This study aimed to measure teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Teacher self-efficacy refers to the belief teachers hold about their ability to affect student learning and has been shown to change teachers’ motivation, stress levels, and amount of given effort (Klassen, Tze, Betts, & Gordon, 2011). Numerous studies have dealt with the measurement of this construct and developed measures that assess teachers in different domains and populations; however, only one study (Ruble, Toland, Birdwhistell, McGrew, & Usher, 2013) has attempted to measure within the population of students with ASD. The purpose of the current study was to develop and pilot a new measure, the Teacher Self-Efficacy for Autism Scale (TSEAS), expand the construct to the target population, and provide sources of validity evidence. Results indicated that the TSEAS represented a unidimensional scale and latent correlation analyses suggested that the TSEAS has a positive correlation with a well-known teacher self-efficacy measure and has a low, positive correlation with a job satisfaction instrument. With continued refinement, the TSEAS can support others who wish to measure this construct and future application of the methods employed in building this scale can be applied to other scales with minor revisions.

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the professional preparation of students in online classes at a Christian theological seminary. Concerns of theological education involve the capacity or incapacity of community development and somatic or embodied learning in online education. Using a theoretical framework drawn from communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), professional clergical preparation (Foster, Dahill, Golemon, & Tolentino, 2005), and Gee’s (2000-2001) dimensions of identity development, the researcher focused the analyses on students’ written texts located in the discussion board fora of the online courses. These records were examined for indications of formation of the professional identity of the developing clergy, interpretation skills necessary for the clergy, performance development for activities entailed in the profession, and contextualization proficiencies for the situated enactment of the local church ministry essential in the practice of the professional clergy. The study concludes that students’ discussions evince dimensions of the development of professional identity and pastoral imagination as described in Foster, Dahill, Golemon, & Tolentino (2005). In addition, stories shared on the discussion fora, told both by the instructors and the classmates who had a range of experience in first careers or in pastoral ministry, built a shared repertoire of professional practice as inherent in a Community of Practice (Wenger,1998). The dissertation study confirms if and then identifies how graduate students in online ministerial preparation use discursive and interactive participation to identify with the professional Community of Practice of the clergy The structures of the discussion board fora, the roles of the instructor, and implications for instructional designs that may support the development of pastoral professional identity are also included. Findings demonstrated that less structured discussion prompts as well as more frequent postings stimulated more student-student interaction that built relationships. Courses that focused more on student-content interactions had less relationship building. A non-evaluative facilitation tone of the discussion fora generated a more collaborative environment. In classes that utilized a learn-by-doing approach, collaborative student discursive activity in the discussion fora supported and enhanced learning. Creative discursive activities such as case studies and role plays provided simulated experiences and spurred narrative development of shared repertoire.

The US Department of Education projects that by the year 2030 the total English Learner (EL) population in US schools will exceed 40 percent. Currently, by the time ELs make it to high school, after 6 or more years in English Language Development (ELD) programs, the majority (59 percent), are Long Term English Learners (LTEL). LTEL students represent a variety of ethnicities and language groups, but the focus of this qualitative study is LTEL students who identify as Latino LTEL. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and explain recently graduated Latino LTEL's perceptions of the impact of their school's culture on their academic and affective acculturation. As schools look to improve the educational outcome of Latino EL, listening to voices of former LTEL as they share their high school experiences can provide insights into ways to support the affective learning needs, academic success, and acculturation of Latino EL. Through 10 in-depth interviews with former Latino LTEL and employing qualitative coding analysis, this research explored and analyzed recently graduated Latino EL's perceptions of the impact of school culture on their academic acculturation. Even though schools have for many years attempted to address the needs of their linguistically diverse students, the results of this study indicate that the participants' high schools did not do enough to support their academic and affective learning needs. This lack of support impacted participants' self-perceptions of themselves as learners. To bridge Latino LTEL acculturative gaps, the findings support the need for school cultures to address the affective learning needs of their bi-cultural and Latino EL.

Over the past decade, engaging student voice has emerged as an approach to increasing meaningful student involvement in schools towards meeting adolescents' developmental needs for agency, efficacy, and sense of belonging. Central to student voice work is the re-creation of student-teacher and student-organization relationships, generating student identity roles that are fundamentally different from the roles traditionally allocated to students. Conventional concepts of student roles by both adults and youth can act as barriers to increasing student voice. The goal of this study was to develop a better understanding of student role identity. Applying a critical ethnography approach in the context of participatory action research, a situated description of the student role within the organizational context of a rural high school was developed from the perspectives of students and teachers through the use of an online software platform. Keeping with student voice values and participatory action research protocols, students took a central role in developing and piloting survey questions, interpreting and organizing responses, reviewing the results, and presenting them to the school community. The data revealed both the aspirations and limitations of the student and teacher conceptions of the student role. Conventional notions of student identity dominated the role descriptions, and were generally consistent across student and teacher responses. Significant areas of divergence between student and teacher constructs included the explicit temporal orientation toward the future exclusive to the student responses, the engagement in academics that dominated the teacher submissions and rankings, and the conception of the student as a citizen/community member that was found only in the teacher responses. The results suggested an inclination on the part of both students and teachers to increase opportunities for students to inform and influence policies and practices at all levels of the school organization. Presentations of the study results to the school community by the student researchers have induced some systemic reform toward promoting student voice.

