This phenomenological qualitative study explores how public school pre-kindergarten teachers in Florida perceive their principals' understanding of early learning standards and developmentally appropriate practices. The problem addressed is that prekindergarten teachers are evaluated by their principals using state-approved evaluation rubrics…

This qualitative, phenomenological case study was conducted to explore preschool teachers' and clinicians' understandings of social-emotional development and their perceptions of self-efficacy in teaching social-emotional learning (SEL) to their preschool students. Gaining an understanding of the participants' self-efficacy provided insight on how…

This study used a modified mixed-method sequential explanatory design to explore how preschool teachers perceive and use complex talk within different activity settings and content areas to facilitate language and literacy skills. The combination of large-scale, quantitative data (455 children, 63 teachers) from a pre-K study and in-depth,…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationships among personal characteristics (i.e., age, race, marital status, education level, and years of teaching experience), work environment characteristics (i.e., pay, benefits, type of program, age group of children, and class size), job satisfaction, and turnover intention of…

Retention in kindergarten involves holding students back from advancing to the next grade level due to unresolved learning gaps. This practice has been the subject of continuous research as educational experts seek to balance the potential developmental risks of prolonging kindergarten by providing students an additional year to fill their…

This dissertation investigates the actual versus perceived knowledge of oral language development strategies among early years teachers in international schools. Employing Prestwich's (2012) "Teacher's Knowledge of Oral Language Development" (TKOLD) survey, it assesses teachers' knowledge in critical areas such as promoting extended…

In a time of uncertainty, teachers have been the backbone of the educational world. They provide a sense of consistency to many students who may need positive role models in their life. Teachers take on roles as caregivers, educators, friends, and are often a "safe place" for students. Yet, how have teachers been supported during times…

The purpose of this Dissertation in Practice was to explore the relationship between cultural intelligence and burnout in teachers. This purpose was rooted in a growing trend of teachers reporting a significant degree of burnout and education frequently being noted as one of the most stressful professions in the job market (Johnson et al., 2005;…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate how changes in learning management systems affect an educator's self-efficacy and to determine if there was a statistically significant relationship between certain demographics of educators and their perceived self-efficacy regarding the implementation of the new learning management…

Coaching is increasingly becoming required or recommended as a form of teacher professional development, but the education field has only begun to define the practice and understand its features, especially in regard to its potential to improve math teaching in early childhood contexts. Using mixed methods and a Whole Teacher Approach theoretical…

This multi-case study explores the lives of six former preK-12 teachers and their health and well-being during and after teaching. Using the framework of self-care, the purpose of this research was to investigate how teachers' health, well-being, resilience, and other internal characteristics intersect with external factors of teaching and…

The purpose of this study was to explore whether PreK-5 teacher perception of their unconscious bias impacted student achievement levels in Title I schools of varying performance levels. To achieve the overall outcome, this quantitative study was guided by the following research questions: (1) To what extent is there a statistically significant…

This study addressed teacher dispositions that predict overall technology use among pre-k through 12th grade teachers. The modified version of the Teacher Attribute Survey was given to 150 pre-k through 12th grade teachers. The Teacher Attribute Survey measured variables that included teacher self-efficacy, teacher philosophy, openness to change,…

In order to embrace the character of 21st century classrooms, teachers should model critical thinking, design thinking, and ultimately entrepreneurial thinking for students. Teachers who effectively integrate digital tools into their instructional practices at higher levels of technology integration not only promote this type of thinking but also…

Democracy does not automatically maintain itself by prescribed constitutions and procedural codes (Dewey, 1939), but rather its citizens must have certain dispositions to protect and strengthen it (Biesta, 2006). According to John Stuart Mill (1859/1991), people can tyrannize one another within the structures of a democracy, a concept he phrased…