Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Proactive Behavior Strategies To Reduce Challenging Behaviors Leading To Exclusionary Discipline, Katherine A. Graves, Lindsey Mirielli, Chad Rose

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Teachers face a persistent challenge of addressing problem behavior in schools, often leading to office disciplinary referrals (ODRs) and subsequent exclusionary discipline practices such as suspension or expulsion. Despite widespread use, these disciplinary measures have shown little effectiveness in enhancing school safety or addressing student behavior. However, teachers can play a crucial role in mitigating problem behavior by implementing proactive strategies. By adopting effective proactive approaches, teachers can reduce the frequency of ODRs and subsequently decrease reliance on exclusionary discipline, thereby minimizing the adverse immediate and long-term outcomes associated with such practices. The purpose of this paper is to provide …

Evaluation Of Educator Outcomes Of Teaching Social-Emotional Learning, Mindfulness, And Life Skills, Gary Mccarthy

Dissertations

There have been many studies documenting the benefits of social – emotional (SEL) instruction for students, but fewer on how teaching SEL curriculums may alleviate teacher burnout. I used a mixed methods research design to investigate the impact of teaching social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and life skills through The Leader in Me (LiM), a K-12 whole-school improvement model based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People on educators. The outcomes of surveys and interviews indicated that most educators in my study reported personal and professional benefits from teaching and modeling the program. My recommendations include further implementation of SEL, Mindfulness, …

The Impact Of Early Teacher Bias And Academic Risk On Children’S Current And Future Academic Achievement, Damira S. Rasheed

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The racial academic achievement gap continues to plague child academic outcomes in American public schools and teacher bias may be a contributing factor. Through the theoretical lens of critical race theory and the cultural synchrony hypothesis, this study contemplated how longstanding racism in the US may function to hinder the academic achievement outcomes of minority-race children. Moreover, cultural mismatches in the classroom between teachers and students may be associated with lower quality teacher-child relationships and perceived academic risk. A growing body of work has examined the association between teacher bias and child academic-risk factors—with risk defined by children’s sociodemographic characteristics …

“Community Thinking Spaces”: Exploring The Openings And Possibilities Of A School-Based Intergenerational Community Of Practice, Lucy A. Robins

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This exploratory case study examines the possibilities of creating generative, collaborative, intergenerational learning communities within a traditional public 6-12 school in the United States, as an antidote to the ideologies of adultism, systems of whiteness, and settler colonial logics. The study is situated within a single public school site, where I have been a science teacher and teacher leader for the past eight years. The school, which self-identifies as a “progressive” public school, serves to reify the history of schools as sites for control through what I term a “we know best” ideology. This ideology serves to dismiss and devalue …

Promoting Emergent Literacy In Preschool Through Extended Discourse: Covert Translanguaging In A Mandarin Immersion Environment, Robin E. Harvey, Kevin M. Wong

Education Division Scholarship

Rich oral language practices, including the opportunity and ability to participate in cognitively and linguistically challenging extended discourse, are foundational to early literacy development. To meet children’s needs in their first exposure to the languages of schooling, educators may engage students in extended discourse multilingually. The current study focuses on student-centered translanguaging conversations to examine strategies that preschool teachers employ to support young children’s emerging bilingual and biliteracy development in a Mandarin immersion preschool serving primarily nonheritage learners of Mandarin in the United States. Findings indicate that, despite the school’s Mandarin-only policy, teachers engaged in covert translanguaging practices to extend …

Archetypal Energies And Global Mental Health, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

As a keynote speaker at the Global Mental Health Conference 2024, held at Sophia University, Costa Mesa, CA, in-person and virtually, August 16-18, 2024, my topic was "Archetypal Energies As A Framework for Self-Empowerment and Well Being". The theme of this 2024 global conference was: Enlightened Minds, Compassionate Hearts, and Embodied Wisdom. To supplement my keynote address, I wrote this blog article titled "Archetypal Energies and Global Mental Health".

Beyond Gaming: Using Discord To Increase Communication In Your Courses, Christine I. Kugelmann, Carolyn Glasshoff

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Discord is a versatile, free communication platform that supports text, voice, and video interactions within customizable servers. This tutorial shows how to integrate Discord into educational settings, highlighting its ability to facilitate instantaneous communication and secure information sharing. By organizing course-related discussions into distinct channels, educators can enhance student engagement and collaboration. The platform’s compatibility with various devices, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops, ensures accessibility for all users. Additionally, Discord’s web-based option provides flexibility for those who prefer not to download the app. To comply with FERPA regulations, educators can set clear guidelines on the appropriate use of …

Coaching And Developing Non-Certified Instructional Staff In Key Literacy Practices, Holly Nicole Bigos

