abstract: This mixed methods study examined whether participation in a virtual community of practice (vCoP) could impact the implementation of new skills learned in a professional development session and help to close the research to implementation gap. Six participants attended a common professional development session and completed pre- , mid- , and post-intervention surveys regarding their implementation of social emotional teaching strategies as well as face-to-face interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative data was examined to determine if participation in the vCoP impacted implementation of skills learned in the PD session. Quantitative data was inconclusive but qualitative data showed an appreciation for participation in the vCoP and access to the resources shared by the participants. Limitations and implications for future cycles of research are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2018

I den här studien undersöktes hur Skolverkets stödmaterial kan påverka lärares autonomi. I studiens teoretiavsnitt presenteras begreppet continuing professional development  (CPD) som handlar om den fortbildning lärare förväntas genomgå under sitt yrkesliv och hur CPD kan ses som ett sätt att styra lärares arbete. Skolverket anses vara en betrodd källa vid val av fortbildning. I avsnittet behandlas även vad autonomi innebär för lärare. Studiens empiriska material bestod av fyra av Skolverkets stödmaterial i undervisningen. Det analytiska verktyg som användes för att kunna undersöka stödmaterialens påverkan på autonomin baserades på LaCoes (2008, s. 39) sex dimensioner av den individuella autonomin. I studiens forskningsöversikt presenteras ett urval av den forskning som genomförts rörande styrningen och olika faktorer som kan påverka styrningen av den svenska skolan. I bakgrunden presenteras den Tillitsdelegation som Regeringen tillsatte år 2016 för att undersöka hur styrningen av bland annat skolan kan förbättras och hur reformerna påverkat hur styrningen av skolan sett ut. Studiens resultat visade att lärares autonomi kan påverkas av innehållet i stödmaterialen och att stödmaterialen kan anses styrande. Analysen av empirin visar även att det finns detaljstyrning i materialens innehåll som liknar en regelstyrning.

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In the 1990s, as Virginia Indians faced the 2007 quadracentennial of Jamestown's founding, they initiated plans to publicly correct inaccuracies and omissions embedded in the historical narrative. The Beyond Jamestown: Virginia Indians Past and Present Teachers' Institute was one such initiative through the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities' Virginia Indian Heritage Program. Designed for educators' professional development regarding Virginia Indian history and cultures, the Institute's first two years (2007 and 2008) featured a Virginia Indian-developed curriculum with both Native and non-Native presenters.;This qualitative, interpretivist study sought evidence of teaching at the interface of cultures by these invited presenters using pedagogy and curriculum as units of analysis, and questioned whether they shared an educational vision or paradigm despite different cultural backgrounds. The study revealed that the Institute demonstrated effective collaboration among presenters influenced by both Indigenous and European-American paradigms It exposed participating educators to a little-known period in Virginia history--the era of the Racial Integrity Act of 1924 and segregation--through the stories of tribal experts who experienced the attempted eradication of cultural identity. These oral histories contributed to the distinct Virginia Indian epistemology that emerged in the program. The BJTI also demonstrated Virginia Indians' 21st-century agency in inviting its non-Native presenters and participating educators to collaborate in decolonizing Virginia education.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among competencies recommended by the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC/CEC), state requirements for teacher certification, and college and university personnel preparation program requirements for educators working with children with disabilities from birth-5 years of age. The study included all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The groups of subjects interviewed by phone consisted of state Part H coordinators, department of education staff, and college and university professors from early childhood education (ECSE) programs.;Overall the results indicate an increase in the number of states requiring certification in early childhood special education and in the number of college and university preparation programs since the passage of P.L. 99-457 in 1986 and the 1991 Part B mandate for states to serve 3 year old children with disabilities. as the nation proceeds in implementing the preschool mandate and moves toward the fifth year of services of Part H for infants and toddlers with disabilities, this growth is crucial to the success of newly developed programs for the education of young children with disabilities. The number of states issuing certification to early childhood special educators has grown from 19 in 1989 (37%) to the 37 (71%) identified in this study. This indicates an increase of 18 additional states requiring certification.;This increase is also shown in college and university teacher preparation programs. Four states currently have no college or university teacher preparation programs in early childhood special education, while forty-seven states have one or more teacher preparation programs in ECSE. Thirty states have more than one preparation program.;Teacher preparation program requirements appear to be equally extensive as state certification regulations; however the correspondence between state certification requirements and college and university requirements appears to be low. The results of this study indicate that state requirements and college and university preparation program requirements appear to be focusing on different content but an equal number of courses and/or competencies. The overlap among state certification requirements, college and university requirements and the 15 DEC/CEC competency recommendations was only 3.4.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of a particular model for collaboration when applied to a successful school-university partnership. A specific framework for establishing and maintaining successful school-university partnerships, proposed by Frank Wilbur of Syracuse University, was identified in the literature. Wilbur's model was selected as the conceptual framework for this study since it contains critical elements supported by at least four other researchers studying and writing on collaborative endeavors and was, in fact, the most comprehensive of any of the suggested conceptual frameworks. The answer to one overall research question was sought: to what extent does Wilbur's model for school-university partnerships fit when applied to a highly successful school-university partnership? Answers to questions pertaining to Wilbur's nine most important factors (e.g., leadership; economics; governance and communication) positively impacting interinstitutional alliances were explored in an existing school-university partnership known as the Center for Collaborative Advancement of the Teaching Profession.;Historical documents regarding the Center, including the initial grant proposal, interim and final reports, and published articles, were reviewed for content and consistency in answering the main and subsidiary research questions. Individual, paired, and focus group interviews were conducted with persons felt to be most knowledgeable of the Center's activities.;Evidence that particular elements of successful partnerships were considered and included in the design, implementation, and maintenance of the collaborative effort was sought to determine the extent to which Wilbur's model could be applied to this partnership. The nine factors included in Wilbur's conceptual framework for creating successful school-university partnerships were evident, in varying degrees, in the establishment and maintenance of the Center for the Collaborative Advancement of the Teaching Profession. However, the data indicated that the success of the Center may also be attributable to a tenth factor which Wilbur's model does not include.

