Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Program In Faculty Development 2017-2018

Program in Faculty Development

Welcome to a new academic year and to opportunities to improve your skills as an educator, scholar and leader at Thomas Jefferson University! This booklet will provide you with information on the TJU Faculty Development Program for the 2017-2018 academic year, including course listings, registration information, and general program information. This booklet features two “At-A-Glance” outlines of faculty development offerings: a course outline for each of the three faculty development program focus areas (education, research/scholarship, and professional development and leadership) and a month-by-month calendar of activities. Detailed program information for each focus area follows. Faculty development programs scheduled for the …

Program Implementation And Upper Elementary Writing Achievement, Lisa` Weber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a significant percent of fourth grade students write well below the basic level. In one elementary school, teachers implemented a new writing program for all students at the school. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to determine the effects of this writing program A Language for Learning and Write from the Beginning-?¦and Beyond. Bruner's theory of constructivism formed the theoretical foundation of this study. The study included 172 students in third, fourth, and fifth grades. The research questions examined pre- and post-paragraph writing scores, extended writing scores, grammar and usage …

Bridge Program Participants' Satisfaction, Retention, Grade Point Average, And Credits Earned, Chip Palmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of first-generation college students enroll in college each year. However, according to national statistics, as many as 900,000 first-generation college students drop out each year. Colleges have developed summer bridge programs to help first-generation students succeed; participants have shown an increase in grade point average (GPA) and retention. There is limited research focusing specifically on private nonprofit university bridge programs, and national statistics show 34% of first-generation college students electing private universities. Thus, the purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to evaluate a private nonprofit university bridge program called the Pfeiffer Readiness Education Program. Using the …

Attack At Fort Hood: Experiences And Suggestions For Security, William P. Moravits

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past 8 years, at least 4 lone wolf terrorists have targeted military bases or recruiting centers in the United States and research suggests attack on the US military are increasing globally. The problem was that research had not addressed the lived experiences of survivors of lone wolf attacks or how they could inform procedures regarding a sense of security for military men and women. The purpose of this research was to establish a need to address threats to the security of the military from these attacks, to provide a rich description of survivors' experiences of the attack at …

Retention Of Minority Students In A Bridge Program: Student Perceptions On Their Successes And Challenges, Chadwick Biermeier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an examination of the minority student retention rate in a year-long bridge program. The retention rate of these students is 25%. University administration was concerned about the retention rate and its impact on future enrollment. Using Jack Mezirow's transformative learning as a framework of understanding, the purpose of this study was to identify successes and challenges that minority students experienced in the bridge program and how those experiences affected future decisions on retention. A qualitative case-study design was implemented and 9 of the 140 bridge students were purposefully selected for individual interviews. Data analysis was conducted using …

Faculty Perspectives On Effective Integration Of Simulation Into A Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum, Linda Jane Howell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that use of high fidelity simulation (HFS) as a teaching strategy requires extensive amounts of faculty time and financial resources for faculty development and equipment. This project study addressed the challenges encountered in the integration of HFS into a Midwestern metropolitan baccalaureate nursing program. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceptions of nursing faculty about best practice elements for successful integration of HFS into undergraduate nursing programs. Guiding questions were developed using Donabedian's structure-process-outcome model and focused on faculty perceptions related to successful implementation of simulation in their programs. Purposeful sampling was used to …

The Effectiveness Of Course-Based Health Education Interventions Towards Increased Physical Activity Among College Students, Jay Morris Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the many health benefits, physical activity participation among those between 18 to 24 years is in significant decline during the college-age years. Postsecondary education has been identified as an ideal environment where young adults should be targeted for physical activity participation. However, a limited number of studies have assessed the effectiveness of college-level health education and physical education program interventions to increase physical activity levels among college students. The purpose of this study was to examine current physical activity levels of college age students who have completed a college-level health education course and laboratory to gain a better understanding …

Principals' Perceptions Of Instructional Leadership Development, Carla Brabham Brabham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional leadership is an important aspect of student achievement and the overall success of schools. Principals, as instructional leaders, need continual reflection on their competency. Job-embedded professional development (JEPD) for teachers is implemented and monitored by instructional leaders. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceived instructional leadership development of two principals at two schools where JEPD was used. Weber's model of instructional leadership guided the research questions on how the implementation of JEPD affected the principals' instructional leadership growth and development. Data collection occurred through interviews, observations during principal-led JEPD sessions, and document review after which …

