The purpose of this study is to determine if teachers want more control over their work and what they would do with the control if they had it. This research adds to the body of research around the professionalism of the teaching profession. This study surveyed 222 teachers from the Big Blue School District in Johnson County, Kansas. Teachers were…

Teacher professional learning is of increasing interest as education professionals continually seek ways to support 21st-century learners. Continuing education is necessary for teachers to expand their knowledge base and remain current on the latest educational research; therefore, professional development is a staple in the teaching profession.…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study is to explore how assistant principals describe their choices regarding survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun regarding whether to seek promotion to principal in southern Arizona. A principal shortage exists in the United States in part because assistant principals qualified to be…

Teacher autonomy in the classroom can determine the amount of engagement teachers have during literacy instruction. Drawing on previous research, this study investigates the influence of teacher autonomy on teacher engagement in the elementary, literacy classroom. This work is informed by Self-Determination Theory. The Teacher Autonomy Scale (TAS)…

This qualitative descriptive study explored how progressive teachers navigate the tensions between their beliefs and teaching practices while teaching in high-stakes accountability in the U.S. The target population was progressive education teachers currently working in progressive programs in America. The theoretical foundation was Fransson and…

This study examines the complex dynamics of teacher retention within Catholic schools, seeking to understand the motivations, factors and alignment of reasons provided by teachers for their decision to stay or leave their positions. Utilizing Sher's Theoretical Framework (1983) as its guiding principle, the study examines the factors that motivate…

Decision-making within school environments is critical to the continued improvement of services for all populations. Despite this high level of importance, there is limited information related to how systemic decisions are made in charter schools. There is also limited information on how charter school leaders interact with teachers and the impact…

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, teacher retention rates have declined across the country. This alarming trend shines a light on the teaching profession as there are fewer aspiring teachers who are prepared each year. One focal point is how working conditions influence a teachers intent to stay. Collective Efficacy is an extension of teacher…

Histories of the American community college have largely overlooked the humanistic education movement of the mid-20th century. This historiographical gap obscures leaders' ideological commitment to their institution's diverse mission during an era of rapid community college expansion. Advocates and critics of community colleges have consequently…

Scripted/narrowed curricula are tangled in the webs of school reforms and standardization. Teachers are experiencing a monumental challenge: the deprofessionalization of their roles as educators. I sought teachers' understandings of how scripted/narrowed curricula impact their curriculum autonomy, specifically, their professional responsibility…

A growing concern in graduate medical education (GME), research indicates that some graduating residents are unprepared to enter unsupervised practice. The aim of this qualitative phenomenological study is to illuminate the resident experience surrounding the development of autonomy in clinical decision making relative to teaching practices.…

This qualitative case study explores teacher support and persistence in a large virtual charter school in the midwestern part of the United States. Using self-determination theory as a theoretical lens, this study examines how the psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness of teachers in a virtual charter school are supported or…

This study assesses the role a teacher-led social studies group played in the evolution of three teachers' professional biographies over the course of seven years. It uses a conceptual framework based on Priestley, Biesta and Robinson's (2015) theory of teacher agency to explore the ecological relationships between professional biography, the…

The 21st century has been characterized by digital innovation that has reached every sector of functioning society, including education. In many instances this innovation has led to breakthroughs of great scientific discovery, yet on the contrary, this limitless innovation presents evolving aspirations particularly among policy makers and industry…

This qualitative study used Glaser and Strauss' (1967) grounded theory design and explored leader and teacher perspectives of driving and restraining forces when implementing Finnish strategies for joyful leading, teaching, and learning. The study examined teacher perceptions of autonomy as well as differences between Ohio school district…