As students begin secondary school, they are charged with learning more content, at a faster pace and with increased pressure from accountability measures (Dreschler, Shumaker, & Woodruff, 2004). If secondary students' reading difficulties are not identified and remedied, the gap between struggling readers and their peers widens every academic year (Edmonds, Vaughn, Wexler, Rutebuch, Cable, Tackett, and Schnakenberg, 2009). The task of reading instruction primarily falls on English teachers, but Strickland and Alvermann (2004) note that while secondary English Teachers do have more preparation in reading instruction compared to other content area teachers, they are not as prepared as they need to be and do not provide reading instruction even when given the opportunity. Additionally, little attention has been given to how teacher should be taught to teach reading (Moats & Foorman, 2003) and even less attention has been given to reading instruction at the secondary level (Edmonds, et al., 2009). Pre-service teacher's beliefs influence how they take in information presented in their teacher education program and classroom instructional decisions (Holt-Reynolds, 1992; Richardson, 2003). However few studies have examined English education pre-service teachers beliefs about teaching struggling readers at the secondary level. The purpose of this study is to describe and explain secondary English education pre-service teachers' beliefs about teaching struggling readers using Photovoice. This study uses a combination of constructivism, Lakoff and Johnson's concept of metaphor, and interpretivism as the theoretical framework. Research methods examining beliefs often involve using surveys or interviews (i.e. Sadaf, Newby, & Ertmer, 2012; Sandvik, van Dall, & Ader, 2013). However, these methods may not provide as representational responses as a method that allows participants to respond through multiple mediums and through metaphor. This study uses a modified version of the Photovoice method to examine secondary English education pre-service teachers' beliefs. Because Photovoice has not been used to examine beliefs of this population, an additional aim of this study is to examine Photovoice as a reflection method. The research questions guiding this study are: 1. What are English education pre-service teacher beliefs' about teaching struggling adolescent readers? 2. What are English education pre-service teacher beliefs about themselves as readers? 3. In what ways, if any, did Photovoice facilitate reflection on beliefs about reading instruction? Findings suggest English education pre-service teachers had not considered struggling readers as part of their classrooms, did not understand the complexities of the reading process, held a deficit view of struggling readers, assumed a teacher's identity, saw reading as an experience/event, found the discussion in the Photovoice process helpful in reflection, Photovoice helped address some issues with teacher reflection, and Photovoice helped develop as well as capture beliefs. Implications for teacher education are discussed.

Florida has experienced some of the greatest growth of Advanced Placement (AP) programs in recent years and student scores on the AP exams have evolved into a highly significant metric in evaluating student proficiency and teacher and school effectiveness. Despite this growth, it is not well known how AP teachers make decisions about the content they teach, what learning activities they select, how much the AP exam influences their decision making, how they modify learning opportunities for diverse learners, and how they prepare their students for the College Board AP exam. This interpretive, phenomenological study examines the lived experiences of four AP U.S. History teachers whose students consistently achieve pass rates above the Florida average. The study examines how these teachers interpret competing environmental factors, construct meaning, and develop course plans and classroom environments for their students that lead to successful outcomes. Four successful AP U.S. History teachers were selected from a large school district in central Florida and invited to participate in the study. Participants were purposefully selected to create a sample where all participants possessed the "intensity" characteristic of successful student performance but where variability in the high school settings and individual teacher demographics were maximized. Data collection consisted of a pre-interview survey, a classroom observation, and three one-hour semi-structured interviews for each participant. The four participants' data were used to construct interpretive phenomenological narratives to share the lived experiences of these successful AP teachers. Additionally, analysis of participant data yielded participant and inter-participant themes. Findings indicate that the successful teachers in this study were highly organized, developed supportive and caring classrooms, and designed their courses, in large part, based on their own personal beliefs about what a college experience should be like. While all teachers in this study reported considerable academic diversity in their individual classrooms, the greatest effects of academic diversity were seen when comparing teachers in different academically performing schools where teachers adapted their pacing, content, and methods to the academic skills of their students. The significant impact of the AP exam on all dimensions of teacher course planning and decision making was clearly evident throughout this study. Implications of these findings are that educators and administrators should select AP teachers carefully, recognize that the academic characteristics of students influence these classrooms, and be cognizant that they surrender a significant degree of control over content and skills taught in these types of classes. Furthermore, given the nature and size of the current AP program, policymakers and the College Board should examine whether they provide sufficient curricular-instructional guidance to teachers, students, and other stakeholders.

