The current study, a mixed-method study, examined workplace spirituality, teacher efficacy, and job placement as predictors of grit in 95 Christian teachers. The current study found significant correlations between grit and spirituality, grit and efficacy, and between efficacy and spirituality, with workplace spirituality being a strong predictor…

Teachers, as the primary human capital resource within a school, are the most significant lever in the educational success of students. High-quality teachers are necessary for the academic growth and development of all students at each level of rigor. At the high school level, courses are designated in two primary categories determined by the…

The purpose of this dissertation in practice (DiP) is to explore the relationship, if any, between the Mississippi Teacher Corps Graduate School experience and the expressed reasons of some of its teachers to either leave their placement school; teach in another critical-needs school in Mississippi, but not remain long-term; teach in another…

Field experiences during teacher preparation are fundamental to helping teacher candidates understand their future roles and responsibilities and can effectively prepare them to meet diverse student needs across a variety of contexts. This multiple case study examined the perspectives of three special education dual certification teacher…

The purpose of this research was to identify perceived characteristics of effective cooperating teachers in music education. The study's objectives were to identify the characteristics that define an effective cooperating teacher from three perspectives. Those perspectives were current or recently past cooperating teachers in music, current or…

It is well documented that excellent teachers are not equitably distributed among students in traditional public high schools. Research shows teacher labor market economics and the micropolitics of schooling significantly facilitate the migration of excellent teachers between districts and schools and within schools so the teachers may secure…

Schools can be hard-to-staff for a variety of different reasons. For example, researchers have documented the challenge urban and rural schools face because of their geographical locations (Berry, 2004). Others have noted the demanding nature of working with students who have significant academic, social, and emotional needs (Bullock, 2006).…

Despite field experiences being especially valuable for physical education teacher education programs, the concerns and issues that are often faced by teacher candidates can make for less-than-ideal experiences. Variability in the quality and satisfaction of field placements have led programs to seek ways to maximize their quality mentors while…

Curriculum, and the teaching and learning that stem from it, is at the heart of each higher education institution. Faculty have the responsibility for developing curriculum in higher education contexts, yet little is known about the beliefs faculty hold of curriculum that underpin how they engage in the curriculum development process. Using…

The purpose of this study was to determine how placement, professional development, and the years of experience of special education teachers impacted the standardized test scores of special education students. This was done by comparing the type of placement of students, mainstream (80+% of the day), co-teaching, separate classroom (100%) and…

African American teachers are slowly leaving the classroom, causing an imbalance in the student/teacher ratio (NCES, 2019). According to the National Center for Education Statistics, African American teachers make up 3% in California and 7% nationally. This study sought to understand the reasons for the decline in the number of African American…

Decades of research emphasizes the importance of staffing schools with quality teachers, as this will have the largest impact on student achievement (Mason, Schroeder, 2010). With high teacher turnover rates in addition to shrinking qualified candidate pools, the hiring process holds great significance (Tooms, 2004). This case study explored how…

The purpose of this qualitative, longitudinal, holistic case study was to explore one secondary preservice science teacher's (Elise) identity content and structure as she participated in a year-long clinical placement and to gain an understanding of how the context of her clinical placement triggered science teacher identity changes or…

The first five years of teaching are believed to be crucial in a school district's teacher retention efforts. The challenge novice teachers face to meet learners' academic, social, and emotional needs within a school community can prove to be especially daunting. Additionally, the context in which teachers learn to teach such as easier-to-staff…

The Saudi Ministry of Education and Saudi universities have taken significant steps toward meeting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by reviewing the performance of teacher preparation programs in Saudi universities to improve the quality of teacher preparation, including for those who teach students with intellectual disability (ID). Therefore, the…