Bullying behaviors can have lasting adverse consequences for teachers, victims, offenders, and bystanders. Teachers are often not prepared with the knowledge required for appropriate interventions. The purpose of this study was to understand teachers' perceptions of bullying in one of the largest urban school districts in the United States. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, which holds that individuals impact and should be impacted by various environmental systems around them, the study was focused on teachers' understanding of detection and intervention of bullying in the school setting. A qualitative single case study design was used. Fifteen urban, middle school teachers who reported having experience with bullying behaviors were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected through 60-minute, individual, semistructured interviews and a review of documents pertaining to bullying. Data were analyzed employing Braun's and Clarke's thematic analysis. All data were examined for patterns or commonalities across the various sources for emergent themes. The themes that emerged are signs of bullying, difficulty in identifying bullying, confidence in identifying bullying, initial steps to intervene, confidence in intervening, school policies and initiatives, perceptions of regulations and initiatives, and need for education and training. Teachers' perceptions may reflect an understanding of school bullying that involves a range of factors, including individual, school, community, and familial elements. Results of this study may support social change by serving as a basis for professional development for preparing teachers to recognize and intervene in school bullying, thereby allowing students to learn in nonthreatening school environments.

Den digitala utvecklingen och de digitala verktygen i undervisningen ställer krav på att elever genom undervisningen ges möjlighet till att utveckla kompetenser i att hantera det innehåll de varje dag möter. Syftet med denna studie är därför att, med vetskapen om den ökande digitalisering som sker i svensk skola, undersöka vilka uppfattningar och kunskaper lärare har om media literacy och de två kompetenserna att söka och kritiskt värdera information i svenskundervisningen i årskurs 4–6. Utifrån syftet har två frågeställningar formulerats: Hur definierar lärare behovet av att undervisa om media literacy-kompetenserna att söka och kritiskt värdera information i svenskundervisningen i årskurs 4–6? Hur arbetar lärare med media literacy-kompetenserna att söka och kritiskt värdera information i svenskundervisningen i årskurs 4–6? Materialet har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem verksamma svensklärare i årskurs 4–6. Denna studies teoretiska utgångspunkt är pragmatismens teori om lärande. Resultatet i denna studie visar att lärare definierar behovet av att undervisa om kompetenserna att söka och kritiskt värdera information som stort då skolan måste rusta eleverna till att kunna fungera i det framtida, digitala samhälle som väntar dem. Resultatet i denna studie visar också att lärare arbetar både planerat och oplanerat med kompetenserna och att de oplanerade tillfällena kan leda till autentiska situationer som kan möjliggöra för eleverna att lättare koppla skolans innehåll till det verkliga livet. / The digital development and the digital tools in the education requires that the student through education gets opportunities to develop skills so that they can handle the content they meet every day. Therefore the purpose of this study, with the notice of the increased digitalization that happens in the Swedish schools, is to see what comprehension and knowledge teachers have about media literacy and the two competencies to search and critically evaluate information in the Swedish-education in grade 4–6. Based on the purpose two question formulations have been made: How do teachers define the need of teaching about the media literacy competences to search and critically evaluate information in the Swedish-education in grade 4–6? How do teachers work with the media literacy-competences to search and critically evaluate information in the Swedish-education in grade 4–6? The material has been collected through semi structured interviews with five active Swedish-teachers in grade 4–6. The theoretical starting point of the study is the pragmatism theory of learning. The result in this study shows that teachers define the need of teaching about the competences to search and critically evaluate information as big because the school have to prepare the students so that they can function in the future, digital community that they will be a part of. The result in this study also shows that teachers work both planned and unplanned with the skills and that the unplanned situations can lead to authentic situations that can enable the students to easier connect the content in school with their everyday life.

