Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Courageous Student-Teacher Dialogue On Ai: Cultivating Environments Of Respect, Jared Colton, Clayton Brown, Beth Buyserie, Gabriele Ciciurkaite, Marta Halaczekiewicz, Jeannie Johnson

Empowering Teaching Excellence Conference

This interdisciplinary panel, representing five departments from the CHaSS AI Working Group, will discuss policies and pedagogical approaches for navigating uncertainties with generative AI challenges. This informational session highlights issues in relation to USU’s academic integrity policies and procedures, as well as students' rights and educational benefits. The session also focuses on creating productive learning conversations with students in order to cultivate productive AI use, prevent AI misuse, and respond with care when AI has been possibly misused. Our panelists will discuss the following questions:How can teachers frame classes' (and my pedagogy) to establish productive expectations around AI usage? What …

An Examination Of Transition Professional Profiles Based On Value-Based Principles: A Latent Profile Analysis, Anthony Plotner, Angie Starrett, Charles Walters, Rebecca Smith Hill

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This paper presents findings from a study utilizing Latent Profile Analysis to examine the value-based principles of transition professionals from two distinct disciplines: special education and Centers for Independent Living (CIL). Specifically, this paper aimed to identify profiles emerging from the value orientations of special education and CIL professionals, and to explore how individual factors such as professional role, disability status, education, and years’ experience differ across these profiles. Findings revealed a taxonomy comprising four distinct profiles within the transition professionals sampled. These profiles delineate varying dominant values that encapsulate the convergence of special education and independent living philosophies. Implications …

An Evaluation Of Authenticity: A Content Analysis Of K-6 Mandarin Matrix Textbooks For Chinese Dual Language Immersion Programs, Hsiaomei Tsai

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Authentic texts are suggested for building practical language skills that go beyond the classroom, helping language learners to communicate with native speakers. This study used content analysis and a teacher survey to examine how the Utah Chinese Dual Language Immersion (DLI) literacy curriculum, featuring the Grades K-6 Mandarin Matrix textbooks, reflects realistic Chinese language and culture. Additionally, this study explored the pedagogical value of these textbooks in Utah’s Chinese DLI programs via a teacher survey. The results showed high linguistic authenticity in word usage, order, and situations, consistently above 99% across Grades K to 6 books. Cultural authenticity, particularly in …

A Scoping Review On The Experiences Of Queer And Trans Students In Stem, Elliot P. Tingey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Efforts to increase diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are ongoing, but within these efforts queer and trans individuals are often left out. While initial data does suggest that queer and trans individuals are significantly absent from the STEM workforce, research into the causes of such underrepresentation is scattered. Given the importance of educational experiences in the pursuit of a STEM career, it is likely that these early experiences may play a role. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the current research on the experiences of queer and trans students in STEM educational spaces, what …

Children's Mathematical Engagement Based On Their Awareness Of Coding Toy Design Features, Joseph Kozlowski, Jessica Shumway, Patricia Moyer-Packenham, Jody Clarke-Midura, Victor Lee

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Tangible coding toys are designed to make coding accessible to young children, and because of their tangible and spatial nature, they are also viewed as tools for engaging children in mathematics. Research is needed to understand children's awareness of toys' design features and how they afford mathematical engagement. We conducted a qualitative study of 106 5-to-6-year-old children completing coding tasks (42 hours of video). Our research questions focused on children's perceptions of design features, mathematical engagement, and how different design features afforded mathematics engagement. Results indicated (a) children perceived a variety of design features across coding toys; (b) children engaged …

Development And Validation Of A High School Agricultural Literacy Assessment, Rose Judd-Murray, Brian K. Warnick, Daniel C. Coster, Max L. Longhurst

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

The National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes (NALOs) are knowledge benchmarks for school-aged youth and are used to improve agricultural literacy (National Agriculture in the Classroom, 2014; National Center for Agricultural Literacy, 2017). Despite educational efforts, prior research indicated that high school populations remained at low or deficient literacy levels. Additionally, no agricultural literacy assessment instruments using the NALOs as a standardization benchmark have been developed for the 9-12th grades. The purpose of the study was to validate a summative NALO-centered assessment that could provide baseline data on agricultural literacy following the completion of secondary education (12th grade). The study followed the …

Reinvigorating The Post-Covid Gen Z English Major, Gaby Bedetti

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

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The decline in English majors has energized instructors to upskill for the post-COVID Gen Z student. Toward that end, this small-scale (n=20), one-semester study of an upper-division literature class identifies the preferred learning styles of English majors at a public comprehensive regional university in Kentucky. The participants represent national English major demographics. The research methods are quantitative and qualitative. Eight figures and an appendix are included. Three guidelines emerge for responding to the needs of Gen Z students: 1) keep communication brief, 2) co-create, and 3) interact in-person. The findings about …

