ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
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Description
This study utilized symbolic interaction as a framework to examine the impact of mobility on four veteran elementary general music teachers' identities, roles, and perceptions of role support. Previous research has focused on teacher identity formation among preservice and novice teachers; veteran teachers are less frequently represented in the literature. Teacher mobility research has focused on student achievement, teachers' reasons for moving, and teacher attrition. The impact of mobility on veteran teachers' identities, roles, and perceptions of role support has yet to be considered. A multiple case design was employed for this study. The criteria for purposeful selection of the participants were elementary general music teachers who had taught for at least ten years, who had changed teaching contracts and taught in at least two different schools, and who were viewed as effective music educators by fine arts coordinators. Data were collected over a period of eight months through semi-structured interviews, email correspondence, observations, review of videotapes of the participants' teaching in previous schools, and collection of artifacts. Data were analyzed within and across cases. The cross-case analysis revealed themes within the categories of identity, role, and role support for the participants. The findings suggest that the participants perceived their music teacher roles as multi-dimensional. They claimed their core identities remained stable over time; however, shifts in teacher identity occurred throughout their years as teachers. The participants asserted that mobility at the start of their careers had a positive impact because they each were challenged to solidify their own teacher identities and music teacher roles in varied school contexts. Mobility negatively impacted role and teacher practices during times when the participants adjusted to new school climates and role expectations. Role support varied depending upon school context, and the participants discovered active involvement in the school community was an effective means of seeking and acquiring role support. Reflection experiences in music teacher preparation programs, as well as mentoring and professional development geared toward teacher identity formation and role maturation, may assist teachers in matching their desired school context with their teacher identities and perceptions of the music teacher role.
ContributorsGray, Lori F (Author) / Stauffer, Sandra (Committee member) / Schmidt, Margaret (Committee member) / Sullivan, Jill (Committee member) / Bush, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Tobias, Evan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Disparities in schooling in the United States have been well-documented and researched,along with pedagogies that strive to create equitable learning environments. One such
inequity is the overrepresentation of novice teachers in low-income and culturally
diverse schools. Novice teachers have been found to have lower self-efficacy and leave
the profession at a higher rate than veteran teachers. High self-efficacy beliefs have been
correlated with better student outcomes. Therefore, the overrepresentation of novice
teachers in low-income schools is yet another inequity. This mixed-methods,
phenomenological study answered the following research question: How does awareness
of Culturally Responsive Teaching affect novice teachers' self-efficacy? There are two
theories being used in this research project, Teacher Efficacy and Culturally Responsive
Teaching. The results of the study showed that attending three mindset-focused
professional developments on Culturally Responsive Teaching improved novice teachers'
self-efficacy in student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom
management. Based on these promising outcomes, it is suggested that pre-service and
novice teachers be provided with Culturally Responsive instruction opportunities and
mentorship. Further research should be done with larger sample sizes and with
classroom observations.
ContributorsHargous, Kelsey (Author) / Scott, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Nakagawa, Kathryn (Committee member) / Tobias, Evan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
In this study, I uncover the coded meanings of "urban" within the music education profession through an exploration and analysis of the discourse present in two prominent music education journals, Music Educators Journal (MEJ) and The Journal of Research in Music Education (JRME). Using critical discourse analysis (CDA), I investigate how the term "urban" is used in statements within a twenty-year time span (1991-2010), and how the words "inner-city," "at-risk," "race," and "diversity" are used in similar ways throughout the corpus. An in-depth examination of these five terms across twenty years of two major publications of the profession reveals attitudes and biases within the music education structure, uncovering pejorative themes in the urban music education discourse. The phrase "urban music education" is rarely defined or explained in the corpus examined in this study. Rather, the word "urban" is at times a euphemism. Based on a CDA conducted in this study, I suggest that "urban" is code for poor, minority, and unable to succeed. Relying on the philosophical ideas of Michel Foucault, I uncover ways in which the profession labels urban music programs, students, and teachers and how the "urban music education" discourse privileges the White, suburban, middle class ideal of music education. I call for an evaluation of the perceptions of "success" in the field, and advocate for a paradigm shift, or different methods of knowing, in order to provide a more just teaching and learning space for all music education actors.
ContributorsFarmer, Dawn Marie (Author) / Stauffer, Sandra L. (Thesis advisor) / Schmidt, Margaret (Committee member) / Solis, Theodore (Committee member) / Sullivan, Jill M. (Committee member) / Tobias, Evan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
The purpose of the study is to examine how professional growth is sustained over time through exploring a teacher’s narrative of personal and professional growth. The central question of this dissertation is: What creates sustainable and continuous positive professional change and growth in a teacher’s professional life? In this study, I discuss my journey towards understanding my practice while teaching a collegiate course and the implications of my journey for continual professional and personal growth. I used self-study methods to interrogate the personal, professional, and contextual experiences that shaped my thinking about teaching, learning, and my practice. The process of reflection was prompted by various data sources, including journal entries, storytelling, memory work, an experience matrix, concept-mapping, and education-related life histories. This self-study also includes action research projects that I conducted while teaching a college course over seven semesters. Data for action research projects included student reflective writing, observations of their learning, video recordings of group project meetings, and student value-creation stories.
Through reflection on how my personal, professional, and contextual knowledge of teaching developed, I examine how the values I held, the inquiries I undertook, and the communities in which I engaged affected my learning about teaching and shaped both my continuing professional development and who I am becoming as a teacher. Values that emerged in my teaching practice included: creating a student-friendly learning atmosphere, building a learning community, and being a reflective learner. Change agency functioned as a teacher lens and impacted student learning. I also analyzed patterns between my instructional plans, actions, and learning experiences in multiple professional communities. Professional and personal development relied not only on formal learning but was also promoted by informal learning opportunities and a personal learning process.
Findings suggest that teachers’ attempts to engage with external resources and awareness of their personal orientations as internal resources appear essential for sustainable change in teaching practice. Teacher professional growth requires exercising positive personal qualities, such as confidence, compassion, and courage, as well as resilience as an educator and a lifelong learner. Teacher reflection and self-study play a pivotal role in enabling teachers to sustain professional growth.
Through reflection on how my personal, professional, and contextual knowledge of teaching developed, I examine how the values I held, the inquiries I undertook, and the communities in which I engaged affected my learning about teaching and shaped both my continuing professional development and who I am becoming as a teacher. Values that emerged in my teaching practice included: creating a student-friendly learning atmosphere, building a learning community, and being a reflective learner. Change agency functioned as a teacher lens and impacted student learning. I also analyzed patterns between my instructional plans, actions, and learning experiences in multiple professional communities. Professional and personal development relied not only on formal learning but was also promoted by informal learning opportunities and a personal learning process.
Findings suggest that teachers’ attempts to engage with external resources and awareness of their personal orientations as internal resources appear essential for sustainable change in teaching practice. Teacher professional growth requires exercising positive personal qualities, such as confidence, compassion, and courage, as well as resilience as an educator and a lifelong learner. Teacher reflection and self-study play a pivotal role in enabling teachers to sustain professional growth.
ContributorsKang, Soyeon Sally (Author) / Stauffer, Sandra (Thesis advisor) / Schmidt, Margaret (Committee member) / Tobias, Evan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020