Comparative Gene Expression Profiling Between Optic Nerve And Spinal Cord Injury In Xenopus Laevis Reveals A Core Set Of Genes Inherent In Successful Regeneration Of Vertebrate Central Nervous System Axons, Kurt M. Gibbs

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Background: The South African claw-toed frog, Xenopus laevis, is uniquely suited for studying differences between regenerative and non-regenerative responses to CNS injury within the same organism, because some CNS neurons (e.g., retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve crush (ONC)) regenerate axons throughout life, whereas others (e.g., hindbrain neurons after spinal cord injury (SCI)) lose this capacity as tadpoles metamorphose into frogs. Tissues from these CNS regions (frog ONC eye, tadpole SCI hindbrain, frog SCI hindbrain) were used in a three-way RNAseq study of axotomized CNS axons to identify potential core gene expression programs for successful CNS axon regeneration.

Results: Despite …

The Impact That Student’S Homelife Have On Their Ability To Achieve Success In School, Annmarie T. Umland

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The homelife of an adolescent has a profound impact on their ability to find success in school. Students who come from a family that is made up of a single parent, divorced parents, homelessness, and some other non-traditional family configurations are more likely to be unsuccessful in school and develop unwanted psychological adjustments. This research explores how a student’s homelife affects their success in school from the views of both a traditional and non-traditional family type. It also focuses on the impact that teachers and school communities can have on a student’s success, regardless of their upbringing. Through this research, …

The Worsening Political Divide: Adult Education As Part Of The Cure, Lee W. Nabb, Fujuan Tan, Daryl R. Privott

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

The US is experiencing extreme social and political polarization not seen since the Civil War. This divisiveness is causing civil unrest and governmental dysfunction which threatens the stability of the nation. Four major causes of the current state are party realignment, the deregulation of news broadcasting, algorithmic personalization of electronic information, and an unknowing public. Adult education can and should be part of the remedy reducing or eliminating harmful polarization. Knowledge of authoritative systems is key to the solution. To promote such knowledge, adult educators can create practical and theoretical learning experiences about authoritative systems and incorporate such knowledge into …

ปัจจัยและแนวทางในการขับเคลื่อนการดำเนินงานนิเทศภายในโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาขนาดเล็กสังกัดสำนักงานคณะกรรมการการศึกษาขั้นพื้นฐาน, ปกรณ์พงศ์ อินทองแก้ว

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ 1) ศึกษาปัจจัยในการดำเนินงานนิเทศภายในโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาขนาดเล็กสังกัดสำนักงานคณะกรรมการการศึกษาขั้นพื้นฐาน 2) นำเสนอแนวทางในการขับเคลื่อนปัจจัยในการดำเนินงานนิเทศภายในโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาขนาดเล็กสังกัดสำนักงานคณะกรรมการการศึกษาขั้นพื้นฐาน กลุ่มตัวอย่าง คือ โรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาขนาดเล็ก สังกัดสำนักงานคณะกรรมการการศึกษาขั้นพื้นฐาน จำนวน 285 โรงเรียน ผู้ให้ข้อมูลคือ ผู้อำนวยการโรงเรียน รองผู้อำนวยการฝ่ายวิชาการ หัวหน้างานนิเทศภายใน จำนวน 855 คน ผู้ให้สัมภาษณ์ จำนวน 13 คน เครื่องมือคือ แบบสอบถาม และแบบสัมภาษณ์แบบมีโครงสร้าง วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลโดย การหาค่าเฉลี่ย (Mean) ร้อยละ (Percentage) ส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐาน (Standard Deviation) และการวิเคราะห์เนื้อหา (Content analysis) ผลการวิจัยพบว่า โดยภาพรวม ปัจจัยในการดำเนินงานนิเทศภายในโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาขนาดเล็กสังสังกัดสำนักงานคณะกรรมการการศึกษาขั้นพื้นฐาน อยู่ในระดับมาก มีค่าเฉลี่ย 4.09 พบว่า ปัจจัยที่มีค่าเฉลี่ยมากที่สุดคือ ปัจจัยด้านบุคลากร มีค่าเฉลี่ย 4.13 อยู่ในระดับมาก รองลงมาคือ ปัจจัยด้านแรงจูงใจ มีค่าเฉลี่ย 4.08 อยู่ในระดับมาก และปัจจัยด้านการบริหาร มีค่าเฉลี่ย 4.06 อยู่ในระดับมาก ตามลำดับ แนวทางในการขับเคลื่อนปัจจัยในการดำเนินงานนิเทศภายในโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาขนาดเล็กสังกัดสำนักงานคณะกรรมการการศึกษาขั้นพื้นฐาน ด้านบุคลากร ควรมีการวางแผนการนิเทศไว้ในแผนการปฏิบัติประจำปี ใช้เทคนิคการนิเทศแบบเพื่อนช่วยเพื่อน การคัดเลือกบุคลากรในการดำเนินงานนิเทศภายในควรคัดเลือกบุคคลที่มีมนุษยสัมพันธ์ และควรกำหนดให้ครูมีการทำ PLC (Professional Learning Community) เพื่อให้ครูได้แลกเปลี่ยนประสบการณ์ และสะท้อนปัญหาต่าง ๆ และร่วมกันหาแนวทางแก้ไข ด้านแรงจูงใจ ควรส่งเสริมให้ครูปรึกษาสร้างความสัมพันธ์ที่ดีระหว่างครูแบบเป็นกันเอง เพื่อให้ครูสามารถปรึกษาพูดคุยกันได้ ควรจัดให้มีการประชุมสม่ำเสมอ ในการประชุมควรมีการยกย่องเชิดชูเกียรติตามวาระโอกาสแก่ครูที่มีผลงาน และเป็นกำลังใจด้วยการยกย่องชมเชยและแสดง ความยินดี และผู้บริหารควรให้นโยบายและเป้าหมายในการทำงานที่ชัดเจน มอบหมายภาระงานตามความถนัดความรู้ความสามารถของครูแต่ละคน ด้านการบริหาร ควรจัดโครงสร้างการบริหารงานให้กระจายอำนาจทั้ง 4 ฝ่ายงาน เพื่อให้งานนิเทศภายในโรงเรียนประสบความสำเร็จ โดยให้ฝ่ายวิชาการดำเนินการนิเทศด้านงานสอนเป็นหลัก ควรส่งเสริมให้ครูเห็นความสำคัญของการนิเทศภายในโรงเรียนและเข้ามามีส่วนร่วมในการนิเทศ และผู้บริหารควรให้ความสำคัญกับการนิเทศภายในโรงเรียน โดยแต่งตั้งคณะกรรมการในการกำกับติดตามงานนิเทศภายใน

