Digital Commons Network^™

A Workship Cirriculum For Student Loan Debt, Cion Swoope

Culminating Experience Projects

For many college students, taking out student loans is a necessary step towards higher education, yet it often leads to accumulated debt that can seem insurmountable. This project intends to investigate the implications of student loan debt, such as homeownership, household debt, and other life goals, and educate borrowers on the potential repercussions. Using Becker's (1993) Human Capital theory, I will examine the investment logic behind student loan borrowing, framing debt as a calculated risk for future gain. This project also uses Crenshaw's (1989) Intersectionality theory to extend beyond the scope of the average borrower and highlight the demographic groups …

Mathematical Identities And Tracking: An Exploration Of Efficacy In Children And Women, Emma Hagan

Education | Master's Theses

This study seeks to understand the impact of elementary school mathematical identities and mathematics tracking on the identities of women and girls. “Tracking” is an institutionalized education method developed in the 1960s and 1970s in which schools sort their students into smaller class-sized groups based on their observed achievement (Domina et al., 2016). Too often, when students test onto the lower track, they are confronted with a sense of futility and a lack of self-efficacy (Domina, Hanselman, Hwang & McEachin, 2016; Houtte & Stevens, 2015). Further, in STEM disciplines, students who identify as female report lower self-efficacy rates than those …

The Relationship Among Learners’ At-Risk Indicators And Ninth Grade Algebra I Achievement, Sara E. Tudon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between at-risk indicators including socioeconomic status, English language learners (ELL), and gender to student performance in the Algebra I End of Course assessment. The research questions presented in the non-experimental quantitative research design were: (1) What is the impact of socioeconomic status on the Algebra I EOC exam? (2) What is the success rate of ninth grade students identified as English Language Learners (ELL) compared to non-identified ninth grade students in Algebra I? and (3) What is the difference in ninth grade Algebra I achievement between males and females? (4) …

Unit Plan For A Course On Banned Books For 11th And 12th Grade, Jonny Gherman

English Capstone Projects

This lesson plan will teach high school students (11th-12th grade) what censorship is, why it is powerful, and what to do with it. Aligned with Pennsylvania State Standards, students will identify common themes between the two most popular genres of banned books (race & gender/sexuality). Through a series of activities, discussions, and a final project, students will practice close reading, critical thinking, and basic research skills.

Disengagement Of Male Students In Remediated Ela Classes, Joanne Berardi Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to examine the disengagement of male students in remediated English Language Arts (ELA) classes. Male students are disproportionately represented in remediated ELA classes, which indicates that male students are not progressing in their literacy skills at the same rate as females. Data was gathered from an ELA section of male students through a Google survey, a group interview, and two observations of students in a co-taught class. The purpose of these data collection methods was to understand the experiences of male students to determine the source of their disengagement. A focus group with …

Mindset, Stereotype Threat, And The Fear Of Failure: Why Female Students Leave A Secondary High Honors Mathematics Pathway, Annabelle Merg

Theses and Dissertations

The disproportionate attrition of female students in STEM is well documented in higher education but less well understood at the secondary level. In a large, public high school in an affluent, highly educated city, the high honors mathematics pathway is the only math pathway that has not yet achieved gender parity, an implication for future educational and economic equity. Female students leave this pathway at significantly higher rates than male students, especially during and immediately after the first course. Through an explanatory, mixed methods approach, this study found that these female students are not less well prepared than their male …

Literature That Breaks Gender Stereotypes In A Primary Classroom, Alexis Wash

Education Masters Papers

How can literature that breaks gender stereotypes impact attitudes, interests, and interaction in a primary classroom? This action research was conducted in the researcher’s classroom with 16 first grade participants. The researcher observed participants’ disengagement towards literature that is traditionally stereotyped towards the opposite gender. This research was done to further understand how literature that breaks gender stereotypes can impact participants’ attitudes and interests towards traditional gender stereotypes with occupations, toys, colors, interaction, sports, and literature. A focus group of participants were exposed to several storybooks that broke gender stereotypes over the course of four weeks. Data collected suggests that …

Participation In Open Up Resources By Gender And Family Income Level On Mathematics Achievement Of Grades 7 And 8 Students, Timothy Brister

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the effects by gender and by family-income level between students using Open Up Resources (OUR) curriculum (a Problem-Based Learning [PBL] curriculum) versus traditional curriculum on mathematics achievement of Grades 7 and 8 students. A stratified random sample of 320 students from four Central and Southeast Arkansas schools (n = 160 for Grades 7 and 8, respectively) was drawn for this study. Data analysis involved the use of 2 x 2 factorial ANOVAs. The key findings of the study were that the mathematics achievement of Grade 8 students using OUR was significantly higher …

