Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Sometimes There Is More To Reading Than Reading!, Paul Freeman Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Editorial

Lessons Learned: Considerations For Enhancing Principal Preparation Programs With Inclusive Special Education Practices, Ellen G. Casale, Stacy Leggett

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Western Kentucky University has a long-standing history in preparing principals. Recognizing the ever-growing importance of explicit training in supporting students with disabilities, we applied for and received a minigrant from the Kentucky Excellence in Educator Preparation to enhance our curriculum to address this need. In this article, we provide an overview of the context for this need and provide considerations for principal preparation programs considering enhancing their own curricula. Implications are provided.

What Are We Teaching Our Nation’S Ag Teachers? A Synthesis Of Agriculture Content Courses In All U.S. Agricultural Education Bachelor’S Degree Programs., Alex Jennings

ATU Scholars Symposium

In the United States, there exists a multitude of universities that offer Agricultural Education programs. This project aligned with the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE) research value Advanced Public Knowledge of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) Systems by contributing to education efforts aimed to analyze the quantity of content coursework curriculum required in Agricultural Education degrees across the nation (AAAE, 2023). The purpose of this descriptive synthesis was to use descriptive data to frame the agriculture content coursework for all US bachelor’s programs using each Universities most recent degree plan found on their website. The frame of universities’ …

Why We Stay - Considering The Past, Contemplating The Present, And Suggestions For The Future, Joelle Mcintosh, Erika S. Johnson

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the complex teaching landscape through historical and contemporary lenses, exploring the various societal changes and challenges that have shaped teacher motivations over the decades. The researchers use autoethnography and duoethnography methodologies to explore two educators' personal and professional lives, highlighting their resilience and adaptability amid evolving educational demands and societal pressures. These educators' narrative journeys and dialog reveal the deeply personal and contextual nature of teaching, underscoring the importance of identity, cultural background, and the ability to find joy and fulfillment despite challenges. This research sets the stage for a reflective and insightful exploration of the teaching …

Connecting Culturally Relevant And Sustaining Education Competencies In Teacher Preparation Programs To The Experiences Of Mixed-Race Learners In K-12 Settings: A Mixed Methods Study, Marissa Wallace

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Mixed-race individuals are increasing in number within the United States population. There is limited research on mixed-race learners in K-12 school settings. This study delves into the unique educational experiences of this group of learners and provides implications for future teachers. With a focus on the Pennsylvania Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education (CR-SE) competencies, the researcher incorporates the competencies into course work and field experiences for pre-service teachers taking a course focused on literacy instruction and intervention. Quantitative, pre- and post- surveys, and qualitative data, open-ended responses, observations, and end of semester reflections were collected from pre-service teachers. Qualitative data, …

Assessing Higher Order Thinking In The New Jersey Social Studies Standards For Grades K-8 By Using Artificial Intelligence (Ai), Connie Sanchez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

New Jersey consistently ranks as one of the top-performing states in the country when it comes to education. Most recently, it was ranked third in the nation. A look at the state standards in any subject shows the state works diligently to vertically align standards while also challenging students in order to better prepare them for the future and to be able to live in a global society. It is evident in looking at the New Jersey Department of Education’s standards that the planning they do is performed with an eye toward the future. The social studies standards are no …

Exploring Entrepreneurial Intention And Subjective Beliefs: A Comparative Analysis Of General Education Schools And Commercial Schools, Julia Riess, Bettina Fuhrmann, Gerhard Geissler

International Journal for Business Education

This study examines the entrepreneurial intentions of Austrian secondary school students, specifically comparing students from commercial schools with those from general education schools. We analyzed 2,329 data sets and found that subjective beliefs, primarily behavioral and control beliefs, significantly influence entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, demographic factors such as gender, language, acquaintance with entrepreneurs, and school type play a significant role in explaining the variance in entrepreneurial intentions.

Our detailed analysis shows that students from commercial schools have stronger entrepreneurial intentions and subjective beliefs. Particularly notable are the differences in behavioral beliefs, where students from commercial schools find all aspects of …

Who Cares?! Fostering Inclusive And Empowering Environments For Black Students In Predominantly White Institutions: Strategies For Retention And Cultural Engagement, Joel Mandell Stancer, Danielle Allen, Angela Haywood-Gaskin, Kelly Atkins, Rhonda Lingard, Kuriston White-Dunlap

Dissertations

This research focuses on the critical components of caring relationships and how they relate to first-generation Black students’ achievement in higher education. It will reveal how staff-led collegiate programming could benefit first-generation Black college students by allowing them to establish caring relationships and mentorships that allow them to construct a solid support system that is easily accessible to them from the moment they begin college until graduation.

