There is currently a gap in research related to the potential effects of student race on school consultation and teacher help seeking behavior. It is well documented in the existing research that racial/ethnic bias exists in education at many levels. These biases lead to negative systemic effects such as achievement gaps, disproportionality in discipline, and disproportionality in special education referrals. Biases can also have negative effects on classroom interactions between teachers and students. It seems plausible that if biases exist in other domains of education, that they may also exist in the school consultation process. The purpose of the current study is to fill the gap in the school consultation literature by evaluating pre-service teacher’s ratings of situation severity and their likelihood to seek assistance. Participants (n= 179) were shown 4 vignettes depicting various classroom scenarios and asked to rate both situation severity and their likelihood to seek assistance. Participants were randomized to consider either white sounding names or black sounding names within the vignettes. Findings from this study indicate that perceived student race did not have a significant effect on pre-service teachers’ ratings of situation severity and ratings of situation severity. These findings provide insight into the help seeking behaviors of pre-service teachers. Additionally, results have implications for graduate training in consultation. Limitations to this study as well as recommendations for future research in this area are discussed.

This study investigates and describes the various opportunities and challenges the University of Central Florida( UCF) teacher education program (TEP) has in its attempt to infuse social and emotional wellbeing practices (Stress management ) for pre-service teachers (PST) as a part of the learning curriculum. The study examines the implementation of social and emotional well-being practices within the core educational cores. There is little information on the subject— the interest in the topic arises for the need for a more holistic approach to education in today's 21st-century classroom. The researcher believes that teaching is a very emotional labored profession that, over time, when unmanaged, can cause burnout and different symptoms of exhaustion. As such, studies have shown that new teachers leave the classroom within their first 3 to 5 years of teaching. One of the re-occurring findings that explain why new teachers leave is because of stress. A holistic approach is a comprehensive approach to education where the learner's emotional, social, and academic needs are address. This study examines how the UCF teacher preparation program facilitates their pre-service teachers to deal with this stress by looking at the extent to which social and emotional well-being competencies aligns within the curriculum.

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This research investigated the uses of computer-mediated communication in providing an online field experience in an educational psychology course for pre-service teachers at a large research university in the southeastern United States. Twenty-seven pre-service teachers in one section of a Psychological Foundations of Educational Psychology course for pre-service teachers, eight practicing teachers, and eight university professors participated in this study. The participants viewed CD-ROM based video case studies as part of an online field experience component and communicated electronically through chat rooms and threaded discussion lists. Data sources included transcripts of all chat room and threaded communication, surveys, field notes, observations, and student tasks and reflections, as well as interviews with the pre-service teachers, practicing teachers, university professors, and one technical support person. The methodology involved a mixed method approach. A template organizing approach with the constant comparative method was used in order to develop patterns and themes. Content analysis was applied to the content of the chat transcriptions. Finally, a quantitative component was included in the analysis of the thread transcripts with a measurement of the development of the pre-service teachers' reflective comments over time using an analysis of variance test of within subjects effects. This document reports the findings concerning the nature of the conversations among the participants as they developed across time; the learning outcomes of the students, teachers, and professors; how a computer-mediated learning environment supports reflection; the benefits and challenges of using computer-mediated communication to study and learn about educational psychology and teaching; and the benefits and challenges of creating and maintaining such a learning environment. / Ph. D.

