<p> Current test data reveal that in every state, at every grade level tested, school-aged males are scoring lower on reading assessments than their female counterparts. Given the instrumental role of the elementary reading teacher and the data documenting growing male underachievement, this quantitative study investigated the relationship between preservice teachers' knowledge and beliefs and sense of efficacy for reading instruction for boys. </p><p> The quantitative study involved 97 participants enrolled in Texas A&amp;M University-Corpus Christi's student teacher program during the Fall semester of 2012 and the Spring semester of 2013. Participants were distributed among the three elementary level Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies degree programs: Bilingual, Early Childhood, and Reading. Descriptive data provided the information for this study as it related to what the student teachers knew about reading instruction for boys, what they believed about reading instruction for boys and whether, in effect, these aligned with their sense of self-efficacy as it related to boys and reading instruction. </p><p> Three instruments were administered: Knowledge About Boys and Reading Instruction Survey (KBRI), Beliefs About Boys and Reading Instruction Survey (BBRI), and the Teacher Sense of Efficacy for Boys and Reading Instruction Survey (TSEBRI). Data were analyzed using frequency distribution and multiple regression analysis. </p><p> Multiple regression analyses concluded that there was a statistical relationship between the preservice teachers' depth of knowledge and their teacher sense of efficacy for literacy instruction for boys. No statistical significance was found in looking at the relationship between the student teachers' beliefs about boys and reading and their teacher sense of efficacy. </p><p> Results indicate that the student teachers' perceptions concerning their sense of efficacy in regard to reading instruction for boys were more consistent and had higher associations with their knowledge about the subject than did the student teachers' beliefs about boys and reading and reading instruction. These findings suggest that student teachers' depth of knowledge and traditional beliefs about gender have important implications for teacher educators, teachers, administrators, and researchers, all of whom strive to ensure that all of today's students are equipped with the academic skills they will need to become productive citizens.</p>

<p> In a child's life, the church has minimal time to make a maximum impact. The time children are in church must not be wasted, but should be spent in valuable and life changing ways. Stories have long been included in Christian education, but is the practice of telling stories something that is continued merely because "we've always done it this way," or is there merit in continuing their use? Story is a wildly popular theme in Christian education today and children love stories, but there is more to a story than mere amusement? Parents and Christian educators wrestle with questions such as "How do stories have lasting meaning and life changing influence on children's lives?" "How can stories be used to affect children's spiritual growth?" "What kinds of stories should be included?" These are important questions to consider as Christian educators set pedagogical goals and specific methodology is followed. </p><p> This research attempts to address these questions by investigating empirical, theoretical, and theological literature related to two domains: (a) what characterizes the spiritual life and development of children, and (b) how story can be used by Christian educators and parents to benefit the instruction and spiritual growth of children. Beginning with an analysis of the spiritual life of children, it will then be shown how story affects the whole person, rendering it a very powerful medium. Using Luke 10:27 as an organizing principle, story is analyzed as to how it affects the heart, the affective realm; the soul, the spiritual realm; strength, the behavioral realm; the mind, the cognitive realm; and loving neighbor as oneself, the social realm. These realms, together, comprise a faith that involves a totality of commitment. Recommendations are then made as to how parents and Christian educators can use the power of story to benefit the instruction and spiritual growth of children. The use of story can be a spark for children's spiritual growth and holds great potential benefit for the church and for the children who are a part of the community of faith. </p>

<p> U.S. schools teach predominately to the analytical, left-brain, which has foundations in behaviorism, and uses a mechanistic paradigm that influences epistemic beliefs of how learning takes place. This result is that learning is impeded. Using discourse analysis of a set of Piagetian children, this study re-analyzed Piaget's work. This study found that, although the participating children answered from both an intuitive and an analytical perspective, Piaget's analysis of the interviews ignored the value in the intuitive, right-brain answers; Piaget essentially stated that the children were only doing valuable thinking when they were analytical and logical. Using other comparable re-analysis as the yardstick, this study extended Piaget's original interpretations. Implications for teaching and learning are also described. This study also extends a call for research into a pedagogical balance between analytic and intuitive teaching. </p>

