Date of Award
1-17-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Topeka Singleton
Second Advisor
Ella Benson
Committee Members
Mitchell Henke
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2024 A53
Abstract
While teachers are provided with professional development, they do not always use the best practices, which can negatively impact their students’ learning. This study addressed the problem of teachers not using the best, research-based instructional practices to instruct students in rural areas of Middle Tennessee. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the factors that motivate teachers to use the most effective classroom instructional practices to increase student achievement. The need to focus on building the capacity of teachers in rural areas follows Gary Becker’s Human Capital Theory. The research questions: What are the lived experiences of teachers who have been motivated to change their instructional practices? What experiences can administrators provide to best support teachers in making classroom instructional changes? They were addressed using a qualitative phenomenological approach, with semi-structured interviews, to give the teachers a voice to share their experiences. The findings from this study identified what teachers felt were the best instructional practices, offering a roadmap for improvement. Participants shared the outcomes they had experienced from changing their instructional practices and how they experienced the change process. When administrators created support for change in the instructional practices, participants felt that instructional coaching and collaboration with colleagues were the best supports to meet their needs. In addition, the desired supports teachers identified were seen as growth opportunities rather than as challenges. From the findings, two themes were developed: changing instructional practices and the support needed to make these changes. Participants in the study repeatedly stated that when changes were made in classroom instructional practices, student engagement and achievement increased, inspiring hope for the potential for growth and improvement.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Anderson, Holly Shoulders, "Ways To Motivate Rural Tennessee Teachers to Use Best Instructional Practices in Elementary Classrooms" (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1035.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1035
