<p> The majority of children with exceptionalities aged 3-5 are being served in general education settings. Teachers working in these inclusion classrooms must have the ability and knowledge to work with all students under their care. The purpose of this study was to determine how teachers in early childhood inclusion classrooms plan to incorporate the principles of Universal Design for Learning, an inclusive pedagogy, and to determine how professional development in UDL changes teachers' knowledge and behaviors in the classroom. This qualitative case study followed two early childhood inclusion co-teachers and a district office specialist in charge of the UDL professional development. Interviews, observations, lesson plans, and training materials were collected over an extended amount of time in the field. Results of the data analysis indicated that many principles of UDL were inherent in quality early childhood instruction. Teachers were adept at individualizing instruction on an as needed basis, but they needed more practice at embedding modifications and accommodations into curriculum and instruction. Early childhood teachers understood and saw the value in UDL, but they lacked appropriate professional development, access to the necessary resources, and the time needed to take universal instruction to the next level.</p>

<p> This study explored the potential of classroom-based meditation practice as a tool to facilitate learning. Moreover, the impact of meditation on cognitive engagement, mindfulness and academic performance of undergraduate college students was investigated. Additionally, the relationships between mindfulness and cognitive engagement, and between these variables and students' academic performance were explored. Mindfulness was also examined for its potential as an indicator of engagement and meditation as a potential facilitator of engagement. </p><p> A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was employed with a sample of 189 undergraduate students at a public Research I institution in the Northeast, enrolled in classes in the Department of Learning and Instruction. All participants completed a survey instrument comprised of two self-report measures: the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and a Cognitive Engagement Scale administered at the beginning and end of the Fall 2012 semester. GPA was utilized as a measure of academic performance. Experimental group participants participated in a 6-minute meditation at the beginning of class throughout the 15-week semester. </p><p> Many significant relationships were found between mindfulness, cognitive engagement and academic performance. Specifically, mindfulness and cognitive engagement were related at both the scale and subscale levels, and GPA was related to two facets of mindfulness, acting with awareness and nonreactivity, and one facet of cognitive engagement, self-regulation. Furthermore, nonreactivity was the best predictor of academic performance in this student sample. Moreover, mindfulness was a better predictor of academic performance than was cognitive engagement. The results suggest that mindfulness may be important in the process of learning. Implications focus on student engagement theory, pedagogy, institutional policy and practices. Evidence provided from this research supports the use of methods that cultivate mindfulness as valid pedagogical tools, further substantiating the educational efficacy of classroom-based meditation practice. </p>

<p>Recognizing the importance of reflection about teaching as a fundamental activity to promote faculty development, the present research was conducted to: 1) explore the practices of instructional reflection of four undergraduate level professors at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), 2) understand how these practices influence their teaching and professional development, and 3) analyze their reflective practices based on traditional theories of reflection, namely Dewey's Reflective Theory, the Critical Thinking Movement, Schon's Reflective Practitioner Model, Critical Pedagogy, and Mezirow's Transformative Learning. A qualitative, multiple-case study was designed for this study, with interviews and observation of classes. Collected data were transcribed, categorized and coded; findings were presented in narrative form. Among the results stands out that professors critically examine their teaching practices through: 1) dialogue with colleagues and students, 2) reading of various types of materials, 3) writing about their teaching, 4) peer class observation, and 5) analyzing course evaluations and program assessment results. From their testimonies it also follows that reflection influences their teaching and professional development because they: 1) privilege questioning and critical dialogue as instructional strategies par excellence, 2) democratize their classrooms, 3) continuously update their courses, 4) experiment with new assessment strategies; 5) promote active learning and 6) create new courses. Classical theories of reflection converge in the professors' reflectivity. In addition, they integrate elements from other theoretical perspectives?e.g. feminism, Queer Theory, postmodernism, general education, and inter and transdisciplinarity? with which they enhance and reinvigorate their instructional reflection. Of potential interest for university academic leaders was the finding that, in general, participating professors understand that their reflective practices occur in spite of, and not supported by, the university administration, which they perceive as disconnected from the real needs of teachers and students.

