Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

The Danielson Evaluation System In Two Mid- South High Schools: A Case Study, Laura R. Strickland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to answer the question: How do pilot users of the Danielson Evaluation System perceive this model in two mid-south high schools? The study describes the perceptions of teachers and administrators who implemented the Danielson Teacher Evaluation Model. The primary focus was on teachers and administrators experience with the pilot of the new Arkansas Teacher Excellence Support System. In an effort to meet requirements under the ESEA flexibility waiver Arkansas developed a comprehensive evaluation model to meet state and federal accountability standards. Arkansas Department of Education developed a pilot school program in which they were …

Implications Of Teacher Motivation And Renewal Indicators In Arkansas Toward Professional Growth And Achievement, Lary D. Whitten

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to determine if the teaching population in the state of Arkansas had a more favorable attitude toward specific motivational theories and practices; and to determine if that attitude significantly affected the teacher retention rate and the quality of work produced. The literature reviewed included the role of the school leader, motivational theory, and other relevant studies on teacher motivation. Eight National Board Certified teachers in Arkansas were interviewed about motivation as it related to professional improvement and development. The interviews focused on characteristics that serve as intrinsic motivators toward professional improvement and development and their …

Vocabulary Instruction Practices Of Highly Effective Kindergarten Teachers, Huda Alenezi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate vocabulary instruction in kindergarten classrooms by exploring and describing highly effective kindergarten teachers' practices. The fundamental question that guided this study was how do highly effective kindergarten teachers teach vocabulary? The study focused on five areas: teachers' methods, techniques to select vocabulary, assessment approaches, use of technology and whether their practices in the previous four areas were consistent with recent research. The study involved nine highly effective kindergarten teachers from nine elementary schools within one school district in Northwest Arkansas. The sample teachers were selected based on principals' recommendations, using specific …

Understanding Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying And Effectiveness Of An Anti-Bullying Policy: A Case Study Of Suburban High School Teachers In The Southwestern U.S., James Isom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple-case study was to understand teacher perceptions of bullying and the effectiveness of the current anti-bullying policy of a suburban district in the southwestern U.S. Teacher perceptions will be generally defined as what teachers personally believe about bullying and how they perceive the effectiveness of the district's anti-bullying policy. Data was collected from three sources, interviews, teacher journals, and observations. Cross case synthesis was used to treat each case separately and then combine identified themes across cases. Data showed that teachers perceive the policy to be somewhat effective. However, significant gaps exist that need to be …

Elementary Christian School Teachers Utilizing Biblical Concepts In Classroom Management, Christy Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study examined biblical concepts utilized by elementary Christian school teachers in classroom management in two Christian schools in Virginia. Items examined included which biblical components were being utilized and how teachers are utilizing them. Determining factors influencing the incorporation of biblical concepts in classroom management and teachers' perceptions of their utilization were also explored. The study used teacher interviews, focus groups, and document reviews. Data analysis was conducted through the use of interview and focus group transcriptions along with as analysis of pertinent documents. Significant statements from the data were coded into themes. Findings included biblical concepts were …

Effect Of Direct Instruction Programs On Teaching Reading Comprehension To Students With Learning Disabilities, Jennifer Parker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quasi experimental research study was to examine the effects of two direct instruction programs, SRA Reading Mastery Signature and SRA Reading Success on reading comprehension skill acquisition of middle school students who qualify as a student with a specific learning disability. Furthermore, the study was used to compare the reading comprehension achievement of students who participated in SRA Reading Mastery Signature and students who participated in SRA Reading Success using the reading portion of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The treatment groups were located in a moderate size school district in the Upstate region …

International Undergraduate English Language Learners' Perception Of Language And Academic Acquisition Through Online Learning: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Olga Dejesus

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many institutional programs are changing to incorporate more online opportunities as a way to meet the needs of their students. Therefore, international English language learners are being encouraged to take online courses in order to complete their programs of study at United States colleges or universities (Tan, Lee, & Steven, 2010). In this qualitative phenomenological study, the researcher sought to investigate international undergraduate English language learners' perception of and experiences with language and academic acquisition through online learning. This study was conducted with a selected group of 10 undergraduate international students enrolled in the Liberal Arts program at a private …

The Relationship Between Education, Self-Efficacy, And Aggregate Physical Fitness In Children, Richard Bomgardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study was to test the hypothesis that educational environment and level of physical activity self-efficacy relates to aggregate physical fitness levels in fifth-grade children in a Midwestern metropolitan community. Religious and public school children (N = 184) completed physical activity self-efficacy measures to examine their exercise and barrier status. These scores were compared to a FitnessGram® battery of physical fitness tests involving body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, and aerobic capacity to measure their total fitness levels. FitnessGram® scores were converted into a composite score measuring their healthy fitness zone status. Multiple Linear Regressions …