The development of the speaking skill at the lower levels of proficiency is seldom assessed as a matter-of-fact in the foreign language classroom, for reasons of impracticality and difficulty of implementation. Although the practice of the speaking skill is an important part of current approaches to the teaching of foreign languages, issues of time and logistics often prohibit the direct evaluation of the skill in a manner consistent with best practices, which purport that practice and assessment must be closely aligned, and that students benefit from self-evaluation and teacher feedback. Classroom research has shown that a skill that is not assessed, although practiced in class, sends the implicit message that this skill is not as valued as others that are the object of evaluation. This project presents the rationale, background literature and methodology to use current computer technologies in an attempt to offset these preventative issues, and to offer foreign language students and teachers a flexible model to conduct evaluations of students’ oral development in a practical, authentic and valid manner, with opportunities for constructive feedback and tracking of students’ progress.

Teaching social studies from a global perspective has been resisted by many since its inception (Kirkwood, 2009). Critics have labeled the theory anti-American and unpatriotic (Schlafly, 1986; Burack, 2001). Others are concerned with its shifting perspectives and apparent lack of core facts (Finn, 1988). Over time, some critics have changed their stance on global teaching and now endorse the idea (Ravitch, 2010). This qualitative case study sought to identify the barriers seven self-proclaimed global educators faced while teaching global themes and to identify the effective gatekeeping strategies for circumventing such obstacles. The goal was to provide a rich, compelling account of committed global educators efforts to the global education paradigm so that others interested in teaching globally could successfully navigate similar conditions. The data was gathered by the use of a survey and a face to face interview. Analysis of the five research questions resulted in a comprehensive overview of effective and practical gatekeeping strategies endorsed by self-proclaimed global educators. The participants, purposefully selected after training with a global education project over a six year period, employed a variety of teaching methods for infusing the theory into their lessons however favored merging global themes into the existing mandated curriculum. Participants found use for each of the eight global dimensions identified, but were guided by personal preference and practicality. Data analysis identified six primary barriers to teaching from a global perspective including 1. a teacher's disposition; 2. the mandated curriculum; 3. the availability of global training and resources; 4. the degree to which a school emphasizes authentic learning as opposed to preparation for standardized testing; 5. the risk and liability involved of teaching controversial topics; and 6. the insight necessary to be able to draw connections throughout time and across a wide variety of content. While the participants were unable to identify a method for circumventing the current climate of standardized testing, they did recommend six gatekeeping strategies that they believed would prove effective including: 1. discouraging non-global educators from entering the teaching profession; 2. officially amending existing curriculum to make room for global teaching; 3. empower teachers to have authority over their curriculum; 4. enhance global education training; 5. teach from a centrist position; and 6. make practical decisions and fragment content when time becomes problematic. Two unanticipated findings presented themselves as participants reflected on their time training with the Global Schools Project. The participants declared that the congenial learning environment and exposure to like-minded colleagues improved their overall teaching ability and confidence as each found the support that can be lacking when teaching in isolation. Participants advised new global educators become committed to personal and professional growth through conferences, trainings, and mentors. They recommended new teachers merge global themes into existing lessons, be persistent when lessons fail, and employ a variety of methods. Finally, they commanded new teachers to develop a passion for their content and empathy for humanity. The participants' perspectives have implications for both teacher education programs and future research. The implications involve potential changes to teacher education programs. Future research should attempt to reveal the purpose that exists, if any, behind the barriers global educators face. Future research should seek to expose how training programs similar to the GSP impact participating teachers. Finally, additional research is needed regarding the purpose of global education as either advocacy oriented teaching or as a neutral method for increasing critical thinking.

