This study sought to determine if there were statistically significant differences between years of teaching experience and education relative to learning-inhibiting problems in the classroom. These differences were measured by responses on surveys, classroom observations, review of summative teacher appraisal instruments and focus group interviews. A population of 271 middle school teachers of language art, social studies, mathematics and science were selected from one urban school district. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was the statistical analysis procedure utilized to analyze the data. Thirteen null hypotheses were tested at the .05 alpha level. The research failed to reject 12 null hypotheses of no statistically significant difference between years of teaching experience (0-5, 6-12, 13-20, 21+) and education (middle school trained, middle school untrained) and learning-inhibiting problems (chronic talking, refusing request, tardiness, inattentiveness, talking back to teachers) experienced by middle school teachers in the classroom. The only null hypothesis rejected was that no statistically significant difference existed between 0-5 years of teaching experience and the non-instructional strategy (consultation with an administrator) used to prevent learning-inhibiting problems in the classroom. The results of the data analysis revealed that teachers in the 0-5 range of teaching experience preferred consultation with administrators as the strategy for preventing disruptive behavior in the classroom. Upon classroom observation, there was no statistically significant difference between years of teaching experience and the ability to manage a classroom. It was observed that teachers who circulated throughout the classroom while directing instruction and using questioning techniques were better able to manage the classroom and have fewer disruptions than teachers who stood in front of the class or who were seated and directed instruction. Focus group members indicated that many disruptive behaviors can be addressed through appropriate instructional planning and delivery. Therefore, staff development should address a variety of instructional strategies that would prevent and eliminate specific learning-inhibiting problems as chronic talking, tardiness, inattentiveness, refusing request of teachers, and talking back to teachers in the classroom. / Ed. D.

As the number of English Learners (ELs) in US schools continues to rise, the need for effective instructional strategies to bridge the achievement gap between these learners and their English-proficient peers become more crucial to reduce the inequality among language minority groups. This study investigates the impact of virtual simulation experiences in developing communication strategies among teacher candidates for teaching ELs. Focused on the real and simulated teaching encounters of teacher candidates via the TeachLivE platform, this case study seeks to understand how these virtual experiences contribute to the practical application and transformation of teaching skills for effective EL communication. The research was conducted with teacher candidates pursuing Elementary and/or Secondary Education degrees at a large southeastern university in the United States, selected through purposive sampling. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and was analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis methodology. The findings indicate that virtual simulations are instrumental in enabling teacher candidates to apply theoretical knowledge in real-life settings, thereby enhancing their communication strategies with ELs. This adaptation to teaching methods underscores the necessity for flexibility in multicultural and multilingual classrooms. The study addresses a significant need to close the gap in traditional teacher education practicums, which often inadequately prepare candidates for the complexities of teaching ELs. It contributes to the literature on the use of virtual simulations in teacher education by highlighting their potential to bolster teacher effectiveness and student outcomes in diverse settings. The paper suggests that future research should broaden the scope regarding participants, and longitudinal research could be conducted to get insights into the long-term impact of virtual simulation training on teacher practices and student outcomes.

