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Title: A MATTER OF RETENTION: THE ESSENTIAL PIECES OF COMPREHENSIVE INDUCTION AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF NOVICE URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS.
Creator: Hixenbaugh-Dwenger, Kelly, Killingsworth Roberts, Sherron, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A substantial amount of research exists and was reviewed on why teachers leave the teaching profession and/or why they leave one school to teach at another school. Significantly less research exists on why teachers remain in an urban school and what they view as being the essential pieces of teacher induction. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of knowledge by identifying the key pieces of induction that influence teachers, with three or less years of experience in an...
Show moreA substantial amount of research exists and was reviewed on why teachers leave the teaching profession and/or why they leave one school to teach at another school. Significantly less research exists on why teachers remain in an urban school and what they view as being the essential pieces of teacher induction. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of knowledge by identifying the key pieces of induction that influence teachers, with three or less years of experience in an urban school, to remain teachers in their school. A case study design was utilized in this research in order to gain an in-depth understanding of what these teachers view as being the essential pieces of induction. In response to the larger problem stated here, I have organized my dissertation around three separate, but related manuscripts: 1. The first manuscript is a literature review on the essential pieces of comprehensive induction focusing on urban settings and the role that administrators play in novice urban teacher retention. The essential pieces of induction were identified through the literature as being effective administration, mentoring, formative evaluation, empowerment, and professional development. 2. The second manuscript is an exploration into the need for school-university partnerships through the results of a questionnaire on a one time professional development held at the university. The questionnaire results demonstrated the novice urban teachers' beliefs that professional development positively impacted their instructional practices, yet did not report that professional development would have a positive influence on their students' standardized test scores. 3. The third manuscript is a case study of Brookstay Elementary, an urban school successfully retaining novice urban teachers. This case study gives specific examples of how the essential pieces of comprehensive induction are seen through the eyes of novice urban teachers as well as provides evidence for the importance of building a positive school culture in order to retain novice urban teachers.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002290, ucf:47860
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002290

