Browsing by Subject "Professional development"
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Item An evaluation of the professional development status of agricultural media summit-sponsoring organizations' active members(Texas Tech University, 2006-12) West, Lindsay M.; Akers, Cindy; Davis, Chad S.; Doerfert, David; Fraze, StevenThis study evaluates the status of professional development within the agricultural media industry as perceived by the active members of Livestock Publications Council, American Agricultural Editors' Association, and American Business Media’s AgriCouncil. Through descriptive and correlational research, professional development attendance characteristics, professional development attitudes, and relationships between professional development attendance and skill confidence of members of the three organizations who sponsor the Agricultural Media Summit were examined. Respondents overwhelmingly favored professional development and were overall satisfied with their professional development opportunities. Respondents indicated schedule conflicts, location, and the expense of attendance as the main reasons for being unable to attend professional development events. Significant relationships were identified between LPC members' conference attendance and their skill confidence in graphic design, and between LPC members' participation in professional development at work and their skill confidence in photo editing. Agricultural media practitioners should be aware of the professional development status that exists among its professionals when organizing future conferences and meetings. Researchers should further explore relationships between professional organization membership and professional development attitudes, agricultural media company size and skill competencies, and how individuals are funded for professional development conferences and their attendance to those conferences.Item An investigation of online environments supporting follow-up to professional development for Texas school librarians(Texas A&M University, 2006-04-12) Green, Mary ElizabethAt the beginning of the 2004-2005 school year, school librarians participated in a face-to-face workshop during in-service training. The workshop dealt with the process of creating a TAKS Support Plan, a plan for the library to remediate deficiencies on the TAKS at their school. At the conclusion of the workshop, school librarians were given the opportunity to participate in an eight-week online follow-up course that supported implementation of in-service themes. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of online follow-up and collaboration on participant attitudes, quality of course product, and course completion in an online professional development course for librarians in 12 Texas school districts. This study used a posttest-only control group experimental design with self-selected participants. School librarians were stratified by level of service and socioeconomic school status and were randomly assigned to one of three environments. Two experimental environments were used: (a) Collaborative Follow-up and (b) Noncollaborative Follow-up and a control environment, Noncollaborative/No Follow up. The experimental environments were given additional information and support in an online course to aid the creation of their TAKS Support Plan. Results indicate that the professional development program that included online collaboration and follow-up produced more positive attitudes towards the professional development program than the professional development program with no collaboration or follow-up. Attitudes towards the online professional development experience from the two experimental environments were mildly positive with no significant difference across groups. Attitudes towards the professional development experience in the control environment were significantly less positive than the experimental environments. Logistic regression revealed that the likelihood of completion could be predicted by membership in professional development environment. The likelihood of completion by participants in the Collaborative Followup environment was significantly greater than participants in the Noncollaborative Follow-up and Noncollaborative/No Follow-up environments. No difference was found in completion rates between the other two environments. Credential proved to effect TAKS Support Plan completion. Master's degree holders in the Noncollaborative Follow-up environment and master's and bachelor's degree holders in the Noncollaborative/No Follow-up environment were less likely to complete than these levels in the Collaborative Follow-up environment.Item Assessing the impact of cultural proficiency training for central office administrators(2014-08) Spikes, Daniel Dewayne; Gooden, Mark A., 1971-The purpose of this study was to explore participants’ perceptions of the impact of a cultural proficiency workshop that discussed concepts of race and racism. Moreover, I was interested in understanding the factors and experiences associated with a greater likelihood that people would want to engage in dialogue on race and racism. The literature suggests that when discussions like these are broached, people can often become disinterested and disengaged (Derman-Sparks & Phillips, 1997; Diem & Carpenter, 2012; Singleton & Linton, 2006; Tatum, 1997). Therefore, if it is indeed pertinent for educators to be presented with knowledge that can be critical to student success, it is vital to understand what aspects of the training and what