Tesis sobre el tema "Education, Educational Psychology. Education, Teacher Training. Education, Technology"

Because of the increase of online education options and the continuously increasing demands on teacher time, this case study analyzed online mentoring's effectiveness for beginning teachers in one Midwestern school. Specifically, the case study analyzed what, if any, the effects were of including an online learning forum to modify the traditional teacher mentoring program as well as the experiences of the mentees. A further analysis was conducted considering the administrator's role in the creation and facilitation of an online learning forum for teacher mentoring. To guide the creation and maintenance of the online learning forum, the participating teachers completed the survey 'Beginning Teacher's Views on Practice' three times throughout the year of research. Both quantitative survey data as well as qualitative data including in-depth interviews and discussion board posts were later analyzed. From the survey analysis it was concluded that of the 12 areas of needed development indicated by the participating teachers, nine indicated minimal to strong positive growth. This level of growth indicated the online learning forum was able to provide beginning teachers with necessary career development. In regard to the experience of the mentees, through indepth surveys it was indicated that the online mentoring program often reflected aspects of previously conducted research; however, most importantly, the online learning forum experience provided a structured but personalized approach to learning. Considering the administrator's role in the facilitation of the online learning forum, it was concluded that the role is complex in that no matter the amount of trust and community built between the administrator and the beginning teachers, there is still a supervisor-subordinate relationship that is difficult to overcome. Although this case study offers a general context of an online learning forum for beginning teachers, further studies should investigate a larger number of participants who span several schools or several districts to increase participation and variety of perceptions and experiences. Further, it would be advantageous to investigate how multiple, non-administrative mentors who maintain the online learning forum affect the participants' experiences.

ABSTRACT Autism is a complex brain-based developmental disability with unknown etiology. It involves disturbances or delays in communication, social interaction, and play, as well as behavioral abnormalities including; obsessive, ritualistic, rigid, and/or stereotyped behavior. The disorder affects 1 in 68 individuals nationwide. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is recognized by the medical community as the best practice approach to treating autism. Early, intensive, ABA treatment has been attributed to the widespread opinion that autism is now a treatable condition. The effectiveness of ABA, combined with the increasing incidence of autism, has resulted in a high demand for well-trained professionals who are able to effectively work with individuals with this diagnosis. Training programs are not producing ABA trained personnel at a rate that can meet the demand for services. Given the efficiencies which may be realized with online instruction, this study examined a blended approach to training staff by combining online professional training modules with classroom and field based instruction. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the efficacy of online instruction in ABA training models. A repeated measures design with the use of a control group was used to evaluate online instruction and compare its efficacy to that of live lecture or classroom based instruction. Results revealed a statistically significant difference in the level of training content learned and retained between the online group and the live lecture group. These results seem to suggest that something other than chance resulted in the online group scoring significantly higher than members in the live lecture group and that the online mode of instruction may have some merits that can be of value to address the demand for highly trained professionals to work in the autism field.

Stress is a problem that affects teacher well-being; causes poor performance, teacher turnover, financial and organizational strain; and negatively impacts student outcomes (Greenberg, Brown, & Abenavoli, 2016). Addressing teacher stress is a significant challenge for school leaders with limited resources. Additionally, supporting teacher self-efficacy is an ongoing aspiration as it affects teachers, students, and organizational effectiveness. Furthermore, mindfulness has shown to be an effective means to reduce teacher stress and promote overall well-being by cultivating present moment awareness, emotional regulation, equanimity, and compassion (Abenavoli, Jennings, Greenberg, Harris, & Katz, 2013; Flook Goldberg, Pinger, Bonus, & Davidson, 2013; Jennings et al., 2017; Meiklejohn et al., 2012; Poulin, Mackenzie, Soloway, Karaylos, 2008; Roeser et al., 2013).

The purpose of the study was to examine the differences in teachers’ perception of stress, teacher self-efficacy, and mindfulness after mindfulness training. Thirty teachers in an urban school district, 16 at a high school and 14 at two middle schools, volunteered for the 8-week, 30-minutes per week mindfulness training. In this quasi-experimental study, teachers’ perception of stress, teacher self-efficacy, and mindfulness were measured three times: before, immediately following, and three weeks after mindfulness training.

Results indicated a significant reduction in teachers’ perceptions of stress after mindfulness training, and the reduction maintained for the three-week period following training. No significant differences in teachers’ sense of teacher self-efficacy were found; however, results indicated teachers’ mindfulness increased significantly after mindfulness training. Notably, data analysis also indicated significant increases in teachers’ mindfulness from the end of training to three weeks after mindfulness training.

