abstract: There are many benefits for children, teachers, families, and schools when partnerships are formed between families and teachers. However, many new teachers are entering the teaching profession not feeling confident about communicating and engaging with parents. This lack of confidence stems from some teacher preparation programs not including curriculum that explicitly addresses how to communicate and engage with parents. The focus of this study was to investigate the extent to which four Family Engagement Trainings affected preservice teachers during their student teaching practicum. A quasi-experimental approach using an explanatory sequential mixed method action research design was used to measure changes in preservice teachers’ knowledge, value, and self-efficacy regarding communicating and engaging with parents throughout the 19 weeks of the study. A survey instrument, personal meaning maps, and reflections were used to gather data. Results indicated the Family Engagement Trainings were effective in positively changing the preservice teachers’ knowledge, value, and self-efficacy to communicate and engage with families. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2020

This research project incorporates a series of mindfulness and contemplative workshops withinthe established curriculum of an advanced art studio methods course for pre-service arteducators. Educational research studies suggest that individuals who complete a mindfulnesscourse of study experience increased mental and physical stamina; enhanced memory retention;and decreased irritability, anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. Research also indicates thatindividuals who practice mindfulness have improved relationships and bolstered immunesystems (Williams & Penman, 2012. These studies suggest that mindfulness training can makepositive contributions to teaching and learning, enabling teachers and students to perform at theirbest capacity in their respective roles. Many studies hypothesized that mindfulness trainingwould enhance student well-being and learning in particular. The hypothesis of the current studywas that an arts-integrated mindfulness curriculum will enhance student learning, art practice,and attitudes toward teaching and learning. This was an exploratory study designed to investigatepossible connections between art-making and mindfulness.

Thesis advisor: Patrick Proctor / This study aimed to explore middle leadership from a single K-12 district. To accomplish this, an exploratory, embedded single case study (Yin, 2018) was utilized. The district was the case while one elementary, middle, and high school were embedded “sub-units” in the case. A principal, middle leader, and 2 middle leader colleagues further represented each school. This method was employed in order to illuminate how middle leadership was experienced through multiple perspectives and contexts but within the same district. This dissertation also took a narrative approach, beginning in understanding the conditions that led to the creation of middle leadership roles, to the selection, conceptualization, and evaluations of middle leaders. Then, middle leaders were asked about how the district can further support their roles. Results indicated that external (standardized tests, changes in standards or curriculum) and internal (desire for district consistency and cohesion) and factors influenced the creation of middle leadership positions. Middle leaders were selected based on their teaching and leadership experiences. However, conceptualization of middle leaders in the district extended beyond teaching. In addition to teaching, middle leaders were also conceptualized as strategic planners, people with good interpersonal and communication skills, managers, coaches, and evaluators. Evaluation of middle leaders were based on state-based evaluation frameworks for teachers or administrators that showcased a misalignment of responsibility and evaluation processes. To support their roles in the district, middle leaders suggested a combination of internal and external support. Internally, they suggested the creation of a within-district, middle leader-specific professional learning community in order to have opportunities to share best practices and collectively think about problems and solutions. Externally, they would also appreciate the district’s support in attending formal professional development such as courses or certification programs. These results indicate that there is a need for middle leadership-specific classes, programs, and evaluation frameworks and that middle leaders would also benefit greatly in the creation of mentorship programs or professional learning communities. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

The cost of attending residential four-year institutions continues to rise, while the availability of online distance education programs has seen an overwhelming increase. So where does this leave the future of APE and PETE programs? This session will review the current status and future economic forecasts for APE/PETE programs, as well as provide an opportunity to discuss how APE/PETE faculty can address the current and projected threats to maintaining quality APE/PE teacher preparation programs.

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Research evidence exists to support the implementation of learner-centered approaches in technological usage and in teaching methodologies. This chapter uses qualitative observation data on implementation of learner-centered approaches in technology integrated classrooms collected by two participant observers. Findings indicate that the problems that some instructional technology researchers in the past decade have found still persist despite the extensive technology professional development designed to enhance the use of technology in a learner-centered approach. The TPACK framework which is used as a guide to effective technology integration has not been fully utilized by many who offer professional development or those who design technology courses at teacher preparation programs. Two major problems noted in observation notes are: 1) those who provide professional development do not begin with the background of the TPACK framework; 2) the TPACK framework is usually discussed in isolation of other frameworks such as the UDL framework.

This chapter examines the challenges to 21st century content preparation and pedagogy from the perspective of teaching professionals from different African countries: Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Specifically, the chapter explores the views and experiences of the participants during and after teacher preparation programs. Findings reveal common challenges, specific 21st century skills that are overlooked, and those not yet fully integrated in teacher preparation programs. The chapter offers suggestions for improvement based on the views of participants, research-based literature review, and best practices in teacher preparation programs.

Increased attention to statistical concepts has been a prevalent trend in revised mathematics curricula across grade levels. However, the preparation of secondary school mathematics educators has not received similar attention, and learning opportunities provided to these educators is oftentimes insufficient for teaching statistics well. The purpose of this study is to analyze pre-service teachers' conceptions about confidence intervals. This research inquired about statistical reasoning from the perspective of students majoring in mathematics education enrolled in an undergraduate statistics education course who have previously completed an introductory course in statistics. We found common misconceptions among pre-service teachers participating in this study. An unanticipated finding is that all the pre-service teachers believed that the construction of a confidence interval relies on a sampling distribution that does not contain every possible sample. Instead, they believed it is necessary to take multiple samples and build a distribution of their means. I called this distribution the Multi-Sample Distribution (MSD).

Educational quality is a way to influence the future of the American economy (Hanushek, 1986). Large-scale assessments are designed to determine quality in education by measuring student achievement. A connection exists between the standards, teachers, and assessments that form a system of accountability within education. State and national accountability policies place value in certain educational fields, thereby preferring some while excluding others. As a result, accountability systems influence the field of social studies in several unanticipated ways. Consequential validity suggests that assessments should include value implications and relevance (Messick, 1989). While assessment research examines the disciplines of mathematics, science, and language arts in a more holistic manner, the few social studies assessments are often divided among the field’s various disciplines. The purpose of social studies, and its development of standards, is firmly linked to the current state of disunity within the social studies field. These issues are reflected in teacher preparation policies as well as state assessment policies. Social studies advocates have proven that, in other subjects, teachers and instructional methods are influenced by assessment. Fortunately, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provides an opportunity to determine whether the exclusion of social studies within the state/national accountability system is impacting student achievement in social studies. The current systems make social studies uniquely positioned for studying the effects of large-scale assessment upon the field. Uses and interpretations of assessment data by researchers have been limited in social studies because the subject is not incorporated into most accountability policies. State policy governs educational standards, teacher licensure, and the extent of assessments upon students. For this study, the social studies NAEP assessment is divided into three separate tests (U.S. History, Geography, and Civics). By looking at data from the fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade 2010 social studies NAEP tests, this study will investigate some of the unintended consequences of educational assessment culture. I will examine social studies through different lenses and apply the concept of consequential validity to social studies in order to understand the value of social studies within education.