Title: THE EFFICACY OF EFFORT: DIFFERENCES IN TEACHERS' SENSE OF EFFICACY BASED ON TYPE OF TEACHER TRAINING AND NUMBER OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
Creator: Shane, Julie, Allen, Kay, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Current federal reforms require a highly-qualified teacher in every classroom to promote higher levels of student performance. In an attempt to provide a sufficient and sustainable number of highly qualified teachers in the workforce, alternative certification training programs have come alongside traditional college of education training programs. Proponents of alternative certification programs contend the process of on-the-job training will potentially address the problem of teacher...
Show moreCurrent federal reforms require a highly-qualified teacher in every classroom to promote higher levels of student performance. In an attempt to provide a sufficient and sustainable number of highly qualified teachers in the workforce, alternative certification training programs have come alongside traditional college of education training programs. Proponents of alternative certification programs contend the process of on-the-job training will potentially address the problem of teacher shortages. However, opponents see these programs as an inadequate training process with future ramification for both teachers and students. As more and more classroom teachers are choosing alternative certification routes, there is growing uncertainty as to whether or not this is an effective way to train teachers. There is a substantial body of research that indicates a teacherÃ‚Â's self efficacy beliefs can be an indicator of his or her performance in the classroom. Evidence demonstrates a relationship between teachersÃ‚Â' beliefs about their personal ability to affect studentsÃ‚Â' achievement and the outcomes of both the teachersÃ‚Â' and the studentsÃ‚Â' efforts (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2007). By identifying strengths and weaknesses in self-efficacy beliefs, it is possible to provide interventions such as professional development or peer mentoring to increase an individualÃ‚Â's sense of efficacy, which could then improve his or her teaching performance, and ultimately improve student achievement. The purpose of this research study was to identify and describe the differences between (1) the self-efficacy beliefs of teachers from traditional college of education programs and from alternative certification programs in order to identify patterns or correlations between type of training and teachersÃ‚Â' sense of efficacy, and (2) the self efficacy beliefs of novice, experienced, and expert teachers in order to determine patterns or correlations between years of experience and teachersÃ‚Â' sense of efficacy. This research study investigated the self-efficacy beliefs of 125 high school teachers in Brevard County, Florida, with either college of education training or alternative certification training and with either novice, experienced, or expert classroom teaching experience. The first part of the study analyzed teachersÃ‚Â' responses to the 24 items on Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk HoyÃ‚Â's TeachersÃ‚Â' Sense of Efficacy Scale; the second part analyzed 6 researcher-designed items referring to teacher training programs and personal classroom experience. The three subscales that directed the items on the questionnaire were Efficacy for Student Engagement, Efficacy for Instructional Strategies, and Efficacy for Classroom Management. Factor analyses indicated 21 of the 24 items from the current research study loaded on the same three factors identified on the TeachersÃ‚Â' Sense of Efficacy Scale. The 6 items created specifically for this study loaded into two factors identified appropriately as training program and classroom experience. A reliability analysis resulted in a total alpha coefficient of .9271 for the 24 items on the TeachersÃ‚Â' Sense of Efficacy Scale for the 125 participants in the current research study which is consistent with an alpha of .94 in previous studies using the same scale. A total alpha coefficient of .6973 was determined for the 6 researcher-designed items. Findings from the t-tests and ANOVAs indicated that there was no relationship between self-efficacy beliefs of college of education trained teachers and alternative certification trained teachers; few relationships between novice, experienced, and expert teachers; and few interaction effects between type of teacher training and number of years of classroom experience. While the results of the study did not reveal statistically significant differences in the teacher groups, the teachersÃ‚Â' responses and comments indicated personal classroom experiences created higher levels of self-efficacy than teacher training programs. Contrary to the researcherÃ‚Â's expectations and conventional wisdom, both alternative certification teachers and novice teachers perceived themselves to be efficacious in the classroom. One possible explanation for the failure to reach statistically significant differences in the type of training and years of experience variables is that there simply are not distinct differences. Generally teachers with alternative certification training are immersed in programs that provide on-the-job training and support from a mentor, and as experts in their field of study, they exhibit self-assurance in their classroom behaviors. Commonly novices enter teaching with high expectations and they bring innovative practices and a fresh outlook to the classroom. Another possible explanation for the failure to reach statistically significant differences is the over-representation of some groups which could possibly have skewed the results. From the group of 125 participants, 86 teachers had college of education training while only 39 had alternative certification training. There were 79 expert teachers with ten or more years of experience, 35 experienced teachers with four to nine years, and only 11 novice teachers with three or less years. While the results of the research study did not offer statistically significant differences in the groups of teachers, there is much practical significance to be gained for district and school-level personnel in planning professional development opportunities. By identifying the strengths and weaknesses in teachersÃ‚Â' self-efficacy beliefs, professional development and peer support can be provided to address the unique needs of each teacher group. Recommendations were made for a synthesis of current practices from both college of education programs and alternative certification programs: a series of half-day internship experiences with relevant content coursework could be combined with on-the-job experience and mentoring support based on current alternative certification programs. This research study lacks generalizability, so further research should include middle school and elementary teachers, and teachers from other counties and states. Because teachersÃ‚Â' self-efficacy beliefs are personal and not necessarily reflective of actual practice, an investigation of the relationship between perceived self-efficacy beliefs and observed classroom effectiveness should be investigated.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003268, ucf:48558
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003268

