Digital Commons Network^™

Improving The Accuracy Of Middle School Students' Self-Assessment, Peer Assessment, And Mathematics Achievement., Elizabeth Popelka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the documented advantages of formative assessment (FA) strategies in elevating student achievement, much of the relevant research is dated and undermined by questionable design and inattention to K-12 settings. In order to fill these voids, this quantitative study tested the effect of a self- and peer-assessment-training instructional sequence, developed with recommendations from past research and employing explicitly described assessment measures and criteria, on middle school students’ assessment accuracy and subsequent mathematics achievement. The researcher hypothesized a correlation between measurable growth in assessment accuracy and gains in achievement, as well as a reciprocal effect of self- and peer-assessment ability. The …

Reverend Jonathan Fisher: One Thread In The Web Of Early American Education, 1780-1830, Brittany P. Cathey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Jonathan Fisher was a remarkably gifted man with a passionate interest in the education of the future generations of Maine citizens. No historian, however, has yet to examine Jonathan Fisher’s connection to American educational trends. Primary and secondary schools had existed in colonial America since the 1630s. Fisher witnessed and participated in the transformation of American schooling through his involvement in the local schools, libraries and education within his home, his establishment and maintenance of the Blue Hill Academy and the Bangor Theological Seminary and the publication of his juvenile works The Youth’s Primer and Scripture Animals.

The first …

African American Parents’ Perceptions Of Public School: African American Parents’ Involvement In Their Childrens’ Educations, Eric D. Howard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goals for public schools are to educate all students so that they may attend colleges and/or develop relevant job and citizenship skills. African American students enrolled in American public schools struggle to keep up academically, revealing a so called “achievement gap.” Consequently, many African American children are unable to realize their potential and participate as successful contributing citizens. This study examined how African American parents might engage in their children’s schooling and how schools might support this participation to better meet the needs of these students.

The segregation and racism historically practiced in public schools has led to negative …

Examining The Perceptions Of Pre-Service Teachers Toward Including Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders In A General Education Setting, Luanne Beth Sailors

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Including students with a range of abilities in today's classrooms paired with increasing inclusive practices has presented itself as a challenge for all educators. More specifically, students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have had an increased presence in general education settings. This study aimed to discover pre-service teachers' perceptions toward including students with ASD in a general education setting, examine pre-service teacher knowledge regarding ASD, and examine if any correlation between the two may exist. The main research instrument consisted of a set of 1) demographic questions (categorical data), 2) perceptions of inclusion of students with ASD measured in a …

An Analysis Of Principals' And Teachers' Perceptions Of The Academic Impact Of 15 Social Perceptions Faced By Black Males, Janice Marie Epperson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When presented with 15 social perceptions, teachers differed in the extent to which they ranked such perceptions as having the most and least impact on Black male students' learning as well in the extent to which they judged these perceptions to be subject to correction. Across all repsondents, the perceptions deemed most negative concerned Black males' reputed propensity for violence and disruption, while those deemed least negative concerned Black male' alleged tendency to be more church-and -religion-oriented than their peers, as well as their reutation for being more athletically gifted than their peers. In terms of these perceptions being correctable, …

The Psychological Distress Experienced In Women Seeking Educational Upward Mobility: The Role Of Backlash, Self-Esteem, And Race, Jessica Nicole Buttacavoli-Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women earn roughly 58% of all conferred higher educational degrees in the United States and this number is projected to continue to grow (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). It is commonly known that going to college provides a number of benefits, especially to women, as education is one of women's primary means of upward social mobility and earning power (Benjamin, 2005; Hill, 2003; Hout, 1998; Simmons, 2009). However, relatively few studies have explored the backside of educational upward mobility. As women who are seeking a higher degree often experience pushback from family, friends, support persons, and the educational systems themselves, …

Dynamics Of Efficacy For Teachers In Formal Leadership Roles: A Case Study, Kelly M. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective leadership has a positive impact upon schools and student achievement. Teacher inclusion in leadership efforts has grown during a time of school reform. In order to sustain and define teacher leader responsibilities, efficacious teachers need to be supported by school and district administrators. A case study was used to understand the dynamics of self-efficacy as it pertains to teacher leaders in the Oak Ridge School District in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Purposive sampling was used to select 5 teacher leaders and 2 district administrators for the case study. Interviews along with observations of meetings facilitated by teacher leaders allowed for …

Poverty And The Challenge Of Quality Primary And Secondary School Education Access In Mara-Tanzania, Agnes Bhoke-Africanus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although poverty draws global deliberations, still it continues to be a complicated parable, driving people to the scarceness of opportunities, resources and capability deprivation as a result of education limitation–leading to ignorance decease, again poverty, and its consequences. As I write, education has been promoted in Tanzania, and more children have access to education than ever, and yet, it doesn't warrant that children have a fair access to quality education. The marginalized children, including children from poor families, orphans, children with disabilities, street children, and nomadic children hang on struggling to access quality education.

