Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

How Much Do U.S. University Students Know, And Want To Know, About Sustainability And Green Building? The Findings Of A Survey, And Possible Implications For General Elective Curricula., Jeremy R. Farner

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Using the survey approach, this investigation examined the attitudes and interest of college students at two universities in different geographic locations within the United States.  Approximately 24,000 students from all disciplines and majors at Weber State University (WSU) in Utah, and 4,000 at Purdue University in Indiana, were invited to participate in a study to determine current knowledge, familiarity, and interest in topics within the sustainability and Green Building educational arena. The goal of this study was to determine what students already know, would like to know, and how much interest there would be in developing …

Classroom Management: A Study In Leadership, Theory, And Implementation, Brian Latwis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to review the literature, identify components of a classroom management plan, and implement the research into practice to study the effects of implementing a classroom management plan. There will be three action research cycles that drive this case study. The case study starts by studying the effects of implementing a classroom management plan with 18 teachers in Generic Township High School. Utilizing the research, key components have been identified: procedures, rules, hierarchy of negative consequences, and the importance of positive reinforcement and communication home. This study is both qualitative and quantitative in nature. Qualitatively, …

Teacher Research And Leadership The Write Way: The Appalachian Writing Projects Impact In Rural Virginia., Renia H. Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research one specific approach to developing and sustaining rural teacher leaders in a high-poverty area with limited resources for teachers. The study investigates The Appalachian Writing Project, a nonprofit organization serving far southwest Virginia and how the AWP has affected rural teachers in educational leadership positions and the resulting impact on educational experiences for students.

The participants in this study represent a unique population, composed of certified teachers in extreme southwest Virginia who have completed the Appalachian Writing Project's Invitational Summer Institute (2001-2010) and serve as Teacher Consultants for that organization.

Qualitative …

Teachers' And Principals' Perspectives Of Literacy Coaching In An Elementary School., Barbara Jane Anderson Hull

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the literacy coach's tasks and qualities teachers valued the most and which qualities they valued the least. Knowing those precepts might help one to become a more efficient and valuable resource for both classroom teachers and principals. School visits, focus group interviews, individual interviews, interviews with each principal, and documents from the 3 southwest Virginia schools in 2 districts provided the data for analysis. Teachers' and principals' perspectives of literacy coaching explained both the desirable and undesirable practices and techniques.

The 3 schools had been swept into a change process when …

Evaluating Pre-Service Teacher Workforce: Environmental Health Knowledge, Attitude, And Behavior, Dhitinut Ratnapradipa, Darson Rhodes, Stephen Brown

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Abstract

Research has shown that personal health behaviors and actions established early in life are often carried through adulthood.  Thus, working with children to increase environmental health literacy may improve the environmental health literacy of future adults, potentially improving the health of the Nation.  Given the amount of time children spend in school, this setting could be an ideal place to address environmental health with children.  According to social cognitive theory, observation is one way in which learning takes place.  Consequently, the environmental behaviors and attitudes modeled by teachers would likely impact the environmental behaviors and attitudes learned by …

Experiential Learning Curricular Development Model For Stimulating Student Interest In Green Collar Careers, Sally E. Arnett, Allen Kitchel, John G. Cannon

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Green jobs are in high demand, yet there is lack of a trained workforce for the green industries. Early exposure to green careers can stimulate future employment interest among students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an experiential learning unit of instruction designed to expose students to and develop knowledge about the green collar workforce. The study used a mixed method research design. A purposive sample of 101 (n=101) secondary students in career development type classes were given a pre-test, treatment, and post-test that involved both quantitative and qualitative responses. The findings revealed that the …

Dan Rinne And Peter Williams Cd Summer 2010, Dan Rinne, Peter Williams

Innovative Course Redesign Grant Reports

Supports faculty to redesign or develop a course in ways that implement high-impact, evidence-based, and/or innovative teaching strategies to improve student learning.

Arturo Fernandez-Gilbert Tssa Fall 2010, Arturo Fernandez-Gilbert

Teaching Skills Study Awards (TSSA) Reports

Enhances faculty's teaching by attending a conference devoted to university teaching, a high-impact practice, evidence-based practice or a newly developing teaching practice.