qualities of the participants lend themselves to a higher level of engagement and interest. To research these phenomena, a mixed method study design was employed. School district central office personnel were required to attend a culture proficiency professional development session which covered concepts of race and racism. I surveyed these participants to gather their perceptions about the impact of the training. In addition, several participants were interviewed. To answer the second research question, certain participants were asked to participate in a follow-up interview to determine the qualities and characteristics that created a greater likelihood that these individuals would see the importance of race-based discourse and continue these conversations. Findings suggest that workshop participants perceived that the workshop helped to increase their level of racial awareness and change their behaviors or disposition. However, it was found that additional follow-up was needed to sustain these efforts. They also expressed that these kinds of workshops are essential. For those who were likely to engage in race-based discourse, it was found that these individuals were racially aware, rejected notions of colorblindness, discovered race at a young age, were more likely to attend diverse schools and live in diverse neighborhoods and were likely to have faced discrimination as a person from an oppressed group or due to a close relationship with someone who was.Item Assessing the mindfulness attributes of teaching assistants assigned as discussion facilitators(2013-08) Decker, Mark Lowry; Svinicki, Marilla D., 1946-This study investigated the relationship between student ratings of teaching and the mindfulness attributes of teaching assistants in freshmen courses consisting mostly of discussion. Regression analyses were run to determine whether teaching assistant data (n = 19), related to their teaching efficacy, trait mindfulness, mindfulness practices, self-compassion, and teacher concerns, were predictive of student ratings of teaching assistants' combined scores on three concatenated Likert-scale evaluation items--the teaching assistant is kind and respectful of me, is patient with my questions, and is receptive to my questions. As modeled, there was no significant relationship between these teaching assistant characteristics and the components that were examined. A subset of the population (n = 6), participated in follow-up interviews. A comparative and interpretative analysis of the interview data followed, which examined the teaching assistant narratives using the following variables as filters--teaching efficacy, trait mindfulness, mindfulness practices, self-compassion, and teacher concerns--in addition to the metacognitive constructs of Knowledge of Cognition and Regulation of Cognition. Overall, the interview component of the study found that teaching assistants who could better articulate their teaching processes and instructional goals reported purposefully engaging in the internal and external dialogic processes of instruction. Moreover, interview analysis suggests that teaching assistant evaluations were a poor means of assessing instructional skills, aptitude, or performance. In addition, while the tools used in this study, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Mindfulness Process Questionnaire, the Self-Compassion, Scale, the Teacher's Sense of Efficacy, and the Teacher's Concerns Checklist, might reliably assess attributes of good instructors, they do not appear to capture the whole essence of one's instructional narrative. Whether it is through interviews, or intricate scenarios, instructional evaluation, especially when its purpose is to improve instruction, should have a qualitative and reflective component.Item Becoming a Professional: Examining Professional Development Practices of Communication Doctoral Students(2012-10-19) Rashe, RachelHigher education is currently facing a number of challenges that are leading doctoral students to seek employment outside of the traditional research-focused institution. With students looking for different jobs, professional socialization and development activities need to be re-examined to understand whether current practices are meeting the needs of doctoral students. Sociologists have explored what it means to be professional at length, but a communicative voice is needed in this conversation. This research seeks to understand how to "do" professionalism in mundane, everyday contexts. Graduate student socialization, identity, and professional development literature was used as a backdrop for exploring this phenomenon. Interviews with doctoral students in communication and directors of graduate studies in communication were conducted and documents were collected from graduate programs and the National Communication Association. This material was subsequently analyzed to explore what it means to be a professional, how to develop as a professional, and how professionalism is tracked and evaluated. The analysis suggested that what it means to be professional is composed of traditional conceptualizations of research, teaching, and service, and a number of other practices and values such as independence, collaboration, collegiality, and work-life balance. This analysis also showed that while students developed these qualities through formal means, they relied more on informal methods of developing to enhance their professionalism. Formal assessment measures helped in the evaluation process, though they did not measure many of the