Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Beyond The Carrot: Strategies To Increase Reading Motivation In Students From Low Income Schools, Brenna D. Schueller

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the role that motivation has on reading amongst students in low income schools. Research regarding specific strategies to engage learners from low income schools shows that using a wide variety of higher-order thinking questions, incorporating structured, research based reading programs, making reading relevant to students’ lives, teaching discussion strategies, and preparing students for college contribute to increasing reading success for students in low income schools. A professional development presentation application from these findings that outlines this research and strategies is then suggested. Lastly, professional application, limitations of the study, and future implications of the research are presented.

The Impact Of Financial Education On High School Students' Current And Future Financial Behaviors, Deidra M. Van Lith

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Financial literacy is an essential skill, necessary to lead a prosperous life. This paper explores the impact of financial education on high school students' current and future financial behaviors focusing on the history of financial literacy in the United States, influencers of personal financial knowledge of students, and delivery of curriculum. The emphasis put on the importance of personal financial education in high school has come and gone throughout the past few decades. While many schools and organizations see the importance of a personal finance class in high school, others do not see a spot for it within the demanding …

Barriers To Effective Technology Adoption And Integration, Tyler Wiegert

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study reviews the available literature to identify the barriers to technology adoption, which encompasses professional, efficiency-driven uses of technology by teachers and students, and to technology integration, which encompasses pedagogically sound, student-learning-driven uses of technology in the classroom. It also seeks to explore the relationship between the ongoing emphasis and pressure to adopt and integrate technology and occurrences of teacher burnout. Factors influencing technology adoption were determined to include demographic factors, teacher beliefs and attitudes toward technology, and self-efficacy. Technology integration was influenced by similar factors, as well as district-level policies and professional development. Technology adoption and integration efforts …

Teacher’S Block: Embracing The Challenge Of Improving Students’ Writing, Neil Witzig

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper will explain the overall trend of worsening writing abilities in the past twenty years of education. The purpose of the paper is to analyze this downward trend, examine different methodologies for teaching writing, and propose solutions on how to better approach writing instruction. The challenges with teaching writing range from the difficulty of getting technology absorbed students to focus on one task for a long period of time to also the problem of giving each student individual feedback on their work – an essential element of writing instruction. The research reviewed shows this downward trend in writing assessment …

An Exploratory Study: Grounded In Racial And Ethnic Dimensions Of Social Justice, Attitudes Of Teachers In Elementary And Middle Schools Towards Culturally Sensitive Constructivist Teaching For African American Students, Joy Gregg

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Because of the substantial gap between the performance of African American and European American students, there was a critical need to study and understand issues that may contribute to the amelioration of this achievement gap. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand the cultural sensitivity of elementary and middle school teachers in the New York City Public Schools. This study attempted to uncover attitudes that teachers hold about teaching and learning for African American students, potentially helping to close the achievement gap. This study utilized an exploratory approach to investigate teachers’ attitudes toward culturally sensitive teaching for African-Americans. …

Supportive Residency Instructors: University Of South Dakota’S Teacher Residency Program, Ben Schaap, Amy Schweinle, Karen J. Kindle

School of Education Research Center

USD’s yearlong Teacher Residency Program involves teacher candidates in a full year of teaching experience incorporated into their four-year program. Residency instructors serve as coaches and mediators when issues arise, but they also provide timely instruction on such topics as classroom management, educational assessment, and others. Students in the residency program strongly agree that USD’s residency instructors support their instructional growth, assist them in overcoming challenging situations, and provide support and feedback to succeed.

Unraveling Universalist Perspectives On Teaching And Caring For Infants And Toddlers: Finding Authenticity In Diverse Funds Of Knowledge, Susan L. Recchia, Seung Eun Mcdevitt

Education Specialties Faculty Publications

Although child-rearing beliefs and practices vary widely across cultures, a dominant discourse on how to teach and care for young children undergirds most early childhood teacher education programs. In this qualitative multicase study, the authors explored the ways that immigrant preservice teachers negotiated their emerging teacher identities across discontinuities between their own funds of knowledge and the theory and practice presented in their infant and toddler practicum course. Using a funds of identity framework, the authors drew on multiple data sources to examine how three immigrant students questioned, complicated, expanded on, connected, and/or denied their funds of knowledge as they …

"Because I Went Through The Same": Inquiring Into The Lived Experiences Of An Immigrant Teacher, Seung Eun Mcdevitt

Education Specialties Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Annual Report Of Externally Funded Grants And Contracts July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018, Office Of Research And Sponsored Programs. Morehead State University.

