<p> There is a deficiency of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) qualified college graduates to meet current workforce demands. Further, there is a weak pipeline of STEM qualified educators, which are needed to help produce the skilled candidates necessitated by these demands. One program aimed at creating highly qualified STEM teachers was the Raising the Bar for STEM Education in California: Preparing Elementary Teachers in a Model, Scalable, STEM-Rich Clinical Setting (Raising the Bar Program). The Raising the Bar professional development program focused on addressing deficiencies in elementary teachers&rsquo; pedagogical content knowledge, specifically in science. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the Raising the Bar professional development program on elementary master teachers&rsquo; sense of self-efficacy in teaching science. Research shows there is a clear link between self-efficacy and outcome expectancy to improve student outcomes in STEM fields. </p><p> This study utilized an explanatory mixed methods approach. Specifically, a quasi-experimental design was followed to collect, first, quantitative data, and then, qualitative data. The quantitative data consisted of survey data collected from each of two groups: the treatment group of master teachers participating in the Raising the Bar professional development series, and the control group of master teachers not participating in the professional development. The qualitative data was collected in the form of two focus group interviews, one from each group. Further, two university student teacher coordinators were interviewed to add depth and perspective throughout the entire professional development process. </p><p> Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to determine the effects of the Raising the Bar professional development on teachers&rsquo; sense of self-efficacy in teaching science. The major research findings indicated that the STEM-rich professional development was successful in significantly increasing teachers&rsquo; sense of self-efficacy in teaching science. Further, the findings of the study demonstrated that there is a clear need for focus on science across the curriculum, a clear need for a science-specific professional development model, and a clear need for inclusion of specific content courses as a requirement in administrative credential programs. As a result of the research, a science-specific model of professional development was created. The proposed model suggests that the science-specific professional development must be aligned, intentional, differentiated, ongoing, and purposeful. </p><p> Recommendations based on the findings of this study include further exploration of the factors that positively affect self-efficacy in teaching science. Additionally, it is unclear if self-efficacy alone is sufficient to improve overall science teaching practice at the elementary level. Research specifically aimed at the factors affecting teachers&rsquo; sense of self-efficacy in teaching science can help determine the best course of action for teacher credentialing programs, professional development programs, and instructional leaders working in the field.</p>

Empirical work has demonstrated, at least to some degree, that alternatives to didacticism are useful in the classroom. However, other investigations have shown that didactic methods continue to dominate classroom instruction time. A genuine need exists for research aimed at identifying the source of the discrepancy between the methodologies lauded in current process-product educational literature and the observed teaching practice noted in classroom research. This investigation was conducted to determine how or if an instructor's belief system influences the manner in which that same instructor teaches. In order to adequately address that objective, three specific research questions were developed. First, this work examined the espoused beliefs of a small sample of practicing athletic training educators regarding the role of the teacher, the student, and the nature of instruction. This was accomplished through the use of qualitative research methods including semi-structured telephone interviews, written questionnaires, demographic data sheets, and stimulated recall sessions in which each participant viewed videotape of their own classroom instruction and discussed it with the principal investigator. Next, this investigation also analyzed classroom practice by observing those practicing athletic training educators as they taught in class. This was accomplished by videotaping each participant's classroom instruction during three hours of classroom instruction. Utilizing case studies assembled for each participant and a cross case analysis, this work also assessed the degree to which those espoused beliefs aligned with classroom practice. By utilizing these methods, this investigation indicates that beliefs do influence the manner in which individuals teach; however, other factors such as formal pedagogical training, experience, and job requirements may also influence the manifestation of demonstrated classroom practice, as well.

The purpose of the study was to reveal the mechanisms by which a university supervisor leads five student-teachers to reflective professionalism in dialogue journals used during the final field experience of a two year graduate teacher preparation program for teachers of children who are Deaf and Hard-of Hearing. The participants in the study were four female and one male student-teacher in their final semester of preparation, and one female university supervisor. The data comprised of dialogue journals exchanged between the student-teachers and their supervisor during the nine-week field experience. The intention of the dialogue journal assignment was to develop a relationship which would facilitate educational dialogue and promote reflection. The supervisor intended that the student-teachers use the dialogue journals to examine problems of practice and professionalism and to integrate theory and practice. The results showed that the concerns of the student-teachers clustered into four themes, completion of requirements, competence in practice, caring in field experience relationships, and practical and ethical conflict resolution. In addition, the supervisor met her objectives of forming educational relationships and providing a model of teacher-like thinking and problem solving through use of a variety of strategies, both direct and indirect, within a collegial milieu. The essential effect of the supervisory strategy-use was to differentiate student-teacher perceptions of their experiences such that problem-solving was facilitated. In addition reflection was promoted. Three types of reflection were identified. Reflection-in-action resembled Donald Schon's category of that name. Reflection-on-belief produced ethical development, and reflection-on-context produced critique of the contexts of teaching. When overwhelmed, student-teachers ruminated rather than reflected. The supervisor responded by scaffolding a reflective pathway to empowered problem-solving. It seemed that the student-teachers were inducted through these means to the profession of teaching. The conclusions are that dialogue journals provide unparalleled opportunities for thoughtful reflective conversation, providing as they do, built in wait-time. In addition they provide teacher educators with opportunities to be directly involved in the education of children through problem-solving with the student-teachers, thus maintaining their credentials as authentically experienced teachers.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the broad query of prospective teachers' understandings about special education. The study, which employed qualitative methods, involved two undergraduate prospective teachers as participants. Both participants were engaged in an initial field experience as part of their elementary teacher preparation program. The study was designed to gain a sense of the ways in which the prospective teachers describe special education. Additionally, particular disability categories and inclusion were considered as part of the study. The participants both anticipate having students with special needs in their respective future classrooms. Several intriguing findings and implications resulted from addressing the two research questions, which examined the special education understandings of prospective teachers. The study was intended to contribute to the knowledge base of special education understandings and extend the existing valuable body of work in the area of teacher beliefs.

