This qualitative, phenomenological study examines the perceptions of occupationally trained Tennessee technical college faculty on their preparedness to teach after being hired directly from industry and on the need for professional development and training on instructional and classroom strategies. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted by Zoom with instructors from three technical college program areas, Industrial Maintenance, Machine Tool Technology, and Welding. Participants represented institutions from each grand division of Tennessee, West, Middle, and East, plus Upper East. As a result of the data analysis, common themes, including a “here are your keys” approach to instructor induction, a reliance on other instructors for training, and the importance of timing when offering professional development and training to technical college instructors, were identified. The findings of this study exposed the perceived benefit and desire for professional development and the lack of formal training offered to occupationally trained technical college instructors. Finally, the findings from this study could be used to inform the development of professional development offerings offered by technical college administrators in Tennessee and the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Since the independence of Mozambique in 1975 teacher education and teacher continuing professional development (TCPD) have been a matter of concern for the Ministry of Education (MINED) and teachers. Both the MINED as employer and the teachers individually have permanently been looking for models and ways to upgrade their academic and professional qualifications levels. The constraints faced by Mozambique are similar to those faced by other sub-Saharan African countries since their independence due to the increased pressure for more attention to all levels of education, with particular emphasis on primary education. Although TCPD is usually seen as part of the overall Strategy for Teacher Education (Ministry and Education and Culture, 2004), this scenario privileges initial teacher education since there are many unqualified teachers facilitating learning. The main challenge of this study was to investigate the practices of primary school teachers in Grades 1 and 2 through a participatory action research (PAR) in a study titled Exploring Professional Development Intervention for Improving the Teaching Practices of Primary School Teache. Mixed methods research was used, namely quantitative and qualitative methods. A quantitative method was used during the baseline study which consisted of questionnaires administrated to 1 028 teachers from six provinces in the country. Qualitative research was used with five practitioner-researchers (PRs) in one school. Each PR was approached as a single case study. The findings of this PAR indicate that, on the one hand, the teachers are aware of the need for more academic and pedagogical qualifications, and on the other hand, of the individual responsibility they have. They believe that progression in their careers should be a credible procedure that recognises the TCPD programmes they have attended. The teachers are of the opinion that the MINED should formally recognise the TCPD by allocating credit points to teachers. Although the self-directed professional development (SDPD) model used in this study was time consuming, it has revealed that TCPD can provide effective results when with the appropriate support and follow-up of methods of facilitating the learning of reading and writing skills in Grades 1 and 2. The study involved all teachers appointed to Grade 1 in 2007, and continued with the same teachers until 2010. During this period the teachers were appointed to facilitate learning in Grades 1 and 2. Notwithstanding the fact that the PRs were only from 2 of the 7 grades provided in primary education, the study revealed the advantage of whole school professional development. The study took into consideration the Mozambican school context and calendar. For instance, the PRs were certified by the latest model of teacher education (10+2 teacher education programme) provided by the MINED. In addition, the meetings were carried out during the period scheduled for the planning of pedagogical practices and TCPD programmes. Throughout the study the constant issue that emerged was the need for a paradigm shift in TCPD. Providers of TCPD need to introduce changes in the way they view primary school teachers and confer on them the responsibility for their individual continuous professional development. Action Research could be the new research paradigm used by providers and teachers to improve their work, understand learners’ learning problems and find the appropriate solutions to improve achievement. The findings of this PAR both contribute to understanding the teachers’ views with respect to the TCPD programmes being provided, and offer the option for a new paradigm for TCPD. In this regard the current providers of such programmes can also consider the school principal and the deputy principal as fundamental facilitators of TCPD through a SDPD model. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Humanities Education / unrestricted

Teachers who are not adequately prepared to teach struggling students often seek employment elsewhere rather than be ineffective with those students. When teachers leave the classroom, this has a vast impact on student learning. For the past 9 years, a high school in the southeast United States for students at risk of not graduating has had an average annual teacher turnover rate of 31.25%, nearly twice the national rate of 15.9%. The purpose of this study was to learn the kinds of training and knowledge teachers believed would help them to succeed in teaching students struggling to graduate. Constructivist theory served as a framework for this qualitative case study design that sought to answer what are the needs of teachers of at risk learners, and learn the kind of support they needed. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 9 core teachers during the 2014-2015 school year and document analysis of professional development yielded data that were analyzed for emergent themes. A key theme was a perceived lack of adequate support from both the school and the district. Participants wanted help from psychologists and mental health counselors, professional development (PD) to develop content-specific strategies and alternative pedagogical strategies, and time for collaboration with colleagues. Based on study findings, 3 days of PD training were developed that will allow time for teachers and administration to work together. Results also provide research-based data that may be applicable to other schools and school districts serving a similar population. Supporting teachers of students at risk of not graduating should improve teachers' job satisfaction and retention, and improve student achievement, resulting in positive social change for society.

