Matching Items (29)
High school students' perceptions of teaching and their intention to choose teaching as a profession
Description
This study was conducted to (a) explore high achieving high school students' perceptions of the teaching profession, (b) examine the influence of these perceptions on intentions to teach, and (c) test a recruitment suite of tools to determine the effectiveness of recruitment messaging and strategies. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) served as the theoretical framework for this study. Using the TPB allowed examination of students' behavioral, normative, and control beliefs as well as their attitudes, subjective norms, and efficacy and how those components affected intentions to teach. Participants included high school seniors in the top 20% of their class. A mixed methods approach was employed to identify how the characteristics that students value when considering a profession were aligned with those they believed to be true about the teaching profession. Additionally mixing methods allowed for a more thorough exploration of the matter and an in-depth depiction of perceptions and intentions to teach. Results from a confirmatory path analysis showed students' perceived behavioral control, a measure of efficacy, and attitudes toward teaching were predictive of intention to teach and accounted for 25% of the variation in intention to teach scores. A series of exploratory structural equation models was developed to examine additional paths that might be useful in understanding students' intention to teach. Three additional, important paths were found among TPB variables that accounted for an additional 14% of the variation in intention scores. Additionally, these paths had implications for recruitment practice. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data--status, societal importance, influences of important others, teaching as a backup option, and barriers. The discussion focused on implications for recruitment practice and research, limitations, and conclusions. The following conclusions were drawn: (a) students must be provided with knowledge about the teaching profession to overcome stereotypical beliefs, (b) recruitment must begin much earlier, (c) parents must be better informed about teaching, (d) use of a longer recruitment process with multiple touch points must be used to inform and inspire students, and (e) students must be provided with practice teaching opportunities and systematic observational opportunities, which can foster increased efficacy for teaching.
ContributorsCruz, Crystal (Author) / Buss, Ray R (Thesis advisor) / Barnett, Joshua (Committee member) / Bentz, Matthew (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
First-year alternatively certified teachers face significant challenges as they attempt to address the complexities of classroom teaching, particularly when they are assigned to teach in urban school settings. As the number of alternatively certified teachers continues to increase, it is important to provide them with professional development opportunities that address the challenges that they encounter in their first year of teaching. This action research study was conducted to examine a professional development model designed to support the development of a small group of first-year alternatively certified teachers in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College (MLFTC) at Arizona State University. As first-year teachers within the Induction, Masters, and Certification (InMAC) program, their professional learning needs were unique. They had an immediate need to effectively acquire knowledge and apply it in their teaching practice as they concurrently completed coursework to obtain their master's degree and certification while serving as the teacher of record. This study provided the opportunity for five first-year alternatively certified teachers to participate in a project that provided professional development to meet their specific needs. This two-pronged professional development model included two components: (a) a mentoring component provided by a recently retired master teacher, and (b) a learning community that included opportunities for observation, collaboration, and reflection with National Board Certified teachers. This study was designed to improve teaching practices and increase teaching self-efficacy among the first-year alternatively certified teacher participants. Results from the mixed-method study provided evidence that the model benefited the participants by improving their teaching practices and increasing their teaching self-efficacy. In the discussion, the importance of non-evaluative feedback provided by the mentors was emphasized. Further, highly developed interpersonal relationships, effective communication processes, and helpful collaborative procedures were useful in understanding how alternatively certified teachers benefited from mentor feedback and guidance. Finally, implications for future practice and further research were offered.
ContributorsPreach, Deborah (Author) / Buss, Ray R (Thesis advisor) / Barnett, Joshua (Committee member) / Gasket, Karen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Abstract Much has been researched and written concerning the structure, attributes, and benefits of the professional learning community (PLC), yet many have found that this highly collaborative model is difficult to implement. One reason for this was that conflict among team members often limited communication and therefore halted collaboration. In an attempt to overcome conflict, the researcher introduced an intervention to five grade-level teaching teams at a suburban elementary school where staff had been struggling to develop teams into PLCs. The intervention consisted of training participants in the use of collaborative norms, and then tracking the use of these norms during team meetings, as well as gathering the teachers' perceptions on how their team was being affected by the use of the norms. Seven training sessions were conducted, each devoted to an individual norm such as pausing, putting ideas on the table, or presuming the positive, and so on. A mixed-methods action research model was utilized in gathering and analyzing the data in this study. Qualitative measures included reflection journals completed by the teachers, open-ended survey questions, and written responses in which the teachers described prior to the intervention and again after the intervention how their team: 1. Is like a PLC, 2. Is not like a PLC, and 3. Is becoming like a PLC. Quantitative measures included a survey of team communication that used questions regarding efficacy, conflict, and candor/trust. Quantitative measures also included an instrument developed as part of the System for Multi-Level Observation of Groups (SYMLOG) which is used for recording evidences of values observed in team members. Results demonstrated increases in teachers' perceptions of friendliness among their colleagues, ability to deal with conflict amicably and constructively, and in teachers' perception that they were now being listened to and understood more than they had been previously. Teachers also reported that they came to think of their team as a PLC, and began to perceive that there were benefits with respect to student achievement because they were becoming a PLC. Discussion focused on lessons learned, implications for practice, and implications for research.