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Reports and Publications

Annual Report of Externally Funded Grants and Contracts July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018.

Ceteal News, January/February 2018, Ceteal, Coastal Carolina University

CeTEAL Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Introduction To 3d Engineering Through Scale Models, Lesia Lennex, Justin Elswick

Department of Middle Grades and Secondary Education Research & Publication Archives

An article describing a week long summer camp presented by Lesia Lennex and Justin Elswick titled "Introduction to 3D Engineering Through Scale Models" published in Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 1266-1268).

Program In Faculty Development 2018-2019

Program in Faculty Development

Welcome to a new academic year and to opportunities to improve your skills as an educator, scholar and leader at Thomas Jefferson University! This booklet will provide you with information on the TJU Faculty Development Program for the 2017-2018 academic year, including course listings, registration information, and general program information. This booklet features two “At-A-Glance” outlines of faculty development offerings: a course outline for each of the three faculty development program focus areas (education, research/scholarship, and professional development and leadership) and a month-by-month calendar of activities. Detailed program information for each focus area follows. Faculty development programs scheduled for the …

Collaborative Action Research To Implement Social-Emotional Learning In A Rural Elementary School: Helping Students Become "Little Kids With Big Words", Donna M. San Antonio Dr.

Faculty Scholarship

Research has shown that social and emotional learning (SEL) can benefit students in affective, interpersonal, communicative, and academic realms. However, teachers integrating SEL face a variety of logistical, pedagogical, and skill development challenges, including how to effectively facilitate classroom conversations on social justice and personal loss. This article draws from classroom observations, teacher conversations, interactive journals, and field notes to describe a seven-month-long university-school partnership to carry out an action research project in a high-poverty rural elementary school in the US. Teachers grappled with how to address race, immigration, and gender discrimination in a predominantly White community. Classroom vignettes, and …

Literacy Leaders : An Analysis Of West Virginia Secondary School Principals' Self-Reported Literacy Leaderships Perceptions And Practices, Stephanie Adria Burdette

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Sweeping changes, such as those ushered in as a component of contemporary school improvement initiatives, have created an educational culture in which all teachers are now considered to be literacy instructors with principals being placed in the role of instructional leader. Yet, review of research literature reveals a severe lack of funding and adequate professional development necessary to ensure that secondary school teachers and administrators have the training they need to provide such literacy services to students. The purpose of this research study was to examine the literacy perceptions and practices of West Virginia’s secondary school principals to ascertain the …

Impact Of Educator Preparation Routes And Teacher Characteristics On Student Academic Achievement, Robert Hagerman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated the effect of traditional and alternative teacher preparation, years of service, and type of licensure held and teacher quality on English language arts and mathematics summative assessment scaled scores and performance levels among West Virginia students in grades 5 and 11. Specifically, this research analyzed the existing assessment data in West Virginia’s 55 counties, regarding teacher preparation routes, teacher experience, teacher licensure, and the teacher’s Highly Qualified (HQ) designation to determine the effect on student achievement. The study was designed with the aforementioned variables and applied a standardized summative content assessment outcome to the two grade levels …

Voices Of The Implementers: The Perceptions And Experiences Of Educators Implementing Pbis, Jacqueline Nicole Freeman

Education Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research study was developed around the problem that teachers are resistant to change when implementing educational initiatives that are new to them. “Rather than blame teachers and ask, ‘Why do teachers resist?’ perhaps those of us who lead change should ask, ‘What can we do to make it easier for teachers to implement new practices’” (Knight, 2009, p. 508)? Research supports the need for district and school administrators to focus on strategies that positively impact change and develop successful initiation and implementation procedures. This study focused on the types of strategies identified by the teachers that facilitated and/or …

Digital Internships: Enriching Teaching And Learning With Primary Resources, Jenny M. Martin Ph.D.

