This study presents the role of pre-service teacher training in developing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) levels. The study had two main objectives. The first was to analyze the role of pre-service teacher training in enhancing teachers' TPACK levels, and the second was to compare the two training routes (traditional and…

Teacher preparation programs are ever evolving based on research and student needs. The use of technology, such as virtual reality (VR), is at the forefront of education to help provide opportunities for teacher candidates to practice teaching in a semi-authentic classroom environment of students with and without exceptionalities. VR is a way for…

Student mental health has been a pervasive crisis in the United States long before the pandemic, with 1 in 5 people living with mental illness (CDC, 2024). In general, teacher education programs have failed to offer comprehensive curricula that meaningfully address students who live with mental illness. Moreover, programs that do offer a mental…

There is a high kindergarten through third-grade teacher turnover rate in high-poverty and high-minority inner-city schools. If the low retention of novice inner-city kindergarten through third-grade teachers is not addressed, early learners who need it most will not receive a quality education. A qualitative methodological case study was…

This dissertation investigates the impact and reported and intended use of educators' culturally responsive and sustaining (CR-S) practices. Conducted in California, one of the most diverse states in the U.S., the dissertation summarizes information so that the pressing need for educators to incorporate CR-S practices to support a diverse student…

This study aimed to explore preservice teachers' perceptions of their preparedness to support students who have been exposed to or/are currently encountering adverse childhood experiences. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a form of trauma and are very likely to occur among students. Due to students spending a significant amount of time in…

Teacher education programs have a responsibility to prepare preservice teachers for the demands of teaching, including how to integrate educational technology into lessons. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods approach study is to understand the relationship between preservice teachers' self-efficacy for technology integration…

This dissertation examines the role of reflective practice in the development of teacher candidates during their final internship in a teacher preparation program at a state college in Southwest Florida. Grounded in Dewey's and Schon's theories on reflective practice as well as Vygotsky's social learning theories, this mixed methods explanatory…

It is the responsibility of educator preparation programs (EPPs) to develop well-rounded teachers who are capable of integrating technology into their instruction. Most EPPs include instruction in pedagogy, content, and technology as well as a formal field experience; however, there is a gap between the theory learned in courses and application of…

The purpose of this longitudinal qualitative study was to follow the progression of participants of a teacher residency program from admission to completion of their fourth year of teaching. During this 18-month program students were enrolled in master's level classes along with spending a year in residency at the secondary level. The residency…

This study explored the experiences of education students taking an introductory Historical Foundations of Education course with an in-field placement component. Research indicates that teacher education programs with experiential learning through in-field placements benefit students in eventual practice in a variety of ways. Despite these…

This research explored the transformative potential of technology in special education, informed by the researcher's extensive experience in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Highlighting the case of a nonspeaking student with autism who made significant academic progress using an augmented alternate communication (AAC), device, the study…

This dissertation contributes to the scholarship surrounding the development of international mindedness in teacher candidates. Phenomenological interview techniques were used to explore the experiences and perceptions of teacher candidates who enrolled in an undergraduate teacher preparation program leading to the International Baccalaureate…

The problem at a West Coast university was that the university's teacher education program lead faculty and teacher candidates stated they were concerned about the quality of feedback provided to teacher candidates who are assessed by clinical supervisors during their field-based experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand…

Educational technology has been readily available to schools and teachers since the early 1990s; however, it has not been integrated into classroom instruction in a way that reflects its potential for providing equitable and innovative instruction. This case study reviews the literature for why in-service teachers are not adopting technology even…