Digital Commons Network^™

Sweating The Small Stuff: Exploring Consequence Assignments And Academic Outcomes In A No-Excuses Charter Network, John G. Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

Schools utilize a range of consequences to maintain order and safety. Some employ zero-tolerance policies accompanied by exclusionary tactics like suspension (Martinez, 2009; Muschert et al., 2014). Suspensions are criticized for their disproportionate assignment to students who are Black, male, assigned an IEP, and receiving lunch assistance (Cholewa et al., 2018; Skiba et al., 2002), as well as their deleterious associations with academic achievement (Chu & Ready, 2018; Morris & Perry, 2014; Noltemeyer et al., 2015). Charter schools espousing a no-excuses philosophy often adopt a “Sweat-the-Small-Stuff” (STSS) approach focused on correcting minor (mis)behaviors to prevent more egregious ones (Whitman, 2008). …

The Perception Of The Implementation Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy To Support Black Male Students In Mathematics – A Case Study, Chiquita Granville

Dissertations

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy is a method of education that promotes an inclusive and empowered learning environment by acknowledging and valuing students varied cultural origins. CRP is especially important for tackling the ongoing achievement discrepancies encountered by high school Black Male students in the context of mathematics instruction. This abstract emphasizes the value of culturally sensitive instruction in enhancing black male students' mathematics learning results and experiences.

This research will examine the difficulties faced by Black male students in Mathematics classes, including prejudice, a lack of cultural representation in the curriculum, and a lack of relevance between the subject matter and …

The Attitudes Of Special Education Teachers Towards The Impact Of Covid-19 On Student Outcomes, Brittany Dixon

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Globally, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has significantly impacted special education teachers and educational institutions. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the spring of 2020 led to an almost complete closure of school buildings, triggering a significant disruption to K -12 education across the United States (Education Week, 2020). The quick transition to online and remote learning presented one of the biggest obstacles, especially for special education teachers. The routine and social connections essential for the development of special education students were disturbed by the closing of the schools. Teachers had to develop innovative ways to keep students interested and connected, …

The Impact Of Parental Involvement On Academic Achievement And Self-Concept Of Elementary School Students, Alexis Randall

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Lack of parental involvement in schools is the missing link to long-term student success at the elementary school level. Within the first few years of elementary school, parental help and support is all that students need as they begin to grow and learn new concepts at school The continuing absence of parental involvement in school can have a long-term impact on the students, hindering their growth in the years to come in their academics and self-concept. A literature review and surveys with parents and teachers indicated that the lack of parental involvement in schools contributed to students’ behaviors, lack of …

Qualitative Study: Brain Breaks In Primary School Classroom, Mandeep Biring

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify and describe the brain break strategies used by exemplary primary grade teachers to support student learning for each of the three different types of brain breaks (breathing breaks, movement breaks, and mental breaks). A further purpose of this study was to identify primary teachers’ perceptions of which brain break strategies are most effective to support student learning.

Methodology: A phenomenological research design was used for this study. A qualitative method was used to collect data which included conducting semistructured interviews and observations with participants to gain information related to …

Maternal Involvement, Parenting Styles And Socioeconomic Status As Predictors Of Academic Achievement Of Standard 5 Students In Trinidad And Tobago, Edison Greenaway

Dissertations

The Problem

Underachievement remains a long-standing issue for the Ministry of Education in Trinidad and Tobago. This has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which deleteriously impacted the education system. School closures became mandatory, and online learning was implemented throughout the education system. The results of the 2022 sitting of the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exams emphasized the issue of underachievement, with a significant decline in performance. Only 37.06% of students scored above the 50% mark. Familial factors such as parenting styles and parental involvement have been noted in the literature to positively impact students’ academic achievement (Borup et al., …

Exploring The Relationship Between Perfectionism And Academic Achievement In College Stem Students, Alexander Joseph Tylka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Higher education practitioners and researchers in the STEM field continue seeking ways to effectively identify and understand student challenges as part of an effort to support student success, retention, and persistence. These efforts have led researchers to explore non-cognitive personality factors such as perfectionism as a way of understanding students’ thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and outcomes. This research explores two fundamental research questions regarding the ability of perfectionism to predict end-of-term GPA. First, does perfectionism predict end-of-term GPA using the 2x2 model of dispositional perfectionism? The hypotheses associated with the 2x2 model were used to address this question, and the results …