The positive results from this study were encouraging as the four-hour mindfulness training might be efficacious in reducing teachers’ perception of stress and increasing mindfulness. The positive effects gleaned from training were durable as the perception of stress maintained, and mindfulness improved over the three weeks following training. A short time-frame mindfulness training might have potential to aid school leaders in addressing problems of teacher stress, which is especially problematic in urban school districts.

Peer mentoring is a topic that has been prevalent in the literature for the past several decades and plays a significant role in the learning experiences of many students. This study investigated the experiences of peer mentors in one specific mentoring project, in order to learn how the mentors describe and understand those experiences.

Eighteen mentors participated in this qualitative study, which examined mentoring-influenced-by-relational-learning in pre-service teachers through in-depth, phenomenological interviews. These interviews were supplemented by photo elicitation and reflecting processes. These mentors defined mentoring as a multifaceted endeavor, which exhibits, among others, traits of teaching, friendship, learning, building relationships, and communication. They defined relational learning both in terms of the course they took, and as a construct which revolves around working together, talking through experiences, being open to new possibilities and ideas, and, through these, being in relationship with one another. Four themes were identified: (a) Mentors experienced relational learning; (b) Mentors experienced investment; (c) Mentors experienced challenges; and (d) Mentors identified ways mentoring can be different. An overarching theme was, mentors and the mentoring project experienced a process of becoming. Mentors also described their overall experiences, explained the ways in which they feel they benefitted from the project, and discussed why they believe this project has been successful. Implications of these findings are also discussed, as they relate to both research and practice.

The U.S. population is rapidly diversifying, with the expectation that culturally diverse groups—including students—will outnumber European Americans by the year 2050. In contrast, public school teachers are expected to remain largely middle class, female, and Caucasian. Most multicultural education research has focused on cultural diversity in urban education settings. However, a gap in the literature has existed regarding student diversity and teachers' culturally responsive teaching in predominantly rural areas. In this study, Appalachian elementary school teachers shared their perspectives and experiences on effective multicultural teaching. An important gap has been bridged by using a 3-part theoretical framework, based on critical reflection, scaffolding, and perspective taking, related to the main research questions regarding (a) the qualities and experiences that in-service public school teachers possess that allow them to effectively teach students from a variety of backgrounds, and (b) what in-service teachers suggest for improving teacher preparation to meet the challenges of cultural diversity in schools. A qualitative, phenomenological approach anchored in a constructivist paradigm was used to gather voice data via a digital voice recorder from 8 participants. Semi structured, open-ended interviews were conducted to collect the data, followed by transcription and analysis. Data analysis resulted in the discovery of 5 themes related to the research questions and revealed mapping onto the conceptual framework. Social change implications can result in improved teacher education programs in rural areas and can enhance collaboration with professional development schools to improve pre-service teacher preparation for teaching diverse students.

Self-efficacy affects the way a person decides to live his or her life. Efficacy can dictate whether a person takes a risk, can influence personal and professional goals, and can determine what a person does when failure arises. Strong self-efficacy includes perseverance, motivation, and courage to try an unfamiliar path. In education, efficacy is imbedded in a school environment. The areas of efficacy that co-exist in an educational setting are teacher efficacy, collective efficacy, and student efficacy. The focus of this study is the influence instructional coaching has on teacher efficacy and how that efficacy affects student achievement. Research indicates that there is a relationship between teacher efficacy and student achievement. The question is whether teacher efficacy is influenced by support from an instructional coach in a school setting. In this mixed methods study there were many indications to support the need for instructional coaching in an efficacious school system. Themes found in the interviews and teacher reflections indicated a strong need for effective school leadership, strong professional learning communities, supportive grade level teams, and instructional support found within an instructional coach. Use of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale along with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed the positive effects instructional coaching had on the instructional efficacy of the participants involved in this study. Finally, a paired samples t-test showed evidence of student achievement being affected by the support teachers received from the instructional coach. These topics remain relevant to the challenges facing teachers today who need ongoing instructional support to help them with implementation of state and federal mandates and educational standards.

Technology is increasingly present in American homes and offices and in nearly every form of American entertainment. As a result, U.S. society has become dependent on technology. Most Americans' daily routine consists of frequent interactions with electronic gadgets, interfaces, and computers in order to purchase goods online, meet people, and work. Therefore, to some extent, U.S. schools should mimic the current social environment by using technology as an educational tool. The global environment demands that students have 21st-century technology skills. Today's students learn using different modalities that require various accommodations in the classroom setting. Teachers play a pivotal role in fully preparing and engaging students. Thus, it is important to identify what factors influence teachers' decision to integrate current technology educational tools in the classroom.