Deschooling Deficit Perspectives: An Exploration Of Culture And Place For Educators, Madison Dorschutz

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The purpose of this critical action research is to increase awareness of deficit perspectives that damages the academic outcomes of diverse students while offering approaches to address them. Theories of decolonialism, culturally responsive pedagogy, and place-based education will be discussed as they are able to pull back the raciallyinformed curtain of bias development. These theories come together in a 4-day series of workshops that seeks to inform educators of their damaging thinking in an effort to negate it before they enter their classrooms. Through reflection, cultural-perspective taking, and relationship building, educators can gain skills to acknowledge systems of oppression that …

I Don’T Really Work Here: Part-Time Faculty And The Adjunctification Of Higher Ed., Maggie Cawley

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This critical action research thesis will explore the 40-year rise of adjunctification, the term coined to describe the increased reliance on adjunct and contingent labor in institutions of higher education. This thesis will examine adjunctification’s detrimental effects on teaching in higher education as a profession, on adjuncts and contingent teachers, and on students. Institutional overreliance on adjunct faculty as cheap, ad hoc labor flies in the face of the role that education should play in society: to develop student potentiality and capacity for critical thought. I believe that the casualization of teaching and the subsequent rise of adjunctification preclude these …

New State Of Mind: A Living Learning Community For Out-Of-State Students, Molly Rorick

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The term out-of-state resonates with any person who does not permanently live in a particular state but has visited from across state lines multiple times. In this case it is in relation to students who have decided to pursue their education at an institution that is located in a different state. This thesis examines the lack of resources for OOS students living within the university's walls using the lens of transition theory. With the lack of resources, this creates a barrier between the student and their potential for their success. New State of Mind is a proposed intervention, which opens …

How The Change To Online Learning Affected Chinese Language Teaching In California Schools Due To The 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic, Jing Ren

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This research study investigates how Chinese language teachers in California made the change from in-person learning to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, how they set up and taught virtual classes and what their reactions were to the online transitions. Teachers utilized various interactive tools and strategies to teach students in their virtual classrooms. Parental involvement with the child’s education at home increased. Some public school district polices caused greater reductions in student participation than others. Teachers applied various communication strategies to engage students in creative ways while teaching online. This together with curriculum development and assessment design required that …

Daring Greatly: School-University Partnerships And The Development Of Teacher Leadership, René Roselle, Robin E. Hands, June Cahill

