<p> Mobile devices have become increasingly more visible within classrooms and informal learning spaces. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the impact of mobile learning (m-learning) tools to support student learning during teacher-led field trips. Specifically, the research questions for this study are: (a) What conditions affect student satisfaction within an m-learning environment? (b) What impact does an m-learning environment have on levels of motivation and engagement of students? and (c) How do m-learning tools facilitate student knowledge acquisition, participation, and collaboration? The hypothesis of this study is that mobile learning materials can improve students&rsquo; engagement and participation. This design-based research (DBR) study relied on a combination of pre- and post-assessments, teacher interviews, and behavioral observations, in two iterations. The participants for this study included three teachers and 112 students, between 11 and 12 years old, drawn from a sixth grade public middle school in San Antonio, Texas. </p>

<p> The current study explored the dimensions and roles of trust in effective instructional leadership through a triangulation of data gathered from 78 survey responders and 35 interview participants along with a review of pertinent literature. The interviews and written free-responses related effective instructional leadership to three clear dimensions of trust identified within an effective teacher&rsquo;s classroom: personal, intellectual, and behavioral. The grounded theory that arose from the current study, regarding the role of trust in effective instructional leadership, was that trust is a catalytic medium, i.e. an activator and enabler, through which: relationships are created respectfully, planning is conducted purposefully, interventions are developed intentionally, and by which student cooperation and engagement are increased significantly, thereby giving evidence of effective instructional leadership. Furthermore, how effective teachers utilized the dimensions and representations of trust appeared to be generally related to: (1) accepting the greater responsibility in demonstrating trust, (2) giving trust to students in order to receive it back from them, and (3) intentionally building trust with students in order to earn their trust. Though trust is a somewhat nebulous term that is difficult to define and measure, the current study revealed its representations, i.e. roles, can in fact be identified with the potential for teaching its replication to educators in an effort to improve effective instructional leadership related to student cooperation and engagement.</p>

<p>Students with disabilities are spending significantly more time in the general education setting than they have historically. General education teachers are in need of strategies to enable them to work with these students more successfully. Additionally, research shows that all students could benefit from activities geared toward developing self-determination skills. </p><p> The purpose of this descriptive study was to see if the use of cooperative learning activities could improve the self-determination abilities of general education students and students with an Individualized Education Program in a social studies classroom. Students were given the American Institutes for Research Self-Determination Scale as a pretest and posttest. </p><p> Scores were compared between control and intervention group as well as the subgroups of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and general education students. Data from this study supports the use of cooperative learning activities in the social studies classroom in order to promote self-determination for all students. Recommendations for teachers as well as further research are made as well. </p>

<p> This qualitative explanatory case study documented instructional methods used and environmental conditions experienced by standard classroom teachers attempting to integrate instructional technology to support a differentiated curriculum for gifted learners. This research method was chosen as it allows for a teacher&rsquo;s understanding of educating gifted learners in the classroom as well as the effectiveness of curriculum differentiation for the gifted learner through the use of instructional technology. With minimal guidance how to successfully challenge a gifted learner in the regular classroom along with preconceived assumptions about the concept of giftedness, teachers can be overwhelmed when faced with typical gifted learners. Through the perspectives of standard classroom teachers who are attempting to use instructional technology to support the differentiated learning needs of their gifted learners, the study has the potential to support teachers who strive to ensure their gifted learners study something new every day. The study focused on two fourth- through sixth-grade schools using a qualitative explanatory case study through patterns in teacher interviews, teacher observations, and analysis of student technology work. Data sources included in-depth interviews with sixteen tenured teachers at two public fourth- through sixth-grade schools, an analysis of 183 student work samples, and nine classroom observations. Data were analyzed and coded to identify instructional technology practices standard classroom teachers use for curriculum differentiation with gifted learners. Recommendations based on the findings included school system&rsquo;s technology departments support teacher&rsquo;s efforts to appropriately challenge gifted learners through enlisting the help of the developers of sites such as MobyMax or Kahoot, classroom teachers making use of gifted education specialists expertise as well as the specialist monitoring the gifted learners in order to better support the classroom teachers, and effective professional development using teachers who successfully use instructional technology as a differentiation technique for gifted learners as well as ones who establish a cohesive classroom community. Recommendations for future research included similar studies conducted in other districts not only on the same grades but also middle and high school level gifted learners. Additional studies could focus on systems that have limited amount of technology as compared to those who have a one-to-one technology program.</p>