The purpose of this study was to determine the strength of the relationships, if any, between teachers' demographics, use of current technological tools, attitudes, professional development, and rate and stage of technology adoption/integration. A survey instrument created by Buckenmeyer was modified and updated to reflect the technologies used in the classroom. Five elementary urban public schools and 133 teachers in Newark, New Jersey, participated in the study. Their responses were used to determine the relationships between various factors and the rate and stage of technology adoption/integration.

Significant correlations were found between technology adoption/integration and each of the categories— especially teachers' beliefs and attitudes and professional/staff development. Various items in each category were found to be significantly correlated with technology adoption/integration, including teachers' belief that they are better teachers with technology and addressing students' learning styles. Additionally, mean scores showed strong agreement with the desire to participate in professional/staff development workshops on how to integrate current technology educational tools into the instruction, especially into the new English language arts and math curricula in Newark Public Schools.

Based on the strength and significance of the correlations and mean scores, there were three recommendations for stakeholders regarding the factors that influence teachers' decision to integrate current technology educational tools into the classroom: (a) improve teachers' belief in and attitudes toward the use of current technology educational tools; (b) provide continuous, technology-infused professional development opportunities that align with the current literacy and math curricula; and (c) provide current technology educational tools such as hardware, learning software, and Web 2.0.

This study explores the shared narratives of males who are African American, come from low-income families, struggled with school success, and may have been identified as needing specialized instructional services or having learning disabilities. This study includes three participants' narratives on the obstacles and supports they faced during their high school years and when transitioning beyond. It identifies shared themes of sports, reputation, and instruction, transitioning, and mentoring — including the relationship between each and how it impacted their school success.

The development of these thematic elements are related to developing networks and resources related to culture values, identities, and access to social capital. Participants ranged from 22-23 years of age, all having officially graduated from high school, transitioned to college to play sports, but failed to meet the academic requirements necessary to maintain eligibility.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how well one technique of a classroom management program, the 9 Essential Skills of the Love and Logic Classroom (Fay & Fay, 2002a), fulfilled its claims to reduce teacher stress, decrease student argumentation, and improve teacher-student relationships at the high school level. Faculty members of a rural high school in upstate South Carolina completed pre- and post-study surveys, attended a training seminar, and implemented one technique, the enforceable statement, with students in their existing classes during April and May 2013. Weekly support sessions gave participants opportunities to ask questions and share successes and concerns. A mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study examined the perceptions of the participating high school faculty members to determine if they perceived significant changes in teacher stress, student argumentation, and teacher-student relationships pre- to post-implementation of the treatment. The overall quantitative findings indicated statistically significant differences, while the qualitative narratives provided conclusive evidence that the claims of the Love and Logic Institute are valid as they apply to the implementation of the enforceable statement. The participants further indicated that they found the enforceable statement an effective and positive technique for classroom management. The study was limited to the selected high school and to one Love and Logic classroom management technique. This study contributes to the literature by adding research on the Love and Logic approach at the high school level. The researcher recommends continued training and implementation of the enforceable statement at the selected school and in other high school settings.

As discussed in past literature, high school students often lack motivation towards learning (Crow, 2007; Lumsden, 1995). This lack of motivation interferes with student learning (Lumsden,1995; Vansteenkiste, Simons, Lens, Soenens, & Matos, 2005). At the middle school and collegiate level, Socratic Seminar is seen to provide motivation towards learning in students (Copeland, 2005; Mee, 2000; Strong, 1996); however, there is a need for research on student motivation as a result of Socratic Seminar at the high school level.

The purpose of this study is to identify the extent to which, if any, differences exist in student motivation towards learning among students receiving English instruction via Socratic Seminar versus traditional lecture at the high school level. It was hypothesized that Socratic Seminar provides a better opportunity for students to experience the IV pillars of motivation as described by John Keller (1987a)--attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction--than traditional lecture does.

A quantitative correlational design was implemented with a cross-sectional data collection administered post-implementation of traditional lecture 3 times and post-implementation of Socratic Seminar 3 times over an 8-week period with 139 11th grade English students at Lutheran High School of Orange County. The responses were viewed as a group through the application of chi-squares. Next, chi-squares were applied to analyze the group's results for each question from the modified CIS. Then, the results were analyzed via Cramer's V within the individual constructs of motivation as described by the CIS, which include: attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction.

