Browsing by Author "Lester, Jessica"

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    Co-Constructing Identity: A Qualitative Study of the Interplay of Identities in Instructional Coaching Conversations
    (2023-10) Bhathena, Catherine Dontie; Teemant, Annela; Lester, Jessica; Mutegi, Jomo; Medina, Monica; Wiley, Craig
    Research on coaching has been increasing over the last few decades, particularly for literacy and math. What is limited in coaching research is investigations of the process that leads to teacher and student impacts. Additionally, while some research has investigated what makes an effective coach, little has focused on the specific roles of discourse and identity in changing instructional practices. In this comparative case study, I will analyze the identity discourses of teachers and an instructional coach, myself, to investigate the interplay between coach and teacher identity and how identities and instructional practice are intertwined. The overarching research question guiding this study is How do the teachers and I, the coach, co-construct our identities in coaching conversations focused on changing instructional practices to benefit multicultural/multilingual learners? Findings in this study include that 1) teacher identity is inseparable from teacher learning, 2) coach identity is inseparable from coach learning, and 3) the interplay of coach and teacher identities impacts coaching conversations. My findings here support the need for more theorizing and research on the interplay of coach and teacher identities. My findings also indicate the need for intentional coach professional development focused on coach identity development and understanding of how teacher identity is intertwined with coach identity and the effectiveness of coaching as professional development.
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    The Impact of Medical Education Reform on the Teaching and Learning of the Anatomical Sciences
    (2019-06) Taylor, Melissa Anne; O'Laughlin, Valerie Dean; Brokaw, James; Husmann, Polly; Lester, Jessica
    Curricular reform in medical education is a process that has been ongoing for quite some time. Major revision of medical curricula has been occurring since the early eighteenth century. In recent decades, curricular reform has had a monumental impact on the anatomical science subjects. This research investigated how specifically the anatomical science disciplines were impacted by curricular reform at various allopathic medical schools within the United States. The goal of this research was to discover curricular variations in medical schools and to examine the perceptions of those curricular programs by faculty and students alike. Four research questions were addressed to explore the role of curricular reform in medical education using a mixed methods study design. Medical curricular websites were qualitatively analyzed to discover common trends used to describe medical curricula and content organization. Perceptions about the medical curriculum were gathered through surveys and interviews of anatomical science faculty across the country and first year medical students at Indiana University School of Medicine-Bloomington. Finally, a case study of curricular changes at Indiana University School of Medicine was documented. Results from this research demonstrated that curricular reform has had a major impact on the anatomical disciplines. Didactic lectures have been supplemented or replaced by non-didactic teaching tools. Hours dedicated to the teaching of the anatomical sciences have greatly decreased, and most anatomical disciplines are no longer taught as stand-alone courses. Qualitative results discovered that there is an overall administrative control of the medical curriculum. Additional perceptual data demonstrated the need for measuring student success past the licensing exam scores. There’s a need for future studies to further analyze student success regarding lifelong learning, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.