Although it has been established that U.S. students typically enter college unprepared to engage in interreligious conversations, it is unclear whether and to what extent a university course focused on the sociolinguistics of religion equips students to feel better prepared for such conversations. Therefore, this study employs an exploratory case…

This survey study gathered data from 63 secondary school teachers of six different foreign languages in the state of Utah. The study describes how secondary FL teachers viewed the role of culture in language teaching, the models and methods they used to teach culture, and their attention to culture in their lesson planning, instruction, and…

The purpose of this study is to examine the professional development (PD) needs of Chinese dual language immersion program (DLI) educators, particularly the PD supports these teachers receive. This instrumental case study examined the professional learning of four Chinese language DLI teachers through semi-structured interviews and observations of…

Physical education is critical to addressing childhood obesity, yet many school-based programs do not meet established quality standards and teachers are called upon to change. Little is known about how change is initiated and its associated internal and external factors. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate physical education…

Despite the growing popularity of WBL, the community college and workforce development fields need greater transparency and clarity on the design of these programs to broaden workforce pathways, ensure the transferability of exemplary program models, and support the advancement of equitable outcomes for all students, especially learners from…

This article examines the backgrounds and pedagogical evolution of twelve community college (CC) human anatomy and physiology faculty participating in a larger study known as the Community College Anatomy and Physiology Education Research (CAPER) project. Using qualitative analysis of interviews based on Luft & Roehrig's (2007) Teacher Belief…

Since 2013, a majority of states have been working to implement new standards for K-12 science education that are based on the National Research Council's framework for science education and the Next Generation Science Standards. The new science standards emphasize deeper understanding of content in relation to practices and a three-dimensional…

In 2017 the University of Utah experienced a tragedy which catalyzed already active changes in the department. In the aftermath, admissions to the graduate program was paused while new policies were developed and implemented. This article outlines this change process through the perspectives and accounts of those involved. Through in-depth…

This document is intended to help teachers understand and create Student Learning Objectives (SLOs). This resource is a practical guide intended to provide clarity to a complex but worthwhile task. This resource may also be used by administrators for professional learning. As Utah moves toward providing a "Model for Measuring Educator…

This qualitative study explored reasons K-6 teachers did or did not engage students regularly in writing. Interviews with 14 teachers, classified as high, transitional, and low implementers of writing instruction, revealed three themes: hindrances and helps, beliefs concerning practice, and preparation and professional development. Both high and…

This study contributes knowledge about how a digital badge system integrated into an online, subject-matter-specific, and competency-based professional development (PD) program affected teachers' experiences with and perceptions of the program activities. The report presents findings from a one-year exploratory study of an online PD program, and…

Outcome Based Education (OBE) is a holistic process for districtwide educational improvement. The Outcomes Driven Development Model (ODDM) is a means of implementing OBE that is used in 16 states and more than half of Utah school districts. A study of the impact of OBE in Utah reviewed grant applications and awards as well as state and district…

This research investigated the extent to which science laboratory experiences encountered by Utah high school students aligned with reform efforts outlined in national standards documents. Through both quantitative and qualitative methods the findings revealed that while there were instances of alignment found between science laboratory…

Conducted by the State Office of Education in cooperation with IBM Corporation, this study was designed to examine the uses of technology in Utah schools and how the implementation of technology could greatly assist the educational process. Six objectives are specified in Section I: (1) design state-of-the-art technological models to be offered by…

Fourteen appendices are gathered in this companion volume to a report summarizing the second year of a 3-year evaluation project focusing on three Utah programs funded under Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The appendices all relate to one of the three programs, Title IV-Part C (IV-C), which allocates funds for the adoption…