The purpose of the study was to help beginning teachers transition to their new role as a teacher by identifying factors that had the greatest impact. Perceived obstacles as well as factors that helped the beginner teacher navigate through the entry year were explored. Factors that helped contribute to the beginner's sense of belonging to the…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to discover how novice teachers describe their self-efficacy as contributing to their sense of classroom readiness after completing their teacher training programs in Texas. This helps to understand the experiences of novice teachers in which data was collected using a questionnaire,…

This study examined how secondary educators across Region 4 Texas school districts describe how they address student behaviors in the classroom using a self-defined trauma informed approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 educators across Region 4 in Texas who have received some training in trauma, student behavior, and trauma…

This quantitative study examined general and special education teachers' self-efficacy, attitudes, and teaching efficacy in implementing inclusive practices in Texas secondary schools. Grounded in Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, the research explored how teacher efficacy impacted the successful integration of students with disabilities into…

In the United States, there is a nationwide shortage of bilingual teachers, but limited research on factors that contribute to their burnout and attrition. This exploratory multiple case study aimed to identify stressors unique to Spanish-English bilingual teachers and how they cope with these stressors. Interviews with two dual language immersion…

Purpose: This study sought to investigate how secondary agriculture teachers' characteristics influence their perceived ability to teach students decision-making skills. Design/Methodology/Approach: We used a cross-sectional survey research design and distributed the instrument to secondary agriculture teachers in the U.S. via Facebook. We…

Elementary teachers are generalists, usually with a reading background. As such, a number of teachers have low self-efficacy about teaching mathematics for conceptual understanding. Researchers suggest that some major categories associated with this problem are not enough adequate professional development (PD) addressing conceptual understanding…

The issue of race is deeply ingrained in the societal structures of the United States. The landmark Supreme Court case, "Brown v. Board of Education" (1954) was hailed as the end of legalized racial segregation in American schools. However, in practice, the ruling resulted in thousands of African American teachers losing their jobs. The…

Teacher-credentialing policy debates often center on questions of whether traditional or alternative pathways to teacher certification better position future teachers for success. Given the growing number of teachers entering the profession via alternative pathways, we sought to compare the self-efficacy of alternatively and traditionally…

Students with autism spectrum disorder is a growing population in classrooms that require specialized instructional strategies to meet their challenging and unique needs with behavior, academics, and socialization. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological research study was to understand the lived experiences of general and special…

The purpose of this dissertation-in-practice was to examine the perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of K-5 elementary school teachers in a suburban Central Texas school on their use of blended learning in the classroom. Before conducting the study, previous research on blended learning was reviewed in the areas of student achievement, student…

As community colleges focus on increasing accountability, a growing number of community colleges have implemented professional development programs. Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of faculty professional development, yet faculty participation and attitude toward training may impede improvement efforts. Therefore, the purpose of this…

Background: Research has shown that certification and an undergraduate major in a teaching subject are consistent positive-significant predictors of teacher effectiveness and the lack of at least a minor in an assigned subject as a consistent and negative indicator of student success. Texas secondary science teachers have either subject-specific…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of teacher efficacy, the type of certification route taken by individuals, the number of content hours taken in the sciences, field-based experience and class size on middle school student achievement as measured by the 8th grade STAAR in a region located in South Texas. This data provides…

MathForward™, developed in 2004-2005 in cooperation with the Richardson (TX) Independent School District, was implemented nationwide in 2007. The program integrates TI technology and professional development while focusing on student achievement and teacher efficacy. This study investigated the effect of the MathForward™ program on student…