Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

The Relationship Between Vocabulary Knowledge, Linguistic Intelligence And Morphological Awareness Among Efl Learners, Keivan Zahedi, Nasser Fallah

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

This article will share numerous interesting insights that are important for business development, marketing and sales growth.

The Similarities Between Business Organizations And Psychology, Michael Marshall

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

In the 1980s, the system of relatively uniform centralised budget resource allocation to schools was judged by many to have impaired the achievement of equality, efficiency, liberty and choice. Thus, school-based management was suggested, with lump sum budgets allocated to schools, together with a high degree of community involvement in school decision making and the fostering of diversity within schools to ensure choice (Caldwell and Spinks, 1988). School-based management (SBM) was intended to encourage positive participation from teacher, principal and parent representatives on the school board committee (Yadollah, 2006; Cheung and Kan, 2009). This attracted groups of people with different …

Spirituality And 21st Century School Leadership, Kathleen Fite, Robert Reardon, Mike Boone

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The current status of educational reform issues related to general education and special education provides the opportunity for the creation of a system that encompasses the goals of both groups in a cohesive manner. Previously, these issues have been addressed separately; however, recent research identifies a progression of change in the focus of ideas in both general education and special education. The first two phases of school reform focused initially on raising standards and then on teacher empowerment and site-based management. The current phase of school reform focuses on the instructional needs of the individual student and rejects the premise …

United States Organization Working To Strengthen School Leadership Preparation, Jenny Tripses, John Hunt, Sandra Watkins

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

We have come into a time where there is of scarcity of resources, where colleges and universities are being pulled in different directions by many of its constituents, and state politicians are jockeying for which policies that they want to implement with limited or no resources to support them, which makes the support for higher education even more scant. If there was not a more urgent time to have a different mindset to transform a college or university this decade, then there likely will not be one. Knowing the obstacles in which higher education institutions need to overcome, the leadership …

The Role Of Staff Development In School-Based Management, Hon Yau, Alison Cheng

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Today’s frontier is knowledge. Brain has taken precedence over brawn; our physical struggle for existence has been replaced by intellectual struggle, and knowledge of words has become the most valuable tool for this struggle. Words are the very cornerstone of any language. With a good vocabulary, which indicates scope of knowledge, we can grasp the thoughts of others and be able to communicate our own thoughts to them. As Stahl (1999) argued, discussion of words is discussion of knowledge of the world, and knowledge of the world is knowledge of who we are and where we stand in the world. …

Leadership Differences Between African-American And White Superintendents In South Carolina, Edward Cox, Carlotta Redish

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Superintendents are responsible for implementing the policies established by their boards of education. They are charged with managing and leading their organizations to secure and promote the sustained advancement of student achievement. Nationwide, whites are employed in a majority of superintendent positions (Glass, 2006). According to Bjork (2000), blacks represent 5% of the superintendents in America. The remaining 95% are white. Previous studies of the superintendency have researched career paths, school board/superintendent relationships, minority superintendents, gender, leadership styles, and professional preparation (Glass, 2006; Clisbee, 2004; Revere, 2003 Lunenburg, 2003; Tallerico, 2000; Shakeshaft, 1999; Moody, 1970). None, however, have compared possible …

Creating Conditions For Transforming Practicing K-12 Mainstream Teachers Of English Language Learners, Susan R. Adams, Kathryn Brooks

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

Critical incident reflection journal writing provides a rich source for identifying high impact components of Project Alianza, a graduate course for mainstream secondary teachers funded by a US Department of Education Title III Professional Development grant. In this narrative pilot study featuring one strand of existing data, the co-authors, who are also co-instructors and co-researchers, begin the first rounds of analysis to identify emerging key conditions and contributing factors featured within specialized graduate courses for encouraging dispositional change and professional efficacy toward English language learners (ELLs) in practicing K-12 mainstream educators. Using Mezirow’s adult transformational learning theory (1991), Kegan’s stage …

Five Strategies To Support All Teachers: Suggestions To Get Off The Slippery Slope Of "Cookbook" Science Teaching, Paula A. Magee, Ryan Flessner

