Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Transitioning From Student To Teacher In The Master-Apprentice Model Of Piano Pedagogy: An Exploratory Study Of Challenges, Solutions, Resources, Reflections, And Suggestions For The Future, Melissa Maccarelli Slawsky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While many music educators learn how to teach through teacher training programs, the standard mode of transmission in which piano teachers learn to teach applied piano is through proficiency of the instrument under the guidance of a master teacher. This tacit development of pedagogical knowledge occurs through the master-apprentice model of pedagogy. The purposes of this study were (a) to explore how piano teachers learn how to teach from, and independent of, piano pedagogy coursework, overcome challenges, and continue to add to their pedagogy knowledge, and (b) to explore topics that would be most useful in a piano pedagogy course …

Revision And Validation Of A Culturally-Adapted Online Instructional Module Using Edmundson's Cap Model: A Dbr Study, Marie A. Tapanes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the present study, the Cultural Adaptation Process Model was applied to an online module to include adaptations responsive to the online students’ culturallyinfluenced learning styles and preferences. The purpose was to provide the online learners with a variety of course material presentations, where the e-learners had the opportunity to select their preferred structure for learning. The research methodology for the study is Design-Based Research (DBR), which has been identified by many prominent researchers in Instructional Technology as the most productive research approach for the field. DBR integrates different data types and data collection methods (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed) with …

The Role Of Program Climate And Socialization In The Retention Of Engineering Undergraduates, Heather Elizabeth Ureksoy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing women's participation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) can promote a healthy economy by ensuring a diverse and well-qualified STEM workforce, not only in the quantity of females in the workforce, but diversity in thinking and creativity. It will also send a positive message to young women about the breadth of educational opportunities and career choices they have available to them. However, women continue to participate in engineering education in a far lower rate than men. Attracting and retaining female students has become a challenging problem for the academic engineering community. In this study, a …

Examining The Experiences Of A Select Group Of First Year Special Education Teachers: A Multiple Case Study Analysis, Roseanne Kaiser Vallice

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The attrition rate of beginning special educators has been a constant and growing concern within the field of education (Boe & Cook, 2006, 2008; Brownell, Hirsch, & Seo, 2004; CEC, 2000; Leko & Smith, 2010; Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Four to five of every ten new special education teachers leave the field within the first five years (CEC, 2000; Olivarez & Arnold, 2006) and beginning special education teachers are more likely than general education teachers to leave the field within the first five years of teaching (Boe & Cook, 2006, Boe, Cook & Sunderland, 2008; Brownell, Hirsch, & Seo, 2004; …

The Influence Of Time Spent By Students Engaged In Co-Curricular Involvement, Online Social Networking And Studying And Doing Coursework On Their Academic Achievement, Regina Young Hyatt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between time spent by students engaged in student co-curricular involvement, online social networking, and studying on their academic achievement. Additional factors such as student residence, gender, ethnicity, class standing and work for pay were also considered. Existing literature supports the concept that the more time students spend in educationally purposeful activities, the more likely students are going to be successful. Little research exists regarding the use of current versions of online social networking, and the relationship it might have to student academic achievement as measured by grade point average. Therefore, …

The Effects Of Using Interactive Word Walls To Teach Vocabulary To Middle School Students, Ledale Southerland

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teaching vocabulary to middle school students requires that educators find the most effective means of instruction to achieve this goal. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of using an interactive word wall as the tool to combine five effective, research-based teaching strategies with social interaction to teach vocabulary to middle school students. In this study, 124 middle school students participated. The control group consisted of 67 eighth grade English students, and the intervention group was comprised of 57 seventh grade English students. The intervention was for a period of four weeks and included specific activities that …

Pre-Service General Education Teachers' Attitudes On The Education Of English Language Learners, Rachel Margaret Zidon

Honors Program Theses

Although increasing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) are joining native English speaking peers in general education classrooms, little research has been conducted to investigate general education teachers' preparation to work with ELLs in a classroom setting or their attitudes toward teaching ELLs. This research surveyed 260 pre-service general education teachers at a mid-sized university in the Midwest to explore their perceptions in the following areas: (1) their level of training and perceived preparedness to work with ELLs, (2) accommodations they would make for ELLs, (3) their expectations for ELLs, and (4) their attitudes toward including ELLs in general education …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Of Teacher Professional Development, Teacher Job Satisfaction, And Teacher Working Conditions, Thomas Meagher

Dissertations

Demands to changes of instruction for mathematics classrooms are presented in

standards promoted by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Illinois State

Board of Education and other government reports creates a demand for teacher

professional development to support teachers to adapt to these changes of instruction.