Masters Projects

Paraprofessionals are vital staff members of elementary schools that often provide small group instruction for struggling students to develop key literacy skills. Despite the critical contribution paraprofessionals can provide, schools often neglect to adequately train and develop these staff members to support students’ instructional literacy needs. This project explores the relevant history of paraprofessional staff in schools and the current need for increased development and support of these staff members. Additionally, modern sustainable solutions are explored to develop paraprofessional literacy knowledge and instructional skills for these vital staff members. Programming recommendations are grounded in adult learning theory, feedback and coaching, …

Policy, Practice, And Perceptions Of K-12 Social-Emotional Learning, Janice Filer, Ebony C. Cain, Della Thompson-Bell

Education Division Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of K-12 school staff who participate in social-emotional learning (SEL). Since the global pandemic, several school districts have included SEL as part of the school curriculum. Teachers, counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and school administrators participate in SEL instruction and/or practices. Classroom teachers instruct students in SEL instruction and other school staff practice the SEL components of self-awareness, self-management, decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills through their daily interactions with students. This study was conducted in various schools throughout the Los Angeles area using open-ended interview questions that utilized focus …

Figure Worlds: An Analysis Of The Untold Stories Of Female Teachers Of Color., Anetria B. Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of Black female teachers in a large urban school district, focusing on how these experiences shape their identities, influence their professional practices, and affect their retention in the profession. Despite the growing recognition of the importance of teacher diversity, Black female teachers often encounter unique challenges, including systemic racism, microaggressions, and a lack of support and resources. Through a narrative inquiry approach, this study amplifies the voices of nine Black female teachers, uncovering their stories and the complexities of their professional lives. Guided by Critical Race Theory and the concept of figured worlds, this …

Getting Better Faster: An Examination Of Instructional Specialist Role Clarity And Efficacy, Jasmine J. Scott

All Dissertations

An instructional specialist, sometimes also known as an instructional coach or curriculum specialist, plays a pivotal role in improving the quality of education. To fulfill the role of an instructional specialist, the educator must understand the expectations of their role and have the capacity to coach teachers. Effective coaching can play a significant role in leveling the educational playing field. Equitable instructional support requires acknowledging and addressing teachers' diverse needs and contexts (Desimone, 2009). This study is designed to capture and quantify the effectiveness of instructional specialists. This study addresses missing data gaps by providing data from instructional specialists on …

Examining Novice Teacher’S Perspectives On Mentoring Programs And Their Influence On Attrition, Lakeisha Ector

Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the perspectives of novice teachers on mentoring programs and their influence on attrition. Mentoring programs present opportunities for skilled educators to teach, sponsor, encourage and advise novices, improving their personal and professional development. The research determines whether mentoring and induction programs strengthen teacher efficacy and their influence on attrition rates. The study is rooted in constructivism, which seeks to develop an understanding and knowledge of individuals through their experiences and reflection. The research employs an inductive and deductive approach, facilitating pattern and theme identification. The study involves nine participants – novice teachers – from Martin-Ellison County …

Ideological Becoming During Student, Preservice Teacher, And First-Year Teacher Experiences, Holly Sheppard Riesco

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the first manuscript in Chapter 2, this study examines two teachers’ talk about literacy as they describe literacy events and practices throughout multiple contexts. Drawing the theoretical framework of discourse and literacy as a social practice, this research illustrates the potential ways these first-year English teachers talk and have talked about literacy during their time as English methods students to their student teaching experience in their current contexts. Findings illustrate that the teachers assimilated and adapted their literacy ideologies early but continued evolving their understanding of literacy across various contexts. Implications for teacher education include considering literacy events through …

Emailed Prompt Package To Increase Alternative School Educators’ Use Of Behavior Specific Praise, Chelsea Johnson

Dissertations

Alternative school educators are often placed in alternative education settings with minimal training or support to manage disruptive behaviors in the classroom. To combat this, school-based consultation may be provided to assist alternative school educators with classroom management strategies. However, face-to-face consultation may be limited due to the numerous responsibilities placed on school-based consultants. Behavior specific praise (BSP) is a strategy that is recommended, but often provided at low rates. To address these barriers, previous literature has examined the use of emailed prompts to increase treatment integrity, feasibility, and acceptability of a variety of evidence-based interventions. A concurrent multiple baseline …

“Oh, That’S Engineering?”: Complicating Black Women Educators’ Understanding Of Engineering Practices In Urban Elementary Schools, Brittany N. Anderson, Ginaya S. Littlejohn

