Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 5, Issue 1, Spring 2021

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full Spring 2021 issue (Volume 5, Issue 1) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Constellations Of Support: A Community Development Model, Tracy Smith, Melba Spooner

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This article describes the rationale, development process, and initial artifacts and outcomes of a faculty support (a.k.a. mentoring) model developed for a specific academic context: a College of Education at a Southeastern comprehensive public university. The purposes of this article are to (1) describe the research and theoretical models that guided the development of the program; (2) provide a research-based rationale for a context-based community development model of faculty support; (3) propose a set of principles for a context-based developmental community model of faculty support; (4) describe the process for developing a community development mentoring model for faculty at all …

The Influence Of Mentoring, Self-Efficacy And Perceived Organizational Support On Commitment Among Novice Adventist Teachers, Kathleen E. Forbis

Dissertations

Problem

Previous research indicated that mentoring impacts teacher commitment positively. However, there was a gap in the knowledge regarding the influence of mentoring on novice Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) teacher commitment in North America. The Adventist education system differs in significant ways from the public school system, and novice teachers need support.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the influences of mentoring, self-efficacy, and organizational support on SDA novice teacher commitment (0 - 5 years’ experience). The secondary purpose included identifying the characteristics of effective mentors and mentoring programs, while exploring novice teachers’ current experiences of mentoring, …

Potential Mentoring Impacts On Oklahoma Induction-Year School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers: A Modified Delphi Study, Jessica M. Toombs, Jon W. Ramsey

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Literature supports benefits of mentoring for induction-year school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers. Yet for the past 15 years, no structured mentoring program has been offered for Oklahoma SBAE induction-year teachers. This study sought to find consensus among an expert panel representing Oklahoma SBAE regarding the impact on induction-year SBAE teachers without a structured mentoring program. Panel members were asked to respond to three open-ended questions representing goals, outcomes, and impacts of a mentoring program. Sixty-two unique statements representing eight themes met consensus. Themes included building mentoring relationships, effective emotional management, effective SBAE program management, impact to the profession, student learning, …

Doctoral Program Design Based On Technology-Based Situated Learning And Mentoring: A Comparison Of Part-Time And Full-Time Doctoral Students, Shaoan Zhang, Chengcheng Li, Mark Carroll, P. G. Schrader

Teaching and Learning Faculty Research

Aim/Purpose: Most programs are designed with full-time doctoral students’ characteristics and needs in mind; few programs consider the unique needs of part-time doctoral students, including time restrictions, experiences during the program, identity development, and different professional aspirations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential differences between part-time and full-time doctoral students in their scholarly development, and how technology may serve as a communication and organization tool for individual and program support. Background: Built on the application of communities of practice, information and communication technology, and situated learning theory, this study sought to evaluate the potential differences among …

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series: Timor-Leste: Interim Report 2, Elizabeth Cassity, Jennie Chainey

Initial Teacher education

The interim reports present the findings from the first and second years of a multi-year study on Timor-Leste's Apoiu Lideransa liuhosi Mentoria no Aprendizajen (ALMA). The study focuses on understanding the extent to which education stakeholders, including school leaders and teachers, develop teaching knowledge and change teaching practice over time. It also explores the extent to which participation in the program leads to improvements in learning outcomes for students. This study is framed within the context of Timor-Leste's introduction of a new National Basic Education Curriculum.

Text Messaging Between School Counselors And Students: An Exploratory Study, Nicholas R. Gilly

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory case study examines the impact of text messaging on mentoring relationships when used as an outreach between school counselors and high school students, where established relationships are lacking. An SMS gateway was used to mediate communication between school counselors (N=2) and students (N=5) over a three-month timeframe. The SMS gateway converted email, sent from counselors, to text messages, which were received on mobile devices of students and allowed students to respond back to counselors. Findings indicate that the use of text messaging may ease scheduling of face-to-face meetings between counselors and students, but evidence does not support any …

Student Success: A Literature Review Of Faculty To Student Mentoring, David D. Law, Kim Hales, Don Busenbark

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

This review summarizes the literature on university faculty to student mentoring programs. There has been a proliferation of mentoring programs because of the perceived benefit to student persistence and retention. While mentoring programs have become common, the research on these programs has not kept pace. Shortcomings identified thirty years ago such as lack of theoretical guidance, lack of operational definition of mentoring, and poor design continue to plague mentoring research. Recommendations to address these shortcomings and improve internal and external validity are examined. As universities continue to have increasingly constrained resources, and pressure to demonstrate strategies to help students be …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 4, Issue 1

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full Spring 2020 issue (Volume 4, Issue 1) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence.

