Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Assessing The Professional Development Needs Of Traditionally And Alternatively Certified Career And Technical Education Teachers In Virginia, Natalie Ferand, Bradley Bowen, D. Brett Milliken

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The Virginia Department of Education allows for various paths to teacher licensure. Teachers may graduate from an approved teacher preparation program or obtain a teaching license through alternative pathways. This study identified the professional development needs of traditionally and alternatively certified CTE teachers in Virginia by administering a statewide survey. The participants were divided into three groups: alternatively certified CTE teachers (Group 1), traditionally certified teachers in a non-CTE area and then received a CTE endorsement (Group 2), and traditionally certified teachers in CTE (Group 3). By comparing how teachers from each of these certification pathways reported their level of …

Emerging Perspectives Regarding The Implementation Of Lecturer Professionalization At Selected Tvet Colleges In Gauteng Province, South Africa, Mojalefa Daniel Maluka, Maelekanyo Christopher Mulaudzi

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This study explored the challenges impeding the implementation of lecturer professionalisation at selected public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach was followed, and a case study research design was adopted. Fifteen (15) participants were selected from five colleges through a purposive sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, which was analysed through thematic analysis on Atlas.ti. This study found that lecturer professionalisation faced personal, institutional, and systemic challenges, namely, a professional identity crisis, lack of management support, lack of pedagogical knowledge, lack of self-directedness, negative public perception, …

School-Based Agricultural Educators’ Educational Technology Integration Self-Efficacy And Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Relational Study, Macey Kleinjan, Brooke L. Thiel, Adam Marx

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teacher Technological Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, and Technological Pedagogical Knowledge and teachers’ technology integration self-efficacy through the use of TPACK and the Intrapersonal Technology Integration Scale (ITIS). In-service SBAE teachers from four upper-Midwest states were surveyed to assess their current self-efficacy related to the integration and utilization of the educational technology available in their classroom and curriculum. According to the findings of this study, SBAE teachers are using educational technology in their classrooms and curriculum daily but are only slightly confident in their ability …

When Realism In Testing Backfires: Lessons From An Unstructured Practical Exam Pairing, Jennifer Nash

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Physical therapists must adapt quickly and independently in diverse neurologic settings. To reinforce diagnostic readiness and self-sufficiency, students were not assigned partners in advance and received their exam schedule only on the day of testing. This format was designed to challenge adaptability under realistic conditions, promote independent preparation across all course skills, and reduce reliance on rehearsed teamwork.

A Historical Review Of Course Requirements In Agricultural Mechanics For Agricultural Education, Teacher Education Undergraduates At Nine 1862 Land-Grant Universities, Kristopher R. L. Rankin Iii, M. Craig Edwards

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Preparing pre-service students to teach agricultural mechanics is a difficult task due to the career pathway including a great variety of topics (Byrd et al., 2015). This study examined the trend in requirements in 1862 land-grant universities for number of courses, course credit hours, and course topics related to agricultural mechanics, as well as the total credit hours needed for degree completion in agricultural education, teacher education. Overall, the universities examined had lessened the total course credit hours related to agricultural mechanics courses from 8.33 to 11.83 credit hour requirements in 1980, to a range of 6.67 to 8.33 credit …

Mass Shootings And Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, Kelly Stith

English Faculty Research

I am sitting in the University of Nevada Las Vegas Special Collections archive room in the Lied Library. I came here before to donate a zine of a previously published essay, “Still Echoes,” and photographs to a project they are coordinating in remembrance of the December 6, 2023, mass shooting. The Special Collections team was gracious enough to allow me to investigate other artifacts, including several handwritten condolence cards left at campus memorials. Being here is harrowing and reminds me that these are not just mere notes but reflections of people’s grief and the reckoning with a tragedy that rocked …

Preparing Anti-Racist Teachers: A Case Study Of Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Racism And Program Coherence In Equity-Centered Teacher Preparation, Mildred Joyner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This case study explored the perceptions preservice teachers had regarding racism in educational contexts, how those perceptions were shaped by their teacher education program, and to what extent their teacher education program had coherence in preparing anti-racist teachers. Within the context of a large, minority serving institution in the Southwest preparing teachers for one of the most racially, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse districts in the country, the need to prepare anti-racist teachers who are able to recognize and remedy opportunity gaps for multi-marginalized students is evident. Because little research has focused on the perceptions and lived experiences preservice teachers have …

Preparing Students For Adulthood: Comparing The Experiences Of Degree And Non-Degree Seeking Graduates, Lacee R. Boschetto, Brian K. Warnick