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

In most teacher preparation programs, a focus on standards and curricula with STEM concepts, specifically engineering, are largely missing from the teacher licensure requirements. There have been few opportunities for teacher educators to teach, learn, and reflect on the nuanced complexities of STEM, specifically engineering concepts and practices in urban elementary schools. This university-school- community partnership, led by Black women, focused on the early exploration of STEM with high-ability/ gifted Black girls, caregivers, and their Black women educators. In this qualitative study, Black women teachers were able to disrupt assumptions and stereotypes of STEM, particularly in engineering, and identify challenges …

Sociocultural Environment And Agency In Identity Construction Of English Language Teachers, Bharat Prasad Neupane , Phd

The Qualitative Report

Identity is an emerging field in educational research focusing on how teacher education programs, training, reflective practices, and short-term interventions impact the identity negotiation of teachers (Gautam, 2018). However, this study reports how different levels of sociocultural environments influence teachers and what initiatives they take for professional development and identity construction. Drawing on Wenger’s (1998) notion of communities of practice and Norton’s (2013) investing, this study sought to uncover the interchange of the development of learning communities and teachers by investigating the life history of four secondary-level English language teachers derived through informal conversations and in-depth interviews. Teachers’ life stories …

Supporting 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency: Utilizing Paraprofessionals To Provide Literacy Intervention, Hayley Jacobs

Masters Projects

Being able to read on grade level by third grade is a standard across the United States for public school systems. With the current educational climate enduring a teacher shortage, the ability to provide consistent reading intervention is affected. Paraprofessionals are increasingly being hired to support these gaps, but are not provided with the necessary resources and professional development to employ quality reading intervention. This project will provide the framework of a professional development schedule with necessary resources for paraprofessionals to refer to and expectations for paraprofessionals and administrators when implementing it.

Spatial Mapping With Polaroid Post-Its, Angela C. Dittmar, Katie Claiborne

Arts-Based Collaborative instructional materials

No abstract provided.

Writing As (Self) Service And Witness: Exploring The Experience Of A Teacher Educator Writing Group, Sarah Donovan, Amy Vetter, Eileen Shanahan Phd

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Writing groups in teacher education typically focus on providing faculty, usually junior faculty, with a supportive environment to share their work and to help one another create publishable manuscripts and/or improve teaching practices. Writing groups, however, are also about engaging in the act of writing in both personal and professional ways alongside others. In this collaborative autoethnography, we explored how we, three ELA teacher educators, made sense of ourselves the world around us through a writing group focused on writing as self-service and witness. We portray this exploration in the form of a collage that pieces together our writing, transcripts …

Teacher Knowledge And Confidence Integrating Social Change Concepts In K–12 Classrooms, Amy White, Fran Reed, Tina Marshall-Bradley, Kathy Strang

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

The purpose of this survey research was to examine the perspectives of K–12 classroom teachers about their knowledge of social change concepts and their confidence in implementing these into their existing curriculum. A questionnaire was used to (a) examine the perspectives of K–12 classroom teachers about the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to implement social change concepts into their teaching and (b) define areas of social change that teachers struggle to implement in K–12 classrooms. We employed Wilcoxen signed rank tests to determine if differences existed between what teachers reported they knew and their confidence in integrating 11 social …

The Influence Of Misconceptions On Pedagogical Choices Of Secondary Science Teachers: An Embedded Case Study, Tracey Beyer

Dissertations

This case study, using phenomenography within science disciplines, examines how educators' experiences with misconceptions affect teaching methods in high school physics, chemistry, and biology. Based on constructivist and interpretive theories it highlights that personal experiences shape learning and involve continuously reconstructing knowledge. The shared misconceptions of 13 educators across science disciplines reveal how those experiences influenced both their content knowledge and instructional practices. The findings indicate that educators who openly acknowledge and learn from their past experiences with misconceptions are better equipped to recognize and address gaps in understanding, an asset to furthering student learning. This research highlights the importance …

Here’S Why You Should Use The Reflective Approach To Teaching Practicum Debriefing (Ratpd): Insights Into Its Usefulness, Benefits, And Challenges From Over A Decade Of Research., Mark Minott

Essays in Education

No abstract provided.