Online Versus Face To Face College Courses, Ningning Shi, Chen Du, Xiaonan Jiang, Hala M. Bin Saab

MBA Student Scholarship

Students have perceptions of the on-line course environment whether they have taken an on-line course or not. A random sample (N = 100) of undergraduate (n = 34) and graduate (n = 66) students were administered a student perception questionnaire on students' attitudes towards studying online versus traditional classroom instruction in a large, private, southern New England University. Thirty-nine percent of the participants have a part-time job, 29% have a full-time job, and the remaining 32% are not currently employed. Thirty-three percent of the sample was male and 67% were female. Results of the survey questionnaire indicate that 29% of …

Setting Sail For Early Learning Success: Using A Data-Based Decision Making Process To Measure And Monitor Outcomes In Early Childhood Programs, Howard S. Muscott, Tina M. Pomerleau, Kristy L. Park, Elizabeth A. Steed, Andy J. Frey, Tara L. Korfhage

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

The use of data to inform decision-making and monitor individual student progress is recognized as an important, yet elusive practice in early childhood programs. In this article, Data-based Navigation is presented as a five step data-based decision making process designed to help early childhood professionals measure and monitor desired programmatic outcomes. A case study that focuses on the reduction of challenging behaviors is provided to illustrate the process.

Are Teaching Effectiveness And Retention Influenced By Various Routes To Special Education Certification?, Steven A. Crites Dr., Bianca Prather-Jones, Rachelle M. Bruno, Stephen C. Walker

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

This study reviewed and interpreted the results of survey data that compared the self-perceived performance and self-efficacy on several dimensions tied to the CEC standards for teachers of students who access the individualized general education curriculum. Teachers prepared through traditional undergraduate approaches, post-baccalaureate certification options for general education teachers, and an alternative certification program were asked about job satisfaction, success rate on the Praxis II tests, and other factors related to retention. Although all three programs are designed with the same content standards established by the field (Council for Exceptional Children, 2003), there are some significant differences between them, e.g., …

A Sociocultural Approach To Esl For Adult Learners, Whitney Putnam

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The following portfolio is a collection of work submitted for the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program at Utah State University. Within this portfolio is the author's personal philosophy on effective language teaching written with a college-level ESL classroom in mind. Following the teaching philosophy are different artifacts and reflections, all related to the philosophy on teaching, but separate in topic. The three artifacts demonstrate the author's understanding of the role of language, culture, and literacy in a second language classroom. Also included in this portfolio is an annotated bibliography containing the scholarly works which support the writings here.

Readers Matter: The Development Of An Individualized Professional Development Model, Daniel Jacob Super

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

An alarming trend of student non-compliance with reading assignments in secondary and post-secondary environments is causing concern in many areas, including college readiness. Public school teachers and university faculty alike are responsible for the literacy levels of graduating students; however, many educators are not implementing the adequate literacy supports within their content area courses. This project used current research on best practice in literacy instruction, as well as the Characteristics of Highly Effective Teaching and Learning to create the Readers Matter™ evaluative process in which faculty members self-select to be assessed regarding the current levels of student literacy support. After …

Understanding Inter-And Intra-Generational Communication Methods Utilizing A Framework Of Message Sensitivity, Thomas Edwin Craft Jr.

Dissertations

This study was designed to determine if differences existed between generations surrounding their preferred communication methods. In examining the social identity perspective of groups, scholars have found that many groups are categorized based on the social structure in which they exist. Generational groups have created their own social structure and set of cultural norms that define each generation. In a recent report released by the Pew Research Center (2010), when the younger generation was asked an open-ended question, "What makes your generation unique?", 24% of those asked responded "Technology Use." One of the unique differences among these generations is the …

Motivation For High School Students To Read:Differences Among Student Perceptions And Differences Between Student And Teacher Perceptions, Angela Dawn Gunter

Dissertations

Many high school teachers are unaware of, or mistaken about, specific strategies and practices that actually motivate their students to read, and that what motivates one group of students may not motivate another. Although content-area instructors may not have been trained in teaching reading strategy and may feel as though teaching reading is not their job, it is an expectation that could largely be met by the implementation of motivational strategies.

