Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

The Value Of Process In Racial Equity Work: Reflections From A Faculty Learning Community, Emily R. Shamash, Julie Berrett-Abebe, Latasha Smith, Stephanie Storms, Michael Regan, Jocelyn Novella, Laurie L. Grupp, Emily Smith, Alyson Martin

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This article explores how one higher education faculty learning community engaged in reflective practices in pursuit of their commitment to the inclusion of anti-racist content and pedagogy across their multidisciplinary curriculums. As a key initial step in engaging in this collaborative, cross-disciplinary work, they set out to consider collective definitions of key terms that are deemed critical to anti-racist pedagogy. This group engaged in a collaborative exploratory process to explore definitions and understanding of the following terms: whiteness, racism, race, racial equity, racial injustice/inequity, white supremacy, and anti-racism and document the reflective process by which the determination took place. Themes …

Crpl 400/800: Introduction To Planning—A First Project Benchmark Portfolio, Abigail L. Cochran

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

In this benchmark portfolio, I reflect on course design and assess student learning in a cross-listed course that serves as a core, introductory course for all undergraduate minor and graduate major students in the Community and Regional Planning (CRP) program, CRPL 400/800: Introduction to Planning. CRPL 400/800 is a survey course intended to introduce students to the discipline of community and regional planning. I taught this course fully online in the spring of 2023, which represented a new format for the class (it is typically taught in person) and a new format of instruction for me. Content wise, this course …

Alec 805 Teaching Portfolio: Exploring Students' Teaching Effectiveness, Becky Haddad

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio explores students attainment on InTASC Standards 1 & 3 through ALEC 805: Advanced Teaching Strategies. Students completed an initial teaching roots reflection and a final education philosophy that served as the basis for analyzing growth in effective teaching. Overall, students had more statements discussing teaching methods and strategies in their final education philosophies than they did in their initial reflections, but used their own experience to substantiate these methods much less. This provides opportunities for additional synthesis and reflection through the course, as well as opportunities for future scholarship in the course focused on students' connection to their …

Exploring Stem Teaching Assistants’ Self-Efficacy And Its Relation To Approaches To Teaching, Cody R. Smith, Deepika Menon, Annette Wierzbicki, Jenny M. Dauer

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants (TAs) play large roles in introductory undergraduate education despite having little to no teaching experience or professional development (PD). Self-efficacy and teaching approach have each been studied as independent variables that impact teaching performance and student learning in the absence of practiced skill or developed knowledge. This study explored relationships between TAs’ teaching approaches and teaching self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was measured using the Graduate Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale (GTA-TSES), and teaching approach was measured using the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI). The following research questions guided the study: What is the relationship between TAs’ approaches to teaching …

Infusion Rather Than Isolation: Integrating Principles Of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization, And Indigenization In Toolkits For Remote Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Robin Attas, Lauren Anstey, Lindsey Brant, Karalyn Mcrae

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In the spring of 2020, our Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) developed the Transforming Teaching and Teaching Assistant Toolkits, consisting of in-house and curated open-access resources on various aspects of remote teaching, along with accompanying webinars. We deliberately infused principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and decolonization and Indigenization across all aspects of the resources for several reasons: our CTL’s commitment to these principles as institutional priorities that are the responsibility of all staff, numerous theorists’ advocacy to adopt inclusive pedagogies across the curriculum rather than tokenistic “add-and-stir” gestures, and a desire to counter the inequities in education …

Multilingual Zambia - Language Issues In Primary/Secondary Schools Of The Eastern/Southern Provinces, Kenzie Steiner

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Introduction: Zambia is a multilingual country that uses 8 different languages for instruction including English and 7 other indigenous languages.

Methods: Survey research conducted between May-June 2022 on 6-7th graders within 9 Zambian schools. Classroom observations made and teachers interviewed.

Results: In Eastern and Southern Provinces, Zambian teachers speak an average of 5 languages while students speak an average of 2. Both teachers and students say English remains the most important language followed by first languages.

