Education Commons^™

Older Adults And A Writing Workshop: A Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Lynn Alex

Dissertations

This study examines how older adults experience the phenomenon of participating in a writing workshop and how older adults interpret their experiences, understandings, and realities of writing. Ten older adults, ranging in age from 62 to 83 with varying degrees of experiences in writing, participated in this study. Through a semi-structured interview, each participant related his or her experience first as a writer and then as a member of a writing workshop offered through a Community Literacy Center in a mid-sized Appalachian city.

A phenomenological analysis method was used to identify and analyze themes of meaning that emerged in the …

The Effect Of A Math Emporium Course Redesign In Developmental And Introductory Mathematics Courses On Student Achievement And Students' Attitudes Toward Mathematics At A Two-Year College, Amy Renée Bishop

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of computer-based instruction on student mathematics achievement and students' attitudes toward mathematics in developmental and introductory mathematics courses, namely Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, and College Algebra, at a community college. The researcher also examined the relationship between attitudes and achievement. The sample consisted of 112 students, and the study was conducted during the Spring 2010 semester at a community college in south Mississippi. The participants were enrolled in one of six classes taught by the researcher. The control group consisted of three classes (one Intermediate and two College Algebra sections) …

The Relationship Among Mathematics Anxiety, Mathematical Self-Efficacy, Mathematical Teaching Self-Efficacy, And The Instructional Practices Of Elementary School Teachers, Lydia Joan Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to explore the relationships among the variables of mathematics anxiety, mathematical self-efficacy, mathematical teaching self-efficacy, and the instructional practice of elementary school teachers. The study included 320 practicing elementary teachers who teach mathematics to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. These teachers completed the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale, the Mathematics Teaching and Mathematics Self-Efficacy survey, and the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Survey. Quantitative data analysis methods included descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Results indicated a statistically significant relationship between mathematical teaching self-efficacy (efficacy) and mastery approaches to instruction, as well as …

Evaluating And Improving The Quality Of Teacher’S Language Modeling In Early Childhood Classrooms, Lillian White Englund

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The relationship between pre-school teachers and the children in their classrooms directly influences the degree of success the children experience in school and in life. The emphasis on quality pre-K education in the U.S. has resulted in an increased need for highly qualified teachers who are capable of engaging in meaningful interactions with young children. An important component of high-level teacher-child interactions is the teacher's ability to model language for children as they acquire vocabulary and language context.

This mixed-methods study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a professional development intervention designed to improve the quality of language modeling …

Preparing A Student With A Disability And Their Family For Transition Into Adulthood, Katherine Matwiczak-Weber

All Graduate Projects

As a student with a disability makes the transition from high school to adult life, together the student and the family are faced with decisions and challenges outside the support of the school system. There are certain time lines and criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to make the change successful as well guarantee the student's rights and entitlements both financially and vocationally from the federal government and other community based systems. Transition-focused educators have long advocated for a vision of post-school life for the young adult with a disability that includes community and social interactions in addition …

A Teacher’S Guide For Increased Parent Involvement In Low Socioeconomic And Highly Diverse Areas., Alyssa Katheryn Newby

All Graduate Projects

Secondary research was performed to obtain an overview of parent involvement in schools with low socioeconomic status and ethnically diverse populations. Within the project, different ethnicities' typical values and perceptions of appropriate involvement in a child's education were presented. These perceptions often contradict educators' perceptions of parent involvement, which generally takes on a white, middle class perspective. The purpose of the project is to better inform educators about the variety of ethnicities. As a result, this project addressed challenges to parent involvement and suggested possible solutions/interventions to bridge the gap between educators and families.

Differentiated Reading In Primary Grades, Cara Cathleen Axe

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to help teachers integrate reading differentiation into the classroom and thus help students with their varied needs in learning to read. Differentiation of instruction is valuable in all areas, particularly in teaching reading. This project emphasizes that it is essential that teachers make reading skills and content accessible to all students. My purpose is to show the importance of differentiated reading instruction and to provide information and resources for teachers and parents.

A Differentiated Unit Of Instruction For A Secondary Social Studies Classroom, David Christopher Tempel

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to create a differentiated unit of instruction for eleventh grade United States History students as a pilot for the creation of a differentiated curriculum in U.S. History. This unit will examine the relationship between instructional strategies utilized and the impact upon student achievement. This unit will systematically plan instruction that meets the needs of an academically diverse group of students by honoring each student's learning needs and maximizing each student's learning capacity.

