<p> The purpose of this study was to identify the obstacles faced and strategies used to overcome those obstacles by undergraduate teacher education majors who began their coursework at a community college and completed an Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree in teacher education. In this study, the questions asked of the participants touched on the experiences of two groups of seven individuals each, all of whom earned AAT degrees in teacher education. The AAT was initially developed to provide a seamless transfer from the community college to the 4-year college. An oversight council continues to oversee the implementation and efficacy of this degree. 1. One group of prospective teachers, who began their studies at a community college, earned their AAT degrees, and transferred to and graduated from a 4-year teacher education program, became certified, employed teachers. 2. The second group began their studies at a community college, earned their AAT degrees, and then discontinued the journey at some point after graduation from the community college. </p><p> Using the narrative inquiry approach of qualitative research, participants were interviewed, the interviews were transcribed, and the participants validated those transcripts. Analysis of the interviews revealed two major themes in the obstacles faced by participants (college conditions and struggles in their personal lives) and two themes in the strategies used to overcome those obstacles (seeking and accessing a support network and mining the grit within themselves). </p><p> A binary logistic regression was utilized to evaluate the effect of the obstacles (college conditions and struggles in their personal lives) on the participant&rsquo;s outcome (the participant became a certified, employed teacher or not becoming an employed, certified teacher). Results indicated that the greater the number of obstacles a student experienced, the lower the likelihood that student became a certified teacher. That effect was statistically significant for personal obstacles faced. However, the effects regarding the strategies utilized to overcome the obstacles were not significant. </p><p> Recommendations include addressing college instructors&rsquo; problematic interaction with students and the continuing difficulty with the transfer experience that the AAT was to address at its inception.</p><p>

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-05-04Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:42:14Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_vca_dr_rcla.pdf: 2433539 bytes, checksum: c959b16170041c199d1a4f00012ae2f1 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Neste trabalho estudamos o desenvolvimento de parte de um curso de formação continuada para professores de Matemática assentado em uma categoria da vida cotidiana, chamada tomada de decisão. A proposta desse curso envolve tanto tomada de decisão quanto categorias da matemática do matemático. A investigação que realizamos buscou responder à pergunta: como acontece um processo de formação profissional fundamentado numa categoria da vida cotidiana, qual seja, a tomada de decisão? Para nossa leitura, usando como referencial o Modelo dos Campos Semânticos, analisamos: entrevistas com professores de Matemática, prévias ao curso; atividades desenvolvidas pelos professores-alunos durante o módulo Tomada de decisão; entrevistas com professores-alunos do curso após o módulo Tomada de decisão; e ensaios produzidos pelos professores-alunos sobre o módulo Tomada de decisão. A partir de nossas leituras, apresentamos elementos – como descentramento, estranhamento e diferença – que julgamos importantes serem considerados e problematizados na formação de professores de Matemática / In this study we examine part of a development course for mathematics teachers, namely, the module based on a category of everyday life, decision making. Categories of the mathematics of the mathematician were also involved. The key question was: how does a course based on category of everyday life, for mathematics teachers, unfolds? The main theoretical reference was the Model of Semantic Fields; we analysed: pré-course interview with mathematics teachers (not taking the course), activities developed during the course, interviews with participants in the course and short essays produced as part of the assignments of the course. On the basis of these analyses we present and discuss notions ― key among them, those of decentering, strangeness and difference; we argue that those notions must be a central part in mathematics teacher education

<p> <b>Purpose.</b> The purpose of this study was to explore teacher leadership practice in an effort to understand how the behaviors of teacher leaders, and interactions among them, contribute to teacher and collective efficacy for the purposes of increasing student achievement and closing student achievement gaps. </p><p> <b>Methodology.</b> A grounded theory approach to qualitative research was used to establish a theoretical foundation among the constructs of teacher leadership, efficacy beliefs, and student achievement. Data were primarily collected through an examination of the perspectives of 33 formal and informal teacher leaders in a county in Northern California. </p><p> <b>Findings.</b> A theoretical framework called teacher leadership for efficacy and equity is proposed, which outlines direct and indirect pathways for teacher leadership to improve student achievement. Teachers who improve student achievement and close student achievement gaps through teacher and collective efficacy (a) focus on equity and improvements to teaching and learning; (b) take ownership over the learning of all students and speak positively about them; (c) build relationships with students and show they care; (d) take initiative, are positive, and go above and beyond; (e) collaborate, use data to inform practice, and share ideas and strategies; (f) learn, mentor, coach, and watch each other teach; (g) are flexible, adaptable, customize instruction, and try new things; and (h) experience and celebrate success and share success with others. These practices are guided and supported by shared leadership, collaboration, and school culture. </p><p> <b>Conclusions.</b> Existing teacher leadership research supports elements of Facets A, D, E, F, and G of teacher leadership practice. New findings include teacher leaders&rsquo; maintaining an explicit focus on equity (A), taking ownership over the learning of all students and speaking positively about them (B), building relationships with students and showing care (C), and experiencing and sharing success (H). New findings are supported by research in other areas. </p><p> <b>Recommendations.</b> Teacher leaders who impact student achievement should be considered teachers as well as leaders. Stronger attention should be paid to informal teacher leadership, teacher leadership practice, and fostering equity through teacher leadership. Recommendations include operationalizing this framework in quantitative studies, putting it into practice, and replicating the study in other contexts.</p><p>

