Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Nota Bene: News From The Yale Library, Summer/Fall 2018, Patricia Carey

Nota Bene

The Summer/Fall 2018 Nota Bene newsletter includes articles on Yale University Library's current and planned renovations; the library's participation in internships programs sponsored by New Haven Promise and the HBCUs; a grant to preserve Street Corner Stories, a documentary film by Warrington Hudlin '74; the launch of the Archives at Yale collection discovery tool; a memorial for William S. Reese '77; the death of Dori Laub, co-founder of the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies; the planned renovation of Bass Library; the phasing out of the Yale Classification system in Sterling Memorial Library, and fall events and exhibits.

The Necessary Conversation: Faith To Sustain Teaching Practices, Stephanie Talley

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

In this essay, the author raises critical questions about the need for faith-based teacher preparation programs to consider engaging pre-service teachers in conversations about the connection between faith and the ability to persist in the work of teaching. Grounded in the ethic of care, the author suggests educators must begin with caring for self in order to maintain the ability of caring for students. Suggestions for Christian teacher education programs are explored.

Caring For New Teachers Once They Leave Campus, Elaine Tinholt

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This essay explores one teacher educator’s motivation and ideas about how to advocate for induction support for new teachers beyond the teacher preparation program. During the undergraduate preparation process, teacher candidates are given multiple opportunities to receive support from mentor teachers and college supervisors. This support system functions through formal observations, on-going communication, and feedback concerning progression throughout the clinical practice experience. While induction programs abound across the country, students who leave small, faith-based universities often disperse to a variety of settings and support levels. The school based support offered during the first year of teaching can be insufficient or …

On The Importance Of Engaging Students In Crafting Definitions, Angela Little, Leslie Atkins Elliott

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper we describe an activity for engaging students in crafting definitions. We explore the strengths of this particular activity as well as the broader implications of engaging students in crafting definitions more generally.

Inclusion And The Ethic Of Care: Our Responsibility As Christian Special Educators, Alicia Watkin

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This essay explores one teacher's motivation to advocate for more inclusive practices for students with IEPs as a Christian response to applying the ethic of care in public school settings. Additionally, it charges teacher education programs at Christian universities to prepare teacher candidates to apply the ethic of care to their work with students with special needs in response to their faith. Special educators, who listen, show up, and advocate can make a profound difference for their students.

Dispositions: Real-Time Active Practice, Michelle C. Hughes

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This longitudinal case study followed new teachers from one small undergraduate pre-service program into the first years of teaching. The researcher’s initial study (Hughes, 2014) examined dispositional awareness and development of participants using personal interview data from program graduates, interview data from program faculty, and archived course artifacts. The current study extends the research and shines a light on dispositional development from pre-service through the fourth year of teaching. Using personal interviews, a focus group meeting, and archived course artifacts, the study affirms the significance of dispositions in pre-service preparation and professional practice. The study validates that participants carry dispositional …

Qualitative Research On Youths’ Social Media Use: A Review Of The Literature, Mardi Schmeichel, Hilary E. Hughes, Mel Kutner

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

In this article we explore how educational researchers report empirical qualitative research about young people’s social media use. We frame the overall study with an understanding that social media sites contribute to the production of neoliberal subjects, and we draw on Foucauldian discourse theories and the understanding that how researchers explain topics and concepts produces particular ways of thinking about the world while excluding others. Findings include that: (1) there is an absence of attention to the structure and function of social media platforms; (2) adolescents are positioned in problematic, developmental ways; and (3) the over-representation of girls and young …

Thinking Maths: Learning Impact Fund Evaluation Report: Addendum To The Evaluation Report, Katherine Dix, Hilary Hollingsworth, Toby Carslake

Literacy and numeracy

Thinking Maths is a three-term structured professional learning program for Years 6 - 9 mathematics teachers to engage middle school students’ mathematics learning. The Thinking Maths program has been developed by the South Australian Department for Education based on its Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework. The program aims to address a significant drop in students’ mathematics performance in NAPLAN from Years 7 to Year 9. Thinking Maths supports teachers to improve students’ learning of mathematical content during the transition between Primary and Secondary school. Years 6 - 9 teachers participate in five professional learning days at 4 - 5 …

