abstract: This action research study examined the influence of teacher educator collaboration using portfolios. The participants in this study were teacher educators in a university. The study was designed to combat the limited ways in which teacher educators receive feedback on their teaching. Teacher educator collaboration using portfolios enabled teacher educators to engage in professional learning around the teacher educator pedagogy of rehearsal, receive feedback in multiple ways over one semester, and utilize the feedback to make changes in their instruction. Because the process was cyclical, the measures enabled them to set goals, apply new learning, and engage in continual reflection and growth. A qualitative methods study was employed to investigate: (a) how teacher educators engaged in the collaborative portfolio process, (b) ways in which they found value in the process, and (c) ways in which they made changes to their teaching as a result of the feedback. Data were collected through pre-and post-intervention interviews, observations, and peer triad feedback forms. The study design aligned with two theoretical frameworks: situated learning theory and adult learning theory. Participants filmed themselves teaching twice, administered two teacher candidate feedback surveys, collaborated with their peers to examine their teaching together, and applied the feedback they received in order to strengthen their teaching. Throughout the study and at the conclusion, teacher educators used feedback from their students and peers to reflect on their own practices as teacher educators. The results of this study indicated that the participants found value in the pedagogy of rehearsal, watching their peers teach, and receiving feedback from both their peers and students. The data also showed that the teacher educators made changes to their instruction. Lastly, the participants valued the time to collaborate with peers. Future research should include making modifications to the current collaborative portfolio process to involve evidence of teacher candidate learning, allowing teacher educators to investigate how their practices influence teacher candidate learning. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2017

<p> There is a large body of research that suggests the concept of a professional learning community (PLC) can promote improved student learning by increasing collective teacher capacity to meet the diverse learning needs of students (Reeves, 2016; Battersby &amp; Verdi, 2013; Marzano &amp; DuFour, 2011; Fullan 2010, Senge, 2006; Morrissey, 2000; Hord, 1997). Many schools have implemented PLCs around the world. Despite the well-documented benefits of PLCs, there is inconsistency to the extent with which PLCs are implemented within schools and districts. The purpose of this study was to (a) understand how the elementary division at Progressive Academy of Southeast Asia (PASA), an independent private school, has implemented PLCs; (b) learn about promising practices utilized by high performing PLCs to promote teacher collaboration and high productivity; and (c) understand barriers confronted by PLCs during the PLC process. A qualitative research design was used to understand the implementation process through focus group discussions. Focus group discussions were conducted with all grade levels, kindergarten to grade 5 in the elementary division. Ten themes emerged from the study (1) an alignment of belief in the mission and vision and purpose of PLCs by faculty and administration, (2) the elementary school has implemented systems and structures to support the PLC process, (3) there is a collaborative culture for the PLC process, (4) collective responsibility for student learning is still at its infancy stage, (5) PLCs are results oriented and have clearly established SMART goals that align with the elementary school&rsquo;s strategic plan, (6) instructional assistants are a strong system of support for learning for students, (7) trust is a key to high performing PLCs, (8) there is a low level of trust in some PLCs, (9) there is a transient faculty, and (10) there are an overwhelming number of initiatives that require the time of PLCs at the school.</p><p>

