<p> This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of elementary school teachers who were engaged in teacher-coach partnerships to discover the influence of instructional coaching on the teaching practices of elementary school teachers. Data were collected through interviews, classroom observations, and a compilation of documents and artifacts. The findings are discussed through the three main themes that emerged from the analysis of qualitative data and interpretation. The three main themes that described how instructional coaching influences the teaching practices of elementary school teachers were: (a) relationship building, (b) self-reflection and goal setting, and (c) coaching perceived as evaluative rather than individualized professional learning. </p><p> Overall, the factor acknowledged by all participants as being the most influential in making instructional changes to their teaching practices was the importance of building relationships with an instructional coach. This study adds to the body of literature regarding instructional coaching and the influence instructional coaching has on teaching practices.</p><p>

<p> The topic of this study is teacher support and professional development offered at urban Title 1 schools. This study compares the teacher support and professional development provided at an urban Title 1 traditional public school to the support and professional development provided at an urban Title 1 charter school. The purpose is to compare the schools and find out from a teachers&rsquo; perspective which school supports its teachers better. Teachers were interviewed in order to receive the data necessary to determine which school is more effective at supporting its teachers. The other significant purpose of this study was to suggest improvements that ether or both schools can implement. The results indicate that the traditional school teachers felt better supported and satisfied with their professional development, than the charter school teachers. The findings also present knowledge that can help improve both schools and other schools similar to them.</p><p>

<p> Educators at a public high school in Southeastern United States depend on mentor teachers to minimize the attrition rate among beginning teachers, yet the strategies implemented by mentors lack definition and clarity. The purpose of this study was to explore mentor teachers&rsquo; perceptions of effective mentoring strategies and their needs when mentoring new teachers. Maslow&rsquo;s humanistic learning theory guided this bounded basic qualitative study. The research questions focused on the mentoring strategies mentor teachers perceived as effective and the needs of the mentors. Ten high school mentor teachers, who currently mentor new teachers, were purposefully selected to participate in individual and focus group interviews. Precoding, open and axial coding were used to inductively analyze the data. The results showed mentors promote school culture, are a source of information, build relationships, use data to drive discussion, provide opportunity for reflection, conduct observations, connect theory with practice, and model professional behavior as effective strategies. Mentor teachers indicated that effective communication is crucial when mentoring new teachers. Additionally, they need specific skills to help beginning teachers better understand the reality of teaching and address their unrealistic expectations of the profession. Based on the findings a 3-day professional development for mentor teachers was developed to address mentors&rsquo; needs. This endeavor may contribute to positive social change when district administration provides mentor teachers with professional development to enrich their mentoring strategies which in turn may address the challenges new teachers experience and reduce the attrition rate.</p><p>

<p> This study was conducted in order to understand the types of music technologies band educators in the state of Arkansas were using, their attitudes towards technology, and the implications training, during undergraduate and through professional development, had on the frequency of use. Arkansas Music Educators (n = 64) completed an online questionnaire containing demographic information, selection of music technologies, agreeability/disagreeability to statements about music technology, frequency of use, descriptions of technologies, and description of how they felt music technology should be used for the purpose of learning. Regarding training in undergraduate professional development for music technology use, there appeared to be no difference between the increase of music technology usage and the increase of more training. Results suggest that participants have an overall &ldquo;good&rdquo; attitude towards technology with the stipulation that it should be considered a tool, students and teachers receive appropriate training, and it should be used efficiently.</p><p>

<p> The literature established that online instruction consists of cognitive, teaching, and social presence. Studies on the element of social presence linked text-based delivery of instruction with learners&rsquo; feelings of isolation and disengagement. This research findings prompted this facilitator creation of five-to-seven-minute companion videos that aligned and complemented weekly text-based learning modules to ascertain students&rsquo; perceptions of these videos as a medium for channeling social presence. </p><p> Post-video viewing surveys yielded responses to pragmatic and emotional questions. Pragmatic questions were aimed at the visual impact of professor&rsquo;s delivery of information. Emotional questions gauged the students&rsquo; feelings of connectivity with the facilitator. Triangulated interpretations of student responses showed that students perceived that the videos enhanced social presence by decreasing feelings of isolation in their online course. Key results included the feeling of a real classroom and appreciation of the visuality of the videos. The viewed videos supported affective associations, learner cohesion, interaction intensity, instructor involvement, and active learning. The videos helped draw the students from their inner secluded online environment to the outside world. The research includes recommendation of the use of a larger sample size; online facilitator theatrical training, college budget to include production of video funds for further quality video productions, and video cataloging of facilitator-created subject- specific videos.</p><p>