Conclusion: Continued research on language-in-education policies and impacts on student performance must be conducted if “One Zambia, One Nation” is meant to promote all …

The Impact Of Poverty Informed Faculty On Community College Student Success, Barbara J. Embacher

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Community college completion has been proven to be a ticket to a middle-class life. Moreover, we know that poverty causes educational barriers, including community college completion. Community colleges across the nation are identifying significant equity gaps between students from poor versus middle-class or affluent households. One solution to close equity gaps and increase student success rates for students experiencing poverty is to educate college faculty through professional development. This includes 1) information on the causes, myths, stereotypes, and other facts about poverty, 2) the impact poverty has on student achievement, and 3) instructional strategies that can help students experiencing poverty …

Teaching With Collective Resilience During Covid-19: Korean Teachers And Collaborative Professionalism, Minseok Yang, Yujin Oh, Sunbin Lim, Taeyeon Kim

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This study applies system-focused resilience and collaborative professionalism to examine how teachers in Korea collectively developed resilience and transformed teaching during COVID-19. Using qualitative data from seven individual interviews and four focus groups, we found Korean teachers navigated complex challenges (rapidly changing policies, online teaching, exacerbated learning gaps, and excessive social pressure) and utilized contextual resources (collective autonomy and flexibility, solidity and solidarity, and collective responsibility) to develop strategies (collaborative inquiry, timely communication, and envisioning the future of schooling). The study extends teacher resilience toward more collective and communal, from the individual level, by linking resilience to collaborative systemic changes. …

‘Chinese Virus’: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Anti-Asian Racist Discourse During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Peiwen Wang, Theresa Catalano

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Since the emergence of COVID-19, researchers have documented an increase in cases of anti-Asian racism and hate crimes. Research shows a possible connection between the ‘Chinese virus’ discourse of the Trump administration and violence in society (Arora and Kim 2020:387). Drawing from critical discourse studies we explore 2,071 comments from one YouTube video which documents anti-China rhetoric by the Trump administration in order to understand the underlying strategies commenters relied on in their reproduction and defence of this discourse. Findings show the trickle-down influence of Trump’s discourse on YouTube commenters, but also ways in which social media created a platform …

Comparison Of Rural And Urban High School Science And Engineering Integration In Two School Districts, Elizabeth Hasseler, Elizabeth B. Lewis

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

A comparative case study was conducted in an urban and rural district, focusing on how science and engineering were integrated into the high school programs. This led to the recommendation for districts to provide collaboration and mentorship opportunities that support teachers integrating engineering into their classrooms.

Session presider: Omah Williams-Duncan

Advisor: Beth Lewis

Committee members: Gwen Nugent, Justin Olmanson, Heidi Diefes-Dux

Nefdc Conference Program, 2023, New England Faculty Development Consortium

New England Faculty Development Consortium Conference Programs

New England Faculty Development Consortium conference program, 2023

Theme: Breaking Convention in Teaching and Learning

Friday, October 20, 2023 Hogan Center, College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Conference Chairs: Eric Matte, Landmark College and Jackie Boivin, Bridgewater State University

Conference Proposal Chair: Kellie Deys, Nichols College

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Lindsay Masland, In Defense of Teacher-Centered Teaching… and Other Things I’m Not Supposed to Say

Upcoming NEFDC Opportunities: Spring 2024 Virtual Brown Bag Workshop Series and the Exchange Call for Submissions

Conference At-a-Glance

Concurrent Session 1, Complete Titles and Abstracts

Concurrent Session 2, Complete Titles and Abstracts

Concurrent …

Nebraska Child Care Market Rate Survey Report 2023, Alexandra Daro, Greg W. Welch, Venessa Bryant

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 was reauthorized with renewed emphasis on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program, which seeks to provide equal access to quality child care for families. The CCDF program is necessary to ensure children from families with lower income have the opportunity to experience stable, high-quality early experiences while their parents experience a pathway to economic stability. A primary goal of the CCDF program is to ensure that families with lower income receive CCDF funds to help them access quality child care in the same manner as families that …

Profiles Of Well-Being Among Early Childhood Educators, Amy M. Roberts, Alexandra Daro, Kathleen C. Gallagher