Teacher Education Program Faculty Scholarship

Purpose – To explicate how to design a digital internship that encourages both the teacher candidate and the K-12 student to participate in problem-based learning. Framed by the theories of academic motivation and new literacies, this chapter presents templates to demonstrate how a digital internship can be designed that results in the learning goals of both the students and the teacher candidates being met.

Design – Digital internships provide teacher candidates with the opportunity to teach K-12 students online, observe licensed teachers design and employ lessons, and analyze this pedagogical learning space, yet education preparation programs (EPPs) fail to harness …

Learning In Between: Partnerships As Sites Of Discovery, Beth L. Lehman Ph.D., Jenny M. Martin Ph.D.

Teacher Education Program Faculty Scholarship

This article explores the benefits of one-to-one, undergraduate partnerships with public school students in teacher education courses. These partnerships, enacted through letter writing in paper notebooks and through a digital internship, involved teacher candidates communicating individually through writing and in product creations with public school students. The teacher educators unpack the discoveries they think enhanced the learning for teacher candidates including one-to-one teaching, asynchronous timing, authentic purpose, and co-construction of knowledge. A goal of the partnerships was to make purposeful experiences for teacher candidates in the spaces between their own school experience and their future teacher selves; which is, in …

Staying Put: An Analysis Of Teacher Retention In A Rural, Low-Performing, High-Poverty School District In Northeastern North Carolina, Lakesia Boone

Education Dissertations and Projects

Many teachers have seen the role of an educator gradually change in the last decade. Some have considered leaving their chosen careers due to low morale, low pay, and the constant adoption of education initiatives that do not work. Many teachers have stated the reason they have remained in education is due to the intrinsic rewards such as making a difference in the life of a student and the love or enjoyment education provides. This study sought to determine factors that impact retention of teachers in a rural, low-performing school district in northeastern North Carolina that serves high populations of …

Why Do Girls Outperform Boys In School: A Qualitative Study Of Boy-Friendly Teaching, Teacher Efficacy And Practices, Renee Blair Clifford

Education Dissertations and Projects

This research study explored reasons why girls consistently outperform boys in the classroom, examining professional development teachers may have received, strategies teachers are implementing, and teacher’s self-efficacy in teaching boys. This was a qualitative study centered on the idea that boys do not perform as well in school as girls because teachers are not aware of learning differences or not designing instruction to address the unique learning needs of boys. This study took place at one South East elementary school.

Sr. Holy: A Calling From The Lord, Caitlyn Schaffer

Ask a Sister: Interview Wisdom from Catholic Women Religious

This paper includes a portion of an interview with Sr. Holy, a woman religious missionary who belongs to the congregation of Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, where her theological beliefs are enacted by her service to others. Within the congregation of Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, she is focused on directing the novitiate, giving spiritual direction, volunteering with the aid for women, networking with the aid for women, and taking part in a life learning center making disciples. She uses her gifts that Jesus has given her to employ her virtues in the service of others. Throughout her life she mentioned the …

Sr. Cynthia: Powerful Interactions, Chloe Griffin

Ask a Sister: Interview Wisdom from Catholic Women Religious

The following paper includes portions of an interview with Sr. Cynthia Gray, a Salesian Sister who has worked in the education field for over 30 years. The paper focuses on the recurring theme of the important interactions and connections of women religious, specifically Salesians, with the rest of the world.

