Teachers’, Counselors’, and Principals’ Perceptions of Positive Behavior Interventions at Schools: A Case Study

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) are inconsistently being implemented within schools. Students were not being intrinsically motivated, external feedback systems were not being reduced and replaced by a natural environment, and there was a lack of buy-in of the framework. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’, counselors’, and principals’ perceptions of the effects and challenges of implementing PBIS at schools. This study adopted a qualitative method with a case study design to explore the perspectives and lived experiences of four counselors, four principals, and 17 teachers who all worked within an elementary school setting in a particular school district. The results indicated that the counselors and administrators felt strongly about the positive effects of PBIS, whereas teachers believed that PBIS produced negative, minimal, or no beneficial effects. The results revealed six major themes: inconsistency of PBIS implementation; improved focus for students on academics; student incentive to stay o­n track and complete assignments; students are not intrinsically motivated; student behavior improves because of consistent and predictable environment and expectations; and more training for teachers. The case study results demonstrated a need for the school district to provide yearly training for all staff members and to ensure consistency throughout the year. Future research was recommended

Nonresident Father Perceptions of Consistent Involvement With Children’s School-Based Endeavors: A Phenomenological Study

Domestically, there is a widespread acknowledgment by educational scholars that there exists the need for nonresident fathers to be consistently involved in their children’s school-based endeavors. For more than a decade, researchers recognized that nonresident father involvement is essential to the academic success of students enrolled in inner-city public schools. Current nonresident father involvement studies suggest that nonresident father current school-based involvement experiences may impact nonresident fathers’ perceptions. How nonresident fathers perceive their roles in the academic development of their children affects their beliefs and parenting values toward school-based participation. The literature shows that there are benefits to understanding the academic outcomes for children when nonresident fathers are involved. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand through qualitative methods, essential components related to nonresident father’s consistent involvement in their children’s school-based endeavors among a sample of 10 nonresident African American fathers. Through a phenomenological approach, I sought to understand the beliefs and values related to school-based involved parenting of inner-city nonresident fathers. I intended to investigate nonresident father school-based involvement experiences with their children. The findings underline how nonresident father perceptions influence their involvement with their children’s school-based endeavors. The participants from this study demonstrated a desire to continue to consistently support their children’s school-based endeavors

Effective Introvert Teachers: A Phenomenological Study of Their Lived Experiences

In this qualitative, phenomenological study, effective K–12 introvert teachers were interviewed to determine how they achieve effectiveness within Danielson’s (2011) four domains of planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities. The participants discussed the strategies they use to overcome the challenges they face as teachers, as well as how they leverage their introvert personality strengths. The 10 study participants frequently experienced exhaustion related to their job responsibilities and expressed the need to find ways to recharge in order to have the energy needed to be effective. Participants avoided extrovert behaviors when possible, but they also realized that sometimes they must use these types of behaviors in their profession in order to be effective. The relationships they developed with their students were important to them, and they described often engaging in actions that were contrary to their introverted nature in order to develop these relationships. Participants also described their strong need to feel prepared for instruction as well as other professional responsibilities. Finally, the participants shared how they have experienced an extrovert ideal in their profession and how they navigate this by coming to terms with their own needs and strengths as introverts. The findings of the study provide insight into the unique challenges and needs of introvert teachers, as well as the strategies they use to achieve effectiveness

A Case Study of the Perceptions of Education Stakeholders of STEAM Integration in a K–8 Setting

As schools shift from STEM to STEAM schools, there is little research about STEAM school implementation to provide insight into the barriers, challenges and successes for educators. This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of K–8 education stakeholders of implementation of STEAM integration in their schools. The research sought to answer the question: how do K–8 educators in Oregon, perceive the implementation of STEAM integration in their schools. Convenience sampling was used to select three schools for this study. Eight educators were selected to provide maximum diversity in the sample. Through data collection that included questionnaires, interviews, and research notes, information was gathered to describe how administrators, teachers, and instructional specialists perceive the barriers and successes of implementing STEAM integration in K–8 settings. The case study for the participants selects revealed seven themes through data analysis. Education stakeholders have varied experiences first learning about STEAM integration. Administrators, teachers, and instructional specialists have different definitions of STEAM integration and similar components of high-quality STEAM integration. Education stakeholders share the perception STEAM integration provides many benefits for students and share a core set of beliefs about the value of integrating STEAM. Educators perceive similar challenges with STEAM integration and used similar strategies to begin implementing STEAM integration