In this master’s thesis a model for transcription analysis for a one-to-one Relationship ofInquiry were constructed and presented. The model was modified from the model fortranscript analysis in Community of Inquiry. The original three presences from Community ofInquiry, teaching, cognitive and social presence, were chosen to be adapted to Relationship ofInquiry together with a fourth presence, emotional presence. In this study the online coachingproject Math coach were used for the construction and testing of the model.A total of 60 conversations ranging over more than 3000 message units were in this thesisanalysed to test the model. From the data collected it was seen that the coaches and thecoachees had an almost 50-50 share of the message units. Furthermore the presences in thedata collected where distributed so that the most units where coded to cognitive presence, thenin descending order: teaching, emotional, and social presence. In this master’s thesis themodel for transcript analysis is presented and the results are discussed. / I denna examinationsrapport konstrueras och presenteras en modell för transkriptionsanalysför en-till-en samtal i ”Relationship of Inquiry”. Modellen modifierades från den existerandemodellen för transkriptionsanalys i ”Community of Inquiry”. De tre ursprungliga elementenfrån ”Community of Inquiry”, lärarelementet, kognitiva elementet och sociala elementet,anpassades till ”Relationship of Inquiry” tillsammans med ett fjärde element, emotionellaelementet. I denna studie användes projektet Mattecoach på Nätet för konstruktion ochtestning av modellen.Totalt var det 60 konversationer på mer än 3000 meddelanden som analyserades för att testamodellen. Från de data som insamlades kunde det ses att coacherna och eleverna hade ennästan 50-50 fördelning av meddelanden mellan sig. Vidare var elementen fördelade så att deflesta meddelanden som kodades tillhörde det kognitiva elementet, sen följde de i sjunkandeordning: lärarelementet, emotionella elementet och sociala elementet. I detta arbete såkommer modellen för transkriberings analys att presenteras och resultaten att diskuteras.

Little change has resulted from decades of attempts at reforming the teaching of mathematics (Davis et al., 1990). This study involved approximately 43 teachers who had completed an inquiry-based professional development program prior to being provided with a new mathematics curriculum designed to support inquiry-based teaching. It analyzed the relationships between their implementation of the inquiry-based teaching and their use of the curriculum materials. A series of bivariate correlations were run to investigate the relationships between the professional development and aspects related to the implementation of the new curriculum. The factors being so inter-related, it was hypothesized that relationships would exist between all of the factors, but only some of the expected relationships materialized. Like others before, this study supports the idea that merely providing professional development and new curriculum will not always result in a change in teaching. While the teachers in this study were not necessarily resistant to change, a lack of time to implement new teaching does seem to have affected the level of change in teaching. Future research is needed related to methods and timing related to the implementation of new teaching practices and curriculum and their relationship to teacher change.

The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of visualization of natural phenomena via computer simulation and manipulations of concrete objects, in a physics laboratory, on the development of students’ inquiry skills in mechanics. A quasi-experimental method that employed the 2 Learning Tools x 2 Time of learning split-plot factorial design was applied in the study. The sample consisted of 54 Grade 11 students from two physics classes of the university preparation section in the Ottawa-Catholic School Board. One class was assigned to interactive computer simulations (treatment) and the other to concrete objects in physics laboratory (control) as learning tools. Both tools were embedded in the general framework of the guided-inquiry cycle approach. The results showed that the interaction effect of the Learning Tools x Time of learning was not statistically significant. However, the results also showed a significant effect on the development of students’ inquiry skills (indicated by the pre- and post-inquiry skills test) regardless of the type of learning tool they had used. The findings suggested that these two strategies are effective in developing students’ inquiry skills in mechanics.

In an Idaho-based hospital, the registered nurse (RN) turnover rate in the float pool was excessively high. The purpose of this project was to examine the effect of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) on a RN's sense of community (SOC) in a float pool and an RN's intent to stay employed after attending an AI event. Although much had been written about nursing retention, AI, and SOC separately, there was nothing on how AI could be used to increase a RN's SOC or intent to stay employed. AI is a change management framework that has been used to engage employees in a meaningful way. The goal of this project was to engage RN float staff in a 6-hour AI workshop to generate ideas on improving the work environment. The SOC theory by McMillan and Chavis provided the context for measuring RN perception. It was anticipated that participation would lead to an increased SOC and an increased likelihood of staying employed in the float pool. The Sense of Community Index 2 survey was administered pre and postworkshop to a convenience sample of RNs (n = 22) recruited from the float pool. Additionally, RNs were asked before and after the workshop how likely they were to leave their current position in the next 12 months. Data analysis was a paired t test based on a 1-group pretest and posttest design. Demographic data were collected to describe the sample population. The results, although not statistically significant, showed both an increased SOC and an increased intent to leave following the AI workshop. The findings show that AI may be useful for increasing SOC. However, as a tool for nursing retention, both AI and SOC require better understanding. It is hoped this study will provide leaders with a starting point for further investigation into how AI and SOC can be used to improve the nursing work experience.