<p> Research indicates play contributes to children's learning and development. The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) changed early care and education by limiting time for play in early childhood classrooms. There is a gap in the literature concerning early childhood teachers' current beliefs about play and how those beliefs are connected to their practices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the connections between early childhood teachers' beliefs regarding play and their practices in the early childhood classroom. Lave's situated learning theory formed the conceptual framework for this study recognizing the early childhood classroom and the social aspect of learning as a community of practice. Data for the study were collected through structured interviews, observations, and documents from teachers in 6 early childhood classrooms. Coding was used to identify patterns and themes. Analysis revealed that teachers held strong positive beliefs in regard to play. Teachers believed the connection between their beliefs and practices regarding play was strong and the connection between them was clear. Evidence showed the connection was not as strong and clear as teachers perceived. A clearer understanding of the link between teachers' beliefs and practices could create positive social change and benefit teachers, parents, administrators, and children. Teachers may use the information in this study to reflect on and make changes to their practices. Program directors, principals and school districts may be guided to implement curriculum changes more inclusive of play, or to include play and play theory in preservice training. These changes could bring the United States more in line with top performing countries in terms of educational outcomes for children.</p>

<p> At present, it can be difficult for teachers to teach writing effectively in the formal classroom due to large class sizes and unreasonable standardized testing criteria. As a result, many students are unable to learn how to communicate well in writing. Teachers will need to look outside the traditional methods of writing instruction to find ways to teach writing strategies effectively and efficiently. Informal learning occurs frequently in online spaces. Online communities, such as fan fiction websites, offer an opportunity for experts and novices to work in the same digital space where one can learn from each other through interactions within the community.</p><p> This dissertation analyzes the discourse among participants in an online fan fiction website, fanfiction.mugglenet.com, in order to find evidence of writing support and effective writing instruction. Participants in the community contribute to the success of writers as they comment on stories and in the forums. Members of the community interact with one another in three different ways: through comments on stories as they are being updated, through comments in the Beta Forums, and through private interactions between beta readers and authors. Comment feeds and threads from the Beta Forums were coded for evidence of writing support and elements of effective writing instruction. Findings of the study centered on motivation and support for writers as they continue to update their stories.</p><p> The study creates theoretical constructs to contribute to existing research on educational technology and writing instruction. Based on the evidence of this study, informal learning in the community can be harnessed to teach writing to novice writers. Technology and new media prove to be a useful tool for educators who are looking to for new ways to teach writing. This grounded theory research plans to provide teachers in the classroom with more effective tools. Online fan fiction communities offer students a chance to interact with other writers about stories they have written. Learning from the community has potential to provide motivation for students to write more often and frequently. Informal learning through the community has the potential to give educators a tool to teach vital writing skills.</p>

<p> Research in teaching and learning in higher education in the last fifteen years addresses the importance of integrating disciplinary ways of thinking &ndash; i.e. an understanding of the ways that questions are asked and investigated within disciplines -- in undergraduate courses. However, the application of this emergent research varies in history departments and in large lecture survey courses. This study addresses the gap in research about effective modes for introducing disciplinary thinking in a large lecture history course through the means of the threshold concepts framework. This dissertation contributes to three areas of research in higher education: application of threshold concepts at the course level; what this application looks like in terms of practices at the discussion section level; and the role of the teaching assistant in his or her own development in teaching history and within the discipline.</p><p> This study looked at how threshold concepts were introduced in a large lecture history course. The analytical framework for viewing the results provided a lens to look at how the concepts were introduced and carried throughout the course. This framework, shaped by the situated learning and threshold concepts literature, looked at the "careers" of the concepts and how they were woven through a large learning system from professor to TAs to students. </p><p> In order for the careers of the concepts to carry through the course, certain teaching capabilities need to be in place to ensure the concepts reach students. The methods used to determine the uptake of concepts in the TA discussion sections were classroom observations, online surveys and interviews. Results show that teaching assistants are a crucial link for the careers of the concepts within a large lecture course. Moreover, teaching assistants' orientation to threshold concepts contribute to an explicit emphasis on the disciplinary concepts within their own work as disciplinarians and researchers. Tracing the careers of these concepts yielded more information about what is needed within the large course system in terms of the types of processes that need to be in place to support the inclusion of the concepts in the course. Threshold concepts afford faculty an opportunity to rethink the goals and principles that drive their course. Translation and framing of these concepts represented the threshold capabilities needed on the part of the teachers (both the professor and TAs) to support the movement of concepts from professor to students. The historical thinking strategies, such as analyzing primary sources, represented the particular threshold actions needed to support students in moving through thresholds to the discipline. While this is a baseline qualitative study of one large lecture course at UCSB, implications of this work contribute to graduate student teaching development and threshold concept course design. </p>