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact screen time has on the cognitive development of children between the ages of four to five, at one early childcare education center. The significance of the study will help determine how the amount of screen time affects children’s cognitive development. The results of this study will help educational leaders determine how to effectively use technology for learning. Research suggests that the most important factor in a child’s development is a positive parent-child relationship, in which loving caregivers respond to a child’s cues and provide age-appropriate activities that nurture curiosity, exploration and learning (Lerner & Barr, 2014). This provides the foundation for teacher and child interactions in preschool programs. The role of early childhood educators lays the foundation for education. Currently, over 80% of children between the ages of three and five years are reported to be using some type of electronic device on a daily basis (Joan Ganz Cooney Center and Sesame Workshop, 2011). Time spent with these electronic devices is defined as screen time, the total amount of time spent in front of any and all screens (Common Sense Media, 2013). The National Association for the Education of Young Children (2012) defines technology and media tools as, “computers, tablets, multi-touch screens, interactive white boards, mobile devices, cameras, DVDs, music players, audio recorders, electronic toys, games, e-book readers, and older analog devices.” The impact of positive and consistent interactions to young children can help mold development. These meaningful interactions cannot be substituted with technology tools. The educators of School A are restricted to only allowing their students to engage in interactive screen time for a total of thirty minutes per week. This research was geared towards finding out if screen time effects a child’s cognitive development between the ages of four and five.

The intent of this explanatory sequential mixed-method study is to examine Islamic teachers thoughts on improving critical thinking skills in elementary schools in the Southwestern province of Saudi Arabia. This study involves the collection of quantitative data and an explanation of the quantitative results with qualitative data. In the first phase, a survey is administered to Islamic teachers in Saudi elementary schools to assess their opinions on improving students' critical thinking skills and to investigate the factors that influence or hinder their implementation of critical thinking instruction. In the second phase, qualitative data is collected using semi-structured interviews with a number of Islamic teachers in order to explore more fully their perceptions toward improving students' critical thinking skills in Saudi elementary schools. The reason for collecting both quantitative and qualitative data is to obtain a better understanding of the gathered information than would be possible using only one of these methods. In regard to the barriers for improving the critical thinking ability in elementary education students, the study participants reported seven major obstacles, which are student ability, teaching methods, classroom structure, Saudi society and the school community, pre-service teachers preparation programs and in-service teacher professional developmental programs, and the Islamic studies curriculum. The highest ranked obstacle was student ability, with an overall mean of 4.31. Teaching methods, with a total mean of 4.29, was the second most cited barrier. The third was classroom structure, with a total mean of 3.72. The study participants ranked society and school community as the fourth obstacle, with a total mean of 3.70, and pre-service teachers preparation programs and in-service teacher professional developmental programs with a total mean of 2.69. The Islamic studies curriculum was ranked sixth in obstacles to improving critical thinking for elementary education students, with a total mean of 2.57. These findings suggests there is a need to examine female Islamic teachers' perceptions toward critical thinking in the Southwestern region of Saudi Arabia in order to identify the similarities and differences between the perceptions of male and female teachers. It is vital to investigate perceptions of teacher of other disciplines, such as language art, social science, English, and math, in an effort to provide policy makers in the Ministry of Education with a holistic picture of the Saudi educational system. Qualitative studies, interviews with students, and classroom observation can be carried out to investigate students' perceptions as to how critical thinking is taught in the classroom and whether teaching style is a primary obstacle to it being taught. There is an urgent need to examine in depth the influence society and the school community has on teaching students' thinking in general and critical thinking in particular. Finally, more research is needed on the pre-service education programs and in-service professional training programs in terms of building teaching programs on critical thinking skills.

