Use of peer models during classroom demonstrations can be an effective teaching practice to support student learning and self-efficacy. According to social cognitive theory, modeling is a form of vicarious experience: those experiences through which students are able to learn and acquire knowledge through observation. As a critical source of…

Limited research exists on the factors that contribute to community college students' development of self-efficacy (SE) while serving as preservice teachers (PSTs) during their early childhood education (ECE) practicum. This lack of research is concerning because educators who have high SE enhance the educational well-being of all children. The…

In this paper we present preliminary results on a study on the effect of instructional method (observational learning and learning by doing) and reflection (yes or no) on academic text quality and self-efficacy beliefs. 56 undergraduate students were assigned to either an observational learning or learning-by-doing condition, with or without…

Teachers of English language learners (ELLs), expected to address grade-level standards and prepare ELLs for standardized assessments, have the difficult task of designing instruction that meets the range of needs in their classrooms. When these learners have experienced limited or interrupted education, the challenges intensify. Whereas…

This dissertation investigates the use of observational learning enhanced health instruction to mitigate problems of low language competency among learners. Low language competency can cause improper comprehension of medical instruction and health education, resulting in misdiagnosis, reduced recall, under reporting of medical conditions and…

The purposes of this study were (1) to develop a teacher training program that integrates knowledge management (KM) and blended learning and examine its effects on pre-service teachers' professional development in creativity instruction; and (2) to explore the mechanisms underlying the success of such KM-based training. The employed KM model was…

This paper addresses optimal strategies in teaching essential life and communication skills to children with Down syndrome, autism and other developmental delays. Evidence from the literature concerning the relative efficacy of hand-over-hand (self-modeling) in contrast to passive observational teaching techniques (e.g., video modeling) shows the…

Early field experiences for preservice teachers can serve as a catalyst for the development of new insights and instructional techniques, particularly if they are in diverse settings. This study provided one preservice teacher with two 30-hour field experience components at two diverse sites. The project involved a comparative analysis of two…