, Lydia Mcevoy

Master's Theses

Utilizing a mixed method approach this research study investigated the effects of small group instruction on the learning of diverse learners. Informed by a preliminary literature review that supports the use of small-group instruction, the researcher conducted a small-scale action research project to focus on three diverse learners in a 1st-grade classroom over four weeks. One of the findings of this project shows that small group instruction helps promote social and emotional skills as students feel more comfortable interacting with peers in a small group rather than in a whole group. Another finding indicates that students feel more encouraged by …

Leaders In Science Education Communities, Jennifer Bateman

All Dissertations

This three paper dissertation investigates the role of the District Science Coordinator (DSC). Due to the lack of research, District Science Coordinators (DSCs) are frequently misidentified as Science Teacher Leaders (STLs). It is important to establish a clear distinction between the roles. This first paper explores the salient similarities and differences between STLs and DSCs, while also attending to their individual roles, responsibilities, and professional support.

This second paper examines how a synchronous, online professional learning (PL) experience resulted in the creation of a community of practice (CoP) among two different groups of participating district science coordinators (DSCs) and how …

Addressing Climate Change Anomie In Teacher Education, Teresa Anne Fowler

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This research project sought to understand how preservice teachers explore their relationship with Science and confidence in teaching about climate change in Science education amid a culture of denial regarding the impact of the climate crisis. Using data from three cohorts of students in an elementary Science methods course, this paper shares the context of climate change acceptance in the province of Alberta, Canada, the fossil fuel economic hub of Canada, and how using Journell’s framework for controversial issues alongside a critical energy literacy framework using inquiry, supported preservice teachers to address their hesitancy in Science classrooms to engage with …

Creating A New Border Culture In The Midst Of The Climate Crisis: Activism And Pedagogy Strategies For Teacher Preparation, Puneet S. Gill

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This paper documents the efforts of an activist group that came to teach about activist efforts, climate change/climate justice/climate crisis issues, and to create leaders in one border community. The leaders of this three-day workshop are a part of an activist organization named SOMOS Sunrise, the Latine constituency of the Sunrise movement. In this paper, I will analyze the climate change workshop training days and components of the workshops. Secondly, this paper will document a climate cohort education group conducted with undergraduate students and pre-service teachers the following summer. This climate cohort helped articulate art activism and public speaking opportunities …

Teacher Efficacy In Co-Teaching Science Classrooms: Implications For Training, Sabrina Christensen

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Following legislation to educate students in the least restricted environment, schools are using co-taught inclusive settings to teach secondary science classrooms. Traditionally, general educators do not receive robust instruction in differentiation, co-teaching, or collaboration with special educators. Special educators traditionally do not receive training in science content. An online survey was distributed through social media inviting teachers to share their experiences with co-teaching in science classrooms. Likert scales were used to measure teacher efficacy in co-teaching secondary science classes and teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of current teacher training. Based on the data collected, recommendations are provided for adjustments to …

Teacher Candidate Perceptions Of Stem Following An Informal Learning Experience, Megan Rismiller

Honors Projects

In this study, six teacher candidates are interviewed to discover their perceptions of teaching integrated STEM following an informal learning experience. As team leaders at a summer STEM camp, teacher candidates make observations and connections to STEM content areas and practices. Teacher candidates reflect on the behaviors of themselves and their students throughout the process, and note their discoveries about STEM in the classroom setting. They report these findings through a series of questions during a semi-structured interview. Findings show teacher candidates perceive STEM education as a method for engaging learning experiences, as a route to engage students in social-emotional …

Mathematics Teacher Preparation Reimagined: The Exploration Of Preservice Teachers Planning Culturally Responsive Mathematics Lessons Using Culturally Relevant Mathematics Tasks, Lakesia L. Dupree