Education Faculty Publications

This survey-based self-study explored how teachers’ commitments to a formalized lead teacher role in relationship with a university partnership impacted their perceptions of themselves as educational leaders and as agents of change; and how these perceptions impacted P-12 student learning. The study showcases the importance of creating an infrastructure that includes a lead teacher component when establishing professional development school (PDS)-university partnerships and demonstrates the value and impact that teacher leaders bring to partnership work. Through this study, the authors hope to further professionalize and exonerate the role of lead teacher in order to encourage others to “dare greatly” by …

Scaffolding Development Of Clinical Supervisors: Learning To Be A Liaison, Jennifer Snow, Hannah Carter, Sherry A. Dismuke, Angel Larson, Stefanie Shebley

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Teacher education as a field has embraced the idea that clinically-based teacher education will better support teacher candidate learning and the learning of their future preK-12 students (AACTE, 2018; NCATE, 2010). Likewise, teacher education scholars have emphasized the importance of learning to teach well in clinical practice (Darling-Hammond, 2014). We five women teacher educators engaged in a collaborative self-study to investigate our different perspectives and our institution’s hope for mentoring and preparing new liaisons. Our collaborative self-study focused on the research question: What are the key factors that play a part in influencing the developmental trajectory of a liaison? Through …

Using A Faculty Learning Community To Promote Interdisciplinary Course Reform, Rhonda Bishop, Victor Piercey, Mischelle Stone

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

As part of a multi-institution, National Science Foundation (NSF) grant-funded project, Ferris State University (FSU) joins a national effort to reform mathematics curricula. Researchers from FSU developed and facilitated a faculty learning community (FLC) as one strategy to redesign the traditional approach to the quantitative reasoning skill development of students in the departments of mathematics, nursing, social work, and the College of Business. Over the course of one academic year, the FLC provided an interdisciplinary faculty connection to develop pedagogical approaches that integrated cross-curricular concepts and context from each discipline. The FLC not only produced uniquely designed, learning-centered approaches to …

Fishbowl Discussions: Promoting Collaboration Between Mathematics And Partner Disciplines, Stella K. Hofrenning, Rosalyn Hobson Hargraves, Tao Chen, Afroditi Vennie Filippas, Rhonda Fitzgerald, John Hearn, Lori J. Kayes, Joan Kunz, Rebecca Segal

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

A National Consortium for Synergistic Undergraduate Mathematics via Multi-institutional Interdisciplinary Teaching Partnerships project (SUMMIT-P) is a collaboration of institutions focused on revising first- and second-year mathematics courses with the help of partner disciplines with prerequisite mathematics courses. This paper describes the fishbowl discussion technique used by the consortium members to encourage interdisciplinary conversation. Vignettes describing the results of conversations that occurred at several consortium member institutions are provided by the co-authors.

The Influence Of Observational Experience And Metaconceptual Teaching Activities On Secondary Science Teacher Candidates’ Conceptual Understandings Of The Practices Of Science, Jillian L. Wendt, Brandy Huderson

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Research supports that the use of intentional, metaconceptual teaching practices enhances teacher candidates’ conceptual change, thus affecting teacher candidates’ accumulation of new knowledge and understanding. With the increased focus on and need to accommodate the calls for enhanced science teacher education of the Next Generation Science Standards and the related practices of science, it is important to consider how teacher preparation programs enact conceptual change among teacher candidates that align with the current calls. This study examines intentional, metaconceptual teaching activities coupled with observational field experiences with mentor scientists to determine whether engagement in these activities affects teacher candidates’ understandings …

Promoting Partnership, Cultivating Colleagueship: The Summit-P Project At Norfolk State University, Maila Brucal-Hallare, Shahrooz Moosavizadeh, Makarand Deo

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Norfolk State University (NSU) is the only public Historically Black College and University (HBCU) member institution in SUMMIT-P. At NSU, a strong collaboration between the Department of Mathematics and its partner discipline, the Department of Engineering, has been established for the Calculus I and Differential Equations classes as part of the SUMMIT-P project. In this paper, we record a brief history of this collaboration project at NSU, the various structures within the SUMMIT-P Project, the site visit that occurred in Spring 2019, and how recent activities helped guide the direction of the project at NSU.