Using data collected from interviews with current college students enrolled in a retention program at a PWI (Predominately White Institution) and in connection with a conceptual framework informed by theorists Nel Noddings, Vincent …

Upstarts T3: An Asynchronous And Cohort-Based Entrepreneurship Train-The-Trainer Program, Surin Kim, Maria Rosario T. De Guzman, Kieu-Anh Do, Irene Padasas, Claire Nicholas, Olivia Kennedy, Anna Erdmann, Andy Larson

Journal of Extension

UpStarts is a reverse-mentoring youth program designed to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among participants and a sense of connection between youth and adults. Effective facilitators are critical to the success of the program. This paper describes an asynchronous, cohort-based virtual train-the-trainer (T3) program for potential UpStarts facilitators that was developed to navigate the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic. Participants of the initial UpStarts T3 program reported positive feedback for the training and a high sense of efficacy in implementing UpStarts in their communities. The current T3 model is emerging as a promising means of preparing facilitators to implement UpStarts …

Leadership Tools To Support The Transformational Leadership Style, Emily P. Haire, Dr. Catherine E. Barrett, Dr. Ashley C. Johnson, Dr. Bradley Mills

Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research

The lives of many have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (Dumulescu & Mutiu, 2021). In higher education, students, professors, instructional aids, and other school staff were sent home from institutions to protect health and safety. There became an immediate need for clear, straightforward leadership to guide and lead higher education students and professionals through these unprecedented times, and amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, transformational leaders have been effective in changing the world of higher education institutions. This paper will explore the findings of effective leadership styles for individuals after going through a global pandemic.

Career Technical And Agricultural Education Teachers In Rural Schools: Perceptions Of Leadership Abilities, Professional Support, And Overall Job Satisfaction Following Participation In A Teacher Leadership Professional Learning Community, Tasia Ellis

Dissertations

Career Technical Education (CTE), including Career Technical Agricultural Education (CTAE) in Georgia, are experiencing difficulty retaining quality teachers. This problem is exacerbated in rural communities, which have a smaller workforce pool and fewer nearby colleges to certify CTE/CTAE teachers (Morton, 2021). A potential solution to offset teacher retention concerns is teacher leadership. When teachers are given opportunities to take on leadership roles, they are likely to feel more valued and experience increased self-efficacy and perceptions of ability (Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009). The purpose of this phenomenographic study was to examine whether a teacher leadership Professional Learning Community (PLC) enhanced teachers' …

Narrative Research: You Did What With Technology? Exploring Student Narratives Of Technology At A Research-Based University In The Southwest, Alma M. Sanchez

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This qualitative study examined the impact of high school instructional technology on college students' academic strategies. It examined the historical and modern advancements of technology in education, uncovering significant milestones in technology integration within classrooms in the United States. Using a narrative inquiry approach grounded in John Dewey's philosophy of experience, it centered on the narratives of students in their second and third semesters of college. The study highlighted the gap in understanding students’ personal experiences with technology and emphasized the role their narratives play in shaping future technology integration strategies.

The methodology involved utilizing digital surveys and online semi-structured …

An Evaluation Of The Factors That Lead To The Development Of Deferential Interactions Between Teachers And Students, Shondra Browne-Bolton

Dissertations

Schools have historically maintained a hierarchy with an expectation that students show deference. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors that caused students to treat teachers disrespectfully. This mixed-methods inquiry included K-12 teachers and administrators who responded to a social media post and participated in surveys and interviews. Based on my findings, the factors that led to the development of deferential interactions between teachers and students included establishing trusting relationships, reciprocated respect, clear schoolwide behavior expectations, positive communication with parents, and teachers' professional dress. My recommendations were for establishing clear schoolwide behavior expectations, for school districts to …

Addressing The Teacher Shortage: School-Sponsored Alternative Teacher Certification Programs, Briana Renee Pepke Herr

Masters Projects

The ongoing teacher shortage in America has created an unprecedented demand for high-quality educators. To address this challenge, the establishment of school-sponsored or company-sponsored alternative certification programs is necessary. These partnership initiatives should involve assigning school or company employees as coaches to candidates, facilitating bi-weekly in-person and online coaching sessions to enhance instructional practices, and offering constructive coursework feedback. The primary objective is to equip aspiring alternatively certified teachers with essential skills, ensuring they are highly qualified while receiving ongoing support. This project highlights the need for school-sponsored alternative certification programs in producing highly qualified teachers capable of meeting the …

An Exploration Of The Role Of Alternative Certification Programs In Teacher Preparedness, Bianca Dugas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alternative certification programs (ACPs) recently gained popularity due to their brevity and appeal to second-career candidates. However, research shows that alternatively certified teachers often need more pedagogical skills than traditionally certified teachers, leading to the possibility of experiencing challenges their first year as an educator. To address this problem, the role of ACPs in teacher preparation was investigated to identify ways to close the gaps and provide ongoing support to alternatively certified teachers. The purpose of this study was to explore the preparedness of teachers based on their experiences in their ACPs. The study was framed within Malcolm Knowles’s adult …

