Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Educating Invisibly: Immigrant Teachers Of Color And Their Sense Of Belonging In New Jersey Public Schools, Mirjam L. Biegen

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, heuristic, phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of immigrant teachers of color and explore their sense of visibility and belongingness in the New Jersey public schools. The goal of this study was to understand their struggles and perseverance as they navigated America's education system. Additionally, this study aimed to understand the numerous obstacles immigrant teachers of color face due to cultural and language barriers. Eleven immigrant teachers of color employed as teachers in New Jersey public schools participated in this study. All eleven teachers have struggled with invisibility and lack of belongingness in their school contexts …

Discovering The Self That Teaches: Multimedia Reflective Journaling And The Education Stories Of Beginning Preservice Teachers, Meredith Paula Allard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Who is the self that teaches (Palmer, 1998)? One way of uncovering a teacher’s self may be to allow beginning preservice teachers the opportunity to share their education stories, which may then allow them to explore their initial self-concepts of their roles as future teachers. This study used narrative inquiry and the arts-based activities of a multimedia reflective journal and a memoir reflective assignment as tools to help beginning preservice teachers discover and learn from their education stories. The frameworks of arts-based education research, transformative learning, and transformative teaching provided a unique lens through which to explore the education stories …

Do I Enact What I Learn?: Examining Novice Science Teachers Approximations Of Practice, Helene Pollins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine novice secondary science teachers’ enactment of their teaching philosophies in their lesson planning and teaching. The framework was based on three theories: approximations of practice, teachers’ knowledge of content and students (KCS), and experiential learning. The design for this research used a qualitative case study design. The participants were three novice science teachers in a large school district in the Southwestern United States. Data sources included teaching philosophies, three semi-structured interviews, lesson plans, and observations. Three research questions were: what are novice science teachers’ major philosophies at the entry level of teaching; …

Investigating The Use Of An Emotional Intelligence Intervention With Young Elementary Students Receiving Services In A Self-Contained Setting For Students With Emotional Disturbance, Kristin Lian Withey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While there is a longstanding call for all students to succeed, students receiving special education services under the label of emotional disturbance (ED) are at an increased risk for minimal school and life outcomes, ranging from poor classroom grades and increased expulsion to high rates of incarceration and drug use. Although there are extant interventions, these often rely on extrinsic motivation or are begun after research suggests behaviors have become habit. Because of this, there is a call for earlier intervention that teaches students requisite skills. One such developmentally appropriate practice that has yet to be explored with students receiving …

Media Portrayals Of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cars2 And Frame Analysis Of The Sesame Street Character Julia, Sallyann Ficarrotta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Media Portrayals of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A CARS2 and frame analysis of the Sesame Street character Julia Media portrayals of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are grossly exaggerated and inaccurate. Julia, a Muppet with ASD, is not depicted as having high-functioning autism, but most of the exaggerated portrayals depicted in movies and television are of a person on that end of the spectrum. The current study, a quantitative content analysis of Julia from Sesame Street, draws from framing theory, most importantly stigmatizing cues, and utilizes the professional assessment tool, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS2). The tool was used to rate …

Utilizing Teacher Response To Help Students Meet And Transfer First-Year Composition Course Objectives, Clyde Aidoo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For decades, considerable scholarship has explored how teachers can respond more effectively to student writing. There has also been significant research on how first-year-composition concepts can be transferred by students to other arenas of discourse outside of this required course. This thesis begins with a brief discussion on the meaning of transfer. Then, with the Council of Writing Program Administrators’ Outcomes (knowledge of conventions, rhetorical knowledge, critical thinking, processes) as a starting point, I redefine and pare down the seven response modes described by Elaine O. Lees to five types of response (calling for correction, reminding, explaining, suggesting, and assigning) …

Reimagining High School Writing: A Multi-Case Examination Of The Impact Of External Pressures On High School Writing Contexts, Nicole Elizabeth Klimow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research concerning teachers’ pedagogical beliefs shows a strong relationship between planning and instruction; however, the sources of pedagogical beliefs have not been researched thoroughly. Because teachers bring their histories and experiences to their interactions with students, their pedagogical beliefs may also be present in their instruction, mediating the relationship between knowledge (planning) and action (writing instruction). Framed by Sociocultural Theory (SCT), the purpose of this qualitative, multi-site, multi-case case study was first to understand teachers’ expectations for teaching writing based on their beliefs about learning. A secondary intent was to examine ways in which high school English teachers’ learning expectations …

