This qualitative study was designed to identify and explore the preservice technology training experiences of novice teachers and examine their perceptions of how well their teacher preparation program prepared them with the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS•T). Data were collected by following an instrumental case study design utilizing semi-structured interviews, documents, and field notes. Simultaneous collection and analysis of the data helped the researcher to create a deeper understanding of the technology training experiences of novice teachers. The findings of this study revealed that novice teachers believe there was a lack of emphasis on technology integration in their teacher preparation program outside of the one required technology course. They expressed a need for technology training to be integrated across the curriculum. They wanted to be provided with authentic learning experiences so they could connect the theory to the practice in relation to technology integration. They wanted more time to practice, reflect, and plan student-centered, technology-rich lessons and they wanted to see all teacher education faculty modeling technology so connections could be made between the technology tools and the appropriate uses of these tools within their content areas. Last, they believe future preservice teachers need more hands-on experiences in creating student-centered, technology-rich lessons, not just within the one required technology course, but throughout their teacher preparation program. Furthermore, 90 percent of the participants expressed a need for more exposure to the technology standards. They stated the only place they were exposed to these technology standards was in the one required technology course and felt that one semester was not enough exposure for them to learn how to implement each of the standards with confidence. All stated they would have liked to have seen all faculty members throughout the teacher preparation program incorporate these technology standards into their teaching, so they would have been provided with adequate exposure to the technology standards.

With increasing demand for school accountability following the NCLB Act of 2001, school leaders have a greater responsibility to students with disabilities than ever tinclude special education leadership due to the leadership imperative to meet the needs of all students (Lashley, 2007; Yell, 2012). Little attention, however, has been paid to special education and special education law in leadership preparation programs (Cusson, 2010; Pazey & Cole, 2013), leaving school leaders inadequately prepared to serve all students. The purpose of this study was to explore how six current school leaders who are graduates of a university-based “high-quality” principalship program created an inclusive school culture. Guided by the theoretical framework of sensemaking (Weick, 1995) and a phenomenological approach (Creswell, 2007; Patton, 1990), this study examined the ways in which six school leaders used what they know about special education and special education law to develop their understanding of such policy and sought to gain insight into why they made sense of and constructed their interpretations of the policy in a particular way. Of particular interest was their perceived roles in working with special education staff, and the effects their construction and application of inclusive education policy had on students with disabilities. The findings of this study suggest that these six school leaders’ sensemaking of inclusive education policy was influenced by three factors: knowledge, experiences, and personal contexts. Each of these three factors were situated within the context of the school leaders’ constructed identities. If the school leader perceived his or her role as a leader for special education, he or she was more inclined to seek special education and special education law content knowledge, ensure their campus staff attained and maintained the capacity to meet the needs of all students, and continuously searched for specific experiences and opportunities that they could make available to themselves and others that required them to grapple with difficult issues related to special education. In doing so, they were able to effect deeper-level change on their school campuses. / text

This study sought to identify characteristics found within technical, cultural and political dimensions of the YES College Prep middle school model that typify the college-going culture of the organization. This qualitative study utilized grounded theory and ethnographic approaches in a three-phase research plan seeking to answer the question: How can the college-going culture of the YES Prep Middle School System be described, and what characteristics of the school model can be useful for building college-going cultures in mainstream schools? Teachers and administrators were the primary units of study, and data was collected in the form of documents, interviews and ethnographic field notes. Data from phases two and three built upon theories developed in phase one. Using Kirst, Venezia and Antonio’s typology of college-going cultures, YES College Prep schools fell under the category of schools with strong college-going cultures. Five dominant themes emerged as all three phases of research were synthesized: (a) student achievement, (b) quality teaching, (c) exposure and opportunities to learn, (d) college-going discourses, and (e) unified mission. Characteristics holding potential relevance for mainstream schools were the unified mission, academic rigor, the extended day and year, the Comprehensive Counseling Model, the Teacher Excellence Program and the people-oriented business model. This study adds to the body of research demarcating middle school as a critical point in the educational continuum. The YES College Prep model provides usefulness for researchers interested in such areas as organizational culture, educational pipeline models, and middle school reform models. / text