Examining Twitter As A Learning Tool On Saudi Female Undergraduate Student Achievement And Attitudes: A Mixed-Methods Study, Hend Bamalan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Today’s learners commonly belong to a generation that grew up surrounded by using technological devices in classrooms, such as smartphones, laptops, iPads, or other tools – making them digital natives. To meet the nature of digital natives’ learning needs, the focus of educational institutions has been on adapting their instructional practices to align with the new realities. In Saudi Arabia, higher education institutions were encouraged to include more instructional technology to align with the nature of digital natives and improve students’ academic performance and engagement. The use of Twitter as a learning tool in higher education is a new educational …

The Effects Of Social-Emotional Learning, Classroom Relationships, And Collaborative Learning On Students’ Emotional Intelligence And Academic Achievement, Slade Simpson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Within educational settings, people are quick to blame intellectual development, or a lack thereof, for students’ shortcomings. However, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in issues related to students’ mental health and emotional well-being that have been detrimental to their academic progress. This quasi-experimental study investigated whether or not development of emotional intelligence through the use of social-emotional learning, relationship development, and collaborative learning has a positive impact on a students’ academic achievement. The results of this study were used to help determine if an educational focus on emotional intelligence can provide a viable option to combat …

Benefits Of Multicultural Education On Diverse Student Populations, Liliana Moreno

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone proves the benefits of multicultural education that promotes and brings about an inclusive and equitable education to all students, including diverse student populations. Through the use of literature review, interviews of two professors and educators, and surveys of college students, the result findings reveal that incorporating multicultural education approaches in the classrooms promotes inclusiveness that improves students’ learning experiences and academic performance in the classroom. It further fosters empathy among students. It is recommended that educators, school administrators, and pre-service teachers learn what multicultural education is and know how to implement it in the classrooms to benefit …

Impacts Of Attribution Style On Academics, Personal Relationships, And Extracurricular Activities: A Mixed Methods Study Of Learned Helplessness In Secondary Students, Joslyn Vendola

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The phenomenon of learned helplessness is the state in which an individual no longer views their outcomes as contingent upon their effort in response to previous failure outcomes and stressful events which were out of their control. Learned helplessness symptoms are often observed amongst students who experience other challenges simultaneously, such as low academic achievement, emotional disability (ED) diagnosis, and/or low-socioeconomic status (low-SES). The existing LH research focuses on identification, labeling, and offering interventions, such as learned optimism (LO) and attribution retraining. The lack of qualitative data, specifically student input, is a gap in the current body of research that …

Exploring The Impact Of School Connectedness On Students’ Mental Health And Academic Achievement, Matthew Scott Posthuma

Culminating Experience Projects

Abstract

Research and relevant literature have shown that school connectedness is not only associated with but has a profound impact on students’ mental health and academic achievement. School connectedness is a factor that can be influenced directly by the school environment and by interventions aimed at helping students that take place during school. School counselors carry out many of these interventions and have a responsibility to promote safe and protective environments for all students. Through the use of data and screening tools, school counselors are able to identify students that could benefit from participating in interventions. Interventions regarding school connectedness …

The Effect Of Student Perception Of Parent Involvement And Socioeconomic Status On Academic Intrinsic Motivation, Pallavi Aggarwal, Taylor Lawson Smith

Dissertations

Many teachers struggle to help students become intrinsically motivated in their school work. Research has shown that students who are intrinsically motivated tend to have higher academic achievement than students who are not (Mendoza, 2012). There are many factors that contribute to students’ intrinsic motivation. Building on existing research, the relationship between perceived parental involvement and students’ intrinsic motivation, as well as the relationship of perceived socioeconomic status and intrinsic motivation was investigated. A mixed methods research approach was used to determine a) the relationship between perceived parent involvement and students’ intrinsic motivation, b) the relationship between perceived socioeconomic status …

Self-Regulation And Academic Motivation As Predictors Of Academic Achievement Of Undergraduate Students In An Online Learning Environment, Sonia Almwalad

Dissertations

Problem

Online learning is a form of distance education that occurs via the Internet (Adams, 2004; Carliner, 1999). The success of online learning depends on student-related factors such as acceptance, willingness, and motivation (Almaiah et al., 2019; Almaiah et al., 2020). When online learning systems are not utilized, students cannot realize the concomitant benefit of improved performance. Online learning has many positives, but it does present a problem when it comes to academic success. Motivation and self-regulation are two of the key factors for successful online learning given that students are subject to minimal supervision or guidance from teachers in …

Effects Of Pastoral Care On The Social Wellbeing And Academic Achievement Of Catholic High School Students: A Case Study, Fr. Jude C. Zimoha

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of pastoral care on the personal social wellbeing and academic achievement of high school students, as perceived by the staff and students in Catholic High schools. This study is a qualitative case study research design. Purposive sampling was used to select one Catholic private co-educational high school in a large metropolitan city in the northeastern United States. The population for this study comprises all students in the Catholic High Schools. The sample of this study was comprised of 21 participants who were purposely selected and included 12 students from 9th …