The goal of this study was …

Examining The Use Of Mindfulness Meditation To Enhance Attention Regulation Efficiency In Nursing Students, Kathleen Burger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The development of mindfully-attentive nursing graduates is a heightened charge for pre-licensure nurse educators given an increasingly complex healthcare workplace in which nurse's must detect patient risk among multiple stimuli, distractions, and interruption (Beyea, 2007; Cornell et al., 2010; Ebright, et al., 2006). Novice nurses frequently report symptoms of cognitive overload associated with error and other negative patient outcomes (Ebright, Urden, Patterson, & Chalko, 2004; McGillis Hall et al., 2010; Unver, Tastan, & Akbayrak, 2012) yet standard pre-licensure nursing curricula does not specifically prepare students for the needed attention regulation skills of safe nursing practice. Recent and accumulating neuroscientific research …

Teachers' Perceptions Of An Online Social Network As An Instructional Platform: The Impact Of An Edmodo-Based Professional Development Workshop, Ashley Hodge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today's students are learning and communicating in increasingly digital ways, which is challenging instructors to rethink their practice in order to meet their students' needs. These needs include instant access to information, student-centered learning, and control over their own learning. With the rapid adoption and progression of technology in education, understanding instructors' perceptions of technology that supports digital-age learners becomes important, as instructors' perceptions can influence the effectiveness of technology integration. This study examined one particular technology, the Online Social Network (OSN), using Edmodo in light of how it is perceived as an instructional platform. Additionally, whether the OSN supports …

A Comparison Of Two Interventions In A Response To Intervention (Rti) Framework Across Student Problem Type, Lisa Maloney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students indicated as tier two candidates in a Response to Intervention (RtI) framework require evidence-based intervention to increase positive behaviors. This study examined the effectiveness of two tier two behavior interventions (BEP/CICO and Strong Kids small group social skills training) across two groups at the second tier of a RtI behavior framework. Specifically, student problem type (internalizing or externalizing) was evaluated with treatment outcomes to determine which intervention was more successful. In addition, each intervention was evaluated in terms of treatment integrity with typical school personnel (school counselors) and perception of social validity. This study utilized a randomized block design …

Principal Instructional Leadership In Ga High Poverty Elementary Schools, Ginger W. Spires

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of principal instructional leadership practices in Georgia Reward Highest Performing and Georgia Reward Highest Progress elementary schools. As such, this causal-comparative study identified the frequency of principal instructional leadership practices and attempted to determine if these practices can be related to school effectiveness in high poverty schools. The sample of this study consisted of Georgia classroom teachers in high poverty elementary schools, specifically in the categories of Georgia Reward Highest Performing and Georgia Reward Highest Progress elementary schools. Hallinger’s (1983) Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) was utilized to …

The Value Of Internships Within Athletic Training Education: Educators’ Views, Heather Arlene Landry Shirley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In a struggling global economy, internships offer students the opportunity to connect with a network of resources early on in their career journey and provide students with the hands-on work experience that is not often found within the confines of the classroom (Hindmoor, 2010). Higher Education is continuously posed with the challenge of defending the type of education that students are being given and the value that education has (Arum & Roska, 2011a; Arum & Roska, 2014b; Hacker & Dreifus, 2010). With that in mind, internships could be the missing link that leaves future graduates equipped with the much-needed preparation …

The Effect Of Cognitively Guided Instruction On Students' Problem Solving Strategies And The Effect Of Students' Use Of Strategies On Their Mathematics Achievement, Nesrin Sahin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of teachers attending Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) professional development on students' problem solving strategies and the effect of students' use of strategies on their mathematics achievement as measured by a standardized test. First, the study analyzed the differences in students' use of strategies between treatment and control groups. The treatment was CGI professional development, and the teachers in the treatment group attended CGI workshops whereas the teachers in the control group did not. Next, the study analyzed the differences in the mathematics achievement of students between different strategy groups. A …

Don’T Let Me Down: An Autoethnography Of An Urban Teacher, Jacqueline R. Arriaga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students in urban schools who are negatively impacted need stability and continuity the most. However, at least half of new teachers leave their profession within five years. In order for this situation to change, support is needed for new teachers and encouragement is needed for experienced teachers.

The purpose of the study is to offer a first-hand description of factors that affect the profession of teaching and especially teachers who may be wondering how to stay in teaching for more than five years. Veteran teachers gain the opportunity to reflect, validate, and (probably) celebrate their own journey through this profession. …

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Single-Gendered Instruction On Achievement In Math And English In An Urban High School, Beverly Bacchus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the inception of the No Child Left Behind Act, many initiatives have been implemented to increase academic achievement. Single-gender education is an initiative that public schools have adopted with the hope of seeing boys and girls achieve significant gains in their core classes. This study explored the achievement levels of 9th grade girls and boys in their English I and Algebra I classes. After a year of learning in single-gender classes, the students' end of course scores were compared to the previous cohort of students who were taught in a traditional co-educational format by using an independent t-test. Scores …

Mississippi Asl Project, James Corey Blount

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American Sign Language (ASL) is a manual language used by many deaf people in the United States and Canada. For much of its existence, ASL was believed to be a system of rudimentary gestures and signs based on the English language. However, studies that analyzed the linguistic properties of this signed ‘mode’ (Stokoe, 1960) legitimized that it was a language independent of spoken language, with its own system of principles and elements to construct meaningful utterances. Like any language, ASL is influenced by the social demographics of its users. Social demographics such as ethnicity, geographic location, age, gender, and socioeconomic …

The Effectiveness Of Teaching Methods In Traditional Amish Schoolhouses In Lawrence County, Tn, Ann Marie Paley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Amish community at Ethridge in Lawrence County, Tennessee is one of a handful in Tennessee, and, with a population of 1,500 and more than ten church districts, is the largest in the South and one of the top 20 in the nation. This particular Amish community was colonized when three families led by Dan Yoder, Joe Yoder, and Joseph Gingerich moved to the area from Ohio in the mid-1940s due to problems with the establishment of their own schools. Swartzentruber Amish are a subgroup within Old Order Amish society and occupy a distinct place on the conservative end of …