In this inquiry, I investigated three Advanced Placement United State History teachers' beliefs, knowledge, and implementation of disciplinary literacy pedagogy in their Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH) classrooms. My interest in disciplinary literacy evolved from my own experiences as a high school social studies teacher and middle school intensive reading teacher. With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, whose emphasis is, in part, on discipline-specific literacy, across the United States in 2014-2015, I recognize the need for research relevant to discipline-specific practices in the classroom. I want to contribute further to the understandings of disciplinary literacy pedagogy. According to the extant literature, teaching discipline-specific literacy practices is one way in which teachers approach social studies classes. However, it is not the most common model teachers' use. Moreover, the majority of the literature on disciplinary literacy pedagogy focuses on reading practices as opposed to reading and writing. Insufficient information exists in the disciplinary literacy literature base on discipline-specific reading and writing pedagogical practices in the secondary classroom. In this research, I utilized a qualitative design, specifically a descriptive case study to gain an understanding of three teachers beliefs, knowledge, and implementation of disciplinary literacy pedagogy. Data were two interviews with each participant, my observation notes, concept maps of a historical literacy teacher, classroom artifacts/documents, and a researcher reflexive journal. I chose descriptive coding for my within-case analysis and pattern coding for my cross-case analysis. After multiple readings of the data, I analyzed the interview transcripts, the concept maps devised by each of three historical literacy teachers, my observation notes, and classroom artifacts/documents using descriptive coding and pattern coding and categorizing themes. The following themes emerged from the coding process: Shay 1) implemented historical thinking skills and strategies specifically, he identified the importance of historical people, places, and events, encouraged the use of primary sources as evidence, and contextualized historical documents in class instruction; he 2) acquired disciplinary literacy beliefs and knowledge during his college preparation; and he 3) utilized collaborative groups in his classroom instruction. Michelle 1) acquired disciplinary literacy knowledge and beliefs in graduate school; 2) developed disciplinary knowledge as an Advance Placement grader; 3) prioritized questioning and manipulation of evidence in classroom instruction; and 4) varied instruction in her class according to the levels of her students. George 1) implemented intermediate literacy strategies in his classroom instruction; 2) acquired knowledge and beliefs about disciplinary literacy in graduate school; and 3) believed relevance of the content was crucial in meeting the needs of his students. Through cross-case analysis, I discovered seven common themes and two differences. All three teachers 1) believed in student-centered classrooms was the best pedagogical choice for classroom instruction; 2) utilized document analysis in the history classroom; 3) established communities of learning in the classroom; 4) believed civic efficacy was the purpose of social studies learning; 5) utilized close reading and text-dependent questions in the classroom; 6) apprenticed their students in the argumentative genre; and 7) varied their instruction to meet the needs of their students. Two differences emerged, which also adds to the production of new knowledge involving the study participants. All three teachers1) exhibited varied levels of understanding of text, literacy, intermediate literacy, and disciplinary literacy, which influenced their pedagogical choices in the classroom and 2) demonstrated varied understandings of what constitutes a writing strategy. Within my recommendations for teacher education, I address disciplinary literacy pedagogy and content-area literacy courses. Recommendations for future research include research on comprehensive literacy, disciplinary literacy pedagogy, and collaboration among teacher educators and discipline-specific professors. It is especially important that discipline-specific teacher incorporate the disciplinary literacy pedagogy in the classroom because of the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core State Standards recommend students to not only utilize discipline-specific literacy skills in the classroom but also to be able to transfer knowledge from one discipline to another. Thus, research on comprehensive literacy--a combination of discipline-specific literacy practices and curriculum-wide literacy practices and disciplinary literacy is warranted in the literacy community.

The purpose of this study was to describe participation patterns at the district level of students enrolled in career academies and determine whether participation in career academies is a function of demographic and/or prior learning experience and prior performance variables. Ex-post facto data was used to determine six-year enrollment trends. In addition, both binary logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression methods were employed to determine the extent demographic along with prior learning experience and prior performance variables could be used to predict participation within career academies. Trend data results indicated slight increases in the proportions of students of color (including African American, Hispanic, and Multi-Racial) enrolling in career academies. However, Caucasian students continued to be overrepresented in career academies. Furthermore, female students, as well as students from economically advantaged families, enrolled to higher degrees in career academies. Moreover, students who enrolled in career academies were found to have taken more CTE coursework while enrolled in middle school and they demonstrated higher mean scores on the reading and mathematics portions of the state assessment during the school year prior to entering high school. The study is significant as it seeks to address a gap in the literature on career academy program participation, supporting the notion that the demographic (gender, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic status) make up of career academies mirror the demographics of the schools, districts, and the communities in which they operate.

