Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina
TEJSC 2023 Winter Edition

TEJSC 2023 Summer Edition


TEJSC 2022 Fall Edition

Currently accepting manuscripts for Summer 2023 publication
TEJSC has a rolling submission process (see image for details).
Manuscripts accepted for the journal will appear live on the journal page. At the end of the issue's timeline, all articles will be converted to the traditional journal PDF format.
Wren Bareiss, PhD, Rebecca Mueller, PhD, and Ann Merryman, MLIS
University of South Carolina Upstate
Originally published in the 2021 Spring edition
FAMILY HOME CONNECTION IN A COVID-19 WORLD
Dr. Anna Brady, Erskine College
Dr. Jamia Richmond, Coastal Carolina University
The purpose of this article is to address best practices for building home-school partnerships following the onset of the COVID—19 pandemic. The authors also discuss what
teachers and schools can do to build trust and maintain strong communication with families during the COVID—19 pandemic and during virtual schooling. The authors draw upon their experiences as both educators and siblings of people with disabilities to share research-based strategies that can help teachers effectively partner with the families of their students.
ENGAGING THE IN-PERSON STUDENT ONLINE: MODIFYING COURSES FOR COVID-19
Dr. Jennifer Zakrzewski, Charleston Southern University
In the Spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began causing a frenzy as faculty members turned their in-person courses into online courses overnight. Since the Spring of 2020, many faculty members have been asked to teach their in-person courses online due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic. However, many faculty members may feel ill equipped to teach their courses online. This article provides simple and quick solutions for faculty members to implement to support in-person students in an online course.
ROADBLOCKS TO RETENTION IN TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Dr. Tamara Pack, Dr. Tod Kenney, and Dr. Carol Hoyle, Lander University
This study reviewed student performance outcomes of two cohorts of preservice teacher candidates to identify the factors that contribute to attrition in a university teacher preparation program. A quantitative analysis of Grade Point Averages (GPAs) suggests that low grades in general education courses may negatively impact a candidate’s self-efficacy towards completing the high stakes testing requirement of the Praxis Core exam and therefore serve as early indicators. Proactive measures to address systemic roadblocks are shared.
Dr. Suzanne Horn and Dr. Cheryl Morgan, Coastal Carolina University
Ms. Annette Heim, Spring Hill College
This case study reports on a general education, preservice teacher book club. The club read young adult literature in which the central character had an intellectual disability. Although all fears were not alleviated, general education preservice teachers reported a higher comfort level about teaching in inclusive classrooms after seeing life through the eyes of their fictional character. Getting to know their character gave them a level of exposure to a disabled person with a disability they may have been too uncomfortable to explore with a “real” person. With this new understanding, preservice teachers had a context in which to share concerns about inclusive teaching with their literature circle.
Dr. Amanda M. Butler, Charleston Southern University
Despite teachers’ implementation of research-based strategies, many students fail to make adequate progress. In some cases, this stems from a neurophysiological response that is beyond the teacher’s and student’s control. Drawing on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, unintended findings from a previous study illuminate a larger, deeply convoluted issue that will promote unique conversations in education circles. These findings bear significant discoveries that could alter the trajectory for failing students and elevate the teaching profession.
Dr. Carol Hoyle, Dr. Matthew Collier & Mrs. Nita Brewer
Lander University
During the COVID-19 pandemic, special education instruction has been greatly impacted. Parents have faced numerous challenges as educational services became home-based. This study was designed to gather the experiences of parents or caregivers of students with individualized education programs (IEPs) provided home educational supports by their child’s school district during this pandemic. Qualitative and quantitative analysis were completed and the survey results are presented in order to assist educators as they modify and make plans for providing home/online instruction for students with IEPs.
Dr. Jeremy Lopuch Winthrop University
Dr. Debra Lockwood Marshall University
The purpose of this investigation is to examine the usefulness of concept maps to assess course content knowledge for teacher candidates. Participants included undergraduate special education preservice students in a class on differentiation instructional strategies. A pretest and posttest design were used to administer concept maps as a form of differentiated assessment to teacher candidates in the course. Based on the results, the authors concluded concept maps were potentially a useful method to measure student knowledge. Implications and suggestions for future research will be discussed.
Dr. Melissa Wrenn, East Carolina University
The purpose of this paper is to explain how a rich understanding of syntax has the potential to contribute to teacher agency within Science of Reading policies. This paper begins with a discussion of the relationship between the Science of Reading and North Carolina’s Excellent Schools Act of 2021. Next, existing literature related to syntax and literacy theories is discussed. This section is followed by an examination of how syntax is represented in competencies for pre-service teachers and elementary students in North Carolina. After that, evidence-based practices to support syntax are explained. Finally, a discussion of how stakeholders may juxtapose the policies and the strategies is provided.
Dr. Robin Franklin, Charleston Southern University
Dr. Justin Mitchell, First Baptist School of Charleston
This mixed-methods action research study examined the impact mock interviews had on pre-service teachers’ perceptions related to professional job interviewing when implemented within a college of education’s early childhood and elementary senior education methods block. Face-to-face mock interviews were added in hopes to enhance teaching methods in the College of Education’s undergraduate senior block and empower future educators toward excellence in the field of education. The results from the study included both quantitative Likert scale and qualitative constructed response survey items. After interpreting the quantitative and qualitative data separately, the researchers examined areas of intersection from the data to distill key findings which are evident in both data sources. The dominant finding outlined the increased confidence level in participants from pre to post survey collection. Based on the findings in this study, mock interviews, when employed with preservice teachers, builds confidence yielding greater self-efficacy when preparing for real-world job interviewing.
As of the fall 2019 issue, the TEJSC accepted 73% of articles submitted.