<p>The intersection of No Child Left Behind (2002) and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) made it necessary for educators to examine achievement trends within their schools and implement a Response to Intervention (RTI) program. This study examines the achievement trends in one school district since its implementation of a RTI program. To provide a clear perspective, this mixed-methods study includes both quantitative and qualitative data for analysis. The student data and teacher focus group responses indicate that while RTI efforts are having a positive impact on student achievement, it would appear that RTI alone is not sufficient to close the achievement gap in this particular school. An action plan for moving the school district forward in its RTI efforts is provided. </p>

<p> Catholic schools in the United States have grappled with how to serve students with disabilities without the funding sources available to public schools. This mixed methods case study examines the driving forces, restraining forces, and social justice issues that influenced the development of an inclusion program at one Catholic elementary school. </p><p> The case analyzed is the inclusion program at "St. Ignatius" Elementary School. Fourteen interviews with individuals heavily involved in the program were triangulated with qualitative analyses of the content of artifacts from the inclusion program and quantitative data from a rating scale on ideal inclusive practices completed by ten teachers at the school site. Themes from the literature on Catholic inclusive education were also used to illuminate the findings. </p><p> The study identified the driving forces of leadership, teacher buy-in, the partnership between the school and parents, and the concept of the parish as "one big family." Restraining forces included negative parent perceptions and deficits in capacity and resources. Current practices included increased professional development and resources, honest assessment, and the concept that inclusion serves all students. Interview participants felt that Catholic beliefs and teachings provided the social justice framework. </p><p> The school site and archdiocese can further examine the paradigm shift required to implement Catholic school inclusion, increasing teacher professional development, the role of charismatic leadership, and serving gifted students. Further studies could explore socioeconomic variables, how inclusion affects other students, and whether the Catholic school environment provides advantages in implementing inclusion.</p>

<p>This study examines the perceptions expert teachers have about the ways the culture and the context of their schools influence their definition of expertise and their enactment of expert teaching. The teachers, nominated as expert by their respective school principals, teach in the same city, but in three schools with distinctly different contexts and cultures. The underlying assumption of this study is that expertise in teaching, in different school contexts and cultures, may present itself in distinct and particular ways. </p><p> The teachers are examined through case studies constructed with the use of interviews, observations, and school documents. Each teacher articulates qualities of expertise, which fall into three distinct categories. They describe personal attributes, perspectives on teaching and specific classroom practices. </p><p> The teachers were adept at acknowledging factors in their school culture and context that influenced their teaching and were aware of the organizational structures of their schools and the impact that brings to bear on their practice. They define qualities of expertise in their teaching practice that are more similar than different, yet their core educational beliefs and philosophies differ one from the other in substantial ways as does their teaching practice. Each believes that expert teaching practice requires distinctive teaching that best meets the needs of their very distinct populations of students. </p><p> One of the main implications of this study is that it may be easier to get teachers to generate characteristics of an expert teacher, but far more complex to explore a teacher&rsquo;s personal vision and qualify a teacher&rsquo;s commitment and motivation, which appear to be the true distinguishing characteristics of each of these teachers. These complex processes may need to be more thoroughly addressed in teacher education, school reform and educational research to gain a better picture of what comprises expert teacher practice. </p>