Effects Of Participation In Athletics And Music Ensembles By Socioeconomic Status On Arkansas Academic Achievement, Aaron Leverette

Dissertations

Schools are held accountable by mandated standardized testing measuring academic achievement. Due to limited budgets, administrators have to decide how to balance funding for athletic teams and school music ensembles versus additional programs and positions that directly support academic achievement in tested subjects. The purposes of this study were to determine, after controlling for previous achievement, the effects by socioeconomic status between students who participate in athletics only versus school music ensembles only versus both versus neither on mathematics, English, reading, and science achievement measured by ACT Aspire Summative Assessments in mathematics, English, reading, and science for eighth-grade students in …

A Program Evaluation Of The Multi-Tiered System Of Supports (Mtss) And Its Role In Supporting Students’ Reading And Math Performance During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sonia Nistler

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to employ a quantitative research study to measure the degree of impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on students’ academic performance and determine the extent to which the MTSS program served to counter the impact of the pandemic on students’ reading and math performance. This study analyzed pre-existing STAR Reading and STAR Math data collected from 7^th-grade students at one Midwest public middle utilizing the September (Fall) and December (Winter) scores. The data sets were compared to determine the students’ reading and math performance trends in the three years preceding the COVID-19 …

The Impact Of Teacher Diversity On Student Outcomes, Kristie White Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Closing the teacher diversity gap was fundamental to closing the achievement gap between White and Black students. The gap in teacher diversity has continued to widen over the last decade. As the number of Black students in public education increases, the number of Black teachers continued to decline. The teaching profession remained a predominately white female workforce. A lack of teacher diversity had a negative effect on all student achievement. Black teachers served as role models to Black students. Those Black students taught by Black teachers had better academic achievement, behavior, motivation, and aspirations to attend college. In order to …

An Historical Study Of Student Outcomes For School Improvement Grant Recipient Turnaround High Schools In The State Of Missouri With Emphasis On Ninth Grade Achievement, Attendance, Discipline, And Graduation Rates, Juanita Chambers

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the implementation of the School Improvement Grant using the Turnaround Model to improve student academics, by looking at attendance, and drop out and graduation rates on ninth-grade achievement in Missouri. In the United States, within our urban schools, high school drop-out has been a serious, national crisis, which effects the graduation rate. Dropping out of high school has many unfavorable results that have negative effects on the economy, such as employment, crime, personal earnings, and health, such as in the lack of insurance. Students exhibit problems before they enter high school. Thus, …

Student Experiences Leaving Health Profession Interest Areas, Megan Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The undergraduate major change or declaration process can be cumbersome for students who find themselves in unknown territories when making decisions or seeking help during this transition. One of the most challenging groups of students to assist through this transition are those who are denied access to their intended program of study. These students are often pursuing selective degree programs with limited enrollment and competitive admission requirements. Research on students pursuing selective degree programs is largely outdated, with most studies being older than ten years. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how undergraduate students experience leaving selective …

The Impact Of Physical Education On Students’ Performance Outcomes In Mathematics, Ryan Thomas Cox

Theses and Dissertations

Research studies have suggested that students who participate in daily physical activity and who are more physically fit may have improved academic achievement scores. However, pressures on school districts to improve students’ academic achievement in core course areas such as math, science, and English have put less emphasis on courses such as physical education. School districts around the country have eliminated and/or have lessened the amount of physical activity students receive during the school day. This study examined the impact of time of physical education and difference in 9th-grade students’ math achievement scores in their Algebra course and outcomes on …

The Impact Of Using Avid And Avid Schoolwide On Achievement, Equity, Access, And Opportunities For High School Students: A Program Evaluation Project, Patra Cooks, Patra W. Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of my research was to determine if the use of AVID strategies had any impact on academic achievement and college and career readiness. Additionally, I evaluated whether AVID school-wide can support all students. The context of this study included AVID Teachers and AVID Coordinators across the United States. The outcomes indicated that 80% of AVID students enrolled in the AVID Elective successfully completed rigorous course work. Furthermore, the study outcomes disclosed which strategies supported students the most with academic success. The AVID coordinators often used writing strategies, while the AVID teachers used collaborative strategies to support student learning.

Two-Eyed Seeing To Support Indigenous Education, Mark Dolmont Mr.