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

Many teachers shudder at the thought of implementing an inquiry curriculum. Perhaps they envision a rowdy classroom with little learning. Maybe they wonder, "How will this connect to all the standards?" Fortunately, these legitimate concerns can be addressed, and all students can engage in thoughtfully constructed inquiry science experiences. In this article, we outline five strategies that we have used with elementary school teachers as they moved from a "cookbook" approach in science to an approach that is inquiry-based. Having presented these five strategies in a linear format, we know that on the surface this may seem close to the …

Have A Kids Inquiry Conference: Putting A Twist On The Typical Science Fair, Paula A. Magee, Ryan Flessner

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

In school, the traditional format for the formal sharing of science experiences has been the science fair. Although the format of science fairs may vary, the usual components consist of a step-by-step experimental process that students follow as they test different variables, construct a hypothesis, and collect data to support or disprove their hypothesis. Usually the science fair is conducted as a competitive event at which prizes are awarded for the "best" examples. Unfortunately, this type of science event has little connection to the real sharing that scientists do regularly.

The National Science Education Standards (NSES) call for an approach …

Teachers And Their Struggle With Personal Satisfaction As Young Mothers, Katherine Homer

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore how the day-to-day experiences of teachers who are working mothers of young children shape their level of comfort and satisfaction with the dual role they live. This investigation also explored the dynamics of teacher retention by understanding the dilemmas female teachers with young families encounter. There is limited literature on working mothers who are high school teachers. There are many different issues this study examined to gain a better understanding of the complexities of the lives of women who are high school teachers while raising young children.

This study consisted of six …

African American Male Teachers In K-12 Education: A Limited Quantity, Kelley A. Peatross

Dissertations

This study examined the underrepresentation of African American (A/A) male teachers in three Midwestern school districts. The study sought to determine: (1) the perception of A/A teachers concerning their K-12 teaching experiences when disaggregated by the number of years of teaching, (2) their perception of why they went into teaching when disaggregated by the number of years of teaching, (3) their perception of the need for A/A male teachers, and (4) their perception of value and accomplishments as A/A male teachers in the classroom.

This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological design and was based upon Maslow’s (1970) hierarchy of needs …

Team Collaboration Between Groups In The Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program, Jason B. Conaway

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigates the collaborative process of grade level teams as they progress through the 4 stages of a group collaboration model during a summer enrichment program at Marshall University. This study used a curriculum-based questionnaire that was filled out by each of the 47 graduate students who participated in collaboration training and continued to serve as members of a grade level team. The questionnaires were evaluated using a correlations between all questions and the temperature rating scale with a criterion correlation defined of n=.50. The results indicated that 5 questions on the questionnaire correlated with each other above the …

Objective Physical Activity And Sleep Characteristic Measurements Using A Triaxial Accelerometer In Eight Year Olds, Susan Ann Harrington

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: Secular trends demonstrate that young children are less active and sleep less. Inequity in an individual's energy balance is known to have poor health outcomes. Academic achievement, academic behavior, and weight status are proxy indicators for health and psychosocial outcomes in this study. Current guidelines in place for sleep and physical activity in childhood are the result of data collected in the form of self-reports. Quantification and qualification of physical activity dimensions and sleep characteristics are essential not only for the purpose of clearly establishing parameters but also for the intent of verifying optimal health outcomes and evaluating interventions …

John Clare And The Art Of Politics, Jason N. Goldsmith

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Jason Goldsmith's contribution to Volume 30 of the John Clare Society Journal. Article focuses on Clares poem, 'Don Juan' and its place in the University classroom.

Perspectives On Deepening Teachers’ Mathematics Content Knowledge: The Case Of The Oregon Mathematics Leadership Institute, Libby Knott, Martha Vancleave

Faculty Publications

The Oregon Mathematics Leadership Institute (OMLI) project served 180 Oregon teachers, and 90 administrators, across the K-12 grades from ten partner districts. OMLI offered a residential, three-week summer institute. Over the course of three consecutive summers, teachers were immersed in a total of six mathematics content classes– Algebra, Data & Chance, Discrete Mathematics, Geometry, Measurement & Change, and Number & Operations—along with an annual collegial leadership course. Each content class was designed and taught by a team of expert faculty from universities, community colleges, and K-12 districts. Each team chose a few “big ideas” on which to focus the course. …