A Qualitative Descriptive Study Exploring The Perceptions Of New Teacher Induction Supports, Tonya P. Dixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of novice teachers leaving the profession in the first few years of their career represented a global issue and an increased attrition rate. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the perceptions of novice U.S. teachers and effective systemic supports provided to new teachers through the lens of social capital. For this study, the intangible components of social capital emerged through the development and fostering of mentoring relationships in an induction program. The methodology used was a qualitative descriptive study using a survey, interviews, and thematic analysis of the survey and interview data collected. The …

Improving Educational Delivery And Content In Juvenile Detention Centers, Yomna Elmousalami

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Students in juvenile detention centers have the greatest need to receive improvements in educational delivery and content; however, they are one of the “truly disadvantaged” populations in terms of receiving those improvements. This work presents a qualitative data analysis based on a focus group meeting with stakeholders at a local Juvenile Detention Center. The current educational system in juvenile detention centers is based on paper worksheets, single-room style teaching methods, outdated technology, and a shortage of textbooks and teachers. In addition, detained students typically have behavioral challenges that are deemed "undesired" in society. As a result, many students miss classes …

Global Strategies For Addressing Communication Disorders In Justice-Involved Youth, Sophia Martinez, Anne Marie Perrotti, Brooke Baker, Allison Chappell

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Throughout all stages of processing, most juveniles who encounter the justice system demonstrate cognitive-communicative difficulties (CCDs). Empirical evidence reveals that 19-22% of female and 28-38% of male youth offenders, culminating in approximately 50-60% of youth offenders, demonstrate language disorders that require intervention, but most have never received services (Snow et al., 2014; Winstanley et al., 2021). Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are communication experts certified to assess and treat CCDs. While nations abroad recognize the value of SLP involvement in all stages of processing for justice-involved youth (JIY), America lags in utilizing SLPs to improve JIY outcomes and lower youth's risk of …

From The Editors, Michele H. Koomen, Thomastine A. Sarchet-Maher, Jessica Williams

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

JSESD remains a venue for the dissemination of research and practice related to the education of students with disabilities in the science classroom and laboratory since 1998. Volumes #1 through 11 were published in a print format. Starting with Volume #12, the journal has been published online and Open Access. Having JSESD in the Open Access format maximizes access for readers and authors and allows the journal to remain economically sustainable. JSESD is proud to now be publishing articles in both PDF and HTML formats (the HTML versions can be accessed through a link from the main articles’ web-page).

Leading Horses To Water During A Pandemic: Assuring Communication Learning For "Quants", Thomas Hall

International Journal for Business Education

Students who are attracted to quantitative disciplines of study can be reluctant to devote much attention to the important task of communicating, and previous research (Hostager, 2018) has identified statistically significant differences in learning approaches by major among undergraduate business students. This paper presents results of learning assurance for writing skills (direct measures) even when the content of the course relates to the highly quantitative topics of data analytics and finance. The approach combines various pedagogical methods in an undergraduate, writing-intensive setting: traditional testing but in an iterative framework, “flipped classroom” intensive work using spreadsheet software, repeated submission of brief …

An Argument For Expanding Research On Quantitative Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Randall E. Groth

Numeracy

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) traditionally has been used in research concerning prospective and practicing classroom teachers. This essay argues that PCK is also relevant to other professions including those advancing quantitative reasoning (QR). To illustrate, the case of PCK for teaching QR is considered. Those in fields such as public health, journalism, meteorology, and government increasingly find themselves responsible for helping the public understand an ever-growing amount of quantitative information that has a bearing on societal well-being. Several examples illustrate how such professionals’ responsibilities require knowing prevalent QR patterns in society, strategies for fostering sound reasoning, and the general nature …

Enhancing Teachers’ Tpack And Self-Efficacy Through Content-Based Technology Professional Development, Chloe Wilson

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the impact of content-based instructional technology on teacher’s TPACK, specifically the technology related knowledge domains, and instructional technology self-efficacy. Demographic data was compared for correlations with TPACK or self-efficacy ratings. Additionally, the professional development model was evaluated by gathering teacher perceptions. A pre- and post-intervention survey was conducted to gather TPACK, self-efficacy, and perceptions of professional development. Findings were consistent and built upon previous research. Teachers experienced growth in all TPACK technology knowledge domains and displayed increased instructional technology self-efficacy ratings. Additionally, suggestions from previous research regarding best practices for …

Sharing Stories Of Development: How School Leaders Perceive Developing A Trauma-Informed School, Mandy L. Cyr

