Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing​, University of Findlay, 2016, English

The English field has long been fragmented, with the subfields of creative writing and composition separated due to their different pedagogical approaches and goals. Even so, in an effort to encourage better student writing, scholars from as early as the 1960s have explored the benefits of integrating techniques from the creative writing class for use in the composition class. Composition writing instructors, tempted to encourage students to experiment with creative ways of writing, have had to do so behind the closed doors of their classrooms so as not to detract from the composition class's purpose to teach the traditional conventions that follow the strict standards for academic writing. However, current writing scholars are calling to reform academic writing to appeal to a general audience by changing traditional writing conventions to integrate and accept the use of creative writing elements in formal academic writing. Consequently, popular composition textbooks should reflect this modern trend through their treatment of creative writing elements in composition instruction. This project will examine five commonly used composition textbooks to determine if current composition instruction answers the call from recent scholars to create academic writing that is appealing to a wide audience, through the use of creative writing elements. Although all of these textbooks include instruction and explanation regarding the use of creative writing elements, they differ in their treatment of the elements and their pedagogical implications in the composition class, suggesting that composition instruction must evolve to reflect the reformed expectations of academic writing

Committee: Courtney Bates Dr. (Committee Chair); Marianna Hofer MFA (Committee Member); Erin Laverick Dr. (Committee Member); Christine Tulley Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Communication; Composition; Education, Higher; Education, Teacher Training; Rhetoric

Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing​, University of Findlay, 2016, English

A study of ten university writing program directors from a variety of institutions reveals the ways that digital multimodal composition has influenced first-year composition (FYC) programs. Most FYC programs in the study have implemented digital compositions in their curricula, and these range from assignment options to requirements for proficiency. The study also revealed that the digital movement in FYC is generally instructor-driven as classroom instructors seek ways to teach digital composing practices, create digital assignments, and assess digital compositions. In addition, FYC instructors are adapting alphabetic text composing practices to digital texts, and this practice in turn may help students become more intentional in applying appropriate academic conventions while composing digital projects.

Committee: Christine Denecker Dr. (Committee Chair); Nicole Diederich Dr. (Committee Member); Allison Baer Dr. (Committee Member); Christine Tulley Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Composition; Education; Education, General; Education, Teacher Training; Information Technology; Pedagogy; Rhetoric

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2001, Education : Educational Foundations

A consortium of 10 school districts piloted the implementation of Local Professional Development Committees created by a state policy giving local districts control over the re-licensure of educators. These committees were charged with both accountability for re-licensure of educators in a given district and with monitoring educators' continued professional growth in relation to local plans for continuous improvement. The 10-district consortium organized to support each other in the creation of district policies translating state policy to local contexts, and to examine the application of principles of quality professional development to the creation of these local policies. The research set out to look at professional learning in this context of local policy development around the professional development principles. Little change in attitudes regarding the principles, expressed on a pre- and post-assessment were detected in the 16 months from the beginning to the end of the pilot. However, local policy documents produced by the pilot committees showed notable variation in the extent to which the individual districts' documents incorporated the professional development principles. These differences corresponded to variations in certain elements of the committees' processes and contexts. Two committees, whose processes had been closely observed over the course of the pilot, produced local policy documents at opposite ends of the continuum for the extent to which they embraced the professional development principles. The two committees also exemplified committee processes and contexts that were at opposite ends of the continuum. This finding was corroborated by differences in the two committees on 14 indicators of organizational learning. A final analysis of all 10 committees and their school districts according to 13 facilitators of organizational learning, again, found a pattern of variance that was similar to that shown by the local policy documents. The study con (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Mary Anne Pitman (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2006, Education : Literacy

