Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Perspectives Of Kindergarten Through Second Grade Teachers Regarding Methods To Promote Student Engagement In Learning, Laura O'Hayer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this basic qualitative study was low levels of engagement in learning exhibited by kindergarten through second (K-2) grade students in rural schools located in the southern region of the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore how K-2 teachers promoted student engagement in learning. The conceptual framework combined constructivist theory and the attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) model. Two research questions guided exploration of how teachers incorporated active instructional practices and provided frameworks for learning; and how teachers incorporated questioning strategies, hands on learning activities, and problem solving exercises. Data were collected …

How Teachers Promote Academic Success Of Primary Grade Students In Rural Schools By Supporting Their Resilience, Miranda Kay Teston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low levels of academic success for primary grade students attending rural schools located in the southern region of the United States may be related to student resilience. Researchers have found that educators can support the development of students’ resilience, which can result in improved academic success, but little is known about how teachers in rural schools promote their students’ academic success by supporting the development of their resilience. Guided by a conceptual framework that combined ecological systems theory with resilience theory, this basic qualitative study explored how rural-school teachers promoted the academic success of primary grade students by supporting the …

Bmi Screening Tool To Identify Elementary School Children At Risk For Obesity, Talia S. Thompson-Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a public health epidemic and is as relevant in the pediatric population as it is in adults. The purpose of this DNP project was to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG) that would use existing evidence to support the development of body mass index (BMI) screening in primary schools for the early detection of childhood obesity. Globally, more than 41 million children were obese or overweight by 2018. Due to incidence rates, developing an effective strategy to address childhood obesity is critical. The practice-focused question asked whether the evidence supported the development of a CPG for implementing BMI …

Nontraditional Students’ Perceptions And Experiences Using Technology In A Teacher Preparation Program, Amy Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTechnology integration is a key part of a 2-year teacher education program at the Canadian university; nontraditional students seemed unprepared to use technology for learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate nontraditional students’ perceptions and experiences about their successes and challenges using technology in the program. The study was guided by Knowles’s andragogy theory, which presents a learner-centred perspective on adult learning. The research questions focused on nontraditional students’ successes and challenges using technology in coursework. A basic qualitative design was used to capture the insights of 10 purposefully selected, nontraditional university students through semistructured interviews. Themes were …

Life Experiences Of Head Start Teachers In A Midwestern Region Pursuing Higher Education, Jeanette O. Keyes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe 2007 Head Start Reauthorization Act mandated that all Head Start teachers have at least an associate degree and 50% of teachers within each Head Start program should have a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education. The problem addressed in this study was that Head Start teachers from a Midwestern region encountered barriers as they pursued higher education to meet mandated requirements to continue employment. The purpose of this study was to explore the life experiences, barriers, coping strategies and views of support needed by Head Start teachers who were completing their degrees. Tinto’s academic and social integration model and …

Links Between Screen Time, Montessori Preschool Exposure, And Working Memory, Paula Lyn Larsen Mamani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A high-quality, foundational education offers lifelong benefits for young children. The problem is that working memory in pre-school-aged children is declining and could be impaired by the extraneous cognitive load imposed during engagement with screen media apps and/or preschool programs. Although the pedagogical practices associated with Montessori preschool programs have been found supportive of cognitive load germane to learning and improved working memory, they have not been fully considered in relation to preschoolers' screen media use. The cognitive load created by screen media apps could affect their usefulness as learning tools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to discover …

Kindergarten Teachers' Perspectives On School Readiness In Children Who Attended Military Installation Childcare Centers, Juliana Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited literature exists on the effectiveness of prekindergarten programs located on military installations in the United States. The children who attend these programs may not receive school readiness preparation equivalent to that received by their peers who attend community-based prekindergarten programs, which follow different guidelines. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the kindergarten readiness of children who attended preschool on military installations as described by teachers in community-based kindergarten classrooms. Pianta's work on school readiness formed the conceptual framework of this basic qualitative study. The research question addressed how kindergarten teachers describe school readiness in children …

Teachers’ Perspectives Of What They Need From School Administration To Teach Remotely, Destiny Pietra Moretto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused an educational shift from traditional teaching to remote teaching. Teachers struggled to adapt to the changes because they were unable to properly prepare, yet administrators expected them to continue successfully teaching from home. Using Garrison et al.’s community of inquiry model, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of early childhood teachers regarding teaching remotely during a pandemic and what they need from school administration to teach children remotely. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 early childhood teachers with experience teaching remotely during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic …

Perspectives Of Parents Of Black Head Start Graduates Regarding The Black-White Achievement Gap, Telisa Pitts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of this study was the achievement gap that exists between Black and White children prior to kindergarten entrance. As children continue in school this gap grows substantially; therefore, it was important to understand perspectives of stakeholders regarding this gap. The purpose of this study was to explore perspectives of parents of Black Head Start graduates regarding the Black-White achievement gap, and how those perspectives shaped parents’ actions in promoting their children’s kindergarten readiness. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory. The research questions focused on parents’ perspectives and how they believed those perspectives …

Supplemental Education Services And Cultural-Linguistic Instruction For Hispanic Students To Improve English Language Proficiency, Joshua William Cochran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to low English language arts (ELA) state test scores among Hispanic students, district administrators in a Title I identified school district implemented a new literacy policy that included both supplemental education services for Hispanic students (SES-HS) and professional development in cultural and linguistic instructional practices (CLIP) for ELA teachers. But the ELA state test scores for Hispanic students who received the SES-HS and CLIP services had not been studied to see if there was any improvement related to the CLIP-HS training. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in Hispanic students’ ELA scores before and after …

A Qualitative Study On The Fidelity Implementation Of Response To Intervention For K–2 Students In Reading, Sandra Lee Joyner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem that prompted this qualitative case study was a continuous below proficiency level performance of the kindergarten through second-grade students in a U.S. Southern state in reading, despite response to intervention (RTI) being implemented since 2011. The purpose of the study was to explore K–2 teachers’ perceptions regarding the fidelity implementation of RTI procedures in K–2 grades. The theoretical framework for this study was based on constructivist learning theory. The research questions were intended to examine K–2 teachers’ perceptions on how interventions were implemented through RTI to benefit, challenge, and address the needs of Grades K–2 struggling readers. Data …

Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Perspectives Of Their Self-Efficacy And Knowledge In Biliteracy Instruction, Magda Levin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of English language learners (ELLs) in early childhood education (ECE) continues to increase, particularly with students whose first language (L1) is Spanish. Recent studies have shown the connection between teachers’ self-efficacy and student achievement, but very few specifically address early childhood education teachers’ self-efficacy and knowledge of biliteracy instruction. Grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and Krashen’s second language acquisition theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore kindergarten (K) through third-grade teachers’ perspectives of their self-efficacy and knowledge of biliteracy instruction. Nine K through third-grade teachers responded to an online flyer, completed a demographics questionnaire, …

Head Start Teachers' Descriptions Of Inclusion, Lawanda Katrina Lovett-Cunningham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA Head Start program in Southeast Georgia, teachers were struggling to provide appropriate services to students with special needs (SWSN) in inclusive settings. The purpose of this study was to explore Head Start teacher descriptions of their roles and the barriers that inhibit implementation of inclusive education for SWSN. McKenzie and Zascavage’s model of inclusion formed the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions for this study addressed teacher descriptions of their roles and the barriers that inhibit the implementation of inclusive teaching strategies. A basic qualitative design was used to capture the insights of 12 purposefully selected …

Mediating Effects Of Self-Esteem And Sense Of Flourishing On The Relationship Between Social Network Addiction And Motivated Strategies For Learning, Debbie Denise Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study with college and university emerging adult undergraduates (N = 189) aged 18–24 tested the social learning and flourishing theory hypotheses, examining to what extent the relationship between social networking addiction (SNA) and student-motivated strategies for learning are mediated by self-esteem (M1) and a sense of flourishing (M2). Four instruments were used: the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Diener’s Flourishing Scale, and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. A nonexperimental cross-sectional quantitative parallel mediation research design to assess the literature implications indicated that emerging adults endure biopsychosocial damages when excessive, problematic, or addictive patterns in …

Civilian School Educators’ Perspectives Of Needed Supports For Military-Connected Early Childhood Students, Demetreia D Head Adderley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The support needed for military-connected children in civilian schools remains a largely unexplored subject. Military-connected children and their families face unique stressors due to the nature of military life and culture. The problem is that civilian educators are often unaware of the presence of military-connected students in their schools and of the academic and behavioral support these students require to be successful. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of educators concerning the support needed for military-connected early childhood students in civilian schools to be successful. The three research questions focused specifically on teachers’ perspectives on …