The overall purpose of this study investigated characteristics of effective professional

development and how those characteristics are associated with teacher job satisfaction

and teacher working conditions. With the completion of this dissertation, this study adds

to the literature relevant to teacher professional development by demonstrating an

association between teacher professional development and teacher …

Implementation Of Document Based Question Essays In Regular Education History Classes, Christine R. Berrong

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate what strategies high school teachers are using to teach Document Based Question essays (DBQs) in non-Advanced Placement (AP) history classes. DBQs are essays in which students are given a question and a set of primary and secondary source documents that they must use to support an argument in answering the question. They must write a well-developed five-paragraph essay that includes a thesis statement in the introduction and must analyze the documents, not simply mention them in the essay. In the researcher's experience, many students in non-AP history classes have difficulty with this …

Effectiveness Of An Inquiry Based Professional Development Program, Lynne Beyah El-Amin Muhammad

Dissertations

Pre-service and in-service teacher education programs are designed to disseminate large quantities of knowledge in a short period of time (Deng, 2004). However, they have been found to be ineffective with implementing teacher change (Deng, 2004). To increase the level of effective implementation, as measured by the ability of teachers to utilize what they have learned, designers of pre-service and in-service programs for teachers should include cognitively engaging activities (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999). This study explored the relationship between student achievement and the level of teacher participation while attending an inquiry-based professional development program. Six teachers at a private school …

Benefitting The Educator And Student Alike: Effective Publications Strategies For Supporting The Academic Language Development Of English Learner (El) Teacher Candidates, Katya A. Karathanos, M Aminy

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Student Created Slowmation On The Teaching And Learning Of Primary Science, Jeffrey Brown

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Current research indicates that although innovations in science teaching are having a positive impact on science education in many Australian schools, national and international assessments show that student achievement is not improving (Hackling & Prain, 2008; Thomson, Wernet, Underwood, & Nicholas, 2008). Furthermore, there is little or no increase in the number of students choosing science as a post-compulsory study option or as a career path. There remains a need to further develop innovative teaching methods that promote the development of students‟ scientific literacy, engenders a joy of science learning through student engagement and encourages a desire to pursue further …

Preservice Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Perspective Transformations: A Case Study, Victoria Caruana

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing a case study approach, this study explored the perspectives of preservice teachers as they relate to working with students with disabilities in inclusive classroom settings. Preservice teachers' perceptions about the extent, if any, their learning experiences during teacher preparation contributed to their perspectives was examined through a sequential exploratory design that employed both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings of this case study of six (6) elementary and secondary preservice teachers indicated that the experiences they had during their final student teaching (internship) were the most meaningful triggers of their perspective transformations. The findings further indicated that four (4) …

A Mixed Methods Study Of How The Transition Process Impacts The Autonomy Of Pre-Service Secondary Mathematics Teachers, Linda Kasal Fusco

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This mixed methods study sought to identify the impact that transition into the practice of teaching had on the autonomy of pre-service secondary teachers of Mathematics.  It was based on the belief that a Mathematics teacher’s autonomy depended on: beliefs about Mathematics and how it was learned, reflections on the teaching practice, and social constraints of a secondary school culture. Data was collected between January 2009 and March 2010.  In Phase I (Quantitative) the participants (N = 30), selected from ten State University of New York teacher preparation colleges and universities, completed five instruments to quantify the three factors of …

The Structural And Conceptual Interweaving Of Mathematics Methods Coursework And Field Practica In An Era Of Mathematics Reform, Damon L. Bahr, Eula Ewing Monroe, Dennis L. Eggett

Faculty Publications

This paper describes a study of observed relationships between the design of a preservice mathematics methods course with accompanying field practicum and changes in the extent to which participating preservice teachers identified themselves with the mathematics reform movement after becoming inservice teachers. The curriculum of the course with its embedded field practicum experiences was designed to support preservice teachers in interweaving methods coursework and pedagogical instruction with classroom practice. University and public school structures were interwoven by conducting weekly mathematics methods course sessions held at a public school site followed immediately by related classroom practicum experiences. The interweaving of conceptualizations …

