In response to existing anecdotal evidence on faculty development in first-year experience program, this paper provides both a model and an adaptable heuristic for using assessment data to shape faculty development. The author argues that using a mixed method methods approach to assess FYE students' critical thinking provided unique data on…

This study explored how participating in a faculty development course based on improvisational theatre affects college instructors' ability to increase student engagement and learning. Theoretical foundations included engagement, active learning, collaboration and social interaction, the art of improvisational theater, and the practice of applied…

Few instructors in higher education have completed a formal teaching program and, therefore, rely on informal professional development opportunities to enhance their teaching practice. Micro-credentialing in the form of digital badges is one way in which instructors can document their non-credit learning and accomplishments. This mixed methods…

This mixed-method case study followed K-5 elementary teachers through their first year of 1:1 iPad adoption in one elementary school. All teachers in the school were surveyed in September and December 2015 and May 2016. Focus groups consisting of two teachers from each grade level were held during these same months. Teacher perceptions were…

Many educational technology proponents support the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model as a way to conceptualize teaching with technology, but recent TPACK research shows a need for empirical studies regarding the development of this knowledge. This proof-of-concept study applies mixed-methods to investigate the…

Researchers around the world are interested in knowing how to support teachers in developing both their technology skills and their understanding of how educational technologies can provide opportunity to engage all learners at their skill and interest level in learning activities that were not possible without technology. The solution involves…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the school-based contextual constraints perceived by beginning elementary teachers as they attempted to enact their visions of effective mathematics teaching and the components of a mathematics-specific, university-based induction program designed to support elementary teachers in their teaching of…

This study investigates the development of Topic-Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TSPCK) of 14 novice uncertified graduate science teachers during a Professional Development Intervention (PDI) on teaching particulate nature of matter. TSPCK was defined in terms of five knowledge components: learner prior knowledge, curricular saliency,…

The first year of teaching poses massive challenges that lead to attrition among novice teachers. School communities often fail to provide adequate support to novice teachers to help them adapt to their new professional environments. In Saudi Arabia, attrition among novice teachers is a significant problem that hinders the development of the…

Purpose: Faculty vitality is integral to the advancement of higher education. Strengthening vitality is particularly important for midcareer faculty, who represent the largest and most dissatisfied segment. The demands of academic medicine appear to be another factor that may put faculty at risk of attrition. To address these issues, we initiated…

The inclusion of engineering practices poses a challenge for many science teachers trying to meet the expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards because they lack formal training in engineering. This, however, may provide an opportunity for science teacher educators striving to improve the use of learner-centered teaching practices by…

This study examined 342 teachers' views of professional development (PD) provided by a large school district to support its iPad initiative. We were interested in investigating teachers' perceptions of this district-provided PD, any change in teachers' views, and how they used iPads in their instruction while/after receiving PD. The findings,…

Faculty members in a College of Education responded to a mixed methods questionnaire regarding their attitudes toward the use of humor as a pedagogical tool. Quantitative data and coding of open response questions revealed that instructors overall considered humor to be an integral part of their teaching plan and that humor relaxes students,…

The aim of this study was to identify hospital teachers' professional learning needs to enable effective use of mobile technology in hospital schools. Hospitalized students cannot attend their regular schools and as a result their educational progress and development can suffer. In an attempt to address this, hospital schools provide learning…

In this study, U.S. middle school teachers' perceptions of Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), CCSSM-related assessments, teacher evaluation processes, and resources for implementing CCSSM were investigated. Using a mixed methods design, a national sample of 366 teachers was surveyed, and 24 teachers were interviewed. Findings…