The purpose of this study was to explore what role collaborative professional learning may have on teachers' collective efficacy when confronted with pedagogical change. Academic standards introduced between 2010 and 2014 included new content-specific communicative practices including discipline-specific language, discursive methods, and ways of…

Educational organizations worldwide face challenges in selecting professional development models that meet the diverse and evolving needs of educators and students. Professional Learning Communities offer a means by which to address these needs. The problem addressed by this qualitative case study was the lack of a successful framework…

The pressure to improve instruction and teacher effectiveness continues to grow in our nation's public elementary schools. As a means to achieve instructional improvements, school districts are increasingly adopting instructional coaching initiatives. This study explored instructional coaches' perspectives on their preparation for the role of…

Growing concerns of diminishing teacher satisfaction in the workplace and a lack of support in their craft should be a topic of discussion for all school leaders. How do leaders help teachers grow and develop while also maintaining a strong level of support? This research study addresses this question through the process of classroom walkthroughs…

Most students with disabilities in public schools are served in inclusive environments by teams of special and general education teachers working together to support their access to the curriculum and their disability related needs. This program evaluation sought to understand the knowledge, skills, and efficacy of a group of co-teachers following…

Schools have undergone a multitude of reform in recent decades, most based on American educational accountability structures and policies. School improvement efforts have taken on a variety of forms. Despite the intensified pressure for improvement, there has not been an increase in our nation's student achievement. In fact, racial inequities in…

Over recent decades, a challenge faced in public schools in the United States is the appropriate education of students with disabilities (SWDs) in inclusive classrooms. The problem this study addressed is that, despite the implementation of inclusive practices, SWDs in a small rural school district in Virginia have low achievement rates. The…

Teacher's noticing of students' mathematical thinking has been an important focus of research in the past two decades (e.g., Jacobs et al., 2010; Sherin et al., 2011). Noticing matters, but it is not an end in itself (Schoenfeld, 2011). It is operationalized within the context of teachers' dispositions and knowledge which shape decisions teachers…

Colleges and Universities across the country closed campuses in March 2020 as the coronavirus spread worldwide and transformed into a pandemic. It became evident when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made recommendations for social distancing that would not allow the return of normalcy on campus for the rest of the semester.…

Improving STEM education is pivotal to our country's economic future and security. Unfortunately, most young students have limited access to standards-based science education. Science instruction is notoriously difficult to implement in the early grades. This dissertation explored the root causes for the lack of effective science instruction in…

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tiered model that allows for intervention for students with learning disabilities and behavioral needs. Some studies suggest that implementing RTI can improve educational outcomes for all students including English Language Learning (ELL) students. After the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with…

Reading proficiency is a vital skill that holds implications for future student success. Teachers hold the key for opening the door to this reading success. However, changing teacher instructional behavior can prove challenging. Thankfully, the professional development method of microteaching incorporates effective adult learning components by…

Teachers often encounter challenges when integrating technology into a classroom that has a culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student population. These challenges have existed as teachers are not adequately trained to integrate technology when working with culturally and linguistically diverse students. Additionally, challenges arise…

For years, higher education institutions have sparingly utilized the services of contingent instructors. However, a new faculty majority, known as contingent instructors, are now teaching on these campuses. Their employment is contingent upon student enrollment, institutional budgets, and managerial discretion. Some consequences have emerged…

The purpose of this study was to explore the social validity of the STEAM Trunk Math study- a virtual professional development intervention approach for early learning educators. The aim of the intervention was to increase the knowledge, skills, and comfort level regarding the use of math in early learning settings. A quasi-experimental…