Becoming A Teacher And Staying One: Examining The Complex Ecologies Associated With Educating And Retaining New Teachers In Rural Australia?, Margaret Plunkett, Michael Dyson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The problem of teacher retention has intensified in Australia, particularly in rural areas, with a number of studies suggesting that beginning teachers are not entering the profession with a commitment to remaining there. This paper reports on a study of 102 new teachers graduating from a rural campus of a major Australian university. Utilising a self devised survey over a 3 year period, graduate reflections were captured on what it meant for them to become a teacher. The research sought to determine graduates’ goals and aspirations for working in the profession in both the long and the short term. Participants …

Teacher Identity And Early Career Resilience: Exploring The Links, Jane Pearce, Chad Morrison

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A collaborative research project that explored the impact of professional, individual and relational conditions on the resilience of early career teachers revealed the importance of understanding how they engage in the formation of professional identities. Drawing on the traditions of narrative enquiry and critical ethnography, this article focuses on the story of Norah, one of sixty beginning teachers interviewed for this study, as she experienced becoming a teacher. Norah’s story provides an insight into how early career teachers engage in shaping a professional identity, and leads us to suggest that resilience may be enhanced when early career teachers engage consciously …

' Who We Are ' And ' How We Are ' Are Integral To Relational Experiences: Exploring Comportment In Teacher Education, David Giles

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on findings from a phenomenological inquiry into the nature of the teacher-student relationship. Participants’ stories showed that ‘who we are’ and ‘how we are’ is integral to our experiences in education. More specifically, a teacher and a student’s way-of-being is essential to the nature of relational experiences. A teacher’s comportment (‘way-of-being’) has been found to have a communicative aspect that is felt and sensed by others. Such comportment is embodied and integral to how teachers and students relate. In a primordial manner, the comportment of the other is felt in the act of relating. When the way …

Pre-Service Teachers' Epistemological Beleifs And Conceptions Of Teaching, Harun Yilmaz, Sami Sahin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aimed to investigate pre-service teachers’ views about teaching and the relation of those views to epistemological beliefs, gender, and subject areas. The data collection tool was adapted from “The Traditional Teaching (TT) and Constructivist Teaching (CT) Scale,” developed by Chan and Elliot (2004). Participants consisted of 490 pre-service teachers from different teacher education programs in Turkey. Principal component analysis was carried out, and nine items were removed from the adapted questionnaire because of low loadings. The data analysis showed that pre-service teachers preferred constructivist teaching views more than traditional teaching views, and this correlated with their epistemological beliefs. …

Characteristics And Competencies For Teacher Educators: Addressing The Need For Improved Professional Standards In Turkey, Servet Celik

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Although a great deal of attention has been given to the nature of teaching and the qualities a good teacher ought to possess, there has been little emphasis on the specific characteristics and competencies that teacher educators should have. This paper discusses whether setting explicit standards for teacher educators would help or hinder efforts to improve the quality of teaching about teaching, touching on the viewpoints of student teachers versus professional organizations regarding standards of quality and exploring the implied and explicit standards of academic institutions for language teacher educators in the U.S. and Australia, in comparison with the less-defined …

Tailoring Mentoring For New Mathematics And Science Teachers: An Exploratory Study, Christine Ormond

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper explores some aspects of effective professional mentoring practice for early career mathematics and science teachers, and discusses the Early Support Program (ESP), a research project conducted in 2009 and 2010 at a large Australian metropolitan university. It is argued that better outcomes may result from a more strategic “tailoring” of mentoring “type” for different aspects of new teacher induction, especially as school-based mentors often have insufficient time or training to support them. The ESP has been trialling its more “distanced” mentoring model, tracking the issues that a group of new teachers chose to discuss with their mentors, and …

Achieving The Impossible? Teaching Practice Component Of A Pre-Service Distance English Language Teacher Training Program In Turkey, Ilknur Kecik, Belgin Aydin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The aim of this article is to describe the model developed for the teaching practice component of the pre-service Distance English Language Teacher Training Program (DELTT) at Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey. The steps taken to improve the model over a six-year period will be explained and the recent developments in the teaching practice area of the current program will be discussed in the light of recent research on learning and personal development. Lessons learned and the steps taken during this developmental process will be explored and recommendations for other programs concerned with the teaching practice component will be made.

Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Novice Teachers And Their Performance In The Classroom, Hasan Ozder

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examined the data related to the novice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and their performance in the classroom. The researcher collected both qualitative and quantitative data for this study. According to the findings, teacher self-efficacy beliefs of the novice teachers were found to be at a sufficient level. The novice teachers reported that they frequently use “verbal reprimands” , “establishing classroom rules and routines collaboratively with students”, “daily lesson planning”, “reinforcement towards student achievement”, “multiple intelligences activities”, “discussion technique”, “concrete exemplification”, “visually supported extra activities”, “oral questioning”, and “itneractive teaching methods” in the classroom.

Sustaining School Colleagues’ Commitment To A Long-Term Professional Experience Partnership, Judith Peters

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study that investigated school participants’ perceptions of the benefits, challenges and supportive factors related to their involvement in a long-term school/university professional experience partnership. Data were collected through interviews with coordinators and a written survey completed by mentor teachers from 4 schools. The findings indicate that participants perceived the program to have a number of benefits for both staff and school students and that participation was supported by effective communication, flexible funding arrangements, local autonomy to interpret and adapt the program and the continuity arising from the long-term nature of the partnership. The …

Service-Learning Within Higher Education: Rhizomatic Interconnections Between University And The Real World, Suzanne Carrington

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper discusses Service-learning within an Australian higher education context as pedagogy to teach about inclusive education. Using Deleuze and Guattari’s (1987) model of the rhizome, this study conceptualises pre-service teachers’ learning experiences as multiple, hydra and continuous. Data from reflection logs of pre-service teachers highlight how the learning experience allowed them to gain insights in knowledge as socially just, ethical and inclusive. The paper concludes by arguing the need to consider Service-learning as integral to university education for pre-service teachers.

Good Things Come To Those Who Attend The Ncte Annual Convention, Kaavonia Hinton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

"Consider With Whom You Are Working": Discourse Models Of School Librarianship In Collaboration, Sue C. Kimmel

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The question of why school librarians still struggle to fully enact the roles defined in "Information Power" and "Empowering Learners" may be viewed as a struggle to gain recognition from others that this is what a "real school librarian" does. Discourse Analysis offers school library research a new theoretical and analytical tool to explore how these roles or identities are created or contested in interactions with others by examining the moment-to-moment talk for the presence of larger meanings, or "discourses." Applying a discourse analysis to an exchange that occurred near the end of an ethnographic study of collaborative discourse between …

Choosing My Best Thing: Black Motherhood And Academia, Kaavonia Hinton-Johnson

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Scholars argue that White feminist theoretical undertakings concerning mothering are not appropriate for studying Black mothers because they rarely take race and culture into consideration (Collins, 1991; Joseph, 1991). Collins (1994) argues that the experiences of Black mothers are paramount to any inclusive discussion about mother/child relationships. Scholars who have turned their attention to the Black mother often do so via literary works and/or criticism (see, for example, Crews, 1996; Morrison, 1987; Wade-Gayles, 1984; Washington, 1990; Williams, 1986) or in reality (Collins, 1991, 1994; Roberts, 1997a). However, a computerized search for studies on the Black mother produces literature …

Essential Elements Of Effective Practices For English Learners, Karen Cadiero Kaplan, Ph.D., Magaly Lavadenz, Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas, Ed.D.

Education and Policy Briefs

One of the most powerful variables for English Learner success is the quality of their teachers. This policy brief published by Californians Together (1) provides a synthesis of effective practices for instructing ELs; (2) presents four research-based essential elements critical for EL program implementation, teacher reflection, and monitoring of teacher effectiveness; and (3) concludes with program and policy recommendations. Three key areas for policy action are prioritized: (1) District and state level policies must require that local and state leadership support the implementation of these essential elements; (2) Alignment of fiscal and human resources must be targeted to ensure that …

Turning Into Teachers Before Our Eyes: The Development Of Professional Identity Through Professional Dialogue, Jessica Mantei, Lisa Kervin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper examines the development of professional identity in early career teachers enrolled in an “add-on year” of an undergraduate teacher education degree. Through a series of readings focused on reflection and pedagogy, participants engaged in professional dialogue as they made connections between the themes in their professional readings and their own understanding of the professional practice of a teacher. Dialogue was recorded and shared on a developed website. Participation in this dialogue afforded teachers opportunities to reflect on their professional identity in connection with literature, personal experiences and experiences of others. Further, uploading audio files to the site created …