Browsing by Subject "Teacher"
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Item Bringing together theory and practice: The director as teacher in academic theatre(2009-05) Kelley, Sean Michael; Marks, Jonathan; Gelber, BillThis thesis is about bringing theatre theory and practice together through the director’s role as a teacher in academic theatre. Directing texts and programs were researched to provide the past and present views of the director as a teacher for academic theatre. The need for the director to perform as a teacher is established as well as using the production as a teaching tool. Numerous teaching opportunities are explored as well as methods for training the director as a teacher.Item Modeling teacher effectiveness as a function of student ability(2013-05) Jackson, Christian Dennis; Lin, Tse-minIn 2010, the L.A. Times newspaper used the test results of Los Angeles County elementary students to assess and rank the elementary teachers. They then published the results on their website. Publicly ranking teachers in this manner has important implications on the careers of the teachers being ranked. It is, therefore, important that any model claiming to rank teachers be as accurate as possible. It seems plausible that a teacher's ability to help a student depends upon that student's prior academic ability. Some teachers might be better at teaching gifted students while others might be better at teaching remedial students. The L.A. Times did not account for this in their model. This paper looks at the results of allowing teacher effect to vary with prior student ability and how that interaction affects the relative rankings of the individual teachers. To assess this, the same Value-Added model the L.A. Times used is employed, with the exception that teacher effect is allowed to vary with the prior abilities of the students. New teacher ranks are then calculated and compared with the ranks calculated by the L.A. Times. The results of this analysis show a relatively small number of rank changes between the two models. In general, allowing teacher effect to vary results in a 5% to 12% change in the rankings of both the Math and Reading teachers relative to the L.A Times model. Other research on the same data has resulted in a 20% to 55% change in the rankings of the Math teachers and a 40% to 65% change in the rankings of the Reading teachers relative to the L.A. Times model. Although ranking teachers is a popular idea for determining the distribution of funding, the model shown in this paper as well as the other models reviewed, illustrate that a change in the model results in a change in the rankings of the teachers. A model that allows teacher effect to vary with prior student ability results in a better model fit than a model that does not. Whether or not this is a good thing is hard to say. Two examples are provided in this paper. One shows a teacher whose rank appears to be artificially inflated by this model and the other shows a teacher whose rank appears to be artificially lowered by this method. Although the fit of the model proposed by this paper is better than the model used by the L.A. Times, it does not result in radical changes in the rankings of the teachers. Rather, it seems that teacher rankings are sensitive to the particular model used and there are countless numbers of valid models. For this reason it is not wise to release such sensitive information to the public. It is probably true that the weak teachers are ranked relatively low in this analysis and that the truly good teachers are ranked relatively high. However, these rankings should only be used as one part of a larger metric to rank teachers and too much weight should not be placed on them for the purposes of rewarding or penalizing teachers due to the sensitivity of the model specification.Item Pre-service teachers' perceptions of a student-centered approach for integrating technology in content areas(2006-05) Cyrus, Jacquelyn D.; Maushak, Nancy; White, David; White, Janet; Johnson, Peggy; Crooks, Steven M.This research study investigated 2 concerns. First, with what technology skills did pre- service teachers enter the technology applications course? The self-reported technology skills knowledge mean gain scores increased on all of the 10 subscales of the Technology Questionnaire. Secondly, what did pre-service teachers perceive their roles to be in the classroom without computer use compared to the classroom within a computer environment? The study results showed no significant difference in mean gain scores between preservice teachers' perceptions of teacher-centered roles and their perceptions of student-centered roles in classrooms without computers. There was a significant difference for student-centeredness in environments using computers. The expectation was for there to be a shift in perspective back to teacher-centeredness when asked for choice of computer uses. However, when asked to report on their choice of computer uses in classrooms using computers, preservice teachers maintained their student-centeredness approaches. The preservice teachers would more likely use the computer as a student-centered tool after instruction in a learner-centered technology integration class.Item ¿Puedo tener un code-switching? Codeswitching en estudiantes de doctorado enseñando cursos de español lengua extranjera(2010-08) Vacas-Matos, Marta; Salaberry, M. Rafael; Hensey, Frederick G.Este trabajo presenta los resultados de una investigación sobre el uso del inglés (la lengua materna de los estudiantes) por los profesores en la clase de segundo semestre de español a nivel de