Using An Interrupted Case Study To Engage Undergraduates’ Critical Thinking Style And Enhance Content Knowledge, Kelsey Hall, Katherine Starzec

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

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The interrupted case study is a structured way to engage students in active learning. Interruptions, or pauses for reflection and discussion scheduled within the case-study presentation, provide students with a chance to collaborate and engage in critical thinking. Critical thinking style, which is a measure of how one tends to think critically, provides insight into how one tackles problem solving. This article describes a pilot project that combined critical-thinking style and an interrupted case study, delivered over a two-class-period time frame, to four college courses. The project’s goals were to assess …

Spring 2024 Introduction, Jason Olsen

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

An introduction to the Spring 2024 issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 8, Issue 1, Spring 2024

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Spring 2024 issue (Volume 8, Issue 1) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

The Spring 2024 issue presents research and commentary on trends and best practices in higher education, with a focus on public policy implications for literacy instruction, adjusting instructional programs to Generation Z learning preferences in English courses, and increasing students' critical thinking and self-reported ability through an interrupted case study approach.

Tasks For Learning Trigonometry, Sydnee Andreasen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Many studies have been done using task-based learning within different mathematics courses. Within the field of trigonometry, task-based learning is lacking. The following research aimed to create engaging, mathematically rich tasks that meet the standards for the current trigonometry course at Utah State University and align with the State of Utah Core Standards for 7th through 12th grades. Four lessons were selected and developed based on the alignment of standards, the relevance to the remainder of the trigonometry course, and the relevance to courses beyond trigonometry. The four lessons that were chosen and developed were related to trigonometric ratios, graphing …

Collective Teacher Efficacy And Effective Title I Eligible Schools: A Mixed Methods Approach, Donald R. Mendenhall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Students living in poverty have historically scored lower than more affluent peers. However, research suggests that collective teacher efficacy (CTE) may be more strongly associated with student academic success than socioeconomic background. Therefore, this study identifies successful Title I eligible schools that also have high levels of collective teacher efficacy to identify methods for increasing CTE in schools. A mixed methods research study model is used to explain how two successful Title I schools were able to achieve academic success and high levels of CTE. The study finds some of the perceptions of school staff, and the actions and processes …

Teaching A Holistic Framework Of Early Care And Education And K–12 Leaders' Working Conditions And Well-Being, Timothy G. Ford, Kyong-Ah Kwon, Alyson L. Lavigne, Tom Mchugh

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

The importance of leadership for key educational outcomes is well documented, yet leaders’ working conditions and well-being have received considerably less attention, particularly in the early care and education (ECE) sector. Job-Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory was used to develop a holistic conceptualization of leader well-being for the purpose of examining the associations among various job demands, resources, and well-being (i.e., physical, psychological, and professional well-being) for leaders of birth to 12th grade (B–12). We tested our conceptual model via structural equation modeling (SEM) with over 2,000 ECE and K–12 building leaders across the United States. We found substantially stronger effects between …

Preparing Elementary Preservice Teachers For Inquiry-Based Science And Mathematics Instruction Through A Novel Initiative, Tye Campbell, Diandra Singh, Cathlene Hillier, J-F, Haleigh Sears

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Over the past several decades, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners have placed an emphasis on inquiry-based science and mathematics instruction in elementary school. While inquiry-based science and mathematics instruction can support student learning and engagement, teacher preparation programs have experienced challenges in preparing elementary teachers to use and maintain inquiry-based teaching practices. In this study, we describe how one teacher preparation program in Canada partnered with a local elementary school to design a novel initiative that provided elementary preservice teachers with authentic opportunities to employ inquiry-based instructional practices for science and mathematics. Using a thematic approach, we explored 46 elementary preservice …

Teaching And Generative Ai: Pedagogical Possibilities And Productive Tensions, Beth Buyserie, Travis N. Thurston, Adena Rivera-Dundas, Ali Söken, Belinda 'Ofakihevahanoa Fotu, Breanne K. Litts, Catherine J. Denial, Chris Mayer, Clancy Ratliff, Cora Alward, Daniel Frank, Daniel Hutchinson, Dory Rosenberg, Emma Mecham, Erin Jensen, Franziska Tsufim, Ha Nguyen, J. Kaleo Alladin, Jacob Morris, Jacob Taylor, Jenna Green, Jennifer Grewe, Jennifer K. Johnson, John Paul Tassoni, Josh Vogeler, Julia M. Gossard, Kolby Sanders, Kysa Nygreen, Lainie Pomerleau, Laura Dumin, Lillian Campbell, Lydia Peach, Lydia Wilkes, Maha Bali, Marc Watkins, Mary Lourdes Silva, Megan Hamilton, Melissa Tehee, Michael A. Christiansen, Mudasir Mustafa, Nicole Bungert, Parker Routt, Reba Wissner, Reed Hepler, Ritamarie Hensley, Rogelio E. Cardona-Rivera, Rosa Thornley, Ruth Li, Samantha K. Yoder, Susan Codone, Veronica Pulley, Walker P. Smith, Tazin Daniels