Reading Comprehension In The Secondary Classroom, Kathryn Grace Rowe Novotny

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Reading is important for the mind and the success of students' academic career (Cunningham, 1998). To read, one must comprehend what has been read; otherwise, there would be no purpose in reading. Comprehension is one of the most important reading skills adolescent students need to possess (Underwood, 1994). Students who have excellent reading comprehension are able to master academic content, read for pleasure, and are more likely to succeed in post-secondary goals. Unfortunately, comprehension strategy skills are not natural skills of students, but rather must be self-taught or taught by someone else. In view of the impact that reading comprehension …

Teaching English Language Learners In Mainstream Science Classrooms: Teacher Practice And Educational Opportunity, Carlotta Dorothy Schroeder

Wayne State University Dissertations

Equal educational opportunity for English language learners (ELLs) has been a goal of the public educational system in the United States. Language policy reforms have increasedaccountability in order for schools to improve student achievement and measure the progress of ELLs. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires assessment and accountability. In this study, the number of ELLs has increased significantly at the high school level and school district as a whole.

Along with the changing demographics, the findings reveal a district-wide policy of equalizing educational opportunity through equal treatment. Language policies provide critical decisions about how to measure what …

Art Education: The Learning Connections Derived From A Creative Artistic Experience, Pamela Ann Woods

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

ART EDUCATION: THE LEARNING CONNECTIONS DERIVED FROM A CREATIVE ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE

by

PAMELA ANN WOODS

May 2011

Advisor: Dr. Karen L. Tonso

Major: Curriculum and Instruction

Degree: Doctor of Education

This study investigated the school experiences of art students in a Commercial Art program. This qualitative study advances an argument for recognizing arts students' dismissed voices, as they seek an audience where their views, talents, and career choices are respected. This argument grows from 1) a critique of standards-based policy (when it goes too far), 2) a discussion of the importance of arts education for student success and, 3) …

The Effects Of School Home Communication And Reading Fluency In Kindergarten Children, Farjana Khan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many researchers have documented that reading fluency scores continue to be a national concern for the United States and have suggested that early reading failure has long-term detrimental effects on society. However, much less is known regarding specific interventions that could reduce this concern. Investigators in other studies have suggested the development of early school-home partnerships to improve reading scores. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a systematic school-home intervention to improve reading fluency scores. Following the theoretical foundation of emergent literacy theory and Joyce Epstein's framework, the research question focuses on the association …

Exploring Problem Based Learning To Promote 21st Century Learning Skills In Full Day Kindergarten, Jillian M. Tsoukalas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The kindergarten program at the study site transitioned from half day to full day, yet the curriculum was not updated to accommodate the full day schedule, or to include best practices. In order to prepare learners for their future in education, activities were implemented to determine how problem based learning can promote acquisition of the 21st century learning skills. The purpose of this qualitative study was to create and implement an effective, full day curriculum that promotes 21st century learning skills for kindergarten students. This project, rooted in constructivism which allows for active and social learning, supplements the existing half …

Effects Of Single-Gender Classes On Student Literacy And Engagement, Jacqueline Button

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Empirical evidence substantiating the effectiveness of engagement programs to support at-risk students is virtually nonexistent. In an attempt to improve student engagement and literacy for Grade 9 students enrolled in a developmental curriculum known as the essential-level program, the staff at one school implemented single-gender classes during the 2010--2011 school year. This project study was designed as a summative, goals-based, quantitative program evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the first-year single-gender program based on its stated goals and objectives. A purposive sample of 45 students, 6 teachers, and 2 educational assistants in the essential-level program was used to collect pretest …

Middle School Mathematics Students' Perspectives On The Study Of Mathematics, Christy H. Vaughn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study addressed the perceptions toward the study of mathematics by middle school students who had formerly been in a remedial mathematics program. The purpose of the study was to explore the past experiences of nine students in order to determine what is needed for them to feel successful in mathematics. The conceptual framework of the study was grounded in philosophies of motivation, including achievement goal theory, self-worth theory, self-efficacy theory, expectancy-value theory, and attribution theory. The study used a phenomenological research design to answer the key research question, which focused upon the experiences of students and the meaning …