Teachers' ability to integrate technology is a topic of growing concern given the importance of technology and 21st century skills readiness in both academics and the global society of 2014. This study investigated the technology integration barriers that educators faced, the training the educators received, and support needs of educators at a large, prominent, 30-year old international school located in Central America offering grades Pre-K 3 to 12. The social learning theory of Bandura, the constructivist theories of Piaget and Dewey, and the technology constructionism of Papert provided the theoretical framework. The research questions focused on understanding technology integration by assessing key aspects of the teachers' technology proficiency and needs. A nonexperimental quantitative cross-sectional study design was used to examine the educational technology integration practices and deficiencies at the focus school. A Likert-style instrument, comprised of parts from 3 existing instruments, was completed electronically by 62 purposefully sampled certified teachers at the focus school. Descriptive statistics identified technology integration levels, training factors, and support needs of focus school educators. Correlational analyses failed to reveal any significant relationships between technology integration levels of the focus school teachers and the variables of interest: self-perceived barriers to technology integration, self-perceived confidence using technology, and participation in onsite professional development. In light of the survey findings, a 3-phase technology integration improvement plan was designed. The study yields social change for the focus school by improving their technology integration practices based on empirical evidence.

In a midwest, rural, and high-poverty elementary school, teachers expressed concerns about difficult student behaviors in their classrooms. It was important to address the problem because student misbehavior disrupts the learning of all students in the classroom. To provide information to the school that could inform possible interventions, a survey was conducted that measured the perceptions of 24 classroom teachers about concerning student behaviors, their methods of dealing with such behaviors, their needs for further support, and their confidence in dealing with difficult student behaviors. The conceptual frameworks that guided this study were the behaviorist theories of Watson and Skinner. The survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A Mann-Whitney U test was conducted for each of the survey questions to determine whether any statistically significant differences between the survey responses of independent variable groups of grade level (Kindergarten-3 and 4-6) and teacher experience (novice and veteran teachers). Findings showed only 1 statistically significant difference between the Grades K-3 and 4-6 teachers' use of books and published materials to deal with concerning student behavior. A professional development initiative was created that will use professional learning community groupings already present in the school for teachers to research and implement changes to their professional practices in dealing with concerning student behaviors. This study may lead to an improved learning environment for teachers and students, an enhanced school reputation, and further parental and community support.

The implementation of professional learning communities is a professional development practice that uses collaborative interactions within a constructivist framework to increase teacher and student learning. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the question of how the dialogue of grade level meetings within professional learning communities impacts the professional development of teachers using the constructivist theory of learning as the conceptual framework. The researcher gathered data through hour-long interviews over a 4-week period with 6 learning community participants, one from each of the 6 grade levels at the elementary school research site. A thematic analysis of the dialogical interactions revealed the following: (a) Professional growth is contingent upon the presence of focused dialogue, (b) Dialogue creates a feeling of acceptance that results in professional growth, (c) Dialogue results in learning opportunities that are prescriptive to the needs of the participants, and (d) Dialogue increases the content knowledge of teachers while providing them opportunities for the acquisition of instructional strategies. These dialogues offered opportunities for teacher examination of school data and focused efforts to improve weaknesses for greater student academic achievement. The results also revealed the qualities necessary for productive interactions to occur within professional learning communities that lead to professional growth and student success. Implications for positive social change include fostering the growth of teachers by revealing how conversing with others facilitates the acquisition of effective teaching practices and providing research based strategies and guidelines that promote the facilitation of productive collaborative and dialogical interactions within learning teams that result in improvements for the entire school community.