This body of work includes four individual research studies situated in the Core Literacy Specialist Project centered around the professional development activity entitled coaching. Each individual study will be included below: A Comparative Analysis of Four Coaching Models This comparative analysis focuses on the similarities in and distinctions between four coaching models including Peer Coaching, Cognitive Coaching, Coaching in the Literacy Collaborative and Coaching in the Core Literacy Specialist Project. The review provides administrators with the information needed to make an informed choice when choosing a coaching model. The analysis presents information on the structural framework of each coaching model and the role of “knowledgeable” others. Teacher's Talk Communication and Collaboration: A Key to Effective Teacher Instruction This qualitative study focuses on the Teacher Learning Instrument (TLI) and one teacher's experience with the TLI. The TLI is a transcript analysis tool that provides a structure for a literacy specialist and a classroom teacher to use as a means to help the teacher self-evaluate and deepen her diagnostic teaching. Voices from the Classroom: The Teacher's Perspective of A Literacy Coaching Experience This qualitative research study presents the views and perceptions of four teachers who participated in a coaching experience. Through teachers' interviews, the study provides the teachers' reasons for willing volunteering to participate in a coaching activity. Readers develop a better understanding of how a literacy specialist assists a classroom teacher as they reshape their instructional approach. A Coaching Experience: A Supportive Process for Change The final study focuses on a coaching experience with a literacy specialist and an experienced teacher. Through the coaching conversation we deepen our understanding of how the ELLCO tool and the Close-up of Teaching assist the coach-teacher dyad as they strengthen and refine the teache (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Penny Freppon (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Education : Curriculum and Instruction

Although there are numerous types of teacher mentoring programs in existence, there is little empirical research that tells us how teachers should mentor and what mentoring would look like if performed effectively Scherer, 1999; Ganser, 1992). This mixed-methods study surveyed beliefs about types of mentoring support held by educators in higher education and in secondary schools. In order to assist with quantifying quality mentoring, five categories of mentoring support, gleaned from a review of the literature about mentoring, were used, Classroom, Personal, Reflective, Professional and Evaluative. Three rounds of surveys investigated the types of support and the elements within each type that educators believed to be most important in teacher mentoring for preservice teachers, 1st year teachers, and 3rd year teachers. Research questions were: (1) Is it possible to arrive at a definition of quality mentoring as framed within five areas of support? (2) Is there a difference between beliefs about mentoring support needed by candidates, by 1st year teachers, and by 3rd year teachers? (3) Is there a difference between the beliefs about mentoring held by those in higher education involved in teacher education as opposed to beliefs held by secondary educators? Major findings from this study were: (1) There was little consensus in the beliefs of educators in higher education and secondary school about the types of support needed by candidates, 1st year or 3rd year teachers (2) There was little consensus about which types of support were most important, although Classroom Support and Personal Support were often ranked high while Evaluative Support was consistently ranked lowest (3) Three elements within each type of support were identified. Findings yielded a clearer picture of beliefs about mentoring support held by representatives from higher education and secondary schools, moving us somewhat closer to a definition of quality mentoring. Further research is called for in (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Janet Bohren (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

MEd, University of Cincinnati, 2002, Education : Literacy

The demand for qualified English speaking associates within the US service and hospitality sectors continues to grow on an annual basis. Reports published by the US Department of Labor reveal that the demand for qualified English speaking associates within these US employment sectors will remain abundant through 2010. A major concern raised by management staffs in both the professional and vocational workforce report that tension and mistrust between native and non-native English speaking associates often becomes an issue within the workplace. Furthermore, the frustration and tension that exists between non-English speaking associates and English speaking customers, co-workers, and supervisors directly impacts company profits, customer service, business operations, and overall employee satisfaction. Management staffs are looking for creative ways to deliver effective vocational English language training programs that will address the ongoing educational needs of all associates - native and non-native English speakers. This qualitative study determined how cooperative workplace-specific classroom exercises enhanced the second language acquisition process for limited English proficient (LEP) restaurant workers. Furthermore, this study provided insight on how the inclusion of native English speaking co-workers in the classroom assisted the LEP workers in building linguistic communities of practice within their respective workstations. Suggestions for implementing future vocational English language courses within the workplace are provided. Additionally, the challenges and successes of implementing the study and organizing the vocational English class are also discussed.