Effects Of Gatekeeper Course Modality, Age, Gender And High School Gpa On Kaplan Subject Area Exam Scores, Vernon Hoffman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The question of equivalency regarding course modality has plagued and intrigued educators for as long as multiple modalities have existed. In the modern world of academia, the two prevailing modalities are face-to-face or traditional courses and online courses. A multitude of factors have contributed to the increase in online course offerings, including increasingly dependable technology and fiscal pressures on institutions of higher learning.

A great deal of scholarly research has compared modalities using within-course measures such as course grades and comprehensive final exams. Most of these studies have found the two modalities equivalent. However, a dearth of research exists which …

Mathematical Identity Formation: Preparing Students With Learning Disorders For Post-Secondary Education And Careers, Ravi Anil Shah

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Formation of identity for individuals engaging in mathematical study influences the utilization and value of the subject matter. In curricular studies surrounding mathematics, a need for research pertaining to the development of mathematical identity for students with learning disorders continues to exist. In this transformative design study, a questionnaire-style instrument created for quantitative data collection provides detailed information about students with learning disorders and their identity formation related to achievement in mathematics. The quantitative aspect of this study helps to understand mathematical identity formation by analyzing levels of Confidence, Motivation, Anxiety, and Career Interest. The results show a statistically significant …

Adding It Up: The Effects Of Math Curriculum On Third And Fourth Grade Act Aspire Math Scores In Arkansas, Rebecca Cook

Theses and Dissertations from 2020

Over the last 62 years, mathematics reform has occurred due to a political push after results from a major survey or report were released stating that the United States scored lower than other countries. With each reform effort, teaching methods were changed to match the new initiative. Math curriculum was a key point in each of these reform efforts. In 2015, Arkansas adopted ACT Aspire as the statewide assessment, and in 2017 Arkansas adopted Arkansas State Standards. Although Arkansas adopted ACT Aspire and Arkansas State Standards, Arkansas does not require school districts to adopt a curriculum. The purpose of this …

Feminist-Infused Participatory Action Research To Promote Female Students’ Self- Efficacy In Mathematics, Nicole Hreno

Theses and Dissertations

Prompted by the manifestations of decreased levels of mathematical self-efficacy among the female students in my district, the purpose of this study was to investigate the source of self-efficacy development that was most influential among our female students and engage in praxis to combat these gender inequities. Grounded in critical feminist theory, I engaged six teacher-researchers in participatory action research through qualitative methodologies. Using questionnaires to examine the worldviews of our female students, the emergent study was guided by these voices which were previously silenced. The interventions employed were a direct result of the females’ expressed mathematical experiences, leading us …

Comparison Of Learning Outcomes From Online And Face-To-Face Accounting Courses, Joel Faidley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online education continues to evolve and grow dramatically at colleges and universities across the globe. Today’s society is comprised of people who are increasingly busy with work and family obligations and who are looking for more flexible and expedited avenues for higher education. Institutions seek to meet these new demands by offering online distance educational opportunities while increasing cash flow for their college. Unfortunately the pitfalls to this rush to meet online demand results in what some researchers assert are inadequate quality content and curriculum. Others indicate there are not significant differences in the outcomes from online learning compared with …

Multiple Representations Of The Fundamental Theorem Of Calculus As Enacted In The Curriculum, Sense-Making And Gender, Ileana Vasu

Doctoral Dissertations

Multiple representations of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (FTC) are deemed essential to creating mathematical habits of mind, but not all classroom instruction includes them. This study articulates the relationship between college students’ experience with multiple representations of the FTC, gained through the enacted curriculum, and their use of multiple representations when problem solving or discussing the FTC. It suggests that students’ use of multiple representations directly relates to their curricular experience, which outweighs a student’s own inclination towards any particular representation. It further suggests that the relationship between classroom experience with a particular representation of the FTC, and its …

Double Chins And Double Standards: A Meta-Analysis Of Weight-Based Bullying Amongst Female Adolescents, Juliah Distefano