<p> As the teaching profession becomes increasingly challenging and teachers leave the profession at an alarming rate, school leaders need to understand the factors that influence teacher resiliency and longevity. A teacher&rsquo;s self-efficacy beliefs have been found to affect teacher&rsquo;s emotional and physiological well being (Bandura &amp; Locke, 2003), job satisfaction (Caprara, Barbaranelli, Steck, &amp; Malone, 2006, Hoigaard, Giske, &amp; Sundsli, 2012), and stress management (Bandura, 1997). Self-efficacy also impacts effort and performance (Tschannen-Moran &amp; Woolfolk Hoy, 2001), professional commitment (Coladarci, 1992; Ware &amp; Kitsantas, 2007, 2011; Klassen et al., 2013), and longevity in the profession (Wentzel &amp; Wigfield, 2009). In consideration of the value of teacher self-efficacy, there is a lack of qualitative research explaining how self-efficacy develops in teachers. </p><p> The present study used a qualitative phenomenology methodology to explore beliefs, factors, and experiences that influence the development and strengthening of self-efficacy in teachers. The choice of a phenomenological study reflected my belief that the best way to grasp the very essence of individual teacher beliefs was to dialogue with teachers about their lived experiences in the context of a particular situation (Moustakas, 1994; Creswell, 2013). The present study utilized focus groups and individual conversations with teachers in a K-12 international school in the Dominican Republic. This study also embedded a quantitative teacher self-efficacy survey instrument to select participants and to describe their perceived self-efficacy levels. </p><p> The results indicated emerging themes of Connection, Support, Knowledge and Growth, Balance, and Gratification as factors shaping self-efficacy beliefs. This study contributes to our understanding of how self-efficacy develops by illuminating a self-efficacy growth cycle with eight stages: The Gold Standard, Teaching Challenges, Dissonance, Perspective, Teacher Behavior Change, Intentional Practice, Equilibrium, and Self-Efficacy Growth. The study also revealed cognitive processes of self-reflection, self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, growth mindset, intentional positivity, reminding oneself of calling/commitment and mental models of prior success and growth as catalysts to develop, change, and strengthen self-efficacy. </p><p> In conclusion, the results from this study may inform administrators, teachers, mentors, instructional coaches and university programs about intentional, proactive ways to guide teacher self-efficacy growth.</p><p>

Orientador: Romulo Campos Lins / Banca: Amarildo Melchiades da Silva / Banca: Antonio Miguel / Banca: Arlete de Jesus Brito / Banca: Miriam Godoy Penteado / Acompanha 1 CD-ROM com anexos / Resumo: Neste trabalho estudamos o desenvolvimento de parte de um curso de formação continuada para professores de Matemática assentado em uma categoria da vida cotidiana, chamada tomada de decisão. A proposta desse curso envolve tanto tomada de decisão quanto categorias da matemática do matemático. A investigação que realizamos buscou responder à pergunta: como acontece um processo de formação profissional fundamentado numa categoria da vida cotidiana, qual seja, a tomada de decisão? Para nossa leitura, usando como referencial o Modelo dos Campos Semânticos, analisamos: entrevistas com professores de Matemática, prévias ao curso; atividades desenvolvidas pelos professores-alunos durante o módulo Tomada de decisão; entrevistas com professores-alunos do curso após o módulo Tomada de decisão; e ensaios produzidos pelos professores-alunos sobre o módulo Tomada de decisão. A partir de nossas leituras, apresentamos elementos - como descentramento, estranhamento e diferença - que julgamos importantes serem considerados e problematizados na formação de professores de Matemática / Abstract: In this study we examine part of a development course for mathematics teachers, namely, the module based on a category of everyday life, decision making. Categories of the mathematics of the mathematician were also involved. The key question was: how does a course based on category of everyday life, for mathematics teachers, unfolds? The main theoretical reference was the Model of Semantic Fields; we analysed: pré-course interview with mathematics teachers (not taking the course), activities developed during the course, interviews with participants in the course and short essays produced as part of the assignments of the course. On the basis of these analyses we present and discuss notions ― key among them, those of decentering, strangeness and difference; we argue that those notions must be a central part in mathematics teacher education / Doutor

abstract: The non-profit National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) grew out of the belief that teachers were a key factor in improving student achievement and that the profession needed a way to recognize and reward exemplary classroom teachers. Over 100,000 teachers nationwide have achieved National Board Certification across all certificate areas, with approximately 1,800 of those in the area of Physical Education. Although National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) have been the subjects of several studies since the inception of NBPTS, very few have investigated the impact of National Board Certification (NBC) and Physical Education Teachers. This study examined the teaching effectiveness of NBCPETs and non-NBCPETs as they taught intact Physical Education classes with their own students. Participating teachers were provided with an experimental teaching unit (ETU) with a specific learning objective, but were free to plan and design the intended instruction. This study also examined the cognitive processes of NBCPETs and non-NBCPETs during interactive teaching. Academic Learning Time-Physical Education (ALT-PE), the System for Observing Fitness Instructional Time (SOFIT), stimulated-recall interviews, and document analysis were utilized for data collection. Pre- and post-tests on the ETU specific learning objective were conducted to determine student learning and three lessons were videotaped and used in subsequent analysis. Stimulated recall interviews were conducted following each lesson, lasting between 5 to 15 minutes. Themes that emerged from the stimulated-recall interviews across all teachers included: 1) building on past skills, 2) modifications to increase physical activity, and 3) goal-directed instruction. In addition, there is no difference between the amount of time students of NBCPETs engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) as compared to students of non-NBCPETs. Similarly, students of non-NBCPETs are provided the same amount of motor activity at an appropriate success rate (ALT-PE) as students of NBCPETs. Lastly, the results showed no difference in gain scores of the learning objectives between the two groups of teachers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Curriculum and Instruction 2014