characteristics of a communication professional. Informal means of evaluation served as a way to track some of these characteristics. Findings showed several challenges that doctoral education currently face. First, students are increasingly pursuing careers outside the traditional Research I institutional context and increasingly pursuing more teacher-centric goals. While development opportunities should reflect student goals, a shift away from a research focus could undermine placement at Research I institutions and decrease the value of the PhD, given the increase in fixed-contract hiring at public and for-profit universities. Second, doctoral students and advisers are not adequately prepared to have difficult conversations about career goals, which may be connected to students feeling underprepared to go on the job market. Third, current assessment procedures do not measure many of the more abstract qualities and values identified as professional, which makes it difficult to assess student development. Finally, this research highlighted how the role of the body in white-collar work has been overlooked and how academic practices discipline the body in particular ways. Future research and practical applications regarding each of these challenges were explored, and limitations were also discussed.Item A case study of the use of professional development to support mobile technology integration(2012-08) Maradiegue, Erin Kelsey; Liu, Min, Ed. D.; Palmer, DeborahMobile devices are playing an increasingly prevalent role in K-12 education, as school systems are adopting the technology to enhance student learning. Consequently, teachers have to learn how to incorporate the devices into their classrooms, with the help of professional development activities. This case study examined the professional development of four teachers who participated in their school district’s iPod touch initiative for English Language Learners (ELLs), as well as the perspective of the instructional media specialist charged with assisting the teachers. The study aimed to understand what district-led and independent training activities K-12 teachers engage in and the influence the activities have on how mobile devices are used by the teachers. The educational activities of the teachers and their impact on the teachers’ technology integration were documented through a series of interviews, a training observation, and teacher questionnaires. The research identified four types of professional development support provided by the district and five types of self-guided or incidental learning activities that teachers engaged in that directly impacted the way they used the device. The district-led trainings are 1) group trainings 2) in-class demonstrations 3) one-on-one training and 4) ongoing support. The self-guided and incidental learning activities found are 1) research for resources and ideas 2) brainstorming 3) experimenting with apps and activities 4) collaboration with others and 5) students serving as trainers. Increased personal instruction, cultivating formal learning through mentoring and an online forum, and developing online training resources for a mobile format are proposed for professional development that would aid in the integration of mobile devices in a K-12 environment.Item Classroom physical activity : evaluating elementary teacher preparedness for adoption and implementation(2015-05) Nicksic, Hildi Marie; Kohl, Harold W., 1960-; Bartholomew, John B.; Donnelly, Joseph E.; Holahan, Carole K.; Springer, Andrew E.Despite the known benefits of physical activity in youth, the prevalence of inactivity in children and adolescents has risen over the past two decades, such that only about half currently meet recommended guidelines for physical activity engagement. Schools have been identified as ideal sites in which to intervene on physical activity levels, using a comprehensive plan for providing physical activity opportunities throughout the school day. One strategy within this plan is dedicated classroom physical activity. Although existing evidence supports the feasibility of offering physical activity in the classroom and links classroom physical activity with increased student activity levels and academic achievement, research to foster and facilitate implementation is minimal. As such, the purpose of this dissertation was to (1) ascertain perceptions of elementary classroom teachers about classroom physical activity implementation, (2) design a professional development training for classroom teachers on classroom physical activity, and (3) conduct a pilot evaluation of a professional development training designed to equip classroom teachers to adopt classroom physical activity practices. This project, framed by the health promotion theories of Diffusion of Innovations and Health Belief Model, used a mixed-methods approach to analyze data collected from teachers. Findings indicate that several of the highest rated perceived barriers to classroom physical activity adoption are modifiable factors, and that teacher knowledge of classroom physical activity predicts implementation. The study also provides support for the feasibility of a new professional development training for classroom teachers to promote classroom physical activity and identified teacher preferences for training events. Results further demonstrate that a two-hour professional development can significantly increase teacher knowledge and decrease perceived barriers to classroom physical activity implementation. In addition, there are time-related challenges