Committee: Dr. Lee Wilberschied (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2002, Education : Curriculum and Instruction

This longitudinal qualitative study followed five preservice teachers through the final two years of a five-year teacher education program. The study investigated the socialization process, as shown by changes in participants' beliefs and actions as they pertained to classroom instruction and student learning. Three phases of teacher training (pre-training, pre-service, and field experience) as well as institutional constraints in the field were analyzed. Observations, interviews, focus groups, and participants' work were the sources for analysis. Descriptive case-study narratives trace the patterns and changes for each participant. Single-case findings and cross-case findings are provided. The program that the participants were involved in responded to the need for educational reforms. The program differed from traditional education programs in a variety of ways. First, the participants each earned the equivalent of a major in their chosen subject area (e.g., social studies). Second, the participants experienced two extensive field experiences (i.e., 60 hours and 50 hours). Third, they participated in fullyear, paid internships in urban professional development schools. Fourth, each participant developed a portfolio showing their growth as teachers and reflecting the program's desired goals. The major issue investigated in this study was how this type of teacher education program influenced preservice teacher socialization. Dialectical socialization theory and cognitive dissonance theory acted as the analytical framework for this study. Findings included: (1) Self-conception heavily influenced preservice teachers' socialization as teachers; (2)Preconceptions (especially concerning teaching and teachers) strongly influenced preservice teachers' actions in the classroom; (3) preservice teachers often abided by cooperating teachers' rules and expectations rather than those of the university's (when the two were not similar); (4)preservice teachers initially accepted a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. David T. Naylor (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2002, Education : School Psychology

One consultative model of service delivery that provides structure and support to schools to help ensure the needs of all students are met is collaborative problem solving. With strong foundations in collaboration, an essential element of this process is active participation of all key stakeholders. In order to expand the use of this process, increasing the problem-solving skills of all key stakeholders is important. Particularly, it is important for all teachers to have knowledge of the content and process of collaborative problem solving because their active participation is critical for achieving positive intervention outcomes. Limited research exists on how to build teachers' problem-solving skills in an effective and efficient manner. This study examined the effectiveness, as well as the perceived effectiveness, of case scenario activities combined with three instructional methods (didactic instruction alone, didactic + modeling, and didactic + written prompt) for facilitating the acquisition of problem identification skills. The participants were 53 teacher interns enrolled in three sections of an 11-week course designed to teach skills in collaborative problem solving. Participants completed four case scenario activities under one of the three instructional conditions and their responses were rated using the Problem Identification Rating Scale to provide an overall rating of problem identification skills. At the conclusion of the training, participants completed the Case Scenario Survey which assessed their perceived effectiveness of the activities in increasing their problem identification skills. Across time, all groups demonstrated an increase in problem identification skills, with the written prompt group consistently performing better than the modeling and no additional instruction groups. The modeling group, however, rated the case scenario activities as a more effective use of class time. The findings of this research support effective teaching, staff (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Janet L. Graden Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Sarah J. Allen Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Teaching and Learning

The purpose of the present study was to understand teachers' thinking about mentoring. The study examined what teachers metaphorically conceptualize with respect to mentoring. To achieve the goals, two research questions were asked: (1) What were the teachers' metaphors concerning mentoring that are used in their everyday language, and (2) what were the major concepts perceived by the teachers' use of metaphors regarding mentoring? Contemporary metaphor theories were employed in this study. Ten elementary school teachers in an urban setting in Ohio participated in the study. Using a maximum variation sampling method, teachers who had diverse backgrounds with respect to teaching and mentoring experiences were selected. Interview was the primary method for data collection. Interviews were conducted once for each participant in December 2002 and once more in April 2005. The findings of the present study revealed that the participating teachers used various metaphors about mentoring and student teaching. Those metaphors pertained to the relationship of mentor and student teachers and can be grouped into two categories: Interpersonal Relationship Metaphors and Power Relations Metaphors. The metaphors used by the participants were related to two concepts of a good mentor: a non-authoritative mentoring approach and professional development. The metaphor analysis revealed that the participants believed, by permitting student teachers to implement their own teaching styles, a more equal and interpersonal relationship with student teachers should be established and would produce more successful mentoring. Moreover, the metaphor analysis demonstrated that this non-authoritative mentoring approach was intertwined with mentor teachers' professional development in a sense that mentor teachers could learn from student teachers and have a better chance to renew their (mentor teachers) teaching.