Safety In P–12 Engineering Courses Within The Southern United States, Tyler S. Love

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Engineering education programs, especially at the P–12 level, pose inherent legal and ethical responsibilities pertaining to safety that cannot be ignored. Cultivating safer practices and habits during the design and hands-on development of engineering solutions starts well before students enter higher education engineering programs. P–12 engineering education programs play a critical role in enhancing safety awareness, developing safer habits, and improving safety culture, which has an influence on the safety practices that students carry with them into higher education programs and the workplace. This study analyzed the safety factors and accident occurrences reported by 305 P–12 engineering educators from the …

Improving Cohesion Between General Education And Special Education Departments, Jacob Haugmo

Graduate Teacher Education

Cohesion between general education and special education departments is the idea of blending and aligning instructional methods and approaches regardless of educational discipline. This paper was written to examine how this cohesion can be improved. Educational leaders must improve cohesion between general education and special education departments to support the academic achievement and success of all students in schools. Through qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies, methods to improve this cohesion were researched. The research provided insight on how general education and special education teachers feel about collaboration and how collaborative efforts can be utilized to improve cohesion. These collaborative …

The Perception Of The Implementation Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy To Support Black Male Students In Mathematics – A Case Study, Chiquita Granville

Dissertations

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy is a method of education that promotes an inclusive and empowered learning environment by acknowledging and valuing students varied cultural origins. CRP is especially important for tackling the ongoing achievement discrepancies encountered by high school Black Male students in the context of mathematics instruction. This abstract emphasizes the value of culturally sensitive instruction in enhancing black male students' mathematics learning results and experiences.

This research will examine the difficulties faced by Black male students in Mathematics classes, including prejudice, a lack of cultural representation in the curriculum, and a lack of relevance between the subject matter and …

Digital Intelligence In Egypt’S K-12 Public Schools: Educators’ Perspectives, Mohammed Al Mousa

Theses and Dissertations

Technological integration has been a dominant feature of Egypt’s education recently, especially after the announcement of the Education 2.0 initiative, which aims to transform Egypt's education to digital-based and skill-based learning (UNICEF, n.d.), Ever since, public schools in Egypt started adopting technology into teaching practices through online classes, digital textbooks, e-learning platforms, and digital examinations. This educational transformation requires teachers and students to possess the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to become effective and responsible users of the transforming digital education system and the digital world in general, which are collectively known as Digital Intelligence (DQ). Despite the substantial role …

Cte Teacher Recruitment, Training, And Retention Toolkit: A Nationwide Search 2024, Lisa Martino, Sara Shaw

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This updated toolkit is a collaborative effort of ECMC Foundations research fellows from the University of Central Florida as well as U.S. academic experts with experience in postsecondary and secondary CTE teacher recruitment, training, and retention. The purpose is to create a digital toolkit of practical and proven strategies for the hiring and retention of quality postsecondary CTE teachers. This toolkit contains similar information from seven U.S. states and two U.S. territories regarding their CTE teacher policies and practices including lessons learned and best practices. By comparing similar information in a digital toolkit, CTE leaders and stakeholders have easily accessible …

Addressing The Importance Of Recruitment And Retention Of Black And Latinx Teachers: Strategies Designed To Diversify The Teacher Pipeline, Shavon Pittman

Dissertations

The United States student demographic has shifted significantly, with minorities, particularly Black and Latinx students, now constituting almost half. However, the diversity of the teaching profession, historically led by White females, lags behind, with Black and Latinx teachers comprising less than 30%. This lack of representation poses challenges for students without culturally similar educators. My research explores the impact of teacher diversity on Black and Latinx students' success, revealing positive outcomes. Yet, attracting and retaining minority teachers faces obstacles, including feelings of isolation and financial concerns. Recommendations include educational pathways, scholarships, mentoring programs, salary incentives, and professional learning communities to …

Impactful Digital Technology Coaches: Identifying Their Characteristics And Competencies While Delineating Their Role, Tiffany L. Gallagher, Catherine Susin, Arlene Grierson

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Digital technology coaches (DTCs) often support teachers with integrating technology into their classroom and instructional program, as well as provide ongoing staff development. To be effective, coaches tend to have specific characteristics for instructional coaching and competencies for educational coaching. We investigated if these characteristics and competencies applied to effective DTCs while we observed their proficiency with technology, their interactions with other educators, and the way they provide support for the teacher-professional learning (PL) process. Three DTCs led over 80 K–12 teachers from the same school district in classroom coaching sessions, collaborative planning meetings, PL sessions, and conference presentations. In …

Perceptions Of Pre-Service Teachers About Natural Disasters: Coronavirus, Earthquake, Fire, And Flood, Pınar Bozca, Eylem Yalçınkaya Önder

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This research explores the perceptions of preservice teachers in Turkey in terms of their preparedness for various disasters, including epidemics, earthquakes, fires, and floods, all of which have profound social and economic impacts on education. Using a descriptive survey model, the study examined the responses of 512 preservice teachers at a single university across all levels of their educational program. The survey, conducted digitally due to the pandemic, consisted of 70 questions. Findings reveal inconsistent levels of confidence and readiness across different types of disasters. For instance, while most preservice teachers understand the severity of the coronavirus and are concerned …