Education Commons^™

The Implementation And Impact Of The Leveled Literacy Intervention System On Middle School Students In Special Education, Krystin Mccormick Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to determine the effects of a direct, individualized, and intensive reading intervention on middle school students with identified learning disabilities in the area of reading. The Leveled Literacy Intervention System was used as the reading intervention in this study. Oral reading fluency and reading comprehension skills were measured, as well as the student participants’ attitude toward reading. Data collection methods included LLI system assessments, district level benchmark reading assessments, and student questionnaires. The teacher-researcher analyzed the data and determined the 18-week LLI intervention had positive impacts on the student participants’ oral …

Mix It Up: Blended Collaborative Professional Development To Impact High School Teacher Efficacy, Briana Ghan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to explore how a blended collaborative approach to professional development can influence teachers’ efficacy, collective efficacy, and collaboration in high school teachers. Three questions guided this study: (a) How and to what extent does teacher efficacy change with participation in a blended collaborative form of professional development?, (b) How and to what extent does collective teacher efficacy change with participation in a blended and collaborative form of professional development?, and (c) How does participation in a blended collaborative form of professional development affect sharing amongst participants?

Bandura’s sources of efficacy and the characteristics …

The Relationship Between I-Ready Intervention And Grade 8 Mathematical Achievement, Kenyatta Shanta Aldridge

Theses and Dissertations

A problem exists in using educational software as an intervention for middle grades mathematics. The rural middle school used an educational program to improve mathematical achievement; however, the effectiveness of this program was not evaluated. The e-learning theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. The purpose of this explanatory, sequential mixed methods design was to examine the relationship between the i-Ready intervention program and students’ mathematical achievement and to explore teachers’ perceptions of implementing the i-Ready intervention program. The participants included 48 Grade 8 students from one middle school. A series of bivariate correlations was conducted using the …

Using An Ecological Framework To Understand English Language Arts Educators’ Beliefs And Practice About How Students Learn And Develop Comprehensive Literacy Skills, Nina Chavona Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Third grade students who cannot read at grade level are more likely to experience difficulties throughout their education. This intrinsic case study examined the epistemological beliefs and pedagogical practices of six third grade English Language Arts (ELA) educators on developing students' comprehensive literacy skills (CLS) in two Title I schools. Bronfenbrenner's bioecological and ecological theories of human development postulated the theoretical framework. Educators' epistemologies were examined through their decision-making processes during ELA instruction. Pedagogies were evaluated through educators' use of culturally relevant instructional practices. Data were collected in three phases through semi-structured interviews, photographs with descriptive narratives, and an open-ended …