ContributorsSterr, Ronald (Author) / Buss, Ray R (Thesis advisor) / Zucker, Stanley (Thesis advisor) / Roy, Patricia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
In any instructional situation, the instructor's goal is to maximize the learning attained by students. Drawing on the adage, 'we learn best what we have taught,' this action research project was conducted to examine whether students, in fact, learned college algebra material better if they taught it to their peers. The teaching-to-learn process was conducted in the following way. The instructor-researcher met with individual students and taught a college algebra topic to a student who served as the leader of a group of four students. At the next step, the student who originally learned the material from the instructor met with three other students in a small group session and taught the material to them to prepare an in-class presentation. Students in these small group sessions discussed how best to present the material, anticipated questions, and prepared a presentation to be shared with their classmates. The small group then taught the material to classmates during an in-class review session prior to unit examinations. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. Quantitative data consisted of pre- and post-test scores on four college algebra unit examinations. In addition, scores from Likert-scale items on an end-of-semester questionnaire that assessed the effectiveness of the teaching-to-learn process and attitudes toward the process were obtained. Qualitative data consisted of field notes from observations of selected small group sessions and in-class presentations. Additional qualitative data included responses to open-ended questions on the end-of-semester questionnaire and responses to interview items posed to groups of students. Results showed the quantitative data did not support the hypothesis that material, which was taught, was better learned than other material. Nevertheless, qualitative data indicated students were engaged in the material, had a deeper understanding of the material, and were more confident about it as a result of their participation in the teaching-to-learn process. Students also viewed the teaching-to-learn process as being effective and they had positive attitudes toward the teaching-to-learn process. Discussion focused on how engagement, deeper understanding and confidence interacted with one another to increase student learning. Lessons learned, implications for practice, and implications for further action research were also discussed.
ContributorsNicoloff, Stephen J (Author) / Buss, Ray R (Thesis advisor) / Zambo, Ronald (Committee member) / Shaw, Phyllis J (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Families and schools share the monumental responsibility of educating children. Children and parent-teacher conferences remain the primary means by which parents and teachers share academic information. Given the limited effectiveness of these conferences, a more compelling alternative for home-school collaboration on academic matters is warranted. The purpose of this action research study was to examine an alternative approach to parent-teacher conferences, Academic Parent Teacher Teams (APTT). APTT is a classroom-based parent involvement model composed of three 75-minute parent-teacher team meetings and an individual 30-minute parent-teacher session. Team meetings are highly structured and include six components: personally inviting parents by the teacher; sharing whole-class and individual student data; setting 60-day academic goals; coaching parents in `teaching' skills; distributing take-home practice materials; and networking. Quantitative data included pre- and post-intervention parent surveys, and pre- and post-intervention student scores on high frequency words and oral reading fluency. Qualitative data included field notes from APTT meetings, pre- and post-intervention teacher reflections, and teacher, parent, and student interviews. Findings from this study supported previous research that suggested most parents have high aspirations for their children's academic success. Findings also indicated parents understood their involvement was important to support academic growth. Increased quality and quantity of parent-teacher communication and interaction improved parents' ability to support student learning at home. Parents increased involvement in children's academics was related to teachers' provision of detailed information and training of parents. Qualitative results showed parents' teaching efforts contributed to students' improvement in reading. To understand this outcome, effectual congruence (EC) was offered as an explanation. EC occurred when parents and teachers agreed on an action plan for student achievement, when there was a mutual commitment to taking specific actions and when each person's role was clearly defined and implemented. EC became the process that supported achievement growth. These results demonstrated that relationships between parents and teachers are complex. Further, when teachers and parents were fully invested in collaboration it produced powerful results for students. This study provided critical information for parents, teachers, administrators and policy makers attempting to implement more effective parent involvement initiatives.