Title: INCREASING NOVICE TEACHER SUPPORT IN 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOMS: INDUCTION AND MENTORING FOR BEGINNING TEACHERS THROUGH BUG-IN-EAR TECHNOLOGY.
Creator: Wade, Wanda, Cross, Lee, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Novice teachers in todayÃ‚Â's classroom are in need of support during the initial years of teaching. Providing beginning teachers in special education classroom settings with coaching and immediate feedback through Bug-In-Ear, Bluetooth technology has been identified as a effective strategy for supporting beginning teachers while simultaneously improving generalization and maintenance of instructional strategies in diverse classrooms (Anagnostopoulous, Smith & Basmadjian...
Show moreNovice teachers in todayÃ‚Â's classroom are in need of support during the initial years of teaching. Providing beginning teachers in special education classroom settings with coaching and immediate feedback through Bug-In-Ear, Bluetooth technology has been identified as a effective strategy for supporting beginning teachers while simultaneously improving generalization and maintenance of instructional strategies in diverse classrooms (Anagnostopoulous, Smith & Basmadjian, 2007; Darling-Hammond and Baratz-Snowden, 2007; Brownell, Ross, Colon & McCallum, 2005). The present study was designed to examine the effects of using BIE, Bluetooth technology with novice teachers in inclusionary settings at a PK-5 charter school. As it has been demonstrated, Bug-In-Ear Bluetooth technology has allowed supervisors and mentors to increase desired teacher behaviors by providing immediate feedback, coaching and prompting during instructional delivery (Scheeler, McAfee, Ruhl and Lee (2006), Scheeler, Ruhl & McAfee, 2004; & Rock, et al., (2009). Specifically, this study looked to increase the average rate per minute of specific feedback statements made to students during reading instruction. Additionally, maintenance of increased rates of specific feedback once BIE coaching and prompting were withdrawn was also of interest. A multiple-baseline design across participants was used. Data were collected during baseline, intervention, and withdrawal phases. The independent variable was identified as prompts delivered by the coach through BIE Bluetooth technology. The dependent variable for this study was the average rate per minute of specific feedback statements made during reading instruction. Overall, the average rate per minute of specific feedback provided to students during reading instruction increased substantially with the use of Bug-In-Ear Bluetooth technology. Further, participants sustained higher than baseline averages of specific feedback provided to students. This study extended Scheeler (2004, 2006), and RockÃ‚Â's (2009) research on the use of immediate feedback through BIE technology, and demonstrated the effectiveness of this observation method with various participants, groups of students, and classroom diversity.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003368, ucf:48447
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003368

Title: Exploring Stress for Novice Teachers' in Low Socio-Economic Elementary Schools Through Breathing Biofeedback.
Creator: Fulchini, Angelica, Dieker, Lisa, Hines, Rebecca, Lue, Martha, Hynes, Mike, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Teachers who serve children of color in schools that support students from low socio-economic status have turnover rates reported to be as high as 70% (SES; Carver-Thomas (&) Darling-Hammond, 2017). Numerous approaches to teacher retention in low SES settings have been discussed in the literature (Chester (&) Beaudin, 1996; Donaldson, 2009; Ingersoll (&) Kralik, 2004; Jacob, 2007; McKinney, Haberman, Stafford-Johnson, (&) Robinson, 2008; McLaurin, Smith, (&) Smillie, 2009; Siwatu, Frazier,...
Show moreTeachers who serve children of color in schools that support students from low socio-economic status have turnover rates reported to be as high as 70% (SES; Carver-Thomas (&) Darling-Hammond, 2017). Numerous approaches to teacher retention in low SES settings have been discussed in the literature (Chester (&) Beaudin, 1996; Donaldson, 2009; Ingersoll (&) Kralik, 2004; Jacob, 2007; McKinney, Haberman, Stafford-Johnson, (&) Robinson, 2008; McLaurin, Smith, (&) Smillie, 2009; Siwatu, Frazier, Osaghae, (&) Starker, 2011; Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, (&) Carver-Thomas, 2016; Taylor (&) Frankenberg, 2009), but the use of emerging biofeedback technology is an unexplored territory. This type of technology could help novice teachers understand basic changes in stress levels through awareness of the body and mind while teaching. Hence, the potential use of biofeedback strategies to reduce stress levels in teachers, in inclusive settings, that serve students with low SES is explored. To help potentially reduce novice teachers' stress levels (Friedman, 2000; Day (&) Hong, 2016; Isenbarger (&) Zembylas, 2006), the researcher explored the effectiveness of biofeedback on breathing rates of teachers in inclusive classrooms serving more than 50% of students from low SES backgrounds. The researcher found, by tracking the rate of stressed breathing of 9 teachers during the instructional day, that teachers reported they were more mindful of their breathing. The researcher found meetings, paperwork, and student behaviors increased their stress and suggested better mentorship as a way to help reduce stress. The paper concludes with implications for practice, and recommendations for future research for teachers is provided.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007179, ucf:52266
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007179

