This transcendental phenomenological dissertation is a study that examined culturally responsive teaching perceptions and self-efficacy among elementary school teachers and whether or not teacher race impacted those individual perceptions and beliefs of self-efficacy. Data were gathered through a qualitative approach with the use of one-to-one…

This quantitative study sought to define the relationship between collective teacher efficacy and organizational commitment in elementary schools in Alabama. The basis of this study examined collective teacher efficacy as defined by Tschannen-Moran and Barr (2004) and organizational commitment as defined by Porter et al. (1974) and Steers (1977)…

This qualitative, phenomenological study aimed to explore how teachers perceive the influence of experienced principals who are new to a school, specifically as it relates to how their actions and behaviors impact a school's culture. Kouzes and Posner's Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership were used to create the interview questions and analyze…

This qualitative descriptive case study focused on elementary school teachers' perspectives on their principals' demonstrated leadership behaviors and how these behaviors affect their teacher self-efficacy. Limited studies revealed a relationship between teacher efficacy and principal leadership behavior when examining each factor separately.…

Instructional coaching has come to the forefront as a means to build instructional capacity through shared collaborative experiences. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the relationship between instructional coaches and teachers. This study investigated three questions: (a) What qualities of the relationship between…

Teachers' engagement in school leadership is one of the most effective means of improving teaching and student learning. Given the complexities of facilitating instructional leadership tasks, school leaders can no longer fully streamline such tasks with fidelity. Therefore, including teachers' knowledge base and skillsets in school-based…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the self-efficacy of novice teachers in urban elementary schools from November to February and document a set of challenges that influenced their self-efficacy. Three elementary first-year teachers in a Midwestern urban school district participated in four research segments that each included…

This research investigated the impact of teacher certification pathways (traditional vs. alternative) on teacher self-efficacy levels; it explicitly focused on elementary teachers in Title I and non-Title I schools. The research context addressed the prevalent issue of teacher shortages in U.S. school districts, which often led to reliance on…

The purpose of this current explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to explore the perceived abilities of teaching critical thinking as reported by teachers and the actual lived experiences of classroom teachers within the elementary classroom. Kindergarten through fourth grade elementary teachers completed the Critical Thinking in the…

This sequential explanatory mixed methods study explores elementary mathematics teachers' perceptions regarding their mathematical self-efficacy, how teachers describe their perceptions about their prior mathematical learning experiences and their impact on their instructional practice in the elementary mathematics classroom. In support of this…

The integration of technology to the elementary school classroom presents teachers with both new opportunities and challenges. Effective integration of classroom technology involves much more than merely giving students access to computers and mobile devices, as teachers' attitudes and beliefs about technology are important in facilitating…

Elementary teachers are expected to teach all relevant material in all areas of the curriculum to their students. Even after completing excellent teacher preparation programs, these teachers often have little confidence teaching mathematics. In fact, many of these teachers have negative feelings toward mathematics from their own classroom…

The "A Nation at Risk" report was released in 1983 and enumerated systemic flaws in the U.S. education system, highlighting science education as an area of concern (Denning, 1983). Over a generation later, a new opportunity has emerged to improve science education for all students, and especially the youngest learners. The Next…

The purpose of this research study was to uncover any patterns of experiences provided in teacher preparation programs that pre-service elementary teachers perceive as helpful in boosting confidence before student teaching. There is a lack of experiences known to improve teaching self-efficacy, or the belief in oneself to perform a learned skill…

Despite a vast amount of reading research and legislation at the national and state level aimed at improving reading achievement, reading scores in the United States have remained stagnant. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine novice teachers' perception of their preparedness to address the needs of students in their classroom…