Browsing by Author "Johnson, Detra D."
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item A Multi-Case Study of Fifth-and-Sixth Grade Intermediate School Teachers’ Perceptions of the Identification and Referral Process of Hispanic/Latina English Learners to the Gifted and Talented Program in a Large Suburban District in a Texas Public School(2022-11-23) Coello, Denise; Johnson, Detra D.; Aguirre-Muñoz, Zenaida; Gonzalez, Elsa; Null, CurtisBackground: In Texas, the population of students identified as Hispanic/Latina English learners in public schools has increased drastically, however, they are often under-referred to gifted programs due to the lack of identification and referral procedures being at the center of the problem. The K-12 enrollment data of Hispanic/Latina English learners that are labeled as gifted and talented indicates the disparity of English learner girls in the gifted and talented program. This study examines teachers’ perceptions of the identification and referral process for fifth-and-sixth grade Hispanic/Latina English learner girls for the gifted and talented programs. Purpose: Latino Critical Race Theory and Multiple Intelligence Theory are the theoretical frameworks used in examining fifth and sixth grade teachers’ perceptions of the identification and referral process of gifted and talented students. Latino Critical Race Theory reveals the biases and injustices faced by Latino students regarding immigration, language acquired in the classrooms, and educational placements in addition to Multiple Intelligence Theory examined the beliefs around the various intelligences, especially language. The three research questions guiding this study are: 1. What are teachers’ perceptions across three intermediate schools of the identification process for 5th and 6th grade English learners to participate in the gifted and talented program? 2. What are teachers' perceptions across three intermediate schools of the referral process for referring 5th and 6th grade Hispanic/Latina English learner students into the gifted and talented program? 3. What are the teachers’ perceptions across three intermediate schools of training opportunities for the identification and referral process of 5th and 6th grade Hispanic/Latina English learner students for the gifted and talented program? Methods: Using a qualitative methodology, this study utilized a multi-case study selecting three different intermediate campuses in a large suburban school vi district. The interview format included a semi-structured interview protocol. Data collected from participants interviewed were digitally audio/video recorded and transcribed. The data analysis consisted of individual case analysis and cross-case analysis through constant comparative. The content analysis process involved dividing the data in units, then categorizing them based on the participants’ responses. Findings: Following the data analysis from the interviews three themes emerged from the findings: biases, language barriers, and limited resources. The findings indicate that the biases regarding the language and ethnicity of students has impacted educational experience of Latina students from the 11 participants in this study, only two of them referred students to the gifted and talented program. Conclusion: The teachers’ perceptions regarding intelligence and language create a barrier in the referral and identification practices. The misconceptions regarding the criteria and qualifications for referring an English learner still persists. Teachers do not view language as a talent nor gift. Many of the characteristics from Hispanic/Latina English learners such as language, culture, and different background knowledge displays a form of giftedness that is often overlooked. This research contributes to the lack of literature lack of literature addressing identification of Hispanic/Latinas in gifted programs.Item An Examination of Classroom Management and Beginning Teacher Retention: A Case Study(2021-05) Sewell, Khayla Deann; Johnson, Detra D.; Butcher, Keith A.; Horner, Glenda S.; Klussmann, Duncan F.Background: Turnover among teachers, or the ability to retain teachers, is higher than retention in most other professions (Ingersoll & Merrill, 2017). Teacher retention in urban schools that serve a majority student population of color is especially acute (Albright et al., 2017; Bowsher et al., 2018). One of the major reasons cited by teachers in urban schools who elected to exit the profession was classroom management. This study aimed to explore the classroom management practices of secondary teachers in urban schools through the theoretical framework of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management. Research Questions: (1) How do beginning secondary teachers in urban high schools understand and conceptualize their classroom management practices? (1a) What is the level of self-awareness of their own culture of beginning secondary teachers in urban schools? (1b) What is the level of knowledge that beginning secondary teachers in urban schools have of their students’ cultural backgrounds? (1c) What is the level of awareness of the political, social, cultural, and economic context of education held by beginning secondary teachers in urban schools? (1d) To what extent do beginning secondary teachers in urban schools infuse classroom management practices with culturally appropriate strategies? Methods: The research questions were answered using a qualitative research design. Participants were five beginning teachers from an urban high school in the southeastern part of the United States. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, follow-up interviews, and a focus group. Thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the data for emergent themes. The data was validated by respondent validation, triangulation, and dialogic engagement (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Morrow, 2005; Nowell et al., 2017; Ravitch & Carl, 2016). Results: Data analysis revealed the following themes: Learning by Doing, Circumscribing Awareness, Caring Kinship, Scratching the Surface, Varying Approaches, and Adapting. One subtheme, Not Urban, was also generated. The themes indicated that the participants possessed some knowledge of each of the four pillars of culturally responsive classroom management. Yet, when considered in total, the participants did not operate as culturally responsive educators applying such strategies to their pedagogical practices. Given that the participants were novice teachers, this researcher believes that the teacher preparation process, both conventional and alternative certification, may not provide teacher candidates with the information needed to lead diverse classrooms. Conclusion: This researcher believes it takes a special heart to enter teaching, and it takes a special heart to stay in the profession. Just as students enter classrooms with valuable experiences that can be used to enhance their learning, most teachers enter the profession wanting to make a positive change in the lives of their students. But it is difficult to become an effective teacher if one exits because of disappointment or disillusionment. Excellent teachers begin with excellent classroom management. Thereupon, it is incumbent upon educational leaders to ensure teachers are