This qualitative interview study explores the perceptions of five USC Shoah Foundation Master Teachers who integrate IWitness in teaching about the Holocaust. The study focused on the perceptions of teachers as their students interact with survivor and witness testimony in IWitness as well as how IWitness provides a framework for moral education in comparison to other primary sources. Data gleaned from this study demonstrates the influence of personalized learning through testimony-based education on the development of empathy in secondary students. As IWitness is a new resource that engages students with Holocaust survivor testimony in innovative ways, this study fills a gap by analyzing teacher perception of a resource that places students at the intersection of multi-literacies and citizenship education. Findings of this study suggest that the personalized nature of engaging with testimony in IWitness promotes student development of empathy through the interpersonal connections that students form with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust. Participants suggest that by engaging students on the affective continuum of historical empathy, students demonstrate greater historical understanding and levels of care for the content and for people in society.

Nowadays, technology plays a fundamental role in education, in general, and in mathematics education in particular. The graphing calculator has been an important technological tool in mathematics classrooms since its invention and introduction in 1985 by Casio. As graphing calculators provided so many uses, their contribution to the teaching and learning process has been investigated by many researchers who have shown the use of such technology can have a significant effect on improving mathematics teaching and learning. Investigating the impact of graphing calculators on student learning is important. It is also essential to research teachers’ perspectives on how using graphing calculators in mathematics determines how such use affects their teaching and learning. However, there are few studies on this issue. Therefore, this dissertation study may fill the gap in the literature in terms of examining high school mathematics teachers’ perspectives when they teach a precalculus course with technology integrated in the curriculum materials. In this study, I analyzed eleven teachers’ perspectives about using graphing calculator technology in a precalculus course, titled Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry (FST). This study was a descriptive intrinsic case study in which I analyzed teachers’ perspectives about how they use graphing calculators in the FST course, specifically about their teaching and students’ learning with available graphing calculator technology. Additionally, I explored teachers' perspectives about the issues they face when using the available technology and for what topics teachers frequently used it. I used mixed methods to examine eleven mathematics teachers’ perspectives about their teaching, students’ learning, and issues that arise when they use graphing calculator technology. In the quantitative part of the study, I created an Index of Teachers’ Initial Perceived Attitude and Experience Level and an Index of Teachers’ Use of Graphing Calculators to measure teachers’ perspectives on technology use at the beginning and end of the school year, respectively. In the qualitative inquiry, I analyzed teachers’ responses to semi-structured interview questions by using thematic analysis. The results of this study showed eight of the eleven mathematics teachers’ students used graphing calculators with Computer Algebra System (CAS) capability loaned by The University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP). Five teachers had a high initial perceived attitude and experience level and the other six teachers had a medium level. All teachers reported that helping students learn to use a symbolic manipulator was equally or less important than to use a graphing calculator. The themes (1) Teachers’ use of graphing calculators, (2) Teachers’ opinions about students’ use of graphing calculators, and (3) Teachers’ issues with graphing calculator technology were created to explain teachers’ responses to interview questions related to their graphing calculator perspectives throughout the year. Teachers typically used graphing calculators almost every day for such purposes as exploring mathematics, solving problems, and checking work. Some teachers reported the benefits of using graphing calculators in terms of instruction were focusing on the concepts and showing additional solution approaches. Teachers who wanted their students to be able to do some work without graphing calculators used no calculator tests or questions on which graphing calculators were not allowed as part of their assessment process. Teachers mentioned the need for a manual showing the steps for using graphing calculators with CAS. Teachers’ opinions about students’ use of graphing calculators included that students generally liked them. Teachers reported graphing calculators positively affected students’ learning because students were able to find the answers for problems and have better visualization opportunities. However, teachers reported some meaning was missing and students’ arithmetic skills were negatively affected because of the presence of graphing calculators. Additionally, five teachers indicated their students relied on the graphing calculators too much. The most common issue teachers had relative to graphing calculator technology was the liability issue of the graphing calculators sent by UCSMP for students to loan. Teachers were responsible for those loaned graphing calculators. Additionally, cheating, using features that minimized the mathematics, and not being familiar with the type of graphing calculators loaned from UCSMP were other issues teachers reported. Teachers’ graphing calculator use was demonstrated based on the index of teachers’ use of graphing calculators. Seven teachers were high in terms of their use of graphing calculators at the end of the school year and four teachers had a medium use of graphing calculators. For implications of this study, mathematics teacher educators can use the results to improve professional development programs for teachers. They might create workshops based on teachers’ perspectives and their initial perceived attitude and experience level. Additionally, textbook developers can create more exploration activities with graphing calculators, especially with CAS.

