dc.contributor.author	Luke, Larkie H.
dc.coverage.spatial	United States, Georgia	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2020-08-04T20:02:20Z
dc.date.available	2020-08-04T20:02:20Z
dc.date.issued	2020-07
dc.identifier.other	106827E2-F7E7-8285-4637-040EF7C6ECA4	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/4300
dc.description.abstract	In this study, I used a qualitative design with a constant comparison of data to gain an in-depth understanding of rural South Georgia eighth-grade students’ perceptions of good teachers. Students (n=211) on three teaching teams participated in the research, which used a constructivist grounded theory approach. Students completed a good teacher project that included an essay, cinquain, and metaphors about the same good teacher. I analyzed and compared writings by grade group, teams, and type of writing. This yielded 301descriptors of good teachers, which generated 97 descriptor groups that were arranged into 20 conceptual categories. Three core categories: personal, professional, and interpersonal attributes surfaced as qualities this group of students deemed necessary for good teachers. Each core category included multiple conceptual categories. Personal attributes of good teachers consisted of seven conceptual category groups: fun/happy, nice, charismatic, strong, pretty religious, and humble; professional attributes consisted of nine category groups: teaching skills, knowledgeable, dedicated, patient, interesting, leader, successful, proud, and perfectionist; and interpersonal attributes had four conceptual category groups: caring/loving, helpful, inspiring, and interacting. I developed a theory about good teachers grounded in the perspectives of the participants. For these eighth-grade students a good teacher has both personal and teaching attributes; a good teacher was not one or the other, and they used interpersonal attributes to build relationships with the students within the other two core categories. Keywords: good teacher qualities; effective teachers; good teacher characteristics; good teacher attributes; students' perceptions;	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 -- Background and Statement of the Problem 2 -- Good Teacher Defined 6 -- Purpose and Significance of Study 6 -- Research Questions 15 -- Overview of Methods 16 -- Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 18 -- Existing Literature on Eighth-Graders 18 -- Existing Literature on Good Teachers 23 -- Existing Literature on Using Writing as Data 35 -- Conceptual Framework 42 -- Chapter III: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 46 -- Research Site 47 -- Participants 48 -- Data Collection 49 -- Validity and Reliability 53 -- Students’ Essays 72 -- Students’ Poems 73 -- Students’ Methaphors 74 -- Researcher Memos 75 -- Constant Comparative Method 77 -- Coding 80 -- Chapter IV: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 84 -- Chapter V: CONCLUSION, INTERPRETATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 115 -- Answers to Research Questions 120 -- Relevance to the Literature 122 -- Limitations 122 -- Future Research 124 -- Final Reflection 125 -- References 126 -- APPENDIX A: Student Writing Prompt 138 -- APPENDIX B: Cinquain Directions 140 -- APPENDIX C: Teacher Directions for Metaphor Sheet 142 -- APPENDIX D: Metaphor Worksheet 144 -- APPENDIX E: Descriptor Grid 146 -- APPENDIX F: Descriptors for Team B 2nd Block Cinquain 148 -- APPENDIX G: Descriptor Totals for Team B 2nd Block Cinquain 150 -- APPENDIX H: Descriptor Totals for Team B per Block and Writing 152 -- APPENDIX I: Discriptor Totals for Entire Eighth Grade All Writings 154 -- APPENDIX J: Visual of Colored Index Cards with Descriptors 156 -- APPENDIX K: Internal Review Board Exemption Form 158	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic document, 171 pages.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Dissertations, Academic--United States	en_US
dc.subject	Middle school students--Attitudes	en_US
dc.subject	Middle schools	en_US
dc.subject	Georgia	en_US
dc.subject	Rural schools	en_US
dc.subject	Student evaluation of teachers	en_US
dc.subject	Teacher effectiveness	en_US
dc.subject	Teachers	en_US
dc.title	Out of the Mouths of Babes: Eighth-Grade Students’ Perspectives of Good Teachers	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology of the Dewar College of Education and Human Services	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Schmertzing, Lorraine
dc.description.committee	Schmertzing, Richard
dc.description.committee	James, Christine
dc.description.committee	Tsemunhu, Rudo
dc.description.degree	Ed.D.	en_US
dc.description.major	Education in Curriculum and Instruction	en_US