This qualitative study was designed to investigate the influences on nontraditional pre-service teachers as they negotiated the teaching of science in elementary school. Based upon a sociocultural theoretical framework with an identity-in-practice lens, these influences included beliefs about science teaching, life experiences, and the impact of the teacher preparation program. The study sample consisted of two nontraditional pre-service teachers who were student teaching in an elementary classroom. Data, collected over a five-month period, included in-depth individual interviews, classroom observations, audio recordings, and reviews of documentations. Interviews focused on the participants' beliefs relating to the teaching of science, prior experiences, and their teacher preparation program experiences relating to the teaching of science. Classroom observations provided additional insights into the classroom setting, participants' teaching strategies, and participants' interactions with the students and cooperating teacher. A whole-text analysis of the interview transcripts, observational field notes, audio recordings, and documents generated eight major categories: beliefs about science teaching, role of family, teaching science int he classroom, teacher identity, non-teacher identity, relationships with others, discourse of classroom teaching, and discourses of teachers. The following significant findings emerged from the data: (a) the identity of nontraditional student teachers as science teachers related to early life experiences in science classes; (b) the identity of nontraditional student teachers as science teachers was influenced by their role as parents; (c) nontraditional student teachers learned strategies that supported their beliefs about inquiry learning; and (d) nontraditional student teachers valued the teach preparation program support system. The results from this qualitative study suggest that sociocultural theory with an identity-in-practice lens provides a theoretical frame work for understanding the influences that affect why nontraditional pre-service teachers select strategies to teach science in the elementary classroom. / Ph. D.

A case study was used to survey 308 teacher trainees in western Kenya to investigate the extent to which pre-service teachers in two Kenyan teacher training colleges are prepared to integrate technology in teaching. . The study uses the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) framework to understand the knowledge needed by the pre-service teachers to integrate technology effectively. Data was gathered using the Survey of Pre-Service Teachers' Knowledge of Teaching and Technology and three open-ended questions. Data from the survey does not distinguish the TPACK variable among the respondents. The data suggests that the pre-service teachers rate themselves highly on the other six TPACK subscales of technological knowledge, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, and technological content knowledge. Further, the data suggests that the respondents' personal use of technology, to a large extent, influences how they use technology in classrooms. Lastly, the data indicates that the survey instrument is inadequate in capturing all the TPACK subscales in this population as it shows weak internal consistency. These findings imply that faculty in these colleges need to be more intentional and deliberate in teaching the trainees how to integrate technology in lessons. Policymakers and college administrators may also influence the teachers' personal use of technology to inculcate into the trainees tested methods of technology integration. Another implication is that future research could employ other supplementary methods, in addition to surveys, to find out the levels of technology integration in the teacher trainees.

The study of self-efficacy in pre-service bilingual education teachers is not a thoroughly researched topic. This dissertation provides qualitative research about the inception of Spanish language self-efficacy of pre-service bilingual education teachers from a large university in Texas. By juxtaposing the experiences of two students with high levels of Spanish self-efficacy with two students who have low levels of Spanish self-efficacy, data gives insight to what influenced varying perceptions of self-efficacy amongst students who are in their last semester of coursework prior to student teaching. An extensive literature review provided the foundation for the conceptual framework. The framework includes individual backgrounds, societal influences, personal interactions, and modeling by others to note the evolution of each individuals' perception of self-efficacy in the Spanish language. Explicit instances of what experiences have had an impact on participants' Spanish language self-efficacy are highlighted. The resulting impacts to bilingual education and self-efficacy are discussed. Finally, the conclusion focuses on how this research can assist in promoting language equity for bilingual and multilingual students at varying academic levels.

This phenomenological multiple case study provides the details, reasoning, and discussion of the role of study abroad experience and its perceived impact(s) on three in-service teachers. Two research questions were posed: What are the perceived impacts on in-service teachers' practice of a study abroad program experience and how does the in-service teacher's perception of impact change over time within a teacher's career? Results of this study suggest that the teaching practice of in-service teachers who study abroad would benefit, especially in the area of intercultural competence, if this experience is structured in a way where the curriculum of the study abroad program aligns with the content of their future teaching assignment i.e. curricular bridging. Case evidence further suggests that long-term impact of a study abroad experience upon a teacher's practice is related to providing the future teacher an opportunity for to develop and maintain pedagogical relationships with students while abroad. The term ‘submersion' is introduced to help articulate depth of impact during a study abroad program experience.