3543 research outputs found
Sort by
The Impact of Secondary School Educators’ Implementation Of Response To Intervention (RTI) On African American Female Students
No full textUnderstanding the implementation of the educational policy of the Response to Intervention (RTI) and the extent to which it provides support to students with learning gaps is imperative for student’s success. However, teachers with the broad adoption of the RTI system nationwide may need the additional insight of the intervention delivery challenges, and analysis of direction and intensity. Guided by Dewey’s theory of experiential learning, which holds that educators could utilize a student’s personal experience to engage the learner, this study examined the connection of the student’s experiences facilitated by the teachers’ adoption and construction of edifying experiences to facilitate the closing of the achievement gap that exists for minority students. The researcher examined teachers’ beliefs about the effectiveness of RTI on the academic achievement of students at tier 1 and 2 of RTI. Specifically, the researcher explored teachers’ beliefs about the effectiveness of three RTI components, namely the academic abilities and performance of Students with Disabilities (SWD), Data-Based Decision Making (DBDM), and Functions of Core and Supplemental Instruction (FCSI), on the academic achievement of struggling African American Females (AAF) students. The results revealed statistically significant relationships between teachers’ belief in RTI Data-Based Decision Making scores and AAF-RTI students’ math achievement scores and between teachers’ belief in RTI Function of Core and Supplemental Instruction scores and AAF-RTI students’ math achievement scores. There was also a relationship between SWD and DBDM. This research also observed a correlation with no significance between the teachers (n = 46) belief of academic achievements of SWD and their FCSI. These results are indicative of need to create a climate supportive of experiential based learning for RTI implementation training for secondary teachers
Experiences of North American Teachers Working Overseas Who Broke Their Contracts Within One Year
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the experiences of North American teachers working in international schools and why they chose to leave within the first year. The findings offer insights into the following questions; (1) How do these teachers experience relationships with leadership and students? (2) What role, if any, did their recruitment and induction have on these teachers’ decision to leave? (3) What role, if any, did the culture of the host country play in these teachers’ decision to leave? The struggles experienced from these conditions led teachers to abruptly leave their contracted international positions. The study took place in the Middle Eastern region and the population targeted were North Americans working in international schools within the Middle East. For the purposes of this study, the term North American referred to United States and Canadian citizens.
This qualitative study used a phenomenological design and allowed the researcher the opportunity to investigate and gather data through two open-ended interviews, which were recorded and transcribed. Data analyses involved coding to identify themes related to the research questions. The data collected during the interviews established five themes: lack of trust, power struggle, student behavior, lack of vision, and lack of communication the participants experienced while working at their international school. The participants reflected on their individual experiences and shared that they were able to develop personally from their experience. This phenomenological study had 10 participants, and their lived personal, professional, and cultural experience while teaching internationally could be beneficial to current and potential teachers and school leaders in international schools
iGeneration Students\u27 Approach to Technology as a Learning Tool, With an Affinity for Social Media Technology
No full textThe purpose of this survey design study, with a qualitative follow-up component of teachers’ perspectives, was to determine if educators’ assumptions about iGeneration students’ use of technology reflects the students’ actual behaviors when using technology inside and outside the classroom. The literature review highlighted relevant assumptions in regard to behaviors of the iGeneration students and their attitude towards technology from a holistic point of view. A survey design study was conducted to identify the interaction effect between teachers and students with consideration to different teaching approaches and delivery of content as use of educational technology per teacher differs. The methods of data collection were questionnaires, surveys, observations, interviews, and a pilot group with a validation process via triangulation, a process that aligns conceptual and methodological illustrations of human behavior when collecting measurable and comparative data. The conclusion provided an insight of how iGeneration students view modern day technology usage in the traditional classroom setting
Storied Lives, Unpacked Narratives, and Intersecting Experiences: A Phenomenological Examination of Self-Identifying LGBTQ Public School Educators
No full textThe thrust of this qualitative study was to research, reveal, explore, and understand the lived experiences of self-identifying lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) public school educators through formal, qualitative interviews. The researcher interviewed six self-identifying LGBTQ public school teachers using a phenomenological framework, braced by history, queer theory/criticism, and intersectionality. In-depth, rich, and prolonged semi-structured interviews yielded personal, candid, and poignant insight from the six co-researchers. Further, by using a narrative approach, this phenomenological study revealed five emergent themes and discussed how these interpenetrating themes captured the essence of these six teachers’ lived experiences. The five salient themes revealed that self-identifying LGBTQ public school teachers want to maintain meaningful relationships with their students, experience fear (in terms of both being rejected by and losing relationships with students), struggle with the decision to self-disclose their sexual orientations at work, and need to feel safe and affirmed at work through safe spaces and district inclusivity
Middle School Educators\u27 Perceptions of At-Risk Students Following a School\u27s Initiative Focused on Helping At-Risk Students Succeed