<p> This study focused on the motivation of K-12 teachers to participate in district online professional development and to sustain the knowledge or skills learned. This study identified how teachers in a suburban school district, located in the Hudson Valley region of New York state, evaluated the online professional development they received and the extent to which their learning continued beyond the initial training. Through a phenomenological study, data indicated several factors motivated teachers to participate in online professional development; the primary motivator was the relevance of the topic. The online survey and interviews indicated teachers were interested and willing to participate in online professional development when they could choose the topic and the setting in which the learning takes place. An additional motivator was the benefit of collaboration and support provided by the facilitator, both during and after the training. Teachers shared their ability to make connections and to reflect on their own experiences increased when they had the opportunity to work collaboratively with the facilitator to develop and implement a lesson using the new knowledge or skill. Teachers who identified taking relevant district online professional development with collaborative facilitators also reported specific examples of how they implemented skills in their classrooms. Teachers described how the district online professional development helped to improve their students&rsquo; learning.</p><p>

<p> Elementary mathematics teachers in Maryland are required to teach according to the Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards (MCCRS). Implementation of these standards requires teachers to understand and implement instructional shifts that are unlike the way most of them were taught mathematics in elementary school. Consequently, educator preparation programs in Maryland must ensure candidates are adequately prepared to teach elementary mathematics according to the Maryland standards and the necessary instructional shifts. </p><p> This study describes the preparedness of teacher candidates and first-year teachers from Maryland educator preparation programs to teach according to the elementary mathematics MCCRS. Preparedness is described from the perspective of mentor teachers who work with interns and mathematics instructional leaders (MILs) who work with first year teachers from Maryland preparation programs. The descriptions of the preparedness of these interns and first-year teachers provide multiple perspectives on both the strengths and needs of preservice teachers and recent graduates. </p><p> Mentors from five different school systems in Maryland and MILs from four school systems in Maryland completed a survey with both quantitative and qualitative questions. Nineteen mentors and 22 MILs participated in the survey. Ten of the participants volunteered for and participated in a follow-up interview. The participants reported on the interns or first-year teachers they worked with during the 2016&ndash;2017 school year. </p><p> Mentors and MILs described the teachers they work with as having strengths in implementing technology into instruction and described the teachers as willing to use manipulatives during instruction. Additionally, they perceived educator preparation programs as being well-aligned to their school system goals and priorities. Participants described needs of the teachers they work with, including the following: understanding the standards, understanding mathematics on a conceptual level, differentiating instruction, promoting mathematical discourse, and problem solving into instruction. These recommendations provide a basis for educator preparation programs when examining the preparedness of their candidates and graduates to teach according to the MCCRS for elementary mathematics.</p><p>

Educational partnerships surged in the 1980s, and saw an equally substantive increase in research about these relationships. However, not all aspects of these partnerships have been examined and as a result there are gaps in the literature. A thorough literature review confirmed that in fact there was no research specifically about partnerships between traditional schools of education and non-traditional teacher training organizations. After identifying the specific partnerships to study, I collected documents, held a conference that included focus groups, administered a survey, and conducted individual interviews. I was also provided existing survey data from the partners. I coded the qualitative data to find themes across the partnerships. At the same time, I created an evaluation rubric that was used to determine the effectiveness of each partnership based on the characteristics found in each. After reviewing the data and coding it thematically, I found three common factors that existed in the various partnerships. These factors of communication, commitment, and evaluation emerged as the primary drivers of or barriers to, the success of the partnership. These characteristics are exhibited in different ways and to different degrees in each partnership. Using the data to uncover these factors, I developed a rubric that can be used to determine their existence within a partnership. This research provides guidance and a method of evaluation for similar new partnerships across the country. It aids in their development and supports their continual improvement. Simultaneously, the rubric and research should help existing partnerships improve their current relationships and collaboration.

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