This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of novice nursing faculty members at one Midwestern Technical college, who were in formal mentoring relationships with seasoned nursing faculty members. A total of nine faculty members participated in a single, sixty minute, semi-structured interview exploring the lived experiences of being…

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes, practices, and behaviors of principals who foster teacher collective efficacy. The research questions were developed based upon Bandura's social cognitive theory to include (a) what are the "attitudes" held by principals that influence TCE; (b) what are the "behaviors"…

The purpose of this qualitative Action Research Study was to describe eight elementary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers' perceptions of a Professional Learning Community (PLC). The teacher-participants' opinions about the PLC were used to improve the existing PLC to promote a more reflective and collaborative environment where ELA teachers…

This qualitative, descriptive single-case study explored the transition from a hierarchical to a hierarchical-collaborative relationship between special education teachers (SET) and special education paraeducators (SEP). Sixteen participants, including eight veteran SET and eight SEP working in one county located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the…

Teacher turnover is a critical issue for the public education community because it influences student performance, school climate, and employee morale. In a large urban school district in the northeastern United States, the turnover rate has been high; teacher morale is low, and teacher participation in the school community is lacking. The purpose…

This study focused on the instructional competency needs of new dental hygiene educators. The purpose of this qualitative and phenomenological study was twofold: (a) to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of 14 dental hygiene educators who have transitioned from clinical practice into the California Community College education system to…

The purpose of this action research study was to examine the effects of implementing an online professional learning community (PLC) designed explicitly for teachers of gifted and talented (GT) English language arts (ELA) courses. The present action research (AR) is a limited mixed design study, including quantitative and qualitative elements, to…

This qualitative study utilized a semi-structured interview approach to better understand the experiences of general education teachers (n = 8) with the inclusion of special education students in the general education classroom. By gaining information about the experiences that general education teachers have with supports and services for, as…

Teacher collaboration is a school improvement priority that has the potential to positively impact student learning by building the capacity of teachers. In some states, teacher collaboration is mandated by legislation. The literature indicates that policy-driven collaboration in a top-down approach results in unintentional consequences and…

This qualitative case study explored how secondary special education teachers and transition specialists perceived their collaborative efforts when transitioning students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from secondary to higher education. The theory of transition established the platform for this study. Two of the theoretical principles of…

The purpose of this case study was to examine the role of social capital in the enactment of a faculty-based initiative designed to improve student success and completion at one community college. The concept of social capital--or the actual and potential resources that are embedded in relationships--has been examined in research studies in many…

A critical step in addressing a call for schools to use curricula such as problem-based learning (PBL) is developing an understanding of how school leaders can support its implementation. The purpose of this study was to examine ways school leaders at a comprehensive, public high school provided supports to teachers as they implemented this…

This qualitative case study examined the structures and conditions in one Massachusetts school district that supported new teachers. Data was gathered from semi-structured interviews with teachers and administrators, artifact analyses and participant observations of district meetings. While the existing literature on new teacher support focuses on…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers' perceptions of various factors, especially Catholic school identity factors, which are important to them and may influence their job satisfaction and retention in Catholic parochial schools after year five of their teaching career. An additional purpose of this study was to inform…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how teachers experience a stance toward inquiry through participation in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). In order to meet this objective, the following questions framed this research: (1) How do individual teachers make meaning of the epistemological and dialogic aspects of…