Title: An Examination of Novice and Expert Teachers' Pedagogy in a Mixed-Reality Simulated Inclusive Secondary Classroom Including a Student Avatar With Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Creator: Bousfield, Taylor, Dieker, Lisa, Marino, Matthew, Hines, Rebecca, Hynes, Mike, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Teachers, special and general educators alike, are required to teach a variety of students including students with ASD. With a rise in the prevalence of autism by 119.4% since 2000 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016) and 39% of students with ASD being served in general education classrooms for over 80% of the school day (U.S. Department of Education, 2015), teachers need to be prepared to effectively teach this population. To better prepare teachers, the researcher...
Show moreTeachers, special and general educators alike, are required to teach a variety of students including students with ASD. With a rise in the prevalence of autism by 119.4% since 2000 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016) and 39% of students with ASD being served in general education classrooms for over 80% of the school day (U.S. Department of Education, 2015), teachers need to be prepared to effectively teach this population. To better prepare teachers, the researcher conducted a two-phase study, situated in the framework of the Skill Acquisition Model (Dreyfus (&) Dreyfus, 1986) to explore the behaviors of novice and expert teachers in a simulated secondary inclusive environment. This classroom included a virtual student with autism. In phase one, the researcher conducted a Delphi Study to determine the best practices, perceived by experts in the field, for teachers who serve students with ASD in inclusive secondary environments. During phase two, the researcher used the list of skills identified as a framework to observe and interview 10 teachers, five novices and five experts, in a simulated secondary inclusive environment. The researcher identified 11 high leverage simulation practices (HLSP) that expert teachers should use while teaching in a simulated secondary inclusive environment. Observations and reflections of expert and novice teachers were analyzed, finding only 4 HLSP among experts and 5 HLSP among novice teachers. Additional HLSP were seen through the teachers' reflections. Data were analyzed and discussed in detail. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research in teacher preparation is provided.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006722, ucf:51877
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006722

Title: Virtual Coaching of Novice Science Educators to Support Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.
Creator: Garland, Dennis, Dieker, Lisa, Vasquez, Eleazar, Hines, Rebecca, Rosenberg, Michael, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Due to a multitude of convergent circumstances, students labeled in the disability category of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience high rates of academic and behavioral failure. Such failure frequently leads to the students' dropping out of school, involvement in the judicial system, or a combination of those outcomes. Science is an academic content area that has the potential to enhance behavioral and academic success of students with EBD. Researchers, nonprofits, and...
Show moreDue to a multitude of convergent circumstances, students labeled in the disability category of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience high rates of academic and behavioral failure. Such failure frequently leads to the students' dropping out of school, involvement in the judicial system, or a combination of those outcomes. Science is an academic content area that has the potential to enhance behavioral and academic success of students with EBD. Researchers, nonprofits, and business leaders have provided an impetus for nationwide reform in science education. Concurrently, a corpus of legislation has influenced the preparation of new teachers to use evidence-based teaching practices while addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. Using technology is one way that teacher educators are providing in-vivo learning experiences to new teachers during their classroom instruction. A multiple-baseline across-participants research study was used to examine the effectiveness of providing immediate feedback (within three seconds) to novice general science educators to increase their use of an evidence-based teaching strategy, known as a three-term contingency (TTC) trial while they taught. Feedback was delivered via Bug-in-the-Ear (BIE) technology and during whole-class instruction in which students with EBD were included. The teacher participants wore a Bluetooth earpiece, which served as a vehicle for audio communication with the investigator. Teachers were observed via web camera over the Adobe(&)#174;ConnectTM online conferencing platform. During the intervention, teachers increased their percentage of completed TTC trials, opportunities to respond, and praise or error correction. Student responses also increased, and maladaptive behaviors decreased.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004847, ucf:49681
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004847