Preservice elementary teachers often have concerns about teaching science that may stem from a lack of confidence as teachers or their own negative experiences as learners of science. These concerns may lead preservice teachers to avoid teaching science or to teach it in a way that focuses on facts and vocabulary rather than engaging students in the doing of science. Research on teacher identity has suggested that being able to envision oneself as a teacher of science is an important part of becoming a teacher of science. Elementary teachers are generalists and as such rather than identifying themselves as teachers of particular content areas, they may identify more generally as teachers of students. This study examines three preservice teachers' identities as teachers of science and teachers of students and how these identities are enacted in their student teaching classrooms. Using a narrated identity framework, I explore stories told by preservice teachers, mentor teachers, student teaching supervisors, and science methods course instructors about who preservice teachers are as teachers of science and teachers of students. Identities are the stories that are told about who someone is or will become in relation to a particular context. Identities that are enacted are performances of the stories that are an identity. Stories were collected through interviews with each storyteller and in an unmoderated focus group with the three preservice teachers. In addition to sorting stories as being about teachers of science or students, the stories were categorized as being about preservice teachers in the present (actual identities) or in the future (designated identities). The preservice teachers were also observed teaching science lessons in their student teaching placements. These enactments of identities were analyzed in order to identify which aspects of the identity stories were reflected in the way preservice teachers taught their science lessons. I also analyzed the stories and enactments in order to determine which storytellers were significant narrators for the preservice teachers' identities. The findings from this study show that significant narrators vary among the preservice teachers and include artifacts such as curriculum materials and instructional models in addition to people who are expected to be significant narrators. Furthermore, differences between preservice teachers' actual and designated identities influence opportunities to learn about what it means to be a teacher of science and students. This took different forms with each preservice teacher. In one case the preservice teacher worked to enact aspects of her designated identity and reflected about how she was not quite able to be the teacher of science she wanted to be as a novice teacher. Another case showed how the gap between actual and designated identities could limit opportunities to learn when the preservice teacher's strong actual identity as a novice led her to consider certain aspects of her designated identity as things which could not even be tried at this point. Finally, in the third case the preservice teacher's strong actual identity limited opportunities to develop a designated identity because she did not see herself as being a different kind of teacher of science in the future than she was right now as a student teacher. These findings suggest that supporting preservice elementary teacher identity development as teachers of science is an important part of preparing them to teach science in ways that engage students in scientific practices. Additionally, it is essential to examine identity stories and enactments in concert with each other in order to gain deeper understandings of how identities are developed and put into practice in classrooms.

<p> Teacher preparation programs are facing increased pressure to report on the outcomes of their graduates, including their job placement rates. Prior research on job placement for teachers establishes that a variety of factors are related to whether or not individuals apply for and receive jobs. This research study explored these factors through quantitative analysis of three cohorts of teacher preparation program completers within the institutions of the University of Maine system, using logistic regression to identify the individual and contextual characteristics that are most predictive of job application and hiring.</p><p> Of the factors studied, the most influential factors in job placement in public schools in the state were (1) in-state residency status, (2) preparation in a teacher shortage area, (3) completion of a post-baccalaureate preparation pathway, (4) receipt of financial assistance that requires completion of future teaching service, (5) institution attended, (6) GPA relative to other graduates, (7) year of graduation, and (8) age at the time of completing the program. However, these combined variables provide less than 20% of the potential predictability in job placement outcomes. This suggests that additional work is needed to identify the factors influencing beginning teacher placement. Job placement rates for preparation programs should be interpreted with caution, as at least some of the related factors are not within the control of preparation programs (e.g. year of graduation). Furthermore, the use of job placement rates to make high-stakes decisions may provide incentives to programs to implement policies that may not be ethical (such as preferential admission of younger applicants) or that may not be advisable for other reasons.</p>

<p> Inadequate preparation, combined with challenging work conditions, contribute to the shortage of skilled special educators in the United States (Levenson, 2011). Because teacher quality is linked to student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2001), the discrepancy in access to qualified teachers has remained a serious issue, particularly for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD), whose intensive needs present great obstacles to learning. Although the research identifies strong content knowledge and social emotional competence as critical skills for educators (Bridgeland, Bruce, &amp; Hariharan, 2012; Shulman, 1986), current standards for licensure (as they apply to EBD teachers) largely overlook these attributes (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2011a), leaving teachers poorly equipped to address the needs of the students in their classrooms and making them more vulnerable to burnout (Adams, 2013). </p><p> This mixed methods study explored the issues of teacher preparation and self-efficacy as they relate to secondary special educators who serve students with EBD in Massachusetts. This research employed a sequential explanatory design, utilizing 118 surveys and six telephone interviews to: (a) identify how secondary special educators who teach students with EBD are prepared; (b) explore their self-efficacy regarding their ability to teach secondary level content and to respond to the social and emotional needs of their students; and (c) understand how they explain the factors that influence their self-efficacy in the classroom. Results revealed the limited effect of credentials (such as licensure and/or a degree) on EBD teacher self-efficacy as well as the impact of school culture. In particular, several implications emerged related to the preparation and support of this population of teachers: (a) content area credentials had no bearing on teacher self-efficacy and (b) special education credentials negatively impacted self-efficacy for teaching content, while (c) training in social and emotional learning positively impacted self-efficacy related to social emotional responsiveness and special education pedagogy. Additionally, results suggested that (d) private school employment increased self-efficacy for teaching content and (e) administrative support strengthened self-efficacy for applying special education strategies. Findings may be useful to school districts, educator preparation programs, and policymakers as they consider how to support educators in this field.</p>

