Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Roses And Concrete: Black Teachers' Roles And Challenges In Marginalized Communities, Alyse N. Barry

Dissertations

Black educators play a vital role in schools that serve marginalized communities, yet their stories are often overlooked in academic research. This phenomenological study explores how Black teachers interpret their roles and navigate challenges within these spaces. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), I centered the voices of ten Black educators to better understand the emotional, cultural, and professional layers of their experience.

Through in-depth interviews, participants described themselves as more than just instructors. They saw themselves as cultural connectors, advocates, and protectors for their students. Their presence helps affirm student identities and bridge cultural divides, but they also carry significant …

Breaking Barriers: An Educator's Pursuit To Provide Equity In Student Achievement, Christina L. Korsun

Dissertations

There is a sense of urgency to address the widening achievement gaps among minority students, students with disabilities, and English-language learners. This makes immediate school action necessary to create a more equitable learning environment. Without strategic interventions, including improved teacher retention efforts, stronger student support systems, and effective leadership, these challenges will continue to hinder student success and overall school performance. The purpose of this project is to find solutions for schools to institute to narrow the achievement gap by ensuring all students receive the support needed to succeed. Schools can respond to the learning gap by promoting equitable learning …

Domino Effect: A Case Study On The Impact Of Education Legislation On The Emotions, Self-Efficacy, Job Satisfaction, And Retention Of English Language Arts Teachers In A Rural Middle School, Melinda Palmer

Dissertations

This multiple case study uses the appraisal theory of emotions to examine how Georgia education legislation, the Georgia Parents’ Bill of Rights and Senate Bill 226, impacted the emotional experiences, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction of ELA teachers in a rural middle school. This study also examines how this legislation impacted the retention of ELA teachers at the site school. The study highlights the experiences of 3 veteran teachers who were teaching ELA during the year immediately following the passage of the legislation. The findings indicate that the subsequent procedural changes initiated unpleasant emotional experiences: anger associated with the loss of …

Role-Ing While Bipoc: Understanding The Experiences Of Table Top Role Playing Game Players Of Color, Jordan K. Posey

Dissertations

In 2015, controversy surrounded the interactive computer game Mission US: Flight to Freedom. The game was unveiled as an accessible way to teach about American chattel slavery by mixing elements normally associated with roleplaying games (RPGs), Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs), and social studies curriculum. The conversations surrounding the game exemplify the complicated history of RPGS/TTRPGs and the limitations of gamification in educational settings. This qualitative study aimed to analyze aspects of gaming culture through a critical race lens by documenting the experiences of Tabletop Roleplaying Game (TTRPG) players identifying as Black, Indigenous, and a Person of Color (BIPOC). Using a …

Examining The Creative Process Of Visual Artists: A Phenomenological Study, Filiberto Vargas

Dissertations

Creativity fuels problem solving and innovation, driving both economic growth and individual success. Yet, many schools and organizations fail to nurture it. Today, there is a decline in creativity scores among U.S. students. This is concerning since many of these students will be the future leaders of organizations and communities. For this reason, this dissertation explores the creative process of visual artists to better understand how creativity can be cultivated. Visual artists' perspectives and sense-and-meaning-making processes offer a unique view of innovation and creativity. However, there is limited research on the creative processes of contemporary visual artists from culturally diverse …

Burnout And Quality Of Life As Predictors Of Compassion Fatigue In Inner-City Teachers In The United States, Helen Richelle Ceballo-Hernández

Dissertations

Problem

Teachers are under great stress which can result in burnout and the feeling of being overloaded with work. In turn, burnout can induce compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is often referred to in the literature as repeated exposure to others’ trauma endured by first responders, nurses, and other medical professionals as well as others in the helping profession such as therapists and social workers. The empathy of helping professionals incites compassion fatigue for those whom they help. Teachers, though not originally classified as part of the helping professions, are susceptible to compassion fatigue due to their empathy and the amount …

Stories Of Seventh-Day Adventist Teachers Of Color And Their Voluntary Job Mobility During Their Early Years Of Teaching, Dollene Trott-Smith

Dissertations

Problem

Teachers of Color in the Seventh-day Adventist school system experience voluntary job mobility and attrition, contributing to increasing teacher turnover rates in the U.S. Since the 1954 federal mandate to desegregate U.S. public schools, this phenomenon has become more pressing. Despite racial and ethnic diversification in school staffing, the White teacher population remains around 80%, with Teachers of Color making up only 20%. While extensive research exists on public school teacher turnover, limited studies focus on private school educators, including those in the Seventh-day Adventist school system.

