Det är vanligt att nyexaminerade lärare upplever osäkerheter och en låg känsla av förberedelse under de första yrkesverksamma åren. Detta är oroväckande då lärares känsla av kontroll i klassrummet och deras upplevda säkerheter inte bara påverkar hur stressade de är på arbetsplatsen, men även elevers prestationer. Ett sätt att studera lärare på är genom begreppet self-efficacy. Self-efficacy kan kortfattat beskrivas som tilltron på den egen förmågan att utföra en uppgift inom ett område. Studier inom området har ofta använt ett kvantitativt angreppssätt. Syftet med den här studien var att kvalitativt undersöka nya matematiklärares uttryckta self-efficacy inom tre olika områden. Frågeställningen för studien var hur uttrycks nyexaminerade matematiklärares self-efficacy inom classroom management, student engagement och instructional strategies i samtal om den första tiden i läraryrket? Frågeställningen besvarades genom att analysera intervjuer med fyra nya matematiklärare. Resultaten visade att de nya lärarna generellt hade låg self-efficacy. Framträdande var att lärarna uttryckte låg tilltro till att anpassa undervisning efter elevers speciella behov och hur de skulle ta sig an ledarskapet i klassrummet. Nationella proven hindrade lärarna från att arbeta kreativt. Dessutom efterfrågades fler praktiska inslag i lärarutbildningen, bland annat gällande metoder för att undervisa ett matematiskt koncept. Studien kan ha bäring för att bidra med kunskap till att utveckla lärarutbildningen med syftet att öka nya matematiklärares self-efficacy.

The U.S. Army desires to improve safety during Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) operations by removing Warfighters from direct line-of-fire by enhancing ISR operational capabilities with unmanned systems, also known as Robot-Aided ISR (RAISR) (DOD, 2013). Additionally, RAISR presents an opportunity to fulfill ISR capability requirements of modern combat environments including: detection of High-Value Individuals (HVI) from safer distances, identification of baseline behavior, and interpretation of adversarial intent (U.S. Army, 2008). Along with the demand and projected acquisition of RAISR technology, there is the added need to design training requirements for system operation and task execution instruction. While documentation identifying specific training standards and objectives for ISR tasks utilizing unmanned systems is limited (DOD, 2013), simulation-based training has been identified as a critical training medium for RAISR (U.S. Army, 2008). ISR analysts will primarily conduct RAISR tasks via Indirect Vision Displays (IVD) which transition well into multimodal simulations (Salcedo, Lackey, & Maraj, 2014). However, simulation alone may not fulfill the complex training needs of RAISR tasks, therefore, incorporating instructional support may improve the effectiveness of training (Oser, Gualtieri, Cannon-Bowers, & Salas, 1999). One method to accomplish this is to utilize a Scenario-Based Training (SBT) framework enhanced with instructional strategies to target specific training objectives. The purpose for the present experiment was to assess the effectiveness of SBT enhanced with selected instructional strategies for a PC-based RAISR training simulation. The specific task type was the identification of HVIs within a group through behavior cue analysis. The instructional strategies assessed in this experiment, Highlighting and Massed Exposure, have shown to improve attentional weighting, visual search, and pattern recognition skills, which are critical for successful behavior cue analysis. Training effectiveness was evaluated by analyzing the impact of the instructional strategies on performance outcomes, including detection accuracy, classification accuracy, and median response time, and perceptions of the level of engagement, immersion, and presence during training exercises. Performance results revealed that the Massed Exposure strategy produced significantly faster response times for one subtle and one familiar target behavior cue. Perception results indicated that Highlighting was the least challenging instructional strategy and the Control offered the preferred level of challenge. The relationships between performance and perception measures revealed that higher levels of engagement, immersion, and presence were associated with better performance in the Control, but this trend did not always hold for Massed Exposure and Highlighting. Furthermore, presence emerged as the primary predictor of performance for select target behavior cues in the Control and Massed Exposure conditions, while immersion and engagement predicted performance of select cues in the Highlighting condition. The findings of the present experiment point to the potential benefit of SBT instructional strategies to improve effectiveness of simulation-based training for behavior cue analysis during RAISR operations. Specifically, the findings suggest that the Massed Exposure strategy has the potential to improve response time when detecting both familiar and novel targets. The results also highlight directions for future research to investigate methods to alter instructional strategy design and delivery in order to improve trainee perceptions of the instruction.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between general and special educators regarding the implementation of research-based strategies that target the needs of students with LD in mathematics, as well as general and special educators' perceptions of their preparedness to use instructional strategies in mathematics. A sample of general and special educators who taught mathematics to students with learning disabilities (LD) at the middle school level responded to an online survey. The survey examined teacher self-reported classroom use of instructional practices specifically aligned with NCTM standards, direct instruction, graduated instruction, grouping practices, and self-monitoring. Additionally, educators responded to perceptions of their preparedness to use the aforementioned instructional practices. From the survey results, several strategies exhibited statistically significant differences between general and special educators. Special educators showed significantly greater use of two instructional strategies, as well as significantly greater perceptions of preparedness to use two instructional strategies. Overall, significantly more special educators reported using the research-based strategies aligned with all instructional practices. Additional results, limitations, implications for practice, and recommendations for future research are provided.

