Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Commentary: Posing Questions To Support And Challenge -- A Guide For Mentoring Staff, Suzanne T. Nevers, Sherri Melrose

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Staff development educators seeking to mentor health care practitioners towards thinking more critically may integrate a questioning approach into their teaching. However, posing questions that both support and challenge learners is an intentional process. This article provides an overview of the contextual considerations, dynamics and mechanics that educators need to understand in order to pose high level questions that invite learners to engage in reflection, problem solving and evidence informed practice. The approaches are framed from a constructivist theoretical perspective, a mentoring model of instruction and Socratic dialogue. The suggestions are practical mentoring strategies that can be readily integrated into …

Using Data, Conversations And Observations For School Improvement, Kathryn Moyle

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

Conversations and observations about school-based data and individual improvements in classroom practices can form some of the more powerful parts of a school’s overall approach to professional learning deliberately aimed at gaining improvements. The success of such strategies depends on the development of a school culture of trust, and the use of effective communication strategies. In this paper Professor Kathryn Moyle outlines the steps school leadership can take in establishing a basis for conversations and observations, conducting coaching and mentoring conversations and building a culture of trust. The focus in this paper is on the professional learning purposes of using …

A Study Of Latina Superintendents In New Jersey: “Cumpliendo Metas”, Nurka Liz Nieves

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Latinas¹ have been known for certain leadership roles throughout the history of the United States. They have impacted the country’s government as having the reputation of being strong, resilient women capable of great ingenuity and creating paradigm shifts for the welfare of Americans. These endeavors are a demonstration to other Latinas in the United States that they too are capable of attaining any profession they prepare themselves to embrace. It is that si se puede² attitude that such role models express by their examples in positions of power that with perseverance cumpliendo metas³ is possible.

The focus of …

The Coaching Principal: Building Teacher Capacity Through The Texas Teacher Evaluation And Support System (T-Tess), Nathan R. Templeton, Kent Willis, Lavelle Hendricks

Education Doctorate Faculty Works

In response to mandates from the United State Department of Education, Texas revamped its educator evaluation systems to better support teacher professional growth. This best practice research informs practitioners of strategies to build teacher capacity through the leadership coaching attributes necessary for effective implementation of the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS).

Citation: Templeton, N., Willis, K., & Hendricks, L. (2016). The Coaching Principal: Building Teacher Capacity Through the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS). International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 8(4).

Building Successful Academic And Behavioral Programs For At-Risk Youth: Low And No Cost Options, Jeannette Hallam

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

In order to effectively educate all students and make progress in closing the achievement gap, we must look at two areas for school improvement: positive relationships, and school policies and procedures. Participants in this group will walk away with strategies for building positive relationships, reducing the drop-out rate, and assisting students in meeting their goals. Participants will also learn how to evaluate current policies and procedures that may be restricting student growth or achievement through data awareness.

A Guide To Support Coaching And Mentoring For School Improvement, Kathryn Moyle

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

This guide emerged from policies and professional learning practices in the Northern Territory, Australia. Between 2014-2016, six experienced school principals located in remote urban and regional schools met twice a year to share plans, experiences and reflections about how they were using coaching and mentoring conversations to support teachers in their schools.

The Impact Of A New Teacher Support System On Teacher Efficacy, Tonja Denise Simpson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining novice teachers is a major concern for school districts across the United States. At an urban high school in a Southeastern state, over 30% of novice teachers hired over a 3-year period did not return after their first year of teaching. The purpose of the study was to examine novice teachers' perceptions of support received during their first year to determine how school-based support could increase novice teacher retention. The theoretical framework was Bandura's theory of self-efficacy and the concept of teacher efficacy espoused by Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk-Hoy, and Hoy. The research questions focused on the perceptions of novice teachers …

Novice Teachers' Perceptions Of Success In A Mentoring Relationship, Dorean Marie Whitehouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been little research on what is necessary for a mentoring relationship to be considered successful from the novice teacher's perspective. Although researchers have asserted that mentoring promotes new teacher retention and improves new teacher skills, new teachers are still leaving the profession, causing a shortage of teachers in school districts across the United States. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the meaning of a successful mentoring relationship from the perspective of 6 selected elementary teachers who have been in the teaching field fewer than 5 years and who have participated in a mentoring relationship for …