Mentoring Secondary Novice Teachers To Develop Academic Language Of English Language Learners, Susan O'Hara, Joanne Bookmyer, Robert Pritchard, Robin Martin

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This exploratory, qualitative study examines the foundational knowledge and instructional methods needed for academic language teaching of English language learners (ELLs). It also examines how mentoring practices can build secondary content-based novice teachers’ instructional capacity in this area. The study uses synthesized data from two independent studies to contextualize findings on essential instructional practices within the process of mentoring new teachers. Three themes emerged: novices need the foundational, theoretical and practical knowledge underlying essential practices for academic language development; essential practices must be articulated in detail for enactment by teachers; and balancing explicit and immersive academic language instruction is a …

Enhancing Student Engagement In Wayne State University School Of Medicine (Wsusom) Curriculum Design, Development, Evaluation, And Implementation, Connor Buechler, Heidi T. Kromrei, Leo M. Hall

Medical Student Research Symposium

Purpose: There are a variety of ways in which the 1200 medical students at Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM) can formally participate in curricular efforts. To date, a formal inventory and evaluation of these programs has not been reported.

Methods: We compiled a list of students involved in courses, committees, and formal activities related to the medical school curriculum. We then developed and delivered a survey to measure student perceptions utilizing the following constructs: 1) Guidance/Support for Student Role, 2) Project Successes and Challenges, 3) Curricular Project Measurement and Monitoring, 4) Curriculum Management Committee Engagement and Accessibility, 5) …

Critical Black Feminist Mentorship: A Review Of A Middle School And University-Sponsored Program For Adolescent Black Girls, Dyann C. Logwood

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation study aims to illuminate the creation of safe spaces for marginalized youth through mentorship initiatives. Likewise, the study examines the roles of mentorship programs in transforming the lives of Black adolescent girls by providing them with tools to change the narratives depicted by society. A qualitative design was employed that used phenomenological interviewing techniques and ethnographic observations to explore the experiences of the Black adolescent girls in one university-sponsored mentorship program. The findings illustrate what is coined through this research—a critical Black feminist mentorship model that emphasizes an intersectional identity development, the actualization of voice, the creation and …

Perspectives Of Mentor Teachers For Early Childhood Teacher Preparation, Shannon J. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood (EC) teacher education programs and public-school partnerships have broadened preparation of preservice teachers by providing more learning opportunities during preservice field experiences. These experiences require mentoring from highly qualified supervising teachers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore mentors’ perspectives of their qualifications to mentor EC preservice teachers in a 4-year university laboratory school. Ambrosetti’s theory of mentor preparation guided this study. The research question addressed mentor teachers’ perspectives of their mentoring qualifications for EC preservice teachers. A snowball sample of 8 mentor teachers, with at least 4 years’ experience mentoring EC preservice teachers, volunteered …

Affordances And Constraints: Pre-Service Science Educators Co-Teaching In Support Of Ells, Steven Drouin, Katya Aguilar, Virginia Lehmkuhl-Dakhwe

Faculty Publications

Co-teaching has increasingly been utilized as an alternative model for the student teaching experience in pre-service education. Recent literature highlights potential for co-teachers to develop by engaging in cycles of inquiry in learning communities. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of a science student teacher who engaged in cycles of inquiry around supporting English language learners (ELLs) in a co-teaching student teaching placement. This qualitative case study involved a science mentor teacher and a science student teacher engaged in a yearlong co-teaching placement. Data sources included surveys, interviews, and written and oral lesson plans and reflections. …

Supporting Undergraduate University Students Through Instrumental Mentoring, Cindy A. Smith, Susan Beltman, Judith Dinham, Toni J. Dobinson, Jenny Jay

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Student engagement and retention is a noted concern for universities and may be impacted by many different student factors such as difficulty transitioning to a university setting, inadequate skills or a sense of isolation. This study evaluated an instrumental mentoring program conducted at an Australian University in a program for pre service teachers. Twenty four undergraduate students were engaged as volunteer research assistants and worked with seven academic staff in meaningful writing and research tasks. Qualitative data was collected through focus groups, student journals, and follow up interviews. The data was analysed thematically. Results indicated that through their participation, students …