Implementing The Common Core’S Promise Of Bringing Statistical Curricula Into Line With Recommendations Of Nctm, Maa, & Gaise, Beverly Wood, Carl Clark

Publications

We plan to make a case for the necessity of GAISE-aligned college courses in order to prepare future teachers to teach in Common Core K-12 classrooms. Beginning with an overview of the parallel evolutions of Cobb/MAA suggestions - GAISE recommendations for teaching and NCTM process standards - Common Core mathematical practices, we will emphasize that we should be modeling what researchers continually conclude are best practices for teaching/learning across the K-16 continuum. We will provide some examples to illustrate classroom tasks that satisfy both GAISE and Common Core and hope to generate some discussion of other activities already used by …

A Case Study Of Preservice Teachers In An Associate Of Science Degree Early Childhood Teacher Education Program: Perceptions Of Professional Preparation, Tracy E. Sermon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of preservice students completing their associate’s degree (AS) in early childhood education (ECE). My intent was to discover, from the preservice teacher’s perspective, what skills and knowledge preservice students consider necessary to teach young children. I was also interested in how they viewed their professional preparation at the completion of their AS program.

The methods included participant interviews, documents and assignments completed by students, and program contextual data (faculty focus group and program documents). Seven themes were identified that represented the student’s perceptions of the skills and knowledge needed for …

Exploring The Relationship Of Motivation, Anxiety, And Virtual Worlds In The Experiences Of Two Spanish Language Learners: A Case Study, Amy Katherine Wehner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Virtual Worlds (VWs) in foreign language education are slowly becoming more popular. Many studies have looked at the affordances of these worlds and how they affect some aspects of language acquisition. However, it is still unknown to what extent, if any, these virtual worlds can play a role in affecting motivation and anxiety. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between motivation, anxiety and virtual worlds to see how participation in activities within these environments interacted in two individual language learners, Jessica and Melissa.

Using a case study approach, I observed and interviewed the two participants in …

Social Media Use During The College Transition, Kevin J. Yurasek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Starting college is an exciting and pivotal time for students. During this time, the student will be faced with challenges of his or her social identity and will need to develop or modify identities based on new social situations. Previous research shows that social media play a role in identity development, but there is little information regarding the extent. Are new college students using Facebook during their transition to communicate their new identity/social group to new peers? Are they using Facebook to maintain nostalgia for previous identities/social groups? This information will be valuable to higher education professionals working with these …

Beyond The Skilled Application Of Know-How: Pedagogical Reasoning As Phronesis In Highly Competent Teachers, Kathryn Boney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Given the teacher-as-technician view and the instrumentalist values that pervade professional schools, practices, and policy decisions (Kinsella & Pitman, 2012a; Zeichner, 2012) with regard to teacher qualification, evidence-based practices, and scripted curricula, there is growing concern that something of fundamental importance and moral significance is missing from the vision of what it means to be a professional, particularly in the field of education. In order to articulate teacher practical knowledge in a way that reflects the complexities of practice, a framework that captures the complexity of teaching practice and helps to define the type of knowledge beyond content and technique, …

Enhancing Teaching And Learning Through Ipad Integration In A Clinic-~Based Literacy Course, Kyle F. Kaalberg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A re-conceptualized clinic-based literacy methods course offered the opportunity to engage participants with digital media, i.e., iPads, as a part of reading and writing instruction. This multiple case study highlights the experiences of those involved with the course: two instructors, 18 teacher candidates, and the 18 elementary tutees who received literacy tutoring. Framed through a new literacies perspective and TPACK framework, the study focused on teacher candidates' use of iPads with their literacy instruction of elementary tutees, tutees' learning experiences, and the ways in which course instructors' TPACK was influenced.

Data collection involved multiple case study methodology (Merriam, 1998; Yin, …

Literature Review: Conflict Resolution In Post-Secondary Online Education, Johannes Schroeder

2014-2016 Graduate

This article seeks to provide a review of research literature published between 2008 and 2014 that discusses conflicts arising within the online education process, and their resolution within the online context. The goal of this article is to establish a current overview of related literature that can become the foundation of future studies in this field. An online search produced 48 references that were considered relevant to the purpose of this review. After a brief introduction of the topic, main definitions are provided. A section outlining the method for the development of the review follows including discussions of delimitations, the …

District Size And Implementation Of High School School Improvement Grants, Marla Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation employs organizational theory, the history of school reform, the role school district leadership, and the impact of district size to provide a foundation for study of high school reform implemented in twenty high schools with histories of academic challenges. The Federal Department of Education School Improvement Grant Program was created to financially support reform in persistently failing schools. The schools in this study are all located in the same Midwestern state; however, they have wide-ranging student enrollments and are located in suburban, urban, rural, and metropolitan school districts of differing sizes. The mixed method study includes two phases. …

Instructional Transformation: How Do Teaching And Learning Change With A One-To-One Laptop Implementation?, John C. Branch Iv

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by John C. Branch IV on April 29, 2014.