No full textWith a focus on teachers’ efficacy and its effect on their perceptions of at-risk students, this qualitative case study examined the perceptions of teachers toward at-risk students, following a school’s 3-year implementation of an initiative that was geared toward helping educators improve teaching efficacy. The effects of professional development on improving the relationships with at-risk students and the influence on middle school educators’ perceptions and efficacy were explored. Data was gathered by conducting 20 interviews with the participants; including classroom teachers, an administrator, and a guidance counselor, regarding teachers’ perceptions of the at-risk students, following a schoolwide initiative. Six themes were found when the codes were analyzed and grouped within and across interviews. The themes included Awareness, Relationships, Impact, Teacher Efficacy, Teacher Perception, and Take 5. The majority of the teacher participants mentioned that the school’s initiative increased their awareness of their perceptions. The findings of this study suggested that districts seeking change should consider providing educators with concrete strategies and consistent reminders of the importance of forming healthy relationships of mutual respect with all students. Professional development should be provided for the interaction with at-risk students and effective strategies should be designed to improve teachers’ perspectives that will impact the success of all students
Fostering Motivation and Teacher Self-Efficacy Using the Guided Reading Method
No full textThis case study examines factors that support guided reading instruction to foster motivation in seventh and eighth grade readers. The goal of the analysis is to answer the following two research questions: “How do middle school teachers foster the motivation of struggling students?” and “How do teachers demonstrate efficacy in teaching using the guided reading method?” Twelve middle school teachers, who are employed by a public school system in the Dallas, Texas area were given survey questions focusing on early reading experiences, definitions of reading terms, and current reading practice, and were given a pre and post Teacher’s Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES). Data collected was analyzed, examining the interviews and scales to determine if any trends emerged from the use of guided reading in the classroom. The findings in the study indicated the participants with a high sense of efficacy structured their guided reading instruction to incorporate meaningful, purposeful opportunities for readers to talk about books to enhance their engagement. The conclusion provided an important investigation of the participants’ reading perceptions on how guided reading factors encourage educators to motivate lifelong readers
Staying Connected: Measuring the Impact of Technology Integration on Student Engagement and Achievement at the Middle Level
No full textKnowing how technologies impact student engagement and achievement is vital. The present study validated and added to the existing knowledge in determining to what extent specific levels of technology integration impact student engagement. It also addressed how specific levels of technology integration impact student achievement in middle level English Language/Arts and mathematics classrooms using 1:1 tablet technology. The descriptive study with statistical analysis provided quantitative evidence to educational leaders on the extent to which increasing levels of technology integration can increase student engagement. This evidence was generated using classroom observation data and Fisher’s exact cross-tabulation analysis. The study also provided conclusions on technology integration levels impact on achievement in middle schools struggling to meet proficiency as measured by state-mandated summative assessment, by comparing technology integration levels from classroom observations, to summative assessment results. Although no statistical significance between technology integration levels and levels of student engagement observed, there were observable positive effects of higher levels of technology integration increasing student engagement. Further, no observable relationship was found between technology integration levels and summative assessment scores
The Monster Unleashed: How Hobby Lobby Threatens the Freedom of Employees to Practice Religion
No full text“You are my creator, but I am your master; Obey!”
From the earliest days of the Republic, our courts recognized that “the right to conduct business in the form of a corporation, and . . . to enter into relations of employment with individuals, is not a natural or fundamental right.” Rather, “[a] corporation is an artificial being, invisible, intangible, and existing only in contemplation of the law.” It is “presumed to be incorporated for the benefit of the public” and “receives certain special privileges” to effectuate this purpose. Thus, it was understood that the Government “may qualify the privilege by imposing such conditions and duties as reasonably may be deemed expedient, in order that [a] corporation’s activities may not operate to the detriment of the rights of others with whom it may come in contact.” [excerpt
Keep the Patels: How Culturally Competent Teamwork Can Alleviate the Law\u27s Diversity Retention Problem
No full textIn the midst of an argument with law school classmates, I once remarked that I felt simultaneously invisible as a woman of color, or more specifically as a South Asian woman. A well-intentioned friend offered consolation in the form of an assurance: she had never viewed me as not-white, and in fact had always thought of me as white. This statement was not intended to insult me—in fact, I immediately knew what she meant: she had always thought of me as a person first—her vision of me was free of any overt racism. But I did not want to be seen as white. To me, being seen as neutral or white felt like another form of racism. By excising the cultural component of my identity, my friend had been trying to do me a favor. She had not meant to insult me. Instead, she had inadvertently failed to recognize that the cultural component of my identity cannot and should not be excised. I am first and last a South Asian woman—this identity permeates every aspect of my being. This Essay will use the lens of the experience of the South Asian woman in the law to explain why the legal community should not bleach out the individual cultural identities of its members. The legal workplace should do its best to welcome new peers holistically, leaving cultural identities intact. Cultural competency should be integrated into already-existing legal teamwork training—such a change won’t be a panacea, but it’s a step in the right direction. This Essay seeks to advance the conversation about how best to recognize and embrace the value of cultural identity in the legal workplace.[excerpt