Education Commons^™

Understanding Esl Undergraduate Students' Beliefs About Learner-Centered Instruction, Mahjabeen Hussain

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was undertaken to determine undergraduate ESL students’ beliefs about learner-centered teaching (LCT) practices in English classes and to understand to what extent their learner-centered learning experiences influenced their beliefs about the quality of LCT practices. The study involved explanatory sequential mixed-methods. The Learner-centered Battery Student Survey and focus group interviews were used to collect data. One hundred and twelve undergraduate ESL students at a Midwestern university took part in the survey, 17 of whom, predominantly Asians, subsequently took part in multiple mini focus groups that lasted approximately 50-70 minutes each. Quantitative data analysis included descriptive statistics, t-Tests, and …

Pedagogical Contraband: A Phenomenological Approach To Understanding Student Engagement During Simulations, Stephen Austin Henderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of students who are taught using simulations in survey history courses. Although simulations have been studied in a variety of domains, few studies have examined the use of simulations to teach history. Further, most of the previous research on simulations has been quantitative in nature, and one goal of the proposed study is to go into greater depth than typically allowed for by quantitative methodologies and examine the lived experiences of students in a college-level history class who are participating in simulations. Results suggest that the five phases of …

For Two Or Two Hundred: A Workbook For Making A Difference, C. A. Brimmer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Designed for young people who want to develop a sense of active citizenship through social justice and community organizing; this workbook is founded on four main components: autoethnography/personal narrative, research based in critical pedagogy, social justice methodologies and literature. Activist profiles and exercises introduce the reader to a leadership style based in critical consciousness. The reader is part of the text as they complete exercises and fill in their own blanks, contributing ideas and carrying out practices related to various aspects of community organizing. This work book is designed for beginning activists who are new to concepts such as social …

Belief And Practice: A Self-Study, Jamie Marie Nelson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this self-study was to critically examine whether or not my beliefs about literacy are reflected in my teaching practice. In addition, it was to determine if my teaching practice aligned with six instructional elements for literacy suggested by Allington and Gabriel (2012) in their article “Every Child, Every Day.”

There were three data sources in this study. I kept a time-log for one week with an instructional calendar about my schedule for literacy instruction. At the end of each day, I wrote a post-teaching reflection. The third data source was my personal, written responses to each of …

Self-Management Of Cognitive Load In Children: Exploring Effective Strategies By Manipulating Informational Text, Marcus J. Hora

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was designed to measure which reading comprehension strategies were most successful in allowing children to self-manage their cognitive load while reading electronic informational text. It built on previous research on cognitive load theory and teaching children self-management strategies. Participants were sixth grade students in a Midwestern suburban intermediate school.

A quantitative experiment was conducted with a control group and three experimental groups. Experimental groups were taught to highlight key words, draw arrows to show process on a diagram, or move text boxes nearer a corresponding illustration. The control group received equal time with the teacher but did not …

Syntactic Structures In Dialogue: The Role Of Influence, Brenda Ellen Hite

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Genuine dialogues reflect the way that language is initially developed by providing opportunities to hear and practice language. Participants within dialogues are found to speak in similar ways through the priming effect, giving language learners continued opportunities to hear and practice a greater variety of syntactic structures. The purpose of this study was to determine if genuine dialogue, and the priming that occurs, could aid in the use and expansion of syntactic structures.

Within the context of Reading Recovery, the teacher/researcher (a female member of the dominant culture) and a single student participant (male, African American, 6- years-old) were engaged …

Comparing Second Grade Students' Creative And Content Knowledge Performance On Figural Transformation Activities Introduced In A Standard Or Enhanced Manner With Nutrition Content Knowledge Taught Through Factual Or Fantasy Reading, Angela Naomi Webb

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Creativity and problem solving are skills students need for success in the 21st century. With the increasing pressures of achieving higher student scores in emphasized content areas, teachers' instruction in science, social studies, music and art has been reduced to provide additional time for teaching reading and mathematics.These lost instructional areas often allowed students to express themselves creatively. Therefore, educators need to find a way to incorporate creativity into content areas like reading and mathematics.

This 16 week repeated measures study examined second grade students' academic and creative performance on figural transformation drawings during an extended reading-science-creativity integrated unit. A …

Designing Elementary Engineering Education From The Perspective Of The Child, Beth Dykstra Van Meeteren

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Many concerned leaders of industry and government believe the ability to sustain our quality of life and address the grand challenges of our times is contingent upon the successful engagement of our younger children in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). What STEM curricula, specifically engineering curricula, should address, how the curriculum should be delivered, and how the children construct an understanding of engineering are still unanswered questions. Engineering curriculum is beginning to emerge for elementary students, but does more to teach children about engineering than allowing them to develop engineering habits of mind.