Shawn Mcmurran Tssa Winter 2013, Shawn Mcmurran

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.

Teaching Book Arts In The Classroom To Enhance Education, Leah Ruesink

Honors Theses

Books are the foundation of education and a central component to our society. The process of making books, including the art of paper-making, printmaking, typography, and bookbinding are rarely known or recognized today. In our current age of computer and photographic technology, these processes have become a lost art. Through my experiences exploring and creating book art in Italy through a study abroad experience, as well as an internship at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, I began to see many connections to book arts and educating children. The power and magical aspect of books came alive to me, and I …

Student Engagement And Action In Classroom And Community: Place-Based Education And Social Action For The High-Achieving Student, Rachel M. Jank

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This paper briefly discusses the work done in a college-preparatory, Senior English class to combat the disengagement present in many educational institutions. This disconnect does not allow for learning retention and, therefore, does not allow for students to apply the moment of learning to life outside of the secondary classroom. The work I do is based off of Jessica Singer Early, Bruce Bigelow, Linda Christensen, and many other master teachers who work with the educational designs of Place Consciousness and Social Action within their respective classrooms. The theories of John Dewey and Paulo Freire suggest that a non-traditional style of …

Madeleine Jetter Tssa Winter 2014, Madeleine Jetter

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.

Emerging Themes In Dystopian Literature: The Development Of An Undergraduate Course, Devin Ryan

Honors Theses

Young adult (YA) dystopian literature is a trend that is taking the nation by storm. Since September 11, 2001, the genre has gained a strong backing from academics, authors, and YA readers; after Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games (2008), however, YA dystopian literature has become the forefront of teen reading, especially with the recently adapted film versions of the widely renowned trilogy. In order to keep up with the times, a proposed course—YA Dystopian Literature: A Survey of Modern Book Series—has been created to be taught at Western Michigan University by Dr. Gwen Tarbox in the spring of 2015.

Before …

Using Choice As A Writing Intervention To Investigate Gender Differences, Nicole Nohelty

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Writing has been specifically identified as a neglected skill within the core academic areas for elementary aged students (National Commission on Writing, 2013). Therefore, there is a need for researchers to focus on interventions that will improve students’ writing skills. Unfortunately, limited research exists with regards to interventions that have proven to increase academic productivity in the area of writing. Panahon, Hilt-Panahon, and Arbolino (2012) found that when students were given a choice of story starters, students wrote more words as opposed to when they were provided only one story starter. The current study looked to further examine the use …

Kimberly Cousins Tssa Winter 2014, Kimberly Cousins

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.

Student Experiences Of The Community College Developmental Writing Classroom, Janet Kirchner

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The low success rate of students in community college developmental education classes has caused not only institutions and their instructors but also those outside of the classroom to search for alternative programs and delivery methods to improve student outcomes. As college completion rates become increasingly tied to state funding, many community colleges are re-thinking their programs, considering acceleration of coursework, learning communities, and supplemental instruction as replacements for the traditional developmental sequence. While these programs have shown success in some community colleges, much of the research is quantitative in nature and based on completion rates. The purpose of this study …

Lyceum Guild: A Ministry On A Mission, E. Paulette Isaac

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

Traditionally, formal adult education was reserved for the privileged. Thus, those without the financial means or, as in the case of the United States prior to 1865, individuals who were enslaved, were unable to capitalize on the educational benefits of the upper class. Hence, other means were used to obtain knowledge. For African Americans, community voluntary organizations and the Church served as informal learning institutions. Education and religion have long been paired in the Church. The AAC engaged African Americans in informal learning through forums, newsletters, fairs, workshops and seminars. Through its ministries, the Church has enabled African American adults …

Elizabeth Martin Tssa Spring 2013, Elizabeth Martin

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.

We Were There Too: Learning From Black Male Teachers In Mississippi About Successful Teaching Of Black Students, Cleveland Hayes, Brenda Juarez, Veronica Escoffery-Runnels

Democracy & Education

Applying culturally relevant and social justice–oriented notions of teaching and learning and a critical race theory (CRT) analysis of teacher preparation in the United States, this study examines the oral life histories of two Black male teachers recognized for their successful teaching of Black students. These histories provide us with a venue for identifying thematic patterns across the two teachers' educational philosophies and pedagogical practices and for analyzing how these teachers' respective personal and professional experiences have influenced their individual and collective approaches to teaching and learning.

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.