Major Papers

Scholars are beginning to explore and understand the experiences of adolescent females in regards to weight-based bullying in their elementary school setting (Puhl, R. M., Luedicke, J., & Heuer, C. (2011). Weight‐based victimization toward overweight adolescents: observations and reactions of peers. Journal of School Health, 81(11), 696-703). The educational and social implications that weight-based bullying has amongst female adolescents can include: poor academic achievement coupled with a low degree of comfort when participating vocally in the classroom, the inability to initiate and maintain friendships, and an unwillingness to participate in extracurricular sports and activities. This should be cause …

Relationships Of Gender On Mathematics Achievement In High Achieving Military-Connected Children, Randi Kay Rose Dalton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to describe the relationship between gender and grade level to mathematics achievement for high achieving military-connected students in Grades 3 through 9 who attended American public schools between 2012 and 2016. The theoretical framework was based on Sax's research on gender differences in learning. The research questions were: if there was a statistically significant difference between the percentage of military-connected students scoring in the top 2 quartiles (at or above the national average) for normal curve equivalent (NCE) mathematics scores on the Terra Nova Third Edition (TNTE) using gender as a predictor; …

The Sex/Gender Distinction In Contemporary Gender And Women's Studies Introductory Textbooks, Kyle Lighty

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Understanding the sex/gender distinction and the social constructions of sex and gender are important learning outcomes in contemporary gender and women's studies introductory courses. These theories challenge hegemonic binary ideas about the relationships between sex and gender and between male and female identity formations. Little academic attention has been paid to how teaching materials, specifically textbooks, explore these topics, despite the potential for them to influence students and instructors. This study address this gap in the literature by using critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine the methods being used to explore the sex/gender distinction and social constructions of sex and …

Narrating School, Narrative Self: Identity, Agency And The Hidden Curriculum Of (Hetero)Normativity, Mikela Bjork

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation analyzes sober women’s narratives of their schooling experiences to reflect on how educators and policy makers can improve the schooling experiences for othered students.. Inspired by the self-reflective and agentic pedagogy found within the figured world of Alcoholics Anonymous, I focused on the narratives of women in Alcoholics Anonymous, ages 18-85, as they narrated their schooling stories from pre-Kindergarten up to the last grade they completed. What the data of this qualitative research project reveals is that, despite the detrimental culture of denial at home and school, the participants, through the radical act of self-reflexivity and personal narrative, …

The Perceptions Of Students On A Cooperative, Gamebased Learning Latin Curriculum: An Action Research Study, Jason Dean Blackburn

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study describes the impact of Operation LAPIS, a cooperative gamebased Latin 1 curriculum, upon student perceptions in a large suburban high school in South Carolina. The game served as an introduction to Latin grammar, vocabulary, and the daily life of a Roman teenager for 15 Latin 1 students who participated in the study. Syntax, vocabulary acquisition, and cultural studies are essential standards-based elements of learning Latin. Students were surveyed regarding their opinions on the game’s approach to grammar, vocabulary, Roman daily life, and game-based learning in general. These surveys produced a quantitative data set that allowed the …

Verbing History: A Textualist Approach To Gendered Politics In U.S. History Curriculum, Ginney Patricia Norton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using three curricular interventions from World War II, I employ an alternative rhetorical history to understand how Social studies curriculum has become a space for the simultaneous deliberation of both national identity and gender politics. In working through the propaganda of Rosie the Riveter, the stories of the women of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the experiences of gay men and women in the military during the war, I suggest that Social studies curriculum normalizes and reifies gendered, racial, and queer citizenship in relationship to white, masculine, and heteronormative citizenship. It also utilizes epideictic rhetoric to rhetorically and historically construct problematic …

Media Literacy Curriculum For The Adolescent Young Adult Classroom, Leah Oliver

Honors Projects

The American public education system has been lagging behind other developed nations in its implementation of media literacy curricula throughout all grade levels. As mass media outlets (including television, film, magazines, advertisements, and video games) become more prevalent in our society, the accompanying job market and the everyday use of electronic media platforms require high school and college graduates to have at least a basic understanding of how media can be used to disseminate information and to buy and sell products. Moreover, research studies in the field suggest that exposure to popular culture mass media can greatly influence teens’ self-esteem, …

The Relationship Of Students' Perceived Levels Of Self-Efficacy And Language Development, Alisa Ann Wargo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed by this study was the relationship created by mandated English language curricula and state standardized tests and students' perceived levels of self-efficacy. Vygotsky's theories on thought and language development and Bandura's theories on self-efficacy were used as a theoretical lens for this study. The research question concerned the relationships between students' perceived levels of self-efficacy, gender, age, and grade point average (GPA) and language development when learning within a standards-based test-driven environment. The ELA portion of the State High School Exit Exam (SHEE) generated language development scores. The General Self Efficacy (GSE) scale was the survey instrument …