The results displayed Socratic Seminar as providing a more motivating experience towards learning in certain areas of motivation while lecture was seen to be more motivating for other areas of motivation. It was originally believed the application of Socratic Seminar would provide higher student motivation toward learning. From these results, it was learned that teachers must seek a balanced approach in their teaching by applying both Socratic Seminar and lecture. In a broader sense, the lesson learned is that different teaching strategies motivate students in different ways and a wide range of teaching strategies ought to be applied.

Teacher attrition is a central concern in the field of education. Although many factors contribute to teacher attrition, teacher personality styles contribute significantly to a teacher’s decision to stay or leave the field. Retaining effective teachers remains a central priority for school districts today. When measuring teacher effectiveness, research has shown that teacher personality and the resulting relationship between students and teachers play in integral role in academic success. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study is to determine if significant differences exist in the personality styles between individuals who aspire to teach at varying levels. The study used the Millon Index of Personality Styles, Revised (MIPS Revised) as a tool to assess the Motivating Styles, Thinking Styles, and Behaving Styles of pre-service teachers (n = 127) in three Northeastern community colleges. Three groups of pre-service teachers were examined: those who aspire to teach at the Birth-2^nd grade level; those who aspire to teach at the 1st-6th grade level; and those who aspire to teach at the 7^th-12^th grade level. The MIPS Revised is a 180 item self-reporting tool used to identify personality characteristics in normally functioning adults. The study collected demographic information, including age, gender, and age level teaching aspiration, as well as information regarding each individual participant’s personality style. Results of the study indicated no significant differences between the personality styles of individuals who aspire to teach at varying levels. The results of the study are discussed, and indicate the need for future exploration of pre-service teacher personality styles.

This mixed methods study explored how elementary school teachers who use Twitter extensively use it to support their professional learning and development. Four research questions guided this study: 1. How are teachers using Twitter for their professional learning and development? 2. What do teachers report learning from their use of Twitter? 3. What do teachers say they do with the information they have learned from using Twitter? 4. What support do teachers have when they want to implement what they have learned from Twitter?

An online survey was distributed via Twitter targeting teachers of elementary grades. A total of 107 participants were included in the final sample. Interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 19 teachers. Document analysis of tweets from a subsample of interviewees and from a sample of tweets from the #2ndchat Twitter community served as triangulation.

The key findings from this sample illustrated several ways teachers learn from Twitter. In response to the research questions, teachers reported using Twitter as a source of motivation and support, explaining that it provided them with feedback, encouragement and peer accountability. Second, teachers reported learning about many topics, especially technology integration techniques. Third, teachers described using the information they learned to alter some of their teaching practices and to pursue other educational opportunities. Lastly, more than half of teachers reported having administrators who supported their efforts to implement Twitter-based ideas. In addition, teachers appreciated certain affordances of Twitter including immediacy, choice, and access to other educators.

These findings have several implications for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers. Teachers reported that they believed they were getting trustworthy information from highly reputable Twitter users. However, it would be important for them to critically review the information and ensure its alignment with evidence-based teaching practices for how students learn. Further, teachers’ responses seemed to indicate that they want input and control over their learning, which has important implications for traditional professional development offerings. As Twitter continues to expand and gain acceptance as a source of learning for teachers, considerations for its use as a 21^st century tool must be taken into account.

The problem addressed in this study was the issue of technology integration in the classroom by alternate route teachers. The goal was to find a possible correlation between teacher personality and their ability to integrate technology. In this quantitative study, 174 completers from the New Pathways to Teaching New Jersey (NPTNJ) alternate route training program were surveyed to obtain information leading to the possible correlation between personality traits and technology integration skills. Of the surveys distributed, 141 had adequate qualifications, so only these were used. The key findings were that extraversion was positively correlated to technology integration skills and neuroticism was negatively correlated to technology integration skills. The results showed statistically significant positive correlations between completers who had a high score on the extravert personality trait and their proficiency in technology integration skills. Additionally, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between neuroticism and technology integration skills. The study showed there was no identifiable correlation between the personality traits of openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness and technology integration ability. The implications of this study can be used to identify candidates who are likely to be successful at integrating technology into the classroom. Training modules and professional development can be developed to train teachers in the habits and characteristics associated with the extraversion personality trait and how to avoid the behaviors associated with neuroticism to increase the likelihood of technology integration in the classroom. Further research should be focused on other factors that may influence technology integration and alternate route teachers who completed the NPTNJ training program.