Indiana K-12 teacher evaluations were lawfully mandated by Public Law (PL) 90 in 2012. PL 90 required all public-school teachers to be rated annually by their administrators using a state approved teacher evaluation rubric. Teachers were evaluated as highly effective, effective, needs improvement, and ineffective. Student achievement and growth on…

Over the last decade, the demands on secondary science teachers have shifted to encompass a new range of objectives. Science teachers need support in their efforts to be responsive as they navigate shifting demands in the teaching profession: new state standards, an ever-diversifying student body, and a drive to integrate social justice into…

Although historical to present day data show that Black female teachers make a significant impact on all students, this group, already underrepresented in the profession, leave teaching at higher rates than their counterparts. Current literature reveals that racism, sexism, microaggressions, lack of peer support, lack of administrative support and…

To reduce inequities in the mathematics classroom, teachers must have the skill to Notice-for-Equity, a skill that can be learned and fine-tuned over time but must be practiced. The purpose of this study was to explore what preservice secondary schoolteachers notice when viewing a small-group interaction in mathematics and specifically identify…

The continual attempts by higher education to create more learning opportunities for students through distance learning programs tend to focus on increasing enrollment and providing an opportunity for students to obtain a degree in higher education. This study aimed to bring to light any significant differences when comparing student performance,…

The purpose of this study was to build upon existing research that explored teachers' professional learning expectations and how teachers can utilize social media platforms or social learning environments to aid their professional learning. This information may be used to support thinking differently about time and space for both student and adult…

A large amount of research has been conducted in the area of teacher retention as it relates to the impact teachers have on student achievement and closing the achievement gap. Retaining highly effective teachers each year helps ensure students are provided with high quality and rigorous instruction. Teacher retention is imperative in areas of…

In an era of data saturation, teacher educators have yet to address the problem of how to develop the critical statistical literacy of practicing teachers. This study contributes to our understanding of teaching learning, specifically considering how designed materials can make visible the identity work of practicing secondary mathematics…

This study is an exploration of who teachers of languages other than English in the United States are becoming as professionals in this historically marginalized discipline. Despite advances to support language teachers within the profession, there is a dearth of research investigating whether and how in-service language teachers sustain…

While teachers and schools across the country actively work to impart curricula that is relevant and meaningful to their students, the written standards and reading lists too often represent a Eurocentric perspective and reinforce inequities perpetuated by the status quo. Too frequently, teachers are inadequately supported with or provided…

This dissertation is motivated by the urgent uncertainty of teacher education pedagogy. The work is urgent because students and schools need teachers to be proficient, equitable, and self-sufficient from the moment they take the helm of the classroom, and it is uncertain because teacher education research has struggled to definitively articulate…

There are many reasons students fail to achieve in STEM related fields post high school. For example, students may spend too much time receiving teacher centered lessons that focus primarily on vocabulary building and concept recognition. These lessons may not necessarily promote understanding or encourage students to learn other skills than…

In the spring of 2020, nearly every school aged student and K-12 teacher across the United States was forced to participate in remote educational activities online, prompting an unexpected departure from the status quo in public education. This was a result of government mandated social distancing practices, as a mitigation strategy for combating…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine secondary preservice teachers' sense of self-efficacy in ELL student instruction. The researcher administered an adapted version of the Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy (TSES) survey created by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy in 2001, to a sample population of preservice teachers. The survey…

This qualitative study explored the processes utilized by secondary special education teachers as they plan and execute transition planning and/or goal setting for college-bound students with high incidence disabilities (HID), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and specific learning…