<p>The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain a better understanding of how induction programs might effectively support STEM K?8 teacher preparation. American schools are not producing competent STEM graduates prepared to meet employment demands. Over the next decade, STEM employment opportunities are expected to increase twice as fast as all other occupations combined. To meet the economic needs, the STEM pipeline must be expanded to educate and produce additional STEM graduates. The meeting of this objective begins with having the teachers working in American classrooms fully prepared and trained in STEM content, curriculum, and pedagogy. Research shows that the interest in STEM subjects starts in elementary school and, therefore, the preparation of elementary teachers to be proficient in teaching STEM to their students is vital. However, most induction programs do not focus on preparing their teachers in STEM. This study researched the Alternative Induction Pathway (AIP) program, which had STEM preparation as one of its core outcomes in the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD). It investigated the program?s effectiveness in preparing K?8 teachers with STEM content knowledge, curriculum, pedagogical instruction preparation, and the program elements that contributed the most to their experience in the program and overall STEM preparation as a result. This study was carried out over the course of approximately 6 months. Data included focused interviews with participants as well as analysis of existing documents in order to triangulate perspectives from multiple sources. The AIP program had varied levels of effectiveness in STEM content, curriculum, and pedagogy preparation. Relationships between the induction mentor, the administration, and the participating teacher, when strong and positive, were powerful contributions to the success of the acquisition and integration of the STEM content, curriculum, and pedagogy. The most effective components of the AIP program were the monthly support groups, the curricular resources, and the professional development nights facilitating the teaching and learning process for the participating teacher in STEM integration. The results of this training included examples of well-planned and executed STEM lessons with creative risk-taking, and enhanced confidence for teachers and administrators alike. At the same time, the AIP program had struggles in achieving the desired outcomes of STEM integration, due to lack of preliminary training for program administrators in STEM integration, varied needs between the MS and SS credential teachers, and state standard requirements that spoke to science and mathematics, but not engineering or technology. The main recommendation for policy from the results of this study is that STEM should be woven into preservice and continue through induction and professional development to become one of the main tenets of curriculum development and standards of effective teaching. This policy would affect colleges of education and district induction programs, requiring that STEM courses be added or embedded into the credential pathways. However, this approach would ensure that STEM integration is supported academically as an important and valued aspect of the teacher?s entrance to their career, and that pre-service teachers are ready to take advantage of induction offerings on STEM integration in the induction phase and throughout their careers in continuing professional development. The study also provides practice and research recommendations in regard to possible roles and supports for mentor teachers, including their relationships with resident teachers, as well as suggestions for and to maximize the benefits for effective teaching and learning during the induction process.

Inadequate student-teacher interactions in undergraduate courses have been linked to poor student performance. Researchers have noted that students' perceptions of student-teacher relationships may be an important factor related to student performance. The administration of a Mid-Atlantic community college prioritized increasing undergraduate biology student performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between students' biology achievement and their perceptions of interpersonal teaching behaviors and student-teacher interactions in introductory biology courses. Leary's theory on interpersonal communication and the systems communication theory of Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jackson served as the theoretical foundation. The Wubbel's Likert-scale questionnaire on student-teacher interactions was administered to 318 undergraduate biology students. Non-parametric Spearman's rank correlations revealed a significant direct correlation between students' grades and their perceptions of teachers' interpersonal teaching behaviors. The relationship between student achievement and students' perceptions of student-teacher interactions prompted the recommendation for additional study on the importance of student-teacher interactions in undergraduate programs. A recommendation for local practice included faculty development on strategies for improving student-teacher interactions. The study's implications for positive social change include increased understanding for administrators and instructors on the importance of teacher-student interactions at the community college level.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have played and continue to play an important role in uplifting African Americans through education. Most of these institutions began as normal schools designed to prepare teachers who would train and educate students of color— a population that has been historically marginalized and oppressed. Scholarly conversations regarding teaching and teacher education for social justice omit the contributions of HBCUs. Likewise, scholarship about social justice within the field of Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) has been minimal. These trends including the current overemphasis on the training of a monolithic White female middle class teaching force served to justify the ethnographic study in an historically Black PETE program. Rooted in situated learning theory, this study used ethnographic methods and methodology to explore the manifestations of social justice and (physical education) teacher education at Jackie Robinson University— an HBCU. This study uncovered several cultural manifestations of social justice within JRU using interviews, artifact analyses, and observations of several cultural manifestations about social justice and teacher educating for social justice were uncovered. One of the most prominent manifestations is “The Gap”, a theme that can be seen throughout the historical and contemporary culture of JRU. In one sense, “The Gap” represents the void filled by the university as it provides opportunities for education for students with limited educational options. In another sense, “The Gap” represents tensions within the institution. These tensions exist as gaps among students, faculty, administration, and the university as a whole. Despite “The Gap”, Teacher Education for social justice exists in the culture of JRU as forms of care and culturally relevant pedagogy. While these cultural manifestations were located within specific classrooms, they represent the ethos of the university as a whole. The findings of this study offer both theoretical and practical value. From a theoretical perspective, the findings shed insight into the meaning of social justice and (physical education) teacher education for social justice in an ethnically diverse context. In a practical sense, the strategies utilized by (physical education) teacher educators at JRU foster a classroom culture of holistic education. / text