In an urban Georgia school district, teacher satisfaction surveys revealed that technology-based professional development was not equipping teachers with the skills or support needed to implement technology into their teaching practices. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to explore teachers' experiences and perceptions of technology-based professional development and its effect on self-efficacy. Guided by Piaget's constructivist theory, this study was based on the perspective that teachers often construct knowledge rather than gain it. Guiding questions explore the experiences teachers have had with technology integration in daily teaching practices, their self-perceived competency level and self-efficacy regarding technology, their attitudes about provided professional development and time and resources provided for their collaborative professional work, and perceptions about their technology related professional development needs. A purposeful sample of 35 teachers was used to collect quantitative data through a survey and 8 of these teachers were interviewed. Interview data were transcribed, coded, and member checked. Three themes emerged: teacher-centered versus student-centered use; necessity of differentiated professional development; and lack of support, resources, and time. Descriptive analysis revealed that most teachers were using technology daily. Factors contributing to the frequency and quality of technology use included resources, support, and self-efficacy. As a model intervention, the final outcome is a comprehensive professional development plan to provide teachers with a platform to share and improve their teaching practices, which when implemented will offer positive social change, in the form of support for these and other teachers, which will lead to improvements in teaching and learning and achievement of educational outcomes.

Alternately certified teachers (ACTs) are teachers who receive teacher training in an accelerated program provided by alternate certification programs (ACPs). Induction/mentoring programs are provided to ACTs as a source of additional training. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine ACTs' perceptions of their effectiveness as teachers in relation to their students' achievement and the support provided to them as new teachers by their induction/mentoring training. The research question explored if there was a relationship between the amount of support provided to the ACTs from their induction/mentoring programs and the ACTs' perception of their effectiveness in relation to student achievement. The primary data sources consisted of journal data and semistructured interviews from 2 ACTs. Open, axial, and selective coding strategies were used as one component of the data analysis. Conventional content analysis was used to explore the perceptions of the 2 ACTs interviewed. Analysis revealed that ability to manage a classroom and the support provided by induction/mentoring programs may influence the ACTs' perceptions of effectiveness in terms of student achievement. Results also suggested that ACTs' induction/mentoring programs did not successfully facilitate a transition into the teaching profession. The results from this study can be used by mentoring/induction program directors, and school administrators to inform policy and curricular modifications to induction/mentoring programs that would optimize ACTs' perceptions of their effectiveness as teachers and student achievement. The use of these data may contribute to social change by providing the ACT with an improved support system during the ACTs' first year in the classroom.

Since the inception of the hybrid instruction model at a career college in the western United States, there has not been an exploration of faculty members' understanding of hybrid instruction. Therefore, campus administrators do not have a clear understanding of the faculty perception of teaching in a hybrid learning environment. Using Bandura's social cognitive theory, this qualitative narrative inquiry study was conducted to explore faculty self-efficacy instructing in a hybrid learning environment at the career college. A purposeful sampling method was used to select 9 faculty who have taught less than 2 hybrid learning courses and attended the college professional development. In-depth semiformal interviews captured the data for this narrative inquiry. Data analysis was rooted in a 6-part Labovian model that captured the full story of the participants. Thematic analysis of data followed an inductive and interpretive approach to identify categories and 4 themes: discussion teaching, classroom environment, anchored by adult learning strategies, and self-reliance. The emerged themes provided the direction to increase faculty self-efficacy instructing in a hybrid learning environment. The resulting project was a 3-day professional development program with training in; discussion teaching; classroom environment; and adult learning strategies. The theme of self-reliance was the thread that linked all sessions of the professional development program together. This study may contribute to positive social change through the implementation of a professional development program leading to increased faculty self-efficacy instructing in a hybrid learning environment at a career college.

This study addressed the problem of low student achievement in elementary school mathematics and investigated the level of knowledge held by the teachers. Previous studies have shown that students who succeed in mathematics are more successful during their school years, including college, and earn a higher income level as adults. A theoretical framework of andragogy framed three research questions for investigation. The first question focused on the current professional development needs of the teachers. The other two questions investigated whether the mathematical knowledge relating to teaching (MKT) correlates with the socioeconomic level of the school or correlates with annual yearly progress (AYP) status. Randomly selected elementary teachers from 12 schools participated by completing a survey and taking an online assessment to determine their MKT level. There was no significant correlation between the teachers' MKT scores and the socioeconomic level of their school or the AYP status of the school. Results indicated the need for professional development in mathematical progressions and instructional techniques. Data also suggested that this professional development be adapted to meet the individual needs of the participating teachers. These data informed the creation of 45 professional development training modules for teachers. This study, with the recommended training modules, can initiate social change by providing teachers with individualized training and new instructional strategies to implement in their classrooms with their students, thereby promoting higher levels of student achievement in mathematics.