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It has been hypothesized that negative emotions, left unresolved, contribute to feelings of burnout experienced by teachers. Self-compassion offers a kind, mindful way of approaching difficult emotions. The purpose of this study is to explore how teachers experience self-compassion by qualitative means. In semi-structured interviews, four elementary school teachers shared critical incidents of self-doubt or disappointment in their teaching. They also completed Neff's (2003a) Self Compassion Survey. Through intra-case and cross case analysis the findings revealed how teachers' lived experiences include episodes of conflict, reflection, resolution, and self-compassion, but in differing orders. Also, participants experienced self-compassion in ways that align with previous work on self-compassion, however an additional element of support seeking emerged. This study provided a context to understand the common ways in which self-compassion was lived out in the classroom while highlighting the differences in participants' experiences. This additional insight into the lived experience of the teachers adds to the body of knowledge regarding emotionality in the classroom and positive ways that teachers can and do regulate emotion through self-compassion. Additionally, participants' drive to seek support from others exposed a social side of self-compassion that Neff's (2003a) definition or a simple dictionary definition did not include.

In a search to discover effective means of reversing the marginalization in the field of physical education (PE), researchers have been studying exceptional PE programs that have not only broken down the growth-impeding barriers formed by changes in education, but have also successfully and consistently prevented new program barriers from developing. One such PE program, located in the southwestern United States, has been identified in former studies as having achieved and sustained Systemic Success in Physical Education (SSPE) for over four decades. Embedded in the SSPE model that this district uses to maintain dynamic growth and program sustainability are advocacy practices required of the PE practitioners for the purpose of obtaining and upholding the necessary support needed for program stability. The purpose of this qualitative follow-up study was to examine three things: (a) parent perceptions of this district-wide elementary PE program, (b) the advocacy strategies used by the physical education practitioners and (c) which factors parents believe most shape their perception of the program. Twenty parents from five different school that bridge the demographic make-up of the district were interviewed along with four teachers in the district, the PE district coordinator, and a Physical Education Teaching Education (PETE) professor from the partnering university for the purpose of triangulation to avoid researcher bias. The Inductive Content Analysis was used to create themes and subthemes until saturation. The results of this study provide valuable insight into the benefits of regular program advocacy and strategies which may be most beneficial in acquiring the support needed to construct and retain a fruitful and resilient program. The following six themes emerged from the data that represent the top factors that parents reported influence their perceptions of the PE program: (a) student enjoyment, (b) teacher passion, (c) teacher involvement and presence outside of the PE class, (d) teacher-to-parent communication, (e) program transparency, (f) and a well-structured and organized program. Researchers found the following key implications as the most important and beneficial take-aways from this study. Building strong relationships with parents helps parents better appreciate the intentions of the teacher and her goals for their children. The process of building effective relationships includes developing ample open channels of communication. Through these channels, teachers will strengthen parent connections by providing plenty of information regarding their children. This information should not only include what their child will be learning and when, and what information is needed to help their child be best prepared for what is to come; it should also include feedback about the progress of their child, particularly positive feedback. This pleasant form of communication is always welcomed and appreciated by parents, but is most beneficial early on because it opens the ears and hearts of parents straightaway. However, in