Teachers' Understanding Of Culturally And Linguistically Differentiated Instruction For English Language Learners, Poorandai Itwaru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A large school district in the northeastern United States struggled with teaching middle school English Language Learners (ELLs) to succeed in reading and writing. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teachers' perceptions regarding what they could do to increase academic achievement for ELLs. The conceptual framework emerged from Weimer's learning-centered teaching, which aligns with Dewey's social constructivism. Ten purposefully sampled teachers agreed to be interviewed in the attempt to answer the research questions about instructional strategies teachers believed were best to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate instruction for ELLs and what teachers believed could be done to …

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy When Using A Scripted Reading, Misty Leigh Mukherjee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers report that implementation of scripted reading programs has been inconsistent. Although administrators need to understand teachers' experiences with scripted reading instruction to make decisions about best practices for implementation of those programs, little research on those experiences exists. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe teachers' lived experiences and self-efficacy when using a scripted reading program. Bruner's constructivist theory, the concept of pedagogical content knowledge, and self-efficacy theory were used to frame the study. Eight elementary teachers in Grades K-3 from the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States each completed 4 individual interviews. Template-based iterative …

Online Facilitation Of Early Childhood Education Preservice Teacher Field Experiences, Catherine Meier Meier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have determined that field experience is crucial in education preparation programs, yet little information is available about field experience within online early childhood education (ECE) programs. Educators who work in online ECE programs need to understand how to facilitate field experience effectively. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to understand the processes, procedures, and experiences of instructors who facilitate preservice teachers' field experience in online ECE programs. A constructivist framework was used to examine facilitation practices. Nine instructors from online ECE programs in the United States participated in 2 semistructured interviews that lasted approximately 1 hour each. …

How Whiteness Is Preserved: The Racialization Of Immigrants & Assimilation In Education, Hadiel Mohamed

Capstone Collection

This research aims to answer how educators can incorporate ethnic/racial identity development in the classroom for youth of color who are driven to pursue Whiteness. This quest begins by understanding Whiteness and its role within ethnic/racial identity and educational systems. The societal avoidance of discussing race furthers the perpetuation of Whiteness as the norm and removes the value of marginalized histories and voices. We can witness the preservation of Whiteness through immigration laws, the void of ethnic/racial identity exploration in schools, and the mono-cultured representation in classrooms. Therefore, this research explores assimilation and the racialization of immigrants through a macro-, …

Students’ Opinions About Science And Technology In Turkey And The United States: A Cross-Cultural Study, Hunkar Korkmaz, Julie Thomas, Nilgun Tatar, Serpil Aktas

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The aim of this study is to determine the thoughts of Turkish and American middle school students on science and technology. One intact school was assigned randomly for this study from both countries. The sampling of the study contains 479 students (363 Turkish students, 116 American students) from two countries aged between 11 and 13. The data for the study were obtained by using ROSE Survey. The results of the study revealed similarities and dissimilarities on science and technology between the students of the two countries. The findings of the study are thought to improve the education of universal science …

Interpreting Early Career Trajectories, Joan Barnatt, Dianna Gahlsdorf Terrell, Lisa Andries D’Souza, Cindy Jong, Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Kara Mitchell Viesca, Ann Marie Gleeson, Patrick J. Mcquillan, Karen Shakman

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Career decisions of four teachers are explored through the concept of figured worlds in this qualitative, longitudinal case study. Participants were purposefully chosen for similarity at entry, with a range of career trajectories over time. Teacher career paths included remaining in one school, repeated changes in schools, attrition after relocation, and nonrenewal of contract. Data included interviews, observations, participants’ assessments, and pupils’ work. Cross-case analysis suggests that no single teacher attribute or workplace condition determined teachers’ career decisions; rather, teachers’ ability to refigure their identity within the figured world of teaching shaped career trajectory. Key factors such as ability to …

Reconceptualizing Pedagogical And Curricular Knowledge Development Through Making, Steven Greenstein, Justin Olmanson

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

While making is typically tethered to narratives of entrepreneurship and business, it can provide a gateway to meaningful interaction and deepened understanding of both content and pedagogy. In this article we provide descriptions of two courses—one each at the pre-service and in-service levels—that engage teachers in making and design practices that we hypothesized would inform their pedagogical and curricular thinking. With a focus on the design of new tools to support teaching and learning through the use of human-centered design practices and digital fabrication technologies, these courses have teachers exploring at the intersection of content, pedagogy, and making. Specifically, they …

Lifelong Learning: A Strategic Analysis Of Education, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Are outdated traditional education, distance education, information technological infrastructure, partnerships and financial resources common problematic issues facing many of the educational institutions in our world today? With this into considerations, are these issues vital in order to stabilize the political and economic embroidery of an institution or organization, and its psychological and sociological awareness? What is it that is to be learned and thought in our institutions and, what really is lifelong education; and how is to be carried out in the society of ours? It is found that education may be the training of the mind to perform desire …

