Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

High School Career And Technical Education (Cte) Programming And Post-Secondary Career Pathways: A Correlational Study, Richard P. Jorgenson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research project was to examine the association between the 6 CTE components (i.e., curriculum, work-based learning, mentorship/industry connections, student organizations/competitions, non-degree credentials, and experiential learning) and a students’ choice of a career pathway. The current literature stated the benefits of CTE but left a void as to which CTE component had the most impact on a student’s choice of a career pathway. With a theoretical framework based on the Career Self-Management Model, the author analyzed data from a sample consisting of current high school students, former high school students, and current CTE teachers to …

Advancing Digital Technology Teacher Education Through The 3c Model, Peter Curtis, Michael D. Carey, Natalie Mcmaster, David A. Martin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The integration of digital technologies into teacher education is a significant development to prepare educators for the demands of contemporary classrooms. However, current teacher education programs often fall short in supporting pre-service teachers to understand the pedagogical shift toward embedding coding and computational thinking (CT) skills. In response, this paper presents the 3C Model (Context, Capabilities and Computational focus), a research-informed pedagogical framework designed to support pre-service and in-service teachers in delivering structured, curriculum-aligned instruction in coding and CT. Drawing on recent research, its findings, and its implementation in teacher education contexts, the 3C Model is presented as an innovative …

Tennessee General Education Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Preparedness To Teach Young Children With Disabilities, Misty M. Moody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), local education agencies (LEAs) must educate young children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment (LRE) while ensuring opportunities to learn alongside their non-disabled peers. As inclusive opportunities for preschool-aged children with disabilities continue to expand, general education preschool teachers play an important role in providing instruction that meets the diverse needs of all children. However, limited research has examined general education preschool teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to teach young children with disabilities, particularly in Tennessee.

This qualitative study explored Tennessee general education preschool teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to teach …

Training General Educators To Collect Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Data Using Behavioral Skills Training, Mckenna Larsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Many schools use a three-tiered system to meet the needs of individual students. General education teachers are often not given the training to provide the supports they are expected to provide. Evidence shows that when interventions meet the need the student is trying to communicate, these interventions are more effective. This research looked at the effects of training that involved modeling, practice, and feedback, also known as Behavior Skills Training (BST), on general education teachers’ ability to collect data on students’ behavior. It also looked at how teaching educators to collect data influenced their belief in their ability to handle …

Integrating Student-Mined Data In Youth Computer Science Learning: An Investigation Of Learning Outcomes And Educational Strategies, Alex Acquah

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As data increasingly shapes participation in society, there is growing emphasis on preparing youth to engage with data through computer science education. Existing K-12 computing and data science curricula have expanded opportunities for learners to analyze and interpret data; however, many learning experiences continue to rely on datasets and inquiry structures designed by others, limiting authentic engagement, personal relevance, and learner agency. This dissertation investigates the integration of student-mined data in youth computer science learning and examines its influence on computational thinking, epistemic agency, and learning experiences among high school students. Using a qualitative approach, data collected from youths of …

Enhancing Teachers’ Intercultural Literacy: Examining The Impact Of A Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program To Indonesia, Paul R. Wallace

Journal of Global Education and Research

The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program offers institutional grants to support overseas experiences and curriculum development for educators. The study reported here focused on changes in the intercultural literacy of participants involved in a 4-week Fulbright-Hays GPA Program to Indonesia. Participants in this study included K-12 teachers from public schools and teacher education majors. Before and after traveling to Indonesia, eight participants completed a self-assessment of intercultural literacy, which measured competencies, understandings, attitudes, language proficiencies, participation, and identities deemed necessary for successful living and working in a cross-cultural environment. This article presents the results of the assessment survey, along …

Creativity Development In Art Education: A Proposed Framework, Enock Swanzy-Impraim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Creativity and its development have been regarded as integral to 21st-century education. Although researchers have made several contributions to the development of creativity in schools, there remains a paucity of educational inventories on conceptual frameworks that tackle creativity development in its entirety, highlighting the essential constructs and elements required for the creativity-fostering process in the educational ecosystem. Therefore, this study proposes a framework that holistically provides a view of 11 elements necessary for successful facilitation of creativity in educational environments and the transition of creativity from policy to the local school system. These elements are: teachers’ training concerning creativity, teachers’ …

Stress In Educational Context, Sarah Matthews

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

This paper examines stress within educational contexts as a complex, relational, and systemic experience rather than solely a negative condition. Drawing on research related to stress perception, coping, leadership, trauma, and resource access, the paper highlights how stress affects educators, students, and families across early childhood and special education settings. Key themes include the role of perception in shaping stress responses, the impact of resource availability and socioeconomic factors, the transfer of stress within classroom environments, and the influence of leadership and organizational stability on teacher and student well-being. Using an ecological framework, the paper emphasizes that stress operates across …