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This narrative inquiry explored how educational leaders perceive the development of a trauma-informed school. A trauma-informed school acknowledges the impact of trauma and responds by integrating effective practices, programs, and procedures to build resilience. The problem addressed by this study is, with rising numbers of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), school staff lack targeted skills to help students mitigate trauma. Further, this qualitative study fills the gap in literature by providing the lived experiences of educational leaders in developing trauma-informed schools. Through narrative research, semistructured interviews which lasted up to 60 minutes were individually conducted with five educational leaders who …

Curricula As Ideology: A Study Of Cultural Representations In Arabic As A Foreign Language (Afl) Textbooks, Zakaria Fahmi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examines cultural representations in two widely used AFL textbook series, namely Al-Kitaab and Arabiyyat al-Naas. Fundamentally, three main issues motivate this study: (1) the cultural politics of language textbooks underlying the construction and dissemination of cultural knowledge and its prioritization of the latter on grounds of subjectivity, ideology, and power, (2) the politicization of Arabic as a foreign language (AFL) in light of the post 9/11 language advocacy, and (3) the prevailing standard language ideology of al-Arabiya al-fuṣħaa (العربية الفصحى) and the pedagogical challenges posed by Arabic diglossia. The data comprise five textbooks from the aforementioned series, …

Educator Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy And Preparedness To Work In High Poverty Schools, Kristen Carroll, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer, Marlynn Griffin, Taylor Norman, Summer Pannell, Mary Josephine Carney

School Leadership Review

This study examined the perceptions of educators to determine if they felt that they were adequately prepared to teach in a high poverty school setting. The participants, educators from four school districts, completed a survey based on their perceptions of their own level of self-efficacy and preparedness to work in high poverty schools. The analyses indicated that, overall, educators felt well-prepared with limited supporting evidence to work in high poverty schools in the areas of student learning and engagement, which included curriculum and pedagogy, differentiation, and assessment. Findings further indicated a need for professional learning so educators can best support …

Cultivating Massachusetts Public Elementary School Formal Teacher-Leadership, Amy Mitchell

Educational Studies Dissertations

In Massachusetts public elementary schools, teaching and leadership roles are perceived as mutually exclusive rather than interwoven. Despite credentials that would recognize Massachusetts public elementary school teachers as leaders beyond their classrooms, the leadership frame of reference attests that those who have the position, power and authority to lead (e.g., superintendents, directors, principals) are the leaders of schools and school districts. Because of this, the prospect of an expanded pathway for formal public elementary school teacher-leadership is challenged and there is a dearth of literature pertaining to formal teacher-leadership practices in public elementary schools. This study sought to understand this …

A Phenomenological Study On The Effectiveness Of Induction Programs To Prepare Second- And Third-Year Teachers To Meet The Needs Of All Students After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mary Henschel

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative descriptive study was to identify and describe how second- and third-year elementary school teachers who participated in induction programs perceived the efficacy of the induction programs in preparing them to design and implement effective instructional programs to meet the needs of all students after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative descriptive study explored and described second- and third-year teachers participating in induction programs to learn how the induction programs support new teachers after the COVID-19 pandemic. Using convenience sampling, structured interviews were held with 12 participants from Los Angeles County to learn …

Teaching In A Kenyan Refugee Camp: A Critical Ethnography Of The Impact Of Teacher Preparation And Cultural Experience On Pedagogy, James Adiok Mayik

Dissertations and Theses

This research involved an investigation of the classroom experiences of formally unprepared refugee teachers in Kakuma Refugee camp. The purpose was to understand how refugee teachers with no preservice preparation in accordance with the standards of Kenya Teacher Service Commission (TSC) perceive and interact with pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and cultural relevancy in their daily classroom experiences with students in a refugee camp-based school in Kenya. What informed this study was the view that refugee teachers bring with them their respective and diverse cultural knowledge--ontology, epistemology, and axiology. To gain better understanding of the experiences and perspectives of these educators, …

The Real Experts: Understanding Autism And Adhd Through The Lens Of The Individual, Mary Little

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation aims to spark intentional conversation and change geared towards shattering stigmas around the autistic and ADHD experience. Attendees will enhance their understanding of neuro-divergent populations in order to modify environments and provide interventions aligning with trauma informed care and inclusion. Attendees will also be given the opportunity to embrace the power of self disclosure and mentorship.

Engaging Teacher-Student Relationships With All Students, Jess Teal

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Positive teacher-student relationships are essential for a safe classroom that promotes academic achievement and social/emotional development for all children. Teachers need specific practices and resources to support them in establishing positive teacher-student relationships with all their students. All students deserve a consistent adult connection and to call school a safe place to learn and grow.