Committee: Peter Paul (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Teaching and Learning

There are a growing number of teachers from English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings who participate in L2 teacher education programs in North American universities and then return to teach in their home countries. Given this trend, it is important to understand the nature of EFL teachers' learning to teach, in particular, how they appropriate pedagogical tools presented in their programs into their own teaching contexts when they make a transition between the two settings. In the contexts of Japan, to promote communicative-oriented pedagogy in English education, the Ministry of Education (MEXT) has currently provided the government-sponsored overseas in-service teacher education (MEXT) programs for Japanese secondary school EFL teachers. However, little research has been conducted to examine their experiences of learning to teach. By using “activity theory” as a main theoretical framework, therefore, this study explores Japanese EFL teachers' appropriation processes and illuminates sources and settings that shaped the processes (Grossman, et al., 1999; Lantolf & Thorne, 2006). A combined quantitative and qualitative methods approach was employed in this study. The participants of the quantitative method based on questionnaires, were sixty-six Japanese secondary school EFL teachers who participated in the U.S. MEXT programs from 1998 to 2003. To gain a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in their learning to teach, a qualitative case study was subsequently conducted with three teachers from the questionnaire respondents. Furthermore, I triangulated data sources such as teachers, school administrators, and program hosts in this study. The questionnaire results reveal that teachers had positive feelings about the training, especially in regards to their English language development and gained pedagogical tools related to communicative-based teaching and learning. However, the case study findings suggest that teachers faced challenges in appropriating (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Keiko Samimy (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Educational Policy and Leadership

This investigation explores how in-service teachers conceptualize teaching, integrate the personal and the professional dimensions of their lives, and develop teacher identities. This instrumental case study of 10 teachers builds on the previous work regarding personalization of practical and professional educational knowledge. All teachers studied were teaching in a single urban charter school guided by an experiential philosophy. This qualitative investigation lasted for one school year and included extensive time observing and interviewing the teachers. This study found that major resources for these foundational processes are relational experiences, both informal and formal. A metaphor of a black box is used to describe an inner collection of influential and remembered events and is a place where the personal and professional meet. The black box emphasizes the relational aspects of teaching and is found to respond to two major influences: (a) biographical experiences, including K-12 experiences and personal qualities, and (b) the exploration of self as teacher, including developing perspectives of what it means to be a student. Other less defined qualities of the black box are passion and motivation, both linked to the main characteristic of the relational. This investigation reveals that teachers responding to a school's educational philosophy still conceptualize teaching through their own personal experiences. The study informs teacher educators that they must recognize how individuals develop their identities as teachers, rather than simply focusing on what teachers need to know to be teachers. The study found that preparation programs had limited impact on teacher development. Teachers emphasized a need for active learning that encourages taking the perspective of student and teacher. Further research on the personalization of teacher knowledge is needed to further develop the idea of the relational quality of teacher conceptualization and to identify how th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Anita Woolfolk Hoy (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2005, Teaching and Learning

