Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Professional Growth Of Special Education Personnel Through The Use Of A Collaborative Process., Stephanie Smith Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how special educators perceived their professional growth as a result of engagement in a collaborative process. Sixteen special educators participated in the research. Triangulation was attained through the use of document review, a focus group, and personal interviews. The 15 themes and patterns that emerged from data collection were: (a) increased expertise and use of technology, (b) exhibited collaborative skills and improved interpersonal relationships, (c) developed increased understanding of curriculum, (d) presented evidence of increased job satisfaction, (e) demonstrated analytical abilities, (f) illustrated enhancement in professional and creative expression, (g) understood the special education supervisor‟s …

The Stories Of Three High School English Teachers Involved In A Collaborative Study Group, Marjoire Ralph

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to observe, participate in, and tell the story of teachers involved in a professional development experience. Professional development is an important tool to assist teachers in improving their teaching abilities. After a review of the literature on various forms of professional development and some personal experience with a variety of professional development activities, I created a collaborative study group (CSG) that included three teachers. Their work together was studied using a narrative approach to action research. The stories of these three teachers and their experiences with an informal professional development activity are …

Educational Leadership And The Continued Need For Minority Academic And Professional Organizations In The Obama Age, Lakerri Mack, Montressa Washington, Nia Cantey

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Educator preparation and development is a major concern in our current school system. Educators are being challenged with higher demands and requirements in preparing our future generations for the 21st century. Becoming a highly qualified teacher in today’s educational system is dependent, in part, by how well teachers work together with their principal and colleagues. The ability to share with others and collaborate for the purpose of providing instruction that is conducive to enhance student development is critical given the many demands that are being put upon the system.

Professional Development Of Efl Teachers In Mexico: Examining Cross-Cultural And Global Linkages, Influences, And Outcomes, Robert A. Devillar, Binbin Jiang

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

During the past twenty years, the paradigm of professional development in U.S. education has shifted from an analyitco-incremental model to an integrative-systematic model. The integrative-systematic model focuses on the whole-scale improvement of general student performance through the articulation, implementation, and assessment of standards that apply to teachers and teacher preparation institutions as well as to students. This article addresses the basis for this paradigm shift in the U.S. and the global expansion of the professional development mandate. The authors describe the first phase of a three-year, cross-cultural professional development program involving English-as-a-Foreign Language (EFL) teachers at a private school in …

Building Leadership: The Knowledge Of Principals In Creating Collaborative Communities Of Professional Learning, Chad M. Dumas

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research literature is replete with the importance of collaboration in schools, the lack of its implementation, the centrality of the role of the principal, and the existence of a gap between knowledge and practice--or a "Knowing-Doing Gap." In other words, there is a set of knowledge that principals must know in order to create a collaborative workplace environment for teachers. This study sought to describe what high school principals know about creating such a culture of collaboration.

The researcher combed journal articles, studies and professional literature in order to identify what principals must know in order to create a culture …

Instructional Coaching: Improving Student Achievement And Building Teacher Efficacy, Rebecca J. Tonseth

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to justify the author's job as an instructional coach. The author was motivated by her own need to discover what an instructional coach was and how an instructional coach positively affects teacher instruction and student achievement. This project includes ideas and tools that beginning instructional coaches can use with teachers in an elementary school setting. A review of the literature was included on the effects of coaching on teacher efficacy and the effects teachers and coaches have on student achievement. This project examined the roles of the instructional coach and it provides a guide …

The Efficacy Of Emotional And Instructional Support (Eis) Training And Consultation On Head Start Teacher-Child Interactions, Rory Brown Sipp

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is an increased need for quality in the field of early care and education and, teachers interactions with his or her students are the catalyst for providing and ensuring quality within early childhood environments (La Paro, Pianta, & Hamre, 2008). The study examined the effect of training and consultation on Head Start teacher and child interactions as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, also known as the CLASS.

