Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Moving To A District Balanced Literacy Program: A Change Leadership Plan, Cynthia A. Marks, Carol A. Benda

Dissertations

Based upon the requirements of the No Child Left Behind mandate, schools that failed to achieve the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) designation for two consecutive years were required to implement a comprehensive school reform model. This change plan examined the movement from the comprehensive school reform model Success For All (SFA) to a balanced literacy framework within Harmony District 841. The framework advocated for balanced literacy instruction that supported the integration of authentic reading and writing experiences, application of literacy strategies and skills, implementation of a culturally relevant text, focus on professional development for teachers, and provision for effective instructional …

Reframing Lesson Plans: The Foundation For Improving Instruction, Carletta M. Noland

Dissertations

This dissertation is a policy advocacy document that boldly states that it is our moral imperative to change the current educational landscape for the students attending Milwaukee Public Schools. In advocating for such a change, it is strongly suggested that the way to accomplish this challenging task is to mandate a stronger instructional foundation by leveraging the power of thoughtful lesson planning and design. Through its own merit, public and professional opinions and research findings, a viable argument is crafted to eliminate the current policy that marginalizes the planning process by suggesting through its current language, that the planning process …

Effects Of Fourth- And First-Grade Cross-Age Tutoring On Mathematics Anxiety, Camille Margarett Rougeau

Theses and Dissertations

A mixed methodological approach was used to examine the effects of fourth- and first-grade students cross-age tutoring on mathematics anxiety. 37 Fourth-grade tutors, both trained and untrained, helped 37 first graders use multiple strategies to solve mathematical word problems for 10 weeks. A control group of 16 first-grade students completed the problems independently. Pre-test and post-test mathematics anxiety measures were used. Observations were also conducted throughout the study. The measures used for both primary and intermediate students were effective in identifying students with mathematics anxiety. However, quantitative findings showed no difference for fourth- or first-grade students on mathematics anxiety measures. …

A Look At The Reliability Of An Early Childhood Expository Comprehension Measure, Alta Adamma Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

Although the implementation of the Common Core State Standards has included more informational texts in early grades to emphasize reading to gain knowledge (Green, 2012; Roskos & Neuman, 2014), the lack of available expository assessments leaves teachers unsure of what students need to know in order to be successful comprehenders of these texts (Hall, Markham, & Culatta, 2005; Harding, 2014). Moreover, there are very few early expository assessments available which makes it difficult for teachers to monitor young children's expository text knowledge and skills and then adjust their instruction to meet children's unique needs. The EECA R-2 is an early …

Student Self-Assessment: Teachers' Definitions, Reasons, And Beliefs, Christopher Daren Andrews

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how teachers define student self-assessment (SSA), why teachers use or do not use SSA, and to explore how beliefs might influence teachers' reasons for using SSA or not. This study used Ajzen's theory of planned behavior to explore the relationships between teachers' stated beliefs about SSA and reasons for using or not using SSA. I interviewed seven teachers from one high school in the Intermountain West and found that five of the seven teachers in this study used SSA. I found that these teachers' definitions of SSA varied between formative and summative …

Exploring The Strategic Implementation Of Common Core State Standards In Small School Districts Of Northern California, Michael A. Gulbransen Dr.

Dissertations

This Delphi study involved examining the implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in small school districts of Northern California. This dissertation presents an overview of CCSS implementation, a review of the literature, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, significance, and the anticipated methodology for the intended qualitative research design. The review of literature explores the historical context of education in the United States and increasingly focuses on the new national Common Core State Standards and their implementation in small school districts.