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

Research Findings: This study used a person-centered data analytic approach to identify distinct subgroups of early childhood educators (n= 133) based on their responses to multiple indicators of well-being (psychological, financial, and health indicators). Various fit indices established a two-class solution. Specifically, one group was characterized by more positive well-being and the other by less positive well-being. Subgroup differences were the greatest for indicators of psychological well-being, including self-care and self-compassion. In addition, educators with less than a bachelor’s degree, working as assistant teachers, receiving less pay, with more adverse childhood experiences, were overrepresented in the less positive …

Using Drawing As A Tool For Investigating Undergraduate Conceptions Of Earth Scientists, Peggy Mcneal, Deepika Menon, Deef Allah Al Shorman, Paulina Gajewska-Schaefer

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate undergraduate students’ conceptions of Earth scientists, using drawing as a tool, during introductory Earth science courses. We explored two research questions: 1) What student conceptions are evident in undergraduate students’ drawings of Earth scientists? and 2) How do undergraduate students’ conceptions of Earth scientists—as evidenced in their drawings—change as a result of completing an introductory Earth science course? We collected pre- and post-drawings of Earth scientists from 94 students in six introductory Earth science courses at two universities and coded the 188 drawings across 39 indicators. We used Chi Square Goodness of …

Building An Honors Community That Values And Celebrates Faculty, Kristine A. Miller

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

The National Collegiate Honors Council’s “Shared Principles and Practices of Honors Education” (2022) outlines the level of commitment, pedagogical innovation and inclusivity, mentoring, and intellectual leadership that honors programs and colleges expect from their faculty. These high expectations require institutional support structures that compensate faculty fairly, foster ongoing professional development, and build a sense of belonging and community in honors. Emphasizing the importance of faculty who teach, mentor, and guide honors students on their educational journeys, the author draws on firsthand experience to offer specific ideas about how to engage and reward honors faculty. The essay suggests that building a …

Theory-Driven Approach To Developing Socially Responsible Leadership Among College Students Who Mentor: Commitment, Hannah Sunderman, Lindsay J. Hastings

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

The current scholarship-to-practice brief discusses a theoretically grounded intervention on developing Commitment, an individual value of the Social Change Model of Leadership (SCM), among college student mentors and adolescent mentees. The authors have previously shared developmental interventions on Consciousness of Self and Congruence (Sunderman & Hastings, 2021, in press), the other two values of the SCM. This brief highlights a two-part leader development intervention: (a) a one-hour content block with interactive activities and (b) a smallgroup, discussion-focused meeting. Specifically, the intervention focused on identifying areas of passion, examining Commitment in others, and planning a task or activity to demonstrate Commitment. …

Migrants, Covid-19, And Italy: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis Of The Construction Of And Resistance To Nationalist Discourses, Alessia Barbici Wagner, Theresa Catalano, Bryan Meadows

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Migration has historically been a controversial issue around the world and one that has often been harnessed by people in power (or people hoping to gain power) for their own political agendas. In times of a global pandemic, the scapegoating of migrants has only increased, often rooted in nationalist ideologies which lead to policies and practices that harm migrants and the larger society. The present paper employs multimodal critical discourse analysis to explore how nationalist ideologies supported by right-wing populism are constructed visually and verbally during COVID-19 on Italian social media in regard to migration. We analyze Giorgia Meloni’s (leader …

From Bilingual To Biliteracy: Learning From Families, Stephanie Wessels, Guy Trainin

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This study examined the home literacy practices of bilingual families. We were specifically interested in the literacy practices families developed to answer the challenge of biliteracy. Through the home visits and supplying high quality bilingual books, we listened, observed, and gained a deeper understanding of the children and their families which allowed us and educators reading this piece to make connections between children’s home literacy practices and literacy practices in the classroom. After discussing the use of bilingual books, the following four themes emerged from the data: families negotiating biliteracy using bilingual books, the role of Spanish, siblings and literacy …

Teaching Assistant Responses To Covid-19: Investigating Relationships Between Stress, Self-Efficacy, And Approaches To Teaching, Cody R. Smith, Deepika Menon, Annette Wierzbicki, Jenny Dauer

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This study investigates the self-efficacy of undergraduate and graduate TAs associated with changes in instruction after the COVID-19 disruption to the spring 2020 semester.

