Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

Weaknesses in extant modes of teacher professional development relating to the use of technology to support teaching and learning are identified and recommendations sought regarding more effective modes of delivery. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is postulated as a theoretical lens through which to foster reflection and dialogue regarding teaching practice and a number of tools are developed to support a structured approach to professional development. These include a TPACK assessment tool to evaluate performance in each of TPACK's constituent subdomains and a new form of technology content representation, dubbed a 'T-CoRe', through which to scaffold thinking and practice relating to technology integration. Through iterative refinement, the assessment tool was able to indicate and afford visualisation of aspects of practice. T-CoRes and associated discussion were able to evidence stimulation of high-quality reflection and foster application of higher-order thinking, here termed 'TPACK thinking'. Impact was demonstrable both in terms of teacher practice and pupil outcomes. Teachers demonstrated a commitment to collegiality and reflected on their capacity to champion technology integration within their departments and schools. This study therefore demonstrates the potential to operationalise TPACK within a UK setting and offers a toolkit of resources to support consideration of the pedagogical affordance of technology by teachers for wider scrutiny, use and development.

This paper examined the process followed in the selection and establishment of an inner-city Professional Development School located in a large, North Texas school district.

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between academic entitlement and attitude toward learning, perseverance for goals, and identity processes. Participants included 364 undergraduate students, ages 18-29. Results revealed that overall, participants in this study reported low academic entitlement. Nevertheless, students who reported higher academic entitlement reported lower attitude toward learning (mastery approach), and lower perseverance for goals (consistency of interest, perseverance of effort). In addition, students who reported higher academic entitlement were more likely to score higher on diffused, foreclosed, and moratorium identity processes (ideological and interpersonal domains). Lastly, results indicated that participants who reported higher academic entitlement fell into the age category of 18-20. Overall, it appeared that students age 18-20 reported higher academic entitlement, lower attitude toward learning, perseverance for goals, and were more likely to score higher on diffusion, foreclosure, and moratorium. Older students age 21-29 appeared to be more likely to be achieved.

Abstract is available to download.

acase@tulane.edu / Although the theoretical basis supporting the use of trauma-informed approaches in schools is promising, evidence for mechanisms of facilitating their acceptability among teachers is limited. Findings from implementation science indicate that foundational professional development training during pre-implementation activities can generate teacher support for a new approach, which is essential to successful formal implementation. Theoretical models point toward enhanced teacher knowledge of the approach as a predictor of such support. The current study examined whether foundational professional development training increased teacher knowledge of a new school-wide initiative, trauma-informed approaches, and evaluated that knowledge growth as a predictor of teacher perceptions of acceptability for trauma-informed approaches. Feasibility and system fit, two domains of perceived social validity of trauma-informed approaches, were assessed as potential moderators of the association between knowledge growth and acceptability. Although the training significantly increased teachers’ knowledge of trauma-informed approaches, knowledge growth did not predict acceptability ratings. Feasibility and knowledge growth did not interact to predict acceptability ratings. However, individuals providing higher ratings of system fit demonstrated a positive relationship between knowledge growth and acceptability. When system fit ratings were lower, knowledge growth predicted lower acceptability ratings. Findings provide partial support for foundational professional development training as a pre-implementation tool and identify factors that influence pre-implementation acceptability of trauma-informed approaches among teachers. / 1 / Elizabeth McIntyre

Purpose The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to determine the educational needs of the personnel of the five directorates at Hill Air Force Base; and, (2) to design an educational program to meet those needs. Procedure This study consisted of three phases: Phase One. This phase consisted of identifying the behavioral items that we re us ed in developing the Q-Sort instrument. This was accomplished by a review of job requirement data, by an examination of Project Hy Production, and by personal interviews of the Air Base educational specialists. Phase Two. This phase consisted of the development of a Q-Sort instrument to be administered to a random sample of supervisory and non~supervisory personnel from each of the five directorates. The respondents ranked the Q-Sort items into seven categories which had been assigned numerical values by the researcher. Mean scores were computed for each statement. Rank order was then established by using the mean scores. The Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient was used to determine the degree of agreement between the categories of respondents. Phase Three. This phase consisted of the development of the organizational structure of the total program. Included was a specific identification of the areas of knowledge that would best satisfy desired behavior, and an explanation of the general education phase of the total program. Findings 1. The behavioral items identified from the above indicated o sources were many and varied. Each emphasized the need for knowledge in English and mathematic skills. Knowledge of the myriad logistics processes were all mentioned as desired behavior. 2. The rankings by the supervisory and non- supervisory personnel of the vocational statements were also varied but a high level of agreement concerning the importance of the English and mathematics skills was evident. 3. A high level of agreement was evident between supervisory and non- supervisory personnel concerning their opinions of the importance of the Q-Sort items. The correlation coefficients ranged from .832 to .904 for the five directorates. 4. A core area and five specialty areas were developed from the information derived from the Q-Sort instrument. The combined core and specialty areas constituted the major for the total program. 5. The design of the total program was reversed, requiring the student to complete the major first then the general education requirements. The general education phase was designed to allow the student to complete it by independent-guided study. Conclusions 1. All personnel consider a knowledge of English skills highly important in the performance of their jobs. 2. Skill in the use of mathematics and statistics was considered to be of intermediate importance. 3. The personnel in each directorate ranked a knowledge of the vocational skills related to the activities they were currently performing as highly important. 4. There was considerable agreement between supervisory and non-supervisory personnel in their opinions of the importance of the behavioral statements. 5. The educational needs of the government employee could best be satisfied by incorporating the reverse plan and the independent-guided study philosophy into the design. Recommendations 1. A study similarly designed be made at another aIr materiel area to determine the level of agreement between the personnel at the base and those of the Ogden Air Materiel Area. 2. A similar study be made at other government entities to determine the educational needs of the employees of those installations. 3. This study be replicated in approximately five years to determine what changes should be made in this program. 4. A study designed to test the effectiveness of this program be made.