This study measured the relative strength of the relationships among the variables that research has suggested improve teacher attitudes toward co-teaching inclusion. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine which variable produced the strongest relationship effect on teacher attitudes toward co-teaching in an inclusion classroom. All general education and special education teachers (n=1009) in elementary schools in an urban division in Virginia were surveyed. Teacher attitudes toward a practice have had an impact on student achievement (Friend and Pope, 2005; Ghaith and Yaghi, 1997). A teacher's beliefs regarding an instructional practice or innovation were directly linked to educational improvements (Ghaith and Yaghi, 1997; Loney et al., 1976). School leaders and teacher preparation programs have provided learning experiences for prospective and current teachers (DeSutter, 2015; DuFour, 2004). These experiences were provided in an effort to ensure preparation for the challenge of teaching or co-teaching struggling students (DeSutter, 2015; DuFour, 2004). In this study, positive correlations were found between all of the research variables and teacher attitudes toward co-teaching inclusion. The highest correlations were between the leadership and professional development and the dependent variable teacher attitudes toward co-teaching in an inclusion classroom. The weakest research variable correlation was in student teaching. This mixed methods study established recommendations for leadership in the preparation and development of teachers for success in co-taught inclusion classrooms. Additionally, the study carried implications that teacher preparation programs should include more clinical teaching experiences embedded in their preparation programs. / Ed. D. / The topic investigated in this study was teacher preparation and attitudes toward inclusion. Inclusion is the practice of teaching students with disabilities alongside their nondisabled peers in the general education setting (Ervin, 2010). This study is a mixed methods study blending quantitative and qualitative findings. It was conducted by single administration of a Likert scale and free response item survey. All the elementary general and special education teachers (<i>n</i>=1009) in an urban division in Virginia. The research study examined teachers’ past experiences. Teachers were asked to reflect on their experiences in collaboratively teaching, or co-teaching, in inclusion classrooms. Previous research determined that leadership behavior and leader attitudes, teacher coursework, on-going continuing education through professional growth activities or professional development, and student teaching experiences all had positive effects on teacher attitudes toward inclusion. The data and analysis supported the findings of the study. Teacher responses showed their attitudes toward inclusion were influenced by each of the independent variables (leadership behavior/leader attitudes, coursework, professional development, and student teaching). Furthermore, there were changes in the relationship between the independent and dependent variables based on a variety of teacher experiences and background variables. This study is important because it blends the phenomenological findings from teacher free responses with quantitative findings on teacher attitudes toward inclusion. While all teacher groups’ responses somewhat agreed that inclusion was best for students, teachers continued to have concerns regarding the practice of co-teaching. This study identifies those concerns. The data, findings, and implications also provide insight for leaders who lead schools where teachers are prepared to practice inclusion.

What knowledge do teachers need for integrating appropriate digital technologies in teaching mathematics? An overarching construct called TPACK is proposed as the interconnection and intersection of knowledge among technology, pedagogy, and content and is referred to as the total knowledge package for teaching mathematics with technology. Five stages in the process of developing TPACK - recognizing, accepting, adapting, exploring, and adapting – describe the process of teachers’ learning to integrate technology. Teachers learn to teach mathematics from their own learning – K-12 mathematics - collegiate mathematics coursework, teacher preparation program, field experiences and professional development as they teach mathematics. The challenge is to identify appropriate experiences to guide this integration of technology in teaching mathematics in ways that develop TPACK. A framework for these experiences directs attention to emergent social and psychological perspectives.

This study assessed the most valid predictors of success of students entering into an undergraduate teacher preparation program in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Using existing institutional data from a small, private, urban university in Philadelphia, analyses of the data identified variables with the greatest predictive ability. The variables were then used to develop a prediction model that predicts performance on the Basic Skills Math Test and Basic Skills Reading Test. The results of this study provide the university with an instrument to identify students most likely to pass the basic skills test and gain entry into the teacher preparation program. The results of this study also provide the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania support for using SAT scores as a measure of proficiency of basic skills in gaining entry into an undergraduate teacher preparation program. Implications of the research on admissions practices, teacher preparation program development, and education reform are discussed in the recommendations. / Educational Leadership

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What knowledge do teachers need for integrating appropriate digital technologies in teaching mathematics? An overarching construct called TPACK is proposed as the interconnection and intersection of knowledge among technology, pedagogy, and content and is referred to as the total knowledge package for teaching mathematics with technology. Five stages in the process of developing TPACK - recognizing, accepting, adapting, exploring, and adapting – describe the process of teachers’ learning to integrate technology. Teachers learn to teach mathematics from their own learning – K-12 mathematics - collegiate mathematics coursework, teacher preparation program, field experiences and professional development as they teach mathematics. The challenge is to identify appropriate experiences to guide this integration of technology in teaching mathematics in ways that develop TPACK. A framework for these experiences directs attention to emergent social and psychological perspectives.