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The role of secondary education is critical to preparing graduates for adulthood. This study explored the transition experiences of high school graduates and factors that impacted their preparation for adulthood. This descriptive study focused on the experiences of degree and non-degree-seeking graduates. Surveys were distributed to students enrolled in a general education course at a state university and marketing research participants not enrolled in post-secondary programs. The survey sought to identify overall preparedness, responsibilities deemed necessary to teach in high school, and influence factors that prepared them for adulthood. The overall findings displayed that graduates seeking degrees felt more prepared …

Preservice Teachers' Pk-12 Educational Field Trip Experiences: Teaching Beyond The Classroom, Cecilia A. Turman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of the study was to investigate preservice teachers’ (PSTs) attitudes and beliefs towards their PK-12 field trip (FT) experiences as students, their memories, influences in their lives, impact on their educational approaches and career choices, as well as how, as future teachers, they would implement FTs to their future students to provide feedback on FTs’ training for preparation programs. Rationale: Anderson et al. (2010) criticized teacher preparation programs’ lack of teacher training to implement educational FTs and contended that instructors’ FTs experiences as students may have influenced the way they plan and carry out educational FTs. John Dewey’s …

Addressing Nevada’S Teacher Shortage, Elizabeth Hofschulte Collins

National Institute for the Advancement of Education (NIAE)

Teacher shortages are a pervasive problem across the nation. Multiple strategies have been proposed to address this issue. Teacher shortages impact student achievement and learning in addition to organization culture (Castro, 2023; Ronfeldt et al., 2013; Sorensen & Ladd, 2020), making it an important issue (Ingersoll, 2003). While teacher shortages are a national problem, each teacher labor market is different. Consequently, different strategies will be more suitable for different labor markets. Nevada’s teacher shortage is present across P-12 levels of education and in many content areas. Early childhood education is the only area that does not report a teacher shortage …

Perceptions Of Inspire: Training For Idaho Alternatively Certified Cte Teachers, Scott Straub, John Cannon, Carol Billing

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This study aimed to assess the level of preparedness of alternatively licensed teachers who completed the Idaho CTE InSpIRE Educate program. A survey was distributed to 67 program completers, and the data were analyzed using statistical tools. The research found that participants believed InSpIRE provided adequate training to meet the Idaho requirements for new CTE teachers, indicating a perception of preparedness and self-efficacy. Higher self-efficacy was associated with participation in the program. However, the study also revealed room for improvement in the training, aligning with previous research that emphasized the unique needs of CTE teachers. Further research was recommended to …

21st Century Skills Required In Eswatini's Higher Agricultural Education Curriculum, Zanele Muntu Gule Ms, Edwards A. Alademerin Prof, Marietta P. Dlamini Prof

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The skills gap between agricultural education graduates from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) and what employers are searching for is growing. Literature informs that this is mostly owing to the world's rapid changes, with ICT serving as the primary change engine, necessitating new sets of abilities from graduates as well as up-to-date teaching and evaluation methodologies in higher education institutions. These demands prompted the researchers to first establish the set of 21^st century skills that UNESWA graduates must acquire in order to thrive and participate fully in today's market. The study's purpose, therefore, was to develop a set of …

Purposeful Stem Integration In School-Based Agricultural Education Programs, Christopher J. Eck, Kristopher Rankin Iii, J. Shane Robinson

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The emphasis for STEM integration in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) classrooms is imperative, resulting in a need for teacher educators to generate a positive view on the integration. Specifically, SBAE teacher aspirants need to be prepared to deliver relevant agricultural curriculum grounded in STEM. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the content knowledge and interest in STEM-related careers for secondary students enrolled in SBAE programs in Oklahoma. Pre-service SBAE teachers from Oklahoma State University were charged with delivering a sustainable bioenergy unit of instruction to their students. This study resulted in a statistically significant improvement in students’ STEM …

Exploring Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education Personnel Preparation For Teaching Social Emotional Skills And Addressing Challenging Behavior, Melissa Yarczower

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social emotional development is crucial for all young children. Children who develop age-appropriate social emotional skills engage in positive peer relationships, establish friendship skills, and have competent problem-solving skills. Without adequate social emotional skills, young children are at risk for detrimental long and short-term consequences such as academic failure, exclusionary practices, and school dropout. Interventions and support from well-trained teachers are essential for young children to acquire these skills. Using an explanatory mixed method approach, this study investigated how early childhood (EC) and early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers were trained to teach social emotional skills and address challenging behavior. …

Uplifting The Cultural And Ethical Desires Of A Student Of Color: An Intercultural Phenomenological Exploration Of Marginalized Desires In Teacher Education, Younkyung Hong

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

In this study, I engage in the intercultural phenomenological analysis of discovering and naming marginalized and undervalued desires in a teacher education space. Based on Deleuze and Guattari’s (1987) conceptualization of desire, I challenge the understanding of desire as an absence or lack. I chose to focus on an Asian American female student’s story that has the power and potential to provoke awareness and prompt further examination and discussion about the complex realities of preservice teachers’ learning practices. This study highlights the value of adjusting the understanding of “what is manifested” in a phenomenological study to “what is not manifested?” …

