Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: B, page: 3041. Adviser: Douglas H. Beck. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 182-185) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [105]-127).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: A, page: 1670. Adviser: Scott D. Johnson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-105) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1988. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-05, Section: A, page: 1005. Adviser: Francis X. Sutman.

The goal of general education is to provide students with an education that is broad and holistic, teaching transferable intellectual skills such as critical thinking, written and oral communication, problem solving and teamwork. General education courses are typically offered through the academic subjects of mathematics, science, English, and social science. Recent studies document concern that college graduates are not capable of demonstrating the intellectual skills expected. Through the use of content analysis, this study examined institutional practice to determine if the goals of general education are being met. A nationally representative sample of general education course syllabi and work products were analyzed for evidence of the intellectual skills expected of students and if those expectations were communicated. Findings indicate that learning expectations were not consistently provided and the goals of general education to deliver complex cognitive skills were not met. Implications provide insight for those responsible for general education reform.

abstract: This study investigated the effects of a guided collaboration approach during professional learning community meetings (PLC's) on the perceptions of general and special educators as well as the effect on student performance as measured by benchmark evaluation. A mixed methodology approach was used to collect data through surveys, weekly teacher reflections and benchmark assessment results. Findings indicate that collaborative relationships and trust affected teachers' perceptions of collaboration between general and special education teachers. Recommendations for further study include lengthening the duration of the study to allow teams time to build trust and determine if results are changed based on time to build trust. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Administration and Supervision 2013

Teacher preparation programs are varied in their approach to preparing teachers for the realities of the classroom, particularly when working with special population students. School districts and leaders utilize mentoring and professional development opportunities to help teachers bridge the knowledge and skills gap between what they learned in their preparation programs and what they need to know in their current position for instructing special population students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide K-12 general education teachers an opportunity to voice their perceptions about how they were prepared to instruct special population students and what they need for increasing their level of confidence when teaching special population students. Thirteen participants were chosen for a semi-structured interview and four were chosen for a focus group. To identify future initiatives general education teachers hope their education leaders will incorporate, data were collected through stories pertaining to the successes and challenges general education teachers face when instructing special population students. Findings showed that general education teachers are overwhelmed with the increase in special population students in their classrooms and are lacking the time to fully differentiate instruction. Teachers expressed a need for training about mental illness awareness due to the number of students returning from in-patient facilities. Findings also showed that co-teaching professional development was successful due to the direct instruction method of delivery. In summary, general education teachers continue to make connections with their special population students because they believe all students are capable of success.

World History Since 1500: An Open and Free Textbook is designed to cover world history from 1500 to the present in 15 chapters. The OER-supported textbook can be downloaded as a pdf or viewed online. The textbook serves to weave insights from many perspectives into stories and narratives that will help students develop a framework to organize and connect ideas, geographical locations, and timelines allowing them to think critically and broadly about the world around them. In addition to helping students master the sequence and scope of world history from 1500, the textbook helps develop empathy for people who live and lived in different parts of the world and during different historical times leading to the creation of empathic and knowledgeable global citizens who are aware of and concerned about the world around them. / https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-oer/1012/thumbnail.jpg

This dissertation explores the impact of special education teacher (SET) turnover on general education teachers (GETs) in K – 12 schools. Students with disabilities are increasingly placed in general education settings, where collaboration with SETs is critical. However, high SET turnover rates threaten this partnership. This mixed methods study investigates the relationship between SET and GET turnover and its impact on GET experiences. Findings reveal a positive association, particularly when GETs have more students with disabilities. Additionally, qualitative data suggests SET co-teacher turnover disrupts collaboration and creates challenges for GETs in the following year. To improve outcomes for students with disabilities, the study calls for increased support for teachers and stronger collaboration between special and general education teachers. These findings can inform policies and school-based strategies to improve teacher retention and collaboration, ultimately benefiting students with disabilities.

Citizens must have a minimal level of STEM-literacy to work alongside scientists to tackle both current and future global challenges. How can general education, the one piece of the undergraduate experience every student completes, contribute to this development? And science learning is dependent on having transformative aesthetic experiences in the science classroom. These memorable experiences involve powerful connection between students and the world around them. If these types of experiences are necessary for science learning and growth, are students in introductory science courses having them? If so, what relationship might they have with students' desires to pursue further science study? This dissertation explores these questions through two manuscripts. The first, a theoretical piece published in the Journal of General Education in 2015, argues that non-STEM students must have transformative aesthetic experiences in their undergraduate general education science course to develop the level of understanding needed to engage with challenging scientific issues in the future. This claim is substantiated by bringing together the work of Dewey and Deweyan scholars on the nature and impact of aesthetic experiences in science and science education with the general education reform efforts and desired outcomes for an informed and engaged citizenry. The second manuscript, an empirical piece, explores the lived experience of non-STEM students in an introductory geosciences course. A phenomenological research methodology is deployed to capture the 'essence' of the lived experience of a STEM-philic student in general education science. In addition, Uhrmacher's CRISPA framework is used to analyze the participants' most memorable course moments for the presence or absence of aesthetic experiences. In explication of the data, it shows that students are in fact having aesthetic experiences (or connecting to prior aesthetic experiences) and these experiences are related to their desires to pursue further STEM study. / Ph. D. / To work alongside scientists to tackle both current and future global challenges, citizens must have a minimal level of STEM-literacy. General education is the one piece of the undergraduate experience every student completes and, if done well, can contribute to the development of STEM-literacy. It is argued that science learning is dependent on students having transformative memorable aesthetic experiences in their courses. Questions that arise include: 1. If these experiences are so important, are students in introductory undergraduate science courses having these transformative aesthetic experiences? and 2. If so, what relationship might they have with students’ desires to pursue further science study? This dissertation explores these questions through two studies. The first argues that nonSTEM students must have transformative aesthetic experiences in their undergraduate general education science course to develop the level of understanding needed to engage with challenging scientific issues in the future. The second explores the lived experience of non-STEM students in an introductory geosciences course. The purpose is to capture the ‘essence’ of the lived experience of a STEMphilic student in general education science. It is shown that students are in fact having aesthetic experiences (or connecting to prior aesthetic experiences) and these experiences are related to their desires to pursue further STEM study.