Ongoing teacher professional development is an essential part of the wellbeing of the schooling system and successful outcomes for students. In the past, teacher professional development has been used to describe an often �top-down� method of training to meet systemic needs while taking little account of teacher's individual needs. This approach often conceptualises the teacher's life as a dichotomy with the personal and the private separated and unrelated. In contrast, teacher professional development in this study is conceptualised as a journey that includes encouraging and discouraging turns. The journey is explored through the experiences of two primary and two secondary drama educators using Hargreaves and Fullan's (1992) organisers: teacher development as knowledge and skill development; teacher development as self understanding and teacher development as ecological change. The study focussed specifically on teachers of drama. Of the four educators two were beginning teachers, one primary and one secondary and two were experienced teachers, one primary and one secondary. The teachers were interviewed over twelve months. Narrative vignettes were developed from the interviews. As the context for these teacher journeys was pivotal, the influences on the teaching of drama in New South Wales were investigated. This included an exploration of the major issues that have influenced the development of drama education both internationally and in Australia. The concluding reflections from this study suggest that there is strong interaction between teachers' personal and professional lives. Teachers' personal circumstances, family histories and schooling backgrounds all have an important influence on their work as teachers. Significantly, issues related to drama education's history and current context reflected these teachers' classroom realities. The teachers argue that they understand their professional development needs best and should have influence and ownership of their own professional development experiences. They found aspects of their tertiary training and teacher induction unsatisfactory. The two beginning teachers in this study struggled to survive the difficulties of their first year and both seriously considered leaving teaching. The teachers describe self understanding through distinct phases of development that are made unique by each teacher's personality and context. The teachers saw subject identity and pedagogy as important to their professional identity. They report that times of crisis often lead to positive changes in their professional development journeys. The ecology for these teachers was made up of several complex issues that are resistant to change and there were a number of impediments reported by the teachers that arise from their teaching ecologies. Two of the teachers have used a change of context to improve their satisfaction and confidence levels. Two teachers described beneficial experiences with supervisors in the school setting. If beneficial ecological change is to occur, education systems must attend to the needs of teachers and provide opportunities to teach unimpeded by systemic obstacles. The study calls for changes in professional development and for the recognition of the multilayered nature of the teachers' journey. The study calls for a reconceptualisation of teacher professional development that recognises each teacher's ecology and self understanding. The renewed impetus for arts education will only be successful if the complexity of the teachers' journey is recognised and systemic obstacles are removed.

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to better understand the relationship between the substantive-content focus of professional development for inservice teachers of mathematics and their students' achievement. That professional development for teachers enhances student achievement has been well established by recent studies; however, those meta-analyses have studied structural characteristics such as the duration and the format/delivery method of the professional development. It is important to understand how the focus of professional development relates to student achievement because different foci must still compete not only among themselves but also with other instructional-improvement strategies (such as high-stakes testing, accountability, and curriculum reform) for limited resources, such as time and money. Hence, having evidence that professional development works and, more importantly, a better understanding of what focus comprises more effective professional development is not just of theoretical importance, it is also a policy-relevant imperative. The study's results indicated that the focus of professional development is, in fact, a significant and educationally important predictor of variation in student-achievement effect sizes.

The major purpose of the study was to analyze the role of the normal universities in China in the field of teacher professional development. In order to achieve this purpose, the following two questions guided this research: 1) What efforts are normal universities in China making in continuing teacher education? 2) What are the factors that support or inhibit normal universities in these endeavors? The research includes case studies of four Chinese normal universities as well as a comparison to the work of universities in Ontario, Canada. In-depth interviews were utilized as the major data collecting method, and document review was used as a supplementary method. The participants included university administrators, university teacher educators and government administrators. The study outlined the current state of normal universities’ work in the field of in-service teacher education by reviewing the larger policy context around teacher development in China and how it contributes to the development of this work. In addition, the study identified key issues and major challenges normal universities face in taking part in in-service teacher education system. The study found that government policy on in-service teacher education in China is currently dominating the work of provincial governments and normal universities. The training programs delivered by normal universities are often university-based, intensive teacher learning and result from contracts between universities and either central or provincial governments. Normal universities often feel poorly prepared in terms of institutional structure, promotion standards, and the number of well-qualified teacher training experts. Although willing to take an important position in the overall in-service teacher training system, normal universities lack confidence that they will be given consistent policy and financial support and are unclear about the direction of in-service teacher education reform in the future. Key findings of this study can be used to inform the role that Chinese Normal Universities might play in in-service teacher education that could lead to higher quality teaching and learning both at the university and school levels.