The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruptions to teaching and learning. In March 2020, COVID-19 pandemic was recognized as a life-threatening virus, therefore, schools across the United States of America had an induced lockdown, which prevented the continuation of in-person learning. Adjustments, quickly, were made to the learning…

The causal-comparative research study examined if academic achievement differs between African American 8th-grade students in schools where they constitute the majority versus the minority in Clarendon County, South Carolina. The research questions investigated 8th-grade African American students' academic performance in English Language Arts and…

The purpose of this article is to address how important a teacher's enthusiasm and the words they use can be. This is funneled through future professionals' teaching experiences, both peer to peer in the college classroom and teaching experiences in a middle school class.

This paper outlines the logistics and discusses the benefits of the Professional Development School (PDS) partnership between Sandhills Middle School (SMS) in Lexington School District Four and the University of South Carolina (USC). Through this partnership as well as the University of South Carolina's Center for Excellence, teachers at Sandhills…

The purpose of this action research was to explore mathematics teachers' current practices and perceptions of technology integration, as well as the factors that influence their perceptions of technology integration. Across the country, states have partnered with federal efforts, taking an active role in building a technology-rich learning…

In this qualitative descriptive case study, I explored the issue of teacher retention, a growing concern within public K-12 education systems in the United States, particularly in South Carolina. I aimed to understand the unique organizational factors within individual school districts that influence retention decisions from the perspectives of…

Alternatively certified teachers constitute a growing portion of public school educators in the U.S. This is a trend that is expected to continue, due to the declining enrollment in traditional teacher preparation programs across recent years. As such, this report examines the profiles of alternatively certified teachers working in South Carolina…

Student academic success is key to education. The problem was not all middle school students, grades 6-8, across southeastern South Carolina were performing at a level of academic readiness for the next grade level. The study filled gaps in the literature by examining participants' perceptions of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics…

Purpose: To examine the relationship between the South Carolina middle school physical education assessment results and the school characteristics. In addition, the relationship between teacher training attendance and student achievement were determined. Method: Student performance on four physical education indicators in 63 middle schools (and…

Nationally published research suggests middle and high school educators are often experts within their respective disciplines, but they may be unprepared to effectively consider literacy needs and ways to incorporate literacy within their discipline. To better understand teachers' perceived capabilities in their ability to teach and incorporate…

SC TEACHER's research mission includes publishing yearly reports that detail the South Carolina educator workforce, sharing insights with educators themselves, policymakers, community members, and other stakeholders. This report is an annual review of the state's public school teacher workforce. Analysis in this study uses statewide data from…

Environmental education (EE) is instrumental in developing environmentally literate citizens with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to support sustainable development. In the case of EE school field trips in the USA, these experiences also foster learning and skill development that supports meeting state and national educational…

Shifting demographics among racial and ethnic groups within the United States are reflected in the diversity of the middle grade student population, as they are members of longstanding racial groups or members of biracial or multiracial groups that have emerged. These diversities are causes for celebrations, but at the same time offer challenges…

This research study explored in-service teacher reflective practices. Data were collected via survey and interview to answer questions about how teachers define and engage in reflective practice, how teachers develop as reflective practitioners, and how reflective practice influences student achievement. The survey population included 170…

With more than two decades of on-the-ground experience impacting 300,000 educators and 3 million students, NIET's success is grounded in research. The success of NIET's work is evident in the positive findings from evaluations of impact. In NIET's 2022-23 Research Summary, we summarize findings from five new studies and highlight selected findings…