Method

This transcendental phenomenological qualitative study explored the voluntary job mobility of …

Including Conscientiously: How Charter School Educators Experience Inclusion Education Implementation, Joe A. Petty

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry examined how charter school educators experience inclusive education implementation while confronting ableist systems that maintain exclusion through seemingly neutral practices. This research emerged from my lived experience of how educational structures systematically marginalize disabled students while appearing progressive. The study investigated two research questions: how support structures and leadership practices either perpetuate or dismantle ableist assumptions embedded in educational practice, and how educators negotiate tensions between implementing evidence-based inclusive strategies and addressing environmental factors that create the need for those strategies.

Data collection employed semistructured interviews with eight credentialed educators across two Southern California charter school sites, …

A Phenomenological Study To Determine How Expert Avid Teachers Use Collaboration To Strengthen Student Metacognition And Student Self-Efficacy And Determine When It Occurs, Megan Hernandez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine how expert AVID teachers from the California Central Valley describe the use of collaboration to strengthen student metacognition and self-efficacy and how they describe the evidence that indicates metacognition and self-efficacy are occurring.

Methodology: Five Central California school districts were chosen to conduct the phenomenological study on expert AVID teachers. One to two AVID teachers from each of the five school districts were chosen in the study for eight participants. The expert AVID teachers were chosen for having at least five years of experience teaching AVID and being up to …

Impact Of Safety Training On Employee's Perceptions Of Organizational Safety Culture, Brooke Reid-Graves

Dissertations

Workplace safety and well-being are vital for all workers, regardless of their profession (Young et al., 2022). Studies show that providing employees with training focused on recognizing hazards and implementing safety practices is essential for reducing occupational risks (Namian et al., 2020; Rose & Rae, 2017). Research underscores the importance of fostering a positive organizational safety culture for risk reduction (Berry et al., 2020; Downey, 2019). Understanding the impact of safety training on shaping an organization’s safety culture is key to promoting safe working environments (Mahjoub, 2013).

This study utilized the perspectives of high school staff regarding safety training and …

K-12 Education And The Covid-19 Pandemic, Candice Beasley

Dissertations

This quantitative study aimed to explore how schoolwide closures during the COVID-19 pandemic affected student academic performance in selected Mississippi school districts and to examine the instructional strategies schools used during these closures. While there has been global research on the pros and cons of different teaching methods during and after the pandemic, specific data for Mississippi is still limited.

The researcher collected publicly available data from the Mississippi Department of Education. Student performance results from the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) for the years 2019 to 2021 were analyzed to see if academic performance changed due to the pandemic …

The Impact Of Restorative Practice Implementation On Culturally Responsive Teaching And Student Behavior, Patrice Mccoy

Dissertations

American public schools uphold the policies, standards, and disciplinary practices that guide the belief systems of how students view fairness and deal with conflict. As teachers invest in student knowledge and seek to guide students in the right direction, the challenge is learning the appropriate methods of dealing with student behavior. Behavior management practices have evolved just as many student challenges and needs have changed. With these changes evolves the need to better understand students and families. Teachers gaining cultural responsiveness to student behavior challenges is a relatively new ideology to ensure students feel understood and more engaged in the …

Students' Perspectives On Co-Creation Opportunities Within Bachelor's, Master's, And Doctoral Level Education Preparation Programs, Oana M. Manta

Dissertations

This study examines Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral students’ experiences with co-creation activities in education programs. Responding to voiced student concerns, it seeks to uncover ways in which students wish to share ownership of the learning process. Additionally, this study aims to contribute students’ thoughts to the existing co-creation literature. Incorporating evidence from a survey and multiple participant interviews, this study demonstrates that students across all three levels of study wish to experience an increase in co-creation activities, but the type and extent vary by level of study. It argues for instructors and overseeing institutions to negotiate, not prescribe, certain aspects …

A Descriptive Case Study Of An Innovative, University-Based Coaching System For Resident Teachers, Matthew J. Wester

Dissertations

Teacher residency programs (TRPs) have emerged over the past two decades as an effective model of teacher preparation. Within this alternative pathway to teacher certification, pre-service teachers, known as resident teachers, engage in a lengthy clinical teaching experience under the guidance of a trained mentor teacher and field supervisor while concurrently completing closely aligned, graduate-level coursework.

A key element of successful teacher residency programs is the use of a structured coaching system to support resident teachers — defined in this study as the components that form the coaching framework for resident teachers within a defined educational context, operating together to …

The Challenges That Nontraditional Early Childhood Educators Face When Completing Higher Education, Polixeni Pantelidou

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The Challenges that Nontraditional Early Childhood Educators Face When Completing Higher Education by Polixeni Pantelidou

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the challenges that non-traditional Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers face as they pursue higher education. The study aimed to identify key barriers, motivators, and strategies that influence their educational progression and completion. It aims to identify the motivators that drive these individuals to pursue further education, the challenges they encounter once enrolled, and the strategies they employ to overcome these barriers.

