The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of third through fifth grade teachers on the effectiveness of district reading instruction training as it relates to reading achievement. This research was conducted for the following purposes: (a) to explore the perceptions of third through fifth grade teachers on the effectiveness of…

In this essay Brian R. Sevier, Joanna Bruno, Karol Gates, Stephanie Hartman, Mary Ellen Pittman, Vince Puzick, Phyllis Reed, and Beverly Reimer describe their effort at the Colorado Department of Education to recruit and engage educators in authoring free and open-source curriculum samples for preK-12 academic content areas. The story of…

This small scale study looks at the challenges teachers face and their attitudes. Drawing from the literature on teacher attrition, teacher burnout, and teacher collective efficacy, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a group of five teachers selected from a convenience sample. Three themes emerged: teachers struggle with students'…

The focus of this practice-based research was to explore teachers' perceptions of implementation approaches to multitiered system of supports (MTSS). For more than 10 years there have been varied approaches for implementation of MTSS, which has caused a lack of guidance and support for teachers. Therefore, this qualitative descriptive study…

In order to assess computational thinking (CT) modules embedded into multiple STEM courses for educators, we created a CT rubric which incorporates key CT components using Bloom's Taxonomy. We implemented the rubric in four different courses in our pre-service STEM education program for elementary and middle school teachers. We analyzed our rubric…

Student transition from one school to another is considered a major life event. Transition to middle school is further complicated by the onset of puberty at this developmental stage. The problem is middle school students are not prepared socially and emotionally for the transition to middle school. A gap exists in identifying the perceptions of…

Teacher accountability and test scores currently drive many practices within the field of education. At the same time, student populations have become increasingly diverse, causing classroom teachers to feel pressured to teach to the test. Differentiated instruction has emerged as a best practice to help maximize learning for all students.…

Third- to fifth-grade teachers are struggling to teach writing, and research had not addressed how their training to teach writing or their confidence in their ability to use effective strategies to teach writing influences their teaching. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore third- to fifth-grade teachers' training in…

The current study employs a qualitative, exploratory case study method examining the classroom practices of three 5th grade science teachers from two intermediate campuses within a school district in the Southwest. The study explores opportunities and barriers to high level questioning by teachers leading to critical thinking. Qualitative data…

This study seeks to examine the correlation between teachers' perceived social capital in their schools and their attitudes toward professional collaboration. Adopting a quantitative design, this study follows a relational survey model. The research sample is comprised of 456 teachers currently employed in Istanbul's district of Esenyurt during…

More than 50% of sixth-grade students at an urban middle school in the Southeastern United States scored below the 50th percentile (B50PR) of expected student outcomes on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth reading assessment. The problem to addressed in this study was that many sixth-grade students in the United States lack proficiency…

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to describe and explain children's thinking present in multiple related contexts surrounding a single Earth Space disciplinary core idea in order to provide insight on whether and how children's everyday thinking forms the basis for learning in science classrooms. As most previous work on…

This study examined the role of teacher self-efficacy and student-teacher relationships (i.e., closeness and conflict) in predicting teacher emotional exhaustion over one school year. Regression analyses conducted among a sample of 161 third- to sixth-grade teachers indicated that, for those who reported high levels of self-efficacy, the sharing…

As K-12 classrooms in the U.S. grow in linguistic diversity, there is a need to develop and evaluate the effects of instructional approaches that build knowledge of academic vocabulary for multilingual learners. While multimedia vocabulary instruction may represent a promising avenue for improving word learning for linguistically diverse…

Minimizing teacher stress is an essential aspect of effective teaching and supporting a healthy school climate. Previous research has indicated that teachers who experience elevated levels of occupational stress may have a negative perception of their school's climate, poor mental/physical health, poor relationships with their students, and are…