Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Individual’S Patterns Of Commitment, Resilience And Subjective Well-Being Of Prospective Physical Education Teachers, Britta Fischer, Miriam Bisterfeld, Oliver Staab

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

To a greater or lesser extent, specific combinations of commitment, resilience and subjective well-being represent favorable individual resources in order to cope with professional demands. Prior studies have identified different patterns of these behaviors and experiences. The present study deals with the question whether these patterns are also identifiable in prospective physical education (PE) teachers. In addition, differences between physical education students and sport students with other career goals are examined. Lastly, the study concentrates on the existence of specific gender related differences within the group of student teachers.

For this purpose, 851 sport students were interviewed. The results of …

Practical Pragmatics: A Workshop To Learn Strategies For Teaching Pragmatic Awareness To Adult English Language Leaners, Sara G. Ziogas

Master's Projects and Capstones

The lack of teacher training and textbook teaching materials for developing pragmatic awareness in ESL (English as a second language) and EFL (English as a foreign language) classrooms has led to a gap in the development of students’ communicative competence in English as a second or foreign language. The purpose of this project is to provide an opportunity for teachers, who may be unaware of how to recognize their own first language pragmatic competence, to learn how to reverse-engineer their innate knowledge and then use those strategies to create practical, teachable lessons for their students to gain pragmatic awareness in …

Preparing Teachers In English Language Arts: Mentor Teachers Speak, Lindsay J. Jeffers

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry case study brings the voices of mentor teachers into the discourse of English language arts teacher preparation. In a series of interviews, mentor teachers discuss the challenges faced by student teachers, the pedagogical content knowledge needed to teach secondary ELA, and the relationship between secondary schools and universities.

The first theme explores the challenges that are faced by student teachers. Mentor teachers spoke about the difficulty of making the transition from student to secondary teacher and learning how to put theory into practice in their classrooms. They also considered the challenge of student teachers engaging diverse groups …

Exploring Teacher Assessment Literacy Through The Process Of Training Teachers To Write Assessment Items, Heather Peltier Wright

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the process and impact of assessment training content and delivery mode on the quality of assessment items developed by the teachers in a two-year assessment development project. Teacher characteristics were examined as potential moderating factors. Four types of delivery mode were employed in the project: synchronous online, asynchronous online, in-person workshop, and blended (a combination of online and in-person training). The quality of assessment items developed by participating teachers was measured via: 1) item acceptance rate, 2) number of item reviews (as an indicator of how many times accepted items were rejected …

Teachers Exploring Mobile Device Integration: A Case Study Of Secondary Teachers’ Responses To Ipads In The Classroom, Joshua Myers, Steven Lesky

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This qualitative study seeks to understand and resolve the difficulties that teachers encounter when integrating mobile devices in classrooms. To address the issue of teacher receptiveness, three undergraduate researchers collaborated with an education professor in spring 2012 to complete a qualitative study with a two-fold purpose: 1) to investigate how two secondary teachers in an independent school responded when adopting a class set of iPads throughout one school cycle (six school days); and 2) to elucidate what a school could do better to support teachers who are piloting mobile device integration. Although previous studies have commonly focused on the impact …

Teaching Stories: Inclusion/Exclusion And Disability Studies, Linda Ware, Natalie Hatz

Occasional Paper Series

This research considers the journey of a public school teacher (Natalie) in partnership with her former undergraduate professor (Linda) to teach disability studies to her colleagues and to her fifth grade students. Our research involved multiple components and contexts that we characterize as “Teaching Stories” to consider disability, diversity, and exclusion across settings.

Effects Of Electronic Feedback On Increasing Positive Interactions Among Pre-School Teachers And Their Students, Kathryn Gorton

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of e-mail specific performance feedback (ESPF) on increasing the quantity and quality of pre-school teacher behavior specific praise (BSP) using a multiple probe design across 4 general education pre-school classrooms which included students with and without disabilities. Researchers also wanted to examine the effects of the teacher’s BSP on student’s task engagement during class activities. Results indicated a functional relation between ESPF and increasing the quantity and quality of BSP statements. Results also indicated that increased quantity and quality of BSP statements increased average task engagement across all student participants.