This exploratory study utilized the expectancy theory of motivation and wasconducted to determine which strategies and practices would be most motivational for high school students to read. In a …

Including Everyone A Handbook For Lgbt Inclusion In The Elementary Classroom, Shanine Mollentze

HIM 1990-2015

A quick look into the prevalence of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) topics in children's literature and one can easily note the rarity of LGBT presence in elementary classrooms. This topic continually fails to enter the classroom curriculum due to the taboo status it has in society. Some people find it to be inappropriate for the classroom, especially the elementary classroom. However, understanding that the intention is to provide an inclusive environment for LGBT students and/or families is important--not to expose children to explicit sexual discussion, but to establish a community of tolerance and acceptance. The purpose of this …

Growth Rates Of Curriculum-Based Measurement-Written Expression At The Elementary School Level, Amanda Tadatada

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This project appears to be the first to determine growth rates for writing using Curriculum-Based Measurement-Written Expression (CBM-WE). Growth rates, or the amount of change over time, help educators track how much progress can be expected given typical instruction. CBM-WE probes were administered to a sample of 1,004 students in first through fifth grades within a school district. The writing probes were scored using production-dependent variables: Total Words Written (TWW), Words Spelled Correctly (WSC), and Correct Word Sequence (CWS). Data were analyzed by grade level and gender. Results are presented as weekly growth rates. Growth rates were calculated from fall …

School Readiness: Parent Perceptions, Behaviors, And Child Ability Related To Ethnicity And Socioeconomic Status, Courtney N. Baldwin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This project used data from the School Readiness Survey (SR) of the 2007 National Household Education Surveys Program collected by the National Center for Education Statistics Institute of Education Science. A subsample of 1,712 to 2,622 subjects who participated in the survey was used for this project. The purpose of the study was to examine parent perceptions, behaviors, and reported child ability related to school readiness and the effect ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) had on each comparison. Variables from the existing data were matched to one of the five domains of School Readiness: Health and Physical Development, Social and …

Case Studies Of At-Risk Middle Grades Students And Literacy Applications Including Technology, Francine Falk-Ross, Principal Investigator

Cornerstone 1 Reports : Expansion and Enhancements of the Thinkfinity Platform

No abstract provided.

A Century Of Innovation: Lesley University, Cynthia Farr Brown, Ed, Michele Forinash, Ed

Faculty Scholarship

The Lesley University faculty offer an historic perspective, not just about Lesley but about American higher education over these past one-hundred years, in this collection of essays. The core of these essays emphasized student engagement--a pedagogy that places each student at the center of the learning experience. This focus on student learning began with Edith Lesley's concern about a five-year-old using her imagination, playing, pretending, making art, hearing and telling stories, and learning to interact with other five-year-olds. This tradition continues through programs that address the needs of young adults with disabilities, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students offered in Lesley's …

The Effects Of Professional Development Initiatives On Efl Teachers’ Degree Of Self Efficacy, Mohammad Nabi Karimi (Allvar)

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Despite the importance of teacher efficacy, there has been little research on the effects of interventions intended to increase it. Thus, the present study considered the potential of Professional Development (PD) in enhancing teachers’ beliefs about their teaching ability. The study was quantitative in nature and utilized the reliable survey instrument known as “Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale”. Two groups of English as a Foreign language EFL teachers (an experimental group and a convenience sample of control teachers) were surveyed in the study in a Pre-test Post-test (and delayed Post-test) Control Group Design. After administering a Pre-test on self-efficacy which …

Relationships Always Matter: Findings From A Phenomenological Research Inquiry, David Giles

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on findings from a hermeneutic phenomenological research inquiry which explored the nature of relational experiences in teacher education.  Stories of the lived experience of relationships in an educational context were hermeneutically interpreted against the philosophical writings of Heidegger, Gadamer, Levinas, and Buber.  The research found that relationships are essential to the experience of education whether they are recognised or not.  While the relationship matters to the experience, the relationship lies out of sight and is largely taken for granted.  On other occasions, the assumption that relationships matter is called into question.  In these times, the relationship is …

Livros Norte-Americanos De Historia Da Educação No Brasil: Origem E Orientação Dos Textos Do Século Xix [American Books On The History Of Education In Brazil: The Origin And Orientation Of Texts Published In The Xix Century], Karl M. Lorenz