Methodology: This study employed a qualitative descriptive method, engaging a select group …

Aligning Perspectives: A Comparative Analysis Of Teachers’ And School Leaders’ Perceptions Of Professional Development Efficacy, Nina Hollis

Dissertations

Professional development has become a staple in the educational landscape, with gaining importance in further education and enhancing one's career as an educator. Professional development is all about updating teachers with the latest knowledge and techniques, found by research, to effectively increase teaching skills. This study investigates the professional development experience of educators and school leaders in relation to their perceptions about professional development. These themes were created in the data analysis to include educators' roles in the classroom, school level, level of degree held, years of experience, subjects taught, and years of professional tenure to get full insight into …

Evaluation Of Educator Outcomes Of Teaching Social-Emotional Learning, Mindfulness, And Life Skills, Gary Mccarthy

Dissertations

There have been many studies documenting the benefits of social – emotional (SEL) instruction for students, but fewer on how teaching SEL curriculums may alleviate teacher burnout. I used a mixed methods research design to investigate the impact of teaching social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and life skills through The Leader in Me (LiM), a K-12 whole-school improvement model based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People on educators. The outcomes of surveys and interviews indicated that most educators in my study reported personal and professional benefits from teaching and modeling the program. My recommendations include further implementation of SEL, Mindfulness, …

Examining Novice Teacher’S Perspectives On Mentoring Programs And Their Influence On Attrition, Lakeisha Ector

Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the perspectives of novice teachers on mentoring programs and their influence on attrition. Mentoring programs present opportunities for skilled educators to teach, sponsor, encourage and advise novices, improving their personal and professional development. The research determines whether mentoring and induction programs strengthen teacher efficacy and their influence on attrition rates. The study is rooted in constructivism, which seeks to develop an understanding and knowledge of individuals through their experiences and reflection. The research employs an inductive and deductive approach, facilitating pattern and theme identification. The study involves nine participants – novice teachers – from Martin-Ellison County …

Emailed Prompt Package To Increase Alternative School Educators’ Use Of Behavior Specific Praise, Chelsea Johnson

Dissertations

Alternative school educators are often placed in alternative education settings with minimal training or support to manage disruptive behaviors in the classroom. To combat this, school-based consultation may be provided to assist alternative school educators with classroom management strategies. However, face-to-face consultation may be limited due to the numerous responsibilities placed on school-based consultants. Behavior specific praise (BSP) is a strategy that is recommended, but often provided at low rates. To address these barriers, previous literature has examined the use of emailed prompts to increase treatment integrity, feasibility, and acceptability of a variety of evidence-based interventions. A concurrent multiple baseline …

How Does Vr Affect Motivation, Engagement, Performance And Student Interest In High School Science?, Ann Marie Carrier

Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of virtual reality (VR) on high school science students' motivation, engagement, performance, and interest in STEM disciplines. Building on Huang et al. (2021), this research replicates and extends their findings, focusing on how different levels of VR immersion influence learning outcomes. The study aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, 123 high school students experienced varying levels of immersive VR via the Titans of Space Plus app on Meta Quest 2 headsets and desktop computers. Study population included 55% males, 45% minorities, and …

The Influence Of Misconceptions On Pedagogical Choices Of Secondary Science Teachers: An Embedded Case Study, Tracey Beyer

Dissertations

This case study, using phenomenography within science disciplines, examines how educators' experiences with misconceptions affect teaching methods in high school physics, chemistry, and biology. Based on constructivist and interpretive theories it highlights that personal experiences shape learning and involve continuously reconstructing knowledge. The shared misconceptions of 13 educators across science disciplines reveal how those experiences influenced both their content knowledge and instructional practices. The findings indicate that educators who openly acknowledge and learn from their past experiences with misconceptions are better equipped to recognize and address gaps in understanding, an asset to furthering student learning. This research highlights the importance …

The Impacts Of Authentic Learning On Student Outcomes, Evan Sheppard, Cameron Conner

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the evolving American education system, emphasizing the role of authentic learning in bridging the gap between schooling and employment, especially in the context of the modern post-pandemic student. Authentic learning, characterized by hands-on activities and real-world applications, is posited as a solution to the skilled labor shortage impacting the economy. This study delves into the history and current practices of authentic learning, examining various programs and strategies implemented in educational settings. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, qualitative data was collected through interviews with recent high school graduates to assess the impact of authentic learning on their post-secondary trajectories. …

Shattering The Mask: Unveiling The Destructive Force Of Misogynoir, Ledominique Hubbard

Dissertations

As a Black woman, my professional journey has been consistently marred by encounters with racism and gender bias. In this research, I employed autoethnography to shed light on my experiences and meticulously examine the challenges of misogynoir I faced while holding pivotal positions, including that of a detested team leader, an ingenious instructional teacher, and an anti-racist assistant principal across three distinct school campuses in two states. My narrative unfolds in various contexts, notably as the sole Black female teacher and team leader within nine elementary schools in a predominantly white, female-staffed rural district. Furthermore, I underscore my role as …

The Perception Of The Implementation Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy To Support Black Male Students In Mathematics – A Case Study, Chiquita Granville

Dissertations

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy is a method of education that promotes an inclusive and empowered learning environment by acknowledging and valuing students varied cultural origins. CRP is especially important for tackling the ongoing achievement discrepancies encountered by high school Black Male students in the context of mathematics instruction. This abstract emphasizes the value of culturally sensitive instruction in enhancing black male students' mathematics learning results and experiences.

