The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the teacher education program in the Department of Elementary Education at Utah State University. The program has been in effect for only a few years and the department desired that an evaluation b e conducted to determine its present strengths and weaknesses. The procedure used to collect data for this study involved several instruments. Letters were sent to 150 universities in the United States to determine what they had done to evaluate their teacher education programs. Questionnaires were sent to 399 graduates from 1974, 1975, and 1976 to ask their opinions of the program. Questionnaires were also sent to 101 principals of these graduates asking them to evaluate the graduates as products of the program. Visits were made to a random sample of 20 graduates and principals. Recommendations for the program were requested of the graduates and principals on the questionnaires and during visits. The results of this study showed strengths in the program in the subject areas of language arts, math, and social studies. Weaknesses were found in the areas of art, music, physical education, reading, and science. In the teaching competencies major strengths were found in the areas of positive personality traits, capturing interest and attention, encouraging creative activity, collecting and using media and materials, and gaining trust and building student self-concept. Major weaknesses were found in the areas of helping students of varied ethnic backgrounds, correlating curriculum with that in the grades preceeding and following, making interest centers and learning stations, caring for health, safety, and muscle coordination, helping students to use inductive and deductive thinking, and helping students develop visual and auditory perception. It was also found that the principals feel differently about graduates' performance than the graduates do. The principals rated the majority of the graduates slightly above average compared to other beginning teachers, while the graduates rated themselves above or below their principals' ratings. The correlations of individual pairs of graduates and principals were, therefore, very low. The overall ratings of graduates and principals, obtained through the questionnaires and interviews, were similar. The college supervisors and cooperating teachers also showed agreement. However, the graduates and principals did not agree with the college supervisors and cooperating teachers in their ratings.

This study attemts to compare, among other things, the non-affiliated Physical Education program with affiliated program in the Texas High Schools to determine the value of such affiliation as a sound educational requirement.

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The COVID-19 Pandemic forced educators to move course delivery to online learning with little or no training or preparation. Teachers' virtual instruction preparedness, pre-service teachers, and school districts are still lacking, despite technology goals instituted by the Board of Education. One of the immediate concerns of the online course delivery was school districts' capabilities for virtual instruction regarding infrastructure and resources. Funding, lack of equipment, and resources to maintain hardware and training prove to be common obstacles schools and staff face. Another concern was SBAE teachers’ readiness to use the online learning tools available to school districts. Teacher pedagogy, knowledge, skills, and confidence prevent teachers and pre-service teachers from exploring and utilizing technology in their classrooms. Additionally, moving all students to online learning environments presented a challenge for those teachers who knew little about educational technology tools or other online resources. This study aims to assess if SBAEs in Illinois are adequately prepared to use technology as the sole source of instruction for virtual learning and whether Illinois schools are capable of virtual instruction. To meet both the educational needs of the current generation of learners and are meeting educational standards set by the Illinois State Board of Education requirements, even in a virtual learning environment. As well as determine what gaps may be present in SBAE teacher education programs concerning the preparation of student teachers to utilize classroom technology to teach virtually. Some skill gaps identified include utilizing the flipped classroom approach, incorporating mobile applications into lessons, and utilizing virtual instruction for student collaboration and assessment. Most teachers indicated they felt somewhat prepared for virtual instruction and moderately prepared to incorporate technology into their lessons through teacher education programs, school districts, and professional organizations. Recommendations included future in-service training for SBAE teachers regarding using educational technologies and virtual learning platforms. Also, training for SBAE teachers on synchronous online learning platforms and the use of 1:1 technology is warranted. Pre-service programs are recommended to include coursework on educational technologies and virtual instruction. Faculty in preparation programs for SBAE teachers are encouraged to adapt curricula to support these skills and promote pre-service teachers practicing the utilization of virtual instruction in authentic classroom settings.

Students with special needs are often placed in agriculture and other CTE classes. Literature has shown that teachers often feel unprepared to deal with this population of students. The Theory of Planned Behavior framed this case study of an exemplar agriculture teacher. Evidence of the teacher's planned behavior was supported by triangulation of interviews with the teacher, special education coordinator, special education aide, and lesson plans. This triangulation also showed that the teacher is an exemplar agriculture teacher in his work with students with special needs. Multiple themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews. An important theme was the need for agriculture teachers to participate in IEP meeting either by attending in person or by providing feedback prior to the meeting. Another important theme was the need for materials to be adapted for students with special needs both within lesson plans and as needed while the teacher is teaching the lesson. Recommendations for practice include providing information about special education laws, disabling conditions, and information on utilizing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to pre-service and in-service teachers. It is also recommended that teacher preparation programs include having pre-service teachers work with students with special needs. Professional development workshops that discuss best practices for teachers when working with students with special needs can be beneficial. It is important for teachers to realize that not all students are the same but that everyone is better served if all teachers do their best at helping students achieve their highest potential. Because in the end, we all just want to be accepted for who we are. / Doctor of Philosophy / Students with special needs are often placed in agriculture and other CTE classes. This dissertation was a case study of a model agriculture teacher. It looked at the teacher's behavior to determine if his work with students with special needs was planned. The importance of a teacher planning their behavior towards students with special needs is important from both a lesson planning viewpoint and also while the teacher is teaching. Multiple recommendations came out of the study. One recommendation included the need for programs that prepare agriculture teachers to have these individuals work with students with special needs while they are still in their teacher preparation program. Professional development workshops for current agriculture teachers should include information on best practices for working with students with special needs. It is important for teachers to realize that not all students are the same but that everyone is better served if all teachers do their best at helping students achieve their highest potential. Because in the end, we all just want to be accepted for who we are.

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a federal program designed to improve the nutritional status of the population and provide employment for paraprofessional aides from the indigenous target population and an example of a change agency. Diffusion and change literature offer many models and possible personality characteristics that may be associated with effective change agents. The purpose of the study was to examine characteristics of paraprofessionals employed in the Adult phase of Virginia EFNEP and their relationship to paraprofessional effectiveness and how well they fit the diffusion model. Effectiveness for the paraprofessional was measured as homemaker success (change in nutrient intake and food behavior) and as paraprofessional performance (workload and home visit evaluation). Personality, training, and demographic characteristics of the 40 paraprofessionals were obtained through a mailed Paraprofessional Questionnaire and the Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) Test. Demographics, food behavior and knowledge, and nutrient intake for a sample of three homemakers per paraprofessional (N=116) were obtained from EFNEP Family Records. Homophily, the measure of correspondence, was calculated by comparing each paraprofessional with their sample of three homemakers. Three personality factors (concrete thinking, impulsivity, and self-discipline) along with homophily were correlated with change in food behavior, none with change in nutrient intake, and two (concrete thinking and low tension) along with perfect match homophily were correlated with workload. There were no apparent difference in training. When all factors were analyzed by stepwise multiple regression, homophily along with three of the second-order personality factors were related to change in food behavior. One second order factor, low anxiety along with perfect match, was related to workload. Implications for practice include: (a) EFNEP paraprofessionals, in part, appear to be fitting the model of change agent effectiveness, in that homophily is influencing the homemakers and (b) low anxiety and low tension appear to be related to effectiveness and could be used in employee selection and future training. Recommendations for future study include: (a) further study into quantification of homophily and (b) investigation of relationship of characteristics to supervisor view of effectiveness. / Ph. D.