Matching Items (4)
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- All Subjects: Professional Development
- Creators: Foulger, Teresa
Description
The purpose of this study was to determine how I, as a future teacher, can best combat inequities in technological access and fluency in my future classroom. In this study, I explored a range of literature on the role of technology in the classroom, the digital divide in home and school settings, and variance in digital literacy. Additional insight was gained through interviews and observing school faculty in three public school districts in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. This provided a better understanding of local context in order to gain a sense of the national and local realities of the digital landscape as they relate to educational equity in the educational settings where I aim to serve as a certified teacher.
ContributorsJakubczyk, Nicole Marie (Author) / Foulger, Teresa (Thesis director) / Barnett, Juliet (Committee member) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
This mixed methods action research study describes the benefits of a Team Leadership Community of Practice group for six early career special education teachers who supervised paraeducators. Problem-posing conversations with peers were a catalyst for professional learning and leadership transformation. The theoretical framework included Experiential Learning Theory, Transformational Leadership, and Communities of Practice—combined as a tri-theory lens. Data collection instruments included individual interviews, a focus group, content logs from audio recordings, a researcher journal, and two researcher-created instruments—the Intentional Leadership Actions and Paraeducator Outcomes Survey and the Teacher Group Reflection Survey. Findings indicated that team leaders favored collaborative partnerships with paraeducators rather than supervisory roles. Given perceived communication barriers as team leaders, participants spent time preparing for conversations with paraeducators. Together, they co-constructed understandings and stretched one another as a learning Community of Practice (CoP), as defined by Wenger (1998). The CoP was a framework for Experiential Learning when team leaders gathered together to share their concrete leadership experiences, reflect, conceptualize abstract meaning, and discuss possible strategies for future experimentation. Additionally, team leaders experienced individual reflection following CoP gatherings as they considered peer suggestions, fine-tuned ideas, and planned leadership actions. As team leaders implemented new leadership ideas and experienced positive outcomes, they reported increased efficacy and desire for additional leadership opportunities in their classrooms and beyond. A trilogy of poems complements the discussion of findings.
ContributorsLedbetter, Jessanne P (Author) / Bertrand, Melanie (Thesis advisor) / Foulger, Teresa (Committee member) / Hansen, Taryl (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
The purpose of this project was to research the effects of a professional development intervention designed to build local capacity for technology integration among teachers at the school level. This was done by providing focused face-to face and online training to twelve teachers referred to as the Technology Core Teacher (TCT) group. This project utilized the theoretical framework of social learning and communities of practice to provide an environment of ongoing support for technology integration. The findings addressed four areas: the TCT teachers' practice, their technology skill levels, the use of the online collaboration tools utilized for collaboration and virtual synchronous meetings, and whether the TCT teachers demonstrated signs of being a self sustainable community of practice. The findings demonstrate that the intervention had an influence on the participating teachers' practice and influenced the practice of other teachers as well. TCT teachers increased their skills when applying new learning with their students. TCT teachers used online collaboration tools minimally for communication, and synchronous meeting tools presented some difficulties. TCT teachers showed signs that they may be a sustainable Community of Practice. Although teachers reported that their technology skills increased, a pre-post survey of skills based on the ISTE NETS-T Assessment yielded lower confidence scores after the intervention. A follow up survey designed to explain these results indicated that teachers rated their skill set lower in light of more knowledge, indicating a possible paradox in self reporting of skills prior to awareness of technology based learning possibilities.
ContributorsMorgenthal, Mary Julia (Author) / Puckett, Kathleen (Thesis advisor) / Foulger, Teresa (Committee member) / Bengochea, Taime (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
As higher education embraces innovative educational models, support for the faculty members who must carry them out remains a vital ingredient for success. Despite this need, many institutions adopt innovations such as blended learning for all of the benefits afforded, with minimal consideration to meaningfully equip professors teaching these courses. “Faculty Learning Communities” (FLC’s) provide a powerful model of supporting and equipping faculty in their teaching practice. Nevertheless, ongoing and collaborative faculty development was historically unavailable to professors teaching undergraduate blended courses at Lancaster Bible College. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative action research study was to examine the ways that faculty perceived an FLC during the design and facilitation of a blended course. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework guided the design and facilitation of the FLC in fall 2018, as well as providing insight into measuring how learning communities formed during the FLC and while participants taught their courses. This FLC model blended learning for participants by occurring four times on campus, with online sessions following each in-person meeting. The faculty developer provided resources and support as faculty collaborated in designing their blended courses for the spring 2019 semester. Faculty perceptions of support were gathered in a focus group at the end of fall semester. During the spring 2019 semester, the faculty developer observed both on-campus and online sessions of the blended courses and led a second focus group about faculty perceptions of effectiveness and support. Qualitative data sets included video recordings of the FLC, focus groups, and class observations, field notes, and screenshots of online environments during the FLC and courses. Findings demonstrated substantial evidence of CoI measures of social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence were present in both the FLC and participants’ courses. These results affirmed the CoI framework provided a meaningful platform for faculty development. Additionally, participants perceived the FLC as supportive for their blended teaching practices, making direct mentions of support and indicating belief that broader institutional change be implemented toward this end to enhance faculty development opportunities. Limitations and implications of the study, as well as desired future research were explored.
ContributorsHarbin, Justin (Author) / Rotheram-Fuller, Erin (Thesis advisor) / Foulger, Teresa (Committee member) / Clawson, Penny (Committee member) / Buss, Ray R (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019