The correlate relationships and directionality and magnitude of mean differences between MAs and IQs of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and Revised Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (both 1960 and 1972 norms) were investigated in a sample of 225 school age children. It was found that MAs of two instruments were more highly correlated than the IQs. For the total sample, no significant differences were found between mean MAs of the two instruments. The correlation between PPVT and the 1960 Revised Stanford-Binet IQs and the correlation between PPVT and 1972 Revised Stanford-Binet IQs were found to be identical. The PPVT was found to consistently overestimate both 1960 and 1972 Revised Stanford-Binet IQs. The 1972 restandardization of the Stanford-Binet appears to have increased the difference in IQs of the two instruments. It is suggested that the PPVT be used for screening purposes only and even then with caution. It is also suggested that the PPVT be restandardized on a sample more representative of the U.S. population in order to improve its efficiency in predicting Stanford-Binet IQs.

A new realm of discourse research has started examining medical interactions in the crowded space – hospitals (Iedema, 2007). Beyond clinical settings and dyadic doctor-patient interactions, scholars have begun investigating doctors’ interactions in various hospital settings including Emergency Rooms and hospitals’ wards (e.g., Eggins & Slade, 2012; Slade & Eggins, 2016; Slade et al., 2015). Other investigations have expanded this scope of discourse research to include other health professionals, such as nurses (e.g., Staples, 2015). Drawing on discourse analytic approaches (Critical Discourse Analysis, Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar, and Interactional Sociolinguistics), this study examined nurse-to-nurse handoff interactions in two hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Nursing handoff – the transfer of patient information, professional responsibility, and accountability between departing and incoming nursing teams (Manser et al., 2010; Riesenberg et al., 2010; Slade & Eggins, 2016; Wood et al., 2014) – is a critical communicative practice which ensures the continuity and quality of care provided to hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to provide detailed analyses of the language used in this type of nursing discourse and its impact on the quality of handoffs. The data included 80 nursing handoff interactions, which were observed and audio-recorded in 7 different wards at two sectors (National Guard Hospital and King Fahad General Hospital) in Saudi Arabia including: Intensive Care Units, General-Adult, General- Pediatric, Oncology-Pediatric, Oncology-Palliative, ENT, Urology and Surgical wards. The nurse participants come from various cultural backgrounds including Philippines, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Morocco, South Africa, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The analyses provided a detailed description of this type of nursing discourse including the discourse pragmatic features (i.e., linguistic, interactional, and interpersonal features) which nurses use while delivering and receiving patient information. In addition, the findings provide insights into the various discourse features that contributed either positively (e.g., using discourse markers, presenting complete thoughts, presenting sufficient detailed patient information) or negatively (e.g., producing questions instead of statements, shifting verb tenses, focusing on one patient issue as opposed to providing detailed patient information report) to the nursing handoff practices in this setting. The findings also point to the vital role that head nurses play in this nursing discourse and its impact on enhancing the quality of nursing handoffs. Additionally, a six-stage nursing handoff model was developed from the data, which could be used for nursing training in the National Guard Hospital and its branches in Saudi Arabia. Finally, the findings provide further support for Eggins and Slade’s (2012) claim that communicatively effective handovers are achieved interactionally and with the collaboration of both departing and incoming teams. Furthermore, the use of standardized protocols (like SBAR) alone proved to be insufficient in guaranteeing effective nursing handoff.