<p> This qualitative study examined the cognition and practices of four teachers teaching in low-SES schools. The four case studies were comprised of three elementary teachers and one middle school teachers in the state of Columbia*. The study explored how the teachers' schooling, professional coursework, classroom practices, and contextual factors affected their teaching practices. The conceptual framework for the study came from Borg's (2003) representation of teacher cognition for language teachers.</p><p> Data were triangulated and collected from interviews, documents, and classroom observations. The four teachers were interviewed three times each. The documents collected were professional correspondence, pertinent papers, homework, or other artifacts that demonstrated the teachers' cognition.</p><p> The findings of the study showed the teachers' cognition was primarily influenced by schooling, classroom practices, and contextual factors, but not professional coursework. The findings also suggest that the teachers in the study found relationships with students and a student reflexive curriculum to be paramount in their classroom practice in a low-SES school. In addition, three of the teachers all regarded the contextual factor of equity in their schools to be of importance in their cognition of teaching.</p><p> *pseudonyms.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to describe the perceived experiences of faculty who use lecture capture systems in face-to-face class meetings at small and medium-sized, four-year, highly residential, undergraduate colleges and universities with enrollments between 1,000 and 9,999 students. Through audio-recorded semi-structured telephone interviews, 17 faculty shared their perceptions and experiences using lecture capture in their face-to-face classrooms. Analysis of interview transcript data provided answers to one primary research question and three central research questions. The following 10 themes emerged: Pedagogy and instructional content; Presentation style; Innovative uses; Technical support and technology capabilities; Institutional leadership and lecture capture adoption; Dynamics of class discussion; Understanding course content; Attendance; Educational benefit; and Instructional tool. The findings add to the current literature that lecture capture is an emerging technology being used successfully at higher educational institutions in the United States. The prevailing perception among interviewed participants was that lecture capture is easy to use, does not harm the face-to-face classroom experience, and offers significant benefits for many students. Data derived from this research study may be valuable to higher education leaders to determine if installation of lecture capture systems is warranted and advisable based on its effect on the instructional process. Further research regarding lecture capture systems may provide higher education leaders greater understanding of the effects of this new technology.</p>

<p> Educating our Dance School Educators examines the relevance of certification for private dance school teachers. I offer a personal history as evidence for the need of certification in dance schools. I also provide a desired outline of the certification, which encompasses the mission statement and requirements for the candidates. The question of what it means to be certified is addressed by using the National Dance Education Organization as defining support. To argue for certification I draw support from dance editors and professors as well as the National Dance Education Standards. I use an example of a certification outline from the Connecticut school district and deconstruct why the outline is insufficient for my ideal standards. I do not have a target age group desired when talking about the students because this subject is relevant for students of all levels and ages. I use support from pedagogical research to explain the human developmental process for all ages specifically concerning the effects this process has on their learning curve. I also use critical pedagogy to explain the importance of pedagogical knowledge versus content knowledge. I conclude with a summary of my findings in support of certification for dance school teachers to ensure a quality education for all students whether pursuing it as a recreational activity or as a career.</p>

<p> This teacher research study documents the processes used to help students in an all-female, religious-based high school create science fair projects that are personally meaningful, scientifically sophisticated and up-to date in terms of science content. One-hundred sixteen young women in an honors chemistry class were introduced by their teacher to the methods used by science journalists when researching and crafting articles. The students then integrated these strategies into their science fair research through collaborative classroom activities designed by their teacher. Data collected during the process included audio and video tapes of classroom activities, student interviews, process work, finished projects, email conversations and the reflective journaling, annotated lesson plans, and memories of the lived experience by the teacher. </p><p> The pedagogical changes which resulted from this project included the use of Read Aloud-Think Alouds (RATA) to introduce content and provide relevance, a discussion based topic selection process, the encouragement of relevant topic choices, the increased use of technology for learning activities and for sharing research, and an experimental design process driven by the student's personally relevant, topic choice. Built in feedback loops, provided by the teacher, peer editors and an outside editor, resulted in multiple revisions and expanded opportunities for communicating results to the community-at-large. </p><p> Greater student engagement in science fair projects was evident: questioning for understanding, active involvement in decision making, collaboration within the classroom community, experience and expertise with reading, writing and the use of technology, sense of agency and interest in science related activities and careers all increased. Students communicated their evolving practices within the school community and became leaders who promoted the increased use of technology in all of their classes. </p><p> Integrating journalistic practices into the research projects of these honors chemistry students also brought about positive changes in the attitude of the students toward science. The pedagogy implemented was successful at increasing the engagement of the participants in their own learning processes as well as increased interest in science. Moreover, the teacher researcher has expanded her skill set and is transitioning toward a more student-centered classroom. While this study focused on 116 honors chemistry students over the course of three years, it identified changes in practices that can be taken up and examined more broadly by science teachers who include science fairs as part of their curriculum.</p>