Browsing by Author "Wickham, Barbara Martin"
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- Designing Effective Professional Development for Teaching Students in Poverty: Impact on Teacher Beliefs and Classroom PracticeWickham, Barbara Martin (Virginia Tech, 2020-04-03)Poverty has a consequential impact on student achievement. The No Child Left Behind Act and more recently the Every Student Succeeds Act put pressure on educators to close the achievement gap that exists for economically disadvantaged students. While this gap remains, high-poverty, high-achieving schools do exist. The purpose of this study was to discern the impact of practitioner-designed professional development (PD) on teacher beliefs about students from poverty. This study focused on the creation and implementation of PD designed to help teachers explore their beliefs, and investigated whether these beliefs changed after teachers received PD addressing teaching students from poverty. This PD was based on research from multiple studies on educators' perspectives and effective teaching strategies for poor students. The study was conducted using action research, with a mixed-methods approach, incorporating the quantitative analysis of surveys and the qualitative analysis of professional learning experiences and interviews. Findings from the study indicate that practitioner-designed PD can impact teachers' beliefs and lead to changes in their instructional practices. This research could provide guidance for school administrators and higher education leaders who seek to develop and implement PD that addresses teaching students in poverty.
- Leadership Experiences of Community in State-Level Supplemental Virtual School Programs: A Qualitative Case AnalysisWarnick, Sarah Katherine (Virginia Tech, 2024-05-02)The purpose of this study was to investigate leaders' experiences with developing a culturally inclusive community and equitable learning environment in six state-level supplemental virtual programs. Two research questions were: (1) How do leaders in state-level supplemental virtual programs describe their experiences with developing a culturally inclusive community: (a) At the program level for faculty and staff? (b) At the program and course levels for students? (2) How can instructional and course design practices address barriers to virtual learning in order to facilitate an equitable learning environment for students of diverse backgrounds? This research contributes to the field of virtual leadership by representing leaders' perspectives and practices regarding how to cultivate a sense of belonging in the online community and how to address challenges with teaching and learning in this setting. This qualitative case analysis involved leaders from six state-level supplemental virtual programs in the United States. Data were gathered using a demographic survey, semistructured one-on-one interviews, and focus groups to gain a comprehensive understanding of leadership in this setting. An online survey collected demographic data from 22 program leaders, of whom 21 from various backgrounds were purposefully selected for interviews: four executive leaders, seven directors of instruction, four curriculum leaders, two instructional designers, and four other program-area leaders. Twelve findings were identified, with six related to a culturally inclusive community and six pertaining to an equitable learning environment. The findings described how leaders built community at the program level for virtual employees and at the course level for teachers and students. Considerations for creating a shared sense of community included collaboration with colleagues, multiple staff roles, relationship building, frequent communication, teacher visibility, and some student anonymity. The findings also identified barriers to equity, including student access to online content, cultural representation, connectivity, device limitations, individual readiness, and support from a supervising adult. Leaders navigated some challenges through standards-aligned course design and instructional practices. Finally, a team-based approach to resolving technology issues and supporting individual learners' needs was found to help students access content and engage in their online courses.