During the last two decades, the issue of multiculturalism has gained exceptional importance in our schools. Yet, there is a lack of research that examines teachers' beliefs and understanding of multiculturalism and their influence on instructional strategies that are implemented. This study explored how teachers' beliefs and understanding of multiculturalism influence instructional strategies used in classrooms. A sample of ten teachers was selected from three public middle schools within a school district in San Joaquin County in Northern California. In this phenomenological study, intensity sampling was used for the selection of the participants. Out of ten teachers, five taught mathematics and five taught Language Arts. The data consisted of the interviews with each of the teachers, classroom observations, and the examination of instructional materials. Teachers' beliefs and understanding of multiculturalism were usually reflected in the instructional strategies that they utilized. In the analysis of data, the following themes were identified: “The Great Mosaic,” “The Learning Environment for Every Child,” and “Concerns Regarding Multiculturalism.” “The Great Mosaic” theme referred to different cultures that can be found in a classroom and in society. This theme dealt with teachers' beliefs regarding cultural diversity and their practices with which they attempted to address it. “The Learning Environment for Every Child” theme reflected teachers' beliefs about creating an environment where all students could learn. It also showed how teachers attempted to create such an environment. The “Concerns Regarding Multiculturalism” theme conveyed the concerns expressed by teachers about multiculturalism. Teachers explained that different problems related to multiculturalism still existed in society and schools and that improvement was necessary. This study has shown that teachers possessed certain beliefs and had some understanding of multiculturalism. Areas that need improvement were also revealed. These areas include, for example, the definition of multiculturalism and teachers' knowledge of instructional strategies, which foster multiculturalism, and of criteria for selecting multicultural content. The findings of this study have also shown that an in-depth understanding of multiculturalism is necessary.

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Det är vanligt att nyexaminerade lärare upplever osäkerheter och en låg känsla av förberedelse under de första yrkesverksamma åren. Detta är oroväckande då lärares känsla av kontroll i klassrummet och deras upplevda säkerheter inte bara påverkar hur stressade de är på arbetsplatsen, men även elevers prestationer. Ett sätt att studera lärare på är genom begreppet self-efficacy. Self-efficacy kan kortfattat beskrivas som tilltron på den egna förmågan att utföra en uppgift inom ett område. Studier inom området har ofta använt ett kvantitativt angreppssätt. Syftet med den här studien var att kvalitativt undersöka nya matematiklärares uttryckta self-efficacy inom tre olika områden. Frågeställningen för studien var hur uttrycks nyexaminerade matematiklärares self-efficacy inom classroom management, student engagement och instructional strategies i samtal om den första tiden i läraryrket? Frågeställningen besvarades genom att analysera intervjuer med fyra nya matematiklärare. Resultaten visade att de nya lärarna generellt hade låg self-efficacy. Framträdande var att lärarna uttryckte låg tilltro till att anpassa undervisning efter elevers speciella behov och hur de skulle ta sig an ledarskapet i klassrummet. Nationella proven hindrade lärarna från att arbeta kreativt. Dessutom efterfrågades fler praktiska inslag i lärarutbildningen, bland annat gällande metoder för att undervisa ett matematiskt koncept. Studien kan ha bäring för att bidra med kunskap till att utveckla lärarutbildningen med syftet att öka nya matematiklärares self-efficacy.