This study examined the effects of a beginning teacher induction program on the attainment of the Arizona Teaching Standards. Quantitative and qualitative perspectives were utilized. Quantitatively, a survey asked teachers to rate their perceptions of their level of attainment of the Arizona Teaching Standards as a result of being enrolled or having been enrolled in a beginning teacher induction program. Further, school-level administrators were surveyed on their perceptions of how well these groups of teachers had attained the Arizona Teaching Standards as a result of having been enrolled in a beginning teacher induction program. Qualitatively, the researcher interviewed school-level administrators to gather their perspectives on the quality of the beginning teacher induction program being utilized. The analysis of the data indicated that the new teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels felt strongly that the beginning teacher induction program assisted them in attaining the Arizona Teaching Standards. Additionally, first-year, second-year, third-year, and fourth-year teachers agreed that the beginning teacher induction program assisted them in attaining the Arizona Teaching Standards. It appeared that, as a whole group, beginning teachers agreed that the beginning teacher induction program had aided in their attainment of the Arizona Teaching Standards. Further, elementary school administrators, middle school administrators, and high school administrators were in agreement in their perceptions that the beginning teacher induction program assisted beginning teachers in the attainment of seven of the Arizona Teaching Standards. Also, the analysis demonstrated that at the elementary-level, teachers and administrators differed in their perceptions on two standards. There were no significant findings when comparing the teachers and administrators at the middle school level. However, when comparing teachers and administrators at the high school level, the analysis provided significant findings on eight of the Arizona Teaching Standards. Finally, it appeared that school-level administrators agreed that elements of effective beginning teacher induction were present in the program being utilized in the district of study.

Although master's degree programs in English as a Second Language (ESL) in the United States show a great variety in terms of the name of the degree, the length of the program, and the focus of the studies, among other things, a strong connection between language and culture is presumed to be central in second language teaching. However, a survey of four-semester programs shows that only 47 (51.6%) require a course on culture suggesting that it is not recognized universally as a priority. In the academic institutions where there is a course on culture, future ESOL teachers are learning under the implicit ideologies of their instructors as well as those of the institution they are attending. These ideologies respond to imperatives at the national and international level (Kramsch, 1993). The ideologies are rarely clearly articulated in the programs or the courses per se, and it is common to find that in the foreign language classroom many teachers are not entirely aware of the cultural nature of their discourse. The purpose of this investigation is to find out what systems, beliefs, and values underlie the courses that deal with 'culture' in four leading Master's programs in the United States, taken as representative of the field. These are investigated under four subcategories: (1) the purpose of each program, implicit or explicit, (2) the views on the teaching of English held by both faculty and future teachers of English, i.e., the students in the program, (3) the content of the course that deals with culture, and (4) the concept of culture adopted in the program and the course. The findings are analyzed in the light of the theories of Symbolic Violence of Bourdieu, Critical Pedagogy, in particular the works of Freire, Apple, and Pennycook, and Phillipson's theory of Linguistic Imperialism. The primary hoped-for application of these results is to help university teachers and future teachers of English as a second language become more aware of the inherently ideological nature of the field and help them reflect on how their own ideologies may have an effect on those they teach.

This dissertation reports the findings of a study on teacher narratives recorded at a German Studies department over the course of one semester. Specifically, the study investigated co-construction of narratives among four groups of TAs during their weekly coordination meetings, focusing on the larger social processes and the local participation frameworks established in the process of co-narration. Furthermore, it explored the images of teachers and students, and the themes co-constructed in the narratives. The study involved fifteen TAs and one supervising faculty member. Narratives emerging in the course of their meetings were identified. For this purpose, a typology was developed which took into consideration not only past time narratives, but also those tellings which focused on anticipatory, hypothetical or generically occurring events. After emerging themes were tabulated, the co-constructed social projects and participation frameworks were explored using a microethnographic approach. Student and teacher images were investigated based on the evaluative devices employed. The results indicated that narratives were mainly told during the meetings to accomplish the sharing of experiences, the requesting and giving of advice, as well as the shaping of policies. The main themes addressed in the course of the tellings concerned grading and test-taking issues. TAs co-constructed themselves as group members as well as autonomous individuals. While generally displaying alignment with colleagues who were challenged by their students, the TAs also occasionally identified themselves as student spokespersons in opposition to their peers. When seeking advice, TAs were mostly reluctant to acknowledge their peers as givers of advice, and instead turned to the faculty member for help. TAs were generally portrayed in the narratives as competent speakers of the foreign language; understanding, engaged, communicative teachers; and facilitators for opportunities for learning. Students, in the majority of the narratives, were portrayed as lazy, cheating or unreasonable. This dissertation took into account the practices of co-construction which are at work when teachers narrate their professional experiences. So far, research on teacher narratives has mainly focused on data collected in contexts constructed by researchers. The contribution of this study is thus as research on naturalistically occurring teacher narratives.