Guiding research questions include: (i) What are the relationships among TA teacher efficacy and stress resulting from the COVID-19 disruption? (ii) What experiences do TAs describe that contribute to their stress and teacher efficacy?

Implications of the results for supporting TAs during similarly stressful events and circumstances are discussed.

Multicultural Teacher Knowledge: Examining Curriculum Informed By Teacher And Student Experiences Of Diversity, Vicki Dea Ross, Elaine Chan

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Herein, we consider how we might support teacher candidates to meet the learning needs of an increasingly diverse student population, in part by encouraging candidates to draw from their own experiences to inform their developing teacher knowledge about multicultural education. We conducted a school-based, long-term narrative inquiry to explore complexities of multicultural teacher knowledge. We document ways in which two practicing teachers, William and Janine, drew from their experiences of diversity in their teaching, and schooling, to build their body of multicultural teacher knowledge that, in turn, informed their work with their students. We recognize the importance of acknowledging teacher …

“Mindset Of Generativity”: An Exploration Of Generativity Among College Students Who Mentor, Hannah Sunderman, Lindsay J. Hastings, Addison Sellon

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Generativity, defined as care and concern for mentoring the next generation, has long been a focus of developmental theory (Erikson, 1963; Kotre, 1984; McAdams, 2001). Generativity has been linked to personal outcomes such as flourishing and life satisfaction (Snow, 2015) and societal outcomes such as social responsibility (Rossi, 2001). While Erikson (1963) theorized generativity as occurring at midlife, further research has pointed to generativity occurring at younger ages. Generativity has received renewed attention as the fifth of six stages in the leadership identity development (LID) model of college students (Komives et al., 2006, 2005), the stage in which upper-class college …

Theory-Driven Approach To Developing Socially Responsible Leadership Among College Students Who Mentor: Congruence, Hannah M. Sunderman, Lindsay J. Hastings

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

The Social Change Model of Leadership (SCM) is the most widely used student leadership development model in higher education. Therefore, the purpose of the current paper is to share a theory-driven approach to developing Congruence, an individual value of the SCM. We discuss the development and implementation of a two-part virtual leader development intervention focused on college students who mentor K-12 youth. Part One was a virtual, twohour content block in the fall with interactive activities. Part Two was a small-group, virtual meeting in the spring with in-depth discussions. The intervention focused on recognizing congruent leadership and considering a situation …

“Just Attaching A Face”: Engaging Local Refugee Communities In Preservice Teacher Education Focused On Students With Immigrant/Refugee Backgrounds, Stephanie Wessels, Theresa Catalano, Jenelle Reeves, Alison E. Leonard, Uma Ganesan, Alessia Barbici-Wagner, Consuelo Gallardo

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This arts-practice research study explores what happens when preservice high school teachers (aka teacher-learners) and local refugee communities engage in the co-creation of art together via an arts-and community-based project. Grounded in social justice teacher education, the researchers conducted a 2-week workshop in which participants included preservice high school teachers and local Yazidi community members who explored art in a museum together, spent time getting to know each other and their backgrounds, and re-created some of their stories in the form of dance. Findings reveal a variety of ways in which the workshops helped teacher-learners develop interculturality, increase understanding of …

Preservice Elementary Teachers Conceptions And Self-Efficacy For Integrated Stem, Deepika Menon, Deef A. A. Shorman, Derek Cox, Amanda Thomas

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Educational reform efforts have emphasized preparing highly competent and confident preservice teachers to deliver effective K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) instruction. Self-efficacy is a key variable that influences motivation and performance, and therefore it is necessary to support the development of preservice teachers’ integrated STEM teaching self-efficacy. This mixed-methods study investigates how preservice elementary teachers’ integrated STEM teaching self-efficacy is shaped during their participation in a newly redesigned STEM semester consisting of three concurrent methods courses (science and engineering, mathematics, and technology methods courses). The quantitative data sources included the Self-efficacy for Teaching Integrated STEM instrument administered as …

