This retrospective mixed-methods study examined the effect of PLCs, professional learning activities, and principal leadership on teacher and student learning, and it may serve as a model for enhancing PD and fostering a culture of collective efficacy toward continuous professional learning. Thirty-seven teachers and program facilitators from one…

This qualitative historical single-case study examines how a practitioner-directed approach to professional development for teachers resulted in successful technology integration in a newly unified school district in California's Central Valley. The study details the process of creating and implementing a professional development plan for newly…

It is critical to provide inservice elementary teachers the opportunity to advance their science instruction, which in turn can positively impact not only their practice but also their perceptions towards science teaching and learning. Too often, science-specific professional development (PD) programs are scarcely provided as a result of an…

The advent and ubiquity of mobile technologies, the Internet, and broadband have allowed people to access, use, and create a seemingly endless amount of information in unprecedented ways. This has led to an information world that is more connected, more complex, and more overwhelming than ever before. For children, learning how to use these 21st…

While teachers recognize the importance of technology integration into the classroom, they require training, support, and resources to do so effectively. This action research dissertation focuses on the resources necessary to provide teacher technology training at a private elementary school. It reports on the final evaluation stage of the…

Background: Educators are under mounting pressure to address increasing standards for student performance, which includes meeting the needs of an equally increasing diverse student population. Building educators' capacity to respond to these growing demands necessitates a professional development model that will address individual teacher's needs…

This study utilized the Clark and Estes gap analysis to investigate the knowledge, motivation, and organizational barriers that 330 Business and Legal Programs Department instructors face in developing courses that create "excellent" learning experiences at University Extension, a nonprofit, university continuing education institution.…

The focus of this dissertation is on the impact that zero tolerance policies have had on public education, and the need for an alternative approach to addressing student discipline. This research study introduces restorative practices as an alternative approach that has shown to be successful in changing school culture, by building positive…

The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of distributed leadership at the University of ABC's SCPS, as the School worked to transform itself through reorganization. The study examined the perceptions of key leaders and members of the implementation team as they sought to understand the implementation of a more participative approach to…

In January of 2002, President George Bush implemented the No Child left behind act that required all students to be proficient on state standards by the year 2014. One way a school district in Oklahoma met these new requirements was through the implementation of the principles of a Professional Learning Community. This case study was designed…