Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Bells And Whistles: Content Area Teachers' Understanding Of And Engagement With Literacy, Mary H. Huysman Ph.D.

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore content area teachers’ understanding of literacy, the strategies they use in working with content materials to support their students’ learning of content, and how collaboration with a literacy expert informs literacy instruction. In my work with content area teachers, they have expressed the need for support as they try new literacy strategies when engaging students in content material. Literacy skills are a part of all content areas. Therefore, literacy scholars need an ongoing understanding of how content teachers define and perceive literacy in their content area in order to …

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To My Ph.D.: Exploring Issues Affecting Attrition And Completion In The Doctoral Program In Instructional Technology At A Major Research University, Carla L. Williams

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This study sought to understand why some students at Eagle University (pseudo.) complete the doctoral program in instructional technology while others do not. The study explores factors and issues affecting doctoral attrition and completion of the Ph.D. in instructional technology (IT) in the College of Education at Eagle University, a major research university with very high research activity. Participants in the study were eleven former doctoral students from Eagle University (pseudo.), six of whom met the requirements for graduation (completers) and five of whom ended the pursuit of the doctoral degree in instructional technology at EU (non-completers). A qualitative study …

"Music Is Waiting For You:" The Lived Experience Of Children's Musical Identity, Michelle Mercier De Shon

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

“MUSIC IS WAITING FOR YOU:” THE LIVED EXPERIENCE

OF CHILDREN’S MUSICAL IDENTITY

by

L. Michelle Mercier-De Shon

This phenomenological study of lived experience (Van Manen, 1990) explored the perspectives of four 4^th grade children as they live in and live through music to formulate their musical identities. Framed within perspectives of symbolic interaction theory (Blumer, 1969), communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), and figured worlds (Holland, et al., 1998), data were collected using methods consistent with qualitative inquiry. These included: observations of quasi-formal music learning settings, in musical playgroups and during professional musicians’ presentations; close observations of children’s daily …

Links And Disconnects Between Third Grade Teachers' Beliefs, Knowledge, And Practices Regarding Nonfiction Reading Comprehension Instruction For Struggling Readers, Nicole Maxwell

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

LINKS AND DISCONNECTS BETWEEN THIRD GRADE TEACHERS’ BELIEFS, KNOWLEDGE, AND PRACTICES REGARDING NONFICTION READING COMPREHENSION INSTRUCTION FOR STRUGGLING READERS

by

Nicole P. Maxwell

In the current era of accountability, U. S. teachers face strict demands from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to ensure that all students’ reading achievement meets the requirements of their respective grade levels (Coburn, Pearson, & Woulfin, 2011). These demands are especially stressful when teachers have students who struggle with reading. Regrettably, many students grapple with reading difficulties, particularly with comprehending fiction and nonfiction texts (Allington, 2011).

The purpose of this study was to examine the …

Organizational Change Factors For Increasing Online Learning Within A Southeastern State University System, David E. Stone

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This bounded case study describes the readiness of a Southeastern State University System to support the growth of online learning. Structured as a case study, the view provided of the Southeastern State University System in this moment in time provides a contextually rich view of the phenomenon of change within a university system. The study answers the following questions regarding the change towards online course delivery:

1. Does the Southeastern State University System have a primarily transformational or transactional orientation?
2. What are the key change facilitating factors within the Southeastern State University System?
3. What are the key change restraining factors within …

Exploring Novice Teachers' Cognitive Processes Using Digital Video Technology: A Qualitative Case Study, Yuelu Sun-Ongerth

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This dissertation describes a qualitative case study that investigated novice teachers’ video-aided reflection on their own teaching. To date, most studies that have investigated novice teachers’ video-aided reflective practice have focused on examining novice teachers’ levels of reflective writing rather than the cognitive processes involved during their reflection. Few studies have probed how novice teachers schematize and theorize their newly acquired and/or existing knowledge during video-aided reflection.

The purpose of this study was to explore novice teachers’ cognitive processes, particularly video-aided schematization and theorization (VAST), which is a set of cognitive processes that help novice teachers construct, restructure and reconstruct …

"If I Am Losing Them, I'M Going To Change. So That's What We Did!" Third Grade Teachers Contemplate The Literacy Needs Of Diverse Students Within A Teacher Study Group, Megan A. Nason Mrs.