The Delphi study uses the participants’ opinions to identify CCSS implementation strategies and related …

Transmigration Experiences Of Newcomers In The Context Of An English-Only Education: Sense-Making By Former Newcomer Ells, Elizabeth Paulsen Tonogbanua

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative interpretive study explored how former newcomer English Language Learners (ELLs) in Boston Public Schools (BPS) made sense of their transmigration experiences through a digital storytelling project. The study fills a gap on transmigration experiences in the context of English-only learning environments, with a particular orientation toward the value of students’ home languages, and in turn, cultures within an urban school setting. The immigrant student population in BPS continues to increase and teachers must be able to understand and plan for newcomers’ specific needs. To this end, my conceptual framework drew on four areas: general educators and their urban …

A World Both Big And Small: Understanding Urban Middle School Teachers’ Sense Of Self-Efficacy In An Era Of Accountability, Richard Gallucci

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This explanatory case study seeks to understand the nature of middle school educators’ self-efficacy in an urban public school district during an era of accountability. The study was conducted in a progressive school district, known as OakRidge Pubic Schools. A sequential mixed methods design with a participant-selection model variation was employed. The study identified teachers’ level of self-efficacy via the Teacher’s Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001), a quantitative survey used to determine high and low self-efficacy focus groups. During these subsequent focus group interviews, the competing objectives of fulfilling responsibilities levied from accountability mandates and initiatives, …

The Construct Definition Of An English Language Teachers’ Content Knowledge, Reza Khani, Anna Hajizadeh

The Qualitative Report

Regardless of the increasing emphasis on the importance of language teachers’ content knowledge, there is a lack of consensus regarding its constituents. To this end, a panel of experts and non-experts were requested to express their opinions regarding the constructs of content knowledge (CK) in the format of an open-ended written questionnaire. The findings indicate that teachers’ CK includes eleven categories: teaching skills, structures, method and approaches, curriculum, language acquisition theories, classroom context, language testing theories, learner related knowledge, ELT research methods, and teacher related knowledge. The findings can help training educated teachers to be familiar with various aspects of …

An Intervention Study Aimed At Enhancing Seventh-Grade Students’ Development Of The Concept Of A Variable, Sinan Kanbir

Theses and Dissertations

Thirty-two seventh-grade students attending a public middle school in a rural district in a midwestern state of the United States of America participated in a mixed-method intervention study aimed at enhancing student understandings of the algebraic concept of a variable, especially in relation to structure and modeling. Participating students were randomly allocated to two class groups, with one class initially being taught by Mr. X and the other by Mr. Y, who had both participated in professional development sessions led by two senior mathematics educators. Mr. X initially led one of the class groups in seven sessions on algebraic structures …

Examining The Application Of Experiential Learning Techniques Across Sport Management Programs, Elizabeth Sattler

Theses and Dissertations

The Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) has identified experiential learning projects as an integral element to be included in sport management curriculum (COSMA, 2016). However, often the experiential learning opportunities offered by sport management programs are limited to a required internship experience (Foster & Dollar, 2010). While internship programs have been widely accepted and implemented by sport management programs (Eagleman & McNary, 2010), there is little evidence of the implementation of other experiential learning practices within sport management programs. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate the widespread application of experiential learning practices of sport management faculty. …

Revising The Myth Of Normal: Creating A Sustainable Secondary Academic Curriculum Predicated On Learning Diversity, Sara M. Kaplan

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

In recent years, a paradigm of neurodiversity has emerged in secondary schooling that functions as a framework to meet the needs of all types of learners. Accordingly, as our understanding of students who learn differently shifts, we must consider and evaluate pedagogical overhauls that aim to meet the needs of all learners. This synthesis details my experience as a young, fairly inexperienced administrator who has entered into a newworkplace environment and devised a curricular framework with the intention of supporting students with learning differences to become constructive and reflective agents of their own learning. In this narrative, the reader will …

Expression Through Drama: Linking Prosody, Embodiment And Emotional Awareness, Riah Werner

Sandanona

Drama activities give students opportunities to practice expressing embodied emotions in a safe space. Focusing on emotional expression helps students make connections between the suprasegmental components of pronunciation and the meanings they carry. Participants will experience these exercises and learn strategies for implementing them in their own classrooms.

Gamifying Social Justice In The English Classroom, Yoshimi Ochiai

Sandanona

English has a power to build a peaceful world. In this workshop, participant will experience the dynamics of trade between developed and developing countries through a game. The presenter will provide examples of pre- and post-stage activities to introduce the game in English classroom, too.

Hidden And Expressed Instructor Power In The Adult Classroom, Meg Loomis

Sandanona

How does an adult student know when their instructor is acting as an authority figure, a colleague or a friend? The presenter will examine this question and explore the differences between hidden and expressed power.