There is a growing interest in the study of the moral qualities of teachers. Many studies emphasize empirical techniques without attention to the philosophical features of moral conduct or focus on the philosophical features without connections to the actual conduct of teachers. This dissertation combines philosophical and empirical inquiry to study the moral conduct of teachers. Using Fenstermacher's distinction among teaching method, style, and manner, the technical and personality characteristics of teachers are distinguished from teacher conduct that expresses moral virtue. This conduct is known as the manner of the teacher. This dissertation investigates how manner may be made explicit, as a philosophical concept and an object of empirical inquiry. The philosophical part examines the conceptual nature of moral action in the classroom, using an Aristotelian ethics as the framework for analysis. The empirical part is a case study of three classroom teachers, whose moral conduct is examined using the Aristotelian framework. This dual philosophical/empirical approach permits inquirers to observe and analyze selected moral dimensions of teaching, then draw conclusions about how the teachers express moral virtue. The empirical part is a qualitative study of three teachers, each interviewed and observed over a one year period. Case studies illustrating the teachers' expressions of moral virtue were developed, followed by a cross-case analysis that revealed common and distinct elements in the teachers' manner. The cross-case analysis suggests that the teachers express virtues in similar ways according to the Aristotelian framework and in particular ways according to their individual style. Further, teachers express more than one virtue simultaneously. The main conclusion one may draw from this study is that it is possible to systematically observe and describe manner in teaching. Suggestions for further research include (1) situations in which the expression of one virtue appears to conflict with another, (2) the difficulties of analyzing the intellectual virtues, and (3) clarifying the relationship between manner and teachers' context, content, and students. A significant implication of this study is that it is possible to attend to manner in ways that permit the development of moral virtue in teaching.

Fifteen undergraduate music education majors enrolled in an introductory music education course at a major university in the Southwestern United States participated in this study. Students constructed concept maps on the topic teacher effectiveness as a measure of their cognitive schemata. They completed two microteaching lessons in two different settings which were videotaped and subsequently analyzed using the Survey of Teaching Effectiveness and a time sampling procedure using criteria from teacher intensity research. Following their microteachings students constructed a second concept map on the same topic. Students were interviewed to explore the nature of their thinking about effective teaching. Quantitative analyses were conducted using data from the concept maps and both measures of teacher effectiveness. Results of a dependent t-test showed no significance difference between map scores either for total score or component scores of extensiveness and coherence. Spearman Rank Correlations were calculated between map scores and subjects' scores on both the STE and TI measures. No significant correlations were found to exist. Qualitative analyses were completed based on data from concept maps, self-evaluations, and interviews. Frequency responses by categories and data source indicated subjects' responses fell into two main areas: teacher effectiveness and skills and strategies. Within these two areas four sub-categories were targeted for further analysis: knowledge, teacher traits, delivery and instructional skills. Frequency responses for all but delivery skills were quite high. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) Preservice teachers have a clear picture of what it means to be an effective teacher. They describe an effective teacher as knowledgeable, possessing a variety of personal characteristics, and engaging in specific teacher actions. (2) Preservice teachers' cognitive structure does not change after the completion of two microteaching experiences. There is some indication that changes in the content of their thinking arise following their microteachings. (3) There is no relationship between preservice teachers' cognitive structure and their ability to demonstrate effective teaching behaviors. However, qualitative analyses suggest a possible connection between the content of their thinking and their ability to teach effectively. Implications for education and future research are discussed.

The study examined the 23 most frequently cited areas of concern to new teachers from the existing literature, how frequently these topics were discussed during the induction mentoring process, and if their discussion improved participant satisfaction with the outcomes of the process. Additionally, it examined several characteristics of mentors and inductees to learn whether they effected the discourse between mentors and inductees during the induction process. A questionnaire based on the research literature in the area, was distributed to all members of inductee mentor pairs in the school district studied. A total of 272 questionnaires were returned in scorable condition, yielding a return rate of 96.4 percent. Data from the survey was used to answer a total of six research questions. Major conclusions were that there is: (1) a limited interaction between the length of time that a mentor has been teaching and the frequency of discourse. (2) A substantial interaction between the length of time that an inductee has been teaching and the frequency of discourse. (3) A minor interaction between the educational background of the mentor and the frequency of discourse. (4) A minor interaction between the educational background of the inductee and the frequency of discourse. (5) Frequent discussion of all 23 of the topics by the majority of induction mentoring pairs. (6) Significant interaction between the frequency with which the various topics of the study were discussed and the participants' satisfaction with the outcomes of each area of the induction mentoring process.