This qualitative case study examined the experiences of 10 current and former students enrolled in an early childhood education teacher preparation program (ECETPP) at a Latine-serving 2-year community college in southern California. The study used Richard Valencia's deficit thinking framework as the theoretical lens to explicate ways in which…

To address educators' sense of unpreparedness to support the growing number of culturally and linguistically diverse students enrolled in schools across the U.S., I examined the professional learning experiences of four educators who participated in a state-wide, online professional development opportunity. I employed a longitudinal case study…

The purpose of this study was to build on recent survey research on writing instruction to examine both the types and extent of teachers' preparation to teach writing and what teachers' writing instruction currently looks like, including the evidence-based practices teachers use, the amount of time spent teaching writing, and the types of writing…

This is a dissertation focused on the presence of cultural competence themes in teacher education and special education practice, and how cultural competence potentially impacts students who have been referred for special education. The current study is important due to its consideration of over-identification of some populations in special…

In the field of teacher education, it is well documented that the most influential part is the clinical component, often referred to as student teaching or the practicum experience (Cochran-Smith, 1991; Darling-Hammond, 2014; Evertson, 1990). During the practicum, there exists a triad of three individuals: a university supervisor, a K-12 classroom…

The low number of male elementary and early childhood teachers is problematic in the United States (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2020). Of the 1.8 million public school elementary teachers (pre-Kindergarten-6th grade) in the 2017-2018, male elementary teachers accounted for 11% of the total (NCES, 2020). Colleges of education have…

Teaching mathematics for conceptual understanding: An examination of elementary and secondary teacher candidates (Under the direction of Dr. Cyndi Edgington and Dr. Temple Walkowiak).This embedded multiple-case qualitative study aspired to learn more about how elementary (K-5) and secondary (6-12) teacher candidates (TCs) incorporated and…

Special education teacher preparation programs are charged with providing preservice teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively implement reading interventions using evidence-based practices. Practicum experiences allow preservice teachers to practice implementing these teaching practices in authentic settings. Preservice…

The purpose of this study was to describe the construction of knowledge that takes place for the student teacher and cooperating teacher while working together during the student teaching experience. The presence of highly effective teachers in the classroom is essential for student learning. For this reason, it is critical that teacher…

This ethnographic case study investigated teachers' perceptions of their role in an elementary school makerspace, specifically how the teachers define, understand, and act out their role while supporting student learning in a school makerspace learning environment. Utilizing the Tinkering Studio's emerging theory on learning-through-tinkering…

A disproportionate number of Black students with disabilities experience exclusionary discipline practices (e.g., suspensions and expulsions) in K-12 public schools. This disparity persists, regardless of the severity of identified problem behavior, the school's average socio-economic status, or the type of public school attended. Given that…

Teacher education students are more likely to be White than general bachelor's degree-seeking students across the nation (King, 2019), even as K-12 student populations are becoming more racially diverse (USDOE, 2022; DRIVE Taskforce, 2021). Colleges of education are contributing to the reproduction of a predominantly White teacher workforce. In…

Teacher retention has been a longstanding issue across the United States for decades. The State of Tennessee has chosen to monitor the retention of the newest teachers who complete preparation programs in their state by including retention statistics on the State Report Card. TPU, a private Christian university which offers aspiring teachers…

Teacher retention has been a longstanding issue across the United States for decades. The State of Tennessee has chosen to monitor the retention of the newest teachers who complete preparation programs in their state by including retention statistics on the State Report Card. TPU, a private Christian university which offers aspiring teachers…

Teacher retention has been a longstanding issue across the United States for decades. The State of Tennessee has chosen to monitor the retention of the newest teachers who complete preparation programs in their state by including retention statistics on the State Report Card. TPU, a private Christian university which offers aspiring teachers…