The key purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an understanding of classroom teachers’ perceptions of the process and impact of formative assessment on classroom instruction in a secondary school. The study was designed to obtain information about how teachers view formative assessment as part of their everyday planning and preparation, as well as sought to determine whether or not there was a correlation between teachers’ perceived understanding of formative assessment and their implementation of formative assessment in the classroom. The three main research questions that guided this study were: 1) How do teachers’ perceptions of their own understanding of formative assessment affect their instructional practice? 2) How do teachers’ perceptions of their own understanding of formative assessment evolve over time? 3) What supports exist to help teachers implement formative assessment at the high school level? The case study focused on participants who were current 9-12 public school teachers representing mathematics, physical education, and foreign language. To triangulate the data, multiple types of data were collected from the teachers. Pre- and post-surveys, unstructured interviews, focus groups, classroom observations with participant observation notes, and logs were used to collect the data. Data was then analyzed using analysis of the pre-surveys and compared with information gained from the other data sources. Data was later analyzed using the post-survey and compared with the information from other data sources to determine individual teacher growth over time. The results from the first research question indicated that teachers understood the accountability of both teachers and students in the assessment process, but required additional support in determining how student learning becomes the basis for use of formative assessment, types of different methods used, and overall teacher competencies about formative assessment. The second research question indicated that growth occurred when professional supports were given in areas where weaknesses were identified. Initially, formative assessment was viewed by many as a means of compliance with the new teacher evaluation system. With continued professional development, teachers’ acceptance of formative assessment increased as their understanding of the process dually increased. In addition, as teachers began to see growth in student achievement, their overall acceptance of formative assessment also increased. The third and final research question indicated that supports must not only be global in nature, but must also be focused on the individual. When teachers know where they are and know the target of where they want or need to be, instructional growth does occur. Supports for teacher instructional practice will vary based on identified needs, understanding of formative assessment, and the type of supports available. Recommendations for follow-up study include the use of additional focus groups, extending the formative assessment survey to include lengthening the time of the study, and a change in setting to avoid certain nuances that can occur with studying the same school district. Additionally, research should be completed on the long-term effects of personalized professional development and whether teachers continue to use formative assessment practices as they gain more extensive experience. Since this particular school was undergoing a complete system change while the study was being completed, it would be dually important to investigate a school that was not in the midst of such a change. With all the additional supports available to the teachers in this study, it is important to see if a teacher’s perceived understanding of formative assessment would continue to translate into instructional practice if whole school and individual supports were not as prevalent.

Although teachers and students are the primary actors in the classroom environment, they often have different perceptions of the instructional and relational aspects of the classroom. Despite these differences, research indicates perceptions of the quality of the classroom social environment have implications for both student and teacher outcomes. Additionally, research has indicated the differences in perceptions occur not only between students and teachers, but also among individual students within classrooms. The extent and the manner in which these perceptions converge may vary across different class and school contexts. School and class context, as well as individual characteristics and beliefs have shown to influence student and teacher perceptions of their environment. Thus, to further understand the relationship between perceptions and outcomes, it is important to understand the factors that influence perception. Therefore, the current study examined (1) the extent to which elementary school students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the classroom social environment differ from middle school students’ and teachers’ perceptions, (2) the extent to which teachers and students in elementary and middle school agree about the classroom social environment, (3) if the degree of convergence between teachers and students differs based on high or low levels of motivational and socio-emotional components of the classroom environment, (4) the extent to which school, classroom, and individual teacher factors help to explain teacher perceptions of their classroom environment, (5) and the extent to which school, classroom, and individual student factors help to explain student perceptions of their classroom environment. The sample comprised of fifth- and sixth-grade students and teachers from ethnically diverse elementary and middle schools. Exploratory factor analyses revealed differences in how teachers and students conceptualize the classroom environment. Results from multiple regression and design-model multi-level modeling indicated that school socio-economic status, classroom gender and ethnic composition, as well as teacher and student demographics and beliefs, influence both teacher and student perceptions of the Classroom Social Environment. Findings from the current study may guide researchers in developing effective instructional practices for specific teacher and student populations and may provide unique contributions to the literature regarding factors that may enhance early adolescences’ and teachers’ experiences in the classroom.

<p> There is little research that examines differences in perceptions of need-supportive practices between teachers and students. In the current study, three research purposes were (1) to examine variabilities of teacher and student absolute or relative rating gaps in need-supportive practices, (2) to investigate the relations between absolute or relative rating gaps of teacher and student perceived need-supportive practices and student outcomes, and (3) moderating effects on the relations between teacher-student perceptions gaps of need-supportive practices and student outcomes. Participants were 581 5^th and 6^th students and their 29 teachers in Seoul, South Korea. Students completed questionnaires about teacher need-supportive practices, motivation, basic psychological needs (perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and autonomous motivation. Teachers also answered questionnaires about their own need-supportive practices and autonomous motivation. One-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc tests were used to examine the variabilities of teacher and student rating gaps of need-supportive practices. Also, hierarchical linear modeling was employed to test the hypothesized models. Student sex and their beginning-of-year achievement were controlled for throughout the analyses.</p><p> The results showed that absolute rating gap for structure was significantly smaller than the absolute rating gaps for both autonomy support and involvement. Also, the relative rating gap for autonomy support was significantly smaller than the relative rating gap for both structure and involvement, but the relative rating gap of involvement was significantly larger than the relative rating gaps for autonomy support and structure. Regarding relations between rating gaps and student outcomes, a smaller teacher-student absolute rating gap for involvement was related to greater student autonomous motivation, and perceived competence and relatedness. Additionally, students with overestimating teachers tended to report lower student autonomous motivation, and low need satisfaction than students with underestimating teachers. Teacher autonomous motivation and teacher experience functioned as moderators.</p><p> The findings revealed the importance of reducing perception gaps between teachers and students about need-supportive practices. In particular, the findings showed the significance of perception gaps about involvement for student outcomes. In addition, the current study indicates the importance of examining both absolute and relative rating gaps between teachers and students.</p><p></p>