Usability And Psychosocial Impact Of Decision Support To Increase Sexual Health Education In American Indian And Alaska Native Communities, Christine Markham, Jennifer Torres, Stephanie Craig Rushing Phd, Mph, Gwenda Gorman Bs, Cornelia Jessen Ma, Amanda Gaston Mat, Jennifer Williamson, Robert C. Addy, Susan R. Tortolero Emery, Belinda Hernandez, Melissa Peskin, Ross Shegog

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Despite sexual and reproductive health disparities, few evidence-based sexual health education programs exist for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, with even fewer tools available to assist AI/AN communities in adopting, implementing, and maintaining such programs. iCHAMPSS (Choosing And Maintaining effective Programs for Sex education in Schools) is a theory- and web-based decision-support-system designed to address dissemination barriers and increase the reach and fidelity of evidence-based programs (EBPs), specifically sexual health education programs. To investigate the potential of iCHAMPSS in AI/AN communities, we pilot-tested iCHAMPSS with adult stakeholders (N = 36) from agencies across …

Factors Affecting Teachers’ Implementation Of Communicative Language Teaching Curriculum In Secondary Schools In Bangladesh, Mohammad Mosiur Rahman, Ambigapathy Pandian, Manjet Kaur

The Qualitative Report

This study focuses on the selected factors affecting teachers’ implementation of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) curriculum in secondary schools in Bangladesh. The study is explorative, interpretivist, and qualitative in nature. A phenomenology approach, under qualitative method, was adopted to explore how teachers experience the phenomenon of CLT based curriculum change. Four schools were chosen, two from Dhaka (Urban), the capital of the country, and two from the villages in Chandpur (Rural). Eight selected participants were chosen from these schools based on a purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews, classroom observation and document analysis of curriculum, assessment, and teaching materials were the …

Maximizing Teacher Time: The Collaborative Leadership Role Of The Principal, William L. Sterrett, Michele A. Parker, Kris Mitzner

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Using data from the 2014 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (NCTWC) biennial survey researchers identified a sample from over 2,500 principals. The researchers surveyed 68 principals; 24 principals participated in a 19-item survey containing 5 demographic questions, 7 Likert-scale questions, and 7 open-ended questions. The descriptive analyses revealed that the principals in the study had the highest agreement with time constructs related to “reasonable class size” and “protecting teachers from duties that interfere” and lowest levels of agreement with “efforts made to minimize routine paperwork.” The qualitative analyses shared further principal perspective regarding specific strategies with the seven time constructs. …

Engagement In Science Instruction In A First-Grade Classroom, Corinne Pretiger

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Too often, science is pushed toward the bottom of the priority list when it comes to teaching in elementary schools. Focusing on student and teacher perceptions, the researcher of this study wanted to know how this theme or attitude would shift if science became a higher priority in the classroom, for both students and teachers. What do students see as the most important when it comes to engagement and construction of their own learning in science instruction using the Science by Month curriculum? Data was collected for five weeks through student and teacher surveys, interviews, and observations. The constant comparative …

Developmental Mathematics: A Quantitative Investigation Of Instructor Classification As Related To Student Success, Brittany A. Fish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine what type of predictive power exists between an instructor’s employment classification, student gender, student race, and first-generation status on a student’s academic success in developmental mathematics, as measured by final semester grades at a regionally comprehensive state university in Texas between fall 2013 and spring 2017. Data were collected from the institution under study and the sample population included 1932 unique student observations. The data collected in this study were analyzed through a binary logistic regression model to determine whether an instructor’s employment classification, student gender, student race, and first-generation status …

Factors Impacting Teacher Turnover In Texas Public School Districts With Fewer Than 500 Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Paige N. Benoy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rural Texas districts experience higher rates in teacher turnover compared to other districts. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study was designed to explore the relationships among district size and the factors that contributed to teacher turnover. Data was collected from Texas public school districts with fewer than 500 students. A simple correlation determined that no relationship existed between district size and teacher turnover rate during the 2016-2017 school year in the 313 districts that had fewer than 500 students. Participating districts came from two different regions. Four superintendents were interviewed about the factors surrounding turnover regarding the teacher turnover in …