Parents’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Collaborative Relationships To Support Kindergarten Students’ Academic Achievement In Jamaica, Kasia Janae Archer-Howell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental involvement is a long-standing challenge that has impeded educational progress for students in the Caribbean region. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of parents and teachers about collaborative relationships that support kindergarten students' academic achievement in Jamaica. The parent and family intervention framework and the ecological systems theory served as the conceptual framework. Research questions addressed how teachers and parents think collaborative relationships can be established to support kindergarten students’ academic achievement in Jamaica and the perceptions parents and teachers have about benefits and barriers to collaborative relationships that support kindergarten students’ academic achievement …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perspectives On The Challenges Of Including Inclusive Literature And Implementing Culturally Informed Teaching Practices, Victoria Campbell Locane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though educators are being encouraged to use culturally informed teaching practices in early childhood classrooms with a focus on including culturally inclusive literature, due to homogenous classroom libraries and minimal training, early childhood educators are challenged to follow these practices. The purpose and research questions for this basic qualitative study explored early childhood educators’ perspectives of the challenges of these practices. Using current research and the conceptual framework of critical race theory in education, research and interview questions were developed. Ten early educators were interviewed using the developed interview protocol. Four themes emerged during open and axial coding that …

Early Childhood National Board Certified Teachers’ Perspectives On Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Gay Fitzgibbon Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many early childhood teachers feel increased pressure to prioritize academic rigor in their early childhood classrooms over student centered developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore early childhood National Board Certified Teachers’ (NBCTS) perspectives on the DAP and strategies they use that are consistent with DAP guidelines. The National Association for the Educators of Young Children guidelines for DAP served as the conceptual framework for the study. The research question focused on early childhood NBCTs’ perspectives on the practices and strategies they use that are consistent with DAP guidelines. A total of 10 …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Roles And Challenges With Inclusion, Nini Asheki Greenidge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany schools have employed inclusion practices as an instructional framework, meaning general and special educators are expected to coteach students with disabilities in the general education classroom. The research problem at the local study district was that inclusion as an instructional framework challenged the roles of general and special education coteachers as well as the students they were intended to benefit. The conceptual framework for this project study was the social constructivist theory. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to gain an understanding about inclusion as an instructional framework. The research questions addressed how the experiences of the …

Intrinsic Motivation Is Not Enough: Exploring The Decision To Pursue Promotion To Full Professor, Margaret Roberts

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The academic career path for tenure track faculty in most four-year universities in the United States allows those who earn tenure to make an individual choice about whether to pursue promotion to the rank of full professor. Limited research exists on the intrinsic motivators that individuals possess and draw upon to push past obstacles or challenges they encounter along their academic career journey. This study explored the role of intrinsic motivation in the decision of tenured associate professors to pursue promotion to full professor. Using a basic qualitative research design, this inquiry involved two in-depth interviews each with seven participants. …

Possible Paths Forward For A Practice-Based Teacher Education Centered On Justice, Joshua Harlan Karr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation seeks to address limitations of Practice-Based Teacher Education (PBTE) in relation to (1) narrow conceptions of practice and teacher learning, and (2) peripheralization of equity and justice. After aiming to understand the landscape of limitations in PBTE, this study situates itself within specific manifestations of these limitations that exist in common conceptualizations of teacher learning and practice-based pedagogies. To (re)emphasize the situated nature of practice and center equity and justice in PBTE, I theorize an expanded notion of teacher learning, develop design features for contextually situated pedagogies of practice (Grossman et al., 2009), and implement the design with …

A Generic Qualitative Study Of Primary Grade Reading Teachers' Challenges And Personal Teaching Solutions, Jennifer Lynn Nunes

Theses and Dissertations

Not all children enter school with the same skill set. Teachers of young children know this. Despite this, schools prescribe curriculum and pacing guides as well as assessments that may fit only a subset of students’ instructional levels. Teachers are left to determine the best way to meet the student and mandated requirements. Teachers from two elementary schools from a neighborhood area were interviewed about their perspectives and how they manage instructional expectations to help students learn grade level expectations.

The following research questions were addressed.1. How and why do teachers report adapting literacy instruction for students who are deficient …

Attachment And Creativity Focused Counseling Intervention For Parents And Adolescents Presenting With A Trauma History, Leah Merle Batty-Hibbs

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The central research question that informed this study asks: How do attachment and creativity focused counseling interventions encourage connection between an adolescent and their parent or caregiver? The research study centered on two mother and son dyads that participated in six weeks of a therapeutic intervention. The modality utilized an attachment and creativity focused approach created by the author. Data was collected through a post intervention semi-structured interview with the parent (adult). Data was transcribed and evaluated with an interpretive phenomenological approach. Six themes were identified by a team of researchers. The findings have implications for clinical practice with parents …