Title: Evaluating Improvisation as a Technique for Training Pre-Service Teachers for Inclusive Classrooms.
Creator: Becker, Theresa, Hines, Rebecca, Beverly, Monifa, Hopp, Carolyn, Hamed, Kastro, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Improvisation is a construct that uses a set of minimal heuristic guidelines to create a highly flexible scaffold that fosters extemporaneous communication. Scholars from diverse domains: such as psychology, business, negotiation, and education have suggested its use as a method for preparing professionals to manage complexity and think on their feet. A review of the literature revealed that while there is substantial theoretical scholarship on using improvisation in diverse domains, little...
Show moreImprovisation is a construct that uses a set of minimal heuristic guidelines to create a highly flexible scaffold that fosters extemporaneous communication. Scholars from diverse domains: such as psychology, business, negotiation, and education have suggested its use as a method for preparing professionals to manage complexity and think on their feet. A review of the literature revealed that while there is substantial theoretical scholarship on using improvisation in diverse domains, little research has verified these assertions. This dissertation evaluated whether improvisation, a specific type of dramatic technique, was effective for training pre-service teachers in specific characteristics of teacher-child classroom interaction, communication and affective skills development. It measured the strength and direction of any potential changes such training might effect on pre-service teacher's self-efficacy for teaching and for implementing the communication skills common to improvisation and teaching while interacting with student in an inclusive classroom setting. A review of the literature on teacher self-efficacy and improvisation clarified and defined key terms, and illustrated relevant studies. This study utilized a mixed-method research design based on instructional design and development research. Matched pairs t-tests were used to analyze the self-efficacy and training skills survey data and pre-service teacher reflections and interview transcripts were used to triangulate the qualitative data. Results of the t-tests showed a significant difference in participants' self-efficacy for teaching measured before and after the improvisation training. A significant difference in means was also measured in participants' aptitude for improvisation strategies and for self-efficacy for their implementation pre-/post- training. Qualitative results from pre-service teacher class artifacts and interviews showed participants reported beneficial personal outcomes as well as confirmed using skills from the training while interacting with students. Many of the qualitative themes parallel individual question items on the teacher self-efficacy TSES scale as well as the improvisation self-efficacy scale CSAI. The self-reported changes in affective behavior such as increased self-confidence and ability to foster positive interaction with students are illustrative of changes in teacher agency. Self-reports of being able to better understand student perspectives demonstrate a change in participant ability to empathize with students. Participants who worked with both typically developing students as well as with students with disabilities reported utilizing improvisation strategies such as Yes, and..., mirroring emotions and body language, vocal prosody and establishing a narrative relationship to put the students at ease, establish a positive learning environment, encourage student contributions and foster teachable moments. The improvisation strategies showed specific benefit for participants working with nonverbal students or who had commutation difficulties, by providing the pre-service teachers with strategies for using body language, emotional mirroring, vocal prosody and acceptance to foster interaction and communication with the student.Results from this investigation appear to substantiate the benefit of using improvisation training as part of a pre-service teacher methods course for preparing teachers for inclusive elementary classrooms. Replication of the study is encouraged with teachers of differing populations to confirm and extend results.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004516, ucf:49273
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004516

Novice Teachers (3)	+ -
Teacher Preparation (3)	+ -
ADDIE (1)	+ -
Alternative certification (1)	+ -
Autism (1)	+ -

Autism Spectrum Disorders (1)	+ -
Avatars (1)	+ -
Biofeedback (1)	+ -
Biofeedback Device (1)	+ -
Breathing (1)	+ -
Bug-In-Ear (1)	+ -
Bug-in-the-Ear Technology (1)	+ -
Coaching (1)	+ -
Delphi (1)	+ -
Elementary Schools (1)	+ -
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (1)	+ -
English Language Learners (ELL) (1)	+ -
Evidence-Based Practices (1)	+ -
Expert Teachers (1)	+ -
High Leverage Practices (1)	+ -
Immediate Feedback (1)	+ -
Inclusion (1)	+ -
Inclusive (1)	+ -
Inclusive Classroom (1)	+ -
Inclusive Schools (1)	+ -
Instructional Practices (1)	+ -
Low Socio-Economic (1)	+ -
Mentoring (1)	+ -
Mixed Reality (1)	+ -
Novice Educators (1)	+ -

University of Central Florida (7)	+ -
Hines, Rebecca (4)	+ -
Dieker, Lisa (3)	+ -
Hynes, Mike (2)	+ -
Allen, Kay (1)	+ -

Becker, Theresa (1)	+ -
Beverly, Monifa (1)	+ -
Bousfield, Taylor (1)	+ -
Cross, Lee (1)	+ -
Fulchini, Angelica (1)	+ -
Garland, Dennis (1)	+ -
Hamed, Kastro (1)	+ -
Hixenbaugh-Dwenger, Kelly (1)	+ -
Hopp, Carolyn (1)	+ -
Killingsworth Roberts, Sherron (1)	+ -
Lue, Martha (1)	+ -
Marino, Matthew (1)	+ -
Rosenberg, Michael (1)	+ -
Shane, Julie (1)	+ -
Vasquez, Eleazar (1)	+ -
Wade, Wanda (1)	+ -

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