Twenty-one Head Start teachers located in Southern Nevada served as participants in the study where non-threatening and evidence based training and consultation was provided over six weeks. Trainings were provided …

A Utilization-Focused Evaluation Of A Community College Adjunct Faculty Professional Development Program, Gordon Edenfield

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Nationally adjunct faculty comprise almost 70% of all two-year institution faculty while in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) adjunct faculty teach 60% of the community college courses, and should past trends continue, the number of adjunct faculty members is expected to grow 10% within the next fifteen years (Caliber, 2007; Phillipe & Sullivan, 2005). Research conducted regarding adjunct faculty in the community colleges (Gappa & Leslie, 1993; Rouche et al., 1995) has tended to focus on descriptive characteristics and attitudes of adjunct faculty (Valadez & Anthony, 2001) and on quality of life issues (Rhoades, 1996). While these national studies …

Impact Of Variations In Distributed Leadership Frameworks On Implementing A Professional Development Initiative, Jeffrey Pedersen, Stuart Yager, Robert Yager

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Educators, principals, and teachers alike, are being challenged with higher demands and requirements in preparing our future generations for the 21st century. Professional development for teachers is a key focus in school transformation efforts. School transformation in today’s educational system is dependent, in part, by how well teachers work together with their principal and colleagues (Louis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom, & Anderson, 2010). Recent research has focused on the role of the school principal and other site-based leaders in the implementation of professional development initiatives (Pedersen, Yager, & Yager, 2010). Principals play a key role in supporting and encouraging teachers’ professional development …

Professional Redevelopment: Interruptions In Knowledge Management, Joe Procter

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Learning organizations are a strategic response to increased competition due to globalization (Amy, 2007; Dodgson, 1993; Senge, 2006; Tsang, 1997). Organizations that are able to utilize the ideas and energy of their employees are better prepared to operate in a global economy. An understanding of cross-cultural knowledge management for learning organizations is highly relevant and adaptive to a variety of industries because learning is a continuous process for any organization. Educators are important leaders in the development of participants in the global economy. Studies of cross-cultural management in learning organizations inform education and prescribe methods of knowledge management for efficient …

Professional Development For College Students In Tough Economic Times: The Drexel University Co-Op Program Model, Megan Elrath, Joseph Hawk, Nancy Leclair

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The United States is currently experiencing a financial recession with large and lasting consequences. College students and recent college graduates have certainly felt the impact of the current recession. The staff and faculty at Drexel University’s Steinbright Career Development Center (SCDC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania have developed many initiatives to help both graduating seniors and students enrolled in our cooperative education program land meaningful, relevant employment opportunities. One initiative aims to provide our co-op students with the most effective preparation to not only secure jobs, but to excel at those jobs and make lasting positive impressions on their employers. To accomplish …

Improving Teacher's Self Confidence In Learning Technology Skills And Math Education Through Professional Development, Taralynn Hartsell, Sherry S. Herron, Houbin Lewis Fang, Avinash Rathod

Faculty Publications

Using technology tools in math instruction can help stimulate problem-solving skills and understanding of math concepts. However, teachers need to be confident in their abilities to use technology tools. This study investigated whether or not a four-week in-service professional development institute that addressed the use of technology in math education helped improved the teachers’ attitude and confidence in applying technology. Findings indicated that as the teachers explored and used the available technology tools relevant to math instruction during the institute, the more proactive and motivated they became to continue their professional development in using technology for classroom instruction. They realized …

Implementation Of A Relationship-Based School Readiness Intervention: A Multidimensional Approach To Fidelity Measurement For Early Childhood, Lisa L. Knoche, Susan M. Sheridan, Carolyn P. Edwards, Allison Q. Osborn

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The implementation efforts of 65 early childhood professionals involved in the Getting Ready project, an integrated, multi-systemic intervention that promotes school readiness through parent engagement for children from birth to age five, were investigated. Digital videotaped records of professionals engaged in home visits with families across both treatment and comparison conditions were coded objectively using a partial–interval recording system to identify and record early childhood professionals’ implementation of intervention strategies and their effectiveness in promoting parent engagement and interest in their child. Adherence, quality of intervention delivery, differentiation between groups, and participant responsiveness were assessed as multiple dimensions of fidelity. …

Paper 2: Collaborating To Meet The Standards: Implications For Professional Development, Erik D. Jacobson, Laura M. Singletary

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference (2007-2019)

Researchers from the University of Georgia interviewed 27 Mathematics 1 teachers about their experiences during the first year of the high school implementation of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). We report our findings about teachers’ experiences with Mathematics 1 professional development and describe features of professional development that teachers identified as most beneficial. Some teachers offered suggestions for professional development that differed from the professional development they had experienced. In addition, we found that many teachers used collaborative strategies to meet the demands of the new curriculum and the perceived inadequacies of resources and training. We discuss the various models …