Play As Research: What Teachers Can Learn By Watching Children Investigate, Kailey Price

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

This article invites educators to view children's play through the lens of play as research. Through the story of a classroom rock investigation and other everyday examples, it highlights how children naturally ask questions, test ideas, solve problems, and build understanding through play. Rather than seeing play as a break from learning, educators can learn to recognize the inquiry already taking place in moments such as digging in dirt, collecting natural materials, building structures, or investigating puddles after rain. The article introduces three simple reflection questions teachers can use to better understand children's thinking. It also describes practical ways to …

Notice, Respond, Observe, Adjust: Everyday Co-Regulation With Infants And Toddlers, Tony Kung

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

Co-regulation is central to infants’ and toddlers’ developing emotional regulation, yet educators often need to make responsive decisions in real time during everyday classroom routines. This research-to-practice article translates developmental and early childhood research into a practical four-part reflection guide: Notice, Respond, Observe, and Adjust. The article examines how educators can attend to children’s gestures, movements, vocalizations, and participation when supporting arrival and separation, caregiving routines, play, and peer encounters. It emphasizes responsive support that adapts to children’s individual communication, developmental needs, family knowledge, and classroom context. Drawing on recent empirical research and published educator observations, the article offers practical …

Beyond The Room Arrangement: Using The Environment As A Responsive Teaching Tool, Lydia J. Bingam, Carrie L. Ota

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

This article explores the classroom environment as a "third teacher," arguing that intentional design should extend beyond simple furniture organization to actively support children's relationships, curiosity, and learning. It emphasizes a responsive approach in which teachers move away from a one-and-done, adult-centered layout toward environments that evolve based on observations of children's emerging interests and needs. This piece offers actionable insights for low-barrier environmental adaptation, emphasizing that the most effective learning spaces are never truly "finished" but are subject to ongoing, intentional revision to better meet the needs of the children they serve.

Sjsu Erfa Board Minutes, October 5, 2026, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Executive Board Minutes

October 5, 2026

Performing Proficiency: Ethnodrama As Arts-Based Research In An Esl Acting Classroom, Angel M. Morales

Journal of English Learner Education

This study explores the use of ethnodrama as an arts-based research method and pedagogical tool in English as a Second Language (ESL) education. Drawing on the work of Saldaña, Salvatore, and Denzin, the project examines how performance can communicate lived experiences, foster language development, and promote social justice in multicultural classrooms. Based on interviews and observations of ESL students in an Acting I course, the resulting ethnodrama, What?! Acting?!, presents verbatim narratives that reveal learners’ identities, struggles, and resilience. The findings highlight how theatrical practice enhances linguistic fluency, self-expression, and cultural understanding, demonstrating the transformative potential of performance in …

A Franco-American University Collaboration: Oral Assessment With Cefr And Star, Nadia Yassine-Diab, Christina Torres University Of Central Florida, Aimee Schoonmaker

Journal of English Learner Education

This article describes the collaboration between faculty at two international
universities, one in France and one in the U.S., who partnered their students to practice and assess oral skills. Using computer-mediated communication with both synchronous and asynchronous elements, the collaboration provided a valuable opportunity for both groups to engage in pedagogically meaningful and structured exchanges integrated into coursework that mirror their future professional situations (O’Dowd et. al., 2020). More specifically, each semester, the U.S. TESOL students interview and assess French speaking English language learners using the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the Situation Task Action Results (STAR) interview …

Unlocking Affixes In The Esl Community College Classroom: The Language Of Law, Science, And Technology, Patricia George-Hunter Edd

Journal of English Learner Education

Since vocabulary plays a significant role in second language acquisition, expansive vocabulary targets should be set and pursued. This paper explores the results of introducing affixes to develop vocabulary and increase motivation for beginner to intermediate-level English language learners (ELLs) pursuing academic disciplines in law, science, and technology at a New York City community college. Participants included 23 ELLs with diverse linguistic, educational, and sociocultural backgrounds enrolled in an online synchronous Integrative Language Seminar (ILS) designed to develop all areas of English language proficiency. Pre‑, post‑, delayed tests, questionnaires, and post‑intervention interviews were conducted and analyzed to establish the language …

Math Language Acquisition And Improving English Language Learners’ Ability To Understand And Solve Math Word Problems, Crystal L. Gammon, Jillian Skelton