The Relationships Among Job Satisfaction, Length Of Employment, And Mentoring Of Nursing Faculty, Zelda Suzan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The shortage of faculty in nursing education programs has been well documented by the National League for Nursing. Job satisfaction is important in retaining nurse educators, and one New York nursing program was interested in examining the potential impact of mentoring on satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine job satisfaction, measured by the Job Descriptive Index/Job in General scale (JDI/JIG), between nurse faculty participants in formal mentoring programs compared to participants receiving an informal type of mentoring. In addition, the length of employment was examined as a possible factor in predicting job satisfaction. The theoretical framework …

An Evaluation Of Mentoring, Self-Efficacy, And Teacher Retention In An Induction Program, Sherri Latonya Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Several decades of research have shown that quality teacher induction programs are effective in providing support to beginning teachers, improving teachers' performance, and increasing teachers' self-efficacy. A large urban school district implemented a new teacher induction program and the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the program using beginning teachers' perceptions of program effectiveness, the mentor-mentee relationship, intention to remain in teaching, and self-efficacy scores. Bandura's self-efficacy theory provided the framework for this study. Research questions examined the relationships among the 4 variables of interest as well as the differences in each by the number of years of …

Perceptions On Interventions Impacting The Self- Efficacy Of At-Risk Students, Natalie Giddens Giddens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers need interventions to improve at-risk students' self-efficacy, which may improve their academic performance in school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of elementary school teachers at a Texas public middle school as to what research-based interventions they felt would improve the self-efficacy of these students. Bandura's social cognitive theory, which framed the study, indicates that self-efficacy beliefs affect the courses of action that people seek and the choices people make. Many at-risk students who experience a lack of academic success have low self-efficacy, which may affect their school performance. The research questions that …

Supporting The Professional Needs Of Alternatively Certified Secondary Education Teachers, Michelle Latrice Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The reliance on alternative teacher certification to address teacher quality and quantity is an educational issue worthy of study because non-traditionally prepared teachers fill the nation's classrooms. This qualitative case study explored the experiences of secondary education teachers with no preservice training who earned a professional educator certificate in Alabama through the alternative baccalaureate-level program. The central research questions of this study related to the professional needs of alternatively certified teachers and how educational leaders supported those professional needs. The conceptual framework of this project study included the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education's differentiated induction model based …

A Retrospective Appraisal Of Teacher Induction, Fadia M. Nasser-Abu Alhija, Barbara Fresko

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A Retrospective Appraisal of Teacher Induction

Abstract

Examination of an induction program for new teachers was undertaken from the viewpoint of induction graduates three years after participation. Their retrospective perspectives were investigated as to their satisfaction with assimilation in school in the induction year, their attitudes towards organizational aspects of the program, and the program's contribution to their professional development. Comparisons were made to beginning teachers in the midst of their induction year. Data were collected from 98 induction graduates and 390 induction participants using questionnaires. Compared to induction participants, graduates retrospectively remembered the induction year at school less positively …

Mentoring Beginning Teachers And Goal Setting, Peter Hudson, Sue Hudson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Australia has delineated a new direction for teacher education by embedding mentoring programs for teachers who support early-careers teachers as a system approach. This case study investigated how mentors after involvement in a mentoring professional learning program focused on goal setting with beginning teachers in their schools. Data were analysed from six mentors’ interviews using semi-structured questions and archival documents associated with the mentoring program. Findings revealed that negotiated goal setting facilitates potentially successful teaching practices that align to career stage standards. Other findings associated with goal setting are reported around: (1) mentor-mentee relationships, (2) roles, skills and responsibilities, (3) …

The Role Of Mentor Teachers In The National College Of Education, Adaptive Cycles Of Teaching (Nce Act) And The Improvement Of The Nce Act, Ruth Freedman, Madi Phillips, Diane Salmon

NCE Research Residencies

This paper reports research on a practicebased curriculum, the Adaptive Cycles of Teaching (ACT), supported by a cloudbased technology that enables coaching and feedback to preservice teacher candidates as they engage in classroom instruction. Specifically, the research explored mentor teachers’ perspectives on the benefits and limitations of the ACT literacy model and if mentors’ own literacy instruction practices improved through their involvement with ACT. Ten mentor teachers (grades 16) were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed and thematically coded to address the research questions. Findings indicated that mentors had a positive view of the ACT literacy model, and saw an impact on …

Mentoring And Support For New Teachers, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

To what extent are new teachers supported once they are employed in a new school? OECD data provides some interesting insights.