Current Trends In Psychological And Educational Approaches For Training And Teaching Students With Autism In California, Trisha Sugita

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Within the United States, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has seen a dramatic increase over the past twenty years. As the prevalence rate of ASD increases, an increased need for expertise in the field of education has become apparent. Psychological and educational practices for training and teaching students with ASD continue to evolve in California however, a significant gap between theory and practice remains. This article provides a historical perspective of ASD and its prevalence rates. In addition, this article examines the current shifts in teacher training and provides an overview of evidence-based strategies to support students with ASD.

“A Course No One Wants To Teach”: A Brief History Of The Undergraduate Writing Methods Course, Christine E. Tulley

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

In this essay, I untangle two historically embedded challenges within the undergraduate writing methods course that continually reestablish divisions between theory and pedagogy (and often English and education departments by association) for preservice teachers. The two issues are:

1. The lack of status of the undergraduate writing methods course within English departments, entrenched by the historically marginalized reputations of both rhetoric and composition and English education programs; and

2. Internal disputes within the field of rhetoric and composition over a theoretical versus pedagogical emphasis for the undergraduate writing methods course, and external debates between the fields of rhetoric and composition …

Hiring The Most Effective Teachers: An Examination Of Policy And Practice In Pennsylvania, Barbara Launi Powers

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Hiring the most effective teachers not only has an impact on America’s children, but on America’s economic future as well. For two decades, much research about the failings of America’s schools has been conducted. Since the advent of No Child Left Behind (2002), never has more focus been applied to teaching quality. Hiring the best teachers for our children leverages the single largest in-school influence on achievement. James Coleman, in his seminal work, The Coleman Report (1967), notes that a child’s home socio-economic status and race are more significant influences than any in-house school influence. Subsequent research on teacher quality …

The Achievement Gap And Students Living In Poverty: The Role Of Core Self-Evaluation And Transformational Leadership In Teachers, India Harris

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Research has shown that the combination of locus of control, self-efficacy, self-confidence, and emotional stability is a good predictor of life success. Until now, this second order factor, called core self-evaluations (CSE) has only been studied in adults. Findings from this study, showed levels of CSE were significantly and positively connected with academic achievement for middle and elementary aged students. CSE appears to play to a similar role between students and academic achievement as it plays with adults and job performance. In this study, the dimensions of transformational leadership were applied to teacher behaviors and students were grouped based on …

Advocating For The Development Of The Whole Child: How Public Urban Preschool Teachers Overcome The Pressure Of More Academics In Their Classrooms, Grizel Lopez

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Preschool teachers must overcome the pressure to become more academic in lieu of a whole child development curriculum approach in order to preserve developmentally appropriate practices and shape well-adjusted future citizens of society. In order to achieve this, it is important to give a voice to preschool teachers to better understand their struggle and to find effective resolutions. This is only possible through a qualitative case study that employs observations, interviews, and a focus group with an inductive analysis approach to the data. The development of the whole child will only be attainable through national policies that are supported by …

Researching And Reshaping Literacy Learning: Three Urban K-6 Teachers’ Ongoing Transformations Through Everyday Action Research, Kristin N. Rainville, Grace Enriquez

Education Faculty Publications

Given the vast range of diversity among children’s backgrounds and needs, literacy educators must consider multiple ways in which children learn and interact with texts. Moreover, policies that increasingly require frequent assessments of children’s literacy achievement place pressure on educators to find immediate ways to impact children’s learning. This qualitative inquiry explores three graduate students’ yearlong engagement in literacy-related action research within ethnically and socioeconomically diverse, urban K-6 classrooms. Grounded in a social practice perspective on literacy and a sociocultural perspective on literacy learning, we examined participants’ constructions of action research as they developed research questions, entered various research sites, …

Stakeholders' Knowledge Impacting The Academic And Social-Emotional Needs Of Twice-Exceptional Students In Kentucky, Katrina Ann Sexton

Online Theses and Dissertations

Decades worth of studies have documented the role of teacher training in identifying children with exceptional needs. Yet, none have investigated the differences between teacher training, teacher knowledge, and teacher roles in relation to the identification of twice-exceptional (2E) children. There is a need to understand the factors that affect teachers’ knowledge and abilities to identify 2E students, specifically during the early formative years [primary and middle grades] when identification commonly occurs. Supported by the Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory, Autonomous Learner Model (ALM), and Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM), the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if teacher education …