This qualitative study used constant comparative …

Learning Transfer Of Geospatial Technologies In Secondary Science And Mathematics Core Areas, Curtis P. Nielsen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the transfer of geospatial technology knowledge and skill presented in a social sciences course context to other core areas of the curriculum. Specifically, this study explored the transfer of geospatial technology knowledge and skill to the STEM-related core areas of science and mathematics among ninth-grade students. Haskell's (2001) research on "levels of transfer" provided the theoretical framework for this study, which sought to demonstrate the experimental group's higher ability to transfer geospatial skills, higher mean assignment scores, higher post-test scores, higher geospatial skill application and deeper levels of transfer application than the …

Cylinders And Spheres : Toddlers Engage In Problem Solving, Rosemary Geiken

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Every day more six million infants and toddlers (children under 3 years of age) enter some kind of out-of-home care, with 22% of this group attending center-based programs. Studies on the quality of care in centers indicate that 40% of these children are in poor quality settings while 51 % are in mediocre to medium quality settings. Two factors contributing to these low ratings are lack of age-appropriate materials and lack of learning opportunities. To address these data Piaget's theory of constructivism guided the design of a study to provide evidence of construction of knowledge that occurred when toddlers were …

Service Learning : A Vehicle To Reflective Thinking, Janelle Lynn Hawk

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Education reform is a topic that has been around for a long time. With the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2002, states set out to set high standards for students. While setting high standards is a worthwhile goal, the method to reach those high standards has not been mandated. This research study sought to determine if exposing students to a service-learning project would increase reflective thinking, communication, and social interaction skills.

The questions that guided this study were:

1. Does engagement in a service-learning project impact the individual's development of reflective thinking? If so, what is that impact? …

The Impact Of An International Healthcare Mission Experience On Healthcare Professional Students At The University Of Northern Iowa, Evelyn Adom-Boateng

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

U.S. Demographic changes have had an impact on health education, care, and promotion. The best health education, promotion, and care can be delivered by culturally sensitive health professionals. The importance of addressing the issue of culture is widely acclaimed by educators from various health disciplines. Participation in an international healthcare mission (IHM) is one means to expand cultural awareness and sensitivity. Little research exists regarding methods for preparing culturally sensitive healthcare professionals. Little published research documents the impact of an IHM experience on the preparation of healthcare professionals.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of an …

An Exploratory Case Study Of Students' Perceptions Of Online Graduate Education, Hou Chun Kuong

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate graduate students' perceptions of online education. Online learning has grown tremendously over the past several years and has made learning and teaching opportunities more available to many people throughout the world. As an increased number of higher education institutions use online education as a means of delivering courses and programs, educational researchers have been working tirelessly to uncover and delineate the factors that facilitate and enhance success in online learning. One major factor that researchers (e.g., Pérez Cereijo, 2006) have established as a predictor of success is students' perceptions of online learning. …

The Thought Processes Of Administrators As They Review And Make Evaluative Judgment Of A Second-Year Teacher Portfolio: A Qualitative Study, Terri Anne Lasswell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative study explored the thought processes of administrators as they reviewed and judged second-year teacher artifacts (a portfolio) relative to the Iowa teaching standards and criteria (ITS/criteria). In addition, data was collected pertaining to the tools principals used as they conducted portfolio evaluation and the amount of bearing the portfolio had on a licensure decision.

Data for the study was gathered via a think-aloud process in combination with guided interview questions. Nine principals participated in the study; three each from elementary, middle, and high school. The nine principals were also representative of rural, suburban, and urban geographic/demographic regions. The …

Geometric Reasoning In Four-Year-Old Children, Christina Eyres Sales

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study addresses the curriculum issues of young children's geometric knowledge and how they can learn about geometry in early education. To investigate, I designed a pattern block frame activity that was the focus of a seven-week intervention with four-year-old children in a constructivist classroom. All children were considered at-risk for school failure. The investigation is rooted in my unsatisfying experiences with pattern blocks in my preschool classrooms.

Data were obtained from a pre and posttest assessment administered to ascertain the effects of the intervention on all children in the classroom and from observations of children's behavior as they engaged …

Teacher Perceptions Of Cross-Cultural Adaptability And Instructional Practices In International Locations, Debra S. Lee

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to investigate differences in cross-cultural effectiveness between classroom teachers in international settings and classroom teachers in Iowa, and to examine, within a multicultural education framework, instructional practices of international teachers.