African American Doctoral Scholars’ And Fellows’ Professional Development Mentoring Experiences Toward Higher Education Professorship, Crystal J. Bryant, Adriel A. Hilton, Patricia A. Green-Powell

Journal of Research Initiatives

This research examined the professional development mentoring experiences of African American doctoral recipients who participated in the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholars Program or the McKnight Doctoral Fellows (MDF) Program, and are currently employed as faculty at an American college or university. The purpose of this research was to identify the types of professional development mentoring opportunities that assisted SREB and MDF program graduates in their transition into the professoriate, and to determine if race or gender of the faculty mentor played a significant role in their preparedness for the teaching, research, and service tasks required of faculty. …

Supporting The Needs Of At-Risk Beginning Teachers, Adam Myers Dr.

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This session is designed to provide teachers, teacher leaders, principals, and support staff relevant research and best practices for incorporating induction support to novice teachers who have been placed in low-performing schools. This interactive session will include participant discussion on the characteristics of beginning teachers, and how mentoring and coaching can significantly impact their retention and effectiveness.

A Study Of High School Students' Perceptions Of Mentoring Students With Disabilities, Ashley N. Davis

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed as a phenomenological qualitative study grounded in Contact Theory to investigate Early College high school students’ perceptions of a multi-year mentoring program. The Early College students were paired with elementary students with varying special needs in a self-contained classroom throughout 3 years in various settings, including community-based therapeutic horseback riding and a school-based sensory program. The study attempted to garner how the mentoring experience affected the Early College high school students personally, as well as their attitudes, feelings, and beliefs in relationship to their tolerance toward people with disabilities as reported by the participants through individual …

Induction Of The Novice Teacher In Urban Schools, Janice Marie Ridley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New teachers entering the urban pre-K-12 school setting require an induction program to perform their teaching duties. Despite modifications to improve an existing induction program, novice teachers in a Midwestern urban school district were underperforming in the classroom, leaving administrators to address new teacher turnover and a disrupted learning process for students. Drawing from Knowles's adult learning theory and state guidelines to fulfill federal legislation mandates for proper induction, this qualitative case study was designed to explore beginning teachers' perceptions of the modifications in the district's induction program. A sample of 8 novice teachers was recruited to participate in open-ended, …

Exploring The Experiences And Relationships Of First-Year Teachers And Mentors, Melanie Jane Strey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators have a moral imperative and job-embedded expectation to effectively teach all students, which requires a commitment to continued personal growth. The purpose of this instrumental project study was to explore the lived experiences of first-year teachers and their mentors who teach in a culturally-diverse school district. The conceptual framework was based on supporting adult learning methods through the theories of critical thinking, constructivist perspective, the theory of mentoring, and culturally-instructional teaching. The guiding research questions addressed the perceptions of 5 first-year teachers and 5 mentors regarding individual and shared learning as a result of mentor-mentee relationship. A constant comparison …

Learning To See, Seeing To Learn: The Learning Journey Of Three Pre-Service Teachers In A Video Club Setting, Catherine Moore

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study sought to develop a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of professional growth in pre-service teachers during their final practicum. The research was situated in a primary school and involved three pre-service teachers with widely differing backgrounds who brought differing experiences to the practicum. The study identified personal and contextual variables that affected the pre-service teachers’ professional growth and explored how professional discourse within a learning community of peers, informed by multiple perspectives on teaching practice that were facilitated by video, influenced professional growth.

This qualitative research project used a broad phenomenological approach in that the methods used were …

Professional Learning Of Teachers In Ethiopia: Challenges And Implications For Reform, Fekede Tuli Gemeda, Päivi Tynjälä Professor

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract

Continuous professional development of teachers is of growing interest globally, as it is considered vital to cope effectively with ongoing changes and to improve the quality of education. This qualitative case study explores potential and actual barriers that hinder teachers’ professional development in Ethiopian schools. Data was collected via interviews and focus group discussions from 37 purposively sampled participants. The study reveals three major challenges in teachers’ development: 1) conceptions and conceptual issues related to teaching, professional development and mentoring, 2) management and leadership, and 3) teachers’ work conditions. The need to reconsider educational change management strategies, reform teacher …

Facebook And The Final Practicum: The Impact Of Online Peer Support In The Assistant Teacher Program, Lisa F. Paris, Julie Boston, Julia Morris