Professional Development Needs Of Faculty Members In An International University In Thailand, Loïse M. Jeannin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an international university in Thailand, with students coming from 92 different

countries, faculty members reported a need for professional development (PD). The purpose of this study was to understand faculty members' needs and preferences in the undergraduate department to help the administration offer appropriate PD programs. In accordance with the situated cognition theory, professional learning was approached as a social process embedded in workplace interactions. Research questions pertained to teachers' perceptions about their learning needs, program preferences, and the relationship between PD and student learning outcomes. In this descriptive case study, data were collected from fulltime faculty members via …

Middle School Teachers' Experiences With Teaching Self-Regulation Skills To Adolescents With Disabilities, Jessica Traylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that adolescents with disabilities often lack self-regulated learning skills. Current research further indicates that explicit teaching of self-regulation skills is beneficial to adolescents with disabilities. The site of this study was a local middle school in rural Georgia that did not assess whether or not teachers were explicitly teaching self-regulation skills to adolescents with disabilities. It was unknown, therefore, whether adolescents with disabilities were learning self-regulation skills in school and whether teachers faced problems in teaching these skills. The study sought to explore this gap in knowledge and practice. Zimmerman's self-regulated learning theory and Bandura's self-efficacy theory served …

Algebraic Content And Pedagogical Knowledge Of Sixth Grade Mathematics Teachers, Mariyam Shahuneeza Naseer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Algebra test scores of the Maldivian students from grade 6 through 12 are the lowest compared to any other area of mathematics. Algebra is a fundamental topic in mathematics and lays the foundation for mathematical reasoning and complex problem-solving. Research shows that strengthening algebra instruction could improve student achievement. This concurrent mixed methods study examined the algebraic content and pedagogical knowledge of 5 sixth grade mathematics teachers who teach in 5 different schools across the Maldives. Shulman's major categories of teacher knowledge and Ball, Thames, and Phelps' domains of mathematical knowledge for teaching guided this study. The research questions examined …

Understanding Attrition Among English As A Foreign Language Teachers In Online Training, Joseline Castaños

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attrition among students in online courses worldwide is well-documented at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels. However, little is yet known about the reason for attrition among in-service teachers in online training. Online education aims to provide access to education for the masses, but with higher attrition rates, it may be viewed as less effective than traditional education. This study explored factors that influenced attrition and persistence among teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in an online teacher training environment. Tinto's Community of Inquiry framework and Short, Williams, and Christie's Social Presence Model provided the conceptual framework for …

Teacher Perceptions And Attitudes Of Classroom Technology Integration Related To Ipad Training, Theresa Marie Pepe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While professional development on the use of technology in the classroom aids educators to implement new teaching strategies, little is known about teachers' concerns with professional development specifically for adopting mobile technologies like iPads in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to discover teachers' attitudes and perceptions toward teacher training for integration of the iPad into their classroom instruction. Using a case study approach and the concerns-based adoption model as a framework, this study examined teachers' concerns about their training for using the iPads in the classroom. Participants were 7 teachers from a small, suburban, Catholic K-8 school …

“It’S About Improving My Practice”: The Learner Experience Of Real-Time Coaching, Erica J. Sharplin, Garth Stahl, Ben Kehrwald

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reports on pre-service teachers’ experience of the Real-Time Coaching model, an innovative technology-based approach to teacher training. The Real-Time Coaching model uses multiple feedback cycles via wireless technology to develop within pre-service teachers the specific skills and mindset toward continual improvement. Results of this qualitative study suggest that pre-service teachers experienced an improved pedagogic practice, found the Real-Time Coaching process supportive and stress relieving, and valued its focus on practice, the explicitness of the teaching and the ability to implement feedback immediately.

Exploring Quality Teaching In The Online Environment Using An Evidence-Based Approach, Elena Prieto-Rodriguez, Jennifer Gore, Kathryn Holmes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Online learning is increasingly ubiquitous in higher education. However, research regarding online teaching often focuses on the affordances of the online environment rather than on the quality of pedagogy. In this paper we consider how online learning could be enhanced using rich pedagogical models that are consistent with a wealth of existing knowledge on pedagogy for face-to-face settings. To do so, we apply an established framework, the Quality Teaching model, to explore pedagogy in the online environment and illustrate its potential benefits using a case study of 60 students in a tertiary mathematics teacher education program. We conclude that the …