This research will examine the difficulties faced by Black male students in Mathematics classes, including prejudice, a lack of cultural representation in the curriculum, and a lack of relevance between the subject matter and …

Addressing The Importance Of Recruitment And Retention Of Black And Latinx Teachers: Strategies Designed To Diversify The Teacher Pipeline, Shavon Pittman

Dissertations

The United States student demographic has shifted significantly, with minorities, particularly Black and Latinx students, now constituting almost half. However, the diversity of the teaching profession, historically led by White females, lags behind, with Black and Latinx teachers comprising less than 30%. This lack of representation poses challenges for students without culturally similar educators. My research explores the impact of teacher diversity on Black and Latinx students' success, revealing positive outcomes. Yet, attracting and retaining minority teachers faces obstacles, including feelings of isolation and financial concerns. Recommendations include educational pathways, scholarships, mentoring programs, salary incentives, and professional learning communities to …

Teaching Writing With The Digital Feedback Protocol: A Peer-To-Peer Intervention To Increase Elementary Student Writing Motivation, Karyn Keenan

Dissertations

Writing is a complex task, especially for elementary school writers; motivation in writing leads to greater writing performance and writing quality. Teachers enter their careers underprepared to teach writing and have to seek out professional development on writing for themselves. Technology can be leveraged in the elementary writing classroom, but it is an under researched area. The Digital Feedback Protocol is a case study dissertation study with an embedded professional development opportunity that supports teachers to implement a protocol for students to provide digital feedback to each other’s writing. The study was conducted with four third grade teachers and their …

A Program Evaluation Of 3de Schools By Junior Achievement, Audra Lewis-Hoesch

Dissertations

3DE Schools by Junior Achievement is a framework for instruction designed to reshape the instructional ecosystem through a high school model that uses project-based learning and case-study methodology to help students acquire core competencies. The context of this inquiry includes various states in America where 3DE Schools are implemented. I utilized a mixed methods approach to collect data and gauge the influence of the 3DE instructional framework on students' readiness for college and career pursuits. Key outcomes showed that students in 3DE cohorts scored higher in math and English than the national average, contributing to an overall higher graduation rate …

Borderland Voices: Exploring The Educational Journey Of Transfronterizx Students, Families, And Educators For Enhanced Engagement And Empowerment, Sobeida Velazquez

Dissertations

Transfronterizx students and their families cross the U.S.–Mexico border for academic, economic, social, cultural, and linguistic reasons. Socioeconomic disparities, deportation, and work have propelled some families to live in Mexico and enroll their U.S.-born children in U.S. schools to provide more socioeconomic opportunities in the United States. Educators of transfronterizx students are uniquely tasked to work with these nontraditional students. Moreover, transfronterizx students and their families have distinct needs in U.S. schools; as such, there is a need for further research on the transfronterizx experience in the U.S. K–12 system. This qualitative narrative inquiry study aimed to understand the experiences …

Black School Leader Truth: How Black School Leader Epistemology Influences Liberatory Mindset Development In Their Staff, Orpheus Williams

Dissertations

Black students in the United States have consistently been denied access to empowering, culturally affirming, and responsive learning experiences in the traditional public system. The epistemological and pedagogical beliefs embedded in a liberatory mindset can subvert this pattern of disempowerment (Shujaa, 1998). Black school leaders (BSLs) who understand the systemic and institutional pressures Black children may face and have to overcome, having undergone similarly racialized experiences in school, are uniquely placed to create liberatory spaces for Black students by recruiting and developing these liberatory mindsets in their staff. This instrumental case study used qualitative research methods of front-porch pedagogy (McTighe …

Ripple Of Hope: Understanding The Lived Experience And Academic Achievement Of Latinx Students At Arrupe College And Dougherty Family College: A Case Study, Richard P. Virgin

Dissertations

One of the most common and important entry points into higher education for Latinx and other underrepresented students is through community college. However, national completion rates for Latinx community college students have been trailing their white peers. This gap in academic achievement has prevailed since the 1990s. The trailing rates of degree completion for Latinx students can lead to lower lifetime salary earnings, lack of career advancement, greater risk of losing employment, and an increased chance of living in poverty. However, a successful community college model may be seen as a disruptor in the educational sector due to its much …