Good Teachers Borrow, Great Teachers Steal: A Case Study In Borrowing For A Teaching Project, Mike May, Rebecca Segal, Victor Piercey, Tao Chen

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Very few great ideas in teaching are without ancestors or descendants. This paper presents a case study in how one particular pedagogical project, the work at Saint Louis University as part of the National Science Foundation supported SUMMIT-P consortium, borrowed from other sources. The particular project was an interdisciplinary collaboration to make mathematics education more effective for business students. The various borrowings are treated in roughly chronological order from initial inspiration through planned adoption and adaptation of the work of others to the addition of features that only became available mid-project. The kinds of sources include a particular business calculus …

Analyzing The Cognitive Demand Of Enacted Examples In Precalculus: A Comparative Case Study Of Graduate Student Instructors, Erica R. Miller

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

The cognitive demand of mathematical tasks is an important aspect of analyzing the impact of instruction on student learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the instructional examples enacted by graduate student precalculus instructors in order to answer the following questions: What is the cognitive demand of the enacted examples? What does a high cognitive demand example look like when an instructor uses direct instruction? And how are examples drawn from the written curriculum enacted in different ways? Using both random and purposeful sampling of precalculus lessons, I conducted classroom observations as well as pre- and post-observation interviews …

The Effects Of Attending Annual Professional Conferences On The Personal Development Of International Faculty, Lee Nabb, Fujuan Tan

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Especially given the current emphasis on internationalization and globalization, international faculty members constitute an important part of the overall faculty of higher education in the US and abroad. Personal as well as professional well-being is important in retaining international faculty. While annual professional conferences, by design, support and enhance professional development, little information exists as to the effect they have on personal development of international faculty members. This qualitative study was designed to provide foundational information on which to build further research as to the impact attending professional conferences have on the personal development and well-being of international higher education …

“There Is Subjectivity, There Is Bias”: Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions Of Equity In Data Literacy For Teaching, Heather Whitesides, Jori S. Beck

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Research on equity in data literacy for teaching has lagged yet is of critical importance to ensuring new teachers are prepared to serve diverse students. Our multiple case study conveyed four elementary teacher candidates’ understandings of this construct and their reaction to instruction in this domain. Data collection included interviews, item analysis, and concept maps. Our participants developed a broader view of data by the end of the course, but often did not recognize inequitable data practices like tracking which conveys a misalignment between beliefs and practices. We explored implications for policy and practice based on our findings.

A Critical Examination Of Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Liberatory Pd, Christine C. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to develop an understanding of secondary teachers’ perceptions of liberatory (justice-oriented) professional development at three school sites in a single school district. As participants shared their perceptions, three significant themes emerged; they described 1) facing contextual constraints that limited their agency 2) desiring to be reframed as knowledge producers, yet 3) struggling to envision how their agency could support their liberation. These key findings led to an emergent theory of the Cycle of Professional Development Stagnation, a cycle involving barriers that perpetuate the framing of teachers as passive recipients of knowledge. As evidenced in this qualitative …

Self-Efficacy Of Endorsed And Nonendorsed Elementary Teachers Of Gifted Students In Stem Education, Lianna L. Moss-Everhart

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared elementary endorsed and nonendorsed teachers of gifted students in science, mathematics, and STEM self-efficacy as well as self-reported use of STEM instructional strategies in central Virginia. The survey, adapted from the T-STEM survey by the Friday Institute at NC State University, focused on self-efficacy and use of STEM instructional strategies. ANOVAs, univariate linear analyses, were conducted on 39 responses to compare teachers’ self-efficacy and use of STEM instructional strategies. ANCOVA and moderated regressions were used to compare the groups of teachers while controlling for the variables of grade level, years of experience, and recent STEM training. Multiple …

Teachers Are: Analyzing The Metaphors Of Pre-Service Educators, Matt Ridenour

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

Metaphors are often used by in-service educators to describe themselves and their work in the classroom. These metaphors can articulate in-service teachers’ fundamental dispositions and provide the vehicle for conceptualizing teaching practices. Pre-service educators (those engaged in preparation to enter the teaching vocation), however, are a different population for whom metaphors represent relatively untested assumptions about the classroom and the practices that pervade it. These metaphors should be considered an asset which, if effectively utilized, can aid in the work of teacher preparation. To that end, this study employed the Conceptual Metaphor Theory of Lakoff & Johnson (1980) within the …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Transition To Retirement Of P-20 Educators In The State Of Kentucky, Chanel M. Schwenck

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological research study explored the physical, mental, social, emotional, and financial experiences of P-20 educators in their transition from teaching into retirement. A grand tour question and three research questions guided this study. Data collected from interviews with retired educators provided a thorough understanding of the issues experienced during the transition into retirement from the Kentucky public school system. The experiences of recently retired P-20 educators showed that stress was a motivating factor for retirement but not chronic illness, disease, or other serious physical health concerns. Public educators in Kentucky may retire after 27 years of service, and many …

Understanding Educators’ Experiences During Long-Term School Closures, Jessica Pryor, Jessica Pryor

