Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Application Of Problem Based Learning And Mastery Learning To Multimedia Education, Gabriel J. Grant, Dominick E. Fazarro, Luke Steinke

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

The current state of education and the workforce demands a special kind of learner capable of creativity, communicating effectively, analytical skill application, critical thinking, and problem solving. Whereas these skills are important, it is also a necessity for learners to be masters of the knowledge and skills that they have acquired. Traditional educational methods have proven to be somewhat ineffective in producing these results. Problem based learning has proven worthy in handling some of the load, however, mastery learning has been abandoned long ago for reasons in spite of its effectiveness. Through given examples and careful design, the educator will …

Distributed Leadership In Schools: Conditions For Success, Daniel Noble

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Teacher leadership has always been a necessary part of school dynamics. Through committees, union/administrative negotiations, formal and informal leadership roles, teachers play an important role in the growth and change of an educational institution. The purpose of this study is to examine teacher leadership through the perspective of distributed leadership theory; identify the conditions and components of both schools and administrators that support distributed leadership and identify essential steps to transform leadership practice to a distributed model.

This is a qualitative text analysis of current theoretical papers and relevant research on the subject of distributed leadership. The information was used …

The Effects Of Kindergarten Redshirting From A Parental Perspective, Kelli Dougan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Kindergarten redshirting is the term used to describe the phenomenon where a parent chooses to keep their child from attending kindergarten so that the child may gain a year's worth of maturity. This qualitative dissertation examines the decision making process undergone by parents who have redshirted their children. While some parents began the decision making process soon after their child's birth, every parent in the study considered the decision carefully. The study also provides an analysis of the outcomes the redshirting has provided for children as perceived by their parents. Parents rated the academic, Social and emotional effects of kindergarten …

The Perceived Impact Of The National Board Certification Process On Arkansas Teachers, Darlynn Cast

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed the perceived impact of the National Board Certification program on Arkansas teachers, relative to their professional practice, leadership practice, and students' achievement. An electronic survey was sent out to 2144 Arkansas National Board Certified Teacher (AR NBCTs) and received a 53% response rate. The survey asked AR NBCTs demographic information and questions to determine the factors that influenced them to pursue NB certification. They responded to Likert scale questions about their professional practice, leadership practice, and student achievement, ranking how they perceived each was affected by their participation in National Board Certification. The study found that AR …

Implications Of Teacher Motivation And Renewal Indicators In Arkansas Toward Professional Growth And Achievement, Lary D. Whitten

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to determine if the teaching population in the state of Arkansas had a more favorable attitude toward specific motivational theories and practices; and to determine if that attitude significantly affected the teacher retention rate and the quality of work produced. The literature reviewed included the role of the school leader, motivational theory, and other relevant studies on teacher motivation. Eight National Board Certified teachers in Arkansas were interviewed about motivation as it related to professional improvement and development. The interviews focused on characteristics that serve as intrinsic motivators toward professional improvement and development and their …

Social Media Use During The College Transition, Kevin J. Yurasek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Starting college is an exciting and pivotal time for students. During this time, the student will be faced with challenges of his or her social identity and will need to develop or modify identities based on new social situations. Previous research shows that social media play a role in identity development, but there is little information regarding the extent. Are new college students using Facebook during their transition to communicate their new identity/social group to new peers? Are they using Facebook to maintain nostalgia for previous identities/social groups? This information will be valuable to higher education professionals working with these …

Assessing The Role Of Online Technologies In Project-Based Learning, Jason Ravitz, Juliane Blazevski

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This study examines the relationships between teacher-reported use of online resources, and preparedness, implementation challenges, and time spent implementing project- or problem-based learning, or approaches that are similar to what we call “PBL” in general. Variables were measured using self-reports from those who teach in reform network high schools that emphasize PBL approaches (n = 166) and those who do not (n = 164). In both school types, technology use was positively related to the amount of PBL use and teacher preparedness. We used path analysis (two-group SEM) to test a model that predicted online technology use in the context …

Boston Writing Project, Glenn Mitchell, Peter Golden

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Boston Writing Project focuses on the core mission of improving the teaching of writing and improving the use of writing across the disciplines by offering high-quality professional development programs for educators, at all grade levels, K–16 and across the curriculum.

