This study focused on teacher professionalization as it relates to the recruitment of teachers. Five aspects of professionalization were selected from the literature that might influence a prospective teacher to consider a career in education: compensation, credentialing, collaboration, professional development, and autonomy. The broad emphasis of this research was to create awareness among educators of their roles in promoting the profession of teaching. By collecting and analyzing the perceptions of some of the most recognized teachers, regional and state Teachers of the Year, issues that had not previously been studied were confronted and analyzed. Major research findings for the study indicated: ?? Teachers perceive that increased financial benefits, improved public perception of teachers, and positive school culture encourage prospective teachers to consider careers in teaching. ?? A majority of the teachers surveyed reported that they frequently participate in recruitment activities by sharing information on the intrinsic rewards of their careers, by identifying qualities in another person that might lead to the choice of a teaching career, and by telling that person that they would be a good teacher. Based on the findings of the study, researcher recommendations include: ?? Salary schedules should be addressed to include opportunities for teachers to be promoted, yet remain in the classroom. ?? Teachers should inspire secondary students to consider careers in education by participating in career day initiatives. ?? Teachers should invite the media into their classrooms and speak to community groups to promote the profession. ?? Teachers should write op-ed pieces for the newspapers about their profession. ?? Those teachers who have left the profession for family obligations may be lured back into teaching by expanded job-sharing opportunities, part-time positions, and district-managed day care. ?? An intense initiative should be inaugurated to encourage teachers to eliminate negative discussions about the profession. ?? Initiatives that demonstrate public appreciation and acknowledgment of the value of the profession should be implemented.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 158-162).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-162). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: C.T. Patrick Diamond.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Georgia Southern University, 2008. / "A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education." Under the direction of Abebayehu Tekleselassie. ETD. Electronic version approved: May 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 180-199) and appendices.

There is a national call for teacher leadership, which has occurred after many education reforms have struggled due to a perceived lack of teacher involvement. The purpose of this study was to examine whether teachers felt that their involvement in education policy had impact and whether there is ample teacher expertise in education policy. The overarching research question was to appraise educator perceptions of teacher impact on state education policy. The study revealed a perceived lack of teacher impact and education expertise. The conceptual framework was based on theories of adult learning and the development of expertise and supported the necessity of teacher expertise in policy discussions' because teachers are the ones who have developed classroom expertise and the potential impact of policy on classrooms. A case study methodology was applied with 5 state teachers of the year participants. The participants were from 4 states, recognized from 2012-2015, and had local, state, and national policy experience. Interviews were conducted to collect data, with direct interpretation and categorical aggregation through coding applied to analyze data during collection. After identifying a perceived lack of teacher impact, themes were identified that could create more effective impact. Themes were grouped into skills, knowledge, and dispositions that could be taught in a series of learning experiences, serving as curriculum for teachers to build expertise in policy. This project has the potential to assist educators in developing the skills, knowledge, and dispositions needed to become more effectively involved in policy. It also has the potential to create social change in the United States by assisting teachers in getting meaningfully involved in policy, thereby positively impacting public education for their students in their classrooms, schools, districts, and beyond.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Curriculum & Instruction. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Some school districts are exploring mentorship to help teachers enact more effective classroom practices that lead to higher student outcomes. The Good to Great study, by the National Network of State Teachers of the Year outlined the professional growth opportunities that state teachers of the year (STOYs) perceived as contributing to their success in the classroom. Although the STOYs noted that mentorship was a key factor, the original study did not examine how different generations of educators may respond differently to mentorship based on their generational cohort identity. The purpose of this nonexperimental, causal-comparative study using Good to Great data was to examine how STOY Baby Boomers and Gen Xers perceived specific attributes of official and unofficial mentorship. Strauss and Howe's generational cohort theory and Zachary's mentoring theory provided the theoretical foundation. The research questions examined whether there was a significant difference between STOY Baby Boomers' and STOY Generation Xers' perceptions of (a) official mentors' and unofficial mentors' levels of empathy, (b) the alignment of personality to the mentee, and (c) their ability to offer support. In a secondary analysis of the existing data, Hotelling's T2 tests indicated that Baby Boomers and Gen Xers did not show a significant difference in their overall perceptions of official nor unofficial mentoring factors. However, a post hoc analysis indicated that Baby Boomers had a significantly higher (p = .01) perception of official mentors' personality alignment to the mentee. The positive social change implication of this study is the potential to increase student learning by designing more effective mentorship programs to meet the needs of different generations of teachers.

What qualities, skills, and knowledge produce quality teachers? Many stake-holders in education argue that teacher quality should be measured by student achievement. This qualitative study shows that good teachers are multi-dimensional; their effectiveness cannot be represented by students’ test scores alone. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a deeper understanding of quality in teaching by examining the lived experiences of 10 winners or finalists of the Teacher of the Year (ToY) Award. Phenomenology describes individuals’ daily experiences of phenomena, examines how these experiences are structured, and focuses analysis on the perspectives of the persons having the experience (Moustakas, 1994). This inquiry asked two questions: (a) How is teaching experienced by recognized as outstanding Teachers of the Year? and (b) How do ToYs feelings and perceptions about being good teachers provide insight, if any, about concepts such as pedagogical tact, teacher selfhood, and professional dispositions? Ten participants formed the purposive sample; the major data collection tool was semi-structured interviews (Patton, 1990; Seidman, 2006). Sixty to 90-minute interviews were conducted with each participant. Data also included the participants’ ToY application essays. Data analysis included a three-phase process: description, reduction, interpretation. Findings revealed that the ToYs are dedicated, hard-working individuals. They exhibit behaviors, such as working beyond the school day, engaging in lifelong learning, and assisting colleagues to improve their practice. Working as teachers is their life’s compass, guiding and wrapping them into meaningful and purposeful lives. Pedagogical tact, teacher selfhood, and professional dispositions were shown to be relevant, offering important insights into good teaching. Results indicate that for these ToYs, good teaching is experienced by getting through to students using effective and moral means; they are emotionally open, have a sense of the sacred, and they operate from a sense of intentionality. The essence of the ToYs teaching experience was their being properly engaged in their craft, embodying logical, psychological, and moral realms. Findings challenge current teacher effectiveness process-product orthodoxy which makes a causal connection between effective teaching and student test scores, and which assumes that effective teaching arises solely from and because of the actions of the teacher.