Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Department

Education

First Reader/Committee Chair

Becky Sumbera

Abstract

This dissertation explores teacher perceptions of cultural practices and language that teachers use during transitional times between class-to-class and assignment-to-assignment. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there is more to cultural practices than what current literature defines for critical life events and transitions. Artifact analysis from 18 school mission statements, semi structured interviews with eight participants, and rich observations were conducted. The content analysis defined, reviewed, and analyzed teacher perceptions of cultural practices and the language which they produced during their practices. From the exploration of the class-to-class and assignment-to-assignment, specific examples of cultural practices and language for transition were synthesized to recommend a new intervention or praxis for times of transition.

Cultural practices can be one of a multitude of interventions within a larger collection of Transitional Practices. Based on the literature and the data in this study, Transitional Practices must focus on the connections and differences between how a teacher and student perceive CLEs. The findings promote that teachers need Transitional Practices for themselves as much as students do. More research is needed on teacher ownership and perceptions from their moment to moment actions which will increase the teacher’s outward practice.

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