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

In the spring of 2020, many public places closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most public schools in the United States suddenly closed buildings as educators and students scrambled to adapt to distance education. This phenomenological, qualitative study holistically explores elementary educators’ experiences during the extended school closures. The 18current elementary educators who participated in individual interviews, served rural, elementary students. Individual interviews allowed participants to discuss and explain their experiences concerning methods, materials, time commitments, and communication with colleagues, parents, and students. They also discussed how they used feedback to alter their teaching. The interviews were conducted during …

Factors To Teacher Retention In Leave:Secondary Agricultural Education, Keasha Floyd

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to provide qualitative inquiry into the attrition rates of high school agriculture teachers in Tennessee. The supply does not equal the demand for high school agriculture teachers. The study investigated why teachers left the profession, their personal experiences while in the classroom, their feelings on preparedness, and identifiable trends among the participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with former secondary agricultural educators taught in a high school agricultural classroom between 2014 and 2019. Objective one sought to describe the demographic characteristics of secondary agricultural teachers. Two themes were found: Teachers who enter the agricultural education profession right out …

Teachers' Perspectives Of Best Instructional Practices In Motivating African American Boys To Read, Jamilia R. Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary school officials have reported difficulty motivating young African American boys to read. It is important that teachers understand why these children have not been motivated to read and create classroom environments that encourage reading motivation. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers' perspectives on best instructional practices for motivating 3rd -grade African American boys to read. The conceptual framework for this study consisted of critical race theory, self-determination theory, and the theory of social constructivism. The research questions focused on teachers' perspectives regarding 3rd -grade African American boys' motivation to read and best instructional practices …

Early Childhood Teacher Perspectives Regarding Preparedness To Teach Children Experiencing Trauma, Christina Lombardi-Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, approximately 26% of children will witness or experience a traumatic event before they turn 4 years old. Therefore, teachers must be prepared to meet the individual needs of children who exhibit symptoms of trauma. However, there is a gap in research regarding teachers' perspectives about how teacher preparation experiences influence teaching strategies and the creation of supportive environments for preschool children who have experienced trauma. Using Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how teachers' perspectives about teacher preparation experiences influenced their teaching strategies and the creation of supportive …

Portraits Of Professional Collaboration: Faculty-Librarian Teaching Partnerships, Carrie L. Forbes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many regional accrediting organizations for higher education have embraced information literacy as a key component for both student success and student learning outcomes. Through embedded librarianship practices, librarians are now taking a leading role in developing and promoting users’ information literacy skills and in adopting an active classroom teaching approach. Faculty-librarian team teaching is a best practice for integrating information literacy into the higher education curricula, but the extant research has largely focused on the barriers to collaboration. Using Walsh and Kahn’s (2010) model of “collaborative working” as a conceptual framework, this dissertation explores the qualities and characteristics of four …

Exploring The Competencies Of Educators Who Serve Transgender Learners In Secondary School, Genevieve C. Godin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The majority of transgender youth have learning experiences in school that are less than optimal; however, there is a paucity of research on the competencies of educators of transgender learners that could ameliorate the comorbidities and adversities they endure in secondary school. The purpose of this study was to explore what knowledge, attitudes, and skills educators apply to serve transgender learners in secondary school. The conceptual framework of servant leadership was used in this inquiry. A single case study design was used to examine a secondary school participating in the Alberta Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Educator Network that serves …

“Distressing” Situations And Differentiated Interventions: Preservice Teachers’ Imagined Futures With Trans And Gender Creative Students, Elizabeth E. Blair, Sherry L. Deckman

Publications and Research

Context: Teachers can help ensure trans and gender creative students’ opportunity and equal access to education, yet the field of educational research has just begun to explore how teachers understand trans and gender creative students’ experiences and negotiate their responsibilities to protect these students’ rights.

Purpose/Research Question: This paper aims to address this essential gap by exploring preservice teachers (PSTs’) understandings of, and preparation for, creating supportive educational contexts for trans and gender creative students by exploring the following research question: How do PSTs construct their responsibilities as future teachers to support trans and gender creative students? Ultimately, this study …

Participatory Action Research In Schools: Unpacking The Lived Inequities Of High Stakes Testing, Tiffany A. Dejaynes, Tabatha Cortes, Israt Hoque

Publications and Research

Purpose – This paper aims to examine a school-based Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project on educational inequity and high stakes testing.

Design/methodology/approach – A former high school teacher (currently a university professor) and two former students (currently research assistants and university students) take up a youth studies framework to collaboratively resee multimodal artifacts from a tenth-grade course in qualitative research.

Findings – Findings illustrate the power of finding allies in peers and educators; the transformative power of deep participation; and the longitudinal nature of social change and action. Thus, this research demonstrates that when students are positioned as researchers, …