Are They Listening?: Revisiting Male Privilege And Defensive Learning In A Feminist Classroom, Cameron A. Tyrrell

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Privileged students, particularly male-identified students, in women’s studies classrooms have been a population of study previously. Many feminist educators have encountered resistance from a male-identified student in their classroom. Scholarship has been done that analyzes the discourses around how male privilege is invoked by men in women’s studies classrooms. This study defined defensive learning with specific acts of disengagement that hinder privileged students, particularly male-identified students in Gender and Women’s Studies, from taking classes that are considered “feminist,” and from learning about systems of privilege. A series of semi-structured interviews with six male-identified students who were enrolled in women’s studies …

The Gendered Image : An Art And Literature Based Curriculum For High School Audiences, Emily Erwin-Mcguire

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This curriculum uses images, artwork, literature and media to facilitate conversations to build knowledge and understanding about feminism and self-identity. It is designed to be used by educators of high school students in school, museum or after school settings.

“Taking The Stairs” To Break The Ceiling: Understanding Students’ Conceptions Of The Intersections Of Historical Agency, Gender Equity, And Action, Lauren M. Colley

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The present quasi-naturalistic study used socio-cultural theory (Wertsch, 1998), picture theory (Mitchell, 1994) and the use of historical agency as a second-order concept (Lee & Ashby, 2000; Seixas & Morton, 2013) as a way of examining the historical thinking of high school seniors as they investigated second-wave feminism. Existing literature reflects the ways in which students understand historical agency (Barton, 1997; Winter, 2001; Peck, Poyntz, & Seixas, 2011), but has yet to examine its use as a conceptual tool to dissect controversial issues in history, such as feminism. The main research question was: in what ways do high school seniors …

Expanding The Literary Enterprise: How We Experience The Texts Of The Advanced Placement English Literature And Composition Curriculum, Molly Ostrow

Honors Theses

How we read the texts of the Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition curriculum.

An Examination Of Successful Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Males In A Northeast Tennessee Middle School, Stephen E. Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that contribute to positive educational outcomes as measured by the EXPLORE test for eighth grade males who qualify for free or reduced price lunch. In addition, this study was conducted for the purpose of improving the educational program at a Northeast Tennessee middle school. Archival EXPLORE data, as well as free and reduced price lunch data, were used to identify high school graduates, 6 males and 6 females, who had performed at or above expectation on the eighth grade EXPLORE test. Females were included …

A Comparison Between Read 180 Students And Non-Read 180 Students Reading And Math Scores By Classroom Structure., Amanda C. Cannon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement of students in reading-language arts and math, who participated in the Scholastic READ 180 program within self-contained classroom organizations with the achievement of READ 180 students within departmentalized classrooms and with students not enrolled in READ 180. Classroom organizational structure at the intermediate grade is a highly debated issue. The READ 180 program is a highly structured model of the reading-language arts block. However, past research has provided few recommendations on how to schedule classes for at-risk students. Teachers and administrators of intermediate school students will benefit from a quantitative …

Addressing Relational Aggression: Assessing The Merits Of Coeducational And Gender-Specific Bullying Prevention Programs, Rena Dulberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interviews with eight bullying prevention program directors from around the country reveal the extent to which research findings are reflected in bullying prevention programs currently in operation. Framed as a list of best practices for coeducational and gender-specific bullying prevention curricula, the purpose of the present thesis was to document the most positive contributions made by various approaches to bullying prevention programs to the overall field, and to highlight practices of programs that reflect insight into what is known about gender differences in bullying. Best practices included new approaches to empathy-building, service-learning, confidentiality, cyberbullying, positive reinforcement, reporting systems and youth-driven …

Gender Stereotypes In Public School Textbooks In The Dominican Republic, Karie Jo Karasiak

Master's Theses

In 1992, the Secretary of Education of the Dominican Republic set an objective of eliminating gender stereotypes that discriminate against women from textbooks (Díaz Santana, 1996; Mateo Diclo, n.d.). My research is a historical comparison of two sets of texts published in the years 1996-1997 and 2005-2007 focusing on visual representations portraying gender roles with the purpose of ascertaining if progress is being made towards this objective. I analyze a total of six books, three books from 1996-1997 and three from 2005-2007. The examined textbooks include two second grade Natural Sciences, two fourth grade Spanish, and two sixth grade Social …