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine if a Structured Online Intercultural Learning (SOIL) experience represented a viable form of global experiential learning (GEL) that can yield beneficial effects in student transformation of the kind that are reported to result from &ldquo;traditional&rdquo; GEL (involving mobility). Specifically, this study investigated the influence of a sustained cross-cultural learning experience, made possible by online communications technologies, on preservice teachers&rsquo; global citizen identity development (their self-in-the world). </p><p> The research approach was inspired by design-based research and employed a parallel mixed-methods design, incorporating two quantitative assessment instruments (the Global Perspectives Inventory [GPI] and the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory [BEVI]) and a plethora of student-generated artifacts (the qualitative data). Twenty-six preservice teachers from the US and Macedonia learned together in a globally networked learning environment (GLNE) for 8 weeks. The findings showed that, although the participants were, in most cases, not able to articulate with certainty any perceived changes to their sense of self-in-the-world, both the qualitative and the quantitative data indicated that the experience did indeed result in at least modest positive changes for most of the participants. </p><p> The primary themes that emerged from the qualitative data related to self-in-the-world, were &ldquo;knowledge acquisition,&rdquo; &ldquo;intercultural sensitivity development,&rdquo; and &ldquo;personal growth/self-improvement.&rdquo; The quantitative data showed that U.S. students&rsquo; ideas of the attributes of a global citizen shifted positively following the intervention and that students in both groups strengthened their agreement with the statement &ldquo;I see myself as a global citizen&rdquo; at Time 2. Further, students reported that the real-time, small group cross-cultural conversations (via video conference), which were required by the course that served as the intervention in the study, were the most meaningful aspect of the experience. Finally, nearly half of the participants indicated that, as a result of their experiences in this course, they planned to incorporate global citizen education in their future teaching practice. </p><p> These results suggest that teacher educators should consider embedding globally networked learning experiences into teacher education curriculum and that preservice teachers should not only experience globally networked learning as students, but should also be encouraged to develop lesson plans involving globally networked learning for their future classrooms.</p><p>

The knowledge-based economy, advances in information and communication technologies and new pedagogical perspectives all influence the need to improve competencies in the 21st century. Innovative educational ideas and concepts have transformed the roles of teacher educators and their students. Adequate technology training is therefore a prerequisite for the teacher educator to develop prospective teachers who can use new technologies to support and improve their students’ achievement gains. However, many of these efforts fail since they are mostly based on a formal, institutional delivery of instrumental knowledge and skills. Adequate technology training is a major factor that can help to promote the uptake of emerging technologies into the curriculum, which in turn benefits students (Yoon et al, 2007; Collins & Halverson, 2009; Earley & Porritt, 2014). This research seeks to add to current knowledge about teacher educators’ technology professionalisation and to provide an instrument for the purpose of mapping teacher educators’ technology learning preferences in the workplace. The technology learning preferences instrument (TLP-instrument) designed, implemented and evaluated in this research is intended to create a link between teacher-educators’ technology learning needs in the workplace and the way in which professional development programmes should be tailored to meet teacher educators’ evolving learning needs. The investigation employs a design-based research approach which is cyclical and appropriate for addressing complex problems in educational practice for which no clear guidelines for solutions are available. To collect and analyse the data, a mixed methods approach was used. The rationale for mixing both types of research is that qualitative and quantitative methods complement each other (Creswell & Plano-Clark, 2011). Findings in this dissertation and in follow-up research are intended to lead to more effective technology professionalisation programmes through suggestions for better design and development based on teacher educators’ learning needs.