ContributorsParedes, Maria C (Author) / Buss, Ray R (Thesis advisor) / Zambo, Ronald (Committee member) / Margolis, Eric (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Schools across the nation have increasingly been required to fill social, emotional, and academic gaps for students. The cost to ensure the needs of students have been met has become challenging for many K-12 schools. Students in urban communities have faced additional adverse circumstances such as high family mobility, food insecurities, lack of adequate healthcare, and limited social capital. Community-school partnerships have played a critical, beneficial role in filling the needs of students when schools did not have the resources or capabilities to do so. Nevertheless, most school principals do not have tools and strategies to identify, recruit, and develop these partnerships. In this study, I created the Development of the Partnership Protocol for Principals (DP3) to help develop principals’ skills and self-efficacy to develop community-school partnerships. The DP3 protocol was made up of a series of four steps, which enabled principals to develop their agency to be successful in identifying, recruiting, and developing partnerships. The four-step process required principals to (a) conduct a needs assessment of the state of the school and its current partnerships, (b) strategically analyze potential opportunities, (c) develop pathways for partnerships, and (d) construct a plan to implement the partnership. In this study, I used quantitative and qualitative measures to assess principals' perceptions of their skills and self-efficacy for developing partnerships. Quantitative results showed increased skills and self-efficacy. Further, qualitative data complemented these quantitative results. Qualitative data also revealed partnerships benefitted students if the partnerships were aligned to academic or cultural gaps and needs of schools. In the discussion, I have described the complementarity of the data and connected outcomes to the intervention and the research literature. Moreover, I discussed limitations, implications for practice, implications for future research, and personal lessons learned. In conclusion, participation in the DP3 workshops increased principals’ skills and self-efficacy for developing community-school partnerships and DP3 exhibited potential as a means to develop skills for school leaders to support their efforts in building community-school partnerships.
ContributorsBolding Jr, Reginald (Author) / Buss, Ray R (Thesis advisor) / Rund, James (Committee member) / Weeks, Larry (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Implementation of a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) has proven to be a ‘big hairy audacious goal’ within the literature and applied settings. Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) has utilized a similar framework and was represented under the MTSS umbrella. If implemented with fidelity, both MTSS and PBIS have been shown to have positive outcomes for learners, staff members, and school systems. To implement one component of PBIS, a coaching procedure which consisted of instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback was provided for three middle school teachers. Two Tier 1 PBIS classroom management practices were the focus of the coaching intervention—opportunities to respond and encouragement of appropriate behavior through positive points of contact. This study utilized a mixed methods approach which incorporated a single-subject design, specifically a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants, to assess the effects of the coaching intervention on the implementation of the two classroom management practices, student on-task behavior, and the social validity of the intervention. Findings indicated an increase in both practices as well as an increase in student on-task behavior, from baseline to intervention phases of the study. Additionally, all participants reported high levels of social validity of the coaching intervention. The discussion was focused on triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative data, which indicated these findings were complementary. Connections of the findings to the research literature, implications for future practice and research, limitations, and conclusions have been provided.
ContributorsTurner, Katie M (Author) / Buss, Ray R (Thesis advisor) / Mathur, Sarup (Committee member) / Wood, Chandalee (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
During the last 25 years, the academic research environment has become increasingly competitive, with those seeking grants contending for over $83.7 billion, available from primarily six federal agencies. Notably, this increased competition occurred at the same time states have cut support for public universities. To deal with decreases in state support, university leaders and administrators have adopted “new managerialist” approaches that capitalized on three elements obliging early-career engineering faculty members to ‘win’ more federal funding. These three components include (a) leveraging the probationary period during promotion and tenure to stimulate grant production, (b) seeking revenue beyond tuition and operations to support the institution, and (c) augmenting faculty resources by including professional grant writers/support personnel who collaborate with early-career faculty members to mitigate challenges of increased competition for grants by providing domain and implicit knowledge to aid the engineers in grant development. The promotion and tenure process has become particularly challenging for early-career engineers because of the highly competitive federal research landscape.This mixed-methods action research (MMAR) study was conducted to examine the effects of an intervention designed to provide on-demand, online grant writing professional development using a set of five modules. The modules focused on providing information about five constructs related to grant development or grant writing, including requirements, processes, skills, attitudes, and self-efficacy. For three of the five modules, participants demonstrated modest or moderate increases in quantitative scores for the constructs based on survey data. During semi-structured interviews, early-career engineering faculty members revealed candid thoughts about the modules, grant writing, and the “need” to obtain grants as part of their professional lives. Four themes emerged from the qualitative data, including Knowledge, Online Learning, Grant Writing Process, and Winning the Next Grant. The discussion focused on connections between the quantitative and qualitative data, explaining the findings based on the theoretical frameworks, limitations, implications for practice and research, and included a summary.