universidad. Los resultados mostraron que las profesoras escogían conscientemente la lengua que utilizaban así como cuándo y cómo la empleaban en clase. Parece que la experiencia de las profesoras como instructoras hacía que el inglés fuera menos usado por las que tenían más práctica como instructoras o un mejor domino de su L2, ya fuera ésta el inglés o el español. Sin embargo, los usos más discutidos y esperados del inglés en clase (logístico y pedagógico) no fueron en ningún caso el más común. La razón principal por la que las profesoras usaban el inglés era por cuestiones de relación de comunicación con sus estudiantes, es decir, el uso social de la lengua. This paper presents the results of a study centered on the use of English (L1 of the students) by teachers in the second-semester college level Spanish class. The results show that instructors consciously choose when and how they use English or Spanish and that the more experienced teachers, as well as those that have a better dominance of their L2, use less English in class. My research adds to that from previous investigations through the analysis of the social, logistical and pedagogical use of the students’ L1. My study shows that educators use English socially in order to establish rapport with their students far more often than for logistical or pedagogical reasons.Item Readiness for self-directed learning and the cultural values of individualism/collectivism among American and South Korean college students seeking teacher certification in agriculture(Texas A&M University, 2006-04-12) Lee, In HeokThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between self-directed learning readiness and the cultural values of individualism/collectivism in two sample groups drawn from different cultures. The research design used for this study was descriptive and correlational in nature. The target population for this study consisted of two sample groups: Korean and American college students who seek teacher certification in the field of agriculture. Data were collected using a web-formatted questionnaire. Results were computed statistically, including the means, standard deviations, effect size, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, bivariate correlations, and multiple regression. Findings indicated that in a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, scores for the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) (R2 = .03, adjusted R2 = .01, p = .30) in Step 1 was not statistically significantly related by gender, student classification, and GPA. Gender, student classification, and GPA accounted for only 3% of the variance and the three beta weights for the gender, student classification, and GPA variables were not statistically significantly related to the SDLRS. However, scores for SDLRS (R2= .34, adjusted R2 = .30, ??R2 = .31, p =.00) in Step 2 was statistically significantly related by gender, student classification, GPA, nationality, vertical individualism (VI), horizontal individualism (HI), vertical collectivism(VC), and horizontal collectivism(HC). This model accounted for 34 % of the variance in the SDLRS (R2 change = .31). It appears that nationality, VI, HI, VC, and HC accounted for a further 31% of the variance. However, in Step 1, the gender, student classification, and GPA variables did not account for a significant amount of variance in Step 2. The beta weight for nationality and VI variables were not statistically significantly related to the SDLRS (E = -0.15, t = -1.67, p = .10; E = 0.01, t = 0.10, p = .92, respectively). However, the beta for the HI variable was statistically significant and positive (E = 0.40, t = 4.31, p = .00). The beta for the VC variable also was statistically significant and positive (E = 0.20, t = 2.12, p = .04). The beta for the HC variable also was statistically significant and positive (E = 0.21, t = 2.19, p = .03). These findings indicated that if HI, VC, and HC attitudes are high, the SDLRS scores tend to be high. That is, differences in the students?? SDLRS can be best explained through HI, VC, and HC among the cultural values of individualism/collectivism.Item Recasts in the EFL classroom : a comparison of native and nonnative teachers(2010-05) Yang, Yi-Chun Christine; Blyth, Carl S. (Carl Stewart), 1958-; Schallert, Diane; Horwitz, Elaine K.; Abrams, Zsuzsanna; Svinicki, MarillaRecasting (i.e., corrective feedback in which the teacher paraphrases a learner's incorrect utterance without explicitly labeling it as erroneous) is a frequent phenomenon in classroom discourse. Despite its frequency and naturalness, educators continue to debate its efficacy. At issue is whether learners notice such implicit feedback in order to make use of it. This on-going debate centers on the following question: What makes a teacher's recast noticeable to a student? While most of the studies in the recast literature have emphasized student factors such as working memory and/or developmental readiness (e.g., Havranek & Cesnik, 2001), few studies have explored how teacher factors affect learner perceptions of and receptivity to recasts. This study fills this gap by employing qualitative methods to investigate student perceptions of their teacher recasts. Six classes in Applied English Departments at three different institutes of technology in mid-southern Taiwan participated in this study. Different methods were employed to gather student and teacher data in order to arrive at a more complete understanding of classroom recasts: classroom observations, individual student interviews, group stimulated recall interviews, and teacher interviews. According to