The Black experience is complex; often portrayed as a double consciousness or a tension between two warring ideas that penetrate the soul. Such duplicity can leave Black people perplexed regarding how to navigate in a White world with one dark body. This study explored the experiences of Black males in an urban teacher preparation program as they negotiated their double consciousness in order to understand how race and gender impact teaching and learning in urban schools. Four case studies were conducted representing self-identified Black male graduates who were part of a cohort of pre-service teachers. Data generated from coursework were used as a heuristic for introspective analysis by each participant and complemented by semi-structured interviews. The study illustrates the complex factors for Black males developing as culturally relevant responsive teachers and provides voice to the challenges Black males face while navigating in a capitalistic system that has historically denied equitable access. The research found that prior experiences with double consciousness perpetuate Black males’ oppression and forces them to see their perceived selves through their White counterparts’ and supervisors’ eyes. Double consciousness has a twoness that causes distrustfulness of those that are perceived to be oppressive while also inspires individuals to ‘be the best’. Cohort communities are a great way to facilitate a community of learners but if not managed carefully can lead to racial and ethnic separation. After graduating from the teacher preparation program, the Black males did not remain consistent with their cultural responsiveness but were charged to use the teaching profession as a means to create positive change for others. Findings from this study hold promise for helping teacher education programs develop experiences for Black males that capture and cultivate the unique embodiment of two clashing identities—American and Black.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2008. / "December, 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-140). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 143 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-94).

Thesis (Ed. D.)-- Boise State University, 2009. / Title from t.p. of PDF file (viewed June 22, 2010). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-84).

Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-146).

Thesis (MEd (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / This study focuses on the cognitive preparation of National Curriculum Statement (NCS) (Grades 10 – 12) Accounting learners for studies at a University of Technology (UoT). The purpose was to determine to what extent NCS cognitively prepares Accounting learners for studies at a UoT, and whether there is a difference in the extent to which NCS (pre-2014) and CAPS (2014) cognitively prepare learners for the first-year National Higher Certificate in Accounting and Financial Information Systems at a selected University of Technology (UoT). This study is contextually situated within the curriculum theories developed by Basil Bernstein‘s ‘code theory’ in the sociology of education. The theoretical framework for this thesis draws on the work of David Conley’s redefining college readiness, in which he argues that Higher Education (HE) readiness is a multi-faceted concept comprising numerous variables. Cognitive preparation for HE Accounting studies is reviewed in terms of the educational objectives of the cognitive domain of Benjamin Bloom. A mixed method approach for the research design was employed. The quantitative approach entailed completion and analysis of questionnaires by first-year Accounting students at a selected UoT to ascertain learners’ levels of Accounting competence as envisioned by the NCS (Grades 10 – 12). Marks for the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination in Accounting were obtained so that these examination marks could be compared with students’ levels of Accounting competence and marks at the end of the first term (March). The qualitative approach entailed document analyses of the Accounting FET (Grades 10 – 12) curriculum, the curriculum of the National Higher Certificate, the NSC Accounting examination of 2014, and the National Higher Certificate in Accounting March 2015 assessment, as well as interviews with the Accounting 1 lecturers at a selected UoT. Data revealed that the NCS (Grades 10 – 12) Accounting curriculum (formal or intended curriculum) adequately prepares learners cognitively for studies at a UoT. There is little evidence that CAPS prepares learners better for tertiary studies than students not trained according to CAPS. There is a statistically significant relationship between the mark obtained in the NSC, the mark in the questionnaire and the formal assessment in March. There are, however, various other factors that contribute to academic success or failure and drop-out in HE. Findings from this study suggest that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and universities could work more closely together in various subject groups to ensure these challenges are met and that universities provide feedback to the DBE on whether the changes implemented are making a difference to the quality of first-year students who enter university.