Journal of English Learner Education

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore third- through fifth-grade teachers’ perceptions of effective vocabulary instruction and collaboration practices used to support English Language Learners (ELLs) in understanding, discussing, and solving math word problems. The problem addressed was that ELL students in rural southeastern U.S. school districts were not achieving mathematics proficiency at the same rate as their native English-speaking peers, particularly when solving word problems requiring academic language comprehension. The findings revealed that teachers viewed math vocabulary instruction as essential for closing academic gaps while also identifying vocabulary as a major barrier when it was not explicitly …

Making The Implicit Explicit For Multilingual Learners: A Language-Based Framework For Literacy Development, Luciana C. De Oliveira

Journal of English Learner Education

Literacy is fundamentally an act of meaning-making that requires bridging micro-level linguistic choices with macro-level text structures across genres. Current literacy policies dominated by Science of Reading (SoR) mandates often overemphasize isolated, word-level foundational skills. This narrow focus creates a one-size-fits-all model that reduces reading to the level of individual words, not appropriate for multilingual learners (MLs) who require access to dense, specialized disciplinary discourse. This article proposes an intentional, language-based literacy framework designed to build high-challenge, high-support classrooms for MLs without lowering academic expectations. Integrating genre-based pedagogy through the Teaching and Learning Cycle (TLC) with the mode continuum, the …

Effects Of Differentiated Physical Education Learning On Physical Fitness And Active Lifestyle Among Junior High School Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Asep Akbaruddin, Sumbara Hambali, Wahyu Saputra, Mochamad Fajar Permana

Indonesian Journal of Research in Physical Education, Sport, and Health

Background: Low levels of physical fitness and physical activity among junior high school students remain a significant concern in physical education. Differentiated instruction offers a potentially effective approach by tailoring learning activities, levels of difficulty, and instructional experiences to students’ readiness, interests, and abilities. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of differentiated physical education instruction on physical fitness and active lifestyles among junior high school students. Methods: A quantitative approach employing a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control-group design was adopted. A total of 90 junior high school students participated in the study, with 45 assigned to the experimental group and …

Reflexive Accounts Of Conducting Qualitative Interviews In The Mena Region, Chaima Mennai, Sana Alzahrani

The Qualitative Report

This paper provides a reflexive account of our experiences conducting qualitative research in the contexts of two Arab countries, from our perspectives as researchers trained in a Western academic context. We explore the challenges and insights gained when recruiting and interviewing participants for qualitative Ph.D. projects within what is a predominantly quantitative research culture. Drawing on Walsh’s reflexive framework, we detail the issues that emerged during the recruitment and interview processes, identifying their potentially significant implications for Ph.D. candidates and early-career researchers who were trained in the West and are choosing to conduct research in contexts where the qualitative research …

Building A Culture Of Safety Through Faculty Mentorship: The Peer Pairing Framework For Clinical Nurse Educators, Clare A. Chambers

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Clinical nurse educators often transition from bedside practice to clinical education in high-risk settings without structured support. Limited or absent mentorship during this transition may affect educator confidence, student learning outcomes, patient outcomes, and the ability to sustain a culture of safety. Although mentorship is widely recommended in nursing education, implementation strategies remain limited. The Peer Pairing Framework was developed as a staged mentorship approach to support clinical nurse educators and inform a comprehensive mentorship model.

Methods

The Peer Pairing Framework was informed by a voluntary onboarding survey of 914 clinical faculty, of whom 73.52% expressed interest in having …

Strategies For Building Relationships In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Emily S. Nipper

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Building positive relationships with students is at the forefront of good teaching practices. While secondary teachers in the English language arts (ELA) classroom are increasingly overwhelmed with demands to improve literacy and test scores, positive relationships can help students feel supported in the classroom and more engaged in learning, which can help prevent them from demonstrating negative behaviors. Drawing on research on developing and valuing positive relationships in secondary classrooms, this article translates research into practice by examining how teachers can use discipline-specific strategies to foster supportive and positive relationships with students.