student interview data, seven teacher categories (e.g., nativeness, teacher language use, teacher affect, etc.) were found to have a significant impact on students’ noticing of and receptivity to recasts. In particular, the findings indicate that EFL student perceptions of recasts are profoundly affected by teachers’ language use (e.g. phonetic and syntactic features) and teachers' nativeness (e.g., native vs. nonnative). Other factors such as teacher-student rapport also mediate students’ attention to and understanding of feedback. In addition to the student self-report data, classroom observation data of teachers' behavior indicated striking differences as well--native teachers tended to correct more grammatical errors while nonnative teachers corrected more phonological errors. In light of these findings, suggestions for improving student awareness of corrective recasts are given to both native and nonnative teachers. It is hoped that the qualitative categories uncovered in this study will lead to more rigorous, testable hypotheses for future quantitative analysis.Item Relationship between Teachers? Beliefs and Student Achievement in Middle School Mathematics(2014-12-08) Balzer, Jill FranceneThe purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a relationship between teachers? beliefs and student achievement in middle school mathematics. A total of 35 teachers chose to participate from nine separate middle schools in an urban school district in Texas. Additionally, 1,095 data from students from economically disadvantaged households were analyzed in conjunction with their teacher?s data. The independent variables were two surveys that measured teachers? beliefs about intelligence and classroom goal orientation. The dependent variables were students? scores and yearly progress made on the state math exam (STAAR). Data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations for both dependent variables. Results of the study indicated that there was a statistically significant positive correlation between a teacher?s beliefs and their student?s yearly progress in math. However, no significant relationship was found between a teacher?s beliefs and their students scale scores on the STAAR math exam. Further results revealed that there was a statistically significant negative relationship between a teacher?s classroom goal orientation and student scale scores and progress made in math in one year. These findings show that the beliefs that teachers hold about intelligence and approaches to instruction may be related to student achievement levels in middle school math. The study concludes with implications and limitations of the study and makes recommendations for future research on teacher beliefs and student achievement.Item Stories of how art teachers use art making to reflect on professional practice(2013-05) Borrelli, Rebecca Jeanne; Bain, ChristinaResearch shows the choices a teacher makes in the classroom are grounded in more than pedagogy, technical skill, and formal preparation through acquisition of teaching methods, materials and techniques. A teacher’s professional decisions are shaped by personal and professional histories, life experiences, current endeavors, and expectations for the future (Clandinin & Connelly, 1995). In this qualitative narrative study, I focused on the ways art making might be utilized as a professional development tool for reflection on the intersection of teacher identity and practice. During the summer of 2012, in collaboration with the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, six Austin Independent School District art teachers and I shared personal and professional reflections inspired by our art making. I used narrative analysis and coding to interpret and reveal the ways teachers used art to reflect on their identity and professional practice. In addition to these findings, this study revealed that teachers have a desire and need to reflect on the intersection of identity and practice. The lack of current research on identity as a shaping force of professional practice was the primary motivator in pursuing this research. Identity and the internal lives of teachers play a powerful role in the way they educate young people. Research such as this study emphasizes identity as a valuable and integral part of teaching work. Our perspective of the teaching profession needs to expand beyond an occupational sum of its parts: curriculum, management and learning assessment. Recognizing and addressing the ways teachers’ dispositions shape their teaching practice (Hansen, 2005) through future research can boldly expand definitions of professional development and the teaching profession to include teachers’ internal lives.Item Teacher perceptions of positive reinforcement procedures for students with emotional/behavioral disorders(Texas Tech University, 2011-02) Hendley, Sarah LouiseStudents diagnosed with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) often exhibit inappropriate behaviors which limit them from establishing appropriate social relationships at home, at school, and in the community. These inappropriate classroom behaviors may also present obstacles to academic achievement. In order to teach and promote desired behavior in students diagnosed with E/BD, educators are encouraged to incorporate proactive behavior management interventions in the classroom setting. However, although positive reinforcement procedures have been shown to support desired behavior changes in students many researchers and educators argue against the use of positive reinforcers to motivate and teach students appropriate behaviors.