Teach Next Year – Curriculum & Instruction Department, Lisa M. Gonsalves, Alicia Savannah

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The NOYCE Phase II project aimed “to increase the number of highly qualified STEM graduates entering the teaching profession, to prepare those teachers to be able to teach a wide range of urban students, and to build a continuum of teacher development for those teachers in their early teaching careers.” A report contained commendations and recommendations for the UMASS Boston TNY Program, based on analysis of data collected from the 2013 EOY survey that addressed the five NOYCE Phase II goals, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Competency Standards for teachers.

Early Childhood Open Course Ware, Department Of Early Education And Care, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Build Out Of School Time Network - Bostnet

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Early Education and Care in Inclusive Settings (EECIS) is UMass Boston's program for both entry-level and experienced early childhood practitioners. It is designed for individuals seeking leadership roles in the early childhood field. The program's specific focus is support for individuals who wish to work in Early Intervention and early childhood programs outside of the public schools.

The goal of the Early Childhood Open Course Ware is to provide on demand high quality professional development across the state with consistency available at various levels of academic rigor.

Assessment And Curriculum Modification For Grade 1 Students With Disabilities In Tanzania: A Pilot Study, Angi Stone-Macdonald

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The purpose of this study was: 1) to analyze aggregated student assessment data from grade 1 students at a public government primary school in Northern Tanzania to determine the efficacy of a curriculum based screen tool, and 2)to examine current practices of inclusion for Tanzanian children in the early grades.

Wipro Science Education Fellowship Teacher Leadership Program, Center Of Science And Math In Context, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The WIPRO Science Education Fellowship (SEF) is a 2 year science teacher-leadership program funded by the Wipro Ltd. Wipro committed $5.1million to COSMIC, over seven-years, to train three (3) cohorts of 180 school teachers, fostering leadership and teaching excellence in science education among K-12 teachers from Greater Boston, Northern New Jersey and Greater New York. Through engagement and collaboration with teams of teachers from different districts, teachers reflect on their own practice and that of their peers through the use of video; they identify opportunities for themselves to take a leadership role within the district, in their building or with …

Reciprocal Effects Of Student Engagement And Disaffection On Changes In Teacher Support Over The School Year, Cailin Tricia Currie

Dissertations and Theses

Building upon previous research on the importance of students' motivation for their learning and academic success, this study sought to examine how students' motivation in the classroom may impact the way their teachers' treat them. Specifically, data from 423 middle school students and their 21 teachers were used to examine the extent to which student engagement and disaffection (individually and in combination) in the fall predicted changes in teachers' provision of motivational support from fall to spring of the same school year. The study also examined whether these relationships might differ by student grade or gender, and whether the effects …

Ua41 University College Connection, Dennis K. George, Dean, Wendi Kelley, University College, Western Kentucky University

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

Short Duration Campaign Simulation Increases High School Students' Civic Engagement Skills And Knowledge, Taylor E. Tillotson, Judith Puncochar

Conference Presentations

Research on campaign simulations usually involves long-term collegiate activities. Our research adapted materials from the American Association of University Women and Running Start’s “Elect Her–Campus Women Win” college workshops to create a short-term campaign simulation for use in high school social studies classrooms. Sixty-six students in three high school Advanced Placement US Government classes engaged in a two-day communications-focused elections simulation workshop. Differences in civic engagement knowledge between pre- and post-surveys reached statistical significance. Students’ qualitative responses revealed gains in understanding of the role of student government in allocating money, low-cost advertising, and use of “surrogates” to disseminate campaign positions. …

“Let Me Gather Spring Flowers For A Wreath”: Writing About Historical Trauma For Young People In A Wreath For Emmett Till, Kelly Wissman

Literacy Teaching & Learning Faculty Scholarship

Marilyn Nelson's book, "A Wreath for Emmett Till", (2005) was named a 2006 Coretta Scott King Honor Book and given the 2006 Printz Honor Award. "A Wreath for Emmett Till" tells the story of a 14-year-old African American boy who was lynched in 1955. Within 15 sonnets accompanied by illustrations by Philippe Lardy, Nelson not only provides an account of Till's experience but also describes the wreath of flowers that she would create to honor him. In this article, Kelly Wissman explores how Nelson provides guidance to young readers in ways that make reading this text "bearable." Wissman first provides …