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

With the rapid development of generative AI, teachers are experiencing a new pedagogical challenge, one that promises to forever change the way we approach teaching and learning. As a response to this unprecedented teaching context, this collection—Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions—provides interdisciplinary teachers, librarians, and instructional designers with practical and thoughtful pedagogical resources for navigating the possibilities and challenges of teaching in an AI era. Because our goal with this edited collection is to present nuanced discussions of AI technologies across disciplines, the chapters collectively acknowledge or explore both possibilities and tensions—including the strengths, …

Learn Twice Invited Brief: Experiential Learning, Daniel Holland, Jim Cannon

Huntsman School of Business Teaching Scholarship Series

This article provides a review of the concept of experiential learning, an overview of the theory, its benefits, and a range of examples both inside and outside the classroom. It concludes with a discussion of the steps that teachers can take to create experiential learning opportunities.

Book Review Rural Education In America: What Works For Our Students, Teachers, And Communities, Sunshine L. Brosi, Marilyn M. Cuch, Spencer Spotted Elk, Julie Stevens, Gustavo A. Ovando-Montejo

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Book review of Marietta, G. & S. Marietta. (2020). Rural Education in America, What works for our students, teachers, and communities, Harvard Education Press. Statewide faculty teaching in rural Utah review this book and focus on actions to meet the specific needs of their demographic of rural students in rural communities. The reviewer’s reflections on the book developed from a Spring 2022 Empowering Teaching Excellence Learning Circle led by the primary author.

Evaluating Active Lecture And Traditional Lecture In Higher Education, Kathleen Klein, Jennifer Calabrese, Adam Aguiar, Sunny Mathew, Kimoni Ajani, Rania Almajid, Jennifer Aarons

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of traditional and active lecture methods in higher-education courses. A multiple group convergent parallel mixed method design was used, with measurement of learning, attention, and student preference for active or traditional lecture methods. Six faculty at a public university in the northeast region of the United States engaged 178 undergraduate and graduate students in a traditional lecture session and an active lecture session during the Spring 2022 semester. Results indicated effectiveness of active and traditional lecture approaches (p < .05). Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data in the study provides additional information regarding student preference for active lecture based on perceptions of increased learning benefits, interaction/engagement, attention, activities, discussion, and the use of multimedia. In implementing both traditional and active lecture sessions this study employed pre-lecture and post-lecture quizzes that students found to be very beneficial to learning.

Teaching Reproducibility To First Year College Students: Reflections From An Introductory Data Science Course, Brennan L. Bean

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

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Modern technology threatens traditional modes of classroom assessment by providing students with automated ways to write essays and take exams. At the same time, modern technology continues to expand the accessibility of computational tools that promise to increase the potential scope and quality of class projects. This paper presents a case study where students are asked to complete a “reproducible” final project in an introductory data science course using the R programming language. A reproducible project is one where an instructor can easily regenerate the results and conclusions from the submitted …

Preservice Teacher Education Preparation: Implementation Of Personalized Learning And Technology Integration In The Fifth Industrial Revolution, Crystal C. Loose, Rose Jagielo-Manion

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

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It has been argued that we have moved into the age of personalization. One can see this while ordering drinks at a local Starbucks, where options are limitless. This personalization has been called the Fifth Industrial Revolution, a time noted for a deep, multi-level cooperation between people and machines. With emphasis on innovation, purpose, and inclusivity, this revolution calls for changes in the classroom setting to focus on relationships and lived experiences. So, how do we prepare our preservice teachers for this reality? Methods of instruction that create an engaging and …

Adapting Interteaching To A Hybrid Format: A Framework For Implementation, Carmen Farrell

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

In the world of higher education, expectations of college-level instructors have shifted significantly in the last few years due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Instructors were required to be more flexible than ever before, oftentimes across different modalities. This essay models an evidence-based teaching method, interteaching (IT), that was originally created for use in a traditional face-to-face classroom and suggests an adaptation of that method for a hybrid classroom. The theoretical framework of IT is explained and an adaptation of IT for hybrid classrooms is provided with a specific college-level course …

Introduction For Fall 2023 Issue, Jason Olsen

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

An introduction to the Fall 2023 issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 7, Issue 2, Fall 2023