Seeking Significance: An Ethnographic Study Of Teacher-Led Professional Experiences And Its Impact On Efficacy, Bonnie Coleman Bolado

Education Dissertations and Projects

Adult learning takes place through multiple facets. The understandings of how teachers chose to learn when given autonomy to engage in their own professional learning is a facet of teacher development that has not been widely researched. The research of Bolado (2018) utilized the grounded theory approach to develop themes of adult learning that provide insights to teacher needs when engaging in professional learning. Qualitative methods of research provided detailed perceptions of teacher needs when engaging in professional learning and how these experiences impacted their efficacy. This grounded theory research derived theories based on teacher perceptions of their confidence levels …

Student Perceptions Of Teacher Cultural Sensitivity And Its Impact On Student Achievement, Mandalinn Marie Browning

Education Dissertations and Projects

The study examined if there is an association between student perceptions of teacher cultural sensitivity and its impact on student academic achievement. The researcher was looking to determine if there are any correlations between what teachers and students perceive as culturally sensitive teaching. The researcher administered a teacher and student cultural sensitivity survey to determine what each of them saw as the characteristics of a culturally sensitive teacher. These findings were then analyzed to determine if having or not having these characteristics was a factor in student academic achievement. The study took place in a high school with tenth graders …

The Impact Of Induction On First Year Lateral Entry Teacher Efficacy, Matthew Tipton

Education Dissertations and Projects

Many states throughout our country are faced with hiring teachers who are not certified and do not have any prior teaching experience. There are various factors contributing to states hiring alternatively licensed teachers: low teacher pay, demands of teaching, and a decline in individuals entering traditional teacher training programs at colleges and universities. From this, induction programs have become more comprehensive over the last decade to improve self-efficacy of new teachers in areas of classroom practices. Teachers who display confidence in classroom practices have a stronger impact on student achievement and eventually become leaders within their school. Improving teacher efficacy …

Teacher Preparation Programs And Motivation Strategies For Student Achievement In Select Elementary Schools, Sharonne Denise Simmons

Education Dissertations and Projects

According to Ashton (1984), teacher self-efficacy can produce a prevailing paradigm in the field of education. Ashton stated that there is no other personality trait of teachers that has such a profound effect on student academic success. A teacher preparation program that has an aim of developing teacher self-efficacy and includes the important elements of motivating students, “should develop teachers who possess the motivation essential for effective classroom performance” (Ashton, 1984, p. 2). Teacher self-efficacy denotes the belief or discernment that one can perform tasks adequately to reach a desired goal (Bandura, 1997).

According to Bandura (1986), self-efficacy judgments are …

The Use Of Response To Intervention With English Learners, Anna Burnley

ECTESOL Review

RTIs assist teachers in adjusting instruction to support ELs in acquiring English and content-area knowledge and learning behaviors. The use of RTIs with ELs can supplement support for ELs as an integrated concept of the sheltered instruction (SI) commonly provided for this student population.

Connecting North And South: Engaging Latin American English Learners, Kenyan Intercultural Communications And American Undergraduate Students Through Reciprocal Service Learning, Laureen Fregeau, Ukaiko A. Bitrus-Ojiambo, Suhana Chikatla, William Cornejo

ECTESOL Review

Reciprocal Service Learning through videoconferencing is an efficient tool for connecting native English speakers of various world Englishes and ELs in other nations for the benefit of all. The authors of this study recognize the reciprocal nature of teaching and learning and the social justice of equalizing power structures through the inclusion of participants and researchers from both North and South as members of a project and research team. Through participant observation and document review the authors examine the experiences of educators and learners in the phenomenon of reciprocal service learning through videoconferencing focused on cultural competence and English language …

Funneling Versus Focusing: When Talk, Tasks, And Tools Work Together To Support Students’ Collective Sensemaking, Sara Hagenah, Carolyn Colley, Jessica Thompson

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rigorous and responsive science teaching is based on supporting all students in making progress in their understanding of important science ideas over time. In this article, we explore how did classroom talk patterns of funneling and focusing support student sensemaking. We share how talk, tasks, and tools within classroom activity work together to either funnel students toward reproducing normative scientific answers or focus students on deepening their understanding about unobservable causal mechanisms of phenomena. We use classroom examples from two science lessons where students used data to describe and communicate about how and why stars change over time. By recognizing …

2018 Master Of Arts In Teaching Teacher Education Programs Offered By The Otterbein University Education Department, Otterbein Office Of Graduate Programs

Graduate School

A graduate handbook for the Master of Arts in Teaching Teacher Education Programs offered by the Otterbein University Education Department.