Field experiences during teacher preparation are fundamental to helping teacher candidates understand their future roles and responsibilities and can effectively prepare them to meet diverse student needs across a variety of contexts. This multiple case study examined the perspectives of three special education dual certification teacher…

The problem addressed by this qualitative case study is that many principals do not understand special education law and policy after completing administrator programs, which may affect their ability to conduct proper or effective implementation of special education law, policy, and instruction. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to…

Low performing schools remain an issue within Louisiana. The problem addressed by this study was low student performance in underperforming schools due to lack of understanding in pedagogy by teachers. The use of master teachers as instructional coaches is one way this school district sought to improve student achievement. The purpose of this…

Adjunct faculty members are a predominant resource used to instruct at higher education institutions. Because of this, there are constant questions about the ability of adjunct faculty members to instruct on the same level as full-time and tenure-track faculty members. This becomes a question of whether or not adjunct faculty members are provided…

The purpose of this study was to explore how instructional coaches used research-based strategies to personalize their support for teachers. It also examined the larger implementation factors that helped or hindered their facilitation of such professional learning in a single district context. This included the adaptation of instructional coaching…

This multiple case study sought to examine the individual experiences of three different teachers' experiences with learning about and using project-based learning in their elementary classrooms. The following factors influencing teachers' instructional decision making were used: teacher knowledge, teacher pedagogical beliefs, teacher…

Teacher educators broadly agree upon the need to prepare teachers who, as lifelong learners, are poised to meet the perpetually changing demands of teaching. One widely cited approach to addressing this need is to promote the development of an inquiry stance among teacher candidates by engaging them in the cyclical process of practitioner…

Researchers have known for several years that when a child is reading below proficiency by the end of third grade, it is likely the child will continue to struggle learning to read through the child's academic career (Dickinson & Porche, 2011; Wasik & Hindman, 2011). Yet, the problem of children falling below third grade reading…

Over the past several decades, science education reforms have called for students to develop appropriate views of the nature of science and have a comprehensive understanding of subject matter. Additionally, education research has demonstrated that teachers must have appropriate views of the nature of science and strong content knowledge as…

This qualitative case study explored the pivotal role of staff development teachers (SDTs) as instructional leaders and their impact on teacher professional growth within elementary schools. While ample research has illuminated the essential components of effective professional development, there remains a gap in understanding the intricate…

Project-based (PBL) learning has been found to improve student achievement, engagement, and interpersonal and intrapersonal skills; however, it is not widely implemented in K-12 schools in the United States. Prior research has established several barriers and challenges to implementing PBL in K-12 schools including challenges related to teacher…

The case study of two-non tenured special education teachers investigated the impact of a targeted teaching approach on disruption rates of EBD students. The Responsive Classroom Approach, specifically, provided teachers with ample skills to effectively address the challenges that arose in the classroom, beyond the scope of teaching a lesson. The…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to examine teachers' perceptions on how their engagement and satisfaction in professional development opportunities influence their efficacy in applying the skills learned. Three research questions guided the study: How do teachers describe their efficacy in applying skills learned from…

Some professional learning communities (PLC) are successful, and others are unsuccessful leading to questions about which characteristics of a group of people are important to the success of the community. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the factors contributing to the presence of a community of practice between…

This single-case case study explores the experiences of eight public school educators in the St. Louis area who support English Learners (ELs) and participate in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The public school system was not designed to support the diversity it is currently experiencing, and educators want to be able to support…