The Challenges Of Newly Adopted Mathematics Curriculum In Title I Schools: A Mixed Methods Study, Carmen Cruz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the early impacts of the newly adopted mathematics TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge Skills) introduced in 2014 by TEA (Texas Education Agency) that detail the curriculum standards for all students across schools in Texas schools, for grades K-12. The study examined the challenges that teachers and administrators have had to overcome to meet federal legislation educational compliance. Additionally the study examined how schools and districts were professionally developing their teachers on new curricular standards. Five Title 1 schools in four school districts were used in the study. Schools were selected from …

Video Games And Virtual Reality As Classroom Literature: Thoughts, Experiences, And Learning With 8th Grade Middle School Students, Miles M. Harvey

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This qualitative study utilized video games and virtual reality in an eighth-grade public middle school media literacy elective classroom in which the head researcher was also the official teacher for the students in the study. The nineteen students and their teacher used video games in small groups for five consecutive weeks. The teacher and nineteen students recorded data about their thoughts, experiences, and learning as they played in the classroom. Students responded to open-ended reader-response questions about their experiences after playing video games each day for forty-five minutes. Students reflected about their experiences in a thought journal. The teacher responded …

What Are The Leadership Behaviors Of Winning Basketball Coaches?, Joshua Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem this study addressed was the lack of designation of a leadership style to help coaches perform at their highest level in order to be a positive factor in the lives of their athletes and. The purpose of this study was to identify leadership styles and behaviors of the Texas high school varsity boys’ basketball coaches whose teams reached regional tournament play. This mixed method research study was conducted through quantitative closed response surveys utilizing the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and through qualitative interviews to address the leadership styles and behaviors of high school basketball coaches. The sample population was …

Tinkering With Logo In An Elementary Mathematics Methods Course, Keri Duncan Valentine

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

With an increased push to integrate coding and computational literacy in K–12 learning environments, teacher educators will need to consider ways they might support preservice teachers (PSTs). This paper details a tinkering approach used to engage PSTs in thinking computationally as they worked with geometric concepts they will be expected to teach in K–5. Experiences programming in Logo to construct authentic artifacts in the form of two-dimensional geometric graphics not only supported PSTs’ understanding of core geometric and spatial concepts, but also helped them to make connections between mathematics and computational literacy. Artifacts and discourse are discussed as they relate …

Ascertaining The Impact Of P–12 Engineering Education Initiatives: Student Impact Through Teacher Impact, Marissa H. Forbes, Jacquelyn F. Sullivan, Denise W. Carlson

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

The widespread need to address both science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and STEM workforce development is persistent. Underscored by the Next Generation Science Standards, demand is high for P–12 engineering-centered curricula. TeachEngineering is a free, standards-aligned NSF-funded digital library of more than 1,500 hands-on, design-rich K–12 engineering lessons and activities. Beyond anonymous site-user counts, the impact of the TeachEngineering collection and outreach initiatives on the education of children and their teachers was previously unknown. Thus, the project team wrestled with the question of how to meaningfully ascertain classroom impacts of the digital engineering education library and—more broadly—how to …

Sjsu Erfa Annual Business Meeting Minutes, May 11, 2018, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Annual Business Meeting Minutes

May 11, 2018

A Theological Analysis Of Confessional-Centric Curriculum Of Christian Religious Education: Towards An Inclusive Religious Pluralistic Centered Curriculum For Nigeria Colleges Of Education, Ilesanmi Ajibola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Desire to live in peace and unity despite the multi ethnic and multi religious composition of Nigeria, remain ideals that are constant in the nation’s Constitution. However, accruable benefits of a culturally and religiously pluralistic society have continued to elude Nigeria due to incessant religious violence arising from the mutual suspicion of Christians and Muslims in the country. Nevertheless, the nation’s National Policy on Education proposes the education sector as one of the platforms to inculcate a sense of unity and religious tolerance in the country. The policy considers the nation’s learning centers and religious courses offered in such institutions …

Technological Resources Versus Non-Technological Resources, Samantha Sapa

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to help show that using technology as an instructional strategy will benefit students’ knowledge on certain concepts. Improving focus and engagement will lead to increased knowledge of students. This study’s participants included ten randomly selected second-graders. They focused on the concept of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes. At the beginning of this study, they were given a pre-assessment (see Appendix A) to show their current knowledge. When this study was completed, a post-assessment (see Appendix B) was given. Comparing the results of these two assessments helped to show that using technology, during teacher-led instruction, benefited …

