This dissertation comprises three complementary studies that aim to advance the understanding and practice of Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) development in special education. In the first study, we systematically reviewed empirical research measuring IEP…

This explanatory mixed methods study explores rural Oklahoma STEM subjects and STEM elective teachers' professional experiences, including professional development and certification pathways. Participants completed the Teacher Beliefs and Attitudes Toward STEM Survey (T-STEM Survey, Friday Institute for Education Innovation, 2012) for teachers and…

Teacher attrition has had a large impact on school success due to the high number of teachers leaving the field of education. Many teachers experience burnout and low job satisfaction, which ultimately drives them to leave the field. This research study focused on the problem of teachers not receiving adequate training in social-emotional…

Preservice elementary teachers' identities and beliefs related to children's creativity and artistry shape current and future elementary students' opportunities. As preservice elementary teachers forge new professional identities, they can engage in critical self-reflection to interrogate their identities and beliefs related to creativity and…

This study aimed to identify the curriculum orientation of Kosovo teacher education as perceived by teacher educators. Moreover, it also sought to explore teacher educators' conceptions of effective teacher preparation in terms of the influences that shape them. Framed in a pragmatic paradigm (Crewsswell & Plano Clark, 2017), this study…

Every citizen has the right to be equipped with scientific literacy to understand and make informed decisions within the discipline of science. Educators can utilize core science teaching practices (CSTPs) to develop scientific literacy. In response, this study identified the CSTPs utilized by preservice elementary teachers (PSETs) to develop…

The purpose of this study was to understand the development of teacher preparation at small denominational colleges. Hope College, a college in the Midwest, was used as an illustrative case study to examine this question. A qualitative organizational analysis using case study methodology was used for this research and followed an interpretive…

The critical nationwide teacher shortage (Billingsley et al., 2019), puts increasing pressure on educator preparation programs to train candidates in less time. Special education personnel are more likely to leave the field when they feel inadequately prepared for service (Mason-Williams et al., 2020), and are less likely to leave the field when…

This phenomenological study analyzed perceptions of elementary principals of new teachers' efficacy and capacity in classroom management. The study was conducted to inform teacher preparation programs about critical classroom management needs that could be addressed at the undergraduate level. Results of the semi-structured interviews indicated…

Facilitating productive mathematical discussions is considered a core practice of mathematics education. The complexity of this teaching practice presents the need for pedagogical tools to provide structure for preservice teachers (PST) developing their practice, yet little is known about "how" PSTs use these tools. This multiple case…

This instrumental case study explores how a single teacher whose preservice teacher education program included the practice and implementation of differentiation for all students, gifted pedagogy, and a gifted clinical practicum described the factors that shaped her practice and implementation of differentiation for gifted students in her general…

The current teacher shortage and the demand for high quality teachers presents a nationwide educational problem. Additionally, more than one-third of teachers leave the profession within the first five years of their careers (Callahan, 2015). The most vital and systemic change that is needed in our educational landscape is the attraction,…

This quantitative study researched teachers' efficacy in inclusive settings to determine if teacher education programs adequately prepared teachers to teach in an inclusive environment. Over one hundred Michigan-certified teachers responded to the validated Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) survey, exploring teacher efficacy toward…

As in other disciplines, Montessori teacher education is increasingly being performed online. In a five-year period at one low-residency Montessori teacher education program, 41% of adult learners did not complete their studies, exacerbating a shortage of qualified teachers. A particularly high failure rate for younger adult learners was observed.…

As a result of "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas," a shortage of African American teachers has plagued American schools. A call for the integration of schools, while making great educational strides for Black students, caused a lack of representation from Black teachers and school leaders. Black educators were less likely to…