Using Homework To Support Standards, Socorro Yanez-Garcia

All Graduate Projects

Historically, homework has been a controversial issue that has impacted teachers, students, and parents (Gill & Schlossman, 1996, 2004). Opponents of homework are quick to talk about the hours of meaningless homework that students are required to complete and how homework detracts from family time (Kralovec & Buell, 2000). However, this is no reason to completely do away with homework. Teachers may lack access to meaningful homework that is aligned with what students are expected to know. Homework is an important part of a student's education (Cooper, 1989). Homework that has a defined purpose before it is assigned has been …

The Importance Of High School Nutrition Education, Rebecca Toisie Swanson

All Graduate Projects

This project looks at obesity and undernourishment in American students. The project discusses the importance of physical education and nutrition education and the lack there of in the 21st Century. Research indicates current legislative mandates involving standardized testing and a stress on core academics, changing familial and societal structures and evolving food technology have helped lead to the obesity epidemic in the United States. The project also looks at different ethnic and socioeconomic groups and the impact nutrition and overall health plays in these groups. The project includes a nutrition curriculum that is designed to be used in a ninth …

“Read Well-Jell Well” Project: Intervention Tool For Teaching The “Read Well” Curriculum, Lisa Valaire Hart

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of the Prepared Jell Well Project is to create user friendly, one page templates that maintain fidelity to the "Read Well' reading program and follow the research based guidelines of the National Reading Panel, No child Left Behind, and Reading First. This intervention tool will enable teachers to teach target goals to mastery and therefore serve as a preventative model. The Prepared Jell Well tool will enhance teaching the "Read Well" curriculum using Direct Instruction methods. The Prepared Jell Well provides materials for pre-teaching and re-teaching the focus skills of the First grade reading program. The materials are …

Teaching Strategies For Increasing Computational Fluency In Middle School Students, Alejandra Rios Blakeslee

All Graduate Projects

In light of the new Washington State K-12 Mathematics Learning Standards, it has become a priority to help struggling students close the gap in academic achievement. Therefore, in an effort to remediate the lack of computation and rigor currently being taught in middle school mathematics using an investigational approach curriculum a complimentary curriculum has been evaluated, compiled, and aligned to supplement the curriculum. The purpose of this project is to compile a set of Groundworks mini-lessons, a series of tiered lessons that targets specific mathematical skills, to be used with correlating parts of the CMP2 curriculum with the aim of …

Empirical Testing Of The Neuman Systems Nursing Education Model: Exploring The Created Environment Of Registered Nursing Students In Nevada’S Colleges And Universities, Diane H. Elmore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purposes of this paper are to: (a) present the strategies and rationale for creation of a middle range nursing theory that is specific to nursing education, (b) to determine if propositions of the model are valid and appropriate to support further research based on the student-centered education model, and (c) to conduct initial research on the created environment of nursing students, which is one of two the primary constructs of the nursing education model. Use of the Neumans Systems Nursing Education Model (NSNEM), a student centered educational model, which is consistent with the Neumans System Model (NSM) provided the …

A Guide To Raising Pheasants, Nicole Silveira

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this study was to aid in the implementation and utilization of an experiential learning lab in the form of a pheasant facility on the Cal Poly Campus.

A pheasant facility and enterprise at the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Animal Science Unit would be the perfect hands on learning device that can really epitomize the motto, “Learn By Doing”. The enterprise projects have long been an integral component of the Agricultural Education and Communication curriculum and many students have gained the critical management skills necessary to be competitive in production and allied industries - including teaching.

A …

Nonfiction Text Usage In The Primary Grades, Shanna Marie Carlson

All Graduate Projects

The past and current role of nonfiction text, also referred to as informational text, in the elementary classroom setting was studied. The educational benefits of nonfiction use was examined and found to have a significant impact on the learning and success of students. Effective uses for nonfiction books were compiled into a handbook for the use of primary teachers.

A Curriculum Guide For The Inclusion Of Ecopsychology In An Alternative Education Setting, Sara Leroux

All Graduate Projects

Ecopsychology is a relatively new field. It is a hybrid of environmentalism and psychology. The study of ecopsychology and nature awareness emphasizes that people, chiefly children, need nature in order to maintain brain health. This study examines the impact that nature has on humans, and focuses on the positive impact nature has on students with ADHD, ADD, autism, learning disabilities, students at-risk, and students at large. The author lobbies for a paradigm shift in traditional curriculum to accept and honor the extensive potential for students' emotional and psychical health. The proposed project focuses on creating approaches to integrate and implement …

"We Do Not See Things As They Are. We See Things As We Are." : Capturing The Transformation Of Career Changing Women From Stem Fields To Teaching, Catherine Snyder

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This qualitative study tracks the journeys of four career changing women in STEM fields as they pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching degree and transition into teaching positions. Through analysis of archived writing, journaling, photo elicitation, interviews and member-checking, the study analyzes participants' thinking and learning at the beginning of their entrance into graduate school through to their second year of teaching. Using Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory, the study focuses on the challenges faced by the women, the catalysts for change, the durability of lessons learned in the teaching program and their degree of contentment with their decision given …

The Influence Of An Interactive Reading Program On Adolescent Students In Middle School, Bernadette L. Casey

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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