<p> Universities and colleges are charged with the broad task of providing their students with the skills that will allow them to be successful in their chosen fields. The perception that teacher preparation programs hold the key to the knowledge and skills necessary to have a successful career is being unclear from the consumer&rsquo;s perspective. While investing in education will always be beneficial, it does not come with any guarantees of success in the workplace. </p><p> The research provides the first year teachers&rsquo; perceptions of success. The content knowledge, pedagogical development and field experiences are traditionally aligned for all pre-service teachers. Their success in the classroom is not always a given in spite of all pre-service teachers having been exposed to the edTPA process, state teacher licenses assessments, and in-service evaluation that is aligned to the Danielson framework. Neither the edTPA nor the Danielson framework evaluate disposition directly. An educator needs to be reflective in his/her practice in order to develop his/her disposition along with content knowledge and instructional strategies. This study provides insight to pre-service training, first year in-service experiences, the evaluation processes (edTPA and Danielson framework), and their dispositional perspective. </p><p> Major themes pertaining to classroom management, time commitment, reflective practices, emotional connection to students, and being self-driven were explored through a dispositional lens. Dispositional characteristics are present throughout the pre-service training and become increasing prevalent in first year teachers. This phenomenological study follows a contextual framework of disconnect between teacher preparation programs and in-service realities resulting in a deeper understanding of first year teachers&rsquo; perceptions of success.</p><p>

<p> This mixed methods study explored how elementary school teachers who use Twitter extensively use it to support their professional learning and development. Four research questions guided this study: 1. How are teachers using Twitter for their professional learning and development? 2. What do teachers report learning from their use of Twitter? 3. What do teachers say they do with the information they have learned from using Twitter? 4. What support do teachers have when they want to implement what they have learned from Twitter? </p><p> An online survey was distributed via Twitter targeting teachers of elementary grades. A total of 107 participants were included in the final sample. Interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 19 teachers. Document analysis of tweets from a subsample of interviewees and from a sample of tweets from the #2ndchat Twitter community served as triangulation. </p><p> The key findings from this sample illustrated several ways teachers learn from Twitter. In response to the research questions, teachers reported using Twitter as a source of motivation and support, explaining that it provided them with feedback, encouragement and peer accountability. Second, teachers reported learning about many topics, especially technology integration techniques. Third, teachers described using the information they learned to alter some of their teaching practices and to pursue other educational opportunities. Lastly, more than half of teachers reported having administrators who supported their efforts to implement Twitter-based ideas. In addition, teachers appreciated certain affordances of Twitter including immediacy, choice, and access to other educators. </p><p> These findings have several implications for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers. Teachers reported that they believed they were getting trustworthy information from highly reputable Twitter users. However, it would be important for them to critically review the information and ensure its alignment with evidence-based teaching practices for how students learn. Further, teachers&rsquo; responses seemed to indicate that they want input and control over their learning, which has important implications for traditional professional development offerings. As Twitter continues to expand and gain acceptance as a source of learning for teachers, considerations for its use as a 21^st century tool must be taken into account.</p><p>

<p> Studies have shown that conflict resolution and violence prevention education may be lacking within school-based environments. There is a gap in the literature regarding pre-service and in-service conflict resolution and violence prevention education for urban high school educators. The purpose of the study was to understand the experiences and perceptions of urban high school educators&rsquo; pre-service and in-service conflict resolution and violence prevention education, and the student health-related antecedents that contribute to both. Utilizing a case study methodology, this study emphasized the diverse geographic locations of urban high school educators&rsquo; pre-service institutions and the perceptions of their pre-service and in-service education regarding 5 student health-related antecedents to conflict and violence in school. Data collection included individual audio-recorded interviews and a follow-up focus group. Data was analyzed by participant&rsquo;s responses to interview questions that aligned with research questions. Data was then coded, cross-coded, and triangulated to generate themes. The results indicated that pre-service teacher education programs are not addressing conflict resolution and violence prevention in schools among pre-service teachers. Further, study findings indicate that teachers and administrators are currently experiencing student health-related antecedents to conflict and violence in school. Research findings also indicated that in-service training is failing to address these critical issues. This study could impact positive social change by implementing relevant and innovative education within pre-service and in-service educator training to address school-level violence.</p><p>