Thesis (Ed. D.)--Duquesne University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-98) and abstract.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2007. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Sept. 19, 2008). Thesis advisor: Schuyler Huck. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Periodic fluctuations in women's emotions during the menstrual cycle have been a continuing topic of research and discussion. The current study was designed to determine if premenstrual syndrome conditions in female teachers have any effect on reported classroom misbehavior and infractions. Subjects were twenty-one faculty members presently employed in the capacity of teachers in a public middle school. By utilizing a teacher's daily behavioral checklist, along with student misconduct reports, the changes in teachers' moods and behavioral symptoms over the menstrual cycle were studied in relation to reported student infractions. Based on the results of this study, it appears that menstrual cycle fluctuations have no recognizable impact upon a female's classroom demeanor and her ability to discipline in a professional manner.

This qualitative study examines middle school teachers and their thoughts and attitudes when working with gender roles and equality – both in social studies, but also as a part of schools´ core values.    The purpose of the study is to show how this work is done, both through different examples and also through understanding how these teachers look at their responsibility as teachers regarding gender roles and equality. The empiric material of the study consists of five semi-structured interviews with middle school teachers. The participants of the study had various experiences of working as teachers, which contributed to making the results and analysis interesting since they work in such a similar way with gender equality in their classrooms.    The results show that all the participants work actively with gender roles and equality in different ways. The participants say that they can use current events and ongoing discussions in society as a foundation for this work. They all see the connection between the core content in the social studies syllabus and the school’s basic values.    However, the participants have different views on their responsibilities as social studies’ teachers in relation to other teachers. On one hand, three of the participants claim that their responsibility is bigger as they are meant to teach the conceptions and their meaning within their subject. On the other hand, two of the participants say that the most important part of working with equality and gender roles lies within the school’s basic principles, and that it is the responsibility of everyone working in school to follow them.                           Keywords: gender rules, gender equality, middle school teachers and science teachers / Den här kvalitativa studien undersöker mellanstadielärares syn på och tankar kring arbetet med könsroller och jämställhet i både samhällskunskap och skolans värdegrundsuppdrag. Syftet med studien är dels att belysa hur arbetet går till genom olika exempel och dels genom att förstå hur samhällskunskapslärare ser på sitt uppdrag. Fem semistrukturerade intervjuer med behöriga mellanstadielärare har gjort den här studien möjlig. Lärarna har olika antal verksamma år, vilket har gjort resultatet och analysen intressant då de arbetar på så pass liknade sätt med könsroller och jämställdhet i sina klassrum.    I resultatet framkommer att alla lärarna jobbar mycket med könsroller och jämställdhet, på olika sätt. De menar att de allmänna diskussionerna och aktuella händelserna är bra som underlag. Alla ser kopplingen mellan det centrala innehållet i samhällskunskap och skolans allmänna värdegrundsuppdrag. Lärarna ser något olika på sitt uppdrags omfattning i förhållande till alla som arbetar i skolan. Tre av respondenterna menar att deras uppdrag som samhällskunskapslärare är något större då de i sitt arbete även ska undervisa om begreppen könsroller och jämställdhet och dess innebörd. Två av respondenterna menar att det är de som lärare som visar eleverna hur vi är mot varandra som är det viktigaste, alltså det uppdraget som finns i värdegrundsuppdraget som alla som arbetar i skolan har.                                   Nyckelord: könsroller, genus, jämställdhet, mellanstadielärare och samhällskunskapslärare

It has been common for elementary teachers to read aloud to their students; however, it has not been so common in the middle school. The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to examine how middle school teachers and their students describe the use of read-alouds, including the teachers’ reasons for conducting read-alouds and the students’ descriptions of their experiences with them. Individual interviews and observations were conducted with two teachers and six students to gain the essence of their experiences with read-alouds. Results from this study indicated that what students gained from read-alouds matched the reasons their teachers utilized them. The students described their experiences as enjoyable, helpful to independent reading, motivating, engaging, and a learning opportunity which were all reasons their teachers stated for reading aloud. Findings in this study also indicated the fidelity with which read-alouds were implemented by teachers was impacted by district mandates and the pressure of preparing students for state tests. Results indicated students prospered both cognitively and affectively from listening to teachers read aloud. This study can be used to inform middle school teachers and administrators of the value of using read-alouds. Keywords: Read-Alouds, Middle School Teachers, Middle School Students, Middle School Reading

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2009. / Principal faculty advisor: Sharon Walpole, School of Education. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-142). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-142). Also available on the Internet.

Lesson study has been introduced in the United States as a collaborative professional development process focusing on improving teachers’ content knowledge and instructional skills as teachers plan a research lesson, teach and observe students’ thinking and learning behaviors and then revise and re-teach the lesson. The origin of lesson study in the United States began shortly after, The Teaching Gap by James Stigler and James Hiebert was published in 1999. The researchers attributed Japanese students’ high achievement scores in mathematics and science to their teachers’ participation in the lessons study process. Lesson study professional development formally began with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 1999; however, research on effective professional development programs and practices have been studied and reported for decades. Results from these studies and findings on teacher and adult learning were examined and reported in this study. This case study examined the learning experiences of six elementary and middle school teachers as they participated in the lesson study process. The teachers first began with sessions on discussing lesson study research, the lesson study process and viewing other teachers participating in lesson study. The teachers later collaborated to create, teach, observe, revise and re-teach a 5th grade mathematics research lesson on elapsed time during summer school. The qualitative research incorporated teacher interviews, observations, written reflections and artifacts such as agendas, planning documents and lesson plans. The data collected helped provide insight in examining the three research questions: a) How do teachers understand lesson study as a professional development process?; b) How will engaging in the lesson study affect the teachers’ planning and practices?; and c) What are some challenges in learning and applying key lesson study concepts? The case study data affirmed existing research on quality professional development, effective teacher/adult learning and accurate lesson study practices and supported the emerging themes of the teachers’ valuing collaboration, teachers’ valuing the deepening of their mathematics understanding and enhancing of their instructional practices, and finally, the teachers’ valuing the incorporation of student thinking in their planning, teaching and re-teaching experiences. / text

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Leadership