inherit to classroom physical activity promotion, such as gaining access to classroom teachers to provide training and engaging teachers in research. As a whole, findings from this project can inform future interventions targeting classroom physical activity and provide strategies for increasing the likelihood that classroom physical activity will be offered to students, adding to the body of literature seeking to decrease the prevalence of inactivity in school-aged children.Item Developing an understanding of communication issues in autism spectrum disorders using a web-based training module(Texas Tech University, 2008-08) Louder, Amanda Bodine; Lock, Robin; Layton, Carol A.; Myers, SusanStrong legislation and the implementation of research-based practices drives today’s special education, specifically with regards to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). With the increasing prevalence of ASD (Autism Society of America, 2006) and continued teacher shortages in the field of special education (U.S. Department of Education, 2006), professionals in all areas of education must assume increasing responsibility for the education of children with ASD. It is critical that those entering the workforce receive the support and professional development necessary to retain them in their positions (Katsiyannis, Zhang, & Conroy 2003). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 explores the need for “the development and use of proven, cost effective strategies for the implementation of professional development activities, such as through the use of technology and distance learning (P.L. 108-446, 118 Stat. 2772).” This study sought to determine the effectiveness of Module Two: Opening the Doors of Communication for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, a web-based module, as a means to disseminate information to parents and professionals working with children with ASD. The study utilized 121 graduate students seeking degrees in various educational fields from three West Texas universities. This study assessed the overall effectiveness of the Communication Module by measuring the extent of knowledge gained through the viewing of the module, analyzing the appropriateness and accessibility of its implementation, and determining whether an individual’s past experiences and knowledge could serve to predict their perceptions of the module’s content and design. Data analysis substantiated the module’s worth as a professional development tool. Participants who had access to the Communication Module exhibited significant gains in their content knowledge. Furthermore, those participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the module. Results from data analysis led the researcher to propose four practical implications for using the module as a parent information and professional development tool: improvement in strategy presentation, incorporation of a summary page, reworking of technology, and revisitation of the information. In education, the ultimate concern is for the well-being of the children. Providing individuals with the necessary information will, undoubtedly, help ensure that children receive the best education possible.Item Discussing art in the early childhood classroom : an action research study in professional development(2014-05) Kacir, Lucinda Margaret; Mayer, Melinda M.This study uses an action research methodology to create, implement, evaluate, and improve a professional development workshop for early childhood educators. The purpose of the workshop was to provide training in art education for practicing teachers in a childcare center. The workshop was intended to enable teachers to lead art discussions in the early childhood classroom derived from museum education teaching strategies. As a museum educator and early childhood teacher, the researcher was compelled to develop the workshop based on her experience in the field. Realizing that professional development opportunities in art education topics other than art making are not readily available to educators, the researcher used the existing, state mandated annual training requirement to address this void in early childhood teacher education. The learning potential within art discussions is addressed to make a case for the inclusion of these teaching strategies in early childhood classrooms. The findings of this study identify successful elements of professional development workshops for early childhood educators and make suggestions for other teacher-educators designing and leading such workshops.Item "Doing data" : addressing capacity for data use through professional learning(2011-05) Jimerson, Jo Beth; Wayman, Jeffrey C.; Reyes, Pedro; Holme, Jennifer J.; Olivarez, Ruben D.; Treisman, Philip U.; Pursch, VictoriaWhile school districts across the nation are pressed to make better and more frequent use of a range of educational data, they have few resources that help guide the process of improving educator capacity for data use. To date, there have been few efforts to examine the intersection of professional learning and data use to better guide efforts at improving educator data use capacity. In order to learn more about how school districts attempt to meet educator needs in terms of data-related learning, and how they use policies to approach this issue, I examined the intersection of data use and professional learning in three school districts. I used a qualitative case study methodology to examine these issues, and relied on interview data from n=110 individuals across the three districts, as well as