Effectiveness Of A Reflective Dialogue Groups Strategy In Improving Assessment For Learning (Afl) Competency Of Pre-Service Teachers, Dr. Sayed S. Salman

International Journal for Research in Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the reflective dialogue groups strategy on Assessment for learning (AfL) competency of 8 pre-service teachers enrolled in a teaching practicum course in Bahrain Teachers College. The study made use of a two-cycles action research method to collect qualitative data using artifact analysis through holistic rubrics, as well as quantitative data through surveys and observations checklists for triangulation and research rigor. From Cycle 1 of the study, results showed that the use of the strategy improved AfL competency partially in terms of qualitative data and moderately to highly in terms …

Labeling Students With Learning Disabilities And Teachers’ Self-Efficacy In Delivering Effective Instructional Interventions, Atheer Al-Shammari, Fahad Alnaim

International Journal for Research in Education

This study examined whether labeling students with learning disabilities influences teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in delivering effective instructional interventions. A descriptive survey design was employed using two versions of a questionnaire that differed only in the terminology used to describe students. In the reading questionnaire, the labeled version referred to “students with dyslexia,” whereas the unlabeled version referred to “students with reading difficulties.” In the mathematics questionnaire, the labeled version referred to “students with dyscalculia,” whereas the unlabeled version referred to “students with mathematics difficulties.” The sample comprised 307 teachers who were randomly assigned to two groups: 156 responded to the …

Infographic: World Teachers' Day 2026 – The Lasting Impact Of Teachers, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

In our annual reader survey, we ask: How did your own teachers have a positive impact on you as a student? How has their influence shaped who you are today? On this World Teachers’ Day, we shine a spotlight on the lasting impact of the profession by sharing some of your responses.

Redefining “Back To Basics:” Critical Place-Based Education As Essential Practice, Jeffrey Austin, Rosalyn D. Shahid

Michigan Reading Journal

This article explores how an environmental justice-centered summer program in Wayne County, Michigan, one of the areas most impacted by environmental harm in the United States, uses storytelling, critical place-based education practices, teen advocacy frameworks and local curriculum development to push back on current “back-to-basics” education mandates, including scripted curriculum, skills-dominant instruction, and decontextualized learning.  Using the MAISA GELN Disciplinary Literacy Essentials: Grades 6-12 as a guide, we attempt to redefine what ought to be seen as “basic” in schools to ensure that students can be a meaningful part of building a more just, equitable, and sustainable future for our …

Reading With Dad: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Of Fathers’ Literacy Practices In China And The United States, Wei Gu

Michigan Reading Journal

Family literacy research has often centered on mothers, with fathers’ roles receiving comparatively less attention, particularly in studies that examine family literacy across cultural contexts. This study, comparing the literacy practices of fathers with young children in China and the United States, explores cultural patterns of paternal family literacy engagement. The article reveals the relationship between father and child demographic characteristics (age, education, income, child age, number of children, and child gender) and fathers’ literacy involvement in two countries. Using a survey instrument administered to 500 fathers (250 in the United States and 250 in China), the study analyzes fathers’ …

Connecting The Pieces: Designing A Community-Engaged Family Literacy Program, Margaret O. Hanna, Janet Oyebode

Michigan Reading Journal

In this article, the authors describe how they designed a place-based family literacy program using several research-backed practices from the K-3 Literacy Essential Practices. The authors, one teacher educator and one community practitioner, describe how their interactions with the community guided them to a theme and authentic purpose for the program and how they chose a robust set of thematically connected texts for shared reading. They will also share how they identified an ideal community partner whose expertise enhanced their curriculum and helped to shape the authentic purpose and audience for the final project of the program. Finally, they …

Untold Mourning: The Epistemology Of Naming And Grieving The Loss Of Identities, Bao Diep, Verna Wong

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This paper explores the epistemology of mourning through the lens of two Asian American scholars pursuing doctoral degrees at a Midwestern university. We examine how racialization in Midwestern educational institutions reflects a broader historical and cultural distancing from Vietnamese immigrants and refugees, despite a shared geopolitical past. Employing critical collaborative autoethnography as both method and remedy, we engage in a dialogic process of uncovering and understanding our collective memories and lived experiences. This approach empowers us to confront hegemonic narratives and reclaim our identities as immigrant scholars navigating predominantly white academic spaces.

Ctamj Forum On Mshsl Activities: One Act, Tony Hartmann, Allee Nickolauson, Grif Sadow

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The CTAM Journal seeks to raise up voices from notable interest groups. Occasionally, individuals are asked to share their thoughts on issues that pertain to the target readership of CTAMJ.

For this special forum, three coaches share their voices on Minnesota State High School One Act: Tony Hartmann (Belle Plaine), Allee Nickolauson (Fergus Falls), and Grif Sadow (Stillwater).

Infographic: Why Students Listen To Audiobooks, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

Research involving over 110,000 children and young people in the UK has revealed that many listened to audiobooks in 2026, saying listening to audiobooks feels like reading and that they listen to audiobooks to give their eyes a break from screens. Here, we share the reasons why 8-18 year olds say they turn to this format to support their learning.