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Fall 2023 issue (Volume 7, Issue 2) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

The Fall 2023 issue presents research and guidance on topics related to educational adaptation. The first article by C. Farrell describes an adaptation of the interteaching method to the hybrid delivery method. The second article by C. C. Loose and R. Jagielo-Manion describes a study of modules on personalized learning to preservice teachers and its impact on their comfort level and preparation to implement personalized learning in their classrooms. The third article by B. …

Investigating Relationships Among Measures Of English And Chinese Handwriting Fluency In Early-Elementary Chinese Dual Language Immersion Students, Petra Mei Wah Sin Chou

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between English and Chinese handwriting fluency measures in early-elementary Chinese Dual Language Immersion students. This was done by conducting five handwriting fluency tasks among Chinese Dual Language Immersion students and comparing the findings. First, the findings showed that there was a moderate correlation between the participants' English and Chinese handwriting fluencies and that English fluencies predicted Chinese fluencies. However, the students could write English numbers and letters much faster than Chinese characters. Second, as expected, Chinese DLI participants showed that handwriting fluency improved as grade level increased. Third, third-grade students …

Consensus Modeling As A Cultural Practice: A Case Study From A Seventh-Grade Science Classroom, Sara Louise Miconi Gailey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Recent reforms in science education aim to involve K-12 students in practices similar to those of professional scientists. These reforms promote student collaboration and science practices including developing models and engaging in scientific argumentation with evidence. Small group work in science classrooms has increased following the reforms. However, while small group collaboration has gained popularity, research suggests that it does not always lead to equitable participation. This qualitative case study uses discourse analysis to examine how two small groups of students in a seventh-grade science class develop consensus models of a phenomenon and how students are socialized to participate in …

The Influence Of Secondary Principals' Perceived Trust Of Assistant Principals And Central Office Supervisors On Principal Self-Efficacy For Instructional Leadership, Cody J. Reutzel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although self-efficacy has been studied widely in education, variables associated with the self-efficacy of principals have received relatively limited attention. The current study investigated the relationship between secondary principals’ perceptions of trust in their assistant principal and central office supervisor and their own self-efficacy for instructional leadership. Surveys were collected from 80 secondary principals. Open-ended questions were utilized to gain greater understanding of the behaviors contributing to principals’ perceptions of trust and feelings of self-efficacy. Data were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression. Quantitative results revealed that no statistically significant relationship is present between trust perceptions in the relationships investigated …

Preservice Teacher Engineering Design Teaching Efficacy, Laura Wheeler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Science educators are tasked with enacting The Next Generation Science Standards that include engineering core ideas and practices. Many teacher preparation programs and content courses do not include or require engineering design leading many science teachers to believe they are unprepared to teach engineering design. The lack of experience and belief of being unprepared to teach engineering design results in preservice educators’ lack of engineering design teaching self-efficacy. Preparation programs inclusion of efficacy in is essential to understanding later enactment. This mixed-method case study researched the engineering design teaching self-efficacy of eleven preservice educators during an engineering design unit taught …

The Relationship Between Discipline-Specific Subject Matter Knowledge And Discipline-Specific Science Teaching Efficacy Of Elementary Teachers, Douglas Ball

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because a teacher's confidence in their ability to teach science is associated with instructional methods and their persistence in the face of challenges, improving science teaching confidence becomes critical for improving science teaching of young children. Science teaching confidence also varies by discipline for elementary teachers: physical science teaching confidence tends to measure lower than life science. This discrepancy leads to elementary teachers engaging in less effective science teaching practices with physical science than life science. A teacher's subject matter knowledge influences their confidence in their ability to teach that subject. Subject matter knowledge impacts science teaching confidence because when …

The Effects Of Joint Training On Career And Technical Education And Special Education Professionals, Crystal K. Emery, Robert L. Morgan

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Abstract

Young adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who leave high school have limited options in adulthood. Their rates of competitive employment in inclusive community settings is very low compared to their counterparts without disabilities. Involvement in postsecondary education and independent, community living is likewise limited. They need teams of trained professionals representing relevant disciplines who work together to support the student along college, career, and community pathways. Not only should special educators (SPED) be trained, but career technical education (CTE) professionals should be jointly trained in how to collaborate effectively and provide well-coordinated services. The purpose of this research …

Engaging Utah Educators To Teach 21st-Century Skills Using Drones, Denise Stewardson, Cory Ortiz, Lendel K. Narine, Joseph Furse

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide a unique opportunity to teach complex STEM skills and promote agricultural literacy in the classroom. However, many teachers lack knowledge of UAVs and agricultural contexts for teaching with UAVs. This program delivered professional training to 56 teachers to develop their skills in using UAVs in the classroom to promote agricultural literacy.