order to win someone's heart, trust must be present, and one of the best ways to gain the trust of others is through transparency. When it is evident to parents that teachers believe enough in their program to make it open and available to the parents at all times, and proud enough of their curriculum to invite them to come see what it contains, parents trust that the teachers have nothing to hide and assume good things are happening. Taken even a step further, when teachers invite parents to be a part of the lessons, events, and activities, parents tend to acquire a sense of ownership; and it is very difficult to feel a part of something great and not provide loyalty and support in some way. Since such relationships, communication, and powerful programs that merit transparency take plenty of effort, passion, and time to develop, many PE teachers may question how one can manage such a feat and still accomplish all of the additional tasks most physical educators must endure as they attempt to break down common barriers that continually hinder their progress. They don't—at least not in this district. Many of these overwhelming responsibilities are nonexistent in the SSPE model due to the existence of a proficient and effective full-time district PE coordinator. Besides relieving the PE teachers of common overwhelming loads and program barriers, the district PE coordinator also heightens teacher effectiveness and motivation by holding them accountable and providing them with the ongoing professional development and support needed to win the hearts of the community through regular program advocacy practices. This alleviation provided by the district PE coordinator allows teachers to focus on what should be their top priorities: teaching and advocacy. Apparently, the existence of this crucial role makes an enormous difference in the program's success and sustainability.

The purposes of this comparative study were to determine the effects of (1) a specially developed gifted curriculum for grades four and five on gifted learners, (2) two contrasting instructional delivery systems for gifted students, and (3) differential levels of teacher training in gifted education. The sample was 112 fourth and fifth grade academically gifted students. The students were grouped for comparison based on their assignment to the regular classroom teacher for the 1988-89 school year. Group 1A students attended a one day pull-out gifted program and were assigned to the school based enrichment program taught by teachers who had completed the division training. Group 1B students attended the one day pull-out gifted program and were assigned to the school-based enrichment program taught by teachers with little training. Group 2 students attended the pull-out gifted program and were assigned to regular classrooms. Student growth in the specially developed gifted curriculum was measured in higher level thinking skills, creative thinking skills, self-concept, and research skills, areas that reflected the major goals of the program.;Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to determine student growth gains. Repeated Measures Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were used to determine differential effects of the two program delivery models as well as the staff development model. Significant student growth gains in the thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation; the creative thinking skill of figural fluency; and all major research skills were recorded. The pretest scores on the ME Scale revealed that the students had relatively good self-concepts at the start of the study; posttest results indicated that self-concept levels were maintained. No value-added effects which might be attributed to the school-based enrichment curriculum were recorded for either Group 1A or 1B. With the exception of the performance of Group 1A students in grade five on research skills, no significant student growth differences that could be attributed to staff development were recorded.;Implications of the study suggested the need to add a complementary scope and sequence of skills to the school-based enrichment program for each goal area of the gifted program and the importance of staff communication and collaboration between the school-based enrichment program and the pull-out centers. The selection of a delivery model should be reviewed and decisions made based on student needs combined with school district expectations and constraints. The staff development program should be reviewed for focus and emphasis.