The purpose of this case study was to examine the qualities novice teachers find valuable when determining whether or not they want to stay in their schools and districts after their first years of teaching. This case study also included undergraduate teacher preparation programs and whether or not graduating from a program with a partnership…

The problem to be addressed in this study was that limited social-emotional curriculum and training within preservice education programs may contribute to teachers' increased job stress and low retention rates. The purpose of this qualitative generic study was to explore how novice educators describe whether their preservice curriculum and…

Teacher shortages have been a longstanding issue in U.S. classrooms, largely due to low enrollment in teacher preparation programs. This has led many states to turn to alternative teacher certification programs to fill staffing needs. One such program in Georgia is the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP). This study…

Teacher shortages have been a longstanding issue in U.S. classrooms, largely due to low enrollment in teacher preparation programs. This has led many states to turn to alternative teacher certification programs to fill staffing needs. One such program in Georgia is the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP). This study…

Teacher shortages have been a longstanding issue in U.S. classrooms, largely due to low enrollment in teacher preparation programs. This has led many states to turn to alternative teacher certification programs to fill staffing needs. One such program in Georgia is the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP). This study…

This study investigated how early childhood special education teacher candidates described their professional identities. Professional identity is how individuals think about and act as members of the profession, and it has the potential to impact instructional practice and decisions to stay in the field. Through a qualitative thematic analysis of…

Most U.S. students with disabilities are served in general education classrooms, and this practice has resulted in the need for collaboration between general and special educators. Yet, educators feel unprepared to engage in teacher collaboration to support their students' needs. The goal of this study was to improve P-12 teacher collaboration and…

The study investigates the journey of the PRDE's PADE Academy accelerated English teacher preparation program, in preparing special recruitment and permanent PRDE teachers for the English content area re/certification. Through qualitative research using a case study design, the research examines various aspects of the program, including academic…

The climate crisis is an environmental issue that affects people of all walks of life but has disproportionate effects on those living in impoverished communities. The climate crisis therefore is not only an issue of environmental justice, but also social justice. However, incorporating environmental issues within education has typically been left…

Writing continues to be an underserved content area within English Language Arts instruction in elementary school classrooms. This sequential mixed-methods study was designed to develop a current state of practice for writing pedagogical training within the Pacific Northwest. Course descriptions were analyzed for specific references to writing, or…

This dissertation seeks to address limitations of Practice-Based Teacher Education (PBTE) in relation to (1) narrow conceptions of practice and teacher learning, and (2) peripheralization of equity and justice. After aiming to understand the landscape of limitations in PBTE, this study situates itself within specific manifestations of these…

The teacher-student relationship (TSR) is an important component of instruction that can lead to improved student outcomes, especially in urban schools. Researchers have suggested that instruction in using TSRs is lacking in teacher preparation programs, but there are limited studies examining this claim. The problem addressed in this study is the…

Using emotional intelligence, teacher self-efficacy, and discrepancy as theoretical lenses, this multivariate study explored the relationship that exist between emotional intelligence, student teacher's actual and ideal self-efficacy, and discrepancy. Previous research on the impact of student teachers' experiences with emotional intelligence (EI)…

This dissertation explored the systemic factors influencing learners' technology outcomes in a teacher preparation program, specifically addressing technology fluency and the ability to integrate technology into instruction. Using a combination of grounded theory and qualitative program evaluation, this study identified the scope, contexts, and…

This qualitative study aimed to understand how student teachers reflected on their teaching practice during their student teaching semester and their perceptions on using reflection as a tool to develop their teaching practices. One hundred and twenty-four written and oral reflections by fifteen student teachers were analyzed to categorize their…