Thinking Maths: Learning Impact Fund Evaluation Report: Evaluation Report And Executive Summary, Katherine Dix, Hilary Hollingsworth, Toby Carslake

Literacy and numeracy

Thinking Maths is a three-term structured professional learning program for Years 6 - 9 mathematics teachers to engage middle school students’ mathematics learning. The Thinking Maths program has been developed by the South Australian Department for Education based on its Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework. The program aims to address a significant drop in students’ mathematics performance in NAPLAN from Years 7 to Year 9. Thinking Maths supports teachers to improve students’ learning of mathematical content during the transition between Primary and Secondary school. Years 6 - 9 teachers participate in five professional learning days at 4 - 5 …

Using The Principal Performance Improvement Tool, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

School and system improvement

The Principal Performance Improvement Tool (PPIT) has been developed to assist school principals and others who aspire to this role to reflect on their current leadership practices. The tool is informed by international research into the kinds of leadership that result in improved teaching and learning. It also draws heavily on the lived experiences of practicing school principals. This booklet is a brief introduction to the PPIT.

Praxis Core: A Systemic Approach To Helping Minority Students, Terrance M. Mcadoo, Danielle A. Harrison

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this article was to provide potential solutions for teacher education programs with regard to assisting minority students with Praxis Core, a standardized test that’s mandatory for many teacher preparation students throughout the United States. The article not only examined solutions for minority students, especially African American students, but also it highlights the disparities between Caucasian and African American test takers in regard to Praxis Core. A major portion of the article discussed a three point systems that has proven to be effective in helping minority students to successfully pass Praxis Core, and the article explains the structures …

Exploring The Opportunities Of Minority Senior Executive U.S. Federal Government Agency Leaders: A Qualitative Analysis, Crystal Gathers-Whatley, Tyrone Chase

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the opportunities and challenges minority senior executive U.S. federal government agency leaders (MSELs) faced on their path to leadership, and their strategies to manage and overcome these challenges. The phrase minority senior executive leaders refer to individuals who lead U.S. executive departments; individual federal agencies, departments, or commissions; and those that report under the direct leadership of majority or minority leaders. This study explored how MSELs gained entry into leadership positions typically held by majority leaders; how MSELs take advantage of the opportunities presented to them; and what had the most …

Deciphering Preservice Teachers’ Intercultural Competencies: A Grounded Theory For Description And Demonstration, Daniel Casebeer

Journal of Research Initiatives

This constructivist grounded theory study explored the development of preservice teachers’ intercultural competencies. The participants were thirty-two preservice teachers who were participating in a first-year field experience with diverse populations of students. They were asked to examine their understanding of difference, and, in doing so, revealed a four-stage transformational process for the displacement of limited or apathetic worldviews. This process, which is situated in the context of transformative learning theory, is described through the categories of resisting, tolerating, accepting, and valuing difference.

The Writer's Workbook Intervention: Promoting Writing Achievement, Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar

Journal of Research Initiatives

Research demonstrates that American high school students are not writing with proficiency, and teachers are not providing adequate writing instruction. This study examined the effectiveness of a writing intervention on achievement using pre- and post-intervention data. The instructional intervention combined self-regulated strategy development, peer and teacher feedback, reflection, and flexible writing practice to strengthen persuasive and argumentative writing in high school students. 95 ninth- and tenth-grade Delaware public school students in higher and lower-level classes participated in the instructional intervention, and twenty-five students’ writings were scored before and after the intervention to assess growth. Pre/post mean ratings of writing quality …

Capacity, Passion, Relevance, And Presence: A Conceptual Framework For The Interpretation And Study Of Success, Nathan C. Anderson, Daniel R. Conn, Kylie C. Gamas, Brad Borkhuis, Jonah J. Lantto