document analysis in each district, to better understand the existing structures in each context and how those structures came to be. I also utilized random sampling for some focus groups, and used a peer nomination process for other focus groups, which allowed me to identify educators thought by their colleagues to be “exemplar” data users. I found that across the districts, educators at all levels articulated with remarkable consistency a range of skills and knowledge they said were essential to good data use. Also, educators were consistent in describing the kinds of professional learning structures they thought best supported their needs as learners. However, in most cases, district structures fell short of these ideals. The districts rarely codified expectations related to the structure of professional learning or to data-related skills and knowledge in formal policy, and planning related to data use tended to be fragmented among many departments and leaders. As a result, there were many assumptions that “someone else” or another department was providing support in terms of data-related professional learning, while many times data use-related learning simply fell between the cracks. Informed by existing research and the results of this study, I posited a model aimed at supporting policymakers as they engage in planning for data-related professional learning.Item The effects of a professional development program on elementary and middle school teachers’ understanding and acceptance of macroevolution and how they teach it(2013-12) Cid, Christina Ramsey; Petrosino, Anthony J. (Anthony Joseph), 1961-Despite science education reform efforts stressing the importance of understanding evolution, many students receive little to no exposure to the most important unifying concept in biology. Since evolution is basic to the study of biology, its study should begin with the introduction of the life sciences to students in elementary school. However, many teachers lack sufficient evolutionary content knowledge, have limited acceptance of evolution, and have little confidence to effectively teach it. Better teacher preparation is needed to meet the challenges of ensuring students develop conceptual understanding of evolution. While research shows the general public typically accepts microevolution while rejecting macroevolution, few studies have focused on peoples’ understanding of macroevolution. Additionally, little research exists examining the effects of an intervention on elementary and middle school teachers’ acceptance, understanding, and teaching of macroevolution. Using a conceptual framework based on the Cognitive Reconstruction of Knowledge Model, this study reports the effects of a sustained professional development program on 4th through 8th grade teachers’ acceptance of evolution; understanding of macroevolution; and approach to teaching evolution in schools, awareness of challenges to teaching evolution, and pedagogical content knowledge about teaching macroevolution. This study also explores the relationship between teachers’ understanding of macroevolution and acceptance of evolution. Various data sources, including the Measurement of the Understanding of Macroevolution (Nadelson & Southerland, 2010), the Measure of the Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (Rutledge & Warden, 1999), teacher interviews, and teacher workshop reflections, were used to answer the research questions. Results from the study revealed that after attending the professional development series, teachers’ understanding of macroevolution and acceptance of evolution significantly increased. Acceptance of evolution was positively correlated to understanding of macroevolution. Teachers’ prior understanding of macroevolution was a significant positive predictor of their subsequent acceptance of evolution. Teachers’ prior acceptance of evolution was a significant predictor of their understanding of macroevolution, but only after teachers participated in at least half of the sustained professional development. Finally, teachers demonstrated having increased macroevolutionary pedagogical content knowledge. This effect was strong in those teachers who were initially low acceptors of evolution. The significance of these findings is discussed.Item The effects of coaching on teacher knowledge, teacher practice and reading achievement of at-risk first grade students(2013-12) Haring, Christa Dawn; Vaughn, Sharon, 1952-The effects of coaching on teacher and student outcomes were compared to outcomes of classes randomized to professional development only and comparison conditions. Twenty-one teachers, trained to implement a Tier II reading intervention curriculum, were grouped by campus then randomized to one of three conditions: professional development plus coaching support (n=6), professional development only (n=7) and a comparison condition (n=8). Teachers in the coached and professional development only (un-coached) conditions were compared on measures of teacher knowledge and implementation fidelity as an indication of teacher practice. Student achievement scores on word attack, reading fluency and reading comprehension measures were compared for students in each of the three conditions. A multiple-gating procedure was used to help teachers identify the five lowest-performing readers in their first grade classrooms. Students completed a battery of seven reading ability assessments prior to and immediately following teacher-implementation of a seventeen-week reading intervention curriculum. Results of ANCOVA analyses