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Equipping teachers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions deemed necessary to work with students from diverse populations is a documented need that plagues teacher education. Furthermore, the influx of students from diverse backgrounds enrolled in United States schools intensifies the need to prepare the future generation of teachers to be equipped to provide learning opportunities for each and every student in their classroom. This paper highlights the importance of culture and the integral place it holds when supporting current and future teachers with planning and subsequently enacting culturally responsive mathematics and culturally relevant mathematics tasks in their middle grades mathematics …

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 …

Understanding Chemistry Concepts Through Analogies And The Frayer Model, Ashley A. Walls

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how high school Honors chemistry students create and learn from analogies that were created using the Frayer Model. Pragmatism, analogies in science, and Reality Pedagogy served as the theoretical foundation of this study. A phenomenography method was used to answer the following research questions: What connections do high school honors chemistry students make when using analogies relating chemistry concepts to their prior knowledge, interest, or hobbies? What are high school honors chemistry students’ perceptions of the use of the Frayer Model for analogy creation? How do high school honors chemistry students of …

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 56 Spring 2024), Elizabeth Joyce Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

Magazine created by and about the WKU Center for Gifted Studies.

Identification Of Quality Indicators Of Visual Based Learning Material In Technology Education Programs For Grades 6th - 9th In Greek Schools In Cyclades Aegean Islands, Spyridoula Tsouganatou

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to identify quality indicators for visual based learning material for technology education classes for grades 6th to 9th. This is a three round Delphi study aimed in answering the following research question. RQ: What are the quality indicators that contribute to the successful selection of visual-based learning material that contribute effectively to transmitting pedagogical information in a technology education classroom for grades 6^th -9^th? The quality indicators were determined by the consensus reached by technology education expert panel/educators that have been identified for the contributions and expertise in the field of …

An Evaluation Of The Equitable Practices For Stem Education To Prepare All Students For The 21st Century, Elizabeth Simpson

Dissertations

We are almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, yet most education institutions do not provide STEM education for all students. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have been a special focus of both industry and federal education initiatives in recent years. STEM is a proven way of building student skills needed for the workforce of tomorrow. The purpose of this study is to determine why education decision-makers resist implementing STEM programs equitably for all students. The context of this inquiry is district and school-based leaders throughout the United States, from elementary to high school, who have …

Mutualism As Mutual Trust: An Ethnographic Case Study On An Elementary-School Teacher-Team Participation In A Science Pd Program, Olga Gould-Yakovleva, Xiufeng Liu

The Qualitative Report

This grounded in social constructivism yearlong ethnographic case study was conducted at the final stage of a larger, longitudinal, multisite, and multi-year project. The current research focused on a group of urban public elementary schoolteachers who volunteered to participate in the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded interdisciplinary science and engineering partnership (ISEP) project. These teachers were enrolled in the professional development (PD) college courses in physics and engineering design, summer research in university laboratories, and interdisciplinary science inquiry (ISI) pedagogy sessions. This research sought to understand the factors which contributed to successful teamwork at the elementary school under investigation. Additionally, this …

From The Editors, Michele H. Koomen, Thomastine A. Sarchet-Maher, Jessica Williams

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

JSESD remains a venue for the dissemination of research and practice related to the education of students with disabilities in the science classroom and laboratory since 1998. Volumes #1 through 11 were published in a print format. Starting with Volume #12, the journal has been published online and Open Access. Having JSESD in the Open Access format maximizes access for readers and authors and allows the journal to remain economically sustainable. JSESD is proud to now be publishing articles in both PDF and HTML formats (the HTML versions can be accessed through a link from the main articles’ web-page).

An Argument For Expanding Research On Quantitative Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Randall E. Groth

Numeracy

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) traditionally has been used in research concerning prospective and practicing classroom teachers. This essay argues that PCK is also relevant to other professions including those advancing quantitative reasoning (QR). To illustrate, the case of PCK for teaching QR is considered. Those in fields such as public health, journalism, meteorology, and government increasingly find themselves responsible for helping the public understand an ever-growing amount of quantitative information that has a bearing on societal well-being. Several examples illustrate how such professionals’ responsibilities require knowing prevalent QR patterns in society, strategies for fostering sound reasoning, and the general nature …