“I Had To Adapt To Continue Being A Student To The Best Of My Ability”: Identifying Occupational Therapy Students’ Processes Of Adapting To Academic Disruption, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck, Linda M. Olson

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In the wake of COVID-19, practitioners, educators, and students had to shift to virtual interactions while experiencing significant unknowns and valid fears. This project describes the lived experiences of 37 occupational therapy students who lived through this international pandemic examining their reflections of how occupational therapy theories and models of practice could inform approaches to adapt to the changing context of their lives. Narratives of students collected as part of routine educational assessments in an introduction to occupational therapy theory course were examined using methods of content analysis to understand the perspectives of students’ needs, supports, and mechanisms of adaption …

Using Peer Review To Improve English As A Second Language College Students' Writing Scores, Mengjie Wei

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of peer-review in college English as Second Language writing classes to improve ESL students’ writing scores. It also investigated a statistically significant difference in college ESL students’ writing scores between those who use the self-check list and peer review worksheet and those who only use the self-check list in writing paragraphs and essays. More specifically, this study was conducted to determine the influence of different areas on students’ English writing scores, i.e., format/content/structure, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. In addition, this study explored students’ attitudes and opinions on peer-review in writing class.

This …

Social Discourses On The Teacher Performance Assessment: Media Tales, Twitter Tweets And Leadership Surveys, Beryl Exley, Donna Pendergast, Frances Hoyte

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper explores the introduction of the new Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) for graduate teachers in Australia. We investigate how the broader discussion around TPAs has been understood by multiple agents during an eight-month period from January 2019 to August 2019. Data includes legacy media, social media tweets and a survey of school leaders. The analysis draws on Bernsteinian (1975) theory about the way particular social relations produce differing sentiments of social unity. While eschewing a strict binary, legacy media was characterised by a mechanical solidarity which promoted the TPA as akin to a test. Contributions to social media and …

University English Teachers’ Professional Development Through Academic Visits: Using Identity As A Theoretical Lens, Feng Ding, Rui Eric Yuan, Fiona Curtis

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Academic visitor programs aim to enhance university teachers’ teaching and research capacity and intercultural competence. Its impact, however, has remained under-researched. Using the data collected from two rounds of in-depth interviews with 13 Chinese university English teachers over a year and a half, this study explored their experiences as academic visitors in the UK through the lens of professional identity. Findings revealed that the participants came with various expectations and negotiated and constructed different identities during their academic visits. The participants’ developing identities in turn affected their investment in their professional development in their situated contexts. The study provides important …

Teacher Efficacy In High Performing Teachers: Barriers And Enablers For New Graduates, Dianne M. Toe, Lynette Longaretti

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teachers with a high sense of self-efficacy are more resilient to difficulties, experience greater job satisfaction and have higher expectations of their students. This study investigated teacher self-efficacy in high performing teachers at two points in their development: 1) as preservice teachers, halfway through their undergraduate degree using the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES) (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) 2) as new graduates through a qualitative interview focused on efficacy. These 24 teachers participated in the National Exceptional Teaching for Disadvantaged Schools program (NETDS) at Deakin University during their BEd (Primary) degree. They demonstrated lower self-efficacy than their peers in Efficacy …

Generalist Primary School Teachers’ Preferences For Becoming Subject Matter Specialists, James Russo, Ellen Corovic, Jane Hubbard, Janette Bobis, Ann Downton, Sharyn L. Livy, Peter A. Sullivan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Traditionally Australian primary school teachers have been viewed as generalists responsible for instruction across all content areas. Adopting self-determination theory as a lens, the aim of the study was to explore the extent to which generalist primary school teachers are interested in becoming subject matter specialists. Questionnaire data were collected from 104 early years primary school teachers. Findings suggest that two-thirds of these generalist teachers expressed an interest in specialising in either English, mathematics, and to a far lesser extent, science, such that they would be responsible for exclusively teaching this subject. Preferences for specialisation were based on teachers’ self-perceived …

Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences During An Annual Performance And Development Cycle, Kerry Elliott, John Hattie, Lorraine Graham

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this study, the perceptions and experiences of eighteen teachers across three primary schools in Victoria, Australia, were examined as they participated in an annual performance and development cycle, guided by the Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework. The study sought to investigate teachers’ experiences and perceptions of the cycle to understand the aspects perceived as valuable to these teachers. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were held with teachers at the beginning and end of each school’s annual performance and development cycle, and responses were thematically analysed. Findings suggest that school leaders perform a critical role in the …