indicated students in classes of teachers who received professional development and coaching support did not demonstrate significantly higher scores than teachers who only received professional development training on a battery of reading measures. Further analysis indicated students in the professional development plus coaching condition did have significantly higher scores than those in comparison conditions on five of the seven outcome measures. Teachers in coached and professional development only conditions completed a teacher knowledge survey to measure their knowledge of evidence-based reading practices. ANCOVA analysis revealed no significant differences between groups at posttest. Changes in teacher practice were measured as a function of intervention implementation fidelity. Intervention teachers were videotaped three times over the course of the intervention and taped classes were scored, rated and compared across conditions. Results of a Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance on fidelity scores revealed a statistically significant difference in favor of the teachers who received professional development plus coaching.Item Enhancing sheltered social studies instruction for ELLs in secondary school(2012-05) Smith, Regina Maxine; Callahan, Rebecca M.; Horwitz, ElaineThis report explores the concept of sheltered instruction in response to the shifting demographics of English language learners (ELLs) in educational institutions across the United States. Following a discussion of the goals of and threats to sheltered instruction, I recommend the integration of social studies pedagogy and English language development in the sheltered classroom. The blending of social studies instructional practices and language acquisition pedagogy promotes a safe, culturally-sensitive environment in which ELLs can develop linguistic, socio-cultural, and academic skills in secondary school. I also acknowledge that teachers’ attitude toward ELLs can potentially influence their academic achievement. Therefore, I recommend that all teachers participate in three areas of professional development: socio-cultural sensitivity, pedagogical practices, and policy awareness. Enhancing sheltered social studies instruction and participating in professional development have the potential to provide ELLs with quality grade-level education and the means to become successful secondary students.Item An evaluation of professional development methods and their effects on teachers' technological pedogogical content knowledge and technology use(2011-08) Jones, Sara Jolly; Borich, Gary D.; Svinicki, MarillaAlthough technology is becoming more common in schools, effectively integrating technology into the classroom can be a challenge for teachers. Teachers must understand how technology interacts with their content and pedagogical strategies to enhance student learning outcomes. Various theory-based training methods have been proposed to increase the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of teachers (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). In-service teachers have an established teaching style, or preference for specific pedagogical activities, which may influence how they respond to trainings either congruent or dissimilar to their own teaching practices. This study uses MANCOVA to investigate how middle school math teachers’ teaching styles preferences influence their technology integration in a lesson plan following three different types of training. The implications for the proposed study suggested future evaluation of a fourth professional development method to integrate teachers’ teaching styles and offer more prolonged support and reflection during the training process. This fourth method, lesson study, allows teachers to reflex on different ways of teaching as a group and may lead to change in teaching style beyond that possible in the first three methods. The final chapter of this report includes an evaluation plan for the proposed lesson study professional development.Item Faculty change for disciplinary literacies instruction : effects of cognitive modeling as an instructional strategies in online professional development(2014-05) Read, Michelle Fulks; Hughes, Joan E.; Svinicki, Marilla D., 1946-This mixed-methods case study centered on an online professional development (PD) event targeting university-level teacher educators and higher education discipline-specific instructors. The topic of the online PD was disciplinary literacy and the promoted use of metacognitive modeling via think-aloud as an instructional strategy for secondary students in various discipline areas. The study aimed to understand how the use of the same instructional strategy by the PD facilitators affected participants in terms of changes to (a) their knowledge about and attitudes towards reading instruction in the disciplines (e.g., mathematics, social studies, science, the arts); (b) their beliefs regarding learner-centered/non learner-centered classrooms; (c) their general teaching philosophies; and (d) their self-efficacy to use and teach the strategy to others. Specifically, it looked for any relationships between these changes, their intention to apply the same instructional strategy in their own classes and/or teach their pre- and in-service teachers the strategy, and participant perceptions on the importance of the strategy to their learning. The online PD was accessible over a period of four weeks in the winter/spring of 2012. Ten participants from various institutions took part in this study