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Australian pre-service teachers (PST) frequently report feeling isolated and vulnerable during the high stakes Assistant Teacher Program (ATP) final practicum. Mentoring and online learning communities have been shown to offer effective support during periods in which pre-service and beginning teachers feel challenged. As social media progressively infiltrates all aspects of contemporary life, individuals and organisations are opting to use technology in highly adaptive ways; as a result, they have to navigate both the positive aspects and pitfalls of the medium. In this paper we examine whether university Facebook^© support groups, coupled with professional standards training and moderator involvement by …

Perceptions Of Cooperating Teachers Concerning The Student Teaching Field Experience, Dawn Marie Paulson

Theses and Dissertations

PERCEPTIONS OF COOPERATING TEACHERS CONCERNING

THE STUDENT TEACHING FIELD EXPERIENCE

Dawn Paulson

142 Pages December 2014

This study explored the views of cooperating teachers on (a) their work with student teachers and university supervisors, and (b) ways to improve the student teaching process. In a mixed-methods sequential explanatory study, 153 cooperating teachers answered closed-and open-ended questions using an electronic survey; then a subset of 12 participated in follow-up interviews. All participants taught at rural or semi-rural middle schools and high schools in Central Illinois; all had experience with student teachers from a mid-sized institution in that area.

Major findings of …

Are You Ready To Be A Mentor? Preparing Teachers For Mentoring Pre-Service Teachers, Angelina Ambrosetti

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The use of mentoring has nowadays become a predominant practice for the professional placement component of pre-service teacher education programs. Research however has identified that being an effective teacher doe not make you an effective mentor. The present research investigated the role of professional development in the preparation of mentor teachers for their mentoring roles. Specifically, this paper presents the findings of a pilot mentoring preparation course that engaged mentor teachers in developing their knowledge about the nature and process of mentoring, and the roles of mentors and mentees. Data about changed understandings of mentoring and changed mentoring practices of …

Of Thresholds And Springboards: Teaching Them, Teaching Each Other, Erin Williams, Frank Farmer

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

In the fall of 2010, the authors were given the task of co-teaching the practicum for new graduate teaching assistants at the University of Kansas. One of the authors was, at the time, a doctoral student in rhetoric and composition. The other author was a senior faculty member in the same field. While such pairings are not uncommon, they are rarely addressed in the vast literature on the writing practicum.

In this article—written as a dialogue focusing on the themes of locations and tensions—the authors conclude that such teaching arrangements as theirs offered valuable insights into student resistance, and encouraged …

Theoretical Development, Factorial Validity, And Reliability Of The Online Graduate Mentoring Scale. Mentoring And Tutoring: Partnership In Learning., Linda Crawford, Justus Randolph, Iris M. Yob

Center for Faculty Excellence Publications

In this study, we sought to confirm the theoretical framework underlying an Online Graduate Mentoring Scale by establishing the scale’s factorial validity and reliability. Analysis of data received from doctoral students and alumni/ae of the College of Education of one large, online, accredited university reduced the initial theoretical framework from seven to six attributes, and resulted in a revision of the scale. Further research is needed to test the theoretical framework with other relevant populations and to refine the scale itself by reducing skewness and attaining item balance

Combining Appreciative Inquiry And Emotional Intelligence To Understand And Improve The Professional Development Of K-12 Teachers, Jamie Elizabeth Dewitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Creating meaningful and effective professional development (PD) programs for K-12 teachers is an ongoing challenge. The problem is exacerbated when PD models are implemented without fully aligning PD resources and plans with the training needs of teachers and the organization. The guiding question sought to understand the experiences of teachers at an online charter school about the implementation of PD as a means for improving student outcomes. The purpose of the study was to find ways to enhance PD in order to improve student outcomes at the school. The conceptual framework for this study is interwoven through the constructs of …

Beginning Teachers' Perceptions Of A Teacher Mentoring Program, Irish Phaletta Mccollum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The decline in teacher retention is a growing problem in the 21st century. Beginning teacher turnover rates have grown by 50% over the past decade, with the national rate increasing to over 20%. Beginning teachers entering the profession are leaving within their first 3 years, with half leaving the profession in the first 5 years. To meet their growing needs, districts and states spend billions of dollars to recruit, hire, and try to retain new teachers. The purpose of this case study was to examine beginning teachers' perceptions of their teacher mentoring program located in an urban school district. Bandura's …