An International Professional Development Collaboration In Literacy Education, Miriam Pepper-Sanello, Adrienne Andi Sosin

NERA Conference Proceedings 2009

An International Professional Development Collaboration in Literacy Education is a report of an international professional development project in Guatemala designed to improve literacy instructional practices and thereby raise student achievement in reading and writing. The opportunity for coaching Guatemalan teachers in teaching literacy strategies and skills provides data for this participatory action research study. This research is intended to contribute to cross-cultural understanding by graduate and undergraduate students in literacy, improved pedagogical techniques, international outreach in developing countries, and student academic success worldwide.

Successful Leadership In Turnaround Schools: A Case Study About The Center For Creative Leadership (Ccl) And The School Leadership Executive Institute (Slei), Belinda B. Mcfeeters, Emily Hoole

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The topic of turning failing schools around has gained significant attention throughout the world within the last decade. Accountability systems from the government to the general community have expressed their concern for this issue, and have called for plans to turn these schools around (Chapman, 2002; Hassel & Steiner, 2003; Levin, 2006; Malen & Rice, 2004; Wong & Shen, 2003). How do principals meet these challenges and successfully turn failing schools around? How can they gain the insight, knowledge and competencies to effectively lead their schools through these challenging times?

Benefits Of Continuing Professional Development In The Visual Communications Sector In Ireland, Con Kennedy

Other resources

This research is concerned with identifying the benefits of Continuous Professional Development for the Visual Communications sector in Ireland, with the aim of establishing what benefits exist for both the employee and employer. Research is undertaken to identify CPD programmes that currently exist in other industries in Ireland for the purpose of establishing commonalities and how this may apply to the Visual Communications sector. This is achieved through a combination of literature review, desk research, surveys of employees and employers in the Visual Communications sector and a number of semi-formal interviews with representatives from various industry sectors with established CPD …

The Role Of A Literacy Coach In Supporting Instructional Improvement And Student Achievement, Holly Jo Murer

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Using qualitative research methods, this study examines the professional development model of literacy coaching. Literacy coaches and classroom teachers were interviewed to explore the work of literacy coaching. The findings of this study indicate the importance of relationship building as part of the work of literacy coaching. It also indicates that literacy coaching is ongoing and requires a significant amount of time for implementation. Additionally, the principal not only has a significant impact on setting the purpose and providing support for literacy coaching but also impacting the teachers’ use of time within a school. Also, systemic support within a school …

Using Robotics To Equip K-12 Teachers: Silicon Prairie Initiative For Robotics In Information Technology (Spirit), Alisa Gilmore, Bing Chen, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The Silicon Prairie Initiative for Robotics in Information Technology (SPIRIT) is a unique collaborative effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) College of Engineering, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Education, and the local Omaha Public Schools (OPS) system. With funding from an NSF ITEST grant, from 2006 – 2008 the initiative recruited and trained 97 math and science middle school teachers through summer workshops and follow-up sessions during the school year, with the goal of equipping teachers in hands-on engineering design principles and providing curriculum development support for STEM instruction. The centerpiece of the training was …

Searching For Patterns Of Discourse In A Sea Of Professional Development: Professional Learning And Teacher Discourse, Brian T. Whitney

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Professional development, like a sea of changing tides, ebbs and flows through a myriad of professional trends. Some of these trends have disenfranchised teachers from the core of professional learning while others have empowered teachers to confront change with passion and courage. As collaboration continues to gain popularity as an empowering and effective route to professional learning, scrutinizing the effects of professional development on teacher discourse will ensure desired outcomes are achieved.