The Effect Of Summer Vacation On Reading Level, Stacey Klinkhammer

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a lengthy break from school, with no formal academic activity, caused a decrease in a student’s academic achievement. Specifically, if reading scores decreased. The study aimed to compare two groups of high school students, primarily in grades 9-11. The study compared those who enrolled in summer school courses for remedial purposes and those who did not enroll in summer school. The study focused on students’ reading skills before and after their school’s summer vacation, which is approximately 12 weeks long. District assessments of student’s ability were the metrics used for …

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work: Purdue's Impact Course Transformation Faculty Learning Community, Karen Neubauer, Wanju Huang, Rachel Fundator, Hua Cai, Nicole Hands, Mark Zimpfer, Xiumin Diao, Jason B. Reed

IMPACT Presentations

Describes the collaborative faculty learning community established within a specific IMPACT team from the Spring 2017 Cohort. Describes the IMPACT course redesign program and experiences of the individual faculty fellows working within the team to redesign their courses.

The Human Dynamics Needed In The Change Process For Transformational Implementation Of Educational Reform: Common Core State Standards, Daisy Morales

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the changes made in mindset, behaviors, culture, and systems as perceived by K-12 school district directors and principals in California in the implementation of the California Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

Methods: This study was descriptive and qualitative, conducted by interviewing 8 principals and 8 directors who have been in their positions for 3 or more years, had first-hand experience with the implementation of the California Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and were familiar with the shifts needed in CCSS. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed for …

Sjsu Erfa Board Minutes, May 7, 2018, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Executive Board Minutes

May 7, 2018

How High School Students With Dyslexia Use Assistive Technology; A Teacher's Perspective, Tara Granzen

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

High school teachers of students with dyslexia face unique instructional challenges. Students’ with dyslexia experience levels of difficulty in reading and writing tasks that have now transmigrated into the digital realm. These teachers are working to collaborate with and teach students that are dyslexic, using technology tools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an understanding of how these teachers are using technology to support the learning of students with dyslexia. Two research questions guided this study: How do the teachers of high school students with dyslexia perceive the use of digital technology to assist in the …

The Librarians’ Guide To The Information Literacy Galaxy: Leading Campus Conversations, Sarah Richardson, Heather K. Beirne, Ashley J. Cole, Trenia Napier

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Sarah Richardson (Business Library Team Leader), Heather Beirne (Reference and Instruction Librarian), Ashley Cole (Reference and Instruction Librarian) and Trenia Napier (Associate Director, Programs & Outreach - Noel Studio for Academic Creativity) @ Eastern Kentucky University Situating librarians as information literacy experts and leaders in pedagogical best practices, presenters led a professional learning community (PLC) to create purposeful campus-wide conversations centered around the ACRL Framework and its place in teaching and learning. PLC faculty participants from across campus partnered with liaison librarians to create new and innovative approaches to developing discipline-specific information …

Exploring Diversity Workforce Experiences Of Ahrd Alumni, Kayce Croy

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Diversity plays a crucial role in everyday life, especially in academic and workplace settings. Despite increased attention to the value of diversity across settings, institutions of higher education, businesses, and organizations often do not provide adequate diversity initiatives to prepare students and employees for life and work in diverse environments. Therefore, to understand diversity education practices from formal college education and workforce experience, alumni who have graduated within the last five years from the Adult Education/Human Resource Development (AHRD) graduate program at James Madison University (JMU) were surveyed.The current study utilized a mixed methods survey approach that provided data on …

Assistive Listening Devices In Primary And Secondary Educational Settings: A Systematic Review, Paige Wagner-Skinner

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify the scientific evidence available to support the use of assistive listening devices in primary and secondary educational settings. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that it is the role of the speech-language pathologist (SLP) to modify the classroom environment, as needed, to enhance communicative abilities for this population (ASHA, 2016; Carney, 1998). Each journal article included in this study was published in a peer reviewed journal between the years of 2000 and 2018, written in the English language, and comprised of scientific information relevant to the research question proposed. Experimental …

Critical Complexity: A Challenge To Engage For Educators, Elizabeth Johnson

MA TESOL Collection

Education is a means of ensuring the survival of the human race. By passing on knowledge and awareness, humans attempt to craft adaptability of future generations. Adaptability allows humans to respond to unforeseen events that may challenge their survival.

Education is a process that works to achieve change and growth of the individual and the regeneration and transformation of society. The outcomes of interactions in educational systems are uncertain and emergent. Educational systems are open, adaptive, complex, dynamic and non-linear.

In the near past, reducing the complexity of natural and social phenomena has allowed the human race to simplify and …