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

“IF I AM LOSING THEM, I’M GOING TO CHANGE. SO THAT’S WHAT WE DID!”: THIRD GRADE TEACHERS CONTEMPLATE THE LITERACY

NEEDS OF DIVERSE STUDENTS WITHIN

A TEACHER STUDY GROUP

by

Megan A. Nason

According to Birchak, Connor, Crawford, Kahn, Kaser, Turner, & Short (1998), Fang, Fu, & Lamme (2004), Kennedy & Sheil (2010), and Wiliam (2008), teacher study groups can provide a supportive and collaborative professional development environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the professional development experiences of three third grade teachers working with culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse (CLED) students in a high-needs school as they …

Standards-Based Instruction: A Case Study Of A College Algebra Teacher, Anthonia O. Ekwuocha

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

STANDARDS-BASED INSTRUCTION: A CASE STUDY OF

A COLLEGE ALGEBRA TEACHER

by

Anthonia Ekwuocha

The lecture method has dominated undergraduate mathematics education (Bergsten, 2007). The lecture method promotes passive learning instead of active learning among students, thus contributing to attrition in undergraduate mathematics. Standards-based instruction has been found to be effective in reducing students’ attrition in undergraduate mathematics (Ellington, 2005). College algebra is gatekeeper for higher undergraduate mathematics courses (Thiel, Peterman & Brown, 2008). Research indicates that if college algebra is taught with standards-based teaching strategies, it will help reduce students’ attrition and encourage more students to take higher level …

Guided Wanderings: An A/R/Tographic Inquiry Into Postmodern Picturebooks, Bourdieusian Theory, And Writing, Adrianne Nicole M. Pourchier

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This dissertation is an a/r/tographic inquiry (Irwin & Springgay, 2008) that explores postmodern picturebooks and writing theory. Postmodern picturebooks have been described as texts that blur traditional literary boundaries and text-image relationships, while employing devices like metafiction and playfulness (Goldstone, 2002; Sipe, 2008). As meaning becomes more ambiguous, readers are positioned as co-constructors of meaning (Serafini, 2005). Research has shown students enjoy reading postmodern picturebooks and constructing meaningful transactions despite the complex nature of these texts (McGuire, Belfatti, & Ghiso, 2008; Pantaleo, 2004, 2007, 2008), but few have begun to explore how these texts are written. Therefore, I used a/r/tography …

Culture, Context, Curriculum: An Explosion Of The Attitudes Of Black Middle School Males Towards Art Education, Rita D. Baker

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

CULTURE, CONTEXT AND CURRICULUM: AN EXPLORATION

OF THE ATTITUDES OF BLACK MIDDLE SCHOOL MALES

TOWARDS ART EDUCATION

by

Rita Baker

The level of participation and interest in visual arts education demonstrated by Black male students falls consistently lower than that of their White counterparts which manifests itself in under performance and disruptive behaviors. Previous research has explored how views within the Black community towards art education and art related careers have impacted high school and college students. However, those explanations may not be pertinent to middle school, and the scarcity of literature dedicated to how the valuation of art …

The Effect Of Aleks On Students' Mathematics Achievement In An Online Learning Environment And The Cognitive Complexity Of The Initial And Final Assessments, Eze Nwaogu

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

For many courses, mathematics included, there is an associated interactive e-learning system that provides assessment and tutoring. Some of these systems are classified as Intelligent Tutoring Systems. MyMathLab, Mathzone, and Assessment of LEarning in Knowledge Space (ALEKS) are just a few of the interactive e-learning systems in mathematics. In ALEKS, assessment and tutoring are based on the Knowledge Space Theory. Previous studies in a traditional learning environment have shown ALEKS users to perform equally or better in mathematics achievement than the group who did not use ALEKS.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of ALEKS on …

Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (Leap): A Historical Analysis Of Louisiana's High Stakes Testing Policy, Erica L. Decuir

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

Abstract

High stakes testing is popularly examined in educational research, but contemporary analyses tend to reflect a qualitative or quantitative research design (e.g., Au, 2007; Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2006; Gamble, 2010). Exhaustive debate over the relative success or failure of high stakes testing is often framed between competing visions of epistemological constructs, and the historical foundations of high stakes testing policies are rarely explored. The origins of high stakes testing can be traced to local school reform efforts in states like Louisiana, and investigating the roots of high stakes testing at the state level contextualizes the national debate on student …

School-Museum Partnerships: Examining An Art Museum's Partnering Relationship With An Urban School District, Kymberly M. Cruz