Researchers have explored attitudes of teachers toward issues of equity and diversity, yet only a handful of studies have connected teachers' attitudes with their subsequent classroom practice. Related to this question, there is a need to study how teacher preparation programs have helped teachers develop multicultural competence. The research for my dissertation is situated within a larger program evaluation study within which I have participated during my doctoral studies. I will be using some of the survey and interview data from this larger project. This paper, however, describes the data collected from the case studies I have been collecting in the past three quarters. Recent sociocultural theorists suggest that teachers are socialized to learn how to teach (Zeichner & Melnick, 1996). Social interactions are considered important to generate transformative knowledge that leads to real learning. These institutional elements are central influences in shaping social interactions and the individuals' perceptions and behavior within them. Wenger (1998) categorizes these institutional elements as: enterprise, engagement, and repertoire. Enterprise refers to the domains of an institution (in this study, the M.Ed. program), engagement to the relationships among individuals in the program, and repertoire to the practices of individuals. Critical theorists bring forward the issues of power when investigating social interactions (Nieto, 2000; Sleeter, 2001). Various forms of resistance can happen along with the social interactions, especially there are different opinions between the new comers and old timers in a particular institution. Postmodernists further problematize the learning process by assuming the existence of multiple subjectivities that usually shift and change within these social interactions (Giroux, 1998; Kumashiro, 2001).The purpose of this study is to explore how multicultural competence was defined, interpreted, and developed by three case study particip (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Marilyn Johnston-Parsons (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2005, Educational Policy and Leadership

Evaluation of environmental education professional development programs often includes a measure of implementation intention, asking participants how they plan to use the workshop material in the future. Workshop leaders might use the responses as evidence of a successful program. Human behavior is notoriously unpredictable, and various studies show that despite positive intentions, people do not always follow through. The ActionAssessment study examined the implementation intent and behavior of formal and nonformal educators attending an environmental topic professional development workshop, using an adaptation of an integrative model of behavioral prediction, to determine the merit and worth of the construct of “Implementation” to the overall program evaluation. The purpose of this research was to test whether professional development leaders may accurately predict a participant's future utilization of materials based on a statement of intent at the conclusion of the workshop. The application of the model allows program developers to understand whether members of a target population are not performing a specific behavior because they have not formed an intention to perform it, or because they are unable to act on their intention. When applying the model, the investigator obtains measures of the populations' beliefs, attitudes, norms, self-efficacy, intention, and subsequent behavior. Through analysis of the variables, the investigator then: A) Determines whether intention is primarily influenced by attitudes, norms, or self-efficacy in that population under consideration; B) Identifies the specific beliefs that discriminate between those who do or do not intend to perform the behavior. It is these discriminating beliefs that need to be addressed through an intervention/ treatment. The response rate of the ActionAssessment study was 62.6% (n=117). Results indicated educators in this study tended to follow-through with what they said they were going to do. When not (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: W Loadman (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Physical Activity and Educational Services

The purpose of this study was to extend the results of Sutherland, Wehby, and Yoder (2002), which suggested a correlational relationship between OTR and teacher praise in classrooms for students with EBD. The current study sought to extend Sutherland et al. (2002) by investigating a possible functional relationship between OTR and teacher praise in general education classrooms. Results from this study revealed no functional relationship between OTR and teacher praise. Furthermore, results showed no correlational relationship between OTR and naturally-occurring teacher praise; however, after praise training was implemented with two participants, there was a significant correlation between OTR and teacher praise. Lastly, the study revealed positive student and teacher perceptions of classroom instruction characterized by high rates of OTR and teacher praise.

Committee: Stephanie Peterson (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Teaching and Learning

In the field of English language teaching, several studies have been conducted to examine the differences between native and non-native language teachers regarding pedagogical advantages and disadvantages (Samimy & Brutt-Griffler, 1999; Medgyes, 1999; Arva & Medgyes, 2000). Unfortunately, similar study is scant in the field of foreign language teaching in the United States, and important factors, such as teacher efficacy, were neglected in those studies. Teacher efficacy, defined as “… the teachers' belief in his or her capability to organize and execute courses of action required to successfully accomplish a specific task in a particular context” (Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy & Hoy, 1998), is a significant predictor of more effective teaching in many domains; nevertheless, no journal articles and only two dissertations (Shin, 2001; Chacon, 2002) were found directly relating to teacher efficacy in language teaching. Both studies revealed the effect of language proficiency on both teacher efficacy and teaching methodology; however, the efficacy beliefs of native teachers and the different efficacy beliefs between native and non-native teachers have been unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the differences between native and non-native foreign language teachers teaching at a large midwestern university. Primary areas of investigation were “teacher efficacy” and “teacher perceptions of language teaching.” Teaching assistants from six language departments i.e. Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, German, French and Italian, were chosen in this study. Moreover, the researcher was interested in knowing how native and non-native language teachers were different in teaching less commonly taught languages, i.e. East Asian languages, versus in commonly taught languages, like Spanish. The data shows a positive connection between teachers' self-perceived ability in teaching the target language and level of efficacy. The influence of teaching experience, such as years of teaching (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Keiko Samimy (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Educational Policy and Leadership