by completing surveys, submitting metacognitive modeling samples pre- and post- PD, and participating in interviews. All participants experienced change during this PD event through the acquisition of new knowledge, while many showed resultant changes to their attitudes and beliefs. Changes in knowledge were most evident in the pre- and post- metacognitive modeling samples the participants provided, with increased scores indicating improvement in their ability to use the instructional strategy. Most evidence of other change is found throughout their interviews. Overall, the participants rated and ranked the metacognitive modeling example videos provided by the PD facilitators as nearly integral to their learning. The largest limitation of the study was the small number of participants. Discussion discerns the nature of teacher change, provides suggestions for future PD design/research, and asserts that the goal of PD, traditionally to result in changed teaching practices in the classroom, instead be to provide the knowledge and initial experience educators can use as a foundation to change in all areas.Item Implementing Reading Workshop: Why Do Teachers Find it so Hard? A Case Study of Two Elementary Teachers(2011-05) Satterwhite, Macy D.; Button, Kathryn A.; Johnson, Margaret; Lesley, Mellinee; Rudd, LorettaThe purpose of this study was to examine teacher growth and development within the context of literacy instruction. More specifically, this qualitative case study examines and describes the professional support needed by two intermediate grade teachers to make meaningful and effective instructional decisions during the implementation of a reading workshop framework for teaching. This study adds to the body of literature as to how teachers’ professional growth needs can be met in this day of high-stakes accountability and reduced paid time for professional study. The study was designed: (1) to identify what supports were needed to give the teachers the knowledge and confidence to institute a reading workshop format of teaching; (2) to ascertain how these teachers made daily teaching decisions; and (3) to suggest how professional development opportunities can be instituted when a lack of time and money for professional development exists. The data collected from this study included two transcribed teacher interviews, a teacher survey, transcribed field notes of classroom observations, collected teacher lesson plans, a transcribed focus group interview, and teacher demographic data. The findings from this study revealed that these particular teachers found many aspects of teaching using reading workshop difficult to navigate on their own. The troublesome aspects included initial implementation of the workshop, teaching state standards and preparing students for the high-stakes reading test. These teachers depended on multiple levels of support when instituting reading workshop. Professional development sessions, collegial dialogue, and support from a literacy coach proved to be beneficial to teachers as they navigated this approach to teaching. While these support systems were valuable to teacher growth and development, it was ultimately the benefits to the students which motivated the teachers to continue with reading workshop in their classrooms.Item The influence of leadership coaching as perceived by secondary school principals of title I campuses in Texas(2012-05) Greenwalt, Michael Wayne; Gooden, Mark A.; Ovando, Martha N.; Cantu, Norma V.; Garza, Ruben; Pringle, PatWhile various systems of support and professional development are in place for teachers, there remains a distinct void when it comes to these same opportunities for beginning and especially, experienced principals. An emerging form of assistance for campus principals is leadership coaching: a confidential relationship between a professional coach and principal focused on capacity building and the provision of time and support for the school leader to thoughtfully reflect, plan, problem solve, and establish and achieve significant goals. Leadership coaching is an investment in campus principals, which seems to fill an immediate need for them to experience relevant, ongoing, job-embedded, and individualized professional development. This multiple-case qualitative study, using a grounded theory approach, was framed by the research questions: What are the experiences of middle and high school principals participating in leadership coaching and what benefits result from principal participation in leadership coaching? Through the constant comparative analysis of individual and collective data obtained through semi-structured interviews, observations, and documental evidence of principals participating in leadership coaching, principals’ perceptions of their leadership coaching experience and any benefits were revealed. Overall, findings suggested that participation in leadership coaching was perceived positively and led to principals taking time to pause from their stressful roles and responsibilities to reflect and plan. Principals described factors that accounted for initially connecting with their coaches, such as client readiness and the coach’s experience, as well as the conditions established by the coach that helped build and sustain a healthy coaching relationship: safety, flexibility, action-orientation, and skillful guidance. Additionally, principals reported personal, professional, and organizational benefits resulting from leadership coaching. Personal benefits included better self-care, reduced isolation, increased