With the changes in Common Core State Standards, it was essential to explore how elementary pre-service teachers' sense of fractions is developing and their thoughts about how to teach fractions. A gap in practice exists because it is unknown how pre-service elementary teachers, after student-teaching, perceive their level of in-practice knowledge…

The interplay between teacher knowledge and pedagogical practices in diverse classroom contexts is situated in teachers' identities as theorizers, interpreters, and critics of their own practice. Understanding how professional learning is mediated in this context is critical to both the construction of new knowledge and the application of…

K-12 students with disabilities in the United States are increasingly enrolling in online schools and educational programs. Therefore, K-12 online public and charter school special education (SpecEd) teachers must be prepared to develop and implement individualized educational plans (IEPs) that meet the procedural and substantive requirements of…

This quantitative correlational-predictive study measured the extent to which higher education instructors' self-confidence, measured through technology knowledge (TK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), predicts perceptions of teaching effectiveness following online instructor training among adjunct and…

With the increasing numbers of emergent multilingual learners (EMLs) in U.S. public schools, it is imperative that all teachers feel confident and competent to teach these students. Teacher self-efficacy is a teacher's belief in their capability to execute teaching tasks. High teacher self-efficacy is positively associated with teacher motivation,…

This study was designed to investigate whether teacher literacy content knowledge affects student achievement in Texas schools. Teacher participants from Texas public schools completed a three-part survey. In Parts 1 and 2, teachers completed a demographic section and teacher knowledge of foundational reading skills. The survey consisted of…

As the most important in-school factor in student learning, elementary school teachers must be able to offer all students the quality mathematical learning experiences that they deserve; and the opportunities to learn that pre-service teachers (PSTs) encounter during their preparation programs impact their ability to do so. Content courses are…

Adding to the current body of research on inference making skills and young learners, this study examined the knowledge base of classroom teachers, speech-language pathologists, and other literacy specialists. Specifically, educator knowledge was considered in relation to the extant literature on the inference making abilities of young children.…

Given the competing contexts of teacher education, it is important to uncover what teacher educator knowledge concerning curriculum design and development emerges in design, implementation, and instruction during the transition from in-person to online contexts. Yet, there is little research that uncovers teacher educator knowledge in curriculum…

This dissertation examines the skills, knowledge, and support needs of novice and experienced Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) teachers in higher education in the United States. Using a critical ecological approach (CEA) framework, it aims to contribute to the global growing body of research on LSP teacher preparation that has thus far…

Dual language and immersion (DLI) instruction at the secondary level is a particular challenge, as teachers are tasked with teaching abstract, cognitively complex content while supporting students in continuing to develop their partner language proficiency. This content and language integration requires a unique skill set and knowledge base, but…

Classroom teachers struggle to meet the needs of all students as the United States population continues to become more diverse. While preservice teacher training programs strive to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills to complete this task effectively, opportunity gaps between minority students and their peers continue to grow. Through…

The complexity of physical education instruction provides unique challenges for the physical education teacher. In this research, I sought to describe and examine the types of knowledge that physical education teachers use to inform their instructional practices. I also explored the relation between teaching experience and components of content…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand and describe the sources of Nicaraguan EFL teacher educators' knowledge base, the types of knowledge and skills that constructed their knowledge base, and the relationship of this knowledge base and classroom practices in a teacher education program at a Nicaraguan…

Teacher knowledge in early literacy instruction has been questioned in the field for over 20 years. A theoretical framework outlined by Chall, coupled with the findings of the National Reading Panel, provides a strong foundation for the disciplinary knowledge required to teach children to read. The "Basic Language Constructs Survey," a…