Supporting Pre-Service Teachers In Becoming Reflective Practitioners Using Conversation And Professional Standards, Ondine J. Bradbury, Angela Fitzgerald, Justen P. O'Connor

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A significant goal of teacher education is to support the development of reflective practitioners. This intention, however, is not easily achieved when after-the-fact recall and reporting are key features of pre-service teacher learning rather than critique and contemplation. This research reports on a small-scale pilot study evaluating a novel approach to help pre-service teachers develop reflective skills in order to both understand and address the requirements of the profession. The approach involved a set of Conversation Cards with a series of question-based prompts directly linked to the APSTs and designed to enhance reflective conversations. Focus group interview discussions unveiled the …

Practice-Based Coaching And Early Childhood Professional Standards In A Diverse Field, Julie Betthauser

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

The field of early childhood education has long relied on professional development strategies to support teachers with varying degrees of education who enter the field from a variety of disciplines. Research indicated educators needed intensive and individualized professional development efforts that were integrated into daily practice (Rodgers, Kennedy, VanUitert, & Myers, 2019). Practice-based coaching has been used as a professional development strategy in early childhood classrooms to develop educators’ knowledge and skills in best practices for young children. Thirty-two empirical studies conducted since 2011 on the process, effectiveness, and assessment of practice-based coaching were reviewed to identify coaching components, …

Outcomes For Professionals And Companies Through Student-Professional Reverse Mentoring Sessions, Nicholas Burr Gubler

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative inquiry explores the outcomes that professionals, and their companies, experience when they participate in a student-professional reverse mentorship. Professional development is used across all trades and professions as a way to increase employee skills and improve product/service quality. Reverse mentoring, where a novice teaches the more experienced individual, is a relatively new approach in professional development. When the reverse mentoring scenario is between students and professionals, instead of professionals and their colleagues, we know that students benefit from the reverse mentoring process but little is known about what outcomes the professionals experience. This research reports that professionals experience …

A Study On The Influence Of Instructional Mentors On Novice Teachers In High-Needs Schools, Dodi Palkovic Davenport

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the first five years of new teachers’ employment, between 30 and 50 percent leave the profession (Smith &Ingersoll, 2004). High levels of teacher attrition are associated with negative effects on student achievement (Strong, 2005). In an effort to retain teachers and improve the quality of the teaching workforce, many states and local school districts require new teachers to enroll in induction and mentoring programs. This study is part of a larger program evaluation of one public school district’s new teacher induction program. The purpose of this investigation was to determine how a novice teacher perceives the influence of a …

Mentoring Future Mathematics Teachers: Lessons Learned From Four Mentoring Partnerships, Angie Hodge, Janice Rech, Michael Matthews, Kelly Gomez Johnson, Paula Jakopovic

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Mentoring is an important aspect of mathematics teacher education, and in particular, pre-service teacher education. Faculty at a large Midwestern university developed and refined a mentoring program designed to help pre-service secondary mathematics teachers, called Scholars, become future leaders in mathematics education. This paper describes how faculty mentors leveraged challenges in the mentoring program’s early stages based on their reflections and initial mentee outcomes to create a more effective mentoring program. Recommendations based on research and practice are provided for other university programs interested in mentoring future mathematics teachers.

An Evaluation Of The New Teacher Mentoring And Induction Program At A Title One Elementary School, Tamara Baker-Drayton

Dissertations

Low performing Title I schools often experience a lower teacher retention rate when compared to schools with higher academic achievement. Vacancies are typically filled with new or inexperienced teachers who leave the school within a few years. To counter this problem, West Creek Elementary (pseudonym) introduced a comprehensive New Teacher Mentoring and Induction initiative. The program evaluation was a voluntary anonymous written survey with an optional in person interview conducted with the participants and administrators. Results indicated that the New Teacher Mentoring and Induction program was effective in enhancing teacher pedagogy, not effective in enhancing teacher retention, and that greater …

Early Career Teacher Development Program: Evaluation Final Report, Katherine L. Dix, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

This is the final report summarising the evaluation of the South Australian Department for Education’s Early Career Teacher Development (ECTD) Program, conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). This report presents the results and findings of a process and impact evaluation, and the recommendations for program improvement that have emerged. The Early Career Teacher Development (ECTD) program aims to support the induction and professional development of early career teachers (ECTs) by accelerating their progression from provisional to full teacher registration in their first two years. The program has been developed by the South Australian Department for Education, to …

Alternative Routes To Teacher Certification

Occasional Paper Series

Alternative routes to teacher preparation are clearly here to stay. A growing research literature on non-traditional pathways suggests the complexity of the task ahead. This report offers new teachers the opportunity to tell their own stories in their own words.