While collaboration holds the power to break down some of the isolation that exists in the teaching profession, talk alone, void of inquiry and reflection, will not necessarily …

Influencing Pedagogy And Belief: A Case Study In The Professional Development Of Teachers Of Mathematics, Charles Howard

All Dissertations

This study forms a holistic, rich description of the way a professional development experience transformed teachers of mathematics. This professional development targeted teachers from six underachieving schools in a southern state who trained for a week in inquiry techniques of instruction. The method used to study the impact this experience had upon participants is a case study design in which three of the high school teachers were the subjects of analysis. Additional data were incorporated from project administrators and other teachers and assistants involved with the professional development experience. Data sources include highly structured questionnaires, observations, semi-structured interviews, documents, archival …

Instructional Architect Teacher Professional Development Handouts, Mimi Recker, Andrew Walker, M. Brooke Robertshaw, Linda Sellers, Heather M. Leary

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Research

Three handouts for the teacher professional development workshops on the Instructional Architect (IA). Starting spring 2009 the face-to-face workshop was changed to be three different days of learning about how to use the IA, inquiry based and problem based learning, evaluation of IA projects with a rubric, and creating IA projects.

Enhancing Science Teachers' Understanding Of Ecosystem Interactions With Qualitative Conceptual Models, Marion Dresner, Monica Elser

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The project described in this article explores how a series of conceptual ecological models can be used to portray the improvement in ecological understanding over the span of a short course. The course involved high school teachers working collaboratively on ecological research projects. Teachers were asked to construct qualitative conceptual models (a diagram of important ecosystem components and the linkages between these components) and write explanatory essays at three points during their research experience. The progression in development of teachers’ models spanned initial intuitive explanation, with misconceptions, to the post-test elaboration of a more complex and accurate understanding of ecological …

The Current State Of Professional Development In Appalachia, Lisa D. Beck

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Tied to the current federal legislation, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and all the national influences on American Education which have come before is the need for teachers to receive high-quality professional development. Approximately 5,500 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) work in the 13 states that lie along the Appalachian Mountain Region of the United States. To complete this study, a stratified random sample was performed with 650 NBCTs contacted by mail. They were asked to complete and return The Beck's Professional Development Inventory (BPDI). In order to analyze the data and to determine if statistical significance was …

Promoting The Wholesome Professor: Building, Sustaining And Assessing Faculty, Mildred Pearson, Krishna Thomas

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Promoting The Wholesome Professor: Building, Sustaining And Assessing Faculty, Mildred M. Pearson Dr., Krishna Thomas

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Teacher Transformations: A Phenomenological Study On The Effect Of Courage To Teach On Experienced Teachers' Growth And Development: A Dissertation, Kathleen M. Nollet

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a professional development experience on ten experienced teachers who participated as a cohort in Courage to Teach. Courage to Teach, founded by Parker Palmer, is a program of quarterly retreats that foster personal and professional renewal for teachers. The program focused on renewal through deep reflection that helps teachers to investigate the inner and outer landscapes of their lives. By using seasonal themes, poetry, readings, and insights from various wisdom traditions, teachers reflect on their identity and integrity as teachers as large groups, and solitary settings.

Teacher Candidates' Attitudes Toward Immigration And Teaching Learners Of English As A Second Language, Midena M. Sas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While in theory, democratic ideals promise the equal participation of all its citizens in the decisions that affect them, in practice some populations, i.e., those who do not possess membership to the dominant cultural group, often miss out on the privileges a democratic society is supposed to ensure. Critical theorists pointed out that "democracies like ours exhort equal opportunity but often ignore ways in which our schools operate unconsciously and unknowingly to guarantee that there will be no real equality" (McLaren, 2007, p. 176). In the education arena, inequitable treatment has received significant attention, perhaps due to the glaring repercussions …

Paper 2: Content Knowledge And Pedagogical Content Knowledge Of Algebra Teachers And Changes In Both Types Of Knowledge As A Result Of Professional Development, Joy W. Black

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference (2007-2019)

In seeking to improve the mathematics education of all students, it is important to understand the connection between the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of mathematics and how professionals can influence growth in both of these types of knowledge. We do not have an answer about the interplay of content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in successful instructional practices in the mathematics classroom. This study involves assessing the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of secondary teachers of Algebra I. In addition, how are these types of knowledge expressed in instructional practices? Last, how do content knowledge, pedagogical content …

Action Research As Professional Development: A Study Of Two Teachers, Wade R. Glathar

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the experiences of two teachers in a public charter school who implement action research in their classrooms. The study explored the key elements of professional development as well as action research and makes the case as to why action research is an effective tool for teacher development. Participants were selected based on having little teaching experience and familiarity with action research. The study examined the experiences of teachers who have had limited professional development as they use action research in their practices. Data for the study were drawn from interviews as well as researcher and participant journals.