Examining The Operant Function Of Feedback: Evaluation Of The Temporal Location Of Feedback, Elian Aljadeff-Abergel

Dissertations

Despite the common use of feedback in most training settings, it is not yet clear what behavioral function feedback serves. Most researchers consider feedback to function as a consequence and advocate for its immediate delivery in the form of “on the spot” supervision or after-session conferencing. The literature suggests that when compared, “on the spot” supervision is found more effective than after session conferencing. In spite these findings, most supervisors are still implementing after-session conferencing. This is probably due to the limited feasibility of performing “on the spot” supervision when supervising teachers implementing whole class or small group instruction. One …

Quality Media Literacy Education. A Tool For Teachers And Teacher Educators Of Italian Elementary Schools, Damiano Felini Ed.D.

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The dissemination of good practices in MLE requires a more rigorous definition of their characteristics, including criteria and indicators to measure their quality. This article – after reflecting on the meaning and function of identifying good MLE practices – presents a systematic framework of 35 indicators for good MLE activities in Italian elementary schools. These indicators are grouped according to five general criteria of quality: adequacy of the teaching methods; competence and involvement of the actors; structuring and coherence of the activity's organization; awareness of the underlying MLE theories as well as their appropriateness; and originality of the project. The …

Understanding The Role Of Post-Secondary Coaches In High Schools: A Social Capital Analysis, Lynne Haeffele

Theses and Dissertations

The research problem for this study was to understand the role of a new category of institutional agents, post-secondary coaches in high schools, who facilitate students' college readiness. This comparative case study focused on two post-secondary coaches in two high schools participating with a university in a state-funded grant project to improve college readiness. Data collection included structured interviews with coaches, students, and other school and external personnel; written descriptions by coaches of how they do their jobs; observations with field notes taken while shadowing coaches; and relevant documents, websites and artifacts. Data analysis involved both open coding and the …

Teaching And Learning For Intercultural Sensitivity: A Cross-Cultural Examination Of American Domestic Students And Japanese Exchange Students, Yoko Hwang Sakurauchi

Dissertations and Theses

Global student mobility has become a dynamic force in American higher education. Integrating international students into diverse campus environments provides domestic as well as foreign students with enriched learning opportunities. However, a diverse campus climate itself will not make college students interculturally competent. Intentional curricular design is critical for overcoming issues such as resistance and reinforcement of stereotypes, but the research literature is extremely limited on effective pedagogical strategies for cultivating college students' intercultural sensitivity.

This paper explicates a research study to investigate college students' development of intercultural sensitivity through an intentional course design utilizing Kolb's (1984) learning styles cycle …

Writers Who Care: Advocacy Blogging As Teachers - Professors - Parents, Leah A. Zuidema, Sarah Hochstetler, Mark Letcher, Kristen Hawley Turner

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Because we believe strongly that writers develop through authentic writing instruction - and because we see policies that drive practices away from these goals - we have decided to speak up and to speak out through advocacy blogging. Teachers, Profs, Parents: Writers Who Care (writerswhocare.wordpress.com) was born from our frustration with current mandates that limit teachers and students to reductive writing. We know what good writing instruction looks like, and we want to share that knowledge with an audience beyond academia. In doing so, we hope to redefine what it means to be an academic writer and to encourage others …

Active Development Of Tacit Knowledge: Adtk In A World Without Farmers, Roger E. Garrett Jr.