This study investigated student teachers' efficacy beliefs, pupil control ideologies, collective teacher efficacy beliefs, and perceived cooperating teachers' efficacy beliefs. These student teacher beliefs were examined in conjunction with contextual factors, primarily the school setting (i.e., rural, suburban, and urban) but also the length and nature of the student teaching assignment, to determine if these contextual factors played a role in the development of the student teachers' efficacy beliefs and pupil control ideologies. The research participants included 108 student teachers: 29 student teachers in the rural group, 45 in the suburban group, 28 in the urban group, and 6 that switched school settings at the halfway point. Participants completed surveys before, during, and after a 16-week student teaching experience. Results indicated that all three setting groups exhibited significant increases in teachers' sense of efficacy following student teaching. School setting did play a role in the student teachers' pupil control ideology (suburban student teachers were the only group to become more humanistic following student teaching) and perceived collective teacher efficacy (urban student teachers exhibited significantly lower perceived collective teacher efficacy scores than the rural and suburban student teachers). Additionally, a positive and significant relationship was found between student teachers' efficacy beliefs and their perceived cooperating teachers' efficacy beliefs. As for the nature and length of the student teaching assignment, the group of student teachers that did not switch placements at the halfway point showed significantly higher efficacy scores in the second eight weeks than the group that switched placements. Finally, significant increases in student teacher efficacy beliefs occurred at both the 8-week and the 16-week point.

Committee: Anita Woolfolk Hoy (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2003, Educational Studies: Hums, Science, Tech and Voc

Current teacher education reform movements in the United States suggest fundamental changes in preservice teacher education. Additional emphasis is placed on the structural changes in teacher education programs. Current trend, moving toward post- bachelor degree programs is recommended to move teaching to a more professional environment. The purpose of this study was to measure the theoretical pedagogical knowledge of preservice teachers in a post bachelor degree program. The knowledge of: 1) entering and graduating students in an integrated teacher education program, 2) mathematics and science preservice teachers 3) male and female teachers, were particularly examined. Theoretical pedagogical knowledge of preservice teachers was examined through the modified version of Praxis II: Principles of Teaching and Learning Test, Teaching and Learning Questionnaire (TLQ). Responses to the questionnaire were analyzed based on the four domains presented in the Praxis II: Principles of Teaching and Learning Test: 1) Students as Learners, 2) Instruction and Assessment, 3) Communication Techniques, and 4) Teacher Professionalism. Additional demographic variables were also analyzed to detect differences and patterns related to gender, major, ethnicity, pedagogical experience, and changes during the teacher education program. An open-ended question, to the TLQ was added to measure students' attitudes toward the TLQ; as a way of increasing the validity of the questionnaire. The results revealed fruitful information regarding both the program students participated in and the test they had taken. Results suggested that post bachelor degree programs have an impact on students' theoretical pedagogical knowledge, as consistent with the recent research. The preservice teachers did improve in their pedagogical knowledge from pre-to post-program. Science majors were found more successful than math students in some domains. Teachers' prior experiences as well as their familiarity with the o (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Haury (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2003, Teaching and Learning