School gardens can have a profound, positive influence on a student's academic achievement, social skills, and attitudinal orientation. Despite these clear benefits, the use of school gardens as an instructional medium is not as prevalent as would be expected. There are several types of obstacles that can prevent teachers from using school gardens, including facets of time, support, and knowledge-based challenges. This multiple case study employs a mixed methods design to uncover factors that influence primary school teachers' decisions to utilize a school garden in their STEM curriculum. The goals of this study were to determine the types of benefits and barriers primary school teachers encountered in the study school district. All of the teacher participants worked within the same school district, had access to established school gardens on their campus, and were supported in their instruction and use of materials by the district's Science and Technology Center (STC). Quantitative data was collected from garden resource and teacher self-efficacy surveys; qualitative data about teacher rationales was extracted from in-depth teacher interviews. Overall analyses determined that aspects of instruction and logistics were the most important factors for a teacher to have in her decision to utilize her school garden. These data are presented and discussed in the context of identifying trends in teachers' use of school gardens as instructional tools so that actions might be taken to remove barriers and increase curriculum opportunities.

Readiness programs are often taken straight from a readiness workbook. Many children are not able to function in these workbooks, because they do not have the skills. The purpose of this project was to develop a readiness program of teacher directed activities to supplement the first grade readiness workbook. Chiefly, for those children that are having or have had difficulty in learning, and need more individual and specific instruction. This was done by providing a list by area, of sequenced skills and appropriate activities that involve little preparation time. This will provide the teacher with a usable handbook of ideas that can be taught at a specific time. There were easy to find specific skills and activities that a child needs, and then able to incorporate those activities into the lessons for the day. This project saved a lot of wasted time and unnecessary repetition, by their availability of activities. The list of skills made it easier for the teacher to identify the problem, find the correct skill needed and, then an activity to teach, reinforce or strengthen that skill. The authors conclusion is that it is a worthwhile advantage to any first grade or readiness program.

As societies embrace notions of sustainability, there is an increasing interest in how to best educate students about these concepts. The field of sustainability education (SE) is an approach that has been developed to address this concern. SE frameworks seek to integrate into curricular contents and formats within campus learning environments, in order to systematically improve upon approaches and services developed to support student learning and development. My research offers insight into the relationships between the philosophical principles and praxes of sustainability education, with the aim to inform educators on how best to prepare students to address complex sustainability issues. I used three cases of University of Vermont courses and programs to explore theoretical and practical factors related to sustainability education and food systems, as follows: 1) a comparative analysis of Education for Sustainability (EfS) together with Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Education, 2) an integration of High Impact Educational Practices (HIEP) with the field of agroecology education, and 3) an in-depth program analysis that examined the role of HIEP in engaged learning alongside the EfS framework. I drew from two action research (AR) traditions that determine particular research methodologies for applied social research settings. The first is a systems approach to organizational learning, and the second is teacher research for curricular and program development. I also engaged in utilization-focused evaluation (UFE) with program stakeholders. Research methods included applied social and mixed methods associated with program evaluation. Three main research implications include: a) Agroecology education in experiential, immersion environments can serve as a primary vehicle for sustainability education; b) sequencing of food systems and sustainability curricula can lead to transformative learning; and c) AR and UFE can serve as tools for program development alongside sustainability education frameworks.

This thesis examines how different types of connection – intimacy, community, and compassion – can positively impact the cultivation of well-being and ways of knowing. Using Scholarly Personal Narrative methodology (narrative storytelling supported by scholarship) I describe my journey from the 15-years I lived as a monastic yogic nun, followed by a period of heartbreak, to my recent experience as a tip-toeing Buddhist and mid-life graduate student who yearned for community, a place to belong, and an opportunity to be heard, seen and valued. I explore how the pain and suffering of loneliness, grief, loss, and change, when met by presence, patience, awareness, care and flexibility, can help to strengthen one's relationships with the self, others and surrounding environment. I close by outlining how contemplative pedagogy (learner-oriented, introspective and experiential learning) can help to create new ways of knowing, improve cognitive functioning and well-being, and cultivate compassion. I demonstrate how these three connections can transform the higher education learning experience from an abstract, impersonal view of reality to an authentic, interconnected, and intimate one that help students develop long-lasting and meaningful relationships well beyond the classroom walls.

Title: Comparison between educational methods and organizational teaching styles of a second language within the scope of the compulsory education and the education in a leisure time Abstract: This diploma thesis deals with the topic of educational methods and organizational teaching styles and their contribution to the effectiveness of second language teaching and learning. It also concerns with other circumstances that influence students in their learning. The theoretical basis for this purpose is provided by the theoretical part that introduces theoretical views on student's motivation, the role represented by teaching organization, applied methods, assessment of students and the personality of a teacher as described in professional literature. The practical part presents conclusions that were reached by questionnaires, discussions and interviews realized with students and teachers. It offers their opinions of factors influencing the effectiveness of teaching that they compared within the scope of the high school education and the education realized by language schools in the form of post- graduate classes. Teaching quality, respect for students and their educational needs and the emphasis on connection of teaching and practice proved crucial. Key terms: educational methods, organizational teaching...

The thesis focuses on using the activating function of a didactic game as a method in the English lessons at primary school. It looks for the arguments supporting using the game at school, the obstacles causing problems using it and suggests possible solutions. The research part seeks different usage of didactic games in real environment, different favour of particular types of games and their relationship to the educational aim. There are found connections between children's age and their positive feelings towards different kinds of games and their ability to reach the educational aim.