Examining The Impact Of Teacher Perceptions Of Barriers Of Parental Involvement, Frankie V. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One school in a Western United States was recently rated academically unacceptable by the state. That same school had an inactive Parent as Teachers organization, and teachers expressed concerns regarding low parental involvement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the impact of teacher perceptions of barriers to parental involvement. Epstein's model of parental involvement was the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions focused on identifying perceived parental involvement barriers from the perspective of teachers and suggesting viable solutions to address these perceived barriers. This case study involved interviewing 8 elementary school teachers. Data analysis …

African American Student Retention In The Reserve Officer Training Corps (Rotc) Leadership Program, Elaine A. Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The percentage of qualified African American senior military leaders is significantly lower than the percentage of African Americans serving in the enlisted ranks. With the changing demographics of the 21st century, increasing the number of African American Army officers is a practical as well a moral issue. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand African American cadets' perception of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Leadership Program and the impact of ROTC on their lives. The theoretical basis for this study is Sternberg's theory of intelligence and Woodman, Sawyer, and Griffin's theory of organizational creativity. The …

One Rural School's Initial Efforts To Assist Teachers In Improving Student Outcomes, Brenda R. Gingerich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Across the United States, student achievement is a concern. The local district under study is not meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP), a standard initiated by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which schools are expected to attain to avoid sanctions. The district's students are performing lower than state average on the state's standardized test, and the district wants to increase teachers' knowledge and use of differentiated instruction (DI). The purpose of this study was to describe teachers' DI practices, create a project that may increase the implementation of DI, and recommend further study to seek correlations between teachers' use …

Evaluation Of A Remedial Educational Program At A Southern Suburban Middle School, Mary K. Mills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates that students be measured yearly on standardized state tests, rather than on classwork, to show adequate academic growth. During the 2007--2008 school year, 38% of eighth graders in one state failed the math portion of the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). The purpose of this quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control-group study was to determine if there was a significant difference in CRCT scores between at-risk eighth-grade math students receiving instruction in (a) the Remedial Education Program (REP) and in (b) the regular program. The theoretical base for this study included Piaget's concrete operational theory, constructivist theory, …

Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of Barriers Of Managing Student Behavior, Winifred Nicole Whitlock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite training and support, many middle school teachers struggle to create, implement, and enforce research-based strategies to manage students' behaviors. The purpose of this case study was to examine teachers' perceptions about the barriers of managing student behavior. The research questions investigated 9 teachers' perceived barriers of managing student behavior at one middle school and the observed actions of these teachers' reactions to student behavior. Each participant was asked to participate in a 45-minute semistructured interview to examine their perceived barriers of managing student behavior and the strategies they use to manage student behavior relative to McGregor's theories X and …

Phenomenological Study Of Empowering Women Senior Leaders In Higher Education, Mila P. Cselenszky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of women in senior administrative and leadership roles in higher education is minimal compared to the number of women in higher education jobs in general. This phenomenological study explored pathways women took to advance in their careers and barriers that prevent more women from gaining senior administrative and leadership roles. Research questions addressed perceived barriers participants faced while trying to advance their careers, mentoring and other support strategies women in higher education employed to help them move up the career ladder, and actions female leaders took in order to help establish gender equity. Dambe and Moorad's empowerment-based/transformational leadership …

A Case Study Exploring The Transition To Middle School From The Perspective Of Students, Kelly A. Rappa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The transition to middle school is often associated with negative effects on academic achievement, motivation, self-esteem, and psychological well-being. Educators at a Grade 6 through 8 middle school in the northeastern United States observed students struggle with the adjustment to middle school. Research suggests that developmentally responsive schools can significantly reduce the potential negative impact of middle school adjustment. Drawing upon developmental theories from the works of individuals such as Piaget, Erikson, and Maslow, the purpose of this single-case study was to capture the opinions, thoughts, and perceptions of the students transitioning into middle school to better understand how they …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Reading Achievement For Kindergarten-3 Rd Grade Students Of Low Socioeconomic Status, Vicki L. Curtis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The three tiered reading model and the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) are two initiatives being used to identify struggling readers of low socioeconomic status. While there is abundant information with statistical reports from various researchers, there is little research available as to what educators implementing DIBELS in the school environment perceive about the instrument, what it measures and what it fails to take into account. It is important to examine all aspects and views of an initiative being widely used across the nation to close the reading achievement gap. Educators working with students of low socioeconomic …