The purpose of this study was to investigate how a group of college preservice teachers constructed a knowledge base related to using technology to improve their professional practice while enrolled in a large, Midwestern University Foreign Language Master of Education program. The experiences of six preservice teachers in an initial teacher preparation program were studied in order to investigate their conceptual framework for technology-enhanced language teaching and learning. The students' knowledge base in technology was explored through the tripartite framework of: the teacher-learner, school and schooling, and the nature of language teaching and learning (Freeman and Johnson, 1998). Ethnography is the research perspective that guided this study. Four data collection strategies were used from June 2001 to June 2002. They were observation field notes, interviews, chat room discussions, and review of written documents. The software called Non-numerical Unstructured Data Indexing Searching Theorizing (NUD*IST) was used to compare the data, highlight the reoccurring themes and investigate patterns in the data. Although the goal of the data analysis was to determine the patterns of experience and understanding across participants the unique aspects of each participant's experiences were considered as well. Since the study was based on a critical paradigm, an emphasis was placed on issues of race, gender, access, and equity. Indeed, the impact of such issues on participants' situated experiences was part of the analysis of all three domains of the sociocultural framework. The strengths and the weaknesses of the Master of Education program were highlighted. The study includes details about the pedagogical implications of the findings on the Foreign Language Education curriculum, the field placement, and the development of a knowledge base related to technology-enhanced language teaching and learning.

Committee: Shelley Wong (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2005, Supervision (Education)

This case study examines college teacher educators' Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in a democratic teacher preparation grogram. Research into PCK has added much understanding on teaching in K-12 settings. However, research about the PCK of teacher educators at college level is still limited. The purpose of this study is to explore how college teacher educators' PCK, in a democratic teacher preparation program, informs their teaching practice while fostering student teachers' novice pedagogy. The teacher preparation program, Creating Active and Reflective Educators for democratic education (CARE), is part of the licensure program of Department of Teacher Education in College of Education, Ohio University. The CARE program, associating with democratic values such as freedom of expression, equality, civil participation, and social justice, aims to foster a learning community for pre-service teachers. Narrative inquiry is the study tool to capture the understanding of the meanings that the CARE teacher educators give to their teaching practice. Interviews, class observations, and document analysis are employed for data collection. Through narrative inquiry, the four CARE teacher educators' teaching practices are explored through the lens of the structure of PCK as identified in their teaching. Seven categories emerge from the study that reflected the CARE teacher educators' PCK are presented. The categories of the PCK structure include: 1) knowledge of educational aim (teaching for democracy); 2) knowledge of democratic teacher education; 3) knowledge of content (teaching about teaching as content knowledge); 4) knowledge of curriculum for democracy; 5) knowledge of learners (two-fold nature of learners); 6) knowledge of democratic pedagogy; and 7) knowledge of professional self. Data analysis reveals that the educational aim of teaching for democracy is the foundation of their PCK. The CARE teacher educators, through class activities and self-reflection, facilitat (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rosalie Romano (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2005, Educational Leadership

This dissertation investigates and interprets the implications that PK-12/University partnerships have on various members of a learning community. The College View/Rolling Hills Partnership (a pseudonym) provides the backdrop for this story. Inclusive voice and increased democratic construct provide the lens through which this case is framed. Three research questions comprise the foci of this study: 1. What are the substantive connections and programs established through the partnership? 2. How do students from both the public schools and the university gain from these efforts/programs? 3. How do participants in the wider learning community benefit (or not) from a formalized partnership? This historical case study chronicles the work of the College View/Rolling Hills Partnership using observational data, archival collections of materials, and semi-structured interviews. These interviews reflect the work of the partnership through the eyes of ten key participants and comprise a thorough record of events resulting in a vicarious experience for the reader. The informants' stories are presented in three broad categories: The Visionaries, those who conceptualized the partnership; The Politicians, those who contextualized the partnership; and The Technicians, those who persist through presentation of programming. Six major themes surfaced as common among these three groups of informants: 1. The need to move forward despite past history. 2. The importance of a partnership structure which encompasses interinsitutional work. 3. The critical nature of persistence and resiliency in partnership work. 4. Quality trumps quantity, meaning not all growth is inherently good. 5. Internal and external community building play an important role in partnership work. 6. Relationships are the key to constructing and maintaining quality partnerships.

Committee: Thomas Poetter (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Teacher Training