<p> This study attempted to determine whether students participating in a summer camp learn more about a fifth grade history concept of social studies, the Reconstruction Era, via a theater arts production. Data collected for this qualitative study included pre- and post-test drawings, scripted comments, student interviews, teacher interviews, daily observation checklists of the summer camp, and a culminating student performance. The data set was used to investigate the research question, "What are the effects of theater arts instruction of social studies content on fifth grade students' learning of the U.S. Reconstruction Period?" This study also sought to address the following research sub-questions: (1) What factors contribute to students' success in writing a historical script? (2) What factors contribute to students' success in performing their own written play? (3) How does theater arts instruction influence students' accuracy of learning major characteristics of the historical concept of Reconstruction?</p><p> This study took place in June 2011 in an elementary school in southeast Georgia. The total sample for this study was 11 students who had finished fourth grade in May 2011 and were entering fifth grade in August 2011. Two teachers for the summer camp were also used, both of which had just graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Middle Grades Education and received their Georgia teaching certification in May 2011.</p><p> Results indicated a growth in accuracy of knowledge about the Reconstruction Era. Results also indicated that the students specifically enjoyed the summer camp because they got to learn the social studies content through theater arts. Students associated their growth in learning the Reconstruction Era with learning the content through theater arts instruction. At the end of the summer camp students wrote and performed a final production associated with segregation, a concept learned in the camp associated with the Reconstruction Era. The students wrote the play based on the 2010 remake of the 1984 movie, <i> The Karate Kid,</i> in which segregation of an African American child was evidenced upon his arrival to China. Students spent most of their time, during the summer camp, writing the script for the final performance. </p>

<p> As educators grapple with the issue of eliminating achievement gaps that exist among student groups, instructing for students' diverse learning needs while effectively meeting the demands of the curriculum can be a daunting task. Arts integration (AI) is a research-based strategy that has been demonstrated to lead to positive effects in student achievement with the greatest effect being among students who qualify for federal meals benefits (FARMS) (Deasy, 2002; Catterall, 1999; Rabkin &amp; Redmond, 2006). This mixed-methods study evaluated state mandated reading assessment data for a cohort of grade three students for the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 within one school district in Maryland using a formula developed by the Maryland State Department of Education to determine student change scores. While analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of AI and change scores for FARMS and non-FARMS students did not yield a positive relationship, further qualitative analysis of principal and teacher interviews and classroom observations at five public AI elementary schools revealed perceptions among educators of a positive relationship of AI to student achievement. Utilizing a grounded theory approach to examine emergent themes, a theory of effective models of arts integration was developed to include the elements of: shared vision, student engagement, rigorous instruction and teacher capacity. This study provided information regarding the optimal method of delivering arts integrated instruction that may lead to student achievement and reduce the achievement gap between FARMS and non-FARMS students. </p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between mathematics preparation and teachers' perception of self-efficacy for teaching mathematics at low- and high-performing schools. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy was the guiding theoretical framework. The study used a descriptive comparative method to obtain quantitative data regarding teacher backgrounds and teacher efficacy level. Self-reported data from the Mathematics Teacher Efficacy Belief Instrument was used to calculate two dimensions of teaching efficacy, personal mathematics teaching efficacy (PMTE) and mathematics teaching outcome expectancy (MTOE). Preparation was determined by individual calculations for successful completion of preservice mathematics coursework, completion of mathematics methodologies coursework as well as hours and types of teacher professional development completed. An analysis of 69 teachers, 33 from low-performing schools and 36 from high-performing schools, revealed statistically homogenous mathematics preparation and self-reported self-efficacy levels. Elementary mathematics teachers from high-performing schools demonstrated slightly higher level of preparation, PMTE and MTOE; however, differences were not statistically significant. Results were incongruent with prior research and indicate the need for future research supported by data collected from external sources, beyond self-reported data.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable survey instrument to examine elementary general education teachers' attitudes toward the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the general education classroom. By determining what influences attitudes, the needs of elementary general education teachers can be established to make educated decisions, develop meaningful professional development activities, or enable teachers to self-reflect thus improving attitudes of elementary general education teachers toward inclusion of students with ASD. </p><p> The study was guided by the following phases: Phase One: (1) Reviewed current literature and conducted a discussion with a focus group to determine the overall construct, (2) wrote and modified an initial set of items, (3) consulted a panel of experts to certify that items measure the overall construct intended for content and construct validity, (4) conducted a think-aloud with individual teachers to ensure questions are being interpreted as intended, and (5) rewrote and revised as needed. Phase Two: Conducted an Exploratory Factor analysis in order to determine common factor structures. Phase Three: Conducted a pilot test to establish reliability in a test/re-test format. The findings indicate evidence of a valid and reliable survey instrument to examine elementary general education teachers' attitudes toward the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the general education classroom. </p>