The current study examined the use of positive reinforcement procedures in two self-contained social adjustment elementary classrooms for students diagnosed with E/BD. This research investigated how two teachers utilized positive reinforcement procedures with students in two social adjustment elementary classrooms. Specifically, the researcher examined how the teachers felt about positive reinforcement procedures and the primary and secondary reinforcers they incorporated in an established token economy system. The results of this study contributed to research investigating the use of positive reinforcement procedures and token reinforcers as a means to promote positive, long-term behavior changes in students with E/BD.
This qualitative case study was conducted over an eight week time period. The study was guided by three main research questions: (1) How do teachers of students with E/BD feel about positive reinforcement procedures?; (2) What process do teachers follow when delivering positive reinforcers in a self-contained classroom for students with E/BD?, and (3) How do teachers of students with E/BD deliver token reinforcers to students with E/BD? The researcher utilized participant observation, interviewing, and teacher journals as a means to collect data from the two participating special education teachers.
An analysis of data led the researcher to identify insightful information related to how each of the participating teachers perceived positive reinforcement procedures. In addition, findings indicated teacher self-awareness of daily use of these methods may be related to the perception or understanding of the elements incorporated in the actual delivery of positive reinforcement procedures. The interpretation of data generated practical implications and recommendations for teachers to consider when establishing a token economy system in classrooms for students with E/BD.Item Teacher Sensemaking of Student Discipline Practices in a Small Town Texas Middle School(2013-12-10) Russell, William F.This study examined teacher decision making regarding issuing student referrals using qualitative case study methodology. A single middle school was used for the case study to locate all data under a single institutional culture. A purposeful sample of six teachers was chosen, and each teacher was interviewed. These interview data sets were analyzed using Weick?s sensemaking theory regarding how individuals decide to resume flow of activities in a process once the flow has been disrupted. This theory was applied to the specific situation of how teachers resolved misbehavior within a classroom. Research participants were asked to describe the factors influencing teachers? decisions to write a referral for misbehavior, the benefits students receive from receiving a referral, and faculty responses to escalating misbehavior in their classrooms. This study attempted to give voice to teachers? reflections of attending to common classroom misbehavior and to find differences among teachers with different rates of student referrals. Participating faculty were generally satisfied with their referral rate and were effective in resuming the flow of classroom instruction after student disruptions. Although faculty members reported similar procedures for attending misbehavior, each instructor used these procedures in strikingly different ways.Item The teacher's body: discourse, power and discipline in the history of the feminization of teaching(Texas A&M University, 2006-08-16) Saavedra, Cinthya MichelleHistorical studies of the feminization of teaching have provided important additions to feminist understandings of teaching and education in general. However, most historical accounts of the feminization of teaching have absorbed the body. Teachers are presented as body-less entities. El cuerpo is ignored, passed over, and perhaps denied to the point of invisibility. The absence of the body in educational research is problematic. The purpose of this dissertation is to reveal the images of the body of the teacher in the history of the feminization of teaching (HFT) texts and to illuminate the discursive impacts on the body of the teacher in HFT texts. Multiple epistemologies of the body provide a theoretical framework and analytical tool to highlight the often-ignored and marginalized body of the teacher. I draw on multiple research methods of deconstruction, genealogical analysis, and carnal metodolog??as to allow for images of the body to emerge and for discursive impacts on the body to surface. Four images of the body are discussed as possibilities: teacher as container, spatial organization of the teacher??s body, teacher??s body as performative, and resisting bodies. The implications of the study suggest a rethinking of the teacher??s body as a vessel of multiple possibilities and counter discourses, beginning in a revolutionary teacher education. Western and androcentric conceptions of educational spaces must be redefined in order to allow for new possibilities for teaching and learning. Unleashing the ??unruly?? passionate body of the teacher is a subversive act of contingency and critical transformative pedagogies. The study concludes with recommendations for further research intended to broaden the research scope of current educational inquiry. Suggestions for deeper examinations include a genealogical analysis of teaching and the teacher in order to problematize current educational discourses (i.e., accountability, best practices, child centered, cooperative learning). Hybrid methodologies and examinations that center the body in current contexts could generate more discussion about the (im)possibility to carry out liberatory/radical projects in the classroom. Examinations of how research impacts and is impacted by the body could illuminate the inter- intrarelationship that research has with the body.