Achievement gaps between Black students and White students have existed since public education was desegregated, and they still persist despite efforts to close the gap. This research describes the achievement gaps between Black and White 3rd through 8th grade students in the state of Tennessee from 2017-2019. This is a non-experimental, quantitative, comparative-analysis describing the ELA and math test scores of Black students and White students in each of the three geographic regions of Tennessee. Data were arranged in 2x2 contingency matrixes to compare the expected frequencies of students in each race scoring on-track and mastered versus below and approaching. The data from the matrixes were analyzed in SPSS using Chi Squared tests to determine if the difference between Black student scores and White student scores was statistically significant. All twelve test score groupings showed an achievement gap between Black students and White students. The largest achievement gap was in West Tennessee’s elementary school ELA scores. The smallest achievement gap was in West Tennessee’s middle school math scores. Although there were gaps between Black students and White students in all twelve groupings, East Tennessee’s gaps were the smallest overall, ELA scores had smaller gaps than math scores in general, and middle school had smaller gaps than elementary school. These significant findings suggest there is much work to be done in Tennessee to close the gap between Black students and White students in order to provide a more equitable school experience.

Principal leadership matters. While school principals impact student achievement in mostly indirect ways, the cumulative effect of their agency to design the school program, organize teacher and staff interactions and opportunities to collaborate, and make other important decisions that influence the culture of the school meaningfully affects the experience of staff and students. This research into principal leadership has sought to make a contribution to the understanding of what makes principals effective in their work. The existing research into what makes principals effective has consistently found that any single theory of leadership, like “instructional leadership,” in isolated application will not be fully effective across all contexts. Rather, an integrated theory of leadership that recognizes the complexity of the principal role, the necessary emphasis on collective responsibility and action, and the significance of the school context is necessary in order to explore and extend the understanding of effective school leadership. Leading from an inquiry stance offers a framework for principal leadership that builds upon this existing research literature about effective school leadership. Therefore, this study sought to understand what leading from an inquiry stance looked like in practice and its impact on the culture of collaboration among teachers. The findings of this research study indicate that leading from an inquiry stance promotes the culture of collaboration among teachers, “anti-inquiry” practices undermine the culture of collaboration among teachers, and relational trust between principals and their teachers is a critical attribute for effective leadership around a shared vision of school improvement. / Educational Leadership

While much research has been conducted on train-the-trainer models for diffusing curriculum innovations at the K-12 level, not much is known about how such models play out at the undergraduate level, especially with newer curriculum innovations using student-centered instruction. I present findings from one such project: a case study on the second-generation facilitation of a professional development group focused on supporting instructors teaching with the Inquiry-Oriented Abstract Algebra (Larsen et al., 2013) curriculum materials. I investigate the relationship between the intent of the instructional support model and the facilitator's beliefs and goals for the professional development, using video data collected from a series of online meetings and from the facilitator's classroom in the year prior to his facilitation. Results indicate that the facilitator's orientations and goals around sharing authority and creating supportive learning environments, especially for women participants, both modify and stabilize the intentions of the TIMES project (NSF Awards: #1431595, #1431641, #1431393) as a whole, and the train-the-trainer model as a subsidiary. / Master of Science / While much research has been conducted on train-the-trainer models for spreading curriculum innovations at the K-12 level, not much is known about how such models play out at the undergraduate level, especially with newer curriculum innovations using student-centered instruction. I present findings from one such project: a case study on the second-generation facilitation of a professional development group focused on supporting instructors teaching with the Inquiry-Oriented Abstract Algebra (Larsen et al., 2013) curriculum materials. These are student-centered instructional materials designed to engage students with developing and formalizing mathematical ideas as members of a classroom community, as opposed to passive lecture-based teaching. I investigate the relationship between the intent of the instructional support model and the facilitator's beliefs and goals for the professional development, using video data collected from a series of online meetings and from the facilitator's classroom in the year prior to his facilitation. Results indicate that the facilitator's orientations and goals around sharing authority and creating supportive learning environments, especially for women participants, both modify and stabilize the intentions of the TIMES project (NSF Awards: #1431595, #1431641, #1431393) as a whole, and the train-the-trainer model as a subsidiary.

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Denna litteraturstudie belyser och diskuterar undersökande undervisning med utgångspunkt i varför det används eller inte. Studien lyfter undersökande undervisning inom matematik och No. Här framkommer vilka faktorer som påverkar den undervisande lärarens val kring användandet av undersökande undervisning. Faktorer som påverkar användandet är främst lärarens attityd men även andra aspekter som tids- och materialbrist. Litteraturstudien diskuterar även undersökande undervisningens för- och nackdelar och väger dessa emot varandra. Här är synen på undersökande undervisning avgörande. Det är inte materialet i sig som utvecklar elevernas förståelse utan lärarens förmåga att använda materialet på ett fungerande sätt. Litteraturstudien grundar sig på vetenskapliga artiklar som vi hämtat ur två databaser. Artiklarna är utvalda för att besvara våra frågeställningar.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that science inquiry would have on fourth grade students' ability to communicate about scientific concepts learned, their perceptions about science and scientists, and my role as a teacher. The study took place in an elementary school setting for twenty weeks. Fourteen fourth grade students participated. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to gather data for the study. Pre and post questionnaires and Draw a Scientist Tests were used, along with observations, field notes, videotaped lessons, and reflections. The data revealed that students' ability to communicate about science concepts improved during the study. Their perceptions of science and scientists became more realistic. My role as a director of knowledge transitioned into a facilitator.