Teacher Leaders: Transforming Schools From The Inside

Occasional Paper Series

Teacher leadership is "hard." Many of the reasons are obvious: Teaching is a highly labor-intensive profession to begin with, leaving little downtime for work with other adults. School schedules are notoriously stingy with space for adult collaboration. Teachers are rarely paid to exercise leadership; when they are, they are never paid enough. This volume is a modest attempt to restore the issue of teacher leadership to the prominence it deserves and requires. Although there is considerable overlap among the essays, they have been organized loosely into three categories: "mentoring," to address the essential question of teacher helping teacher; "transforming school …

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series: Timor-Leste: Interim Report 1, Elizabeth Cassity, Jennie Chainey, Sheldon Rothman

Initial Teacher education

The purpose of this Interim Report is to present the findings from the first year of a multi-year study of Timor-Leste’s Professional Learning and Mentoring Program (PLMP). The study focuses on understanding the extent to which education stakeholders, including school leaders and teachers, develop teaching knowledge and change teaching practice over time. It also explores the extent to which participation in the PLMP leads to improvements in learning outcomes for students. This study of the PLMP is framed within the context Timor-Leste’s introduction of a new National Basic Education Curriculum.

Early Career Teacher Development Program: Review Of Existing Data, Katherine L. Dix

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

This report, the first of three, presents insights from the evaluation of the South Australian Department for Education’s Early Career Teacher Development (ECTD) program, independently conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The focus of Report 1 is a review of existing data. This research project, funded by the department in 2019, aimed to conduct a multi-pronged investigation of the Early Career Teacher Development (ECTD) program to inform how the program is tracking, where improvements can be made, and how it is having impact. The two-year program commenced at the start of 2017.

Early Career Teacher Development Program: Two-Years-On Survey Development, Katherine L. Dix, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

This report, the second of three, presents insights into the development of the Two-Years-On survey to inform the South Australian Department for Education’s Early Career Teacher Development (ECTD) program evaluation, conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The focus of Report 2 is a review of existing similar surveys and the development of this new survey for the evaluation in 2019 and possible ongoing use for program monitoring. The program was launched in January 2017 and is designed to support the induction and professional development of early career teachers (ECTs) in their first two years. The program involves …

From The Beginning: A Start To End Analysis Of A Beginning Teacher Program, Andrea Michelle Anderson

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods study evaluated the effectiveness of a Beginning Teacher Support Program in the southern region of a school district. The effects of teacher turnover, national teacher shortages, induction programs, mentoring, administrative support, professional development, and other support offered to beginning teachers were analyzed. The researcher created a survey that was administered to high school beginning teachers, mentor teachers, and principals. A focus group and an interview with a regional beginning teacher coordinator were also conducted to further evaluate the effectiveness of the district’s beginning teacher program. The results of the study concluded that beginning teachers benefitted from participating in …

Mentor Teacher Development During A Co-Teaching Model Of Student Teaching, Jeanne M. Delcolle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a co-teaching model of student teaching, mentor teachers are presented with opportunities for professional growth because extensive collaboration occurs with the teacher candidate throughout the process. Despite the proliferation of co-teaching programs, mentor teachers often lack formal training for their role. Further, insufficient evidence fails to show how collaboration between mentor and candidate contributes to professional growth for the mentor. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine such growth in 9 mentor teachers who hosted teacher candidates during 1 semester of student teaching to determine how a co-teaching model affected mentor teachers' own teaching and mentoring skills. …

The Relationship Between A University-Based Mentorship Program And First-Year Teachers’ Performance, Alicia C. Stapp, Laura F. Prior, Catherine Harmon

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

Teacher attrition affects both the stability and quality of schools. Nearly 24% of teachers leave after one year, 33% leave after three years, and 40-50% leave within their first five years (Geiger & Pivovarova, 2018). Effective mentorship programs can effectively assist teachers in overcoming the challenges that lead to resignation. This study implemented a teacher mentorship program where the mentor was a teacher educator who had worked with the mentees in their undergraduate program. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the study examined first-year teachers’ performance through monthly field observations, interviews, and self-reflections. Themes emerged that are critical to a first-year teacher’s …