It is well documented that in American schools today, classrooms are becoming more diverse in regard to socio-economic status, ethnicity, race, intellectual ability, language, and religious heritage. School children today represent an incredibly diverse population. Conversely, the teacher population continues to be primarily female, White and from a monocultural background. This creates a mismatch between student and teacher backgrounds, perspectives, and cultural understanding, which …

The Mind Is The Tabernacle Of The Consciousness Soul: A Journey Visiting The Roles Of Consciousness, Communication, Education, And Technology In Human And Curriculum Development By Integrating Dewey, Gebser, And Steiner: Past, Present, Future, Daniel Joseph Kazim Bardy

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This descriptive philosophical study examines 355+ question seeds of thought and discourse on consciousness, communication, education, and technology, much in the contexts of philosophical structures of human beings from 4,000,000 B.C. hominid man to the future of humankind and genetic enhancement. Curriculum and consciousness discussion of American John Dewey (1859–1952), Polish-born Jean Gebser (1905–1975), and Austrian-born Rudolf Steiner (1865–1920) is interwoven, finding commonalities of these philosophers and that of Daniel J. K. Bardy. Language being developed only 50,000 years ago is the defining point for Homo sapiens as the tool of linguistic communication, mutated forward much like the protrusion development …

A Study Of Attitudes And Beliefs Of Teachers And Site Council Members Toward Parental Involvement Within The Framework Of Four Models Of Home-School Relations, Beverly Ann Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes and beliefs of faculty and site council members toward the type of parental involvement model desired in their schools and to assess whether or not a consistent opinion of parental involvement existed between the two school role groups. This study investigated the prevalence of four models of home-school relationships developed by Swap (1993). The four models are the Curriculum Enrichment Model, the Partnership Model, the Protective Model and the School to Home Transmission Model. Participants of the study consisted of faculty and site council members from five selected schools in …

Perceptions Of Writing In A Community College Composition Course, Rebecca Ann Kamm

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate community college students' and their teacher's perceptions about writing in a beginning composition course. This study explored student and teacher views about composition, possible tensions about ways writing is defined, and ways to resolve tension. Specifically, this study addressed the following questions:

1. How do my perceptions as a writing instructor in a beginning community college composition course compare with my students' perceptions?
2. How do my students and I understand real and perceived consequences that arise from various views about writing?
3. How could my students and I mediate or resolve various views about …

An Investigation And Analysis Of Environmental Stress Factors Experienced By K-12 Music Teachers, Debra G. Gordon

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify stress factors which music practitioners experience in the teaching environment. This study was unique in that it utilized both qualitative and quantitative perspectives to identify and to explicate those factors. Four case studies provided a compilation of information from teachers representative of different disciplines, school settings, gender, and experience levels. Survey research, conducted through the use of an instrument designed by M. J. Fimian (1988), "The Teacher Concerns Inventory," was distributed to 166 music educators within an Area Education Agency in a Midwestern state providing a return rate of 62%. The research …

Student Perceptions Of General Education At A Comprehensive University And Implications, Kenneth E. Nuss

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Using a case study method, I investigated how students negotiate their way through the general education program at a middle-western comprehensive university, and consequently I increased my understanding of the student perspective of this portion of their undergraduate curriculum. From 34 semistructured qualitative interviews with general education science students, I discovered that they could articulate only a dim notion of the purpose of general education. I also became aware that the university structure failed to clearly communicate to students that the faculty values the general education curriculum.

The following themes for further analysis emerged from the student interviews: the purpose …

Early Childhood Teachers' Beliefs And Practices Related To Promoting Children's Conflict Resolution In Constructivist Classrooms: A Study Of Two Teachers, Yuko Hashimoto

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The study involved six weeks of classroom observations and in-depth interviews with two teachers, kindergarten and first grade, who are currently engaging in an on-going process of implementing constructivist education in a public school in Missouri and whose teaching practices are considered to be exemplary. The purpose of the study was twofold: (a) to describe and analyze the teachers’ practical approaches in promoting children’s conflict resolution in the classrooms and (b) to examine how the teachers’ beliefs and practices related to conflict resolution reflect the theoretical framework o f the constructivist program.

