This paper reviews some of the approaches to defining and assessing dispositions in preservice teachers. A review of the literature is presented, followed by a discussion of issues relating to defining dispositions, and the importance of assessing dispositions in teacher candidates. Finally, the results of a study that included a sample of 15…

This dissertation examines the role of reflective practice in the development of teacher candidates during their final internship in a teacher preparation program at a state college in Southwest Florida. Grounded in Dewey's and Schon's theories on reflective practice as well as Vygotsky's social learning theories, this mixed methods explanatory…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences that contributed to the development of a systems thinking paradigm in instructors in a college of agriculture. Design/Methodology/Approach: A phenomenology design was used to understand the lived experiences of eleven instructors. Findings: Three themes emerged regarding how they…

The issue of school safety has been interrogated as school shootings have occurred multiple times each year in the United States. This devastating reality has captured the attention of many throughout the United States. School leaders have implemented strategies to increase school safety, including the creation of practices to deter shooting…

Teachers' professional identities are the foundation of their practice. Previous scholarship has largely overlooked the extent to which the broader reform culture shapes teachers' professional identities. In this study, I draw on survey data from 950 teachers across four US states (California, New York, Florida, and Texas) to examine the extent to…

Professional development is used in education to assist teachers with strategies and concepts to be used in the classroom. The problem is that the experiences of veteran teachers in professional development to integrate technology into the classrooms is something that is not entirely known or understood. A gap in the literature was identified in…

Educators, including teachers and administrators, have a responsibility to increase knowledge and achievement for all students. Gifted students who demonstrate increased abilities and proficiencies are often given less attention as schools continue to increase their focus on the lower quartile of students. To address this need, gifted programs are…

This phenomenological qualitative study explores how public school pre-kindergarten teachers in Florida perceive their principals' understanding of early learning standards and developmentally appropriate practices. The problem addressed is that prekindergarten teachers are evaluated by their principals using state-approved evaluation rubrics…

This study explored Extension nutrition educators' (NEs) perceptions of community members' challenges and opportunities for achieving a healthy lifestyle. NEs represented various communities with low income across nine states. NEs across locations identified similar barriers (i.e., lack of access and availability of healthy and affordable foods;…

Educators across the U.S. participate in professional development (PD) to improve their teaching competencies. Numerous legislatures have mandated PD to develop highly qualified teachers; however, literature on PD has shown that teachers feel PD does not meet their needs. With consideration for the diverse needs of teachers, in this study I sought…

The problem addressed by this study was the academic achievement gap of low-income students. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of educators of low-income students participating in the Florida School Choice program and the perceived challenges they face in bridging the academic achievement…

Educational institutions have experienced growing pressures on retaining high-quality staff. The problem was resistance to learning new technology and low K-12 veteran teacher technology self-efficacy (Francom, 2020; Sabic et al., 2022), and the implications for changes in professional development leadership. The purpose of this qualitative case…

Educational technology assists students and teachers, but little information is available for high school education. The problem this study explored was whether there were inconsistencies in the use of educational technology in high school classrooms between public and private institutions, what factors may be influencing any discrepancies, and if…

This study examined the perceived preparedness of educators working in Title 1 schools to address the mental health needs of students. Data were gathered from educators (defined as teachers and other school personnel; N = 299) employed by eight Title 1 public schools within one district in Florida, most of whom were K-5 teachers (n = 199).…

Although School based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers have a variety of responsibilities within a comprehensive program, supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs are considered an intracurricular component. Unfortunately, the ability for teachers to plan for and facilitate SAEs has been reported as lacking. The purpose of this…