Garden-based learning, a key component of Farm to School (FTS), continues to grow in popularity as a tool for engaging students in hands-on learning. Recent literature calls for professional development to help educators overcome barriers - including a lack of horticulture skills, curricular connections, and time - that often hinder program…

Teachers' self-efficacy influences their ability to teach students. Primary grade teachers (K-3) are tasked with teaching all content areas. K-3 teachers struggle with self-efficacy to teach science content rigorously and find the time to teach science through hands-on learning. This study addressed the gap in research for teaching science through…

The purpose of this article is to examine Kindergarten through 5th-grade teachers' understanding of differentiated instruction and perception of their ability to implement differentiated instruction in their classrooms. Differentiated instruction is a critical factor for children's success. Thirty-one K-5 teachers from the state of Georgia…

The sustainability of the educational system is under threat, with teacher stress leading to high attrition. This dissertation advocates for a holistic development framework that nurtures teacher well-being, essential for sustaining effective learning environments. This study contributes to educational strategies that promote teacher resilience…

There is limited information regarding specific types of training general education teachers want or need to meet the needs of students with emotional disturbance (ED) in inclusion settings. Many teachers are assigned in inclusive settings without advanced training related to inclusion to effectively teach students with ED. Guided by Bandura's…

As the number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) increases, so does the need for teacher training about inclusive education. We adapted an online training to provide pre-service teachers with strategies to integrate students with ASD into the classroom and evaluated it in two culturally diverse contexts. Students majoring in Education…

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe and understand the experiences of co-teaching all-online through the perspectives of general education and special education co-teachers at the middle school level during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study followed Bandura's social cognitive theory with emphasis on self-efficacy…

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived level of importance of and competence of Georgia's SBAE teachers when working with Students with Disabilities in the classroom and Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs). The participants in this study were high school agricultural education teachers in the state of Georgia. This study…

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…

Georgia's College and Career Ready Performance Index for 2014-2016 showed that students with disabilities (SwD) did not meet performance targets when taught in co-taught inclusion classrooms with both general education teachers (GET) and special education teachers (SET) in the classrooms. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences…

It is imperative to understand how teachers are prepared for their role as co-teacher. The purpose of this study was to investigate how general education and special education teachers in one elementary school in Georgia are trained in the instructional practice of co-teaching and their perceptions on how prepared they feel to implement the…

This paper presents the results of a nationwide survey of educators for grades 6-12 who specialize in family and consumer sciences education (N=380). The paper examines teacher reports about their self-efficacy in online learning during the switch to off-campus instruction. Data revealed that district communication to teachers indicating that they…

Teacher retention has been linked to student performance and, is considered a measure of teacher preparation and recruiting. Studies confirm that almost half of new teachers leave the profession within five years of teaching. The Georgia Department of Education stated 44% of their newly hired teachers leave the profession by the fifth year. The…

During the spring of 2020, a South Georgia school implemented distance learning due to COVID-19, with little administrative support for the teachers for online instruction. This quick transition may have impacted teachers' self-efficacy beliefs about teaching online. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore middle school…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand general education teachers' perceptions regarding their use of technology with students who qualify for English Language Learner services in an urban Georgia school district. The self-efficacy theory originated by Bandura was used to examine 17 teachers' experiences of…