As the number of minority K-12 students continues to rise it is pertinent that minority teachers are present in classrooms across the United States. There are many benefits associated with the presence of minority teachers. Minority teachers often teach in hard-to-staff schools and possess a familiarity with the cultural assets that minority…

Teacher candidates in a special education teacher training program and candidates in a master's in applied behavior analysis (ABA) program both require learning and applying evidence-based practices with fidelity to effectively instruct students with severe disabilities. This study evaluated the effects of behavior skills training (BST) via…

This mixed methods study examined initially licensed teachers' culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy (CRTSE) using the CRTSE survey and conducting interviews with initially licensed teachers scoring above the mean on one or more CRTSE constructs. It extended upon previous work conducted by Siwatu (2011) that explored the CRTSE experiences…

Special education and the laws that govern it have changed dramatically over the past 50 years. With these changes there continues to be a strong push to educate students with moderate to severe disabilities in inclusive general education classroom settings. Research is needed to determine what teachers need to feel successful in order to teach…

This dissertation is a narrative inquiry designed to de-veil how the minoritization teacher candidates' shoulder in broader society is mirrored and exacerbated by their teacher preparation. The term "veil" was chosen intentionally and harbors a dual meaning. In one sense, to "de-veil" means to look beneath the programmatic…

Teaching science concepts for conceptual understanding has its challenges. Promoting conceptual change in the science classroom can be difficult because most concepts are complicated and counter-intuitive. This dissertation research aimed to determine the effect of teaching for conceptual understanding models on pre-service teachers' conceptual…

Teachers are essential to the academic and social-emotional progress of children in the US (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). American teachers work tirelessly to provide quality instruction in a safe learning environment that nurtures the educational and emotional needs of their students (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Many teachers report that…

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore preservice teachers' experiences, uses, and applications of videotaped lesson reflections during their practicum in the teacher preparation program (TPP) at one university in West Virginia. The theoretical framework encompassed Dewey's definition of reflection and Schon's concept of…

Severe teacher shortages, caused by high attrition rates, have been the focus of attention for school districts and policy leaders for over two decades. Teacher attrition accounts for approximately 40 to 50% of new teachers leaving in the first 5 years of service. High teacher attrition rates in the United States impact tomorrow's leaders,…

In 2016, the California Legislative Analyst's Office found that Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students were not being educated effectively in State Special Schools. They recommended that public schools include DHH students in mainstream classrooms. However, no current teacher preparation programs prepare future teachers to educate DHH students.…

While education is often talked about as a standalone system, most people experience education as just one part of their broader lives. Schools do not exist in siloes, but serve as a place where people and policy overlap and intersect. The implication of this is that while what happens inside of school buildings is incredibly important, such as…

The purpose of this study was to examine the current shortage of certified dual-language and bilingual teachers at dual-language programs. Currently, there exist problems surrounding the wider implementation of dual-language education programs as a result of the widespread teacher shortages, which has been shown in the literature to drastically…

This study followed two teacher candidates from the Communities as Resources in Early Childhood Teacher Education (CREATE) project into their first year classrooms to determine whether they were able to translate the theoretical principles from their teacher preparation program into practice during their first year of teaching. It also examined…

Education preparation institutions have long sought the most effective preparation practices for preparing tomorrow's educators. Unfortunately, understanding best practices in teacher preparation is fraught with ambiguity. Key facets of instruction on theory and clinical experience are understood to be necessary elements of preparation, and…

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of middle school teachers that shaped their beliefs as they relate to grading practices. The study offers insight for school leaders when addressing grading practices with teachers and may inform decisions regarding professional development for teachers. Conceptual…