Capstone Collection

Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) and extensions such as Transformative Learning Theory offer significant potential for skill development later in life – reskilling. Despite wide acceptance and deployment, practitioners are still obliged to design their own methods and activities in order to implement these theories. This paper introduces a novel curricular model, Active Development of Tacit Knowledge (ADTK). Educators can use ADTK to effectively implement and scale ELT. Agricultural Education, specifically the training of new farmers, is used as a sample context to demonstrate ADTK. In new-farmer education, it is necessary to compress the educational cycles of dozens of years of …

Child Development Theory As A Mediator Of Novice Teachers' Ethnotheories To Increase Learning And Justice In The Classroom, Nancy Michele Cardwell

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Many urban public schools use teaching methods that isolate and silence children to compel compliance (Schwebel, 2004; Saltman & Gabbard, 2003; Baumrind, 1991). In these contexts, black and brown children are disciplined more often and harshly than white, sent through the court system 70% of the time (Alexander, 2012). Novice teachers, appearing expert without expertise, use unconscious personal theories or ethnotheories to compel compliance, projecting an illusion of expertise without understanding the consequences for children's development and achievement (Elliott, Stemler, Sternberg, Grigorenko & Hoffman, 2010; Skovholt, 2004). An advance in the field would be to learn how ethnotheories interact with …

Gathering Data And Documenting Impact: 2010 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification Application Approaches And Outcomes, Jana Noel, David P. Earwicker

New England Resource Center for Higher Education Publications

The Community Engagement Classification is an elective classification offered by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. In order to be classified, campuses provide evidence documenting engagement through an application process. Campuses were classified in 2006, 2008, and 2010, and will be classified on five-year cycles from 2015 onward. (Information about the classification can be found on the Carnegie Foundation website.)

This mixed-methods, two-part study sought to discover how institutions that received the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification in 2010 approached their application process and to examine the longer term outcomes of that process. How did they undertake a “full …

"What Does This Graph Mean?" Formative Assessment With Science Inquiry To Improve Data Analysis, Andrea Dawn Leech

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the use of formative assessment to improve three specific data analysis skills within the context of a high school chemistry class: graph interpretation, pattern recognition, and making conclusions based on data. Students need to be able to collect data, analyze that data, and produce accurate scientific explanations (NRC, 2011) if they want to be ready for college and careers after high school. This mixed methods study, performed in a high school chemistry classroom, investigated the impact of the formative assessment process on data analysis skills that require higher order thinking. We hypothesized that the use of evaluative …

Teaching Christian Integration In Psychology And Counseling Courses, Fernando L. Garzon, M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall, Jennifer S. Ripley

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Ua41 University College Connection, Dennis K. George, Dean, Wendi Kelley, University College, Western Kentucky University

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

Men And Mustangs: From Communicative Messages Within The Wild Horse Inmate Program To A Communicative Theory Of Learning How To Teach, Kristine Larissa Reyes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover the communicative messages within the Wild Horse Inmate Program. This dissertation developed the communicative theory of learning how to teach, a grounded theory based on the communicative messages of the Department of Corrections' officers and Bureau of Land Manager employees who work with inmates in a western state Wild Horse Inmate Program. I approached theorizing the communicative theory of learning how to teach from the applied communication perspective that communication is the enactment and application--symbolic and physical--of communication in daily life. The applied context was the Wild Horse Inmate Program where I …

Networks Of Users And Powers: Blackboard Software Roadmap As Cultural Practice, Diana Gellci

Wayne State University Dissertations

With the rapid growth of eLearning applications - the software providing for learning through the Internet - it has become commonplace to describe those technologies as both simple tools and user-friendly. These two vague yet suggestive terms make the operating of the technology appear as social value and any related issues as a user's problem. Interested neo-liberal groups take a step further when considering eLearning technologies as the solution for the problems faced in the field. STS studies recognize that technology fetishism is strategically employed to justify the latest developments of capitalism as technological and logical.

This doctoral study examines …

Loving The Academy: Helping Educators Understand Characteristics Of Black College Students’ Romantic Relationships, Miriam Chitiga

Faculty Working Papers from the School of Education

The paper presents the results of a survey on the characteristics of black college students’ romantic relationships, including types of relationships, the reasons for beginning and ending relationships and the elements of successful relationships. The anonymous electronic survey was voluntarily completed and included questions that allowed for both qualitative and quantitative assessment. The findings of the study reveal that students, who may be involved in stable and committed relationships, begin relationships for emotional needs and romance but acknowledge that compatible personality traits are the key to successful relationships. They cite cheating, partner abuse, and control as major causes of break-ups. …