This phenomenological multiple case study explored five first-year special education teachers' transfer of knowledge and skills learned in their preparation program to their professional setting and the support provided through their school system induction programming. I employed Baldwin and Ford's (1988) Model of Training Transfer and Rolfe et…

Central Tasks of Learning to Teach provided the theoretical framework for the first study involving one in-service elementary physical educator teaching integrated classes while reflecting on three major stages of the teacher's career, (1) the preservice, (2) the induction, and (3) the continuing professional development periods. Data revealed the…

In recent years, school officials have observed that many of the novice, alternate route teachers hired into the educational staff of schools around the country have struggled with various aspects of the teaching profession, such as classroom management, implementation of classroom instruction and motivating students. Many times, alternate route…

Technology integration in the classroom has been implemented inconsistently in educational environments even though it is proven to be an effective instructional strategy that has improved student engagement and learning. The point of inquiry for this mixed-methods study was to ascertain why some teachers accept technology integration in the…

This paper is a proposal to address current and future shortages of quality teachers and teacher retention in all areas, but especially those critical need areas such as secondary math and science, and Special Education and World Language in all grades. It further provides a solution to recruit and retain a quality teacher workforce that is more…

Imagination--broadly defined here as narratives individuals construct about experience and possibility--is integral to helping people understand their lived experiences. In the context of teacher education, imagination is an indispensable dimension of developing one's self-conception as a teacher, and of defining what is and is not acceptable…

Like many professions, teaching is forever evolving. Due to several trends in the teaching force within the past forty years, the demographics of public school teachers have changed. Because many baby-boomers have reached retirement age, there has been an exodus of retiring teachers, which in turn has created a large number of open teaching…

This dissertation explores how novice teachers currently working in low-income urban charter schools in New Jersey perceive their specific preparation to work in a low-income urban charter school classroom, prior to doing so. In this qualitative study, a semistructured interview was used in an effort to assess the preparedness of 18 teachers based…

This study looked at the transition from preservice teacher to teacher by considering novice teacher success stories. This investigation rested on the presumption that the first year of teaching may be a struggle for some. This claim was underscored by the prevalence of the sink or swim metaphor in discourse related to induction. To understand how…

This qualitative study examined the experiences of special education teachers as they strove to improve their practice of teaching students with autism. Each participant had a minimum of one student with autism on their class roster. They were enrolled in a summer intensive workshop designed to educate special education teachers about…

The purpose of this collective case study was to investigate the transitions of three effective teachers of literacy from pre-service to in-service teaching. As their university supervisor, I selected these students out of a group of pre-service teachers assigned to me for supervision during their eight-week student teaching requirement, based…