We’Ve Crossed A Line: A Philosophical Examination Of Systemic Implications Surrounding Sbae Teachers’ Attempts At Boundary Setting, Becky Haddad, Haley Q. Traini, Aaron Mckim

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This philosophical paper situates the system of School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) in light of teachers’ attempts at boundary work. We define the system of SBAE through a Social Ecological Resilience approach, particularly by examining publications in the Journal of Agricultural Education (JAE) from 2021 to explore what SBAE demands of its teachers. Having worked with SBAE teachers over the last three years as they have struggled with attempts at boundary ownership, we question what this personal struggle indicates about a broader system. We argue for a bounded system by which respect for boundary ownership is reciprocated as an expected norm. …

Rethinking ‘Responsibility’ In Precision Agriculture Innovation: Lessons From An Interdisciplinary Research Team, Edward Prutzer, Maaz Gardezi, Donna M. Rizzo, Mary Emery, Scott Merrill, Benjamin E.K. Ryan, Panagiotis D. Oikonomou, Juan P. Alvez, Damilola T. Adereti, Rubaina Anjum, Appala R. Badireddy, Dwarika Bhattarai, Skye Brugler, Nicholas Cheney, David Clay, Sharon Clay, Ali Dadkhah, Joshua W. Faulkner, Deepak R. Joshi, Christopher Koliba, John Mcmaine, Semhar Michael, Sardorbek Musayev, Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne, George Pinder, Taylor Ricketts, Andrew W. Schroth, Scott Turnbull, Asim Zia

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

We examine the interactions, decisions, and evaluations of an interdisciplinary team of researchers tasked with developing an artificial intelligence-based agricultural decision support system that can provide farmers site-specific information about managing nutrients on their land. We answer the following research questions: (1) How does a relational perspective help an interdisciplinary team conceptualize ‘responsibility’ in a project that develops precision agriculture (PA)? and (2) What are some lessons for a research team embarking on a similar interdisciplinary technology development project? We show that how RI is materialized in practice within an interdisciplinary research team can produce different understandings of responsibility, notions …

Generativity Development Among College Students Who Mentor: A Sequential Multi-Method Quantitative Study., Hannah Sunderman, Lindsay J. Hastings

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Purpose Generativity, defined as care for the next generation, is a hallmark of developmental theory (Erikson, 1950). Mentoring is an antecedent to generativity (Doerwald et al., 2021), with college students who mentor demonstrating higher generativity than their peers (Hastings et al., 2015). Yet, no research has studied generativity development longitudinally among college students who mentor.

Design/methodology/approach Using MANCOVA analyses, Study One (N = 91) cross-sectionally examined the influence of years spent mentoring on generativity levels among college students who mentor in the United States. Study Two (N = 44) employed growth curve analyses (GCA) in multilevel modeling (MLM) …

How I See Myself, Lindsay J. Hastings

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

The way we see ourselves is critical to our development as leaders. The more we know about ourselves, the more strategic we can pursue leadership roles that fit our talents and values. The more we understand ourselves, the more easily we can understand others. The more mindful we can be of our feelings and state of mind, the more intentionally positive our actions can be. In short, our self-awareness as leaders is foundational and serves as an essential starting block for leadership development.

Assessing And Measuring Leadership Identity, Lindsay J. Hastings, Hannah Sunderman

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This article explores numerous complexities involved in assessing and measuring leadership identity development. It also reviews leader and leadership identity as well as prior attempts to assess leader and leadership identity development. Recommendations for effective assessment andmeasurement practices when diagnosing development in leader and leadership identity are offered.

A Peer Review Of Product Design Visualization, Ides 416|816, Aziza Cyamani

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio explores a new course on product design visualization introduced in the product design minor program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Due to the nature of the diverse student group pursuing the minor program, this course adapts flexible teaching and assessment methods that foster inclusivity and enrichment.