When Children Are Water: Representation Of Central American Migrant Children In Public Discourse And Implications For Educators, Theresa Catalano

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Since June, 2014 when the U.S. government began to document an increase in unaccompanied/separated children arriving in the United States from Central America, these children have become a frequent topic in media discourse. Because rhetoric about immigration issues have been shown to affect schooling of these children, the present paper aims to examine how these children are represented in the discourse of one community. Findings from this critical multimodal discourse analysis reveal multiple strategies of representation that result in the dominant metaphor of IMMIGRANT CHILDREN ARE DANGEROUS WATER and negative perceptions that have implications for the education of these students.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Confidence And Attitudes Toward Teaching English Learners, Stephanie Wessels, Guy Trainin, Jenelle Reeves, Theresa Catalano, Qizhen Deng

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Research has shown that many pre-service teachers do not feel confident in their abilities to work with English learners (ELs), and that attitudes toward ELs can have an effect on their confidence in working with these students. The purpose of this quantitative study is to find out what factors affect the confidence and attitudes of pre-service teachers in regard to teaching ELs. Data consisted of a four-part survey of 244 pre-service teachers entering an elementary teacher education program. Findings revealed that attitudes toward ELs’ use of L1 correlated with reported second language proficiency and diversity experience, and indirectly with international …

Learning From Rookie Mistakes: Critical Incidents In Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge For Teaching Science To Teachers, Suleyman Cite, Eun Lee, Deepika Menon, Deborah L. Hanuscin

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

While there is a growing literature focused on doctoral preparation for teaching about science teaching, rarely have recommendations extended to preparation for teaching science content to teachers. We three doctoral students employ self-study as a research methodology to investigate our developing pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science to teachers during a mentored internship in an elementary teacher professional development program. With our mentor, we examine critical incidents in the experience that supported new insights about teaching teachers and about ways in which beginning teacher educators need to develop their existing pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science to students in order …

Strategies For Enhancing The Mature Student Experience In Higher Education, John O'Carroll, Cathy Ennis, Keith Loscher, Deirdre Ryan, Niall Dixon

Practitioner Research Projects

A principle of the Irish Education system is its endorsement of equity of access to higher education for all Irish citizens. This principle has been enacted through successive government policies including the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2019 (HEA, 2015). The aim of this policy is to “ensure that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population” (p.8). Data from this plan shows that participation in higher education by the adult population has increased and that there is a potential for increasing …

A Quasi-Experimental Research Study Examining The Impact Of Reflection On Self-Efficacy In Graduate Design Students, Christina Marie Chateauvert

Wayne State University Dissertations

While the concept of reflection is not new to education, researchers suggest that students be given more space to engage in meaning-making activities (Sambrook & Willmott, 2014). In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis placed in education on self-reflection. In part, because of Donald Schön’s (1983, 1987) work on reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. Schön’s view of reflection-in¬-action puts students in the “midst of action,” reshaping the problem or experience, and making fresh decisions to guide next steps. Reflection-on-action allows students to think back on what has occurred and how that experience will shape future decisions. Taking a similar approach …

The Nebraska Educator, Volume 4: 2017 (Complete Issue), Abraham Flanigan, Zoe Falls, Carin Appleget, Lyrica Lucas, Sarah Mcbrien, Markeya Peteranetz, Shuling Yang

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

Effects of Environment on Depressive Symptoms on Chinese Left-Behind Children Lanyan Ding & Eric S. Buhs, Ph.D. .....4

Students on the Edge: Evaluating an Academic Support Group Ben Heinisch & Nicole M. Smith.....26

Examining Inequalities in Science Literacy by Religious Affiliation Among Adults Alexis Swendener ........47

Applying Encoding and Retrieval Techniques to Chinese Rhyme Reading in Advanced Placement Chinese Instruction Nan Wang....64

There are not many student-run academic journals, so The Nebraska Educator is excited to provide a forum for researchers, scholars, policymakers, practitioners, teachers, students, and informed observers in education and related fields in educational settings in the United …

Applying Encoding And Retrieval Techniques To Chinese Rhyme Reading In Advanced Placement Chinese Instruction, Nan Wang

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

Learning Chinese as a foreign language is increasingly prevalent in public school districts in the U.S. As ACTFL (2011) reported, an increasing number of enrollments of Advanced Placement Chinese courses indicate a growing demand for Chinese language courses in U.S. public school districts (ACTFL, 2011; ACTFL, 2017). AP foreign language exams indicate that students from the mainstream culture in the U.S. do not perform as well as racial minority test takers (Brown & Thompson, 2016). Therefore, implementing appropriate teaching strategies in a student-centered foreign language environment is a desperate need. This is a pragmatic instructional design proposal, which emphasizes the …