This study explores the impact of "teacher thinking" exercises in the Composition Practicum as a means of instilling a clearer sense of professional development in graduate instructors. Teacher thinking is a teacher training method that asks the novice instructor to see from the perspective of learners within their writing classrooms. Scholarship on writing teacher preparation programs suggests that English educators regularly employ teacher thinking exercises in the training of secondary school teachers. Teacher thinking has allowed many English education majors to conceptualize and obtain teaching identities by helping them to envision the intricate layers of teaching earlier in their careers. But can teacher thinking exercises have the same effect on graduate instructors in the Composition Practicum? Using the two main writing teacher preparation courses at Brigham Young University (BYU) for graduate instructors and English education majors, English 610 and English 423, I analyze the evidence of teacher thinking in each program and address the possible implications these findings could hold for the Composition Practicum course. Through my comparison of these courses, I determine if conversations between English educators and the Composition Practicum could be beneficial in helping graduate instructors to grow professionally as teachers as they learn to think like teachers in the Composition Practicum. I examine, analyze, and compare syllabi, surveys, and interview response from graduate instructors, English education majors, and the teachers of both courses to identify the types of teaching thinking students are exposed to in each course. Structuring my discussion around the teacher thinking theories of teacher educators, Forrest Parkay and Beverly Stanford, George Hillocks, and Alicia Crowe and Amanda Berry, I identify three types of knowledge that graduate instructors and English education majors gained or lacked in each program. These three types of knowledge are knowledge of self, knowledge of students, and knowledge of educational theory. Through this discussion, I explore what it means to think like a composition teacher and how learning to "teacher think" may help graduate instructors, nationally, to understand what it means to "simply be a composition teacher".

Consumer Studies is a valuable and multifaceted subject in South African schools, requiring that teachers in the subject are well prepared. Pre-service Consumer Studies teachers need to be prepared to become lifelong learners to cope with the dynamic nature of the subject, as well as to develop various 21st century skills to be able to deal with the demands of these times. Structured guidance, however, could not be uncovered for the preparation of pre-service Consumer Studies teachers to empower them with the requirements for Consumer Studies education. Sett-directed learning is a process that supports the developn1ent of various 21st century skills, including lifelong learning, and could thus contribute to the development of preservice Consumer Studies teachers, if included in their preparation. A suitable teaching-leaming strategy that could be utilised in the preparation module for Consumer Studies teachers, as well as a vehicle to promote self-directed learning as part of such preparation, was identified in the form of project-based learning. A qualitative case study was employed to investigate how project-based learning as a teaching-learning strategy could promote self-directed learning in a pre-service Consumer Studies teacher preparation module. Project-based learning was found to foster the development of various skills as part of the process, including planning and collaboration skills. Subject content, consistent with what is required to be taught in Consumer Studies education on high school level, was developed and self-directed learning was promoted in participants using project-based learning. Recommendations were suggested for the preparation of pre-service Consumer Studies teachers, as well as for the effective structuring of projects and project-based learning in Consumer Studies. / MEd (Curriculum Development), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Consumer Studies is a valuable and multifaceted subject in South African schools, requiring that teachers in the subject are well prepared. Pre-service Consumer Studies teachers need to be prepared to become lifelong learners to cope with the dynamic nature of the subject, as well as to develop various 21st century skills to be able to deal with the demands of these times. Structured guidance, however, could not be uncovered for the preparation of pre-service Consumer Studies teachers to empower them with the requirements for Consumer Studies education. Sett-directed learning is a process that supports the developn1ent of various 21st century skills, including lifelong learning, and could thus contribute to the development of preservice Consumer Studies teachers, if included in their preparation. A suitable teaching-leaming strategy that could be utilised in the preparation module for Consumer Studies teachers, as well as a vehicle to promote self-directed learning as part of such preparation, was identified in the form of project-based learning. A qualitative case study was employed to investigate how project-based learning as a teaching-learning strategy could promote self-directed learning in a pre-service Consumer Studies teacher preparation module. Project-based learning was found to foster the development of various skills as part of the process, including planning and collaboration skills. Subject content, consistent with what is required to be taught in Consumer Studies education on high school level, was developed and self-directed learning was promoted in participants using project-based learning. Recommendations were suggested for the preparation of pre-service Consumer Studies teachers, as well as for the effective structuring of projects and project-based learning in Consumer Studies. / MEd (Curriculum Development), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015