Why Teach? Exploring The Motivations And Expectations Of First-Year, Alternatively Certified Agriscience Teachers, Sarah E. Larose, Blake C. Colclasure, Anna J. Warner, Debra M. Barry, Edward W. Osborne

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

School-Based agricultural education increasingly depends upon alternatively certified (AC) teachers to teach agriculture across the United States. Understanding why these individuals become teachers is an important step to better recruit and retain educators who do not complete traditional preparation programs. The purpose of our study was to explore the backgrounds, motivations, and expectations of AC agriscience teachers joining the profession. Our study was guided by the social cognitive career theory and utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach. We interviewed seven AC agriscience teachers in Florida during their first-year teaching to explore their journey into teaching agricultural education. Six major themes were …

Co-Teaching At The Secondary Level: A Qualitative Study Of Perceptions, Implementations, & Constructivism, Anne-Marie Raskin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The intended outcome of this qualitative study was to provide valuable information that could improve pre-service teacher education programs and inclusion professional development programs, as well as help guide school-based administrators on how to better support co-teaching at the secondary level. In order to accomplish the outcome, the purpose of the study was twofold: (1) to examine secondary co-teachers’ perceptions toward their preparedness to co-teach in an inclusion classroom based on their pre-service training, overall professional development, and administrative support; and (2) to explore how well secondary co-teachers practice constructivist-oriented co-teaching. The research questions included: (1) How do secondary co-teachers …

The Closing Of One Black Box, The Opening Of Another: A Self-Study Of How An Instructional Coach Makes Decisions, Andromeda L. Hightower

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite the efforts of traditional and alternative teacher education programs (i.e. pre-service teacher education) in the United States, teachers frequently report feeling unprepared by the time they begin teaching full time in the classroom. Teachers with low levels of self-efficacy are correlated with lower job satisfaction, higher levels of stress and anxiety, and lower student achievement gains in the classroom. To assist with ameliorating these gaps, schools, districts, and private distributors provide training opportunities for teachers once they have begun the job (i.e. in-service teacher training) in the form of teacher professional development. Mainstream professional development approaches are traditionally simplistic …

Counseling Skills For Educators, Craig Hall

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is touted as a diverse campus. Indeed, students represent a wide range of demographics concerning race, gender, identity, socioeconomics, physical and mental ability issues, as well as non traditional students and those the intersectional representation of multiple demographic groups. It is incumbent upon educators to provide safe spaces for all students. This is an equitable practice. How can educators be more equitable? By using counseling skills in their education such as: empathy, active listening, belief in the capabilities of students, and avoiding labeling students. It must be noted that the use of counseling skills …

Why Ask That? Low Stakes Questions Build Engagement, Van Whaley

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

A few low-stakes questions during the term build engagement, encourage persistence, and can improve learning outcomes.

During labs, students work together to learn Anatomy & Physiology… plus answer these Engagement Booster Questions.

The Need
/="/">Students need to meet classmates. After two years of online-only education, returning to in-person labs is a new experience many students find uncomfortable and challenging.

The Existing Resources
/="/">Students in the same lab have several similarities that include enrolling in the same lecture section, similar schedules, the same completed prerequisites, similar majors, and career aspirations.

The Goal
/="/">Building engagement between students should help …

A Comparative Examination Of Vocational Education Teacher Qualifications And Preparation Between Finland And The State Of Ohio In The United States, Chris Zirkle, Jari Laukia, David Mauffret, Sergio Prudant Vilches

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Working between the formal education system and workplace, vocational education teachers contribute to the growth and development of a country’s future workforce. Using interviews of university professors, examination of legislation and administrative rules and information obtained from applicable websites, this article compares two different teacher education systems for the preparation of vocational teachers in the country of Finland and the state of Ohio in the United States. Findings indicate both systems have commonalities as well as significant differences. This comparison will contribute to a better understanding of vocational teacher education from an international perspective and examines such aspects as qualification …

Activity-Based Intervention And One-To-One Correspondence For Children With Developmental Delays, Cyndy Anang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

PreK children with developmental delays in inclusive classrooms need access to math interventions helps them develop foundational math skills that are needed to succeed during their K-12 education. Research is significantly lacking that addresses increasing math skills for children with disabilities in PreK classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine how using activity-based intervention (ABI) increases one-to-one correspondence for children with disabilities in an inclusive classroom. A single subject multiple probe design across participants was implemented to embed one-to-one correspondence math goals into daily routines and preferred activities. The participants of the study were two 3–5-year-old children categorized …