Creativity From Two Perspectives: Prospective Mathematics Teachers And Mathematician, Gönül Yazgan-Sağ, Elçin Emre-Akdoğan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Although creativity plays a critical role in mathematics, it remains underestimated in the context of a mathematics classroom. This study aims to explore the views and differences creativity displays in prospective teachers and one of their lecturers with respect to the characteristics and practices of creative teachers and the characteristics of creative students. We collected data through interviews with four prospective mathematics teachers and one mathematics lecturer. The study results revealed that their perspectives on creativity varied greatly and were mostly influenced by the characteristics of their diverse backgrounds and teaching practices. The views of the prospective mathematics teachers with …

Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices Related To Student Self-Regulation In The Classroom, Marlana L. Webster

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Self-regulation serves as a pivotal skill for children to acquire early in life. Mastery of the skill leads to high academic achievement and increased sense of self-efficacy. Teachers play a major role in developing self-regulation in children. Consequently, the beliefs and practices that teachers hold regarding poor self-regulation (i.e. inattention and impulsivity) are to be understood and taken into account. The Self-Regulation Survey was created to capture teachers’ attributions for inattention and impulsivity along with subsequent chosen interventions in 52 participants. The results indicated that teachers attribute impulsivity to organic factors and family origin to a greater degree than classroom …

Reflecting Together On Race, Privilege, And Teaching: Why Bank Street Needs Stronger Commitment To Teacher Education In Social Justice, Guiliana De Grazia, Molly Raik

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This project explores the need for high quality teacher training in social justice education and the current program in early childhood education at Bank Street College.

“If You Cannot Live By Our Rules, If You Cannot Adapt To This Place, I Can Show You The Back Door.” A Response To "New Forms Of Teacher Education: Connections To Charter Schools And Their Approaches", Barrett A. Smith

Democracy & Education

Stitzlein and West (2014) are primarily concerned with how Relay and Match risk failing to prepare their residents to practice democratic education. My aim is to provide a more thorough account of specific practices employed by Match and their no-excuses approach in order to illustrate and support points made by Stitzlein and West. It is my hope that this deeper examination will substantiate the concerns of Stitzlein and West while further problematizing the practices employed by and advocated for throughout Match.

Elementary (K-5) Teachers' Perceptions Of Differentiated Instruction, Christopher Maddox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical method used by classroom teachers to enhance student learning. Researchers have described how students benefit from differentiated lessons, but have not explored the relationship between teachers' perceptions of differentiation and student success. This gap is problematic because teachers' instruction directly affects student achievement. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how elementary (K-5) teachers define, familiarize, use, and perceive differentiation. The conceptual framework was rooted from a synthesis of ideas found in current refereed literature, and the educational concepts and constructionist theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. Purposeful sampling identified 12 participants for …

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 …

Challenging, Eye-Opening, And Changing U.S. Teacher Training In Korea: Creating Experiences That Will Enhance Global Perspectives, Kevin Oh, Natalie Nussli

School of Education Faculty Research

This case study explored the short-term international experience of preservice teachers to create and enhance global perspectives. These teachers (n=5), all female graduate students at a university in the U.S., were fully immersed in a foreign culture for three weeks while teaching English to primary and secondary students in Korea. Pre-, during-, and post-data were collected to investigate how the participants work and live while being completely immersed in a new culture. Eight themes emerged from the analysis of multiple qualitative instruments: (a) language barrier, (b) being the minority, (c) cultural differences and cultural shock, (d) student participation and teaching …

Comparing Professonal Development Practices Of Low Performing Public Schools And High Performing Public Schools In The State Of Mississippi, Lori Rogers Wilcher

Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the professional development practices of public schools in Mississippi. More specifically, the causal comparative design sought to discover if there were differences in professional development practices between low-performing public schools in Mississippi and high-performing public schools in Mississippi. For the purposes of this study, high-performing schools were classified A or B and low-performing schools were classified D or F by the Mississippi Department of Education. Classifications were based on student performance measures from the statewide testing system for the 2012-2013 school year.

The review of literature guided the examination of differences in perceived value …

Teaching Excellence: A Qualitative Case Study Of Multiple Stakeholder Perspectives, Nicole Frederick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative, collective case study explored the phenomenon of teaching excellence from the perspective of multiple stakeholders to include parents, administrators and teachers in one Michigan school district. Research questions focused on stakeholder perspectives regarding the cognitive and affective attributes, as well as dispositions of excellent teachers. Teaching excellence, for the purpose of this study, was defined as teachers who demonstrated high levels of effectiveness in four areas: planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities. Effectiveness was identified using teacher evaluation results of teachers who had at least 90% Highly Effective and Effective ratings with no rankings of …