<p> This mixed-methods study sought to explore the impact the role a mathematics curriculum coach has on teacher efficacy and instructional practice. </p><p> School systems across the country are being asked to do more with less money. At the same time, districts are faced with mathematics standards that require a new approach to instruction. In response to these issues, school districts are choosing to implement the role of a mathematics curriculum coach. As a result, the question is raised, &ldquo;are the funds utilized for math coaches being used effectively?&rdquo; This mixed-methods study compared two schools of similar makeup. School A employs a math curriculum coach, while School B employs a general curriculum coach. Through the use of a survey (MTEBI), curriculum coach journaling, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews, this study sought to answer three research questions: (a) What is the impact of the use of a math curriculum coach on teacher instructional practices in the area of math; (b) What is the impact of the use of a math curriculum coach on teacher perceptions of their instructional practice; and (c) What is the impact of the use of a math curriculum coach on teacher sense of self-efficacy? The survey was administered to all teachers at both schools with an overall response rate of 63.6%. The focus groups and interviews were a small random sample of teachers at each school who provided an in-depth view of their perceptions regarding the impact of the coaches on their instructional practice and self-efficacy as related to mathematics. The teachers had high levels of self-efficacy when teaching math and high outcome expectancy. These measures did not change over the period of the study. This study found that the math curriculum coach did have an impact on teacher instructional practices.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this research was to explore the nature of teachers&rsquo; experiences of burnout and teacher self-efficacy, and the relationship between these two constructs. Although the research has demonstrated a well-established relationship between burnout and teacher self-efficacy, the exact dynamic between these two constructs is open to debate (Skaalvik &amp; Skaalvik, 2010). Additionally, most of the existing research around burnout and teacher self-efficacy is quantitative. Therefore, this study investigated these two constructs qualitatively in order to gain a deeper understanding of the way teachers construct meaning about their experiences of burnout and how they feel, think, and explain their behavior based on their perceptions of their environment and beliefs about their abilities to be successful. </p><p> Using in-depth interviews, I conducted a multicase study of three New Hampshire middle school teachers based on the following three research questions: What meaning do three New Hampshire middle school teachers ascribe to their experiences of burnout and teacher self-efficacy? How are burnout and teacher self-efficacy manifested? How are burnout and teacher self-efficacy related? </p><p> I analyzed my results using the language and lens of audit. Audit refers to programs and technologies that aim to formalize accountability practices by focusing on standards and outcomes (Power, 1997, as cited in Shore &amp; Wright, 2000). The main premise is that the transplantation of financial accounting practices into fields such as education have redefined accountability and transparency, as well as undermined professional autonomy for teachers &ndash; all of which have unintended dysfunctional consequences (Shore &amp; Wright, 2015; Gill, 2009; Taubman, 2009), including burnout. By linking burnout to audit practices, I hope to move the educational psychology literature forward by historicizing and politicizing the cognitive constructs of burnout and teacher self-efficacy.</p><p>

<p>Visual art teachers, from beginning to veteran, often report experiencing feelings of professional isolation and a desire for content-specific support and collaborative professional learning experiences. Mentoring and Induction Programs (IPs) offered by schools and districts continue to fall short of meeting the needs of beginning visual art teachers in particular. There are a large number of visual art teachers in the state of California, especially in Los Angeles County, yet there are no visual art specific support networks for beginning visual art teachers to help them navigate their first years teaching. Collaborative learning groups, such as communities of practice (CoP), may offer visual art teachers opportunities to learn together and support one another in shared learning, yet none have been formally documented in Los Angeles County as a means of supporting novice art educators. The Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA has established a community of practice called the Teacher Induction Program (TIP) to support beginning science teachers with content-specific pedagogy during their first two years of teaching. Using the TIP as a framework, a visual art professional growth support community was outlined for this study based on the needs and concerns of visual art teachers reported throughout the literature. Beginning visual art teachers in Los Angeles County were interviewed to help the researcher better understand their existing and desired supports, as well as their individual needs and concerns as new teachers. The visual art CoP was proposed to them to elicit feedback about its anticipated values (immediate, potential, applied) based on their lived experiences as first or second year PK-12 public school visual art teachers in Los Angeles County.

abstract: This study collected and examined information on K-12 teachers currently involved in online education in the United States. The purposes of this study included defining the demographics of these teachers, determining the extent to which they were formally educated and/or trained to teach online, and to compare these findings to those from a similar study conducted six years earlier. A web-based survey, including questions in both open and closed form, was used to gather data from 325 participants currently teaching at least one online class at publicly funded K-12 online schools nationwide. Survey questions covered the following six domains: a) personal demographics, b) educational background and experience, c) pre-service training, d) in-service training, and e) current online teaching assignments. The results of this study indicate that those currently teaching online to K-12 students have demographic characteristics that are similar to face-to-face teachers, particularly in terms of gender, age, and ethnicity/race; however, the online teachers generally had higher levels of educational attainment, more years of teaching experience, and were significantly more likely to teach on a part-time basis. It was found that teachers working with K-12 students online are self-motivated, place a high value on learning and education, and enjoy the challenge and process of using technology for this purpose. Based on findings, only a limited number of university-based teacher preparation programs address any aspect of the methods and techniques required for teaching online, and even fewer offer online field placement opportunities for pre-service teachers. For the most part, current online teachers were found to have received training after graduation, while working in the field. Further research is needed to specifically define and empirically validate the methods and techniques required for effective online teaching at the K-12 levels so that formal educational and training programs can be further developed to effectively prepare future K-12 online teachers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Technology 2014