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released its 94 ‘calls to action’ to address the atrocities of residential schools, while providing guidance to support reconciliation. Education was identified as one area where reform is necessary. Within the Nikosis Public School Division (NPSD) (a pseudonym), Indigenous students experience significantly lower academic results than their non-Indigenous peers. The colonized approach to education founded heavily on Eurocentric ideology lacks cultural connections that relate to Indigenous students. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) will focus on Buffalo Elementary (a pseudonym) and look to support stronger cultural connections as a method to provide …

A Mixed Method Investigation Of Industry Recognized Credentials And Academic Achievement Among Urban Schools In The State Of Missouri, Christopher L. Mcneil

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gather the effectiveness of the Industry Recognized Credentials in preparing Career and Technical Education students’ postsecondary opportunities. This study sought to explore if students’ exposure to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programing and attainment of Industry Recognized Credentials leads to positive postsecondary placement for Kansas City Public High School students. The researcher collected data from the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 school years.

The researcher conducted a t-Test for difference in proportions, and the data revealed that the percentage of graduates attaining IRC for 2020-2021 was significantly higher than the previous years. The …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Impact Of A Progressive Learning Curriculum On Student Achievement In A Northeastern Urban Public School District, Corey Mckinney

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study used a non-experimental, one-group, pretest-posttest design to compare the scale scores on the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 Mathematics sections of the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA). This investigation compared the 2018 New Jersey Student Learning Assessment in Mathematics (NJSLA-M) scale score means for sampled special education students in Grades 4 – 8 to the 2019 NJSLA-M scale score means for the same group. A Paired-samples t-Test was used to determine what statistical differences exist, if any, between the scores 2017–2018 results of the students prior to receiving instruction based on learning progressions and the 2018–2019 results after …

Mixed Methods Study Of The Relationship Between Students’ Perceptions Of School Climate, Attendance, And Academic Achievement, Danielle Nicole Carter

Dissertations

As previous studies have shown a relationship between school climate, attendance, and academic achievement within public schools nationwide, the current mixed methods study of the relationship between students’ perception of school climate, attendance, and academic achievement sought to explore such relationships within an urban charter high school in the Midwest. The researcher specifically examined student perceptions of teaching and learning, student-teacher relationships, school safety, and overall climate and investigated whether such perceptions were related to attendance rates or grade point average. For this study, approximately 63 participants in grades 9-12 voluntarily completed anonymous, electronic surveys (adapted from Panorama Instrument with …

The Corridor Of Shame: An Immersed Analysis Of South Carolina Schools, Darren R. Burton

Senior Theses

This research project discusses school funding instruments of rural and urban schools in South Carolina and uncovers its effect on student academic achievement. Educational achievement is assessed based on report card datasets between 2018 and 2019, containing South Carolina Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) score data and South Carolina College and Career Ready Assessment (SCREADY) score data. This research project uses a comparative analysis to evaluate each group’s performance in the subjects of English Language Arts and science. The statistical analysis tools that this research project uses include analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression analysis, and Microsoft Power BI. The …

Project Based Learning In Urban Public School Education And Its Impact On Academic Achievement And School Environment, Nayeon Naomi Hwang

Theses and Dissertations

Thinking creatively and critically, demonstrating effective problem-solving skills, and communicating powerfully and compellingly to a wide range of audiences, are undoubtedly some of the most important skills necessary for success in our global society. The purpose of this study is to explore the connection between the development of students’ creativity and problem-solving skills to academic achievement. This study examines schools that emphasize the development of students’ problem-solving skills by employing project-based learning (PBL) as a core method of instruction, and its impact on students’ academic achievement in English Language Arts and in mathematics. This study also examines the impact of …

Locational Disparity In Rural Education, Carlie A. Hedlund

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Location impacts the quality of education a student receives. Specifically in rural areas, the challenges that students face are unique to their location. The purpose of this literature review on locational disparity in rural education was to understand the complex problems facing rural students and educators. Resource inequities, lower population across an expansive area, and high poverty impact the educational achievement, postsecondary attainment, as well as the special education and gifted programs in these schools. These aspects were analyzed as they paint a cumulative picture of the rural educational experience. As a quarter of the United States population lives in …

Man Enough: Exploring The Gendered Experiences Of High-Achieving Black Men In Higher Education, Christopher E. Jones

All ETDs from UAB

Research regarding Black males in higher education has become an important endeavor for colleges and universities seeking to increase their graduation rates. Much of the previous research and practices have used a deficit-based approach explaining Black males’ low levels of academic achievement as primarily the result of them being underprepared. This ignores the contributions of Black males who do excel academically while minimizing the role their racialized gender plays in their outcomes. This dissertation focuses on an anti-deficit approach by exploring how high-achieving Black college males’ perceptions of manhood and masculinity have contributed to their overall academic success. Even though …