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

Art education has faced cutbacks in school funding because of the mandates and current trends in our nation’s educational policies. The United States Department of Education states that its federal involvement in education is limited. In fact, federal legislation, regulations, and other policies dictate the structure of education in every state particularly with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and now the Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative. The arts have been unfavorably impacted under the nation’s most predominant policy, NCLB, and run the risk of further adverse impacts with RTTT, regardless of the public’s support of the …

Home Literacy Practices Of Arabic-English Bilingual Families: Case Study Of One Libyan American Preschooler And One Syrian American Preschooler, Azusa Callaway

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

Individual differences in early literacy skills can be attributed to children’s previous history of emergent literacy experiences during their preschool years. The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn about the emergent literacy experiences of one Libyan American preschooler and one Syrian American preschooler and how their families support these experiences in their bilingual homes. Through the lens of social theory of learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998) and sociocultural theory (Rogoff, 1990; Vygotsky, 1978), this multi-case study was designed to explore family literacy practices with a preschooler in a naturalistic setting. The questions guiding this study were: …

Foreign Language For Content: Aiming To Develop Lifelong Learning Dispositions, Svetoslava Dimova

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR CONTENT: AIMING TO DEVELOP

LIFELONG LEARNING DISPOSITIONS

by

Svetoslava Dimova

In the context of emphasis on English language, mathematics and science within the American educational system (No Child Left Behind, 2001), foreign language education appears to be increasingly dissociated from educational priorities. Ways to create relevant goals and optimize the effects of foreign language teaching emerge through the use of communication technologies and connections to academic content.

This qualitative study explores the relationship between high school students’ skills in French as a foreign language (L2), their cognitive strategies during reading in L2 for academic …

Artistic Frames: An Arts-Based Study Of Teachers? Experiences With Arts-Integrated English Language Arts For Students With Dis/Abilities, Alisha M. White

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This arts-based, qualitative investigation focused on high school English teachers of students with learning dis/abilities (Baglieri & Knopf, 2004) who used visual arts integration (Eisner, 2002) to find out how teachers experience using visual arts in English and what their experiences mean (Zoss & White, 2011) in order to understand why certain experiences stood out for the teachers as being important. I framed the study theoretically with complexity theories of teaching and learning (Davis, Sumara, & Luce-Kapler, 2008), while combining aspects of sociocultural theory (Smagorinsky, 2001; Vygotsky, 1978; Wertsch, 1991), cognitive pluralism (John-Steiner, 1997) and Dewey’s notion of experience (1934/1980). …

College Faculty Experiences With Technological Innovation: An Exploratory Case Study, Peggy A. Lumpkin

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This exploratory case study examined faculty members’ experiences with the introduction of technological innovations. The introduction of LiveText, a web-based learning, assessment, and accreditation system, to a department in All Star Research University’s (ASRU) College of Education was examined to explore how faculty members navigated this event. Teacher educators are role models for both current and future educators. Therefore their experiences matter as more technological innovations are incorporated in education at all levels.

Rogers’s (1995) generalizations about the diffusion of innovations provided the conceptual framework for understanding the factors that influenced the adoption of LiveText as an innovation. A qualitative …

The Role Of Media Specialists With Respect To Instructional Technology In An Urban School District In Georgia, Warren R. Goetzel

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

In the absence of a Georgia Educator Certificate in instructional technology, and of state-wide staffing requirements for instructional technology specialists, media specialists may be playing an increasingly larger role in instructional technology support and focusing less on other vital media specialist responsibilities. A deeper understanding of the role of media specialists with respect to instructional technology may provide insight into determining a need for instructional technology certification and support in Georgia schools. The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to examine the role of media specialists with respect to instructional technology in an urban school district in Georgia. Practicing …

What Informs Practice And What Is Valued In Corporate Instructional Design? A Mixed Methods Study, Ingrid N. Thompson-Sellers

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This study used a two-phased explanatory mixed-methods design to explore in-depth what factors are perceived by Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) professionals as impacting instructional design practice, how these factors are valued in the field, and what differences in perspectives exist between IDT managers and non-managers. For phase 1 of the study, one hundred and sixteen corporate IDT professionals (managers and non-managers) responded to a web-based survey that was designed and developed from: (a) The results of an exploratory study of the practices of corporate instructional designers, (b) the results of an extensive literature review into the theory and practice …