This study explores how art instruction can be used to help students engage with important problems that matter to them and thereby adding personal value within a holistic education experience. Through a two-week-long curriculum composed of eight two-hour classes, the researcher deeply examined the journeys of growth that three students underwent as they were exposed to new art-making techniques and ideas, with an emphasis on the meaning behind individual art creation. The researcher found that all three students showed growth that extended beyond art-making itself to help them develop as independent problem solvers. As an action research study, this study also allowed the researcher to reflect on her own journey as an art teacher and examine how she could improve her teaching methods to facilitate the practical application of art learning into problem solving.

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A substantial body of literature has examined teacher induction programs. Previous research has highlighted program characteristics, associated activities, and the impact on issues such as retention and student achievement. However, little research has examined the potential for induction activities to go beyond meeting the most basic short-term needs of novices and instead create the meaningful learning opportunities that lead to sustained growth. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis, this multi-case study describes the induction experiences of five second-year middle-grades STEM teachers prepared in an urban teacher residency program. Participants completed a two-year induction program, during which they received induction support from their school, district, and residency program. This research describes the induction supports (e.g., mentoring, professional development, formal induction course, and action research group) available to the participants and the utility ascribed to each of these supports by the teachers. Using Cochran-Smith and Lytle’s theories of teacher learning (1999; 2001) as the theoretical framework, the research examines how induction supports facilitate pathways to teacher learning. Additionally, this framework serves to identity how different induction supports position teachers along the continuum from users to generators of knowledge. The individual cases underscore that participants had access to induction supports that created opportunities for them to be users, co-creators, and generators of knowledge. The participants did report some appreciation for these latter approaches and a positive impact on their practice and growth; however, the participants ultimately favored supports that were more prescriptive. While these supports did not necessarily contribute to their growth, they met their needs at the time and, ultimately, that is what mattered most. / Urban Education

This 3-month long, participatory-action research study with 19 college freshmen exposed students to children's literature selections hoping to initiate dialogue on social justice. The following questions guided the study: 1) How do students in a freshman writing course at a small, private liberal arts college initially perceive social justice? 2) How will critical reading of children's literature texts impact students' perceptions of social justice? 3) How do students self-identified as preservice teachers differ from the remainder of class members in relation to the first 2 questions? Data included 152 short narratives, 19 long narratives, field notes of the primary researcher and the student research assistant, and a group interview transcript. Findings included the following themes: a) Students and teachers should interact dialogically on their own cultural backgrounds as they consider their social justice perceptions; b) It is possible to go beyond the "tunnel" vision of prejudice and see "difference" as a positive attribute; c) All students, but particularly preservice teachers, need to wrestle with how they "fit" into a larger world context and teacher education should provide this critical opportunity; d) Personal, critical reflection on texts and discussion within a caring, secure environment can foster change; and e) Students embrace change as they hope to avoid becoming "stagnant." The findings serve to explicate the research theories on building caring classroom communities (Noddings, 2003), transformational learning opportunities (Hooks,1994; Villegas & Lucas, 2002), the use of text to drive change (Rosenblatt, 1995; Trites, 1997; Vandergrift, 1993; Zipes, 2001), and the value of dialogue on social justice topics to preservice teachers and others (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995; Lowery, 2002; Marshall & Oliva, 2006). / Ph. D.

The process of teacher evaluation has often been less than satisfying for both teachers and administrators. Educational literature dealing with teacher evaluation shows that it is frequently a rote procedure with little or no benefit for the people involved. In this study, the researcher used the action research process to design, implement, and evaluate a new system of teacher evaluation and development in St. Anne's Catholic School. Twenty teachers of the twenty-two member faculty participated in the two-year study. Together, the teachers and administrator examined the original system of evaluation and then devised a new system. They put the new process into effect, critiqued it, and revised it. The administration and faculty learned that teacher evaluation can be more meaningful if teachers are involved in its planning, given a choice of evaluation methods, and evaluated consistently throughout the school year. / Ed. D.

This case study described how a team of teachers, students, a parent, and a principal applied action research to study issues in an alternative school for at-risk students. The literature review indicated that action research could be used for school renewal, school reform, and educational change. The purpose of this study was to (1) describe the action research process followed, (2) study the role of the principal in the action research process, and (3) observe the interactions of the participants in an action research team. A case study methodology and a participant -observer technique was used in an action research team as the forum for implementing the process. The researcher in this single case study was the principal of the school. Data collection documents were field notes of the researcher, journals of the participants, and transcribed notes from interviews of selected participants. Data was sorted into bins for analysis of recurring patterns and convergence of themes across different data sources. / Ed. D.