The 21st century is now in the second decade and the need for 21st century skills is discussed at all levels of education as necessary for student success in the future. Federal, state, and districts are addressing this need and have written technology plans to address 21st century skills needed. the purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the knowledge of 21st century educational technology. the data includes seven recorded interviews from two separate research projects covering two models of education as teachers discuss teaching, learning, and technology. the data studied determines how educational technology perceived in the school environments has been integrated into the classrooms. the initial scripting of video interviews from two research projects began the analysis of data. Particular themes emerged in response to questions established by the two separate research projects focused on classroom, school, and district environmental arrangements that examined; teaching responsibilities and practices; student learning opportunities; and how technology is woven throughout instruction. Further exploration of themes stemmed from analysis conducted with the qualitative software program, NVivo 9. the themes discussed in this paper relate to instructor perceptions of teaching, learning, classroom procedures, and the role technology plays in each. Also noted are the factors beyond the teacher’s responsibility and set rules that include the school environment, district expectations, and supported teaching strategies for the schools. the teachers expressed their view that technology is an important support for learning and that they used technology to accomplish many of the tasks related to supporting teaching and learning. As perceived by the teachers, a major component that surfaced as a result of the analysis was children’s technology use was most drastically influenced by the expectations of the instructional leader to develop and the need to foster 21st century learning strategies such as critical thinking skills, self-assessment, and problem solving. Therefore, the school environment and expectations of the administrative level of management in the school systems, made the most impact on the learning opportunities the students were afforded where technology was an appropriate tool for learning.

Reading aloud can be viewed as an effective teaching strategy that allows pupils to improvetheir English language skills while also increasing their enthusiasm for learning and assistingthem in constructing their own reading paths. The purpose of this study is to investigateteachers' perceptions and experiences of reading aloud in English, as well as their opinions onthe effects that reading aloud has on pupils' language development. In this qualitative study,five English teachers who work in grades 1-3 in primary school participated. The interviewedteachers came from three different Swedish schools where the socioeconomic backgroundsvaried. The data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews. This study'sfindings show that teachers had a favorable experience regarding the effects of reading aloudin the communicative classroom and believe it is beneficial to pupils' language development.However, the data revealed that reading aloud is only beneficial to pupils' languagedevelopment if they are given additional opportunities to participate in text-baseddiscussions. Furthermore, our study shows that engaging pupils in text-based discussionsincreased their interest in reading English literature independently. In this way, reading aloudallows pupils to express their thoughts and experiences, resulting in increased commitmentand motivation to learn. Outlining a well-designed plan for reading aloud that includesdiscussions was also shown to be beneficial for pupils' language development.

Technology has only been a mandatory school subject in Sweden since the 1980s, and it has no tradition on its own as to didactics and content. This makes it hard for teachers to practice equivalent teaching in agreement with the curriculum. In 2018, The Swedish National Agency for Education revised the curriculum and allocated specific hours to strengthen the position of the Subject of Technology. Our purpose with this systematic research overview is to see what has been written about the possibilities or challenges for technology teachers to work according to the curriculum. We have searched for peer-reviewed articles in two databases, SwePub and ERIC, to cover both national and international research. This resulted in many articles about the internal factors such as teachers’ perceptions about the subject and its content, but not that many articles about the more practical circumstances surrounding the teaching situation. Our conclusion is that the already engaged teachers with interests and confidence in Technology will focus on the subject in their teaching, and at the same time they can play a big part in helping more insecure colleagues. The external factors such as economy, allocated hours, and the school facilities are still invisible in the research area but would be interesting to look at more thoroughly.