self-confidence, and heightened self-awareness. On a professional level, coaching resulted in the generation of plans/ideas, improved communication, individualized professional development, and an enhanced sense of efficacy. And finally, organizational benefits were identified in areas of staffing, solutions, student performance, and the extension of coaching to others.Item Job-embedded professional development in reading for teachers of English language learners(2013-08) Cavazos, Hermelinda Ortiz; Linan-Thompson, Sylvia, 1959-; Ortiz, Alba A.The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of job-embedded professional development, with coaching, on teachers' of ELLs content knowledge and instructional practice in the area of reading and how teachers perceived this type of professional development. Professional development in reading was provided to first grade teachers of English Language Learners at one urban elementary school. The following research questions guided this study: (a) How does job-embedded professional development in reading influence individual teacher's knowledge about reading instruction for English Language Learners? (b) How does job-embedded professional development in reading influence individual teacher's reading instruction for English Language Learners? (c) How do teachers perceive a job-embedded approach to professional development in reading instruction? This study employed a mixed methods design using both quantitative and qualitative data to allow for a comprehensive examination of the phenomenon from various perspectives. Results indicate that teachers changed their content knowledge and instructional practices, and perceived the training as beneficial. Job-embedded professional development offers an effective method for delivery of professional development to teachers of ELLs that meets their diverse learning needs and varying levels of content knowledge and experience.Item Landscapes of practice : stories of teacher development and change(2010-12) Masterson, Lynn Ashman; Maloch, Beth; Fairbanks, Colleen M.; Worthy, Mary Jo; Schallert, Diane L.; Cary, Lisa J.The purpose of this study was to explore (1) how teachers build knowledge, (2) the influence of prior beliefs on the ways in which teachers internalize this knowledge, and (3) the degree to which teachers use this new knowledge to facilitate changes in their practice. The use of landscape as a metaphorical representation for this study satisfied two needs. First, this study took place on two fundamentally different landscapes—a summer writing institute where the teachers took the role of learner, and in three teachers’ classrooms where they were to enact what they learned. However, in a more abstract sense, these landscapes, considered “exterior” (Lopez, 1995) were also places in which people lived, sharing their thoughts about families, teaching, learning, schools, and children. Thought of as “interior landscapes,” (Lopez, 1995) these conversations revealed the dialogic nature of the relationship between the two and made it possible to engage in a Bahktinian analysis of the interplay between internally persuasive and authoritative discourses voiced in the narratives. Utilizing a narrative inquiry approach (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) as a methodological base, the study focused on the relationship between professional development and the possibilities for change in each of the teacher’s classrooms. The representation of the data consisted of the many stories that took place on the two landscapes of the institute and the classrooms—stories of the teacher, school, district, community, and the state. The findings suggest that strategies alone will not improve the instruction in writing classrooms and that researchers, teacher educators, and those who provide professional development need to rethink the cultural narrative of “change.” Consideration must be given to the dialogic interplay among the various discourses, both authoritative and internally persuasive, that live on the interior landscapes of the teachers and the role each plays in the change process. Therefore, professional development settings need to become places where teachers are guided through a process to examine their deeply held assumptions of students, writing curriculum, and what constitutes knowledge.Item The living newspaper program : drama-based collaborative professional development with teachers of English and Spanish as a foreign language(2013-05) Schildkret, Elizabeth Griffin; Lazarus, JoanThe Living Newspaper Project, a project-based learning model in which students conduct research on a topic, create a script, and perform their work for their peers, has been an outreach program in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas at Austin since 2005, but its potential as a professional development program has never been explored at this institution. This MFA Thesis documents the process of designing, implementing, and analyzing a collaborative professional development program for the Living Newspaper Project. The Living Newspaper Project collaborative Professional Development Program was piloted with an English teacher in Austin, Texas, and three Spanish Teachers in Merida, Venezuela. This document examines their thoughts, observations, and experiences in the program, as well as the writings of theorists and the work of other professionals in arts-based professional development to determine what aspects of a professional development program enable teachers to implement a Living Newspaper in their classrooms.