<p> The compounding experiences of colonial miseducation of youth of color, neoliberal policies and logics in urban communities, colonial logics that render the role of spirituality in social movements as invisible, and adultism in legal and social institutions constrain the transformative possibilities of youth agency in social movements. This study explored (a) how educators working in youth movements can build a decolonizing paradigm and practice for transformative organizing and (b) new paradigmatic interventions and theoretical directions that can help inform a transformative youth organizing approach. The research was conducted through a decolonizing interpretive research methodology (Darder, 2015a) and utilized the interrelated lenses of critical pedagogy and decolonizing pedagogy, in order to gain a historicity of scholarly discussions about the logics of coloniality, social movement theories, and youth-organizing frameworks across various texts. By utilizing the decolonizing interpretive methodology and decolonizing and critical pedagogy theoretical frameworks, this study found that a decolonizing social movement framework for transformative youth organizing calls for (a) creating counterhegemonic havens that create solidarity spaces between youth and adults; (b) building authentic revolution through communion between youth and adults, community-building, and communion with indigenous peoples and the Earth; (c) cultivating a sense of love that sustains community bonds to facilitate healing; (d) promoting healing through engaging in dialectics and dialogue; and (e) creating opportunities for agency and creation to implement the praxis of transformative youth organizing. The findings support the need for adults seeking to authentically be in solidarity with youth to engage in transformative justice practices that help communities collectively heal from colonial violence and engage in a counterhegemonic praxis of creating new transformative and liberatory possibilities in communities. </p><p>

<p> Although a great deal of research exists regarding various components of the Writing-Based Practice along with best practice of writing instruction, the research that does exist only examines how writing instruction impacts writing. This research study, however, examined whether there is a potential connection between a writing immersion program, the WBP, and growth in both social and emotional awareness. Specifically, the purpose of this Mixed Methods Triangulation Design-Convergence Model (Denzin, 1970; Creswell, Plano Clark, et al., 2003) was to investigate the potential relationship that may exist between the Writing-Based Practice and social and emotional awareness in adolescents.</p><p> The study consisted of the following method of data collection for two-hundred and forty-one eighth-grade students: questionnaires and six case studies which involved interviews, observations, and collecting artifacts. This study was conducted at a suburban middle school in southeastern Pennsylvania. All the parents of the eighth-graders were asked to sign a consent form to allow their child to participate. I surveyed only those students whose parents gave permission. Case study participants were selected based on PSSA 2014/2015 results. Data analysis employed the SPSS software to help analyze the quantitative portion of the study while coding. All qualitative data analysis was conducted by the researcher using conventional and summative content analysis. I trained a second coder for each child in the case studies reliability.</p><p> Results indicated there was sufficient evidence indicating statistically significant positive change for group interaction, risk-taking, and self-perception when exposed to the WBP over the course of the school year. Additionally, there was sufficient evidence to conclude positive change on both creative and analytical writing style when exposed to the WBP over the course of the school year.</p><p> For students to be successful in college and career, social and emotional skills are essential. This research fills a gap in the literature because there is nothing that addresses this problem. If, in fact, the WBP infrastructure does promote social and emotional growth, while also improving writing skills, it is relevant because not only will the students be better prepared for college, career and beyond, they will also grow through self-reflection.</p><p>

<p> This dissertation explores how pre-service teachers conceptualize the relationship between justice and practice, and then navigate the tensions of their student teaching context to enact their beliefs in their teaching practice. Starting from the assumption that all teachers must understand how their practice challenges rather than reproduces inequities, this proposal&rsquo;s theoretical framework explicates four elements of a social justice educator: an orientation towards justice, a critical frame for understanding the relationship between macro-level structures and micro-level interactions, and conceptual and practical tools to live this in one&rsquo;s practice/praxis. A literature review of Social Justice Teacher Education (SJTE) and Practice-based Teacher Education (PBTE) along these four dimensions suggests complementary possibilities for facilitating the preparation of social justice educators. The qualitative study, leveraging practitioner research methodologies, how pre-service teachers developed the conceptual and practical tools of social justice educators. Findings pre-service teachers suggest that pre-service teachers varied in their conceptualizations of how teachers acted towards more just outcomes, and in their relation of their teaching aims to the real world. Additionally, pre-service teachers responded to tensions they countered in their particular school context by planning and enacting units of instruction that fulfilled their teaching aims, responded to the contextualized tensions, reflected their conceptualizations of justice, and met their students&rsquo; needs.</p><p>