This qualitative study examines the perspectives of secondary teachers characterized as passionate on the critical incidents that shaped, negatively or positively, their levels of passion. Vallerand and colleagues describe passion as a strong inclination or desire toward an activity that one likes and finds important enough to invest time and…

In 2014, The Wallace Foundation launched the Principal Supervisor Initiative (PSI), a four-year, $24 million effort to redefine principal supervision in six urban school districts. The PSI aimed to help districts overhaul a position traditionally focused on administration, operations, and compliance to one dedicated to developing and supporting…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore perceptions of pre-service and mentor teachers regarding the level of integrating technology in the curriculum of 21 selected classrooms in eight rural school districts in Southeast Texas. The following research questions guided this phenomenological study: 1. What are…

Since the late 1980s there has been an increase of "second career teachers" (SCTs), professionals that switch careers to become teachers. Little is known about SCTs and their sense of professional identity. Building from Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of power and cultural capital, the professional identities of teachers were examined…

The purpose of our study was to determine the extent to which differences in a mentor model for science and mathematics teachers accounted for variances in mentoring effectiveness and persistence rates of teachers. School district designee, mentor, and teacher perceptions of mentoring support were collected through the use of interviews and…

The purpose of this study was to identify which plans for evaluation and supervision are most satisfactory to teachers. The study's participants come from three school systems in northwest Georgia. Each school district uses a different plan for evaluation and supervision; each claiming that the end goal is to improve teacher performance. Prior…

Perceptions play a significant role in an individual's decision-making. This paper reports on a study that investigated primary school science teachers' perceptions of their school district professional development and its basis and impact on the teacher development process in a large district in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. From the…

There is growing empirical evidence that instructional coaching can help teachers transfer their learning from professional trainings (e.g., new strategies) to classroom practice and that coaching promotes greater collaboration and reflection among teachers. At the same time, however, research on the effectiveness of particular coaching models and…

The cooperating teacher's ability to effectively support the professional development and training of student teachers during the field experience may be impacted by the level of support and guidance they receive. This qualitative single-case study was designed to explore the relationship between the cooperating teachers and one university…

The challenges of maintaining highly qualified special education teachers are evident in public schools across the nation. Replacing educators who leave the field is a time consuming and expensive endeavor that impacts the achievement and progress of children with disabilities. This study is focused on explaining length of tenure in the profession…

Supervisors who work directly with teachers and wish to influence their classroom practice and encourage their professional growth must behave in ways congruent with teachers' expectations for involvement, social support, and stimulating leadership. Although these styles and behaviors may vary somewhat with various supervisory roles and teacher…

This report integrates 2009-2010 AISD campus, central office, student climate survey and parent survey responses that address cultural competency in the district. Longitudinal data are provided when available.

Purpose: This exploratory study examines conditions that lead elementary principals to support the work of school-based instructional teacher leaders. The study asks, How do principals' knowledge of teacher leadership and their interaction with teacher leaders contribute to principals' support for teacher leadership? And, How might district…

This study was designed to collect and then to compare various educators' perceptions (N=484) of the effectiveness of selected standardized testing program management practices in their schools. It was found that these educators perceived their schools' performance of testing-related practices to be more effective than the schools' overall…

A study was conducted to investigate views of vocational educators who receive program improvement products regarding activities currently associated with dissemination. The construct of the Dissemination Analysis Group (DAG) four-level definition of dissemination--spread, exchange, choice, and implementation--provided the theoretical framework…