Los Recién Llegados: Construyendo Collaborative Relationships Between Recently Arrived Salvadoran Parents And Educators In The Nation's Capital, Ingrid Tamara Colon

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored recently arrived Salvadoran parents in Washington, D.C. The primary purpose of this dissertation was to learn the perspectives that recently arrived Salvadoran parents have about their children's education to build and sustain collaborative relationships in schools. This study holds implications for schools, school administrators, teachers, teacher preparation programs, policy makers, and educational researchers serving recently arrived Salvadoran immigrants. Specifically, this dissertation calls for educators and stakeholders to directly learn from recently arrived Salvadoran parents to identify and address the unique needs of their children in U.S. schools.

This dissertation examined the following question: What perspectives do …

Educational Development As Pink Collar Labor: Implications And Recommendations, Lindsay Bernhagen, Emily Gravett

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Against a backdrop of other professional arenas, including higher education, this article examines the field of educational development—who we are (mostly women) and what we do (care, service, and emotional labor)—through the lens of gender. While we suggest that educational development may provide a positive counterexample to the male dominance in other higher education professions, we also argue that the common devaluing of women and their labor, well- documented in other arenas, may contribute to educational developers’ "marginal" positions on campuses, our difficulties getting "invited to the table," as well as our challenges in becoming more involved in organizational development …

Educational Development Efforts Aligned With The Assessment Cycle, Phyllis Blumberg

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Using an assessment cycle as an organizing framework, this article illustrates how educational development and assessment mutually complement each other. It describes an assessment study conducted to determine if two colleges at a small university met their strategic goals to increase the adoption of learning-centered teaching. This study served the parallel function of assessing the impact of sustained educational development efforts by the Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTL) to promote learning-centered teaching. The majority of interviewed faculty reported using learning-centered approaches. The data collection method itself also served as a teachable moment for faculty who do not attend CTL …

Foreign And U.S Educated Faculty Members’ Views On What Constitutes Excellent Teaching: Effects Of Gender And Discipline, Emad A. Ismail, James E. Groccia

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This study identifies views of foreign-educated faculty who teach in American universities on what constitutes excellence in teaching based on different demographics using the online version of the Teacher Behavior Checklist. Faculty from 14 institutions within the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) were asked to rank the top 10 of 28 teacher qualities of excellent teaching. The final faculty sample consisted of 448 participants, of which 309 were United States-educated (US-educated), and 139 were foreign-educated. The majority of the foreign-educated faculty were from Asia and Europe. Results showed that both US- and foreign-educated faculty agreed on eight qualities as the …

Moving Toward The Center: The Integration Of Educational Development In An Era Of Historic Change In Higher Education, Bruce Kelley, Laura Cruz, Nancy Fire

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Educational developers have generally articulated their mission around three major poles: faculty/professional development, instructional development, and organizational development (Diamond, 2002; Lewis, 1996). While the first two poles have received greater attention in the past, an increasing amount of emphasis is being placed on organizational development. This shift is a result of a growing tendency to see educational development as an integral component in helping colleges and universities effect change in multiple areas. The challenges higher education faces “require multiple teams of cross-unit expertise in order to make progress” (Schroeder, 2011, p. 202), and educational developers are often called on to …

Exploring The Potential Of Educational Developer Portfolios, Natasha Kenny, Isabeau Iqbal, Jeannette Mcdonald, Paola Borin, Debra Dawson, Judy Chan, Erika Kustra

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

There is growing interest in portfolios within the context of higher education, especially related to the use and integration of student learning portfolios, teaching portfolios, and eportfolios. Although little scholarly discourse has focused on educational developer portfolios, these have the potential to promote reflection on practice, showcase accomplishments, make explicit our approaches to practice, demonstrate impact, and support workplace personnel decisions. Despite these benefits, our community has not uniformly adopted the educational developer portfolio. Drawing from scholarly literature and based on findings from research gathered through World Cafés, this study explores the possibilities and potential for the educational developer portfolio. …

Assessment From An Educational Development Perspective, Mary C. Wright, Molly Goldwasser, Wayne Jacobson, Christopher Dakes

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

As assessment, already well established in higher education, gains attention in the field of educational development (ED), we ask: What does it mean to practice assessment from an ED perspective? In response, we examine four principles that are central to this endeavor: (a) bridging work across communities and multiple institutional levels; (b) collective, collaborative ownership; (c) action-oriented focus on student-centered learning; and (d) intentionality about inclusiveness to recognize diverse experiences of participants and stakeholders. We apply these principles to four examples of assessment practice at different institutions and offer a rationale for why this lens has utility for the improvement …