ContributorsKessel, Monica L. (Author) / Buss, Ray R (Thesis advisor) / Mertler, Craig A (Committee member) / Ban, Heng (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to implement digital outreach strategies, which would enhance students’ motivation to complete financial aid requirements and scale the departments’ more time-consuming counseling efforts. Using self-determination theory as the primary framework, I implemented the use of a series of emails and text messages sent by students’ admissions recruiters to a group of first-year students admitted to a large, public Land Grant Institution. The messages were framed to enhance students’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness the summer before they enrolled. The digital campaign was also supported by supplemental opportunities, including virtual appointments, a targeted webpage, and virtual workshops. Following the intervention, I compared the enrollment and financial outcomes of participants and a comparison group. Intervention and comparison groups were also surveyed about their perceived levels of self-determination and satisfaction prior to high school graduation and the summer before enrolling at the university. Additionally, selected students from both groups were interviewed during their first semester at the university. There were no statistically significant differences in students’ perceived self-determination, satisfaction, enrollment, and financial aid outcomes following the intervention. Relatedness increased significantly across the two times of assessment indicating all students developed stronger relationships with those from the university’s financial aid and admissions offices, which boded well for students just entering the university. In logistic regression analyses, Pell Grant eligibility was a significant factor associated with negative financial aid outcomes of owing a student account balance of $500 or greater and not completing financial aid requirements on time. Taken together with qualitative interviews, these findings suggest a need for additional one-on-one or other high-touch support methods, to support admitted students in the financial aid process.
ContributorsMiller, Gabrielle Christiana (Author) / Rillero, Peter (Thesis advisor) / Buss, Ray R (Committee member) / Corella, Arezu (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Preparing graduates for full-time employment following graduation has become an increasing concern for universities. Student services departments who employ students have been tasked with providing intentional development opportunities for them. At Arizona State University those opportunities have been taken on by professional staff members (PSM) in Educational Outreach and Student Services (EOSS) who have served as the university’s support system and connection to resources to ensure student success. Many departments within EOSS have been student led and supported by PSM. This model provided PSM opportunities to work with student staff members (SSM) to ensure they were receiving professional development opportunities to grow professionally and personally. Unfortunately, this development has not always been intentional or targeted. Thus, I developed and delivered workshops, coaching, and facilitated an online community of practice (OCoP) to foster and support PSMs’ efforts in teaching transferable, career readiness, skills to SSM. The intervention components were based on three of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career readiness competencies including communication, teamwork, and leadership. Participants were full-time PSM within EOSS departments and SSM who were supervised and mentored by PSM. These intervention efforts took place over the course of one academic semester and effectiveness of these efforts was assessed using quantitative and qualitative instruments. Specifically, PSMs’ perceptions of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and self-efficacy were assessed to determine the influence of the invention. Moreover, SSMs’ perceptions of transferable skills and overall connections to work were also evaluated. Quantitative results showed modest increases in PSMs’ perceptions of skills across the intervention. On the other hand, quantitative results for SSM exhibited very slight changes in their scores about transferable skills. Interview data indicated PSM developed knowledge and skills to share the NACE competencies. Further, in their interviews, students indicated their competencies had grown and they felt better prepared for the future. The discussion was focused on describing complementarity of the data, explaining the findings based on the literature, communicating the limitations, portraying the implications for practice and research, describing the lessons learned, and offering conclusions.
ContributorsTybroski, Mitch (Author) / Buss, Ray R (Thesis advisor) / Ostos, Ray A (Committee member) / O'Brien, Jen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023