What Counts As Rigor When Rigor Counts?: Increasing Intentionality In Teacher Education, Derek Riddle, Chyllis E. Scott, Leann G. Putney

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

Debates regarding the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs continue to persist. The level of rigor in teacher preparation programs and the ability of teacher educators to prepare candidates for the challenges persist in the educational climate. In higher education, rigor has been well-defined, but the understanding is limited, specifically rigor in preparing new teachers. This study undertook a telling case approach to explore student and faculty perceptions of rigor in a teacher preparation course. This research “leans in” to the criticism of rigor by exploring how teacher preparation programs can match the rigor and demands of the profession and to …

The Effects Of Coaching Provided Via Video-Conferencing To Caregivers Of Children With Asd, Kendra L. Antill

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The ability to communicate effectively to others is a pivotal skill necessary to get one’s needs and wants met; however, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have significant delays in communication skills. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices provide an alternative means for children with complex communication needs to express their needs and wants. Communication interventions involving AAC have been largely conducted in school and clinical settings, despite young children spending a significant amount of their time at home and in the community. Family involvement plays a critical role in improved outcomes for young children with disabilities. Recent shifts …

Examining The Attitudes Of Preservice Teachers Toward English Learners, Annie Chou

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The rapid growth of the K-12 English Learner (EL) student population in the United States raises concerns related to their learning and growth in schools. Teachers are central figures in their students’ achievement. The influence of teachers’ attitudes on student learning and development validates the need to examine these in research studies. What influences teachers’ attitudes is an important part of understanding teachers’ attitudes towards their EL students. Certain individual characteristics including teachers’ training, may be associated with their positive attitudes. Studies have shown that effective teacher preparation programs can change preservice teacher attitudes in general and specifically towards their …

An Integrative Variable And Person-Centered Approach To Representing Teachers' Self-Efficacy: A Cross-Cultural Perspective, Ana Paula Santos Loures Elias

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There has been substantial scholarly attention given to teachers’ functioning over the past two decades. Much of this attention has been precipitated by accounts of increasing teacher burnout and attrition from the profession. Central to this scholarly focus has been the construct of teacher self-efficacy, which has been shown to be a predictor of important teacher outcomes. However, there remain several unresolved issues in the teacher self-efficacy literature that limit the utility of the construct for understanding teachers’ effective functioning. First, there is little clarity about the dimensional structure of teachers’ self-efficacy data. Second, little empirical work has been conducted …

Measuring Social Studies Teacher Self-Efficacy: Development Of A Valid, Reliable, And Fair Social Studies Self-Efficacy Scale, Leona Calkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social studies education provides unique opportunities for students to learn about the democratic process and, more importantly, how to engage in civic life to become active citizens. It is through meaningful social studies education that students are deliberately helped to understand the world, and are provided space to discuss, deliberate, and inquire about problems in the world, both past and present, and then learn how they can work to solve these problems (NCSS, 2013a; Parker, 2008). Considering the role of social studies education in helping develop active citizens, there has been a call for social studies teachers to provide instruction …

The Role Of Peer Relationships In Developing, Promoting, And Maintaining Teachers’ Social And Emotional Competence In The Charter School Setting, Ted Jason Weisman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social and Emotional Competence (SEC) is comprised of five main components: self awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Within the context of K-12 education, SEC is typically explored through the lens of student achievement or student progress. This area of research is noteworthy as teachers aretrained in SEL to assist and support students, not themselves or one another (Wiglesworth et al., 2016). Although teachers may receive training on SEC, the teachers rarely are the focus of that training (Aldrup et al., 2021). One area of particular interest is the setting of charter schools and how they address …

Inservice Middle School Teachers' Understanding Of Views Of Nature Of Science (Vnos), Merika Charupoom, Emily Carter, Yasmeen Hernandez

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

What is a misconception? A view or opinion that is incorrect based on faulty thinking or understanding. Misconceptions may originate from personal experience, imprecise language, lack of examples and non-examples in concept formation, media representation of phenomena, errors in logic, and textbooks. Often occurs from the inconsistency in science curriculums among instittuions and education systems.

Effects of Misconceptions: Gap in knowledge/understanding that is taught from teacher to student; Decrease in the academic success of students.

Nevada is ranked 49th in educational attainment, 42nd in school quality, 46th in best school systems in America.

One way to help us understand whether …

Closing The Racial Gap: The Lack Of Diverse Faculty At The University Of Nevada, Las Vegas And University Of Nevada, Reno, Olivia K. Cheche

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

How does faculty racial diversity compare to student racial diversity at UNLV and UNR? How do faculty salaries affect this diversity? What policy recommendations can be implemented to attract more racially diverse academics to UNLV and UNR?