The purpose of this study was to characterize a methodological framework for preparing science educators to implement design-based engineering practices to intentionally teach targeted science content. Using a modified Delphi the study looked to answer the following research questions (RQs): RQ1: How should teacher educators prepare K-12 pre-service science teachers to define engineering problems as one of eight NGSS practices all students should acquire through science education?, RQ2: How should teacher educators prepare K-12 pre-service science teachers to design engineering solutions as one of eight NGSS practices all students should acquire through science education? and , RQ3: How should teacher educators prepare K-12 pre-service science teachers to intentionally teach targeted science content using their newly acquired abilities to define engineering problems and design engineering solutions? During Round 1 a panel of 20 (8 science and 12 technology) education experts responded to 5 open-ended questions that focused on identifying the competencies and instructional strategies used to prepare K-12 pre-service science teachers to intently teach science using engineering design. Each question resulted in identifying approximately 50 themes per question. These themes were then used to construct the Round 2 Questionnaire. During Round 2 panelists reached agreement on 283 characteristics of a framework for preparing future science educators. In Round 3, panelists were sent 87 contested Round 2 items. Results of the Round 3 data analysis indicted an additional 31 framework characteristics. The results of this study identify the essential characteristics of a methodological framework that can serve to prepare science educators on the implementation of design-based engineering practices that intentionally teach targeted science content. / Ph. D.

The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) requires schools to increase academic performance and close the achievement gaps between sub-groups of students. As schools work to increase student performance in all academic areas, educators must identify the needs of each sub-group of students they services and determine which instructional practices meet their unique needs. Students living in poverty enter school with a distinctive set of needs and therefore require instructional practices that meet these needs. The researcher in this study strived to identify instructional practices that were being used in high and low performing Title I schools and compared the similarities and differences between the practices. Data reported from the study might inform school leaders regarding what instructional practices are effective when working in schools with high concentrations of students living in poverty. This qualitative study of four Title I eligible schools in an urban district in southeastern Virginia, involved interviews and focus groups. Interviews and focus groups focused on instructional practices (strategies, programs, and other factors) that influence academic achievement of students in high and low performing Title I eligible schools. Findings revealed that high performing Title I schools used student performance data to drive instruction; focused on teaching students enriching vocabulary; used the strategies of note taking, explicit instruction, similarities and differences, nonlinguistic representation, graphic organizers, and cooperative learning; conducted mentorship programs for teachers and students; utilized computer based instructional programs with fidelity; believed in their students and cared about their students; provided professional development to teachers; and implemented student reward/recognition programs. / Ed. D.

The purpose of the study was to identify instructional leadership practices elementary principals in Blue Ribbon awarded public elementary schools in Virginia implemented to influence the instructional program. A mixed methods research design was used to collect and analyze data. Principals at eleven of the sixteen public elementary schools in Virginia who received the Blue Ribbon Award between the years 2013-2015 were interviewed. An interview protocol consisting of eleven questions was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. From the data collected during the interview process, a list of fifty instructional leadership activities was developed by the researcher. The list of fifty activities principals performed were grouped into the following categories; teacher observation practices, providing feedback to teachers, collaborating with teachers to analyze data, implementing professional development, and promoting a positive learning environment. / Ed. D.