I’M No Therapist: Tesol And Mental Health, Stacy Walsh

Sandanona

TESOL and mental health are inextricably linked. The presenter will use her experience in both fields to explore the who, what, why and how of creating a safe and healthy classroom community. She’s no therapist, but she will also consider approaches that have the potential to empower students and teachers.

Language As A Marker Of Cultural Identity For Tcks, Nick Cooper

Sandanona

The presenter will make conference participants aware of the linguistic and cultural conflicts that Adult Third Culture Kids experience in educational systems. Together we will come to understand the self-identity conflicts experienced by ATCKs, the hybrid identification process of blended accent, and mode of pronunciation as an adaptive strategy.

Beyond The 4 Skills: Looking At 21st Century Skills, Sarah Morse

Sandanona

The advent of internet and digital media has significantly added to the types of skills that students need to acquire in the ESL classroom to be successful in communication. The digital skills of viewing and representing should be added to the traditional four skills to prepare students for experiencing and creating multimodal texts.

Dynamic Online Discussions That Work, Lauri Deruiter-Willems, Kathleen Phillips

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Tired of short, insignificant discussion posts? We will share our tips and suggestions for developing meaningful interactions between your students in online discussion boards in lower and upper division courses. Our system allows for active learning through instructor-led or student-led conversations by incorporating procedures to ensure that dialogue is related to the course content, empowers students to engage in critical thinking and persuasive writing, and also provides a manageable system of evaluation for instructors.

Creating Order Out Of The Chaos Of Differentiated Lesson Planning For The Novice Teacher Candidate, J. Dusteen Knotts Ph.D.

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

Current classroom settings are more diverse than ever before. Preservice teacher candidates must learn the principles of differentiation and how to apply them to lesson preparation. Lesson planning is multi-faceted and this paper offers an integral tool to promote differentiated lesson planning to the novice teacher. These principles are presented in a concise, foundational chart aligning the components with Blooms Cognitive Taxonomy, classroom activities, assessment, scoring guides, and student grouping. Understanding of these aligned concepts sets the foundation to facilitate differentiated lesson planning.

Stem School Discourse Patterns, Colby Tofel-Grehl, Carolyn M. Callahan

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

In a cross case analysis of six specialized STEM schools across the United States selected on the basis of varied geographic location and school model type, the authors explore the ways in which classroom discursvive strutures established by teachers impact students' perceptions of their own agency and authority as relates to their science learning within specialized STEM schools. As national interest in specialized STEM schools grows, a deep need to understand the instructional practices that impact students motivation and interest has arisen. By better understanding how teachers drive classroom discourse through questioning techniques, student responses and reflections can be understood …

Exploring Alternate Route Science Teacher Development Of Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Kim Feltre

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how alternate route first year science teachers’ learning experiences gained from their alternate route courses translated into their classroom instruction and facilitated the development of their pedagogical content knowledge. Participants included three first year high school teachers from two alternate route program institutions. Data collection and analyses focused on semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and teacher-generated artifacts. Findings reveal patterns among participant responses that emphasized the limited translation of learned pedagogical experiences from their alternate route programs into classroom instruction. In addition, findings show that participant alternate route program learned pedagogical …

Which Of Mcrel's 21 Leadership Behaviors Contribute To Successful High Schools In Low Ses Areas In New Jersey From The Perception Of New Jersey High School Teachers, Michelle Panichi-Raimondi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

Even though there is an abundant amount of leadership research exploring the nature of principal leadership behaviors and its impacts on student achievement, there is an increasing demand for sustained research on which specific leadership behaviors principals utilize that impact the perception of teachers in their schools.