Education Faculty Publications

A pesquisa sobre o a trajetória do ensino da História da Educação no Brasil demonstra que sua institucionalização como disciplina escolar foi marcada por ideias oriundas de diversos países, entre eles a França e os Estados Unidos. Este trabalho analisa as vertentes de pensamento sobre a história educacional, veiculados nos livros de “Historia Geral da Educação” de autores norte americanos que circularam no Brasil no século XIX e no início do século XX. Constata-se que existiam duas abordagens principais nestas obras. A primeira apresenta a historia da educação por meio das ideias de eminentes pensadores do passado com respeito à …

Boys And Writing: Strategies To Support Struggling Boy Writers, Dionne Corinne Ellingsen

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a guide for elementary teachers to improve writing strategies and motivation of boys. Nationally, boys are more likely than girls to struggle with writing in the elementary classroom. Teachers need to understand the differences that boys and girls bring to their classroom and develop strategies and lessons that make writing more inviting to boys. The project discusses current research about why boys are more likely to struggle than girls, because of innate differences in the brain, the classroom arrangement, and issues of motivation. It also provides a guide of activities and strategies …

Examining The Role Of The Introductory Video In The Development Of Teaching Presence In Online Instruction, Bojan Lazarevic

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

This study presents and discusses findings regarding the benefits of video delivery in online instruction.  Specifically, the study addresses whether the implementation of a short asynchronous introductory video in a primarily text-based online course has an effect on students’ perception of teaching presence.  In addition, the second aim of this study is to test whether an asynchronous introductory video can enhance student’s course engagement and performance.  Finally, the study seeks answer if there is an interrelationship between teaching presence, student’s engagement and student’s performance.

This study utilizes a sequential explanatory mixed methods research design.  The study also includes elements of …

The Relationship Between Professional Development And Teacher Change In The Implementation Of Instructional Strategies That Support Elementary Students' Science Textbook Reading, Virginia J. Laughridge

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

This study examined the relationship between a series of professional development workshops and change in three rural elementary teachers’ science textbook reading instructional strategies. The analysis of the qualitative data indicates the degree of teacher change was related to several inner-related factors:  (a) teaching experience, (b) teacher perceptions of self, (c) mode of content delivery, and (d) teacher beliefs. Two teachers with the greatest longevity of teaching experience had previously established instructional strategies and modes of content delivery which did not emphasize student textbook reading skills. Their modes of content delivery were related to their self- perceptions as “science teachers” …

One Step On A New Journey, Salima Shahzad Arwani

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Students Teaching Students: Changing The Uri Honors Program Pedagogy, Bridget C. Griffith

Senior Honors Projects

The myriad lecture courses I have completed as a microbiology major have convinced me that lecturing does not create an optimal learning environment. Therefore, my Senior Honors Project is the initiation of a Students Teaching Students (STS) program in the URI Honors Program. The excitement of a student-run course option at URI became apparent to me early in my academic career. The STS model has been used at other universities for over 55 years, including at Tufts University, Oberlin College, and The Rubenstein College of the Environment at the University of Vermont. The program being put into place at URI …

An Ethnographic Case Study In A British Primary (Elementary) School Classroom Of Academic Self-Efficacy, Kelly Iliff

HIM 1990-2015

An ethnographic case study of a Year 6 (5th grade) classroom in Southwest England was conducted in order to explore factors that contribute to academic self-efficacy in British education, specifically in this classroom. Data was collected through qualitative observations, a teacher interview, and student questionnaires to determine the level of academic self-efficacy in the classroom. The class consisted of 14 female students and 9 male students, ranging from ten to eleven years old. Of the total number of students, parental consent was received to allow 9 boys and 7 girls to complete questionnaires. Data was analyzed by examining critical issues …

Incorporating Graphic Novels Into Social Studies Based Instruction An Effective Means Of Determining Quality Graphic Novels, Lindsey Johannessen

HIM 1990-2015

It is becoming increasing important that teachers educate students about social studies in such a way so that students are interested and motivated by what they read. So often the curriculum is bombarded with physically heavy, incomprehensible, and traditional textbooks. Based upon the need for extensions to the social studies textbooks, my goal to establish a guideline for selecting quality graphic novels fitted for elementary social studies instruction. Therefore, my study will attempt to answer the question: What is an effective means of determining quality graphic novels? Following my adaptation and creation of rubrics established for determining the needs and …