armed with the tools and strategies they need to enter diverse classrooms.Item The Impact of Professional Development on the Teacher Self-Efficacy of Novice Secondary Math Teachers(2023-08) Love, Rebecca; Johnson, Detra D.; Evans, Paige K.; Freelon, Rhoda; Williams, BryanBackground: On average, 20% of math teachers leave the profession in their first five years of employment creating detrimental effects in student achievement. Literature supports the belief that teacher self-efficacy affects all teacher behaviors and can be used to measure teacher effectiveness. The correlation of teacher self-efficacy, student achievement and teacher retention has been well-documented through academic literature. Teachers with high self-efficacy have increased student achievement, have been observed to use high quality instructional practices, and have decreased feelings of burn out. Additionally, researchers have worked to identify correlation between professional development and teacher retention. Effective professional development enables teachers to cultivate pedagogical needs and content knowledge. However, less research has focused on how professional development for novice secondary math teachers associates with a change in teacher self-efficacy presenting a gap in the literature. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the outcomes and perceptions of participant’s teacher self-efficacy after attending a professional development session, which focused on the components of teacher-self efficacy. The study answers the following research questions: (1) Is there a significant difference in teacher self-efficacy before and after participating in the professional development? If so, what is the nature of this difference? (2) How do teachers perceive the influence of professional development on teacher self-efficacy? Methods: I identified ten secondary math teachers with one to five years of experience to participate in the study. For the purposes of this study, data was collected as a mixed method design, from both quantitative and qualitative data. For the quantitative portion of the study, participants were given the Tschannen-Moran Self-Efficacy Survey (TSES) before and after the professional development. These 24 Likert-scale questions were used to generate quantitative scores using a paired sample t-test to identify if there is a statistically significant change in teacher self-efficacy. Furthermore, qualitative data was collected through interview questions and an evaluation of the professional development. Results: The participants reported increases from pre to post survey regarding their teacher self-efficacy in instructional practice, student engagement, and classroom management. Using Tschannen-Moran’s Teacher Self-Efficacy Survey, prior and post perceptions of teacher self-efficacy were assessed. The null hypothesis was rejected, and the data supported the alternative hypothesis. Analysis of the qualitative data provided insight on the perceived change in teacher self-efficacy. Participant responses highlighted the four themes that impacted their teacher self-efficacy: instructional design, classroom models, classroom community, and professional development design. Conclusion: The PD had an impact on novice, secondary math teachers’ teacher self-efficacy. The implications identified in this mixed methods study included (a) PD effectiveness based on the statistically significant quantitative findings of research question one and (b) the benefits of providing novice, secondary math teachers with increased knowledge and skills through research based instructional practices in a collaborative setting based on the qualitative findings of research question two. The quantitative and qualitative analyses support the recommendation of incorporating this PD design in school districts and secondary campuses.Item Threats to Safety: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Suburban Public School District Superintendents' Perceptions of Safety, Discipline, and Security Measures(2021-12-03) Perry, Deidra Marie; Johnson, Detra D.; Whitaker, Rachael; Davis, Bradley W.; López, Ruth M.Background: School-targeted shootings are horrific crises that negatively impact communities and families in across America, often resulting in the prioritization of school safety policies and practices. Consequently, fear of school-targeted shootings often catalyzes the creation and adoption of policies and practices that are not evidence-based in preventing them. For these reasons, policies and measures intended to prevent school shootings can lead to exclusionary discipline practices that mostly penalize students of color, even though most school shooters are White and school shootings mostly occur at majority White schools in rural or suburban areas. Conversely, several researchers posit that security measures implemented to prevent school shootings have unintended consequences that may exacerbate inequities in discipline for students of color by increasing drop-out, suspension, and expulsion rates, ultimately affecting school climate and academic achievement. Purpose: Through the lens of structural violence, this study examined Texas suburban public school district superintendents’ perceptions of safety, discipline, and security measures. Three research questions guided this study: 1. How do suburban school district superintendents perceive safety, discipline, and security measures? 2. In what ways do a high-profile school shooting influence suburban public school district superintendents efforts to create safe school schools? 3. How are suburban public school district superintendents perceptions of safety measures reflected in news articles/newsletters? Methods: This study employed a qualitative case study design to examine questionnaire responses and public documents using critical discourse analysis. A total of n=5 Texas suburban public school district superintendents participated in this study. The themes that emerged within the cases served as basis for the major findings of this study. Findings: Administrator perceptions played a central role in shaping school safety and discipline policies. Adopting security measures in response to a high-profile shooting was consistent with the literature. There were ideological differences as the superintendents did not consider demographics of students when implementing school safety/discipline policies and security measures. By not considering student demographics, the effectiveness in ensuring all students are safe (unharmed) is limited, which and instead contributes to structural violence. Conclusion: Although the population of students of color in Texas continues to grow, policies that mostly penalize students of color have been slow to change. Findings from this study may help campuses identify and adopt policies, practices, and behaviors to prevent continued marginalization and criminalization of students of color. The findings also shed light on the need to identify and address root causes of behavior issues. Recommendations for policy and practice include increasing the number of support staff on school campuses, building relationships and developing cultural responsiveness using the culturally responsive school leadership framework as it focuses on recognizing and embracing all students’ identities and cultures.