The results of the data collection were analyzed …

Computer Mediated Communication: Elements Impacting Sustained Usage By Iowa Elementary And Middle School Teachers, Philip M. Hibbard

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to examine, using a case study methodology, interactions among a group of Iowa teachers involved in a computer mediated communication project, to better understand those elements which may impact sustained usage of computer mediated communication. The study involved examination of one year's worth of on-line journal postings and interactive conferences, and interviews with the 22 teachers involved in the project.

The multiple sources of data collected were analyzed using a methodology known as constant comparative, and the analysis presented according to the following themes:

1. What topics did the participants discuss while using computer mediated …

An Investigation Of Changing Concerns Toward Instructional Computer Use During Student Teaching, Roderick E. Winters

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated hypothesized change in the concerns of student teachers toward instructional computer use during an eight week student teaching experience. In Phase 1, information concerning seven variables which have the potential to influence teacher computer utilization was collected from student teachers and their cooperating teachers. In addition, seven dimensions of concern toward employment of instructional computer use were examined by administering the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) before and after the student teaching experience.

Multiple regression analysis indicated that change in only one of the seven stages of concern (concerns toward collaboration) could be predicted by any of …

The Identification And Analysis Of Factors Perceived As Important To The Success Of Interactive Distance Education, Terry Dean Goro

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to provide distance education instructors, who teach over a two-way audio and two-way video interactive system, a list of strategies or skills that could be applied in the distance education environment to help ensure success. Further, differences in perceptions among users of the system regarding importance of these strategies were identified.

A Delphi study was done, utilizing a professional panel, to establish important strategies for distance education. The results of the Delphi study resulted in the identification of 99 important items. These items were placed in a survey which was administered to four groups …

Science In A Constructivist Classroom: Progress In A Five-Year-Old Child's Reasoning About Water Dynamics, Hyang-Lim Kwak

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study is to understand changes in a target child’s reasoning about water dynamics, specifically, draining and movement of water in tubes. The study also focuses on development and evaluation of activities and teaching strategies. The activities were conducted with all children in the preschool at a public elementary school in Iowa as part of the regular classroom constructivist program inspired by Piaget’s work. Using Piaget’s theory to provide insights into the child’s reasoning and knowledge, analysis focused on the child’s construction of regularities between his actions and reactions of water, and on the construction of relationships …

An Examination Of The Relationships Among Learning Style, Attitudes, And Outcomes Of Computer-Assisted Instruction, Daniel Glen Wilson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research was based upon a hypothesized AptitudeTreatment Interaction (ATI). More specifically, the research investigated the relationships between student learning style (aptitude) and student outcomes with computer-assisted instruction (treatment). These outcomes included student achievement with computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and student attitude toward CAI.

To examine these relationships, a researcher-developed CAI program on light and color theory was validated and administered to 144 students in an educational media course at the University of Northern Iowa. Participants in the study were first asked to complete the Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Style Scales (GRSLSS) inventory along with a demographic survey. Next, each participant completed …

Aids Education: The Effect Of Three Instructional Methods On Retention Of Changes In Knowledge, Attitudes, And Intention To Act, Denise Kerns Schares

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three instructional methods (unit only, unit plus infusion, and infusion only) for teaching high school students about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Education, offered consistently and over time, can assist individuals in developing positive health behaviors associated with the prevention of AIDS. Successful implementation of community and school-based education programs can save lives in the years ahead (Taff,1987).

Four sections (N = 80) of a health education course were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions. The unit only treatment consisted of the presentation of the 4-session, Red …

Educational Aspirations And Perceptions Of Health Occupation Graduates From Community Colleges, Lawrence A. Dahl

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The major purpose of this study was to investigate whether associate degree health occupation graduates perceived that the factors proposed in Dougherty's (1987) model on the continuance of education were valid. A second purpose was to profile selected characteristics of this population.

The sample consisted of licensed health care practitioners for whom an associate degree might be an entry level of preparation. The data were collected through the use of a questionnaire constructed to determine educational aspirations degree and to assess perceptions of the factors identified by Dougherty (1987). The data were analyzed using t tests and the chi-square test …

The Part-Time Employment Of High School Students: Relationship To School-Related Variables, Larry G. Eggink

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The majority of high school students, as many as 80%, have school-year employment prior to graduation (Steinberg, 1988). Many students who work at part-time jobs during the school year are putting in increasingly more hours, some in excess of 20 hours per week (D'Amico, 1984; Steinberg & Dornbusch, 1990). The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the part-time employment of high school students as it relates to the following measures of academic involvement: GPA, time spent on homework, time spent in extracurricular activities, attitude toward school, classroom engagement, enrollment in math and science courses, and future …