The purpose of this research study was to examine which specific McRel's 21 leadership behaviors principals utilized as perceived by the teachers in successful high schools in low SES areas in New Jersey. The research study also examined teachers’ perceptions based on the school, age, years of teaching experience, gender, and level …

Examining The Influence Of Self-Determination Theory Components With Students Of Varying Cognitive Abilities, Antonia Szymanski

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

This study sought to explore difference in the influences of components of Self-Determination Theory between students of average and high academic ability. Differences were examined using correlational comparisons, t-tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). As expected, students with high academic ability reported high perceptions of competence. Although other mean differences were not significant, relationships between the variables showed interesting results. Significant correlational differences were found between the relationships of Perceived Competence and Teacher Control, Intrinsic Motivation, and Boredom. Teacher Control also had significantly different relationships with students’ engagement between the two groups. The study adds to the understanding of Self-Determination …

Elementary Teaching Strategies For Lgbtq Inclusion, Nicole E. Cox

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

It is the responsibility of teachers to create a classroom environment that is both inclusive and validating to the identities of students and their families. This capstone project explores how teachers can create this environment for students and families that are a part of the LGBTQ community. Because of the discrimination that presents itself through bullying based on LGBTQ identities, and the lack of LGBTQ representation within classroom lessons, there is a need for a higher quantity and quality of resources for teachers to create these inclusive environments, specifically in elementary schools. To assess our local community, teacher interviews were …

Student Teachers’ Experiences With A Preparation-To-Practice Gap In Reading Instruction: A Preliminary Exploration And Implications For Teacher Preparation Faculty, Brooke Blanks

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

Abstract

Teacher educators and practitioners can agree that there are differences between knowing something in theory and knowing how to do something in a real classroom. This qualitative inquiry is anchored in evidence-based reading instruction as described by the National Reading Panel (2000) which emphasizes systematic, explicit instructional and teaching enhancements to support diverse students’ learning in multi-tier general educational classrooms. Specifically, this study investigated how student teachers applied their knowledge of research based reading methods in general education classrooms during their capstone field experience at the end of their undergraduate program, hereafter called student teaching.

Teaching Speaking Focused On Pronunciation To Adult Esl Learners In The Us, Josephine Charlotte Petkovski

Master's Projects and Capstones

Learning the language of English for any adult English as a Second Language (ESL) learner is a challenge in and of itself. This is particularly pronounced in speaking skills. On top of that, if adult ESL learners try to learn the pronunciation of certain consonant sounds in English, where the consonant does not exist in their mother language, pronunciation can be an impeding factor to the improvement of oral skills. In fact, learning how to speak a language is one aspect of learning it, but correctly pronouncing the sounds of certain consonants is an added challenge to one's learning. Specifically, …

Learning Through Reading: A Handbook Of Literature-Based Lessons For Esl, Lota I. Rygiel

Master's Projects and Capstones

Learning through Reading: A Handbook of Literature-based Lessons for ESL A Field Project written by Lota Rygiel in the spring of 2016. This project is a handbook of lessons for adult ESL students at intermediate or advanced proficiency levels of English as a Second Language. The handbook offers the use of authentic materials in the form of short stories and poems in English. The authentic materials serve as a challenge to students (Krashen's "i + 1" level): with careful guidance of the instructor they will be interesting and meaningful to students. The use of various literary genres corresponds to the …

Creating An Equitable Educational Technology Plan For Elementary Hispanic English Language Learners In Rural California Communities, Lisa M. Ortman

Master's Projects and Capstones

English language learners (ELLs) comprise a large percentage of California’s

public school enrollment and are rapidly changing the cultural diversity landscape

within schools and communities. In rural California school districts where access to

funding and technology is severely lacking compared to larger districts, ELLs face

additional barriers to second language acquisition (SLA) and educational

attainment.

This paper provides insight to educators on the socioeconomic status of Hispanic

ELL students in rural California and how this status affects their SLA and digital

literacy learning. Additionally, this paper provides a presentation for educators on

the steps they can take to establish an …

Culturally Aware Teaching: A Supplemental Reference Guide For Intermediate Secondary School English Language Learners, Jessica A. Mccrane

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project takes a critical eye at the cultural biases in place in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) curriculum and the New York State (NYS) English Regents examination currently being used in the state of New York. Taking into account the diverse population of students currently attending secondary school in NYS, more culturally diverse lesson activities have been created. These activities take the Whorf-Sapir Hypothesis (Whorf, Lee, Levinson, & Carroll, 2012) and interlanguage pragmatics (Martínez Flor & Alcón Soler, 2008) into consideration to help English language learners (ELLs) learn the language in a manner that lowers anxiety and is …