Journal of Research Initiatives

This project outlines a conceptual framework to help make sense of opportunities in an effort to recognize conditions for failure and establish paths toward success. In finding success, three distinct themes emerge from the literature: capacity, passion, and relevance. The CPR Success and Failure Analysis framework is intended to be a framework for success. Displayed as a Venn diagram, the framework includes domains of capacity, passion, and relevance, which are connected in the center through presence. The framework may serve as a theoretical lens for research, in-person and online educational opportunities, self-reflection, business coaching/consulting, college and career planning, and various …

Introduction, Paul Shotsberger, Cathy Freytag

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Why a special issue on care? It’s a fair question. As one colleague said recently, if we have the gospels, do we really need something else to tell us how others should be treated? We maintain that because of its bidirectional nature, ethic of care, and particularly Christian ethic of care, are fundamentally reflective of God’s nature. It is not just ethical but also theological: it helps us understand God's love and care for us, to see it as more than a one way street. The literature on ethic of care, especially that of Noddings, tells us that this bidirectional …

Empathy As A Christian Calling, Danielle Bryant

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This essay focuses on the recent study of care in my teaching, and the role empathy plays in enacting an ethic of care. Using current research in empathy, along with reflections on my own teaching practice, the ACTS model offers some practical ways to foster and model empathy in teaching. Several case studies exemplify this approach within a variety of educational settings. Current brain research is also explored in the discussion of the model in this essay.

Correlation Effects Of Gender And Entry Qualifications On The Performance Of Undergraduate Engineering Students In Universities, Taofeek Ayotunde Yusuf, C. A. Onifade

Journal of Research Initiatives

Enrollment into engineering disciplines in tertiary institutions has always been identified for gender bias, higher population favoring the masculine. However, reports on the standard ratio of this bias nor the issue of whether it has any significant impact on academic performance of engineering students (POES) scarcely exist. Meanwhile, Nigerian Universities still enjoy autonomy and their admission policies on entry requirements vary. Hence, this study examined the possible influence of gender and entry qualification (EQ) on POES. Data collected from 491 undergraduate engineering students from two universities were statistically analyzed. The study revealed female to male population ratio of 1:9. The …

Self-Regulation, Co-Regulation, And Feedback In The Context Of Cross-Cultural Language Acquisition In Higher Education: A Conceptual Approach, Papia Bawa

Journal of Research Initiatives

Given the exponential growth in international student populations in the United States, supporting cross cultural language learners (CCLL) in developing their self and co-regulated learning is highly important. This paper presents a conceptual framework on the value of feedback within self-regulated versus co-regulated environments, in the context of cross- cultural language learning. We use the term cross cultural language learners (CCLL) to refer to international learners, in particular from Asia. When exploring the issues of cross cultural language acquisition relating to logographic (Chinese) and alphabetic (English) languages, we examine the literature that support self and co-regulated learning within the frame …

Development And Transfer Of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Tpack) Of Special Education Teachers, Aleksandra A. Kaplon-Schilis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation presents findings of three studies investigating the development and transfer of TPACK of pre-service and in-service elementary school special education teachers. The dissertation is presented in a non-traditional format including an introduction, three manuscripts submitted for journal publication, and a summary chapter. The purpose of the first study was to analyze development of TPACK of pre-service elementary special education teachers enrolled in a graduate level pedagogy course Integrating Technology in Mathematics and Science Instruction in Special Education and Inclusive Classrooms in a New York City public college. The study’s research question was to find out whether the TPACK- …

Graphic Mathematical Mediated Structure: The Link For Hispanic/Latino And English Learners' Mathematical Success, Sylvia Casteloes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project’s goal is to promote and improve the mathematical literacy of fourth-grade Hispanic/Latino and English learners through the use of a graphic mathematical mediated structure. Current California Common Core data finds fourth-grade Hispanic/Latino and English learners significantly behind White and Asian students in mathematics, especially in understanding written word problems.

Research supports the assumption that as a tool, a graphic mathematical mediated structure could: 1) foster conceptual understanding; 2) build content terminology; 3) allow students opportunities to justify their solutions; 4) integrate writing in math; and 5) provide a platform for discourse. This innovative pedagogical project specifically focused on …

Game-Based Teaching Methodology And Empathy In Ethics Education, Angel Krause, Scot Headley, Danielle Bryant, Alicia Watkin, Charity-Mika Woodard, Sherri Sinicki

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This article describes the experience of a group of educators participating in a graduate course in ethics. Playing role playing games and the work accompanying that play were the predominate methodology employed in the course. An accompanying research study investigated the lived experiences of the course participants. Themes that emerged from interview data included student engagement, participants’ applications, empathy development, and reactions to professor modeling.

The Ethic Of Care And Inclusive Education, David W. Anderson

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This article deals with the ethic of care in education, with a specific focus on classrooms that include students with disabilities. After a brief overview of historical and legal issues which led to the inclusive education movement, the discussion focuses on what an ethic of care involves from a biblical/theological perspective.

Self-Efficacy Of Early Childhood Teachers In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Ariella Rachel Donnelley Smith

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify the self-efficacy of early childhood teachers toward STEM subjects as measured on the Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes toward STEM Survey (T-STEM) and to explore factors that influence this confidence.

Methodology. A quantitative approach with two open-ended items was selected for this study, seeking to elicit both quantitative and qualitative data from participants. This approach allowed for multiple viewpoints to be expressed, with the qualitative data collected simultaneously with the quantitative data, and the former designed to illuminate reasons influencing the latter in a complimentary approach. The population for the study included …

School Shouldn’T End When The Bell Rings: An Exploratory Homeschooling Study, Mackenzie Dukelow

MA Research Paper

Homeschooling has experienced significant growth over the last several decades, yet little to no research has explored the relationship between homeschoolers and the public education system. Being the first to explore this relationship, the current study collected and examined data from 3 semi-structured interviews and 15 online homeschooling blogs in order to understand the growth of homeschooling in Ontario and the relationship between homeschooling and the public education system. The results of this study reveal the relationship between homeschoolers and the public education system varies significantly over time and locale, the challenges within each system and the difficulty of transitioning …

Analysis Of Grade Variances In Multisection Calculus Classes, S. Paul Shaffer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore grade variances associated with multisection calculus grades. The method for the project was quantitative examining grade distribution patterns that existed between calculus sections at a public university void of an over-arching grading policy during the case study. Results showed that different grade distribution patterns by different instructors were primarily due to student-centric characteristics. The significant findings suggest that student grades are firmly in control of students. Only when course grade averages were at the extreme did evidence suggest that instructor-centric characteristics played meaningful role in student grade determination.

Latina/O Students In K-12 Schools: A Synthesis Of Empirical Research On Factors Influencing Academic Achievement, Amanda Taggart

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

The purpose of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive synthesis and analysis of the empirical evidence to date on the factors related to Latina/o student academic achievement in the country’s increasingly Latina/o K-12 schools. Factors found to be related to academic achievement outcomes (e.g., grades, test scores, high school completion, college enrollment) for Latina/o students include a combination of (1) demographic variables, (2) sociocultural variables, (3) academic experiences, (4) psychological variables, and (5) school/institutional variables. In addition, this research synthesis identified several methodological trends in the research on Latina/o student success.

Teaching To Assess: An Evaluation Of Assessment Education For Secondary Teacher Candidates, Daniel M. Frederking

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the assessment instruction of a four-year undergraduate secondary education program and its alignment to the teaching standards and the summative teacher licensure assessment. Document analyses were conducted on the program’s syllabi as well as the assessment portions of the InTASC standards and the handbook of the edTPA. Results highlighted several areas of misalignment in the areas of categorical concurrence, depth of knowledge, and range of knowledge. Also of note, preservice teachers in different secondary subject areas are receiving different amounts of assessment instruction. Additionally, local edTPA data was examined to highlight areas of strength and weakness. Students …

Collection Development Tips And Tricks, Melissa Cast-Brede

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Finding the best works for your library doesn’t have to involve expensive subscriptions to book review journals. This presentation will focus on strategies to hunt and find quality works without breaking the bank or monopolizing your time.

Best Practices For Teaching Teenagers And Young Adults, Lisa Lyne, Nick Elder, Sarah Grison

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Workshops

This workshop from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Parkland College deals with the unique challenges that come with teaching teens and young adults and provides practical ideas for helping young college students succeed